Background: With the emerging and disruption of new technologies, digital transformationhas heavily impacted on businesses of all kinds, especially SMEs. Consequently, organizations must innovate their business model to adapt the changeable environment in many ways such as providing new products & services, developing new markets, more collaborations with partnership, and investing digital tools to deliver more value to the customers. It is therefore necessary for organizations and academicians to understand the dynamic capabilities framework for the business model innovation. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to find out the role of dynamic capabilities in the digital transformation of business model innovation (BMI) in SMEs. During this process, we also explore digital transformation and make future explanations of the key elements of BMI in our case companies. Method: In order to understand how SMEs build up capabilities for digital transformation inthe business model innovation, we carry out this study by using semi-structured interviews with open answered questions. The interviews consisted of 6 participants in various senior management positions at 5 case companies. The participants are either the company owners or the department managers. Findings: From the interviews, we studied that all the case companies had been in process of digital transformation for a certain extent. In terms of their business model, the digitaltransformation reflects in 3 domains: new digital products & services, new markets & segments,and key partnerships. In addition, companies build dynamic capabilities for their digital business model via a total of 8 activities, including digital scouting, digital learning & planning, digital mind-set, agile working, investment in digital assets, collaboration with partners, creating digital culture, and redesigning organizational structure. Relevant management skills are the enablers throughout the whole innovation process. Finally, our study studies theenabling role of management in building dynamic capabilities and reacting to change.

Purpose: This master thesis aims to investigate the SMEs' perceptions about digitalization and sustainability of the firm and distinguish the factors that affect them. Furthermore, it illustrates how the SMEs’ digitalization process is linked to their sustainability.  Theoretical approach: This master thesis is based on the previous research and literature on SMEs’ digitalization and sustainability of the firm. Additionally, it proposed a conceptual model that links SMEs' digitalization process to their sustainability. Methodology: This research followed the qualitative method in which the data was obtained through semi-structured interviews with eight SMEs. These SMEs are located in Sweden, France, and Iran. However, the responses were analyzed based on the secondary analysis method. Findings: The study's findings demonstrate that digitalization affects an SME's sustainability through growth, competitiveness advantages, value creation, internal efficiency, and saving costs. Regardless of where SMEs are located, they mostly have the same perception of digitalization and insufficient knowledge about the firm's sustainability, and mainly the same factors affect their digitalization process and sustainability. Practical implications: The results of this study could provide a perspective on adopting the new technology by SMEs. It could inspire SMEs to increase their digitalization capability by adopting new technologies to ensure long-term sustainability in their organizations. It also sheds light on confusing the firm’s sustainability with SDGs, which SMEs must investigate. Originality/Value: This study adds to the digitalization and sustainability of the firm literature by investigating SMEs' perceptions about digitalization and firm’s sustainability, factors that influence the digitalization and sustainability process of the SMEs and examining how SMEs' digitalization processes are linked to their sustainability

The main purpose of this paper is to provide evidence of financial leverage, liquidity, profitability, and firm size ability to predict bankruptcy of Swedish small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and to create a bankruptcy prediction model for Swedish SMEs. The sample consists of 1086 Swedish SMEs, among which 543 did go bankrupt between 2015 and 2019. The paper employs logistic regression and Mann-Whitney U-test to test the hypotheses. The independent variables are derived from previous research and further filtered in a selection process, resulting in a final set of six variables. Financial leverage, liquidity, profitability, and firm size is found to have significantly predictive abilities to determine SME bankruptcy. The model has an overall classification accuracy of 77.6% out-of-sample and is able to classify 82.2% of the bankruptcies correctly out-of-sample.

Dagens arbetsklimat kännetecknas av konstanta förändringar, vilket sätter en stor press på företag att anpassa sig för att inte hamna efter. För att bibehålla konkurrenskraft tvingas därför företag att hitta nya sätt att utvecklas inom organisation och produktion, för att bemöta de kontinuerliga förändringar som sker. Tillverkning under tjugohundratalet kännetecknas av specialanpassade produkter där många tillverkande företag har komplexa produktionsplaneringar och affärssystem. Detta har lett till att företag söker sig alltmer mot koncept och metoder av ständiga förbättringar, något som gjort att tillämpningen av lean bland mindre tillverkande företag blivit alltmer framträdande.  Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur ett mindre tillverkande företag kan implementera koncept, verktyg, värderingar och principer inom lean för att bemöta sina nuvarande problem, och att långsiktigt kunna fortsätta arbeta vidare med det som en del i det dagliga arbetet. Målet är att ta fram ett ramverk för implementering av lean hos ett mindre tillverkande företag. Ramverket syftar till att visualisera de olika steg ett företag behöver gå igenom för att lyckas inkorporera förbättringskoncept/verktyg i sin verksamhet och därmed standardisera arbetet och minimera slöserier.  Studien är av kvalitativ karaktär där intervjuer, observationer och en litteraturstudie stod för insamlingen av data. Totalt genomfördes åtta intervjuer där en blandning av ledningen och anställda i produktionen var intervjuade. Observationerna utfördes genom att vandra omkring i produktionen för att skapa sig en bild för hur arbetet faktiskt går till idag. Litteraturstudien behandlar relevanta artiklar inom lean, SME:S och ständiga förbättringar. Genom att analysera den insamlade data mot den befintliga litteraturen kunde slutsatser om vilka verktyg/koncept som krävs för att bemöta respektive slöserier inom ett producerande SME göras. Även vilka faktorer som är viktiga för företag att ta i beaktning vid införandet av förbättringskoncept. Detta visualiseras genom ett ramverk som är framtaget genom denna studie. Fumex rekommenderas använda detta ramverk som ett stöd till implementering av lean i sin verksamhet. Detta syftar till att lösa de identifierade problemen med dokumentation, otydliga manualer/instruktioner och kommunikation mellan ledning och produktion.

This paper analyzes how Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, SMEs in the hotel industry implement strategic Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR through the lenses of leadership, decision-making, and communication. Additionally, this research explores how the implementation differs between small and large hotel companies. To answer these questions, researchers used a qualitative approach by conducting 15 semi-structured interviews with eight SMEs and seven large hotel companies. The Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, IPA method was applied to analyze the gathered data. Research results demonstrate that hotel leaders in SMEs create a sustainability vision and lead the transition within their hotels. Leaders are mainly in charge of strategic decisions which are cascaded to all departments for operationalization. Moreover, dynamics between formal procedures shaping operational processes and informal organizational culture were identified. While formal elements shape goals and performance-tracking within organizations, informal elements ensure employees are aligned and committed to the sustainability vision. Formal documents and work procedures serve as guidelines for employees, but the informal aspect of leadership related to inspiring, engaging, and motivating employees is of even greater importance. Leaders motivate and engage employees by granting a high degree of autonomy in their work, allowing for mistakes to happen, valuing their efforts and contributions, and overall, fostering an open, trusting, and supportive organizational culture in their hotels. In conclusion, to successfully implement strategic CSR, a sustainable way of thinking must be developed that will ensure that all decisions and daily activities are in line with the sustainability vision.

Sustainable innovation is becoming increasingly important for today’s society due to the existing ecological threats to the earth. Thus, companies have a special responsibility with regard to new technologies and products. One important emerging technology is artificial intelligence (AI), which can help to make processes more efficient and save resources. However, managers are usually not supported by scientists when implementing AI in their businesses, which leads to companies failing in this endeavor or achieving unintended results, especially in small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Research on the combination of AI with sustainable innovation has received fairly little attention to date. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to find out the role of sustainable innovation for SMEs in different sectors and how they perceive a possible implementation of AI. This includes factors such as motivation, barriers, solutions, and advantages. The selected sectors are machine manufacturing and agriculture as they are highly relevant to the topic. The study also looks at possible differences and similarities between the sectors. For this purpose, an exploratory and qualitative research approach was adopted by performing a multiple case study. Four semi-structured interviews with SMEs, two from each sector, were conducted to provide insights into the research field. The results reveal that sustainable innovation plays an important role within these two sectors, as all interviewed companies have a common motivation and responsibility to save the earth’s ecosystem. However, in most aspects the sectors differ here, especially regarding barriers. The companies also reveal a lot of interest in the implementation of artificial intelligence, but barely any differences were found between the sectors, in particular concerning, barriers, solutions, and possible AI types. The study has limited generalizability, as studies with larger companies or different turnovers, in other countries and sectors, and/or with different existing technologies might generate alternative results.

Im Rahmen dieser Bachelorarbeit wurden die Organisations- und Prozessstrukturen von klein- und mittelständischen Unternehmen sowie die Einflüsse der Digitalisierung auf interne Strukturen im Holzbau analysiert. Das Ziel der Arbeit ist die Identifikation der bestimmenden Prozesse und der Einfluss der Organisationsform auf die Kostenentstehung in kleinen Unternehmen sowie eine Gegenüberstellung dieser zu Großunternehmen. Dazu wurden zunächst die verschiedenen Prozesse und Wertschöpfungsschritte eines Holzbauunternehmens systematisch und strukturiert beschrieben, um diese im Anschluss in ein Verhältnis zum Zeitaufwand und den damit verbundenen Kosten zu setzen. Danach wurden in einer ähnlichen Vorgehensweise verschiedene Organisationsformen dargestellt, um deren Einfluss auf die Kostenentstehung im Vergleich zu Großunternehmen zu analysieren. Auch in Hinblick auf die Herausforderungen der Digitalisierung für klein- und mittelständische Unternehmen wurden abschließend Optimierungsmöglichkeiten in diesem Kontext untersucht. Im Zuge der Gegenüberstellung dieser beiden Unternehmensformen konnten signifikante Unterschiede bezüglich der Kostenentstehungsprozesse festgestellt werden, auch die Organisationsstruktur in Großunternehmen beeinflusst diese Prozesse maßgeblich. Trotz der begrenzten Verfügbarkeit von personellen und finanziellen Ressourcen kleinerer Unternehmen und der dadurch erschwerten Implementierung digitaler Lösungen bietet die Digitalisierung völlig neue Potenziale zur Verbesserung von Strategien und Prozessen und sollte deshalb als Chance angesehen werden, um die eigene Wettbewerbsposition zu stärken.:Abbildungsverzeichnis Abkürzungsverzeichnis 1 Einleitung 1.1 Problemstellung 1.2 Ziele und Struktur der Arbeit 2 Klein- und mittelständische Unternehmen 2.1 Begriff der KMU 2.2 Bedeutung und Besonderheiten von KMU im Holzbau 3 Prozessstrukturen 3.1 Bedeutung von Prozessen in KMU 3.2 Vorherrschende Prozesse in KMU 3.2.1 Managementprozesse 3.2.2 Leistungserstellungsprozess 3.2.3 Supportprozesse 3.3 Einfluss interner Prozesse auf die Kostenentstehung 4 Organisationsstrukturen 4.1 Grundlagen zur Organisationsstruktur 4.2 Vorherrschende Organisationsformen in KMU 4.2.1 Verbreitete Organisationsformen 4.2.2 Alternative Organisationsformen 4.3 Einfluss interner Organisationsstrukturen auf die Kostenentstehung 4.4 Vergleich zu Großunternehmen 5 Digitalisierung in der Holzbaubranche 5.1 Bedeutung der digitalen Transformation für KMU 5.2 Einflüsse der Digitalisierung 5.2.1 Geschäfts- und Leistungserstellungsprozesse 5.2.2 Organisations- und Personalstrukturen 5.3 Herausforderungen der Digitalisierung für KMU 6 Zusammenfassung und Ausblick Literaturverzeichnis Eidesstaatliche Erklärung / This bachelor’s thesis analyzed the organizational and process structures of small and mediumsized companies as well as the influence of digitization on internal structures in timber construction. The aim of the work is to identify the determining processes and the influence of the organizational form on the formation of costs in small companies and to compare them with large companies. To this end, the various processes and value creation steps of a timber construction company were described in a systematic and structured manner, in order to compare them to the time required and the associated costs. In a similar way, different organizational forms were then presented in order to analyze their impact on cost formation in comparison with large companies. Finally, with a view to the challenges of digitization for small and medium-sized enterprises, optimization possibilities in this context were investigated. In the course of the comparison of these two forms of enterprise, significant differences in the costcreation processes were found, and the organizational structure in large companies also significantly influences these processes. Despite the limited availability of human and financial resources of smaller companies, which makes it difficult to implement digital solutions, digitization offers completely new potential for improving strategies and processes and should therefore be seen as an opportunity to strengthen one’s competitive position.:Abbildungsverzeichnis Abkürzungsverzeichnis 1 Einleitung 1.1 Problemstellung 1.2 Ziele und Struktur der Arbeit 2 Klein- und mittelständische Unternehmen 2.1 Begriff der KMU 2.2 Bedeutung und Besonderheiten von KMU im Holzbau 3 Prozessstrukturen 3.1 Bedeutung von Prozessen in KMU 3.2 Vorherrschende Prozesse in KMU 3.2.1 Managementprozesse 3.2.2 Leistungserstellungsprozess 3.2.3 Supportprozesse 3.3 Einfluss interner Prozesse auf die Kostenentstehung 4 Organisationsstrukturen 4.1 Grundlagen zur Organisationsstruktur 4.2 Vorherrschende Organisationsformen in KMU 4.2.1 Verbreitete Organisationsformen 4.2.2 Alternative Organisationsformen 4.3 Einfluss interner Organisationsstrukturen auf die Kostenentstehung 4.4 Vergleich zu Großunternehmen 5 Digitalisierung in der Holzbaubranche 5.1 Bedeutung der digitalen Transformation für KMU 5.2 Einflüsse der Digitalisierung 5.2.1 Geschäfts- und Leistungserstellungsprozesse 5.2.2 Organisations- und Personalstrukturen 5.3 Herausforderungen der Digitalisierung für KMU 6 Zusammenfassung und Ausblick Literaturverzeichnis Eidesstaatliche Erklärung

The current global waste problem presents significant challenges worldwide, and Spain is no different. Factors such as rapid urbanization, population growth, intensive agriculture, linear production models, and changing consumption patterns contribute to the upward trend in waste generation. To address these challenges and meet EU requirements, Spain developed the Law 7/2022 on Waste and Contaminated Soils for a Circular Economy (LRSC) to establish a legal framework promoting waste reduction, reuse, recycling, and proper waste management. The LRSC includes green taxes on plastic and landfill waste, incineration, and co-incineration. This qualitative policy research investigates the drivers and barriers influencing Spanish small and medium companies (SMEs) in transitioning to a circular economy (CE) and evaluates the effectiveness of the LRSC in supporting this shift reducing the scope to packaging waste. The study also aims to assess the impact of the LRSC, particularly the two green taxes within it, and address any emerging issues. Through a literature review and interviews with ten SMEs, the research reveals challenges in waste management, low recycling rates, and high landfilling rates in Spain. Barriers to circular economic models include the need for EU-wide alignment of laws, consumer education, stagnation of recycling technology, lack of economic incentives, high prices of recycled plastic, greenwashing, and cost savings. Companies face challenges such as lack of availability of recycled plastic, concerns about food contact packaging approval if produced with recycled plastics, changing company values and workforce habits, lack of legislative harmonization which increase the system complexity, capitalist marketing strategies, investment requirements, and lack of education. However, drivers for transition include consumer choices, economic incentives, and market demand. Concerns about the LRSC’s effectiveness in reducing packaging waste and facilitating the transition to a CE, include late implementation, eco-design and circular economy foundation deficiencies, selective collection challenges, and the low availability of recycled plastics. The LRSC is believed to have potential positive impact for the environment, however further efforts are needed to overcome the challenges identified in the study.

While there is an abundance of research that shows a direct and positive relationship betweenentrepreneurial orientation (EO) and organizational performance the relationship is far from simpleand clear. Research suggest that the relationship is complex and is contingent on internal andexternal variables that affect this relationship. This study examines the effect of EO and itsdimensions on organizational performance in SMEs in Jordan. Further, the study examines themediating effect of internal and external contingency factors such as: market orientation, strategicflexibility and environment hostility on the EO-performance relationship. Using questionnairesurvey the study collected 137 usable questionnaires and utilized PLS to analyze the data. Thestudy found that EO significantly affects performance directly and positively. The study also founda mediating effect of environmental hostility on the relationship between EO and organizationalperformance. No evidence was found to support that MO and strategic flexibility have a mediatingeffect on the EO-performance relationship. With regards to the effect and mediation effect of EOdimensions; the study found that both innovativeness and proactiveness have a significant positivedirect effect on performance. While risk taking has a significant negative direct effect onperformance. With regards to the mediation effect of market orientation, strategic flexibility andenvironmental hostility on the relationships between EO dimensions (innovativeness,proactiveness and risk taking) the study found that only EH has a mediation effect while marketorientation and strategic flexibility have no mediation effect.Specifically, the study also found that EH mediates the relationship between innovativeness andperformance. The mediation is a full mediation since there are both direct and indirect effects ofinnovativeness on performance. The study found a partial mediation effect of EH on theproactiveness-performance relationship since the direct effect becomes insignificant when themediator is added. The study also found a partial mediation effect of EH on the risk takingperformance relationship since the direct effect becomes insignificant when the mediator is added.

This study provides an understanding on how Relationship Quality is conceptualised in business-to-business marketing relationships. It investigates the relationships of Jordanian Banks with their small and medium sized enterprise (SMEs) customers in terms of Commitment, Satisfaction, Trust, Communication, Transparency, Understanding, and Cooperation. It examines the antecedents and outcomes of the quality of corporate customer relationships by developing a conceptual model which empirically tests this relationship. This research builds and validates a research model based on the literature survey and uses a mixed methods approach. Qualitative data were gathered through in-depth interviews to achieve the goal of refining the initial research model. The second stage is a quantitative empirical study that uses a questionnaire and tests the empirical model generated in the first stage. This integration of methods provides a more complete view of this emerging area of marketing theory. Using Structural Equation Modelling; research findings support the use of a secondorder relationship quality construct consisting of Trust, Commitment, and Satisfaction as a direct outcome of a relationship and is named ¿Attitudinal Loyalty¿. Antecedents including; Transparency, Communication, Understanding and Cooperation were found to have a positive impact on relational outcome in a business-to-business context in Jordan. The importance of Transparency emerged as one of the most significant determinants of Relationship Quality, which is considered to be a new finding and not common among previous studies. Communication appears to make the biggest contribution overall and have direct and indirect relationships with other variables. It is therefore a major source of success in a business relationship. This research has several implications for the theory and practice. An important issue is the affects on change management. It requires the establishment of business communications to strengthen existing relationships and to form new ones. This implies developing an interactive approach with other parties. This study gives the banking industry an insight for developing their marketing strategy. It also provides a tool to assess the portfolio of relationships, which helps in targeting specific customers. Furthermore, Transparency in the flow of information imposes cultural change. Studying the Jordanian market can help to provide an insight into an emerging economy. Several qualitative findings showed that the relationship between banks and their small and medium enterprises is interesting. All this enriches and adds to the originality of this work and contributes to existing theory by investigating how relationships between partners can be enhanced. / Al-Balqa ' Applied University