Nowadays, the globalization phenomena makes companies of every size think beyond domestic market. However, implement an international strategy that is efficient is not a simple task for firms. Indeed, companies have to respond to market specific context while they have different characteristics. In the literature, with regard to the adaptation/standardization of the marketing mix, most of the researches have built their theories upon the analysis of multinationals’ cases. Little attention has been paid on the cases of SMEs although in different topics of interest it has been seen that these two types of companies do not behave exactly the same ways. Therefore, this thesis aims to find the reasons affecting the SME’s decision of adapting/standardizing the marketing mix and how do they proceed to do so. A qualitative research has been done with one Belgian small-medium enterprise (Bruyere) that evolves in the chocolate industry and more precisely in the market of pralines. The data gathered, thanks to the interview of two managers of Bruyerre, are structured with the theoretical framework beforehand developed. The analysis and discussion section contrasts and compares the theoretical framework and the data gathered. The research brought specific and significant findings about the small-medium Belgian enterprise (Bruyerre). Beyond general factors affecting their decisions either to adapt or standardize the element of the marketing mix strategy across nations, in this case, we found that managers have to build strong relationships with their partners across nations, take into consideration the nature of their product when deciding the strategy of adaptation/standardization and be flexible for their partners’ requests.

Recognition of maintenance management as a significant factor holds the key to competitiveness in the global market irrespective of the size of the business. Maintenance management practices are primarily found in larger and multinational companies but the purpose of this paper is to investigate the maintenance practices that are used in SMEs of Sweden (Kronoberg County). The study is expected to expose the level of maintenance perception in the Swedish industry via a postal (and web based) questionnaire. The survey covered 74 company chosen from different sectors and produced a response rate of 20.3 percent. The main results achieved from the study show us difference between the maintenance perception and awareness of the maintenance. The respondents are aware of the importance of maintenance, but maintenance is still perceived as a necessary expense. Because according to the results of the survey the percentage of maintenance budget in comparison to the companies’ turnover is on average about 0.97% and it is very low. Again, when we look at the maintenance cost distribution of companies, spare parts and labour costs consist of 73 % of total maintenance cost, despite that they spend very little money for technology and training costs, their percentages in total cost are just 3% and 2%, also they still ignore statistical modelling (historical data) and condition monitoring. Moreover, just 27% of the participants use the maintenance key performance indicators (KPIs), and just 14% of them used basic KPIs which are used for measuring maintenance performance. There is a need to spend and invest more in maintenance especially they should invest more in technology and training to perform them. On the other hand, there is a need for choosing right maintenance strategy and service type, because these points are very important for an effective and economic maintenance management.

La afirmación sobre la importancia de las ventajas competitiva y las competencias distintivas como determinantes del éxito y el crecimiento de las empresas ha incrementado sustancialmente en la última década. Académicos y estudiosos de la práctica empresarial han enfocado sus estudios en las características y factores de la empresa que son distintivas, únicas y añaden valor a las expectativas del consumidor final. Un número significativo de los investigadores está de acuerdo en que el éxito del sector de pequeñas y medianas empresas (Pymes) es trascendental para la estabilidad y salud de la economía. En este contexto, el sector contribuye de variadas formas a la economía, entre ellos: mediante la generación de empleos, a través de el autoempleo y en el aumento de la inversión en innovación e investigación. Los pequeños negocios, se ha comprobado estadísticamente, también son responsables del mayor crecimiento en la economía, a través de diversos períodos económicos, no obstante los múltiples problemas que aquejan a este sector y a la falta de ayuda y asistencia de parte de los grupos responsables de delinear las políticas del gobierno.Esta disertación explora y examina, a través de métodos de investigación cualitativos y cuantitativos, cuáles son las ventajas competitivas y competencias distintivas que determinan el éxito en las empresas establecidas en Puerto Rico por al menos tres años, a través de sectores, tamaño y área de negocio. El estudio utiliza análisis de casos, entrevistas profundas a empresas exitosas y no exitosas, así como un sondeo de mercado enviado a los ejecutivos de empresas establecidas a través de la Isla. Los datos resultantes fueron examinados y analizados utilizando una multiplicidad de análisis y paquetes estadísticos diseñados para estudios predominantemente cualitativos. La información obtenida fue resumida y presentada en tablas y graficas. Además, una vez la información fue procesada, se diseñó un modelo estadístico con la intención de predecir éxito y prevenir fracaso en las Pymes. Los resultados señalan y respaldan, con algunas limitaciones, que las competencias distintivas existentes en las empresas puertorriqueñas se relacionan a las encontradas en otros estudios empíricos. De igual forma, el estudio muestra enfáticamente que los determinantes de éxito a través de empresas de diversos tamaño, sectores y género se correlacionan, además de ser bastante similares. Sin embargo, también se encontró que, en el caso de empresas poseídas por mujeres, éstas poseen menos experiencia al iniciar sus negocios, lo cual puede ser la causa de que el funcionamiento u éxito de sus empresas sea menor. Del estudio se desprende que los problemas del género, pueden deberse a un proceso de selección natural o a problemas que existen en le contexto social en el cual se desarrollan estas empresas. Por otro lado, los negocios poseídos por mujeres, también han mostrado más dificultades en lograr las metas trazadas que los poseídos por hombres. Es evidente, según expresiones explícitas de los evaluados, la insuficiencia que existe en actividades que respalden las Pymes, así como la necesidad de crear políticas de negocios conducente a desarrollar, fortalecer y respaldar el sector tanto de parte del sector privado como del sector público. Este respaldo puede orientarse a la creación de ayudas financieras, incluyendo: estudios profundos, préstamos, "grants", y programas innovadores de entrenamiento. No cabe duda que la creación de estos programas y acciones estimulará tanto a negocios actuales como potenciales y ayudará a futuros empresarios a lidiar y predecir con mayor certeza los cambios económicos y políticos que afecten su sector así como a reducir fracasos. / The importance of competitive advantages and distinctive competencies as determinants of a firm's success and growth has increased tremendously in the last decade. Practitioners and academicians have centered their studies on firm specific characteristics that are unique and add value to the ultimate consumer. Most researchers agree that the success of small the small businesses segment is crucial to both the stability and health of any economy. In this context, the small firm sector contributes in many respects: through employment generation, investing in research and innovation. The sector is also responsible for most growth in the economy, in spite of the varied problems confronted and the lack of substantial assistance from policy makers. This dissertation explores and examines, via qualitative and quantitative research methods, the competitive advantages and distinctive competencies that determine success in firms established in Puerto Rico for at least three years across sectors. The study includes case analysis, in-depth interviews with successful and non-successful firms, and an extensive island-wide survey mailed to firms established on the Island. Data was examined and analyzed using multiple statistical analyses; results were summarized and presented in table and graphic form. Moreover, after processing the data a model for predicting success was created with the intention of using it as a guideline for success and a deterrent for failure.Findings support the idea, within limitations, that the competitive advantages present in Puerto Rico's firms relate to other empirical findings. Results strongly suggest that success determinants across size, sector, and gender seem to be nearly the same. However, in the case of females, results show that women owners seem to possess less experience before starting a business, which as a result might cause underperformance. In addition, female-owned firms have remained smaller than men's, maybe by choice, or potentially because of context specific problems. Furthermore, female CEO's have also reported more difficulties achieving their goals, and are in areas less prone to growth. Findings also suggest measures for policy makers, bankers, educators, and lenders geared to increase programs oriented towards educating SMEs, as well as to stimulate and increase available support via grants and innovating training programs. This researcher believes that the actions suggested could stimulate current and prospective entrepreneurs to better cope with economic and cultural changes, and as a deterrent to failure.

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Open innovation has been widely debated in management literature. However, little attention has been given to how small and medium sized enterprises manage to open up their innovation process. Consequently, various questions remain unanswered. In particular, we want to shed light on the following issue: how small and medium-sized enterprises manage organizational changes in their journey from closed to open innovation. A literature review examines how small and medium-sized enterprises open up their innovation process based on nine perspectives. Then, the reference framework addresses the organizational changes embedded in evolving from closed to open innovation. In this sense, we use acknowledged concepts on organizational change research to carry out an in depth-case study on a small and medium-sized enterprise evolving in the sports equipment industry. The results demonstrate that, in its journey from closed to open innovation, the small and medium-sized enterprise has had to stimulate and to manage changes to four company’s dimensions i.e. corporate culture, networking, organizational structure, and knowledge management systems. The paper concludes by highlighting the diverse organizational changes undertaken by the company on these four dimensions. Based on this paper’s conclusion, managerial implications and discussion for future research are drawn.

Small and medium sized enterprises have become significant component of Chinese economy. At present, the financing difficulties of SMEs have become a biggest hurdle in sustainable Development of the "bottleneck." This paper analyzes the current condition of financing of SMEs in China specifically in Tianjin and existing problems and address these issues and put forward innovative financial schemes, develop the financial system, expand financing channels, to optimize the financial environment is difficult to solve the problem of SME financing priority. It needs to find more resources for better system. Three tested and tried approaches that have worked are; First, SMEs need backing from the government and its institutions. Then, the government needs to relax loans on the SME sector. Last and third, government needs to make use of other funds such as bonds, growth financing and other ways to push for SME financing, in a quicker approach.

This study aims to examine how brand management is implemented in SMEs, and investigate the problems encountered by SMEs when managing their brands in order to build strong brands.

In recent years, Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (hereafter called SMEs) have emerged to become an important factor for Vietnam¡¦s rapid economic growth. The environments in which these SMEs operate are speedily changing with the internationalization of the Vietnamese economy. Prompt changes have brought both opportunities and threats for the fragile SMEs section in Vietnamese economy. The purpose of this research is to answer ¡§What are the solutions for Vietnamese SMEs after going in the globalization process?¡¨ This paper indicates solutions (chiefly financial solutions) for challenges lie ahead if the plans for further trade liberalization and internationalization are realized. The basis of this paper¡¦s analysis is a database on the activities of some Vietnamese SMEs in a period of 2007-2009, with quantitative data about various aspects of company operations, as well as qualitative information about the entrepreneurs¡¦ perceptions of the current business environment and expectations about the future. In the survey¡¦s results, I have found a model of the internationalization of SMEs has been created which includes some elements: financial keys, governmental role, and other supporting organization. In which, access in finance has appealed as a key element for small and medium enterprise regarding the scope research of the survey. I believe they are main considerations for the Vietnamese SMEs to maintain, survive and develop their business operation after going globalization. Optimize financial solutions as suitable way to entry foreign market, government support; determine own Competitive advantage, positioning, decision-making and controlling.

According to the 2010 Small and Medium Enterprise White Book published by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the proportion of the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Taiwan is 97.9%, which indicates that the SMEs is the foundation of Taiwan¡¦s economic development. However, the financing activity of the SMEs is limited owing to the lack of financing channels and the defects of finance, operation, and structure design. Hence, through the depth interviews, the paper investigates how the SMEs could make use of the internal and external resources to negotiate with the banks when applying for the credit line. The research indicates that the SMEs should recognize the useful resources from the producing and selling chains and provide them to the banks as the sub-gages. This would make it easier for the banks to control the repayment sources or secure their rights. On the other hand, the SMEs will acquire the appropriate credit line solutions, expand the business scale and reach the goal of sustainable management.

This research explores the growth strategy of Taiwan chemical SMEs in China market. In 2003, China has surpassed USA as the largest FDI receiving country while the trade across the Taiwan Strait for the same year , estimated by Taiwan Mainland Affairs Council, had climbed to USD 46.3 billion , around 24% growth vs. 2002. It will be valuable to explore how Taiwan chemical SMEs, the most active participants in the international business, shape their growth strategy with the constraint of resource scarcity. The resources-based view suggests that a firm¡¦s unique resources and capabilities provide the basis for a strategy. The research selects two case companies in Unsaturated Polyester Resin (UPR) industry to identify the resources relative to the shaping of the growth strategy. Furthermore, it also explores the relationship between the internal resources of the case company and its choice of growth strategy. We thus develop four prepositions to facilitate the discussion. We conducted in-depth interviews with the two case companies to reach the following conclusions. They are summarized as follows: - A SME with more manager controlled ownership structure tends to more aggressively pursue the growth. - A SME with pursuing more R&D investment will be more committed to growth. - Human Resources in SMEs are not a dominating role in pursuing a growth strategy. - Top managements¡¦ perception of the external environment reflects their personal experiences