Thesis (Master of Construction Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2019. / This study evaluates both the Contractor Development Programme (CDP) mentorship programme and the emerging contractors’ personal limitations in achieving a successful programme implementation. The objectives of the study were as follows: (i) to ascertain whether the perception of limitations of the mentorship programme differs in accordance with contractor’s profile; (ii) to ascertain whether there is any statistically significant difference between the profiles of contractors with regard to the perception on mentorship programme limitations; (iii) to ascertain whether the perception of limitations of the contractors’ personal limitations differs in accordance with contractor’s profile; (iv) to ascertain whether there is any statistically significant difference between the profiles of emerging contractors with regard to the perception on personal limitations. The study adopted a quantitative research method which was preceded by an exploratory study. The study targeted emerging contractors in the Western Cape. The exploratory study was undertaken at the initial stage of the study to gain more insight in terms of the impact of limited contracting opportunities for emerging contractors on the Western Cape CDP mentorship programme. The data was collected by means of conducting semi-structured interviews to purposely selected emerging contractors, and was subsequently transcribed and analysed using content analysis. With regard to the main study, the questionnaire survey with closed-ended questions was distributed to the population of 16 emerging contractors with CIDB grade 3 and 5. The descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the main study. The study has uncovered a number of gaps in terms of the implementation processes of CDP mentorship programme. In regard to the mentorship programme limitations: The findings have revealed the use of ineffective recruitment and selection methods, the lack of training projects for contractors to tender, the lack of MOUs between the banks and the Western Cape CDP to ease access to credit, the lack of continuity in terms of mentoring services, the failure to evaluate contractors when they enter the mentorship programme, failure to monitor contractors’ development during mentorship, the failure to evaluate contractors when they exit the mentorship programme. In regard to the emerging contractors’ personal limitations: The findings have discovered the lack of tendering skills among contractors, lack of skills in interpreting construction drawings, the lack of planning for construction projects, the lack of estimation, and the lack of negotiation skills with material and plant suppliers. The research concludes by recommending that the Department of Transport and Public Works should review the entire mentorship programme. This will be achieved by appointing a business development practitioner to re-design and re-structure the entire mentorship programme so that it can be able to attract and select suitable contractors while meeting the governments’ objective of developing and promoting of emerging contractors in the construction industry.

This dissertation explores how local government policies affect pre-and postdisaster business resilience, in the context of institutional and neo-institutional frameworks. The study builds on past research on business vulnerability and resilience to examine government policies in the pre-disaster and response and recovery periods, and explore how government responses of varying types can contribute to different outcomes for local small businesses in the recovery period following hurricane disasters. The project examines two cases surrounding events in 2005 and their impact on business resilience: Hurricane Katrina and its effects on the New Orleans metropolitan area; and Palm Beach County's experience with Hurricane Wilma. The dissertation involves a mixed-method approach to the subject matter. The statistical analysis portion uses multiple regression analysis of surveys of government-registered business owners in the affected areas. Business resilience is examined in light of the p redictive power of the size of the disaster; the influence of the institutional policies in public procurement, and vii economic development through small business programs; the role of institutional culture; and finally business vulnerability. The interview portion involves interviews with public officials, and coding and analysis of the field texts of these discussions, for additional information about the role that institutions play in the resilience of businesses before and after disaster. The statistical results suggest that institutional culture; size of disaster, institutional policies (particularly in procurement practices), and vulnerability can play a role in determining the resilience of a local business community. / The statistical analysis is supported by interview data, which suggest that public institutions can create a culture of resilience in the business communities they serve, through support of proactive measures that make businesses less vulnerable, and creation and maintenance of supportive networks in the business community through public-private channels. Such approaches, combined with forward-thinking policy toward economic development as a general imperative, can create business communities that are more resilient in the face of disaster. / by Christopher L. Atkinson. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2011. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2011. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Este estudo trata de decisões de investimento em capital produtivo no âmbito de empresas algodoeiras, empresas cujo processo produtivo é a preparação do algodão em estado bruto para a indústria têxtil, assim como a limpeza de sementes para a indústria de refinamento de óleo vegetal. Havendo passado por uma crise estrutural em seu ambiente de competição, a cotonicultura brasileira, voltou a se destacar mundialmente na primeira década dos anos 2000 com um produto de alto padrão de qualidade e marcado por elevados níveis de exportação. Entretanto, esse movimento não vem sendo homogêneo em todo o País. Tendo em vista esse fenômeno, este trabalho teve como objetivo identificar e discutir características referentes às decisões de investimento de capital por parte de um grupo não aleatório de gestores de empresas algodoeiras. Partindo-se de uma abordagem qualitativa e exploratória sobre os dados levantados, aplicou-se a análise de conversação, uma forma de análise de conteúdo. Esse método permitiu identificar particularidades de cada unidade investigada, possibilitando a realização de inferências quanto a razões, causas ou comportamentos com base em respostas extraídas de questionários abertos. Os resultados dessa pesquisa apontam para um enfoque gerencial menos voltado à tentativa de assegurar posições futuras para a empresa, e sim para a tentativa de se garantir resultados operacionais satisfatórios no curto prazo. Assim, a gestão das empresas pesquisadas parece estar mais suscetível às incertezas do ambiente em que atuam, já que não há uma visualização mais ampla acerca das possibilidades que investimentos possam trazer à empresa. A ênfase gerencial em dados que tratam do ônus financeiro na decisão de investimento pode explicar em parte o perfil mais adaptativo do planejamento evidenciado na maior parte dessas empresas, isto é, os gastos relativos às operações podem estar regendo o comportamento quanto ao gerenciamento de ativos, estando mais presentes na mente dos gestores do que as possibilidades de ganhos a partir de novos investimentos. Há a presença latente de aspectos comportamentais nas decisões de investimento por parte dos gestores entrevistados. A principal limitação dessa pesquisa é representada pela conveniência na seleção das empresas pesquisadas assim como seu reduzido número, de modo que não se torna possível a generalização dos resultados ao universo investigado. Em futuros trabalhos, recomenda-se abordar variáveis que representam riscos ou incertezas para o empresário ou gestor no setor. Especula-se que, os métodos reconhecidos no âmbito da gestão de riscos podem contribuir positivamente para uma melhor tomada de decisão, abrindo caminho para maior utilização de técnicas mais sofisticadas de orçamento de capital por parte dos gestores. / This thesis investigates capital equipment analysis and investment projects in cotton gins, raw cotton and oil seed processing units. The Brazilian cotton industry passed through a crisis in competitiveness during the 1980s and 1990s, however, more recently, it has regained international reputation with a high quality product reaching high export levels as well. Considering that this movement has been witnessed only in specific regions or states, other than traditional growing areas, this study seeks to identify and discuss capital investment decision characteristics of a chosen group of managers of cotton gins. A qualitative and exploratory approach toward the data was applied with the use of the conversation analysis method, a type of content analysis. This method permitted not only the identification of particularities of each business unit under investigation but also inferences concerning reasons, causes and behaviors based on answers extracted from open questionnaires. The results of this research reveal a managerial focus toward an attempt of guaranteeing satisfactory operational results on the short run instead of purposeful actions aligned with desirable future positions for the businesses. In this way the businesses investigated seem to be more susceptible to environmental uncertainties in which they operate, once there isnt a broader visualization of the possibilities that investments may bring to them. The emphatic managerial consideration of financial burden in the investment decision might explain in part the more adaptive characteristic of the planning task shown in most of the businesses under research. Thus, operational costs may be influencing managerial behavior in capital equipment assessment, being more present in the mind of managers than the possibilities of gain from new investments. There is a strong presence of behavioral aspects in investment decision-making by the managers interviewed. A main limitation of this research has to do with the convenience in the selection of the businesses investigated, as well as the non representative sample of a major universe of cotton gin units. In later works, it may be considered an investigation of the risk and uncertainty variables from managers or entrepreneurs perspective. It is hypothesized that some of the well known methods of risk management might positively contribute to the capital equipment assessment, allowing a more intense use of capital budgeting techniques by managers and entrepreneurs.

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Alfred P. Sloan School of Management, 1980. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND DEWEY. / Bibliography: leaves 206-207. / by Dean Leonard Wilde II and Frank Charles Graves. / M.S.

[pt] A melhoria dos processos de negócios é considerada importante para o suporte da competitividade e sustentabilidade das companhias, ganhando assim, destaque na comunidade acadêmica. Neste sentido, a obtenção de melhorias nos processos organizacionais pode ser obtida por meio do (re)desenho dos processos de negócios, o qual é considerado a etapa de maior valor agregado dos projetos de gestão de processos de negócios. Contudo, apesar da existência de uma literatura ampla a respeito da temática de (re)desenho de processos de negócios, as metodologias ou procedimentos estruturados que visam garantir o entendimento da transformação dos processos atuais as-is para futuros to-be ainda são escassos. Neste contexto, visando preencher esta lacuna presente na literatura, este estudo apresenta os achados empíricos e as lições apreendidas durante a realização de uma pesquisa ação com o objetivo de (re)desenhar os processos logísticos de uma empresa de produção cultural. O estudo empírico teve duração de nove meses. Um modelo conceitual de síntese de (re)desenho de processos de negócios organizacionais foi proposto a partir da literatura. Este modelo incorporou três camadas (i.e., organização, processos de negócios e implementação) e guiou a condução do estudo empírico. Diferentes fatores críticos de sucesso e barreiras foram identificados e analisados com foco nas dimensões organizacionais, sociais e técnicas, resultando em contribuições para pesquisadores da academia e para os especialistas da indústria em abordagens de (re)desenho de processos de negócios. / [en] The improvement of business processes is considered important to support companies competitiveness and sustainability, therefore, being highlighted in the academic community. In this way, the improvement of the organizational processes can be achieved through the business processes redesign, which is considered the most value-added phase in a business process management (BPM) project. However, despite the existence of an extensive literature on the subject of business processes redesign, methodologies or structured procedures that aim to understand the transformation from the as-is to the desired to-be processes are still scarce. Within this context, in order to fill this gap in the literature, this study presents the empirical findings and the lessons learnt from an action research with the objective of redesigning the logistic processes of a cultural production enterprise. The empirical study lasted nine months. A synthesis conceptual model for redesigning organizational business processes was proposed based on the literature. This model incorporated three tiers (i.e., organization, business processes and implementation) and provided guidance for conducting the empirical study. Different critical success factors and barriers have been identified and analyzed with a focus on organizational, social, and technical dimensions, resulting in contributions to scholars and to practitioners in redesigning business process approaches.

The value of information technology investments is becoming a topical issue for corporate governance under the recent regulations enacted in the US (Sarbanes Oxley Act, US Congress, 2002). Increasingly, it is becoming clear that the absence of a definitive approach to evaluating IT investments is an impediment to the governance of corporations. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) information systems are a key IT implementation that has been promoted in both vendor and practitioner communities alike as a panacea for informed enterprise performance management. This research sets out a methodology for the evaluation of ERP’s contribution to enterprise value. This issue is important because billions of dollars of corporate funds have been invested in these systems since the early 1990s. Shareholders and management require a justification of ERP based upon its proven contribution to enterprise and shareholder value.The study develops a theory for the value relevance of ERP information by showing how ERP meets the requirement of a management and organizational innovation. Such an innovation promotes enterprise operations, improves enterprise performance, supports value creation, and increases shareholder wealth. A model is presented for testing the value of ERP adoption. Empirical testing proceeds in two phases. The first phase develops a model for forecasting normal performance. Performance is shown to be a function of autoregressive earnings moderated by macroeconomic factors impacting operations. The latter are associated with the business cycle. The estimated coefficients of the model are used for predicting the earnings performance of the firm. The residuals of actual earnings less the predicted represent abnormal performance. This represents the unique improvement in performance over the prior year after adjusting for macroeconomic effects. The second phase tests the value relevance of ERP information. A returns–earnings model developed by previous research is adapted with ERP–earnings interaction terms representing the ERP system’s effect on performance. Two classes of tests are performed on the model: tests of performance relevance of ERP systems, and tests of value relevance. The former tests ERP performance across several accounting metrics identified as indicators of firm performance level change. The latter tests the market response to these changes in a bid to determine if, in the perception of the market, the changes in the performance level attained to by the firm are associated with ERP adoption. These tests are performed for each year of a 5–year period following adoption. The results of the tests of performance relevance show that ERP–adopter firms do not achieve significant abnormal earnings in years 1 and 2 of the test period. They realize significant, negative, abnormal earnings in year 3. In years 4 and 5, they attain significant, positive, abnormal earnings. The tests of value relevance show that the market responds significantly to ERP adoption in year 2 of the test, but not in other years. The early response immediately after the year of adoption would seem to indicate a significant early expectation from these systems. However, this does appear to translate into long–term value relevance for ERP.

Process-based composition of Web services is emerging as a promising technology for the effective automation of integrated and collaborative applications. As Web services are often autonomous and heterogeneous entities, coordinating their interactions to build complex processes is a difficult, error prone, and time-consuming task. In addition, since Web services usually operate in dynamic and highly evolving environments, there is a need for supporting flexible and correct execution of integrated processes. In this thesis, we propose a Petri net-based framework for formal composition and recovery policies in service-based business processes. We first propose an algebra for composing Web services. The formal semantics of this algebra is expressed in terms of Petri nets. The use of a formal model allows the effective verification and analysis of properties, both within a service, such as termination and absence of deadlock, and between services, such as behavioral equivalences. We also develop a top down approach for the correct (e.g., absence of deadlock and termination) composition of complex business processes. The approach defines a set of refinement operators that guarantee correctness of the resulting business process nets at design time. We then introduce Self-Adaptive Recovery Net (SARN), an extended Petri net model for specifying exceptional behavior in business processes. SARN adapts the structure of the underlying Petri net at run time to handle exceptions while keeping the Petri net design simple and easy. The proposed framework caters for the specification of high-level recovery policies that are incorporated either with a single task or a set of tasks, called a recovery region. Finally, we propose a pattern-based approach to dynamically restructure SARN. These patterns capture the ways past exceptions have been dealt with. The objective is to continuously restructure recovery regions within the SARN model to minimize the impact of exception handling. To illustrate the viability of the proposed composition and exception handling techniques, we have developed HiWorD (HIerarchical WORkflow Designer), a hierarchical Petri net-based business process modeling and simulation tool.

The focus of this study is to examine the factors that lead to growth in small firms in a Least Developed Country (LDC). The research is based on the manufacturing sector in Ghana. The main objectives of the research are to identify the key variables that lead to small firms' growth and to ascertain the critical barriers that impede growth. A research model which is developed out of an initial exploratory research and existing literature focuses on how the characteristics of the owner/manager, the characteristics of the firm and the business strategy variables interact to affect growth in employment. In addition factors that are perceived to have constrained the growth of the small firms during the study period are ascertained and discussed. To properly test the hypotheses developed a face to face interview survey involving 122 owner/managers of small manufacturing firms is conducted. This resulted in a range of variables that allowed for the construction of a comprehensive multivariate model of small firm growth. A resulting regression model provides about 68 percent of the explanation for the growth of the small firms sampled. It also indicates that the owner/manager characteristics variables offer the most powerful explanation to small firm growth. We find that the owner/manager's growth aspiration is the most influential factor in achieving growth. The other owner/manager characteristics variables that have positive influence on growth are level of education, prior industry experience and entrepreneurial family background. Owner/managers with local experience and/or with other business interests are less likely to achieve faster growth. Foreign owned/managed firms grow faster. Younger and smaller firms appear to grow faster. While firms with multiple ownerships tend to grow at a slower rate than firms owned and managed by one person. Business planning, marketing and export have positive and significant impacts on growth. Other business strategies such as innovations and staff training also have direct relationships with growth but not significant. Some of the main constraining factors to growth are cost of borrowing, lack of access to credit, high cost of inputs, lack of trust within the business community, high bureaucracy, late payments and lack of efficient support system. While the external environment plays important role in small firm growth and development, the behaviours, response and strategies pursued by individual owner/manager are significant factors that determine the rate at which a firm will grow. / Ghana Leasing Company Limited

University of Macau / Faculty of Science and Technology / Department of Electromechanical Engineering

University of Macau / Faculty of Science and Technology / Department of Computer and Information Science