The fast pace of technological advancements is a driver of change in the world. In telecommunications, advancements as well as sector transformation pose challenges to entrepreneurs to remain competitive. The purpose of this study is to contribute to the promotion of entrepreneurial competitiveness in the telecommunications sector in South Africa. In order to achieve this purpose, the objective was to develop and test a theoretical model to promote entrepreneurial competitiveness in this sector. The purpose of the study was that if the factors that influence entrepreneurial businesses in this sector can be identified and recommendations applied, the competitiveness of these businesses can be improved. The approach was as follows: 1. Identify the factors, in a literature review, in three areas related to this study, namely, Entrepreneurial Orientation, Telecommunications and Benchmarking; 2. Develop a conceptual theoretical model comprising these identified factors which formed the base for the data collection; 3. Develop a measuring instrument to empirically test the relationships described in the conceptual model; 4. Empirically test the proposed model and suggested hypotheses by means of sourcing data from entrepreneurs in the telecommunications sector in South Africa and thereafter statistically analyse the sourced data; 5. Formulate the final theoretical model to support the research objective and 6. Propose recommendations based on the results of the statistical analysis. The three areas of literature study analysed were Entrepreneurial Orientation which focused on the entrepreneur, the entrepreneurial process and the positioning of technological entrepreneurs in the sector. The telecommunications section included an overview of telecommunications from a global perspective followed by specific focus on the South African sector. The section on benchmarking covered business performance aspects together with measurement techniques and benchmarking institutions relevant to entrepreneurship and telecommunications businesses. Initially, the literature study delivered four intervening variables (Entrepreneurial Orientation, Opportunity Recognition, Resource Allocation and Strategic Positioning) which influence entrepreneurial competitiveness. Within these four intervening variables, twelve underlying independent variables were identified. All the variables were hypothesised as they were perceived significantly to influence the dependent variable, perceived to be entrepreneurial competitiveness in the telecommunications sector in South Africa. These factors, clearly defined and operationalised, were structured in a questionnaire which was sent to entrepreneurs in the telecommunications sector. A response rate of 37 percent was achieved. Data collected from 301 questionnaires were subjected to various statistical analysis techniques. Cronbach-alpha coefficients were calculated to confirm the validity and reliability of the measuring instrument that was tested whilst the latent variables were confirmed by exploratory factor analysis. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used to test the hypothesised significance of the relationships between the variables. Due to the sample size limitation, the conceptual model could not be subjected to SEM as a whole and consequently two sub-models were identified and subjected to further analysis. The SEM results presented the factors influencing entrepreneurial competitiveness whereafter the final model was presented for this study. This study contributed to this specific field of knowledge as follows: 1. New literature contributions are made in the field of entrepreneurial competitiveness in a specific sector; 2. It is the first known research conducted into the promotion of entrepreneurial competitiveness in the telecommunications sector in South Africa; 3. A theoretical model was developed that can be used to promote entrepreneurial competitiveness in the sector and 4. It suggests recommendations on empirically tested factors that significantly influence entrepreneurial competitiveness. Additional knowledge has been gained through the identification and description of how the following individual factors significantly influence entrepreneurial competitiveness in this sector: Benchmarking; Entrepreneurial Mindset; Entrepreneurial Management; Entrepreneurial Orientation; Financial Resources; Infrastructural Change; Regulatory Alignment and Technological Entrepreneurship. The present study was conducted in a time frame where sector transformation is prevalent in South Africa. The current circumstances relating to sector transformation and infrastructural changes will not last forever. The theoretical model therefore is limited to the specific sector conditions in a specific time cycle. In conclusion, the model and managerial recommendations that are presented can act as a guideline for entrepreneurs to adopt in order to improve the competitiveness of their businesses.

This master thesis focuses on the planning of a coffeehouse in the city of Almaty in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The goal of this work is to discover the costs required to start such a coffeehouse and to estimate the return on the entire investment by incorporating mathematical methods. The main tools used are: methods based on the theory of decision and project management theory. Moreover, this thesis shows the way the precision of mathematical methods can be used when planning a project in the sphere of gastronomy. During the preparation of the business plan, requirements were set for location and qualities of employees. Further, all steps necessary for opening the coffeehouse were specified, together with an analysis of resources, costs and time for the project. By incorporating several methods of the theory of multicriterial decision making, the most favourable location for the coffehouse was found. In order to offer quality service, the best employees were also identified. Based on these results, a financial analysis and return on investment were calculated.

M.Ing. / The purpose of this research dissertation is to test the hypothesis that entrepreneurial engineers are not familiar with innovation, growth and business planning strategies, or simply do not apply them. The hypothesis is investigated with the help of case studies and published works; outlining the different methods and principles employed by relatively new business ventures to ensure continued success. The scope of this research dissertation is limited to why there is a need for well managed growth, continual innovation and the strategic positioning and planning in business. The form of research design chosen for the experimental program is characterised and based upon the "Method of Data Collection", outlined in Cooper and Schindler: Business Research Methods, 7iT h Ed., 2001. The refined method is based upon a Two Stage Design incorporating a Non probability, Convenience Sample. The literature review of this research dissertation will be viewed as the Exploratory Section of the Two Stage Design, as outlined by Cooper and Schindler. The results of the survey which was carried out indicate that entrepreneurial engineers have an equal chance of being familiar or not familiar with the concepts of innovation and growth. Those who were familiar with the concepts were more likely to have knowledge of the entrepreneurial strategies regarding the concepts and to implement the strategies. Entrepreneurial engineers were likely to be familiar with business strategies, and those who were familiar, were more likely to have strategic architecture and intents, but less likely to have company missions than those who were not familiar. There seemed to be no correlation between the field of engineering or the field of business, and the likelihood of familiarity with the concepts. However, engineers who had business and management experience prior to starting their business ventures were more likely to be familiar with the concepts, but no more likely to implement them than engineers without prior experience. The literature review and the survey carried out agree with the initial hypothesis that entrepreneurial engineers starting relatively new business ventures either were not familiar with the concepts of innovation, growth and strategy, or simply did not apply them. However the agreement between the survey results, and the hypothesis and literature review, are not to the extent that was originally expected.

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Orientador: José Roberto Dale Luche / Coorientador: Vagner Cavenaghi / Banca: Jorge Muniz Junior / Banca: Antonio Henriques de Araújo Junior / Resumo: Considerando as mudanças que as organizações privadas vêm enfrentando no sentido de agregar valor ao cliente, o setor público não foge da mesma responsabilidade e também busca valorizar o cliente, o cidadão. A mentalidade enxuta apresenta-se como um sistema capaz de aplicar ferramentas e técnicas na Gestão Pública com o objetivo de eliminar ou mesmo reduzir desperdícios. Neste contexto, o trabalho objetivou fazer uma análise e propor melhorias, do ponto de vista Lean, no fluxo de trabalho de planejamento, execução, monitoramento e avaliação orçamentária no Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia de Roraima sob o enfoque das ferramentas Fluxograma e Mapeamento de Fluxo de Valor. Utilizou-se o método da pesquisa-ação estruturado nas quatro etapas de Thiollent (2009) com a metodologia Lean Office, propostos por Rother e Shook (2012) e Greef, Freitas e Romanel (2012) para construção do estado atual e estado futuro dos processos, analisando as atividades que não agregam valor e as que agregavam, observando assim os desperdícios no processo. Os resultados evidenciaram as melhorias nos processos de planejamento orçamentário se fossem aplicadas as ferramentas utilizadas na filosofia do Lean Office. Na aplicação do fluxograma redefiniu-se o processo de elaboração da proposta orçamentária, monitoramento e avaliação orçamentária com a inversão da etapa do planejamento institucional. No mapeamento de fluxo de valor os resultados mostraram uma redução de 58,34% (de 6 dias para... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Considering the changes that private organizations are facing in order to offer value to the client, the public sector does not escape the same responsibility and also seeks to value the client, that means the citizen. The lean mentality presents itself as a system capable of applying tools and techniques in Public Management in order to eliminate or even reduce waste. On this context, the objective of this work was to analyze and propose improvements, from a Lean perspective, in the workflow of planning, execution, monitoring and budgetary evaluation at the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Roraima focusing the tools Flowchart and Value Stream Mapping. The research-action method structured in the four stages of Thiollent (2009) with the Lean Office methodology, proposed by Rother and Shook (2012) and Greef, Freitas and Romanel (2012) was used to construct the current state and future state of processes, analyzing the activities that do not add value and those that add, thus observing the wastes during the process. The results evidenced improvements in budget planning processes if the tools used in the Lean Office philosophy were applied. In the application of the flowchart, the process of elaboration of the budget proposal, monitoring and budgetary evaluation was redefined with the reversal of the institutional planning stage. In the value stream mapping the results showed a reduction of 58.34% (from 6 days to 2.5 days) from Total Lead Time to the process of decentralizing credit from the student assistance action. It is concluded that there may be gains in the process of planning, execution, monitoring and budgetary evaluation in a Public Higher Education Institution if the concepts of the Lean Office are applied, since the flowchart and the value flow mapping have proved to be efficient as elements for identification and disposal of waste / Mestre

The objectives of this study is two-fold: First, is to explore the nature of human resource management (HRM) functional activities in the multiunit restaurant firms, focusing at the unit restaurant managers level. The second objective is to investigate the relationship between the firm's business strategy and its HRM practices. This study addresses the critical need for empirical research that examines HRM practices in restaurant firms, and presents a possible solution to the acute management shortage problem in the industry. Data are collected from 14 publicly-traded multiunit restaurant firms. A case study approach is taken to provide an in-depth examination of each firm. Primary data are derived via interviews and structured mailed questionnaires. Information is also collected through published sources. The results indicate that restaurant firms do have similar HRM functional activities' emphasis. Some of those activities were found to support the firm's business strategy. An analysis of the qualitative data indicate that although the HRM executives are involved in the firms' strategic planning process, the current acute labor shortage and high turnover problems demand them to focus on administrative issues instead. The study provides exploratory evidence for the effectiveness of a positive link between HRM practices and business strategy. It has contributed to a deeper understanding of the issues and functions of the HRM divisions in the multiunit restaurant firms. / Ph. D.

I följande rapport visar vi att maskininlärningsalgoritmer från lättillgängliga bibliotek kan vara värdefulla verktyg, vid analys av företagsdata. Vi föreslår en ny metrik för frekvensanalys av oplanerade underhållsbesök genom en fallstudie inom hissbranschen och ger också företaget i fråga, S:t Eriks Hiss i Stockholm, ett geografiskt kundsegmenteringsalternativ, baserat på K-Meansklustring. Vi tillhandahåller också en kort diskussion om huruvida resultaten från Anderson et al (2009) och Blakeley et al (2003) skulle kunna utgöra ett analytiskt ramverk för företag i den urbana infrastrukturindustrin. / In this report we show that Machine Learning algorithms from readily available libraries can be useful tools when analyzing company data. We suggest a new metric for analyzing the frequency of unplanned maintenance calls with an elevator maintenance case study, and also provide the company in question, S:t Eriks Hiss, with a K-Means clustered suggestion of geographical customer partitioning. We provide a brief discussion on whether the results from Anderson et al (2009) and Blakeley et al. (2003) could provide an analytical framework for companies in the urban maintenance industry. A weak negative correlation between profitability and our suggested metric indicate that so is the case and makes for interesting further enquiry.

This study examined the effectiveness of strategic planning systems in strategy formulation in a changing business environment. It also investigated differences in the designs, processes, levels of top management involvement, and perceived levels of achievement and performance of the strategic planning systems of companies classified as leaders, challengers, followers, and nichers in the electronic computing equipment community. For the most part no significant correlations were found between perceived levels of achievement and performance of planning systems and organizational performance measured by financial ratios. However, significant correlations were found between perceived level of achievement and performance and the design, process and level of top management involvement in the strategic planning process.

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This was accomplished by first examining the nature of competitive strategies within the lodging industry. Subsequently the relationships among competitive strategies, three dimensions of organization structure, company size, and five measures of firm performance were examined. Furthermore to more rigorously control for environmental effects this analysis was undertaken for the industry as a whole as well as within four distinct subsegments of the industry. Six hypotheses were developed, that dealt with the nature of competitive strategy types; and the relationship among strategy types and 1) the degree of organization structure, 2) organizational performance, and 3) organization performance where a strategy/structure match had been achieved. The findings of this study tend to indicate that the nature of the industry or environment in which organizations compete may be an important factor in determining the content of competitive strategies employed in that environment. Furthermore, not only do industry characteristics tend to affect the content and appearance of competitive strategy profiles, but different segments within an industry also impact the appearances of different competitive profiles. However, the perspective that organizational variables are in a direct relationship with contextual variables is not supported by this study. The critical link appears to lie in the decision makers evaluation of the organization's environment and the choices they consequently make regarding the organization's competitive strategy and its internal structure. The structure that is appropriate to a particular competitive strategy profile is not constant. Rather, the nature of the operating environment intervenes in the appropriate strategy/structure "match" relationship. Organizational performance is contingent upon a "match of the strategic choices of strategy and structure, but the "appropriate " choice appears to be modified by subenvironmental factors. / Ph. D.