M.B.A. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

A thesis submitted to Faculty of Commerce, Law & Management The University of the Witwatersrand In fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy September 2015 / The present study explores the entrepreneurial processes of high growth firms in Zimbabwe using causation and effectual processes as the underlying logics. Causation is a process that takes a business objective as given and focuses on selecting between means in order to achieve the objective. Effectuation, on the other hand, takes resources as given and focuses on exploiting possible options generated from the available resources. Thus, causation relies on formal planning and predictions while effectuation is a non-predictive logic. The study was motivated by the need to understand how high growth firms identify business opportunities, mobilise resources and sustain growth under dynamic conditions prevailing in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe’s environment has been characterised by shallow credit markets, depressed economic activities and high cost of doing business. A multiple case study of six high growth firms drawn from the agricultural, construction, manufacturing, services as well as Information Communications Technology (ICT) and stationery sectors was undertaken. Data were collected using interviews, documentary sources and observations. Thirty interviews were conducted with the founders, and senior executives from finance, business development, marketing or equivalent positions as well as the firm’s bankers. Data were inductively analysed using ATLAS.ti Version 7 package. The study evidence shows that there is no complete transition from effectuation to causation process. The major study conclusions are that; first, entrepreneurs relied on the social networks as sources of business and capital. Second, the ability to socially innovate is influenced by trust. Third, firms are wary of using external finance because of business uncertainty and cost. Fourth, the firms do not engage in direct competition with incumbents, but collaborate with industry peers. Fifth, the participating firms relied on incremental innovation and local business. Sixth, the firms showed high levels of serial and portfolio entrepreneurship. Finally, contextual factors had an influence on business success, and therefore the ability to adapt to the environmental changes is vital for business growth. The main contribution of this study is the development of a theoretical framework that extends the effectuation logic. The additional dimensions that emerged from the evidence are social innovation, portfolio diversification, incremental innovation, portfolio diversification, trust, business systems and contextual factors. The study also makes important methodological, empirical and practical contributions. Further research is recommended to move the Extended Effectuation framework towards the development of normative theory. / MT2016

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Science, Industrial Engineering, 31 March 2015 / The purpose of this research was to determine whether principles promoted by a programme management discipline be defined as critical success factors (CSFs) for the realisation of post-implementation benefits from an ERP investment in an organisation. The research method consists of a single case study with three embedded cases. The main source of data was the use of semi-structured interviews, and business documentation was used to corroborate findings. It was concluded that of the eleven CSFs proposed, three were highly likely CSFs, seven were likely but had certain conditions attached, and one is most likely not a CSF. It was also discovered that four additional CSFs proposed in interviews conducted may be relevant, and that four themes exist within the case data analysed. These may form part of future work.

[pt] A presente dissertação é um estudo sobre instituições de ensino privado e seus processos de negócio. Procurou-se observar o impacto ocorrido na realidade cultural e operacional das entidades de ensino, com base na integração dos processos entre as áreas administrativa, pessoal e acadêmica. Algumas dessas entidades passaram a utilizar um Sistema Integrado de Gestão ERP - Enterprise Resource Planning, esperando obter melhoria nos seus processos, redução de custos e diferencial competitivo. Foi realizada uma revisão bibliográfica sobre: tipologias de sistemas de informação, aplicações verticais versus horizontais, definição de ERP, processos de negócio, fornecedores, mercado, histórico e ERP voltado a atividades de ensino. Foram entrevistadas pessoas-chave nas entidades utilizando-se de questionários semiestruturados. As análises e conclusões obtidas pretendem ampliar o conhecimento na área de gestão de recursos e processos em instituições de ensino. / [en] The present work is concerned with private teaching institutions and their business processes. The impact on the cultural and operational scenario of such institutions has been analyzed based on an integrated process encompassing the administrative, personnel and academic areas. Aiming at improving processes, reducing costs and fetching a competitive differential, some of these institutions adopted an integrated management system called ERP - Enterprise Resource Planning. A survey was performed on: information systems typology, vertical applications versus horizontal applications, ERP definition, business processes, suppliers, market, historic and ERP focused on teaching activities. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to interview key people from some institutions. The analyses and conclusions presented in the present work aim to broad the knowledge of resources management and processes at the teaching institutions.

Thesis (MTech (Business Information Systems))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2019. / The main objective of research is to determine how business processes influenced by corporate strategy can be entrenched in an organisation. Organisations rely on business processes to deliver product and services to customers and meet organisational goals. Several process weaknesses prevail in organisations and impede process performance. Organisations merely focus on technical aspects of the transformation to address efficiency and effectiveness in business processes and tend to ignore the social elements attached to the transformation which bring considerable changes in the employees working environment. Human attitude and behaviour can thus impede process change and entrenchment. As a result, the change endeavour fails, and processes are not entrenched. The study thus gave due consideration to the socio-technical elements because process relies on human intervention to progress at some points. The study aimed to understand and interpret how business processes can be entrenched in an organisation and used a selected organisation in the Western Cape, Cape Town as a case study. To address the main research objective three subordinated objectives were developed and a main research question and three sub-research questions were investigated. Given the human element involved in the process transformation, the phenomenon is a socially constructed reality that can be understood and interpreted using a social theory. Actor Network Theory (ANT) was used as a lens through which to understand and interpret the factors influencing the entrenchment of business processes. It is argued that enterprise resource planning (ERP) influences both technical and non-technical factors involved in process entrenchment and that entrenchment emanates from the alignment of interests of social, process and technology actors. An interpretative paradigm applies to the study where qualitative philosophy was followed together with the underpinning theory. The theory and review of literature were used to develop semi-structured interview schedules to collect opinions from participants. The research participants included twenty-one managers at senior, middle and lower level positions from the Finance, HR and IST departments of the studied organisation. Ethical considerations applied to this research relate to the data collection process and the disclosure of the research findings. Data collection was approved by the institution under study to ensure confidentiality and non-violation of organisation policies. In addition, interview questions were reviewed by senior managers to ensure that the information obtained would not hurt the reputation of the organisation. The research findings revealed that actors need to be transformed and supported to accommodate the change and that the principles of ERP can be implemented as a strategy to lead the process transformation and entrenchment. The research generated a general framework to guide the use of technical and non-technical factors to influence process entrenchment. As such, recommendations are made to actors of process transformation to ensure entrenchment.

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Alfred P. Sloan School of Management, 1980. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND DEWEY. / Bibliography: leaves 129-132. / by Ramon L. Thomas. / M.S.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Organizations become more homogenous when they adapt to the external environment for survival and competitiveness. Institutional theorists call this phenomenon "isomorphism," which is a constraining process that forces organizations---through coercive, mimetic, or normative pressures---to resemble each other when facing the same set of environmental conditions. In recent years, concerns about cost-efficiency and standardization of information technology (IT) have led organizations to rely more heavily on IT to enhance their business operations. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems enable the tight integration of all necessary business functions into a single system. Typically, a database, designed to standardize organizational IT platforms and business processes, is shared throughout an organization. The high adoption rate of ERP systems among the biggest corporations has pressured other organizations to adopt ERP systems. Information system (IS) researchers call this phenomenon "technical isomorphism". / This study examines the effects of ERP implementation on organizational homogeneity from the viewpoint of institutional theory. Through mediating factors, such as the extent of ERP implementation and software adaptation, this study also investigates the effects of organizational homogeneity on the core competencies of user-organizations. It addresses four important issues: (a) whether institutional pressures lead to organizational homogenization; (b) whether institutional pressures affect the extent of ERP implementation in organizations; (c) whether the extent of ERP implementation affects software adaptation and subsequently, homogenization; and (d) whether the core competencies of organizations are ultimately affected by the adoption of technology. / This study's findings contribute to our understanding on the effects of ERP implementation in organizations, particularly on the IT and business activities. They open a whole new arena of research into the impact of technology on organizational abilities, providing a new set of constructs, relationships, antecedents, and dependent variables. Moreover, this study provides the necessary evidence on the occurrence of homogenization, its origins, and its consequences. It also provides valuable guidelines in finding a balance between conformity and retaining the uniqueness of companies, which is regarded as a source of core competencies. Thus, the research findings can help organizations redirect their focus and efforts into ERP implementation, saving millions of dollars in the process. / Liu, Kar Wai Connie. / Adviser: Vincent S. Lai. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 72-04, Section: A, page: . / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 141-152). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese; appendix 8.3 and 8.4 in Chinese.