<p>Due to the globalization trend, the internationalization of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) has become a common practice in the last decades. The previous literature suggested that there are many different determinants of the internationalization process. However, in this research study, we focused on only three determinants – institutions, networks, and entrepreneur and their influence on the internationalization process. More specifically, we identified the significance of the three determinants and tested their influence on the internationalization process and compared the similarities and differences between the SMEs in Sweden and China. </p><p>A qualitative study was carried out to help determine the purpose of the paper, where data was collected through four case studies – two from each country, within the toy industry. The primary data was collected through personal phone-interviews with the CEOs of the four toy companies, complemented with secondary data collected from the companies’ web sites. </p><p>The empirical findings and analysis brought some interesting conclusions. The three determinants – institutions, networks and entrepreneur influence the internationalization process in one way or another. Firstly, institutions influence both networks and entrepreneur, but there is no evidence showing that networks and entrepreneur influence institutions. The institutions are also the key determinants of the internationalization process of Chinese SMEs. Secondly, networks and entrepreneur are interrelated to each other and play a key role in the internationalization process of Swedish SMEs, and somewhat influence the Chinese SMEs as well. </p><p>Thus, these three determinants are extremely important for the internationalization process and they have to be taken into consideration during the international expansion.</p>

Metodologier som tidigare använts för utveckling av informationssystem (IS) klarar inte av den snabbt förändrande tillvaron som e-handeln (elektroniskhandel) ger. Företagen söker nu nya metodologier. Det är speciellt viktigt för små och medelstora företag (SME). De tvingas ofta använda metodologier som inte anpassats för deras behov. Därför är det intressant när en metodologi sägs vara anpassad för även SME. IBM hävdar att deras On demand är det. Arbete siktade på att ta reda på möjligheterna för SME att använda e-handel och Business-to-Business. Möjligheten att skapa e-handelslösningar utan metodologi sågs över och sedan möjlighterna med On demand församma endamål. En enkätundersökning gjordes. Resultaten av studien visade att möjligheterna för SME att använda e-handel finns. De lösningar som troligen kommer att passa best är de egen utvecklade, de på grund utav att det inte finns homogena krav inom SME området för e-handelutveckling. On demand visade sig ej lämpad för SME

No description available.

Due to the globalization trend, the internationalization of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) has become a common practice in the last decades. The previous literature suggested that there are many different determinants of the internationalization process. However, in this research study, we focused on only three determinants – institutions, networks, and entrepreneur and their influence on the internationalization process. More specifically, we identified the significance of the three determinants and tested their influence on the internationalization process and compared the similarities and differences between the SMEs in Sweden and China. A qualitative study was carried out to help determine the purpose of the paper, where data was collected through four case studies – two from each country, within the toy industry. The primary data was collected through personal phone-interviews with the CEOs of the four toy companies, complemented with secondary data collected from the companies’ web sites. The empirical findings and analysis brought some interesting conclusions. The three determinants – institutions, networks and entrepreneur influence the internationalization process in one way or another. Firstly, institutions influence both networks and entrepreneur, but there is no evidence showing that networks and entrepreneur influence institutions. The institutions are also the key determinants of the internationalization process of Chinese SMEs. Secondly, networks and entrepreneur are interrelated to each other and play a key role in the internationalization process of Swedish SMEs, and somewhat influence the Chinese SMEs as well. Thus, these three determinants are extremely important for the internationalization process and they have to be taken into consideration during the international expansion.

Objective: For a long-term and viable economic development to take place in a country it needs to promote creativity and innovation in enterprises. The study applies the process model to study the process of innovation in innovative companies in Sweden. The study also applies the technology commercialization model to indicate the ability of companies to commercialize the technology to the market. Main purpose: The purpose of this work is to study how companies in Sweden proceed with an idea generation and if they manage to commercialize these ideas. Method: This study used a qualitative approach. Multiple case studies &amp; interviews. Conclusion: The innovative ideas in innovative SME:s in Sweden is emerged from randomly events and from systematic developments. Consumer chock is the trigger who draws focus on the idea. Personal stimulations are the factor for the entrepreneur to start an enterprise. Some of the companies are distinctive. The biggest problems during an innovation process are time inadequate and insufficient funds. The management’s criteria distinguish from the R&amp;Ds criteria. The employees do not switch work during the innovation process. The companies cooperate with universities and government-owned institutions. Almost all companies are customer orientated. The companies are successful to commercialize technology to the market.

Although the strategy formation process in large companies has been extensively and deeply researched, the strategy making in SME (small and medium sized companies) is largely under-investigated by researchers. In our thesis, we find even for entrepreneurial SME owners, the process doesn’t exhibit the characteristics of comprehensive and exhaustive environmental scanning and strategic analysis. Instead, the strategy formation in entrepreneurial SMEs is a combination of systematic planning and improvisation, a combination of proactivity and reactivity. And the limited planning and proactivity is more reflected on the SME owner’s cognitive level, they are strategically aware, sensitive and flexible to any change that will affect their company and immediately know the relevant implications. Our finding is in line with Mintzberg’s insightful notion that “strategy as a pattern” and “strategic thinking”. The SME owner’s opportunistic, intuitive and emergent approach to strategy making often involves more than themselves. Families, friends, company board of directors, accountants, consultants are also influential actors participating and contributing to this process in different ways.

The main objective of this dissertation is to develop mean-squared error performance predictions for multiple target tracking. Envisioned as an approximate Cramer-Rao lower bound, these performance predictions allow a tracking system designer to quickly and efficiently predict the general performance trends of a tracking system. The symmetric measurement equation (SME) approach to multiple target tracking (MTT) lies at the heart of our method. The SME approach, developed by Kamen et al., offers a unique solution to the data association problem. Rather than deal directly with this problem, the SME approach transforms it into a nonlinear estimation problem. In this way, the SME approach sidesteps report-to-track associations. Developing performance predictions using the SME approach requires work in several areas: (1) extending SME tracking theory, (2) developing nonlinear filters for SME tracking, and (3) understanding techniques for computing Cramer-Rao error bounds in nonlinear filtering. First, on the SME front, we extend SME tracking theory by deriving a new set of SME equations for motion in two dimensions. We also develop the first realistic and efficient method for SME tracking in three dimensions. Second, we apply, for the first time, the unscented Kalman filter (UKF) and the particle filter to SME tracking. Using Taylor series analysis, we show how different SME implementations affect the performance of the EKF and UKF and show how Kalman filtering degrades for the SME approach as the number of targets rises. Third, we explore the Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) and the posterior Cramer-Rao lower bound (PCRB) for computing MTT error predictions using the SME. We show how to compute performance predictions for multiple target tracking using the PCRB, as well as address confusion in the tracking community about the proper interpretation of the PCRB for tracking scenarios.

Comments and Discussions : Hitoshi HIRAKAWA (平川均)

No description available.

The aim of this master’s paper is to explore joint stock company “KAIMAS” activity development perspectives with orientation to European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund‘s (EAGGF) support for small and medium size business. Two scientific approaches towards SME‘s support were identified in the final paper. EAGGF requirements for SME‘s and their projects are analysed. There is suitability of JSC “KAIMAS” for EAGGF‘s support estimated by using financial and economical indicators. It is recommended to use described and practically used methods and indicators in order to ground EAGGF‘s support for JSC “KAIMAS” and other small and medium size enterprises.