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  • About
  • The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is provided by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
    Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
71

Determinants of small firm growth : an investigation of the role of owner-manager, firm and business strategy characteristics

Hynes, Briga January 2010 (has links)
This thesis is an investigation of the internal determinants of small firm growth in Ireland. This research study contributes to the understanding of small firm growth from two perspectives. Firstly, it assesses the contribution that the small firm sector made to the Irish economy during the period 1994 to 2005. Secondly, against this background it identifies the relative importance of the internal determinants of small firm growth in a sample of small firms. A variety of owner-manager characteristics, firm characteristics and strategic factors were investigated with a view to identifying if common characteristics were distinguishable amongst high-growth firms. Three measures were used to assess firm growth - employment, turnover and turnover per employee. The research approach incorporated a quantitative study (face-face interviews) with 80 owner-managers in the Mid-West region of Ireland. The results of the empirical study suggest that firm size, age, industry sector are important when seeking to understand high-growth firms. In addition owner-manager age and educational levels were found to be important predictors of high firm growth. Other findings revealed that some of the accepted concepts such as motivation, career history and strategic focus need to be re-examined in their use as predictors of higher small firm growth. Ultimately, it is difficult to define a precise set of internal determinants of small firm growth, due to the unpredictability of the concept and the heterogeneity of the small firm sector. That said, with the profile of high-growth firms presented in the study government agencies can become more familiar with what to look for in screening potential high-growth firms, and thus be better informed to develop appropriate supports to achieve sustainable firm growth. It is vital that government policy adopt a more holistic approach, which, inter-alia, focuses on the development of established small firms and focus attention on productivity, developing greater export activity, and building the competencies and skills of owner-managers for strategy development. The significance of the role of education on firm growth should be acknowledged in third level educational policy.
72

An investigation of the potential for enhancing innovation within the Taiwanese woodworking industry

Huang, Chai-Yun January 2007 (has links)
An investigation of the potential for enhancing innovation within the TWMMI Due to political, economic, social and technological changes, traditional manufacturers of the TWMMI are facing a fight for survival. An effective strategy is urgently required to help manufacturers to tum these threats into opportunities. One strategy is increasing scope in order to compete with international rivals through creativity, combined with increasing productivity through technology in order to create competitive advantage. This study investigates how SMEs within the TWMMI can improve their competitive advantage. It examines the impact on company performance of creativity and ICT based manufacturing technology. A semi-structured questionnaire with open-ended and closed-ended questions was designed based on a SWOT assessment and literature review to find a positive correlation between creativity and ICT based manufacturing technology and improved business performance. Thus the questionnaire investigates how the TWMMI are dealing with the fact that they are no longer competing effectively in the woodworking machinery market as identified in the SWOT and whether they have implemented any strategic solutions, which are classified in the literature review to solve the problem. From interviews with 30 respondent companies and 18 international customers conducted, results show that: (1) Companies that implement of a high level of creative function achieve a greater level of creative success. (2) It is not always the case that implementing a higher level ofFMS combined with ICT is necessary to gain a greater level of improved business performance. Competitive advantage can be gained through outsourcing manufacturing of component parts to suppliers. (3) The implementation of a higher level of creative function combined with some level ofFMS and ICT or outsourcing may allow the TWMMI to achieve a greater level of improved business performance The strategy recommended to follow includes individual companies co-operating together by investing capital in research and development promoting creativity. Furthermore, promotion of innovation in creativity and ICT based manufacturing technology is also required along with strategic promotion of creative skills in education and society to facilitate creativity in the business environment within Taiwan as a whole.
73

Uncertainity in IT outsourcing of large financial institutions

Werth, B. January 2011 (has links)
No description available.
74

A cluster approach to developing improved competitiveness for Sri Lankan apparel SMEs

Wilson, Peter January 2011 (has links)
No description available.
75

Understanding organisational improvisation : foundations and performance implications

Arshad, Darwina A. January 2011 (has links)
This research is grounded in strategy process theory and contingency theory and the main research aims are to investigate the antecedent factors affecting organisational improvisation and to identify how improvisation determines firm performance. This study is the first to examine the antecedent factors, which are categorised onto managerial and organisational factors that drive improvisation. The managerial factors contain the reasoning ability of managers (intuitive and rational) and managers' characteristics (selfconfidence, manager's expertise and attitude towards risk‐taking). Whilst the organisational factors include organisational structure and characteristics (goal clarity, organisational structure, organisational flexibility and organisational risk‐taking), and information processing (organisational information and organisational memory). Environmental turbulence (technology, market and competitive) is examined as an external moderating factor to the improvisation–performance relationship. Fifteen hypotheses were developed and examined in this study. A cross sectional survey methodology was used to test the hypotheses of this study. A postal questionnaire primary data was collected from 128 top management executives of high technology‐based companies in Malaysia. In summary, the findings confirm that a total accumulated variance in organisational improvisation was collectively explained by managerial factors and organisational factors; thus confirming that those aforementioned factors have statistically significant associations with organisational improvisation. Based on the study of the improvisation–performance relationship, the results revealed a positive significant relationship between both factors. Surprisingly, once the environmental turbulence factors were introduced as a moderator, the result on the association between improvisation and firm performance was greater than before; thus demonstrating a significant moderating effect on the relationships between organisational improvisation and firm performance. However, mixed results were identified when the association between each antecedent and improvisation was tested and the effect of each moderating factor was individually examined. This study on the effect of internal and external factors on organisational improvisation and firm performance makes novel contributions to the existing body of knowledge as well as to practitioners. It is noticeable that organisational improvisation in strategic management is crucial as a decision‐making mechanism for improving organisational performance. Hence, managers themselves as well as other relevant factors within firm hierarchy should facilitate and induce necessary condition that may drive organisational improvisation to happen.
76

Building an innovation culture : a case of pharmaceutical industry in Jordan

Pharaon, Abeer Abdul-Karim January 2010 (has links)
The purpose of this research is to support organizations to sustain competitiveness by building an innovation culture and supportive climate which empower employees to provide new valuable creative ideas and achieve better performance. Studies into innovation are generally devoted to studying process innovation and/or new product introduction neglecting organizational culture as a major determinant of continuous innovation. The Innovation Culture Enhancing Model (The ICE Model) and guidelines developed in this research were based upon extensive literature survey and practical feedback. The ICE model was tested over a two-year period in a large pharmaceutical company in Jordan using an action research methodology in an in depth case study obtaining major improvements to the innovative capacity of the company involved. The intervention designed for the company was based upon the ICE model components and thorough culture and climate assessments and interviews with over 638 individuals representing all levels of the company's hierarchy. In the foundation stage, the intervention involved; a flexible structure and strategy devoted to innovation supported by full management commitment. In the culture change stage, the ICE Model Dimensions: (1) Leaders as change agents dimension, (2) Shared work values dimension and (3) Motivation dimension were used to create an innovation culture. Interventions were also introduced to Keys to creativity items: (1) organizational encouragement, (2) supervisory encouragement, (3) work group support, (4) freedom, (5) sufficient resources, (6) and challenging work. The significant change to the culture and climate inside the company assessed using established climate to creativity assessment instruments was associated with improved performance measured using Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), successful achievement in international audit and empowered motivated individuals. Based upon an extensive literature survey and the action research experience, the ICE Model was refined to include two main contexts: (1) an understanding of the national culture (social structure, religion, language, education, political and economic environments), and (2) organizational environment (technological development, economic environment, socio-cultural changes, political and legal environment). This research provided background information about the national culture in the Middle East and its implications on Organizational Development (OD) interventions and MNCs investments. The research also introduced a new approach for OD interventions; named the Change by Values approach in which spiritual values are utilized as motivators to enhance successful application of culture change interventions. The outcomes of this research are particularly valuable to companies involved in mergers/acquisitions or joint ventures, which are likely to face cultural integration difficulties that might place the new endeavour at risk due to cultural differences. The developed ICE model and guidelines are major contributions to the innovation culture literature presenting innovation as a core value and creating innovation as a continuous competitive edge in a changing businesses environment.
77

Rapid manufacturing as an enabling technology in supply chain improvements

Ranganathan, Rajesh January 2007 (has links)
No description available.
78

Using autopoiesis theory to give knowledge management a theoretical foundation

Parboteeah, Paul January 2010 (has links)
The purpose of this research was to give knowledge management a sound conceptual foundation; this was done in three stages. First, the current domain of autopoiesis and knowledge management was explored with a particular focus on reasons for the research and the different approaches used. There was general agreement that knowledge management does need a theoretical foundation and that, currently, knowledge management uses only certain aspects of autopoiesis along with very little empirical work. The second phase of this research was to take an existing model, a model of organisational learning, from the literature and apply to it the principles from autopoiesis. This was done using a matching methodology: a two step process used to align the theories from two or more domains with the aim of creating a new lexis. The resulting autopoietic model of organisational learning was tested in two organisations: Prosidion and the Conservation Services Group. The third phase of this research was to create a model of knowledge that was true to an autopoietic epistemology for evaluation by a range of knowledge management experts from both academia and industry. The main finding from this research was that autopoiesis has the potential to become the theoretical foundation for knowledge management, but further research is required to enhance the usability of the foundation. Principles from autopoiesis can be applied to existing models, with some measurable benefit, but that the true contribution from autopoiesis will be the development of the autopoietic model of knowledge into a tangible, more useable product. This research makes several unique contributions to the field of knowledge management and autopoiesis. First, the creation of the autopoietic models of organisational learning and knowledge, and second, the development of test/evaluation instruments. Finally, the actual results and their analysis provide a new insight into the challenges of giving knowledge management a theoretical foundation.
79

Global sourcing practices : a framework to improve sourcing strategy implementation

Mohamad, Marini Nurbanum Binti January 2009 (has links)
The aim of the research reported in this thesis is to gain understanding of global sourcing practices of companies in the UK and to develop a framework to improve sourcing strategy implementation. This research was conducted by carrying out literature review, analysis of case studies through semi-structured interviews, analysis of an online-based survey, development of a global sourcing framework, feedback process and finally the refinement of the framework. The global sourcing practices, in terms of eight critical success factors, which were identified through literature, was investigated through case studies. This research also provides insights into how critical certain factors are to the effectiveness of the company‟s sourcing strategy and how broadly were those factors actually implemented. The gaps between the perceived importance of global sourcing practices and the actual implementation were explored through survey. The information gathered from the literature, case studies and survey provided the input to develop a global sourcing framework. As more and more studies create awareness of the critical success factors that are important for implementing a global sourcing strategy, there is a need for a framework to be developed to help a company identify areas where they can improve in terms of implementation of the sourcing strategy. The global sourcing framework was developed to assess the current sourcing level of companies, providing guidance for companies to identify the areas for improvement in their approach to global sourcing and helping companies determine where they need to be in terms of the global sourcing strategy and having it aligned with their corporate strategy. The framework has been validated and found to be feasible, usable and useful to improve a company‟s sourcing strategy.
80

Industry-academia research collaboration : characterising structure, process & attitudes in support of best practice

Butcher, Juliette January 2005 (has links)
Industry-academia collaborative research has become a subject of increasing interest in recent years to academics, industrialists and policymakers due to greater awareness of the importance of such links for innovation and the knowledge-based economy. However, such collaborations are not always successful for reasons which are poorly researched. The main objective of this thesis is to identify the main factors that impede or enhance successful research collaboration. The research agenda is guided by a review of the current literature which indicates that the effectiveness of industry-academia collaborative research depends to some extent on the following factors: (i) the motivations/objectives for collaborative research, (ii) the modes of communication between collaborative partners, and (iii) the management of the collaborative process. The influence of each of these three factors on collaboration effectiveness is investigated using a conceptual model and two pieces of complementary fieldwork. The conceptual model illustrates the relationship between the three factors and the structure of collaboration, the collaborative process and the attitudes of collaborative participants. The fieldwork activities, which provide data on individual perceptions of industry-academia collaborative research experience, comprise an interview survey of collaborative research facilitators, and a questionnaire survey of students working on projects jointly supervised by academics and industrialists. Findings from these two activities are analysed in terms of their contribution to the existing literature on industry-academia collaboration and their conformity with the conceptual model. The perspectives of the research facilitators are also directly compared with those of the students. The results support current awareness in the literature that industry-academia collaborations are difficult to analyse and manage because of their diverse structures, their dynamic nature and the variety of factors that influence their effectiveness. Whilst the research findings do provide some indication of why collaborations succeed or fail and how they can best be managed, the fact that no two collaborations are the same in terms of motivations, objectives, structure, process, outcomes, type of participants, etc., precludes prescriptive generalisations. Suggestions for best practice include adopting an adaptable management structure and using a 'relationship management' approach for long term collaborative relationships.

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