“Knowledge is the only treasure you can give entirely without running short of it (African proverb cited in IFAD, 2007).” And it has been largely recognised by organisations that knowledge is a resource that they can leverage on. As Bryan (2004) mentioned, the proprietary knowledge that resides in the minds of a company’s top professionals are a source of Competitive Advantage. Therefore, organisations that leverage on Knowledge Management to promote a Knowledge Management Strategy can achieve Competitive Advantage in a world of rapid change and growth where only organisations who keep on learning and adapting will survive. Therefore, this thesis work aims to answer the following research question: “How does leveraging on Knowledge Management promotes the delivery of Knowledge Management Strategy to achieve Competitive Advantage through the Dynamic Capabilities View?” The purpose of this research is to understand more about the practical path which aims to evolve into a dynamic path for organisations to leverage on Knowledge Management (KM) in order that its strategy consecution delivers Competitive Advantage. The authors explore the subject matter by building from existing literature on the main theoretical areas encountered, and then design the research and its approach from the research question. The research followed a qualitative approach and method by utilising semi-structured interviews done to 7 international development organisations, where 13 respondents contributed with their experiences and insights from their involvement in KM in their organisations. Moreover, secondary data was used to complement, support, compare and contrast the findings of the empirical research as the authors used qualitative documents related to the topic published by the organisations. As a result, all primary and secondary data were analysed in an inter-subjective interpretative way deriving from the theoretical framework in order to answer the research question. The research revealed that the identified gap in literature between Knowledge Management and Knowledge Management Strategy is also existing in practice. It was identified that it depends on the maturity of KM in the organisation and/or the organisation’ maturity itself. But is not only restricted to that, the success of a KMS is directly linked to how the organisation articulates KM, and the importance given to it is based on the sense and utilisation of the dynamic nature of KM. Thus, it can turn its organisational capabilities into Dynamic Capabilities and achieve a Competitive Advantage, this is fundamental in international development organisations in the nonprofit sector, which is increasingly striving for resources where every organisation aims to be “the partner of choice.”

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With the arising digital disruption and global market pressures, several manufacturing companies have recognized the strategic integration of services as a way to competitive advantage and corporate profitability, they therefore have the desire to differentiate themselves by creating new service-oriented strategies, namely Product-Service Systems (PSS). While transforming towards a PSS provider there are a number of barriers that the organization has to overcome. After an extensive literature review the authors identified 34 such barriers. Tukker (2015) argues that the number of successful adoptions of PSS among manufacturing firms is surprisingly low, despite an increased literature awareness and focus on the barriers. The identified barriers are most often seen through the manufacturers’ perspective and little is mentioned about the customers’ perspective on barriers. The gap that was identified in the literature was the lack of customers’ perspective upon these barriers. This thesis aims to investigate the perceived barriers from both the customers’- and the provider’s perspective, and to examine which barriers the provider should emphasize to have the highest potential to successfully transform into a PSS provider. We used Bosch Rexroth as a focal firm and conducted in total 29 interviews with them and their customers and a workshop with 11 participants from the provider. The data from the provider and the customers were separately analysed until the last step, where it generated a barrier spheres. The spheres were used as a foundation for the emerging framework. The framework’s step wise approach is a guideline for manufacturing firms in their efforts to overcome the barriers in order to successfully adopt PSS. This thesis is a first contribution towards shredding light upon the customers’ perspective of barriers towards PSS. Our research shows that one perspective of these barriers is insufficient, since PSS involves both the provider and the customers it should thereby include both perspectives. The managerial implications of this thesis is partly the framework but also the importance for a provider to work closely to their customers and build strong relationships in order to overcome to barriers towards PSS together.

This thesis deals with strategic analysis of particular organisation. Appropriate methods of internal and external analysis are chosen and theoretically described as well as the theories for competitive strategy design. In practical part of the work, strategic analysis outputs are implemented for the needs of organization with a view to formulate optimal design of competitive strategy. The work concludes with results summarization, representing the preview to the strategy selection issue, designated for the needs of company management.

The goal of the master thesis is to conduct strategic analysis of an enterprise Soma spol. s r.o. and suggest possible recommendation for further development based on the knowledge acquired from the analysis. Theoretical part is focused on information referring to the topic of the thesis. Method and techniques of the strategic analysis are described and afterwards applied in the practical part. Practical section contains environment analysis using PESTEL analysis and Porter's Five Forces analysis. Onward the internal analysis is performed including identification of company's assets, financial analysis, Value Chain analysis and Portfolio analysis. In conclusion the results of all performed analysis are summarized using the SWOT matrix and the recommendation are suggested based on detected opportunities, threats, strengths and weaknesses of the company.

Strategic analysis of company and its practical application, external and internal analyses and strategy of the company.

[pt] O mercado de saúde do Rio de Janeiro está em transformação. O ambiente mais competitivo e complexo gera um momento de incertezas para os gestores, os quais buscam readequar suas unidades, estimulados pelo desafio de garantir a sobrevivência das instituições. Nesse contexto, os gestores devem adequar suas práticas de gestão, com a finalidade de tornar as empresas de serviço em saúde mais comerciais, capazes de atender as demandas da sociedade e gerar vantagem competitiva superior aos seus concorrentes. Sendo assim, este estudo visa a responder a seguinte pergunta problema: no atual contexto, que práticas de gestão levam as empresas de serviço em saúde a obter vantagem competitiva através da utilização eficiente de seus recursos? Para responder a pergunta, foi utilizada a teoria de Resource-based view como base conceitual para identificar os recursos que geram valor para as organizações e como eles são geridos. Trata-se de um estudo descritivo, pois se propõe a apresentar características relevantes do setor focalizado. Caracteriza-se também como uma pesquisa qualitativa, pois se baseia em percepções subjetivas de participantes do setor analisado sobre determinados eventos ou situações. Os sujeitos da pesquisa são gestores ou pessoas que ocupam cargos estratégicos em alguns dos principais hospitais e clínicas privados da Cidade do Rio de Janeiro. Foram entrevistados quinze indivíduos com este perfil. Além de outros aspectos, os resultados ressaltam a afiliação a uma rede verticalizada associada a um plano de saúde e à gestão da rede de unidade coligadas como elementos que representam vantagem competitiva para algumas empresas do setor. Outros fatores que se mostram relevantes são os ganhos de escala produzidos por meio de uma gestão mais eficiente dos recursos físicos e da maior quantidade e rotatividade de ocupação dos leitos. Aspectos como a qualidade da hotelaria e a diversificação de convênios foram identificados como requisitos de paridade competitiva. Fatores ligados à tecnologia e a sistemas de aquisição se mostraram como fontes de vantagem temporária. / [en] Health market in Rio de Janeiro is in transformation. The more competitive and complex situation generates a moment of uncertainties for managers, who search to readapt their units, stimulated by the challenge of guaranteeing the survival of the institutions. In this context, managers must adapt their management practices with the purpose of turning the health service companies more efficient, capable to fulfill society`s demands and produce a competitive advantage better than the one provided by its competitors. Therefore, this study aims at answering the following question: in the present context, which management practices would lead health service companies to obtain a competitive advantage through the efficient use of its own resources? In order to answer this question, was used the Resource-based view theory as a conceptual base for identifying the resources that generate value to the organizations and how they are managed. It is a descriptive study, since it proposes to present relevant characteristics of such health sector. It may also be characterized as a qualitative research, since it is based on subjective perceptions by members of the analyzed sector over certain events or situations. Research subjects are managers or persons occupying strategic positions in some of the major private hospital and clinics in Rio de Janeiro City. Fifteen persons with this profile have been interviewed. In addition to other aspects, results point out the affiliation to a verticalized network associated to a health plan and the management of the connected unit network, as elements representing a competitive advantage for some companies of the sector. Other relevant factors are the scale gains produced through a more efficient management of the physical resources and through a greater quantity and rotation of beds occupancy. Aspects such as hotel quality and diversification of health plans were identified as requirements for a competitive parity. Factors connected to technology and acquisition systems have shown themselves as sources of temporary advantage.

This thesis analyzes the current situation of the market in the South Moravian region in the field of purchase and processing of metal scrap. The first part is focused on the necessary theoretical background. The second part presents a TSR Czech Republic, Ltd. and the analysis of general and professional environment with the emphasis on competition. The result of the work activities are suggestions for getting new customers and the establishment of a new market, where the company last year built a new strategic scrap yard.

A pesquisa apura com as empresas de prestação de serviço atuam no campo do planejamento estratégico, considerando as principais teorias relativas ao assunto. / This research has the objectve to make a little deeper the competitive advantage and strategy study as regards rendering of service due to the scarceness of specific studies to the sector. Considering the wideness of service, the medical assitance service segment was chosen, with the objective of analysing the strategic aspects of this service and the hypothesis, to be checked, that these companies adopt empirical and informal strategies and, are little aligned to the competitive advantage required. Therefore, a study was developed, with emphasis to theoric research about the subjects and adopting the strategic plan stages, managerial instrument to formulation and implementation of strategies, as a guide of analisys process. This is, therefore, a qualitative research, developed with theoric support and in accordance whith research in some of main the companies of the segment of medical assistance. The three first chapters show the study justification, the theoric review and the research methodological aspects, respectively. Chapters four and five were assigned to show the research result and of the study conclusions.

De acordo com a Teoria dos Stakeholders, os gestores devem coordenar os interesses dos indivíduos e grupos que podem afetar ou ser afetados pelo alcance dos objetivos da empresa. Há evidências de que a sobrevivência da empresa no longo prazo só poderá ser alcançada se os gestores considerarem não apenas os interesses dos acionistas, mas também dos funcionários, clientes, fornecedores e das comunidades - os chamados stakeholders primários. Contudo, ainda não está claro, na literatura, como as empresas podem operacionalizar a coordenação desses interesses. Defende-se, nesta tese, que as empresas podem buscar pontos comuns e interconexões desses interesses alcançando maior sinergia na criação de valor para os diversos grupos. Para o alcance da sinergia na criação de valor para stakeholders, propõe-se que as empresas desenvolvam as seguintes capacidades organizacionais: capacidade de conhecimento, capacidade de engajamento, capacidade de integridade e capacidade de adaptação, que, em conjunto, formam a capacidade dinâmica de gestão de stakeholders, definida como \"capacidade de a empresa integrar, construir e reconfigurar seus recursos e rotinas para atender simultaneamente aos interesses dos stakeholders no contínuo processo de criação de valor\". Essas capacidades foram propostas com base nas literaturas de gestão de stakeholders e capacidades organizacionais. Após essa proposta, a relação entre as quatro capacidades e a sinergia na criação de valor para stakeholders foi testada em uma amostra de 116 empresas, com dados referentes aos anos 2011, 2012 e 2013, totalizando 273 observações. Os dados foram obtidos da base do Índice de Sustentabilidade Empresarial (ISE) da Bolsa de Valores de São Paulo (BM&FBOVESPA) e analisados por meio de modelos longitudinais de regressão para dados em painel. Os resultados da pesquisa empírica mostraram que a capacidade de conhecimento e a capacidade de adaptação estão positivamente relacionadas com a sinergia na criação de valor. A capacidade de engajamento e a capacidade de integridade não se mostraram estatisticamente relacionadas com a sinergia na criação de valor nas empresas e períodos analisados. / According to Stakeholders Theory, managers must coordinate the interests of individuals and groups that may affect or be affected by the achievement of the company\'s objectives. There is evidence that the company\'s long-term survival can only be achieved if managers consider not only the interests of shareholders but also those of employees, customers, suppliers and communities - the so-called primary stakeholders. However, it is not clear yet, in the literature, how the company can operationalize the coordination of these interests. It is argued, in this thesis, that companies can seek common points and interconnections in those interests, achieving greater synergy in the value creation for the various groups. In order to achieve this synergy, it is proposed that companies develop the following organizational capabilities: knowledge capability, engagement capability, integrity capability and adaptive capability, which together form the dynamic capability of stakeholder management, defined here as the \"capability to integrate, build, and reconfigure the company´s resources and routines to simultaneously address the stakeholders\' interests in the ongoing process of value creation\". These capabilities were proposed based on the literature of stakeholder management and organizational capabilities. After this proposal, the relationship between the four capabilities and the synergy in the value creation for stakeholders was tested in a sample of 116 companies, using data from the years 2011, 2012 and 2013, totaling 273 observations. The data were obtained from the Corporate Sustainability Index (ISE) database of São Paulo Stock Exchange (BM&FBOVESPA) and analyzed through longitudinal regression models for panel data. The results of the empirical research have shown that the knowledge capability and the adaptive capability are positively related to the synergy in the value creation. The engagement capability and integrity capability were not statistically related to the synergy in the value creation in the analyzed companies and periods.