Made available in DSpace on 2015-12-03T18:32:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Nilson_Roberto_Niero.pdf: 1221015 bytes, checksum: 221e2841448b9a2dca7b835f0cf166d9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2004-08-05 / This piece of work main objective is to investigate the dynamics of the engineering sector, inside the Brazilian competitive context, mainly focusing on the identification of different factors influencing the strategic repositioning of companies working with engineering and industrial project management. Under a systematic point of view, this work comprises the identification of changes, occurred over the past three decades, in the engineering and industrial project management services sector, as far as the management of complex operations of the companies and their respective adaptations to the competitive environment are concerned. In terms of methodology and during the period of analyses, the work has been based on explanatory, documentary and bibliographical historical research, and developed with one of the most representative companies of the sector. Semi-structured interviews with open questions have been carried out with those main businessmen who have lived the history and the changes of this company. The work has been divided into five parts. Objectives and methodology are in the first chapter. The second chapter presents the main characteristics and the evolution of the service industry in Brazil. Chapter 3 deals with competitive positioning concepts and its objective is to supply the fundamentals for the case study in chapter four. Finally, main conclusions and considerations are presented. / Este trabalho tem por objetivo realizar uma investiga????o a respeito da din??mica do setor de engenharia e gerenciamento de projetos no contexto competitivo brasileiro, procurando identificar os diferentes fatores que influem no re-posicionamento estrat??gico das organiza????es atuantes nessa ind??stria. O trabalho contempla, dentro de um enfoque sist??mico, a identifica????o das transforma????es ocorridas na presta????o de servi??os de engenharia e gerenciamento de empreendimentos industriais no Brasil, no per??odo de 1974 a 2000, quanto ?? gest??o de complexas opera????es dessas empresas e suas respectivas adequa????es ??s mudan??as no seu ambiente competitivo. Metodologicamente, o trabalho envolve pesquisa hist??rica de natureza explicativa, documental e bibliogr??fica realizada junto a uma das empresas mais representativas do setor no per??odo de an??lise. Foram realizadas tamb??m entrevistas semi-estruturadas de quest??es abertas com os principais executivos da empresa, que vivenciaram sua hist??ria e transforma????es. O trabalho est?? dividido em cinco partes. No primeiro cap??tulo, est??o apresentados os objetivos e a metodologia utilizada. O segundo cap??tulo trata das principais caracter??sticas e da evolu????o da ind??stria de servi??os no Brasil. O terceiro aborda os conceitos de posicionamento concorrencial com o objetivo de fundamentar o estudo de caso contemplado no quarto cap??tulo. E, ao final, est??o apresentadas as principais conclus??es e considera????es sobre a pesquisa realizada.

Small business owners contribute 39% of Canada's gross domestic product and account for 67% of new jobs created, but only 50% survive beyond the first 5 years of existence. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore what strategies some small business owners in Halifax, Nova Scotia used to sustain their business operations beyond the first 5 years. The study population consisted of 6 small business owners of professional firms located in Halifax, Nova Scotia who had succeeded in business beyond the first 5 years. The conceptual framework that grounded this study was the systems theory. Data were collected through semistructured interviews, a review of company documents, and archival records. Member checking of interview response data was used to strengthen the credibility of the findings. Based on the methodological triangulation of the data collected and the van Kaam process, themes that emerged after the data analysis were networking, product-advantage, business-centric approach, and human capital. The data and application of the findings from this study may contribute to social change by providing essential strategies for small business owners to ensure business success that could potentially lead to the prosperity of the community and Halifax economy.

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The aim of this thesis is two-fold. My primary, theoretical aim is to present an alternative way for geographers to approach the study of tourist resort development. For over twenty years, resorts have been understood through the framework of evolutionary models, the most widely-used being Richard Butler's 1981 Tourist Area Life Cycle. I argue that the time is ripe for a more sophisticated approach which i) identifies the multiplicity of actors involved in the destination-making process and elucidates the interactions between them; and ii) situates the resort within a dynamic, capitalist economy, increasingly dominated by large corporations. I suggest that one way we can do this is to take particular moments in a resort's trajectory and examine the responses made by key players in the production of the resort. My starting point for my investigation into Whistler Resort, British Columbia is the merger in 1996 of its two ski mountains, Whistler and Blackcomb, under the ownership of Intrawest Corporation. A recent wave of consolidation in the North American ski industry has seen increasing numbers of once-independent ski areas coming under the control of four large corporations, Intrawest being one. My second aim with this thesis, therefore, is to shed light on the process of ski resort development in light of the recent industry reorganisation. In particular, I use my case-study of Whistler to interrogate the corporatisation thesis of historian Hal Rothrnan. Rothman's account of resort development in the twentieth-century American West leads him to view large corporations as extractive forces which pay scant respect to local communities and cultures, treating them instead as marketable commodities. The experience of Whistler, however, suggests a much greater degree of mterdependence and co-operation between the ski corporation and local stakeholders in the resort - a situation that arises because of its unique administrative, political and economic context.

This dissertation revolves around the topic of office decentralisation. The literature review chapter first discusses a systems approach to planning, and how it is the relationships between the objects within a system that makes the system as a whole useful. This chapter also discusses theories relating to city planning with reference to Kevin Lynch in terms of city elements as well as city planning typologies. Edmund Bacon’s theory of how movement systems of cities become powerful forces in terms of how the city is used and viewed is also discussed. Ebenezer Howard’s Garden City concept is discussed due to its intentional decentralisation but also for the manner in which nodes are linked. New Urbanism is touched on because many sprawling cities are turning this type of development in attempt to reduce the outward push of low density developments. Seeing that Apartheid city planning was informed by Modernist city planning, both of these concepts are looked at critically in relation to one another. This is to form the background on what impact office decentralisation has had on South African cities, and whether the locations of such decentralised office nodes have been in the correct locations in order to provide access to jobs to those who were marginalised during the years of Apartheid. With this background, office decentralisation is discussed in general, touching on office building typologies, the effect transportation technologies had on city planning, what causes office decentralisation, and the issue of office decentralisation in South African cities. Examples of how office decentralisation has been used as urban renewal projects have been discussed because it is of the opinion of the author that this needs to occur more often, especially in South Africa. Precedent studies of three cities which have undergone office decentralisation have been discussed in the next chapter. One is a South African city; one is another African city; and one an international city. This chapter discusses briefly their past, and the issues decentralisation is causing for the cities, as well as their solutions to the issues. Durban is used as a case study in the next chapter where decentralised office nodes have been identified and analysed. The challenges this decentralisation brings to the city are then discussed and possible solutions drawn from the abovementioned precedent studies have been suggested. These solutions were tested in a questionnaire which was sent to a selected group of working people. The results of which are discussed and analysed in chapters 5. / Thesis (M.Arch.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Business Administration (MBA), Business Studies Unit, University of Technology in the Faculty of Commerce, 2007 / Entrepreneurship, business knowledge and skills within micro and small businesses play an important part in the economies of countries across the globe by being the drivers of economic growth, as well as, creating employment. The role of micro and small businesses is matching that of big business and in some countries contributes up to ninety per cent of revenue. The difficulties from supply and demand perspectives are receiving increasing attention from government and academic institutions and researchers, and the purpose of this study is to establish to what degree the presence of entrepreneurship is present in the region concerned, as well as, investigating the extent of knowledge and skills within the sample of micro and small business owners. The study uses descriptive statistics drawn from a questionnaire survey, to achieve its purpose. One hundred and seventy micro and small businesses were drawn using a stratified random sampling method. Businesses surveyed were grouped into the following categories: services, manufacturing, hardware, clothing and food. Entrepreneurial traits were found present in the micro and small business owners, however certain behavioural aspects argued against this presence. In terms of knowledge and skills, the extent was found to be limited in terms of both academic qualifications, and business acumen. Growth rates of the businesses in the survey seem to be low and the presence of real entrepreneurship would need further investigation.

The wood-based building products industry has experienced significant turbulence over the past several decades as a function of multiple forces including among others globalization, product and process innovation, and shifting customer and consumer interest and demands. Collectively, these changes have challenged the historical tenets which have defined industry strategy and competition in the realm of basic products and contributed to consolidation and labor reductions. Consequently, an onus has been placed on industry participants to better understand and adapt to the new competitive landscape or risk loss of competitive advantages built on the practices suited to historical tradition. However, a limited range of work that considers the machinations of turbulence and resulting strategic implications has been directed toward the industry particularly where differentiation of products is limited. A contributing factor for this deficiency is the relative stability that has defined the industry for generations due in part to limited strategic variation beyond cost and production, limited cycles of technological and product innovation, commodity nature of many products, and passive manner of consumption. Accordingly, there is value in work that takes a critical and empirical view of industry changes in the context of both strategic and competitive implications, how participating firms address challenges, and what factors influence consumer purchase decisions. This work addresses this need through examination of each element, industry, firm, and consumer, in the context of turbulence, competition, and strategy and delineates previously unidentified considerations for competing in the new landscape. At the industry level, drivers of industry turbulence and subsequent strategic challenges, adaptations, and opportunities are identified and reviewed. Analysis suggests that improved strategy which considers organizational and product differentiation beyond cost and production efficiencies permits greater stability and increased leverage in the turbulent competitive environment. Recognizing a need for improved strategy, the firm level analysis employs a primary qualitative approach to isolate previously unidentified firm qualities analogous to successful deployment of a market orientation strategy using the resource based view of the firm as a framework for analysis. Connecting strategy to the consumer and product, theoretical consumer behavior constructs (consumption, behavior, and involvement) were connected to conceptualize dimensions of product differentiation capable of holding consumer appeal and acting as behavioral drivers in the passively consumed arena of primary wood-based building products. Taken together this work provides a view of strategic considerations within the wood-based building product industry that extends beyond previous work in several ways. First, by considering industry environment, firm strategy, and consumer behavior and product differentiation collectively in the manner described, this work provides a more vertically complete strategic perspective for industry participants. Second, within each chapter, findings and case based examples relevant to each element are presented. / Graduation date: 2012

Thesis (MA (Information Science))--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The globalised business environment of the 21st century is a complex space for organisations to navigate. As a means of dealing with the challenges and demands brought about by increased interconnectedness and interdependence, organisations are increasingly turning to information and communication technology (ICT), and especially advanced forms of ICT such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. An ERP system encompasses the promise of a seamless integration of business processes to be managed by a single business software application, which can be used to increase competitiveness and assist managers in strategically positioning their organisations for the future. This is especially true in the case of small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) which constitute a large and important part of the economies of numerous countries. As the ERP systems market for larger organisations became saturated at the beginning of the previous decade, ERP system vendors started to target SMEs by developing smaller and less expensive software solutions specifically aimed at this market segment. However, research has shown that these enterprises differ from their larger counterparts in size-specific and industry-specific ways which can greatly affect their acquisition of ERP systems: SMEs often face severe resource constraints and cannot afford the costs associated with failed ERP system implementation efforts. As a result, it becomes all the more important to follow a proper ERP system selection procedure before committing scarce and irrevocable resources to implementation. The purpose of this thesis is to define and describe the size-specific and industryspecific factors that play an important role during ERP system selection (Chapter 1). ERP system selection factors in the literature are summarised and synthesised into a comprehensive framework used to guide the execution of the study (Chapter 2). To this end, a qualitative case study was conducted on an SME in the wine industry of the Western Cape that was in the process of selecting an ERP system. Data were collected by critically analysing and reviewing documents, conducting direct observations of requirements analysis meetings and interviewing participants purposefully selected for the study (Chapter 3). Five major themes emerged from the analysis of the collected data and from this a total of 14 selection factors are identified (Chapter 4). These results largely corroborate existing selection factors from the literature and allows ideas proposed by various authors to be expanded on. In this way, a theoretical foundation is laid for the development of an ERP system selection model for SMEs in the Western Cape wine industry in future research (Chapter 5). The contribution of this research lies in the emphasis it places on the different benefits and shortcomings present in each quadrant of the proposed model and the explanation it provides for how this influences a selection factor trade-off that is unique to each organisation and the industry it operates in. This insight can be used to direct the ERP system selection process. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die geglobaliseerde besigheidsomgewing van die 21ste eeu is ’n komplekse ruimte waarbinne organisasies moet navigeer. Daarom wend organisasies hulle toenemend tot informasieen kommunikasietegnologie (IKT), en veral ondernemingshulpbronbeplannings (OHB)- sisteme, in ’n poging om hierdie arena se uitdagings en vereistes wat deur toenemende interverbinding en -afhanklikheid meegebring word die hoof te bied. ’n OHB-sisteem dra die belofte van ’n uniforme integrasie van besigheidsprosesse wat deur ’n enkele besigheidsagtewareprogrammatuur bestuur kan word. Dit kan aangewend word om mededingendheid te bevorder en om bestuurders by te staan om hul organisasies strategies te posisioneer vir die toekoms. Dit is veral van toepassing in die geval van klein- tot medium-grootte ondernemings (KMOs) wat ’n groot en belangrike deel van die ekonomieë van verskeie lande verteenwoordig. Teen die begin van die vorige dekade het OHB-sisteemverkopers hul fokus van groot ondernemings na KMOs verskuif deur kleiner en goedkoper sagteware te ontwikkel wat spesifiek op hierdie marksegment gemik was. Navorsing het egter bewys dat hierdie ondernemings van hul groter eweknieë verskil in terme van grootte en industrie en dat dit ’n beduidende impak kan hê op die verwerwing van OHB-sisteme: KMOs ervaar dikwels ernstige hulpbrontekorte en kan nie die koste verbonde aan mislukte OHBsisteemimplementering bekostig nie. Gevolglik raak dit toenemend belangrik dat hierdie ondernemings ’n behoorlike OHB-sisteemseleksieprosedure volg, voordat skaars en onvervangbare hulpbronne aan die implementering van dié sagteware bestee word. Die doel van hierdie tesis is om die grootte- en industrie-spesifieke faktore wat ’n belangrike rol gedurende OHB-sisteemseleksie speel te definieer en te beskryf (Hoofstuk 1). OHB-sisteemseleksiefaktore in die literatuur is opgesom en saamgevat in ’n omvattende raamwerk wat die uitvoering van die studie gerig het (Hoofstuk 2). ’n Kwalitatiewe gevallestudie is gevolglik uitgevoer op ’n KMO in die Wes-Kaapse wynindustrie wat besig was om ’n OHB-sisteem te selekteer. Data is ingesamel deur dokumente krities te analiseer en te hersien, deur direkte observasies van behoefte-analise-vergaderings te maak en onderhoude te voer met deelnemers aan die studie, wat spesifiek vir hierdie doel geselekteer is (Hoofstuk 3). Vyf prominente temas en ’n totaal van 14 seleksiefaktore is vanuit die analise van die data bepaal (Hoofstuk 4). Hierdie resultate bevestig grotendeels bestaande seleksiefaktore in die literatuur en fasiliteer die verdere uitbou van bestaande idees van verskeie outeurs. Op hierdie manier word ’n teoretiese grondslag vir die ontwikkeling van ’n model vir OHB-sisteemseleksie in toekomstige navorsing gelê (Hoofstuk 5). Die bydrae van hierdie navorsing lê in die klem wat dit plaas op die verskillende voor- en nadele teenwoordig in elke kwadrant van die voorgestelde model en in die verduideliking van die impak daarvan op ’n uitruiling van seleksiefaktore wat uniek is aan elke organisasie en die industrie waarin dit werksaam is. Hierdie insig kan uiteindelik gebruik word om die OHB-sisteemseleksieprosedure te rig.

Submitted by Milena Rubi (milenarubi@ufscar.br) on 2017-08-16T13:51:09Z No. of bitstreams: 1 OLIVEIRA_Lucas_2017.pdf: 31861080 bytes, checksum: 769153c2235f9364002c2a30e617b603 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Milena Rubi (milenarubi@ufscar.br) on 2017-08-16T13:51:16Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 OLIVEIRA_Lucas_2017.pdf: 31861080 bytes, checksum: 769153c2235f9364002c2a30e617b603 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Milena Rubi (milenarubi@ufscar.br) on 2017-08-16T13:51:21Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 OLIVEIRA_Lucas_2017.pdf: 31861080 bytes, checksum: 769153c2235f9364002c2a30e617b603 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-08-16T13:51:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 OLIVEIRA_Lucas_2017.pdf: 31861080 bytes, checksum: 769153c2235f9364002c2a30e617b603 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-03-22 / Não recebi financiamento / The production strategy has been considered important to obtain advantages over competitors. Its content is made up of competitive priorities and decision categories (or areas) that should develop such priorities. Among these categories, there is the organizational structure that should have characteristics that foster the priorities adopted by the organization. In this context, the present work seeks to identify which is the competitive priority of the companies in the auto parts sector of the city of Sorocaba and how the organizational structure can favor its development. Through a qualitative study, using the methodology of study of multicases, the organizational structures that favor the development of one or more competitive priorities were identified and compared. In the four companies studied it was observed that the competitive priority is quality. In these companies, the characteristics of the organizational structure that favor this competitive priority are the high degree of formalization of the activities, the decentralization of the decisions, training, the awareness of the leaders on the importance of quality, and the incentive to the formal and informal communication in the group work and meetings. / A estratégia de produção tem sido considerada importante para a obtenção de vantagens frente aos concorrentes. Seu conteúdo é formado pelas prioridades competitivas e pelas categorias (ou áreas) de decisão que devem desenvolver tais prioridades. Entre essas categorias, tem-se a estrutura organizacional, assim, ela deve possuir características que fomente as prioridades adotadas pela organização. Neste contexto, o presente trabalho procura identificar qual é a prioridade competitiva das empresas do setor de autopeças da cidade de Sorocaba e como a estrutura organizacional pode favorecer seu desenvolvimento. Por meio de um estudo de natureza qualitativa, com o uso do método estudo multicasos, foram identificados e comparados os aspectos das estruturas organizacionais que favorecem o desenvolvimento de uma ou mais prioridades competitivas. Observou-se que nas quatro empresas estudadas, a principal prioridade competitiva é a qualidade. Nestas empresas, as características da estrutura organizacional que favorecem essa prioridade competitiva são o alto grau de formalização das atividades, a descentralização das decisões, o treinamento, a conscientização dos líderes sobre a importância da qualidade e o incentivo à comunicação formal e informal através do trabalho em grupo e reuniões.

Social Work / (M.A.(Social Work)