The purpose of this study was to improve instructional system design at Small Business Development Centers by developing a best practice model for assessing client training needs. Two research questions were addressed: 1. Is self-directed learning an appropriate framework for instructional system design at Small Business Development Centers? 2. What are the components of a self-directed learning-based model for assessing the training needs of Small Business Development Center clients in Small Business Management programs? The theoretical framework that guided the research was constructivism. METHODS: Data collection included: 1) reviews of self-directed learning, instructional system design, needs assessment and Small Business Development Center literature; 2) preliminary interviews of Small Business Development Centers clients and instructors and university professors; 3) facilitation of a Delphi Method (using email); and 4) final interviews of the Delphi panelists. Analysis included qualitative and quantitative techniques. Findings included the compatibility of self-directed learning with Small Business Development Center educational practices and Delphi panel consensus on 34 training needs assessment items. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: The conclusions were: 1. Self-directed learning is an appropriate framework for instructional system design at Small Business Development Centers. 2. Knowles' Andragogical Process Model is an appropriate foundation upon which to design instructional systems for Small Business Development Centers. 3. A self-directed learning-based training needs assessment model that incorporates the components of Knowles' Andragogical Process Model serves the needs of clients enrolled in the Small Business Management program at Small Business Development Centers. 4. Self-directed learning-based instructional systems for graduate programs in business and adult education will prepare personnel qualified to improve Small Business Development Center and other adult education programs. A model for assessing client training needs at Small Business Development Centers was developed from this study. The model illustrates the integration of self-directed learning with instructional design in Small Business Management programs. Recommendations were made for program development and further research. Self-directed learning-based instructional designs were recommended for Small Business Development Center and adult education program developers. Research is needed to test the model and to conduct action research that includes Small Business Development Center instructors and clients and university professors. / Graduation date: 1997

published_or_final_version / Real Estate and Construction / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

This study investigates how knowledge is created in a small business organization. Knowledge creation refers to organizational learning which results in innovation. The research design was a qualitative, single site case study of three firms in the point of sale industry. Data collection took place during a six month field study and employed multiple methods including participant observations, interviews, document reviews, and field journal entries. The study was informed by a conceptual framework which focused on the importance of both tacit and explicit knowledge forms, multiple modes of knowledge conversion (socialization, externalization, combination, internalization), and a knowledge spiraling process. Six themes emerged from the data. The first theme, "the people are the business" indicated that individuals become a knowledge creating structure that transcends office boundaries. A second theme, "we just spend tons of time talking", emphasized the importance of dialogue and informal communication structures to the sharing of tacit knowledge. A third theme, "there hasn't been a new idea in a million years", illustrated the predominance of incremental rather than radical innovation, the strategy of mimicking concept successes, and the importance of learning with other organizations through strategic alliances. A fourth theme, "you learn from your mistakes", represented the experiential nature of learning within the firm. A fifth theme, "it's one of those crystal ball kind of things" depicted the intuitive nature of personal knowledge and its limitations. Finally, the sixth theme, "a day late and a dollar short" explored how time and money pressures both enhance and hinder knowledge creation within a small business context. By comparing the themes to the conceptual framework the study concluded that small business organizations create knowledge in accordance with the nature of interpersonal interactions as they occur in context. The theoretical knowledge spiral was reconceptualized as a web structure in order to accommodate more diversity of approaches to knowledge creation and the complex nature of innovations.

With many studies on small business entrepreneurship indicating high failure rates, South Africa is no exception. However, the small business is a critical sector of the South African economy, as it contributes significantly to the country's job creation, innovation, empowerment, economic growth and development. The government has also identified the SME sector as the pinnacle for its important national development strategies. As failure seems to be higher at the entry level, it becomes important that all business opportunities are properly investigated. This study first looks into the divesture of a poor performing business, K.H. Foods Services CC trading as Steers. The aim is to assess entrepreneurally whether the business indeed needs to be divested. As the funds from the divesture were to be re-invested, an investigation of a new business opportunity is undertaken. A Chicken Licken franchise is chosen as a better mode of entry into the Richmond market. A cost-benefit analysis was done for both cases. The results of the analysis reinforced the decision to divest and invest. The analysis also gave an indication that the new business was a better investment option when compared to other investment alternatives such as a financial institution investment and an insurance lump-sum investment. The new business venture showed better returns on capital invested, and its payback period was shorter than other investment options. These analyses were supported by a consumer survey. The purpose of the survey was to test whether a need existed in Richmond for a Chicken Licken franchise, and most importantly, to establish whether this franchise will enjoy the support of Richmond consumers. To achieve this aim, a questionnaire was used to collect a relevant data from a representative sample of all adult resident population of Richmond who visit public places. The quantitative data was captured and analysed using the 'Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). Additionally, a multiple regression model was formulated and tested to examine the demand for Chicken Licken in the Richmond region. The results suggested an overwhelming support for a Chicken Licken franchise business in Richmond. Based on this survey and other strategic analyses, the decision was taken to open a Chicken Licken outlet in Richmond. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2003.

This thesis originates from first hand early experiences of the researcher regarding current processes and practices in operation in BAE SYSTEMS Ltd (now referred to hereafter as `the Company'), and recognises the potential for improvement within the realm of knowledge management. The huge volume of internal and external information overwhelms the majority of organisations and knowledge management provides solutions to enable organisations to be effective, efficient, and competitive. The software agent approach and information retrieval technique indicates great potential for effectively managing information. This research seeks to answer the questions of whether software agents can provide the Company with solutions to the knowledge management issues identified in this inquiry and whether they can also be used elsewhere within the organisation to improve other aspects of the business. The research analysis shows that software agents offer a wide applicability across the Company; can be created with relative ease and can provide benefits by improving the effectiveness and efficiency of processes. Findings also provided valuable insight into human-computer-interface design and usability aspects of software agent applications. The research deals with these questions using action research in order to develop a collaborative change mechanism within the Company and a practical applicability of the research findings in situ. Using a pluralistic methodology the findings provide a combination of the subjective and objective views intermittently within the research cycles thereby giving the researchera more holistic view of this research. Little attention has been paid to integrating software agent technologies into the knowledge management processes.This research proposes a software agent application that incorporates: (1) Co-ordination of software agents for information retrieval to manage information gathering, filtering, and dissemination; (2) To promote effective interpretation of information and more efficient processes;(3) Building accurate search profiles weighted on pre-defined criteria; (4) Integrating and organising a Company resource management knowledge-base; (5) Ensuring that the right information gets to the right personnel at the right time; and (6) So the Company can effectively assign the right experts to the right roles within the Company.

The Treasury's report "Institutional Investment in the United Kingdom: A Review" (the Myners Review) suggested in 2001 that various sectors of the UK equity market may be suitable for active investment management, tacitly assuming that some sectors are efficient whilst others are not. The validity of this assumption is tested against 29 industrial sector indices within the FTSE All Share index. Sector efficiency is, taken to be that index values reflect information correctly (strong efficient) or to the point where benefits do not exceed costs (weakly efficient). Existence of a sector index following a random walk is used to identify strong efficiency with the subsequent conclusion that passive management would be appropriate. Where the time series is not random, forecasting gains less than the management costs of active trading indicate weak efficiency with the corollary that passive management is still applicable. Industrial sectors where the index can be forecast with gains in excess of costs are not efficient and are appropriate for active management. The indices are tested for stationarity: none are stationary in levels but all reject the Dickey Fuller null hypothesis of a unit root in their first difference, the logarithmic return. Tests for randomness are based on pure random walks and random walks with drift and/or trend. Non-random time series are examined for maintained regressions based on AR, MA and ARMA. Where appropriate, ARCH is applied to the variance, utilising GARCH, Threshold GARCH, GARCH-in mean, Exponential GARCH and Component GARCH. Additionally there is a test for cointegration. All potential data generating processes' residuals are tested for independent identical distributions using the BDS test. If the maintained regression produces residuals that are III) then that series is assumed to be explained. The results show that four indices are strong efficient and five are weak; giving nine sectors that should be managed passively. Only one sector is found where there is scope for active management to make an abnormal gain in excess of costs. Nineteen of the indices had GARCH, which indicated a possible lack of efficiency but no decision on management style. One index was unexplained. Thus the Myners review's suggestion of active management where appropriate was valid, but limited solely to the Personal Care & Household Products sector.

Knowledge Management has captured the attention of management and IT vendors are hastily bringing products to market. The interest in Knowledge Management is understandable given the moves towards knowledge based economies and workplaces. Large organisations have begun to understand the value of the knowledge held within their organisation. Nowadays, the value of an organisation may be based on its intellectual capital and this is demonstrated by organisations being sold for many times its worth in terms of hard assets. The concept of being able to store and use the 'knowledge' that is generated inside an organisation has obvious appeal. However, the management of this 'knowledge' and the ability to use it for an advantage requires careful planning and an understanding of knowledge inside the organisation and its workers. This process requires a mix of organisational, cultural and technology understanding. Current research and vendor interest is focussing on large organisations. However, Small to Medium size Enterprises (SMEs) also have an explicit need to manage their intellectual capital. Research interest in large organisations is strong, but SMEs cannot always use the findings that are targeted to large organisations and will probably be unable to afford the specific Knowledge Management tools offered by vendors. Nevertheless, SMEs can use the knowledge in their organisations to gain an advantage. In particular, the tourism industry has a significant knowledge component and Knowledge Management could provide substantial benefits. Many Knowledge Management principles apply to organisations irrespective of their size. How these can be implemented within a SME is the subject of this thesis.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / Some digitised pages may appear illegible due to the condition of the original hard copy. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Internet encompasses a wide range of applications. Since its arrival in the computer technology industry, it has covered substantial grounds in the development as an tool/medium to enhance commerce. It has also brought along with it problems and new challenges to each level of managerial competence in the business world. The researcher shows through this study project the importance of business strategy and functional level strategy (marketing) as the basis for the implementation and utilisation of Internet marketing as a marketing tool. Conventional business and marketing practices are used in terms of strategic planning and formulation, to illustrate the importance of the strategic factor when incorporating the Internet into the daily business practices of companies. This study project relates specifically to Internet marketing and elaborates on various aspects of the marketing function to support the premise that the Internet is merely a tool, which can extend the company marketer's existing capabilities. The researcher aims to suggest that the Internet does change/extend numerous business practices, but the core principles in so far as strategic management is concerned, still needs to be adhered to. The researcher refers to numerous real life examples to highlight these points and make the practical application of its guidelines in terms of Internet marketing implementation and utilisation as easy as possible to understand and follow by the company marketer. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Internet behels 'n wye reeks toepassings. Sedert die verskyning van die Internet in die rekenaar tegnologie bedryf, het dit aansienlike vordering gemaak ten opsigte van die aanwending as 'n "medium" om besigheid te verbeter. Dit het egter ook sy eie probleme en nuwe uitdagings saam gebring vir elke vlak van bestuursvernuf in die korporatiewe besigheidsarena. Die navorser toon by wyse van hierdie werkstuk die belangrikheid aan van 'n besigheidstrategie en 'n funksionele vlak strategie - spesifiek bemarking - as die basis vir die implimentering en aanwending van Internet bemarking. Konvensionele besigheids- en bemarkings praktyke word gebruik, in terme van strategiese beplanning en formulering, om die belangrikheid van die strategiese aspek aan te toon wanneer dit kom by die inkorporering van die Internet by die daaglikse besigheid van maatskappye. Aangesien die onderwerp van hierdie werkstuk spesifiek verband hou met Internet bemarking, brei die navorser uit oor die verskeie aspekte van die bemarkingsfunksie om sodoende sy siening te ondersteun. Dit is dat die Internet slegs as 'n medium gebruik moet word om die bestaande bevoegdhede van die bemarker uit te brei. Die navorser poog om aan te dui dat die Internet wel talle bestaande besigheidspraktyke verander, maar dat die kern-beginsels in so verre strategiese bestuur aan betref, steeds aandag moet geniet. Die navorser verwys na verskeie werklike voorbeelde om hierdie punte te beklemtoon en om die praktiese toepassing van die riglyne in terme van In Internet bemarkingstrategie so maklik moontlik te maak om te verstaan en toe te pas deur die maatskappybemarker.

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