Despite Africa's significant legislative and institutional framework developments, collective bargaining remains underdeveloped. As a contribution to the theoretical discourse on collective bargaining in South Africa, this thesis addresses the question: In what ways can collective bargaining support the viability of corporations while securing employment in the changing world of work? It suggests a need to look into various aspects that contribute to business sustainability within the collective bargaining landscape, which is adequately linked to job security, growth, the development of businesses, and strengthening industrial relations. The study adopted a qualitative research method to outline and combine such aspects using doctrinal, open-ended research questionnaires (based on desktop research) and comparative research methods. The thesis further contributes to an understanding that employers and employees have conflicting interests in employment relations. The thesis argues that while businesses seek to make returns, employees also seek fair wages to satisfy their human needs. The findings further show that collective bargaining plays a vital role in the sustainability of a business by negotiating in good faith and recognising and reconciling various parties' interests. Additionally, collective bargaining can be used by employers and employees to ease the movement of skills development in the changing world of work in which the partnership between humans and machines is inevitable because the growing adoption of artificial intelligence will shape the future of work. The purpose of this thesis is to give clarity as to how collective bargaining can continue to serve its purpose in the changing world of work. To this end, the thesis is valuable in that it contributes to a deeper understanding of other relevant aspects of collective bargaining in the world of work.

Each year entrepreneurs start many new businesses, and some of these businesses will fail within the first 2 years. In addition, many owners will cite lack of adequate financial resources as a contributory factor to the failure. The purpose of this multiple case study was to identify the strategies that some small business owners used to obtain financial resources needed to operate a financially sustainable business. The population consisted of machine shops in South Central Kansas. A resource-based view theory served as the conceptual framework that grounded the study. The data collection process consisted of 9 interview questions. The data analysis process entailed using coding techniques to identify keywords, phrases, and concepts. Member checking ensured the credibility and trustworthiness of the data interpretation and analysis. The process led to the following 4 themes: (a) the role of access to financial resources in business success, (b) strategies used when external funding is not available or desirable, (c) strategies used to obtain external financing, and (d) challenges faced in obtaining external financing. The implications for positive social change include the potential to provide new insights to support existing and prospective entrepreneurs in their efforts to obtain financial resources needed to operate a financially sustainable business. The findings from the study may contribute to the prosperity and benefit of the owners, their employees, the local community, and the U.S. economy.

The high rate of employee turnover in the staffing industry is costly and impedes sustainability of employment agencies. The focus of this qualitative single case study explored strategies that 10 human resource managers (HRMs) and 5 HR directors used to retain recruiting staff at one regional recruiting agency in the southeastern region of the United States. The target population and research site were selected because of prior success in employee retention strategies. The conceptual framework grounding this study was sustainability theory. Methodological triangulation was achieved with semistructured interviews and focus group data. Data were thematically analyzed using Atlas.ti7, and all interpretations from the data were member checked to ensure the trustworthiness of findings. Emergent themes from the analysis revealed that these HRMs and HR directors increased employee job training, improved transparency in strategic planning and business practices, and enhanced communication of their employees' roles and responsibilites. The application of the findings may contribute to social change by providing HRMs and directors with insights that could improve employee retention and organizational sustainability. Stakeholders may benefit from an increased understanding of employee retention strategies and potentially reduce employee turnover for the local community.

In the United States, small businesses have a high failure rate, with approximately 50% going out of business during the first 5 years. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies small business owners in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States used to stay in business for more than 5 years. Entrepreneurship theory provided the conceptual framework for the study. A sample of 5 small business owners participated in semistructured face-to-face interviews, and additional data were collected from field notes, observations, and review of artifacts related to small business success and longevity. Data were analyzed using Yin's 5 stages of coding to reveal 4 themes: solve a problem, ensure start-up money, address marketing, and provide great customer service. Proper planning that addressed all 4 themes was the most important leadership strategy to sustain small businesses beyond 5 years. The results of this study might bring about positive social change by helping small business owners to ensure business growth, increase revenues, stimulate job creation, foster social unity, and promote local economic stability.

Typically, small businesses have encountered issues with sustaining their enterprise for longer than 5 years after inception, which can adversely affect the prosperity of the communities in which the businesses operate. The purpose of this multiple case study was to identify and explore strategies some owners of small business trucking companies used to achieve profitability and longevity for longer than 5 years. The population of the study consisted of owners of 4 small business trucking companies located in Northern Virginia, who demonstrated profitability and longevity for longer than 5 years of operation. The conceptual framework for this study was systems theory. The data for the study came from semistructured interviews, and review of companies' documents. The data analysis process consisted of organizing the data, interpreting the data, and identifying the themes. After verifying the themes through methodological triangulation, 3 themes emerged: relationship building, passion and commitment, and access to capital. The findings, conclusions, and recommendations from this study could effect social change by providing profits to the small business trucking owners for sustaining and aiding employees, families, and their communities' economies.

Thesis (M. Dev.) -- University of Limpopo, 2015 / Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) are regarded as valuable role players and partners in the development of communities. The aim of this study was to seek, and unpack business sustainability challenges faced by the philanthropic NGOs operating in the Capricorn District Municipality. This study also attempted to evaluate the possible solutions to the current challenges and to assess the compliance levels of the NGOs with the Directorate of the NPOs, to identify distinguishing qualities possessed by successful NGOs, to evaluate the role of affiliation and the support structures available for the NGOs in CDM and to make possible recommendations to improve their sustainability. The study employed qualitative evaluation as this research tool allows for interpretative research. The key findings of this study include lack of support for the NGOs, lack of resources, lack of visionary leadership, poor remuneration, greed and selfishness, competition for funding, lack of income generation and fundraising skills, education and financial illiteracy, wrong establishment motives, lack of passion for the sector and self-enrichment. The study recommends that the NGOs should appoint skilled Project Managers and governors who can provide clear directions; application forms for funding should use simple and understandable language so as to accommodate less privileged groups; diversify funding sources, and create mutual partnerships. The NPO Directorate together with the Department of Social Development should assist in the screening of motives to establish NGOs, the NGOs be assisted with the training of Management and Board members and NGOs be assisted financially with bookkeeping and auditors.

From a broad overview of business management literature, the proposition emerged that strategic conditions within an organisation can translate into sustainable business development outcomes. However, in the rapidly evolving business environment, the quest to grow or sustain competitive advantage demands that business practices become more proactive, creative and innovative. Globalisation and technological advances drive the need for innovation within a business context and the resultant rapid pace of change demands that businesses adopt a customer-focused entrepreneurial orientation to accommodate this need for innovation. This study investigated whether the principles of marketing, business management tools and management of the customer-base could be incorporated as key drivers to develop innovative and creative tactics that could serve as viable solutions to sustain business development strategies of automotive refinish paint distributors. An initial step in this research comprised a theoretical overview of the internal business environment as a system of the enterprise that aims to provide an in-depth understanding of the organisation, which could be applied to support strategic business goals and objectives. The literature review further entailed an investigation and explorations regarding best practices that automotive refinish paint distributors could follow in order to identify, focus on and develop their source of competitive advantage, sustainability and profitability. From the literature review, a methodological framework was developed that could be applied to specific success indicators, moulded to produce distinctive competencies in the automotive refinish paint industry; defining a significant foundation from which the objectives of this study could be researched. The study adopted the qualitative research approach and focused on a single case of a refinish paint distributor. The reason for selecting the case study method is that an entire organisation could be investigated in depth with particular attention to detail. A detailed questionnaire was drawn up in order to conduct face-to-face interviews with selected respondents, based on the profound expertise of the selected personnel. This was done to enable the researcher to assess the prevalent elements of business sustainability applied by the automotive refinish distributor to enhance their competitive advantage. The design of the empirical element of this study, aimed at providing a blueprint that would enable the researcher to structure the research problem in such a way that the outcome of the study would be valid, objective and reliable. Due to the qualitative nature of this study, the results are interpreted through inductive reasoning, observations, projective and participatory approaches all of which are integrated into a comprehensive model indicating key drivers to promote, improve and facilitate the business sustainability of the automotive refinish paint distributor. A range of recommendations and managerial implications extracted from the results of the empirical study are presented in the final chapter.

A sustentabilidade é um tema aceito pelo mercado e que vem ganhando destaque em várias áreas. Este trabalho traz a sua aplicação na área financeira com o intuito de contribuir para desenvolvimento das empresas. Dessa forma, foi realizada a análise de conteúdo para esclarecer as concepções do tema, que ainda não são claras. Para isso, duas técnicas complementares foram utilizadas: Revisão Sistemática e Categorização. A Revisão sistemática permitiu compreender os conceitos influentes na sustentabilidade e a sua aplicação. Já a Categorização foi utilizada para analisar os principais modelos de previsão de insolvência citados na literatura brasileira. O objetivo geral foi verificar se o desconhecimento dos fatores da sustentabilidade financeira contribui para o insucesso das empresas. Os objetivos específicos deste trabalho foram a) apresentar as concepções da sustentabilidade b) identificar as causas do insucesso empresarial c) extrair as principais variáveis dos modelos de previsão de insolvência d) apresentar os fatores do sucesso financeiro e) Compilar os fatores e desenvolver um modelo de Sustentabilidade Financeira. Os resultados contribuíram para o esclarecimento do tema e permitiram a elaboração de um modelo teórico de Sustentabilidade Financeira Empresarial, aplicável às empresas brasileiras. / Sustainability is accepted by the market and that has been gaining attention in several areas subject. This work brings its application in the financial area in order to contribute to business development. Therefore, content analysis was performed to clarify the concepts of the subject, which are not yet clear. For this, two complementary techniques were used: Systematic Review and Classification. A systematic review has allowed to understand the influential concepts in sustainability and its application. Categorization already been used to analyze the main insolvency prediction models cited in the Brazilian literature. The overall objective was to determine whether the lack of financial sustainability of the factors contributing to the failure of companies. The specific objectives of this study were a) to present the concepts of sustainability b) identify the causes of business failure c) extracting the main variables of the model prediction of insolvency d) present the factors of success and financial e) to compile the factors and develop a model Financial Sustainability. The results helped to clarify the issue and allowed the elaboration of a theoretical model of Financial Sustainability Company applicable to Brazilian companies.

Small business owners in the construction materials industry play a significant role in economic development through gross domestic product and employment. However, like other small business owners, many owners of small businesses in the construction materials industry close their businesses within 5 years. The purpose of this multiple case study grounded in the resource-based theory was to explore the strategies that owners of small businesses in the construction materials industry operating in Tanzania used to sustain business for longer than 5 years. Data were collected using semistructured interviews with 4 purposefully selected owners of small businesses in the construction materials industry and a review of daily sales records, weekly sales reports, and audited accounts. Member checking and triangulation were used to strengthen the credibility and trustworthiness of the interpretation of data and information. Data analysis involved coding and thematic analysis. Themes were categorized into business establishment strategies, customer satisfaction and retention strategies, and other sustainability strategies. Findings from this study may contribute to social change by providing information on mechanisms for improving business performance; reducing the risk of failure; and creating sustainable, better-paying jobs that can increase the well-being of business owners, employees, their families, and communities.

Compared to their urban counterparts rural small businesses face unique socio-economic and environmental challenges including isolation, lack of resources, poverty, limited networks, and a smaller population of working age adults. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore effective strategies that rural small business managers have used to sustain a business in their area. The population for this study included a purposeful selection of 8 rural small businesses. Institutional theory served as the conceptual framework for this study. Data was collected using semi-structured face-to-face interviews of participants. The data was analyzed and coded by using a modified Van Kaam method which revealed themes: (a) customer satisfaction, (b) advertising, and (c) location. Participants considered customer satisfaction, advertising, and location when creating businesses strategies to remain sustainable beyond 5 years. This study may contribute to positive social change by enabling more rural businesses to remain within the economic cycle of the U.S. economy, and offer a more stable employment outlook, hence supporting more families in rural areas.