Background - Planning occupies an important position in business literature. It is a well-investigated area with a long and extensive research tradition. However, the findings of the research are not consistent. In the planning literature there is a strong debate among researchers which results in two opposing points of view. On the one hand, proponents of planning in business, also known as the planning school, claim that planning plays an important role and has a positive impact on companies. On the other hand, opponents challenge these claims and suggest that a company should instead focus on flexibility, learning and resource utilization. These claims may be of particular interest in new ventures. The environment in which new ventures usually operate may be turbulent with a high degree of uncertainty and a lack of resources. This setting may create problems for the application of planning procedures and can contradict suggestions in existing literature. In addition, the entrepreneur plays a crucial role in every new venture. He or she is the one who founds the new venture and is the main decision-maker. Planning activities compete for resources and time, which are scarce commodities in new ventures and can cause entrepreneurs to allocate less time to the business itself. Purpose - The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the changes in business planning in new ventures. In addition, we endeavored to explain the reasons why these changes occur and what sparks them. Our aim was to gain in-depth understanding of the business planning change phenomenon in new small-sized firms and add additional knowledge to the existing planning literature. Method & Theory - Semi-structured interviews with six entrepreneurs in the Jonkoping region were conducted to collect the empirical data on business planning within the service industry. The collected data was analyzed together by applying the theoretical frame of references. Conclusion - The thesis concluded that three main business planning situations occur in new ventures. These were at first a smooth or volatile increase during the beginning period of new ventures and resulted in the presence of the stabilised business planning pattern in the later stage of new ventures. This study also observed three main drivers behind those changes: business planning experience, economical factors and customers.

No description available.

No description available.

Strategic information systems planning (SISP) remains a primary concern for many organisations. It is reportedly a top concern of not only the Information Systems (IS) executives but also of many chief executives. Recently, calls have been madefor better understanding of strategic planning in general, including SISP, and especially for studies of actual planning behaviour in organisations. As doubts continue to be raised about the payoff ofIT, it is important to examine the effectiveness ofmany accepted IS management practices such as SISP. Accordingly, researchers have investigated SISP practice and proposed both formal methods and principles of good practice. SISP cannot, however, be understood by considering formal methods alone. Yhe processes of planning and the implementation of plans are equally important However, there have been very few investigations of these phenomena. More surprisingly, few studies have been undertaken to identify and understand: (]) the approaches to SISP adopted in practice, (2) the relationship between SISP approaches and its ultimate success, (3) the influence of organisational and technological context on planning success. Yhis study helps to fill this vacuum in the important research area. A formal survey of IS Directors, which generated two hundred and ninety two, responses was initiated to empirically investigate these issues. The categorisation of SISP approaches adopted by companies was accomplished by performing cluster analysis, based on chosen IS planning dimensions, namely., comprehensiveness, participation, formalisation, flow, focus, frequency, alignment, ownership, IS benefit and plan implementation. Using this multivariate technique, four unique and stable groups were identified, namely: (1) organisational, (2) business-led, (3) administrative and (4) formal, This derived taxonomy was thoroughly validated to ensure that it is exhaustive, mutually exclusive, stable and consistent. Within this study,S ISPs uccessh as been conceptualisedb asedo n the extento f thefollowing measures: (1) alignment, (2) analysis, (3) co-operation, (4) implementation, (5) capabilities,( 6) satisfactiona nd (7) contribution. Thes tudyh as also conceptualisedS ISP success in terms of an aggregate score. It is found that each approach, with its different characteristics, has a different likelihood of success. Thefindings of this research suggest that the Organisational approach, which is characterised by high levels of alignment, comprehensivenespsa, rticipation,f requency,i nfusion benefita ndp lan implementationi,s by far the most successful. Conversely, the Administrative approach which has low levels of comprehensivenessfr, equency, participation and alignment is the least successful. Interestingly,t his study also suggeststh at the Organisationala pproach deliversa high level ofSISP successir respectiveo fthe organisationala nd technologicalc ontexto f the company. In summary, this study has extended our understanding of SISP processes and has provided useful insightsfor IS executives and top management in general, in implementing SISP within their organisations.

This dissertation analyzed data and the competitiveness model of the Taiwanese earthmoving equipment industry. Competitiveness in this industry is the most important factor impacting the struggle of businesses for existence. Thus, understanding factors affecting competitiveness is important for business decision-makers. / Thesis (PhD)--University of South Australia, 2008.

Thesis (PhD)--University of South Australia, 1998

'Half of all technology projects fail to meet CEO expectations'. CSC Index study (in CIO Enterprise, July 1998) Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems promise to revolutionise the way a business operates: allowing greater flexibility, market responsiveness, customer service, management information and reduced costs. However experiences and opinions vary dramatically as to whether ERP systems deliver on these promises. Certainly ERP systems customer demand remains strong, with major ERP systems vendors experiencing several years of double-digit growth and better, with a whole sub-industry of consultants and systems integrators growing around ERP system. This study examines the strategic nature and implications of the ERP systems decision: in reality a multitude of decisions, which together have drastic and lasting effects on nearly all aspects of an organisation. As with all strategic issues, there is no `step-by-step recipe for success' with ERP, but rather a successful approach depends on the specific organisation and its environment. Therefore what is required is an assessment and analysis of these, the results of which are combined with established knowledge about IT systems development and implementation to determine the most suitable approach. In this way ERP is integrated with organisational strategy and therefore can achieve maximum benefit. If ERP is not viewed and managed as a strategic project, it is likely, at best, to be a massive waste of resources and, at worst, may cripple an organisation.

Project report for Master of Business in Information Technology. Thesis (M.Bus.)--University of Technology, Sydney, 1999.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1990. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 155-160). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Metropolitan University, Leeds. / Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.