Top executives are interested in more transparent and formalized structures, applicable measurements, and clear justification of alignment. Limited or improper information technology governance (ITG) affects the business strategy that will ultimately influence the overall business alignment in local city government agencies (LCGAs). The problem addressed in this study was the lack of information regarding LCGAs IT/business strategic alignment maturity model (SAMM) level and the LCGAs' employment size. The purpose of this survey study was to evaluate 48 LCGA participants in the Southwestern part of the United States and compare their alignment perceptions with their cities' employment size. The theoretical framework for this study was based on ITG and business strategy as measured by the SAMM instrument. An online survey was used for data collection and data results were analyzed using descriptive statistics and an Analysis of Variance. After using the SAMM instrument, the current snapshot maturity level of LCGAs was 2.49 out of a maximum 5.0 level. Results illustrated no significant relationship between LCGAs alignment maturity levels and a city's size. This study empowers positive social change by providing LCGAs 6 incremental steps to improve the overall alignment maturity level in areas of transparent and formalized structures, applicable measurements, and improved alignment measures.

Nuestros collares geo localizadores “Allqu” se encuentran dirigidos a las personas de Lima Metropolitana del nivel socioeconómico A/B que cuenten con mascotas en casa y que se preocupen por la seguridad de los mismos. A través de los collares con GPS, promovemos la protección y el cuidado preservando la integridad y vida animal. Basado en los resultados de las entrevistas a profundidad, se logró detectar los principales problemas que poseen las personas que cuentan con una mascota en casa. Consecuente a ello, se identificó la creación de un producto que satisfaga todas las necesidades de nuestro público objetivo. Las distintas validaciones de hipótesis nos reafirmaron la continuación de la propuesta de negocio. Nuestros principales canales de venta físicos serán: local propio, veterinarias y petshops. Asimismo, tendremos presencia digital a través de los E-Commerce. La estrategia de Marketing será vital para lograr un posicionamiento de mercado importante en accesorios para mascotas. Los collares tecnológicos serán importados desde China y se almacenarán en nuestra tienda física ubicada en el distrito de Lince donde se realizará el empacado y funcionará también como centro de distribución para los diferentes puntos de venta. El negocio contará con 4 colaboradores capacitados para las funciones establecidas y el logro de objetivos trazados. En el análisis financiero desarrollado y proyectado, tenemos un Valor Presente Neto de S/118,563 y una Tasa Interna de Retorno de 57.66%, siendo indicadores importantes que demuestra la viabilidad y rentabilidad del negocio en el tiempo. / Our geo locator collars "Allqu" are aimed at people in Metropolitan Lima of the socioeconomic level A/B who have pets at home and who are concerned about their safety. Through GPS collars, we promote protection and care while preserving the integrity and animal life. Based on the results of the in-depth interviews, it was possible to detect the main problems that people who have a pet experience. Consequently, the creation of a product that meets all the needs of our target audience was identified. The different hypothesis validations reaffirmed the continuation of the business proposal. Our main physical sales channels will be: our own shop, veterinarians and petshops. Likewise, we will have a digital presence through E-Commerce. The Marketing strategy will be vital to achieve an important market position in pet accessories. The technological collars will be imported from China and will be stored in our physical store located in the Lince district where the packaging will take place and will also function as a distribution center for the different points of sale. The business will have 4 workers trained for the established functions and the achievement of set objectives. In the financial analysis developed and projected, we have a Net Present Value of S / 118,563 and an Internal Rate of Return of 57.66%, being important indicators that demonstrate the viability and profitability of the business over time. / Trabajo de investigación

This PhD thesis deals with the issue of electronic commerce with a primary focus on customers. The reason and purpose of the doctoral thesis is a growing need and increasing requirements for the creation of electronic transactions. Research has been conducted, showing that the scope of electronic commerce is of great importance and will increasingly need to build a broader and more developed network of virtual stores. In the work attention is paid to the very issue of e-commerce and CRM issues. The objectives of thesis are: to define a new model system of electronic commerce, the methodology of the new direction of the electronic business, to propose an appropriate methodology for the new direction of e-commerce and application of new methodologies and strategies of e-commerce trends. Theoretical knowledge in the work is based on various sources by both Czech and foreign authors. In this work are described in detail the steps and results of practical research and exploration. There are discussed the development and operation of e-commerce, and recommendations for the future are suggested. The basis for the development of the doctoral thesis was a study of existing literature, and primary research in a company with an important position in the market. The work is aimed to serve science, educational purposes in education and as a handbook for the emerging e-commerce, and is the basis for further research and scientific work in the field of electronic commerce.

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The increasing globalization has changed the dynamics of different functions within organizations. One function is procurement which has transformed from an operational to a strategic function. This transformation now requires standardization so that the entire sourcing of products is synchronized especially concerning the Request for Quotation (RFQ) process. A theoretical gap was also identified where the researchers observed that an in-depth RFQ process has not been explicitly discussed in the literature. The aim of this study was thus to explore the practices that global multi-categorical companies use to source their products, especially concerning the request for quotations. To investigate this aim, three research questions were used that helped identify the practices that purchasers use to source products with RFQs. To answer the research questions, the researchers conducted a case study at IKEA. A qualitative approach was chosen to better study the phenomenon in-depth. Methods used for data collection involved a combination of semi-structured interviews and open-ended questionnaires. In total, seven interviews were held with the focal firm with an additional 16 answering the questionnaire. An additional six interviews were also held with purchasers external to the focal firm to complement in filling the gap in existing research. The data was analyzed through thematic analysis and benchmarking. The main findings from the research were the identification of the RFQ process used by the focal company and consultant within the field of purchasing. The RFQ process for the focal company consisted of 7 themes (Triggers to launch RFQ; Defining Scope; Finalize Scope; Making Tactics, Structure and Approach; Execute and evaluate offer; Aligning solution and confirming the purchase agreement; and follow up and feedback).  The process explained by consultants consisted of 8 themes (Preparation; Supplier identification and reduction; Making tactics and communication; Evaluate the quotations and internal alignment; Negotiations; Risk assessment and communication of results; and Feedback). These themes were highly similar to each other while at the same time providing an opportunity to identify areas that can be improved. Overall, besides contributing to filling the existing gap in the request for quotation process, this study concludes with a framework that global retail companies could adopt to procure more efficiently.

M. Tech. (Department of Information and Communication Technology, Faculty of Applied and Computer Sciences), Vaal University of Technology. / The alignment of Information Systems (IS) with business processes in organisations is a dynamic state whereby an organisation uses Information Technology in order to achieve business objectives. The alignment of IT exists when goals, activities and processes of a business are in harmony with the Information Systems which are supporting them. The lack of IT strategic alignment in organisations lead to poor IT Return on Investment (ROI), inefficient operations due to poor performance that impact the organization’s competitive advantage. Studies on Information Systems Alignment have merely focused on the alignment between Business and Information System Strategy. Very few studies have studied this alignment in Small and Medium Enterprises to investigate what impact the alignment has with the business performance. The purpose of this study is to measure the alignment between Information system and the business strategy in Small and Medium Enterprises and to investigate the impact of this alignment on the business performance. A model was used to measure the alignment between Business and Information System Strategy and its impact on the business performance. Data was collected through the use of a questionnaire. A sample of ninety-nine (99) individuals from a variety of SMEs was used. SPSS was used to analyse the data. The results showed the variables of the model were all positively correlated to one another. Therefore, alignment of Information Systems (IS) and Business Strategy was confirmed. The influence of the alignment was found to have a positive influence (0.459) on the overall performance of the business. In conclusion, it is imperative for SMEs to align Information Systems (IS) and Business Strategy in order to increase the overall performance of their businesses.

Although the development of small businesses is generally considered important for income generation and job creation, there has been relatively little research in developing countries such as Ghana on understanding why some small firms succeed and grow rapidly while others do not in. This thesis investigates the influences on small firm growth rates in Ghana using data from a random sample of 252 manufacturing and services firms from the database of the Association of Ghana Industries. The general hypothesis is that, growth is a function of the characteristics of the entrepreneur; characteristics of the firm; strategic factors; environmental factors; and cultural factors. Consequently, the research tests 36 hypotheses drawn from the five main categories of variables using the turnover and the employment growth measures. It also uses logistic regression analysis to isolate significant factors differentiating rapid-growth firms from slow-growth firms. Overall, the research finds strong evidence which suggests that, perception of a market opportunity; university education; multiple founders; entrepreneurs with marketing skills; workforce training; new product development; presence of a clear vision and mission statement; majority non-family members in management and membership of professional or business associations were associated with rapid-growth firms. iv Factors which were significant in discriminating between rapid-growth and slow-growth firms but were more likely to be associated with slow-growth firms included threat of unemployment or actual unemployment as a motivation for starting a business; production skills; legal form (limited liability companies); access to external equity (post-formation); exporting; access to public or external aid; unionization and frequent management meetings.

This thesis aims to evaluate the implementation of the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) based on a case organization; the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSH-RC). The study is an exploratory investigation. Understanding BSC perspectives is important for academic comprehension and is crucial for successful implementation. BSC at KFSH-RC includes five main perspectives: Quality of Care; Medical Care; Employees; Financial; and Education and Research (learning and growth). The thesis tackles two main anecdotal, practice-based arguments: BSC helps achieve business strategy, and the implementation of BSC has often fallen short of the assertions made about its potential for impact. A case study with a triangulation approach is justified and pursued. This study contributes to the literature in different ways. The application of the BSC has received limited attention in healthcare organisations in general, and in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in particular, and may be one of the first to explore such issues, across management and professional groups, to research BSC in the healthcare organisation in the KSA. It distinguishes between the understanding of financial and non-financial perspectives; and the researcher has developed a conceptual framework, which reflects the main elements of BSC implementation. Quantitative data analysis from the case study indicates that staff members at the KFSH possess only a shallow understanding of various BSC perspectives. The study revealed a consistent lack of understanding of BSC by the department employees, due to their lack of interest. The results show that performance measures following the implementation of BSC created no significant improvement. It also confirms that even some senior managers face difficulties understanding BSC perspectives. The qualitative-based findings indicate that the level of understanding of BSC for clinical services is not significantly different from that for non-clinical services; staff members of the KFSH resist the implementation of BSC in the early stages; and there is ¿autocratic¿ leadership style at the KFSH inhibited the flow of information. The power distance and autocratic leadership style, in combination with an inadequate launch of BSC, fail to follow the implementation steps recommended by both Kaplan and Norton (2001a) and Kotter (1996). These organisational dynamics, it will be argued, are understated in the original BSC methodology, a view consistent with the findings of Woodley (2006) and may be especially so in environments with strong professional norms such as hospitals. The implications for the study and practice of non-profit organisations wishing to adopt methodology developed initially in a commercial context, is considered. / Minister of Higher Education, Dr. Khalid Al-Angari (Saudi Arabia)

One way to increase capacity is to optimise production. This research focuses on optimising material handling using Lean principles, factory layout analysis and supply & operation planning. The purpose is to see how the strategies found in these theories effect the change. An organisations readiness to change management shows how fast it can grow in a competitive world. The methodology used to collect data is by observations, interviews, literature review and secondary data. The research design is a case study, as it allows to collect multiple forms of data and mainly because it is done within a particular factory. The data analysis is done by forming themes, i.e., thematic analysis. Empirics were gathered from the company in focus about how their production runs. The empirics focused on the themes found by analysing data. The result gives strategies that can be followed for optimised material handling and the behaviour of employees and managers when change is suggested. The conclusion is that, although the changes were perceived in a positive way, with willingness to change, the subjects did not want to dig deeper into how they could benefit from it.