O gerenciamento de projetos tem sido cada vez mais estudado, e diferentes abordagens podem ser encontradas na bibliografia gerada pela academia e por praticantes da área, sendo considerado um aspecto estratégico para companhias de sucesso. Por isso, nos últimos anos, muitas empresas têm despendido grandes montas em gerenciamento de projetos, alimentando a controversa discussão sobre os resultados da aplicação de tais métodos em relação ao retorno dos investimentos. Esta tese tem como objetivo analisar os benefícios gerados pelo uso destes métodos de gestão de projetos para as organizações. A abordagem metodológica baseia-se em uma modelagem quantitativa, na qual se busca relacionar o grau de implementação dos métodos de gerenciamento de projetos ao sucesso dos projetos. A pesquisa empírica foi realizada em uma empresa multinacional de grande porte, com atuação diversificada, presente em vários setores industriais. Participaram do estudo dez unidades de negócio, de três países, de dez setores industriais: componentes, energia, indústria, manutenção, medicina, óleo e gás, segurança, tecnologia da informação, telecomunicações e transportes. Apesar de todas as unidades de negócio adotar o mesmo conjunto de métodos de gerenciamento de projetos corporativo, elas apresentam graus de implementação distintos. A base de dados foi coletada ao longo de dois anos e é composta de 1.387 projetos. Os resultados da pesquisa apontam para uma influência positiva no sucesso do projeto, medido pelo cumprimento do prazo e do custo do mesmo, em decorrência do maior grau de utilização de métodos em gerenciamento de projetos e do maior esforço em treinamento de gestores. Por outro lado, verifica-se que quanto mais complexo o projeto, maior a dificuldade em se obter os resultados planejados. Conclui-se que o uso de métodos tem impacto estatisticamente positivo no resultado operacional dos projetos, medido através do cumprimento de orçamento e prazo dos projetos, bem como o esforço em treinamento e capacitação em gerenciamento de projetos tem impacto positivo no resultado operacional dos mesmos. Adicionalmente a complexidade do projeto tem impacto positivo no resultado operacional do mesmo. / Project management has been more studied and different approaches can be found in the literature generated by the researches and by practioners. This subject has been considered a strategic aspect for successful companies. That is the reason for, in the past years, lots of companies have been investing a huge amount of money in project management, feeding the controversial discussion about the results with the application of these methods in relation to the return of investments. This thesis has the objective to analyze the benefits generated by the use of these methods for the organizations. The methodological approach is based on a quantitative model in which the intention is to relate the implementation level of methods and training in project management to the success of the projects. The empirical research was conducted in a large multinational company, with diversified participation in the market, making business in many industrial sectors. Ten different business units took part in this study, from three countries and ten industrial sectors: components, energy, industry, maintenance, medicine, oil and gas, security, information technology, telecommunications and transportation. Although all the business units adopt the same package of corporate project management methods, they present different levels of implementation. The database was collected in a timeframe of two years and is composed by 1387 projects. The research results point out a positive influence in project success measured by the accomplishment of project time and cost, mainly because of the higher utilization level of the project management methods and the higher effort in project management training. In other direction, it was verified that the more complex the project, more difficult is to obtain the planned results. The use of methods has a statistical positive impact in the operational results of projects, measured through the fulfillment of projects budget and time, as the effort in project management training has a statistical positive impact in the operational results of them. Additionally the project complexity has a positive impact in the operational results of it.

A failure of a small business has a negative impact on the economic health of the community where the small business operates. Small businesses are significant entities in economies around the world, but small businesses have a high failure rate. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore what financial strategies small business manufacturing leaders use to increase productivity and profitability to sustain the business for longer than 5 years. The population for this study was three small manufacturing business owners in Pennsylvania who have been in business over 5 years and have used financial strategies to increase productivity and profitability. The theory of planned behavior was the conceptual framework for the study. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and direct observation. Methodological triangulation was used to analyze the data. Four themes emerged after the data was coded in NVivo: the importance of company data, planning for a sustainable future using capital expenditures, cash flow management, and owner/employee collaboration in decision-making. The potential for positive social change includes increasing the survival rates of small businesses. The increase in small business survivals may potentially contribute to increases in employment rates in the community of small manufacturing businesses, leading to increased family incomes and improved overall economic health of the community.

In Angola, 96.7% of established small businesses fail. Thus, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies retail grocery store owners in Angola use to succeed beyond 5 years. The population of the study consisted of 5 retail grocery storeowners who sustained their businesses longer than 5 years in Angola. The conceptual framework for this study was the resource-based view. Face-to-face, semistructured interviews and company documentation review were used to collect data. Yin's 5-phase cycle, which includes (a) compiling, (b) disassembling, (c) reassembling, (d) interpreting, and (e) concluding, was used to find patterns, themes, and categories from the data. Member checking and methodological triangulation were used to ensure credibility. Through thematic analysis, 5 themes emerged: control and monitoring, dedication of the owner, quality staff, regular offer and quality products, and social capital. These themes reflect a common set of strategies that retail grocery storeowners in Angola use to succeed beyond 5 years. The implications for positive social change include the potential to improve the performance of small businesses and reduce business failure rates and unemployment in Angola. Additionally, by sustaining their profitability, small businesses offer a basis for increasing tax revenues, contributing to economic growth of the local economy, and improving people's living standards.

Titel: Den välutbildade och erfarna företagaren – Myt eller sanning? Nivå: C-uppsats i företagsekonomi Författare: Johan Lindberg & Andreas Toresson Handledare: Lars Ekstrand Datum: 2014 – maj Syfte: Många företag föds årligen, men endast en del av dessa blir framgångsrika och cirka en tredjedel av företagen har lagts ner inom en treårsperiod. Därför var intresset att undersöka varför vissa företag blir framgångsrika. Detta med hjälp av tre faktorer som kan anses påverka hur framgångsrikt ett företag blir. Dessa faktorer var utbildningsnivå, tidigare erfarenhet och uppstartsmotiv hos företagsgrundaren. Syftet med studien var att undersöka sambandet mellan dessa faktorer och ställa dem mot nystartade företags framgång. Metod: En enkätundersökning av kvantitativ karaktär har genomförts för att analysera vikten av de faktorer studien tar fasta på. Urvalet var egenföretagare från vars verksamhet startades upp under år 2012. Studien bygger på 95 respondenters svar på enkätundersökningen. Svaren har sedan sammanställts i diagram för att göra en jämförelse mellan de tre faktorerna och två indikatorer som tyder på framgång: omsättning och antal anställda. Dessa har sedan analyserats med hjälp kontingenstabeller. Resultat & slutsats: Studiens resultat visar att tidigare erfarenhet av den bransch man verkar inom har positiv påverkan på både företagets omsättning och antal anställda. Dessutom visar studien att de företagsgrundare vars uppstartsmotiv är baserade på självförverkligande, att få vara sin egen och att få förverkliga sina idéer tydligt tenderar att bli mer framgångsrika än de vars uppstartsmotiv är rent ekonomiska. Studiens resultat visar också att 9 % av respondenterna anser att utbildning kan medföra nackdelar för företagsgrundaren. Dessutom anser 75,8% att utbildning inte är av större vikt vid start av eget företag. Förslag till fortsatt forskning: Studien har genomförts på ett begränsat antal företagare i specifika delar av Sverige. Ett förslag till fortsatt forskning skulle kunna vara att genomföra en större empirisk undersökning för att kunna generella resultatet över ett större geografiskt område. Denna studie har ej riktat sig mot företagare vars företag gått i konkurs och därför vore en vidare forskning, med denna grupp medräknat i urvalet, intressant för att få en större inblick i vad som gör ett företag framgångsrikt eller inte. Uppsatsens bidrag: Uppsatsen resulterar i en ökad förståelse för hur variablerna utbildning, erfarenhet och uppstartsmotiv påverkar sannolikheten att uppnå framgång. Resultatet kan användas av och vara till nytta för blivande nyföretagare. Studiens resultat lyfter en intressant syn Examensarbete, C-uppsats, 15 hp Företagsekonomi Examensarbete i företagsekonomi Ekonomprogrammet   3  på huruvida utbildning främjar företagande eller inte samt ger en inblick i vikten av uppstartsmotiv och tidigare erfarenhet för framgångsrikt företagande. Nyckelord: Egenföretagare, framgångsrikt företagande, framgångsfaktorer, företagsstart, utbildning, erfarenhet, uppstartsmotiv. / Title: The Educated and Experienced Entrepreneurs – Myth or Truth? Level: Final assignment for Bachelor Degree in Business and Economics Author: Johan Lindberg & Andreas Toresson Supervisor: Lars Ekstrand Date: 2014 – May Aim: Many companies are born annually, but only a few becomes successful and just about a third of the companies have closed down within three years. Therefore, the interest was to explore why some companies becomes successful. This, with the help of three factors that can be considered to affect how successful a company becomes. These factors were level of education, previous experience and start-up motives of the company founder. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between these factors and set them against start-up business success. Method: A survey of quantitative nature has been conducted to analyze the importance of the factors the study focuses on. The sample was self-employed whose business was started up in the year 2012. The study is based on 95 respondents' answers to the survey. The answers are then compiled into diagrams to make a comparison between the three factors and two indicators of success: turnover and employees. These were then analyzed using contingency tables. Result & Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that prior experience in the industry in which it operates has positive impact on both the company's turnover and employees. In addition, the study shows that the company's founder whose start-up motives are based on self-realization, to be his own and realize their ideas clearly tend to be more successful than those whose start-up motives are purely financial. The study also shows that 9 % of the respondents believe that education can have negative consequences for the company founder. Moreover, the 75.8% of the respondents believe that education is not of major importance when starting your own business. Suggestions for future research: This study was conducted on a limited number of entrepreneurs in specific parts of Sweden. A proposal for further research would be to conduct a larger empirical study to overall outcome over a larger geographic area. This study was not directed at entrepreneurs whose companies have gone bankrupt and therefore would a further research with this group, including the selection of this study, be interesting to get a greater insight into what makes a business successful or not. Contribution of the thesis: The paper results in a greater understanding of how the variables education, experience and start-up motives affect the likelihood of achieving success. The result can be used and be useful for aspiring entrepreneurs. The results of the study raise an interesting view on whether education promotes entrepreneurship or not, and provides insight into the importance of start-up motives and previous experience to create a successful entrepreneurship.   5  Key words: Self-employed, business success, success factors, business start-up, training, experience, start-up motive.

O gerenciamento de projetos tem sido cada vez mais estudado, e diferentes abordagens podem ser encontradas na bibliografia gerada pela academia e por praticantes da área, sendo considerado um aspecto estratégico para companhias de sucesso. Por isso, nos últimos anos, muitas empresas têm despendido grandes montas em gerenciamento de projetos, alimentando a controversa discussão sobre os resultados da aplicação de tais métodos em relação ao retorno dos investimentos. Esta tese tem como objetivo analisar os benefícios gerados pelo uso destes métodos de gestão de projetos para as organizações. A abordagem metodológica baseia-se em uma modelagem quantitativa, na qual se busca relacionar o grau de implementação dos métodos de gerenciamento de projetos ao sucesso dos projetos. A pesquisa empírica foi realizada em uma empresa multinacional de grande porte, com atuação diversificada, presente em vários setores industriais. Participaram do estudo dez unidades de negócio, de três países, de dez setores industriais: componentes, energia, indústria, manutenção, medicina, óleo e gás, segurança, tecnologia da informação, telecomunicações e transportes. Apesar de todas as unidades de negócio adotar o mesmo conjunto de métodos de gerenciamento de projetos corporativo, elas apresentam graus de implementação distintos. A base de dados foi coletada ao longo de dois anos e é composta de 1.387 projetos. Os resultados da pesquisa apontam para uma influência positiva no sucesso do projeto, medido pelo cumprimento do prazo e do custo do mesmo, em decorrência do maior grau de utilização de métodos em gerenciamento de projetos e do maior esforço em treinamento de gestores. Por outro lado, verifica-se que quanto mais complexo o projeto, maior a dificuldade em se obter os resultados planejados. Conclui-se que o uso de métodos tem impacto estatisticamente positivo no resultado operacional dos projetos, medido através do cumprimento de orçamento e prazo dos projetos, bem como o esforço em treinamento e capacitação em gerenciamento de projetos tem impacto positivo no resultado operacional dos mesmos. Adicionalmente a complexidade do projeto tem impacto positivo no resultado operacional do mesmo. / Project management has been more studied and different approaches can be found in the literature generated by the researches and by practioners. This subject has been considered a strategic aspect for successful companies. That is the reason for, in the past years, lots of companies have been investing a huge amount of money in project management, feeding the controversial discussion about the results with the application of these methods in relation to the return of investments. This thesis has the objective to analyze the benefits generated by the use of these methods for the organizations. The methodological approach is based on a quantitative model in which the intention is to relate the implementation level of methods and training in project management to the success of the projects. The empirical research was conducted in a large multinational company, with diversified participation in the market, making business in many industrial sectors. Ten different business units took part in this study, from three countries and ten industrial sectors: components, energy, industry, maintenance, medicine, oil and gas, security, information technology, telecommunications and transportation. Although all the business units adopt the same package of corporate project management methods, they present different levels of implementation. The database was collected in a timeframe of two years and is composed by 1387 projects. The research results point out a positive influence in project success measured by the accomplishment of project time and cost, mainly because of the higher utilization level of the project management methods and the higher effort in project management training. In other direction, it was verified that the more complex the project, more difficult is to obtain the planned results. The use of methods has a statistical positive impact in the operational results of projects, measured through the fulfillment of projects budget and time, as the effort in project management training has a statistical positive impact in the operational results of them. Additionally the project complexity has a positive impact in the operational results of it.

The goal of this thesis is defined factors that influenced procces of business, especially start-up phases. Activity of concrete enterpriser is on example of most frequent mistakes and deficiencies. At the same time there are specified facts, when an enterpriser underestimates incurred situations and ignores them. That can be cause of business activity abortion.

According to the Cameroon Ministry of Economy, Planning, and Regional Development, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) employ over 70% of the active population and contribute significantly to economic growth and development, yet the failure rate of SMEs in the region within the first 5 years remains at 72%. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies that SME owners used to sustain their businesses for longer than the first 5 years. With the resource-based view as the conceptual framework, purposive sampling was used to select 5 owners of small food-processing enterprises in Cameroon who demonstrated successful sustainability strategies. Data were collected using semistructured, open-ended interviews and review of business documents. Data were analyzed using member checking and methodological triangulation. Yin's 5- step process for data analysis revealed 9 themes including education, technical experience, and skills; entrepreneurial and business management skills; access to external support; bookkeeping and working capital management; human resource management; owners' dedication and commitment; research and development and marketing strategies; resource-based strategic planning; and owners' understanding of the business ecosystem, regulations, and taxation. The results may contribute to positive social change by increasing the survival rate for SMEs leading to job creation and improvement of the living standards in local communities.

The potential for private sector healthcare business in Africa has been forecasted to reach $35 billion by 2016, with South Africa being regarded as the most industrially advanced country on the continent. South Africa’s entry to modern biotechnology is fairly recent, though, with companies in the private sector still in a developmental phase, and most having limited bioproduct ranges. While considerable research has been conducted in the past to attempt to define the biotechnology environment of South Africa, as yet, a concise overview is lacking. In particular, a synopsis of the biomedical or commercial health technology environment has not been forthcoming for entrepreneurs to refer to as a ‘roadmap’. The purpose of this study was to perform a comprehensive study on the attributes that should be met for a successful, sustainable health technology venture (HTV) to be started in South Africa; while identifying the opportunities and threats that have existed in the South African market; thereby, affecting their success and sustainability to date. In this study, two phases of research were conducted. The first was a small-sampled mixed-methods (both qualitative and quantitative) study involving 21 medical devices, biogenerics, diagnostics, and contract services companies. The second was a quantitative study, involving 107 vaccines, biogenerics, therapeutics, nutraceuticals, reagents, diagnostics, medical devices, biotools, contract services and public services companies. Inferential statistical tests were conducted on the data, including Pearson’s Chi-Square, ANOVA, bivariate correlation, linear regression, logistic regression and multinomial logistic regression. From the study, the overall proportion of business sustainability for HTVs was found to be 66.7%, and at least 30% were unsustainable (or not yet at a level of sustainability). Variations were observed in the overall rate of sustainability for companies, based on their core functional classification, location, production type, size and start-up or R&D spending. By converting the observed frequencies of activity level, as an indication of sustainability, into a probability, it was possible to observe the company type that was most, and least likely to succeed in South Africa. Based on the statistical observations in this study, the HTV type most likely to succeed in South Africa, with a 63.7% probability of reaching sustainability, is a ‘vaccines’, ‘biotools’ or ‘public services’ company from Johannesburg with at least 20 employees; that has developed its goods or services internally, but manufactured externally and spent between R20 million–and–R30 million on its R&D or start-up. Conversely, least likely to succeed (3.2% probability) is a nutraceutical company from Cape Town with between six and 20 employees, that has developed and produced internally, and which has spent between R1 million–and–R10million on its start-up. / Life and Consumer Sciences / M.Sc (Life Sciences)

Small businesses are critical to economic development. Small businesses create job opportunities and training and innovative products and services, but they encounter significant challenges and many fail in the first 7 years due to lack of sustainable strategies. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies owners used to sustain small energy consulting businesses for longer than 7 years. The population in this study consisted of 5 senior executives of a small energy consulting firm in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. The conceptual framework for the study was the transformational leadership theory that deals with vision and empowerment aimed at increasing both employee effectiveness and well-€being to positively aid employee outcomes, commitment, role clarity, and prosperity. Data were collected through face-to-face semistructured interviews and a review of company documents. After data analysis using thematic analysis and methodological triangulation, 7 themes emerged: functional vision, planning, skilled human resources, match approach to strategy, create market share, good leadership, and staying in tune with innovation. Implications of this study for social change include the potential for small energy consulting businesses to improve in the quality of life in the local environment by playing a vital role in the culture and economy of the community. Implementing the strategies may result in improving a firm's profitability and sustainability and contributing to social change for the local communities by reducing unemployment, offering competitive compensation, providing improved working conditions, and improving work-€life practices.

The potential for private sector healthcare business in Africa has been forecasted to reach $35 billion by 2016, with South Africa being regarded as the most industrially advanced country on the continent. South Africa’s entry to modern biotechnology is fairly recent, though, with companies in the private sector still in a developmental phase, and most having limited bioproduct ranges. While considerable research has been conducted in the past to attempt to define the biotechnology environment of South Africa, as yet, a concise overview is lacking. In particular, a synopsis of the biomedical or commercial health technology environment has not been forthcoming for entrepreneurs to refer to as a ‘roadmap’. The purpose of this study was to perform a comprehensive study on the attributes that should be met for a successful, sustainable health technology venture (HTV) to be started in South Africa; while identifying the opportunities and threats that have existed in the South African market; thereby, affecting their success and sustainability to date. In this study, two phases of research were conducted. The first was a small-sampled mixed-methods (both qualitative and quantitative) study involving 21 medical devices, biogenerics, diagnostics, and contract services companies. The second was a quantitative study, involving 107 vaccines, biogenerics, therapeutics, nutraceuticals, reagents, diagnostics, medical devices, biotools, contract services and public services companies. Inferential statistical tests were conducted on the data, including Pearson’s Chi-Square, ANOVA, bivariate correlation, linear regression, logistic regression and multinomial logistic regression. From the study, the overall proportion of business sustainability for HTVs was found to be 66.7%, and at least 30% were unsustainable (or not yet at a level of sustainability). Variations were observed in the overall rate of sustainability for companies, based on their core functional classification, location, production type, size and start-up or R&D spending. By converting the observed frequencies of activity level, as an indication of sustainability, into a probability, it was possible to observe the company type that was most, and least likely to succeed in South Africa. Based on the statistical observations in this study, the HTV type most likely to succeed in South Africa, with a 63.7% probability of reaching sustainability, is a ‘vaccines’, ‘biotools’ or ‘public services’ company from Johannesburg with at least 20 employees; that has developed its goods or services internally, but manufactured externally and spent between R20 million–and–R30 million on its R&D or start-up. Conversely, least likely to succeed (3.2% probability) is a nutraceutical company from Cape Town with between six and 20 employees, that has developed and produced internally, and which has spent between R1 million–and–R10million on its start-up. / Life and Consumer Sciences / M. Sc. (Life Sciences)