Magister Commercii (Information Management) - MCom(IM) / No organisation has an endless and unlimited supply of money, especially in a recessive economy, and therefore decisions have to be made as to which areas an organisation will invest in. As organisations, such as YZ1 financial services organisation, are focused on seeing returns on investment (ROI), implementing software that is not being used will not render any benefits to the organisation.Research problem: Project Managers (PMs) in YZ organisation’s IT department need to perform mandated processes, as defined in their centralised repository. PMs need to use Financial and Planning Software (FPS)2 software to perform certain project management activities, as required by their job function. However, it was found that MPP3 software, another tool, was used for more detailed project schedules, as well as activities that were not strictly enforced by management, the Project Office or the Quality Assurance team.Therefore, from this discovery, it was not clear whether the intended benefit of implementing this mandatory software (FPS) was being realised – since implementing software that is not being utilised fully would not deliver the intended benefits to the IT department (Devaraj & Kohli 2003), even if the software is termed ‘mandatory’.Objective: The primary objective of this research was to explore and optimise the key success factors for an effective implementation of mandatory software in a department, in order to derive the intended business benefits.Literature Review: Literature was reviewed in the search for models or theories that explore the relationship between the use of mandatory software and the achievement of business benefits. The Information Management Body of Knowledge (IMBOK) was selected as this framework defines the relationship between IT and the realisation of business benefits, and ultimately the achievement of any business strategy.The literature review focused predominantly on the level of user involvement, change management, as well as factors that influence the usage of mandatory software by individuals.1 The name of the organisation utilised has been changed. Refer to Ethical Consideration 2 The name of the tools utilised has been changed. Refer to Ethical Consideration and list of acronyms 3 The name of the tools utilised has been changed. Refer to Ethical Consideration and list of acronyms Focus was given to organisational factors affecting usage, such as top management support and organisational processes. A model was compiled using unique constructs in the Technology Acceptance Model (and TAM2), the Motivational Model (MM) and the Model of PC Utilisation (MPCU) – in order to test user acceptance of mandatory software.The literature study concludes with a review of an approach to benefits management including five stages, namely: identifying and structuring benefits, planning for the realisation of benefits, executing the plan, in addition to the evaluation and the review.Research design and methodology: A case study was used in this research, as it examined the phenomenon in its natural setting, employing multiple methods of data collection to gather information from a few entities (groups and data sources). In this way, it was not limited to only qualitative or quantitative approaches, but utilised mixed methods instead. A mixed methods approach was used in order to elaborate, enhance and clarify the results from the qualitative research through the results of the quantitative analysis.Findings: The main finding, based on the compilation of three models of user acceptance, proved that FPS was not being utilised as intended. There was also no evidence of an improvement in business operations. Therefore, benefits management was negatively impacted. Organisational processes were identified as the most important organisational factor, influencing the usage of FPS software. Own technological capability was considered to be the least important factor, as respondents believed that they had sufficient IT skills in order to learn how to use FPS software.Change management was rated negatively; and as a result, it impacted the usage of FPS, as users were not involved in the decision to implement, and had limited interaction in the implementation process. In addition, there was no evidence found that benefits management was conducted in the IT department; and therefore, the impact of using alternative software could not be quantitatively assessed.Recommendations: In concluding this research, it is recommended that the “best practice”,derived from the pertinent literate should be followed more diligently if YZ organisation is to benefit from the implementation of mandatory software. For example, in this research, it was found that top management’s support of FPS (second most important organisational factor influencing use) was lacking, despite the literature suggestion that senior management involvement in changing technology is crucial for organisational commitment.It is suggested that a more formal approach to benefits management should be implemented. It is also recommended that further study should be conducted – in order to explore the applicability of the Japanese framing (achieving benefits from IT software through the concept of strategic instinct, rather than strategic alignment) in the context of a developing country (such as South Africa).

The aim of my Master thesis “Business Plan for the Development of a Small Company“ is to provide a solution to how to develop a micro-company into a successful small company, which will have a real potential to find its stable position on the current market. My Master thesis consists of a theoretical part, problem analysis and my own proposal of the solution. The theoretical part deals with the key findings and solutions, which are further applied in the next part of my work. Analysis is focused on present and future company environment. Concrete recommendations have been formulated on the basis of analysis conclusions. The final proposal is formulated into a complex procedure, which provides the way to reach company development.

Práce představuje v širším kontextu paradigmata servisně orientované ekonomiky a ukazuje jejich vliv na podnikové a firemní strategie. Pokouší se dát dohromady tradiční modely podnikových a firemních strategií s nově vznikající vědou o službách. Práce ukazuje hlavní myšlenky servisně orientované ekonomiky v porovnání s tradiční produktovou ekonomikou. Jako výsledek srovnání práce poukazuje na potřebu nového přístupu k byznysu, který vychází z aktuálního dění ve světě. Práce přináší sadu doporučení pro formulace podnikových a firemních strategií v servisní ekonomice. V praktické části jsou výsledky demonstrovány a použity pro strategii ve vybrané firmě.

The subject diploma thesis “Proposal for a bussines strategy” is the formulation of a bussines plan for a concrete small-sized company. Finally this plan will be used as model for a realization of private kindergarten. This work includes a theoretical part, problems analysis with summary of issues relating to legal, constructive conditions for building and functioning, fiscal and economical aspects. Final part of this work is dedicated to overall assessment and expansions possibilities.

Nowadays the information system has an increasingly important role, including the smallest companies. The aim of this thesis is to evaluate current information system used in KAC, spol. s r.o., analyze its drawbacks and weak spots, then propose system upgrade and select the appropriate solution, that will to its improvement and thus to increase company’s performance.

This thesis deals with an optimal strategy choice of a company. The issues of products and services, marketing and mainly strategic management with emphasis on optimal strategy choice of a company are described in theoretical part. There are introduced fundamental methods of internal and external strategic analysis. With use of mentioned facts a program for support of strategic management is proposed. This program is aiming to make well structured and quantifiable methods of strategic analysis easier and more clear, based on which it is possible to define and choose an optimal strategy of a company.

Extant research concludes that SMEs tend to be highly dependent on the local institutional environment when internationalizing. In relation to that, international business literature accentuates the lack of studies that aim to understand how government support influences SMEs' international business performance. This further justifies the current inquiry for conducting more diverse scientific research in order to better describe and evaluate how governments should apply and effectively utilize their support toward internationalizing SMEs. Based on that, the aim of this study was to first identify the approaches that Kalmar based SMEs undertake to internationalize. Second, to identify the current initiatives implemented by the local governmental agencies toward the internationalization of these firms. Third, to identify how the governmental agencies in Kalmar could potentially improve the internationalization support towards the local SMEs. By fulfilling these aims this study was able to answer the overarching research question of How could the Swedish governmental agencies better contribute to the development of the internationalization process of their SMEs at the regional level? International business literature, internationalization process theories in combination with the available knowledge concerning the local institutional environment were utilized to conduct a thorough theoretical base for this study. The theoretical base laid the foundation for the constructed conceptual framework that was later utilized to collect and analyze data derived from five local SMEs and four key governmental agencies. This research project implemented a qualitative methodology and a multiple case study design. The data were collected through ten semi structured interviews. As an outcome, the findings of this study concludes that the identified prevailing internationalization process traits in combination with the uncovered improvement elements for governmental internationalization support, positively influence the configuration between the SMEs internationalization and the local institutional environment. This further contributes to achieving understanding concerning how Swedish regions could foster the internationalization process of their SMEs. Finally, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first studies to address the issue of governmental endeavors toward the internationalization process of Swedish SMEs.

[ES] La presente tesis doctoral desarrolla un modelo para diagnosticar que valor puede aportar la infraestructura de tecnologías de la información a las empresas. Su objetivo principal es ofrecer herramientas que ayuden a mejorar la toma de decisiones sobre la inversión y explotación de tecnologías de la información, considerando sobre todo el impacto qu tienen en la generación de valor. Para ello, se basa en el análisis de diversos autores clave en la materia y en la aplicación del modelo propuesto en el sector Textil-Hogar de la Comunidad Valenciana. El modelo teórico planteado se construye sobre la idea de que la infraestructura de tecnologías de la información debe evaluarse en función del esfuerzo realizado por las empresas en cada una de las actividades de la cadena de valor de Porter. Posteriormente, se realiza una comparación, combinando técnicas de análisis cuantitativo y cualitativo, con datos obtenidos a partir de encuestas y bases de datos. A través de este proceso, se examinan hipótesis como la existencia de una relación entre la inversión en tecnologías de la información y la capacidad de creación de valor de la empresa, así como el impacto de dirigir estos esfuerzos hacia actividades críticas dentro de su sector. Los resultados de la investigación muestran que las empresas que gestionan estratégicamente su infraestructura tecnológica pueden mejorar su competitividad y generar un mayor valor. Se destaca la importancia de una adecuada planificación y asignación de recursos, ya que no toda inversión en tecnologías de la información garantiza automáticamente una mejora en el rendimiento empresarial. La tesis concluye que la combinación de metodologías cualitativas y cuantitativas permite obtener una visión más precisa del papel de la I en la creación de valor y ofrece un marco de referencia útil para la toma de decisiones en este ámbito. / [EN] This thesis develops a model for diagnosing the value contribution of Information Technology (IT) infrastructure in companies. Its main objective is to provide tools that help improve decision-making regarding IT investment and utilization, considering its impact on value creation. To achieve this, the research builds on the analysis of key authors in the field and applies the proposed model to the Home Textile sector in the Valencian Community. The theoretical model is based on the idea that IT infrastructure should be evaluated according to the effort made by companies in each of the activities within Porter’s value chain. An empirical validation is then carried out using a combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques, with data obtained from surveys and databases. Through this process, hypotheses are examined, such as the existence of a relationship between IT investment and a company's value creation capacity, as well as the impact of directing these efforts toward critical activities within its sector. The research results show that companies that strategically manage their IT infrastructure can enhance their competitiveness and generate greater value. However, the study emphasizes the importance of proper planning and resource allocation, as not all IT investments automatically lead to improved business performance. The thesis concludes that combining qualitative and quantitative methodologies provides a more accurate view of IT’s role in value creation and offers a useful framework for decision-making in this field. / Miñana Terol, JL. (2001). Desarrollo de un modelo que permita el diagnóstico en la aportación de valor de la infraestructura de Tecnologías de la Información (TI) [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/214837

The poor state and failure of the basic education system in South Africa gave rise to this research. The wave of knowledge loss experienced in the last two decades is expected to carry on and will continue to deplete the basic education system’s knowledge base, severely affecting the already poor quality of education as well as the future economic growth and sustainability in South Africa. The main research objective was to establish whether future growth and sustainability in the basic education system in South Africa is achievable; which factors it is influenced by; and how knowledge continuity could impact on future growth and sustainability. A multidisciplinary approach focusing on organisational performance, knowledge management, individual and organisational behaviour and organisational development was followed. The nature of growth and sustainability and knowledge continuity in organisations was explored by following a contextualisation theory-building process. The main objective of the empirical research study was to determine by means of quantitative research the degree to which the influencing factors would enhance or impede growth and sustainability in an organisation. A quantitative survey method was followed. A questionnaire was developed and the survey was performed in 6 primary and secondary schools of the basic education system in South Africa. The questionnaire was found to be reliable with a Cronbach’s alpha of .8060. In the descriptive factor analysis process, principal component factor analysis was conducted, which described the five constructs that would influence growth and sustainability. These constructs’ dimensions produced significant intercorrelations which indicate that the dimensions are for the most part intercorrelated with each other in contributing to growth and sustainability. The multiple regression analysis indicated that knowledge loss would have an exceptionally strong impact on knowledge; and that knowledge, information and performance would significantly predict growth and sustainability. Organisations should change the focus for growth from physical assets to the development of intellectual capital, and knowledge continuity should form part of an organisations’ business strategy and mission. Knowledge continuity will only be successful if a culture conducive of trust and knowledge sharing and transfer exist, and are supported by effective and appropriate human resource practices and incentives. A structural equation model development strategy produced a knowledge continuity model aimed at enabling future growth and sustainability, based on the constructs confirmed in the factor analysis. The model indicated that there is a direct causal relationship between knowledge, information and performance with growth and sustainability. The regression analysis showed that most of the intercorrelations are significant, thus confirming the theory. The newly developed questionnaire and structural equation model should enable organisations to measure the degree to which the enhancing individual and organisational behavioural factors of growth and sustainability are in place and provide the measurement outcomes that would identify the factors that need to be focused on to improve and enable future growth and sustainability in an organisation. / Thesis (MBA)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

The poor state and failure of the basic education system in South Africa gave rise to this research. The wave of knowledge loss experienced in the last two decades is expected to carry on and will continue to deplete the basic education system’s knowledge base, severely affecting the already poor quality of education as well as the future economic growth and sustainability in South Africa. The main research objective was to establish whether future growth and sustainability in the basic education system in South Africa is achievable; which factors it is influenced by; and how knowledge continuity could impact on future growth and sustainability. A multidisciplinary approach focusing on organisational performance, knowledge management, individual and organisational behaviour and organisational development was followed. The nature of growth and sustainability and knowledge continuity in organisations was explored by following a contextualisation theory-building process. The main objective of the empirical research study was to determine by means of quantitative research the degree to which the influencing factors would enhance or impede growth and sustainability in an organisation. A quantitative survey method was followed. A questionnaire was developed and the survey was performed in 6 primary and secondary schools of the basic education system in South Africa. The questionnaire was found to be reliable with a Cronbach’s alpha of .8060. In the descriptive factor analysis process, principal component factor analysis was conducted, which described the five constructs that would influence growth and sustainability. These constructs’ dimensions produced significant intercorrelations which indicate that the dimensions are for the most part intercorrelated with each other in contributing to growth and sustainability. The multiple regression analysis indicated that knowledge loss would have an exceptionally strong impact on knowledge; and that knowledge, information and performance would significantly predict growth and sustainability. Organisations should change the focus for growth from physical assets to the development of intellectual capital, and knowledge continuity should form part of an organisations’ business strategy and mission. Knowledge continuity will only be successful if a culture conducive of trust and knowledge sharing and transfer exist, and are supported by effective and appropriate human resource practices and incentives. A structural equation model development strategy produced a knowledge continuity model aimed at enabling future growth and sustainability, based on the constructs confirmed in the factor analysis. The model indicated that there is a direct causal relationship between knowledge, information and performance with growth and sustainability. The regression analysis showed that most of the intercorrelations are significant, thus confirming the theory. The newly developed questionnaire and structural equation model should enable organisations to measure the degree to which the enhancing individual and organisational behavioural factors of growth and sustainability are in place and provide the measurement outcomes that would identify the factors that need to be focused on to improve and enable future growth and sustainability in an organisation. / Thesis (MBA)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.