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Aim – The aim of this study is to investigate the role that business strategy plays in theimplementation of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). This research will enable us to answerthe questions of why SMEs get involved in CSR and How is CSR implemented/incorporated inthe business strategy of the company?Method – The study is based on an abductive research approach, which enables the theoreticalframework, empirical data as well as the analysis to evolve simultaneously. Information wascollected through semi-structured interviews from four representatives of three companies. Apurposive sampling is used to select the studied companies. Axial coding is used to analyze thedata and draw conclusions.Findings – The study shows SMEs are also very interested in CSR practices. There are severalmotivations behind SMEs involvement in CSR practices. These motivations include: theirinterest in doing good to other stakeholders (fulfillment of personal values), their image andreputation, an increase in employee involvement, and a stronger market position etc. The studyalso shows that business strategy has a significant role in the implementation of CSR.Conclusion – The results of this research show that CSR practices have an explicit noteworthyconnection with SME reputation. Incorporating your CSR strategy and your business strategyhas a positive effect in the implementation of CSR practices.

Yes / Despite the importance of firms' strategy in corporate sustainability (CS), insufficient research has focused on the role of business strategy in the relationship between CS and firm performance. Focusing on generic business strategy, this study examines when and under what conditions CS relates to firm performance. The main argument is that the effects of CS on firm performance are contingent on the firm's business strategy. The findings present that CS strengths are positively related to firm performance when firms pursue a differentiation strategy. Meanwhile, CS concerns are negatively associated with firm performance when firms operate with a differentiation strategy. Empirical evidence is obtained from a sample of U.S. firms and fixed effects panel regression models, which controls for unobservable time-invariant factors that are correlated with covariates. This study contributes to the literature on CS and firm performance by suggesting business strategy as an important moderating condition in the CS-firm performance link.

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of environmental factors on business strategies for U.S. apparel manufacturing companies. Three research objectives were established to achieve this study purpose: (a) to explore the business environment of the U.S. apparel manufacturing industry from 1970 to 2005, (b) to investigate the business strategies for selected major U.S. apparel manufacturing companies in response to the environment from 1970 to 2005, and (c) to determine if patterns or themes are found in changes of the business strategies for the selected U.S. apparel manufacturing companies. Two theories were used as a framework for this study: organizational interpretation process (e.g., Daft & Weick, 1984; Milliken, 1990) and organizational adaptation theory (e.g., Miles & Snow, 1978; Zeithaml & Zeithaml, 1984). Qualitative analysis was conducted for data analysis. Part 1 of data analysis was the in-depth exploration of the business environment for the apparel manufacturing industry in terms of globalization, technology, and consumer; and apparel firms' business strategies that have been implemented in response to these environments, from 1970 to 2005. Part 2 of data analysis was the case studies of two sample apparel companies (i.e., Nike, Inc., VF Corporation). The business strategies of the two companies in response to their business environments from 1970 to 2005 were investigated. The in-depth exploration of general business strategies of the U.S. apparel industry and the case studies of two sample companies' specific business strategies revealed that U.S. apparel manufacturing companies have gone through the process that was proposed in the model of the study; they have been significantly affected by the environmental changes and have made changes to their business strategies in order to survive. These changes did vary between the two companies in the case study and were related to the original organization of the companies showing a variation in interpretation of the information. / Master of Science

The focus of this study is to examine the factors that lead to growth in small firms in a Least Developed Country (LDC). The research is based on the manufacturing sector in Ghana. The main objectives of the research are to identify the key variables that lead to small firms' growth and to ascertain the critical barriers that impede growth. A research model which is developed out of an initial exploratory research and existing literature focuses on how the characteristics of the owner/manager, the characteristics of the firm and the business strategy variables interact to affect growth in employment. In addition factors that are perceived to have constrained the growth of the small firms during the study period are ascertained and discussed. To properly test the hypotheses developed a face to face interview survey involving 122 owner/managers of small manufacturing firms is conducted. This resulted in a range of variables that allowed for the construction of a comprehensive multivariate model of small firm growth. A resulting regression model provides about 68 percent of the explanation for the growth of the small firms sampled. It also indicates that the owner/manager characteristics variables offer the most powerful explanation to small firm growth. We find that the owner/manager's growth aspiration is the most influential factor in achieving growth. The other owner/manager characteristics variables that have positive influence on growth are level of education, prior industry experience and entrepreneurial family background. Owner/managers with local experience and/or with other business interests are less likely to achieve faster growth. Foreign owned/managed firms grow faster. Younger and smaller firms appear to grow faster. While firms with multiple ownerships tend to grow at a slower rate than firms owned and managed by one person. Business planning, marketing and export have positive and significant impacts on growth. Other business strategies such as innovations and staff training also have direct relationships with growth but not significant. Some of the main constraining factors to growth are cost of borrowing, lack of access to credit, high cost of inputs, lack of trust within the business community, high bureaucracy, late payments and lack of efficient support system. While the external environment plays important role in small firm growth and development, the behaviours, response and strategies pursued by individual owner/manager are significant factors that determine the rate at which a firm will grow.

過去有許多實證研究探討了公司治理特性對於公司經營績效的影響，特別是關於股權結構及管理階層薪酬方面，而在董事會特性對經營績效的影響上卻未獲致一致性的結論。近年來開始有研究探討董事會特性對於企業的經營策略，乃至於經營績效的關係。本研究參考Baysinger and Robert（1990）及He and Joseph（2006）等人提出之理論架構，針對國內上市公司的公司治理特性、經營策略選擇以及績效表現之關連性進行實證上之研究，研究之主要目的係在瞭解台灣上市公司的公司治理特性對於企業策略選擇之影響，並延伸過往研究，對公司治理特性、企業績效表現，以及不同的策略選擇三者間的關連性，提出實證研究上之證據。 本研究除印證過去文獻所指出董事會特性與股權結構對公司績效具有顯著影響及企業績效顯著受到策略行為影響外，並發現企業的差異化策略強度顯著受到公司治理特性影響。而將差異化策略強度依強弱程度作組別劃分時，差異化策略強度亦與公司治理特性同為影響企業績效的因素；另外，在不同差異化策略強度下，差異化策略強度為董事長雙元性、董事會持股、經理人持股影響企業績效的中介因子。本研究的結果支持Baysinger and Robert（1990）及He and Joseph（2006）等人所提出的理論架構，在探討公司治理特性影響企業績效時，或應將企業的策略行為納入考量。 / Formerly, there were many researchs discussed how corporation governance, equity structure and managerial remuneration especially, effects business performance. But, there were not consistent conclution in how the board attributes effects performance. Recently, there were some researchs discussed the relationship among corporation governance, business strategies and performance. This research dicussed the relationship among corporation governance, business strategies and performance in listed company in Taiwan, and referred to the theoretical frameworks advanced by Baysinger and Robert（1990）and He and Joseph（2006）. This research not only proved the performance effected by the board attributes equity structure and strategic behavior observably, but also discovered that the strength of difference strategy effected by corporation governance noteworthily. In the different degree of strength of difference strategy, the strength of difference strategy was the mediator to corporation governance and performance. This research argued that the strategic behavior should be considered when research how corporation governance effect performance.

Managers are coming under increasing pressure from a wide array of stakeholders to improve the environmental performance of their firms while still achieving financial performance objectives. One of the most researched questions in the business and the natural environment (B&NE) literature is whether it pays to be green. Despite more than three decades of research, scholars have been unable to clearly answer this question. The purpose of this dissertation was to attempt to identify the antecedents that lead to increased, firm-level environmental performance and the conditions in which firms are then able to profit from enhanced environmental performance. First, I assessed three intra-organizational factors of top management teams (i.e. female representation, concern for non-financial stakeholders, and risk-seeking propensity) that theory indicated are associated with increased corporate environmental performance (CEP). Theory also leads us to believe that top management teams with these attributes should perform better in dynamic settings, so I tested to see if industry dynamism moderates these relationships. Second, I then examined industry-level forces that theory indicates would moderate the relationship between CEP and corporate financial performance (CFP). These moderating forces include industry profitability, industry dynamism, and the degree of industry environmental regulation. Hypotheses were tested using panel data obtained from the KLD, Compustat, and Environmental Protection Agency databases for the years 2000 to 2011. The sample consists of firms comprising the Standard and Poor’s 500 and was analyzed using fixed-effect regression and moderating variables were analyzed using the Johnson-Neyman technique.

The diploma thesis The publishing house Axel Springer and its transformation into a digital house focuses on the gradual transformation of a the German publishing house Axel Springer from a traditional publisher of printed media into the digital house it is today. The thesis analyzes its business activities and offers a periodized overview of the house's dominant business strategies from the moment it was established in 1946 to 2014. Simultaneously, the thesis presents the chronological development of the house's product portfolio. It is this record of the house's historical and current portfolio which discovers not only the changes in the structure of revenues, but also the house's shift from its original object of enterprise. In the case of Axel Springer, the transformation is characterized with a transfer of the principles of media enterprise into the digital environment - within which the focus was broadened from media projects to non-media projects as well. Economically speaking, this strategy has been successful, as in 2014 the house generated more than 70% of its overall profit (EBITDA) from its digital activities. At the same time the thesis proves in a critical manner that the digital transformation of Axel Springer is not a result of successful digital transformation of the way the...

Como a qualidade das instituições influencia a escolha estratégica para a proteção do direito de propriedade sobre a terra no Brasil? Na maior parte dos países, o Estado é o guardião do direito de propriedade sobre a terra porque usufrui vantagens no exercício da atividade e proporciona ganhos para a sociedade. Contudo, fragilidades institucionais atenuam a eficácia da proteção legal, levando a tentativas de captura de direitos imperfeitamente protegidos e fomentando ações de proteção pelos seus detentores, log criando cenário favorável a disputas. Dada a existência de fragilidades na definição e proteção dos direitos de propriedade sobre a terra no Brasil, este estudo analisa a relação entre o ambiente institucional e o emprego de arranjos privados para satisfazer a necessidade dos possuidores de direitos. Ele está dividido em quatro partes. A primeira, apresenta a evolução da teoria sobre a Análise Econômica dos Direitos de Propriedade e como foi incorporada à literatura de análise estratégica. Discute sob a ótica teórica as consequências de haver deficiência na proteção de direitos de propriedade pelo Estado. A segunda parte apresenta como os direitos de propriedade sobre a terra no Brasil foram formados e o ambiente institucional em nível nacional e internacional. Em seguida, caracteriza o setor de florestas plantadas e as disputas por terras a ele associadas. A quarta parte discute as estratégias privadas para suprir a debilidade do Estado na proteção de direitos, e é composta por um modelo teórico e por três estudos de caso de empresas brasileiras do setor de florestas plantadas. O modelo teórico relaciona a qualidade das instituições, o emprego de múltiplos mecanismos de proteção, o custo de transação para proteção de atributos alocados em domínio público e a importância dos mecanismos privados para a proteção dos direitos de propriedade. A última parte apresenta os resultados. O estudo empírico conclui que a qualidade das instituições (i) fundamenta a escolha estratégica e a adaptação organizacional para proteção de direitos de propriedade; (ii) determina o custo de transação para proteção do direito de propriedade através dos mecanismos formais; e, com destaque, (iii) determina a importância dos mecanismos privados para a proteção dos direitos de propriedade sobre a terra. / How does the quality of institutions influence the strategic choice for the protection of land property rights in Brazil? In most countries, the state is the steward of the property right over land because it enjoys advantages in the exercise of the activity and provides gains for society. However, institutional fragilities reduce the effectiveness of legal protection, leading to attempts to capture imperfectly protected rights, and promoting the adoption of protective measures on the part of their holders, thus creating a favorable scenario for disputes. Given the existence of vulnerabilities in the definition and protection of land rights in Brazil, this study analyzes the relationship between the institutional environment and the use of private arrangements to meet the needs of right holders. It is divided into four parts. The first one presents the evolution of the theory on Economic Analysis of Property Rights and how it was incorporated in the literature of strategic analysis. It discusses from a theoretical perspective the consequences of there being deficiencies in the protection of property rights by the State. The second part shows how land property rights in Brazil were formed and the institutional environment both at national and international levels. Next, it characterizes the plantation forests sector and disputes over land associated with it. The fourth part discusses private strategies to address the vulnerability of the state in protecting rights. It is composed of a theoretical model and three case studies of Brazilian planted forest based companies. The theoretical model addresses the quality of institutions, the use of multiple protection mechanisms, the transaction cost for protection of attributes allocated in public domain and the importance of private mechanisms for the protection of property rights. The last part presents the results. The empirical study concludes that the quality of the institutions (i) supports the strategic choice and the organizational adaptation for the protection of property rights; (ii) determines the transaction cost of protecting property rights through formal mechanisms; and, especially, (iii) determines the importance of private mechanisms for the protection of land property rights.