Background: The business support system has become a necessary tool for managing activities in any organization. Usability is a key area in realizing effectiveness and ensuring users to properly interact with the systems. Still, today, many systems fail in key areas such as gaining the acceptance of the end users. To understand how the systems in use are perceived by its end users is suggested to be a needed key capability to be successful. Aim: To assess perceived usability in three generations business support systems. This knowledge is further to be compared and connected to length of employment and how that factor affects perceived usability and preference to a specific system. Methodology: The study assumes a positivistic position based on a deductive approach. A quantitative strategy was assumed in order to support evidence connected to the three case systems, which were further contrasted by a comparative design. Empirical findings were based on self-completion questionnaires responded by fifty-nine employees of the retail division in a Nordic bank. Completions and results: Even if this study could not show evidence that length of employment affected which business support system an individual preferred in the case firm, it still had a significant effect on perceived usability in general. In general it was shown that respondents who had been employed for a longer time assessed the usability factors of the systems higher than the category of short time employees.

Context: Software supporting an enterprise’s business, also known as a business support system, needs to support the correlation of activities between actors as well as influence the activities based on knowledge about the value networks in which the enterprise acts. This can be supported with the help of intent-driven systems. The aim of intent-driven systems is to capture stakeholders’ intents and transform these into a form that enables computer processing of them. Only then are different machine actors able to negotiate with each other on behalf of their respective stakeholders and their intents, and suggest a mutually beneficial agreement. Objective: When building a business support system it is critical to separate the business model of the business support system itself from the business models used by the enterprise which is using the business support system. The core idea of intent-driven systems is the possibility to change behavior of the system itself, based on stakeholder intents. This requires a separation of concerns between the parts of the system used to execute the stakeholder business, and the parts which are used to design the business based on stakeholder intents. The business studio is a software that supports the realization of business models used by the enterprise by configuring the capabilities provided by the business support system. The aim is to find out how we can support the design of a business studio which is based on intent-driven systems. Method: We are using the design science framework as our research frame- work. During our design science study we have used the following research methods: systematic literature review, case study, quasi experiment, and action research. Results: We have produced two design artifacts as a start to be able to support the design of a business studio. These artifacts are the models and quasi-experiment in Chapter 3, and the action research in Chapter 4. The models found during the case study have proved to be a valuable artifact for the stakeholder. The results from the quasi-experiment and the action research are seen as new problem solving knowledge by the stakeholder. Conclusion: The synthesis shows a need for further research regarding semantic interchange of information, actor interaction in intent-driven systems, and the governance of intent-driven systems. / Professional Licentiate of Engineering Research School

The graduation thesis is engaged in questions of small and medium enterprises (SME) and it tries to clarify financing possibilities of this segment. The introductory part attends to the definition of small and medium enterprises and the meaning of this segment, it illustrates the advantages and disadvantages and also position of this sector in the economy of the Czech Republic. The thesis proceeds with specification of various financial resources, there are mentioned own, external and alternative financial resources. The last chapter of the theoretical part focuses on the impact of the financial and economic crisis on Czech small and medium enterprises. The practical part is concerned with a particular company. There is an analysis of financial management and financial resources and at the end of the practical part there are mentioned the impacts of the crisis on the contemporary operation of the company.

The first chapter is about characteristics of business environment in the Netherlands comparing to the Czech Republic. The second chapter is aimed at institutions that support business relations between the Czech Republic and the Netherlands. These are e.g. the Embassies, CzechTrade and CzechInvest (CZ) and EVD (NL). There are also two Dutch- Czech chambers of commerce active on the Czech market. I also mention some more institutions in this chapter. The last chapter contains concrete examples of 2 Dutch companies on the Czech market. The first company works in the area of waste management. The second company is a joint-venture of Dutch and Czech subject and it is specialised in industrial design and structural packaging. This chapter not only focuses on introducing these two companies but it also analyses their situations on the market thanks to SWOT analysis.

The diploma thesis deals with the topic of supporting small and medium-sized enterprises. The objective of the thesis is to compile a summary of institutions concerned with business support in Czech Republic and Slovak Republic and compare certain types of business support in both countries. The first chapter clarifies the basic terms, shows definitions of micro, small and medium-sized companies according to different institutions and explains how small and medium-sized companies contribute to the economy of Czech Republic. The second chapter deals with institutions that are concerned with business support and support programmes financed from a state budget in Czech Republic and in Slovak Republic. Particular institutions provide enterprises with informational, material and financial support and are focused differently according to the purpose of their foundation, specific business segment they deal with or activities they perform or services that they provide. The third chapter is focused on business support from the European Union. The most important business support programme in Czech Republic is Operational Programme Enterprise and Innovation and in Slovak Republic Operational Programme Competitiveness and Economic Growth so the greatest attention is oriented on these two programmes. The fourth chapter deals with certain types of business support and compares their focus and results in Czech Republic and Slovak Republic. The comparison is made between particular types of support (e. g. indirect support, microloans), between specific groups of entrepreneurs (e. g. businesswomen, starting entrepreneurs) and particular business activities (e. g. export, business presentation). The conclusion reviews the results of the thesis and gives an advice which country has more favourable conditions for starting a business.

We see an increasing need for more entrepreneurs to match the changing nature of the globe in this dynamic world. In 2012, the Swedish government considered entrepreneurship to be a theme running throughout the entire educational system. The university is one place to develop the entrepreneurial spirit, especially among students. Universities play a very important role in enhancing national development because of their central role in the production of high-level manpower and research that are necessary for achieving national goals. Through research, universities generate new knowledge and understanding that are instrumental for developing new technology and promoting information transfer. Most international students experience three levels of shock: culture shock, language shock and academic shock. Sohrabpour et al. (2013) defined these shocks as a disease suffered by those who enter a new cultural environment. In this paper, we discussed the role that the university plays in supporting international students to develop entrepreneurial ideas and become established at Linnea University in Växjö. We believed that if being an international student poses challenges, launching an entrepreneurial venture is sure to have even more complex constraints that will potentially kill their entrepreneurial spirit. Thus, we examined the support facilities that are available to help international students start their entrepreneurial ventures and how they are experiencing these facilities at universities. We took Linnea University in Växjö as a case study.

For my thesis I have chosen a topical issue: A comparison of enterprise conditions in the CR and RF, because I have noticed growing cooperation between the Czech Republic and Russian Federation in recent years. The aim of this study is the evaluation and comparison of enterprise conditions for Czech businessmen who would like to enter the Russian market. In my thesis I analyze affecting the Czech businessmen expanding into Russia: Characteristics of the Russian market, trade and economic cooperation, forms of support for Czech businessmen, form of expansion into foreign markets and comparison of legal forms of business. The crucial section of my study is a research among Czech businessman who operate in the Czech and Russian market at the same time, therefore they can objectively compare the conditions in both markets. I came to the conclusion that entering into the Russian market is a lengthy and difficult process. However, after overcoming the initial barriers, a huge market with great potential and many possibilities for further progress is opened for the Czech businessmen.

The study was based on the evaluation of specific business–related factors concerning small businesses in the formal sector. The purpose of this study was to gain a clear understanding of the current education level of employees in the small business industry. Income and business related costs applicable to small businesses and formal business support was also evaluated in terms of its availability to small businesses. By means of investigation it was possible to conclude to what extent small businesses contribute towards economic growth in South Africa. The South African government is definitely aware of the important role which small businesses play in economic growth and poverty reduction. Small businesses were analysed to determine the education level of both employees and business owners. The contribution which business owners made to training and development of their employees was also investigated. The income over a period of five years were analysed to determine the financial sustainability of the businesses. The impact of business related costs and the global economic recession were also investigated to determine the future sustainability of small businesses. The empirical research was conducted at a financial institution in Klerksdorp to assess the contribution which small businesses made towards economic growth and development. Small businesses' contribution towards education and training must be reconsidered as limited opportunities exist within small business for training. Small business owners cannot afford to send their employees away to obtain training and mainly make use of on–the–job training. SETAS must focus more on small businesses when it comes to training and alternative training methods must be reconsidered. The implementation of complex labour legislation and the minimum wages law make unskilled labour very expensive for small business owners. This must be reconsidered as small businesses cannot afford to employ additional employees. Formal business support available to small business owners were perceived not to be marketed very well although the lack of internet access may contribute to the limited knowledge in this regard. The South African government must reconsider its strategy to utilize small businesses to create jobs and to develop skills. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

The study was based on the evaluation of specific business–related factors concerning small businesses in the formal sector. The purpose of this study was to gain a clear understanding of the current education level of employees in the small business industry. Income and business related costs applicable to small businesses and formal business support was also evaluated in terms of its availability to small businesses. By means of investigation it was possible to conclude to what extent small businesses contribute towards economic growth in South Africa. The South African government is definitely aware of the important role which small businesses play in economic growth and poverty reduction. Small businesses were analysed to determine the education level of both employees and business owners. The contribution which business owners made to training and development of their employees was also investigated. The income over a period of five years were analysed to determine the financial sustainability of the businesses. The impact of business related costs and the global economic recession were also investigated to determine the future sustainability of small businesses. The empirical research was conducted at a financial institution in Klerksdorp to assess the contribution which small businesses made towards economic growth and development. Small businesses' contribution towards education and training must be reconsidered as limited opportunities exist within small business for training. Small business owners cannot afford to send their employees away to obtain training and mainly make use of on–the–job training. SETAS must focus more on small businesses when it comes to training and alternative training methods must be reconsidered. The implementation of complex labour legislation and the minimum wages law make unskilled labour very expensive for small business owners. This must be reconsidered as small businesses cannot afford to employ additional employees. Formal business support available to small business owners were perceived not to be marketed very well although the lack of internet access may contribute to the limited knowledge in this regard. The South African government must reconsider its strategy to utilize small businesses to create jobs and to develop skills. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Micro, Small and Medium sized enterprises (MSMEs) represent 99.9% of businesses in the UK and they face significant challenges with regards to start-up, survival and growth. Their ability to deal with these challenges is assisted, in some cases, by the provision of business support funded by the public sector. Unfortunately, despite the volume of such businesses, there remains a significant lack of qualitative data into the MSME sector, and their use of university led business support. This thesis examined the business support agenda, the support needs of MSMEs, the role of universities in the provision of business support, and the needs of public funding bodies, with regards to economic sustainability and growth in the West Midlands. The choice to focus on the West Midlands region was largely pragmatic; the researcher has existing relationships with the small business community and University networks within the region allowing for a comparable study of stakeholders with similar environmental, political and economical challenges. Whilst the findings are therefore in relation to the West Midlands region, they have been compared to secondary data and theoretical frameworks in order to propose a contribution, which is applicable to a wider audience. The thesis adopted an exploratory, interpretivist methodology with an emphasis on the practical importance of the research results. Through an explanatory sequential mixed methods approach, surveys were used to collect data from MSME business owners, followed by in-depth interviews with university staff in order to produce institutional case studies. The surveys with MSME owners identified a need for support that was free, local, face-to-face and delivered by an organisation with a good reputation for delivering business support. The survey data also indicated confusion amongst MSME owners about the availability of support from universities, as well as questions around the quality of support provided by universities and its impact. The interviews, and case studies, revealed a significant level of interest, and a feeling of responsibility, from universities towards supporting the MSME community. However there were consistent challenges around funding, sustainability, resources, flexibility of delivery, and the longevity of any enterprise strategy. The research makes a useful contribution to knowledge through the development of multiple case studies and the development of a conceptual framework for a sustainable system of university led, MSME business support. The model, and analysis, considers the detailed experiences, challenges and opportunities from the stakeholders and proposed a sustainable support system. This contribution to literature provides a unique perspective for both practical application and for the research community to utilise further.