Cement Industry in Ethiopia is an emerging industry where only few pioneers were regulating the market. The complacent conditions have led them to be driven by transactional suppliers relationships, not that much customer focused, energy sources and environmental issues were not to the level required and information communications infrastructures and linkages were not that much developed. However, this oligopoly nature of the market is starting to vanish soon as a lot of national and multinational firms are appearing into the market. Accordingly, this report would identify the level of perception of organization on the general issues of supply chain management, mainly suppliers partnership, customer relationship, environmental issues and information communication; analyze their level of impacts and relationships on the competitive position of Cement Factories in Ethiopia.

Communication methods in the corporate environment must change. Organisations can no longer expect effective communication when using intranet sites or sending employees countless emails. This type of communication does not create the learning environment and most employees either do not read the intranet sites, or there is just too much email which could be seen as spam by the employee. These types of technologies also create a culture where organisations are lead from the top and there is not a culture or platform to create feedback loops. Most large corporate organisations have a tendency where many silos are created and cliques are formed, which is not in line with the culture of a learning organisation. Although there are a number of studies which look at how Internet based micro-blogging affect social connectedness, there is however limited information as to the effect that micro-blogging, if used internal to the organisation, would have on employee engagement, or how it can affect the competitive nature to the organisation. The research is exploratory in nature and set out to review what impact internal micro-blogging has on the organisation. The research uses Vodacom, one of the leading Information and communications technology (ICT) and telecommunications companies in South Africa, as the case study, as micro-blogging was recently introduced into this organisation.

Submitted in fulfilment of part of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Technology in the Faculty of Management Sciences at Durban University of Technology, 2007 / The South African small business sector, particularly the manufacturing industries, such as textile, clothing, and automotive industries, are not considered internationally competitive. This shortcoming is seen in the context of liberalizing and transforming the South African economy, and the threat of foreign competition such as China. This study takes a systems view of the problems that are facing small businesses in South Africa, drawing on historical, theoretical and empirical sources within a proposed framework for small business international learning. The various elements in the framework include international competitiveness challenges facing small businesses, which, the author argues, create tension for survival within small businesses; the limited role of the small business support regime in South Africa; and the role of Foreign Direct Investment through Transnational Corporations (TNCs). Therefore, this study investigates the international learning processes of small businesses and develops a new theoretical model to illustrate and elucidate interventions to strengthen international learning processes of these small businesses. Methodology The manufacturing sector was chosen as the ideal sector for this study since it contributes significantly to the GDP and levels of employment of a country, and is at the receiving end of new production methodologies and technologies and other competition dynamics. This sector, at a small business level, is currently experiencing international competitiveness challenges in South Africa. The methodology followed an initial exploratory, qualitative approach followed by a formal, empirical, quantitative approach. The research questionnaire met the quality criteria as established through content validity, criterion related validity, and reliability criteria. This questionnaire was administered to a sample of 300 out of a population of 800 manufacturing small firms in Durban, using an unrestricted random probability sampling method. A total of 255 completed questionnaires were returned, and the results were expressed at the 95% confidence level with a confidence interval of 0.05. Results and Discussions From the correlation analysis of the level of importance and extent of implementation of international learning processes, four international learning processes, whose implementation can be enhanced by an improvement in the importance of international competitiveness challenges and support, were extracted. These international learning processes include increased learning activities on management, sales and marketing, finance, and also the image of small businesses. Through the consolidation of the results of the correlation analysis, a theoretical model for the identification and development of international learning processes was created. Conclusion From the small business practice and policy point of view, this study s findings suggest that the international learning processes of small businesses confronted by international competitiveness challenges in transforming developing economies can be strengthened by applying the theoretical model developed in this study. From the government, TNCs, and small businesses perspective, this study s findings also suggest that the establishment of linkage programmes and enhancement of learning activities, which revolve around the identified international learning processes as established in the theoretical model, will enable the attainment of international competitiveness of small businesses. This study, therefore, proposes the implementation, in the short-term, of information and linkage support at sector level that addresses the enhancement of the identified international learning processes; and the implementation, in the longterm, of a grand-scale small businesses and TNCs linkage programme in line with the premise provided in the theoretical model.

Studien visar att det finns ett flertal olika faktorer som ligger till grund för kundens butiksval samtidigt som det finns ett flertal attribut som påverkar en butiks konkurrenskraft. För att förstå hur en butik kan vara konkurrenskraftig innefattar därför att förstå vad en kund förväntar och värderar i en butik. För att skapa en djupare insikt i hur en matbutik kan vara konkurrenskraftig i mindre samhällen valde vi att genomföra en fallstudie. Fallet som undersöktes var ICA Nära Löttorpshallen som ligger på norra Öland. Vi intervjuade totalt åtta nyckelpersoner samt genomförde en fokusgrupp. Samtliga informanter och respondenter ligger till grund för studiens resultat. Av resultatet framgick att det som kunder i ett mindre samhälle värdesätter mest är ett brett sortiment och ett trevligt bemötande ifrån butikens personal. Butikens prisnivå var anmärkningsvärd men inte av någon större betydelse för butiksvalet. / The study shows that there are several factors underlying the customer's store choice and there are several attributes that affect a store's competitiveness. To understand how a store can be competitive includes understanding what a customer expects and values in a store. In order to create a deeper understanding of how a grocery store can be competitive in smaller communities, we chose to conduct a case study. The case that we investigated was ICA Nära Löttorphallen, located on northern Öland. We interviewed a total of eight key individuals and conducted a focus group. All informants and respondents is the basis for the study's results. The result showed that customers in smaller communities value a wide range of products and a friendly and helpful staff. The store's price level was noteworthy but not of any great importance for the customers store choice.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Entrepreneurship development is recognized worldwide as an important contributor to competitiveness. After many years of economic and political isolation from the world, South Africa dearly needs to develop her competitiveness. A concerted effort towards widespread entrepreneurship development, across the entire economy, may assist in developing competitiveness. Such an effort however demands a multi-institutional approach by government, the private sector and nongovernmental organisations. A crucial requirement for success is the proper coordination of efforts, including a common premise or paradigm from which to operate. This study attempts to assist in this regard by providing a common framework from which to operate. A multi-dimensional conceptual framework is developed to assist in determining what issues are to be addressed in any situation-specific entrepreneurship development intervention. The framework is intended to be a generic framework, facilitating application across industries, enterprises and on different levels of enterprise development. The study, based on an extensive literature study, firstly reviews important literature, with the intention to isolate the dimensions that explain entrepreneurship. Three such dimensions are isolated: the individual, the process, and the context. Within each of these entrepreneurial dimensions, a dominant element is identified. The elements identified are creativity, the venture life cycle and managerial competencies respectively for each dimension. These elements are conceptually integrated into a three-dimensional construct to form a generic multi-dimensional framework. By applying the framework to any enterprise, individual or situation, the crucial attributes needed to be developed can be identified and assessed. This can then aid in constructing an appropriate entrepreneurship development intervention relevant to the situation, and so contribute to a focused development approach to entrepreneurship. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Entrepreneurskap ontwikkeling word wereldwyd erken as 'n bydraende faktor tot kompeterendheid. Na verskeie jare van ekonomiese en politiese isolasie, is dit noodsaaklik vir Suid Afrika om kompeterendheid te verhoog. 'n Doelgerigte poging om entrepreneurskap regoor die totale ekonomie te ontwikkel mag 'n bydrae lewer tot kompeterendheid. So 'n poging sal uiteraard 'n multi-institusionele benadering verg, insluitende die regering, die private sektor, sowel as nie-regerings organisasies. 'n Kritiese vereiste vir sukses is egter die behoorlike koordinering van pogings, insluitende die aanvaarding van 'n gemeenskaplike vertrekpunt of paradigma as basis vir entrepreneurskap ontwikkeling. Hierdie studie poog om 'n bydrae te lewer in hierdie verband deur die ontwikkeling van 'n gemeenskaplike raamwerk. 'n Multi-dimensionele konseptuele raamwerk word ontwikkel om by te dra tot die identifisering van aspekte wat aangespreek behoort te word in situasie-spesifieke entrepreneurskap ontwikkeling intervensies. Hierdie raamwerk is bedoel om 'n generiese raamwerk te wees wat die toepassing daarvan sal vergemaklik oor verskeie industrie heen, asook binne verskeie ondernemings en op verskillende vlakke van ondernemingsontwikkeling. Die studie, wat gebaseer is op 'n omvattende literatuurstudie, verskaf eerstens 'n oorsig oor belangrike literatuur, met die doel om daardie dimensies wat entrepreneurskap verklaar, te isoleer. Drie sulke dimensies word identifiseer: die individu, die proses en die konteks. Binne elk van hierdie entrepreneuriese dimensies word 'n dominante element geidentifiseer. Hierdie elemente is onderskeidelik kreatiwiteit, die lewenssiklus van die onderneming en bestuursbevoegdhede. Hierdie elemente word dan konseptueel geintegreer in 'n driedimensionele konstruk om 'n generiese multi-dimensionele raamwerk te kry. Die toepassing van hierdie raamwerk op 'n onderneming, situasie of persoon het tot gevolg dat daardie spesifieke attribute wat nodig is om entrepreneurskap te bevorder identifiseer kan word. Dit kan 'n bydrae lewer in die ontwikkeling van gepaste entrepreneurskap ontwikkeling intervensies wat relevant is tot die spesifieke situasie onder beskouing. Die resultaat behoort 'n meer gefokusde benadering tot entrepreneurskap te wees.

It has long been argued that Social Capital, a concept represented by the value embedded in the social relationships of individuals or collectives constitute strategic resources for individuals and organisations. Social networks are thus perceived by businesses, particularly small and medium enterprises, as a means to access those resources, for example gaining privileged access to strategic information that could secure financial resources. In reality, and because of the inherent characteristics of Social Capital, entrepreneurs or business owner/managers who effectively use resources available within social networks are driven by a clear and compelling vision and sustained by a set of leadership attributes which are in line with the process of recognising, evaluating and exploiting opportunities. This study reinforces the concept of Entrepreneurship as a multi-social construct. Using survey data from 359 SMEs in UK South West food and drink manufacturing, this study uses a structural equation model to evaluate the relationships of interdependence between Social Capital, Leadership and Entrepreneurship Process. The mediating role of leadership in this interaction first, explains the relationship between Social Capital and Entrepreneurship Process and second, exposes the entrepreneurial behaviour common among SW food and drink manufacturers as the underlying explanatory factor of the competitiveness. Notwithstanding the prevalence of social networks, the level of brokerage appears to be very concentrated on closed networks with providers of professional services and local associations. This inadequate level of brokerage heightens the existence of structural holes which points to a situation of ‘over-socialisation’ suggesting that social norms prescribe economic action. The lack of appropriate market knowledge among ii owners/managers of small medium enterprises in the UK South West food and drink manufacturing frustrates the formulation of a comprehensive vision, in spite of the fact that values of ‘hard work’, ‘continued improvement’ and ‘ambition are largely shared among them. The main findings contribute toward a better understanding of Social Capital as distinct from social networks and the leadership role in business competitiveness. It makes a significant contribution to the debate on the integration of individual and environmental perspectives as a direction of future research on the understanding of Entrepreneurship. The study implications address policy-makers and business managers in filling the skills and knowledge gaps which are restraining the competitiveness of SMEs in this important and strategic sector

Swedish wood product industry contributes significantly to the economy of the country. This industry adds more value to the sawn timber produced in order to manufacture different wooden products. Companies in Swedish wood product industry are presently seen as underdeveloped in terms of investments and developments in automation technologies. Automation technologies are seen by companies as a solution for improving productivity, product quality, manufacturing cost reduction and ultimately improving competitiveness. This has driven competing companies to pursue automation technologies that improve manufacturing processes. Literature in the Wood product industry field shows that there is need for extended automation technologies. The wood product industry has high degree of handcraft; for instance, some Swedish wood product manufacturers still have an essentially manual manufacturing process. This study seeks to understand the role of automation in the Swedish wood product industry and mainly focuses on the factors that drive and restrain companies in this industry to adopt and use automation technologies. An abductive research approach was applied, consisting of a literature review and multiple empirical case studies. The literature review was conducted to provide theoretical background on the general view of automation and the factors that affect adoption of new technologies in companies. The case studies were performed in collaboration with four wood product manufacturers within different business areas in order to analyse and compare similarities and differences in the factors that drive and restrain adoption of automation technologies. The findings imply that companies in the Swedish wood product industry face different factors that drive and restrain them from adopting automation technologies. The factors are both internal and external to the companies. Among the noticeable ones are the high product variety, lack of automation strategies, heterogeneous material property of wood, low competence levels regarding automation technologies, varying demands from the customers, and relationship with the suppliers of automation technologies. Regardles of the restraining factors faced by companies in the Swedish wood product industry, there is a great opportunity to improve their production systems in terms of automation technologies. There is now a growing treand in these companies to prioritise automation technologies as a competitive factor. This study contributes to the knowledge regarding the factors that drive and restrain the adoption of automation technologies and how companies could deal with such factors in the Swedish wood product industry.

This dissertation, titled “Flexibility in European Wage Structure and its implications for the European Unemployment,” studies the problem of high rates of unemployment in Europe during the last few decades through the optic of European wage behavior. It examines the European wage structure – within and between European countries – to find out factors that drive wages and thereby, unemployment rates in European countries. A conventional view of European problem of high unemployment argues that European wages are explained by cross-country differences in certain labor market policies and institutions, and that the policies and institutions at the country-level are the principal source of the problem. This dissertation argues instead that European wages are explained by differences in macroeconomic performances and in levels of international competitiveness between countries and also between sectors within the countries, and by certain continental and global level factors, and that a full understanding of the effects of those factors is necessary to explain the European problem of high unemployment. By applying numerical techniques, namely a combination of cluster analysis and discriminant function analysis, this dissertation finds that European wages are driven by factors pointed out by the dissertation, which also explain the high rates of unemployment in Europe over the last few decades. / text

No description available.

Tyrimo objektas – Baidarių nuomos UAB „Gemeos“ konkurencingumas. Probleminis klausimas – Kokias priemones UAB „Gemeos“ tikslinga taikyti norint pagerinti veiklos konkurencingumą? Tyrimo tikslas – remiantis konkurencingumo teorine analize atlikti UAB „Gemeos“ verslo konkurencingumo stiprinimo galimybių vertinimą bei pasiūlyti konkurencingumo stiprinimo galimybes. Darbo uždaviniai: 1. Išstudijavus mokslinės literatūros šaltinius, aprašyti įmonės konkruencingumo stiprinimo teorinius aspektus. 2. Atlikti UAB „Gemeos“ verslo konkurencingumo stiprinimo galimybių vertinimą. 3. Pateikti pasiūlymus UAB „Gemeos“ konkurencingumo stiprinimui. Tyrimo metodai: 1. Mokslinės literatūros analizė. 2. Anketinė apklausa. 3. SSGG analizė. 3. Matematinė analizė. Išvados: 1. Konkurencingumas susijęs su įmonės gebėjimu greitai reaguoti į skubius rinkos pokyčius ir išlaikyti savo pozicijas joje. Konkurencinis pranašumas – tai įmonės sugebėjimas ilgam laikotarpiui išlaikyti geresnes pozicijas rinkoje, bei dirbti efektyviau už konkurentus. Siekiant ilgalaikio įsitvirtinimo rinkoje įmonei reikia susiplanuoti ir formuoti konkurencinius pranašumus, kurie būtų sisiję su ilgalaike nauda ir kurtų vertę vartotojui. 2. Empirinio įmonės personalo ir vartotojų nuomonės apie UAB „Gemeos“ teikiamas paslaugas tyrimo metu nustatyta, kad respondentai nėra visiškai patenkinti šios įmonės teikiamomis paslaugomis. 3. Formuojant UAB „Gemeos“ konkurencinio pranašumo strategiją siūloma įmonėje įdiegti darbe pateiktą... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Research object: Kayak rental JSC “Gemeos” competitiveness. Problematic issue: What measures it is appropriate to apply in order to improve the competitiveness of JSC „Gemeos“? Research objective: Perform JSC „Gemeos“ analysis of competitiveness strenghtening and propose competitiveness strenghtening options based on theoretical analysis about competitiveness. Research task: 1. To analyse scientific literature and describe theoretical aspects of campany's competitiveness strenghening. 2. To evaluate business competitiveness strenghening potentiality of JSC „Gemeos“. 3. To make competitiveness strenghening suggestions for JSC „Gemeos“. Methods of the research: 1. Analysis of scientific literature. 2. Survey questioning. 3. SWAT analysis 4. Mathemaltical analysis. Conclusions: 1. Competitiveness is about companies ability to perform fast actions and maintain their positions depending on the urgency of the market changes. Competitiveness advantage – companies ablity to maintain long-term positions in market and manage to work more efficently than their competitors. While entrenching the market during long time period company has to plan and form competitive advantages, that would be connected with long term benefits and would create value for clients. 2. Information gathered from company's personnel and customers empyrical research shows, that respondents aren't completely satisfied with JSC „Gemeos“ services. 3. When planning their competitive advantage strategy JSC „Gemeos“... [to full text]