No description available.

No description available.

Thesis (M. Hous. M.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 125-133).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 275-[299]) Also available in print.

SMEs fulfil an important role in the long-term growth and development of the economy of the country. The development and growth of construction SMEs are important for all countries, as a strong SME base has the capacity to produce a high-quality infrastructure for the country. Construction SMEs also stimulate economic activity in other sectors of the economy. Research has, however, shown that the failure rate of small businesses within the first five years is high in South Africa. Reseatch has also indicated that the lack of long-term planning and the lack of strategic thinking are major contributing factors to the business failure of SMEs. SMEs operating in the construction industry are faced with the same challenges as their counterparts in other sectors of the economy, but in addition to those difficulties, construction SMEs also have to deal with the unique characteristics of the industry that have adverse implications for them. The construction industry has experienced considerable growth and success, in the past decade, particularly as a result of the government's considerable infrastructural spending, especially in the run-up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The growth in the construction industry has, however, not resulted in similar results for Construction SMEs; and research has shown that most of them have not developed into more established entities. In fact, in the Eastern Cape, 91 per cent of all registered contractors fall within the lowest level of the Construction Industry Development Board's classification system. Many construction SMEs perform poorly, but among them there are those that have the potential to grow and develop into larger more established entities. Research has shown that contractor development programmes aimed at assisting the growth and development of construction companies have been successful in increasing participation in the industry, but not in ensuring that small enterprises grow into self-sustainable established enterprises. In contrast, the research has shown that SMEs that practice strategic management perform better, and that there are many advantages for SMEs in applying strategic management principles. This study, therefore, investigates how strategic management can be applied to address the problems faced by construction SMEs, and to exploire techniques and tools of strategic management that can make a significant contribution to their growth and development.

published_or_final_version / Real Estate and Construction / Master / Master of Science in Construction Project Management

published_or_final_version / Real Estate and Construction / Master / Master of Science in Construction Project Management

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

published_or_final_version / abstract / Civil Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / abstract / Real Estate and Construction / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy