This study examines small entrepreneurial firms and factors that influence their level of knowledge management and knowledge creation. The dissertation investigates the effect of top management team as a resource in small entrepreneurial firms. Stepping outside of the internal resources of a firm, this paper also delves into the effect of outside sources of capital and knowledge of firm knowledge creation. The paper enriches research on the factors that increase knowledge creation and knowledge management of small entrepreneurial firms. First, in response to evidence that Top Management Team (TMT) characteristics affect performance of high technology firms, this examined TMT average age, education and founder presence effect on the research and development (R&D) intensity, in a cross-sectional sample of software and pharmaceutical firms, with IPOs between the years 2002 and 2004. Average education is positively associated with R&D intensity. The interaction of TMT education and TMT average age negatively affects R&D intensity. TMT education in founders is positively associated with R&D intensity. The first set of results enriches extant research on TMT characteristics’ effect on R&D intensity, which ultimately affects firm performance. Continuing, extant research posits that the research and development (R&D) intensity of firms is highly correlated with knowledge creation as measured by patent citation. This paper argues that there are unexplained variables that moderate the effectiveness of research and development knowledge creation. Using the resource-based view, the top management team (TMT), is examined as an intangible asset. Hypotheses are developed on how high-technology firms’ creation of knowledge, operationalized as their patent citations output, is affected by the TMT characteristics of average age, education level, education background, founder presence, and TMT industry experience. The findings show that TMT education background and TMT industry experience are significant influences on firm patent citation. When controlling for the TMT variables, R&D intensity was not significantly related to patent citation. Finally, research on research and development intensity demonstrates a strong association with patents. At the same time, there is an unexplained gap in the move from research and development to patents in explaining innovation. Prior research assumes that internal resources are preeminent, ignoring the role of external factors. This paper reviews outside resources to assess their effect on patent citation and patent rates. It was found that partnerships with universities and firm geographic location improve innovative activity, whilst grants from the government and partnerships with large firms are not significantly associated with innovative activity. The Board of directors (BOD) has no significant impact on innovative activity. In terms of interaction effect, BOD has a negative interaction effect with geographic clusters. This paper enriches research on the outside resources that increase innovative activity. / Business Administration

The top management team is important to understand as the executives within the top management team would have long-term implications for a firm's investment, operating and financing decisions which would affect the firm value. As these executives may have pre-existing connections outside the current firm, they are likely to be affected by these connections within the top management team. In this dissertation, I draw upon the literature in sociology that discusses different mechanisms of connections; 1) better information transfer, 2) cohesion and better coordination, and 3) favorable treatment to see how the connections within the top management team affects different decisions for the firm using data from 1999 to 2013. First, I find that the executives with connections to the CEO are less likely to be forced out and those with social connections to the CEO enjoy less sensitivity of involuntary turnover to performance. Notably, I find that this is consistent with CEOs favorably treating the connected executives rather than CEOs keeping connected executives for the benefits. Second, I find that firms with greater percentage of executives with connections to the CEO have greater accruals earnings management and lower likelihood of detection of accounting manipulations. I also show that the connections have an effect only when the joint tenure between the CEO and the executives are short. Finally, I document that firms with more closely connected top management team issue management earnings forecasts in a more precise form and issue more frequent and accurate forecasts. I show that this matters more when the top management team’s external network size is small. / Business Administration/Accounting

Background: Circular economy (CE) is one of the most recent ways to address environmental sustainability. It aims to extend the value of products, materials, and resources for as long as possible, and minimize waste generation by maintaining them in the economy for as long as possible to mitigate climate change, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, and resource short­ages. Businesses play a crucial part in protecting the environment and have been urged to incorpo­rate CE practices. Leadership and top management have been found crucial for the transi­tion and the CEO has the power to shape strategic plans and directions for the company. Despite the growing research on CE and what influences the transition, literature on individual roles of the top management team is scarce. Existing literature focuses on different factors driv­ing the transition but not the specific roles of the top management team. Purpose: The purpose of this research is to add to the literature regarding CE and how the CEO influences the transition. With this research, we aim to contribute to the current discussion on the transition towards CE, both theoretically and practically. Method: We have conducted a qualitative study with an inductive approach. It follows a relativist ontology and a social constructionism viewpoint. The methodology is an exploratory multi­ple-case study where the companies were selected by purposive sampling. Five companies were selected and in total 16 semi-structured interviews were conducted where we gathered data from both CEOs and their employees. The data was analyzed by combining the Goioa method with Eisenhardt’s multiple case study approach. Conclusion: Based on our findings we identified that the CEO influences the transition towards CE. We distinguished the CEO role within top management and found that they influence CE through strategic management and power. Within strategic management, the CEO influences through setting the strategy, being the decision maker, allocating resources, and setting the direc­tives and goals for the organization. The aspect of power was found to influence the inter­nal organization and external parties. Additionally, we showed how these contributions can be applied practically.

With rapidly advancing technologies and digital innovations, companies face the need to adapt to the new digital world and to digitally transform their business models. For executing the digital transformation process, more and more companies decide to entrust a new C-level manager with all challenges and complexity arising from digital transformation, the Chief Digital Officer (CDO). As the CDO position is still fairly new, research in this field is limited and requires further attention by scholars. Therefore, this study aims to address three fundamental research questions concerning the nature of the CDO position and corresponding implications not only to inform practitioners but also to enrich the scholarly discussion on CDOs. By understanding existing literature on CDOs based on a systematic literature review, this thesis answers the first research question regarding what characterizes the CDO position. Building on these insights and drawing from a comprehensive theoretical framework consisting of upper echelons theory, contingency theory, human capital theory and the resource-based view, hypotheses are developed for answering research questions two and three. While the second research question focuses on factors, which influence CDO presence within a company, the third research question addresses the impact of a CDO on company performance. Based on a large-scale sample of panel data comprised of S&P 500 companies, generalized estimating equations models, propensity score matching and fixed effects regression models are exploited in order to derive answers for both research questions two and three. As influencing factors for CDO presence, the results show that especially early tenure CEOs and CEOs of larger companies are more likely to employ a CDO. Although no evidence can be observed for positive performance implications of CDOs, also given different company contingencies, the insights of this study's analyses show that certain CDO characteristics as well as in combination with CIO presence and varying CEO characteristics are more favorable over others in terms of company performance measured by return on assets and Tobin's Q.

Bakgrund: De senaste tjugo åren har HR-rollen fått en mer strategisk inriktning men inte haft en stark position i ledningsgruppsmöten. HR-chefer, framförallt inom den privata sektorn, kan känna sig marginaliserade i ledningsgruppsmöten. Deras deltagande i dessa möten kan vara utmanande eftersom de inte alltid får lika stort utrymme som de andra medlemmarna. Det kan bero på att det finns en okunskap och ett ointresse hos de övriga medlemmarna i ledningsgruppen om hur HR-chefen kan bidra strategiskt. Även om HR-chefen blivit tilldelad en stol vid ledningsgruppsmöten kan deltagandet ändå vara tufft. En stol vid ledningsgruppsmöten behöver inte betyda att funktionens frågor blir prioriterade.  Syfte: Studiens syfte är att skapa en förståelse om hur HR-chefen kan stärka sin strategiska roll i ledningsgruppsmöten. Studien riktar främst in sig på HR-chefer inom privat sektor som arbetar i olika branscher. Metod: I studien användes en kvalitativ metod där studiens författare genomförde åtta semistrukturerade intervjuer med olika HR-chefer inom den privata sektorn. HR-cheferna som intervjuades arbetar inom olika branscher och har flera års erfarenhet av HR-arbete. Samtliga HR-chefer som deltagit i studien är medlemmar i verksamhetsledningen och har varit det sedan flera år. En abduktiv ansats användes för att hitta kopplingar mellan det teoretiska och det empiriska materialet.  Slutsats: Studiens slutsats blev att HR-chefers strategiska roll kan stärkas på flera olika sätt. Dels kan HR-chefen själv stärka rollens position och dels kan den stärkas beroende påandras uppfattning och inställning till rollen. Den kan också stärkas av faktorer som HR-chefen inte kan kontrollera, som exempelvis digitaliseringen / Background: For the past twenty years, the HR role has taken a more strategic focus but has not had a strong position in management team meetings. HR managers, especially in the private sector, can feel marginalized in management team meetings. Their participation in this kind of meetings can be challenging since they do not always get as much space as the other members. This may be because there is an ignorance and a lack of interest on the part of the other members of the management team about how the HR manager can contribute strategically. Even if the HR manager has been assigned a chair at management team meetings, participation can still be tough. A chair at the management team meetings does not mean that the function's issues are given priority. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to create an understanding of how the HR manager can strengthen their strategic role in management team meetings. The study mainly focuses on HR managers in the private sector who work in different industries. Method: The study used a qualitative method where the study's authors conducted eight semi-structured interviews with various HR managers in the private sector. The HR managers who were interviewed work in different industries and have several years of experience in the HR function. All HR managers who participated in the study are members of the management team and have been for several years. An abductive approach was used to find connections between the theoretical and the empirical material. Conclusion: The study concluded that the strategic role of HR managers can be strengthened in several different ways. On the one hand, the HR manager themselves can strengthen the role's position and on the other hand, it can be strengthened depending on others' perception and attitude to the role. It can also be strengthened by factors that the HR manager cannot control, such as digitalisation.

This cumulative dissertation includes three papers and one teaching case study. Together, they focus on topics highlighting the distinctiveness of family firms and new ventures. While the first paper analyzes the academic debate over the familiness concept in family firm research, the second paper focuses on explaining the unique relational dynamics between family and non-family managers in top management teams. The third paper aims to derive design designs for family firm specific corporate accelerators. The teaching case study shows how a growing new venture may strike a balance between coping with increasing organizational complexity and maintaining its distinct entrepreneurial spirit.

This study investigates the actions, roles and beliefs of curriculum leaders and managers as they work to secure improvements in curriculum delivery and in managing curriculum change, using the context of an academically successful rural secondary school as a case study. This study acknowledges that curriculum reforms are far from over in South African education scape and that these reforms are unlikely to neglect the school as a curriculum management site. The rationales of this study are threefold. First, in view of the challenges facing curriculum managers at school level, as well as the questionability of the school managements’ capacity to mediate the curriculum, there is a need for empirical investigation as to how successful rural schools manage the curriculum effectively. Secondly, to gain a greater understanding how school leaders might influence curriculum delivery through effective instructional leadership. Thirdly, given that South African principals have little experience of instructional leadership and managing, teaching and learning is one of the core modules in the new qualification for school principals, this study aims to contribute case study evidence in this field. This study was conducted within two research paradigms. Firstly, this study assumes that in a school setting there are key participants who are informative about the research foci. These participants have something important to say about curriculum management processes, curriculum change and instructional leadership. This assumption is located within phenomenology. Secondly, symbolic interaction is another conceptual paradigm in that curriculum management is studied as a complex process requiring interaction among role players. Findings indicated that the principal impacts positively on teaching and learning if he focuses on instructional leadership. Secondly, the effective use of regular meetings is essential in order to clarify the vision and build an organization and culture where teaching and learning flourish. Thirdly, curriculum managers are directly involved in curriculum management, albeit at different angles. Fourthly, the capacity of the School Management Team (SMT) needs to be strengthened through use of innovative practices and lastly, the principal needs to be a proactive leader who observes and takes ownership of curriculum changes. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

Esta dissertação tem como objetivo conhecer a produção acadêmica sobre tomada de decisão estratégica pelo alto escalão e entender quais as fundamentações teóricas basilares do tema. Metodologicamente, utilizou-se para este fim de pesquisa bibliométrica e bibliográfica de artigos publicados em periódicos internacionais, complementadas pela leitura analítica dos artigos encontrados na pesquisa. Pesquisou-se as principais palavras-chaves relacionadas ao tema na base de dados Web of Science - ISI Web Of Knowledge, utilizando-se de todos os periódicos e anos disponíveis. Procedeu-se então à leitura dos artigos, retirando aqueles que não refletissem o tema pesquisado, obtendo um total final de 277 artigos. Realizou-se uma análise bibliométrica sobre o conteúdo estudado nos artigos de tomada de decisão, identificando os trabalhos mais referenciados, as publicações mais relevantes, e os periódicos da amostra. Efetuou-se também, uma análise de co-citação, mostrando as relações conceituais entre os trabalhos que fundamentam o tema e identificando tendências dos estudos sobre o tema. Com a leitura analítica e a estruturação do conteúdo dos 277 artigos, expôs-se os objetivos, a base teórica utilizada, os objetos de estudo, a natureza e os resultados dos artigos. Foi, assim, possível identificar os principais clusters teóricos sobre o assunto. O primeiro cluster, aborda as características do Top Management Team (TMT) e como estas influenciam a tomada de decisão; o segundo, apresenta como fatores ambientais comprometem a tomada de decisão, juntamente com a exposição de modelos e processos de tomada de decisão; o terceiro, apresenta estudos sobre conflito e consenso na tomada de decisão. A discussão permitiu ilustrar o atual estado do tema e suas lacunas, apresentar sugestões para pesquisa futuras e propor a criação de um curso executivo sobre tomada de decisão. / This thesis aims to evaluate the academic production on strategic decision making in the upper echelons and understand what are the theoretical foundations of the subject. Methodologically, it was used for this purpose a bibliometric and bibliographic research of articles published in international journals, complemented by analytical reading of the articles found in the search. The main keywords related to the topic were searched in the database Web of Science - ISI Web Of Knowledge, using all available journals and years. We then read out the articles by removing those who did not reflect the theme researched, obtaining a final total of 277 items. A bibliometric analysis was conducted on the content studied in the articles of decision making, identifying the most referenced work, the most relevant publications, and journals of the sample. A co-citation analysis was also conducted, showing the conceptual relations between the work underlying the theme and identifying trends of the studies on the theme. With the analytical reading and the structuring of the content of the 277 articles, the objectives were exposed along with, the theoretical basis used, the objects of study, the nature and results of the articles. It was thus possible to identify the main theoretical clusters on the subject. The first cluster, discusses the characteristics of the Top Management Team (TMT) and how they influence decision making, the second shows how environmental factors compromise the decision making, along with the explanatory models and decision-making processes, the third presents studies conflict and consensus in decision making. The discussion permited the illustration of the current state of the subject and its gaps, making suggestions for future research and proposing the creation of an executive course on decision making.

For almost a century, as industrial development and population growth, unrestrained use of fossil fuels, and large-scale deforestation by burning, which produce excessive greenhouse gases, causing global warming and climate change. The author of "The world is flat", Thomas Friedman calls this "the Energy-Climate Era". To confront the crisis of global warming, energy shortages and population explosion, the human need to start a new wave of green energy revolution. In the trend of globalization and regional economic integration, the cross-strait relation has come to a turning point. Taiwan is standing at a critical position, must properly cope with the new era. This case study is to explore the business strategies of a Taiwanese engineering service company in response to the Energy-Climate Era. First, focusing on the case company's top management team and its role in corporate group, to analyze the existing strategic position and business model developed since its establishment. Then, to study the case company¡¦s external environment (including globalization and regional economic integration, Energy-Climate Era, China's twelfth Five-Year-Plan and Taiwan's economic policy) and engineering services industrial environment (including market segmentation and market volume, Key Successful Factors, and Five Forces Analysis). Finally, in-depth analysis of case company's internal resources, capabilities and core competences, to summarize the case company¡¦s internal strengths and weaknesses, and external opportunities and threats, SWOT matrix analysis and strategies formulation. The study results are summarized as follows: First, the case company, with the support of corporate group and their own efforts, is now an integrated engineering company with four core businesses - environmental engineering, biotech engineering, electrical & mechanical integration, and operation & maintenance; and with more competitive advantage in the steel industry and water treatment engineering. Second, the case company¡¦s strategic positioning adjustments in response to the "Energy-Climate Era" are: (1) to consolidate existing core businesses; (2) to establish core competences in order to develop related markets of petrochemical and other industries or areas; (3) to establish core competences and business model innovation in order to seize the white space of multiple water resources development, green energy and energy saving engineering. Third, the case company¡¦s total of seventeen strategic programs can be summarized into four categories: (1) to secure the business of both inside and outside of the corporate group; (2) to integrate resources in order to enhance competitiveness; (3) to strengthen research and development of water technologies; (4) to develop air pollution and energy saving technologies. Each project department, according to their engineering professions, should work out and implement detailed action plans, which are adaptable to external situations, to integrate advantages of the three capabilities - "professional", "project management" and "financial management". Fourth, taking wastewater reclamation and energy saving projects as examples, to explore and elaborate innovative business model for case company¡¦s reference; and to provide four recommendations for organizational restructuring and three proposals for facilitating the implementation of business strategies.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Columbia International University, 2004. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 127-137).