Since the adoption of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the Canadian dollar has come to be regarded as a petro-currency. Consequently, rising prices of oil and gas (as well as other natural resources) would increase capital inflows that would lead to a higher exchange rate and contribute to the decimation of the export-oriented Canadian manufacturing sector by making Canadian products less competitive internationally. Some have argued that the Canadian economy has started to show symptoms related to the Dutch Disease. One important symptom is the slow rate of productivity growth, which consequently leads to the theory that Canada’s productivity performance depends significantly on the foreign exchange value of the domestic currency. This dissertation attempts to address these issues and seeks to solve the question of whether the Canadian economy is suffering from the Dutch Disease, as well as whether or not movements of the Canadian dollar are responsible for the low Canadian productivity growth since the 1990s.

Export-led growth is important for a number of reasons. At a macro-economic level, it can create profit, allowing a country to balance its finances and manage its debt. Export-led growth can also lead to higher productivity and job creation. At a micro-economic level, exports and export-led growth lead to higher competitiveness and business growth. From an exporter’s perspective, however, participation in the global economy and export to new foreign markets bring with them the challenge of acquiring the required knowledge of an unknown market. Relevant information gathered has to be subjected to analysis and interpretation before it can be applied to strategic business decisions regarding the company and its market. This study proposes that Competitive Intelligence (CI) be used as an instrument to determine the types of export information that exporters require, as it focuses on exporters’ information requirements and enhances their competitiveness. The increasingly competitive business environment places increasing demands on Trade Promotion Organisations (TPOs) to make better use of resources available in order to tailor products and services to the needs of exporters. TPOs are amongst the main sources of information and export assistance for exporters. Other export information sources include publications and a variety of human sources. The assistance of TPOs can take the form of various export-promotion instruments, such as market research, trade fairs and business introductions. TPOs face various challenges, including that of scarce resources. Therefore, such resources must be utilised optimally and in order to achieve efficiency, Realistic Export Opportunities (REOs) need to be prioritised. This study stresses the importance of export diversification and the export of manufactured goods. Export diversification brings its own challenges including the question of which products to promote for export. The application of a Decision Support Model developed by Cuyvers et al. (1995:173) for South Africa identified a number of REOs. Amongst these was the export of South Africanmanufactured extruders to Tunisia. Against the background of the importance of export growth, the types of information that exporters use and the sources of such information were determined by means of a survey of extruder manufacturers, TPOs and users of extruders. With the export potential of extruders to Tunisia as an REO as focus, a market study was conducted using the case study research method. Results of the survey indicate that the only type of information that extruder manufacturers as potential new exporters in South Africa seek on a continuous basis is competitor information, specifically pricing information. However, the findings indicate that this is not typically the type of information supplied by TPOs in South Africa. Furthermore there is no evidence that extruder manufacturers have processes in place to monitor markets and competitors, or to identify key types of information. Concerning the case study, it was found that there is indeed a potential market for extruders in Tunisia and that the industries in which extruders are typically used are significant and growing. It was however also found that there are high trade barriers and high market concentration. Therefore, in terms of an export-promotion strategy for TPOs, an offensive exportpromotion strategy is proposed. In terms of further research, this study points to a need for research of this nature to extend to the wider capital equipment industry. It is further recommended that market profiles of the markets that show the most potential for specific products produced and manufactured in South Africa as evident from the results of Rossouw, Steenkamp, Viviers and Cuyvers (2010) be compiled. / Thesis (Ph.D. (International Trade))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

This qualitative study explored and described the role and contribution of training and skills development for sustainability in SMEs in the manufacturing sector in Durban and East London, South Africa. Individual face-to-face semi-structured interviews took place with 15 SME owners. Five themes and 11 sub-themes emerged in a content thematic analysis. The findings indicate that SMEs acknowledge that training and skills development positively influences their financial performance and sustainability. Whilst SMEs implement learning and skills development interventions, they lack suitably structured human resource development (HRD) policies and strategies; do not properly document training and skills development activities; and experience difficulty in evaluating learning. This study recommends that SMEs formulate and implement well-structured learning and development plans and schedules. It is also advised that SMEs liaise with academics and form Communities of Practice (CoPs), among other initiatives, to implement and monitor training and skills development for their sustainability. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)

Submitted by Rodolfo Arruda Cabral (rodolfo27@gmail.com) on 2018-06-20T12:46:08Z No. of bitstreams: 1 tese.versão.biblioteca.pdf: 1592272 bytes, checksum: c14776b356beff6a149dd5e45cb174c9 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Katia Menezes de Souza (katia.menezes@fgv.br) on 2018-06-20T13:32:22Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 tese.versão.biblioteca.pdf: 1592272 bytes, checksum: c14776b356beff6a149dd5e45cb174c9 (MD5) / Rejected by Katia Menezes de Souza (katia.menezes@fgv.br), reason: Prezado Rodolfo bom dia, Para que possamos aprovar seu trabalho na biblioteca digital será necessário realizar alguns ajustes conforme norma ABNT/APA. Segue por e-mail os ajustes que deverão ser feitos. Após os ajustes excluir o pdf já postado e submete-lo novamente para análise e aprovação. Qualquer dúvida estamos à disposição, on 2018-06-20T13:32:53Z (GMT) / Submitted by Rodolfo Arruda Cabral (rodolfo27@gmail.com) on 2018-06-20T16:45:56Z No. of bitstreams: 1 tese.versão.biblioteca.pdf: 1595847 bytes, checksum: 9fb9f2e8761586af24a080490a706da0 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Katia Menezes de Souza (katia.menezes@fgv.br) on 2018-06-20T17:21:46Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 tese.versão.biblioteca.pdf: 1595847 bytes, checksum: 9fb9f2e8761586af24a080490a706da0 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Isabele Garcia (isabele.garcia@fgv.br) on 2018-06-20T20:04:45Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 tese.versão.biblioteca.pdf: 1595847 bytes, checksum: 9fb9f2e8761586af24a080490a706da0 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-06-20T20:04:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 tese.versão.biblioteca.pdf: 1595847 bytes, checksum: 9fb9f2e8761586af24a080490a706da0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-05-25 / Esta tese é composta por dois ensaios sobre cadeias de valor. Os ensaios são complementares entre si à medida que abordam o tema a partir de perspectivas distintas: o primeiro artigo é teórico e o segundo, empírico. O primeiro capítulo estuda como variações nos poderes de barganha sobre a contribuição incremental dos estágios em uma cadeia de valor provocam mudanças na estrutura organizacional do processo produtivo e modificam o lucro da firma que coordena a organização das etapas. O segundo capítulo apresenta um panorama do desempenho comercial da indústria brasileira ao longo das últimas décadas, com ênfase no crescimento das cadeias globais de valor. Para tanto, calcula-se uma série de indicadores que permitem contextualizar as recentes mudanças estruturais pelas quais vem passando a economia do Brasil, em particular a sua indústria de transformação. / This thesis is composed of two essays related to value chains. The essays are complementary to each other as they approach the subject from different perspectives: the first article is theoretical and the second, empirical. The first chapter studies how variations in bargaining powers over the incremental contribution of stages in a value chain induce changes in the organizational structure along the production line and modify the profit of the firm that coordinates the organization of the stages. The second chapter presents an overview of the international trade performance of the Brazilian manufacturing sector over the last decades, with emphasis on the growth of global value chains. In order to do so, we calculate a series of indicators that allow us to contextualize the recent structural changes that Brazilian economy has undergone, in particular its manufacturing sector.

Since the adoption of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the Canadian dollar has come to be regarded as a petro-currency. Consequently, rising prices of oil and gas (as well as other natural resources) would increase capital inflows that would lead to a higher exchange rate and contribute to the decimation of the export-oriented Canadian manufacturing sector by making Canadian products less competitive internationally. Some have argued that the Canadian economy has started to show symptoms related to the Dutch Disease. One important symptom is the slow rate of productivity growth, which consequently leads to the theory that Canada’s productivity performance depends significantly on the foreign exchange value of the domestic currency. This dissertation attempts to address these issues and seeks to solve the question of whether the Canadian economy is suffering from the Dutch Disease, as well as whether or not movements of the Canadian dollar are responsible for the low Canadian productivity growth since the 1990s.

En la actualidad, las micro y pequeñas empresas (mypes) tienen un nivel de representatividad muy alto en el mercado peruano. Dentro de todos los sectores de manufactura que existen para este tipo de organizaciones, el sector textil es uno de los que mayor impacto económico posee. En el Perú, las mypes textiles se constituyen bajo niveles muy altos de informalidad que ocasionan niveles de demanda que no siguen una tendencia histórica y además niveles producción e inventarios muy altos. Esto se debe principalmente a que no están correlacionados y tienen como resultado desbalances económicos muy perjudiciales. Ante ello, la herramienta Sales and Operations Planning cumple un rol fundamental para la optimización de estos niveles, donde los Pronósticos de Demanda serán alimentados por niveles históricos de ventas para determinar los niveles futuros con un porcentaje de error muy bajo. Una vez culminado ello, se determinarán los niveles óptimos de producción con el Plan Agregado y Plan Maestro de Producción que será la base para el Plan de Requerimiento de Materiales que determinará los niveles óptimos de existencias de materiales que serán adquiridos. Finalmente, una vez que los niveles de producción regulen los niveles de inventarios, se evaluarán los resultados mediante los indicadores de Rotación de Inventarios, Días de Inventarios y Retorno de Activos (ROA). / At present, small and medium enterprises (SMES) have a very high level of representation in the Peruvian economy. Within all the manufacturing sectors that exist for this type of organization, the textile sector is the one that have the greatest economic impact. In Peru, textile SMES are made under very high levels of informality that cause demand levels that do not follow a historical trend and also very high levels of production and inventory. This is mainly due to the fact that they are not correlated and for that reason the result are many economic imbalances. For that reason, the Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) tool plays a fundamental role in optimizing these levels, where the Demand Forecasts will be fed by historical sales levels to determine future levels with a very low error rate. Once this is completed, the optimal levels of production will be determined with the Aggregate Plan and Master Production Planning that will be the basis for the Material Requirement Plan, which will determine the optimal levels of stock of materials required. Finally, once the production levels regulate the inventory levels, the results will be evaluated using the Inventory Turnover, Inventory Days and Return on Assets (ROA) indicators. / Trabajo de Suficiencia Profesional

Les secteurs manufacturiers de nombreux pays ont vu leurs parts dans les économies nationales décliner depuis plus de 20 ans, et le Québec n’en fait pas exception. Bouleversé par des ralentissements économiques et des signatures d’accords de libre-échange, ce secteur autrefois prédominant dans la province a vu son pourcentage de produit intérieur brut et sa proportion d’emploi continuellement diminué lors des dernières décennies. Plusieurs causes permettent d’expliquer ce déclin, telles que la libéralisation du commerce international, l’appréciation des devises et la délocalisation d’entreprises manufacturières. Cependant, les crises récentes, comme la pandémie de COVID-19 et les perturbations dans les chaînes d’approvisionnement internationales, ont démontré la pertinence d’avoir accès à des systèmes de productions locales afin de soutenir la résilience économique locale et une plus grande autonomie lors de ces crises. Dans ce contexte, ce mémoire cherche à explorer les leviers et les freins de la production locale de meubles et d’objets de maison au Québec, en s’attardant aux petites entreprises utilisant des échelles de production de moyenne série, une échelle particulièrement utilisée chez les PME, qui constitue la majorité des entreprises du secteur manufacturier québécois. Plus précisément, il pose la question suivante : quelles leçons tirer d’expériences d’entreprises œuvrant dans le secteur manufacturier de meubles produit localement au Québec à des échelles de production de moyenne série ? Afin de répondre à cette question, une recherche qualitative mettant de l’avant l’analyse documentaire et des entretiens semi-dirigés avec des personnes œuvrant dans des entreprises différentes possédant des expériences riches et pertinentes dans les mises en production de moyennes séries a permis de documenter ce secteur. Cette collecte de données a permis, dans un premier temps, de caractériser le domaine de production de meubles conçu et fabriqué localement, et, dans un second temps, d’identifier les grandes lignes de modèles de production viables dans une échelle de production de moyenne série. Les résultats de cette étude montrent que les d’entreprises intégrant l’ensemble des activités de fabrication à l’interne, et mettant de l’avant des types de productions variées (comme la fabrication à l’ordre combiné à la fabrication pour inventaire) sont en mesure d’être plus résilientes. De plus, celles qui entretiennent des partenariats avec des entreprises concurrentes seraient plus autonomes et entretiendraient des relations plus pérennes avec des fournisseurs locaux. / The manufacturing sectors in many countries have seen their share of national economies decline over the past 20 years, and Quebec is no exception. Shaken by economic downturns and the signing of free trade agreements, this once-dominant sector in the province has seen its percentage of gross domestic product and its share of employment decline steadily over the past few decades. There are several reasons for this decline, such as the liberalization of international trade, currency appreciation and the relocation of manufacturing companies. However, recent crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and disruptions in international supply chains, have demonstrated the relevance of having access to local production systems to support local economic resilience and greater autonomy during these crises. In this context, this paper seeks to explore the levers and obstacles of local furniture and object production in Quebec, focusing on small firms using medium-scale production, a scale particularly used by SMEs, which constitute most firms in the Quebec manufacturing sector. More specifically, it asks the following question: what lessons can be learned from the experiences of firms operating in the manufacturing sector of locally produced furniture and objects in Quebec at medium production scales? To answer this question, a qualitative research based on documentary analysis and semi-directed interviews with people working in different companies with rich and relevant experiences in the production of medium-sized series allowed to document this sector. This data collection allowed, firstly, to characterize the field of production of locally designed and manufactured objects, and, secondly, to identify the main lines of viable production models in a scale of medium series production. The results of this study show that firms that integrate all manufacturing activities in-house and put forward various types of production (such as make-to-order combined with make-to-stock) are able to be more resilient. In addition, those that partner with competitive firms would be more self-sufficient and have more sustainable relationships with local suppliers.

Yes / Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of dynamic marketing capabilities (DMC), foreign ownership modes and sub-national locations on the performance of foreign owned affiliates (FOAs) in developing economies. Design/methodology/approach – Based on a sample of 254 FOAs in Indian manufacturing sector (covering the period of 2000-2008 leading to 623 firm-year observations), the empirical paper adopts the panel data regression approach. Findings – The study confirms the significant importance of DMC to assist FOAs to gain better sales performance in an emerging market such as India. The findings indicate that Wholly Owned Foreign Affiliates (WOFAs) have better sales performance than International Joint Venture (IJV), and Majority-owned IJV (MAIJV) perform better than Minority-owned IJV (MIIJV) in the Indian manufacturing sector. The results confirm that effective deployment of DMC leads to better sales performance in WOFAs and to some extent in MAIJVs. Perhaps the most interesting finding is that developing DMC in non-Metropolitan areas is associated with higher sales growth than in Metropolitan locations. Originality/value – The study contributes to the literature by examining the impact of DMC on performance of FOA by considering the organised manufacturing sector in a large and fast growing developing economy. In addition, the results for the moderating effects provide novel evidence of the conditions under which DMC of FOA interacts with different ownership modes and influence firm performance.

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the attributes and information content of risk reporting in two different institutional and regulatory, namely, Canadian and German, settings during the period surrounding the financial crisis of 2008. Design/methodology/approach For a matched sample of manufacturing firms in the period 2006–2010, this study conducts a detailed content analysis of annual reports to assess and compare the volume and patterns of risk disclosures. Panel regressions are used to explore how risk disclosures related to corporate risk proxies and performance indicators. Findings Over the sample period, Canadian and German firms increase the volume but largely maintain the patterns of risk disclosures. Risk disclosures relate to corporate risk proxies but are not incrementally informative to assess firm performance. Originality/value The paper contributes to research on risk reporting by providing detailed cross-country evidence for a period particularly shaped by significant risk. The findings have implications for the regulation and usefulness of risk reporting.

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the attributes and information content of risk reporting in two different institutional and regulatory, namely, Canadian and German, settings during the period surrounding the financial crisis of 2008. Design/methodology/approach For a matched sample of manufacturing firms in the period 2006–2010, this study conducts a detailed content analysis of annual reports to assess and compare the volume and patterns of risk disclosures. Panel regressions are used to explore how risk disclosures related to corporate risk proxies and performance indicators. Findings Over the sample period, Canadian and German firms increase the volume but largely maintain the patterns of risk disclosures. Risk disclosures relate to corporate risk proxies but are not incrementally informative to assess firm performance. Originality/value The paper contributes to research on risk reporting by providing detailed cross-country evidence for a period particularly shaped by significant risk. The findings have implications for the regulation and usefulness of risk reporting.