A inovação é um importante meio para que as empresas possam aumentar sua competitividade e assim sobreviver em um cenário de economia global e mercados cada vez mais exigentes. Partindo de uma extensa pesquisa na literatura sobre inovação, notamos uma abundancia de estudos sobre este tema. Porém, a quase totalidade deles está direcionada para grandes empresas. Para minimizar esta lacuna, este trabalho teve como foco o estudo da gestão da inovação em empresas de micro, pequeno e médio porte. Esta delimitação justifica-se por este segmento representar uma parcela significativa da economia nacional, mas, como já é sabido, seus índices de sobrevivência ainda são baixos. O objetivo deste estudo é avaliar o grau de maturidade no tocante à gestão da inovação das empresas pertencentes ao Arranjo Produtivo Local do Vale da Eletrônica, localizado em Santa Rita do Sapucaí. Para tanto, em cada empresa de nossa amostra (41 empresas de aproximadamente 160 localizadas na região) foram analisadas suas práticas de Gestão da Inovação. Foram analisadas cinco dimensões que a compõe, são elas: Estratégia, Processos Internos, Ambiente Externo, Estrutura Organizacional e Cultura. Outro indicador analisado foi o desempenho inovativo alcançado por essas empresas nos três anos anteriores a coleta. O resultado foi que todas as dimensões da Gestão da Inovação possuem uma associação linear positiva com o desempenho inovativo, quando analisadas separadamente. No entanto, devido a alta correlação entre as variáveis independes (cinco dimensões), quando da análise de regressão linear múltipla, apenas Cultura bastou para mostrar uma relação positiva e linear com o Desempenho Inovativo, as demais variáveis foram excluídas deste modelo. Conclui-se que empresas que adotam práticas ligadas a gestão da inovação tem um desempenho inovativo superior. / Innovation is an important way for companies to increase competitiveness and thus survive in a global economy environment with increasingly demanding markets. From extensive research on innovation literature, we noticed an abundance of studies on this topic. However, almost all are directed to large companies. To reduce the gap, this paper focuses on innovation management in micro, small and medium businesses. This limitation is justified, for this segment represents a significant portion of the national economy, but, as is well known, their survival rates are still low. The aim of this study is to assess the degree of maturity with respect to Innovation Management of enterprises belonging to the Local Productive Arrangement of the Electronics Valley, located in Santa Rita do Sapucaí. Therefore, each company in our sample (41 of approximately 160 companies in the region) had its Innovation Management. Practices analyzed. Five dimensions were considered: Strategy, Internal Processes, External Environment, Organizational Structure and Culture. Innovative performance achieved by these companies in the three years prior to collection was also analyzed. Results showed that all dimensions of Innovation Management have a positive linear association with innovative performance when analyzed separately. However, because of the high correlation between the independent variables (five dimensions), multiple linear regression analysis proved Culture alone was enough to show a positive linear relationship with Innovative Performance and other variables were excluded from this model. We conclude that companies adopting practices related to Innovation Management display higher innovative performance.

This research explores the business case for sustainability as experienced by small and medium sized, house building construction companies in the UK and Sweden. The authors investigate what benefits, if any, these businesses have gained from adopting environmental and socially responsible business practices. The authors also set out to understand the barriers and drivers influencing the companies in respect of sustainability. The purpose of the thesis was to help sustainability practitioners in their work with the sector. The research had three separate strands of investigation; interviewing industry experts who had wide experience of the sector; interviews with companies that had some relevant experiences; and a detailed survey was sent to companies asking them to rate their experiences to date and estimate their future expectation on sustainability issues. The findings were collated, analyzed and an overview of the benefits, barriers and drivers for the sector were discussed. A sector specific strategic approach to dealing with the companies was presented for use by the practitioners.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / This study extends the existing literature on how social networks enhance the performance and sustainability of small enterprises. More specifically, the study isolates and investigates the mechanisms through which social capital helps with the growth and survival of MSMEs. The evidence presented in this study strongly suggests that an indigenous social network widely practiced in Ethiopia, the "iqqub", contributes significantly to the start-up, survival and development of urban MSMEs. / South Africa

Magister Commercii - MCom / The Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) is an organisation that gives various types of business support to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in order to foster their growth. It is widely believed that there can be failure in the performance of SMEs that is partly due to limited provision of business support. This study aims to assess the work of SEDA, in particular the ‘business plan’ support it provides to SMEs. This will assist in establishing factors that hinder, or promote, the growth and success of SMEs.The main objectives of this study were firstly, to assess the perceptions of SEDA’s business clients with regards to the business plan intervention. Secondly, to assess the effectiveness of the SEDA’s business plan intervention, and lastly to identify and recommend other interventions that its clients suggest, that can improve the services it provides to business owners.A review of literature highlighted the continued difficulty that SMEs in South Africa face in accessing finance, and the vital role that support institutions like SEDA can play to not only alleviate the problem, but also strengthen the owners business and entrepreneurial skills. A qualitative case study design was used in this study. Two data collection methods, document analysis and in-depth interviews, were employed. A thematic data analysis was conducted to assess the business plan support activities provided by SEDA.The findings of the study show that, firstly, access to finance remains a challenge for most SMEs. Secondly, the lack of business skills is a key limitation to success among SEDA’s clients and thirdly, the study revealed a communication gap between SEDA and its business clients.The study recommends that SEDA should bridge the communication gap in order to improve the impact of the vital services it offers to existing, and potential clients. The Results of the study may apply, generally, to the development of SMEs in South Africa.

Chargés d’œuvrer au bien-être des citoyens ainsi qu’à la prospérité économique et financière du pays, les pouvoirs publics s’immiscent au sein du marché afin de corriger, réguler, orienter les activités économiques et résoudre les problèmes qu’elles engendrent sur le plan social. Fondée et légitimée par l’intérêt général - au sens rousseauiste du concept -, cette action économique des pouvoirs publics s’avère cependant inadaptée aux besoins particuliers et aux attentes concrètes que formule la société civile. Un travail de conciliation entre les intérêts particuliers de la population (personnes morales et physiques) et l’intérêt général s’avère donc nécessaire afin d’améliorer l’adéquation, l’efficacité et l’efficience de l’interventionnisme public. A travers l’étude des politiques publiques en faveur des petites et moyennes entreprises, la présente thèse tend dès lors à démontrer qu’une telle conciliation est possible, en faisant du besoin ou problème de la société civile, le véritable facteur de l’action publique, et de son assouvissement ou sa résolution son unique objectif. Fort d’une action économique pragmatique et circonstancielle, les pouvoirs publics pourront alors remplir pleinement la fonction qui leur est dévolue tout en œuvrant en faveur de l’intérêt général / In charge of the citizen’s well-beign, as well as the economic and financial prosperity of the country, the public authorities interfere in the market to correct, regulate and guide the economic activities and resolve problems that they cause on a social scale.Based and legitimised by general interest – as Rousseau developped it – the economic actions of the public authorities are, however, unsuited to the citizens’ needs and to the civil society’s concretes expectations. Therefore it is necessary to reconcile each individual interests (private individual and corporations) and general interest, to improve the adequacy and the efficiency of the interventionism of the public authorities. Through the study of the public policies for small and medium enterprises, this doctoral dissertation tends to show that such a conciliation is possible, by making the society’s need or problem the real source of the public policy, and its satisfaction and solving its only purpose. With a pragmatical and circumstantial economic action, the authorities would be able to fulfill their fonction while working in favour of the general interest

Small and medium sized enterprises constitute an overwhelming majority of all companies in the economy. They are the resource of the growth of GDP, innovation and significantly contribute to the employment. Representatives of the European Union are aware of the important role which these companies play and they try to create the most convenient and optimal business environment. The small and medium sized enterprises are supported through institutions such as Czechinvest and the ČMZRB which receive funds from structural funds of the European Union and the state budget. In my thesis I made evaluation of the projects of the SME Finance Facility program under which subsidy and credit lines were granted to the ČMZRB and various leasing companies. Finance was provided from various european development banks and were intended to grant the loans and leasings with better conditions than loans and leasings from unsubsidized banks. Based on the results from the survey I came to a conclusion that the program was relevant only to a certain extent because companies had significant alternative opportunities of financing their investment projects.

This final diploma thesis called "Global analysis of the current business-legal environment in the Czech Republic" thoroughly evaluates business-legal environment in the Czech Republic and reveals how it is perceived by small and medium entrepreneurs. This analysis further uncovers and specifies fields where there are deficiencies in the Czech legal system. There is also a short view of the situation in the countries neighboring with the Czech Republic such as Germany, Poland, Austria, Hungary, France and the whole of EU. The topic of EU legislation was not neglected either. These new legal provisions coming from the EU are more and more becoming part of the Czech legal system and have bigger and bigger influence on the Czech entrepreneurs. Businessmen in the Czech Republic still perceive many difficulties related to the state restrictions and regulatory authorities decisions. The situation is especially gravely perceived in case of tax laws, labor laws and the overall complexity and complicatedness of the Czech legislation as a whole. Based on the research that was a part of the research, high level of conservativeness of the small and medium entrepreneurs was proved. Czech businessmen tend to have difficulties adopting new things including laws even if those could have positive impact in the end. It further seems that the Czech businessmen tend to approach their business environment skeptically but not passively. They feel like participating actively in changes in their business environment even thou it often seems impossible.

This paper analyses potential of Software as a Service (SaaS) model in small and medium enterprises (SME). SaaS model is rapidly expanding trend between software delivery models. The first chapter describes evolution of software delivery models, which peaks in the most recent "Software as a Service" model. It analyses key features of SaaS in qualitative, technological and legal dimensions. The first chapter also mentions assesment methods for IT investments. This chapter introduces basic theoretical framework for next chapters. Next chapter focuses on category of small and medium enterprises. It defines main macroeconomic indicators and organizational specifics of SMEs. This chapter also presents results of research into reasons for and against the use of applications with SaaS model in small and medium enterprises. Last chapter selects the most common software categories used by small and medium enterprises. For each category it analyses and describes current state of the SaaS market. After analysing the market situation, it selects broad range of applications for each category. Using multi-dimensional approach it recommends three products best suited for SMEs. For all categories it maps potential of the three recommended products. These three products are then thoroughly compared with each other using extended set of criteria. The chapter ends with a summary of possibilities offered by these applications to SMEs.

This diploma thesis is focusing on comparison of two information systems with the accent on the branch of human resources management for small and medium enterprises. This thesis has many goals: (1) to compare two human resources information systems for small and medium enterprises; (2) to find out and analyze the trends of human resources information systems; (3) to make a detailed list of functions of the human resources information system, choose the functions which are above standard, and confront them with the trends; (4) to solve the need of a new information system in a small company as a case study. The goals are accomplished by means of communication with practice (preferably with HR analytics, HR managers and information systems suppliers). The detailed function structure is used as a comparison tool, and both information systems are confronted with it. The trends were found out by using researches and interviews with the HR analytics. Application of the information system for small company is the author's job content. The small company is using the information system in spite of the fact that it is not complete. Among the added values of this thesis we can state connection of the author's primary and secondary specialization (Information systems and technologies, Human resources management), application of knowledge into business practice, and confrontation of the trends with the opinions of the HR managers.

This thesis deals with the possibilities of enterprise informatics solutions in the SME (small and medium enterprises). This target group is further specified and is taken into account especially the most strongly represented subjects in SMEs - micro-enterprises. The main goal of this work is exploring the practical use of modern trends in information systems such as cloud computing or SaaS in direct comparison with conventional enterprise informatics solutions. In the first part is the space dedicated primarily to theoretical definition of concepts and identification of elaborated topics. Inside acquaintance with individual technical terms there is an example of one particular definition of company enterprise informatics solutions demonstrated with practical examples. The needs and solving the needs of small businesses are then generalized to the common needs of such small companies. Another part is dedicated to the actual analysis of the market and possible solutions of enterprise informatics. According to the specific needs of small businesses several optimal solutions are selected and further more thoroughly investigated and tested. The collected data serve for subsequent comparison of possible enterprise informatics solutions with particular results. The reader himself can assess complexity and price of technologies, especially in the context of conventional solutions and new products. For evaluation of the needs of these small companies primarily MMDIS principles of the methodology are used. In conclusion of the thesis there is the evaluation of detected findings and creating of recommendations for these small businesses.