Family businesses are rapidly becoming the dominant form of business enterprise in both developing and developed economies. Family businesses are also being recognised as a potential driver of economic growth and wealth creation in the world. Family businesses in particular, have been making a positive contribution towards the South African economy for the last 300 years. Approximately 80% of businesses in South Africa could be classified as family businesses and they comprise 60% of the companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Family business wellness, which often forms the underlying causes for a lack of family harmony, is, however, a neglected area of research. The primary objective of this study is to explore selected determinants of family business wellness in small and medium-sized family-owned businesses in South Africa and to make recommendations to ensure effective management of these determinants in the family business. Topics such as the characteristics of the job, work stress and burnout, job engagement, family member commitment, the perceived success of the family business, among others, was investigated. In order to achieve the primary objective of this study, a survey was undertaken using a structured questionnaire. The reliability of the questionnaire was determined by calculating the Cronbach alpha coefficient, which indicated that the questionnaire used in this study conformed to the criteria of acceptable reliability and can be regarded as internally consistent. The survey yielded 45 usable questionnaires from 17 family businesses restricted to Gauteng and the North-West provinces in South Africa. Because this study was exploratory in nature, descriptive statistics was then used to analyse the statements that captured the information to measure the selected determinants of family wellness. The correlations between the variables were assessed using Pearson’s correlation coefficients and the relationships between the variables assessing family wellness were used for the discussion and conclusion points. Practical recommendations are suggested to improve family business wellness and, subsequently, increase the sustainability of such business. / Thesis (MBA)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

The objective of this study is to find out how and why Small to Medium sized Enterprises (SME’s) practice ecodesign. This problem is investigated by conducting seven qualitative interviews with spokesmen from ecodesigning SME’s in The Netherlands. The motivations for the researched SME’s to practice ecodesign are that there are new business opportunities, that it improves the corporate image, that they have a desire to change production to benefit the environment, and out of (expected) governmental legislation. In this thesis it was found that the researched SME’s get their knowledge to ensure that their products are sustainable firstly from their employees. They also apply the method of trial and error, they consult scientific publications, suppliers, and on sustainability events. The Life Cycle Assessment was the only scientific method or tool that was used by the businesses of the respondents. The benefits of practicing ecodesign for the SME’s are that the demand for ecodesigned products is growing, that it improves the corporate image of the company, that it improves business to business relations, that it increases the loyalty of employees to their businesses through working on values that are important to them, and that it provides a new base for innovative ideas. Obstacles to practicing ecodesign seem to be that trade-offs have to be made and that consumers perceive that the ecodesigned products are overpriced.

Because of an increased Globalisation, it is no longer a question whether or not to operate on an international level. Globalisation refers to the fact that companies do not only compete with local companies; they also compete with companies that invade the domestic market. The international participation establishes a coercion to deliver a competitive international marketing. Guidelines for Internationalisation and international marketing have been done on the basis of the premise of big companies. Hence, when it comes to small and medium-sized B2B companies this thesis contributes with additional information.   The purpose is to explore how small and medium- sized B2B companies market themselves in an international context. Understanding how these companies have come as far as they have come, how these companies perform on the international market and how they act to reach new markets. This has been explored through literature revolved around major steps in internationalisation and standardisation or adaptation of the marketing mix in the context of SME and B2B.     The study is based on three case studies of three Swedish international small and medium-sized B2B companies. The research approach was abductive, and the empirical collection was of qualitative form. The empirical material was collected through in-depth semi structured interviews with knowledgeable representatives from international small and medium-sized B2B companies. The interviews were complemented with secondary data.   Findings reveal that even though the three companies are in stage three in their internationalisation, there are differences in regard to how active they are internationally. Regarding how the companies internationalises, these companies internationalised because of a demand abroad or the benefit of increase profit. These companies mainly used waterfall approach and entered countries one by one with the exception of one company who used sprinkler approach. Also, these companies entered countries that are similar and close compared to the domestic country Sweden. Furthermore, these companies entered a market through Direct Export in forms of subsidiaries and own or locally agents. Furthermore, insights in standardisation and adaptation of the marketing mix were revealed, where product and place were adapted by all companies. Price and promotion were adapted in two out of three companies and standardised in one company. Connected to the context of the study, being a small and medium-sized company was not a crucial limitation for the companies’ internationalisation. Additionally, regarding the context of B2B, quality & design, Long-term customers & Word of Mouth showed to be the most important key factors for B2B companies that operate internationally.

Cybersecurity is a critical concern for all organisations in today’s digital landscape, butespecially for small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs). This thesis investigates the maincyber threats currently relevant for small to medium sized companies as well as whatchallenges these types of companies face in implementing effective cybersecurity measures.Another aim was to identify strategies to help SMEs overcome these challenges and enhancetheir protection against cyberthreats.The data collection method chosen for this thesis was semi-structured interviews based on acomprehensive literature review and with a total of six knowledgeable people in the field. Theresults showed that social engineering and phishing, web-based attacks, malware, maliciousinsiders as well as denial-of-service attacks were the most common cyberthreats faced bySMEs in the last few years. Challenges SMEs face was related to a tendency to underestimatethe risk by management and personnel as well as a general lack of knowledge and awarenessat the companies. Other challenges were resource and technological issues. To protect theirbusiness, most interview participants recommended following a standard like the ones fromthe ISO/IEC 27000 family or an alternative like the SSF 1101. Inventory and risk assessment isrecommended as the first step to take along with hiring employees specifically qualified incybersecurity or taking help from consultants.

Структура магистерской диссертации включает в себя введение, три главы, заключение, библиографический список. В первой главе рассмотрены теоретические аспекты организации кредитования субъектов малого и среднего предпринимательства. Во второй главе проанализировано современное состояние рынка кредитования субъектов малого и среднего бизнеса в России и на примере кредитной организации. В третьей главе выявлены основные проблемы в области кредитования субъектов малого и среднего бизнеса в России и представлены пути их решения. В заключении сформированы основные выводы проведенного исследования. / The structure of the master's thesis includes an introduction, three chapters, a conclusion, a bibliography. The first chapter examines the theoretical aspects of the organization of lending to small and medium-sized businesses. The second chapter analyzes the current state of the lending market for small and medium-sized businesses in Russia and on the example of a credit institution. The third chapter identifies the main problems in the field of lending to small and medium-sized businesses in Russia and presents ways to solve them. In the conclusion, the main conclusions of the study are formed.

In light of a stronger recognition of the need for sustainable business practices as “business as usual” no longer presents itself as a viable option, this study aims to cast light on the current work of Swedish SMEs with integrative sustainability. Within the academic field of sustainability in business, the latest years have seen the emergence of multiple frameworks that promote a holistic sustainability approach to conducting business. The single firm becomes a connecting member of an extensive stakeholder network and by operating in an economically, environmentally and socially sustainable manner, the business seeks to create value for a variety of stakeholder groups, rather than focusing on monetary objectives set by shareholders. These new integrative frameworks shift the understanding of a firm from a profit-maximiser to that of a value-creator that acts sustainably to cater to the needs of all its stakeholders. However, as the models have only recently featured across academia, their real-life applicability and viability are contested, and in some ways, remains under-researched, particularly in the context of SMEs. With Sweden as a leading example in sustainability implementation, this study attempts to provide insight into how SMEs work with the elements of these frameworks and which opportunities and challenges they encounter during implementation. Through conducting detailed, qualitative and personal semi-structured interviews with the CEOs of six sustainability-minded Swedish SMEs of different industrial backgrounds, this research gauges the current organisational efforts being made in terms of sustainability and relates them to the integrative value-creating frameworks to identify congruences, divergences and room for improvement in line with latest theories. The main conclusions drawn as part of this process include the continued, at least partial, unfamiliarity of businesses with the frameworks, despite a large degree of compatibility of current practical efforts and existing academic theory. Value creation is moving closer to being included in the core of the business model, yet while absolute profit maximisation receives less attention, hesitation towards implementing sustainability more integratively is driven by concerns of losing grounds for profitability. The establishment of clusters and strong relationships leading to mutual synergies is found as a potential way to provide firms with the structural support to shift fully towards value-creation as envisioned by the investigated frameworks.

In modern conditions, from the point of view of the reform of control and supervisory activities, a comprehensive assessment of the control and supervisory measures impact on the functioning of small and medium-sized businesses becomes increasingly important. The purpose of the master's thesis is to develop a methodological approach to assessing the impact of the state control and Supervisory activities on the functioning of small and medium-sized businesses. The analysis was based on the study of scientific and periodic literature, the study of existing approaches to assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of control and supervisory activities of public authorities. Scientific and methodological publications on the research topic, normative legal acts, data of official statistics on the research subject were used as sources of information. In the course of writing a master's thesis was proposed methodological approach, involving three ways to assess the control and supervisory activities’ impact of the state on business. First, it is an analysis of the dynamics of the complex economic indicator. Secondly, the statistical study of the correlation between the indicators of control and supervisory activities and the performance of small and medium-sized businesses, the dynamics of which can be determined by the activity of control and supervisory bodies. Third, a sociological study of small and medium-sized businesses in order to obtain subjective assessments of the control and supervisory activities’ impact on their functioning. As a result of testing the proposed methodological approach, objective (economic and statistical) and subjective (sociological) assessments of the impact of state control and supervision on small and medium-sized businesses were obtained. / В современных условиях с точки зрения реформы контрольно-надзорной деятельности всю большую значимость приобретает всесторонняя оценка влияния контрольно-надзорных мероприятий на функционирования субъектов малого и среднего бизнеса. Целью магистерской диссертации является разработка методического подхода к оценке влияния контрольно-надзорной деятельности государства на функционирование малого и среднего бизнеса. Анализ основывался на изучении научно-периодической литературы, изучении существующих подходов к оценки эффективности и результативности контрольно-надзорной деятельности органов государственной власти. В качестве источников информации использовались научные и методические публикации по теме исследования, нормативно-правовые акты, данные официальной статистики по тематике исследования. В ходе написания магистерской диссертации был предложен методический подход, предполагающий три способа оценки влияния контрольно-надзорной деятельности государства на бизнес. Во-первых, это анализ динамики комплексного экономического индикатора. Во-вторых, статистическое изучение корреляционной взаимосвязи показателей контрольно-надзорной деятельности и показателей функционирования малого и среднего бизнеса, динамика которых может быть детерминирована активностью контрольно-надзорных органов. В-третьих, социологическое исследование субъектов малого и среднего бизнеса с целью получения субъективных оценок влияния контрольно-надзорной деятельности на их функционирование. В результате апробации предложенного методического подхода были получены объективные (экономико-статистические) и субъективные (социологические) оценки влияния контрольно-надзорной деятельности государства на малый и средний бизнес.

В работе были проанализированы основные подходы, применяемые для оценки кредитоспособности в сфере малого и среднего бизнеса, даны рекомендации по ее совершенствованию. / The paper analyzes the main approaches used to assess the creditworthiness in the sphere of small and medium-sized businesses, gives recommendations for its improvement.

Маркетинг является важнейшим направлением в деятельности любого современного предприятия. В целях совершенствования маркетинговой деятельности и повышения конкурентоспособности, предприятиям необходимо регулярно осуществлять оценку эффективности маркетинга. Целью магистерской диссертации является разработка научно-методических рекомендаций по совершенствованию оценки эффективности маркетинговой деятельности на предприятиях малого и среднего бизнеса. В работе рассматривается подходы и методы к оценке эффективности маркетинговой деятельности на предприятиях малого и среднего бизнеса. В качестве источников использовалась учебно-методическая и научно-исследовательская литература, результаты эмпирических исследований автора и данные корпоративной статистики. В магистерской диссертации был разработан алгоритм оценки эффективности маркетинговой деятельности на предприятиях малого и среднего бизнеса, который основан на интегральной оценке как финансовых, так и нефинансовых показателей эффективности маркетинговой деятельности, что позволяет выделить проблемные места и наметить зоны роста, как отдельного мероприятия, так и всей маркетинговой деятельности компании. / Marketing is the most important direction in the activities of any modern enterprise. In order to improve marketing activities and increase competitiveness, enterprises need to regularly assess the effectiveness of marketing. The aim of the master's thesis is to develop scientific and methodological recommendations to improve the assessment of the effectiveness of marketing activities at small and medium-sized businesses. The paper discusses approaches and methods to assess the effectiveness of marketing activities at small and medium-sized businesses. The sources used were educational, methodological and research literature, the results of the author's empirical research and corporate statistics. In the master's thesis, an algorithm was developed for assessing the effectiveness of marketing activities in small and medium-sized businesses, which is based on an integral assessment of both financial and non-financial indicators of the effectiveness of marketing activities, which allows you to highlight problem areas and outline growth areas, both for an individual event and for the whole marketing activities of the company.

Liest und verfolgt man die diversen in der jüngeren Vergangenheit ergangenen Pres­severlautbarungen und Stellungnahmen zum Thema Überschuldung im Allgemeinen und dem insolvenzrechtlichen Überschuldungsbegriff im Besonderen, drängt sich einem der Verdacht auf, dass ein wie auch immer geartetes Problembewusstsein zu diesem Thema gewollt in die Bedeutungslosigkeit geschrieben worden ist. Nach überwiegend herrschender Meinung seien die insolvenzrechtliche Überschuldung und der damit einhergehende Insolvenzantragsgrund mittlerweile obsolet. Dieser Meinungsstand verwundert doch stark angesichts der nach wie vor hohen Anzahl an Unternehmensinsolvenzen, insbesondere im Bereich mittelständischer Unternehmen. Obgleich bei einem Gutteil der betroffenen Unternehmen als Insolvenzantragsgrund die Zahlungsunfähigkeit angegeben worden ist, darf dies nicht darüber hinweg täuschen, dass einer Illiquidität in aller Regel eine Überschuldung vorausgeht. Dabei spielt es objektiv betrachtet keine Rolle, ob es sich um eine bilanzielle, rechnerische oder insolvenzrechtliche Überschuldung handelt; in allen Fällen vermag das Vermögen die Schulden nicht mehr zu decken, m.a.W.: die Schuldendeckungsfähigkeit ist nicht mehr gegeben. Die Erhaltung der Schuldendeckungsfähigkeit eines Unternehmens ist so gesehen der erste Schritt zur Insolvenzprophylaxe. Allerdings sind die normierten handelsrechtlichen Rechnungslegungsvorschriften aus vielerlei Gründen nur bedingt geeignet, die Schuldendeckungsfähigkeit eines Unternehmens verlässlich zu überprüfen. Insoweit erscheint es folgerichtig, gerade für die mittelständische GmbH eine Ergänzung der aktuellen Rechnungslegung durch eine permanente Schuldendeckungskontrolle, wie sie bereits durch die ältere Zerschlagungsstatik bzw. statische Interpretation der Bilanz gefordert wurde, vorzusehen und damit den organschaftlichen Vertreter der mittelständischen GmbH in die Lage zu versetzen, im Rahmen seiner Selbstinformationsverpflichtung den Bestand des Unternehmens zu sichern und die externen Gläubiger angemessen zu schützen. Die präventive Anwendung der insolvenzrechtlichen Überschuldungsprüfung nach § 19 InsO zur Schuldendeckungskontrolle ermöglicht dem organschaftlichen Vertreter zweierlei: In Abhängigkeit von der Frühzeitigkeit der Vornahme einer solchen Prüfungshandlung kann deren Informationsgehalt entweder insolvenzprophylaktisch im Sinne einer erfolgreichen außergerichtlichen Sanierung wirken oder aber zumindest den Weg zu einer rechtzeitigen und geordneten Insolvenzantragstellung weisen. Das Ergebnis der Überschuldungsprüfung kann so dazu beitragen, erste Indikatoren bestehender Fehlentwicklungen und Schieflagen bereits im Vorfeld einer sich abzeichnenden Krise aufzuzeigen. Anzeichen dieser Art sind in aller Regel schon lange vor Eintritt der Insolvenzantragspflicht im Zahlenwerk der betreffenden Unternehmen erkennbar.