The aim of the dissertation thesis is to evaluate the concept of corporate social responsibility in management and economics of surveyed small and medium sized enterprises. In the same time, to assess whether corporate social responsibility in current business environment represents benefit by analysing the relationship between the level of corporate social responsibility and the surveyed enterprises' financial situation within. The present dissertation thesis characterizes current social responsibility practice of surveyed small and medium sized enterprises with the help of the created composite indicator of corporate social responsibility level evaluation consisting of 14 selected indicators. The essential results represent statistical analysis of the causal effect of corporate social responsibility level on the financial health of surveyed companies. As the summary of the processed analyses and overall results, there was created model covering the key elements of social responsibility with ties to the management and economics of surveyed small and medium sized enterprises.

Made available in DSpace on 2010-04-20T20:51:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 3 145223.pdf.jpg: 16843 bytes, checksum: 216c21cdf184c9a6b45b5950edfdc082 (MD5) 145223.pdf: 915572 bytes, checksum: 0fc450607544c4b6126f1847c19d1c84 (MD5) 145223.pdf.txt: 224142 bytes, checksum: 451c52926486aef6d451bc7fbb54e232 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-06-29T00:00:00Z / The process of globalization of markets has inserted small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) into the international competitive environment, previously almost totally restricted to big companies. However, the way Brazilian SMEs get involved with international markets is still poorly known, due to the small volume of empirical research done on this topic. The present study reports on, and discusses, central characteristics of the process of international expansion of Brazilian SMEs. The analysis centers on critical factors that characterize this process, in particular on strategic decisions made, on the main problems faced, and on the practices adopted by entrepreneurs or managers of the companies that seek the international market. To investigate these aspects, a questionnaire was sent by mail and electronic means to 226 Brazilian SMEs with some degree of internationalization, and 52 companies returned usable filled questionnaires. Analysis of the collected data points to a set of important effects in the sample: (1) the influence of the firm’s network of relationships on its internationalization process; (2) the lack of a single theory capable of explaining all aspects of the internationalization process; and (3) a paradigmatic shift, in recent years, of the companies’ profile and behavior as compared with Brazilian SMEs investigated in the early national studies of the topic. In particular, the companies in the present sample show more proactivity and international vision. / O processo de globalização dos mercados inseriu as pequenas e médias empresas (PMEs) no ambiente competitivo internacional, antes quase inteiramente restrito às grandes empresas. No entanto, o modo como as PMEs brasileiras se envolvem com o mercado internacional é ainda pouco conhecido, devido ao pequeno número de pesquisas empíricas realizadas neste campo. O presente estudo relata e discute características centrais do processo de expansão internacional das PMEs brasileiras. A análise concentra-se nos fatores críticos que caracterizam esse processo, particularmente nas decisões estratégicas tomadas, nos principais problemas enfrentados e nas práticas utilizadas pelos empreendedores ou dirigentes das empresas que buscam o mercado internacional. Para a investigação desses aspectos, um questionário foi enviado por via postal e por meio eletrônico para 226 PMEs brasileiras com algum grau de internacionalização. Destas, 52 empresas devolveram questionários aproveitáveis para a pesquisa. A análise dos dados obtidos nos questionários aponta um conjunto importante de efeitos na amostra: (1) a influência da rede de relacionamentos da empresa no seu processo de internacionalização; (2) a inexistência de uma única teoria capaz de explicar a totalidade do processo de internacionalização; e (3) uma transformação paradigmática, em anos recentes, do perfil e do comportamento dessas empresas, em comparação com as PMEs exportadoras brasileiras pesquisadas nos primeiros estudos nacionais sobre o tema. Em particular, as empresas da amostra atual demonstram mais pró-atividade e visão internacional.

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Abstract This study aims to clarify the early development stages of technology intensive companies. The current literature does not offer an extensive review of stage perspectives for company growth – the overall picture of the field is somewhat vague. The evolution of this field remains unclear as well as the current state. Further, recent empirical stage models focusing on technology intensive companies have not been delineated. As companies move through their early stages, they face events which contribute to or detract from their aim. A study focusing on these events may provide fresh viewpoints for understanding the management processes. This study seeks to clarify how the literature describes the early stages of technology intensive companies, and what viewpoints are highlighted by the management as a company progresses through these sequences. This retrospective multiple case study clarifies the topic with two meta-analyses and a sequential incident study carried out in ten young technology intensive companies in Finland and Thailand. First, well covered areas, trends, and ideas for fresh approaches are studied through a meta-analysis of the past 60 years of literature focusing on stages of development. Based on recent empirical studies, a sequential self assessment framework is formed. Second, it is studied whether the case study methodology could be utilised to further clarify the early stages of technology intensive companies. Third, the experiences of ten case companies are reflected through the framework in order to test the framework, and to study what viewpoints these cases reveal about the early stages of technology intensive companies. This study provided an extensive review of the research focusing on the stages of development. A four-stage framework was found applicable for a self-assessment of the early stages in technology intensive companies, while ten case studies and cross case analysis provided partial support for the framework. In addition, this study provided many potential fresh viewpoints for a theory related to the early stages of technology intensive companies. These viewpoints are considered here as starting points for further research, which is expected to provide sufficient evidence for further modification of the framework. / Tiivistelmä Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena on selkeyttää teknologiaintensiivisten yritysten varhaisia kehitysvaiheita. Kirjallisuus ei tarjoa kattavaa katsausta yrityksen kehitysvaiheita käsittelevästä tutkimuksesta – kokonaiskuva aiheesta jää jokseenkin epämääräiseksi samoin kuin alan kehitys ja nykytila. Lisäksi viimeaikaisten empiiristä aineistoa sisältävien vaihemallien tuloksia ei ole koottu yhteen. Varhaisissa kehitysvaiheissaan yritykset kohtaavat sekä tavoitteitaan edistäviä että estäviä tapahtumia. Tapahtumia tutkimalla on mahdollista nostaa esille tuoreita näkökulmia varhaisiin vaiheisiin liittyviin johtamisprosesseihin. Tämä tutkimus pyrkii selvittämään, kuinka teknologiayrityksen varhaiset kehitysvaiheet on kuvattu kirjallisuudessa ja mitä näkökulmia varhaisen kehityksen läpi käyneiden yritysten johto korostaa. Tämä takautuva monitapaustutkimus analysoi aihetta kahden meta-analyysin ja vaiheittain toteutetun kriittiset tapahtumat -menetelmän avulla. Tapaustutkimus suoritettiin kymmenessä suomalaisessa ja thaimaalaisessa yrityksessä. Ensiksi 60 edeltävää vuotta käsittävässä meta-analyysissä analysoitiin vaihemallien historia ja nykytila, trendit ja potentiaaliset ideat uusille lähestymistavoille. Viimeaikaisten empiiristen tutkimusten perusteella muodostettiin synteesi varhaisten kehitysvaiheiden itsearviointikehykseksi. Toiseksi tutkittiin voidaanko tapaustutkimusta hyödyntämällä edelleen selventää teknologiaintensiivisten yritysten varhaisia kehitysvaiheita. Kolmanneksi kymmenen tapausyrityksen kokemuksia peilattiin itsearviointikehykseen tarkoituksena testata kehystä ja analysoida mitä näkökulmia tapaukset paljastavat teknologiaintensiivisten yritysten varhaisista vaiheista. Tutkimus tarjosi laajan katsauksen yrityksen kehitysvaiheisiin keskittyvään tutkimuskenttään. Nelivaiheinen kehys todettiin soveltuvaksi varhaisten kehitysvaiheiden itsearviointiin teknologiaintensiivisissä yrityksissä – kymmenen tapausta ja näiden vertailu antoi osittaisen tuen tälle. Lisäksi tutkimus tarjosi useita uusia näkökulmia teknologiaintensiivisten yritysten varhaisia kehitysvaiheita käsittelevään teoriaan. Nämä näkökulmat toimivat lähtökohtana jatkotutkimuksille, joiden oletetaan tuovan riittävästi todistusaineistoa itsearviointikehyksen edelleenkehittämiseksi.

This thesis is aimed at business plan of further development of the company XY, s.r.o. The theoretical basis for the work include basic concepts related to the focusing on the main idea of the company´s development plan. The analysis section deals with the evaluation of the current problém and includes the identification of key factors in the wider context of the environment, the summary of which is then followed by a suitable strategy for the implementation of future development. In this part, analyzes of External and internal factors are used. The proposals are based on a performer SWOT analysis. This section lists appropriate measures to eliminate risks in the field.

This mini-dissertation reviews present literature to define ICT and SMEs and determine the current situation in South Africa with regard to the use of ICT by SMEs, including possible benefits to SMEs as well as stumbling blocks to adopting ICT. The research consists of collecting data from ten SMEs in Gauteng in South Africa using questionnaires and interviews, to determine how SMEs can use ICT to become more competitive. The mini-dissertation will have a number of chapters: the first chapter will give an overview of the subject. The second chapter will explain the research motivation and methodology while the third chapter will be the literature review, which will explore the topic of ICT and SMEs in depth, with a focus on South Africa. Chapter four will deal with data collection and analysis; the main source of data will be interviews based on structured questions. The fifth chapter will be the discussion and recommendations based on the results of the analysis and the literature review. Chapter Six will be the conclusion. / Dissertation (MIT)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Informatics / unrestricted

[ES] La colaboración empresarial evidenciada en pequeñas y medianas empresas (Pymes) está contribuyendo a ampliar su competitividad, impulsar diversos procesos de innovación y mejorar su rendimiento; siendo, por tanto, fundamental la medición eficaz del rendimiento como una práctica estratégica para impulsar su desarrollo y eficiencia colectiva. La medición del rendimiento (MR) es un elemento esencial para la planificación efectiva y el control empresarial; así como para la toma de decisiones, a fin de desplegar diferentes acciones de mejora. La MR en Pymes incluye las siguientes tres categorías: las medidas de rendimiento o indicadores, el diseño del sistema de medición del rendimiento (SMR) y su desarrollo. El diseño del SMR para redes de Pymes es un proceso importante para asegurar que el marco de medición integre tanto, los factores y elementos del rendimiento propios del contexto colaborativo abordado, así como los métodos y técnicas para un proceso de medición del rendimiento balanceado y con alineamiento estratégico. Sin embargo, en la literatura fueron pocos los estudios que abordaban a la MR en contextos colaborativos. Entre aquellos que lo hacían, la mayoría se relacionaba con el direccionamiento hacia las mejores prácticas; lo que señaló dificultades en cuanto a la consideración de diversos factores entorno a este grupo de Pymes y con ello su implicación en el desarrollo de SMRs específicos. Otro aspecto importante en el diseño del SMR es la presencia de múltiples tomadores de decisión, espacio que tampoco evidenció mayor aporte entre la literatura revisada. Al considerar estos aspectos en el marco del diseño de SMRs para redes de Pymes en colaboración, ninguna investigación presentó un abordaje que contemple todas las características de forma simultánea. Considerando estas brechas, este trabajo de investigación tiene por objetivo proponer un sistema de medición del rendimiento para redes colaborativas de pymes (SMR - RECOP) en un escenario de toma de decisiones en grupo, considerando un enfoque de alineamiento estratégico. La propuesta tiene como finalidad integrar los principales factores de influencia del entorno de la red de Pymes, los requerimientos de medición básicos y la visión de un crecimiento sostenible enmarcado en la eficiencia colectiva. La propuesta de medición del rendimiento utiliza el Balanced Scorecard (BSC) como herramienta para direccionar la estrategia de la red al interior del sistema de medición, donde los indicadores se encuentran en alineación directa con los objetivos estratégicos; además, la técnica Fuzzy TOPSIS para apoyar el proceso de toma de decisiones en grupo que permite la determinación de los objetivos estratégicos y; por último, mesas de diálogo como los espacios para la discusión de ideas y formulación de indicadores de medición. Estas técnicas, juntamente con los elementos citados anteriormente son integrados en una metodología de tres fases. El sistema de medición propuesto se aplica en un caso de investigación para fines de validación; la red de Pymes evaluada pertenece al sector agroindustrial productor de cacao en Ecuador, donde los contextos empresariales tanto de red y cadena se evidencian como las estratégicas colaborativas con importante presencia. La aplicación empírica del SMR - RECOP mostró como resultados necesarios de su desarrollo a los siguientes productos: un conjunto de objetivos estratégicos; un procedimiento establecido para la definición y selección de estos objetivos en el marco de la toma de decisiones en grupo; un mapa estratégico consolidado y por último un conjunto de indicadores de rendimiento. Estos resultados muestran consistencia con los estamentos pretendidos por la red y su contexto de desarrollo; así como con los requerimientos que enmarcan un SMR para Pymes. / [CA] La col·laboració empresarial evidenciada en petites i mitjanes empreses (Pimes) està contribuint a ampliar la seva competitivitat, impulsar diversos processos d'innovació i millorar el seu rendiment; sent, per tant, fonamental el mesurament eficaç de l'rendiment com una pràctica estratègica per impulsar el seu desenvolupament i eficiència col·lectiva. El mesurament de l'rendiment (MR) és un element essencial per a la planificació efectiva i el control empresarial; així com per a la presa de decisions, per tal de desplegar diferents accions de millora. La MR a Pimes inclou les següents tres categories: les mesures de rendiment o indicadors, el disseny de sistema de mesurament de l'rendiment (SMR) i el seu desenvolupament. El disseny de l'SMR per a xarxes de Pimes és un procés important per assegurar que el marc de mesurament integri tant, els factors i elements de l'rendiment propis de l'context col·laboratiu abordat, així com els mètodes i tècniques per a un procés de mesurament de l'rendiment balancejat i amb alineament estratègic. No obstant això, en la literatura van ser pocs els estudis que abordaven a la MR en contextos col·laboratius. Entre aquells que ho feien, la majoria es relacionava amb l'adreçament cap a les millors pràctiques; el que va assenyalar dificultats pel que fa a la consideració de diversos factors entorn a aquest grup de Pimes i amb això la seva implicació en el desenvolupament de SMRs específics. Un altre aspecte important en el disseny de l'SMR és la presència de múltiples prenedors de decisió, espai que tampoc va evidenciar major aportació entre la literatura revisada. A l'considerar aquests aspectes en el marc de el disseny de SMRs per a xarxes de pimes en col·laboració, cap investigació va presentar un abordatge que contempli totes les característiques de forma simultània. Considerant aquestes bretxes, aquest treball de recerca té per objectiu proposar un sistema de mesurament de l'rendiment per a xarxes col·laboratives de pimes (SMR - Recull) en un escenari de presa de decisions en grup, considerant un enfocament d'alineament estratègic. La proposta té com a finalitat integrar els principals factors d'influència de l'entorn de la xarxa de pimes, els requeriments de mesurament bàsics i la visió d'un creixement sostenible emmarcat en l'eficiència col·lectiva. La proposta de mesurament de l'rendiment utilitza el Balanced Scorecard (BSC) com a eina per adreçar l'estratègia de la xarxa a l'interior de el sistema de mesurament, on els indicadors es troben en alineació directa amb els objectius estratègics; a més, la tècnica Fuzzy TOPSIS per donar suport al procés de presa de decisions en grup que permet la determinació dels objectius estratègics i; finalment, taules de diàleg com els espais per a la discussió d'idees i formulació d'indicadors de mesurament. Aquestes tècniques, conjuntament amb els elements esmentats anteriorment són integrats en una metodologia de tres fases. El sistema de mesurament proposat s'aplica en un cas d'investigació per a fins de validació; la xarxa de Pimes avaluada pertany a el sector agroindustrial productor de cacau a l'Equador, on els contextos empresarials tant de xarxa i cadena s'evidencien com les estratègiques col·laboratives amb important presència. L'aplicació empírica d'el SMR - RECOP va mostrar com a resultats necessaris del seu desenvolupament als següents productes: un conjunt d'objectius estratègics; un procediment per a la definició i selecció d'aquests objectius en el marc de la presa de decisions en grup; un mapa estratègic consolidat i finalment un conjunt d'indicadors de rendiment. Els resultats obtinguts mostren consistència amb els estaments pretesos per la xarxa i el seu context de desenvolupament; així com amb els requeriments que emmarquen un SMR per a Pimes. / [EN] The business collaboration evidenced in small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) is helping to expand their competitiveness, promote different innovation processes, and improve their performance. Therefore, effective performance measurement is essential as a strategic practice to promote its development and collective efficiency. Performance measurement (PM) is an essential element for effective business planning and control; as well as for decision making, in order to deploy different improvement actions. PM in SMEs includes the following three categories: performance measures or indicators, the design of the performance measurement system (PMS), and its development. The design of the PMS for SME networks is an important process to ensure that the measurement framework integrates both the factors and elements of the performance, which belong to the collaborative context addressed, as well as the methods and techniques for a balanced performance measurement process and with strategic alignment. However, in the literature, few studies addressed PM in collaborative contexts. Among those that did it, the majority was related to directing toward best practices; which pointed to difficulties in considering various factors around this group of SMEs and thus their involvement in the development of specific PMSs. Another important issue in the design of the PMS is the presence of multiple decision-makers, a space that did not show a greater contribution among the literature reviewed. When considering these aspects in the framework of PMSs design for collaborative SME networks, no research presented an approach that considers all the characteristics simultaneously. Considering these gaps, this research work aims to propose a performance measurement system for collaborative networks of SMEs (PMS - RECOP) in a group decision-making scenario, considering a strategic alignment approach. The purpose of the proposal is to integrate the main factors that influence the environment of the SMEs network, the basic measurement requirements, and the vision of sustainable growth framed in collective efficiency The performance measurement proposal uses the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) as a tool to direct the strategy of the network within the measurement system, where the indicators are in direct alignment with the strategic objectives. In addition, the Fuzzy TOPSIS technique supports the group decision-making process that allows the determination of strategic objectives and; finally, dialogue tables as spaces for the discussion of ideas and formulation of measurement indicators. These techniques, together with the elements aforementioned, are integrated into a three-phase methodology. The proposed evaluation system is applied in a research case for validation purposes; the network of SMEs evaluated belongs to the agro-industrial sector that produces cocoa in Ecuador, where the business contexts of both the network and the chain are evidenced as collaborative strategies with an important presence. The empirical application of the PMS - RECOP showed the following products as necessary results of its development: a set of strategic objectives, such as an established procedure for the definition and selection of these objectives within the framework of group decision-making; a consolidated strategic map, and finally a set of performance indicators. The obtained results showed consistency with the states intended by the network and its development context, as well as the requirements that frame a PMS for SMEs. / Rojas Lema, XB. (2021). Sistema de medición del rendimiento para redes colaborativas de Pymes en el sector agroindustrial de Ecuador [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/165779 / TESIS

In der Dissertation werden die Effekte von Offshoring auf dem Arbeitsmarkt eines Hochlohnlandes untersucht. Sie beinhaltet 3 voneinander unabhängige Studien am Beispiel Deutschland. Im 1. Kapitel werden die Lohneffekte von Offshoring untersucht. Dabei wird Arbeit nach der Komplexität seines Aufgabenspektrums unterschieden und Offshoring je nach Lohnniveau des Ziellandes eingeteilt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass Offshoring nach Westeuropa zu relativen Lohngewinnen für weniger komplexe Jobs in Deutschland führt, während der Lohn komplexer Jobs negativ beeinflusst wird. Offshoring nach Osteuropa hat entgegengesetzte Lohneffekte. Zudem zeichnet sich ab, dass Offshoring nach Westeuropa mit einer arbeits- und nach Osteuropa mit einer kapitalintensiveren Produktion einhergeht. Das 2. Kapitel untersucht ausländischen Direktinvestitionen (FDI) deutscher multinationale Unternehmen (MNE) in Tschechien. Es wird analysiert wie sich die Beschäftigung verändert, wenn MNE Zugang zu “Niedriglohnarbeit” erhalten. Bei Verwendung des Coarsened Exact Matching und eines Event-Study-Ansatzes ergibt sich, dass das inländische Beschäftigungswachstum von MNE im Vergleich zu nicht-MNE abnimmt. Das betrifft im verarbeitenden Gewerbe vor allem Beschäftigte mit niedrigem oder mittlerem Bildungsabschluss und im Dienstleistungssektor Beschäftigte mit mittlerem oder hohem Bildungsniveau. Das 3. Kapitel basiert auf dem gleichen Daten, um die Auswirkungen von FDI auf die Nachfrage von bestimmten Tätigkeiten zu schätzen. Eine neue Methode schätzt Propensity Scores für FDI-Entscheidungen mithilfe von Lasso-Logit-Regressionen. Dabei wird gezeigt, dass Unternehmen mit viel juristischen oder organisatorischen Aufgaben eher zu FDI neigen. Nach einem Matching-Verfahren, werden in einem Diff-in-Diff-Ansatz die heimischen Nachfrageverschiebungen bestimmter Aufgaben untersucht, nachdem FDI getätigt wurde. MNE erhöhen typische Aktivitäten eines Unternehmenssitz, wie managen, analysieren oder verhandeln. Im verarbeitenden Gewerbe reduzieren sie zudem typische Aufgaben der Produktion wie das Überwachen von Maschinen, Herstellen oder Messen. Im Servicesektor werden hingegen typische Servicetätigkeiten reduziert, wie das Beraten/Informieren, Reparieren sowie medizinische Tätigkeiten. / This dissertation comprises 3 chapters that each contain an independent study on the labor market effects of offshoring from a high-wage source country, namely Germany. Chapter 1 includes an estimation of the onshore wage effects of offshoring to either low-wage Eastern Europe or high-wage Western Europe. Using a Mincer-type wage equation, the study shows that offshoring has substantially different wage effects with respect to the destination region of the offshoring activity and with respect to the complexity of task profiles of the affected jobs. While offshoring to the West puts pressure on the wages of complex jobs and increases the wages of simple jobs, offshoring to the East entails the opposite effect. Chapter 2 explores the onshore employment effects of German firms that conduct foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Czech Republic, a country with substantially lower average wages. Applying coarsened exact matching and an event-study design, the results exhibit that the onshore employment growth of multinational enterprises (MNEs) decreases relative to that of non-MNEs and that the worst affected are those with low or medium educational attainment in the manufacturing sector and with medium or high educational attainment in the service sector. The study in Chapter 3 uses the same dataset and adds detailed task information to the workers' occupations (such as managing, producing, or legal tasks). It is therefore able to provide insights into the changed task demand of German MNEs after their FDI in the Czech Republic. Methodologically, an enhanced matching procedure exploits lasso logit regressions to estimate the firms' propensity of FDI. It thereby shows that high task intensities of managing, administration, and labor legislation play a major role in firms engaging in international expansions in the near future. After matching, a difference-in-differences approach reveals the onshore demand changes of specific tasks after the FDI. Relative to non-MNEs, MNEs increase their intensities of typical headquarter activities such as managing, analyzing, and negotiating. In manufacturing MNEs, the estimates further reveal a reduction in typical production tasks such as monitoring, producing, and measuring, while service MNEs reduce typical service tasks such as informing, medical tasks, and repairing.

The thesis includes business intention of construction company in the form of a feasibility study. Planned company deals with the realization of timber-framed buildings that are built by hand directly on the construction site. The introductory part describes basic knowledge of the investment projects planning. One subchapter shortly describes the timber construction system. Parts of the business intention are oriented on corporate strategy, marketing, production technology, manpower, economic a financial analysis and risk management. In conclusion is an overall assessment of the project feasibility.

Bakgrund: Lättillgänglig och reliabel information blir betydande för effektivt beslutsfattande. Således identifieras förbättringen av beslutsfattande som den drivande orsaken till att företag införskaffar affärssystem som avser att skapa underlag, utföra analyser samt ta fram relevant data. Beslutsunderlaget som skapas ökar kvaliteten och understödjer beslutsfattandet. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, även känt som Affärssystem, är en standardiserad programvara som används för hela organisationer över flera funktioner med avseende till att effektivisera affärsområden som bokföring, inköp, tillverkning och försäljning. Numera finns det alternativ för mindre organisationer att införskaffa affärssystem, vilket resulterar i att fler SMF väljer att vända sig till mjukvaran. Affärssystemets syfte om att underlätta verksamhetens drift och förbättringar i arbetsflöden genom standardisering bidrar till att företagen blir mer resurseffektiva inom de respektive processerna. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur små-och medelstora företag använder sig av affärssystem och vilka konsekvenser det får för beslutsfattandet. Metod: Studien utgår ifrån en kvalitativ forskningsmetod. Empirin utgörs av tolv semistrukturerade intervjuer med tre små och medelstora företag. Respondenterna valdes ut genom ett målstyrt urval. För att besvara studiens problemformulering har det empiriska materialet analyserats med den teoretiska referensramen. Slutsats: Resultatet av studien visar att affärssystemet påverkar små- och medelstora företags beslutsfattning. Följande områden blir påverkade; relevans i beslut, förbättrat beslutsunderlag, delegering av beslut inom organisationen och förbättrad effektivitet vid beslut. / Background: Easily accessible and reliable information becomes essential for effective decision-making. Thus, the improvement of decision-making is identified as the driving reason why companies acquire business systems that intend to create data, perform analyzes and produce relevant data. The decision-making basis that is created increases the quality and supports decision-making. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, also known as Business Systems, are a standardized software, used for entire organizations across multiple functions to make business areas such as accounting, purchasing, manufacturing and sales more effective. Nowadays, there are options for smaller organizations to acquire business systems, which results in more SMEs choosing to turn to the software. The purpose of the ERP system to facilitate the operation of the business and improvements in work flows through standardization, contributes to the companies becoming more resource efficient within the respective processes. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate how small and medium-sized companies use ERP systems and what consequences this has for decision-making. Methodology: The study is based on a qualitative research method. The empirics consists of twelve semi-structured interviews with three small and medium-sized enterprises. The respondents were selected through a purposive sampling. In order to answer the study's problem formulation, the empirical material has been analyzed with the theoretical frame of reference. Conclusion: The results of the study show that ERP systems affect the decision-making of small and medium-sized enterprises. The following areas are affected; relevance in decisions,5improved basis for decisions, delegation of decisions within the organization and improved efficiency in decisions.