Due to the globalization trend, the internationalization of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) has become a common practice in the last decades. The New Product Development (NPD) is recognized as innovative value creating effort that has become important in the high-risk, globally competitive environment, and small firms seem to be more effective in utilizing product design and manufacturing involvement, while large firms standardize and formalize the product development practices. Thus, the main focus of this research study is the NPD capabilities and the internationalization process. The main research question focuses on whether and how the NPD capabilities influence the internationalization process of the companies in the health industry. A qualitative study is carried out to answer the research question by interviewing three Swedish companies in the health industry. The empirical findings and analysis conclude that the NPD capabilities and the internationalization process go along with each other and they are both dependant. There is a positive relationship between the NPD capabilities and the internationalization process, but it is not yet defined which one has a greater influence.

Background: Today’s business environment is characterized by fast-changing technologies and shorter product life-cycles, well-educated customers and fierce competition. Within this context, agile manufacturing is praised in the literature as one of the solutions for achieving and maintaining a competitive advantage in turbulent times. Aim: The purpose of this master thesis is to fill in the identified theoretical and empirical gaps by exploring and scrutinizing the relevancy of the agile manufacturing concept in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the computer, electronic and optical manufacturing industry in Sweden. Furthermore, a model illustrating the agile manufacturing enablers applied in the selected industry will be developed. Definition: Agile manufacturing can be defined as a new production concept integrating employees, suppliers and customers, as well as units of production by using the support of software and communication systems. Methodology: Eight interviews with managers have been conducted in order to capture the big picture of how the SMEs in the chosen industry enable responsiveness to changes. A survey answered by 50 SMEs within the same industry was carried out in order to test the interview findings on a larger scale and to provide the basis for a further comparison with the existing agile manufacturing body of knowledge Results: Agile manufacturing is indeed relevant in the studied industry as it is driven by agility drivers and thus characterized by fast-changing technologies and well-educated customers. However, the agile manufacturing enablers partly differ from the ones praised in the literature and are more adjusted to the size and characteristics of SMEs. Nevertheless, a conscious awareness of the agile manufacturing concept itself was not found and the enablers identified were rather described as logical business thinking.

Background: Due to the dynamic business environment and acceleration of technological renewal the need to pursue newest knowledge becomes crucial and more and more challenging for companies. Traditionally firms tended to keep R&D in-house but now they have to search for alternative approach to innovation, namely open innovation. Science parks are claimed to facilitate the process of inter-organizational collaboration and open innovation, in particular due to geographic proximity of on-park actors. Aim: This research is aimed to investigate the influence of geographic proximity of companies situated within a science park on collaboration and open innovation initiatives. Apart from this, other factors in a science park environment that can have an effect on open innovation are studied as well. In particular, these issues are analyzed from the perspective of on-park small and medium enterprises. Completion and results: This study revealed that geographic proximity of firms within one science park can influence open innovation to some extent. In particular, effects of certain mechanisms of geographic proximity were observed. However, all in all, geographic proximity does not have a decisive influence on inter-firm collaboration in Swedish science parks. Besides geographic proximity, other factors that may stimulate open innovation process for SMEs were analyzed.

Small and medium enterprises has attracted a wide argument and debate by scholars and other interest group as to whether they have significant contribution to employment creation or not. Many researchers have taken up to this field of research with different opinion and research finding. This thesis focuses on establishing the barriers to expansion and growth of small and medium enterprises in Gotland region of Sweden. The research focus on interview of business owners and managers in the region, a total of 25 business managers were interviewed and their response used to draw conclusion in this thesis. The research focused on finding out the number of employees in each of the company or business interviewed; reasons for not employing more people in their businesses and possible barriers and difficulties they experience in their business operation. The thesis was able to establish the fact that SME contributes to employment creation in the region and that the number of SME start up in the region is on the increase which has a correlation with increase in employment via SMEs in the region. Furthermore, some factors were identified as major barriers to creation of more jobs by SMEs in the region base on the information elicited from the managers interviewed. Finally, recommendations for future research were made on possible steps the Government can employ to address the problems outlined that inhibit expansion and creation of more jobs by the SME sector in the region.

Following by the signing of ECFA recently, the industrial environment is changed rapidly forcing many small and medium enterprises to face various kinds of internal and external challenges. They encounter the obstacles to advance their technical and producing system which is their weakness as well. In the earlier year, these enterprises was founded basing on the trusting relationship between the owner and the employees, and the working regulations, salary, and bounces were created according to their cooperating consensus. However, when their original mode of production could not catch up in time along with the growth of capacity, advance of the industry and expansion of market, the relationship has started to change. Hence, they tried to change the original structure by looking for transforming or through the organizational improvement in response to the upcoming crisis and challenges. Among these changes, the establishment and import of systematization has become the major pattern in present. This research is focused on a traditional machinery factory which produces non-standard products internationally hoping to create new experience inspired by the success in the past including introducing the new management mode and new strategy from the stage of contract signing, design to post service making the company on the invincible position. During the process of transforming, many relationship-oriented enterprises including the one discussed in this research are facing several different factors among clients vs. company, agency vs. company, company vs. suppliers, and company vs. employees and what influence will be caused due to the establishment of the new system is the main discussion in this research. Furthermore, whether the customized production is suitable for the new system? What kind of obsolete will the company encounter? Will there be any problem caused? Also, the research will discuss how to locate the most suitable method within all kinds of possible limiting factors through hard facts, dangerous half-truths & total nonsense and convert these knowhow into power to decrease all the impacts brought by the changes.

In the process of economic developments in Taiwan, small and medium enterprises are always the main stable force and have made remarkable contributions. Based on this fact, The National Award of Small and Medium Enterprises was set up for upgrading and rewarding outstanding small and medium enterprises. To apply for the award firms need to pass substantially high qualifications. Therefore, if an enterprise won the award, they were recognized as successful. However, according to recent newspapers and magazines, some winners are now facing restructuring, the failure of the public offerings, or even bankruptcy. What happened to these enterprises that used to be good at the beginning? Why can¡¦t they sustain original advantages and remain successful? The subject of this research focuses on ¡§main reasons for business failure¡¨ and picks up the winners of the National Award of Small and Medium Enterprises for examples. Hopefully through the research, we can conclude the main reason for business failure. By gathering and analyzing the second informations, we have eight findings¡G Finding 1¡BThe ¡§business cycle¡¨ is often an important reason for the business failure. Small and medium businesses are most easily affected by the variation of outside environment. Finding 2¡BThe deviating personality of the managers determines whether the enterprise enjoys excellent operations or collapses in a twinkling. Finding 3¡BMost enterprises make use of "the backdoor listing"," the cross holdings" to steer high financial leverage and to collect a great deal of short-term capital which leads to financial crisis. Finding 4¡BThe operation of the corporation is not efficient, neglecting the real market demand, as a result being eliminated in the competition. Finding 5¡BThe most common feature of the corporations going down in the 70¡¦s is high quoted loans among IPO companies. Their debt ratio overweighs, and the core business occurs severe loss in business. Finding 6¡BThe strong stockholder combines the outside power to create soaring stock price. In the end it leads to misfortune. Finding 7¡BIf managers don't know how to handle their assets suitably, the more they have, the easier they squander. Finding 8¡BThe development of the industry faces the bottleneck and knows not where to go.

This thesis aimed to investigate the impact of firm- and industry-specific factors on the decision to adopt Internet technologies among SMEs in New Zealand's retail and tourism industries. A mail survey was sent to 500 retail SMEs and 1,000 tourism SMEs, with response rates of 26.4 percent and 33.4 percent respectively. The results indicated that, in a comparison of perceived benefits, organizational readiness and external pressure, the most important factor in determining the adoption decision was the perceived benefits. Overall, the level of Internet support, business size, international business, and years on the Internet were the most important structural factors in determining Internet technology adoption. When comparing retail and tourism SMEs, the level of Internet support within a firm, business size, and years on the Internet were more important factors for the tourism SMEs than for their retail counterparts. On the other hand, business type and international business were more important factors for retail SMEs than they were for tourism firms. The research also found that tourism SMEs experienced greater pressure from the external environment to adopt Internet technologies than did retail firms.

The study is based on a comparison between franchises and independent businesses. The purpose of the study is to have a clear understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of SMEs and franchise businesses in Rustenburg (North West Province) and its environs. A number of textbooks, published works and web articles on SMEs and franchise businesses were used in determining definitions and advantages and disadvantages that are experienced by the entrepreneur. A survey research design was used with a questionnaire as data-gathering instrument. The purpose of the questionnaire was to determine the experience and viewpoints of the entrepreneurs towards SMEs and franchise businesses. The study population consisted of 71 entrepreneurs who operate in the business environment of Rustenburg (North West Province) and its environs. Limitations in the research were identified and several recommendations were made in order to guide the entrepreneur in choosing a business that will suit his/her needs. The findings of the study offer advantages and disadvantages for both the franchise and independent businesses. The research results lead the entrepreneur to seek for a good business opportunity that will add value in terms of enterprise development, ownership, and financial benefits. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

The purpose of this study is to provide empirical, qualitative evidence concerning the factors within the supply, demand and institutional support environments that hinder SME access to finance as well as the interventions necessary to improve access to finance for SMEs in the North West Province (NWP) of South Africa. The semi-structured interview technique was used to collect data from a sample of 25 organisations. A response rate of 56% comprising two financial institutions and 12 SME support and development organisations currently operating in or providing financial and/or non-financial services to SMEs in the NWP, participated in the study. Descriptive statistics in the form of frequency counts and percentages and a qualitative data analysis software package (Weft QDA) were used to analyse the data and interpret the results. The findings of this study are consistent with and support the findings of previous studies investigating SME access to finance. The findings indicate that the SME sector is characterized by a dearth of entrepreneurs, highly risk averse financial institutions and a poorly functional support and development environment. The findings of this study further indicate that formal and structured collaboration initiatives between financial institutions and SME support organisations are vital to improving SME access to finance in the NWP. The study will be of interest to policy makers, financial institutions and SME support and development organisations interested in SME financing and economic development. The results of the study contribute to the understanding of the current financing challenges facing SMEs and will assist financial institutions, SME support organisations and SMEs to better understand the role and importance of effective stakeholder collaboration in improving SME access to finance. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2010.

The purpose of this study is to provide empirical, qualitative evidence concerning the factors within the supply, demand and institutional support environments that hinder SME access to finance as well as the interventions necessary to improve access to finance for SMEs in the North West Province (NWP) of South Africa. The semi-structured interview technique was used to collect data from a sample of 25 organisations. A response rate of 56% comprising two financial institutions and 12 SME support and development organisations currently operating in or providing financial and/or non-financial services to SMEs in the NWP, participated in the study. Descriptive statistics in the form of frequency counts and percentages and a qualitative data analysis software package (Weft QDA) were used to analyse the data and interpret the results. The findings of this study are consistent with and support the findings of previous studies investigating SME access to finance. The findings indicate that the SME sector is characterized by a dearth of entrepreneurs, highly risk averse financial institutions and a poorly functional support and development environment. The findings of this study further indicate that formal and structured collaboration initiatives between financial institutions and SME support organisations are vital to improving SME access to finance in the NWP. The study will be of interest to policy makers, financial institutions and SME support and development organisations interested in SME financing and economic development. The results of the study contribute to the understanding of the current financing challenges facing SMEs and will assist financial institutions, SME support organisations and SMEs to better understand the role and importance of effective stakeholder collaboration in improving SME access to finance. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2010.