Thesis (M.B.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 96-97).

Thesis (M.B.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 68).

There is increasing evidence that relational behaviors play a role in helping firms improve the performance of their strategic alliances, but there is still a preponderance of attention given to firm level elements and a dearth of literature investigating lower levels of analysis. This has helped create a "managerial relevance gap" (Bell, den Ouden, & Ziggers, 2006) between theoretical and operational requirements. This study attempts to fill one portion of that gap by investigating individual and team level factors that shape decisions to promotively collaborate with partners in alliances. The question of interest in this paper was whether supervisors and workgroup peers influence individuals to collaborate in an alliance, and whether those individuals consequently perform collaborative behaviors that improve performance. An analysis of survey responses from 1,242 members of a pharmaceutical sales organization produced three key findings. The first indicates that individuals' attitudes toward collaboration are related to collaborative behaviors, and that these behaviors in turn are positively related to performance. The second outcome of the study shows that attitudes of one's peer group do influence collaborative attitudes while those of one's supervisor do not. Third, there is an insignificant relationship between collaborative attitudes and performance. While evidence of indirect effects mediation was shown, it is therefore not possible to demonstrate either a full or partial mediation effect between collaborative attitudes and performance. These findings, along with the limitations of this study, are discussed. Finally, implications for future research and managerial practice are explored.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Cross-sectoral collaborations between non-profit organisations (NPOs) and the business sector are on the rise. The success of the cross-sectoral collaboration is varied and based upon the value generated for both parties. Most literature around cross-sectoral collaboration has been written with a bias towards the corporate sector, not taking into account the challenges faced by NPOs. This research project focused upon the value generated from collaborations between NPOs and individuals from the corporate sector, within the NPO landscape. The University of Stellenbosch Business School Executive Development (USB-ED) presents a course to develop the skills of senior managers in the Senior Management Development Programme (SMDP). As part of the programme, participants (from the business sector) are required to complete a business driven action learning (BDAL) assignment where they engage NPOs in order to do a strategic analysis and develop a strategic plan for them. The BDAL assignment is not only designed to provide the SMDP participants with the opportunity to apply knowledge acquired in the course, but also aims to make a social contribution. Qualitative research methods were employed to study the engagement between the NPOs and the SMDP participants, the outcomes of the BDAL assignment and the perceived value created for the NPOs and SMDP participants. The research was not an evaluation of the BDAL assignment but drew on the information generated from the BDAL assignment to understand how value was generated through the process of business and NPOs working together. Value was generated for the NPOs through the relationship with the SMDP participants and the skills the SMDP participants employed during the collaboration. It was found, however, that the outcome was mostly generated on a strategic level for the NPO. But, as a result of a lack in capacity, the NPOs were not able to maximise the value from the BDAL assignment implementing it on an operational level. Where the SMDP participants were able to close the gap between the strategic and the operational level, through skills transfer and providing practical guidelines, the value increased significantly and operation efficiency increased. The findings on how value was generated through the BDAL assignment and the literature review formed the foundations for the guidelines that are provided for cross-sectoral collaboration, within the NPO landscape. Subsequently, the aim of the study is to enrich the cross-sectoral collaborations between NPOs and business, as well as the BDAL assignment and its outcomes.

ENGLISH ABSTRACT: On 27 September 2010, the much anticipated entry of Walmart to the South African retail sector was announced. Walmart Stores Incorporated publicised that they would make a non-binding offer of R148 per share for the entire number of Massmart Holding’s outstanding shares. The offer presented a premium of 19.2 percent and valued Massmart at R31 billion rand. Walmart later altered the offer to purchase 51 percent of the outstanding shares at the same offer price which Massmart consequently accepted. This concluded the largest investment by an American company, the tenth largest corporate transaction in South Africa and the fifth largest acquisition by Walmart. From a Massmart shareholders’ perspective, was it the correct decision to accept Walmart’s offer? Academic literature suggests that most mergers and acquisitions fail to live up to their expectations and ultimately fail to create shareholder value. Some of the most common reasons listed are the failure to determine the fair market value of an acquisition and engaging in mergers and acquisitions for the wrong reasons. Another common pitfall is that valuation methods in general do not link the company’s strategy to the valuation process, to assess the potential impact of the merger or acquisition on company performance. This case study based research report analyses the Walmart-Massmart acquisition to review Walmart’s offer price. The analysis links both companies’ business model and strategy to the valuation process, to determine the outcome on shareholder value within Massmart following the acquisition.

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

As the economy shifts from a heavy emphasis on defense science and technology to a focus on the application of innovation to commercial markets, decision makers are eager to learn how to shape successful university-industry partnerships. Given that the trend is toward greater numbers of relationships, this national survey project investigated whether scientists and administrators involved in university-industry cooperation share similar perspectives. It explored the benefits, conflicts and mechanisms related to collaborative activity, and sought to determine the implications for universities, industry, and policies directed towards this collaborative activity. Sponsored in part by the National Science Foundation, this study is one of the first to solicit responses from persons not involved in university-industry collaborative activity as well as from those who are. This research successfully captured three aspects of conflicts: conflict of interest, conflict of commitment and conflict over internal equity. The study found that conflict of interest turns on potential financial gain and revenue generating activities. Conflict of commitment is viewed in terms of responsibility and loyalty to the academic or industrial sector to which the individual belongs. Conflict over internal equity centers on traditional academic duties such as teaching and interaction with students. The primary benefits society will receive as a result of collaborative activity are new knowledge and know-how of new techniques and technologies. Regarding specific mechanisms preferred by survey respondents, collaborative universities and firms will rely heavily on conflict of interest policies guide appropriate activities. These should be specific enough to counsel an individual who has come to a decision point with regard to loyalties and at the same time be general enough to treat each collaborative endeavor on its unique merits. Regardless of the type of collaborative relationship in which academics become involved, the study found that decision makers should hold firm in their promotion of teaching and equitable treatment of students. In order to be true to their academic identity, university representatives should ensure the scale is tipped in favor of teaching, or delicately balanced so that teaching activities are equal to collaborative activities.

Transaction cost economics (TCE) theorists traditionally have classified transactions between firms as governed by either market or hierarchy. By assessing characteristics of the transaction - asset specificity, uncertainty, and frequency - firms choose the governance form which minimizes transaction costs, the costs of administering the business deal. During the 1980s, however, TCE has found itself unable to explain the proliferation of strategic alliances. These hybrid relationships seek the benefits of both markets and hierarchies, including quasi-integration, the control of assets without actual ownership. Further, hybrids tend to prefer trust-based relational contracting. TCE's acknowledgment of hybrids, however, raises other questions surrounding the behavioral assumptions which supposedly influence the transaction characteristic governance linkage. Various dissenting researchers have theorized that (1) trust is more dominant in business than opportunism (2) the behavioral assumptions actually function as variables in different contexts, and (3) trust offers an integration mechanism for behavioral variables.

This essay focuses on firms that have publicly issued announcements that they were seeking a buyer. Managers of the firms in this unique sample display an idiosyncratic behavior by expressing a willingness to relinquish private benefits of control. The essay investigates the possible factors that may lead managers of these firms to issue such announcements, the effects of issuing "seeking buyer" announcements on shareholders' wealth, and the probability that such firms are later acquired. Results indicate that firms in poor financial condition, as well as larger and more homogeneous firms are more likely to issue a "seeking buyer" announcement. The interpretation of such results is that firms resort to issuing the announcement when a sale seems to be the means for survival, and when the sale is less likely without such an aggressive sale strategy. The announcements have a positive impact on shareholders' wealth, though they do not increase the probability of an acquisition. Essay 2: Shifts in risk as the result of corporate divestitures. The second essay investigates the effect of corporate divestitures on risk, while previous research focused exclusively on changes in shareholders' wealth. Specifically, this study explores changes in systematic, total and idiosyncratic risk as the result of spin-offs, carve-outs and asset sales. Additionally, I study factors that may explain the variation in risk changes as the result of the three types of divestitures. I document an increase in total and idiosyncratic risk for all types of divestitures, an increase in one of the measures of systematic risk for spin-offs and carve-outs and a reduction in systematic risk for asset sales. Change in risk is negatively correlated with the degree of focusing as the result of divestitures, and positively correlated with change in financial leverage. / by Marya Murdock. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2010. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2010. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

As empresas enfrentam hoje um ambiente complexo e altamente competitivo, com os consumidores cada vez mais exigentes e os ciclos de vida dos produtos cada vez menores. Para reagir a estas forças, são necessárias mudanças radicais nas organizações, de forma a tornarem as empresas mais competitivas. Entretanto, os recursos e competências para que isto ocorra são frequentemente difíceis de serem obtidos por uma única empresa. Neste contexto, para se manterem competitivas, as empresas buscaram juntar esforços para conseguirem uma maior coordenação e colaboração entre os parceiros na cadeia de suprimentos em uma abordagem chamada Gerenciamento da Cadeia de Suprimentos (Supply Chain Management). Na literatura estudada, enquanto vários autores afirmaram que uma maior integração entre as empresas participantes de uma cadeia resulta em melhores desempenhos para estas empresas, outros mostraram que os benefícios dessa integração não puderam ser confirmados. Por outro lado, alguns autores afirmaram que os benefícios deveriam ocorrer por toda a cadeia e não apenas para algumas empresas participantes. Neste contexto, torna-se claro a importância da mensuração do desempenho, tanto das empresas como das cadeias as quais elas pertencem, e também relacioná-lo com o nível de integração da cadeia. Assim, este presente trabalho estudou a relação entre a integração da cadeia de suprimentos e o desempenho, tanto das empresas isoladamente quanto da cadeia como um todo, de empresas nacionais de grande porte. O presente estudo é do tipo quantitativo e descritivo, utilizando o método de levantamento (survey) transversal auto-administrado, onde o questionário ficou disponível on line. Foram estudadas 135 empresas, de 13 setores diferentes, selecionadas por uma amostragem não-probabilística por julgamento. Os dados obtidos foram analisados de duas formas: na primeira forma foi utilizada a Análise Fatorial (para reduzir os número de variáveis) seguido pela análise por Regressão Linear (para verificar a relação entre os constructos) e na segunda forma a análise foi realizada pela técnica de Modelagem de Equações Estruturais (Structural Equation Modeling - SEM). Foram propostas três hipóteses a serem verificadas - Hipótese 1 (H1): Existe uma relação positiva entre integração da cadeia de suprimentos e desempenho organizacional individual; Hipótese 2 (H2): Existe uma relação positiva entre integração da cadeia de suprimentos e desempenho global da cadeia de suprimentos e a Hipótese 3 (H3): Existe uma relação positiva entre desempenho organizacional individual e desempenho global da cadeia de suprimentos. Como resultado final, as três hipóteses foram confirmadas, tanto pela Análise de Regressão, quanto pela Modelagem de Equações Estruturais. Também verificou-se o comportamento dos três constructos de acordo com os setores estudados. Observou-se a existência de diferença de entre os setores apenas para o constructo \"integração da cadeia de suprimentos\". Assim, os setores estudados são estatisticamente semelhantes nos constructos \"desempenho individual\" e \"desempenho da cadeia de suprimentos\". / Today, companies face a complex and highly competitive environment, with consumers increasingly more demanding and products life cycles shrinking. To fight these forces, radical changes are needed in organizations in order to make companies more competitive. However, the resources and skills for this are often difficult to obtain by a single company. In this context, to remain competitive, companies have joined efforts to achieve greater coordination and collaboration among supply chain partners in an approach called Supply Chain Management. The literature, while several authors stated that further integration among the companies of a chain results in better performance for them, others have shown that the benefits of integration could not be confirmed. On the other hand, some authors stated that the benefits should occur throughout the chain and not just for some participating companies. In this context, it is clear the importance of performance measurement, both businesses and chains which they belong, and also relate it to the level of integration of the chain. Thus, this present work studied the relationship between supply chain integration and performance, both individually and corporate chain as a whole, of large national companies. This study is quantitative and descriptive, using the method of transverse self-administered survey, that the questionnaire was available online. We studied 135 companies from 13 different sectors, selected by a non-probability sampling for trial. Data obtained were analyzed in two ways: first a Factor Analysis was used (to reduce the number of variables) followed by linear regression analysis (to check the relationship between the constructs) and the second way the analysis was performed using the technique Structural Equation Modeling - SEM. We proposed three hypotheses to be verified - Hypothesis 1 (H1): There is a positive relationship between supply chain integration of organizational and individual performance; Hypothesis 2 (H2): There is a positive relationship between supply chain integration and overall performance of the chain supply and Hypothesis 3 (H3): There is a positive relationship between individual organizational performance and global performance of the supply chain. As a final result, the three hypotheses were confirmed, both by Regression Analysis, and by Structural Equation Modeling. It was observed the behavior of the three constructs according to the sectors studied. It was observed that there are differences between sectors only for the construct \"integration of the supply chain.\" Thus, the sectors studied are statistically similar in constructs \"individual performance\" and \"supply chain performance.\"