Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.

Submitted by William Justo Figueiro (williamjf) on 2015-06-29T21:41:13Z No. of bitstreams: 1 55.pdf: 2692429 bytes, checksum: f93c564b596e3eb883b24495f89a5a7c (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-06-29T21:41:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 55.pdf: 2692429 bytes, checksum: f93c564b596e3eb883b24495f89a5a7c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-03-28 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / O fenômeno da “nova economia” – combinação da globalização com a velocidade da alta tecnologia – insere no ambiente empresarial um conjunto de complexidades do ponto de vista da gestão. Primeiramente, com o aumento de competidores (aumento da oferta), em função da globalização, e a não correspondência de aumento em termos de mercado consumidor (demanda), as organizações tendem a ampliar sua gama de produtos ofertados ao mercado para conseguir aumento de escala de produção. Além disso, com a difusão da informação, propiciada também pela ”nova economia”, as melhores práticas, em termos conceituais, estão acessíveis a todos. A diferença, portanto, entre sistemas produtivos e organizações pode não estar nas práticas e técnicas em si, mas, em como essas são entendidas a partir da concepção de distintas estratégias de produção. O referencial teórico busca apresentar os principais aspectos teóricos acerca da estratégia de produção: i) competitividade; ii) estratégia competitiva; iii) níveis estratégicos; iv) estratégia de produção; v) dimensões competitivas; vi) modelos de concepção de estratégia de produção; vii) Fábricas Focalizadas; e viii) Unidades Estratégicas de Negócios (UENs). Visando a enriquecer os conceitos pesquisados, a pesquisa apresenta proposições teóricas a partir da literatura anteriormente analisada: i) Subunidades Estratégicas de Negócios (SubUENs); ii) comparações entre os conceitos de FFs, UENs e SubUENs; iii) análise de resultados por SubUEN; e iv) aspectos econômicos da estratégia. A partir desde cenário, o presente trabalho propõe um método geral para auxiliar na concepção da estratégia de produção das empresas. No entanto, a partir da percepção do aumento da diversificação das linhas de produtos nas empresas e da decorrente ampliação da complexidade de gestão nas mesmas, percebe-se uma lacuna nos conceitos existentes no âmbito da estratégia de produção e se propõe a adoção do conceito de SubUENs. Assim, a proposta desta pesquisa é desenvolver um método que, com a adoção do conceito de SubUEN, possa contribuir para a construção da estratégia de produção alinhando as dimensões econômico-financeira, mercadológica e produtiva das empresas industriais. O método de pesquisa foi o Design Research, e a etapa empírica do trabalho foi realizada em empresa do setor metal-mecânico, localizada em Caxias do Sul (RS). O método proposto teve como base cinco fontes de informação: i) os conceitos existentes no âmbito da estratégia de produção; ii) proposições teóricas da pesquisa; iii) conhecimento empírico de um grupo de especialistas, que avaliou o método antes de sua aplicação; iv) contribuição dos profissionais da empresa e do próprio pesquisador a partir da aplicação do método; e v) a avaliação do método a partir da aplicação do mesmo em ambiente empresarial. Ao término do estudo, chegou-se a uma proposta final de método que está disponível para novas aplicações. / The so-called “new economy” – a combination of globalization with the speed of high technology – enter the business environment a set of complexities in terms of management. First, with the increase of competitors (increasing supply), due to globalization, and the mismatch in terms of increase of consumer market (demand), organizations tend to expand their range of products offered to the market to achieve scale-up production. Moreover, with the dissemination of information, made possible also by the “new economy”, best practices, in conceptual terms, are accessible to all. The difference therefore between systems and organizations may not be in the practices and techniques themselves, but rather in how these are understood from the design of different production strategies. The theoretical framework seeks to present the main theoretical aspects concerning the production strategy: i) competitiveness, ii) competitive strategy, and iii) strategic levels, iv) production strategy; v) competitive dimensions vi) design models of manufacturing strategy; vii) Focused Factories and viii) Strategic Business Units (SBUs). To enrich the concepts surveyed the research presents theoretical propositions from the literature reviewed above: i) Strategic Business SubUnits (SubSUBs), ii) comparisons between the concepts of Focused Factories, SBUs and SubSUBs iii) analysis of results by SubSBU and iv) economic aspects of the strategy. Starting from scenario, this research proposes a general method to assist in designing the production strategy of the enterprises. However, from the perception of increased diversification of product lines within companies and the consequent expansion of the complexity of managing the same, a gap was perceived in the existing concepts in the context of manufacturing strategy and proposes the adoption of the concept of SubSBUs. Thus, the purpose of this research is to develop a method that, by adopting the concept of SubSUBs could contribute to the construction of manufacturing strategy by aligning the economic-financial, marketing and production of industrial companies. The research method was the Design Research, and the stage of empirical research was conducted in a company of the metal-mechanic located in Caxias do Sul (RS). The proposed method was based on five sources of information: i) the existing concepts in the context of manufacturing strategy, ii) theoretical propositions of the research; iii) empirical knowledge of an expert group that evaluated the method before its application; iv) contribution of professionals in the company and the researcher from applying the method and v) the evaluation method from the application of it in a business environment. At the end of the research was a proposal to end the method that is available for new applications.

Microfinance institutions have evolved as an economic development tool intended to benefit low-income people. The benefit, however, can only be achieved if the institutions have a good financial and outreach performance. This study has three objectives. The first objective is to assess the influences of informal and formal institutions and their interrelationships on the practical operational arrangement of Village Credit Institutions of Bali (Lembaga Perkreditan Desa or LPD). Second, to evaluate the financial performance and outreach indicators of the institutions and to assess the influence of informal and formal institution on the sustainability of the institutions, which has received little attention from previous studies. Finally, to outline some elements of a strategic business plan for two selected village credit institutions (LPDs) in Gianyar district, LPD Mas and LPD Kerta. By using a case study approach, this study finds that the informal institutions (such as social values, norms, and sanctions) have significant influences on the practical arrangements of the LPDs, including the organisation, recruitment procedure, delivery mechanism, and remuneration system. Along with the influence of informal institutions, the formal institutions have also had some direct influences on the practical operational arrangements of the LPDs that are reflected in the supervision and guidance system of LPDs, an obligation to apply prudential principles of banking, and the remuneration system. The findings also show that the local government regulations (formal institutions) concerning the LPDs have accommodated the informal institutions of the Balinese in the background of their establishment, status and ownership, and organisation of the LPDs. Based on the performance indicators - portfolio quality, leverage, capital adequacy ratio (CAR), productivity, efficiency, profitability, self-sufficiency, and outreach � the LPDs in Gianyar district could be considered as success microfinance institutions. The success is influenced by some important factors. First, the use of local people in managing the LPDs and the application of character-based lending system in screening the clients. This has resulted in a high clients� sense of belonging and moral obligation to support the development of the LPD Second, the use of social (custom) sanctions in the contractual enforcement has forced the borrowers to comply with their credit contract in a timely fashion. Third, the use of local community personnel whose remuneration is based on performance and low transaction costs has resulted in the high efficiency of LPDs. Fourth, a growing economy and supporting government policy at all levels through provision of a legal basis for the LPDs and the Central Bank regulation (formal institutions) have also contributed to the success of the LPDs. Thus, based on the necessary conditions of sustainable microfinance institution proposed by some scholars(Yaron 1994; Christen 1998), it can be concluded that the Gianyar district LPDs have been sustainable, and by that implication they have positive net social benefits for their clients. Any attempt, however, to replicate the achievements of the LPDs by imitating its mode of operations should be conducted with great caution. A mechanism that works well in one socioeconomic environment (in this instance, in Bali) will not necessarily work in another, where the social system including social norms and values are different. But, the experience of the LPDs is a valuable thing since it has highlighted some critical issues that should be considered when handling the complex issue providing financial services to rural people.

The growth of competition, the opening of the markets and the expansion of the education section provide new challenges in the administration of the school institutions. There is also the aspect of quality improvement of public institutions, because of the increase of governments' investments in their education system. According to this reality, it is necessary to change some concepts, which consider that companies or institutions of the same branch of performance should be competitive; on the contrary , they should adopt strategies and united actions, for acting in the Cooperation Net . For Sinodal schools of the Northwest Region of Rio Grande do Sul state, this need is evidenced, reasons for which this present research looked for analyzing the strategical-enterprise factors of competitiveness of 5 Sinodal schools of the Northwest Region of RS, through the application of researches among their managers and among the external customers of their schools. In the methodology, the approach method and procedures were used, and techniques of direct and indirect documentation. The study was descriptive, and the approaches used in the research were the qualitative and the quantitative. Among the researched aspects, it was looked for evaluating the largest "gaps" (intervals) with the research of the managers and the research with the external customers (parents or responsible), which were identified and analyzed. It was also evaluated the aspects considered as load points and about weak points of the Sinodal schools, in each school, and jointly. In the analysis of the group of schools, it is ended that the same ones influence their customers, mainly, for the quality of the teaching and the teachers' qualification, for the pedagogic and curricular proposal, for the efficiency of the teaching and for the extracurricular options of courses. In the managers' optics, they judge that their external customers opt for the school that is driven by them, mainly, for the efficiency and quality of teaching and the teachers' qualification, for the preference of private school, for the extra-curricular options of courses, for the pedagogic and curricular proposals and for community insert. The result of the analyses addresses for which strategic-business factors of competitiveness need to be potentiated, so that those schools can adopt, hereafter, strategies and actions as Cooperation Net. / O crescimento da concorrência, a abertura dos mercados e a expansão do setor educacional proporcionam novos desafios na gestão das instituições escolares. Há ainda o aspecto da melhoria da qualidade das instituições públicas, em virtude do aumento de investimentos dos governos no seu sistema educacional. Para fazer frente a essa realidade é preciso mudar-se alguns conceitos, os quais consideram que empresas ou instituições do mesmo ramo de atuação devem ser concorrentes; ao contrário, devem adotar estratégias e ações conjuntas, para atuarem em Rede de Cooperação. Para as escolas sinodais da Região Noroeste do RS, essa necessidade evidencia-se, razão pela qual a presente pesquisa buscou analisar os fatores de competitividade estratégico-empresariais de cinco escolas sinodais da Região Noroeste do RS, através da aplicação de pesquisas entre seus gestores e entre os clientes externos de suas escolas. Na metodologia, utilizou-se o método de abordagem e de procedimentos, e técnicas de documentação direta e indireta. O estudo foi o descritivo e as abordagens utilizadas na pesquisa foram a qualitativa e a quantitativa. Dentre os aspectos pesquisados, buscou-se avaliar os maiores gaps (intervalos) entre a pesquisa com os gestores e a pesquisa com os clientes externos (pais ou responsáveis), os quais foram identificados e analisados. Avaliaram-se também, os aspectos considerados como pontos fortes e como pontos fracos das escolas sinodais, por escola e conjuntamente. Na análise do conjunto das escolas, conclui-se que as mesmas influenciam seus clientes, principalmente pela qualidade do ensino e qualificação dos professores, pela proposta pedagógica e curricular, pela eficiência do ensino e pelas opções extracurriculares de cursos. Na ótica dos gestores, os mesmo julgam que seus clientes externos optam pelas escolas que dirigem, principalmente pela eficiência e qualidade do ensino e qualificação dos professores, pela preferência por escola particular, pelas opções extracurriculares de cursos, pela proposta pedagógica e curricular e pela inserção comunitária. O resultado das análises direciona para quais fatores de competitividade estratégico-empresariais precisam ser potencializados, para que essas escolas possam adotar, futuramente, estratégias e ações como Rede de Cooperação.

The proposition of company KERAMIS koupelny s.r.o. strategic business activities are the graduation thesis topic. I worked individual strategic analyses (PEST analysis, 5 powers Porter's model, value deskriptor analysis, financial analysis and SWOT analysis) and I designated concrete stability strategy on the basis of analyses results in relation to marketing, R&D, human resources, finance and products. According to my investigations the firm should continue in its business branch and shouldn't broaden its business in whole building industries. The firm hat to decrease its indebtedness, search all the time new product suppliers, who offer better trading conditions and new products, endeavour to canvass exclusive dealership in the region and financially motivate staffs depending on their staff productivity. Further I advise 3D graphics computer software and delivery van buying and investment in websites optimalization (SEO). The future firm progression depends on financial resources sufficiency and subsequent occasions realization.

This thesis deals with the analysis of two strategic business units of the company Lexmark and based on this analysis I recommend which SBU should continue in operation and which one should be closed. As a tool for recommendation I use the general company environment analysis by the MAP method, the industrial environment analysis applying Porter´s model with the ETOP method, the analysis of internal factors by the SAP method and the stakeholders analysis. I use the SWOT analysis for summarization. The first part is dedicated to the theory of strategic management. The next part is practical. I present the company Lexmark, describe the analysis and summarize the analysis results. I recommend the company restructuralization based on the analysis including the expectations of restructuralization, cost savings and cost, with focus on the critical factors and the process of restructuralization.

Strategic management is one of the foundation stones of every successful company. This thesis occupies with a proposal of competitive strategy for a strategic business unit of a company that operates on the information technologies and relative services market. The key part of this thesis is strategic analysis of above mentioned strategic business unit. The analysis is aimed on the external as well as on the internal environment of given strategic business unit. The aim of the work is to secure a competitive advantage through the suitable competitive strategy.

The master's thesis is focused on development strategy of a small company. The strategic analysis included in this thesis shows the company’s position on the market. The thesis provides a complex strategy of further development according to the analysis results, the corporate vision and the strategic objectives of the company. The strategy includes the aspects of functional strategies, concrete proposal of solutions and schedule of its implementation.

Syftet med denna studie är att öka medvetenheten kring vilka resurser som är viktiga för att småföretag inom detaljhandeln ska överleva i Visby Innerstad. Vidare avser studien att delge tankar kring handeln i Visby innerstad utifrån den lokala konsumentens perspektiv. Studien har för avsikt att undersöka vilka resurser som ägarna till respektive småföretag anser viktiga för företagets överlevnad. Studien avser även att ta del av den lokala konsumentens tankar kring handeln i innerstan.   Det empiriska materialet består dels av nio djupgående semistrukturerade intervjuer med ägare till småföretag, dels av två fokusgrupper med totalt tio lokala konsumenter. I resultatet framkommer att butikernas kunder, läge, ägare och personal är de resurser som ägarna anser vara de mest centrala för att överleva i Visby innerstad. Ägarna ser turister och lokala kundrelationer som centrala delar inom immateriella resurser. Gotland är en dyr turistdestination vilket leder till att många av turisterna har ett stort finansiellt kapital. Enligt ägarna är det viktigt att lokala kunder förstår att de gör skillnad för småföretagen när de handlar i butikerna.    Inom materiella resurser anses läget vara mest betydelsefullt. Ägarna anser att det är fördelaktigt med en butik belägen i Visby innerstad medan konsumenterna anser att butikerna ligger avsides. Ägarnas åsikter kring vart i innerstan det är mest fördelaktigt att ha en butik skiljer sig åt, där en ägare menar att det är fördelaktigt med ett läge där det går färre människor. En annan ägare betonar att det vore fördelaktigt ifall butiken var belägen vid ett gångstråk. Ägarna och personalen framkom som centrala delar inom mänskliga resurser. Personalen är en meningsfull tillgång men det är ägaren som driver företaget framåt. Eftersom alla människor besitter olika kunskaper innebär det att ägare och personal kompletterar varandra. Konsumenterna poängterar att personalen som arbetar i butikerna i innerstan är mer personliga samt ger en högre service än vad som upplevs i butikskedjor. / The purpose of this study is to increase the awareness for which resources play an important role in the survival of small retail businesses in the inner city in Visby. This is done through investigating the business owner and consumer perspectives.    The empirical material is based on nine in-depth semi-structured interviews with business owners, and two focus groups conducted with a total of ten local consumers. The results show that the business’s customers, the store’s location, the owner, and the employees are the foremost resources. The owners see the tourists and local customers as important resources. Gotland is an expensive tourist destination, attracting financially strong tourists. Nevertheless, the owners emphasize the importance of the local customers who make a significant contribution when they shop in central Visby.   All owners see an advantage to being located in the inner city, whereas local customers consider it somewhat inconvenient. The owners disagreed on whether it is best to be on a busy versus low traffic inner-city location. The owners see their own role as important for survival; they develop the business. They see the personnel as important as well because they bring complementary skills and knowledge to the business. In the focus groups, the customers emphasized the superior personal service they experience from inner-city stores, much above what they experience in chain stores.

Submitted by Silvana Teresinha Dornelles Studzinski (sstudzinski) on 2016-07-18T18:26:58Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Rafael Kreling_.pdf: 3132334 bytes, checksum: c0e4ea129a81ca3c0ede5f40c054bc30 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-18T18:26:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Rafael Kreling_.pdf: 3132334 bytes, checksum: c0e4ea129a81ca3c0ede5f40c054bc30 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-03-31 / Nenhuma / A literatura de Estratégia de Produção, que aborda desde o conceito de Unidades Estratégicas de Negócio (UEN), passando pelas diferentes Dimensões da Competição, evoluindo também para o conceito de Fábrica Focada de Skinner e culminando na definição das diferentes técnicas e práticas de produção que alavancam cada uma das Dimensões Competitivas, é ampla. Porém, quando o objetivo é determinar quais técnicas priorizar diante de um rol grande de opções, este tema já é mais restrito. A lacuna que existe pode ser resumida na seguinte pergunta: diante de uma situação real específica, haveria um método que auxiliasse na escolha da(s) técnica(s) mais adequada(s) a se adotar? Essa pesquisa propõe-se a preencher esta lacuna, sugerindo um método que direcione a tomada de decisão do usuário na definição das técnicas de produção mais adequadas a serem adotadas em sua realidade industrial específica. A pesquisa se concentrou no estudo literário individual das técnicas de produção que eram comuns aos autores que as estudaram, destacando as contribuições de Antunes Júnior (2013), Pacheco (2012) e Ghinato (2000). O método proposto teve a crítica de cinco especialistas acadêmicos/profissionais do tema, tendo posteriormente a aplicação junto a um gestor industrial de uma empresa. O método de pesquisa adotado foi o Design Research. O método final proposto, que auxilia na seleção das técnicas de produção mais alinhadas à realidade de aplicação, procurou avançar mais um passo no desdobramento da Estratégia de Produção, apoiando gestores industriais na adoção de técnicas e práticas, segundo suas principais demandas e condições específicas vividas. Esta customização de um pacote genérico de opções de técnicas e práticas para a realidade específica se demonstrou adequada na aplicação do método. Para trabalhos futuros, se recomenda a pesquisa de técnicas para os tipos de sistemas produtivos distintos aos direcionados desta pesquisa, assim como outras abordagens, às quais as técnicas pertencem, sejam incorporadas. / The manufacturing strategy literature is very wide and approaches concepts such as Strategic Business Units (SBU) and Competitive Dimensions, evolves towards the concept of Focused Factory by Skinner and culminates in the definition of different techniques, systems and tools that leverage each Competitive Dimension. However, the literature is much more restricted when it comes to determining which particular manufacturing technique should be adopted among different possibilities. Its gap can be summarized in the following question: in a given real situation, is there a method that could help choose the most appropriate technique(s) to adopt? This work aims at filling this gap by proposing a method which directs decision-making when one needs to define the most appropriate production technique(s) to be adopted within a specific industrial reality. The research focused on the individual literature review of the production techniques that were common to the authors that studied them, especially the contributions from Antunes Júnior (2013), Pacheco (2012) and Ghinato (2000). The proposed method underwent the critical analysis from five academic/professional specialists, followed by an experimental application carried out by an industrial manager. The research method adopted is called Design Research. The final method proposed assists its user to select the production techniques that are best aligned with a given application reality. It seeks to go one step further in unfolding Production Strategy by supporting industrial managers to adopt techniques and practices that meet their main demands and specific conditions experienced in their daily routines. This customization of a generic package of techniques and practices for the specific reality has proven to be suitable in the method application. For future studies, it is recommended research on techniques for different types of production systems not covered in this research, as well as other approaches, which the techniques belong to, should be incorporated.