Purpose – The purpose of this study was twofold. First, we wanted to increase knowledge about what is important to address within an organization, when formulating and implementing a corporate sustainability strategy. Second, we wanted to explore how the level of achievement of corporate sustainability influences the ability of an organization to integrate sustainability within its own organization. Method – We used an abductive approach within this study. In total, we conducted 20 interviews which we analysed through a thematic analysis. We also conducted two surveys. Findings - We have found six crucial aspects that will affect the formulation and implementation of a corporate sustainability strategy; conceptual confusion, motivation, action, cooperation, guidelines, and communication. We have also found that all dimensions of sustainability need to be understood and incorporated into the organization, in order for a corporate sustainability strategy to have impact. Theoretical and practical contributions - We have contributed to previous literature by connecting the five stages of achieving corporate sustainability with obstacles and solutions within the phases of strategy formulation and implementation. Further, we have provided a framework that can be useful to organizations when trying to achieve corporate sustainability. Limitation of the study - We have only analysed four out of almost 60 savings banks in Sweden, and the ones part of this study is also part of a sustainability project. It is therefore of essence that another more expansive study is performed that integrates more savings banks.

The purpose of this thesis is to provide guidelines on how to align the business strategy and digital strategy in small and medium manufacturing enterprises. The research design includes a systematic-narrative literature review in which the data was collected through systematic and narrative examination followed by a qualitative analysis to identify themes and patterns. The data was then synthesised to present the results. To get the two strategies aligned, ten key processes, referred to in the study as direct-action points, have been identified. Few supporting points are presented in addition to the primary ones because they do not directly contribute to the alignment. An assessment of the company, businessperformance and value chain; the selection of appropriate solutions; the creation of a project proposal; the division of projects into modules; the setting of short-, medium-, and long-term goals; the choice of the degree of centralisation of the changes; the creation of a diverse team; the trackingand measuring of progress; the implementation of change management mechanisms, and management support are the processes that are involved. These aid in identifying and implementing the modifications the business needs to make, which may be related to a variety of things, including but not limited to customers, marketing, suppliers, logistics, and production. As validation of the study was outside the purview of this thesis, to externally validate this study, future work would involve interviewing executives of small and medium manufacturing enterprises. Prior research has noted the significance of business and digital strategy alignment, but it has not been explored how small and medium manufacturing firms might achieve this. This study tries to close this gap and could contribute to the possible growth of SMEs. Due to the fact that SMEs employ millions of people, their expansion promotes social and economic sustainability and boosts countries’ productivity. / <p>Problem Owner: Mattias Strand</p>

The study explores the role that the CEO plays in the facilitation of the Strategic Management Process (SMP) within the small and medium sized companies on the JSE with a turnover between R10 to R80 mil. In answering the question “Is the facilitation of the SMP vested in the CEO alone or does he/she share the overall responsibility with Executives, Functional Managers, Supervisors or Consultants? In response to this question the findings purport that the majority view (69%) strengthen the CEO’s influential role in the facilitation of the SMP. This was evident within the launching and growth phase of the company, where the owner plays a big role as the visionary and as there is no formal distinction between the facilitation and the SMP. In contrast, we have to acknowledge the minority view (31%) of CEO’s who engages Executives, Functional Managers, Supervisors, Consultants and other selected personnel in strategic discussions, in ways to leverage their perspective and insights and create shared meaning and ownership. This could be used to develop skills in facilitation, reaffirm team norms and develop agility to respond timeously and strategically to rapid change. This bridges the transition from the higher growth phase and lower maturity phase of the company. For that reason this will enhance decision making, creativity, collaboration, enumerate core values and stimulate growth within the company.

This thesis takes a step beyond the current discussion on hybrid competitive strategies (HS) by identifying the underlying mechanisms and common elements of successful hybrid strategies. Reviewing empirical and theoretical literature revealed a significant gap in this respect. Therefore, the activity-based view of strategy is introduced to the discussion on HS. In a first step, four consistent and sustainable HS concepts are developed providing the basis for deriving specific HS models. A second step identifies commonalities among these HS types and theoretically derives a synthesized, common HS model. Thirdly, the critical realist stance was selected for answering this thesis’ research questions addressing consistent HS concepts, implementations, common activities achieving external and internal fit, as well as common capabilities and resources supporting these activities. In a case study approach, semi-structured, open ended interviews combining appreciative and laddering methods are conducted with twelve interviewees from five firms. The separate analysis of ladder elements and ladders allowed distinguishing constitutional from relational elements. Based on this, fourth, an empirically revised research construct is substantiated. This research finds HS firms applying intended and consistent, but mixed strategy concepts based on generating high customer benefits through combining competitive weapons of differentiation and price or total customer cost. Moreover, HS concepts centre on three strategic building blocks: customer centricity, fulfilment of customer needs and employee orientation. Additionally, the research indicates that firms apply activities primarily for achieving fit. While all firms combine both views, no activities are directed to both fit types simultaneously. Activities deploy capabilities and resources in general on two adaptive and two absorptive mechanisms. Several practical implications derive from this thesis. First, firms can apply the synthesized model as a kind of ‘blueprint’ providing orientation for how to combine competitive advantages. Second, policy makers can apply the outcomes as principles steering firms or industries to ‘higher’ levels of performance. Last, firm managers can adapt their own as well as their firm’s behaviour accordingly.

While there have been studies on capital structure and corporate strategy, limited research has considered the unique characteristics that influence the capital structures and corporate strategies of Saudi Arabian manufacturing firms. This thesis, therefore, intends to enrich the literature that relates capital structure to corporate strategy in the Saudi context. Informed by the literature, this research has developed a theoretical framework to study the influence of corporate strategy on capital structure. The framework could be extended to other industries with similar characteristics in Saudi Arabia in addition to other countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council. A mixed methodology was adopted in this research that consists of quantitative analysis, supported by qualitative results where relevant. The findings of this thesis highlight three main points. First, the results on the determinants of capital structure demonstrate the significance of the cost of servicing debt, zakat, industry structures and the nature of assets in influencing leverage. The results indicate a negative relationship between leverage and profitability and a positive relationship between leverage and risk. Second, when considering the influence of stakeholders on capital structure, the evidence indicates that debt is strategically used as a disciplining device for managers. The findings also underline the importance of equity-holders and debt-holders, demonstrating that corporate attitudes towards debt could depend on ownership structures. Institutional and family ownership positively influence leverage. Government ownership is found to be insignificant. The results demonstrate that strong banking relationships and the availability of government loans lead to higher leverage. Limited evidence was found to support a relevant role for non-financial stakeholders. The thesis illustrates to managers the possible strategic considerations of capital structure decisions that go beyond the need for finance. Further, the evidence illustrates that Saudi bankruptcy laws require clarification and that disclosure rules ought to be more stringent.

Strategic management is concerned with the understanding, as well as choosing and implementing, the strategy or strategies that an organisation follows. It is a complex process which can be considered from a number of different perspectives. There is no single approach, model or theory to the management of strategic change. Pressures to change are always present in the form of opportunities and threats and managers must establish what approaches and decisions are likely to prove the most effective. The study was designed to help dental laboratory managers develop strategic awareness, to determine the issues and questions which must be addressed if changes in strategy are to be formulated and implemented effectively. The managerial and behavioural processes which take place within the laboratory in order that they can understand how changes come about are also discussed. Case studies of companies and dental laboratories are used jointly with the relevant literature to evaluate the theories and concepts of strategic management and implementation of change models provide a framework for evaluating how managers can reach their decisions and reach their objectives. The study has shown that the strategic ideas and methods used by private sector companies and discussed in the relevant literature can be adapted to provide a framework for managing the process of strategic change in a hospital dental laboratory.

In this thesis, the ten stocks with the highest dividend yield from the OMXS30 have been used to construct a portfolio, a strategy called The Dogs of the Dow. The portfolio was equally weighted and rebalanced every year. The purpose of this thesis is to see how the strategy would perform in terms of return and risk compared to the market. To define the market two indexes were used, OMXSPI and OMXSGI, which excludes and includes dividends respectively. A low dividends portfolio was also used as a benchmark. Though beating the market some individual years and showing a tendency of performing better in an up-going market, the strategy's average annual return of 9.69 percent for the whole period only beat one of the benchmarks. The strategy's risk was fairly similar to the market risk hence, it does not compensate the lower return with lower risk. The Sharpe ratio showed that the Dogs of the Dow portfolio had the best risk adjusted return in only two out of the eleven years. This points towards the conclusion that the strategy would not have performed better, overall, compared to the benchmarks between the years of 2005 and 2015.

The purpose of this study is to explore teaching approaches used by a middle school dance teacher who promotes children’s engagement in dance and enhances their enjoyment of dancing. The study uses both ethnography and autoethnography research approaches. The goals of the research were; (a) to explore the connection between the dance teacher’s and my own joy of doing and learning dance from our personal narratives that chart our life trajectories into becoming dance teachers, and (b) to explore how a middle school dance teacher in a Canadian Middle School teaches dance as she tries to enable all the children in her classes to enjoy and want to engage in dance. The focus research question in this study was “How do dance teachers engage children and enable all children in school to enjoy dance?” This research drew on flow, process and happiness theories. As the researcher I observed two dance classes (grade 6 and 8), over a twelve week period, noting the teacher’s and her students' behaviors. In addition, I interviewed (1) the dance teacher prior and after the dance classes, and (2) two students from each class in relation to observed classes. The findings from the ethnography offered emerging themes on how to engage students in dance, that included, (1) purposeful pedagogy, (2) creating trust, (3) within and between groups for each other, (4) encouraging quality movements, and (5) addressing shy, nervous and resistant students. The autoethnography insights allowed themes to emerged from the teacher’s personal background, in particular in relation to her joy in performing dance at festivals and in her desire to encourage her own children (three young boys) to engage in dance. The key findings from interviewing the students was that they felt involved by creating their own dance, enjoyed working in groups which were mixed gender but where they could choose which group to be in, and where able to create a dance festival performance. Selecting a dance style, music and costume, all motivated the students for the final performance. / Graduate / 0273 / 0533 / 0727 / elenakunliu@gmail.com

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: When we consider the total number of complaints, which have been used in the selected Tshivenda dramas, we find that the drama ZWO ITWA has the most complaints. i.e. 24.8% of complaints in the six books. The drama VHD LU FUKULA also has a high number of complaints i.e. 20.8% of all the complaints. In the analysis of complaints in selected Tshivenda dramas, eight strategies were considered. It frequently happened that more than one strategy was used in individual complaints. On average, 2.1 to 1.7 strategies appear in a complaint with an average of 1.9 strategies per complaint. With regard to the analysis of individual strategies in all books, we find that indirect accusation has the highest frequency i.e. 35.7%. This refers to an accusation in which the complainer wants to find out whether the hearer may be the potential agent of the complaint. Thus, the complainer does not directly accuse the hearer of the complaint. The study also reveals that characters like using strategies which are less direct and less face threatening. The strategies which appeared most frequently in of each book are annoyance, indirect accusation, ill consequences and explicit blame on behaviour (action). When we consider the total number of responses, which have been used in all the dramas, the study shows that ZWO ITWA has the most responses i.e. 22.6% of all the responses to the complaints in the six books. The drama VHD LU FUKULA also has a high frequency of responses i.e. 20.5% of all responses. Out of the six types of responses that were identified, question has the highest frequency of 37.3%. It also became clear in this study that some of the questions were used to object. The response, which also has high frequency, is contradiction. This response has a percentage of 21.2% of the total responses. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Wanneer die totale getal klagtes in die geselekteerde Tshivenda dramas oorweeg word, vind ons dat 2WO ITWA die meeste klagtes het, naamlik 24.8% van die klagtes in die ses boeke. Die drama VHO LU FUKULA het ook 'n groot aantal klagtes, naamlik 20.8% van al die klagtes. In die analise van klagtes in die geselekteerde Tshivenda dramas is agt strategieë oorweeg. Dit gebeur dikwels dat meer as een strategie gebruik is in individuele klagtes. Vanaf 2.1 tot 1.7 strategieë verskyn in 'n klagte met 'n gemiddelde van 1.9 strategieë per klagte. Ten opsigte van die analise van individuele strategieë in al die boeke is gevind dat indirekte beskuldiging die hoogste frekwensie het, naamlik 35.7%. Dit verwys na 'n beskuldiging waarin die klaer wil uitvind of die hoorder die potensiële agent van die klagte is. Dus, die klaer beskuldig nie die hoorder direk oor die klagte nie. Die studie toon ook dat karakters daarvan hou om strategieë te gebruik wat minder direk is en nie 'n persoon se selfbeeld aantas nie. Die strategieë met die hoogste frekwensie in elke boek is ergernis, indirekte beskuldiging, nadelige gevolge en eksplisiete blaam op die gedrag (handeling). Ten opsigte van die totale getal response die klagtes in die betrokke dramas, het die studie getoon dat ZWO ITWA die meeste response het, naamlik 22.6% van al die response op klagtes in die ses boeke. Die drama VHO LU FUKULA het ook 'n hoë frekwensie reaksies, naamlik 20.5%. Van die 6 tipes reaksies het die vraag die hoogste frekwensie, naamlik 37.3%. Dit is ook duidelik dat sommige vrae gaan oor objeksies. 'n Respons wat ook 'n hoë frekwensie het, is teenstelling naamlik 21.2% van alle response.

ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The importance of strategy execution in an organisation cannot be downplayed because without it the sustainability of the organisation is at stake. Merely having great strategies is not sufficient as the implementation is the key to direct the activities of the organisation. Middle management plays a central role in strategy execution and any disconnect between them and the top management is bound to lead to organisational failure of effective strategy execution. This research study was based on the role that middle management play in the execution of strategy at the Roads Authority (RA). Semi-structured interviews were used to interview ten middle managers of the organisation, who were randomly selected through purposive sampling. The findings reveal that middle management is failing to play the requisite role of interpreting and translating strategy into actions. The findings further indicate that there is a leadership disconnect between them and their supervisors. They are also facing challenges of questionable strategy alignment within the operations which is causing ineffective resource allocation. In addition, the results indicate that the enabling tools such as the performance management, business systems and allocation of resources are falling short of assisting middle managers in strategy implementation. Lastly, these findings can assist the case study organisation to understand the strategic transformation process at middle management level and to review it for improving and to take corrective actions. The research study was an explorative one and used a limited sample, hence it will be necessary to do further research to get more insights about the potential roles that middle management could play in strategy formulation and the contributions they currently make towards it. The findings of this study can also not be generalised as they are for use only by the case study organisation.