This study describes a sustainable empowerment process used to mobilise, capacitate and sustainably empower communities.An approach to unlock the potential of the high number of unemployed youth within the emerging markets was investigated. These unemployed youth do not have the correct skills, experience and opportunities to become productive citizens of a country. This research looked at methods used to enable the youth to contribute sustainably to the formal economy as a key to empowering the community.The success factors for community empowerment and the contributions made by stakeholders were explored.The research was based on exploratory research of a South African company, Next S and their operations within local communities. Next S was used because of their innovative and dynamic operations and long history with community projects. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

In light of the global mining industry’s record profits in 2011, this inquiry explored the institutional drivers of mining multinational’s subsidiaries overall performance. Using a lens of institutional theory, this inquiry explored why the subsidiaries of emerging mining multinationals have outperformed the subsidiaries of developed mining multinationals in emerging markets.The inquiry used Mann-Whitney U hypothesis testing to compare the financial performance of 46 emerging mining subsidiaries and 39 developed mining subsidiaries. The inquiry ran eight multiple regression models to test subsidiary performance variables against institutional variables obtained from the 2011/2012 Fraser Institute annual survey of mining companies.The findings support and add to the institutional and international business literature. Emerging multinational enterprises and their subsidiaries possess dynamic institutional capabilities which allows them to better manage institutional uncertainty than developed multinational enterprises and their subsidiaries in emerging markets. An institutional development model has been developed to assist managers of multinational enterprises reduce their institutional uncertainty in emerging markets. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

Institutional voids are increasingly gaining precedence and research attention due to the increased participation of developing countries in global markets (Mair&Marti, 2009). This theory focuses on the identification of weaknesses in institutions and how these voids result in ineffective functioning of emerging markets (Mair&Marti, 2009). In this study, focus is on collaboration as a strategy used by the emerging markets to overcome the absence of institutional and regulatory frameworks, prevalent in their capital, labour and product markets.Forty (40) South African small-medium enterprises were analysed to determine what the priority collaborative benefits are for firms operating in the emerging market context. The research shows that in emerging markets, collaboration benefits are based on a need to overcome institutional voids i.e. to reduce the costs and risks associated with weak institutions. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

Multinational corporations operating in emerging markets have to be able to operate within the institutional context of those markets. Emerging markets institutions are mostly in transition or remain undeveloped and create a variety of institutional voids. International Business scholars have also been grappling with understanding how multinational corporations deal with liability of foreignness in the host environments in which they operate. The research canvassed the views from multinationals operating in South Africa as an emerging market. This study relies on institutional theory to understand how the institutional voids in emerging markets create specific liabilities of foreignness for the multinational corporations. How multinational corporations respond to these liabilities of foreignness is investigated. / Mini Dissertation (MPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2019. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / MPhil (International Business) / Unrestricted

In recent years, diversification has become a common strategy used by companies in emerging markets. It is believed that diversification operations could help firms get better performance and gain higher profits from a larger internal market. However, contradictory results reveal that diversification empirically hurts firm value and other studies show the relationship between diversification and firm performance is complicated that should be studied in separate industries. The opinion is inconclusive on this topic. This study developed a performance index to see how diversification impact on various perspectives of firm performance. Conclusions as follow. International diversification has a positive correlation with firm performance in several aspects whereas industrial diversification helps firms’ developing ability. However, due to the unavailability of long-term data, we can not rule out the possibility that well-performed firms go for international diversification. Besides, The relationship between diversification and firm performance affected by different industries. The agricultural and natural resource firms tend to exceed manufacturing firms in the efficiency aspects whereas manufacturing companies tend to have advantages in the sustainability aspect compared to service firms. There is also evidence showing that the largest shareholders’ holdings rates have a positive impact on firm performance and state-owned rate has a negative relation with firm performance.

The research problem of this project is to investigate if, and how, Birkinshaw and Bouquet‟s model of subsidiary attention seeking by means of weight and voice needs to be modified for MNC subsidiaries operating in emerging markets. The qualitative research technique used for this research was the multiple-case study method. Key findings are that weight is moderated by institutional environments and voice by national culture in emerging markets. Recommendations are made to assist managers of subsidiaries in increasing weight and voice in emerging markets in order to gain more attention from Corporate Headquarters. Copyright / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

This paper aims to measure, compare and model Sovereign Risk. The risk position of South Africa compared to Emerging Markets as well as in comparison to Developed Markets is considered. Particular interest is taken in how the South African Sovereign Risk environment, and its associated determinants, differs and conforms to that of other Emerging Markets. This effectively highlights how the South African economy is similar to the Emerging Markets and where it behaves differently. Regression, optimisation techniques, dimension reduction techniques as well as Machine Learning techniques, through the use of sentiment analysis, is utilised in this research.

This paper explored the requirements and subsequent competencies needed for an emerging market SME to operate in the developed markets on design, development and manufacturing projects. This was analysed by first exploring the differences in the requirements of the two markets and then determining what competencies a typical SA company would have to acquire to be competitive in the DM. The case was explored through a study of an SA SME operating in the design and development market, who was in the process of internationalising into the US and European markets. Data was gathered through a desk analysis of specifications from each market as well as in-depth interviews with the firm’s key decision makers and customers from each market. The first outcome was that there was a difference in the requirements of the two markets, namely the level of detail and sophistication of the DM specifications, the greater need for a competitive product in the DMs, both in pricing and functionality, the requirement for socially ethical practices and that EMF products need to overcome the negative COO effects. The final outcome was that EM SME’s needed to improve on their current competency set, namely an adaptation of the development process, sourcing practices and improvement in technical competencies. The firm also developed a method of introducing their product to the DM, such that the COO effect was reduced. This was done through the use of SA OEM’s and DM MNE’s supplying SA. Copyright / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

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Many studies have recognised the importance of a variety of factors in the internationalisation of firms. Only a few, however, have attempted to integrate these factors into a comprehensive framework. In this study, taking the network approach as its main analytical foundation, an integrative theoretical framework is developed and tested empirically to assess the impact of a wide range of factors on the internationalisation of firms. The internationalisation phenomenon is examined in a more comprehensive manner than in many previous studies, as a two-sided process of both inward and outward international operations. Using logistic regressions in the analysis of empirical evidence gathered through a national survey sample of 148 Brazilian software firms, the theoretical framework proposed in this study obtained substantial support. The findings expand previous knowledge through a comprehensive explanation that incorporates determinant factors from four distinct dimensions ¿ contextual, organisational, network, and entrepreneurial ¿ in examining the internationalisation of firms from emerging markets. The findings indicate that business networks are indeed strategic mechanisms for a firm in developing its internationalisation trajectory, as hypothesised. The results of this research suggest that studies based on the business-network model of internationalisation can no longer ignore the impact of other factors at the contextual, organisational, and entrepreneurial level. Incorporating these elements into research that seeks to explain the internationalisation of firms could provide a more sophisticated understanding through new insights and allow scholars to go beyond one-dimensional and static theorising. / Brazilian Support Service for Micro and Small Enterprises