To align firm strategy with the changing environment has always been a challenge for executives. The business literature consists of different perspectives on how to solve the problem and whether to resist change, adapt or do both at the same time. Each got their own implications, inertia could lead to rigidness, adaptability might negatively influence reliability and ambidexterity is seen as a combination of both. The core is exploiting present capabilities meanwhile exploring future opportunities. To study these notions we have conducted a cross-sectional study including four Swedish service-firms which operates in either a stable or dynamic environment. Executives were interviewed and asked to elaborate on their strategies. By doing this we were able to construct a model who suggests when to adapt, when to resist change depending on environmental stability. We also observed that capital- and knowledge-intensity has been somewhat neglected in previous research and could be studied further.

Federal downsizing and reduced appropriations within the USDA Forest Service (USFS) have resulted in increased use of partnerships to deliver visitor services. Partnerships are the relationships in which two or more parties combine resources (e.g., funds, labor, information, skills) to accomplish a shared objective. Examples of USFS recreation partners include individual volunteers, professional contractors, and concessionaires. Partnerships provide a variety of services that may be otherwise neglected with fiscal constraints; for example, campground hosts, trail maintenance crews, and specialized recreation outfitters and guides provide visitor services the public desires. Although previous studies and USFS Accomplishment Reports indicate that partners are being used to deliver recreation services, there is a lack of understanding concerning the structure and function of these relationships. This thesis presents data from the second phase of a multi-phase study exploring the role of recreation partnerships on national forests. Using grounded theory, Phase I gathered and analyzed semi-structured interview data with key informants (n = 21). From these interviews, a conceptual framework of USFS recreation partnerships evolved, and internal commitment to partnerships and the external environment of forests emerged as indicators of agency capacity to partner. Internal commitment was defined by the presence, or lack of, a partnership coordinator on the forest. External environment was characterized by geographical location with urban forests, rural forests and amenity forests typifying various levels of partnership access for forest personnel. Phase II investigated these themes of commitment and environment using a multiple-case study methodology. Interviews with USFS personnel (n = 45) on six national forests representing a variety of internal commitment and external environment scenarios enabled the refinement of the partnership conceptual framework and indicators of agency capacity to administer partnerships. Specifically, this study illustrated that personnel motivations also influence agency capacity to partner. Fifteen distinct motivations emerged from informant interviews, which were classified within three categories of motivations: interpersonal, intrapersonal, and institutional. Together these themes of agency capacity--commitment, environment, and motivation--describe six unique cases of partnership involvement. These findings enable an increased awareness of agency capacity to partner and may enhance the leadership support, agency-partner interactions, and personnel motivations necessary to sustain USFS partnerships.

No description available.

Išorinė aplinka – tai faktorių, veikiančių asmenybę ir sukeliančių tam tikrų psichinių reakcijų, visuma, kaip mokymosi sąlygų visuma. Žmogaus ugdymas bei jo ugdymasis vyksta šiai paskirčiai pritaikytoje išorinėje aplinkoje. Būtina sukurti tokią aplinką, kad susirinkę studentai ir dėstytojai jaustųsi patogiai ir jaukiai, kadangi fizinis poveikis sukelia psichologinį poveikį. Išorinė universiteto aplinka glaudžiai siejasi ne tik su emociniais, vidiniais studentų išgyvenimais, bet ir jų pasiekimais studijų srityje. Taigi universitetų išorinės aplinkos sąsajų su studentų ugdymosi motyvacija atskleidimas yra aktuali mokslinė problema. Tyrimo tikslas – atskleisti Vilniaus universitetų išorinės aplinkos sąsajas su studentų ugdymosi motyvacija. Tyrimo objektas – studentų ugdymosi motyvacijos sąsajos su universitetų išorine aplinka. Tyrimo uždaviniai: 1) atlikti mokslinės literatūros sisteminę analizę, atskleidžiant išorinės aplinkos ir ugdymosi motyvacijos sampratas; 2) išanalizuoti Vilniaus universitetų išorinės aplinkos kūrimosi kultūrinius istorinius aspektus, išryškinant jų architektūrinį savitumą; 3) Nustatyti Vilniaus universitetų išorinės aplinkos sąsajų su studentų ugdymosi motyvacija ypatumus. Tyrimas išryškino Vilniaus universitetų kultūrinius istorinius bei architektūrinius savitumus. Studentų apklausa (N=743) atskleidė, kad išorinė universiteto aplinka skatina juos veikti toje aplinkoje bei daro poveikį studijų sėkmei. Nustatyta, kad didžioji dalis apklaustų studentų savo... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The external environment is a unit of factors affecting personality and triggering some kind of mental reactions and serving as a unit of educational conditions. Education of a person as well as his/her self-education takes place in the external environment which is adapted to this purpose. It is necessary to create such environment where students and lecturers feel comfortable and cosy, because physical effects create psychological effects. The external environment of the university is closely related not only to emotional, inner experiences of students but also to their academic achievements. Therefore, to reveal the links between the external environment of universities and the students’ educational motivation is a topical scientific problem. The aim of the research is to find the links between the external environment of universities in Vilnius and the students’ educational motivation. The object of the research is the links between the students’ educational motivation and the external environment of universities. The goals of the research are the following: 1) to conduct the systematic analysis of the academic literature while attempting to fully understand the concepts of external environment and educational motivation; 2) to analyse the aspects of cultural-historical development of the external environment of Vilnius’ universities emphasising their distinctive architectural features; 3) to determine peculiarities of the external environment of universities in Vilnius... [to full text]

The literature presents us with two distinct, and at times opposed, approaches to strategic management: the use of strategic choice and determinism. This research shows that these approaches can actually be considered as two distinct variables, which create a space or framework in which it is possible to identify, according to the available different amounts of strategic choice and determinism, the four different ontological perspectives of determinism, hard incompatibilism, libertarianism and compatibilism. According to the literature, within each ontological perspective of the strategic choice/determinism framework, companies use different levels of strategic choice and determinism to produce organizational outcomes. This research provides empirical evidence of the real life existence of these ontological perspectives, in which companies’ performance of revenues is driven by a different amount of strategic choice or determinism according to the perspectives in which companies operate. This research also shows that other important performance indicators, such as EBITDA, depend only on deterministic variables, while ROA depends neither on strategic choice nor on deterministic variables. These findings suggest that future research could increase our knowledge on the internal environment of companies, as it could do from the hard incompatibilist perspective, which was not possible to study thoroughly within this research. The research conclusions provide several contributions to both academic knowledge and practice.

The aim of this thesis is to prepare a strategic analysis of past and current development of Stakoplast Ltd. In the end give recommendations for future development strategy of this company.

The dissertation focuses on the implementation of CI processes in small and middle enterprises. Given the research performed, the dissertation investigates the specifics of enterprises relying on CI processes -- here mostly the perspective of firm size was used -- and further tries to describe the character of that reliance on CI processes -- whether the reliance varies across different areas (Customers, Competition, etc.) or thorough the phases (e.g. phases "Analysis of information acquired" or "Dissemination of analyzed information", etc.). The conclusions of the research confirmed that the use of CI is more widespread in large than in small enterprises. Besides analyzing the form in which enterprises most usually apply CI, several key areas in which the use of CI is permanently neglected were identified. Theoretical part accompanied by accomplished research served as a basis for construction of the system for integration of CI processes which would be most suitable for the needs of small and middle enterprises. This system was created and then tested via its integration into the information system of an organization.

This study examined the concept of organizational uncertainty and the involvement of public relations practitioners. Understanding organizational uncertainty is imperative to the success of an organization, but the effects of uncertainty have been relatively undertheorized within public relations. To close the gap, this study blended multidisciplinary theories pertaining to uncertainty with a triangulated methodological approach. First, this study took a macro-organizational look at uncertainty by analyzing trends in the literature and conducting qualitative in-depth interviews with members of management and employees in an organization. The results of this portion of the study found uncertainty to be multi-layered and the most common causes of uncertainty to be organizational changes, unclear policies, job insecurities, and the external environment. This data was then used to conduct a micro-organizational analysis of uncertainty. Therefore, the second step of this study expanded on the organizational findings to look at the role of public relations in uncertainty management. Through this study, a valuable survey instrument was created containing five significant factors of: job insecurities, the external environment, organization uncertainty, practitioner perceived involvement, and practitioner feelings. It was administered, primarily through use of the Internet, to members of the Public Relations Society of America (N=1,135), yielding a response rate of 31.8 percent. The results of this study indicated that public relations practitioners do not perceive four main causes of uncertainty, but instead they perceive two: job insecurities and the external environment. The results also suggest that public relations practitioners personally have low feelings of uncertainty, although they believed their organizations have moderate levels of uncertainty. Additionally, this study found that practitioners reported being moderately involved in the management of uncertainty, with the level of involvement most influenced by job insecurities. Finally, the results found that public relations practitioners most frequently used electronic communication to help employees cope with organizational uncertainty pertaining to organizational change, policies, and the external environment. However, with job insecurities, interpersonal communication was the most popular communication strategy. Overall, the results of this study bring us a step closer in establishing a framework for public relations practitioner involvement in the management of organizational uncertainty.

<p>It is generally recognized that firms face both internal and external environmental forces. However, few studies have attempted to describe the importance of various strategic factors and the relation between them. This study has been conducted to identify the main strategic determinant in the software industry and the reason behind the existence of these determinants. The study is based on a qualitative study. The empirical data have been collected from interviews. However, the frame of reference is based on well- established theories within the field of business strategy. The research identified certain strategic determinants in software industry. These are Market/Customer, Technology, Economy, Rivalry, Core Competences, Core Products, Technical and Human Resources. These factors have an impact on researched firms separately and jointly as well. However, competitive advantage can be achieved by focusing on product innovation and development, relation building with customers, technology and human resource management, capabilities/competences building and alliances with other companies and industries.</p>

It is generally recognized that firms face both internal and external environmental forces. However, few studies have attempted to describe the importance of various strategic factors and the relation between them. This study has been conducted to identify the main strategic determinant in the software industry and the reason behind the existence of these determinants. The study is based on a qualitative study. The empirical data have been collected from interviews. However, the frame of reference is based on well- established theories within the field of business strategy. The research identified certain strategic determinants in software industry. These are Market/Customer, Technology, Economy, Rivalry, Core Competences, Core Products, Technical and Human Resources. These factors have an impact on researched firms separately and jointly as well. However, competitive advantage can be achieved by focusing on product innovation and development, relation building with customers, technology and human resource management, capabilities/competences building and alliances with other companies and industries.