Background: Innovation is widely recognized to be instrumental for the sustained competitiveness of businesses, including family businesses. However, many family firms are unable to achieve innovation on their own, necessitating the shift towards collaborative innovation. Yet, due to the overlap of family and business, innovation in family firms is characterized by the so-called“innovation paradox” where family firms usually possess a greater ability to innovate but lack the willingness to do so. Accordingly, considerable attention has been given to the factors that affect the willingness of family firms in an attempt to understand and possibly resolve the innovation paradox. Purpose: The purpose of the present study is to explore how the degree of family involvement in the top management team (TMT) influences the family firm’s willingness to engage in collaborative innovation and how that influences the preferred type of collaborative innovation. By exploring the link between the degree of family involvement in TMT and the willingness in the context of collaborative innovation, our study aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the innovation paradox associated with family businesses, and thereby offer important insights to practitioners, both from the family and non-family perspective. Method: Our methods were based on qualitative research with an exploratory research design and multiple case-study methods of eleven family firms. Through semi-structured interviews with both family and non-family TMT members, we gained insights into the role of family influence on family firms. We also used a cross-case analysis to compare the cases and indicate similarities and differences in order to draw our conclusions. Conclusion: The results of the study show that the degree of family involvement in the top management teams influences the family firms’ willingness to engage in collaborative innovation. Depending on the degree of family involvement as represented by the respective configurations, five patterns of influence manifestations (IM) are identified.

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between office politics and selected performance outcomes namely stress, turnaround intent and work engagement, as perceived by employees working in law firms. A literature study indicated the relationship between perceptions of office politics and these selected job outcomes. As an empirical analysis, a measuring instrument consisting of five structured questionnaires was distributed via a non-probability, convenience sampling technique. Spearman’s correlation coefficient indicated the relationships between the variables. The results indicated a positive relationship between perceptions of office politics, job stress, burnout and turnaround intent but a negative relationship between perceptions of office politics and work engagement as well as its antecedents. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between office politics and selected performance outcomes namely stress, turnaround intent and work engagement, as perceived by employees working in law firms. A literature study indicated the relationship between perceptions of office politics and these selected job outcomes. As an empirical analysis, a measuring instrument consisting of five structured questionnaires was distributed via a non-probability, convenience sampling technique. Spearman’s correlation coefficient indicated the relationships between the variables. The results indicated a positive relationship between perceptions of office politics, job stress, burnout and turnaround intent but a negative relationship between perceptions of office politics and work engagement as well as its antecedents. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

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The study identified various value configurations, namely the value chain, value shop and value networks, that could be applicable in understanding the value adding activities within a law firm. The aim of the study was to determine whether information systems could be utilised throughout the identified activities comprising the various value configurations. In the event that information systems were used throughout these activities it was sought to determine to what extent information systems were being used in the law firm and whether, from the user’s perspective, the systems facilitated better efficiency in the workplace, increased productivity and had a positive effect on the profitability of the law firm.

In the professional services industry, it is no secret that people are the greatest assets. The investment in human capital is the core of the business, the dividends of which can never be under-estimated. The continued success of the professional services firm therefore lies in being able to retain that investment within the organisation. The current high rate of turnover within the firm, and in the professional services industry, is indeed a big challenge for management. One that necessitates a review into a variety of ways of keeping the talent within the firm. This research study was commissioned to look into one of the proposed initiatives for retaining employees; that of wealth creation. The aim was to source the views of employees on wealth creation as a way of increasing the rate of retention or otherwise as well as identify the preferred structure of such a scheme. The results of the research showed that employees deem financial remuneration to be highly important and would stay with the firm longer if provided with a wealth initiative. There was preference for a short to medium term scheme rather than a long term one, with some particular suggested schemes coming out as preferred favourites than others. Respondents also went further to highlight other factors that were contributing to loss of talent within the firm. The responses from the survey have been comprehensively analysed and recommendations made on the implementation of the wealth creation scheme. / Graduate School for Business Leadership / (M.B.A.)

Small and medium size enterprises (SMEs, hereafter) are important drivers of the global economic development. For the SMEs, to establish and growth, having access to the sources of finance is of great importance. Anecdotal evidence suggeststhat while the importance of having access for the SMEs is apparent, they have been disadvantageous in many different ways. The disadvantage position of the SMEs can even be worse when they are younger (e.g., The World bank, 2001, p. 6-7). Prior research documents many factors that affect the financial constraints of SMEs. In this study, we investigate the association between SMEs age and financial constraints. In addition, we test the moderating effect of collectivism on SMEs’ financial constraints, as collectivism is documented to have an effect on bank corruption. We first hypothesize that there is a negative association between SMEs’ age and financial constraints. We further propose that the negative association between SMEs’ age and financial constraints decreases as collectivism (at the country level) increases. Using a World Bank’s sample of 31422 firms across 38 countries, we find that younger firms, compared to the older firms, experience higher level of financial constraints.Further, we observe an insignificant results regarding the moderating effect of collectivism on the proposed association.We offer contribution to the existing empirical evidence onfactors that affect financial constraints. Providing such an evidence may be found relevant to the economic institutions such as the World Bank and regulatory bodies, as they are allocating resources and making macro level decisions regarding the economicdevelopment through SMEs around the world.

Aim: The aim of this study is to gain deep understanding on how organizational changes are managed and implemented in small firms.   Method: The data for this study is collected by doing an extensive literature study and by conducting semi-structured face-to-face interviews with respondents from one single case company. This data was then sorted by topic and analyzed accordingly. The management’s perspective is presented by statements and quotes and the employee’s perspective is presented in summarized essay form.    Result & Conclusions: The study showed that change is an ever-present future of the small firm business environment and must be seen as an ongoing process. Firms have to take a thorough approach when implementing change, where gaining enough support for a change initiative is essential for its success.  Suggestions for future research: Since this study is only focused on a single case, the suggested framework needs more validation. Also the author recommends further research on the topic of change implementation at small firms in general.  Contribution of the thesis: More case studies are needed to further validate the research outcomes since this study was a first attempt to discover the field of change implementation in small organizations.

From 1948 until they left the mainstream of computer development in 1963, Ferranti Limited co-operated with the Electrical Engineering Department at Manchester University in the development of computers. In this thesis, this relationship is examined as an example of the interaction of universities and industry. In particular, the role of government finance in bringing the two organizations together and the impact of co-operation on the participants have been studied. A related study has been made of the National Research Development Corporation's efforts in the late 1950s to enable British computer firms to catch up on the more advanced American industry by organizing a high speed computer development project. These efforts, r. -which resulted in the allocation of funds by NRDC for the joint development of the Atlas computer by Manchester University and Ferranti, are examined and the reasons for their repeated failure analyzed.

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration