Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Collaborative strategies such as strategic alliances are being adopted by small and large companies to gain a competitive advantage in a fast changing global and local business environment. Companies are recognising the value of achieving their business goals through mutually beneficial strategic alliances. Strategic alliances provide a more flexible, non-permanent means through collaborative engagement between companies to attain complementary services, skills, products and resources. This study aimed to contribute to an understanding of the nature of strategic alliances between large and small companies within the information technology (IT) sector in South Africa and to highlight the particular dynamics, challenges and success factors from the perspective of these companies. The research question posed was: "What are the success factors that impact on the sustainability of strategic alliances between large and small companies within the IT industry in South Africa?" In this study, a strategic alliance was defined as a "co-operative arrangement between two or more local and / or global firms that invest in a collaborative effort to achieve their individual and mutual goals and positively impact their competitive positioning". Limited research had been conducted on strategic alliances in South Africa in general and no research was available on the IT sector. This exploratory research study was conducted to provide an overview of the dynamics and issues related to strategic alliances keeping the respective contexts of small and large companies in mind. This study contributes to an understanding of the respective contributions of small and large companies in complementing their respective strengths and experiences to achieve business objectives. This area of study supports government policies and initiatives in promoting the collaboration between large and small companies in developing the economy and the small business sector in particular. Within a dynamic and fast-growing information communications technology (ICT) sector, there are increasing opportunities for strategic alliances between small and large companies within the IT sub-sector. A qualitative, inductive research approach was used to determine the kind of alliances that existed, test the themes identified in the literature review in relation to the South African context and identify new insights based on the experiences of respondents engaged in strategic alliance relationships. This approach supported the assumption that the circumstances explored are complex and dynamic and require flexibility both in the approach and methods used. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were used as the instrument or method of data collection. An interviewer guide was developed to direct the interview. Themes and key factors identified through the literature review provided input into the structure and content of the interviews. Three small and three large companies from the IT sector were interviewed as part of this study. The number of employees was used as the primary indicator of company size using the guidelines provided by the DTI. Research results indicated that the main motivations for engaging in strategic alliances included risk sharing, access to new markets, expanded product service offerings, complementary skills and learning, funding support and enhancing competitive positioning. The primary motivator that all respondents identified was 'collaborative bidding for business'. Forty-three percent of alliances of the small and large companies interviewed were with small companies. Small companies indicated a wider range of alliances and included partnering with micro enterprises to large multinationals in their alliance formations. Strategic alliances were monitored and measured by all respondents. Quantitative measures were used most frequently and included measures such as profitability, delivery to project deadlines, meeting service levels and delivery to baseline commitments made in the solutions submitted to clients. Qualitative measures were identified but applied in a less structured way. Challenges identified by small and large companies included achieving an understanding of the culture and needs of small and large companies, managing the financial challenges, relationship management and dealing with co-opetition where competitors are incorporated into the strategic alliance. Respondents all indicated that the value of strategic alliances outweigh the cost of establishing and managing strategic alliances particularly between small and large companies. The success factors identified were largely similar between small and large companies. The highest ranked factors identified by small companies were partner selection and benefit analysis whereas leadership and strategy were the main priority factors for large companies. It is recommended that further research be conducted into measuring and monitoring methods that assists in monitoring the effectiveness of alliances and to develop the capacity of strategic alliance managers in managing the complex of relationships between alliance members, alliance delivery performance and client demands and influences on the strategic alliance. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Klein en groot maatskappye gebruik toenemend samewerkingstrategiee soos strategiese alliansies om 'n kompeterende voorsprong te verkry in 'n vinnig veranderende globale en plaaslike besigheidsomgewing. Maatskappye besef die waarde daarvan om hulle besigheidsdoelwitte te bereik deur wedersydse voordelige strategiese alliansies. Strategiese alliansies verskaf 'n buigsamer, nie-permanente metode, deur middel van samewerking tussen maatskappye, waarmee bykomende dienste, vaardighede, produkte en hulpbronne verkry kan word. Hierdie studie beoog om by te dra tot die begrip van die aard van strategiese alliansies tussen groot en klein maatskappye in die Informasie Tegnologiesektor (IT-sektor) in Suid-Afrika en om die spesifieke dinamika, uitdagings en suksesfaktore vanuit die perspektief van hierdie maatskappye te belig. Die navorsingsvraag is: "Wat is die suksesfaktore wat 'n impak het op die volhoubaarheid van strategiese alliansies tussen groot en klein maatskappye in die IT-bedryf in Suid-Afrika?" In hierdie studie word 'n strategiese alliansie gedefinieer as 'n "samewerkingsooreenkoms tussen twee of meer plaaslike en / of globale maatskappye wat bele in 'n samewerkingspoging om hulle individuele en gesamentlike doelwitte te bereik en wat 'n positiewe uitwerking het op hulle kompeterende posisionering." Beperkte navorsing is al gedoen oor strategiese alliansies in Suid-Afrika in die algemeen en geen navorsing was beskikbaar oor die IT-bedryf nie. Hierdie ondersoekende navorsingstudie is gedoen om 'n verkennende oorsig te verskaf van die dinamika en kwessies verwant aan strategiese alliansies, spesifiek binne die konteks van onderskeidelik klein en groot maatskappye. Hierdie studie dra by tot 'n begrip van die onderskeie bydraes van klein en groot maatskappye in soverre hulle onderskeie sterk punte en ervarings mekaar komplementeer om besigheidsdoelwitte te bereik. Die navorsingsveld ondersteun ook die regering se beleid en inisiatiewe om samewerking tussen groot en klein maatskappye te bevorder en daardeur die ekonomie, spesifiek die kleinsakesektor, te ontwikkel. Binne 'n dinamiese en snelgroeiende Informasie- en Kommunikasiesektor (IKT-sektor), is daar toenemend geleenthede vir strategiese alliansies tussen klein en groot maatskappye binne die IT-subsektor. 'n Kwalitatiewe, inleidende navorsingsbenadering is gebruik om die tipe alliansies wat bestaan te bepaal, die geidentifiseerde temas uit 'n literatuurstudie, toegespits op die Suid-Afrikaanse situasie, te toets en nuwe insigte, gebaseer op die ervarings van die respondente in strategiese alliansieverhoudings, te identifiseer. Hierdie benadering het die aanname bevestig dat die omstandighede wat ondersoek is, kompleks en dinamies is, en buigsaamheid in beide die benadering en metodiek, vereis. Gedeeltelik gestruktureerde, persoonlike onderhoude is gebruik as die navorsingsinstrument of -metode van dataversameling. 'n Vraelys is opgestel as riglyn vir die onderhoude. Die temas en kernfaktore, wat geidentifiseer is uit die literatuuroorsig, het insette vir die struktuur en inhoud van die onderhoude verskaf. Drie klein en drie groot maatskappye in die IT-bedryf is as deel van hierdie studie nagevors. Die getal werknemers is gebruik as die belangrikste bepaler van die maatskappy se grootte volgens die riglyne verskaf deur die Departement van Handel en Nywerheid (DHN). Die navorsingsresultate het aangedui dat die belangrikste beweegredes vir die sluit van strategiese alliansies die volgende is: gedeelde risiko's, toegang tot nuwe markte, uitgebreide produk- / diensaanbiedings, aanvullende vaardighede en opleiding, steun vir befondsing en die bevordering van kompeterende posisionering. Die belangrikste beweegrede wat alle respondente geidentifiseer het, was "gesamentlike tender vir besigheid" . Drie-en-veertig persent van die alliansies van die klein en groot maatskappye wat ondersoek is, was met klein maatskappye. Klein maatskappye het 'n wyer verskeidenheid van alliansies, insluitend vennootskappe van mikro-ondernemings tot groot multinasionale maatskappye, in hulle alliansievormings, ingesluit. Strategiese alliansies is deur alle respondente gemonitor en gemeet. Kwantitatiewe meetinstrumente is die meeste gebruik en het maatstawwe bevat soos winsgewendheid, lewering binne die projek se spertye, die nakom van diensvlakvereistes en die nakom van die aanvanklike ooreenkoms in die oplossings voorgehou aan die kliente. Kwalitatiewe meetinstrumente is ook geidentifiseer, maar minder gestruktureerd toegepas. Die volgende uitdagings is deur beide klein en groot maatskappye geidentifiseer: om'n begrip te vorm van die kultuur en behoeftes van klein en groot maatskappye, bestuur van die finansiele uitdagings, verhoudingsbestuur en die hantering van kooptering waar mededingers in die strategiese alliansie ingesluit is. Al die respondente het aangedui dat die waarde van strategiese alliansies die koste verbonde aan die sluit en bestuur van strategiese alliansies oortref, veral tussen klein en groot maatskappye. Die suksesfaktore wat geidentifiseer is, was hoofsaaklik dieselfde by klein en groot maatskappye. Die faktore wat die meeste waardeer is deur die klein maatskappye, was die keuse van vennote en voordele-analises, terwyl leierskap en strategie die twee hooffaktore vir die groot maatskappye was. Daar word aanbeveel dat verdere navorsing gedoen word oor meetinstrurnente en moniteringmetodes wat kan help om die effektiwiteit van alliansies te monitor. Die kapasiteit van strategiese alliansiebestuurders om die verskeidenheid van verhoudings tussen alliansielede, alliansie-diensleweringvermoens en klientvereistes en invloede op die strategiese alliansie, te bestuur, moet ook ontwikkel word.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-15T19:25:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ricardo Presz Palmaka.pdf: 1143013 bytes, checksum: c432292cad770577bf08db44878294e5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-02-15 / Fundo Mackenzie de Pesquisa / Classifying things in groups is basic to study differences between these things; it is a way to store data and retrieve information. This happens in biology, the area of study where the classification of organisms is unquestionable important. Inspired by biology, Organizational Ecology theory has been concerned with the classification of organizations too. Much of the organizational research relies primarily on a firm classification which separates them by type of industry they belong to or by the type of product they offer to certain markets (HANNAN, HSU, 2005). This is not a surprise, since these are the criteria adopted by the official statistics in the classifications of economic activities, both nationally and internationally. Grouping companies by products they offer is also a commonly used way to target potential customers in marketing strategies, to create more effective sales processes, communication or promotion actions, for example. This kind of classification, however, is not always adequate, especially from an organizational point of view. It brings the risk of putting together different companies within a group: a large multinational company could share the same economic activity of a small business and both, although so different, be classified into a common group, since they offer the same types of products or services. The main goal of this dissertation is, using the concept of organizational form proposed by the Organizational Ecology, identify different groups in the software market. Similarly to the gene in biology, the organizational form serves as a set of instructions for the creation and conduction of collective action within the organization. This paper sought to show that within a group of software companies it possible to classify them according to their organizational form, taking into consideration not only their activities, but other attributes that form a company. To identify those attributes, the definitions of the form in Organizational Ecology were used, with a survey of 100 Information Technology companies, which generated five groups of companies, using objective characteristics of the organizational forms. / Classificar coisas é a base para que seja possível estudar as diferenças entre estas coisas; é uma forma de armazenar dados e permitir as buscas pelas informações. Assim ocorre na biologia, área de estudo em que a classificação de organismos é de indiscutível importância. Inspirada na biologia, a teoria de Ecologia Organizacional tem se preocupado com a classificação de organizações. Muitas das pesquisas sobre organizações utilizam predominantemente uma classificação de empresas que as distingue por tipo de indústria as quais pertencem ou pelo tipo de produto que oferecem a determinados mercados (HANNAN; HSU, 2005). Isso não é surpreendente, visto que estes são critérios adotados pelas estatísticas oficiais nas classificações das atividades econômicas, tanto em nível nacional quanto internacional. A classificação por produto supõe que em um grupo existam empresas homogêneas e é comumente usada para segmentação de potenciais clientes nas áreas de marketing das empresas para criar ações mais efetivas de vendas, comunicação ou promoção, por exemplo. Esta classificação, entretanto, não é adequada, sobretudo do ponto de vista organizacional. Corre-se o risco de juntar empresas diferentes entre si dentro de um mesmo grupo: uma grande empresa multinacional pode compartilhar a mesma atividade econômica de uma microempresa e as duas, tão diferentes entre si, serem classificadas dentro de um grupo comum, pois oferecem os mesmos tipos de produtos ou serviços. O principal objetivo desta dissertação é, usando o conceito de forma organizacional proposto pela Ecologia Organizacional, identificar os segmentos de empresas de serviços de informática. Analogamente ao gene na biologia, a forma organizacional funciona como um conjunto de instruções para criação e condução das ações coletivas no âmbito da organização. O trabalho procurou mostrar que dentro de um grupo de empresas de software é possível classificá-las de acordo com a sua forma organizacional, levando em consideração não apenas suas atividades, mas outros atributos que dão forma a uma empresa. Para a identificação desses atributos foram utilizadas as definições de forma na Ecologia Organizacional em uma pesquisa em 100 empresas de Tecnologia da Informação, em que foram encontrados cinco grupos de empresas, usando características objetivas de forma organizacional.

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: When the government of national unity took over control of South Africa in 1994, their primary aims were to address the legacy of apartheid and bring democracy to all of their people. The legacy of the previous political dispensation, which favoured the minority, was to be eradicated. The aim of this new government was to make sure that all South Africans enjoy equality and receive equitable rewards from all economic activities. However, in order for this to be possible the new government was forced to introduce policies and legislation to facilitate that transformation. The Reconstruction and Development Programme, the Growth, Employment and Redistribution strategy, the Black Economic Empowerment Act and various sectoral charters are but a few that were introduced to facilitate change. Based on the literature review, it is evident that, although policies and procedures have been introduced, the process of implementation is far too complex to see change happen overnight. The study targets the Information, Communication and Technology (lCT) sector. This sector of industry is considered by the South African government as an integral component of ensuring economic prosperity and it is therefore an interesting topic for investigation. This sector was previously dominated by White South Africans. The aim of the study is to investigate the extent of economic transformation and black economic empowerment in the sector. There is also an interest to establish whether technical ICT skills and knowledge have filtered down adequately to previously disadvantaged individuals (PDls). The extent of transformation in the ICT sector is what the study aims to capture. The data collection process was conducted within a qualitative and quantitative research framework. The author plans to use an interpretive approach for the analysis of the findings. The data collected for the study were by means of structured questionnaires; however, the last section consisted of open-ended questions. The sample selected for this study was middle management officials, many of them highly skilled and working in a technical environment at these companies. The responses to the questionnaires reflected a diverse and seemingly ambiguous understanding of the ICT. Based on these perceptions, there is a clear indication that many of the respondents have a narrow view of what transformation for the sector really means. The answers to the questionnaires were analysed to test the hypothesis. According to the research findings, it appears that transformation of the ICT sector has not taken place successfully. The study concludes with recommendations for the ICT sector and a brief conclusion. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Toe die regering van nasionale eenheid in 1994 beheer oor Suid-Afrika geneem het, was sy hoofdoel om die nalatenskap van Apartheid aan te spreek en 'n demokratiese bestel vir die land en al sy mense te vestig. Die nalatenskap van die gewese politieke bestel, wat die minderheid bevoordeel het, sou uitgewis word. Die doel van hierdie nuwe regering was om te verseker dat aile Suid-Afrikaners gelyk behandel word en billike voordeel uit aile ekonomiese bedrywighede trek. Om dit egter moontlik te maak, is die nuwe regering gedwing om beleide en wetgewing in te stel om te verseker dat transformasie plaasvind. Die Heropbou- en Ontwikkelingsprogram, die Ekonomiese Groei en Herverdelingstrategie en verskeie sektorale handveste is maar enkele wat ingestel is om verandering te weeg te bring. Gebaseer op die letterkundige oorsig, is dit voor die hand liggend dat, hoewel daar beleide en prosedures ingestel is, die proses van toepassing geheel en al te ingewikkeld is om verandering oornag te sien gebeur. Hierdie studie is gerig op 'n spesifieke segment ekonomiese bydrae tot die ekonomie, die Informasie, Kommunikasie en Tegnologiese (lKT) sektor. Die sektor van die nywerheid word deur die regering as 'n integrale komponent beskou ten einde ekonomiese welvaart te waarborg en is derhalwe 'n interessante onderwerp om van naderby te bekyk. Die heersende opvatting is dat hierdie sektor voorheen deur blanke Suid-Afrikaners oorheers is, veral wat betref tegniese vaardighede en tegnologiese kennis. Die doel van die studie is om die omvang van ekonomiese transformasie en Swart Ekonomiese Bemagtiging binne hierdie sektor te ondersoek. Daar is ook intense belangstelling om te probeer vasstel of voorheen benadeeldes enigsins voordeel getrek het uit die bestaande tegniese IKT-vaardighede en kennis. Die navorsing oor mense se persepsie van die IKT-sektor is wat die studie beplan om vas te vang. Die inligtingsinsamelingsproses is binne 'n kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe raamwerk uitgevoer - die rede hiervoor was dat die navorser beplan het om 'n interpreterende benadering vir die analise van die bevindinge toe te pas. Inligting is deur middel van vraelyste versamel, maar die laaste afdeling het uit half onbepaalde vrae bestaan. Die monster wat vir hierdie studie gekies is, was middelvlakbestuurslede in diens van die IKT-ondernemings - vele van hulle was hoogs opgelei en het in 'n tegniese omgewing by hierdie ondernemings gewerk. Die reaksies op die vraelyste dui oorweldigend daarop dat daar 'n diverse en oenskynlike dubbelsinnige begrip van die IKT is. Gebaseer ap hierdie persepsies, is dit heel duidelik dat talle van die respondente 'n eng siening het oor wat transformasie werklik vir die sektor beteken. Die antwoorde op die vermelde vraelyste is geanaliseer om die hipotese te toets. Volgens die navorsingsbevindinge wil dit voorkom of transformasie van die IKT -sektor nie suksesvol plaasgevind het nie. Die studie sluit af met aanbevelings aan die IKT-sektor rakende transformasie-suksesse en dit word gevolg deur 'n kort slotwoord.