This cumulative dissertation investigates the role and implications of top managers in firms. By building on two influential contemporary phenomena – internationalization and digitalization – and by examining top managers from a multitude of conceptional and methodological angles, the dissertation provides novel insights to upper echelons research. The first study examines the association between top management team (TMT) internationalization and firm innovativeness and argues that the accumulation of international knowledge and resources in the TMT benefits firm innovativeness. The second study analyzes the association between CEO internationalization and firms’ strategic risk-taking, paying particular attention to various governance mechanisms that may influence this relationship. The third study explores the role and facilitating actions of top managers in response to the digital transformation. Overall, this dissertation contributes toward a more fine-grained understanding of top managers and their individual characteristics. Given the contemporary relevance of the topics under consideration, the presented findings are of significant value for both theorists and practitioners.:Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Scope of the dissertation and research gaps 1.2 Theoretical foundation 1.3 Empirical foundation 1.4 Research purpose and scientific contribution Chapter 2: Research article 1 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Theory and hypotheses 2.3 Methodology 2.4 Results 2.5 Discussion and conclusions 2.6 Limitations and future research Chapter 3: Research article 2 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Theory and hypotheses 3.3 Methodology 3.4 Results 3.5 Discussion and conclusion 3.6 Limitations and future research Chapter 4: Research article 3 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Theoretical background 4.3 Data and method 4.4 Findings 4.5 Discussion References

M. Tech. (Department of Marketing, Faculty of Management Sciences), Vaal University of Technology / In the case of cosmetic products, which convey both psychological and symbolic benefits to consumers, it is imperative for marketers to expand the scope of product trial as it presents a novel strategy for signalling the success of new products. In lieu of this, considerable attention should be accorded to the ubiquitous role of influential consumers who are instrumental in influencing the behaviour of other consumers through exemplary conduct and/or interpersonal word-of-mouth (WOM) communication. In this vein, this study sought to examine the influence of selected factors on market maven tendency and the ultimate trial of new cosmetic products by female consumers in the southern Gauteng. This presents the need to examine empirically the role of market mavens who play an indispensable role in filling the omitted information gaps existing within the market. Particularly, this research is in response to calls for unremitting replications of the work seeking to establish the nomological variables that are antecedent to the market mavenism construct. The study drew from the confluence of the Two-step flow theory and the Stimulus Organism Response (SOR) theory, which provided theoretical lenses in understanding how various stimuli could possibly influence the maven tendency (organism) and the ultimate trial of new cosmetic products (response) by those mavens situated in the southern Gauteng region of South Africa. In view of achieving the overarching objective of this study, a sample survey was conducted in 2018 using a sample of female market mavens that were selected on referral basis, after applying the snowball sampling technique. In the cross-sectional based sample survey, a self-administered questionnaire was utilised. Drawing from the responses, a trichotomisation was developed, enabling the researcher to categorise the participants by including those individuals reporting either low (n=86), moderate (n=141) or high (n=248) maven tendency scores. Resultantly, the findings from a cross-section of 475 female mavens were admissible for statistical analysis. Drawing from the statistical analysis, the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) procedure steered the extraction of six components that are salient towards calibrating the tendency towards market mavenship among female consumers of cosmetic products. The scale items along these six components yielded acceptable internal consistency reliability (Cronbach’s alpha coefficients ranged between 0.792 and 0.876), whereas the results of the descriptive statistics revealed mean score rankings above 4.0 across the six components, thereby signalling agreeability among the participants with regard to the determinants of market maven tendency. Likewise, weak to moderate correlation coefficients that were positive and statistically significant (p <0.01) were also established in this work (ranging between +0.297 and +0.639). This inferred the existence oflinear and direct relationships among the variables examined in this work. Based on this, it was possible to conduct a structural equation modelling procedure. Prior to testing the hypothesised relationships, model fit of the measurement model was evaluated. Moreover, analysis of the statistical accuracy measures in terms of the reliability and validity of the measurement model pointed to the existence of a six-variable structure of new product trial, comprising consumer innovativeness, aspirational attractiveness, social norms influence, advertising efficacy, market maven tendency and new cosmetic products’ trial. Correspondingly, the direction and prediction among these constructs was tested by specifying a structural model. The structural model yielded adequate fit indices. In terms of prediction, the four constructs, namely consumer innovativeness (ß=+0.441; Z=9.292; p<0.01), social norms influence (ß=+0.339; Z=7.272; p<0.01), advertising efficacy (ß=+0.293; Z=6.607; p<0.01) and aspirational attractiveness (ß=+0.182; Z=4.099; p<0.01) were proven to have positive and statistically significant predictive influence on market maven tendency, in that order. Together, the four stimuli are presumed to explain approximately 43 percent of the variance in the tendency towards market mavenship among the responding female consumers. Market maven tendency was confirmed as a predictor of new product trial in this research (ß=+0.478; Z=8.448; p<0.01). This latter path proved that the tendency towards market maven behaviour explains approximately 23 percent on the variance in new product trial among female mavens. These maiden findings suggest that it is possible to anchor the construct of market maven tendency along a broader behavioural science theory, comprising selected stimulus elements. In particular, the results derived in this study demonstrate the three-fold orientation of the female maven in terms of innate (consumer innovativeness), context-based (social norms influence and advertising efficacy) as well as the desired or sought-after (aspirational attractiveness) stimuli that influence market maven tendency. In addition, the study confirmed that new product trial could act as an invaluable tool for raising awareness about the features and benefits of new cosmetic products. Based on these results, it is recommended that marketing managers capitalise on the contribution of market mavens as auxiliary dispensers of new beauty product information.

As a disruptive innovation, IoT has been creating a high impact over organizations’ current strategies and business models. This continuous process of change will have an increasing influence on how organizations and industries as a whole conduct their businesses, and is set to have an active role towards the development of entirely new business models and markets. With the development of IoT technologies, and its predicted exponential spread across all sectors of society, one can conclude that the future holds many opportunities for organizations looking to explore new ways of capturing and creating value, but at the same time there are also plenty of challenges to be addressed. While the diffusion and adoption process of IoT has been an ongoing phenomenon over the past decade, there is still not much certitude as to how organizations ought to adjust in order to successfully integrate IoT technologies in their structure and operations. In parallel fashion, there have also been many difficulties in ensuring that different smart, connected devices and ecosystems are able to effectively communicate between each other, as achieving interoperability has become one of the major concerns associated with IoT. The main focus of this study is to analyze the process of how organizations are currently integrating IoT within their businesses, while also investigating causes that hinder interoperability, and evaluating the future potential deployment of the Open IoT ecosystems in companies. For our research we have followed a case-study approach where we conducted semi-structured interviews with managers and project leaders from two organizations conducting pilot studies on Green IoT and Open IoT, and where one has been adopting IoT technologies in its business. Theoretically, we draw on a framework by combining Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations theory and Christensen’s theory of Disruptive Innovations in order to analyze the integration of IoT into businesses’ core structure. The research goes through a functional framework that outlines the process of IoT adoption while also presenting the present challenges that are faced by the actors in the industry and the key enablers for successful IoT integration.

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Customers uses both offline and online channels before the final purchase, retailers that are operating and selling their products both online and offline can benefit from aligning the experiences on their channels by using an omni-channel strategy. The smartphone is becoming a natural part of our day-to-day life and keeping us connected, also when visiting abrick and mortar retailers. Mobile technology therefore possesses the opportunity to integrate in-store experience with the online world for creating value for customers. But many retailers are struggling in their integration efforts towards an omni-channel strategy due toall the possible technologies to invest. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis was to investigate the acceptance of mobile technologies in a brick and mortar retail setting, the chosen technologies are beacons and augmented reality.This research investigated the mediating effect of the four technology readiness dimensions:optimism, innovativeness, discomfort and insecurity, on the constructs of the technology acceptance model: perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. The research was carried out with a positivist research philosophy, inductive approach and lastly with an explanatory research design including a quantitative method. The data was collected through a survey, which got answered by 224 participants. The data was further statistically analyzed. The result showed that several of the dimensions of technology readiness had a significant effect on the constructs of technology acceptance model, especially the dimension: optimism. Thus, retailers that wants to introduce mobile technology into their stores should put emphasis on customizing their offerings towards the customers’ different level of technology readiness, especially optimism.

PhD. (Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management Sciences), Vaal University of Technology. / The study aimed to analyse the relationship between internal management systems, innovativeness, and the sustainability of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) within the South African manufacturing sector. Most of the studies in this regard were mainly focusing on large and well-established companies, and the focus would be found to be aligned to only one variable. Studies with reference to SMEs where a linkage amongst the variables is clearly established are limited, thereby providing an impetus to conduct this study. As a result of the changes taking place daily in technology and business operational policies, SMEs typically have to revisit their internal management systems, level of innovativeness, and sustainable measures. Such methods are intended to promote their existence, survival, and growth into the unforeseeable future. A quantitative method based on a positivistic research paradigm was adopted in undertaking the study. The sample consisted of 500 respondents, who were owners, managers, and employees of SMEs in Gauteng Province. The collected data were tested using descriptive and inferential statistics, including Exploratory Factor Analysis, Pearson Correlations and Regression Analysis. Application of factor analysis led to the extraction of two additional SME sustainability factors, namely Employee Training Outcomes and Corporate Compliance to Policy. Of the three internal management systems, only two factors, namely infrastructure development and employee training outcomes, exerted a significant positive influence on innovation. In turn, innovation exerted a significant positive influence on two SME sustainability factors, namely the nature of the product and social sustainability. The study has several implications. Theoretically, the study provides information on how internal management systems relate to innovation. As indicated in the results, only infrastructure development and employee training outcomes exert an influence on innovation and should thus be prioritised when attempting to improve the extent of innovation within SMEs. Likewise, innovation in SMEs results in benefits in terms of the nature of the product and social sustainability only. Practically, the study recommends that there is a need by the South African government through the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Department to review their approach on SMEs so that they can obtain adequate resources to enhance their business success. Additionally, there is a need for both governmental and non-governmental organisations to develop initiatives where SMEs go through the incubation process. During this process, training and business advisory services will be offered for free to equip owner-managers with the relevant business skills. Areas of further research, as well as limitations, were also discussed.

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One of the emerging phenomena of global competition is the increasing participation of firms from emerging economies in various industries and across value chain activities. These MNCs from developing and emerging economies have recently shown an unprecedented increase in numbers (from only 19 firms in 1990 featured in the Fortune 500 list to 47 in 2005) (UNCTAD, 2006). While these Emerging Nation Multinational Companies (EMCs) are gaining a strong foothold in the global economy, some evidence also suggests that their foreign direct investments are being targeted towards advanced economies in both resource industries and higher-value adding activities. On the face of it, the disadvantages of being a late entrant seem overwhelming and based on the stages model of internationalization the EMCs may not be able to compete against global giants whose dominance is rooted in their first-mover status (Bartlett & Goshal, 2000). However, the success of EMCs like the Tata Motors, Lenovo, and the like raise an important research issue as to what are the strategies these EMCs pursue as they begin to compete in the global competitive landscape? In the past, scholars have conducted substantial research on internationalization, Multinational Companies (MNCs), and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) which explain the behavior of first-mover MNCs from developed countries based on technological superiority. Those theories were developed within a specific environmental context and do an adequate job to explain a fairly specific set of observed firm behaviors. Each, within its context, may be fairly adequate at explaining those behaviors. However, the emergence of EMCs in the global economic environment highlights that times have changed and the incumbent MNCs (studied earlier) constantly face threats from these emerging giants. As the context changes, so has the ability of the prior internationalization theories to explain behaviors observed in this global economy diminished considerably. Lately, a few researchers have started a new line of research to uncover some distinct characteristics of these EMCs. However, very little is known about the foreign expansion strategies of these EMCs and warrants a need to explore this phenomenon in-depth. In order to bridge this gap in the literature this dissertation uses an inductive approach by conducting multiple case-studies to understand the foreign expansion strategies of sixteen companies that originate from two key emerging nations: India and China. This exploratory approach supported by computerized content analysis of longitudinal text data allows us to observe the significance of specific constructs, begin to detect patterns and regularities in the behavior of EMCs and compare EMCs originating from various emerging nations. Methodologically, the dissertation illustrates the usefulness of semantic network analysis tools, especially centering resonance analysis, in identifying and interpreting the concepts that provide coherence to set of textual data. Further, using factor analysis we identify some key themes that explain the foreign expansion strategies of these EMCs. The results of this study suggest that EMCs' expansion is, on one hand, based on their ability to acquire resources and absorb them to build their own advantage (supply side dynamics). On the other hand, it is also based on EMCs' ability to find some market niches, i.e., entering into markets untapped by traditional MNCs (demand side dynamics). Finally, based on our analysis of these in-depth case-studies we identify some propositions as anchors for further theory building. Specifically, we identify three major anchors, namely, EMCs' ability to `Lick the Dirt'; `Cash Rich Positions of EMCs' and `Strategic Partnerships with Developed Country Firms' that enhance their `Competitive Advantage in Developed Nations'. / Business Administration