Thesis (M.B.A.)--Boston University

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / 2031-01-01

The degree of transfer of technical training to workplace behavior was evaluated using a Solomon Four-Group experimental design. Additionally, all groups received retrospective pretests. Subjects were 103 technicians in an electronics company. Supervisors rated technicians on behaviorally anchored rating scales which were developed and labeled as behavior description scales for simplicity. Analysis of variance revealed no effect for training nor pretest. A training-pretest interaction effect was revealed for one dimension (Communication with Support Groups). Analysis of covariance revealed main effects for pretesting for two dimensions (Problem Solving and Communication with Supervisor) and a pretest-training interaction-for one dimension (Problem Solving). Except for one dimension, t tests revealed no significant differences between traditional pretests and retrospective pretests, thus negating a hypothesized response shift bias.

<p>The aim of this study is to research environmental factors and their impact among manufacturing companies in Umeå. In order to capture the essence of environmental impacts , two research questions were asked; which environmental factors are considered, and in what context are they evaluated among manufacturing companies in Umeå, and how are stakeholders an implication on corporate environmental efforts for manufacturing companies in Umeå?</p><p>First and foremost relevant theories were discovered, using several databases. Second, they were incorporated into a conceptual framework, where their relationship and characteristics were displayed. The theories were then transformed into themes, which became the foundation of the interview guide.</p><p>The study was conducted by interviewing six manufacturing companies with more than 10 employees in Umeå. The interviews were semi-structured, and a mixture of telephone interviews and in-person interviews. An analysis of the empirical material was undertaken, by analyzing the data using the theories found during the information search.</p><p>Almost all participating companies consider environmental factors in one way or another, according to the findings of this study. Further, the customers were concluded to be the most important stakeholder in leading to environmental reform among the companies. However, other stakeholders were also recognized by the respondents, and had an impact in for the stakeholders’ specific circumstances.</p>

<p>The purpose of this study was to investigate, through a qualitative survey, the need of knowledge and strategy in organisations today and tomorrow. The empirical investigation is built on a semi structured interview that was conducted on nine different companies in Gislaveds community. The companies were from three different branches namely: tree, metal and polymer. Three interviews were conducted in each branch.</p><p>The result from the interviews showed that the globalisation had put the companies under hard competition which had made the need for rationalisation and effectivness more apparent. Having said this, the demands on the organisation and the individuals within it will constantly increase. In order to enhance the individuals and the organisation there are an increased need for flexibility and openness and the responsibility and authority must be with in the individuals in the organisation. Our work show that the individuals with in the organisation shall be some kind of “superhuman” that can perform most of the tasks in the organisation, he or she should be flexible and open minded.</p><p>Our findings shows the way an organisation can create this “superhuman” and what an organisation needs to do to become a learning organisation.</p>

The purpose of this study was to investigate, through a qualitative survey, the need of knowledge and strategy in organisations today and tomorrow. The empirical investigation is built on a semi structured interview that was conducted on nine different companies in Gislaveds community. The companies were from three different branches namely: tree, metal and polymer. Three interviews were conducted in each branch. The result from the interviews showed that the globalisation had put the companies under hard competition which had made the need for rationalisation and effectivness more apparent. Having said this, the demands on the organisation and the individuals within it will constantly increase. In order to enhance the individuals and the organisation there are an increased need for flexibility and openness and the responsibility and authority must be with in the individuals in the organisation. Our work show that the individuals with in the organisation shall be some kind of “superhuman” that can perform most of the tasks in the organisation, he or she should be flexible and open minded. Our findings shows the way an organisation can create this “superhuman” and what an organisation needs to do to become a learning organisation.

The aim of this study is to research environmental factors and their impact among manufacturing companies in Umeå. In order to capture the essence of environmental impacts , two research questions were asked; which environmental factors are considered, and in what context are they evaluated among manufacturing companies in Umeå, and how are stakeholders an implication on corporate environmental efforts for manufacturing companies in Umeå? First and foremost relevant theories were discovered, using several databases. Second, they were incorporated into a conceptual framework, where their relationship and characteristics were displayed. The theories were then transformed into themes, which became the foundation of the interview guide. The study was conducted by interviewing six manufacturing companies with more than 10 employees in Umeå. The interviews were semi-structured, and a mixture of telephone interviews and in-person interviews. An analysis of the empirical material was undertaken, by analyzing the data using the theories found during the information search. Almost all participating companies consider environmental factors in one way or another, according to the findings of this study. Further, the customers were concluded to be the most important stakeholder in leading to environmental reform among the companies. However, other stakeholders were also recognized by the respondents, and had an impact in for the stakeholders’ specific circumstances.

O trabalho apresenta o sistema de apoio à decisão - SAD, projetado especificamente para pequenas indústrias. A pesquisa concentrou-se em parte no estudo das disciplinas envolvidas no tema análise econômico-financeira de empresas, de forma a recuperar as teorias e conceitos mais pertinentes, para, numa segunda etapa, aplicá-las ao projeto e implementação de um sistema de apoio às decisões de pequenas indústrias. O sistema de apoio à decisão - SAD foi concebido em parceria com 107 empresas de São Paulo, com o objetivo de realizar, de forma acurada e rápida, várias análises de apoio à tomada de decisões, entre as quais destacam-se as seguintes: análise das relações custo - volume - lucro (CVL); análise por taxa-alvo de retorno; cálculo de preços (orçamentos); análise econômica de seleção de produtos e de terceirizações de produtos, subconjuntos e operações. Além de específicas análises de administração financeira, outras relativas ao planejamento da produção são também colocadas à disposição pelo SAD, como é o caso do planejamento de materiais e de subconjuntos - MRP-I, do planejamento de capacidade para operações e máquinas - CRP, e do diagrama De-Para para apoiar arranjo físico, entre outras. O sistema tem oferecido apoio a uma série de tomadas de decisões em pequenas indústrias do Estado de São Paulo, com efetiva melhoria dos seus resultados econômico-financeiros. / This study presents a decision support system - simplified in portuguese as SAD, specifically designed to small manufacturing companies. The research concentrated partly on the study of the disciplines involved in economic-financial analysis of companies, in way to recover the theories and more pertinent concepts, for, in a second stage, to apply them to the project of a decision support system of industries of small load. The SAD was conceived and validated in partnership with 107 small manufacturing companies of São Paulo. It uses Managerial Accounting and Microeconomic models as long as Industrial Engineering methods. The research priorizes practical relevant managerial issues. The SAD was designed to realize accurately and rapidly several analysis to support decision making. The following analysis were highlighted: profit-cost-volume, target rate of return, pricing, products\' selection mix and make-or-buy decisions. Besides specifically financial management analysis, others relative to production planning were made available by the SAD, as materials requirements planning (MRP), capacity requirements planning (CRP), and the \"Chart of weighted values\" that supports lay out. The decision support system - SAD offered decision support to several small manufacturing companies, with effective improvement in their economical, financial and operational results.

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate implementation strategies of SwedishManufacturing Companies when establishing in People’s Republic of China, with the objective to determine what strategy that is the most commonly adapted. Strategy is an important approach, which companies apply when deciding what direction a company should take, in terms of financial, structural and operational. This study takes a deeper look into the different strategy approaches related to business expansions and establishment in PRC. By evaluating the intentions of a business expansion in People’s Republic of China, the different strategy approaches are influenced by the choice of strategy.The background is based on previous research and existing theories related to strategy. The theoretical framework of the thesis has its foundation in Porter’s theory of competitive strategy. It has been reshaped by Shi &amp; Gregory (1998), Bartlett and Ghoshol (1998), Miltenberg (2005) and Luthans and Doh (2008). To strengthen the matrixes by Luthan and Doh and Miltenberg to Porter’s theory, a model has been developed and explained to connect the different frameworks to the primary data. In order to fulfill the purpose of this study a cross-sectional design is used. A deductive research approach is followed, and applying questionnaires in order to collect the empirical data necessary to answer the research questions uses a quantitative method. The questionnaires were distributed to a selected sample consisting of 39 Swedish Manufacturing companies that are established in PRC, consisting of a population of 99 Swedish Manufacturing companies in People’s Republic of China. The overall results showed a very scattered placement of the companies within the strategy matrix. Nevertheless, the result indicated that the majority of Swedish Manufacturing companies establishing in the People’s Republic of China choose a Transnational Strategy in a global context. Note that the results should only be used as supportive data and not as a valid source of final information.

Bakalauro baigiamajame darbe nagrinėjami bankroto prognozavimo metodai. Teorinėje darbo dalyje aptarta bankroto samprata, išanalizuoti įmonės bankrotą sąlygojantys veiksniai ir priežastys, apžvelgti finansiniai ir nefinansiniai tyrimo metodai įmonių bankrotui prognozuoti. Praktinė darbo dalis skirta bankroto grėsmės įvertinimui pagal pasirinktus finansinius bankroto prognozavimo metodus konkrečiose gamybinėse įmonėse ir naudojamų tyrimo metodų tinkamumo nustatymui. Tyrimas parodė, kad tinkamiausi Lietuvos gamybinių įmonių bankrotui prognozuoti yra tiesinės diskriminantinės analizės modeliai – Altman, Springate, R. Liss ir Ca-Score. Be bankroto prognozavimo modelių, norint nustatyti kylančią bankroto grėsmę, reikia taikyti ir finansinius santykinius rodiklius bei pinigų srautų santykinius rodiklius. Atlikus tyrimą, pasitvirtino iškelta hipotezė, kad nėra vieno universalaus, tinkančio visoms įmonėms bankroto prognozavimo metodo. / The Bachelor‘s Thesis research methods of bankruptcy prediction. The theoretical part of Bachelor‘s Thesis discusses a conception of a bankruptcy, analyzes classification of factors and reasons that determine bankruptcy of a company and reviews fiscal research methods to analyze the reasons of companies’ bankruptcies. The practical part is aimed at evaluating the threat of a bankruptcy according to the chosen fiscal methods in specific companies and at determining suitability of the applied research models. The research has proved the linear discriminant models (Altman, Springate, R. Liss, Ca-Score) to be the most suitable for predicting bankruptcy in Lithuanian manufacturing companies. As well as to determine the threat of bankruptcy, it is necessary to apply financial ratios and ratios of cash flow. After analyzing, the raised hypothesis has proved out, that there is not a single particular method of the bankruptcy forecasting, which would suit all companies.