Revision of the author's Thesis (ph. D.)--Tohoku Daigaku. / Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (p. 261-279) and index.

Techn. Univ., Diss.--Berlin, 2006.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--George Mason University, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed July 23, 2008). Thesis director: Sharon M. deMonsabert. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Information Technology. Vita: p. 178. Includes bibliographical references (p. 171-177). Also available in print.

Thesis, PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Aberdeen University, 2009. / Title from web page (viewed on Dec. 1, 2009). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.C.I.T.)--Regis University, Denver, Colo., 2006. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Sept. 19, 2006). Includes bibliographical references.

Small and Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs) are considered a vital catalyst for economic growth and a source of job creation. In South Africa, with the high levels of unemployment, the contribution made by SMEs is of particular importance. However this sector of the economy is plagued by a high rate of business failure. In an effort to improve the current situation, this study sought to identify which business practices and entrepreneurial traits are present in SMEs in the Eastern Cape that may enhance business performance. The research was carried out amongst SMEs in the Eastern Cape however the results and recommendations of the study can be applied to SMEs in other parts of the country. The research methodology employed in this study was a quantitative approach. A web-based survey was distributed to potential respondents. The criteria used in identify potential respondents for the purpose of this study was that, the SME had to have less than 200 employees and been in business for more than three years. A combination of snowball and convenience sampling was used to select the sample. The researcher developed a conceptual framework using the literature as basis. The survey was distributed to 40 potential respondents. A total of 21 responses were received which translates to a 51 percent response rate. Data analysis was performed by means of descriptive and inferential statistics. The study confirmed the existence of a significant relationship between the independent variables being human resource management, accounting, technology, internal controls and entrepreneurial traits and the dependent variables being business performance. The study affirmed the notion that certain business practices and entrepreneurial traits should be prevalent in a SMEs business in order to enhance business performance. The findings of this study are such that these business practices should be present however the variables highlighted here are not absolute as there are other business practices that are of equal importance.

毛瑋豫. / "2009年8月". / "2009 nian 8 yue". / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 159-171). / Abstracts in Chinese and English. / Mao Weiyu. / Chapter 第一章 --- 前言 --- p.1 / Chapter 第二章 --- 文獻回顧 --- p.5 / Chapter 第一節 --- 高校畢業生的就業狀況 --- p.5 / Chapter 第二節 --- "國外關於""創業´ح的相關硏究" --- p.12 / Chapter 第三節 --- 中國的創業政策 --- p.34 / Chapter 第四節 --- 中國關於大學生創業的硏究 --- p.42 / Chapter 第五節 --- 大學生創業與社會福利 --- p.50 / Chapter 第三章 --- 理論框架 --- p.53 / Chapter 第一節 --- 硏究問題的切入點 --- p.53 / Chapter 第二節 --- 理論框架的建構 --- p.54 / Chapter 第三節 --- 具體硏究問題的形成 --- p.61 / Chapter 第四章 --- 硏究設計和方法 --- p.63 / Chapter 第一節 --- 哲學取向 --- p.63 / Chapter 第二節 --- 硏究設計 --- p.67 / Chapter 第三節 --- 定性硏究方法：個別深度訪談 --- p.69 / Chapter 第四節 --- 硏究倫理 --- p.83 / Chapter 第五章 --- 硏究發現 --- p.84 / Chapter 第一節 --- 創業的理解 --- p.84 / Chapter 第二節 --- 政府政策及其它影響因素對大學生創業經歷產生的影響 一 從“動機´ح、“機會´ح、“技能´ح三方面探討 --- p.100 / Chapter 第三節 --- 來自受訪者們的建議 --- p.132 / Chapter 第四節 --- 本章總結 --- p.136 / Chapter 第六章 --- 總結 --- p.141 / 附錄一 --- p.155 / 附錄二 --- p.156 / 附錄三 --- p.158 / 參考文獻 --- p.159

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Naval Postgraduate School, December 2003. / "MBA professional report"--Cover. Joint authors: Anastasios Karakasis, Evangelo Morris, Konstantinos Mousonis, David Rhone. Thesis advisor(s): Cary Simon, Mary C. Malina. Includes bibliographical references (p. 49). Also available online.

This thesis focuses on an analysis of the survival and growth of new start-up firms in Vietnam covering the period 2000-2005. In particular, the thesis investigates three main dimensions: i) the effect of growth and other determinants on firm survival; ii) the survival of state, domestic private and foreign firms; iii) the determinants of the growth of firms, and job creation and destruction of firms in Vietnam. In addition, the findings of the thesis have implications for policy makers responsible for new firm development in Vietnam. The learning model of Jovanovic (1982) is used in this thesis to study the dynamics of firms in terms of their survival and growth. The empirical study of firm survival using hazard models, and of job flow analysis of firms in Vietnam is relatively new. Furthermore, a new and unique panel dataset is used in this thesis to analyse the survival and growth of firms in Vietnam. The main findings are as follows: The first important finding is that the effect of previous growth (both in terms of employment and assets) on firm survival is positive, and also that this relationship is nonlinear. The effect of growth on survival decreases as growth increases. Moreover, domestic private and foreign firms are more positively associated with the probability of survival compared to state firms. Firms with larger initial size are more likely to survive, and firms able to access funds at the time of start-up have a greater likelihood of surviving. The productivity of a firm in year t-1 has a positive relationship with the survival probability of a firm in year t. Firms with a higher return on assets in year t-1 are more likely to survive in year t. At the same time, leverage in year t-1 is negatively associated with the probability of survival in year t. Differences in the probability of survival of state, domestic private and foreign firms are identified in both non-parametric and semi-parametric approaches. State firms take more advantages of support and preferential treatment from the government to achieve the highest probability of survival in the non-parametric approach, but they experience the lowest probability of survival when the effects of factors such as growth, initial founding conditions, productivity, financial ratios and leverage are considered in the semi-parametric approach. This means that when considering the effects of the other factors, the advantages for state firms disappear. Hence, the basis of performance and survival of state firms is 2 mainly dependent on assistance from the government. Firm survival rate seems to be more sensitive to return on sales for state firms as opposed to domestic private and foreign firms. At the same time, a rise in the initial capital intensive has stronger positive effects on the survival chances of domestic private firms than foreign and state firms. The determinants of firm survival are not the same for state, domestic private and foreign firms, but the return on assets in year t-1 is a significant positive effect on survival in year t for all three types of firms. The result from the Oaxaca – Blinder decomposition extended for the nonlinear version shows that most of the difference in exit rates between state and non-state firms cannot be explained by the included covariates, but is almost explained by the effects of differences in coefficients of covariates. This may be due to the government discrimination against non-state firms. Growth in employment rates is faster in younger firms than older ones and small firms have a faster asset growth than their larger counterparts. These results are consistent with the learning model of Jovanovic (1982) and show that Gibrat’s Law fails to hold true. The determinants of firm growth are sensitive to definitions of growth (firm growth in this thesis is measured in terms of employment or assets). When separately analysing growth of younger and older firms, the determinants of the growth in younger firms are different to those for older firms, and factors affecting employment and asset growth are considerably different in both younger and older firms. Using the Davis and Haltiwanger method of job flow analysis it is found that job creation and loss, or reductions, are almost the same in the period 2000-2005, and that the restructuring of the market during this period was high due to the transition process in new developing country. There are negative relationships between firm size and job flow, and small firms play a more significant role in job creation and destruction, and exhibit higher levels of job turnover and the restructuring process than medium or large firms in Vietnam. This result is the similar to the explanation given by the model of Jovanovic (1982). Domestic private firms display the most flexibility in hiring and firing workers, and the highest job turnover in the Vietnamese labour market because they experience the highest rates of job flow compared to both state and foreign firms. Industrial sector firms play the most important role in employment flexibility, creation and the restructuring of the economy compared to firms in the service and agricultural sectors. Finally, the findings in each chapter recommend some policy implications to improve the growth and the probability of survival of firms in Vietnam.