Background: Ongoing business transformations, labour shortages, and lack of resources are perceived as some of the business’s biggest challenges. Since innovation is a key driver for growth and profitability, it is indispensable for the long-term survival of a business. However, innovation remains a challenge for most businesses, including foundation-owned businesses. Despite the growing significance of this type of ownership, the literature on innovation in foundation-owned businesses is scarce. Existing literature primarily focuses on quantitative analyses of their economic performance without explaining how the foundation-owned business bodies influence innovation. Purpose: This study explores how foundation ownership influences innovation. The main goal is to understand the collaboration of the different foundation-owned business bodies and how this influences innovation in foundation-owned businesses. The study’s goal is to contribute to the sparse literature on foundation-owned businesses and aspire to provide insights and recommendations for FB and FoB practitioners, as well as for external parties. Method: This paper is based on a qualitative study following a grounded theory approach to derive new theories from empirical data. Hence, we conducted an exploratory multi-case study following the Eisenhardt Method. Our data sample consists of four foundation-owned businesses. In total, we conducted 18 interviews with foundations and their associated businesses, as well as practitioners and scholars in this research field. Conclusion: Based on our findings, we identified that innovation is influenced by five key factors namely governance bodies, foundation as a source of inspiration, foundation charter, the foundation supporting the business’s human resources, and the foundation’s capital procurement.Drawing on these factors, we determined three collaboration strategies of foundation-owned business bodies that influence innovation, namely distant, distant-close, and close collaboration which resulted in our theoretical model.Furthermore, we identified that foundation ownership fosters innovation on a larger scale by providing an innovation infrastructure.

The aim of this study is to determine the extent to which Quality Management Practices has been effectively adopted and implemented by Pakistani manufacturing companies and to identify best practices for adoption by the companies. The study employed primary and secondary data sources to determine the relationship between QM and Productivity. The study used quantitative methodology for data collection and analysis. The survey responses were categorised into foreign owned companies (FOC¿s) and local owned companies (LOC¿s). The outcome of the descriptive and statistical analysis of the survey responses and secondary data of the companies found that, although most of the companies were aware of the significance of the QM practices and Productivity, FOC¿s were found to have performed highly better in the adoption and implementation of QM practices in their companies compared to locally owned companies. The study also revealed that there is positive relationship between quality and productivity of the manufacturing companies. The evidence deduced from the study shows that foreign owned companies have performed better compared to local owned companies in terms of quality and productivity. Furthermore, the evidence from this study also points out that, automobile sector of Pakistan performed well in the adoption and implementation of QM practices. Strong positive link between quality and productivity was found in the case of automobile companies. This study therefore recommends for manufacturing companies in Pakistan to effectively adopt and implement Quality management practices that encapsulate the study¿s framework for adoption of QM practices (see figure 7.1).

No description available.

Purpose: The main purpose of this research is to do an exploratory study on the role of controllers in state-owned enterprises in developing countries, specifically in Gambia and Rwanda. The study aims also at identifying challenges that controllers are facing and how they manage them and also showing the key differences between controllers in State-owned enterprises (SOEs) and private enterprises. Theoretical foundation: Theories we used in this research are based on previous literature and research done by previous scholars and publishers who wrote on controllers' roles, control systems, SOEs, private enterprises and developing countries. From the literature that authors read, they were able to find the research gap and construct research questions. Methodology: The authors of this thesis adopted a qualitative research method based on exploratory research approach. Data collection method adopted is a semi-structured interview with people holding controller positions of SOEs and private enterprises in Gambia and Rwanda. Conducting these interviews was aimed at collecting enough information and data that can be analysed in order to get a deeper understanding of the role of controllers in SOEs of developing countries. Data collected were analysed and interpreted through thematic analysis that helped the authors to identify key areas of discussions. Empirical findings: The empirical results were generated from the interviews conducted with eleven controllers from Gambia and Rwanda. These findings were discussed in connection to the literature at the same time answering the research questions and fulfilling the purpose of this research. The research findings show that controllers in SOEs have a series of challenges, among them corporate governance challenges and undue political interference, how controllers mitigate their challenges, by adhering to their financial and procedure manual. The findings provide that controllerin the private sector are more into profit than controllers in SOEs

In the globalized economy, internationalization is necessary for companies to have a  competitive advantage to survive in the long term and Swedish companies are no exception. However, when Swedish companies enter Japan the cultural differences between the two countries are significant, which may create cultural barriers. There are few cross-cultural studies focusing on communication across cultural barriers that foreign companies face when entering the Japanese market. Also, the research is conducted from a one-way perspective, with less focus on the perspective of the Japanese counterparts. The purpose of this thesis is to identify what cultural barriers a company, with Sweden as the home country, has encountered under the internationalization process when entering Japan from both a Swedish and Japanese point of view. In the qualitative research approach, the empirical data was collected through semi-structured interviews with the employees in a Swedish company HMS Networks AB (HMS), which has internationalized to Japan and has a subsidiary HMS Industrial Networks K.K. in Japan (HMS Japan). These findings were also complemented with secondary data such as corporate websites and annual reports. The empirical data were analyzed into three steps: transcription, systematization, and combination. The results showed that HMS has faced internal and external cultural barriers during the internationalization of the Japanese market. The differences in work culture, language, business relationship created cultural barriers and influenced the communication within and outside of the company. There were more internal cultural barriers than external ones, which has decreased over time, resulting from Japanese society becoming more international and Swedish companies adapting appropriately to Japanese culture. This research thesis will be a tool for creating a deeper understanding and communication of two different cultures. First, language is the most significant cultural barrier to entering foreign markets. Therefore, it is crucial that the company itself provides an opportunity to learn a  language for employees. Second, it demonstrates the importance of deepening the understanding between the parties. International companies should not try to change foreign employees’ way of being but instead consider both cultures and implement a common foundation. Third, it is essential to keep in mind that it takes time to overcome cultural barriers.  Also, when a company internationalizes, cultural barriers may occur from both sides of countries, and they may be interpreted differently in the same situation. Thus, understanding how the other party interprets your culture is important, which will help to reduce cultural barriers.

No

Att ombilda en hyresrätt till en bostadsrätt har sedan 1980-talet varit en politisk diskussion. Efter lagen om rätt till fastighetsförvärv för ombildning vann laga kraft gjordes det möjligt att förvärvet av fastigheten kunde ske på de boendes initiativ. Som konsekvens av detta och även framtida lagändringar har ombildningstakten, under perioder, varit hög.  Denna uppsats har som syfte att undersöka vilka problem som förekommer i ombildade bostadsrättsföreningar med kvarvarande hyresgäster, samt vilka orsakerna är till problemen. Dessutom kommer det att diskuteras åtgärder för de problem som föreligger. För att identifiera problemen och för att försöka hitta lösningar har intervjuer genomförts med bostadsrättsföreningar som har kvarvarande hyresgäster, samt sakkunniga inom området. Det har även genomförts en litteraturstudie, där juridisk litteratur, författningar, propositioner och statens offentliga utredningar har varit grundläggande och har kompletterats med annan juridisk litteratur.  Via intervjuerna och litteraturstudien har det identifierats flera problem som kan uppstå i detta hyresförhållande. Trots att problemen inte uteslutande förekommer i bostadsrättsföreningar finns en ökad tendens till att de uppstår. Dessa problem berör huvudsakligen lägenhetens skick, hyran och hyresförhandling samt hot om uppsägning. Problematiken blir huvudsakligen praktisk snarare än juridisk då lagstiftningen ser likadan ut för detta hyresförhållande som om det hade varit en “vanlig hyresvärd”. Brist på ekonomi och kunskap hos bostadsrättsföreningarna är den största orsaken till dessa problem. Det skiljer sig mellan de olika bostadsrättsföreningarna i form av deras kompetens och ekonomi, således blir problematiken olika föreningarna emellan och även hur de kan hantera det. / Converting a rental apartment into a tenant-owned housing unit has been a political discussion since the 1980s. After the law on the right to acquire property for conversion came into force, it became possible for the acquisition of the property to occur at the initiative of the tenants. As a consequence of this and subsequent legal changes, the rate of conversions has been high during certain periods. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate whether and what problems occur in converted tenant-owned associations with remaining tenants and the causes of these problems. Furthermore, it will discuss potential solutions. To identify the problems and attempt to find potential solutions, we conducted interview studies with tenant-owned associations that have remaining tenants as well as experts in the field. A literature study was also conducted, where legal litterature such as statutes, bills, and government inquiries formed the basis and were supplemented with other legal literature. Through the interviews and the literature study, several problems that can arise in this rental relationship have been identified. Although the problems do not exclusively occur in housing cooperatives, there is a tendency for them to arise more frequently. These problems mainly concern the condition of the apartment, the rent and rent negotiations, and the threat of eviction. The issues become mainly practical rather than legal, as the legislation is the same for this rental relationship as if it were a "regular” landlord. Financial problems and lack of knowledge within the tenant-owner associations are the main causes for these problems. It varies between different housing cooperatives in terms of their competence and financial situation, hence the problems differ among them and also how they can manage them.

Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited / This study examines the effects of acquisition reform on Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSBs) and Small Disadvantaged Businesses (SDBs) who contracted with DOD during the 1990s through 2002 timeframe. Review and analysis of DOD data for fiscal years 1992 through 2002, an analysis of websites and acquisition literature, and interviews with DOD contracting and small business specialists provided the basis for this study. It identifies acquisition reform legislation enacted in the 1990s that has had a direct impact on WOSBs and SDBs and examines the charge that the practice of contract bundling has negatively impacted the ability of small businesses to win DOD contracts. An analysis of contract bundling data from the Small Business Office of Advocacy, Congress and DOD demonstrates that the data is insufficient and inconsistent to prove or disprove that contract bundling is negatively impacting small businesses. However, DOD data for fiscal years 1992 through 2002 indicates that DOD contracting with WOSBs improved consistently, particularly after enactment of the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act (FASA) of 1994 which mandated that the federal government, inclusive of DOD, award five percent of total yearly procurement dollars to WOSBs. / Civilian, United States Army

Chan, Eunice Shan. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 108-119). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / ABSTRACT --- p.i / CHINESE ABSTRACT --- p.ii / ACKNOWLEDGMENTS --- p.iii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iv / LIST OF TABLES --- p.v / LIST OF FIGURES --- p.vi / CHAPTERS / Chapter 1. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 2. --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.5 / Definitions of Turnaround --- p.5 / Causes of Firm Decline --- p.6 / Severity of the Situation --- p.8 / A Western Perspective on Turnaround Responses --- p.10 / Turnaround Success --- p.20 / Turnaround in the Non-U. S. Contexts --- p.21 / Chapter 3. --- THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND HYPOTHESES --- p.23 / Organizing Framework --- p.23 / Institutions and Their Impact on Turnaround --- p.26 / Institutional Environment in East Asia and the West --- p.32 / Hypotheses --- p.44 / Chapter 4. --- METHODOLOGY --- p.54 / Research Design --- p.54 / Quantitative Methods --- p.55 / Qualitative Methods --- p.62 / Chapter 5. --- RESULTS --- p.65 / Quantitative Results --- p.65 / Qualitative Evidence --- p.79 / Chapter 6. --- DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION --- p.97 / Implications --- p.98 / Limitations and Future Research --- p.102 / Conclusion --- p.104 / REFERENCES --- p.108 / APPENDIX 1: INTERVIEW PROTOCOL --- p.120 / APPENDIX 2: ANALYSIS OF FIRMS WITH NON-ETHNIC CHINESE PRINCIPALS REMOVED --- p.121 / APPENDIX 3: ANALYSIS OF FIRMS WITH LOW Z-SCORES --- p.123 / APPENDIX 4: ANALYSIS OF FIRM SIZE --- p.126

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Albany, 2003. / Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (p. 193-204) and index.