Small construction professional services (CPS) firms are recognised as being vitally important to the UK construction industry as much of the professional capacity of the sector resides within these small practices. They rely on the capabilities of small groups of professional employees in delivering their services and so need to ensure their commitment to achieving organisational objectives. Clearly, human resource management (HRM) strategies have a major role to play in managing employee commitment, and yet such strategies have received little attention within the construction management literature. This study investigates the nature of construction professionals commitment within small CPS firms and to develop HRM interventions that foster organisational commitment in small CPS firms. The study adopts qualitative approach to enable gathering of rich data that come directly from the participants involved in the phenomenon. Exploratory interviews with managers of small CPS firms conducted in the early phase of the research helped to identify some of the key strategies and operational challenges related to the management of commitment. Following this, the main data was collected through conducting two in-depth case studies, which included one small quantity surveying practice in the East Midlands, UK, and one small multi-disciplinary practice in the West Midlands, UK. The case studies involve in-depth interviews involving the employer and employees, participation observation and document analysis at the main office of both organisations. Together, these data helped to unravel the nature of the employment relationship within such firms and also to gain a better understanding of how professional employees express their commitment. The findings reveal that professional employees commitment is influenced by a complex range of factors, but that five main HRM levers have a particular influence within such firms. These relate to job design, performance and career management, training and development, reward management and employee involvement. It is clear that a range of factors impinge on the abilities of employers to enact effective HRM strategies. In particular the recent economic crisis and personal problems have both been cited as the main challenges by the employer and employees of both organisations. It highlights the significant importance of managing organisational commitment much more effectively, regardless of the economic climate. Based on the research results a framework for managing professional commitment was developed and validated within a range of small CPS firms. The framework presents a holistic way of accounting for all the issues that influence the development and maintenance of organisational commitment within small CPS firms. Such knowledge is essential to the management of small CPS firms for achieving meaningful improvement in their approach to foster organisational commitment. The key recommendations for the management of small CPS firms is to make sure that every aspect of the job meets the professional employees expectations as well as project requirements and organisational objectives. This includes improving communication by utilising both formal and informal medium of communication, rewarding employees with both monetary and non-monetary rewards and developing employees by providing both on-the-job training and off-the job training. All these HRM practices need to be effectively linked and managed appropriately to collectively foster commitment. In conclusion, the complex nature of organisational commitment raised the importance for the management of small CPS firms to have a structured approach in managing their employees commitment.

The risks and opportunities that climate change presents for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) have been largely overlooked by previous research (Schaefer et al. 2011, Williams & Schaefer 2013). The subsequent lack of knowledge in this field makes a meaningful, profitable and sustainable engagement of SMEs with climate change challenging. Current research has difficulty explaining (1) why SMEs rarely engage with climate change (2) how climate change is currently communicated to SMEs and (3) how SMEs overcome the knowledge gap between business practice and climate change science (cf. Hoffman 2004, 2006, Hart 2007, Goodall 2008). In this thesis I critically examine 31 SMEs which engage with climate change knowledges, 5 Innovation-Support-Organizations (ISOs) which communicate climate change knowledges and 2 business-led communities of practice that discuss climate change-related business practices. Over a three-year period, I explore why and how business leaders approach the knowledge gap between climate change science and business practice, drawing on a variety of ethnographic research methods: (1) in-depth semi-structured and open interviews; (2) participant observations; (3) practitioner's workshops; and (4) an online survey. My research demonstrates that the participating ISOs communicate climate change in an overly simplistic way. The participating ISOs focus on persuading business leaders to engage with climate change. The participating business leaders who hear this persuasive message are already willing to engage with climate change. Their motivations to engage are lay-knowledge-dependent, derived from personal values, space and place identity. What the participating business leaders require is practical advice on how to mitigate the impact of, and adapt to, climate change, and they therefore try to overcome the limitations of current climate change communication through forming and joining communities of practice. By doing this, they can make sense of climate change in specialist niche communities and benefit from social belief systems. To enhance the number of SMEs engaging with climate change, I recommend that the participating ISOs target the personal values of business leaders and actively use these specialist niche communities niches within which the participating business leaders develop business practice to learn about climate change-related business practices themselves. Overall, my PhD shows that to create meaningful, profitable and sustainable engagement with climate change, business leaders and ISOs, as well as governments and society, need to address their "confusion and anxiety about the goals, ambitions and destinies [they] foresee" for themselves (Hulme 2013: 298).

This thesis focuses on how small to medium-sized management consultancies internationalise, as this is an under-researched area. Investigation focuses on identifying the factors that facilitate international market success for these small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the challenges they encounter, and how those challenges have been overcome. The relevance of SME internationalisation theories is explored for SME management consultancies in the UK. The study is exploratory, phenomenological and framed within an interpretive research paradigm. Primary data was gathered qualitatively using multiple (9) case studies, collected principally through semi-structured interviews. This empirical research, one of the first to focus solely on SME management consultancies, finds the owner/founders as the key driver of internationalisation. Their past experience enables an international outlook and brings established networks to firm formation. The findings highlight the relevance of intangible resources: the firms’ skills, competencies and networking capabilities, as integral to successful internationalisation. Additional key critical success factors are niche market specialisation, firm reputation, firm location, ability for service provision modification and the role of technology. There are observed firm size-related differences in the challenges these firms face, with smaller-sized firms being more vulnerable to challenges from the external environment, including the 2008 financial crisis. Firms are able to overcome these challenges with the help of their networks. Other challenges stem from the firm’s service provision: difficulty in finding skilled staff and communication with clients. The findings suggest applicability for other knowledge-intensive firms. The research contributes to closing the gap in literature on how firms successfully provide services internationally and in so doing advances theoretical understanding of SME service internationalisation. This theory-building research demonstrates partial relevance of Stage Theory, Networking Theory, and Born Global Theory, but overall the resource-based view was found as the most relevant to understanding the internationalisation process of SME management consultancies. This sets a foundation for further research on the internationalisation process of other knowledge-intensive firms.

Despite being a fairly new concept, sustainable development is gaining more attention from social actors. The demand on companies to incorporate sustainable development practices is therefore increasing. Previous research has emphasized that companies are influential drivers of sustainable development practices and many claim to work actively with the issue, yet few have implemented such practices to a sufficient extent. Many companies who claim to be working actively with sustainable development were found to be uncertain of what it implies. Moreover, manufacturing companies tend to be greatly dependent on the consumption of raw material, energy and waste disposals and are therefore often affected by changes associated with sustainable development. Thus, the purpose of this study is to identify what drives manufacturing companies to commit to sustainable development practices.   In the field Management of Sustainable Development, previous research has neglected drivers of sustainable development in relation to managers’ differing interpretations of the concept, constituting a research gap. It has also been suggested by previous research to investigate sustainable development from an organizational perspective, thus this study investigates individual managers’ interpretations and what drives companies to adopt sustainable development practices. The following research question has therefore guided this study:   What drives manufacturing companies to adopt sustainable development practices and how do these drivers vary depending on managers’ interpretations of the term?   In order to investigate this phenomenon and fulfill the purpose of our study, a qualitative approach was deemed most suitable. Six manufacturing companies in Västerbotten County were interviewed using a semi-structured approach. In addition, a triangulation method was used, where official and organizational documents were collected from each participating company to complement the interview data and decrease subjectivity. The analysis of our empirical data resulted in a compiled analysis of the key findings, where we found that manufacturing companies in Västerbotten perceive sustainable development as an ambiguous term and interpret it differently but consider environmental factors as a central feature of the term. Furthermore, we can conclude that the adoption of sustainable development practices is facilitated by establishing a separate sustainable development strategy or incorporating sustainable development into the company’s general business strategy.

This study is an assessment of preferences and the perceived satisfaction of clothing for a group of large-sized women shopping in the Dallas metropolitan area. Demographic information was gathered from the respondents to compare the relationship between the clothing preferences and the demographic variables. The participants in this study were sixty large-sized women who shopped in two large-sized specialty stores in Dallas, Texas. The data were collected by use of a personal interview instrument developed by the researcher. This study concludes that large-sized women perceived the selection of large-sized clothing ranging from good to fair with variation in their satisfaction of style, price, fabric, and availability. Large-sized women prefer the following style features: the A-line skirt, the V-neckline, the A-line dress, the bishop sleeve, the solid fabric design, and the color green.

Cette étude des pratiques RH dans les moyennes entreprises met en évidence l'influence significative des facteurs organisationnels et institutionnels. Dans le cadre de cette recherche, nous nous intéressons à ces pratiques à travers une approche intégratrice des théories mobilisées et montrons des particularismes en termes : 1/ de différenciation et d'hybridité structurelle, 2/ de légitimité institutionnelle et 3/ de complexité relationnelle.Reposant sur une méthodologie de recherche qualitative, l'étude empirique comprend 40 entretiens dont 13 menés dans le cadre de deux études de cas. Ces entretiens réalisés auprès de plusieurs acteurs RH permettent des comparaisons entre des moyennes entreprises de différentes tailles.À la lumière des spécificités des moyennes entreprises, nos résultats mettent en évidence une diversité des pratiques de RH. Notre recherche confirme l'intérêt d'une approche « non consensuelle » des pratiques de RH, celle-ci étant due au recul de la hiérarchie face à l'arrivée des managers. Nos résultats montrent aussi que dans les moyennes entreprises, les pratiques de RH sont personnelles, conformistes, pseudo-conformistes, pseudo-innovantes et innovantes. / This study of HR practices in medium-sized enterprises emphasizes on the significative influence of organizational and institutional factors. In this research, we examine these HR practices through an approach which integrates mobilized theories. We also point-out the specificities of these HRpractices in terms of: 1/ differentiation and structural hybridity, 2/ institutional legitimacy and 3/ relational complexity.Based on a methodology of qualitative research, this empirical study includes 40 interviews, 13 of which were part of two case studies. These interviews with different HR actors allow to make comparisons between medium-sized enterprises of different sizes.In light of the specificities of the medium-sized enterprises, our results highlight a variety of HR practices. Our research confirms that beyond the leader, there is a strong interest for a « nonconsensual » approach of HR practices, given that the hierarchy was forced to play a lesser role after the arrival of the managers. Our results show that in medium-sized enterprises, HR practicesare personal, conformist, pseudo-conformist, pseudo-innovative and innovative.

It has been argued for the past years that one of today’s main important factors for gaining competitive advantage is to implement CSR activities. There have been many studies showing the many benefits CSR have, not only to the organizations but also to society and the environment. However, CSR does not only concern the organization itself but also ensuring that the social and environmental behaviour is accomplished throughout the whole supply chain. Larger firms have the ability to implement and focus on several tasks at once, while small and medium-sized enterprises are struggling with limited resources and cannot afford any mistakes. This study is focusing on how SMEs with limited resources implement CSR within the supply chain and what difficulties they experience, since CSR is often seen as a complex and resource based issue. A case study was conducted at a SME in a B2B context and the study is based on a qualitative approach, with empirical data gathered from five in-depth interviews. After the empirical data was analysed it was concluded that by decreasing the supplier base is a way of gaining stronger contact and trust, also centralizing the supplier base in order to decrease transportation and emissions. SMEs with limited resources can outsource duties such as checkups and audits to external companies in order to assure quality and environmental criteria’s. Also, being an SME with limited resources indicates that the employees have to take on multiple roles in order to adapt to all customer and supplier demands, which was shown to be a complexity since obligations such as making a profitable procurement, were often prioritized before CSR. It was also found that the internal CSR communication was a major contributor to the lack of knowledge as well as interest in the subject, CSR is not seen as an obligation if not having anyone responsible for the CSR activities. Lastly, both CSR and digitalization were found to be two crucial keystones for organizational survival on the market.

Enligt svensk lagstiftning måste aktiebolag ha en styrelse. Dock skiljer det sig på vilket sätt styrelsen involveras i företags strategiska arbete och hur företagsägare förhåller sig till dess funktion. I små och medelstora företag fyller styrelsen sällan någon reell funktion. När företaget växer blir det dock svårt för en person att ensam klara av att styra och kontrollera bolaget, vilket leder till ett ökat behov av en arbetande styrelse. Tidigare forskning visar att företagsägarens personliga mål ofta avgör den strategiska riktningen i små och medelstora företag. För att kunna bemöta de krav som existerar, behöver därför företagsägaren förstå styrelsens roll och nyttan av strategiskt arbete. Syftet med studien är att utifrån ett företagsekonomiskt perspektiv bidra med kunskap om styrelsearbete i små och medelstora företag, samt att undersöka vilka attityder företagsägare i dessa företag har till styrelsens funktion. Studiens empiri har inhämtats från en kvalitativ datainsamling, i form av semistrukturerade intervjuer med fyra företagsägare ur tre olika små och medelstora företag. Den teoretiska referensramen berör ämnet bolagsstyrning och de aspekter som anses vara viktiga för ett framgångsrikt styrelsearbete. Studien kommer fram till att kunskapen vad gäller styrelsearbete är relativt låg hos företagsägare i små och medelstora företag, vilket gör att styrelsen inte används på ett effektivt sätt. Kunskapsnivån hos företagsägaren styr också huruvida styrelsen anses som viktig i det egna företaget, samt hur styrelsen arbetar. En annan slutsats som dras är att företagsägarens personliga mål påverkar dennes attityd till styrelsen. Om de personliga målen innefattar tillväxt, har företagsägaren en mer positiv attityd till en arbetande styrelse. Vidare ökar en positiv inställning till en arbetande styrelse sannolikheten att företagsägaren även har en positiv attityd till externa styrelseledamöter. / According to Swedish law, limited companies must have a board. However, it differs in the extent to which the board is involved in a company´s strategic work and how business owners relate to its function. In small and medium-sized enterprises, the board seldom fills any real function. As the company grows, it becomes difficult for one person alone to manage and control the company, leading to an increasing need for a working board. Previous research shows that business owner's personal goals often determine the strategic direction of small and medium-sized enterprises. In order to meet existing demands, business owners need to understand the board´s role and the benefits of strategic work. The purpose of the study is, from a business perspective, to contribute knowledge about board work in small and medium-sized enterprises and to examine the business owners' attitudes toward the functioning of the board. The study's empirical data has been collected from a qualitative data collection, in the form of semi-structured interviews with four business owners from three different small and medium-sized enterprises. The theoretical framework involves the subject corporate governance and the aspects that are considered important for a successful board work. The study concludes that awareness regarding board work, is relatively low among business owners of small and medium-sized enterprises, which means that the board is not being used effectively. The level of knowledge of the business owner also controls whether the board is considered as important in their own company, and how the board works. Another conclusion drawn is that the business owner's personal goals affect his attitude towards the board. If personal goals include growth, the business owner has a more positive attitude towards a working board. Furthermore, a positive attitude towards a working board increases the probability that the business owner also has a positive attitude towards outside directors in the board.

The importance of addressing the topic of sustainable development has been widely acknowledged, and the researchers call for future studies that would develop new perspectives on integrating sustainability in the business context. Currently, most of such studies focus on large companies, whereas it has been shown that the impact of SMEs on the economy, the society and the environment is also significant. The present work aims at exploring the integration of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate sustainability (CS) in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Nordic countries. Adopting a qualitative dominant mixed research method, the following objectives are achieved: using content analysis, we analyse the activities disclosed by SMEs and describe their type and focus. Further, the multiple case study of 13 SMEs operating in Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark and Iceland allows exploration of the process of CSR integration in companies in more detail. Using the abductive approach to analysis and systematically combining the existing approaches to analysing CSR integration with the empirical findings, we are able to distinguish several specifics of SMEs. Namely, the process of CSR integration in SMEs may be different due to increased role of the top management commitment and the varying degree of externally formalising CSR and CS through obtaining certifications. This allows us to design suggestions for the updated model of CSR integration, which would reflect these specifics of SMEs. The present work contributes to current research by exploring CSR and CS integration in the context of SMEs, which have been previously identified as research gaps. We develop suggestions for modifying an existing framework for analysing CSR integration that combines the focus on specific business operations and the stages that a company can undergo in implementing CSR. The developed model could be used as a practical tool for analysing the company and the potential areas that would lead to CSR integration on a more strategic level. The qualitative nature of the present work and supporting the theoretical reflections with quotes from SME managers and owners provides opportunities for naturalistic generalisations and gaining insights on what activities could be implemented in companies. We acknowledge that our work has several limitations. The qualitative nature of the study does not allow statistical generalisation; thus, further research is recommended to enhance the findings and test the developed model in different context and using different methods, as well as targeting not only managers and owners whose responsibilities are related to strategy and sustainability, but also employees from other functions. Quantitative and qualitative studies of SMEs in the analysed region conducted by native speakers are also recommended.

Les travaux contemporains portant sur les dynamiques territoriales du développement économique soulignent le rôle structurant des grandes villes et métropoles, qui seraient les seules entités urbaines à même de faire face à la recomposition des échelles territoriales de la performance économique. Dans ce contexte, les villes moyennes seraient amenées à repenser leurs stratégies de développement autour de la spécialisation sectorielle ou de leur attractivité résidentielle. À ce titre, les acteurs publics de l’aménagement des agglomérations d’Albi (Tarn), d’Alès (Gard), de Quimper (Finistère) et de Fougères (Ille-et-Vilaine), en partenariat avec les institutions scientifiques locales, portent des projets technopolitains à même de soutenir et de conforter le développement d’entreprises innovantes qui accompagnent la montée en gamme des bases productives locales de ces mêmes agglomérations. L’étude de la trajectoire sur le temps long de l’activité économique et des institutions scientifiques locales couplée à l’analyse de ces projets nous montre que les villes moyennes sont en capacité d’orienter et de coordonner des systèmes productifs aux horizons dépassant la simple desserte locale. Les ressorts relationnels de ces déterminants et de l’innovation sont au centre de ce travail / Several common ideas turn around the concept of « Medium-Sized Cities ». Too small to influence their economic environment, their industrial patterns wouldn’t be able to reach the standards of post-fordism based on a constant innovation process. As a consequence, concentrating public R&D investments in Metropolitan Areas would ensure and comfort economic growth. Studying the social and spatial levels linked to technopolitan projects hold in the cities of Albi (Tarn), Alès (Gard), Fougères (Ille-et-Vilaine) and Quimper (Finistère), we come to the conclusion Medium-Sized Cities are, on a long term perspective, adapting themselves to the contemporary economic regime based on a constant innovation process through growth coalition process linked between local authorities and scientific institutions.