Small retailers are searching for a basis of competitive advantage to compete against larger retailers. The independent sales representative (rep) may represent such a basis. Little is known about how the role of reps and their performance is perceived by suppliers and retailers. We do not know what is expected from reps, if the reps' performance meets suppliers and retailers expectations, or whether met expectations lead to a basis of competitive advantage. Primarily, the study was designed to identify the role and contributions reps in the interactions between the supplier and retailer in the channel of distribution.

Much of the previous research on organizational performance deals with the larger businesses. As such, the owner/managers of small firms and researchers interested in small businesses have had to work with planning models which were not formulated with small businesses in mind. Therefore, the general purpose of this study is to help correct this deficiency and add to the body of knowledge concerning the contributions specific factors make toward increasing the performance of small firms. Specifically, selected managerial personality traits, managerial perceived environmental uncertainty, managerial scanning habits, and managerial goal setting activities are utilized to develop three models. The three models are used to determine the relationship the factors have to each other and the contribution the variables make toward the performance of the firm. The firms included in this study are located in a South Central metropolitan area. The firms have between 2 and 100 employees, sales of less than 3 million dollars, and have been in operation 2 years or longer. This study utilizes regression analysis and path analysis to determine the effects the factors have on each other and their contribution to the firm's performance. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSSx) is utilized to run the regression analysis. An Analysis of Linear Structural Relationships by the Method of Maximum Likelihood (LISREL) is utilized for the path analysis. Using path analysis, the third model demonstrates a total coefficient of determination for structural equations of 0.09. However, only two of the four factors have a t value of 2.0 or greater. The study also indicates the personality trait of dogmatism is inversely related to managerial scanning -.349 p <.01. Perceived environmental uncertainty is negatively correlated to performance at -.215 p <.05. None of the remaining factors demonstrated significant relationship to the firm's performance.

This thesis deals with the specifics of valuation of small businesses and is trying to find practical solutions to particular problems on the example of a travel agency SALLY TOURS. The selected company was evaluated for the purpose of sale and settlement of marital property. Financial and strategy analysis was performed followed by determination of value drivers and future free cash flow. Discounted cash flow and capitalized earnings method were used. The conclusion summarizes the main differences in the valuation of small businesses and companies, and recommends their solutions.

Risker och riskhantering är ett ämne som har fått en stor betydelse i dagens samhälle, inte minst som en följd av finanskrisen. Det finns ett flertal studier på området men dessvärre finns det idag betydligt färre studier om riskhantering som riktar in sig på småföretag, trots det faktum att cirka 96 procent av Sveriges 1,2 miljoner företag är just småföretag. Syftet med denna studie är att beskriva hur svenska småföretag hanterar risker samt att förklara samband mellan variabler som storlek, ålder, bransch och internationalisering.    För att göra detta har en kvantitativ metod tillämpats, med en deduktiv ansats. En enkätundersökning har formulerats och skickats ut till 867 småföretag i Sverige som valdes ut ur en databas (Retriever Business) med ett systematiskt urval. Enkäten bestod av 23 frågor och författarna av studien fick svar från 121 företag. Den data som samlades in bearbetades och analyserades i Microsoft Excel samt SPSS. De statistiska metoder som användes för att analysera data är deskriptiv statistisk samt ett binärt logistiskt regressionstest.   Studien finner signifikanta samband mellan importerande företag samt valutarisker, vilket stödjer resultat från tidigare genomförda studier på området. Studien fann inga signifikanta samband mellan importerande/exporterande företag och marknadsrisker, vilket går emot resultatet av tidigare genomförda studier. Dessutom fann studien inga signifikanta samband mellan marknadsrisker samt IT-risker och diverse oberoende variabler, vilket var några av studiens hypoteser.   Studiens resultat och slutsatser kan framförallt komma till användning för småföretag i riskbedömningar och liknande. Detta gäller framförallt för företag som handlar mycket internationellt. Även banker kan ha användning av resultatet, då bankerna brukar vara mycket intresserade av hur företagen hanterar risker, exempelvis då lån ska ges. Även försäkringsbolag skulle kunna ha användning av studien då de kan vara intresserade av att se hur risker hanteras och hur riskmedvetna deras företagskunder är. / Risks and risk management is a topic that has gained great importance today, not least because of the financial crisis. There are several studies on the field but unfortunately, there are far fewer studies on risk management that target smaller companies today, even though around 96 percent of Sweden's 1,2 million companies are in fact small companies. The purpose of this study is to describe how Swedish small companies deal with risks and to explain connections between variables such as size, age, line of business and internationalization.    To accomplish this, a quantitative method has been applied, with a deductive approach. A survey has been constructed and sent out to 867 small companies in Sweden whom were chosen out of a database (Retriever Business) with a systematic sampling. The survey consisted of 23 questions and the authors of this study received answers from 121 companies. The data that has been collected were processed and analysed in Microsoft Excel and SPSS. The statistically methods used are descriptive statistics and a binary logistics regressions test.    The results of this study are that statistically significant connections between importing companies and exchange risks, which provides support for what previous studies in the field have come up with. No significant correlations were found for importing/exporting companies and market risks, which is the contrariety of the results of previous studies in the field. Furthermore, no statistically significant correlations were found between market risks and IT-risks with various independent variables, which were some of the study’s hypothesis.   The results and conclusions of this study could be used especially by smaller companies in risk assessments and such. This applies above all to companies that trade much internationally. Also, banks could find the results useful, since banks usually are very interested in how companies handle risks, for instance when a loan is to be given. Insurance companies could also find this study useful, as they could be interested in seeing how risks are managed and how risk aware their clients are.

För att skapa en hållbar utveckling behöver alla aktörer i samhället arbeta tillsammans. Ekonomistyrning kan hjälpa företag att mäta och följa upp prestationer i syfte att kontrollera att de når uppsatta mål. Hållbarhet kan definieras på olika sätt, vilket kan försvåra arbetet med styrning av hållbarhet i företag. Tidigare forskning har nästan enbart fokuserat på stora företag trots att majoriteten av alla företag i EU är små och medelstora företag. Därför är syftet med denna studie att undersöka hur småföretag arbetar med hållbarhet och vilken roll ekonomistyrning har i detta arbete. Då det finns en begränsad mängd forskning om småföretag och hållbarhet syftar även studien till att bidra med nya insikter om hur småföretag kan gå tillväga för att bli mer hållbara, samt vilka hinder de möter under arbetet med hållbarhet. Till studien genomfördes fyra semistrukturerade intervjuer med småföretag i syfte att undersöka hur småföretag arbetar med ekonomistyrning för att uppnå långsiktiga hållbarhetsmål. De fyra fallföretagen arbetar med hållbarhet, har maximalt 50 anställda och verkar inom olika branscher. Med grund i Malmi och Browns (2008) modell för Management Control Systems identifierades och analyserades vilka styrsystem som förekommer vid arbete med hållbarhet i småföretag. Studien visar att småföretag saknar tillräckliga resurser för att kunna göra ett formellt och systematiskt styrningsarbete. Detta är en av anledningarna till att småföretag väljer att arbeta löpande med hållbarhet. Många småföretag har endast en ägare eller är familjeägda, vilket gör att ägarens definition till hållbarhet är avgörande för hur företaget arbetar med hållbarhet. Det är således även ägarens kompetens som påverkar graden av formaliserade ekonomistyrningssystem i företaget. / Most of the research on sustainability and Management Control Systems is based on large businesses even though the majority of all companies in the European Union are small and medium sized businesses. Small businesses can make a big impact on the current climate crisis, but since sustainability can be a complex issue and more advanced management in small business is limited, working towards sustainable development in small business could be a challenge. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis is to study how small businesses work to be more sustainable using Management Control Systems. For data collection, interviews were conducted in four small businesses who work with sustainability. The study finds that it can be hard for small businesses to work with sustainability due to lack of resources, which makes the use of Management Control Systems more informal and value based.

Muito se tem estudado a respeito dos aspectos econômicos e mercadológicos dos Shopping Centers, focando-se essencialmente na relação destes empreendimentos com os consumidores finais. Este trabalho pretendeu abordar esta questão sob a ótica do lojista que se instala em um shopping center. E não exatamente um lojista qualquer, mas o pequeno lojista, ou o lojista satélite, como são chamados estes comerciantes nos empreendimentos. Através da hipótese de que por menor que seja o empreendimento comercial, sempre existirão critérios objetivos de escolha de ponto, procurou-se aqui sistematizar esses critérios, através de uma abordagem teórica que pudesse dar sustentação conceitual ao processo de escolha. Dentre as conclusões do trabalho, verificou-se que apesar de nem sempre aparente, o lojista tem uma clara percepção das características do ponto, embora às vezes tenha que optar por aquele ponto onde sua restrição de orçamento assim o permita. / Many researchers have studied economic and merchandising issues regarding shopping centers, focusing essentially on the relationship between the entrepreneurs and the consumers. This work is intended to provide a different approach, focusing on the relationship from the shopper-owner viewpoint, with an emphasis on small businesses. Based upon the hypothesis that even in the smallest commercial business, everyone should develop some technical criteria to assist in choosing their sites, the author tried to organize these methods, using a theoretical approach in order to support the site study process. Among the conclusions, it was verified that even when the owner cannot use the concepts to choose a site in a shopping center (e.g., because of a restricted budget), he/she has a clear idea about the quality and characteristics of the site locations.

No final do século XX, as empresas latino-americanas foram inseridas em um ambiente de competitividade internacional - devido à consolidação das reformas neoliberais, o processo de abertura econômica e a estabilização monetária e com isso tornou-se necessário buscar ganhos de produtividade associados à redução de custos. Diante deste cenário e visto que as empresas de micro e pequeno porte sempre tiveram um importante papel nas economias latinas, no que se refere à geração de emprego e renda, o auxílio do Estado por meio de políticas públicas de apoio torna-se fundamental, principalmente no atendimento de suas necessidades mais prementes como o crédito facilitado, tributação diferenciada e capacitação. Assim, o objetivo deste trabalho é analisar, no período de 1998 a 2003, o impacto dessas políticas, mediante uma correlação com as variáveis de desempenho das MPEs número de estabelecimentos e empregos; total de vendas anuais; vendas anuais por empresa e por empregado - no Brasil e no Chile. Para realizar esta análise, inicialmente, recorremos aos autores clássicos do pensamento econômico os quais destacam, diretamente ou indiretamente, questões pertinentes as MPEs. A partir daí, estas são inseridas no cenário econômico latino-americano e então, busca-se delimitá-las nas economias brasileira e chilena, bem como as políticas públicas aplicadas a este porte de empresa. A metodologia utilizada neste trabalho foi de pesquisa bibliográfica e quantitativa. Os métodos de procedimento foram comparativos e estatísticos, tendo como base a técnica de documentação indireta. Como resultado do trabalho pode-se afirmar que é verdadeira a hipótese levantada na pesquisa, ou seja, que as políticas públicas de apoio às MPEs geram impactos positivos no desempenho das empresas na economia. / In the end of the 20th century, the Latin-American companies were inserted in an atmosphere of international competition - due to the consolidation of the neoliberal reforms, the process of economical opening and the monetary stabilization - and with that it became necessary to look for won of productivity associated to the reduction of costs. Before this scenery and considering the fact that the micro and small companies had always had an important role in the Latin economy, concerning the employment creation and income, the aid of the State through public politics of support becomes fundamental, mainly in the service of their more pressing needs as the facilitated credit, differentiated taxation and training. Like this, the objective of this work is to analyze, in the period from 1998 to 2003, the impact of these politics, by a correlation with the variables of acting of small businesses - number of establishments and jobs; total of annual sales; annual sales for company and for employee - in Brazil and in Chile. To accomplish this analysis, initially, we fell back upon the classic authors of the economical thought which highlight direct or indirectly pertinent subjects small businesses. Since then, these are inserted in the Latin- American economical scenery and then, it is looked for to delimit them in the Brazilian and Chilean savings, as well as the applied public politics to this company load. The methodology used in this work was bibliographical and quantitative research. The procedure methods were comparative and statistical, tends as base the technique of indirect documentation. As a result of the work, it can be claimed that the hypothesis lifted up in the research is true, in other words, that the public politics of support to the small businesses generate positive impacts in the acting of the companies in the economy.

Esta dissertação objetiva identificar os obstáculos ao uso da tecnologia da informação na gestão estratégica da informação e propor soluções compatíveis à situação peculiar da pequena empresa. Apresenta uma revisão bibliográfica sobre o processo de gestão da informação, tecnologias da informação e as especificidades da pequena empresa. O trabalho de campo dividiu-se em duas fases: a primeira consistiu em um amplo levantamento exploratório-descritivo, que pôde ser classificado, devido sua natureza científica, como um estudo survey, a fim de se conhecer melhor as pequenas empresas pertencentes aos minidistritos; e a segunda fase correspondeu à aplicação do método de análise comparativa de casos, sendo que foram estudadas quatro indústrias de pequeno porte instaladas nos minidistritos industriais de São José do Rio Preto – SP, tendo-se como finalidade comparar os seus resultados entre si. A pesquisa permitiu identificar os tipos e fontes considerados relevantes, bem como a maneira como essas empresas realizam a gestão de suas informações. Percebeu-se que esse processo, em geral, é informal e assistemático. Quanto à utilização de tecnologias da informação foi observado que seu uso é modesto, principalmente no que tange àquelas que auxiliam as etapas do processo de gestão da informação. Os principais obstáculos identificados que dificultam a implantação e a utilização de tecnologias da informação são: o alto custo das tecnologias; a falta de tempo por parte dos dirigentes; a resistência humana em aceitar novas tecnologias da informação; o insignificante retorno sobre a produtividade e a dificuldade em lidar com a tecnologia da informação / This dissertation presents identify the obstacles for the use of the information technology in the strategic management of the information and propose compatible solutions with the specific situation of the small businesses. It presents a bibliographical revision of the process of information management, information technology and the specific characteristics of small businesses. The fieldwork was divided in two phases: the first carried out an broad survey exploratory and descriptive, that could be classified, in reason of it scientific nature, like a survey study, to aim to know better the small businesses belonged to minidistricts; and the second phase corresponded to the application of the method of the comparative studu of cases, was be studied four industrial of the small-sized installed in industrials minidistricts of the São José do Rio Preto – SP, having the objective compair its results one another. The research alowed identify the relevant types and sources, as well the way this enterprises do the management of your informations. It was realize that this process, in general, is informal and not systematic. How to utilization of the information technologies was realize that it use is modest, mainly in relation thats aims the stages of the process of information management. The mainly obstacles identified that make difficult the implantation and the use of the information technologies are: the high cost of the tecnologies, the scary time of the managers; the human resistence in accept news information technologies; the insignificant return about the productivity and the difficulty to deal with the information technology

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-25T16:44:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Debora Oliveira Pereira.pdf: 833821 bytes, checksum: 177bc76cf412b334a41546d2633886c1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-10-17 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Small businesses have been frequently considered a major agent for the economic development, paying attention to the significant number of jobs provided by these kinds of company. Consequently, government has launched a wide range of programs in order to stimulate the expansion of investment and reduce the large number of firms that bankrupt after only few years. Nevertheless, many researchers demonstrate that the performance of the companies tends to be superior when the strategies are not strictly focused on competition among firms, but on the partnerships focused on cooperation and collaboration. These initiatives allow the access to specific resources and promote peculiar competitive advantages based on particular necessities of the local community. This study evaluates strategies adopted by small businesses, in order to verify the perception of entrepreneurs about the possibility to move from strictly actions to initiatives based on cooperation and collaboration among firms. Through the case study methodology, the research evaluates three enterprises located in a district in the north of São Paulo. The results contribute to researchers interested in small business studies, while evaluating the effectiveness and limits of cooperation partnerships, presenting different ways to implement these initiatives. On the other hand, this research permit the entrepreneurs to evaluate alternative management methods, expanding the vision on individual profits / A crescente importância atribuída aos negócios de pequeno porte como promotores do desenvolvimento econômico do país, decorrente do elevado número de postos de trabalho oferecidos pelas empresas desse segmento, leva ao surgimento de diversas iniciativas voltadas à ampliação da competitividade dos pequenos empreendimentos, de modo a fomentar novos investimentos e reduzir as elevadas taxas de mortalidade verificadas no setor. No entanto, enquanto as políticas governamentais tendem a tratar as micro e pequenas empresas como diversas unidades produtivas dispersas, uma série de estudos demonstra que seu desempenho tende a ser superior no momento em que deixam de competir entre si e passam a implementar parcerias que possibilitam o acesso a recursos específicos, permitindo o estabelecimento de vantagens competitivas únicas, baseadas nas necessidades da região em que atuam. Diante desse cenário, o presente trabalho efetua uma análise de estratégias empresariais implementadas por negócios de pequeno porte, tendo como objetivo interpretar a forma como proprietários de pequenos empreendimentos encaram o estabelecimento de estratégias competitivas em seus negócios, analisando suas reações diante de alternativas estratégicas baseadas na cooperação e colaboração entre agentes. Através da abordagem de estudos de caso, são avaliados três empreendimentos localizados na periferia da cidade de São Paulo. O trabalho contribui para pesquisas voltadas a micro e pequenos negócios, ao avaliar a efetividade e limitações da cooperação no setor, de modo a vislumbrar ações alternativas para a disseminação dessa prática. Sob o ponto de vista dos empreendedores, demonstra a possibilidade de estabelecer novas posturas gerenciais, com vistas a resultados que vão além da obtenção de ganhos individuais

No final do século XX, as empresas latino-americanas foram inseridas em um ambiente de competitividade internacional - devido à consolidação das reformas neoliberais, o processo de abertura econômica e a estabilização monetária e com isso tornou-se necessário buscar ganhos de produtividade associados à redução de custos. Diante deste cenário e visto que as empresas de micro e pequeno porte sempre tiveram um importante papel nas economias latinas, no que se refere à geração de emprego e renda, o auxílio do Estado por meio de políticas públicas de apoio torna-se fundamental, principalmente no atendimento de suas necessidades mais prementes como o crédito facilitado, tributação diferenciada e capacitação. Assim, o objetivo deste trabalho é analisar, no período de 1998 a 2003, o impacto dessas políticas, mediante uma correlação com as variáveis de desempenho das MPEs número de estabelecimentos e empregos; total de vendas anuais; vendas anuais por empresa e por empregado - no Brasil e no Chile. Para realizar esta análise, inicialmente, recorremos aos autores clássicos do pensamento econômico os quais destacam, diretamente ou indiretamente, questões pertinentes as MPEs. A partir daí, estas são inseridas no cenário econômico latino-americano e então, busca-se delimitá-las nas economias brasileira e chilena, bem como as políticas públicas aplicadas a este porte de empresa. A metodologia utilizada neste trabalho foi de pesquisa bibliográfica e quantitativa. Os métodos de procedimento foram comparativos e estatísticos, tendo como base a técnica de documentação indireta. Como resultado do trabalho pode-se afirmar que é verdadeira a hipótese levantada na pesquisa, ou seja, que as políticas públicas de apoio às MPEs geram impactos positivos no desempenho das empresas na economia. / In the end of the 20th century, the Latin-American companies were inserted in an atmosphere of international competition - due to the consolidation of the neoliberal reforms, the process of economical opening and the monetary stabilization - and with that it became necessary to look for won of productivity associated to the reduction of costs. Before this scenery and considering the fact that the micro and small companies had always had an important role in the Latin economy, concerning the employment creation and income, the aid of the State through public politics of support becomes fundamental, mainly in the service of their more pressing needs as the facilitated credit, differentiated taxation and training. Like this, the objective of this work is to analyze, in the period from 1998 to 2003, the impact of these politics, by a correlation with the variables of acting of small businesses - number of establishments and jobs; total of annual sales; annual sales for company and for employee - in Brazil and in Chile. To accomplish this analysis, initially, we fell back upon the classic authors of the economical thought which highlight direct or indirectly pertinent subjects small businesses. Since then, these are inserted in the Latin- American economical scenery and then, it is looked for to delimit them in the Brazilian and Chilean savings, as well as the applied public politics to this company load. The methodology used in this work was bibliographical and quantitative research. The procedure methods were comparative and statistical, tends as base the technique of indirect documentation. As a result of the work, it can be claimed that the hypothesis lifted up in the research is true, in other words, that the public politics of support to the small businesses generate positive impacts in the acting of the companies in the economy.