The small enterprise has become a major sphere of interest for policy makers and donors. Despite the institutional and policy support, these enterprises have fallen short of expectations. This study is intended to fill the gap by exploring the challenges and prospects of the entrepreneurs in the small enterprise in general and specifically rate the challenges across each sector in Mekelle and Adigrat, Tigray Regional State of Ethiopia. Generally, 154 samples of the small enterprise were selected using a stratified proportional random sampling technique, from which the required data were generated and analysed employing the descriptive and exploratory research design. In the first part, the characteristics and prospects of the entrepreneurs and the small enterprise are presented. The finding reveals that the gender of the entrepreneurs is dominated by and is in favour of male entrepreneurs when compared to that of their female counterparts. The majority of respondents lack the relevant experiences and operate as sole proprietors. Furthermore, business plan is found out to be used only to meet the requirements of the financial institutions. The result also revealed that small enterprises are operated mainly by the owners of the business themselves and hence their contributions to employment and income generation for others is very limited. Financial constraint is found out as a general challenge to entrepreneurs of the small enterprises. In addition, different constraints such as training, access to finance, market opportunities, policy and legal measures are examined and rated across different business types where each factors are found to affect small enterprises at a different rates. What is severe problem for one sector is found out to be not a problem when compared to other sectors. These imply that policies and support programs need to take in to account the heterogeneous nature of enterprises and entrepreneurs. Overall, the result discloses a high failure rate of the small enterprises in the study sites and one can conclude that there is a lack of innovation from the side of entrepreneurs and a weak support from the government and other supporting institutions. In view of these, the researcher recommends an innovative support schemes to ameliorate and accelerate the growth of the small enterprises. / Development Studies / D. Phil. (Development Studies)

Social responsibility (SR) is a business management concept that originated in the early 1930s after the Wall Street crash of 1929 exposed corporate irresponsibility in large organizations. Whilst the initial interpretation of SR has been modified and refined since it was first used, the significance of this multidimensional concept for the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector has continued to be overshadowed by its application to large and multinational organizations. The knowledge of social activities in the SME sector, particularly in South Africa, has remained unexplored due to relatively little attention being given until recent years. In cognizance of the above mentioned, this study wishes to expand the body of knowledge in respect of the social responsibility of small businesses. This study presented a qualitative content analysis of annual reports from 2008 to 2012 of companies listed on the JSE ALT exchange to explore small business social responsibility practices using NVIVO to analyze data. Findings from this study support the view that small businesses are not always profit driven and that they are therefore fundamentally distinct from large organizations. South African small businesses are however not yet strategic about SR. Creating and maintaining their reputation as good corporate citizens through relationships with stakeholders is their primary motivation for participating in social activities. The study results show that SR in small businesses is still evolving and that year after year there is an increase in involvement and interest in SR issues. The findings of this study, and confirmation of the new knowledge gained will assist policy makers and practitioners in designing plans and policies that will increase socially responsible behaviour of small businesses and develop a comprehensive theory of SR in small businesses in South Africa. This can potentially enhance inclusive economic growth while simultaneously dealing with the country’s socio economic problems. Future studies can be extended to include other SMEs in South Africa, specifically micro enterprises and comparisons formed by a larger population may demonstrate and explain trends more clearly. The results of this study can also be compared with large companies listed on the JSE and to other African economies. A longitudinal study investigating SMEs’ participation in SR in different economic conditions could test the fact that a change has occurred in the attitudes of small businesses from 2008 to 2012 towards social responsibility / Business Management / D.B.L

Šio darbo tikslas yra sukurti procesų vertinimo apimtį, naudotiną mažoms programinę įrangą kuriančioms organizacijoms, turinčioms tikslą pradėti procesų gerinimo programą. Darbo metu buvo įvertinti 25 Lietuvos programinę įrangą kuriančių organizacijų naudojamų procesų gebėjimai. Atsižvelgiant į gautus rezultatus buvo sudaryta procesų vertinimo apimtis, kurioje yra pateikiami 8 procesai. Siūloma vertinimo apimtis buvo sudaryta atsižvelgus į tirtų organizacijų naudojamus procesus, procesų gebėjimus, tobulinimo poreikius bei programinės įrangos kokybę, kaip pagrindinį procesų tobulinimo programos tikslą. / The purpose of this paper is to create a process assessment scope to be used assessing software processes in small software enterprises, with the emphasis on process improvement. During the course of writing the paper assessment of 25 Lithuanian software developing and/or supporting organization has been performed. Considering the results of the assessments a proposed process assessment scope containing 8 processes has been created. Proposed scope has been created considering the use of processes, process capabilities, and perceived process improvement goals in the assessed organizations, while maintaining that the core purpose of the process improvement program is the quality of the software.

This thesis examines product innovation processes in small established enterprises. The research questions are: (1) what motivates small established enterprises to innovate, (2) how do small established enterprises perform product innovation, and (3) how do small established enterprises manage resource scarcity in their product innovation processes? To answer the research questions, a multiple case study approach was chosen with three small established enterprises as cases and different product innovation processes as embedded units of study. The data collection method used was observation during a period of five months, complemented by interviews and secondary data. Product innovation in small established enterprises seems to be motivated by solving existing customers’ problems and the need for a sustained steady cash flow. A steady cash flow is also found to be a prerequisite during the product innovation processes. Product innovation seems to occur when there is a risk of decreased cash flow and/or when existing customers can be satisfied with new products that increase their loyalty so as to secure future sales, cash flow, and the enterprise’s survival in the long run. Promising innovation ideas alone do not result in product innovation. An innovation idea must also have supportive existing customers for product innovation to occur. Product innovation processes in the studied small established enterprises are found highly context dependent, intertwined in operational processes and made possible by a small organic organization and closeness to existing customers. The product innovation processes are further found to follow a flexible and informal overall scheme optimized for decreasing market and technology uncertainty and risk, dealing with resource scarcity, and facilitating fast and easy commercialization to avoid or moderate dips in cash flow. The design processes within the innovation processes can be linearly structured or cyclical and experimental, depending on the experienced novelty. To manage resource scarcity during the product innovation processes, the studied small enterprises used many different bootstrapping methods in combination. These methods can be divided into three categories according to their overall functions: for using existing resources more efficiently, for increasing resources and to secure a fast payback on resources invested in NPD. The studied small enterprises were due to their resource scarcity further found to favor an innovation strategy, only involving new products done with known technology and targeting existing markets. This way to innovate, which creates new products in a resource-efficient way that are accepted by the enterprises’ existing markets, seems to prevent unsuccessful product innovation, while at the same time excluding technologically radical innovation and innovation targeting new markets.

<p>Information system (IS), in other words computerised programs and application that a company uses is a central part in its organisation. Information technology (IT) is the hardware and infrastructure that an IS uses. IS and IT is then related to each other and several use the term IS/IT to describe the two words. Several small enterprises (10-49 employees) use IS/IT to a higher extent in order to work efficiently and many firms should not work without IS/IT. Because small enterprises are a major part in the economy for western world countries’ they find it important that these enterprises are efficient. A business plan is essential in order to make an enterprise work efficient. A business plan is important if the company should borrow money from bank or administer money from financiers. A business plan normally contains the company’s vision statement, mission statement, goals, business strategy and action items. In this thesis we only focus on strategies because we want to limit our research and because we have an interest of strategies in general. The business strategy is a roadmap which includes information about how the enterprise could fulfil its business plan’s goals. It is therefore impor-tant that the business plan and the business strategy are linked to each other, for example will the strategy suffer if the goals are poorly stated. To have this relation it is impor-tant to have a strategy that is explicit, this type of strategy is made through a planning process which is documented. The other type is called implicit and is made through activities for the different divisions of the enterprise, which is not documented.</p><p>To make the right decisions and investments for IS/IT it is essential to have an IS/IT strategy, which could be used for the company to reach IS/IT-goals and objectives.</p><p>The main question for this thesis is: How does IS/IT strategy influence business strategy within small service enterprises in Sweden and what factors can improve IT strategy’s impact on business strategy in small Swedish service enterprises? The purpose is to investigate how IS/IT strategy influences and improves business strategy in small Swed-ish service enterprises. We also aim to study how IS/IT strategy is applied in small Swedish service enterprises.</p><p>We did our empirical research on six small service enterprises in Jönköping. Three of the respondents had a documented explicit business strategy and none of them had an explicit IS/IT strategy. All the respondents said that they did not prioritise to keep the strategy updated and that the day-to-day issues were more important. The result is that we did not find any factors in IS/IT strategy that improved the business strategy in small Swedish service enterprises. The characteristics that the enterprises do not work with these issues and is seldom applied. The enterprises are more interested in day-today issues, our result differs therefore from the literature in this subject.</p> / <p>Informationssystemet (IS) det vill säga datoriserade program och applikationer som ett företag använder sig av är en central del i verksamheten. Informationsteknologi (IT) är hårdvaran och infrastrukturen som IS använder sig av. I och med detta är IS och IT starkt relaterade till varandra och flera brukar benämna detta med IS/IT. Flera småföre-tag (10-49 anställda) använder sig i allt större utsträckning av IS/IT i deras verksamheter och många skulle inte kunna fungera utan IS/IT. Hit hör även att småföretag är en be-tydande del flera länders ekonomi. För att ett företag ska kunna fungera effektivt bör det finnas en affärsplan som är elementär då företaget ska ta lån av bank eller förvalta pengar från finansiärer. I en affärsplan finns vanligen en vision, affärsidé, mål, strategi, nätverk, Produkt/tjänst inklusive prissättning, marknadsplan (kunder, marknad, konkur-renter, marknadsundersökning), budgetar och tid- och aktivitetsplan. I denna uppsats inriktar vi oss endast på strategier eftersom vi vill begränsa uppsatsen och vi har ett stort intresse för strategier. En strategi är ett tillvägagångssätt för att uppfylla företagens uppsätta mål. Det finns dock en relation mellan de olika delarna i affärsplanen och de är inte helt skilda från varandra, exempelvis så blir strategin med största sannolikhet bristande om målen är dåligt utformade. För att ha denna relation är det vikigt att ha en explicit strategi. Denna typ av strategi är framtagen genom en planeringsprocess som är dokumenterad medan en implicit är utvecklad genom händelser inom företaget som inte är dokumenterade.</p><p>För att fatta de rätta besluten och planera investeringar för IS/IT korrekt är det grund-läggande med en IS/IT-strategi, som kan användas för att nå målen för IS/IT.</p><p>Vår huvudfråga är: Hur kan IS/IT-strategi påverka affärsstrategi hos svenska små tjänsteföretag och hur kan denna relation förbättras? Syftet är att undersöka hur IS/IT-strategi kan påverka och förbättra affärsstrategi i små svenska tjänsteföretag. Vi ämnar också studera hur IS/IT-strategi används i små svenska tjänsteföretag.</p><p>Vi gjorde vår empiriska undersökning på sex små tjänsteföretag i Jönköping. Tre av fö-retagen hade en explicit affärsstrategi och ingen hade en explicit IS/IT strategi. Resultat är att små tjänsteföretag till största delen använder sig av implicita affärs- och IS/IT-strategier. Vi hittade ingenting som tyder på att IS/IT-strategi påverkar affärsstrategi i små svenska tjänsteföretag. Företagen är istället mer intresserade av händelser som är mer dagsaktuella, vilket skiljer sig från litteraturen inom detta område.</p>

This thesis examines product innovation processes in small established enterprises. The research questions are: (1) what motivates small established enterprises to innovate, (2) how do small established enterprises perform product innovation, and (3) how do small established enterprises manage resource scarcity in their product innovation processes? To answer the research questions, a multiple case study approach was chosen with three small established enterprises as cases and different product innovation processes as embedded units of study. The data collection method used was observation during a period of five months, complemented by interviews and secondary data. Product innovation in small established enterprises seems to be motivated by solving existing customers’ problems and the need for a sustained steady cash flow. A steady cash flow is also found to be a prerequisite during the product innovation processes. Product innovation seems to occur when there is a risk of decreased cash flow and/or when existing customers can be satisfied with new products that increase their loyalty so as to secure future sales, cash flow, and the enterprise’s survival in the long run. Promising innovation ideas alone do not result in product innovation. An innovation idea must also have supportive existing customers for product innovation to occur. Product innovation processes in the studied small established enterprises are found highly context dependent, intertwined in operational processes and made possible by a small organic organization and closeness to existing customers. The product innovation processes are further found to follow a flexible and informal overall scheme optimized for decreasing market and technology uncertainty and risk, dealing with resource scarcity, and facilitating fast and easy commercialization to avoid or moderate dips in cash flow. The design processes within the innovation processes can be linearly structured or cyclical and experimental, depending on the experienced novelty. To manage resource scarcity during the product innovation processes, the studied small enterprises used many different bootstrapping methods in combination. These methods can be divided into three categories according to their overall functions: for using existing resources more efficiently, for increasing resources and to secure a fast payback on resources invested in NPD. The studied small enterprises were due to their resource scarcity further found to favor an innovation strategy, only involving new products done with known technology and targeting existing markets. This way to innovate, which creates new products in a resource-efficient way that are accepted by the enterprises’ existing markets, seems to prevent unsuccessful product innovation, while at the same time excluding technologically radical innovation and innovation targeting new markets. / <p>QC 20140102</p>

No description available.

A presente investigação científica discorre acerca da economia da inovação tendo como pano de fundo a moderna economia da empresa, explorando aspectos empíricos da Europa e um estudo de caso sobre a inovação nas micro e pequenas empresas de calçados dos vales do Sinos e do Paranhana. As bases deste estudo estão calcadas na teroria da inovação sob a ótica da teoria da firma. Para alcance dos objetivos foi realizada uma pesquisa bibliográfica buscando identificar o atual estágio das empresas europeias em comparação com as empresas brasileiras. Já o estudo de campo buscou identificar como se dá o processo de inovação nas micro e pequenas indústrias calçadistas dos Vales do Sinos e do Paranhana. Como instrumento de análise se utilizou a ferramenta do radar da inovação, objetivando identificar diferenças e similaridades entre a realidade europeia e a realidade das micro e pequenas empresas. A base deste estudo de campo surgiu da oportunidade de utilizar a pesquisa desenvolvida pela FAPERGS em conjunto com o SEBRAE, em que o autor autou como pesquisador. As evidências mostram que, para se destacar, em inovação seria necessário um equilíbrio entre todos os indicadores e que este seria um dos pontos fracos dos líderes em inovação do Cluster formado pelos Vales do Sinos e do Paranhana. / This scientific research discusses about the innovation economics, having as background the company’s modern economy, exploring empirical aspects of Europe and a case study about the innovation in micro and small footwear enterprises of Vale do Sinos and Vale do Paranhana. The basis of this study is grounded on the theory of innovation from the perspective of the theory of the firm. In order to reach the objectives, a bibliographical research was conducted, seeking to identify the current stage of European companies in comparison to Brazilian companies. On the other hand, the field work sought to identify how the process of innovation takes place in micro and small enterprises footwear of Vale do Sinos and Vale do Paranhana. As an analysis tool, the innovation radar was used, aiming at identifying similarities and differences between the European reality and the reality of micro and small enterprises. The basis of this field work arose from de opportunity to use the research developed by FAPERGS together with SEBRAE, in which the author acted as a researcher. The evidences show that, in order to excel in innovation, it would be necessary to have a balance between all indicators and that this would be one of the weaknesses of the leaders in innovation cluster formed by Vale do Sinos and Vale do Paranhana.

Made available in DSpace on 2009-11-18T18:56:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ACF37B.pdf: 868805 bytes, checksum: ccd08d33ecb19b054e219ff0d3537c92 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / In recent years, clusters have become a central part in discussions about local and regional economic development, as well as in the elaboration of public policies for generating jobs and income. Concurrent with the discussions about clusters, the subject globalization has also received growing attention from the media in the academic and government fields. Different aspects are considered in the discussions regarding globalization and one of the subjects is the insertion of local economies into international commerce. One of these ways of insertion is by global value chains. This term began to be used at the end of 90s, and refers to the productive value chains dispersed throughout the world, but with integrated production and commercialization. The aim of this thesis is to understand how the exportation process influences the development of fashion clusters, this being done by the insertion of these clusters into the global value chains. Each year, the Brazilian fashion sector seeks to broaden their participation in the global economy by means of insertion into the global value chains. This insertion, however, has caused impacts in specialized clusters of garment manufacturers, such as beach fashion, jeans and women¿s clothing. As a way of identifying these impacts, three cluster manufacturers were studied in the state of Rio de Janeiro, namely Cabo Frio, São Gonçalo and Niterói. The impacts of internationalization on the companies integrated into these three clusters were explored by means of a six-month field study, including semistructured interviews. This internationalization occurs either by direct exportation or by means of inserting these companies into the global value chains. The results of the study points out the opportunities and threats to these companies, as well as shows the importance of more adequate public policies for the development of Brazilian fashion clusters. Among these threats, the possibility of inserting these cluster companies into the global value chains in a captive manner (Gereffi, Humphrey, Sturgeon, 2005) was singled out, placing them ¿under control¿ of the exporting companies. As for opportunities, the participation of government support agencies and improvements in fashion show good alternatives for inserting these companies into the global value chains, making possible autonomous and competitive performance. / Recentemente, os arranjos produtivos locais (APLs) figuram no centro dos debates sobre desenvolvimento econômico local e regional e na elaboração de políticas públicas de geração de emprego e renda. Concomitantemente com o debate sobre APLs, o tema globalização também vem recebendo destaque crescente da mídia, do meio acadêmico e dos governos. Vários aspectos são abordados pelo debate a cerca da globalização e um dos temas é a inserção de economias locais no comércio internacional. Um dessas formas de inserção se dá por meio das cadeias globais de valor (global value chains). Esse termo começou a ser cunhado no final da década de 1990 e refere-se às cadeias produtivas de valores dispersas pelo mundo, mas com produção e comercialização integradas. Essa dissertação enfoca como o desenvolvimento de APLs do setor de moda é influenciado pela atividade exportadora, sendo essa feita por meio da inserção desses APLs em cadeias globais de valor. O setor de moda brasileiro vem buscando a cada ano uma maior participação na economia global por meio da inserção em cadeias globais de valor. Essa inserção, contudo, tem causado impactos em APLs produtores de artigos de vestuário específicos, tais como moda-praia, jeans e vestuário feminino. Como forma de identificar esses impactos foram selecionados três APLs produtores desses artigos de vestuário no estado dos Rio de Janeiro, sendo esses respectivamente Cabo Frio, São Gonçalo e Niterói. Por meio de uma pesquisa de campo com duração de um mês e da realização de entrevistas semi-estruturadas foram investigados os impactos da internacionalização das empresas integrantes desses APLs. Essa internacionalização ocorre via exportação direta ou por meio da inserção dessas empresas nas cadeias globais de valor. O resultado da pesquisa aponta para oportunidades e ameaças para essas empresas, bem como sinaliza a importância de políticas públicas mais adequadas para o desenvolvimento de APLs de moda brasileiros. Dentre essas ameaças, se destaca a possibilidade de inserção das empresas desses APLs em cadeias globais de forma cativa (Gereffi, Humphrey, Sturgeon, 2005) se tornando ¿comandadas¿ pelas empresas exportadoras. Quanto às oportunidades, a atuação institucional e o aprimoramento do design sinalizam como forma de inserção virtuosa dessas empresas nas cadeias globais, possibilitando uma atuação autônoma e competitiva.

The use of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems by small enterprises is proliferating. Traditionally used by large enterprises, ERP systems are now considered important enterprise management aids, which may contribute to the sustainability and growth of small enterprises. Although varying acceptance factors may impact on the acceptance of ERP systems, there is no consolidated list of ERP system acceptance factors specific to small enterprises. In this study, the strategic, business, technical and human factors that influence the acceptance of ERP systems in small manufacturing enterprises in South Africa is presented. These influencing factors may guide future initiatives aiming to ensure the acceptance of ERP systems by small manufacturing enterprise. A combined quantitative and qualitative data analysis approach was used as an analytical lens to interpret responses gathered from small manufacturing enterprises. Recommendations are made for future research on ERP system acceptance and adoption within the broader spectrum of small enterprises. / Information Systems / M. Sc. (Information Systems)