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This thesis considers the nature of: i. Firms' decision-making regarding the international location of their activities; and ii. Their choice as between co-operating with other firms already based in overseas locations, as opposed to establishing their own overseas subsidiaries. These questions are important because of possible links between such internationalisation on the one hand and corporate performance on the other. The thesis analyses these links firstly using existing data sets, and secondly by analysing the data generated through our own questionnaire surveys and follow-up interviews. This research provides one of the first empirical studies of engineering services firm strategies for internationalisation. Dunning (1988) suggests that foreign direct investment is driven by: market seeking, asset seeking, efficiency seeking and strategic asset seeking/augmentation. The international diversification theory holds that a multinational corporation has a lower systematic risk relative to similar domestic firms due to diversification, with cash flows from different countries. Rugman (1979), Miller and Pras (1980) and Caves (1996) propose that foreign operations have the effect of stabilising overall returns due to the fact that different economic conditions tend to be uncorrelated across different international markets. Internationalisation is expected to increase the firm's turnover, competitiveness and diversification, and to provide opportunities for future growth. We research the choice of foreign direct investment (FDI), joint venture (JV) and acquisition. Williamson (1975) in his Transaction Cost Theory argues that it is likely for firms to internalise the transaction within its own organisation and structure of governance when they are faced with the situations such as: risk of opportunism by other parties, when there are limited numbers of partners to choose from for market transaction and uncertain or complex market condition. Dunning (1989) in his research on the importance of transaction costs in explaining the growth of multinational service activities, finds that foreign direct investment tends to be the preferred entry mode for professional services activities rather than by contractual relationships. This is due to the risk of imitation once competitors have access to the knowledge and geographical diversification which provides advantages to firms. We use Dunning's Eclectic Theory (Dunning, 1989) and The Uppsala Model (Johanson and Vahlne, 1977) as the theoretical basis to examine factors affecting geographical choice and foreign subsidiary performance. Our questionnaire and interview findings were reviewed with specific attention given to the effect of 'psychic distance' and 'liability of foreignness' on geographical choice. The findings were also reviewed against research from the World Bank Doing Business project. To consider why consulting engineering firms internationalise and what effect this has on performance, questionnaires were distributed to the top 50 UK-based consulting engineering firms (ranked by total revenue), with follow up interviews to collect information on factors affecting the firm's internationalisation decision. The financial data (panel data) of the top UK based consulting engineering firms were obtained from the FAME database to determine the correlation between the firm's degree of internationalisation and overall turnover. Qualitative methods were used to collect information on why consulting engineering firms internationalised, what factors affect entry mode and geographical choice, and how firms adapt their international operational strategy to optimise their performance, as quantitative data alone does not give sufficient insight on decision-making. Questionnaire returns were received from 20 firms (a 40% return). Of these, 70% (i.e. 14) firms participated in the follow-up interviews. Firms interviewed were reassured of anonymity, and that the information provided would be used for academic research purposes only. However, due to the competitive nature of the industry, I was aware that firms may have been selective in providing information during interviews, in order to protect their competitive advantages. With internationalisation, firms must develop the capability to manage the risk and adapt organisational structures for the increased complexity and scope of operation. The final part of our research examines how consulting engineering firms have adapted to these challenges arising from their international operation. A new form of organisational structure (the regional hub approach) is proposed, and is assessed against returns from our questionnaires and interviews.

Small and medium-sized tourism enterprises (SMTEs) are a fundamental component in a tourism destination's development as they are the economic engines of the tourism sector. However, the entrepreneurs running these businesses face the challenge of scale, which leads to the lack of sufficient resources and knowledge in dealing with the competitive and complex tourism business environment. Networks may be crucial for SMTEs as there is empirical evidence from other industries that enterprises have benefited from their use. Therefore, it is the aim of this thesis to advance knowledge on the characteristics of the entrepreneurs and their SMTEs, as well as to explore the underlying benefits of absorptive capacity derived from the tourism networks for the business performance in the cultural context of Terengganu, Malaysia. A sequential mixed-methods approach was adopted, employing firstly face-to-face questionnaires and then semi-structured interviews. This thesis is considered innovative as it involved four different tourism sub-sectors (hotels and resorts, travel agencies, restaurants and handicrafts), which enables a detailed inter-sectoral comparison in researching the variables of interest. Few if any studies have taken such a detailed comparative approach within tourism studies. A descriptive analysis of the survey data suggests that the distribution of gender is fairly balanced and distinctiveness of the characteristics of entrepreneurs and SMTEs from the inter-sectoral perspective can be observed in 8 dimensions, namely: (1) level of education, (2) years of working experience inside the tourism sector, (3) years of previous working experience, (4) business training and (5) specific training in tourism, (6) years of business operations, (7) existence of a business plan and (8) annual sales turnover. A qualitative analysis shows that the motivations for the majority of entrepreneurs are based on financial rewards. Employment practices in terms of hiring family members or not differ somewhat between enterprises and sub-sectors. With these characteristics, the descriptive analysis indicates that entrepreneurs are more inclined towards accessing informal networks - in terms of the scale of the contacts, strength of the relationship and trust and frequency of communication - as compared to the formal networks. Inferential analysis revealed that 7 dimensions of characteristics of entrepreneurs have statistically significant relationships with the importance of formal networks in SMTEs' learning, notably: (1) formal tourism training, (2) the business plan, (3) years of working in tourism sector, (4) years living in Terengganu, (5) age, (6) capital sources from personal savings and (7) capital from families. This contrasts with the determinants of the importance of informal networks in SMTEs' learning, where only years of previous working experience was found to be statistically significant. Building on this, hierarchical regression analyses show that absorptive capacity strongly mediates the relationship between the use of formal networks and one of the dimensions of business performance, which is the business management. Within the relationship between the use of formal networks, absorptive capacity and business management, trust and transformation are the two crucial dynamics that contributed to the significant result. Use of formal networks also appears to have a statistically significant relationship with the annual sales turnover. In this relationship, trust also plays an important role and this is followed by size of the contacts and frequency of communication. For the use of informal networks, no significant relationships are found. These differences can also be seen in the qualitative interviews. The differences of the both networks lie in their breadth, significance and consistency as the offer of formal networks is considered advantageous compared to informal networks. There are also qualitative differences across the four different sub-sectors in their appreciation of the importance and offer of formal and informal networks. Entrepreneurs are found to be informal when they communicate with others at the individual level, while at the organisational level, the nature of the communications can be both formal and informal within the settings of business and community events. Overall, this research makes important theoretical contributions to the tourism body of knowledge with the development of a conceptual framework based on the systematic review of the literature that primarily highlights the interlinkages between the characteristics of entrepreneurs and SMTEs, use of formal and informal networks, absorptive capacity, business management and annual sales turnover. Drawing on statistical modelling and qualitative analysis conducted on the four different tourism sub-sectors, a final integrated model is produced. The model is the first of its kind to be based on empirical evidence on the interlinkages between the different variables investigated. It provides a strong platform for further work on networks in Malaysia and beyond.

The uniqueness of this study is primarily in the application of a visual research methodology to generate knowledge and understanding in an area that is often associated with quantitative research. Careers and employment research typically focuses on statistical information which can provide general information but does not give an in-depth understanding of the area under study. Visual research can give an in-depth understanding; in addition to giving access to a different kind of knowledge, supported by Harper (2002) who proposes “that images can evoke deeper elements of human consciousness than words alone.” I explore the various ways in which students perceive and develop different career aspiration including what motivates and what might inhibit students’ development of their career aspirations. This understanding will enhance my professional practice and encourage the Careers and Employment department within the University to adapt their service and give students the relevant tools and information to prepare them for employment. A visual research methodology is utilised as this fits comfortably with my background in art and gives the in-depth knowledge I require for my research (see Clark-Ibáñez, 2004; Collier (1957); Collier and Collier, 1986; Cousin, 2009; Guillemin and Drew, 2010; Harper, 2002; Harris and Guillemin, 2012 and O’Brien, 2013 for further information on the benefits of using a visual research methodology). Auto-driven photo-elicitation (ADPE) is used with six fine art and six business management students. These students often have less career direction and tend to struggle to secure graduate level positions (Swani, 2016); in addition, the two subject areas were chosen because they are a contrast in terms of how their curriculum is delivered. Using visual research to inform careers and employment is unique and through sharing my research and research experience I want to initiate a shift in how careers and employment research is approached in the future. In addition to the uniqueness of using a visual research methodology in careers and employment my findings indicate there are five orientations business management and fine art students’ use when developing their career aspirations: a strong sense of direction, intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, weak planning and dreams. This research discusses the five orientations and the factors that might contribute to a rich learning environment for career building. Subject and professional identity are discussed in relation to identity formation and career building. Four main sources of identity formation are identified: identity through being (transition from study to profession), identity through self-discovery, identity through belonging (concerning the informal and cultural aspects of community life), and identity through peripheral participation (activities that are akin to peripheral participation in a professional community). This research establishes there is a relationship between the development and building of identity and self-efficacy through belonging, professional experience and working alongside mentors when developing strategies to develop career aspirations.

Social media has emerged as an important marketing channel for sports clubs. The overall aim of this research study is to investigate social media application in semiprofessional sports clubs (SSCs) to evaluate how value co-creation can be facilitated between a club and its fans. The research investigates both SSC and fan perspectives to evaluate how value is cocreated between both, and how social media can be utilised to facilitate value cocreation. Literature was reviewed to illustrate the context of this research, and to identify key characteristics of clubs that impact on their utilisation of social media. Relevant marketing literature was reviewed to identify the role of social media in SSC marketing, to provide an understanding of value co-creation in this context. The study consisted of eight cases conducted with teams from the Northern Ireland Football League (NIFL). Within each case in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with fans of the club to evaluate value from their perspective. In-depth semi-structured interviews were also conducted with social media managers or the volunteers responsible for social media within the club, to gain insights into the perspective of SSCs on value they experience through social media application. Data was analysed and presented, with cross-case comparisons drawn. This research builds upon value co-creation theory in the context of SSCs. Value is co-created on social media between SSCs and fans through fan engagement with content. Facilitating this engagement is vital in overcoming resource limitations at a practical level. Fans undergo a decision making process in relation to engaging with content on social media. Three forms of motivation within this process were identified. These were self-interest, altruism, and cooperation. A strategic framework was developed from the findings of this study which identifies the barriers and value for club and fans. The framework highlights conditions SSCs need to meet with their social media content to facilitate engagement with fans, so that mutual value emerges. Additionally, it was discovered that varying levels of behavioural loyalty in SSC fans does not impact upon the likelihood of engagement with content. Therefore, this research develops knowledge regarding fans of SSCs' use of social media.

This phenomenological study explores how certain “innovative” pedagogies were experienced by a group of Chinese students studying Business Management at a mid-ranking UK university. Analysis of the transcripts of interviews (some in Chinese) with 24 students using NVivo shows that whilst most students felt that Active Learning pedagogies effectively supported their learning, for some students the “zone of indeterminacy” in which group projects and simulations were carried out was an uncomfortable space. Salient aspects of these students’ experiences were language, relationships and metacognitive skills, and the discussion explores the way in which these three experiential themes can be conceptualised as interrelated elements of the action (Biesta, 2006) which takes place in Active Learning classrooms. The following recommendations are made: HEIs should attempt to provide students with the advanced skills of negotiation which they will need to use in the flexible, ill-structured environments associated with Active Learning pedagogies; tutors should develop consistent approaches to collaborative assignments focussing on group work processes as well as task completion; the development of metacognitive skills through Active Learning pedagogies should be promoted through the use of explicit reflective elements embedded within the teaching, learning and assessment activities. The concluding discussion proposes that the successful use of Active Learning pedagogies requires a reconceptualisation of the purpose of education and that these pedagogies provide a potential readjustment of the balance between the functions of qualification, socialisation and subjectification (Biesta, 2010).

This research analyses the expansion and transformation of higher education in Asia, focusing in particular on Chinese universities. It shows the rising of the so-­‐‑ called global university, that is, above all, an inclusive process which makes academic knowledge production something heterogeneous, complex and composite – characterised by different actors both private and public, institutional and non-­‐‑institutional. The global university is a point of multiplicity that places our view in the midst of the transformation of educational policies and knowledge taken as whole. It reveals a ‘global knowledge order’ parallel to a ‘new international division of labour’, where the higher education is becoming an important device in the filtering, restriction, and return of population and skilled workers around a whole set of internal national/transnational borders based on knowledge. Developing the concepts of stratification and differentiation, I investigate how the transformation of the educational system brings out and multiplies, rather than mitigates, the differences between universities, while this same segmentation refers to an original and powerful method of management of the increasingly qualified workforce. Higher education and its internationalization nowadays is an important dispositive to segment population within globalization, reconfigures hierarchies and manages the complex displacement of the present having the same force (or even more) as those of gender and race. Moreover, the Global University represents the most interesting terrain to observe the development of an original measurement of labour in its metamorphosis and the value form in cognitive capitalism. The growing intra-­‐‑regional mobility in Asia and the internationalisation of higher education characterise the innovative cartography of the present, wherein knowledge production becomes spatially dispersed and globally integrated. Knowledge, geographically embedded, defines the order of the current post-­‐‑ colonial space, while the Global University describes not only this kind of order, but also how this imbalance is used by the skilled workforce to survive in the local labour market.

Why 'speculation as a mode of production'? The formulation conjoins the two senses of speculation pertinent to this thesis – the speculative praxis of art, and the speculative logic of capital. It also attempts to give a specific critical valence to the phenomenon of the 'creative industries' which was based on the ideological elision of these two registers of the speculative with the goal of founding a new regime of accumulation on their union. Since that time, we have seen the global economic and social crisis displace this idea from the centre of policy-makers' agendas as the always-latent coercive side of 'creativity' is revealed: creativity as a survival strategy for disinvested populations as 'wealthcreators' go on accumulating. At the same time, there are attempts to re-start accumulation on ever more marginal and self-exploiting grounds, at best as homespun alternatives rather than organized challenges to the dominance of abstract value. In this situation, it is more than ever necessary to find the points of convergence between the desires for capital maximization and social emancipation, and ways to disentangle them which the impacts of the crisis may bring to light. I take artistic production as my field of analysis because this is where these ideologies intersect most dramatically. While speculative thought refers mainly to art and aesthetics, particularly in their connection to reimagining social relations, the 'speculative logic of capital' can be broadly defined as the selfexpanding, or self-valorising, dynamic of capital as such – speculation as social form - rather than a subset of it which can be named as 'the financial industry', although finance has specificities which are discussed in their own right. 'Speculation as a mode of production' thus refers to the open-ended processes of art and politics, as well as the overdetermined process of value expansion in capital. It seeks to encompass both a subjective and an objective mode for the social expression of capital in the ongoing era of neoliberalism. This period has witnessed the subjective qualities of creativity, flexibility and innovation become the objective factors of workplace productivity, while objective productivity itself shifts to the indeterminacy and risk associated with 'creative financial instruments' as the primary mode of capital accumulation. This thesis will draw a parallel between contemporary capital and contemporary art as they come to constitute the poles of a society structured around speculation.

Aims and Objectives of Research. 1. To develop a 'one stop' generic decision making matrix (Outsourcing Decision Model) that provides the necessary clarity into defining whether an organisation should proceed with an outsourcing initiative or not. This would be based upon a distillation of existing models and reviewed literature. With the recognition that there may be subsequent advantages following the process, the model will include not only these but a means of evaluation in order to ascertain whether or not an outsourcing initiative may be or was successful or not. This latter aspect must logically be viewed as very important as an outsourcer must be aware of the benefits and also whether or not they were achieved. In addition, the model would include sufficient guidance with potential supporting metrics and their application. 2. To validate the Outsourcing Model through specific case studies using a triangulated approach in comparing the selected automotive OEM with some of its major competitors. Within the context of the case study, the research would also attempt to understand how the subject outsourcing organisation compares to its major competitors in equivalent comparable products and whether or not this reflects in the success of these companies. This case study not only provides a means of reinforcing the remaining case studies by using a triangulated method of application to the research developed outsourcing decision model but also provides a deeper understanding of the context of the supplier and competitors within the industry. 3. To test, via case studies the effect of specificity relating to the outsourced end product rather than the outsourced entity. This aspect provides the deepest application to the researched outsourcing decision model and therefore the most comprehensive validation. In addition, because the case studies are retrospective, they have the benefit of providing data to establish the level of success. This would be very important, particularly as it would enable a focus on particular criteria that failed to highlight a particular outcome and therefore provide a chance to make amendments. Low specificity is a well established criterion in defining an outsourced entity which is reflected within the body of the research. The further extension of this theory towards the outsourcing of and outsourced entity related to an established previously outsourced commodity is a new concept with no identifiable literature or evidence relating to its importance. The fact that it provides an element within the research that is potentially unique and carries no extra task burden it has been captured as an added element within the two important validation case studies: 4. To evaluate if outsourcing performance can be enhanced through the introduction of a second supplier into a single supplier sourcing situation. Subsequent to outsourcing, this aim and objective focuses upon the possibility of enhancing performance through the introduction of a second supplier. Particularly in cases whereby expertise may have been lost from an outsourcer, ultimate results relating to the outsourced entity may be compromised through either opportunism or diminished supplier performance. Whether these aspects are deliberate or unintended, an outsourcer should have some means of mitigating this risk. This mitigation may potentially be enabled through the use of a second supplier in order to provide a degree of competition. 5. To identify a link between Specificity, Commonality and Platform Sharing. The Author's professional role was very heavily based around the modern practices within the Automotive Industry. Outsourcing, platform sharing and commonality are well publicised strategies that have been adopted by various car manufacturers in order to gain efficiencies. Research was carried out in order to provide a better understanding of these strategies and to establish if there is any link between them. A confirmation of any linkages may then provide potential for establishing greater synergies between them.

In this dissertation, the strategic planning process in a family owned firm of Saudi Arabia will be discussed. The main aim is to develop a comprehensive model of strategic planning, specific and customized to the family businesses of Saudi Arabia. The model will encompass all the factors that are unique to the Saudi Arabian family businesses, such as the family culture of Saudi business families, the interfamily dynamics that shape the strategic approach of the family and the unique market conditions or the external environment that influences the strategic planning process of family owned firms in Saudi Arabia. The literature review extensively covers the topic of strategic planning, family business dynamics and major salient features of family business described by various authors. The literature review also discusses the models of family business that define the interaction of various elements in family owned firms, their drawbacks and the gaps in applicability of these documented models to family businesses in general and specificallyt o Saudi Arabian family businessesT. he literaturer eview revealst hat there is no comprehensivem odel of strategicp lanning processf or the family owned firms that highlight all the critical factors that shape the strategic planning process and also documents uccessfufli rms that haveb enefitedf rom thesem odels. Based on an extensive survey of the family owned firms of Saudi Arabia and statistical analysis of various unique features of such firms, the most critical factors that play a major role in strategy formulation could be isolated. These critical factors helped in designing the strategic planning model for the family owned firms of Saudi Arabia. The model was practically implemented and validated in 10 family businesses of the kingdom and results confirm the applicability of this model. The model formulation and validation in the family firms of Saudi Arabia, forms the main focus of this dissertation.

This study investigates effective business strategies for energy service companies in the East Asian business environment. The research purpose has three foci. First, it seeks to examine the dominant business environment conditions that impact upon the oil and gas service sector in China, and to a lesser extent, Singapore and Malaysia. Second, the study investigates business strategies adopted by oil and gas service companies in response to the business environment in which they operate. Third, the study seeks to evaluate the reliability of strategic theoretical frameworks based on Western business practice but applied in a non-Western business environment like East Asia. Ten main propositions were formulated for empirical research. They are all related to the research objectives. Pilot fieldwork had been carried out between December 2000 and February 2001 in China. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey addressed to senior executives of oil and gas service organisations in the above three countries, and 98 organisations participated in the survey. A number of statistical procedures like descriptive statistics, univariate statistics and bivariate analysis were applied. Various nonparametric techniques such as Spearman correlations, the chi-square test, the Kruskal-Wallis test and the Mann-Whitney test were utilised for data analysis. In addition, analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the differences or similarities in the three countries. In the light of empirical evidence, some propositions were shown to be well grounded whereas the others were not. The business environment for the service sector in East Asia is found to be slightly uncertain, with the lowest level in China and the highest level in Singapore. Although the business environment is complex and dynamic in each country, the environmental conditions are predictable and attractive to oil and gas service companies. It is found that, in each of the selected countries, organisations can be classified into five strategic orientations, namely: Balancer, Analyser, Defender, Prospector and Reactor. In general, competitive strategies pursued by the service organisations comprise four categories, with Differentiation and Hybrid as the majority, Low-Cost as the minority and with quite a few falling into a Non-Purpose group. Five strategically competitive positions can also be classified for the participating organisations. Notably, in each country, the majority of the participating organisations had improved their strategic performance over the five-year period examined. Regardless of the types of strategies, a higher strategic performance is associated with a lower level of perceived environmental uncertainty. Different categories of strategic options do not show differences in the levels of perceived environmental uncertainty, but do show differences in relation to strategic performance. Analysers or Balancers yield a better strategic performance than Reactors; Differentiation or Hybrid organisations outperform Low-Cost organisations; and a strategic position of low customer added value with a high price level is doomed to have a poor strategic performance. The significance of the research findings is important for any senior executives in both Western and Eastern organisations who wish to enhance the strategic competency of their businesses, so that they may survive long-term in East Asia.

Ninety percent of all businesses in New Zealand are micro businesses, defined as having zero to five employees. This sector is critical to New Zealand’s economy. Micro businesses create opportunities for new entrepreneurial talents, provide employment and offer consumers choice and variety including specialist goods and services. Central to all businesses is the need for information, managed by the accounting information system (AIS). The AIS supports decision-making, achieving business objectives and managing limited resources. Prior studies and government reports call for further research of micro businesses so that this sector of the economy can be strengthened. This research addresses this call by exploring the benefits of using AIS in micro businesses using multiple methods, including desk-based research, semi-structured interviews with professional accountants, a survey of micro business and finally semi-structured interviews of micro business owners. Findings show that a variety of tools are used, ranging from manual record keeping, to spreadsheets, to computerised AIS, and including a mixture of these tools. The majority of microbusinesses use computerised AIS tools, of which two software providers dominate. Some accounting firms specialise their practice either through industry or choice of AIS. Other accountants accommodate any AIS approach, focusing on the individual micro business needs. AIS use by micro businesses is primarily focused on monitoring cash flow, sales and income activities and compliance reporting (GST and income tax). The greatest utilisation of computerised AIS and add-on tools are observed with these activities. Micro businesses could utilise other features more, especially reporting, as a basis for decision-making. The decision to adopt computerised AIS includes factors affecting the individual business owner (generation, individual knowledge and skill and personal attitude to technology), internal business factors (financial costs, time costs and the business purpose and future) and external business factors (supply chain, regulatory bodies and supporting services). The benefits of using computerised AIS include connectivity, autofill, automated calculations and drilldown. Connectivity through cloud technology provides accessibility to a single version of the data between users regardless of location. Autofill populates data entry screens with information previously captured, reducing the need for typing. Automated calculations automatically completes basic arithmetic in the creation of invoices, supplier bills and reports. Finally, drilldown enables direct access to supporting detail for information provided on screen. These benefits may not be available in older versions of computerised AIS, or versions that only include a subset of the features. This research increases the understanding of factors impacting micro businesses in their decision to implement computerised AIS, and the benefits from doing so. The findings support accountants, government agencies and AIS software developers to devise strategies to support micro businesses. Findings from this research are applicable to micro businesses throughout New Zealand and more globally and will benefit other small businesses outside of the micro definition, both locally and globally.

The purpose of this study is to explore the current trends in levels of coopetition within the craft beer industry, as assessed by their engagement in collaborative efforts with their competitors in multiple geographic markets. While it is well documented that coopetition exists in small and medium-sized enterprises, especially craft breweries, it has not been studied at multiple geographical levels. The aim is to increase the scope of research and provide richer evidence of coopetitive efforts between organizations at local, regional, national levels. This study employed a non-experimental quantitative research method, using archival numerical data retrieved from publicly available databases to compare relationships between amounts of coopetition at the local, regional, and national level in the United States among breweries and 1) brewery age, 2) market saturation, 3) industry maturity, and 4) consumer social media ratings. All results other than brewery age vs. local coopetition had statistically significant relationships p < .05 and p < .01. All correlation coefficients (rs) were positive; most correlation were strong, with only market saturation at the local and regional level, and social media ratings at the national level, being of moderate strengths. These results suggest that coopetition is a beneficial practice for craft breweries. Leaders of these organizations may want to be intentional about which competitors they engage with regarding their geographic location to keep a competitive advantage in their industry.

The majority of firms begin as family businesses (FBs) and are considered to be the lifeblood of any economy. Any business which is owned and operated by an individual, couple or family is considered to be a family business. The mutual impact of family on business and business on family differentiates the field of family business studies from others. Throughout history and all over the world, families and businesses have always been integrated. The business provides income to the family, and the family may provide paid and unpaid labour. Moreover, the family system contributes to business additional resources such as money, space, equipment, and other factors of production. From this point of view, family could be considered as the key resource for the family business. Further, business and family interface plays a critical role in determining family responses to business and vice-versa. Enrichments and conflicts occur in both domains impact not only within the specific domain but also on interactions of domains. Hence, in order to identify the behaviour of family and its impacts on a business, several theories and models have been developed. However, there is a notable research gap in the literature in that, to date, no specific model has been proposed to determine the impact of a business-family interface in terms of both conflict and enrichment on the relationship between business and family. Thus, this study was undertaken to address the lack of research pertaining to the various influences of family on family business success including: the merging of family business with other disciplines, the business-family interface of family business owners, the factors that mediate and moderate family and business relationships, the family business owner of small and privately held family business, in a non-western context, and family business in the tourism industry. Consequently, the aim of this study was to investigate the impacts of family dynamics on family business success, the mediation of business-family interface, and the moderating effects of owner and business attributes on family and business of small scale family business in the tourism industry in Sri Lanka.

The dissertation explores leadership and change by examining normlessness in the workplace through a multi-layered study of anomie theory, anomie research in the workplace, and organizational and business management theory. The research validates a quantitative survey designed to measure the level of normlessness experienced by workgroups within an organizational context. The survey reflects a set of six normative aspects that when disrupted produce organizational anomie—a state of normlessness that leads to an increase in worker resistance and a reduction in worker consent. The audience studied in this dissertation is associate professors at a large Midwestern research university. Data were gathered using a 57-item electronic survey that was administered to 1,211 associate professors. The results of the research show the transferability of organizational anomie in the academic setting and also provide evidence for a variation of organizational anomie specific to the academic setting labeled academic anomie. The dissertation provides new ways for leaders and change agents to look at the organizational state of transition when old ways of operating are no longer relevant and new ways of engaging are not yet in place. The electronic version of the Dissertation is accessible in the open-access Ohiolink ETD Center, http://etd.ohiolink.edu/

June 22, 1918, Alonzo Sergent fell asleep while conducting a train that plowed into another train killing 86 passengers and injuring another 187. 17 days later, July 9, 1918, two passenger trains collided head on in what became known as The Great Train Wreck of 1918, killing 101 people and injuring 171 people. The investigations and analysis of failure in both accidents can be attributed to a single person. During this month, the single person failed to operate the company’s train properly, which lead to a colossal disaster which affected numerous lives, loss of business revenue, loss of credibility, and had a huge social impact. Similar to an analysis of a colossal train wreck, this report focuses on the complexities behind colossal business failures, analyzes the reasons for failure and the role of the CEO, and proposes recommendations that can be used to guard future businesses against colossal failure.

Food and wine trails are a new and exciting part of culinary tourism in Australia. Such attractions are now an integral part of tourism in all the main food and wine production states. While trails join multiple food and wine venues into linked destinations for tourists and have grown in number, they are not widely understood. There has been very little research on them in Australia or overseas. This qualitative research was undertaken in the three states of South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria. The research objectives incorporated: • establishing the principal factors involved in the development and performance of food and wine trails in Australia. • understanding the economic importance of food and wine trails, • comprehending and elaborating upon critical components, • developing an awareness of the demography and expectation of tourist-consumers on food and wine trails. Finally, a principal aim was to develop a theoretical framework through which food and wine trails can be understood.

The purpose of this dissertation research study was to explore instructors’ perceptions of the educational application of three-dimensional (3D) virtual worlds in a variety of academic discipline areas and to assess the strengths and limitations this virtual environment presents for teaching adult learners. The guiding research question for this dissertation study was: What are instructors’ perceptions of the strengths and limitations of three-dimensional virtual worlds as learning spaces for teaching adult learners? The following four questions supported this research: a) How do instructors implement educational experiences in 3D virtual worlds, for adult learners? b) How do instructors facilitate adult learning in 3D virtual worlds across disciplines? c) What insights do instructors describe about the adult learners’ needs in this virtual environment? and d) How do instructors describe a successful immersive learning experience implemented in a 3D virtual world? This dissertation research study was conducted as a heuristic case study with instructors interviewed from multiple locations that taught in private and public institutions of higher education in the southeastern United States. Instructors were asked to reflect on their experiences teaching in a virtual world, and to describe their perceptions of characteristics of a successful virtual world implementation in their teaching practice. The study found instructors perceived the benefits of learning in 3D virtual worlds for adult learners as the ability to experience content, community, collective wisdom, immersion, authentic learning, and a “sense of academic home†in an online environment. The study found assessment methods are uniquely situated to take advantage of the attributes of 3D virtual worlds, the social learning made possible, and the digital artifacts this space affords. The dissertation concludes with recommendations for faculty and higher education administrators that address the significant practice, policy, and institutional issues and concerns that arise with the application of virtual worlds as an instructional learning space.

This study examines and analyses the decision-making processes used by companies in the transport industry when making a warehouse location decision. Previous research has looked at location decision-making in many industries and at location decisions specifically in the retail and manufacturing sectors but not at the managerial decision process regarding warehouse location by transport companies. The conceptual model developed indicated that there are three specific decisions required; first the need for a new warehouse; secondly the need to determine an appropriate regional location, and finally the specific site within the region. When making a location decision the companies interviewed used a process that comprises the three phases of identification, collection and evaluation for each of the sequential decisions required in each case. In many cases the requirement for a new warehouse was driven by a new business opportunity and in many cases the client requirements drove the regional decision. Of primary consideration in determining the specific site for a warehouse is the access to freeways and other transport infrastructure. The locations of current and potential customers together with the building quality, configuration and flexibility were other major factors in the decision. The current research makes a contribution by applying a case study method to eight warehouse location decisions made by 7 companies in Victoria between 2003 and 2005. The case studies provide a depth and quality of data previously not found regarding location decisions in transport companies and provides an understanding of how these Victorian transport companies have made warehouse location decisions in recent years and the findings contribute a conceptual model and listing of managerial actions in the location decision making process The ability to use the developed model and the listing of management actions will encourage a more informed understanding of decision making for participants and provide for enhanced warehouse location decision making by transport companies in the future.

The study is set in the context of increased competition and rapid change in the telecommunications industry in Thailand. The aim of the research and the selected methodological tool of benchmarking is to contribute to improvement of work performance and to provide a basis for such improvement in the Business Management Sector III, including development of employee skills and knowledge, and increasing technical and professional capabilities. This study investigates the workplace practices of TOT Corporation Public Company (TOT) employees, comparing two divisions and utilizing the findings to contribute to plans for continuous improvement. The research complements the corporation's overall strategy to become a learning organization. Qualitative ethnographic research methodology is employed usmg a case study approach and descriptive statistical information is gathered using the methodological tool of internal benchmarking. The internal benchmarking is conducted in the phases of planning analysis integration, action phase and maturity. The research tools employed to conduct the study are observation, interview and self-reflection. The comparison of the revenue sharing process of Sector III, Divisions I and III staff from the observations, interviews and self-reflection provides details of changes deemed to be desirable to be adopted, according to eight themes namely, system management, time management, learning, learning organization, teamwork, motivation, professional development and benchmarking. It is indicated that there are key factors that TOT should consider regarding its organization and staff. An organization where people continually learn how to learn together, should ultimately become a learning organization and its staff require professional development and motivation. However, environmental and financial issues cannot all be resolved immediately and long term planning is required before full movement to a learning organization can occur. This thesis has identified areas of new knowledge for TOT. Benchmarking the two divisions enhances knowledge, understanding and self-development which can bring about the competitive edge that TOT requires. It not only pennits improved work processes but also conceptual thinking, although this is an ongoing process and change will continue to occur. The system management, time management, learning organization, professional development, teamwork and motivation are aspects that TOT should consider for attaining best practice. Knowledge management is required to allow staff to become learners and have improved performance. Employees can learn from their working experience in order to become regular and lifelong learners. This in tum is likely to lead TOT to become a learning organization. This study of performance and change in a large telecommunications company makes a contribution to the industry both nationally and internationally. It contributes to our understanding and knowledge of how change may be managed in a traditional organization in such a way as to enable it to move towards becoming a learning organization.

For over a century the role of the internal auditor has been recognized as a special role within organizations that provided important support to the organization. The importance of this support has been growing over the century. In particular internal audit is considered to encompass the audit of both operational activities as well as purely financial activities. During the last few years there has been a growing interest in organizational culture. The purpose of this study is to look at the organizational culture of organizations and their internal audit operations from the perspective of operational audit. The study will use an organizational cultural model to see if operational internal audit has identical cultural to the organization, and if not what differences exist, and how these differences might be seen to mean that the operational internal audit with a particular cultural profile better achieves its goals, and assists the organization as a result. In conducting this study, because of the need for richer in depth data than could be achieved with a survey analysis, a multiple case approach has been taken. Three organizations within the same economic sector were examined to see how culture affected their use of operational internal audit, and how the operational internal audit responded. The results suggest that the operational internal audit of organizations generally have their own cultural orientation, and these orientations are independent of the organizations’ own cultural orientations. Further the results suggest that operational internal auditors with a strong cultural orientation towards rules and procedures will better serve their organizations.

“myCCL TRAINING MANUAL” CREATIVE PROJECT by: Lindsay C. Earle For my thesis, I wrote and compiled a training manual on myCCL for the Center for Creative Leadership, reflected on the process and challenges that I went through while creating the manual, and connected the project to my education and future. This project blended and further developed my skills and knowledge from my English major and Business Management minor. I was assigned the project of creating the “myCCL Training Manual” during my internship as a temporary contractor at the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL). The project for CCL has expanded my learning styles from mainly conceptual to also include inductive learning by implementing my skills and applying my knowledge. In addition, the training manual project helped me to accomplish one of my main goals when working at CCL, to further my practical business knowledge and experience. This thesis includes a brief background of the Center for Creative Leadership, the process and tools I used to complete the training manual, challenges I overcame and lessons I learned, a personal reflection on the results of the project, how the project will be useful in my future, and the final copy of the “myCCL Training Manual” that I created and that was distributed internally at CCL.

This dissertation reports the examination of the leadership behaviors of a small sample (23 participants) of CIOs in Fortune 500 companies using a modified version of the Leadership Practices Inventory (Kouzes & Posner, 2001). The aim of this survey research was to identify leadership behaviors that support the effective leadership of information technology (IT) knowledge workers by randomly selecting a representative sample. The literature review discusses the role of IT in the attainment of competitive advantage; the role of the CIO as a leader of IT knowledge workers; transformational, exemplary, and technology leadership models; and a change management model; the characteristics of CIOs were discussed. Of Kouzes and Posner’s leadership behaviors, Challenging the Process and Encouraging the Heart were identified by the participants as the behaviors they exhibit most often, while Enabling Others to Act and Modeling the Way were designated as areas in need of the most development. There was no significant statistical relationship between the CIOs’ reported leadership behaviors and their demographic characteristics (level of education, academic major, gender, length of tenure as a CIO, length of tenure with present organization, number of years in the IT/MIS field, membership in the organization’s top management team, frequency of informal interactions with members of the top management team and with the CEO, and having a close relationship with the CEO). Some of the relationship of leadership behaviors and demographic characteristics of CIOs were found to support some of the theoretical assumptions found in the literature. CIOs participating in this study reported to be performing as agents of change within their organizations. Potential problems in the successful leadership of IT knowledge workers included the identification of rewards that promoted the alignment of employee and organizational goals.

Strategic decision-making is a fundamental process in business management as strategic decisions affect the long-term health of the organisation. However, a constantly and unpredictably changing business environment, becoming progressively more complex as time passes makes strategy formulation increasingly difficult. Shock events such as terrorist attacks, rapidly spreading communicable diseases, and unexpected business failures of large and well-established companies greatly affect organisations by making it difficult to effectively plan for the future. This thesis contributes to the strategic decision-making literature by investigating the role of shock events in a complex system, namely strategic decision-making. Using chaos/complexity theory as an intellectual platform this thesis argues that strategic decision-making is a complex, open, dynamic and non-linear system and that shock events can represent an opportunity in strategic decision-making. A number of contemporary writers are calling for more integrated models. In response this research proposes a generic and integrative framework that highlights the complexity of strategic decision-making and its processes. The research is qualitative and a single-case study approach was chosen, examining the decision-making processes in a large Australian regional airport. Data collection was triangulated, consisting mainly of in-depth interviews with executives but also included questionnaires, and quantitative and qualitative archival data. It was found that shock events influenced strategic decision-making by causing evolutionary changes in the strategic decision-making processes. In addition it was found that shock events impacted on internal drivers such as cognition and organisational culture. The shock event was perceived as an opportunity, which resulted in changing decision-making processes a change in business strategy. It was concluded that environmental perception, intuition and an opportunity-seeking culture can play an important part in strategic decision-making following a shock event.

This study is premised on the assumption that because of increased globalisation the trend towards strategic alliances is going to increase in the 21st century. This is evident in the phenomenal growth towards the establishment of alliances the world over despite high failure rates. The study also makes an important assumption that a major cause of alliance failure is managerial in nature and therefore relates to the task performed by alliance managers.Whilst research in the West has attempted to focus on such failings, few researchers have attempted to understand the state of alliances in developing country contexts as well as the reasons for the lack of their successes or otherwise. This study therefore seeks to fill this gap by exploring the managerial issues surrounding alliance management in a developing country, Papua New Guinea. It was found that alliance managers in countries such as Papua New Guinea faced managerial challenges similar to those in their counterparts in developing countries. However, the similary ends there.The research demonstrated that governmental and socio-cultural factors predominate in the national and local environments.It also found that resource deficiencies made alliances highly susceptible to misalignment in strategic intent and structure.Several other findings are discussed in detail. The research resulted in the development of a holistic approach to the study and management of strategic alliances.

A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of The Graduate College in the University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements For the Degree of Master of Science. Major: Agricultural Education Under the Supervision of Professor Roy D. Dillon. Lincoln, Nebraska August, 1984

This project is focused to identify desirable characteristics of hotel executives from hotel management companies. Research is conducted by studying articles in industry periodicals, journals and those involving business management. A questionnaire to 13 hotel management companies is used to obtain objective data as a practical source for this study. The study identified desirable personal and professional characteristics of hotel executives and other related information from the analysis of responses. The findings of this study are the most part accordance with previous studies and with widely held beliefs in the industry. These may be used for reliable criteria in selecting and evaluating hotel executives by hiring parties as well as provide a guide for future executives to develop themselves to be a desirable hotel executive. Several recommendations for further study are suggested in relation to the topic of this project.

The elemental object of business is to provide a commodity or service to tbe consumer at a profit.* Business in the United States is perpetuated through competition, and in order for any one company to succeed in the fundamental objective, it must meet such competition successfully.

The purpose of this thesis is to explore the opportunities that so-called management services may present for the public accounting profession. The public accountant's position with respect to management consulting will be appraised and an inventory will be taken of the rewards and the pitfalls attached to this field of activity which is developing as a new challenge to the profession.

The purpose of this study will be to formulate a proposed course of study for the school business manager at the University of New Mexico. Specifically, it will deal with the following questions: (1) How can young men and women prepare themselves to enter the profession of school business managements? (2) What program of professional training will answer the needs of the business manager? (3) Through what curriculum can be developed both the skills and judgments of a capable business man and the knowledge and vision of a progressive educator?

The purpose of this investigation is to explore the policies of the government of British India and of the independent Republic of India relative to their impact on organizational structure, management practices and styles, and management education in business organizations in India. The British, who were responsible for the growth of some of the organized industries in India, also gave the country, among other things, a modern educational system. They left India, however, with a limited industrial base. There was a serious shortage of professional managers to meet the demands of growing industry. Upon independence, the national government through its policies encouraged the development of business and industries and brought awareness among business managers of the importance of management education.