Titel: Tre Dimensioner av Benchmarking ? En Studie inom SMEs i Gävleborg.Nivå: C-uppsats i ämnet företagsekonomiFörfattare: Jenny Jonsson, Cecilia KarmanHandledare: Tomas Källquist, Stig SörlingDatum: 2015 ? juniSyfte: Tidigare forskning menar att SMEs inte använder sig av benchmarking. Vi ställer oss frågande till detta och menar att benchmarking kan användas på olika sätt, något som tidigare forskning förbisett. Vårt syfte är därmed att belysa hur benchmarking används inom SMEs, med utgångspunkt i de tre dimensionerna process, struktur och idé.Metod: Utifrån vårt hermeneutiska synsätt har vi utfört en kvalitativ fallstudie med semistrukturerade intervjuer, där respondenterna var ifrån tio olika små och medelstora företag (SMEs) i Gävleborg. Därefter jämförde vi det empiriska materialet med den teoretiska referensramen för att kunna utföra vår analys och finna vårt bidrag.Resultat & Slutsats: Enligt vår studie använder sig SMEs, till skillnad från vad tidigare forskning påstår, i stor utsträckning av benchmarking.

Benchmarking is an established method of working which is often used in order to develop the quality of the organization. However, almost 70% of the organizations with benchmarking fail due to the lack of planning and structuring of the benchmarking exercise. Maintenance sections in the paper and pulp industry are one of those who have decided to conduct benchmarking. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to gain knowledge of how the maintenance sections in the paper and pulp industry deliberately structure and plan to use benchmarking as a driving force for quality development in the maintenance sections.The study is a hermeneutic case study. Telephone interviews and document analysis have been used as data acquisition methods.The results show that there is a lack of both planning and structuring in the benchmarking process, and lack of management commitment for quality improvements within industrial maintenance.

Benchmarking is an established method of working which is often used in order to develop the quality of the organization. However, almost 70% of the organizations with benchmarking fail due to the lack of planning and structuring of the benchmarking exercise. Maintenance sections in the paper and pulp industry are one of those who have decided to conduct benchmarking. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to gain knowledge of how the maintenance sections in the paper and pulp industry deliberately structure and plan to use benchmarking as a driving force for quality development in the maintenance sections.The study is a hermeneutic case study. Telephone interviews and document analysis have been used as data acquisition methods.The results show that there is a lack of both planning and structuring in the benchmarking process, and lack of management commitment for quality improvements within industrial maintenance.

The objective of this thesis is to examine the capital structure of Swedish small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Accounting data from Swedish game developers, combined with the result from a survey, is used to examine their financial conditions and capital structure decisions. We find that non-debt tax shield, firm size, growth opportunities and age are, to various extents, the determinants of capital structure in the game industry, while effective tax rate and asset structure have marginal effects. Our study also implicates that most of the existing capital structure theories can explain SMEs leverage decisions to some extent; however, some adaptation is needed to fit these theories into the SME context. Additionally, we find the existence of a financial gap in the game industry which might need efforts from both demand side and supply side to eliminate..

The SMEs? internationalization strategy?Foreign Market Entry Modes selection Title: 1st of June 2006 Date of the Seminar: Bus 809. Master thesis in international marketing Course: Han xiao Author: Ulf Elg, Associate professor, Lund University, Sweden Advisors: Ying Bin, Associate professor, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, China. Guest researcher, Lund University, Sweden Internationalization, entry mode, SMEs, foreign market Keywords: The purpose of this study is to understand the internationalization process of the SMEs, and try to define the motives and internal factors impact their foreign market entry mode selection. Thesis purpose: This thesis is based on qualitative method using case study.

The SMEs’ internationalization strategy—Foreign Market Entry Modes selection Title: 1st of June 2006 Date of the Seminar: Bus 809. Master thesis in international marketing Course: Han xiao Author: Ulf Elg, Associate professor, Lund University, Sweden Advisors: Ying Bin, Associate professor, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, China. Guest researcher, Lund University, Sweden Internationalization, entry mode, SMEs, foreign market Keywords: The purpose of this study is to understand the internationalization process of the SMEs, and try to define the motives and internal factors impact their foreign market entry mode selection. Thesis purpose: This thesis is based on qualitative method using case study. The primary information sources are the interviews with key-persons in internationalization process of SMEs Methodology: The literature review in this study concerns areas of SMEs’ motives for internationalization, foreign market entry mode approaches and influence of internal & external factors.

The purpose of this thesis is to ascertain the main determinable factors of Swedish SMEs capital structure decisions and to investigate whether existing capital structure theories are applicable on Swedish SME financing. We have used panel data to run regressions of various capital structure determinants on three measures of capital structure; short- term debt, long-term debt and total debt. We found that growth opportunities, profitability and age are the most important capitalstructures determinants for our sample. Firm size shows a small explanatory result but the effective tax rate and the asset tangibility do not seem to explain the capital structure at all. Thematurity matching principle is considered significant..

Små och medelstora företag (SME) utgjorde 2010 en andel på 99,8% av alla företag i Sverige och bankerna är en viktig källa till finansiering för SMEs. På grund av bankernas betydelseskapade Baselkommittén för banktillsyn 1988 internationella regelverk som medförde ett kapitaltäckningskrav på 8% till banker. Kapitaltäckningskravet skulle kunna täcka oförutsägbara förluster vid en finanskris, vilket bidrar till att banksektorn är en av de mest reglerade branscherna i världen. 2006 skapades Basel II vilket för banker medförde svårigheter att bedöma kredit till och risker med SMEs. Basel II skapade en oro att kostnaderna skulle öka för kredit till SMEs och oron finns fortfarande kvar vid införandet av Basel III, vilket i sin tur kan försämra kreditvillkoren till SMEs.Syftet med uppsatsen är att beskriva bankernas arbetssätt med kreditbedömning av SMEs i nuläget, analysera och tolka hur Basel III kan påverka bankernas arbetssätt med kreditbedömning av SMEs, ge förståelse för hur Basel III kan påverka bankernas attityd till kreditbedömning av SMEs, på grund av ökade kapitaltäckningskrav.

This thesis serves to examine how manufacturing SMEs consider outsourcing. Furthermore, we aim to identify the main characteristics and patterns for these types of companies that can explain their rationale in such a decision. The chosen method for this thesis is abduction and selected research approach is multiple case studies. Seven case studies have been conducted at EAB AB, Esbe AB, Hörle Automatic AB, Pelly Industri AB, SGV Industrier AB, Swede-Wheel AB and Wulkan AB. Our findings have illustrated that although traditional outsourcing theory provides a good platform for explaining the rationale behind outsourcing decisions in SMEs, we have identified additional considerations that SMEs, operating as 2, 3 or 4-tier suppliers towards OEM-corporations, make.

The main purpose of this Master?s thesis is to do a benchmarking study of the marketing activities at the public library of Valdemarsvik. The purpose is also to describe and get a deeper understanding of benchmarking as a method for improving library activity. Four major problem areas are addressed: How can one use benchmarking as a tool to achieve change? How can one learn with benchmarking? What similarities and differences are there between benchmarking and other similar methods for competence development? Is benchmarking better than other similar methods for competence development? The empirical approach was qualitative and the method chosen was action research.

Vårt syfte är att beskriva och analysera hur benchmarkinganvänds i svenska detaljhandelskedjor med inriktning mot mode. Syftet är även att behandla fallföretagens erfarenheter av benchmarkingarbetet och ta reda på om det finns potential hos styrverktyget som inte utnyttjas. Vi har utfört en kvalitativ fallstudie, med en deduktiv ansats av fyra detaljhandelskedjor. Vår teoretiska teferensram består till störst del av teori gällande benchmarkingprocessen. Det empiriska materialet har insamlats genom intervjuer med personer på AB Lindex, KappAhl AB, Hennes & Mauritz Ab och Dressmann AB.

This paper discusses the advantages and disadvantages of using different benchmarking models to measure and compare the efficiency of Swedish gas distributors. It also discusses to which extent the results of a benchmarking study should influence the revenue-cap which will be implemented in the gas distribution sector in Sweden from year 2011. The discussion is based on arguments from both theory and practical applications of benchmarking. The results suggest that benchmarking Swedish gas distributors against distributors in another country using a parametric model is most favorable, but the reliability will be increased if non-parametric models are used also. Partial and total productivity measures could be used to confirm results of other benchmarking analyses.

Syfte: Syftet med studien är att undersöka vad utvalda K3-företag anser om utformandet av K3, i relation till innehållet i IFRS for SMEs.Metod: Studien genomförs med en kvalitativ metod och är av fenomenografisk karaktär. Intervjuer genomförs med BFN samt fyra potentiella K3-företag. Dessa analyseras sedan i en fenomenografisk analys.Slutsats: Skillnaderna som föreligger mellan K3 och IFRS for SMEs beror på förenkling och laganpassning. De undersökta företagen är mer nöjda de förändringar som beror på laganpassning än de som beror på förenkling. De företag som har minst internationell koppling väljer i större utsträckning K3.

Sekretessbelagd.

This study focuses on how the idea of sustainability is dealt with by companies, how the idea changes when moving through a company structure and how the different individuals interpret the idea. To date, many different studies have been written on the subject of sustainability, but few share the perspective addressed in this particular study. This case study was formed at a paper mill in the central part of Sweden. Semi-structured interviews with employees working on different hierarchical levels, within the same company, were chosen in order to get an insight into how the idea of sustainability is implemented throughout an entire company. The interviews have been transcribed to help identify contrasting patterns.This study has shown that the idea of sustainability, and its context within society, differs from how the idea is perceived in the organization.