Process Management as a Means to Analyze the Effectiveness of a Company in Global Markets

Companies need to ensure the effectiveness of all their processes. The case of the shipbuilding sector is exactly the same. From a management perspective, two important points should be highlighted. In order to face the continuous demand fluctuations, many shipyards, especially the smaller ones, have reduced their staff. This fact allows shipyards to be more flexible and to reduce their fixed costs in order to survive in low activity periods. On the other side, when there are peaks of workload, they outsource many activities. In fact, outsourcing has become one of the main and most important processes in shipyards. The level of outsourced activities is so high that shipyards are considered to be synthesis industries. Therefore, it is very important to ensure that the outsourcing process is correctly managed. Thus, the aim of this study is to show how process management can be used as a means to guarantee the effectiveness of a process. Specifically, the case of a small shipyard applying process management in its outsourcing process will be described.

A Structural Approach to Management Teaching for Developing Learning SMEs

The chapter proposes a new analytical approach in developing learning small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The specific context looks at various approaches and modeling innovatively structured management teaching and learning processes particularly for medium-sized enterprises which play a key role in economic development. Designed are phases of establishing learning SMEs in changing their complex organizational culture and strategy emphasizing employees, training and awareness, experimentation, making mistakes, innovation, and creativity. Main management teaching methods are revisited. The third section optimizes some variables of management teaching and erudition processes, particularly key methods, projects, seminars, literature, exams, and ranking knowledge. Methodology included SME teaching process modeling techniques, analysis, and comparison of SMEs with teaching programs, project technique of monitoring and evaluation. In addition, the author models specific student/teacher roles and provides recommendations for future research directions in development of medium-sized firms.

Marketing Orientation Embedding Internet Capability as Best Practice for Medium-Sized Global Firms

Contemporary competition in the distribution sector is becoming increasingly more cut-throat and consumers have multiple channels to choose from for making their purchases, each with different characteristics and practical methods. The objective of this work is to obtain information and identify the elements that allow for highlighting the ability of the medium-sized retailers who use the web and the social media to expand their own reference markets. The information will be acquired by means of interviews with Italian and international (USA and UK) customers of a medium Italian global fashion retailer. The analyses of the results will provide useful indications concerning the marketing activities for the medium retailer firms operating in the global market. This approach is followed by future research directions and a conclusion.

Marketing Substantiation of Efficiency of Product Policy of Medium-Sized Wineries in the Republic of Moldova

This chapter is devoted to revealing the importance and definition of the logical relationship of components related to an effective product policy of modern medium-size winery of the Republic of Moldova. The chapter presents a comparative analysis of modern marketing definitions of product policy of an enterprise. The purpose of the author is the research and marketing disclosure of the nature of the product policy as one of the key management tools of a modern winery. A structural model of the marketing product policy components has been developed. The approaches proposed for implementation in the Moldovan wineries would allow the analysis of the product policy effectiveness. The importance of the marketing substantiation of effective product policy in the activities of medium-sized wineries in socio-economic development of Moldova and their underutilized potential, an unfavorable business climate and the need for a substantial improvement in the product policy has determined the relevance of the research topic presented in the chapter.

Medium-Sized Enterprises in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Based on Vietnam's enterprise census data this research analyses development of Vietnam's medium enterprises for a period 2007-2015, assessing their economic performance, efficiency, and elaborating their evolution over the period. The research found that there is tendency of shrinking and decreasing efficiency of medium enterprises (MEs), very few could be able to grow to join “large enterprises,” while majority had to exit market or shrink to fall into “small and micro enterprises.” The research also shed light on what factors explain economic performance and evolution of MEs, and found that macroeconomic management, ownership forms, economic sectors, size of MEs, and some other factors matter for their performance and evolution. Some policy implications for the next period drawn from the analysis and put in the new context of development are improving macroeconomic stability, creating level playing field between private, state-owned enterprise (SOE) and foreign direct investment (FDI), rebalance priority toward agriculture, improving implementation of MEs supporting policies.

Followership and Leadership in Medium-Sized Enterprises in the Republic of Bulgaria

Good leaders need followers. Without great followers, leaders would become schizophrenics sitting in their offices talking to themselves. Can a person be defined as good leader if he does not have any people to believe in him, to follow his example, to trust him? Followership is a process when the person has the capacity and willingness to follow the leader when having some target. In other words, being a good follower means having the skills, the abilities, and the desire to follow the leader in achieving the goals. The chapter aims to define what is followership, how it is related to leadership, especially in business organizations such as medium-sized enterprises. Thus, followership can be perceived as a mutual process in which the leaders and followers interact, help each other to reach the aims on individual and organizational level. The importance of followership to the leader will be analyzed followed by author's recommendations for the future and a conclusion.

Internal Workplace Mediation Benefits of Medium-Sized Enterprises

In this chapter, the authors focus on the possibilities that can help improve relations among employees. The aim of the research was to review whether the so-called in-house mediation office has a positive impact on conflict management in the workplace. An online survey was conducted within two medium-sized organizations in the Republic of Slovenia. The main purpose of the research was to examine mediation leadership in business organizations, and its inclusion in particular leadership segments. The second goal of the research was to determine the advantages of mediating communication in an organization. A comprehensive overview of results indicates that employees prefer internal mediation in the case of proactive mediation, which additionally improves good relations, as well as in the case of informal mediation, in which mediation skills are used in the discussion.

Finance Strategies for Medium-Sized Enterprises

This chapter discusses how FinTech—technology-enabled financial solutions and services—can optimize finance strategies of medium-sized enterprises. Using a balance sheet model, the chapter integrates medium-sized companies' financing strategies, working capital management, and investment decisions and discusses FinTech solutions in each area to suggest best practice. Specifically, the chapter first discusses how crowdfunding and its different types could provide alternative financing for medium-sized enterprises. Second, FinTech solutions for online payment and transfer, invoice finance, supply chain finance, and trade finance help medium-sized enterprises optimize their working capital management. Third, blockchain technology and artificial intelligent (AI)-based decisions tools could potentially help medium-sized businesses optimize their decision-making process. This chapter also suggests future work that will allow us to better understand FinTech applications in medium-sized enterprises.

Business Environment for Development of Enterprises in the Republic of Moldova

Moldova is a relatively small, landlocked country with few natural resources apart from its agricultural land. In last years, the contribution of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) was a little bit lower than 30% of the national GDP. This modest contribution corroborated the relative weight of SMEs in turnover and employment, which has decreased since 2010. Moldova's business environment remains sensible to the volatile macroeconomic environment, structural challenges in the financial sector, crisis in the banking sector, internal political instability, and regional geopolitical instability. The aim of this chapter is to analyze the business environment in Moldova in terms of the existing regulatory framework, identifying barriers and constraints, and analysis of programs and policies to strengthen it, along with synthesizing and developing recommendations to enable the business environment. Technology business incubators and their role in the Moldova's economy are analyzed in the final section. Analytical findings of the author are illustrated through several interactive figures.

An Approximation to Real Options Analysis (ROA) in a Colombian Construction Company

This chapter aims to apply a real options analysis to a Colombian mid-size construction company HL Ingenieros presented as a case study looking to expand the variables considered in business valuations so companies can access new sources of funding, improve their capital structure, and become an investment opportunity for inbound foreign direct investment to the country. Most companies are not able to attract these funds due to (1) lack of development in the Colombian capital markets, (2) the lack of information that makes valuation difficult, and (3) the lack of use of alternative methods of valuation that include available strategic options. Several scholars have discussed the use of real options as an alternative method for business valuation that includes the effect of operational flexibility. This case study explores the potential gains in the use of real options for business valuation in companies from emerging countries planning to internationalize their operations.