Alleviating poverty by engaging in microenterprise : how can INGOs in Vietnam help microenterprises overcome market constraints?

Microenterprise programs (MEPs) that aim to help poor communities engage in micro businesses have contributed significantly to poverty reduction in developing countries. However, a review of the literature suggests that the current approach adopted by MEPs has mainly provided services to microenterprises (MEs) based on what MEPs can supply rather than on what MEs actually need and what the market demands. Therefore, MEPs’ approaches are more likely to be supply driven. Yet when there are market constraints, such as high competition or low demand, this approach has been linked to the failure of MEs in their infancy. The alternative is a demand driven approach, in which MEPs provide MEs with support based on what MEs need, and what markets demand. However, research examining the application of this approach is limited. In order to gain an understanding of the approaches of MEPs, to identify whether these approaches are demand or supply driven, and to discover how these approaches are used to help MEs operate under market constraints, this study examined the operation of International Non-Government Organisations (INGOs) operating in Vietnam. This exploratory study involved in-depth interviews with senior executives from 10 INGOs. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data collected from the in-depth interviews. The results were further verified with publicly available data from the INGOs. The findings of this research indicate that the demand driven approach is dominant in most approaches of INGOs in Vietnam, and has become a key approach in helping MEs deal with market constraints. Further, rather than explaining the demand and supply driven dichotomy, the findings highlight that MEPs’ approaches can be viewed in two dimensions: a participant-demand driven approach focusing on the basic needs and capabilities of the extremely poor, irrespective of market demands; and a market-demand driven approach focusing on the capabilities of poor communities, while also accommodating market demands. This research provides contemporary and practical insights into the DD and SD approaches, and a better understanding of MEPs’ approaches to MED in Vietnam.

Towards sustainable poverty alleviation: Building NGO accountability to beneficiaries in microenterprise development programs

This thesis investigates the operations of non-government organisations (NGOs) engaging in microenterprise development programs in Bangladesh and Indonesia, to understand the nature and mechanisms of NGO accountability to the poor. Findings reveal both barriers and mechanisms contributing to success within these programs. A range of mechanisms enhance both accountability of NGOs and the poor, facilitating more effective programs and sustainable poverty alleviation.

Foreign assistance : AID's implementation of microenterprise program guidance : report to Congressional requesters /

"GAO/NSIAD-91-78."

Mission drift or strategic shift? Group formation strategies within MEPs

Microenterprise development programs (MEPs) have been recognised as a valuable way to help the poor engage in micro-businesses (Green et al., 2006; Vargas, 2000), presenting a way out of poverty (Choudhury et al., 2008; Strier, 2010). Concerns have been raised however, that the benefits of MEPs often don’t reach the extremely poor (Jones et al., 2004; Midgley, 2008; Mosley and Hulme, 1998; Nawaz, 2010; Pritchett, 2006). Balancing reach of these programs with depth is a challenging task. Targeting as many poor people as possible often results in MEPs focusing on the upper or middle poor, overlooking the most challenging group. As such, MEPs have been criticised for mission drift – losing sight of the organisation’s core purpose; assisting those more likely to succeed.

Social Audit Regulation Within the NGO Sector: Practices of NGOs Operating in Bangladesh and Indonesia

Social audit is one of those important mechanisms for strengthening NGOs’ accountability to poor communities (as NGOs’ key beneficiaries). However, conducting social audits within the NGO sector often rests on the individual interests and priorities of donors or NGOs themselves, effectively resulting in self-selection bias, and limiting the effectiveness and usefulness of social audits as a control and evaluation mechanism. The purpose of this chapter is to identify the prevalence, scale, and scope of social audits within the NGO sector, particularly NGOs engaging in microenterprise development programs. Accordingly, this study examined 20 NGOs operating in two countries - Bangladesh and Indonesia. Data were collected from publicly available sources and in-depth interviews with senior executives of the participating NGOs. Further, 10 interviews were conducted with a small sample of beneficiaries (individuals or groups from four of the participating NGOs) in order to gain an understanding of beneficiaries’ perceptions of the NGOs’ social audit mechanism. The findings reveal a range of approaches to social audit among NGOs, as well as the usefulness and limitations of this mechanism for strengthening NGO accountability, particularly to beneficiaries. Findings highlight that within the NGOs investigated the conduct of social audits remained voluntary and was strongly dependant on donors’ requirements. As social audit regulation within the NGO sector is minimal, the findings provide regulators with valuable guidance for better understanding the value of social audit as a mechanism to strengthen accountability of the NGO sector, particularly accountability to beneficiaries.

Dirección Estratégica de RRHH en una microempresa

Con este trabajo pretendo analizar y profundizar en el concepto de la Dirección Estratégica de los Recursos Humanos en una microempresa tras la lectura de diversos libros especializados en el tema así como la revisión de numerosos documentos. Considero que es un tema muy interesante ya que combina la importancia de la existencia y buena gestión de los recursos humanos con el gran papel que desempeñan las microempresas en la economía y sociedad actual. Por otro lado, es interesante identificar la microempresa, principalmente, por su importancia económica y por las características que la diferencian del resto, en donde suele haber un departamento de Recursos Humanos bien definido. Vamos a intentar descubrir cómo se gestionan las personas de modo que éstas se conviertan en fuente de ventaja competitiva e imprescindibles para la buena gestión de la empresa. Para ello será necesario analizar aspectos tanto teóricos como prácticos, acompañados de la propia experiencia personal.

The journey of a ‘green’ micro-enterprise – The Green Planet

This teaching case explores the longitudinal evolution of a small environmental micro-enterprise, The Green Planet retail store. Exploring two decades of business history it analyses the development of this business as sustainability issues and greener consumer goods mainstreamed in society. The case presents one of the first explorations of the individual trade-offs that owners make between economic, environmental and social criteria, alongside an exploration of the role that the personal values of the owner played in the evolution of this business. Also presented is a sample of other environmental enterprises profiled alongside The Green Planet in the early 1990s. This additional dataset provides a rich resource for readers, and a number of indicative discussion themes are identified. Readers interested in topics such as marketing, business strategy, innovation, entrepreneurship, corporate social responsibility and environmental management will find this case a valuable addition to their teaching resources.

A importância da contabilidade analítica e o custeio direto e indireto numa microempresa do setor da cortiça

Dissertação para obtenção de Grau de Mestre em Contabilidade e Finanças Orientador: Mestre António Gonçalves da Silva

Projeto de internacionalização de uma microempresa do setor de venda de componentes de elevadores

Trabalho de Projeto de Mestrado apresentado ao Instituto Superior de Contabilidade e Administração do Porto para a obtenção do grau de Mestre em Empreendedorismo e Internacionalização sob orientação da Doutora Celsa Maria Carvalho Machado

Internationalization strategy of Skypro Shoes to Japan

Skypro is a footwear brand targeted at the aviation professionals’ niche market, explored by the Portuguese microenterprise Abotoa Lda..The saturation of the Portuguese market led Skypro to expand to different worldwide countries and to be a footwear supplier of Airlines from the USA, Qatar or Australia, among others. Abotoa aims for its 2014’s exports to represent around 80% of total sales and this Internationalization Plan for Japan represents the possibility of further exploring the Asian market. Japan appears as the 2nd worldwide footwear importer and the 5th footwear consumer, with a high purchasing power – GDP per capita (PPP). This country possesses two enormous Airlines (ANA and JAL) that employ more than 15000 on-board personnel, the world’s 4th busiest Airport in 2013 (Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport) and a geographic structure with more than 6500 islands, implying high frequency of aerial transportation in the medium-run. These aspects make Japan an adequate country to invest in. At the course of this Work Project, trustworthy recommendations are provided for the current state of Abotoa and for the introduction and implementation of this Internationalization Plan. These findings strongly suggest that Skypro should indeed penetrate Japan’s market.

Barriers to adapt eCommerce by rural microenterprises in Sweden : a case study

Research has shown that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are rapidly adopting the e-commerce. However, there is nearly no research into how microenterprises are adopting eCommerce. Present paper focus on microenterprise adaption of eCommerce in terms of barriers in relation to already known research on SMEs. A case study, carried out by 12 microenterprises to find out barriers to adapt eCommerce had been done. The empirical results show that the microenterprises share most of the barriers to adapt the eCommerce with studies of SMEs, but also reveal additional factors affecting adaptation option of eCommerce; supplier agreement, communication and customer strategy. Conclusions are that microenterprises need additional support and communication and customer strategy to adapt eCommerce, depending of their requirement and needs of eCommerce.

Simples nacional: novo modelo de tributação das microempresas e empresas de pequeno porte

o presente estudo aborda o modelo Simples Nacional como diferencial de tributação aplicado as microempresas e empresas de pequeno porte com a finalidade de garantir maiores perspectivas de consolidação desses negócios no mercado, a partir de um tratamento tributário diferenciado. Tal mudança deu-se a partir das determinações do novo Código Tributário em vigor por meio da Lei Complementar nO. 123, da Microempresa (ME) e da Empresa de Pequeno Porte (EPP). Trata-se de um conjunto de normas que determinam um tratamento simplificado e favorecido aos pequenos negócios, conhecida no âmbito tributário como Simples Nacional ou "Super Simples". O estudo objetiva analisar a relevância do tratamento tributário diferenciado como forma de estimular o desenvolvimento desse segmento na economia nacional. Adotei como percurso metodológico para o estudo a pesquisa bibliográfica e documental, complementado por um estudo de caso realizado em empresa de pequeno porte na cidade de Belém. Verifica-se que a implementação do modelo Simples Nacional ainda está em fase de experimentações, não sendo possível ainda perceber vantagens significativas no desenvolvimento das microempresas e empresas de pequeno porte, contudo, é possível que se avance no sentido de minimizar as situações de informalidade. Conclui-se que mesmo com o tratamento tributário diferenciado aplicado as microempresas e empresas de pequeno porte, o Simples Nacional expressa vantagens e desvantagens para este setor produtivo.

Differences between innovative and non-innovative microenterprises: internal factors

This exploratory study presents a comparison between two samples of microenterprises. One sample is formed by companies involved in product innovation during the current economic crisis and the other is formed by companies not involved in product innovation during the same period. The comparison analyzes which internal factors, supported by the literature as the influential factors of small business innovation, are significant when explaining the main differences between innovative microenterprise and non-innovative ones. The results suggest that the factors related to the organization and activity of the company are the factors which explain the differences between these two types of firms, rather than those factors related to micro-entrepreneurs own profile.

AS DIFICULDADES SUPERADAS POR PEQUENOS EMPREENDEDORES NOS SETORES DE PRODUTOS E SERVIÇOS NA REGIÃO OESTE E NORTE DA CAPITAL DE SÃO PAULO

No Brasil, os microempreendimentos representam de 5,6 a 6 milhões de empresas segundo pesquisas do SEBRAE (2010). Cumprem um papel importante para o PIB (Produto Interno Bruto) Nacional. As pesquisas de mortalidade desses negócios mostram que, cerca de 75% não conseguem permanecer no mercado além dos seis meses iniciais. A abertura desses pequenos negócios decorre, em muitos casos, da necessidade oriunda do desemprego. O empreendedor, anteriormente registrado pode usar de sua indenização e do Fundo de Garantia do Tempo de Serviço para iniciar um novo empreendimento. Geralmente, de acordo com as pesquisas, tais negócios não têm um suporte adequado nem constituem um plano de negócios, diferente de outros países como Estados Unidos e Canadá, onde um isso é condição básica para o início de um empreendimento. As pesquisas mostram que o cenário para os microempreendedores é de dificuldades. Por outro lado, contrariando as pesquisas de mortalidade, (SEBRAE, 2010), existem pequenos negócios que sobrevivem ao longo do tempo, passando à margem de toda a oscilação do mercado, tanto interno quanto externo. O presente trabalho analisará seis empresas das regiões norte e oeste de São Paulo, capital, com pequenos negócios que estão estabilizados no mercado. Além disso, mostrará quais as dificuldades transpostas por esses empreendedores para dar longevidade a seu negócio