Designing and Implementing a Strategic Management Concept in an High-Tech SME

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• Theoretical Framework
  • Definitions
  • Designing a Strategic Management System
    • Enterprise Philosophy
    • Strategy Formulation
    • Strategy Implementation
  • Designing and Implementation Problems
• Research Method
  • Research Design
  • Research Site
  • Data Collection and Analysis
• Results
  • Current Situation of the Case Company
  • Strategy Formulation
  • Strategy Implementation
• Discussion
  • Theoretical Implications
  • Managerial Implications
  • Limitations
• Conclusion

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This thesis aims to develop a strategic management concept that is suitable for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and considers their limited resources. This concept is applied to a German high-tech company in the automotive industry. The thesis seeks to answer the question of what suitable strategic management methods are for SMEs and how they can satisfy the strategic needs of high-tech SMEs.

• Strategic management in SMEs
• Resource-related arguments in strategic management
• Design and implementation of a strategic management concept
• SWOT analysis in SMEs
• The Balanced Scorecard (BSC) in SMEs

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The introduction outlines the economic significance of SMEs and the need for effective strategic management in this sector. It explores the challenges SMEs face in adopting strategic management practices due to limited resources and the prevalence of owner-managed structures. The chapter discusses the use of the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) as a potential strategic management method for SMEs and highlights the existing research gap in this area.

The theoretical framework chapter presents a comprehensive overview of strategic management, defining key concepts and outlining the process of designing a strategic management system. This includes considerations for enterprise philosophy, strategy formulation, and implementation. The chapter further discusses common challenges and problems associated with designing and implementing a strategic management system in SMEs.

The research method chapter details the methodology employed in this thesis. It describes the use of a single case study at a German technology company, XY GmbH, which produces data loggers for the automotive industry. The chapter explains the action research (AR) methodology and its unique features, particularly the active participation of the researcher. It further outlines the data collection and analysis methods, including expert interviews and team discussions, to gather insights into the company's strategic management practices.

The results chapter presents the findings of the case study at XY GmbH. It provides an analysis of the company's current situation, focusing on the existing strategic planning approach and the challenges they face. The chapter then outlines the strategy formulation process using the SWOT analysis, showcasing the development of strategic options for the company. Finally, the chapter describes the implementation of these strategies using the Balanced Scorecard (BSC), highlighting how this tool can be applied to translate strategic goals into measurable actions.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This thesis explores the application of strategic management principles in SMEs, specifically focusing on the use of the SWOT analysis and the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) for strategy formulation and implementation. The study examines the resource-based view of strategic management, considering the limitations of SMEs, and aims to provide a practical framework for designing and implementing a strategic management concept in a high-tech SME. The research focuses on the specific case of XY GmbH, a German technology company in the automotive industry.