| 1. |
- Abouzeedan, Adli, 1955-
(author)
-
SME Performance and Its Relationship to Innovation
- 2011
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Current SME performance models suffer from a number of disadvantages. The models use intensively a business ratio approach, they look at SMEs as a homogenous group, they consider firms to be closed systems, they do not directly incorporate the impact of an enterprise’s innovation activities, and finally they are complex and rely on sophisticated statistical refining methods making them unpractical to use by SME managers. There are four major challenges when one tries to build SME performance models that lack these deficiencies. The first challenge is that the desired performance evaluation model must optimally incorporate both quantitative and qualitative input. The second challenge is that the model must incorporate non-financial input parameters, such as firm size and age (among others), in the performance evaluation models. The third is that the model must consider the variety of SMEs as concerns their business sectors, nationalities, sizes, and ages. The final challenge is that the model must be able to utilize existing limited information available from the SMEs bookkeeping practices in an optimal way.The thesis addresses three questions related to constructing a better SMEperformance model, namely (1) What are the advantages and disadvantages of the existing models used in evaluating SME performance? (2) What characterizes a comprehensive model for measuring SME performance with acknowledgement of the firm’s innovation activities? (3) How can a firm’s innovation activities be enhanced in relation to the firm’s external environment?To construct a model that copes with these challenges, I used a literature-based selection of parameters as well as a theory-based selection. I used both a conceptual approach and an empirical approach to discuss and propose a model, the Survival Index Value (or SIV) model, as an alternative to the existing performance models for SMEs.The major contributions of this thesis to the field of SME performance can be summarized in three outcomes: the SIV model as a new model of SME performance evaluation, the ASPEM as a new tool for strategic utilization of SME performance models, and a new approach to account for innovation in relation to the external environment of the firm using the IBAM tool.The work adds to the theory of the firm, as it presents a new way of evaluating firm performance. It also contributes to bridging the theory of the firm to organizational theory, by elevating the significance of networking and its impact on SME efficiency.
|
|
| 2. |
- Svensson, Peter, 1974-
(author)
-
The Dynamics of Innovation and Knowledge-Based Regional Development
- 2010
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Geographical regions as diverse as Silicon Valley, California and Linköping, Sweden have been the sources of new technology and endogenously created innovations. Scholars and policymakers recognise that specific regions or clusters of businesses have the capability to engage in more innovative activities and new business formation and to experience higher employment growth than others. This dissertation uses qualitative methods to study various aspects of regional development and innovation. It is based on five papers by the author and colleagues with levels of analysis ranging from regional to firms’ first sales in order to capture the dynamics of both the top and bottom levels of regional development. It then uses these papers’ empirical material to address the research questions of (a) how a new scientific knowledge base becomes established and exploited in a spatial context, and (b) how people create and diffuse innovations in a social and spatial context. This dissertation’s main findings are that (a) regional leadership involving the building of alliances with triple-helix actors is crucial for initiating a knowledge-based regional development process, (b) a consensus space is a catalytic mechanism for ensuring the speed and effectiveness of regional development, (c) lowering the barriers for the actors involved boosts participation and the rate of innovation, and (d) users’ perspectives are essential for social, institutional and commercial innovation. This dissertation’s main implications are that knowledge-based regional development’s initial stages require leadership that (a) builds alliances and establish an arena for the triple-helix actors, (b) analyses the regional barriers to the commercialisation of knowledge, and (c) utilises both endogenous and exogenous resources.
|
|
| 3. |
- Abouzeedan, Adli, 1955-, et al.
(author)
-
Analysis of a Swedish High Technology SME Using the Survival Index Value (SIV) Model
- 2011
-
In: Paper Sessions, Workshops and Special Meetings. - : ICSB. - 9780981902838 ; , s. 170-179
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- One of the major deficiencies in the existing Small and Medium-sized Enterprises’ (SMEs) performance evaluation models is the fact that they lack a clear coupling to the issue of innovation and its impact on performance. A possible candidate model which could achieve this is the Survival Index Value (SIV) model. The model has a parameter incorporated in its structure, the technology-intake. This parameter can be used as an indicator of the degree of innovativeness of the firm. Previous works using the model looked at general performance without specific focus on innovation activities of the firm and without relating that to aspects of survival and growth. In this paper the aim was to demonstrate the ability of the SIV model to indicate a positive overall performance due to the intensive investment of a selected firm in innovation activities. The enterprise analyzed, Autoadapt AB, is a Swedish high technology firm working in adapting cars and automobiles to handicapped people. Due to the nature of their activities the firm has a high level of innovation input to be able to solve the complex problems related to usage of cars by disabled people. Both the product development process and managing the activities around it requires a high level of innovativeness and ingenuity. As thus the firm presented a very interesting object to study. The study has a clear significance as there is a need to differentiate the performance of innovation-intensive enterprises from firms who are using less investment in innovation in their activities. This can be done by considering the investment in new technologies both as product development and/or as investing in absorption of external management, product or process innovation. Applying the SIV model to run this analysis can help to demonstrate the need to incorporate the technology intake as an essential component of SME’s performance model. The results indicated that the SIVmodel is able to predict correctly the performance of the object firm. By having mostly positive survival factor values, which are single data-points, during years of operation, and also having mostly positive survivability coefficient values, which are agglomerate data-points, the SIVmodel proved its abilities. Clearly, the model has a good potential to be developed and fine-tuned even more. The SIV model can be tested further to look at deviations in performance of firms among different sectors and relates that to the innovativeness of whole sectors.
|
|
| 4. |
- Frykfors, Carl-Otto
(author)
-
Policy and transitions processes in sector systems of innovation and production
- 2010
-
Licentiate thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- In the last decades, innovation and innovation processes in industry have been regarded as critical to establishing sustainable economic competitiveness and development-both crucial for societal goals and visions. In the aftermath of the tirst oil crisis in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the influential work by research schalars' has inspired a comprehensive new order in economic research internationally which will be discussed in this thesis. In the frame of that a main interest has been devoted to look upan what characterizes the emergence and development of an innovation system and the factors that contribute to, but perhaps also limit, the development?As a faundatian for the thesis, three different papers have been written. The tirst paper is a literature review with empirical examples and deals with the roats and long tails of the Swedish model - development of institutionai structures on an aggregated level through seetorai systems of innovation and productian. This paper also describes attempts to trans form and adapt the model to new circumstances at the end of the 1990s and the tirst years of the 21 st century. The second paper describe a foresight model and shows how such a model can be a valuable strategic management tool for renewing goals and cognitive awareness in a local cluster group in a traditional industry. This papet also views the consumer secter from miera and actot perspectives on the programme leve!. In the third paper three an ongoing transition processes and mutual development in three mature branches is studied. The paper presents a system perspective on organisations- and mezzoIevel.The thesis generates tive main conelusions: I) Long-tenn thinking and a nation of "la longue duree" are prerequisites for development of innovation systems. 2) The existence of a reference base and a prehistory constitutes an important platfonn for the emergence of innovation systems. 3) Strong driving forces and intentionalily are fundamental to emerging innovation systems. 4) Institutions and organisations are important instruments of change in the emergence of innovation systems; and 5) Entrepreneurship and management at s!!Uctural and micro levels are important ingredients in an innovation system's development processes. Possible implications ofsome aspects of the conclusions for the Swedish policy landscape are many. One example is the matter of longterm thinking and "la longue duree", which this thesis hopefully has made elear are not synonyms. Long-tenn thinking and temporalily within "la longue duree" are important issues behind successful innovations, change processes, and development processes. Of this. there is an impressive quantity offacts and arguments.
|
|
| 5. |
- Klofsten, Magnus
(author)
-
Generella framgångsfaktorer i kluster : En studie av entreprenörskap och innovation
- 2010
-
Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Rapportens resultat kan sammanfattas på följande vis:Det är möjligt att definiera generella kvalitativa framgångsfaktorer på klusternivå och dessa inkluderar klustrets verksamhet (idé, aktiviteter och organisation), aktörer och individer (engagemang och drivkrafter) och dess externa koppling (kritisk massa).Framgångsfaktorerna är alla dynamiska och genom operationalisering så är det högst troligt att dessa går att mäta och praktiskt tillämpa.En klusterplattform måste etableras för att trygga klusterorganisations långsiktiga överlevnad och utveckling.Vid uppföljning och utvärdering av kluster är en processuell ansats att föredra eftersom den: 1) Tillåter analys oberoende typ av kluster eller stadium mognadsprocessen. 2) Möjliggör en bedömning av sambandet mellan orsak och verkan i utvecklingsprocessen. 3) Inkluderar utvecklingsprocessens dynamik och de eventuella lärprocesser som sker i klustret.Genom att använda ett prestationsmått – klusterplattform - går det dessutom att avgöra vad som krävs för att klustret på lång sikt skall bli verksamhetsmässigt hållbart.
|
|
| 6. |
- Lundmark, Erik, 1975-
(author)
-
The Mobility of People, Ideas and Knowledge in the Entrepreneurial Society
- 2010
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- As radical innovations facilitate communication, create new industries and make others obsolete, the established ways of organising society are being questioned. Over the last few decades, a theoretical framework and a worldview labelled the entrepreneurial society, has emerged. The entrepreneurial society is based on theoretical models, empirical observations and a belief in the importance of new businesses.The core of the entrepreneurial society is the claim that valuable ideas have to be commercialised in order to contribute to economic growth and prosperity. Unfortunately, valuable ideas remain dormant due to a number of barriers. Labour mobility, informal networks and entrepreneurship are mechanisms with the potential of overcoming these barriers.This thesis aims to increase our understanding of how ideas diffuse between and get applied within organisations. The thesis relates its findings to the entrepreneurial society and identifies and critically assesses basic assumptions and biases underlying the framework.The thesis presents and discusses six studies, each published as an article in a scientific journal, a chapter in an edited book, or as a conference paper at an international academic conference. Taken together, the findings in this thesis emphasise that the mobility of ideas is intertwined with the mobility of people and knowledge. More specifically, the findings indicate that employees in large R&Ddriven projects not only attain knowledge from external sources, but also that the use of external knowledge sources is positively related to new ideas connected to the projects.In addition, this thesis reinforces the argument that the mobility of knowledge workers is particularly beneficial to the diffusion of knowledge and ideas between organisations; the results show that employees in knowledge-intensive positions perceive greater opportunities to generate, share and develop ideas in organisations, as compared to employees in less knowledge-intensive positions.This thesis suggests that new employees tend to have an entrepreneurial potential in the form of a greater drive for change and less habituation with current practices. Nevertheless, such potential is often curbed by resistant routines. However, the thesis also finds that much entrepreneurship literature and the discourse of policy makers are biased towards overly optimistic views of entrepreneurship.The literature on the entrepreneurial society emphasises the diffusion and application of new R&D-related knowledge and ideas. This thesis also emphasises the diffusion and application of already widespread and established knowledge, ideas and innovations.
|
|
| 7. |
|
|
| 8. |
- Abouzeedan, Adli, et al.
(author)
-
Innovation and entrepreneurship – new themes for new times
- 2010
-
In: Annals of Innovation & Entrepreneurship. - : Informa UK Limited. - 2000-7396. ; 1:1, s. 1-3
-
Journal article (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Throughout history, innovators and entrepreneurs have had a tremendous impact on development, exploration, trade, education, science, and integration. During the 20th century, innovation and entrepre-neurship have been regarded as key drivers in technological progress and productivity development worldwide. New radical innovations from new fields of knowledge such as information and communication technologies and biotechnology have emerged to influence everyday life for most people. Realizing this, policy makers as well as individuals argue that innovative and entrepreneurial change processes need to be further implemented on the micro as well as macro levels in society (Abouzeedan, Busler, & Hedner, 2009; Busenitz, Gomez, & Spencer, 2000). The study of innovation is therefore likely to be an increasingly important topic in, for example, economics, business, entrepreneurship, tech-nology, engineering, medicine, environmental biology, sociology, design, and reregional development (cf. Etzkowitz & Klofsten, 2005).
|
|
| 9. |
- Heydebreck, Peter, et al.
(author)
-
F2C – An Innovative Approach to Use Fuzzy Cognitive Maps (FCM) for the Valuation of High-Technology Ventures
- 2011
-
In: Communications of the IBIMA. - : IBIMA Publishing. - 1943-7765. ; 2011:Article ID 483882, s. 1-14
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We propose a novel method - F2C - that can process the only information available in the early stages of a young high-technology venture: linguistic expert knowledge. This knowledge is the basis for the determination of an appropriate discount rate for the valuation of high-technology ventures in early stages of venture capital investments. A specific tool named Fuzzy Cognitive Map (FCM) is used therein to capture and depict the expert knowledge. Consequently, the FCM is transformed into a system of Fuzzy Inference Systems. These systems allow eventually obtaining a crisp value for the crucial parameter, the discount rate r. First practical applications were carried out valuing a biotechnology venture. The obtained results are promising, though the need for further research efforts became obvious.
|
|
