| 1. |
- Hyder, Akmal S., et al.
(författare)
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Cross-cultural strategic alliances : Lessons from Swedish firms in Eastern and Central Europe
- 2014
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Ingår i: Shifts in and global competitiveness, markets and consumers. - : International Management Development Association. - 1888624132 ; , s. 48-54
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study aims to explore factors affecting the formation and operation of strategic alliances, and the impact of these factors on performance. The underlying premise being that different cultures affect strategic alliances differently. The study is based on the analysis of 20 alliances between firms in Eastern and Central Europe and their Swedish partners. Significant differences were found across countries. The paper concludes with implications for managers responsible for managing international alliances in terms of effectiveness of their role, as well as their cultural awareness and ability to deal with cultural differences.
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| 2. |
- Abraha, Desalegn, et al.
(författare)
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Transformation of Strategic Alliances in Emerging Markets : Volume I
- 2021. - 1
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Bok (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- There is much research into strategic business alliances in emerging markets, but none focuses on this form of collaboration within Europe’s emerging economies. This is a critical absence, as the European transition region is not only different from other European and Western regions but also from other regions with developing economies. Partners in the European transition region have unique cultural and social backgrounds, and consequently, unique ways of doing business. Transformations of Strategic Alliances in Emerging Markets focuses on this important gap. This book, the first of a two-volume set, makes a unique contribution to emerging market research by investigating the transformation of alliances in Eastern and central Europe over the past forty years. It provides a conceptual framework to describe and analyse the formation, development and functional mechanisms of strategic alliances in the European transition region, ultimately offering an in-depth overview of the challenges and opportunities around strategic alliance formation in emerging European markets. Transformations of Strategic Alliances in Emerging Markets, Volume I, is a must-read for academics and postgraduate students of development economics and business administration.
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| 3. |
- Abraha Gebrekidan, Desalegn, et al.
(författare)
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From industrial networks to strategic alliances or vice-versa
- 2009
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Ingår i: International Journal of Business and Emerging Markets. - : InderScience Publishers. - 1753-6219 .- 1753-6227. ; 1:4, s. 361-386
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The purpose of this paper is: to highlight the impact of industrial networks on strategic alliances; to determine if alliances help firms to build up new or strengthen existing networks; to find out whether alliances succeed or precede networks. Our findings show that well-developed networks have a positive impact on how alliances function and the results that they can achieve. The other finding is that alliances defend and strengthen networks, and also enable firms to build new ones or penetrate those of their alliance partner(s). The final conclusion is that it is difficult to determine if alliances succeed or precede networks.
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| 4. |
- Awuah, Gabriel Baffour, et al.
(författare)
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Interactive (networked) internationalization : the case of Swedish firms
- 2011
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Ingår i: European Journal of Marketing. - UK : Emerald Group Publishing Limited. - 0309-0566 .- 1758-7123. ; 45:7-8, s. 1112-1129
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose - The purpose of this study is to provide deeper insights into the extent to which an independent actor(s) actively collaborates with the internationalizing firm so as to jointly determine the choice of market, the mode of entry and the level of investment committed in the market to be entered and even after the entry (i.e. the ongoing activities). Design/methodology/approach - Against the previous purpose section, a qualitative research approach is selected to guide the exploratory nature of this study. Thus qualitative data are used to build the two case studies because case studies are generally a more appropriate approach when "how" and "why" questions are being posed and when the investigator has little control over events. Findings - Based on two multiple case studies, one major finding of the study shows that independent actors, with their interconnected networks, have played and are still playing a major role in influencing the internationalization processes of each of the two firms in this study. Originality/value - This is an original paper developed based on two case studies which have not been published in any journal before. The paper highlights the role of external independent actors in internationalization, which is not mentioned at all or stressed in the extant literature.
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| 5. |
- Hyder, Akmal S., et al.
(författare)
-
Institutional factors and strategic alliances in eastern and central Europe
- 2008
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Ingår i: Baltic Journal of Management. - : Emerald Group Publishing Limited. - 1746-5265 .- 1746-5273. ; 3:3, s. 289-308
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose - The study deals with institutional factors that have impact on the operation of east-west alliances. Applying Kostova and Roth's terminology of institutional and relational contexts, this paper aims to address how alliance relationship based on resources, learning and performance organizes and functions, and how institutional factors influence the alliance relationship. Design/methodology/approach - To properly highlight the role of institutional factors, eastern and central Europe (ECE) is divided into four categories, namely fast adapters, high and low medium adapters and slow adapters. A total of 20 alliances operating in different country categories have been selected for the study. In all alliances, foreign partners are Swedish firms and engaged in the manufacturing industry, Semi-structured interviews containing both a fixed set of questions and a set of open-ended questions have been used for data collection. Findings - The impact of institutional factors on firms in slow-adapting countries was uniformly high, the initiatives taken were usually fruitless and ineffective. In the case of medium-adapters, the impact was largely mitigated over time as alliances passed through the different stages. The least impact was, as expected, observed among the alliances in fast-adapting countries. However, the result needs to be taken with some caution as the data include alliances where partners come from a single western country. Practical implications - For direct investment, managers need to take the institutional factors seriously as ECE countries undergo a transition period and the economical situations of these countries shows a wide variation. For example, if need of return is quick, the managers should invest in a fast-adapting country or in a medium-adapting country but not at all in a slow-adapting country. Originality/value - This paper makes a unique contribution by focusing institutional factors which affect strategic alliances in ECE. One future study can concern cultural impact on business environment and new business development in ECE. Another interesting area of research could deal with medium-adapting countries because the members of this group show different level of adaptation and performance.
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| 6. |
- Jäger, Kerstin, et al.
(författare)
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From standard 3PL provider to service developer : a case study from the Swedish furniture industry
- 2009
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Ingår i: World Review of Intermodal Transportation Research (WRITR). - : InderScience Publishers. - 1749-4729 .- 1749-4737. ; 2:4, s. 376-390
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The strong competition between companies has resulted in an increased outsourcing of activities that are not considered core activities. This has created an emerging business opportunity in logistics, attracting several new actors and companies to enter the market and fill the demand for new services. These actors represent several types of providers who are often called Third-Party Logistics (3PL) providers. The purpose of this study is to investigate the environment of a 3PL provider that also develops services. The focus is particularly on how the provider has evolved and identifying the key issues on how to be successful in the 3PL industry. The primary research strategy is a descriptive embedded single case study. The findings reveal that the case company has evolved from being a standard 3PL provider to a service developer, since it, in addition to traditional services, nowadays also provides more value-added services. These services involve a set of more standardised activities that can be combined according to each customer's wishes and requirements. The findings also reveal that the main requirements to be a successful service developer are a clear customer understanding and focus, value-added and customised services and reliable deliveries (both in terms of time and a low percentage of damaged goods), as well as the utilisation of Information and Communications Technology (ICT).
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| 7. |
- Hilletofth, Per
(författare)
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Demand-Supply Chain Management
- 2010
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Purpose: This research aims to enhance the current understanding and knowledge of the demand-supply chain management (DSCM) concept by determining its elements, benefits, and requirements, as well as by analyzing key elements of the concept. Methodology: This research has utilized the case study strategy and the survey strategy, however, the case study strategy dominates. The case study research has involved five companies originating from Sweden and the collection of empirical data mainly from in-depth interviews with key persons representing senior and middle management. The survey research targeted the largest firms in Sweden and Finland and empirical data was collected through an online questionnaire. Findings: This research has established that the main elements of DSCM include market orientation, coordination of the demand and supply processes, viewing the demand and supply processes as being equally important, as well as value creation, differentiation, innovativeness, responsiveness, and cost-efficiency in the demand and supply processes. It has also been revealed that the main benefits of DSCM include enhanced competiveness, enhanced demand chain performance, as well as enhanced supply chain performance, while the main requirements of DSCM include organizational competences, company established principles, demand-supply chain collaboration, and information technology support. A key element of DSCM further investigated is differentiation focused supply chain design. It has been shown that these efforts can be organized into a process of five stages. In addition, it is important that this process is addressed in parallel with the new product development (NPD) process, that information is exchanged between them, and that they are directed on the basis of the same segmentation model. Another key element of DSCM further investigated is coordination between NPD and SCM. This research has identified several significant linkages between these management directions, which motivate the use of an integrative NPD process where the NPD functions are aligned with the main supply functions in the company and other sales-related functions supporting the commercialization. A final key element of DSCM further investigated is the significance of regarding the demand processes and the supply processes as being equally important. This research has revealed that logistics outsourcing can be risky, if it results in the supply processes being considered less important. Nevertheless, if senior management regards the outsourced processes as equally important as the in-house processes, the effect of logistics outsourcing on company strategies and direction in SCM could be reduced and logistics outsourcing could instead provide an opportunity to improve the design and differentiation of the supply chain. Research limitations/implications: This research has proposed, described, and further analyzed a demand-supply oriented management approach. Such a management approach stresses that the demand processes and the supply processes have to be coordinated and directed at an overlying level, in order to gain and sustain a competitive advantage in competitive and fragmented markets. This research is mainly explorative in nature, and more empirical data, from similar and other research settings, is needed to further validate the findings. Another limitation of the research is that it is essentially limited to Swedish companies (even if some Finnish companies are involved in the survey), however, many of the case companies have a large international presence and are among the top three in their industries, facts which provide some grounds for generalization. Practical implications: This research provides researchers and practitioners with insights into how to develop a demand-supply oriented business. It shows that companies should organize themselves around understanding how customer value is created and delivered, as well as how these processes and management directions can be coordinated. In order for this to occur, the demand and supply processes must be considered as being equally important and the firm needs to be managed jointly and in a coordinated manner by the demand- and supply-side of the company. It is also important that value creation is considered in both the demand and supply processes. Originality/value: Despite strong arguments from both researchers and practitioners for a demand-supply oriented management approach only a minority of companies appear to have effectively coordinated the demand and supply processes. This might be influenced by the lack of research examining how the demand and supply processes can be coordinated, what benefits can be gained by coordinating them, and what requirements are necessary to succeed. This research contributes by investigating these types of aspects further.
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| 8. |
- Hilletofth, Per
(författare)
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Differentiated Supply Chain Strategy - Building Knowledge through Case Studies
- 2008
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Ingår i: Fourth International Railway Logistics Seminar. - Kouvola, Finland : Lappeenranta University of Technology. - 9789522146014 ; , s. 5-28, s. 5-28, s. 5-28
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Nowadays companies usually offer a wide range of products and services in various types of non-coherent business environments. It is becoming apparent that traditional ‘one-size-fits-all’ supply chain strategies does not support a wide range of products sold in a diversity of markets. Consequently, it becomes increasingly necessary to employ different manufacturing and delivery strategies concurrently in order to develop a differentiated supply chain strategy. This paper employs a descriptive multiple case study approach to illustrate how two companies has develop a differentiated supply chain strategy. Case study findings reveal that one efficient method to develop a differentiated supply chain strategy is to combine different manufacturing and delivery strategies into various supply chain solutions. By combining relatively few strategies it is possible to develop several differentiated supply chain solutions.
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| 9. |
- Hilletofth, Per
(författare)
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Enterprise resource planning systems in higher education
- 2008
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the 4th Railway logistics Seminar. - Kouvola, Finland : Lappeenranta University of Technology. ; , s. 167-180, s. 167-180, s. 167-180
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Information systems and technology are becoming more and more important in the industry. Consequently, it is important to include these in any modern logistics education. This paper describes how ERP-systems are utilized in logistics education programs and courses at University of Skövde (Sweden). The objective of this paper is to highlight the importance of information systems and technology in a modern logistics education.
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| 10. |
- Hilletofth, Per, et al.
(författare)
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Using Eurasian Landbridge in Logistics Operations : Building Knowledge through Case Studies
- 2007
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Ingår i: World Review of Intermodal Transportation Research (WRITR). - : InderScience Publishers. - 1749-4729 .- 1749-4737. ; 1:2, s. 183-201
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This research concerns about the use of Eurasia as a landbridge for container traffic. We present case study findings concerning European-Asian transportation, and this reveals that the lead time advantage of landbridges (with respect of its costs) would be suitable for a manufacturer, but malfunctioning parts of harbours and railway transports hinder the potential of this alternative. Findings from demanding manufacturing logistics are further verified with a case study concerning a Finnish retailer having increasingly important presence in Russian markets. Retailer used to favour railways (~early part of Eurasian corridor) but has nowadays configured distribution operations to favour road transports.
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