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- Heathcote-Fumador, Ida Eyi, 1984
(författare)
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Emergence and Dynamics of Circular Economy Ecosystem
- 2023
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The circular economy ecosystem (CEE) offers the potential to effectively manage the pressing issue of residual resources, encompassing waste and by-products that pose a challenge to our planet. Among various organizational forms, the ecosystem approach has emerged as the preferred method, fostering cross-industry collaboration to sustainably address residual resources. While business and innovation ecosystems have been extensively studied to understand their emergence, structure, and value proposition, they only provide a partial understanding of how CEEs come into being and manage these resources. Furthermore, CEEs encounter constraints from linear economic practices and environmental conditions. Given the prominent role of digital technologies within CEEs, this study delves into their influence, aiming to uncover their multifaceted impact beyond technical aspects. This thesis sheds light on the distinctive factors driving the emergence of CEEs and how they differ from business and innovation ecosystems. Additionally, it explores the cohesive role played by digital technologies, extending beyond their conventional functions. This exploration is rooted in two case studies, one CEE in Africa and one in Europe. Both cases were selected due to their effective management of residual resources through sustainable approaches, coupled with their incorporation of digital technologies. The findings of this research indicate that CEEs arise as a response to the need for coordinated collective action in the face of linear constraints and the necessity to access interdisciplinary knowledge. The pursuit of interdisciplinary knowledge takes precedence over economic considerations and competition due to the intrinsic motivation to acquire complementary knowledge. In addition, digital technologies act as a unifying force facilitating knowledge appropriation during experimentation, fostering cooperation among stakeholders, rather than promoting competition. This thesis is positioned at the intersection of sustainable transitioning of strategic management and information systems.
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- Palm, Peter
(författare)
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Closing the loop : The use of post occupancy evaluations in real-estate management
- 2008
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The real-estate sector has traditionally been thinking in terms of “bricks and mortar” focusing more on the buildings than on the tenants. A change of approach has, however, been detected since the mid 1990s. The tenant is now more in focus. This new situation puts higher requirements on both the individual real-estate manager’s and organization’s ability to determine the needs of the tenants. Evaluations and knowledge management can be a help in this process Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) is one tool where the tenant’s perspective is in focus. The purpose of this thesis is to study the Swedish real-estate sector’s attitudes and experience of POE. Furthermore the purpose is to investigate how POE can be implemented in the organization and what barriers there are to implementation. This thesis presents three empirical studies of the real-estate sector and their use of POE. The first study is a survey sent to Swedish real-estate managers to determine their attitudes and experience of POE. This study was followed up by a more in-depth interview study to determine the attitudes regarding POE among the real-estate managers. The third study was also an interview study and it was carried out with individuals in leading positions in organizations in the real-estate sector. The aim of this study was to get a clearer view of possibilities for change and barriers to change within the real-estate sector The results show that there is an interest from the real-estate managers towards evaluations but that they rarely carry out evaluations. The main barrier detected is the lack of support from top management and this has resulted in a lack of incentives for realestate managers to work with POE. The reason for this lack of interest from the top management can be the culture of the real-estate sector, a culture which has sprung from the building sector. The conclusion is that problems will not be solved solely by implementing POE. The organisation must take care of the information, share it, learn from it and use it in the best way in current and future projects. This can only be done by implanting a knowledge management system. To enable this kind of change within the organisation the top management must underline the importance of this and at the same time give the organisation both the right tools to enable implementation and incentives to carry this out and follow it through. One way to show the importance of knowledge management, and at the same time create incentives and methods to follow up the development of the organisation is to integrate POE in the Balanced Scorecard. The conclusion is that if the top management doesn’t want the organisation to fall behind its competitors it must put knowledge management on the agenda. Sooner or later the competitors will implement evaluations and knowledge management in their organisations, and then it is only a question of time before they have built a better and stronger organisation, with better-qualified employees, that generates more efficient services and more satisfied customers.
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- Rundquist, Jonas, 1964-
(författare)
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Outsourcing of New Product Development - A decision framework
- 2007
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The focus of this thesis is the outsourcing of activities in the New Product Development (NPD) process. Outsourcing of NPD refers to the outsourcing of development activities for the developing of new products (goods and/or service), where all or just the innovative part of the NPD process is purchased externally based on a contract with organizational units separate from the outsourcing firm. This definition implies that (A) the activity should be an innovative part of the NPD process, (B) the activity should have previously been conducted internally, and (C) the activity should be purchased under a contractual agreement between the organizations.This thesis focuses on the outsourcing of NPD in medium sized firms. Although the framework is probably also useful for small and large firms, the three empirical studies in the thesis explored samples of medium sized firms. NPD is a knowledge intensive activity that requires the ability to handle uncertainties and is very dependent on the individuals involved in the process. In this way it differs from production, which (especially when producing standard items on a large scale) is easier to control, monitor and to evaluate the costs. Therefore, some considerations connected to knowledge acquisition and uncertainty needs to be addressed.A literature review reveals that research on outsourcing often focuses on A) Large firms and B) outsourcing of production activities. In addition, research on NPD usually involves large firms, despite the fact that the interest in product development in small and medium sized firms has grown rapidly in recent years. Since outsourcing of NPD is a method frequently used to access competence, and reduce costs and/or uncertainty, it seems motivated to study the outsourcing of NPD in medium sized firms.The thesis presents a decision framework that is based on three empirical studies (two survey studies and one case study) and a theoretical framework. The theoretical framework presented in the thesis is commonly used to understand outsourcing questions in general. In the present thesis the framework is applied in the specific situation of outsourcing a knowledge intensive activity (such as NPD) in the context of medium sized firms. Transactions cost, resource based, resource dependency, knowledge based, agency cost, and institutional theories are revisited in the thesis.Outsourcing can lead to advantages in form of lower costs, access to knowledge or other resources, as well as access to markets, but it can also result in a knowledge drain, lower motivation among in-house staff, or an increased level of dependency on external organizations. Therefore the decision to outsource is not always a good one, and the pros and cons must be carefully evaluated. The result of the thesis is a decision framework that maps factors affecting the decisions that need to be made when outsourcing NPD. The implications can be of value to the outsourcing firm as well as to the potential outsourcing partner. The framework has been presented to the firms in the studies and thus has already proved its value to some extent.The framework will also be used for the design of the studies that will hopefully take me towards my PhD degree, including a new survey study as well as a case study focusing on knowledge integration.
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- Gatenholm, Gabriella, 1989
(författare)
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Toward resilient product-based service supply chains
- 2021
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Circular economies represent a step toward breaking the linear production model in supply chains. As drivers of enhanced circularity, product-based service (PBS) offerings extend and/or intensify the utilization period of products and thus decelerate the flow of resources. As a result, transitions to PBSs can yield outstanding, sustainable commercial benefits, including minimized resource input into production and the reduction of waste, all without jeopardizing growth. At the same time, PBS settings are highly servitized, entail different flows of people and knowledge, and engender new uncertainties, especially regarding product lifetime and product quality. Although a new way of handling such variation in PBS supply chains involves optimizing logistical tradeoffs, PBS supply chains are subject to uncertainties not only during normal market situations but also during volatile situations, including the COVID-19 pandemic. This thesis is based on research that followed a qualitative approach using abductive reasoning. Compiling three papers drawing from three studies conducted across several manufacturing industries, the thesis outlines the relationship between circularity and resilience and provides guidance toward realizing resilient PBS supply chains. Study 1 investigated logistical tradeoffs that support enhanced circularity in PBS supply chains, whereas Study 2 probed disruptions and responses in PBS supply chains following a major external event. Last, Study 3 examined the intersection between resilience and sustainability in manufacturing supply chains. The results of those studies in light of findings in the literature underscore three major findings. First, PBS supply chains have to be understood from a wider perspective on logistical tradeoffs (i.e., material versus people, people versus knowledge, and knowledge versus information) added to the traditional logistical tradeoff between material and information in product-based supply chains. Second, the intersection between circularity and resilience showcases the capacity of those logistical tradeoffs to respond to disruptions and thus cultivate resilience in PBS supply chains. That finding highlights the importance of improved local knowledge that is as close to consumers as possible. Third, the thesis provides a framework of three building blocks for developing resilience in PBS supply chains: (i) developing adaptive resilience, related to Mode I of resilience, to alter normal service offering or delivery; (ii) developing transformative resilience, related to Modes 2 and 3, meaning the notion of extending or radically changing the service offering or delivery; and (iii) integrating those dimensions of resilience with sustainability.
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- Pushpananthan, Gouthanan, 1989
(författare)
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The emergence of innovation ecosystems: Exploring the role of the keystone firm
- 2019
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- During periods of technological change, firms seek new collaborations and sometimes even reach out to competitors in order to obtain new resources and competences. Understanding the collaborations surrounding new technologies has implications for firms pursuing opportunities with new technologies. The notion of ecosystems is increasingly used in literature to address value creation activities involving a network of firms. The purpose of this licentiate thesis is to understand the emergence of new innovation ecosystems. Previous research on ecosystems recognizes “keystone” firm as the anchor that ensure growth and stability in the ecosystem. However, the activities that foreshadow the development of an ecosystem and the role played by a prospective keystone firm in the emergence of an ecosystem is undertheorized. Based on a longitudinal case study of a technology development program at an automotive firm, the findings presented in this licentiate thesis show how the joint venture established by the incumbent firm led to the development of a modular technology. The main findings illustrate how the incumbent automotive firm attracted a network of actors that develop innovative solutions and other complementarities for the technology. The network of actors developing offerings for the modular technology, in turn, facilitated the incumbent firm to position itself as a keystone firm and orchestrate the emergence of a new innovation ecosystem. The thesis contributes to theory by showing how a firm can orchestrate the emergence of an innovation ecosystem and position itself as the keystone firm.
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- Insanic, Igor, 1978
(författare)
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Organising Product Recovery in Business Networks
- 2012
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The licentiate thesis includes an analysis of different ways of organising product recovery. The aim of product recovery is raw materials conservation, which is strongly related to sustainable development. The focus of this thesis has been on the physical flows from the disposers towards new end-users through different product recovery options that include recycling, remanufacturing, and refurbishing. In this thesis a framework for analysing different ways of organising product recovery in inter-organisational networks is developed. The framework applied in the study relies on the Industrial Network Approach (e.g. Håkansson et al., 2009). The analysis of empirical findings has been performed in all three network layers of the ARA model (Håkansson and Snehota, 1995), in the activity pattern, resource constellation and in the web of actors. The key research issue in the activity layer is to identify differences between activity structures with regard to principles of postponement and speculation, and activity interdependencies. In the resource layer, the research issue is to explore adaptations and tensions. With regard to the actor layer, the main research issue deals with how business relationships in terms of inter-organisational information exchange and the positioning of actors affect activity coordination and resource combining. In addition to the analysis through the models of the Industrial Network Approach, the concept of transvection (Alderson, 1965) is used as a complement to study product recovery to analyse various ways of organising product recovery. The concept of transvection regards all activities as either sorts or transformations with regard to identity, time, place, and form. Sorting is the decision aspect concerned with classification of objects and the direction of transformations of these objects.A qualitative case study in the PC industry has been conducted, with a focus on an actor, who is performing and coordinating different product recovery activities and options together with third party logistics providers and retailers of used products, as regards disposers’ different needs. The concept of transvections effectively elucidates various ways of organising activities with regard to principles of postponement and speculation as well as how sorting decisions direct and re-direct the objects in the network. Structuring of information in time, place, form, and identity dimensions supports sorting rules that steer objects into different product recovery options. This organisation of information facilitates sorting, activity coordination, and resource combining between firms. Information sharing provides possibilities for matching supply and demand of the reprocessed products and enhances resource utilisation. This thesis highlights the significance of a network perspective on organising product recovery, which adds to the literature on reverse logistics and Closed Loop Supply Chain Management. Analytical tools which were developed within the Industrial Network Approach can be applied to investigate organising product recovery. The results of this study can be useful for managers to understand the effects of integrating forward and reverse physical flows.Keywords: industrial networks, reverse logistics, closed loop supply chain management, product recovery, organising, activity coordination, resource combining, transvection, sorting.
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- Sweidan, Dirar
(författare)
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Data-driven decision support in digital retailing
- 2023
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In the digital era and advent of artificial intelligence, digital retailing has emerged as a notable shift in commerce. It empowers e-tailers with data-driven insights and predictive models to navigate a variety of challenges, driving informed decision-making and strategic formulation. While predictive models are fundamental for making data-driven decisions, this thesis spotlights binary classifiers as a central focus. These classifiers reveal the complexities of two real-world problems, marked by their particular properties. Specifically, binary decisions are made based on predictions, relying solely on predicted class labels is insufficient because of the variations in classification accuracy. Furthermore, prediction outcomes have different costs associated with making different mistakes, which impacts the utility.To confront these challenges, probabilistic predictions, often unexplored or uncalibrated, is a promising alternative to class labels. Therefore, machine learning modelling and calibration techniques are explored, employing benchmark data sets alongside empirical studies grounded in industrial contexts. These studies analyse predictions and their associated probabilities across diverse data segments and settings. The thesis found, as a proof of concept, that specific algorithms inherently possess calibration while others, with calibrated probabilities, demonstrate reliability. In both cases, the thesis concludes that utilising top predictions with the highest probabilities increases the precision level and minimises the false positives. In addition, adopting well-calibrated probabilities is a powerful alternative to mere class labels. Consequently, by transforming probabilities into reliable confidence values through classification with a rejection option, a pathway emerges wherein confident and reliable predictions take centre stage in decision-making. This enables e-tailers to form distinct strategies based on these predictions and optimise their utility.This thesis highlights the value of calibrated models and probabilistic prediction and emphasises their significance in enhancing decision-making. The findings have practical implications for e-tailers leveraging data-driven decision support. Future research should focus on producing an automated system that prioritises high and well-calibrated probability predictions while discarding others and optimising utilities based on the costs and gains associated with the different prediction outcomes to enhance decision support for e-tailers.
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