| 1. |
- Grundström, Christina, 1965-, et al.
(författare)
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View and management of innovativeness upon succession in family-owned SMEs
- 2011
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Ingår i: International Journal of Innovation Management. - Amsterdam, Netherlands : Elsevier. - 1363-9196 .- 1757-5877. ; 15:3, s. 617-640
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into how the successors of family-owned manufacturing SMEs view and manage innovativeness. Research into company takeovers mainly focuses on large companies and little is known about innovativeness in research on family-owned businesses, often SMEs. This paper presents findings from ten company successions, five of which describe family successions and five external ones. The paper points to that there is little difference in how various types of successor view and manage innovativeness. A successor is chosen with care and this also influences the view and management of innovativeness; other criteria seem to apply in the succession and radical changes can only be introduced if a number of contextual factors are managed properly. The paper also indicates that while financial constraints may limit innovations, a strong financial situation is not an antecedent for innovativeness.
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| 2. |
- Öberg, Christina, 1970-, et al.
(författare)
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Acquisitions and network identity change
- 2011
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Ingår i: European Journal of Marketing. - Yorkshire, United Kingdom : Emerald Group Publishing Limited. - 0309-0566 .- 1758-7123. ; 45:9/10, s. 1470-1500
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to discuss whether or not an acquisition changes the network identity of an acquired firm and, if so, how. This study aims to bring new insights to the corporate marketing field, as it examines corporate identity in the context of how a company is perceived because of its relationships with other firms. The focus of this research is acquired innovative firms.Design/methodology/approach: This paper adopts a multiple case study approach. Data on four acquisitions of innovative firms were collected using 41 interviews, which were supplemented with secondary data.Findings: Based on the case studies, it can be concluded that the network identity of the acquired firms does change following an acquisition. The acquired firms inherited the acquirers' identity, regardless of whether or not the companies were integrated. Previous, present and potential business partners regarded the innovative firms as being more solvent, but distanced themselves. In addition, some of them regarded the innovative firms as competitors.Practical implications: Changes in the way a firm is perceived by its business partners, following an acquisition, will influence the future business operations of the firm. Expected changes to business relationships should ideally be considered part of due diligence. Acquirers need to consider how they can minimise the risks associated with business partners' changed perceptions of acquired firms.Originality/value: This paper contributes to the research on identity, through discussion of the consequences of an acquisition for the identity and relationships of a firm. It also contributes to the existing corporate marketing literature, through consideration of perceptions at a network level. Furthermore, this paper contributes to merger and acquisition literature, by highlighting the influence of ownership on relationships with external parties.
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| 3. |
- Öberg, Christina, 1970-
(författare)
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Customer roles in innovations
- 2010
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Ingår i: International Journal of Innovation Management. - London, UK : Imperial College Press. - 1363-9196 .- 1757-5877. ; 14:6, s. 989-1011
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The purpose of this paper is to discuss and classify the roles of customers in innovations. In literature on innovations, customers have been increasingly emphasised as a source for innovations and also in how they help develop ideas in their early phases. This paper exemplifies various customer roles in innovations through three case studies. These describe the customer as initiator, as co-producer and as inspiration for business development. Through using role theory to discuss customers in innovations, it becomes explicit how customers may play their traditional roles, add roles or transfer to new roles beyond the scope of being a customer. Furthermore, the paper shows that customer roles change during the innovation process from added or transferred towards more traditional ones.
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| 4. |
- Öberg, Christina, 1970-
(författare)
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The core-customer concept
- 2011
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Ingår i: Service Industries Journal. - : Routledge. - 0264-2069 .- 1743-9507. ; 31:16, s. 2677-2692
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The purpose of this paper is to define and discuss the core-customer concept. This concept examines how a company develops its operations around a single or only a few customers. The customer steers what products and services the supplier develops, which means that it is the customer that dictates the supplier's operations. The core-customer concept may be one method for designing a company's operations, but the paper also aims to challenge companies to consider how they think about customers. The paper contributes to research on customer value and extended service offerings by indicating a business-development strategy based on the customer rather than the supplier's operations. Building a company around a single customer, requires flexibility and competences in finding collaboration partners or in adjusting the organisation to new requirements. The paper refers to these as secondary/supporting competences, while the core competence upon which the company builds its operation is the customer.
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| 5. |
- Nordin, Fredrik, et al.
(författare)
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Building a new supply chain position : An exploratory case study within the construction industry
- 2010
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Ingår i: Construction Management and Economics. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0144-6193 .- 1466-433X. ; 28:10, s. 1071-1083
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Innovation is an important source of growth for many companies. It is also challenging, as it may require that the companies build a new position in the supply chain. The literature is devoid of analysis of different ways to build such positions in the construction industry. The purpose here is to explore the challenges involved in implementing innovations that require companies to establish new positions in a construction supply chain. Three in‐depth case studies in the Swedish timber housing industry illustrate different challenges that arise with the different modes of repositioning of organic growth, collaboration and acquisition, and with moving either backward or forward in the supply chain. Organic growth is a slow process that prevents companies from taking a first‐mover advantage. Acquisitions can involve difficulties with exploiting acquired competences. Collaboration brings the risks of diversity of interests and transient solutions. Furthermore, and as shown in the cases studied, challenges are associated with pre‐existing competencies and relationships, with technology‐oriented companies facing customer‐related difficulties and market‐oriented companies mainly facing ones involving technological solutions. The construction industry’s idiosyncrasies amplify these challenges, as its fragmentation makes it difficult to connect with external companies at new positions. Stronger ties with business partners are likely to enable construction companies to exploit more easily innovations that require repositioning in the supply chain.
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