| 1. |
- Alshaibi, Alsedieg
(författare)
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Business Relationships Between Local Firms and MNCs in a less Developing Country : The Case of Libyan Firms
- 2008
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- International business relationships have been widely researched over the last three decades. Themajor attention of these studies, no matter what their theoretical perspective, concerns the MNCs inthe less developing countries (LDCs). Studies that illustrate how firms in LDCs behave regardinginteraction with MNCs are slim. Therefore, this study focuses on firms in LDCs, namely Libyan firms,and their relationships with MNCs. The study reflects not only on the relationships between the localfirms with MNCs but also the impacts of other interrelated business and non-business units on theserelationships. The study employs business network theory for industrial marketing and develops amodel applicable for studying such a market.The empirical study employs a survey method which examines 60 Libyan firms’ relationships withforeign suppliers containing more than 300 questions. In the empirical part, the study shows that therelationships like technological adaptation, technological cooperation and information exchange wereawarded low values. The measures on the other hand show a high value of impact from the politicalactors and even activities in the contextual environment. The study shows in detail where and howthe political actions influence business relationships. These impacts from the local environment affectlocal firms more than the foreign suppliers, and thus have some bearing on the MNCs and local firms’relationship weaknesses and strengths.The thesis’ conceptual contribution stands on development of new notions in business network theoryby integration of the contextual environment, in other words, network environment, and examinationof their impact on the strength of the focal business relationship. The study further contributesknowledge, not only for firms and politicians in LDCs to understand the consequence of their actions,but also provides deep information for MNCs to understand issues like why firms in LDCs behave ina specific way. Such understandings facilitate the development of cooperation. The study providesinformation about a number of characteristics which are specific for the business networks of such amarket which is dependent on only one resource like oil. While most studies in the field ofinternational business regard the business activities of MNCs, more research is needed to also observethe behaviour of firms from LDCs to gain deeper knowledge on the relationship between the MNCsand local firms from LDCs. The role of political actors and the influence of dependency on one soletype of resources and aspects like change in the prices of this resource seem to be important, but arequite neglected in research in international business.
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| 2. |
- Annoch, Hadjikhani, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
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The Impact of Changing Regulatory Environments on Bank Executives Strategy Formation
- 2017
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Ingår i: Bank Regulation. - New York : Routledge. - 9781138680500 ; , s. 159-182
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- To assure future survival in a constantly changing environment, the executives’ task is to adapt the firm’s strategies according to their expected changes in the environment. Mintzberg (1978) describes this process as the interplay between environmental changes and organizational adaptation mediated by executive decision-making. For the executives in an internationalizing firm, the process of strategy formation is becoming increasingly complex, as it includes changes in several environments formed by foreign markets (Ghauri and Holstius 1996). The Uppsala internationalization process (IP) model (Johanson and Vahlne 1977, 1990) explains the firm’s internationalization process as driven by the firm’s strive for gaining market knowledge through experiential learning and allocate the firm’s resources to build market commitment. In this vein the specificity in the general conditions of the environment is held at the country level and often only rudimentarily defined. The environment is commonly assumed to be uncontrollable by the single firm, meaning that decisions in the internationalization process are reactive to the environment and occurring changes therein (Håkansson and Snehota 1989; Johanson and Vahlne 1977). Problems and opportunities are thereby instigators for the executives’ decisions that follow an ‘evaluation of alternatives [which] is based on some knowledge about relevant parts of the market environment and about performance of various activities’ (Johanson and Vahlne 1977, p. 27). The purpose of this chapter is thereby to study when and how regulatoryenvironments in general or in specific foreign local markets affect executives’strategy formation in the internationalization process of firms. Afterthe introduction, a theoretical discussion building a conceptual model forexplaining executive strategy formation in a firm’s internationalization processis presented.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Ekman, Peter, 1969-, et al.
(författare)
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Digital transformation of global business processes : the role of dual embeddedness
- 2020
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Ingår i: Business Process Management Journal. - 1463-7154 .- 1758-4116. ; 26:2, s. 570-592
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PurposeWhile much existing research on multinational corporation (MNC) digital transformation has followed a linear design and implementation logic using cross-sectional data, the multiple and divergent needs of headquarters (HQ) and subsidiaries suggest that MNC digital transformation actually involves a more iterative journey. The purpose of this paper is to apply the theoretical perspective of embeddedness to better define the complexities of MNC digital transformation, and identify how HQ and subsidiaries can navigate the complexities.Design/methodology/approachThis paper presents a longitudinal multi-case study of five Forbes Global 2000 firms that are HQ in Europe with large subsidiaries in the USA. The authors conducted in-depth interviews with 26 senior executives at HQ and subsidiaries over a 15-month period.FindingsThe process of digital transformation is significantly influenced by internal embeddedness (relationship of HQ with subsidiaries and across subsidiaries) and external embeddedness (relationship of subsidiaries with their local markets), and also by strategy, financial and technology considerations. While HQ and subsidiaries have different perspectives, an understanding of these influences can help HQ and subsidiaries navigate digital transformation.Research limitations/implicationsHQ and subsidiaries can apply insights from this research to navigate the complexities of digital transformation.Originality/valueThis paper demonstrates that embeddedness is a useful theory to understand the complexities of MNC digital transformation.
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| 5. |
- Ekman, Peter, et al.
(författare)
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Drivers and obstacles for global IT in the embedded multinational : A multiple case study
- 2011
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Multinational companies (MNCs) have been actively pursuing globally integrated information technology (IT) as a mechanism for better coordination and control of business processes. This paper presents a multiple case study of five MNCs’ experiences with global IT initiatives and explores the drivers and obstacles they encountered. We conceptualize the MNC as being embedded in internal and external business relationships. The analysis shows that the MNCs’ main motives for global IT can be found in the headquarter-subsidiary relationship where global IT enables the firm to obtain economies of scale and increased control which in turn enables the MNC to become international or global oriented. The external embeddedness, i.e. the subsidiary-partner relationships as well as other connected business relationships in the local business networks, is one of the major obstacles for global IT as it requires a level of adaptability not inherent in the context of global IT standards.
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| 6. |
- Ekman, Peter, 1969-, et al.
(författare)
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ERP selection through business relationships : adaptations or connections
- 2011
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Ingår i: International Journal of Entrepreneural Venturing. - 1742-5360. ; 3:1, s. 63-83
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This article analyses how a generic form of information technology (IT), enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, can be selected by companies to enhance their business. ERP systems are a means of becoming more efficient through predefined standard functions called 'best practices'. Following the theory that markets are made up of business relationships in a network context, managerial advice would be to assess the vendor's existing business relationships. A company can harvest the inherent functions that an ERP system has from the vendor's prior interaction with other customers. This paper discusses how a company benefits from engaging in a new business relationship with an ERP vendor to become more competitive. However, this relationship is double-edged. A lesson is that the functions developed by the ERP vendor and the customer only offer a temporal competitive advantage, given that it can be used later in the ERP vendor's other connected business relationships.
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| 7. |
- Ekman, Peter, 1969-, et al.
(författare)
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Extending the ERP system : considering the business relationship portfolio
- 2014
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Ingår i: Business Process Management Journal. - : Emerald Group Publishing Limited. - 1463-7154 .- 1758-4116. ; 20:3, s. 480-501
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose – Research has shown that companies focus their internal processes when they adopt enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. However, the ERP systems need to expand their functionality to include customers and suppliers (with e-commerce functionality) to reach their full potential. The purpose of this paper is to consider business relationships as a resource but also a limitation when companies strive to get an extended ERP system.Design/Methodology/approach – The paper presents an illustrative case study of an industrial company’s process of developing an extended ERP and how the company’s portfolio of business relationships has affected the solution. The analysis is supported by the markets-as-networks theory.Findings – The process of developing an extended ERP system needs to incorporate the company’s business partners (customers and suppliers). It is a simultaneously bottom-up and top-down process given that the operative frontline staff hold the knowledge about the company’s business relationships while the corporate management has the means of extending the ERP system functionality and align it with the focal company’s strategy.Research implications – Companies need to consider the fact that the technological and financial status of their customers and suppliers differ. Thus, an effective and flexible extended ERP system needs to include both a high-end and low-end solution as well as understand that a full interorganizational integration might not be realistic.Originality/value – The paper puts forth business relationship portfolios as an important factor to consider when extending the ERP system functionality in the supply chain and towards customers.
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| 8. |
- Ekman, Peter, et al.
(författare)
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Information technology utilization for industrial marketing activities : The IT–marketing gap
- 2015
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Ingår i: Journal of business & industrial marketing. - 0885-8624 .- 2052-1189. ; 30:8, s. 926-938
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose – This study aims to investigates the possible gap between the logic of these information technology (IT) systems and industrial firms’ marketing practices. Industrial firms rely extensively on IT systems for their business. Design/methodology/approach – Based on the contemporary marketing practice (CMP) model, which depicts firms’ marketing practice as ranging from transactional to more relational and networked-based, the logic of IT systems and how users in industrial firms adopt them are amended to create an extended model. The extended model is used to analyze an in-depth case based on 63 interviews regarding one industrial firm’s business with customers and suppliers and how IT is utilized in this setting. Findings – Results show that industrial firms’ relationship-oriented business is poorly supported by currently used IT systems. This gap between the IT systems, which are transaction-focused, and industrial firms’ marketing practice, which is relationship-based, has severe effects on adoption and efficiency of IT systems. The marketers prefer local, non-integrated, IT with limited usefulness on an overall firm level while resisting the firms’ comprehensive IT systems. This forms an IT–marketing gap given that current IT does not match the marketing practice of relationship-oriented industrial firms. Originality/value – This study applies an extended CMP model in a novel way focusing one industrial firm, its customers and suppliers and the IT used in this setting. The study shows that all marketing practices of the CMP model can be found in one firm’s business, albeit one category, i.e. interaction marketing (a relationship approach), is dominating. The use of the CMP framework offers new and valuable insights into the fundamental cause to the industrial marketers’ limited use of integrated IT.
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| 9. |
- Ekman, Peter, et al.
(författare)
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Information technology utilization for practical marketing activities : The IT-marketing gap
- 2013
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Ingår i: BUILDING AND MANAGING RELATIONSHIPS IN A GLOBAL NETWORK.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study investigates how industrial companies’ IT infrastructure match their applied marketing approach. The supporting theoretical framework is based upon the contemporary marketing practice (CMP) model that depicts companies as spanning from transactional to more relational and networked. This is supported by theories on the logic of IT systems and how users in industrial companies adopt them. The study is based upon two longitudinal subsequent case studies of a multinational company’s business with influential customers. The analysis shows that the utilized IT systems mainly follow efficiency logic that is useful for individual business transactions. However, the form of complex industrial business that industrial companies carries out are often relationship based and sometimes even incorporating the adjacent business network. Thus, there is a IT-marketing gap given that contemporary IT does not match the need the marketing practice of a modern industrial company.
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| 10. |
- Ekman, Peter, et al.
(författare)
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Tit for tat and big steps : The case of Swedish banks' internationalization 1961-2010
- 2014
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Ingår i: International Business Review. - : Elsevier BV. - 0969-5931 .- 1873-6149. ; 23:6, s. 1049-1063
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study examines four major Swedish banks' internationalization process patterns during the period 1961-2010. The study complements earlier studies by also considering the banks' levels of market commitment. One objective is to determine if 'Tit for tat'-behaviour seen in earlier studies of Swedish banks still prevails after the deregulation. Adding to earlier studies, this study also considers the level of market activities and commitments. A secondary purpose is to examine how the financial crisis has affected the banks with reference to the banks' internationalization patterns. The empirical study is based on archival data on the studied banks' foreign operations. The results show that the banks' behaviour follows 'Tit for tat'-behaviour but that the internationalization has accelerated after the deregulation, hence being carried out with 'big steps' rather than small steps. The analysis also shows that the mimetic behaviour is complemented by other types of internationalization behaviours. The differences in bank internationalization also mean that the effect of a financial crisis varies depending on how the banks have internationalized.
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