| 1. |
- Lagin, Madelen, 1982-
(författare)
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The Price We Pay : The Autonomy of Store Managers in Making Price Decisions: The Case of Grocery Retailing
- 2018
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In this dissertation, the store manager’s autonomy in making price decisions is explored to further our understanding of this actor. As a result, the store manager’s embeddedness in the manufacturer-retailer-consumer triad provides a more holistic view of the price decisions made in grocery retailing. In both the scientific literature and the grey literature, discussions of whom it is who actually makes the price decisions within grocery retailing are diverse and point to all three actors in the triad, including the store manager.Through a theoretical departure in which price decisions and autonomy is discussed, it is possible to explore the store manager’s ability to make price decisions in relation to the manufacturer-retailer-consumer triad. As an embedded actor in the triad, the store managers can, theoretically andspeculatively, face restrictions in relation to all actors.The context in which this dissertation is placed is that of the grocery retail branch in Sweden, where the three largest retail organisations have participated in the dissertation. This dissertation consists of the cover paper and five appended papers, where autonomy is discussed from a qualitative perspective within the frame of a mixed method approach. By looking at price decisions from the store manager’s perspective, and his/her freedom in making price decisions, the dissertation contributes to the area of micro-foundations of pricing.It is concluded that while store managers might not be formally autonomous in making price decisions, and that connected restrictions, due to the relationship and position of the actors in the original triad are in place, the store managers have enough freedom in relation to the store to implicitly and operationally influence price decisions. As a result, it is concluded that the possibility to resist decisions by acting as if they are autonomous, store managers become important actors to be taken into account when price decisions are made and evaluated.
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| 2. |
- Linton, Gabriel, 1982-
(författare)
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Entrepreneurial orientation : reflections from a contingency perspective
- 2016
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Entrepreneurship has been argued to be a key driver of the economy by creating jobs, turning inventions to innovations, and also improving the overall standard of life. A firm’s entrepreneurial orientation (EO) indicates the degree to which a firm is entrepreneurial. However, there are several different approaches to conceptualizing the EO concept and its sub-dimensions, frequently described as innovativeness, risk taking, and proactiveness. The role of the sub-dimensions is not quite clear in the EO literature. Furthermore, many studies claim that firms can increase their performance simply by increasing their EO, while this thesis draws upon contingency theory to argue that EO needs to be aligned with—‘fit’ the internal and external context, if the firm is to perform well. Thus, this thesis aims to advance the conceptualization of EO by problematizing the core construct and also discussing how EO can fit with context. The thesis consists of four papers in which the EO concept is elaborated on and contingency theory is applied to construct conceptual models of the interaction between EO and different contexts, which are also empirically investigated. Furthermore, the sub-dimensions of EO are discussed in terms of their meanings and measurement to point out their individual impact on the EO.The overall findings indicate that EO is not as simple a concept as often portrayed in the EO literature. Rather, EO is more complex in the ways that it can fit with internal and external context and, on these bases, it is suggested that ideal types of EO and context is a way forward for research in the area. Additionally, it is argued that EO as a theoretical construct may not only be conceptualized as an overall entrepreneurial attribute (which is common in the extant literature), but also as a complex and granular attribute.
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| 3. |
- Molander, Linda, 1984-
(författare)
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Chemicals in consumer products : Towards a safe and sustainable use
- 2012
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Health and environmental risks associated with emissions of hazardous chemicals from articles, including everyday consumer products such as clothes and toys, have become widely acknowledged internationally, particularly in the EU. This thesis contributes to new understandings of how these risks are currently managed within the EU and recommends actions for ensuring a safe and sustainable use of chemicals in articles.Paper I provides an overview and comparative analysis of regulatory strategies for managing risks of chemicals in articles in the EU. The in-depth analysis, which is focused on the Toys Safety Directive, the RoHS Directive, and REACH, shows that the legislations differ significantly. Differences include e.g. what criteria are used for the selection of substances to be targeted for regulation, and the kind of requirements and restrictions applied to the selected substances. It is concluded that product-specific directives are important complements to REACH in order to ensure a safe use of chemicals in articles.Paper II evaluates to what extent the regulation of chemicals in articles under REACH is coherent with the rules concerning chemicals in the Sewage Sludge Directive (SSD) and the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The results show that the majority of the chemicals that are prioritized for phase-out under the WFD or for concentration restrictions in sludge and soil under the SSD are allowed to be used in articles according to REACH. In order to avoid end-of-pipe problems and to increase resource efficiency, it is argued that it is necessary to minimize the input of chemicals identified as hazardous to health or the environment into articles.Paper III aims to clarify what the substitution principle means and how it can reasonably be applied as part of chemical policies. A general definition is proposed that gives equal weight to hazard, functionality and economical considerations, while at the same time recognizing that the aim of the substitution principle is to reduce hazards to human health and the environment. This paper also summarizes major methods to promote and implement the principle, discusses legislative approaches with regard to their ability to promote substitution of hazardous chemicals, and makes proposals for an efficient implementation of the principle.
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| 4. |
- Danielsson Öberg, Karin, 1977-
(författare)
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Att främja medverkan : Utmaningar och möjligheter för barns och ungdomars delaktighet vid design av digitala edutainmentproduktioner
- 2010
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Denna avhandling inom interaktionsdesign handlar om användarmedverkan vid design av digitala edutainmentspel. Arbetet omfattar en aktionsorienterad forskningsansats där barns och ungdomars medverkan har främjats i tre tillämpade designprojekt. Genom observationer och intervjuer har utmaningar och strategier för användarmedverkan dokumenterats. Därtill även de bidrag som barnens och ungdomarnas medverkan innebar för design av edutainmentspel. Avhandlingen visar på två tydliga resultat. För det första, genom de utmaningar för användarmedverkan som designprocessen innebar och hanterandet av dessa utmaningar, så påvisas hur motiv till användarmedverkan kan förändras hos designteamet. Denna förändring är en pågående process som sker före, under och efter ett designprojekt. Motiv till användarmedverkan förändras med stöd av en förmedlare. En förmedlare bibringar synpunkter och designförslag mellan användare och designers. Förmedlaren anpassar även användarmedverkan till det sammanhang inom vilket designprojektet genomförs. Genom att delge designteamet dokument om och resultat av användarsessioner, så omvandlas förmedlarens kunskap om och erfarenhet av användarmedverkan till designteamets egen. Kunskap och erfarenhet vilka därefter förändrar motiv till design av fördel för användarmedverkan. För det andra så dokumenteras i avhandlingen betydelsen av att barn och ungdomar medverkar vid design av edutainmentspel. Dessa spel har under en längre tid utmanats av att finna balans mellan lärande och underhållning. Genom sin erfarenhet av målgruppens förväntningar på tekniken, samt av att bidra inom områden för design så som; koncept och innehåll, interaktionslösningar, samt utseende och känsla, så medförde barnens och ungdomarnas medverkan ett stöd för designteamet i att finna balans mellan lärande och underhållning. I resultaten framkommer att barnen och ungdomarna deltog i projekten i egenskap av informanter. Eftersom de inte hade ansvar för den utvecklade produktionen betraktades de inte heller som medlemmar i designteamet. Med sina resultat medverkar avhandlingen i diskursen om hur traditionella designperspektiv kan tillämpas vid design av digitala edutainmentproduktioner.
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| 5. |
- Emmoth, Anna
(författare)
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The Legitimacy Process that Supports the Formation and Development of Cluster Initiatives : The Case of a Tourism Cluster Initiative in Dalarna
- 2016
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Today, large public investments are being made with the aim of creating and developing cooperation between businesses in inter-organizational networks. Such initiatives are commonly denoted cluster initiatives and their underlying purpose are to spur innovation and regional growth.Much research has been conducted in this field, but relatively few studies have examined the process of cluster initiatives. By following the case of a regional cluster project within the tourism industry in the region of Dalarna, Sweden, the objective of this thesis is to deepen the understanding of the formation and development process of cluster initiatives. The investigation has been conducted by examining two main themes; the internal relationships within the cluster initiative and the relationships between the cluster initiative and its external stakeholders, such as funding agencies, regional government and local businesses.The analysis is based on a legitimacy perspective and indicates that the coordinating body of the cluster initiative, the hub, principally deals with a legitimation process. What occurs within the cluster initiative, between the members themselves and between the members and the hub, is legitimation. This also applies to external relationships, between the hub and its external stakeholders. A prerequisite for the realization of its mission is that the hub obtain and sustain legitimacy; legitimacy for itself, for the other members, for the idea, for the different activities and for the industry as such.
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| 6. |
- Geissinger, Andrea, 1987-
(författare)
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Platforms in Liquid Modernity : Essays about the Sharing Economy, Digital Platforms, and Institutions
- 2021
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The year 2020 feels like the beginning of a crescendo of change. As environmental and social challenges reach an all-time high, the organization of our societies is coming under scrutiny. We, as a society, turn to technology to reinvent the organization of social life after disruptive episodes. Inspired by Bauman's theorizing to describe the cultural and societal zeitgeist, this thesis explains the institutionalization of one of the most promising alternative forms of organization of the past decade: the sharing economy.Comprised of nine essays centered around three focal areas: (1) Organizational change, (2) Market change, and (3) Societal change, this thesis aims to explain the institutionalization of digital sharing platforms in liquid modern society.This thesis finds that digital sharing platforms act as societal organizers on several dimensions of “in-betweenness.” As this moment in time can also be characterized as a period of “interregnum”—another moment of in-betweenness—where old structures are continuously disrupted but no clear new path has emerged, digital platform providers fill a structural void in our highly individualized society. Digital platform providers use community as an anchor, a belief, and sets of practices to create an emerging (intermediary) institution around which different forms of organization manifest.Digital sharing platforms have, however, remained a grace note on systemic change: ornamental and practically non-essential. Still, digital platforms are setting new norms in all areas of organizational, market, and societal life. By evoking both elements of community and market, digital platforms are playing an important part in creating a symphony of our future societal order.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Nykvist, Rasmus, 1985-
(författare)
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Essays on the interaction between regulation and technology : Understanding agency and context through multiple levels of inquiry
- 2021
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- A key challenge for implementing pioneering regulatory and technological change includes overcoming regulatory constraints and resistance from vested interest groups in favor of the status quo. This is a compilation dissertation comprising five papers and one covering paper that aims to describe and explain the interaction between agency and context under conditions of combined technological and regulatory change through multiple levels of inquiry. To do this I studied the case of pioneering technological and regulatory changes taking place in and around the Stockholm Stock Exchange (SSE) and Options Mäklarna (OM) between 1978 and 1998. The dissertation explores the dynamics of pioneering change by asking (1) what the conditions enabling pioneering change in the financial exchanges sector are and (2) why the actors in and around the Swedish financial exchanges were able to enact pioneering technological and regulatory change. To answer these questions I created a data set comprising data from various archives and witness accounts from complementary oral history interviews with key actors. I structured this data set around a relational database and analyzed the data using a mix of methods from business history and process study methodology from organization studies.My research indicates that the pioneering regulatory and technological change happened as the result of a combination of several enabling conditions and the agency of the key change agents present at the two financial exchanges, that is, SSE and OM respectively. As such, the dissertation emphasizes multiple perspectives from which the change needs to be understood. The dissertation contributes to extant literature by (1) highlighting the role of cities in providing enabling conditions for digital and institutional entrepreneurship, (2) emphasizing the role of peer interaction in pioneering changes in organizational forms, and (3) introducing the role of joint commitments in achieving a favorable social evaluation. The dissertation further recommends that innovative policymakers help others in favor of change to deal with resourceful vested interest groups.
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| 9. |
- Hadjikhani, Annoch Isa, 1985-
(författare)
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Executive expectation in the internationalization process of banks : The study of two Swedish banks foreign activities
- 2016
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Since the late 1980s, deregulation of the banking sector has opened new avenues for the internationalization of banks. There are, however, few studies on the internationalization of banks – particularly Swedish banks. The purpose of this thesis is to deepen our knowledge of bank’s internationalization process by studying how the executive function’s expectation of market conditions influences internationalization patterns. This thesis makes an empirical contribution by describing how the Swedish banks Svenska Handelsbanken AB and Swedbank AB have internationalized during the period 1995-2014. The empirical evidence comprises all of the two banks’ activities in foreign markets and the qualitative cases describing this process have been constructed using archival data (newspaper articles, press releases, and reports) complemented with interviews.Beside the empirical contribution the thesis makes a theoretical contribution to internationalization theory and more specifically to Johanson and Vahlne’s (1977) internationalization process model. While Johanson and Vahlne’s model does have a strong explanatory value, it does not fully explain its mechanisms (Andersen, 1993; Leonidou & Katsikeas, 1996) and only firm’s internationalizing incrementally (Liesch et al., 2002). For explanation of both incremental and non-incremental behaviors this thesis provides a proposed view of bank’s internationalization where the concept of executive expectation is developed as a mediating variable in Johanson and Vahlne’s internationalization process model. To this end, executive expectation is described as the driving and hindering force in bank’s internationalization process influenced by exogenous and endogenous changes.
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| 10. |
- Larson, Mia, Professor, et al.
(författare)
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Business modeling at the vision stage: Case-studies of digital wellness ventures.
- 2023
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Ingår i: The International Society for Professional Innovation Management (ISPIM). - Manchester : ISPIM.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper describes and discusses how new digital venture business models are modelled by entrepreneurs at the vision stage. Using a longitudinal case-study methodology we study two digital wellness ventures. These studies indicate several sequential business models at the vision stage, where increased stakeholder integration but also insourcing upstream mark these. The business models can be understood as proactive opportunity-based, positively reactive coincidence based and negative reactive failure based. Over time, the business models move from a technological resource foci to legitimacy building practices. Contributions are made to innovation research through highlighting business modelling at the vision stage and theorising its mechanisms and legitimacy concerns. To practise, learnings related to legitimacy, rather than only resource constraints, would allow new ventures to quickly turn their focus in the right direction when trying to develop their business models.
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