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- Boter, Håkan, 1948-, et al.
(författare)
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Industry characteristics and internationalization processes in small firms
- 1996
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Ingår i: Journal of Business Venturing. - 0883-9026 .- 1873-2003. ; 11:6, s. 471-487
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The purpose of this study of small firms is to compare the process of internationalization in traditional manufacturing companies with corresponding processes in companies oriented toward innovation. Case studies were conducted in six small Nordic companies: three conventional and three innovative. The underlying concept of the conventional companies is strictly production oriented. Investment in engineering workshops and an effective organization for production constitute their most important strategy. In the innovative companies the production equipment is relatively easy to move, and over the years these companies have changed the location of production plants a number of times. The basic meaning of technology also differs in the two categories of industries. The conventional companies are based on an established technology that can be purchased through well-known market channels. In the innovative companies the process of developing new products or serving as intermediary between research organizations and end users demands close contact with people and organizations close to the technological core of the industry. The conventional companies are incorporated into a multidimensional industrial system of suppliers, competitors, and other companies, and the individual companies within these industries are constrained by the rules dictated by these networks. The innovative companies all have a concentrated product scope, which implies that it is relatively easy to achieve efficiency in various functions such as R&D, production, and marketing activities. This clear distinction between functions has been advantageous to the process of internationalization. The conventional companies have characteristics typical of family-controlled companies, i.e., the management team consists of a handful of people often closely associated with the owner family. The observation on the industry level that the game is governed by some very rigid rules is also evident on the management level, where the significant people are always kept within narrow limits. The individuals in the innovative companies have a very high level of education; they work in teams together with partners from other companies and/or organizations and they adhere to high professional demands. The results from these six case studies indicate that the internationalization process must be understood in the context of the industry, company, and people involved. International trade and cooperation will most certainly increase. Therefore it is important to observe that the conditions for industries and single companies are different. Conventional companies have a natural local concentration that ultimately implies different strategies from the innovative companies who have a global focus.
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- Boter, Håkan, 1948-, et al.
(författare)
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Planering i mindre och medelstora företag : den strategiska planeringens utmaningar och faktiska villkor
- 1984
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The knowledge and theories of strategic planning derive mainly from studies of big companies. Only exceptionally have studies been carried out to examine the conditions of planning in small and medium-sized firms. In view of this, the main purpose of this work is to contribute to the development of knowledge of the phenomenon of planning in small and medium-sized firms, using theoretical and empirical studies.The research process has been a continuous interaction between theory and empirical data. Through teoretical studies we have penetrated environmental and strategic issues of importance for the planning process, and this section concludes with a developed frame of reference which rests on three main components, the task environment, the firm viewed as a planning system and the planning process. Together these components are said to produce plans which have the ultimate purpose of creating better conditions for the firm to interact with its environment. A multimethodological approach (triangulation) is used in the empirical phase of the study. Via a comprehensive questionnaire, primarily quantitative data of structural conditions and relationships were gathered. Eurthermore, nine case studies were executed in order to increase the knowledge and understanding of the interaction of structure and process and, finally, a single company was studied over a period of several years with an intimate action reseach strategy.In this study we have found that formal and comprehensive strategic planning only takes place in a minority of the firms studied. Instead their planning is usually based on more informal and spontaneous processes. This should not be interpreted as implying a unified way of creating strategic planning. On the contrary, there are a variety of different planning styles, each based on specific conditions. This indicates that the planning process is contingent upon a number of factors and in this study we have found that there is a normal agreement between the environmental situation, the organizational characteristics and the planning style. An analysis of these dimensions shows that they represent forces which strive towards harmony with each other in order to make the firm successful.Three natural planning-archetypes have been found where there is a correspondence between the enviroment, intrinsical structure and planning style. The first of these is given the ideograph "programming" and is recognized by a planning process where the "primus motor" is derived from the existing operations. The second archetype is called "arranging", based on the fact that these organizations, by minor and frequent adjustments, are trying to find exploitable niches. The third category we distinguished is termed "creative". All their future-orientated actions are based on the significant actors and their capability to visualize the future, expressing certain goals and how to achieve them.
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