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- Brink, Johan, 1976
(författare)
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Accumulation, Boundaries, Capabilities and Dynamics - Explaining Firm Growth
- 2007
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The aim of this thesis is to further develop the theoretical understanding of the growth of knowledge intensive business organizations. The overall aim is to understand the growth challenges of emerging firms in the knowledge-based economy. In particular this thesis addresses several aspects of the growth of small bioscience based firms. In a world characterized by global markets and rapid information transfer, the existence of firms can no longer be justified by established products and defence of old positions. The traditional logic of economic activities and industrial organization has instead increasingly been replaced by dynamic Schumpeterian competition in which firms compete based upon knowledge and innovations. This thesis depart in the emergent theories of evolutionary economics which focus on economic action and firm behaviour in a restless disequilibrium and endogenous technological change (Nelson and Winter 1982). Within such a restless capitalistic society, new firms play a central role in economic development. As a consequence, economic as well as management researchers has increased their interest in entrepreneurship and industrial dynamics. The emergence and growth new firms have been found to relate to both the introduction and diffusion of new knowledge, innovations, as well as generators of new employment. The growth of new firms is hence vital to understand from the perspective of industrial dynamic throughout the process of Schumpeterian competition and technological evolution and in the longer perspective, economic growth. The thesis is structured around the general, puzzling phenomenon of the relative absence of growing firms within this specific technological and industrial context. In order to investigate the research problem a theoretical framework is put together along two main dimensions. The first consists of a review of the research field of firm growth including such as entrepreneurial and organizational aspects. The second dimension provides a theoretical outline regarding the specific industrial and institutional environment and thus presents a context in which these new firms evolve. The focus within this thesis is primarily on the growth of the individual business organizations. The initial research problem centres around the empirically evident relative low growth rates of bioscience based firms. As a consequence of this low growth rate of firms, the industrial dynamics is instead shaped by entries of new actors, creating a highly turbulent industry. According to the dominant theories of the firm, the reasons for performing activities within the institutional form of a business organization, resulting in economic advantages of being inside the boundaries. Such knowledge and innovation based competition should be seen in the context of the firm’s unique trajectory and as a process of accumulation of associated specific capabilities and distinctive competences. Innovation is thus a process of knowledge accumulation of both internal and external learning, influenced by the specific context in which the firm resides. The lack of growth of new knowledge intensive firms within this specific industry is thus found in the complexities of knowledge accumulation as generating firm capabilities for further actions. The pressure on innovativeness and the ability for firms both to foster and take advantages of knowledge raises several issues regarding growth of knowledge intensive business organizations. Altogether understanding firm growth within this context might potentially be seen as role models for increasingly knowledge intensive firms within other industries. Even with more modest implications such findings might have profound effect when limited to the studied industrial context.
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| 2. |
- Kadefors, Anna, 1962
(författare)
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Trust and Contract in Facilities Management
- 2007
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Both public authorities and private companies increasingly outsource facilities management services to external suppliers. A new service industry with its own culture and contracting practices is developing. This study discusses factors that influence trust and relationship culture in the Swedish FM sector. A multilevel perspective is taken, so that processes on institutional and market levels are discussed in relation to contract principles and management as well as interpersonal relations. The study is based on a review of FM literature and interviews with leading clients, consultants and service providers. The findings are analysed using general theories on sources of trust and the relationship between trust and contract. A general background on the development of FM is included, and the empirical section outlines views on trends, market structure, contract models, procurement, contract relationships and management, differences between clients, etc. The discussion focuses more specifically on trust issues. It is concluded that while industry level efforts to develop standard contract and create trust in contracting out FM services have been successful, contracting practice is slower to harmonize because of the influx of first time clients. Although there does not seem to be a straightforward relation between contract design and relationship quality, it was found that detailed service specifications and active monitoring may support both learning and trust since they entail mutual understanding and focused discussions. Less extensive contracts may, paradoxically, result in less innovation because of lower client and supplier engagement. This risk is higher when FM services are perceived as support services compared to when they are seen as strategic service relations. Further, it is concluded that since relational trust develops between client employees and supplier employees who interact closely, services need different kinds of management depending on the interaction patterns they entail. Typically, low level interaction relations such as technical property services may need a focus on fostering trust, while soft services call for formalization and distance.
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| 3. |
- Johansson, Erika, 1969, et al.
(författare)
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Towards Sustainable Conservation and Use of Materials in Built Environments
- 2007
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Ingår i: Giljum, S., Hinterberger, F., Hammer, M. (Eds.), Report from the FORSCENE workshop Industry-Environment, Sustainable Europe Research Institute (SERI), Vienna, October 2006, Part 2..
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Up until today, no comprehensive efforts have been made, and principles are yet to be established for the ‘sustainable conservation’ of the built environment – in an inter- and transdisciplinary manner, including systematic integrative modelling and an appreciation of the inherent values of already existing structures and ambiences. Existing built structures and environments are still often seen as obstacles for sustainable development. It may be argued that a more preventive and integrated approach, i.e. an early estimation and a meta-level understanding of the built environment and its processes; its critical loads, inherent qualities, values, threats, life cycles, production chains, recyclability and quantities etc., would rather promote any kind of planning for a sustained future and the proper use of materials by hindering unnecessary material flows - i.e. through their unnecessary/unsympathetic production, exploitation and/or use, that would minimise their negative impact on peoples lives and the environment. This alternative and more preventative approach - earlier the predominant way of handling urban planning, construction and development (i.e. the production and utilisation of both existing and planned for resources, e.g. by the use of high quality production technologies and crafts, processes and skills), was historically much based on the valorisation of costs of manpower, materials, traditional knowledge, techniques and low-energy modes of transportation, compared to modern circumstances. There was also a profound knowledge of economics in more general terms and a well-developed forecasting of future scenarios. Given the demands for a sustained future, it would be reasonable to assume that this knowledge and approach would have a great deal to offer also to the planning and epistemological modelling of our times.
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| 4. |
- Häggström, Olle, 1967
(författare)
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Moder Jord på akuten
- 2007
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Ingår i: Alba. ; :1
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 5. |
- Björkdahl, Joakim, 1975
(författare)
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Managing Value Creation and Appropriation
- 2007
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis investigates how large Swedish manufacturing companies try to create value and appropriate financial returns by renewing their product offerings through the integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in their established product categories, and the related challenges and opportunities this produces.While much attention has been given to the technology dimension of diversification, the economic and commercial domains have been rather ignored in the literature. Focusing on the business practice and strategic implications of incorporating a specific set of technologies, ICTs, into products, this thesis addresses this identified gap in the management literature. Using data from multiple case studies and a survey of 37 manufacturing companies, a number of management issues related to the integration of ICTs are investigated.The integration of ICTs in manufacturing products adds to the complexity of the technology domain and firms need to acquire some background competencies in ICTs for efficient integration. This thesis suggests that the economic and commercial domains also seem to be of major importance in diversification of the technology base of products through the incorporation of ICTs. Firms often find it necessary to transform many aspects of the way they do business, to create a better fit between value creation for their customers and profit for themselves. The firms studied often made changes to their business model, especially their sales approach. Firms also try to find new innovative ways to get rewarded for the value they deliver, often by moving downstream into the provision of services. This thesis shows that there is more to the relationship between products and services than the complementarities emphasized in the value stream literature. New functions and increased performance from ICTs in products facilitate new product-specific services, blurring the distinction between products and services. As a result, firms could benefit from greater coordination and integration of the product and service development with the business development. Key words: Business model, Diversification, ICT, Competencies, Innovation, Manufacturing companies, Strategy, Value creation, Value appropriation
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| 6. |
- Danilovic, Mike, et al.
(författare)
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Platform thinking in the automotive industry : managing dualism between standardization of components for large scale production and variation for market and customer
- 2007
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the 18th Annual POM Conference.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Automotive industry faces two major problems. One is to develop standard platforms to reach high volumes and low cost. The other is to use platforms for enabling variation of models that suit customer needs, local market demands, and restrictions. Platform thinking embraces several industrial levels, systems integrators, global and local suppliers, and markets. How can the dualism between standardization of components and model variation be managed and which trade-offs need to be made?In this paper we have identified and analyzed different approaches to platform concept from technical as well as organizational, production, and product development perspectives. Platform technology improves flexibility in production and product development. However, when radical changes are made, new design of platform is not easily made, i.e. propagation of requirements and changes in models vs. platforms. When this happens, several production systems have to be entirely rebuilt causing major capital investments, redesign at suppliers etc. Hence, platform technology reduces product development flexibility.
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| 9. |
- Bergqvist, Rickard, 1979, et al.
(författare)
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Etablering av kombiterminaler
- 2007
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Denna rapport är framtagen för Falköpings Kommun inom ramen för projektet SustAccess och behandlar processen att etablera kombiterminaler där lastbärare såsom ISO-containrar, semi-trailrar och växelflak lastas om mellan järnväg och landsväg. Den är en fortsättning och fördjupning av tidigare arbete inom SustAccess. Arbetet har finansierats av Europeiska Kommissionen genom programmet Interreg IIIB och av Västra Götalandsregionen och Falköpings Kommun samt av Banverket och Vägverket via FUD-centret Sir-C. Syftet med studien är att studera hur intermodala terminaler kan etableras. Särskilt belyses faktorer som påverkar huruvida etableringsprocessen är framgångsrik och den tid processen tar i anspråk. Den primära forskningsfrågan är således vilka faktorer som avgör hur lång tid ett etableringsprojekt tar. Tanken är att rapporten skall vara till hjälp för de aktörer som vill utveckla kombiterminaler. Utifrån teori om rationella val och tre fallstudier - Falköping, Jönköping och Nässjö – analyseras vilka faktorer som avgör hur lång tid en etableringsprocess tar i anspråk. De faktorer som identifierats är Lönsamhet, Finansiärer, Politisk entreprenör, Lokalisering Stor lokal transportköpare samt Banverket. Den första faktorn får nog bedömas som starkare än de andra. Det är förstås generellt så att investeringar som förväntas vara mycket lönsamma är enklare att driva igenom en beslutsprocess. Utifrån denna studie framgår det att en engagerad politisk entreprenör är vital för att etableringsprocessen skall framskrida, men de övriga faktorerna är svårare att rangordna.
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| 10. |
- Cronemyr, Peter, 1963-
(författare)
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Six Sigma management. Action research with some contributions to theories and methods.
- 2007
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Many companies around the world have implemented Six Sigma as a problem solving methodology especially useful for dealing with recurring problems in business processes. Since the 1980s when it was developed at Motorola, many companies have tried to implement Six Sigma to fit their own company’s culture and goals. This thesis presents a longitudinal case study describing the evolution of ‘Six Sigma Management’ at Siemens in Sweden. The success of the programme was to a large degree built on previous failures, confirming Juran’s old saying ‘Failure is a gold mine’. From the case study, success factors for implementing Six Sigma at Siemens are identified and compared to those given in the literature. Some of the most critical success factors identified at Siemens had not been mentioned as such in the literature before. The main conclusion of the study is that, in order to succeed and get sustainable results from a Six Sigma programme, Six Sigma should be integrated with Process Management, instead of just running Six Sigma as a separate initiative in an organisation. Furthermore, the thesis includes papers presenting methods and tools to be used in a Six Sigma programme or in Six Sigma projects. They deal with: how to identify suitable Six Sigma projects, how to select which Six Sigma methodology to use, how to find hidden misunderstandings between people from different knowledge domains, and how to simulate the impact of improvements to iterative processes. All these methods and tools have been developed and tested at Siemens. This has been an action research project, where the author has been employed by the company under investigation for eleven years and has actively influenced the changes in the company based on knowledge gained at the company as well as on research studies conducted at universities. In action research the change initiative under investigation is conducted and analysed in a single context. The readers are invited to draw their own conclusions on the applicability of the results to their own specific cases. In addition to this, some conclusions derived using analytical generalisation, applicable to a more general case, are presented in the thesis.
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