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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Abraha, Desalegn, et al.
(författare)
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Relationships and Networks in the Processes of Establishment of Firms in Transitional Economies : The case of Scandinavian firms in Eastern and Central Europe
- 2006
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Rapport (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- Focus on the particular entry mode a firm uses to enter a new market, rather than the process of establishment dominates in extant literature. To fill this void, we apply an establishment process model developed from the network approach to illuminate the web of relationship forms embedded in the establishment process of two Scandinavian firms as they attempt to establish themselves in transition economies. In one case, the results show that Statoil’s process of establishment in Estonia was less time- and resource-consuming because the firm drew support from significant actors in their network of exchange relationships. In the second case, a lack of home and host country support for Scania in Croatia resulted in an arduous and costly process and less stable position in the market, with the firm’s position changing several times as different problems cropped up. In light of the findings from the two cases, theoretical and practical implications for managing the establishment process are discussed.
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| 4. |
- Abraha Gebrekidan, Desalegn, et al.
(författare)
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From industrial networks to strategic alliances or vice-versa
- 2009
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Ingår i: International Journal of Business and Emerging Markets. - : InderScience Publishers. - 1753-6219 .- 1753-6227. ; 1:4, s. 361-386
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The purpose of this paper is: to highlight the impact of industrial networks on strategic alliances; to determine if alliances help firms to build up new or strengthen existing networks; to find out whether alliances succeed or precede networks. Our findings show that well-developed networks have a positive impact on how alliances function and the results that they can achieve. The other finding is that alliances defend and strengthen networks, and also enable firms to build new ones or penetrate those of their alliance partner(s). The final conclusion is that it is difficult to determine if alliances succeed or precede networks.
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| 5. |
- Awuah, Gabriel Baffour, et al.
(författare)
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Interactive internationalization : the case of Swedish firms
- 2007
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The extant literature stresses that having foreign market presence is imperative for most firms these days. However, how firms conceive of which foreign markets to enter, the entry mode to take and the resource commitments to make are not information or decision-making processes solely confined to a firm that internationalizes its activities. The purpose of this study is to provide deeper insights into (1) reasons for a firm to internationalize its business activities and (2) the extent to which an independent actor (s) actively collaborates with the internationalizing firm so as to jointly determine the choice of market, the mode of entry and the level of investment committed in the market to be entered and even after the entry (i.e. the on-going activities). Based on two multiple case studies, one major finding of the study shows that independent actors, with their interconnected networks, have played and are still playing a major role in influencing the internationalization processes of each of the two firms in this study.
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| 6. |
- Awuah, Gabriel Baffour, et al.
(författare)
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Networked (interactive) position : a new view of developing and sustaining competitive advantage
- 2008
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Ingår i: Competitiveness Review. - Bingley : Emerald Group Publishing Limited. - 1059-5422 .- 2051-3143. ; 18:4, s. 333-350
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose – In the extant literature a firm's development of its competitive advantage is seen to be the task of the firm alone. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a new and a broader approach of how competitive advantage can be developed and maintained in today's highly competitive and dynamic markets. To this end, how a firm handles its relationships with significant actors in its network becomes very decisive for the development of its competitive advantage.Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on a network approach, case studies have been used to shed lights on the extent to which the development of competitive advantage of firms affect and are affected by their interaction with some actors in a network of exchange relationships.Findings – An important conclusion of this study is that a firm's highly valued performance, an indication of its strong position or competitive strength, has its roots in its regular and intensive interaction with some significant actors in its network.Research limitations/implications – All firms in this study have demonstrated that competitive advantage can be achieved by building up a strong position through interaction, learning and adaptation with some significant actors in the marketplace. Since the study is based on one setting, extending a similar study to several settings will be very useful.Originality/value – The paper provides insights into how a firm, in the effort to build its competitive advantage, draws on its own capabilities and complementary capabilities of its partners in a network.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Awuah, Gabriel Baffour, et al.
(författare)
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Relationships and Networks in the Processes of Establishment of Firms in Transition Economies : Scandinavian Firms in Central and Eastern Europe
- 2008
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Ingår i: International Journal of Strategic Management. - Turlock, CA : International Academy of Business and Economics (IABE). - 1555-2411 .- 2378-8615. ; 8:1, s. 25-44
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A focus on the particular entry mode a firm uses to enter a new market, rather than on the process of establishment, dominates in extant literature. To fill this void, we apply an establishment process model developed from the network approach to illuminate the web of relationship forms embedded in the establishment process of two Scandinavian firms as they attempt to establish themselves in transition economies. In one case, the results show that Statoil's process of establishment in Estonia was both less time-consuming and less resource-consuming because the firm drew support from significant actors in their network of exchange relationships. In the second case, a lack of home and host country support for Scania in Croatia resulted in an arduous and costly process and less stable position in the market, with the firm's position changing several times as different problems cropped up. In light of the findings from the two cases, theoretical and practical implications for managing the establishment process are discussed.
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| 9. |
- Awuah, Gabriel, et al.
(författare)
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Interactive (Networked) Internationalization : The Case of Swedish Firms
- 2007
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Ingår i: Bringing the country back in. - Indianapolis : Academy of International Business. ; , s. 139-139
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The extant literature stresses that having foreign market presence is imperative for most firms these days. However, how firms conceive of which foreign markets to enter, the entry mode to take and the resource commitments to make are not information or decision-making processes solely confined to a firm that internationalizes its activities. The purpose of this study is to provide deeper insights into the extent to which an independent actor (s) actively collaborates with the internationalizing firm so as to jointly determine the choice of market, the mode of entry and the level of investment committed in the market to be entered and even after the entry (i.e. the on-going activities). Based on two multiple case studies, one major finding of the study shows that independent actors, with their interconnected networks, have played and are still playing a major role in influencing the internationalization processes of each of the two firms in this study.
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| 10. |
- Björnsson, Berit, et al.
(författare)
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Counselling encounters between banks and entrepreneurs : a gender perspective
- 2005
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Ingår i: International Journal of Bank Marketing. - : Emerald Group Publishing Limited. - 0265-2323 .- 1758-5937. ; 23:6, s. 444-463
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose – To examine how customers, both men and women entrepreneurs, perceive service quality of the latest counselling encounters with their banks, and to find out if men and women differ in their satisfaction for two or more counselling encounters.Design/methodology/approach – A combination of research methods is used. First, data have been collected through focus-groups interviews in a pilot-study; second, data have been collected through a survey study. The focus is on perceived service quality and customer satisfaction and further business, personal and situational factors are included. A total of 215 women and 487 men participated in the survey.Findings – There are few gender-related significant differences among women and men in their perceptions of service quality, and no signs which indicate that women perceive the service quality as less good. One group of women, in retail services, has perceived the service quality as being significantly different and positive compared with a group of men. Further, there are no gender-related significant differences between women and men regarding customer satisfaction. Another result is that significant differences are observed between one group of women and one group of men depending on the place where the parties met. The encounters took place more often in the women customers' office or somewhere else outside the bank.Originality/value – This paper shows that the belief that women as business owners, in general, are discriminated against by financial institutions is a myth rather than a reality.
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| 11. |
- Desalegn, Abraha, et al.
(författare)
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Establishment Processes and Building Relationships in Latin American Countries : The Case of Swedish Firms in Mexico
- 2008
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Ingår i: International Journal of Automotive Industry and Management (IJAIM). - 1976-7307. ; 2:1, s. 23-48
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper addresses the establishment processes of two Swedish companies in the automotiveindustry in Mexico by applying an establishment process model. An exploratory case study isapplied as a research method. One of the main findings of the article is that in both bus and trucksegments (sectors), there are well developed and tightly structured networks which function more orless in the same way as the networks and relationships in developed countries although Mexico is adeveloping country. Another finding is that the level of trust with the Scania's customers differs in thetwo segments. In the bus segment the relationship with customers is dominated by cooperation andtrust, whereas in the truck segment it does not as the market has more trust in other brands than inScania's products and services. A third finding is that Scania's competitive advantages rely on itscomplete solution which includes trucks, parts and services and on its cooperation with some competitorsand strong relations with authorities. While Volvo's competitive advantages are based on itsstrong dealers network strengthened through complete solution including training, new financing andselling programs, i.e. offering integrated services and cooperation with some competitors & strongrelations with authorities. A fourth finding is that in the Mexican market, government relationships areas important as customer relations and should be dealt with adequately if firms are going to succeedin their establishment attempts.
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| 12. |
- Hilmola, Olli-Pekka, et al.
(författare)
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Export based strategy or manufacturing establishment? : Speculating with Russian market
- 2008
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Ingår i: International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management. - : InderScience Publishers. - 1742-7967 .- 1742-7975. ; 4:2, s. 155-183
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Among China and India, former Eastern European countries, and especially Russia has been identified as one of the most lucrative market, e.g. in retail sector. However, this market has experienced quite enormous changes during the last two decades, and manufacturing establishment is considered to contain numerous risks, especially functionality of supply chains (incoming flows and distribution) is one of the main reasons. Our longitudinal case study research confirms this, and shows how difficult it is to achieve comparable cost efficiency in Russia as compared to other factories inside of the same company, but operating in well-developed high-cost country. Due to this, and by the fact that foreign companies still favour export based strategies, we develop mathematical models to evaluate which foreign transit harbours would provide lowest distribution costs. Our research results show that only small number of seaports needs to be considered, if distribution costs are the only issue to be concerned.
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| 13. |
- Hyder, Akmal S., et al.
(författare)
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Institutional factors and strategic alliances in eastern and central Europe
- 2008
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Ingår i: Baltic Journal of Management. - : Emerald Group Publishing Limited. - 1746-5265 .- 1746-5273. ; 3:3, s. 289-308
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose - The study deals with institutional factors that have impact on the operation of east-west alliances. Applying Kostova and Roth's terminology of institutional and relational contexts, this paper aims to address how alliance relationship based on resources, learning and performance organizes and functions, and how institutional factors influence the alliance relationship. Design/methodology/approach - To properly highlight the role of institutional factors, eastern and central Europe (ECE) is divided into four categories, namely fast adapters, high and low medium adapters and slow adapters. A total of 20 alliances operating in different country categories have been selected for the study. In all alliances, foreign partners are Swedish firms and engaged in the manufacturing industry, Semi-structured interviews containing both a fixed set of questions and a set of open-ended questions have been used for data collection. Findings - The impact of institutional factors on firms in slow-adapting countries was uniformly high, the initiatives taken were usually fruitless and ineffective. In the case of medium-adapters, the impact was largely mitigated over time as alliances passed through the different stages. The least impact was, as expected, observed among the alliances in fast-adapting countries. However, the result needs to be taken with some caution as the data include alliances where partners come from a single western country. Practical implications - For direct investment, managers need to take the institutional factors seriously as ECE countries undergo a transition period and the economical situations of these countries shows a wide variation. For example, if need of return is quick, the managers should invest in a fast-adapting country or in a medium-adapting country but not at all in a slow-adapting country. Originality/value - This paper makes a unique contribution by focusing institutional factors which affect strategic alliances in ECE. One future study can concern cultural impact on business environment and new business development in ECE. Another interesting area of research could deal with medium-adapting countries because the members of this group show different level of adaptation and performance.
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| 14. |
- Hyder, Akmal S., et al.
(författare)
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Strategic alliances in the Baltic states : a case of Swedish firms
- 2006
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Ingår i: Competitiveness Review. - : Emerald. - 1059-5422. ; 16:3/4, s. 173-196
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The importance of the Baltic states has increased due to increase of capital inflow from the West. A large part of the foreign involvement takes the form of alliance with local partners in the region. But how these alliances operate and fulfill the objectives of the partners in the Baltic states remain almost unexplored. By the help of depth interviews, four alliances, two in Estonia and the other two in Lithuania, have therefore been studied in this research work. The theoretical framework is based on the concepts of motives, resources, learning, network, performance and general environment. Cost reduction, market seeking, and development and maintenance of services have been the main motives of foreign firms in entering into the alliances. No clear cut motive is observed from the local partners’ side. Learning has been found important for both the partners and concerns cultural differences, local knowhow and adaptation to the Western way in doing business. A broader view of performance is presented by including network development in the article. Profitability, market share, and sales have been seen as short term while network development and relationships as longterm performance criteria in the alliances. The role of general environment on alliances and its impact on network development have also been observed. This study further suggests that alliances offering service dominated products concentrate on the local markets, while alliances offering products with less service elements have export as the target.
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| 15. |
- Hyder, Akmal S., et al.
(författare)
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Strategic Alliances in the Baltic States : A case of Swedish Firms
- 2006
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Ingår i: Competitiveness Review. - : Emerald Group Publishing Limited. - 1059-5422 .- 2051-3143. ; 16:3-4, s. 173-196
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The importance of the Baltic states has increased due to increase of capital inflow from the West. A large part of the foreign involvement takes the form of alliance with local partners in the region. But how these alliances operate and fulfill the objectives of the partners in the Baltic states remain almost unexplored. By the help of depth interviews, four alliances, two in Estonia and the other two in Lithuania, have therefore been studied in this research work. The theoretical framework is based on the concepts of motives, resources, learning, network, performance and general environment. Cost reduction, market seeking, and development and maintenance of services have been the main motives of foreign firms in entering into the alliances. No clear cut motive is observed from the local partners’ side. Learning has been found important for both the partners and concerns cultural differences, local knowhow and adaptation to the Western way in doing business. A broader view of performance is presented by including network development in the article. Profitability, market share, and sales have been seen as short term while network development and relationships as longterm performance criteria in the alliances. The role of general environment on alliances and its impact on network development have also been observed. This study further suggests that alliances offering service dominated products concentrate on the local markets, while alliances offering products with less service elements have export as the target.
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| 16. |
- Kaynak, Erdener, et al.
(författare)
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An Empirical Examination of the Characteristics and Behavioral Tendencies of Swedish Consumers in Patronizing Different Retail Stores
- 2005
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Ingår i: Journal of Euromarketing. - : Routledge. - 1049-6483 .- 1528-6967. ; 14:4, s. 35-51
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The objective of this study is to investigate the characteristics and behavioral tendencies of Swedish consumers in relation to their involvement with various types of retail stores as well as their shopping and patronizing behaviors under varying circumstances. In particular, the study focuses on examining the underlying dimensions of Swedish consumers' retail shopping behavior incorporating their lifestyles and attitudinal orientations as well as demographic and socio-economic characteristics. Data for the study were collected through personal interviews in Sweden. The study findings indicate that the most dominant lifestyle dimensions include fashion orientation, adventure orientation and aesthetic orientation. Several of these lifestyle dimensions apparent among the Swedish retail shoppers were found to be related to the number of stores shopped in a given period of time. Also, the most dominant factors were one-stop shopping, merchandise quality and assortment, and store communication factors. When the dimensions extracted based on the grocery store choice are used in explaining the number of stores visited, then we see an inverse relationship between the number of stores visited and the factors of one-stop shopping, merchandise quality, and poverty of time. On the other hand, there is a direct relationship between the number of stores visited and the factor of store communication and convenience. The findings of the study offer important research, public policy and managerial implications for retailer distributors and consumer goods manufacturers.
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