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- Ekman, Peter, et al.
(author)
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Information Systems Use as a Result of External Influences
- 2006
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In: microCAD 2006 International Scientific Conference. - 9636617147 ; , s. 73-78
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The use of an information system (IS) can be studied as a result of all the efforts that an organization has put on the introduction of IS, as for example change management, user training, support training and proper technical infrastructure. The description takes its starting point in the organization per se, whilst the one in this paper is external. In this paper, a complementary perspective is offered that can explain the final use of an IS, illustrated by three empirical papers. The use of an IS can be a result of the interorganizational influences as customers, suppliers or other stakeholders. The paper shows that the external environment has a direct effect on how the user experiences an IS and uses it.
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| 3. |
- Lindblom, Cecilia, Universitetslektor, 1979-, et al.
(author)
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Challenges to Interdisciplinary teaching for nutrition and health in Swedish compulsory schools
- 2020
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In: International Journal of Home Economics. - Bonn : International Federation for Home Economics. - 1999-561X. ; 13:1, s. 15-29
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Swedish National Agency for Education states that educational provision should involve pupil opportunities for interdisciplinary work and the experience of learning in different ways. In this context, the current study aimed to explore the actual operation of interdisciplinary teaching (IDT) in Swedish compulsory schools, i.e. from preschool (6 years) to grade 9 (16 years) regarding nutrition and health. To investigate this, two web-based nationwide questionnaires were sent out in 2014 to compulsory schools in Sweden. One questionnaire was aimed at teachers in five subjects: Home and Consumer Studies (HCS), Natural Science Subjects (NSS) (Biology, Chemistry, Physics), and Physical Education and Health (PEH). The second questionnaire was for school principals. A total of 388 teachers and 216 principals answered the respective questionnaire. The study showed that 40% of the teachers and 59% of the principals reported that their school worked in an interdisciplinary way regarding nutrition and health education. Practical scheduling problems and a lack of time for planning were seen as the main barriers by both teachers and principals, but to a much larger extent by teachers. A prerequisite for successful IDT is that teachers have a chance to meet and plan, and this study indicates that frame factors have a critical impact on what is possible regarding IDT in Swedish schools. It is crucial that principals appreciate their part in facilitating IDT. Increased interdisciplinary teaching for nutrition and health (IDT-NH) might increase school potential for the better integration of knowledge and understanding about the importance of lifestyle for health, the environment and society.
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| 4. |
- Anastasiadou, Elena
(author)
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Business Actor Engagement : Understanding Collaborative Business Initiative Outcomes
- 2024
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Business and service literature has recognized engagement as a crucial concept that influences the success of business initiatives beyond core transactions. Engagement involves various actors’ contributions like time, knowledge, and other resources that extend beyond contractual obligations. Engagement was initially studied in business-to-consumer (B2C) contexts, where its activities include word-of-mouth feedback and co-creating value propositions. As engagement research extended into business-to-business (B2B) contexts, engagement activities included customer referencing and participation in service development, with contributions like influence, time, and expertise. This thesis focuses on understanding engagement in B2B contexts – conceptualized as business actor engagement (BAE) – and offers practice-relevant midrange theory conceptualizations of collaboration in business initiatives beyond the contracted and regular transactions. The study employs a qualitative approach to studying Swedish real estate landlords and their efforts to involve commercial tenants in collaborative business initiatives (conceptualized as engagement initiatives) to deepen the understanding of BAE. The collaborative business initiatives in the thesis’ empirical setting address issues of environmental sustainability, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving energy efficiency. Despite providers using similar strategies to involve their B2B customers, the outcomes of these engagement initiatives vary, often due to hidden aspects affecting customers’ engagement. The findings are presented in four papers that offer insights on BAE such as how prerequisite factors, antecedents and manifestations impact customers’ BAE and consequently the outcomes of collaborative business initiatives. By exploring BAE, the study offers an understanding of the variety in outcomes from collaborative business initiatives, i.e., why some business initiatives succeed or fail. By understanding and managing BAE aspects, the study suggests collaborative business initiatives may result in achieving intended outcomes, such as goals related to addressing climate change and societal problems. Although the study centers on the real estate industry, the findings have broader implications for businesses striving to develop and adopt initiatives that will require their partners’ engagement to achieve intended outcomes and – by doing so – build strong, lasting relationships with their partners.
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| 5. |
- Andersson, Ulf, 1964-, et al.
(author)
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Internal MNC structures’ bearing on externally embedded subsidiaries’ organizational performance
- 2015
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In: <em>Handbook on International Alliance and Network Research</em>. - Cheltenham : Edward Elgar Publishing. ; , s. 155-170
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Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The theoretical research stream that depicts multinational companies (MNCs) as networked organizations has offered new insights on contemporary enterprises’ way of functioning. However, the majority of the research has focused on external embeddedness, that is, MNC subsidiaries’ local business relationships, and its impact on subsidiary organizational performance. This conceptual chapter addresses the lack of research focusing on internal embeddedness, that is, subsidiary relationships with headquarters and sister subsidiaries. Internal embeddedness is discussed from two dimensions: the internal production network and the MNC manager’s social network. The characteristics of each dimension and how they relate to earlier research, leads to a number of theoretical propositions. The chapter concludes with a discussion on how external and internal embeddedness relate, as well as how they may impact the subsidiary’s (organizational) performance.
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| 7. |
- Ekman, Peter, 1969-, et al.
(author)
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A case study of IT-based and human interaction in industrial business relationships
- 2014
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In: Coping with recurring issues in BtoB research.
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Consumer-oriented firms (B2C) have grasped the benefits of modern integrated information technology (IT) systems as CRM and web-shops that allow them to capture, store, and manage consumer data to fulfill their expectations and needs on an individual and customized basis. This means that firms acting on consumer markets can use ‘high tech’ for ‘high touch’, i.e. using IT to met the consumer on a personal level. Based on the findings in a large case study spanning multiple business relationships (dyads) between buying and selling industrial firms we propose that the high tech/high touch logic is different at industrial markets (B2B). Here, industrial firms strive towards an increased use of interorganizational integrated IT systems (high tech) to lower interaction costs and at the same time increase the reliance in their business relationships. This is at the same time challenged by the employees’ preference for human interaction (high touch) as a mean to uphold trust and solve what they perceive as equivocalities. While consumer market’s high tech is based on the collection of consumer behavior high tech in industrial markets is much more a two-way street were partner firms work for integrated IT systems at the same time as the interacting employees appreciate the social dimension of business. This explorative study indicate that high tech and high touch in industrial markets is more a case of ‘either or’ rather that ‘and’ as in consumer markets. The study is explorative and presents a number of propositions that can be used for further studies.
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| 8. |
- Ekman, Peter, 1969-, et al.
(author)
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Exploring "high tech" and "high touch" interaction capabilities : aligning the IT portfolio with customer and supplier relationships
- 2021
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In: Information Technology and People. - : EMERALD GROUP PUBLISHING LTD. - 0959-3845 .- 1758-5813. ; 34:2, s. 862-886
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose: To explore the emergent characteristics of IT portfolios in business-to-business (B2B) firms. The goal is to develop a model that clarifies what interaction capabilities B2B firms develop and to what form of IT this corresponds to.Design/methodology/approach: We apply an a priori conceptual framework that is based on the Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) Group's theoretical focus on business relationships. The framework depicts the business relationship as dealing with uncertainty and equivocality as well as building and upholding reliance and trust. We utilize a case study approach involving a focal firm and ten of its customers and suppliers. Building on 60 interviews, field observations and archival data, we analyze interviewee responses and the complementary data to evaluate the role of IT in supporting or automated various aspects of organizational relationships.Findings: Results show how "high tech" and "high touch" relate to different interaction capabilities, which firms develop based on the characteristics of their business relationships. Although IT is associated with "high tech" and "high touch" interaction capabilities, some forms of IT are deployed to support the former, while other forms support the later. Both forms of technology-enabled interaction capabilities require investment, and firms must balance investment costs against the value created by improved interaction capabilities.Originality/value: Our findings emphasize the interorganizational perspective (dyadic or network) rather than a solely organizational perspective for understanding IT portfolio development. This perspective is presented through an emergent tech-touch interaction capability model that shows how B2B firms can align their IT portfolio based on the specific characteristics of their business relationships.
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| 9. |
- Ekman, Peter, et al.
(author)
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Information technology utilization for industrial marketing activities : The IT–marketing gap
- 2015
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In: Journal of business & industrial marketing. - 0885-8624 .- 2052-1189. ; 30:8, s. 926-938
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)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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| 10. |
- Ekman, Peter, et al.
(author)
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Information technology utilization for practical marketing activities : The IT-marketing gap
- 2013
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In: BUILDING AND MANAGING RELATIONSHIPS IN A GLOBAL NETWORK.
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)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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