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The purpose of this thesis was to explore what challenges are identified in project portfolio management (PPM) in an internal multi-project environment. The aim of this study was to find the underlying reason for the occurrence of challenges in terms of how these challenges occur, and why do they occur. To realize the purpose and the aim of the study, the research was conducted at ABB Components, a business unit of ABB Group. Further, based on identified challenges provide a set of guidelines and recommendations for managing and countering the challenges.

To understand the research problem a literature review was employed and a case study was conducted at ABB Components. The purpose of the literature review was to gain a theoretical background related to the research topic, identify challenges or problems, and potential solutions, with the purpose of establishing a connection to the challenges identified in the case study. The empirical work consisted of the case study conducted at ABB Components and was constituted by interviews person. The analysis of the results was validated with a workshop held with interviewees, with discussions regarding the findings. Guidelines and recommendations for managing challenges related to project portfolio management were designed from the results of empirical and theoretical work.

The 11 main challenges related to project portfolio management were identified throughout three defined project phases, initiation of a project, execution of a project and project closure, and was appearing either in one phase or across phases. The challenges in this research were correlated to four main causes; limited resources (budget & time), limited resources (personnel), vague directives, and project maturity. The identified challenges can be encountered and managed by utilizing existing models for project management, improved information handling, expanding the notion of criteria for project success, performing a resource capacity analysis, and planning for the project closure.

The theoretical and practical work have contributed to a collective analysis of what types of challenges are evident in phases throughout a single project, and what outcomes these challenges can have on a project portfolio in an internal multi-project environment and . It has to some extent indicated differences among challenges and causes evident in multi-project settings, for projects that are classified as internal development or product development, implicating differences throughout the project phase. Furthermore the challenges have pivoted around the three main themes centered indicating that there are challenges related to each phase of the project life, as well as challenges which are apparent across the project phases.

Spare parts management (SPM) is an important branch of management which could lead the company to success or bankruptcy. It is also fill of potential improvements that can increase the company profits, productivity, and reliability. Wise inventory management would eliminate all the delay risks of unplanned breakdowns, and reduce process time and cost. 

To understand the importance of the spare parts, a fundamental knowledge of maintenance types, spare parts, spare parts management, spare parts classifications, ABC analysis, Economic order quantity, suppliers’ management, purchase management, and management computer program SAP, have been viewed.

Companies realize the spare parts importance and try to develop the system to increase the benefits. Many ways has been taken to achieve that. Each company has it is own management system that the company has developed in years.

In this research, spare parts management system of seven companies has been studied. By comparing of the management systems, we highlight the areas that would have negative or positive impact on the system. We would also analysis why the companies have chosen these systems, how they develop the system, and where they aim throw the development.

Reviewing case studies would have many advantages, it would expand the vision to develop the management system and focus on the points that have permanent value instead of focus on temporary improvement.

Two check lists of points that could have potential improvement, have been presented and in which improvement type.

The view of foreign market commitment in the internationalisation process is constructed on the assumption of firms' experiential knowledge. Firms know that they do not know and seek for knowledge through the experience. The paper is based on the view that firms sometimes do not know that they do not know. It raises the question: if international firms can really gather knowledge about the future, why then do they always face critical problems? Unlike the view of studies on the internationalisation process that firms 'know what they do not know', this paper is concerned with the unknown. It discusses the idea that firms in their foreign market relationships do not know that they do not know; therefore their commitment always faces crises. With this theoretical assumption, the paper presents one case study. The process of internationalisation of a Swedish firm is analysed to examine the connection between knowledge and commitment.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the changes that have taken place in consumer behavior due to the fear, caused by the spread of the coronavirus, in parallel to studying how supermarket activities have changed during the pandemic. Design/methodology/approach Using qualitative methods (email interviews and document analysis) and utilizing the few statistics available for the case, the authors performed a comparison between Greece, a country that imposed an early lockdown, and Sweden, which, for its own political reasons, did not lock down, but took other measures instead. Findings Differences in consumer behavior and supermarket activities in both countries based on different mentalities and different experiences were identified. Similarities in consumer behavior, but with different motives, were also discovered. Research limitations/implications Retailing practitioners and communication executives can apply the findings to manage sales in a time of sharp, unpredictable crisis. The paper aims at integrating existing literature for the academic community and contributes with implications for practitioners and policymakers to reduce crisis risks. Originality/value This paper is one of the first to explore changes in consumer behavior caused by the spread of the coronavirus. It provides a coherent and comprehensive understanding of how consumer behavior changes under fear-crisis conditions along with future research directions.

This chapter contends that the international business (IB) and strategic management (SM) fields have many commonalities that should be considered in a turbulent globalized business context. IB studies refer to the need for local integration and local adaptation whereas empirics in SM pinpoint the complementary effects of central planning and decentralized decisionmaking. We present and synthesize these rather field specific perspectives and try to synthesize insights from both fields in an adaptive strategy-making model including the effects of autonomous subsidiary initiatives and intended mandates from corporate headquarters. The model considers local subsidiary actions of both operational and strategic nature and we argue that it may be futile to distinguish between these effects as incremental operational responses can cumulate into more substantial changes over time with dimensions of strategic adaptation. The model provides a foundation for further considerations about how to combine central intent and direction with decentralization and autonomous initiatives in the multinational corporation.

The question of how to organise for the introduction of a new service involving the interaction of humans and technologies is both crucial and challenging. Convergence between the community of practice using the technology and the design of the technology is crucial for the technology to become meaningful and usable. While processes of convergence are challenging in themselves, they become more complex if several communities of practice are going to use and collaborate around/through the technology. The co-presence of different communities of practice is a common situation when delivering public welfare services. In particular, the development of welfare technology is a context rich in potential frictions, making convergence challenging. By mobilising the concept of transparency, we analyse the process of implementation of remote night monitoring and highlight how transparency is related to different aspects. Such analysis reveals that processes of convergence are related in this context not only to frictions shared with other settings, but also to specific frictions related to matters of concern in welfare services. This leads us to discuss whether digitalised care services can be argued as still having a human side or not.

The digitalisation of public services involves not only the transformation of the relationship between public service providers and clients, but also the transformation of public administration work. While most studies of digitalisation of the public sector have focused on the practical outcomes for the quality of public services and the quality of public administration work, none have unpacked , or theorised, how these changes actually come about in practice. This paper fills this gap by drawing on a study of the in-house adaptation of a digital automation tool (an RPA) by a Swedish local authority. In the article, we pay attention to what we, inspired by Donna Haraway and Lucy Suchman, call ‘configuring work’, i.e. the weaving together of the affordances of the technology, materials, discourses, roles and power structures. The contribution of the paper is two-fold. First, the paper demonstrates empirically how the digitalisation of a public service took place through an emergent, relational process that involved both the social and the material. Second, by adopting the the idea of ‘configuring work’ and paying attention to the effects of this, we show that the digitalisation process was successively shaped by the particular vested interests, ethics, discourses and the algorithmic materialities that comprised it. This helps us discuss the reason for why, in extant literature, digitalisation threatens the professional autonomy of the public administrators as well as why it may reduce service quality. Finally, we suggest how some of these issues may be addressed in future research.

Beror de minskade marknadsandelarna för svenskt gris-, kyckling- och nötkött till någon del på att den svenska marknaden för slaktdjur inte fungerar så bra som den kunde göra? I den här utredningen undersöker vi hur prisbildningen fungerar och hur affärsförhållandet mellan lantbrukare och slakteri ser ut. Vi kartlägger vi också strukturen i primärproduktionen och i slakterinäringen samt granskar slakteriföretagens lönsamhet. För att bättre kunna bedöma hur väl den svenska slaktdjursmarknaden fungerar görs även en internationell utblick.

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to examine households attitudes and commitment to demand side flexibility as well as the various actors perceptions of the division of responsibilities in the electricity market and the information available to households.

Research questions:                  

– What are the main factors for private electricity customers to be able to contribute with demand side flexibility to the electricity system?

– What challenges and opportunities can be identified with increased demand side flexibility?

Method: The study was based on an abductive approach, where the collection of primary data is of a quantitative and qualitative nature. The qualitative part was collected through 9 semi-structured interviews with actors linked to the electricity market. Collection of quantitative data was done through a survey aimed at households with a total of 110 respondents. The results of the data collection have been analyzed thematically together with the theoretical framework.

Conclusions: The main factors for increased demand flexibility are, firstly, a clear division of responsibilities between authorities, households and other players in the electricity market. Secondly, well-developed information channels are required that can be made possible through new technology. Finally, an electricity market is required that allows new actors such as an aggregator. The challenges include engaging households, currently low profitability for demand side flexibility and a set of regulations and tariffs that are lagging behind in development. The opportunities are future changes in the electricity price that speak in favor of increased profitability for demand side flexibility and a change to more dynamic and flexible electricity network tariffs.

Today there is a growing interest in research on concrete practice within organizations, which has implications for the understanding of how performance management works. New control ideals are often introduced in an organizational and socially embedded practice, where taken for granted assumptions about what is right and wrong or good and bad actions are already established. Governance can ideally be seen as an interaction between structure and actor, where the former both guides and limits the conduct of the latter. However, in this thesis I can show that local actors can act differently and exhibit resistance in interactions with their superiors, thus they are not as passive as the ideal assumes. The theoretical framework is based on Giddens' structuration theory that stresses there is a dialectical relationship between structure and actor. (New)institutional theory contributes to get insights into the participants' behavior and that meaning is shaped by wider institutional influences.

The empirical data in this thesis consists of two studies; an inter-organizational care chain project and a study in assisted living. Both studies were carried out as case studies where qualitative interviews, observations, and various official documents have been used. In the care chain project the aim is to produce knowledge about how a change process has been undertaken to promote the development of a seamless chain of care between different healthcare providers. The assisted living study examines how the interaction between actor and structure manifests at three critical events. Within the work units (the actors) knowledge and practices are established, based on care ideals. Economically administrative ideal (the structure) is based on a hierarchical approach in which goals and metrics are linked to budgets, activities and standards and where decision-making is decoupled from the actual work. This decoupling can make the work more clearly measured, monitored and streamlined, thus keeping players accountable for their actions and achievements. The actors are seen as cogs in a machine rather than as insightful and engaged. Therefore they are assigned to an inconspicuous place in the framework that the financial administrative ideal has determined. This ideal is the cornerstone of New Public Management (NPM) and holds the private sector as a model in terms of management, steering and control of a business. Although local actors can exhibit resistance towards this ideal, they still are limited by its authoritative power of determining the allocation of resources.

We argue that a foreign-based R&D subsidiary of a multinational enterprise (MNE) can potentially source knowledge from three diverse knowledge networks, namely (i) external knowledge network of the homecountry, (ii) external knowledge network of the host country, and (iii) internal (MNE) knowledge network. Drawing on the relative costs andbenefits associated with the process of synergistic knowledge, this studyexamines whether a substitutive or a complementary relationship exists when two of the aforementioned networks collaborate in order to generate new knowledge at the subsidiary level.

Our study’s sample is based on asurvey questionnaire addressed to foreign-based R&D subsidiaries of Fortune 500 companies. We assess the existence of complementarity/substitutability using the “production function approach.” Our results indicate that a complementary relationship exists between external knowledge network of the host and the home country, as well as between external knowledge network of the host country and internal knowledge network. On the other hand, external knowledge network of the home country and internal knowledge network form a substitutive relationship. Our study offers a more comprehensive view of the diverse sources/knowledge networks that R&D subsidiaries are sourcing knowledge from when compared to existing research. We also specify and account for the costs/benefits involved in knowledge sourcing and thereby detect possible substitution/complementarity between different sources ofknowledge. So far, there has been limited to nonexistent research into the diversity of knowledge networks of R&D subsidiaries and the examination of potential substitutabilities and complementarities. Hence our empirical study contributes to the development of this particular research stream.

This paper focuses on HQ intervention and the costs associated with it. Extant literature specifies HQ interventions inareas such as organizing lateral knowledge transfers, strategic planning,support functions, transfer of knowledge to subsidiaries, control mechanisms as means to reduce incentive problems. We link MNC organization with the magnitude of HQ intervention in subunits’ affairs, and examine types of costs such meddling gives rise to. This gives us the possibility ofteasing out how increased costs of specific intrusions will affect the netvalue of HQ action. HQ intervention effects the motivation of subunits and influences the different types of costs. We argue that the scope and type of intervention as well as subsidiary characteristics affect the severity of cost increases, ultimately influencing MNC performance.

Although the core concepts underlying IB and IHRM provide a common lexicon and epistemology, this commonality is often more implicit than explicit. We highlight not only the common ground but also the lack of critical dialogue between the two fields. This paper asks: What can each field learn from the other? What do scholars from IB learn from IHRM and vice versa? We identify a possible agenda and concerns regarding theory building as a basis for dialogue between the two fields. © 2019

This article examines the utilization of knowledge transferred between sending and receiving subsidiaries within multinational enterprises. A model was developed and tested on 169 specific knowledge transfer projects. The model explains the utilization of knowledge subject to transfer in terms of hierarchical governance tool efficacy and lateral relationships within the multinational enterprise. The results show that headquarters' involvement during knowledge development does not have any significant impact on subsequent knowledge utilization in the receiving units and, in fact, hierarchical governance forms have a negative impact on knowledge utilization. However, lateral relationships are positive stimuli to building subsidiary capabilities in the knowledge transfer process that enhance receiving unit knowledge utilization. 

Many manuscripts submitted to the Journal of International Business Studies propose an interaction effect in their models in an effort to explain the complexity and contingency of relationships across borders. In this article, we provide guidance on how best to explain the interaction effects theoretically within and across levels of analysis. First, in the case of interactions within the same level of analysis, we suggest that authors provide an explanation of the mechanisms that link the main independent variable to the dependent variable, and then explain how the interaction variable modifies these mechanisms. Moreover, to ensure that the arguments are theoretically complete, we suggest that authors theoretically rule out the potential reverse interaction effect between the main variable and moderating variable. Second, in the case of interactions across levels of analysis, we suggest that authors identify the cross-level nature of the moderating relationships, specify the level of analysis of the main relationship and the nested nature of the cross-level influences, and theoretically explain these cross-level influences. Additionally, we suggest that authors pay particular attention to nesting in order to theoretically rule out reverse interactions.

Theoverall aim is to address the role of internal embeddedness in subsidiary’sinfluence on strategic decisions in the multinational enterprise andspecifically discuss how the internal production network and the subsidiary management’sinterpersonal relationships facilitate and impede its potential influence.  The two dimensions of internal embeddednessare scrutinized individually and then put together in a conceptualframework.  The internal productionnetwork is made up of where and what the subsidiary do, i.e. their activitiesand how these activities are related to the sister subsidiaries’ activities (astructural dimension), and the interpersonal network is based upon thesubsidiary management’s “voice” and standing in the larger MNC. The papers tentativeconclusion – presented as a conceptual model – is that the internal productionnetwork is the baseline for the degree of strategic influence a subsidiary haswhilst the subsidiary management’s interpersonal network can extend thisinfluence.

The relevance of ideas is at the core of the IB field and has been captured in concepts like technology, innovation and knowledge. While these concepts have evolved over the last decades, the point that the ideas and the international connectivity are central for IB remains genuine. This paper is an attempt to take stock of the evolution of the concepts technology, innovation and knowledge in IB literature along the past five decades with a particular focus on the role of the Columbia Journal of World Business (CJWB) and the Journal of World Business (JWB) in this evolution. Likewise, our objective is to offer a research agenda for the coming decade. We proceed in two steps. First, we scrutinize how the IB literature has progressed and expanded over the last five decades, illustrating this on the basis of articles published in CJWB and JWB. Second, we take a helicopter view on this literature and reflect on the insights we have gained and the challenges the IB field has ahead that can constitute the basis for a future research agenda. We highlight the importance of creating a micro-foundation of knowledge processes where mechanisms on the interaction between the higher levels (nation, firm, teams) and the individual level are clarified.

This paper examines the competence development of subsidiaries in multinational enterprises. We analyze how local subsidiary environments affect the development of technological and business competencies among other units in the multinational enterprise. We test our predictions using data from 2,107 foreign-owned subsidiaries located in seven European countries, by means of structural equation modeling - namely, LISREL. By bringing the local environment to the fore, we contribute to the literature on the emergence and determinants of firm-specific advantages. We link local subsidiary environments to the development of the competencies of other units in the multinational enterprise. The role of the multinational enterprise is characterized as integrative, as it may bridge local competencies and environments that are conducive to competence creation, and as it facilitates the use of resources residing locally throughout the organization. Thus, we contribute to an enhanced understanding of location as a determinant of the creation of units of competence and centers of excellence within multinational enterprises. In other words, we demonstrate that country-specific advantages are beneficial for competence creation in units other than the local subsidiary. We thereby link country-specific advantages to the creation of firm-specific advantages in the multinational enterprise - i.e., the multinational enterprise can build and augment firm-specific advantages by making the most of country-specific advantages.

Anchored in a subsidiary evolutionary framework,this paper analyzes how headquarters of multinational corporations canorchestrate its network of subsidiaries. Headquarters orchestration is a valueadding activity aimed at increasing the performance of the organization. Grantingsubsidiaries autonomy and giving them attention is found to positivelyinfluence the scope of subsidiary activities as well as the level of subsidiarycompetencies. This corresponds to how headquarters, as a hub-type of firm, canadd value by orchestrating for subsidiary evolution. Furthermore, our resultsindicate that if subsidiaries evolve it has positive effects on the overall performanceof the multinational corporation. Thus, our findings help to explain howheadquarters may create value within the multinational corporation in terms ofincreasing subsidiaries’ contribution to performance. The results, based on asample of 2107 subsidiaries, elucidate the entrepreneurial role and function ofheadquarters as an important orchestrator of the multinational corporation forsubsidiary evolution and value creation. Theoretically, this extends theunderstanding of drivers and effects of subsidiary evolution and assigns animportant role and function to headquarters in the orchestration of networkedmultinational corporations.

Value-chain networks are of major importance to multinational subsidiaries, yet they have failed to receive significant attention in the literature. We extend the knowledge-based view of the firm by exploring whether three different types of multinational subsidiary networks have dissimilar impact on their initiatives. The level and degree of subsidiary entrepreneurial activities enhances subsidiary performance and generate positive externalities in both the wider multinational corporation (MNC) system and the host country (Birkinshaw, 2000; Dimitratos et al., 2009). Despite the increased interest in the determinants of subsidiary initiative and knowledge integration, the existing literature has primarily focused on the characteristics of the knowledge, e.g. tacitness, stickiness, causal ambiguity, and attributes of the sender and receiver, such as, motivation and absorptive capacity; while the location, or sources, of the knowledge remain largely un-researched with a few exceptions (see e.g. Forsgren, 1999; Foss and Pedersen, 2002). Likewise, network theorists have emphasized different forms of networks as productive for entrepreneurial initiatives (Coleman, 1998; Burt, 2000); and described structural characteristics impeding entrepreneurial activity leading to organizational myopia (Uzzi, 1997; Hansen 1999). Very few, if any, attempts have been pursued to explain how the different types of networks a subsidiary is simultaneously involved affect its entrepreneurial initiatives. We develop four hypotheses based on MNC network and initiative literature streams.

750 UK based subsidiaries originating from the US, EU and Japan were randomly selected, adding up to a total sample of 2,250 subsidiaries. After excluding subsidiaries that were not eligible to participate in the survey, the actual sample of subsidiaries ended up being 1,770 subsidiaries. A structured questionnaire was pretested by academics and subsidiary managers in order to check its comprehensibility and clarity before the launch of the survey. The data collection from the 1,770 subsidiaries included three postal waves and two rounds of follow-up phone calls in between. The total number of usable responses that we employed to test our hypotheses was 268 subsidiaries. A structured questionnaire was posted to each subsidiary’s managing director; while a second top management respondent also participated in the survey

in 10% of the sample to establish inter-rater reliability. The overall response rate across the entire sample of subsidiaries was 16%. The Likert scales draw from previously developed measures. We also took measures to control for common method variance following the suggestions of Podsakoff et al. (2003).

Based on this sample of 268 subsidiaries and a moderated regression analysis, we find that value-chain networks have a higher positive impact than multinational corporation networks and non value-chain networks; because they may provide the subsidiary knowledge with market opportunities that it lacks and that the other types of networks cannot effectively provide. However, value-chain networks have a negative effect on initiative of a subsidiary operating in an environment of high uncertainty; because they can constrain the exploration and creation of new knowledge that cannot be provided by any of the networks. Contrary to our expectations, the combined effect of value-chain and non-value chain networks has a negative influence on enhancing initiatives; and, the combined effect of value-chain and MNC networks does not affect entrepreneurial initiatives.

This paper has considerable research implications. As regards the knowledge based view, the paper argues that not all firm-external knowledge is equally valuable in developing entrepreneurial initiatives. The value of this knowledge may depend on whether the subsidiary needs that knowledge. Since an MNC subsidiary tends to lack knowledge about its local and foreign country market opportunities and such knowledge is difficult for it to acquire because it is tacit, establishing networks with value-chain partners that have this knowledge generates entrepreneurial initiatives. This is especially the case when subsidiaries operate in an environment of high certainty. Furthermore, knowledge accessed through both value-chain and other types of networks may not bring synergistic effects as it is likely to be complex and time consuming to manage.

The paper also contributes to the theme of subsidiary entrepreneurship. This is the first study to more fully examine the role of subsidiary value-chain networks in enhancing entrepreneurial initiatives. Prior studies focus primarily on MNC networks and host-country networks. Additionally, this is seemingly the first study that compared the relative effects of all three types of networks on subsidiary entrepreneurial initiatives. It shows that, after considering the effects of other types of networks, value-chain networks appear to have the largest positive influence, especially when the subsidiaries operate in an environment of high certainty.

The paper also contributes to managerial practice. Subsidiary managers who wish to develop initiatives are advised to establish value-chain networks with customers, suppliers and distributors. This is especially the case for subsidiaries operating in a stable environment. In addition, managers are advised to pursue networking activities with solely value-added partners since the simultaneous implementation of all types of value added activities is seemingly detrimental for entrepreneurial initiatives.

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.

In the beginning of the twenty-first century, Andersson, Forsgren, and Holm (2001, 2002) published two highly cited articles on the relationship between network embeddedness and the evolution of multinational enterprise (MNE) subsidiary roles. These articles paved the way for research examining the importance of market knowledge acquired by an MNE subsidiary through being embedded in local networks, which would, in time, be expected to positively influence the competence development of other MNE units. The present chapter presents an overview of the key contributions of these seminal papers, followed by a discussion about the theoretical and empirical advancements concerning the relationship between embeddedness and subsidiary competence development. We provide suggestions around how to conceptualize competence development and knowledge transfer in relation to subsidiary external embeddedness and highlight areas where more research is needed.

We examine the success of knowledge transfer within an MNE network by unpacking aggregate knowledge flows into individual projects. We assess knowledge transfer performance along two dimensions: utilization of transferred knowledge and transfer cost. We argue that the substitutive versus complementary nature of subunits' activities is a key determinant of knowledge utilization at the target subunit. Further, we posit that headquarters' incentives and monitoring are crucial factors affecting both the utilization and transfer cost dimensions. Our empirical results, based on 141 individual intersubunit knowledge transfer projects involving 49 subunits in 12 European countries largely support our arguments. Our methodology highlights the fact that aggregate measures of interunit knowledge flows can be misleading since they may include individual projects with widely differing levels of success. Copyright (C) 2015 Strategic Management Society.

MNE subsidiariesface a trade-off between the ambition to source knowledge that is embedded in the host-location and the need to protect their corporation’s knowledge-based assets from external appropriationby close competitors. In this paper, we explore how foreign subsidiaries operating in a highly competitive knowledge-based cluster or chestrate their local linkages with non-value chain partners to strategically manage the knowledge imperatives to which they are exposed.

Our results show that subsidiaries establish heterogeneous patterns of interaction with different non-value chain agents in the host location, as their perception regarding the role these agents may play varies. More specifically, in the presence of fierce competition, when higher spillover risks should compel them to refrain from local interaction, subsidiaries do shy away from competitors. However, some simultaneously pursue their knowledge creation objectives by linking to agents that minimize spillover risks while still offering learning opportunities, such as the local university. This leads us to conclude that spillover risks, by themselves, do not automatically drive the choice to avoid interaction, as subsidiaries are able to strategically differentiate between various types of partners. In so doing we reconcile the extant contradiction between the strategic deterrence and physical attraction theses

MNE subsidiaries face a trade-off between the ambition to source knowledge embedded in the host-location and the need to protect their corporation’s knowledge from appropriation by competitors. We explore how foreign subsidiaries operating in a highly competitive clusters orchestrate their local linkages with non-value chain partners to manage the knowledge imperatives they are exposed to.

Our results show that subsidiaries establish heterogeneous patterns of interaction with different local non-value chain agents. We reconcile the extant contradiction between the strategic deterrence and physical attraction theses in that spillover risks, by themselves, do not automatically drive the choice to avoid interaction.

Subsidiaries ofmultinational enterprises operate in an often conflicting dual context. Theyare at the same time a part of the external local host country environment andthe internal (MNE) global network. There is as yet limited integratedexplanation of the simultaneous co-evolution of internal subsidiary R&D andknowledge density and breadth in this dual network in particular, theconditions under which subsidiaries tap into local knowledge sources and whichnetwork partners are most useful and the attendant relations and role evolution(or diminution) within the MNE. This paper reports on a qualitative study offour MNE subsidiaries that are both internal MNE ‘centre of excellence’ andlong-serving and leading members of a mature high-tech cluster. In a series ofsemi-structured interviews with key knowledge holders the evolution ofsubsidiary R&D roles were teased out and the importance and quality ofrelations in the dual context are identified.

This paper conceptualizes the knowledge transfer implications of social (lateral) integration mechanisms in the MNE. The generation and transfer of knowledge among geographically dispersed units is one of the primary concerns for the multinational enterprise (MNE) (Ghoshal & Bartlett, 1990; Nohria & Ghoshal, 1997). One of the most used tools for MNE headquarters to stimulate knowledge transfer between subsidiaries, is social or lateral integration mechanisms (for example, committees, meetings, liaisons, expats) (Baliga & Jaeger, 1984). Social mechanisms are perceived as costlier than alternative coordination mechanisms (i.e. formal or centralized coordination mechanisms), but a range of studies have found that these mechanisms open up for communication, dialogue and trust which in turn facilitate knowledge sharing and capability development (i.e. Gupta and Govindarajan, 1991). In a study of an MNE with activities in more than 24 countries, we have data from 115 foreign units that inform on the extent to which the unit is socially integrated with the rest of the MNE, the extent of knowledge transfer between units as well as costs of bargaining between the unit and headquarters. Our findings suggest that social integration on the level of the individual employee increases knowledge transfer between units, but social integration viewed from the management level in the units has the opposite effect. In addition, social integration increases bargaining costs. These findings suggest that there is a darker side of social integration in MNE’s that warrant scholarly attention.

To assure future survival in a constantly changing environment, the executives’ task is to adapt the firm’s strategies according to their expected changes in the environment. Mintzberg (1978) describes this process as the interplay between environmental changes and organizational adaptation mediated by executive decision-making. For the executives in an internationalizing firm, the process of strategy formation is becoming increasingly complex, as it includes changes in several environments formed by foreign markets (Ghauri and Holstius 1996). The Uppsala internationalization process (IP) model (Johanson and Vahlne 1977, 1990) explains the firm’s internationalization process as driven by the firm’s strive for gaining market knowledge through experiential learning and allocate the firm’s resources to build market commitment. In this vein the specificity in the general conditions of the environment is held at the country level and often only rudimentarily defined. The environment is commonly assumed to be uncontrollable by the single firm, meaning that decisions in the internationalization process are reactive to the environment and occurring changes therein (Håkansson and Snehota 1989; Johanson and Vahlne 1977). Problems and opportunities are thereby instigators for the executives’ decisions that follow an ‘evaluation of alternatives [which] is based on some knowledge about relevant parts of the market environment and about performance of various activities’ (Johanson and Vahlne 1977, p. 27). The purpose of this chapter is thereby to study when and how regulatoryenvironments in general or in specific foreign local markets affect executives’strategy formation in the internationalization process of firms. Afterthe introduction, a theoretical discussion building a conceptual model forexplaining executive strategy formation in a firm’s internationalization processis presented.

The rapid development of today’s society is accelerated with digitalization and the customers have more possibilities to compare businesses with each-other than before. The focus on Customer Experience have increased in popularity during the last decade and an increasing number of companies have begun to consider the importance of their customers, the society, and their personnel. This study explores the customer experience in two companies in different industries and how it can be expanded to increase competitiveness and the emotional value towards the customers. An energy company and a bank are compared regarding their operations surrounding customer focus and employee commitment to identify challenges and possibilities in combination to increased digitalization. This study investigates how Customer Experience Management can be introduced, which is a corporate strategy to lift the emotional aspects of a company in order to increase the connection to its customers.

The study compares two companies through qualitative interviews and a quantitative employee survey to answer three research questions; (1) the current way in which the companies operate, (2) possibilities to develop through Customer Experience Management, and finally (3) how digital tools can be introduced in order to elevate the customer experience. The analysis combines the empirical findings with literature and theories to enable development for businesses who aim to increase their customer focus and customer experience concerning customer service and the organization. The findings of this study show that the companies have opportunities to progress in areas such as strategic focus, organizational culture and the potential to implement digital tools in order to increase the customer experience. Important factors which are considered drivers in the customer experience are ways to increase the customer satisfaction and loyalty, the commitment and motivation of the employees, as well as expressed strategies to saturate the organization. An increased focus on emotional value creation is considered crucial for companies to differentiate and increasing their competitiveness.

Background: Due to the increasing ageing population worldwide, humanity is facing global demographic challenges. For many people, their later years are often lived with changed functioning and the need for support in daily living activities. Assistive technology and welfare technology (AT/WT) constitute a partial solution to the demographic challenges. Objectives: The purpose of this literature review is to identify the policy features, such as decision models and guidance for the provision of AT/WT as reported in the current scientific literature. Methods: A literature review with a deductive approach using the structure of the Global Cooperation on Assistive Technology (GATE) model was conducted. The data were searched from the databases: PubMed, Cinahl Plus, and the Web of Science, resulting in nine included articles. Results: The findings are presented according to the structure of the eight domains from the GATE model— policy, assessment, procurement, technology, environment, usability, sustainability and rights— which are further grouped into categories exploring the variations in every domain. Conclusion: The review reveals a nascent and growing interest in the area; however, evidence-based decision models and other guidance on AT/WT are lacking. Recent scholarships and policy reforms can form the basis of stronger guidance to organise complex AT/WT systems, but further and future research is needed.

The purpose of this study is to investigate what a sustainable approach is to waste management and how to take actions in for-profit organisations when considering environmental and cost perspectives. This together with applying green supply chain management (GrSCM) to investigate these actions from multiple perspectives of a sustainable approach.

A qualitative study has been performed, a study which has been using an abductive approach. This abductive approach helps to keep the study unbiased and open for an iterative process to achieve new theories. A case study has been done at Saab AB in Arboga, and a reference case study has been done at Saab AB in Malmslätt. The case studies have been built around semi-structured interviews together with observations and document gathering. The data from the case studies are then compared and analysed along with three described analytical tools to reach a discussion and several conclusions.

This study have shown that waste management is important to address and utilise in several areas within a for-profit organisation. The main areas where it is important are regarding the operation, the employees, the actors, and the environment. It is found that issues like awareness and knowledge of the employees could be a key to find sustainable solutions with other actors to develop the waste management situation together with the green supply chain management. By addressing issues interconnected between environment and the operations on site, it is possible to conclude that every possible revision and change of the operations or the supply chain will mean a more significant initial cost. Costs that later on can be transformed into winnings for the organisation, either regarding money or terms of information, reputation, and attractiveness.

This article investigates the attempts to regulate innovation in Sweden’s road traffic system, specifically small, two-wheeled motorized vehicles or mopeds. Regulators wanted to establish a definition of the moped as a utility vehicle. Moped users and producers challenged their intentions, envisioning the moped as a vehicle for leisure. Our close reading of artefacts allows us to trace the evolution of moped technology and to conceptualize innovation in the moped niche. Situating moped innovation within the context of regulatory attempts and social change, we show how the imposition of technical requirements failed to regulate specific usage of a consumer technology. More broadly, the case study shows how users together with the producers find ways to innovate and shape technologies for their own purposes.

Keywords: freedom, moped, regulation, road traffic system, Sweden, welfare state

Method for engineering students provides an overview of how to formulate, design, produce and deliver a thesis of good quality. The book is relevant for all types of degree projects on bachelors’ and masters’ levels and is also useful when performing research work in other contexts. This is the first comprehensive book on research methodology for engineering students who are performing their degree project within or close to the social sciences. The book has been inspired by modern product design – the thesis is seen as a product – and takes as its starting point the fact that one may have two clients when carrying out a degree project (Academia and Industry). It also describes how to work one’s way through the process through the development of different prototypes. We see the thesis work as a form of craft and the book contains the most important scientific tools that are needed in order to make informed choices.