Companies that want to compete in the actual business environment need to be innovative. The shortening of product life cycles and the increasing competition force the companies to successfully come up with new ideas. In previous research some quantitative studies have been done on small companies using design management, notably in Italy and Spain. Sweden is both known for its small companies and its design. The purpose of the study is to explore design management in small Swedish companies.  This thesis aims to continue exploring the field of design management especially in small companies. We outline the following research questions: “How do small companies using design management generate their ideas?” and “How do small companies using design management select their ideas?”. To find an answer, we reviewed relevant literature concerning this topic and based on this we developed a theoretical frame including our own research platform.  Concerning our methodological approach, we choose the abductive approach since it enables us answering our research questions by extending our theoretical framework for this complex topic. Our research strategy is a qualitative study and our research design is a multiple case study using semi-structured interviews.  Our empirical findings consist of four interviews divided in two sets. The interviews were conducted in London, Gothenburg and Skellefteå. The first set of interviews addressed design management consultancies with the aim to have an overview of how small companies generate and select their ideas. The second set of interviews addressed small companies in Northern Sweden. Our findings are a synthesis of the broad view of the consultants and the case specific views of the small companies’ managers.  From these interviews, we have concluded that the design management knowledge in Swedish small companies varies and is rather rare. Nevertheless, small companies can follow design management principles without knowing the term design management (what we call silent design management). Also, the small companies we have interviewed do not use always their network to innovate but also sometimes innovate to maintain and develop their network, even ending sometimes with a joint venture with external partners. Relationships between external partners and small companies’ representatives are consequently a very important factor while finding and selecting ideas. We have analyzed design as a strategic tool and design management as a way to have a long-term strategy. We have deduced from our interviews that design management can be considered as a dynamic capability, acquired in our cases by a corporate culture or internal processes. The design process seems to be more iterative in small companies because they seem to guess more and less estimate their expected outcomes. However, a clear vision streamlines the design process, especially in small companies using design management.  We gladly recommend further research in this field, to check if the results of our research are generalizable or to look for new research gaps.

Since the late 20th century, people extended to over-consume and over-discharge all kinds of resources and made the resources decreased hugely. The resources in the earth are not unlimited. Emissions and pollutions brought human all kinds of crisis. Social-trended management becomes the main stream of business operation in the 21st century, and it is not countable for the corporations that were incapable to follow this change. The awake of limit of the Earth resources had made the corporations start to respect the importance of resource reclamations as well as resource application, which means, in the recycle society, they started to create the new economical added-value of resources by 3R: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Now, more and more corporations are awaken of the damages environment pollution made to humans, and this is not a ignorable power. To research how the corporations combine their management strategies with the concepts of keeping a sustainable environment is the main target of this study. How do the corporations set up their management strategies by keeping the environment sustainable? In this study, we will discuss this topic by 3 dimensions and procedures: 1¡B Influences on business management made by the direct and indirect benefit parties of the corporations. 2¡B The Corporations¡¦ application of Green Management brings the corporations themselves more Green Values. 3¡B Use the past capability to develop a dynamic ability and create a competitive advantage of the corporation. Normal corporations emphasize on the development of single strategy, and ignore how to set up ¡ustrategic agendas¡v and ¡ustrategic target¡v, and plenty of them are lack of thoughts of integration. According to the point of resource-based view, each corporation shall understand its own value, its special property and its un-imitate resources to create its advantage. In the quick-varying environment, the corporations shall own its ability to increase its advantages by using the point of view of resources to develop a dynamic ability and create its continuing competitive advantage. This study takes 7 corporations which execute sustainable environment effectively in Taiwan by preceding a Qualitative Research, interview and collect every kind of documents and news, to analyze each of their Green Strategies.

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A internacionalização das atividades de P&D permite às empresas multinacionais, dentre outras, acesso à tecnologia, que não seria obtida apenas com atuação no país de origem da companhia. Essa possibilidade pode promover uma maior capacidade de exploração do conhecimento tecnológico, podendo vir a se tornar uma plataforma de desenvolvimento de capacidades dinâmicas. O presente trabalho busca analisar como a internacionalização de P&D contribui para o desenvolvimento dos aspectos da capacidade dinâmica, tendo em vista que os elementos que a compõem podem ser mais facilmente alcançados com a dispersão de subsidiárias de P&D pelo mundo, garantindo, assim, maiores possibilidades de detecção de novas oportunidades mercadológicas e tecnológicas, melhores condições de aproveitamento e gestão adequada de mudanças do ambiente. Quanto à amplitude teórica, compreendem estudos relacionados a estruturas de internacionalização da atividade de P&D, como motivadores e coordenação de P&D e sua relação como os pressupostos inerentes ao desenvolvimento de capacidade dinâmica. Quanto aos procedimentos metodológicos foram adotadas a abordagem qualitativa exploratória, com análise de estudos de caso em empresas multinacionais brasileiras que possuem subsidiárias de P&D internacionalizadas. Com a pesquisa concluiu-se que a internacionalização de P&D motivada para aumento do conhecimento e com estrutura de coordenação de P&D descentralizadas e integradas influencia fortemente no desenvolvimento da capacidade dinâmica. / The internationalization of R & D allows multinational companies, among others, access technology, which would not be obtained only with operations in the home country of the company. This possibility can promote a greater ability to explore technological knowledge and could become a platform for the development of dynamic capabilities. This study aims to analyze how the internationalization of R & D contributes to the development of aspects of dynamic capability, given that the elements that make up the dynamic capability can be more easily achieved with R & D subsidiaries overseas, thus ensuring greater detection of possibilities of new technological and market opportunities, better utilization and proper management of environmental changes. Regarding the theoretical breadth, this work includes studies related to structures for internationalization activity of R&D, as well as the assumptions inherent in the development of dynamic capability. Regarding to the methodological procedures, exploratory qualitative approach will be adopted, through analyzing of case studies in Brazilian multinational companies that have R&D internationalized. Through research it was concluded that the internationalization of R&D motivated to increase knowledge and with decentralized and integrated coordination structure of R&D, influences strongly the development of dynamic capability.

Abstract The present thesis analyses different software supplier types and the development of supplier firms in the context of the Finnish ICT cluster, which underwent rapid growth in the 1990s. The central brand-owner firms in the cluster have been accompanied by a high number of smaller industrial supplier firms that base their business on serving their large customer organisations. The research to date on the ICT cluster has largely focused on understanding the development and purchasing strategies of the large customer firms and thus does not provide a sufficient basis for understanding how supplier firms in the cluster operate and develop. It is this gap that the present study undertakes to address. The thesis begins by building a theoretical framework that identifies the main factors affecting the development of industrial supplier firms. The inner context of the framework is based on the resource-based view of the firm and the capability approach, while the outer context rests on principles drawn from theories of evolutionary economics. Supplier development is analysed as a change from one firm type to another. The empirical part of the thesis consists of a quantitative and a qualitative study. The former identifies five software supplier types and elaborates a typology capturing their main features, e.g., key resources, capabilities and operating logic. The latter then applies the theoretical framework in analysing the development of four software supplier firms within the ICT cluster. The empirical analysis generates a number of propositions on the development of software supplier firms that together constitute a description of the firms' typical development path and the most significant resources and capabilities enabling the development identified. The software suppliers' change from providing customised software services towards independent production of software products was found to be extremely difficult. The thesis concludes with a discussion of strategy-level choices that are relevant in managing this type of development.

Introduction - Firms nowadays are trying to build a sustainable competitive advantage toensure their long term stay within the market. But as the business environment is rapidlychanging due to the new technology, it makes it difficult for firms to develop a competitiveadvantage. Moreover, SMEs in emerging economies are struggling with how to develop theircapacity to respond to the shift in the business environment. Purpose - The purpose of this study is to adopt Teece’s (2007) framework in the developingcountry to be able to understand and identify the capabilities that an entrepreneur needs tohave to be successful, especially emphasizing how Saffron produces SMEs in Afghanistancan perform the good competition in an unstable environment and provide factors on howentrepreneurs can get a sustainable competitive advantage using the DC framework. Method – This study was carried out by using a qualitative approach with an exploratorynature and a case study research design. The main data was collected by conducting in-depthinterviews with entrepreneurs in the saffron business. To analysis the collected data, the sixstep of thematic analysis method by Barun and Clarke (2016) was used. Findings – In the collected data, there is evidence that indicates that entrepreneurs inemerging markets can use the DC framework to gain and increase their capabilities to dealwith the uncertainty in the business environment and firms need to change theirorganizational structure from centralized to decentralized. Meanwhile, flexibility inoperations and adaptability to changes can afford SMEs with a greater possibility to gain acompetitive advantage in an unstable business environment. Further, while female'sparticipation in the value chain of the economy is more effective compared to males, theirrole in leading businesses remains marginal, therefore, firms cannot gain competitiveadvantage by systematically excluding some resources such a women’s. There is potentialloss of excluding women if international partners would prefer more diversity in products.Human resources is also a capacity of SMEs that is difficult to replicate. Hence, SMEs inemerging markets cannot gain a competitive advantage by workforce gender segregation.

Abstract Purpose: To investigate the role of dynamic capabilities in the Internationalization of born global firms from developing countries in Africa.  Design approach/Methods: The study employed a qualitative research method with a multiple case research design. Four born global firms from two developing countries in Africa were analyzed. Verification strategies were utilized to enhance the validity and reliability of the research findings.  Originality: Most of the previous research on the role of dynamic capabilities in the Internationalization of firms has attempted to operationalize empirical findings either with a single case study or multiple case studies of firms from developed countries, or multiple case studies of firms from the same sector or country. Therefore, as a reason for these paucities, this paper exists to investigate the role of dynamic capability in the Internationalization of born global from developing countries in Africa. Findings: The dynamic capability is the critical reason why and how firms stay competitive.The study found out that born globals from developing countries hire external consultants, conduct competitor analysis, utilized their local and international networks and conducts comprehensive market analysis to effectively sense market opportunities. Additionally, the firms invested substantial amounts in staff skills development, new product development, and new market development to seize opportunities. Besides, some of the firms capitalized on remote working systems, digital marketing and hiring of employees with prior international experience to effectively seize market opportunities. With regards to reconfiguring resources, all the firms utilized partnerships with leading multinational companies as a means of reconfiguring its resources to address the weaknesses within the company. To transform as an organization as well as to manage risks, most of the firms engaged in proactive decision making, diversification, utilized digital marketing and implemented digitization systems.  Keywords: Born Global, SMEs, Dynamic Capability, Internationalization, Developing Countries

Purpose: In the past two decades, shopping online has grown at a rapid pace, and it had a significant impact on every player in the retail industry from a small retailer to large retail chains. The retailers were forced to redefine the way they operate by managing various channels to reach their consumers. This study explores the obstacles that small retailers are facing while transitioning to omnichannel retailing and identify the capabilities required to overcome the obstacles. Main research questions: 1. What market pressures do small retailers experience with the change in consumer shopping behavior? 2. What are the obstacles that small retailers face while transitioning into omnichannel retailing? 3. Which capabilities assist the small retailers in overcoming the obstacles that they are facing while transitioning into omnichannel retailing? Methodology: This thesis has conducted multiple case studies. In the study, eight small retailers located in Uppsala and Stockholm are the main research participants. After reviewing the relevant literature and collecting empirical data via interviews, we categorized the findings into different themes. And analyzed the empirical findings by using the dynamic capability framework. Findings: The findings from the study reveal that retailers encountered challenges associated with managing channel integration, lack of availability of resources, and skills necessary for transforming into omnichannel retailing, which aligns with findings from the literature. In addition to that, the study found obstacles that small retailers have abundant responsibilities within their small organization. They perceive low returns on technology investments and have complications associated with it. Furthermore, small retailers have limited knowledge of the use of advanced technologies.

The purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of DevOps adoption on organizational agility. The first chapter establishes through literature review and a pilot study, a theoretical definition of DevOps and identifies through survey data, the key DevOps adoption capabilities. The definition and key capabilities identified during the pilot study establishes the foundation through which a subsequent study is performed. The second chapter details an examination of the effects of DevOps adoption capability on organizational agility. Through capability theory, we propose that DevOps adoption capability positively affects organizational agility. We also propose that the capabilities of collaboration/communication, continuous monitoring, measurement and automation positively affect DevOps adoption capability and likewise; the capabilities of responsiveness, competency, flexibility, and quickness affect organizational agility capability. We test our model with survey data collected from 333 respondents and find that our hypotheses are supported and that DevOps adoption capability has a positive effect on organizational agility capability. / Business Administration/Management Information Systems

The art of unwinding voluminous data expects the expertise in analyzing meaningful decisions out of the acquired information. To encounter new age challenges, practitioners are trying hard to shatter the constraints and work edge-to-edge to achieve higher performance (Market, Financial and Operational performance). It is evident that organizations desire to exploit maximum of their injected resources, but often fail to reap their actual potential. Developing resource-based capabilities stands out to be the most concerned aspect for the firms in recent times, and the same is studied by the previous scholars. In the dearth of literature, it is challenging to find out evidence which marks up the effect of strategic resources in the development of dynamic organizational capability. This study is a two-fold attempt to examine the relationship between organizational capabilities, i.e. big data predictive analytics while achieving superior organizational performance; also, examining the effect of control variables on superior organizational of performance. We tested our research hypotheses using cross-sectional data of 209 responses collected using pre-tested single-informant questionnaire. The results underpin criticality human factor while developing analytical capabilities dynamic in nature in the process of achieving superior performance.