The rapid growth and development of emerging markets have made them noteworthy actors in today’s globalized world. These markets are no longer restricted to resourceful MNCs. The potential these markets represent has also been captured by an increasing number of opportunity seeking INVs. Meanwhile, INVs are different from MNCs. Hence, what influences the entry mode decision of MNCs may not be the case for INVs. Furthermore, studies on INVs present a dilemma between alternative governance structures and FDIs. The objective of this paper is therefore to examine how the different factors influence the entry mode decision of INVs in emerging markets. The factors considered are taken from the conceptual model of Lin (2000). These are entering firm, market environment, partner factor, transaction-specific factor, and competitive strategy. This paper performs qualitative research by conducting semi-structured interviews with four INVs from different emerging markets to address the objective. The findings of this paper support the use of HRC modes, especially wholly-owned subsidiaries, in emerging markets. This decision is mostly influenced by transaction-specific and competitive strategic concerns. Knowledge-based INVs have to protect against leakages and expropriation of their valuable assets. This is why partner factors are of less significance when deciding on an entry mode. The risk of losing knowledge to partners is considered greater than the benefits of sharing risks. Furthermore, local presence signifies long-term commitment and makes it easier to seize emerging opportunities. Moreover, entering firm variables are also significant influencers of the decision. An international orientation is vital for the firm to risk using complex modes in highly uncertain markets. The market environment factor is therefore of less significance because the firms acknowledge that emerging markets are inevitable for niche-serving INVs. Considering the entry mode dilemma for INVs, this paper supports the use of FDIs. INVs need to take strategically optimal choices, despite their being start-ups. Alternative governance structures are not supported due to transaction-specific and competitive strategic variables. The argument supporting alternative governance structures, namely resource and power constraints, can be overcome through leveraging on other sources. The financial constraints are also of less significance due to the low-cost nature of emerging markets. Efficiency and context-specific knowledge can be learnt over time. Meanwhile, control is important in uncertain environments marked by unpredictable conditions. Hence, extant research on this area supporting the use of alternative governance structures is discarded due to the conflicting findings, especially when considering emerging markets. However, this field needs further research to support the findings of this study. Researchers eager to explore this relatively untouched field have more than enough to keep themselves occupied with.

The Triple Helix model promotes interaction between the government, universities and industry through free flow of information. The model is created with a closed system in mind. Free flow of information is illustrated by local interaction, without mention of external influence from e.g. global companies or donor organizations. In developing countries these actors play an important role and may influence the local Triple Helix. This influence is the basis for the main research question of this study.Research was conducted through a case study of Uganda and its hydropower sector. Relevant actors within the sector were interviewed in accordance to three sub questions on University-Industry collaboration. Through a thematic analysis of these semi-structured interviews, empirical results are presented. There is little UI-collaboration within hydropower in Uganda. The foreign actors within this sector wish to collaborate with the university, but request a national framework. A number of challenges to UI-collaboration in Uganda are revealed, which can be generalized as problems of all developing countries, i.e. lack of capital, weak institutions and lack of initiative to more collaboration.It is argued that foreign industry benefit from local knowledge and supports the local Triple Helix interactions. In the university, there is a need for a catalyst to initiate changes to enable increased UI-collaboration. Neither the government nor the industry is able to take this role. Donors are identified as important actors in developing countries and suggested as a catalyst. However, the study finds donors’ way of working to be slowing down the development in developing countries. This calls for a change in donor support, and further research to validate such change is suggested.It is concluded that the open system influence of donors, foreign industry and other similar institutions influence the Triple Helix interactions in developing countries. The model is still valid, as the external influence is supportive of local institutional interactions. To better illustrate the situation in developing countries, The Open Triple Helix model is introduced, which includes external actors as an influence to the Triple Helix model in developing countries.

This thesis addresses valuation of new technology-based ventures. Its main contribution is a framework for new technology-based venture valuation based on use of both empirically identified success criteria and traditional financial valuation theory. The framework is based on the principle that new technology-based venture value is driven by venture success, and that one therefore can assess a venture’s value through assessing its’ performance on criteria indicating success. To our knowledge this is the first framework for new technology-based venture valuation using this principle.In the thesis we conduct a thorough literature review on venture success, and we identify a series of success criteria. We also assess the impact of applying traditional financial theory on the new venture market. A framework is developed based on the theoretical development and the identified criteria. A preliminary empirical investigation to verify the identified factors is also conducted, and an indication of its ability to predict success is assessed. The framework is applied in a case study, and the results are compared to reference values. Conclusions on its applicability and value are drawn.The thesis consists of two main parts. The first part is a theoretically based article aimed for publication and the second part is a report that has a more applied context. Both the article and the report cover some of the same topics, but are aimed at different audiences of readers. Both parts can be read separately.

The thesis studied resilience in drilling and well operations at an oil company operating on the Norwegian continental shelf, with a major focus on the onshore drilling support function in the case company. Drilling for oil and gas involves significant risks, according to scientists, authorities and the industry itself. The risks of offshore oil extraction have also been manifested through major accidents like the Deepwater Horizon. At the same time, the industry faces challenges like less reservoirs and rising operating costs. The development of new technology for collecting and transmitting data and new ways of working emerged about a decade ago and is often referred to as Integrated Operations or simply IO. The changes made new ways of working over distance possible, which were said to have produced numerous advantages that would lead to improved productivity and profitability as well as HSE. Some scientists however have warned against possible negative risks associated to Integrated Operations that should be accounted for. At the same time, within the safety management science Resilience Engineering has evolved as a well acknowledged theory for building resilient organizations. However, the literature on Resilience Engineering is rather new, and some authors have called for more empirical studies of resilience in practice. To perform a study on resilience in practice in an IO environment, the following research questions were formulated:•How does collaboration technology and integrating of operations influence resilience?•How can resilience be engineered in an IO environment?A case study design was chosen, and the case was delimited to compass the selected case company's drilling and well operations units with the organization's onshore drilling support center as the core object of study. The qualitative research methods semi structured interviews of key personnel at the case company and observation of work practice were used for data collection. In addition some documents were used.The study started off by investigating how the case operates, and in particular how they utilize collaboration technology and work over geographical and organizational borders. Specifically, the focus of attention was to identify the risks and challenges in drilling and well operations and how the organization operates in such an environment. The data collection then focused on how the organization manages risks and what factors contribute to resilience. Relevant literature was reviewed in order to identify characteristics resilient organizations. The data collected at the case company were then compared with the literature study and the organization's resilience was then sought to explain.The analysis resulted in a set of recommendations that was seen as key contributors to resilience for the case, and may be useful recommendations for organizations in other relevant contexts. The suggested steps towards a resilient organization are:•Organize the workers into teams of experts in collaborative open space offices•Make sure employees have experience from relevant work practice•Have organizational processes that facilitate collaboration in place•Use analytics on historical and realtime data extensively•Have knowledge databases with lessons learned and best practices•Invest in new technology and workplace facilities•Create positive attitudes towards change•Encourage curiosity and employees' interest in their field of expertise

A global CEO study conducted by IBM in 2006 showed that business model innovation has a higher correlation with operating margin growth than any other type of innovation. It is therefore not surprising that business model innovation is a buzzword increasingly seen in business jargon and literature. However, the field is quite novel and finding ways of approaching and understanding the subject has been more elusive. This thesis presents a comprehensive and academically founded approach to business model innovation, including a framework that can be applied by managers to transform their business, and building capabilities that can become a source of competitive advantage.

As the modern business world has entered a state of what has been called “a hurricane of globalization”, the incentives for manufacturing companies to enhance their competitiveness are higher than ever. Many multinational manufacturing companies now choose to implement operations best practices like Lean Manufacturing in their multi-plant manufacturing networks in order to accomplish this. The Jotun Group is a multinational manufacturer of paint which has established Jotun Operations Academy – a training program for employees – in order to transfer best practices to the company’s subsidiaries. However, headquarters has experienced that the effect of the improvement initiative has varied between the company’s subsidiaries, and wants to learn why this is the case. Literature within the area has recognized several barriers which may occur when introducing new best practices to an organizational unit. The aim of this study is to increase the understanding of the conditions that influence implementation of operations best practices in the subsidiaries of a multinational company. In order to accomplish this, a comparative case study of two manufacturing units in the Jotun Group is conducted, investigating one plant in Flixborough (England) and one plant in Jakarta (Indonesia). Through the comparative case study, the study will i) investigate the degree of best practice implementation in the two subsidiaries, ii) identify factors which have influenced the implementation and iii) provide an explanation for the different outcomes of the two cases. The choice of using a case design builds on voices in the literature which argue that implementation of a best practice depends on multiple contextual conditions. Drawing on the strengths of such a research design, the study employs multiple sources of evidence, such as: semi-structured and un-structured interviews, direct observation, documentation and a survey. Further, in order to guide the collection of empirical data, the study uses theory from seven streams of literature: Absorptive Capacity Theory, Contingency Theory, Change Management, Agency Theory, Corporate Socialization, Resource Dependency Theory, and the cultural dimensions of GLOBE. The background for the comparative study was a perception that the Flixborough-plant had achieved major improvements through employment of the new practices, while not much had happened in Jakarta. The investigations create a more nuanced impression of the current situation; the managers in Jakarta have indeed made some attempts to use the new practices, and the practices are to some degree implemented in the organization. Still, local managers are finding it difficult to achieve results from the new practices, and both managers and other employees are losing focus on the practice implementation. In comparison, the best practices are much more widespread in the Flixborough organization. Employees are found to value the practices to a greater extent than in Jakarta, suggesting that one has achieved a higher level of internalization. This appears to have had a positive effect on the ability to create lasting changes in the organization.The study identifies 23 factors which have contributed to the different states of implementation in Flixborough and Jakarta. These are appearing on three levels of analysis: subsidiary level, company level and national level. The identified factors are used to construct and propose a multidisciplinary model for factors influencing best practice implementation in a multinational context, presented on page 80. Although the findings suggest a complex interaction between multiple factors on different levels, the discussion identifies some particular conditions as major determinants for the different outcomes in the two cases.•First, in line with Absorptive Capacity Theory, the discussion shows how the plant in Flixborough clearly had a major advantage over the one in Jakarta due to higher levels of prior relevant knowledge and practical experience. •Second, the discussion reveals several differences in the way the local change processes were managed, the most essential factor appearing to be local top managements’ efforts as a driving force in Flixborough.•Third, a discussion drawing on Agency Theory goes a long way to explain the different behaviours of the managers at the two plants, as the discussion reveals misaligned incentives between headquarters and local managers in Jakarta. •Fourth, a strictly limited degree of monitoring from headquarters appears to have made room for the misdirected efforts from the Indonesian managers. •Some cultural factors are found to function as potential restraints for the implementation, but not as determinants of the final outcome.For managers of multinational parent companies, the findings imply that providing theoretical knowledge about best practices to local managers is not enough in itself. In order to achieve higher levels of implementation, local managers must both possess a practical understanding of how to translate practices into results, and have incentives to perform considerable efforts on behalf of the implementation initiative. As a contribution to theory, the explanatory power of each of the employed theoretical perspectives is discussed. Further, the study clearly indicates the value of distinguishing between different levels of implementation, and to recognize that a units’ ability to make use of operations best practices is a major issue during best practice transfer. A main limitation of the study is the restricted number of cases, and future researchers are encouraged to test the proposed model on a higher number of manufacturing plants – preferably also across several parent companies.