Increasing socio-technological complexity and ongoing environmental and social changes make it difficult to choose suitable approaches in today's innovation endeavors. Explorative and agile methods are increasingly used to reach out for disruptive innovations under uncertainty. However, feasibility of pioneering projects in business-critical contexts faces limitations in regulated branches. This doctoral thesis aims at contributing to service innovation research using a mixed-methods approach, being applied to several domains. Strategic Service Innovation (SSI) aspires to create novel digital service concepts ranging from radical technical innovations to business model pivoting.

Abstract Background: The fast development of technological systems has caused variouschallenges in the business management world, both from an employee and organizationalperspective. Despite the potential for exponential growth in information technology, thereis limited research in IT implementation literature. Adaptability in the workplace has beengreatly affected as humans are resistant to change. From an organizational perspective, theadoption/implementation of technological systems can be affected by the cost ofinvestment, resistance to change and the difficulties of integrating new technologies withexisting systems and processes. Purpose: The establishment of a framework that explains the process of IT adoption.Moreover, an investigation of how organizations and managers can efficiently manage theprocess of successful technology adoption and employee adaptation in an organization. Method: The qualitative study is grounded in an epistemological interpretivism paradigm.Through the usage of semi structured interviews and the Gioia coding analysis method, anexpert interview study was conducted. Conclusion: The research culminates in the creation of a loop model that explains the stepsof a successful IT adoption. The study identifies major challenges related to technologicalchange such as employee resistance and communication. It also highlights the importanceof managers and their respective characteristics required to address such challenges, which2are communication skills, expertise in the field and effective leadership. The studydevelops on the value creation opportunities of IT adoption.

Emerging technologies are reshaping the digital landscape and competitive environment of highly technological companies with the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI). Firms are reacting by implementing digital transformation (DT) strategies aligning the organizational and technological factors towards leveraging AI-generated information. This thesis sheds new light on the topics of knowledge management (KM), DT, and AI in organizational practices with an emphasis on AI-enhanced software-as-a-service (SaaS). The research results in a conceptual framework, designed from the literature on AI, DT, KM, and dynamic capability view (DCV) uncovering three overarching concepts (internal capabilities, absorptive capacity, and technological competitiveness). This conceptual framework was then complemented by empirical data featuring primary data gathered from a single case study and secondary data from an internet-mediated data collection. The interviews in the case study were focused on managers with extensive experience in the semiconductor industry and operators working with the AI-enhanced SaaS tool. The analysis concludes in an updated conceptual framework, highlighting the interplay of a firm’s internal capabilities and an AI-enhanced absorptive capacity indicating three pathways toward achieving technological competitiveness in a highly technological environment. Additionally, a proposed solution is presented featuring an AI-enhanced tool operator as a new role, responsible for supporting organization-wide activities with AI-generated information.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has forced companies to undergo a rapid digital transformation, including a shift towards remote-hybrid work structures. This has disrupted traditional ways of working, including strategic knowledge management (SKM). Effective SKM is crucial for organizations to succeed under remote-hybrid working arrangements and requires modernization of knowledge management strategies. Despite significant research on SKM and remote-hybrid work separately, there is a lack of understanding of how remote- hybrid work structures affect SKM, and the development of effective strategies to manage strategic knowledge in this new digital environment. Purpose: This thesis aims to investigate how remote-hybrid work structures influence the management of strategic knowledge in organizations. It aims to bridge the fields of SKM and hybrid organizations by exploring how organizations can design their infrastructures and processes to succeed with SKM under a remote-hybrid work structure. Method: This study adopts a critical realism research philosophy, an abductive research approach, and an exploratory single case study design to explore SKM in the context of remote- hybrid work structures. Data was collected through seven semi-structured interviews with CEOs and partners at different offices of the case company, as well as four observation sessions. The analysis of data was conducted in three steps, namely empirical analysis, abstraction, and retroduction. Conclusion: This study offers a unique perspective on the relationship between remote-hybrid work structures and SKM processes in organizations. By highlighting the importance of digital infrastructure and knowledge-sharing culture, the study identifies key factors for successfully managing strategic knowledge in this new work context. The study also provides a new conceptual framework that bridges the fields of remote-hybrid work and SKM, emphasizing the interlinks between infrastructures, organizational culture, and SKM processes. These insights provide a valuable contribution to both SKM research and practical implications for managers seeking to design effective SKM infrastructures and processes that provide a strategic advantage.

Product configuration systems (PCS) have the ability to significantly streamline the internal sales process within engineering-to-order (ETO) companies due to its ability to e.g. automate design and quotation processes. This is made possible through the accumulation of product specific knowledge put into a software which is used to create customer adaptable products at lower costs. PCS development is regarded resource heavy endeavors, and many projects have thus a hard time achieving an overall profitability. Recent studies have tried to establish frameworks that supports companies in achieving successful implementation processes. However, these studies mainly focus on technical implications and monetary benefits while lacking to establish and consider a comprehensive picture for the likelihood of PCS success. Thereby, this case study establishes a holistic framework for executives of ETO companies to consider when deciding on whether to invest in a PCS. The findings show that PCS provides benefits to its adopting organization by reducing engineering time and lead time during the sales process, increasing product specification quality, improving knowledge facilitation, contributing to the development of a streamlining mindset among its employees and provide the organization with an increased digital agility. For the organization to reap these benefits, it is highly dependent on its current setting (e.g. available resources, competences, organizational identity etc.), which should be evaluated thoroughly before deciding for investment. The study show that PCS investment should, in addition to streamlining sales process, be seen as a strategic investment. In a society influenced by digital solutions, PCS investment can be regarded a catalyst for organizations to become malleable, which have been suggested as a prerequisite for organizations in order to adopt to a digitally driven business environment. Additionally, implementing a PCS showed to contribute to the three pillars of sustainability by streamlining both the sales process as well as the, to some extent, assembly and production processes.

This paper investigates which leadership competencies are required in the 21st century. It further aims to set up a competency model for leaders based on the competency model of Erpenbeck, von Rosenstiel, and Heyse.To answer the research question seven leaders were interviewed as experts in the context of a cross-industry case study in service-providing departments in organizations in Germany. The case study is embedded in a critical realist environment. As research design, the realist evaluation cycle by Pawson and Tilley was used to identify context, trigger mechanisms, and outcomes.Further, four hypotheses were drawn up to approach the above-mentioned research problem. Each hypothesis covers one of the four identified research fields that are impacted by digital transformation concerning our working environment.The results showed that there cannot be set up an individual competency model for each research field. That is why a general competency model for leaders in the 21st century, the so-called cross-cutting leadership competency model, was developed. This competency model consists of four competency groups and twelve key competencies. The competency group “Personal Competency” includes the competencies “Openness toward Change” and “Employee/Staff Promotion”. The competency group "Activity and Action Competency" includes the competencies of “Capacity to make decisions”, “Energy/drive”, “Innovation Propensity” and “Goal-oriented Management”. “Ability to be on a team”, “Ability to Communicate”, “Relation Management”, and “Willingness to Understand” belong to the competency group “Socio-Communicative Competency”. “Ability to Teach” and “Specialized Knowledge” represent the group of “Methods and Professional Competency.

Recent technological advances are radically changing the industrial landscape and driving a digital transformation of industry. This transformation presents several challenges for industrial companies, notably the urgent need to bridge a widening skill gap. In order to address the skill gaps, industrial companies are exploring the potential of the Metaverse as a tool for workforce training.  The Metaverse is a unique, 3D multi-user environment, blending physical and digital elements, thereby facilitating interaction between objects and individuals. Given these features, it possesses the capacity to facilitate immersive learning within industrial firms, offering realistic and interactive training experiences. However, there is a lack of research and understanding regarding the application of the Metaverse for workforce training in these contexts.  Thus, the objective of this study is to explore how the Metaverse can be used by industrial companies and identify the driving factors behind its adoption. To fulfill this purpose, an exploratory qualitative study was conducted, employing semi-structured in-depth interviews that are analyzed thematically.  The study’s primary contribution is a practice-oriented framework detailing the interplay between technology, management, and people; explaining how they combine to support immersive learning. The framework offers unique insights and practical implications for industrial practitioners. Critically, the study emphasizes the importance of effective change management for aligning these three elements, emphasizing that successful implementation goes beyond mere adoption of technology. The study finds that the Metaverse is best viewed as a complement to traditional physical training in industrial companies, identifying specific practical use-cases where the Metaverse can be utilized effectively.

Många stora organisationer som myndigheter och banker arbetar med en monolitisk applikationsarkitektur som är ett gammalt sätt att strukturera applikationer. Flera faktorer som att attrahera och behålla talang, vara skalbar och flexibel, samt en bra tjänsteleverans driver dessa organisationer att byta till en mikrotjänstorienterad arkitektur. Att migrera stora applikationer och samtidigt leverera tjänster till kunder eller användare är en stor och svår uppgift. Problemet är att det inte finns tillräckligt med forskning om hur man arbetar under denna typ av modernisering av applikationsarkitekturen samtidigt som organisatorisk stabilitet upprätthålls. Denna studie syftar till att bättre förstå hur organisatorisk stabilitet kan upprätthållas under tider av stora tekniska förändringar i arbetssätt under övergångsperioden för arkitekturer. Studien utgick från följande forskningsfråga: Hur upprätthålls organisatorisk stabilitet under övergångsperioden för modernisering av arkitekturer under flytten mot mikrotjänster? Studien har baserats på en kvalitativ ansats, där en fallstudie har använts för att samla in empiriskt material. Studiens empiriska material har samlats in genom åtta semistrukturerade intervjuer med anställda med olika roller på myndigheten som utför ett storskaligt applikationsarkitektur projekt; containerprojektet. Datan analyserades med hjälp av tematisk analys. Studiens resultat visar hur både förberedande och löpande hantering är viktiga för framgång. I de förberedande stadierna är faktorer relaterade till risktagande och hantering av projektets arbetsstyrka viktiga att besluta om. När projektet väl har startat är det viktigt att aktivt arbeta med förändringsarbete och att vara flexibel, kommunicera med riktad information och hantera varje specifikt hinder noggrant. Studien visade också hur valet av teknik inte är avgörande för projektets framgång utan en metod för att nå dit. Resultaten har visat hur uppdelningen av en stor plan i mindre projekt, som vidare delas upp i faser, är en framgångsfaktor. Studien har bidragit med nya insikter till forskningen inom IT-hantering och applikationsarkitektur. / Many large organizations, such as government entities and banks, operate with a monolithic application architecture, an old way of structuring applications. Several factors including attracting and maintaining talent, being scalable and flexible, as well as a good service delivery, are driving these organizations to change toward a microservice-oriented architecture. To migrate large applications while simultaneously delivering the services to clients or users is a large and challenging task. The problem is that there is insufficient research on how to work during this type of application architecture modernization while maintaining organizational stability. This thesis aims to better understand how organizational stability can be maintained during times of disruptive technological change in the workspace during the transition period of architecture. The study utilized the following research question: How to maintain organizational stability in the transition period of architectural modernization moving towards microservices? The study has been based on a qualitative approach, where one case has been used in gathering empirical material. The study's empirical material has been collected through eight semi-structured interviews with employees of various roles at the Swedish agency performing a large-scale application architecture project; the containerization-project. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The thesis findings show how both preparatory and ongoing management contributions are essential for success. In the preparatory stages, factors related to risk-taking and managing the project workforce are essential to decide. Once the project has started, it is crucial to work on change management efforts actively and to be flexible, communicate with targeted information, and handle each specific obstacle carefully. The study also showed how the choice of technologies is not central to the project's success but a method to get there. The findings have shown how dividing a large plan into smaller projects, further divided into phases, is a success factor. The study contributed new insights to IT management and application architecture research.

According to UNESCO (2021) 43% of museums faced closure in the first quarter of 2021 due to an ongoing pandemic. Those that could, offered digital experiences to maintain links with their visitors, and for those institutions without the skills or resources to reach out to their visitors, their very existence remained in a state of flux. The situation in Sweden was no different and, prior to UNESCO’s published figures of 2021, the Swedish Government (2020) instigated an inquiry to establish the necessary interventions required to reignite the heritage sector post pandemic. The inquiry found a history of challenging problems for the sector. One problem recognised was the need for a digitalised sector to sustain heritage, and secondly, the motivation for this research, the lack of skills and resources in the sector. The aims of this research therefore were twofold. Firstly, to identify what digital skills andeducation are needed in galleries, libraries, archives, and museums, (GLAM) and secondly, to test the hypothesis that Higher Education curricula in Sweden requires a programme of analysis and restructure. Notwithstanding a review of past literature review to reflect on previous research of skills and education in the sector, an in-depth analysis of the Governmental inquiry also took place. As a secondary research activity, a sample of respondents were selected to represent small and large institutions across the sector. Comments, experiences, and opinions regarding lack of resources and skills, were extrapolated from recorded interviews, surveys and responses to the Governmental Inquiry which were noted and logged. Secondly, an analysis of skills required in current job vacancies in the sector took place. Additionally, perspectives from sector unions were sought, and finally, a limited survey of employee thoughts on current skills and what skills they believed they needed for the future was completed. The results indicated that discourse of skills and the digital vision in the sector have been ongoing for many years and that a global pandemic had to be the instigator for governmental intervention. There is also a traditional approach to the education of graduates in galleries, archives, and museums, unlike those educated to work inlibraries. archives and researchers via digital humanities programs. For those entering the profession in museums and galleries, there is little, if any exposure to digital practices. Barriers to change included financing, infrastructures, and a lack of leadership development in the sector. Digital transformations it was felt, requires a top-down approach and leadership is currently not in situ.

The aviation industry has some tough years behind it due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the emergence of low cost carriers. In the competition of retaining and attracting passengers, the importance of the passenger's airport experience has been discovered. This thesis investigates how digitalising of airports can lead to an enhanced airport experience for passengers. With the use of a digital transformation model and the field of service design a research design of four phases has been assembled. Through in-depth interviews, participation in a vision seminar and shadowing of passengers, the current state of digitalisation at airports has been assessed and goals for a future digital airport has been defined. This laid the foundation for the developed vision for future digital airports presented in this thesis. The results indicated that digitalisation can have a great impact on passengers' airport experience if properly designed. In fact, simply digitising is not enough, the airports must undergo a digital transformation to reach the full potential of digitalisation. The digital maturity of passengers is also found as a key point to successfully change the way airports operate.