This thesis investigates strategic alliances in the aviation industry, focusing on resource sharing, using Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) within Star Alliance and SkyTeam as case studies. It examines the operational and competitive benefits of these collaborations through qualitative research, including interviews with executives and experts. The study highlights alliance dynamics like antitrust immunity, code sharing, and the resource-based view. Findings show alliances improve operational efficiency, competitive positioning, and customer service. It also considers the impact of new technologies and global events on alliances, which pool tangible (technology, infrastructure) and intangible assets (brand reputation, identity), fostering deeper integration. This research enhances understanding of strategic drivers in airline alliances and the complexities of resource sharing in the global aviation sector.

Abstract Nowadays, the locus of innovations is in research and development (R&D) networks formed by companies, research agencies, universities, and governmental agencies. Innovation is seen as a source of success of corporations, nations and communities, and therefore there is a long tradition for R&D research and innovation research. Networking is the answer for the changed environment caused by globalisation, fragmentation of the knowledge base and specification of the research into several fields that cause increased financial resource and capability demand for the actors developing new offerings. Collaboration in R&D networks is necessary because resources, expertise, and capabilities are not possessed and capable of being managed by single actors. R&D networks may emerge from among willing actors or intentionally by active actors or based on existing social or strategic relationships of actors. This study focuses on intentional R&D nets and managing in these R&D nets. This study describes and understands, firstly how managing in net is conducted during R&D net formation and collaboration, secondly what benefits are achieved, and thirdly what challenges are noted in relation to managing in R&D nets. Managing in R&D nets is seen to consist of managerial processes and roles for managing. Managing in R&D nets is studied in two phases, firstly empirically in four (4) peer-reviewed papers. The papers stem from a single longitudinal case study of managing in an R&D net. The case study includes both a historical and a follow-up time perspective. Secondly, as the studies have been published between 2005 and 2008, their results needed to be compared to more novel and contemporary findings to show the contribution. Hence, in the second phase, a systematic literature review covering studies on R&D and innovation network management published between 2004–14 is conducted. Thereafter and based on the comparison to contemporary research, the findings of this study that are supported, contradicted and/or still novel are discussed. The novel findings of this study are the following. Firstly, this study extends the time frame of managing in R&D nets. Secondly, it proposes a process model for understanding R&D net formation and collaboration, based on overlapping, simultaneous and iterative activities in R&D net. Thirdly, as a novel finding, this study creates a conceptual framework for depicting and typologising roles for managing in R&D nets. Finally, this study extends the understanding of benefits and challenges of managing in R&D nets. This study provides recommendations both for managers as well as for research of managing in R&D nets. / Tiivistelmä Innovaatiot syntyvät yritysten, yliopistojen, tutkimuslaitosten ja julkisten toimijoiden verkostoissa. Innovaatiot ovat yritysten, yhteisöjen ja kansojen menestyksen lähde, joten niiden tutkimuksella on pitkät perinteet. Verkostomaisella tuotekehitystoiminnalla uusien innovaatioiden: tuotteiden ja palveluiden kehittäjät vastaavat markkinoiden globalisaation, tutkimuksen erikoistumisen ja tiedon fragmentoitumisen aiheuttamaan tiedollisten ja taloudellisten resurssien vaatimusten kasvuun. Yhteistyö tutkimus- ja kehitysverkostoissa (T&K) on välttämätöntä, koska tarvittavat resurssit, osaaminen ja kyvykkyydet eivät ole yksittäisten toimijoiden hallussa tai hallittavissa. T&K-verkot voivat olla toimijoiden tarkoituksellisesti kokoamia, muodistua vapaasti toimijoiden havaitessa yhteiset intressit tai muodostua aikaisemmista verkostossa toimineiden toimijoiden sulautuessa tutkimaan ja kehittämään yhdessä. Tämä tutkimus keskittyy tarkoituksellisesti koottujen T&K-verkkojen tutkimus- ja kehitysverkkojen johtamiseen. Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena on kuvata, ymmärtää ja käsitteellistää: ensiksi, miten tutkimus- ja kehitysverkoissa johdetaan verkon muodostumisen ja varsinaisen tutkimus- ja kehitystoiminnan aikana, toiseksi mitä etuja tutkimus- ja kehitysverkon johtamisella on verkon toimijoille ja kolmanneksi, mitä haasteita tutkimus- ja kehitysverkon johtamisessa on ja kolmanneksi, T&K-verkkojen johtaminen kattaa tässä tutkimuksessa johtamisen prosessit ja johtamisen rooli. T&K-verkkojen johtamista tutkitaan kahdessa vaiheessa, ensiksi empiirisesti neljän (4) vertaisarvioidun tutkimuspaperin avulla. Tutkimuspaperit perustuvat yhden tapauksen pitkittäistutkimukseen T&K-verkoissa johtamisesta. Tapaustutkimuksessa tarkastellaan tapausta seuranta- ja historiatutkimuksen aikaperspektiivistä. Toiseksi, koska tutkimuspaperien julkaiseminen on ajoittunut vuosille 2005-2008, tulee niiden tuloksista johdettava kontribuutio verrata uudemman aikalaiskirjallisuuden kanssa. Tästä johtuen tutkimuksen toisessa vaiheessa on toteutettu järjestelmällinen kirjallisuuskatsaus vuosien 2004–2014 verkostojen johtamisen kirjallisuudesta. Sen jälkeen ja systemaattisen kirjallisuuskatsauksen vertailuun perustuen, keskustellaan tämän tutkimuksen tuloksista, jotka tukevat, kiistävät ja/tai esittävät yhä uusia tutkimustuloksia. Uusina tuloksia tämä tutkimus esittää T&K-verkkojen muodostumisen ja tuotekehitysyhteistyön johtamisen prosessin tarkastelujakson muutoksia. Toiseksi tutkimus esittää mallin T&K-verkkojen muodostumisen ja tuotekehitysyhteistyön aikaisen johtamisen mallin. Kolmanneksi tutkimus esittää T&K-verkkojen johtamisen roolien tyypittely ja analysointimallin. Lopuksi tutkimus esittää tutkimuksessa havaittuja T&K-verkkojen johtamisen etuja ja haittoja. Tämä tutkimus antaa suosituksia liikkeenjohtajille sekä tulevalle T&K-verkoissa tapahtuvan johtamisen tutkimukselle.

Thesis (PhD (Industrial Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Innovation is important for competitiveness. It thrives on the availability of novel public and private domain knowledge. Thus the ability to access, analyze, synthesize, share, and re-use knowledge is paramount to enabling innovation within the different partners of the supply chain. These activities grow the available pool of knowledge. It also facilitates learning from mistakes, as well as capturing and enhancing opportunities for future innovation. Proactively networking resources within a formal and informal structure improve the ability of any participating enterprise to use/re-use knowledge, in a concurrently growing knowledge base. Such a "Knowledge Network” (KN) enhances knowledge sharing between and among individuals, groups and organizations in informal and formal ways. This network is also scalable in the sense that more individuals and enterprise may join the network as success cases are reported on. It is clear that knowing how to design, deploy and operate a Knowledge Network could be highly beneficial. How to successfully design and deploy a KN is a challenge and has been widely researched to a limited extent within in the past decade. The design, deploy and operate functions require understanding of social processes and how people learn and share knowledge. KN management requires a proactive, systematic approach to the planning and deployment of a formalized network for knowledge creation and transfer. It addresses promoting and improving conditions to cultivate informal and formal networking within a larger collaborative network of enterprises. This dissertation presents a refined methodology for initiating, deploying, managing and operating an Innovation Project based on the available research reported in this domain. It incorporates concepts of generic, partial and specific roadmaps, best practices, templates and examples and allows individual teams to capture knowledge about specific projects and expertise in context for later re-use. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Om mededingend te kan wees, is innovasie belangrik. Laasgenoemde floreer op die beskikbaarheid van nuwe publieke, sowel as private domein kennis. Dus is die kundigheid om kennis te assesseer, te analiseer, saam te vat, uit te ruil met ander en dan weer te gebruik van die uiterste belang om innovasie moontlik te maak vir die onderskeie vennote in die voorsieningsketting. Hierdie genoemde aktiwiteite vergroot die beskikbare poel van kennis. Daarbenewens fasiliteer dit ook leer uit foute, sowel as die vasvang en versterking van geleenthede vir toekomstige innovasie. Deur pro-aktief en vindingryk van netwerk bronne gebruik te maak, binne ʼn formele sowel as informele struktuur, word die moontlikheid van enige deelnemende onderneming om kennis te gebruik of te hergebruik, vergroot in ʼn gelyktydig groeiende kennisbasis. So ʼn “Kennis Netwerk” (KN) versterk die uitruil van kennis tussen individue, groepe en organisasies op informele sowel as formele maniere. Hierdie netwerk is ook meetbaar in die sin dat hoe meer suksesse aangekondig word, deur individue en organisasies wat aansluit, hoe meer ondernemings wil aansluit. Dit is duidelik dat kennis ten opsigte van die ontwerp, ontplooiing en bestuur van ʼn Kennis Netwerk uiters voordelig kan wees. Dit is ʼn uitdaging om ʼn Kennis Netwerk suksesvol te ontwerp en te ontplooi en daar is die afgelope dekade op ʼn wye front beperkte navorsing op hierdie terrein gedoen. Die ontwerp, ontplooiing en bestuursfunksies vereis ʼn goeie begrip van sosiale prosesse met beklemtoning van hoe mense leer en kennis uitruil. Die bestuur van ʼn Kennis Netwerk moet pro-aktief en sistematies benader word, ten opsigte van die beplanning en ontplooiing van ʼn geformaliseerde netwerk vir die skep en oordrag van kennis. Die bevordering en verbetering van omstandighede kan formele sowel as informele netwerkbeoefening binne ʼn groter samewerkende netwerk van ondernemings vestig. Hierdie proefskrif bied ʼn verfynde metodologie vir die inisiëring, ontplooiing en bestuur van ʼn Innovasie Projek wat gebaseer is op die beskikbare navorsing wat in hierdie domein gerapporteer is. Dit behels konsepte van generiese, gedeeltelike en spesifieke padkaarte, asook die beste praktyke, patrone en voorbeelde en gee geleentheid vir individuele spanne om kennis ten opsigte van spesifieke projekte en kundigheid in konteks te bekom vir latere hergebruik.

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

Submitted by JOSIANE SANTOS DE OLIVEIRA (josianeso) on 2018-03-28T13:03:44Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Arnaldo Rizzardo Filho_.pdf: 1553627 bytes, checksum: e44533b4558f254bda6d0ae4a140bcc2 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-03-28T13:03:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Arnaldo Rizzardo Filho_.pdf: 1553627 bytes, checksum: e44533b4558f254bda6d0ae4a140bcc2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-10-19 / Nenhuma / A sociedade e sua economia evoluem com relações organizadas em formato de rede. Redes empresariais são eventos econômicos que se afirmam no último quartel do século passado. São eventos pós-modernos. O interesse envolvido nas relações econômicas em rede continua sendo a diminuição dos riscos e custos em uma economia que se torna cada vez mais competitiva e onerada. As redes se tratam de soluções econômicas que orbitam um largo campo de ação entre os contratos de intercâmbio e de sociedade. Suas causas são múltiplas, com revoluções (revolução digital) e crises (crise do Estado Social) compondo sua base fática. Dentro desse panorama contextual, o tema será apresentado a partir da relação entre o direito e as redes empresariais. As redes empresariais serão caracterizadas econômica, administrativa, sociológica e jurídicamente. Materialmente, as redes possuem estruturas diversificadas, objetivos próprios, estratégias racionais, formatos variados, relação interna diferenciada, dentre tantas outras especificidades que serão adequadamente tratadas. Institutos clássicos das relações econômicas, como individualismo e competição (díade), passam a ceder espaço para novos aspectos de cunho coletivo, cooperativo e coordenado (tríade). A questão se torna complexa porque envolve o relacionamento entre dois subsistemas sociais autopoiéticos, com códigos e programas próprios, que se fecham constituindo suas próprias complexidades, e se reproduzem a partir de suas relações internas recursivas. Para ocorrer o relacionamento entre dois sistemas autopoiéticos, é preciso um elemento acoplador, que ao mesmo tempo possui significado interno para cada um dos sistemas acoplados, e irrita o outro sistema a ponto de fazê-lo evoluir. Esse elemento acoplador é aqui entendido como coordenação das redes empresariais. Em termos organizacionais, significa governança e gestão de relações econômicas cooperadas; juridicamente, significa obrigação contratual. Na praxis jurídica (operação jurídica), o direito não compreende as redes como diferenciados subsistemas econômicos (coletivos e cooperativos e coordenados). O sistema jurídico, quando se relaciona com os sistemas das redes empresariais, o faz a partir de sentidos vinculados ao sistema econômico geral (individualista e competitivo), resultando, ao fim e ao cabo, um direito incongruente, segundo as bases luhmannianas. / Society and the economy have been developing through relationships in a network format. Business networks are new economic events that emerge from the last quarter of the last century, in a globalization movement of great breath because of the digital revolution. Within this contextual panorama, the relationship between law and business networks will be addressed. Business networks will be considered economic, administrative, sociological and legal events, with their own objectives and strategies, varied formats, differentiated complexity and legal rationality. Classical institutes of economic relations, such as individualism and competition, begin to give way to a new, collective, cooperative and coordinated relationship. The issue becomes complex because it involves the relationship between the legal system and the corporate network systems. Theoretically, networks and law are autopoietic systems, with their own codes and programs, which close themselves up as their own complexity, and reproduce themselves from their recursive internal relations. In order to occur the relationship between two autopoietic systems, it is necessary a coupling element, which at the same time has internal meaning for each of the coupled systems, irritates the other system to the point of making it evolve. This coupling element is understood here as governance, management, coordination of corporate networks, which for them means organization of cooperative collective relations, and for the legal system means imputation, duty, responsibility. In practice, this rationality does not take place. In truth, law does not recognize networks as differentiated economic subsystems. Law, when called to temporalize behavioral expectations related to the networks, it does so from the meanings linked to the general economic environment, resulting in an incongruous law after the Luhmannian bases.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-25T16:44:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Normando Rodrigues de Souza Filho.pdf: 1394056 bytes, checksum: 6ad37d2f5cd217814a58b5f971df543f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-05-25 / The objective of this dissertation is to analyze the relevance of business network theory in internationalization strategies of multinational firms. The starting point are the operations of the Brazilian subsidiary, which aims to lead the process of internationalization to South America and the Caribbean. The aim is to understand the relationships between the actors and how this influence and contribute to the internationalization of the company. Over the past 40 years studies in International Business have expanded as a result of the internationalization process of companies with different activities around the world. Initially, the scientific production came out from the University of Uppsala. Later the relationship between the environment and the organization has gained importance and has emerged the theory of business network. These relationships go beyond the boundaries of the firm, because they consider the foreign trade relations. Thus, in this context, we will highlight the business network of the Brazilian subsidiary and its relations with local actors. The survey was conducted through a single case study of a multinational Japanese company with more than a century of existence, from its Brazilian subsidiary which dates back to 50 years. We collected secondary and primary data, as well as in depth interviews with executives in the cities of Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires and Panama. This collection aimed to elucidate the research problem. For this purpose, a software for social network analysis was also used to assist in mapping the business network and identifying key actors. The results shows that the assumptions advocated by the theory of business network, as for the aspects related to internationalization through the network of relationships, trust, knowledge and relationship with the actors are real. It was possible to verify the company's business expansion into new markets through the relationship built with relevant actors of the network, and it was evident the importance of trust in this process / O objetivo desta dissertação é analisar a relevância da teoria da rede de negócios nas estratégias de internacionalização da empresa multinacional. O ponto de partida são as operações da subsidiária brasileira, que tem o objetivo de liderar o processo de internacionalização para a América do Sul e Caribe. Pretende-se compreender os relacionamentos entre os atores e como estes influenciam e contribuem para a internacionalização da empresa. Nos últimos 40 anos, os estudos na área de Negócios Internacionais têm se expandido como consequência dos processos de internacionalização de empresas com diferentes atividades ao redor do mundo. Inicialmente, as produções científicas saíam da Universidade de Uppsala. Posteriormente as relações entre o ambiente e a organização ganharam importância e surgiu a teoria da rede de negócios. Essas relações extrapolam as fronteiras da empresa, pois consideram as relações comerciais externas. Assim, neste contexto, será destacada a rede de negócios da subsidiária brasileira e suas relações com os atores locais. A pesquisa foi realizada por meio de um estudo de caso único de uma empresa multinacional japonesa com mais de um século de existência, a partir de sua subsidiária brasileira com mais de 50 anos de atividades. Foram coletados dados secundários e primários, bem como entrevistas em profundidade com executivos nas cidades de São Paulo, Buenos Aires e Panamá. Esta coleta teve o objetivo de elucidar a problemática da pesquisa. Para tanto, também foram utilizados softwares de análise de redes sociais para auxiliar no mapeamento das redes de negócios e na identificação dos principais atores. Os resultados demonstram que tanto os pressupostos defendidos pela teoria de rede de negócios quanto os aspectos ligados à internacionalização por meio da rede de relacionamentos, da confiança, do conhecimento e da relação com os atores são verdadeiros. Foi possível verificar a expansão dos negócios da empresa para novos mercados através do relacionamento construído com atores relevantes da rede, bem como foi evidenciada a importância da confiança neste processo

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management specialising in Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation Johannesburg, 2017 / Globally, information communication technologies (ICT) have experienced rapid growth since the 1990’s. In South Africa, information communication technology now accounts for a larger percentage of the Gross Domestic Product than other sectors. Thus, ICT is an important driver of entrepreneurship, employment creation and economic development in SA. As such, one of the critical questions is how to ensure the competitiveness and performance of ICT firms. Entrepreneurship studies argue that the performance of entrepreneurial firms is affected by, amongst other things, the firms’ social capital such as formal networks. This study, therefore, examined the impact of formal networks on firm entrepreneurial performance of ICT firms in SA, paying specific attention to weak ties as well as the moderating role of the environment. The study adopted a positivist paradigm which relied on quantitative data, using a descriptive survey method. Applying probability sampling, a sample of 120 firms were surveyed from an industry database, achieving a 14% response rate. This response rate is adequate for the generalisation of the results (Urban & Sefalafala, 2015). In analysing the data, factor analysis to reduce several variables into latent factors was performed. Thereafter, statistical linear regression modelling was performed using the continuous dependent variable – Firm Entrepreneurial Performance indicated by: Growth in Sales and Market Share, and Profitability; and the continuous independent variable of Formal Networking indicated by: Network Tie Strength and Relationship Quality and Nature sub-constructs. The results demonstrate significant correlation between formal networking and firm entrepreneurial performance as well as weak ties. However, the results indicate no evidence for the moderating role of the environment. At a theoretical level, this shows that formal networking and weak ties are beneficial to ICT firms but the environment is a contingent factor. At a practical level, managers and firm owners should consider joining formal networks that promote weak tie relationships in order to access complementary assets and valuable information. Policy makers and other stakeholders should devise policies and programmes that support entrepreneurial ICT firms to engage in formal networking. The limitations of the study include the following: first, the study was cross sectional and limited to ICT firms on an industry database; second, the control variables did not include firm size. Future research should consider a longitudinal study to test the long-term impact of firm entrepreneurial behaviour as well as firm size to inform firm specific research. More studies should test the moderating role of environment. / MT 2017

Purpose – increasing the understanding of what distinguish a decentralized from a centralized blockchain business network and identify its value creating mechanisms. To fulfill this research purpose, three research questions have been derived, RQ1: What distinguishes a decentralized from a centralized blockchain business network?, RQ2: How are the blockchain business network values affected by a decentralized vs centralized network model? and RQ3: Which value creating mechanisms exists within decentralized blockchain networks? Method – This study was conducted as an abductive explorative study with interviews of actors that works with their own blockchain or is an expert in the subject, respondents from 9 different industries were participating. In total 25 interviews were held in two phases and they were together with a workshop analyzed through a thematic analysis. Findings – The findings from the study resulted in a framework including four separate areas, namely, Governance models, Blockchain values, Business network values and Value creating mechanisms. There were three governance modes, Lead organization, Network administrative organization and Participant owned organization. Furthermore, this study has resulted in 12 blockchain values, 11 network values and 9 value creating mechanisms. Theoretical and practical implications – This study gives an answer to the question what distinguish the decentralized and centralized nature of a blockchain business network, stating that the most value critical factor is the choice of network governance model. Furthermore, additional examples of blockchain and network values have been presented and those values have been analyzed through three different governance models. Also, the 9 value creating mechanisms have been described and analyzed from a decentralized blockchain network perspective. The practical implications give managers insight of which value creating mechanisms that exists for a decentralized blockchain business network, an understanding that could help them decide on if blockchain fits their business needs or not. Lastly, by providing an overview of which the strengths and weaknesses are of different governance models for a blockchain business network, managers could better align their network governance. Limitations and future research – Due to the explorative nature of this study these frameworks and relationships are built from our research and will need future validation from similar study to test its applicability in a larger extent. Hence, future studies with these frameworks and matrixes as reference point would be interesting.