Globalization in the business environment today is something that affects almost every firm around the world. It has given opportunities not only to multinational enterprises (MNE) but also to small and medium enterprises (SME). In this study SME food service firms has been one of the main subjects and we find it interesting to investigate their internationalization process in the globalized market. This has been investigated with the help of a network approach and the main purpose of the thesis is to gain a deeper understanding in how SMEs in the food industry use a network approach when going into the international marketplace. The study used a qualitative case study as research method and the data has been gathered and analyzed from an interview with the CEO and founder of a food service firm in Sweden. The findings from the study suggest that it is crucial for SME food service firms to use their networks when expanding internationally. Furthermore, it is important to have a well thought out expansion strategy, including agents in the target market extending to strong market research. Our findings also suggest that SME characteristics are not fully applicable for SMEs in the food service industry. In addition to above, the findings also suggest that internal factors, for example a global mindset, is the strongest force in stimulating firms in the food service industry to start an internationalization process.

No / This book examines prominent issues in the Emerging Markets (EM) from a variety of disciplines in order to make useful societal contributions through knowledge exchange. EMs offer enormous opportunities, but realizing them is both challenging and risky due to inherent uncertainties of such markets. EM’s also have unique characteristics that makes them different from developed countries. This causes implications for both theory and practice. These markets necessitate substantial adaptations of developed theories and approaches employed in the Western world. This book investigates problems specific to emerging markets, and identifies new theoretical constructs, hypotheses (re)development, and emphasizes institutional contexts. The chapters in this book establish new conceptual and theoretical paradigms from multidisciplinary perspectives concentrated in the areas of information systems, electronic government, and digital and social media matters. The book focuses on topics in these areas such as digital enterprises, sustainability, telemedicine, and Information Communication Technology (ICT) and surveys the potential challenges and opportunities that may arise. These concepts and topics covered in this book are vital for making the global economy more equitable and sustainable.

Thesis (D. Tech.) -- Central University of Technology, Free State, 2007 / Success in today’s competitive business environment demands innovative approaches. Organisations must be able to react effectively and make informed decisions in order to be in the best position to take advantage of collaborated business opportunities in the organisation’s external network. The results of strategic decisions are affected by the strategic choices that are made and how successfully those objectives are implemented. In many cases the strategies have mediocre success or fail to achieve what they set out to do due to the failure to formulate and implement strategies that enhance the development of a sustainable competitive advantage in the long term. The case study organisation, MultiChoice Africa (Pty) Limited, serves as an example in understanding the knowledge base imperative in utilising strategic management instruments such as Kaplan and Norton’s (1996a: 8-18, 224-292) Balanced Scorecard to guide leadership in creating real-time value, thereby creating a sustainable competitive advantage. Balanced Scorecards have largely been developed and applied to internal managerial purposes, though they are seldom used for external marketing. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the strategic value of the Balanced Scorecard in the networked economy, utilising a case study design by following a phenomenological paradigm approach. The outcome was based on a pre- and postanalysis of the implementation of the Balanced Scorecard within the case study organisation, focusing on the perceived value towards overcoming the barriers to strategy implementation, developing a competitive advantage and sustaining this advantage. Sustainability was specifically defined and tested against the environment and ethical behaviour as the results indicated that a link exists between sustainable competitive advantage and the appropriate utilisation of the Balanced Scorecard. Research results suggest that respondents appear to be enthusiastic and have started the process of transforming the organisation into a ‘Balanced Scorecard organisation’. The main advantages included an increased awareness of vision, linking operational tasks to strategic employees’ participation and flexibility. Shortcomings, on the other hand, included the perceived lack of contribution of the Balanced Scorecard to the final outcome as well as to the transformation process. A number of limitations were evident in the design, deployment and utilisation of the Balanced Scorecard in overcoming the barriers to strategy implementation and how to gain a sustainable competitive advantage in the networked economy. Important aspects surrounding employees and stakeholders were also highlighted as the design of the case study organisation’s original Balanced Scorecard is based on its value chain. However, due to the networked economy and its implications for the organisation, the Balanced Scorecard architecture should be modified to make provision for a networked design. These modifications should incorporate additional constructs that need to be taken into consideration when creating larger networks and establishing collaborative communities of practice. Key to the organisation’s future strategic value and intent is the successful implementation of change management (transformation) as a driver into the application of the Balanced Scorecard in the networked economy. Insight gained was used to propose a theoretical model based on global business landscape demands, utilising new and innovative strategies and business model architectures that require the convergence of aggregated metrics of all role players in the borderless network, as outlined in the ‘Networked Balanced Scorecard’ theoretical model. The theoretical model outlines how organisations can reform and integrate their Balanced Scorecards to support strategy formulation, implementation and control. It therefore supports sustainable competitive advantage and is based on embracing components of competitive intelligence and collaboration in the networked economy. It is thus suggested that organisations can no longer implement sustainable competitive advantage strategies in isolation, but need to focus on organisational development strategies that encapsulate the network concomitance structure and architecture, thereby attaining the new value proposition for strategic intent.

published_or_final_version / abstract / Sociology / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Since the opening of formerly closed markets in Eastern Europe and China in the early 1990s, numerous firms have sought to capture the growth opportunities prevailing in the virgin but institutionally distant business networks in these countries. I claim that the entry process into an institutionally distant business network has been realised when the entering firm has reached an insidership position in the network. To advance this idea, the thesis introduces the overlooked medium-sized multinational exporter (MME) and answers the following overarching research questions: (I) how do MMEs establish insidership positions in institutionally distant business networks, and (II) what critical abilities are developed by MMEs in the process of entering an institutionally distant business network? To answer these questions, qualitative and quantitative methods have sequentially been mixed to first give an in-depth understanding of the empirical field, and second to verify and generalise some of the most central tentative findings. Empirically, the study reports from a case study of eight firms in the Baltic Sea Region and from an on-site survey of 203 Swedish firms with experience of entries in Eastern Europe and/or China. Five individual essays are presented—all designed to reflect different aspects of the institutionally distant network entry process. The findings are condensed in the cover of the thesis, where it is claimed that an insidership position is reached through three main phases: the Scouting phase, the Qualifying phase and the Shielding phase. Furthermore, it is found that that the most critical abilities developed through the institutionally distant network entry process is local experience-based knowledge of high specificity. It is shown that previous experiences, generated in different business networks in mature markets, are not useful in the network entry process in immature markets. As a consequence, there is reason to believe that the entering firm needs to develop unlearning abilities to replace obsolete or misleading experience.

As Redes Empresariais de Negócios são um tipo de arranjo que determinados segmentos de empresas e outras entidades privadas e independentes, localizados em diferentes elos de uma mesma cadeia produtiva, encontraram para atuar de forma conjunta e orientação estratégica comum, a fim de fortalecer as suas condições de competição pela conquista de maior espaço no mercado. Da inter-relação de seus negócios por um determinado produto, linha ou mercado de atuação, gera-se dinâmica que implica fenômenos orientados por estratégia definida pela governança supra-empresarial, que significa o exercício de atuação informal ou velada sobre as empresas da rede, para alterar o seu poder competitivo. Esse conceito de governança supra-empresas é distinto e diferente daquele de governança corporativa. A partir dessa perspectiva, objetivou-se, principalmente, estudar essas redes de empresas em segmentos de mercados específicos, na presença e relevância de seus atributos, verificados em fenômenos ou efeitos de competitividade. O conjunto de métodos e ferramentas estatísticas constituiu uma metodologia que possibilitou a pesquisa e análises de hipóteses em que se destacam abordagens de Multicritérios de Apoio à Decisão (MCDA), Modelagem Experimental, e interpretação por meio da Lógica Fuzzy, além do desenho de um Modelo Teórico Conceitual Preliminar. Foram pesquisados dois conjuntos de empresas atuantes no Brasil, sendo um do setor alimentício no segmento de serviço-varejista e outro do setor do agronegócio, especificamente na produção, industrialização e comercialização de café. Entrevistaram-se 42 dirigentes das empresas e das organizações envolvidas. A partir das análises descritivas e das hipóteses, foi possível identificar os fenômenos, efeitos ou atributos componentes de rede empresarial de negócios, bem como constatar o diferencial de poder de competitividade. Além disso, são também apresentados resultados com a representação do comportamento global e comparativo de cada um desses atributos dos conjuntos. As constatações permitem afirmar que existem as redes empresariais de negócios orientadas por estratégia definida em plano supra-empresarial e os atributos componentes que foram objeto de estudo, embora alguns deles se manifestem em níveis de intensidade diferentes. Foi possível investigá-las a partir de métodos, que no seu conjunto gerou nova metodologia. / The Business Enterprise Networks are some kind of arrangement which some segments of enterprises and other private and independent organizations, located in different parts of the same productive chain, found to act with common strategy to reinforce their conditions of competing for a bigger place in the market. From the interrelation of its business by a specific product, line or market, it is generated a dynamic that implicates in some phenomenon oriented by a strategy and defined by an informal or veiled coordination or action, turned to the competitive power and resulted from the group of enterprises named supra-enterprise governance, which is a distinct concept and it is different from the corporative governance. From this perspective, it was aimed mainly to study these enterprise networks in segments of specific markets, which have common strategic orientation defined by a supra-enterprising organization, in the presence and relevance of the verified attributes in phenomenon or effects of competitiveness. Orienting the efforts of the research a review was made about the literature existent on the specific theme and about other themes related which are associated to the main one. The joint of methods and statistics tools constituted a methodology which made possible the research and analysis of hypothesis, in which are emphasized the Multicriteria Decision Aid (MCDA), Design of Experiments, interpretation by Fuzzy Logic and the drawing of a Preliminary Conceptual Theoretical Model. Two groups of enterprises operating in Brazil were investigated, one of them is from the food sector in the retail service segment and the other is from the agribusiness specifically in the fields of production, industrialization and trade of coffee. It was interviewed 42 leaders of the enterprises and organizations involved. From the descriptive analysis and the hypothesis it was possible to identify the phenomenon, effects and component attributes of the business enterprise network and to notice the differential power of competitiveness. There are results with the representation of the global behavior of these groups in each of the attributes. It was concluded that the studied component attributes to characterize the business enterprise network exist and that there is a supra-enterprises lining up for strategy in common and it was possible to investigate them from methods which in whole generated a new methodology.

Com a divulgação dos efeitos antrópicos sobre o clima nos últimos anos, nota-se um adensamento no debate acerca da incorporação da temática socioambiental na agenda corporativa. Embora as externalidades ambientais da atividade produtiva sejam conhecidas desde o início da Revolução Industrial, os processos de elaboração e implementação de estratégias empresariais de sustentabilidade ainda é algo em desenvolvimento. O presente trabalho visa analisar a dinâmica da difusão de estratégias de sustentabilidade em redes empresariais através de modelos de sistemas sociais complexos. Para tanto, são analisados alguns modelos consolidados na literatura, como o modelo de Ising (1925), Barabási-Albert (1999) e Ito e Kaneko (2002). Tal análise subsidia a criação de um modelo específico, cujos resultados de sua simulação são utilizados para gerar hipóteses que alicerceiam a elaboração de cenários prospectivos, pautando-se no referencial de Berger (1959) e Godet (2008). Por fim, tais cenários apresentam possíveis realidades futuras quanto à emergência de um setor produtivo mais sustentável, auxiliando no planejamento de empresas e governos. / With the disclosure of anthropogenic impacts on climate in recent years, there has been a growing debate about the incorporation of environmental issues on the corporate agenda. Although the environmental externalities of productive activity are known since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the processes of development and implementation of corporate sustainability strategies are still under development. The present work analyzes the dynamics of the diffusion of sustainability strategies on enterprise networks through models of complex social systems. Hence, we analyze three well known models: Ising (1925), Barabási-Albert (1999) and Ito and Kaneko (2002). This analysis underpins the creation of a specific model, which results are used to generate hypotheses that support the development of prospective scenarios, based on Berger (1959) and Godet (2008). Finally, these scenarios present possible future realities for the emergence of a sustainable productive sector, assisting in the planning of businesses and governments.

Com a divulgação dos efeitos antrópicos sobre o clima nos últimos anos, nota-se um adensamento no debate acerca da incorporação da temática socioambiental na agenda corporativa. Embora as externalidades ambientais da atividade produtiva sejam conhecidas desde o início da Revolução Industrial, os processos de elaboração e implementação de estratégias empresariais de sustentabilidade ainda é algo em desenvolvimento. O presente trabalho visa analisar a dinâmica da difusão de estratégias de sustentabilidade em redes empresariais através de modelos de sistemas sociais complexos. Para tanto, são analisados alguns modelos consolidados na literatura, como o modelo de Ising (1925), Barabási-Albert (1999) e Ito e Kaneko (2002). Tal análise subsidia a criação de um modelo específico, cujos resultados de sua simulação são utilizados para gerar hipóteses que alicerceiam a elaboração de cenários prospectivos, pautando-se no referencial de Berger (1959) e Godet (2008). Por fim, tais cenários apresentam possíveis realidades futuras quanto à emergência de um setor produtivo mais sustentável, auxiliando no planejamento de empresas e governos. / With the disclosure of anthropogenic impacts on climate in recent years, there has been a growing debate about the incorporation of environmental issues on the corporate agenda. Although the environmental externalities of productive activity are known since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the processes of development and implementation of corporate sustainability strategies are still under development. The present work analyzes the dynamics of the diffusion of sustainability strategies on enterprise networks through models of complex social systems. Hence, we analyze three well known models: Ising (1925), Barabási-Albert (1999) and Ito and Kaneko (2002). This analysis underpins the creation of a specific model, which results are used to generate hypotheses that support the development of prospective scenarios, based on Berger (1959) and Godet (2008). Finally, these scenarios present possible future realities for the emergence of a sustainable productive sector, assisting in the planning of businesses and governments.

Tourism is increasingly being used as a tool to stimulate regional development in rural areas. Small tourism enterprises (STE) lie at the heart of the industry and form a major part of the tourism sector. Characterised by flexible organisational structures and small size, STE are well positioned to respond to a growing demand for unique personalised visitor experiences. Information and communications technologies (ICT) enhance access to information, improve the efficiency of business activities and promote networking between businesses, community and travellers at the local, regional and international level.Western Southland is a predominantly rural region in the far south of New Zealand. Promoting the development of a cohesive tourism industry in the Western Southland region will benefit individual operators, their communities and the region as a whole. Using the case of Western Southland, this study explores the profile and characteristics of STE; their perceptions of the value of networking and collaboration, and their attitudes towards and use of ICT. Also considered are the implications of STE attitudes and behaviour in relation to the New Zealand Tourism Strategy and the New Zealand Digital Strategy goals in shaping regional development. A variety of business and community stakeholders are part of the broader case study contributing a rich understanding of the dynamics of the region. A mixed method approach is used to collect data through a series of semi-structured interviews and a survey. Key findings show that limited planned networking is occurring and there is a need to increase STE awareness of the benefits of collaborative activities in order to promote active engagement with other STE. Existing networks are found to be largely informal and embedded in the social and cultural context of communities. The level of ICT use by STE varies, and considerable support is required to encourage operators to upskill. National development goals promote ideals of sustainable communities and businesses, and are aligned with what operators envisage for their region.

An increasing number of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) expand their businesses into foreign markets. Some SMEs begin to operate abroad soon after their establishment. These so-called born globals demonstrate a more rapid internationalisation compared with other SMEs. This thesis develops a deeper understanding of the internationalisation process of SMEs, by studying how born globals and other SMEs develop foreign market knowledge during the international expansion. The internationalisation process is divided into three phases; the pre-firm internationalisation phase, the initial internationalisation phase and the continued internationalisation phase. Based on a qualitative study of 14 biotech SMEs and a questionnaire survey of 188 SMEs from various industries, new insights on the internationalisation process of SMEs and born globals are presented. By extending the analysis of SMEs’ internationalisation to a phase prior to their establishment and by continuing to follow these firms during their operations in foreign markets, the findings of this thesis show how the knowledge and personal networks of key individuals relate to the firm’s development of foreign market knowledge. The thesis also advances the understanding of how an SME develops foreign market knowledge from its business network relationships. In summary, the result of this thesis shows that a rapid expansion in several foreign markets can hold back an SME’s development of foreign market knowledge and lead to difficulties in developing the firm’s operations in the continued internationalisation phase. / Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögskolan, 2009. Sammanfattning jämte 6 uppsatser