Det är inte bara lagkrav som blir striktare gällande företags hållbarhetsarbete utan även intressenters förväntningar. Business-to-business och business-to-consumer företag har skilda intressenter och således förväntningar som påverkar deras hållbarhetsarbete. Denna kvalitativa fallstudie ämnar till att undersöka hur hållbarhetsarbete kan generera konkurrensfördelar i en jämförande kontext mellan business-to-business och business-to-consumer företag inom bygg- och fastighetsbranschen. Med hjälp av Carrolls CSR-pyramid och Porter och Kramer ́s ramverk för ett strategiskt CSR-arbete har företagens hållbarhetsarbeten analyserats och granskats utifrån ett konkurrensperspektiv. För att belysa företagens differentieringsstrategier har tre differentieringspunkter grundat studien vilka är produkt- och processinnovation, kundlojalitet och långsiktig lönsamhet. Resultatet visar att företagen i likhet med varandra utformar sitt hållbarhetsarbete utifrån ett socialt, ekonomiskt och miljömässigt perspektiv samt att företagen konstruerar sitt hållbarhetsarbete olika utifrån deras skilda intressenters förväntningar. Detta resulterar i att företagen har olika differentieringsstrategier inom hållbarhetsarbetet som hjälper dem generera konkurrensfördelar. Vidare framkommer det i studien att kommersiella kunder ställer högre krav på företagens hållbarhetsarbete i jämförelse med privatkunder, vilket skiljer studiens resultat från den tidigare forskningen.

Abstract: Business-to-business (B2B) marketing involves several components including the marketing management decision-making process and the buying behaviors of the B2B clientele and the end users. Disregarding customer knowledge management (CKM) and inaccurate analysis of data cost companies billions of dollars per year. The objective of this exploratory single-case study was to develop an in-depth analysis of the problem that some marketing managers have limited knowledge of how to use CKM strategies to improve B2B customer engagement. The dynamic capabilities and technological opportunism theories comprised the study's conceptual framework. Data collection consisted of participant observations, member checking, and semistructured interviews with 4 Dallas-based, managers at various levels of responsibility within a single B2B company. The data analysis entailed using an adaptation of Giorgi's systematic text condensation and inductive coding techniques of reoccurring themes. The themes that emerged indicated a need to improve marketing strategies. These themes included developing a division wide marketing plan, devising a CKM tool, and initiating organization wide CKM protocols and training. Beneficiaries of this research are marketing managers, marketing practitioners, organizational strategy and policy makers, and students of business administration. Implications for social change include specifying the strategies that business leaders need to improve sustainability.

Globalization and the rapid growth of online-transaction through e-commerce platforms is increasing at a fast pace, not to mention the acceleration during and after the pandemic of Covid-19. The purpose with this qualitative case study of a company operating in the fragrance industry is to give a better understanding of how a company successfully succeeded in internationalizing by utilizing a B2B e-commerce strategy, and how the same company can change strategy to utilize B2C e-commerce to enter a new market which in this case are Sweden. A key factor of the company's success turned out to be the building of the customer and supplier network, and the tight collaboration with already existing giants in the market to attract suppliers in the first place. This allowed the company to provide good customer service, and a variety of products. Further, to be able to enter the Swedish market promotional activities, a customer-centric website that provides in store-like experience, close relationships with their consumers, and cooperation with brand suppliers to build a strong strategic alliance has been shown as important factors in order to succeed in a B2C e-commerce internationalization process.

During initial business-to-business encounters, salespeople try to enhance buyers’ future interaction intentions. A common belief is that increasing buyers’ similarity perceptions increases the chances of future interaction. This study assesses the impact of the similarity-attraction effect on future interaction. By synthesising social psychology and marketing literature, a conceptual framework is proposed, in which perceived similarity influences salesperson trust. This relationship is mediated by task-related and social assessments of buyers. Task-related assessments comprise willingness (benevolence and integrity) and competence (power and expertise). Social attraction is conceptualised as likeability. Salesperson trust drives anticipated future interaction, together with organisational trust and anticipated added value. The conceptual framework was empirically tested through a cross-sectional survey. Dutch professional buyers assessed recent initial sales encounters. A sample of 162 dyads was analysed, using PLS-SEM, including FIMIX segmentation. This study demonstrates support for a third willingness construct: willingness behaviour. This construct implies that buyers are more influenced by expectations regarding behaviour, than assessments of salespeople’s attitudes. A homogeneous analysis supports the influence of perceived similarity on salesperson trust, both directly and through willingness behaviour. However, model-based segmentation uncovers a segment of cost-oriented dyads and a segment of more profit-oriented dyads. In cost-oriented dyads, there is no significant direct effect between perceived similarity and salesperson trust, and willingness behaviour nearly fully mediates this relationship. In more profit-oriented dyads, the similarity-attraction effect is not present. Theoretical and methodological contributions and managerial implications of these findings are discussed.

As social media platforms are increasingly becoming more popular and a part of everyday life, Business-to-Business (B2B) marketers from different industries are realizing social media’s potential for achieving marketing purposes. However, scientific literature regarding social media usage in B2B contexts is still filled with gaps in knowledge; especially when compared to literature about social media usage in Business-to-Customer (B2C) contexts. One of these research gaps is the lack of niched information about each effect of using social media. This paper aims at contributing to filling this research gap by presenting an extensive literature review about social media marketing in B2B; followed by an analysis of empirical data gathered from 11 different cases of B2B companies engaged in social media marketing. Moreover, this is to answer the research questions; how are B2B companies using social media to increase brand awareness? Which types of content inspire the most customer engagement? And how can B2B companies amplify their chances of succeeding in increasing brand awareness through social media? This paper will further contribute to this research topic, by identifying further research gaps and present suggestions for future research.

知名企業如蘋果與谷歌能透過蒐集使用者的資訊並販售廣告、在 APP Store 、 iTunes 上販售服務與產品，而在消費者消費的過程中獲利。然而上述提及的這兩家都是 B2C 的產業，他們獲利的方式是否也能應用在 B2B 呢？ 晶片製造商英特爾公司 (Intel Corporation) 為世界上盈餘最高的B2B半導體公司，半導體產業是現今世界上產值極高的一個產業。因此本文利用英特爾的個案作為典型的 B2B 企業研究個案。 本研究希望藉由產業經濟學派、交易成本經濟學派、資源基礎論學派三種策略管理的學說，並藉由以生產過程為基礎的獲利策略以及以消費過程為基礎的獲利策略，分析英特爾在中央處理器這項產品的獲利策略。 而經由本研究的探討，發現英特爾的獲利策略可以從其獨特性資源如何建立競爭優勢與進入門檻並提高消費者的移轉成本；相對較低的交易成本讓英特爾獲得成本優勢；五力分析所得出的良好定位以及消費者在英特爾價值鏈上的連結做出發。 最後回顧了三個主流的策略管理學術理論，得出以下兩個結論：1、以消費過程為基礎的獲利策略可以用於 B2B 企業當中，2、英特爾同時透過生產過程為基礎（研發能力與生產經驗）以及以消費過程為基礎（行銷活動與品牌形象）的獲利策略」建立起優良的中央處理器競爭優勢。期許後續研究可以朝向英特爾在轉型後是否能持續建立競爭優勢做分析。 / Successful corporations such as Apple and Google can earn revenue through to the consumption process like selling advertisement after collecting users’ data, selling service or product on the APP Store and iTunes. Nevertheless, both the cases are B2C corporations. Can the same profiting strategy be applicable to B2B corporations? Intel Corporation, which is an integrated device manufacturer, is the largest B2B semiconductor corporation in the world. The semiconductor industry is one of the most valuable industry. Therefore, this research will test the hypothesis based on Intel’s case. This research will employ Industrial Economics, Transaction Cost Economics and Resource-Based View theory from the perspectives of the Production Based Appropriation and Consumption Based Appropriation to analyze the profiting strategy of Intel’s central processing unit product. We find that controlling key resources, lowering transaction costs and occupying fine position all contribute to the success of Intel’s profiting strategy. In addition, we have two conclusions. First, Consumption Based Appropriation can be applicable to B2B corporations. Second, Intel builds its competitive advantage through both Production Based Appropriation and Consumption Based Appropriation strategy.

The digital revolution has led to a drastic transformation of electronics manufacturing industries globally. A growing number of companies are continually investing in digital technologies to remain competitive. Artificial Intelligence (AI), Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Big data, Robotics, etc. and smart devices have been widely adopted to improve efficiency, connectivity, and productivity of businesses. To cope with increased competition and customer demands, electronics manufacturing companies have broadened their interest in service innovation. However, companies pursuing a servitization strategy often lack an established framework i.e. method and tools to design new services. Besides, research indicates that existing frameworks with the potential to support this development are not contextualized to the electronics manufacturing industry. This design study, therefore, evaluates and proposes how the Integrative PSS approach can be adapted to suit the electronics manufacturing context to support services. The findings suggest that some models used in this approach were found to be unfavorable in the development of services. In such cases, the study contributes by providing suggestions on what models to adapt and how in the integrative PSS approach to support electronic manufacturing companies in their servitization process. The artifact is an exaptation since a known solution is extended to solve a problem in a new context and of the type instantiation.

As the use of the internet increases, so does the use of social media channels. These channels have become a part of everyday life and are changing the way of communication and information exchange. Today, more and more business-to-business (B2B) companies are adopting social media marketing (SMM) to communicate with their customers. Although small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have also started adopting SMM to increase their brand awareness, the existing literature is very limited on this subject. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis is to identify and describe challenges SMEs face adopting social media marketing in order to increase their brand awareness. In order to achieve the purpose of this thesis a qualitative research method was selected and four semi-structured interviews with marketing directors and coordinators at three SMEs were conducted. The result of this thesis shows that SMEs face some common challenges like financial and human resources, lack of time and expertise in SMM, customer satisfaction, channel selection, global crisis and bad reviews. Further, this thesis found that SMEs also face some individual challenges like cultural issues, measuring brand awareness, language, influential content, communication issues, promotion costs and outsourcing.

This study aims to examine how a business-to-business (B2B) relationship is affected by a decrease in physical interactions between firm representatives. Previous studies have shown that external events can affect B2B relationships but not how these effects take shape. With the recent COVID-19 pandemic in mind, the need to investigate how reduced physical interactions affect B2B relationships becomes relevant. A qualitative method is used through a multiple case study where data is collected through semi-structured interviews with three firms within the Swedish vehicle financing industry. The study finds that a reduction in physical interaction between firm representatives affects the trust generated between the representatives themselves and the companies they represent. Digital interaction can only replace face-to-face communication for shorter periods of time to enable clear communication and trust in a B2B relationship. The study also finds that a company’s means of interaction leads to an adaptation in the framework of interaction in B2B relationships.

Background: Chatbots have developed from simple algorithmic tools to advanced systems that automate and personalise B2B customer interactions, therefore improving CRM through the efficiency of service and customer satisfaction. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to explore the potential of chatbots as a solution to address the challenges faced by B2B customer service in today's business environment. Method: This chapter explains the utilisation of semi-structured interviews in relation to discovering challenges and later on the possible chatbot solutions for B2B customer service. It includes details on the selection of participants, data collection, and methods for data analysis. Findings: The study explores challenges and strategies in B2B customer service, where high inquiry volumes, after-hours contact, and the need for more staff are prominent issues. Factors for quality service include time, staff training, and efficient communication channels. Trust and consistency are upheld through internal communication tools and CRM technology. The participants commented on the need for quick responses and discussed the future use of technologies like chatbots. Conclusion: This thesis focuses on how chatbots can enhance B2B customer service through efficient handling of high-volume inquiries, ensuring GDPR compliance, and balancing automated responses with personalised engagement. These capabilities further service responsiveness and personalization, leading to increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty in B2B environments.