<p>This dissertation investigates the strategic implications of blockchain technologies on interorganizational collaborations. Recently, blockchain technology has been permeating a broad range of industries and impacting how organizations conduct business. Rather than a traditional industrial technology that boosts productivity, blockchain should be viewed as an institutional technology that influences collaborative relationships among business agents. This dissertation endeavors to (partially) answer the overarching question that, from the point of view of cooperative strategies, what are the implications of blockchain technology for those involved organizations?</p> <p>One of the major theoretical arguments of this dissertation is that blockchain technology offers a new way of organizing collaborations. It works as a governance mechanism that is different from traditional social mechanisms—contractual and relational governance. Specifically, it provides a unique approach to enforcing agreements automatically through codes and algorithms. It also differs from other information technologies, such as EDI, in terms of the capacity to enforce agreements and govern collaborations. Furthermore, it acknowledges that blockchain governance has its limits – it can only efficiently organize explicit collaborations while is less efficient on tacit ones. Nevertheless, understanding the new governance logic with blockchain technology has important implications for managers in choosing the right strategic tool to organize collaborative efforts with other organizations.</p> <p>The new organizing approach by blockchain technology also enhances the scalability of governance and enables an increasing number of multiparty collaborations. By reviewing the alliance literature, this dissertation suggests that multiparty collaborations have unique features that deserve separate scholarly attention from well-studied dyadic alliances. Focusing on the increased number of collaborators with blockchain technology, this dissertation investigates the performance heterogeneity of blockchain consortia and its determinants. It challenges the conventional view in the multiparty alliance literature that the number of firms negatively impacts alliance performance. By differentiating between short-term and long-term performance of blockchain consortia, it argues that the compositional characteristics of each blockchain consortium’s founding group have an impact on its performance. Empirical results from a sample of blockchain consortia show that, although the size of the founding group is negatively related to consortium performance in the short term (in terms of the speed to complete piloting), it is positively associated with performance in the longer run (in terms of survival and growth). Specifically, the long-term performance effect is explained by the composition of the founding group, in terms of the diversity of industry sectors and the number of competing ties. The findings have direct implications for scholars and managers in understanding the strategic trade-offs of leveraging the business potentials of blockchain technology.</p>

Born-sustainable textile reuse businesses conduct textile waste management tasks in accordance with sustainable standards. Innovation and collaboration are the core values around which these businesses have operated since inception. As there are not enough regulated channels to manage textile waste across many parts of the globe, they remain in warehouses for a long time before being discarded into landfills or incinerators. Re-using this waste globally will significantly reduce the environmental impacts of manufacturing new fabrics. However, these born-sustainable businesses frequently have difficulties managing their operations with limited resources and hence it would be challenging for them to expand their business globally. As there is a scarcity of research on born-sustainable businesses and their internationalization, the present study aims to fill this gap through a qualitative study by interviewing multiple textile reuse businesses and one of the case company business stakeholders. The analysis demonstrates that textile reuse businesses that are born sustainable are also born digital and internationalized more quickly than traditional businesses, due to innovation and digital business opportunities. Additionally, characteristics of born sustainable businesses and internationalization coexist with each other as these businesses are also Born Global. Since the textile sector is a global business, these businesses have networking opportunities and had to deal with difficulties in the institutional void from the inception.

Nous étudions la relation entre la mise en place d’instruments politiques, des innovationsvia la Recherche et Développement (R&D) et la diffusion de la technologie dans une structure Nord-Sud. Nous analysons d’abord l’impact de la mise en place d’instruments politiques d’un pays du Nordsur l’investissement en R&D domestique (de procédé puis de produit) dans un cadre théorique. LeNord fait face à la concurrence venant d’un pays du sud à faibles coûts de production. Les résultatsmontrent que ces instruments stimulent les dépenses en R&D mis à part avec un quota surimportations. Nous nous concentrons ensuite sur la question de la diffusion de la technologie du Nordvers le Sud. Nous utilisons un modèle dynamique théorique dans lequel le Nord publie un brevet pouraugmenter la durée de monopole concernant l’utilisation d’une nouvelle technologie. Les instrumentspolitiques précédents ralentissent la diffusion technologique mis à part le quota, une nouvelle fois.Néanmoins, des représailles mises en place par le Sud peuvent l’accélérer. Enfin, nous réalisons uneétude empirique à l’aide d’estimations économétriques au niveau des déterminants potentiels de ladiffusion de la technologie entre le Nord et le Sud, mesurée par les collaborations de brevet. Nousmontrons que l’intégration à l’Union Européenne des pays d’Europe de l’Est augmentesignificativement l’intensité des collaborations avec les pays d’Europe de l’Ouest alors que l’effet surla probabilité de collaboration n’est pas significatif. / We study the relationship between policy instruments, innovations through Research andDevelopment (R&D) and technology diffusion in a North-South structure. First, we analyze the impactof the implementation of policy instruments by a Northern country on domestic (process and product)R&D expenditures in a theoretical framework. The North faces competition from a low-cost Southerncountry. The results show that policy instruments increase R&D expenditures except for an importquota. Then, we focus on the issue of technology diffusion from the North to the South. We design adynamic theoretical model in which the North files a patent to increase the monopoly period with anew technology. Previous policy instruments slow down technology diffusion except for an importquota again. Nevertheless, retaliations implemented by the South may accelerate it. Finally, we makean empirical study through econometric estimations of potential determinants of the technologydiffusion from the North to the South measured by patent collaborations. We show that the EuropeanUnion integration of Eastern European countries significantly increases the intensity of patentcollaborations with Western European countries while the effect on the probability of collaboration isnot significant.

Pasitelkdami reikiamas formas bei metodus, ikimokyklinių ugdymo įstaigų pedagogai turi išmokti pažinti tėvus kaip lygiaverčius vaikų ugdymo partnerius, įtrauktų juos į edukacinį procesą, kas leistų sumažinti pedagogų ir tėvų „susvetimėjimo zoną“, padėtų geriau užtikrinti vaikų ugdymą(si), tame tarpe plėtojant vaikų asmenines bei socialines kompetencijas. Tyrimo objektas. Šeimos ir ikimokyklinės ugdymo institucijos bendradarbiavimas. Tyrimo tikslas. Išsiaiškinti šeimos ir ikimokyklinės ugdymo institucijos bendradarbiavimo vyksmą ugdant vaikų socialines ir asmenines kompetencijas. Darbo tikslas yra detalizuojamas uždaviniais, lėmusiais tokią darbo struktūrą: pradžioje buvo aptarta šeimos ir ikimokyklinės ugdymo institucijos reikšmė vaiko gyvenime; toliau – šių institucijų bendradarbiavimo svarba vaikų ugdymo(si) procese, galiausiai pateikta jų bendradarbiavimo turinio, formų bei metodų įvairovė, ugdant vaikų asmenines, socialines kompetencijas; ištintas šeimos ir ikimokyklinės ugdymo įstaigos pedagogų požiūris į abiejų šių institucijų bendradarbiavimą ugdant vaikus bei jų asmenines, socialines kompetencijas. Darbo metodika, padėjus išspręsti minėtus uždavinius, susideda iš mokslinės literatūros analizės, anketinės apklausos metodo, tyrimo duomenų analizės. Mokslinės literatūros analizė leidžia teigti, kad būtinas šeimos ir ikimokyklinės ugdymo įstaigos bendradarbiavimas, kuris padėtų puoselėti visas vaiko galias, lemiančias jo asmenybės vystymosi, jo integracijos į... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Pre-primary institutions‘ teachers have to regard parents as equal partners in children education processes and also incorporate children parents into the educational process. This definetely would reduce the „zone of allienation“, help to improve children education. At the same such children features as personal and social competences would be cultivated. The subject of this research is the collaboration of family and pre-primary institution. The aim is to sort out the development of the family and pre-primary institution‘s collaboration while cultivating children social and personal competences. The aim is revealed through the examples, and special tasks, which determined the following structure of the research: at first we defined the meaning of the family and pre-primary institution in the life of a child; secondly, the importance of the above mentioned institutions‘ collaboration was shown; and at last, the diversity of the institutions‘ collaboration contents, forms and methods was indicated while developing children personal and social competences; furthermore, the model of teachers‘ point of view towards the collaboration of those institutions was analysed. The methodology consists of scientific literature analysis, the questionnaire method and the survey data analysis. The analysis of scientific literature suggests that family and pre-primary institution collaboration is inevitable if we want to uphold all children capacities, which are responsible for his/her... [to full text]

Cette thèse retrace le développement du vaccin antiméningococcique A par l’Institut Mérieux de Lyon entre 1963 et 1975. Dans un premier temps, nous présentons la maladie et la menace de santé publique qu’elle représente spécifiquement en Afrique subsaharienne, nécessitant le développement d’un vaccin défendu par le médecin militaire français Lapeyssonnie. Nous retraçons l'histoire de la collaboration entre l'Organisation mondiale de la Santé, l'Institut Rockefeller, le Centre International de Référence pour les Méningocoques (Pharo) et l'Institut Mérieux qui commercialisera avec succès un vaccin. Nous concluons avec le programme massif de vaccination mené au Brésil en 1974-75 dans le cadre duquel 80 millions de personnes ont été vaccinées contre la méningite pour tenter d’arrêter une épidémie mortelle de la maladie.Nous analysons cette histoire avec le concept de ‘doable problems’ développé par Joan Fujimura. Cette approche nous permet d'échapper à une simple ‘narration du progrès’ de la découverte d'un vaccin. Au lieu de cela, l'analyse en termes de niveaux d'organisation du travail et les concepts clefs d'articulation et d'alignement mettent en évidence un certain nombre d'aspects intéressants, notamment l'importance de la collaboration entre groupes et individus, ainsi que des hypothèses implicites sur la validité des différentes approches de la production vaccinale. Cette approche analytique nous permet de mettre en évidence des aspects sociaux pour compléter l’histoire technique du développement et de l’utilisation du vaccin au cours de cette période / This thesis recounts the development of a meningococcal A vaccine by the Lyon-based company Institut Mérieux between 1963 and 1975. First, we present the disease and the public health threat it posed specifically in sub-Saharan Africa giving rise to an effort to develop a vaccine championed by the French military doctor Lapeyssonnie. We trace the history of the collaboration between the World Health Organisation, the Rockefeller Institute, the International Reference Center for the Meningococcus (Pharo) and the Institut Mérieux, the company that would successfully bring a vaccine to market. We conclude with the massive vaccination programme carried out in Brazil in 1974-75 in which 80 million people were vaccinated against meningitis in an attempt to stop a deadly epidemic of the disease. We analyse this history in terms of the concept of ‘doable problems’ developed by Joan Fujimura. This approach allows us to escape the simple ‘progressive’ narrative of the discovery of a vaccine. Instead, the analysis in terms of levels of work organization and the key concepts of articulation and alignment bring to light a number of interesting aspects, notably the importance of collaboration between groups and individuals as well as implicit assumptions concerning the validity of the different approaches to vaccine production. This analytical approach allows us to bring social aspects to the fore to complement the technical history of the development and use of the vaccine in this period

The objective of this dissertation is to explore how collaborative partnerships between composers and performers can shape musical repertoire. Since composers do not work in isolation and they often compose with specific players in mind, the person they write for can influence their approach to a given piece. If they consult the performer, a working relationship might ensue in which the performer’s contribution to the music can range from the interpretation of the piece to its co-creation. Numerous flute compositions in Hungary since the 1950s were created for specific performers and have therefore greatly benefited from this type of music-making. This study proposes a theoretical model of composer-performer collaborations that classifies these artistic partnerships into six types, according to the amount and kind of influence the performer has on the music. Based on score analysis and interviews conducted with Hungarian performers and composers, the creative contributions made by flutists István Matuz, Zoltán Gyöngyössy, Gergely Ittzés, Gyula Csetényi, Bea Berényi, Ákos Dratsay and János Bálint are examined in the music of Miklós Kocsár, Iván Madarász, László Dubrovay, József Sári, Miklós Sugár, István Láng, László Tihanyi, István Szigeti, Máté Hollós and Péter Eötvös. In addition, pieces by flutist-composers István Matuz, Zoltán Gyöngyössy and Gergely Ittzés are also studied. The focus is directed to music for one to four flutes, flute with orchestra and flute with piano, as these are the types of pieces in which composer-performer partnerships are most apparent.

The objective of this dissertation is to explore how collaborative partnerships between composers and performers can shape musical repertoire. Since composers do not work in isolation and they often compose with specific players in mind, the person they write for can influence their approach to a given piece. If they consult the performer, a working relationship might ensue in which the performer’s contribution to the music can range from the interpretation of the piece to its co-creation. Numerous flute compositions in Hungary since the 1950s were created for specific performers and have therefore greatly benefited from this type of music-making. This study proposes a theoretical model of composer-performer collaborations that classifies these artistic partnerships into six types, according to the amount and kind of influence the performer has on the music. Based on score analysis and interviews conducted with Hungarian performers and composers, the creative contributions made by flutists István Matuz, Zoltán Gyöngyössy, Gergely Ittzés, Gyula Csetényi, Bea Berényi, Ákos Dratsay and János Bálint are examined in the music of Miklós Kocsár, Iván Madarász, László Dubrovay, József Sári, Miklós Sugár, István Láng, László Tihanyi, István Szigeti, Máté Hollós and Péter Eötvös. In addition, pieces by flutist-composers István Matuz, Zoltán Gyöngyössy and Gergely Ittzés are also studied. The focus is directed to music for one to four flutes, flute with orchestra and flute with piano, as these are the types of pieces in which composer-performer partnerships are most apparent.

Le travail présenté dans cette thèse prend pour cadre d'analyse les systèmes d'innovation et vise à étudier les effets et les déterminants des collaborations science-industrie. Notre démarche empirique repose sur la combinaison entre une analyse statistique et économétrique de données nationales, et la réalisation d'enquêtes exploratoires sur un territoire donné. Pour déterminer l'impact de ces collaborations sur l'innovation des firmes, nous considérons deux mesures de l'innovation : le dépôt de brevet et l'intensité d'innovation. En distinguant entre deux types de collaborations académiques que sont les collaborations avec les universités et établissements d'enseignement supérieur et les collaborations avec les organismes publics de recherche ou privés à but non-lucratif, il ressort de ce travail que ces collaborations ont un effet positif et significatif sur l'innovation. Les déterminants des collaborations science-industrie sont, quant à eux, analysés à travers deux enquêtes : l'une portant sur les entreprises d'un technopôle, et l'autre réalisée auprès d'enseignants-chercheurs d'une université. Les deux enquêtes révèlent que les entreprises collaborent avec des organismes académiques principalement pour rechercher des solutions aux problèmes qu'elles rencontrent, alors que les chercheurs s'engagent dans ces collaborations pour rester au courant des problématiques actuelles des acteurs économiques. Les résultats de la première enquête établissent en outre un caractère multiscalaire des collaborations science-industrie, ce qui relativise le poids de la proximité géographique permanente au profit d'une proximité géographique temporaire couplée à d'autres types de proximité. La seconde enquête, qui s'intéresse à la propension des chercheurs à collaborer montre que les déterminants de cet engagement diffèrent selon le type de collaboration. / The works presented in this thesis use systems of innovation as an analytical framework and aims to study the effects and determinants of science-industry collaborations. Our empirical approach relies on a combination of statistical and econometric analysis of national data, and exploratory surveys within a given territory. To determine the impact of these collaborations on firms' innovation, we consider two measures of innovation: patenting and innovative performance. Taking into accounts two types of academic collaboration, including collaborations with universities and establishments of higher education and public and nonprofit research organizations, it appears that these collaborations have a significant and positive effect on innovation. On the other hand, determinants of science-industry collaborations are analyzed through two surveys: one covering firms belonging to a technopole, and the other conducted among researchers from a university. Both surveys show that firms collaborate with academic organizations mainly to find solutions to problems they face, while researchers are involved in these collaborations to stay abreast of current issues of economic agents. The results of the first survey establish a mutliscalar nature of science-industry collaborations, which minimize the importance of permanent geographical proximity in favor of a temporary geographical proximity coupled with other types of proximity. The second survey, which focuses on the determinants of researchers' propensity to collaborate, shows that these determinants are different according to the type of collaboration.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the ways in which members of interorganizational collaborations (IOCs) create and maintain the processes and structures of collaborative organizing. This research argues that IOCs are complex organizations that include ongoing communicative processes among individuals who act as collaborative members and constituent representatives. Specifically, this research seeks to explain how individual boundary spanners come to understand collaborative identities that create structures affecting actions and outcomes of the collaboration. Five research questions are posed using social identity theory as a guide to explore the data collected. The communication processes of IOC boundary spanners was investigated during a 13-month ethnographic field study, which included meeting observations, in-depth interviews, video stimulated recall, and document analysis. Overall, over 90% of the active members in the IOC were interviewed. Data was analyzed using the constant comparative method and organized by research question. Results indicate that boundary spanners in IOC use social identity to help orient and organize the diverse voices present within the collaboration. IOC members invoked group prototypes that created sub-groups within the IOC, thus allowing members with different goals for participation to find ways to justify membership. These prototypes also formed norms for communicating between members and created a collaborative environment that eventually led to organizational collapse. In addition, memberships within the IOC was constantly negotiated between members as the IOC worked towards certain goals. As sub-groups communicatively interacted with each other in the IOC, individuals would become more or less engaged in the collaborative process based on the successes and failures of the sub-group a boundary spanner has joined. Overall, this study helps us better understand how individuals within the IOC experience the collaboration and emphasize the importance of communication in collaborative processes. This study concludes with a discussion of the results and implications of the data for social identity theory, boundary spanner research and IOC research, as well as implications for practice. Limitations and future directions are also discussed. / text

Purpose: The purpose of our thesis is to make an analysis and create an understanding for how the development for special collections, within the fashion retail segment, will look in the future and to see if/how special collections are connected to overconsumption.Methodology: In this thesis, we have relied on a qualitative research strategy for collecting and analyzing data. The research design applied resembles of case studies but is correctly defined as cross-sectional design. We have done semi-structured interviews with three practitioners and one expert. We have also done content analysis of the campaigns for the three current special collections we have investigated.Conclusions: We have come up with the conclusion that there is a future for special collections, but it needs to be a development from how they are worked out today. Some factors are more relevant than others for a possible success for the special collections. These factors are that the collection offers a high rate of trend awareness, that it enables to offer the consumer something extraordinary and that the collection is anchored within environmental issues. / Program: Magisterutbildning i Fashion Management