Medical tourism is a relatively recent global economic and political phenomenon which has assumed increasing importance for developing countries, particularly in Asia. It has been slower to develop within the context of the tourism industry in English-speaking Caribbean countries but there is evidence that the tourism policy makers in the region perceive medical tourism as a potentially lucrative niche market. However, while the potential of medical tourism has seemingly been embraced by the region's political directorate, there has been limited discussion of the extent to which this market niche can realistically provide competitive advantage for the region. The argument of this conceptual paper is that the English-speaking Caribbean cannot hope to compete successfully in the global medical tourism market with many developing world destinations in Asia, or even with other Caribbean countries such as Cuba, on factors such as low cost, staff expertise, medical technological capability, investment in healthcare facilities or even in terms of the natural resources of sun, sea and sand. Rather, in order to achieve competitive advantage the countries of the region should, on the one hand, identify and develop their unique resources and competences as they relate to medical tourism, while, on the other hand, they should exploit the demand of the postmodern tourist for authentic experiences. Both these supply and demand side issues, it is argued, can be addressed through the development of a medical tourism product that utilises the region's indigenous herbal remedies. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]; Medical tourism is a relatively recent global economic and political phenomenon which has assumed increasing importance for developing countries, particularly in Asia. It has been slower to develop within the context of the tourism industry in English-speaking Caribbean countries but there is evidence that the tourism policy makers in the region perceive medical tourism as a potentially lucrative niche market. However, while the potential of medical tourism has seemingly been embraced by the region's political directorate, there has been limited discussion of the extent to which this market niche can realistically provide competitive advantage for the region. The argument of this conceptual paper is that the English-speaking Caribbean cannot hope to compete successfully in the global medical tourism market with many developing world destinations in Asia, or even with other Caribbean countries such as Cuba, on factors such as low cost, staff expertise, medical technological capability, investment in healthcare facilities or even in terms of the natural resources of sun, sea and sand. Rather, in order to achieve competitive advantage the countries of the region should, on the one hand, identify and develop their unique resources and competences as they relate to medical tourism, while, on the other hand, they should exploit the demand of the postmodern tourist for authentic experiences. Both these supply and demand side issues, it is argued, can be addressed through the development of a medical tourism product that utilises the region's indigenous herbal remedies. Reprinted by permission of Carfax Publishing, Taylor & Francis Ltd.

The key to an organization's long-term success is a sustainable competitive advantage. In a global market characterized by fierce competition, organizations differentiate themselves no longer through their competitive position or technological or human resources but through knowledge. Such a decisive economic resource needs to be managed, giving rise to the theory of Knowledge Management (KM). Because knowledge is created and shared through social interactions, knowledge transfer is the most critical part of KM. Especially in tourist destinations, the diversity of stakeholders, each with unique skills and knowledge, represents great opportunities for innovation and the sustainable development of destinations but also great challenges. Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) are responsible to maintain the attractiveness of a destination by encouraging competing and complementary organizations to collaborate to exchange knowledge. Ultimately, the tourist experience and image of a destination are created interdependently by the tourism stakeholders. By conducting a case study in the destination of Kalmar, this paper aimed to explain to what extent a DMO manages inter-organizational knowledge transfer within a tourist destination. An explanatory sequence was used to gather primary data in three steps. First, a survey was conducted with local tourism stakeholders. Then, the local DMO and the university were interviewed. The data collected from 32 local tourism stakeholders suggest that tourism stakeholders, primarily SMEs, are lacking the resources to engage in knowledge transfer and overlook the value of external sources of knowledge. The findings of the interviews point to that there is a need to support tourism stakeholders with digitalization, to encourage tourism stakeholders to join a destination network and to close the knowledge gap through research produced by universities. This study contributes to gaining a broader understanding of the opportunities and challenges of inter-organizational knowledge transfer within the destination of Kalmar.

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Dynamic Capabilities of a firm bundle all the processes that enable it to sustain competitive advantage in today’s volatile markets. Study of the microfoundations of dynamic capabilities is a fairly new framework. Even so, it is a widely researched one. Customer co-creation has armored firms with a new level of customer knowledge and mature firms are taking to customer co-creation for designing better value propositions to sustain their competitive advantage in the market. This thesis aims at examining how customer co-creation is contributing to the dynamic capabilities of a mature firm. Through the case study of a mature firm, this research analyses the connection between customer co-creation and microfoundations of dynamic capabilities of a mature firm. Relevant literature of co-creation and dynamic capabilities has been used to analyze the data collected through semi structured interviews, other research work and official information shared online by the firm under study. The findings suggest that customer cocreation has improved the microfoundations of the dynamic capabilities of the firm in focus. The fact that customer co-creation has emerged as a promising innovation strategy for mature firms makes this study important for firms evaluating the use of customer co-creation to improve their dynamic capabilities and sustain their competitive advantage. / Ett företags dynamiska förmågor samlar de processer som gör det möjligt att upprätthålla konkurrensfördelar på dagens volatila marknader. Trotsa att det teoretiska ramverket gällande byggstenar för dynamiska förmågor är relativt nytt, har många studier genomförts inom ämnet. Samskapande med kunder har bidragit till ny viktig kunskap för företag. Väletablerade företag arbetar tillsammans med sina kunder för att utforma bättre förslag och öka kundvärdet för att upprätthålla konkurrensfördelar på marknaden. Denna uppsats syftar till att undersöka hur samskapande med kunder bidrar till väletablerade företags dynamiska kapacitet. Genom en fallstudie av ett väletablerat företag analyseras sambandet mellan samskapande med kunder och byggstenar för dynamiskt kapacitet. Relevant litteratur om samskapande och dynamiska förmågor har använts för att analysera de svar som samlats in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer. Tidigare forskning och officiell information som delas online om företaget har också använts. Resultaten tyder på att samskapande med kunder har förbättrat byggstenarna för företagets dynamiska kapacitet för det undersökta företaget. Det faktum att samskapande med kunder har framkommit som en lovande innovationsstrategi för etablerade företag gör denna studie viktig för företag som utvärderar användningen av samskapande med kunder för att förbättra deras dynamiska kapacitet och upprätthålla deras konkurrensfördel.

Our world is rapidly being redefined by digitalization and disruptive innovations such as changing customer preferences, demographical shifts, and by putting tremendous environmental pressure including scarce resources and a contribution to climate change. Change under these circumstances often brings traditional business models to lose their competitive edge and in the end fail. Previous research of the specific term successful models is vague with ambiguous definitions of the conceptualization of a sustainable business model. More alarming is the limited research addressing the sustainable innovation process thus explaining the existing organizational management problems, where today, firms are operating blindfolded without any academic- or empirical guidance. Fashion as a part of the world’s economy is undoubtedly considered as one of the areas that urgently requires the adoption of more sustainable business models, bringing all actors within the fashion retail industry into a challenging position. The thesis aims to contribute with theoretical knowledge and empirical evidence to bridge this gap by addressing following purpose: explore and improve the understanding of how traditional clothing retailers within the fashion retail industry innovate their current sustainable business models. The thesis is anchored in an exploratory case study at a traditional fashion retail company focusing on children apparel, namely Polarn O. Pyret. Finding shows that the case company simultaneously performs sustainability practices within their existing model, suggesting that a comparative approach can be appropriate when innovating already commercialized sustainable business models. Furthermore, empirical findings explicitly show five factors that differentiate the conventional concept with the sustainability concept of a business model. Thenceforth, the innovation process is explored from this context involving both advantages and challenges. Hence, the process occurs simultaneously, it is recommended to perform a variety of sustainability practices, to spread out the level of complexity and thereby optimize the utilization of resources. The thesis highlights an existing Pilot Prototype when implementing sustainability practices into the current model. Thereby, risks and uncertainty factors can be mitigated to ensure the implementation of sustainable competitive advantage. The thesis makes up for three contributions. First, a contribution with practical knowledge on how traditional clothing retailers is innovating their sustainable business model. Second, the study contributes with an increased understanding of the innovation process of launching successfully developed- or refined models. Third, the thesis makes an analytical contribution by the conceptual framework of references, forming a consolidation of the ambiguous conceptualization settled in a specific context. / Vår värld omdefinieras drastiskt av digitalisering och innovationer som skapar nya kundpreferenser, demografiska förändringar samt att genom en enorm miljöpress inklusive knappa resurser, bidra till klimatförändringarna. Förändringar under dessa omständigheter får ofta traditionella affärsmodeller att tappa sin konkurrenskraft och i slutändan misslyckas. Tidigare forskning av den specifika termen framgångsrika modeller är vag med tvetydiga definitioner av konceptualiseringen av en hållbar affärsmodell. Mer alarmerande är den begränsade forskningen som studerar den hållbara innovationsprocessen och därmed förklarar de befintliga problem för organisationsledningar, där företag idag arbetar utan någon akademisk- eller empirisk vägledning. Mode som en del av världens ekonomi betraktas utan tvekan som ett av de områden som brådskande kräver mer hållbara affärsmodeller, vilket sätter alla aktörer inom modebranschen i en utmanande position. Examensarbetet syftar till att bidra med teoretisk kunskap och empiriskt bevis för att överbrygga detta gap, genom att ta itu med följande syfte: utforska och förbättra förståelsen för hur traditionella klädförsäljare inom modebranschen utvecklar sina nuvarande hållbara affärsmodeller. Examensarbetet är förankrad i en undersökande fallstudie hos ett traditionellt klädesbolag, nämligen Polarn O. Pyret. Resultat visar att fallföretaget samtidigt utför hållbarhetspraxis inom sin befintliga modell, vilket indikerar att en jämförande strategi kan vara lämplig när man utvecklar redan kommersialiserade hållbara affärsmodeller. Vidare visar empiriska fynd fem faktorer som skiljer det konventionella konceptet med det hållbara för en affärsmodell. Från den här kontexten utforskas innovationsprocessen som involverar både fördelar och utmaningar. Då utvecklingen sker simultant rekommenderas det att utföra olika typer av hållbarhetspraxis för att sprida ut komplexitetsnivån och därmed få jämnfördelade resurser och samtidigt få konkurrenskraft. Examensarbetet belyser en befintlig akademisk pilotprototyp vid implementering av hållbarhetspraxis i den nuvarande modellen, därmed kan risker och osäkerhetsfaktorer mildras/överkommas för att säkerställa hållbara konkurrensfördelar. Examensarbetet bidrar till forskningen på tre sätt. Först och främst bidrar resultatet med kunskap om hur traditionella klädesbolag utvecklar sina befintliga hållbara affärsmodeller. För det andra bidrar studien till en ökad förståelse av innovationsprocessen för att lansera framgångsrika nya- eller förfinade modeller. Slutligen ger examensarbetet ett analytiskt bidrag genom den konceptuella referensramen för att skapa en konsolidering av den tvetydiga konceptualiseringen satt i ett specifikt sammanhang.

This study examines the business model of Meta called “Pay or OK”, a subscription modelthat offers users the choice to either consent to the use of Meta’s services and be subjected totargeted advertising or to use the service without personalized advertising for a fee. In the eraof digital transformation, where data has become a significant competitive advantage forlarge online platforms, the introduction of regulations like GDPR and DMA has beeninstrumental in protecting personal integrity and ensuring fair competition. This study utilizesqualitative and EU legal methods to analyze the “Pay or OK” business model from a legalperspective and also analyze if data could create competitive advantage for Meta,incorporating theories such as the resource-based view and the VRIO framework. The resultsof this study bring to the forefront the intriguing and contrasting opinions on the value ofpersonal data and the profound impact of regulations on the business landscape.

Abstracts in English, Afrikaans and Zulu / This study was conducted to address a distinct lack of knowledge regarding strategizing as a function of social interaction. Social researchers like Critchley contend that an organisation should essentially be regarded as an evolving product of people’s continuous interaction resulting in shared meaning. In subscribing to Critchley’s premise, and assuming that strategy inquiry is an empirically informed social science, the current study consequently set out to gain an understanding of how social interaction between practitioners shapes organisational strategizing and subsequent strategic outcomes. The strategy-as-practice perspective served as an integrative lens for the current research. This perspective that subscribes to the practice turn in social research, focuses on the actual practices (praxis) of strategy actors (practitioners) within unique organisational settings with unique strategizing tools, techniques and artefacts (practices). Informed by the philosophical underpinnings of a pragmatic worldview and a qualitatively driven mixed methods approach, a case study design allowed for in-depth analyses of multiple sources of empirical data to facilitate an understanding of the research phenomena. In addition to exploring social interaction during episodes of strategy practice, the current research investigated how practitioners’ motivations to interact shape and are shaped by ongoing interactions and meaning making. The current study also examined how external and internal organisational contexts, including organisational practices, influence and are influenced by ongoing social interactions. Two small private higher education institutions that reflect the typology of most private providers in the South African higher education landscape were selected for the case study. These private providers face numerous challenges in a tough current economic climate. Private providers further fulfil a pivotal role in the demand absorption of a growing need for higher education in South Africa. The main findings of the current research confirmed that strategizing at the two case study organisations is indeed mainly a function of social interaction. Strategizing is mostly shaped by people as emotional beings. Strategizing is the product of sometimes-irrational interactions and subsequent constantly evolving shared meanings and relationships between people. It is the social interaction between strategy actors during episodes of strategy praxis that serves as a social mechanism in transforming strategizing intent into strategy outcomes. Different strategy actors employ a wide array of techniques to get their ideas or views accepted during strategy-related interactions. Findings indicated that the selected strategies at the two case study organisations are mostly not based on objective reasoning linked to a clear plan or vision, but rather on strategy actors’ abilities in getting their ideas to be accepted by the group. Findings further suggested that the owners of the respective case study organisations strongly influence how things are done during episodes of strategy praxis. Strategizing at both companies is informal and comprises mostly of reacting to challenges and dealing with crises. Both organisations follow a differentiation strategy. Safety and security; employment prospects, as well as certain academic issues like small classes for better learning can be regarded as areas of competitive advantage for both. The proliferation of private providers, significant investment in private higher education, as well as private provision’s important demand absorption role suggest that there is a definite future for private higher education in South Africa. The intended main contribution of the current research is to facilitate an understanding of how social interaction as social mechanism shapes strategizing and resultant strategic outcomes. The understanding of the social world supposedly increases as the collection of the compatible causal mechanisms grows – where mechanisms reveal how the observed relationships between phenomena are created and are explained. The findings of the current research could thus serve as a building block in accumulating social science theory regarding this unexplored avenue of interaction-driven strategy research. To this end, a conceptual framework is proffered to guide similar future studies. The current study provided a glimpse into the strategy-workings of two small private higher education providers and ultimately contributes towards the growing body of knowledge regarding private provision within the South African higher education landscape / Hierdie studie is uitgevoer om die kennelike gebrek aan kennis oor strategie as ʼn funksie van sosiale interaksie aan te spreek. Sosiale navorsers soos Critchley beweer dat ʼn organisasie in wese beskou moet word as ʼn ontwikkelende produk van mense se deurlopende interaksie wat aanleiding gee tot gedeelde betekenis. In ooreenstemming met Critchley se veronderstelling dat strategiese ondersoek ʼn sosiale wetenskap is wat empiries ingelig is, was die uitgangspunt van die bepaalde studie gevolglik om te begryp hoe sosiale interaksie tussen praktisyns organisasiestrategie en gevolglike strategiese uitkomste bepaal. Die strategie-as-praktyk-perspektief het as ʼn integrerende lens vir die bepaalde navorsing gedien. Hierdie perspektief wat ooreenstem met die praktykomwenteling in sosiale navorsing, fokus op die werklike praktyke van strategierolspelers (-praktisyns) in unieke organisasie-omgewings met unieke strategie-instrumente, -tegnieke en -artefakte (praktyke). Ingelig deur die filosofiese ondersteuning van ʼn pragmatiese wêreldbeskouing en ʼn gemengde metodiek van kwalitatiewe benadering, het ʼn gevallestudieontwerp voorsiening gemaak vir indringende ontleding van verskeie bronne empiriese data om ʼn begrip van die navorsingsfenomene te fasiliteer. Bykomend tot die ondersoek van sosiale interaksie tydens episodes van strategiepraktyk, het die bepaalde navorsing ondersoek hoe praktisyns se motivering om in interaksie te wees deurlopende interaksie en betekenisgewing vorm en daardeur gevorm word. Die bepaalde studie het ook ondersoek hoe eksterne en interne organisasiekontekste, insluitend organisasiepraktyke, deurlopende sosiale interaksie beïnvloed en daardeur beïnvloed word. Twee klein privaathoëronderwysinstansies wat die tipologie van die meeste privaatverskaffers in die Suid-Afrikaanse hoëronderwysomgewing weerspieël, is vir die gevallestudie geselekteer. Hierdie privaatverskaffers het te make met verskeie uitdagings in die bepaalde moeilike ekonomiese klimaat. Privaatverskaffers vervul ʼn kernrol in die vraagabsorpsie van ʼn toenemende behoefte aan hoër onderwys in Suid-Afrika. Die hoofbevindings van die bepaalde navorsing het bevestig dat strategie by die twee organisasies in die gevallestudie wel hoofsaaklik ʼn funksie van sosiale interaksie is. Strategie word meestal gevorm deur mense as emosionele wesens. Strategie is die produk van interaksie wat soms irrasioneel is asook gevolglike gedeelde betekenis en verhoudings tussen mense wat konstant ontwikkel. Dit is die sosiale interaksie tussen strategierolspelers tydens periodes van strategiepraktyk wat dien as ʼn sosiale meganisme wat strategievoorneme in strategiese uitkomste transformeer. Verskillende strategierolspelers gebruik ʼn wye verskeidenheid tegnieke om hulle idees of beskouings tydens strategieverwante interaksie aanvaarbaar te maak. Die bevindings het aangedui dat die geselekteerde strategieë by die twee gevallestudie-instansies meestal nie op objektiewe beredenering wat inskakel by ʼn duidelike plan of visie gebaseer word nie, maar eerder op strategierolspelers se vermoë om hulle idees vir die groep aanvaarbaar te maak. Bevindings het verder bevestig dat die eienaars van die onderskeidelike gevallestudie-instansies ʼn groot invloed het hoe dinge tydens episodes van strategiepraktyk gedoen word. Strategie by albei maatskappye is informeel en bestaan meestal uit reaksie op uitdagings en hantering van krisisse. Albei organisasies volg ʼn differensiëringstrategie. Veiligheid en sekuriteit, werkverskaffingsvooruitsigte asook bepaalde akademiese aangeleenthede soos kleiner klasse vir beter leer, kan beskou word as gebiede van mededingingsvoordeel vir albei. Die proliferasie van privaatverskaffers, beduidende investering in hoër onderwys, asook die belangrike vraagabsorpsierol van privaatverskaffers dui daarop dat daar beslis ʼn toekoms vir privaathoëronderwys in Suid-Afrika is. Die beplande hoofbydrae van die bepaalde navorsing is om ʼn begrip te fasiliteer van hoe sosiale interaksie as sosiale meganisme strategie en gevolglike strategiese uitkomste vorm. Begrip van die sosiale wêreld neem waarskynlik toe soos die versameling van die versoenbare kousale meganismes groei – waar meganismes openbaar hoe die waargenome verhoudings tussen fenomene geskep en verduidelik word. Die bevindings van die bepaalde navorsing kan dus dien as ʼn boublok om sosialewetenskapsteorie te akkumuleer oor hierdie onverkende baan van interaksiegedrewe strategienavorsing. Om hierdie rede, word ʼn konseptuele raamwerk aangebied as riglyn vir soortgelyke toekomstige studies. Die bepaalde studie het ʼn blik gebied op die strategiese werking van twee klein privaathoëronderwysverskaffers en uiteindelik bygedra tot die toenemende kennisgeheel van privaatverskaffing in die Suid-Afrikaanse hoëronderwysomgewing. / Ucwaningo lwenzelwe ukubhekana nokusweleka kolwazi maqondana nokwenza isu njengomsebenzi wokusebenzisana kwabantu. Abacwaningi ngabantu, abanjengoCritchley, babeka ukuthi inhlangano kumele ithathwe njengento eguqukayo nenqubo yabantu yokusebenzisana kwabantu okunomphumela wokwabelwana ngencazelo Ngokulandela inqubo kaCritchley, kanye nokuthatha ngokuthi ukuphenyisisa isu yinto esekelwe ubufakazi obusekelwe yisayense ngabantu, ucwaningo lwamanje, ngakho-ke lufuna ukuthola ngokusebenzisana kwabantu phakathi kwemifanekiso yama-practitioner, ukwenza isu lenhlangano kanye nemiphumela ebalulekile elandelayo. Isu njengenqubo eyenziwayo nombono lisebenze njengesibuko esihlangane kucwaningo lwamanje. Umbono ohambisana nenqubo yokwenza kucwaningo ngabantu ugxila kwinqubo yokwenza yangempela (praxis) ngalabo abasebenza ngesu (practitioners) kwisimo esingavamile senhlangano enamathuluzi angavamile okwenza isu, amathekniki kanye nezinto ezenziwa ngezandla zama-artefact (practices). Ngokusekelwa kwisisekelo sefilosofi ngombono womhlaba wokwenza ngokubambekayo kanye nendlela exubene yokwenza ye-qualitative, idizayini yesifundo ngesibonelo, kuvumele ukuthi kwenziwe uhlaziyo olunzulu ngemithombo ehlukene yolwazi olutholakale ngobufakazi bophenyisiso, kusize ukuqondisisa ngento okwenziwa ngayo ucwaningo. Nangaphezu kwalokho, ukuphenya ngokusebenzisana kwabantu ngesikhathi sezikhawu zokwenzeka kwezinto, ucwaningo lwamanje luhenyisisa ngokuthi ngabe ama-practitioner agqugquzelwa yini ukwenza umumo wobunjalo kanye nokuthi lowo mumo nawu ube nomphumela kubo ngokuqhubekela phambili kanye nokuthi kube nencazelo. Ucwaningo lwamanje, lubuye luhlole nokuthi ngabe izimo zangaphakathi nezangaphandle kwenhlangano, ezibandakanya inqubo yokusebenza kwenhlangano, zinomthelela kanjani futhi nazo zibawumthelela kanjani kwezokuxhumana nokusebenzisana kwabantu. Izikhungo ezimbili ezincane zemfundo ephakeme ezibonisa ithayipholoji yabahlinzeki abaningi bangasese kwindawo yemfundo ephakeme eNIngizimu Afrika ziye zakhethwa. Laba bahlinzeki bangasese babhekene nezinselele ezihlukene kumkhakha onzima wamanje kwezomnotho. Abahlinzeki bangasese babuye badlale indima ebalulekile nokuthi badinga ukuthi banganyelwe kwisidingo esikhulayo semfundo ephakeme eNingizimu Afrika. Okuthokele kakhulu ngocwaningo lwamanje kuqinisa ukuthi ukwenza isu ngeziboniso ezimbili zocwaningo, kwinhlangano, kuyadingeka ikakhulukazi njengomsebenzi wokusebenzisana kwabantu. Ukwenza isu kuvamise ukusekelwa ngabantu njengabantu abanemizwa ngokomoya. Ukwenza isu kungumphumela wokuthi ngezinye izikhathi kuba nokusebenzisana okungenasizathu esibambekayo kanti imiphumela kuvamise ukuba ngeshintshayo nokwabelana ngesizathu sayo kanye nobuhlobo bayo phakathi kwabantu. Ukusebenzisa kwabantu phakathi kwalabo abenza isu ngezikhathi zenqubo yokwenza okusiza njengendlela yabantu ekuguquleni inhloso yesu ukuze libe yisu elinemiphumela. Abantu abenza amasu abehlukene basebenzisa amathekniki ehlukene ukwenza ukuthi imibono yabo kanye nezindlela ababona ngayo izinto kwemukeleke ngesikhathi sokuxhumana mayelana namasu. Imiphumela etholakele ikhombisa ukuthi amasu akhethiwe kwizifundo zezibonelo ezimbili zezinhlangano zisekelwe kwizizathu ezingatshekele ohlangothini oluthize, kodwa esihambisana nohlelo olucacile kanye nombono, kodwa kuncike kumakhono abenzi bamasu ekwenzeni ukuthi imibono yabo yemukeleke eqenjini. Okunye okuthokakele kubuye kwaphakamisa nokuthi abanikazi bezinhlangano okwenziwa ngazo iziboniso zesifundo banomthelela kakhulu ngokuthi izinto zenziwe kanjani ngezikhathi zenqubo ebambekayo yokwenza. Ukwenza amasu kuzo zimbili izinkampani kwenziwa ngendlela engahlelekile kakkhulu, kanti kuquka ekuncikeni ekuphenduleni kwizinselele kanye nokuphendula kwizimo ezisikazayo ezivelayo. Zombili izinhlangano zilandela amasu ehlukahlukene. Ukuphepha nokuvikeleka, amathuba emisebenzi kanye nezinto ezithile zesiakhademiki ezifana namaklasi amancane ukuze kufundeke kangcono nakho nngeminye yemikkhakha esiza kakhulu ekuphumeleleni. Ukubakhona ngobuningi kwabahlinzeki bangasese, ukutshalwa kakhulu kwezimali kwimfundo yangasese ephakeme, kanye nokuhlinzekwa kwmefundo yangasese kanye nesidingo sendima yokumuncwa ngokwenganyelwa, kuphakamisa ukuthi likhona ikusasa langampela lemfundo yangasese ephakeme eNingizimu Afrika. Inhloso eqondiwe ngokuthela esivivaneni kocwaningo lwamanje ukusiza ekutheni kube nokuqondisisa ngokuthi ukusebenzisana kwabantu njengendlela yokubumba amasu kanye nemiphumela kungasiza kanjani. Ukuqondisisa ngomkhakha wabantu kuyenyuka njengoba kukhula ukuqoqana kwezindlela zokwenza – lapho khona izindlela zokwenza ziveza ukuthi ngabe ubudlelwane obubhekiwe nobuqashelwayo bungabanjani uma kuqhathaniswa izinto ezenziwe futhi nokuthi zichazwa kanjani. Okutholakele ngocwaningo lwamanje kungasiza ngokuba yisakhelo ekuqokeleleni itiyori yesayense ngabantu maqondana nalo mkhakha ongakaphenyisiswa ngokwanele kwisu elixhumene ngokusebenzisana locwaningo. Maqondana nalokhu, uhlaka lombono luyahlinzekwa ukuba ngumkhombandlela kucwaningo lwangekusasa. Ucwaningo lwamanje luveze kancane ukusebenza kwesu kwizikhungo ezimbili ezincane zabahlinzeki ngemfundo ephakeme yangasese, kanti futhi luthela esivivaneni ekukhuleni kolwazi ngokuhlinzekwa kwemfundo yangasase emkhakheni wemfundo ephakeme eNingizimu Afrika. / Business Management / D. Com. (Business Management)

I skuggan av den ökande svenska elektroniska detaljhandeln står en fysisk butikshandel inom mode på sin bristningsgräns. När allt fler konsumenter väljer att konsumera mode genom den digitala världen så kan det få förödande konsekvenser för den fysiska modebutikshandeln. Som ett samlingsbegrepp kring den trend där butiksägare inte längre klarar av att finansiera sina butiker har ordet ‘butiksdöd’ använts. Pandemin Covid-19 har snabbspolat detta fenomen, men studiens respondenter menar att det inte finns en butiksdöd utan att det är den fysiska modebutikshandeln som håller på att moderniseras. Uppsatsen studerar butiksdöden ur ett svenskt modebutiksperspektiv och utforskar hur svenska fysiska modebutiker kartlägger olika värden för att skapa konkurrenskraft. Studien grundas i teorier som tydligt relaterar till konceptutveckling av fysiska modebutiker. Den första teorin är Customer value proposition för att sedan integrera nästkommande teori om utilitaristiska och hedoniska handelsmotivationer. Tredje teorin utgår från kundupplevelse baserat på purpose, priorities och pursuits. Tidigare forskning riktar fokus på hur den fysiska handeln överlag kan applicera CVP, utilitarism och hedonism för att skapa mervärde för modebutiken. Forskningen brister däremot i hur valda teorier i kombination med kundupplevelsen ser ut i svensk butikskontext från ett managementperspektiv, vilket denna studie belyst. Analysresultatet är baserat på ett urval av svenska klädvarumärken som bedriver fysiska butik. En kvalitativ studie har utförts med företagsägare, ledningspersonal samt butiksägare vars svar analyserats för att få svar på uppsatsens syfte. Den insamlade datan från intervjuerna presenteras med utgångspunkt hur respondenterna ser på modeindustrin i dagsläget, men även hur den kommer att utvecklas framöver. Analysresultatet presenterar stegvis en modell utefter nämnda teorier kring hur en modebutik kan omdefiniera eller förstärka konceptets värdegrund, i syfte att skapa hållbar konkurrenskraft. Två grupper baserat på butikskoncept utformades utifrån analysresultatet, varav den ena behållit konkurrenskraft och andra upplevt sämre konkurrenskraft. Grupperna har blivit tilldelade namn som representerar butikens position, De moderna och De traditionella. Resultatet redogör därefter vad som kan tänkas ligga till grund för upptäckten. I uppsatsens diskussion presenteras resultatet från analysen samt aktiviteter som modebutiker inom fysisk modebutikshandel kan tillämpa för att förstärka sin konkurrenskraft gentemot e-handeln. Slutatsen påvisar att många respondenter påverkats av butiksdöden. De moderna som ej upplever butiksdöden arbetar frekvent med aktiviteter och upplevelser medan De traditionella arbetar utefter att minska kundens uppoffring genom effektivisering av inköp. Butiker som blivit påverkade bör därmed prioritera om butikens erbjudande och granska vad som lämpas bäst efter konceptets värdegrund. Studien hoppas att bidra med kunskap till fysiska modebutiksaktörer för att konkurrenskraft gentemot elektroniska detaljhandeln. / E-commerce is continuing the path of exponential growth, however it also entails consequences in the retail market. When customers prioritize e-commerce rather than fashion retail shopping, an increasing number of brick-and-mortar stores are closing. The global pandemic Covid-19 has effectively speeded up the pace regarding the phenomenon, though some believe it’s a hoax. This study aims to bring the truth of this phenomenon to light from a swedish fashion retail perspective. The study of fashion retail stores includes efforts taken to maintain competitive advantage. This is accomplished through established theories which have an indirect impact on retail fashion stores ability to maintain competitive advantage. These theories are Customer value proposition, hedonic and utilitarian shopping motivations and customer experience based on 3Ps, which includes purpose, priorities and pursuits. Previous research shows how these theories can be applied in retail stores, however none of them use an approach of a management perspective, which this study aims to do. The method that is used in this study is based on a qualitative research method, using semi-structured interviews. The semi-structured interviews were held individually with thoroughly chosen candidates with competences in the field, such as business owners and managers of a fashion retail store. Throughout the chapter regarding the results, a model is introduced step by step which purpose is to bring additional knowledge to retailers, in hopes that it will increase their competitive advantage. Additionally, two camps were introduced. One who had maintained its competitive advantage and the other who has been affected by the phenomenon and lost its competitive advantage. In the discussion, the results are presented and activities as well as physical experiences retailers can implement are suggested. In conclusion, it is clear that there are two sides. One side has been affected by the phenomenon and lost its competitive advantage, and the other side who has maintained its competitive advantage thanks to activities, retail experiences and a loyal community. Those retailers who were affected the most should therefore redefine their business as to whether they should go online or redesign their retail store concept, in order to achieve sustained competitive advantage. The study aims to contribute with knowledge retailers can use in order to strengthen or redefine their competitive advantage against e-commerce.