Background: This research work takes a strong sustainability approach with the focus on renewable energy technology (RET) diffusion to meet the multifold and complex challenges with CO2 emission targets and geopolitical energy challenges. Global warming, sustainability issues and significant energy crises, suggests that RET is seen as one of the most important solutions to deal with these challenges. Wind energy has been identified to have a leading role in achieving a low-carbon or completely carbon-free energy sector. Sweden is in the forefront of an energy transition having ambitious goals, and the lack of renewable energy sources may potentially become a problem. Diffusion of new technology may facilitate access to new resources at non-exploited areas, why the challenges to implementation of Floating Offshore Wind Technology (FOWT) and how the technology will diffuse in Sweden is the focus of this research study. Objectives: The purpose and aim of this study is to establish an understanding of diffusion and its drivers and challenges related to FOWT in Sweden and contribute with new knowledge in the field of renewable energy sources. FOWT may facilitate access to new wind resources at deep water conditions, why this study research the challenges to implementation of FOWT and how the technology will diffuse in Sweden. Methodology: The research area is limited to Sweden where main drivers and challenges are identified and framed by literature review of Porter’s Diamond model competitiveness factors and interviewing experts within the Offshore Wind Energy (OWE) industry. The qualitative interview results are applied in the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) framework, where Innovation Diffusion Technology (IDT) model is used as theoretical framework to build up an understanding of the level of FOWT diffusion in Sweden and how it will diffuse. We use the concept of TAM in combination with IDT to explain how FOWT as a new technology is perceived to be used in the OWE industry with a particular focus on the challenges related to the implementation of FOWT in Sweden. Results: We provide guidance for the OWE industry stakeholders and valuable information of what need to be in focus to resolve challenges for implementation, and the diffusion of FOWT in Sweden. Our general assessment show that the market is positive about the technology. On the other hand, we find that the challenges are multifold and further complicates the implementation phase. Although FOWT has support from climate and environmental impact, the technology has limitations that can negatively affect the Behavioral Intention to Use (BIU). Conclusions: The challenges to implementing FOWT are multifold and concluded to be high risk premium for investors with limited scale effects due to substantiated grids and infrastructure. Collaboration issues between investors and government agencies are obvious, this in terms of inefficient permit processes and general understanding of the impact of the technology for decision-makers within the FOWT value chain. The interview results and IDT analysis direct that FOWT is in the stage of persuasion and will from this stage progress further to the decision and implementation phase of diffusion. Our arguments are based on the identified level of knowledge maturity present among the interviewed stakeholders, and the fact that policy and specialist reports include FOWT when evaluating RET alternatives for new areas. The IDT framework is concluded to be a good tool to further understand what can be done to facilitate diffusion. The study conclude that TAM can be used to identify challenges related to stakeholder perspective and perception also for non-information technology related technologies. Our study suggest that collaborative approach is needed in Sweden to resolve challenges for implementation. Recommendations for future research: The data is collected during a relatively short time period and limited number of interviews are conducted, therefore further studies are needed in the same area to bring more clarity to the FOWT diffusion mechanisms. We identify an opportunity for future research to further focus on the negative aspects of why the Swedish OWE industry perceives these factors as strong obstacles affecting the BIU. In parallel further of interest is to look at FOWT from a larger perspective such as Scandinavia and the understanding if cooperative activities can accelerate FOWT diffusion.

This thesis aims to analyze the rules of competition of the commercial launch industry between the years 2010-2020 to better understand the market and gain strategic insights for market share captivation or profitability. The industry is analyzed quantitively within the theoretical framework of Porter's five competitive forces. By the means of a Pooled OLS model, we conduct a regression analysis with five industry proxies that closely relate to Porter’s five forces to explain competition in the industry. The results provided us with enough evidence that quantitively applying Porter’s five forces with industry specific proxies leads us to a better understanding of competition in the commercial launch industry. Furthermore, the analysis reveals that the strongest competitive force is the threat of buyers. While the threat of competitive rivalry, power of suppliers and new entrants are relatively weak but highly significant, the threat of substitutes is of very low significance to affect market competition. The result of the analysis is then used as a tool to provide strategic insights for industry actors for optimal positioning in the market. Finally, we present some suggestions for future research on the subject, as well as other industry analysis using the theoretical framework.

Purpose –Transport is considered a waste where internal transport specifically is considered a waste. To make a business's processes more effective, companies need to identify and reduce the waste that arises in the flow of internal transport. Therefore, the purpose of this study is:To investigate how internal transport should be handled for increased efficiency.The purpose has then been broken down into two research questions: [1] What factors contribute to the need for internal transport? [2] How can internal transport be made more efficient? Method – The study is a case study and the data collection was carried out in two rounds, the first step was to collect data to map the current situation and the second step was to collect data to measure waste. The data collection methods used to answer the study's research questions were literature study, interviews, observations, frequency studies and document studies. The researchers considered that triangulation was an important part of data collection in order to ensure the validity of the collected data. Finally, the results from collected data were compared with theories in the field to be able to answer the study's purpose and research questions. Findings – The results of the study demonstrates the importance of conducting a value flow analysis in order to be able to identify which factors contribute to the need for internal transport. With the help of a value flow map, the non-value-adding activities could be identified which in this case were lack of signaling systems, lack of communication and interaction between employees and lack of standardized working methods. Subsequently, suitable solution proposals were developed where automation and the three lean principles; standardized working method, kaizen and just-in-time were considered to be the methods that could make a company's internal transports more efficient based on identified problems. Implications – Based on the results of the study, it is considered that today's companies need to work on identifying the problems surrounding the flow of internal transport. It appears that there are good opportunities for improvement regarding signal systems, communication and interaction as well as standardization. The study clarifies that investments in addressing these issues can make the flow of internal transport more efficient and generate a high level of profitability on the investments made in the area. Based on collected theory, it is demonstrated that making business processes more efficient is necessary to remain competitive in a market with constantly changing requirements. Limitations – As the study is only based on one case, the generalizability of the survey results can be questioned. Furthermore, the limited time period is considered to have affected the breadth and size of the study. Access to more time could have resulted in longer data collection periods and thus more representative data as well as the inclusion of more cases to increase the generalizability of the study conclusions.

Undeniable geopolitical significance of the Russian Far East renders development of the region a matter of national priority for the entire 21st century. Enormous untapped potential of the region is not limited to the range of possibilities offered by export of its natural resources. Developing a non-resource export potential of the Russian Far East offers a way of ensuring sustainable economic growth - a key component of regional, and national, competitive capabilities. At the core of Michael E. Porter's book "The Competitive Advantage of Nations" is a model of national competitive advantage that introduces the concept of business clusters as drivers of economy. Applying Porter's analytical framework and building on recent experience of government-driven innovative cluster development in Russia, the thesis seeks to propose an economically sound model of International Medical Education Cluster for the Russian Far Eastern Federal District. The cluster will support Russia's engagement with Asia and complement one of the world's largest and fastest growing industries - that of healthcare - by addressing one of its most acute needs, namely the growing worldwide shortage of healthcare personnel. The proposed model capitalizes on federal policy of internationalisation of Russian higher education,...

Veränderte Rahmenbedingungen stellen die traditionsreiche sächsische Gräservermehrung vor neue Herausforderungen. Nach dem Wegfall der artenspezifischen Saatgutbeihilfen müssen Rentabilität und ökonomische Wettbewerbsfähigkeit der Grassamenproduktion im Vergleich zu anderen Ackerkulturen neu bestimmt werden. Außerdem beinhaltet das Projekt eine Überprüfung der Wirtschaftlichkeit der Getreidevermehrung gegenüber dem Konsumanbau. Schwerpunkte liegen dabei auf der vergleichenden Analyse der Leistungen und Kosten sowie einer eingehenden Diskussion zur Höhe des Vermehrerzuschlages unter aktuellen Bedingungen. Datengrundlage zur Erörterung dieser Sachverhalte bilden zweijährige Analysen in ca. 30 Praxisbetrieben mit einer Vollkostendarstellung der Ergebnisse. Der Untersuchungszeitraum 2005 - 2006 ist geprägt von witterungsbedingten Schwankungen und einer beginnenden Umbruchphase am Markt. Durch die starke Nachfrage nach pflanzlichen Rohstoffen und den damit verbundenen enormen Preisanstieg gerät vor allem die Grassamenproduktion zunehmend unter Druck und erfordert Anpassungsreaktionen von allen Betroffenen. Die Ergebnisse stehen als Informations- und Argumentationsmaterial für Politik und Praxis zur Verfügung, um die Einkommensquelle Saatgutvermehrung und die Position Sachsens als Handelspartner für qualitativ hochwertiges Saatgut zu stärken.

The utilization of total quality management (TQM) is advocated by some experts, as a partial remedy to the ills of the healthcare industry. However, some healthcare administrators are not yet sold on TQM. Some healthcare administrators still question the impact of TQM on the operational, financial and strategic health of their institutions. They consider the investment in TQM as unjustifiable because the return on such investment in their mind is questionable. This study illustrates how the constant market share model can be utilized to show the competitive benefits of TQM. Based on the results of this study, it is concluded that the fears of some healthcare administrators are unfounded. Not only that TQM does not compromise organizational effectiveness, but it actually improves it, as it contributes to increasing market share.

The literature on manufacturing performance measurement underscores the importance of operational performance measures, as well as aggregate organisational measures. However, research aimed at quantifying and tracking such measures from both operational and organisational perspectives has been slow in forthcoming. The Manufacturing Operational Effectiveness (MOE) indicator introduced and tested in this study lends itself to both operational performance measures and aggregate organisational performance measures of the manufacturing system performance. The results of several simulation scenarios utilising actual manufacturing data clearly illustrate the utility of MOE. These results have both operational tactical and strategic organisational practical implications. Operational effectiveness and strategic competitiveness can be tracked and improved through the systematic utilisation of MOE.

This study was conducted to theoretically develop and empirically test a structural equation model of tourism destination competitiveness from the tourism stakeholders'perspective. The proposed hypotheses that attempted to identify the structural relationships among the five constructs in the model were examined through a series of analyses in LISREL: 1) perceived tourism development impacts, 2) environmental attitudes, 3) place attachment, 4) development preferences about destination attractions/resources, and 5) support for destination competitive strategies The principle guideline of this study was that the support of tourism stakeholders for tourism planning and development is a key element for the successful operation, management, and long-term sustainability of tourism destinations. Tourism stakeholders' solid knowledge and experiences in tourism management and industry, professional involvement and participation in tourism planning and development, and long-term community observation and interactions have played an important role in tourism destination management. A total of 646 usable questionnaires were collected from randomly selected tourism stakeholders in the state of Virginia. From the results of hypotheses tests, tourism stakeholders' preferences about tourism attractions/ resources development are a function of perceived tourism development impacts as well as place attachment. The more stakeholders' preference for developing tourism attractions/resources, the more likely they were to support destination competitive strategies such as marketing efforts and activities, and destination management organizations' role. An additional finding that was not hypothesized indicated that tourism stakeholders, who have perceived benefits from tourism development, particularly in its economic and cultural aspects, are likely to support enhancement strategies for destination competitiveness. The implications of these findings can be applied to the enhancement of tourism destination competitiveness. / Ph. D.

In 2018, global gross domestic product (GDP) was US$86.3 trillion, and almost a quarter of that value was due to international trade with a value of US$19.6 trillion. Air cargo accounts for about 35 percent of that trade value (approximately US$6.86 trillion). Moreover, from the perspective of the airport sector, air cargo revenue contributes between 20 to 70 percent of airport revenue. The global airport revenue for freight in 2018 was US$250 billion. Despite the interest and research activities surrounding competition and competitiveness of airports and specifically among airlines and passengers, it appears scholars have overlooked research concerning the competitiveness of airports when it comes to air cargo. This study attempts to fill the gap in the supply chain and logistics literature by putting forward a framework and ultimately operationalizing the framework highlighting the pivotal role of air cargo in the supply chain domain and within the global economy. Specifically, the framework is operationalized within the freight forwarding air cargo supply chain domain – providing insight into this important yet understudied phenomenon. The population of interest is freight forwarders from the Dubai International Airport, United Arab Emirates. The Middle East represents 18 percent of the world's air cargo volume and the region's air cargo volume has been growing three times faster than worldwide air cargo making the Dubai International Airport an appropriate and novel setting for the study. A sample frame obtained from the National Association of Freight and Logistics (NAFL) provided the final sample of 187 respondents. The survey was undertaken during the fourth quarter of 2019. The data are analyzed using structural equation modeling. The dissertation contributes to the supply chain and logistics literature by synthesizing and operationalizing a framework that measures freight forwarder satisfaction specific to air cargo. Relying on Porter's theory of industry structure and competitiveness, the results of this study find that freight forwarder satisfaction is composed of three dimensions: infrastructure, operations, and cost. Additionally, the empirical findings reveal that freight forwarder satisfaction has a significant positive effect on both loyalty and airport competitiveness. As well, loyalty partially mediates the relationship between freight forwarder satisfaction and airport competitiveness.

. / El presente trabajo de investigación busca identificar y analizar el manejo de la cadena de suministro del arándano en Perú, con el objetivo de proponer mejoras en la gestión de los procesos de las empresas para el desarrollo competitivo ante el mercado global del arándano. La investigación se soporta en los diferentes modelos reconocidos de gestión de cadena de suministro con el fin de evaluar el desempeño y eficiencia de la cadena dentro de la industria del arándano en la región sur del Perú. En Perú, el arándano es uno de los productos agrícolas que está mostrando un crecimiento y desarrollo notable, alcanzando una cifra récord en el 2018 de US$554 millones, que supero en 56% a la registrada en el 2017, según datos de AGRODATAPERÚ. Sin embargo, aún existe una gran brecha que superar respecto a los países competidores globales. Siendo las pequeñas empresas, las que tienen mayores limitaciones para su desarrollo, tales como, la falta de incorporación de buenas prácticas agrícolas, falta definición de alcance y responsables en sus procesos, y manejo de estándares en procesos de producción, almacenamiento y transporte. Con esta investigación se busca ser un medio facilitador para la inserción de estas prácticas, ya que se brinda un marco de referencia basado en el modelo SCOR, enfoque de Gestión por Procesos el cual fue adaptado según el contexto y limitaciones de las empresas estudiadas. / This research aims to identify and analyze the management of the processes in the Peruvian Blueberry Supply Chain, with the purpose of proposing improvements in the strategic management of the companies for the competitive development in the global blueberry market. In addition, the research is supported in the different recognized models of supply chain management in order to evaluate the performance and efficiency of the chain within the blueberry industry in the southern region of Peru. In Peru, blueberry is one of the agricultural products that is showing remarkable growth and development, reaching a record figure of US $ 554 million in 2018, which is 56% higher than in 2017, according to AGRODATAPERU. However, there is still a large gap to be overcome over competing countries globally. Small enterprises are those that have the greatest limitations for their development, such as: the lack of incorporation of good agricultural practices, systems for monitoring and controlling their processes and the management of standards in the production, storage and transportation processes. This research project seeks to be a facilitating means for the insertion of these practices, since it provides a specific framework based on the SCOR model and the Process Management approach, which was adapted according to the context and limitations of the local companies studied. / Tesis