Technology is transforming industries, challenging traditional marketing channels, and providing digital avenues for dynamic growth. The popularity of digital platforms has disrupted traditional distribution channels, increased reach of social networks, and changed the way people interact. This research examines how advanced technology is enabling direct sellers to create and maintain relationships. It investigates the multidimensional aspect of technology use and advances the proposition that it acts as a strategic success factor for customer relationship performance specifically within the peer-guided marketplace of direct selling. Using a survey of 114 direct sellers, findings suggest that, in general, technology use does enhance direct sellers' ability to create and maintain consumer relationships, especially among less-experienced salespeople.

The development from an industrial society to a digital society is ongoing, where digitalizationis an engine of development. Digitalization accelerates the necessity of developing traditional business models within organizations. Digitalization also has an impact on organizations and its development through the consumers. The needs of consumers have increased the pressure on organizations to establish new approaches to strategies, business flows and processes. The press to perform and develop has been particularly noted in the automotive industry. Organizations need to re-evaluate consumer needs and create digital business models that take advantage of new opportunities to generate competitiveness. Established organizations must act based on the changes generated by the new technology by updating and improving their traditional business model. In the event of failure, the organization risks being replaced by a competitor who is "faster" and "more efficient" in implementing significant innovations in their digital business model. The entire automotive industry is undergoing a trend that focuses on enhancing the use of digital solutions in a previously mechanically dominant industry. The purpose of the bachelor’s thesis is to investigate the impact of digitalization on traditional business models in the automotive industry. Other industries than the automotive industry are not affected by the study presented in this thesis in order not to risk the validity, transferability and reliability of the thesis. The thesis aims to treat the organization Volvo Cars and their work towards digitalization. A quality data collection method has been used as primary data when designing the empirical research at Volvo Cars to enable vicinity to the interviewee. Vicinity to the interviewee enables objectivity and understanding for the reality that is being studied. The study's conclusion shows that as a result of digitalization, organizations in the automotive industry need to increase the flexibility, reactivity and product individualization in order to create added value for the consumer through the implementation of digital solutions. The consumer is the main reason behind the digitalization and has the greatest impact on an organization's digital design.

Research from the international business field have demonstrated that firms operating both in domestic and foreign markets have a greater exposition to market turbulences and disturbances. The literature has established that dynamism, flexibility and agility are crucial capabilities. In fact, firms displaying the previously listed capabilities have a greater chance to survive to turbulent and disturbing market events. Given the current Covid-19 crisis impacting the global market, this paper is further justified by the need for diverse and deeper research on how firms develop so-called “resilience” to survive to disruptive events such as the current pandemic. Furthermore, Business Model Innovation is proposed by the literature as a way to build that organizational resilience. Especially, the adaptation of the Business Model to a more Digital Business Model. The literature presented Digital Business Model as a way for firms to build flexibility and agility capabilities. More specifically, the study aims to analyze how Swedish international manufacturing SMEs develop organizational resilience. Thanks to the four semistructured interviews carried out with four top manager part of Swedish international manufacturing SMEs, this qualitative study has been able to answer the given research question: “How can international manufacturing SMEs develop resilience through adapting a digital business model in order to survive during disruptive market changes?” The primary and secondary data were collected and analyzed according to the constructed conceptual framework. In conclusion, it can be noticed that the findings, based on empirical data, are aligned with the literature and demonstrate that in order to navigate in those turbulent international market environments firms need have a flexible and agile organizational structure. Furthermore, those findings highlight that the implementation of a Digital Business Model enables firms to develop that flexibility and agility, therefore leading to organizational resilience. However, surprisingly, the data shows that if most of the firms did implement Digital Business Model, those Business Model Innovation are not permanent but rather temporary.

Background: Three mega trends are profoundly changing today’s market dynamics; climate change, digitalization, and globalization. The increasing interconnectivity and omnipresence of digital technologies are blurring the boundaries of the physical and virtual reality, implying a shift in how digital companies create value and internationalize. Also, new policies and higher customer demand in greener and smarter technologies have created new opportunities for value creation to develop cleaner technologies that foster the growth of clean-technology firms. To be competitive and persist in a sustainable and digital economy, firms must be able to cope with changing market conditions. Strategic agility can support to avoid rigidity and benefit from change, which is fostered by strong dynamic capabilities. Knowledge gaps: The study aims to address shortcomings of digital sustainability business models and specifically characterize the emerging sector of sustainable software companies offering Cleantech-as-a-Service applications. The international potential of these ventures recognizes the need to elaborate on internationalization drivers. The globally competitive environment enforces the need to be strategically agile, whereby applying agile principles to an international context can bring a comprehensive view of internationalizing digital sustainability ventures’ critical capabilities and business model characteristics. The study will also assert the role of collaborative ecosystems in an entrepreneurial internationalization. Purpose: This study will explore the emergence of Cleantech-as-a-Service and investigate how these digital entrepreneurs achieve strategic agility in global pivoting and competitive environments. Our exploratory research aims to apply agile principles to entrepreneurial internationalization strategies, where we through six in-depth interviews will discover the role of digital cleantech firms’ dynamic business models, capabilities, and ecosystems when entering a foreign market. Theoretical framework: The conceptual frame of references is based on two major sections where the first considers the context of digital and sustainable firms and exhibits the essences of digital and sustainable business model designs and how to sustain competitiveness through the interrelation of dynamic capabilities and strategic agility. In the second section the study brings forward theory supporting the exploration of an agile internationalization for digital firms, such as virtual markets and ecosystems. The key theoretical forthcomings are summarized into a conceptual framework that combines the role and interplay of entrepreneurs, business models, as well as networks and ecosystems on the basis of strategic agility and dynamic capabilities, that jointly foster an agile and virtual internationalization. Methodology: The interpretive research used an explorative and abductive approach to perform a qualitative multiple case design. The empirical study was based on six Cleantech-as-a-Service companies where in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with the informants of significant positions. The thematic and content data analysis supported the identification of common patterns and themes through coding which guided the subsequent analysis chapter. Findings: Our study revealed characteristics and success factors of Cleantech-as-a-Service ventures operating on global volatile markets, which adopt a leagile approach. The findings supported a definition of the concept but also identified the dynamic capabilities and flexible business models leveraged to sustain international competitive agility. The key agile capabilities relate to networking, experimenting, and learning whereas business model characteristics confer resiliency, interdependency, and efficiency.

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La presente investigación tiene como objetivo conocer el impacto de los ingresos y gastos en la rentabilidad de las empresas comerciales del sector retail, a partir del uso del canal digital en el año 2020, considerando los escenarios atípicos a causa del covid-19 que ocasionaron el cierre temporal o definitivo de algunas empresas, obteniendo como alternativa de inversión la utilización de canales digitales; sin embargo, no todas las empresas del sector retail han considerado viable este nuevo modelo de negocio digital, debido a la incertidumbre de obtener beneficios económicos futuros. Asimismo, se define los principales conceptos relacionados al desarrollo del sector retail, la evolución del marketing digital y al crecimiento del e-commerce; luego, se detalla la problemática de la investigación, el estado de la cuestión y se plantearon los objetivos e hipótesis; además, se precisa el tipo de investigación a utilizar, los enfoques a considerar, la variable dependiente e independiente, además, de conocer el universo, población y tamaño de la muestra para la aplicación de los métodos cualitativos y cuantitativos. Posterior a eso, se aplican los instrumentos para la investigación cualitativa y cuantitativa, siendo las entrevistas a profundidad realizados a expertos con conocimientos relevantes al proyecto de investigación y las encuestas a miembros del sector retail, respectivamente. Por último, se explican las respuestas obtenidas como respuesta del análisis realizado con apoyo de las herramientas de investigación, conllevando a la elaboración de conclusiones y recomendaciones para la validación de la hipótesis general y específicas del presente estudio. / This research aims to know the impact of revenues and expenses on the profitability of commercial companies in the retail sector, starting with the use of the digital channel in 2020, considering the atypical scenarios due to covid-19 that caused the temporary or definitive closure of some companies, obtaining as alternative investment the use of digital channels; however, not all companies in the retail sector have considered this new digital business model viable, due to the uncertainty of obtaining future economic benefits. It also defines the main concepts related to the development of the retail sector, the evolution of digital marketing and the growth of e-commerce; then, the research problem is detailed, the state of the question and the objectives and hypotheses were raised; in addition, the type of research to be used, the approaches to consider, the dependent and independent variable, in addition, to know the universe, population and sample size for the application of qualitative and quantitative methods. After that, the instruments for qualitative and quantitative research are applied, with in-depth interviews conducted with experts with relevant knowledge to the research project and surveys of members of the retail sector, respectively. Finally, the answers obtained as a response to the analysis carried out with the support of the research tools are explained, leading to the elaboration of conclusions and recommendations for the validation of the general and specific hypothesis of the present study. / Tesis