<p>How the world eats is changing dramatically. Nowadays, food delivery, where freshly prepared food is delivered from restaurants to customers' residences or workplaces, has become a huge and rapidly growing market. Yet, the escalating expense of food delivery personnel and the guarantee of fast and punctual delivery are big challenges faced by food delivery platforms. To address this issue, our research proposes drone resupply delivery in food delivery, where drones and human couriers collaborate to facilitate the delivery process. Specifically, drones are responsible for resupplying orders from restaurants to couriers, who then complete the final leg of the delivery to customers. The drone resupply delivery model is particularly well-suited for the food delivery industry, as it overcomes the limitations of drone accessibility to customer locations and adheres to the existing ground-based operational system as much as possible. We have developed a mathematical model and a large neighborhood search heuristic to support this approach. Our numerical experiment, based on real-world order data, has demonstrated that the delivery delay and overall efficiency of food delivery are significantly improved through the utilization of drone resupply, compared to traditional ground-only delivery. Moreover, this improvement is achieved with only a small number of drones integrated into the system. </p>

<p>How the world eats is changing dramatically. Nowadays, food delivery, where freshly  prepared food is delivered from restaurants to customers' residences or workplaces, has become a  huge and rapidly growing market. Yet, the escalating expense of food delivery personnel and the  guarantee of fast and punctual delivery are big challenges faced by food delivery platforms. To  address this issue, our research proposes drone resupply delivery in food delivery, where drones  and human couriers collaborate to facilitate the delivery process. Specifically, drones are  responsible for resupplying orders from restaurants to couriers, who then complete the final leg of  the delivery to customers. The drone resupply delivery model is particularly well-suited for the  food delivery industry, as it overcomes the limitations of drone accessibility to customer locations  and adheres to the existing ground-based operational system as much as possible. We have  developed a mathematical model and a large neighborhood search heuristic to support this  approach. Our numerical experiment, based on real-world order data, has demonstrated that the  delivery delay and overall efficiency of food delivery are significantly improved through the  utilization of drone resupply, compared to traditional ground-only delivery. Moreover, this  improvement is achieved with only a small number of drones integrated into the system.</p>

Background:  Despite the utilization of algorithms as data management tools, they are increasingly used as people management tools to allocate, optimize and evaluate workers. This is especially popular among digital labor platforms of the gig economy as it is seen as one of the core innovations that enabled such platforms. Usually, these platform workers are self-employed, which results in an apparent autonomy while working under a rigid algorithm. For those workers, proactively shaping the job according to their own needs and abilities, commonly known as job crafting, may be increasingly important. As research suggests that job crafting occurs across professions and industries, how is it possible under the constraints of algorithmic management?  Purpose:  This thesis investigates the abilities of German food delivery riders of the company Lieferando to perform job crafting while being managed by an algorithm.  Method:  To meet the purpose of this study, the authors conducted a qualitative study. The data was collected through technology-mediated interviews with riders of the company Lieferando in Germany. The authors applied an online recruitment strategy through various social media websites to find suitable interviewees. Interview partners were picked with a random sampling strategy. The interviews were semi-structured, and the researchers guided the interviewees through a previously prepared topic guide with open-ended questions.  Conclusion:  The results of this study provide empirical evidence that riders of the food delivery company Lieferando engage in job crafting activities although working under the constraints of algorithmic management. The outcomes further show that all riders performed task crafting and cognitive crafting in various ways, whereas engagement in relational crafting was less developed. Riders not only have the ability to modify their work but also enrich it.  The findings of this study allow to draw several theoretical and managerial implications as well as provide possible research opportunities for future studies.

The growth of the gig economy has resulted in an increased interest in the relatively new phenomenon of multi-sided digital platforms. Previous research has naturally been focused on one of the key actors on these platforms, namely the gig workers, and how the gig economy has affected the labor market. However, multi-sided platforms entails complex dynamics and relationships between several actors, and the purpose of this study is to investigate what drives a business actor to join a multi-sided platform, what conditions it entails, as well as how it affects their business. To fulfill the purpose, a qualitative research design was conducted, in which semi-structured interviews with seven business actor representatives were included. Through theoretical perspectives on outsourcing, network externalities, and relationship management, this study is able to suggest that to handle the complexity, multi-sided platforms entail a certain degree of standardization that leads to increased transparency in the food delivery industry. In order to access the positive network effects that come from joining the platform, the business actors must adapt to the standardized conditions. Furthermore, they can differentiate to adapt or accept a change towards becoming commodity producers. The study indicates that there is a discrepancy between reality and theory on who outsources to whom when it comes to understanding a multi-sided platform in the gig economy.

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In recent years, many academics have noticed the presence of food delivery couriers in theurban space. Likewise, activism has emerged calling for the recognition of food deliverycouriers, and many have addressed the dehumanization they have suffered by becomingcommodities and, thus, objects. Therefore, the food delivery courier has the potential tobecome a case study that can problematize how humanity categorizes what counts as humanand not. Through understanding how food delivery couriers shape the urban landscape, theiragency cannot be denied. This thesis uses the phenomenological method to reflect upon first-hand bodilyexperiences of the researcher and food delivery courier, who in this case is based in Malmö,Sweden. The food delivery courier finds and creates meaning by encountering the manyactors involved in city making by cycling in the city. Thus, this thesis is a materialization ofmore than human encounters and a space to reflect upon their relevance in creating the city asthe result of a coalition of multi-ontological intentionalities.

The hospitality industry is characterized by a close interdependence between retailers and suppliers. Retailers depend on suppliers to provide the necessary goods and services to operate effectively, while suppliers rely on retailers to buy and market their products. With intense competition in the industry, effective supplier selection has become a critical asset for companies. Traditional supply chain management approaches that focus solely on increasing economic value are insufficient in the face of growing pressure for socially and environmentally responsible business practices. As a result, new criteria, including environmental, social, political, and customer satisfaction considerations, have been added to the pre-existing factors in supplier selection. While restaurants strive to select suppliers who meet their quality, social, and environmental standards, these suppliers may still face internal issues such as food safety, ethical malpractice, environmental concerns, and human rights issues. When such issues arise, it is unclear whether customers hold restaurants accountable for the mistakes of their suppliers, even when the restaurant has not been directly involved in these issues. The first part of this dissertation aims to explore how consumers associate negative news about supplier food quality and practices with the restaurants they patronize. By doing so, this study contributes to a better understanding of the indirect link between supplier issues and restaurant market value. On another note, Online Travel Agents (OTAs) play an important intermediary role in the two-sided travel distribution market. A critical factor that enhances a firm's competitive advantage is innovation. Yet, the analysis of innovation in the OTA context is scarce. The main objective of the second part of this dissertation is to fill this gap and examine the effect of OTA innovations on firm performance. We analyze the effect of two-sided market specific innovations (same-side and cross-side) on performance and contribute to the literature by expanding the theoretical understanding of innovations. We find that producer-to-consumer innovations have a greater effect on OTA performance than producer-to-producer and consumer-to-consumer innovations. A fundamental managerial implication is that exchange management is an area to be enhanced when innovating in travel market distribution. Lastly, with the unprecedented increase in food delivery demand due to the new consumption habits of individuals, delivery pricing is an issue to consider keeping consumers happy and continuously demanding this service. Research in economics and in service marketing have described how consumers do recognize the "free" under a product's price differently. This pricing approach is based upon that widespread notion that providing free goods or services to customers adds value to them and so increases their desire to buy. In the last part of the dissertation, we study the Zero price model on a multicomponent product with Food being the first component (where its price is always positive) and the delivery service as the second (where its price will eventually hit the zero-price tag). Elaborating more on previous studies and filling their gaps, we will be dividing the zero-price model into three scenarios: The true free scenario, the true free scenario with different discounts, and the fake-free scenario as each one is expected to yield different consumer behaviors in the process, but all should act similarly when the price hits the "free" tag. / Doctor of Philosophy / The hospitality industry is deeply intertwined, as retailers and suppliers rely on one another for success. Retailers depend on suppliers for essential goods and services, while suppliers count on retailers for purchasing and promoting their products. With increasing competition, it is vital for companies to select the right suppliers. Merely focusing on profit maximization is no longer sufficient, as there is growing pressure to adopt socially and environmentally responsible practices. Factors such as environmental, social, political aspects, and customer satisfaction now play a role in supplier selection. Restaurants strive to collaborate with suppliers that meet their criteria, but these suppliers may still encounter issues like food safety, ethical dilemmas, environmental issues, and human rights problems. The question remains whether customers hold restaurants accountable for their suppliers' mistakes. The first part of this dissertation investigates consumer responses to negative supplier news and its impact on their choice of restaurants. In another aspect, Online Travel Agents (OTAs) significantly influence the travel market. Innovation is a critical factor in achieving success, yet there has been limited research on innovation within the OTA context. The second part of this dissertation seeks to bridge this gap by examining how OTA innovations affect their performance. The study reveals that certain innovations have a more significant impact on OTA performance than others, indicating that enhancing exchange management is essential for innovation within the travel market. Lastly, the surge in food delivery demand has made delivery pricing a crucial aspect in maintaining customer satisfaction and promoting continued use of the service. Research indicates that consumers perceive "free" items or services distinctively, with "free" offers increasing their inclination to purchase. The last part of this dissertation explores the Zero price model for food delivery, wherein the food is the first component with a positive price, and the delivery service is the second component with a potentially free price. We categorize the zero-price model into three scenarios: true free, true free with different discounts, and fake-free, anticipating that they will result in different consumer behaviors, but all should exhibit similar effects when the price is "free."

The goal of the Master´s Thesis is to make a business plan which would reflect the business intention of its author for an online food delivery service, to be able to asses its viability and possibly its feasebility. The first part is theoretical and it is dealing with the necessities of such plan. Special attention is put on the structure of a business plan. Practical part of the thesis is dedicated to the individual parts of the plan. Firstly the business opportunity and the form of personnel is introduced. Secondly the analysis of the market, competition, suppliers and marketing strategy. The financial plan is than testing the feasibility of the idea form the economic perspective.

This thesis presents a preliminary design of a demand forecasting service using a service design approach. The service aims to provide a better user experience when forecasting demands for the Operational Managers (OM) in an online food-delivery platform. Based on the internal user interviews, demand forecasting is essential to plan the right yet efficient balance between order demand and delivery supply. However, some limitations were discovered in the existing process that creates unnecessary manual work, and therefore less time productivity. This thesis explores whether to create a better digital and centralized forecasting service and can be introduced to reduce the manual tasks as much as possible using Machine Learning models. The research methodologies used in this thesis are the user-centric design methods, for example, semi-structured interviews, Affinity diagrams, Stakeholder Mapping, Persona, User Journey Mapping, and Service Blueprint. Moreover, the research highlights the current gaps in the forecasting process and presents comprehensive suggestions in designing the forecasting service. The results also combined the stakeholder aspirations to ensure operational efficiency and user-centric design methods to solve those gaps. / Denna uppsats presenterar en preliminär design för en tjänst för efterfrågeprognostisering med hjälp av en tjänstedesignmetod. Tjänsten syftar till att ge en bättre användarupplevelse vid prognostisering av efterfrågan för de operativa cheferna på en online-matleveranstjänst. Intervjuer med interna användare visade att prognostisering av efterfrågan är viktig för att kunna planera en korrekt men effektiv balans mellan efterfrågan och antalet kurirer. I den nuvarande processen upptäcktes dock några begränsningar som skapar onödigt manuellt arbete och mindre tidsproduktivitet. Förslaget var att skapa en bättre digital och centraliserad prognostiseringstjänst och minska de manuella uppgifterna så mycket som möjligt med hjälp av maskininlärningsmodeller. I forskningen tillämpades användarcentrerade designmetoder, till exempel halvstrukturerade intervjuer, affinitetsdiagram, intressentkartläggning, persona, kartläggning av kundresor och service blueprint. Dessutom belyste forskningen de befintliga luckorna i hela processen och presenterade omfattande förbättringsförslag för utformningen av prognostiseringstjänsten. Resultaten kombinerade också intressenternas ambitioner för att säkerställa operativ effektivitet med användarcentrerade designmetoder för att lösa rätt problem. Prognostiseringstjänsten utvecklades av företaget utgående från forskningsresultatet.