This thesis explores risk management practices in global manufacturing investment. It reflects the growing internationalisation of manufacturing and the increasing complexity and fragmentation of manufacturing systems. Issues of risk management have become increasingly important in financial and company governance contexts not least because of growing international concerns about the consequences of unregulated risk. However while significant progress has been made in the awareness and articulation of financial risk there appeared to be little evidence of systematic management of risks associated with the globalisation of manufacturing despite the fact that ill-advised internationalisation projects could risk companies' futures. Investment risk management practice has evolved as risk analysis in global manufacturing investment from theoretical and practice perspectives. The need to actively manage risk has tended to be lost by the adoption of complex financial risk analysis methods in industrial investment projects. The approach adopted in this research was to undertake detailed case investigations in a cross section of industrial businesses at different levels of maturity in order to observe current practices, identify common principles and to seek to synthesise systematic approaches to risk management where appropriate. These field studies were conducted against a background of a detailed review of the literature and practice in finance and consulting and a detailed review of literature and practice in manufacturing strategy and system design. The key findings are as follows: (i) Elements of global manufacturing risk are managed by a variety of implicit and explicit methods, typically embedded in strategic and financial evaluations. There are no widely recognised comprehensive and systematic approaches to the analysis and mitigation of risks associated with global manufacturing investments. (ii) A broad review and analysis of global manufacturing investment projects identified key categories of investment risks and key dimensions of investment risk management. (iii) A very preliminary classification of global manufacturers from an investment risk management practice perspective, which may be helpful to companies in assessing their own risk management capabilities and behaviours. (iv) A prototype investment risk management process architecture is proposed based upon the key research findings. It presents a structured approach to the key risk management tasks and demonstrates their generality across a range of industrial environment. This provides confidence though not conclusive evidence that these methods might be applicable across a broad spectrum of manufacturing industries. The research findings extend the current understanding of risk management into the domain of global manufacturing strategy and provide the basis for more comprehensive and systematic assessment of risk in global investment projects. Further research will be required to validate the proposed risk management process and to explore the particular risks associated with different sectors, technologies, and business contexts.

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The competiveness within the global market has forced large manufacturing companies to reorganize their global operations. To act proficiently abroad is therefore no longer a choice but an important prerequisite. In global production networks, there are different plant roles that serve different purposes. One of the important roles within these networks is the core plant role. There are limited amount of the researches done regarding the core plant role. There is also a lack of consistency regarding the definition of the core plant role. It is also evident that there is a knowledge gap regarding the managerial aspects of this plant role both in the academia and in the industry. Managing a core plant requires certain capabilities. It is important to target this knowledge gap since global manufacturing is becoming a common norm for large enterprises and the importance of the core plant role is getting more evident. There is also a lack of understanding towards the challenges that a core plant must deal with both within the organization and globally towards the other plants within the manufacturing network. To address this knowledge gap further, two research questions were created ―What key capabilities are required in order to manage the core plant role?” (RQ1) and ―What are the main challenges in managing the core plant role?” (RQ2). Case study was chosen as the research method for this study since it is the most appropriate method when investigating a phenomenon in its own context. Interviews were the main research technique used to collect data. 18 semi-structured interviews were conducted in eight different cases. A literature review was conducted and was the foundation for the interview guide used in the interviews and for the data analysis. The results show that various capabilities are important for the management of the core plant role. Proximity to R&D and knowledge were the most emphasized factors. For the main challenges in terms of managing a core plant, the communication, cooperation and coordination where the most challenging aspects. Based upon finding, two frameworks have been proposed a concluding generalization and contribution of this research study. The study provides a generalization based upon data that has been collected from companies from different industries. These findings are a contribution towards both the large enterprises operating globally and the academia.

With today’s smartphones and smart glasses, and the progression of augmented reality, the possibilities to interact over distance has made it feasible to guide one another in an intuitive and effective way. This combination of technology and software principles allows a local operator to record a scenario from his or her point of view and show this to a remotely located expert. An expert can, in turn, help the operator by interacting through that video feed by highlighting aspects and overlaying information for the operator to see. The aim of this study was to investigate how such a system should be configured if it were to be implemented in the context of final assembly of military aircraft. An understanding of the context and situations where external help might be needed was established through an ethnographical study. User tests were conducted with an existing system in comparable cases, inspired by results from the first study. This in order to evaluate the configuration of the hardware and interactivity. Results indicate that it is useful to implement a remote guidance system which allows augmented overlays in the context of final assembly. A greater need for such a system was found in situations in which a subject matter expert must investigate and assess issues and errors that has occurred. These scenarios are often characterized by differentiating environment, from cases where there is a good overview to situations in which the mirrors must be used to see from the right angle beyond one’s field of view. A remote guidance system should be able to support both cases and must, therefore, be modular in a way so that an external camera can be used to reach in while the screen can be seen simultaneously. Regarding the need for interaction between interactors in such situations are limited. The user studies indicate that simple referential gestures on frozen images of a video feed might be enough. / Global Assembly Instruction Strategies (GAIS) 2

Sweden's prosperity is one fifth based on successful and innovative industries. To be able to meet the increasingly demanding and complex market the manufacturing companies need to be able to change. This, in turn, puts high pressure on leadership and internal and external communication before a transformation within the organisation, even more so on a global organisation. To meet these requirements, the manufacturing companies need to work hands on with dissemination of information between the organization's boundaries before change. This study aims to investigate how management can work with dissemination of information before a change. A qualitative method approach was used to answer the study's research question and the method of choosing was semistructured individual interviews. Sensemaking was used as a theoretical perspective to analyse the collected data. The study results show that management and bosses need to adapt their way of communication depending on which individual the information is addressed to, and that organizations need to work with organizational culture to encourage change. This study also reversals that it is important for concerned organisational members to feel involved in, and to understand the meaning with, the change. The management within the organization can therefore establish a change group to work with these issues. / Sveriges välstånd är till en femtedel byggt på framgångsrika och innovativa industrier. För att tillverkningsföretagen ska kunna möta den allt mer komplexa och krävande marknaden behöver de kunna förändras. Detta sätter i sin tur hög press på ledarskap och intern och extern kommunikation inför en förändring, och allra främst på globala organisationer. För att kunna möta dessa krav behöver tillverkningssektorn aktivt arbeta med informationsspridning mellan organisationens gränser inför förändringsarbeten. Den här studien kommer att undersöka hur ledning kan arbeta med informationsspridning inför ett förändringsarbete. En kvalitativ metod ansats har använts för att besvara studiens forskningsfråga och den valda metoden utgjordes av semistrukturerade individuella intervjuer. För att analysera studiens insamlade data användes Sensemaking som ett teoretiskt perspektiv. Studiens resultat visar att ledning och chefer behöver anpassa sitt sätt att kommunicera beroende på vilken individ informationen riktar sig till, samt att organisationer behöver arbeta med organisationskultur för att främja förändringsarbeten. Studien visar även att det är viktigt att berörda organisationsmedlemmar känner sig involverade i, och förstår meningen med, förändringen. Ledningen inom organisationen kan bland annat arbeta med detta genom att tillsätta en förändringsgrupp.

Att upprätthålla ett högt engagemang bland anställda inom organisationen bör i dagens samhälle ses som en viktig förutsättning för att bibehålla effektivitet och vara konkurrenskraftiga. Tidigare forskning och egna observationer har indikerat tillit gentemot den organisation man som anställd arbetar för som en potentiell påverkande faktor till upplevt engagemang. Syftet med denna studie är att förklara hur tjänstemän inom global tillverkande organisation upplever att deras engagemang påverkas av tillit gentemot organisationen. För att kunna besvara studiens syfte har vi genomfört en kvalitativ fallstudie inom SNA Europe, med semistrukturerade intervjuer som metod för insamling av data och med tjänstemän som tydlig undersökningsenhet. Efter insamling av data har vi genomfört en tematisk empirianalys, där vi lät teman växa fram utifrån empirin. Detta för att komma åt tjänstemännens faktiska upplevelser och för att inte begränsa resultatets kvalitet.    Studiens analys och resultat identifierar sedan fyra kärnteman: organisationen gör rätt saker, organisationsstruktur, chefskap samt kommunikation och information. Dessa bryts sedan brutits ned i subkategorier för att fånga alla dess olika delar av tjänstemännens upplevelser. 3 huvudsakliga komponenter inom kategorin tillit växer därigenom fram, vilka tjänstemännen upplever påverkar engagemanget och vilka således hjälper oss att besvara studiens syfte. Dessa tre komponenter är organisationen gör rätt saker, organisationsstruktur och chefskap samt kommunikation och information.    Slutsatsen slår sedan fast att tillit, förståelse och förtroende för omgivningen är avgörande komponenter för tjänstemännens engagemang. Det framkommer även att dessa upplevda komponenter av tillit som påverkar engagemanget i det aktuella fallet verkar i en komplex relation med varandra. / Maintaining a high level of engagement among employees within the organization should in today's society be seen as an important prerequisite for maintaining efficiency and being competitive. Previous research and own observations have indicated trust in the organization that the employee works for as a potential influencing factor for perceived engagement. The purpose of this study is to explain how officials within global manufacturing organization feel that their engagement is affected by trust towards the organization. In order to answer the purpose of the study, we conducted a qualitative case study within SNA Europe, with semi-structured interviews as a method for data collection and with officials as a clear investigation unit. After collecting data, we conducted a thematic empirical analysis, where we allowed themes to emerge based on empirical data. This is to access the actual experiences of the officials and not to limit the quality of the results.   The study's analysis and results then identify four core themes: the organization does the right things, organizational structure, leadership and communication and information. These are then broken down into subcategories to capture all its different parts of the officials' experiences. Three main components within the category of trust are thereby emerging, which the officials experience affect the engagement, and which thus helps us to answer the purpose of the study. These three components are the organization doing the right things, organizational structure and leadership as well as communication and information.   The conclusion then states that trust, understanding and confidence in the surroundings are crucial components of the engagement of the officials. It also emerges that these perceived components of trust that affect engagement in this particular case operate in a complex relationship with each other.

I ett ständigt föränderligt samhälle krävs det att organisationer arbetar för att upplevas attraktiva då det kan leda till konkurrenskraft på marknaden. Covid-19 ställer nya krav på arbetsgivaren som i vissa fall fått införa distansarbete för anställda.  Studien syftar till att beskriva anställdas upplevelser av distansarbete under covid-19 och hur fortsatt distansarbete efter covid-19 är en faktor som de anställda upplever påverkar organisationens attraktivitet. Två forskningsfrågor utvecklas:  1. Vad har anställda för upplevelser av distansarbete under covid-19?2. På vilket sätt är distansarbete efter covid-19 en faktor som anställda upplever påverkar  organisationens attraktivitet?  Tolkningsperspektivet präglar studiens syfte och tillvägagångssätt. Studien genomförs fallspecifikt i en global organisation och en induktiv ansats genomsyrar studien då syftet är utforskande. Studien är av kvalitativ karaktär där semistrukturerade intervjuer använts för insamling av empiri. Vidare används en tematisk analys som metodansats. I Forskningsfråga 1 utvecklas temana: Work life balance, Information, kommunikation och interaktion samt Effekten av distansarbetet. Forskningsfråga 2 består av temana: Flexibilitet efter covid-19 och Flexibilitetens indikationer. Förankring med tidigare forskning skapar en större förståelse för empirin. Slutsatsen är att upplevelserna av distansarbete under covid-19 i det specifika fallet varierar och är individuella. Det framkommer att flexibelt distansarbete efter covid-19 ökar organisationens attraktivitet eftersom det signalera på andra attraktiva faktorer däremot krävs vissa förutsättningar från organisationens sida. / In a constantly changing society, there is a demand for organizations to be seen as attractive as they may develop competitiveness on the market. Due to covid-19 newly formed demands are being established for the employer to follow such as working remotely.  The purpose of the study is to describe the employee's experiences of remote work during covid-19 and how organizations will be perceived as attractive by the employees when offering remote work post covid-19. Two research questions have been conducted:  What are the employee's experiences with remote work? In what way do remote work post covid-19 influence the attractiveness of the organization? Interpretivism is conducted as the paradigm of the study to further carve the purpose and approach. The study is developed through a single case study in a global organization with an inductive approach that permeates the investigation of the purpose. The study is qualitative where semi-structured interviews are used as a collection of empirics. Furthermore, a thematic analysis is used. In the first research question the following themes are developed: Work-life balance, Information, Communication and Interaction and The Effect of Remote work. The themes developed through the second research question follow: Flexibility after covid-19 and the Indications of Flexibility. The previous research creates a greater understanding of empirics. The conclusion reveals that the perception of remote work during covid-19 in the specific case varies and is individualistic. Flexibility in remote work post covid-19 emerges as increasing the attractiveness of the organization. This serves as an indication of other attractive elements however some conditions are required.

In the rapidly evolving landscape of global manufacturing, the ability to efficiently ramp upproduction for new products is crucial for maintaining competitive advantage. This thesis builds on ramp-up strategies proposed by Slamanig and Winkler (2011) and Schuh et al.(2005) put in relation to different International Manufacturing Network configurations (IMN) as described by Abele et al. (2008). Each IMN configuration introduces distinct challenges and advantages, focusing on efficient resource allocation and integration of the production network during ramp-up.Using Atlas Copco’s screw feeding system as a case study, the purpose of this research is to develop a strategic framework aimed to guide operational decisions to enhance ramp-up efficiency in a global manufacturing context. The research method involved a qualitative case study combined with a literature review. The qualitative case study consisted of interviews with key stakeholders, participation in workshops and production site visits. Based on the findings from the case study and the literature study, a framework guiding operational decisions related to ramp-up of new products is developed. The analysis results in practical recommendations and strategies to achieve ramp-up objectives such as target output volume, quality, speed, and cost efficiency. The thesis identifies critical factors such as the alignment of the international manufacturing configurations with operational strategy and the importance of agility in production systems.The proposed framework offers practical recommendations for multinational corporations to optimize their ramp-up processes, thereby ensuring quicker market entry and better product quality. This research provides valuable insights for manufacturing firms looking to enhance their global production strategies, ultimately leading to improved competitiveness and market responsiveness. / Den globala tillverkningsindustrin genomgår sedan en tid tillbaka en omfattande förändring där nya krav på effektivare processer och rutiner ställs. Detta, tillsammans med en förändrlig omvärld, tvingar företag att anpassa sig för att bibehålla konkurrenskraft och marknadsposition. Rapporten diskuterar metoder för effektiv produktionsökning presenterade av Slamanig and Winkler (2011) och Schuh et al. (2005) vilka sätts i relation till olika typer av internationella produktionsnätverk (IMN) enligt Abele et al. (2008). Det huvudsakliga målet är att identifiera ett ramverk för strategier som lämpar sig för effektiv ökning av produktion, så kallad upprampning, av nya produkter i en global kontext. Vidare bygger det strategiska ramverket på att visa möjliga alternativ samt att guida operativa val. Målsättningen är att tydliggöra hur verksamheten kan styras mot en effektiv integrering av produktions-konfigurationer och design av aktiviteter för uppstart eller signifikant ökning av produktion. Rapporten består av en litteraturstudie, medverkan i workshops och studiebesök samt en kvalitativ undersökning i form av intervjuer med utvalda intressenter där Atlas Copcos nyligen lanserade system för skruvmatning används som fallstudie. Baserat på litteraturstudien och den empiriska undersökningen identifieras kriterier som utgör grunden till det strategiska ramverket. Analysen leder till strategiska rekommendationer för att uppnå mål för produktionsvolym, kundanpassning, kvalité och produktivitet. I rapporten diskuteras också vikten av att produktion och tillverkning behöver överensstämma med företagets befintliga operativa strategi. Det framgår att etablerade flexibla och robusta produktionssystem i kombination med integration av tillämplig teknik, är en förutsättning för effektiv och snabb ökning av produktion. Ramverket ger sammanfattningsvis både praktiska rekommendationer för globala multinationella organisationer för att säkerställa en effektiv produktionsökning, samt vägledning för att öka produktion och uppnå ökade marknadsandelar. Rapporten visar att detta kan möjliggöras samtidigt som högre produktionskvalité kan uppnås genom utnyttjandet av organisationens befintliga kunskap och produktionsstruktur.

Every artifact in this consumerism world is connected to Earth’s four ecological layers. Everything around us, air, organism, water, and soil/rock also known by the names; atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere. All together form the ecosphere, the place that contains all materials and resources that we use when creating artifacts.  »Every material that we use comes from the ecosphere and eventually goes back to it.« - Ann Thorpe The way humans use, extract, manufacture and dispose of materials has concerned me for many years, long before I started this design program. It has formed my way of making as a designer, and because of my love for textiles, I have been applying it in that field of practise. I want to design textiles that function and can be used frequently, with a purpose and in the end, decompose before I do. The aim of this conducted design project is to, in a playful way, break down the barrier between maker and user. Combined with unfolding the hidden truths about garments, how they are manufactured and where those textile components originate from. This would enable me to broaden my knowledge in the field and in return I will have the opportunity to share my insights with the public. Within this project I will also put the emphasis on the impact textiles have on our bodies, reproductive health and surrounding ecosystems.  Designing with the intention to highlight topics like this, the whole life cycle of garments, creates a stronger bond between user and maker. This is something I as a designer and maker want to build my foundation on.  In order to do this I needed to pin down where this conducted design project could take place and what sustainable possibilities of change it could embed for the future.