Background: The five-factor model is the most prominent theory in personality science which aspire to understand the thoughts, feelings and behavior of individuals, determined by five relatively stable domains. Neuroticism, defined as a higher threat reactivity and susceptibility to negative affect, is one domain which has proven problematic for well-being, and has estimated societal costs of approximately 2.5 times that of common mental disorder per 1 million inhabitants. Problem: The neural correlates of neuroticism could supply research with a fundamental base of understanding the trait, however, due to scattered founding’s of segregated activity in brain structures relative to neuroticism, meta-analyses argue that increased understanding of global rather than local organization, could be more fruitful for the investigation. Methodology: Since neuroticism is convergent with emotional instability, two structures of interest with regards to global organization are the amygdala, crucial for emotion generation, and the prefrontal cortex (PFC), responsible for emotion interpretation and emotion regulation. Reviewing brain imaging research conducted with emphasis on integrative communication between the amygdala and the PFC in individuals with high trait neuroticism has therefore been the main objective of this thesis. Results/conclusion: According to the investigated research there is compromised structural integrity correlated with neuroticism, while the research on functional communication between the structures explored is not yet sufficiently covered to supply a satisfactory answer. Some of these neurobiological findings are in line with personality science observation in neuroticism, and could hence contribute to the investigation. However, more research is warranted in this field of neuroscience.

In the emerging global marketplace many companies are forced to disperse their business fromoperating in one market into various markets, which causes challenges regarding innovationperformance. To efficiently use their resources, these organizations are often developing theirproduct adopted to the home market’s customer needs, something that can lead to poor productacceptance by the secondary markets. Hence, absorption and use of market knowledgethroughout the innovation process are important considerations to maintain a competitive advantage.This case study intends to answer the research question; what are the best-practices for innovationat a global car-sharing firm to better align their product to many diverse markets? Thethesis was carried out as an inductive case study at DriveNow, a car-sharing company aroundEurope who are struggling with the product performance at their many diverse markets. Thegoal with the thesis was to propose recommendations on how to manage the complexity ofabsorbing knowledge from diverse local markets, transferring it within the organization andintegrating it throughout the innovation process. In order to do so, a pre-study was conducted,followed by 23 semi-structured qualitative interviews at the headquarter and four of DriveNows’local offices.The results indicate, on the one hand, that firms have to access important market knowledgethrough their local offices to better align the product to their diverse markets. On the otherhand, the efficiency of how the organization are transferring the knowledge and encouraging employeesto do so are also important considerations. Based on results from this study, we suggesta formalization of various processes in order to facilitate ideation, internal communication andthe subsequent transmission of market knowledge over boundaries. Furthermore the developmentof an adopted global product could be a way of manage the complexity of having a globalproduct but satisfy needs of diverse markets. By capturing market knowledge and create localizedfeatures were it is needed the global product could be better adapted to various markets. / På den framväxande globala marknaden tar företag snabbt deras verksamhet från en marknadtill att vara verksamma på flera olika marknader, vilket orsakar stora utmaningar gällandeinnovation. För att på bästa sätt ta tillvara på deras resurser anpassar dessa företag ofta produktentill deras hemmamarknader, vilket kan leda till dålig acceptans av produkten på andramarknader. På grund av detta är absorbtion och användning av lokal kunskap från marknaderviktiga aspekter för att kunna upprätthålla en hållbar konkurrensfördel.Den här fallstudien avser att besvara frågeställningen; vilka är de bästa metoderna för attfrämja innovation hos ett globalt bildelningsföretag i syfte att bättre anpassa produkten tillolika marknader. Den här masteruppsatsen är en induktiv fallstudie på företaget DriveNow,ett bildelningsföretag med verksamhet i Europa som brottas med hur produkten mottas påderas olika marknader. Målet med uppsatsen är att föreslå rekommendationer för att hanterakomplexiteten av att absorbera kunskap från marknaderna, dela den inom organisationen ochföra kunskapen vidare genom innovationsprocessen. För att kunna genomföra detta utfördes enförstudie följt av 23 semi-strukturerade kvalitativa intervjuer på DriveNows huvudkontor ochfyra av dess lokala kontor.Resultatet av studien indikerar, å ena sidan, att organisationer behöver ta vara på kunskapenfrån deras lokala kontor för att bättre anpassa produkten till olika marknader. Å andra sidanhur organisationen hanterar kunskapsöverföring och uppmuntrar anställda att dela med sig avkunskap är också viktiga aspekter. Baserat på resultaten av studien, föreslås formella processerför att kunna förenkla idégenerering, intern kommunikation och kunskapsöverföring. Vidareföreslås en implementering av en anpassad global produkt för att hantera svårigheten av att haen global produkt som samtidigt måste tillgodose olika behov på olika marknader. Genom attta tillvara på den lokala marknadskunskapen och skapa lokaliserade funktioner där det behövs,kan den globala produkten bättre anpassas till olika marknader.

Disruptive changes driven by sustainability, new technology and servitization challenge companies’ current products and business models. This increases the interest in radical innovations, and consequently the interest to capture radical ideas. At the same time, globalization increases the importance for digital tools in order to connect and communicate between different geographical locations. An idea management system (IMS) allows large, global companies to conduct idea management in a structured way throughout the entire company. This study aims to investigate and identify factors important for the implementation of an IMS in companies that operates globally. This is done with a case study at a company in the automotive industry who is standing before an industrial transformation. In order to analyze the empirical findings two existing frameworks is combined into an empirical classification framework. The previous literature and the empirical analysis identified three important themes; process, culture and system. The discussion around the three themes allowed for a connection between the empirical findings and the previous literature, leading to conclusions regarding the implementation of an IMS. The study firstly concludes that finding ideas is no problem, it is more important to have the right processes in place for handling ideas. One of the key aspects is individual motivation and that the system is used for learning rather than performing. A risk identified was that goals within large companies may conflict with goals of radical innovation, which highlights the importance of flexible leadership and flexible systems within the company. The IMS should start with basic features and start at selected markets, allowing feedback from the IMS ambassadors to assist in the future development of the system. Categorizing ideas and using monthly campaigns for specific problem areas can facilitate the handling of a large number of ideas, preventing the IMS from becoming a “black hole” where ideas are submitted and then disappear. / Hållbarhet, ny teknologi och tjänstefiering är förändringar som utmanar dagens företags produktutbud och affärsmodeller. Intresset för radikala innovationer har i och med det ökat och som en konsekvens av det, även bidragit med ett ökat intresse av att fånga radikala idéer inom organisationen. Samtidigt har globaliseringen ökat betydelsen av digitala verktyg för anknytning och kommunikation mellan olika geografiska platser. Ett idéhanteringssystem (förkortning IMS) möjliggör strukturerad idéhantering genom hela företaget, för stora globala företag. Målet med studien var att undersöka och identifiera faktorer som anses viktiga för implementering av ett idéhanteringssystem i stora globala företag. Detta har gjorts genom en fallstudie på ett företag inom fordonsindustrin, som står inför en stor industriell förändring. För att analysera den insamlade empiriska datan har två existerande ramverk kombinerats till ett ramverk för empirisk klassificering. Tidigare litteratur och den empiriska analysen identifierade tre viktiga teman: process, kultur och system. Diskussionen kring dessa tre teman möjliggjorde för kopplingar mellan de empiriska fynden och tidigare litteratur, vilket gav slutsatser angående implementeringen av ett idéhanteringssystem. En av studiens första slutsatser var att mängden idéer inom en organisation inte är ett problem. Det är viktigare att ha processer på plats för att hantera idéerna. En av nyckelaspekterna var att individuell motivation och att systemet bör användas för lärande snarare än prestation. En risk med målsättning identifierades, det visade att mål hos stora företag kan strida mot mål för radikala innovationer, vilket lyfter vikten av ett flexibelt ledarskap och flexibla system inom företaget. I startfasen bör idéhanteringssystemet satsa på grundläggande funktioner och testas hos utvalda marknader, vilket möjliggör utveckling av systemet genom återkoppling från systemets ambassadörer. Månatliga kampanjer och kategorisering av idéer underlättar hanteringen av stora mängder idéer, vilket motverkar att idéhanteringssystemet blir ett ”svart hål” där idéer skickas in och försvinner.

對台灣的企業而言，全球貿易從來不是新鮮的事。台灣企業早已面對全球市場、參與全球競爭。但是在這些行業中的台商能否稱為全球化的公司或是具有全球化組織架構的跨國公司呢？這恐怕是有爭議的。對許多西方多國公司而言，它們的業務範圍早已分佈於世界各地。他們所思考的是如何強化現有的組織架構、善用全球搜尋能力，進而擴大規模經濟效益、增強全球競爭能力使企業轉型為全球化的組織。這個議題是從20世紀末期一直到今天都不曾停止的。 多國公司所關注的問題已經不再是如何由本土市場進軍國際市場，或是如何面對國際競爭的問題。它們關注的問題是如何在全球據點對價值鏈中的各項價值活動做合理的配置，使得企業的效益能夠充分發揮，同時藉著部門間的協調和整合來提升組織的效率和效能而成為真正全球化的企業組織，進而掌握全球市場。 在這些多國公司全球化的過程中，不但要整合所有的價值活動，更要適當的配置這些價值活動，將它們佈置在最適合的地點，以發揮全球組織架構的優勢。而這個全球組織架構的建立與運作不但是前所未見的企業行為，更是多國公司全球化的創舉。因此，吾人希望藉著其中某大石化公司全球化的過程與經驗，了解他們是如何進行全球化的組織轉型，找出其中的關鍵成功因素及達成全球化組織轉型的作法，以供國內企業之借鏡與參考。同時吾人亦將以整合─回應架構理論針對價值鏈中國際行銷管理因公司組織全球化而做的改變加以探討。此外，亦希望藉此案例瞭解多國公司除了改造作業流程、進行組織轉型、以降低成本及提高組織效率之外，也盼望能了解多國公司如何進行全球組織的知識管理來累積經驗曲線,增進創新能力。 吾人希望藉此研究了解： <1>多國公司是如何由區域型組織(以亞洲為例)轉型為全球化的組織？ <2>多國公司(MNCs)在轉型為全球化組織時，國際行銷之“整合-回應”架構的差異為何？ 本研究共計分為五章，第一章敘述研究背景與動機、研究問題與目的和研究流程；第二章則探討多國公司之改革與發展、多國公司之策略與類型、 多國公司整合─回應架構之應用和多國公司子公司之策略性角色；第三章提出初步研究架構、個案研究法和研究限制。第四章為個案背景與分析、第一節將先描述個案所面臨的全球環境、然後針對個案A1事業部所處的產業環境和顧客加以分析、並運用Porter五力分析了解A1事業部的產業競爭優勢。第二節將探討全球策略下的組織轉型及全球化的組織架構。接著在第三節詳述如何由國際區域型組織轉型為全球化組織，並以個案的全球化專案小組為例，說明如何成立專案小組、選擇成員、建立新的資訊平台與作業系統、和相關部門溝通到系統建構完成與測試計劃的擬定。第四節則以A1事業部為例，比較原有的組織架構和全球化組織架構的差異，同時將論及全球化企業中最重要組織控管原則，然後聚焦於國際行銷管理的4P、新產品開發及知識管理，最後希望能歸納出多國公司全球化的主要步驟和關鍵成功因素。第五章為結論與建議。 由本個案可歸納出，多國公司由區域型組織轉型為全球化的組織時，其主要作法如下： 1. 由全球最高管理階層召集高階主管組成全球組織轉型專案小組 2. 根據企業所處全球競爭環境擬訂全球策略並設計全球組織架構 3. 依據全球策略及組織架構擬訂作業流程並選擇全球資訊平台與作業系統 4. 由全球最高管理階層發佈並說明企業面對之環境及公司未來目標和願景 5. 選擇適當人員組成區域專案小組，負責推動組織轉型 6. 訓練區域專案小組成員熟習全球資訊平台與作業系統，並依照此系統設計業務準則 7. 建構全球資訊平台與作業系統、進行數據轉換 8. 全球資訊平台與作業系統之测試與評估 9. 定期向全公司溝通“全球化”之進度 10. 定義全球企業組織之職務及權責(Role & Responsibilities) 11. 進行組織轉型、人事調整，區域型組織轉型為全球化組織 12. 發佈全球化組織的業務準則及作業流程 13. 定期追蹤組織績效，蒐集客戶和基層人員反映，以供修正業務準則及作業流程參考 同時吾人亦可由本個案的知多國公司(MNCs)達成全球化的關鍵成功因素為： 1. 企業最高級主管的願景(Vision)及意志力； 2. 足夠的財力以建立、維護並更新全球作業系統； 3. 具跨文化管理經驗及能力的管理團隊； 4. 良好的業務準則及管理系統； 5. 遵守業務準則的企業文化； 6. 全球一致的企業語言及價值觀； 7. 跨業務單位的協調機制； 8. 定期反饋市場情況的能力； 9. 與時俱進的國際人力資源管理制度。 以本個案而言，全球化組織架構可以幫助提升多國公司的知識管理能力，但是卻對企業創新能力的助益不大，甚至因為全球作業系統的標準化、流程的簡單化、決策的極權化以至於對地區客戶的反應能力降低進而導致創新能力的減弱。然而，一旦全球企業觀察到世界各地市場對產品的共同需求並且決定投入資源去掌握此機會時，則其所發揮的能力和速度將會遠勝過區域型的多國公司。同時因為具有全球資源、網絡和市場，使得全球企業能夠有足夠的經濟規模從事較耗費資源的、革命性的產品創新工作。 另一方面，由於全球企業的資訊網路連結和跨區域的事業部組織架構，使得某地區的最佳典範能夠快速的轉移、複製到全球各地，領先競爭者、取得市場先機，更能夠因此快速的建立全球企業的經驗曲線。因此，以同一企業而言，全球化的知識管理能力將優於區域型組織。此知識管理能力可能較偏向於既有產品開發的成功經驗轉移而非新產品的創新，或是有關改進生產及組織管理效率的作法。 根據本個案的研究，吾人對台灣的企業建議如下： 1. 企業全球化之前必須了解各子公司所在地的法律以確保子公司及全球總公司所做的任何交易和投資都符合當地法律，避免誤蹈法網。同時對各地的法律的瞭解亦可保護公司資產、取得較佳稅率以增進獲利能力。 2. 全球化的第一個步驟就是企業管理的制度化、標準化、透明化和正式化。而企業控管能力的強化更是不可或缺的條件。台灣企業雖然已逐步邁向國際化但是除了少數大型企業以良好的制度管理公司以外，大部分的企業依舊有較大的改善空間。 3. 全球企業管理系統的建立可以提供全球子公司共同的作業平台和全球連結的管理系統，然而如何在此龐大的系統中注入適當的彈性以滿足地區市場和客戶的需求是組織全球化之前必須仔細考量的問題。 4. MEGA 公司對知識管理的重視和如何建立一個有效的全球知識管理系統足以作為台灣企業的借鏡。企業領導人必須重視知識管理並且全力推動。全球知識經驗的累積和分享將可協助企業成為學習型的組織。 5. 企業全球化需要及早儲備國際化的人才、培養多國公司語言〈英語〉,並加強書面溝通的能力。台灣企業在本身人才不足的情形下可考慮引進外國人才以加速國際化的腳步。 對後續研究的建議： 1. 本研究並未取得MEGA化學公司轉型前後之財務報告及進行全球化轉型所投入之經費，故無法以量化呈現研究結果。日後相關研究若能取得量化資料，將可從另一角度分析全球化的效益以供業界參考。 2. MEGA化學公司全球化之後，並未對跨全球事業部的業務進行探討，如何處理這些業務是全球化企業的另一挑戰，爾後應可針對此議題加以研究。 3. 支援性的價值活動(Support Activities)在全球化企業中扮演著非常重要的角色，幕僚單位(FunctionalGroups)如何在全球化組織中運作及發揮功能、其效能在組織轉型前後之比較是可研究的另一題目。 4. 本研究並未對組織全球化的缺點詳細探討，日後或可針對全球化的缺點及改善的對策深入研究。 5. 本研究以MEGA 公司的亞洲分公司為研究對象，歐、美分公司對組織全球化反應及變革管理的作法可能不同，此題目可為日後研究的方向之一。 / Globalization is a term widely used by almost all the enterprises in the world. It is also a challenge to most of companies and even individuals in the 21st century. How to transform from regional structure to global organization is a common challenge for all the multinational companies (MNCs) nowadays as they already have affiliates doing business in different part of the worlds and can access all kinds of resources easily. MNCs major concern is how to allocate their value activities in appropriate locations so that its maximum efficiency can be achieved, in the mean time its effectiveness can also be improved through delicate coordination and integration among the value activities. They are thinking how to strengthen existing organization through globalization, and capitalize their global accessibility to further expand scales of economy in order to become an organization with global competitiveness in the world market. This study is to understand how a MNC transformed from regional structure to global organization through observation of the real case of a major American petrochemical company. Hopefully it can help identify key success factors, provide major procedures and share the learning of global organization transformation to parties interested. Apart from the above mentioned, the study used the Integration- -Responsiveness Framework to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the value activity of International Marketing and Sales before and after organization change. Knowledge Management in the two different organization structures is another subject will also be briefly discussed in this study. The study once again confirms that globalization will help company increase competitiveness and achieve better financial results in the short term, but it will also become less responsive to local customers and markets due to centralized decision making process, which may hurt long term growth opportunity for certain industries. However, for a petrochemical company, the drawbacks of globalization may not really affect them as they have stronger bargaining power in the world where natural resource is getting less every day. Another issue really concerns the company is the reduced communication among different business units , it becomes a silo for almost every business unit as people only care and focus on things really matter to them. How to improve and enhance communication among business units and assign workforce to manage things not belong to a single business unit is anther challenge to be tackled. Since the study focused mainly on the organization transformation in Asia, it would be good if people can do further study based on the observation in other regions, across the business units, or focus on the drawbacks of globalization.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.