Background:           Literature suggests that franchising as an entry mode for internalisation gains more and more popularity. However, existing literature shows many studies concerning franchising do not focus on industries. Hence, very little research is done when it comes to franchising in the low-to-medium cost fashion apparel industry. At the same time, the growing fashion apparel industry is becoming more and more important due to the business opportunity it brings for organisations. In this context, Germany as being the biggest apparel market in Europe is attractive for international organisation to expand to. For entering the German market through the franchising entry mode, the information about underlying market environment and relevant actors play a vital role to reduce risk of encountering uncertain obstacles in the process.   Purpose:                  Entering a new market as a franchisor can be challenging due to different dynamics that can be found in different markets. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis is to explore institutional conditions of the current fashion apparel industry in Germany and to find out which institutions in Germany could help an organisation in terms of information on prevailing conditions, to successfully enter the German market.   Method:                   To attain the purpose of the research, a qualitative approach employing a single case with two embedded units of analysis is used. Purposive sampling is used to select research participants based on their expertise about the topic. The empirical data is collected through semi-structured interviews with 12 participants, which resemble 3 different actors, the German consumers, the German Franchise Association and Tijarat AB, a fashion apparel company seeking to expand to Germany. Supplementary data, such as official governmental and associations website, is used to support the empirical findings. Secondary data is acquired using literature, web sources and legal documents. The empirical findings are analysed with the help of the thematic analysis and the institutional theory as well as the Uppsala internalisation model.   Findings:                 The empirical findings present that there are several normative conditions which depict behaviours and what is considered to be acceptable in the German market. Firstly, there is no franchise fee collected by the franchisor in the fashion apparel industry. Furthermore, brand awareness, consistency, reputation and quality as well as price, design and variety play an important role in the consumer shopping behaviour and decisions. It was also found that there is no specific franchise law but rather a combination of existing legislation, such as the German Civil and Commercial Code, Competition law, Consumer law and Unfair trade law that form the jurisdiction for franchising in Germany.

In this article, we propose an innovative way of delineating local markets based on easily accessible data. We apply this concept to the day care industry and investigate providers' location choices relative to local market characteristics to evaluate the widespread presumption that local markets for child care services are geographically very small. Using a panel of all day care centers for the metropolitan region of Vienna, Austria, for nearly a decade, as well as geographically extremely disaggregated data on the spatial distribution of children under the age of six at the 250m×250m grid cell level, we find that the location of children and day care centers are strongly related, but this relationship diminishes as soon as the distance between a child's place of residence and the day care center's location increases. We conclude that local markets for day care services in metropolitan regions are indeed very small (about 500m or 550 yards).

<p><strong>Abstract</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Date: </strong>May 15, 2009<strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Course: </strong>Master thesis,<strong> </strong>EFO705<strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Authors: </strong>Hanna Jokiperä 800218-T108, hja08001@student.mdh.se</p><p>Ruusa Mustonen 830711-P263, rmn08001@student.mdh.se</p><p><strong>Tutor: </strong>Tobias Eltebrandt</p><p><strong>Title: </strong>CAN Europe – Market Research of Sweden</p><p><strong>Strategic question: </strong>How can CAN Europe launch the internationally standardised vocational skills assessment tests successfully to Sweden? The purpose of this master thesis is to provide the company with comprehensive information about the Swedish market and to suggest ways to implement the launching process.</p><p><strong>Research questions: </strong></p><ul><li>What are the characteristics of the Swedish labour and recruitment market? </li><li>Are the Swedish companies interested in using CAN Europe’s tests? </li><li>What would be the suitable marketing mix when entering the Swedish market?</li></ul><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Besides the comprehensive collection of secondary data, the primary data was collected by the means of an open-ended questionnaire among large companies and recruitment agencies in Sweden. The research was conducted in order to gather in-depth information about the recruitment field in Sweden.</p><p><strong>Conceptual Framework: </strong>Theories of<strong> ‘</strong>The<strong> </strong>International Marketing Task’, ‘The Country Notebook’ and ‘The Market entry plan’ were used.  Theories and concepts were chosen for the purpose that they would support each other and could be used by combining them when making the analysis of the findings.<strong></strong></p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>According to the study, Sweden seems to be highly potential country for CAN Europe to enter since the relevant aspects for successful launch exist in the market i.e. in terms of companies’ interest and needs, and the characteristics of the skills assessment and recruitment market in Sweden.</p><p><strong>Key Words: </strong>Market entry plan, marketing mix, international launch, market research, skills assessment, recruitment, blue-collar<strong></strong></p>

<p>Hinder för marknadstillträde är viktigt i många avseenden. För ett företag som slår sig in på en ny marknad är det viktigt att veta vilka hinder det möter. För konkurrensrättsliga myndigheter är det nödvändigt att veta vilka hinder som existerar för att exempelvis kunna avgöra om ett företag har en dominerande ställning. Det är också nödvändigt att känna till hindren för att säkerställa en fri tillgång till marknaden. </p><p>Det saknas dock en generellt accepterad definition av hinder för marknadstillträde. Detta gör det svårare för de olika parterna på marknaden att veta om de handlat på ett otillåtet vis. Saknaden av en generellt accepterad definition och en klar åsikt om vad anses vara otillåtet enligt konkurrensrättsliga regler leder också till komplicerade och tidskrävande rättsliga processer. </p><p>Jag presenterar en rad olika definitioner samt en översikt av olika hinder för att klargöra ämnet. Jag diskuterar vilka hinder som är av intresse från ett konkurrensrättsligt perspektiv samt varför de är av intresse. </p><p>Jag kommer till slutsatsen att från ett konkurrensrättsligt perspektiv så är det inte definitionen i sig som är viktigast, utan man måste avgöra om ett hinder är otillåtet på individuell basis. Vid avgörande måste hänsyn tas till en rad olika faktorer, expempelvis den relevanta marknaden, vilken sorts hinder det gäller, hindrets effekt på marknaden, om hindret genererar några positiva effekter mm.</p> / <p>Barriers to entry are important from many aspects. For a firm entering a market it is important to know which barriers it is facing. From a competition authority’s perspective it is necessary to know the extent of entry barriers to determine for example if a firm enjoys a dominant position. It is also necessary to know the entry barriers in order to create provisions to ensure free market entry.</p><p>However, there is not one generally accepted definition of entry barriers. This makes it difficult for players in the market to assess when they are conducting a prohibited action. The lack of a standard definition and a clear opinion of what constitutes a prohibited barrier according to competition law also result in a more complicated and time-consuming judicial process.</p><p>I provide the reader with different definitions in order to clarify the matter. I also present an overview of barriers to entry. I also discuss which barriers are interesting from a competition law perspective and why they are of interest.</p><p>I conclude that, from a competition law perspective, it is not the definition of entry barriers that is of most interest. The most important question is without doubt whether the individual barrier constitutes an infringement to EC competition policy. That assessment must be done on an individual basis and it is an assessment that is dependant on many factors, such as the relevant market, the type of barrier, the affect the barrier have on the market, any pro-competitive effects etc.</p>

<p><p>Gradually, Swedish SMEs are expanding into emerging markets in order to seize superior opportunities of growth. Within these internationalization efforts, identifying and selecting the most promising foreign target markets is regarded to be a critical success factor. The external business environment, the attractiveness of the targeted market segment in terms of the competitive situation, and the match between the customers’ needs and a company’s resources and capabilities are major factors which determine the prospects of success of establishing business in an emerging market. By applying an abductive research approach, the authors conducted a holistic single-case study of a typical case for Swedish SMEs internationalizing into emerging markets. Through that, the authors were able to answer the research questions of the paper. A theoretical framework was synthesized, combining latest research on emerging country markets with classical models. The framework guided the authors through the entire research process. Several propelling, as well as hampering factors for the case company’s prospects of success in the targeted market segment were identified. Based on the analysis of the empirical findings, the authors found that there are clear opportunities for the case company to increase its business. This conclusion is due to a weak threat of competitors in a broader context, which were regarded to not being able to satisfy the customers’ needs of key importance sufficiently. Competitors in a narrower context were regarded to not have a significant competitive advantage compared with the case company.</p></p>

Hinder för marknadstillträde är viktigt i många avseenden. För ett företag som slår sig in på en ny marknad är det viktigt att veta vilka hinder det möter. För konkurrensrättsliga myndigheter är det nödvändigt att veta vilka hinder som existerar för att exempelvis kunna avgöra om ett företag har en dominerande ställning. Det är också nödvändigt att känna till hindren för att säkerställa en fri tillgång till marknaden. Det saknas dock en generellt accepterad definition av hinder för marknadstillträde. Detta gör det svårare för de olika parterna på marknaden att veta om de handlat på ett otillåtet vis. Saknaden av en generellt accepterad definition och en klar åsikt om vad anses vara otillåtet enligt konkurrensrättsliga regler leder också till komplicerade och tidskrävande rättsliga processer. Jag presenterar en rad olika definitioner samt en översikt av olika hinder för att klargöra ämnet. Jag diskuterar vilka hinder som är av intresse från ett konkurrensrättsligt perspektiv samt varför de är av intresse. Jag kommer till slutsatsen att från ett konkurrensrättsligt perspektiv så är det inte definitionen i sig som är viktigast, utan man måste avgöra om ett hinder är otillåtet på individuell basis. Vid avgörande måste hänsyn tas till en rad olika faktorer, expempelvis den relevanta marknaden, vilken sorts hinder det gäller, hindrets effekt på marknaden, om hindret genererar några positiva effekter mm. / Barriers to entry are important from many aspects. For a firm entering a market it is important to know which barriers it is facing. From a competition authority’s perspective it is necessary to know the extent of entry barriers to determine for example if a firm enjoys a dominant position. It is also necessary to know the entry barriers in order to create provisions to ensure free market entry. However, there is not one generally accepted definition of entry barriers. This makes it difficult for players in the market to assess when they are conducting a prohibited action. The lack of a standard definition and a clear opinion of what constitutes a prohibited barrier according to competition law also result in a more complicated and time-consuming judicial process. I provide the reader with different definitions in order to clarify the matter. I also present an overview of barriers to entry. I also discuss which barriers are interesting from a competition law perspective and why they are of interest. I conclude that, from a competition law perspective, it is not the definition of entry barriers that is of most interest. The most important question is without doubt whether the individual barrier constitutes an infringement to EC competition policy. That assessment must be done on an individual basis and it is an assessment that is dependant on many factors, such as the relevant market, the type of barrier, the affect the barrier have on the market, any pro-competitive effects etc.

Abstract   Date: May 15, 2009 Course: Master thesis, EFO705 Authors: Hanna Jokiperä 800218-T108, hja08001@student.mdh.se Ruusa Mustonen 830711-P263, rmn08001@student.mdh.se Tutor: Tobias Eltebrandt Title: CAN Europe – Market Research of Sweden Strategic question: How can CAN Europe launch the internationally standardised vocational skills assessment tests successfully to Sweden? The purpose of this master thesis is to provide the company with comprehensive information about the Swedish market and to suggest ways to implement the launching process. Research questions: What are the characteristics of the Swedish labour and recruitment market? Are the Swedish companies interested in using CAN Europe’s tests? What would be the suitable marketing mix when entering the Swedish market? Methods: Besides the comprehensive collection of secondary data, the primary data was collected by the means of an open-ended questionnaire among large companies and recruitment agencies in Sweden. The research was conducted in order to gather in-depth information about the recruitment field in Sweden. Conceptual Framework: Theories of ‘The International Marketing Task’, ‘The Country Notebook’ and ‘The Market entry plan’ were used.  Theories and concepts were chosen for the purpose that they would support each other and could be used by combining them when making the analysis of the findings. Conclusion: According to the study, Sweden seems to be highly potential country for CAN Europe to enter since the relevant aspects for successful launch exist in the market i.e. in terms of companies’ interest and needs, and the characteristics of the skills assessment and recruitment market in Sweden. Key Words: Market entry plan, marketing mix, international launch, market research, skills assessment, recruitment, blue-collar

The need for a more efficient electrical grid has made the smart grid concept popular in recent years. The aims of this study are to identify the conditions in Sweden for implementing a smart grid and to analyse the opinions of stakeholders. One finding is that the large capacity of Sweden’s existing electrical grid decreases the immediate need for smart grid solutions. However, the rapid increase in wind power might push the development of a smart grid in the coming years. By employing case study methodology, five different smart grid projects in Sweden are discussed, using different theoretical frameworks, including actor network theory, discourse analysis, technological trajectories, diffusion of innovation and timing of entry. Norra Djurgardsstaden, a large construction project in Stockholm in which smart grid technology is used, is then analysed. The differing views of the parties involved in the project raise the question of whether more coordination is needed. Another project at Falbygdens Energi focuses on energy storage in batteries. This project poses the question of whether the regulation of the Swedish power market needs to be reformed to support the smart grid and to encourage new ways of collaborating and doing business. The final discussion concludes by suggesting new research questions.

The phenomenon of Born Globals in particular to the internationalization process has been highlighted by many scholars. The insufficient of the existing researches to the ability of Born Globals going international since their inceptions with limited resources encouraged us to study more in-depth. Resource-based View (RBV) and firm‟s competitive advantage are chosen as the theoretical framework. Three Swedish Born Globals were chosen as case studies, the data was collected by semi-structure and e-mail interviews which within-case and cross-case analysis were applied. The empirical data and analysis draws us to the conclusion that human resource especially entrepreneurs and network are the key firm resources that significantly contribute to Born Globals‟ establishment, internationalization and competitive advantage. However, the finding is highlighted that entrepreneur has a crucial role to both establishment and internationalization stages. Entrepreneur‟s personal network has high contribution when Born Globals is started up while firm‟s network plays more important role at the internationalization stage. By using network, Born Globals gain an easier way to find financial and operating resource. Moreover, entrepreneur‟s capability is the main key resource that creates competitiveness to Born Global firms. Future research suggestions and implications are discussed in the conclusion.

Economic globalization, regional economic cooperation and knowledge economy make a great impact on the development of the new century. The changes of international trade and investment reflect the variety of the world economy development; the world economic development, in turn, influences the international trade and investment in both quality and quantity (Feenstra, 1998). The international marketing has become an important trend in this modern society, global strategy has been put at the top of the agenda of many companies. And making development in the international market can also be a good solution for the companies to increase their competition (Mittelman, 1996). It is vital for those companies to deal with foreign market entry as a first step in accomplishing their global mission (Onkvisit &amp; Shaw, 2004).  How to enter a foreign market is very important in this case, so the purpose of this work is therefore to research important factors on entering a foreign market. The theories, including environmental assessment before entry and foreign market entry strategies, are summarized by literature review and in order to make the theories applicable, a case study on a company inChinahas been done in this work as well. The methods used in this work include collecting processed data from literature review, gathering primary data by telephone interviews and through e-mails. SWOT analysis is used to assess targeted market for the case company. The case company is Shandong Shuanglun Group which is a famous pump manufacturer inChina; its targeted market that the company wants to enter is the Italian market. After SWOT analysis, the conclusion of this work indicated that opportunities of entry targeted market for the case company includes favorable tax policies and relevant laws, the threats in high context culture and terrorist activities should be paid attention to. The company has strengths in product but weaknesses in service, strategic alliance with one local pump manufacturer and exporting could be their market entry modes.