Made available in DSpace on 2010-04-20T20:15:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 61080100015.pdf: 267521 bytes, checksum: aaa2593ecbe40548a09d44c929fdd305 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-03-12T00:00:00Z / Do Brazilian companies with foreign activities (M C) have different capital structure from domestic companies (DC)? If so, is the upstream-downstream hypothesis prediction valid, with internationalized companies using more debt than domestic corporations? We found that Brazilian M Cs use more debt due to international activity, with 9.6% more leverage, from which 5.8% come from long-term sources. We also shed some light on an alternative explanation for higher debt usage by internationalized companies. This dissertation tests whether there is a link between international activity and foreign debt financing. Does the access to foreign debt help to explain why M Cs use more debt than DCs? Our results show that international activity is positively related to foreign debt usage, and average M Cs carries 12.7% more foreign debt in their capital structure. Our sample consists of 131 companies within the period from 2004-2008, resulting in 538 firm-year observations. / As empresas brasileiras com atividades internacionais (MNC) possuem uma estrutura de capital diferente das empresas domésticas (DC)? Se sim, é válida a hipótese upstream-downstream, com empresas internacionalizadas utilizando mais dívida do que as empresas domésticas? Encontramos que as MNCs brasileiras utilizam mais dívida devido à atividade internacional, com 9,6% mais alavancagem, dos quais 5,8% são oriundos de fontes de longo prazo. Nós ainda lançamos uma luz sobre uma explicação alternativa para o maior uso de dívida pelas empresas internacionalizadas. Esta dissertação testa se existe um vínculo entre a atividade internacional e o financiamento com dívida estrangeira. O acesso a dívida estrangeira ajuda a explicar porque MNCs utilizam mais dívida do que DCs? Nossos resultados revelam que a atividade internacional está positivamente relacionada ao uso de dívida estrangeira, sendo que MNCs médias carregam 12,7% mais dívida estrangeira em sua estrutura de capital. Nossa amostra consiste em 131 companhias no período 2004-2008, resultando em 538 observações.

This master thesis focuses on the process of globalization and its consequences that allowed for the formation of multinational corporations. The current environment is characterized by the fast pace of changes that requires firms react flexibly, which demands new approaches to managing employees, creating more flexible organizational structures supporting creative people, and innovation because people and innovations are the key sources of competitive advantages. The goal of this thesis is to analyze changes at O2 after Spanish telecommunications firm Telefónica S.A. sold a majority stake to PPF in 2013. The changes associated with the switch in ownership can chiefly be seen in the firm's goals, its organizational structure, its policy toward employees, in customer satisfaction, and in its investments and share price.

Background: Cross-sector social partnership (CSSP) is a joint effort that utilizes resources from different sectors to solve social issues, such as poverty, pandemics and environmental degradation. According to the United Nations, the environmental tipping point of global warming is soon reached, and to avoid this irreversible situation, the collaboration between state and non-state actors is a requirement. With extended resources gained from different sectors, the outcome of the CSSP is greater than if the actors were handling issues by themselves. Problem: There is a growing trend of CSSPs that strive to mitigate climate change, and the Climate Council of Jönköping is a practical example of this phenomenon. Multinational corporations (MNCs) have a large environmental impact and therefore they have a special responsibility to contribute to communities’ efforts to tackle climate change. Furthermore, within CSSP literature, additional research of corporations’ roles in CSSPs has been suggested. Purpose: Considering the increased focus on partnership practices, along with research gaps and complex CSSP elements, the purpose of this thesis is to investigate how MNCs contribute to the CSSP, the Climate Council of Jönköping. Method: Descriptive research was used to describe how MNCs contribute to a CSSP. With an abductive approach, deeper knowledge about the Climate Council of Jönköping as a phenomenon was gained. Empirical data was collected through a qualitative study, consisting of observational research and in-depth interviews, which was analyzed by making use of template analysis. The MNCs of the Climate Council of Jönköping are Castellum, GARO, Husqvarna Group, IKEA, and Skanska. Conclusion: The major conclusion of this study is that the MNCs perceive that their task within the Climate Council of Jönköping is to be a role model and to exchange ideas and knowledge regarding sustainability with other actors. Within CSSP literature, trust among actors, clearly-defined roles, and bridging each other’s weaknesses, are central concepts. The findings about the MNCs deviate from this, as all these factors are not identified. This suggests that the Climate Council of Jönköping and the MNCs do not contribute to public value and mitigating climate change as much as they possibly could.

Le travail de thèse porte sur l’innovation inverse et ses particularités managériales et organisationnelles au sein d’une filiale d’entreprise multinationale (EMN) localisée dans un pays émergent. Contrairement au modèle classique, l’innovation inverse peut se produire à partir d’un pays en voie de développement ou émergent, et ensuite être transférée vers un pays développé. Dans le cadre de cette recherche, nous nous intéressons au Brésil, un pays émergent où des entreprises mondiales disposent de centres de R&D de référence en Amérique Latine. L’innovation portée par la filiale d’une EMN est réalisée en fonction de divers facteurs et caractéristiques locales qui contribuent à ce que l’innovation menée par cette filiale se propage à l’échelle globale. Les objectifs de la recherche sont de mieux comprendre comment les EMN’s s’organisent dans une approche d’innovation inverse, de progresser sur l’éclairage théorique, et de proposer un modèle de management favorisant l’innovation mondiale à partir des initiatives locales dans un pays émergent. Nos travaux mettent en œuvre une démarche qualitative qui s’appuie sur une méthode d’études multi-cas. Notre contribution est un nouveau modèle théorique et fonctionnel pour l’innovation inverse prenant en compte les éléments qui contribuent à ce phénomène: l’intégration entre la maison mère et la filiale, la décentralisation de la R&D et la valorisation de compétences locales et l’insertion dans le système national d’innovation (SNI). Nos résultats de recherche ont mis en avant l’existence d’autres types d’innovations au-delà de l’innovation technologique qui induit une innovation mondiale. Nous avons observé que les innovations au niveau managérial, processus ou marketing sont absorbées au sein de la maison mère et diffusées vers d’autres filiales à une échelle mondiale. / Our research work concerns reverse innovation and its managerial and organizational features in a multinational corporation (MNC) subsidiary located in emerging markets. Unlike the traditional model, reverse innovation can occur from a developing or emerging country, and then be transferred to a developed country. Our empirical field is Brazil, an emerging country which hosts the reference R&D centers for Latin America of several global companies. The successful transfer to the global scale of an innovation coming from the subsidiary of an MNC depends on various factors and local characteristics that are explored in the thesis. The aims of this PhD dissertation are to better understand the mechanisms of reverse innovation in the context of MNCs, to advance theory and to propose a management model encouraging global innovation based on local initiatives in an emerging country. We show that practices carried out by MNC subsidiaries can have organizational, managerial and environmental implications that can account for the success of reverse innovation. Our research work implements a qualitative approach based on a multi-case study method. Our contribution is a new theoretical and functional model for reverse innovation that takes into account the elements that contribute to this phenomenon: the integration between the parent corporation and the subsidiary, the decentralization of R&D and the valorization of local skills and the insertion into the national system of innovation (SNI). Our research results highlight the existence of other types of innovation beyond technological innovation that lead to global innovation. We show that innovations at management, process or marketing level are absorbed within the parent company and disseminated to other subsidiaries on a global level.

The internationalization strategies of multinational corporations (MNCs) in emerging frontier markets in Africa (EFMA) have become a subject of growing interest due to the region's dynamic economic landscape and untapped potential. This study aims to identify the factors affecting MNCs' market selection and mode of entry into EFMA. Drawing from an extensive literature review, a conceptual framework was developed to guide the analysis. Empirical insights were gathered through case studies and institutional reports of diverse MNCs operating in EFMA. The results show a nuanced interaction between variables that affect MNCs' choices. Market potential emerges as the main factor influencing market choice, driven by a growing customer base and demand for products and services. The choice of market and the means of entrance are both influenced by the availability of resources, particularly raw materials and natural resources. A favorable regulatory environment that ensures transparency, consistency, and adherence to international standards is then shown to play a pivotal role. Results showcased that political stability, cultural adequacy, and social responsibility are crucial in mitigating risks and fostering sustainable relationships within EFMA. Findings also revealed that operational efficiency is significantly impacted by the quality of the infrastructure, which includes telecommunications, energy supply, and transportation. MNCs adopt diverse entry modes, such as joint ventures, acquisitions, and greenfield investments, tailored to specific market contexts. The research underscores the importance of a nuanced approach to navigating EFMA's challenges and opportunities that feed their motives. As a synthesis of academic literature and real-world insights, this study provides a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted factors that MNCs consider when entering and operating in EFMA markets. The resulting findings provide useful information to practitioners, legislators, and scholars who are trying to understand the complexity of doing business internationally in emerging frontier markets in Africa.

Problem: Inom området Grön Human Resouce Management (HRM) har en begränsad mängd empiriska underlag producerats och forskare hävdar att ämnet kräver mer forskning, särskilt i relation till multinationella organisationer. Övervägande del av befintliga studier om grön HRM har undersökt området genom kvantitativa metoder och denna studie avser därför att studera området kvalitativt. För att utöka den empiriska forskningsgrunden har studien avgränsats till att studera multinationella organisationer (MNC) som är verksamma inom industrisektorn.   Syfte: Syftet är att skapa en ökad förståelse för hur gröna HR-aktiviteter formas och används inom multinationella industriorganisationer. Vidare syftar även studien att tillföra en ökad förståelse för vad som påverkar införandet av gröna HR-aktiviteter i företag som är verksamma inom denna sektor. Metod: Studien utgår från en deduktiv ansats och för att uppnå studiens syfte har en kvalitativ metod i form av semistrukturerade intervjuer med HR-verksamma använts. Totalt har tre fallföretag studerats och primärdata har samlats in genom fem olika intervjuer med totalt sex olika respondenter. Primärdata har analyserats genom en riktad innehållsanalys av det latenta innehållet. Slutsats: Studiens resultat visar att MNC:s verksamma inom industrisektorn delvis bedriver gröna HR-aktiviteter inom områdena rekrytering och urval, kompetensutveckling, anställningsrelationer (involvering och deltagande) samt belöning. Studiens resultat indikerar även att gröna HR-aktiviteter tenderar att vara lokalt utformade i jämförelse med HR-aktiviteter som inte bedrivs ‘grönt’ och som istället tenderar att vara standardiserade HR-aktiviteter utformade av HQ. De faktorer som denna studie kunde finna ha en inverkan på organisationernas införande av gröna HR-aktiviteter är den yngre generation, nationella krav och lagstiftningar, en organisations ledning, kostnader, utvecklingsinitiativ, aktuella restriktioner som ett resultat av den pågående Covid-19-pandemin samt samhällstrender.

立足台灣，前瞻兩岸，放眼全球已經不再是台灣企業的未來策略方針了，而是台灣企業已陸續進入目標市場，進行開發和建立成長的階段中。近年來，全球貿易經濟加速全球化，跨國企業無不把握市場脈動，提早卡位捷足先登。台灣的企業也由製造、貿易、行銷到服務的轉型過程，提升自有品牌的附加價值，以便在握有許多產品的供應鏈優勢上，建造一條更順利又長遠的成長到路。尤其在高科技的資通訊產品，台灣有具有重要的全球地位。從代工到研發創新的轉變，使台灣的品牌，在激烈的全球化競爭下，已漸漸戴上的一道光環，那就是市場價值。 當進入到世界市場的行銷競爭時，如何掌握客戶的行為模式，達成最佳的產品最終使用者滿意度，往往過去都將焦點注目於消費性產品的市場研究居多，較少投入產業性產品與服務的研究，而對於以資通訊產品占出口相當大比例的台灣廠商，若能進一步研究探討各國產業市場的行為模式，相信對於產品的研發設計有所助益，並將擴大在全球市場的成長機會。 在拓展全球市場的同時，如何在起步較晚的狀況下，超越歐美、日本的國際企業，開創出新一代的優勢競爭模式，取得市場先機，強化企業組織效能，網羅培育各地人才，提供滿意的顧客服務品質，創立長遠的品牌價值。在Ben Q併購西門子的經驗，莫不是台灣企業整體的學費成本，在國際化的競合腳步快速邁向前的科技網路時代，如何培養更多的國內外人才來迎接這個台灣優勢，順利去延展我們的國際市場，相信對於國際市場的研究，台灣應該有更多的用心與重視。今年初，在美國航空公司JetBlue的誤點意外，對客戶滿意度造成衝擊的案例，引起媒體大眾和政府的關注，這對於在國際上正在開疆闢土的台灣企業，應該引以為戒，並在相關的國際市場顧客行為研究，應該同時給予相對的投入與支持。 吾人希望藉對於資通訊服務業在國際市場的客戶滿意度比較研究，探討相關在產業市場對科技服務的客戶行為，同時選擇一個全球型的國際企業，並且擁有各國子公司的資通訊科技的系統整合服務業者進行相關的個案研究，而調查訪談的對象，屬於跨國企業(MNCs)的經營模式超過一半，分布於不同產業。考慮如何透過提供資通訊的科技軟硬體產品與服務，經由銷售、解決方案、諮詢、設計、專案管理、安裝建置、維護到客服服務的各項服務功能，對於亞太地區13國家200個的主要客戶，進行客戶滿意度的調查和研究。預期從這些相關的分析探討，深一層比較研究各國的客戶在滿意度是否有差異？而藉此訪談的過程，收集分析影響客戶滿意度的因素為何？ 本研究共計分為五章，包含第一章 緒論、第二章 文獻探討、第三章 研究方法與架構、第四章 資料分析和第五章 結論與建議。期望這份研究，對於個案公司、相關業者和後續學術研究，都能提供一定的幫助。 / Today, the rapid movement towards globalization has forced enterprises in Taiwan to transform from manufacturing, trading, and marketing type of business model to a more services oriented one. During the process of transformation, enterprises realize that increasing the value of private brand could bring them more competitive advantages in the supply chain, and ultimately create the market value which allows them to stand out in the severe competition of the global marketplace. In recent years, customer satisfaction has become an important index to evaluate whether a product or commodity is being successful in the market. However, not many researches are focusing the satisfaction studies of the services or products provided by the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry. As Taiwan has been the major export country of ICT products, a case study in the Asia Pacific market will help us understand more about the industry and provide more insights for Taiwan companies. The paper will use a multinational company in the ICT industry to examine the key factors that impact the client satisfaction survey. Result shows that the gap between clients’ perceptions and expectations of service quality will vary based on products, services, level of usage, personal experience and organization. This fulfils the concept of P.Z.B. model and the theory of DeLone and McLean model of information systems success. Also cultural difference plays a significant role in the survey result and could lead to diverse interpretation of service quality. It is hoped that this paper could be a reference for ICT companies in Taiwan to understand clients in different countries, making them to gain better market value in today’s competitive global market.

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.

It is of vital importance never to forget that the world is ever changing. Therefore, it is crucialfor organizations not to only alter but also to improve their performance in order to becomemore competitive on the market. One way of achieving this is to work with continuousimprovements. However, this requires that the employees receive the needed training for thispurpose. In multinational corporations they must also all receive the same training in order tocreate a common culture throughout the whole organization. This study therefore aims toinvestigate how a multinational corporation can organize an Improvement ManagementTraining. Which are the main areas that are desirable to have knowledge in when leading animprovement work? In order to identify the areas of interest, a case study has been performedat Ericsson Supply Site Borås. The investigation was conducted as a combination of aqualitative and a semiquantitative study in order to determinate the empirical data. The resultsrevealed that the following five major areas are essential for an Improvement ManagementTraining: Leadership, Lean¸ Organizational Behavior, Project Management and StrategicManagement. / Program: Bachelor of Science with a Major in Industrial Engineering – Work Organization and Leadership

La tesi vuole esaminare il fenomeno dei community investment nei PVS da parte delle multinazionali. Dopo aver studiato la letteratura esistente sul tema della CSR della sua applicazione nei PVS da parte delle MNC, la ricerca sul campo è stata articolata in due fasi. Una prima fase, di tipo esplorativa, è stata condotta attraverso un questionario somministrato nei primi sei mesi del 2009 a 100 imprese, selezionate in modo casuale dalla lista del Fortune Global 500 (che include le maggiori imprese mondiali quotate in termini di ricavi e utile netto) al 31/12/2008. Scopo del questionario è stato quello di iniziare ad indagare sul fenomeno degli interventi di CSR fatti dalle multinazionali a favore delle comunità dei PVS. Una volta raccolti ed esaminati i risultati ottenuti dal questionario esplorativo, la seconda fase della ricerca è stata basata sulla selezione e analisi di cinque casi con la tecnica del multiple-case study analysis. Per le cinque imprese selezionate si è proceduto con l’analisi di un’ampia base di fonti primarie, integrata con dati provenienti da altre fonti. Al termine si è proceduto con l’interpretazione dei dati formulando un modello per interpretare le strategie di un’impresa verso le comunità dei PVS in cui opera. / The thesis is aimed at examining the phenomenon of community investments in developing countries by multinationals. After studying existing literature on CSR and its application in developing countries by MNC, the research has been split in two parts. The first past, explorative, has been done through a survey sent in the first 6 months of 2009 to 100 companies, randomly extracted from the Fortune Global 500 at 31/12/2008. The purpose of the survey was to start understanding the phenomenon of CSR activities done by MNC to communities in developing countries. Once surveys have been collected, the second part of the research has been based on the selection and analysis of 5 cases with the technique of multiple case study analysis. For those 5 companies the work has been done with the analysis of lots of primary source, integrated with data coming from other sources. AT the end data have been interpreted defining a model by which read strategies realized by companies to communities in developing countries.