This research investigates the key characteristics of design leaders in the context of New Product Development (NPD) at the Fuzzy Front End (FFE) or early stage of this process. It particularly focuses on how design leaders communicate design to non-designers. It is often observed that designers struggle to communicate design to non-designers. Previous research has identified design leaders as competent design communicators. However, the definition and key characteristics of design leaders remain unclear. By reviewing the literature on leadership studies, design leadership and project leadership, it is evident that no single universal definition of leadership exists. The most common definition is that leaders apply their knowledge and skills to conduct activities and use their traits to influence other people’s actions. Leadership requires different characteristics for different tasks. To understand the characteristics of design leaders, triangulated research was employed at a real-life NPD project involving young designers and non-designers at early stages of NPD as part of the first study. All participants (N=32) were directly observed, interviewed in semi-structured interviews and administered with assistive questionnaires to compare design and non-design participants’ leadership and communication styles. The second study was in-depth, focusing on UK design leaders (N=11) through semi-structured interviews and based on deficiencies in leadership and communicating design, identified from the first study and the literature review. Comparative studies indicate that designers and design leaders vary their attitudes towards non-designers, motivation and communication style. This study highlights the key characteristics of design leaders: an epiphany by experiencing the entire NPD process, interest in the benefits of NPD stakeholders, a good understanding of design competency, reflectively flexible working attitude and strong, active listening. Thus, a conceptual model was formulated and evaluated, able to guide designers who wish to become design leaders and help to enhance design communication and relationships with non-designers.

This PhD thesis presents investigations of perovskite-related compounds in systems of interest for applications in components in solid oxide fuel cells. The compound compositions derive from substitutions in the parent compounds LaCoO3, LaCrO3 and SrFeO3. Novel phases La2Co1+z(MgxTi1-x)1-zO6 were synthesized and investigated with regard to structure, thermal expansion, electronic and magnetic properties. The study focused on the composition lines La2Co(MgxTi1-x)O6 (z=0), where the oxidation state of Co nominally changes from +2 (x=0.0) to +3 (x=0.5), and La2Co1+z(Mg0.5Ti0.5)1-zO6, with a varying fraction of Co3+ ions. XANES data show that the Co ions in the system have discrete oxidation states of +2 and +3. The TEC increases with increasing x due to an increasing contribution from spin state transitions of the Co3+ ions. Novel compounds La2Cr(M2/3Nb1/3)O6 with M=Mg, Ni, Cu were synthesized and characterized with respect to structure and magnetic properties. XRPD and NPD data indicate Pbnm symmetry; however, SAED patterns and HREM images indicate a P21/n symmetry for M=Mg, and Cu. The magnetic measurements results were rationalized using the Goodenough-Kanamori rules. Oxygen-deficient phases with x≥0.63 in SrxY1-xFeO3-δ and Sr0.75Y0.25Fe1-yMyO3-δ (M=Cr, Mn, Ni and y=0.2, 0.33, 0.5), were synthesized and characterized with respect to structure, oxygen content, thermogravimetry, TEC, conductivity and magnetic properties. Powder patterns of phases agree with cubic  perovskite structures. NPD data for x=0.75 reveal anisotropic displacement for the O atom, related to local effects from Fe3+/Fe4+ ions. SAED patterns for x=0.75 reveal the presence of an incommensurate modulation. The compounds start to lose oxygen in air at ~ 400°C. The TEC up to ~400°C for x=0.75 is ~10.5 ppm/K and increase to ~17.5 ppm/K at higher temperatures. The conductivity for x=0.91 is 164 S/cm at 400°C. Partial substitution of Fe by Cr, Mn or Ni does not increase the conductivity or decrease TEC.

Cette thèse interroge les continuités de l’extrême droite allemande après 1945 en s’intéressant aux femmes du Parti national-démocrate d’Allemagne (NPD) créé en 1964 en République fédérale. Focalisée sur les actrices, elle éclaire les spécificités des générations de femmes qui s’y sont succédé, des militantes « postfascistes », légalistes et républicaines des années 1960 aux militantes « néofascistes », nationales-révolutionnaires et antisystème des années 2000. Partant du constat de leur marginalité politique, ce travail étudie les rapports de genre et questionne l’agency féminine dans une extrême droite masculiniste. Afin de surmonter leur isolement, les femmes nationales-démocrates ont ponctuellement élaboré des stratégies d’auto-affirmation, passant notamment par des rassemblements féminins : après la fondation d’un Conseil des Femmes en 1968 et de groupes de femmes en 1976/1977, le Cercle des Femmes nationalistes, fondé en 2006, marque l’aboutissement de leurs revendications antisexistes, revendications qui posent également la question du rapport ambivalent qu’elles entretiennent avec le féminisme politique. Cette thèse propose, enfin, une analyse de l’idéologie des femmes nationales-démocrates : en politisant le « domaine féminin » (famille, culture, société), elles ont contribué à définir la ligne du NPD qui, au gré des transformations historiques, est passé de son souverainisme nationaliste initial à un nationalisme identitaire dans les années 1970/1980, avant d’aboutir, après 1990, à un nationalisme völkisch. Cette thèse pose ainsi un regard inédit sur les processus de féminisation dans l’extrême droite allemande et propose une lecture différente de l’histoire de la République fédérale. / This PhD thesis deals with the continuities of the far right in Germany after 1945 by examining the special case of extremist women in the National Democratic Party of Germany, founded in the Federal Republic of Germany in 1964. It analyses the characteristics of the generations of national-democratic women who succeeded each other, from the “postfascist” legalist and democratic activists of the 1960s to the national-revolutionary and anti-system “neofascists” of the 2000s. It examines their political marginality within the party and therefore questions the female agency in the masculinist far right. In order to break out of their isolation, national-democratic women have occasionally developed some self-affirmation strategies : after the foundation of a Federal Women’s Council in 1968, they founded Women’s Groups in 1976/1977 and a Circle of nationalist Women in 2006. This women’s organisation can be considered as the culmination of their antisexist claims, it therefore puts into question their relationship with political feminism. This thesis finally analyses the women’s ideology : through their “female domain” (family, culture, society), they have contributed to the definition of the NPD’s general party line which changed from a sovereigntist nationalism in the 1960s to an identitarian nationalism in the 1970s/1980s, and finally to a völkisch nationalism from 2000 onwards. Thus, this thesis sheds a light on feminisation processes on the far right and offers a different understanding of German history.

A rapidly changing environment for industrial technology companies operating on a global market has increased the competitiveness and accelerated the rate of new technologies. The demands on companies to be more efficient and innovative without compromising quality are thereby enlarged. To maintain competitiveness and meet customer expectation a well-functioning product development is essential. Correcting product quality issues on newly developed products becomes increasingly more expensive the later it takes place in the development process and problems that arise can often be linked to the product design. In order to secure that new product development projects efficiently can deliver high quality products without compromising cost targets and time-to-market Design Assurance can be applied during the product development. The intention is to uncover and detect problems in the design and prevent errors to occur in the engineering process, by executing controls to assure design has been completed according to standards and policies.  This project aims to investigate Design Assurance to further establish the concept at Alfa Laval BU HSS and describe how product quality is assured in product development. Analysis of literature studies, interviews at Alfa Laval BU HSS as well as benchmarking at three companies; Atlas Copco Industrial Technique, Getinge (Maquet Critical Care division) and Tetra Pak, provide the basis of the results in this study. The results show there are a number of factors greatly influencing an organization’s ability to ensure product quality in product development. Key factors identified in this study are cross functional team work, the internal culture in the organization, firmly established product strategies, product development processes and requirement management and validation capability. These factors can be seen as essential conditions for ensuring product quality during development and prerequisites for establishing Design Assurance at Alfa Laval BU HSS. Key building blocks in the Design Assurance capability are identified and described, which include reviews of actions and project documentation that safeguards continuous improvements and prevent future deficiencies. The Design Assurance activities are identified as documentation management, change management, risk assessments, nonconformance management, product quality follow up and lessons learned. / Dagens industritekniska företag verkar i en global miljö med snabba förändringar, vilket har bidragit till ökad konkurrens och accelererat hastigheten för ny teknik. Därmed har även kraven på företagen att bli mer effevtiva och innovativa, utan att kompromissa med produktens kvalitet, ökat. En väl-fungerande produktutveckling är nödvändig för att bibehålla konkurrenskraft och möta kundernas förväntningar. Ju senare produkters kvalitetsproblem upptäcks och rättas till under utvecklings-processen desto dyrare är det och problemen härstammar ofta från produktens konstruktion. För att säkerställa att nyutvecklingsprojekt effektivt kan leverera högkvalitativa produkter utan att påverka kostnadsmål eller time-to-market, kan Design Assurance tillämpas under produktutvecklingen. Avsikten är att upptäcka, identifiera och förebygga brister i konstruktionen som kan orsaka problem senare under utvecklingen, genom att utföra kontroller för att säkerställa att konstruktionen uppfyller standarder, anvisningar och andra krav. Denna uppsats syftar till att undersöka Design Assurance för att ytterligare etablera konceptet på Alfa Laval BU HSS och beskriva hur produktkvaliteten säkras under produktutvecklingen. Analys av litteraturstudier, intervjuer på Alfa Laval BU HSS samt benchmarking vid tre företag; Atlas Copco Industriteknik, Getinge Maquet Critical Care divisionen och Tetra Pak, utgör grunden för resultatet i denna studie. Resultatet visar att det finns ett antal faktorer som i hög grad påverkar en organisations förmåga att säkerställa produkternas kvalitet i produktutvecklingen. Nyckelfaktorer har i denna studie identifierats som tvärfunktionellt arbete, den interna kulturen på företaget, väl förankrade produkt-strategier, processer inom produktutveckling samt kravhantering och valideringsförmågan under utvecklingen. Dessa faktorer kan ses som nödvändiga förutsättningar för att säkerställa produktkvalitet under produktutveckling och därmed förutsättningar för att framgångsrikt etablera Design Assurance på Alfa Laval BU HSS. Slutligen är de centrala delarna för att genomföra och applicera Design Assurance identifierade och beskrivna, vilka innefattar granskning av handlingar och projektdokument som säkerställer ständiga förbättringar och förebygger framtida brister. Design Assurance-aktiviteter är identifierade som kontroll av korrekt dokumentering, hantering av ändringar, avvikelsehantering, riskbedömningar, uppföljning av produktkvalitet och lärdomar under produktutvecklingsprojektet.

This article investigates the practical application of open innovation principles within industrial new product development (NPD). Previous research on open innovation has primarily focused on the notion as such and not yet on how to integrating the principles of open innovation with well- established models for NPD. We aim to help close this knowledge gap. The purpose of this study is to explore how firms can benefit from opening up the NPD process by integrating the principles of open innovation with the well-known and widespread Stage-Gate model. To do this, previous literature is studied in combination with case study data investigating the existing occurrences and potential opportunities of employing the principles of open innovation within NPD at a firm within the upstream Oil &amp;amp; Gas business. Our empirical study shows that there are great virtues in the systematization of the already occasionally occurring open innovation practices. Additionally, a noticeable desire to pursue a more open approach to NPD was identified among the respondents. The results of this study allowed the enactment of a practitioner-oriented work model which exploits the advantages of “openness” while simultaneously capturing the benefits deriving from the systematic and structured approach implied by the Stage- Gate model. Furthermore, by opening up the Stage-Gate model, yet another opportunity is exposed: to allow the work model to facilitate a systematic adjustment of the way value is created and captured within the company (I.e. its business model and its underlying core capabilities) to the external environmental dynamics. This aspect is further included in the new work model. The main implications of this study are that is indicates great opportunities and possibilities in opening up the NPD process. It further introduces an easy applicable work model that facilitates the opening. Moreover, our results apply not only to firms within the Oil &amp;amp; Gas industry, but to all NPD processes where a Stage-Gate methodology is employed. / <p>Validerat; 20101217 (root)</p>

Studiens syfte är att belysa och diskutera hur undervisande lärare och föräldrar till särbegåvade elever med eller utan diagnos upplever samarbetet mellan skolan och hemmet. För att ta reda på hur det förhåller sig används en kvalitativ intervjumetod, tre föräldrar till särbegåvade elever med eller utan diagnos och tre lärare intervjuades. Det teoretiska perspektiv som studien utgår ifrån är Eriksons (2004) fyra typologier som beskriver samverkan mellan hem och skola, samt Hargreaves (2001) socialkulturella distanser för att analysera samverkan på personnivå. Sammanfattningsvis visar resultatet av studien att samverkan mellan hem och skola inte är helt problemfritt då eleven är särbegåvad med eller utan diagnos. Samtliga Hargreaves distanser finns representerade och det är både föräldrar såväl som lärare som dessa uppmärksammades hos. Alla principer utom brukarprincipen gick att koppla till respondenterna. De faktorer som studien visar är gynnsamma för samverkan är kunskap från skolans sida angående NPF och särbegåvning samt enskilda personers engagemang för eleven. Faktorer som kan ses som mindre gynnsamma för samverkan är brist på tid och pengar i skolan. / The aim of the study is to highlight and discuss how teachers and parents of gifted students, with or without diagnosis, experience the cooperation between the school and the home of the students. To perform the study a qualitative interview method was used. Three parents and three teachers to gifted students with our without a diagnosis were interviewed. The theoretical perspective from which the study is based is Erikson's (2004) four typologies that describe the collaboration between home and school and Hargreaves (2001) social-cultural distances to analyze collaboration at a person level. In conclusion, the result of the study shows that the interaction between home and school is not completely without problems when the student is gifted with or without diagnosis. All Hargreave's distances are represented and it is for both parents and teachers that these were noticed. All principles except the user principle could be linked to the respondents. The factors that the study shows are favorable for collaboration between teachers and parents is knowledge from the school's side regarding NPD, and specificity, as well as individual's commitment for the student. Factors that can be seen as less favorable for collaboration are lack of time and money in school.

Background: It is argued that most of the new product do not fail in the end but it fails in the beginning of the innovation. Managing front end of NPD, is the most important and difficult challenges facing the innovation managers. Effectively promoting front end activities can contribute directly to the success of the new product. So, integrating market-based partners (suppliers and customers) in the front-end phase enhances the quantity and quality of ideas. Problem discussion: Authors have suggested the involvement of market-based partners as early as possible in the NPD process will reduce the fuzziness in front end phase. The collaboration process with market-based partners implies that combining the idiosyncratic resources in unique ways, firms would relish greater innovation success. But this process of integration or collaboration with market-based partners are not that easy as it entails different appropriation and coordination concerns. Majority of the literature is concentrated on integrating market-based partners in the back-end activities of NPD, leaving a bit of void in the front-end phase of NPD. Method: The methodological choice of this thesis follows an exploratory study to seek new insights into an existing subject. The thesis is a following a deductive approach and is qualitative in the research choice. Purpose: To provide insights on integrating market-based partners in the front-end phase of new product development where the information is scattered around. This thesis identifies a structure that facilitates the integration of market-based partners in the fuzzy front end of NPD to mitigate the appropriation concerns and challenges.

To  ensure  success  in  the  rapid  pace  of  globalization,  it  is  crucial  for  companies  to understand the management practice within and outside national boundaries. This study investigates  the  influences  of  national  culture  on  new  product  development  (NPD) collaboration between China and Sweden.   By applying  the  qualitative approach  with a single  case,  the  study  shows that national culture influences on NPD  collaboration  by  means  of organizational  culture and  work values   regarding   six   national   culture   dimensions   between   China   and   Sweden. Concerning  organizational  culture,  power  distance  and  masculinity  versus  femininity dimensions  of  national  culture  have  impacts  on  NPD  collaboration.  In  terms  of  work values, the  influences  of power  distance and uncertainty avoidance are  ranked at  first place, whereas individualism and collectivism, masculinity  versus femininity, harmony and long-term versus short-term orientation are relative weak comparing with first two dimensions.   However,  the  results  also  show  that  some  organizational  characteristics  including uncertainty  avoidance,  long-term  versus  short-term  orientation  and  harmony  have barely  effects on NPD  collaboration. This  implies that there  could  be  context-specific factors  that  affect  performances  of  NDP  collaboration  regardless  of  in  which  country the NPD project takes place.

Hur vet man att ett projekt är på banan? Vad ska man driva och följa upp mellan gaterna för att nå gaternas specificerade kriterier i tid och med rätt resultat? Vilka mätpunkter behövs? Med vilka intervall ska framdriften mätas? Och hur visar projektledaren framdriften för intressenterna så att rätt åtgärder för att styra rätt kan sättas in om det är på väg att gå fel? En huvudfaktor för att lyckat leda projekt mellan faser och gater torde ligga i förmågan att se hur uppgifter fortskrider mellan gaterna. Syftet med denna uppsats är att bidra med kunskap kring hur en sund framdrift mellan gaterna i projekt kan erhållas så att man vid gaterna uppfyller de kriterier som specificerats samt söka besvara hur framdriften kan kommuniceras till dess intressenter på ett framgångsrikt sätt. Följande forskningsfrågor ställdes: 1. Vilka indikatorer är enligt forskning och ledande praktik lämpliga att använda för att följa framdriften i projekt mellan gaterna i projektledningsprocessen? 2. Hur kommuniceras framdriften så att det är lätt för ett projekts alla intressenter att förstå hur projektet framskrider mellan gaterna? 3. Med vilka intervall mäts lämpligen framdriften mellan gaterna? 4. Hur kan indikatorer formuleras/utvecklas utifrån en specifiks verksamhets behov? En hermenuistisk kvalitativ studie med induktiv ansats genomfördes. Studien genomfördes delvis på det företag författaren själv arbetar på varför metoden innehåller stora delar av aktionsbaserade forskningselement. Sammanställning av rekommendationer från forskning och ledande praktik jämfördes med resultat hämtade från benchmarkingstudie och fallstudie ur vilken slutsatser dragits. Under benchmarkingstudien och fallstudien genomfördes totalt 23 semistrukturerade djupintervjuer med avsikt att förstå behov och framgångsfaktorer. Processen för arbetet kan liknas med en explorativ designprocess där författaren succesivt sökt ta fram och forma lämpliga framdriftsindikatorer utifrån en specifik verksamhets behov. Studien visade att det, sedan de tre framdriftsindikatorerna "Scope, time och cost" befästes i begynnelsen av användandet av projekt som arbetsform, numer finns insikter om att det är många faktorer som tillsammans leder ett projekt framåt. Olika faser i projekt kräver olika insatser, olika intressenter kräver olika information, olika nivåer i projektet har olika behov av uppföljning varför en väl avvägd kombination av ett 15-tal olika indikatorer så kallade Key Performace Indicators (KPI’er), designade för respektive projekts och verksamhets unika behov rekommenderas. Studien visade vidare att en framgångsfaktor för kommunikation av projektframdrift ligger i hur samarbete i projekt sker. Rekommendationen är att design av kommunikationstruktur utformas så att helhetsperspektiv och röd tråd i forum och dialog erhålls. Visualisering av framdriften och samtliga intressenters deltagande vid möten och framdriftskommunikation konstaterades vara en grundförutsättning för framgångsrika resultat. Avseende lämpliga intervall drogs slutsatsen att även dessa rekommenderas att sättas utifrån behov eftersom behoven av dialog av respektive indikator varierar under projektens gång. Kommunikationsprincipen "hellre ofta och lite, än sällan och mycket" rekommenderades. Grundat i studiens resultat rekommenderades slutligen lämpliga indikatorer, lämplig kommunikationsstruktur och lämpliga intervall designade unikt för den specifika verksamheten i uppsatsens fallstudiedel. / How does one know that a project is on track? What criterias should be monitored between the Gates so that specified criterias is obtained at the Gate? Which measuring points are needed? At what intervals should the progress be measured? How does the project manager present the progress to its stakeholders in a successful manner so that the stakeholders understand the status and decide upon corrective actions if needed? A key factor in successfully managing projects between phases and Gates would most presumably lie in the ability to see the progress of tasks between the gates. The objective of this Master thesis is therefore aimed to contribute with knowledge regarding how to achieve a sound progress between the Gates of the project so that specified gatecriterias will be obtained at the Gate. This Master thesis will also seek to contribute knowledge about how to communicate the progress to its stakeholders in a successful manner whereupon the following questions where put: 1. What indicators are suitable to use in the project management process when following the project progress between the Gates in accordance to previous research and leading practice findings? 2. How can the progress be communicated to its stakeholders so that it will be easy to follow the progress of the project between the Gates? 3. What measurement intervals are considered to be suitable when following the progress between Gates? 4. How can indicators be designed/developed based on a specific business requirements? A hermenuistic qualitative study with an inductive approach was conducted. Since the author of this thesis works at the company where the study was conducted the method contains many elements of action research. A summary of recommendations from research and leading practice were compared with results obtained in the benchmarking study and the case study from which conclusions were drawn. A total of 23 semi-structured interviews were conducted during the benchmarking study and the case study with the intention of understanding the needs of information at the specific business and to understand which factors that could be considered as success factors. The progress of the work can be considered as an explorative design process in which the author successively have designed and developed suitable Key Perfomance Indicators, KPI’s based on a specific business requirements. The results shows that modern research has come to an insights that the progress of a projects consists of more factors than the three indicators "Scope, time and cost" recommended at the early stages of using project as a working method. The different phases of the project require different actions and efforts and interventions, various stakerholders requires different information, different levels of the project management has different needs for follow-up and require different levels of detailed information, why a balanced combination of some 15 different Key performace Indicators (KPI's), designed for the unique needs of each project and activity is recommended. The study shows that the success of communicating project progress lies in the way cooperation is based in the project. It is recommended that the communication structure is designed so that a holistic perspective and a "red thread" in forum and dialogue are obtained. Visualization of progress and participation of all stakeholders at pulsmeetings were found to be a prerequisite for successful results. Regarding an appropriate interval, it is concluded that each interval are recommended to be set on the basis of need since the needs of dialogue for each indicator varies with the progress of the projects. However, communication using the principle "rather babysteps - often and short, than elephant paces - seldom but long" is recommended. Based on the results from the study, the thesis ends with recommending suitable indicators, suitable communication structure and suitable intervals designed uniquely for the specific business in the case study.

This thesis examines the process of new product development for small firms, aiming to specify what separate top performers from the rest. Every year, thousands of new products are introduced to the market. Yet, 75 % to 90 % of all products launched suffer from failure. Prevailing theory is founded on examinations on large firms, which differ significantly from small firms in terms of financial and human capital. This gives reason to suspect that prevailing theory fail to serve the specific needs of a small firm. In this study, previous research is summarized in a theoretical framework. A set of survey questions was sent out to 2,287 managers in Swedish small manufacturing firms. A research model was developed to help analyze and interpret the 156 complete responses. 32 significant variables separating top performers from the rest were acknowledged and three factor areas were specified in a framework for small firm new product success. The findings of our study indicate that prevailing theory fail to serve small firms. We conclude that small firms benefit from focusing to simplify rather than adding to refine, and that this is strongly correlated to the limited financial and human resources of a small firm.