Cloud services can be seen as modern IT outsourcing and have become a popular technological solution for companies to create and maintain a competitive advantage. The number of cloud service providers (CSPs) is continuously growing in a highly competitive market. The process of choosing a CSP is a complex, costly, and time-consuming task where a resource-based view (RBV) has been previously used to aid the potential customer in the decision. Previous research points towards an up-to-date understanding of the underlying factors in the decision are sought after. This research aims to explore the decision process of choosing a CSP in order to discover influencing factors of the decision to create a decision model for potential customers to ease the decision process. By using an exploratory study and through interviews, the factors which influence the decision of a CSP from a potential customer’s perspective were identified. The findings point towards six main factors influencing the decisions of CSP. The result supports earlier research that the decision of choosing a CSP is a complex process with several influencing factors. Therefore, RBV is not sufficient to analyze all these factors and needs to be supported by other theories to cover all the aspects of the decision. The identified factors were used to create a decision model which will help customers by easing the process of choosing a CSP and decrease the time and resources of the process. The recommendation for further research is to investigate the relevance of these factors at different cycles of a company and also to further investigate each factor to expand and improve the decision model. / Molntjänster kan ses som modern IT-outsourcing och har blivit en populär teknisk lösning för företag att skapa och upprätthålla konkurrensfördelar. Antalet molntjänstleverantörer växer kontinuerligt på en mycket konkurrensutsatt marknad. Processen att välja en molntjänstleverantör är en komplex, kostsam och tidskrävande uppgift där en resource-based view (RBV) tidigare har använts för att hjälpa den potentiella kunden i beslutet. Tidigare forskning pekar mot att man efterfrågar mer aktuell kunskap om de bakomliggande faktorerna i beslutet. Denna forskning syftar till att utforska beslutsprocessen för att välja en molntjänstleverantör för att identifiera påverkande faktorer bakom beslutet att skapa en beslutsmodell för potentiella kunder att använda för att underlätta beslutsprocessen. Genom att göra en undersökande studie och utföra intervjuer, identifierades de faktorer som påverkar beslutet av molntjänstleverantör ur en potentiell kunds perspektiv. Resultaten pekar mot sex huvudfaktorer som påverkar valet av molntjänstleverantör. Resultatet stöder tidigare forskning om att beslutet att välja en molntjänstleverantör är en komplex process med flertal påverkande faktorer. RBV är därför inte tillräckligt för att analysera alla dessa faktorer och behöver stödjas av andra teorier för att täcka alla aspekter av beslutet. De identifierade faktorerna låg till grund för att skapa en beslutsmodell som hjälper kunder genom att underlätta processen att välja en molntjänstleverantör och minska tid och resurser för processen. Rekommendation för vidare forskning är att undersöka relevansen av dessa faktorer vid ett företags olika cykler samt att djupare undersöka varje faktor för att utvidga och förbättra beslutsmodellen.

The purpose of this thesis is to describe and analyse the role of logistics in the strategy of the firm. Leading to this purpose are empirical observations of firms that manage to grow under sustained profitability, by the means of logistics. The clothing retailers H&M and Inditex manage to pursue strategies of growth under sustained profitability. Both H&M and Inditex acknowledge that logistics is used in achieving these strategic goals. The competitive environments are similar for the two retailers. However, the strategy content, i.e. the what of strategy, differs greatly between H&M and its Spanish competitor. H&M focuses on economies of scale in their operations to allow for low logistics costs and a cost-efficient geographical expansion. Inditex focuses on flexibility and speed, being able to quickly respond to changes in demand, which calls for a more agile logistics platform. From this background, two cases are studied as regards the role of logistics in the strategy. The case companies Ahlsell and Bergman & Beving, two wholesalers of industrial goods, display growth under sustained profitability and have an outspoken focus on logistics in their strategies. The cases are described in terms of the content and the context of logistics in the strategy of the firm. The content is the what of strategy whereas the context is the where of strategy. The context is further divided into inner and outer context, where inner context is the firm and outer context is its environment. The theoretical basis of this research is found in logistics and in strategy: Logistics research on the relation between logistics and strategy from a logistics perspective, and strategy theory ranging from the resource-based view of the firm, or the inside-out perspective, to positioning theory, or the outside-in perspective. A pattern-matching methodology is used to establish an appropriate description of the logistics content and context in the strategy of the firm. In the content-dimension, the opposing views of the resource-based view and positioning theory are tested on the cases. In the context-dimension, the cases and their environment are described with a stance taken in the contingency approach to the organisation of logistics. The research shows that the role of logistics in the strategy of the firms in the scope of this study is most appropriately described using a resource-based view of the firm. Further, the two firms under study serve as examples of two different ways to use logistics in the strategy: - Bergman & Beving manages to integrate a decentralised group of product companies in one logistics platform. - Ahlsell achieves synergies in acquisitions by moving logistics and administration of the acquired firms into their centralised logistics platform. The cases also serve as examples of that the logistics solutions need not be optimal in terms of the lowest cost and the highest service level to be used successfully in the strategy of the firm to reach growth under sustained profitability. The firms in the scope of this research act in similar outer contexts but interpret these contexts in different ways depending on their manner to use logistics in the strategy. The research shows that similar outer contexts can be approached successfully with strategies with different logistics content. The logistics organisations in the firms in the scope of this thesis display robustness towards changes in the outer context of the firm, i.e. the logistics organisations can encounter considerable changes in the environment without altering their position in the firm. It is concluded that in order to make the role of logistics in the strategy more comprehensible, a bridge between the abstract strategy theory and the role of logistics needs to be established. A possibility to attain this can be found in the application of a business model framework to the relation between logistics and strategy, which is suggested as an area for further research. / ISRN/Report code: LiU-Tek-Lic 2005:34

Problem: Several extant studies argue that family firm tend to invest less or even tend to avoidR&D investments, yet R&D investments are essential for sustaining competitive advantage of afirm as they facilitate innovation. Nevertheless, under certain circumstances family firms couldalso prefer R&D investments. Departing from these knowledge and drawing upon resource-basedview & dynamic capabilities concepts, this thesis will explore how family firms perceive R&Dinvestments, furthermore, it will investigate factors influencing R&D investments in family firmsthrough an in-depth qualitative approach. Purpose: To explore how family firms perceive R&D investments in the first place by utilizingSwedish family firms as the context which is aimed to provide a new viewpoint on R&Dinvestments in family firms from an in-depth approach. Furthermore, the study extends toinvestigate factors which have influence on whether or not family firms undertake R&Dinvestments Method: The study applies multiple case studies strategy with six cases in total and eightrespondents. To support the study, semi-structured interview is used to collect the data, inaddition to researcher's note. The analysis of empirical findings comprises of two parts, firstly,the empirical findings are presented per case which are followed by the summary of findings fromall cases at the end based on the theoretical lenses. Afterward, a cross-case analysis is conductedto observe emerging patterns which are used to further adapt the preliminary conceptualframework made from frame of references. Conclusions: Family firms according to their views on R&D could be divided into two groups.The first group consists of the firms without a dedicated R&D focus or firms that perceive R&D asembedded activity, while the latter is the firms with dedicated R&D focus. According to the waysthey perceive R&D, they subsequently put different emphasis on R&D investments. The firstgroup is rather reactive toward R&D, while the latter group is more proactive. These differencescould be explained by the internal and external influences (factors) which are found through theuse of resource-based view and dynamic capabilities. The internal factors are specialization,organizational culture and family history, while the external ones are trends and competition.Trends and specialization are found in almost all cases, and they explain the early engagement(without dedicated focus) of R&D in the firms. However, unlike trends, specialization mightpotentially lead to negative propensity toward R&D investments because of the competitiveadvantage gained from being specialized and knowledgeable in certain area. However, whencompetition comes into play, it might shift the circumstance by encouraging the firm to leave its“comfort zone”, thus would encourage R&D endeavors, in particular R&D investments especiallywhen the firm aims to lead in the market. Meanwhile, organizational culture could also be acatalyst for firms to focus on R&D, but it is very dependent on the culture instilled in the firmwhether or not it would encourage R&D. Firms with risk aversion, as suggested by literature andalso found in one of the cases would distance the firm from R&D investments. On the other hand,firms that show continuous learning and failure tolerating within their culture tend to put morefocus on R&D. And the last one, family history, which is found in three cases suggest a positiveinfluence toward R&D investments. The inventive behavior of the founder or former generationsis implanted in the family history, and being preserved by the current generations as corporateidentity or guiding values, of which contribute positively toward R&D investments in the firm.

This thesis explores how the resources of marketing capabilities, business networks, and financial resources, influence the marketing approach of international new ventures. Building on the resource based view, the market entry of firms and how they compete is analyzed by exploring the resources and capabilities of INVs. By using a qualitative research method, this thesis identifies the three resources of marketing capabilities, business networks, and financial resources to be highly influential for INVs’ marketing approach. Also there has been shown to be a synergetic effect between the resources, and that the cross-industrial and cross-business type sampling did not entail any divergences, but rather similar patterns. Four main findings can be identified as a result of our analysis. First, market knowledge prior to internationalization is shown to be key. Second, the creation of trust through transparency in business networks spark business network opportunities and long-term relationships. Third, utilizing technological tools for marketing endeavors becomes highly efficient. Fourth, tackling financial limitations through the implementation of a low-cost strategy is shown to be essential. The findings of this research has great potential of contributing to managerial practice when working with marketing aspirations, as well as being a starting point for future research in the field of INVs and the resource based view theory. The study has limitations in regards to the scope of the research.

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.

In spite of the need for organisations to develop competencies among its employees as a source for gaining competitive advantage, and in spite of previous research efforts to find out what contributes to it and the effects of it, the process of Competence Development (CD) implementation is still a ‘black box’, whose internal linkages are unknown. Furthermore it is noticed in previous research that there is a lack of empirically-based research in organisations, and the purpose of this dissertation is therefore to explore the process of CD implementation, as perceived by employees within the debt-collection industry of Sweden.   A case-study on a Swedish Debt-Collection Company was conducted, and data collected through interviews with employees and managers, in order to find out how the process of CD implementation is structured. In order to investigate the internal linkages in the process an extensive literature review was performed in the field of CD, and used for developing a conceptual model, showing how the various stages interact and depend upon each other in gaining competence among its employees. The model was then tested empirically and the findings suggest that the CD implementation was structured mostly in line with the model, although adjustments had to be made.   The findings suggest that in the process of CD implementation conceptualisation of CD plans and selection of participants is conducted in one integrated step and not two distinct steps, as suggested in previous literature. Performance Management and Reflection- and Evaluation are not conducted in two steps but more or less simultaneously. Furthermore, this study suggests that it is the organisation’s responsibility to provide a foundation, opportunities and resources that enable CD, while the employees themselves set the standard for how much they will take advantage of it. Therefore this study argues that if employees can have input and influence on each stage of the process, better outcomes will be provided since it will be aligned with their objectives, personal and professional.   Up to this point, the process of CD implementation has been a ‘black box’, a mechanism that generates a certain level of output but whose internal workings are unknown. It is important to open up that box and to understand how CD operates to produce superior performance for an organisation. The findings in this study help to bridge that gap better, and are useful for managers conducting and implementing Human Resource practices that aim to develop competencies among the company’s workforce in order to gain better performance.

Exporting is a critically important strategy for firms to grow, yet research in this area has tended to ignore how firms can leverage resource-based capabilities to improve export performance. Building on the resource-based view and institutional theory, the authors develop a novel perspective to explain how a firm can improve export performance by aligning its export channel with its level of market orientation capabilities, contingent on the institutional distance between home and export markets. Using a unique database of Chinese exporters, the authors find that exporters with strong market orientation capabilities prefer hierarchical export channels, while those with weak market orientation capabilities prefer hybrid channels. The analysis also indicates that the institutional distance between China and the export market moderates this relation. Moreover, the authors find that aligning export channel choice with firm-level market orientation capabilities and institutional distance yields better export performance. (authors' abstract)

The aim of this research is to examine the extent to which the offshoring and outsourcing practices in Multinational Corporations, when the headquarters are registered and located in either the UK or Germany; are embedded in the institutional contexts of their respective home countries. There are six research questions relating to differences in approach and choice of location, ownership and coordination, employment practice, cultural proximity, trade union influence and finally the extent of re-shoring. These are primarily assessed through the 'varieties of capitalism' perspective. A comparative case study approach has been adopted with a focus on two sectors; airlines and engineering; in each case a major UK and German organisation are compared. Fourteen in-depth, semi-structured interviews took place in both the home countries and overseas locations in Europe, India and Asia. The sample size is small, however, each was with a senior executive and the transcripts revealed 'rich data' for compiling the case studies and answering the research questions. The contribution to original thinking is a conceptual framework posited by proposing a taxonomy to analyse the relationship between coordinated and liberal market economies and the components of the offshoring and / or outsourcing process. Reference is made to theory drawn from the resource based view, global production networks, dynamic capabilities, embeddedness as well as varieties of capitalism to focus on competences, spatial dimensions and power. It is this collective approach that is considered to be novel. Qualitative analysis is deployed to re-construct the actual framework for each industry sector. Constructs (Reichertz, 2004) combining abduction, deduction and induction are used to develop propositions that lead to conclusions. The similarities between the two UK companies and the two German companies confirms the usefulness of the taxonomy and allows for its extension to other firms and sectors. Key findings and conclusions from the two case studies are that German organizations are less inclined to outsource (in both sectors) preferring to reduce costs and retain control through captive offshoring. The UK businesses were less risk adverse and more flexible and agile in their sourcing policies. There was evidence that the UK companies regarded outsourcing and offshoring as options for closer co-operation that may lead to strategic alliances and mergers or acquisition. The relationships with trade unions/works council was also found to be very different, with a reluctance by management in Germany to progress radical initiatives. Other differences in terms of autonomy and division of labour were found. From an institutional perspective the German CME's cases were less able to deploy outsourcing and offshoring strategies with the degrees of freedom that the UK LMEs typically enjoyed. CMEs are constrained by their policies, interconnectedness and style of working. A number of ambiguities are highlighted. The thesis argues that the outsourcing and offshoring practices are embedded to a high degree in the institutional practices of the home countries. Finally, the empirical novelty lies in the 'rich data' generated by valuable insights from the senior executive interviewees to which the researcher was privileged to have access.

The increasing global challenges, such as natural disasters, poverty and many others, pose new threats to societies and businesses. Therefore, companies increase their engagement in Corporate Sustainability (CS), which connects social, environmental and economic responsibilities. Through this approach, CS aims at overcoming environmental and social constraints in a business context to increase competitiveness in today’s fast-changing world. This fast pace, with which the business environment changes, is related to external influences, such as the above-mentioned climate change, and to fundamental structural developments. One of those is the increasing number of emerging-market companies (EMNCs) that internationalize rapidly through cross-border M&A deals, also into developed markets. Since both trends, the increase in CS engagement and the growing international M&A activity of EMNCs, gain in practical and academic importance, we conducted our study under the following research question. How is CS integrated on a strategic level after a cross-border acquisition by an EMNC? The theoretical angle from which we approached the topic aligns with the resource-based view, including the natural-resource-based view, and a stakeholder perspective. When reviewing the literature regarding CS, it became clear that substantial outcomes are still lacking despite an increasing commitment to CS. This difficulty can be linked to the variety of interpretations regarding the conception of CS and the resulting confusion among implicated parties. The review of M&A literature, with a special focus on EMNCs, revealed that these companies deploy a unique approach, which is characterized by the soft post-M&A integration of the target to allow organizational learning within both businesses. Therefore, our empirical research aimed at exploring how the strategic CS of both companies, the target and the parent, influence each other and thus, develop towards a common CS strategy. The longitudinal single case study we selected, allowed us to investigate this research proposal. Through the collection and analysis of documentary data enriched by semi-structured interviews, our study revealed the following. The exchange of knowledge and CS-related communication represented the basis for the integration of strategic CS as it nurtures organizational learning. Consequently, the CS strategies of both companies increased in maturity, which means that their sophistication evolved. In addition, we also found that the target developed towards a more permissive sustainability to align with its parent company’s CS strategy. Our main study contributions relate to an enhancement of the theoretical knowledge in the related fields. Besides this, we also identified critical practical issues, such as the importance of establishing a common conception of CS to ensure a successful CS integration on a strategic level.

Syfte – Syftet med studien var att skapa en förståelse för vilka resurser som kan vara nödvändiga vid implementering av uppkopplad tillverkning för SMF inom tillverkningsindustrin men kan upplevas som hinder. För att adressera syftet har två forskningsfrågor (FF) tagits fram, FF 1: Vilka resurser kan krävas när SMF avser att implementera uppkopplad tillverkning, samt hur kan dessa påverka SMF inom tillverkningsindustrin? FF 2: Vilka bakomliggande orsaker kan finnas till att resurser utgör hinder för en implementering av uppkopplad tillverkning? Metod – Studien har genomförts genom en deduktiv forskningsansats med induktiva inslag. Denna forskningsansats valdes för att studien tog avstamp i litteraturöversikten och sedan verifierades samt utvecklades utifrån den empiriska dataanalysen. Vidare, studien antog en kvalitativ datainsamling, och totalt genomfördes intervjuer med personer från 11 olika företag. Urvalet av intervjuade företag begränsades till svenska SMF inom tillverkningsindustrin som har implementerat uppkopplad tillverkning i form av automatiserade processer. Den valda analysmetoden är i form av en tematisk analys av insamlad data. Resultat – Studien resulterade i ett konceptuellt ramverk som främst riktar sig till SMF inom tillverkningsindustrin som vill implementera uppkopplad tillverkning. Det konceptuella ramverket är uppbyggt kring sex framtagna dimensioner, där de fysiska resurserna ses som primära och de resterande fem är sekundära gentemot den primära. Det som gör att de fysiska resurserna utgör de huvudsakliga resurserna är att de möjliggör automatiserade processer hos SMF i tillverkningsindustrin. Medan de resterande fem resurserna fungerar som ett stöd till de fysiska resurserna. De framtagna dimensionerna visar de resurser som kan brista och dess bakomliggande orsaker vid implementering av uppkopplad tillverkning. Teoretiska implikationer – Studien bidrar till tidigare litteratur kring implementering av uppkopplad tillverkning för SMF i tillverkningsindustrin genom att undersöka de bakomliggande orsakerna till att resurser upplevs som hinder. Ett av bidragen är synliggörandet av de resurser som kan hindra SMF inom tillverkningsindustrin att implementera uppkopplad tillverkning. Denna studie har även bidragit med att identifiera en sekundär resurs, marknadsresurser, som tidigare inte lyfts fram i litteraturen. Resultatet visade att det är förståelsen för helhetsbilden av marknaden som är viktigt hos företag, och inte enbart rykte hos kunderna. Resultatet visade att rykte handlar mer om förståelsen för marknaderna, såsom konkurrenssituationen. Resultaten visar även orsaker till att resurser kan upplevas som hinder vid implementering av uppkopplad tillverkning.. Praktiska implikationer – Det främsta praktiska bidraget från denna studie är det konceptuella ramverket som har sin grund i resursbaserad teori och som visar på de brister i ett företags resurser som kan hindra en implementering av uppkopplad tillverkning. Det är främst beslutsfattare i SMF inom tillverkningsindustrin som överväger att implementera uppkopplad tillverkning i sina fabriker som kan vägledas och ta hjälp av det konceptuella ramverket. Tillväxtverket kan med hjälp av denna studie öka förståelsen för SMF inom tillverkningsindustrin i Sverige. Detta kan i sin tur hjälpa dessa företag att få en bättre förståelse för vilka resurser som kan hindra en implementering av uppkopplad tillverkning. Genom en ökad förståelse med hjälp utav Tillväxtverket kan SMF undvika att dessa hinder uppstår i planeringsfasen. / Purpose – The purpose of the study was to provide an understanding of resources that may be inadequate but necessary when implementing online manufacturing for SME’s in the manufacturing industry. To address the purpose two research questions (RQ) were developed, RQ 1: What resources can affect SME’s in the manufacturing industry in the implementation of online manufacturing? RQ 2: What are the underlying reasons to that resources constitute obstacles when implementing online manufacturing? Method – The study has been conducted through a deductive research with inductive elements. The research method was chosen because the study was based on the literature review and then verified and developed on the basis of the empirical data analysis. The study adopted a qualitative data collection, and interviews were conducted with individuals from 11 different companies. The selection of interviewed companies was limited to Swedish SME’s in the manufacturing industry, which has implemented online manufacturing in the form of automated processes. The chosen analysis method of the collected data is in the form of a thematic analysis. Findings – The study resulted in a conceptual framework, which is aimed primarily for SME’s in the manufacturing industry that wants to implement online manufacturing. The conceptual framework is built on six dimensions, where physical resources are primary and the remaining five are secondary. The physical resources are the main resource since they enable automated processes for SME’s in the manufacturing industry. While the remaining five resources serve as a support for physical resources. The developed dimensions show the resources that can be inadequate and its underlying reasons of the implementation of online manufacturing. Theoretical contributions – The study contributes to previous literature on the implementation of online manufacturing for SME’s in the manufacturing industry by investigating the underlying reasons of resources being perceived as obstacles and why an implementation is not taking place. One of the contributions is the visualization of the resources that may affect SME’s in the manufacturing industry to implement online manufacturing. This study has also contributed with a new resource. The result showed that it is an understanding of the overall picture of the market that is important for companies, and not just the reputation. The result also pointed out that reputation was about the understanding of the markets, such as the competitive situation, which led to the emergence of the new dimension called market resources. Furthermore, the reasons that resources can be perceived as barriers to implementing online manufacturing were partly confirmed in the result part. Finally, new reasons emerged why resources can be perceived as obstacles. Practical implications – The main practical contribution from this study is the conceptual framework that has its foundation in the resource-based view and demonstrates the shortcomings that may arise in a company's resources prior to an implementation of online manufacturing. It is primarily managers of SME’s in the manufacturing industry, who are considering an implementation of online manufacturing in their factories, that will be guided by the conceptual framework. Tillväxtverket can, with the help of this study, increase understanding for SME’s in the manufacturing industry in Sweden. This, in turn, can help companies to get a better understanding of which resources that can prevent an implementation of online manufacturing. Through an increased understanding and with the help of Tillväxtverket SME’s can prevent difficulties from occurring during the planning phase.