From a historical perspective, Sweden is a classic example of a social democratic state in view ofits early development of labor movements, democracy and focus on the welfare state. Today, as amember state of the EU, Sweden has however come to be influenced by America’s neoliberalpolities, where companies need to deliver more and better products/services while the consumerawareness and sensitivity has increased about company’s way to invest. Research shows thatScandinavian companies, primarily in Denmark and Sweden, has a leading position when it comesto responsible corporate behavior which has been the reason to our choice of studying howSwedish companies do to achieve success in CSR. To carry out this study, we have usedqualitative analysis, using semi-structures to interview companies in different industry sectors. Allthe companies we interviewed were aware of the paradoxical quest for accumulation andsustainability, largely because of the limitations of resources and regulations. To address thischallenge, companies put a lot of emphasis on work in projects where they’re focusing the wellbeingof its own staff and by setting strict requirements on suppliers. Using previous researcharticles, an organizational theory (Hatch) and Weber’s social actions theory, we’ve tried todevelop our understanding of these phenomena. / Ur ett historiskt perspektiv är Sverige ett klassiskt exempel på en socialdemokratisk stat med tankepå dess tidiga utveckling av arbetarrörelser, demokrati och fokus på välfärdsstaten. Idag, sommedlemsstat i den Europeiska unionen har Sverige dock kommit att influeras av USA:s nyliberalapolitik där företagen behöver leverera fler och bättre varor/tjänster samtidigt som konsumenternasmedvetenhet och känslighet har ökat kring hur företagen väljer att investera. Forskning visar på attskandinaviska företag, framförallt inom Danmark och Sverige, har en ledande position när detgäller ansvarsfullt företagsbeteende vilket har varit anledningen till vårt val av studie om hursvenska företag gör för att nå framgång inom CSR. För att genomföra denna studie har vi genomkvalitativ analys använt semi-strukturerade intervjuer där vi intervjuat företag inom olikabranschområden. Det har visat sig att samtliga företag vi intervjuat är medvetna om denparadoxala strävan efter ackumulation och hållbarhet, mycket på grund av begränsningar avresurser/regelverk. För att bemöta denna utmaning arbetar företagen mycket i projektform därfokus läggs på välmående för sin egen personal och genom att ställa hårda krav påunderleverantörer. Genom att använda tidigare forskningsartiklar samt Hatch organisationsteorioch Webers sociala handlingar har vi försökt att utveckla vår förståelse av detta fenomen. / <p>Ett grupparbete av Kim Andersson &amp; Joakim Wadstedt. </p>

The marketplace in the 21st century is intense and highly competitive. Customers have a great variety of products and services to choose from, therefor gaining competitive advantage is crucial for a company´s survival. Companies cannot rely on previous product success, they have to be innovative in order to meet the ever-changing customer needs and wants. New product launch is a critical and challenging phase for every company, which is proven by the high failure rates. There are many barriers that can hinder and determine a new product launch process. This study focuses on Business-to-Business, small and medium sized companies within the Swedish steel and metal industry with the purpose to investigate what barriers occur when launching new industrial products. The study also aims to answer the question on what actions can be taken in order to overcome these barriers. This is a qualitative and comparative study based on a theoretical framework combined with empirical findings gathered from five in-depth interviews. By analyzing and comparing the findings throughout this study, the authors can conclude that there are many barriers that can occur and affect a product launch process negatively. The main barriers identified were lack of knowledge, effort, planning as well as targeting and competition. The study also resulted in practical suggestions and actions that can be taken in order to overcome these barriers and ease the launch process.   Key words: New product launch, Barriers in launch processes, B2B, Swedish companies, SME`s, Marketing

It is argued that sustainability today has become a mega-trend, where the consumers are more aware of their surroundings and businesses impact on the environment than ever. Companies have come to be critically observed by societies, which has put more pressure on them to act in more sustainable ways as well as becoming more transparent with their operational and sustainability communication towards stakeholders. In 1978 China opened up the country to the global economy and since then, the country has rapidly risen in the terms of international economic importance. However, China is suffering from large environmental concerns like immoderate pollution that has become a daily concern for the population. Due to the rapid economic growth that China has been going through the recent years, these environmental issues the country is facing are largely tied to the industrialization. One of the biggest factors contributing to China’s heavy pollution is the colossal number of both Western and Chinese production facilities opening up in China.The aim with this research was to investigate how three selected Swedish companies placed in Shanghai approach sustainability marketing and explore how they embed sustainability within their strategy and particularly in their marketing mix. This thesis was conducted with a qualitative approach and with semi-structured interviews with three Swedish companies; Greencarrier, Atlas Copco and Stora Enso.The findings from the interviews, conducted with the three mentioned companies, pointed out that sustainability today is well integrated in the company’s core business and that working with sustainability has become a critical success factor. Factors that were important for the companies was to have long-term sustainability strategies, being innovative and transparent in their operational and sustainability communication, being material efficient in the product development and promoting this on media channels like WeChat, internet websites, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. Also, more traditional ways of marketing themselves was important, like visiting universities and exhibit at fairs. This essay will provide knowledge that can help companies to further their understanding of what a big role marketing has and how they can support awareness of sustainability issues. We also hope that our essay can help to inform consumers on the issue and by that place higher demands on companies to act sustainable. Because our thesis focused on investigating Swedish companies in Shanghai, it would be interesting to continue further research on how Chinese companies approach sustainability marketing.

The Swedish corporate law scholars have long debated whether there is something similar to the American business judgment rule (BJR) in the Swedish Companies Act (SCA). Recently, the discourse shifted to claim that the BJR exists in Swedish case law and should be introduced in the SCA in the form of a statute. However, the Swedish corporate law scholars have not investigated in much detail whether the BJR should be introduced in the SCA. An eagerness to introduce the BJR might seem bewildering due to the corporate scandals at the beginning of this century and the global financial crisis of 2008–2009. These events left corporate law scholars and those in the business community with the pressing question of whether the board of directors is sufficiently accountable, and the BJR appears to do the very opposite. In view of the foregoing, this thesis examines whether the BJR should be introduced in the SCA. This examination enables a comparative analysis of the liability rules of the board of directors in Sweden and Delaware, which is the dominant source of state corporate law in the United States. This thesis also steps outside traditional legal sources and considers other disciplines such as moral and political philosophy, sociology, and the methodology of law and economics.   This thesis finds that the BJR does not balance the values of the authority of the board of directors and the need to hold it accountable for its decisions and actions in an appropriate manner because it allows the value of authority to completely dominate. An appropriate balance between these values of authority and accountability requires that none of the values be so preeminent that any of them completely dominate. The BJR is made more critical because the Delaware courts apply it generously in favor of the board of directors and adopt an inveterate attitude in cases raising duty of care, thus, weakening the duty of care as a viable and meaningful accountability mechanism. Given these findings, this thesis concludes that the Swedish legislator should only consider introducing the BJR in the SCA if it is articulated in a different way. Alternatively, if it is given a dual function to protect both the authority of the board of directors and the need to hold it accountable for its decisions and actions. The justifications behind the BJR do not change the conclusion because they do not fully defend the existence of the BJR and the dominance of the value of authority. This thesis also considers the benefits of introducing the BJR in the SCA, but they also do not change the overall conclusion.  Instead, the conclusion is strengthened by the fact that a no liability rule can emerge when the BJR is combined with other protective devices in the SCA in the same way as it does in Delaware if the BJR is not modified or given a dual function. The no liability rule appears to deter the threat of legal liability as an effective accountability mechanism, which cannot be defended by either social norms or market forces.

This classic grounded theory study reflects companies work with corporate philanthropy (CP), and has a specific focus on companies with Swedish roots who are operating in South Africa. The theory illustrates how the companies perceive themselves to be forced to engage in CP, and their main solution to this problem is trying to optimise their CP work so it benefits both themselves and their beneficiaries. The companies are operating in a structural vacuum with regards to their CP work, and consequently, they make use of impressionistic tools in their attempt to optimise the work. There is arguably a need for companies to adopt a more strategic approach. The empirical data is collected from semi structured interviews with companies during 2012.

Employer branding has come a long way from its early stages as a marketing branch. The concept of employer branding was established and developed among western companies in the last few decades, while it has become more and more popular in China in recent years. For Swedish companies who plan to step into the Chinese market, one of the most important thing is to use elaborate methods to ensure that they can compete in the tightened labour market for skilled talent. In order to do so, it is necessary and important to find solutions and strategies for Swedish companies to build employer branding on WeChat, as WeChat is the most popular and widely-used social media platform. Therefore, this paper mainly aims to find solutions and strategies for Swedish companies to build employer branding on WeChat, by conducting 4 case studies of 4 Swedish companies who have successfully built their own employer branding on WeChat. Based on the reference framework, this study came up with the final emerged employer branding model, which includes the employer knowledge framework, the instrumental-symbolic framework, and a scheme of five measurements. In the end, conclusions, limitations and future development suggestions are provided so that the stakeholders could have some references for further development of building employer branding on WeChat.

Since Sweden’s home market is relatively small, companies are forced to engage in international business. Researchers have stressed that companies with a small home market should find new markets to gain benefits which companies with large home markets possess. The Chinese market has great potential, which results in numerous Swedish companies entering and establish business operations in China. Swedish companies need to address the unique aspects of conducting business in China. One of the unique aspects which has been notably concerned is the phenomena of guanxi. Guanxi is well grounded in the Chinese business culture and can be perceived as relationship building. Previous research has shown upon limited research regarding B2B guanxi in the Chinese-Western business relationships. Hence, the purpose of this thesis, is to provide a deeper understanding of how Swedish companies build and manage B2B guanxi in China and explore its potential risks and benefits. To achieve the purpose of this thesis, three main concepts have been identified- building stages of guanxi, management strategies of guanxi and risks and benefits of guanxi. These create the theoretical approach of the study. By using a qualitative research method and a deductive approach, a deeper understanding regarding guanxi in relation to Swedish companies can be acquired. The data is collected from five companies in different industries, conducting business on the Chinse market. Practical and theoretical implications have arisen from this study, contributing to the theoretical synthesis of B2B guanxi and provided valuable insights on how Swedish companies can use B2B guanxi. Based on the analysis, the outcome of this study suggest guanxi is not a prerequisite for conducting business on the Chinese market. Although, it can be seen as a tool to ease relationship building and business operations. The empirical findings indicate the relevance of B2B guanxi and have identified new factors. The key findings imply Swedish companies use intermediaries to a larger extent in the building staged and as a management strategy. While gift-giving and favour exchange are less used management strategies. Smoother business operations are perceived as an additional benefit. Whereas relationships becoming too personal and a person taking the relationships with them when leaving the company are additional risks ought to be considered new findings. The study can be valuable for Swedish companies that wish to enter or have entered the Chinese market.

Germany and Sweden are important business partners. In business it is important to be aware of different organizational cultures. Sweden and Germany are in many aspects alike, but at the same time there are cultural differences. In this study, research was conducted to compare part of the Swedish-German organizational communication as well as the meaning of intercultural communication in different companies. Online questionnaires were answered by 18 respondents. They included Swedes at a company in Sweden, which was bought by a German company and Germans at a company in Germany, which was bought by a Swedish company. Interviews with two executive directors, one at a Swedish company and one at a German company were made as well. The results of this study show that Germany has a strong hierarchal structure in comparison with Sweden. Sweden has a flatter structure, where meetings are a big part of the community within the organization. The most striking difference between the organizational cultures in both countries is the hierarchy.

Problem: Japan är en av Sveriges största exportmarknader med 127 miljoner konsumenter och en intressant marknad för svenska företag. Den japanska marknaden innehar många hinder och utmaningar och har tidigare varit restriktiv mot utländska företag. Svenska små och medelstora företag har oftast mindre kapital och resurser än stora företag vilket kan påverka deras val av etableringsstrategier samt vilka hinder och utmaningar de stöter på. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka vilka etableringsstrategier som svenska företag kan använda för att göra affärer i Japan. Metod: I denna studie har det använts en kvalitativ metod där semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med totalt sex informanter. Intervjuerna har genomförts med tre företag som har verksamhet i Japan. De övriga tre intervjuer var med en universitetslektor samt statliga/halvstatliga organisationer. Slutsatser: Hinder som framkommit är icke tariffära barriärer som komplicerade administrativa procedurer, lagar och regler, förståelse av den japanska affärsmiljön samt de höga konsumentkraven. Utmaningar som framkommit är det japanska språket, höga operationskostnader, konkurrensintensiteten (främst på B2B-marknaden) samt långsiktiga relationer och förtroende som tar lång tid att bygga upp. Ursprung och nätverk är något som bör tas hänsyn till då de kan underlätta etableringen på den japanska marknaden. Svenskt ursprung är något som uppskattas i Japan och nätverk kan bidra till att lokala kunskaper och erfarenheter tas vara på. Etableringsstrategier som svenska företag kan använda sig av i Japan är direkt eller kooperativ export samt etablering genom intermediate modes som exempelvis joint venture och mellanhand. Dessa etableringsstrategier respekterar värden som förtroende och långsiktiga relationer vilket är essentiellt för att göra affärer i Japan. / Problem: Japan is one of Sweden’s largest export markets with 127 million consumers and an interesting market for Swedish companies. The Japanese market has many obstacles and challenges and has previously been restrictive to foreign companies. Swedish SMEs usually have less capital and resources than large companies which can affect their choice of establishment strategies as well as the obstacles and challenges they encounter. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the entry strategies that Swedish companies can use to do business in Japan. Methodology: In this study, a qualitative method was used in which semi-structured interviews were conducted with a total of six informants. The interviews were conducted with three companies operating in Japan. The other three interviews were with a university lecturer and state / semi-governmental organizations. Conclusions: Obstacles that emerged in this study are non-tariff barriers such as complicated administrative procedures and laws and regulations, understanding of the Japanese business environment and high consumer demands. Challenges that have emerged are the Japanese language, high operational costs, the intensity of competition (mainly in the B2B-market), as well as long-term relationships and trust that take a long time to build. Origin and networks are something that should be taken into account as they can facilitate the entry in the Japanese market. Swedish origin is something that is appreciated in Japan and networks can help to utilize local knowledge and experience. Entry strategies that Swedish companies can use in Japan are direct or cooperative exports and intermediate modes such as joint venture. These entry strategies respect values such as trust and long-term relationships, which are essential for doing business in Japan.

The purpose of this thesis was to study how an internationalization process to China may appear for a small Swedish enterprise and to identify important factors that may be essential for the process. The focus extends from the point where the enterprise makes its first connection with China up to the point where they are well established. Their business is up and running and they have begun production. To gain a deeper understanding of the subject a gathering of existing theory and research articles was conducted. The gathering of theory yielded knowledge of different approaches and methods that can be used to implement internationalization and provided a greater understanding of cultural and regional differences in China compared to Sweden. There were two case studies in two small Swedish enterprises made where they shared their experience from their own internationalization process. Both enterprises are manufacturing companies and they have implemented internationalization in the last 10 years. The theory in combination with the empirical data collected from the two case studies led to the conclusion of how the internationalization processes had been carried out and what factors had been important during the process. Internalization is a long term investment which usually takes longer than planned. Going to China in the belief that internationalization quickly can become profitable is not recommended. From the cases studied it is possible to see that internationalization took between one and three years. It took both patience and equity to succeed. Important factors that were identified during the process included the importance of good relationships and networks. These factors were crucial for how well the internationalization went and without their good relations none of the enterprises interviewed would have been where they are today. In China there is widespread corruption. Companies seeking to internationalize themselves to the country should previously to the move have decided what they would do if they find themselves in such a situation. In addition there are major difficulties in communication with the Chinese because of their poor English. There are also issues with the fact that the Chinese do not always honor their promises. Being well prepared before facing internationalization will be of great assistance and contribute to the prevention of unexpected events.