Firmly placed in an industrial setting, this research explored the introduction of remote monitoring technology into three different organizational contexts. By following these organizations over time, starting with their intention to invest in remote monitoring systems (RMS), there was a unique opportunity to witness their processes and to gain an insight into the intricacies of information technology (IT) and organizational transformation. The main question that this research sought to answer was thus: How is IT implicated in the remote monitoring of industrial equipment? Previous information systems research has been accused of not paying enough attention to the material, that is, of not being specific about technology. This research adopted a sociomaterial perspective, thus recognizing the constitutive entanglement of the material and the social, and thereby acknowledging their mutual dependency. However, in order to provide specific insights about the material, an analytical disentanglement was performed, by extending the concept of agency from a focus on “the what” to include “the how”. Change was thus studied by not only asking what the nature of change is and who or what causes change to occur, but by also tracing how change is enacted, thus capturing both material and social agency as well as tracing their entanglement. This research employed a broad approach, designed to provide a profound and extensive account of the studied phenomenon. Consequently, the thesis explored value creation, sourcing routines, partnership formation and innovative practices all related to remote diagnostics design and use. In addition, the research was qualitative and used interpretive case studies as the main methodology. A composite finding of this research is that an RMS, with its ability to collect, transmit, store, and analyze specific contextual information across time and space, provides opportunities for boundary-spanning activities manifested as the formation of interorganizational networks. Furthermore, by tracing the information capabilities of the IT, and by being specific about the material, it has been possible to explore how RMSs have the potential to influence both organizational form and content. Through the examination of RMSs within interorganizational networks and as a part of value creation practices, this research has also shown how the organizational form and content have the potential to influence RMSs; their design, use, and material affordances. This research also placed focus on the importance of trust and has shown that trust in technology is established through trust in people.

Within this thesis we map the Value-Chains of the Swedish market for Production Music. The reason behind this is that the authors believe this sub-segment of the music industry to be relatively unexplored by business research. Thus increased knowledge should increase transparency for all market actors. We have gathered previous research regarding value chains in the music industry and compare this research to empirical findings on the Production Music Industry.  These findings are primarily gathered from three interviews with individuals in well informed positions within the industry. The three interviews are also backed up by secondary information found through industry websites and other vendors. Analysis indicates that there are two general forms of Value-Chains in the Production Music Industry that are significantly different from each other, and that these are either centered around the Swedish Performing Rights Organization STIM, or the relatively new internet based music library called Epidemic Sound. Specific forms of value delivered back and forth within these value chains consists of everything from education and coaching in production techniques, to monetary compensation and recognition. Analysis also shows that while there is a rather big difference in how the two general value chains are constructed, there seems to be less variation when it comes to how these value chains are governed.

This thesis draws attention to understand how firms in the B2B commodity industry seek to utilize value-creating activities to achieve competitive advantage, which is also the overall purpose of this thesis. The premise of this thesis is of empirical nature, thus empirically applicable and experienced by other companies inside the commodity industry. In order to reach the purpose of this thesis a case study of Alpha International, Beta and Delta has been carried out which involved personal interviews with different respondents from the companies. The theoretical framework involves a description of competitive strategy, value creation, value chain, value proposition and finally value delivery. The empirical study is based on building a framework of how the companies create value by using different value creating activities.   In the analysis the theoretical framework is related to the results of the empirical study. It is here discussed how the different case companies value creating activities leads to a competitive advantage. In addition to analyzing the value creation activities; the value proposition of the case companies is analyzed and how these are delivered. It is concluded that the case companies studied seeks to utilize value-creating activities to achieve competitive advantage in many different ways.   Generally speaking, it is found that the case companies most commonly try to achieve similar types of value; delivery reliability and quality. However this is achieved in different ways; through different types of activities such as services, different types of integration strategies or a certain type of technology that surrounds the product offering that is utilized by different types of labor in the companies. The companies also have different ways in offering and communicating the value towards the customer by using a value proposition; depending on what type of benefit the customer seeks. At last, discussion and implications are given to present managerial and theoretical implications together with further research.

Problematization: Financial departments have during the recent years developed due to environmental changes, and so has the controller profession. Controllers are working hard in the shadow of the CFO, together with an unclear definition over their tasks. By shedding light on the controller can their value-creation for the organization be defined. Purpose: The purpose of this research is to examine developments of the controller profession from a Swedish organizational context. Furthermore, this thesis aims to investigate if there is an expansion of the controller professions role, within organizations, that affecting their ability to create value. Methodology: The research has been conducted with a qualitative approach. In this study was 8 interviews performed with controllers in Swedish organizations. This research further examines the controller profession from a general context, in other words, without no specific industry orientation. Findings /conclusions: The findings of this study argue for that there still exist an indistinct definition over the controller profession, thus developments within their role can be confirmed. The traditional view of controllers’ work should therefore be prolonged. Controllers are still just as accountable for financial assignment, the role has however, developed to become involved in most of parts organizations’ businesses and adapted an advisory role. The advancements have made the controller role to a central position with great ability to create value within an organization, yet, to what extend depends on various factors and aspects.

O presente trabalho trata do tema finanças corporativas e geração de valor ao acionista. O objetivo geral é propor um modelo integrado de gestão financeira, contemplando em um painel gerencial, as principais decisões financeiras tomadas pela empresa: análise de investimentos, análise das alternativas de financiamento e gestão do capital de giro. O modelo propõe o alinhamento dos objetivos estratégicos, definidos pela alta administração, com a execução das ações de gestão apoiado na metodologia Balanced Scorecard. Este estudo é classificado quanto a sua natureza como uma pesquisa aplicada, em relação aos seus objetivos como exploratória e, quanto aos procedimentos, pesquisa bibliográfica. O tema finanças corporativas foi referenciado de acordo com os principais periódicos da área. Os resultados encontrados apontam que através da integração das decisões financeiras é possível preservar e otimizar o valor do acionista, contribuindo para sua continuidade ao longo do tempo. / This dissertation deals with corporate finance and value creation for shareholders. The overall goal is to propose an integrated model of financial management, covering a panel management, major financial decisions made by the company: investment analysis, analysis of alternatives for financing and management of working capital. The model proposes the alignment of strategic objectives set by the Board of Directors, with the implementation of management actions supported by the Balanced Scorecard methodology. This study is classified as to its nature as an applied research, in relation to their goals as exploratory and as to the procedures, literature research. The results show that by integrating financial decisions one can preserve and optimize shareholder value, contributing to its continuity over time.

abstract: Based on multiple case studies of the transactions in China by private equity funds, this paper attempts to explore the value-creation capabilities of private equity funds at the transaction/deal level. Previous studies on financial performance of PE funds utilized data collected from publically traded companies in European/US markets. By measuring financial performance of both “pre- and post-transactions,” these studies researched two questions: 1) Do buyout funds create value? 2) If they do, what are the sources of value creation? In general, studies conclude that private equity/buyout funds do create value at both the deal level and investor level. They also identified four possible sources of such value creation: 1) undervaluation, 2) leverage effect, 3) better governance, and 4) operational improvement. However, relatively little is known about the process of value creation. In this study, I attempt to fill that gap, revealing the “secret recipe” of value creation. By carefully looking into the process of value creation, this study suggests five propositions covering capabilities at 1) deal selection/screening, 2) deal structuring, 3) operational improvement, 4) investment exit, and 5) Top Management Team (TMT). These capabilities at private equity/buyout funds are critical factors for value creation. In a thorough review of the value-creation process, this paper hopes to: 1) Share real-life experiences and lessons learned on private equity transactions in China as a developing economy. 2) Reveal the process of deal/transaction to observe measures taken place within deal/transaction for value creation. 3) Show how well-executed strategies and capabilities in deal selection/screening, deal structuring, operational improvement, and investment exit can still create value for private equity firms without financial leverage. 4) Share the experience of State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) reform participated in by private equity firms in China. This could provide valuable information for policy makers in China. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Business Administration 2016

abstract: Serious play—the notion of bringing the benefits of play to bear on work-related tasks—is receiving more attention as a remedy to many challenges of the modern knowledge economy. Exploring and defining the role of serious play approaches to facilitate collaborative problem-solving and value creation, this dissertation consists of four related research papers. The first research paper (RP1) reconciles three different conceptualizations of knowledge into a new theory of knowledge. This pluralistic definition allows knowledge to change character across the span of the value creation process. The paper further introduces a model called the Wheel of Knowledge (WoK) for mobilizing knowledge throughout the different knowledge conversions of the value creation process. The second research paper (RP2) advocates that serious play can scaffold and accelerate these knowledge conversion processes, it disaggregates existing serious play approaches, and starts to operationalize the WoK by using it to match different types of serious play approaches to different types of knowledge conversion challenges. The third research paper (RP3) validates the WoK by sorting the serious play literature according to how it applies to the different knowledge conversion processes. The paper provides a framework for ascertaining the applicability of serious play methods to specific knowledge conversion challenges and identifies under-explored research areas of the serious play field. The fourth research paper (RP4) tests the recommendations of RP3 by applying the LEGO® Serious Play® (LSP) method to a knowledge conversion challenge focused on tacit knowledge sharing. It reports on a mixed-methods, multi-session case study in which LSP was used to facilitate cross-disciplinary dialogue and deliberation about a wicked problem. Results show that LSP is particularly useful in the beginning of a value creation process and that it facilitates socialization and tacit knowledge sharing. Taken together the papers demonstrate the necessity, potential, and application of serious play as a catalyst for the knowledge conversion processes presented in the WoK. It is now clear that different serious play approaches are suitable as respectively: an accelerator for trust-building and collective creativity, as a conduit for iterative innovation, and as a way of making rote tasks more engaging. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Design 2017

The aim of this article is to give an overview of the business model concept and theories focussing on the sharing economy. Selected concepts and studies are presented, and its application, usefulness and limitations are discussed. The concepts and models that are presented in more detail build the foundation for the realisation of a digital business plan. The plan was part of the overall examination for the course ‘Digital Business Development’ at Linnæus University. The theories and studies concerning business models are being traced back to 1975. With the advent of the Internet mid-1990s the academic community picked up on the business model concept and an increasing number of articles, publications and studies were published. Although the huge interest in the concept, there is still no common theoretical foundation and established researchers such as Michael E. Porter even argue that the business model doesn’t help a company to develop or to assess competitive advantage instead it only helps to understand basic questions. Airbnb and Uber have been the companies mostly cited when articles were written about the ‘sharing economy’. The research field of the sharing economy is rather new and most of the theoretical foundation is rooted in the concept of ownership. Recently, researchers have begun to investigate frameworks around the sharing economy i.e. understanding the determinants of a successful sharing model from a marketing and technological perspective. The literature related to the sharing economy is still in its formation phase. The theory must reach a higher level of generalizability and move away from pure descriptions of ‘successful companies in the sharing economy’. Most studies have focused on identifying motivational factors for consumers and companies to participate in the sharing economy. In conclusion, both concepts have its strengths and weaknesses, but they provide useful insights for analyzing current situations and developing potential strategic directions.

Les scandales financiers des années 2000 ont mis à jour certains défauts de mécanismes de gouvernance d’entreprise, mais pas seulement. Les insuffisances des mécanismes de contrôle ne sont pas les seules qui ont été tenues comme responsables de la divulgation d’informations erronées ou frauduleuses. A cet effet, il est important de traiter deux dimensions essentielles du management: les mécanismes de la responsabilisation du dirigeant, ainsi que leurs caractéristiques managériales. Nous avons examiné 2282 rapports annuels des entreprises cotées en bourse sur une période de huit ans (2005-2012). Un questionnaire aussi composé de 36 questions concernant les valeurs managériales a été envoyé à 1202 dirigeants d’entreprises françaises pour l’année 2015. Les résultats montrent qu’il y a un impact positif et significatif des mécanismes de la responsabilisation des dirigeants sur la performance et la création de valeurs au sein des entreprises européennes cotées en bourse. Le bon fonctionnement du conseil d’administration, la structure de l’actionnariat et de l’éthique de l’entreprise sont renforcées par les caractéristiques et valeurs personnelles. / The financial scandals of the years 2000 have revealed some flaws in corporate governance mechanisms, but not only. The inadequacies of control mechanisms are not the only ones that have been held responsible for the disclosure of erroneous or fraudulent information. To this end, it is important to deal with two essential dimensions of management: the mechanisms of managerial accountability, as well as their managerial characteristics. We examined 2282 annual reports of listed companies over an eight-year period (2005-2012). A questionnaire containing 36 questions concerning managerial values was sent to 1202 executives of French companies for the year 2015. The results show that there is a positive and significant impact of management accountability mechanisms on performance and the creation of values within European listed companies. The proper functioning of the board of directors, the structure of shareholding and the ethics of the company are reinforced by the personal characteristics and values.

L’importance de l’entreprise familiale (EF) et la légitimité de ce champ de recherche ne sont plus à démontrer. L’EF est une forme dominante dans plusieurs tissus économiques, dont celui de la Tunisie. La succession de l’EF a constitué un axe majeur de recherche dans ce champ. La transmission implique à la fois des enjeux économiques et sociaux inhérents à la survie de l’EF aux générations suivantes. Durant la dernière décennie, une série conséquente de travaux s’est intéressée à l’étude de l’EF et de sa transmission suivant l’approche par les ressources (Salvato et Melin, 2008 ; Sirmon et Hitt, 2003 ; Cabrera-Suarez et al, 2001). L’identification des ressources cruciales pour ce type d’entreprise, et la transmission de ces ressources constituent deux questions fondamentales pour cet axe de recherche. Le capital social, en tant que ressource caractérisant l’imbrication de la sphère familiale avec celle des affaires, a été identifiée comme ressource cruciale de l’EF (Pearson et al, 2008 ; Arrègle et al, 2007). Le capital social de l’EF se caractériserait par une certaine stabilité, liée à la longévité du fondateur, mais accuserait, également, un moment critique lors de l’entrée du successeur. Cette recherche se propose d’enrichir la compréhension de la phase de transmission en s’intéressant à l’évolution du capital social intra-organisationnel de l’EF, suite à l’entrée du successeur. Notre étude s’inscrit dans la continuité des travaux mobilisant la théorie de Nahapiet et Ghoshal (1998). Cette théorie avance que le capital social est une ressource déterminante de la création de valeur des organisations. Notre recherche ambitionne d’explorer l’évolution de la relation entre le capital social de l’EF et sa création de valeur, suite à l’entrée du successeur. Nous avons mené une étude longitudinale, sur une période de 18 mois, auprès de quatre EF où le successeur a récemment rejoint l’entreprise. Deux groupes de cas sont identifiés suivant le niveau de création de valeur de l’EF. Le premier groupe a révélé des évolutions remarquables au niveau des dimensions structurelle et cognitive du capital social. L’évolution de la création de valeur dans les deux cas de ce groupe s’est manifestée à travers des innovations produits, des innovations organisationnelles et de nouveaux choix stratégiques. Le deuxième groupe a révélé une évolution moins remarquable de la dimension structurelle du capital social et une certaine stabilité des dimensions relationnelle et cognitive. L’évolution de la création de valeur a été timide dans les deux cas de ce groupe. Nos observations confortent certaines propositions théoriques avancées par Nahapiet et Ghoshal (1998) sur la relation entre le capital social et la création de valeur. Nos résultats révèlent, également, que l’évolution du capital social engendrerait de nouveaux choix stratégiques dans certains cas. / The legitimacy and the importance of family business (FB) research have become obvious. FB is a dominating form in many countries, including Tunisia. Among the different family business trends, FB transmission constitutes the most important research field. FB transmission and survival involves economic and social challenges for the family, the society and the entire economy. Since the last decade, a bundle of studies mobilized the Resource Based View for FB and transmission research (Salvato & Melin, 2008; Sirmon & Hitt, 2003; Cabrera-Suarez & al, 2001). Two main questions constituted the background of those studies: Which resources are supporting the FB competitive advantages? And, how those resources are transmitted to preserve FB sustainability? Social Capital was considered as crucial resource for FB (Pearson et al, 2008; Arrègle et al, 2007). According to those authors, social capital is a resource formed and shaped by the overlap of the family and the business spheres. Since FB is governed by the founder during a long period, its social capital would be characterized by some stability. However, the successor’s entry is a critical moment for this social capital as well as the FB. Our research aims at enhancing our understanding of the FB transmission through observing the social capital evolution after the successor’s entry. Our study is based on the social capital theory suggested by Nahapiet & Ghoshal (1998). This theory assumes that social capital is a crucial resource for organization value creation. Our study explores the evolution between social capital and FB value creation after the successor’s entry. Four longitudinal case studies were performed, during 18 months, on FBs where the successor recently joined the company. Our evidence reveals a social capital evolution for each case. According to the value creation evolution, two subgroups are identified. The first group revealed remarkable evolutions of the structural and cognitive dimensions of social capital. The value creation evolution in this group of two cases concerns product innovation, organizational innovation and new strategic choices. However, the second group revealed less important evolution in the structural dimension of social capital. The cognitive and relational dimensions of social capital were quite steady and the value creation evolution was limited in this second group of two cases. These findings confirm some theoretical propositions suggested by Nahapiet & Ghoshal (1998) regarding the relation between social capital and value creation. Moreover, these results suggest that social capital evolution would entail new strategic choices and innovations.