The transition of businesses to the digital marketplace has presented many opportunities andchallenges for e-commerce and ICT services providers. This research was carried out during theongoing diffusion of a technological innovation, at Telia Company's Content Delivery Network(CDN) unit, in a bid to understand the technology adoption process. The researchers' approachwas to get insights from different stakeholders in the Swedish e-commerce industry and tocompare the qualitative research findings with theoretical secondary data and definitions. Sixinterviews were performed, constituting the empirical data. After the analysis and discussion ofthe results and frameworks, the researchers propose a merged theoretical framework thatcould be used for designing compelling value propositions, and as such improve the conveyingof the value of an offering. The thesis concludes with recommendations to further validate theproposed framework through further research.

In this doctoral study I conceptualise shared values in order to explore a management problem from my work place environment. I observe that business-to-business (B2B) relationships between project managers and self-employed consulting engineers terminate; project managers switching to other vendors and self-employed consulting engineers losing their contract. The findings from the doctoral study show major influence of the shared values in managing project based professional relationships. Specifically, the elements of B2B professional relationships “commitment” and “trust” embedded in relationship performance show managerial implications. Furthermore, the literature review revealed a lack of qualitative knowledge in the research domain of B2B relationships. Hence, the findings from the doctoral study fill this gap and contribute to the academic knowledge by providing practise based qualitative evidence.This doctoral study was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, building on previous research articles, six elements of B2B professional relationships were refined and tested through qualitative interviews in order to explore their relevance in the B2B professional relationship between the project managers and self-employed consulting engineers. As a result from the first phase, a conceptual model of shared values was developed. In the second phase, the conceptual model of the shared values developed from the first phase was explored and validated through the experience of the project managers and self-employed consulting engineers.

Background: Digital platforms include various business models and represent a large and growing part of the economy empowered by digitalization. The added value of platforms depends crucially on their user interactions, which is why adopting new users is crucial. In the internationalization process, digital platforms differ from traditional companies because it is not their own presence that matters, but the users’ location.   Problem: To join a digital platform, the size of the existing user base has been discussed as a decisive feature by the literature. This assumption is based on the concept of network effects. However, these can lose their effect when national borders are crossed and/or digital platforms are location-bound. In the overall discussion about digital platforms, the relevant sub-category of digital marketplaces, especially in the B2B area, has not yet been taken into account and no alternatives for the size of the existing user base have been discussed.   Purpose: This study aims to investigate the attractiveness of digital platform attributes for potential international users of digital B2B marketplaces when the latter enter a foreign market.   Research Question: Which attributes and which of their levels do potential users prefer in a cross-border digital B2B marketplace?   Method: The study is a quantitative, inductive research with an exploratory purpose. An internal realist ontology and a positivist epistemology are applied. Data are collected and analyzed by using the traditional rating-based conjoint analysis. Four attributes with two times two and two times three levels are queried in nine company profiles using an Internet survey questionnaire with n = 159.    Conclusion: This study extends the existing literature on digital platforms by capturing identifying characteristics of digital B2B marketplaces and exploring potential users' preferences for such platforms. We conclude a high importance of distance to users who are already active on the platform, as well as the language of the platform. This is followed by the location of active users and rounded off with a lower importance of user verification.

This paper presents the results of a Berlin research project in which a low emission urban delivery system was designed and tested in collaboration with different urban logistics stakeholders. First, the paper shows the developed concept that includes a macro-hub and corresponding micro-hubs, while the vehicle fleet consists of electric cargo bikes as well as an electric van. Second, the key results of the corresponding 6-month field trial are discussed. Parcels have been delivered to B2B recipients. To investigate the feasibility, the ecological and the economic impact of the developed concept, transport data was constantly collected during the field trial. Based on the data, average costs and emissions per parcel were calculated and compared to a conventional delivery system. Furthermore, managerial implications were derived. Finally, the limitations of the study and further research are summarized.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate how sustainability can be used in social media marketing to create trust and commitment in B2B relationships with all stakeholders.  Method: Multiple case study with an abductive approach, data collection through nine semi-structured interviews and several sources of secondary data. Conclusion: Sustainability in SMM is used to create a better brand image and contributes to finding new business partners while also improving existing relationships with various stakeholders. However, in a B2B context, the offline activities of physical meetings are still of high importance for creating trust and commitment.

Research question: How can B2B companies achieve sustainable business models by implementing SDG 8? Purpose: The main purpose of this research paper is to contribute to the understudied areas within sustainable development. The paper wishes to carry this out by looking into the ways in which business-to-business companies can achieve sustainable business models. The paper aims to study the achievement of sustainable business models via the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 8. Method: An abductive approach was adopted in thematic analysis, starting with data collection from observations and interviews and subsequently identifying emerging codes to establish connections between different data sources. In our exploratory multiple case study, we conducted semi-structured interviews with managers from three B2B companies to address our research question. Conclusion: With the help of prior research and theoretical literature within the field of study, the research conducted presented a number of interesting findings. The study found evidence to suggest that the achievement of sustainable business models is dependent on the inclusion of socio-environmental values into the business model of a company

Digitaliseringen är ett centralt fenomen för vår samtid där framväxten av digitala plattformar bland annat påverkat hur företag interagerar med varandra. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka om skapandet av nya relationer mellan företag underlättas genom användandet av sociala medieplattformar, samt vilken typ av relation som dessa plattformar ger upphov till. Detta är av intresse att undersöka då förbindelser är essentiellt för att inkluderas i nätverk och det finns en avsaknad av forskning kring den roll sociala medieplattformar har för relationsprocessen mellan företag. Uppsatsen fokuserar på små och medelstora företag (SME:s) ur ett B2B-perspektiv, samt plattformarna Facebook, Instagram och LinkedIn. För att utvärdera och analysera relationsprocessen applicerades Dwyer, Schurr och Ohs modell om relationsprocessen. Vidare genomfördes semikonstruerade intervjuer bestående av frågor med öppna svar samt frågor formulerade som påståenden med fyra företag. Resultatet visar att de studerade företagen använder sig av sociala medieplattformar där det främsta ändamålet är att etablera en närvaro för att skapa kännedom kring varumärket. Undersökningen visar att användandet av sociala medieplattformar hjälper SME:s att initiera nya relationer genom att en närvaro ökar chansen att upptäcka eller bli upptäckt av potentiella samarbetspartners. De relationer som skapats via sociala medieplattformar har underlättat för företagen att inta en insiderposition i etablerade nätverk på främmande marknader. När det kommer till vilken typ av relationer som knutits mellan företagen är det, inom denna studie, weak ties där samtliga utvecklats sedan kontakten påbörjats.

Sammanfattning Titel: Ledarskapets påverkan på kundrelationer inom B2B. Hur motiveras medarbetare att skapa och bibehålla kundrelationer? Författare: Martin Hammargren, Patrik Skoog Kurs: EK230A Företagsekonomi III, 61-90 hpHandledare: Jean-Charles Languilaire Nyckelord: Transaktionellt ledarskap, transformativt ledarskap, motivation hos medarbetare, kundrelationer, B2B-kontext Syfte: Syftet med studien är att förklara hur transaktionellt och transformativt ledarskap påverkar medarbetares motivation till att skapa och bibehålla kundrelationer inom företag i en B2B-kontext. Teoretisk ansats: En teoretisk referensram utgås ifrån i studien med en övergripande modell som kopplar de olika teoretiska begreppen ledarskap, motivation och kundrelationer med varandra. Metod: Denna studie genomsyras av kvalitativ forskning med insamlingsmetod i form av intervjuer. Empiri: Det empiriska materialet utgörs av sex semistrukturerade intervjuer med ledare och medarbetare på tre olika företag. Det insamlade materialet har analyserats och utifrån denna analys har slutsatser kunnat dras. Slutsats: Transformativt ledarskap bidrar till att skapa en inre motivation hos medarbetare och fungerar på ett gynnsamt sätt för att skapa och bibehålla kundrelationer på lång sikt. / Abstract Title: The impact of leadership on customer relations within B2B. What motivates employees to create and maintain customer relations? Authors: Martin Hammargren, Patrik Skoog Course: EK230A Business Administration III, 61-90 hp Advisor: Jean-Charles Languilaire Key words: Transactional leadership, transformational leadership, employee motivation, customer relations, B2B context Purpose: The purpose of the study is to explain how transactional and transformational leadership affect employees’ motivation to create and maintain customer relations in companies in B2B context. Theoretical approach: A theoretical framework together with a comprehensive model is what connects the different theoretical concepts of leadership, motivation and customer relations with each other. Method: This study consists by qualitative research with the collection method through interviews. Empirical foundation: The empirical material consists of six semi-structured interviews with managers and employees at three different companies. The collected material was analyzed, and based upon this analysis the conclusions were made. Conclusions: Transformative leadership contributes to inner motivation among employees and helps to create and maintain customer relations in the long term.

In this networked society, where social media becomes a natural meeting place, the need for physical encounters is greater than ever. In the business world, business events are a way for people to satisfy this need while they at the same time get the opportunity to exchange skills, information and experiences with other colleagues, thus expanding their and their company’s competencies. This report looks at how business events are distributed today and investigates the interest for a new channel where business events are collected which is of mutual value for business event organizers and attendees. In order to understand the needs of event organizers and attendees a survey has been conducted consisting of a questionnaire, interviews and a focus group, which helped pinpoint three relevant themes: discover, organize and connect. The themes were based on wishes left by the respondents, declaring that finding information about events were a difficult and time consuming procedure. They wanted an easier way to find interesting events and sorting out those that were of relevance to their jobs and surrounding areas. Similarly the organizers had noticed an increasingly competitive market making it difficult to reach customers. It was also observed by the organizers that people go to events to network, leading to the conclusion that one element of the service should be about connecting with colleagues, possible business partners and other interesting people. As a result, a design proposal was presented in the form of a mockup of a mobile application interface where the themes were present as sections of a quick access menu. To conclude, the report discusses suggestions on how to proceed with the design proposal and makes recommendations on future research on the development of an app for business events. / I ett samhälle som präglas av nätverkande och där sociala medier blivit en naturlig mötesplats, är behovet av fysiska möten större än någonsin. Företagsevent är ett sätt att fylla det behovet, samtidigt som man får möjlighet att utbyta kunskaper, information och erfarenheter med andra kollegor för att utveckla sin kompetens och därmed bli en större tillgång till företaget. Denna rapport tittar på hur företagsevent distribueras idag och undersöker intresset för en ny digital kanal som samlar aktuella företagsevent och som är av gemensamma intressen för företagare och kunder. För att förstå organisatörernas och användarnas behov har en undersökning genomförts bestående av en enkät, intervjuer och en fokusgrupp. Resultatet av undersökningen visar på tre relevanta teman, upptäck (discover), organisera (organize) och nätverka (connect), som skulle fungera som stöttepelare för en ny kanal. Dessa teman har framkommit i och med att de tillfrågade ansåg att det var svårt och tidskrävande att leta upp information om nya företagsevent. De ville ha ett enklare sätt att upptäcka intressanta event och möjligheten att sortera ut de event som var relevanta i relation till yrkesområden och intressen. Samtidigt har eventarrangörerna märkt av en allt tuffare konkurrens på marknaden som gör det svårt att nå kunder. Observationen att nätverkande är en stor faktor när det kommer till varför man deltar i företagsevent ledde till slutsatsen att en del av tjänsten ska tillåta kontaktutbyte med kollegor och andra intressanta personer. Slutligen presenteras ett konceptuellt designförslag i form av en mockup av en mobilapplikation där nämnda teman implementeras i varsina delar i en snabbåtkomstsmeny. Avslutningsvis diskuteras förslag på hur man kan gå vidare med designförslaget samt rekommendationer om fortsatt utveckling av en tjänst för företagsevent.

Thought leadership is a term that has been around for more than a decade. Little research has been done on exactly what thought leadership is or how to become a thought leader. Yet the business press is full or articles touting the importance of becoming a thought leader along with a variety of benefits. Additionally, social media has become an increasingly important part of any marketing strategy. This paper begins by developing a typology of business to business CEO social media presence, it clearly defines the three key attributes of a thought leader and concludes with identifying which attributes are the most important in CEO thought leadership. Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) are generally expected to represent the public face of the company, and their leadership is critical to success in product-service markets. Social media platforms offer CEOs the opportunity to benefit their companies by demonstrating leadership, communicating ideas, and motivating others, often with a personalized touch. Yet, many CEOs, particularly in business-to-business (B2B) firms, are relatively new to social media and do not have a clear social media strategy. A typology of B2B CEO social media presence was developed by utilizing cluster analysis to analyze a cross-section of B2B CEOs’ social media activity. Results shows that the Reluctants, constituting 74% of the sample, have little or no social media presence. Of CEOs with some social media presence, the main types are LinkedIn Leveragers who have a substantial LinkedIn presence only, and TweetStars, who are active only on Twitter. A CEO who is a thought leader is a business leader who communicates ideas in a way that motivates others to develop them and is recognized by others outside of their organization. Using the three attributes of thought leadership – communication, motivation of others, and public recognition, a survey was conducted to identify which of these attributes were the most important in increasing perceived thought leadership. Using choice based conjoint analysis to test the level of perceived thought leadership, public recognition followed closely by motivation were most important in contributing to perceived thought leadership. The typology developed in this paper leads to the development of a set of empirical propositions for future research. Insights gained from this analysis can help companies and their CEOs make informed decisions on their social media options and strategies. The identification of what attributes are most important to increase levels of perceived thought leadership lays the foundation for additional research. Recommendations offered in this paper can help companies and CEOs invest their resources in a marketing strategy appropriate to their goals. / Business Administration/Marketing