As the closed innovation model requires firms to be strongly reliant on their own R&D- capabilities in order to generate new innovations (van de Vrande et al., 2009, p. 425), a new approach has emerged over the last decade: The open innovation model. Open innovation is a model where organizations commercialize both their own and external ideas through purposive out and inflows of information (Chesbrough, 2006, p. 1). As a result, enterprises can benefit from the reduction of costs it infers, and simultaneously gain a larger amount of competence (Ghezzi et al., 2018; Rehman et al., 2018; Dodgson et al., 2006).  The open innovation model favors smaller firms and gives them an increasingly prominent position in the innovation landscape (Chesbrough, 2003, cited in van de Vrande et al., 2009, p. 427), and since SMEs are limited by a lack of financial resources, manpower, and substitutes for lack of sales, they especially benefit from collaboration with external parts to increase innovation performance (Hanna & Walsh, 2002; Kaufmann & Tödtling, 2002). However, successfully implementing an open innovation model as an SME comes with its unique challenges. In this study we will aim to investigate how SMEs in Sweden addresses these barriers through the following research question:  How do Swedish SMEs overcome the challenges of open innovation in practice?  The purpose of our study was to explore how SMEs overcome the barriers of working with open innovation in order to provide guidance for organizations who struggle to do so. To answer our research question and fulfill our purpose, we have conducted semi- structured interviews with eight different decision-makers from eight different SMEs. We performed a thematic analysis with an inductive approach. Our study found many ways that SMEs overcome barriers related to open innovation and resulted in several actions for decision-makers to overcome different categories of barriers. For example, our research showed how an equal exchange of value between partners could be an efficient way of maintaining a partnership, how shaping the team to be open for and involved in the organization's innovation work was a way of overcoming the barrier of company culture, and that educating the employees on open innovation was a way of tackling the barrier of lack of resources.  From a theoretical standpoint, our study contributes with a new perspective on the existing literature. It complements what is claimed to be an under-researched area, not only for open innovation in SMEs in general (Lee et al., 2010, p. 299), but also with a focus on overcoming innovation barriers (Hölzl & Janger, 2012, p. 25). It also brings a new geographical perspective of the concept, providing insights from the Swedish innovation climate.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The prevention of abortion related complications and mortality is dependent on the availability, accessibility and usability of emergency post-abortion care (PAC) throughout the health care system. Unfortunately, abortion is not legal in Nigeria and Nigerian women, especially adolescents, are often unable to obtain adequate post-abortion care services due to a variety of reasons. A review of literature shows that adolescent PAC patients receive worse care than older women seeking PAC services. There is widespread recognition of the need to overcome these barriers and make it easier for women to obtain the PAC services they need. Therefore, overall aim of this research study was to provide empirical information on the barriers and challenges to adolescents' PAC and develop a policy document to inform reproductive health services for Nigerian hospitals. To develop this policy document, the study specifically sought to assess knowledge of reproductive-health and related post-abortion care services among health care providers; describe the adolescents' perception of post-abortion care received; determine the service providers' perspectives on adolescents' post-abortion care challenges and barriers; analyze the challenges and barriers faced by adolescents in obtaining post-abortion care services; explore ways in which the knowledge about challenges and barriers to adolescents' post-abortion care can be used to inform policy; develop policy document and make recommendations in key areas to improved PAC services in Nigeria as part of working towards improving reproductive health services.

Det är sedan länge konstaterat att intern kommunikation har stor betydelse för företagets framgång. Syftet med att kommunicera intern ekonomiinformation är att redogöra för den ekonomiska situationen samt att ge en bild av företagets framtida utveckling. En viktig faktor med intern ekonomiinformation är att skapa målöverenstämmelse. Företag upplever ofta kommunikationsproblem och svårigheter med att nå ut med intern information. Det uppstår barriärer i kommunikationen mellan sändare och mottagare, vilket orsakar att budskapet inte når fram. Företag med hierarkisk struktur med flera ledningsskikt tenderar att uppvisa sämre kommunikation jämfört med mindre företag. Syftet med studien är att identifiera organisationsbetingade barriärer som kan uppstå i kommunikationen av intern ekonomisk information mellan vd -mellanchef -medarbetare i ett storthierarkisktföretag. Genom undersökning av kommunikationsprocessen ämnar studien att urskilja barriärerna samt ge förslag på hur dessa kan överbryggas. Studien har även för avsikt att utröna vad som fordras för att intern ekonomiinformation ska få en målöverensstämmande verkan.För att svara på syftet utfördes en fallstudie av kvalitativ karaktär. Intervjuer genomfördes med utgångspunkt i en teoretisk kommunikationsmodell som sedan låg till grund för analysen. Resultatet visar att otillräckliga ekonomikunskaper, skilda ekonomikunskaper mellan sändare och mottagare, tidsbristsamtför mycket eller för lite ekonomiinformation är barriärer som kan uppstå. Resultatet visar även att det fordras att informationen som kommuniceras är anpassad så att den är relevant och lätt att förstå för mottagaren för att den ska verka målöverensstämmande. För att överbrygga dessa barriärer rekommenderas att företag erbjuder kompetensutveckling och att sändaren av informationen skapar sig en uppfattning både om mottagarens kunskapsnivå och informationsbehov för att sedan anpassa informationen efter det. Slutligen är det viktigt att göra en prioritering av hur arbetstiden ska fördelas, så att det ges tillräckligt med tid till kommunikation av ekonomiinformation. Ett förslag till vidare forskning är att inrikta undersökningen mot individbetingade barriärer som kan uppkomma i kommunikationen av intern ekonomisk information. / For a long time it has beenestablished that internal communication is of great importance for business success. The purpose of communicating internal financial information is to describe the financial situation and to give a picture of the company's future development. An important factor with internal financial information is to create goal congruence. Companies often experience communication problems and difficulties in reaching out with internal information. It occurs barriers in communication between the sender and the receiver, causing the message not getting through. Companies with hierarchical structure with multiple management layers tend to show poorer communication compared to smaller companies. The purpose of the study is to identify organizational barriers that may arise in the communication of internal financial information between the CEO -middle manager -employees in a largehierarchicalcompany. Through examination of the communication process, the study intends to distinguish the barriers and give suggestions on how these can be bridged. The study also intends to determine what is required for internal financial information to have a goal congruence effect. To answer the purpose, a case study of qualitative character was performed. Interviews were conducted on the basis of a theoretical communication model which formed the base for the analysis. The result shows that insufficient financial knowledge, different financial knowledge between sender and receiver, lack of timeandtoo much or too little financial information are barriers that can arise. The result also shows that the information which is communicated should necessarily be adapted to become relevant and easy to understand for the receiver in order to work goal congruently. To overcome these barriers, it is recommended that companies provide competence development and that the sender of the information creates an understandingof boththe receiver’s knowledge level and information needs in order to adapt the information accordingly. Finally, it is important to prioritize how working hours should be distributed, so sufficient time is provided for communication of financial information. A proposal for further research is to focus the study on individual-related barriers that may arise in the communication of internal financial information.