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A growing body of research investigates the role that organizational learning plays in generating superior firm performance. Researchers, however, have given limited attention to this learning effect in the context of long-term interorganizational relationships. This paper focuses on a specific aspect of learning, that is, explorative and exploitative knowledge sharing, and examines its impacts on sustained performance. We examine interorganizational design mechanisms and digitally-enabled knowledge representation as antecedents of knowledge sharing. The empirical context is dyadic relationship between a supply chain solutions vendor and its customers for two major classes of supply chain services. Our theoretical predictions are tested by using data collected from both sides of this customer-vendor dyad. The findings suggest that dual emphasis on exploration and exploitation is important for sustained relationship performance for customers. The customer evaluates balancing exploration and exploitation important whereas the vendor emphasizes only on exploitation.

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Bakground: Performance management has, for a long time, been a part of the public administration in Sweden. Arguments such as more transparency and efficiency has guided the implementation of this model, particularly at the beginning of the 21st century. One particular part of the performance management-model is the production of annual performance reports from government agencies. The framework stipulating the rules for producing such reports is broadly defined and vague with the purpose to promote local adaption for each agency. The theory of organizational translation stipulates that no idea can move from one context to another without adapting in some way to the new context.  Aim: With guidance from translation theory this master thesis aims to explore why government agencies’ annual reports differ from one another and why performance is disclosed in different ways. Both translation theory and boundary objects-theory where used to explore the difference in producing annual reports.  Method: This thesis uses semi-structured interviews with public officials in four different agencies and annual reports for 2019 from the same agencies to gather empirical material for the study. The empirical material where analyzed by using a narrative analysis to break down the annual reports as stories told by the government agencies.  Conclusion: This study shows how result as a concept has been institutionalized in the writing of annual reports but been given different meaning in comparison between the selected agencies. Further, the study identified two examples of how result as a concept can be re-contextualized to a local context of particular agencies. This study also found that key actors in the production of annual reports, the process managers, act as institutional translators for the organizations, as in translating the institutional requirements and expectations. Finally, the concept of results also can be given different meanings between public organization as well as within such organizations.

Introduction: The development of complex products requires specialized departments to handle the demands and to be competitive in the market. To handle the knowledge integration between the specialized departments, the boundaries need to be identified. Compared to previous research, this case study takes focus on the phases of one specific product development process in a software development organization. Therefore: The purpose of this paper is to explore why boundaries exist in a software service development organization during a product development process and why they appear. To fulfill the purpose of the study, the first research question focuses on where and when the boundaries appear in the organization’s product development process. Moreover, if these boundaries appear vertically or horizontally in the organization’s hierarchy structure. The second research question then needs to elaborate on why these appear. Therefore, the research questions for the study are: RQ1: Where are the vertical and horizontal boundaries appearing in a software development organization during product development? RQ2: Why did the identified boundaries appear in the organization? Method: To answer the research questions, a single case study with an inductive approach. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect primary qualitative data from individuals involved in the product development process. A 10-step structured literature review was used to collect secondary data. The interviews were analyzed by a thematic analysis and later combined with the secondary data through theoretical analysis. The theoretical analysis was the basis to fulfill the research questions and the purpose. Findings: The conclusion of the study shows that each of the phases in the product development process had boundaries that affect knowledge integration. Boundaries could be syntactic, semantic, or pragmatic, thus creating different kinds of consequences for the organization. Furthermore, the boundaries were either domain- specific, task-oriented, spatial, or temporal and could be vertical in the different levels of hierarchy, horizontal between departments and teams, or both. The reason behind the appearance of these boundaries was traced to multiple different possible explanations, like lack of artifacts, lack of trust, extensive use of tacit knowledge, and lack of integration. Implications: The study has a theoretical implication by giving a practical approach to how to identify boundaries during a product development process in a software service organization. Furthermore, by identifying these boundaries and why they appear, the study has a practical implication for the case organization by contributing with understanding for their product development and future work with boundary crossing in their processes. Limitations: The study is limited by being a single case study, thus having somewhat low generalizability for other organizations. Hence, it is recommended that future research repeats a similar study in other contexts.

Les démarches d’écologie industrielle et territoriale (EIT) sont encore rares alors que d’une part, le développement durable dont elles se revendiquent est de plus en plus présent dans la vie des organisations et que d’autre part, elles relèvent de ce que certains appellent la « science de la durabilité ». On s’aperçoit par ailleurs que les travaux de recherche qui leur sont consacrés portent principalement sur la dimension physique des flux de matières et d’énergies échangés. Peu de choses sont dites sur les acteurs qui utilisent ces flux et sur les organisations qui les produisent ou les consomment. Pourtant, dire avec l’EIT qu’il faut sortir d’un fonctionnement optimisé aux bornes de l’organisation pour s’inspirer du fonctionnement performant des écosystèmes naturels, c’est dire qu’il faut parvenir à construire des coopérations inter-organisationnelles. La problématique des coopérations inter-organisationnelles n’est pas nouvelle pour les sciences de gestion. Les travaux disponibles traitent toutefois rarement de la phase amont d’initialisation des coopérations, en particulier lorsque l’intérêt de la coopération n’est pas évident a priori. L’objectif de cette thèse est alors de comprendre comment donner envie aux acteurs (organisation et individus) de coopérer quand, il n’y a ni contrainte règlementaire ni incitations économique évidente à le faire, comme c’est le cas pour l’instant dans les démarches d’EIT. En s’appuyant d’une part sur les travaux de la sociologie de la traduction et de la théorie émergente des objets-frontières et d’autre part, sur l’analyse de quatre démarches françaises d’EIT, notre travail propose des éléments de réponse sur ce qui permet d’ « enrôler » les acteurs dans ces démarches et partant, sur la façon dont il est possible d’initier les coopérations inter-organisationnelles qu’elles requièrent. Les résultats de ce travail suggèrent une grande souplesse dans la conduite de ces démarches : plutôt que d’essayer de convaincre d’un intérêt peu évident à formuler a priori, les promoteurs de projets peuvent avoir intérêt à laisser parler les besoins, envies et attentes des acteurs sollicités. A eux de mobiliser des objets-frontières qui puissent aider à construire un contexte partagé, et à identifier les intérêts de participer ensemble, à la dynamique d’une démarche d’EIT. La thèse montre en définitive comment la traduction doit être envisagée dans le contexte spécifique de l’EIT. Elle a cependant des implications concrètes et théoriques pour tous ceux qui s’intéressent à la dynamique des coopérations inter-organisationnelles, à la sociologie de la traduction et à la théorie des objets-frontières. / Industrial and territorial ecology (ITE) is still a very recent and rare approach. However, the method of sustainable development, to which ITE belongs, is more and more present in today's organizations and ITE is increasingly considered to be the 'science of sustainability'.Research on ITE is mainly focused on the physical dimension of energy exchanges and material flows. Today, little has been found on the actors who use these flows and the organizations who produce or consume them. However, stating that the implementation of ITE requires change from a mechanism optimized at the organizational boundaries to a performing natural ecosystems mechanism, means thinking outside organizational boundaries. While inter-organizational cooperation is not new to management studies, the research carried out on this topic rarely addresses the initiation phase of cooperation, especially when the interest of cooperation is not clear at first insight. The objective of the present thesis is to understand how to prompt actors (organizations and individuals) to cooperate when there are no regulatory constraints or obvious economic incentives to do so, as it is currently the case in ITE approaches. This thesis is based on first the work of the sociology of translation and the emerging theory of boundary objects, and second on the analysis of four French ITE approaches. This thesis provides a better understanding of the mechanisms that allow to "enrol" players in the ITE processes and how it is possible to initialize the inter-organizational cooperation they require. The results of this study suggest a high degree of flexibility in the conduct of the ITE approach: rather than trying to convince actors of a benefit that is difficult to formulate, project leaders may have more success letting the needs, desires and expectations emerge. If they see it as their responsibility to mobilize boundary objects that can help in building a shared context and identify the common interests to participate all together, the dynamics of a successful ITE process can emerge.Ultimately, this thesis shows how translation must be considered as an important element in the specific context of ITE. We show both practical and theoretical implications for those who are interested in the dynamics of inter-organizational cooperation, in the sociology of translation and in the theory of boundary objects.

Submitted by JOSIANE SANTOS DE OLIVEIRA (josianeso) on 2017-06-26T14:17:21Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Melissa Merino Lesnovski_.pdf: 6981013 bytes, checksum: 5a4fdef4e856d56ef0f8a2d47fa6bf60 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-26T14:17:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Melissa Merino Lesnovski_.pdf: 6981013 bytes, checksum: 5a4fdef4e856d56ef0f8a2d47fa6bf60 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-03-16 / Nenhuma / Esta investigação abordou o papel da proposta comercial de serviços de design dentro do contexto de subdeterminação do problema de design, analisando-a como um possível boundary object que media e articula os interesses e relações de atores dentro e fora da organização de design, tanto na etapa comercial quanto ao longo do projeto. O percurso metodológico compreendeu a elaboração de um modelo analítico da jornada da proposta comercial ao longo do projeto, a partir de entrevistas com especialistas, seguido por três estudos de casos onde tal modelo foi aplicado criticamente na análise dos processos, traduções e artefatos de cada situação. Com base nos resultados obtidos, discutiu-se os boundary objects como promotores de abertura e fechamento de perspectivas, as relações da proposta comercial com a cartografia e dispositivos de agência, a controvérsia e a pontualização como o inesperado em relatos e, por fim, o problema de design em um crescente de complexidade. Tais reflexões deram margem para enquadrar a venda de serviços de design por uma perspectiva de acoplamento à complexidade residente na organização, realizada através de um coletivo de boundary objects influenciado pela visão de um agente-cartógrafo comercial. / The present investigation approaches the role of the design services business proposal inside contexts where the design problem is ill-structured, as a possible boundary object that mediates and articulates interests and relationships among actors both inside and outside of the design organization. Methodological procedures involved the elaboration of an analytical model of the business proposal journey throughout the project, based on interviews with specialists, followed by three case studies in which said model was critically applied to analyse processes, translations and artifacts belonging to each situation. Based on the findings of each case study, a discussion has evolved around boundary objects as promoters of opening and closing of perspectives, relationships mediated by the business proposal, cartography of controversies and agency devices, controversy and punctualization as the unexpected in accounts and the design problem in increased complexity settings. These discussions lead to the framing of the design services selling process as a way of coupling with an organization’s resident complexity, enacted through a collective of boundary objects influenced by the vision of a commercial cartographer agent.

Alors même que les outils de gestion et systèmes d’information sont de plus en plus nombreux, certains auteurs en gestion pointent du doigt un manque de cohérence dans l’organisation pouvant conduire à une baisse de performance. La quête de cohérence doit alors être repensée, pour développer un contrôle de gestion capable de remplir à nouveau sa mission.Notre recherche porte sur le cas d’un groupe de concessions automobiles qui présente la particularité d’être multi-marque et en pleine phase de développement. La thèse revisite ainsi les fondamentaux du contrôle de gestion et apporte un nouvel éclairage en mobilisant la notion d’objet-frontière,en tant que médiateur et vecteur de coopération en l’absence de consensus dans l’organisation. Les résultats de la recherche tendent ainsi à montrer que les outils de gestion ayant les propriétés d’un objet-frontière,sont plus aptes à contribuer à la cohérence dans l’organisation. / Although information resource management and management tools are becoming more and more numerous, the management points to a lack of coherence in the organization that could lead to a decrease in performance. The search for coherence should be reconsidered to develop management control to be capable of fulfilling its primary mission. Our research focuses on the case of a group of automotive dealerships who has the distinction of being multi-brand and in full development phase.The thesis revisits the fundamentals of management control and provides new insights by engaging the concept of boundary object, as a mediator and co-vector in the absence of consensus within the organization.The research results thus suggest that the management tools with the properties of a boundary object, are more likely to contribute to the coherence in the organization.

Supply chain systems have become a vital component of successful networked business firms/organisations. Over the last three decades, there has been a dramatic growth globally in the formation of supply chain networks. Research, however, indicates that there has been an increase in reported supply chains failures, and the incompatibility issues between participated organisations. Yet, these incompatibility issues are not just technical, but encompass wider cultural, organisational, and economical factors. Whilst research has shown the effect of such factors on supply chain performance, the influence of achieving corporate culture compatibility to the success of supply chains remains poorly understood. This is because it is widely accepted that organisations that operate in the same region possess a similar culture. In contrast, this research will examine the existence of corporate culture diversity between organisations in the same region, rather than diversity of national culture across different regions. Specifically, the study described the development of corporate culture compatibility between supply chains’ organisations and its influences on supply chain performance. Therefore, the thesis focus is the complex interrelationships between corporate culture compatibility of member organisations and supply chain performance. This research identifies cultural norms and beliefs of supply chain members within key organisational factors, rather than national or multi-national organisations factors, as in Hofstede (1983). A multi-method research design (combining case study, simulation, and neuro-fuzzy methods) was used to provide a rounded perspective on the phenomena studied. The multiple case studies helped to explore how corporate culture compatibility influences supply chain performance and develop a conceptual model for this association. The simulation experiments were conducted to verify the obtained conceptual framework from the multiple case studies, and investigate the effects of changing the corporate culture compatibility level on supply chain performance. The simulation is designed based on a Multi-Agent System (MAS) approach, in which each organisation in a supply chain is represented as an intelligent agent. Finally, a neuro-fuzzy approach is presented to assess corporate culture on supply chains context using real data. The analysis of the quantitative neuro-fuzzy study confirmed and validated the theoretical findings and adds depth to our understanding of the influences of corporate culture compatibility on supply chain performance. The study confirmed that organisations within the same supply chain in the same region possess different corporate cultures that consequently need the achievement of corporate culture compatibility as it is indicated by the literature. Moreover, the study revealed two types of corporate culture in supply chains’ context: individual culture and common culture. Individual culture refers to the internal beliefs within the organisation’s boundary, while common culture refers to beliefs when trading with partners across the organisation’s boundary. However, the study shows that common culture has more influences on supply chain performance than individual culture. In addition, the study highlighted bi-directional association between individual culture and common culture that helps the supply chain’s organisations developing their corporate culture compatibility. The results from the current study also showed that supply chain performance was shown to arise dramatically in response to corporate culture compatibility level increases. Yet, this increase in performance is diminished at a higher level of corporate culture compatibility, because more corporate culture compatibility increases are not cost effective for the organisations. In addition, organisations at a higher level of compatibility have more preferences to preserve their individual culture because it represents their identity. Furthermore, the study complements the gap in the literature related to the assessment of corporate culture of individual organisations in supply chains for sustaining a higher supply chain performance. While current culture assessment models observe individual organisations’ culture, the proposed approach describes a single concentrated model that integrates both individual and common culture in measuring influences of culture compatibility on supply chain performance. The findings from this study provide scholars, consultants, managers, and supply chain systems vendors with valuable information. This research thesis contributes to supply chain configuration and partnership formation theory, along with corporate culture theory, and is the first of its kind to establish the use of intelligent methods to model corporate culture compatibility. It is also one of the first empirical studies to compare corporate culture compatibility of supply chains’ organisations from organisational perspectives, rather than national perspectives.