Implementing an effective social media marketing strategy campaign to engage customers and increase sales is a challenge for owners of small retail business owners The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the social media marketing strategies owners of small retail businesses used to increase sales. The conceptual framework for this study was the social media marketing strategy theory. Data were collected from 5 small retail business owners in North Carolina through semistructured, face-to-face interviews and a review of company documents, websites, and social media sites. Data analysis through Yin's 5-step process of compiling, disassembling, reassembling, interpreting, and concluding data resulted in 3 emergent themes: social media engagement strategy, outsourcing strategy, and target market strategy. Owners of small retail businesses might benefit from the findings of this study to increase sales by understanding how to integrate a mix of social media marketing platforms, improve customer engagement, use third-party social media experts to improve advertising, and target customers using social media. The implications of this study for positive social change include the potential for small business owners to increase job opportunities, lower local unemployment rates, and improve local economic growth and stability.

Most law firms have done little to address the opportunities and threats related to potentially disruptive technology (DT), such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies that law firm leaders in the United States used to address the potentially detrimental influences of DT, such as AI and ML, on their organizations. The systems approach to management was employed as the conceptual framework. Data were collected from 6 participants at 2 international law firms with offices in California using semistructured interviews and organizational artifacts. Data were analyzed using Miles, Huberman, and Saldana's data analysis method, resulting in 4 themes: recognizing the legal ecosystem and legal firms are open systems, but organizational subsystems often function as semiclosed systems; acknowledging that while DT represents the most significant potential challenge in the near future, the immediate challenge is improving technology, which requires organizational adjustments; recognizing the need for firms to invest more heavily in innovation generation activities; and realizing the need for increased utilization of augmenting technologies, such as AI or ML, to streamline nonadvisory outputs. The findings of this study might support best practices for addressing DT and contribute to social change by outlining ways in which firms can lower costs to clients while increasing access to legal services for those in underserved communities.

Industries with conservative mindsets are known for being reluctant toward adoption of new technologies and resistant to change. The diamond business is one of those examples that encounter challenges in implementing disruptive innovations like blockchain technology despite its potential benefits. The purpose of this thesis is to explore the antecedents influencing adoption of disruptive innovations in conservative industries, with a particular emphasis on benefits and challenges of embracing blockchain technology in the diamond industry. Employing a qualitative research approach, this thesis utilizes semi-structured interviews with the four industry experts from different companies. The empirical data is analyzed using the Technology Acceptance Model, the Innovation Diffusion Theory frameworks, and contextual data.Findings reveal that most of the antecedents are not favorable to the adoption of disruptive innovations in traditional sectors. Competition was found to enhance the adoption process, while resistance to change, industry heritage, uncertainty, and dependency on industry leaders have unfavorable effects. Transparency, customer trust/pressure were found to have both positive and negative impacts. Findings show that benefits of blockchain technology implementation outweigh its challenges for the diamond industry, however, its observability, and complexity, hinder the adoption due to the fact blockchain is a relatively new technology that is still hard to grasp for most industry professionals. This thesis contributes to the body of knowledge by linking findings to the Technology Acceptance Model and Innovation Diffusion Theory frameworks, exploring deeply conservatism within industries, and identifying antecedents as obstacles and opportunities to widespread blockchain acceptance. Additionally, the researchers provide a solution for observability in the form of an in-depth marketing strategy, which aims at creating a differentiation between ‘blockchain diamonds’ and naturally mined diamonds.

Background:Rising greenhouse gas levels through the use of traditional ICE technology in the transport industry have created a worldwide environmental crisis. Battery Electric Bus adoption is a prominent alternative currently being discussed in the public transport industry and represents an inevitable change towards a sustainable future. Purpose:The establishment of a theoretical framework that analyzes primary and secondary data todefine the factors promoting BEB implementation. Method:The study follows a qualitative research approach gathering data in the form of semi-structured interviews which are analyzed to develop an objective theory. Conclusion:The results show that the primary factors influencing diffusion of BEBs are technology factors, macro-economic factors, and socio-political factors. The research defines the relationships between them to further understand their effects on BEB diffusion. The findings develop a theoretical framework around these factors and their effects on one another and the diffusion of BEBs in the industry.

No description available.

This research study explicates the underrepresentation of Black students in public school instrumental music programs through a critical race perspective, focusing on socioeconomic and epistemological barriers perpetuated by public policy and school music curricula. Such barriers have encouraged some Black musicians to seek agency and satisfy their musical interests in spaces outside of the classroom, particularly in the church and community. Considering that the theory of disruptive innovation purports the potential to increase access and disrupt both socioeconomic and epistemological barriers through the use of technology, this exploratory research study sought to investigate whether Black instrumental musicians use technology in order to disrupt the socioeconomic and epistemological barriers unveiled by a critical race perspective. By employing qualitative research methods, participants’ personal experiences were synthesized into a thematic analysis which ultimately support the potential of technology to increase access, revealing that participants successfully disrupted socioeconomic and epistemological barriers through the use of asynchronous online lessons.

Date: 27/05/2021 Level: Bachelor thesis in Business Administration, 15 cr Institution: School of Business, Society and Engineering, Mälardalen University Authors: Hekmat Bsirini, Moe Gamil Hashem, and Hasitha Gayathri Jayasinghe                    (93/04/22)        ( 90\08\23 )                 ( 86/11/04 ) Title: A Disruptive Innovation Approach to Design a Business Model for a Startup DigitalHealthcare Platform. Tutor: Leanne Johnstone Keywords: disruptive innovation - healthcare - business model - digitalization - business modelinnovation. Research question: How should a disruptive innovation be successfully integrated into the business model of a digital healthcare platform startup, in terms of its value proposition? Purpose: Understanding the importance of innovative business models for new entrants to the healthcare sector, in terms of the marketing-related elements (namely, customer relationships, segments, and channels) which affect the whole process as the means to implement strategic aims. Method: This study used an action research approach. Data was generated by three integrative methods; a discussion with five board members of the case company, a secondary data review, and a questionnaire survey with potential customers. Conclusion: The model developed in this study identifies the implications of the disruptive innovation approach for a startup digital healthcare platform. It points out, identifying a customer segment that has been away from digital healthcare platforms due to certain inefficiencies in current platforms and designing the business model elements to cater to their needs eventually leads to the domination of the startup in the market.

The paper- and packaging industry has for a long time transitioned from a production-focused industry towards a customer-orientation – today the customers have become fundamental. Managers are searching for ways to create superior innovations in the industry which can compete against the oil-based solution, i.e. plastic. However, they face challenges as they attempt to launch products in the market. One exciting scholar who has researched much about the challenges of incumbent firms is Clayton Christensen and his theory of disruptive innovation. The theory has received much attention throughout the years and provides with a holistic literature framework to analyze the industry. The thesis aims to investigate Clayton Christensen’s disruptive innovation theory in order to problematize it in a new context, the paper- and packaging industry. This will be done by discussing how individuals argue, understand and use the term ‘disruptive innovation’ and also discuss Christensen’s Innovator’s Dilemma in relation to how incumbents tend to manage their innovation projects in the industry. The research used a qualitative research approach implementing one case study. Interviews with incumbent actors in the industry, one producer and two brand-owners, pertaining to an innovation project constituted for the empirical findings. The data analyzed through a theoretical lens of Christensen’s disruptive innovation theory. From an iterative process between theory and empirical findings the thesis has made the following contributions. First, we have problematized Christensen in a new context and identified an industry which is considered an anomaly in Christensen’s theory. The industry is unlikely to be subjected to the Innovator’s Dilemma due to its fundamentals as an industry, e.g. collaborations between actors and listening to customers. Second, our practical contribution is the importance of differentiating between sustaining and disruptive innovation, especially concerning radical and disruptive innovation. If an individual does not have a theoretical understanding of disruptive, it is common to be confused concerning the differences between radical and disruptive innovation. However, learning about the differences creates an opportunity to identify new ways of gaining value.

2007年11月全球網路書局巨擘Amazon正式宣布進軍電子書事業，發表一款名為「Kindle」的電子書以及相關營運服務，旋即造成搶購風潮。 此電子書使用E-ink公司研發的電子墨顯示技術，讓使用者的使用彷彿覺得是閱讀印刷物，而電子墨技術已存在四十餘年，最早發明於Xerox Palo Alto Research Center，此技術以使用黑白的電子墨形成可反射環境光顯示方式，有別於主流使用於筆記型電腦或桌上監視器的彩色顯示器，電子書以採反射式，能在有環境照明時清晰可視，不須要一般顯示器的背光源，所以有較低的耗電，同時也可以有較輕與薄的設計。 此差異化的顯示技術與產品定位讓E-ink創新技術花費將近十年均只有極小衆的需求，直到2008年才見有起飛的成長。 本論文透過分析E-ink個案之創新技術擴散歷程，並佐證先前相關創新技術擴散理論之文獻，闡述擴散模式、影響因素、與創新採用過程來明瞭E-ink創新擴散的驅動力。 E-ink創新技術之應用與其他創新技術的最大差異，它不僅是個破壞式創新技術，它的應用是需要改變採用者使用方式。 此類的創新技術不像其他大多數的創新技術是新增使用方式或察覺不出使用方式須改變。 所以研究其技術擴散歷程可幫助我們明瞭此類較不易擴散的創新技術如何能加速其市場擴散。此研究同時比較應用E-ink電子墨顯示技術的電子書與其他新技術與產品市場擴散之差異，包括應用高密度積體電路記憶體設計與製造技術的數位音訊播放器(MP3 player)、應用薄膜電晶體液晶顯示器技術的大尺寸液晶平面電視與應用投射式電容觸控技術的平板電腦。 本研究我們發現，E-ink創新技術的應用驅動採用者改變其以往的使用方式，而此驅動力的來源就是使用創新技術的新產品價值主張。 在此個案中更進一步發現擴散模式的兩股驅動力可改變產品擴散市場的強度，首先是技術發展達到產品可滿足客戶最低的價值主張期望，第二是此價值主張讓使用者選擇此新技術帶來創新產品的需求滿足。 延伸觀察使用方式改變的擴散主要為兩個因素的函數，一為內部推動力- 包括新技術的技術發展力、供應力。另一為外部拉引力- 包括市場對產品價值主張的吸引力、其他創新技術使用的協同效果、銷售模式與經營模式對產品的推廣能力。 創新技術是一個高科技公司維持營運與成長的重要資產，但如何能將創新技術應用於產品成功的擴散市場，若能掌握重要的驅動因子，方可將此資產較快速地轉變為倍數的財源。 本研究分析改變使用方式的破壞性創新E-ink電子墨顯示技術的擴散模式，發現初期的擴散以內部技術力與供應能力驅動為主，建議企業在此時期應思考如何應用創新技術定位產品，同時定位於最核心的價值位置建立商業模式。 在此能力逐漸增強之後，其擴散則以外部市場吸引力驅動為主，必須在市場推出所謂「殺手級應用」產品，即應用此破壞性創新技術突顯差異的產品價值主張，而能跨越採用者鴻溝。 同時建議企業在此時應著力於產品開發策略，市場推出的產品必須滿足多層次採用者不同的需求，適當的規劃產品直到技術漸趨成熟而衰退。 / It has became one of the most popular consumer electronics since Amazon, the world leading bookstore, announced to enter eBook business and launched a reading device, called “Kindle” in November 2007. This eBook device applies a simple electronic ink display technology from E-ink and let readers to view the display just like to view a printed book. This electronic ink display have been developed more than 40 years and invented in Xerox Palo Alto Research Center. This technology applies dark and white electronic ink which could reflect ambient light to display black and white image on the screen. The display don't need a backlight as conventional LCD screens, and can also be viewed under sunlight as printed paper. In the same time, it has a less power consumption and could have a slim and light design for easy carry. But, it has spent more than 10 years to only gain a small population of customers to use this differentiating display and product which apply this E-ink innovative technology. After Amazon launched “Kindle” in late 2007, we observed this technology fast diffuse to the mass market. This thesis is to study a diffusion model of E-ink disruptive technology. Review prior articles of technology diffusion theory, model of innovation diffusion, factors of innovation diffusion and adoption of innovation to understand driving forces of E-ink technology diffusion. The major difference of E-ink technology from others is to require changing the user usage method when it appy to an electroic paper. It is not only a disruptive change, but requires changing user usage experience. Most of other new technologies are to add new or be easy usage, won’t feel a change of usage method and experience. Research the diffusion model of this disruptive technology help us to understand how we could expedite this type of new technology to the market. In this study, we also compare other similar applications of new technologies, such as MP3 player which apply high density of integrated circuit memory design and manufacturing; Large sized TFT LCD TV which using TFT LCD technology; and Tablet computer which adopt capacitive touch technology. To compare those technologies market diffusion with E-ink display technology. We have found the driving force to adopt E-ink technology and make change of user usage is the value proposition of products which adapt this innovative technology. Furthermore, we conclude two driving forces to enhance diffuse into mass market. First one is to meet the minimum expectations of the value proposition from this new technology. Second is to meet the needs of users who select this new technology. In addition to, it observed two important factors to change usage adoption, one is internal push force, and the other is external pull force. Internal push forces include technology development; and capability of supply chain. External pull forces include market attraction of product value propositions; synergy for using other technologies in the products; sales and business models to promote products. Innovative technology is an important asset to sustain company growth in a high- tech company. But how it could successfully apply the innovative technology to a product and diffuse into the market? It is important to know key driving forces, so this asset is able to turn into cash for continuous funding new innovation. This study analyzes the diffusion model of a disruptive E-ink display technology. We have found early diffusion forces are depended on technology and supply chain capability. It suggests company to focus how to initiate the product position with technology capability for meeting expectation of value proposition. In the mean time, it needs to build the supply chain infrastructure to position core value of new technology. Once company has built the technology capability, diffusion forces move to market pull. It starts to launch a “killer application” product to apply this technology and underline differentiating product value proposition, so it is able to cross the “chasm”. It also suggests company to adjust strategy on product development and requires having a broader product portfolio to meet a variety of customer needs. Finally, plan product development for mainstream applications utill technology is gradually slowdown.

L’innovation est une variable souvent discutée en droit de la concurrence. L’innovation prédatrice l’est beaucoup moins. Peut-être est-ce dû au fait que les termes sont euphémiques : l’innovation est généralement conçue comme étant prédatrice par nature dans la mesure où son objectif est la création ou l’amélioration d’une chose existante dans le but qu’elle surpasse la chose d’un tiers. Peut-être est-ce parce qu’étudier l’innovation et ses mécanismes est un exercice souvent décrit comme étant complexe. Peut-être est-ce parce que le développement rapide des marchés liés aux nouvelles technologies s’est accompagné d’un courant doctrinal, en Europe comme aux États-Unis, qui prône la nécessité de retirer le droit de la concurrence de cette matière. Peut-être, enfin, est-ce parce que les décisions de justice n’ont que trop peu utilisé ce vocable d’innovation prédatrice, ce qui a conduit la doctrine à n’y consacrer que peu d’études, limitant d’autant plus son utilisation par les juridictions et autorités de concurrence.Reconnaître un régime à l’innovation prédatrice est pourtant l’une des nécessités de ce début de 21ème siècle en terme de droit de la concurrence. Les pratiques qui s’y rattachent surviennent régulièrement et visent à supprimer la compatibilité des technologies d’un tiers avec celles d’une entreprise dominante ou à altérer le fonctionnement de technologies concurrentes. Le droit de la concurrence doit y apporter une réponse. L’enjeu est considérable, mais il n’en demeure pas moins que le concept d’innovation prédatrice – que nous définissons comme l’altération d’un ou plusieurs éléments techniques d’un produit afin de restreindre ou éliminer la concurrence – est aujourd’hui ignoré ou mal compris du plus grand nombre.Les règles ainsi imaginées doivent être communes à plusieurs systèmes juridiques dans la mesure où les pratiques d’innovation prédatrice sont généralement mises en œuvre sur plusieurs continents à la fois. Notre étude prend le parti d’analyser les droits européen et nord-américain de la concurrence parce que leurs racines sont homologues et parce que les pays concernés justifient du PIB le plus élevé au monde.Le régime que nous exposons s’articule autour de deux étapes principales. Il s’agit pour commencer de rejeter toutes les règles per se en la matière, parce qu’elles ne répondent pas aux défis nouveaux du droit de la concurrence. Seule l’application d’une règle de raison structurée organisée autour de trois filtres permet le prononcé de décisions adaptées dans chaque cas d’espèce tout en éliminant les demandes pour lesquels aucun risque concurrentiel n’est envisagé.Un test amélioré de l’absence de justification économique doit ensuite être mis en œuvre pour toutes les pratiques qui ont un effet anti-concurrentiel au moins possible sur le plan théorique – celles qui ont passé les filtres – et qui méritent donc d’être analysées. Ce test, qui permet de ne condamner que les seules pratiques anti-concurrentielles, autorise par conséquent l’élimination des erreurs de type I et II. Il participe également d’une simplification d’un droit de la concurrence devenu parfois illisible. Une nouvelle étude – sur la base du test proposé – des plus grandes affaires européennes et nord-américaines en matière d’innovation prédatrice permet d’illustrer son efficacité.Il nous est enfin apparu nécessaire de traiter de la question de la sanction – ou remèdes – des pratiques d’innovation prédatrice. Il ressort de notre étude que le respect du choix stratégique de l’entreprise en matière d’interopérabilité doit être reconnu comme un principe immuable. Également, les modes alternatifs de sanction ne doivent pas être systématisés et le développement de la « soft law » doit prendre une direction nouvelle qui soit davantage centrée sur l’accompagnement des entreprises très innovantes. / Innovation is often discussed in antitrust law. Predatory innovation is less considered. Perhaps it is because predatory innovation is considered euphemistic: innovation is generally seen as being predatory by nature insofar as its objective is the creation or improvement of an existing product in order to surpass the product -another. Perhaps it is because studying innovation and its mechanisms is often described as a complex exercise. Perhaps it is because the rapid development of high-tech markets, in Europe and in the United States, was accompanied by a doctrinal movement, which preached the need to remove antitrust laws. Perhaps, finally, since court and competition authorities have only minimally termed predatory innovation, this has led the doctrine to devote minimal studies, thus resulting in the limiting of its use by courts and competition authorities.Recognizing the existence of predatory innovation is one of the great necessities of the early 21st century regarding antitrust law. Predatory innovation practices occur regularly and aim at removing the compatibility of third party technologies with those of a dominant firm or at impairing the functioning of competing technologies. As of today, antitrust law provides no answer to these strategies. The stakes are high; the concept of predatory innovation – which we define as the alteration of one or more technical elements of a product to limit or eliminate competition – is currently ignored and/or misunderstood greatly.This thesis focuses on European and North American antitrust laws because their roots are homologous and these countries represent the highest GDP in the world. With predatory innovation practices frequently implemented on several continents at once, overarching rules need to be extended to several legal systems.The regime we exhibit is organized around two main stages:The first implies to reject every related per se rule because they do not meet the new challenges met by antitrust law. Only the diligent implementation of a structured rule of evaluation organized around three filters will ensure appropriate decisions and the elimination of requests for which no antitrust issues are envisaged.Once evaluated by the three filters, an improved test of no economic sense must then be applied to all practices which have theoretical anti-competitive effects and determined fit to be further analyzed. This test, which specifically condemns anti-competitive practices, is a simplification of currently unreadable antitrust law and when applied will lead to the elimination of type I and type II errors. A new study – based on the proposed test – of the most notorious European and North American predatory innovation cases illustrates its effectiveness.The second addresses sanctions – or remedies – to predatory innovation practices. It appears that respecting the strategic choice of companies in terms of interoperability should be recognized as an immutable principle. Also, negotiated procedures shall not be systematized and the development of "soft law" must take a new direction aiming at supporting highly innovative companies.