no / This paper investigates whether changes in autonomy and embeddedness in host locations by foreign owned subsidiaries are associated with improvements in performance by subsidiaries. The results provide evidence that increasing operational decision-making autonomy is associated with enhanced performance as measured by both subjective and more objective measures of performance. The results on the importance of increasing strategic decision-making autonomy and embeddedness are less clear, with improved performance being detected in some cases, but only for the subjective measure of performance.

In 1993 the Swedish stock exchange opened up for foreign buyers. Since then, more and more Swedish companies have become foreign owned, which in turn means that more and more employees are getting foreign employers. The ongoing globalization process is indicating this trend will continue. The question is if the foreign investor will prioritize development in Sweden or if the research and development departments will be moved out from Sweden. A common effect of foreign acquisitions of Swedish companies has been the move of head offices out from Sweden, which can cause Sweden to lose competences in how to lead a large organization. Moreover, most foreign owned companies are controlled by a foreign company or investor from any of the countries Norway, the USA, United Kingdom or Denmark. The purpose of this study is, from a management perspective, to investigate and discuss if and how a manager’s role and leadership style is influenced by having a foreign owner. As a part of the discussion the study will also examine which impact a foreign owner has on a Swedish subsidiary according to its leader. To accomplish the purpose of the study a qualitative approach has been applied. Telephone interviews of a semi structured character have been conducted with six managers with leading positions within middle-sized and large-sized companies. Foreign owned subsidiaries tend to be managed rather independently from within the parent companies. In general, the subsidiaries have autonomy to a certain degree decided by the frames which have been set up by the parent company. Any larger cultural differences have not been found, which appear to be a result of the subsidiaries’ independency. To summarize, having a foreign owner do not seems to have a direct influence on the managers’ role and leadership style.

<p>In 1993 the Swedish stock exchange opened up for foreign buyers. Since then, more and more Swedish companies have become foreign owned, which in turn means that more and more employees are getting foreign employers. The ongoing globalization process is indicating this trend will continue. The question is if the foreign investor will prioritize development in Sweden or if the research and development departments will be moved out from Sweden. A common effect of foreign acquisitions of Swedish companies has been the move of head offices out from Sweden, which can cause Sweden to lose competences in how to lead a large organization. Moreover, most foreign owned companies are controlled by a foreign company or investor from any of the countries Norway, the USA, United Kingdom or Denmark.</p><p>The purpose of this study is, from a management perspective, to investigate and discuss if and how a manager’s role and leadership style is influenced by having a foreign owner. As a part of the discussion the study will also examine which impact a foreign owner has on a Swedish subsidiary according to its leader.</p><p>To accomplish the purpose of the study a qualitative approach has been applied. Telephone interviews of a semi structured character have been conducted with six managers with leading positions within middle-sized and large-sized companies.</p><p>Foreign owned subsidiaries tend to be managed rather independently from within the parent companies. In general, the subsidiaries have autonomy to a certain degree decided by the frames which have been set up by the parent company. Any larger cultural differences have not been found, which appear to be a result of the subsidiaries’ independency. To summarize, having a foreign owner do not seems to have a direct influence on the managers’ role and leadership style.</p>

International Joint Ventures are important for international Business. In recent years, firms started to convert their International Joint Ventures into Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprises. However, there is only a limited understanding for the conversion of International Joint Ventures into Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprises. The purpose of this study is to offer reasoning for this phenomenon. The theoretical framework that was developed for this thesis is based on the FDI Motive theory and the OLI framework. From a methodological perspective, a deductive approach is followed. The qualitative research was using a multiple case study design to collect primary data to answer the research questions. The results of this study suggest, that two aspects of the FDI Motive theory have an effect on the International Joint Venture conversion into a Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprise. For the market seeking motive, firms believe to be able to better maximize their market share by taking full control over the subsidiary. Also, the resource seeking motive is in this thesis identified as an important reason for the conversions, as companies see especially advantages in taking full control over labour in those markets. However, the Strategic Asset Seeking and Efficiency Seeking motives are not included in the study. Also, several changes of OLI factors were identified as impactful for the conversion. The decrease of cultural difference between home and foreign market, the increase of perception of market size, gaining of international experience as well as the decrease of risk in the foreign market are all factors which are important for the reasoning of converting an International Joint Venture into a Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprise. In addition, no correlation between the conversion and the enforcing of contracts or the size of the company were observed in this study. Furthermore, this thesis suggests that there are also other factors that were not identified by the theoretical frameworks. Lack of trust in the partner, liberalisation of governmental regulations, bad financial performances of the International Joint Ventures and economic crises are aspects that have an influence on conversions as well. The findings of this thesis will help Swedish based firms to understand the phenomenon of firms converting their International Joint Ventures into Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprises in India and the People’s Republic of China.

International Joint Ventures are important for international Business. In recent years, firms started to convert their International Joint Ventures into Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprises. However, there is only a limited understanding for the conversion of International Joint Ventures into Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprises. The purpose of this study is to offer reasoning for this phenomenon. The theoretical framework that was developed for this thesis is based on the FDI Motive theory and the OLI framework. The results of this study suggest, that two aspects of the FDI Motive theory have an effect on the International Joint Venture conversion into a Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprise. For the market seeking motive, firms believe to be able to better maximize their market share by taking full control over the subsidiary. Also, the resource seeking motive is in this thesis identified as an important reason for the conversions, as companies see especially advantages in taking full control over labour in those markets. However, the Strategic Asset Seeking and Efficiency Seeking motives are not included in the study. Also, several changes of OLI factors were identified as impactful for the conversion. The decrease of cultural difference between home and foreign market, the increase of perception of market size, gaining of international experience as well as the decrease of risk in the foreign market are all factors which are important for the reasoning of converting an International Joint Venture into a Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprise. In addition, no correlation between the conversion and the enforcing of contracts or the size of the company were observed in this study. Furthermore, this thesis suggests that there are also other factors that were not identified by the theoretical framework. Lack of trust in the partner, liberalisation of governmental regulations, bad financial performances of the International Joint Ventures and economic crises are aspects that have an influence on conversions. The findings of this thesis will help Swedish based firms to understand the phenomenon of firms converting their International Joint Ventures into Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprises in India and the People’s Republic of China.

The aim of this study is to determine the extent to which Quality Management Practices has been effectively adopted and implemented by Pakistani manufacturing companies and to identify best practices for adoption by the companies. The study employed primary and secondary data sources to determine the relationship between QM and Productivity. The study used quantitative methodology for data collection and analysis. The survey responses were categorised into foreign owned companies (FOC's) and local owned companies (LOC's). The outcome of the descriptive and statistical analysis of the survey responses and secondary data of the companies found that, although most of the companies were aware of the significance of the QM practices and Productivity, FOC's were found to have performed highly better in the adoption and implementation of QM practices in their companies compared to locally owned companies. The study also revealed that there is positive relationship between quality and productivity of the manufacturing companies. The evidence deduced from the study shows that foreign owned companies have performed better compared to local owned companies in terms of quality and productivity. Furthermore, the evidence from this study also points out that, automobile sector of Pakistan performed well in the adoption and implementation of QM practices. Strong positive link between quality and productivity was found in the case of automobile companies. This study therefore recommends for manufacturing companies in Pakistan to effectively adopt and implement Quality management practices that encapsulate the study's framework for adoption of QM practices (see figure 7.1).

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The aim of this study is to determine the extent to which Quality Management Practices has been effectively adopted and implemented by Pakistani manufacturing companies and to identify best practices for adoption by the companies. The study employed primary and secondary data sources to determine the relationship between QM and Productivity. The study used quantitative methodology for data collection and analysis. The survey responses were categorised into foreign owned companies (FOC¿s) and local owned companies (LOC¿s). The outcome of the descriptive and statistical analysis of the survey responses and secondary data of the companies found that, although most of the companies were aware of the significance of the QM practices and Productivity, FOC¿s were found to have performed highly better in the adoption and implementation of QM practices in their companies compared to locally owned companies. The study also revealed that there is positive relationship between quality and productivity of the manufacturing companies. The evidence deduced from the study shows that foreign owned companies have performed better compared to local owned companies in terms of quality and productivity. Furthermore, the evidence from this study also points out that, automobile sector of Pakistan performed well in the adoption and implementation of QM practices. Strong positive link between quality and productivity was found in the case of automobile companies. This study therefore recommends for manufacturing companies in Pakistan to effectively adopt and implement Quality management practices that encapsulate the study¿s framework for adoption of QM practices (see figure 7.1).

The subject matter of this thesis is governance principles in global management concepts and the application of such principles by managers at a local level. The thesis includes a case study on a foreign-owned Swedish group of companies that has introduced the management concept of High Performance Culture in all of its consolidated group countries. Global management concepts usually originate from the United States and make use of neorational governance principles. High Performance Culture is a management concept that puts increased performance and individualisation in the foreground. In addition, the concept advocates co-determination and self-development. The governance principles further promote employee autonomy orientation and self-development in addition to a leader-centric approach. The case study results indicate a discrepancy in the requirements of the governance principles of the management concept, highlighting the various dimensions of cultural layers and values to which managers in the same organisation are subject. The same values had an effect in different ways on the managers’ interpretation and handling of the management concept. This interpretation and handling of the management concept tools led to an implementation that partially opposed what the French management team and management concept advocated. The managers choosing to oppose the governance principles of the management concept can be seen as an example of modern individualism, according to which people are increasingly questioning rigid and hierarchic authority while showing initiative and assessing one’s own personal work. Hence, the values of modern individualism can act as a counterforce to neorational governance principles. / <p>Akademisk avhandling för avläggande av doktorsexamen i Arbetsvetenskap, som med tillstånd av Fakultetsnämnden vid Fakulteten för humaniora och samhällsvetenskap, vid</p><p>Karlstads universitet framläggs till offentlig granskning fredagen den 25 oktober 2013 kl. 13.00, sal C203, Högskolan i Borås.</p>

Many companies are entering the international manufacturing arena. The continued expansion of the global market suggests that international manufacturing will grow. Among other concerns, the difficulty of producing high quality in some countries suggests that it is critical that companies using international locations for manufacturing find methods to better monitor and improve quality. The purpose of this research was to develop and test a method for quality improvement in an offshore environment. This method would be specifically applicable to a third-party logistics company (3PL), where the 3PL is a United States company that brokers manufacturing in China, networks to multiple manufacturers for a variety of products within that country, and is responsible for the final quality of the products made in China. After designing a new quality method that focused on regular recording and reporting of data, it was implemented into a 3PL test-case company and tested and results reported. From the results salient points were identified that improve quality when working with a 3PL located in China with a parent company in the United States. These points include: structure for reporting quality, management involvement, employee dedication to quality, and cultural understanding and awareness. Recommendations for further research are also outlined. These include: extended time (beyond three months) to implement the method and test it, larger sample size to improve the quantitative analysis, cost benefit analysis for the implementation of the method, implementation in different nations, and implementation in a manufacturing company specific to a product.