Architectural practice, although its first objective is providing a design value, is nevertheless a business branch. Creative work of architects needs formal managerial guidelines and principles in order to ensure financial profitability of the firm. One of the challenges of architectural management is carrying through innovative solutions.  A prominent example of a recent innovation in architecture, engineering and construction industry (AEC) is Building Information Modelling (BIM). In Sweden BIM regulations supporting its further diffusion across the industry were first established in 2013. The research indicates managerial practices which are crucial for the successful implementation of BIM in Swedish architectural offices and consequently bring significant business benefits to its adopters.

Background - Multiple studies within different industries have shown that the majority of innovations adopted by organizations partly or completely fail, in the critical stage between the decision to use the innovation and its routinization. In the pursuit of understanding what makes innovation implementation fail or succeed, previous research has examined innovation implementation as a rather static process within single dimensions. We therefore still know little about what is beyond the implementation other than routine use, meaning that other outcomes have been overlooked. Purpose - Expanding on the dynamic view within innovation implementation literature beyond routine use by exploring how and why unintended outcomes form. Methodology - Inductive, qualitative methodology based on a single case study at Saab AB. Data were collected through a total of 13 unstructured and semistructured in-depth interviews to map the implementation process of Model Based Definition (MBD). Findings - By understanding innovation implementation as a dynamic process of mutual adaptation we found that when an organization implements an innovation, unintended outcomes may arise from Unreasonable expectations, Obstructed adaptation, Underestimated need for adaptation, One-way adaptation and Over adaptation. Our research has thereby highlighted the importance to not only consider if but also how an innovation is implemented.

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The ever increasing enrollment numbers and the corresponding dwindling educational resources in public schools have challenged the Ministry of Education in Malawi to introduce an instructional innovation (TALULAR) based on the use of locally available resources for teaching and learning. The purpose of this study was to determine: (i) whether, and to what extent, the perceived characteristics of innovations and teachers' demographic and employment variables are useful in predicting the implementation of TALULAR, and (ii) the extent to which TALULAR has been implemented by secondary school science teachers in Malawi. Rogers' (2003) diffusion of innovations theory provided the theoretical framework for the study. Using stratified random sampling, 269 science teachers, representing a response rate of 77%, provided data for this study. Among other findings, multiple regression analysis revealed that collectively, the perceived innovation characteristics are significant predictors of TALULAR implementation. The results further revealed that perceived relative advantage and perceived observability in terms of others' use are the two most important predictors of TALULAR implementation, and that implementation of the innovation by science teachers is at a moderate level. These findings might contribute to a deeper understanding of science teachers' perceptions of using the innovation and may aid change agents and agencies in planning a successful nation-wide diffusion campaign to ensure that all teachers not only adopt, but more importantly, implement the innovation in the classroom. / Ph. D.

In the increasingly competitive market, innovation has become important if not crucial for entrepreneurial survival. The construction industry, although argued to be a bit behind, is catching on. As the ambition to become more innovative rapidly increase, several challenges must be managed within the building sector and one of them is the implementation of innovations. The aim of this study is therefore to investigate the implementation process of innovation in a construction organisation’s projects. More specifically, to increase the understanding of the important aspects, which could result in a more effective implementation in the future. This will be done in collaboration with a large contractor firm in Sweden, NCC and with the help of an implementation framework developed by Sarah E. Slaughter. The framework will be used to see how well theory reflects practice and is especially directed towards the construction industry. It describes how innovations in general should be implemented, regardless of its type. The thesis is built around a case study and where a particular project within NCC has been chosen to study more closely. The project, which is addressed as the “Pilot Project” is a collaboration between NCC and an external supplier. In this collaboration they have worked together to implement an innovation, however, the process will be looked through the contractor’s eyes. The empirics has been collected through a qualitative interview study including individuals in different positions in the pilot project but also complemented with interviews with other individuals in the firm that have in some way been involved in an implementation of an innovation. Through the empirics, a number of significant aspects could be identified in the following categories: “Commitment”, “Communication”, “Organizing teams and Creating good Conditions” and last “Evaluation”. The result was that the majority of the most important factors were in line with the framework’s stages but that it should be complemented or modified with several aspects found in the empirics. It can therefore be concluded that the model, to a large extent, reflects reality in a good sense. / I den allt mer konkurrenskraftiga marknaden har innovation blivit viktigt, om inte en nödvändighet för ett företags överlevnad. Byggindustrin som har ansett ligga efter är nu på rätt väg. Då ambitionen att bli mer innovativ snabbt ökar måste flera utmaningar hanteras inom byggsektorn där en utav dem är implementering av innovationer. Syftet med denna studie är därför att undersöka implementeringsprocessen av innovation i en byggorganisations projekt. Mer specifikt att öka förståelsen för de viktiga aspekterna som möjligtvis kan resultera i en mer effektiv implementering i framtiden. Detta kommer att göras i samarbete med en stor byggentreprenör i Sverige, NCC och med hjälp av ett implementeringsramverk utvecklat av Sarah E. Slaughter. Ramverket kommer användas för att se hur bra teorin speglar praktiken och är särskilt riktat till byggindustrin. Den beskriver hur innovationer generellt ska implementeras oberoende av vilken typ det är. Uppsatsen är uppbyggd kring en fallstudie där ett specifikt projekt inom NCC har valts att studeras närmare. Projektet, som går under namnet “Pilotprojektet” är ett samarbete mellan NCC och en extern leverantör. I det här samarbetet har de tillsammans arbetat med för att implementera en innovation, dock kommer endast processen att studeras utifrån entreprenörens perspektiv. Empirin har samlats in genom en kvalitativ intervjustudie där olika roller i pilotprojektet har intervjuats men också kompletterats av andra intervjuer med individer från företaget som på något sätt har varit delaktiga i implementeringen av en innovation. Genom studiens empiri kunde ett antal faktorer fastställas som återfinns i följande kategorier: “Engagemang”, “Kommunikation”, “Organisera grupp och Skapa bra Förutsättningar” och sist “Utvärdering”. Resultatet blev att majoriteten av de viktiga faktorerna var i linje med ramverkets steg men att den i viss mån behöver kompletteras eller modifieras. Det kan därför fastställas att modellen, till stor dels reflekterar verkligheten på ett bra sätt.

Pulse oximeters are low-cost, easy to use, and effective at detecting hypoxemia (low blood oxygen levels), a common complication of bronchiolitis, asthma, and pneumonia, the leading infectious cause of death in children worldwide. However, pulse oximeters are often unavailable in lowincome settings, and if available, often underused, yet little research investigates why. In this thesis, I examine pulse oximeter implementation in low-income settings, focusing on Kenyan hospitals as a case study, and using a mixed-methods approach. I conducted a systematic literature review, examining how pulse oximeter use with children at admission to hospital impacts health outcomes; I then conducted quantitative analyses of 28,000 children admitted to seven Kenyan hospitals to determine with which children pulse oximeters are used, and pulse oximetry's impact on treatment provision; these analyses informed the qualitative research component, for which I conducted interviews with 30 healthcare workers (HCWs) and staff in 14 Kenyan hospitals and employed theoretical frameworks to determine how HCWs decide whether to use pulse oximeters, and the barriers to pulse oximetry. I found that pulse oximeter use varies substantially between and within Kenyan hospitals over time. After adjusting for case-mix and signs of illness severity, HCWs were most likely to use pulse oximeters with children with a very high respiratory rate, indrawing and/or who were not alert; children who obtained a pulse oximeter reading were more likely to be prescribed oxygen than if a pulse oximeter was not used; and children with a reading below 90% were more likely to be prescribed oxygen than those with higher readings, suggesting that HCW decision-making is influenced by international and national guidelines. However, HCWs sometimes cannot use pulse oximeters when they intend to, because of insufficient pulse oximeter availability, largely due to inefficient and confusing procurement processes and repair delays. Furthermore, HCWs sometimes use pulse oximeters incorrectly or misinterpret their results, because of insufficient training. Pulse oximeter promotion programme planners can use the recommendations I provide to effectively target barriers to pulse oximeter uptake in low-income settings. Increased pulse oximetry implementation could enable early detection of hypoxemia, improving accurate diagnosis, and supporting prompt, effective treatment, which could help reduce mortality in children needing oxygen, in line with Sustainable Development Goal 3.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which promoted quality of care, started the transformation of healthcare systems in the United States. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore clinical practice innovation strategies used by hospital middle managers to improve quality of care and profitability. Pettigrew's theory was the conceptual framework for this study. Participants were 8 middle managers from 2 high-performing hospitals in the southwestern region of the United States. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, personal notes, and review of the hospital's publicly reported documents and literature. Member checking and methodological triangulation increased the credibility, validity, reliability, and trustworthiness of the study findings. Content and thematic data analysis provided the basis for coding the findings. Data analysis resulted in the emergence of 4 themes: organizational culture, leadership, systematic approach to management by objectives, and staff engagement. The findings showed the interactions among internal context, content, and process constructs of Pettigrew's theory as relevant to clinical practice innovation strategies for improving the quality of care and organizational profitability. The implications for positive social change include the potential for hospital middle managers to implement innovative strategies to improve patients' quality of care and save lives and the overall health and wellness of individuals in the communities they serve.

This paper will discuss the challenges that arise in the business-to-business marketing process in the area of highly technological and innovative solutions. The authors will depict the processes that are involved in the business-to-business marketing approach and portray the challenges that arise due to a number of factors, such as trust, customer value and early adoption, when it comes to selling new technology and innovative solutions, and innovations overall, that companies nowadays need, but not necessarily want. The Diffusion of Innovation theory as well as the concept of Relationship Management will be used to put this topic into theoretical frameworks. With the support of existing literature, the qualitative methodologies of this paper are chosen in order to gain knowledge of the preferred approaches of business-to-business marketing. In accordance to this, the authors aim to analyze the diffusion of innovation and how companies today can attain customers not only within the early adopters group, but also the early and later majority, thus increasing market value and share. This exact transition has been analyzed, however not in the exact field of industrial marketing with a focus on the financial industry, though innovation and digitalization is now more important than ever.  Firms need to establish personal and trustworthy relationships with potential and actual customers in order to generate more value and implement necessary innovative solutions. In a survey conducted within the scope of this thesis, respondents emphasize the perceived level of expertise suppliers need in order to initiate collaborations. The focus on innovation and increasing customer and market values through its implementation will be discussed in order to accelerate value generation for all parties involved in an ever-changing digital environment and to fill the research gap within innovation diffusion in industrial marketing.