This dissertation focuses the attention toward inventors and key actors involved in product development projects. The study focuses on how a new product development process is carried out operationally and strategically in small, technology-driven firms. The study is based on findings from four case studies among small aircraft manufacturers, two from Sweden, one from Germany, and one from northern Finland. By using one of the Swedish cases as a platform, issues concerning the development process emerged and were summarized in sixteen statemens. The statements were then used as themes and checkpoints when gathering information from the three additional cases. The analysis has been made in two steps; first, a comparison between the platform case and the additional case were made based on the statements, second, issues emerging from all four cases are discussed. The dissertation introduces perpetual product development as a terminology suitable for explaining the behaviour found in the studied firms. A foundation for perpetual product development is presented based on both actor and process characteristics. The actors are technology devotees with numerous ideas to pursue. Their technological interest result in a preference for the first part of the development process since they experience a higher degree of technological freedom from start. Once the product starts to materialize, the actors' possibility of incorporating new technical gadgets diminishes. As a consequence, a weaker interest for the exploitation/launch phase is present. The actors also have a time conception that differs from what is normally assumed. They do not consider speeding-to-market important, since the actors prefer a superior product than being first out on the market. Their attitude toward speeding-to- market also demand actors with a high degree of stamina, since it often involves projects carried out over a long period of time. Due to the individual characteristics described above, the process is technology-driven. The process also experience a fuzzy start and culmination. The actors will continue to make adjustments to the construction even after the product has been launched, if they believe it can be technically improved. A consequence regarding the way the actors are managing their firm is that there is a tendency to regard the product development as a leisure-time activity. In view of the findings, it can be established that each case has to be evaluated on its own merits, with regard to the central actors' personal objectives. / digitalisering@umu

I denna kandidatuppsats har vi studerat hur nyckelpersoner i internationella omorganiseringar använder sig av strategiska diskurser för att förmedla sina budskap i tryckt press. Syftet har varit att ta reda på hur nyckelpersoner strategiskt utnyttjar rationella eller nationella diskurser vid en internationell sammanslagning och framför allt hur dessa kan kopplas till specifika teman som i sin tur uppmärksammas i den mediala bevakningen. Företaget som valts för undersökningens fallstudie, är fusionen mellan Telia (Sverige) och Sonera (Finland) i slutet av 2002. Studien har genomförts, genom att undersöka tidningsartiklar från en dagstidning och en affärstidning från både Sverige och Finland, under en femårsperiod (2002-2006). Vi har sedan gått igenom dessa artiklar för att finna citat av sammanslagningens nyckelpersoner. Citaten har analyserats och kategoriserats med hjälp av kritisk diskursanalys för att avgöra hur olika personer har använt sig av rationella respektive nationella diskurser och inom vilka teman man kan se olika diskurser. Begreppet diskurs har i denna studie definierats och använts som ett sätt att åberopa och urskilja olika typer av innehållsliga perspektiv i utvalda ämnen. Kritisk diskursanalys var ett lämpligt verktyg för att kunna kartlägga och förstå användandet av olika typer av diskurser. Exempelvis möjliggörs en medveten analys av uttalanden, deras syften i sina ursprungliga sammanhang och hur de kan påverka olika typer av tilltänkta mottagare. Undersökningens resultat visade att de mest uppmärksammade teman vi fann var frågor gällande ägarskap, fördelning av ledningsposter i det nya företaget, samt nedläggningar. Resultaten visade vidare att nyckelpersonernas diskurser och uttryck varierade beroende på vad man hade för roll i företagets fusion. Rationella diskurser användes mest och av flest nyckelpersoner. De som var helt konsekventa i sin rationalitet, och även uttalade sig mest, var de nyckelpersoner som vi kategoriserade som de operativa nyckelpersonerna. Även styrelseledamöter och andra nyckelpersoner nära kärnan av fusionen och organisationen var oftast rationella. De tillfällen där det var tydligast att man använde sig av nationella diskurser var när nedläggningar och fördelningar av ledningsposter diskuterades.  I dessa fall var det fackliga representanter och avgångna nyckelpersoner som använde nationella diskurser mest. Resultaten och analysen visade en tydlig konsekvent hållning i uttalanden från nyckelpersonerna i styrelse och operationell ledning. Därmed är en av slutsatserna att företaget lyckades bra med att hålla en enhetlig rationell diskurs kring ämnen som relaterade till sammanslagningen. Detta tyder på att man hade en tydlig strategi kring hur dessa frågor skulle hanteras. / Aim: To identify the ways in which key actors, in corporate cross-border mergers, make use of strategic discourse in printed media texts. Moreover, we sought to link these discourses to specific themes and issues in order to determine possible patterns. Material and Method: We have made a quantitative (phase 1) and qualitative analysis (phases 2 & 3) of the media coverage of the merger between the companies Telia (Sweden) and Sonera (Finland) in 2002. The study was made through analyzing a number of articles in selected Swedish and Finnish printed media between January 2002 and December 2006. By studying certain themes and issues more closely the motive was to detect how key actors in the company use discursive strategizing methods to maneuver the presentation constructed in the media. The term discourse has in this study, essentially been defined as a framework in which key actors are able to draw on certain content specific perspectives and themes in order to deliver a certain point of view. Critical discourse analysis is therefore an important tool in order to identify the different messages within these discourses. In processing the results with critical discourse analysis, we have tried to explain how the key actors in the merger, have used these discourses to mobilize and highlight certain issues. Main Results: Based on the results of our research, the issues that were given the most attention in the media coverage were ownership, corporate governance in the merged company as well as shutdowns. Our main conclusion was that different actors used different discourse strategies to mobilize these three issues. Subsequently, the results show that rational discourses were most frequently used. Thus, actors with operational responsibilities, within the merged company, maintained a consistency in keeping to rational discourses. This was true regardless of background and theme. In contrast, national discourses were primarily maintained by union representatives and by former members of the board or other former leaders within the company. These national discourses could primarily be linked to discussions about corporate governance and shutdowns. Finally, this study proves that the key actors within the new merged company used rational discourses consistently. Our conclusion of this is that it is the result of successful strategizing on how these issues were mobilized within the company.

本研究探討1970年代末以降，智利、南韓與巴西三個新興市場國家，為何在面臨國際經濟自由化的相同政策挑戰時，會產生不同的短期政策回應。這些政策回應的差異最後更造成三國長期金改路徑的分歧。為解釋此研究問題，本研究整合國際與國內分析層次，就國際政策環境與國內政策過程及其產出兩部份，觀察制度否決點與政策關鍵行動者的互動，在長時間下對三國金融自由化改革造成的影響。 首先，本文根據三國金改在「步伐、範圍與程度」上的差異，建構三種不同長期金改路徑，即：「震盪-全面型改革」（shock-comprehensive reform）、「漸進-部分型改革」（gradual-partial reform）與「延緩-有限型改革」（delayed-limited reform）。這三種長期金改路徑的分歧，主要來自三國短期金改類型（即大幅改革、緩慢改革、無改革與改革倒退）變遷的累積。 其次，經由對三國進行個案導向的比較與貫時研究後，本研究除釐清三國長期金改路徑的演變轉折，也發現三國短期金改類型的變動，主要受到不同時期（1）政策關鍵行動者裡反對勢力否決力量的強弱，與（2）執政聯盟的政策取向係屬國家干預或市場導向，兩項因素組合變化的影響。 智利的個案研究結果顯示，1970-2000年智利的「震盪-全面型」金改，主要奠基於Pinochet軍政府，在1975-1989年成功開啟的大幅改革。1990-2000年，民主協定政府接替執政後，這種務實的新自由主義改革路線，透過憲政制度對威權勢力的保護設計，使民主協定政府因反對勢力否決力量強大，只能選擇繼續延續「Pinochet式」的經濟政策。 南韓的個案研究反映出南韓的「漸進-部份型」金改，主要係源自1980-1997年，執政聯盟內代表大財閥利益的韓國工業聯盟，對全面金融自由化的反對。該因素不僅使執政聯盟長期在國家干預與市場導向立場上反覆拉鋸，更導致南韓短期金改類型持續在大幅改革與大幅倒退間擺盪。1997年，南韓經歷嚴重金融危機衝擊，為原本「進退拉鋸」式的長期金改路徑帶來關鍵轉折的契機。 由於舊執政聯盟的結構，因政黨輪替瓦解，並由金大中總統主導的市場改革派控制，同時反對勢力否決力量轉弱，金大中政府因此能順利推動1998-2000年南韓金融體系的結構改革，最終促成過去「漸進-部份型」的長期金改路徑，出現重大轉變。 巴西的個案研究凸顯巴西的「延緩-有限型」金改，係源於政策取向與反對勢力否決力量兩因素，長期未出現發生大幅改革的條件組合。1961-1979年，反對勢力的否決力量由強轉弱，為推動大幅改革提供良好契機，但執政聯盟的政策取向多數時期卻為國家干預。 1985年以後，市場導向的政策取向逐漸在執政聯盟裡取得主導地位，但反對勢力否決力量反而在恢復民主體制後轉強。巴西推動改革的兩項重要條件未能配合，使其長期金改路徑始終無法脫離改革緩慢與延宕的狀態。迄Cardoso民主政府執政後，新自由主義的改革路線在執政聯盟裡取得主導地位，再加上反對勢力的否決力量相對轉弱，才促成巴西出現少見的大幅改革現象。 / The dissertation mainly explains why these three emerging markets, Chile, South Korea and Brazil, while facing the same challenge from the international economic liberalization since the late 1970s, have different short-term policy responses. These differences ultimately create the divergence among these three countries on the long-term financial liberalization reform. This research integrates the domestic and international level of analysis by focusing on two parts, the international policy environment and the domestic policy process and outcome, to observe the interaction between the institutional veto points and the key actors in policymaking and its impact on the financial liberalization reforms among three countries over time. First, this research constructs three typologies of long-term financial liberalization paths by their different reform “pace”, “scope” and “depth”. They are “shock-comprehensive reform”, “gradual-partial reform”, and “delayed-limited reform.” The divergence of these three long-term financial reforms is mainly accumulated by the change of three countries’ short-term type of reform (large reform, gradual reform, non reform and reform reversal) over time. Second, this research clarifies the evolution of the long-term financial liberalization paths of three countries by conducting comparative and longitudinal case-studies. It argues that the change of short-term type of reform is mainly influenced by two causes, i.e. the veto power of opponents among key actors in policymaking (weak or strong) and policy orientations of the ruling coalition (market-oriented or state intervention). The case of Chile shows that the “shock-comprehensive reform paths” during 1970-2000 is mainly based on the successful large financial reform of Pinochet regime from 1975 to 1989. The pro-Pinochet authoritarians checked the change of pragmatic neoliberal reform with the constitutional veto powers after the democratic Concertación government in office and kept Pinochet-style economic policies intact in the end. In South Korea case, the “gradual-partial reform paths” was from the big conglomerates’ (chaebols) opposition to the complete financial liberalization during 1980-1997. It brought the tug of war of ruling coalition’s policy orientation between market-oriented and state intervention, hence contributed to the oscillation of short-term financial liberalization reform types between large reform and reform reversal in South Korea. In 1997, the Asian financial crisis hit the economy of South Korea severely, and brought the turning point of the change of “gradual-partial reform path” in the past. The structure of old ruling coalition was collapsed due to the regime change and the takeover of President Kim Dae-jung, the market reform faction. While the veto power of opposition party was getting weaker, Kim Dae-jung administration was able to boost the structural reform of financial system in South Korean during 1998-2000, and ultimately contributed to the major change of “gradual-partial reform path”. In Brazil, the absence of the combination of policy orientation and veto power of opponents among key actors in policymaking, which may cause the large reform, was the main reason of its “delayed-limited reform”. During 1961-1979, the weakening opponents’ veto power opened the window of opportunity for the large reform, but failed due to the state-intervention policies adopted by the successive ruling coalitions most of time. After the advent of democratic era in 1985, the market-oriented policy was dominant in various democratic ruling coalitions. However, the strengthening veto power of opponents after the recovery of democratic regime became the obstacle of the actualization of reform policy. The mismatch of two causes which may contribute to the happening of large reform was not changed until Cardoso government in office. The neoliberal policy orientation of President Cardoso’s ruling coalition and the weakening veto power of opponents contributed to the rare large reform in the path of delayed and limited financial liberalization in Brazil.