Considering the importance of routine execution within firm replication, exploring the balance between organisational routine development in terms of variations and routine constraints of this variation, with the goal of allowing for improvements without deviating too far from the original routine that makes it a success. Aim: Shed light onto how routine variations are managed in the face of the two extremes; no routine development at all and too much routine development. Methodology: This qualitative case study was conducted within two IKEA stores, the iconic furniture retailer from Älmhult, Sweden. The in-store goods flow process was the platform for the study. The study involved participant observation, as well as 13 (semi-structured) interviews with IKEA co-workers on operational and managerial level to identify mechanism for balancing drift in organisational routines. Findings: This study has developed a conceptual model visualizing a hierarchy of mechanisms composed by artifacts, embededdness and identity that IKEA stores use to curb drift in organisational routines.

Dans cette recherche nous nous intéressons aux processus d'échange d'informations entre acteurs au travers de trois approches théoriques : les routines organisationnelles, l'approche par les proximités et la théorie de l'effectuation. Le projet est de rendre intelligible le rôle joué par la dialectique causale/effectuale dans l'articulation des routines organisationnelles d'échanges d'informations dans un contexte de proximité. Nous utilisons une méthode qualitative organisée autour de l'étude des domaines vitivinicoles du territoire provençal. Notre démarche abductive s'organise autour d'une phase exploratoire et d'une phase compréhensive descriptive au cours desquelles nous avons procédé à des analyses textuelles, via des logiciels d'aide à l'analyse de données qualitatives et de contenu, selon la méthode de comparaison continue empruntée à la théorie enracinée. Nos résultats indiquent que la triangulation des différentes informations issues des processus d'échanges avec les différents acteurs dans un contexte de proximité participe, de manière générale, à l'évolution des formes de raisonnement des responsables des domaines vitivinicoles, d'une logique causale à une logique effectuale et vice-versa. En cela la théorie de l'effectuation et plus précisément la dialectique causale/ effectuale peut alors être considérée dans une perspective intégrative pour compléter et agrémenter l'intelligibilité des processus d'échanges d'informations. L'existence d'interactions entre les modes de raisonnements causaux et effectuaux des responsables des domaines vitivinicoles sont en lien avec la médiatisation des routines organisationnelles internes et externes bâties sur des mix de proximités organisationnelles. / In this research, we are looking at information exchanges processes among actors, using three theoretical appoaches : organisational routines (Lewin et al. 2011), proximity approches (Pecqueur et Zimmermann, 2004 ; Torre et Beuret, 2012 ; Torrès, 2003, 2009) and the effectuation theory (Sarasvathy, 2003, 2007). Our itent is to understand the role of causal/effectual modes of reasoning in the articulation of organisational routines within context of proximity among actors. Using a qualitative method based on a single-case involving embedded units of analysis, we are studying small and medium size entreprises (SMEs) of the Provence wine industry. Our abductive approach is organised around an exploratory and a descriptive/ comprehensive phase. We proceeded textual analyses, with the help of softwares and content analyses, using the continuous comparison method borrowed from the grounded theory. Our findings reveal that the triangulation of various informations stemming from exchanges processes developped with different actors in a proximity context, participate to the evolution of the managers' modes of reasoning from causal to effectual and vice-versa. We discussed that the effectuation theory and more precisely, the causal/effectal modes of reasoning, can be considered as in integrative approach which contribute to a better understanding of the informations exchanges processes among actors. We argued more precisely, that interactions between causal and effectual modes of reasoning of wine SMEs managers are related to the mediation of internal and external organisational routines build on mix of proximities.

Product innovation is a key driver of any company’s growth. The biggest challenge in managing product innovation is in determining the most promising new product development (NPD) projects from the many ideas generated, known as portfolio management. In practice, NPD portfolio management still bears some problematic issues, including focusing mainly on portfolio selection rather than managing the entire process, the vague links between the process and business strategy, and a lack of formal process. Therefore, a study that looks at NPD portfolio management through different perspectives is required. NPD portfolio management deals with dynamic decision-making processes, involving not only selection decisions, but also decisions to delay, continue or even terminate projects. To understand this integrative process, a systematic literature review that explored four knowledge domains, i.e., NPD portfolio management, decision- making, strategy and organisational routines, was carried out. It involved 40 articles published from 1981-2012. The review focused on revealing how decision-making processes in NPD portfolio management are conducted and how they relate to the strategy process and organisational routines. The key findings show that decisions in the NPD portfolio management process are made through interaction between cognitive and political factors, overlooking the organisational factors in the process. Furthermore, the extant literature does not explicitly explain how to link the NPD portfolio management process to the strategy process. Also, the findings indicate that the concept of organisational routines had not been used when investigating NPD portfolio management. These are the research gaps that led to the three research questions: 1) How are organisational factors involved with the cognitive and political factors in the decision-making processes in NPD portfolio management?; 2) How do the decision-making processes in NPD portfolio management link to the business strategy?; and 3) To what extent are organisational routines related to the decision-making processes in NPD portfolio management?

The concept of behavioural additionality, which was originally associated with the question of 'what difference does policy make in the behaviour of the firms it supports?', has increasingly been used by scholars, evaluators and policy-makers not only in the field of evaluation of innovation policies but also within the context of fundamental discussions of policy rationales. A survey of the evaluation literature concludes that the concept lacks a clear definition and theoretical background as it does not have a unit of analysis. An empirical analysis of the current practice of innovation policy evaluation endorses this finding and outlines the uniqueness of behavioural additionality in terms of its evaluation. A survey of policy discussions around the concept reveals that behavioural additionality has been argued as the hallmark of an evolutionary view in respect of innovation policy. However, the thesis suggests that the concept also lacks an appropriate framework of analysis to accomplish this.The thesis argues that behavioural additionality should be redefined by using the concept of organisational routines as the unit of analysis and the evolutionary approach as the framework of analysis. To this end, a theoretical and generic approach that conceives behavioural additionality as the government-influenced evolution of organisational routines at the micro, meso and macro levels is devised. The thesis unfolds how behavioural additionality is created by reinforcing ostensive, performative and artefact aspects of routines within firms. The possibility, rationale and evaluation of behavioural additionality are also discussed. Empirically, the thesis applies a plausibility probe that employs two case studies of Turkish TIDEB and British Collaborative R&D programmes to illustrate the micro level of the approach developed.It is concluded that the proposed approach provides a better theoretical understanding for behavioural additionality, which would increase its impact on policy-making. This new approach also represents a concrete attempt to utilise the framework and unit of analysis of the evolutionary approach in the field of evaluation for the first time.

Idag förväntas IT-konsulter kunna utföra en större variation av arbetsuppgifter och besitta kunskap inom fler tekniska områden än någonsin tidigare. Då komplexiteten inom IT industrin tydligt trappats upp, en komplexitet som konsulterna förväntas kunna hantera bra, har det blivit allt viktigare för varje konsult att arbeta effektivt och därmed bidra till IT-konsultföretagens totala effektivitet. Denna studie undersöker därför hur den interna effektiviteten inom IT-konsultföretag skulle kunna ökas och hur företagens ledare bör agera för att öka effektiviteten kortsiktigt som långsiktigt. Vår studie bygger på en fallstudie baserad på 17 intervjuer och två workshops genomförda på ett svenskt IT-konsultföretag lokaliserat i Stockholm, samt på tre externa intervjuer och en kontinuerlig och iterativ litteraturstudie. Den interna effektiviteten inom IT-konsultföretag skulle kunna ökas genom förbättring av de individuella aktiviteterna anslutna till deras organisationsrutiner. De individuella aktiviteterna som indikerar störst potential för ökad intern effektivitet är de lågt prioriterade aktiviteterna; individuella aktiviteter som konsulterna tenderar att prioritera lägre, vilket ofta resulterar i att aktiviteterna förskjuts. Dessa aktiviteter är genomförda mer ineffektivt än andra individuella aktiviteter är på grund av fyra gemensamma rotorsaker: (1) bristande strukturkapital, (2) bristfälligt stöd av organisationskulturen, (3) otillräckliga kommunikationspolicys, and (4) brist på incitament. Denna studie tillhandhåller därtill konkreta åtgärder för hur detta kan hanteras kortsiktigt som långsiktigt av gruppledarna respektive ledningsgruppen i IT-konsultföretag. / Today’s IT consultants are expected to carry out an increasing variety of tasks and possess knowledge within more technology areas than previously. As the complexity within the IT industry evidently is stepping up and the consultants are expected to manage this complexity well, it becomes more crucial than ever for each consultant to work efficiently and contribute to the IT consultancy firms’ overall efficiency. This research therefore investigates how the internal efficiency within IT consultancy firms could be increased as how the firms’ leaders should act in order to enhance the efficiency in the short and long run. Our research is based on a case study of 17 interviews and two workshops performed at a Swedish IT consultancy firm located in Stockholm, as well as three external interviews and a coherent and iterative literature review. The internal efficiency within IT consultancy firms could be increased by improving their individual activities attached to their organisational routines. The individual activities indicating the greatest potential to increase the internal efficiency are the low-prioritised activities - individual activities that consultants tend to prioritise lower, which often results in postponement of the activities. Why these activities are performed more inefficiently than other individual activities are due to four common root causes: (1) insufficient structural capital, (2) insufficient cultural support, (3) poor communication policies, and (4) lack of incentives. Concrete actions for how this could be operated in the short as well as the long run, are provided by this research. Its managerial implications are therefore directed towards the team managers as well as top management within IT consultancy firms.

<p>Background: Society of today is characterised by greater dynamics and a constant demand for innovation and fresh ideas. This development is often named "the new economy" or "the knowledge society". Independent of how one chooses to name this society, most individuals seem to agree upon the fact that knowledge grows more and more important. New competencies, such as new knowledge and new forms of organising, will be demanded for corporations to be successful in the future. In recent years it has become more common with corporations based on projects. In this context it is interesting to discuss the spread of knowledge. </p><p>Purpose: We aim at create understanding for the spread of knowledge, through focusing on corporate culture, organisational routines, and processes of knowledge transfer in corporation based on projects. </p><p>Realisation: This paper is based on a study of two IT-companies, Cell Network and Framfab. The empirical material, chiefly collected through interviews, has been analysed with starting-point in the frame of references. </p><p>Conclusions: We came to the conclusion that corporate culture, organisational routines, and processes of knowledge transfer, studied separately is not enough to explain the spread of knowledge. Instead the three variables co-operate. Corporate culture cerates common values, organisational routines guide behaviour, and the processes of knowledge transfer results in the actual spread of knowledge.</p>

Background: Society of today is characterised by greater dynamics and a constant demand for innovation and fresh ideas. This development is often named "the new economy" or "the knowledge society". Independent of how one chooses to name this society, most individuals seem to agree upon the fact that knowledge grows more and more important. New competencies, such as new knowledge and new forms of organising, will be demanded for corporations to be successful in the future. In recent years it has become more common with corporations based on projects. In this context it is interesting to discuss the spread of knowledge. Purpose: We aim at create understanding for the spread of knowledge, through focusing on corporate culture, organisational routines, and processes of knowledge transfer in corporation based on projects. Realisation: This paper is based on a study of two IT-companies, Cell Network and Framfab. The empirical material, chiefly collected through interviews, has been analysed with starting-point in the frame of references. Conclusions: We came to the conclusion that corporate culture, organisational routines, and processes of knowledge transfer, studied separately is not enough to explain the spread of knowledge. Instead the three variables co-operate. Corporate culture cerates common values, organisational routines guide behaviour, and the processes of knowledge transfer results in the actual spread of knowledge.

Informationssäkerhet är ett ämnesområde som berör hur olika typer av information ska hanteras på ett säkert sätt. En av de större utmaningarna berör hur de individer som arbetar med informationssäkerhet ska förmås att följa de regler, riktlinjer och rutiner som etablerats. Studien syftar till att studera detta fenomen närmare, och framförallt undersöka det uppföljande arbetet som sker kring de insatser som görs. Det görs inom en kontext av offentliga organisationer. Forskningsfrågan är: Hur arbetar svenska offentliga organisationer med (1) efterlevnad av riktlinjer inom informationssäkerhet och (2) hur mäts eller utvärderas detta? Studiens empiri består av 10 semistrukturerade intervjuer med centralt placerade personer från olika offentliga organisationer, samtliga med ansvar för verksamhetens informationssäkerhet. Data har analyserats med hjälp av teoribildning om organisatoriska rutiner varvid tre övergripande teman har identifierats: säkerhetsarbete, förändring och utvärdering. Studiens diskussion klargör att eftersom arbetet med efterlevnad av informationssäkerhet till stor del handlar om att utveckla rutiner som svarar mot de organisatoriska behoven måste praktiken ges ett tydligt företräde framför teorin. Det är med andra ord nödvändigt att utvärderingar och mätningar utformas så att dessa ges möjlighet att fånga upp faktiska förhållanden och inte endast policyer och riktlinjer. / Information security is a field that describes how different types of information should be handled in a secure manner. One of the major challenges concerns how the individuals working with information security should be encouraged to follow the rules, guidelines and routines which have been established. The study aims to study this phenomenon more closely, and above all, to examine how the different efforts made are evaluated. This is done within the context of public organisations. The research question is: How do Swedish public organisations work with (1) compliance with information security guidelines and (2) how is this measured or evaluated? The study's empirical data consists of 10 semi-structured interviews with centrally located people from different public organisations, all of whom are responsible for the organisation's information security. The data has been analysed with the help of theory of organisational routines whereby three themes have been identified: security work, change, and evaluation.  The study's discussion clarifies that since information security compliance work is largely about developing routines that respond to organisational needs, practice must be given clear precedence over theory. In other words, it is essential that assessments and measurements are designed to capture actual conditions and not just policies and guidelines.