As the closed innovation model requires firms to be strongly reliant on their own R&D- capabilities in order to generate new innovations (van de Vrande et al., 2009, p. 425), a new approach has emerged over the last decade: The open innovation model. Open innovation is a model where organizations commercialize both their own and external ideas through purposive out and inflows of information (Chesbrough, 2006, p. 1). As a result, enterprises can benefit from the reduction of costs it infers, and simultaneously gain a larger amount of competence (Ghezzi et al., 2018; Rehman et al., 2018; Dodgson et al., 2006).  The open innovation model favors smaller firms and gives them an increasingly prominent position in the innovation landscape (Chesbrough, 2003, cited in van de Vrande et al., 2009, p. 427), and since SMEs are limited by a lack of financial resources, manpower, and substitutes for lack of sales, they especially benefit from collaboration with external parts to increase innovation performance (Hanna & Walsh, 2002; Kaufmann & Tödtling, 2002). However, successfully implementing an open innovation model as an SME comes with its unique challenges. In this study we will aim to investigate how SMEs in Sweden addresses these barriers through the following research question:  How do Swedish SMEs overcome the challenges of open innovation in practice?  The purpose of our study was to explore how SMEs overcome the barriers of working with open innovation in order to provide guidance for organizations who struggle to do so. To answer our research question and fulfill our purpose, we have conducted semi- structured interviews with eight different decision-makers from eight different SMEs. We performed a thematic analysis with an inductive approach. Our study found many ways that SMEs overcome barriers related to open innovation and resulted in several actions for decision-makers to overcome different categories of barriers. For example, our research showed how an equal exchange of value between partners could be an efficient way of maintaining a partnership, how shaping the team to be open for and involved in the organization's innovation work was a way of overcoming the barrier of company culture, and that educating the employees on open innovation was a way of tackling the barrier of lack of resources.  From a theoretical standpoint, our study contributes with a new perspective on the existing literature. It complements what is claimed to be an under-researched area, not only for open innovation in SMEs in general (Lee et al., 2010, p. 299), but also with a focus on overcoming innovation barriers (Hölzl & Janger, 2012, p. 25). It also brings a new geographical perspective of the concept, providing insights from the Swedish innovation climate.

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Institutes of higher education with teacher education programs are increasingly utilizing video technology for field supervision. Many rural school districts, however, are still reluctant to allow the use of video, even when it is required of edTPA. The presenters will discuss recent experiences and propose possible solutions based on research.

Traditional transport companies usually focus on achieving economies of scale in supply chain management. At the same time, the managers of transport companies aiming to achieve sustainability often do not consider the barriers needed to overcome to achieve a sustainable supply chain. However, due to the increasing demand for sustainable products and business methods, sustainable supply chain management increasingly plays a crucial role in changing and diverting the focus on environmental, social and economic impact. Transport companies around the globe are increasingly aiming to reduce carbon emissions and eliminate biodiversity loss. The sustainability issues with transport in supply chain management have been a critical field of research for decades, and with the integration of technology, new ways of achieving sustainability are possible. This thesis analyses a phenomenon using multiple cases to investigate the barriers transport companies face to adopting IoT. Also, it deals with how communication service providers might be able to offer solutions to the barriers presented in this thesis.  A qualitative method has been used to approach the research topic. The findings will represent the ways of achieving a more efficient and sustainable supply chain, particularly in the transport sector. Interviews were conducted with multiple industry experts. The study aims to identify the barriers to adopting IoT, which can create a sustainable supply chain for transport companies. The results emphasise the barriers transport companies have to deal with internally and externally. Internally a company might struggle to strategise an infrastructural investment, train the existing workforce, and collaborate knowledge share among different departments. Externally, transport companies or communication service providers (CSP) will face limited resources, stakeholders' investment in the IoT ecosystem, demand for IoT and sustainable supply chain, privacy issues, compatibility issues and lack of skilled labour.

Both the short-term and long-term unemployment rates for older workers in the United States have increased significantly since the 2007 recession. Researchers who examine the impact of involuntary job loss have predominantly focused on the experiences of men. Limited prior research exists on the job loss experiences of women over 50 years of age compared to men. The goal of this study was to address this gap in knowledge by examining the lived experiences of women over 50 who had experienced involuntary job loss, the barriers faced to reemployment, and the ways women overcame the barriers to reemployment. A phenomenological design was employed to gather data from a convenience sample of 10 women in a northeastern metropolitan city. Guided by the frameworks of Bandura and Leana and Feldman, this transcendental approach aimed to capture the lived experiences of the women who incurred involuntary job loss. Data transcribed from audio-taped interviews were manually coded and aligned with the appropriate research question. The findings highlighted the emotions, finances, family and social life of women following job loss. The findings suggest women faced age discrimination, organizational practices, technological challenges, and stereotypical beliefs in their attempts toward reemployment. The results of the study can be used to inform organizational leaders of the need for greater emphasis on programs offering solutions to older female workers seeking reemployment. The study promotes potential positive social change by informing organizational leaders of the experiences of women over 50 who had experienced involuntary job loss.

Both the short-term and long-term unemployment rates for older workers in the United States have increased significantly since the 2007 recession. Researchers who examine the impact of involuntary job loss have predominantly focused on the experiences of men. Limited prior research exists on the job loss experiences of women over 50 years of age compared to men. The goal of this study was to address this gap in knowledge by examining the lived experiences of women over 50 who had experienced involuntary job loss, the barriers faced to reemployment, and the ways women overcame the barriers to reemployment. A phenomenological design was employed to gather data from a convenience sample of 10 women in a northeastern metropolitan city. Guided by the frameworks of Bandura and Leana and Feldman, this transcendental approach aimed to capture the lived experiences of the women who incurred involuntary job loss. Data transcribed from audio-taped interviews were manually coded and aligned with the appropriate research question. The findings highlighted the emotions, finances, family and social life of women following job loss. The findings suggest women faced age discrimination, organizational practices, technological challenges, and stereotypical beliefs in their attempts toward reemployment. The results of the study can be used to inform organizational leaders of the need for greater emphasis on programs offering solutions to older female workers seeking reemployment. The study promotes potential positive social change by informing organizational leaders of the experiences of women over 50 who had experienced involuntary job loss.