Sammanfattning Studieobjekt: Anställda och kunder till ett värmepumpsföretag. Problemområde: Garanti är ett ämne som studerats mycket de senaste 40 åren. Inriktningen har gjorts mot garantier vid tjänsteerbjudanden och fokuserats på marknadsföringsaspekten. Garantier ger en adderad säkerhet för kunden och historiskt har garantin inkluderats i erbjudandet. Det saknas däremot undersökningar gällande hur kunder ser på alternativa sätt att erbjuda en garanti.  Syfte: Syftet med studien är att bidra med ökad förståelse för garantier som värdeskapande element i kundupplevelsen. Frågeställningar: Påverkar garantier kundupplevelsen samt en kunds val av tjänst? Hur ser kundperspektivet på en garanti i relation till priset på en tjänst ut? Hur ser kunden på möjligheten att välja nivå av garanti? Teori: Garanti, kundupplevelse och olika aspekter inom den, tjänstelogik samt värdeskapande utifrån tjänstelogiksperspektivet. Metod och genomförande: Uppsatsen utgår ifrån en kvalitativ forskningsmetod. Det empiriska materialet består av åtta semistrukturerade intervjuer med kunder och anställda vid ett värmepumpsföretag. Vår insamlade data analyserades sedan gentemot de valda teorierna för att avslutningsvis resultera i våra slutsatser.  Slutsatser: Garantier påverkar en kunds val av tjänst samt kundupplevelse. Det genom att kunden ges en trygghet vad gäller framtida problem samt att företaget står bakom sin tjänst. Ur ett prisperspektiv ser inte kunden något problem i en något högre prislapp om erbjudandet innefattar någon sorts garanti. Vidare tolkas det positivt att ha möjligheten att utesluta en garanti. Liksom det positiva perspektivet på valmöjligheten att utesluta en garanti anses också nivåalternativ som positiva. Det till trots att ingen av de intervjuade ansåg att de önskat ett nivåalternativ tidigare. Grunden låg snarare i valmöjligheten och anpassningsbarheten ur sitt egna kundperspektiv. Nyckelord: Garanti, kundupplevelse, tjänstelogik, värdeskapande. / Abstract Title: Safety and security is everything! Subtitle: The possibility to customize the guarantee based on needs. Study: Employees and customers to a heat pump company. Problem area: Guarantee is a subject that has been studied frequently over the last 40 years. The orientation has been done towards guarantees in service offerings and has focused on the marketing aspect. Guarantees bring safety to the customer and historically the guarantee has been included in the offer. However, there is a lack of studies that focus on how customers perceive alternative ways on how to offer a guarantee. Object: The object of this study is to contribute with knowledge about guarantees as a value creating element in the customer experience. Problem statements: Does a guarantee affect the customer experience and the customer’s choice of service? How does the customer perspective view a guarantee in regards to the price of a service? How does the customer perceive the possibility to choose a level of guarantee? Theory: Guarantee, customer experience and different aspects of it, service logic and value creation based on the service logic theory. Method and implementation: The study is based qualitative research. The empirical material consists of eight semi-structured interviews with customer and employees at a heat pump company. The collected data was analyzed in regards to our chosen theories, resulting in our conclusions in regards to our problem statements. Conclusions: Guarantees affect a customer’s choice of service and their customer experience. This since the customer is given security regarding future problems and the fact that the company stand behind their service. From a price perspective the customer does not see a problem with a slightly higher cost if the offer contains some sort of guarantee. Furthermore, it is interpreted as positive to have the possibility to exclude a guarantee. As well as the positive perspective on the option to exclude a guarantee, level options regarding the guarantee is regarded as favorable, even though none of the interviewed felt the need of having level options before. Despite this, the basis was in the options and adaptability based on one’s customer perspective. Keywords: Guarantee, customer experience, service logic, value creation.

As sustainability becomes a more prominent part of people’s lives, firms that embrace sustainability can create more value for customers. Value has traditionally been seen as being determined by the provider. However, recent theorisations have conceptualised value as being created by the customer with interactions as a key component. The primary way for customers to interact with firms is through indirect interaction – such as when reading labels on product packaging or taking part in advertising. In extant literature, there is a lack of research on how customers’ value creation is affected by interactions with firms – and more specifically – by indirect interaction. The purpose of this study has been to explore how customers’ value creation is affected by providers’ communication of sustainability efforts through indirect interaction. To gain this insight, 12 interviews with customers have been conducted and analysed in four dimensions – general, sustainability, communication and the value creation process. The study found that sustainability efforts were mainly communicated through indirect interactions. Sustainability efforts affected all respondents’ lives and consumption process. Customers valued communication of sustainability efforts that they perceived as being honest, could understand and was presented to them at an appropriate time.

Music- and video consumption has rapidly changed during the last years and a growing number of consumers use different streaming services which allow for greater interaction with other users than was previously possible. Meanwhile a growing focus within the scientific world has been placed on consumers’ ability to co-create value with other users. A mixed method study was consequently conducted to investigate how streaming companies help consumers co-create value by facilitating customer-to-customer relationships. The qualitative approach showed that there was a clear ambition by streaming companies to utilize C2C relationships to market their products and help co-create value. The quantitative approach showed, however, that their efforts were not always effective and that focusing on other aspects of streaming services may provide more value for the consumer. / Video- och musikkonsumtion har snabbt förändrats de senaste åren och en växande andel konsumenter använder sig idag av streamingtjänster som erbjuder möjligheten att interagera med andra användare. Under samma period har ett växande fokus placerats på användares möjlighet att samskapa värde med andra konsumenter. En blandad metod användes för att undersöka hur olika streamingbolag främjar konsumentinteraktioner för att hjälpa samskapande-processen. Det kvalitativa tillvägagångssättet gjorde det tydligt att streamingbolag har en ambition att använda sig av C2C-interaktioner för att marknadsföra sina produkter och göra dem mer värdefulla för konsumenten. Det kvantitativa tillvägagångssättet visade däremot att deras strävan att skapa värde inte alltid var framgångsrik och att de sannolikt skulle kunna skapa mer värde på andra sätt.

This thesis examines some factors that play a role in creating new opportunities for service innovationwithin the context of budget hotels, and aims to identify the various factors that characterize servicelogic in practice. The research question aims to explore the conditions that are required to develop astructured service innovation process at Good Morning hotel, which ultimately influences thecustomer experience. The study employs a qualitative research approach and collects data throughin-depth interviews from different perspectives, including management, staff, and customers, to gaininsights into their perceptions and their experiences of service logic. Through a deeper understandingof service logic, Good Morning Hotel can identify new ways to deliver value to its customers.The findings of this study suggest that there are divergent views regarding the awareness of servicelogic among hotel staff. On one hand, some may be unaware of service logic. On the other hand, astrong culture emphasizing the creation of a positive customer experience has been observed at the hotel.

Sustainability is one of the mega trends that is emerging nowadays. It is built on protecting our planet and its resources. Agenda 2030 is a universal call to action, which demonstrates the significance of moving towards sustainability in three different areas of environmental, social, and economic at the international level. One of the focal points of environmental sustainability deals with climate change due to using fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions. Sweden aims to be one of the world’s first fossil-free nations, and its initiative Fossil Free Sweden offers roadmaps in different sectors to accomplish this goal. Growing the service business through using digital technologies is a strategy many companies tend to in the fast-changing world. Although it potentially leads to competitive advantage and enhancing revenues, it is a challenging situation, particularly for industrial firms. This study seeks to consider a more holistic view regarding the transition that companies need to take by 2030 in pursuing digital servitization and at the same time becoming fossil fuel free. Surviving the transition can not happen without revising business models and exploring new business opportunities. To address this issue, an explorative case study is performed in a manufacturing company in the construction equipment industry to collect, analyze and frame the existing knowledge in digital servitization and business model, moreover, to identify the factors that industrial firms should consider in improving their service business in the transition towards fossil-free society. To do so, 1) a set of coproduction sessions are held in the case company with advanced engineering and researchers, 2) as well an online survey is distributed inside the case company, to collect valuable knowledge and practical insight. The outcome of the research is a framework that can be used as a practical guide to support firms in the transition towards digital servitization and help them to figure out their current position in case of offerings and business models and plan for the next steps and new opportunities. In addition, six important factors with their sub-factors are offered accompanied by six general guidelines that firms should consider in their journey towards the transition.

Em organizações que operam segundo a lógica de serviço há uma mudança estratégica, com o deslocamento da produção de um produto para um valor. Seguindo esta dinâmica, surgiram na Saúde Pública propostas de modelos de atenção alternativos ao hegemônico, centrado em procedimentos e equipamentos. O presente estudo analisou o modelo da Estratégia de Saúde da Família, cuja proposta centra-se nas necessidades do usuário e no vínculo usuário-equipe multiprofissional, tendo como objetivo investigar como a organização e as condições do trabalho influenciam na utilização de recursos imateriais pelas equipes. Consistiu em um estudo de caso realizado junto a oito equipes de saúde da família do município de Caraguatatuba/SP. A metodologia compreendeu observação direta e realização de grupos focais com os profissionais das equipes. A análise abrangeu a categorização dos temas mais relevantes, em especial aqueles que se relacionavam ao uso e desenvolvimento dos recursos imateriais. Os resultados indicaram que, embora os profissionais valorizassem os aspectos relacionais, o processo de trabalho das equipes encontrava-se centrado na produção de procedimentos e informações quantitativos dos atendimentos, não incorporadas às práticas do cuidado. Os recursos imateriais, bem como seus resultados, não encontravam uma forma sistematizada de avaliação. E, dessa forma, enfrentavam desafios para serem apropriados e desenvolvidos como conhecimento pela organização. / Organizations operating according to the service logic imply a strategic change, the shifting of production from that of a product to that of a value. Following such dynamics, new models of attention emerged in the Public Health System, purporting alternatives to the hegemonic model.This study analyzes the model adopted by the Strategy of Family Health, which is focused on the users\' necessities and the bonds between those former and the multi-professional team. Its aim was to investigate how work organization and conditions influence the teams\' utilization of non-material resources. To such purpose a case study was carried out in the city of Caraguatatuba, São Paulo state, Brazil.The methodology comprehended direct observation and focal groups with the teams\' professionals. The analysis covered the categorization of the subjects considered more relevant, especially those concerning the utilization and development of non-material resources. The results pointed out that although relational aspects were valued by the professionals, the teams\' work process was mainly focused on the production of proceedings and information concerning the number of patients assisted, apart from the practices of care.There was no systematic evaluation of the nonmaterial resources and their results, which, therefore, could not be easily appropriated and developed as a knowledge by the organization.

Nesta pesquisa é estudada a atuação de um importante agente no funcionamento na cadeia produtiva do setor da construção civil, quais sejam as Empresas executoras de serviços de obras (EES), geralmente denominadas subempreiteiras (SE) ou empresas especializadas na execução de obras (EEE). Apesar de existirem várias pesquisas relacionadas com o estudo das suas características, existe pouca informação sobre como as EES estão organizadas. Nesse sentido, um marco analítico foi desenvolvido, analisando às EES segundo as capacidades possuídas para entregar seus resultados nas condições de competição encontradas. Para tanto, as causas que, por um lado, provocam o encerramento das atividades ou, por outro, a sua liderança no mercado foram estudadas sob a ótica de várias linhas do marketing relacionadas com a chamada lógica de serviço e com as correntes de vantagem competitiva sustentável (VCS). Tal marco empregou a noção de valor entregue no serviço prestado pelas EES a partir das suas fontes de VCS. Tais fontes foram discutidas em função dos ativos que as EES possuem. Tais ativos são compostos dos recursos tangíveis (como produtos, ferramentas, materiais, etc.) e intangíveis (como sistemas de gestão gerenciais e operacionais), que lhes permitem desenvolver uma estratégia de criação de valor de forma sustentável, também chamados de ativos estratégicos. Para seu desenvolvimento foi utilizado o método teoria fundamentada nos dados, entrevistando-se 6 representantes dos contratantes das EES, um consultor especialista em gestão empresarial, e 24 EES de 11 diferentes especialidades técnicas. As entrevistas ocorreram conjuntamente com a revisão bibliográfica e a análise dos resultados. A utilização do marco permitiu distinguir as EEE, um subconjunto das EES, em função das suas competências e acesso a recursos para produzir os seus serviços. Finalmente, espera-se que a abordagem desenvolvida nesta pesquisa seja utilizada para melhor entender as capacidades que as EES possuem para competir, servindo de base para futuras pesquisas sobre como melhorar as capacidades e condições de competição destas empresas. / This research studied the performance of an important agent in the construction industry, which are the trade executors (EES), usually called subcontractors (SE) and specialty contractors (EEE). Although there are several studies related to the study of their characteristics, little information exists about how EES are organized. In this sense, an analytical framework was developed to analyze the possessed ESS capabilities to deliver their results within the competition bounds. For this, the root causes of the closure activities and market leadership have been studied from the perspective of several lines of marketing related to call service logic and to sustainable competitive advantage (VCS). This framework used the concept of service value delivered by EES from their sources of VCS. These sources are discussed in terms of assets that have EES. Such assets consist of tangible assets (such as products, tools, materials, etc.) and intangible (such as management systems and operational systems) that allow them to develop a strategy to create sustainable value, also called strategic assets. The research method was \'grounded theory\', interviewing 6 representatives of their contractors, an expert consultant on business management, and 24 ESS of 11 different technical specialties. The interviews took place in conjunction with the literature review and analysis of results. The use of this method allowed us to distinguish the EEE, a subset of EES, depending on their possession of skills and access to resources to produce their service. Finally, it is expected that the approach developed in this research is used to better understand the capabilities that EES have within their competition, providing the basis for future research on how to improve the capacity and the competition of these firms.

<p>Providing carrier grade characteristics for Internet Protocol (IP) communication applications is a significant problem for IP application providers in order to offer integrated services that span IP&nbsp / and telecommunication networks. This thesis addresses the provision of life-cycle management, which is only one carrier grade characteristic, for a SoftBridge application, which is an example of IP communication applications. A SoftBridge provides semi-synchronous multi-modal IP-based communication. The work related to IP-Telecommunication integrated services and the SoftBridge is analyzed with respect to life-cycle management in a literature review. It is suggested to use an Application Server in a Next Generation Network (NGN) to provide life-cyclemanagement functionality for IP-Telecommunication applications. In this thesis, the Application Server is represented by a JAIN Service Logic Execution Environment(JSLEE), in which&nbsp / a SoftBridge application can be deployed, activated, deactivated, uninstalled and upgraded online.Two methodologies are applied in this research: exploratory prototyping, which evolves the development of a SoftBridge application, and empirical comparison, which is concerned with the empirical evaluation of a SoftBridge application in terms of carriergrade capabilities. A SoftBridge application called SIMBA&nbsp / provides a Deaf Telephony service similar to aprevious Deaf Telephony SoftBridge, However, SIMBA&rsquo / s SoftBridge design and implementation are unique to this thesis. In order to test the life-cycle&nbsp / management ability of SIMBA, an empirical evaluation is carried out including the experiments oflife-cycle management and call-processing performance. The final experimental results of the evaluation show that a JSLEE is able to provide life-cycle management for SIMBA without causing a significant decrease in performance. In conclusion, the life-cycle management can be provided&nbsp / or a SoftBridge application by using an Application Server such as a JSLEE. Futhermore, the results indicate that&nbsp / approach of using Application Server (JSLEE) integration should be&nbsp / sufficiently general to provide life cycle management, and indeed other carrier grade capabilities, for other IP communication applications. This allows IP communication applications to be&nbsp / &nbsp / &nbsp / integrated into an NGN.</p>

<p>Providing carrier grade characteristics for Internet Protocol (IP) communication applications is a significant problem for IP application providers in order to offer integrated services that span IP&nbsp / and telecommunication networks. This thesis addresses the provision of life-cycle management, which is only one carrier grade characteristic, for a SoftBridge application, which is an example of IP communication applications. A SoftBridge provides semi-synchronous multi-modal IP-based communication. The work related to IP-Telecommunication integrated services and the SoftBridge is analyzed with respect to life-cycle management in a literature review. It is suggested to use an Application Server in a Next Generation Network (NGN) to provide life-cyclemanagement functionality for IP-Telecommunication applications. In this thesis, the Application Server is represented by a JAIN Service Logic Execution Environment(JSLEE), in which&nbsp / a SoftBridge application can be deployed, activated, deactivated, uninstalled and upgraded online.Two methodologies are applied in this research: exploratory prototyping, which evolves the development of a SoftBridge application, and empirical comparison, which is concerned with the empirical evaluation of a SoftBridge application in terms of carriergrade capabilities. A SoftBridge application called SIMBA&nbsp / provides a Deaf Telephony service similar to aprevious Deaf Telephony SoftBridge, However, SIMBA&rsquo / s SoftBridge design and implementation are unique to this thesis. In order to test the life-cycle&nbsp / management ability of SIMBA, an empirical evaluation is carried out including the experiments oflife-cycle management and call-processing performance. The final experimental results of the evaluation show that a JSLEE is able to provide life-cycle management for SIMBA without causing a significant decrease in performance. In conclusion, the life-cycle management can be provided&nbsp / or a SoftBridge application by using an Application Server such as a JSLEE. Futhermore, the results indicate that&nbsp / approach of using Application Server (JSLEE) integration should be&nbsp / sufficiently general to provide life cycle management, and indeed other carrier grade capabilities, for other IP communication applications. This allows IP communication applications to be&nbsp / &nbsp / &nbsp / integrated into an NGN.</p>

Magister Scientiae - MSc / Providing carrier grade characteristics for Internet Protocol (IP) communication applications is a significant problem for IP application providers in order to offer integrated services that span IP and telecommunication networks. This thesis addresses the provision of life-cycle management, which is only one carrier grade characteristic, for a SoftBridge application, which is an example of IP communication applications. A SoftBridge provides semi-synchronous multi-modal IP-based communication. The work related to IP-Telecommunication integrated services and the SoftBridge is analyzed with respect to life-cycle management in a literature review. It is suggested to use an Application Server in a Next Generation Network (NGN) to provide life-cyclemanagement functionality for IP-Telecommunication applications. In this thesis, the Application Server is represented by a JAIN Service Logic Execution Environment(JSLEE), in which a SoftBridge application can be deployed, activated, deactivated, uninstalled and upgraded online.Two methodologies are applied in this research: exploratory prototyping, which evolves the development of a SoftBridge application, and empirical comparison, which is concerned with the empirical evaluation of a SoftBridge application in terms of carriergrade capabilities. A SoftBridge application called SIMBA provides a Deaf Telephony service similar to aprevious Deaf Telephony SoftBridge, However, SIMBA’s SoftBridge design and implementation are unique to this thesis. In order to test the life-cycle management ability of SIMBA, an empirical evaluation is carried out including the experiments oflife-cycle management and call-processing performance. The final experimental results of the evaluation show that a JSLEE is able to provide life-cycle management for SIMBA without causing a significant decrease in performance. In conclusion, the life-cycle management can be provided or a SoftBridge application by using an Application Server such as a JSLEE. Futhermore, the results indicate that approach of using Application Server (JSLEE) integration should be sufficiently general to provide life cycle management, and indeed other carrier grade capabilities, for other IP communication applications. This allows IP communication applications to be integrated into an NGN.Providing carrier grade characteristics for Internet Protocol (IP) communication applications is a significant problem for IP application providers in order to offer integrated services that span IP and telecommunication networks. This thesis addresses the provision of life-cycle management, which is only one carrier grade characteristic, for a SoftBridge application, which is an example of IP communication applications. A SoftBridge provides semi-synchronous multi-modal IP-based communication. The work related to IP-Telecommunication integrated services and the SoftBridge is analyzed with respect to life-cycle management in a literature review. It is suggested to use an Application Server in a Next Generation Network (NGN) to provide life-cyclemanagement functionality for IP-Telecommunication applications. In this thesis, the Application Server is represented by a JAIN Service Logic Execution Environment(JSLEE), in which a SoftBridge application can be deployed, activated, deactivated, uninstalled and upgraded online.Two methodologies are applied in this research: exploratory prototyping, which evolves the development of a SoftBridge application, and empirical comparison, which is concerned with the empirical evaluation of a SoftBridge application in terms of carriergrade capabilities. A SoftBridge application called SIMBA provides a Deaf Telephony service similar to aprevious Deaf Telephony SoftBridge, However, SIMBA’s SoftBridge design and implementation are unique to this thesis. In order to test the life-cycle management ability of SIMBA, an empirical evaluation is carried out including the experiments oflife-cycle management and call-processing performance. The final experimental results of the evaluation show that a JSLEE is able to provide life-cycle management for SIMBA without causing a significant decrease in performance. In conclusion, the life-cycle management can be provided or a SoftBridge application by using an Application Server such as a JSLEE. Futhermore, the results indicate that approach of using Application Server (JSLEE) integration should be sufficiently general to provide life cycle management, and indeed other carrier grade capabilities, for other IP communication applications. This allows IP communication applications to be integrated into an NGN. / South Africa