Due to rapid and major economic change in recent years, the need for more flexible, dynamic and innovative companies is widely recognized. Firms must clearly understand and translate customers’ needs in order to foster value creation. Many scholars have focused their attention on the entrepreneurial behavior of owners or top managers and their actions that encourage innovation, venturing and strategic renewal. However, rigorous empirical research examining the factors that support corporate entrepreneurship and lead to sustainable value creation is scarce. The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that support corporate entrepreneurship and lead to sustainable value creation in a ship management company, using a case study approach. In this context, the following research question is addressed: -What factors support corporate entrepreneurship and lead to sustainable value creation in a ship management company? This research uses an interpretive paradigm and utilizes three methods for collecting data, consisting of observational technique, surveys and semi-structured interviews. Findings reveal the factors that support corporate entrepreneurship and lead to sustainable value creation in ship management. These are analyzed in relation to the literature and the ship management sector. The study concludes that corporate entrepreneurship, when conducted effectively, can be a significant contributor of sustainable value creation. However, this may or may not be applicable to other sectors.

Denna studie diskuterar de ledarskapsstilar som används ombord på handelsfartyg. Den syftar till att avgöra huruvida en specifik mål-baserad ledarstil kan anpassas till att användas på ett modernt handelsfartyg. Den teori som används i studien bygger på Edwin A. Locke & Gary P. Lathams arbete inom målsättand psykologi och ledarskap. Den huvudsakliga artikeln vi har använt är “Building a Practically Useful Theory of Goal Setting and Task Motivation, A 35-Year Odyssey (2002)”.   Vi har genomfört en kvalitativ intervjuundersökning. De huvudsakliga variablerna vi undersökte, var de intervjuade sjöbefälsstudenternas inställning till att arbeta med specifikt målsättande ledarskap samt möjligheten att applicera det som ledarskapsmetod ombord på handelsfartyg.   Studenterna fick berätta om sina erfarenheter av ledarskapet ombord på de olika fartyg där de gjort sin praktik under utbildningen till sjöbefäl. Studenterna fick även svara på om ett mål-baserat ledarskap använts ombord.   Resultaten av studien visade att studenterna i allmänhet ställde sig positiva till att pröva de specifika mål-baserade ledarskapsmetoder, som presenterades under intervjuerna. Studien tyder på att en auktoritär ledarstil oftast användes ombord de olika fartygen. Vissa fartyg hade prövat olika varianter av mål-baserat ledarskap, även om ingen använt sig av ledarskap med specifika mål som denna studie syftar till.   Sammanfattningsvis tyder intervjustudien på en god inställning till utveckling i ledarskap ombord på handelsfartyg. Huruvida de specifika målteorier som används inom sjukvården, sport och industrin (Locke & Latham 2002) är den mest effektiva vägen att gå, kanske en framtida experimentell studie kan att visa. / This study discusses leadership styles used on ships and aims to determine whether a Specific Goal based Leadership style could be adapted on a modern merchant ship. The theory used in this study, is based on the work in goal setting psychology, by Edwin A. Locke & Gary P. Latham. The primary article we have used, is “Building a Practically Useful Theory of Goal Setting and Task Motivation, A 35-Year Odyssey (2002).   We have carried out a qualitative interview study. The depended variable was the Interviewed students, attending Kalmar Maritime Academy, and their attitude towards an adaption of Specific Goal setting Theory used as management method onboard merchant vessels.   The students were asked to review their experiences of the leadership and management style, from the various ships they have been mustered on, during their education towards officer. The students also answered whether a goal-based leadership had been used onboard.   The results showed that the students in general had a positive attitude towards the Specific goal based management style that the authors presented. Further the study indicated that the authoritarian method of management were the main one used on the various vessels the students had been in contact with. Some vessels had tried variations of goal-based leadership, although none had adapted the specific goal setting that this study aims to implement in maritime management.   In conclusion the authors find the interview study to show a good attitude towards a change in management style onboard merchant ships. Whether the specific goal setting theories that has been widely spread in health care, sports, and industry (Locke & Latham 2002) is the most efficient way, perhaps a future experimental study will show.