Ecotourism has increased in demand and aided destination development within many destinations over the past decade. Many Germans have shown an increase of interest in nature-based tourism, and for travelling to Scandinavia. The study examined German tourist behaviour and German visitor trends to Scandinavia. Sweden has become an attractive holiday destination for many international guests including Germans. A case study of destination Ansättfjällen was conducted regarding the low awareness level by international summer tourists. An analysis of the current situation of the destination was conducted and recommendations were provided for future solutions to improve promotion to German ecotourists. Due to the fact that such research about destination Ansättfjällen was not done previously, it was necessary to primarily use qualitative research approach and using an abductive method with a tendency to an inductive manner. Based on the tourism attractiveness, various aspects of destination development had to be examined. One of the final conclusions of the study was the need to do further research about this destination, due to being at development stage of the Butler’s Model and improve stakeholder collaboration within the destination locally and regionally.

The purpose of this study is to provide empirical, qualitative evidence concerning the factors within the supply, demand and institutional support environments that hinder SME access to finance as well as the interventions necessary to improve access to finance for SMEs in the North West Province (NWP) of South Africa. The semi-structured interview technique was used to collect data from a sample of 25 organisations. A response rate of 56% comprising two financial institutions and 12 SME support and development organisations currently operating in or providing financial and/or non-financial services to SMEs in the NWP, participated in the study. Descriptive statistics in the form of frequency counts and percentages and a qualitative data analysis software package (Weft QDA) were used to analyse the data and interpret the results. The findings of this study are consistent with and support the findings of previous studies investigating SME access to finance. The findings indicate that the SME sector is characterized by a dearth of entrepreneurs, highly risk averse financial institutions and a poorly functional support and development environment. The findings of this study further indicate that formal and structured collaboration initiatives between financial institutions and SME support organisations are vital to improving SME access to finance in the NWP. The study will be of interest to policy makers, financial institutions and SME support and development organisations interested in SME financing and economic development. The results of the study contribute to the understanding of the current financing challenges facing SMEs and will assist financial institutions, SME support organisations and SMEs to better understand the role and importance of effective stakeholder collaboration in improving SME access to finance. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2010.

The purpose of this study is to provide empirical, qualitative evidence concerning the factors within the supply, demand and institutional support environments that hinder SME access to finance as well as the interventions necessary to improve access to finance for SMEs in the North West Province (NWP) of South Africa. The semi-structured interview technique was used to collect data from a sample of 25 organisations. A response rate of 56% comprising two financial institutions and 12 SME support and development organisations currently operating in or providing financial and/or non-financial services to SMEs in the NWP, participated in the study. Descriptive statistics in the form of frequency counts and percentages and a qualitative data analysis software package (Weft QDA) were used to analyse the data and interpret the results. The findings of this study are consistent with and support the findings of previous studies investigating SME access to finance. The findings indicate that the SME sector is characterized by a dearth of entrepreneurs, highly risk averse financial institutions and a poorly functional support and development environment. The findings of this study further indicate that formal and structured collaboration initiatives between financial institutions and SME support organisations are vital to improving SME access to finance in the NWP. The study will be of interest to policy makers, financial institutions and SME support and development organisations interested in SME financing and economic development. The results of the study contribute to the understanding of the current financing challenges facing SMEs and will assist financial institutions, SME support organisations and SMEs to better understand the role and importance of effective stakeholder collaboration in improving SME access to finance. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2010.

Rising childhood obesity with its detrimental health consequences poses a challenge to the health care system. Community-based, multi-setting interventions with the participatory involvement of relevant stakeholders are emerging as promising. To gain insights into the structural and processual characteristics of stakeholder networks, conducting a network analysis (NA) is advisable. Within the program “Family+—Healthy Living Together in Families and Schools”, a network analysis was conducted in two rural model regions and one urban model region. Relevant stakeholders were identified in 2020–2021 through expert interviews and interviewed by telephone to elicit key variables such as frequency of contact and intensity of collaboration. Throughout the NA, characteristics such as density, centrality, and connectedness were analyzed and are presented graphically. Due to the differences in the number of inhabitants and the rural or urban structure of the model regions, the three networks (network#1, network#2, and network#3) included 20, 14, and 12 stakeholders, respectively. All networks had similar densities (network#1, 48%; network#2, 52%; network#3, 42%), whereas the degree centrality of network#1 (0.57) and network#3 (0.58) was one-third higher compared with network#2 (0.39). All three networks differed in the distribution of stakeholders in terms of field of expertise and structural orientation. On average, stakeholders exchanged information quarterly and were connected on an informal level. Based on the results of the NA, it appears to be useful to initialize a community health facilitator to involve relevant stakeholders from the education, sports, and health systems in projects and to strive for the goal of sustainable health promotion, regardless of the rural or urban structure of the region. Participatory involvement of relevant stakeholders can have a positive influence on the effective dissemination of information and networking with other stakeholders.

Hydropower generates renewable energy, but also local environmental damage. In Sweden, hydropower facilities are undergoing a process of environmental adaptation which aims at protecting water environments while also ensuring electricity production. Regional stakeholder collaboration has been introduced as part of the decision-making process. To explore opportunities and challenges with this governance strategy, this study analyses hydropower collaborations using the Integrative Framework for Collaborative Governance (Emerson & Nabatchi, 2015). Several types of documentation from all 27 finished collaborations have been collected and subjected to a qualitative thematic analysis. The results show that the main challenges are related to organising collaboration, balancing interests and managing needs for knowledge. While these appear closely interrelated, knowledge emerged as especially important. Knowledge contestation was a major driver for disagreements over interest balance, and accepted knowledge can overall be seen as a crucial capacity for joint action. The analysis also identified a discrepancy between stakeholders’ expectations for interest negotiation and reality. More research is however required to establish the connection between collaborative procedural arrangements and agreement among stakeholders.

The thesis explores issues relating to transformative change in the context of marine governance in the Coral Triangle, and the effects of such change processes on policy, stakeholder relations and management activities. Paper 1 studies how change-oriented actors (institutional entrepreneurs) operating at the international level can introduce and purposefully navigate large-scalechange processes. Paper 2 studies the impact of resource inequality on multi-stakeholder collaboration, and tackles the literature of boundary work so as to increase its usefulness for understanding complex, multi-level governance initiatives. Paper 3 explores how narratives about the marine environment are entwined with and influence critical aspects of marine ecosystem governance such as resource allocation, day-to-day management actions, stakeholder relations, and long-term ecological monitoring. Paper 4 investigates how actors at the local level can capture opportunities at higher institutional levels while at the same time catalyzing local potential for change by focusing on the interplay between strategies,opportunity and context. The results show that institutional entrepreneurship requires understanding of how strategies can be matched with opportunity and context, for example by offering a way for other actors to address key priorities and add value to their organizations. The results also show that behind the scene organizing is often a precondition for the introduction of transformative change. Shifting the process from an informal track to a formal track where ideas about transformative change can be deliberated among a broader set ofstakeholders is thus a major challenge. Moreover, a strong narrative is key to successfully introducing and driving transformative change. In this sense, the ability to articulate and distribute a narrative which tells a compelling story about the broader system is critical. Finally, power dynamics are constantly at play in transformation processes due to resource asymmetries. The thesis shows that differences in resources may influence the credibility, legitimacy, and salience of transformative change. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 2: Submitted. Paper 3: In press.</p>

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The world is currently in the middle of a digital revolution where digital platforms have become an important part of industrial engineering, management solutions and economic values. There is huge potential for digital platforms to contribute to various manufacturing processes such as physical product development. In this study we will be discussing the various stakeholders collaborating in the new product development process, their challenges and how digital platforms can ease those challenges. The aim of the study is to identify the challenges faced by the various stakeholders collaborating and engaging in various product development processes from product idea to mass production, and then suggest possible digital solutions to deal with those challenges. The theory used to discuss the results is the collaboration theory, “Five stage model of collaboration”. The study followed a qualitative study approach using semi-structured interview to gather data and thematic analysis for data analysis. Four stakeholders were identified, namely, idea owners, incubators, manufacturers, and financers. At least one participant from each category was interviewed and the data collected was coded into first order concepts, second order concepts and finally into themes. The challenges that were identified from data analysis were interaction problems, engagement challenges, time and work effectiveness problems, proficiency challenge, agreement challenges and endorsement problems and the theme communication was the major and most common challenge identified amongst the stakeholders. The digital solutions AI auto match technology, multi-flow communication channel, safe and encrypted file sharing and tracing of activities, planning, and monitoring progress, learning and equipment with a detailed product development guide, and collaboration on multiple projects through a digital platform have been suggested to overcome these challenges. The importance of stakeholder engagement on digital platforms and the role of digital platforms to provide an engaging and user-friendly experience have been discussed as well. We believe that digital platforms through digital solutions may encourage innovation and sustainable development in the future.

Urbanization has resulted in larger and more densely populated cities, which has intensified the pressure on public transportation systems globally. A consequence of the increased use of public transportation is higher energy consumption and, consequently, increased carbon dioxide emissions. The electrification of bus services has therefore become a central issue in public transportation, leading many to consider switching from fossil-fuel-powered buses to electric buses. Against this background, this study aims to investigate the benefits and challenges that arise in the transition to electric buses for two selected bus operators and a public transport authority. To address this aim, the authors have conducted semi-structured interviews with the aforementioned parties and gathered a theoretical framework based on scientific articles. The study concludes that there are both benefits and challenges with the transition. In the long term, there are economic savings to be made, and the transition to electric buses also contributes to achieving sustainability goals. Among the challenges are managing the limited range of electric buses and the need to procure in a way that distinguishes between traffic operations and charging infrastructure. / Urbaniseringen har resulterat i större och mer tätbefolkade städer, vilket har intensifierat trycket på kollektivtrafiksystemen globalt. En följd av den ökade användningen av kollektivtrafik är högre energiförbrukning och därmed ökade koldioxidutsläpp. Elektrifiering av busstrafiken har därför blivit en central fråga inom kollektivtrafiken, vilket gör att många överväger att byta från fossildrivna bussar till elbussar. Mot bakgrunden syftar studien till att undersöka de fördelar och utmaningar som uppstår vid övergången till elbussar för två utvalda bussoperatörer och en trafikhuvudman. För att besvara syftet har författarna genomfört semistrukturerade intervjuer med ovan nämnda och samlat en teoretisk referensram baserad på vetenskapliga artiklar. Studien drar slutsatsen att det finns både fördelar och utmaningar med övergången. På lång sikt finns ekonomiska besparingar att göra, och övergången till elbussar bidrar också till att uppnå hållbarhetsmålen. Bland utmaningarna finns hanteringen av elbussarnas begränsade räckvidd samt behovet av att upphandla på ett sätt som skiljer mellan trafikdrift och laddinfrastruktur.

The necessity of sustainable transitions has become more and more acknowledged in recent years. From these changes, specific markets have recently been emerging which are closely tied to sustainable development. An industry which is particularly critical for enabling such transitions is the food industry where the current eating patterns have been linked to an array of issues with the considerable reliance on animal-based products often pointed out as a major concern. From a raising awareness and technological changes, a market has arisen which aims at supplying proteins from alternative sources to animal exploitation. By inquiring this specific market referred to as the Alternative Proteins (AP) market, the core objective of this thesis is to extend the knowledge regarding markets associated with sustainability. More specifically, recognizing the rapid-evolution of such markets, the inquiries are directed towards the entry mechanisms as it is seen as key dynamics influencing the evolution of such markets. An in-depth understanding of market entry regarding diverse dimensions including motivations, barriers and entry strategies could thus be achieved. Recognizing a shortcoming in the scientific understanding of stakeholder collaboration as an entry strategy, an emphasis on these collaborative entry strategies prevailed in our investigations. Eight firms having recently or longer ago entered the AP market have been interviewed to provide the empirical material for the thematic analysis. The theoretical framework was built around the resource-based view (RBV), supplemented by other theories including Creating Shared Value (CSV) and Porter’s classification of barriers which granted an enhanced theoretical lens to arrive at significant insights resulting from our inquiries. New entrants were thus found to have both financial and social/ environmental dimensions embedded in their entry motivations. It was also concluded that the adoption of collaboration as an entry strategy predominated across our sample which was explained by the assumption that markets linked to sustainable development have intrinsic circumstances forcing companies to collaborate to a larger degree. Moreover, the findings provided evidence of firms striving for a fit between the entry barriers and their entry strategies by devising the latter in accordance with their perception of barriers. Lastly, an essential contribution resided in the application of RBV in the context of market entry as this enabled the approach of market entry through a distinct angle broadening both the knowledge on market entry and RBV.