The paper describes the effect of forming business networks and collaborations for the purpose of developing an Integrated Product-Service Offering (IPSO) using the Product/Service Systems (PSS). The research method is an in-depth case study of a joint venture formed by four companies developing a new technology for chemical extraction from water sludge waste within the pulp and paper industry.

Combining literature from PSS, network theories and collaborative product development, this paper puts forward the benefits for SMEs to collaborate in business networks and produce IPSOs when introducing a new technology in an emerging market. The case study shows that working towards the new market would not have been possible if each party acted individually or maintained their traditional buyer-supplieroperator roles, and that IPSOs can reduce the business risk.

Based on different observations, in theory as well as in practice, we have identified strategies and operations following two different tracks, striving in different directions, despite it being well known they should go hand in hand. For companies challenged by a more and more dynamic business environment with heavier market segmentation, additional marketing channels, increasing globalisation on supplier and customer side, and high pressure on profit margins, the result from this is competitive weakness. The purpose of this article is to switch focus from operational effectiveness and strategic positioning as static success concepts on how to improve industrial distribution, to dynamic challenges of how to continuously manage the interaction between marketing strategies and operations (e.g., logistics) under the influence of a dynamic business environment. From theories in market strategies, logistics, flexibility, and marketing channels together with empirical experience from a best practice case study, we are introducing a model for dynamic effectiveness, describing the different characteristics of a company and what to focus on in order to become more dynamic. In order to constantly move to new market positions, and at the same time, restructure logistics and improve operational effectiveness, we have identified the dynamic capabilities of an organisation to be the key to success in industrial distribution. We define dynamic effectiveness as "how fast-and-well a company can go from one strategic positioning and productivity frontier to another." It tells that a frequent interaction between new strategic moves and actions for higher operational effectiveness is required to be in pace with the dynamic and changing business environment and to stay ahead of competition. As a part, of this, best, practice logistics performance makes it possible not only to be more agile to new strategic moves, but also to drive strategic development from a high operational level. This is achieved by designing logistics to be a resource base to support and be an enabler for new strategic moves on the market. © 2004 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

This article explores the role of logistics and supply chain management (SCM) in retailers’ corporate strategy and is based on reviewing multiple qualitative case studies of companies in the Swedish food retail sector. The article proposes that the role of logistics for what is referred to in this paper as modern retailers is twofold: to create profitability and to support growth and market expansion. International modern retailers are empirically compared with similar companies in the Swedish market. The dominating Swedish food retailers have taken command in the food supply chain but are primarily concerned with traditional logistics roles in cost cutting. This role is perfectly fine as long as the strategic intent of the companies is focused on market retention and not on geographical expansion and/or new marketing or store concepts. We argue that the success of modern retailers in terms of growth rate, profitability, and market expansion is explained to a large extent by the role of logistics in corporate strategy—when the role for supporting growth and increasing customer value from high-performance supply capabilities is a driver for market expansion. However, in many of our cases the traditional logistics roles of cutting costs and lead-times is still the dominating pattern that limits the possibility of expanding into new markets. Better knowledge of logistics’ role in retail corporate strategy can help companies develop and improve their strategic intent as well as redefine the role of logistics.

This book aims to provide an illustration of the diversity that characterises contemporary Nordic research in the field of retail. The book draws on a large variety of methods, describes a variety of retail sectors and covers a large number of retail phenomena. The book is suitable for researchers, graduate students and professionals who want to learn more about contemporary retailing research

Den här rapporten sammanfattar ett forskningsprojekt, Logistik i svensk handel, som har pågått under perioden juli 2009 t.o.m. februari 2011 och som är finansierat av Handelns Utvecklingsråd.

En utgångspunkt och hypotes för projektet var att det finns avgörande branschmässiga skillnader i sättet att arbeta med logistikfrågor. En hypotes som har testats mot empirin, vilket har lett till slutsatsen att logistiken endast i begränsad omfattning är branschspecifik och att branschtillhörighet inte är den avgörande faktorn för hur logistiken utformas för handelsföretag. En viktigare faktor, är hur butikerna drivs visavi centrala enheter, hur integrationen ser ut mellan logistikstrategi och inköps- respektive marknadsstrategi, samt hur systemgränserna för logistiken definieras.

Genom hela arbetet har vi jämfört den logistikbild vi har sett med en ”ideal bild”, i form av logistiken i internationell ”mega-retailing”, vilket idag representerar ”best practice” inom logistik och där logistiken är en integrerad del av företagens affärsmodell och ett direkt stöd för företagets lönsamhet och tillväxt. Den jämförelsen visar att det är mycket stora skillnader i logistikkompetens och mognad mellan olika företag och att logistik inom många handelsföretag fortfarande är ett område med stor förbättringspotential.

Förutom den här rapporten har projektet genererat en lång rad akademiska artiklar som är publicerade i journaler och/eller har presenterats på konferenser och seminarier. Vi har varit i kontakt med ett stort antal, kollegor, företag och forskare i Sverige och andra länder för att samla material. Ett stort tack till alla de som har bidragit med material till projektet.

Ett speciellt tack till Andreas Hedlund på Handelns Utvecklingsråd, som förutom finansiellt stöd har backat upp projektet med seminarier arrangerade av Handelns utvecklingsråd.

Linköping i Maj 2011

Mats Abrahamsson   Jakob Rehme   Erik Sandberg

The main purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between export involvement and domestic market performance with focus on pharmaceutical firms. The study covers three research questions including: 1: How to assess the export involvement/performance of the Iranian pharmaceutical companies? 2: How to assess the performance of Iranian pharmaceutical companies in domestic market? 3: How to examine the relationship between export involvement/performance and domestic market performance?

An intensive literature review and integration of relevant views and models helped us to build our own framework as a conceptual and analytical model. The model consists of EXPERF model, EFQM model, Export performance evaluation, domestic performance evaluation and the relationship between domestic performance and export performance. EFQM model and respective ILL indices was used for measuring domestic performance of the organizations on nine components of leadership, policy and strategy, people, partnership and resources, processes, people results, customer results, society results and key performance results. In order to achieve true representative of Iranian pharmaceutical companies K-mean clustering algorithm has been used to cluster Iranian pharmaceutical companies. EXPERF scale was used to measure export performance of the pharmaceutical companies in Iran on three aspects of financial export performance, strategic export performance and satisfaction with the export venture. Six clusters emerged after running the clustering algorithm in MATLAB software. This software enables us to put the similar companies together. Then centroids of the clusters were chosen to verify the relationship. Then relationship between export involvement (export performance) of pharmaceutical companies and their domestic performance was determined by use of Pearson coefficient.

Pearson correlation = 0.708 and Sig= 0.026which is less than 0.0 5 then with 95% confidence we can claim that there is a significant relation between export performance of the Centroids and Domestic performance of the centroids of Iranian pharmaceutical companies and considering that the correlation

coefficient value is positive, it means better export performance will result in better domestic performance. In other words Export performance of the companies has positive direct effect on domestic performance of Iranian pharmaceutical companies. Further studies can be done on clustering of Iranian pharmaceutical companies; effects of export involvement on individual components of EFQM based performance of firms and also verification of effect of export involvement and domestic performance in other business contexts.

Purpose: The research on effects of outsourcing tends to focus on financial effects and effects at a country level. These are not the only consequences of outsourcing, though. When firms outsource functions previously performed in-house, they risk losing important competencies, knowledge, skills, relationships, and possibilities for creative renewal. Such non-financial consequences are poorly addressed in the literature, even though they may explain financial effects of outsourcing. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to develop a model that enables the study of non-financial consequences of outsourcing. Design/methodology/approach: Based on a review of the literature on interdependencies between organizational functions, a main proposition is developed: given that savings gained from outsourcing are not reinvested in the organization, outsourcing of any function will negatively impact the capabilities of that and other functions in the organization. This proposition is broken down into sub-propositions, which are tested through a focus group study. Respondents include purchasing professionals with experience from best practice outsourcing. Findings: The initial proposition is developed through identification of variables mediating the proposed negative consequences of outsourcing. Mediating variables are broken down into four categories: variables relating to the outsourcer, the outsourcee, the relationship between the parties, and the context. Research limitations/implications: By developing a model for the study of non-financial consequences of outsourcing, this paper takes a step towards opening up an important avenue for future research. Originality/value: This paper contributes to the outsourcing field by not only considering non-financial effects, but also by drawing on examples of best practice outsourcing to identify ways in which potentially negative consequences of outsourcing may be managed.

Purpose: Companies engage in business relationships for a variety of reasons, including specialization, product development, and building competitive networks. Research has demonstrated that mergers and acquisitions (Mandamp;As) may challenge ongoing business relationships. The purpose of this article is to investigate whether and how competition authorities consider business relationships when evaluating Mandamp;As. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanMethodology: The article uses the documentation from 450 Mandamp;As reported to the Swedish competition authority to capture the way in which an authority evaluates Mandamp;As. The Swedish competition authority evaluation corresponds to other national and international evaluation procedures. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanFindings: The findings indicate that the competition authorities neglect an important aspect of business life, namely companies forming business relationships. The competition authorities evaluate Mandamp;As on the basis of risk for price increases, and consequently disregard such issues as heterogeneity in demand and offerings, and values built into existing business relationships. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanOriginality/Value/Contribution: The article contributes to research on business relationships through exploring how a public authority deals with such relationships. It also contributes to research on mergers and acquisitions through examining how these activities are evaluated by competition authorities. Furthermore, the article contributes to competition research by reflecting on competition law concerning Mandamp;A regulations in relation to business relationships.

Mergers and acquisitions have become a popular strategy for gaining growth. Studies show, however, high failure rates for acquisitions. Earlier literature concentrates on the strategic or organizational fit between companies and integration processes and fails to recognize the companies' external business relationships. An implicit assumption seems to be that through acquisition the market position of the target firm can be taken over. We argue that it is not always easy or even possible to take over a company's customer and supplier relationships. We elaborate on the various problems related to relationships that acquisitions may give rise to. Our conceptual discussion is illustrated with a case study from the graphics industry. © 2001 Elsevier Science Inc.

This article emphasise the importance of coordination in Third Party Logistics (TPL) and describes how coordination can be managed. This is inspired by Key Account Management (KAM) literature and supported by empirical evidence. Buyers of TPL services currently perceive KAM as focusing on making sales and on negotiating contracts. This article proposes that KAM may have a material impact on TPL relationships and that this function can be developed further, primarily by having a coordination role. The article contains a coordination model based on both internal and external coordination of activities within a dyad, divided into operational, functional, geographic, and development coordination. The model explains how these types of coordination can integrate functions and contents in different alliance phases to build successful TPL relationships. Copyright © 2007 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

To take greater responsibility in environmental, economic and social issues is an increasingly important item on many companies' agendas, and an increasingly important aspect for consumers to take into account when considering purchase of a product or a service. This field, internationally called corporate social responsibility or CSR, has also made a breakthrough among authorities and other official orga­nizations such as the UN and the EU, which are facilitating for companies engaging in CSR by provi­ding various guidelines and accounting standards for CSR. Non-governmental organizations are also an important part of the CSR issue, both as partners and as reviewers. Many of the companies' stakehol­ders are interested in statistics and results, but how do consumer businesses communicate to their customers that they are investing in CSR issues? How can companies use different kinds of strategies, channels and messages to strengthen their brand and make the public notice their responsibility? Although the work with CSR is often preceded by careful strategic considerations and discussions about how CSR affects the brand, not all companies have a clear plan how to communicate CSR to consumers.

This thesis paper aims to examine how information concerning the companies' CSR initiatives is communicated, designed and perceived by the stakeholder group which the products or services are made for – the consumers. In the form of a situation analysis, case studies have been conducted on two Swedish consumer companies, Arla and Löfbergs Lila, both of which have initiated CSR commitments and have certified products in their range. The case studies included interviews with corporate CSR managers, qualitative content analysis of the companies' marketing materials and a survey of consumer knowledge and behavior in CSR issues as well as of the customers' view of the case study companies' responsibility. Linked to a theoretical framework including theories of CSR as a concept, CSR in today's society and how CSR-oriented communication can be designed, the issues and models for these methods have been developed and analyzed.

The analysis shows that neither of the companies have a clear strategy for their CSR communication. The companies have implemented CSR well within the organisation, but communicate only to a small extent externally. There is a difficulty in involving consumers in CSR issues and making this dialogue influence and be part of the CSR communication. Both companies provide access to much information about their responsibility through their web pages, but this information does not appear to reach consumers as the web pages are not well-integrated in the marketing. Primarily, the CSR values are connected to the companies' products, and consumers in particular relate the companies' CSR involvement to their certified products. The companies use different types of communication messages, which in Arla's case are too vague and vision focused, and in Löfbergs Lila's case have difficulties to arouse fee­lings for the brand and the CSR issues. Consumers show an interest to act on CSR issues and have a certain knowledge in the field, but when it comes to how they perceive the companies' CSR initiatives, there is a great uncertainty and low knowledge of what companies actually do in the CSR field. A large proportion of the respondents has not found out any information about how the companies are taking responsibility, and it is at this time not many among the consumers who actively seek out information or participate in a dialogue regarding CSR issues with companies.

The aim of this master’s thesis is, from a purchaser perspective, to explain why problems arise with regard to price negotiation, information asymmetry and knowledge transfer between purchaser and vendor, during the transaction phase of acquisition of owner led small company through a management buyin. A management buyin is the purchase of a firm by external management often in cooperation with an investor. It gives the possibility to add value to a company with poor profitability, in which growth potential exists. Previous research shows that investors can underestimate the risk in this type of transaction.

The data gathering of this thesis consists of two parts. The first part is based on a multiple case study and covers three cases. Each case is represented by the acquisition of an owner led small company. The second part consists of interviews with experts on the subject and experience of acquisitions.

Conclusions to why problems arise with regard to price negotiation, information asymmetry and knowledge transfer are the following:

• The problem that parties cannot reach an agreement arises because the emotional attachment between vendor and company is strong and the vendor has not him/herself itself and the company for the selling process.
• The problem that parties reach a deal but the purchaser is later dissatisfied arises because the emotional attachment between vendor and company is weak, balance of information is to the vendors advantage, trust between parties is low, parties negotiating behavior is short term focused and no contracted agreements exists with the regard to continued involvement of vendor.
• Balance of information to the vendors advantage arise because the owners emotional attachment with the company is weak, trust between parties is low and a negotiating behavior with short term focus is adopted by the parties.
• Lack of knowledge transfer arises because purchaser and vendor are dissatisfied with the deal and there are no contracted agreements with regard to vendors continued involvement.

A change of the conceptual framework that is the basis for the model of analysis used in this study is also proposed. The change aims to illustrate results from this study that the existing framework does not explain.

A broad, dynamic network perspective on solution processes remains scarce. This article presents the process of developing and implementing customer solutions and its effects on the wider business environment by investigating customers and suppliers in the global mining industry (Australia, Chile, and Sweden), analyzing the deployment of a new customer solution, and assessing the changes to the competitive environment and focal firms' relationships with other customers and suppliers. It shows that the forces that drive customer and supplier interests and motivation to co-develop customer solutions may change over time, thus redefining the aim and scope of solutions and creating failure risks. Customers present problems; suppliers respond, on the basis of not only the feasibility of the customer-specific solution but also of their evaluation of future solutions in a broader market; then suppliers aim to standardize successful solutions across markets. Customers want close supplier relationships and unique solutions but also like standardized and repeatable solutions, so they can share development costs with competitors and expose the supplier to competition to avoid lock-in effects. From a network perspective, a novel solution can have a market-shaping effect and evoke reactions from other actors who want to enhance their market position. However, these changes are not necessarily deliberate, and the dynamics that market introductions of solutions trigger may be difficult to predict.

To satisfy customers’ desires with a maintained efficiency of the production process is a challenge for many house construction companies. Houses are one-off projects with a production process characterized by variability and complexity that often lead to unpredicted costs. Prefabricated component solutions could possibly solve these issues through modularization, mass customization and delayed product differentiation. The purpose of this paper is to explore the opportunities and barriers to use prefabricated house components. Interviews were conducted with two industrial house manufacturers to pinpoint these opportunities and barriers. The impact of this research may have value for house construction companies considering the use of prefabricated house components. The use of these components may lead to benefits such as shorter lead-time, higher quality, decreased complexity in coordination and reduced risks of production failures. Moreover, this research may be valuable to house component suppliers in the business development of their product offers to industrial house builders.

The purpose of this thesis is to describe and analyse purchasing strategies and their interdependence with the production process and supplier relationships in industrialized housing. The thesis is a multiple case study of four Swedish industrialized timber-housing manufacturers. The case studies included interviews with top managers concerning purchasing, production and supplier relationships. Production is considered the heart of the company. Therefore, to gain an in-depth knowledge of how production affects purchasing and thus supplier relationships and vice versa, observations were made to study the production process. Many different parts and competences need to be coordinated in the creation of a house. In the West, the construction industry has been heavily criticized for low efficiency and effectiveness. Conclusions from the case studies showed that codevelopment, customization and secure deliveries are regarded highly by industrial house builders and to obtain them, long-term relationships with suppliers are preferred. Industrialized house builders are argued to have more long-term relationships with their suppliers than traditional on-site builders. Industrial house builders choose their suppliers based on the purchased products’ value-in-production rather than price. Product and process innovations created in collaboration with suppliers seem to be a way to enhance the production process of houses. Through the site resource of the factory, industrial house builders have the potential to refine their processes in win-win partnerships with suppliers for a more efficient and effective production of houses, as onsite work is harder to standardize and control.

In economic and management literature, the relationship between supplier and buyer can be more or less intimate. It can vary from market-driven with a constant change of suppliers to a value-driven relationship with one sole supplier. Purchasing strategies of construction companies have often been described as short-sighted, where price is the most considered aspect. Recent lean management literature promote value-driven purchasing, since it provides benefits such as just-in-time delivery, zero defects and customized products through close technical collaboration. This article hypothesises that value-driven purchasing of customized kitchen cabinets is more profitable than market-driven purchasing in industrialized housing construction. The hypothesis is examined through a case study of kitchen carpentry at one of Swedens largest producers of industrialized prefabricated multi-storey housing. By comparing characteristics of market-driven vs. value-driven purchasing, this article aims to further clarify the benefits and drawbacks of these two strategies. At the case company, kitchens are ordered cabinet-by-cabinet and then installed inside the factory. The company is considering the possibility of a long-term relationship with a smaller local supplier that can deliver a new kind of innovative kitchen cabinet solution that is prefabricated. If the local supplier can meet the expectations of just-in-time delivery, zero defects and a product tailor-made for the housing company, there is much to gain.

In economic and management literature, the relationship between supplier and buyer can be more or less intimate. It can vary from market-driven with a constant change of suppliers to a value-driven relationship with one sole supplier. Purchasing strategies of construction companies have often been described as short-sighted, where price is the most considered aspect. Recent lean management literature promote value-driven purchasing, since it provides benefits such as just-in-time delivery, zero defects and customized products through close technical collaboration. This article hypothesises that value-driven purchasing of customized kitchen cabinets is more profitable than market-driven purchasing in industrialized housing construction. The hypothesis is examined through a case study of kitchen carpentry at one of Sweden’s largest producers of industrialized prefabricated multi-storey housing. By comparing characteristics of market-driven vs. value-driven purchasing, this article aims to further clarify the benefits and drawbacks of these two strategies. At the case company, kitchens are ordered cabinet-by-cabinet and then installed inside the factory. The company is considering the possibility of a long-term relationship with a smaller local supplier that can deliver a new kind of innovative kitchen cabinet solution that is prefabricated. If the local supplier can meet the expectations of just-in-time delivery, zero defects and a product “tailor-made” for the housing company, there is much to gain.

Purpose - This article hypothesises that value-driven purchasing of customized kitchen cabinets is more profitable than market-driven purchasing in industrialized housing construction. The hypothesis is examined through a case study of kitchen carpentry at one of Sweden’s largest producers of industrialized prefabricated multi-storey housing. By comparing characteristics of market-driven vs. value-driven purchasing, this article aims to further clarify the benefits and drawbacks of these two strategies.

Design/methodology/approach - A theoretical framework is proposed by comparing characteristics of market-driven vs. value-driven purchasing that clarifies the benefits and drawbacks of these two strategies. An explorative case study of kitchen carpentry at a house manufacturer illustrates purchasing of kitchen cabinets in the industrialized housing industry in relation to the proposed framework.

Findings – According to the case study, from a value perspective, a long-term relationship with a dedicated local, smaller supplier is a preferable choice over a short-term bulk supplier, even if the short-term supplier has (much) lower prices.

Research limitations/implications – This is a single-case study that should be verified by further empirical work of a test-delivery from the local sub-system manufacturer. Such a study would provide more insights into this area of work and make it possible to thoroughly evaluate potential risks. The indicative results in this paper can be made conclusive through quantification of the proposed Lean purchasing characteristics.

Originality/value – A comparison of value-driven and market-driven purchasing is carried out in theory and applied to a real case study that brings new perspectives to purchasing. In this way, the article proposes alternative purchasing strategies to the construction industry.

The specific topic of innovation in construction has only recently been given as much attention as in many other sectors. In the realms of lean production, much literature points out that the peculiarities of production in the construction industry lead to variability and thus waste and low performance levels with respect to productivity and value to clients. Innovative component solutions could possibly decrease the variability and complexity and therefore solve these issues. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate some potential areas where innovative house components could possibility decrease construction complexity and create a leaner construction process. A case study was conducted to collect data from bathrooms and kitchen installations at a house construction company. The impact of this research may have commercial value for suppliers, since they often are the drivers of innovation. The social impact of the research is to highlight problem areas that can enhance the final product for endcustomers. Enhanced system design may also contribute to greater production efficiency and reduced waste, leading to a lower impact on the environment.

The kitchen is the heart of the house where people spend much of their time. It is, therefore, an important room that requires high quality. Because construction is argued to be unproductive and wasteful with low quality, studying a kitchen assemblage in detail is of particular interest due to its complexity with many details. In lean, the visualization and transparency of processes is the core for waste reduction and improvement. Low productivity levels are often argued to depend on a lack of information about the root causes of process problems. Thus, more information about the installation process of kitchens by studying the process is needed to target the sources of problems in terms of waste. The purpose of this paper is to gain a further understanding of how value stream mapping can be used to identify different types of waste that occur when acquiring and installing kitchens. Value stream mapping is carried out through observations and interviews at an industrialized timber house manufacturer. Data analysis resulted in information about inconsistencies in the kitchen installation process, i.e. the root causes of costs and delays for the entire housing project.

The purchasing strategies in the construction industry have been considered by many writers in construction management as short-term and arms-length. However, a different picture is portrayed in the manufacturing industry, where the purchasing strategies are mostly long-term to secure supply for production. Industrialized building is at the crossroad between construction and manufacturing, which raises the question of what purchasing strategies are applied. The purpose of this study is to investigate how the Kraljic model (1983) can be applied in an industrialized housing factory. The purchasing strategies were studied through interviews with the CEO of a timber housing manufacturer in northern Sweden. Industrialized housing manufacturers can take advantage of standardized construction systems and secure production flows that eliminate waste and improve quality. Evidence proves that long-term relationships similar to those in the manufacturing industry also exist in the construction industry regarding factory production. The analysis of these strategies suggests that the total product offer, including logistic services, plays an important role in choosing supplier.

Many writers in construction management have been considered purchasing strategies in the construction industry as short-term and arms-length. However, a different picture is portrayed in the manufacturing industry, where purchasing strategies are often long-term to secure supply for production. Industrialized building is at crossroads between construction and manufacturing, which raises the question of what purchasing strategies are applied. The purpose of this study is to investigate how the Kraljic model (1983) can be applied in industrialized housing. The purchasing strategies were studied through interviews with three top managers at three different timber-housing manufacturers in northern Sweden. Industrialized housing manufacturers can take advantage of standardized construction systems and secure production flows that eliminate waste and improve quality. Evidence proves that long-term relationships similar to those in the manufacturing industry also exist in the construction industry regarding factory production. An analysis of these strategies suggests that the total product offer in terms of customization, including logistic services, plays an important role in choosing a supplier to satisfy the needs of efficient production. A new model is developed regarding the effectiveness of the purchasing strategies on the production process, where products are classified according to value-in-production instead of their monetary value.

Social media has led to a difference in people’s daily communication patterns, recently also increasingly so for businesses. This means a change in how the marketing and communication among companies should be carried out, since a company always should be present where its customers are. This is probably especially important for an organization planning to exist on the Internet alone. In social media, the target group is particularly important in the development of communication messages. However, for the company, this also means decreased control over the communication with customers.

This thesis aims to find out how social media can be used from a marketing and communications perspective to enable the food blog Chefs' Table to reach and maintain a successful relation with the target group. Qualitative interviews have been used in order to find out how the target group perceives social media and how they want to be contacted through them. Further, their reactions to the blog Chefs' Table and how the communication of the blog should be designed to appeal to them were investigated.

The analysis of the qualitative interviews shows that social media primarily are used to receive feedback and acknowledgement from other people. This could include participation in discussions or exchange of inspiration, ideas and tips through linking. The recipes, the opportunity for interaction or to influence the content and that others spread the word of its existence are the features that attract the target audience to a food blog. The target group would like to receive feedback and be allowed to interact.

The content on the blog should have a personal appropriation, be professionally educational but easy going and entertaining. In addition it should be possible to decide when and how to view content, thus it is important that the target group is offered the possibility to choose among several different communication channels.

The recommendations for Chefs’ Table are that they should have a light-hearted, yet professional tone, offer recipes whatever the occasion and give instructions in an educational way wihout being too strict. Chefs’ Table should have a personal touch that does not try to fit everyone. In addition, users should be encouraged to participate in discussions and sometimes be allowed to influence the contents of the blog.

Keywords: Social media, blog, Internet, target group, communication, communication messages, interaction

This study develops and tests a model of information search in complex buying. We incorporate three categories of influences of organizational, personal and situational factors that affect information searching efforts. A sample of 96 of the largest Brazilian firms reported their use of the various influences in the decision to purchase integrated business management systems. Findings show that formalization of the organization is a key driver of information search efforts. Situational characteristics of importance, novelty and bargaining power increased the level of information search. Also, conformity of the purchasing agent and organizational centralization reduce information search efforts among the sampled Brazilian firms.

I denna artikel analyseras affärsmodellerna hos våra två största tillverkare av kontorsmöbler. De båda företagens modeller liknar varandra i stor utsträckning, dock har Kinnarps vuxit sig drygt två gånger större än EFG, vilket kan tyda på en mera konsekvent genomförd strategi. Båda företagen är operativt excellenta inom produktion, Kinnarps har en mycket stark logistikverksamhet i egen regi, medan EFG har en stark säljplattform och större kontroll över processen fram till avslut. Kinnarps har kommit längst att i affärsmodellen bredda sortimentet till att täcka in både kontors- och miljömöbler. Även EFG har breddat sig genom förvärvet av en norsk tillverkare av kontorsstolar. Det som blir allt viktigare är kontrollen över egna säljkanaler och där ligger EFG före, men Kinnarps har ställt om strategin i samma riktning. Båda företagen har stora internationella ambitioner, Kinnarps är nummer tre i Europa och EFG är bland de tio största. Vad internationaliseringen mycket handlar om är att bygga positioner marknad för marknad, där det vikigaste kanske är att komma över säljkanalerna men även kompletterande produktion för den specifika marknadens krav. De stora kontorsmöbeltillverkarna kan även vara lokomotiv för mindre företag. Om detta i praktiken kan ske utan eget ägande är väl en mera öppen fråga.

Fördjupad analys inom IS Trämanufaktur i syfte att identifiera aktörer, affärsmodeller och systemkoncept som bättre integrerar de olika värdekedjorna – från träråvara till byggande och boende – inom sektorn

Trämanufaktur- och möbelbranscherna har under perioden 2001-2007 gått från en omsättning på ca 45 till 60 miljarder SEK. Trämanufaktur har haft en imponerande tillväxt, från 28 till 40 miljarder, med Möbler uppvisar en,något mera blygsam utveckling (från 17 till 20, exklusive Kök/bas som räknas till Trämanufaktur).

Av speciellt intresse är att delbranschen Prefabricering av flervåningshus mm (exkl småhus) haft den snabbaste tillväxten på 71 % under perioden 2005-2007 och vuxit till en storlek på ca 2,4 miljarder SEK. Man placerar sig även i en grupp av högpresterande delbranscher (eller strategiska grupper) som har en genomsnittlig lönsamhet under perioden 2001-2007 på 10 % avkastning på totalt kapital eller högre. Även delbranscherna Småhus, Kök/Bad och Fönster inom Trämanufaktur och Sängar inom Möbler placerar sig i det högpresterande segmentet. Bland lågpresterarna ifråga om lönsamhet återfinns Golv, Limfog/limträ inom Trämanufaktur samt Designmöbler för offentligt bruk, Traditionella hemmöbler och Underleverantörer på Möbelsidan.

Vi kan också konstatera att båda branscherna omsättningsmässigt domineras av i detta sammanhang stora företag (över 100 MSEK) och att de större företagen också är lönsammare. En djupare analys av de båda delbranscherna visar ett antal faktorer som utöver storlek är viktiga för framgång: 1) Värdeskapande i erbjudandet (system lönsammare än produkt och komponent), 2) kontroll över säljkanalen samt 3) att man vänder sig till konsumenter (B2C) istället för företag och organisationer som kunder(B2B).

  As a consequence of increased outsourcing, companies become more and more virtual organisations and dependent upon external sources to reach their strategic objectives. Here, lacking supplier performance or commitment can result in failure of the outsourcing programme that significantly risks the financial results of the outsourcing company. Consequently, when outsourcing it is important to assure that the supplier performs as expected. This study uses a Balanced Scorecard (BSC) perspective for investigating performance measurements in outsourcing. The results illustrate the importance of a process perspective when outsourcing (securing volume, high quality at the right time). Formulating a BSC for a supplier, an outsourcing company could better control/steer the supplier on an output/performance level.

Svenska industriföretag rustar idag för en ständigt ökad konkurrens, vanligtvis genom att pressa kostnaderna och anpassa sig till lägre internationella prisnivåer. Samtidigt arbetar man på att knyta kunderna närmare till sig, med ett djupare engagemang i kundernas verksamheter. Om man lyckas inträffar det paradoxala att istället för att bli utkonkurrerad av företag från lågkostnadsländer, så förstärks positionerna hos kunder och mera generellt på marknaden. En fördjupad relation uppnås genom att erbjuda en mer heltäckande lösning, ett helhetserbjudande som integreras som en viktig del i kundens verksamhet. Företagets affärsmodell styrs in mot att tjäna pengar på en redan installerad kundbas, genom att under hela erbjudandets livscykel tillföra kompletterande erbjudanden som utgår från att effektivisera kundens affärs- och produktionsprocesser. Dessa utvecklade affärsrelationer kräver en väsentligt bredare coh djupare interaktion med kunderna. Det blir viktigt för företaget att på djupet förstå kundens verksamhet och affär. Detta blir en nödvändighet för att kunna skapa och utveckla attraktiva kunderbjudanden.   

The changing market conditions for the Swedish sawmill industry place a focus on a better understanding of the pros and cons of value-added and forward integration strategies. The purpose of this article is to describe and explain recent value-added strategies in the Swedish sawmill industry. The study includes strategies from 13 of the 15 largest sawmill companies for the period between 2002 and 2005, describing a differentiation between value added in primary sawmill production and forward integration into secondary production. It also aims to relate some basic conditions, such as company size, company growth and corporate strategy, to value added and forward integration to profitability. The results show strong positive and significant correlations between forward integration, value added in primary production (somewhat weaker) and unit revenue, and profitability measured as return on investment. There were no strong or significant correlations between size and profitability, playing down the importance of economies of scale (among these already large companies). An interesting result is the much higher profitability of the buying sawmill companies compared with the forest corporations, stressing the importance of both a long-term strategy when investing in value-added activities and ultimately the priorities of ownership.

Purpose - Key account management (KAM) programmes are a way for companies to develop existing relationships and increase sales, thus being proactive and searching for opportunities (which is often expected of KAM). It is also a way to meet changing customer demands arising from changes in purchasing strategy, buyers mergers and acquisitions and the search for synergies in order to reduce costs. The purpose of this article is to analyse different key account management programmes on how they manage the sales process complexity and customer expectations. Design/methodology/approach - The paper draws on qualitative data collected during a field study of ABB and six of their major customers, based on annual or biannual interviews with 50 individuals within ABB from 1996 to 2006 and three to ten individuals from each of the customers. Interviewees included corporate managers, key account managers and sales personnel/project managers. The customers involved in the study belonged to mining, automotive, process equipment manufacture, building technology, energy production and telecommunication sectors. Findings - In this study three different programmes are identified and analysed: the proactive programme - which is driven by sales opportunity; the reactive programme - which is driven by customer demands; and the organisation-based programme - which is driven by the belief in customer-centric organisational units. Practical implications - The paper identifies sales aspects (complexities) of K-W programmes that are handled in different ways by different types of programmes. Originality/value - With an empirical base the paper provides a basis for understanding the reasons behind the establishment of several KAM programmes in the same corporation.

The purpose of this study is to contribute to a better understanding of service innovation by exploring realization as a part of service innovation. Service innovation can be described as something that creates value for customers through new service offerings or service processes while realization refers to the actual use or deployment of the service.

My research approach is based on a multiple case study, that focuses on three international firms with origins in Sweden. Empirical material has been gathered through interviews and focus groups. A literature review that tracks the evolution of service innovation further contributes to the exploration of the service innovation concept.

Innovation has traditionally been connected to new technology and new products. However the present study has found that service innovation has evolved into a multifaceted concept. Specifically, service innovation is not restricted to the development of new products and services in the shape of new offerings, it also becomes relevant to consider the actual usage of the service offerings. In order to fully understand the process of service innovation, it is important to include the usage of a service offering in the service innovation concept. This realization occurs when the service offering is introduced and used in the customer’s processes, and typically involves both the customer and the provider.

This research illustrates how realization requires resources from both the provider and the customer. In general, the realization part of the service innovation process requires more participation from the customer than the development of new offerings. However, this can vary depending on the customer’s competence, intention to interact and level of commitment. Considering an active or recipient customer role and also whether the service offering is directed at the products or the customer processes, this study shows how these different service offerings will have different impacts on service innovation realization, for example, in terms of different resources being required.

The extended view of the service innovation concept, includes realization, and is therefore not limited to developing new offerings. This view implies that new areas of innovation that do not necessary need to include new technology, but contribute in other ways to customer value creation must be propelled into focus. Productivity improvements in customer processes are becoming important since they help create customer value (reduced costs, improved quality, reduced down-time etc.). Empirical evidence shows how service offerings that emphasize improvements in customer processes have become more important. This thesis discusses how this view of productivity can result in important benefits for customers, as consideration is given to both customer satisfaction and the use of customer resources. In this respect, productivity becomes a part of the extended service innovation concept.

Extending the service innovation concept by adding realization implies an increased emphasis on deployment, and implicitly on customer value creation. Thus, service innovation becomes critical for gaining long-term sustainable competitive advantages through service.

Purpose: The concept of service modularity often excludes the important link between the provider and the customer. By recognizing the role of the customer’s competences and activities in service modularity, this study investigates how value co-creation can be understood in terms of service modularity and offers implications regarding how firms choose their modular strategies.

Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative study of three Swedish manufacturing firms moving toward an increased service focus (service infusion) relied on data collected through interviews and focus groups. This gathered information supported a conceptualization of modular services that reflects provider and customer information, activities, and competences.

Findings: Services can be co-created, so service modules should include  customer elements. This inclusion increases the complexity of the modules, as well as the potential value for customers and providers. The observation of customer-specific and supplier-specific sections of modules is an important finding that should lead to further developments of modularity in a service context.

Originality/Value: This article contributes to the emerging research field of service modularity by providing empirical insights into how service modularity can help achieve more efficient services. In particular, this study notes the need to recognize customer-specific activities and competences as pivotal parts of modular services. Such insights are particularly relevant given the established view of service modules as functions of intra-firm activities.

Purpose: Service productivity has received increasing attention as service continues to cover greater parts of the economy. And as the competition increases, the need to look at service productivity becomes increasingly important. However, there is scant research on developing services that are both efficient and with high customer satisfaction. The present study aims to address this topic by conceptualizing the applicability of lean principles to service.

Design/methodology/approach: The paper presents a conceptual analysis of the six most commonly used lean principles in manufacturing and their applicability in a service context for different types of services.

Findings: The study suggests promising synergies, as well as important obstacles, for applying lean principles in services. Standardizing services and increasing reliability in service processes through lean principles can increase efficiency. However, the active role of the customer in certain services along with simultaneously high diversity makes it increasingly difficult to apply lean principles. Also, customer satisfaction must be considered when improving service productivity, otherwise the positive long-term effects of a lean approach in service will be absent.

Practical implications: The findings are useful for organizations aiming to improve their service productivity. Particularly, lean principles are invaluable to increase the efficiency for services with low diversity and low customer participation. This paper suggests a direction for the proper use of lean  principles for different service types, and how efficiency and customer satisfaction is affected through a lean approach.

Originality/Value: The study contributes to the research on service productivity. The study also contributes to continuing discussions on prototypic characteristics of service and manufacturing orientations.

Purpose – Service productivity continues to receive ever-greater amounts of attention as service covers a greater portion of the economy. As competition increases, service productivity becomes increasingly important. This study aims to explore the applicability of lean principles in a service context and to conceptualize how these principles impact service productivity.

Design/methodology/approach – This paper presents a conceptual analysis of the six most commonly used lean principles in manufacturing and their applicability to a service context for different types of services. Using this analysis, six propositions are developed to examine the influence of lean on service productivity.

Findings – This study suggests promising synergies, as well as important obstacles, for applying lean principles in services. Standardizing services and increasing reliability in service processes through lean principles can increase efficiency. However, the customer's active role in certain services and, simultaneously, high diversity make the application of lean principles increasingly difficult. Also, customer satisfaction must be considered when improving service productivity, otherwise the positive long-term effects of a lean approach in service will be absent.

Practical implications – These findings are useful for organizations aiming to improve their service productivity. Particularly, lean principles are invaluable to increase efficiency and customer satisfaction for services with low diversity and low customer participation. This paper suggests a direction for the proper use of lean principles for different service types, and how efficiency and customer satisfaction are affected through a lean approach.

Originality/value – This study contributes to the research on service productivity and continues the discussion on prototypic characteristics of service and manufacturing orientations.