Dissertationen zum Thema „Strategy change process“

Abstract Technological advancement in the field of information-and-communication technologies (ICT) was rapid during the first decade of the new millennium. Universities started to use the new information-and-communication technologies more in their core processes, which speeded up their transformation from the traditional campus mode toward virtual universities. Research done in this thesis first investigates the traditional campus university’s change process toward the virtual university model. During the implementation process a geographically distributed e-learning concept was also developed for university use. This concept was transferred and researched in the small and medium enterprise (SME) context in the last part of this research. In large and complex organizations such as universities, it is difficult to find out how the change really was implemented. The literature on change management is voluminous but is dominated by descriptions of single projects. To overcome the limitations of such case studies, this research applies a longer and wider perspective to the change process and, by the introduction of an overarching method that categorizes the investments, shows more clearly the trends, stages of, and the barriers to the development. This long-term study is based on 116 development projects during a ten-year period in a decentralized and networked development environment. In the company setting, conventional training is being replaced more and more by e-learning. To scaffold SMEs in their e-learning adaptation, the concept of e-learning was transferred to the SME environment. The company cases’ part of the thesis presents how the transferability of geographically distributed e-learning concept was developed and tested in the SME environment. As a result, the principles that guided ICT strategy implementation and how the strategies were implemented during a ten-year period are presented. The concept for geographically distributed e-learning environments and its development are also introduced. Finally, the process and results from the concept implementation to the SME environment are presented. This thesis presents university management with an understanding of how larger long-term trends give us the possibility to better understand today’s fast-paced changes. It also gives company managers an example of how models developed in the university environment can be transferred to the company environment
Tiivistelmä Tietotekniikan kehitys on ollut nopeaa vuosituhannen vaihteen jälkeen monilla aloilla. Yliopistoissa sitä on alettu käyttää yhä enemmän osana perustoimintoja, mikä on edistänyt niiden kehitystä traditionaalisista kampusyliopistoista kohti virtuaaliyliopistoja. Tämän tutkimuksen ensimmäisessä osassa on tarkasteltu perinteisen kampusyliopiston muutosprosessia kohti aktiivisesti uutta teknologiaa hyödyntävää yliopistoa ja toisessa osassa muutosten yhtenä tuloksena syntynyt konsepti siirrettiin yritysympäristöön. Yliopistossa muutos toteutettiin määrittelemällä ensin tavoitteet strategioiksi ja sen jälkeen niiden toimeenpanoprosessin avulla. Suurissa organisaatioissa, kuten yliopistoissa, on vaikea hahmottaa kuinka muutokset todellisuudessa toteutetaan. Kirjallisuutta ja tutkimusta organisaatiomuutoksen toteuttamisesta on paljon, mutta suuri osa siitä keskittyy tarkastelemaan yhden projektin aikana tapahtunutta muutosta. Tässä tutkimuksessa on pyritty esittämään laajempi ja pitkäkestoisempi kuva muutosprosessista. Tutkimus pohjautuu 116 kehitysprojektin saamaan rahoitukseen kymmenen vuoden ajalta. Sen avulla on tarkasteltu yliopiston kehitystrendejä ja keskeisiä kehityskohteita. Rahoitus on jaettu projekteille strategioissa määriteltyjen tavoitteiden mukaisesti strategioiden toimeenpanemiseksi. Osana toimeenpanoprosessia syntyi yliopistokäyttöön maantieteellisesti hajautetun oppimisympäristön konsepti. Yritysympäristössä perinteinen koulutus on korvattu yhä useammin teknologiaa hyödyntävillä koulutuksen muodoilla. Pienillä ja keskisuurilla yrityksillä on kuitenkin varsin rajoitetut resurssit koulutuksessa käytettävien teknologioiden käyttöönottoon ja tehokkaaseen käyttöön. Tämän tutkimuksen toisessa osassa yrityksen maantieteellisesti hajautetun oppimisympäristön käyttöönottoa pyrittiin tukemaan tarjoamalla sen käyttöön valmis yliopistoympäristössä kehitetty konsepti. Tämän konseptin siirrettävyyttä ja käyttöönottoa tutkittiin tutkimuksen toisessa osassa. Tämän tutkimuksen tuloksena esitetään periaatteet, jotka ohjasivat yliopiston tieto- ja viestintätekniikan opetuskäytön strategian laadintaa ja toimeenpanoa vuosina 2000–2009. Lisäksi esitellään maantieteellisesti hajautetun oppimisympäristön konsepti. Lopuksi esitellään konseptin käyttöönottoa yritysympäristössä. Tämä väitöskirja esittelee yliopiston johdolle ja toimijoille, kuinka pitkäkestoisten trendien tunteminen auttaa ymmärtämään nykyhetkeä ja sen nopeita muutoksia. Yritysjohdolle väitöskirja tarjoaa esimerkin, kuinka yliopistoympäristöön kehitetty konsepti voidaan siirtää yritysympäristöön

Organizational innovation has been of central interest in recent years because of its importance for organizational survival and competitive advantage. Researchers in the field have divided the innovation process into stages in an attempt to understand the innovation process and the factors that affect it. However, empirical studies that examine the relationship between the stages are scarce. In addition, although business strategy is emphasized as an important factor in the innovation process, little is known about its role in the innovation process and its effect on the stages. This research provides empirical support for the relationship between the stages of the innovation process and the moderating effect of organizational strategy on the relationship between the stages within the two stage model of innovation. In this study, a direct, positive relationship is proposed between the innovation generation (first stage) and innovation outcome (second stage) stages of the innovation process. Dimensions of innovation outcome that are examined include innovation type (product innovation and process innovation), innovation radicalness and innovation frequency. Low cost, differentiation and market orientation strategies are proposed to be moderators on the relationship between the stages. To test the proposed relationships, a survey was mailed to executives who are involved in the innovation process in organizations where innovation is expected to be common and they were asked to complete the questionnaire. Hierarchical regression was the primary data analysis method and General Linear Model was applied as the pot-hoc data analysis method. Results of the primary data analyses provided support for the direct, positive relationship between the innovation generation and innovation outcome stages of the innovation process. Specifically, there was a direct, positive relationship between innovation generation and product innovation, process innovation, innovation frequency and innovation radicalness. Result of the primary data analysis provided support for the moderating effect of strategy (market orientation and differentiation) on the relationship between innovation generation and only innovation frequency dimension of innovation outcome. Post-hoc analysis suggested a significant moderating effect of strategy (market orientation and differentiation) on the relationship between innovation generation and innovation radicalness dimension of innovation outcome. Limitations of the study and directions for future research are discussed.

Abstract Bachelor Thesis 15hp, Business Program, School of Business and Economics at Linnaeus University, Controller, 2FE20E, VT 2018 Title: Implementing a Strategic Change - A Case Study on Visma Spcs Authors: Philip Bergsteinsson, Christoffer Walfridson, Filip Öggesjö Examiner: Elin Funck Tutor: Anders Jerreling Background and problem: Strategy work is a process consisting of two parts, formulation and execution. Companies that execute a strategy change are facing major challenges. Business strategy studies have shown that companies do not achieve their full potential and that there are a number of difficulties in strategy execution. Purpose: The purpose of the essay is to test the model of strategy execution that Kaplan and Norton have created and how it’s followed in an active strategy change. The essay will provide insight into the pitfalls and obstacles of the strategy implementation. Method: The study that has been conducted is a case study of a qualitative nature. The empirical material has been collected by means of semi-structured interviews. Conclusion: Visma Spcs is in the middle of the Vision 2020 process, a strategy change started in 2016. During these years, they have been working hard to formulate, implement, communicate, and get employees to understand Vision 2020 in order for the entire organization to work towards the common goals. The study highlights a number of problems Visma Spcs has with the strategy change, some are part of communication and knowledge about the strategy others are how to work with the process. Kaplan and Norton have created a process in six steps for strategy implementation, a process that, according to the purpose of the paper, is tested in this study. There have been identified some similarities with Visma Spcs strategy implementation and the theory, but also a number of deviations. The main points of the paper's conclusion are that Visma Spcs needs to work more with communication and feedback around Vision 2020.
Sammanfattning Kandidatuppsats 15 HP, Civilekonomprogrammet, Ekonomihögskolan vid Linnéuniversitetet, Controller, 2FE24E, VT 2018 Titel: Att genomföra en strategiförändring - En fallstudie på Visma Spcs Författare: Philip Bergsteinsson, Christoffer Walfridson, Filip Öggesjö Examinator: Elin Funck Handledare: Anders Jerreling Bakgrund och problem: Strategiarbete är en process som består av två delar, formulering och genomförande. Företag som genomför en strategiförändring står inför stora utmaningar. Studier inom företagsstrategi har visat att företag inte uppnår sin fulla potential och att det finns en rad hinder och svårigheter vid strategigenomförande. Syfte: Uppsatsens syfte är att testa den modell för strategigenomförande som Kaplan och Norton har skapat samt hur den efterföljs i en aktiv strategiförändring. Uppsatsen ska vidare bidra med insikt i strategigenomförandets fallgropar och hinder. Metod: Studien som genomförts är en fallstudie av kvalitativ karaktär. Det empiriska materialet har samlats in med hjälp av semistrukturerade intervjuer. Slutsats: Visma Spcs är mitt uppe i processen Vision 2020, en strategiförändring som tog fart 2016. De har under dessa åren arbetat flitigt med att formulera, implementera, kommunicera och få medarbetare att förstå Vision 2020 för att hela organisationen ska arbeta mot de gemensamma målen. Studien visar och belyser ett antal problem Visma Spcs har med strategiförändringen, några är en del av kommunikation och kännedom kring strategin andra är hur man arbetat med processen. Kaplan och Norton har skapat en process i sex steg för strategigenomförande, en process som enligt uppsatsens syfte testas i den här studien. Det har identifierats en del likheter med Visma Spcs strategigenomförande och teorin men även en hel del avvikelser. De viktigaste punkterna i uppsatsens slutsats är att Visma Spcs behöver arbeta mer med kommunikation och återkoppling kring Vision 2020.

Abstract In this study, I address the need for an in-depth understanding of the temporal nature of strategic change. Accordingly, I examine how strategic change emerges in time in a small Finnish software company. The data for the study consists of strategy-making discussions with three company managers during the course of two years. With this study I contribute to process organization studies in general and post-processual strategy research in particular. By following a process-relational view of becoming reality and adopting an “in-time” view of temporality, I add to discussions on the temporal nature of strategy work. The in-time view enables me to examine strategic change as the fluidity of the present, in which both the past and the future are immanent. In addition to highlighting that processuality cannot be reduced to human actions, I follow the notion of agentic time, which analytically gives agency to relational events. With the in-time view, I aim to unpack especially two underlying tendencies behind theorizations of strategic change: first, the overemphasis on managers as the principle, controlling agents of strategic change, and second, the reduction of the complex and fluxing change processes into simple, static models. With the empirical analysis, I identify five ways in which the agency of time perceptibly manifests in strategic change: unforeseen events, the becoming meaning of events, the immediacy and irreversibility of an emerging situation, the immanent past in the present, and the conditionality of time. I also show the paradoxical tension between organizing processes efficiently over time and experiencing and reacting to novel events in time. Furthermore, I illustrate the multi-event nature of strategic change and show how the managers’ intentionality emerges from within relational events. In contrast to the prevailing view of strategic change as a pre-planned, future-oriented managerial activity, with this study I add to our understanding of strategic change as a continuous, unpredictable process emerging through the mutually constitutive relation between unowned events and human actions. Accordingly, I argue that temporality should be treated as a fundamental characteristic of reality, which defines the dynamics of strategic change, rather than as an objective background or subjective construction of strategy-making
Tiivistelmä Tällä tutkimuksella vastaan tarpeeseen ymmärtää syvällisemmin strategisen muutoksen ajallista luonnetta. Sen vuoksi tarkastelen tässä työssä, miten strateginen muutos kehkeytyy ajassa pienessä suomalaisessa ohjelmistoyrityksessä. Tutkimusaineistoni koostuu yrityksen kolmen johtajan kanssa käydyistä strategiakeskusteluista kahden vuoden ajalta. Tutkimukseni kontribuoi yleisesti prosessuaaliseen organisaatiotutkimukseen ja erityisesti jälkiprosessuaaliseen strategiatutkimukseen. Tuon tutkimuksessani esille ajallisuuden näkökulman muutosprosessiin. Seuraan prosessi-relationaalista aikakäsitystä, jossa menneisyys ja tulevaisuus nähdään läsnä olevina alati kehkeytyvässä nykyhetkessä. Sen mukaisesti korostan ajan agenttista luonnetta prosesseissa ja keskityn analyysissäni yksilöiden sijaan relationaalisiin tapahtumiin keskeisimpänä muutosvoimana. Tällä näkökulmalla pyrin ohittamaan erityisesti kaksi vallitsevaa strategiatutkimuksen ongelmaa: yritysjohdon roolin ylikorostamisen muutoksen hallitsijana, sekä monimutkaisen ja dynaamisen muutosprosessin liiallisen redusoimisen staattisiksi malleiksi. Tutkimuksessani tunnistan viisi ajan agenssin ilmenemismuotoa strategisessa muutoksessa: odottamattomat tapahtumat, tapahtumien ajassa muuttuva merkitys, elettyjen tilanteiden välittömyys ja peruuttamattomuus, menneisyyden läsnäolo nykyisyydessä, sekä ajan ehdollisuus. Lisäksi osoitan työssäni paradoksaalisen jännitteen ajan yli jatkumaan ja kehittymään suunniteltujen käytäntöjen, sekä ajassa kehkeytyvien hallitsemattomien tapahtumien kohdatessa. Korostan työssäni myös muutostapahtumien monitahoista ilmentymistä ja osoitan, kuinka johtajien tarkoitukselliset toimet muodostuvat tapahtumien sisällä. Tutkimuksellani kyseenalaistan käsityksen strategisesta muutoksesta suunniteltuna, tulevaisuusorientoituneena prosessina. Sen sijaan kuvaan sen jatkuvana ja ennustamattomana prosessina, joka kehkeytyy hallitsemattomien tapahtumien ja yksilöiden toimien sisäisenä dynamiikkana. Väitän, että ajallisuus tulisi nähdä todellisuutta luovana voimana joka määrittää strategisen muutoksen prosessuaalisen luonteen, eikä pelkästään tapahtumien objektiivisena taustana tai ihmisten subjektiivisena tulevaisuuden ja menneisyyden tulkintana strategiatyössä

Strategic management is concerned with the understanding, as well as choosing and implementing, the strategy or strategies that an organisation follows. It is a complex process which can be considered from a number of different perspectives. There is no single approach, model or theory to the management of strategic change. Pressures to change are always present in the form of opportunities and threats and managers must establish what approaches and decisions are likely to prove the most effective. The study was designed to help dental laboratory managers develop strategic awareness, to determine the issues and questions which must be addressed if changes in strategy are to be formulated and implemented effectively. The managerial and behavioural processes which take place within the laboratory in order that they can understand how changes come about are also discussed. Case studies of companies and dental laboratories are used jointly with the relevant literature to evaluate the theories and concepts of strategic management and implementation of change models provide a framework for evaluating how managers can reach their decisions and reach their objectives. The study has shown that the strategic ideas and methods used by private sector companies and discussed in the relevant literature can be adapted to provide a framework for managing the process of strategic change in a hospital dental laboratory.

This thesis investigates the role of organisational self-understanding in strategy processes. The concept of organisational self-understanding denotes members’ understanding of their organisation’s identity. The study illustrates that strategy processes in companies are processes of self-understanding. During strategy making, strategic actors engage in the interpretation of their organisation’s identity. This self-understanding provides guidance for strategic action while it at the same time implies understanding strategic action from the past. Organisational self-understanding is concerned with the maintenance of institutional integrity. In order to achieve this, those aspects of selfunderstanding that have become particularly institutionalised need to develop in a continuous manner. Previous literature on strategy and organisational identity has put too much emphasis on the stability/change dichotomy. The present study shows that it is possible to maintain continuity even in times of change. Such continuity can be established by avoiding strategic action that is perceived as disruptive with regard to self-understanding and by providing interpretations of the past that make developments over time appear as free from ruptures. Self-understanding is hence an inherently historical phenomenon. Empirically, this study is based on in-depth case studies of strategy processes in two large Swedish companies, namely the truck manufacturer Scania and the bank Handelsbanken. In each of the companies, three strategic themes in which organisational self-understanding has become particularly salient are studied.

The strategy and change management fields have developed new perspectives in recent years. Studies show that a high percentage of strategic change efforts fail and it was argued that one problem was the unsuccessful communication of the vision and strategy to employees. This exploratory research studied the use of graphic facilitative methods within the context of an organisation's strategic change process. Phase one of the explorative study was carried out using the combination of interview data, workshops and literature to identify emerging themes and to develop a conceptual model. Phase two of the study was again exploratory but more focused on the themes that had emerged from the preliminary study. Data was collected through interviews, observational methods, survey and a more focused literature review. Through the combined findings of the preliminary and focused study and from the literature, the author established an understanding and theory of how the methods contribute to improved strategy communication. The research has re-enforced the view in literature that the strategy communication process will be more successful by ensuring the strategy is driven by the right people and the strategy development is realistic. The use of graphics, metaphors, stories and dialogue, in combination, can help to improve the strategy communication process by conveying a clear strategic message, by facilitating an interactive strategy communication process, by encouraging communication in an open and safe environment, and because they are new, innovative and different.

Even though companies are facing a continuously changing environment, far from all businesses manage to succeed with their organizational changes. (Olson, 2008) If wanting to meet market demands and avoid unnecessary costs it is important to ask the question if we can, in some way, predict, understand or influence the process of change. (Ahrenfelt, 2001) The purpose of this thesis is to determine if life-cycle theories can be used exclusively when planning and managing a process of change. To answer the purpose, the thesis is based upon a qualitative case study at Consafe Logistics group. Theobjective with the empirical studies, executed through nine interviews with various managers, was to determine whether or not life-cycle models and organizational culture can be of assistance when managing change. The studies showed that the opinions differ between the respondents and that the topics internal communication and documentation were frequently brought up during the interviews.

Theoretically, this thesis addresses different life-cycle change theories and an alternative model for implementing change through organizational culture. Furthermore the theoretic section considers the areas Project organization, Leadership in processes of change, Knowledge, competence & education, Internal communication and Documentation. The thesis showed that applying life-cycle theories to a change can be of limited use since there are big difficulties in placing the different activities throughout the change in achronological order. The theories can be used however to highlight the relationship between activities which can be useful for making time savings. Irrespective of the order activities are managed in a process of change, measurable goals, feedback and support throughout the process are central for the change’s outcome. This thesis has resulted in a general life-cycle model for managing organizational change based upon existing theoriesand empirical studies. Finally, culture and inertia are described as two factors that either facilitate or inhibit the success of the change depending on how they are managed.

Problem:

To identify how the ideas for the reorganization at Mälardalen University surfaced and explain how the strategy then translated into the organization. This will be studied by using models intended for private organizations that hold relevance for public organizations.

- What parts of the process can be described as emergent, deliberate, intended, realized and unrealized?

- What influenced the reorganization process?

- In this process, how does Mälardalen University use the concept of strategy?

Purpose:

The aim of this thesis is to explain a strategic organizational change process in a large organization. The choice fell on Mälardalen University due to its accessibility and significant size. By interpreting the empirical material, the underlying causes will be brought to the surface. The result will aim to explain how a change process might occur in a large organization and how internal and external influences were reflected in the strategic path.

Method:

The empirical data collected for this thesis was obtained through qualitative semi-structured interviews with organizational members on a managerial level. One focal organization was used for a case study. The theoretical framework had a knowledge base, based on some theories by Henry Mintzberg. After the collection of primary data additional theories were added.

Results:

The reorganization at Mälardalen University was an emergent process where the solutions and impacts were altered and adjusted along the way. In this reorganization the process has been evolving and progressing within a frame created by a few predetermined desires and plans. It also became evident that strategy for Mälardalen University is a way to achieve a position where they can benefit from their competitive advantages. The position is the goal and the way in which to get there is not as important. This has opened up the process to be as emerging as it has been. This emergent process has been allowed to progress in changing directions where decisions are taken as the solutions are found, muddling their way through the process.

This thesis reports a study of the internationalisation processes of 16 industrial SMEs located in the county of Jönköping (Sweden). More specifically, it identifies changes in international strategies, identifies reasons why changes are undertaken and discusses how these changes can be understood when placed in the context of the internationalisation process. The findings show that industrial SME managers tend to stress the importance of foreign sales but are often much more reluctant to buy products abroad. This means that while changes in foreign sales market strategy occur frequently in many firms, the process of foreign sourcing market expansion unfolds more slowly, involving fewer markets. The findings also indicate preferences for a low degree of complexity in foreign sales and purchasing. Therefore, industrial SMEs typically become involved in more complex ventures like foreign subsidiaries only when this is perceived as necessary, for example when there is risk of losing a foreign market. Mostly, changes in industrial SMEs’ international strategies are undertaken as responses to external opportunities, such as unsolicited orders. Changes much less frequently find their origin in internal initiatives. This pattern appears to pervade throughout the internationalisation process, even if a more critical attitude towards potential changes arises with increasing experience.

Globally, nurses' contribution to informed health policy decisions is limited, as there are many barriers to Nurse led change to successfully influence the HIV and AIDS policy process. In South Africa nurses at all levels of health care are not involved or consulted during the formulation of the HIV and AIDS workplace policy. This has led to concern about the absence of nurses at the policy table. This study forms part of a larger international study programme entitled: “Strengthening Nurses’ Capacity in HIV and AIDS Policy Development in Sub–Saharan Africa and the Caribbean”. This programme of international research aims to empower nurses to become involved in the policy process (formulation, implementation and evaluation) in order to strengthen health systems in the areas of HIV and AIDS care. Nurses' absence at the policy table prompted the researcher to explore and describe barriers to Nurse led change to influence HIV and AIDS workplace policy. Phase 1 of the research consisted of a literature review to identify barriers to Nurse led change to influence the HIV and AIDS workplace policy. Management's opinion about the human resource management capacity and problems experienced working in an HIV and AIDS environment was obtained through a quantitative and qualitative empirical method of data collection and analysis. Frontline nurses' perspective was obtained through qualitative interviewing to identify problems experienced with policy in an HIV and AIDS workplace environment. A mixedmethod triangulation research design was used to achieve the objectives of phase 1 of the study, and strategies applied included exploratory, descriptive and contextual designs. The analysis of the data contributed to the identification and classification of problems experienced by nurses to influence HIV and AIDS workplace policy at macro, meso and microlevel, resulting in the formulation of fifty–nine (59) concluding problem statements. These concluding statements formed the basis for the strategy development for Nurse led change to influence HIV and AIDS workplace policy, which was the only objective of the second phase of the research. The strategy for Nurse led change to influence HIV and AIDS workplace policy was developed by using a strategic process to determine the vision, mission, values, principles, assumptions, strategic objectives and functional tactics based on the concluding problem statements. Finally, the research was evaluated, limitations were identified and recommendations were formulated for practice, education, research and policy.
Thesis (Ph.D. (Nursing))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Abstract Literature on strategic management has largely concentrated on strategy formulation, or, the analysis of strategic content, whereas limited attention has been given to the implementation of strategy, or the analysis of the strategic process. This study represents process research and approaches strategy as practice. The aim of this study is to increase both empirical and theoretical understanding of the nature of the processes or generative mechanisms through which the strategies are formed in small software companies – i.e., to open up the ‘black box’ of strategy formation. The field of strategic management studies is mapped with the help of reviews and meta-theoretical analyses conducted by other researchers, shedding light on the content aspect of strategy. To understand the process and context of strategy, the network perspective and the research of change are reviewed. Based on the literature review and data analysis, an a priori model is developed. The empirical research is based on the analysis of the development process of three entrepreneur-led software companies located in Kajaani, Finland, and the research is conducted as a process research using the method of a multiple case study. Based on the data analysis and the a priori model, the generative mechanisms inside the process of strategy formation in the case companies are identified: situational and transformational mechanisms, formed by the interplay of Network Visioning and Organising, and action-formation mechanism, formed by the interplay of Strategising and Organising. By opening up the ‘black box’ of strategy formation, this study increases the understanding of the reality of small software companies and the effect of the context of software business on the development of the companies. Recognising the different elements affecting strategy formation may help the companies to be aware of the mechanism affecting their development and to guide the development in the direction deemed appropriate.

Background: Understanding the process of strategy change offers a unique insight into the functioning of an enterprise. While well-researched in the context of Western private firms, this process has attracted relatively little attention in state-owned Chinese enterprises. A research on this topic is particularly pertinent today, when many Chinese state-owned enterprises have attracted attention of international investors and the Covid-19 pandemic situation has created unprecedented challenges for daily operations of enterprises.  Purpose: In order to understand the process strategy change, this research has focused on the elements of the strategy change process and the role of institutional pressures in it on an example of China Eastern airline: a state-owned listed enterprise in China.  Method: This is a qualitative case study based on 7 semi-structured interviews with the employees of China Eastern Airlines. A thematic analysis is used for analyzation of the primary data. Findings/Conclusion: This research has confirmed the presence of concurrent processes of planned and emergent strategy change processes and the impactful role of normative and coercive pressures in the processes of change. Several deviations from the previous theories of strategy change were detected and attributed to the differences in national and organizational culture. The findings of this research confirm the general similarity of the process of strategy change during and outside crisis and highlight the potential cultural differences in strategy change in Western and Chinese firm.

The diploma thesis deals mainly with the design of a structured proposal of information strategy of an insurance broker company, based on an analysis of the current state of specific processes of the selected organization and their optimization with the aim of designing the structure and requirements for a new information system. Emphasis is also placed on change management, designing time and content schedules, and managing related risks.

Dissertação de Mestrado em Estratégia
A concorrência local e global entre as organizações suscita a necessidade de criar diversos mecanismos de diferenciação a diferentes níveis, para manter os níveis de competitividade. Estas podem necessitar de desenvolver estratégias ao nível do mercado, do produto e/ou de processos, assim como focar também a cultura organizacional e os ativos humanos. Os gestores devem cada vez mais aprofundar o seu conhecimento, no sentido de criar processos internos de mudança congruentes com o seu modelo de negócio, que promovam a inovação constante, o alinhamento cultural e consequentemente o aumento da satisfação dos seus colaboradores e a produtividade da empresa, assim como de todos os stakeholders. A presente investigação tem como objetivo a contextualização teórica acerca da mudança da cultura organizacional na Carl Zeiss, um modelo desenvolvido e aplicado numa organização internacional, onde é focado o processo de desenvolvimento e implementação desse mesmo modelo. Procedemos a um estudo de caso, em que é analisado o modelo de mudança cultural da Carl Zeiss, uma empresa global. Considerando o grupo Carl Zeiss como uma learning organization, pretendemos investigar como o Modelo de Mudança Cultural promove a inovação e as alterações na liderança.
In a globalized economy the competition among organizations push them to the need to create several mechanisms to make a difference in the market. The firms need to develop different market, product and process strategies, as well as to focus the organizational culture and human assets. Managers must understand and create internal change processes adapted to their business model, which ought to promote cultural alignment and consequently the increased satisfaction of the workers, the firm productivity and the satisfaction of the stakeholders in general. Our research aims to develop a reflexion and a standard in theoretical terms about the cultural change. We aim to understand the importance of the organizational culture, the way it appears and we want to present a specific organizational change model, developed and used in an international organization, as well as to show how this model is developed and put into place. We made a case study where we analyse the cultural change model of Carl Zeiss, AG a global organization. Considering the Carl Zeiss group as a learning organization, we want to research how the Cultural Journey model promotes innovation and the leadership style change.

Titel: Implementering av förändring - En fallstudie om att hantera förändring i offentlig sektor. Författare: Frida Andersson, Anna Johansson & Madeleine Palo.Institution: Linnéuniversitetet, Ekonomihögskolan. Program: Human Resource Management.Kurs: Företagsekonomi III – Organisation, Kandidatuppsats. Handledare: Hans Wessblad. Examinator: Mikael Lundgren. Syfte: Syftet med vår studie är att göra en utredning av vilket tillvägagångssätt en offentligorganisation använder sig av vid implementering av förändring. Metod: En fallstudie som behandlar implementering av förändring ur ett organisationsperspektiv. Studien har genomförts med en kvalitativ forskningsstrategi och en deduktiv metod. Slutsats: Resultatet av studien visar att implementeringen har skett ur ett strategi E-perspektivmed fokus på planering och förändring av strukturerna i organisationen. I vår undersökning framkommer det att lärarna inte fick vara med och påverka i förändringsarbetet. Ledarna påvisade också strategi E genom att de var styrda att agera enligt den förutbestämda planen. Nyckelord: Planerad förändring, strategi, medarbetare, ledarskap, organisationsförändring, motstånd, implementering av förändring.

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The main objective that motivated this research was to analyze the formation process of marketing strategies in the newspaper Correio da Paraiba in the period from 1991 to 2010. The research sets a qualitative kind, descriptive and is a single case study. The research scenario was the newspaper Correio da Paraiba, which covered six interviewed, three from top management (CEO, superintendent and executive director) and three from mid-level directors (marketing director, commercial director and managing editor). In the data collection was mainly used the semi-structured interview technique, as well as direct observation. The interviews were recorded and later transcribed for qualitative data analysis and the observations were made through field notes. Data analysis involved the description and interpretation of different aspects of the phenomenon investigated. Four critical events and strategic phases of the newspaper were identified. The results said that the context alternated moments of external and internal turbulence. Over the period studied, strategic changes were identified, mostly, due to the action of the external environment factors, such as politics, economy and society, as well as an adaptive cycle due to the advent of a new technology. It was realized that the constant adjustment of marketing strategies to external factors, as a response to threats, the newspaper featured into a reactive company. Internally, there was a change in power relations, where it had previously isolated groups who did not share ideas and information, now there is integration with a goal of a greater good, the newspaper. It was confirmed the essential role of leaders where, in a first moment, there was the superintendent forming strategies and making decisions. Later there was the division of power between the superintendent and the executive director, where both gave autonomy to the mid-level boards form their own strategies for their respective divisions, since they were aligned with the general directives of the top management. Marketing strategies have been identified in order to launch new products, segmenting them, place them and promote their sales. Because this is the business area that keeps the contact between the company and the external environment, something perceived by the leadership of the newspaper, marketing has grown in importance and many of these strategies that added for the company to become market leader, were created by the department. It was observed that the mode of formation of the marketing strategies of the newspaper occurred in two stages, and in the first half of the researched time was the entrepreneurial type and the second half was the umbrella and imposed types. Contributions of this study: it is important to have an understanding on the part of the managers about the internal and external context in which they are inserted, because they can guide the organization to obtain or maintain competitive advantage; the managers participation in the management of internal conflicts is critical to business success; the expansion of knowledge about the strategy formation process is a source of competitive advantage, because only the very organization known as the competence of its people and their own capabilities are interrelated and, consequently, is more difficult for competitors trying to play things inherent to each company.
O objetivo central que motivou esta pesquisa foi analisar o processo de formação das estratégias de marketing no jornal Correio da Paraíba no período de 1991 a 2010. A pesquisa se configura de natureza qualitativa, do tipo descritiva e é um estudo de caso único. O cenário da pesquisa foi o jornal Correio da Paraíba, onde abrangeu seis entrevistados, sendo três da alta administração (diretor-presidente, superintendente e diretora executiva) e três das diretorias de nível médio (diretor de marketing, diretor comercial e editor geral). Na coleta de dados utilizou-se principalmente a técnica de entrevista semi-estruturada, além da observação direta. As entrevistas foram gravadas e transcritas para análise qualitativa dos dados e as observações foram feitas por meio de notas de campo. A análise dos dados compreendeu a descrição e interpretação de aspectos distintos do fenômeno investigado. Foram identificados eventos críticos e quatro fases estratégicas do jornal. Os resultados permitiram afirmar que o contexto alternava momentos de turbulência externa e interna. Ao longo do período pesquisado, foram identificadas mudanças estratégicas devido à ação, principalmente, de fatores do ambiente externo, tais como política, economia e sociedade, além de um ciclo adaptativo em decorrência do advento de novas tecnologias. Percebeu-se a constante adaptação das estratégias de marketing aos fatores externos, como forma de resposta às ameaças, caracterizando o jornal como uma empresa reativa. Internamente, houve a mudança nas relações de poder, pois onde antes havia grupos isolados que não compartilhavam ideias e informações, agora observa-se integração com o objetivo de um bem maior, o jornal. Notou-se ainda o papel essencial dos líderes onde, em um primeiro momento, havia a figura do superintendente formulando as estratégias e tomando as decisões. Posteriormente houve a divisão de poder entre o superintendente e a diretora executiva, onde ambos deram autonomia para as diretorias de nível médio formarem suas estratégias para suas respectivas divisões, desde que estivessem alinhadas com as diretrizes gerais da alta cúpula. Assim, estratégias de marketing foram identificadas com o objetivo de lançar novos produtos, segmentá-los, posicioná-los e promover suas vendas. Por ser a área empresarial que mantém o contato entre a empresa e o ambiente externo, algo percebido pela cúpula do jornal, o marketing cresceu em importância e muitas dessas estratégias, que agregaram para que a empresa se tornasse líder de mercado, foram criadas pelo próprio departamento. Observou-se que o modo de formação das estratégias de marketing do jornal ocorreu em duas etapas, sendo a primeira metade do período pesquisado do tipo empreendedor e a segunda metade do tipo guarda-chuva e imposta. Contribuições desse estudo: é importante haver uma compreensão por parte dos empresários acerca dos contextos interno e externo onde estão inseridos, pois estes podem guiar a organização a obter ou manter vantagem competitiva; a participação dos gestores na gestão de conflitos internos é crucial para o sucesso empresarial; a expansão do conhecimento sobre o processo de formação estratégica é fonte de vantagem competitiva, pois só a própria organização sabe como a competência dos seus indivíduos e suas próprias capacidades são relacionadas entre si e, como consequência, é mais difícil para competidores tentarem reproduzir algo inerente a cada empresa.

This master's thesis concerns the problems of choosing the right information system, or more precisely the changeover of information system in a small company. It describes a possible solution on a concrete example of customer care support process by means of the tools of ICT. In the theoretical part it looks in more depth at the information system as a whole unit and also at the (often omitted) success factors of implementation of changes. The analytical part contains predominantly the preparation and analysis of information needed for the selection of suitable solution and the preparation of demand. The focal point of the practical part consists of the proposal of a possible solution, modelling of procedures, the preparation of the modification project and the economical evaluation of these proposals.

Over the years, information technology has created opportunities to improve and extend businesses and to start conducting business in new ways. With the evolution of IT, all businesses and industries are becoming increasingly digitized. This process, or coevolution, of IT and business coming together is called digital transformation. One of the recent trends in this digital transformation is the use of application programmable interfaces (APIs). APIs are standardized digital communication interfaces, used for communication and exchange of information between systems, services and devices (such as computers, smartphones and connected machines). API communication is one of the foundational building blocks in recent disruptive technology trends such as mobile and cloud computing. The purpose of this study is to gain an understanding of the business impact that is created in digital transformation related to the use of APIs. To investigate this novel area, an exploratory study is performed where a frame of reference with an exploratory framework is created based on established academic literature. The exploratory framework consists of three main parts which cover the research questions, including Business Drivers, Business Model Change & Innovation and Challenges & Limitations related to API-enabled digital transformation. The framework is used to gather empirical data consisting of two types, interviews (primary data) and contemporary reports (secondary data). Interviews are performed with API-utilizing companies, consulting firms and IT solution providers and contemporary reports are published by consulting and technology research and advisory firms. Two main business drivers are identified in the study. The first is Understanding & Satisfying Customer Needs which is derived from companies experiencing stronger and changing demands for automated, personalized value-adding services. This requires higher degree of integration across channels and organizations. The second driver is Business Agility, which derives from higher requirements on adapting to changing environments while maintaining operational efficiency. Cost Reduction is also mentioned as a third and secondary driver, as a positive side-effect in combination with the other drivers. The identified impact on business models is that business model innovation is mostly happening in the front-end of business model towards customers. Several examples also exist of purely API-enabled businesses that sell services or manage information exchanges over APIs. The challenges and limitations identified are mostly classic challenges of using IT in businesses and not specific to use of APIs, where the general consensus is that IT and business need to become more integrated, and that strategy and governance for API-initiatives need to be established.

The Swedish Defence bill of 2015 demonstrated a rapid change in policy objectives, consequently moving away from an expeditionary force and converging into a territorial defence force. Previous research has attributed and explained the quick shift to the geostrategic unbalance that followed after the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014. Yet, major policy changes are often years in the making, indicating that there must be additional explanations to the rapid shift. By applying a modified version of John Kingdon’s (2011) Multiple Streams Framework on the case of Sweden changing its security and defence policy, this thesis examines the policy process that preceded the official policy decision. The thesis provides further explanation to why the rapid policy change occurred by utilising qualitative content analysis. The analysis shows that the new policy was adopted due to several factors: one being the attention brought to several problems pertaining to the previous policy, another one was found in the timing between focusing events and the on-going work process of the Swedish defence commission, and lastly, strong actors within the policy field were in favour of a change in policy. The thesis concludes that the presence of several factors within the processes of politics, policy and problems enabled the rapid policy change.

Current UK public health policy and research identifies potential health risks of physical inactivity and high levels of sitting. This is a particularly pertinent issue for office workers, who spend, on average, over two-thirds of the work day sitting. This thesis reports on the design and evaluation of a multicomponent sit-stand desk intervention, delivered within two not-for-profit office-based organisations in London, England. A mixed method study design was employed. A pilot randomised controlled trial examined the efficacy of the intervention on reducing sitting and increasing standing and physical activity, using wearable monitors to measure outcome variables at baseline, and at four additional timepoints up to 12-months following the onset of the intervention. A process evaluation, including in-depth qualitative interviews and participant observation, investigated the processes that influenced the feasibility, acceptability and efficacy of the intervention. Mixed-model ANOVA indicated that the intervention reduced workplace sitting, on average, by 38 minutes, however there was no significant influence on workplace physical activity, or any of the outcome variables across the whole day. The process evaluation revealed that discourses surrounding employee health and organisational effectiveness, and employees' health-focused occupational identities increased the acceptability of sit-stand desk provision, whereas monetary concerns, a centralised organisational structure and incompatibility of the sit-stand desks with the workplace environment negatively influenced implementation feasibility. The sit-stand desk design, expectations and outcomes related to health and productivity, and the organisational culture and interpersonal relationships positively and negatively influenced sit-stand desk experience to differing degrees between participants. Mixed method analyses of outcome and process data illustrated the potential for integrating findings to enhance understanding of 'what works' within behavioural intervention research. Sit-stand desks are not a one-size-fits-all solution to reducing sitting and increasing physical activity, however, they should be available to office-based employees as part of a wider workplace health strategy.

Det är inte mycket i vår vardag som undkommit att påverkas av digitaliseringens framfart. Mycket handel sker idag över internet och våra bankärenden görs idag allt mer frekvent genom mobiltelefonen. Utvecklingen pekar mot att konsumenter av olika produkter och tjänster blir allt mer digitala i sin relation med olika organisationer. När konsumenternas beteenden ändras påverkas även företagen som tillhandahåller de olika produkterna och tjänsterna.Denna trend har kunnat uppmärksammas i redovisningsbranschen. Allt fler digitala tjänster har på senare tid dykt upp på den svenska marknaden i form av bokföringsappar och förenklade program som ska underlätta för företagare att själva sköta sin bokföring. Den här studien syftar därför till att studera fenomenet. Studien uppmärksammar hur olika aktörer i branschen ställer sig till förändringarna genom att belysa vilken strategi och eventuella förändringsprocesser de har gentemot digitaliseringens möjligheter och utmaningar. Redovisningsbranschen tillhör en gren inom affärsprofessionalismen som är en svag form av profession. Därför har forskning kring både maskinbyråkratier och professioner varit av relevans för utformandet av studiens referensram där vi tar upp olika sätt digitaliseringen påverkat dessa typer av organisationer.Studien syftar till att belysa hur redovisningsbranschen reagerar på och väljer att bemöta digitaliseringens utmaningar och hur strategierna skiljer sig åt beroende på hur de ställer sig till utvecklingen. Vi har valt en kvalitativ metod till studien och har genomfört semistrukturerade intervjuer med sju stycken auktoriserade redovisningskonsulter på olika redovisningsbyråer i Västra Götaland. Resultatet av vår studie visar att strategierna för att bemöta digitaliseringen skiljer sig åt mellan byråer och vi har kunnat urskilja tre dominerande strategier som vi redogör för i vår analys. Vi har i studien även kunnat observera att vissa delar hos redovisningsbyråerna skiftar från att vara professionellt strukturerade till att anamma egenskaper från maskinbyråkratin vid förändringsprocesser gentemot digitaliseringen.
It is not much in our everyday lives that escapes to be influenced by the progress of digitization. Much trade is today done over the internet, and our banking errands are being made more frequently through smartphones. The trend indicates that consumers of different products and services are becoming increasingly digital in their relationship with different organizations. But a change in consumer behavior also affects companies that provide the different products and services.This trend has been observed in the accounting profession. Many digital services have recently appeared in the Swedish market in form of apps and simplified programs that will make it easier for business owners to manage their bookkeeping themselves. This study therefore aims to study that phenomenon. The study draws attention to how different actors in the profession adapt to the changes by highlighting the strategy and possible change processes they proceed to face the potentials and challenges of digitization. The accounting profession belongs to a branch of business professionalism, which is a weak form of profession. Therefore, research on both machine bureaucracies and professions has been relevant to the design of the study's reference framework, where we address the different ways digitization influences these types of organizations.The propose of the study is to highlight in which ways the accounting profession reacts and chooses to respond to the challenges of digitization and how the strategies differ depending on their attitude towards the development. We have chosen a qualitative method to our study and have conducted semi-structured interviews with seven certified accounting consultants at various accounting agencies in Västra Götaland, Sweden. The result of our study shows that the strategies for managing the digitization differ between agencies and we have been able to distinguish three dominant strategies that we describe in our analysis. We have also observed that certain parts of the accounting agencies shift from being professionally structured to acquire some characteristics from machine bureaucracies in the change processeses towards the digitization.This study will hereafter be in Swedish.

Changes in sectors and industries have brought new challenges to corporations as well as been important driving forces for the dynamics in strategy at the corporate level. With the dramatic developments of the 1990’s in mind, such as multilateral free-trade agreements, liberalization, privatization, sharp industry growth/decline, increased competition and globalization, in particular within the telecom and the construction industry, this study contributes to describing and understanding strategic change at the corporate level as well as changes in the division of work within value chains. Strategy is defined as intentions, decisions and actions that relate to bundling and unbundling at different strategic levels, aiming to establish and reestablish a value chain position. Thus, outsourcing, M&As, modularization and systems development and sales are important strategic components which are examined from a value chain perspective. From a value chain perspective, the purpose of this study is to describe and understand strategic change at the corporate level in the telecom and construction industries during the 1990’s. More specifically this study shall contribute to describing and understanding (i) the dynamics of and between M&As, outsourcing, modularization and systemization, as well as (ii) industrial and financial drivers to strategic change.

The conclusions describe strategic change from a value chain perspective using three descriptive patterns, including an increasing degree of specialization and need for interorganizational coordination across the value chain. In addition, outsourcing and modularization of systems and an increased scope of offering through systemization and BOT-projects, result in the fact that due to M&As the horizontal boundary of the firm sometimes goes beyond the industry scope while the vertical scope is often narrowed through outsourcing. The conclusions also focus on understanding the content of strategic change, that is to say the dynamics of and between mergers and acquisitions, outsourcing, modularization and system sales. These findings are summarized in nine explanatory patterns. These patterns show that the strategic decisions of bundling and unbundling at the corporate and functional level through mergers and acquisitions, outsourcing, systemization and modularization are guided by an industrial as well as a financial logic. By considering the descriptive and explanatory patterns found this study, the conclusions also include what to expect during the next decade with regard to corporate strategy from a value chain perspective in five predictive patterns.

This thesis investigates the deregulation of the audit industry in Sweden, the changing competitive environment and innovativeness, a research gap that has not yet been bridged. This paper raises the question of how the innovativeness of firms within the audit industry have changed after deregulation. The ambition of this research is to have both theoretical and practical knowledge contribution. The theoretical framework constructed for this research is rooted in the literature review of three areas: strategy and competition, deregulation, and organizational innovativeness. These three streams of research are used in order to examine the expectations that the industry has on the changing strategic landscape. Four perspectives and schools of thought in strategy and competition literature are reviewed: the competitive forces, strategic conflict school, resource-based school, and dynamic school. These schools are then put into two categories that are substantial opposites of one another; market power and efficiency. The need to consider these perspectives are addressed as follows: the perspective of competitive forces allows for understanding the industry structure, the strategic conflict school – to analyze the moves and interactions between competitors, the resource-based school – to understand firms resources, and finally, the dynamic school – to understand firms processes and capabilities. Summarizing and integrating these perspectives formed a hypothesized understanding that reflected the effects of deregulation and organizational innovativeness. In order to avoid modest pattern of deregulatory effects that could emerge by observations made in the early stage of deregulation, a methodological point of departure that is socially constructed and the production of knowledge that is based on interpretations and narratives were argued for. The research is furthermore based on a mix of deductive and inductive approach. The discussion with an industry member led to an interesting research context chosen as unit of analysis, which included the emerging tension between auditors and accounting-consultants. While the auditors’ believed in negative effects from the deregulation, the accounting-consultants had the opposite perception. Case-study approach with semi-structured and open-ended interviews were conducted on representatives from six firms, half of which represented the auditors and the rest the accounting-consultants.  The presentation of results followed the structure of market power, efficiency, and organizational innovativeness. The analysis of the results shows how firms within the audit industry had changed during the transition towards post-deregulation era. It shows how the previous construction of the audit-industry, characterized by homogeneity, has been decomposed and transformed to become more heterogeneous, by the new attractions and alternatives that now exist on the market. These attractions and alternatives creates incitement for decreased interaction between competitors that causes firms to engage in conflicts, and to redistribute their resources in order to imitate each others processes, which in turn creates new organizational innovativeness. The findings of this research also shows how the resources that were possessed by the firm before the deregulation tend to determine how the firm utilize the innovativeness in relation to the market after the deregulation.

This thesis deals with assessment of the company information system and proposal for its changes. The basis of part called Theoretical basis of thesis deals with terms related with information systems which are mainly: used technology and analysis, characteristics of information systems, current trends and brief characteristics of the company. The next part draws from theoretical findings of previous section and deals with analysis of the solved issues. The following part is devoted to proposal for solution connected with project evaluation and also with the brief cost calculation.

There are a growing number of rich, qualitative studies investigating patterns in the development of strategic change. These reveal that it is not possible to understand the incremental and emergent nature of strategic change in organisations without recognising the impact of micro organisational political and social processes. However, few studies set out to explore in depth the implementation of a particular strategic change initiative to examine how these micro processes affect the way the implementation develops through time. This thesis uses a longitudinal real-time case study of a planned strategic change implementation to do this. It examines how facilitating and obstructing processes developed during the implementation, and how these interacting processes affected the way the implementation progressed, from the perspective of middle managers as change recipients. r The findings show that during intended change implementation, the planned interventions put in place by senior managers as they intentionally try to carry out change also lead to the development of emergent facilitating and obstructing processes. A sensemaking perspective is adopted to show how these emergent change elements arise from recipient interpretations of the planned change interventions. A theory of mediation is proposed to account for the findings. However, the contribution of the research is not to do with the identification of the centrality of sensemaking processes during change. It is an empirical study which draws on existing theories on sensemaking to show how recipient sensemaking contributes to both intended and unintended change outcomes, thereby providing fresh insights into how and why change implementation becomes an emergent and incremental process. The thesis has four main parts to it. The first part deals with the research background and methodology; the second part the research site context and, the ethnographic stories of change; the third part the findings and theory development; and the last chapter the theoretical and practical implications of the research findings.

Abstract

Change process in the company nowadays is one of the main factors, for sustainable growth and development in the market. Moreover, a change process should be dynamic – the company should take into consideration many factors; not only the ones happening inside the organization, like education of the employees and their motivation, but also the processes outside the organization – change in the environment, new requirements from the state, and competition. In this thesis a company that faced a change process, due to a changing environment, is analyzed.

Smaland Airport is a small airport located in southern Sweden, five kilometers outside Växjö city. Because of its geographical location it plays an important role not only in the city but in the whole region. The airport was used by 170 000 passengers in the 2005, and the situation is improving. But that is not even close to the 270 000 passengers in year 2000. [56., 14]. What happened?

On the 11th of September, 2002, a lot of people all over the world saw on their TV screens the events in New York that changed the world forever. One of the industries that faced the most radical changes was the airline industry, along with the airports. If airlines could choose other routes, lower prices, or fly to different airports, then airports had a small, if any, possibility to change, so they had to adapt to the new situation and use the changes as an opportunity.

Smaland Airport, previously known as Växjö Airport, felt these changes almost immediately. In 4 years they lost almost 50% of their customers. [56., 14]. Big airlines (like SAS) withdrew several flights immediately after 9/11. The future of the airport was very unclear. Everyone in the airport understood – if we are not going to change our strategy on how to earn money (airport taxes), then our future will be like the other airports in our region, which were already closed down (the airport is a state-owned company, which is financed by the state in case of financial losses).

Jan Fors, the managing director of the airport, decided to change Växjö Airport into a well-known brand, which would offer clients more services. The name of the airport was changed to Smaland Airport (Småland – region in southern Sweden), therefore emphasizing the airport’s role in the whole region. Now negotiations have begun with Ryanair about further cooperation, which, unfortunately have been stopped because of the unclear situation regarding the Swedish government’s decision about extra environmental taxes for each ticket (approx. 100 Swedish crown or 11 Euros). The airport has also opened direct charter flights to several European destinations, and has signed an agreement with SAS for about 5 flights per day to Stockholm, which is an impressive number for a small city like Växjö. The airport is also attracting new companies, like car rental companies, tourist agencies, and advertising agencies.

A lot of changes have also happened inside the company – the number of employees has been reduced, but extra employees have been hired for the marketing department. Some employees had problems understanding the necessity of change. They also had trouble with having more freedom to put their ideas into action while keeping in mind that it should bring profit for the whole company.

This thesis will mainly analyze the internal changes at the Smaland Airport, and will concentrate on finding the problems which are stopping the development of the company. Of course, external factors also will be taken into consideration. This thesis has been written using the qualitative approach, comparing the existing situation with theory and then drawing the appropriate conclusions. Finally, the current situation is compared to that of the year 2002.

To get a whole picture about the change process in Smaland Airport, interviews were used as the main source of information; the reader can get acquainted with the whole text of them in the appendix. Interviews were made with the people working in the airport (like the managing director and managers), people working for the airport (security, cafeteria), as well as the owners of the airport (city council). Therefore the author has tried to obtain the information about the issue and people’s perception about change from as many points as view as possible.

In addition to the interviews, information is also obtained from the airport’s internal materials (intranet, presentations, statistics as well as yearly overviews), as well as materials about the airport (internet, information in the newspapers). In this thesis there are 103 pages, 15 figures and 2 attachments.

Having been running for over 10 years, the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is considered an innovative and successful mitigation initiative. CDM has the dual aims of helping industrialised countries achieve compliance with their emission limitation and reduction commitments in a cost-effective way, while simultaneously assisting developing countries in sustainable development. This thesis does a comprehensive analysis of the dual aims of CDM and is intended to assist in discussions about the post-2012 regime regarding CDM. To analyse the aim of assisting mitigation in a cost-effective way, the prices of certified emission reductions (CERs) on the international carbon market was studied and the provision of CDM was tested by comparing the amount of CERs with the mitigation commitments of the Annex I countries. It was found that CDM plays an important role in maintaining the international carbon price at a low level and that the total amount of CERs alone had already reached up to 52.70% of the entire mitigation commitments of industrialized countries by the end of 2010 and was continuing to grow before 2012. A theoretical analysis of the impacts of CDM showed that CDM has a double mitigation effect in both developing countries and industrialised countries, without double counting at present. A quantitative evaluation of the effects of China’s CDM projects on China’s total emissions showed that the contribution of CDM projects to limiting total emissions is small due to the dominance of fossil fuels, but CDM’s role in stimulating renewable energy is significant, e.g. about 11% of hydropower and 93% of wind power was generated by CDM projects in 2010. The results provide strong evidence in support of CDM’s contribution under the current Kyoto Protocol mitigation regime. To analyse the aim of promoting sustainable development in developing countries, popular methods such as checklist, Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) and Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) were reviewed, a CBA of co-benefits of China’s CDM projects was carried out, and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method was applied in an experimental study. The results showed that every method has its own advantages and problems. In other words, neither the CBA of co-benefits nor the AHP method alone is able to assess sustainable development in a completely satisfactory way. Currently, a bottom-up approach through engaging local stakeholders in CDM design and approval, combining a mandatory monitoring and evaluation of co-benefits, could be more effective for safeguarding local sustainable development than any consolidated standards. The future of the CDM is still unclear mainly due to uncertainties about the post-2012 regime. This thesis shows that there is more than sufficient reason for CDM to continue after 2012. Industrialised countries in general should make more substantial efforts to reduce their domestic emissions rather than blaming developing countries. For developing countries, learning from the CDM projects and further applying the knowledge, technology and experiences to their domestic development agenda could be more valuable than the present CER revenues. CDM can be an important starting point for developing countries to gradually make incremental greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction and limitation efforts.
QC 20110817

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Industrial and Systems Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2007.
Branislav Vidakovic, Committee Member ; Chip White, Committee Member ; Amy Pritchett, Committee Member ; Ken Boff, Committee Member ; William B. Rouse, Committee Member.

Tjänster är en växande marknad där bemanningsföretagen har fått en ökad betydelse bland annat beroende av marknadens höga krav på tillgänglighet och flexibilitet. I dagens samhälle är det viktigt att produkter och tjänster inte bara fyller en funktion utan också uttrycker och förmedlar rätt budskap till intressenterna. Design har därför fått en allt viktigare funktion inom företag som vill utmärka och särskilja sig. För att frambringa ett starkt och trovärdigt varumärke som differentierar sig gentemot konkurrenterna, borde skapandet av varumärket inkluderas i en designstrategi där kvaliteten på designen är väsentlig. Studien syftar till att skapa en tydligare bild om och på vilket sätt ett tjänsteföretag arbetar med designstrategi i en förändringsprocess och hur de når ut till målgruppen. Urvalet för denna studie är tjänsteföretaget Academic Work, kommunikationsbyrån Naked, som företaget har tagit hjälp av i framtagandet av det nya konceptet, och slutligen en av företagets utvalda målgrupper, studenter. Genomförandet av denna studie bygger på kvalitativa intervjuer med Academic Work och Naked samt en kvantitativ enkätundersökning med målgruppen studenter. De viktigaste slutsatserna från studien är att Academic Work: Inte har en entydig och självklar syn på designstrategi utifrån en förändringsprocess. Inte uttalat varit medvetna om att design har betydelse när de skulle se över sin marknadsföring och kommunikationsplattform, och är inte, eller i vart fall i ringa ut-sträckning, medvetna om designstrategins betydelse. Anlitat externa konsulter för att få hjälp med förändringsprocessen och de har därigenom implementerat design och designstrategi i processen. Förutom slutsatserna kring Academic Work har även följande slutsatser dragits: Det är viktigt med en tydlig kommunikation mellan företaget och externa konsulter för att stärka företagets varumärke och värden. Enkätundersökningen visar på att företaget nått ut till ekonomer i större grad än till humanister. Studenterna beskriver Academic Work utifrån givna påståenden som: seriösa, intressanta, vägvisande, karriär och arbete.
Services are a growing market where agencies have taken on increased importance, partly because of the market's higher demands on availability and flexibility. It’s important today that products and services not only fulfill a function, they also need to express and convey the right message to the consumers. Therefore has design got an increasingly important role in companies. To generate a strong and credible brand that differentiates itself from competitors, a distinctive design and developed design strategy is necessary. The study aims to create a picture on whether and how a service company works with design strategy in a process of change and how the target group conceives the new design. This study is based in the service company Academic Work changed design, the communications agency Naked who helped them and one of Academic Works target groups, students. Information from above is given via qualitative interviews with Academic Work and Naked and a quantitative survey that students have filled in. The main conclusions of this study are that Academic Work: Not have a clear and obvious approach to the design strategy based on a process of change. Not explicitly been aware that the design has a meaning when they would review their marketing and communications platform, and is not or at least to a limited extent, aware of the importance of the strategy design. Used external experts, Naked, for help with the change process, have implemented the design and design strategy in the process. In addition to conclusions about Academic Work have also the following conclusions been made:  Communication between the company and external experts is important regarding companies brand and their values. The survey shows that the company has primarily reached out to economists in greater degree than the humanists. Students describe Academic Work, from given statements, as: genuine, interesting, pioneering, career and work.

Economic, technological, informational, social and political factors are driving organisations to pursue different forms to enable them to respond more quickly to a dynamic and changing environment. The relationship between business organisations and stakeholders has been evolving. The internationalisation of firms requires the development of skills and knowledge to enable them to compete through cooperation in the form of strategic alliances. The energy industry is high profile in many countries as natural resources are considered to be of national or public interest. The development of activities in this sector are highly influenced by economic, political and social factors. In the energy sector, which is different from other industries, the formation of strategic alliances has been normal practice. In order to face the challenges of an industry where cooperation is essential, the expectation is that their relevance as part of business practice will only increase. Despite their popularity, strategic alliances have a high failure rate. Consequently, there is a need to understand how and why strategic alliances succeed or fail in order to enhance the understanding of their performance. Research in the field is extensive but fragmented and there is insufficient literature on strategic alliances which takes a process theory approach. Conventional processes for the development of strategic alliances fail to integrate the wider elements which influence the alliance’s performance. Therefore, the research aim is to gain an in-depth understanding of the performance of strategic alliances in the energy sector. This is achieved through a qualitative study conducting comprehensive, semi-structured interviews with those with experience in strategic alliance development. Findings and literature show that each strategic alliance is unique - there is no a single definition. There are different types of strategic alliance and this could contribute to viewing strategic alliances as complex. In a dynamic and uncertain environment there is a need for flexibility and the capacity to adapt and accommodate change. The selection of the type of strategic alliance influences the degree of freedom to manage them. This highlights the degree of influence of the individual over the organisation and suggests considering this in the light of institutional theory, and around agency theory. Performance measurement is complex and requires a multi-perspective approach which includes softer metrics and taking stakeholders’ preferences into consideration. Partnering is complex; managing more that one organisation is difficult as they have different cultures and ways of working. The sense of equity of rewards for each partner impacts performance. Change is natural and complex, expectations, interests and objectives shift and failure could be merely a perception. Managers in alliances are constrained by the structure selected. In addition, they can face a dilemma over a conflict loyalty to the parent organisation and have some concerns about the future of their career. Furthermore, they expect endorsement from executives who influence the alliance through their decisions on structure and selection of management. The skills of managers are, therefore, important in enhancing performance within each alliance. The likelihood is that strategic alliances, and the rationale for implanting them, is going to continue to be relevant. The increasing participation of communities in these complex business decisions is also an important factor for consideration. My contribution to theory lies in developing a holistic dynamic multi-perspective process model of strategic alliances, integrating different theoretical approaches, the literature review, the findings of this research, and, finally, my personal experience in the field. The model created in this thesis utilises the explicated data themes to provide a framework in which strategic alliances can be analysed and performance understood. This framework also has practical implications which assists in the prevention of problems and poses possible solutions to make strategic alliances in the energy sector work more effectively.

The thesis describes an exploration and analysis of the nature of strategic decision-making processes (SDMP) in Libyan Commercial Banks. The role of 'rationality‘, 'intuition‘ and 'political behaviour‘ in five strategic decisions of very high importance were explored in this study, by conducting sixteen face-to-face interviews with senior decision-makers, all closely involved with the decisions, from three commercial banks. Other observations of SDM behaviour and documentary information were also recorded. Field work enabled analysis and interpretation of the perceived influence of `decision importance` on the process, as well as an exploration of the three key influencing factors on the SDMP. Consistent findings for the nature of the process were found for all five decisions. Rationality was a key factor of the process. Considerable efforts were made by key staff to gather and analyse information, discuss issues, as well as engage consultants and seek advice from Commercial Banks outside Libya. This finding appeared to reflect the high importance of the decisions coupled with the inexperience of the senior management group. This lead to some anxiety and, as a consequence, risk-reducing activities. The SDs were based on analysis, advice and past experience, rather than on personal judgement. None of the banks exhibited strong political or intuitive behaviour in their DMPs. Instead there was constructive consultation in making decisions. DM was driven by clear decision motives, the importance attached to the decision, and a committed effort to minimize uncertainty and risk. Other factors considered were that the decisions were financially rewarding, delivered customer satisfaction and employee welfare, as well as being socially acceptable. Analysis of the data has enabled the development of a model which is consistent with an interpretation that places 'anxiety‘ in the senior management group as the dominant factor driving the adoption of a rational approach to DM, with low intuitive or political activity. Anxiety is derived from the crucial importance of the decision, the relative inexperience of the senior management group, and some policy pressure from the Central Bank of Libya to change and modernize banking methods. The availability of resources and time to the senior group, in a generally munificent environment, also made it feasible for senior staff to adopt rational methods of analysis for DM, and as a consequence reduce their degree of anxiety.

Introduction Change is theorised as being inevitable and constant, yet it can be managed either proactively or reactively. It can occur incrementally as a process, or drastically and radically; this invariably affects the systems and sub-system. Most managers in the Public Service (PS), officials, consultants and practitioners conceptualise change management with minimal strategies of how to deal with it, especially when it occurs in an organisation. Change management needs key role players with respective roles to manage change within an organisation. Change management in this study is in the context of organisational strategic change, where human resource (HR) and line managers are regarded as key stakeholders in dealing with change, particularly strategic change, in the PS. Failed change efforts are due to inadequate change management competence, which ultimately demands effective change management solutions, tailor-made programmes and specific actions, including skills and roles that need to be applied. If change is not managed in an organisation, it creates resistance that is associated with negative emotions where individuals and collectives experience fear, anxiety, insecurity, loss of control, constant routines, traditions, lack of support, confidence and trust. At an organisational level it can result in inadequate performance due to unclear goals and affected employees not being involved in the planning of change, as well as poor management style and political dynamics within the organisation. The PS is in flux and is affected by the rapid pace of social, political and technological change. Change should be managed by HR and line managers in the PS. Research Purpose The aim of this study was to determine the different roles that HR and line managers play during various phases of strategic change in the context of the PS and to further explore if they actually fulfil those theoretically determined roles. Motivation for the Study The PS has undergone tremendous change, mainly to adapt its service delivery machinery to government’s broadened mandate to serve all of the people of South Africa. Therefore, the motivation of this study is based on the lack of success in the PS in delivering services as required. This necessitates change efforts to improve service delivery. The failure of change efforts due to insufficient change solutions by management in the PS creates a gap in knowledge about change management solutions in the PS. This knowledge gap exists as result of the fact that there has been no research that has explored, in any detail, specifically how HR and line managers go about managing change on a day-to-day basis. This indicates that there is a scarcity of prior empirical studies exploring how change should be managed in organisations, including the PS. Leaders and managers in the PS do not understand the complexities they are facing when dealing with change due to the lack of capacity in terms of roles in leading and managing the change process. Hence the motivation of the study seeks to determine change management solutions through key stakeholders, by exploring the roles of HR and line managers in managing and leading change in the Public Service.
Dissertation (MPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2016.
Human Resource Management
MPhil
Unrestricted

Background: To keep up with competitors and the ever-changing business environment, organizations constantly adapt and adjust their strategies. Strategic organizational change is the implementation of change to increase corporate performance and find new competitive advantages. Studies are showing how the majority of change processes fail. This high failure rate is dependent on several different factors. However, one factor which seems to be one of the most common is resistance to strategic organizational change. Resistance is often looked through a negative lens by the management, which can negatively affect the whole change process. Purpose: The primary purpose of this study is to increase the knowledge about resistance to strategic organizational change and explore the field of change management to yield valuable insights to managers' quest to implement change successfully. Research Question: How can understanding the source of resistance be used beneficially by management to improve the managerial decision-making and, therefore, increase the success rate of change implementation? Methodology: A qualitative research method with semi-structured interviews has been adopted. Conclusion: If resistance is not only seen as an obstacle but instead analysed thoroughly by the management it could contribute to an organizational discussion which potentially could improve the quality of the management decision-making and, thus, improve the success rate of strategic organizational change implementation.v

In business today efforts are being taken in order to grow, while some firms slowly grow organically others decide to perform a merger or an acquisition (M&A). Firms performing M&As have a high failure rate and many times this is caused by a poorly handled post-acquisition process. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have, according to researchers, not the same ambition to grow compared to large firms, and the research area concerning the post-acquisition process is often from a large firm perspective. However, SMEs do perform M&As as well and therefore it is in our interest to investigate the post-acquisition process in SMEs and see how the post-acquisition process is performed in these firms.

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the post-acquisition process in SMEs, this to highlight the SME characteristics in a post-acquisition process.

Our methodological approach in this study is hermeneutic. To collect empirical information we performed an interview study, where semi-structured interviews with the managing director or a member of the management team in four SMEs have been conducted. A model for analyzing has been constructed, which helped us to process the empirical information from a hermeneutic perspective.

The reason why the studied firms performed a M&A was to get access to a new customer base and to strengthen their market positions. The focus in the post-acquisition process has been on external value creation since the customers are highly valuated, and this can be related to the uncertain financial and environmental situation that SMEs experience. All firms in the study have chosen a high level of integration, though the planning in the firms has not been that extensive as the post-acquisition literature suggests. Further, several elements within the human resource area have been neglected in their planning, despite this three of the firms experienced a limited amount of resistance to change and this ought to be related to their SME characteristics. The employees are willing to follow the direction stated by the managing director, who has a high influence on the organization’s culture. In the firms we studied the centralization of power is one important element and the acquiring firms have preferred a unicultural organization, and in most cases a congruence con-cerning culture have occurred.

Ce travail de recherche porte sur la diffusion de la stratégie au sein de la banque. En effet, nous avons cherché à déterminer les étapes clés de la mise en évidence d’un processus de diffusion au sein de la banque, de déterminer les freins que peuvent rencontrés les banquiers lors de ce processus et d’évaluer leur impact sur la mise en oeuvre de la stratégie. En effet, la diffusion est le processus par lequel la stratégie est déclinée à travers toute la banque. Or, la compréhension et le soutien qu’accordent les membres de la banque dépendent, entre autres, du processus grâce auquel iles en prennent connaissance. C’est pourquoi, l’étude de la diffusion apparait pertinente. Ainsi, comprendre en profondeur le processus de la diffusion en termes de modalités et de contenus, nous a permis de détecter les éléments qui peuvent freiner le développement d’une représentation stratégique partagée et comprise par l’ensemble de la banque, de la stratégie envisagée, et influencer la qualité de la mise en oeuvre. Notre analyse s’est essentiellement basée sur une démarche abductive qui consiste à procéder par allers retours entre théorie et terrain et qui nous a permis de renforcer la validité de notre cadre conceptuel et de le compléter par les éléments de notre analyse des cas. Au final, nous avons détecté un ensemble de freins à la diffusion de la stratégie au sein de la banque qui sont essentiellement : la sur information, les capacités cognitives, la résistance au changement, la nature de la stratégie et le nombre des niveaux hiérarchiques et dont l’impact le plus marquant est le dérapage de la mise en oeuvre
This study deals with the communication of strategy within the banking sector. Our aim was to highlight the key steps involved in the communication process of banks, identify the challenges faced by bankers regarding that process and assess their role in the promotion of the strategy. Indeed, communication is the channel through which the strategy will be spread throughout the bank. Yet, the understanding and defense of the strategy by the employees, greatly depends on the way it has been conveyed to them; hence the importance and relevance of communication studies. Thus, a deep understanding of communication processes in terms of form as well as content, allowed us to pinpoint the elements that might prevent the development of a common strategic representation, understood by all, and affect the quality of its implementation. Our study is essentially based on an abductive approach that consists in going back and forth between theory and confirmation on the field. This method allowed us to strengthen the validity of our conceptual framework and supplement it with examples derived from our study case. In the end, we came up with the conclusion that many elements prevent the good circulation of strategy information within a bank. The main ones being: over-information, cognitive capacities, the resistance to change, the nature of the strategy as well as the number of hierarchical levels whose most striking consequence is the failure of implementation

Against a backdrop of increasing globalisation, deregulation, the rapid pace of technological innovation, a growing knowledge workforce, and shifting social and demographic trends, the primary task of management today is the leadership of organisational change (Graetz, 2000:550). In the words of Lussier and Achua Abstract v (2001:9): “The companies that will survive in the new global competitiveness environment are those that can attract and maintain leaders”. The above emphasises the important role of managers during times when change take place in the organisation. Yet employees are often managed inappropriately in a period of change. There are two reasons for this: (1) managers managing change are under pressure which undermines their own performance, (2) organisations often do not possess managers who are skilful at handling change. It is this second reason that will form the focus of this study. Carnall (1999:105) states that managing change effectively requires an understanding of both what is and seems likely to happen and of how people react to change, and a skilful management performance. Leaders must take on more facilitative roles, as competencies in change management become critical to creating and sustaining effective organisations. The major technological advances of today rely heavily on leaders to facilitate change. Leaders need to encourage people to “collaborate, take risks, take responsibility and be accountable for the change process the organisation must continually undergo to maintain a leadership position in its industry”, according to Moran and Brightman (2000:3). They furthermore argue that “change leaders recognise that they are always trying to balance stability and change. It is a delicate balance to accomplish since employees desire order and stability, while organisations must be ready to adapt to changing conditions quickly”. In this rapidly changing world, organisations must become more flexible, more responsive, and more willing to change and adapt. They must create and assimilate new knowledge at an increasing pace, encourage innovation, and learn to compete in new ways. Dess and Picken (2000:30) argue that the leaders of these organisations must be proactive in facilitating organisational learning and encouraging positive adaptation to external changes. The above shows what an important role leaders/managers have to play in the strategic change process. They need to possess the requisite skills in leadership, problem solving, continuous improvement, team effectiveness, and customer service in order to ensure the long-term growth and stability in the organisation which change can bring about. This research project will identify the various skills needed to successfully manage a change initiative.

Our research paper looks at the sustainability challenge as an example of complexity in interrelated nested systems (or meta-problem) and we further explore the consequences of disruptive events induced by climate change (ie. Extreme Climate Events). Due to their potential effects on adaptive capacities of systems at all levels (macro, meso and micro) and the need for Strategic Sustainable Development (SSD) to develop meta-solutions (non-isolated, non-reinforcing) we focus on community-based interventions and participatory facilitation processes. Therefore, we enquire what might a process look like that supports a community’s psychological resilience and strategic sustainable development following a disruptive event. A way to reinforce a community’s adaptive capacities is through making meaning collaboratively and such a process can be supported by the use of stories and narrative. To this intent, we focus on the use of Collective Narrative Practices (CNP) within the implementation process (ABCD process) of the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD). CNP promote desired narratives and strengthen communities’ psychological resilience while the FSSD ensures the development of meta-solutions and their practical application (through the ABCD). Throughout a five-step exploration, we test their theoretical compatibility, interview FSSD and CNP practitioners, design an initial Process Prototype, test its validity by interviewing practitioners with expertise in both fields, and develop a final Process Prototype which embeds recommendations, guidelines and tools. Finally, our paper initiates the academic study of the linkage between FSSD and CNP and is aimed to guide practitioners of both fields to discern an effective way to facilitate the emergence of appropriate responses in a community, while maintaining or rebuilding its resilience and complying with SSD core principles.