Browsing Ph.D. theses by Title
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Lean Management in the Construction IndustryBrinch Jensen, Kenneth (Frederiksberg, 2010)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Ledelsesteknologier såsom Balanced Scorecard, Six Sigma og Activity Based Costing må fremtræde som konkrete, stabile, funktionelle og homogene løsninger, hvis de skal kunne fange både interesse og finansiering i forretningsverdenen. Studier af disse ledelsesteknologiers møde med organisationspraksis viser imidlertid, at disse teknologier er præget af stor ustabilitet og heterogenitet på tværs af implementeringer. Benders & Van Veen (2001) argumenterer for at ledelsesidéer besidder en kvalitet, der kan kaldes for ’fortolkningsmæssig levedygtighed’. Med dette skal forstås, at ledelsesidéerne har en evne til at tilpasse sig lokale forhold og interesser. Argumentet er endvidere, at denne kvalitet er mere afgørende for idéens overlevelse end idéens indhold..... URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/8163 Files in this item: 1
Kenneth_Brinch_Jensen.pdf (4.092Mb) -
A multi-method inquiry on online communitiesKorfiatis, Nikolaos Theodoros (, 2009)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: This dissertation studies the behavioral characteristics of participants engaged in information exchange in the context of online communities. Online communities are defined as collectives of individuals that use computer mediated communication to facilitate interaction over a shared purpose and/or objective. It is argued that this interaction creates externalities, for example, in the form of codified information that others can use through web search tools. These externalities assemble a virtual form of social capital, a commonly shared resource. The research objective of this thesis is to examine how the behavioral tendencies of the participants in online communities are affected by the way this common resource is formatted, administered and shared. The dissertation consists of two parts: a theoretical part where the empirical background and the object of research inquiry is highlighted, and an empirical part which consists of four empirical studies carried out in the context of three online communities, namely, Google Answers, Yahoo!Answers and Amazon Online Reviews. The empirical part of this dissertation starts with a controlled experiment emulating a well known social dilemma: the public goods game. It provides substance as to whether and when participants in online communities behave (un) cooperatively. The next two studies focus on a special case of online communities where participants ask questions and other participants post answers conditionally on social and monetary incentives. The results of these two studies confirm that community participants do care about the contributions of others and engage in incentive compatible behavior. Yahoo!Answers participants exercise effort in the community by posting answers to questions conditionally on benefits provided by other participants. The empirical findings show that contributing participants in an online community receive answers faster, while those that do not contribute much effort are sanctioned in the form of longer response-time to their questions. In Google Answers this thesis, interactions can be observed that are based on monetary rewards (rather than social rewards in the form of a reputation index as in Yahoo Answers). Participants make use of voluntarily awarded payoffs (tips) along with stated rewards, in order to motivate those that provide answers (answerers) to provide better quality in their responses. The findings of this study confirm the symmetric effect between monetary rewards and quality. However, this study also identifies cases where social norms have a significant effect on response behavior. When participants seek to get better service with less effort (in terms of total cost), a reputation index which is constructed by the history of their previous interactions supports such an attempt. In other words, reputation history influences information sharing behavior in online communities. The last chapter of the empirical part focuses on another crucial aspect of information as a shared resource: Clarity and understandability. The study examines online product reviews on Amazon.com. The results suggest that participants do care about the clarity of this codified form of experience which increases a helpfulness index accordingly. The thesis overall finds symmetric effects between participation in online communities and output of interaction, but also identifies the ability of the participants to interact strategically as they seek to minimize the effort they provide in order to find the information they seek. The results underline the importance of signaling and quality evaluation mechanisms as counter-balancing control that can enhance activity on online communities. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7797 Files in this item: 1
Nikolaos_Theodoros_Korfiatis.pdf (3.777Mb) -
Strand, Robert Gavin (Frederiksberg, 2012)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: In this dissertation I examine the establishment of corporate social responsibility (CSR) bureaucracies at corporations and I come to consider the CSR bureaucracy as a space for reflection within the corporation. In the face of charges that bureaucracies are inherently unethical and devoid of consideration for humanistic concerns, I argue that within the large bureaucracy that is the corporation, the CSR bureaucracy can create a space in which tensions that arise from conflicting values and purposes can be identified, negotiated, and actions coordinated. I position this dissertation within the field of CSR, to which I introduce the Weberian distinction between formal and substantive rationality as means through which to identify and describe tensions that become apparent with the CSR agenda. This dissertation contains four articles, two of which draw from the engaged scholarship approach. One includes findings from a study I conducted as an action/intervention researcher with a U.S. corporation during the period in which a CSR bureaucracy was established. The other includes findings from a study of CSR focused MBA courses I instruct in which reflection is a primary learning objective. The other two articles include findings from studies I conducted to explore the establishment of a CSR position to the top management teams of U.S. and Scandinavian corporations. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/8462 Files in this item: 1
Robert_Strand.pdf (3.503Mb) -
A sociomaterial study of development processes in the Danish film industryStrandvad, Sara Malou (Frederiksberg, 2009)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: The empirical question, which the thesis addresses in the different papers, is how the process of development is organized in Danish film production. Development in film production characterizes the initial phase where an idea is constructed and transformed into a realizable film project. In practice, this creation consists in writing a synopsis and, later on, a manuscript for the film, because such drafts of the product are institutionalized as necessary devices for achieving funding to make the actual film. Hence, the focus area of the thesis is the process of manuscript writing in film production; an organizing process of developing projects. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7793 Files in this item: 1
Sara_Malou_Strandvad.pdf (1.916Mb) -
Teilmann, Kasper Aalling (Frederiksberg, 2012)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: The dissertation ‘Interactive Approaches to Rural Development’ gives new theoretical and empirical knowledge in the collaboration on development of rural areas and landscapes. From a perspective about the development and the challenges faced, the study analyses which functions that are demanded by the rural areas. Furthermore, the study makes an analysis of the collaboration in an EU financed rural development association; the Local Action Group (LAG). The overall objective is to: Analyse and discuss approaches to rural development under Danish conditions. The dissertation is cantered around three papers introduced with a frame that contributes to the overall objective. With point of departure in the changes that have structured the Danish landscape, the first paper analyses and discusses how the Danish planning system can be optimized to plan for a multifunctional landscape. Paper two and three builds on the EU rural development policy LEADER that through local project based development supports new income opportunities for the local inhabitants. Collaboration on the rural development is a subject that requires an interdisciplinary analytical approach. The dissertation therefore builds on different theories and both qualitative and quantitative analytical methods. The theoretical foundation draws on generic network theory and various applications of this. This is conducted by inclusion of ideas from interorganisational interaction in an analysis of the collaboration between municipality and a locally anchored development association. In addition the theory of social capital is applied to analyse whether the partnership formation and collaboration has supported the development of the local area. Furthermore, the concept of multifunctionality is assessed as a principle to be applied in countryside planning and rural development. The empirical foundation of the dissertation draws on mixed method research approach with interviews and surveys that are studied through qualitative and quantitative data analyses. Two of the three papers take point of departure in a case study of LAG-Djursland. Based on the dissertation it is concluded, that a crucial factor in the development of rural areas and landscapes is the collaboration among relevant stakeholders– often arranged around a partnership. To secure a concrete and locally attuned development it is important to engage local anchored stakeholders. These stakeholders have the greatest knowledge about the local development opportunities and barriers. Though the dissertation builds on experiences from the Danish rural landscape, the analyses, discussions and conclusions will be relevant in an international perspective. The interactive approach and the analysis hereof will be applicable in other domains than that of rural development. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/8592 Files in this item: 1
Kasper_Aalling_Teilmann.pdf (1.359Mb) -
Harder, Mie (, )[More information][Less information]
Abstract: This dissertation explores the internal antecedents of the phenomenon labeled management innovation. Management innovation refers to the implementation of new management practices, processes, techniques or structures that alter the way the work of management is performed. In other words, management innovation refers to changes in what managers do and how they do it. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/8295 Files in this item: 1
Mie_Harder.pdf (1.496Mb) -
Evidence from VietnamPham, Ha Thi Van (Frederiksberg, 2009)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: The thesis revolves around the internationalization of Vietnamese firms - that is, how the international competitiveness of these firms is enhanced in terms of both upstream and downstream value chain activities and the export performance implications hereof. For Vietnamese firms, as well as for other firms from emerging markets, internationalization trajectories may differ considerably from the internationalization patterns portrayed in classical theories (such as the Uppsala Model) based on observations of the internationalization of firms from Western, developed market economies. Classical theories have primarily focused on firms’ marketing & sales and networking capabilities as levers of internationalization – and less on upstream capabilities, such as manufacturing and auxiliary service competencies. Likewise the situation in other emerging markets many Vietnamese firms are inserted in global value chains (GVCs) governed by multinational buyers. For these firms, manufacturing skills may be of equal - or greater - importance to export performance than the mastering of marketing & sales and networking in foreign markets. The thesis presents various theoretical perspectives on firms’ internationalization – perspectives that vary in terms of their focus on either upstream or downstream activities (or, the interrelationship of these two types of activities). The thesis tries to fill out the knowledge gap as to which of these theoretical perspectives fit best the trajectories of Vietnamese manufacturing firms involved in exports. In doing so, the thesis also draws on GVC models, entrepreneurial literature, and studies of economic as well as strategic export performance. Unique survey data covering 226 Vietnamese manufacturers involved in exporting was collected through face-to-face interviews conducted in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. On the basis of these data a set of hypotheses is tested using structural equation modelling as a statistical tool. The empirical study suggests that Vietnamese firms create international competitiveness in relation to both upstream and downstream activities. Furthermore, the study suggests that upstream competitiveness of the sample firms is significantly more attractive in terms of economic export performance (export sales, profitability and growth) than downstream competitiveness. However, when export performance is measured in more far-sighted, strategic terms, there are no significant differences between the two dimensions of competitiveness. The study also reveals some interesting industry differences: for firms in the “low-tech” textiles & garments industry, upstream competitiveness has greater impact on economic export performance than downstream competitiveness. Conversely, downstream competitiveness results in a higher economic return than upstream competitiveness for firms from the “high-tech” industries of electronics and mechanical manufactures In the last part of the thesis, theoretical, empirical, and managerial implications are discussed along with conclusions and suggestions for future research. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7934 Files in this item: 1
Ha_Thi_Van_Pham.pdf (3.762Mb) -
An empirical analysis of Economics and ManagementÓladóttir, Ásta Dis (Frederiksberg, 2010)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: This dissertation consists of an introductory chapter, followed by four papers that approach the topic of internationalization of small economies and the multinational firm from different angles. The concluding chapter deals with what happened in Iceland after the crisis that started in October 2008 with the collapse of the Icelandic financial system and how the very fast internationalization of Icelandic firms was possible, but only as further issues that need to be researched. Each of the papers can be read individually as well as in the larger context of this dissertation. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7993 Files in this item: 1
Ásta_Dis_Óladóttir.pdf (2.005Mb) -
A Context-Specific StudyStucchi, Tamara (Frederiksberg, 2013)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: This Ph.D. dissertation investigates some International Business (IB) issues, which emerge from a specific context of research. The study takes inspiration from one of the most currently debated phenomena in IB literature, i.e. the internationalization of Emerging Market (EM) firms. The recent global emergence of these firms is substantial and particularly interesting under several points of view, especially because the IB literature has traditionally been dominated by western-centric theories, whose applicability to the case of EM firms might be questionable. The present Ph.D. thesis recommends an approach to the study of the internationalization of EM firms that can contribute to the advancement of IB literature in general. This is illustrated by the four research articles of the thesis, where a single-country EM context is used to draw general implications useful for researchers, practitioners and policy makers. More in details, the first paper “Emerging market firms’ acquisitions in advanced markets: Matching strategy with resource-, institution- and industry-based antecedents” studies the antecedents that can affect the motivations for the acquisitions that EM firms undertake in advanced markets. The second article, entitled “Time to internationalization and evolving institutions: An event history analysis of Indian firms”, analyzes domestic firms’ earlier versus later internationalization, during a period of radical institutional changes. The third paper, “The role of Overseas National Ownership in Outward FDI: A study of the Indian diaspora”, studies how the presence of overseas national shareholders can influence homeland firms' outward FDI. Finally, the last article is entitled "Business groups’ internationalization: The role of the domestic geographical scope" and analyzes one possible explanation for business groups’ internationalization, from an organizational learning perspective. The Ph.D. thesis is empirically based on a very comprehensive sample of Indian firms. The data are collected from different sources, i.e. the Prowess database, the Zephyr database, the Indian Census and the World Competitiveness Yearbook. The potential value of this singlecountry context perspective is highlighted throughout the Ph.D. thesis, and clearly emerges while I address the different issues of the four research articles. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/8699 Files in this item: 1
Tamara_Stucchi.pdf (1.150Mb) -
Yonatany, Moshe (Frederiksberg, 2011)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: The aim of this study is elaborating the current understanding of a relatively new phenomenon: the internationalization process of digital service providers. It deploys a multiple case study methodology. Based on the case analyses and the discovery of new insights this study proposes a conceptual framework attempting at elaborating existing International Business theory. The analytical process of this study begins with explaining its context and developing definitions that are necessary for the purpose of data collection and case construction. Next, selected International Business theories and concepts are reviewed and contextualized propositions are developed. Following a detailed presentation of the case studies, the propositions are analyzed through per-case analyses. This analysis is coupled with a theory development exercise (which is presented in subsequent distinct sections). Here, unique findings of each case are analyzed in sequential per-case analyses in order to identify emerging patterns. Rudimentary concepts, which are grounded in the case findings, are proposed through the cross case analysis. In addition, the analysis of the propositions is summarized at this stage. Subsequently, a conceptual framework is proposed. To provide foundations for the framework, the proposed constructs are defined and explored more deeply, also through collecting additional data and integrating additional external literature. The conceptual framework is presented in the form of testable hypotheses. Finally, implications for International Business theory are drawn from the analyses and the conceptual framework. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/8309 Files in this item: 1
Moshe_Yonatany_Abstrakt.pdf (871.1Kb) -
A study of corporate branding strategies at Novo NordiskHolm Hansen, Jacob (Frederiksberg, 2012)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: The inspiration for this project came from a practical and a theoretical interest in how strategies are anchored in organisations. In 2005 a colleague and I published a book about strategic leadership communication (Bordum and Holm Hansen 2005). It was an inquiry into how the power of strategic statements, such as vision, mission and values, are rooted in the underlying forces of communication and actions among the stakeholders of organisations. It demonstrated that the drivers of successful leadership are based on persuasive communication and action. This project takes this line of thought further through a conceptual and empirical inquiry. It is motivated by an interest in basic knowledge about corporate branding as an integrative phenomenon. Corporate branding is often understood as a strategic activity that creates attention and value for a company. The strategic and managerial approaches are generally dominant in theory and practice, where they suggest various prescriptions for success with a corporate branding project. Such approaches often build on assumptions about control where certain consecutive steps automatically lead to a powerful brand. While there are many possible approaches to corporate branding, it seems that the question of integration is a salient issue that characterises the phenomenon in different ways. For instance, corporate branding is said to integrate various academic disciplines, provide an integrated profile of a company, integrate internal and external stakeholders, etc. The particular focus here is encouraged by questions and reflections about how corporate branding as an integrative activity can be analysed and understood through a pragmatic theory of communication. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/8456 Files in this item: 1
Jacob_Holm_Hansen.pdf (5.526Mb) -
A Legal and Theoretical Exploration of How to Regulate Unoriginal Database Contents and Possible Suggestions for ReformHerr, Robin Elizabeth (København, 2008)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Controversial from its inception, the European Database Directive protects unoriginal contents in contrast to the United States where there is no statutory protection. Despite this extra incentive, empirical evidence seems to indicate that database production in the European Community remains largely unchanged while that in the United States is increasing, at least in the short term. Dissatisfaction with the Directive has sparked efforts to revise database protection policy, including by the European Commission. In order to determine the best method of regulation, three factors are explored in this Ph.D. thesis: the nature of the database industry, regulatory theories emanating from economic analysis of the law and the evidence offered by the US and EC protection regimes. A major insight that emerges is that the productive potential of secondary producers, what the author terms re-users, is being undervalued in Europe. A greater emphasis on access could harness their economic potential. However, this conclusion comes with a twist based upon the American experience. A reduction in statutory protection could result in a switch to production models that emphasize access. But it could also result in models that reduce access even more than at present. In order to ensure a productive future, rigorous monitoring and regulatory adjustment is in order. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7716 Files in this item: 1
robin_herr.pdf (844.3Kb) -
Patientfigurer i hospitalets strategiske kommunikationPors, Anja Svejgaard (Frederiksberg, 2012)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Denne ph.d. afhandling handler om hospitalsvæsnets arbejde med strategisk kommunikation. Gennem det seneste årti er kommunikation blevet et strategisk indsatsområde på danske hospitaler. Her er kommunikation omdrejningspunkt i visioner, politikker, planer og daglige arbejdspraksisser. Hospitalerne laver kommunikationsstrategier og opbygger kommunikationsafdelinger, som skal bidrage til en bedre kommunikation med patienter – ikke bare i mødet mellem læge og patient i klinikken – men i den organisatoriske helhed. I afhandlingen beskriver jeg indledningsvist denne udvikling som en kommunikationsliggørelse af hospitalet. Den strategiske kobling mellem kommunikation og patient gør kommunikation til en organisatorisk opgave. Jeg undersøger, hvordan denne udvikling forandrer forståelser af patienten og griber ind i hospitalets organisatoriske orden. Afhandlingens hovedspørgsmål er, hvordan hospitalet iværksætter og håndterer kommunikation med patienter som organisatorisk opgave. Interessen for organisering af kommunikation og patientrelationer placerer sig i et interdisciplinært spændingsfelt mellem forskellige forskningsområder: I sundhedskommunikationsforskningen ses kommunikation som et effektivt middel til at opnå sundhedsfaglige mål. Andre tilgrænsende forskningsområder beskæftiger sig med kommunikation i konkrete møder mellem sundhedsprofessionelle og patienten. Desuden findes der en række institutionelle studier af strategisk kommunikation som hospitalers omdømmearbejde. Fokus i denne afhandling placerer sig mellem disse forskningsområder. Min analytiske interesse retter sig mod hidtil uudforskede aspekter af, hvordan patienten placeres i den strategiske kommunikation. Studiet undersøger ikke, hvordan den strategiske kommunikation modtages af patienter eller fungerer som omdømmehåndtering. Denne 281 afhandling er derimod en undersøgelse af, hvordan strategisk kommunikation med patienter sættes i værk og håndteres i hospitalsorganisationen. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/8447 Files in this item: 1
Anja_Svejgaard_Pors_phd.pdf (3.122Mb) -
Un estudio sobre emigrantes norteamericanos en un pueblo mexicanoBalslev Clausen, Helene (Frederiksberg, 2008)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Den traditionelle migrationsforskning betragter Mexico, som et typisk faktor eller transit land, samt har sit fokus på migrationsflowet fra Syd (Latinamerika) til Nord(USA). Dette case studie derimod bidrager empirisk med identifikationen af en ny type immigranter, angelsaksiske noramerikanere, som i stadigt større omfang emigrerer fra Nord(USA) til Syg(Mexico), hvilket som noget nyt også gør Mexico til et pull faktor land..... URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7733 Files in this item: 1
helena_balslev_clausen.pdf (5.975Mb) -
A Study of Product Launches in the Swedish Pharmaceutical IndustryFraenkel, Stefan C. (Frederiksberg, 2010)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: This research identifies a set of key success factors for sales force readiness, for driving the success of a new product launch within the pharmaceutical industry. Drawing from the analysis of fifty product launches in the Swedish pharmaceutical market, the study has succeeded in discriminating between four types of key success factors: the key factors that are important and crucial for a successful launch; the key factors that are important yet not necessarily crucial for a successful launch; the market conditions that are most ideal for a successful launch, and finally the type of newness of the product that is most suitable for successful launch. The overall aim of the research project was to provide guidance in optimizing the sales force readiness during the launch of a new pharmaceutical product. The research question is driven by the great importance and high cost of the sales force, together with the need for the pharmaceutical companies to continuously launch new products in a marketplace with increased challenges for all parts of the business. The research approach divides the research into two main parts. The first part reviews earlier studies/findings in the literature, collects empirical data in the form of six case studies and conducts six expert interviews with the purpose of formulating a Research Model. In the second part, the Research Model and its variables are quantitatively tested against fifty launched pharmaceutical products in Sweden. The study employs a bottom-up analysis method with Partial Least Squares Analysis, being predictive in nature, rather than the more conventional top-down and hypothesis-testing approach that typically employs regression analysis methods. In order to provide both practitioners and researchers with guidance on the results, its interpretation is presented in terms of its managerial implications as well as proposals for further research. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/8224 Files in this item: 1
Stefan_Fraenkel.pdf (2.535Mb) -
[More information][Less information]
Abstract: This dissertation contributes to the existing body of knowledge on how we design computer systems, particularly multiuser software for knowledge sharing and creation in globally diffused companies. This is achieved by conducting a work place study of a global industrial engineering conglomerate which has the strategy of working with knowledge in the form of “best practices” meant to boost performance. The thesis explores the situation that workers are in, since they are meant to share and develop “best practices” knowledge in a portal based Knowledge Management System (KMS). The study indentifies a set of problems that prevents knowledge sharing from taking place to the degree to which management was specifically aiming. It was explored whether these problems could, to some degree, be mitigated by employing persuasive design, which is a new stance towards design where the aim is to directly seek to change the user’s behavior, i.e., persuading more knowledge sharing. The main contribution is an indication of an anomaly with regards to the strategic approach towards knowledge management, where knowledge sharing is seen as an effort by which companies can gain a competitive advantage by working with knowledge in a structured fashion. The issue is that the descriptions found in literature on strategic knowledge management do not address the many issues uncovered when conducting prolonged fieldwork among workers who engage in the activities that the literature seemingly takes for granted. Thus, many practical problems were uncovered that would need some level of mitigation before a company could hope to gain a strategic advantage from working with knowledge. This challenges the “stock" approach towards knowledge management, which seems to address only the management level of the organization. A contribution is also made in exploring the state-of-the-art of the emerging field of persuasive design. Persuasive design aims at enabling designers to create designs that deliberately change the user’s attitude or behavior. According to this new design tradition, the designer specifically designs with the aim of behavior transformation. The goal is a deliberate behavioral change, rather than supporting a set of existing tasks or a set of existing behaviors. The work presented shows how persuasive design is a very conceptual area of research, and that it is not a fitting approach for attaining a higher degree of participation in computer systems for knowledge sharing and creation. Persuasive design is thus not the remedy for the many problems found that prevent knowledge sharing from taking place URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/8168 Files in this item: 1
Kristian_Toerning.pdf (62.64Mb) -
En undersøgelse af det intense arbejdslivKirkegaard, Line (Frederiksberg, 2012)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Denne afhandling tilbyder et diagram over eksistensformen for en gruppe højt profilerede management konsulenter. Den tilbyder et diagram over et moderne selvforhold. Den tilbyder en fortegnelse over, hvordan en gruppe højt profilerede management konsulenter griber de kriterier, de bliver udsat for i sit deres liv og den eksistensmåde, der hermed muliggøres. Med dette ønsker jeg at bidrage til de eksisterende work-life balance teorier. Min vej ind i teorierne er nemlig, at logikken i mit empiriske materiale forekommer så forskelligt fra de traditionelle work-life balance teorier, at disse ikke lader sig forene. Jeg foretager derfor en analyse af den eksisterende litteratur, og rejser i den forbindelse en grundlæggende kritik af work-life balance teorierne, for at operere med falske problemstillinger på en måde, så svaret allerede indgår i de spørgsmål, der stilles... URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/8390 Files in this item: 1
Line_Kirkegaard.pdf (1.175Mb) -
Relasjonen mellom virksomhetsledelse og kontraktshåndtering, belyst via fire norske virksomheterSimilä, Jan Ole (Frederiksberg, 2010)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Why do we focus on the internal arrangements of the contractual process from a leadership perspective? Through empirical research where we have asked questions about the internal organizational arrangements, what kind of knowledge the organization need, and how institutional arrangements affect the contract process, we have tried to answer the main research question. We have also carried with us a question of if the organization's attachment to the public or private sector affects the arrangements. I have conducted a comparative case study where data has been generated from two public sector organizations, The National Road Administration, Helsebygg Midt-Norge, one private sector organization, Siemens, and one hybrid organization, NTE. Data was primarily generated from the governance system of the different organizations, and informant interviews. The analysis was carried out by two steps; first an empirical analysis, then a theoretical analysis, based on contractual theory, of the empirical findings. The empirical analysis shows that the organizations share the same thoughts on how to organize the contractual work; the division between the line and the project organization, the distribution of decision-making authority, and the institutionalization of a specific governance system. The organizational processes are formalized, and the governance system gives the clear recommendation on desired actions. The empirical data gives a clear understanding that the contract process is dominated by one profession — the engineers. Regarding the question on knowledge, I found the organizations to be interested foremost on problem solving competencies (engineering competencies). Other competencies, for example economic or legal competencies, where viewed as support competencies. We also found that personal skills in handling the complex and difficult processes and attitude toward ethics seemed to be of importance. On the question on how institutional elements in the organizational environment affected the contract process, we found that the overall interest of the organizations was stability and predictability. We also found that the market mechanisms cause the organizations some worry. In the end, the empirical findings did not give us any strong reasons to differentiate between public sector organizations and private sector organizations in how to deal with contractual work processes. The theoretical analysis has been carried out within classical and relational contract theory. The analysis shows that the empirical findings, to a great extend, can be explained through classical contract theory. It also gives us some ideas on what areas of the theory, especially relational contract theory that should be improved. Regarding the main research question, the conclusions indicate a need to establish a comprehensive approach to the contract process, to ensure a good balance between different partial processes. There also seem to be necessary to work on improvements on contract theory to increase the applicability of the theory, especially the relational contract theory. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/8011 Files in this item: 1
Jan_Ole_Similä.pdf (2.216Mb) -
En kognitiv-typologisk analyseBalieu, Henriette (Frederiksberg, 2009)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: The dissertation seeks to answer the following questions: Which semantic properties allow for a verb to appear as well transitively as intransitively without any morphological changes, i.e. a semantic characterization of the verbs that alternate. When does the reflexive pronoun se appear in the intransitive version of the alternation? What characterizes the situations referred to by the alternation and what makes them so apt to appear in the causative alternation not only in Spanish but also in typologically related and unrelated languages, i.e. a more general characterization/description of the situations referred to by the verbs in the alternation. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7945 Files in this item: 1
Henriette_Balieu.pdf (2.781Mb) -
En beretning om forvaltningsrevisionens beretningerJustesen, Lise (København, 2008)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: This dissertation is about state performance auditing in Denmark – a practice that the National Audit Office of Denmark (NAOD) is mandated to undertake. My analysis of performance auditing takes as a starting point the fact that performance auditing is a kind of writing and that one immediate and obvious output of performance auditing consists of written reports. In a sense it could be argued that performance auditing is a particular kind of writing. However, not much research has paid attention to the question of how the writing of audit report is performed in concrete settings. What characterizes such processes? Does it follow certain rules? How are different actors involved? What kinds of effects follow from the writing and how, and to what extent, are the possible effects constrained by the particular kind of writing? The dividing line between the auditors as the writers, the auditee as the object of writing and the public as readers of the message conveyed by the report also seems to be questionable. In the dissertation, I show that in processes where it is difficult to determine in what sense a report is an output or an input and where these processes begin and end, the roles between writing and reading, active and passive may get blurred too. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7046 Files in this item: 1
lise_justesen.pdf (1.671Mb)