Anne Engström

Implementation of public e-procurement in Swedish government entities

An increasing number of organizations in the public sector are beginning to adopt e-procurement, which its benefits (e.g., to reduce costs through increased efficiency in the procurement function) are well known by businesses. The purpose of this paper is to assess the implementation of e-procurement concept within Swedish government authorities during 2001 and 2008. A qualitative research approach was applied, and a longitudinal study was conducted. Data were collected in 2001 and 2008 through structured personal telephone interviews with 15 central government agencies. Results show that the implementation of e-procurement has developed substantially during recent years, but Swedish government authorities have still not yet adopted and utilized e-procurement to its full potential. Benefits and challenges were identified. The implementation and use of e-procurement were also found to have an impact on the buying behavior, i.e., on the buying process, the selection criteria and the buying center.

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE WITH E-BUSINESS: A SURVEY OF LARGE AMERICAN AND SWEDISH FIRMS

Advances in information and communications technology have allowed for a wide range of electronic business models and applications. These applications are providing a competitive advantage for organizations by creating efficiencies and cost reductions. Electronic business should be part of the overall corporate strategy and be integrated into core business processes. This study provides interesting insights into electronic business applications in large corporations and discusses similarities and differences that exist between Swedish and American corporations.

Abstract: Travel Talk, eWOM Across Multiple Cultures

Word-of-mouth (WOM) communication is considered the most important, informal means of communication between consumers (Derbaix and Vanhamme 2003). An increasingly important extension of the traditional face-to-face WOM used by consumers is the electronic word of mouth (eWOM), especially with regard to how eWOM is used within today’s online social media outlets (Weisfeld-Spolter et al. 2014). Within the travel and tourism industry, eWOM has become vitally important, as consumers tend to trust information from consumer-generated (social) media more than information from service providers (Ip et al. 2012). This is particularly true for the younger generation of Internet users—the “e-generation,” who are “digital natives” and who have used digital technologies since they were kids. The aim of this study is to provide a better understanding on how today’s e-generation is using eWOM as tourists/travelers, from a multicultural perspective. In order to reach this aim, the following research questions are stated: (RQ1) How are e-generation consumers using eWOM when planning a trip?; (RQ2) How are e-generation consumers using eWOM during and after a trip?

There’s a Silver Lining: Information Quality, Trust, and Positive Meaning After a Crisis

Communication and public relations play a pivotal role in crisis management (Tirkkonen and Luoma‐aho 2011). Due to the high levels of uncertainty created during a crisis, stakeholders have a strong need for fast and accurate information (Seeger and Griffin Padgett 2010). For public sector organizations, crisis communication is perhaps even more challenging and complex, given that government agencies have democratic obligations to serve and communicate with all citizens (McCoy 2014). A main goal of crisis communication is to restore reputation and regain customers’ trust (Utz et al. 2013). It seems likely that individuals have different perceptions of the information quality of crisis communication, which in turn may influence their trust in government. We also suggest that the level of perceived information quality is related to the extent to which people find positive meaning in a crisis (Fredrickson et al. 2003), and to their level of crisis involvement (Claeys and Cauberghe 2014). In this chapter, we identify segments of citizens based on their perceptions of the information quality of local governments’ crisis communication, and assess whether there are differences between these segments in terms of their post‐crisis trust in government, perceptions of positive meaning, and crisis involvement.

The Effects of Objective and Subjective Knowledge on the Exploratory Acquisition of Wine

This chapter investigates the effect of objective and subjective knowledge on exploratory acquisition in consumers’ purchase of wine. The main research questions investigated are whether there is a link between a consumer’s objective knowledge of wine (what they really know) is linked to their subjective knowledge (what they think they know), and whether these impact on the extent to which the consumer engages in exploratory purchasing behavior (tries new brands, tries different wines, etc). The literature for the three constructs is reviewed, and hypotheses are developed. The study then investigated these questions among an online sample of consumers in the USA. Data is analyzed, results are provided, and the implications for management are discussed. Limitations are also noted and directions for future research are indicated.

From Crisis to Control - All About Communication?

The supply of drinking water is a crucial and vulnerable element of the Swedish infrastructure. In the past few years it has suffered several crises due to contamination and waterborne diseases. Therefore, management of water crisis has become a highly topical issue for the countrys municipalities, particularly after two recent outbreaks of cryptosporidium. This protozoan parasite is often spread through contaminated water and causes a parasitic disease that affects the intestines and typically causes an acute short-term infection. The largest known outbreak of cryptosporidium in drinking water occurred in 1993 in Milwaukee, US, where more than 400 000 people were infected. In Sweden, two large outbreaks have occurred during the past few years. The drinking water in Ostersund, a mid-sized city with around 59 000 inhabitants, was infected with cryptosporidium in November 2010. The number of people infected reached approximately 27 000, and the outbreak lasted for 12 weeks. Just a few months afterwards, Skelleftea, with 71 000 inhabitants, had a similar experience. At least 20 000 people were infected in an outbreak lasting 20 weeks. This type of crisis affects many people for a long time, and effective communication, therefore, is essential to limit the impact of the crisis.

Role of Anti-Brand Websites on Brand Image

Since customers are facilitated through the internet and many-to-many communication, they can easily and conveniently share their opinions with others. Anti-brand websites operate as forums for high-level empowered electronic word-of-mouth exchanges. This study has investigated the role of anti-brand websites on brand image. The scripted data of focus group discussions have been analyzed using Leximancer, a textual analysis tool, because it can recognize themes and concepts that show customers’ perspectives and determine the core concepts that are most highlighted or criticized by complainers and activists.

Developing an Attractive Mobile Service: A Comparison of Desired Consumption Values of Three Different Services

Developing an attractive mobile service : A comparison of desired consumption values of three different services