Morten Rask

Motives for e-marketplace Participation: Differences and Similarities between Buyers and Suppliers

The motivation of suppliers as well as buyers for e-marketplace participation is closely linked to the perceived outcome of participation, not only in terms of the benefits of joining an e-marketplace, but also in terms of the possible consequences of not joining. The key issue, therefore, is why organizations decide to buy and/or sell goods or services in e-marketplaces. We develop a theoretical framework for the categorization of motivational factors, resulting in four different types of motives. We then apply the framework to a dataset consisting of 41 case studies covering 20 industries in 12 countries. We conclude that buyers and suppliers have different motives for engaging in e-marketplace activities. Although e-marketplaces are a way of increasing the efficiency of supply chain activities, this is not necessarily done with the sole aim of exploiting suppliers: buyers also use e-marketplaces to find new or alternative suppliers. Similarly, even though demands from existing customers have spurred th...

Supply chain management: New organisational practices for changing procurement realities

Abstract How does the implementation of SCM strategies affect the organisation of procurement? Based on case study material of 15 Danish companies, this article develops a set of statements concerning the organisational role and job assignments of procurement in the light of SCM practice. For this purpose, we use an analytical technique known as the degree-of-freedom analysis. It is suggested that new organisational practices, such as key supply management, team-based management and changing skill requirements of purchasing personnel, may be an outcome of implementing SCM practices towards suppliers. Implications for theory and practice.

Theoretical Perspectives on the Internationalization of Firms

The purpose of this article is to build a coherent framework of the four main theories relating to the internationalization of firms, in order to facilitate better business teaching and research. Yet, theories of the internationalization of firms are broad and rest on different underlying assumptions. With the purpose of clarifying the potential for integration of partial theories and fragments in a more logically connected theoretical area, this article offers a meta‐theoretical overview of four perspectives within international business economics: Research and its related background, basic assumptions, study area, and implications of the theories in the internationalization of the firm.

M-commerce : global experiences and perspectives

A Sample of Chapters: China: M-Commerce in Worlds Largest Mobile Market Finland: Internationalization as the Key to Growth and M-Commerce Success United Kingdom: Current M-Commerce Developments and Future Prospects United States of America: Renewed Race for Mobile Services Its an M-World After All: Lessons from Global Patterns of Mobile Commerce.

When international management meets diversity management: the case of IKEA

This paper discusses the managerial and theoretical implications of utilising diversity management as a means of keeping alive the key values in the corporate culture, when the organisation becomes larger and more diverse. This is especially important in relation to recruitment, in which diversity management is increasingly recognised as a relevant way of managing human differences. We perform a content analysis of 44 IKEA recruitment websites as an empirical vehicle for understanding the embedded barriers, and the opportunities for combining diversity management and international management. We conclude that, through the use of diversity management principles, IKEA succeeds in manoeuvring in the paradox of the simultaneous need for a strong corporate culture and local adaptation. Thus, the paper contributes to the understanding of the use of diversity management principles in international management practices.

Patterns of Sustainability Values Among Subsidiaries

The increasing trend of globalisation and environmental challenges makes the understanding of sustainability issues in international business a growing topic throughout the world. This study illustrates the challenge of an organisation as it becomes larger and more diverse to keep the core values alive. We focused on a multinational corporation with more than 30 years’ experience with sustainability issues. It is one of the world’s top manufacturers of renewable energy equipment. We found a very high diversity in sustainability perceptions. This exploratory study is based on a broad sample within one company, and it created new empirical insights enhancing the understanding of the sustainability theme in international business by creating a framework for describing patterns of sustainability understandings among international business units. This framework is useable by management to describe, explore and trigger new ways of thinking and to facilitate corporate culture change through coordination and configuration of the system of values and beliefs regarding sustainability among employees in the company.

B2B inter-organisational digitalisation strategies: Towards an interaction-based approach

Purpose – Digital technology is increasingly important for businesses as it has the capability to enable, support and sometimes influence the overall strategic direction of the corporation. This paper investigates business‐to‐business (b2b) inter‐organisational digitalisation strategies in one of Denmarks biggest companies with an annual turnover of €3 billion and over 30,000 employees. This paper specifically seeks to understand to what extent the widely used strategic continuum (planning – incremental) is sufficient to understand the process of creating inter‐organisational digitalisation strategies in the case.Design/methodology/approach – This paper utilises degree of freedom analysis (DFA). DFA is in essence a “pattern‐matching” between theoretical propositions and observations in a set of data. Inline with the DFA tradition in‐depth interviews were conducted and finally the results and interpretations are returned to the respondents for final feedback.Findings – This paper concludes that a strategi...

You Cannot Live of Love Alone – The Interrelation of Legitimacy and Effectuation in Nascent Markets

This paper explores how success in legitimacy building can create restrictions and problems for new venture’s development in highly volatile settings. Through a longitudinal single in-depth case study in the nascent e-mobility market, we uncover unwanted effects of this process. In a nascent market entrepreneurs need to engage in legitimization activities targeted both at the emerging firm and the emerging industry in which it operates. The gaining of legitimacy from various stakeholders had two consequences: overconfidence which led to misunderstanding of commitment and a lack of learning as well as the loss of flexibility due to premature contractual and identity commitment. Through a longitudinal study, we illustrate how the gaining of legitimacy can blind entrepreneurs towards understanding their stakeholder’s motivations as well as their customer’s feedback, and highlights limits of the dynamic model of effectual transformation. We finish the paper by offering propositions for the refinement of effec...

B2b Inter-Organisational Digitalisation Strategies - Towards Interaction Based Approach

The digital technology is increasingly important for businesses as it has the capability to enable, support and sometimes influence the overall strategic direction of the corporation. Thus, strategies that define how, why and when companies plan to utilise the digital technology are increasingly important. The purpose of the article is to analyse what different strategic processes are used in the empirical context and further discuss to what extent the widely used strategic continuum (planning - incremental) are sufficient to understand what is happening in the case. We conclude in the article that a strategic continuum spanning from planning to learning, where the incremental approach is in the middle is more powerful as an analytical tool in relation to the specific cases. The research is conducted in one of Denmarks biggest companies with a annual turnover of 2.2 billion EUR and over 22,000 employees.

The Diversity Management Paradox in Globalization - The Swedish IKEA Way

This paper focus on IKEAs efforts to meet the challenges of globalization with diversity management. We will discuss the managerial and theoretical implications in order to understand the effects of utilizing diversity management as means for keeping the core corporate culture key values alive when the organization becomes larger and more diverse.