Dynamic enterprise modelling: a methodology for animating dynamic social networks

PhD ThesisSince the introduction of the Internet and the realisation of its potential companies have either transformed their operation or are in the process of doing so. It has been observed, that developments in I.T., telecommunications and the Internet have boosted the number of enterprises engaging into e-commerce, e-business and virtual enterprising. These trends are accompanied by re-shaping, transformation and changes in an enterprise's boundaries. The thesis gives an account of the research into the area of dynamic enterprise modelling and provides a modelling methodology that allows different roles and business models to be tested and evaluated without the risk associated with committing to a change

How to manage SMEs through the transformation from non-innovative to innovative?

Denne afhandling er indgivet til ph.d. bedømmelse under forskerskolen Viden og Ledelse ved Institut for Ledelse, Politik og Filosofi på Copenhagen Business School. Afhandlingen tager udgangspunkt i danske små og mellemstore virksomheders udfordringer i at tilpasse sig omverdenens uophørlige forandringer. En aktuel udfordring og måde at overleve på for disse virksomheder er at være innovative. Undersøgelser i 2004 pegede på, at cirka 50% af alle danske små og mellemstore virksomheder ikke var innovative. Præcis der udkrystalliserede mit forskningsspørgsmål sig, som er: Hvordan leder man små og mellemstore virksomheder fra at være ikke-innovative til at blive innovative? Organisationsteorien er leveringsdygtig i mange bud på en løsning til dette problem. Gennem litteraturstudier og målrettede udvælgelseskriterier valgte jeg at analysere problemstillingen ud fra 4 organisationsteoretiske perspektiver, nemlig ledelse, HRM, strategi og netværksrelationer. Den forskningsbaserede empiriske undersøgelse af 5 casevirksomheder viste, at en succesfuld transformation handler om at udvikle en ledelse, der skaber gode rammer for at medarbejderne kan lede og udvikle sig selv gennem arbejde med viden og ny indsigt. Det bør støttes af en stram styring på de mål og ressourcer, der er afsat. Det er ligeledes vigtigt, at HRM perspektivet tager udgangspunkt i at se medarbejderne, som nogen der indeholder et stort potentiale som de gerne benytter til at udvikle virksomheden, hvis de bliver motiveret og udfordret. Disse HRM aktiviteter bør ses i tæt sammenhæng med virksomhedens strategi. En strategi, der i øvrigt bør være nedskrevet, fokuseret på innovative tiltag og tydelig kommunikeret ud i organisationen. Endelig bør små og mellemstore virksomheder, der ønsker at transformere sig til en innovativ position være aktive i netværksrelationer med alle typer af relevante interessenter. Mine analyser af de data der relaterer sig forskningsprojektet viste, at 2 af virksomhederne have gennemgået en transformationsproces, der bragte dem fuldbyrdet ind i en ny ligevægtsposition baseret på innovation. 2 virksomheder var tydeligt i gang med en transformation, men var ikke nået til en ny ligevægtssituation i forhold til at innovative. Den sidste virksomhed var opdelt på den måde, at virksomheden var langt fra transformeret i retning af det innovative, hvorimod virksomhedens produktudviklingsafdeling bar tydelig præg af en sådan ligevægt i forhold til den innovative position. I en længere periode anså jeg disse resultater for være noget spredte i den forstand, at der faktisk var en 50-50 fordeling mellem virksomheder der bekræftede mine antagelser, og virksomheder der ikke bekræftede mine antagelser. Jeg var faktisk begyndt at skrive konklusionen, da jeg pludselig så problemstillingen og mine data forene sig på en ny måde. Det var endda en måde, der let og entydigt forklarede situationen i alle 5 casevirksomheder, og som bidrager til ny viden på feltet. Det, der styrer små og mellemstore virksomheders transformation generelt (ikke kun mod innovation), er det som ledelsen og medarbejderne adresserer som virksomhedens hovedproblem. Hvis ledere og medarbejdere anser det at udvikle produkter eller processer som det vigtigste problem, vil det få stor indflydelse på ledelse, HRM, strategi og netværksrelationer, og disse områder vil tilpasse sig og støtte op om skabelsen af en innovativ ligevægtssituation. Hvis ledere og medarbejdere anser optimering af produktionen eller administrationen som det vigtigste problem, så vil det ligeledes få stor indflydelse på ledelse, HRM, strategi og netværksrelationer, som i dette tilfælde vil udvikle sig mod en ikke-innovativ ligevægtssituation

L'effet de l'entente entre le Grupo Carso et le gouvernement mexicain sur les télécommunications mexicaines et latino-américaines (1989-2006) : du monopole d'état à la «main invisible» du marché

À partir des années 80, le régime international des télécommunications a subi un grand bouleversement. Le contrôle que les États exerçaient sur les télécommunications a été redéfini avec la privatisation des monopoles publics et la dérégulation des monopoles privés dans ce secteur. Le néolibéralisme, qui plaide pour un réaménagement du rôle du secteur privé par rapport au secteur public, a affecté de manière importante les télécommunications mondiales. Une nouvelle structure du régime international des télécommunications est apparue, ce qui s'est répercuté sur l'ensemble des pays de l'économie mondiale. Cependant, les processus de changements dans le secteur des télécommunications diffèrent d'un pays à l'autre, même s'iIs convergent vers l'acception de principes et de règles similaires. À ce titre, il est intéressant d'analyser le processus de changements des\ud télécommunications mexicaines afin d'analyser le processus d'ajustement de l'économie nationale en\ud liaison avec le nouveau régime des télécommunications. Ce mémoire examinera ainsi les transformations des télécommunications mexicaines (1989-2006) afin de comprendre les facteurs qui ont été déterminants dans les changements des télécommunications mexicaines et qui, aujourd'hui, structurent le fonctionnement actuel du marché des télécommunications du pays. Avant de procéder à notre analyse, nous situerons le choix de notre approche, notre cadre théorique ainsi que notre méthodologie (chapitre 1). En premier lieu, pour comprendre l'origine des réformes des télécommunications mexicaines, nous étudierons la privatisation de Telmex durant la période 1989-90 (chapitre II). Nous analyserons le rôle joué par la nouvelle entente que ce gouvernement a établie avec le secteur privé en montrant qu'elle a été le moteur du processus de privatisation de Telmex. En effet, cette entente a été le facteur déterminant du processus de privatisation. En second lieu, pour comprendre l'évolution des télécommunications mexicaines, ce mémoire analysera la libéralisation des télécommunications (chapitre III). Nous étudierons le comportement néo-mercantiliste du gouvernement mexicain dans le secteur de télécommunications en analysant l'ïnterrelation entre les politiques adoptées par le gouvernement mexicain dans la régulation des télécommunications et la croissance économique du Grupo Carso. Nous examinerons notamment l'impact du comportement first-mover de Telmex et des barrières à l'entrée érigées par le gouvernement mexicain sur la nouvelle structure des télécommunications mexicaines. Cette analyse nous permettra d'observer la consolidation de l'entente entre le Grupo Carso et le gouvernement mexicain et d'évaluer son impact sur le marché mexicain des télécommunications, voire son impact sur l'internationalisation de Telmex et son expansion vers les marchés d'Amérique latine. ______________________________________________________________________________ MOTS-CLÉS DE L’AUTEUR : Télécommunications, Mexique, Libéralisation, Entente

Patent use exception for user-generated inventions

The high-tech corner of the user-innovation scene is dominated by makers. The expansion of the maker movement embraced fields such as robotics, electronics, and 3D printing, where makers are not only hobbyists, but true contributors to technological progress. By contesting the classical paradigm of innovation incentivized by IP protection, they question the established principles of patent law. In consequence, we observe friction between two discrepant approaches and philosophies: open communal workings (making) and closed proprietary operations (patents). In addition to that, changes in IP practice and the dynamic of making provokes concerns about the free use of the patented ideas. The fact of public sharing, even in a form of one “innocent” Internet post, e.g. suggesting (instructing) certain patent improvements, can be sufficient to claim indirect patent infringement or inducement to infringe. The research addressed the question of the applicability of patent excpetions (limitations of the patent exclusivity) that enable defence in patent infringement cases. It also examined those measures with regard to the scope of the freedom-to-operate they provide. In the course of the project it was demonstrated that the communitarian profile of the movement and the uncontrollable dissemination of information do not allow for the movement to fit under the protective umbrella of patent limitations. The study proposes a novel solution within the framework of patent limitations to address free tinkering and the public dissemination of information. Its objective is plain and simple: to free makers from infringing patent rights, from being involved in patent puzzles and from decoding patent claims

Application de l'identification d'objets sur images à l'étude de canopées de peuplements forestiers tropicaux : cas des plantations d'Eucalyptus et des mangroves

This PhD work aims at providing information on the forest structure through the analysis of canopy properties as described by the spatial distribution and the crown size of dominant trees. Our approach is based on the Marked Point Processes (MPP) theory, which allows modeling tree crowns observed in remote sensing images by discs belonging a two dimensional space. The potential of MPP to detect the trees crowns automatically is evaluated by using very high spatial resolution optical satellite images of both Eucalyptus plantations and mangrove forest. Lidar and simulated reflectance images are also analyzed for the mangrove application. Different adaptations (parameter settings, energy models) of the MPP method are tested and compared through the development of quantitative indices that allow comparison between detection results and tree references derived from the field, photo-interpretation or the forest mockups. In the case of mangroves, the estimated crown sizes from detections are consistent with the outputs from the available allometric models. Other results indicate that tree detection by MPP allows mapping, the local density of trees of young Eucalyptus plantations even if crown size is close to the image spatial resolution (0.5m). However, the quality of detection by MPP decreases with canopy closeness. To improve the results, further work may involve MPP detection using objects with finer shapes and forest data measurements collected at the tree plant scale.La thèse s'inscrit dans l'étude de la structuration des forêts à partir des propriétés de la canopée telles que décrites par la distribution spatiale ou la taille des houppiers des arbres dominants. L'approche suivie est fondée sur la théorie des Processus Ponctuels Marqués (PPM) qui permet de modéliser ces houppiers comme des disques sur images considérées comme un espace 2D. Le travail a consisté à évaluer le potentiel des PPM pour détecter automatiquement les houppiers d'arbres dans des images optiques de très résolution spatiale acquises sur des forêts de mangroves et des plantations d'Eucalyptus. Pour les mangroves, nous avons également travaillé sur des images simulées de réflectance et des données Lidar. Différentes adaptations (paramétrage, modèles d'énergie) de la méthode de PPM ont été testées et comparées grâce à des indices quantitatifs de comparaison entre résultats de la détection et références de positionnement issues du terrain, de photo-interprétation ou de maquettes forestières. Dans le cas des mangroves, les tailles de houppier estimées par détection restent cohérentes avec les sorties des modèles allométriques disponibles. Les résultats thématiques indiquent que la détection par PPM permet de cartographier dans une jeune plantation d'Eucalyptus la densité locale d'arbres dont la taille des houppiers est proche de la résolution spatiale de l'image (0.5m). Cependant, la qualité de la détection diminue quand le couvert se complexifie. Ce travail dresse plusieurs pistes de recherche tant mathématique, comme la prise en compte des objets de forme complexe, que thématiques, comme l'apport des informations forestières à des échelles pertinentes pour la mise au point de méthodes de télédétection

A Study on Markets and the Natural Environment

Denne afhandling fokuserer på konstruktion af markeder for miljørigtige produkter gennem et casestudie af, hvordan miljøvenlighed som produktkvalitet er blevet udført (enacted) og forhandlet i markedet for urinposer. Afhandlingen bygger på et konstruktivistisk perspektiv på markeder: markeder og produktkvaliteter og egenskaber i urinposer anses således som emergerende og konstruerede i forskellige markedskonstituerende praksisser. De primære teoretiske begreber i afhandlingen er koordinering (coordination)(Mol et al. 2002) og kvalificering- (re)kvalificering (qualification-(re)qualification)(Callon et al. 2002)

Aesthetic Design as an Element of Service Innovation in New Technology-based Firms

The goals of this thesis are to examine new technology-based firms’ use of aesthetic design as an element of service innovation and to explore potential relationships between aesthetic design and performance in this same context. There is a scarcity of research on aesthetic design as an element of service innovation, particularly in new technology-based firms. Because of this scarcity, a hybrid research strategy is appropriate and the empirical basis for this research encompasses multiple case studies, longitudinal quantitative data and evaluations by expert panels. The first phase of the research involves developing an operationalization of design that enables evaluation of aesthetic design as an element of innovation in technology-based firms. The second phase uses case research to explore the role and organization of aesthetic design in service innovation in new technology-based firms. The final phase explores relationships between aesthetic design and performance in the research context. Hypotheses are developed based on existing research, on one hand, and the results of the case research, on the other, and these hypotheses are tested using longitudinal survey-based data. The operationalization of design developed is a three-dimensional model consisting of functional design, visceral design and experiential design. Functional design is concerned with utility, features and delivery; visceral design is concerned with appealing to the human senses; and experiential design is concerned with message, symbols, culture, meaning, and emotional and sociological aspects. Visceral design and experiential design are combined to yield a formative measure of aesthetic design. The findings of the research are that new technology-based firms emphasize functional design over aesthetic design. Emphasis on aesthetic design is related positively with the importance of design in a firms’ sector and founders’ experience of sales and marketing, while it is negatively related with founders’ technical education. In new technology-based firms, aesthetic design can be characterized as being used to exploit or counteract the characteristics that distinguish services from products, namely intangibility, inseparability, heterogeneity and perishability. The application of aesthetic design to counteract these characteristics is more prevalent than exploitation. Aesthetic design in new technology-based firms is found to be primarily silent, meaning that those performing design activities are mostly managers and technical staff engaged in design activities as part of their development efforts and without these activities necessarily being acknowledged as design. The findings regarding the relationship between aesthetic design and performance are that aesthetic design is positively related with competitive advantage, but that this relationship is dependent upon moderating factors. The effectiveness of aesthetic design in achieving competitive advantage through differentiation is found to differ depending on the current stage of commoditization. The greater the level of commoditization of a service the more effectively aesthetic design can be employed to improve competitive advantage. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the objectives underlying managers’ decisions to use aesthetic design in service innovation are attracting new customers, improving firm image and/or retaining existing customers, and doing so at lower cost. Hypothesis testing using longitudinal survey-based data confirms that by and large these benefits are realized by new technology-based firms. This research makes a number of important contributions. The research focus lies in an area where there is little existing research and, thus, the operationalization of aesthetic design developed and the characterization of aesthetic design as an element of service innovation in new technology-based firms constitute important contributions. The characterization provides a picture of the prevalence, roles, organization and actors of aesthetic design in the research context. The research also contributes insight about the relationship between aesthetic design as an element of service innovation and performance of new technologybased firms. The research shows that various positive relationships exist but that they can be contingent upon existing conditions, which act as moderating factors

The Winning Hybrid - A case study of isomorphosm in the airline industry

The deregulated scheduled passenger airline industry is in a constant state of motion as managers continually adapt their business models to meet the challenging market environment. Such adaptation has led to a variety of airlines populating the industry; from the birth of low-cost carriers to the transformation of state-owned behemoths to lean and successful carriers. These dynamics challenge airline managers to continuously acclimate their business models and to understand industry evolution. This doctoral dissertation addresses the issue of industry evolution and attempts to propose future airline business models based on airline behavior. The intention is to improve understanding of industry evolution, propose a method for constructing future business models, and aid airline management in future strategic decisions. Three central themes are raised in the research: business model heterogeneity and its impact on airline performance, innovation and imitation as a justification for business model heterogeneity, and future business models grounded on airline innovation and imitation. Each theme forms the basis for the project’s three analyses. The research is categorized according to the customary industrial segmentation of full-service carriers, low-cost carriers, and regional carriers. The findings show that business model heterogeneity is evident at varying degrees in the industry, and that there is a positive relationship between the level adherence to a strategic group’s traditional business model and financial performance. This indicates that airlines that abide by their strategic group’s traditional business model perform better than those that differentiate themselves form the traditional business model. The low-cost carrier group is the most heterogeneous while the full-service carrier group is the most homogenous, which one may attribute to the historical emergence of these two groups. Results from a global survey distributed to airline CEOs show that business model differentiation is predicated on both innovation and imitation. The research shows that all airlines innovate, however business model changes based on this phenomenon may only afford an airline an advantage for a limited time period as imitation is prolific in the industry. Airline behavior indicates that airlines that populate the periphery of their strategic group are more prone to imitate other strategic groups. In addition, it is shown that airlines that closely adhere to their strategic group’s traditional business model are more likely to imitate airlines populating their own strategic group. The final analysis is based on the presence of innovation and imitation in the industry and incorporates these concepts in algebraic analyses which determine the unique combinations that continuously lead to a positive operating margin. The business model results suggest that the clear, historical distinctions between the strategic groups in the industry are becoming blurred, and that a winning hybrid may emerge