Project: Knowledge. A two-sided perspective on knowledge transfer & knowledge creation

Purpose: Our purpose is to describe and understand how a project-based, knowledge-intensive firm in the high-technology industry creates and transfers knowledge, seen from two perspectives. Methodology: Our qualitative case study has an explorative approach since earlier studies within our positioning are absent, thus we look at KM abductively. To gain more depth to our study, we mirror our findings from our case company with data collected from three additional organisations. Theoretical perspectives: We see a clear distinction between researchers, either seeing knowledge as an object or a process. Thus, we review theories from both sides, either focusing on the creation or transferring of knowledge. In addition, theories on KM in project organisations are accounted for. Empirical foundation: The study is based on the empirical foundation which consists of the data received through six interviews with employees at our main case company and, additionally, two interviews at each of our three mirror companies. Conclusion: The study found KM being seen from both perspectives in all four firms. Through this, we found implications for how our case company could proceed in the future

Konsten att balansera - om styrning i ett läkemedelsföretag

Syftet med denna uppsats är att studera och skapa förståelse för styrning av produktutveckling i ett stort läkemedelsföretag. Vi lägger fokus på organisationsstruktur och omvärldsaspekten. Vår ambition är att därefter tillämpa den befintliga teorin för att om möjligt vidareutveckla denna. Vår studie är en kvalitativ fallstudie med explorativ ansats. Vi har använt oss av en abduktiv metod och haft semistrukturerade intervjuer som bas för den empiriska datan. Den teori som vi anser är mest intressant för vår studie är situationsteorin gällande organisationsstrukturer. Vi tittar även på matrisfunktionen som organisationsform, definitionen av kunskapsföretag och teorier kring effektiv portföljhantering, samt en modell för projektstyrning. Vårt fallföretag är ett stort globalt läkemedelsföretag. Vi studerar deras inre processer och den miljö som Företaget verkar i och vi fokuserar på Företagets styrmodell. Företaget befinner sig i en komplex och dynamisk miljö, vilket talar för en adhocratisk organisationsform. Dock har vi hittat vissa byråkratiska tendenser inom organisationen och vi har valt att kalla detta för selektiv byråkrati i och med att Företaget har valt att endast byråkratisera vissa specifika delar

Evolution of a physiological pH 6.8 bicarbonate buffer system: application to the dissolution testing of enteric coated products.

The use of compendial pH 6.8 phosphate buffer to assess dissolution of enteric coated products gives rise to poor in vitro-in vivo correlations because of the inadequacy of the buffer to resemble small intestinal fluids. A more representative and physiological medium, pH 6.8 bicarbonate buffer, was developed to evaluate the dissolution behaviour of enteric coatings. The bicarbonate system was evolved from pH7.4 Hanks balanced salt solution to produce a pH 6.8 bicarbonate buffer (modified Hanks buffer, mHanks), which resembles the ionic composition and buffer capacity of intestinal milieu. Prednisolone tablets were coated with a range of enteric polymers: hypromellose phthalate (HP-50 and HP-55), cellulose acetate phthalate (CAP), hypromellose acetate succinate (HPMCAS-LF and HPMCAS-MF), methacrylic acid copolymers (EUDRAGIT® L100-55, EUDRAGIT® L30D-55 and EUDRAGIT® L100) and polyvinyl acetate phthalate (PVAP). Dissolution of coated tablets was carried out using USP-II apparatus in 0.1M HCl for 2h followed by pH 6.8 phosphate buffer or pH 6.8 mHanks bicarbonate buffer. In pH 6.8 phosphate buffer, the various enteric polymer coated products displayed rapid and comparable dissolution profiles. In pH 6.8 mHanks buffer, drug release was delayed and marked differences were observed between the various coated tablets, which is comparable to the delayed disintegration times reported in the literature for enteric coated products in the human small intestine. In summary, the use of pH 6.8 physiological bicarbonate buffer (mHanks) provides more realistic and discriminative in vitro release assessment of enteric coated formulations compared to compendial phosphate buffer