Attempts to share information between public sector organisations over time: A case-based exploration of value conflicts

Despite the importance of inter-organisational information sharing (IOIS) in the public sector, such endeavours often fail. Existing research has shown that the values held by collaborating organisations are one important factor affecting these kinds of initiatives. However, research has sought only to a limited extent to address how value conflicts come into play over time. Therefore, this paper aims to explore how conflicting values shape an inter-organisational information-sharing practice in the public sector over time. Using the local/global network framework, we analyse four years’ worth of information sharing in an inter-organisational advisory group in the context of Swedish nuclear waste management. We conclude that different value conflicts are emphasised to different extents at different points in time. That is, values do not uniformly affect IOIS activities, and such conflicts over time reduce the set of potential IOIS activities. We also conclude that when IOIS activities are driven by an individual organisation’s values, individual value rational activities may co-exist with a dysfunctional long-term IOIS practice.publishedVersio

Business Network Simulation: Combining Research Cases and Agent-Based Models in a Robust Methodology

This paper describes the use of an agent-based model (ABM) with the purpose of simulating interaction processes in business networks. Such an ABM must be able to capture time and process in networks while retaining a level of comprehension and overview. The ABM rests on the assumption that business networks can be viewed as complex adaptive systems (CAS) and draws on the opportunities to build and use ABMs to simulate processes in such systems. This paper outlines the conceptual foundations and the methodological challenges and opportunities associated with such an endeavor with special reference to issues concerning the modeling of the complexities of business networks. Specifically it discusses the use of ABM and research case in combination in an effort to produce a robust methodology. It contributes with suggestions on how one concretely can handle these issues and challenges when using ABMs to model non-linear dynamic interaction processes in networks

Assessments of measures for the greening of transport logistics systems from three use cases in the Swedish section of the Scandinavian – Mediterranean corridor

Introduktion och syftet med GET GreenerDet finns en mängd initiativ och åtgärder med potential för grönare transporter och logistiksystem. Trots detta visar studier att för transportköpare ligger den relativa betydelsen av miljörelaterade effekter av transporter på samma nivå som sedan början av 2000-talet. Trafikverket har med FoI-medel finansierat en genomgång av de existerande åtgärder som identifierades i projekten Swiftly Green (Sweden-Italy Freight Transport and Logistics Green Corridor) och GreCOR. I denna rapport redogörs för de metoder och resultat som GET Greener genererat. Målsättningen med projektet var att identifiera så kallade ”lågt hängande frukter” bland de mer än 130 olika åtgärder som identifierades i Switfly Green. Dessa åtgärder hänvisas också till som “verktygslådan”. Syftet med projektet var att identifiera åtgärder ur Swiftly Greens verktygslåda som har potential att implementeras inom en inte allt för avlägsen framtid i den svenska delen av ScanMed-korridoren och som bidrar till en signifikant minskning av utsläpp av växthusgaser. Övergripande resultat och rekommendationerAtt implementera åtgärder medför alltid kostnader. En viktig fråga att hantera i dessa sammanhang är vem som bär kostnaderna för en given åtgärds implementation. Denna fråga är generisk och betonad oavsett modalitet, åtgärd eller kontext. På en generell nivå är det en fråga om hur kostnader, nyttor, ansvar, ägarskap, underhåll och investeringar distribueras bland ett antal heterogena aktörer i ett komplext socio-tekniskt-ekonomiskt sammanhang. I detta projekt handlar det om transporter och transportsystem och de initiativ, åtgärder och försök att göra dessa mer hållbara som för närvarande existerar. Kan man hantera dessa frågor så visar resultaten från projektet på en icke oväsentlig potential. Resultaten pekar på att genom att systematiskt och ihärdigt implementera två eller tre åtgärder från verktygslådan så är det möjligt att nå de ambitiösa utsläppsmålen från transporter uppsatta av den Svenska regeringen, redan före 2030. Genom att kombinera åtgärder för så kallade hög-kapacitetstransporter – High-Capacity Transports (HCT) på väg i form av långa lastbilar och tillåta 32-metersbilar som går på HVO-bränsle med åtgärder för Långa Tunga Tåg (LTT) som 730-meterståg på kärnrelationen Malmö – Hallsberg i ScanMed så kan man enbart med dessa åtgärder 41058 att nå sektorns utsläppsmål. Detta leder till slutsatsen att det inte är tekniska hinder som utgör hinder för att nå utsläppsmålen. De hinder som existerar är snarare av legal, regulativ, organisatorisk och ekonomiskt karaktär. För att till fullo realisera den potential som identifieras här så måste frågor om EU-regleringar av HCT väg, utvecklingen av öppna affärsmodeller, eftersatt infrastrukturunderhåll och investeringar, och harmonieringen av järnvägens reglering och styrning i Europa, lyftas upp och åtgärdas.GET Greener (Utveckla resultat från Swiftly Green & GreCOR i Sveriges del av Scandinaivan-Mediterranean

Exploring using interfaces

Technology refers to the utilization of technical equipment and ideas embodied in products, as well as the organization of activities (Capon & Glazer, 1987). It is also understood to be know-how, which comprises both prescriptive and propositional knowledge in a broad sense (Mokyr, 2002), which is consistent with Thompson (1967). This study focuses on the use of various technologies in the same broad sense. Thus it is possible for many different "using technologies" to exist simultaneously in all complex activities. The links between these using technologies are referred to as interfaces and these are explored with the aim of creating a different understanding of how technological and economic systems function

Exploring using interfaces

Technology refers to the utilization of technical equipment and ideas embodied in products, as well as the organization of activities (Capon & Glazer, 1987). It is also understood to be know-how, which comprises both prescriptive and propositional knowledge in a broad sense (Mokyr, 2002), which is consistent with Thompson (1967). This study focuses on the use of various technologies in the same broad sense. Thus it is possible for many different "using technologies" to exist simultaneously in all complex activities. The links between these using technologies are referred to as interfaces and these are explored with the aim of creating a different understanding of how technological and economic systems function

Reconsidering place in relation to sustainability : An analysis of the intricate interplay in complex organizational networks

The concept of place, as well as physicality of place, impacts  sustainability practices in different ways. While management and organization studies have seen a rise in discussions on sustainable business models, we argue that place has lost its natural place in sustainability studies related to the business organization. Place offers a rootedness and a link to the natural, that all organizational activities are dependent on. Therefore, place has the capacity to drive and deepen sustainability practices. The purpose of this paper is to uncover the role of place in sustainability research and organizational practice. A topic, which in sustainability research related to the business organization has been rather weakly covered. By applying an abductive research approach, we identify four different settings for the relation between place and sustainability. We then develop a place typology that shows the different roles of place in sustainability research and practice

Reconsidering place in relation to sustainability : An analysis of the intricate interplay in complex organizational networks

The concept of place, as well as physicality of place, impacts  sustainability practices in different ways. While management and organization studies have seen a rise in discussions on sustainable business models, we argue that place has lost its natural place in sustainability studies related to the business organization. Place offers a rootedness and a link to the natural, that all organizational activities are dependent on. Therefore, place has the capacity to drive and deepen sustainability practices. The purpose of this paper is to uncover the role of place in sustainability research and organizational practice. A topic, which in sustainability research related to the business organization has been rather weakly covered. By applying an abductive research approach, we identify four different settings for the relation between place and sustainability. We then develop a place typology that shows the different roles of place in sustainability research and practice