International Strategy Implementation: Understanding of Local Challenges in China

The thesis has two purposes. First, to give a practical insight into the challenges that Swedish companies might face, and how these challenges are tackled, when implementing strategy in a local area. Second, to develop a general applicable model as a conceptual contribution to the field of international strategy implementation in local areas. This empirical-driven thesis is written in a qualitative and explorative approach, where abduction is adopted in order to find mysteries and contribute to the forming of new theories. The empirical foundation is twenty-two interviews and observations of three large Swedish companies. Some empirical data has been collected in Sweden, whereas the major part is collected locally in China. Existing theory does not fully explain how to implement a strategy in a local area. Based on our theoretical framework, we have, through a micro-level study, developed a model to describe a better method for strategy implementation. To successfully implement a strategy in a local area, a company have to understand the root causes to local challenges. These understandings must be institutionalized into the organization, in order to achieve a successful strategy formulation and prevent future trial-and-error

The ethics of regenerative medicine

Most developments in regenerative medicine have in common that there are many uncertainties and knowledge gaps. These features make the evaluation of long-term consequences of the available options difficult and have consequences for the ethical issues raised. This paper presents an overview of ethical issues raised in regenerative medicine, using as a starting point a list of stakeholders and their interests. Ethical issues are introduced via a simplified account of a project that focuses on several difficult problems, as well as a conceptual framework consisting of the following key concepts: present situation, goals, difficulties on the road toward the goals, and strategies for dealing with the difficulties. The list of ethical issues discussed includes safety and efficacy, patient consent, information, professional responsibilities, as well as equity and fairness. The issues and the underlying values need to be clarified, specified, debated, and ranked in order of importance. A particular problem is that values sometimes clash: Certain values can be achieved only at the expense of others. If and when values clash, principles are available that can guide the decision making. The paper comments on two such principles with implications for the particular issue of patient access to experimental treatments: the precautionary principle and the principle of proportionality. The paper ends with some conclusions for the future

Why metaphysicians do not explain

The paper discusses the concept of explanation in metaphysics. Different types of explanation are identified and explored. Scientific explanation is compared with (alleged) metaphysical explanation. The comparison illustrates the difficulties with applying the concept of explanation in metaphysics

Value uncertainty and value instability in decision-making

The purpose of this paper is to clarify the role of value uncertainty and value instability in decision-making that concerns morally controversial issues. Value uncertainty and value instability are distinguished from moral uncertainty, and several types of value uncertainty and value instability are defined and discussed. The relations between value uncertainty and value instability are explored, and value uncertainty is illustrated with examples drawn from the social sciences, medicine and everyday life. Several types of factor producing value uncertainty and/or value instability are then identified. They are grouped into three categories and discussed under the headings ‘value framing’, ‘ambivalence’ and ‘lack of self-knowledge’. The paper then discusses the role of value uncertainty in decision-making. The concluding remarks summarize what has been achieved and what remains to be done in this area

Xenotransplantation public perceptions: rather cells than organs.

The aim of this study was to describe some of the factors that might play a role in influencing attitude to xenotransplantation: first, the consideration of receiving cells and tissue from xenotransplants in relation to whole xeno-organs; secondly, the fact that there is greater uncertainty regarding the result and risk of infection associated with xenotransplantation than with allotransplantation. We also describe the attitude to research on xenotransplantation, and the relationship between the attitude to receiving a xenotransplant and an allotransplant. Finally, we describe the attitude to xenotransplantation in relation to treatment for renal failure and waiting-time for allotransplantation. A questionnaire was sent to randomly selected members of the public aged 18 to 75 (n=1000) and to all patients in the same age range who were waiting for kidney transplants in Sweden in the spring of 1998 (n=460). The response rate was 60% among the public and 87% among the patients. Both study groups were positive to a greater extent in their attitude to receiving cells and tissue than to receiving a whole organ such as a kidney. The response `rather positive' to receiving organs was generally favored by the public, whereas the most generally favored response to receiving cells and tissue was `very positive'. When there was suggested to be a greater uncertainty regarding the outcome with xenotransplantation compared with allotransplantation, the number of negative and uncertain respondents increased, both among the public and the patients. Eighty percent of the public and about 90% of the patients were in favor of continued research on xenotransplantation. Of those members of the public who responded, the attitude to receiving an organ from a human was positive in 86% of cases, with an emphasis on `very positive'. There was a moderate relation between the attitude to receiving an organ from a human and to receiving a xenotransplant. Among the patients, there was no systematic or strong relation between the attitude to xenotransplantation and the kind of dialysis treatment they were on. Neither was there any systematic or strong relation to the waiting-time. The overall impression is that the attitude to xenotransplantation seems to be most influenced by whether the xenotransplant would involve whole organs or cells and uncertainty regarding the outcome

Omorganiseringsproblem: strategiska och strukturella förändringsperspektiv

Uppsatsens titel: Omorganiseringsproblem: strategiska och strukturella förändringsperspektiv Seminariedatum: 2007-06-04 Ämne/kurs: FEK582 Kandidatuppsats, 10 poäng Författare: Emma Jonsson, Johan Hermerén, Martin Tullström Handledare: Per-Hugo Skärvad Fem nyckelord: Trigger, strategi, organisationsförändring, diskrepans, fallstudie Syfte: Syftet med denna uppsats är att utreda hur ett företags diskrepans mellan strategiska mål och faktiskt utfall vid organisatoriska förändringar yttrar sig, vilka misstag som görs i sammanhanget, triggers betydelse samt hur diskrepansen kan minimeras Metod: Uppsatsen har en induktiv ansats, där primärdatan baseras på en kvalitativ fallstudie. Teoretiska perspektiv: Uppsatsen grundar sig på strategiska och organisatoriska förändringsteorier. Den teoretiska referensramen utgörs av resonemang från Chandler, Mintzberg, Lewin och Alvesson & Sveningsson. Empiri: Empirins primärdata utgjörs av semistrukturerade intervjuer med sex personer som varit väl insatta i företagets organisatoriska förändring. Sekundärdata består av litteratur, årsredovisningar, interna dokument och personaltidningar. Resultat: En evolutionär förändringsprocess är att föredra framför en radikal. Triggereffekten har en stor betydelse för utfallet av en förändring. Resultatet av studien beskrivs i JHT-modellen