Examensarbeten för masterexamen // Master Theses
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- PostAligning Corporate Culture with Brand Values. A case study of a financial tech SME(2015) Holmström, Linn; Viksten, Annelie; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Chalmers University of Technology / Department of Technology Management and Economics
- PostAligning Innovation with Technology Strategy and IP Management A case study in the Aerospace & Defense industry(2020) Axman, Amanda; Blomberg, Elin; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Petrusson, Ulf; Heiden, BowmanAs technology is the driving force of innovation, connecting the innovation process to the technology strategy is essential. It is also important to recognize the need to capture ideas generated from the innovation process and shape them into transactional assets in order to create commercial value. Therefore, connecting the three areas of Innovation, Technology Strategy, and Intellectual Property Management is necessary. Innovation, with a focus on cutting edge technology, is driving and continuously development of the Aerospace and Defense (A&D) industry. As future products are expected to have more requirements of customization, companies in the A&D industry need to be adaptable, more agile, and ready to adopt new technologies. These changes also demand new ways of handling IP, due to changing corporate strategies. Based on a multiple embedded case study on a single organization the question of how companies, within the A&D industry, can capture commercial value from innovation through alignment with existing technology strategies and intellectual property management was answered. The study found that an alignment between innovation, technology strategy, and intellectual property management is what enables the creation, and the ability to capture commercial value for companies within the industry. The study further found the need for a common definition and objective of innovation, both in research and within the host company. Three different types of innovation processes were found, where a funnel structure was the most common. The competence composition of a decision-making council was shown to be of great importance for identifying crucial aspects of potential innovations. In addition, the study also found that, in order for the innovation process to support the technology strategy, an innovation strategy needs to be established. To ensure the capturing of commercial value from the innovation process, intellectual property management needs to be incorporated in the innovation process.
- PostAndroid Open Source Project: A study of contribution analysis & degree of openness in governance(2021) Sharma, Harish; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Lundqvist, Mats; Lundqvist, MatsThe term Open Source has been emerging as a popular way to collaborate & innovate. Android Open Source Project is one such, latest and widely, discussed open source project which is a Google initiative. Since its launch as an open source project, it has been one of the most widely talked about projects in technology space. While it has garnered interest from technologists and software developers across the globe, some others have started looking it through a lens of legal & business aspects. An alliance of around 80 companies was formed in the year 2007 known as Open Handset Alliance, to support and develop Android as an open and innovative mobile platform. Android has already reflected this commitment of alliance by leading the smartphone market and gaining market share at rapid pace. There are several studies conducted on Android in the recent past both as a technology platform and as its business implication. However, a little attention has been paid over the openness and governance of the platform. The objective of this thesis is to explore the openness in the governance of the Android open source project by analysis of the contributions made to the project. The contributions are studied to find key trends and their relationship with the governance. This study is unique in the way that it involves technological, legal, and business aspects in the analysis of contributions and its relationship with the governance. The study of the contribution revealed that not all the actors who are member of Open Handset Alliance are contributing to the project. Some of those who are contributing, are contributing either to push their technology or capitalize on the market strength of the Android to push products to the market. There are a lot of individuals who are also contributing to the project. The motivations behind such contributions are skill development, better job prospects etc. Some actors are not contributing to the platform directly, but they are contributing by circumventing the open contribution method. This could be due to the result of the legal implication of the contribution agreement with respect to IPRs. It was found during the study that Android Open Source Project is not governed by a group of actors by democratic means but is primarily governed by Google keeping its own interests into consideration. The project has elements of open source to the extent that the source code is available for all but when it comes to the future direction of the project is driven by only one actor, Google.
- PostBeyond the Balance Sheet: Uncovering Intellectual Capital in Acquisitions A study of how to strategically manage intellectual capital in an M&A process(2023) Danielsson, Alexander; Torstensson, Felicia; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Chalmers University of Technology / Department of Technology Management and Economics; Petrusson, Ulf; Heiden, BowmanIn 2021, the global M&As conducted exceeded 62 000. The recent M&A activity has been fueled by intense demand for technology, and for digital and data-driven assets. However, studies show that the failure rate of M&As is between 70-90%. One of the reasons behind the high failure rate has been linked to a lack of identification of intellectual capital in the due diligence phase and to a lacking focus on how to retain it. Intellectual capital is an intangible resource that, in comparison to tangible, it is more difficult both to identify and evaluate. However, when ignoring intellectual capital in the acquisition, which often is the source of the competitive advantage, the firm might not be able to use the assets in an effective way after the acquisition is completed. The role of intangible assets, particularly human- and relational capital, in the success or failure of M&A transactions has received little attention in academic literature. Through a multiple case study, this thesis investigates how intellectual capital management can impact the outcome of an acquisition of intangible-intensive firms. More specifically, through intellectual capital in the form of innovation-, human-, and relational capital. The study covers the strategic objectives behind acquiring intellectual capital, its associated risks, ways of mitigating the risks, and how to better understand what is being acquired. The findings in this study show that in order to keep the value of the acquired assets, the acquiring firm needs to avoid the risk of losing the individuals that possess relevant technology-related know-how, R&D capabilities, and tacit knowledge regarding how to manage the relational capital in the form of customers and suppliers. Furthermore, the acquirer of the intellectual capital is subjected to many risks in relation to controlling the intellectual capital, e.g., through intellectual property rights and contracts. In order to mitigate these risks, and several others, the findings in this study show that a proactive approach can positively impact the outcome of an acquisition of an intangible-intensive firm. The proactive approach consists of identifying, evaluating, and managing the intellectual capital earlier in the M&A process. The outlined process consists of four phases, where (1) Utilization, refers to connecting the acquisition strategy with the intellectual capital activities throughout the M&A process. (2) Identification, and (3) Evaluation, refers to an early stage (i) identification and evaluation of the intellectual capital, (ii) its risks and (iii) its control positions related to the strategic objective. (4) Manage, refers to either conducting measures to ensure this before the acquisition is closed or to create a detailed plan of what measures need to be taken after the closing.
- PostBig Pharma Divestitures Activities, Trends & Strategies(2018) Ström, Viktor; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Chalmers University of Technology / Department of Technology Management and Economics
- PostBrand Building Through Personal Data, An Intellectual Asset Perspective A case study on how Ågrenska can strategically work with brand building through claiming and utilizing personal data assets by implementing storytelling as a utilization tool(2023) Melker, Helene; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Chalmers University of Technology / Department of Technology Management and Economics; Petrusson, Ulf; Holmberg, AnnaThe essay emphasizes the importance of using storytelling, incorporating personal data such as videos, pictures, and quotes, to effectively communicate the values and impact of Ågrenska, an organization with a history of protecting individuals with disabilities and rare diseases and their families. While there is hesitation regarding the usage of personal data due to privacy concerns and regulatory compliance, many participants at Ågrenska actively engage in social media to advocate for themselves and raise awareness. The essay aims to investigate how Ågrenska in an ethical and sustainable manner can claim and utilize the partakers' personal data as intellectual assets for their organization, particularly in brand building. The research questions revolve around the ethical and sustainable utilization of personal data as intellectual assets for brand building, understanding the desired personal data collection, using personal data in storytelling for brand visualization, and managing and protecting personal data as intellectual assets. The conclusions are that by collecting personal data encompassing various stakeholders, including individuals with disabilities or diseases, their families, staff, and professionals, Ågrenska can strengthen its brand and empower participants. Genuine stories based on true events can enhance brand recall, awareness, and associations, while also increasing trust and advocacy. Personal data, such as narratives, can be claimed as intellectual assets alongside other forms of data, such as text, pictures, audio, videos, and illustrations. To utilize personal data ethically and sustainably, Ågrenska needs to establish consent collection and removal processes, promoting co-creation and building trustful relationships with stakeholders. The IAM framework can provide a systematic approach for managing personal data in brand building, including categorization, consent management, and usage guidelines. By effectively managing personal data, addressing concerns, promoting transparency, and upholding trust and brand integrity, Ågrenska can navigate the complexities and hesitations surrounding personal data usage while empowering individuals and strengthening their brand.
- PostBrand Strategy in the Era of Electric Vehicles : Researching the brand strategies of some of the largest vehicle manufacturers in the shift towards EVs(2022) Gustafsson, Lisa; Holster Krantz, Lukas; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Petrusson, Ulf; Heiden, BoA paradigm shift is underway in the automotive industry. Most of the largest vehicle original equipment manufacturers are transitioning their internal combustion engine passenger vehicle production to electric. This transition is a challenge not only from an engineering or production point of view but from a brand perspective as well. The brand strategy for new technology is hard to navigate. What constitutes a brand is in and of itself a complex matter, as multiple definitions exist (Kapferer 2004). The difficulty in determining which strategy is used subsequently makes it difficult to determine what advantages and disadvantages come with which strategy. When there is a disruptive change in technology, incumbent companies that are ” too big to fail”, can fail. New actors can use this disruption to enter the market and position themself to quickly gain market share. This thesis maps out what brand strategies are deployed by some automotive companies in Europe and the USA, and how these might impact the company's abilities to survive the transition. The study gathers and analyses marketing material, press releases, and annual reports to determine the vehicle manufacturers’ brand strategies, goals for electrification, and past electric vehicle sales. Two semi-structured interviews are performed alongside the data gathering. One interview with an incumbent, Volkswagen, and one interview with a new entrant, Polestar. These add depth from two different points of view to the reasoning behind chosen brand strategies. The research revealed that product-line extension, sub-branding, and rebranding of the main brand (or new main brand creation) are the brand strategies deployed by the manufacturers included in the research. Sub-branding is the most common and product-line extension is the least common strategy among the investigated manufacturers. Most manufacturers seem to be headed towards a complete rebranding strategy, however. Product-line extension is revealed through the interviews to come with the most disadvantages of the brand strategies deployed by the researched manufacturers. This is even though Volkswagen themselves has deployed such a strategy. The disadvantages include not being flexible, being overly expensive, time-consuming, and confusing for the customer. It is also more difficult to convert existing models to electric and use their existing brands, as compared to creating completely new models and brands, from a manufacturing perspective. Sub- branding is revealed as a good middle ground for now. New electric vehicle models come with higher trust in their capabilities as compared to converted models. This strategy is more flexible than product-line extension as the positive aspects of the corporate brand can be handpicked and inserted in the sub-brand alongside new brand attributes preferable for electric vehicles. The only major disadvantage discovered through the interviews is the expense of garnering enough attention for a new sub-brand, where existing sub-brands already have awareness. The research concludes that the manufacturers with a complete rebranding of the main brand (or new main brand) enjoy the most success in ramping up their electric vehicle sales. However, the research also reveals that such action can not be taken by most manufacturers due to their high economic reliance on continuing to manufacture and sell internal combustion engines. Some psychological factors are also discussed as possible underlying reasons for the reluctance to deploy this strategy. Positive heritage attributes are revealed as a useful and important tool to use in transitioning the brand and when creating new sub-brands. Finally, the research concludes that a successful brand strategy for surviving the transition includes creating new sub-brands and moving towards a complete rebranding of the main brand at a pace that is compatible with the manufacturing capabilities. Spending resources on product-line extensions are wasteful and either moving too quickly or too slowly in the rebranding effort of the main brand risks hurting the credibility of the manufacturer.
- PostBranding and Control Activities for Differentiating Generic Products. A study of 30 brands’ most common activities(2016) Dahlgren Nurman, Erica; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Chalmers University of Technology / Department of Technology Management and Economics
- PostChinese University Patent Transfer - The Effectiveness and Its Determinants(2016) Wang, Haifeng; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Chalmers University of Technology / Department of Technology Management and Economics
- PostCollaborating to improve Healthcare: A case study(2018) Ducler, Florence; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Chalmers University of Technology / Department of Technology Management and Economics
- PostCollaboration between subsidiaries within the construction industry(2016) Sandström, Linda; Ållenberg, Pia; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Chalmers University of Technology / Department of Technology Management and Economics
- PostConsumer perceptions towards a smaller company with a superior positive brand image, acquired by a giant company with a more negative brand image(2013) Kaewmanorom, Charoenporn; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Chalmers University of Technology / Department of Technology Management and Economics
- PostControl of algorithms in industry 4.0(2018) Espejel Carrión, Maria del Carmen; Risberg, Simon; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Chalmers University of Technology / Department of Technology Management and Economics
- PostDApp Revolution : An Investigation into the Nature and Business Models of Web 3.0 Decentralized Applications(2022) Lundberg, Lina; Petrén, Malin; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Petrusson, Ulf; Heiden, BoIn the early days of the internet, the main offered usability were read-only websites. The first generation of the internet, web 1.0, consisted of Encyclopedia-type sites where users could take part of content but not contribute in any way. Web 2.0, the next generation, has for many years now offered users the possibility of not only reading, but also writing. Users taking part in the content creation, on sites such as Wikipedia, have rapidly increased the amount of content, interactions, and value created online. The rapid growth has been accelerated by companies using platform business models (platforms), establishing themselves in the middle of the interactions to act as facilitators and lower barriers between users. Despite not performing any of the actual value creation, the platform business models enable the platforms to keep a lot of the value while keeping costs very low. Now, we are at the dawn of the new web 3.0 generation. One of the main technologies of this generation is the blockchain technology, which enables decentralized and transparent solutions. The blockchain movement has been viewed as quite ideologist, often claiming to give the power back to the users. While web 2.0 platforms monopolize the value created online, despite most of it being created by users, web 3.0 allows users to not only read and write, but also own. The technology has led to the development of a new type of interaction facilitator: the decentralized applications (dApps). This thesis investigates how the nature and business model of dApps compare to web 2.0 platforms. How are they similar/different? Starting off in a simplified version of the Platform Revolution framework, the focus lies on seven models: network effects, openness, architecture, monetization, governance, launch, and metrics. After testing the models on four dApps, we find that all the models need to be considered for dApps as well, but in adapted versions. Based on the considered blockchain characteristics, there is also a need to add two additional models: decentralization and tokenization.
- PostData as an Intellectual Asset. A study of how data assets drive value for digital-born companies and industrial companies undergoing digital transformation(2021) Fransson, Michelle; Sadriu, Marta; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Lundqvist, Mats; Lundqvist, Mats
- PostData-Driven Decisions in Mergers & Acquisitions. Can patent information provide value for acquirers?(2019) Olsson, Emma; Söderström, Annie; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Petrusson, Ulf; Heiden, BowmanRapid technology development, consolidation of industries, increased competition and changing customer needs, create new challenges for today's organisations. Faced with new requirements these organisations rapidly need to access and obtain new capabilities, and many organisations are therefore increasingly turning to mergers or acquisitions, obtaining external assets and competencies. Yet, studies show that failure rates of merger and acquisition activities are tremendous, ranging between 70-90%. Research suggests that patent information has many applications and can assist an organisation in multiple ways. Hence, the purpose of this study was to further understand if patent information can be valuable in merger and acquisition processes. The study consisted of a literature review regarding mergers and acquisitions, patents and patent-based decision making, analysing the viability of patent data as a source for information. Furthermore, to obtain a deeper understanding of the practical feasibility, interviews were performed with individuals having IP, legal, technological, business and/or financial knowledge. In addition, a survey was constructed combining information discovered by literature and interviews, further validating the results. Finally, an analysis was conducted on gathered information to elaborate on the complexity of the usage of patent information in mergers and acquisitions. The main findings of this study were that diverse types of patent analysis seem to be needed in different stages of a merger or acquisition, creating a requirement to view patents from various perspectives, such as a risk, support or a strategic resource. The results of this study furthermore indicate that patent information today mostly is used in the latter part of the process. However, depending on the motives and the situation, it should also be beneficial to perform patent analysis in the early stages of a merger or acquisition. Nevertheless, the choice of using patent information should be based on knowledge and awareness, and if applied, results indicate that patent information can be valuable. Additionally, the study found that the usage of patent information in merger and acquisition activities may be impacted by other aspects such as culture, strategies, communication and the understanding of intellectual property. Something organisations may want to consider if they wish to realise the full value patents could hold for mergers and acquisitions.
- PostDeconstructing the Value of IoT. Towards a value-centric and managerial framework for categorizing use-cases(2019) Lenning, Erik; Andersson, Johan; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Petrusson, Ulf; Heiden, BowmanThe Internet of Things (IoT) is connecting and digitalizing the physical world, requiring the convergence of multiple technologies. However, the field is very broad, crossing 10ths of different industry verticals and there is a lack of an aggregated approach explaining the value of IoT, which is increasing the uncertainty and limiting the understanding of IoT needed for the technology convergence to be realized. Hence, this study aimed to investigate a starting point for an income-based IoT valuation method that could improve on this situation. Through a qualitative cross-sectional study, the value creation and capturing of six different IoT applications was investigated with data from both literature and interviews. The analysis of the results showed that the factor with the most impact on what source of value was the implementor’s role, either integrator or provider, with a focus on value-activities and products/services respectively. Based on this, the authors propose a value-centric framework with four collectively exhaustive categories: process efficiency, resource utilization, legacy product/service innovation and new product/service innovation; creating a foundation for evaluation of IoT use-cases for which no comparable valuations are available. The framework could hence help managers to overcome initial uncertainty and decrease efforts needed for assessing the value of an IoT use-case. In light of the conclusions, the study suggests further research into IoT value for consumers and quantitative case studies in IoT with income-based methods.
- PostDefining Characteristics and Means of Technology Transfer Practices(2017) Pérez Carbajal, Roberto; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Chalmers University of Technology / Department of Technology Management and Economics
- PostDefining Characteristics of Sustained Competitive Advantage in Machine Learning Systems(2016) Rythén Larsson, Lisa; Thulin, Christina; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Chalmers University of Technology / Department of Technology Management and Economics
- PostDevelopment of KPIs for an Innovation Initiative between Big Pharma and SMEs. A case study of AstraZeneca’s BioVentureHub(2020) Lindenmeyer Asadi, Amanda; Stenbom, Malin; Chalmers tekniska högskola / Institutionen för teknikens ekonomi och organisation; Petrusson, Ulf; Heiden, BowmanGlobal health challenges are in constant need of improvement. The life expectancy and the population is growing, nevertheless, a huge amount of the population dies prematurely of noncommunicable diseases creating a need for new innovative treatments. The life science industry faces two big challenges when trying to create innovative treatments; the difficulty in finding funding, infrastructure and laboratories for small and medium-sized enterprises, and the struggle in constantly innovating and bringing NewMolecular Entities to the market for Big Pharma companies at the same time as the cost for treatment is increasing. One initiative created aiming towards helping these actors to catalyze innovation through collaboration is AstraZeneca's BioVentureHub. Thethinking behind the hub is to create an environment where small and medium-sized enterprises and a Big Pharma company are co-located and experts within the area have the opportunity to interact with each other and share competence. The goal is to increasethe number of collaborations and facilitate a dare to share culture between the actors. The BioVentureHub has existed since 2014, and there is a big interest in understanding the results and outputs from this innovation initiative, and what Key Performance Indicators that are suitable when evaluating an organization like this. In order to investigate what value that has been captured from catalyzing innovation, a literature review and a case study has been conducted including interviews with the key stakeholders of the hub. The findings from the interviews resulted in six categories covering what the stakeholders perceive as the most valuable with the BioVentureHub; Company growth, infrastructure, competence, community, attractiveness, and collaboration. Combining these categories with existing literature within traditional measurement frameworks, innovation-and collaboration performance frameworks resulted in a recommendation of 15 Key Performance Indicators to use in collaborative innovation initiatives between a Big Pharma company and small and medium-sized enterprises. In order to further exemplify the Key Performance Indicators, both hard and soft metrics have been suggested to give a holistic and honest view of the organization. The authors believe that these proposed measurement variables will help this organization and similar ones in understanding what processes are needed in order to create an environment where innovation is catalyzed.