Challenges and opportunities for developing sustainable business in industrial networks - A case study of Eleiko Group AB
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Typ
Examensarbete på kandidatnivå
Bachelor Thesis
Bachelor Thesis
Program
Publicerad
2024
Författare
Ahlberg, Erik
Gustavsson, Edvin
Hilding, Max
Rydberg, Jakob
Wassenius, Marcus
Zetterling, Knut
Modellbyggare
Tidskriftstitel
ISSN
Volymtitel
Utgivare
Sammanfattning
The business landscape is trending towards sustainability, and the EU has launched
several regulations in order to keep this trend going. One such regulation is the
Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which forces companies to
become transparent about the sustainability of their business activities through
reporting. This includes gathering data from the whole value chain, emphasizing the
need for collaboration and information sharing. Eleiko, a global leader in premium
strength equipment, is one of the companies now faced with adhering to the new
regulations, while also seeking to improve their sustainability.
The purpose of the study is to investigate the challenges and opportunities for
established companies in industrial networks to support sustainability and meet
legislative directives. This is investigated through a case study of Eleiko with focus
on their product Prestera Cables.
The theory advises how to analyze a business network through the network
approach of IMP, including the relationship characteristics and paradoxes of
networks. Furthermore, gaps to suppliers limiting a sustainable supply chain are
introduced, as well as the sustainability information processing needs of firms.
Finally the theory behind how to propose, create and capture value toward
customers are discussed.
The study is a qualitative case study with the data collection consisting of
semi-structured interviews. Systematic combining was used to develop a final
framework, complementing the theoretical one.
The study concludes that Eleiko has the potential to create a resilient and proactive
network. This is done by developing value propositions where customer demand and
regulative pressure converge, as in the case of the modular Prestera Cables, backed
up by suppliers capable of providing sustainability information and progressively
improved sustainability. For this to succeed, Eleiko must continue to nourish their
customer and supplier relationships.
The additions from the abductive reasoning of the study are a knowledge gap about
sustainability and sustainability regulations between customers and suppliers, and
two additional factors impacting the uncertainty tolerance of a customer towards their
supply network. It can be said that the study also found usefulness in the network
approach of IMP in a sustainability context. Further studies are encouraged to
continue on this topic and also to further investigate the study’s additions to the
existing theory.
Beskrivning
Ämne/nyckelord
sustainable business , sustainability regulations , industrial networks , business model , business relationships , sustainable supply chain , modularity