This paper aims to explore digitalisation processes within water utilities, focusing on how these processes differ from those typically observed in the literature. By examining the unique context of water utilities - characterised as high-reliability organisations operating under strict regulatory conditions and managing extensive physical assets - the paper seeks to challenge and expand the prevailing assumptions in the digitalisation literature. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with professionals in the Swedish water sector, the paper illustrates how studies of digitalisation require a contextually anchored approach that goes beyond the focal organisation. Contextual factors not only shape the incentives and possibilities for digitalisation but also influence its very outcomes, which may require us to reconsider what defines a digital transformation. Rather than aiming for a 'one-size-fits-all' understanding of digitalisation, studies are needed from a wide range of empirical contexts that illustrate the complexity and diversity of digitalisation processes. Ultimately, the paper aims to contribute to a broader understanding of digitalisation across diverse organisational settings, particularly those that are underrepresented in current research.

Decaying water infrastructure is a growing challenge in high-income countries while at the same time being under pressure from other socioeconomic and environmental issues. This paper analyses why addressing these challenges is so challenging, despite the critical role of water service for society. The paper is based on a study of the Swedish water sector and reveals how the utilities are influenced by several factors that constrain their agency. Most importantly, the utilities operate in a ‘societal shadowland’ where the public and politicians take their services for granted, lowering the sense of urgency and impeding their ability to take action.

The water sector of Europe and North America, which provide drinking water and wastewater services to the society, today face a number of significant challenges that are pressuring the existing systems and challenging the current status-quo. With the emergence of new technologies, opportunities for new ways of managing and maintaining these infrastructural systems are enabled. At the same time, many infrastructural systems are difficult to change due to path dependencies, technological lock-ins, and conservative regimes and system cultures (David, 1992; Hughes, 1983; 1992; Kaijser, 2003). This especially applies to the water sector in the global North, which has developed over a very long period of time and consists of a large number of incumbent organisations, which taken together creates significant barriers towards innovation and change.

Transition theory postulates that pressure from the socio-technical landscape, internal momentum from niche-innovations, and growing destabilisation of the regime enhance a window of opportunity (w/o) for a possible transition (Geels and Schot, 2007). However, despite a sector functioning under a well-established “global water regime” (Fuenfschilling and Binz, 2018), the operations of water utilities are in practice situated in different local conditions, creating significantly different window of opportunity dynamics (Tongur and Engwall, 2017). Hence, from a public policy point of view, water and wastewater service provision cannot be treated as a coherent regime of national or global scale but must consider local geophysical and socio-political conditions.

This paper sets out to identify challenges - or innovation pressures - faced by water utilities in the stabilised European regime setting and to outline how these challenges differ depending on local geophysical and socio-political conditions. Our paper is based on a study of the water sector in Sweden, known for its well-functioning societal infrastructures and stable public institutions. Based on the empirical findings, we demonstrate that incumbent regime actors of the Swedish water sector mainly perceive pressure from ageing infrastructures and demographical changes, where the rigidness of the current regime is largely influenced by the political governance and current economic system. Furthermore, the findings illustrated how the regime actors’ abilities to respond to pressures were largely influenced by two local conditions on municipal level; (1) population size, and (2) population density. We suggest that emphasising such differences is important to understand where and how the water sector is most agile to change, and what hinders and facilitate that change.

Elvägssystemet (ERS) uppmärksammas allt mer som en möjlig lösning för övergången till miljövänlig tung vägtransport. Förflyttningen från den initiala teknologiutvecklingsfasen till teknologidemonstrationsfasen har motiverat skapandet av demonstrationsprojekt. Därmed skapas ERS-projektorganisationer.

Den här rapporten undersöker hur ERS-projekt organiseras. Den är baserad på en jämförande analys av de två pågående demonstrationsprojekten i Sverige, eRoadArlanda och eHighway E16. Studien adresserar vilka implikationer de pågående ERS-demonstrationsprojekten bidrar med genom en intressentutvärdering.

Studiens resultat är 11 implikationer gällande organisering av ERS-projekt för demonstration eller kommersialisering. Dessa är uppdelade mellan de sex perspektiven: projektledarskap, elvägsfordon, elinfrastruktur, finansiering, verifiering och intresse vs makt.

The need for a rapid and substantial decarbonization of the transport system runs counter to the established development trends in road freight. While the challenges that station-based energy supply systems are facing mainly involve replacing and overcoming propulsion technology, a major challenge facing the implementation of an electric road system (ERS) also includes, to a greater extent, the organizational, financial, and more complicated regulatory issues based on energy-road interactions. The question of whether an ERS is seen as part of the (public) road system or the (private) energy system will fundamentally affect the market structure of an ERS. Different ERS configurations can create new business opportunities for road operators. Different archetypes of business models for ERS-related services can be identified which could enable an opportunity for new value creation for the private sector. Policy measures enabling business model development for an ERS should be diversified and target all actors involved.

In cross-border ERS projects, business models for infrastructure operators, freight forwarders, and energy suppliers of ERS have to be embedded in the respective national contexts as well as in an international perspective in order to be sustainable. Otherwise the establishment and operation of ERS are likely to fail. Different legal, economical, and environmental national conditions have to be taken into account and need to be respected. This will most probably lead to country-specific balances between policy push and market pull measures along cross-border ERS corridors. Local differences in the division of responsibilities between public and private actors could also occur and need to be taken into account. By paying proper attention to these points from the very beginning, a key success factor of cross-border ERS is met.

In this article we address the issue of business model (BM) design difficulty facing bus incumbents namely a bus manufacturer and a bus operator during a technological change manifested in opportunity electrical charging. We utilize an in-depth longitudinal case study design to investigate the roots of this issue. The state of the art literature on BM suggests that BM decisions are conducted within the organization and that the business model design is an internal choice. While our findings relate to the BM literature by highlighting the tension between the present and potential BMs for the incumbents, they also illuminate a contribution that BM design decisions for both manufacturer and the operator are embedded in the rules of the public transportation authority. Hence, this paper illustrates how technology change exposes the embeddedness of the business models in the context, and that business model decisions can't be made in isolation.

Produktutveckling bortom kunskapens gränser behandlar utvecklingsprojekt som ligger utanför ett företags tidigare erfarenheter. Detta är projekt som ofta genomförs under hög osäkerhet eftersom de är omöjliga att planera och specificera på förhand. Det krävs därför en beredskap för att hantera de nya upptäckter som görs under projektets genomförande. I boken diskuteras en rad centrala aspekter av produktutveckling under hög osäkerhet.

This paper explores the nature of organizational settings, where a large extent of the operations is organized as simultaneous or successive projects. Anchored in qualitative case studies, the paper analyzes why the resource allocation syndrome is the number one issue for multi-project management and discusses the underlying mechanisms behind this phenomenon.

When facing business model innovation, a key challenge for incumbent firms is the redefinition of industry and organizational boundaries. Drawing on findings from three cases studies this article suggests that inter-organizational projects can be effective means for mobilizing distributed resources and capabilities in order to gain business model innovation. This empirical phenomenon is discussed and analysed in detail, and implications for future research are suggested. 

To navigate sustainability transitions, firms are often prompted to take an active role in business model innovation. Previous research has shown, however, that when attempting to change business models, incumbent firms frequently face challenges concerning the ambiguity of transition pathways. This paper is an inquiry into this intersection between business model innovation and sustainability transitions. Anchored in three case studies of sustainability-driven, pre-commercial projects of emerging technologies, it reveals how groups of organizations collaborate in time-limited, cross-industry networks, to explore potential business models for anticipated, profound, changes in socio-technical systems. Drawing on these findings, the paper introduces the concept of experimental networks and illustrates how experimental networks can facilitate business model innovation in relation to systemic change. By outlining the constituents of the experimental network concept, the paper contributes to theory by uncovering the interplay of interorganizational collaboration and network level business model innovation. In addition, it reveals how experimental networks constitute one way for incumbents to claim agency with respect to emerging sustainability transitions.

This article examines the process dynamics of a complex R&D project, which for a long period of time had suffered from little technical progress, then abruptly became highly structured and effective. The article examines the mechanisms behind this dramatic turnaround and discusses its implications for research and practice. Drawing on the dramaturgical concept of 'peripety' ('moment of sudden change'), the article captures how the turnaround came about due to the emergence of the participants' shared conceptualization of the project mission. The article provides insights into the process dynamics and sensemaking in complex R&D projects and demonstrates how time and evolution need to be included in the analysis of project management and temporary organizations.

R&D productivity in the pharmaceutical business has gradually decreased during the last decades. While companies are spending more on R&D, fewer drugs are reaching the market. It is said that the cost of bringing a successful drug to the market is now $1 billion, which includes all failure drugs. At the same time, governmental regulations for drugs development have become tighter. Companies are therefore desperately trying to find new ways to develop more innovative drugs more effectively. There is a growing need for more knowledge about Drug R&D Management in the industry, which is the reason for KTH Industrial Economics and Management initiating a research program in this field. The present study is a feasibility study of this research endeavor. It outlines the scope of the field and explores areas for further study. Anchored in interviews with key industrial actors, the aim is to identify which organizational challenges practitioners are presently facing for successful drug R&D management. Four themes of challenges within the business have been identified. These are: Specialization within the R&D Process – There is a trend that different actors specialize within the innovation process of developing new drugs. The concept is to source activities to organizations that have the best capabilities. What are the consequences of this business model? What is the core competence of different actors? Balancing Freedom and Control in R&D Operations – R&D by definition, comprises activities with unknown outcomes. Work in projects most probably takes trajectories that were not originally thought of. Typically the most suitable individuals for performing such activities are scientists with a deep specialization within the field of research. How are freedom and control of work balanced within R&D? What type of control is most suitable? How can scientists be managed? Resource Allocation and Project Portfolio Management – Projects in a project portfolio are dependent on each other and on their environment. The ecology in which a project lives will determine how it is evaluated and financed, and how risk-willing its owners are. There is a need of knowledge to describe how different project environments are organized. Organizing for Knowledge Exchange – Knowledge in biosciences is growing exponentially. Managing knowledge is therefore crucial, but how to do it successfully is the question. Working in big collaborative networks requires companies to manage knowledge outside the boundaries of the firm. There is also a need to bring in knowledge from other industries. The themes can encompass different theoretical disciplines - from a strategic point of view to a cognitive aspect of innovation. This study argues for a comparative multiple case study approach focusing on the preconditions and business logics of different R&D organizations. The cases should look into the different organizational domains of Biotech firms and Big Pharma multinationals, comparing the two business logics and strategies. Innovation in the context of single firms in the pharmaceutical industry can thus be explored and give rise to knowledge through examples of practical problem solving and methodology in drug R&D management.

Konsultsektorn är inte en bransch i vanlig mening. Den består av företag med likartad affärslogik som är verksamma i helt olika branscher. Den expanderar i takt med att kunderna väljer att upphandla konsulter som gör utredningar, projekterar byggen, utvecklar produkter och IT-system, konstruerar maskiner, utformar reklamkampanjer, patentansökningar och affärsavtal, genomför revisioner och tester av olika slag, sköter rekrytering, bokföring eller telefonintervjuer, utvecklar organisationsformer, interna rutiner och mycket mer.

Denna rapport baseras på en unik kartläggning av konsultföretag i Sverige. Initialt skapades en bruttolista av alla företag med SNI-koder som kunde tänkas dölja kunskapsintensiva konsultföretag. I nästa steg inhämtades uppgifter, bland annat via företagens hemsidor, om alla aktiebolag i bruttolistan med minst fem anställda. Cirka en tredjedel av bolagen sorterades då bort. Återstående företag, som kunde klassificeras som konsultföretag, samlades i en databas och kategoriserades efter verksamhetens inriktning. Databasen som är grunden för vår analys omfattar 6 421 företag med minst fem anställda. De hade 212 753 heltidsekvivalenter sysselsatta på 10 075 arbetsställen i Sverige år 2012. Därutöver fanns en lång svans av små aktiebolag med 1-4 anställda. Små bolag med liten omsättning, som kan antas vara bolag för bisysslor, sorterades bort. Av 46 703 aktiebolag med 1-4 anställda återstod därefter 10 205. Dessa hade uppskattningsvis 35 212 heltidsekvivalenter sysselsatta år 2012. Totalt rör det sig således om cirka 250 000 anställda i konsultsektorns aktiebolag. Studien bygger på heltidsekvivalenter som mått på anställda. Därför är det betydligt fler fysiska personer som arbetar inom de inkluderade företagen – lågt räknat cirka 300 000.

Sett över en längre tidsperiod har den totala sysselsättningen inom konsultsektorn ständigt ökat i Sverige. Under de senaste fyra decennierna har antalet yrkesverksamma ökat från knappt 100 000 till cirka 300 000, eller från knappt tre till drygt sex procent av den totala sysselsättningen. I föreliggande analys har vi delat in konsultföretagen efter den funktion de fyller i fem olika huvudinriktningar. Den största inriktningen, Konsultföretag inom organisation och ledning, som domineras av undergruppen IT inom administration och management, svarade för knappt 31 % av sysselsättningen. Konsultföretag inom extern funktionell expertis svarade för drygt 21 %, Bemanningsföretag för drygt 20 %, Konsultföretag inom objektrelaterad projektering för drygt 17 % och Konsultföretag inom FoU för drygt 10 %. Att konsultsektorn expanderar är knappast en modetrend. Det är snarare en konsekvens av att det i takt med ökad komplexitet blir svårt för kunderna att ha egen anställd personal inom alla viktiga kompetensområden.

Konsultsektorn har generellt en stark koncentration till storstäder. Den finns visserligen representerad i nästan alla delar av vårt land men koncentrationen till i första hand Stockholmsområdet, men även Göteborg och Malmö, är påfallande hög. Företag i Storstockholm svarar för över 40 % av alla konsulter i Sverige. Det är inte bara i absoluta tal som Stockholm utmärker sig. När sysselsättningen i konsultföretag med minst fem anställda sätts i relation till antalet invånare i åldrarna 16-64 år, så har Stockholms län, med 6,3 %, mer än dubbelt så stor andel som andra län, utom Västra Götalands län med 4,1 %. Graden av koncentration till Stockholm och övriga storstäder varierar dock mellan olika inriktningar.

Konsultsektorn som helhet kännetecknas av strukturomvandlingar, branschglidningar och stor dynamik. Det tar sig bland annat uttryck i fusioner, förvärv och börsintroduktioner. Inom några verksamhetsinriktningar har också större svenska bolag blivit uppköpta av utländska börsnoterade koncerner. Inom andra inriktningar, som domineras av partnerägda bolag, ingår svenska bolag numera i stora internationella nätverk av olika slag. Parallellt sker inom vissa inriktningar en ökad uppsplittring i små levebrödsbolag som knyts samman i nätverksorganisationer av olika slag. Även om de kvantitativa uppgifterna i vår databas baseras på situationen år 2012, så är alla strukturförändringar – i form av bland annat nedläggningar, fusioner och förvärv – som skett före den 1 januari 2016 beaktade i kvalitativa beskrivningar och exemplifieringar i rapporten.

En del konsultföretag söker skapa strukturkapital och systematiskt dra kvalitets- och effektivitetsmässig nytta av att det – inte minst till följd av digitalisering – uppstår en slags stordriftsfördelar inom delar av konsultsektorn. En ambition i vår studie har varit att kartlägga vilka förutsättningar konsultföretag i Sverige har att bygga strukturkapital. Det är ju exempelvis stor skillnad mellan å ena sidan ett konsultföretag som mot timarvode hyr ut personal som sitter i kundernas lokaler och leds av kundernas personal och å andra sidan ett konsultföretag som mot ett fast arvode genomför ett väldefinierat projekt i eget kontor i Sverige och/eller utomlands. Under sommaren år 2015 lät vi sålunda genomföra intervjuer i konsultbolag med mer än cirka 20 anställda i Sverige. Frågorna fokuserade på var konsulterna utför sitt arbete, vem som leder dem operativt i uppdragen, eventuell export eller användning av offshoring, utnyttjande av underkonsulter, antal kunder per konsult, kundrelationer och debiteringsprinciper.

Intervjuresultatet antyder att det i Sverige främst är Konsultföretag inom extern funktionell expertis som systematiskt bygger strukturkapital och söker effektivisera och kvalitetssäkra konsulternas arbete. De företag som debiterar fast pris har då även möjlighet att öka sina marginaler. Två huvudinriktningar med motsatt mönster är Konsultföretag inom FoU samt Bemanningsföretag. Båda dessa inriktningar domineras av företag som har utlokaliserade konsulter, vilka sitter ute hos kund och leds av kundernas personal. Varje konsult har dessutom endast ett fåtal olika uppdragsgivare per år. Undergruppen Bygg och anläggning inom huvudinriktningen Konsultföretag inom objektrelaterad projektering samt undergruppen IT inom administration och management i huvudinriktningen Konsultföretag inom organisation och ledning svarar tillsammans för drygt 40 % av alla anställda i konsultsektorn. De domineras av större företag som ingår i internationella koncerner. Vår bedömning är att dessa koncerner, trots sin storlek, bygger förhållandevis lite strukturkapital. Dessutom är timdebitering fortfarande helt dominerande.

Sammanfattningsvis konstaterar vi att konsultsektorn är expansiv och att den spelar en betydelsefull roll för utvecklingen i näringslivet och i samhället som helhet. Sektorn är dynamisk och många konsultföretag står inför stora utmaningar. Det verkar finnas utrymme för exempelvis nya affärsmodeller, nya strategiska val och internationell expansion.

The Swedish government has prioritized achieving a fossil fuel-independent vehicle fleet by 2030 which will require radical transformation of the transport industry. Electrifying the vehicle fleet forms an important part of this transformation. For light vehicles, electrification using batteries and charging during parking is already well advanced. For city buses, charging at bus stops and bus depots is being developed, but for heavy, long-distance road transport, batteries with enough capacity to provide sufficient range would be too cumbersome and too much time would have to be spent stationary for charging.

One solution might be the introduction of electric roads, supplying the moving vehicle with electricity both to power running and for charging. In the longer term, this approach could also be used for light vehicles and buses.

The objective of the Research and Innovation Platform for Electric Roads was to enhance Swedish and Nordic research and innovation in this field, this has been done by developing a joint knowledge base through collaboration with research institutions, universities, public authorities, regions, and industries.

The work of the Research and Innovation Platform was intended to create clarity concerning the socioeconomic conditions, benefits, and other effects associated with electric roads. We have investigated the benefits from the perspectives of various actors, implementation strategies, operation and maintenance standards, proposed regulatory systems, and factors conducive of the acceptance and development of international collaborative activities.

The project commenced in the autumn of 2016 and the main research continued until December 2019, the work during year 2020 has been focused on knowledge spread and coordination with the Swedish-Germany research collaboration on ERS (CollERS). The results of the Research and Innovation Platform have been disseminated through information meetings, seminars, and four annual international conferences. Reports have been published in the participating partners’ ordinary publication series and on www.electricroads.org. The project was funded by Strategic Vehicle Research and Innovation (FFI) and the Swedish Transport Administration.

The Swedish government has prioritized achieving a fossil fuel-independent vehicle fleet by 2030 which will require radical transformation of the transport industry. Electrifying the vehicle fleet forms an important part of this transformation. For light vehicles, electrification using batteries and charging during parking is already well advanced. For city buses, charging at bus stops and bus depots is being developed, but for heavy, long-distance road transport, batteries with enough capacity to provide sufficient range would be too cumbersome and too much time would have to be spent stationary for charging.

One solution might be the introduction of electric roads, supplying the moving vehicle with electricity both to power running and for charging. In the longer term, this approach could also be used for light vehicles and buses.

The objective of the Research and Innovation Platform for Electric Roads was to enhance Swedish and Nordic research and innovation in this field, this has been done by developing a joint knowledge base through collaboration with research institutions, universities, public authorities, regions, and industries.

The work of the Research and Innovation Platform was intended to create clarity concerning the socioeconomic conditions, benefits, and other effects associated with electric roads. We have investigated the benefits from the perspectives of various actors, implementation strategies, operation and maintenance standards, proposed regulatory systems, and factors conducive of the acceptance and development of international collaborative activities.

The project commenced in the autumn of 2016 and the main research continued until December 2019, the work during year 2020 has been focused on knowledge spread and coordination with the Swedish-Germany research collaboration on ERS (CollERS). The results of the Research and Innovation Platform have been disseminated through information meetings, seminars, and four annual international conferences. Reports have been published in the participating partners’ ordinary publication series and on www.electricroads.org. The project was funded by Strategic Vehicle Research and Innovation (FFI) and the Swedish Transport Administration.

Electric road systems (ERS) can reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector. The market-ready ERS drive systems are characterised by high energy efficiency and low operational costs compared to fossil fuels and biofuels for combustion engines.

The introduction of ERS will depend on governmental support, balancing the overall need for GHG-reduction with the business perspectives of the transport market and the energy market.

There is an urgent need to establish standards for core components and important interfaces in order to build confidence among potential ERS users.

Since ERS will take time to scale up, we should begin to transform the electricity system to meet the demand for ERS while also meeting GHG reduction goals aligned with strong climate policies.

There is a need to clarify whether an ERS system is part of the road infrastructure market or the energy market, and to define the role of the public sector in ERS deployment.

Since a significant part of long-haul road freight transport is international, ERS deployment will benefit from cross-country cooperation.

Research in large scale infrastructure projects have argued that the overall project performance is subject to lock-in, yet this is little understood empirically and more research is needed. Recently studies reported that lock-in can occur both at the decision-making level and at the project execution level respectively. The underlying patterns influencing project scope transformation, due to evolving expectations and/or stakeholder's perspective and the occurrence of lock-in influence in project performance. This paper explores the relationship between project scope and lock-in within large infrastructure projects in the context of cost over-run. Based on empirical data from 20 High Speed Rail (HSR) projects in Spain with multinational sets of actors, and anchored in the Management of Project (MoP) paradigm, the paper shows that a holistic perspective is essential for successful outcome. Methodologically, the paper uses data mining and a case study approach to explore mechanisms that underlie lock-in in relation with scope demarcation - tracked through contract change. It suggests that an investigation of lock-in in relationship to scope demarcation and through the lens of path dependence contributes to the understanding of cost over-run emergence. Preliminary findings highlight contract type and its content to have a great influence in cost over-run.

This paper examines deviations in complex product development. Based on an extensive case study, using participant observations, interviews, and data from deviation reports, it illustrates the causes, procedures, management challenges of deviations, and organizational roles devoted to deviation management. Based on the rich data material, it furthermore proposes a typology of deviations developed for a better understanding of this significant empirical phenomenon.

The dominant part of project portfolio management literature is focused on standardized project management methods for planning, prioritizing, and resource allocation. Comprehensively addressing the resource dependency challenge, the mainstream literature overlooks other types of project dependencies, namely, technological and organizational dependencies. Arguing that a more comprehensive understanding of the dependencies is necessary, we explore how they can be dealt with when integrating the strategic aspects in the project portfolio management. The comparative case study of two different multi-project settings reveals that in both contexts a combination of vertical and horizontal communication mechanisms was used in order to enhance the strategic alignment. At the same time, principal mechanisms in the combinations were different. In the first case, a departmental head ensured the vertical connection to strategy and a PMO head enhanced the horizontal connections. In the second case, program steering groups both communicated the strategy and represented arenas for political negotiation. In turn, program managers further contributed to resolving organizational dependencies. The aim of this paper is to contribute to an improved understanding of different ways in which strategic aspects can be integrated with portfolio management, by exploring different ways to deal with the organizational dependencies.

Many manufacturers are moving to servitization, but making that move successfully requires considering the underlying business logic of a division or product. Differences in existing conditions, such as product characteristics or other business attributes, may determine success in transition to a services-based business model and create challenges for a firm moving, for instance, from a spare-parts model to advanced service contracts. Our study pinpoints a number of key product attributes that define how far a company can move up the service ladder. The findings suggest that the Power-by-the-Hour model pioneered by Rolls-Royce suits products that constitute critical ancillary input to, and not essential elements of, customers' core processes; that require low initial investments relative to high total costs of ownership; that are used in controllable operating environments with measurable performance requirements; and that are associated with high risk and high costs in the event of failure. Further, the service delivery system must be integrated and orchestrated to be product-specific-that is, aligned with the function and operating conditions of the product in use.

With recent developments in battery technologies, we are witnessing what some researchers believe to be a burgeoning technology shift in the world of road freight. In 2022, nearly 60 000 electric medium- and heavy-duty trucks were sold worldwide. However, despite the indications that the industry is transforming, many challenges nonetheless persist for a broader diffusion to take place.  

To manage the uncertainties of electric truck adoption, researchers have called for increased attention to the current and future business models of electric trucks. So far, though, studies on this topic have predominantly focused on the perspective of truck manufacturers, leaving the user perspective largely absent.

To address the gap in the literature, this paper explores business models in the trucking industry with haulage firms as the focus. (1) How do haulage firms vary in their business model design? and (2) How can such differences affect a firm’s strategic choice when faced with electrification? 

This paper is based on a qualitative study conducted in a Swedish context. The data collection was two-fold. First, we used publicly available information on 50 haulage firms to analyze firm activities and code them. Doing so resulted in four business model archetypes. Second, each of these archetypes was further analyzed using a case study approach. Four firms were included to explore how variations in business model design affected firms’ strategies for electrification. 

Our study finds that, although haulage firms exhibit significant variations in their business model designs, these differences can largely be explained by two key elements: (1) whether the firms offer LTL or FTL services and (2) whether they operate as contract or common carriers. These elements, in turn, have clear implications for the key activities that characterize the firms. Moreover, depending on their business model design, firms face different challenges regarding electrification.  

The purpose of this paper is to analyze how designers perceive that managerial structures affect creativity and efficiency in the design work. The findings indicate that the designers think their creativity is enhanced rather than hindered when each step of the design process has a standardized purpose of what should be achieved.

The paper analyzes how incumbents can enable their innovation strategy through projects under various conditions. Previous research has identified an array of project-related means, such as explorative projects, project lineages, and ambidextrous programs, by which firms aim to achieve their long-term innovation goals. These approaches, although powerful, are primarily firm-centered, address product-, platform- and business model-level, and emphasize intra-organizational resources and coordination mechanisms. However, systemic transitions are characterized by complex and unforeseen redefinitions of organizational and industrial boundaries, which require mobilization of resources from multiple actors, prompting firms to engage in time-limited experimental networks. The paper takes stock of the approaches by scrutinizing their rationale, locus, mechanisms, and consequences. Consequently, it draws attention to the importance of inter-organizational aspects when facing a systemic transition and contributes to the emerging debate on the linkages between project studies, innovation management and socio-technical transitions.

This paper challenges the implicit 'one-size-fits-all' assumption that dominates mainstream program management competence literature. Findings from case studies of 10 programs executed in a large pharmaceutical company suggest that different programs require different competences of program managers. Based on the Pellegrinelli's (1997) program typology we put forward a framework, linking specific management competences to program types. By establishing the link between the program typologies literature and program management competence literature, the paper shows that programs should not be treated as a generic and homogenous category in discussions on program management competences. In addition, the findings highlight program content as a significant contingency variable for understanding program management dynamics. The paper suggests a conceptual framework that combines program types with program management competence profiles that could be applied to appointment decisions, staff assessments and organizational development.

The paper challenges dominant assumption of goal rationality behind temporary organizations’ design in project-based organizations. While extant literature posits that organizations strive to select most appropriate project arrangements to fit the particular task requirements at hand, findings from an in-depth ethnography-inspired case study suggest that projects tend to imitate each other’s structures, strategies and practices with little consideration of the potential performance effects. The paper builds on the notion of the project as a temporary organization to conceptualize the project-based organization as an organizational field of temporary organizations. Thus the paper draws upon the new institutionalism in organizational analysis in order to discuss isomorphism pressures on temporary organizations within project-based organizations and to explicate these processes. The paper concludes with the discussion of a number of implications of the results for both theory and practice.