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  • 1.
    AGORAS, DIMITRIS
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Building Information Modeling (BIM) Adoption Barriers: An Architectural Perspective2018Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    Building Information Modeling (BIM) is the latest development in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) Industry. This development can be used for planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of any facility. The majority of the users of BIM technology are architects. Although its benefits had been highlighted and underlined especially in comparison with older developments such us Computer Aided Design (CAD) tools, its implementation is considered still in an early stage due to low adoption from architects.

    Right now in Sweden and more specifically in the Stockholm area, the construction sector is booming due to the increased demand for housing.  Thus, there is an increased demand for more houses in a shorter time.

    BIM is a technology that can enhance the society in terms of design and construction with regard to the building environment. This can be achieved by avoiding human errors, decreasing project costs, increasing the productivity and quality, and reducing the project delivery time. Moreover, BIM can assist the management team in maintaining and operating different facilities.

    The focus of this research is on the barriers to adopting BIM technology in architectural companies. Furthermore, the attempt will be to investigate the individual, organizational and technical aspects that affect BIM adoption.  This study will implement a qualitative research method by in-depth interviewing four professionals in the area of architectural design.

    This investigation will be driven by the main research question, which is: What are the barriers to adopting Building Information Modeling (BIM) in architectural companies?

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    BIM
  • 2.
    Ahlgren, Linnea
    et al.
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Rebecca, Ahlstrand
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Co-creation as a Market Entry Strategy: Key areas to consider when entering a market by co-creating digital HR-tools2017Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 20 credits / 30 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    Due to digitalization, companies face a wide range of opportunities and challenges when it comes to attracting, recruiting and retaining talents. To meet these, companies need to present and achieve originality regarding values and corporate culture. One possible solution to this may be customized Human Resource tools.  Co-creation is an increasingly common product development strategy to create customized tools. It is based on collaboration and joint production of value between a supplier and customer. Cocreation may be a favorable strategy for early stage companies to gain customers and enter the market. While there are a variety of market entry strategies, this study is based on the insufficient attention among these to the customer as a possible collaborator when entering. This lack of attention is noteworthy since theory shows that the customer is gaining increased power over a supplier’s business decisions, largely due to digitalization.  There is a need to introduce a strategy that defines how companies co-create with their customers and regards them as an allied. This close relationship provides mutual benefits, sustainable relationships and networks. Consequently, this study aims to investigate if a co-creation strategy can be used to enter a market for an early stage company. The study is based on inductive reasoning and qualitative research methods. It uses semi- structured interviews, active participating observations and a literature study to collect primary and secondary data. The study proposes that co-creation is a new type of market entry strategy and suggests three key areas to consider for an early stage company when entering. These areas are: development approach, ownership and product protection, and expectation and communication.

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    Co-creation as a Market Entry Strategy
  • 3.
    ALM, RAGNAR
    et al.
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    KYRÖNLAHTI, RUDY
    Take time to make time: What to consider when managing multi-channel sales systems with the objective to increase sales efficiency2016Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 20 credits / 30 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    Traditional sales systems have been disrupted by technological developments. In order to  adapt, companies are changing the way they interact with their customers in business-to-business markets. In the last three decades, multi-channel strategies have spurred the proliferation of different sales channels and new ways of managing sales systems. The purpose of this research was to investigate what should be considered when managing multi-channel sales systems with the objective of increasing sales efficiency. The study has investigated current utilisation of multi-channel sales systems in the context of a business-to-business setting in industrial companies that are involved in the Swedish automotive industry. Multi-channel sales systems can be utilised to achieve many different objectives. However, this research pays specific attention on how to improve sales efficiency by utilising multi-channel sales systems in the context of a business-to-business setting. The research employed an explorative case study, where semi-structured and structured interviews were conducted at a case company and at companies that are first or second tier suppliers in the Swedish automotive industry. The qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. The empirical findings indicate that the most prevalent measure for increasing sales efficiency is to prioritise and allocate customers based on economic attractiveness. Furthermore, the key issues that impede sales efficiency in multi-channels sales system are misaligned sales activities, deficient prioritisation procedures, insufficient promotion of customer value and inadequate focus on customers. The findings highlight key areas to address and may provide guidelines for the design and management of multi-channel sales systems with the specific purpose of obtaining sales efficiency. The implications of this research are mainly practical and are aimed at supporting sales managers, or individuals in similar positions engaged in multi-channel sales system design and management, in obtaining sales efficiency. Managers should focus on aligning sales activities across the whole  sales system, allocate customers according to prioritisation and stay in line with market developments by understanding customer behaviours and perceptions.

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  • 4.
    Amnäs, Ulrika
    et al.
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Gårdh, Moa
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Trading with digital ads: A possible future scenario2017Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 20 credits / 30 HE creditsStudent thesis
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    fulltext
  • 5.
    Astbury, Marc
    et al.
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Lux, Marius
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Foreign Market Entry Strategies: A Study of Born Global B2B SME’s2017Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (One Year)), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    The global market place is becoming ever more accessible. Internet and communication technologies are opening up new opportunities for firms of all configurations. Based on that, this research will focus on Born Global business-to-business (B2B small, medium enterprises (SME) entering in the German market. The aim is to answer the following two research questions: ‘What does a Born Global B2B SME’s internationalization process look like?’ and ‘Which adaptations should a Born Global B2B SME make to acquire customers in the German market?’ A review of internationalization literature, complemented by company participation and interviews furthers the body of academic research in this subject area.

    Qualitative research is applied through a company case study and primary interviews are conducted. A case study is employed to further understand and practically apply adaptations a firm can make to increase its chance of success in a foreign market environment, once internationalizing.

    The conclusions drawn that a Born Global B2B SME entering a foreign market should make adaptations in its online presence to cater to the new market. Specifically, language adaptations are required to the native tongue. This research concludes with both practical and theoretical suggestions. The key findings from the interviews show that the Born Global B2B SME’s studied have taken an ‘accidental’ internationalization process. 

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  • 6.
    Aydede, Cem
    et al.
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Turkoglu, Tunca
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    How to utilize a value-based pricing strategy in service contracts: A descriptive case study of how a Swedish pricing consultancy company optimizes pricing of services for its customers2017Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (One Year)), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    This paper’s aim is to analyze value-based pricing strategies in service contracts and how they help companies generate sustainable advantages. Scoop of the analysis will be service contracts in manufacturing industry. A service contract could be defined as an intangible value proposition that includes but not limited to maintaining client’s machines continuously for a negotiated amount of time.

    By working with a Swedish pricing consultancy firm Navetti AB, a descriptive research was conducted in an effort to answer the research question: “How to utilize a value-based pricing strategy in service contracts?”. By trying to answer this question, authors of this paper wanted to contribute to the developing framework of value-based pricing phenomena.

    Results of this study indicates that certain steps need to be followed by service providers in manufacturing industry in order to utilize a value-based pricing strategy. Obscure perceived value of customers need to be realized and their value drivers need to be extracted, quantified and analyzed.

    Findings of this study have implications both in theoretical and industrial perspective. From industrial aspect, service providers need to communicate with their customers deeply and analyze their value drivers, they also need to take cost-based and competition-based pricing strategies into consideration while utilizing a value-based pricing strategy. From the theoretical perspective this study contributes to the field of pricing and price optimization part of industrial management. 

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    fulltext
  • 7.
    Bank, Jakob
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Integrating online and offline worlds through mobile technology in physical stores: A quantitative study investigating the impact of technology readiness on the technology acceptance model for mobile technologies in physical retail2018Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 20 credits / 30 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    Customers uses both offline and online channels before the final purchase, retailers that are operating and selling their products both online and offline can benefit from aligning the experiences on their channels by using an omni-channel strategy. The smartphone is becoming a natural part of our day-to-day life and keeping us connected, also when visiting abrick and mortar retailers. Mobile technology therefore possesses the opportunity to integrate in-store experience with the online world for creating value for customers. But many retailers are struggling in their integration efforts towards an omni-channel strategy due toall the possible technologies to invest. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis was to investigate the acceptance of mobile technologies in a brick and mortar retail setting, the chosen technologies are beacons and augmented reality.This research investigated the mediating effect of the four technology readiness dimensions:optimism, innovativeness, discomfort and insecurity, on the constructs of the technology acceptance model: perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. The research was carried out with a positivist research philosophy, inductive approach and lastly with an explanatory research design including a quantitative method. The data was collected through a survey, which got answered by 224 participants. The data was further statistically analyzed. The result showed that several of the dimensions of technology readiness had a significant effect on the constructs of technology acceptance model, especially the dimension: optimism. Thus, retailers that wants to introduce mobile technology into their stores should put emphasis on customizing their offerings towards the customers’ different level of technology readiness, especially optimism.

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    fulltext
  • 8.
    Barceló Bartrolí, Laura
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    The Design Thinking Principles in the Creation Process of User-Centered Value Propositions: An Insight into the Mobile Health Industry2018Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    The healthcare and life sciences sectors are currently undergoing a transition towards becoming digitized. Mobile health (mHealth), a subset of digital health, offers many potential benefits to healthcare. Despite that, it has been reported that the majority of mHealth initiatives do not evolve beyond the pilot stage. A core reason seems to be the lack of user-centered value propositions in mHealth projects. Here, we evaluate if the use of the principles of design thinking (DT) can endorse the creation process of user-centered value propositions. For that, several scoping meetings with experts on topics of relevance were carried out, which helped define the scope, the methodology, and formulate the research question in the optimal direction. Interviews with the founders of four startups that operate in the mHealth industry constituted the basis of the findings, with the product or service development process as the central aspect. A framework for DT was employed to analyze the cases, which proposes five themes that should be considered throughout the process: User Focus, Problem Framing, Experimentation, Visualization and Diversity. Our research shows that the use of DT principles can help achieve more valuable outcomes (e.g. more user-centered value propositions), be more efficient and collaborate better. Nevertheless, more knowledge about DT is needed among entrepreneurs, as well as a more uniform consideration of the five themes of DT.

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  • 9.
    Berthon, Pierre
    et al.
    Bentley Univ, McCallum Sch Business, Informat Design & Mkt Strategy, Waltham, MA 02452 USA..
    Pitt, Leyland
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Kietzmann, Jan
    Simon Fraser Univ, Beedie Sch Business, MIS & Innovat & Entrepreneurship, Vancouver, BC, Canada..
    McCarthy, Ian P.
    Simon Fraser Univ, Beedie Sch Business, Technol & Operat Management, Vancouver, BC, Canada..
    CGIP: MANAGING CONSUMER-GENERATED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY2015In: California Management Review, ISSN 0008-1256, E-ISSN 2162-8564, Vol. 57, no 4, p. 43-62Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Two related trends characterize the recent past: value propositions are migrating from the physical to the informational, and value creation is shifting from firms to consumers. These two trends meet in the phenomenon of "consumer-generated intellectual property" (CGIP). This article addresses the question: "How should firms manage the intellectual property that their customers create?" It explores how CGIP presents important dilemmas for managers and argues that consumers' "intellectual property" should not be leveraged at the expense of their "emotional property." It integrates these perspectives into a diagnostic framework and discusses eight strategies for firms to manage CGIP.

  • 10.
    Bill, Laila
    et al.
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Mohamed, Rozann
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    The Act of Giving & Receiving: A study of the social context in collaborations2019Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 20 credits / 30 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    For the past decades, more and more organisations have started to recognise that they can apply open innovation (OI), the process in which an organisation shares knowledge, experiences and ideas with external parties. When applying OI, organisations can face problems in letting ideas flow throughout their complex networks and thus unconsciously restrict their innovation process. They can be unaware that certain key behavioural roles can enable ideas to flow better and thus unrestrain the innovation process.

    The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the challenges and success factors that organisations should be aware of when applying open innovation as well as to investigate and analyse the existing key networks and key behavioural roles of organisations that apply open innovation. The findings were obtained through qualitative and semi-structured interviews with: five expert organisations in OI (the prestudy) and eight companies that apply OI (the case study). The study was delimited to collaborations of large and established companies.

    The findings show that having management commitment and creating an open culture are both challenges and success factors when applying OI. Other success factors are finding the right partner, having trust and transparency and aiming for the win-win concept. Organisations have an internal-, external- and absorbent network, out of which the external is the most emphasised and the internal one is easily overlooked. It is in the absorbent network where different people meet to absorb and develop potential ideas. The key behavioural roles needed in the absorbent network are the broker, team creator, supporter, energiser and challenger.

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    fulltext
  • 11.
    Brandt, Mathias
    et al.
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Stefansson, Stefan
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    The personality venture capitalists look for in an entrepreneur: An artificial intelligence approach to personality analysis2018Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    To date, the usual analysis of an entrepreneur personality is primarily a gut feeling of theventure capitalist and is hard to codify. This paper aims to explore in a qualitative way what itis about the characteristics and the personality of the entrepreneur that influences theinvestment made by the venture capitalists. These findings will then be used to discuss if anartificial intelligence application can be used to analyze the personality of entrepreneurs.The primary source of information for this paper is interviews with venture capitalists. Theauthors searched for similarities within the available literature on entrepreneurial personalitiesand found that the majority of the personality traits mentioned by the venture capitalist can befound in the literature.The research findings suggest that all venture capitalist value an entrepreneur that has passionfor what she is doing and has the ability to get the job done. Additionally, most of the venturecapitalist interviewed value an entrepreneur that is coachable, flexible, visionary, and is ableto communicate that vision well.Finally, based on the results, the authors proposed a framework for how an artificialintelligence system can be structured to assess personalities of entrepreneurs.

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    Thesis_Brandt_Stefansson
  • 12.
    Brown, Terrence
    et al.
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Farshid, Mana
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    To grow or not to grow, that is the question2017In: Entreprendre & Innover, ISSN 2034-7634, Vol. 34, no 3, p. 29-37Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Some of the largest business where created by entrepreneurs who also maintained a full-time job. These hybrid entrepreneurs where able to juggle and balance their two roles for a time. Researchers have shown that one of the critical questions is when so to leave their job to become full-time entrepreneurs. All hybrid entrepreneurs face many challenges and issues as they swing between their job and their business. This article makes the point that the availability of management tools and technology can influence a hybrid entrepreneur’s decisions about the rate of growth he or she desires. The purpose of this article is to introduce the idea that the hybrid entrepreneurship process is affected by questions of venture growth. We will call this “the growth question”. A second and related purpose of the article is to highlight how several conditions surrounding hybrid entrepreneurship impact the growth question. The third and final objective is to suggest that hybrid entrepreneurship at the individual-level may become a less permanent activity over time, due to a new concept we identify and introduce called the Wobble Effect.

  • 13.
    Båth, Johan
    et al.
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Köhler, Jakob
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Innovation Management in Business-to-Business Software as a Service Startups:: Investigating the Lean Startup Methodology and its Shortcomings around Selecting Ideas2017Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (One Year)), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    Managing innovations is a well studied success factor for companies and organizations. This research focuses on the recently established Lean Startup Methodology (LSM) and the obstacles of implementing it in early- and later-stage business-to-business (B2B) Software as as Service (SaaS) startups. The scarcity of academic research around this framework, in contrast to its popularity, motivated the researchers’ aim to provide a better understanding on how it could be adapted to better fit the needs of these companies.Following an interpretivist paradigm, this qualitative research uses a literature review and semi-structured interviews for its purposes. Interviews were conducted with six individuals at four different early- and late-stage startups. The focus was on understanding the realities of working with innovation management and the different approaches at early and later stage startups. Startups face an abundance of ideas regarding what to do next, a hypothesis confirmed with this study. It is the researchers’ belief that the LSM does not provide sufficient tools for organizations to make an idea selection decision without committing too many resources initially. Lastly, the importance of product ownership for an effective innovation management process was validated.In conclusion, we present the need for an updated Lean Startup Methodology with a dedicated selection step to validate an idea early in the process. This contributes to the theory of innovation management and its practical implementation. The identified gap in academic research around frameworks tailored towards these types of organizations provides a good starting point for future research.

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    fulltext
  • 14. Cassar, M.
    et al.
    Dabirian, Amir
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Diba, H.
    Konietzny, J.
    Self-Affirmation of Narcissists on Social Media: A Study Proposing a New Method of Categorization on Facebook Ads2018In: Back to the Future: Using Marketing Basics to Provide Customer Value / [ed] Nina Krey, Patricia Rossi, Springer Nature , 2018, p. 93-101Chapter in book (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    This paper explores the possibility of creating a new category of Facebook ads based on the personality of the user. The introduction of social media channels such as Facebook has provided a new platform for performing self-affirmation theory tests and related behavioral studies. This paper is based on the subsidiary hypothesis that while self-affirming themselves, Facebook users disclose information about their personality. A lexical analysis of each user’s Facebook posts can therefore be used for the purpose of profiling the user. The analysis and categorization of users’ posts based on their behavioral and personality traits can potentially assist marketers interested in targeted marketing to reach a specific audience through this powerful online channel. Hence, this study proposes an innovative method that measures narcissistic personality by analyzing a user’s Facebook posts. 

  • 15.
    Chipp, Kerry
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Deconstructing value: The role of resource access in determining value processes and value outcomes at different stages of the consumption journey2019Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    Defining value has been an ongoing task for marketing scholars. Some researchers assert that the difficulty of gaining consensus on value is because value is multidimensional while the discipline attempts to view it holistically. Value has been deconstructed into a three spheres and occasions, namely the provider sphere, the joint sphere and the customer sphere. The current research sought to build on their model. Here it is posited that different value outcomes occur at different stages of the consumption process. The central question is therefore: is value better understood as a series of outcomes across the consumption journey than one holistic evaluation?

    Extant literature has increasingly sought to formalise how context shapes value. Value is created by integrating resources, and resources are not evenly distributed in any society. The current research has incorporated resource access and individual agency as the processes of value creation that shape value outcomes. The following research questions emerged:

     

    RQ1: How does resource access affect consumer agency and power?

    RQ2: How can resource networks be used to design a value proposition?

    RQ3: How does differential access to resources impact value during the acquisition process?

    RQ4: How can active resource destruction provide value outcomes?

     

    The empirical part of this research covered four papers, one of which was a conceptual paper. Two followed the interpretivist paradigm and a qualitative approach. Such an approach is strongly advocated in the literature on value. A fourth utilised the objective paradigm and followed a quantitative approach. Each approach was deemed best to suit the research question.

    The contribution to the body of knowledge is to establish how resources influence value creation processes and outcomes in three separate stages of the consumption lifecycle: value proposition development, value-in-acquisition and value-in-disposal. An additional sphere, termed the consumer sphere, was added to Grönroos and Voima’s existing three spheres (producer, joint and customer).

    The document is organised as an overall introduction to the research narrative of four related published papers. The document opens with a chapter providing an overview, followed by a chapter on the literature review, a methods chapter and a chapter of findings. The four papers follow under Chapter 5 at the end. Three of these papers have been published; one is being revised to be resubmitted.

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    fulltext
  • 16.
    Clemmedsson, Elin
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Identifying Pitfalls in Machine Learning Implementation Projects: A Case Study of Four Technology-Intensive Organizations2018Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 20 credits / 30 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    This thesis undertook the investigation of finding often occurring mistakes and problems that organizations face when conducting machine learning implementation projects. Machine learning is a technology with the strength of providing insights from large amounts of data. This business value generating technology has been defined to be in a stage of inflated expectations which potentially will cause organizations problems when doing implementation projects without previous knowledge. By a literature review and hypothesis formation followed by interviews with a sample group of companies, three conclusions are drawn from the results. First, indications show there is a correlation between an overestimation of the opportunities of machine learning and how much experience an organization has within the area. Second, it is concluded that data related pitfalls, such as not having enough data, low quality of the data, or biased data, are the most severe. Last, it is shown that realizing the value of long-term solutions regarding machine learning projects is difficult, although the ability increases with experience.

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    fulltext
  • 17.
    Cunha, Luisa
    et al.
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Kidanu, Delila
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    The use of digital technologies to improve the post-purchase phase of a traditional company in the white goods sector: Case study on Electrolux2017Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (One Year)), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    Digital transformation effects the way companies engage with their customers, which is reflected in the post-purchase offerings. This change and added utilization of digital technologies allow companies to capture more data about their customer through different sources and by having the digital capabilities to transform this data into knowledge, companies can offer better products and personalized experiences.

    The purpose of this thesis is to investigate how a traditional company in the white goods sector can improve its post-purchase phase offerings to engage with its customers, through the use of digital technologies, by conducting a case study on Electrolux. To do so, an extensive literature review was conducted and key learnings used to investigate the post-purchase offerings from Electrolux, compared with three traditional and eight born digital companies. Empirical data is collected through direct observation, desk research, and interviews.

    Overall, the analysis revealed Electrolux offers about the same to its customers as the other companies in the post-purchase phase. However, the differences are in the process behind the creation of each offering. This lead to the creation of a substantive model that presents the process by which a company in the white goods sector can deliver personalized and data-driven experiences to their customers. The model additionally outlines the need for a quick-learning environment, developed through testing and experimentation within the companies. Concluding, the conclusions and recommendations suggested identifies what focuses need to be implemented by traditional companies in the white goods sector in order to succeed in a digital environment. 

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    Master-Thesis_Cunha-and-Kidanu
  • 18.
    Dabirian, Amir
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Employer Branding: An Employer View of Value PropositionsIn: Journal of Product & Brand Management, ISSN 1061-0421Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Purpose

     

    Employer branding is a complex and multifaceted process. It is critical to understand what employer brand value propositions are offered and maintained by the employer during employee tenure. The purpose of this research was to study employer brand value propositions from employers and contrast them with the perceptions of current and former employees.

     

    Design/Methodology/Approach

     

    The study uses semistructured interviews with managers from a highly ranked IT company in Silicon Valley to understand how employers view employer brand value propositions. In addition, reviews from the same firm were downloaded from the social media site Glassdoor.com to compare employer perspectives to the perspectives of current and former employees.

     

    Findings

     

    This research discovered different views of employer brand value propositions between the employer versus current and former employees. These differences violate the psychological contract between employee and employer and could yield lower employer retention.

     

    Originality/Value

     

    This research focused on comparing employer versus employee perspectives of employer brand value propositions for a highly ranked IT firm. It explored implications for employer branding, particularly the psychological contract, as a core contract in the employer branding literature.

  • 19.
    Dabirian, Amir
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Employer branding in the IT industry: An employer view2019In: Proceedings 43rd IEEE Annual Computer Software and Applications Conference, COMPSAC 2019, 2019Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Our previous paper "How do Employers conceptualize characteristics of employer branding in the IT industry?" demonstrated an eight value proposition for employer branding. This work was focused primarily on current and former information technology employees. As an extension to that work, the discussion will focus on a follow-up study examining the characteristics of successful employer branding from the employer perspective.

  • 20.
    Dabirian, Amir
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Unpacking Employer Branding in the Information Technology Industry2020Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    Attracting and retaining the best talent is a concern, particularly for knowledge-based firms in high-turnover industries, which rely on a limited supply of highly qualified individuals (Ewing, Pitt, De Bussy, & Berthon, 2002). In 2014, 36% of global employers criticized talent shortages, and in a 2015 study, 73% of CEOs reported being concerned about the availability of workers with key skills (Mosley, 2015). Employer branding is a key human resource and marketing strategy that contributes to the company’s brand, enhances the firm’s reputation as a great place for employees to work, and attracts a new workforce (Ahmad & Daud, 2016). An employer brand’s and its employer branding value propositions’ (EBV) ability to attract new employees and increase retention will provide benefits for the entire organization.

    EBV defines the employer’s attractiveness (Berthon et al., 2005), is a key aspect of the employer branding process, and provides differentiation for the firm (Alnıaçık & Alnıaçık, 2012; Backhaus & Tikoo, 2004; Berthon et al., 2005; Leekha Chhabra & Sharma, 2014; Moroko & Uncles, 2008) to attract and retain employees. Existing research viewed employer branding and its EBV from one or two views—employee or employer—and lacked multiview approaches to employer branding and employer attractiveness. This research focused on a holistic approach and addressed the question: “How do different EBVs affect the perceptions of employer attractiveness? To answer this question holistically, the following research subquestions emerged:

     

    RQ1: How do employees perceive the EBV of employer attractiveness?

    RQ2: How do current and former employees perceive the EBV of employer attractiveness?

    RQ3: How do potential employees perceive the EBV of employer attractiveness?

    RQ4: How do employers manage how employees perceive EBV?

     

    This research consisted of four empirical papers and focused on the information technology (IT) industry context. The first study focused on employee views from all industries, whereas the second study concentrated on the IT industry and compared current and former employees. Study 3 considered potential employees in the IT industry and operationalized the employee attractiveness construct and EBVs. The final study explored EBVs from the employer’s view in an IT firm and compared its employees’ views regarding the psychological contract. The design of this research is a mixed approach with descriptive and exploratory methodologies. IBM Watson’s artificial intelligence content analysis was used in Studies 1, 2, and 4.

    Contributions to the body of knowledge includes operationalizing the employee attractiveness construct as a set of EBVs. This research viewed EBVs holistically and extended the set of EBVs from five to eight value propositions for the IT industry. It also defined employer brand intelligence as a tool for practitioners to develop insights for their employer brand.

    The document is organized with an introductory chapter describing the overall research approach, followed by a literature review chapter, methodology chapter, and summary of findings and contributions. The four papers are included in the final chapter.

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  • 21.
    Dabirian, Amir
    et al.
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship. Calif State Univ Fullerton, Mihaylo Coll Business & Econ, Fullerton, CA 92634 USA..
    Berthon, Pierre
    Bentley Univ, McCallum Sch Business, Waltham, MA 02452 USA..
    Kietzmann, Jan
    Univ Victoria, Peter B Gustavson Sch Business, Victoria, BC, Canada..
    Enticing the IT crowd: employer branding in the information economy2019In: Journal of business & industrial marketing, ISSN 0885-8624, E-ISSN 2052-1189, Vol. 34, no 7, p. 1403-1409Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop an instrument to measure employer branding in the information age. Firms increasingly migrate from matter-intensive business models to information-intensive models, where value lies in information rather than the physical objects. This shift has, in turn, led to a change in employee work skills. This is particularly true in the information technology (IT) sector, where firms rely on a limited supply of skilled labor. Employer branding, a firm's reputation as a place to work, is an important strategy to attract and retain employees. Design/methodology/approach From the literature, the authors developed and refined an instrument to measure key value propositions of employer brands. The potential IT employees surveyed in the study were students enrolled in the disciplines of computer science and information systems at a comprehensive university in North America. The study went through three stages resulting in an instrument for psychometric properties. Findings This research revealed eight employer branding value propositions that future IT employees care about. These dimensions are important for both IT firms and industries competing for skilled IT labor to understand and manage. Originality/value This paper extends the work of Berthon et al. (2005) on employer branding to the information intensive age and particularly the IT sector. It allows executives to manage and measure their employer brand so as to maximize competitive advantage in attracting and retaining skilled employees.

  • 22.
    Danemo, Jonathan
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    How is AI influencing industry competition?: An exploration of online retailing using Porter’s Five Forces Framework2018Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    This master thesis critically examines how new technology, AI, is influencing industry competition as viewed through the Porter’s Five Forces Framework for online retailers. It does this through a qualitative inquiry with seven expert interviews and a literature review focused on foundational papers, as well as more recent critiques of the Porter’s Five Forces Framework. Recent reports on the impact of AI is also examined. The thesis finds that several of Porter’s suggestions for the Five Framework are echoed by the interviewees, and the Forces appear to be relevant to consider for an online retailer considering the impact of AI. However, interviewees suggest the potential impact of network effects and fluidity between industries goes beyond what Porter indicated in his original study, thereby potentially influencing the extent to which one can solely rely on the Porter’s Five Forces Framework to support strategic decision making.

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    How is AI influencing industry competition?
  • 23.
    Dion, G.
    et al.
    France.
    Dalle, J. -M
    France.
    Renouard, F.
    France.
    Guseva, Y.
    Finland.
    León, G.
    Spain.
    Marchese, M.
    Italy.
    Mutanen, O. -P
    Finland.
    Stranger, A. P.
    France.
    Pisoni, G.
    Italy.
    Stoycheva, M.
    Italy.
    Tejero, A.
    Spain.
    Vendel, Martin
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Change management: Blended learning adoption in a large network of European universities2018In: Proceedings of the International Conference on e-Learning, ICEL, Academic Conferences Limited, 2018, p. 77-83Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    We report in this paper on a multiyear endeavour within the EIT (European Institute of Innovation and Technology) Digital community, during which EIT Digital built an international community of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (“I&E”) teachers at Master level by implementing a blended learning strategy. We see this challenge as a case in change management, which could offer relevant insight to run similar initiatives of blending learning adoption as an enabler to developing pedagogical cooperation in networks of universities with real impact on practices. Through the lenses of change management theory, we describe and analyse the methods that allowed EIT Digital to create and enhance a community of “teacher-producers” in order to develop and deploy blended education from scratch. EIT Digital, a Knowledge and Innovation Community of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), provides IT education at Master’s level since 2013 and in association with its around 20 member universities, including a strong “Innovation & Entrepreneurship” (“I&E”) education component. EIT Digital developed a blended learning strategy whose originality came from the fact that some of the teachers are also producers on behalf of the entire community, receiving associated co-funding and technical support from EIT Digital. More specifically, teachers actively took part to the production agenda, according to which producers were chosen within the community to create and deliver the agreed online contents. EIT Digital library now encompasses more than 500 basic online contents (“nuggets”) covering most topics relevant for I&E education at the graduate level, from basic business model introductions to complex technology transfer strategies. This amounts to more than 45 hours’ worth of videos along with dozens of written cases, quizzes and other forms of online/offline assignments. Depending on the various universities’ contexts, different blending strategies were deployed, which had practical consequences on the global EIT Digital development. The heterogeneity of the universities’ profiles probably significantly increased the value of the EIT Digital network which proved relevant with regards to blended learning adoption, while EIT Digital’s change management strategy contributed significantly to uplifting the I&E education offered at the member universities, notably giving momentum to its I&E teacher community.

  • 24.
    Fahnehjelm, Charlotte
    et al.
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Larsson, Joakim
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Are Swedish venture capitalists stuck in the past?: An explorative study on Swedish venture capitalists' position in the funding landscape of new technology-based firms2018Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 20 credits / 30 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    Currently, there are indications that Europe is facing an innovation deficit. The main explanation to the lack of innovation is considered to be that new technology-based firms are facing difficulties in receiving funding and consequently do not establish on the market. As new technology-based firms have an important role in technology development and overall growth, a consequence thereof could be a long- lasting negative effect on technological change and economic growth. The venture capital industry is frequently put forward as the actor that can provide financing for these types of firms.

    This study aimed to investigate the contemporary role that Swedish traditional venture capitalists and government supported venture capitalists have in the funding landscape of new technology-based firms. To fulfill this purpose, the study analyzed both the investors' preferences and the challenges with investing into new technology-based firms. The findings were acquired through performing eight semi- structured interviews with highly knowledgeable practitioners. In addition, literature was scrutinized. The study concluded that the preferences of the venture capital firms are heavily misaligned with investments into new technology and that digital companies present a better aligned investment alternative. More specifically, venture capitalists perceived the teams of new technology-based firms to be lacking, which is misaligned with the venture capitalists' strong emphasis on the team. New technology-based firms were also perceived to be associated with great risks, which is misaligned with the risk aversion of venture capitalists. The high risk was found to be related to the high degree of novelty, the perceived difficulties in finding syndication partners, the venture capitalists' lack of specific knowledge and experience, the long time to market and the large funding need in early stages. Further, the long time to market is ill-suited with the fund structure of traditional venture capital firms. On the other hand, digital companies were found to be well aligned with the venture capitalists' risk profile and preference for investing large amounts of capital at once. When it comes to government-supported venture capitalists, the study concluded that Industrifonden's preferences are similar to those of traditional venture capitalists and that Almi Invest, due to its structure, faces specific barriers for investing.

    Based on these findings, the conclusion was drawn that the likelihood is low that venture capitalists will invest in new technology-based firms. In order to be able to draw conclusions regarding the impacts on innovation and technological change, further research on the capabilities and preferences of informal venture capital is necessary. Further research could also attend to the demand of financing to increase the understanding of the innovation deficit.

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    Are Swedish venture capitalists stuck in the past?
  • 25.
    Farshid, Mana
    et al.
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Lord Ferguson, Sarah
    Beedie School of Business, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada.
    Pitt, Leyland
    Beedie School of Business, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada.
    Plangger, Kirk
    King’s Business School, King’s College, London, UK.
    People as products: Exploring replication and corroboration in the dimensions of theory, method and context2021In: Journal of Business Research, ISSN 0148-2963, E-ISSN 1873-7978, Vol. 126, p. 533-541Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    This paper corroborates Hirschman’s (1987) “People as Products” work by first replicating it in a different context, and then extending it by using new methodologies that examine partner-seeking through a different theoretical lens. The replication finds that some of the original hypotheses hold, some did not, and some, in fact, reversed. This extension shows significant differences between male and female partner seekers on important linguistic psychology dimensions, namely clout, authenticity and tone. Managerial implications relate to emerging trends in human brands, specifically how the words that people use to describe themselves may impact the success or otherwise of human branding and influencing efforts. Overall, the paper demonstrates how an original study can be corroborated and extended in meaningful and interesting ways by varying the context, methodology, or theoretical backdrop, while keeping the problem constant.

  • 26.
    Farshid, Mana
    et al.
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Paschen, Jeannette
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM).
    Eriksson, Theresa
    Kietzmannc, Jan
    Go boldly! Explore augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR) for business2018In: Business Horizons, ISSN 0007-6813, Vol. 61, no 5Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    It is not surprising that managers find it hard to distinguish similar-sounding, IT-based concepts such as augmented reality and virtual reality. To many, all of these constructs mean nearly the same and, as a result, the terms are often used interchangeably. This confusion holds back those eager to explore the different opportunities these new technologies present. This Executive Digest presents six different types of reality and virtual reality—(1) reality, (2) augmented reality, (3) virtual reality, (4) mixed reality, (5) augmented virtuality, and (6) virtuality—as part of our actual reality/virtual reality continuum. We then illustrate their differences using a common example and outline business applications for each type.

  • 27.
    Forsberg, Markus
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Tech Students’ Attitudes to Different Functionality On a Learning and Knowledge Management Platform2017Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 20 credits / 30 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    This master thesis study explores technical students’ relation to perceived usefulness and ease of use of different functionality on a digital software platform for organising and structuring knowledge. The study investigates the relationship between perceived usefulness, ease of use and intention to continuously use the application while adding specific functionality and control aspects as motivational factors. The study is based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the students were asked questions during a roughly 30 minutes long interview regarding their attitude towards different functionality and its usefulness. The measurement model was assessed and analysed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) with a PLS-SEM application. The results were in line with expectations; the perceived usefulness and ease of use were very important for the users’ intention to continue to use the application. In addition, the more advanced functionality has a significant effect on the motivation while user control is less significant.

  • 28.
    Geiser, Felix
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Social media as a communication channel: Is it possible to build a digital brand and generate revenue streams simultaneously by applying influencer marketing?2017Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (One Year)), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
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    Geiser Felix 2017-77
  • 29.
    GORDOS, PYGMALION-ALEXANDROS
    et al.
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    BULOVAS, JONAS
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.).
    The importance of supplier information quality in purchasing of transport services2018Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 20 credits / 30 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    An important prerequisite for successful supply chain integration is the ability to convert data into information combined with structured storing and sharing processes. The purpose of this master thesis is to investigate potential relation between supplier data quality and performance of purchasing of transport services. The output of the thesis generates evidence about the imperative to emphasize on the supplier data quality throughout the supplier selection process. A supplier data quality assessment framework consisting of 4 dimensions - ease of manipulation, accessibility, accuracy and completeness, is developed as the core product of this research project. The weights of these dimensions were assigned specifically for the case company - Cramo, to determine the quality score for a selected sample of carriers. A coefficient k1 representing the ratio of transport expenditure over sales was introduced to facilitate the identification of relation between supplier data quality and transport expenditure. Business units served by transport companies with higher quality data displayed a lower k1, consequently, paying less for the transport services in comparison to their revenue than business units served by carriers with lower data quality score. The framework developed is adaptable - dimensions and metrics can be added or excluded according to situational factors and case peculiarities. The application of the supplier data quality assessment framework allows for a more objective and streamlined supplier selection. It stresses on the overall costs experienced during the period of cooperation. The finding regarding the importance of supplier data quality in purchasing of transport services can be nonetheless generalized for other cases when companies strive for achieving better informed strategic decisions.

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    fulltext
  • 30.
    Gupta, Shikha
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Organizational Barriers to Digital Transformation2018Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (One Year)), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    Digital Transformation is changing the ICT industry and companies must act with speed to stay in the race. In order to be a credible business transformation partner, responding to industry changes and customer demands faster, companies today are transforming themselves and embarking on their digital journey and digitalization is high on every company’s agenda.  

    Most of these transformation initiatives fail or are progressing slowly and one major reason for this is organizational barriers to transformations. These barriers are challenging as organizations and employees react differently to change. Hence in this paper, I will study the transformation process and try to identify and understand the barriers and the most challenging stage of the transformation by interviewing eleven executives from across companies which are in various stages of their Digital Transformation journey. Even though significant number of barriers were identified in the Initiation and the Transition phases, the results indicate that each phase is equally important and is an outcome of the previous phase. By addressing barriers in the first two phases and taking concrete actions, the resistance can be reduced, and organizations can smoothly transition and transform ensuring that the organization and staff embrace the changes.  

    Several barriers to change and transformation were identified ‐ Unclear Company Vision and Goal of the Transformation; Top Management, Leaders and their Leadership style; Project group, Organizational set‐ up and Agility; Change and Middle managers lacking expertise; Lack of Rewards and Incentives; Unclear Measurement systems, Lack of HR involvement and a strong Learning culture missing.  

    In this work with executives working across a variety of industries, the findings suggest that by putting people first and by running change management programs with more people‐centric approaches can lead to dynamic results. The study revealed the need for top leaders and executives to present a united front, provide more autonomy, increase collaboration and transparency across project functions and structures. Middle managers and HR need to work together bettersupporting and coaching the employee’sindividual development plans, tracking changes, creating an atmosphere that engages and energizes employees and by rewarding or incentivizing employees ensure that the changed behaviours stick and quickly spread throughout the organization. Siloed organizational structures were further identified as making the organizations obsolete and the transformation journey must begin by putting together diverse project teams encompassing the right capabilities and skills with a clear driver of change.

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    Organizational Barriers to Digital Transformation
  • 31.
    Guri, G.
    et al.
    Univ Trento, Trento, Italy.;EIT Digital, Trento, Italy..
    Renouard, F.
    EIT Digital, Trento, Italy.;Univ Rennes 1, Rennes, France..
    Pisoni, G.
    Univ Trento, Trento, Italy.;EIT Digital, Trento, Italy..
    Marchese, M.
    Univ Trento, Trento, Italy..
    Vendel, Martin
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Wetters, Akos R.
    ELTE Eotvos Lorand Univ Budapest, Budapest, Hungary..
    Blended learning: Quality framework for a Pan-European universities network2019In: EDULEARN19: 11th International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies / [ed] Chova, LG Martinez, AL Torres, IC, IATED , 2019, p. 5254-5262Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Blended Learning (BL) offers advantages for all the stakeholders involved in the educational process (students, teachers, management), and has a positive impact on the quality of students' learning and degree of knowledge acquisition [1] [2]. It is an institutionalized methodology with respective implementation policy and learning approach implications, although assessing the quality of BL (QBL) remains a complex task [3] [4]. Developed in a partnership of currently 18( )(1)European universities (EIT Digital Network), the EIT Digital Master School offers education not only in the technical major components of its master programmes in ICT but also in an Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E) minor, which counts for 30 ECTS (European Credits Transfer System) in the 120 ECTS master programmes. To harmonize the I&E education across the network of universities, enhance pedagogical cooperation and enable distribution of pedagogical material among partner universities, the best teaching materials, co-designed and co-produced by partners, constitute a data-base of online contents made available through a common repository [5]. In a BL approach, the shared contents constitute the online component of the I&E courses taught by each partner university and is combined with face-to-face (F2F) pedagogic activities, employing different BL models (flipped class, online pre-packaged content, independent learning, etc.). Online contents are organized in sets of around 5-10 min videos, which teachers can select, combine and package in various ways, in accordance with the needs to structure and deploy their I&E courses. The same online content is available for all universities, but their combination and the blending models applied depend on the courses, allowing for a level of differentiation on top of the harmonized online contents. This context of networked partners using shared online contents, with the opportunity to employ different BL models, has led EIT Digital to conduct a set of experiments and define a quality framework to assess the learning impact of BL models implemented in I&E education and provide insights on how to select and/or improve these models. To have comparable results and share lessons learned, the EIT Digital partner universities have conducted experiments based on a common frame for setting them up and for reporting the experiments' results. Drawing upon this methodology, the paper describes an approach to define a framework - based on four components efficiency, effectiveness, impact and scalability- to assess the courses QBL in a pan-European network of universities. Moreover, the paper explores how to valorize the collected results for improving the quality of BL models and methods used in the courses. Such findings may be relevant in the context of other European Universities networks - sharing similar characteristics as an approach to leverage the value of such networks for increasing the education quality.

  • 32.
    Heidarian Golsheikh, Morteza
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Management. KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    THE IMPENDING EMERGENCE OF (SOCIAL NETWORK) PAYMENTS: A study of the current situation of the mobile payments industry in Sweden and the challenges within the ecosystem.2017Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (One Year)), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    Abstract

    Payment industry is witnessing a fast transition from cash dominant era, to card payments and recently mobile payments. Sweden as one of the pioneer countries moving towards cashless society, has experienced quite fast transition thanks to it’s widespread internet access coverage and robust card payment infrastructure. During last few years there has been many mobile payment solutions launched to this market. As a result, some challenges and dynamics have emerged within the Swedish payment ecosystem. Different actors employed different strategies to secure and maintain their position within the ecosystem. This study aims to investigate the current status of power control within the ecosystem by using an extracted part of ARA framework to clarify how different established actors are reacting to this transition. What is more, conducted literature review for this study revealed that, there are few studies for the future of the payment industry and how the ecosystem should be responded to the current trend of moving toward mobile payments. As a result, by use of Configuration value for networks, this study managed to fine a gap which is, absence of a “Value Network” role within the ecosystem. The study suggests that concepts of value chain and value shops are no longer answering the demands of the market and thus, recommend the incumbents of the industry to create and fulfill the Value Network role, so that it could be used as a defense strategy against potential future industry disruption.

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    fulltext
  • 33.
    Hottentot, Lars
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Investigating the Barriers Small Independent Retailers Must Overcome to Enter E-commerce in Sweden2017Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (One Year)), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    In today’s society, it is increasingly important for retailers to have an online presence, yet the adoption rate of e-commerce by small retailers is still lagging behind the that of larger retailers. This is due to the difficulty small retailers have to overcome the barriers to develop their web-shops, such as cost and time.

    This thesis will examine the barriers of single-store independent retail businesses to sell and market their goods online. It will use the Technology Acceptance Model framework developed by Davis (1986) to help understand how the barriers affect the retailers attitude towards the process of developing their web-shops. Specifically, it will ask the retailers, through interviews, what barriers exist, what their perception of difficulty to overcome these barriers is, and what their perception of importance to overcome these barriers is.

    The major findings show that the barriers for retailers have not changed in the past decade, nor has the difficulty level of overcoming these barriers. The majority of small retailers who have not yet developed their web-shops don’t feel that the effort to do so is worth the potential gains, yet the small retailers who have already developed their web-shops did feel it was worth the effort. The retailers all felt that the process was more difficult than it should be, and insisted they would make the leap if the cost and effort required was reduced.

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    BarriersForRetailersInSweden
  • 34.
    Ilic, Josefin
    et al.
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Tranell, Matilda
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    What Influences Employees to Become Digital Advocates?: A Quantitative Study of the Relationship Between Employer Branding and Digital Employee Advocacy in Industrial Organisations2018Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 20 credits / 30 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    Since the introduction of social media, the corporate communication landscape has changed significantly, and thus organisations need to find new innovative ways to communicate. One emerging strategy is digital employee advocacy, which ultimately means that employees voluntarily endorse their employers on social media platforms. As of now however, research on how organisations should operate in order to encourage such behaviour is rather unexplored and inadequate, and a stronger understanding of the motivation and underlying mechanisms is needed. One concept that is conceptually identified as a driver for employee advocacy is employer branding, both directly and indirectly through organisational commitment. Therefore, this thesis aims at investigating and analysing the relationship between employer branding and digital employee advocacy as well as the dimensions of employer branding. Ultimately, the purpose of this thesis is to generate insights on which industrial organisations can build strategies for digital employee advocacy programs. This was done by collecting quantitative data through a questionnaire distributed among employees in a Swedish industrial organisation. Based on the data, a PLS-SEM analysis was conducted that both evaluated a newly developed employer branding scale and the relationships between employer branding and digital employee advocacy. The results from the analysis show that employer branding consists of five dimensions: training and development, healthy work atmosphere, ethics and CSR, work life balance as well as compensation and benefits. Furthermore, it can be concluded that employer branding does not lead to digital employee advocacy directly. It can however be shown that the relationships from employer branding to organisational commitment and from organisational commitment to digital employee advocacy are significant and that organisational commitment has a full mediating effect on the direct relationship between employer branding and digital employee advocacy. Thus, organisations need to recognise organisational commitment as a necessity, and employer branding as an instrument, for achieving digital employee advocacy.

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    fulltext
  • 35.
    Jackson, David
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Innovation in Business to Business Payment Services: a contextual approach to future innovation2018Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    Payments take place every day in exchange for goods and services. There are a large variety of different methods which can be used to make a payment, and multiple scenarios in which payments take place. Recently there has been a significant amount of innovation in the Payment Services sector, however the majority of this innovation has occurred in the Business-to-Consumer (B2C) market, leaving the Business-to-Business (B2B) market relatively devoid of innovations. This raises the question, why are there limited successful innovations in B2B Payment Services? Furthermore, are there areas for innovation in the realm of B2B Payments?

    To explore this perceived gap in innovation, the payment methods available to small B2B companies were examined to identify key challenges and areas for future innovation in B2B payments. The research contains primary data from semi-structured telephone interviews with five owners or managers in SME (Small or Medium-Sized Enterprise) B2B companies, located in the United Kingdom.

    It will be concluded that the payment methods available to small businesses are sufficient for their needs, and there were no real ‘pain points’ with the actual payments themselves – and this is posited as one reason why payment services innovation has been limited within B2Bs. However, each business experienced a number of challenges in the bigger-picture payment cycle and business purchasing flow. It is within this space - helping businesses manage payments, not make payments - that opportunities for innovation lie, and a conceptualisation of new business opportunities is discussed.

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    DJackson - Innovation in B2B Payment Services
  • 36.
    Jacobs, Stephan
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    The Strategic implementation of Urban Wind Turbines within the consumer market: Visualizing the possibilities for Urban Wind Turbines in the Netherlands2017Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (One Year)), 40 credits / 60 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    The last couple of years the interest of consumers for environmental products has grown. This development has resulted in new and innovative product and markets. One of these markets is the Renewable energy system (RES) market for the home consumers. The RES can be divided into Solar panels and Urban Wind Turbines (UWT), in which Solar panels are the most adopted by the consumers, but why? The most applicable system is depending on the location and environment for which UWT might be more interesting in some situations. This resulted in the research question of; ‘Why are the Urban windmills not yet adopted within the private consumer market with respect to the financial issues and the Green social status?’. The research is done for the company, Kaffee Engineering, a young innovative company in the Netherlands. Kaffee Engineering is in possession of a design of a UWT but doesn’t know how to put it into the market. The research is there to use for Kaffee Engineering to develop a strategy to innovate its product. The research is an exploratory, quantitative, applied and deductive research. In this the literature is used to create and examine a survey which is hold under the possible market group. Theories such as the Blue Ocean Stategy, Green Consumerism, and Value proposition are used to create the survey and to analyse the data. The sample group is living in North and South-Holland since this is an area where the product could be well implemented and has to be a house owner or an almost house owner. This since the average wind in this area is high and the product can be seen as an investment for the house. The total sample size of the survey is set to 68 participants to get sufficient data. The Survey shows that a market opening for the UWT is to develop a low costs and easy maintained product in which the looks are not very important. As a recommendation more research can be done in the investment options and new revenue models to create an even better Blue Ocean.

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  • 37.
    Johansson, Petter
    et al.
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Sustainability and Industrial Dynamics.
    Martin, Vendel
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Cali, Nuur
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Sustainability and Industrial Dynamics.
    The transition towards solar power; business as usual or a new role for incumbent grid operators?2018Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    In recent years, there has been a steady increase of ‘solar prosumers’, i.e. electricity consumers that have become producers of electricity using small scale solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems. In several countries, this development is underpinned by various policy enticement schemes with the goal of mitigating climate change in addition to the individual motivations of the prosumers including the attainment of self-sufficiency and independence from conventional electricity supply. For the continued expansion of solar PV systems, grid operators – also called distribution system operators (DSOs) – have been identified as key intermediary actors for the development and implementation of new services and business models that help balance variable surplus electricity from solar prosumers and facilitate a continued expansion of solar PV systems. However, the operations of DSOs are tightly regulated and the room of manoeuvre of DSOs is limited. At the same time, electricity grids are not equipped to handle the expansion of variable and distributed energy resources. Are DSOs currently transitioning into a new widened role in electric power systems which facilitates continued increase in solar prosumers? Or are they hindered by their path dependency and the stability of current socio-technical systems in which they are embedded? Based on an empirical study of the Swedish energy system, this paper presents a description of the socio-technical electricity distribution system and current developments and system tensions from the point-of-view of DSOs in Sweden. The paper builds on a dataset of 175 local and regional DSOs together with semi-structured interviews with eight DSOs in Sweden. The results show that path dependency of DSOs is a major factor and as such the transition of the role of local DSOs is likely to be a slow process. Despite ongoing discussions on the changing role of DSOs in Sweden, so far it has resulted in few concrete measures and DSOs typically apply a business-as-usual approach towards challenges with expansion of solar PVs, i.e. investing in increased transmission capacity. A changed role for DSOs could have the effect of more efficient expansion of distributed solar PV systems if it underpins DSOs’ abilities to develop new system services. But such a change in role is hindered by current institutional settings as well as a lack in capacities and capabilities to develop new system services among a majority of the DSOs. To speed up the transition of local DSOs would require changes in current legislations together with efforts to stimulate innovation and learning processes of DSOs within current electricity systems.

  • 38.
    KARELFELT, ERIK
    et al.
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    MARTINSSON, JOHAN
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Designing the Customer Insight Process: How an industrial product development company can manage the design of the customer insight process2016Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 20 credits / 30 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    As the competition is getting tougher it becomes important for product development companies to increase their efforts of collecting customer insight (CI). This is essential to ensure that products are developed in coherence with the customer’s needs in order to decrease the risk of developing products that does not add value to the customer. However, despite customer insight being crucial for product development, companies appear to struggle with implementing a suitable way to collect customer insight. The purpose of this master thesis has been to compile and analyse existing methods and tools used in the CI process in order to provide recommendations on what to consider when designing such a process. Further, the study aims to design and apply a CI process, targeting the wind turbine blade inspection (WTBI) industry, both in order to test the recommendations as well as deliver customer insight requested by the case company FLIR Systems. The methodology of this master thesis was partly the case study at FLIR, consisting of interviews with the employees and an extensive literature review. This has been denoted as stage one. Based on the recommendations derived from stage one, a CI process was designed and applied targeting the WTBI industry, denoted staged two.

    The result was a set of identified barriers related to the company’s CI process. Further, recommendations of what to consider when designing the CI process was derived, aiming to help the company overcome the barriers. It was proposed that the company needed to clearly state the scope for their CI projects. Also, it was recommended to adopt the customer value chain framework in order to gain a more structured approach when assessing which customers to target. Further, what have been denoted as the design guide was provided to the company in order to encourage an active evaluation of which tools to include in their CI process. An additional outcome from the test was that the use of a social network channel, such as LinkedIn, seems to reduce several of the barriers. In terms of customer insight for the WTBI industry, the study managed to derive valuable information for the case company which was perceived as useful for further research

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  • 39.
    Kietzmann, Jan
    et al.
    Univ Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada..
    Paschen, Jeannette
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Treen, Emily
    Simon Fraser Univ, Beedie Sch Business, Mkt, Burnaby, BC, Canada..
    Artificial Intelligence in Advertising How Marketers Can Leverage Artificial Intelligence Along the Consumer Journey2018In: Journal of Advertising Research, ISSN 0021-8499, E-ISSN 1740-1909, Vol. 58, no 3, p. 263-267Article in journal (Other academic)
  • 40.
    Kirk, Stephen
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Ten thousand applications in ten minutes: Evaluating scalable recruitment, evaluation and screening methods of candidates for sales jobs2017Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 20 credits / 30 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    While personnel evaluation has been extensively covered in literature, little is known about evaluation procedures screening a large number of applicants. The basis of this research was to investigate if candidates for sales positions can be evaluated in a scalable way (where the number of applications does not impact the cost of evaluation much) for an on demand sales platform.

    The study consists of interviews with the recruiters and growth leads of the studied firm, a case study of a firm that has omitted resumes in their salesperson recruitment processes, and sample tests performed on candidates for sales positions. Further, some data on salespeople was collected and analysed.

    In summary, the study links the findings to the restrictions of a process that requires scalability. Previous research outlines how various indicators (personality facets, biodata, and optimism) predict sales performance in salespeople. Mental ability of candidates is relevant especially for the work training phase. Some of these findings were supported by the case study.

    While traditional resumes contain information predicting sales ability, some sales managers argue that they are obsolete. Previous research shows that recruiters risk drawing broad generalizations based on resume content. Video resumes have some potential, but currently have technical and ethical limitations. Personality and mental ability tests show predictive ability for sales performance, and are scalable.

    Previous research discusses limitations in many personality tests being commercial, resulting in limitations in how they may be modified; in their transparency of scoring; and validity studies being hard to conduct. Other limitations with personality tests in evaluation settings are that they are prone to faking.

    The study also suggests future topics of research in how culture defines what an ideal salesperson is, and extending these findings to other areas than sales. 

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    Stephen Kirk - Ten Thousand Applications in Ten Minutes
  • 41.
    Kolmakova, Liubov
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Glocalization Marketing Strategy of Mc Donald's Case Study: Turkey2017Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (One Year)), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    Globalization is spreading worldwide and it is coming together with its norms. These norms are not appreciated worldwide and there are many nations which have significant populations that are opposed to globalization and its norms. Mc Donald’s is a multinational corporation, it is entering and expanding into different markets as a result of globalization. Nevertheless, this should not indicate that it is an easy goal to spread worldwide for Mc Donald’s due to the anti-globalization movements. Hence, Mc Donald’s developed the concept of “think global, act local” which is highly related to glocalization marketing strategy.

    Mc Donald’s is using local assets, local services, local goods and even the company is producing special products for each country as a results of the glocalization marketing strategy. Turkey has a unique culture between the East and the West and it is one of the countries in which Mc Donald’s have significant growth in the last 15 years. Mc Donald’s has a specific menu for Turkey and there are many products which are actually glocalized. As a matter of fact, this work focuses on the glocalization marketing strategy of Mc Donald’s in Turkey. 

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  • 42.
    Larsson, Marcus
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Enhancing the Value Proposition of Live Esports Consumption with AI Technology2018Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 20 credits / 30 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    When a company includes a new technology or innovation into their value proposition, customers may perceive it as an enhancement or deterioration. This phenomenon was explored in this study with a case study of a present case in the esports industry. Research have shown that AI (Artificial Intelligence) technology can be used to predict which team is going to win in a match in the esports game DotA 2. A prototype AI called Znipe Sense was developed and analyzed during this study to answer the question: How can a predictive AI affect the value proposition of live esports consumption? Znipe Sense was included into Znipe Esports’ value proposition during a tournament in February 2018. It was observed that Znipe Sense could predict outcomes of professional matches with a higher accuracy than human experts. The observations of Znipe Sense, an interview with experienced players, interviews with business professionals and internal company documents were used as empirical material for the analysis. How Znipe Sense affected the value proposition was analyzed through the factors: Performance, Ease-of-use, Reliability, Flexibility and Affectivity, also known as the PERFA framework. It was concluded that a predictive AI can enhance the value proposition of live esports consumption through the Performance and Ease-of-use factors, and it would not affect the value proposition through Reliability or Flexibility. However, in the analysis of the Affectivity factor it was identified that there is a risk related to negative effects of gambling addiction that could deteriorate the value proposition.

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    Enhancing_the_Value_Proposition_of_Live_Esports_consumption_with_AI_Technology-Marcus_Larsson
  • 43.
    Lazo, Edmundo
    et al.
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Casu, Oxana
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Towards a new transformation of e-payments paradigm: a case study on Moldovan public services2017Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (One Year)), 40 credits / 60 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    E-payment paradigm in the context of fighting corruption and increasing transparency at the public-sector authority’s level is becoming more important than ever especially for Eastern Europe. The present research will address how an electronic payment system is affecting the diffusion of innovation among online public services, settling the challenges at the government level, providing solutions for diminishing the money laundering in the country and all other associated problems.

    Diffusion of innovations theory had been investigated by many scholars in different industries and countries. The research implication is to generate general knowledge by fulfilling the literature gap related to electronic payment systems in the public sector and diffusion of innovations. The research aim is to provide (1) an extensive literature review to gain familiarity principally on the diffusion of innovation theory, secondary on government electronic payment systems and cashless societies; (2) collect, explore and analyze empirical evidence related to the perceived attributes of diffusion of innovations theory and the rate of adoption of e-payment system designed for public services from the perspective of consumers, public service providers, and payment operators; (3) answer the research questions by the aid of the diffusion of innovation theory, and measure the rates of adoption of public e-payment systems by using an case study approach, the researchers analyzed the case of Moldova and the Governmental Payment Gateway MPay, one of the initiatives launched by the Public Institution e-Government Center. 

    The interpretivism research paradigm was adopted for the research, and an exploratory case study methodology is implemented to gain insights, familiarity with the subject, and acquire more knowledge in the concepts and theoretical frameworks that are related to the research problem and question.

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  • 44.
    Lee, Linda W.
    et al.
    Nottingham Trent Univ, Nottingham Business Sch, Nottingham, England..
    Dabirian, Amir
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship. Calif State Univ Fullerton, Mihaylo Coll Business & Econ, Fullerton, CA 92634 USA..
    McCarthy, Ian P.
    Simon Fraser Univ, Sch Business, Vancouver, BC, Canada.;Luiss Univ, Dept Management, Rome, Italy..
    Kietzmann, Jan
    Univ Victoria, Gustavson Sch Business, Victoria, BC, Canada..
    Making sense of text: artificial intelligence-enabled content analysis2020In: European Journal of Marketing, ISSN 0309-0566, E-ISSN 1758-7123, Vol. 54, no 3, p. 615-644Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Purpose The purpose of this paper is to introduce, apply and compare how artificial intelligence (AI), and specifically the IBM Watson system, can be used for content analysis in marketing research relative to manual and computer-aided (non-AI) approaches to content analysis. Design/methodology/approach To illustrate the use of AI-enabled content analysis, this paper examines the text of leadership speeches, content related to organizational brand. The process and results of using AI are compared to manual and computer-aided approaches by using three performance factors for content analysis: reliability, validity and efficiency. Findings Relative to manual and computer-aided approaches, AI-enabled content analysis provides clear advantages with high reliability, high validity and moderate efficiency. Research limitations/implications - This paper offers three contributions. First, it highlights the continued importance of the content analysis research method, particularly with the explosive growth of natural language-based user-generated content. Second, it provides a road map of how to use AI-enabled content analysis. Third, it applies and compares AI-enabled content analysis to manual and computer-aided, using leadership speeches. Practical implications - For each of the three approaches, nine steps are outlined and described to allow for replicability of this study. The advantages and disadvantages of using AI for content analysis are discussed. Together these are intended to motivate and guide researchers to apply and develop AI-enabled content analysis for research in marketing and other disciplines. Originality/value To the best of the authors' knowledge, this paper is among the first to introduce, apply and compare how AI can be used for content analysis.

  • 45.
    Manocha, Jitendra
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Using innovation from block chain technology to address privacy and security problems of Internet of Things2017Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (One Year)), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    Internet of things (IoT) is growing at a phenomenal speed and outpacing all the

    technological revolutions that occurred in the past. Together with window of opportunity

    it also poses quite a few challenges. One of the most important and unresolved

    challenge is vulnerability in security and privacy in IoT. This is mainly due to lack of a

    global decentralized standard even though characteristically IoT is based on

    distributed systems. Due to lack of standard IoT has interoperability issue between

    different devices and platform suppliers which implicitly creates need of reliance on the

    suppliers as they store and control user data. There is no decentralized industry wide

    solution which can offer the control of user data and security back to the user. While

    experts in IoT are still wondering on solving the challenge, a new Block chain

    technology has surfaced in past few years and showed signs of disruptive innovation

    in financial industry. This technology is decentralized, secure and private. Let alone

    information, block chain innovation has proven to keep assets secure. Recently few

    forms of block chains have emerged. This research will focus on analyzing the

    innovative block chain technology, their characteristics specifically the types of block

    chain to address the privacy and security challenges of IoT. Research proposes a new

    concept of hybrid block chain as a solution to IoT security and privacy problem.

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  • 46.
    MARAKBI, ZAKARIA
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Mean-Variance Portfolio Optimization: Challenging the role of traditional covariance estimation2016Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 20 credits / 30 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    Ever since its introduction in 1952, the Mean-Variance (MV) portfolio selection theory has remained a centerpiece within the realm of e_cient asset allocation. However, in scienti_c circles, the theory has stirred controversy. A strand of criticism has emerged that points to the phenomenon that Mean-Variance Optimization su_ers from the severe drawback of estimation errors contained in the expected return vector and the covariance matrix, resulting in portfolios that may signi_cantly deviate from the true optimal portfolio.

    While a substantial amount of e_ort has been devoted to estimating the expected return vector in this context, much less is written about the covariance matrix input. In recent times, however, research that points to the importance of the covariance matrix in MV optimization has emerged. As a result, there has been a growing interest whether MV optimization can be enhanced by improving the estimate of the covariance matrix.

    Hence, this thesis was set forth by the purpose to investigate whether nancial practitioners and institutions can allocate portfolios consisting of assets in a more e_cient manner by changing the covariance matrix input in mean-variance optimization. In the quest of chieving this purpose, an out-of-sample analysis of MV optimized portfolios was performed, where the performance of ve prominent covariance matrix estimators were compared, holding all other things equal in the MV optimization. The optimization was performed under realistic investment constraints, taking incurred transaction costs into account, and for an investment asset universe ranging from equity to bonds.

    The empirical _ndings in this study suggest one dominant estimator: the covariance matrix estimator implied by the Gerber Statistic (GS). Speci_cally, by using this covariance matrix estimator in lieu of the traditional sample covariance matrix, the MV optimization rendered more e_cient portfolios in terms of higher Sharpe ratios, higher risk-adjusted returns and lower maximum drawdowns. The outperformance was protruding during recessionary times. This suggests that an investor that employs traditional MVO in quantitative asset allocation can improve their asset picking abilities by changing to the, in theory, more robust GS  ovariance matrix estimator in times of volatile nancial markets.

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  • 47.
    Ntalianis, Ioannis
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Industrial investments' transformation and sustainability in Sweden2018Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    The purpose of this thesis is to examine if the sector of industrial investments has been transformed over the last decade and if so, in which ways this transformation has happened. Digitalization has changed the business environment in a revolutionary manner and this phenomenon needs to be explored since it is new and rapidly growing. The author will attempt to connect the industrial investments’ field with sustainability and find out in what ways sustainability is affected by the transformation mentioned above. The study was performed in Sweden and refers to the Swedish market. The research concludes that industrial investments have been significantly transformed and have become more opportunistic. Short-term profit drives the majority of investment decisions as the main decision makers are continuously being replaced by others while sustainability is not taken under consideration. This situation will likely change either by ambitious governmental initiatives or by a change in the masses’ everyday behavior towards consciously sustainable choices.

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  • 48.
    Paschen, Jeannette
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Investigating the emotional appeal of fake news using artificial intelligence and human contributions2020In: Journal of Product & Brand Management, ISSN 1061-0421, Vol. 29, no 2, p. 223-233Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Purpose:

    The creation and dissemination of fake news can have severe consequences for a company’s brand. Researchers, policymakers and practitioners are eagerly searching for solutions to get us out of the ‘fake news crisis’. Here, one approach is to use automated tools, such as artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, in conjunction with human inputs to identify fake news. The study in this article demonstrates how AI and machine learning, with its ability to analyze vast amounts of unstructured data, can help us tell apart fake and real news content. Specifically, this study examines if and how the emotional appeal, i.e., sentiment valence and strength of specific emotions, in fake news content differs from that in real news content. This is important to understand, as messages with a strong emotional appeal can influence how content is consumed, processed and shared by consumers. 

     

    Design/methodology/approach:

    The study analyzes a data set of 150 real and fake news articles using an AI application, to test for differences in the emotional appeal in the titles and the text body between fake news and real news content. 

     

    Findings:

    The results suggest that titles are a strong differentiator on emotions between fake and real news and that fake news titles are substantially more negative than real news titles. In addition, the results reveal that the text body of fake news is substantially higher in displaying specific negative emotions, such as disgust and anger, and lower in displaying positive emotions, such as joy. 

     

    Originality/value:

    This is the first empirical study that examines the emotional appeal of fake and real news content with respect to the prevalence and strength of specific emotion dimensions, thus adding to the literature on fake news identification and marketing communications. In addition, this paper provides marketing communications professionals with a practical approach to identify fake news using AI.

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    Paschen-DIVA-Paper JPBM
  • 49.
    Paschen, Jeannette
    et al.
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Kietzmann, Jan
    Univ Victoria, Peter B Gustavson Sch Business, Victoria, BC, Canada..
    Kietzmann, Tim Christian
    Univ Cambridge, MRC Cognit & Brain Sci Unit, Cambridge, England..
    Artificial intelligence (AI) and its implications for market knowledge in B2B marketing2019In: Journal of business & industrial marketing, ISSN 0885-8624, E-ISSN 2052-1189, Vol. 34, no 7, p. 1410-1419Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explain the technological phenomenon artificial intelligence (AI) and how it can contribute to knowledge-based marketing in B2B. Specifically, this paper describes the foundational building blocks of any artificial intelligence system and their interrelationships. This paper also discusses the implications of the different building blocks with respect to market knowledge in B2B marketing and outlines avenues for future research. Design/methodology/approach The paper is conceptual and proposes a framework to explicate the phenomenon AI and its building blocks. It further provides a structured discussion of how AI can contribute to different types of market knowledge critical for B2B marketing: customer knowledge, user knowledge and external market knowledge. Findings The paper explains AI from an input-processes-output lens and explicates the six foundational building blocks of any AI system. It also discussed how the combination of the building blocks transforms data into information and knowledge. Practical implications - Aimed at general marketing executives, rather than AI specialists, this paper explains the phenomenon artificial intelligence, how it works and its relevance for the knowledge-based marketing in B2B firms. The paper highlights illustrative use cases to show how AI can impact B2B marketing functions. Originality/value The study conceptualizes the technological phenomenon artificial intelligence from a knowledge management perspective and contributes to the literature on knowledge management in the era of big data. It addresses calls for more scholarly research on AI and B2B marketing.

  • 50.
    Paschen, Jeannette
    et al.
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM).
    Pitt, Leyland
    Kietzmann, Jan
    Dabirian, Amir
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Economics and Management (Dept.), Industrial Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
    Farshid, Mana
    The brand personalities of brand communities: an analysis of online communication2017In: Online information review (Print), ISSN 1468-4527, E-ISSN 1468-4535, Vol. 41, no 7, p. 1064-1075Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Purpose - Online brand communities provide a wealth of insights about how consumers perceive and talk about a brand, rather than what the firm communicates about the brand. The purpose of this paper is to understand whether the brand personality of an online brand community, rather than of the brand itself, can be deduced from the online communication within that brand community. Design/methodology/approach - The paper is empirical in nature. The authors use community- generated content from eight online brand communities and perform content analysis using the text analysis software Diction. The authors employ the five brand personality dictionaries (competence, excitement, ruggedness, sincerity and sophistication) from the Pitt et al. (2007) dictionary source as the basis for the authors' analysis. Findings - The paper offers two main contributions. First, it identifies two types of communities: those focusing on solving functional problems that consumers might encounter with a firm's offering and those focusing on broader engagement with the brand. Second, the study serves as a blueprint that marketers can adopt to analyze online brand communities using a computerized approach. Such a blueprint is beneficial not only to analyze a firm's own online brand community but also that of competitors, thus providing insights into how their brand stacks up against competitor brands. Originality/value - This is the first paper examining the nature of online brand communities by means of computerized content analysis. The authors outline a number of areas that marketing scholars could explore further based on the authors analysis. The paper also highlights implications for marketers when establishing, managing, monitoring and analyzing online brand communities.

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