Purpose Contemporary public service innovations to an important degree are initiated and enabled by digitalization. Digitalization stimulates entry of new firms (start-ups) based on innovative implementation of digital technology for public services. The interwoven digitalization and innovation processes involve interaction and interdependencies between private business actors and public service providing actors. In this paper, the authors take the perspective of a start-up business actor that tries to develop and implement a viable business model in the very dynamic context of digital transformation of public education. The purpose of this paper is to analyze how the instability of a startup firm's business model during public service innovation can be explained. The research question is: "How can business modeling by a start-up firm be explained by tensions between its business model and public service provision models?" Design/methodology/approach Based on an abductive logic, the authors choose a single-case study of a start-up firm's development in 2010-2018 and its interaction with public actors. Information about the firm acquired in the first phase of the study showed that it frequently changed its business model. A general analytical framework was developed to aid in efforts to answer the research question. Findings The case showed that a business model could be seen as a temporary outcome of a business modeling process, and that also concurrently public actors change their public actors' service provisioning models. Public-private interaction reveals tensions that drive business modeling. Originality/value The study contributes to empirical knowledge about private-public interaction in the dynamic and complex context in which digital transformation in society drives public service innovations. The conceptual contribution rests more generally in the analytical framework and how it frames public actor's "service provision modeling" as a driver of business modeling.

This chapter is a response to observations from previous chapters where we have learnt that the context surrounding B2B sales seem to deviate quite a lot from a traditional market view based on neoclassic theory. In the first part of this chapter, we contrast the two different views of markets and with that as our reference point, we discuss some general implications for marketing, sales, and purchasing.The chapter looks deeper into a "markets-as-networks" perspective and argues that such lenses applied on marketing and sales activities in business markets will have implications on ways to organize marketing and sales. Actors, activities, and resources are embedded into structures (activity, actor, and resource structures), and it is important to have a reasonable sense of what and how these structures look in order to make the best priorities for the short- and long-term success of the business.The chapter addresses how the market system surrounding the supplier–customer interchange contributes to setting the scene for operating exchange processes. Five general network themes and challenges for sales and marketing have been identified and explored. Against these, the chapter puts organizational issues in focus. Two aspects are in focus of this concluding discussion: first, organizational variety and ongoing processes of organizational adaptation, and second, coordination and communication.

The aim of this chapter is to approach marketing organization from a research perspective, research that reflects contemporary practices of the time. This is done through a review of some of the central texts in the field. The chapter starts by drawing attention to two previous attempts to review and revisit the field, two influential and frequently cited researchers and texts: Achrol’s (1991) frequently cited article entitled “Evolution of the marketing organization: New forms for turbulent environments” and Homburg and colleagues’ (2000) review a decade later entitled “Fundamental changes in marketing organization: The movement toward a customer-focused organizational structure.”The chapter then reviews the field around 2010, leading into the author’s own concluding reflections on how circumstances internal and external to organizations have affected the organizing of marketing. The chapter argues that while some ideas and changes after 2010 might be viewed as new, other changes are apparently old changes in new shapes. Attention is drawn to six areas of marketing organization research that have emerged and taken a central position in marketing organization research: (1) the adaptation of marketing practice and organization to various business trends, (2) market- and customer-oriented organizations, (3) shifts in marketing’s general role and influence within the firm, (4) marketing’s strategic role and connection to business management, (5) marketing’s interactions with other internal functions, and (6) marketing organization and the application of a wider spectrum of organization theories.

The aim of this chapter is to introduce the reader to the complexities of marketing organization especially in bigger firms. This chapter draws attention to one of these major drivers for change — globalization. This is done with the help of an in-depth case study of ABB Robotics.The case describes how a change is achieved through a major marketing reorganization process. Initially, there are major difficulties grasping the organizational problem and identifying its causes. Many different organizational "issues" are part of the problem in the multifaceted case. Relying on complexity theory, the case suggests that a more complex environment with greater number of relevant players, which are — themselves — interconnected through networks, will also exhibit a greater range of change. Change and reorganization processes like the one confronting the case company would rather be the normal situation for companies embedded in complex global networks.

In the final chapter of the book the authors discuss potential continued developments of some of the topics addressed in the previous texts of the book. The final overview of the book starts with a set of some more practical, empirical issues that deserve attention.The choice of practical issues in marketing organization are collected from the authors of the various chapters, in contacts with marketing practitioners, and from various secondary sources. The issues deal with, for example, the new business landscape with well-informed and capable procurement organizations and aspects of organizing marketing in order to deal with customers in the public sector. Furthermore, the practical issues discussed deal with the organizing of marketing as part of the organizing of markets.

The chapter aims to provide a dynamic-process perspective of radical marketing reorganization processes and what drives such complex processes. The chapter draws on organization and management literature to develop a conceptual framework for understanding such reorganization processes. It is also based on two major empirical studies. The first is a historical study that focuses on the consequences for different parts of marketing organizations when two organizations merge.The study shows how, for example, over time various tensions, conflicts, and contradictions become important drivers for the continued, long-term process to create a new, joint marketing organization. The second study investigates three cases of reorganization processes that integrated digital and physical sales channels. The investigation describes the tensions occurring among the groups and individuals responsible for each channel. By describing the handling of the tensions and subsequent effects, they outline a dynamic model of channel integration processes. Both models are presented in the chapter. The chapter concludes that marketing in reality is becoming more of an organizational topic in which successful transitions of marketing organizations become a matter of organizing and reorganizing.

In this chapter, we connect our focus — the organizing of marketing — to one of the strongest drivers for its change — digitalization — and draw attention to various "dual forces" that affect marketing as a consequence. These dual forces are associated with the concept of ambidexterity. Given that companies today are affected by digitalization, both internally in their organizations and in their external business relations, and that they need to act as ambidextrous organizations handling both old ("analog") and new ("digital") situations, how does this affect marketing, in general, and the organizing of marketing, in particular?The chapter will be founded on the assumptions that digitalization is a central driver of change in business and society today, and this digitalization requires organizations to explore new opportunities while still operating with mature technologies in mature markets. Marketing most often has a central role in this situation of digitalization. The connection between digitalization processes, ambidextrous organizations, and the processes of organizing marketing is the focus of this chapter.The subject is wide, and the aim of the chapter is to generate ideas on some potential consequences for marketing management and organization. The chapter ends with a set of propositions serving as starting points for further studies of the links between digitalization, marketing management and organization, as well as the forces resulting from digitalization.

The vocabulary used in economic and business analyses of information and communication technology (ICT) developments comprises terms such as business models, ecosystems and platforms. Such terms require clarification and translation to concepts used in general economic and business analyses. The process that interests us in this chapter is the intermediating role of platforms for service innovation. Examples include mobile phone-based platforms that enable innovation in payment processes and related service transactions; hotel booking sites that enable innovation in several related tourist services; and technical platforms for development of services related to 'smart homes.' As illustration we use platforms developed to connect vehicles with a variety of actors and resources.

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to develop a new conceptual framework that reflects network dynamics in Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled service innovation processes.Design/methodology/approach– Based on literature on service innovations, business networks and IoT, dynamic concepts are selected. Aided by information about an evolving case “The connected vehicle”, propositions about interaction between the variables in the framework are formulated.Findings– A conceptual framework consisting of four interacting variables: overlapping, intermediating, objectification of actors and business modelling is developed, linking several streams of research. Propositions are motivated and issues for further research questions formulated.Research limitations/implications– The framework may stimulate further research on IoT-enabled service innovations.Practical implications– Understanding network dynamics for developing and implementing business models for service innovations.Originality/value– The conceptual framework provides an original contribution to understanding IoT-enabled service innovations.

Purpose This chapter analyses the multiple embeddedness of MNEs, and their participation in solving contemporary societal issues. We aim to increase understanding on the relational processes and network dynamics present in MNEs' participation in cross-sector partnerships.

Although cross-sector partnerships (XSPs) between multinational corporations (MNCs), governments and non-profit organizations are increasingly used to solve local problems and build responsible business, they have received limited attention in international business research. Because XSPs are vulnerable to conflicts and pose specific demands for subsidiary managers, it is critical to understand the integration mechanisms of XSPs that enhance their success. We study managerial sensemaking in an XSP formed to improve the environmental state of the Baltic Sea. Drawing from a cross-disciplinary literature review and insights from a case study we identify three kinds of integration mechanisms: resource mechanisms, ideational and social mechanisms, and organizational mechanisms. Our findings further imply that managerial “bricolage”, i.e. strategically combining resources at hand, is critical in enacting the integration mechanisms. The findings help to understand how integration and success of MNCs’ local partnerships may be increased.

Concurrent cooperation and competition is an important characteristic of innovation processes. We illustrate this with reference to a case on new mobile, NFC (Near Field Communications) based services: a systemic service innovation project in Nice, named Cityzi. Cityzi is a local sub-process in the globally dispersed efforts to develop and implement mobile services enabled by the NFC technique that can be used for mobile communication. The project requires cooperation, also between competing actors, to determine technical interfaces as well as development and implementation of business models for production and use of the services in practice. Due to the heterogeneity of resources that need to be combined, actors from different industrial as well as public policy sectors participate in the project. We apply a network perspective for our analysis of cooperation and competition during service innovation processes, specifically focusing on network overlapping processes. A dynamic conceptual model is suggested to capture the complexities of implementing largescale ICT infrastructure projects, when going from trial to commercialization.

The significance of consumer perceived value for marketing decisions and the link between value creation and business long-term success is widely acknowledged in the literature. However, no study has yet assessed empirically if different perception of value exist for physical products compared to their digital counterparts. A perceived value model consisting of five constructs –price value, quality value, epistemic value, emotional value and social value, is applied. Further, a digital basic version is tested against an ownership-enhanced digital version and one where the perceived effort to gain and handle the digital version is reduced. A significant increase for digital products by improving the ownership notion or reducing the perceived effort was not to be found. Nevertheless, tendencies support the general idea and prepare the ground for further investigations. This thesis progresses the value literature through increasing our comprehension of how individual value dimensions differ for physical and digital products. Based on the primary data gathered by a customer survey, the findings support that different perceptions of value exist for physical products compared to their digital counterparts, particularly for epistemic, emotional and quality value. This calls for the use of differentiated value-based marketing strategies for a company to be successful in both, the real and the digital world.

Co-opetition is an important characteristic of innovation processes. We illustrate this with reference to a case: a service innovation project in Nice, named Cityzi. Cityzi is a local subprocess in the globally dispersed efforts to develop and implement services enabled by the NFC (Near Field Communication) technique that can be used for mobile communication. The project requires cooperation, also between competing actors, to determine technical interfaces as well as development and implementation of business models for production and use of the services in practice. Due to the heterogeneity of resources that need to be combined, actors from different industrial as well as public policy sectors participate in the project. We apply a network perspective for our analysis of co-opetition during service innovation processes. We relate the Nice project to prior, concurrent and future global and local service innovation processes aiming to implement wireless technology.

This chapter puts focus on and relates to three central concepts “sustainability”, “mobility”, and “customer value”. The results from two long-term lines of research and two research programs are combined in the chapter. The first focuses on the effects of the use of new wireless communication and information on organizations in terms of changed “mobility” of people and artifacts within and between organizations. The second research area addressed is that of social and environmental enterprise and business. The chapter has the aim and ambition to contribute to a conceptual discussion on sustainability, mobility, and value. Based on the discussion, the chapter presents a set of propositions to help advance research in this relatively new research field. Short empirical examples are presented, followed by a concluding discussion and a set of propositions for further research.

The paper will explore how a social media based E-learning 2.0 solution for formal learning (social IS) can be implemented, focusing on the technology acceptance process. The paper aims to increase the knowledge on how the acceptance regarding social media based E-learning 2.0 information systems for formal learning can be increased and how the acceptance affects the social learning experience. To achieve this, the paper relies on both a qualitative and quantitative approach and is primarily inductive. The paper concludes that the acceptance cannot be seen as a linear process, as is common practice. Instead, one should see the process of acceptance as interlinked with the experience and external variables in a continuous process that can either ‘spiral’ upwards or downwards. Furthermore, the paper identifies the problem of innovation resistance. The paper then analyzes information gathered from industry experts, practitioners and a live case to find how one can improve acceptance and thereby the social learning experience. Once these variables have been identified the paper presents strategic advice. The paper ends by a discussion of the results, both regarding the impact and contrast to previous research as well as highlighting areas for further research

This article answers the question of how simple accessible e-learning tools can be exploited in innovative ways to enrich a learning environment. Social media tools are taken as an example of accessible e-learning tools. This paper, therefore, aims to enhance the understanding of how value can be created using social media in corporate and academic learning situations. Based on a qualitative approach sources of value creation can be classified into network related, offering related and macro- level related ones. Additional factors of value creation are derived from the findings. As a context specific factor to value creation it is assessed by means of quantitative research instruments whether technology acceptance of social media differs in informal learning situation compared to formal learning situations. In a more explorative way, major obstacles to value creation are identified to be wrong cost assumptions, shifts in power structure, institutional culture, incentive systems and top management.

Implementing a customer ordered production strategy involves changes in supply chain integration compared to if production was based on forecasts of demand. In a study of Volvo Cars’ customer ordered strategy it was found that the degree of implementation changed over time, especially in relation to business cycles. It seems, with reference to statements made by respondents involved in practice at different stages in the supply chain, that there exists different “world views” and logics of action depending of the actors’ position in the chain: A business logic downstream and an industrial logic upstream from the assembler (Volvo Cars split in “manufacturing” and “sales”). Time, space and energy are different in the logics. Transport providers adapt and coordinate activities with logic of their own . To understand time, space and energy we refer to the ideas put forward by Lefebvre on rhythm in everyday life. It is important to be aware of ongoing changes in the everydayness for supply chain integration knowledge. Integration needs to be handled as a process, it is not given by plans and procedures as state. We interpret the empirical findings by applying Lefebvre’s conceptual framework. The approach facilitates a better understanding of the supply chain integration process and potentialities of temporal alignment.