Henrik Florén | Halmstad University (original) (raw)
Papers by Henrik Florén
Business model innovation has received substantial attention by both practitioners and researcher... more Business model innovation has received substantial attention by both practitioners and researchers during the last fifteen years. While many companies have good processes and a shared sense of how to innovate technology, they are less capable when it comes to how they should innovate business models. This lack of practical skills is mirrored by th e shortage of scholarly understanding, in which business model innovation as a phenomenon is poorly explained in comparison to e.g. product or process innovations. Although previous research has contributed greatly to the advancements of business model innovation, our conceptual understanding of business model innovation is still rather con fused. Behind this study, lies two related assumptions; (i) not all business model innovations are the same, and, (ii) different types of business model innovation will challenge firms in different ways. To this background, the purpose of this study is to develop a framework that will allow for a conceptual differentia tion between different types of business model innovation. The paper draws on previous studies in the field of technology and innovation management and develops a framework – “The Business Model Innovation Map” – that distinguishes between different types of business model innovation according to their degree of novelty. The framework is illustrate d by several real‐life examples of business model innovation. The paper adds to our understanding of innovation management as it allows for a better understanding of business model innovation as a distinct type of innovation. More specifically, it helps differentiating transformative business model innovations from mere incremental ones, and, as such, it pr esents a novel approach to categorize different types of business model innovation. The framework can serve as a basis for future in‐depth empirical investigations of different types of business model innovation that can help firms to better understand how to manage such innovations.
Research Note : What is the ‘fuzzy front end’, why is it important, and how can it be managed?
Where new product development begins : critical success factors, concepts and controversies in th... more Where new product development begins : critical success factors, concepts and controversies in the fuzzy front end
ABSTRACT Firms in the process industries manipulate materials properties to produce upgraded raw ... more ABSTRACT Firms in the process industries manipulate materials properties to produce upgraded raw materials for applications and products upstream in a supply chain. About 25% of the most research intensive firms in the world belong to the process industries, so proper management of raw materials is a key concern for many firms. This article explores the concept of "raw materials management". By studying the current world leader in powder metallurgy, the Höganäs Corporation, the article describes the external and internal factors impacting how raw materials are managed, and how raw material issues affect different aspects of firm performance. Managerial implications are presented elaborating three key-areas that firms should deal with when developing a strategic approach to raw materials management.
International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 2006
PurposeThe purpose of this article is to describe the basic characteristics and qualities of mana... more PurposeThe purpose of this article is to describe the basic characteristics and qualities of managerial work in small firms.Design/methodology/approachThe article draws on a summary and synthesis of five studies from the “managerial‐work research tradition” that investigates the behaviour of top managers in small firms by means of direct observation. Studies are evaluated by using research on managers' jobs in general, and some needs as well as guidelines for future research on entrepreneurial and managerial work in small firms are suggested.FindingsManagerial work in small firms is described by discussing: how managers divide their time between different activities; managerial interaction and communication, and the elements of managerial work in small firms. Three limitations of existing studies are identified: they are difficult to compare; they adopt a simplistic conception of the constituents of managers' jobs, and more specifically of the relation between the managing a...
This thesis is a product of a number of coincidences. The coincidence that gave the first directi... more This thesis is a product of a number of coincidences. The coincidence that gave the first direction to it was my meeting with Max Lundberg and Joakim Tell at the former Centre for Working Life Research and Development (CAU) at Halmstad University during the writing of my master thesis. They provided, together with Agneta Hansson and Kjell Eriksson also at CAU, my first platform within academia. Thank you for your support! I would also like to thank all colleagues at CAU (thereafter renamed Department of Work Sciences) for providing a supportive milieu that has been of great importance for my introduction into the academic world. Special thanks to Bernd Hofmaier and Hans van Beinum who have coined much of what I perceive as important in doing organizational research. The second coincidence that has had a major impact on my trip towards this thesis was my encounter with the Fenix research program at Chalmers University of Technology and Stockholm School of Economics. Thanks go to Sven Kylén and the board of Fenix that decided to give me the opportunity to follow the Executive PhD program during the first year of my postgraduate studies. The unique academic milieu that Fenix constitutes and what I have learned together with all "Fenix:ians" will always be a point of reference in my future research work. Thank you all! Of course I direct special gratitude to Flemming Norrgren at Fenix and the Department of Project Management at Chalmers, who has been my advisor and also provided access to graduate studies by taking me on as a PhD student. My meeting, through engagement in the Fenix program, with the Department of Innovation Engineering and Management and with Mats Magnusson and Mats Lundquist was the third coincidence that has been of crucial importance for the conclusion of this thesis. Your support has been invaluable! Further, I would like to thank all colleagues at the Centre for Product Development Research (CPDR) at Halmstad University for making most days stimulating. Special thanks go to Johan Frishammar for being my partner in distress during the last years. We cannot always be content, can we, Johan?! Research is (unfortunately) also about funding. Therefore, I would like to express my gratitude to Sven-Åke Hörte for providing the economic platform that made the finalization of this thesis possible. Thank you!
Small Enterprise Research, 2004
This thesis is a product of a number of coincidences. The coincidence that gave the first directi... more This thesis is a product of a number of coincidences. The coincidence that gave the first direction to it was my meeting with Max Lundberg and Joakim Tell at the former Centre for Working Life Research and Development (CAU) at Halmstad University during the writing of my master thesis. They provided, together with Agneta Hansson and Kjell Eriksson also at CAU, my first platform within academia. Thank you for your support! I would also like to thank all colleagues at CAU (thereafter renamed Department of Work Sciences) for providing a supportive milieu that has been of great importance for my introduction into the academic world. Special thanks to Bernd Hofmaier and Hans van Beinum who have coined much of what I perceive as important in doing organizational research. The second coincidence that has had a major impact on my trip towards this thesis was my encounter with the Fenix research program at Chalmers University of Technology and Stockholm School of Economics. Thanks go to Sven Kylén and the board of Fenix that decided to give me the opportunity to follow the Executive PhD program during the first year of my postgraduate studies. The unique academic milieu that Fenix constitutes and what I have learned together with all "Fenix:ians" will always be a point of reference in my future research work. Thank you all! Of course I direct special gratitude to Flemming Norrgren at Fenix and the Department of Project Management at Chalmers, who has been my advisor and also provided access to graduate studies by taking me on as a PhD student. My meeting, through engagement in the Fenix program, with the Department of Innovation Engineering and Management and with Mats Magnusson and Mats Lundquist was the third coincidence that has been of crucial importance for the conclusion of this thesis. Your support has been invaluable! Further, I would like to thank all colleagues at the Centre for Product Development Research (CPDR) at Halmstad University for making most days stimulating. Special thanks go to Johan Frishammar for being my partner in distress during the last years. We cannot always be content, can we, Johan?! Research is (unfortunately) also about funding. Therefore, I would like to express my gratitude to Sven-Åke Hörte for providing the economic platform that made the finalization of this thesis possible. Thank you!
California Management Review, 2012
Front-end activities largely influence the outcomes of new product development processes, because... more Front-end activities largely influence the outcomes of new product development processes, because it is here that firms create new ideas, give them direction, and set them in motion. We show that the front end can be understood as comprising three core activities: idea/concept development, idea/concept alignment, and idea/concept legitimization, which allow firms to create corroborated product definitions. This article provides important implications for managers interested in front-end management. It devotes specific attention to the differences between incremental and radical front-end development and to the front end in the light of increasingly open innovation processes.
Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management
PurposeThis paper reviews research on the intersection between additive manufacturing technologie... more PurposeThis paper reviews research on the intersection between additive manufacturing technologies (AMTs) and business models (BM). The purpose of the review is to synthesize past research for the benefit of researchers, to describe the dominant research themes and aggregated research questions and to identify research gaps in the literature.Design/methodology/approachA systematic literature review of secondary data was conducted. The 288 publications in the review appeared in peer-reviewed journal articles, conference proceedings papers and book chapters. All publications are listed in this paper by publication year and publication source. The review also distinguishes between empirical and non-empirical studies, describes methodological approaches and categorizes the publications by unit of analysis and by theme.FindingsResearch on the intersection between AMT and BM, which has increased significantly in the last three years, reflects firms' and industries' growing interes...
International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal
The literature on the front end in the New Product Development (NPD) literature is fragmented wit... more The literature on the front end in the New Product Development (NPD) literature is fragmented with respect to the identification and analysis of the factors that are critical to successful product development. The article has a twofold purpose. First, it describes, analyses, and synthesizes those factors through a literature review of the research on the front end in NPD. Second, it conceptualizes a framework that features two types of success factors: foundational success factors (common to all the firm's projects) and project-specific success factors (appropriate for the firm's individual projects). The article makes recommendations for the management of this important phase of product development, discusses limitations of relevant previous research, and offers suggestions for future research. The article makes a theoretical contribution with its analysis and synthesis of the reasons for success in front-end activities and a practical contribution with its conceptual framework that can be used as an analytical tool by firms and their product managers.
Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, 2016
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between HRM practices and entr... more Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between HRM practices and entrepreneurial orientation (EO) in large established firms. More specifically, the purpose is to add to the understanding of the influence of HRM practices on EO. Design/methodology/approach – An e-mail survey was distributed to a sample of Swedish and German manufacturing firms in high-tech and medium high-tech manufacturing industries, and firms in knowledge-intensive services sectors, with more than 250 employees. In total, 810 surveys were distributed, with a response rate of 12.7 per cent. Findings – The results show that an emphasis on entrepreneurial aspects leads to an increased EO only in the case of training and development. A conclusion therefore is that it seems difficult to recruit personnel or to use appraisal and rewards as to create EO on a firm level. Practical implications – The study indicates that firms aiming to increase their EO should make sure to emphasize entreprene...
European J. of International Management, 2014
ABSTRACT This paper introduces the papers included in the thematic issue on Human Resource Manage... more ABSTRACT This paper introduces the papers included in the thematic issue on Human Resource Management (HRM) and firm innovativeness in a European context. Furthermore it presents the results of a literature review on human resource management and firm innovativeness. The literature shows that the positive relationship between HRM and firm innovativeness has been confirmed. However, the explanation for how this relationship works is not equivocal/unified. Empirical studies have investigated the role of strategic HRM, specific HRM systems and HRM practices. For strategic HRM, the empirical support is still limited, while for HRM systems considerable work confirms the positive influence of commitment-based HRM. For HRM practices, in particular training, working in teams, and internal labour flexibility, including job rotation, the literature provides empirical evidence and indications that they are positively related to firm innovativeness.
European J. of International Management, 2014
ABSTRACT The purposes of this special issue were to connect Human Resource Management (HRM) resea... more ABSTRACT The purposes of this special issue were to connect Human Resource Management (HRM) research and innovation research and to contribute towards a better understanding of how HRM can be deployed to support organisations in their innovation efforts. In this commentary, we review the results from the five articles in this special issue in general and offer suggestions for future research from these five contributions. We do this by pinpointing a number of themes, contingencies, measurement challenges and ideas on working with other research areas that might be useful in future research on the relationship between HRM and innovation.
Business model innovation has received substantial attention by both practitioners and researcher... more Business model innovation has received substantial attention by both practitioners and researchers during the last fifteen years. While many companies have good processes and a shared sense of how to innovate technology, they are less capable when it comes to how they should innovate business models. This lack of practical skills is mirrored by th e shortage of scholarly understanding, in which business model innovation as a phenomenon is poorly explained in comparison to e.g. product or process innovations. Although previous research has contributed greatly to the advancements of business model innovation, our conceptual understanding of business model innovation is still rather con fused. Behind this study, lies two related assumptions; (i) not all business model innovations are the same, and, (ii) different types of business model innovation will challenge firms in different ways. To this background, the purpose of this study is to develop a framework that will allow for a conceptual differentia tion between different types of business model innovation. The paper draws on previous studies in the field of technology and innovation management and develops a framework – “The Business Model Innovation Map” – that distinguishes between different types of business model innovation according to their degree of novelty. The framework is illustrate d by several real‐life examples of business model innovation. The paper adds to our understanding of innovation management as it allows for a better understanding of business model innovation as a distinct type of innovation. More specifically, it helps differentiating transformative business model innovations from mere incremental ones, and, as such, it pr esents a novel approach to categorize different types of business model innovation. The framework can serve as a basis for future in‐depth empirical investigations of different types of business model innovation that can help firms to better understand how to manage such innovations.
Research Note : What is the ‘fuzzy front end’, why is it important, and how can it be managed?
Where new product development begins : critical success factors, concepts and controversies in th... more Where new product development begins : critical success factors, concepts and controversies in the fuzzy front end
ABSTRACT Firms in the process industries manipulate materials properties to produce upgraded raw ... more ABSTRACT Firms in the process industries manipulate materials properties to produce upgraded raw materials for applications and products upstream in a supply chain. About 25% of the most research intensive firms in the world belong to the process industries, so proper management of raw materials is a key concern for many firms. This article explores the concept of "raw materials management". By studying the current world leader in powder metallurgy, the Höganäs Corporation, the article describes the external and internal factors impacting how raw materials are managed, and how raw material issues affect different aspects of firm performance. Managerial implications are presented elaborating three key-areas that firms should deal with when developing a strategic approach to raw materials management.
International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 2006
PurposeThe purpose of this article is to describe the basic characteristics and qualities of mana... more PurposeThe purpose of this article is to describe the basic characteristics and qualities of managerial work in small firms.Design/methodology/approachThe article draws on a summary and synthesis of five studies from the “managerial‐work research tradition” that investigates the behaviour of top managers in small firms by means of direct observation. Studies are evaluated by using research on managers' jobs in general, and some needs as well as guidelines for future research on entrepreneurial and managerial work in small firms are suggested.FindingsManagerial work in small firms is described by discussing: how managers divide their time between different activities; managerial interaction and communication, and the elements of managerial work in small firms. Three limitations of existing studies are identified: they are difficult to compare; they adopt a simplistic conception of the constituents of managers' jobs, and more specifically of the relation between the managing a...
This thesis is a product of a number of coincidences. The coincidence that gave the first directi... more This thesis is a product of a number of coincidences. The coincidence that gave the first direction to it was my meeting with Max Lundberg and Joakim Tell at the former Centre for Working Life Research and Development (CAU) at Halmstad University during the writing of my master thesis. They provided, together with Agneta Hansson and Kjell Eriksson also at CAU, my first platform within academia. Thank you for your support! I would also like to thank all colleagues at CAU (thereafter renamed Department of Work Sciences) for providing a supportive milieu that has been of great importance for my introduction into the academic world. Special thanks to Bernd Hofmaier and Hans van Beinum who have coined much of what I perceive as important in doing organizational research. The second coincidence that has had a major impact on my trip towards this thesis was my encounter with the Fenix research program at Chalmers University of Technology and Stockholm School of Economics. Thanks go to Sven Kylén and the board of Fenix that decided to give me the opportunity to follow the Executive PhD program during the first year of my postgraduate studies. The unique academic milieu that Fenix constitutes and what I have learned together with all "Fenix:ians" will always be a point of reference in my future research work. Thank you all! Of course I direct special gratitude to Flemming Norrgren at Fenix and the Department of Project Management at Chalmers, who has been my advisor and also provided access to graduate studies by taking me on as a PhD student. My meeting, through engagement in the Fenix program, with the Department of Innovation Engineering and Management and with Mats Magnusson and Mats Lundquist was the third coincidence that has been of crucial importance for the conclusion of this thesis. Your support has been invaluable! Further, I would like to thank all colleagues at the Centre for Product Development Research (CPDR) at Halmstad University for making most days stimulating. Special thanks go to Johan Frishammar for being my partner in distress during the last years. We cannot always be content, can we, Johan?! Research is (unfortunately) also about funding. Therefore, I would like to express my gratitude to Sven-Åke Hörte for providing the economic platform that made the finalization of this thesis possible. Thank you!
Small Enterprise Research, 2004
This thesis is a product of a number of coincidences. The coincidence that gave the first directi... more This thesis is a product of a number of coincidences. The coincidence that gave the first direction to it was my meeting with Max Lundberg and Joakim Tell at the former Centre for Working Life Research and Development (CAU) at Halmstad University during the writing of my master thesis. They provided, together with Agneta Hansson and Kjell Eriksson also at CAU, my first platform within academia. Thank you for your support! I would also like to thank all colleagues at CAU (thereafter renamed Department of Work Sciences) for providing a supportive milieu that has been of great importance for my introduction into the academic world. Special thanks to Bernd Hofmaier and Hans van Beinum who have coined much of what I perceive as important in doing organizational research. The second coincidence that has had a major impact on my trip towards this thesis was my encounter with the Fenix research program at Chalmers University of Technology and Stockholm School of Economics. Thanks go to Sven Kylén and the board of Fenix that decided to give me the opportunity to follow the Executive PhD program during the first year of my postgraduate studies. The unique academic milieu that Fenix constitutes and what I have learned together with all "Fenix:ians" will always be a point of reference in my future research work. Thank you all! Of course I direct special gratitude to Flemming Norrgren at Fenix and the Department of Project Management at Chalmers, who has been my advisor and also provided access to graduate studies by taking me on as a PhD student. My meeting, through engagement in the Fenix program, with the Department of Innovation Engineering and Management and with Mats Magnusson and Mats Lundquist was the third coincidence that has been of crucial importance for the conclusion of this thesis. Your support has been invaluable! Further, I would like to thank all colleagues at the Centre for Product Development Research (CPDR) at Halmstad University for making most days stimulating. Special thanks go to Johan Frishammar for being my partner in distress during the last years. We cannot always be content, can we, Johan?! Research is (unfortunately) also about funding. Therefore, I would like to express my gratitude to Sven-Åke Hörte for providing the economic platform that made the finalization of this thesis possible. Thank you!
California Management Review, 2012
Front-end activities largely influence the outcomes of new product development processes, because... more Front-end activities largely influence the outcomes of new product development processes, because it is here that firms create new ideas, give them direction, and set them in motion. We show that the front end can be understood as comprising three core activities: idea/concept development, idea/concept alignment, and idea/concept legitimization, which allow firms to create corroborated product definitions. This article provides important implications for managers interested in front-end management. It devotes specific attention to the differences between incremental and radical front-end development and to the front end in the light of increasingly open innovation processes.
Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management
PurposeThis paper reviews research on the intersection between additive manufacturing technologie... more PurposeThis paper reviews research on the intersection between additive manufacturing technologies (AMTs) and business models (BM). The purpose of the review is to synthesize past research for the benefit of researchers, to describe the dominant research themes and aggregated research questions and to identify research gaps in the literature.Design/methodology/approachA systematic literature review of secondary data was conducted. The 288 publications in the review appeared in peer-reviewed journal articles, conference proceedings papers and book chapters. All publications are listed in this paper by publication year and publication source. The review also distinguishes between empirical and non-empirical studies, describes methodological approaches and categorizes the publications by unit of analysis and by theme.FindingsResearch on the intersection between AMT and BM, which has increased significantly in the last three years, reflects firms' and industries' growing interes...
International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal
The literature on the front end in the New Product Development (NPD) literature is fragmented wit... more The literature on the front end in the New Product Development (NPD) literature is fragmented with respect to the identification and analysis of the factors that are critical to successful product development. The article has a twofold purpose. First, it describes, analyses, and synthesizes those factors through a literature review of the research on the front end in NPD. Second, it conceptualizes a framework that features two types of success factors: foundational success factors (common to all the firm's projects) and project-specific success factors (appropriate for the firm's individual projects). The article makes recommendations for the management of this important phase of product development, discusses limitations of relevant previous research, and offers suggestions for future research. The article makes a theoretical contribution with its analysis and synthesis of the reasons for success in front-end activities and a practical contribution with its conceptual framework that can be used as an analytical tool by firms and their product managers.
Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, 2016
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between HRM practices and entr... more Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between HRM practices and entrepreneurial orientation (EO) in large established firms. More specifically, the purpose is to add to the understanding of the influence of HRM practices on EO. Design/methodology/approach – An e-mail survey was distributed to a sample of Swedish and German manufacturing firms in high-tech and medium high-tech manufacturing industries, and firms in knowledge-intensive services sectors, with more than 250 employees. In total, 810 surveys were distributed, with a response rate of 12.7 per cent. Findings – The results show that an emphasis on entrepreneurial aspects leads to an increased EO only in the case of training and development. A conclusion therefore is that it seems difficult to recruit personnel or to use appraisal and rewards as to create EO on a firm level. Practical implications – The study indicates that firms aiming to increase their EO should make sure to emphasize entreprene...
European J. of International Management, 2014
ABSTRACT This paper introduces the papers included in the thematic issue on Human Resource Manage... more ABSTRACT This paper introduces the papers included in the thematic issue on Human Resource Management (HRM) and firm innovativeness in a European context. Furthermore it presents the results of a literature review on human resource management and firm innovativeness. The literature shows that the positive relationship between HRM and firm innovativeness has been confirmed. However, the explanation for how this relationship works is not equivocal/unified. Empirical studies have investigated the role of strategic HRM, specific HRM systems and HRM practices. For strategic HRM, the empirical support is still limited, while for HRM systems considerable work confirms the positive influence of commitment-based HRM. For HRM practices, in particular training, working in teams, and internal labour flexibility, including job rotation, the literature provides empirical evidence and indications that they are positively related to firm innovativeness.
European J. of International Management, 2014
ABSTRACT The purposes of this special issue were to connect Human Resource Management (HRM) resea... more ABSTRACT The purposes of this special issue were to connect Human Resource Management (HRM) research and innovation research and to contribute towards a better understanding of how HRM can be deployed to support organisations in their innovation efforts. In this commentary, we review the results from the five articles in this special issue in general and offer suggestions for future research from these five contributions. We do this by pinpointing a number of themes, contingencies, measurement challenges and ideas on working with other research areas that might be useful in future research on the relationship between HRM and innovation.