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Contemporary corporate branding embraces the principles of conscientious brand management, which highlight the engagement of multiple stakeholders in the co-creation of a corporate brand with a transformative purpose. The chapter explores how conscientious corporate brands can be co-created inside-out through values-driven branding. The chapter provides insights about the opportunities and challenges related to establishing a conscientious organization and to implementing values-driven branding. The chapter explains how organizations can commit to internal branding with a conscience and build a conscientious corporate brand inside-out. The chapter introduces a novel categorization of corporate brands based on a conscience, which includes (1) a spiritual corporate brand, (2) a hypocritical corporate brand, (3) a toxic corporate brand, and (4) a destructive corporate brand. The chapter provides an illustrative practical case demonstrating how an organization can make a long-term commitment to building continuously its conscientious brand inside-out by engaging, inspiring, and empowering employees. The chapter calls for the increased efforts by practitioners and researchers that are needed for building conscientious corporate brands, which have the potential to increase the common good and to contribute to a sustainable future.

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of individual and organizational resilience on perceptions of employees about the performance of self-service technologies (SSTs) and determinants of employee-based brand equity in a retailing context. The data was collected by distributing an online survey among employees of grocery stores and chains in Sweden, who were members of a panel of one large marketing research organization. The data was analyzed by using structural equation modeling. The findings advance research on internal branding by demonstrating the relevance of considering individual and organizational resilience, as well as perceptions of employees about technological innovations, such as SSTs, in the development and implementation of internal branding strategies. The study contributes to research and managerial practice by adopting an employee perspective and examining the impact of employees’ perceptions about technological innovations and resilience, which are found to be critical for enhancing employee-based brand equity.

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of internal branding and self-service technologies on work meaningfulness and internal brand commitment in the context of omni-channel retailing. The findings confirm significant positive effects between the factors of internal brand citizenship.The study demonstrates significant effects of employees’ perceptions about self-service technologies and customers on work meaningfulness and internal brand commitment. The study advances the current state of knowledge on internal branding and retailing by investigating the effects of technological innovations on internal brand citizenship. The study contributes to managerial practice by providing practical recommendations on how companies can effectively use self-service technologies to enhance employees’ work meaningfulness and internal brand commitment, as well as to increase the value of the corporate brand and employer attractiveness.

The majority of studies on internal brand equity examine its various dimensions and relationships between them. While prior research specifies organizational practices relevant for successful internal branding, the insights about the impact of essential organizational factors on internal brand equity are still limited. This study focuses on organizational resilience that is vital for the existence of organizations not only during a crisis, but also during everyday operations. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of organizational resilience on internal brand equity considering the effects triggered by self-service technology (SST) in retailing. Since retailing had been significantly transformed by technological innovations over the past decade, we explore the effects of employees’ perceptions about performance of SST. The results of a survey conducted among retail employees in Sweden demonstrate that organizational resilience and employees’ perceptions about technological innovations are critical for enhancing internal brand equity, which includes brand orientation, internal brand knowledge, internal brand involvement, and internal brand commitment.

Despite their recognized significance for project success and innovation, the management of the early project phases is still an under-researched area in project management. For organizations to secure a continuous stream of innovation, the utilization of capabilities is crucial for managing the early phases of R&D projects.

The purpose of this dissertation is to advance the understanding of the management of the early project phases in hypercompetitive environments. The thesis addresses the research question of how organizations manage the early project phases of R&D in hypercompetitive environments for frequent innovation by taking a dynamic capabilities perspective.

The first conceptual study reviews the literature covering organizational change in hypercompetitive environments with a focus on projects as the vehicle to create the necessary flexibility. The study found that organizational aspects and capabilities have to go hand in hand as enabler and facilitator for a successful emergent change process.

The second qualitative study investigates how organizations organize the early project phases of R&D in the pharmaceutical industry for an outcome of frequent innovation. The findings show that an optimization of combinative capabilities that balances dynamic, project and multi-project capabilities can be used as a powerful leverage to boost the outcome of frequent innovation.

The third study investigates the philosophical stances and related methodologies used within the last 15 years of project management research at the example of IRNOP conferences. The findings show that ontological subjectivism and epistemological interpretivism are dominating. Moreover, case studies and qualitative methods were the most common methods, whereas mixed method studies were lacking despite their value for developing an increasingly complex research field.

The final mixed method study explores how absorptive, innovative and adaptive capabilities within the early phases of pharmaceutical R&D affect project and portfolio performance. Based on the results of quantitative study, the set of capabilities has an overall effect on the set of performance outcomes and thus confirms the results of the qualitative study that a distinct capability mix is needed in the pharmaceutical R&D process.

To conclude, the dissertation has comprehensively explored the management of the early project phases through four studies and by applying a multitude of methodologies.

This licentiate thesis contributes to the understanding of the early project phases and dynamic capabilities as key elements for frequent product innovation in the hypercompetitive pharmaceutical industry.

The main purpose of the licentiate thesis is to investigate how organizations organize the early project phases of R&D in hypercompetitive environments for frequent innovation by utilizing a dynamic capabilities perspective.

The licentiate thesis consists of two papers which explore the main purpose. The first paper is a conceptual paper reviewing the relevant literature in the chosen context, but also to highlight the important factors to consider for organizational change in hypercompetitive industries. The second paper investigates R&D projects in the hypercompetitive pharmaceutical industry. The pre-project activities and early project phases at the core of interest for facilitating frequent innovation due to their dynamics.

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Abstract Paper #1

Hypercompetitive, that is, dynamic and unpredictable environments require flexible, innovative and creative organizations, which can easily adapt quickly to the changing rules of the competitive arena. Organizations therefore continuously need to change. The management of organizational change in such a merciless environment is together key and restraint. This paper reviews literature covering organisational change in hypercompetitive environments with a focus on projects as the vehicle to create the necessary flexibility. The challenge is thus to combine the need for long term sustainability with continuous flexibility in terms of how organizational and technological change efforts are designed and carried out. Organizations are well advised to develop a high degree of dynamic capabilities, which are at the core of meeting the tensions of the capability and structural challenge. The authors suggest that organizational aspects and capabilities have to go hand in hand as enabler and at the same time facilitator for a successful emergent change process in hypercompetitive industries.

Keywords: Hypercompetition, organizational change, organizational design, organizational structure, change capabilities

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Abstract Paper #2

To be successful in today’s hypercompetitive marketplace a continuous flow of innovation is crucial. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how organizations organize the early project phases of R&D in the pharmaceutical industry for an outcome of frequent innovation. The author applies the dynamic capabilities concept as a starting point to explore the capabilities needed to master the crucial activities of research and development (R&D) projects as pathfinder for frequent innovation. The study is designed as qualitative multiple case study employing a template analysis for data interpretation. The investigation of the early project phases is pursued along four themes: (1) the role of business intelligence, (2) facilitating actions and innovation triggers, (3) transition phase between drug discovery and drug development, (4) resource re-allocation in the R&D pipeline. The analysis identified a standardized projectification of the pre-project phases, which leads to certain conflicts. This study shows a severe tension between the conflicting and interrelated dynamic, project and multi-project capabilities that hampers the frequent outcome of innovation in the pharmaceutical R&D. For this reason an optimization of combinative capabilities that balance the capabilities triumvirate can be seen as powerful leverage to boost the outcome of frequent innovation.

Keywords: Combinative capabilities, dynamic capabilities, project capabilities, multi-project capabilities, innovation, pharmaceutical R&D

The purpose of this article is to investigate how organizations organize the early phases of research and development (R&D) projects in the pharmaceutical industry to achieve frequent innovation. The investigation was designed as a qualitative multiple case study. The analysis identified a standardized projectification of the preproject phases, leading to certain conflicts, such as a severe tension between dynamic, project, and multiproject capabilities, which hamper frequent innovation. Optimizing combinative capabilities to balance the capabilities triumvirate can provide powerful leverage and boost frequent innovation.

The purpose of this article is to explore the roles and potential benefits of axiology and value theory in project research. This is done through (1) an exploration of the essentials of axiology and value theory; (2) a review focused on how values have been used in project research; and (3) a reflection based on the historical–logical development of—and paradigmatic influences on—projects and their management. It is concluded that project research would benefit from a more encompassing philosophical treatment of axiology beyond merely acknowledging values as a thematic concept or as part of a project management methodology.

In this paper, we examine the role of firms' absorptive capacity in industry-university collaboration and, in particular, whether absorptive capacity moderates the effects of university collaboration on firms' innovativeness. Having defined absorptive capacity as the recognition, assimilation and application of valuable external knowledge for commercial purposes, we formulated three hypotheses pertaining to firm innovativeness and tested them in an original survey comprising a representative multi-industry sample of 1,532 Swedish firms. The results suggest that benefiting from university cooperation is conditional upon the firm's level of absorptive capacity. At low levels of absorptive capacity, engaging with universities does not translate into any noticeable increase in innovative output. In contrast, medium to high levels of absorptive capacity is where a firm benefit most from collaborating with a university. We also show that these effects are more pronounced for firms operating in sectors characterised by lower levels of technology and knowledge intensity.

The purpose of this paper is to explore how absorptive, innovative and adaptive capabilities within the early project phases affect project and portfolio performance within the R&D of pharmaceutical and biotechnology organizations. The study follows a sequential mixed method with an initial qualitative study and a subsequent quantitative study. The results show that the set of absorptive, innovative and adaptive capabilities has an overall effect on the set of performance outcomes composed of short- and long-term project success and portfolio performance. This result confirms the findings of the qualitative study that a distinct capability mix is needed in the pharmaceutical R&D process. Within the set of capabilities, absorptive and adaptive capabilities are the primary contributors to the performance outcome, whereas innovative capabilities are a minor contributor.

This study explores how absorptive, innovative and adaptive capabilities within early project phases affect project and portfolio performances in pharmaceutical and biotechnology R&D organizations. A sequential qualitative–quantitative mixed method was used with 18 interviews and 80 responses to an online survey. The results show effects of absorptive, innovative and adaptive capabilities on short- and long-term project performance and portfolio performance. Absorptive and adaptive capabilities are the primary contributors to the performance outcome, whereas innovative capabilities are a minor contributor. Managerial and theoretical implications are discussed.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the philosophical stances and relatedmethodologies used within the last 15 years of project management research using The InternationalResearch Network on Organizing by Projects (IRNOP) conference papers.Design/methodology/approach – Utilizing a systematic sampling approach, IRNOP conferencepapers from 1994, 2000 and 2007 were analyzed for prevalent philosophical streams in projectmanagement research.Findings – Results show a dominance of ontological subjectivism and epistemologicalinterpretivism, with a preference for case studies and qualitative methods. Trends indicate agrowth of positivist studies and, at the same time, an increase in multi-case studies.Research limitations/implications – This paper’s contribution to knowledge lies in theidentification of predominant research paradigms for research reported at project managementconferences using IRNOP as an example. The study shows trends, preferences, and potential differencesbetween published research and conference papers.Originality/value – Information on the quality, quantity and timely trends of underlyingphilosophies in project management research are lacking an insightful exploration of the projectmanagement research field. This is necessary for a better understanding of the past, present andpossible future of research paradigms in project management. The paper’s findings can be used toimprove the interpretation of the state of knowledge in project management research.

Hypercompetitive, that is, dynamic and unpredictable environments require flexible, innovative and creative organizations, which can easily adapt quickly to the changing rules of the competitive arena. Organizations, therefore, continuously need to change. The management of organizational change in such a merciless environment is together key and restraint. This paper reviews literature covering organizational change in hypercompetitive environments with a focus on projects as the vehicle to create the necessary flexibility. The challenge is thus to combine the need for long-term sustainability with continuous flexibility in terms of how organizational and technological change efforts are designed and carried out. Organizations are well advised to develop a high degree of dynamic capabilities, which are the core of meeting the tensions of the capability and structural challenge. The authors suggest that organizational aspects and capabilities have to go hand in hand as enabler and at the same time facilitator for a successful emergent change process in hypercompetitive industries.

For construction firms to prosper, digital ambidexterity in terms of the organisational capability to both exploit existing digital technologies and explore new ones is found critical. In this regard, research suggests that construction firms must have the ability to employ various mechanisms to achieve digital ambidexterity. However, there is a limited understanding of whether mechanisms and not just their elements can be combined to achieve digital ambidexterity. Therefore, this paper explores this gap with the purpose of investigating how various digital ambidexterity mechanisms coexist and are integrated. Using a qualitative research methodology, this study draws on insights from 36 semi-structured interviews conducted in two large construction projects, complemented by five days of on-site observations and secondary data. The material is analyzed using a systematic grounded theory-inspired approach. In the results, the two cases are juxtaposed, and the unfoldment of the mechanism is outlined over time. It is observed how the main contractor's exploitation efforts in utilizing digital technologies can lead to an exploration effort for subcontractors, which challenges the common assumptions about ambidexterity where exploration is succeeded by exploitation. Additionally, it is shown that the combination of digital ambidexterity mechanisms could vary from parallel existence to integration, with the potential for synergy. In conclusion, this research highlights the multifaceted nature of digital ambidexterity in construction projects and broadens the understanding of how digital ambidexterity unfolds in an inter-organisational setting. Through that, the finding provides construction project actors with valuable insights for improved digital strategy formulation.

It is often emphasised that construction firms need to improve their ability to draw benefits from new digital technologies. Simultaneously, with generally tight deadlines, resource constraints, and low margins, construction firms must make the most of their existing digital technologies. This tension between exploring the new and exploiting the existing is in organisation theory captured by the concept of “ambidexterity”. Studying the ambidextrous tension of digital technologies implies delving into what can be referred to as “digital ambidexterity”, which seems to be a pervasive challenge for construction firms as they operate in an inter-organisational project-based setting where digital technologies often must serve as a bridge between different actors. As is well-established, staying competitive and innovative is crucial in today’s dynamic work environment. By taking the starting point in studies on organisational ambidexterity, and with the purpose of improving the understanding of how to tackle the challenges of digitalisation in construction, we explore what digital ambidexterity is, why it is challenging, and how it could be enabled.  The paper follows a so-called “theory adaptation research design” in that we apply an organisational ambidexterity perspective as a “method theory” to a “domain theory” in terms of the construction digitalisation literature. As the paper is a first step towards a complete integrative review, the research design is further enriched by a structured literature review following a narrative review approach. Consequently, this research sheds light on innovative strategies for construction firms to succeed in the digital age while maintaining operational efficiency.

Much of the research on digitalisation in construction has been devoted to understanding the challenges and potentials of new digital technologies on an industry or firm level. Less attention has been devoted to the underlying micro-foundations needed to successfully exploit existing and explore new digital technologies, so-called digital ambidexterity. More specifically, the practices and actions of individual project practitioners and their roles in enabling digital ambidexterity needs further attention. Therefore, this article aims to increase the understanding of practitioners’ roles in enabling digital ambidexterity. Empirically, the study is based on 15 semi- structured interviews, 5 days of on-site observations, and other secondary data. The study identifies three key practitioner roles: orchestrators, ambassadors, and brokers. Also, a process model is developed that connects these practitioners and their practices and explains how digital ambidexterity is enabled. Thereby, the paper offers new insights into the micro-foundations of enabling digital ambidexterity in construction firms.