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This article has been withdrawn as it was published elsewhere and accidentally duplicated. The original article can be seen here: 10.1108/eb014424. When citing the article, please cite: Göran Persson, (1978), “Organisation Design Strategies for Business Logistics”, International Journal of Physical Distribution & Materials Management, Vol. 8 Iss: 6, pp. 287 - 297.

During the 60's and 70's the Business Logistics—or, as it is now often referred to in Scandinavia, the Materials Administration—philosophy has become a well established and accepted management philosophy, based on a systems theory approach and emphasising a total materials flow concept. In literature as well as in practice however one encounters some major conceptual problems. One of the most significant areas in this context concerns the organisational aspects of the concept. Here proposals and assertions have covered a wide spectrum. Hence it has often been claimed that a logistics manager in a line position, based upon an organisational design involving a logistics department, is a requirement for the realisation of the philosophy. Just as firm, however, is the claim that a total approach to logistics only can be achieved within a matrix organisation framework. However, applications of the above‐mentioned organisational strategies often have negative logistics consequences. For example it is easy to find organisations where the introduction of a “logistics manager” concept has resulted in conflicts hindering the possibilities for a realisation of the logistics potentials for many years ahead.

During the 1960s and 1970s, Business Logistics (BL), or as it is now often referred to in Scandinavia, Materials Administration (MA), has become a well established and widely accepted management philosophy, based on a systems theory approach and emphasising a total materials flow concept.

Logistics management has always been concerned with lead‐times. In particular, the order‐to‐delivery cycle has been seen as a major element in the customer service process. However, companies are now increasingly coming to recognise that the way in which ‘time’ is managed throughout the logistics system ‐ from procurement of materials through to the receipt of payment for goods sold ‐ is a key determinant of competitive advantage. Not only is work‐in‐progress and inventory reduced through a shortening of total logistics lead‐time, but responsiveness and flexibility to market place requirements is dramatically enhanced.

During the 80's many companies made major changes in their logistics system. They redesigned their logistics processes and very often achieved significant performance and productivity improvements. Based on some of these experiences, the author of this article is suggesting a general framework for logistics process redesign, introducing a set of concepts and a set of related strategies for redesigning any logistics process.

All sorts of distinctions can be made concerning prestige goods: for instance, between the most durable like precious stones passed down from generation to generation and the ephemeral ones, or between those which seem to exert a universal fascination, like gold and others valued only in some places. The question of borrowings and possible syncretism is also most appealing for the comparatist and countless illustrations could be given here. In many cases, prestigious goods must be studied by taking both their symbolic and practical value into consideration. What I mean is that a ‘Veblenesque’ approach only paying attention to them as status symbols tends to underestimate their functional dimension. For example, limousines or jets must certainly be analyzed in terms of attributes of power and status enhancement. However, one cannot deny that they also have concrete functions of ‘comfortableness’ and rapidity for ubiquitous elites bound to do extensive traveling. Normally, in modern democracies, top political actors inherit or acquire all kinds of prestigious public assets, but these must be returned at the end of their mandate. Even presents officially given to them are supposed to be surrendered to a public museum. The famous affair of Emperor Bokassa's diamonds offered to Valéry Giscard d’Estaing no doubt discredited the French President and contributed to his defeat in the 1981 elections.

A major assumption in the supply chain management literature is that there is an economic rationale to the integration of processes across firm boundaries. In essence, it is assumed that there is a benefit in adapting and coordinating the activities carried out in sequence by the actors in the supply chain. The purpose of this paper is to further develop and evaluate this fundamental assumption. Based on a theoretical framework regarding interdependencies and the analysis of five different supply chains, it is proposed that there are theoretical as well as empirical reasons for enhancing the underlying logic of process integration in supply chain management to capture pooled and reciprocal interdependencies. It is argued, that by enhancing the logic, one might better understand how managers prioritize their firms' strategic actions and therefore also actual organizational behavior.

Identifies and discusses three different approaches to the organization of the logistics function in a firm. Develops a model to explain the basic design strategies for logistics co‐ordination. Recommends that further research in the area should be undertaken.

The new economic-policy regime in Sweden in the 1990s included deregulation, central-bank independence, inflation targets and fiscal rules but also active labour market policy and voluntary incomes policy. This chapter describes the content, determinants and performance of the new economic policy in Sweden in a comparative, mainly Nordic, perspective. The new economic-policy regime is explained by the deep recession and budget crisis in the early 1990s, new economic ideas and the power of economic experts. In the 1998–2007 period, Sweden displayed relatively low inflation and high productivity growth, but unemployment was high, especially by national standards. The restrictive monetary policy was responsible for the low inflation, and the dynamic (ICT) sector was decisive for the productivity miracle. Furthermore, productivity increases in the ICT sector largely explains why the Central Bank undershot its inflation target in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The new economic-policy regime in Sweden performed well during the global financial crisis. However, as in other OECD countries, the moderate increase in unemployment was largely attributed to labour hoarding. And the rapid recovery of the Baltic countries made it possible for Sweden to avoid a bank crisis.