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The purpose of this paper is to examine suppliers' adaptation to a major buyer, and to contribute to the findings of past research.

The research is based on a survey conducted among the suppliers to a major manufacturing firm as well as personal interviews with key personnel in the buying firm.

It is found that the suppliers make major internal adaptations, and that the adaptations are beneficial for the suppliers.

The research adds to present insights by demonstrating that adaptations are purposeful and interrelated, and demonstrates that autonomous adaptations, as suggested in past research, may be inadequate to explain the dynamics of buyer‐supplier relationships.

The purpose of the work is to investigate the feasibility of using anisotropically conductive adhesives to join surface‐mount devices as solder replacement. The results from a literature and market survey are reported. Based on industrial demands, two anisotropically conductive adhesives were chosen for the experimental work. During the experimental work, the conductive adhesive joints were produced at various curing conditions. The joints were characterised by shear testing and electrical resistance measurement after ageing at 20, 70 and 120°C to 1000 hours. Optical and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterise the adhesive joints. In addition to this, temperature cycling tests, humidity test and pull tensile tests were used to qualify the adhesive joint reliability and quality. From the results of the present work, it can be concluded that the anisotropically conductive adhesive A joints are stable in the 85°C/85% RH environment and therefore have better corrosion resistance than adhesive B joints. Neither of the adhesives can pass temperature cycling from −55 to 125°C for 1000 cycles according to military standard 883C.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the issue of transparency in policy‐making processes.

Development and application of conceptual framework for policy studies.

Complementarity of Habermas's theory of communicative action and Beer's Viable System Model. Relevance of the ideas of requisite organisation in policy‐making and of “orthogonality” in social communications.

Transparency of policy processes is more than making information available to stakeholders; it is enabling the development of an effective organisational system for the policy of concern.

This paper relates Beer's organizational cybernetics and Habermas' political philosophy and produces an original model of transparency in policy‐making.

A longitudinal study of the international behaviour of Swedish suppliers is presented. Three different types of supplier are identified: simple suppliers, advanced suppliers, and own product suppliers. Factors influencing the internationalisation of these suppliers are discussed. It is concluded that the firms’ offer and the customers’ buying strategies influence the firms’ international behaviour. However, these factors do not determine the international strategies completely. Various entrepreneurs will choose various strategies. Three different types of entrepreneurs are identified: the marketing, technical, and structural entrepreneurs. The type of entrepreneur influences the firms’ international strategies in different directions.

Cloon Keen Atelier develops candle and skin care products. The challenge for this small operator is to develop a strategy, which reinforces its chosen position as it develops new products and expands into other markets. Cloon Keen is known for its premium scented candles, but it is seeking to expand into the personal care market by creating their own line of skin care products and complementary accessories. Cloon Keen believes their handcrafted candles could provide a platform for developing a lifestyle brand. This paper aims to address these issues.

In‐depth interviews and secondary sources are used to collate the information from which the case study is developed.

Achieving the status of a lifestyle brand means the products embody the values and aspirations of particular group(s) or culture; it speaks powerfully to the core identity of its consumers. Typically, lifestyle brands are accompanied by a powerful promotional campaign to communicate the lifestyle brand values to audiences. To date, Cloon Keen's promotional efforts have been limited. The question is whether it can develop sufficient market presence to one day make the claim of being a lifestyle brand. The challenge for Cloon Keen is to find the optimum market position that provides a strategic advantage in a climate of robust competition.

The case study provides the opportunity to examine how an small‐ to medium‐sized enterprises may build its brand presence within a highly competitive market.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how buyers and sellers in cross-cultural business relationships manage cultural differences to ensure functional, successful business relationships. Failure to consider specific cultural issues may lead to the failure of business ventures crossing national borders. To succeed in today’s global business market, it is critically important to understand and manage cultural differences. Adapting to each other’s cultures is one way of managing cultural differences between business actors.

A qualitative, explorative approach examining both sides of the exchange dyad was adopted to obtain insight into adaptation as perceived by both buyer and seller.

The results of this study indicate that mainly Norwegian sellers adapt to the Russian culture and way of conducting business. This is explained by power asymmetry between partners, as well as cultural barriers and lack of cultural sensitivity from the Norwegian partners. Still, the business relationships function well.

Knowledge of and applying strategies for managing cultural differences should be helpful for business managers engaged or planning to engage in business ventures with Russia and Norway – especially those doing so for the first time.

The study provides new and important information about West-East business relationships and how to manage cultural differences in cross-cultural business relationships. The study shows that business relationships can function well in spite of the absence of some factors previously found to have detrimental effects on these relationships. In addition, the study investigates both sides of the buyer-seller dyad, which is a limitation in previous studies of adaptation.

Aim of the present monograph is the economic analysis of the role of MNEs regarding globalisation and digital economy and in parallel there is a reference and examination of some legal aspects concerning MNEs, cyberspace and e‐commerce as the means of expression of the digital economy. The whole effort of the author is focused on the examination of various aspects of MNEs and their impact upon globalisation and vice versa and how and if we are moving towards a global digital economy.

The purpose of this paper is to identify and gain a deeper understanding of environmental, organizational, and group conditions, and leadership-related issues in particular, in severely stressful situations involving a moral stressor faced by military and police officers.

A combined deductive and inductive approach was used, and in total 23 military and police officers, all having experience of morally difficult decisions during severely stressful conditions, were interviewed.

A hierarchical conceptual framework of contextual characteristics was developed. The environmental, organizational, leadership-related, and group aspects identified in this study on morally stressful situations resemble findings from general research on work and stress. However, a stronger emphasis was put on leaders’ handling of values and his or her ability to confront senior management when needed.

The results suggest that well-documented methods aimed at the prevention of, and recovery from, work-related stress, also can be used in the case of extreme situations involving moral stressors.

The interplay between leadership and extreme situations involving moral stressors is, to the best of the knowledge, understudied.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the impact of relational norms on project success in different project governance contexts.

A worldwide web-based questionnaire yielded 200 responses. Results from regression analyses supported the hypothesis that relational norms impact project success. Hierarchical regression analyses showed the moderating effect of governance and control on the relationship between relational norms and project success.

Relational norms in the buyer-supplier relationship are positively associated with project success. This relationship is moderated by the strictness of project governance, especially the level of flexibility left to the project manager. Lower levels of managerial flexibility are detrimental to project success in cases of weak relational norms and supportive of project success in cases of high relational norms.

Academic implications stem from the indication that control has a low influence on the relationship between relational norms and project success, but that the level of managerial flexibility ultimately influences the choice of relational norms needed for a project to be successful.

Clear organizational structures and methodologies are supportive of project success in cases of good relational norms. Therefore, project management training should focus on the relationship building capabilities of project managers, to leverage investments in existing methods and organizational structures.

The paper extends the insights of the importance of soft aspects in managing projects across organizational borders and different governance structures.