Johnny Lindström and Per‐Erik Josephson
The Swedish construction sector has been criticized in media for being corrupted, unproductive and conservative. Several incidents, e.g. cartels, work on the side without paying…
Abstract
The Swedish construction sector has been criticized in media for being corrupted, unproductive and conservative. Several incidents, e.g. cartels, work on the side without paying tax and moisture problems, have had a great deal of attention. Of that reason has the government initiated a number of investigations in order to identify the major problems in the construction industry. Further, they have initiated a development of a tool aimed for (a) to identify risks, (b) to avoid poor quality costs, and (c) to direct towards increased quality and effectiveness in building and civil engineering projects, from a client perspective. The UK Constructing Excellence has often been held up as a model during the devate. However, the Swedish general culture differs from the British, as well as the Swedish system differs from the British. The purpose of this paper is to describe the program for developing the systems, including the purposes with the system, identified starting points and demands and the approach/method for the development.
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Bo Bergman, Bengt Klefsjö and Lars Sörqvist
The aim of this paper is to investigate the development of the quality movement in Sweden since the mid-20th century. The authors are convinced that a summary of the Swedish…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to investigate the development of the quality movement in Sweden since the mid-20th century. The authors are convinced that a summary of the Swedish quality journey so far will offer important lessons for further quality improvements in Sweden and elsewhere.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors study how the quality movement has been included in the industrial agenda and how it has been adopted in student curricula and in research. The authors have a focus on how business leaders have learnt, adopted, adapted and innovated with respect to quality development. often in collaboration with academia.
Findings
Although the quality movement has fit well with the Swedish culture and that successful corporate leaders have successfully used the specific cultural characteristics there is still a lot to be learnt with respect to the public sector, where the ideas from the quality movement have problem to overcome institutional barriers.
Research limitations/implications
The study is limited to the Swedish context.
Practical implications
There is a serious need to revitalize the public sector by getting leaders and politicians to understand the need for systematic quality improvement.
Social implications
If future Swedish achievements with respect to healthcare and other social welfare elements are to once again become world-class, the public sector needs to be open-minded and collaborate with the industrial sector and academia to find cost-effective strategies for making quality improvements. However, the private sector must also be alert not to be overtaken by some highly active Asian countries.
Originality/value
Swedish large companies have been very successful in applying quality leadership – however, in the public sector, this has not been the case. Suggestions for improvement are made.
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Jens Nordfält, Dhruv Grewal, Anne L. Roggeveen and Krista M. Hill
Retailers increasingly experiment with a wide variety of store elements; this chapter focuses on in-store marketing tactics and reports the results of 12 in-store experiments…
Abstract
Retailers increasingly experiment with a wide variety of store elements; this chapter focuses on in-store marketing tactics and reports the results of 12 in-store experiments conducted in cooperation with different retail chains. Experiments 1–3 address in-store signage (digital, floor) and reveal that digital screens and signage can draw customers toward merchandise and deeper into shopping aisles. Experiments 4–6 explore the impact of the organization of a display (vertical, horizontal, diagonal, waterfall) and generally demonstrate the superiority of vertical organizations of merchandise. In Experiments 7–9, results pertaining to the location of a product in a store highlight the importance of placing merchandise at eye level. With Experiments 10 and 11, the authors reinforce the importance of retail atmospherics (scent, lighting). Finally, Experiment 12 explores product placement and other factors that can enhance the effectiveness of in-store merchandise demonstrations.