The difficulties of strategizing with GVC´s during COVID-19 - Evidence from SME´s in the Danish shipping and retailing industry.: The difficulties of strategizing with GVC´s during COVID-19 - Evidence from SME´s in the Danish shipping and retailing industry.
Translated title
: Udfordringerne ved at udgøre strategier med globale værdikæder under COVID-19 - Evidence fra SME´s i den danske distribution og detailhandelindustri.
Author
Bjerregaard, Asger Sloth
Term
4. Term
Publication year
2021
Submitted on
2021-06-02
Pages
97
Abstract
This thesis examines how COVID-19 affected global value chains—international networks that move goods and services from production to customers—and how multinational enterprises that rely on them can address the resulting challenges. It first conducts a literature review to build a theoretical foundation, taking a macroeconomic perspective. It then presents a micro-level empirical study of Danish small and medium-sized multinational enterprises in the shipping and retail sectors, based on a primary interview with the Danish freight forwarder Coolrunner and supported by secondary sources. The aim is to identify useful strategic opportunities for Danish SMEs in these two sectors and to consider whether these opportunities may also be relevant in other industries and country contexts. The study points to five value-creating strategic opportunities during COVID-19: (1) define or redefine the business model to integrate e-commerce; (2) balance global value chain resilience with profitability; (3) outsource activities that do not generate profit; (4) distribute leadership and decision-making; and (5) increase organizational flexibility.
Specialet undersøger, hvordan COVID-19 har påvirket globale værdikæder—internationale netværk, der flytter varer og tjenester fra produktion til kunder—og hvordan multinationale virksomheder, der er afhængige af dem, kan håndtere de udfordringer, pandemien skabte. Først gennemføres et litteraturstudie for at opbygge et teoretisk fundament med et makroøkonomisk perspektiv. Derefter følger en mikroøkonomisk, empirisk undersøgelse af danske små og mellemstore multinationale virksomheder i shipping- og detailhandelssektoren, baseret på et primært interview med den danske speditør Coolrunner og suppleret af sekundære kilder. Formålet er at pege på relevante strategiske muligheder for danske SMV’er i de to sektorer og overveje, om disse muligheder også kan være relevante i andre brancher og lande. Undersøgelsen peger på fem værdiskabende strategiske muligheder under COVID-19: (1) definere eller redefinere forretningsmodellen for at integrere e-handel; (2) balancere robusthed (resiliens) i globale værdikæder med lønsomhed; (3) outsource aktiviteter, der ikke skaber profit; (4) distribuere ledelse og beslutningstagning; og (5) øge organisatorisk fleksibilitet.
[This apstract has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]