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I’m an Associate Professor in Innovation Sciences, with a focus on Innovation Management, at Halmstad University and currently working with several research projects addressing sustainable business model innovation. One of my most interesting project address the transformation phase from conventional to digital manufacturing, building new digital production line with advanced additive manufacturing. We have only scratched the surface of the 4th industrial revolution – anything is possible! Previously I have been Head of business department and Dean for the school of Business, Engineering and Science at Halmstad University. We accomplice many things during these years, but if I would mention one thing, it would be FabLab Halmstad (Fabrication Laboratory), a great place to develop almost anything. A totally different project which I´m very passionate about involves new business models with diversity as a competitive advantage. Here we are match-making refugees and CEOs in the agricultural sector in south-western Sweden. Many of the CEOs we are meeting are truly social entrepreneurs, combining business possibilities and sustainable development. I’m passionate about my work and always eager to connect with other people interested in starting new projects or just evaluating new ideas or possibilities, so feel free to contact me if you’d like to connect. I can be contacted directly at [email protected]
Following the recent mass migration of refugees to the European Union in 2015 and 2016, many EU countries took significant steps aimed at improving the socio-economic integration of the refugees. This study examines refugee entrepreneurship in rural areas in Sweden as evidenced in the agri-food industry. Entrepreneurship is often considered a sustainable activity that can promote refugees' economic independence and social integration. The rural setting offers promising employment opportunities for refugees with agricultural backgrounds or interest. Qualitative research methodology, based on 25 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with refugees, is used to examine refugee entrepreneurs’ experiences in the various phases of the entrepreneurial process, from start-up and growth to success/exit. The study found that refugee entrepreneurs are motivated and challenged variously as they start and operate their entrepreneurial activities. For example, they are motivated by the discovery of niche markets, previous entrepreneurial experience, and the availability of family and government support. Challenges include legislative hurdles, management and technical problems, and insufficient financial and other support. Factors both within and outside their control influence the survival of their entrepreneurship.
Henrik Barth; Ghazal Zalkat. Refugee entrepreneurship in the agri-food industry: The Swedish experience. Journal of Rural Studies 2021, 86, 189 -197.
AMA StyleHenrik Barth, Ghazal Zalkat. Refugee entrepreneurship in the agri-food industry: The Swedish experience. Journal of Rural Studies. 2021; 86 ():189-197.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHenrik Barth; Ghazal Zalkat. 2021. "Refugee entrepreneurship in the agri-food industry: The Swedish experience." Journal of Rural Studies 86, no. : 189-197.
This study explores the co-creation part in the early stage of need analysis and the formation of work towards formal HRM practices in the forest industry. While SMEs are shown to be of great importance for the development in society they often suffer from Liability of Smallness (LoS) especially in the area of HRM. In smaller firms, HRM practices are characterized by ad hoc and idiosyncratic solutions and less formality. In this paper, we show how co-creation can be used to develop HR practices in an SME. The overall methodological approach in this study is action-oriented research. The empirical data is collected with a mixed-method approach including documents, interviews, focus groups, observations, pulse meetings and feedback on the process and results. The co-creation process benefits from using co-creation activities to drive the process forward as well as consolidate the results during the process. Dialog, access, risk, transparency, and openness have been valuable in this process.
Pia Ulvenblad; Henrik Barth. Liability of smallness in SMEs – Using co-creation as a method for the ‘fuzzy front end’ of HRM practices in the forest industry. Scandinavian Journal of Management 2021, 37, 101159 .
AMA StylePia Ulvenblad, Henrik Barth. Liability of smallness in SMEs – Using co-creation as a method for the ‘fuzzy front end’ of HRM practices in the forest industry. Scandinavian Journal of Management. 2021; 37 (3):101159.
Chicago/Turabian StylePia Ulvenblad; Henrik Barth. 2021. "Liability of smallness in SMEs – Using co-creation as a method for the ‘fuzzy front end’ of HRM practices in the forest industry." Scandinavian Journal of Management 37, no. 3: 101159.
The global challenges of today are many, and one of the most concerning aspects relates to food production for an increasing global population. The sustainability of doing ‘more of the same thing’ is being increasingly called into question. Several sustainable business model frameworks have been presented in recent years to address these challenges, but our knowledge is limited about the change processes of the agricultural sector. This paper aims to increase our understanding of how sustainable business models have developed in the agricultural sector in Sweden. It maps eight archetypes of sustainable business models, clustered in three groups, with a focus on the technological, social, and organisational innovation components at agri-food companies. The study takes a quantitative, methodological approach, conducting a telephone survey with owners and managers of 1143 agri-food companies in Sweden, and using analysis of variance (ANOVA) for the analysis. The paper provides empirical evidence on the various options for sustainable business models that Swedish agri-food companies use. No major differences were found with respect to technical or social innovation components in the three regions: East, south, and north Sweden. However, significant differences were found between the regions with respect to the organisational innovation component. The organisational innovation component is based on two sustainable business model archetypes, namely, repurpose for society/environment and develop scale up solutions. North Sweden had a higher degree of organisational innovation than both south and east Sweden. The reason for this could be the larger environmental, economic, and organizational challenges in north Sweden compared to the rest of the country, which makes the need for innovation stronger. The paper also suggests new areas for researchers and practical avenues for stakeholders in the agricultural sector (and other industries) to translate social and environmental value creation into economic profit and competitive advantage. To our knowledge, this is the first study to use sustainable business model archetypes in an empirical setting in the agricultural sector.
Henrik Barth; Pia Ulvenblad; Per-Ola Ulvenblad; Maya Hoveskog. Unpacking sustainable business models in the Swedish agricultural sector– the challenges of technological, social and organisational innovation. Journal of Cleaner Production 2021, 304, 127004 .
AMA StyleHenrik Barth, Pia Ulvenblad, Per-Ola Ulvenblad, Maya Hoveskog. Unpacking sustainable business models in the Swedish agricultural sector– the challenges of technological, social and organisational innovation. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2021; 304 ():127004.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHenrik Barth; Pia Ulvenblad; Per-Ola Ulvenblad; Maya Hoveskog. 2021. "Unpacking sustainable business models in the Swedish agricultural sector– the challenges of technological, social and organisational innovation." Journal of Cleaner Production 304, no. : 127004.
PurposeThis paper reviews research on the intersection between additive manufacturing technologies (AMTs) and business models (BM). The purpose of the review is to synthesize past research for the benefit of researchers, to describe the dominant research themes and aggregated research questions and to identify research gaps in the literature.Design/methodology/approachA systematic literature review of secondary data was conducted. The 288 publications in the review appeared in peer-reviewed journal articles, conference proceedings papers and book chapters. All publications are listed in this paper by publication year and publication source. The review also distinguishes between empirical and non-empirical studies, describes methodological approaches and categorizes the publications by unit of analysis and by theme.FindingsResearch on the intersection between AMT and BM, which has increased significantly in the last three years, reflects firms' and industries' growing interest in digital manufacturing processes. This review identifies twelve dominant themes in the literature that contribute important insights to the field. Aggregated research questions are identified in each theme. Research advances and gaps are presented. Four themes relate directly to BM: (1) BM types, (2) BM and technology, (3) BM design and processes and (4) BM value and supply chains.Originality/valueThis review is the first systematic literature review on the intersection between AMT and BM. As such, the review provides a guide for researchers as they explore gaps in the research and develop research questions on an aggregated level. The review also supports users of such technologies as they review their business practices and models in the so-called Digital Revolution.
Henrik Florén; Henrik Barth; Jeanette Gullbrand; Magnus Holmén. Additive manufacturing technologies and business models – a systematic literature review. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management 2020, 32, 136 -155.
AMA StyleHenrik Florén, Henrik Barth, Jeanette Gullbrand, Magnus Holmén. Additive manufacturing technologies and business models – a systematic literature review. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management. 2020; 32 (1):136-155.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHenrik Florén; Henrik Barth; Jeanette Gullbrand; Magnus Holmén. 2020. "Additive manufacturing technologies and business models – a systematic literature review." Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management 32, no. 1: 136-155.
Immigrant entrepreneurs face many challenges in the various early phases of their companies’ existence. These challenges are often referred to as “the liability of newness”. While some of these challenges are common to all entrepreneurs, the immigrant entrepreneur has an additional set of challenges. This article describes those challenges in the immigrant entrepreneurial experience in the Swedish agri-food industry. A qualitative research design is used. Interviews were conducted with 25 immigrant entrepreneurs who planned a business, had started a business, or had exited a business. Various websites and tax reports provided secondary data. The research, which covered a two-year time frame, identifies the strategies and actions the immigrant entrepreneurs adopted and used to try to overcome those challenges. The following strategies and actions were identified: use of business support, virtual embeddedness, family and ethnic groups, entrepreneurial experience, and niche markets. The companies in which the entrepreneurs recognized the gravity of those challenges early in their life cycle were more likely to survive beyond the start-up phase. The article, which also reviews much of the current literature on immigrant entrepreneurship, has implications for business support advisory services and policymakers who are involved in the effort to achieve economic (and social-cultural) integration of immigrants into their host countries.
Henrik Barth; Ghazal Zalkat. Immigrant Entrepreneurship in Sweden: The Liability of Newness. Sustainability 2020, 12, 6478 .
AMA StyleHenrik Barth, Ghazal Zalkat. Immigrant Entrepreneurship in Sweden: The Liability of Newness. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (16):6478.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHenrik Barth; Ghazal Zalkat. 2020. "Immigrant Entrepreneurship in Sweden: The Liability of Newness." Sustainability 12, no. 16: 6478.
Purpose: The paper compares two government-sponsored education programs for agricultural entrepreneurs: a Leadership program and a Lean program. Methodology: The paper takes both a qualitative and a quantitative approach in its collection and analysis of data from 54 semi-structured interviews and from a survey with 109 participants. Findings: The main challenges to business and personal development are time pressure and the need for better communications. The Leadership program participants emphasize the effect of internal barriers such as fixed mind-sets. The Lean program participants emphasize the effect of external barriers such as financing. Both groups emphasize personal and business growth more than the control group. Practical Implications: Entrepreneur education programs can help participants, program developers, and advisory organizations identify and manage business challenges and barriers. Theoretical Implications: The paper contributes to the literature about educations for entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector with its examination of agricultural entrepreneurs’ reflections on barriers and challenges in business development and their linkage to overcoming barriers focused on a resource-based perspective with different types of resources. Originality/Value: The paper encourages examination of development challenges and barriers from the perspective of participators in entrepreneur education programs.
Pia Ulvenblad; Henrik Barth; Per-Ola Ulvenblad; Jenny Ståhl; Jennie Cederholm Björklund. Overcoming barriers in agri-business development: two education programs for entrepreneurs in the Swedish agricultural sector. The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension 2020, 26, 443 -464.
AMA StylePia Ulvenblad, Henrik Barth, Per-Ola Ulvenblad, Jenny Ståhl, Jennie Cederholm Björklund. Overcoming barriers in agri-business development: two education programs for entrepreneurs in the Swedish agricultural sector. The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension. 2020; 26 (5):443-464.
Chicago/Turabian StylePia Ulvenblad; Henrik Barth; Per-Ola Ulvenblad; Jenny Ståhl; Jennie Cederholm Björklund. 2020. "Overcoming barriers in agri-business development: two education programs for entrepreneurs in the Swedish agricultural sector." The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension 26, no. 5: 443-464.
This case study increases our understanding of Lean implementation in which value stream mapping (VSM) is used to create an action plan at a small dairy and cattle farm in southwest Sweden. The researchers, the farmer-owner, and farm employees followed a step-by-step approach that resulted in ideas for operational improvements for the dairy activity. Data were collected in interviews with the farmer/owner, researcher participation in workshops, and researcher observations. The results reveal that VSM is an effective way to create a culture of collaboration among the farm staff and to better define their roles and responsibilities as well as improve routines, communications, and task completion. In the two-to-three year period following the VSM project, specific improvements were observed in milk production/quality and animal health. The results also reveal that while Lean principles are relevant given the repetitive nature of agriculture routines and tasks, the VSM element of lead-time reduction is less relevant owing to the unique value adding biological processes in the agriculture sector.
Martin Melin; Henrik Barth. Value stream mapping for sustainable change at a Swedish dairy farm. International Journal of Environment and Waste Management 2020, 25, 130 .
AMA StyleMartin Melin, Henrik Barth. Value stream mapping for sustainable change at a Swedish dairy farm. International Journal of Environment and Waste Management. 2020; 25 (1):130.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMartin Melin; Henrik Barth. 2020. "Value stream mapping for sustainable change at a Swedish dairy farm." International Journal of Environment and Waste Management 25, no. 1: 130.
Henrik Barth; Ghazal Zalkat. Business values and motives of immigrant agricultural entrepreneurs in Sweden. Economic Science for Rural Development 2019, 1 .
AMA StyleHenrik Barth, Ghazal Zalkat. Business values and motives of immigrant agricultural entrepreneurs in Sweden. Economic Science for Rural Development. 2019; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHenrik Barth; Ghazal Zalkat. 2019. "Business values and motives of immigrant agricultural entrepreneurs in Sweden." Economic Science for Rural Development , no. : 1.
The importance of business model innovation (BMI) is widely recognized. BMI is especially important in the agri-food industry that faces enormous challenges as the demand for food increases worldwide. Much of the BMI research focuses on the technology and biomedical industries. Far less attention has been paid to the agri-food industry. This article is a systematic literature review of the BMI research in the agri-food industry. The article’s aim is to identify and categorize various barriers to BMI as described in the literature (in English) published in peer-reviewed journals between 1990 and 2014. The findings show a fairly even distribution among external and internal BMI barriers. Because the main barrier is the mind-set that is resistant to change, it is recommended the researchers and practitioners should focus more on the cognitive barriers to BMI in the agri-food industry.
Pia Ulvenblad; Henrik Barth; Jennie Cederholm Björklund; Maya Hoveskog; Per-Ola Ulvenblad; Jenny Ståhl. Barriers to business model innovation in the agri-food industry: A systematic literature review. Outlook on Agriculture 2018, 47, 308 -314.
AMA StylePia Ulvenblad, Henrik Barth, Jennie Cederholm Björklund, Maya Hoveskog, Per-Ola Ulvenblad, Jenny Ståhl. Barriers to business model innovation in the agri-food industry: A systematic literature review. Outlook on Agriculture. 2018; 47 (4):308-314.
Chicago/Turabian StylePia Ulvenblad; Henrik Barth; Jennie Cederholm Björklund; Maya Hoveskog; Per-Ola Ulvenblad; Jenny Ståhl. 2018. "Barriers to business model innovation in the agri-food industry: A systematic literature review." Outlook on Agriculture 47, no. 4: 308-314.
Increased global competition in the agricultural sector is rapidly changing the structure of farms and farming. As the number of small and diversified farms (often family-owned) decreases, the number of large and specialized farms (often corporate-owned) is increasing. In this transformation, the agricultural sector is more and more concerned with strategy, innovation, and competition in the effort to be more productive and more profitable. At the same time, the sector faces demands that it become more environmentally responsible in its policies and practices. This paper proposes a Lean Implementation Framework that small and mid-size farms can use as they aim to increase production and profit and yet support environmental sustainability. This case study takes an action-oriented research approach that focuses on the implementation of a Green Lean approach at 34 Swedish farms using various Lean tools. The paper describes how training sessions, farm visits, workshops, and counseling were used to introduce the farmers to the benefits and risks of the implementation of a new business model that added Green elements to the traditional business model design. The paper concludes with recommendations for adaptations to the Framework and suggestions for future research.
Henrik Barth; Martin Melin. A Green Lean approach to global competition and climate change in the agricultural sector – A Swedish case study. Journal of Cleaner Production 2018, 204, 183 -192.
AMA StyleHenrik Barth, Martin Melin. A Green Lean approach to global competition and climate change in the agricultural sector – A Swedish case study. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2018; 204 ():183-192.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHenrik Barth; Martin Melin. 2018. "A Green Lean approach to global competition and climate change in the agricultural sector – A Swedish case study." Journal of Cleaner Production 204, no. : 183-192.
The purpose of this article is to present and test a framework for lean implementation in the agricultural sector, addressing challenges from an operational and strategical perspective. The article builds on the previous literature on the use of Lean and reports empirical data from a lean implementation project in the south-western Sweden, including interviews, observations, diaries and questionnaires. A framework is developed to examine strategic and operational perspectives on Lean Thinking. Using this framework, a number of challenges encountered in Lean implementation are presented. This article is limited to the study of Lean among a group of Swedish farms although its findings may have implications for the wider agricultural sectors. Many societal challenges are linked with agricultural sustainability, stressing the need for productive, resource-efficient, resilient and less wasteful food production. This article is the first to develop and test a Lean implementation framework in the agriculture sector.
Martin Melin; Henrik Barth. Lean in Swedish agriculture: strategic and operational perspectives. Production Planning & Control 2018, 29, 845 -855.
AMA StyleMartin Melin, Henrik Barth. Lean in Swedish agriculture: strategic and operational perspectives. Production Planning & Control. 2018; 29 (10):845-855.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMartin Melin; Henrik Barth. 2018. "Lean in Swedish agriculture: strategic and operational perspectives." Production Planning & Control 29, no. 10: 845-855.
This paper aims to increase our understanding of sustainable business model innovation in the agri-food sector in terms of its theoretical and practical approaches for sustainability and their degree of complexity and maturity. The paper is based on a systematic literature review of 570 journal articles on business models and business model innovation published between 1990 and 2014. Of these articles, only 21 have business model innovation as their main focus. The review shows that research interest in the agri-food sector has increased in these years. The paper proposes a conceptual framework for sustainable business model innovation in the agri-food sector that can be used to meet the challenges encountered in taking a sustainability perspective.
Henrik Barth; Per-Ola Ulvenblad; Pia Ulvenblad. Towards a Conceptual Framework of Sustainable Business Model Innovation in the Agri-Food Sector: A Systematic Literature Review. Sustainability 2017, 9, 1620 .
AMA StyleHenrik Barth, Per-Ola Ulvenblad, Pia Ulvenblad. Towards a Conceptual Framework of Sustainable Business Model Innovation in the Agri-Food Sector: A Systematic Literature Review. Sustainability. 2017; 9 (9):1620.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHenrik Barth; Per-Ola Ulvenblad; Pia Ulvenblad. 2017. "Towards a Conceptual Framework of Sustainable Business Model Innovation in the Agri-Food Sector: A Systematic Literature Review." Sustainability 9, no. 9: 1620.
Joakim Tell; Maya Hoveskog; Pia Ulvenblad; Per-Ola Ulvenblad; Henrik Barth; Jenny Ståhl. Business model innovation in the agri-food sector: a literature review. British Food Journal 2016, 118, 1462 -1476.
AMA StyleJoakim Tell, Maya Hoveskog, Pia Ulvenblad, Per-Ola Ulvenblad, Henrik Barth, Jenny Ståhl. Business model innovation in the agri-food sector: a literature review. British Food Journal. 2016; 118 (6):1462-1476.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJoakim Tell; Maya Hoveskog; Pia Ulvenblad; Per-Ola Ulvenblad; Henrik Barth; Jenny Ståhl. 2016. "Business model innovation in the agri-food sector: a literature review." British Food Journal 118, no. 6: 1462-1476.
The purpose of this article is to deepen our understanding of what we know about business model innovation in the agri-food sector, both from a theoretical as well as a practical perspective. The methodological approach used in the paper is built on interviews, focus groups and observations of agricultural entrepreneurs and agricultural advisors in the agriculture sector and a review of over 500 peer-reviewed research papers for the period 1990-2014. The findings of the study indicate that entrepreneurs within the agri-food sector ought to shift focus from only a producer perspective to also include an entrepreneurial perspective, e.g. to focus on business model innovation. Based on this knowledge the authors present implications for research and practice. The research field is young and broad, but developing, and in need of stronger theoretical foundations. This article is based on a combination of a systematic literature review of a new emerging field as well as empirical in-depth interviews, focus groups and observations.
Joakim Tell; Maya Hoveskog; Pia Ulvenblad; Per-Ola Ulvenblad; Henrik Barth; Jenny Ståhl. Business Model Innovation in the Agri-food Sector. International Journal of Social Ecology and Sustainable Development 2016, 7, 1 -13.
AMA StyleJoakim Tell, Maya Hoveskog, Pia Ulvenblad, Per-Ola Ulvenblad, Henrik Barth, Jenny Ståhl. Business Model Innovation in the Agri-food Sector. International Journal of Social Ecology and Sustainable Development. 2016; 7 (2):1-13.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJoakim Tell; Maya Hoveskog; Pia Ulvenblad; Per-Ola Ulvenblad; Henrik Barth; Jenny Ståhl. 2016. "Business Model Innovation in the Agri-food Sector." International Journal of Social Ecology and Sustainable Development 7, no. 2: 1-13.
Product Development (PD) in Small and Medium-sized Firms (SMEs) is a long-neglected research area, and little cumulative work has been conducted previously. The purpose of this paper is to provide a first overview of the area of PD in SMEs. In doing so, we draw upon a sample of 149 peer-reviewed research papers selected from an initial sample of 5694 papers. The review provides tentative answers to issues such as the analytical and methodological approaches of the papers, which topics or areas of research have been focused on by previous scholars, and what kinds of topics that are well covered.
Sven Ake Horte; Henrik Barth; Aron Chibba; Henrik Florén; Johan Frishammar; Fawzi Halila; Jonas Rundquist; Joakim Tell. Product Development in SMEs: a literature review. International Journal of Technology Intelligence and Planning 2008, 4, 299 .
AMA StyleSven Ake Horte, Henrik Barth, Aron Chibba, Henrik Florén, Johan Frishammar, Fawzi Halila, Jonas Rundquist, Joakim Tell. Product Development in SMEs: a literature review. International Journal of Technology Intelligence and Planning. 2008; 4 (3):299.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSven Ake Horte; Henrik Barth; Aron Chibba; Henrik Florén; Johan Frishammar; Fawzi Halila; Jonas Rundquist; Joakim Tell. 2008. "Product Development in SMEs: a literature review." International Journal of Technology Intelligence and Planning 4, no. 3: 299.
At least two different administrative mechanisms are available for the small business manager to develop and to pursue a competitive strategy. One refers to managerial skills needed to implement and to follow the competitive strategy chosen by the firm. The other refers to the design of organization structure—that is, how job tasks are divided, grouped, and coordinated. This paper argues that the fit among the competitive strategy followed by a firm, the utilization of the administrative mechanisms, and the performance of the firm is related to industry maturity.
Henrik Barth. Fit among Competitive Strategy, Administrative Mechanisms, and Performance: A Comparative Study of Small Firms in Mature and New Industries. Journal of Small Business Management 2003, 41, 133 -147.
AMA StyleHenrik Barth. Fit among Competitive Strategy, Administrative Mechanisms, and Performance: A Comparative Study of Small Firms in Mature and New Industries. Journal of Small Business Management. 2003; 41 (2):133-147.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHenrik Barth. 2003. "Fit among Competitive Strategy, Administrative Mechanisms, and Performance: A Comparative Study of Small Firms in Mature and New Industries." Journal of Small Business Management 41, no. 2: 133-147.