Företagande över tid : Kontextuellt perspektiv och visuellt beskrivningsspråk

Sammanfattning: This study deals with enterprise, i.e. processes driven by individuals in collaboration with others in an ever-changing world. Since Adam Smith´s "Wealth of Nations," theories in the economic science have been developed and refined. Nevertheless there are still some fundamental assumptions that can be modified or even questioned, i.e. the question of what is of importance in the context of enterprise.A view of reality and a visual language of description were developed - a scientific journey based on existing theory and extensive empirical material. In the view of reality the context is emphasised. Enterprise as well as context are seen as processes over time. Moreover, the view is based on the assumption of variety, diversity and relativity - that "everything can happen and be of importance".When the visual language of description is applied to an empirical case, the result is a threedimensional model in which one can distinguish patterns in space and time as enterprise processes and contextual processes develop. Restrictors are a process-related phenomena that can inhibit catalysers in other processes. This is one of several examples of mechanisms in these time-based models.The view of reality and the visual language of description form an embryonic theory. The images this theory uncovers have novel features which are of considerable theoretical interest, and can be used in several practical fields.The empirical study deals with the development of the Swedish company Kabi, which originates from a brewery in the 19:th century. The study focuses especially on the development of methods for producing human growth hormone, initially via human pituitary glands. Crescormon was the first registered growth hormone in the world. Later on DNA technology was used. It probably was the first time ever a pharmaceutical company (Kabi) and a biotechnology company (Genetech) engaged in a substantial collaboration with the aim and challenge to develop a pharmaceutical drug by means of DNA-technology. The case also includes an extremely successful marketing strategy, which can be called surgical marketing within a "symphonic" frame. The result of this was the formation of powerful partnerships.