Teoretiska perspektiv på logistikens roll i företagets strategi, 7.5 hp

Utbildningsnivå

Beskrivning

The Course will next be held in spring 2026. Registration is open.

About the course

In recent years, the role of logistics has changed significantly in many companies. From having been a tool for reducing costs and tied-up capital, the role of logistics for enhanced revenues and competitiveness is now increasingly emphasized. This development is also clearly reflected in the evolution of logistics research. The course aims to clarify how logistics can contribute to a company's sustainability, profitability and growth and thereby serve as a

foundation for a company's sustainable competitive advantage. This is primarily done in the course by examining logistics from three strategic theoretical perspectives/schools: market positioning, the resource-based view of the firm, and dynamic capabilities.

Course overview

This course is mainly based on individual studies combined with seminars. As some of the participants are not based in Linköping, the seminars will be kept to a minimum. The seminars consist to a large extent of interaction and discussion among the course participants.

Before each seminar the participants are expected to have prepared themselves in accordance with examiner’s instructions and by reading through assigned articles. All written preparations should be made in English. Language during the seminars will be English. A first introduction and planning meeting will be held online the 13th of January 10.00-11.30. (invitation will be sent in separate email to all participants). Tentative dates for the subsequent seminars are indicated below but are to be finally settled during the first meeting.

Included course literature consists of a recently launched textbook (Sandberg, 2025) and some of the “classic” articles for each rerspective. More recent articles on each perspective are expected to be read and referred to in the participant’s individual course paper. Some of the examiner’s own articles are also included in the mandatory course literature. This is to enable more thorough insights and discussions on how to (as a researcher) apply the various theoretical perspectives in an empirical data context.

A tentative description of the seminars and their content is as follows:

Introduction meeting 13th January 10.00-11.30 2026

• Examiner presents the course content, including a short overview of the theoretical perspectives included in the course.

• Presentation of the participants and their research focus (3 minutes for each person).

• Detailed planning of the course

Seminar 1: Market positioning and the resource based view of the firm (RBV) (12th February, 13.15-17.00)

Agenda: For market positioning and RBV respectively:

1. Overview and comments of the theory and its relationship to logistics (by examiner).
   
2. Discussion on questions submitted by the participants.
   
3. Participants present their power points on examples/”mini-cases” of how the perspectives can be applied at empirical data (see below for instructions).

Preparations before seminar 1:

• Read through the assigned articles and book chapters (some of the articles may be overlapping in terms of theoretical perspectives, i.e. cover more than one theoretical perspective)
• Prepare four questions based on the assigned literature:
  

1. Two questions where the PhD candidate himself/herself has a clear answer
   
2. Two questions where the PhD candidate himself/herself does not have an answer. OBS: Motivate what is difficult to understand!
   
3. Submit the questions at least three days before the seminar

• Prepare two presentations (a 2-3 minute oral presentation) on an empirical “mini-case” (one for each perspective). See below for more information. Submit one ppt-slide for each perspective (i.e. in total 2 slides) as a support for your presentation to Erik before the seminar.

More about the preparations of “mini-cases”: Important for the course is to be able to apply the various perspectives on empirical data. Find out an empirical example of a company (at Google or in your own empirical data) and demonstrate how market positioning respectively RBV can help us to understand that company’s sustainable competitive advantage. Prepare a very short explanation to be presented to the other course participants (2-3 minutes).

Seminar 2: Dynamic capabilities (the 2nd March 13.15-17.00)

• • Short overview and comments of dynamic capabilities theory, and its relationship to logistics (by examiner).
• • Discussion on questions submitted by the participants.
• • Participants present their power points on examples/”mini-cases” of how the dynamic capabilities can be applied at empirical data

Preparations before seminar 2:

• Read through the assigned articles and book chapter (some of the articles may be overlapping in terms of theoretical perspectives, i.e. cover more than one theoretical perspective)
• Prepare four questions based on the assigned literature:
  

1. Two questions where the PhD candidate himself/herself has a clear answer
   
2. Two questions where the PhD candidate himself/herself does not have an answer. OBS: Motivate what is difficult to understand!
   
3. Submit the questions at least three days before the seminar

• Prepare one presentation (a 2-3 minute oral presentation) on an empirical “mini-case”. See preparations for seminar 1 for more information. Submit one ppt-slide as a support for your presentation to Erik before the seminar.

Seminar 3: Contemporary topics in strategic logistics management: resilience, paradoxes and business models (tentative the 18th March 13.15-17.00)

To further understand more recent developments in strategic logistics management, and the strategic relevance of logistics, this seminar concerns resilience, paradoxes and logisticsbased business models.

• Short overview and comments of resilience, paradoxes and logistics-based business models (by examiner).
• Discussion on questions submitted by the participants.

Preparations before seminar 3:

Read through the assigned book chapters

• Prepare four questions based on the assigned literature:
  

1. Two questions where the PhD candidate himself/herself has a clear answer
   
2. Two questions where the PhD candidate himself/herself does not have an answer. OBS: Motivate what is difficult to understand!
   
3. Submit the questions at least three days before the seminar

OBS: For this seminar, no presentations of “mini-cases” are required.

Seminar 4: Case Kihléns (tentative the 26th March)

To further practice how to apply the theoretical perspectives a fictive case (case Kihléns) will be used. The format for this seminar is to be discussed during the introduction meeting. In order to avoid travelling, alternative forms will be discussed.

• The participants present groupwise the answers to the assignments (that are given in the case description)
• Other questions about the course content and preparations for the individual assignment

Preparations before seminar 4:

• Prepare Case Kihléns in accordance with instructions given in the Kihléns document (will be distributed later in the course).

Seminar 5: Presentation of the individual assignment (tentative 21th May 10.15-17.00, and late august/beginning September)

Each article is presented shortly, followed by opponent’s discussion.

About the individual assignment At the end of the course each participant writes a short paper (4-6 pages) where at least two different theoretical perspectives are applied on the participant’s own research area. Specific attention should be given to the research results that can be derived based on the theories. Beside “classic” articles that have been read during the course, more recently published articles in each perspective are required. There are some possibilities for individual adjustments of the assignment (in order to better facilitate and support the PhD process for the course participant)

Course literature (tentative)

Textbook

Sandberg, E. (2025), Strategic logistics management: contemporary principles and practice, Kogan Page Publishers

Market positioning and the resource based view of the firm, RBV

Barney, J. (1991). Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Journal of Management, 17 (1), 99–120.

Dyer, J. H., & Singh, H. (1998). The relational view: Cooperative strategy and sources of interorganizational competitive advantage. Academy of Management Review, 23 (4), 660–679.

Mentzer, J., Min, S. & Bobbitt, M. (2004) Toward a unified theory of logistics, in The International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, Vol. 34, No. 8, pp. 606-627.

Olavarrieta, S. and A. Ellinger (1997). Resource-based theory and strategic logistics research. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, 27 (9/10).

Persson, G. (1991) Achieving Competitiveness Through Logistics, The International Journal of Logistics Management, Volume: 2 , Issue: 1

Peteraf, M. (1993). The Cornerstones of Competitive Advantage: A Resource-Based View, Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 14, No. 3, pp. 179-191.

Porter, M. E. (1996). What is strategy? Harvard Business Review, (November-December), pp. 61-78.

Esper, T., Fugate, B., and Davis-Sramek, B., 2007. Logistics learning capability: sustaining the competitive advantage through logistics leverage. Journal of Business Logistics, 28 (2), 57–81.

Sandberg, E., Kindström, D. and Haag, L. (2021), ”Delineating interorganizational dynamic capabilities: A literature review and a conceptual framework”, Journal of Inter-Organizational Relationships, 27:3-4, 98-113

Sandberg, E. (2021), "Dynamic capabilities for the creation of logistics flexibility – a conceptual framework", The International Journal of Logistics Management, Vol. 32 No. 2, pp. 696-714. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLM-07-2020-0266

Sandberg, E. and Abrahamsson, M. (2022), “Exploring organizational learning and experimental logistics development at the global fashion retailer H&M", Global Business & Organizational Excellence, 41, pp. 6-20, DOI https://doi.org/10.1002/joe.22143

Teece, D., 2007. Explicating dynamic capabilities: the nature and microfoundations of (sustainable) enterprise performance. Strategic Management Journal, 28 (13), 1319–1350.

Zahra, S.A. and George, G. (2002), “Absorptive capacity: a review, reconceptualization, and extension”, Academy of Management Review, Vol. 27, pp. 185–203.

Further articles of interest (not mandatory reading)

Abrahamsson, M. & Brege, S. (2004) Dynamic Effectiveness - Improved Industrial Distribution from Interaction between Marketing and Logistics Strategies, in Journal of Marketing Channels, Special Issue.

Abrahamsson, M., Aldin, N. & Stahre, F. (2003), Platforms for Improved Strategic Flexibility, International Journal of Logistics: Research and Applications, Vol. 6, No. 3

Ambrosini, V. och Bowman, C. (2009). What are dynamic capabilities and are they a useful construct in strategic management? International Journal of Management Reviews, 11 (1), 29-49.

Beske, P. (2012)," Dynamic capabilities and sustainable supply chain management ", International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, Vol. 42 Iss 4 pp. 372 - 387

Day, G., 1994. The capabilities of market-driven organizations. Journal of Marketing, 58 (4), 37–52.

Easterby-Smith, M.E., Lyles, M.A. and Peteraf, M.A. (2009), “Dynamic capabilities: current debates and future directions”, British Journal of Management, Vol. 20, pp. 1-8.

Eriksson, E., Norrman, A., & Kembro, J. (2022). ”Understanding the transformation towards omnichannel logistics in grocery retail: a dynamic capabilities perspective”. International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management, Vol. 50, No. 8/9, pp. 1095-1128

Helfat, C. och Winter, S. (2011). Untangling dynamic and operational capabilities: Strategy for the (n)ever-changing world, Strategic Management Journal, 32, 1243-1250.

Mitrega, M, Forkmann, S, Zaefarian, G, and Henneberg, S. (2017), “Networking capability in supplier relationship and its impact on product innovation and firm performance”, International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol 37 No. 5, pp. 577-606.

Pavlou, P. och El Sawy, O. (2011). Understanding the elusive black box of dynamic capabilities, Decision Sciences Journal, 42 (1)

Porter, M. (1991). Towards a Dynamic Theory of Strategy. Strategic Management Journal 12 (Winter), s. 95-117..

Rumelt, R.P. (1987). Theory, Strategy, and Entrepreneurship. I: Teece, D. (red.) The Competitive Challenge. Cambridge: Ballinger, s. 137–158.

Sandberg, E. och M. Abrahamsson (2011)”Logistics capabilities for a sustainable competitive advantage”, International Journal of Logistics: Research and Applications, Vol. 14 No 1, pp. 61-75.

Sandberg, E. och P. Åman (2010) Logistics learning mechanisms and capabilities - Towards an understanding of sustainable competitive advantage, Logistics Research, Vol. 2 No 2, pp. 97-108.

Sandberg, E. and Hultberg, E. (2021), ”Dynamic capabilities for the scaling of circular business model initiatives in the fashion industry”, Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 320, 128831

Shi, Q., Shen, L., 2021. Orchestration capability: a bibliometric analysis. Kybernetes. Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/K-05-2021-0386

Tatham,P. Yong Wu, Gyöngyi Kovács, Tim Butcher, (2017) "Supply chain management skills to sense and seize opportunities", The International Journal of Logistics Management, Vol. 28 Issue: 2, pp.266-289

Teece, D., G. Pisano and A. Shuen (1997). Dynamic Capabilities and Strategic Management. Strategic Management Journal, 18 (7).

Wernerfelt, B., 1984. A resource-based view of the firm. Strategic Management Journal, 5 (2), 171–180.

Zollo, M. and Winter, S., 2002. Deliberate learning and the evolution of dynamic capabilities. Organization Science, 13 (3), 339–351.

Barney, J. and Clark, D., 2007. Resource-based theory: creating and sustaining competitive advantage. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 350 pp.

Helfat C., Finkelstein S., Mitchell W., Peteraf M.A., Singh H., Teece D., and Winter S.,

(2007). Dynamic Capabilities: Understanding Strategic Change in Organizations. Blackwell Publishing, New York.

Porter, M. (1985). Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. New York: Free Press.

Penrose, E. G. (1959). The Theory of the Growth of the Firm. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Sandberg, E. (2015) Logistik och strategi – för lönsamhet och tillväxt, Studentlitteratur: Lund.

Sandberg, E. och Abrahamsson, M. (2019). Logistikdriven affärsutveckling, Studentlitteratur, Lund, ISBN 978-91-44-12774-3

Anmälan

Kontaktinformation

• Erik Sandberg

  erik.sandberg@liu.se
  +4613284492
  Examinator