A case study research of asymmetrical relationshipsbetween service providers and emerging companieswithin the healthcare industry

Abstract: This master thesis report aims to highlight the importance ofinterorganizational relationships between experienced serviceproviders and emerging biopharmaceutical (EBP) companies withinthe Swedish healthcare industry. A shift in innovation strategiesregarding new pharmaceutical- and medical device products hasprompted a paradigm shift within a complex industry wherecollaborations between organisations has become increasinglycrucial. With a better understanding of how these companiesoperates, increased collaboration efforts could result in a fasterand more precise product development with new products reachingthe market improving the health for people around the world. Inorder to allow experienced service providers to enhance servicestowards EBP companies, a fundamental understanding of how decisionmakers within these EBP companies prefer to conduct relationshipsis needed. We have examined relationship preferences of EBPcompanies by conducting a qualitative case study through 14interviews with decision makers combined with a quantitativeconjoint analysis. Eight factors was identified as important forwhen EBP companies decide to engage with a service provider: costbehavior, professional competence, adaptability, communication,personal relationship, stability, EBP insight and size. Thefactors adaptability, personal relationship, cost and size wereused in the conjoint analysis to determine their relativeimportance which show that adaptability and cost behavior was ofthe largest importance. With descriptions of each factor, we haveprovided a meaningful guide to action of how to address thesefactors as a service provider. The relationships is largelyinvestigated as relationships between contract researchorganizations (as service providers) and EBP companies, but wehave created a framework applicable for service providers withinthe healthcare industry in general.