Patent service subcontracting. Case: Nokia IPR, Patent Risk Defense Group
HAATAJA, SANNA (2008)
2008
Yrityksen hallinto - Management and Organisation
Kauppa- ja hallintotieteiden tiedekunta - Faculty of Economics and Administration
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Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2008-03-12
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:uta-1-17780
https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:uta-1-17780
Tiivistelmä
This study examines subcontracting in a patent expert organisation. The objective is to describe and analyse the current situation of subcontracting in the case organisation and give action proposals
based on the theoretical literature and empirical findings. The study
concentrates on two important subcontracting questions: What tasks
should be done internally and what should be subcontracted, and how should the subcontracting be implemented? The study is a qualitative case study and the data was collected primarily by focused interviews.
The case organisation is a patent group, which is part of the Finnish-based telecommunications company Nokia's Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) function. The basis of the subcontracting considerations is the make-or-buy question: what should companies make internally and what should they acquire from their suppliers. The theoretical part of this study concentrates on this discussion. The resource-based view (RBV) bases the decision on the company's internal resources. A resource-based idea of "core competence" divides companies' activities into important core activities, which should be made internally, and supportive activities, which should be outsourced. Above the make-or-buy discussion, the theoretical literature offers concepts to help in this consideration: how the subcontracting relationship can be determined and the subcontracting implemented.
The empirical part of this study concentrates first of all on describing the current situation of subcontracting in the case organisation. The nature of the work and subcontracting as part of the work are described. Secondly, the empirical part describes the five success factors of subcontracting which were found from the research
data. These factors are knowing and trusting the subcontractor, quality of the subcontractor, definition of tasks, effective use of
internal experts' time and cooperative way of working.
Deeper relationships with subcontractors were seen to bring more value for the company. To achieve these relationships, the case organisation should focus its group of subcontractors and start developing deeper cooperation. As well, the experiences of using different subcontractors should be collected regularly to help in deciding which subcontractors to start the development with.
Keywords: Subcontracting, outsourcing, intellectual property rights,
patents, expert organisation
based on the theoretical literature and empirical findings. The study
concentrates on two important subcontracting questions: What tasks
should be done internally and what should be subcontracted, and how should the subcontracting be implemented? The study is a qualitative case study and the data was collected primarily by focused interviews.
The case organisation is a patent group, which is part of the Finnish-based telecommunications company Nokia's Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) function. The basis of the subcontracting considerations is the make-or-buy question: what should companies make internally and what should they acquire from their suppliers. The theoretical part of this study concentrates on this discussion. The resource-based view (RBV) bases the decision on the company's internal resources. A resource-based idea of "core competence" divides companies' activities into important core activities, which should be made internally, and supportive activities, which should be outsourced. Above the make-or-buy discussion, the theoretical literature offers concepts to help in this consideration: how the subcontracting relationship can be determined and the subcontracting implemented.
The empirical part of this study concentrates first of all on describing the current situation of subcontracting in the case organisation. The nature of the work and subcontracting as part of the work are described. Secondly, the empirical part describes the five success factors of subcontracting which were found from the research
data. These factors are knowing and trusting the subcontractor, quality of the subcontractor, definition of tasks, effective use of
internal experts' time and cooperative way of working.
Deeper relationships with subcontractors were seen to bring more value for the company. To achieve these relationships, the case organisation should focus its group of subcontractors and start developing deeper cooperation. As well, the experiences of using different subcontractors should be collected regularly to help in deciding which subcontractors to start the development with.
Keywords: Subcontracting, outsourcing, intellectual property rights,
patents, expert organisation