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  • Book
  • Open Access
  • © 2021

Masterpieces of Swiss Entrepreneurship

Swiss SMEs Competing in Global Markets

Authors:

  1. Jean-Pierre Jeannet

    1. IMD, International Institute for Management, Lausanne, Switzerland

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  2. Thierry Volery

    1. Department General Management, ZHAW School of Management and Law, Winterthur, Switzerland

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  3. Heiko Bergmann

    1. KMU-HSG, University of St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland

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  4. Cornelia Amstutz

    1. University of Lucerne, Lucerne, Switzerland

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  • Presents a unique collection of company profiles and cases from Swiss B2B and B2C market leaders in export markets

  • Demonstrates success factors, common pathways, and unique business strategy insights into the Swiss business ecosystem

  • Includes analysis of diverse ownership structures including family-owned firms

  • This book is open access, which means that you have free and unlimited access

Sections

Softcover Book USD 49.99
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Hardcover Book USD 59.99
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Table of contents (26 chapters)

  1. Part VI

    1. Production Footprint Choices

      • Jean-Pierre Jeannet, Thierry Volery, Heiko Bergmann, Cornelia Amstutz
      Pages 151-163

    2. Production Processes Choices

      • Jean-Pierre Jeannet, Thierry Volery, Heiko Bergmann, Cornelia Amstutz
      Pages 165-170

    3. Product Design Choices

      • Jean-Pierre Jeannet, Thierry Volery, Heiko Bergmann, Cornelia Amstutz
      Pages 171-175

    4. Product Line Choices

      • Jean-Pierre Jeannet, Thierry Volery, Heiko Bergmann, Cornelia Amstutz
      Pages 177-181

    5. Supply Chain Choices

      • Jean-Pierre Jeannet, Thierry Volery, Heiko Bergmann, Cornelia Amstutz
      Pages 183-191

  2. Part VII

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 193-194
      PDF

    2. Sourcing the Defining Business Idea

      • Jean-Pierre Jeannet, Thierry Volery, Heiko Bergmann, Cornelia Amstutz
      Pages 195-209

    3. Innovation Processes

      • Jean-Pierre Jeannet, Thierry Volery, Heiko Bergmann, Cornelia Amstutz
      Pages 211-218

    4. Organizing for Innovation

      • Jean-Pierre Jeannet, Thierry Volery, Heiko Bergmann, Cornelia Amstutz
      Pages 219-230

  3. Part VIII

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 231-233
      PDF

    2. Leveraging Local Competitiveness

      • Jean-Pierre Jeannet, Thierry Volery, Heiko Bergmann, Cornelia Amstutz
      Pages 235-255

    3. Leveraging Resources for Growth

      • Jean-Pierre Jeannet, Thierry Volery, Heiko Bergmann, Cornelia Amstutz
      Pages 257-275

    4. Role of Swiss Entrepreneurship Ecosystem

      • Jean-Pierre Jeannet, Thierry Volery, Heiko Bergmann, Cornelia Amstutz
      Pages 277-289

    5. Epilog: Implications for Public Policy

      • Jean-Pierre Jeannet, Thierry Volery, Heiko Bergmann, Cornelia Amstutz
      Pages 291-296

  4. Company Profiles

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 297-297
      PDF

    2. Company Profiles

      • Jean-Pierre Jeannet, Thierry Volery, Heiko Bergmann, Cornelia Amstutz
      Pages 299-561
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About this book

This open access book focuses on Switzerland-based medium-sized companies with a longstanding export tradition and a proven dominance in global niche markets. Based upon in-depth documentation and analysis of 36 Swiss companies over their entire history, an expert team of authors presents several parallels in the pathways and success factors which allowed these firms to become dominant and operate from a high-cost location such as Switzerland. 
The book enhances these insights by providing detailed company profiles documenting the company history, development, and how their relevant global niche positions were reached. Readers will benefit from these profiles as they compile a diverse selection of industries, mainly active within the B2B sector, with mostly mature companies (60 years to older than 100 years since founding) and different types of ownership structures including family firms.  

‘Masterpieces of Swiss Entrepreneurship’ brings unique learning opportunities to owners and leaders of SMEs in Switzerland and elsewhere. Findings are based on detailed bottom-up research of 36 companies -- without any preconceived notions. The book is both conceptual and practical. It fosters understanding for different choices in development pathways and management practices.

Matti Alahuhta, Chairman DevCo Partners, ex-CEO Kone, Board member of several global listed companies, Helsinki, Finland

Start-up entrepreneurs need proven models from industry which demonstrate the various paths to success. “Masterpieces of Swiss Entrepreneurship” provides deep insights highlighting these models and the important trade-offs entrepreneurial teams must consider when choosing the path of high growth or of maximum control, as they are often mutually exclusive.

Gina Domanig, Managing Partner, Emerald Technology Ventures, Zurich





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Keywords

  • Open access book
  • Competitiveness of Swiss SMEs
  • Export strategies of swiss companies
  • SME export strategy
  • Swiss family enterprises
  • Swiss founders and entrepreneurs
  • B2B market leaders in Switzerland
  • Management field research
  • Stakeholder management
  • Innovation and intellectual property in Switzerland
  • Leveraging competencies
  • Cost competitiveness
  • Quality engineering
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Authors and Affiliations

  • IMD, International Institute for Management, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Jean-Pierre Jeannet

  • Department General Management, ZHAW School of Management and Law, Winterthur, Switzerland

    Thierry Volery

  • KMU-HSG, University of St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland

    Heiko Bergmann

  • University of Lucerne, Lucerne, Switzerland

    Cornelia Amstutz

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About the authors

​​​​​Jean-Pierre Jeannet is Professor Emeritus of both Babson College (Wellesley, US) and IMD Institute (Lausanne, Switzerland). He was the F.W. Olin Chairholder of Global Business at Babson College and had an active teaching career in global marketing and global strategy. He has authored and co-authored the books 'Managing with a Global Mindset' (FT Press, 2000), 'From Coal to Biotech' (Springer, 2015), and 'Leading a Surgical Revolution' (Springer, 2019).

Thierry Volery is Professor of Entrepreneurship and Director of the Management Department at ZHAW School of Management and Law, in Winterthur. He is concurrently Visiting Professor at the University of St Gallen and at the University of Western Australia. His teaching and research interests include start-up process, entrepreneurship behaviour, entrepreneurship education, entrepreneurial leadership, and innovation management. He is author of several books and has published in leading journals, including Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, Journal of Small Business Management, and International Small Business Journal.

Heiko Bergmann is Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland, where he conducts and leads research projects at the Swiss Research Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship. His research focus is on issues of entrepreneurship, business emergence, and SME management.

Cornelia Amstutz is a research assistant at the University of Lucerne, Switzerland, Faculty of Law, and the Steering Committee on Internationalization. Previously, she studied media communication and history and has worked as a consultant in the private sector.   


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Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Masterpieces of Swiss Entrepreneurship

  • Book Subtitle: Swiss SMEs Competing in Global Markets

  • Authors: Jean-Pierre Jeannet, Thierry Volery, Heiko Bergmann, Cornelia Amstutz

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65287-6

  • Publisher: Springer Cham

  • eBook Packages: Business and Management, Business and Management (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2021

  • License: CC BY

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-030-65286-9Due: 17 May 2021

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-65289-0Published: 19 March 2022

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-030-65287-6Published: 21 April 2021

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XXXIV, 561

  • Number of Illustrations: 1 b/w illustrations, 44 illustrations in colour

  • Topics: Business Strategy and Leadership, Family Business, International Business

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Softcover Book USD 49.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
Hardcover Book USD 59.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
Learn about institutional subscriptions