{"title":"Regional Development Programs: A Reason for Them Failing","authors":"\u00c5mo, B.W.","volume":82,"journal":"International Journal of Economics and Management Engineering","pagesStart":2749,"pagesEnd":2755,"ISSN":"1307-6892","URL":"https:\/\/publications.waset.org\/pdf\/17145","abstract":"<p>This paper contributes to the analysis of the design of regional development programs. This is a case study the birth, life, death and afterlife of a stately development program in Norway, supporting diffusion of innovations by promoting e-business in SMEs (small and medium sized enterprises).<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>The study shows that joint projects like regional development programs have to be designed such that the present value of the future benefits always exceeds the present value of the future effort for all stakeholders vital for the survival of the project. The study also indicate that a development program not always have one common goal which all the stakeholders agree upon. There are several stakeholders who may have different goals by playing a part in the realization of the program.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Even if some parties evaluate the results of a development program as a failure, other may have attained their goals. The lessons learned from this study may advise the designers of development programs involving many independent stakeholders. There is a lack of research examining failing development programs, investigating the reasons for it to be considered a failure. This paper shows why a development program was terminated and gives hint to how joint programs could be designed in order for the program to deliver the wanted results to all the key stakeholders.<\/p>\r\n","references":"[1] A. Isaksen, Innovasjoner, n\u00e6ringsutvikling og regionalpolitikk, \r\nKristiansand: H\u00f8gskoleforlaget, 1999. \r\n[2] 02 J.C. Hansen, and T. Selstad, Regional omstilling \u2013 strukturbestemt \r\neller styrbar? Universitetsforlaget, Oslo, 1999. \r\n[3] P.W. Roberts, \u201cRegional development agencies in England: New \r\nstrategic regional planning issues?,\u201d Regional Studies, vol. 34, no. 1, pp. \r\n75-79, 2000. \r\n[4] J.T. Hughes, \u201cThe role of development agencies in regional policy: An \r\nacademic and practitioner approach,\u201d Urban Studies, vol. 35, no. 4, pp. \r\n615-626, 1998. \r\n[5] G. Ledgerwood, and A.I. Broadhurst, \u201cCreating technology-based \r\nenterprise televillages,\u201d Cities, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 43-50, 1999. \r\n[6] 06 H. Halkier, and M. Danson, Regional development agencies in \r\nWestern Europe: A survey of key characteristics and trends, Occasional \r\nPaper 15, European Research Unit, Aalborg, 1996. \r\n[7] A.M. Cox, Alwang, J. and G. Johnson, \u201dLocal preferences for \r\neconomical development outcomes: Analytical Hierarchy Procedure,\u201d \r\nGrowth and Change, vol. 31, no. 3, pp. 341-366, 2000. \r\n[8] M. Fink, and S. Kraus, \u201cMutual trust as a key to internationalization of \r\nSMEs,\u201d Management Research, News, vol. 30, no. 9, pp. 674-688. 2007, \r\n[9] R.E. Freeman, Strategic management: A stakeholder approach, \r\nMarchfield, MA: Pitman Publishing, 1984. \r\n[10] J. N\u00e4si, \u201cWhat is stakeholder thinking? A snapshot of a social theory of \r\nthe firm,\u201d in J. N\u00e4si, (ed.) Understanding stakeholder thinking. Helsinki: \r\nLSR-Publications, 1994, pp. 19-31. \r\n[11] A.B. Carroll, \u201cEssay by Archie B. Carroll, The Toronto Conference: \r\nReflections on stakeholder theory, Special Section,\u201d Business & Society, \r\nvol. 33, no. 1, pp. 128-131, 1994. \r\n[12] I.I. Mitroff, Stakeholders of the organizational mind, San Francisco: \r\nJossey-Bass Publishers, 1983. \r\n[13] E. Vaara, \u201cLinking social construction of success and stakeholder \r\nthinking: An analysis of a merger case,\u201d in J. N\u00e4si, (ed.) Understanding \r\nstakeholder thinking. Helsinki: LSR-Publications, 1994, pp. 215-235. \r\n[14] C. Hardy, N. Phillips, and T.B. Lawrence, \u201cResources, Knowledge and \r\nInfluence: The Organizational Effects of Interorganizational Collaboration.\u201d Journal of Management Studies, vol. 40, no. 2, pp. 321\u2013\r\n347, 2003.\r\n[15] C. Huxham, and S. Vangen, \u201cLeadership in the shaping and\r\nimplementation of collaboration agendas: How things happen in a not\r\nquite) joined-up world\u201d, Academy of Management, vol. 43, no. 6, pp.\r\n1159-1175, 2000.\r\n[16] S. Vangen, and C. Huxham, \u201dEnacting leadership for collaborative\r\nadvantage Dilemmas of ideology and pragmatism in the activities of\r\npartnership managers,\u201d British Journal of Management, vol. 14, no. 1,\r\npp-S61-S76, 2003.\r\n[17] C.K. Pralahad, and G. Hamel, \u201cThe core competence of the\r\ncorporation,\u201d Harvard Business Review, vol. 68, no. 3, pp. 79-91, 1990.\r\n[18] C. Van Winkelen, \u201cDeriving value from inter-organizational learning\r\ncollaborations,\u201d The Learning Organization, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 8-23,\r\n2010.\r\n[19] C. Eden, and C. Huxham, \u201cThe negotiation of purpose in multiorganizational\r\ncollaborative groups,\u201d Journal of Management Studies,\r\nVol. 38, No. 3, pp. 373-391, 2001.\r\n[20] C. Dhanaraj, and A. Pharkhe, \u201cOrchestrating innovation networks,\u201d\r\nAcademy of Management Review, vol. 31, no. 3, pp. 659-669, 2006.\r\n[21] T. Haga, \u201cOrchestration of network instruments: a way to de-emphasize\r\nthe partition between incremental change and innovation?,\u201d AI &\r\nSociety, vol. 23, no. 1, 17-31, 2009.\r\n[22] N.K. Denzin, \u201cThe significant others of a college population.\u201d The\r\nSociological Quarterly, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 298-310, 1966.\r\n[23] Stortingsmelding nr 41, White paper: E-commerce and electronic trade\r\n(in Norwegian), Om elektronisk handel og forretningsdrift, Det Oslo:\r\nKongelige N\u00e6rings- og Handelsdepartement, 1998\/1999.\r\n[24] B. Eriksson, and T.R. Eikebrokk, Evaluering av VeRDI-programmet, In\r\nNorwegian: An evaluation of the VeRDI programme, Ekebacka Konsult\r\nAB, Stockholm, 2002.\r\n[25] M.E. Porter, Competitive Advantage, New York: Free Press, 1985.\r\n[26] A. Coulon, Ethnomethodology, Qualitative Research Methods Series,\r\nVol. 36., London: Sage Publications, 1995.\r\n[27] E-business policy group, 2002, Benchmarking national and regional ebusiness\r\npolicies for SMEs, 28.06.2002, Brussels: European\r\nCommission, 2006, http:\/\/europa.eu.int\/comm \/enterprise\/ict\/policy\/\r\nbenchmarking\/final-report.pdf","publisher":"World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology","index":"Open Science Index 82, 2013"}