Cutting out the Middleman : The Increasing Disintermediation by Swedish Exporting Sawmills

Sammanfattning: The Swedish sawmill industry is changing, and sawmills are increasingly pursuing disintermediation opportunities internationally. However, little is known, theoretically nor practically, regarding what is influencing sawmills in their pursuit of disintermediation.  This thesis investigates how the disintermediation opportunities in the sawmill industry is changing international operations, and the applied export choices made as a result of the phenomenon.  Results show that Swedish sawmills are influenced by disintermediation opportunities differently depending on various elements and conditions. A set of enabling and driving factors, as well as barriers, have been identified as variables affecting decisions and operations. Additionally, results indicate that sawmills enter markets with higher commitment more rapidly due to improved information accumulation and communication capabilities.