Responce in Denmark: From Competitor to Partner

Abstract

This case study is about Responce, a small Danish provider of emergency services which was established in 2007 as an independent company and has since become a subsidiary of Falck. The case illustrates how Falck responds to a market competitor through a partnership approach as opposed to direct competition. The case also shows how a new entrant can innovate and also the challenge of entry into a market where there is a major exiting player. The case study also raises issues of both governance and the attitude of both the public sector and the media to the presence of a major private sector provider in emergency response services. Being a major provider might offer advantages of incumbency but can also create some challenges. Emergency response services have aspect of being a natural monopoly. Yet in the context of a competitive market where tendering has been introduced this can create both incongruities and issues over what the market for such service provision should look like and how should it be organised.