Cooperative strategy in emerging markets - analysis of interfirm r&d cooperation and performance in Russian manufacturing companies

Emerging markets have come to play a significant role in the world, not only due to their strong economic growth but because they have been able to foster an increasing number of innovative high technology oriented firms. However, as the markets continue to change and develop, there remain many companies in emerging markets that struggle with their competitiveness and innovativeness. To improve competitive capabilities, many scholars have come to favor interfirm cooperation, which is perceived to help companies access new knowledge and complementary resources and, by so doing, enables them to catch up quickly with Western competitors. Regardless of numerous attempts by strategic management scholars, the research field remains very fragmented and lacks understanding on how and when interfirm cooperation contributes to firm performance and competiveness in emerging markets. Furthermore, the reasons why interfirm R&D sometimes succeeds but fails at other times frequently remain unidentified. This thesis combines the extant literature on competitive and cooperative strategy, dynamic capabilities, and R&D cooperation while studying interfirm R&D relationships in and between Russian manufacturing companies. Employing primary survey data, the thesis presents numerous novel findings regarding the effect of R&D cooperation and different types of R&D partner on firms’ exploration and exploitation performance. Utilizing a competitive strategy framework enables these effects to be explained in more detail, and especially why interfirm cooperation, regardless of its potential, has had a modest effect on the general competitiveness of emerging market firms. This thesis contributes especially to the strategic management literature and presents a more holistic perspective on the usefulness of cooperative strategy in emerging markets. It provides a framework through which it is possible to assess the potential impacts of different R&D cooperation partners and to clarify the causal relationships between cooperation, performance, and long term competitiveness.

Family ownership – a source of sustainable success in listed companies

Extant research on exchange-listed firms has acknowledged that the concentration of ownership and the identity of owners make a difference. In addition, studies indicate that firms with a dominant owner outperform firms with dispersed ownership. During the last few years, scholars have identified one group of owners, in particular, whose ownership stake in publicly listed firm is positively related to performance: the business family. While acknowledging that family firms represent a unique organizational form, scholars have identified various concepts and theories in order to understand how the family influences organizational processes and firm performance. Despite multitude of research, scholars have not been able to present clear results on how firm performance is actually impacted by the family. In other words, studies comparing the performance of listed family and other types of firms have remained descriptive in nature since they lack empirical data and confirmation from the family business representatives. What seems to be missing is a convincing theory that links the involvement and behavioral consequences. Accordingly, scholars have not yet come to a mutual understanding of what precisely constitutes a family business. The variety of different definitions and theories has made comparability of different results difficult for instance. These two issues have hampered the development of a rigorous theory of family business. The overall objective of this study is to describe and understand how the family as a dominant owner can enhance firm performance, and can act a source of sustainable success in listed companies. In more detail, in order to develop understanding of the unique factors that can act as competitive advantages for listed family firms, this study is based on a qualitative approach and aims at theory development, not theory verification. The data in this study consist of 16 thematic interviews with CEOs, members of the board, supervisory board chairs, and founders of Finnish listed-family firms. The study consists of two parts. The first part introduces the research topic, research paradigm, methods, and publications, and also discusses the overall outcomes and contributions of the publications. The second part consists of four publications that address the research questions from different viewpoints. The analyses of this study indicate that family ownership in listed companies represents a structure that differs from the traditional views of agency and stewardship, as well as from resource-based and stakeholder views. As opposed to these theories and shareholder capitalism which consider humans as individualistic, opportunistic, and self-serving, and assume that the behaviors of an investor are based on the incentives and motivations to maximize private profits, the family owners form a collective social unit that is motivated to act together toward their mutual purpose or benefit. In addition, socio-emotional and psychological elements of ownership define the family members as owners, rather than the legal and financial dimensions of ownership. That is, collective psychological ownership of family over the business (F-CPO) can be seen as a construct that comprehensively captures the fusion between the family and the business. Moreover, it captures the realized, rather than merely potential, family influence on and interaction with the business, and thereby brings more theoretical clarity of the nature of the fusion between the family and the business, and offers a solution to the problem of family business definition. This doctoral dissertation provides academics, policy-makers, family business practitioners, and the society at large with many implications considering family and business relationships.

MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS IN B2B COMPANIES – The Roles of Marketing Communication Tools in the Digital Age

Marketing communications has gone through significant changes during the last decades and new online tools have been leading this change for the last decade. Now, in the digital age, if wanting to be successful companies need to experiment new things and seize the opportunities online provides and adapt to the new environment. However, during this time the marketing communication mix and the meanings given to the various components of it have not changed dramatically, and personal selling, direct marketing, sales promotion, advertising and public relations activities are still regarded as important tools in the marketing communications mix. The purpose of this study was to examine business-to-business marketing communications and the tools used by companies in their marketing communications efforts in the digital age and in a global environment. The research questions dealt with the marketing communication tools and their roles as well as the role of online marketing communication and the way it has shaped the field of b2b marketing communications. In order to answer these questions, qualitative approach was chosen and the data was collected by theme interviews with six representatives of Finnish global companies from the b2b sector being interviewed. The theoretical framework covers the general field of b2b marketing communications and its main elements. The online environment as well as the concept of a global marketplace and integrated approach to marketing communication activities is also discussed. The theory was supported by the interviews regarding the activities and roles of the marketing communication tools and both theory as well as the interviews found personal selling to be a vital tool. However, the importance of online has grown and online marketing activities have risen right next to personal selling. The use of analytics and marketing automation was found to be of great interest in the interviews and they were seen as a growing domain in b2b marketing communications. The importance of targeted and personalised messages from relevant medias was a repeating theme as was the customer-centric approach in marketing communication activities. Also, offline and online tools and channels were seen as something that should be treated together as an entity rather than as separate activities. Relevant content created according to the needs of the customer with the gathered data from analytics were seen as the future of b2b marketing communications. Online has added its input to the more traditionally perceived tools and they are executed within the framework of the digital age. Nevertheless, even though online has increased its presence in the b2b marketing communications mix, the more traditionally perceived marketing communication tools, especially personal selling, have not lost their meaning or place in the b2b marketing communication mix.

The best practices in the formation phase of Sino-Finnish joint ventures in China: For Finnish software companies

This study discusses the formation phase of Chinese-Finnish joint ventures in China. The purpose of this thesis is to create best practices for Finnish software companies in forming a joint venture with a local Chinese company in China. Therefore, the main research question, in what are the best practices for forming Sino-Finnish joint ventures in China for Finnish software firms, is examined through four different themes within the joint venture formation phase; the motives, the partner se- lection, the choice of a joint venture type and joint venture negotiations. The theoretical background of the study consists of literature relating to the establishment process of Sino-Western joint ventures in China. The empirical research conducted for this study is based on the expert interviews. The empirical data was gathered via nine semi-structured interviews with both Chinese and Finnish experts in software and technology industry, who have experience or knowledge in establishing Sino-Finnish joint ventures in China. Thematic analysis was used to cat- egorize and interpret the interview data. In addition, a thematic network was built to act as a basis of the analysis. According to the main findings, the main motives for Finnish software companies to establish a joint venture in China are lack of skills or experience, little resources to enter on their own, and China’s large market. The main motives for Chinese companies are to gain new technology or man- agerial skills, and expand internationally. The intellectual property rights (IPR) have recently im- proved a lot in China, but the Finnish companies’ knowledge on IPR is inadequate. The Finnish software companies should conduct a market and industry research in order to understand their po- sition in the market and to find a suitable location and potential joint venture partners. It is essential to define partner selection criteria and partner attributes. In addition, it is important to build the joint venture around complementary motives and a win-win situation between the joint venture partners. The Finnish companies should be prepared that the joint venture negotiations will be challenging and they will take a long time. The challenges can be overcome by gaining understanding about the Chinese culture and business environment. The findings of this study enhance understanding of the joint venture formation phase in China. This study provides guidelines for Finnish software companies to establish a joint venture in China. In addition, this study brings new insights to the Sino-Western joint venture literature with its soft- ware industry context. Future research is, however, necessary in order to gain an understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of a joint venture as an entry mode into China for Finnish soft- ware companies

Post-transaction brand and model line-up integration in the automotive industry: Case studies of European companies as target of acquisitions by Chinese and Indian multinational corporations

Corporations practice company acquisitions in order to create shareholder’s value. During the last few decades, the companies in emerging markets have become active in the acquisition business. During the last decade, large and significant acquisitions have occurred especially in automotive industry. While domestic markets have become too competitive and companies are lacking required capabilities, they seek possibilities to expand into Western markets by attaining valuable assets through acquisitions of developed country corporations. This study discusses the issues and characteristics of these acquisitions through case studies. The purpose of this study was to identify the acquisition motives and strategies for post-transaction brand and product integration as well as analyze the effect of the motives to the integration strategy. The cases chosen for the research were Chinese Geely acquiring Swedish Volvo in 2010 and Indian Tata Motors buying British Jaguar Land Rover in 2008. The main topics were chosen according to their significance for companies in automotive industry as well as those are most visible parts for consumers. The study is based on qualitative case study methods, analyzing secondary data from academic papers and news articles as well as companies’ own announcements e.g. stock exchange and press releases. The study finds that the companies in the cases mainly possessed asset-seeking and market-seeking motives. In addition, the findings refer to rather minimal post-acquisition brand and product integration strategies. Mainly the parent companies left the target company autonomous to make their own business strategies and decisions. The most noticeable integrations were in the product development and production processes. Through restructuring the product architectures, the companies were able to share components and technology between product families and brands, which results in cutting down costs and in increase of profitability and efficiency. In the Geely- Volvo case, the strategy focused more on component sharing and product development know-how, whereas in Tata Motors-Jaguar Land Rover case, the main actions were to cut down costs through component sharing and combine production and distribution networks especially in Asian markets. However, it was evident that in both cases the integration and technology sharing were executed cautiously to prevent on harming the valuable image of the luxury brand. This study has concluded that the asset-seeking motives have significant influence on the posttransaction brand and model line-up integration strategies. By taking a cautious approach in acquiring assets, such as luxury brand, the companies in the cases have implemented a successful post-acquisition strategy and managed to create value for the shareholders at least in short-term. Yritykset harjoittavat yritysostoja luodakseen osakkeenomistajille lisäarvoa. Viimeisten muutamien vuosikymmenien aikana yritykset kehittyvissä maissa ovat myös aktivoituneet yritysostoissa. Viimeisen vuosikymmenen aikana erityisesti autoteollisuudessa on esiintynyt suuria ja merkittäviä yritysostoja. Koska kilpailu kotimaan markkinoilla on kiristynyt ja yritykset ovat vailla vaadittavia valmiuksia, ne etsivät mahdollisuuksiaan laajentaa länsimaisiin markkinoihin hankkimalla arvokkaita etuja kehittyneiden maiden yrityksistä yritysostojen avulla. Tämä tutkimus pohtii näiden yritysostojen olennaisia kysymyksiä ja ominaisuuksia casetutkimuksien kautta. Tutkimuksen tarkoitus oli tunnistaa sekä yritysostojen motiiveja ja brändi- ja mallisto-integraation strategioita että analysoida kyseisten motiivien vaikutusta integraatiostrategiaan. Tapaus-tutkimuksiksi valittiin kiinalaisen Geelyn yritysosto ruotsalaisesta Volvosta vuonna 2010 ja intialaisen Tata Motorsin yritysosto englantilaisesta Jaguar Land Roverista vuonna 2008. Tutkimus on kvalitatiivinen case-tutkimus ja siinä analysoidaan toissijaista tietoa sekä akateemisten ja uutisartikkeleiden että yritysten omien ilmoitusten, kuten pörssi- ja lehdistötiedotteiden, kautta. Tutkimuksen tulokset osoittavat, että tutkittujen yritysten toiminnat perustuivat motiiveihin, joita ajoivat etujen and uusien markkinoiden tarve. Sen lisäksi tutkimustulokset osoittivat, että yritysoston jälkeinen brändi- ja mallisto-integraatio pidettiin minimaalisena. Pääasiallisesti kohdeyrityksille jätettiin autonomia tehdä omat liikkeenjohdolliset päätökset yritysstrategioihin liittyen. Huomattavimmat integraatiot koskivat tuotekehityksellisiä ja tuotannollisia prosesseja. Kehittämällä uudelleen tuotearkkitehtuureja, yritykset pystyivät jakamaan komponentteja ja teknologiaa tuoteperheiden ja brändien välillä. Tämä mahdollisti kustannusleikkauksia sekä kannattavuuden ja tehokkuuden parantamista. Geely-Volvo –tapauksessa integraatiostrategia keskittyi komponenttien jakamiseen yhteisten tuotearkkitehtuurien avulla ja tuotekehityksen ammattitaitoon, kun taas Tata Motors-JLR –tapauksessa päätoiminnat olivat kustannuksien leikkaus sekä tuotannon ja jakeluverkoston yhdistäminen erityisesti Aasian maissa. Yhteistä yrityskaupoissa oli, että brändi- ja mallisto-integraatio sekä teknologian jakaminen suoritettiin varoen ehkäistäkseen arvokkaiden luksus-brändien tuotekuvan vahingoittamista. Tutkimuksen lopputulokset osoittavat, että yrityskaupan motiiveilla on huomattava vaikutus brändija mallisto-integraation strategiaan. Toteuttamalla varovaista lähestymistapaa luksus-brändin hankinnassa ja integraatiossa, yritykset ovat onnistuneet luomaan lisäarvoa osakkeenomistajille vähintään lyhyellä aikavälillä.

The best practices in the formation phase of Sino-Finnish joint ventures in China: For Finnish software companies

This study discusses the formation phase of Chinese-Finnish joint ventures in China. The purpose of this thesis is to create best practices for Finnish software companies in forming a joint venture with a local Chinese company in China. Therefore, the main research question, in what are the best practices for forming Sino-Finnish joint ventures in China for Finnish software firms, is examined through four different themes within the joint venture formation phase; the motives, the partner se-lection, the choice of a joint venture type and joint venture negotiations. The theoretical background of the study consists of literature relating to the establishment process of Sino-Western joint ventures in China. The empirical research conducted for this study is based on the expert interviews. The empirical data was gathered via nine semi-structured interviews with both Chinese and Finnish experts in software and technology industry, who have experience or knowledge in establishing Sino-Finnish joint ventures in China. Thematic analysis was used to cat-egorize and interpret the interview data. In addition, a thematic network was built to act as a basis of the analysis. According to the main findings, the main motives for Finnish software companies to establish a joint venture in China are lack of skills or experience, little resources to enter on their own, and China’s large market. The main motives for Chinese companies are to gain new technology or man-agerial skills, and expand internationally. The intellectual property rights (IPR) have recently im-proved a lot in China, but the Finnish companies’ knowledge on IPR is inadequate. The Finnish software companies should conduct a market and industry research in order to understand their po-sition in the market and to find a suitable location and potential joint venture partners. It is essential to define partner selection criteria and partner attributes. In addition, it is important to build the joint venture around complementary motives and a win-win situation between the joint venture partners. The Finnish companies should be prepared that the joint venture negotiations will be challenging and they will take a long time. The challenges can be overcome by gaining understanding about the Chinese culture and business environment. The findings of this study enhance understanding of the joint venture formation phase in China. This study provides guidelines for Finnish software companies to establish a joint venture in China. In addition, this study brings new insights to the Sino-Western joint venture literature with its soft-ware industry context. Future research is, however, necessary in order to gain an understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of a joint venture as an entry mode into China for Finnish soft-ware companies.

Customer References as Marketing Practice in Company Web sites - Content and Discourse Analysis

Työn tarkoituksena oli tutkia sisältö- ja diskurssianalyysin avulla kuinka yritykset viestivät asiakasreferenssejä verkkosivuillaan. Työssä keskityttiin tutkimaan yritysten referenssikuvausten teemoja ja diskursseja, sekä sitä kuinka referenssisuhde rakentuu diskursiivisesti referenssikuvauksissa. Tutkimukseen valittiin kolme suomalaista ICT-alan yritystä: Nokia, TietoEnator ja F-Secure. Aineisto koostuu 140:stä yritysten WWW-sivuilta kerätystä referenssikuvauksesta. Sisältöanalyysin tuloksena havaittiin, että referenssikuvaukset keskittyvät kuvaamaan yksittäisiä tuote- tai projektitoimituksia referenssiasiakkaille kyseisten asiakassuhteiden valossa. Analyysin tuloksena tunnistettiin kolme diskurssia: hyötydiskurssi, sitoutumisen diskurssi sekä teknologisen eksperttiyden diskurssi. Diskurssit paljastavat referenssikuvausten retoriset keinot ja konstruoivat referenssisuhteen ja toimittajan subjektiposition eri näkökulmista. Pääpaino referenssikuvauksissa on toimittajan ratkaisun tuomissa hyödyissä. Diskurssit tuottavat referenssisuhteesta kuvan hyötyjä tuovana ja läheisenä asiakassuhteena, joka tarjoaa väylän ulkopuolisiin kyvykkyyksiin ja teknologioihin. Toimittaja esitetään referenssikuvauksissa diskurssista riippuen hyötyjen tuojana, luotettavana partnerina sekä kokeneena eksperttinä. Referenssiasiakas sen sijaan esitetään vain yhdestä näkökulmasta stereotyyppisesti tärkeänä ja tyytyväisenä asiakkaana.

Outsourcing and Offshore Software Development in Africa

Globalization of software today is making many companies in the industrialized nations to outsource their work to low-wage countries. This thesis aims at obtaining an initial general overview of offshore software development in Africa. It seeks to explore the state of offshore software outsourcing in Africa with a focus on the factors contributing to the successes and challenges of offshore software development practicesin Africa. The thesis made use of electronic questionnaires and voice interviews to collect the data. Identified African vendors were interviewed, and the data was analyzed qualitatively. The study found that theAfrican software outsourcing industry is still at its infancy. It is expected that the industry will grow. However, a lot needs to be done, and African governments are called upon to actively implement supportive infrastructures that will promote the growth of the local and export software industries. Further research is recommended to cover the wide context ofthe topic.

Managing an intellectual property right portfolio in the software industry

Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli määrittää etuja, joita huolellinen immateriaali-oikeussalkun hallinnointi ohjelmistoalalla luo yritykselle. Tutkimusaineisto on kerätty haastattelemalla eri asemissa olevia ihmisiä kolmesta suomalaisesta ohjelmistoalan tuote- ja palveluyrityksestä. Tutkimuksesta käy ilmi, että ohjelmistoyritysten immateriaalioikeussalkut koostuvat liikesalaisuuksista, tekijänoikeudesta, tavaramerkeistä, verkkotunnuksista ja muutamista patenteista. Kiinnostus patentteihin ohjelmistoalalla on kasvanut erityisesti niiden tuoman tekijänoikeutta vahvemman suojan takia. Tällä hetkellä Euroopassa suhtautuminen ohjelmistopatentteihin on kuitenkin vielä käymistilassa. Jos ohjelmistopatentit hyväksytään, immateriaalioikeussalkun strateginen merkitys kasvaa. Tällöin salkunn hallinnointi tukee yrityksen tavoitteita - esimerkiksi oman toimintavapauden turvaamista - avustaen hakemus-prosessissa, tarkkaillen markkinoita sekä arvioiden yrityksen oman immateriaalioikeussalkun erilaisia hyväksikäyttömahdollisuuksia.

On the innovation capacity of technologyrelated knowledge-intensive business services. A case study of the technology and engineering consulting (TEC) sector in Singapore

Even though the research on innovation in services has expanded remarkably especially during the past two decades, there is still a need to increase understanding on the special characteristics of service innovation. In addition to studying innovation in service companies and industries, research has also recently focused more on services in innovation, as especially the significance of so-called knowledge intensive business services (KIBS) for the competitive edge of their clients, othercompanies, regions and even nations has been proved in several previous studies. This study focuses on studying technology-based KIBS firms, and technology andengineering consulting (TEC) sector in particular. These firms have multiple roles in innovation systems, and thus, there is also a need for in-depth studies that increase knowledge about the types and dimensions of service innovations as well as underlying mechanisms and procedures which make the innovations successful. The main aim of this study is to generate new knowledge in the fragmented research field of service innovation management by recognizing the different typesof innovations in TEC services and some of the enablers of and barriers to innovation capacity in the field, especially from the knowledge management perspective. The study also aims to shed light on some of the existing routines and new constructions needed for enhancing service innovation and knowledge processing activities in KIBS companies of the TEC sector. The main samples of data in this research include literature reviews and public data sources, and a qualitative research approach with exploratory case studies conducted with the help of the interviews at technology consulting companies in Singapore in 2006. These complement the qualitative interview data gathered previously in Finland during a larger research project in the years 2004-2005. The data is also supplemented by a survey conducted in Singapore. The respondents for the survey by Tan (2007) were technology consulting companies who operate in the Singapore region. The purpose ofthe quantitative part of the study was to validate and further examine specificaspects such as the influence of knowledge management activities on innovativeness and different types of service innovations, in which the technology consultancies are involved. Singapore is known as a South-east Asian knowledge hub and is thus a significant research area where several multinational knowledge-intensive service firms operate. Typically, the service innovations identified in the studied TEC firms were formed by several dimensions of innovations. In addition to technological aspects, innovations were, for instance, related to new client interfaces and service delivery processes. The main enablers of and barriers to innovation seem to be partly similar in Singaporean firms as compared to the earlier study of Finnish TEC firms. Empirical studies also brought forth the significance of various sources of knowledge and knowledge processing activities as themain driving forces of service innovation in technology-related KIBS firms. A framework was also developed to study the effect of knowledge processing capabilities as well as some moderators on the innovativeness of TEC firms. Especially efficient knowledge acquisition and environmental dynamism seem to influence the innovativeness of TEC firms positively. The results of the study also contributeto the present service innovation literature by focusing more on 'innovation within KIBs' rather than 'innovation through KIBS', which has been the typical viewpoint stressed in the previous literature. Additionally, the study provides several possibilities for further research.

Exploration of the social dimension of corporate responsibility in a welfare state

This study focuses on corporate social responsibility (or CSR)as the latest dimension to emerge in the corporate responsibility and sustainability agenda, which in the recent past has rapidly risen to the top of the list of concerns for civil societies worldwide. Despite the continuing debates and discussions about the scope, benefits, and impacts of CSR to business and community in various sectors, levels, and types of society, many companies have moved forward to confront the opportunities and challenges of CSR. Thus, this study is about those proactive companies with a focus on the importance of CSR and its management inside and outside the company. It is an exploration and learning from the experience of Finnish companies, as well as other actors interested or involved in shaping the course of CSR, locally and globally. It also looks closely at how national culture affects the views, thinking, and management of CSR in a welfare state. This dissertation primarily draws on the analyses of information collected from a series of qualitative interviews and the existing literature in the area. This is complemented by an analysis of written and published documents on CSR from various sources. The results of the study give insightful information and detailed descriptions of a roadmap useful in learning and understanding CSR in Finnish companies. Despite the varying conceptual connotations, essential roadmap indicators point to the importance of framing CSR within the corporate responsibility concept, Finnish development and the welfare state system, globalization, stakeholders, and the pursuit of sustainable development as the main drivers of CSR, the remarkable progress of CSR in companies, and identification of key management areas and practices relevant to CSR. Similarly,the study reveals the importance of culture as essential in understanding and learning CSR. Finnish culture has a positive influence on the views, thinking, and management practices of CSR issues. Such a positive influence of culture, therefore, makes it easy for business people to discuss and understand CSR, because those CSR issues are already considered common and taken-for-granted by Finns and are implicit in the welfare state provisions. The experience of Finnish companies in implementing CSR policies in the supply chain is a concrete proactive step in advancing the message of CSR, that is, to bring companies and suppliers together to work on improving and strengthening relationships towards socially responsible practices worldwide. Such a forward step to deal with CSR issues in the supply chain reflects the companies' commitments and belief that CSR can be managed with the suppliers and gain positive benefits. Despite the problems and complexities, particularly in the global supply chain, managing CSR for Finnish companies presents new opportunities and challenges that are expected to intensify in the near future. The focus on CSR policy implementation inthe supply chain points to the importance of companies taking initiatives and forging cooperation with suppliers with the aim of addressing and improving CSR questions in the supply chains. The proactive stance of Finnish companies toward CSR is complemented by the active supporting role of important societalactors such as the government and NGOs. These actors carry out various promotional efforts and campaigns, thus bringing CSR into the mainstream of Finnish companies and strengthening the synergistic learning about CSR within the Finnish business and civil circles. The efforts of the government and NGOs to promote CSR are indicative of the importance of multipartite involvement and the emergence of better civil regulations. Likewise, their drive to learn from each other, exchange experiences, and contribute in CSR debates facilitated the evolution of CSRnetworks in the country. The results of this study add to the mounting evidence that CSR, in general, has created a new dimension in managing corporate sustainability. This study provides compelling empirical evidence and some direct quotations about CSR in the Finnish context. This information can be used to learn and gain new useful insights, approaches, and concepts for managing CSR.

Introducing Basic Systematic Requirements Engineering Practices in Small Organizations with an Easy to Adopt Method

Requirements-relatedissues have been found the third most important risk factor in software projects and as the biggest reason for software project failures. This is not a surprise since; requirements engineering (RE) practices have been reported deficient inmore than 75% of all; enterprises. A problem analysis on small and low maturitysoftware organizations revealed two; central reasons for not starting process improvement efforts: lack of resources and uncertainty; about process improvementeffort paybacks.; In the constructive part of the study a basic RE method, BaRE, was developed to provide an; easy to adopt way to introduce basic systematic RE practices in small and low maturity; organizations. Based on diffusion of innovations literature, thirteen desirable characteristics; were identified for the solution and the method was implemented in five key components:; requirements document template, requirements development practices, requirements; management practices, tool support for requirements management, and training.; The empirical evaluation of the BaRE method was conducted in three industrial case studies. In; this evaluation, two companies established a completely new RE infrastructure following the; suggested practices while the third company conducted continued requirements document; template development based on the provided template and used it extensively in practice. The; real benefits of the adoption of the method were visible in the companies in four to six months; from the start of the evaluation project, and the two small companies in the project completed; their improvement efforts with an input equal to about one person month. The collected dataon; the case studies indicates that the companies implemented new practices with little adaptations; and little effort. Thus it can be concluded that the constructed BaRE method is indeed easy to; adopt and it can help introduce basic systematic RE practices in small organizations.

Factors Affecting Innovation Adoption in Organizations: The Case of Corporate Website Adoption

Diplomityössä tutkittiin innovaatioiden omaksumista organisaatioissa, ja tarkoituksena oli selvittää tekijät, jotka vaikuttivat omaksumisajankohtaan sekä luokitella yritykset omaksujaryhmiin. Työn empiirinen osuus tarkasteli yritysten internet-kotisivujen omaksumista. Tutkimuksen empiirinen aineisto kerättiin postikyselyn avulla, ja vastausprosentti kyselyssä oli melko hyvä (60%). Aikaisempien tutkimusten pohjalta muodostettiin eri tekijöille mittarit, jotka analyysien perusteella olivat erittäin luotettavia. Regressioanalyysia sovellettiin, kun pyrittiin selvittämään omaksumisajankohtaan vaikuttavia tekijöitä, ja klusterianalyysiä käytettiin apuna omaksujaluokkien muodostamisessa. Omaksujaluokkien väliset erot selvitettiin varianssianalyyseillä. Tutkimuksessa löydettiin kolme omaksumisajankohtaan vaikuttavaa tekijää: (1) innovaation koettu suhteellinen hyöty, (2) yritysjohdon sitoutuminen omaksumisprosessiin, sekä (3) yrityksen strategisten partnereiden määrä. Yritykset luokiteltiin neljään omaksujaluokkaan (innovaattorit, aikaiset omaksujat, aikainen enemmistö ja myöhäinen enemmistö) innovatiivisuuden perusteella. Innovatiivisuutta mitattiin kolmella indikaattorilla, jotka olivat: (1) ajankohta, jolloin yritys tuli tietoiseksi internet-sivuista, (2) ajankohta, jolloin tehtiin omaksumispäätös sekä (3) aika, joka kului internet-sivujen käyttöönottoon. Omaksujaluokkien välillä tunnistettiin lukuisia eroja eri ominaisuuksien suhteen.

Design for Customer Needs: Utilization of Quality Function Deployment in Product Development

Kansainvälisen kaupan kiristyessä yrityksien kyky täyttää asiakasketjunsa lailliset, sosiaaliset ja toiminnalliset asiakastarpeet tulee punnituksi. Globaalisuuden lisääntyessä asiakasketju voi sisältää toimintoja samanaikaisesti yli sadassa maassa. Jotta asiakasketjun tarpeet voidaan sisällyttää tuotteeseen tehokkaasti yhä useammat yritykset ovat siirtyneet käyttämään Quality Function Deployment nimistä projektijohto- ja laatutyökalua. Quality Function Deployment työkalu auttaa yritystä muuntamaan sisäisten ja ulkoisten asiakkaittensa tarpeet, tuotefunktioiksi ja tuotespesifikaatioiksi. Näin tehdessä voidaan uuden tuotteen kehitysaikaa ja hintaa alentaa merkittävästi suunnittelmalla tuote alunalkaen paremmin. QFD:tä on käytetty useissa yrityksissä Aasiassa, Pohjois-Amerikassa ja Euroopassa, sen kehittämisen jälkeen Japanissa 1960 luvulla. Tämä diplomityö antaa teoreettisen ja käytännön kuvauksen siitä miten QFD:tä kannatta käyttää ja mitä sen avulla voidaan saavuttaa vastaten kysymykseen "miten minä, ja yritykseni hyötyy jos käytän QFD:tä".

Universities as an Insourcing Resource in R&D Operations

Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on arvioida ja analysoida yliopistojen ja yritysten välistä yhteistyötä tutkimus- ja kehitystoiminnassa. Teoriapohjan ja kohdeyrityksen case esimerkin avulla on tarkoitus selvittää kriittiset tekijät yhteistyössä sekä rakentaa tulosten perusteella viitekehys näiden kahden osapuolen yhteistyön onnistumiseksi. Teoriatausta käsittelee osapuolten tärkeimpiä strategioita yhteistyön kannalta, yhteistyön yleisiä ominaisuuksia, vuorovaikutussuhteita niin ympäristöön, toimintoihin kuin osapuoliinkin. Teoriaosuus tukee empiiristä tutkimusta, jossa perehdytään yhteen kansalliseen 3G projektiin Soneran ja Jyväskylän yliopiston välillä. Yrityksen ja yliopiston välinen yhteistyö on hyvin yleistä Suomessa. Motivoivia tekijöitä ovat muun muassa Tekesin kannustava rahoitus ja yhteistyön edullisuus, osapuolten keskittyminen omaan ydinosaamiseensa, tiedon tuotteistuksen ja uusien teorioiden luomisen mahdollisuus, positiiviset vaikutukset markkina-arvoon, imagolliset tekijät sekä varautuminen tulevaisuuden trendeihin.