Interfirm Information System for Supply Chain Management from the Cloud: An Exploratory Case Study from the Telecom Industry

This study examines the practice of supply chain management problems and the perceived demand information distortion’s (the bullwhip effect) reduction with the interfirm information system, which is delivered as a cloud service to a company operating in the telecommunications industry. The purpose is to shed light in practice that do the interfirm information system have impact on the performance of the supply chain and in particularly the reduction of bullwhip effect. In addition, a holistic case study of the global telecommunications company's supply chain is presented and also the challenges it’s facing, and this study also proposes some measures to improve the situation. The theoretical part consists of the supply chain and its management, as well as increasing the efficiency and introducing the theories and related previous research. In addition, study presents performance metrics for the bullwhip effect detection and tracking. The theoretical part ends in presenting cloud -based business intelligence theoretical framework used in the background of this study. The research strategy is a qualitative case study, supported by quantitative data, which is collected from a telecommunication sector company's databases. Qualitative data were gathered mainly with two open interviews and the e-mail exchange during the development project. In addition, other materials from the company were collected during the project and the company's web site information was also used as the source. The data was collected to a specific case study database in order to increase reliability. The results show that the bullwhip effect can be reduced with the interfirm information system and with the use of CPFR and S&OP models and in particularly combining them to an integrated business planning. According to this study the interfirm information system does not, however, solve all of the supply chain and their effectiveness -related problems, because also the company’s processes and human activities have a major impact.

Collaborative Customer Relationship Management in Business-to-Business Firm's Strategy

The objective of this thesis is to study the presence of collaborative customer relationship management in a firm’s strategy. In addition the thesis explains specific implementations of collaborative CRM, and CRM in general, by each case company. The sample consists of five Finnish business-to-business companies through applying multiple-case study method. The data is collected through face-to-face interviews with employees knowledgeable of the case company’s CRM processes. The qualitative data is analyzed through coding and shows that two out of five case companies have adopted and are using collaborative CRM in their strategy and operations. These case companies see collaborative CRM as an important driver for the company, through customer focus and market orientation. The rest of the case companies are either in the process of moving towards collaborative CRM or have given little consideration to it. The results show that collaborative CRM is in use, and that each company modifies it to meet their exact aspirations. The major challenge in the process is to fully grasp the importance of a shared vision that can translate into collaborative efforts in CRM and business strategy.

The role of emotional branding in building brand personality from a consumer perspective

The purpose of this exploratory research is to study the role of emotional branding in building brand personality. The research is conducted from the perspective of the consumer, more specifically the Finnish Generation Y females. The aim of the thesis is to gain insights and understanding on the key concepts and contribute to the Generation Y literature. In addition, the research examines the effect of certain cultural implications on the process of building brand personality. The research was conducted as an embedded single-case study, in which qualitative data was collected through semi-structured interviews with a sample of six consumers and personal observation within one of the concept stores of the case company. In order to triangulate the data, secondary sources were utilized to gain more information about the case company. The results indicated a connection between emotional branding and the formulation of brand personality, which can be manipulated according to the brand personality drivers. Congruence with consumer self-conceptualization and set of values were discovered to strengthen the emotional bonding. As the end result, the research was able to clarify the process-thinking behind emotional branding.

Johtajan vuorovaikutusosaaminen suomalais-venäläisessä esimies-alaissuhteessa

The participants in the dynamic Finnish working environment are expected to display communication skills, which is emphasized when different cultures meet. The objective of this thesis was to study the required interpersonal communication competence of leaders in a Finnish-Russian superior-subordinate relationship. The leadership was approached from a communicational perspective where leadership emerges in a dyadic relationship between leader and subordinate. The research was conducted as a qualitative case study. The data was gathered from interviews in the target organization. Four superiors and five of their subordinates were interviewed. The qualitative data gathered from the interviews was analyzed by theory-driven content analysis. The representative data was organized and coded in order to establish the main categories, which form a basis of the conclusions of the thesis. Interpersonal communication competence has a significant role alongside substance in leadership. The superiors in the workplace perceive communication as contextual. The findings indicate that there are certain tensions in the relationship between the superiors and their subordinates. The tensions are described as distance, collectiveness and emotions, and verbal expression and understanding. Leadership communication competence is about finding a balance between the tensions based on cultural differences. From the interpersonal communication research tradition point of view, the efficient and appropriate communication competence in this context consists of the knowledge of tensions and challenges, as well as the ability to manage cultural tensions and the motivation to react positively to cultural differences.

Learning information technology business in a changing industry landscape. Introducing Team Entrepreneurship in Renewing Bachelor Education in Renewing Bachelor Education in Information

Speed, uncertainty and complexity are increasing in the business world all the time. When knowledge and skills become quickly irrelevant, new challenges are set for information technology (IT) education. Meta-learning skills – learning how to learn rapidly - and innovation skills have become more essential than single technologies or other specific issues. The drastic changes in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector have caused a need to reconsider how IT Bachelor education in Universities of Applied Sciences should be organized and employed to cope with the change. The objective of the study was to evaluate how a new approach to IT Bachelor education, the ICT entrepreneurship study path (ICT-ESP) fits IT Bachelor education in a Finnish University of Applied Sciences. This kind of educational arrangement has not been employed elsewhere in the context of IT Bachelor education. The study presents the results of a four-year period during which IT Bachelor education was renewed in a Finnish University of Applied Sciences. The learning environment was organized into an ICT-ESP based on Nonaka’s knowledge theory and Kolb’s experiental learning. The IT students who studied in the ICT-ESP established a cooperative and learned ICT by running their cooperative at the University of Applied Sciences. The students (called team entrepreneurs) studied by reading theory in books and other sources of explicit information, doing projects for their customers, and reflecting in training sessions on what was learnt by doing and by studying the literature. Action research was used as the research strategy in this study. Empirical data was collected via theme-based interviews, direct observation, and participative observation. Grounded theory method was utilized in the data analysis and the theoretical sampling was used to guide the data collection. The context of the University of Applied Sciences provided a good basis for fostering team entrepreneurship. However, the results showed that the employment of the ICT-ESP did not fit into the IT Bachelor education well enough. The ICT-ESP was cognitively too tough for the team entrepreneurs because they had two different set of rules to follow in their studies. The conventional courses engaged lot of energy which should have been spent for professional development in the ICT-ESP. The amount of competencies needed in the ICT-ESP for professional development was greater than those needed for any other ways of studying. The team entrepreneurs needed to develop skills in ICT, leadership and self-leadership, team development and entrepreneurship skills. The entrepreneurship skills included skills on marketing and sales, brand development, productization, and business administration. Considering the three-year time the team entrepreneurs spent in the ICT-ESP, the challenges were remarkable. Changes to the organization of IT Bachelor education are also suggested in the study. At first, it should be admitted that the ICT-ESP produces IT Bachelors with a different set of competencies compared to the conventional way of educating IT Bachelors. Secondly, the number of courses on general topics in mathematics, physics, and languages for team entrepreneurs studying in the ICTESP should be reconsidered and the conventional course-based teaching of the topics should be reorganized to support the team coaching process of the team entrepreneurs with their practiceoriented projects. Third, the upcoming team entrepreneurs should be equipped with relevant information about the ICT-ESP and what it would require in practice to study as a team entrepreneur. Finally, the upcoming team entrepreneurs should be carefully selected before they start in the ICT-ESP to have a possibility to eliminate solo players and those who have a too romantic view of being a team entrepreneur. The results gained in the study provided answers to the original research questions and the objectives of the study were met. Even though the IT degree programme was terminated during the research process, the amount of qualitative data gathered made it possible to justify the interpretations done.

Pursuit of change versus organizational inertia: a study on strategic renewal in the Finnish broadcasting company

This doctoral dissertation explores the intra-organizational dynamics of a strategic renewal process. The main research question is how the pursuit of change and organizational inertia co-exist, intertwine, and collide in organizational cognition and capabilities during the strategic renewal. It is a comprehensive study on how organizational capabilities, organizational cognition, and structure enhance and inhibit change. Theoretically, the study is positioned in the modern tradition of strategy research, using the dynamic capability view and the organizational and managerial cognition research tradition as the main theoretical frames. Empirically, the study is a longitudinal case study of the Finnish Broadcasting Company (Yle), following the organizational changes during the years of 2011-1014. The analysis is based on both quantitative and qualitative data, which was collected during the research process using surveys, interviews, and archives. The main theoretical contribution is the application of the two theoretical approaches in one study. Empirically, the study contributes to operationalization of the concepts related to the dynamic capability view and organizational cognition, in a media context that is going through drastic changes due to digitalization. Furthermore, the case of a public broadcasting company extends the application of the theoretical concepts to the context of public management. The results suggest that renewal is a complex process, in which an organization’s perceptions intertwine with the strategic actions and decision-making. The change evolves pathdependently: the past experiences, routines, and organizational structures tend to dictate the future visions, desires, and actions. The study also reveals how the public nature of an organization adds to the tensions between change and organizational inertia, and hampers the decision-making. The doctoral dissertation consists of six research papers, each of which explores the phenomenon under study from a different perspective.

Development of category planning process in construction business

The aim of this thesis was to develop the category planning process in the case company operating in construction industry. As the interest in the field of research has just recently started to emerge towards the benefits of category management and planning, the theoretical background was derived from literature of subjects with a relation to category planning i.e. procurement strategy, purchasing portfolio model, information flow management and cost analysis. The background for the development of category planning process was derived from retail industry, to where the category planning is more researched. The empirical study was executed with mixed method approach: quantitative data of the categories was analyzed and qualitative data was gathered through semi-structured interview and discussions within the case company. As a result, the category planning process was critically analyzed and development proposals addressed for improving the process description. Additionally a tool was developed based on the empirical study to support the category planning process of the case company.

Paperi- ja selluteollisuus: Kestävän kehityksen rooli alalla ja alan tulevaisuus: Delfoi-tutkimus

Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli hahmottaa paperi- ja selluteollisuuden nykytilaa ja tulevaisuutta kirjallisuuden sekä empiirisen tutkimuksen avulla. Tutkimuksen avulla hahmotettiin erityisesti kestävän kehityksen ja CSR:n merkitystä paperi- ja selluteollisuudessa, paperi- ja selluteollisuuden tämänhetkistä tilannetta sekä kilpailuedun lähteitä ja liiketoiminnan mahdollisuuksia alalla tulevaisuudessa. Tutkimuksen tutkimusmenetelmä oli kvalitatiivinen ja tutkimusmenetelmänä käytettiin Delfoi-menetelmää. Tutkimuksen perusteella voidaan todeta, että kestävä kehitys on tärkeä aihe paperi- ja selluteollisuudessa ja sen voidaan olettaa tulevaisuudessa olevan alalla vieläkin merkityksellisempi. Ympäristöllisistä tekijöistä ja näkökulmista on metsäteollisuudessa puhuttu jo vuosikymmenten ajan ja alan kansainvälistyminen sekä alalla viime aikoina tapahtuneet muutokset ovat nostaneet kiinnostusta kestävää kehitystä kohtaan entisestään. Tutkimuksen mukaan paperi- ja selluteollisuuden nykytilanne on tällä hetkellä haastava ja kilpailu alalla on kovaa. Syitä alan haastavaan tilanteeseen ovat alalla viime aikoina tapahtuneet muutokset ja kilpailun kiristyminen. Tulevaisuuden kilpailuedun lähteinä alalla voidaan nähdä muun muassa kestävään kehitykseen liittyvät tekijät, uudet tuotteet sekä materiaalit, markkinarakojen hyödyntäminen sekä kannattavuuden parantaminen. Uusia liiketoiminnan mahdollisuuksia alalla tulevaisuudessa ovat erikoistuotteet, bioenergia, innovaatiot, sivutuotteiden käyttö, kierrätettävät materiaalit, pakkausmateriaalit sekä biotalous.

Consumers' opinions on scent marketing usage in retail environment

Tutkielman tarkoituksena on tutkia suomalaisten kuluttajien mielipiteitä ja käsityksiä tuoksumarkkinoinnin käytöstä vähittäistavarakauppa olosuhteissa. Tutkielma keskittyy tuoksumarkkinoinnin kahteen pääasialliseen osa-alueeseen vähittäistavarakaupassa; tuoksumarkkinointiin osana brändäystä ja tuoksumarkkinoinnin alitajuntaiseen käyttöön. Tutkielma on laadullinen tutkimus. Aineisto kerättiin viideltä suomalaiselta kuluttajalta ja aineistonkeruumenetelmänä toimi haastattelu. Tutkimuksen tulokset osoittavat kuluttajien mielipiteiden olevan positiivisia tuoksumarkkinoinnin käyttöä kohtaan. Tuloksien mukaan kuluttajat suosivat tuoksumarkkinoinnin käyttöä ennemmin brändäyksessä kuin tuoksumarkkinoinnin alitajuista käyttöä. Tuoksumarkkinoinnin alitajuista käyttöä ei kuitenkaan todettu täysin negatiiviseksi, sillä kuluttajat uskovat, että ostopäätös tehdään perustuen tärkeämpiin asioihin kuin tuoksuun, kuten esimerkiksi tuotteen hintaan perustuen. Kuluttajat uskovat, että alitajuisella käytöllä ei ole suurta vaikutusta asiakkaan ostopäätökseen muulloin kuin joissakin yksittäisissä heräteostoksissa.

”Käsitteistä käytäntöihin.” Heikot signaalit ja ennakointi strategisen päätöksenteon tukena suomalaisessa vakuutusyhtiössä.

Tämän pro gradu –tutkielman tavoitteena oli selvittää, miten organisaatiossa voidaan hyödyntää heikkojen signaalien analysointia ja ennakointia osana strategista päätöksentekoa. Lisäksi tutkimuksessa pyrittiin luomaan ymmärrys tutkimuksen keskeisten käsitteiden määritelmien moninaisesta kentästä sekä yhdistämään heikkojen signaalien analysointi ennakointiin ja strategiseen päätöksentekoon. Tutkimusstrategiana oli tapaustutkimus, mikä sisältää laadullisen aineiston ja analyysin. Laadullinen aineisto kerättiin kohdeorganisaatiosta puolistrukturoidulla teemahaastattelulla ja analysoitiin teemoittelun avulla. Tutkimustulosten perusteella voidaan todeta, että heikkojen signaalien analysointi on yksi ennakoinnin menetelmistä. Heikkojen signaalien analysoinnilla ja ennakoinnilla voidaan tukea strategista päätöksentekoa ja jopa parantaa päätösten laatua ottamalla huomioon mahdolliset tulevat muutokset toimintaympäristössä. Tulosten perusteella heikkojen signaalien analysointia ja ennakointia tulisi toteuttaa systemaattisesti ja tiedostetusti organisaatiossa.

Evaluating Performance of Content Marketing: YouTube Marketing in Finnish Food and Drink Industry

The purpose of this research was to define content marketing and to discover how content marketing performance can be measured especially on YouTube. Further, the aim was to find out what companies are doing to measure content marketing and what kind of challenges they face in the process. In addition, preferences concerning the measurement were examined. The empirical part was conducted through multiple-case study and cross-case analysis methods. The qualitative data was collected from four large companies in Finnish food and drink industry through semi-structured phone interviews. As a result of this research, a new definition for content marketing was derived. It is suggested that return on objective, or in this case, brand awareness and engagement are used as the main metrics of content marketing performance on YouTube. The major challenge is the nature of the industry, as companies cannot connect the outcome directly to sales.

The importance of package design to Japanese consumers: The role of visual and informational elements of package design in decision making

The importance of package design as a marketing tool is growing as the competition in retail environment increases. However, there is a lack of studies on how each element of package design affects consumer decisions in different countries. The objective of this thesis is to study the role of package design to Japanese consumers. The research was conducted through an experiment with a sample of 37 Japanese female participants. They were divided into two groups and were given different tasks: one group had to choose a chocolate for themselves, and the other for a group of friends. The participants were presented with 15 different Finnish chocolate boxes to choose from. The qualitative data was gathered through observation and semi-structured interviews. In addition, data from questionnaires was quantified and all the data was triangulated. The empirical results suggest that visual elements strongly affect the decision making of Japanese consumers. Image was the most important element which acted as both, a visual and an informational aspect in the experiment. Informational elements on the other hand have little effect, especially when the context is written in a foreign language. However, informational elements affected participants who were choosing chocolates for a group of friends. A unique finding was the importance of kawaii (cuteness) to Japanese consumers.

Pienet erikoiskaupat Big datan aikakaudella: Asiakastiedonjohtamisen edellyttämät strategiset orientaatiot.

This master’s thesis has examined how Entrepreneurial, Customer and Knowledge Management Orientations are needed in the use of Big data technology by small retail firms in their Customer Knowledge Management. A vision of the ability of small retailers to move to the Big data era is based on empirical evidence of owner-managers’ attitudes and the firms’ processes. Abductive content analysis was used as a research strategy and the qualitative data was collected through theme interviews of owner-managers of 11 small-size retail firms. The biggest obstacles to the use of Big data by small retail firms are: a lack of information about the new technology; a lack of Knowledge Management Orientation; and, a lack of proactive dimension in Entrepreneurial and Customer Orientations. A strong reactive customer-led orientation, and the ability of the owner-manager to system thinking will support Customer Knowledge Management development. The low stage of technology-use is preventing utilization of customer information. Co-operation between firms or with educational organizations may significantly enhance the use of Big data –technology by small retail firms.

Organisaation innovatiivisuus ja innovatiivisuuden johtaminen

Organisaatiot toimivat tällä hetkellä hyvin muuttuvassa ympäristössä, jossa organisaation on kehityttävä ja kehitettävä uutta säilyttääkseen kilpailukykynsä. Tämä tarkoittaa organisaatioille toiminnan kehittämistä uusin tavoin, innovatiivisin tuottein ja palveluin. Jotta tällainen innovaatio voidaan organisaatiossa tuottaa, vaaditaan organisaatiolta tehokasta innovatiivisuuden johtamista. Tämän tutkielman tavoitteena on laajentaa näkemystä organisaation innovatiivisuudesta ja innovatiivisuuden johtamisesta, sekä niiden vaikutuksesta organisaation liiketoiminnan laajentumiseen. Tähän tavoitteeseen pyrittiin analysoimalla laadullista aineistoa. Aineisto kerättiin kaupan alan case-organisaatiosta haastattelemalla kuutta toimihenkilöä puolistrukturoiduilla teemahaastatteluilla. Tutkimuksen tulosten perusteella voidaan sanoa, että organisaation innovatiivisuus ilmenee organisaatiossa henkilöstön innovatiivisuutena ja innokkuutena kehittää uutta, organisaatiokulttuurin asenteissa innovatiivisuutta kohtaan sekä organisaation toimintatavoissa. Organisaation innovatiivisuuden johtamisessa kaikkein tärkeintä on asettaa organisaation toiminnalle suunta ja johtaa toimintaa organisaatiossa tämän mukaisesti. Liiketoiminnan laajentaminen edellyttää organisaatiolta innovatiivista ajattelutapaa, innovatiivisuuteen kannustamista organisaation johdon osalta sekä riskinottokykyä.

Business intelligence – enabling self-service: A case study in a global manufacturing company

Business intelligence (BI) is an information process that includes the activities and applications used to transform business data into valuable business information. Today’s enterprises are collecting detailed data which has increased the available business data drastically. In order to meet changing customer needs and gain competitive advantage businesses try to leverage this information. However, IT departments are struggling to meet the increased amount of reporting needs. Therefore, recent shift in the BI market has been towards empowering business users with self-service BI capabilities. The purpose of this study was to understand how self-service BI could help businesses to meet increased reporting demands. The research problem was approached with an empirical single case study. Qualitative data was gathered with a semi-structured, theme-based interview. The study found out that case company’s BI system was mostly used for group performance reporting. Ad-hoc and business user-driven information needs were mostly fulfilled with self-made tools and manual work. It was felt that necessary business information was not easily available. The concept of self-service BI was perceived to be helpful to meet such reporting needs. However, it was found out that the available data is often too complex for an average user to fully understand. The respondents felt that in order to self-service BI to work, the data has to be simplified and described in a way that it can be understood by the average business user. The results of the study suggest that BI programs struggle in meeting all the information needs of today’s businesses. The concept of self-service BI tries to resolve this problem by allowing users easy self-service access to necessary business information. However, business data is often complex and hard to understand. Self-serviced BI has to overcome this challenge before it can reach its potential benefits.