How is OpenAIRE supporting open access policies and infrastructures in Europe? A Nordic point of view!

Presentation at the Nordic Perspectives on Open Access and Open Science seminar, Helsinki, October 15, 2013

KBART - a publisher's view

Mirjam Kesslerin esitys Kirjastoverkkopäivillä 24.10.2013 Helsingissä.

The duality of tactical thought : a study of how Swedish land forces' commanders view tactics in irregular warfare

This is a sociological study of the views of officers in the Swedish Army and its Amphibious Forces on tactics in Irregular Warfare (IW), in particular, Counterinsurgency (COIN). IW comprises struggles, where the military weaker part uses an indirect approach with smaller units and integrates the civilian and military dimensions in a violence spectrum including subversion, terrorism, Guerrilla Warfare and infantry actions. IW is the main armed warfare style in insurgencies. COIN is the combined political, military, economic, social and legal actions in counter insurgencies. Data has been collected by means of interviews with almost all (n =43) officers, who were either commanding battalions or rifle and manoeuvre companies while undergoing training for general warfare and international operations. The main theoretical and methodological inspiration is the traditional one for research on social fields, inaugurated by the French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu. The statistical technique used is Multiple Correspondence Analysis. As a background and context base, an inquiry inspired by the Begriffsgechichte (Conceptual History) tradition explores the genesis and development of understandings of the term Irregular Warfare. The research question is outlined as; “how can contemporary Swedish military thought on tactics in Irregular Warfare be characterized using descriptive patterns, mapped in relation to background factors and normative standards? The most significant findings are that there are two main opposing notions separating the officers’ views on tactics in Irregular Warfare: (1) a focus on larger, combat oriented and collectively operating military units versus smaller and larger, more intelligence oriented and dispersed operating units, and (2) a focus on military tasks and kinetic effects versus military and civilian tasks as well as “soft” effects. The distribution of these views can be presented as a two-dimensional space structured by the two axes. This space represents four categories of tactics, partly diverging from normative military standards for Counterinsurgency. This social space of standpoints shows different structural tendencies for background factors of social and cultural character, particularly dominant concerning military backgrounds, international mission experiences and civilian education. Compared to military standards for Counterinsurgency, the two tactical types characterized by a Regular Warfare mind-set stands out as counter-normative. Signs of creative thought on military practice and theory, as well as a still persistent Regular Warfare doxa are apparent. Power struggles might thus develop, effecting the transformation to a broadened warfare culture with an enhanced focus also on Irregular Warfare. The result does not support research results arguing for a convergence of military thought in the European transformation of Armed Forces. The main argument goes beyond tactics and suggests sociological analysis on reciprocal effects regarding strategy, operational art, tactics as well as leadership, concerning the mind-set and preferences for Regular, Irregular and Hybrid Warfare.

The role of import intermediary companies in the Russian imports from the EU A case study of a Russian industrial company’s point of view on import intermediaries

The literature on agency suggests different implications for the use of export intermediaries. However, only few studies provide a view on import intermediaries. This thesis tries for its part to fill this research gap by studying the import intermediaries in the EU–Russia trade from a Russian industrial company’s point of view. The aim is to describe import intermediation and explain the need for import intermediary companies in the EU–Russia trade. The theoretical framework of this thesis originates from an article by Peng and York (2001), in which they study the performance of export intermediaries. This thesis applies resource-based theory, transaction cost theory and agency cost theory, following the idea of Peng and York. The resource-based theory approach is utilised for describing an ideal import intermediary company, and transaction cost theory provides a basis for understanding the benefits of using the services of import intermediary companies, while agency cost theory is applied in order to understand the risks the Russian industrial company faces when it decides to use the services of import intermediaries. The study is performed in the form of a case interview with a representative of a major Russian metallurgy company. The results of the study suggest that an ideal intermediary has the skills required specifically for the imports process, in order to save time and money of the principal company. The intermediary company helps reducing the amount of time the managers and the staff of the principal company use to make imports possible, thus reducing the salary costs and providing the possibility to concentrate on the company’s core competencies. The benefits of using the services of import intermediary companies are the reduced transaction costs, especially salary costs that are minimised because of the effectiveness and specialisation of import intermediaries. Intermediaries are specialised in the imports process and thus need less time and resources to organise the imports. They also help to reduce the fixed salary costs, because their services can be used only when needed. The risks of being misled by intermediaries are minimised by the competition on the import intermediary market. In case an intermediary attempts fraud, it gets replaced by its rival.

High-Tech Commercialization Research Projects: A Pragmatic View

In the Finnish university society the commercialization research projects has not been a focus of interest until now. The reasons for the growing interest towards commercialization research projects are their possibility to develop our economy simultaneously by providing new technologies and products. This study focuses on the examination of what kind of high-technology oriented research can be commercialized and how. The aim is to generate understanding of how commercialization research projects should proceed and to find concrete ways of improving the of commercialization research projects. As its research method, the study analyzes four different university high-technology research projects which have been commercially oriented and have to some degree been able to commercialize the product or technology developed during the research phase. The data has been gathered mainly by semi-structured interviews of people involved in these particular projects or cases. The findings from the interviews have been reflected to the final reports of the projects, provided by TEKES, and later on the data gained has been compared to each other. Also a literature review has been produced about the subject of commercializing university research with the purpose of providing known theories and framework connected with the subject. The study reveals five main factors related to commercializing high-tech research. These factors are: The Team, Market potential and competitiveness, Product and technology, Funding and Steering Group. Also the uncertainties related to these factors have been addressed. As a conclusion the study provides the main aspects that should be considered when starting a commercialization research project. Also a combining hierarchical framework has been provided related to the five factors presented. In Chapter 5 the study addresses the main tasks or steps to be taken in order to get public funding for a commercially oriented research project and later on the actual steps to be executed in order to successfully commercialize these high-tech research projects.

Value Creation Through Sustainability Within The Housing Industry - A Company’s View

The economy, under the condition of scarcity is meanwhile aiming at more rational economic activities that are efficient and effective. Companies need to know how to make use of new possibilities towards a more sustainable business. The right balance between risk and opportunity implies a sustainable growth and competitive advantage. Managers need to navigate companies across the globalization, as the global economy is constantly in motion. Further, companies have to face trends since the business world is changing radically. In order to keep up with those changes, companies have to recognize new trends early and respond quickly, efficiently and smart. To gain a competitive edge is without a doubt a critical aspect of a comprehensive value creation economy that withstands the demand for value capture and sustainability. Expectations towards a responsible economy are growing steadily. Therefore, companies have increasingly an obligation to economize more sustainable and to communicate their social and environmental commitment externally. Sustainability can live through the entire structure of value creation of a company. By reducing environmental and social risks companies can create values. This value creation thus represents a proper performance of a company and the accomplished added value through companies’ activities.

Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea - How place brands are perceived differently from the points of view of a local and a tourist

Tämä tutkielma käsittelee paikkamarkkinointia ja paikkabrändäystä. Tutkielmassa tarkastellaan paikallisen ja turistin tapoja muodostaa kaupunkibrändi; mistä palasista brändi muodostuu kirjallisuuden ja haastateltavien mukaan, koetaanko eri palaset vaihtelevissa määrin tärkeiksi riippuen siitä, tarkastellaanko paikkaa paikallisena vai turistina, ja löytyykö jotain yhteisiä retorisia nimittäjiä sille, miten kotikaupungista puhutaan verrattuna lomakaupunkiin. Tutkimuksessa haastateltiin yli kolmeakymmentä henkilöä heidän kotikaupungeistaan ja kaupungeista, joihin he olivat matkustaneet lomalle. Haastateltavat olivat suurinpiirtein samanikäisiä, mutta eri kaupungeista ja matkustaneet eri paikkoihin. Haastateltavia pyydettiin ensin kuvailemaan vapaasti kotikaupunkiaan ja sen jälkeen kaupungista kysyttiin kirjallisuuteen perustuen kysymyksiä. Sama menetelmä toistettiin lomakohteen suhteen. Tutkimuksesta selvisi, että paikkabrändi muodostetaan samoista komponenteista, mutta joidenkin komponenttien merkitys on tärkeämpi kotikaupungissa, kun taas toiset komponentit ovat tärkeitä lomakohteen suhteen. Ihmiset ja kulttuuri yleisesti koettiin tärkeinä komponentteina molemmista paikkabrändeistä puhuttaessa, kun taas kotikaupungin brändinmuodostukseen kuului vahvemmin lait ja muut käytännölliset menettelytavat kuten liikenteen toimivuus. Lomakohteen brändinmuodostuksessa vapaudella tehdä mitä haluaa oli suuri merkitys ja vapautta nähtiin eri muodoissa. Retoriikka kotikaupungista puhuttaessa oli selvästi negatiivista, kun taas lomakohteesta puhuttiin yleisesti ottaen positiiviseen sävyyn. Suhde kotikaupunkiin oli ambivalentti, sillä huonojakin puolia mainittaessa niitä puolusteltiin, tai kotikaupungista mainittiin loppujen lopuksi jotain hyvää. Tutkimusten tuloksiin perustuen toimenpidesuosituksina ehdotetaan olemassaolevan autenttisen kulttuurin ylläpitämäistä, korostamista ja kaupungin orgaanista kehittämistä suuntaan, jossa se on hyvä paikka niin elämiseen kuin lomailuun. Identiteetti, imago ja ihmiset kietoutuvat tiiviisti yhteen, minkä vuoksi kaupunkisuunnittelun- ja kehittämisen tehtävänä on pitää huolta, että kaupunki on onnistunut molempien ryhmien suhteen, ja molemmat ryhmät levittävät kaupungista positiivista sanomaa.

The role of import intermediary companies in the Russian imports from the EU A case study of a Russian industrial company’s point of view on import intermediaries

The literature on agency suggests different implications for the use of export intermediaries. However, only few studies provide a view on import intermediaries. This thesis tries for its part to fill this research gap by studying the import intermediaries in the EU–Russia trade from a Russian industrial company’s point of view. The aim is to describe import intermediation and explain the need for import intermediary companies in the EU–Russia trade. The theoretical framework of this thesis originates from an article by Peng and York (2001), in which they study the performance of export intermediaries. This thesis applies resource-based theory, transaction cost theory and agency cost theory, following the idea of Peng and York. The resource-based theory approach is utilised for describing an ideal import intermediary company, and transaction cost theory provides a basis for understanding the benefits of using the services of import intermediary companies, while agency cost theory is applied in order to understand the risks the Russian industrial company faces when it decides to use the services of import intermediaries. The study is performed in the form of a case interview with a representative of a major Russian metallurgy company. The results of the study suggest that an ideal intermediary has the skills required specifically for the imports process, in order to save time and money of the principal company. The intermediary company helps reducing the amount of time the managers and the staff of the principal company use to make imports possible, thus reducing the salary costs and providing the possibility to concentrate on the company’s core competencies. The benefits of using the services of import intermediary companies are the reduced transaction costs, especially salary costs that are minimised because of the effectiveness and specialisation of import intermediaries. Intermediaries are specialised in the imports process and thus need less time and resources to organise the imports. They also help to reduce the fixed salary costs, because their services can be used only when needed. The risks of being misled by intermediaries are minimised by the competition on the import intermediary market. In case an intermediary attempts fraud, it gets replaced by its rival.

ATTITUDES TOWARD RUSSIAN CUSTOMERS IN THE FINNISH RETAIL TRADE SECTOR – A salesperson’s point of view

The amount of Russian tourists in Finland has increased significantly in the past years. The impact of Russian tourism to the Finnish retail trade sector is enormous, since Russian tourists often spend a lot of money particularly on shopping. Shopping tourism is mainly focused in the near border cities, such as Imatra and Lappeenranta, and in addition in Helsinki metropolitan area. The purpose of this study is to map the attitudes and perceptions of the sales personnel who are working in the Finnish retail trade sector towards Russian customers and to discover which elements affect these attitudes. The theories in this study are based on cultural elements and elements related to sales behavior and performance. Cultural differences between Finland and Russia, cultural distance and cultural intelligence form the cultural aspect of this study. Customer orientation vs. sales orientation (SOCO), adaptive selling, selling skills and job competency, salesperson’s affect and empathy toward customers, and job autonomy form the elements concerning sales behavior and performance. Furthermore, the attitude – behavior link, based on social psychology is addressed. A survey was conducted in two retail trade chains operating in Finland. These retail companies have stores and department stores in different geographical areas in Finland and the survey was conducted in altogether 19 cities. In addition to the theories that were discussed, two expert interviews were conducted in order to get a deeper understanding of the phenomenon at hand. Moreover the interviews helped in the formulation of the hypotheses and the questionnaire design. The questionnaires were sent directly to the stores, where they were placed so that they were available for the sales personnel. Altogether 487 usable responses were collected. The returned questionnaires were analyzed with IBM SPSS 21 statistics program. The results of this study indicated that the attitudes toward Russian customers are more negative compared to other foreign customers. However, the respondents’ attitudes toward and perceptions of Russian customers varied a lot. From the background variables age, education level, length of employment in current workplace, and length of experience in customer service had an effect on the attitudes of the respondents. In addition, the perceptions of Russian customers were more positive in the Eastern Finland compared to Helsinki metropolitan area. The cultural elements; cultural knowledge, cultural distance and cultural intelligence all affected the attitudes of the respondents. From the elements related to sales behavior and performance customer orientation, salesperson’s affect and empathy toward customers, and perceived job autonomy had an effect on the attitudes

The role of public export promotion in Finland Industry view of public export promotion in Southwest Finland

The role of the public export promotion in Finland needed more research. The part of the public sector export promotion in the overall export is significant. In an ever more global world not only the companies but also the counties compete against each other and the governments have an interest to boost their economy as much as they are able to. Every industrialized country has export promotion services in some form or another. In the 21st century the tendency has been the bundling of the services and this has also been done in Finland with Team Finland. The role and the efficiency of the services provided deserve more research. The research question of this study is: What is the role of the public export promotion services in Finland? The question is researched primary by expert interviews conducted for this study. The situation in Southwest Finland is studied from the viewpoint of the companies of the region by conducting a survey aimed to the successfully internationalized companies of the region and asking them on their views on the impact and role of public export services in their internationalization. The theory base is formed out of various export promotion studies, studies monitoring the effects of the promotion and theories of the internationalization process of companies. The primary material for the study are the three expert interviews conducted and the answers to the survey conducted. The research method in the first part is a constructive qualitative research. The research approach in the second part, where the views of the companies in Southwest Finland are studied, is quantitative. The study findings from the expert interviews: the aligning of the public export promotion done in Finland to the previous research and the addition of the role of the public sector in classical frameworks. The study findings from the survey: the utilizing of the public export promotion services is heavily delayed and the internationalizing companies start to utilize the services very late in their internationalization process, the average being 10,3 years from the beginning of the internationalization. Another central finding from the survey is that the successfully internationalized companies see the public export promotion services generally as highly beneficial but in the light of the answers the effect on their own company is not as significant. Concluding can be stated that the public export promotion is seen as beneficial, but the monitoring of the efficiency is complicated in the case of services. Getting the companies to start utilizing the services earlier in their internationalization needs attention from the service providers. By communicating the achieved results and benefits better to the potential users of the services the internationalization process of the companies could be accelerated