Conference Proceedings. Academic Mobility Blending Perspectives - Mobilit�� Acad��mique Perspectives crois��es

Les 21, 22 et 23 septembre 2006, le D��partement d�����tudes Fran��aises de l���Universit�� de Turku (Finlande) a organis�� une conf��rence internationale et bilingue (anglais et fran��ais) sur le th��me de la mobilit�� acad��mique ; le but de cette rencontre ��tait de rendre possible la tenue d���un forum international et multidisciplinaire, susceptible d�����tre le si��ge de divers d��bats entre les diff��rents acteurs de la mobilit�� acad��mique (c���est��dire des ��tudiants, des chercheurs, des personnels enseignants et administratifs, etc.). Ainsi, ont ��t�� mis �� contribution plus de cinquante intervenants, (tous issus de domaines aussi vari��s que la linguistique, les sciences de l�����ducation, la didactique, l���anthropologie, la sociologie, la psychologie, l���histoire, la g��ographie, etc.) ainsi que cinq intervenants renomm��s1. La plupart des th��mes trait��s durant la conf��rence couvraient les champs suivants : l���organisation de la mobilit��, les obstacles rencontr��s par les candidats �� la mobilit��, l���int��gration des ��tudiants en situation d�����change, le d��veloppement des programmes d�����tudes, la mobilit�� virtuelle, l���apprentissage et l���enseignement des langues, la prise de cosncience interculturelle, le d��veloppement des compétences, la perception du syst��me de mobilit�� acad��mique et ses impacts sur la mobilit�� effective. L���int��r��t du travail r��alis�� durant la conf��rence r��side notamment dans le fait qu���il ne concentre pas uniquement des perspectives d�����tudiants internationaux et en situation d�����change (comme c���est le cas de la plupart des travaux de recherche d��j�� men��s sur ce sujet), mais aussi ceux d���autres corps : enseignants, chercheurs, etc. La contribution suivante contient un premier corpus de dixsept articles, r��partis en trois sections : 1. Impacts de la mobilit�� ��tudiante ; 2. Formation en langues ; 3. Am��lioration de la mobilit�� acad��mique. �� l���image de la conf��rence, la production qui suit est bilingue : huit des articles sont r��dig��s en fran��ais, et les neuf autres en anglais. Certains auteurs n���ont pas pu assister �� la conf��rence mais ont tout de m��me souhait�� appara��tre dans cet ouvrage. Dans la premi��re section de l���ouvrage, Sandrine Billaud t��che de mettre �� jour les principaux obstacles �� la mobilit�� ��tudiante en France (logement, organisation des universit��s, d��marches administratives), et propose �� ce sujet quelques pistes d���am��lioration. Vient ensuite un article de Dominique Ulma, laquelle se penche sur la mobilit�� acad��mique r��gnant au sein des Instituts Universitaires de Formation des Ma��tres (IUFM) ; elle s���est tout particuli��rement concentr��e sur l���enthousiasme des stagiaires vis��vis de la mobilit��, et sur les b��n��fices qu���apporte la mobilit�� Erasmus �� ce type pr��cis d�����tudiant. Ensuite, dans un troisi��me article, Magali Hardoin s���interroge sur les potentialit��s ��ducationnelles de la mobilit�� des enseignantsstagiaires, et t��che de d��finir l���impact de celleci sur la construction de leur profil professionnel. Apr��s cela arrive un groupe de trois articles, tous r��alis��s �� bases d���observations faites dans l���enseignement sup��rieur espagnol, et qui traitent respectivement de la port��e qu���a le programme de triple formation en langues europ��ennes appliqu��es pour les ��tudiants en mobilit�� (Mari��n Mor��nMart��n), des cons��quences qu���occasionne la pr��sence d�����tudiants ��trangers dans les classes de traductions (Dimitra Tsokaktsidu), et des r��alit��s de l���int��gration sur un campus espagnol d�����tudiants am��ricains en situation d�����change (Guadalupe Soriano Barabino). Le dernier article de la section, issu d���une ��tude sur la situation dans les institutions japonaises, fait ��tat de la situation des programmes de doubles dipl��mes existant entre des ��tablissements japonais et ��trangers, et tente de voir quel est l���impact exact de tels programmes pour les institutions japonaises (Mihoko Teshigawara, Riichi Murakami and Yoneo Yano). La seconde section est elle consacr��e �� la relation entre apprentissage et enseignement des langues et mobilit�� acad��mique. Dans un premier article, Martine Eisenbeis s���int��resse �� des modules multim��dia r��alis��s �� base du film �� L���auberge espagnole ��, de C��dric Klapish (2001), et destin��s aux ��tudiants en mobilit�� d��sireux d���apprendre et/ou am��liorer leur fran��ais par des m��thodes moins classiques. Viennent ensuite les articles de Jeanine Gerbault et Sabine Yl��nen, lesquels traitent d���un projet europ��en visant �� supporter la mobilit�� ��tudiante par la cr��ation d���un programme multim��dia de formation linguistique et culturelle pour les ��tudiants en situation de mobilit�� (le nom du projet est EUROMOBIL). Ensuite, un article de Pascal Schaller s���int��resse aux diff��rents types d���activit��s que les ��tudiants en s��jour �� l�����tranger exp��rimentent dans le cadre de leur formation en langue. Enfin, la section s���ach��ve avec une contribution de Patricia KohlerBally, consacr��e �� un programme bilingue coordonn�� par l���Universit�� de Fribourg (Suisse). La troisi��me et derni��re section propose quelques pistes de r��flexion destin��es �� am��liorer la mobilit�� acad��mique des ��tudiants et des enseignants ; dans ce cadre seront donc ��voqu��es les questions de l�����galit�� face �� la mobilit�� ��tudiante, de la pr��paration n��cessit��e par celleci, et de la prise de conscience interculturelle. Dans un premier chapitre, Javier Mato et Bego

Proceedings from the conference Visibility and Collaboration of Researchers in Intercultural Communication in Finland - Visibilit�� et collaboration de la recherche en interculturel en Finlande

This document contains papers that were presented at the conference ���Enhancing the Visibility and Collaboration of Researchers in Intercultural Communication in Finland��� which took place at the University of Turku (Finland), on October 1st & 2nd 2004. A paper version of some of the following papers as well as articles by specialists in intercultural communication will be published by Peter Lang.

Modeling and Analysis of Noise and Interconnects for On-Chip Communication Link Design

This thesis considers modeling and analysis of noise and interconnects in onchip communication. Besides transistor count and speed, the capabilities of a modern design are often limited by on-chip communication links. These links typically consist of multiple interconnects that run parallel to each other for long distances between functional or memory blocks. Due to the scaling of technology, the interconnects have considerable electrical parasitics that affect their performance, power dissipation and signal integrity. Furthermore, because of electromagnetic coupling, the interconnects in the link need to be considered as an interacting group instead of as isolated signal paths. There is a need for accurate and computationally effective models in the early stages of the chip design process to assess or optimize issues affecting these interconnects. For this purpose, a set of analytical models is developed for on-chip data links in this thesis. First, a model is proposed for modeling crosstalk and intersymbol interference. The model takes into account the effects of inductance, initial states and bit sequences. Intersymbol interference is shown to affect crosstalk voltage and propagation delay depending on bus throughput and the amount of inductance. Next, a model is proposed for the switching current of a coupled bus. The model is combined with an existing model to evaluate power supply noise. The model is then applied to reduce both functional crosstalk and power supply noise caused by a bus as a trade-off with time. The proposed reduction method is shown to be effective in reducing long-range crosstalk noise. The effects of process variation on encoded signaling are then modeled. In encoded signaling, the input signals to a bus are encoded using additional signaling circuitry. The proposed model includes variation in both the signaling circuitry and in the wires to calculate the total delay variation of a bus. The model is applied to study level-encoded dual-rail and 1-of-4 signaling. In addition to regular voltage-mode and encoded voltage-mode signaling, current-mode signaling is a promising technique for global communication. A model for energy dissipation in RLC current-mode signaling is proposed in the thesis. The energy is derived separately for the driver, wire and receiver termination.

SOCIAL MEDIA IN INTERNATIONAL BRAND COMMUNICATION OF SMES - A multiple case study of small Finnish design-intensive companies

Social media is a rather new phenomenon which has revolutionised the world of online communication. However, academic research on how companies can benefit from social media is lacking. The research objective of this thesis was to examine the use of social media in international brand communication of small Finnish design-intensive companies. Therefore, this research contributes also to the research gap in SME branding. The focus was on communication targeted at consumers. The research was carried out as a mixed methods research employing the questionnaire and multiple case study methods. The questionnaire was used to gather preliminary information on Finnish design-intensive companies and to provide an eligible list of companies for deeper examination. Then, four case companies were studied in more depth. The empirical evidence of the case companies was mainly gathered through theme interviews. The results of the questionnaire shed light on the internationalisation of small Finnish designintensive companies. On average, the companies had internationalised rather quickly after they had been founded. However, the share of exports was rather low in most of the companies. The results revealed also that social media was already used widely in the exporting companies and the use can be expected to grow in future. The findings of the multiple case study suggest that branding activities in small Finnish designintensive companies are constrained by limited resources and skills. In addition, the branding activities are strongly guided by the vision and values of the entrepreneur(s) rather than extensive marketing research. The brand structure was simple in all case companies and they aimed at having a standardised brand image across markets. However, all case companies had faced a need for some adaptation of their international brand communication. Internationally important brand communication channels were international fairs, the internet, word-of-mouth and social media. Social media offered a cost-effective brand communication channel for the case companies. It was used for various purposes, such as creating brand awareness and affecting how the brand is perceived. The entrepreneurs found the use of social media to be rather easy and the case companies had not faced any major challenges. However, the companies had recognised that communication in social media requires consistency and planning. The planning was rather informal and stayed on a general level. Overall, the utilisation of social media in the case companies was limited by a lack of resources. It seemed to affect especially the follow-up of brand communication in social media which stayed rather superficial.

Kirja-arvostelu : Udder healt and communication

Kirjallisuusarvostelu

Communication as a trust builder in change management

Organizations are today characterized by uncertainty, fast changes and inability to predict the future. Both trust and communication are vital when changes are implemented in an organization. The purpose of this study was to examine how a change process can be enhanced by the means of communication and trust. This study was cheated by using the existing literature related to the subject.

From network pictures to network insight in solution business ��� the role of internal communication

Operating in business-to-business markets requires an in-depth understanding on business networks. Actions and reactions made to compete in markets are fundamentally based on managers��� subjective perceptions of the network. However, an amalgamation of these individual perceptions, termed a network picture, to a common company level shared understanding on that network, known as network insight, is found to be a substantial challenge for companies. A company���s capability to enhance common network insight is even argued to lead competitive advantage. Especially companies with value creating logics that require wide comprehension of and collaborating in networks, such as solution business, are necessitated to develop advanced network insight. According to the extant literature, dispersed pieces of atomized network pictures can be unified to a common network insight through a process of amalgamation that comprises barriers/drivers of multilateral exchange, manifold rationality, and recursive time. However, the extant body of literature appears to lack an understanding on the role of internal communication in the development of network insight. Nonetheless, the extant understanding on the amalgamation process indicates that internal communication plays a substantial role in the development of company level network insight. The purpose of the present thesis is to enhance understanding on internal communication in the amalgamation of network pictures to develop network insight in the solution business setting, which was chosen to represent business-to-business value creating logic that emphasizes the capability to understand and utilize networks. Thus, in solution business the role of succeeding in the amalgamation process is expected to emphasize. The study combines qualitative and quantitative research by means of various analytical methods including multiple case analysis, simulation, and social network analysis. Approaching the nascent research topic with differing perspectives and means provides a broader insight on the phenomenon. The study provides empirical evidence from Finnish business-to-business companies which operate globally. The empirical data comprise interviews (n=28) with managers of three case companies. In addition the data includes a questionnaire (n=23) collected mainly for the purpose of social network analysis. In addition, the thesis includes a simulation study more specifically achieved by means of agent based modeling. The findings of the thesis shed light on the role of internal communication in the amalgamation process, contributing to the emergent discussion of network insights and thus to the industrial marketing research. In addition, the thesis increases understanding on internal communication in the change process to solution business, a supplier���s internal communication in its matrix organization structure during a project sales process, key barriers and drivers that influence internal communication in project sales networks, perceived power within industrial project sales, and the revisioning of network pictures. According to the findings, internal communication is found to play a substantial role in the amalgamation process. First, it is suggested that internal communication is a base of multilateral exchange. Second, it is suggested that internal communication intensifies and maintains manifold rationality. Third, internal communication is needed to explicate the usually differing time perspectives of others and thus it is suggested that internal communication has role as the explicator of recursive time. Furthermore, the role of an efficient amalgamation process is found to be emphasized in solutions business as it requires a more advanced network insight for cross-functional collaboration. Finally, the thesis offers several managerial implications for industrial suppliers to enhance the amalgamation process when operating in solution business.

Brand Communication Strategy of E-commerce SMEs in Chinese Cosmetics Market

This study concentrates on how to develop a brand communication strategy for ecommerce SMEs in Chinese cosmetic market with new media channels. This study is a qualitative research. Data collection consists of primary data and secondary data. Primary data is from the case company���s websites, observation of benchmarked companies and observation of the case company. Secondary data will be collected from relevant websites and reliable databases. In order to explore the research questions, comparative benchmarking was conducted to develop brand communication strategy for case company April. The results of the study illustrate that e-commerce SMEs have to consider brand positioning strategy, brand awareness strategy, brand attitude strategy, brand media strategy and the brand benefits as well to develop brand communication strategy.

Strategic communication : practice, ideology and dissonance

This dissertation approaches the manifestations of ideology in U.S. Strategic Communication. The discussion approaches Strategic Communication by relating it to the Enlightenment narratives and suggesting these narratives maintain similar social and political functions. This dissertation aims to address the key contents and mechanisms of Strategic Communication by covering the perspectives of (i) communication as leadership as well as (ii) communication as discourse , i.e. practice and contents. Throughout the empirical part of the dissertation, the communication theoretical discussion is supported by a methodological framework that bridges Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and functional language theory. According to the principles of CDA, Strategic Communication is treated as ideological, hegemonic discourse that impacts social order. The primary method of analysis is transitivity analysis, which is concerned with how language and its patterns construe reality. This analysis is complemented with a discussion on the rituals of production and interpretation, which can be treated as visual extensions of textual transitivity. The concept of agency is the key object of analysis. From the perspective of leadership, Strategic Communication is essentially a leadership model through which the organization defines itself, its aims and legitimacy. This dissertation arrives to the conclusion that Strategic Communication is used not only as a concept for managing Public Relations and information operations. It is an esse ntial asset in the inter-organization management of its members. The current developments indicate that the concept is developing towards even heavier measures of control. From the perspective of language and discourse, the key narratives of Strategic Communication are advocated with the intrinsic values of democracy and technological progress as the prerequisites of ethics and justice. The transitivity patterns reveal highly polarized agency. The agency of the Self is typically outsourced to technology. Further, the transitivity pa tterns demonstrate how the effects-centric paradigm of warfare has created a lexicon that is ideologically exclusive. It has led to the development of two mutually exclusive sets of vocabulary, where the desc riptions of legitimate ac tion exclude Others by default. These ideological discourses have become naturalized in the official vocabulary of strategic planning and le adership. Finally, the analysis of the images of the captures and deaths of Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden and Muammar Gaddafi bring the discussion back to the themes of the Enlightenment by demonstrating how democracy is framed to serve political purposes. The images of democracy are essentially images of violence. Contrary to the official, instrumental and humanitari an narratives of Strategic Communication, it is the grammar of expressive, violent rituals that serve as the instrument of unity.

The nature of communication structures of university students in an international web-based computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) course

Communication, the flow of ideas and information between individuals in a social context, is the heart of educational experience. Constructivism and constructivist theories form the foundation for the collaborative learning processes of creating and sharing meaning in online educational contexts. The Learning and Collaboration in Technology-enhanced Contexts (LeCoTec) course comprised of 66 participants drawn from four European universities (Oulu, Turku, Ghent and Ramon Llull). These participants were split into 15 groups with the express aim of learning about computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL). The Community of Inquiry model (social, cognitive and teaching presences) provided the content and tools for learning and researching the collaborative interactions in this environment. The sampled comments from the collaborative phase were collected and analyzed at chain-level and group-level, with the aim of identifying the various message types that sustained high learning outcomes. Furthermore, the Social Network Analysis helped to view the density of whole group interactions, as well as the popular and active members within the highly collaborating groups. It was observed that long chains occur in groups having high quality outcomes. These chains were also characterized by Social, Interactivity, Administrative and Content comment-types. In addition, high outcomes were realized from the high interactive cases and high-density groups. In low interactive groups, commenting patterned around the one or two central group members. In conclusion, future online environments should support high-order learning and develop greater metacognition and self-regulation. Moreover, such an environment, with a wide variety of problem solving tools, would enhance interactivity.

Communication Solutions for LVDC Island Networks

Production and generation of electrical power is evolving to more environmental friendly technologies and schemes. Pushed by the increasing cost of fossil fuels, the operational costs of producing electrical power with fossil fuels and the effect in the environment, like pollution and global warming, renewable energy sources gain con-stant impulse into the global energy economy. In consequence, the introduction of distributed energy sources has brought a new complexity to the electrical networks. In the new concept of smart grids and decen-tralized power generation; control, protection and measurement are also distributed and requiring, among other things, a new scheme of communication to operate with each other in balance and improve performance. In this research, an analysis of different communication technologies (power line communication, Ethernet over unshielded twisted pair (UTP), optic fiber, Wi-Fi, Wi-MAX, and Long Term Evolution) and their respective characteristics will be carried out. With the objective of pointing out strengths and weaknesses from different points of view (technical, economical, deployment, etc.) to establish a richer context on which a decision for communication approach can be done depending on the specific application scenario of a new smart grid deployment. As a result, a description of possible optimal deployment solutions for communication will be shown considering different options for technologies, and a mention of different important considerations to be taken into account will be made for some of the possible network implementation scenarios.

Power-line-communication-based data transmission concept for an LVDC electricity distribution network ��� Analysis and implementation

Communications play a key role in modern smart grids. New functionalities that make the grids ���smart��� require the communication network to function properly. Data transmission between intelligent electric devices (IEDs) in the rectifier and the customer-end inverters (CEIs) used for power conversion is also required in the smart grid concept of the low-voltage direct current (LVDC) distribution network. Smart grid applications, such as smart metering, demand side management (DSM), and grid protection applied with communications are all installed in the LVDC system. Thus, besides remote connection to the databases of the grid operators, a local communication network in the LVDC network is needed. One solution applied to implement the communication medium in power distribution grids is power line communication (PLC). There are power cables in the distribution grids, and hence, they may be applied as a communication channel for the distribution-level data. This doctoral thesis proposes an IP-based high-frequency (HF) band PLC data transmission concept for the LVDC network. A general method to implement the Ethernet-based PLC concept between the public distribution rectifier and the customerend inverters in the LVDC grid is introduced. Low-voltage cables are studied as the communication channel in the frequency band of 100 kHz���30 MHz. The communication channel characteristics and the noise in the channel are described. All individual components in the channel are presented in detail, and a channel model, comprising models for each channel component is developed and verified by measurements. The channel noise is also studied by measurements. Theoretical signalto- noise ratio (SNR) and channel capacity analyses and practical data transmission tests are carried out to evaluate the applicability of the PLC concept against the requirements set by the smart grid applications in the LVDC system. The main results concerning the applicability of the PLC concept and its limitations are presented, and suggestion for future research proposed.