An examination of factors influencing ERP key-user satisfaction: A qualitative case study

Several companies are trying to improve their operation efficiency by implementing an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system that makes it possible to control the resources of the company in real time. However, the success of the implementation project is not a foregone conclusion; a significant part of these projects end in a failure, one way or another. Therefore it is important to investigate ERP system implementation more closely in order to increase understanding about factors influencing ERP system success and to improve the probability of a successful ERP implementation project. Consequently, this study was initiated because a manufacturing case company wanted to review the success of their ERP implementation project. To be exact, the case company hoped to gain both information about the success of the project and insight for future implementation improvement. This study investigated ERP success specifically by examining factors that influence ERP key-user satisfaction. User satisfaction is one of the most commonly applied indicators of information system success. The research data was mainly collected by conducting theme interviews. The subjects of the interviews were six key-users of the newly implemented ERP system. The interviewees were closely involved in the implementation project. Furthermore, they act as representative users that utilize the new system in everyday business processes. The collected data was analyzed by thematizing. Both data collection and analysis were guided by a theoretical frame of reference. This frame was based on previous research on the subject. The results of the study aligned with the theoretical framework to large extent. The four principal factors influencing key-user satisfaction were change management, contractor service, key-user’s system knowledge and characteristics of the ERP product itself. One of the most significant contributions of the research is that it confirmed the existence of a connection between change management and ERP key-user satisfaction. Furthermore, it discovered two new sub-factors influencing contractor service related key-user satisfaction. In addition, the research findings indicated that in order to improve the current level of key-user satisfaction, the case company should pay special attention to system functionality improvement and enhancement of the key-users’ knowledge. During similar implementation projects in the future, it would be important to assure the success of change management and contractor service related processes.

Talo, kartano, puutarha. Kauppahuoneen omistaja Marie Hackman ja hänen kulutusvalintansa varhaismodernissa Viipurissa

Tutkimuksessa keskitytään tutkimaan kuluttamista elämäntavan ja identiteetin muovaajana yhden yksilön elämän kautta. Kuluttamista tutkitaan statuskuluttamisen (conspicious consumption), tilallisuuden ja sukupuolihistorian käsitteistöä hyväksi käyttäen. Tutkimuksen lähteinä on käytetty liikekirjeitä ja tilikirjoja, yksityistä kirjeenvaihtoa, päiväkirjoja ja sanomalehtiä sekä aikalaismuistelmia. Naista lähdemateriaaleista on koottu sekä tilastollista aineistoa että kvalitatiivista, lähilukuun ja mikrohistorialliseen tutkimusotteeseen nojautuvaa tutkimusta. Tutkimus alkaa vuodesta 1799 ja päättyy 1830-luvulle, jolloin seuraava sukupolvi otti vastuun liiketoimista ja lähdeaineistossa tapahtui muutoksia kuluttamisen kirjaamisen suhteen. Tutkimuksen keskeiset käsitteet ovat statuskuluttaminen ja identiteetti. Näitä käsitteitä lähestytään Thorstein Veblenin, Norbert Eliaksen ja Pierre Bourdieun tutkimuksia apuna käyttäen. Tutkimus käsittelee erottautumisen ja jäljittelyn tematiikkaa merkittävimpänä kuluttamisen motivaattoreina. Lisaksi tutkimus nostaa esille hyvän maun ja muodinmukaisuuden kulutusvalintojen taustalla. Statuskuluttaminen kytkeytyy sosiaaliseen kanssakäymiseen. Kuluttamisen kohteet ovat esineitä ja asioita, joita pidetään esillä seurapiireissä. Kuluttaminen tapahtuu seuraelämän ehdoilla, sen mukavoittamiseksi, aseman osoittamiseksi seurapiireissä tai sosiaalisen paineen vuoksi. Tutkimus osoittaa kotitalouden merkityksen kuluttamisen paikkana ja kohteena. Tutkimus myös osoittaa naisten toimintakentän olleen kytköksissä kotitalouden asemaan yhteisössään sekä osoittaa, että sukupuolta pitää tarkastella suhteessa yksilön sosiaaliseen asemaan. Tutkimus osoittaa, että Marie Hackmanin kuluttaminen muuttui ikääntymisen myötä. Aseman osoittaminen oli merkittävämpää nuorena ja aseman ollessa vielä vakiintumattomampi.

Exploring business models for medical games: Key components and challenges

The costs of health care are going up in many countries. In order to provide affordable and effective health care solutions, new technologies and approaches are constantly being developed. In this research, video games are presented as a possible solution to the problem. Video games are fun, and nowadays most people like to spend time on them. In addition, recent studies have pointed out that video games can have notable health benefits. Health games have already been developed, used in practice, and researched. However, the bulk of health game studies have been concerned with the design or the effectiveness of the games; no actual business studies have been conducted on the subject, even though health games often lack commercial success despite their health benefits. This thesis seeks to fill this gap. The specific aim of this thesis is to develop a conceptual business model framework and empirically use it in explorative medical game business model research. In the first stage of this research, a literature review was conducted and the existing literature analyzed and synthesized into a conceptual business model framework consisting of six dimensions. The motivation behind the synthesis is the ongoing ambiguity around the business model concept. In the second stage, 22 semi-structured interviews were conducted with different professionals within the value network for medical games. The business model framework was present in all stages of the empirical research: First, in the data collection stage, the framework acted as a guiding instrument, focusing the interview process. Then, the interviews were coded and analyzed using the framework as a structure. The results were then reported following the structure of the framework. In the results, the interviewees highlighted several important considerations and issues for medical games concerning the six dimensions of the business model framework. Based on the key findings of this research, several key components of business models for medical games were identified and illustrated in a single figure. Furthermore, five notable challenges for business models for medical games were presented, and possible solutions for the challenges were postulated. Theoretically, these findings provide pioneering information on the untouched subject of business models for medical games. Moreover, the conceptual business model framework and its use in the novel context of medical games provide a contribution to the business model literature. Regarding practice, this thesis further accentuates that medical games can offer notable benefits to several stakeholder groups and offers advice to companies seeking to commercialize these games.

Sustainable Development – the Key to Competitiveness CSR as an added value to Alstom’s corporate performance

Corporate social responsibility or CSR is today a widely recognized concept which is receiving in- creasing popularity extremely rapidly, especially in the business world. The pressure on companies to carry out their business practices in ethical manners, which promote the wellbeing of the environment and society, is coming from all directions and all stakeholders. Alstom, a French multinational conglomerate operating in the rail transport and energy industry, is no exception to this norm. This company, which will be used as the case example in this thesis, is being brought to bay in terms of engaging in CSR practices and practicing business with high ethics. It is surely not a negatively conceived phenomenon that CSR is being put on a pedestal – quite the opposite. Instead of corporations practicing CSR only to meet their stakeholder requirements through practicing window dressing, many corporations actually strive to benefit from the practice of corporate social business. In addition to bringing benefit to externals a corporation such as Alstom itself can benefit from being involved in CSR. The purpose of this thesis is to evaluate the current strategic values and the future perspectives of CSR at Alstom and moreover the added value which the practice of CSR could bring Alstom as a business. A set of perspectives from a futures studies viewpoint is looked at, with critical examination of the company’s current corporate practices as well as the CSR related studies and theories written for corporations. Through this, some solutions and practices will be suggested to Alstom in order for it to fully utilize the potential of corporate social business and the value it can bring in the most probable futures that the company is expected to face. By utilizing the Soft Systems Methodology (SSM), a method mainly used in organizations to solve problematic issues in management and policy contexts, a process is developed to see what improvements could be of help in improving Alstom and its way towards involving CSR in its business practices even more than it currently does. Alstom is already deeply involved in the practicing of CSR and its vision has a strong emphasis on this popular concept of today. In order to stay in the game and to use CSR as a competitive advantage to the company, Alstom ought to embed corporate social practices even deeper in its organizational culture by using them as a tool to reduce risk and costs, increasing employee commitment and customer loyalty and to attract socially responsible investors, just to name a few. CSR as a concept is seen to have great potential in the future, an opportunity Alstom will not miss.

Osaamisen johtaminen ja kehittäminen asiantuntijaorganisaatiossa

Tämän pro gradu –tutkielman tavoitteena on tutkia osaamisen johtamista asiantuntijaorganisaatiossa. Kohdeyrityksenä tässä tutkimuksessa on Nordea Pankki Suomi Oyj:n pääkaupunkiseudun Private Banking yksikön sijoitusjohtajat ja heidän lähiesimiehet. Tutkimuksessa selvitetään miten osaaminen ymmärretään organisaatiossa ja kenellä on vastuu asiantuntijan osaamisesta ja sen kehittämisestä. Teoreettinen tarkastelu pohjautuu kolmeen keskeiseen käsitteeseen: osaamiseen, osaamisen johtamiseen ja osaamisen kehittämiseen. Tutkimuksen empiirinen osa toteutettiin kvalitatiivisena tapaustutkimuksena. Empiirinen aineisto kerättiin henkilöhaastatteluiden avulla. Asiantuntijan osaaminen on laajojen kokonaisuuksien hallintaa ja kykyä sopeutua vallitseviin tilanteisiin. Osaaminen voidaan määritelmällisesti jakaa substanssi-osaamiseen ja asiakasosaamiseen sekä kykyyn hallita suhdeverkostoa. Osaamisen johtaminen nähdään keskeisenä osana esimiehen työtä. Esimiesten pitäisi pystyä kartoittamaan asiantuntijoidensa osaamistaso ja mahdolliset puutteet sekä luomaan kehityssuunnitelma yhdessä asiantuntijan kanssa. Vastuu osaamista on asiantuntijalla itsellään. Osaamista ja oppimista tuetaan yrityksessä monin eri tavoin. Kursseja ja koulutusta järjestetään riittävästi. Organisaation ulkopuolisia koulutusmahdollisuuksia toivottiin enemmän. Organisaation kilpailukyvyn kannalta on oleellista ymmärtää millaista osaamista organisaatioissa tarvitaan tulevaisuudessa. Osaamiskartoituksen ja kehityskeskusteluiden jälkeen yrityksen johdon ja muiden esimiesten tulisi pohtia millaista koulutusta organisaation työntekijöille tulisi tarjota, että tulevaisuuden osaamisvaateet saadaan täytettyä.

Reputational Risk Management as a key element for business continuity and value maximization

This thesis reveals the topic of reputational risk management as a key element for business continuity and value maximization. The purpose of the work is to investigate reputational risk from the side of its definition, management (including legal requirements on this risk category) and measurement and to analyse reputational risk’s impact on business continuity and value maximization. To be able to do this, different respective articles, reports of financial institutions are gathered and constructive summaries and analysis are made. In order to deeply investigate the impact of reputational risk on business continuity and value maximization, it was chosen to study it from three aspects: 1) check the impact of stock valuation of 7 companies that experienced reputational catastrophe / risk, 2) analyse a case study on disagreements in management of reputational risk among case companies and impact on their respective performance, and 3) conduct a survey of financial sector companies in Liechtenstein to see how reputational risk management works in practice. The findings of the research showed a significant impact of reputation decadence on company’s value and trading volume, and showed crucial importance of post-crisis management for the company’s financial performance. The results of the qualitative research based on survey proved that companies consider reputational risk management as a one of the key elements for their business continuity and value maximization.

Helsinki hub – new traffic flows and business networks

This thesis is the Logistics Development Forum's assignment and the work dealing with the development of the Port of Helsinki as part of Helsinki hub. The Forum aims to develop logistics efficiency through public-private co-operation and development of the port is clearly dependent on both factors. Freight volumes in the Port of Helsinki are the biggest single factor in hub and, therefore, the role of the port of the entire hub development is strong. The aim is to look at how the port will develop as a result of changes in the foreign trade of Finland and the Northern European logistics trends in 25 years time period. Work includes the current state analysis and scenario work. The analyses are intended to find out, which trends are the most important in the port volume development. The change and effect of trends is examined through scenarios based on current state. Based on the work, the structure of Finnish export industry and international demand are in the key role in the port volume development. There is significant difference between demands of Finnish exporting products in different export markets and the development between the markets has different impacts on the port volumes by mass and cargo type. On the other hand, the Finnish economy is stuck in a prolonged recession and competition between ports has become a significant factor in the individual port's volume development. Ecological valuesand regulations have changed the competitive landscape and maritime transport emissions reductions has become an important competitive factor for short routes in the Baltic Sea, such as in the link between Helsinki and Tallinn.

Key factors in U.S. Government support of business internationalization in Finland Case: U.S. Embassy in Helsinki

This study discusses the importance of government intervention for companies and the expansion of national innovation systems. The purpose of the study is to examine the impact which the U.S. Embassy in Helsinki can have on Finnish businesses through their business support programs and events. The embassy has shifted focus in recent years with the creation of an innovation center and increased business services. The study has sub-objectives to discover the critical factors for producing impact, host and home based factor interaction, and effects produced by these initiatives. The theoretical background of the study consists of literature relating to the concepts of national innovation systems and government intervention. The empirical research conduct for this study is based on interviews with experts from the environment surrounding the U.S. Embassy in Helsinki, Finland and participation in embassy events. The data was collected between March 2014 and September 2015. Seven interviews were conducted; five with representatives of the U.S. Embassy and two with related organizations. Thematic analysis was used to categorize and interpret interview and observation data. The use of an impact radar was implemented as a basis for analysis. This study finds that the internationalization of national innovation systems provides interesting opportunities and challenges for national governments. The opportunity to provide services to foreign companies by an embassy in a stable environment opens the possibility to create positive notice and relations with the host country. The increased connections and inputs to the national innovation system of the home country have the potential to increase knowledge absorption and create positive growth. The most effective way for governments to encourage businesses is to create incentives and reduce barriers. The services are best aimed at small to medium sized companies in the early stages of development. The findings of this report suggest that the most critical factors for producing impact on companies are the ability to disseminate information effectively, the ability to create a positive image of the country, the ability to foster effective networks between the two countries, and the ability to facilitate the internationalization of companies. In the best cases, the embassy is able to create incentives to internationalize to the United States and reduce barriers which are encountered by companies. Future research is necessary to fully understand the impact of business services provided by an embassy can have on the political and economic relations of countries, and on particular industry sectors. The institutional setting provided by the embassy’s focus on business relations provides a rich environment for further study in a number of areas.