Akateemisen Karjala-Seuran maanpuolustustyö

Kirjallisuusarvostelu

[Kirjallisuutta]

Kirjallisuusarvostelu

Erkko, J. H.

J. H. Erkko Juhana Heikki (Johan Henrik) Erkko f. 16.1.1849 i Orimattila d. 16.11.1906 i Helsingfors J.H. Erkko var en av den samtida nationella väckelsens centrala lyriker. Erkko utbildade sig till lärare vid seminariet i Jyväskylä och inledde sitt författarskap i en ljust idealistisk anda. Han skrev gracila dikter i folkvisestil, ideologiskt laddade av nationalitetsidén. Många av Erkkos fosterländska dikter har börjat leva sitt eget liv oberoende av sin författare, och så gott som förvandlats till allmän egendom. Till hans kändaste dikter hör ”Kansalaislaulu” (sv. Medborgarsång), ”Hämäläisen laulu” (sv. Tavastlänningens sång) och ”Jouluaatto” (sv. Julaftonen, populär finsk julsång som inleds ”No, onkos tullut kesä/nyt talven keskellen?”). I sina dramer behandlade Erkko även sin tids samhälleliga problem och sina religiösa uppfattningar.

Value based pricing and marketing of marine engines

Objective of the thesis is to create a value based pricing model for marine engines and study the feasibility of implementing such model in the sales organization of a specific segment in the case company’s marine division. Different pricing strategies, concept of “value”, and how perceptions of value can be influenced through value based marketing are presented as theoretical background for the value based pricing model. Forbis and Mehta’s Economic Value to Customer (EVC) was selected as framework to create the value based pricing model for marine engines. The EVC model is based on calculating and comparing life-cycle costs of the reference product and competing products, thus showing the quantifiable value of the company’s own product compared to competition. In the applied part of the thesis, the components of the EVC model are identified for a marine diesel engine, the components are explained, and an example calculation created in Excel is presented. When examining the possibilities to implement in practice a value based pricing strategy based on the EVC model, it was found that the lack of precise information on competing products is the single biggest obstacle to use EVC exactly as presented in the literature. It was also found that sometimes necessary communication channels are missing and that there is simply a lack of interest from some clients and product end-users part to spend time on studying the life-cycle costs of the product. Information on the company’s own products is however sufficient and the sales force is capable to communicate to sufficiently high executive levels in the client organizations. Therefore it is suggested to focus on quantifying and communicating the company’s own value proposition. The dynamic nature of the business environment (variance in applications in which engines are installed, different clients, competition, end-clients etc.) means also that each project should be created its own EVC calculation. This is demanding in terms of resources needed, thus it is suggested to concentrate on selected projects and buyers, and to clients where the necessary communication channels to right levels in the customer organization are available. Finally, it should be highlighted that as literature suggests, implementing a value based pricing strategy is not possible unless the whole business approach is value based.

Ruotsin aika Suomessa, Suomen aika Ruotsissa

Kirjallisuusarvostelu

Napakka teos suomalaisista tyttökirjoista päästää lukijat ääneen

Kirjallisuusarvostelu

Politiikan pitkät syklit ja poliittisen kentän uusjako

1/2014 on lehden EU-erikoisnumero.

Potential for synthetic gas in Finnish industry

Finland, other Nordic countries and European Union aim to decarbonize their energy production by 2050. Decarbonization requires large scale implementation of non-emission energy sources, i.e. renewable energy and nuclear power. Stochastic renewable energy sources present a challenge to balance the supply and demand for energy. Energy storages, non-emissions fuels in mobility and industrial processes are required whenever electrification is not possible. Neo-Carbon project studies the decarbonizing the energy production and the role of synthetic gas in it. This thesis studies the industrial processes in steel production, oil refining, cement manufacturing and glass manufacturing, where natural gas is already used or fuel switch to SNG is possible. The technical potential for fuel switching is assessed, and economic potential is necessary after this. All studied processes have potential for fuel switching, but total decarbonization of steel production, oil refining requires implementation of other zero-emission technologies.

Fundraising and investor relations in social enterprise: Marketing your way out of the pioneer gap in African off-grid renewable energy

Social enterprises apply the best of business for the pursuit of social or environmental mission while also generating revenues. Globally, nearly 1,3 billion people lack access to electricity, as well as another billion having access to only low quality and infrequent electricity. Off-grid renewable energy, like solar, will increasingly have a key role in the solution of the energy access issue. The pioneer gap in off-grid renewable energy consists of financing (or funding) gaps and capacity gaps, to do with both the early stage of the enterprises in question, as well as the early stage of the whole industry. The gaps are emphasised by specific characteristics of off-grid renewable energy business models and the requirements of operating in bottom-of-the-pyramid markets. The marketing perspective to fundraising is chosen to uncover the possible role enterprises themselves have in bridging the pioneer gap. The purpose of this thesis is to study how social enterprises operating in off-grid renewable energy in Africa utilise marketing activities in their investor relations in bridging the pioneer gap. This main research question is divided into the following sub-questions:  How does the pioneer gap affect fundraising for these enterprises?  How are the funding needs for these enterprises characterised?  How do these enterprises build trust in their investor relations? The theoretic framework is built on relationship marketing and investor relations, with an emphasis on creation of trust. The research is conducted as a thematical case study. Primary data is gathered via semi-structured interviews with six solar energy companies and two accelerators. According to the findings, the main components affecting trust-creation are diminished information asymmetry and perceived risk, mission alignment as well as a personal fit or relationship with the investor. Therefore, an enterprise can utilise e.g. the following marketing activities in their investor relations to bridge the pioneer gap: ensuring investor material, the enterprise story and presenting of them is clear, concise and complete to “package” the enterprise as an investment; taking investor needs and motivations into account as well as utilising existing investors as ambassadors.