Corporate Social Responsibility and Shipping Views of Baltic Sea Shipping Companies on the Benefits of Responsibility

The safety of shipping operations in the Baltic Sea is an extensively studied issue due to the density of traffic and the ecological sensitivity of the area. The focus has, however, mainly been on ship technology or on traffic control measures and the operative safety aspect of shipping is in a minor position in maritime safety studies and is lacking in terms of solutions. Self-regulatory and voluntary measures could be effective ways to improve the operational safety of shipping. Corporate social responsibility, or CSR, is one example of a voluntary measure that the shipping companies can take. CSR can enhance maritime safety and improve the shipping companies’ competitiveness. The aim of this study is to increase the knowledge of CSR in the maritime sector and study its applicability and benefits to the shipping companies. The research comprises of a theory part and a questionnaire study, which examine the significance of corporate social responsibility in shipping companies’ maritime safety and competitiveness. The aim of the questionnaire study is to find out how corporate social responsibility is implemented in the shipping companies. According to the literature review, responsible actions can produce financial and time costs, but due to these actions cost savings in the form of learning and increased efficiency can be achieved. Responsible actions can also produce concrete improvements and a reputation of responsibility that can lead to both cost savings and increase in the company’s income. CSR is recognised as having real business benefits in terms of attracting customers and high-quality employees. In shipping, CSR usually focuses on environmental issues. Environmental social responsibility in shipping is mainly motivated by the need to comply with existing and forthcoming regulation. Shipping companies engage in CSR to gain competitive advantage and to increase maritime safety. The social aspects of CSR take into account the well-being and skills of the employees, corporation and other stakeholders of the company. The questionnaire study revealed that the most common CSR measures in shipping companies are environmental measures, and that environmental concerns are considered to be the most important reason to engage in CSR. From the preliminary question about the concept of CSR it can also be seen that safety issues are commonly considered to be a part of CSR and safety gains are the second most important reason to engage in CSR. From the questionnaire, it can also be extrapolated that gaining a better reputation is one of the most important reasons to engage in CSR in the first place. For example, the main economic benefit was seen to be the increase of customer numbers as a result of a better reputation. Based on the study, it would seem that companies are starting to realise that they might gain competitive advantage and be favoured as shippers if they engage in sustainable, responsible operations and present themselves as “green”.

Social capital and health : variations, associations and challenges

Although social capital and health have been extensively studied during the last decade, there are still open issues in current empirical research. These concern for instance the measurement of the concept in different contexts, as well as the association between different types of social capital and different dimensions of health. The present thesis addressed these questions. The general aim was to promote the understanding of social capital and health by investigating the oldest old and the two major language groups in Finland, Swedish- and Finnish-speakers. Another aim was to contribute to the discussion on methodological issues in social capital and health research. The present thesis investigated two empirical data sets, Umeå 85+ and Health 2000. The Umeå 85+ study was a cross-sectional study of 163 individuals aged 85, 90, and 95 or older, living in the municipality of Umeå, Sweden, in the year of 2000. The Health 2000 survey was a national study of 8,028 persons aged 30 or above carried out in Finland in 2000-2001. Different indicators of structural (e.g. social contacts) and cognitive (e.g. trust) social capital, as well as health indicators were used as variables in the analyses. The Umeå 85+ data set was analyzed with factor analysis, as well as univariate and multivariate analysis of variance. The Health 2000 data was analyzed with logistic regression techniques. The results showed that the Swedish-speakers in the Finnish data set Health 2000 had consistently higher prevalence of social capital compared to the Finnish-speakers even after controlling for central sociodemographic variables. The results further showed that even if the language group differences in health were small, the Swedishspeakers experienced in general better self-reported health compared with the Finnish-speakers. Common sociodemographic variables could not explain these observed differences in health. The results imply that social capital is often, but not always, associated with health. This was clearly seen in the Umeå 85+ data set where only one health indicator (depressive symptoms) was associated with structural social capital among the oldest old. The results based on the analysis of the Health 2000 survey demonstrated that the cognitive component of social capital was associated with self-rated health and psychological health rather than with participation in social activities and social contacts. In addition, social capital statistically reduced the health advantage especially for Swedish-speaking men, indicating that high prevalence of social capital may promote health. Finally, the present thesis also discussed the issue of methodological challenges faced with when analyzing social capital and health. It was suggested that certain components of social capital such as bonding and bridging social capital may be more relevant than structural and cognitive components when investigating social capital among the two language groups in Finland. The results concerning the oldest old indicated that the structural aspects of social capital probably reflect current living conditions, whereas cognitive social capital reflects attitudes and traits often acquired decades earlier. This is interpreted as an indication of the fact that structural and cognitive social capital are closely related yet empirically two distinctive concepts. Taken together, some components of social capital may be more relevant to study than others depending on which population group and age group is under study. The results also implied that the choice of cut-off point of dichotomization of selfrated health has an impact on the estimated effects of the explanatory variables. When the whole age interval, 35-64 years, was analyzed with logistic regression techniques the choice of cut-off point did not matter for the estimated effects of marital status and educational level. The results changed, however, when the age interval was divided into three shorter intervals. If self-rated health is explored using wide age intervals that do not account for age-dependent covariates there is a risk of drawing misleading conclusions. In conclusion, the results presented in the thesis suggest that the uneven distribution of social capital observed between the two language groups in Finland are of importance when trying to further understand health inequalities that exist between Swedish- and Finnish-speakers in Finland. Although social capital seemed to be relevant to the understanding of health among the oldest old, the meaning of social capital is probably different compared to a less vulnerable age group. This should be noticed in future empirical research. In the present thesis, it was shown that the relationship between social capital and health is complex and multidimensional. Different aspects of social capital seem to be important for different aspects of health. This reduces the possibility to generalize the results and to recommend general policy implementations in this area. An increased methodological awareness regarding social capital as well as health are called for in order to further understand the cfomplex association between them. However, based on the present data and findings social capital is associated with health. To understand individual health one must also consider social aspects of the individuals’ environment such as social capital.

Assessment of facilitators' design thinking

Meeting design is one of the most critical prerequisites of the success of facilitated meetings but how to achieve the success is not yet fully understood. This study presents a descriptive model of the design of technology supported meetings based on literature findings about the key factors contributing to the success of collaborative meetings, and linking these factors to the meeting design steps by exploring how facilitators consider the factors in practice in their design process. The empirical part includes a multiple-case study conducted among 12 facilitators. The case concentrates on the GSS laboratory at LUT, which has been working on facilitation and GSS for the last fifteen years. The study also includes ‘control’ cases from two comparable institutions. The results of this study highlight both the variances and commonalities among facilitators in how they design collaboration processes. The design thinking of facilitators of all levels of experience is found to be largely consistent wherefore the key design factors as well as their role across the design process can be outlined. Session goals, group composition, supporting technology, motivational aspects, physical constraints, and correct design practices were found to outline the key factors in design thinking. These factors are further categorized into three factor types of controllable, constraining, and guiding design factors, because the study findings indicate the factor type to have an effect on the factor’s importance in design. Furthermore, the order of considering these factors in the design process is outlined.

Optimization of the power cable for low voltage direct current system

The demand for electricity is constantly growing in contemporary world and, in the same time, quality and reliability requirements are becoming more rigid. In addition, renewable sources of energy have been widely introduced for power generation, and they create specific challenges for the network. Consequently, new solution for distribution system is required, and Low Voltage Direct Current (LVDC) system is the proposed one. This thesis focuses on the investigation of specific cable features for low voltage direct current (LVDC) distribution system. The LVDC system is public ±750 VDC distribution system, which is currently being developed at Lappeen-ranta University of Technology. The aspects, considered in the thesis, are reliable and economic power transmission in distribution networks and possible power line communication in the LVDC cable.

Regional innovation strategies and sustainability in selected EU countries

This study focuses on regional innovation strategy (RIS) and sustainability aspects in selected regions of European Union (EU) countries. It is known that RIS helps a region to innovate locally and to compete globally and it is considered as one of the main policy tools of the EU for innovation support at a regional level. This study is conducted to explore the existence and adoption of RIS in different regions of selected EU countries, and to highlight and compare regional RIS characteristics. The study is also aimed at identifying the factors that characterise the formulation and implementation of RIS as well as the problems associated thereof. In this study, six regions of EU countries are considered: Päijät-Häme Region (Finland); London Region (United Kingdom); Mid-West Region (Ireland); Veneto Region (Italy); Eastern Region (Poland); and West Region (Romania). Data and information are collected by sending questionnaires to the respective regional authorities of these selected regions. Based on the gathered information and analysis, RIS or equivalent strategy document serves as a blueprint for forwarding innovative programmes towards regional sustainability. The objectives of RIS in these regions are found to be dependent on the priority sectors and state of the region’s development. The current environmental sustainability aspects are focused on eco-design, eco-products, and eco-innovation, although each region also has its own specific aspects supported by RIS. Likewise, regional policies typically follow the RIS yet translated in various sectoral focus or priority areas. The main enhancing factors supporting RIS among selected regions have some similarities and variations; among others, some regions are strongly supported by EU while others have support from own regional agencies, organisations and professional networks. RIS implementation is not without challenges and despite the differences in challenges, almost all of reviewed regions consider financial resource as a common problem. Generally, it is learned from this study that RIS and regional sustainability are reinforcing each other mutually. In this study, the strong focus is given towards environmental sustainability in the regions although regional sustainability also includes economic and social aspects. A well-focused and prioritised RIS is beneficial for regional sustainable development.

Mellom tradisjon og spel : didaktikk for tekstil folkekunst

Denne avhandlinga er resultatet av eit behov for å forske på og utvikle ein didaktikk for tekstilfaget ved Folkekunststudiet, Institutt for folkekultur, Høgskolen i Telemark, Noreg. Studiet med folkekunst som fagfelt er eit relativt ungt studium på høgskolen, som vart etablert i 1984. Problemstillinga i denne avhandlinga er korleis ein kan utvikle ein forskingsbasert didaktikk der dei grunnleggjande prinsippa som særmerkjer den tradisjonelle folkekunsten, vert tekne vare på. I arbeidet med avhandlinga har eg prøvd på å klårgjere problemstillinga ut frå ulike perspektiv. Forskingsarbeidet har fokus på kommunikasjon og arbeidsmåtar i ljos av ulike teoriar. Det er ei hermeneutisk tilnærming som er vald for den didaktiske forståinga. Det fyrste drøftingstemaet har søkjeljos på kommunikasjon og dialog ved vidareføring av tekstil folkekunst. Både estetiske, teoretiske, praktiske og sosiale aspekt er nedfelte i læreplanen for studiet og skal utgjere grunnlaget for kommunikasjon og arbeidsmåtar. I den skapande og kopierande prosessen er det utvikla språklege reiskapar for både den sosiale og den estetiske sida der den teoretiske og praktiske faktoren er integrert. Møte med døme på tekstile tradisjonar så vel som praktisk forming av tekstilar har ført til refleksjon og dialog som involverer kontemplasjon, korrespondens og imaginasjon. Det andre temaet som er drøfta, er vidareføring av tradisjonelt visuelt formspråk. Her er merksemda retta mot kva som har skjedd formalt med ei gruppe tradisjonelle formelement i tekstilar i den institusjonelle vidareføringa over eit lengre tidsperspektiv. Resultatet syner at mange tradisjonelle formelement er borte frå den institusjonelle produksjonen. Formelementa kan ha fått ei meir naturalistisk utforming, eller dei er overførte til andre tradisjonelle tekstilteknikkar enn dei som var utgangspunktet. Rombeforma i den institusjonelle produksjonen er utført i færre variasjonar og kombinasjonar enn i den tradisjonelle produksjonen. Konklusjonen på drøftingstemaet er at spelereglar og spatialitet i høve til den formale komponenten i utvalet med tradisjonelle tekstilar ikkje er vidareført i alle gruppene av institusjonelle produkt. Resultatet kan få innverknad og fylgjer for utforming av ein framtidig didaktikk for faget. Arbeidsmåte og erfaring frå vidareføring av tekstile tradisjonar er det tredje temaet som er drøfta i avhandlinga. Kopiering og skapande prosessar er arbeidsmåtar som er brukte ved studiet i dag, og dei utgjer grunnlag for drøftingar i relasjon til vidareføring og erfaring. Konklusjonen er at i den skapande prosessen korrigerer tradisjonen utforminga, medan i kopiprosessen er eigen stilvilje og improvisering resultat av prosessane. Personar som deltek i prosessane, har sett seg sjølve og si historiske forankring inn i spelet, der visuelt og verbalt språk er resultat av integrasjon av tradisjonar. Dei tre drøftingstemaa utgjer grunnlaget for at didaktikk for folkekunst og tekstil kan bli intersubjektiv forståing av kva ein didaktikk for vidareføring av folkekunst med vekt på tekstil kan vere i utdanninga i dag. Indre og ytre dialog i skapande og kopierande prosessar femner om estetiske, materielle og tekniske faktorar sett i høve til spelereglar, spelerom, spatialitet og samspel i møte med tekstile tradisjonar. Samla utgjer det ein forskingsbasert didaktikk for faget der den overordna intensjonen er samtykke mellom tradisjon og spel.

Hiljaisen tiedon siirtämisen prosessi mentoroinnissa – näkökulmana kognitiivinen oppipoikamalli

Hiljainen tieto muodostaa organisaatioiden keskeisen kilpailutekijän, sillä sitä on vaikea kopioida. Hiljaista tietoa pyritään siirtämään erilaisia osaamisen kehittämisen menetelmiä hyödyntäen. Tässä tutkielmassa tutkitaan, miten hiljaista tietoa siirretään mentoroinnissa. Mentorointiin liittyvissä tutkimuksissa ei ole tutkittu sitä vuorovaikutukseen perustuvaa prosessia, jonka aikana hiljaista tietoa siirretään mentorilta aktorille. Tämä tutkielma toi lisää tietoa tähän tutkimusaukkoon. Tutkielman teoreettisessa osiossa esiteltiin kolme näkökulmaa, jotka muo-dostivat tutkielman viitekehyksen: hiljainen tieto ja sen siirtäminen, mentorointi sekä kognitiivinen oppipoikamalli. Tutkimusmenetelmänä käytettiin fenomenografista tapaustutkimusta. Tutkimuksen kohderyhmän muodostivat neljä mentori-aktori –paria, joita haastateltiin teemahaastattelulla. Empiiriset tulokset osoittivat, että hiljaisen tiedon siirtäminen mentoroinnissa tapahtui kognitiivisen oppipoikamallin vaiheita hyödyntäen. Kaikki kognitiivisen oppipoikamallin vaiheet esiintyivät mentorointiprosessissa. Siirrettävässä hiljaisessa tiedossa näyttäytyivät tiedon toiminnallinen, situationaalinen ja sosiaalinen luonne. Keskeisimmiksi hiljaisen tiedon siirtämisen menetelmiksi osoittautuivat mentorin läsnäolo, kuuntelu, kysymysten tekeminen ja aktorin oivalluttaminen. Tutkielman keskeisenä tuloksena ja toimenpide-ehdotuksena esitettiin hiljaisen tiedon siirtämisen malli mentoroinnissa, joka kehitettiin tutkimuksen teoreettisen viitekehyksen ja tutkimuksesta saatujen tulosten pohjalta.

Strategic narratives and competitive advantage : do winners speak differently?

Concepts, models, or theories that end up shaping practices, whether those practices fall in the domains of science, technology, social movements, or business, always emerge through a change in language use. First, communities begin to talk differently, incorporating new vocabularies (Rorty, 1989), in their narratives. Whether the community’s new narratives respond to perceived anomalies or failures of the existing ones (Kuhn, 1962) or actually reveal inadequacies by addressing previously unrecognized practices (Fleck, 1979; Rorty, 1989) is less important here than the very phenomena that they introduce differences. Then, if the new language proves to be useful, for example, because it helps the community solve a problem or create a possibility that existing narratives do not, the new narrative will begin circulating more broadly throughout the community. If other communities learn of the usefulness of these new narratives, and find them sufficiently persuasive, they may be compelled to test, modify, and eventually adopt them. Of primary importance is the idea that a new concept or narrative perceived as useful is more likely to be adopted. We can expect that business concepts emerge through a similar pattern. Concepts such as “competitive advantage,” “disruption,” and the “resource based view,” now broadly known and accepted, were each at some point first introduced by a community. This community experimented with the concepts they introduced and found them useful. The concept “competitive advantage,” for example, helped researchers better explain why some firm’s outperformed others and helped practitioners more clearly understand what choices to make to improve the profit and growth prospects of their firms. The benefits of using these terms compelled other communities to consider, apply, and eventually adopt them as well. Were these terms not viewed as useful, they would not likely have been adopted. This thesis attempts to observe and anticipate new business concepts that may be emerging. It does so by seeking to observe a community of business practitioners that are using different language and appear to be more successful than a similar community of practitioners that are have not yet begun using this different language as extensively. It argues that if the community that is adopting new types of narratives is perceived as being more successful, their success will attract the attention of other communities who may then seek to adopt the same narratives. Specifically, this thesis compares the narratives used by a set of firms that are considered to be performing well (called Winners) with those of set of less-successful peers (called Losers). It does so with the aim of addressing two questions: - How do the strategic narratives that circulate within “winning” companies and their leaders differ from those circulating within “losing” companies and their leaders? - Given the answer to the first question: what new business strategy concepts are likely to emerge in the business community at large? I expected to observe “winning” companies shifting their language, abandoning an older set of narratives for newer ones. However the analysis indicates a more interesting dynamic: “winning” companies adopt the same core narratives as their “losing” peers with equal frequency yet they go beyond these. Both “winners” and “losers” seem to pursue economies of scale, customer captivity, best practices, and securing preferential access to resources with similar vigor. But “winners” seem to go further, applying three additional narratives in their pursuits of competitive advantage. They speak of coordinating what is uncoordinated, adopting what this thesis calls “exchanging the role of guest for that of host,” and “forcing a two-front battle” more frequently than their “loser” peers. Since these “winning” companies are likely perceived as being more successful, the unique narratives they use are more likely to be emulated and adopted. Understanding in what ways winners speak differently, therefore, gives us a glimpse into the possible future evolution of business concepts.

Energiatoimialan allianssien kehitys Euroopassa vuosina 1990-2009

Tämän kandidaatintutkielman aiheena on selvittää ja analysoida energiatoimialan allianssien kehitystä Euroopassa vuosien 1990–2009 aikana. Euroopan energia- ja sähkömarkkinat muuttuivat 1980-luvun lopulla, jolloin kansallisia monopoleja puret-tiin ja energia- ja sähkötoimialalle haluttiin luoda kilpailulliset markkinat. Tarkoituksena on tutkia, onko energiatoimialalla muodostettu alliansseja noususuhdanteisesti vuosien 1990–2009 aikana. Tutkimusaineiston avulla on pyritty selvittämään, millaisia alliansseja energiatoimialalla on solmittu, mitkä motiivit ovat vaikuttaneet allianssin muodostamiseen, mitkä kriteerit ovat vaikuttaneet allianssipartnerin valintaan ja mihin toimialaan allianssipartnerit kuuluvat. Tässä tutkimuksessa allianssit on rajattu koskemaan yhteisyrityksiä ja strategisia alliansseja. Motiiveja allianssien muodostamiseen on käsitelty kolmen eri teorian pohjalta, jotka ovat resurssiperusteinen teoria, transaktiokustannusteoria ja strategisten ja sosiaalisten aspektien teoria. Allianssikumppanin valintaan vaikuttavia tekijöitä on käsitelty tehtävä- ja partnerisuuntautuneita kriteereitä koskevan teorian pohjalta. Tutkimuksen empiirisessä osassa on käytetty SDC Platinum-tietokantaa, josta on saatu kaikki Euroopassa muodostetut energia-alan allianssit vuosina 1990–2009. SDC Platinum-tietokannasta saatavaa aineistoa on kuvailtu ja analysoitu laadullisin menetelmin.

Perceptions of green branding and identity building amongst small Finnish textile producers

The textile industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world. The amount of air and water pollution it causes puts a burden on the environment. There are companies who have taken the environmental and social aspects into account in the their production and chosen to operate in a green manner. This thesis studies how the phenomenon of green branding is seen from the perspectives of small Finnish textile companies. The theory used in this thesis has to do with green branding and identity building. The theory is used to analyze the results of the empirical findings. The main research question that the thesis aims to answer is how green branding is perceived within the Finnish textile industry. In order to answer the main research question, empirical data was collected from five relevant companies within the Finnish textile industry. The companies interviewed for the study were WST, Saana ja Olli, RCM, R-collection and Tiensivu. The study was conducted as a multiple case based study where multiple experts from green companies were interviewed. The experts were all owners or employees of companies that have a so-called green brand identity. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews, where the relevant experts from each company were interviewed either by themselves, in pairs or in groups. The data that was collected for this study was primary data, and the results of the study are mainly based on the experiences and opinions of the experts interviewed. The data collected does not cover the entire green textile industry within Finland, but study does however give a fairly comprehensive view of the phenomenon, as the textile industry in Finland is quite concise. The general findings of the study show that all experts from the companies interviewed agreed that a green brand identity does benefit their company in one way or the other. The findings also show contradictions with the older theory (eg. Charter et al. 1999, Pickett et al. 1995), and perhaps give a more modern view of the thoughts within the industry.

Children of Matter: Luxury Value Perceptions of Millennials in Higher Education in Europe

In recent years, the luxury market has entered a period of very modest growth, which has been dubbed the ‘new normal’, where varying tourist flows, currency fluctuations, and shifted consumer tastes dictate the terms. The modern luxury consumer is a fickle mistress. Especially millennials – people born in the 1980s and 1990s – are the embodiment of this new form of demanding luxury consumer with particular tastes and values. Modern consumers, and specifically millennials, want experiences and free time, and are interested in a brand’s societal position and environmental impact. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate what the luxury value perceptions of millennials in higher education are in Europe, seeing as many of the most prominent luxury goods companies in the world originate from Europe. Perceived luxury value is herein examined from the individual’s perspective. As values and value perceptions are complex constructs, using qualitative research methods is justifiable. The data for thesis has been gathered by means of a group interview. The interview participants all study hospitality management in a private college, and each represent a different nationality. Cultural theories and research on luxury and luxury values provide the scientific foundation for this thesis, and a multidimensional luxury value model is used as a theoretical tool in sorting and analyzing the data. The results show that millennials in Europe value much more than simply modern and hard luxury. Functional, financial, individual, and social aspects are all present in perceived luxury value, but some more in a negative sense than others. Conspicuous, status-seeking consumption is mostly frowned upon, as is the consumption of luxury goods for the sake of satisfying social requisites and peer pressure. Most of the positive value perceptions are attributed to the functional dimension, as luxury products are seen to come with a promise of high quality and reliability, which justifies any price premiums. Ecological and ethical aspects of luxury are already a contemporary trend, but perceived even more as an important characteristic of luxury in the future. Most importantly, having time is fundamental. Depending on who is asked, luxury can mean anything, just as much as it can mean nothing.