Reagan's mythical America : towards a narrative theory of prophetic politics

Lectio praecursoria Tampereen yliopistossa 17.8.2010.

Ruotsin ja Itävallan suhde EU:n ulko- ja turvallisuuspolitiikkaan

Tämän tutkimuksen tarkoituksena on selvittää Itävallan ja Ruotsin suhdetta EU:n yhteiseen ulko- ja turvallisuuspolitiikkaan. Lisäksi tutkimuksen tarkoitus on selvittää, miten keväällä 2014 alkanut Ukrainan sota on vaikuttanut maiden suhteeseen EU:n yhteiseen ulko- ja turvallisuuspolitiikkaan. Tutkimuksen teoreettisena viitekehyksenä käytetään sosiaalista konstruktivismia, joka tässä tutkimuksessa perustuu vahvasti Alexander Wendtin teokseen Social Theory of International Relations. Tutkimusmenetelmänä käytetään teoriaohjaavaa laadullista sisällönanalyysiä. Tutkimusaineistona käytetään pääasiassa kohdevaltioiden virallisilta verkkosivuilta löytyviä julkisia englanninkielisiä raportteja, lehdistötiedotteita, strategioita ja muita julkaisuja joista valikoidaan aihetta koskeva lähdeaineisto. Ensimmäisessä vaiheessa neljän teeman avulla molempien maiden osalta aineiston se osa, joka on julkaistu ennen Ukrainan sodan alkamista. Teemat ovat: - Sotilaallisen voiman merkitys - EU:n yhteinäisyyden merkitys valtiolle - Yhteisen ulko- ja tuvallisuuspolitiikan suhde valtion omiin intresseihin - EU rauhan takaajana Toisessa vaiheessa analysoidaan molempien maiden osalta aineiston se osa, joka on julkaistu ukrainan sodan alkamisen jälkeen. Pohdintaluvussa tarkastellaan lopulta analyysin tulokset tukeutuen tutkimuskysymyksiin. Tutkimuksen tuloksena havaittiin, että molemmat maat olivat vahvasti sitoutuneet EU:n yhteisen ulko- ja turvallisuuspolitiikan tavoitteisiin ja olivat sitoutuneet niihin myös omissa ulko- ja turvallisuuspoliittisissa tavoitteissaan. Maiden suhtautumisessa YUTP:n tavoitteisiin ei ollut merkittäviä eroavaisuuksia. Ukrainan sota vaikutti maiden suhteisiin EU:n yhteiseen ulko- ja turvallisuuspolitiikkaan eri tavoin. Itävalta muuttui lausunnoissaan varovaiseksi ja Venäjää myötäileväksi ja Ruotsi korosti EU:n yhtenäisyyden merkitystä aiempaa kovemmin.

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.

Social ventures : the development of the theory of sustainable contributive advantage and initial empirical tests

This thesis attempts to fill gaps in both a theoretical basis and an operational and strategic understanding in the areas of social ventures, social entrepreneurship and nonprofit business models. This study also attempts to bridge the gap in strategic and economic theory between social and commercial ventures. More specifically, this thesis explores sustainable competitive advantage from a resource-based theory perspective and explores how it may be applied to the nonmarket situation of nonprofit organizations and social ventures. It is proposed that a social value-orientation of sustainable competitive advantage, called sustainable contributive advantage, provides a more realistic depiction of what is necessary in order for a social venture to perform better than its competitors over time. In addition to providing this realistic depiction, this research provides a substantial theoretical contribution in the area of economics, social ventures, and strategy research, specifically in regards to resource-based theory. The proposed model for sustainable contributive advantage uses resource-based theory and competitive advantage in order to be applicable to social ventures. This model proposes an explanation of a social venture’s ability to demonstrate consistently superior performance. In order to determine whether sustainable competitive advantage is in fact, appropriate to apply to both social and economic environments, quantitative analyses are conducted on a large sample of nonprofit organizations in a single industry and then compared to similar quantitative analyses conducted on commercial ventures. In comparing the trends and strategies between the two types of entities from a quantitative perspective, propositions are developed regarding a social venture’s resource utilization strategies and their possible impact on performance. Evidence is found to support the necessity of adjusting existing models in resource-based theory in order to apply them to social ventures. Additionally supported is the proposed theory of sustainable contributive advantage. The thesis concludes with recommendations for practitioners, researchers and policy makers as well as suggestions for future research paths.

The revival of international solidarity : the Internationale Arbeiterhilfe, Willi Münzenberg and the Comintern in Weimar Germany, 1921-1933

The aim of the study is to write the first comprehensive history of the Internationale Arbeiterhilfe (International Workers’ Relief) and its message of international solidarity during the Weimar Republic, 1921–1933. The Arbeiterhilfe was the Communist International’s (Comintern) primary international solidarity organisation of the time. The work is identified as a contribution to the transnational history of the interwar period as its main focus is not on governmental politics or intra-state relations, but is focused on the transnational world of an international organisation. The history of the Arbeiterhilfe provides the main springboard from which to write a contextually-based analysis of international solidarity during the Weimar Republic. The study highlights for the first time the importance of the German communist Willi Münzenberg (1889–1940), as the leader of the Arbeiterhilfe, in the history of international solidarity. The main question of this study is how an explicit use of language coupled with the visualisation and practices of solidarity were created through the Arbeiterhilfe. How was solidarity actually envisaged, organised and brought to life by the Arbeiterhilfe in Weimar Germany? How did its expressions of solidarity change over time? Throughout the thesis, the changing and complex character of solidarity is analysed. How was the Arbeiterhilfe’s message of solidarity created and changed in relation to the Comintern and the Soviet Union’s policies? How did the Arbeiterhilfe create a new culture of international solidarity thought film, cinema, illustrated newspapers and the organising of mass spectacles of international solidarity? The Arbeiterhilfe had its international headquarters in Berlin which functioned as the base, one could argue, for some of the inter-war period’s most spectacular solidarity campaigns. The Arbeiterhilfe constitutes a significant case study of an early international organisation as it was one of the first international organisations for global (albeit not universal) international solidarity which had unparalleled prospects to develop new transnational identifications and social ties. It could consequently be suggested that the Arbeiterhilfe in several ways could be perceived as a predecessor to several post-1945 transnational solidarity organisations and International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs).

The Dark Side of International Business? Stakeholder Approach to Human Trafficking in Finnish Construction and Service Sectors

Human trafficking is not a new phenomenon. It has existed in various forms for ages around the world. Some researchers have even compared it to slavery, calling it the modern form of slavery in the 21st century. This study is particularly interested in the role of work-related human trafficking in Finnish business. In order for something to be called work-related human trafficking, the concepts of forced labour and human trafficking have to overlap. From the economic point of view, human trafficking is governed by the laws of supply and demand. In many countries the global pressure on cutting costs has created two trends: the increased supply of migrant workers and the deregulation of labour markets. These competitive pressures can have an adverse impact on the conditions of employment and, in the worst cases, can lead to forced labour and trafficking. In fact, trafficking has become one of the most profitable illicit industries worldwide, generating tremendous profits due to its low costs and huge profits. Therefore, it is important to investigate the phenomenon from the business point of view. This study is a qualitative research conducted by using theme interviews as a research approach. Altogether 13 interviews have been conducted and some secondary data has been used in order to find out what the role of human trafficking is in Finnish business. The special sectors investigated are the Finnish construction and service sectors. The theory framework used in this study follows the stakeholder approach. The relevant stakeholder groups for this study are: ‘institutions and authorities’, ‘law enforcement’, ‘management’ and ‘employees – potential victims’ of trafficking. With the help of these stakeholder groups, a holistic picture of the phenomenon is formed. It can be concluded that the role of human trafficking is complicated but it does exist in Finnish business. It appears in low-cost business sectors where the demand for cheap labour is high. Thus, often the victims are foreigners who do not know the culture or the Finnish conditions of employment. Especially smaller Finnish companies are at risk of getting involved in human trafficking or related exploitation cases since monitoring is much more scarce in these firms than in larger companies. The risk of human trafficking and exploitation is also higher at the bottom of the complicated subcontracting chains or when using foreign recruitment agencies. Thus, the study believes that active and intensive collaboration between the company’s different stakeholder groups is needed in order to prevent work-related human trafficking from flourishing in Finland.

Towards conceptually comprehensive and integrated theory of entrepreneurial opportunity

Insufficient understanding of entrepreneurial opportunities characterizes entrepreneurship research (Companys & McMullen 2006, 302). Subsequently, the purpose of this study was to analyze the concept of entrepreneurial opportunity and to explore and synthetize the integrated theory of entrepreneurial opportunity. A theoretical and concept analytical approach was adapted. Findings of this study was that entrepreneurial opportunity concept was used for variety of different phenomena. No commonly accepted definition existed. Altogether 24 attributes that described the concept were found. The most frequently attached attributes were agent and action, new goods and services, market, value, new means ends or both, and future. Further, the results implied that opportunity could be best understood as a part of a process. Opportunity emerges out of intervened factors. Changes in the environment together with factors related to knowledge, cognition and social ties are the most important drivers of opportunity. Preventing factors that impeded the emergence of opportunity were typically related to cognitive and organizational factors. This study found a tendency towards more integrated theory of entrepreneurial opportunity. The integrated theory acknowledged the usefulness of both discovery and creation theories of opportunity in explaining opportunity. Yet three argument types of integrating two different opportunity theories were identified. These were process category, contextual category and complementing category. Opportunity is at the same time cognitive, social and linguistic construct, although it is shaped by the objective environment. Opportunity requires linguistic endeavors to become explicit. Materialization of opportunity occurs in a social context. Moreover, it is always characterized by some extent of subjectivity, as opportunities cannot appear without the agent and their action. Due to these the concept remains always to some extent ambiguous. Tolerating and harnessing change and investing in human and social capital create the preeminent environment for the entrepreneurial opportunity to be identified.

Interpersonal understanding and theory of mind

En populär idé inom dagens filosofiska och psykologiska forskning om interpersonlig förståelse, är idén att vi använder en kognitiv funktion (eller metod) för att förstå andra människor, en så kallad ”theory of mind” funktion. Denna idé förekommer inom ett brett vetenskapligt fält så som inom evolutionspsykologi, inom teorier om barns utveckling, inom teorier om autism, samt inom emotionsfilosofi och moralfilosofi. Avsikten i denna studie är att se närmare på vissa inflytelserika filosofiska och psykologiska teorier om interpersonlig förståelse, teorier som också har en stark koppling till empirisk forskning. I arbetet hävdar Gustafsson att teorierna ifråga avspeglar vissa klassiska, filosofiskt problematiska, antaganden. Dessa antaganden präglar teorierna ifråga samt påverkar hur de empiriska undersökningarna byggs upp och hur resultat tolkas.

A substantive theory of the realization of stroke patients’ dignity in hospital care

Dignity is seen important in health care context but considered as a controversial and complex concept. In health care context, it is described as being influenced by for example autonomy, respect, communication, privacy and hospital environment. Patient dignity is related to satisfaction with care, reduced stress, better confidence in health services, enhanced patient outcomes and shorter stay in a hospital. Stroke patients may struggle for dignity as being dependent on other people has impact on the patients’ self-image. In all, stroke patients are very specific patient group and considered vulnerable from emotional aspect. Therefore study findings from other patient groups in the area of ethical problems cannot be transferred to the stroke patients. This master’s thesis consists of two parts. The first part is the literature review of patients’ dignity in hospital care. The literature defined dignity and described factors promoting and reducing it. The results were ambiguous and thus a clear understanding was not able to create. That was the basis for the second part of the master’s thesis, the empirical study. This part aimed to develop theoretical construction to explore the realization of stroke patients’ dignity in hospital care. The data of the second part was collected by interviewing 16 stroke patients and analyzed using the constant comparison of Grounded Theory. The result was ‘The Theory of Realization of Stroke Patients’ Dignity in Hospital Care’ which is described not only in this master’s thesis but also as a scientific article. The theory consists of the core category, four generic elements and five specific types on realization. The core category emerged as ‘dignity in a new situation’. After a stroke, dignity is defined in a new way which is influenced by the generic elements: life history, health history, individuality and a stroke. Stroke patient’s dignity is realized through five specific types on realization: person related dignity type, control related dignity type, independence related dignity type, social related dignity type and care related dignity type. The theory points out possible special characteristics of stroke patients’ dignity in control related dignity type and independence related dignity type. Before implementing the theory, the relation between the core category, generic elements and specific types on realization needs to be studied further.

STRESS AND INTERNATIONAL ENTREPRENEURHSIP: The dark side of international entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship attracts people with high job satisfaction and financial independence. Unfortunately, being deceived by this image, people do not pay attention to side effects of entrepreneurship. This ignorance usually turns into devastating results for entrepreneur’s health and venture performance. Therefore, it is required to seek ways to avoid these situations. The interest of the study lies in understanding of stress influence on international entrepreneurs by considering stress as a negative side effect of international entrepreneurship. To cover the concept of entrepreneurial stress completely, the study was divided into three section presented by following research questions: 1. What are the antecedents of entrepreneurial stress? 2. What are the consequences of entrepreneurial stress? 3. What coping strategies are applied to address entrepreneurial stress? Systematic literature review has been chosen as scientific approach to answer above questions due to the reason that it enables to minimise inconsistencies of both concepts of international entrepreneurship and stress. This method has afforded an opportunity to distinguish such stress causes as role conflict, overload, and ambiguity. Additionally, the study has covered the notion of stress moderators. The author argues that entrepreneurial traits, venture environment, and social support can have influence on degree of stress perception. Further, it has been proven that unaddressed stress could lead to reduction of entrepreneur’s psychological and physiological health. It should be taken into consideration that degree of both job satisfaction and performance would depend on the level of perceived stress. The last part of study emphasises the coping strategies. The author argues that it is important for an international entrepreneur to comprehend his or her and others’ emotions in order to overcome negative consequences of stress. In addition, the author suggests that an international entrepreneur needs to practise job sharing to reduce the amount of work to be completed. Moreover, it is believed that job sharing can help to overcome work-family conflict that prevails among entrepreneurs. The author anticipates that results of study can be beneficial for entrepreneurs who aim to achieve great results.