Impact of Word-of-Mouth on consumer decision-making: An information processing perspective in the context of a high-involvement service

This doctoral study conducts an empirical analysis of the impact of Word-of-Mouth (WOM) on marketing-relevant outcomes such as attitudes and consumer choice, during a high-involvement and complex service decision. Due to its importance to decisionmaking, WOM has attracted interest from academia and practitioners for decades. Consumers are known to discuss products and services with one another. These discussions help consumers to form an evaluative opinion, as WOM reduces perceived risk, simplifies complexity, and increases the confidence of consumers in decisionmaking. These discussions are also highly impactful as WOM is a trustworthy source of information, since it is independent from the company or brand. In responding to the calls for more research on what happens after WOM information is received, and how it affects marketing-relevant outcomes, this dissertation extends prior WOM literature by investigating how consumers process information in a highinvolvement service domain, in particular higher-education. Further, the dissertation studies how the form of WOM influences consumer choice. The research contributes to WOM and services marketing literature by developing and empirically testing a framework for information processing and studying the long-term effects of WOM. The results of the dissertation are presented in five research publications. The publications are based on longitudinal data. The research leads to the development of a proposed theoretical framework for the processing of WOM, based on theories from social psychology. The framework is specifically focused on service decisions, as it takes into account evaluation difficulty through the complex nature of choice criteria associated with service purchase decisions. Further, other gaps in current WOM literature are taken into account by, for example, examining how the source of WOM and service values affects the processing mechanism. The research also provides implications for managers aiming to trigger favorable WOM through marketing efforts, such as advertising and testimonials. The results provide suggestions on how to design these marketing efforts by taking into account the mechanism through which information is processed, or the form of social influence.

Competitor Information andCompetitive Knowledge Management in a Large Industrial Organization

Thisthesis supplements the systematic approach to competitive intelligence and competitor analysis by introducing an information-processing perspective on management of the competitive environment and competitors therein. The cognitive questions connected to the intelligence process and also the means that organizational actors use in sharing information are discussed. The ultimate aim has been to deepen knowledge of the different intraorganizational processes that are used in acorporate organization to manage and exploit the vast amount of competitor information that is received from the environment. Competitor information and competitive knowledge management is examined as a process, where organizational actorsidentify and perceive the competitive environment by using cognitive simplification, make interpretations resulting in learning and finally utilize competitor information and competitive knowledge in their work processes. The sharing of competitive information and competitive knowledge is facilitated by intraorganizational networks that evolve as a means of developing a shared, organizational level knowledge structure and ensuring that the right information is in the right place at the right time. This thesis approaches competitor information and competitive knowledge management both theoretically and empirically. Based on the conceptual framework developed by theoretical elaboration, further understanding of the studied phenomena is sought by an empirical study. The empirical research was carried out in a multinationally operating forest industry company. This thesis makes some preliminary suggestions of improving the competitive intelligence process. It is concluded that managing competitor information and competitive knowledge is not simply a question of managing information flow or improving sophistication of competitor analysis, but the crucial question to be solved is rather, how to improve the cognitive capabilities connected to identifying and making interpretations of the competitive environment and how to increase learning. It is claimed that competitive intelligence can not be treated like an organizational function or assigned solely to a specialized intelligence unit.

Information and Material Flows in Project Business

Tavoitteena diplomityössä oli kuvata projektiliiketoimintaa harjoittavan yrityksen informaatio- ja materiaalivirrat toimitusprojekteissa. Selvitys haluttiin tehdä tulevia kehitysprojekteja varten. Diplomityö toteutettiin kahessa osassa: laatimalla aiheeseen liittyvä teoriakatsaus ja kartoittamalla todellinen tilanne yrityksen sisällä.Teoriaosassa kuvattiin tarkastelualue ja projektiliiketoiminnan erityispiirteitä sekä käsiteltiin tietojärjestelmiä ja materiaalivirran hallintaan liittyviä asioita. Yrityksen informaatio- ja materiaalivirtojen nykytila kartoitettiin laatimalla vuokaaviot kolmen esimerkkituotteen toimitusprojekteista. Kaaviot laadittiin yrityksen sisäisten dokumenttien ja kvalitatiivisten haastattelujen pohjalta. Kaavioiden sisältöä täydennettiin taulukoimalla kaavioissa esiintyvien dokumettien sisältöä. Työn tuloksena muodostui kuva tiedonkäsittelyn nykytilasta myynti- ja toimitusprojekteissa, pelkistetty visio tulevaisuuden tietojärjestelmien rooleista sekä ehdotuksia tulevia kehitysprojekteja varten.

Developing and Applying Generative Market Intelligence within Multinational Companies

Tutkielman tarkoitus on kehittää monikansallisille yrityksille tuottavan markkinaälyn malli, jonka avulla yritykset pystyvät käsittelemään muuttuvasta ja globalisoituvasta markkinaympäristöstä aiheutuvaa epävarmuutta. Malli koostuu pääosin kolmesta käsitteestä: markkinainformaation prosessoinnista, markkinasuuntautuneisuudesta ja organisationaalisesta oppimisesta. Tutkimuksessa osoitetaan, kuinka näiden samanaikainen soveltaminen johtaa synergiaetuihin. Lähdeaineistona käytettiin alan kirjallisuutta. Lisäksi haastateltiin neljää johtajaa monikansallisista yrityksistä. Käytännössä markkinaälyn soveltamisen haasteet liittyvät lähinnä markkinainformaation prosessoinnin asenteellisiin ja psykologisiin aspekteihin. Ihmisten tulisi ymmärtää, että koko yritys hyötyy heidän halukkuudestaan tiedon tuottamiseen ja jakamiseen. Lisäksi tietoa itsessään voimavarana tulisi kunnioittaa

Financial Modeling to Support Organizational Control

Tutkimus tarkastelee taloudellisia mallintamismahdollisuuksia metsäteollisuuden liiketoimintayksikössä. Tavoitteena on suunnitella ja luoda taloudellinen malli liiketoimintayksikölle, jonka avulla sen tuloksen analysoiminen ja ennustaminen on mahdollista. Tutkimusta tarkastellaan konstruktiivisen tutkimusmenetelmän avulla. Teoreettinen viitekehys tarkastelee olemassa olevan informaation muotoilemista keskittyen tiedon jalostamisen tarpeisiin, päätöksenteon asettamiin vaatimuksiin sekä mallintamiseen. Toiseksi, teoria esittää informaatiolle asetettavia vaatimuksia organisatorisen ohjauksen näkökulmasta.Empiirinen tieto kerätään osallistuvan havainnoinnin avulla hyödyntäen epävirallisia keskusteluja, tietojärjestelmiä ja laskentatoimen dokumentteja. Tulokset osoittavat, että liikevoiton ennustaminen mallin avulla on vaikeaa, koska taustalla vaikuttavien muuttujien määrä on suuri. Tästä johtuen malli täytyykin rakentaa niin, että se tarkastelee liikevoittoa niin yksityiskohtaisella tasolla kuin mahdollista. Testauksessa mallin tarkkuus osoittautui sitä paremmaksi, mitä tarkemmalla tasolla ennustaminen tapahtui. Lisäksi testaus osoitti, että malli on käyttökelpoinen liiketoiminnan ohjauksessa lyhyellä aikavälillä. Näin se luo myös pohjan pitkän aikavälin ennustamiselle.

Immediate Decision-Making and Information Needs in Intensive Care Coordination

The aim of this study was to develop a theoretical model for information integration to support the deci¬sion making of intensive care charge nurses, and physicians in charge – that is, ICU shift leaders. The study focused on the ad hoc decision-making and immediate information needs of shift leaders during the management of an intensive care unit’s (ICU) daily activities. The term ‘ad hoc decision-making’ was defined as critical judgements that are needed for a specific purpose at a precise moment with the goal of ensuring instant and adequate patient care and a fluent flow of ICU activities. Data collection and research analysis methods were tested in the identification of ICU shift leaders’ ad hoc decision-making. Decision-making of ICU charge nurses (n = 12) and physicians in charge (n = 8) was observed using a think-aloud technique in two university-affiliated Finnish ICUs for adults. The ad hoc decisions of ICU shift leaders were identified using an application of protocol analysis. In the next phase, a structured online question¬naire was developed to evaluate the immediate information needs of ICU shift leaders. A national survey was conducted in all Finnish, university-affiliated hospital ICUs for adults (n = 17). The questionnaire was sent to all charge nurses (n = 515) and physicians in charge (n = 223). Altogether, 257 charge nurses (50%) and 96 physicians in charge (43%) responded to the survey. The survey was also tested internationally in 16 Greek ICUs. From Greece, 50 charge nurses out of 240 (21%) responded to the survey. A think-aloud technique and protocol analysis were found to be applicable for the identification of the ad hoc decision-making of ICU shift leaders. During one day shift leaders made over 200 ad hoc decisions. Ad hoc decisions were made horizontally, related to the whole intensive care process, and vertically, concerning single intensive care incidents. Most of the ICU shift leaders’ ad hoc decisions were related to human resources and know-how, patient information and vital signs, and special treatments. Commonly, this ad hoc decision-making involved several multiprofessional decisions that constituted a bundle of immediate decisions and various information needs. Some of these immediate information needs were shared between the charge nurses and the physicians in charge. The majority of which concerned patient admission, the organisation and management of work, and staff allocation. In general, the information needs of charge nurses were more varied than those of physicians. It was found that many ad hoc deci-sions made by the physicians in charge produced several information needs for ICU charge nurses. This meant that before the task at hand was completed, various kinds of information was sought by the charge nurses to support the decision-making process. Most of the immediate information needs of charge nurses were related to the organisation and management of work and human resources, whereas the information needs of the physicians in charge mainly concerned direct patient care. Thus, information needs differ between professionals even if the goal of decision-making is the same. The results of the international survey confirmed these study results for charge nurses. Both in Finland and in Greece the information needs of charge nurses focused on the organisation and management of work and human resources. Many of the most crucial information needs of Finnish and Greek ICU charge nurses were common. In conclusion, it was found that ICU shift leaders make hundreds of ad hoc decisions during the course of a day related to the allocation of resources and organisation of patient care. The ad hoc decision-making of ICU shift leaders is a complex multi-professional process, which requires a lot of immediate information. Real-time support for information related to patient admission, the organisation and man¬agement of work, and allocation of staff resources is especially needed. The preliminary information integration model can be applied when real-time enterprise resource planning systems are developed for intensive care daily management

Development of Generic Simulation Model for Mobile Working Machines

This master’s thesis has been done for Drive! –project in which a new electric motor solution for mobile working machines is developed. Generic simulation model will be used as marketing and development tool. It can be used to model a wide variety of different vehicles with and without electric motor and to show customer the difference between traditionally build vehicles and those with new electric motor solution. Customers can also use simulation model to research different solutions for their own vehicles. At the start of the project it was decided that MeVEA software would be used as main simulation program and Simulink will only be used to simulate the operation of electrical components. Development of the generic model started with the research of these two software applications, simulation models which are made with them and how these simulation models can be build faster. Best results were used for building of generic simulation model. Finished generic model can be used to produce new tractor models for real-time simulations in short notice. All information about model is collected to one datasheet which can be easily filled by the user. After datasheet is filled a script will automatically build new simulation model in seconds. At the moment generic model is capable of building simulation models for wide variety of different tractors but it can be easily altered for other vehicle types too which would also benefit greatly from electric drive solution. Those could be for example wheel loaders and harvesters.

Hankinnan tietojärjestelmäintegraatiot raskaassa konepajateollisuudessa

Tässä diplomityössä tarkastellaan sähköisen liiketoiminnan mukanaan tuomia mahdollisuuksia yrityksen hankintatoimen prosessien tehostamiseksi. Työ keskittyy erityisesti raskaassa konepajateollisuudessa toimivan yrityksen, Metso Paperin, hankinnan tietojärjestelmien integroimiseen. Pääasiallinen tutkimusmenetelmä on kirjallisuustutkimus, jota lisäksi täydennetään empiirisesti tutkittujen case-tapauksien avulla, joissa tarkastellaan sähköisen hankintatoimen käytännön toteutusta Metso Paperin ja sen alihankkijan, Toijala Worksin välillä. Diplomityön tavoitteena on esittää yrityksen hankintaverkoston ja siihen kuuluvien alihankkijoiden toiminnan uudelleen organisoiminen ja hallitseminen, minkä lisäksi työssä käsitellään myös hankintastrategian merkitystä yrityksen liiketoiminnan kannalta. Työn tietotekninen osuus keskittyy sähköisen liiketoiminnan edellyttämän tietojärjestelmän suunnittelemiseen, mutta ei sen käytännön toteuttamiseen. Työn tärkein tulos on sähköisenliiketoiminnan aloittamisen mahdollistava kaksivaiheinen tiedonsiirtomalli, jonka ensimmäinen vaihe perustuu jo olemassa olevien tietojärjestelmien, eli Extranet- ja Notes -työpöytien, hyödyntämiseen uudella, aiempaa tehokkaammalla tavalla. Mallin toinen vaihe jakautuu yrityksen sisäisen ja ulkoisen tiedonsiirtoon. Toisen vaiheen keskeinen tulos on ratkaisuehdotus sisäisten ja ulkoisten tietojärjestelmien toimintojen ja tietojen saumattomaksi integroimiseksi toisiinsa, eli tutkimuskohteena olevan yrityksen hankintaverkostoon ja sen erityispiirteisiin sopiva sähköisen kaupankäynnin sovellutus.

Spektrikuvien tiivistäminen itseorganisoituvan kartan avulla.

Vuosi vuodelta kasvava tietokoneiden prosessointikyky on mahdollistanut harmaataso- ja RGB-värikuvia tarkempien spektrikuvien käsittelyn järjellisessä ajassa ilman suuria kustannuksia. Ongelmana on kuitenkin, ettei talletus- ja tiedonsiirtomedia ole kehittynyt prosessointikyvyn vauhdissa. Ratkaisu tähän ongelmaan on spektrikuvien tiivistäminen talletuksen ja tiedonsiirron ajaksi. Tässä työssä esitellään menetelmä, jossa spektrikuva tiivistetään kahdessa vaiheessa: ensin ryhmittelemällä itseorganisoituvan kartan (SOM) avulla ja toisessa vaiheessa jatketaan tiivistämistä perinteisin menetelmin. Saadut tiivistyssuhteet ovat merkittäviä vääristymän pysyessä siedettävänä. Työ on tehty Lappeenrannan teknillisen korkeakoulun Tietotekniikan osaston Tietojenkäsittelytekniikan tutkimuslaboratoriossa osana laajempaa kuvantiivistyksen tutkimushanketta.

Hämeenlinnan Energian kaukolämpö- ja maakaasuverkoston suunnittelu- ja kunnossapitoympäristön kehittäminen tietojärjestelmien avulla

Diplomityössä selvitetään Hämeenlinnan Energian kaukolämpö- ja maakaasuverkoston suunnitteluun ja kunnossapitoon liittyvien tietojärjestelmien kehitysmahdollisuuksia. Käydään läpi olemassa olevat järjestelmät ja todetaan olevan tarpeen uudistaa verkostolaskenta- ja kunnossapito-ohjelmia. Mahdolliseksi uudeksi verkostolaskentaohjelmaksi rajataan Komartekin Flowra 32 tai Process Visionin lämpö Nexus. Kunnossapidon osalta Komartekin Lämpökunto tai Kunnondatan Visual Maint. Tehtyjen ohjelmavertailujen jälkeen työssä esitetään Hämeenlinnan Energian uudeksi verkostolaskentaohjelmaksi lämpö Nexus ja kunnossapito-ohjelmaksi Visual Maint. Ohjelmahankinnoille esitetään käyttöönottosuunnitelmat. Olemassa olevien tietojärjestelmien osalta esitetään vaihtoehtoja, joilla voidaan lisätä ohjelmista saatavaa hyötyä.

Web Software Engineering - value added approach

Taking the maximum advantage of technological innovations and the investment in them is of key importance for businesses. The IT industry offers a wide range of innovative high-technology solutions to manage information processing and distribution. However for end-user businesses to make informed decisions in this area is challenging. The aim of this research is to identify the key differences in principal solutions, and what the selection criteria should be for those involved. Existing methodologies for software development are classified, and some key criteria are described to help IT system developers and users determine what are the most important factors in system selection, development and deployment. Statistical data is researched and analysed, a theoretical basis is developed and reviewed, key issues from case studies are identified and generalized to be presented along with the conclusions in the current study. The results give a good basis for corporate consideration and provide overall support to the key decisions in developing web-based software. The conclusion is that new web developments should be considered the stakeholders as an evolution of existing business systems, but they should then pay particular attention to the new advantages that web-based software offers in terms of standardised interfaces and procedures, universal deployment opportunities, and a range of other benefits the study highlights.

Social Cognition and Behavior in Relationship Context

Social information processing (SIP; Crick & Dodge, 1994) and social-cognitive learning theories have been often used to understand children’s problem behaviors, such as aggression. According to these theories, children’s thinking guides their subsequent behaviors. Although most of us agree that social behavior and underlying thought processes are context-dependent, personality and social development researchers have usually engaged in searching for stable patterns of dispositions and behaviors, ignoring (or treating as error) the variance across different situations and relationship types. This, however, can result in erroneous conclusions and question the interpretation of previous findings. Four studies were conducted to explore the influence of relationship context on children’s social-cognitive evaluations and behavior. Samples were fourth to sixth graders from Estonia and Finland. Social cognitions were assessed by presenting children with hypothetical vignettes where the previously identified relationship partner’s behavior had a negative consequence for the child (Studies I, II, and IV), followed by questions measuring different social-cognitive processes (e.g., hostile attributions, behavioral strategies, outcome expectations and self-efficacy beliefs for aggression). In addition, in Studies II and IV, children provided information about their behavior within a specific relationship context. In Study III, an affective priming paradigm was employed where participants were presented with a short display of photographs of children’s liked and disliked classmates, and unknown peers. The results of this thesis suggest that children’s thinking and behavior are largely influenced by the affective valence of the relationship. Moreover, cognitions guide behavior within the relationship. The current findings offer a fruitful avenue for studying the heterogeneity of peer interactions.

Drivers and Barriers of Collaboration in the Value Chain of Paperboard-Packed Consumer Goods

Value chain collaboration has been a prevailing topic for research, and there is a constantly growing interest in developing collaborative models for improved efficiency in logistics. One area of collaboration is demand information management, which enables improved visibility and decrease of inventories in the value chain. Outsourcing of non-core competencies has changed the nature of collaboration from intra-enterprise to cross-enterprise activity, and this together with increasing competition in the globalizing markets have created a need for methods and tools for collaborative work. The retailer part in the value chain of consumer packaged goods (CPG) has been studied relatively widely, proven models have been defined, and there exist several best practice collaboration cases. The information and communications technology has developed rapidly, offering efficient solutions and applications to exchange information between value chain partners. However, the majority of CPG industry still works with traditional business models and practices. This concerns especially companies operating in the upstream of the CPG value chain. Demand information for consumer packaged goods originates at retailers' counters, based on consumers' buying decisions. As this information does not get transferred along the value chain towards the upstream parties, each player needs to optimize their part, causing safety margins for inventories and speculation in purchasing decisions. The safety margins increase with each player, resulting in a phenomenon known as the bullwhip effect. The further the company is from the original demand information source, the more distorted the information is. This thesis concentrates on the upstream parts of the value chain of consumer packaged goods, and more precisely the packaging value chain. Packaging is becoming a part of the product with informative and interactive features, and therefore is not just a cost item needed to protect the product. The upstream part of the CPG value chain is distinctive, as the product changes after each involved party, and therefore the original demand information from the retailers cannot be utilized as such – even if it were transferred seamlessly. The objective of this thesis is to examine the main drivers for collaboration, and barriers causing the moderate adaptation level of collaborative models. Another objective is to define a collaborative demand information management model and test it in a pilot business situation in order to see if the barriers can be eliminated. The empirical part of this thesis contains three parts, all related to the research objective, but involving different target groups, viewpoints and research approaches. The study shows evidence that the main barriers for collaboration are very similar to the barriers in the lower part of the same value chain; lack of trust, lack of business case and lack of senior management commitment. Eliminating one of them – the lack of business case – is not enough to eliminate the two other barriers, as the operational model in this thesis shows. The uncertainty of the future, fear of losing an independent position in purchasing decision making and lack of commitment remain strong enough barriers to prevent the implementation of the proposed collaborative business model. The study proposes a new way of defining the value chain processes: it divides the contracting and planning process into two processes, one managing the commercial parts and the other managing the quantity and specification related issues. This model can reduce the resistance to collaboration, as the commercial part of the contracting process would remain the same as in the traditional model. The quantity/specification-related issues would be managed by the parties with the best capabilities and resources, as well as access to the original demand information. The parties in between would be involved in the planning process as well, as their impact for the next party upstream is significant. The study also highlights the future challenges for companies operating in the CPG value chain. The markets are becoming global, with toughening competition. Also, the technology development will most likely continue with a speed exceeding the adaptation capabilities of the industry. Value chains are also becoming increasingly dynamic, which means shorter and more agile business relationships, and at the same time the predictability of consumer demand is getting more difficult due to shorter product life cycles and trends. These changes will certainly have an effect on companies' operational models, but it is very difficult to estimate when and how the proven methods will gain wide enough adaptation to become standards.