Market Opportunity Analysis of the Finnish Mineral Wool Market

Tutkimuksen tarkoituksena on tutkia markkinamahdollisuuksia Suomeneristevillamarkkinoilla. Tutkimuksessa on sekä teoreettinen, että käytännön osuus. Teoreettisessa osiossa luodaan pohja empiiriselle tutkimukselle tutkimalla markkinamahdollisuusanalyysin eri komponenttien sisältöä. Empiirisessä osiossa haastatellaan markkinoiden suurimpia asiakkaita, jotka vastaavat valtaosasta markkinoiden ostovolyymista. Näiden haastattelujen pohjalta pyritään löytämään ne mahdollisuudet mitä eristevillamarkkinoilla on. Tutkimus osoittaa, että markkinamahdollisuusanalyysin eri komponentit ovat tiiviissä keskinäisessä suhteessa. Kattavalla tutkimuksella kyetään osoittamaan eri mahdollisuuksia markkinoilla. Empiirisessä osiossa kyetään osoittamaan, että Suomen eristevillamarkkinoilla on mahdollisuuksia uudelle toimittajalle. Tutkimuksessa esitetään myös joitakin toimenpide-ehdotuksia näiden havaittujen mahdollisuuksien hyödyntämiseksi.

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.

Opportunity Analysis and Category Management as a Base for Effective Indirect Sourcing

Hankintojen johtamisen kirjallisuus korostaa tehokkaan hankinnan olevan käypä keino tehostaa organisaation tulosta kokonaisvaltaisesti. Myös kasvava tietoisuus erityisesti epäsuorista hankintamenetelmistä ja työkaluista toimivat kannustimina tälle tutkimukselle. Tämän Pro Gradu -tutkimuksen päätarkoituksena on rakentaa kokonaisvaltainen ymmärrys epäsuorasta hankinnasta sekä löytää keinoja sen tehostamiseksi. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on selvittää, miten globaali, monikansal- linen organisaatio voi parantaa kannattavuuttaan epäsuorissa hankinnoissa, sekä mitkä tekijät hankintastrategiassa vaikuttavat siihen. Tutkimus toteutettiin yksittäisenä tapaustutkimuksena suuren globaalin, monikan- sallisen yrityksen työntekijän näkökulmasta, Pääosa datasta pohjautuu vuonna 2015 toteutettuun Opportunity -analyysi projektiin, joka toteutettiin yhteistyössä ulkoisen konsulttifirman kanssa. Osa datasta pohjautuu puolistrukturoituihin haas- tatteluihin organisaation hankintajohtajan kanssa. Datan keruussa hyödynnettiin lisäksi henkilökohtaista havainnointia ja sekundääristä aineistoa organisaatiosta. Tämä Pro Gradu tutkimus on toteutettu kvalitatiivisella otteella, sisältäen joitakin kvantitatiivisia metodin piirteitä.

The role of diaspora networks in opportunity exploitation by ethnic entrepreneurs in Finland

The thesis explores the role of diaspora network in opportunity exploitation by ethnic entrepreneurs in Finland. The purpose of this study is to how ethnic entrepreneurs in Finland can exploit diaspora networks and how significant support of these networks in comparison with governmental and other official institutional support. Increased mobility of the global population and number of immigrants all around the world contribute into interest of academics to this topic. At the same time, in comparison with other European countries for Finland this phenomenon is new. However, increasing number of immigrants add to academic interest to this topic. The theoretical background of this thesis consists of the collection of studies done on diaspora networks and ethnic entrepreneurs as internationally as in Finland. The concept of cooperation between diaspora and ethnic entrepreneurs describes how diaspora can support ethnic entrepreneur and emphasize importance of diaspora ties for business. At the end of the theoretical section theoretical a special grid was proposed as summary of the academic literature review. The empirical research for this study is based on the interviews with five ethnic entrepreneurs in Finland. Empirical data was analyzed and compared with the similar studies done internationally. During the interviews analyses were stressed aspects of the significance of governmental and other official institutional support. During the interviews analyses were stressed aspects of the significance of the governmental and other official institutional support. According to the main findings diaspora can play positive and in some cases crucial role in the business of ethnic entrepreneurs in Finland. Moreover, diaspora can be a facilitator of internationalization of ethnic entrepreneurs. At the same time, there are several factors which might increase or decrease role of diaspora. The ways of the utilization of diaspora network were combined in the empirical grid. The study enhance understanding of the challenges of ethnic entrepreneurs and provides certain recommendations for the policy makers, ethnic entrepreneurs and managers of official institutions involved in cooperation with ethnic entrepreneurs

Opportunity meets uncertainty. Towards sustainable business in the Arctic region

The Arctic region is experiencing a significant change in terms of climate change and a growing economic interest towards its natural resources and emerging business opportunities. The purpose of this study is to explore how can Finnish companies create sustainable business in the Arctic. This is done by examining the arctic business environment, identifying sectors with growth potential, addressing challenges related to operating in the Arctic and suggesting how to ensure sustainability and succeed in the globally competed arctic market. The theoretical framework is based on theories of sustainable development, corporate social responsibility and the role of strategy in creating sustainable business. Empirical data was collected by using qualitative research methods: first, background knowledge was formed based on written documents and, secondly, six expert interviews were conducted in early 2014. The interviewees represented the viewpoints of companies, political decision makers and NGO’s. The analysis of the data was conducted using thematic categorization. The empirical findings of the study suggest that in order to create sustainable business in the Arctic companies should adopt a long-term perspective, embrace a holistic approach to sustainability, understand interdependencies between the dimensions of sustainability and aim at high-level engagement in responsible behavior. To succeed in the arctic market core competencies, customer needs, multivendor cooperation and long-term presence need to be invested in on a company level. In addition, to promote and advance arctic development on a national level support is needed in terms of investments in infrastructure, funding research and design, creating a regulative framework and removing barriers of trade.