Social class as a factor for the construction of a musician’s identity : The Musician’s social background and identity questionnaire (MSBIQ) – a cross-sectional comparative quantitative online survey research study of music students at two higher education institutions in Finland

There is currently little empirical knowledge regarding the construction of a musician’s identity and social class. With a theoretical framework based on Bourdieu’s (1984) distinction theory, Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) theory of ecological systems, and the identity theories of Erikson (1950; 1968) and Marcia (1966), a survey called the Musician’s Social Background and Identity Questionnaire (MSBIQ) is developed to test three research hypotheses related to the construction of a musician’s identity, social class and ecological systems of development. The MSBIQ is administered to the music students at Sibelius Academy of the University of Arts Helsinki and Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, representing the ’highbrow’ and the ’middlebrow’ samples in the field of music education in Finland. Acquired responses (N = 253) are analyzed and compared with quantitative methods including Pearson’s chi-square test, factor analysis and an adjusted analysis of variance (ANOVA). The study revealed that (1) the music students at Sibelius Academy and Metropolia construct their subjective musician’s identity differently, but (2) social class does not affect this identity construction process significantly. In turn, (3) the ecological systems of development, especially the individual’s residential location, do significantly affect the construction of a musician’s identity, as well as the age at which one starts to play one’s first musical instrument. Furthermore, a novel finding related to the structure of a musician’s identity was the tripartite model of musical identity consisting of the three dimensions of a musician’s identity: (I) ’the subjective dimension of a musician’s identity’, (II) ’the occupational dimension of a musician’s identity’ and, (III) ’the conservative-liberal dimension of a musician’s identity’. According to this finding, a musician’s identity is not a uniform, coherent entity, but a structure consisting of different elements continuously working in parallel within different dimensions. The results and limitations related to the study are discussed, as well as the objectives related to future studies using the MSBIQ to research the identity construction and social backgrounds of a musician or other performing artists.

Tutkimusaineiston rakenne ja kvantitatiiviset analyysimenetelmät

Summary: Data structure and quantitative methods

Intra-organizational use of communication tools in value nets - Cases from the ICT industry

Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli selvittää sisäisen kommunikoinnin tilannetta case-yrityksissä. Yritykset kuuluvat kahteen case-arvoverkostoon, jotka toimivat informaatio- ja kommunikaatioteknologian alalla. Sisäinen kommunikointi valittiin tutkimusalueeksi, koska se muodostaa perustan ulkoiselle, yritysten väliselle kommunikoinnille. Tutkimuksen painopiste oli web-pohjaisessa kommunikoinnissa ja webin ominaisuuksissa arvoverkoston näkökulmasta. Tutkimusprosessissa käytettiin sekä kvalitatiivisia että kvantitatiivisia menetelmiä. Tutkimuksen kvantitatiivinen osa toteutettiin web-kyselynä, jonka tulokset osoittivat, että case-yritysten sisäinen kommunikointi perustuu pääasiassa perinteisten kommunikointivälineiden käyttöön. Toisin sanoen, webin hyödyntäminen on vähäistä, mihin vaikuttavat monet eri tekijät. Webissä on kuitenkin useita ominaisuuksia, jotka parantavat kommunikointia arvoverkostossa ja siksi nämä web-pohjaiset välineet tulisi huomioida, kun suunnitellaan yleistä kommunikointijärjestelmää. Tutkimuksen teoreettisessa osassa määriteltiin vuorovaikutteisuus-ominaisuuteen perustuva kommunikointivälineiden luokittelu. Tämän lisäksi määriteltiin myös arvoverkoston käsite. Empiirinen osa koostui web-kyselyn toteutuksen ja tulosten raportoinnista, jonka jälkeen yhteenvetokappale koosti merkittävimmät havainnot sekä mahdolliset jatkotutkimusaiheet.

Osuuspankkiryhmän OP 100 Plus –ryhmästrategian vaikuttavuus jäsenosuuspankkien menestykseen

Pro gradun tavoitteena on selvittää Osuuspankkiryhmän OP 100 Plus –ryhmästrategian vaikuttavuus jäsenosuuspankkien menestykseen. Tutkielma perustuu kvantitatiivisten analyysimenetelmien käyttöön. Aineistona on 66:n jäsenpankin kvantitatiiviset tiedot niiden taloudesta ja kvalitatiivinen luokiteltu tieto näiden pankkien ryhmästrategian implementoinnista. Käytännössä regression avulla voidaan löytää matemaattinen malli, joka soveltuu likimääräisesti kuvaamaan edellä mainittujen tekijöiden välistä riippuvuutta. Jotta regressiota on voitu käyttää, sekä pankin menestykselle että strategian implementoitumiselle on määritelty määrää kuvaavat mittarit. Molemmat mittarit ovat suhteellisia ja ne mahdollistavat vain 66:n tutkitun pankin keskinäisen vertailun.

Families in the Shadow of Cancer

The aims of this study were 1) to clarify the factors associated with family functioning in cancer patient’s families with dependant children, 2) to examine children’ mental health when they are exposed to parental cancer, 3) to explore the subjective experience of having cancer during pregnancy, and finally, 4) to describe the implementation of a childcentred family intervention for cancer patients’ families with dependant children in an adult oncology setting. The study groups were collected between May 1st 2002 and April 30th 2004. They consisted of one European group collected from six different countries (N = 381) and two Finnish clinical groups (N = 85 and N = 2). The first Finnish clinical group of 85 cancer patient families with dependant children included a sub-sample of 54 families with children aged 11-17 years. The second Finnish clinical group consisted of two pregnant cancer patients. Additionally, a control group (N = 59) consisting of a sub-sample of 49 families with children aged 11-17 years was used. Quantitative methods (FAD, BDI, YSR, SOC, SF-8) and qualitative methods (observation, interviews, diaries, videotapes) were used exclusively and/or in combination. The results can be summarised as follows: 1) cancer “per se “ did not impair family functioning, children’s mental health, early interaction between ill mothers and their infant, 2) maternal depression or the ill parent’s depression were significantly associated with impairment in family functioning, 3) the individual’s good sense of coherence was associated with improvement in family functioning, and 4) a child-centred family intervention, which aims to give space for elaborating on cancer in the family, validates the sense of coherence and children’s feelings, and promotes open communication was welcomed. It is important to note that in the European study group, the prevalence of depression was 35 % (BDI > 16) among ill mothers, and 28% among healthy mothers, 28% among ill fathers, and 13% among healthy fathers. Early screening and effective treatment of depression in cancer patients and their partners is of paramount importance for the mental health of children and the well-being of the family. Pregnant cancer patients are in need of psychosocial support.

Challenges in Supplier-Buyer Relationships in Electronics Industry

This thesis examines the supplier-buyer relationships in the Finnish electronics industry. The aim of the study was to increase understanding on the challenges that suppliers face in their relationship with the buyer. The research was conducted using qualitative methods because they allow more perspective for the research problem than quantitative methods would have. Choosing qualitative method also affected the selection of a research technique. Analysis of secondary data from written documents was chosen to give more perspective to a broad problem. The main findings of this research are that the relationships between supplier and buyer in electronics industry are challenging because supplier must understand and face three types of challenges. The challenges are: understanding the environment, choosing and implementing correct strategy and managing relationships. For the supplier it is important to understand the environment so it can adjust own strategy to fit to the environment. The supplier should also be careful not to be too dependent on the buyer.

Kuljetuslajin yhteys kannattavuuteen etelä- ja itäsuomalaisissa kuljetusyrityksissä

Tämä Pro-Gradu –tutkielma tarkastelee etelä- ja itäsuomalaisia kuljetusyrityksiä kannattavuuden, vakavaraisuuden ja maksuvalmiuden näkökulmasta kuljetuslajeittain. Tutkielman pyrkimyksenä on valottaa Etelä- ja Itä-Suomen läänien kilpailuympäristöä numeeristen tunnuslukujen ja tilinpäätöserien perusteella. Päätavoitteena on osoittaa, onko kuljetuslajien välillä kannattavuuseroja. Tutkielma koostuu teoriaosasta sekä empiirisestä osasta, jonka aineisto koostuu etelä- ja itäsuomalaisten kuljetusyritysten tilinpäätöstiedoista ja tunnusluvuista. Tutkimuksen empiirinen aineisto on kerätty haulla Amadeus–tietokannasta ja postikyselynä haun tuottamilta yrityksiltä. Aineistoa on analysoitu kvantitatiivisilla menetelmillä SPSS–ohjelmistolla. Tuloksista selviää, että kuljetuslajilla on yhteys kannattavuuteen ROCE–tunnusluvulla mitattuna. Kannattavuuden osa-alueita, kuten tuottoja, kustannuksia ja sidottua pääomaa analysoitiin erikseen, mutta kannattavuuseroille ei silti löydetty selitystä.

The Role of Network Competence in Internationalization of SMEs

Network competence is the ability of firms to manage their network of business relationships and to deal effectively with interactions in these relationships. The relationship between level of business relationship abilities of firms and their internationalization has been researched before, and found to be positive. However, what network competence specifically offers is an established scale with which to perform this examination quantitatively. This master’s thesis examined the role which this network competence plays in the internationalization of firms, more specifically in Finnish small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The theoretical part of the thesis consisted of examination into the nature of internationalization of SMEs, their business relationships, network competence and related concepts. The empirical part was conducted statistically with quantitative methods on data gathered from Finnish SMEs through a web-survey during 2008. Network competence was found to result in better internationalization among the examined Finnish SMEs with both subjective and objective performance measures, and firms with higher levels of network competence were found to be more likely to become international. On the other hand, speed of internationalization could not be linked to better network competence, and no clear industry-specific differences were found. The results show that by developing their network competence, Finnish SMEs can increase their chances of success and performance in their internationalization process

Supplier relationship management capability in the firm's global integration

Organizing is a general problem for global firms. Firms are seeking a balance between responsiveness at the local level and efficiency through worldwide integration. In this, supply management is the focal point where external commercial supply market relations are connected with the firm's internal functions. Here, effective supplier relationship management (SRM) is essential. Global supply integration processes create new challenges for supply management professionals and new capabilities are required. Previous research has developed several models and tools for managers to manage and categorize different supplier relationship types, but the role of the firm's internal capability of managing supplier relationships in their global integration has been a clearly neglected issue. Hence, the main objective of this dissertation is to clarify how the capability of SRM may influence the firm's global competitiveness. This objective is divided into four research questions aiming to identify the elements of SRM capability, the internal factors of integration, the effect of SRM capability on strategy and how SRM capability is linked with global integration. The dissertation has two parts. The first part presents the theoretical approaches and practical implications from previous research and draws a synthesis on them. The second part comprises four empirical research papers addressing the research questions. Both qualitative and quantitative methods are utilized in this dissertation. The main contribution of this dissertation is that it aggregates the theoretical and conceptual perspectives applied to SRM research. Furthermore, given the lack of valid scales to measure capability, this study aimed to provide a foundation for an SRM capability scale by showing that the construct of SRM capability is formed of five separate elements. Moreover, SRM capability was found to be the enabler in efforts toward value chain integration. Finally, it was found that the effect of capability on global competitiveness is twofold: it reduces conflicts between responsiveness and integration, and it creates efficiency. Thus, by identifying and developing the firm's capabilities it is possible to improve performance, and hence, global competitiveness.

Sustainable Waste-to-Energy Production: Performance Evaluation of Distributed Generation fuelled by Landfill Gas

The environmental impact of landfill is a growing concern in waste management practices. Thus, assessing the effectiveness of the solutions implemented to alter the issue is of importance. The objectives of the study were to provide an insight of landfill advantages, and to consolidate landfill gas importance among others alternative fuels. Finally, a case study examining the performances of energy production from a land disposal at Ylivieska was carried out to ascertain the viability of waste to energy project. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were applied. The study was conducted in two parts; the first was the review of literatures focused on landfill gas developments. Specific considerations were the conception of mechanism governing the variability of gas production and the investigation of mathematical models often used in landfill gas modeling. Furthermore, the analysis of two main distributed generation technologies used to generate energy from landfill was carried out. The review of literature revealed a high influence of waste segregation and high level of moisture content for waste stabilization process. It was found that the enhancement in accuracy for forecasting gas rate generation can be done with both mathematical modeling and field test measurements. The result of the case study mainly indicated the close dependence of the power output with the landfill gas quality and the fuel inlet pressure.

Testing the Random Walk Hypothesis on the Baltic Stock Markets

The purpose of the thesis is to analyze whether the returns of general stock market indices of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania follow the random walk hypothesis (RWH), and in addition, whether they are consistent with the weak-form efficiency criterion. Also the existence of the day-of-the-week anomaly is examined in the same regional markets. The data consists of daily closing quotes of the OMX Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius total return indices for the sample period from January 3, 2000 to August 28, 2009. Moreover, the full sample period is also divided into two sub-periods. The RWH is tested by applying three quantitative methods (i.e. the Augmented Dickey-Fuller unit root test, serial correlation test and non-parametric runs test). Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression with dummy variables is employed to detect the day-of-the-week anomalies. The random walk hypothesis (RWH) is rejected in the Estonian and Lithuanian stock markets. The Latvian stock market exhibits more efficient behaviour, although some evidence of inefficiency is also found, mostly during the first sub-period from 2000 to 2004. Day-of-the-week anomalies are detected on every stock market examined, though no longer during the later sub-period.

The effects of social networks on work-team effectiveness

This is a study of team social networks, their antecedents and outcomes. In focusing attention on the structural configuration of the team this research contributes to a new wave of thinking concerning group social capital. The research site was a random sample of Finnish work organisations. The data consisted of 499 employees in 76 teams representing 48 different organisations. A systematic literature review and quantitative methods were used in conducting the research: the former primarily to establish the current theoretical position on the relationships among the variables and the latter to test these relationships. Social network analysis was the primary method used in identifying the social-network relations among the work-team members. The first and key contribution of this study is that it relates the structuralnetwork properties of work teams to behavioural outcomes, attitudinal outcomes and, ultimately, team performance. Moreover, it shows that addressing attitudinal outcomes is also important in terms of team performance; attitudinal outcomes (team identity) mediated the relationship between the team’s performance and its social network. The second contribution is that it examines the possible antecedents of the social structure. It is thus one response to Salancik’s (1995) call for a network theory in that it explains why certain network characteristics exist. Itdemonstrates that irrespective of whether or not a team is heterogeneous in terms of age or gender, educational diversity may protect it from centralisation. However, heterogeneity in terms of gender turned out to have a negative impact on density. Thirdly, given the observation that the benefits of (team) networks are typically theorised and modelled without reference to the nature of the relationships comprising the structure, the study directly tested whether team knowledge mediated the effects of instrumental and expressive network relationships on team performance. Furthermore, with its focus on expressive networks that link the workplace to a more informal world, which have been rather neglected in previous research, it enhances knowledge of teams andnetworks. The results indicate that knowledge sharing fully mediates the influence of complementarities between dense and fragmented instrumental network relationships, thus providing empirical validation of the implicit understanding that networks transfer knowledge. Fourthly, the study findings suggest that an optimal configuration of the work-team social-network structure combines both bridging and bonding social relationships.