Att vara eller inte vara på den sociala webben : case Åbo Akademis bibliotek : en reflektion över bibliotekets erfarenheter av Facebook och blogg

Abstrakti

Drivers and barriers of mobile travel and tourism service adoption : a study of individual perceptions and business model development in a travel and tourism context

The Travel and Tourism field is undergoing changes due to the rapid development of information technology and digital services. Online travel has profoundly changed the way travel and tourism organizations interact with their customers. Mobile technology such as mobile services for pocket devices (e.g. mobile phones) has the potential to take this development even further. Nevertheless, many issues have been highlighted since the early days of mobile services development (e.g. the lack of relevance, ease of use of many services). However, the wide adoption of smartphones and the mobile Internet in many countries as well as the formation of so-called ecosystems between vendors of mobile technology indicate that many of these issues have been overcome. Also when looking at the numbers of downloaded applications related to travel in application stores like Google Play, it seems obvious that mobile travel and tourism services are adopted and used by many individuals. However, as business is expected to start booming in the mobile era, many issues have a tendency to be overlooked. Travelers are generally on the go and thus services that work effectively in mobile settings (e.g. during a trip) are essential. Hence, the individuals’ perceived drivers and barriers to use mobile travel and tourism services in on-site or during trip settings seem particularly valuable to understand; thus this is one primary aim of the thesis. We are, however, also interested in understanding different types of mobile travel service users. Individuals may indeed be very different in their propensity to adopt and use technology based innovations (services). Research is also switching more from investigating issues of mobile service development to understanding individuals’ usage patterns of mobile services. But designing new mobile services may be a complex matter from a service provider perspective. Hence, our secondary aim is to provide insights into drivers and barriers of mobile travel and tourism service development from a holistic business model perspective. To accomplish the research objectives seven different studies have been conducted over a time period from 2002 – 2013. The studies are founded on and contribute to theories within diffusion of innovations, technology acceptance, value creation, user experience and business model development. Several different research methods are utilized: surveys, field and laboratory experiments and action research. The findings suggest that a successful mobile travel and tourism service is a service which supports one or several mobile motives (needs) of individuals such as spontaneous needs, time-critical arrangements, efficiency ambitions, mobility related needs (location features) and entertainment needs. The service could be customized to support travelers’ style of traveling (e.g. organized travel or independent travel) and should be easy to use, especially easy to take into use (access, install and learn) during a trip, without causing security concerns and/or financial risks for the user. In fact, the findings suggest that the most prominent barrier to the use of mobile travel and tourism services during a trip is an individual’s perceived financial cost (entry costs and usage costs). It should, however, be noted that regulations are put in place in the EU regarding data roaming prices between European countries and national telecom operators are starting to see ‘international data subscriptions’ as a sales advantage (e.g. Finnish Sonera provides a data subscription in the Baltic and Nordic region at the same price as in Finland), which will enhance the adoption of mobile travel and tourism services also in international contexts. In order to speed up the adoption rate travel service providers could consider e.g. more local initiatives of free Wi-Fi networks, development of services that can be used, at least to some extent, in an offline mode (do not require costly network access during a trip) and cooperation with telecom operators (e.g. lower usage costs for travelers who use specific mobile services or travel with specific vendors). Furthermore, based on a developed framework for user experience of mobile trip arrangements, the results show that a well-designed mobile site and/or native application, which preferably supports integration with other mobile services, is a must for true mobile presence. In fact, travel service providers who want to build a relationship with their customers need to consider a downloadable native application, but in order to be found through the mobile channel and make contact with potential new customers, a mobile website should be available. Moreover, we have made a first attempt with cluster analysis to identify user categories of mobile services in a travel and tourism context. The following four categories were identified: info-seekers, checkers, bookers and all-rounders. For example “all-rounders”, represented primarily by individuals who use their pocket device for almost any of the investigated mobile travel services, constituted primarily of 23 to 50 year old males with high travel frequency and great online experience. The results also indicate that travel service providers will increasingly become multi-channel providers. To manage multiple online channels, closely integrated and hybrid online platforms for different devices, supporting all steps in a traveler process should be considered. It could be useful for travel service providers to focus more on developing browser-based mobile services (HTML5-solutions) than native applications that work only with specific operating systems and for specific devices. Based on an action research study and utilizing a holistic business model framework called STOF we found that HTML5 as an emerging platform, at least for now, has some limitations regarding the development of the user experience and monetizing the application. In fact, a native application store (e.g. Google Play) may be a key mediator in the adoption of mobile travel and tourism services both from a traveler and a service provider perspective. Moreover, it must be remembered that many device and mobile operating system developers want service providers to specifically create services for their platforms and see native applications as a strategic advantage to sell more devices of a certain kind. The mobile telecom industry has moved into a battle of ecosystems where device makers, developers of operating systems and service developers are to some extent forced to choose their development platforms.

Bönelivet i senmedeltida bondesamhällen

Kirjallisuusarvostelu

Det hjemløse menneske : en studie av sykdom og lidelse

The overall aim of this study was to achieve a deeper understanding of the relationship between human suffering, disease and illness. The study is rooted in the health-care scientific research tradition as developed by Eriksson and her co-researchers at Åbo Akademi. The over-riding methodological initiative was Gadamer's hermeneutic philosophy. The main research question is: What is suffering of illness and disease? Sub-questions: Which characteristics occur when people experience being acutely ill (Article I)? What do the concepts acute, critical and chronic mean semantically (Article II)? In which way does the relation between the human being's experience of disease, illness and suffering, be manifested and understood? How does one characterize the relationship between the experience of contracting disease, illness and suffering (Article III)? How can the hermeneutical conversation contribute to the understanding of suffering caused by disease and illness (Article IV)? The results of sub-study 1 showed that patients with acute myocardial infarction saw themselves as coping, competent, and autonomous individuals. They were used to exercising control, and it was difficult for them to relinquish control. The semantic analysis of acute in sub-study 2 revealed that the concept acute has had an unclear content in the Norwegian language over the past 65 years. Acute, as a concept, says something about the way a situation arises, but not much about what it is that arises. In sub-study, 3 the relation between disease, illness and suffering is discussed. The expression of illness and suffering as verbs can convey more clearly what it is that occurs with persons who experience disease, illness and suffering. The discussion in sub-study 4 focuses on trustworthiness in hermeneutical studies.

En vårdvetenskaplig teori om interkulturellt vårdande : att föda barn i en annan kultur

The aim of this dissertation is to develop a theory on intercultural caring to deepen the understanding of caring between nurses and patients who have different cultural backgrounds. The research questions are: 1) What is intercultural caring? 2) How is intercultural caring described and understood? 3) How is intercultural caring described and understood in a maternity care context from the patients’ perspective? 4) What is the substance in a theory on intercultural caring? 5) What is the substance in a theory on intercultural caring in maternity care from the patients’ perspective? The theoretical perspective is based on caritative theory and the caring science-tradition (Eriksson, 2001, 2002) and has a hermeneutic approach. In the first study, 19 texts of Campinha-Bacote, Kim-Godwin, Leininger and Ray are analysed through content analysis. A model for intercultural caring is then created abductively. The second study is a metasynthesis of 40 studies on intercultural caring in maternity care research. The third study is a focused ethnography, in which 17 immigrant mothers are interviewed and observed. The theory on intercultural caring is created through a hermeneutic synthesis of the three studies. A synthesis of the studies with a maternity context results in five patterns of interpretation: the experience of caring is related to power; the family is always present; childbearing and change of culture can give women multiple vulnerabilities; both the mother and the nurse change when they meet; conflicts can cause change. The theory and patterns of interpretation consolidate into a contextual theory on intercultural caring for clinical maternity praxis. In this theory, caring consists of four dimensions: universal, cultural, contextual, and unique caring, which permeate each other. Universal caring is nondependent of time and space. Cultural caring considers the cultural background, the acculturation and the equality of each mother. In the maternity care culture, cultural competence, cultural safety, and acculturation of the nurse are emphasised. Contextual caring considers the specific cultural features of the childbearing mother. In this respect, the nurse is expected to be an expert and to clarify cultural assumptions in maternity care. In unique caring, the mother expects good communication, respect for the family, goodwill and somebody who cares for her and meets her needs, in order for trust to be built. In this respect, the nurse listens to the woman’s narrative, is flexible, open, courageous, and non-judgemental. The nurse shows an understanding for the life situation of the woman, and strives for continuity to preserve the care relationship. It was found that external circumstances affect intercultural caring. Moreover, intercultural caring is expected to decrease misunderstandings and conflicts, alleviate suffering and promote health and life. The theory adds knowledge to the phenomenon of intercultural caring for the nursing and caring sciences, and for the nursing care of patients with other cultural backgrounds than the nurses. The theory can be used in nursing, education, research and administration.

Arkistoluettelo 493: Musikaliska sällskapet i Åbo

Luettelo Kansalliskirjastossa olevan Turun Soitannollisen Seuran arkiston sisällöstä

Plan af Åbo stad utgifven 1837 af C. W. Gyldén

Turun kartta. - 1 kartta : vär. ; 41,3 x 55,4 cm, lehti 45 x 60 cm. - Mittakaava [1:10000]. - Sisältää luettelot julkisista rakennuksista sekä kaupunginosista ja kortteleista.

Belägenheten omkring Åbo stad

Mittakaava laskettu janamittakaavasta

Turun kaupungin asemakartta = Plankarta över Åbo stad

Mittakaava laskettu janamittakaavasta

Karta öfver Åbo stad enligt gamla plan och nya regleringen år 1828

Mittakaava laskettu janamittakaavasta

Special passcharta öfwer een deel af Österjöön begynnandes ifrån Elsnabben att utwysa Stockholms-Skärgården medh heela cousten intill Gefle, samt och den Finska Skärgården till Åbo jemwäl heela Åland

Julkaisussa: General hydrographisk chart-book öfwer Östersjön och Katte-Gatt till sin raetta figur och stoorleek

Wäxande grad-charta öfwer Norre-Bottn [i.e. Norrbotten] innehållandes alle cousterne ifrån Gefle och Åbo alt op till Tårneå ...

Julkaisussa: General hydrographisk chart-book öfwer Östersjön och Katte-Gatt till sin raetta figur och stoorleek