Ambidextrous leadership in customer contact centre organization

In a modern dynamic environment organizations are facing new requirements for success and competitive advantage. This also sets new requirements for leaders. The term of ambidexterity is used in relation with organizations that are able to manage short-term efficiency and long-term innovation simultaneously. Ambidextrous leaders have the same capability at an individual level. They are able to balance between efficiency and flexibility. This study examined the confrontation of these two competing concepts in the leadership perspective. The aim of the study was to understand this recently arisen concept and its antecedents and examine what is currently known about ambidextrous leadership. This was a case study with data collected through theme interviews in a result orientated customer centre organization that has a cultural change at hand when it comes to leadership and empowerment. Organization wants to be efficient and flexible at the same time (a.k.a. ambidextrous) and that requires new type of leadership. In this study the aim was to describe the capabilities and criteria for ambidextrous leader and examine the leadership roles related to ambidextrous leadership in different hierarchical levels. The case organization had also created systematic means to support this cultural change and the effects of the process related to leadership were studied. This study showed that the area is yet widely unexplored and contradictory views are presented. This study contributes to the deprivation of study of ambidexterity in leadership and individuals. The study presents a description of ambidextrous leadership and describes the capabilities of ambidextrous leader. Ambidextrous leaders are able to make cognitive decisions between their leadership style according to situation that requires either leadership related to efficiency such as transactional leadership or leadership related to flexibility such as transformational leadership. Their leadership style supports both short-term and long-term goals. This study also shows that the role of top management is vital and operational leaders rely on their example.

Developing the measurement and management of knowledge: applying the constructive research approach in a knowledge intensive service environment

Intellectual assets have attained continuous attention in the academic field, as they are vital sources of competitive advantage and organizational performance in the contemporary knowledge intensive business environment. Intellectual capital measurement is quite thoroughly addressed in the accounting literature. However, the purpose of the measurement is to support the management of intellectual assets, but the reciprocal relationship between measurement and management has not been comprehensively considered in the literature. The theoretical motivation for this study rose from this paradox, as in order to maximise the effectiveness of knowledge management the two initiatives need to be closely integrated. The research approach of this interventionist case study is constructive. The objective is to develop the case organization���s knowledge management and intellectual capital measurement in a way that they would be closely integrated and the measurement would support the management of intellectual assets. The case analysis provides valuable practical considerations about the integration and related issues as the case company is a knowledge intensive organization in which the know-how of the employees is the central competitive asset and therefore, the management and measurement of knowledge are essential for its future success. The results suggest that the case organization is confronting challenges in managing knowledge. In order to appropriately manage knowledge processes and control the related risks, support from intellectual capital measurement is required. However, challenges in measuring intellectual capital, especially knowledge, could be recognized in the organization. By reflecting the knowledge management situation and the constructed strategy map, a new intellectual measurement system was developed for the case organization. The construction of the system as well as its indicators can be perceived to contribute to the literature, emphasizing of the importance of properly considering the organization���s knowledge situation in developing an intellectual capital measurement system.

Intra-organizational knowledge transfer in a Finnish multinational company

The ability of a multinational company to effectively transfer knowledge from one unit to another can create a great source of competitive advantage and is crucial for long-term success. However, in their attempts to disseminate existent knowledge across national boundaries, organizations encounter several obstacles. Especially challenging is the transfer of tacit knowledge, the most valuable kind, as it is embedded in the minds and the behavior of people. The purpose of this study is to identify the main factors and challenges to be considered in intra-organizational knowledge transfer and consequently develop a framework that could be utilized to improve the process. The research is of qualitative nature and it adopts an exploratory approach. The study was further conducted as an intensive single-case study through studying a Finnish multinational company, and the researcher adopted a role as a participant observant in the research setting. Other data collection methods include semi-structured interviews and an online survey. The research findings show that knowledge transfer is currently challenging within the international sales organization of the case company. The majority of knowledge is currently concentrated in the company headquarters, and it is not always systematically distributed to the regional offices abroad. The main factor affecting knowledge transfer seems to be the organizational culture, which does not support or encourage knowledge sharing. The company is struggling in having a common place for information and employees that lack proper social networks have difficulties accessing relevant knowledge. Some recommended improvement suggestions include the institutionalization of knowledge transfer by turning it into an articulated organizational goal, and the implementation of a reward system that includes soft factors, such as teamwork and knowledge sharing behavior. Furthermore, the organizational culture should be more open and supportive in order to reinforce trust. Individuals in regional offices should be given better support by offering them dedicated mentors and increasing the amount of expatriation. Finally, knowledge should actively be codified and stored in commonly shared platforms where it is easily accessible by all employees.

Searchig the links between "knowledge governance mechanisms", "the individual conditions of knowledge sharing", and "individual's knowledge sharing behaviour".

The objective of this study was to understand how organizational knowledge governance mechanisms affect individual motivation, opportunity, and the ability to share knowledge (MOA framework), and further, how individual knowledge-sharing conditions affect actual knowledge sharing behaviour. The study followed the knowledge governance approach and a micro-foundations perspective to develop a theoretical model and hypotheses, which could explain the casual relationships between knowledge governance mechanisms, individual knowledge sharing conditions, and individual knowledge sharing behaviour. The quantitative research strategy and multivariate data analysis techniques (SEM) were used in the hypotheses testing with a survey dataset of 256 employees from eleven military schools of Finnish Defence Forces (FDF). The results showed that ���performance-based feedback and rewards��� affects employee���s ���intrinsic motivation towards knowledge sharing���, that ���lateral coordination��� affects employee���s ���knowledge self-efficacy���, and that ���training and development��� is positively related to ���time availability��� for knowledge sharing but affects negatively employee���s knowledge self-efficacy. Individual motivation and knowledge self-efficacy towards knowledge sharing affected knowledge sharing behaviour when work-related knowledge was shared 1) between employees in a department and 2) between employees in different departments, however these factors did not play a crucial role in subordinate���superior knowledge sharing. The findings suggest that individual motivation, opportunity, and the ability towards knowledge sharing affects individual knowledge sharing behaviour differently in different knowledge sharing situations. Furthermore, knowledge governance mechanisms can be used to manage individual-level knowledge sharing conditions and individual knowledge sharing behaviour but their affect also vary in different knowledge sharing situations.

Building organizational creativity ��� a multitheory and multilevel approach for understanding and stimulating organizational creativity

Organizational creativity is increasingly important for organizations aiming to survive and thrive in complex and unexpectedly changing environments. It is precondition of innovation and a driver of an organization���s performance success. Whereas innovation research increasingly promotes high-involvement and participatory innovation, the models of organizational creativity are still mainly based on an individual-creativity view. Likewise, the definitions of organizational creativity and innovation are somewhat equal, and they are used as interchangeable constructs, while on the other hand they are seen as different constructs. Creativity is seen as generation of novel and useful ideas, whereas innovation is seen as the implementation of these ideas. The research streams of innovation and organizational creativity seem to be advancing somewhat separately, although together they could provide many synergy advantages. Thereby, this study addresses three main research gaps. First, as the knowledge and knowing is being increasingly expertized and distributed in organizations, the conceptualization of organizational creativity needs to face that perspective, rather than relying on the individual-creativity view. Thus, the conceptualization of organizational creativity needs clarification, especially as an organizational-level phenomenon (i.e., creativity by an organization). Second, approaches to consciously build organizational creativity to increase the capacity of an organization to demonstrate novelty in its knowledgeable actions are rare. The current creativity techniques are mainly based on individual-creativity views, and they mainly focus on the occasional problem-solving cases among a limited number of individuals, whereas, the development of collective creativity and creativity by the organization lacks approaches. Third, in terms of organizational creativity as a collective phenomenon, the engagement, contributions, and participation of organizational members into activities of common meaning creation are more important than the individualcreativity skills. Therefore, the development approaches to foster creativity as social, emerging, embodied, and collective creativity are needed to complement the current creativity techniques. To address these gaps, the study takes a multiparadigm perspective to face the following three objectives. The first objective of this study is to clarify and extend the conceptualization of organizational creativity. The second is to study the development of organizational creativity. The third is to explore how an improvisational theater based approach fosters organizational creativity. The study consists of two parts comprising the introductory part (part I) and six publications (part II). Each publication addresses the research questions of the thesis through detailed subquestions. The study makes three main contributions to the research of organizational creativity. First, it contributes toward the conceptualization of organizational creativity by extending the current view of organizational creativity. This study views organizational creativity as a multilevel construct constituting both of individual and collective (group and organizational) creativity. In contrast to current views of organizational creativity, this study bases on organizational (collective) knowledge that is based on and demonstrated through the knowledgeable actions of an organization as a whole. The study defines organizational creativity as an overall ability of an organization to demonstrate novelty in its knowledgeable actions (through what it does and how it does what it does).Second, this study contributes toward the development of organizational creativity as multi-level phenomena, introducing developmental approaches that face two or more of these levels simultaneously. More specifically, the study presents the cross-level approaches to building organizational creativity, by using an approach based in improvisational theater and considering assessment of organizational renewal capability. Third, the study contributes on development of organizational creativity using an improvisational theater based approach as twofold meaning. First, it fosters individual and collective creativity simultaneously and builds space for creativity to occur. Second, it models collective and distributed creativity processes, thereby, contributing to the conceptualization of organizational creativity.

Balancing creativity and risk intelligence in professional knowledge-intensive business services

The main strengths of professional knowledge-intensive business services (P-KIBS) are knowledge and creativity which needs to be fostered, maintained and supported. The process of managing P-KIBS companies deals with financial, operational and strategic risks. That is why it is reasonable to apply risk management techniques and frameworks in this context. A significant challenge hides in choosing reasonable ways of implementing risk management, which will not limit creative ability in organization, and furthermore will contribute to the process. This choice is related to a risk intelligent approach which becomes a justified way of finding the required balance. On a theoretical level the field of managing both creativity and risk intelligence as a balanced process remains understudied in particular within KIBS industry. For instance, there appears to be a wide range of separate models for innovation and risk management, but very little discussion in terms of trying to find the right balance between them. This study aims to shed light on the importance of well-managed combination of these concepts. The research purpose of the present study is to find out how the balance between creativity and risk intelligence can be managed in P-KIBS. The methodological approach utilized in the study is strictly conceptual without empirical aspects. The research purpose can be achieved through answering the following research supporting questions: 1. What are the characteristics and role of creativity as a component of innovation process in a P-KIBS company? 2. What are the characteristics and role of risk intelligence as an approach towards risk management process implementation in a P-KIBS company? 3. How can risk intelligence and creativity be balanced in P-KIBS? The main theoretical contribution of the study conceals in a proposed creativity and risk intelligence stage process framework. It is designed as an algorithm that can be applied on organizational canvas. It consists of several distinct stages specified by actors involved, their roles and implications. Additional stage-wise description provides detailed tasks for each of the enterprise levels, while combining strategies into one. The insights driven from the framework can be utilized by a vast range of specialists from strategists to risk managers, and from innovation managers to entrepreneurs. Any business that is designing and delivering knowledge service can potentially gain valuable thoughts and expand conceptual understanding from the present report. Risk intelligence in the current study is a unique way of emphasizing the role of creativity in professional knowledge-intensive industry and a worthy technique for making profound decisions towards risks.

Uuden tiedon hankinta ja hy��dynt��minen organisaation innovaatioprosesseissa

T��m��n tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli tutkia, miten uuden ja erityisesti tulevaisuuteen suuntautuvan tiedon hankintaa ja hy��dynt��mist�� organisaatioiden innovaatioprosesseissa voidaan tarkastella ja j��sent���� sek�� kehitt���� avoimen innovaatioteorioiden pohjalta. Tulevaisuustiedon j��rjestelm��llinen hy��dynt��minen on yh�� t��rke��mm��ss�� asemassa 2010-luvun organisaatioiden innovatiivisuuden ja kilpailukyvyn kannalta. T��m�� on abstraktin luonteensa vuoksi eritt��in haasteellista mutta teoriassa mahdollista, jos uuden tiedon liitt��misest�� organisaation k��ytt����n on tehty t��rke�� ja selke�� osa koko organisaation strategiaa. Uuden tiedon tehokkaaseen k��sittelemiseen ja siirt��miseen organisaatiossa tarvitaan suunnitelmallista ennakointitoimintaa, sosiaalisia sovittelumekanismeja ja rakentavaa yhteisty��t�� my��s ulkopuolisten toimijoiden kanssa. Valitun teoriakehyksen pohjalta laadittiin yksinkertaistettu kyselytutkimus, johon oli liitetty absorptiiviseen kapasiteettiin, vision����riseen kyvykkyyteen, ennakointitoimintaan ja uuden tiedon k��sittelyyn liittyvi�� k��sitteit��. Kyselyn tarkoituksena oli my��s tarjota organisaatiolle mahdollisuus tarkastella nykyist�� tilaansa uuden tiedon monivaiheisen hy��dynt��misen kannalta. Kyselytutkimus l��hetettiin suomalaisille teollisuusyrityksille ja saatuja vastauksia k��ytettiin empiirisen�� aineistona. Empiirist�� aineistoa tarkasteltiin kvantitatiivisin menetelm��n ja tuloksista saatiin hy��dyllist�� tietoa yritysten toiminnasta k��yt��nn��ntasolta.

���Why share in uncertain conditions?��� Factors of individual level knowledge sharing in offshoring cases

The objective of this Master���s Thesis was to research factors influencing and enhancing individual level knowledge sharing in offshore projects which often involve uncertainty of the knowledge provider���s own future. The purpose was to understand why individuals are willing to share their knowledge under these kinds of circumstances. In addition the goal was to identify obstacles to interpersonal knowledge sharing in order to understand how to mitigate their influence. The research was conducted as a qualitative multiple case study in a global IT company, and the data was gathered using semi-structured personal theme interviews within two different offshore projects. In order to a gain a wider perspective on the matter, some management representatives were interviewed as well. Data was analysed with the inductive content analysis method. Results of the study indicate that individuals are willing to share their knowledge despite of uncertainty if they are motivated, if they are provided with opportunities to do so, and if they have skills, competence and experience to share their knowledge. A strong knowledge sharing culture in the organization or team also works as a strong incentive for individual level knowledge sharing. The findings suggest that even under uncertain conditions it is possible to encourage people to share their knowledge if uncertainty can be decreased to a bearable level, a robust and personal connection and relationship between the knowledge provider and acquirer can be created and suitable opportunities for knowledge sharing are provided. In addition, based on the results the support and commitment of management and HR in addition to favourable environmental circumstances play an essential role in building a bridge between the knowledge provider and acquirer in order to create a virtual environment and space for knowledge sharing: Ba.

Competitive advantage through proprietary erp implementation: analysis of the project V��in��m��

In the market where companies similar in size and resources are competing, it is challenging to have any advantage over others. In order to stay afloat company needs to have capability to perform with fewer resources and yet provide better service. Hence development of efficient processes which can cut costs and improve performance is crucial. As business expands, processes become complicated and large amount of data needs to be managed and available on request. Different tools are used in companies to store and manage data, which facilitates better production and transactions. In the modern business world the most utilized tool for that purpose is ERP - Enterprise Resource Planning system. The focus of this research is to study how competitive advantage can be achieved by implementing proprietary ERP system in the company; ERP system that is in-house created, tailor made to match and align business needs and processes. Market is full of ERP software, but choosing the right one is a big challenge. Identifying the key features that need improvement in processes and data management, choosing the right ERP, implementing it and the follow-up is a long and expensive journey companies undergo. Some companies prefer to invest in a ready-made package bought from vendor and adjust it according to own business needs, while others focus on creating own system with in-house IT capabilities. In this research a case company is used and author tries to identify and analyze why organization in question decided to pursue the development of proprietary ERP system, how it has been implemented and whether it has been successful. Main conclusion and recommendation of this research is for companies to know core capabilities and constraints before choosing and implementing ERP system. Knowledge of factors that affect system change outcome is important, to make the right decisions on strategic level and implement on operational level. Duration of the project in the case company has lasted longer than anticipated. It has been reported that in cases of buying ready product from vendor, projects are delayed and completed over budget as well. In general, in case company implementation of proprietary ERP has been successful both from business performance figures and usability of system by employees. In terms of future research, conducting a study to calculate statistically ROI of both approaches; of buying ready product and creating own ERP will be beneficial.

Comparing adult-youth and adult-adult online sexual solicitation: Manipulative behaviors, situational factors, and outcomes

Online sexual solicitation (solicitation) of youth has received widespread media and research attention during the last decade. The prevalence rates of youth who have experienced solicitation or solicitation attempts vary between studies depending on the methodology used (e.g., whether youth or adults are the target study group). In studies focusing on youth victims, the prevalence of solicitation attempts made by adults during the past year is typically reported to be between 5 and 9%. Adults who solicit youth online have been found to use deception and other manipulative behaviors to gain access to sexual activities with youth. However, previous studies have lacked a control group of adults who solicit other adults online. Without this comparison, one could argue that deceiving others online about one���s identity, and engaging in manipulative behaviors, is an inherent part of most online sexual interactions with strangers. Additionally, little is known about the associations between manipulative behaviors and the solicitation outcomes. In research concerning offline sexual behaviors, it has been noted that situational factors, such as sexual arousal, may alter both sexual interest and behavior. The effects of situational factors on online sexual behaviors have been less extensively studied (especially so with a quantitative approach); no studies have to date focused on adults��� solicitation of youth. Investigating the role of a lowered sexual age preference and the role of situational factors in the soliciting adults could be an important step in order to receive deeper knowledge of the role of traits and states in the context of solicitation. Additionally, there is a lack of knowledge of the effect of the age of the youth. Although previous studies on solicitation has found that older youth, compared with younger youth and children, are more often solicited, the possible reasons for this have not been investigated. Are adults who solicit youth affected by legal deterrence (through the legal age of consent), is it because older youth are more available online, or are the adults��� age preferences merely a product of a normally distributed age preference in the population? The purpose of the present thesis was fivefold: 1) to obtain an estimate of the frequency of adults��� solicitation of youth as self-reported and observed in actual behavior; 2) to explore whether the legal age of consent (LAC) affects solicitation frequency, or whether a normally distributed sexual age preference more accurately describe the proportion of solicited youth of different ages; 3) to investigate the associations of both traits (e.g., lower sexual age preference) and states (immediate situational factors, such as alcohol intoxication), and the solicitation target; 4) to explore whether adults who solicit youth and adults who solicit adults are equally deceitful and manipulative online, and whether the different solicitation outcomes are as common in both groups; and 5) to investigate whether the deceitful and manipulative behaviors engaged in had different associations with the solicitation outcomes depending on the age of the solicited. In the survey study, a convenience sample of 1393 adult participants (aged 18 years or older) self-reported any online communication with strangers during the past year. Of these, 56% (776 respondents) reported that they had solicited or attempted to solicit at least one stranger. Of the respondents, 453 (58.4%) were men, and 323 (41.6%) were women. Participants with only adult contacts (18 years or older) constituted the majority (640 respondents). In contrast, 136 individuals reported a youth contact (a 13 year old or younger, or a 14 to 17-year old). Approximately half of the participants were men in the adult contact group, while 75% of the participants were men in the youth contact group. Approximately 60% of the participants with youth contacts were recruited from two websites associated with a pedophilic sexual interest. In an online quasi-experimental study, with researchers impersonating youth of different ages (10���18 year olds) in chat rooms, 251 online conversations with chat room visitors made up the entire sample. All chat room visitors alleged to be men. The self-reported frequency of having solicited youth (0���17-year olds) during the past year was approximately 10% in our sample of adults who reported communicating with any strangers online. When we observed this behavior in chat rooms, we found that approximately 30% of the chat room visitors who believed they interacted with a 10 to 14 year old attempted to solicit the youth. We found that solicitation attempts increased equally much when increasing the age of the impersonated youth from 14 to 16, as from 16 to 18. Thus, we concluded that a normally distributed age preference in the population was a more plausible explanation to the effect of the age of the solicited, rather than the LAC (here; 15 and 16). If the chat room visitors would have been deterred only by the LAC, we would have expected that the change in amount of solicitation attempts from an illegal age group to a legal age group would have been significantly stronger than changes between age groups within illegal-illegal and legal-legal groups. Our subsample of survey participants from the pedophilia-related websites expectedly reported that they had solicited youth more often in comparison to the sample gathered through general (i.e., not associated with any particular sexual preference) websites. We also found that participants with a youth contact reported higher levels of sexual arousal and shame before the sexual interaction with their online contact, compared with participants with an adult contact. Additionally, the participants with youth contacts who reported consumption of child- and adolescent pornography also reported being more sexually aroused before the interaction, compared to the participants with youth contacts who did not report consumption of these kinds of pornography. We also found clear indications that the online sexual interaction had an alleviatory effect on reported levels of sadness, boredom and stress, independent of the age of the contact. Generally, the participants with youth and adult contacts reported deceiving their contacts as often and suggesting keeping the communication a secret from someone as often. Participants with a youth contact, however, reported using more persuasion techniques for online sexual purposes or for the purpose of an offline meeting, compared to those with an adult contact. In the chat rooms, we found that more indirect ways of future sexual communication (e.g., continuing chatting) was suggested by the chat room visitors that were under the assumption of interacting with youth aged 10 to 14, compared with more direct means (e.g., meeting offline). Survey participants with youth contacts who had used deception, suggested keeping the interactions a secret, and/or persuaded their contact by appealing to the contacts feelings of love and attachment for the participant had also more often engaged in cybersex with the contact. No other manipulative behaviors were associated with the other investigated solicitation outcomes (receiving a sexual picture, meeting offline, and engaging in sexual contact offline) within this group of participants. However, using deception, suggesting secrecy and using persuasion was also positively associated with certain solicitation outcomes within participants with an adult contact. In summary, adults��� solicitation of youth is much more frequent when observed in chat rooms than self-reported. Additionally, an underlying lowered sexual age preference seems to be a motivating factor on a group level in adults who solicit youth. We concluded that directed prevention efforts should be made on pedophiliarelated websites. Additionally, the role of situational factors, especially sexual arousal in persons with a pedo- or hebephilic sexual interest should be investigated further in the context of online sexual solicitation.

Organizing for Systemic Innovations ��� Research on Knowledge, Interaction and Organizational Interdependencies

Systemic innovation has emerged as an important topic due to the interconnected technological and sociotechnical change of our current complex world. This study approaches the phenomenon from an organizing perspective, by analyzing the various actors, collaborative activities and resources available in innovation systems. It presents knowledge production for innovation and discusses the organizational challenges of shared innovation activities from a dynamic perspective. Knowledge, interaction, and organizational interdependencies are seen as the core elements of organizing for systemic innovations. This dissertation is divided into two parts. The first part introduces the focus of the study and the relevant literature and summarizes conclusions. The second part includes seven publications, each reporting on an important aspect of the phenomenon studied. Each of the in-depth single-case studies takes a distinct and complementary systems approach to innovation activities ��� linking the refining of knowledge to the enabling of organizations to participate in shared innovation processes. These aspects are summarized as theoretical and practical implications for recognizing innovation opportunities and turning ideas into innovations by means of using information and organizing activities in an efficient manner. Through its investigation of the existing literature and empirical case studies, this study makes three main contributions. First, it describes the challenges inherent in utilizing information and transforming it into innovation knowledge. Secondly, it presents the role of interaction and organizational interdependencies in innovation activities from various novel perspectives. Third, it highlights the interconnection between innovations and organizations, and the related path dependency and anticipatory aspects in innovation activities. In general, the thesis adds to our knowledge of how different aspects of systems form innovations through interaction and organizational interdependencies. It highlights the continuous need to redefine information and adjust organizations and networks based on ongoing activities ��� stressing the emergent, systemic nature of innovation.

Suorituskykymittariston suunnittelu suuren teknologiateollisuuden organisaation asiantuntijatiimiss��

Suorituskyvyn mittaamisella voidaan tehokkaasti vaikuttaa yrityksen tavoitteiden saavuttamiseen. Suorituskyky�� kuvaavat mittarit ohjaavat yrityst�� strategian toteuttamisessa ja toiminnan kehitt��misess�� visiossa m����riteltyyn suuntaan. Yrityksen suorituskyky�� mitataan hyvin usein yksist����n yritystasolla, mutta suorituskyvyn mittaaminen voidaan vied�� my��s tiimitasolle asti. T��m��n ty��n tavoitteena oli identifioida ominaispiirteit�� suuren organisaation asiantuntijatiimin suorituskykymittaristolle jo sen suunnitteluvaiheessa. Tutkimuskysymyksiin pyrittiin l��yt��m����n vastauksia yht����lt�� kohdeyritykselle implementoidun suunnitteluprosessin avulla ja toisaalta my��s suorituskyvyn mittaamista k��sittelev��n kirjallisuuden kautta. Huomattavin erityispiirre suorituskykymittaristoa suunnitellessa oli suuren organisaation asiantuntijaty��n huomioiminen, sill�� tietointensiivisen asiantuntijatiimin ty��n mittaaminen on vaativaa. Suorituskyvyn mittaaminen virtaviivaistaa sek�� yrityksen tavoitteiden viestint���� henkil��st��lle ett�� sen p����t��ksentekoa. Toimiva suorituskykymittaristo voidaan luoda suunnitteluprosessin avulla, joista kirjallisuudessa on useita malleja. Tehokkaan suunnitteluprosessin taustalla on johdon ja henkil��st��n sitoutuminen suunnitteluun, jotta mittaristosta tulisi mahdollisimman onnistunut. Suorituskykymittariston suunnitteluprosessissa yrityksen visiosta ja strategiasta johdetaan mittausalueet ja menestystekij��t, joiden avulla strategia pyrit����n toteuttamaan ja visio saavuttamaan. Asiantuntijatiimin suorituskyvyn mittauksessa on t��rke��t�� spesifioida relevantit mittarit, jotta asetetut tavoitteet saavutetaan ja haasteellista tietointensiivist�� asiantuntijaty��t�� voidaan tehokkaasti mitata. Suunnitteluvaiheessa oleellinen osa suunnitteluty��t�� on mittausj��rjestelm��n riitt��v�� ja huolellinen dokumentaatio, jotta mahdolliset muutokset implementointivaiheessa voitaisiin toteuttaa systemaattisesti ja tehokkaasti.

Modelling the simultaneous effects of intellectual capital and knowledge management on the organisational performance of Finnish companies

The aim of this study was to contribute to the current knowledge-based theory by focusing on a research gap that exists in the empirically proven determination of the simultaneous but differentiable effects of intellectual capital (IC) assets and knowledge management (KM) practices on organisational performance (OP). The analysis was built on the past research and theoreticised interactions between the latent constructs specified using the survey-based items that were measured from a sample of Finnish companies for IC and KM and the dependent construct for OP determined using information available from financial databases. Two widely used and commonly recommended measures in the literature on management science, i.e. the return on total assets (ROA) and the return on equity (ROE), were calculated for OP. Thus the investigation of the relationship between IC and KM impacting OP in relation to the hypotheses founded was possible to conduct using objectively derived performance indicators. Using financial OP measures also strengthened the dynamic features of data needed in analysing simultaneous and causal dependences between the modelled constructs specified using structural path models. The estimates were obtained for the parameters of structural path models using a partial least squares-based regression estimator. Results showed that the path dependencies between IC and OP or KM and OP were always insignificant when analysed separate to any other interactions or indirect effects caused by simultaneous modelling and regardless of the OP measure used that was either ROA or ROE. The dependency between the constructs for KM and IC appeared to be very strong and was always significant when modelled simultaneously with other possible interactions between the constructs and using either ROA or ROE to define OP. This study, however, did not find statistically unambiguous evidence for proving the hypothesised causal mediation effects suggesting, for instance, that the effects of KM practices on OP are mediated by the IC assets. Due to the fact that some indication about the fluctuations of causal effects was assessed, it was concluded that further studies are needed for verifying the fundamental and likely hidden causal effects between the constructs of interest. Therefore, it was also recommended that complementary modelling and data processing measures be conducted for elucidating whether the mediation effects occur between IC, KM and OP, the verification of which requires further investigations of measured items and can be build on the findings of this study.

Tiedon omaksumiskyky projekteissa

Julkisten organisaatioiden toimintaymp��rist��t muuttuvat ja monimutkaistuvat. Julkisen sektorin organisaatiot joutuvat my��s omaksumaan uusia tapoja toimia yh�� nopeammin. Julkiset organisaatiot tekev��t kehitt��misty��t�� paljon projektien kautta, jolloin projektijohtamisen osaamisesta on muodostumassa my��s julkisen sektorin organisaatiolle t��rke�� strateginen kyky. Julkisen sektorin projektijohtamiseen liittyy luonnollisesti samoja vaikuttavia ominaispiirteit�� ja taustavaikuttajia, kuin julkisen sektorin johtamisessa yleens��. Kaikissa projekteissa on yksi yhteinen tekij�� ��� tieto. Organisaation kyky omaksua tietoa on t��rke�� ominaisuus, jonka kehitt��miseen organisaation tulisi kiinnitt���� huomiota. Projekteissa erityisesti, jossa toteutetaan nopeasti usean henkil��n ja organisaation osaamisesta ja tiedosta koostuvia kompleksisia ja monimutkaisia kokonaisuuksia, on omaksumiskyvyll�� erityinen merkitys. Omaksumiskyky on dynaaminen prosessi, johon vaikuttaa niin yksil��n kyky tunnistaa arvokasta tietoa, yhdist���� ja omaksua sit�� sek�� organisaation kyky muuttaa omaksuttu tieto sellaiseen muotoon, ett�� siit�� on hy��ty�� organisaatiotasolla. T��m��n tutkimuksen aiheena on tieto ja tiedon omaksuminen projekteissa. Tavoitteena on tutkia julkisen kuntaorganisaation projektijohtamisessa olevaa tietoa ja organisaatioon liittyvi�� tekij��it��, jotka vaikuttavat tiedon omaksumiseen projekteissa. Tutkimus toteutettiin kvalitatiivisena tutkimuksena, jonka empiirinen osuus suoritettiin tapaustutkimuksena kunnallisessa organisaatiossa. Tutkimusaineisto hankittiin haastattelemalla seitsem���� organisaation projekteissa toimivaa projektip����llikk���� tai projekteihin osallistunutta henkil����. Tutkimuksen mukaan organisaation projekteissa syntyv��n tiedon on useimmiten tunnistettu, mutta v��ltt��m��tt�� sen omaksumista edellytt��viin ja tukeviin mekanismeihin ei viel�� ole riitt��v��sti kiinnitetty huomiota eik�� kehitetty, joten projekteissa syntyv��n tiedon hy��dynt��minen ei v��ltt��m��tt�� toteudu organisaatiotasolla. Projekteissa oleva tieto on organisaation kehitt��miseen ja projektien kehitt��miseen liittyv���� tietoa, jota tulisi hy��dynt���� niin yksil��-, projekti- kuin my��s organisaatiotasolla.

Customer Knowledge Transfer in MNCs

The purpose of this Master���s thesis was to study customer knowledge transfer processes in multinational corporations (MNCs). The main objective was to examine how customer knowledge is transferred in MNCs and what kind of factors enhance or inhibit the knowledge transfer process, and to create a framework on the basis of the existing literature and the empirical findings. In this thesis the factors were organized according to whether they are properties of the unit involved in knowledge management, properties of relationships between the units or properties of the knowledge itself. There are various properties that influence knowledge transfer but in this thesis the focus was on examining the relevant findings from the customer knowledge viewpoint. Empirical results show that internal fragmentation in the MNC seems to be inherent in this type of organization, and may cause many problems in customer knowledge transfer and utilization. These knowledge transfer inhibitors rise from the organization���s properties: it���s absorptive capacity, motivation, organizational culture, and the two dimensions of knowledge. However, in spite of the inherent forces causing internal fragmentation and inhibiting knowledge transfer, moderate customer knowledge and expertise codification, cooperative working practices among the experts, and socialization mechanisms posed by the headquarters seem to help maintain customer knowledge transfer, and value creation in the long-term relationship. This value creation can be seen to be based on accessing and integrating a wide variety of knowledge resources in order to create a coherent product and service offering.