Challenges of Post-acquisition Integration

Työ käsittelee suomalaisen kemianalan yrityksen Yhdysvalloissa tekemää yritysostoa. Tarkastelun kohteena on yritysoston jälkeinen integraatio erityisesti kulttuurin näkökulmasta. Ongelma on jaettu kahteen suurempaan osakokonaisuuteen: kulttuurierojen analysointiin sekä mahdollisten muiden ongelma-alueiden kartoittamiseen. Kulttuuri on jaettu työssä neljään tasoon. Koska kyseessä on kansainvälinen liiketoiminta, laajimmasta tasosta, kansallisesta kulttuurista on erotettu omaksi käsitteekseen liiketoimintatavat tietyssä maassa. Lisäksi tarkastellaan teollisuudenalan kulttuuria ja yrityskulttuuria. Näitä kulttuurin eri dimensioita on lähestytty empiirisessä osassa lähinnä haastattelujen avulla. Kultuurierojen lisäksi muita huomioitavia seikkoja Yhdysvalloissa tehtävien yritysostojen integraatiossa ovat mm. riittävä ja selkeä kommunikonti, etukäteissuunnitelmat ja –tutkimukset, päätöksenteon ja organisaatiorakenteen erilaisuus sekä asianajajien merkittävä asema amerikkalaisessa yhteiskunnassa. Tulokset analysoitiin kyselystä, joka lähetettiin niille suomalaisille yrityksille, jotka vuoden 1990 jälkeen olivat tehneet yritysostoja Yhdysvalloissa.

Language Flexibility: The Effects of Finnish-Swedish Bilingualism on EFL Acquisition

Tutkielmassa käsitellään vieraan kielen, ts. englannin, oppimista peruskoulussa. Hypoteesina oletetaan, että oppilaat, jotka jo hallitsevat kaksi kieltä, menestyvät paremmin vieraan kielen oppimisessa kuin yksikieliset oppilaat. Tutkielmassa vertaillaan kaksikielisten ja yksikielisten oppilaiden englannin kielen taitoja alakoulun kuudennen luokan päättyessä. Kaksikielisyys voidaan ymmärtää monella tavalla, ja tutkimustulokset kaksikielisyyden vaikutuksista ovat usein olleet ristiriitaisia. Siksi tutkielmassa ensin määritellään kaksikielisyys, sen lajit sekä siihen liittyvää terminologiaa. Lisäksi kuvaillaan Suomen sekä erityisesti Turun kaupungin kaksikielisen väestön tilaa ja oikeuksia sekä keskustellaan aikaisempien tutkimusten perusteella mahdollisista ongelmista ja hyödyistä, joita kaksikielisyyteen liittyy. Kaksikielisyyteen on perinteisesti liittynyt myös paljon ennakkoluuloja, kuten pelko puolikielisyydestä, jotka tieteellisten tutkimusten avulla pyritään kumoamaan. Mahdollisia muita ongelmia, kuten pienempi sanavarasto molemmissa kielissä verrattuna saman ikäisiin yksikielisiin sekä reaktioaikojen piteneminen, kuitenkin esiintyy. Kaksikielisyyden hyötyjä sen sijaan voivat olla mm. luovuus, kyky kielen analyyttiseen tarkasteluun, metalingvististen taitojen kehittyminen ja avoimuus muita kieliä ja kulttuureita kohtaan. Kaikki mainitut edut ja haitat myös vaikuttavat vieraan kielen opinnoissa menestymiseen. Myös mahdollinen positiivinen transferenssi otetaan huomioon. Tutkimuksen empiiristä osaa varten vierailtiin kahdessa turkulaisessa alakoulussa, joiden kuudennen luokan oppilaat suorittivat kaksi englannin kielen tehtävää. Toinen kouluista oli suomenkielinen, jonka oppilaat edustivat yksikielistä vertailuryhmää (n=31). Ruotsinkielinen koulu valittiin edustamaan kaksikielistä ryhmää (n=34), sillä yleensä Suomessa ja kaupungeissa kuten Turussa vähemmistökielen puhujat hallitsevat käytännössä usein myös suomen kielen. Ruotsinkielisen koulun oppilaiden kaksikielisyys varmistettiin kielitaustakyselyllä. Kaksikielisten oppilaiden tulokset molemmissa tehtävissä olivat hieman paremmat kuin yksikielisten. Yksikielisessä ryhmässä myös tulosten keskihajonta oli suurempi. Kaksikieliset näyttivät hallitsevan kielen analyyttisen tarkastelun paremmin sekä tekivät vähemmän kieliopillisia virheitä. Positiivisen transferenssin vaikutus oli myös nähtävissä. Toisaalta heillä oli enemmän oikeinkirjoitusvirheitä vastauksissaan.Merkittäviä eroja ei kuitenkaan englannin kielen oppimisessa voitu todentaa.

Schistosoma mansoni and HIV acquisition in fishing communities of Lake Victoria, Uganda: a nested case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: It has been suggested that Schistosoma mansoni, which is endemic in African fishing communities, might increase susceptibility to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) acquisition. If confirmed, this would be of great public health importance in these high HIV-risk communities. This study was undertaken to determine whether S. mansoni infection is a risk factor for HIV infection among the fishing communities of Lake Victoria, Uganda. We conducted a matched case-control study, nested within a prospective HIV incidence cohort, including 50 HIV seroconverters (cases) and 150 controls during 2009-2011. METHODS: S. mansoni infection prior to HIV seroconversion was determined by measuring serum circulating anodic antigen (CAA) in stored serum. HIV testing was carried out using the Determine rapid test and infection confirmed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. RESULTS: About 49% of cases and 52% of controls had S. mansoni infection prior to HIV seroconversion (or at the time of a similar study visit, for controls): odds ratio, adjusting for ethnicity, religion, marital status, education, occupation, frequency of alcohol consumption in previous 3 months, number of sexual partners while drunk, duration of stay in the community, and history of schistosomiasis treatment in the past 2 years was 1.23 (95% CI 0.3-5.7) P = 0.79. S. mansoni infections were chronic (with little change in status between enrolment and HIV seroconversion), and there was no difference in median CAA concentration between cases and controls. CONCLUSIONS: These results do not support the hypothesis that S. mansoni infection promotes HIV acquisition.

Immune correlates of vaccine protection against HIV-1 acquisition.

The partial efficacy reported in the RV144 HIV vaccine trial in 2009 has driven the HIV vaccine field to define correlates of risk associated with HIV-1 acquisition and connect these functionally to preventing HIV infection. Immunological correlates, mainly including CD4(+) T cell responses to the HIV envelope and Fc-mediated antibody effector function, have been connected to reduced acquisition. These immunological correlates place immunological and genetic pressure on the virus. Indeed, antibodies directed at conserved regions of the V1V2 loop and antibodies that mediate antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity to HIV envelope in the absence of inhibiting serum immunoglobulin A antibodies correlated with decreased HIV risk. More recently, researchers have expanded their search with nonhuman primate studies using vaccine regimens that differ from that used in RV144; these studies indicate that non-neutralizing antibodies are associated with protection from experimental lentivirus challenge as well. These immunological correlates have provided the basis for the design of a next generation of vaccine regimens to improve upon the qualitative and quantitative degree of magnitude of these immune responses on HIV acquisition.

Development of a systematic computer vision-based method to analyse and compare images of false identity documents for forensic intelligence purposes-Part I: acquisition, calibration and validation issues

Following their detection and seizure by police and border guard authorities, false identity and travel documents are usually scanned, producing digital images. This research investigates the potential of these images to classify false identity documents, highlight links between documents produced by a same modus operandi or same source, and thus support forensic intelligence efforts. Inspired by previous research work about digital images of Ecstasy tablets, a systematic and complete method has been developed to acquire, collect, process and compare images of false identity documents. This first part of the article highlights the critical steps of the method and the development of a prototype that processes regions of interest extracted from images. Acquisition conditions have been fine-tuned in order to optimise reproducibility and comparability of images. Different filters and comparison metrics have been evaluated and the performance of the method has been assessed using two calibration and validation sets of documents, made up of 101 Italian driving licenses and 96 Portuguese passports seized in Switzerland, among which some were known to come from common sources. Results indicate that the use of Hue and Edge filters or their combination to extract profiles from images, and then the comparison of profiles with a Canberra distance-based metric provides the most accurate classification of documents. The method appears also to be quick, efficient and inexpensive. It can be easily operated from remote locations and shared amongst different organisations, which makes it very convenient for future operational applications. The method could serve as a first fast triage method that may help target more resource-intensive profiling methods (based on a visual, physical or chemical examination of documents for instance). Its contribution to forensic intelligence and its application to several sets of false identity documents seized by police and border guards will be developed in a forthcoming article (part II).

Extension of ultrasound Fourier slice Imaging theory to sectorial acquisition

Ultrasound image reconstruction from the echoes received by an ultrasound probe after the transmission of diverging waves is an active area of research because of its capacity to insonify at ultra-high frame rate with large regions of interest using small phased arrays as the ones used in echocardiography. Current state-of-the-art techniques are based on the emission of diverging waves and the use of delay and sum strategies applied on the received signals to reconstruct the desired image (DW/DAS). Recently, we have introduced the concept of Ultrasound Fourier Slice Imaging (UFSI) theory for the reconstruction of ultrafast imaging for linear acquisition. In this study, we extend this theory to sectorial acquisition thanks to the introduction of an explicit and invertible spatial transform. Starting from a diverging wave, we show that the direct use of UFSI theory along with the application of the proposed spatial transform allows reconstructing the insonified medium in the conventional Cartesian space. Simulations and experiments reveal the capacity of this new approach in obtaining competitive quality of ultrafast imaging when compared with the current reference method.

The skill paradox: Explaining and reducing employment discrimination against skilled immigrants

Using a social identity theory approach, we theorized that recruiters might be particularly biased against skilled immigrant applicants. We refer to this phenomenon as a skill paradox, according to which immigrants are more likely to be targets of employment discrimination the more skilled they are. Furthermore, building on the common ingroup identity model, we proposed that this paradox can be resolved through human resource management (HRM) strategies that promote inclusive hiring practices (e.g., by emphasizing fit with a diverse clientele). The results from a laboratory experiment were consistent with our predictions: Local recruiters preferred skilled local applicants over skilled immigrant applicants, but only when these applicants were qualified for a specific job. This bias against qualified and skilled immigrant applicants was attenuated when fit with a diverse clientele was emphasized, but not when fit with a homogeneous clientele was emphasized or when the hiring strategy was not explained. We discuss the implications of our findings for research on employment discrimination against skilled immigrants, including the role of inclusiveness for reducing discriminatory biases.

Mentoring in the acquisition of professional skills through practices in companies by degree students

Abstract This work has had as objective to analyze the skills acquired through internships in business companies by students of the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University Pompeu Fabra. The internship is a basic item in order to obtain a hard connection between the University and social-economic world where University and Enterprises develop their activity. In this study we want to know about two aspects. The first one, we want to know the profit that is obtained from the Student as a consequence of internship and mentoring. Also, we want to study about the importance of mentoring as a principal element that establishes the relationship between the Student and the Company. Moreover, it has sought to analyze if certain factors such as the size of the company where the practices has been performed, the study rank level that was achieved or the fact of being a man or a woman, were among the determining factors at the time of acquiring the skills. The results presented here indicate that the size of the company that have been making the practices and the gender of the student are related to the acquisition of certain skills. There was not a statistically significant relationship related to the rank level have by the students in the practice. In the future we are going to study if the labor market Integration is easier if the Student has performed work placement. Keywords Skills; employability; internship; meatoring.

Visual SLAM for 3D large-scale seabed acquisition employing underwater vehicles

This paper presents a novel technique to align partial 3D reconstructions of the seabed acquired by a stereo camera mounted on an autonomous underwater vehicle. Vehicle localization and seabed mapping is performed simultaneously by means of an Extended Kalman Filter. Passive landmarks are detected on the images and characterized considering 2D and 3D features. Landmarks are re-observed while the robot is navigating and data association becomes easier but robust. Once the survey is completed, vehicle trajectory is smoothed by a Rauch-Tung-Striebel filter obtaining an even better alignment of the 3D views and yet a large-scale acquisition of the seabed

Mobile Subscription Acquisition and Retention Costs - An Actvity-Based Model

The objective of this master’s thesis was to develop a model for mobile subscription acquisition cost, SAC, and mobile subscription retention cost, SRC, by applying activity-based cost accounting principles. The thesis was conducted as a case study for a telecommunication company operating on the Finnish telecommunication market. In addition to activity-based cost accounting there were other theories studied and applied in order to establish a theory framework for this thesis. The concepts of acquisition and retention were explored in a broader context with the concepts of customer satisfaction, loyalty and profitability and eventually customer relationship management to understand the background and meaning of the theme of this thesis. The utilization of SAC and SRC information is discussed through the theories of decision making and activity-based management. Also, the present state and future needs of SAC and SRC information usage at the case company as well as the functions of the company were examined by interviewing some members of the company personnel. With the help of these theories and methods it was aimed at finding out both the theory-based and practical factors which affect the structure of the model. During the thesis study it was confirmed that the existing SAC and SRC model of the case company should be used as the basis in developing the activity-based model. As a result the indirect costs of the old model were transformed into activities and the direct costs were continued to be allocated directly to acquisition of new subscriptions and retention of old subscriptions. The refined model will enable managing the subscription acquisition, retention and the related costs better through the activity information. During the interviews it was found out that the SAC and SRC information is also used in performance measurement and operational and strategic planning. SAC and SRC are not fully absorbed costs and it was concluded that the model serves best as a source of indicative cost information. This thesis does not include calculating costs. Instead, the refined model together with both the theory-based and interview findings concerning the utilization of the information produced by the model will serve as a framework for the possible future development aiming at completing the model.

Is Self-employment a Way to Escape from Skill Mismatches?

During the last two decades, skill mismatches have become one of the most important issues of policy concern in the EU (European Commission, 2008). Hence, the literature has stressed the necessity to reduce skill mismatches. We contribute to this literature by analyzing the impact of the transition from salaried employment to self-employment on self-reported skill mismatches. To do so, we resort to the European Community Household Panel (ECHP) covering the period 1994–2001. Using panel data, we track individuals over time and measure their self-reported skill mismatch before and after the transition. Our empirical findings indicate not only that the average self-employee is less likely to declare being skill-mismatched but also that those individuals who transit from salaried employment to self-employment reduce their probability of skill mismatches after the transition. Keywords: Self-employment, skill mismatches, salaried employment. JEL Classification: L26, J24, B23 __________________________

Risk perception and stages of smoking acquisition = Percepción de riesgo y etapas de iniciación en el consumo de tabaco

The purpose of this descriptive survey was to investigate the risk perceptions of smoking in a sample of 1,510 Spanish adolescents(49.1% males; mean age = 14.03; SD = 1.28). In addition, the present research categorised adolescents into one of the fourstages of smoking acquisition, as described by the Transtheoretical Model of Change (TMC): Precontemplation (notthinking about trying smoking in the next 6 months), Contemplation (thinking about trying smoking in the next 6 months), Preparation (thinking about starting smoking in the next 30 days) and Action (smokers), by gender and age. The results showed that age and risk perceptions are important variables in the progression through the stages of change towards regular tobacco consumption (Action stage). These results clearly demonstrate the importance of starting antismoking campaigns at an early age to prevent smoking acquisition or the thought of starting in the near future. These findings also highlight the need to continuously remind adolescents about the negative consequences of smoking

Functional neuroanatomy of contextual acquisition of concrete and abstract words

The meaning of a novel word can be acquired by extracting it from linguistic context. Here we simulated word learning of new words associated to concrete and abstract concepts in a variant of the human simulation paradigm that provided linguistic context information in order to characterize the brain systems involved. Native speakers of Spanish read pairs of sentences in order to derive the meaning of a new word that appeared in the terminal position of the sentences. fMRI revealed that learning the meaning associated to concrete and abstract new words was qualitatively different and recruited similar brain regions as the processing of real concrete and abstract words. In particular, learning of new concrete words selectively boosted the activation of the ventral anterior fusiform gyrus, a region driven by imageability, which has previously been implicated in the processing of concrete words.