Organizational change - the personnel perpective Case: Nordea - Financial Institutions

Tutkimuksen tavoite Tutkimuksen tavoite oli kerätä FI:n johdolle tietoa henkilöstön suhtautumisesta organisaatiomuutokseen. Tutkimus toimii pohjana muutosprosessin kriittiselle tarkastelulle ja mahdollisille muutoksille resurssien kohdentamisessa. Tutkimusmenetelmä Organisaatiomuutosta käsittelevä kirjallisuus muodosti tutkielman teoriapohjan. Tutkimuksen aineisto kerättiin kyselylomakkeella FI:n henkilöstölle ja neljällä haastattelulla henkilöstön ja johdon kanssa. Johtopäätökset Yleisesti tuloksista on nähtävissä, että vastaajat ovat aluksi vastustaneet muutosta, vaikka muutos itsessään onkin nähty positiivisena kehityksenä. Vastarintaa ovat aiheuttaneet pääasiallisesti muutoksen johtamisen tyyli ja tiedotuksen kokeminen riittämättömänä.

Toimitusjohtajavaihdokset ja muuttunut pankkityö - case: Savonlinnan Osuuspankki 1981 - 2001

Tutkielman tavoitteena oli tarkastella Savonlinnan Osuuspankissa toteutettuja muutoksia vuosina 1981 – 2001, ja sitä, miten henkilöstö on kokenut muutokset pankkityössä. Erityisesti tarkoitus oli tutkia, miten henkilöstö on kokenut toimitusjohtajavaihdokset. Tutkielma toteutettiin teoreettis-empiirisesti. Empiirinen osuus koottiin haastattelemalla kahdeksaa pankin työntekijää. Lisäksi apuna käytettiin pankista saatavaa kirjallista materiaalia. Kolmas osa empiriasta on tutkijan oma työhistoria pankissa ja tuona aikana tehdyt havainnot. Henkilöstö suhtautuu toimitusjohtajavaihdoksiin positiivisen odottavasti. Vahva sitoutuminen organisaatioon auttaa sopeutumaan jatkuviin muutoksiin. Muutosten tarpeellisuus ymmärretään paremmin ja niihin sitoudutaan, kun tietoa muutoksen tarpeellisuudesta saadaan riittävästi, ja kun henkilöstö pääsee osallistumaan muutoksen suunnitteluun. Muutosten ansiosta henkilöstö kokee usein myös oman osaamisensa ja uransa myönteisen kehittymisen

Etelä-Karjalan aluebarometri

Tutkimuksen päätavoitteena oli rakentaa Etelä-Karjalan maakunnan alueellinen suhdannebarometri. Aluebarometrilla kuvataan ja analysoidaan alueen toimialojen tuotannon ja työllisyyden kehitystä sekä nykytilannetta tuoreilla, havainnollisilla ja luotettavilla indikaattoreilla. Tutkimusmenetelmänä on konstruktiivinen tutkimus. Aluebarometri toteutettiin kyselytutkimuksena 454:ltä yritykseltä Etelä-Karjalan alueella keväällä 2002. Tulokset on raportoitu toimialoittain sisältäen kyselytutkimuksen 11 indikaattoria sekä kaksi tilastollista muuttujaa. Teoriaosassa tarkasteltiin aluetalouden rakentumista, aluekehitystä, yritysten sijaintiteorioita ja systeemidynamiikkaa. Barometrin konstruoinnin lisäksi empiirisessä osassa analysoitiin maakunnan yritystoiminnan ja toimialarakenteen tyypillisiä piirteitä sekä selvitettiin barometrin käyttäjäkunnan tietotarpeita. Tutkimustulosten mukaan Etelä-Karjalan yritykset odottavat aluebarometrin indikaattoreiden kehittyvän seuraavan kuuden kuukauden ajanjaksolla lievästi myönteiseen suuntaan. Myönteisintä kehitystä odotetaan myynnin ja Venäjän yleisen suhdannetilanteen suhteen. Toimialoista positiivisimmat odotukset ovat informaatioteknologian, liike-elämän palveluiden, muiden palveluiden sekä kaupan aloilla, heikoimmat puolestaan rakentamisen alalla.

Tietojohtaminen, talouskasvu - katsaus tietojohtamisen ja talouskasvun väliseen yhteyteen

Yhteiskunnan myönteinen kehitys on riippuvainen talouskasvusta. Talouskasvun moottoreina toimivat yritykset ja niiden välinen kilpailu. Kilpailuetua yritykset luovat parantamalla tuottavuuttaan. Tuottavuuden paraneminen tarkoittaa sitä, että yhä pienemmillä resursseilla saadaan aikaiseksi suurempi tuotos. Talouskasvu ja tuottavuuden kasvu liittyvät siis kiinteästi toisiinsa. Yritys parantaa tuottavuuttaan toimintansa jatkuvalla kehittämisellä. Se innovoi, eli etsii, löytää ja tuo markkinoille uusia tai parempia tapoja kilpailla toimialalla. Tietopääoma, tiedon strateginen johtaminen, tiedon kodifiointi, -jakaminen ja –lisääminen toimivat kaikki tekijöinä yrityksen kyvykkyydessä jatkuvaan innovointiin. Tietojohtaminen tarjoaa metodit ja välineet yrityksen tietopääoman hallintaan, sen lisäämiseen ja hyödyntämiseen.

Extremfall, stjärnelever och verktygsskramlare : en diskursanalytisk studie av lärares tal om studerande som behöver särskilt stöd

The groups within Finnish vocational upper secondary education and training (VET) are often heterogeneous with respect to the student's need for support in their studies. According to the national core curricula, Special Education Needs (SEN) students should in the first place, get their education in the same group as everyone else. This dissertation aims to clarify and create an understanding about how the ideals and intention of equality in education is constructed in communication among teachers in VET in the Swedish-speaking parts of Finland. Through this understanding it should be possible to highlight a potential which could ultimately contribute to a positive development of a more inclusive education within VET. The epistemological platform of the study is to be found within the post structuralist philosophy of language that is considered as subsumed in a social constructionist thinking. The data has been collected through focus group discussions in groups of 3–6 participants (teachers) in seven schools in Finnish-Swedish VET. The analyses are based on a discursive psychological analysis combined with an analysis based on Michel Foucault's concepts with an emphasis on the subject, government and power. Four discourser where identified in the analysis of teachers' constructions of the educational assignment in relation to SEN students. The most dominant was discussing the educational assignment as a pragmatic project i.e. as a matter of transmission of knowledge. The discourse included both interpretative repertoires where the heterogeneous group was constructed as self-evident and possible to manage as well as a constructed as an impossible project. The educational assignment was also constructed as a holistic project, as part of a democratic project, and as a labor market project. Each discourse contains both including as well as excluding features in relation to SEN students. The development of an inclusive practice can and should therefore include elements from all of them. Three discourses were identified in the analysis concerning teachers' versions of SEN students: students with difficulties and problems; students who do not use or do not have ability and students who are irresponsible and lack the will to study. Within the various discourses and interpretative repertoires were both constructs when teachers described a concern and kindness in relation to the individual SEN student and constructions where teachers mainly expressed fears that other students in the group would be negatively affected by students in need of special support. Results from the third research question conclude the results from the two others, the analysis is done out of a government perspective. In the material use of different government techniques are identified: disciplinary power through direct reprimands; pastoral power by a desire of insight in order to promote the opportunities for consultation and the use of bio-power that primarily focuses on what is best for the population and whose tool racism results in a legitimation of the exclusion of SEN students. The conclusion is that teachers in VET need to pay attention to inclusive and exclusive elements identified in various discourses.

Perehdyttäminen osana strategista osaamisen kehittämistä - Uusien esimiesten perehdyttäminen kuntaorganisaatiossa

Perehdyttäminen ja osaamisen kehittäminen ovat koko ajan entistä keskeisempiä tekijöitä yritysten menestymisessä entistä nopeammin muuttuvassa maailmassa. Tässä Pro gradu-tutkielmassa tutkitaan uusien esimiesten perehdyttämistä. Tavoitteena on selvittää esimiesten perehdyttämisen toteuttaminen, keskeiset kehittämiskohteet sekä henkilöstöhallinnossa kartoitettujen esimiestyön osaamisvaatimusten näkyminen kohdeorganisaation perehdytysprosessissa. Tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan perehdyttämisen ja osaamisen kehittämisen tieteellistä viitekehystä. Tutkimuksessa on yhdistetty laadullisen ja määrällisen tutkimuksen menetelmiä. Tutkimus on toteutettu sähköisenä lomakekyselynä. Uusien esimiesten perehdyttämisen toteuttamisessa oli havaittavissa eroja kohdeorganisaation uusien esimiesten välillä. Pääasiallisena perehdyttäjänä oli toiminut oma esimies. Suuri osa esimiehistä oli melko tyytyväisiä omaan perehdyttämiseensä ja heillä oli positiivisia kehittymisnäkymiä osaamisensa kasvamisesta seuraavan vuoden aikana. Keskeisinä kehittämiskohteina esille nousivat epäyhteneväisyydet perehdyttämisessä, joidenkin uusien esimiesten yksin jääminen sekä perehdyttämisen tukimateriaalien tarve. Esimiestyön osaamisvaatimuksia ei ollut tuotu aktiivisesti esiin prosessin aikana.

The essence of a tacit intersection : a heuristic inquiry into nature-based leisure and personal transformation

There are a considerable number of programs and agencies that count on the existence of a unique relationship between nature and human development. In addition, there are significant bodies of literature dedicated to understanding developmentally focused nature-based experiences. This research project was designed to flirther the understanding of this phenomenon. Consequently, the purpose of this research endeavour was to discover the essence ofthe intersection ofpersonal transformation and nature-based leisure, culminating in a rich and detailed account of this otherwise tacit phenomenon. As such, this research built on the assumption of this beneficial intersection of nature and personal transformation and contributes to the understanding ofhow this context is supporting or generating of selfactualization and positive development. Heuristic methods were employed because heuristics is concerned with the quality and essence of an experience, not causal relationships (Moustakas, 1990). Heuristic inquiry begins with the primary researcher and her personal experience and knowledge of the phenomenon. This study also involved four other coresearchers who had also experienced this phenomenon intensely. Co-researchers were found through purposeful and snowball sampling. Rich narrative descriptions of their experiences were gathered through in-depth, semi-structured interviews, and artifact elicitation was employed as a means to get at co-researchers' tacit knowledge. Each coresearcher was interviewed twice (the first interview focused on personal transformation, the second on nature) for approximately four and a half hours in total. Transcripts were read repeatedly to discern patterns that emerged from the study of the narratives and were coded accordingly. Individual narratives were consolidated to create a composite narrative of the experience. Finally, a creative synthesis was developed to represent the essence of this tacit experience. In conclusion the essence of the intersection of nature-based leisure and personal transformation was found to lie in the convergence of the lived experience of authenticity. The physical environment of nature was perceived and experienced to be a space and context of authenticity, leisure experiences were experienced as an engagement of authenticity, and individuals themselves encountered a true or authentic self that emanated from within. The implications of these findings are many, offering suggestions, considerations and implications from reconsidered approaches to environmental education to support for selfdirected human development.

Youth Involvement in Organizational Decision Making: The Connection to Youth Initiative and Organizational Functioning

Studying positive adolescent development requires an examination of the mutually beneficial associations between youth and their environment. These youthcontext relations include both the contributions that youth make to others and society and the youth-context interactions that might predict positive youth outcomes. Community and youth-serving organizations, where youth may be involved in decision-making roles such as service delivery, advocacy, or on boards of directors, can provide one important context for youth contributions and for positive adolescent development. Research on the outcomes of youth involvement in organizational decision-making, however, is limited, and largely consists of exploratory qualitative studies. This dissertation is formatted as an integrated article dissertation. It begins with a review of the literature on contexts of structured youth activities and positive youth development. This review is intended to describe theory on development-context relations, in which development is considered an interactive process that occurs between individuals and their contexts, as it pertains the positive development of youth who are involved in various structured activities (e.g., volunteering). This description follows with a review of current research, and conclusions and rationale for the current studies. Following this theoretical and research background, the dissertation includes reports of two studies that were designed to address gaps in the research on youth involvement in organizational decision-making. The first was a qualitative research synthesis to elucidate and summarize the extant qualitative research on the outcomes of youth involvement in organizational decision making on adults and organizations. Results of this study suggested a number of outcomes for service provision, staff, and broader organizational functioning, including both benefits to organizations as well as some costs. The second study was a quantitative analysis of the associations among youth involvement, organizations' learning culture, and youth initiative, and relied on survey data gathered from adults and youth in community-based organizations with youth involvement. As expected, greater youth involvement in organizational decision making was associated with higher learning culture within the organization. Two dimensions of youth involvement, greater program engagement and relationships with adults, were related to greater youth initiative. A third dimension, sense of ownership, was not- .-.- associated with youth's level of initiative. Moreover, the association between relationships with adults and youth initiative was only significant in organizations with relatively low learning culture. Despite some limitations, these studies contribute to the research literature by providing some indication of the potential benefits and costs of youth involvement and by making an important contribution toward the early stages of context-level analyses of youth development. Findings have important implications for practitioners, funders, future research, and lifespan development theory.

The Meaning of the Virtual YMCA After School Program for Former Participants: An Exploratory Study

Research has shown that after school programs can provide children with opportunities that help foster positive development and adaptation. Current research meets the need for identifying short term outcomes, program standards, and short term evaluation techniques, however less understood is the lasting meaning of participation for previous participants after their participation. The purpose of this study was to explore the meaning and perceived impacts of participation in a preventative, skill-building after school program for former participants. Using an exploratory case study approach, interviews were conducted with six previous participants of the Virtual YMCA and a former school principal. Reconstructed narratives and analyzed transcripts show that participants do still derive meaning and significance from their participation in the program, although highly individualized. Significant aspects of the program are identified, as well as the participant’s perceived impacts which are still present today. Discussion for practitioners, researchers, and funders is provided.

Harmonisation des langues africaines transfrontalières par les TIC pour un enseignement-apprentissage plus efficient : le cas du Peul

Cette thèse s'inscrit dans le cadre de l'harmonisation des langues africaines transfrontalières à tradition écrite émergente au moyen des Technologies de l’information et de la communication.

Determinantes de la demanda de turismo en Colombia 2004 2007: seguridad, comercio y otros factores

El turismo es un sector de gran dinamismo en países en desarrollo, casos como México o Perú son modelos latinoamericanos que se han destacado por el desarrollo del sector turístico y en años recientes Colombia ha presentado cifras importantes respecto a los demás países de la región. Aquí se pueden practicar cuatro líneas de turismo potenciales según el Plan Sectorial de Turismo Nacional 2008 2011 Un Destino de Clase Mundial como son el Turismo Ecológico, Cultural, de Salud y de Convenciones y Eventos. El objetivo de este documento es hallar los principales factores que influyeron en la llegada mensual de viajeros extranjeros a Colombia en el periodo 2004 2007 a través de la estimación de modelos de panel de datos, mediante la utilización tanto de variables microeconómicas como macroeconómicas así como otras variables culturales y geográficas. Como resultado se puede resaltar que factores como el número de llegadas del periodo inmediatamente anterior y el índice de intercambio comercial influyen de manera positiva, mientras el índice de secuestros, reduce de forma significativa el número de llegadas de viajeros extranjeros a Colombia.

Entry, re-location and growth in the Swedish wholesale trade industry

Wholesale trade has an intermediate position between manufacturing and retail in the distributional channel. In modern economies, consumers buy few, if any, products directly from manufacture or producer. Instead, it is a wholesaler, who is in direct contact with producers, buying goods in larger quantities and selling them in smaller quantities to retailers. Traditionally, the main function of a wholesaler has been to push goods along the distributional channel from producer to retailer, or other nonend user. However, the function of wholesalers usually goes beyond the process of the physical distribution of goods. Wholesalers also arrange storage, perform market analyses, promote trade or provide technical support to consumers (Riemers 1998). The existence of wholesalers (and other intermediaries) in the distributional channel is based on the effective and efficient performance of distribution services, that are needed by producers and other members of the supply chain. Producers usually do not enjoy the economies of scale that they have in production, when it comes to providing distributional services (Rosenbloom 2007) and this creates a space for wholesalers or other intermediaries. Even though recent developments in the distributional channel indicate that traditional wholesaling activities now also compete with other supply chain organizations, wholesaling still remains an important activity in many economies (Quinn and Sparks, 2007). In 2010, the Swedish wholesale trade sector consisted of approximately 46.000 firms and generated an annual turnover of 1 300 billion SEK (Företagsstatistiken, Statistics Sweden). In terms of turnover, wholesaling accounts for 20% of the gross domestic product and is thereby the third largest industry. This is behind manufacturing and a composite group of firms in other sectors of the service industry but ahead of retailing. This indicates that the wholesale trade sector is an important part of the Swedish economy. The position of wholesaling is further reinforced when measuring productivity growth. Measured in terms of value added per employee, wholesaling experienced the largest productivity growth of all industries in the Swedish economy during the years 2000 through 2010. The fact that wholesale trade is one of the important parts of a modern economy, and the positive development of the Swedish wholesale trade sector in recent decades, leads to several questions related to industry dynamics. The three topics that will be examined in this thesis are firm entry, firm relocation and firm growth. The main question to be answered by this thesis is what factors influence new firm formation, firm relocation and firm growth in the Swedish wholesale trade sector?

A auto-estima da criança que sofre violência física pela família

This research investigates the self-esteem of children who suffered physical violence by family members. Seven children took part in the research: three boys and four girls, aged between six and twelve years old. The analysis were done from the constructed data obtained from: semi-structured interview, activities about human feelings, activities that included facial expressions, unfinished phrases, Pinocchio s story, a drawing of a family and a drawing of their own family. Data were analyzed from the Content Analysis. The Thematic Units were: violence, intrafamily violence, and self-esteem. The synthesis of the categories studied evidenced that the physical violence and the psychological violence present in the lives of children affect the positive development of their self-concept and, consequently, of their self-esteem. Among the results, we emphasize some negative feelings that are present in children s lives such as fear, a sense of guilt, and sadness, arising out of the situations of violence they have experienced

Estado nutricional de pré-escolares e consumo alimentar de suas famílias no Município de Ponta Grossa-Pr: a influência das condições socioeconômicas e das políticas públicas

Pós-graduação em Alimentos e Nutrição - FCFAR

Racism, Youth Violence and the New Right: A Comparative Study of the Political Transformation of Extremism in Hungary and Romania

This research focused on the re-emerging of national and minority identities and the concomitant hostilities emerging from them in Hungary and in Romania. In particular the findings indicate that extremist incidents against members of minority groups on the local level seem to follow patterns in publicised media events. Violent attacks by skinheads against Gypsies in Hungary are often isolated incidents but are also inadvertently supported by biased media coverage, hostile majority attitudes and stereotyped behaviour reproduced in the media. The research also indicates that extremism both in Hungary against Gypsies and in Romania against Hungarians is of three kinds: organised within the framework of extremist groups, state-supported violence (both real and symbolic), and isolated, local instances with a few perpetrators committing atrocities. However, and this is a positive development, with rising interethnic tensions and extremist attacks prevalent in Hungary and Romania, there is also a parallel emergence of a more sophisticated human and minority rights campaign to combat them.