Tietämyksen hyödyntäminen vähittäiskaupan arvoketjun ohjauksessa

Tietämyksen hyödyntäminen parantaa yrityksen arvontuotannon lopputuloksia - myös vähittäiskaupassa. Vähittäiskaupoille erityisesti asiakastietämys on erityisen tärkeää. Asiakastietämyksen suhteen vähittäiskaupat ovat periaatteessa erinomaisessa asemassa, koska niiden henkilökunta tapaa asiakkaita päivittäin. Viimeisen 20 - 30 vuoden aikana vähittäiskauppa on kuitenkin siirtynyt ketjuliiketoimintamalliin, jossa toiminnan tehostamiseksi suurin osa päätöksenteosta on keskitetty ketjuyksikköön pois asiakasrajapinnasta. Päätöksenteon tueksi tuotetaan runsaasti määrällistä tietoa, mutta ensikäden syvällistä tietämystä asiakkaista päätöksenteossa ei pystytä hyödyntämään. Tämän työn tavoite on ollut kehittää nykyaikaisille vähittäiskaupoille soveltuva tapa saada keskitetyn päätöksenteon tueksi ensikäden asiakastietämystä. Työn metodologia nojaa suunnittelutieteeseen ja konstruktiiviseen tutkimusotteeseen, joissa molemmissa keskeisessä roolissa on konstruktio, jolla pyritään sekä ratkaisemaan käytännön ongelma että tuottamaan uutta teoreettista tietoa. Työn viitekehys muodostuu tietämystä käsittelevästä kirjallisuudesta. Konstruktion muodostamista varten työssä on tutustuttu vähittäiskaupasta löytyviin esimerkkeihin hyödyntää asiakastietämystä. Lisäksi työssä on systematisoitu tietämyksen luomiseen liittyvää käsitteistöä arvoketjunäkökulmasta. Pohjatyön jälkeen muodostettu konstruktio ratkaisee tutkimusongelman liittämällä ketjuyksikön ja asiakasrajapinnan samaan tietämyksen luomisen kehään. Konstruktiossa hyödynnetään arvoketjun ominaisuuksia, tietotekniikkaa sekä arvoketjuun muodostuvia käytänneyhteisöitä. Näin konstruktiossa on pystytty huomioimaan sekä vähittäiskaupan arvoketjun erityispiirteet että tietämyksen luomisen edellytykset.

Best Practices of International Double Master's Degree Programmes: Comparative Study on Finnish and Russian Universities

The purpose of this report is to disseminate the best practices of double degree programmes’ organization, implementation and development between Russian and European universities. The findings reveal good developments in the field of double degree cooperation between Russian and European universities and a high motivation from both parties. The report depicts different models of building a joint curriculum and organizing academic mobility. Foreign language skills improvement for students and university staff, involvement of international companies, and joint strategy and actions in marketing and quality assurance are some redevelopments points recommended in the report.

Combining Good Practices : Method to study Introductory Physics in Engineering Education

Julkaisumaa: 056 BE BEL Belgia

A field survey of crop management practices and distribution of ALS resistant Euphorbia heterophylla in two states in southern Brazil

Herbicide resistance was reported in Brazil almost ten years ago. One of the main weeds with herbicide resistance is wild poinsettia (Euphorbia heterophylla). This work evaluates the distribution of ALS-resistant E. heterophylla in two states in southern Brazil and determines the major contributing management causes for weed resistance selection in the area. E. heterophylla seeds from 148 sites located in Paraná and Rio Grande do Sul were sampled during 2001 and 2002. Farmers provided specific site data for weed control, tillage system, crop rotation and harvesting operations during previous years. ALS resistant E. heterophylla biotypes were found widely distributed in the survey area. Data analysis suggests seed dissemination is unlikely to explain the widespread distribution of resistance. The most probable factor for the selection of the resistant E. heterophylla is the persistent high use of ALS-inhibiting herbicides over time. Indirect evidence is presented demonstrating the need to educate legislators and farmers about the importance of herbicide mixtures as a strategy to prevent herbicide resistance.

Best practices of international double degree programmes. Case of Russian and European universities

The purpose of the Master’s thesis research is to study and disseminate the best practices of international double Master’s degree programmes organization, implementation and development. The given research is focused on two main areas: motivation of higher education institutions to start double degree programmes and best practices of double degree programme design and implementation from the perspective of building joint curriculum and organizing balanced mobility and development of existing programmes in terms of increasing their quality and attractiveness. This is a case study of the double degree programmes between Russian and European universities. The study findings reveal good developments in the field of double degree cooperation between Russian and European universities and a high motivation from both parties. The research depicts different models of building a joint curriculum and organizing academic mobility. The following areas could be outlined as development points for double degree programmes: - Personal interest and commitment of organizers of double degree programmes; - Comprehensive agreement between partners on different aspects and practicalities of the double degree programme implementation; - Promotion towards more balanced student participation and two-way mobility; - Foreign language skills improvement for students and university staff; - Joint strategy and actions in marketing and quality assurance; - Involvement of international companies; - Wider usage of e-learning technology.

Evaluation of an e-learning course: coercion practices in psychiatric nursing

The goal of the study was to evaluate an e-learning course entitled “Nursing interventions to manage distressed and disturbed patients” and intended for psychiatric nurses, using Kirkpatrick’s evaluation model. The aim was to describe nurses’ reactions, learning, behaviour change and impacts resulting from this e-learning course. This dissertation comprises four papers, and the data were collected 2008-2012 from three different sources; electronic databases, an e-learning platform and psychiatric hospitals. First, a systematic literature review was conducted to understand the effectiveness of e-learning. Second, an RCT study was implemented to investigate the impact of the e-learning course on nurses’ job-satisfaction, knowledge and attitudes (N=158). Third, to complete the picture of nurses views of the e-learning course related to knowledge transfer, the nurses’ perspective was studied (N=33). Lastly, the effects of the e-learning course from nursing managers’ perspective in psychiatric hospital organisations were studied (N=28). The systematic review showed that although the nurses were satisfied with the e-learning, no effects were found in the RCT study of nurses’ job satisfaction. The RCT study showed no effects on nurses’ learning related to knowledge increase, but there was change in attitudes. The managers described the changes in the nurses’ knowledge and attitudes. Among the nurses behaviour changed with knowledge transfer from the e-learning course to practice and they pointed out development issues related to their work. The final impacts of the e-learning course revealed advantages and disadvantages of the e-learning course and its implications for nurses’ work. This dissertation provides new insight into nurses’ reactions, learning, behaviour change and impacts resulting from an e-learning course in their continuing education. In order to improve nurses’ continuing education systematic evaluation is needed, for which Kirkpatrick’s evaluation model is a useful tool.

SobekCM’s Community Ecosystems & Socio-Technical Practices

Presentation at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014

Digital Preservation Tools, Practices, and Policies in Islandora

Presentation at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014

Expectations, frames and practices of genetic counselling in different contexts of genetic testing

Genetic counselling is a process in which the counsellee receives information and support concerning a genetic disease. This study examines the genetic counselling attached to genetic testing. Since genetic information is increasing alongside new testing technologies and the situations faced at the genetic clinics will therefore be more diverse, it is essential to assess what the expectations directed at genetic counselling are. It is also important to compare how they face the current counselling practices. In this study, the expectations, frames and practices of genetic counselling in different contexts of genetic testing were examined from three different perspectives: First, international guidelines covering genetic counselling were analysed to summarise what is expected from genetic counselling and to study how genetic information is framed. Second, national experts in European countries were asked about the regulations and practices of genetic counselling in their country. Finally, ten counsellees who had visited a genetic clinic were interviewed to analyse their expectations and experiences. The counsellees’ perspective was also approached through the background review of the previous studies on counsellees’ experiences. On the basis of the study, there are basic elements that are expected to be covered in genetic counselling from all perspectives. However, the views concerning bioethics, genetic exceptionalism and psychosocial aspects vary depending on the perspective and on the individual situation. Since there are sometimes more differences than similarities between genetic tests, no universal recommendations for counselling can be applied. The practices of genetic counselling should be defined situationally, emphasising the individual needs over the genes.

Launch communications best practices: Online newspaper paywall context

The goal of the thesis is to identify the best practices of marketing communications in the context of online newspaper paywall launch. Theoretical point of views emphasize the value for the customer as an antecedent for a workable value proposition and marketing communications. Value-based communications contribute to the customer loyalty. The empirical evidence for this benchmark study was collected in seven company interviews. These firms represented several kinds of Finnish newspaper companies which had recently gone through the paywall launch and launch communications process. The results imply that there are multiple factors influencing on launch communications choices. However, recommendations can be drawn based on the common practices. The main managerial results were that the companies should utilize the online newspaper content and usage value as the core of the launch message, target both new and current readers and use multiple online and offline communications channels to reach the target audience. The launch communications message should be started with the emotional appeal, complemented with the more informative message later.

Open innovation model for a large company in the ICT industry: Case Ericsson LMF

Open innovation paradigm states that the boundaries of the firm have become permeable, allowing knowledge to flow inwards and outwards to accelerate internal innovations and take unused knowledge to the external environment; respectively. The successful implementation of open innovation practices in firms like Procter & Gamble, IBM, and Xerox, among others; suggest that it is a sustainable trend which could provide basis for achieving competitive advantage. However, implementing open innovation could be a complex process which involves several domains of management; and whose term, classification, and practices have not totally been agreed upon. Thus, with many possible ways to address open innovation, the following research question was formulated: How could Ericsson LMF assess which open innovation mode to select depending on the attributes of the project at hand? The research followed the constructive research approach which has the following steps: find a practical relevant problem, obtain general understanding of the topic, innovate the solution, demonstrate the solution works, show theoretical contributions, and examine the scope of applicability of the solution. The research involved three phases of data collection and analysis: Extensive literature review of open innovation, strategy, business model, innovation, and knowledge management; direct observation of the environment of the case company through participative observation; and semi-structured interviews based of six cases involving multiple and heterogeneous open innovation initiatives. Results from the cases suggest that the selection of modes depend on multiple reasons, with a stronger influence of factors related to strategy, business models, and resources gaps. Based on these and others factors found in the literature review and observations; it was possible to construct a model that supports approaching open innovation. The model integrates perspectives from multiple domains of the literature review, observations inside the case company, and factors from the six open innovation cases. It provides steps, guidelines, and tools to approach open innovation and assess the selection of modes. Measuring the impact of open innovation could take years; thus, implementing and testing entirely the model was not possible due time limitation. Nevertheless, it was possible to validate the core elements of the model with empirical data gathered from the cases. In addition to constructing the model, this research contributed to the literature by increasing the understanding of open innovation, providing suggestions to the case company, and proposing future steps.