Innovation Process and Organizational Adoption of Disruptive Innovation: Empirical Evidence from Finnish Bio-Economy Companies.

The thesis aims to build a coherent view and understanding of the innovation process and organizational technology adoption in Finnish bio-economy companies with a focus on innovations of a disruptive nature. Disruptive innovations are exceptional hence in order to create generalizations and a unified view of the subject the perspective is also on less radical innovations. Other interests of the thesis are how ideas are discovered and generated and how the nature of the innovation and size of the company affect the technology adoption and innovation process. The data was collected by interviewing six small and six large Finnish bio-economy companies. The results suggest companies regardless of size consider innovation as a core asset in the competitive markets. Organizations want to be considered innovators and early adopters yet these qualities are limited by certain, mainly resource-based factors. In addition the industry, scalability and Finland’s geographical location when seeking funding provide certain challenges. The innovation process may be considered relatively similar whether the idea or technology stems from an internal or external source suggesting the technology adoption process can in fact be linked to the innovation process theories. Thus the thesis introduces a new theoretical model which based on the results of the study and the theories of technology adoption and innovation process aims on characterizing how ideas and technology from both external and internal sources generate into innovations. The innovation process is in large bio-economy companies most often similar to or a modified version of the stage-gate model, while small companies generally have less structured processes. Nevertheless the more disruptive the innovation, the less it fits in the structured processes. This implies disruptive innovation cannot be put in a certain mould but it is rather processed case-by-case.

Empirical studies on software quality construction: Exploring human factors and organizational influences

Software quality has become an important research subject, not only in the Information and Communication Technology spheres, but also in other industries at large where software is applied. Software quality is not a happenstance; it is defined, planned and created into the software product throughout the Software Development Life Cycle. The research objective of this study is to investigate the roles of human and organizational factors that influence software quality construction. The study employs the Straussian grounded theory. The empirical data has been collected from 13 software companies, and the data includes 40 interviews. The results of the study suggest that tools, infrastructure and other resources have a positive impact on software quality, but human factors involved in the software development processes will determine the quality of the products developed. On the other hand, methods of development were found to bring little effect on software quality. The research suggests that software quality is an information-intensive process whereby organizational structures, mode of operation, and information flow within the company variably affect software quality. The results also suggest that software development managers influence the productivity of developers and the quality of the software products. Several challenges of software testing that affect software quality are also brought to light. The findings of this research are expected to benefit the academic community and software practitioners by providing an insight into the issues pertaining to software quality construction undertakings.

The way to organizational longevity - Balancing stability and change in Shinise firms

THE WAY TO ORGANIZATIONAL LONGEVITY – Balancing stability and change in Shinise firms The overall purpose of this dissertation is to investigate the secret of longevity in Shinise firms. On the basic assumption that organizational longevity is about balancing stability and change, the theoretical perspectives incorporate routine practice, organizational culture, and organizational identity. These theories explain stability and change in an organization separately and in combination. Qualitative inductive theory building was used in the study. Overall, the empirical data comprised 75 in-depth and semi-structured interviews, 137 archival materials, and observations made over 17 weeks. According to the empirical findings, longevity in Shinise firms is attributable to the internal mechanisms (Shinise tenacity, stability in motion, and emergent change) to secure a balance between stability and change, the continuing stability of the socio-cultural environment in the local community, and active interaction between organizational and local cultures. The contribution of the study to the literature on organizational longevity and the alternative theoretical approaches is first, in theorizing the mechanisms of Shinise tenacity and cross-level cultural dynamism, and second, in pointing out the critical role of: the way firms set their ultimate goal, the dynamism in culture, and the effect of history of the firm to the current business in securing longevity. KEY WORDS Change; Culture; Organizational identity; Organizational longevity; Routines; Shinise firms; Stability; Qualitative research

Bacterial ecology of tilapia fresh fillets and some factors that can influence their microbial quality

The purpose of research was to investigate the bacterial ecology of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fresh fillets and some factors that can influence its microbial quality. Samples of fish cultivation water (n = 20), tilapia tegument and gut (n = 20) and fresh fillets (n = 20) were collected in an experimental tilapia aquaculture located in the city of Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Staphylococcus spp., Aeromonas spp., Enterococcus spp. and Enterobacteriaceae were quantified using selective plating. For the enumeration of Pseudomonas spp., the most probable number technique (MPN) was utilized. Bacterial colonies (n = 198) were identified by Gram strain and biochemical tests. Aeromonas spp., Pseudomonas spp., Enterococcus spp. and Enterobacteriaceae were found in the cultivation water (water from a fishpond cultivation), tegument, gut, and fresh fillets. Staphylococcus spp. was not isolated in the cultivation water. Salmonella spp. was not detected. The count variable of 10 to 10³ CFU or MPN.(g or mL)-1. Associated to freshwater tilapia fillet processing, there is a large variety of microorganisms related to foodborne illnesses and fish products deterioration.