Kuluttajamuotti : Kuluttajuuden tuottamisesta mainonnan instituutioissa

Advertising and marketing institutions produce categorisations of different groups of population. These categorisations serve as tools for addressing the potential consumers. This research is about how and what kind of categorisations of consumerhood are produced and how they are used as governing patterns within the institutions of advertising. My goal is to shed light on methods, cultural patterns and discourses for making people become consumers, objects for marketing measures. The data consists of 23 qualitative thematic interviews with Finnish advertising professionals. Moreover, examples are drawn from professional magazines and brochures of media agencies and marketing research organisations. First, I present some of the the official consumer categories in the consumer monitors produced by research organisations. Then, I analyse the unofficial consumer categories which are produced by advertising professionals in the interviews. The methodological framework is based on discourse theory and especially on Michel Foucault s ideas on power, governmentality, and discourses. Discursive categorisation of the population is one of the means of governmentality used in marketing and advertising. Knowledge of the consumer research is used as a tool for governing the potential consumers. Even though the real consumers always have a possibility to behave against the marketer s wishes. The marketers can not make people buy certain products or services, but they aim at influencing people in a way that they want to buy the products and start to govern themselves. As result, I present six unofficial discursive consumer categories, which are used by the advertising professionals. The consumerhood may be represented as rational, self-fulfilling, indifferent, whimsical, manipulated or sovereign. However, The discursive consumer categorisations are overlapping and controversial. The interviewed advertising professionals construct their own particular position in relation to the consumers which are viewed as others . On the other, the interviewees may talk about themselves as consumers. Finally, I maintain that the consumers and target groups of advertising are viewed as commodities in advertising institutions. The end product of the product development is not only the product but the aim is to produce the consumer of the product. The research of the ways advertising professionals aim to govern the consumers gives knowledge on the networks of power in which people act within consumer culture.

Strategic positioning:an integrated decision process for manufacturers

Purpose – This paper describes research that has sought to create a formal and rational process that guides manufacturers through the strategic positioning decision. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology is based on a series of case studies to develop and test the decision process. Findings – A decision process that leads the practitioner through an analytical process to decide which manufacturing activities they should carryout themselves. Practical implications – Strategic positioning is concerned with choosing those production related activities that an organisations should carry out internally, and those that should be external and under the ownership and control of suppliers, partners, distributors and customers. Originality/value – This concept extends traditional decision paradigms, such as those associated with “make versus buy” and “outsourcing”, by looking at the interactions between manufacturing operations and the wider supply chain networks associated with the organisation.

Exploring subscription renewal intention of operational cloud enterprise systems - a stakeholder perspective

Retaining customers is a relevant topic throughout all service industries. However, only limited attention has been directed towards studying the antecedents of subscription renewal in the context of operational cloud enterprise systems. Cloud services have historically been offered as subscription-based services with the (theoretical) possibility of seamless service cancellation, in contrast to classical IT-Outsourcing contracts or license-based software installations of on-premise enterprise systems. In this work, we investigate the central concept of subscription renewal by focusing on different facets of IS success and their relevance for distinct employee cohorts. Analyzing inter-cohort differences has strong practical implications, as it helps IT vendors to focus on specific IT-related factors when trying to retain customers. Therefore an empirical study was undertaken. The hypotheses were developed on an individual level and tested using survey responses of IT decision makers within companies which adopted cloud enterprise systems. Gathered data was then analyzed using PLS. The results show that subscription renewal intention of the strategic cohort is mainly based on perceived system quality, whereas information quality explains most of the variance of subscription renewal in the management cohort. Beneath the cloud enterprise systems specific contributions, the work adds to the theoretical body of research related to IS success and IS continuation, as well as stakeholder perspectives.

Ureaplasma parvum undergoes selection in utero resulting in genetically diverse isolates colonising the chorioamnion of fetal sheep

Ureaplasmas are the microorganisms most frequently isolated from the amniotic fluid of pregnant women and can cause chronic intrauterine infections. These tiny bacteria are thought to undergo rapid evolution and exhibit a hypermutatable phenotype; however, little is known about how ureaplasmas respond to selective pressures in utero. Using an ovine model of chronic intra-amniotic infection, we investigated if exposure of ureaplasmas to sub-inhibitory concentrations of erythromycin could induce phenotypic or genetic indicators of macrolide resistance. At 55 days gestation, 12 pregnant ewes received an intra-amniotic injection of a non-clonal, clinical U. parvum strain, followed by: (i) erythromycin treatment (IM, 30 mg/kg/day, n=6); or (ii) saline (IM, n=6) at 100 days gestation. Fetuses were then delivered surgically at 125 days gestation. Despite injecting the same inoculum into all ewes, significant differences between amniotic fluid and chorioamnion ureaplasmas were detected following chronic intra-amniotic infection. Numerous polymorphisms were observed in domain V of the 23S rRNA gene of ureaplasmas isolated from the chorioamnion (but not the amniotic fluid), resulting in a mosaic-like sequence. Chorioamnion isolates also harboured the macrolide resistance genes erm(B) and msr(D) and were associated with variable roxithromycin minimum inhibitory concentrations. Remarkably, this variability occurred independently of exposure of ureaplasmas to erythromycin, suggesting that low-level erythromycin exposure does not induce ureaplasmal macrolide resistance in utero. Rather, the significant differences observed between amniotic fluid and chorioamnion ureaplasmas suggest that different anatomical sites may select for ureaplasma sub-types within non-clonal, clinical strains. This may have implications for the treatment of intrauterine ureaplasma infections.

Downunder grads

Downunder Grads is a 4-part series (4 x 26') screened on the Special Broadcasting Station in 2008. It's the start of the semester at one of Australia's top universities and 37,000 students, are about to embark on their studies. University is make or break time; a time that can change people forever. From free education in the 1980s to HECS fee debt and a large increase in full fee paying students, university education is now big business. Through a variety of character stories this four-part series explores the contemporary Australian university experience of both international and Australian students from a range of different backgrounds.

Exploring subscription renewal intention of operational cloud enterprise systems-a socio-technical approach

Despite the fact that customer retention is crucial for providers of cloud enterprise systems, only little attention has been directed towards investigating the antecedents of subscription renewal in an organizational context. This is even more surprising, as cloud services are usually offered as subscription-based pricing models with the (theoretical) possibility of immediate service cancellation, strongly opposing classical long-term IT-Outsourcing contracts or license-based payment plans of on premise enterprise systems. To close this research gap an empirical study was undertaken. Firstly, a conceptual model was drawn from theories of social psychology, organizational system continuance and IS success. The model was subsequently tested using survey responses of senior management within companies which adopted cloud enterprise systems. Gathered data was then analysed using PLS. The results indicate that subscription renewal intention is influenced by both – social-related and technology-specific factors – which are able to explain 50.4% of the variance in the dependent variable. Beneath the cloud enterprise systems specific contributions, the work advances knowledge in the area of organizational system continuance, as well as IS success.

Take me to your employer: the organisational reach of occupational health and safety regulation

[Conclusion] We have explored two dimensions of the Australian OHS statutes which enable statutory OHS duties to reach more than one employer or self-employed person within a corporate group or network. First, most of the OHS statutes contain provisions extending the reach of employer’s duty beyond the employer’s employees. One legislative technique is to deem contractors and their employees to be employees of the principal contractor. Another imposes duties on employers and self-employed persons to persons who are not employees, so that employers and self-employed persons can be responsible for the OHS of firms, and those they engage, lower in the contractual chain. These duties are non-delegable, meaning that the principal contractor cannot seek to delegate OHS duties to firms lower in the contractual chain. Second, new Victorian ‘shadow officer’ provisions can be applied to remove difficulties and doubt as to the liability of partners in a partnership, officers of unincorporated associations, joint venturers, and holding and subsidiary companies within corporate groups. While the provisions can be argued simply to confirm that a partner who fails to take reasonable care in relation to OHS will be guilty of an offence, we demonstrate that there are very real benefits to having ‘shadow officer’ provisions which remove uncertainties about the liability of unincorporated associations, joint ventures and corporate groups. Perhaps most significantly, the Victorian corporate officer provisions have the potential to extend liability to individuals and other entities within organisational structures, where those individuals and entities make or participate in making decisions that affect the whole or a substantial part of the organisation’s business, and are responsible for an OHS offence having been committed, due to their failure to take reasonable care. We suggest that similar provisions should be included in all OHS statutes, to overcome at least some of the barriers limiting group responsibility for OHS statutory duties.

Education paths for documentary distribution: DAF, ATOM and the study guides that bind them

An expanding education market targeted through ‘bridging material’ enabling cineliteracies has the potential to offer Australian producers with increased distribution opportunities, educators with targeted teaching aids and students with enhanced learning outcomes. For Australian documentary producers, the key to unlocking the potential of the education sector is engaging with its curriculum-based requirements at the earliest stages of pre-production. Two key mechanisms can lead to effective educational engagement; the established area of study guides produced in association with the Australian Teachers of Media (ATOM) and the emerging area of philanthropic funding coordinated by the Documentary Australia Foundation (DAF). DAF has acted as a key financial and cultural philanthropic bridge between individuals, foundations, corporations and the Australian documentary sector for over 14 years. DAF does not make or commission films but through management and receipt of grants and donations provides ‘expertise, information, guidance and resources to help each sector work together to achieve their goals’. The DAF application process also requires film-makers to detail their ‘Education and Outreach Strategy’ for each film with 582 films registered and 39 completed as of June 2014. These education strategies that can range from detailed to cursory efforts offer valuable insights into the Australian documentary sector's historical and current expectations of education as a receptive and dynamic audience for quality factual content. A recurring film-maker education strategy found in the DAF data is an engagement with ATOM to create a study guide for their film. This study guide then acts as a ‘bridging material’ between content and education audience. The frequency of this effort suggests these study guides enable greater educator engagement with content and increased interest and distribution of the film to educators. The paper Education paths for documentary distribution: DAF, ATOM and the study guides that bind them will address issues arising out of the changing needs of the education sector and the impact targeting ‘cineliteracy’ outcomes may have for Australian documentary distribution.

Primary Sequence That Determines the Functional Overlap between Mitochondrial Heat Shock Protein 70 Ssc1 and Ssc3 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The evolutionary diversity of the HSP70 gene family at the genetic level has generated complex structural variations leading to altered functional specificity and mode of regulation in different cellular compartments. By utilizing Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model system for better understanding the global functional cooperativity between Hsp70 paralogs, we have dissected the differences in functional properties at the biochemical level between mitochondrial heat shock protein 70 (mtHsp70) Ssc1 and an uncharacterized Ssc3 paralog. Based on the evolutionary origin of Ssc3 and a high degree of sequence homology with Ssc1, it has been proposed that both have a close functional overlap in the mitochondrial matrix. Surprisingly, our results demonstrate that there is no functional cross-talk between Ssc1 and Ssc3 paralogs. The lack of in vivo functional overlap is due to altered conformation and significant lower stability associated with Ssc3. The substrate-binding domain of Ssc3 showed poor affinity toward mitochondrial client proteins and Tim44 due to the open conformation in ADP-bound state. In addition to that, the nucleotide-binding domain of Ssc3 showed an altered regulation by the Mge1 co-chaperone due to a high degree of conformational plasticity, which strongly promotes aggregation. Besides, Ssc3 possesses a dysfunctional inter-domain interface thus rendering it unable to perform functions similar to generic Hsp70s. Moreover, we have identified the critical amino acid sequence of Ssc1 and Ssc3 that can ``make or break'' mtHsp70 chaperone function. Together, our analysis provides the first evidence to show that the nucleotide-binding domain of mtHsp70s plays a critical role in determining the functional specificity among paralogs and orthologs across kingdoms.

Functional specificity among yeast mitochondrial Hsp70s paralogs and orthologs

The evolutionary diversity of the HSP70 gene family at the genetic level has generated complex structural variations leading to altered functional specificity and mode of regulation in different cellular compartments. By utilizing Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model system for better understanding the global functional cooperativity between Hsp70 paralogs, we have dissected the differences in functional properties at the biochemical level between mitochondrial heat shock protein 70 (mtHsp70) Ssc1 and an uncharacterized Ssc3 paralog. Based on the evolutionary origin of Ssc3 and a high degree of sequence homology with Ssc1, it has been proposed that both have a close functional overlap in the mitochondrial matrix. Surprisingly, our results demonstrate that there is no functional cross-talk between Ssc1 and Ssc3 paralogs. The lack of in vivo functional overlap is due to altered conformation and significant lower stability associated with Ssc3. The substrate-binding domain of Ssc3 showed poor affinity toward mitochondrial client proteins and Tim44 due to the open conformation in ADP-bound state. In addition to that, the nucleotide-binding domain of Ssc3 showed an altered regulation by the Mge1 co-chaperone due to a high degree of conformational plasticity, which strongly promotes aggregation. Besides, Ssc3 possesses a dysfunctional inter-domain interface thus rendering it unable to perform functions similar to generic Hsp70s. Moreover, we have identified the critical amino acid sequence of Ssc1 and Ssc3 that can “make or break” mtHsp70 chaperone function. Together, our analysis provides the first evidence to show that the nucleotide-binding domain of mtHsp70s plays a critical role in determining the functional specificity among paralogs and orthologs across kingdoms.

Shortening the decision distance: Selecting decision aids for improved technology investment performance

Deciding which technology to invest in is a recurring issue for technology managers, and the ability to successfully identify the right technology can be a make or break decision for a company. The effects of globalisation have made this issue even more imperative. Not only do companies have to be competitive by global standards but increasingly they have to source technological capabilities from overseas as well. Technology managers already have a variety of decision aids to draw upon, including valuation tools, for example DCF and real options; decision trees; and technology roadmapping. However little theory exists on when, where, why or even how to best apply particular decision aids. Rather than developing further techniques, this paper reviews the relevance and limitations of existing techniques. This is drawn from an on going research project which seeks to support technology managers in selecting and applying existing decision aids and potentially in the design of future decision aids. It is intended that through improving the selection of decision aids, decision performance can be increased, leading to more effective allocation of resources and hence competitive advantage. (c) 2006 PICMET.

A preliminary study on methods for retaining data quality problems in automatically generated test data

Data in an organisation often contains business secrets that organisations do not want to release. However, there are occasions when it is necessary for an organisation to release its data such as when outsourcing work or using the cloud for Data Quality (DQ) related tasks like data cleansing. Currently, there is no mechanism that allows organisations to release their data for DQ tasks while ensuring that it is suitably protected from releasing business related secrets. The aim of this paper is therefore to present our current progress on determining which methods are able to modify secret data and retain DQ problems. So far we have identified the ways in which data swapping and the SHA-2 hash function alterations methods can be used to preserve missing data, incorrectly formatted values, and domain violations DQ problems while minimising the risk of disclosing secrets. © (2012) by the AIS/ICIS Administrative Office All rights reserved.

Back-to-back Schottky diode adopted for the measurement of GaN films and its Schottky contacts

A new measurement method for GaN films and their Schottky contacts is reported in this paper. Instead of the fabrication of Ohmic contacts, this measurement is based on a special back-to-back Schottky diode that has a rectifying character. A mathematical model indicates that the electronic parameters of the materials can be deduced from the device's I-V data. In the experiment of an unintentionally doped n-type GaN layer with a residual carrier density 7 x 10(16) cm(-3), the analysis by the new method gives the layer's sheet resistance rho(s) = 497 Omega, the electron mobility mu(n) =, 613 cm(2) V-1 s(-1) and the ideality factor of the Ni/Au-GaN Schottky contacts n = 2.5, which are close to the data obtained by the traditional measurements: rho(s) = 505 Omega, mu(n) = 585 cm(2) V-1 s(-1) and n = 3.0. The method reported can be adopted not only for GaN films but also for other semiconductor materials, especially in the cases where Ohmic contacts of high quality are hard to make or their fabricating process affects the film's character.

Relative values: residential leasehold reform in England and Wales - valuation of lease extension and enfranchisement

This research report was commissioned by the DETR and examines valuation issues relating to leasehold enfanchisement and lease extension - the right for flat owners to collectively purchase the freehold or buy a longer lease. The two factors examined examined in detail are the yield to be applied when capitalising the ground rent and the relative value of leases with a relatively short period left to run as against the value of the freehold or a new long lease, which determines the level of 'marriage level'. The research report will be of interest to all those involved in the valuation of residential leasehold property and those with an interest in legislative proposals for leasehold reform.

Progress report on longitudinal and cross-sectional study of carbon disclosure strategies: evidence from UK listed companies

Global warming has attracted attention from all over the world and led to the concern about carbon emission. Kyoto Protocol, as the first major international regulatory emission trading scheme, was introduced in 1997 and outlined the strategies for reducing carbon emission (Ratnatunga et al., 2011). As the increased interest in carbon reduction the Protocol came into force in 2005, currently there are already 191 nations ratifying the Protocol(UNFCCC, 2012). Under the cap-and-trade schemes, each company has its carbon emission target. When company’s carbon emission exceeds the target the company will either face fines or buy emission allowance from other companies. Thus unlike most of the other social and environmental issues carbon emission could trigger cost for companies in introducing low-emission equipment and systems and also emission allowance cost when they emit more than their targets. Despite the importance of carbon emission to companies, carbon emission reporting is still operating under unregulated environment and companies are only required to disclose when it is material either in value or in substances (Miller, 2005, Deegan and Rankin, 1997). Even though there is still an increase in the volume of carbon emission disclosures in company’s financial reports and stand-alone social and environmental reports to show their concern of the environment and also their social responsibility (Peters and Romi, 2009), the motivations behind corporate carbon emission disclosures and whether carbon disclosures have impact on corporate environmental reputation and financial performance have not yet to explore. The problems with carbon emission lie on both the financial side and non-financial side of corporate governance. On one hand corporate needs to spend money in reducing carbon emission or paying penalties when they emit more than allowed. On the other hand as the public are more interested in environmental issues than before carbon emission could also impact on the image of corporate regarding to its environmental performance. The importance of carbon emission issue are beginning to be recognized by companies from different industries as one of the critical issues in supply chain management (Lee, 2011) and 80% of companies analysed are facing carbon risks resulting from emissions in the companies’ supply chain as shown in a study conducted by the Investor Responsibility Research Centre Institute for Corporate Responsibility (IRRCI) and over 80% of the companies analysed found that the majority of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission are from electricity and other direct suppliers (Trucost, 2009). The review of extant literature shows the increased importance of carbon emission issues and the gap in the study of carbon reporting and disclosures and also the study which links corporate environmental reputation and corporate financial performance with carbon reporting (Lohmann, 2009a, Ratnatunga and Balachandran, 2009, Bebbington and Larrinaga-Gonzalez, 2008). This study would focus on investigating the current status of UK carbon emission disclosures, the determinant factors of corporate carbon disclosure, and the relationship between carbon emission disclosures and corporate environmental reputation and financial performance of UK listed companies from 2004-2012 and explore the explanatory power of classical disclosure theories.