Innovatiivisuus johtoryhm��ty��skentelyss��

Tutkimus tarkastelee innovatiivisuutta johtoryhm��ty��skentelyss��. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on selvitt���� innovatiivisen tiimity��n prosessiin liittyvi�� tekij��it�� johtoryhm��ty��skentelyss�� ja kuinka n��it�� tekij��it�� voidaan kehitt����. T��ss�� tutkimuksessa innovatiivisen tiimity��n prosessiin liittyv��t seuraavat tekij��t: tiimin innovoinnin s����nn��t, refleksiivisyys, johtajuus, ristiriitojen johtaminen, eri tiimien yhteisty��, tiimin ulkopuoliset suhteet sek�� v��hemmist��n ja enemmist��n n��k��kulmat. Tutkimus toteutettiin laadullisena tapaustutkimuksena ja aineistonkeruumenetelm��n�� oli teemahaastattelu. Tutkimuksessa haastateltiin kymment�� johtoryhm��n j��sent��. Kohderyhm��n�� oli Kymenlaakson ammattikorkeakoulun johtoryhm��. Tutkimuksen tulokset tukevat teoriassa esitettyj�� m����ritelmi�� ja luovat pohjan johtoryhm��ty��skentelyn innovatiivisuuden kehitt��miseen. Innovatiivisuus johtoryhm��ty��skentelyss�� perustuu johtoryhm��ty��skentelyn erityispiirteiden huomioon ottamiseen, joita ovat johtoryhm��n toiminnan reunaehdot ja johtoryhm��n rooli toimia toimitusjohtajan avustajana p����t��ksenteossa. Johtajan rooli innovointiin ja avoimuuteen rohkaisevan l��pin��kyvyyden kulttuurin luomisessa on merkitt��v��.

Making Sense of Shared Leadership. A case study of leadership processes and practices without formal leadership structure in the team context

Leadership is essential for the effectiveness of the teams and organizations they are part of. The challenges facing organizations today require an exhaustive review of the strategic role of leadership. In this context, it is necessary to explore new types of leadership capable of providing an effective response to new needs. The presentday situations, characterized by complexity and ambiguity, make it difficult for an external leader to perform all leadership functions successfully. Likewise, knowledge-based work requires providing professional groups with sufficient autonomy to perform leadership functions. This study focuses on shared leadership in the team context. Shared leadership is seen as an emergent team property resulting from the distribution of leadership influence across multiple team members. Shared leadership entails sharing power and influence broadly among the team members rather than centralizing it in the hands of a single individual who acts in the clear role of a leader. By identifying the team itself as a key source of influence, this study points to the relational nature of leadership as a social construct where leadership is seen as social process of relating processes that are co-constructed by several team members. Based on recent theoretical developments concerned with relational, practice-based and constructionist approaches to the study of leadership processes, this thesis proposes the study of leadership interactions, working processes and practices to focus on the construction of direction, alignment and commitment. During the research process, critical events, activities, working processes and practices of a case team have been examined and analyzed with the grounded theory ���approach in the terms of shared leadership. There are a variety of components to this complex process and a multitude of factors that may influence the development of shared leadership. The study suggests that the development process of shared leadership is a common sense -making process and consists of four overlapping dimensions (individual, social, structural, and developmental) to work with as a team. For shared leadership to emerge, the members of the team must offer leadership services, and the team as a whole must be willing to rely on leadership by multiple team members. For these individual and collective behaviors to occur, the team members must believe that offering influence to and accepting it from fellow team members are welcome and constructive actions. Leadership emerges when people with differing world views use dialogue and collaborative learning to create spaces where a shared common purpose can be achieved while a diversity of perspectives is preserved and valued. This study also suggests that this process can be supported by different kinds of meaning-making and process tools. Leadership, then, does not reside in a person or in a role, but in the social system. The built framework integrates the different dimensions of shared leadership and describes their relationships. This way, the findings of this study can be seen as a contribution to the understanding of what constitutes essential aspects of shared leadership in the team context that can be of theoretical value in terms of advancing the adoption and development process of shared leadership. In the real world, teams and organizations can create conditions to foster and facilitate the process. We should encourage leaders and team members to approach leadership as a collective effort that the team can be prepared for, so that the response is rapid and efficient.

Nuorten johtajien johtamisk��yt��nteet asiantuntijaorganisaatioissa

Johtajasukupolvet ovat vaihtumassa ja tulevaisuudessa tarvitaan yh�� useampia nuoria johtajia t��ytt��m����n johtajien paikkoja. T��m�� tutkimus osallistuu nuorista johtajista ja t��ll�� hetkell�� ty��el��m��ss�� olevasta nuorimmasta sukupolvesta k��yt��v����n tieteelliseen ja yhteiskunnalliseen keskusteluun. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on kuvata ja ymm��rt���� nuorten johtajien johtamisk��yt��nteit�� asiantuntijaorganisaatioissa. Tutkimuksen on luonteeltaan kvalitatiivinen ja sen p����asiallinen aineisto koostuu kymmenen nuoren johtajan haastatteluista. Tutkimuksen mukaan nuoret johtajat ovat eettisi�� ja autenttisia johtajia, jotka arvostavat johtamisessaan yh�� enemm��n niin sanottuja pehmeit�� arvoja, kuten oikeudenmukaisuutta, avoimuutta, ihmisten kehitt��mist��, kuuntelutaitoa ja muiden huomioon ottamista sek�� kyky�� inspiroida. Nuoren johtajan tapa johtaa on valmentavaa ja esimerkill�� johtamista, joka perustuu ennen kaikkea valtuuttamiselle ja yhteisty��lle alaisten kanssa.

Socially Competent Leadership - predictors, impacts and skilling in engineering

Earlier management studies have found a relationship between managerial qualities and subordinate impacts, but the effect of managers��� social competence on leader perceptions has not been solidly established. To fill the related research gap, the present work embarks on a quantitative empirical effort to identify predictors of successful leadership. In particular, this study investigates relationships between perceived leader behavior and three selfreport instruments used to measure managerial capability: 1) the WOPI Work Personality Inventory, 2) Raven���s general intelligence scale, and 3) the Emotive Communication Scale (ECS). This work complements previous research by resorting to both self-reports and other-reports: the results acquired from the managerial sample are compared to subordinate perceptions as measured through the ECS other-report and the WOPI360 multi-source appraisal. The quantitative research is comprised of a sample of 8o superiors and 354 subordinates operating in eight Finnish organizations. The strongest predictive value emerged from the ECS self- and other-reports and certain personality dimensions. In contrast, supervisors��� logical intelligence did not correlate with leadership perceived as socially competent by subordinates. 16 of the superiors rated as most socially competent by their subordinates were selected for case analysis. Their qualitative narratives evidence the role of life history and post-traumatic growth in developing managerial skills. The results contribute to leadership theory in four ways. First, the ECS self-report devised for this research offers a reliable scale for predicting socially competent leader ability. Second, the work identifies dimensions of personality and emotive skills that can be considered predictors of managerial ability and benefited from in leader recruitment and career planning. Third, the Emotive Communication Model delineated on the basis of the empirical data allows for a systematic design and planning of communication and leadership education. Fourth, this workfurthers understanding of personal growth strategies and the role of life history in leader development and training. Finally, this research advances educational leadership by conceptualizing and operationalizing effective managerial communications. The Emotive Communication Model devised directs the pedagogic attention in engineering to assertion, emotional availability and inspiration skills. The proposed methodology addresses classroom management strategies drawing from problem-based learning, student empowerment, collaborative learning, and so-called socially competent teachership founded on teacher immediacy and perceived caring, all constituting strategies moving away from student compliance and teacher modelling. The ultimate educational objective embraces the development of individual engineers and organizational leaders that not only possess traditional analytical and technical expertise and substantive knowledge but are intelligent also creatively, practically, and socially.

Playing to Learn: Business Simulation Games as Leadership Learning Environments

The aim of this dissertation is to investigate if participation in business simulation gaming sessions can make different leadership styles visible and provide students with experiences beneficial for the development of leadership skills. Particularly, the focus is to describe the development of leadership styles when leading virtual teams in computer-��supported collaborative game settings and to identify the outcomes of using computer simulation games as leadership training tools. To answer to the objectives of the study, three empirical experiments were conducted to explore if participation in business simulation gaming sessions (Study I and II), which integrate face-��to-��face and virtual communication (Study III and IV), can make different leadership styles visible and provide students with experiences beneficial for the development of leadership skills. In the first experiment, a group of multicultural graduate business students (N=41) participated in gaming sessions with a computerized business simulation game (Study III). In the second experiment, a group of graduate students (N=9) participated in the training with a ���real estate��� computer game (Study I and II). In the third experiment, a business simulation gaming session was organized for graduate students group (N=26) and the participants played the simulation game in virtual teams, which were organizationally and geographically dispersed but connected via technology (Study IV). Each team in all experiments had three to four students and students were between 22 and 25 years old. The business computer games used for the empirical experiments presented an enormous number of complex operations in which a team leader needed to make the final decisions involved in leading the team to win the game. These gaming environments were interactive;�� participants interacted by solving the given tasks in the game. Thus, strategy and appropriate leadership were needed to be successful. The training was competition-��based and required implementation of leadership skills. The data of these studies consist of observations, participants��� reflective essays written after the gaming sessions, pre-�� and post-��tests questionnaires and participants��� answers to open-�� ended questions. Participants��� interactions and collaboration were observed when they played the computer games. The transcripts of notes from observations and students dialogs were coded in terms of transactional, transformational, heroic and post-��heroic leadership styles. For the data analysis of the transcribed notes from observations, content analysis and discourse analysis was implemented. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) was also utilized in the study to measure transformational and transactional leadership styles;�� in addition, quantitative (one-��way repeated measures ANOVA) and qualitative data analyses have been performed. The results of this study indicate that in the business simulation gaming environment, certain leadership characteristics emerged spontaneously. Experiences about leadership varied between the teams and were dependent on the role individual students had in their team. These four studies showed that simulation gaming environment has the potential to be used in higher education to exercise the leadership styles relevant in real-��world work contexts. Further, the study indicated that given debriefing sessions, the simulation game context has much potential to benefit learning. The participants who showed interest in leadership roles were given the opportunity of developing leadership skills in practice. The study also provides evidence of unpredictable situations that participants can experience and learn from during the gaming sessions. The study illustrates the complex nature of experiences from the gaming environments and the need for the team leader and role divisions during the gaming sessions. It could be concluded that the experience of simulation game training illustrated the complexity of real life situations and provided participants with the challenges of virtual leadership experiences and the difficulties of using leadership styles in practice. As a result, the study offers playing computer simulation games in small teams as one way to exercise leadership styles in practice.

Leadership in the mobile smartphone market

The mobile telecommunications industry has been going through an enormous revolution, especially after mid-1990 when smartphones were introduced to the market. As a consequence, the smartphone market���s dynamism is requesting companies to operate differently in the way they do business. After a long period occupying the leader position in the smartphones manufacturers��� rank, Nokia was outperformed by Apple and Samsung during 2011 and since then has been on the third place. Nevertheless, Nokia is battling for regaining the leadership in such a competitive and high-velocity growing market and that is what this research is about. This research covers the competitive and strategic forces that shape dynamic industries whereas the main purpose is to elucidate the main factors that contribute to a company���s above-average performance and ultimately determine its leadership in the mobile smartphone market. Therefore, this exploratory qualitative research was conducted as a desk research, which utilized various secondary sources of data in the knowledge area of strategic management such as theories about competitive advantages and dynamic capabilities of firms, innovation, and strategy. This research is enriched with a case study about Nokia: how the company has been organizing its corporate structure to support the strategies and hence how it has been competing in the smartphone market is analyzed, taking into account many contemporary data sources, including market analysts��� and business experts��� opinions. As a result of the classic literature exploration and the case study assay, a framework for deeper analysis of the competitiveness of firms in dynamic markets was developed. The conclusion that emerged from this research is that the success of a firm results from the interplay of various factors. To regain the leader position in the mobile smartphone market is a challenging task that requires Nokia to reinvent its core strategy for taking charge of the smartphones��� industry transformation through for example the adoption of the open innovation concept. It is imperative that Nokia designs and implement a breakthrough strategy as well as embraces the uncertainty of the smartphone market competition as an opportunity for discontinuous innovation development with the ultimate goal of recovering the leadership.

Leda f��r��ndring genom relationer, processer och kultur

Forskningens syfte var att bidra med en ny kunskapssyntes om vad det inneb��r att leda f��r��ndring ur ett v��rdvetenskapligt perspektiv. V��rdledaren har, speciellt vid st��rre f��r��ndringar inom organisationen, en stor betydelse f��r hur v��rdandet f��rvaltas genom att h��lla den v��rdande traditionen levande och genom formningen av den v��rdande kulturen och v��rdgemenskapen. Den ��vergripande hermeneutiska forskningsansatsen med till��mpning av metodologisk triangulering har influerats av Gadamers, Ricoeurs och ��dmans syn p�� hermeneutik med f��rst��else och f��rklaring som kompletterar varandra. Forskningens ��vergripande fr��gest��llning ���Vad inneb��r det att leda f��r��ndring ur ett v��rdvetenskapligt perspektiv?��� f��rankrades i de fyra underliggande fr��gest��llningarna. Den f��rsta fr��gest��llningen ber��rde meningsinneh��llet i begreppet f��r��ndring samt dess gestaltning. Metoden var en hermeneutisk begreppsbest��mning p�� en ontologisk och kontextuell niv�� enligt Koorts metod f��r begreppsbest��mning. Genom en personalenk��t unders��ktes personalens ��sikter (totalt 597 personer) om den kommande fusionen och f��r��ndringen samt deras f��rv��ntningar p�� ledarna under f��r��ndringsprocessen f��r att f�� svar p�� vad f��ruts��ttningarna var f��r en f��r��ndring eller f��r��ndringsprocess med avsedda m��l och effekter. Svaret p�� hur v��rdledaren och dennes uppgifter gestaltades vid en f��r��ndring samt hur v��rdledarna uppfattade f��r��ndring och den kommande f��r��ndringsprocessen erh��lls genom djupintervjuer med v��rdledare (17). Av resultatet framg��r att v��rdledaren leder f��r��ndring genom att leda relationer, processer och kultur och genom ett st��djande, reflekterande och kulturb��rande ledarskap med syftet att ��stadkomma en verklig och h��llbar f��r��ndring. F��r att ��stadkomma en verklig och h��llbar f��r��ndring, dvs. en inre omgestaltning och omdaning som vardande, f��ruts��tts dock att b��de tankem��nster och handlanden f��r��ndras. Riktningen och insatserna f��r f��r��ndringen skall ha sin grund i en tydlig och meningsfull m��ls��ttning och vision utg��ende fr��n en gemensam v��rdegrund. En arena f��r dialog borde utvecklas s�� att f��r��ndringens liksom ��ven v��rdandets vision och mission f��rankras och utvecklas till handling och f��r��ndring. V��rdledarens prim��ra uppgift eller mission var att tillhandah��lla varje individuell patient en god v��rd. Den prim��ra missionen var med andra ord att med ansvarsfullhet tj��na v��rdandet sak utg��ende fr��n ett etiskt f��rh��llningss��tt. I tj��nande av v��rdandets sak fanns dock en tillit till att f��r��ndringen gagnar patienten och hans eller hennes v��rd, men v��rdledarnas anpassning till f��r��ndringen var utan djupare engagemang. V��rdledarna k��nde ��ven en oro f��r sitt uppdrag som v��rdledare, v��rdarbetets st��llning och mandatet som patientens advokat. V��rdledaren ��r ocks�� en kulturb��rare, vilket inneb��r att ��ven kulturen har betydelse under en f��r��ndringsprocess. Genom att leda kulturen skapar v��rdledaren en ��ppen, bekr��ftande och evidensbaserad atmosf��r med centrala v��rderingar som ger uttryck f��r den r��dande andan och kulturen.

Ambidextrous leadership in customer contact centre organization

In a modern dynamic environment organizations are facing new requirements for success and competitive advantage. This also sets new requirements for leaders. The term of ambidexterity is used in relation with organizations that are able to manage short-term efficiency and long-term innovation simultaneously. Ambidextrous leaders have the same capability at an individual level. They are able to balance between efficiency and flexibility. This study examined the confrontation of these two competing concepts in the leadership perspective. The aim of the study was to understand this recently arisen concept and its antecedents and examine what is currently known about ambidextrous leadership. This was a case study with data collected through theme interviews in a result orientated customer centre organization that has a cultural change at hand when it comes to leadership and empowerment. Organization wants to be efficient and flexible at the same time (a.k.a. ambidextrous) and that requires new type of leadership. In this study the aim was to describe the capabilities and criteria for ambidextrous leader and examine the leadership roles related to ambidextrous leadership in different hierarchical levels. The case organization had also created systematic means to support this cultural change and the effects of the process related to leadership were studied. This study showed that the area is yet widely unexplored and contradictory views are presented. This study contributes to the deprivation of study of ambidexterity in leadership and individuals. The study presents a description of ambidextrous leadership and describes the capabilities of ambidextrous leader. Ambidextrous leaders are able to make cognitive decisions between their leadership style according to situation that requires either leadership related to efficiency such as transactional leadership or leadership related to flexibility such as transformational leadership. Their leadership style supports both short-term and long-term goals. This study also shows that the role of top management is vital and operational leaders rely on their example.

Projektin suunnittelu ja johtaminen julkishallinnon organisaatiossa

Ty��n tavoitteena on tutkia projektisuunnittelun ja projektijohtamisen perusteiden toteutu-mista projektity��skentelyss�� julkishallinnon organisaatiossa. Tutkimuksen ydin on tunnistaa projektisuunnitelman, muutoshallinnan ja projektip����llik��n osaamisen sek�� johtamis-k��ytt��ytymisen merkitys projektin onnistumisen n��k��kulmasta. Tutkimus k��sitt���� projektihallinnan kokonaisuutena, jota toteutetaan suunnittelun, toimin-nan ja johtamisen vuoropuhelussa. Tutkimuksessa verrataan kirjallisuudesta esitetty�� pro-jektisuunnittelun ja johtamisen teoriaa Liikenneviraston projektihallinnan ohjeistukseen, mallipohjiin ja kokemukseen projektip����llik��n johtamisk��ytt��ytymisest��. Johtop����t��ksin�� esitet����n Liikenneviraston projektiohjeistuksen kehitt��miskohteet sek�� Liikenneviraston projektijohtamisen kulttuurissa hyviksi johtajaominaisuuksiksi koetut projektip����llik��n ominaisuudet. Keskeisen�� havaintona tunnistetaan projektity��skentelyn keh��m��inen luonne ja siit�� aiheutuva jatkuvan suunnittelun, arvioinnin ja johtamisen tarve.

Collaborative information behaviour : a case study of two research groups

The aim of the licentiate thesis is to examine researchers' information practices in research groups. The researchers were involved with study communication and media related issues within Social Sciences and Humanities Faculties. The theoretical framework of the study comprises the new holistic models of information seeking (for example: Meho and Tibbo, 2003; Seld��n, 1999) and the collective aspects of information behaviour (Prekop, 2002 ; Talja, 2002; Talja and Hansen, 2006). The research questions are: 1. How do scholars seek information in research groups? 2 What kind of collaborative information behaviour occurs in the research groups? The research data was gathered by interviews and observations. Three meetings of a research group at the University of Tampere were observed during the autumn of 2004. The group members and the group leader of the research group were interviewed in the spring of 2005. The research group members and the group leader of a research group at the University of Jyv��skyl�� were interviewed in the autumn of 2005. Altogether, two research group leaders and eight researchers were interviewed. The significance of the research group for information seeking is more important in closeknit research groups than in rather loose research groups. The significance of the research group for information seeking can be at least threefold. First, research group members can inform the group about relevant information resources and potential library or other information services. Second, the research group can to some extent compensate for the information seeking systems of libraries by distributing material and information resources. Third, information seeking can be carried out in collaboration in research groups. The significance of the research group was found to be most important in informing about new information services and marketing library systems. Recommendations from colleagues were often needed to mobilize researchers into using new library services. The significance of colleagues in informing about library services is in line with earlier studies. The present study showed that sometimes information from colleagues was regarded as more important than information distributed directly by the local library. A culture of information sharing, including mutual trust, seemed mainly to be reflected in collaboration and collaborative information seeking in the research groups studied. The timing of the onset of individual research seemed to be related to the information sharing culture and social networks in research groups. The simultaneous onset of the research work by group members seemed to promote the growth of unbiased collaboration, also in information seeking.

Ven��j��n imperiumin paluu

Ven��l��iset ovat eurooppalainen sivistyskansa, joka on vaikuttanut merkitt��v��ll�� tavalla maailman kohtaloihin. Kommunismin kukistuttua ja Neuvostoliiton hajottua ven��l��iset joutuivat h��mmennyksen tilaan. Kansakunnan uusi nousu alkoi maantieteellisest��, sivistykselliselt�� ja historialliselta pohjalta. L��nsimaille oli yll��tys, ettei Ven��j�� seurannut l��ntisi�� demokraattisia esikuvia, vaan l��hti luomaan uutta yhteiskuntaa omaa tiet����n kulkien. Valtion johtoon astuivat turvallisuusmiehet, jotka m����ritteliv��t Ven��j��n kehitysstrategiat ja poliittiset tavoitteet. Heid��n mukaansa Ven��j��n federaatio on imperiumi, eik�� se alistu muiden johdettavaksi. Ven��j�� ei hyv��ksy Yhdysvaltojen johtamaa yksinapaista maailmaa. Ven��j��n pyrkimyksen�� on kohota yhdeksi t��rke��ksi maailmanpolitiikan keskukseksi ja haastaa muiden vaikuttajien kuten EU:n, Kiinan, Japanin ja Intian kanssa Yhdysvaltojen johtoasema. Tavoitteeseen p����seminen edellytt���� yhteiskunnan voimavarojen keskitt��mist��. Vuodesta 1996 l��htien poliittinen valta on keskitetty tiukasti presidentille ja h��nen johtamalleen hallintokoneistolle. Vladimir Putinin johdolla yhteiskunta vakautettiin autoritaariseen tyyliin. Vuosina 2008���2012 muodollisena, joskin vaaleilla valittuna, presidenttin�� oli Putinin luottomies Dmitri Medvedev. Tuolloin todellisena Ven��j��n johtajana toimi p����ministeri Putin. Medvedevin nelivuotiskauden p����tytty�� Putin jatkaa valtion johdossa presidenttin��. Taloudelliset edellytykset harjoitetulle politiikalle ovat Ven��j��ll�� itsell����n. Maa on maailman ainoa suurvalta, joka on riippumaton ulkomaisista energia- ja raaka-ainel��hteist��, ja vuodesta 2002 vuoden 2008 lopulle jatkunut energian ja raaka-aineiden hintojen nousu on tukenut Ven��j��n talouskehityst��. Lis����ntyneill�� tuloilla on voitu monipuolisesti kehitt���� yhteiskuntaa, ja v��est��n enemmist�� on tyytyv��inen harjoitettuun politiikkaan. Ven��j�� selvisi nopeasti vuonna 2009 maailmaa kuristaneesta taloudellisesta kriisist�� ja p����si j��lleen kasvu-uralla. Suurena ongelmana on vientiteollisuuden yksipuolinen painottuminen energia- ja raaka-ainesektoreille, jolloin talous on hyvin riippuvainen maailmantalouden kehityksest��. Suurten valtion omistamien yhti��iden hallitsema elinkeinoel��m�� ei my��sk����n ole omiaan edist��m����n yritt��jyytt��, joka on kaiken innovatiivisuuden perusedellytys. Valtiojohtoinen autoritaarisuus ei ole tyydytt��nyt kaikkia, mutta vanhaan ven��l��iseen tyyliin protestit on tukahdutettu, ja ulkomaisille arvostelijoille ven��l��iset ovat kertoneet kehitt��v��ns�� ven��l��ist��, ���ohjattua��� demokratiaa. Imperiumille eritt��in t��rke��n instrumentin muodostavat vahvat asevoimat, ja valtiojohtoinen autoritaarinen talousel��m�� antaa mahdollisuudet niiden kehitt��miselle. Asevoimien kehityksen esteen�� ei ole niink����n talous, vaan teknologinen ja innovatiivinen j��lkeenj����neisyys. Vuonna 2003 k��ynnistetty asevoimien reformi on l��htenyt liikkeelle ja sen tuloksia oli havaittavissa elokuussa 2008 k��ydyss�� Ven��j��n ja Georgian v��lisess�� sodassa, joka p����ttyi Ven��j��n aseille voitokkaasti. Tuolloin kuitenkin todettiin asevoimien tekninen ja taktinen j��lkeenj����neisyys, mik�� johti asevoimien ja niit�� tukevan teollisuuden uudistamiseen t��ht����vien uudelleenj��rjestelyiden kiirehtimiseen ja kehitt��miseen.

Content marketing and the significance of corporate branding

T��m��n tutkielman tavoite on tutkia vahvan brandin merkityst�� ja syit��, miksi yritykset k��ytt��v��t sis��lt��markkinointia brandin rakentamisessa, sek�� selvitt���� mitk�� ovat yritysten sis��lt��markkinointi-investointien tavoitteet, odotetut seuraukset ja koetut hy��dyt ja tulokset. Teoriaosassa esitet����n empiriaosaa varten tarvittava akateeminen taustatutkimustieto. Empiria on toteutettu puoli-struktroiduilla kahdenkeskisill�� puhelinhaastatteuilla. Haastateltavina ovat ty��n toimeksiantajan Calcus Kustannus Oy:n viisi asiakasta. N��iden yritysten liikevaihto vaihtelee 23-75M��� v��lill��, ja yritykset toimivat p����osin suomen B2B yritysmarkkinoilla. Haastateltavat henkil��t ovat yrityksiss�� vastuussa markkinointip����t��ksist��. Tulokset osoittavat, ett�� vahvalla brandilla on eritt��in suuri merkitys yrityksen kasvun ja menestyksen kannalta, ja ett�� yritykset k��ytt��v��t sis��lt��markkinointia brandin rakentamisessa, koska se kasvattaa brandip����omaa tehokkaasti. Sis��lt��markkinoinnilla yritykset pyrkiv��t kasvttamaan heid��n asiakkaidensa branditietoisuutta ja brandiuskollisuutta, sek�� brandinsa uskottavuutta jakamalla aidosti kiinnostavaa ja lis��arvoa tuottavaa sis��lt����. Lis��ksi yrityksen asiantuntija-, sek�� mielipidejohtajaroolin vahvistaminen koettiin eritt��in t��rke��ksi. Sis��lt��markkinoinnin koetaan olevan brandin rakentamisessa tehokkaampaa kuin traditionaalinen markkinointi, mink�� vuoksi yritykset tulevat kasvattamaan sen osuutta markkinointisuunnitelmissaan tulevaisuudessa.

Value Proposition Enhancement in Retailers of the HVAC Industry

This case study explored value proposition and relationship marketing de-terminants in the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) indus-try. Concretely, the case involved Purmo, a prominent brand and market leader radiator manufacturer, its relationship marketing practices with the retailers of their product (radiator installers) and the value proposition which is being used to reach the end-user. In the field work, five heating experts/entrepreneurs in the installation business were interviewed and asked about their opinion on Purmo and the end-user���s needs. The findings suggest that while installers appreciate Purmo as a supplier and respect it as a company, the loyalty that they have towards it has no repercussions on their product advocacy to ultimate consumers. Installers proved to be attracted to standard model radiators and to be apathetic to the benefits that more advanced models can provide. The reasons for this behavior were found to be their preference for products with better availa-bility and their reluctance to interfere with the customers��� decision making processes.

[Kirja-arvostelu]

Kirjallisuusarvostelu