Kuukausiraportoinnin kehittäminen case-organisaatiossa

Tämän Pro Gradu tutkielman aiheena on tutkia kuukausiraportoinnin kehittämistä case-organisaatiossa. Työssä tutkitaan, millä tasolla jatkuvan talousraportoinnin tulisi olla, jotta se palvelisi mahdollisimman tehokkaasti sen pääkäyttötarkoitusta eli toiminnan johtamista. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on antaa esitys hyvästä rapor-tointimallista. Tutkimus on kvalitatiivinen tapaustutkimus. Tutkimuksen empiirinen aineisto kerättiin puolistrukturoiduilla haastatteluilla sekä havainnoin avulla. Tutkimuksen teoreettinen viitekehys käsittelee New Public managementia, uutta julkisjohtamista, sekä sen mukana julkiselle sektorille tullutta tulosjohtamista. New Public Management –suuntaus on tuonut yksityiseltä sektorilta omaksuttuja toimintatapoja julkisen hallinnon organisaatioihin ja toimintamalleihin. Teoria-osuudessa tarkastellaan myös teoriaa johdon talousraportoinnista. Tutkimuksen johtopäätöksenä todetaan että kohdeorganisaation nykyinen rapor-tointi ei vastaa täysin johdon raportointitarpeita ja että raportointiprosessissa olisi kehitettävää. Tärkeimpänä kehityskohteena olisi raportoinnin laajentaminen si-ten, että toiminnasta tuotaisiin tietoja osaksi jatkuvaa raportointia. Tämä tutkimus esittää toimenpide-ehdotukset sekä aikataulun havaittujen haasteiden korjaa-miseksi.

The estimation of tuberculosis transmission parameters using ABC and MCMC methods

The aim of this work is to apply approximate Bayesian computation in combination with Marcov chain Monte Carlo methods in order to estimate the parameters of tuberculosis transmission. The methods are applied to San Francisco data and the results are compared with the outcomes of previous works. Moreover, a methodological idea with the aim to reduce computational time is also described. Despite the fact that this approach is proved to work in an appropriate way, further analysis is needed to understand and test its behaviour in different cases. Some related suggestions to its further enhancement are described in the corresponding chapter.

IT:n ja liiketoiminnan välisen palvelutason hallinta ulkoistetussa IT- palvelumallissa

Knowledge and competence are in important role in today’s demanding business environment where hard competition forces everyone to specialize and concentrate more to core competencies. Companies are outsourcing services, making processes more efficient and utilizing better their staff and available knowledge capital. It requires good strategic planning, process measuring and management and motivated staff, who is willing to continuously learn and absorb new information. This Thesis examines almost total IT service outsourcing to international service provider in situation where company previously had own IT. Work contains problematic situations during the change and suggestions how to improve services and understand the new model in a better way.

Learning from projects: a qualitative metasummary

The objective of this thesis was to form an understanding about the common gaps in learning from projects, as well as possible approaches to bridging them. In the research focus were the questions on how project teams create knowledge, which fac- tors affect the capture and re-use of this knowledge and how organizations can best capture and utilize this project-based knowledge. The method used was qualitative metasummary, a literature-based research method that has previously been mainly applied in the domains of nursing and health care research. The focus was laid on firms conducting knowledge-intensive business in some form of matrix organization. The research produced a theoretical model of knowledge creation in projects as well as a typology of factors affecting transfer of project-based knowledge. These include experience, culture and leadership, planning and controlling, relationships, project review and documentation. From these factors, suggestions could be derived as to how organizations should conduct projects in order not to lose what has been learned.

Consumer online communication of corporate social responsibility in the sin industry context: Cases in the global online gambling industry.

So-called sin industries are often related to harmfulness, unethical business, and unproductiveness. Nowadays, the alcohol, gambling, and tobacco industries are most often considered to be part of sin industries, which is also the context of this study. However, the definition of a sin industry is always related to time and culture. Despite the controversies of sin industries, there are studies that have shown that corporate social responsibility (CSR) engagement is even more important for sin industries than for normal industries and that CSR has a positive effect on firm value in sin industries. With CSR this study refers to an ideology where company takes mostly voluntary actions towards various groups of stakeholders and the environment. In other words, the company goes beyond the legal norms and regulations. In particular, the purpose of this thesis is to find out how companies, operating in the online gambling industry, communicate about their CSR actions to consumers at their web pages. The online environment is essential for this study as online gambling environment is a source of many controversies in comparison to the traditional gambling halls and casinos. These include, for example, greater accessibility, anonymity, and availability of the service. This study uses qualitative textual analysis as its approach, more precisely the discourse analysis. In addition, as this study focuses on large international companies and their actions, also case study approach will be presented. The cases studied are Mybet, Unibet, and Bwin.Party. In order to study the subject, elements from discourse analysis are combined with insights of essential CSR theories, and the specific characteristics of the online gambling industry. As a background for the framework, this study uses the framework of Du & Vieira (2012). After analyzing the discourses of CSR communication and CSR practices, it seems that all of the case companies still do not use all the potential that the online environment provides in terms of CSR or stakeholder communication. There are large differences between different communication tools used at different web pages (gambling pages vs. corporation pages) and between the firms’ CSR profiles. Moreover, there are large differences in the CSR practices used in the web pages of the case companies. The findings of this study are partially alarming as the case companies represent the largest companies in the industry. There are major varieties between the companies’ CSR communication and clear shortcomings in some parts of the online communication. Moreover, the trust of the consumer was broken in some places. If this is the standard that the biggest players in the industry have set with regards to CSR communication, it is probable that the smaller players are performing even worse. Moreover, the regulators are most likely concentrating on the larger companies, so the smaller companies might have fewer incentives and pressure to perform according to the regulations or exceeding the legislation. The conclusions of this thesis provide insights to managers, regulators, and scholars. Suggestions for future studies are provided as well.

Metsäkoneiden panssareiden ja pohjan luukkujen laadun kehittäminen

Tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli selvittää, mitkä asiat tutkimuksen toimeksiantavan yrityksen, John Deere Forestry Oy:n metsäkoneiden panssareiden ja luukkujen kanssa työskentelevä henkilöstö kokee oleellisimmiksi pohjan suojien asennettavuuden, käytettävyyden, kestävyyden ja laadun kehittämisessä. Tutkimuksella haluttiin myös selvittää, mitä hyödynnettävää tietoa yrityksen sisältä jo löytyy, mitä hiljaista tietoa henkilöstöllä on ja miten tätä kaikkea voidaan hyödyntää jatkossa suunnittelun tukena. Pääasiallisina tutkimusmenetelminä käytettiin strukturoitua kyselytutkimusta, toimeksiantavan yrityksen sekä kilpailijoiden rakenneratkaisujen tarkastelua sekä lujuuslaskentaa. Kyselytutkimuksen aineisto kerättiin loppukesästä 2014. Otanta koostui 149:stä eri toimipaikkojen työntekijästä. Aineisto käsiteltiin pääasiassa kvantitatiivisesti käyttämällä ristiintaulukointia. Kyselytutkimuksen tulosten perusteella syvennyttiin tarkastelemaan pohjan suojausta myös koneteknillisellä lähestymistavalla. Tarkastelun kohteeksi valitulle panssarille tehtiin lujuuslaskentoja kyselyn vastausten varmentamiseksi ja ongelmien tarkentamiseksi, parannusehdotuksien tueksi. Aihetta tarkasteltiin asennusergonomian, työturvallisuuden ja vaurioitumismekanismien valossa. Tulosten analysoinnin yhteydessä esitettiin ratkaisuehdotuksia yleisimpiin ongelmiin laadun kehittämiseksi. Keskeisimmät ratkaisuehdotukset liittyvät panssareiden rakenteellisen stabiiliuden parantamiseen. Käytännön toimenpide-esityksinä esimerkiksi jäykisteet, tuennat, materiaalivalinnat, uudelleenmuotoilu, apuasennustyökalut, turvavarustelut ja avautumissuunnat olisivat huomion arvoisia asioita. Tutkimuksessa kerätty tieto kootaan sovellettavaksi käytäntöön laadun kehittämiseksi tekemällä toimeksiantavalle yritykselle metsäkoneiden panssareiden ja pohjan luukkujen suunnitteluohje. Tällä pyritään jatkossa parantamaan kilpailukykyä.

Tiedon jakaminen ja organisaatiokulttuuri kulkevat käsi kädessä

Pro gradu -tutkielmassa selvitettiin organisaatiokulttuurin vaikutusta tiedon jakamiseen sekä tiedon jakamisen edistämistä asiantuntijaorganisaatiossa. Tavoitteena oli kehittää toimeksiannosta Fingrid Oyj:n tiedon jakamisen käytäntöjä sekä määrittää yhtiölle tavoitekulttuurin piirteet, joihin johto voi sitoutua ja jota kohti organisaatio voi kehittyä. Tutkimus toteutettiin pääosiltaan kvalitatiivisena tutkimuksena ja tutkimusotteena oli toimintatutkimus. Tutkimuksessa perehdyttiin aikaisempiin tiedon jakamista ja organisaatiokulttuurin yhteyttä selvittäneisiin tutkimuksiin. Case-yrityksen henkilöstön näkemykset nykyisestä organisaatiokulttuurista kartoitettiin hyödyntäen Cameron & Quinnin kilpailevien arvojen mallia. Pöytätutkimuksena tutustuttiin organisaation eri dokumentteihin, strategiaan, arvoihin ja ohjeisiin. Lisäksi toteutettiin 10 kpl teemahaastatteluita yhtiön organisaatiokulttuurista ja tiedon jakamisen edistämisen keinoista. Tulosten mukaan organisaatiokulttuurilla ja tiedon jakamisella on yhteys toisiinsa. Tälle löydettiin vahvistusta aikaisempien tutkimusten lisäksi myös case-yrityksen käytänteistä. Kulttuurit, joissa vuorovaikutus on avointa ja valtasuhteet matalia ja joissa kannustetaan kollektiiviseen tekemiseen yksilösuoritusten sijasta, suosivat tiedon jakamista tiedon panttaamisen sijasta. Case-yrityksen organisaatiokulttuurin dominoiviksi piirteiksi muodostuivat hierarkinen ja ryhmäkulttuuri: hierarkisuus näkyy yrityksen toiminnan ohjauksessa runsaina ohjeina ja sääntöinä, silti yrityksen ilmapiiri on epämuodollinen, organisaatiomalli on matala ja päätöksentekojärjestelmässä valtaa on jalkautettu alaspäin. Yrityksen kulttuurin todettiin tukevan tiedon jakamisen käytänteitä. Toimintatutkimuksessa Fingrid Oyj:lle määriteltiin yhdessä ylimmän johdon kanssa tavoitekulttuurin piirteet, linjattiin miten kulttuurin tulee näkyä esimiestyössä sekä laadittiin ehdotuksia tiedon jakamisen kehittämiseksi yhtiössä.

Uni-portaalin kehitys käytettävyystutkimuksen pohjalta

Tässä työssä tutkitaan Lappeenrannan teknillisen yliopiston Uni-portaalia ja sen käytettävyyttä käytettävyystutkimuksen avulla. Työn tavoitteena on saada palveluun parannusehdotuksia tutkimuksen tuloksien pohjalta. Työssä tarkastellaan vain palvelun ”Opinnot ja palvelut” -sivua ja sen suomenkielistä näkymää. Työn tuloksina kävi ilmi palvelun sisältävän huonosti nimettyjä linkkejä, liian pitkiä linkkipolkuja sekä epäloogisia paikkoja eri tiedoille. Tuloksien pohjalta palvelulle on esitetty parannuksia juuri näihin epäkohtiin.

Power efficiency estimation and simulation of different control methods for the rotary screw compressor

Nowadays the energy efficiency has become one of the most concerned topics. Compressors are the equipment, which is very common in industry. Moreover, they tend to operate during long cycles and therefore even small decrease in power consumption can significantly reduce electricity costs during the year. And therefore it is important to investigate ways of increasing the energy efficiency of the compressors. In the thesis rotary screw compressor alongside with different control approaches is described. Simulation models for various control types of rotary screw compressor are developed. Analysis of laboratory equipment is conducted and results are compared with simulation. Suggestions of the real laboratory equipment improvement are given.

Improving reporting and internal control with process thinking - case study in a multinational corporation

The aim of this Master’s Thesis is to find applicable methods from process management literature for improving reporting and internal control in a multinational corporation. The method of analysis is qualitative and the research is conducted as a case study. Empirical data collection is carried out through interviews and participating observation. The theoretical framework is built around reporting and guidance between parent company and subsidiary, searching for means to improve them from process thinking and applicable frameworks. In the thesis, the process of intercompany reporting in the case company is modelled, and its weak points, risks, and development targets are identified. The framework of critical success factors in process improvement is utilized in assessing the development targets. Also internal control is analyzed with the tools of process thinking. As a result of this thesis, suggestions for actions improving the reporting process and internal control are made to the case company, the most essential of which are ensuring top management’s awareness and commitment to improvement, creating guidelines and tools for internal control and creating and implementing improved intercompany reporting process.

The new era of customer experience in the omni-channel environment of a communication service provider

This study discusses the evolution of an omni-channel model in managing customer experience. The purpose of this thesis is to expand the current academic literature available on omni-channel and offer suggestions for omni-channel creation. This is done by studying the features of an omni-channel approach into engaging with customers and through the sub-objectives of describing the process behind its initiation as well as the special features communication service providers need to take in consideration. Theories used as a background for this study are related to customer experience, channel management, omni-channel and finally change management. The empirical study of this thesis consists of seven expert interviews conducted in a case company. The interviews were held between March and November 2014. One of the interviewees is the manager of an omni-channel development team, whilst the rest were in charge of the management of the various customer channels of the company. The organization and analysis of the interview data was conducted topically. The use of themes related to major theories on the subject was utilized to create linkages between theory and practice. The responses were also organized in two groups based on the viewpoint to map responses related to the company perspective as well as the customers´ perspective. The findings in this study are that omni-channel is among the best tools for companies to respond to the challenge induced by changing customer needs and preferences, as well as intensifying competitive environment. The omni-channel model was found to promote excellent customer experience and thus to be a source of competition advantage and increasing financial returns by creating an omni-experience for the customer. Through omniexperience customers see all of the transactions with a company presenting one brand and providing ease and effortlessness in every encounter. The processes behind omni-channel formulation were identified as customer experience proclaimed as the most important strategic goal, mapping and establishing a unified brand experience in all (service) channels and empowering the first line personnel as the gate keepers of omniexperience. Further the tools, measurement and supporting strategies were to be in accordance with the omni-channel strategy and the customer needs to become a partner in a two way transaction with the firm. Based on these findings a model for omni-channel creation is offered. Future research is needed to firstly, further test these findings and expand the theoretical framework on omni-channel, as it is quite scarce to date and secondly, to increase the generalizability of the model suggested.

Roadmap for Service Charging Development

Corporate support functions are increasingly being concentrated into service centers. Service Management principles guide companies in the transition. Service Financial Management is an integral part in supporting the strategic positioning of the service center. The main goal of this thesis is to create a step-by-step plan to improve and automate the service charging processes for the finance service function of the case company. Automating the service transaction data collection for reporting is expected to improve efficiency, reliability and transparency. Interviews with finance service managers are held to define current processes and areas for improvement. These create the basis for the creation of a development roadmap that takes place in two phases. The first phase is to create an environment where automation is possible, and the second phase is the automation of each finance service. Benchmarking interviews are held with the service centers in three other companies to discover best practices. The service charging processes between the studied companies are found incompatible, and suggestions for process automation cannot be inferred. Some implications of Service Financial Management decisions to the strategy of the service center are identified. The bundling of services and charging them inside or outside of the goal-setting frame of the business unit can be used to support the strategic choice and customer acceptance of the service center.

Impact of Word-of-Mouth on consumer decision-making: An information processing perspective in the context of a high-involvement service

This doctoral study conducts an empirical analysis of the impact of Word-of-Mouth (WOM) on marketing-relevant outcomes such as attitudes and consumer choice, during a high-involvement and complex service decision. Due to its importance to decisionmaking, WOM has attracted interest from academia and practitioners for decades. Consumers are known to discuss products and services with one another. These discussions help consumers to form an evaluative opinion, as WOM reduces perceived risk, simplifies complexity, and increases the confidence of consumers in decisionmaking. These discussions are also highly impactful as WOM is a trustworthy source of information, since it is independent from the company or brand. In responding to the calls for more research on what happens after WOM information is received, and how it affects marketing-relevant outcomes, this dissertation extends prior WOM literature by investigating how consumers process information in a highinvolvement service domain, in particular higher-education. Further, the dissertation studies how the form of WOM influences consumer choice. The research contributes to WOM and services marketing literature by developing and empirically testing a framework for information processing and studying the long-term effects of WOM. The results of the dissertation are presented in five research publications. The publications are based on longitudinal data. The research leads to the development of a proposed theoretical framework for the processing of WOM, based on theories from social psychology. The framework is specifically focused on service decisions, as it takes into account evaluation difficulty through the complex nature of choice criteria associated with service purchase decisions. Further, other gaps in current WOM literature are taken into account by, for example, examining how the source of WOM and service values affects the processing mechanism. The research also provides implications for managers aiming to trigger favorable WOM through marketing efforts, such as advertising and testimonials. The results provide suggestions on how to design these marketing efforts by taking into account the mechanism through which information is processed, or the form of social influence.

Continuity of patient care in day surgery

Continuity is a part of high-quality patient care. The purpose of this study was to analyse what factors are important in the continuity of patients’ care, and how well continuity is achieved in different stages of the care of day surgical patients. Day surgery has become significantly more prevalent in the past few decades, and in order for it to be carried out successfully, continuity in care is particularly essential. The study was carried out in two stages. In the first stage (2001–2005) of the study, continuity was examined through a review of literature from the perspective of critical pathways, naming the continuity categories of time flow, coordination flow, caring relationship flow, and information flow. The first stage also entailed an analysis of matters important to the patient and problems concerning the achievement of care continuity, carried out by interviewing 25 day surgical patients. In the second stage (2006–2015), the degree to which the continuity of day surgical patient care was achieved was analysed from the perspective of patients (n=203, 58%) and nurses working in day surgery units (n=83, 69%), and suggestions for developing the continuity of day surgery patient care were made. In this study continuity of care was examined through a review of literature from the perspective of critical pathways, naming the continuity categories of time flow, coordination flow, caring relationship flow, and information flow. Within these categories, several important factors for the patient were found. According to both patients and nurses, continuity of care is generally achieved to a high degree. Continuity of care is improved by patients being acquainted with and meeting the staff attending to them (nurse and surgeon) before and after the operation. From patients’ perspective, there is room for improvement especially in terms of being admitted to care and in the carer-patient relationship. From nurses’ perspective, there is room for improvement in terms of the smoothness of care. Nurses evaluated the continuity of care to be the least successful before and after the operation. An extensive social and health care reform is planned in Finland in the coming years, aiming to enhance social and health care services and to create smoothly functioning service and care. As a topic of further study supporting the development of the service system, it is important to follow the patient’s progress throughout the entire chain of care, e.g. as a case study. On the other hand, there is also a need to study the views of nurses and other health care professionals in health care, e.g. in primary health care.

Business models for Finnish biobanks

This study concentrates on developing a suitable business model for Finnish biobanks, with particular emphasis on value creation to stakeholders. The sub-objective of this thesis are to map the commercial possibilities of biobanks and potential barriers for business development. The study approaches the subject from the biobanks’ as well as the stakeholders’ point of view, integrating their hopes and needs considering current and future co-operation into the findings. In 2013 the Biobank Act came into effect, after which six biobanks have been established and several other pending biobank projects are in process. There is relatively little research in regard to the commercial opportunities of this newcomer of the biomedical industry, and particularly in the Finnish markets. Therefore, the aim of this study is to partially fill the research gap of the commercial potential of biobanks and particularly outline the problematic elements in developing business. The theoretical framework consists of a few select theories, which depict business modeling and value creation of organizations. The theories are combined to form a synthesis, which best adapts to biobanks, and acts as a backbone for interviews. The empirical part of the study was conducted mainly by seven face-to-face interviews, and complemented by two phone interviews and an e-mail questionnaire with four responses. The findings consist mainly of the participants’ reflections on the potential products and services enabled by consumer genomics, as well as perceptions on different obstacles for biobanks’ business development. The nature of the study is tentative, as biobanks are relatively new organizations in Finland, and their operation models and activities are still molding. The aim is to bring to surface the hopes and concerns of biobanks’ representatives, as well as the representatives of stakeholders, in order to transparently discuss the current situation and suggestions for further development. The study concludes that in principle, the interviewees’ agree on the need for development in order not to waste the potential of biobanks; regardless, the participants emphasize different aspects and subsequently lean on differing methods.