Summaries of lecture recordings used as learning material in blended learning

Julkaisumaa: 530 AN ANT Alankomaiden Antillit

Service innovation development and knowledge integration practices - a comparative case study on KIBS sector

Academic research on services and innovations on services has significantly grown during recent years. So far research concerning management of knowledge intensive work on service development activities is very limited. The objective of this study was to examine knowledge integration practices that support service innovation development and to the best of knowledge such studies have not been previously published in academic literature. In the theoretical part of the study a review of state‐of‐the‐art literature was conducted, research gap was indicated and a framework for analysis was built. In the empirical part an explorative comparative multi‐case study was carried out in KIBS sector. Four companies were selected and four service development projects were inspected. The service development activities and knowledge integration practices were identified. The cases were carefully compared and results formed. The empirical results indicated that service innovation development is partly linear and partly incremental flow of activities where knowledge integration practices have important role supporting the planning and execution of tasks. Knowledge integration practices supporting planning and workshops are close interaction, interpretation, project planning and sequencing of work tasks. The identified knowledge integration practices supporting building service solution were careful role and competence management, routines and common knowledge. The main implication is that to manage knowledge intensive service innovation development a firm should carefully develop and choose relevant knowledge integration practices to support the service development activities.

Theorizing Formal and Informal Feedback Practices in Management Accounting Through Three Dimensions

The purpose of this doctoral thesis is to widen and develop our theoretical frameworks for discussion and analyses of feedback practices in management accounting, particularly shedding light on its formal and informal aspects. The concept of feedback in management accounting has conventionally been analyzed within cybernetic control theory, in which feedback flows as a diagnostic or comparative loop between measurable outputs and pre-set goals (see e.g. Flamholtz et al. 1985; Flamholtz 1996, 1983), i.e. as a formal feedback loop. However, the everyday feedback practices in organizations are combinations of formal and informal elements. In addition to technique-driven feedback approaches (like budgets, measurement, and reward systems) we could also categorize social feedback practices that managers see relevant and effective in the pursuit of organizational control. While cybernetics or control theories successfully capture rational and measured aspects of organizational performance and offer a broad organizational context for the analysis, many individual and informal aspects remain vague and isolated. In order to discuss and make sense of the heterogeneous field of interpretations of formal and informal feedback, both in theory and practice, dichotomous approaches seem to be insufficient. Therefore, I suggest an analytical framework of formal and informal feedback with three dimensions (3D’s): source, time, and rule. Based on an abductive analysis of the theoretical and empirical findings from an interpretive case study around a business unit called Division Steelco, the 3Dframework and formal and informal feedback practices are further elaborated vis-á-vis the four thematic layers in the organizational control model by Flamholtz et al. (1985; Flamholtz 1996, 1983): core control system, organizational structure, organizational culture, and external environment. Various personal and cultural meanings given to the formal and informal feedback practices (“feedback as something”) create multidimensional interpretative contexts. Multidimensional frameworks aim to capture and better understand both the variety of interpretations and their implications to the functionality of feedback practices, important in interpretive research.

Sellutehtaiden vuosihuoltoseisokkiprosessin hallinta - toimintaohjeen luominen

Päätavoitteena tässä diplomityössä oli löytää parhaat käytännöt vuosihuoltoseisokkien suunnitteluun ja toteutukseen. Parhaita käytäntöjä selvitettiin teorian, yrityksessä aiemmin tuotetun materiaalin, haastatteluiden ja kenttähavaintojen kautta. Niiden pohjalta luotiin yritykselle toimintaohje, jossa on aikataulutettu tarvittavat toimenpiteet sekä näiden toimenpiteiden vastuuhenkilöt vuosihuoltoseisokkiprosessin eri vaiheissa. Diplomityön teoriaosuudessa käsitellään kunnossapitoa, projekteja ja seisokkiteoriaa. Kunnossapidon näkökulmasta suunnitelmallisuus nousee esiin tärkeimpänä, niin lyhyen kuin pitkän tähtäimen suunnittelu. Toinen keskeinen kokonaisuus on tuotanto-omaisuuden hallinta. Projekteja käsitellään kevyesti, sillä seisokkiteoria nojautuu vahvasti projektimaiseen työskentelyyn. Seisokkiteoriassa esitellään erityisesti eri prosessin vaiheiden tehtäviä. Synteesiosuudessa esitellään yritykseen jääneen toimintaohjeen sisältö sallituin osin. Toimintaohjeen vaiheet ovat alullepano, suunnittelu, toteutus sekä lopettaminen ja jälkityöt. Toimintaohjetta hyödyntäen vuosihuoltoseisokit voidaan viedä läpi projektinomaisesti, kuitenkin ajatellen vuosihuoltoseisokkiprosessin jatkuva prosessina, jossa edellisen projektin lopettaminen on uuden aloittamista.

Survey on control and management practices of equine helminthes infection

Twenty-nine stud farms were selected in the Medium Paraíba region of the Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. After an interview with the person responsible for the animals, faecal samples were collected from mares and analyzed via the EPG technique, faecal cultures, Sedimentation-centrifugo-flotation, and modified Ueno and Baermann techniques. The prevalence of helminths in the mares and in the stud farms was calculated. The stocking rates of pasture, change of horse bedding, absence of pasture rotation, absence of technology in the property, and less frequent treatment of the animals were associated with a greater prevalence of helminths, showing that these variables must be considered in equine control programs. The intensity of the parasitism was also associated with the stocking rate of pasture, absence of dunghill, presence of the animals only in paddocks, lack of technology in the property, less frequent treatment of the animals, and absence of the use of rotation regarding the anthelmintic class.

Improving the inventory management and valuation process, Case: The Switch Drive Systems

The goal of this study is to create a new inventory valuation process for The Switch Drive Systems and to improve its inventory management practices. In the matter of inventories the main problems in the case company are that it doesn’t have consistent valuation methods throughout the company and that information received in ERP system isn’t trustful. The research is qualitative case study. The empirical data is gathered through observing and unstructured interviews. The research shows that material flow process and the inventory valuation must be divided and handled separately but they should interact with each other. The result is a new inventory valuation process which takes many factors of material process under the consideration in order to receive reliable value for inventories.

Mapping the translation needs and practices in development co-operation projects of NGOs

Tämän pro gradu -tutkielman aiheena on kääntäminen ja viestintä vieraalla kielellä Suomen ulkoasiainministeriön rahoittamissa kansalaisjärjestöjen kehitysyhteistyöhankkeissa. Tutkielman on tarkoitus kartoittaa kyseisten kehitysyhteistyöhankkeiden kääntämiseen ja vieraskieliseen viestintään liittyviä tarpeita ja -käytäntöjä. Aihetta ei ole tutkittu laajasti muutoin, joten empiirinen osuus on erityisen merkittävässä roolissa. Tutkielman alussa esitellään ulkoasiainministeriön laatimia suomalaisten kansalaisjärjestöjen kehitysyhteistyöhankkeiden ehtoja ja ohjeita, jotka ovat kyseiselle tutkimukselle olennaisia. Tutkielman teoreettinen osuus koostuu lähinnä metodologisesta pohdinnasta, koska aiempaa tutkimustietoa on vähän. Tutkimusmetodien analysointia on painotettu myös siksi, että empiirisellä osuudella on niin suuri merkitys. Tutkielman empiirinen aineisto on yhtäältä peräisin tutkijan havainnoista, jotka saatiin omia varhaisempia hankehallinnointikokemuksia hyödyntäen sekä osallistuvan havainnoinnin menetelmää käyttäen kahden opiskelijajärjestön kehitysyhteistyöhankkeista vuosien 2009 ja 2012 välisenä aikana. Toisaalta aineisto on kerätty kyselytutkimuksen vastauksista. Kysely lähetettiin 35 suomalaiselle kansalaisjärjestölle, joiden kehitysyhteistyöhankkeita Suomen ulkoasiainministeriö rahoittaa. Järjestöt valittiin satunnaisotannalla. Empiirisen aineiston analyysistä ilmeni muun muassa, että tutkijan alkuperäinen hypoteesi kehitysyhteistyöhön liittyvien tekstien kääntämisen yleisyydestä pitää osittain paikkansa, vaikka tekstejä käännettiinkin kansalaisjärjestöissä vähemmän kuin tutkija odotti. Tutkimusaineisto ei ole kuitenkaan tarpeeksi laaja, jotta tuloksia voitaisiin yleistää, sillä kansalaisjärjestöt, niiden hankkeet, käännöstarpeet ja asiantuntemus osoittautuivat odotetusti hyvin erilaisiksi. Tulokset sisältävät asiaa myös esimerkiksi järjestöissä kääntävien ja vieraalla kielellä viestivien taustoista. Jatkotutkimukset ovat kuitenkin tarpeen, ja mahdollisia tutkimusaiheita on runsaasti.

Characterisation of Laser Beam and Paper Material Interaction

It is known already from 1970´s that laser beam is suitable for processing paper materials. In this thesis, term paper materials mean all wood-fibre based materials, like dried pulp, copy paper, newspaper, cardboard, corrugated board, tissue paper etc. Accordingly, laser processing in this thesis means all laser treatments resulting material removal, like cutting, partial cutting, marking, creasing, perforation etc. that can be used to process paper materials. Laser technology provides many advantages for processing of paper materials: non-contact method, freedom of processing geometry, reliable technology for non-stop production etc. Especially packaging industry is very promising area for laser processing applications. However, there are only few industrial laser processing applications worldwide even in beginning of 2010´s. One reason for small-scale use of lasers in paper material manufacturing is that there is a shortage of published research and scientific articles. Another problem, restraining the use of laser for processing of paper materials, is colouration of paper material i.e. the yellowish and/or greyish colour of cut edge appearing during cutting or after cutting. These are the main reasons for selecting the topic of this thesis to concern characterization of interaction of laser beam and paper materials. This study was carried out in Laboratory of Laser Processing at Lappeenranta University of Technology (Finland). Laser equipment used in this study was TRUMPF TLF 2700 carbon dioxide laser that produces a beam with wavelength of 10.6 μm with power range of 190-2500 W (laser power on work piece). Study of laser beam and paper material interaction was carried out by treating dried kraft pulp (grammage of 67 g m-2) with different laser power levels, focal plane postion settings and interaction times. Interaction between laser beam and dried kraft pulp was detected with different monitoring devices, i.e. spectrometer, pyrometer and active illumination imaging system. This way it was possible to create an input and output parameter diagram and to study the effects of input and output parameters in this thesis. When interaction phenomena are understood also process development can be carried out and even new innovations developed. Fulfilling the lack of information on interaction phenomena can assist in the way of lasers for wider use of technology in paper making and converting industry. It was concluded in this thesis that interaction of laser beam and paper material has two mechanisms that are dependent on focal plane position range. Assumed interaction mechanism B appears in range of average focal plane position of 3.4 mm and 2.4 mm and assumed interaction mechanism A in range of average focal plane position of 0.4 mm and -0.6 mm both in used experimental set up. Focal plane position 1.4 mm represents midzone of these two mechanisms. Holes during laser beam and paper material interaction are formed gradually: first small hole is formed to interaction area in the centre of laser beam cross-section and after that, as function of interaction time, hole expands, until interaction between laser beam and dried kraft pulp is ended. By the image analysis it can be seen that in beginning of laser beam and dried kraft pulp material interaction small holes off very good quality are formed. It is obvious that black colour and heat affected zone appear as function of interaction time. This reveals that there still are different interaction phases within interaction mechanisms A and B. These interaction phases appear as function of time and also as function of peak intensity of laser beam. Limit peak intensity is the value that divides interaction mechanism A and B from one-phase interaction into dual-phase interaction. So all peak intensity values under limit peak intensity belong to MAOM (interaction mechanism A one-phase mode) or to MBOM (interaction mechanism B onephase mode) and values over that belong to MADM (interaction mechanism A dual-phase mode) or to MBDM (interaction mechanism B dual-phase mode). Decomposition process of cellulose is evolution of hydrocarbons when temperature is between 380- 500°C. This means that long cellulose molecule is split into smaller volatile hydrocarbons in this temperature range. As temperature increases, decomposition process of cellulose molecule changes. In range of 700-900°C, cellulose molecule is mainly decomposed into H2 gas; this is why this range is called evolution of hydrogen. Interaction in this range starts (as in range of MAOM and MBOM), when a small good quality hole is formed. This is due to “direct evaporation” of pulp via decomposition process of evolution of hydrogen. And this can be seen can be seen in spectrometer as high intensity peak of yellow light (in range of 588-589 nm) which refers to temperature of ~1750ºC. Pyrometer does not detect this high intensity peak since it is not able to detect physical phase change from solid kraft pulp to gaseous compounds. As interaction time between laser beam and dried kraft pulp continues, hypothesis is that three auto ignition processes occurs. Auto ignition of substance is the lowest temperature in which it will spontaneously ignite in a normal atmosphere without an external source of ignition, such as a flame or spark. Three auto ignition processes appears in range of MADM and MBDM, namely: 1. temperature of auto ignition of hydrogen atom (H2) is 500ºC, 2. temperature of auto ignition of carbon monoxide molecule (CO) is 609ºC and 3. temperature of auto ignition of carbon atom (C) is 700ºC. These three auto ignition processes leads to formation of plasma plume which has strong emission of radiation in range of visible light. Formation of this plasma plume can be seen as increase of intensity in wavelength range of ~475-652 nm. Pyrometer shows maximum temperature just after this ignition. This plasma plume is assumed to scatter laser beam so that it interacts with larger area of dried kraft pulp than what is actual area of beam cross-section. This assumed scattering reduces also peak intensity. So result shows that assumably scattered light with low peak intensity is interacting with large area of hole edges and due to low peak intensity this interaction happens in low temperature. So interaction between laser beam and dried kraft pulp turns from evolution of hydrogen to evolution of hydrocarbons. This leads to black colour of hole edges.

Health management practices and disease prevalence in dairy sheep systems in Argentina

A cross-sectional survey of 19 dairy sheep farms in Argentina was carried out with the purpose to know farm management, health practices, and occurrence and mortality of diseases. The survey comprised 40% of all sheep milking farms in Argentina. A questionnaire was conducted by way of personal interviews with sheep owners during farm visits. The proportions of farms reporting routine vaccination for clostridial diseases, contagious ecthyma, pneumonia and mineral and vitamin parenteral administration were 63%, 47.3%, 16.6% and 42.1% respectively. Regular treatment against lice was used in 37.5% of the farms, and 89.5% o the farmers treated against gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN). The mean number of GIN drenches per farm was 2.26±1.78 annually. In 68.4% of the milking flocks the California Mastitis Test was regularly done and 55.6% of the farmer managers had sampled their flocks once a year for Brucella ovis antibodies. During the pre-mating period respectively 68.4% and 50% of farmers clinically examined their rams and ewe for general health and teeth condition. The udders of ewes were frequently inspected at the start of each milking period. The most important parasite problems noticed were GIN (reported by 57.9% of farmers), lice (57.9%) and scabies (10.5%) and the most frequent infectious diseases were ecthyma (73.7%), pneumonia and other respiratory problems (57.9%), clinical mastitis (55.6%), clostridial diseases (36.9%) and foot lameness (35.2%). Photosensitivity (47.4%) and ruminal acidosis (42.1%) were reported as other frequent toxic or metabolic disorders. Owners mentioned that the mean lifespan or milk productive time per ewe was 4.5±1.4 years. Perinatal lamb mortality was 8.5% and the total flock mortality rates, above the first 24 h of life was 6.9%. The high rates of lamb mortality during the pre-weaning (10.3%) and post-weaning (5.9%) periods indicate that this problem, as well as the most prevalent diseases, should be the subject of further studies.

Punção aspirativa por agulha fina como método de coleta de material para a histopatologia no osteossarcoma canino

Para a obtenção do diagnóstico definitivo do osteossarcoma realizam-se exames citopatológico e histopatológico. O material para exame citopatológico é coletado através de punção aspirativa por agulha fina (PAAF), já para a realização do exame histopatológico é necessário uma amostra de tamanho maior, geralmente conseguida através de biópsia incisional. Este trabalho tem como objetivo desenvolver uma técnica de coleta de material em cães com suspeita de osteossarcoma através de PAAF para a realização de exame histopatológico. Foram coletadas duas amostras de 12 cães suspeitos de osteossarcoma por PAAF. O material obtido pela primeira coleta foi utilizado para confirmar o diagnóstico através do exame citopatológico, enquanto que o material oriundo da segunda coleta foi fixado em formol a 10% para a análise histopatológica. Quatro das 12 amostras (33,3%) avaliadas histopatologicamente pela metodologia proposta obtiveram também o diagnóstico de osteossarcoma. Esses resultados apontam para uma possível adequação da técnica de coleta de material por PAAF para exame histopatológico.

Opas historiallisen ajattelun opettamiseen

Kirjallisuusarvostelu

Carbon Nanotubes as Material for Supercapacitor Electrodes

Electrochemical double-layer supercapacitors have an intermediate position between rechargeable batteries, which can store high amounts of energy, and dielectric capacitors, which have high output power. Supercapacitors are widely suggested to be used in automobiles (recuperation during braking, facilitate engine starting, electric stabilization of the system), industry (forklifts, elevators), hybrid off-road machinery and also in consumer electronics. Supercapacitor electrodes require highly porous material. Typically, activated carbon is used. Specific surface area of activated carbon is approximately 1000 m2 per gram. Carbon nanotubes represent one of prospective materials. According to numerous studies this material allows to improve the properties of supercapacitors. The task of this Master‘s Thesis was to test multiwalled carbon nanotubes and become confident with the testing methods.

Sivistyksestä sivilisaatioon. Kulttuurikäsitys J. V. Snellmanin historiallisessa ajattelussa

From Bildung to Civilisation. Conception of Culture in J. V. Snellman’s Historical Thinking The research explores Johan Vilhelm Snellman’s (1806–1881) conception of culture in the context of his historical thinking. Snellman was a Finnish, Swedish-speaking journalist, teacher and thinker, who held a central position in the Finnish national discourse during the nineteenth century. He has been considered as one of the leading theorists of a Finnish nation, writing widely about the themes such as the advancement of the national education, Finnish language and culture. Snellman is already a widely studied person in Finnish intellectual history, often characterised as a follower of G. W. F. Hegel’s philosophical system. My own research introduces a new kind of approach on Snellman’s texts, emphasising the conceptual level of his thought. With this approach, my aim is to broaden the Finnish research tradition on conceptual history. I consider my study as a cultural history of concepts, belonging also to the field of intellectual history. My focus is on one hand on the close reading of Snellman’s texts and on the other hand on contextualising his texts to the European intellectual tradition of the time. A key concept of Snellman’s theoretical thinking is his concept of bildning, which can be considered as a Swedish counterpart of the German concept of Bildung. The Swedish word incorporated all the main elements of the German concept. It could mean education or the so-called high culture, but most fundamentally it was about the self-formation of the individual. This is also the context in which Snellman’s concept of bildning has often been interpreted. In the study, I use the concept of bildning as a starting point of my research but I broaden my focus on the cognate concepts such as culture (kultur), spirit (anda) and civilisation. The purpose of my study is thus to illustrate how Snellman used and modified these concepts and from these observations to draw a conclusion about the nature of his conception of culture. Snellman was an early Finnish philosopher of history but also interested in the practice of the writing of history. He did not write any historical presentations himself but followed the publications in the field of history and introduced European historical writing to the Finnish, Swedish-speaking reading audience in his newspapers. The primary source material consists of different types of Snellman’s texts, including philosophical writings, lecture material, newspaper articles and private letters. I’m reading Snellman’s texts in the context of other texts produced both by his Finnish predecessors and contemporaries and by Swedish, German and French writers. Snellman’s principal philosophical works, Versuch einer spekulativen Entwicklung der Idee der Persönlichkeit (1841) and Läran om staten (1842), were both written abroad. Both of the works were contributions to contemporary debates on the international level, especially in Germany and Sweden. During the 1840s and 1850s Snellman had two newspapers of his own, Saima and Litteraturblad, which were directed towards the Swedish-speaking educated class. Both of the newspapers were very popular and their circulations were among the largest of their day in Finland. The topics of his articles and reviews covered literature, poetry, philosophy and education as well as issues concerning the economic, industrial and technical development in Finland. In his newspapers Snellman not only brought forth his own ideas but also spread the knowledge of European events and ideas to his readers. He followed very carefully the cultural and political situation in Western Europe. He also followed European magazines and newspapers and was well acquainted with German, French and also English literature – and of course Swedish literature to with which he had the closest ties. In his newspapers Snellman wrote countless number of literary reviews and critics, introducing his readers to European literature. The study consists of three main chapters in which I explore my research question in three different, yet overlapping contexts. In the first of these chapters, I analyse Snellman’n theoretical thinking and his concepts of bildning, kultur, anda and civilisation in the context of earlier cultural discourse in Finland as well as the tradition of German idealistic philosophy and neo-humanism. With the Finnish cultural discourse I refer to the early cultural discussion in Finland, which emerged after the year 1809, when Finland became an autonomous entity of its own as a Grand Duchy of Russia. Scholars of the Academy of Turku opened a discussion on the themes such as the state of national consciousness, the need for national education and the development of the Finnish language as a national language of Finland. Many of these academics were also Snellman’s teachers in the early years of his academic career and Snellman clearly formulated his own ideas in the footsteps of these Finnish predecessors. In his theoretical thinking Snellman was a collectivist; according to him an individual should always be understood in connection with the society, its values and manners, as well as to the traditions of a culture where an individual belongs to. In his philosophy of the human spirit Snellman was in many ways a Hegelian but his notion of education or ‘bildning’ includes also elements that connect him with the wider tradition of German intellectual history, namely the neo-humanist tradition and, at least to some extent, to the terminology of J. G. Herder or J. G. Fichte, for example. In this chapter, I also explore Snellman’s theory of history. In his historical thinking Snellman was an idealist, believing in the historical development of the human spirit (Geist in German language). One can characterise his theory of history by stating that it is a mixture of a Hegelian triumph of the spirit and Herderian emphasis on humanity (Humanität) and the relative nature of ‘Bildung’. For Snellman, the process of ‘bildning’ or ‘Bildung’ is being realised in historical development through the actions of human beings. Snellman believed in the historical development of the human civilization. Still Snellman himself considered that he had abandoned Hegel’s idea about the process of world history. Snellman – rightly or wrongly – criticised Hegel of emphasising the universal end of history (the realisation of the freedom of spirit) at the expense of the historical plurality and the freedom of each historical era. Snellman accused Hegel of neglecting the value and independency of different historical cultures and periods by imposing the abstract norm, the fulfilment of the freedom of spirit, as the ultimate goal of history. The historicist in Snellman believed in the individuality of each historical period; each historical era or culture had values, traditions and modes of thought of its own. This historicist in Snellman could not accept the talk about one measure or the end of history. On the other hand Snellman was also a universalist. He believed that mankind had a common task and that task was the development of ‘Bildung’, freedom or humanity. The second main chapter consists of two parts. In the first part, I explore the Finnish nationalistic discourse from the cultural point of view by analysing the notions such as a nation, national spirit or national language and showing how Snellman formulated his own ideas in a dialogic situation, participating in the Finnish discourse but also reacting to international discussions on the themes of the nation and nationality. For Snellman nationality was to a great extent the collective knowledge and customs or practices of the nation. Snellman stated that nationality is to be considered as a form of ‘bildning’. This could be seen not simply as affection for the fatherland but also for the mental identity of the nation, its ways of thinking, its practices, national language, customs and laws, the history of the nation. The simplest definition of nationality that Snellman gives is that nationality is the social life of the people. In the second part of the chapter I exam Snellman’s historical thinking and his understanding about historical development, interaction between different nations and cultures in the course of history, as well as the question of historical change; how do cultures or civilisations develop and who are the creators of culture? Snellman did not believe in one dominating culture but understood the course of history as a dialogue between different cultures. On the other hand, his views are very Eurocentric – here he follows the ideas of Hegel or for example the French historian François Guizot – for Snellman Europe represented the virtue of pluralism; in Europe one could see the diversity of cultures which, on the other hand, were fundamentally based on a common Christian tradition. In the third main chapter, my focus is on the writing of history, more precisely on Snellman’s ideas on the nature of history as a science and on the proper way of writing historical presentations. Snellman wrote critics on the works of history and introduced his readers to the writing of history especially in France, Sweden and German-speaking area – in some extend also in Britain. Snellman’s collectivistic view becomes evident also in his reviews on historical writing. For Snellman history was not about the actions of the states and their heads, nor about the records of ruling families and battles fought. He repeatedly stressed that history is a discipline that seeks to provide a total view of a phenomenon. A historian should not only collect information on historical events, since this information touches only the surface of a certain epoch or civilisation; he has to understand an epoch as totality. This required an understanding about the major contours in history, connections between civilisations and an awareness of significant turning points in historical development. In addition, it required a holistic understanding about a certain culture or historical era, including also the so-called inner life of a specific nation, a common people and their ways of life. Snellman wrote explicitly about ‘cultural history’ in his texts, referring to this kind of broad understanding of a society. In historical writing Snellman found this kind of broader view from the works of the French historians such as François Guizot and Jules Michelet. In all of these chapters, I elaborate the conceptual dimension of Snellman’s historical thinking. In my study I argue that Snellman not only adopted the German concepts of Bildung or Kultur in his own thinking but also developed the Swedish concepts in a way that include personal and innovative aspects. Snellman’s concept of bildning is not only a translation from ‘Bildung’ but he uses the Swedish concept in a versatile way that includes both the moral aspect of human development and social dimension of a human life. Along with ‘bildning’ Snellman used also the terms ‘kultur’ and ‘civilisation’ when referring to the totality of a certain nation or historical era, including both the so-called high culture (arts, science, religion) and the modes of thought as well as ways of life of the people as a whole. Unlike many of his Finnish contemporaries, Snellman did not use civilisation as a negative concept, lacking the moral essence of German term ‘Bildung’ or ‘Kultur’. Instead, for Snellman civilisation was a neutral term and here he comes close to the French tradition of using the term. In the study I argue that Snellman’s conception of culture in fact includes a synthesis of the German tradition of ‘Bildung’ and the French tradition of ‘civilisation’.