Challenges in managing large-scale agile software development transformation

Adapting and scaling up agile concepts, which are characterized by iterative, self-directed, customer value focused methods, may not be a simple endeavor. This thesis concentrates on studying challenges in a large-scale agile software development transformation in order to enhance understanding and bring insight into the underlying factors for such emerging challenges. This topic is approached through understanding the concepts of agility and different methods compared to traditional plan-driven processes, complex adaptive theory and the impact of organizational culture on agile transformational efforts. The empirical part was conducted by a qualitative case study approach. The internationally operating software development case organization had a year of experience of an agile transformation effort during it had also undergone organizational realignment efforts. The primary data collection was conducted through semi-structured interviews supported by participatory observation. As a result the identified challenges were categorized under four broad themes: organizational, management, team dynamics and process related. The identified challenges indicate that agility is a multifaceted concept. Agile practices may bring visibility in issues of which many are embedded in the organizational culture or in the management style. Viewing software development as a complex adaptive system could facilitate understanding of the underpinning philosophy and eventually solving the issues: interactions are more important than processes and solving a complex problem, such a novel software development, requires constant feedback and adaptation to changing requirements. Furthermore, an agile implementation seems to be unique in nature, and agents engaged in the interaction are the pivotal part of the success of achieving agility. In case agility is not a strategic choice for whole organization, it seems additional issues may arise due to different ways of working in different parts of an organization. Lastly, detailed suggestions to mitigate the challenges of the case organization are provided.

Yrityksen 360° -kumppanistrategia ulkoisten yrityssuhteiden hoitamiseen

Tässä Pro gradu -tutkimuksessa selvitettiin yritystenvälisen yhteistyön suunnitelmallisuutta ja systemaattisuutta. Tavoite oli ymmärtää miksi ja miten systemaattinen toimintaohjeisto tulisi tehdä sekä empiirisesti tutkia ovatko valitut yritykset tehneet itselleen toimintaohjeet yritystenväliseen yhteistyöhön. Tutkimuksen yhteydessä kehittyi ”yrityksen 360° -kumppanistrategia”, joka voidaan liittää osaksi yrityksen kokonaisstrategiaa. Kokonaisvaltainen 360° -kumppanistrategia luo pohjan kaikkien ulkoisten yrityssuhteiden systemaattiseen määrittelyyn ja hoitamiseen. 360° -kumppanistrategiasta johdetaan operatiivinen 90° -kumppanikäsikirja yhteistyösuhteiden eri osa-alueille. Operatiivisessa työkalussa määritellään muun muassa miten kuhkin yhteistyösuhde asemoidaan yritykseen nähden ja miten eri yhteistyö-kumppaneiden kanssa tulee toimia. 360° -kumppanistrategialla luodaan selkeyttä yritystenväliseen yhteistyöhön toimintatapoja yhtenäistämällä. Pro gradu -tutkimuksessa tutkittiin 360° -kumppanistrategiaa sekä teoreettisesta että empiirisestä lähtökohdasta. Teoreettisessa osassa selvitettiin, mitä yrityksen 360° -kumppanistrategiasta on kirjoitettu ja onko aiheeseen liittyen olemassa olevaa teoriaa. Empiirisessä osassa tutkittiin miksi ja miten yritykset ovat luoneet itselleen 360° -kumppanistrategian. Empiirinen tutkimus toteutettiin laadullisin menetelmin henkilökohtaisten haastattelu-tutkimusten avulla. Johtopäätöksenä voidaan todeta, että 360° -kumppanistrategiaa on tutkittu melko vähän. Tieteellinen tutkimus keskittyy lähinnä vallitseviin yhteistyö-malleihin, verkostoihin tai yhteistyöhön liittyviin yksittäisiin komponentteihin, kuten luottamukseen. Empiirinen havainto oli, että muutamilla yrityksillä oli tietoinen toimintatapa ulkoisten yritysten kanssa toimimiseen, mutta sen sisältö vaihteli yrityksestä riippuen. Tässä tutkimuksessa esiteltyä kokonaisvaltaista 360° -kumppanistrategiaa tutkituissa yrityksissä ei aiemmin ollut tässä laajuudessa.

It’s a workflow engine. It’s working with linked data. It’s repository! – Supporting electronic thesis related processes in University of Helsinki library

Presentation at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014

Working towards the invisible repository

Presentation at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014

SobekCM’s Community Ecosystems & Socio-Technical Practices

Presentation at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014

Digital Preservation Tools, Practices, and Policies in Islandora

Presentation at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014

Opportunities, constraints and constrained opportunities – A study on mothers’ working time patterns in 22 European countries

The aim of this study was to analyse mothers’ working time patterns across 22 European countries. The focus was on three questions: how much mothers prefer to work, how much they actually work, and to what degree their preferred and actual working times are (in)consistent with each other. The focus was on cross-national differences in mothers’ working time patterns, comparison of mothers’ working times to that of childless women and fathers, as well as on individual- and country-level factors that explain the variation between them. In the theoretical background, the departure point was an integrative theoretical approach where the assumption is that there are various kinds of explanations for the differences in mothers’ working time patterns – namely structural, cultural and institutional – , and that these factors are laid in two levels: individual- and country-levels. Data were extracted from the European Social Survey (ESS) 2010 / 2011. The results showed that mothers’ working time patterns, both preferred and actual working times, varied across European countries. Four clusters were formed to illustrate the differences. In the full-time pattern, full-time work was the most important form of work, leaving all other working time forms marginal. The full-time pattern was perceived in terms of preferred working times in Bulgaria and Portugal. In polarised pattern countries, fulltime work was also important, but it was accompanied by a large share of mothers not working at all. In the case of preferred working times, many Eastern and Southern European countries followed it whereas in terms of actual working times it included all Eastern and Southern European countries as well as Finland. The combination pattern was characterised by the importance of long part-time hours and full-time work. It was the preferred working time pattern in the Nordic countries, France, Slovenia, and Spain, but Belgium, Denmark, France, Norway, and Sweden followed it in terms of actual working times. The fourth cluster that described mothers’ working times was called the part-time pattern, and it was illustrated by the prevalence of short and long part-time work. In the case of preferred working times, it was followed in Belgium, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and Switzerland. Besides Belgium, the part-time pattern was followed in the same countries in terms of actual working times. The consistency between preferred and actual working times was rather strong in a majority of countries. However, six countries fell under different working time patterns when preferred and actual working times were compared. Comparison of working mothers’, childless women’s, and fathers’ working times showed that differences between these groups were surprisingly small. It was only in part-time pattern countries that working mothers worked significantly shorter hours than working childless women and fathers. Results therefore revealed that when mothers’ working times are under study, an important question regarding the population examined is whether it consists of all mothers or only working mothers. Results moreover supported the use of the integrative theoretical approach when studying mothers’ working time patterns. Results indicate that mothers’ working time patterns in all countries are shaped by various opportunities and constraints, which are comprised of structural, cultural, institutional, and individual-level factors.

Työkyvyn johtaminen : Case Pirkanmaan Osuuskauppa

Tämän tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli tutkia miten Pirkanmaan Osuuskaupan esimiehet ymmärtävät työhyvinvoinnin merkityksen esimiestyössään ja mitä asioita heidän tulisi vielä kehittää työhyvinvointi osaamisessaan. Työkyvyn johtamista verrattiin Elinkeinoelämän keskusliiton luomaan työkyvynjohtamisen malliin. Tutkimuksen pohjalta laadittiin ehdotuksia, jotta esimiesten osaamista, ymmärtämystä ja kykyä hyödyntää työhyvinvoinnin välineitä voitaisiin kehittää ja ylläpitää oikeilla toimenpiteillä. Yrityksissä työhyvinvointiin on alettu kiinnittää entistä enemmän huomiota kiireisen työtahdin, työn vaatimusten sekä työurien mahdollisten pidentymisen vuoksi, jolloin työnantajan lisäksi vaaditaan myös työntekijöiltä panostusta työhyvinvointiin. Tutkimus toteutettiin käyttämällä laadullista menetelmää. Aineiston keruu tehtiin puolistrukturoidun teemahaastattelun avulla. Haastatteluihin valikoitui 4 esimiestä. Haastattelujen avulla kartoitettiin esimiesten tietoja ja näkemyksiä työhyvinvoinnista ja heidän työhyvinvointiosaamisen tasosta. Tutkimuksen avulla selvisi, että esimiesten keskuudessa työhyvinvoinnin ylläpitämiseen ja kehittämiseen panostetaan vähemmän kuin mitä olisi mahdollista. Suurimmiksi esteiksi työhyvinvoinnin toteuttamiselle muodostuivat aika, resurssit ja asenteet. Pirkanmaan Osuuskaupan johtamistyön ja toimintatapojen välillä on eroja verrattuna Elinkeinoelämän keskusliiton työkykyjohtamisen malliin. Esimiestyö on mahdollisuuksia täynnä oleva kilpailuetu, mutta samalla myös huomattava haaste.

Expectations, frames and practices of genetic counselling in different contexts of genetic testing

Genetic counselling is a process in which the counsellee receives information and support concerning a genetic disease. This study examines the genetic counselling attached to genetic testing. Since genetic information is increasing alongside new testing technologies and the situations faced at the genetic clinics will therefore be more diverse, it is essential to assess what the expectations directed at genetic counselling are. It is also important to compare how they face the current counselling practices. In this study, the expectations, frames and practices of genetic counselling in different contexts of genetic testing were examined from three different perspectives: First, international guidelines covering genetic counselling were analysed to summarise what is expected from genetic counselling and to study how genetic information is framed. Second, national experts in European countries were asked about the regulations and practices of genetic counselling in their country. Finally, ten counsellees who had visited a genetic clinic were interviewed to analyse their expectations and experiences. The counsellees’ perspective was also approached through the background review of the previous studies on counsellees’ experiences. On the basis of the study, there are basic elements that are expected to be covered in genetic counselling from all perspectives. However, the views concerning bioethics, genetic exceptionalism and psychosocial aspects vary depending on the perspective and on the individual situation. Since there are sometimes more differences than similarities between genetic tests, no universal recommendations for counselling can be applied. The practices of genetic counselling should be defined situationally, emphasising the individual needs over the genes.

Launch communications best practices: Online newspaper paywall context

The goal of the thesis is to identify the best practices of marketing communications in the context of online newspaper paywall launch. Theoretical point of views emphasize the value for the customer as an antecedent for a workable value proposition and marketing communications. Value-based communications contribute to the customer loyalty. The empirical evidence for this benchmark study was collected in seven company interviews. These firms represented several kinds of Finnish newspaper companies which had recently gone through the paywall launch and launch communications process. The results imply that there are multiple factors influencing on launch communications choices. However, recommendations can be drawn based on the common practices. The main managerial results were that the companies should utilize the online newspaper content and usage value as the core of the launch message, target both new and current readers and use multiple online and offline communications channels to reach the target audience. The launch communications message should be started with the emotional appeal, complemented with the more informative message later.