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Kirjallisuusarvostelu

Naisena kirjallisuutta tutkimassa ja teatteria johtamassa

Kirjallisuusarvostelu

Creative brand launch in phamaceutical over-the-counter markets – case Burana

The purpose of this study is to examine how a launch of a pharmaceutical over-the-counter sold (OTC) brand can be done by using creative solutions and thus affecting the product life cycle. The study is inspired by a phenomenon called Burana. The Burana brand has been a market leader of OTC painkillers in Finland for the past 27 years. The aim of this study is to “solve the mystery” behind Burana brand’s success by focusing on the launch phase of Burana as an OTC medicine. Farmos Group Ltd (the owner of the brand in 1980´s) had not originally invented the product in question – ibuprofen – and the product had already reached it´s maturity phase, if not even decline from the product life cycle aspect when this phenomenon takes place. This has made the marketing choices, the product launch phase as well as the product management even more interesting from the company point of view as well as from a learning point of view. The methodology in this study is qualitative with a descriptive research strategy, while the study is conducted as a longitudinal single-case study. The methods used in this study have been collecting, analyzing and interpreting the data, which is based on the interviewees’ comments and observed behavior. According to the study, the successful launch phase helped in setting the product one step ahead of the competitors and thus aided the brand leadership and prolonged the product life cycle. Another notable aspect that became clear from the interviews and the documentary of Burana´s launch phase was the innovative idea of involving the people of the distribution chain into the product launch through education. As this study has pointed out, it is not enough to for a company to build an innovative team of employees, but also to offer them an involved and encouraging management. According to the interviews, the support from the company management gave the marketing team the encouragement to be innovative. It can be thus stated that the management of a company has an essential role in fostering the creativity within the company.

Lihashuollon vaikutukset laktaatin poistumiseen hyökkäystaistelun jälkeisessä palautumisessa

Sotilaan kuormittuminen hyökkäystaistelussa on väistämätöntä. Hyökkäystaistelusta tulisi palautua mahdollisimman nopeasti, jotta kyetään jatkamaan hyökkäystä tai torjumaan vihollisen mahdollinen vastahyökkäys. Palautumismenetelmistä ja niiden tehokkuudesta sotilailla tiedetään vain vähän. Tutkimuksessa selvitetään, miten lihashuolto vaikuttaa hyökkäystaistelusta palautumiseen laktaatin poistumisen kannalta. Sotilaan hyökkäystaistelu on kuvattu mekaanisena suorituksena. Suorituksen energia-aineenvaihdunnan avulla on selvitetty kuormittumisen taso hyökkäyksen päätteeksi. Lihashuoltomenetelmistä tutkimuksessa käsitellään venyttely, hieronta ja aktiivinen palautuminen. Jokaisesta lihashuoltotavasta on esitelty suoritustekniikka tai -tapa sekä vaikutukset laktaatin poistumiseen. Tutkimus on laadullinen. Tutkimus perustuu suomalaisiin ja ulkomaalaisiin kirjallisiin lähteisiin. Tiedonkeruutapana on käytetty kirjallisuuskatsausta, jossa kootaan yhteen kaikki tutkimustieto aihealueesta. Kerätty aineisto analysoidaan teoriaohjaavalla sisällönanalyysillä, jossa tutkimustieto liitetään liikuntatieteelliseen teoriaan. Tutkimuksen tulokset osoittavat, että sotilas on hyvin kuormittunut hyökkäyksen tavoitteessa. Lyhyet ja kovatempoiset suoritukset hyökkäyksen aikana muodostavat laktaattia lihaksiin, mikä rajoittaa sotilaan suorituskykyä. Lihashuoltotavoista venyttelyn vaikutukset laktaatin poistumiseen tunnetaan huonosti. Venyttely ei nopeuta tutkimustiedon perusteella laktaatin poistumista. Hieronnan vaikutukset laktaatin poistumiseen tunnetaan hyvin. Hieronta ei nopeuta laktaatin poistumista. Aktiivista palautumista on tutkittu hyvin paljon ja sen vaikutukset laktaatin poistumiseen tunnetaan hyvin. Aktiivinen palautuminen nopeuttaa laktaatin poistumista lihaksista. Tehokkain aktiivisen palautumisen intensiteetti on hyvin lähellä aerobista kynnystä. Tavoitteessa sotilaan tulisi palautumisen maksimoimiseksi pitää itsensä liikkeessä. Aktiivisen palautumisen avulla taistelun aikana muodostunut laktaatti poistuu mahdollisimman nopeasti. Liikkuminen tulisi olla kevyempää kuin itse hyökkäystaistelu, mutta täysin passiiviseksi ei saa jäädä. Tällaista liikuntaa tavoitteessa voisi olla esimerkiksi tuliaseman kaivaminen ja valmistelu, patruuna täydennyksien kantaminen takamaastosta tai pieni lenkki hölkkää.

The adjustment from Russia to Finland for corporate repatriates: How the repatriation experience influences readjustment in the workplace

To manage foreign operations, companies must often send their employees on international assignments. Repatriating these expatriates can be difficult because they have been forgotten during their posting, and their new experiences are not utilised. In addition to the possible difficulties in organisational repatriation, the returnee can suffer from readjustment problems after a lengthy stay abroad has changed their habits and even identity. This thesis examines the repatriation experience of Finnish assignees returning from Russia. The purpose of the study is to understand how the repatriation experience influences their readjustment to work in Finland. This experience is influenced by many factors including personal and situational changes, the repatriation process, job and organisational factors, and individual’s motives. The theoretical background of the study is founded on two models of repatriation adjustment. A refined, holistic theoretical framework for the study is created. It describes the formation of the repatriation experience and its importance for readjustment to work and retention. The qualitative research approach is suitable for the thesis which examines the returnees’ personal experiences and feelings: a qualitative case study aims to explain the phenomenon in-depth and comprehensively. The data was collected in summer 2013 through semi-standardised interviews with eight Finnish repatriates. They had returned from Russia within the last two years. The data was analysed by structuring the interview transcripts using template analysis. The results supported earlier literature and suggest that the re-entry remains a challenging phase for both the individual and the company. For some, adjusting to a new job was difficult for various reasons. The repatriates underwent personal change and development and felt it was for the better. Many repatriates criticised the company’s repatriation process upon return. Finding a suitable return job was not clear. Instead, the returnees had to be active in finding a new position. Many assignees had only modest career-related motives regarding the assignment and they had realistic expectations about the return. Therefore they were not extremely surprised or dissatisfied when they were not actively offered positions or support by the company. The significance of motives stood out even more than the theory predicted. As predicted, they are linked to the expectations of employees. Moreover, if the employees are motivated to remain in the company, they can tolerate partly a negative repatriation experience. Despite the complexity of the return and readjustment, the assignment as a whole was seen as a rewarding experience by all participants.