Customer Expectations and Organizational Buying Behavior in the Flexible Packaging Markets

Tämä työ on tehty yhteistyössä kansainvälisen metsäteollisuusyrityksen Stora Enson kanssa. Työ on osa Stora Enson strategiaa kehitettäessä uusia ja innovatiivisia pakkausmateriaaleja ja ratkaisuja joustopakkausmarkkinoille. Työn päätavoitteina oli selvittää, millaisia odotuksia tuotemerkkienomistajilla ja jatkojalostajilla on joustopakkauksista ja kuinka pakkausten ostopäätökset syntyvät monitahoisessa liikeympäristössä. Työn teoreettinen viitekehys jaettiin kahteen osaan. Asiakasodotuksia lähestyttiin tutkimalla eri palvelu- ja tuotelaadun ulottuvuuksia, ja teollisuuden ostokäyttäytymistä tutkittiin organisaatioiden ostokäyttämistä kuvaavien mallien avulla. Työn empiirisessä osuudessa käytettiin laadullista tutkimusmenetelmää käsittäen asiakashaastatteluja lähinnä Yhdysvalloissa. Haastateltavat yritykset koostuivat maailman johtavista kuluttajatuotteita valmistavista yrityksistä sekä jatkojalostajista. Tutkimustulosten mukaan odotukset pakkauksista liittyvät lähinnä tuotteen suojaamiseen sekä myynnin edistämiseen. Pääodotuksina on myös saada mahdollisimman edullisia papereita, mahdollisimman hyvillä barrier- ja paino-ominaisuuksilla. Tutkimustulokset osoittavat myös, että paperiyhtiöt ovat epäonnistuneet tekemään itseään tunnetuksi teollisuudelle ja heidän odotetaan olevan tulevaisuudessa aggressiivisempia ja innovatiivisempia. Tuotemerkkienomistajat ostavat pakkaukset ja pakkausmateriaalit normaalisti mieluiten jatkojalostajiensa kautta, mutta silti he toivovat yhteistyötä paperintoimittajien kanssa kunhan vain myös jatkojalostajat sisällytetään toimintaan mukaan.

Moral Disengagement in the Legitimation and Realization of Aggressive Behaviors in Soccer and Ice Hockey

The aim of the present study was to test the effect of moral disengagement on the tolerance and realization of aggressive acts in male soccer and ice hockey players in Switzerland. One hundred and four soccer and 98 ice hockey players evaluated the legitimacy of four videotaped aggressive behaviors and completed a questionnaire that included a moral disengagement scale and self-reported aggression. The level of moral disengagement, which mediates the effects of perceived coach and ego attitudes toward transgressions, largely explains the tolerance of hostile aggression within teams, as well as the level of high aggressive acts reported by the participants.

Guilt, shame, emotion regulation, and social cognition: Understanding their associations with preadolescents' social behavior

In this thesis, two negatively valenced emotions are approached as reflecting children’s self-consciousness, namely guilt and shame. Despite the notable role of emotions in the psychological research, empirical research findings on the links between guilt, shame, and children’s social behavior – and particularly aggression – have been modest, inconsistent, and sometimes contradictory. This thesis contains four studies on the associations of guilt, shame, emotion regulation, and social cognitions with children’s social behavior. The longitudinal material of the thesis was collected as a survey among a relatively large amount of Finnish preadolescents. In Study I, the distinctiveness of guilt and shame in children’s social behavior were investigated. The more specific links of emotions and aggressive behavior were explored in Study II, in which emotion regulation and negative emotionality were treated as the moderators between guilt, shame, and children’s aggressive behavior. The role of emotion management was further evaluated in Study III, in which effortful control and anger were treated as the moderators between domain-specific aggressive cognitions and children’s aggressive behavior. In the light of the results from the Studies II and III, it seems that for children with poor emotion management the effects of emotions and social cognitions on aggressive behavior are straight-forward, whereas effective emotion management allows for reframing the situation. Finally, in Study IV, context effects on children’s anticipated emotions were evaluated, such that children were presented a series of hypothetical vignettes, in which the child was acting as the aggressor. Furthermore, the identity of the witnesses and victim’s reactions were systematically manipulated. Children anticipated the most shame in situations, in which all of the class was witnessing the aggressive act, whereas both guilt and shame were anticipated the most in the situations, in which the victim was reacting with sadness. Girls and low-aggressive children were more sensitive to contextual cues than boys and high-aggressive children. Overall, the results of this thesis suggest that the influences of guilt, shame, and social cognition on preadolescents’ aggressive behavior depend significantly on the nature of individual emotion regulation, as well as situational contexts. Both theoretical and practical implications of this study highlight a need to acknowledge effective emotion management as enabling the justification of one’s own immoral behavior.

Gender-related pathways for behavior problems in the offspring of alcoholic fathers

The objective of the present study was to examine gender differences in the influence of paternal alcoholism on children's social-emotional development and to determine whether paternal alcoholism is associated with a greater number of externalizing symptoms in the male offspring. From the Mannheim Study of Risk Children, an ongoing longitudinal study of a high-risk population, the developmental data of 219 children [193 (95 boys and 98 girls) of non-alcoholic fathers, non-COAs, and 26 (14 boys, 12 girls) of alcoholic fathers, COAs] were analyzed from birth to the age of 11 years. Paternal alcoholism was defined according to the ICD-10 categories of alcohol dependence and harmful use. Socio-demographic data, cognitive development, number and severity of behavior problems, and gender-related differences in the rates of externalizing and internalizing symptoms were assessed using standardized instruments (IQ tests, Child Behavior Checklist questionnaire and diagnostic interviews). The general linear model analysis revealed a significant overall effect of paternal alcoholism on the number of child psychiatric problems (F = 21.872, d.f. = 1.217, P < 0.001). Beginning at age 2, significantly higher numbers of externalizing symptoms were observed among COAs. In female COAs, a pattern similar to that of the male COAs emerged, with the predominance of delinquent and aggressive behavior. Unlike male COAs, females showed an increase of internalizing symptoms up to age 11 years. Of these, somatic complaints revealed the strongest discriminating effect in 11-year-old females. Children of alcoholic fathers are at high risk for psychopathology. Gender-related differences seem to exist and may contribute to different phenotypes during development from early childhood to adolescence.

Facilitating corporate entrepreneurial behavior: A study of corporate entrepreneurial behavior in corporate banking

This study discusses the pronounced importance of corporate entrepreneurial behavior, CEB, facilitation and enablement as a key dimension in the rapidly changing business environment within companies. The research target is a large finance company in Finland, where regulations, compliance and processes restrict and refine extensively business approach. The purpose of this study is to foster the understanding of corporate entrepreneurial behavior and requirements and identify the supporters and inhibitors of facilitation of it. Furthermore, this study examines who should be driving the implementation and offer concrete outcome for the company to get the facilitation started and berth it as part of the organizational culture and values. The theoretical background is constructed from literature related to concept of corporate entrepreneurial behavior, factors supporting and hindering the facilitation based on previous studies and innovation management. Furthermore theoretical framework of middle managers entrepreneurial behavior in facilitation process was researched. Additionally top down and bottom up approach of conversational space building within the organization in order to foster innovation and involving mindset and behavior was in the core literature. The empirical research conducted for the study consists three parts; innovation audit questionnaire, semi-structured interviews and secondary data from previously made research within the case company. Questionnaire and interviews were targeted to eight middle managers within the company, the head of branch regions in corporate segment. The secondary data was collected from over 300 employees in the case company by an external company. Research results were analyzed mainly by themes and source division in adaption with the theoretical framework. The study finds that facilitation of CEB should be a strategic choice and requires strong management support and examples. Behavior should be involved with organizational culture, values, structures and processes. The companies´ willingness to take risks and encourage employees at all levels to participate and be involved by taking ownership and responsibility is in the core. CEB is found to be a key dimension in increasing employee satisfaction and engagement, competitive advantages and economic growth of companies. There is increased interest towards CEB in the case company but there is lack in the mutual consensus of it. CEB is not in the strategy although the mindset and support from management is in place. There is no concrete enablement and space for innovation and CEB although the platform would be receptive. Further research is needed to build shared vision of CEB and how to make it a part of the organizational culture and values in addition to building the conversational space.

Higher Education Governance in Vietnam: University Action, the State and Changing Relationships

Diese Dissertation stellt eine Studie da, welche sich mit den Änderungen in der Governance der Hochschulbildung in Vietnam beschäftigt. Das zentrale Ziel dieser Forschungsarbeit ist die Untersuchung der Herkunft und Änderung in der Beziehung der Mächte zwischen dem vietnamesischen Staat und den Hochschulbildungsinstituten (HI), welche hauptsächlich aus der Interaktion dieser beiden Akteure resultiert. Die Macht dieser beiden Akteure wurde im sozialen Bereich konstruiert und ist hauptsächlich durch ihre Nützlichkeit und Beiträge für die Hochschulbildung bestimmt. Diese Arbeit beschäftigt sich dabei besonders mit dem Aspekt der Lehrqualität. Diese Studie nimmt dabei die Perspektive einer allgemeinen Governance ein, um die Beziehung zwischen Staat und HI zu erforschen. Zudem verwendet sie die „Resource Dependence Theory“ (RDT), um das Verhalten der HI in Bezug auf die sich verändernde Umgebung zu untersuchen, welche durch die Politik und eine abnehmende Finanzierung charakterisiert ist. Durch eine empirische Untersuchung der Regierungspolitik sowie der internen Steuerung und den Praktiken der vier führenden Universitäten kommt die Studie zu dem Schluss, dass unter Berücksichtigung des Drucks der Schaffung von Einkommen die vietnamesischen Universitäten sowohl Strategien als auch Taktiken entwickelt haben, um Ressourcenflüsse und Legitimität zu kontrollieren. Die Entscheidungs- und Zielfindung der Komitees, die aus einer Mehrheit von Akademikern bestehen, sind dabei mächtiger als die der Manager. Daher werden bei initiativen Handlungen der Universitäten größtenteils Akademiker mit einbezogen. Gestützt auf die sich entwickelnden Muster der Ressourcenbeiträge von Akademikern und Studierenden für die Hochschulbildung prognostiziert die Studie eine aufstrebende Governance Konfiguration, bei der die Dimensionen der akademischen Selbstverwaltung und des Wettbewerbsmarktes stärker werden und die Regulation des Staates rational zunimmt. Das derzeitige institutionelle Design und administrative System des Landes, die spezifische Gewichtung und die Koordinationsmechanismen, auch als sogenanntes effektives Aufsichtssystem zwischen den drei Schlüsselakteuren - der Staat, die HI/Akademiker und die Studierenden – bezeichnet, brauchen eine lange Zeit zur Detektion und Etablierung. In der aktuellen Phase der Suche nach einem solchen System sollte die Regierung Management-Tools stärken, wie zum Beispiel die Akkreditierung, belohnende und marktbasierte Instrumente und das Treffen informations-basierter Entscheidungen. Darüber hinaus ist es notwendig die Transparenz der Politik zu erhöhen und mehr Informationen offenzulegen.

Las interacciones organizacionales desde la visión ecológica: la competencia

Como parte del trabajo de doctorado de la Señora Ángela Lucia Noguera Hidalgo, el presente documento reúne un compilado de las diversas fuentes relacionadas con el concepto biológico de la “competencia” y su relación con las organizaciones. Es un trabajo en donde a partir de las investigaciones ya existentes se realiza un resumen concienzudo sobre el tema, logrando de este modo un estado del arte.

Evaluación Psicológica de la Toma de Decisiones Éticas de Riesgo en Entorno Organizacional: Revisión Teórica

Este trabajo de investigación explora el proceso de toma de decisiones fundamentado desde la perspectiva psicológica. El campo de interés está centrado en la toma de decisiones éticas a nivel organizacional y las consecuencias que las zonas grises o las conductas de riesgo repercuten en las dinámicas económicas y sociales. Con base en el análisis de los escándalos financieros más importantes de Europa, Estados Unidos y Colombia, y la literatura ofrecida por las ciencias sociales, la ética y las ciencias económicas se reconstruye una recopilación teórica de los aportes que los modelos psicológicos aplicados pueden dar al campo de la consultoría y el funcionamiento organizacional como también al estudio y análisis de los comportamientos anti éticos en empresas.

Relación entre los estilos de liderazgo y los niveles de resiliencia de los subordinados

El presente documento hace un análisis de la influencia que ejercen los diferentes tipos de liderazgo, carismático y transaccional, de un directivo de una organización sobre los subordinados de la misma, que a su vez afecta positiva o negativamente el nivel de resiliencia de los mismos. De la misma forma, se ha identificado la relación que existe entre el nivel de resiliencia de los subordinados de una organización y el cumplimiento de objetivos corporativos de la misma. Todo lo anterior se justifica en la economía globalizada de la que ahora hacemos parte que obliga a las empresas a generar nuevas estrategias de competitividad dentro de ambientes turbulentos y cambiantes donde, el desarrollar y motivar el recurso humano de la organización toma importancia para la ejecución exitosa de estrategias diferenciales.

Caracterización de la cultura organizacional y lineamientos de intervención para la implementación de procesos de cambio en las organizaciones. Caso empresa sector financiero

El presente Trabajo de Grado busca caracterizar la cultura organizacional de una empresa del sector Financiero en Colombia y realizar orientaciones de acciones para el cambio organizacional de acuerdo con la estrategia de perdurabilidad establecida por la Alta Dirección de dicha empresa. Para este fin, se realiza una cuidadosa revisión y actualización del estado del arte de los conceptos clave ¨Cultura Organizacional¨ y ¨Cambio Organizacional¨. Es de resaltar que para el primero de ellos, se toma como punto de partida el estado del arte sobre Cultura Organizacional realizado por el profesor Carlos Eduardo Méndez Álvarez y cuyo marco temporal abarca desde los orígenes del concepto en el siglo XIX hasta el año 2006. Asimismo, luego de una cuidadosa revisión de los Modelos de Cambio Organizacional existentes y de la realidad de la empresa objeto de estudio, se adopta el Modelo ADKAR que consta de cinco fases: Conciencia del Cambio, Deseo, Conocimiento, Capacidad – Habilidad y Refuerzo. Asimismo, a partir de la construcción de un fundamento teórico sólido y a través de la aplicación de la metodología para describir la Cultura Organizacional en Colombia MEDECO se busca una aproximación a la Cultura Organizacional de la empresa objeto de estudio con el fin de describir e identificar los rasgos predominantes de su cultura organizacional y entregar una propuesta final con los rasgos necesarios que alientan la consecución exitosa de los procesos de cambio.

Nova Talenta: 2014-2015

Contenido Introducción 1. Inteligencia emocional, liderazgo transformacional y género: factores que influencian el desempeño organizacional / Ana María Galindo Londoño, Sara Urrego Mayorga; Director: Juan Carlos Espinosa Méndez. 2. El rol de la mujer en el liderazgo / Andrea Patricia Cuestas Díaz; Directora: Francoise Venezia Contreras Torres. 3. Liderazgo transformacional, clima organizacional, satisfacción laboral y desempeño. Una revisión de la literatura / Juliana Restrepo Orozco, Ángela Marcela Ochoa Rodríguez; Directora: Françoise Venezia Contreras Torres. 4. “E-Leadership” una perspectiva al mundo de las compañías globalizadas / Ángela Beatriz Morales Morales, Mónica Natalia Aguilera Velandia; Director: Juan Carlos Espinosa. 5. Liderazgo y cultura. Una revisión / Daniel Alejandro Romero Galindo; Directora: Francoise Venezia Contreras Torres. 6. La investigación sobre la naturaleza del trabajo directivo: una revisión de la literatura / Julián Felipe Rodríguez Rivera, María Isabel Álvarez Rodríguez; Director: Juan Javier Saavedra Mayorga. 7. La mujer en la alta dirección en el contexto colombiano / Ana María Moreno, Juliana Moreno Jaramillo ; Directora: Françoise Venezia Contreras Torres. 8. Influencia de la personalidad en el discurso y liderazgo de George W. Bush después del 11 de septiembre de 2011 / Karen Eliana Mesa Torres; Director: Juan Carlos Espinosa. 9. La investigación sobre el campo del followership: una revisión de la literatura / Christian D. Báez Millán, Leidy J. Pinzón Porras; Director: Juan Javier Saavedra Mayorga. 10. El liderazgo desde la perspectiva del poder y la influencia. Una revisión de la literatura / Lina María García, Juan Sebastián Naranjo; Director: Juan Javier Saavedra Mayorga. 11. El trabajo directivo para líderes y gerentes: una visión integradora de los roles organizacionales / Lina Marcela Escobar Campos, Daniel Mora Barrero; Director: Rafael Piñeros. 12. Participación emocional en la toma de decisiones / Lina Rocío Poveda C., Gloria Johanna Rueda L.; Directora: Francoise Contreras T. 13. Estrés y su relación con el liderazgo / María Camila García Sierra, Diana Paola Rocha Cárdenas; Director: Juan Carlos Espinosa. 14. “Burnout y engagement” / María Paola Jaramillo Barrios, Natalia Rojas Mancipe; Director: Rafael Piñeros.

Coordination behavior of symmetrical hexadentate O2N2S2-donor Schiff bases toward zinc (II): synthesis, characterization, and crystal structure

Two series of zinc(II) complexes of two Schiff bases (H2L1 and H2L2) formulated as [Zn(HL1/HL2)]ClO4 (1a and 1b) and [Zn(L1/L2)] (2a and 2b), where H2L1 = 1,8-bis(salicylideneamino)-3,6-dithiaoctane and H2L2 = 1,9-bis(salicylideneamino)-3,7-dithianonane, have been prepared and isolated in pure form by changing the chemical environment. Elemental, spectral, and other physicochemical results characterize the complexes. A single crystal X-ray diffraction study confirms the structure of [Zn(HL1)]ClO4 (1a). In 1a, zinc(II) has a distorted octahedral environment with a ZnO2N2S2 chromophore.

Scoring rules and competitive behavior in best value construction auctions

This paper examines the extent to which engineers can influence the competitive behavior of bidders in Best Value or multi-attribute construction auctions, where both the (dollar) bid and technical non-price criteria are scored according to a scoring rule. From a sample of Spanish construction auctions with a variety of bid scoring rules, it is found that bidders are influenced by the auction rules in significant and predictable ways. The bid score weighting, bid scoring formula and abnormally low bid criterion are variables likely to influence the competitiveness of bidders in terms of both their aggressive/conservative bidding and concentration/dispersion of bids. Revealing the influence of the bid scoring rules and their magnitude on bidders’ competitive behavior opens the door for the engineer to condition bidder competitive behavior in such a way as to provide the balance needed to achieve the owner’s desired strategic outcomes.

Estrogens, brain and behavior: studies in fundamental neurobiology and observations related to women's health

Mechanisms and consequences of the effects of estrogen on the brain have been studied both at the fundamental level and with therapeutic applications in mind. Estrogenic hormones binding in particular neurons in a limbic-hypothalamic system and their effects on the electrophysiology and molecular biology of medial hypothalamic neurons were central in establishing the first circuit for a mammalian behavior, the female-typical mating behavior, lordosis. Notably, the ability of estradiol to facilitate transcription from six genes whose products are important for lordosis behavior proved that hormones can turn on genes in specific neurons at specific times, with sensible behavioral consequences. The use of a gene knockout for estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) revealed that homozygous mutant females simply would not do lordosis behavior and instead were extremely aggressive, thus identifying a specific gene as essential for a mammalian social behavior. In dramatic contrast, ERbeta knockout females can exhibit normal lordosis behavior. With the understanding, in considerable mechanistic detail, of how the behavior is produced, now we are also studying brain mechanisms for the biologically adaptive influences which constrain reproductive behavior. With respect to cold temperatures and other environmental or metabolic circumstances which are not consistent with successful reproduction, we are interested in thyroid hormone effects in the brain. Competitive relations between two types of transcription factors - thyroid hormone receptors and estrogen receptors have the potential of subserving the blocking effects of inappropriate environmental circumstances on female reproductive behaviors. TRs can compete with ERalpha both for DNA binding to consensus and physiological EREs and for nuclear coactivators. In the presence of both TRs and ERs, in transfection studies, thyroid hormone coadministration can reduce estrogen-stimulated transcription. These competitive relations apparently have behavioral consequences, as thyroid hormones will reduce lordosis, and a TRbeta gene knockout will increase it. In sum, we not only know several genes that participate in the selective control of this sex behavior, but also, for two genes, we know the causal routes. Estrogenic hormones are also the foci of widespread attention for their potential therapeutic effects improving, for example, certain aspects of mood and cognition. The former has an efficient animal analog, demonstrated by the positive effects of estrogen in the Porsolt forced swim test. The latter almost certainly depends upon trophic actions of estrogen on several fundamental features of nerve cell survival and growth. The hypothesis is raised that the synaptic effects of estrogens are secondary to the trophic actions of this type of hormone in the nucleus and nerve cell body.

Comparison of biological behavior between early-stage adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix

Objectives: (1) To compare the anatomopathological variables and recurrence rates in patients with early-stage adenocarcinoma (AC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the uterine cervix; (2) to identify the independent risk factors for recurrence. Study design: This historical cohort study assessed 238 patients with carcinoma of the uterine cervix (113 and IIA), who underwent radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymph node dissection between 1980 and 1999. Comparison of category variables between the two histological types was carried out using the Pearson`s X-2 test or Fisher exact test. Disease-free survival rates for AC and SCC were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and the curves were compared using the log-rank test. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to identify the independent risk factors for recurrence. Results: There were 35 cases of AC (14.7%) and 203 of SCC (85.3%). AC presented lower histological grade than did SCC (grade 1: 68.6% versus 9.4%; p < 0.001), lower rate of lymphovascular space involvement (25.7% versus 53.7%; p = 0.002), lower rate of invasion into the middle or deep thirds of the uterine cervix (40.0% versus 80.8%; p < 0.001) and lower rate of lymph node metastasis (2.9% versus 16.3%; p = 0.036). Although the recurrence rate was lower for AC than for SCC (11.4% versus 15.8%), this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.509). Multivariate analysis identified three independent risk factors for recurrence: presence of metastases in the pelvic lymph nodes, invasion of the deep third of the uterine cervix and absence of or slight inflammatory reaction in the cervix. When these variables were adjusted for the histological type and radiotherapy status, they remained in the model as independent risk factors. Conclusion: The AC group showed less aggressive histological behavior than did the SCC group, but no difference in the disease-free survival rates was noted. (C) 2006 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.