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Article
Publication date: 9 August 2013

Matti Heinonen

The purpose of this paper is to analyse interaction between the economic growth and population explosion on migration and impending global crises, resulting from a congruence of

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse interaction between the economic growth and population explosion on migration and impending global crises, resulting from a congruence of the ills affecting the world today, including climate change, water and food scarcity, poverty and environmental degradation.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a comparative analysis of future‐oriented literature. The paper applies the “Limits to Growth” thinking and suggests an approach where the concept of material and population growth is questioned.

Findings

Multidisciplinary examination of research literature reveals what is normally considered to be problems such as energy, food and water scarcity, poverty and environmental degradation really are not problems but symptoms; the problem is the continuing economic and population growth on a finite planet. Migration has always been a possible coping strategy for people facing economic and political problems as well as environmental changes. Continuing growth has not erased poverty and closed the gap between the rich and poor, which is a major driving force of migration. Only changing the structure of the system will do that.

Practical implications

The present unsustainable way of life means that society risks a multitude of crises. Many breakdowns will most likely be happening simultaneously throughout the entire environmental and socioeconomic system on a worldwide scale. Humanity has set the scene for the overshoot scenario and reversal of growth will be necessary to get out of it. New kinds of methods are needed to respond to the current challenges. It is imperative to reinvent economic theories and create new monetary and fiscal policies to solve the multidimensional ecological, economic, demographic, political and social crises humanity is facing today.

Originality/value

In a world where the lack of foresight exists to an alarming degree at every level of society, it is important to be constantly reminded of the imminent global crises resulting from growth. It is becoming apparent that fragmented strategies cannot address the pressing challenges. New values are needed to guide society to peaceful and equitable development in an increasingly interconnected world. This can only emerge from a new critical self‐awareness and the will to act.

Article
Publication date: 15 January 2020

Tiina Saari, Noora Ellonen and Matti Vuorensyrjä

The purpose of this paper is to compare the employee well-being of police officers in different investigative groups. This paper analyses crime investigators’ employee well-being…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to compare the employee well-being of police officers in different investigative groups. This paper analyses crime investigators’ employee well-being from four perspectives: organisational commitment, job satisfaction, exhaustion and turnover intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis is based on Finnish Police Personal Survey data (n=6,698), and qualitative and quantitative analysis methods are utilised.

Findings

Significant differences between investigative groups were found, and the police officers working in short-term investigations had the lowest level of well-being. The qualitative results revealed the employee- and organisational-level reasons behind these attitudes. One major issue is the lack of meaningfulness in work as the respondents describe their jobs as boring and monotonous and report that they do not have the appropriate resources to do their work as well as they wish.

Practical implications

To enhance the well-being of the investigators, police forces should improve the ways of leadership and invest more resources especially on short-term investigation to diminish the insecurity and ensure the quality and continuity of the work.

Originality/value

Research on the well-being of police officers has mostly focused on officers conducting surveillance or emergency operations, and there is very little knowledge of the well-being of crime investigators. This research adds to the limited knowledge on employee well-being of crime investigators.

Details

International Journal of Organization Theory & Behavior, vol. 23 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1093-4537

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 September 2017

Matti Kuittinen and Atsushi Takano

The purpose of this study is to investigate the energy efficiency and life cycle carbon footprint of temporary homes in Japan after the Great Eastern Tohoku Earthquake in 2011.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the energy efficiency and life cycle carbon footprint of temporary homes in Japan after the Great Eastern Tohoku Earthquake in 2011.

Design/methodology/approach

An energy simulation and life cycle assessment have been done for three alternative shelter models: prefabricated shelters, wooden log shelters and sea container shelters.

Findings

Shelter materials have a very high share of life cycle emissions because the use period of temporary homes is short. Wooden shelters perform best in the comparison. The clustering of shelters into longer buildings or on top of each other increases their energy efficiency considerably. Sea containers piled on top of each other have superb energy performance compared to other models, and they consume even less energy per household than the national average. However, there are several gaps of knowledge in the environmental assessment of temporary homes and field data from refugee camps should be collected as part of camp management.

Originality/value

The findings exemplify the impacts of the proper design of temporary homes for mitigating their energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions.

Details

International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, vol. 8 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1759-5908

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 April 2013

Matti Sivunen, Lauri Pulkka, Jukka Heinonen, Juho‐Kusti Kajander and Seppo Junnila

The main aim of this paper is to examine how commercial sustainability innovation projects in real estate and construction industries utilise the contemporary market‐oriented…

Abstract

Purpose

The main aim of this paper is to examine how commercial sustainability innovation projects in real estate and construction industries utilise the contemporary market‐oriented innovation models based on the service‐dominant logic.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey of a large set of sustainability innovation projects was conducted and analysed.

Findings

The results show that over a third of the examined projects lack all the necessary innovation components recognised in the literature. Furthermore, very few projects utilised concurrent market feedback in the development phase. The study suggests that sustainability innovations fail commercially in built environment, because they lack active customer participation and value network involvement, and they aim for incremental instead of radical improvements.

Research limitations/implications

Future research should address available ways for companies in the real estate and construction industries to take advantage of their unused potential in climate change mitigation business through innovation.

Practical implications

Organisations striving for sustainability innovations should aim at radical instead of incremental innovation, and focus on customer participation and involvement of the value network. The innovation processes in the construction sector could be organised better by utilising tested service‐dominant models.

Originality/value

This study is among the first to address innovation elements based on the service‐dominant logic in analysing projects aiming at sustainability innovation in real estate and construction industries.

Details

Construction Innovation, vol. 13 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1471-4175

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 February 2016

Jarna Heinonen and Ulla Hytti

The purpose of this paper is to understand the roles and mission assigned to entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs in Finnish entrepreneurship policy, and how they are reflected in…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand the roles and mission assigned to entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs in Finnish entrepreneurship policy, and how they are reflected in policy actions.

Design/methodology/approach

A discourse analysis of policy missions and content was conducted based on selected policy documents related to the government entrepreneurship programmes run in 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011.

Findings

The analysis identifies a clear evolution in the policies over the years, but no radical changes; indicating that policies develop incrementally by adding to previous schemes. In addition, the analysis reveals the changes in focus, measures and key actors involved in the policies. In general, the documents emphasise the need to create more jobs of better quality, to stimulate economic growth and recently also to foster a more sustainable society. There is a limited role for entrepreneurship in introducing innovation and change to society.

Research limitations/implications

Besides analysing entrepreneurship policy there is a need to develop a better understanding of policy entrepreneurship, that is, the promotion of significant policy change. In addition, research evidence needs to be better incorporated into the formulation of policies.

Practical implications

Policymakers should be critical of policy development in order to create truly entrepreneurial policies. In order to promote entrepreneurship, more emphasis should be placed on developing incentives and measures supporting the identification and discovery of entrepreneurial opportunities, not merely on facilitating exploitation.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to entrepreneurship policy discussions by offering fresh insights into where entrepreneurship literature, policies and actions, and social reality intersect. The paper’s main contribution is to clearly show what is being promoted by the entrepreneurship policies and how, and the pitfalls of the current approaches compared to the understanding of entrepreneurship as a phenomenon.

Details

Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, vol. 23 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1462-6004

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 14 March 2022

Anna Karhu, Elina Pelto and Lauri-Matti Palmunen

Retailing has developed from independent merchants to multinational giants operating through global value chains, which has profoundly shaped consumption patterns in Western

Abstract

Retailing has developed from independent merchants to multinational giants operating through global value chains, which has profoundly shaped consumption patterns in Western economies. This constant development currently consists of three global-scale change trajectories – climate change, online consumption, and technological development – that affect the retail industry. Based on this, this chapter concentrates on connecting the development paths of consumption and retailing and identifies various factors that affect the future of international retailing. The authors analyze the changes in institutional logics of international retailing by mapping the past, present, and future of the retail industry and consumption using content analysis of secondary data. The authors pay special attention to the effect of the current Covid-19 crisis on the future development of the retail industry. In the findings of this chapter, the authors recognize institutional logics changes in organizing the position of retailing as a connector of customers and producers, and the authors suggest blockchain to be an emerging new institutional order.

Details

International Business in Times of Crisis: Tribute Volume to Geoffrey Jones
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80262-164-8

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 July 2020

Karim Sidaoui, Matti Jaakkola and Jamie Burton

While customer experience (CE) is recognized as a critical determinant of business success, both academics and managers are yet to find a means to gain a comprehensive…

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Abstract

Purpose

While customer experience (CE) is recognized as a critical determinant of business success, both academics and managers are yet to find a means to gain a comprehensive understanding of CE cost-effectively. The authors argue that the application of relevant AI technology could help address this challenge. Employing interactively prompted narrative storytelling, and the authors investigate the effectiveness of sentiment analysis (SA) on extracting valuable CE insights from primary qualitative data generated via chatbot interviews.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on a granular and semantically clear framework for studying CE feelings, an artificial intelligence (AI) augmented chatbot was designed. The chatbot interviewed a crowdsourced sample of consumers about their recalled service experience feelings. By combining free-text and closed-ended questions, the authors were able to compare extracted sentiment polarities against established measurement scales and empirically validate our novel approach.

Findings

The authors demonstrate that SA can effectively extract CE feelings from primary chatbot data. This findings also suggest that further enhancement in accuracy can be achieved via improvements in the interplay between the chatbot interviewer and SA extraction algorithms.

Research limitations/implications

The proposed customer-centric approach can help service companies to study and better understand CE feelings in a cost-effective and scalable manner. The AI-augmented chatbots can also help companies to foster immersive and engaging relationships with customers. This study focuses on feelings, warranting further research on AI's value in studying other CE elements.

Originality/value

The unique inquisitive role of AI-infused chatbots in conducting interviews and analyzing data in realtime, offers considerable potential for studying CE and other subjective constructs.

Details

Journal of Service Management, vol. 31 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-5818

Keywords

Content available

Abstract

Details

Construction Innovation, vol. 13 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1471-4175

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 18 February 2022

Kimmo Keskiniva, Arto Saari and Juha-Matti Junnonen

This study aims to provide a foundation for the development of subcontracts that suit takt production in construction.

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to provide a foundation for the development of subcontracts that suit takt production in construction.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a non-empiric conceptual study, which integrates takt production and general construction literature into new proposals for subcontract clauses suitable for takt production in construction. This study uses literature reviews, from which proposals regarding takt production viable subcontract clauses are conducted via logical reasoning.

Findings

A total of 13 proposals for takt production applicable subcontracts are provided in this study. The proposals emphasize detailed and collaborative planning, suitable payment methods and flexibility for takt plan modification.

Originality/value

Previous takt literature has not properly addressed the development of subcontracts for takt production, despite regular attempts to use subcontracting in takt production. This study aims to aid main contractors to create fair and suitable subcontracts, so that adhering to takt schedules could be more viable in practice. This study also acts as a foundation for further empirical studies regarding the subject.

Details

Construction Innovation , vol. 23 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1471-4175

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 January 2023

Torsten Schlesinger, Michael Barth, Matti Bartsch and Werner Pitsch

The comparatively high salaries of professional players during their active athletic career should allow them to accumulate an adequate level of precautionary savings for a…

Abstract

Purpose

The comparatively high salaries of professional players during their active athletic career should allow them to accumulate an adequate level of precautionary savings for a financially autonomous post-sport career. However, not all players succeed in accumulating sustainable financial assets. Therefore, the question arises how professional players' financial precaution within the social setting football is shaped. As no empirical analyses have yet been carried out on this issue, the study study examines football players' precautionary practices and motives.

Design/methodology/approach

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 German (former) professional football players. The authors used qualitative content analysis to analyse the data, expanding the analysis to include reconstructive elements to create different precautionary types.

Findings

The results reveal that players deal with both career-specific as well as precaution-related risks quite heterogeneously. Accordingly, three precautionary types characterised by distinct forms of precautionary saving practices are identified. The authors also find that although the players are aware of the uncertainties and risks related to their professional football careers, it does not say much about the concrete implementation of adequate precautionary practices.

Practical implications

The findings contribute to a better understanding of precautionary saving practices among football players.

Social implications

Moreover, the findings contribute to a better understanding of precautionary saving practices not only specifically among (former) football players, but generally among individuals that face high occupational career risks and earn high salaries to develop preventative concepts and approaches to sustainable financial planning.

Originality/value

This paper is the first empirical study that analyses precautionary savings practices of the specific population of elite athletes in high income sports professional football.

Details

Sport, Business and Management: An International Journal, vol. 13 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-678X

Keywords

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