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This paper aims to examine the strategic design for entrepreneurial activity. This study examines and evaluates a qualitative Delphi methodology used in a research for the strategy development needs of entrepreneurship counselling and education. The strategic design presented may well apply to non-profit organisations due to the fact that limited resources in funding of non-profit organisations exist.

This paper introduces methodological considerations of applying the Delphi method to the strategy development for an entrepreneurship counselling design, taking Ensimetri – an entrepreneurship counselling organisation in Finland – as a case study, and the potential in applying this strategic design projects to libraries and information management centres.

The research provides a framework on entrepreneurial strategic design. The top ten items that emerged from this research may provide the framework for the development of entrepreneurial strategic design. They may be used to further examine our understanding for the strategy development needs of entrepreneurship counselling and education, as very limited research has taken place on this issue. Issues of culture are discussed. Findings illustrate that respondents would appreciate guidance on the initiation of entrepreneurial activities from the university that are associated with programmes and services provided that may help them on the initiation of entrepreneurial activities. Libraries may use the integrated information systems they employ. This exploratory study found that cultural values may influence entrepreneurship intention. Gender issues are also discussed in regard to the strategic design of entrepreneurial activity, adding to the existing literature for gender differences in attitude. The research provides a framework on entrepreneurial strategic design, and the role of universities with the use of integrated information systems and library services to the initiation of such entrepreneurial activities.

Findings of this research may well apply in non-profit organisations such as libraries and information and communication sectors, where in periods of economic crisis, social entrepreneurship can be adopted so that these organisations become profitable. Education has also a role to play in the development of entrepreneurship.

The application of the Delphi method to entrepreneurial research, and the use of this design to seek intention and attitudes by and for information professionals and marketers, may in fact contribute to the implementation of social entrepreneurship. Very limited research has taken place to explore entrepreneurial intention. The paper discusses a new methodology which can also be used outside Finland and is of relevance to the information profession. This research makes a theoretical and practical contribution on social entrepreneurial potential and its strategic design. Implications for social entrepreneurship are provided. The implementation of information and communications technologies, the role of social media networks and issues associated with culture are discussed for strategic communication.

Addressing the challenges expressed by organization researchers and Leslie McCall with her conceptual framework of intercategorical analysis, this paper contributes to the methodological debate on intersectionality. The purpose of this paper is to explore intersectionality on the organizational level in the Finnish defence forces (FDF). In the paper, the authors explore how the interactions between categories of gender, age, and position in the organization explain the concerns of employees in the changing military organization. Furthermore, the authors also investigate the types of intersectional mechanisms behind the empirical observations.

The logistic regression analysis is based on a survey addressed to the whole salaried personnel in the FDF in 2011 (n=8,093, response rate being 54 per cent).

In line with McCall’s (2005) intercategorical approach, the analysis shows that the plain examination of main effects of the variables will not suffice, but the interaction effects of the variables must also be examined. The analysis indicates that even though women in general experienced more concerns, gender does not alone explain the concerns expressed by the members of the FDF, but age and especially personnel group are significant in understanding configurations of positions in relation to the organizational change process.

The methodological limitation of the study is that although the data were large, it was not possible to conduct three-ways analysis, because of the size of some groups.

The study offers a noteworthy addition to the rare research of practising intersectionality in the conceptual framework using quantitative methods.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse management and employee experiences of gender divisions at work and to reflect on gender boundaries using the method of democratic dialogue. It also considers the use of experiences in efforts supporting workplace democracy.

Finnish action research project sought to promote both gender equality and democratic dialogue. Content analysis is applied on group discussions on promoting gender equality at work.

Gender divisions in organizations were widely recognized. Challenges arose from the incompatibility of images of gender and gendered images of work. Participants’ perspectives varied depending on their hierarchical position.

Democratic dialogue provides tools to approach sensitive topics that need special attention in promoting gender equality.

Work organizations need to use forums that bring together management and employee perspectives with a gender‐sensitive approach to support workplace democracy.

The paper shows that, to enable change, the understandings of gender and gender equality have to be negotiated on the local level and in a way that connects to participants’ realities and experiences.