[gradu] Kauppakorkeakoulu / BIZ
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Browsing [gradu] Kauppakorkeakoulu / BIZ by Department "Department of Communication"
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- 140 merkkiä retoriikkaa - Retorinen diskurssianalyysi startup-yritysten viestinnästä Twitterissä
School of Business | Master's thesis(2014) Timonen, JaniTutkielman tavoitteena on selvittää, millaisia legitimoivia diskursseja Suomen arvostetuimpien startup-yritysten Twitter-viestinnässä voidaan havaita. 2000-luvulla viestinnän murros on vaikuttanut merkittävästi organisaatioiden viestintään ja niiden tapaan käyttää kieltä. Dialogin lisääntyminen, esimerkiksi sosiaalisessa mediassa, on tehnyt organisaatioista julkisia keskustelijoita ja nostanut esiin riskit ja vastuun, jotka liittyvät läheisesti legitimiteettiin ja retoriikkaan. Viestinnän murroksen taustalla on kolme megatrendiä: 1) vähenevät resurssit, 2) radikaali läpinäkyvyys ja 3) kasvaneet odotukset (Laszlo & Zhexembayeva 2001). Mats Alvesson (1993) korosti kielen merkitystä organisaatiotutkimuksessa, mutta lisää kvalitatiivista tutkimusta tarvitaan. Tämä tutkielma keskittyy mikroblogipalvelu Twitteriin, jota ei ole tutkittu riittävästi kielen näkökulmasta. 140 merkin viestintä tiivistää kielenkäytön ja legitimoi organisaation toimintaa dialogisessa viestinnässä. Tutkielma tarjoaa ainutlaatuisen kvalitatiivisen näkökulman sosiaaliseen mediaan ja hyödyntää sekä klassisen että uuden retoriikan näkemyksiä. Tutkielman aineisto koostuu 1100 tviitistä (140 merkin pituinen viesti Twitterissä), jotka 22 julkisesti arvostettua suomalaista startup-yritystä on lähettänyt vuosina 2012-2014. Aineistoa lähestytään retorisella diskurssianalyysilla (RDA), ja avaintermejä ovat eetos, paatos, logos ja kairos. Tutkielma identifioi retorisista keinoista syntyvät legitimoivat diskurssit. Tutkielma osoittaa, että startup-yritykset vahvistavat legitimiteettiään neljällä tavalla. Näitä keskeisiä legitimoivia diskursseja ovat: 1) aitous, 2) auttaminen, 3) asiantuntijuus ja 4) ajankohtaisuus. Vallitsevat diskurssit koostuvat 12 retorisesta taktiikasta, jotka saavat voimansa 4 retorisesta strategiasta. Tutkielma antaa uusia strategisia ja taktisia työkaluja organisaatioille, jotka toimivat ja keskustelevat uudessa, dialogisessa viestintäympäristössä. - Aloita eläkesäästäminen nyt. Pelon diskurssi pitkäaikaissäästämistilien markkinointimateriaaleissa
School of Economics | Master's thesis(2012) Toivonen, KiraTavoitteet Tässä tutkielmassa tarkastellaan pitkäaikaissäästämistä rahoituspalvelujen mark-kinoinnin näkökulmasta. Analyysin kohteena ovat pankkien ps-tilien markki-nointimateriaalit. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on selvittää mitä diskursseja pankkien ps-tilen mainoksista löytyy ja miksi. Tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan, millaisena eläkeläiset ja eläkepäivät mainoksissa näyttäytyvät sekä minkälaisia vetoomuksia mainoksissa käytetään ja miksi. Lisäksi pohditaan millaista tulevaisuuden yh-teiskuntaa mainosteksteillä rakennetaan. Tutkimusaineisto ja -menetelmät Tutkimuksen metodinen perusta pohjautuu kriittiseen diskurssianalyysiin. Tutkimuksessa analysoidaan kolmen eri pankin pitkäaikaissäästämistilien markkinointimateriaalia. Analyysissa hyödynnetään systeemis-funktionaalisen kieliteorian tarjoamia analysointityökaluja. Tulokset Finanssipalveluiden ominaispiirteistä johtuen kuluttajien on usein vaikea rationaalisesti arvioida rahoituspalvelujen mainoksia. Tuotteiden ja palvelujen monimutkaisuudesta ja aineettomuudesta johtuen useissa finanssipalveluiden mainoksissa käytetään rationaalisten vetoomusten sijasta emotionaalisia vetoomuksia. Tämän tutkimuksen aineistossa käytetään emotionaalisena vetoomuksena pelkoa. Pelottelun keinoin luodaan uhkakuvia eläketurvan ja samalla hyvinvointiyhteiskunnan rappeutumisesta. Analyysin mukaan mainoksilla rakennetaan yhteiskuntaa, jossa jokainen on vastuussa omasta hyvinvoinnistaan ja toimeentulostaan. Eläkejärjestelmäämme ei tulisi luottaa. Individualismin korostaminen ja omasta toimeentulosta vastuunottaminen ovat ihanteita. Täten valtion eläkkeeseen turvautuminen ja siihen luottaminen nähdään huonona asiana. Ps-tilien mainokset eivät vain luo mielikuvia tulevasta yhteiskunnastamme vaan ne todella rakentavat sitä, sillä mitä useampi pelästyy ja alkaa säästää yksityisesti eläkeaikaa varten sitä helpompi on tehdä poliittinen päätös lakisääteisen eläketurvan leikkaamisesta. - An approach to crisis communication in a multinational corporation - Case Cotesi
School of Economics | Master's thesis(2011) Heinonen, EinoObjectives of the study The objective of this study was to investigate the approach of a multinational corporation to crisis communication and to create an understanding of how a multinational company should manage its crisis communication. The study examines crisis communication in the context of a multinational corporation, based on the example case of Cotesi, an international agricultural company producing twine, netwraps and ropes made from synthetic and natural raw materials. The main research question What is the approach to crisis communication in a multinational corporation? was divided into two research sub questions: 1) How is Cotesi communicating in crisis situations? and 2) Does Cotesi have enough resources and structures in place to face potential crisis? Methodology The primary data for the study consists of four interviews: four semi-structured interviews of Cotesi employees, two members of the top management and two sales representatives. To get a better understanding observation was conducted on two trade shows where the case company was present. Findings and Conclusions The findings of the study show that it is possible that multinational corporations, such as the case company, do not have any clear guidelines or plans to follow in crisis. The crisis communications approach in the case company can be seen to be on ad-hoc basis mostly and they have no specific plans on how to deal with crisis but rather have employees that are experienced in the field of dealing with crisis. With a clear plan and strategy set in place, a company can face a crisis more efficiently and effectively and avoid lasting implications on its operations. - Avainresurssi vai henkilöstökulu: Kategorisointi ja työelämän eriarvoisuuden ilmeneminen suomalaisyritysten henkilöstökertomuksissa
School of Economics | Master's thesis(2012) Lappalainen, SeijaTutkimuksen tavoitteet Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on selvittää, millä tavalla henkilöstön jäseniä kategorisoidaan, minkälaisia identiteettejä heille kategorioinnin kautta rakentuu ja miten työelämän sosiaalinen eriarvoisuus ilmenee suomalaisyritysten henkilöstökertomuksissa. Tutkimusaineisto ja –menetelmät Tutkimusaineistoni koostuu kymmenen suuren suomalaisyrityksen henkilöstökertomuksista. Henkilöstökertomukset ovat yleensä osa yritysten vuosiraportointia, esimerkiksi vuosi- ja yritysvastuukertomuksia. Tutkimuksen metodologisena lähestymistapana on kriittinen diskurssianalyysi. Analysoin aineistoa tarkemmin Harvey Sacksin jäsenkategoria-analyysin kautta. Selvitän kategorisoinnin ja Kenneth Burken identifikaatioteorian kautta, minkälaisia työ- ja sosiaalisia identiteettejä ja niiden kautta mahdollisia toimintatapoja henkilöstön jäsenille rakentuu. Tulokset Eriarvoisuus rakentuu teksteissä erityisesti kategorisointiin liittyvän identifikaation ja erottautumisen kautta. Rakennettaessa henkilöstön jäsenistä toisistaan erottuvia kategorioita, rakennetaan näiden kategorioiden välille kategoriapiirteiden kautta myös eriarvoisia valtasuhteita. Keskeinen tulos on myös ristiriitaisuuden esiintyminen aineiston teksteissä. Teksteissä samoja nimityksiä liitetään eri kategorioille, jolloin kategorian jäsenten identifioituminen muodostuu epäselväksi ja ristiriitaiseksi. Myös me-ryhmän rakentaminen toimii aineistossa usein eriarvoistavana me-ryhmän lukiessa mukaansa muista henkilöstön jäsenistä eroavan ryhmän. Henkilöstön kategorisointi heijastaa tunnistettavasti uusliberalistista ideologiaa ja siihen liittyviä valtasuhteita. - Beyond language - Cultural characteristics in Finnish-Russian business communication as perceived by Finnish negotiators
School of Business | Master's thesis(2013) Koivuniemi, SamiObjective of the Study: The objective of this thesis was to investigate other than language-related cultural characteristics in the Finnish-Russian negotiations and other business communication situations, and to observe the substance of so called "Russia-knowhow" in communication situations and in their context. Methodology and the theoretical Framework: The method of the study was qualitative: Five long semi-structured theme interviews were conducted among interviewees that have been operating in the Finnish-Russian business context either in commercial negotiations or in a role of a specialist. The interviewees were intentionally selected from very different types of professional backgrounds. In the theoretical framework cultural dimensions and characteristics were generally observed in relation to the most commonly cited cultural models and other theories related to cross-cultural communication, and in relation to selected other research particularly related to the Russian culture. Findings and Conclusions: The Russian society has undergone a major transition which still continues to affect the business context, where great steps have been taken toward western standards. In general, the Russian culture has high-context elements with a heavy emphasis on people-orientation, relationships and networks. The networks are not only for certain business purposes, but are intertwined with private life and have a long term dimension. Most negotiations were considered "normal", yet they may be vivid and emotional and include culturally characterized episodes especially when the partners are not known. The business language in Russia is Russian, and some knowledge is preferable for business activities. Yet fluency is not expected; the use of interpreters is considered normal. There seems to be increasing possibilities to use English as business language in Moscow and St. Petersburg. The role of alcohol in business is significantly smaller than commonly believed. Finland and the Finns are seen in Russia very positively in general. This study indicates that a certain type of cultural "Russia-knowhow" can be identified and it includes elements of 1) Interest and understanding of the "bigger picture" of the Russian general and cultural context, 2) Learned abilities to cope in practical situations such as business negotiations flavored with national characteristics, and 3) Deep understanding of the Finnish-Russian relationship, which seems to have also a strong spiritual level. - BORAT, BAIKONUR AND BESBARMAK - A Finnish point of view of business negotiations in Kazakhstan
School of Business | Master's thesis(2014) Nieminen, MikkoTutkimuksen tavoitteet: Tämän tutkielman pääasiallisena tavoitteena oli analysoida kazakstanilaista neuvottelukulttuuria suomalaisesta näkökulmasta. Tämän lisäksi tavoitteena oli analysoida, mitkä olisivat suomalaisille liikemiehille tarpeellisia ominaisuuksia menestyäkseen kazakstanilaisessa yrityskulttuurissa.Tutkielmassa kartoitettiin erilaisia asioita, joita liikemiesten pitäisi ottaa huomioon neuvotteluissa kazakstanilaisten liikemiesten kanssa. Tutkimusmenetelmät ja teoreettinen viitekehys: Tutkielman perustana oli kolme erilaista aineistoa: neljä yksittäistä semistrukturoitua haastattelua Kazakstanissa ja kazakstanilaisten kanssa työskentelevien liikemiesten ja diplomaatin kanssa, yksi fokusryhmähaastattelu Kazakstanissa asuvien liikemiesten kanssa ja kuukauden tarkkailujakso Kazakstanissa heinä-elokuussa 2013. Lähdeaineistoa analysoitiin kvalitatiivisen sisältöanalyysin avulla ja teoreettinen viitekehys muodostui Hofsteden ja Hallin teorioiden värittämäksi viestinnän kuvaukseksi. Tutkimuksen tulokset ja johtopäätökset: Tutkimuksen mukaan suomalaisen ja kazakstanilaisen kulttuurin välillä oli monia yhtymäkohtia. Toisaalta kulttuureissa oli myös eroavaisuuksia ja näistä suurimpina suomalaise haastateltavat mainitsivat kazakstanilaisessa kulttuurissa vaikuttavan maskuliinisuuden, pitkän aikavälin orientoitumisen ja suhteiden merkityksen tärkeyden. Kazakstanilaisessa yrityskulttuurissa korruptiolla on myös roolinsa ja suomalaisten liikemiesten pitää varautua tähän. Johtopäätöksenä suomalaisten liikemiesten pitäisi omata hyvät kielelliset valmiudet (erityisesti venäjä), verkostoitumistaidot ja heidän liiketaustansa pitäisi olla joko IVY-maista tai kehittyvistä valtioista. - Building a favourable capital market image through interpersonal investor relations communication
School of Business | Master's thesis(2015) Pohjola, LauraObjective of the Study: The purpose of this study was to discuss the means the implementation of good interpersonal investor communications and how a favourable capital market image is created. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in IR communication but despite the increase in academic research, there has only been a few studies focusing on the non-financial aspects, and particularly the image-building function. The main themes of the present study are how successful IR actions can create and maintain a favourable capital market image, what are the factors influencing it, and how to overcome threats to the relationship between a company and its financial stakeholders. Due to the regulated context of capital markets, image-building actions, similarly to all IR communication, must above all be based on facts. However, additional value is created through communication, which is why interpersonal relationships play a key role in creating the trust and credibility needed for a good capital market image. Methodology and the Theoretical Framework: The study was conducted as a qualitative research and the data was gathered through six semi-structured interviews with professionals, who in their line of work, regularly take part in IR communication. The theoretical framework of the study was constructed based on the previous literature in the field of IR and image-building. It elaborates how the financial data, image-building factors, interpersonal communication, management and its actions in crisis and change, all influence the capital market image in a complex ecosystem. Findings and Conclusion: The main findings of the study point out three sectors in implementation of successful IR communication and image-building; firstly, the basic communication needs to be on an adequate level and follow the regulations. The IROs need to be competent and the essential topics should be covered. These factors might not bring additional value but are a necessity. Secondly, succeeding well with factors such as consistency, credibility, openness and proactivity, can bring additional value to the company by improving the capital market image substantially. One crucial factor, trust, is built when actions and words are in proportion. Thirdly, the company should invest in communicating strategic changes, and especially in a crisis situation, as rebuilding a favourable capital market image takes a great deal of effort and time. - Can you picture it? - The use of knowledge visualisation in knowledge transfer
School of Business | Master's thesis(2012) Niskanen, JanikaCan You Picture It? - The use of knowledge visualisation in knowledge transfer - CEO letters in CSR reports: oil companies in focus
School of Business | Master's thesis(2013) von Berg, MarhabaObjectives of the study: A main challenge in planning CSR communication strategy is how to communicate positive motives of a corporation in its CSR activities and how to decrease stakeholder uncertainty. This study provides an analysis of the CEO letters issued by eight oil companies in their CSR reports. The thesis is an investigation of target stakeholder group and move-structure carried out to determine the communicative purpose of CEO letters in CSR reports of eight oil companies. There will be three research questions employed in this study in regards to CEO letters in CSR reports: (1) What is the target stakeholder group? (2) What is the move-structure? (3) What is the communicative purpose? Methodology and theoretical framework: The data in this qualitative study consisted of eight CEO letters published in CSR reports of international oil companies, a focus group and two semi-structured interviews with experts in the field of CSR communication. Moreover, genre analysis was conducted to analyze the data, which was based on the Bhatia (2004) through which a clear seven step method to genre analysis was utilized. The theoretical framework of the study was based on the literature review, which focused on CSR communication including stakeholder perspective. Findings and conclusions: The analysis reveals that CEO letters are a common feature in CSR reports internationally, which target all stakeholder groups instead of one particular group. The CEO letters included four distinct moves; (1) Title for the letter, (2) Defining CSR / Justifying CSR involvement with a view to changing, (3) Providing a narrative of salient facts (events, operations, figures), (4) Referring to outlook and priorities for the future. Furthermore, the key communicative purposes identified in the study were establishing importance of CSR-related topics, adding credibility to the report and portraying a positive image. Finally, some recommendations for including CEO letters in CSR reports were given. - Cluster brand as a competitive advantage. Case: Airport cluster Finland
School of Business | Master's thesis(2015) Väinölä, Lotta-ElviiraObjective of the Study: The objective of this study is to explore the phenomenon of cluster branding. This study investigates cluster brand as a competitive advantage that impacts the success or decline of the cluster. The research questions examine three aspects: (1) cluster branding as a process, (2) the concrete tools that can be used in cluster branding and (3) the perceived benefits of cluster brand. The study aims to produce a generic model for cluster branding, which can be used as a tool to guide the cluster branding process. In this study, cluster is defined as a geographic concentration of interconnected actors in a particular field that compete but also cooperate and have formed a network to serve a common purpose. Methodology and theoretical framework: The research approach in study was qualitative. The research method was a single case study, conducted by using Airport Cluster Finland as the case cluster. The data was collected through ten interviews with the stakeholders of the case cluster. The theoretical framework was built on cluster development theories in order to understand why and how cluster are formed. In addition, different approaches on branding were integrated into the theoretical framework in order to spot the elements suitable for cluster context. Findings: The findings showed that a strong cluster brand creates value for the cluster stakeholders. The cluster brand is significant especially for small and medium-sized companies. A strong cluster brand increases the credibility of the companies that belong to the cluster. Based on the findings, the cluster branding process can be divided into four phases; (1) justifying existence & attracting members, (2) identification, (3) building credibility & creating awareness and (4) maintaining brand image. Concrete tools for cluster branding and the main challenges in the process were also identified. - Communicating with the media in a public-private partnership - Case Baltic Sea Action Summit (BSAS)
School of Economics | Master's thesis(2011) Mustonen, EmiliaObjectives of the study The objective of the study was to investigate the communication with the media of a particular process, the Baltic Sea Action Summit (BSAS), in a public-private partnership context. This type of partnership in environmental protection and an investigation of its media communication processes, offer new information about the characteristics of such collaboration. First, the main messages communicated to the media about the BSAS were identified. Second, the identified messages were compared to a sample of news articles and it was investigated whether the messages were published. Third, an evaluation using the findings and previous literature was conducted to determine whether the communication to the media about the BSAS process was successful. Methodology This study was conducted with a qualitative approach. The main data were semi-structured interviews and a sample of news articles about the BSAS. The interviewees were involved in the communication with the media and represented the different organizations involved in the BSAS process. The news article sample was gathered from international news publications. Although the main method of research in this study was qualitative, some characteristics of quantitative methods were used during the analysis of the articles. The interviews and articles were mainly analyzed using content analysis. Results of the Study The results and main findings of the study indicate that the overall communication to the media about the BSAS process can be described as successful. First, the main findings suggest that the different communicators had similar messages that were communicated to the media but there was also variation. However, there were quite many messages that were identified from the interviews. This suggests that the messages were not as focused as perhaps would have been intended. Second, the comparison of the identified core and significant messages to the sample news articles revealed that the core messages did indeed appear in the sample articles. In other words, the majority of the most important messages were published. An analysis of the core and significant messages using news values revealed that a message that could be associated with several news values was more likely to be published in the sample articles. - Communication around the monthly figures: A case study on management reporting practices
School of Economics | Master's thesis(2011) Seppänen, Anni-Maria“Communication around the monthly figures:” A case study on management reporting practices Objectives of the study The objective of the study was to find out if and how management reporting can be improved through good internal communication and knowledge sharing. Three case companies A, B and C from the same group were studied in order to reach the objective. Three research questions were identified: What are the existing management reporting procedures in Company B and Company C? In what ways do Companies B and C, with Company A, share knowledge in management reporting? Are the existing management reporting procedures sufficient for effective internal communication, and if not, how could they be improved? Methodology This study used the case study method for data collection. Data was collected through 10 semi-structured interviews in the case companies A, B and C. Six interviews were conducted face-to-face in Helsinki and four via email to reach employees positioned in Asia, Europe and Canada, or who otherwise were unavailable for face-to-face interviews. In addition, management reporting data such as process descriptions and Balanced Scorecards were provided by the case companies and observations were made by the researcher as she had worked for case companies B and C for nearly four years. The interview questions focused on management reporting, internal communication and knowledge sharing. Results of the study The research findings indicate that internal communication and knowledge sharing could improve management reporting. Internal communication occurred mainly through email in the case companies and knowledge sharing was sparse. The results of the study show a need for more knowledge sharing and suggestions for improved knowledge sharing were implementing an integrated computer system, having more regular meetings and changing the organizational culture from silence to transparency and openness. Key Words: International business communication, internal communication, knowledge sharing, Business Process Management, management reporting, reporting procedures - Communication in supplier relationships: the case of Finnish sourcing in China
School of Business | Master's thesis(2013) Hou, YanruObjective of the study: The objective of the study was to research the supplier relationship management in a case company from the perspective of business communication. The case company was a Finnish buyer organization and its supplier was a Chinese company in the health food industry. The study evaluated their relationship and investigated their communication through two research questions: (1) What kind of challenges can be identified in the relationship between the Finnish buyer and the Chinese supplier company? In what processes of sourcing do they emerge? (2) What communicative strategies do the Finnish buyer and Chinese supplier use to overcome the challenges? What are their perceptions of communicative compromises and communicative effectiveness? Methodology and theoretical framework: The data in the qualitative single case study was mainly collected by conducting three semi-structured interviews with representatives from the buyer and the supplier company. As supplementary data, emails between two interviewees in a two-week period were sorted into a corpus for content analysis. The theoretical framework was established on the basis of Seppälä's supplier relationship research model in order to investigate the relationship status between the case organizations. Communication between the case organizations was examined from the cultural, language and interpersonal dimensions. Findings and conclusions: The findings of the study indicated the challenges of the case supplier relationship. Firstly, the production time was not fully controlled by the supplier and the information exchange about the delivery delay cases was not efficient and timely. Secondly, the Chinese buyer's email communication on troublesome issues was indirect. Thirdly, managing the sourcing quality of product packages was challenging due to the different cultural aesthetics. Fourthly, BELF was not a barrier for daily communication but the Chinese supplier's inadequate BELF competence impacted the explanation on technical issues and the expression of emotions. Fifthly, the Finnish buyer committed to the relationship relatively less than the Chinese supplier. The findings also showed that the Finnish supplier had made repeated efforts to communicate their requirements on email communication and package quality. In addition, the communication on time management was not effective and aroused temporary intensity in the relationship. It was also observed that both Chinese and Finns had compromised to the counterpart's communication style and culture to some extent. However, at a general level, effective interpersonal communication was a significant positive determinant for their relationship, especially for resolving business and interpersonal disputes. - Communicative challenges in an internationally decentralized nonprofit organization Case: Finn Church Aid
School of Economics | Master's thesis(2012) Leivonen, JuttaCommunicative challenges in an internationally decentralized nonprofit organization - Case: Finn Church Aid Objective of the Study The main objective of the Thesis is to explore issues that the case organization needs to consider when developing a strategic communication plan for the field offices based in the developing countries. The Thesis will take into consideration both internal and external communications as well as the special conditions of international operating environment in developing countries. The research problem is investigated with the three questions: How do FCA’s employees perceive the challenges in the organization’s internal communications? How do FCA’s employees perceive the field offices’ external communication and the possibilities to develop it? What is the impact of the operating environment (i.e. developing countries) on FCA’s communications? Methodology and Data The research was conducted as a qualitative single case study with semi-structured interviews as the research method. Ten FCA employees were interviewed and they represented employees from the field as well as from the Helsinki headquarters. The theoretical framework guided the research process by taking into consideration all aspects of internal and external communication in the international environment. Findings and Conclusions The main findings of the Thesis indicate that the importance of internal and external communications are acknowledged within the case organization. However, communicative problems were identified and due to lack of resources, no actions have been taken to improve the situation. The Thesis provides suggestions concerning internal and external communications and focuses on the impact of the international environment on the development of a communication plan. - Communicative Competence in project management: A case study in an agile environment
School of Economics | Master's thesis(2012) Siikaluoma, MarieAim of the study: The study focused on identifying the key communicative competences of a project manager in an agile project environment. The underlying assumption in the study was the idea that by viewing the communicative project environment and exploring the aspects of project managers’ daily work it is possible to recognise communicative competences of a project manager. Methodology and the Theoretical Framework: The study was conducted as a multi-method qualitative case study that collected the empirical data through a focus group interview and six semi-structured personal interviews. The analysis of the data based on the theoretical framework that included three types of communicative competences. The framework consisted of literature on communication in a contemporary project environment, and on communicative and management competences. The identified communicative competences were functional competence, social competence, and strategic competence. The competences were examined from a communicative perspective, and thus they were specific to a particular communicative project context. Findings and Conclusions: The findings suggest that three components of the communicative environment; multileveled stakeholders, uncertainties and time pressure in a project, embellish the role of communicative competences. According to the present study (i) functional competence includes business knowhow and functional communicative ability, (ii) social competence refers to internal and external networking, and leading people, and (iii) strategic competence consists of adapting to situations, strategic problem solving and holistic decision making. - Company press sites as online media relations tools
School of Business | Master's thesis(2015) Turku, FriidaSince the early 1990's, the internet has fundamentally changed the ways in which companies communicate and interact with their audiences. Today, international companies widely utilize web-based media centers i.e. company press sites as online media relations tools to offer the media different kinds of materials and information about the company. These online press sites work as centralized, easy access hubs to company-related information and digital assets, and offer companies a way to centralize most of their daily media inquiries. Earlier research indicates that despite the growing demand for online media relations tools, most corporate press sites are "far from being complete, efficient, easy-to-use, reliable and updated on a daily basis". Media relations practitioners tend to believe that their press sites provide the media with high-quality information and materials, while the media often feels that corporate webpages actually fail to deliver the information they are looking for. This study explores literature and theoretical recommendations for a successful company press site and formulates six content, structure, and features categories with key learnings for each category to create an analytical framework for building an efficient company press site. As a case company, the study analyses the content, structure and features of Nokia press sites, and suggests practical implications for their improvement. In the analysis, the press site content is explored according to six categories formulated in the analytical framework of the study. The objective for the analysis is to find out how well the case study press sites meet the theoretical recommendations. The key findings suggest that 1) clear and consistent navigation, 2) logical information grouping, and 3) providing a channel for dialogue are the most important factors of a successful company press site. Practical recommendations for the case company are formulated according to these findings. The findings and practical implications of this study are important for both academics and corporate communications practitioners working with media relations. The analytical framework for corporate press site content building formulated in this study has the potential of guiding the website content research further as well as offering practitioners a concrete case example to explore when planning and maintaining their online media relations. - Corporate blog as a channel for crisis communication: Case Talvivaara
School of Business | Master's thesis(2012) Norros, EevaThe objective of this thesis was to study Talvivaara's corporate blog as a channel for crisis communication. The research conducted was two-fold: firstly the media coverage during the crisis was studied, after which Talvivaara's communications through their corporate blog were evaluated. By researching the case from two different aspects, the thesis aimed to uncover how the corporate blog functioned as a communication channel in this particular case study. The data of this study consisted of an interview with Talvivaara, news articles by Helsingin Sanomat and Kainuun Sanomat and blog posts published in Talvivaara's corporate blog, Paikan päällä.fi. The interview data was approached through a qualitative analysis and the news articles were analyzed through a quantitative content analysis and qualitative frame analysis. Talvivaara's communication actions were studied by Coombs' (2007a) Situational Crisis Communication Theory and by analyzing the functions, content and dialogue in the corporate blog. The interview findings indicated that Talvivaara's crisis response was slow and the company lacked resources and knowledge in communicating in the crisis situation via mass media. In order to react to the crisis situation, the company decided to establish a corporate blog, where they could present the company's side of the story. The results of the content analysis demonstrated that Talvivaara's media coverage in Helsingin Sanomat and Kainuun Sanomat was mainly critical and the frame analysis supported this view. The findings also support the company's opinion on the fact that Talvivaara's voice was not present broadly in the mass media. In addition, the findings suggest that the corporate blog responded to the discussion in the media and the company was able to engage in a dialogue with the blog's target group. Furthermore, the blog posts were quoted in the newspapers and after the establishment of the blog the media coverage was slightly less critical and more supportive. To conclude, the findings of this thesis supported the blog as a communication tool in this crisis situation. - Corporate branding in social media - Stakeholder involvement in value co-creation: A case study
School of Business | Master's thesis(2014) Pietarinen, StellaObjective of the Study: The objective of the thesis was to explore how the case organization (Wärtsilä Corporation) strategically builds and manages its corporate brand in social media, with the focus on value co-creation of brand through stakeholder involvement in brand building in social media. The research questions consider three aspects: 1) the case organization's overall corporate branding strategy in social media towards different stakeholder groups; 2) the involvement of the case organization's prime external stakeholder groups in building corporate brand in social media; 3) value co-creation in brand building through the interaction between the case organization and its external stakeholder groups in social media. Methodology and Theoretical Framework: The research used a qualitative approach in a single-case study, and Wärtsilä was chosen to be the case company. The netnography method was used in data collection, which covered four months online observation in two social media channels. Additionally, qualitative interviews were also conducted. The theoretical framework constructed represents a shared space between the organization and its stakeholders in social media - a process circle of value co-creation in social media where communication, interaction, knowledge sharing, action, and stakeholder engagement occur and interact with each other. Findings and Conclusions: The findings supported various earlier studies in value co-creation of brand building. Wärtsilä effectively implemented the corporate branding strategy into its social media practice, and strongly reflected its brand core value in social media communication. The company enhanced value co-creation by involving stakeholders in building the corporate brand in social media through different ways. Most importantly, the findings identified four brand values: brand identity, brand reputation, brand loyalty, and brand satisfaction through the value co-creation process in social media. The implications suggest that it is important for the organization to have its corporate branding strategy align with the social media strategy, to actively interact and initiate dialogue with stakeholders in social media, and to also emphasize other brand values than the core value in corporate branding's social media strategy. - CSR communication in B2B business: "It is a bonus, not a priority."
School of Business | Master's thesis(2014) Nieminen, HeidiObjective of the Study: The objective of the thesis was to shed light on how suppliers communicate CSR to organizational buyers in B2B business relationships by studying the topic from the buyer's perspective. More specifically, the study examined how organizational buyers perceive the role of CSR in business, how they perceive CSR communication practiced by suppliers, and to what extent organizational buyers process CSR communication when making buying decisions. The topic was scrutinized in the context of the Finnish shipping industry by way of studying the company Finnlines as the case organization. Methodology and the Analytical Framework: The study was conducted as a qualitative single case study using semi-structured interviews with four international organizational buyers who work in a department of altogether 11 buyers. The interviews were conducted in Helsinki and an interview guide was formulated to guide the research. The analytical framework of the study was constructed on the basis of the research questions. It consisted of three main parts: 1) B2B business relationship between the supplier and the buyer 2) CSR communication and 3) the organizational buying-decision. Findings and Conclusions: The main findings of the study were threefold. First, the findings showed that CSR was perceived rather traditionally, emphasizing the economic and legal aspect of responsibility, and the role of CSR was perceived mostly as enhancing corporate reputation. Furthermore, the buyers experienced that the suppliers did not heavily promote CSR in their communication, and if they did promote it, the buyers had a somewhat skeptical stance towards it. Finally, the findings showed that CSR communication was perceived as something extra while concurrently the organizational buyers were receptive to CSR messages; yet their motivation to process CSR communication was low and the effect of CSR communication on the buyer's buying- decision was marginal at most. These findings indicate that the case organization should emphasize CSR issues, both in the purchasing department and in the organization in general, in order to leverage competitive advantage. For supplier organizations in shipping, the findings indicate that supplier organizations should plan their CSR communications more carefully in order to influence organizational buyers in their supplier selections. Moreover, the findings indicate that B2B shipping organizations in general should further emphasize CSR both in their operations and in their communications to gain an image of a forerunner organization and gain a competitive edge over competitors. - CSR communication to consumers in clothing markets - Mapping consumer interest, awareness, attitudes and expectations
School of Business | Master's thesis(2013) Kivekäs, LottaCSR communication to consumers in clothing markets - Mapping consumer interest, awareness, attitudes and expectations. Objective of the Study The aim of the study was to investigate consumer perceptions of CSR (corporate social responsibility) and CSR communication in order to improve company ability to effectively communicate on CSR. The study was motivated by research indicating low consumer awareness of and trust in CSR. The study focused on the clothing industry as clothing companies have increased their CSR investments following pressure from stakeholders. Methodology and Theoretical Framework The empirical part of the research consisted of a self-completion questionnaire distributed online and completed by 166 Finnish nationals. Based on the theoretical framework, consumer views were investigated in the survey in three levels: CSR interest, CSR awareness, and attitudes and expectations towards CSR communication. The survey included both closed and open-ended questions. The latter were analyzed using quantitative content analysis. Findings and Conclusions Firstly, the findings indicate a higher consumer interest in corporate responsibility than previous research from the clothing industry. Secondly, consumer awareness of CSR initiatives taken in the industry appears fairly limited. Thirdly, the findings add to knowledge of consumer attitudes and expectations on CSR communication. Concerning message content, consumers wish clothing companies to address environmental issues and to offer information on the impact of their CSR initiatives. Regarding channels, the findings indicate that clothing companies are likely to achieve highest awareness for and trust in their CSR messages by communicating through product labels and company websites. The findings provide guidance for the strategic design of CSR communication.