Alcohol Consumption and Sickness Absence: Evidence from Panel Data

This paper examines the relationship between alcohol consumption and sickness absence. We use regional panel data from Finland over the period 1993-2005. The data on individuals’ health that we are using originates from Health Behaviour and Health among the Finnish Population conducted by the National Public Health Institute. The results show that alcohol consumption is associated with sickness absence, and particularly so for men. Therefore, the earlier aggregate time-series evidence from Sweden is largely confirmed in a regional panel data setting.Alcohol consumption; sickness absence

Studies on the diffusion of new science-based technologies

Technological change is one of the key driving forces behind economic growth. In this process, the diffusion of new technologies plays a vital role. In particular, the early stages of diffusion, in which knowledge is created and transferred for wider industrial use, are seen as crucial to the broader societal impact of technologies. Therefore, it is essential to understand how technologies diffuse from academia to industry, and to highlight different factors that facilitate or hinder the diffusion process. This thesis addresses the diffusion of nanotechnology and biotechnology in four articles, each highlighting a specific and critical part of the early-stage diffusion process. The first article focuses on the variety of outcomes that university researchers achieve when interacting with companies. It identifies whether a researcher's boundary-spanning position in research collaboration networks is connected with these outcomes. The results suggest that university-industry interaction leads to both tangible and intangible outcomes and that boundary-spanning plays a role in achieving them. The second article highlights the importance of understanding the unique characteristics of the transferred technology. It compares the specificities of nanotechnology to other science-based technologies such as biotechnology. The empirical results indicate that nanotechnology differs from other science-based technologies in only a few dimensions of technology transfer related to the basic research orientation of nanotechnology. The third article emphasises the role of smaller technology-dedicated companies in the diffusion process. The paper highlights the importance of understanding the economic value of the patent portfolio of biotechnology-dedicated companies with respect to the companies' future growth expectations. The results indicate that there exists a positive connection between growth expectations and the value of patent portfolios; this value could be signalled to external financiers. The fourth article identifies links between smaller technology-dedicated companies and larger established companies. The latter may act as industrialists when introducing new science-based products and processes to the market. The results of this paper identify several potential diffusion channels for nanotechnology in both traditional and high-tech industries. The articles provide implications for research, policy and practice. The key implications relate to the role of interdisciplinarity as an important ingredient in producing more industry related knowledge, the technology specificity of the technology transfer process and the different roles smaller and larger companies have in technology diffusion

Economic Inequality and Health: Looking Beyond Aggregate Indicators

This paper examines the relationship between relative income inequality and health in Finland, using individual microdata over the period 1993-2005. Our data allows us to analyse a large spectrum of health indicators. Overall, our results suggest that income inequality is not associated with increased morbidity in the population. The results for women differ to quite a large extent from those of men and the pooled sample. There is evidence that an increase in the Gini coefficient is negatively related to the probability of good physical health and no disability retirement. For men, relative income inequality is clearly not important for health.Health, health behaviour, economic inequality, relative income inequality, relative deprivation, Gini coefficient

Alcohol Consumption and Sickness Absence: Evidence from Panel Data

This paper examines the relationship between alcohol consumption and sickness absence. We use regional panel data from Finland over the period 1993-2005. The data on individuals’ health that we are using originates from Health Behaviour and Health among the Finnish Population conducted by the National Public Health Institute. The results show that alcohol consumption is associated with sickness absence, and particularly so for men. Therefore, the earlier aggregate time-series evidence from Sweden is largely confirmed in a regional panel data setting

Economic Inequality and Health: Looking Beyond Aggregate Indicators

This paper examines the relationship between relative income inequality and health in Finland, using individual microdata over the period 1993-2005. Our data allows us to analyse a large spectrum of health indicators. Overall, our results suggest that income inequality is not associated with increased morbidity in the population. The results for women differ to quite a large extent from those of men and the pooled sample. There is evidence that an increase in the Gini coefficient is negatively related to the probability of good physical health and no disability retirement. For men, relative income inequality is clearly not important for health

Economic Inequality and Health: Looking Beyond Aggregate Indicators

This paper examines the relationship between relative income inequality and health in Finland, using individual microdata over the period 1993-2005. Our data allows us to analyse a large spectrum of health indicators. Overall, our results suggest that income inequality is not associated with increased morbidity in the population. The results for women differ to quite a large extent from those of men and the pooled sample. There is evidence that an increase in the Gini coefficient is negatively related to the probability of good physical health and no disability retirement. For men, relative income inequality is clearly not important for health

The evolution of business relationships between technology-intensive new ventures and incumbents during the new product development process

This study investigates how technology-intensive new ventures shape and manage their relationships with incumbents to successfully develop new products. We undertake the dynamic views of business relationship to reveal under what conditions new ventures should emphasize more on transactional contract or alliance approach to develop their relationships with incumbents. Using longitudinal multiple case analysis, we show that transactional contract is less effective during discovery and development stages to facilitate knowledge share and collaborative learning between new ventures and incumbents. However, adopting transactional contract is essential during commercialization to strengthen the relationship, minimize the drawbacks of social bonds, and motivate both parties to engage in new projects. The results show that tensions between exchange partners are likely to increase when the incumbent is flexible to re-negotiate and share the fair benefits during the commercialization stage. Our findings provide new insights about the evolution of new ventures’ relationships with incumbents across NPD stages

Identifying Nanotechnological Linkages in the Finnish Economy - An Explorative Study

Nanotechnology, as an emerging science-based technology, is seen to have great potential both in scientific as well as economic terms. In this paper the focus is on identifying the technological linkages between the Finnish nanotechnology community and the industrial incumbents. These technological link-ages are first observed at a broader level in comparison with the technological strengths of the Finnish industries, and then in greater detail at the level of companies. In addition, the absorptive capacity of the incumbents is discussed to illustrate their ability to take advantage of external sources of knowledge. The descriptive analysis shows that the R&D activities of the Finnish nano-community are linked up to the technological specialisation of Finnish industry in broader sense and that there are potential technological linkages to various industrial sectors. Further, the nano-related incumbents are characterised by a higher level of absorptive capacity. The conclusion is that nanotechnology is connected to traditional and high-tech industries. The nano-related incumbents might also exhibit an ability to utilise external sources of knowledge, and can possibly provide commercialisation paths for the smaller nano-dedicated companies. The future will tell whether the incumbent companies will play a key role in the commercialisation of nanotechnology in Finland.nanotechnology, Finland, general purpose technology, technology life cycle, absorptive capacity

The governance of nanotechnologies and nanosciences: promotion vs. regulation

This is a qualitative empirical study of the governance of nanotechnologies and nanosciences that explores decision making and the decision-making processes in thelight of the emergence of a novel technology and scientific field in Sweden, Finland and the UK. The study, which took place between 2008 and 2011, particularly utilised Gibbons et al. and Rip’s models for science governance, the Mode 1/Mode 2 theses, and Arie Rip’s Strategic Science, alongside thinking around the Knowledge-based Economy as a springboard to examine a selection of characteristics related to organisational diversity and social accountability in decision-making. The data was collected through 42 semi-structured interviews held with 46 actors involved with nanotechnologies and nanosciences related decision-making in the three countries. Additionally, a case study utilising interpretative phenomenological analysis was conducted to capture more detailed accounts of the experiences of three interviewees concerning their participation in decision-making. 'The main conclusions drawn from this study is that the decision-making processes and policy outcomes were very different in the three countries, despite their similarities in terms of socio-economic characteristics, geographic location, and the importance of 'R&D to their economies. The differences were caused by the structures of their respective science governance systems, past controversies, and, possibly, cultural characteristics. The novelty of nanotechnologies and nanosciences, didn't affect policy outcomes, and more organisational diversity and social accountability did not make them more robust. However, the study found support for a more balanced discussion that included both regulatory issues and the promotion of nanotechnologies and nanosciences in the UK as opposed to both Sweden and Finland, which could be related to more organisational diversity and social accountability as noted for the UK. Exploring Gibbons et al. and Rip’s models of science governance showed that neither model is generally applicable to all three countries, and that there is a need for flexibility in order to capture national differences in science governance. The Strategic Science model came across as being more easily applicable in these circumstances