The optimal tax treatment of housing capital in the neoclassical growth model

In a dynamic setting, housing is both an asset and a consumption good. But should it be taxed like other forms of consumption or like other forms of saving? We consider the optimal taxation of the imputed rent from owner housing within a version of the neoclassical growth model. We find that the optimal tax rate on the imputed rent is quite sensitive to the constraints imposed on the other available tax rates. In general, it is not optimal to tax the imputed rent at the same rate as the business capital income.housing; capital taxation; optimal taxation

On the importance of borrowing constraints for house price dynamics

We study how a household borrowing constraint the the form of a down payment requirement affects house price dynamics in an OLG model with standard preferences. We find that in certain situations the borrowing constraint shapes house price dynamics substantially. The importance of the constraint depends very much on whether house price changes are driven by interest rate or aggregate income shocks. Moreover, because of the borrowing constraint, house price dynamics display substantial asymmetries between large positive and large negative income shocks. These results are related to the fact that the share of borrowing-constrained households is different following different shocks.house prices; dynamics; borrowing constraints; down payment constraint

Managing a virtual team through change

Change and the necessity for it are fundamental aspects of organisational performance and success in an evolving environment. A change in an organisation´s operations or structure needs consistent change management to be successful, supporting and guiding the organisation in its goals and purpose. Change management as a management discipline has been widely explored. This study focuses on change management in virtual environments, identifying the steps the change management process should include and the practices that change management requires from managers. A successful change management process is respectful, participative, and listening to the organisation´s personnel so that the organisation can perceive change management as more appealing. In addition, the engagement of the various participants in the organisation will streamline the process of implementing the changes in the organisation´s practices. This study was conducted qualitatively, and the research questions were analysed from the perspective of the phenomenon under study. The data was collected through an anonymous questionnaire, and the target group was limited to individuals who represent an organisation that has been involved in a change process in an organisation operating in a virtual environment over the past year. The questionnaire was used to determine how individuals perceived the change management process in their organisation and how it could be improved. Individual experiences are mirrored in the outcomes of the study concerning known change management processes, and the thematic analysis method of qualitative research has identified the most critical issues in terms of the research questions of this study. The review of the findings identified three main criteria for successful change management in a virtual environment. The three key findings are establishing and maintaining a continuous two-way communication relationship, involving different parts of the organisation in the planning and implementing change, and fostering trust and transparency through the various phases of the change process. The discussion chapter combines previous change management models with an overall impression of the change management process in a virtual environment based on the target group's experience and preferences. Using a comprehensive overview, this study formulated a change management process adapted to the virtual environment, reflecting the specific circumstances and characteristics of the virtual environment that were identified. The change management process created in the study considers the limitations of previous change management models. Muutos ja sen välttämättömyys on olennainen osa organisaation toimintaa sekä menestystä jatkuvasti kehittyvässä ympäristössä. Muutos organisaation toiminnassa tai rakenteessa tarvitsee onnistuakseen johdonmukaista muutosjohtamista, joka tukee ja ohjeistaa organisaatiota muutoksen tavoitteissa ja tarkoituksessa. Muutosjohtaminen johtamisen alana on laajasti tutkittu, mutta sen näkökulmaa virtuaalisessa toimintaympäristössä toimittaessa ei olla laaja-alaisesti tutkittu. Tämä pro gradu -tutkielma keskittyy muutosjohtamiseen virtuaalisissa toimintaympäristöissä, kartoittaen millaisia vaiheita muutosjohtamisprosessin tulisi sisältää ja millasia toimintatapoja muutosjohtaminen vaatii johtajilta. Onnistunut muutosjohtamisprosessi on organisaation henkilöstöä kunnioittava, osallistuttava ja kuunteleva, jolloin muutosmielteisyys organisaation keskuudessa voidaan kokea miellyttävämpänä. Tämän lisäksi organisaation eri tahojen osallistuttamisella muutosprosessiin voidaan sujuvammin impelentoida muutoksen myötä muuttuneet toimintatavat organisaation toimintaan. Tutkimuksen taustana on käytetty aikaisempia muutosjohtamismalleja, ja niiden soveltuvuutta virtuaaliseen toimintaympäristöön tarkastellaan tämän tutkimuksen näkökulmasta. Tämä tutkimus on toteutettu laadullisena, eli kvalitatiivisenä tutkimuksena ja tutkimuksen tutkimuskysymyksiä on tarkasteltu tutkittavan ilmiön näkökulmasta. Tutkimuksen data on kerätty anonyymilla kyselyllä, ja sen kohderyhmä on rajattu yksilöihin, joiden edustamassa virtuaalisessa toimintaympäristössä toimivassa organisaatiossa on viimeisen vuoden aikana toteutettu muutosprosessi. Kyselyn avulla selvitettiin, millaisena yksilöt muutosjohtamisprosessin organisaatiossaan kokivat, ja miten sitä voitaisiin tulevaisuudessa kehittää. Yksilöiden kokemuksia peilataan työn tuloksissa tunnettuihin aikaisempiin muutosjohtamismalleihin ja laadullisen tutkimuksen teemoittelu analyysimenetelmän avulla on havaittu tämän tutkimuksen tutkimuskysymyksien näkökulmasta kriittisimmät aiheet. Tutkimustuloksien läpikäynnissä tunnistettiin neljä tärkeimpää onnistuneen muutosjohtamisen kriteeriä virtuaalisessa toimintaympäristössä toimittaessa. Nämä neljä keskeistä havaintoa ovat jatkuvan kaksisuuntaisen kommunikaatioyhteyden luominen ja ylläpito, organisaation eri osien osallistuttaminen muutoksen suunnittelussa ja implementoinnissa, luottamusta edistävä läpinäkyvyyttä vaaliva toiminta läpi muutosprosessin eri vaiheiden sekä riittävän ajan allokointi muutosprosessiin. Aiempia muutosjohtamismalleja yhdistetään kohderyhmän kokemuksiin perustuvaan tietoon luomalla kokonaisukuvan siitä, millainen virtuaalisen toimintaympäristön tarpeille soveltuva muutosjohtamisprosessi olisi. Luodun kokonaiskuvan havainnoinnin ja analysoinnin avulla tässä tutkimuksessa määritellään organisaation virtuaaliseen toimintaympäristön toimintaan soveltuva muutosjohtamisprosessi, joka huomioi esille tulleet virtuaalisen toimintaympäristön erityispiirteet. Tutkimuksessa luotu muutosjohtamisprosessi huomioi aikaisempien muutosjohtamismallien puutteet

Emotions, values, and aesthetic perception

Philosophical naturalism is a suitable background for an account of aesthetic perception as an alternative to traditional aesthetic theory. Pragmatist notion of habits as meanings gives a basis for a conception of emotions and values in the framework of organism environment interaction. Any object of perception may be a carrier of meanings if some habits are involved. This holds for linguistic expressions as well as for tones of color, doors and windows, museums, galleries and other non-linguistic sign-vehicle's. The outcome is a multilayered system of meanings with which aesthetic perception is interpreted. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Aesthetics of Movement and Everyday Aesthetics

How the general notion of experience is understood determines to some extent what one thinks about art and aesthetic experience. Pragmatism widens the concept of experience from that of sense experience. Action, practice and movement are epistemologically significant elements of experience. The environment is not just perceived, it is experienced also by acting, moving around and participating in different practices, as can be spelled out in terms of Peircean semiotics. From the pragmatist point of view, aesthetic experience is not characterized only as disinterested contemplation of art works and other elements of our environment as objects of perception. Aesthetic experience is intertwined with different social and cultural practices in the flux of our everyday life. [1

The Concept of the Scheme in the Activity-Theories of Ilyenkov and Piaget

Evald Ilyenkov and Jean Piaget use the concept of the scheme in their theories of human mind. Scheme means for both of them general form or structure of action. Their conceptions have also at least partially common roots in the history of thought. There are also interesting connections between Ilyenkov’s and Piaget’s schematism and the pragmatism of Charles Peirce and John Dewey. The analysis of these views gives outlines for a theory of mind that is relevant also for contemporary debates in cognitive science. There is growing interest in theories of mind that don’t consider mind a property of the brain or even the body but a property of the concrete interaction between biological organisms and their environment.Peer reviewe

Justifiable Retribution : Women and Payback in Stephen King's "Big Driver" and "A Good Marriage"

This study looks into justifiability of payback in two of Stephen King’s novellas “Big Driver” and “A Good Marriage” that center around violence against women. The purpose of this research is to find out, whether the cathartic feeling that most consumers of horror literature experience holds up to scrutiny through moral and ethical standards. This study is conducted through several close readings of the source materials and their adaptations to different moral theories, namely to jus ad bellum and jus in bello. The main findings of the study are that the in relation to these texts catharsis and moral justifiability do correlate, but that neither story fulfils all of the criteria for moral justifiability on the jus ad bellum and jus in bello scales, and therefore need to be supplemented by moral mandate and the ethical principle of less harm. Further research could be conducted as a reader response study to see, whether the results could be generalized to a larger reading public

Toiminta ja kokemus : Naturalistinen käsitys kognitiosta

Peer reviewe

Peacekeeping: a choice between stability and peace? A study on the effects of peacekeeping on peacemaking in the India-Pakistan Conflict

This study has the ambition to illuminate the relationship between peacekeeping and peacemaking. J.Michael Greig and Paul F. Diehl found in their study “Peacekeeping-Peacemaking dilemma” an interesting connection between the presence of a peacekeeping force and the failure of peacemaking process. This study will explore the connection between peacekeeping and a peace process through a qualitative case study of an enduring rivalry: the India-Pakistan Conflict. The two states have suffered four wars and multiple crises during a conflict starting since the independence of the two states. This study focuses on the role of UNMOGIP in the complex conflict to unravel its possible effects on the peace process. The study seeks to expand knowledge and unexplored dimensions of both of the India-Pakistan conflict and effects of peacekeepin