What Smartphones, Ethnomethodology, and Bystander Inaccessibility Can Teach Us About Better Design?

Smartphones, the ubiquitous mobile screens now normal parts of everyday social situations, have created a kind of ongoing natural experiment for social scientists. According to Garfinkel's ethnomethodology social action gets its meaning not only from its content but also through its context. Mobility, small screen size, and the habitual way of using smartphones ensure that, while offering the biggest variety of activities for the user, in comparison to other everyday items, smartphones offer the least cues to bystanders on what the user is actually doing and how long it might take. This 'bystander inaccessibility' handicaps shared understanding of the social context that the user and collocated others find themselves in. Added considerations and interactive effort in managing the situation is therefore required. Future design needs to relate to this basic building block of collocated interaction to not be met with discontent

Management of a supplier collaboration - The usage of control and coordination mechanisms

The objective of this study was to understand how in a buyer-supplier relationship the collaboration of a buyer and a supplier is managed from the buyer's perspective, in terms of what kind of control and coordination mechanisms are used for it and why. This objective was selected due to an interest to the contemporary business landscape, where various kinds of alliances and inter-firm relationships are increasingly common, and thus the understanding how alliances are, or should be, managed is a key capability in today's business world. The study was conducted as a qualitative case study, in which it was studied how a large Finnish MNC manages the collaboration with one of its Chinese suppliers. Three theoretical frameworks were used: two higher level frameworks and one detailed framework. The first higher level framework consisted of the coordination mechanisms from Bartlett and Ghoshal (2002), while the second one comprised higher level control typologies, often divided into market, hierarchical and some alternative patterns. The third, detailed framework was an inter-firm management control systems (MCS) package, which was constructed by utilizing MCS control package from Malmi and Brown (2008) as a basis. It can be concluded that there was a clear benefit from utilizing several theoretical frameworks, since they supported each other in discovering the main findings. The results of the study show that almost all of the detailed control mechanisms included in the inter-firm MCS package were found to be in use in the studied case. This finding is new in the sense that this kind of inter-firm MCS package has not been used earlier for analyzing inter-firm relationships. It was also discovered, that it depends on whether the relationship is looked at as a whole, or only some subarea of it, how large portfolio of control and coordination mechanisms is in use. Finally, based on the finding showing that all control typologies were present simultaneously for managing the collaboration, it is suggested to extend the inter-firm MCS package constructed based on the model from Malmi and Brown (2008) by adding market control into it. This makes it more applicable in inter-firm settings. For the reasons why all the control typologies - hierarchy, market and relationship control - were present simultaneously, the argument from Van Der Meer-Kooistra and Scapens (2008) claiming that in an inter-firm setting there may be several paradoxes that need to be managed, was supported by the findings. While the different characteristics of the subareas of the relationship were the reason for utilizing different portfolio of control mechanisms for them

The relationship between humans and elks (Alces alces) in Northern Europe c. 12 000–1200 calBC

The subject of this dissertation is the relationship between humans and elks in Northern Europe during the period 12 000–1200 calBC. The elk (Alces alces) was of extraordinary importance to northern populations for several millennia, being not only the most important game animal in the boreal forest zone, but also an animal of notable symbolic significance. By bringing together different sources of evidence, and taking a long-term perspective, this study aims to develop a comprehensive understanding of the elk’s significance to prehistoric human populations. The study explores the rise and decline of elk symbolism, its various manifestations in the boreal forest zone, as well as the qualities of prehistoric beliefs and activities related to the elk. The study material consists of osteological remains of elk, elk-related depictions in hunter-gatherer rock art, as well as elk-related portable artefacts. The main research methodology used is based on relational analogies deduced from widespread general notions that stem from societies where elks have been hunted. Additional research methods include a comprehensive study of earlier literature, fieldwork at rock art sites, museums and archaeological collections, as well as consul-tations with elk hunters and biologists. The study shows that the key reasons for the elk’s multimillennial special significance, and the birth of elk symbolism, were the elk’s solitary behaviour, the high efficacy and prestige status of elk hunting, as well as the versatility and unpredictability of the elk as a resource. A central argument in the study is that there were two fundamental reasons for producing elk representations in rock art and on artefacts: to gain success in hunting and to guarantee the reproduction of elks for hunting. Another central argument is that the elk cow embodied the “game ruler” or “animal master spirit” of elks, which had ultimate control over not only rebirth and fertility, but also hunting success. The focus on the elk cow as a life-giver seems to have been a key theme that persisted for several millennia in Northern Europe. It is also argued that elk figures in rock art represent elks as individuals. Figures depicted at ordinary rock art sites signalled the presence of humans in the landscape and their relationship to the local elks, whereas those found at large rock art concentrations were linked to meetings between hunter-gatherer groups. Elk-related artefacts, it is argued, were used by different kinds of individuals and in different settings but were still related to various stages of the elk hunting process. The study suggests that all hunters had a personal relationship with the elk and/or its game ruler, but differences existed in the degree of its closeness, and these differences were reflected in human societies. Consequently, the most skilful elk-hunters became the most respected authorities in elk hunting groups. In time, these individuals came to be regarded as mythical forefathers that were also depicted in rock art. The decline of elk symbolism in the region of study is explained as resulting from multiple factors, including changes in climate, the introduction of a new set of beliefs related to pastoralism, as well as an increased focus on other animal species. Keywords: Alces alces, animal art, elk, elk-head boats, elk-head staffs, elk hunting, ethology, human-animal relations, hunter-gatherers, hunting, Northern Europe, portable art, prehistoric art, rock art, Stone Age, zoomorphic artVäitöskirjan aiheena on ihmisen ja hirven välinen suhde Pohjois-Euroopassa aikakaudella 12 000–1200 eKr. Hirvi (Alces alces) oli poikkeuksellisen tärkeä eläin pohjoisille kansoille vuosituhansien ajan. Se oli paitsi pohjoisen havumetsävyöhykkeen tärkein saaliseläin myös huomattavia symbolisia merkityksiä kantanut eläin. Tutkimus pyrkii eri aineistoja yhdistämällä antamaan kokonaisvaltaisen käsityksen hirven merkityksestä esihistoriallisille väestöryhmille pitkällä aikavälillä. Se käsittelee hirvisymboliikan syntyä, hiipumista ja erilaisia ilmentymiä pohjoisella havumetsävyöhykkeellä sekä hirveen esihistoriallisena aikana kytkeytyneitä uskomuksia ja käytäntöjä. Tutkimusaineisto koostuu hirven osteologisista jäänteistä ja hirven kuvauksista pyyntikulttuurien kalliotaiteessa ja esinelöydöissä. Pääasiallisena tutkimusmenetelmänä toimii hirvenpyyntiä harjoittavien yhteisöjen parista johdettujen relationaalisten analogioiden käyttö. Muita tutkimuksessa hyödynnettyjä menetelmiä ovat kattava kirjallisuuskatsaus, kalliotaidekohteilla, museoissa ja arkeologisissa kokoelmissa suoritettu kenttätyö sekä hirvenmetsästäjien ja biologien konsultaatio. Tutkimus osoittaa hirven monituhatvuotisen erityisaseman ja hirvisymboliikan syntymisen selittyvän useilla taustatekijöillä, joista päällimmäisiä olivat hirvenpyynnin tehokkuus ja arvostus sekä hirven monipuolisuus ja ennustamattomuus resurssina. Työn keskeinen argumentti on, että hirvien kuvaamiselle esihistoriallisessa taiteessa oli kaksi perustavanlaatuista syytä: pyyntionnen saavuttaminen sekä metsästettäviksi soveltuvien hirvien lisääntymisen turvaaminen. Tutkimuksen valossa naarashirvi ilmensi hirvien ns. lajinhaltijaa, jonka vastuulla oli paitsi jälleensyntyminen ja hedelmällisyys myös saalistuksen onnistuminen. Hirvilehmän asema elämänantajana vaikuttaa olleen merkittävä teema, joka säilyi Pohjois-Euroopassa keskeisenä vuosituhansien ajan. Pohjoisessa kalliotaiteessa hirvenkuvia esiintyy runsaasti, ja ne ovat parhaiten ymmärrettävissä yksilöllisiä eläimiä esittävinä. Tavanomaisille kalliotaidekohteille tehdyt hirvenkuvat selittyvät niin vieraille väestöryhmille kuin hirville itselleen osoitettuina ilmaisuina alueen ihmisten ja hirvien välillä vallinneesta suhteesta. Suurille kalliopiirroskeskittymille tehdyt hirvenkuvat kytkeytyvät sen sijaan ensisijaisesti eri alueiden pyyntiyhteisöjen välisiin tapaamisiin. Erilaisille hirveä esittäville esineille on vuorostaan yhteistä niiden kuuluminen hirvenmetsästysprosessin eri vaiheisiin. Tutkimuksen perusteella on oletettavaa, että jokaisella hirvenmetsästäjällä oli henkilökohtainen suhde hirveen ja/tai tämän lajinhaltijaan, mutta suhteiden laadussa oli eroavaisuuksia, jotka heijastuivat pyyntiyhteisöissä. Taitavimmat hirvenmetsästäjät kohosivat yhteisöjensä arvostetuimmiksi ja arvovaltaisimmiksi jäseniksi. Ajan saatossa tällaisia henkilöitä alettiin pitää myyttisinä esi-isinä, joita kuvattiin myös kalliotaiteessa. Hirvisymboliikan hiipuminen tutkimusalueella selittyy tutkimuksen valossa lukuisten tekijöiden yhteisvaikutuksella, ja näihin lukeutuvat ilmaston muuttuminen, maanviljelykseen kytkeytyvien uskomusten leviäminen sekä muiden eläinlajien merkityksen kasvaminen. Avainsanat: Alces alces, eläintaide, eräkulttuuri, esihistoriallinen taide, esinelöydöt, etologia, hirvenmetsästys, hirvenpääsauva, hirvenpäävene, hirvi, ihmis-eläinsuhteet, kalliotaide, kivikausi, metsästys, metsästäjä-keräilijät, Pohjois-Eurooppa, pyyntikulttuur

Magnetic field topology of the RS CVn star II Pegasi

The dynamo processes in cool active stars generate complex magnetic fields responsible for prominent surface stellar activity and variability at different time scales. For a small number of cool stars magnetic field topologies were reconstructed from the time series of spectropolarimetric observations using the Zeeman Doppler imaging (ZDI) method. In this study we follow a long-term evolution of the magnetic field topology of the RS CVn binary star II Peg. We collected high-resolution circular polarisation observations of II Peg using the SOFIN spectropolarimeter at the Nordic Optical Telescope. These data cover 12 epochs spread over 7 years. A multi-line diagnostic technique in combination with a new ZDI code is applied to interpret these observations. Magnetic inversions using these data reveals evolving magnetic fields with typical local strengths of 0.5-1.0 kG and complex topologies. Despite using a self-consistent magnetic and temperature mapping technique, we do not find a clear correlation between magnetic and temperature features in the ZDI maps. Neither do we confirm the presence of persistent azimuthal field rings found in other RS CVn stars. Reconstruction of the magnetic field topology of II Peg reveals significant evolution of both the surface magnetic field structure and the extended magnetospheric field geometry. From 2004 to 2010 the total field energy drastically declined and the field became less axisymmetric. This also coincided with the transition from predominantly poloidal to mainly toroidal field topology. A qualitative comparison of the ZDI maps of II Peg with the prediction of dynamo theory suggests that the magnetic field in this star is produced mainly by the turbulent alpha^2 dynamo rather than the solar alphaOmega dynamo. Our results do not show a clear active longitude system, nor is there an evidence of the presence of an azimuthal dynamo wave.Comment: 20 pages, 10 figures; accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic

The quantity and composition of phytoplankton, particularly chlorophyta, on lakes of different trophic levels

Rehevyydeltään erilaisten järvien kasviplanktonin, erityisesti viherlevien, määristä ja lajirakenteest