Yrittäjyysopetuksen tuloksellisuus:case Kymenlaakso

Tiivistelmä Tuleva monitapaustutkimus selvittää Kymenlaakson alueella toteutetun yrittäjyysopetuksen opetuksellisesta ja taloudellista tuloksellisuutta. Opetuksellinen tuloksellisuus tutkitaan kartoittamalla start-up/pienyrittäjinä toimivien henkilöiden yrittäjyystiedot ja -taidot sekä oppilaitoksissa eri asteilla opiskelevien oppilaiden ja koululaisten valmiudet yrittäjyyteen. Taloudellinen tuloksellisuus selvitetään tutkimalla yrittäjyysopetukseen kohdennetut varat. Tulosten pohjalta esitetään kehittämisehdotuksia käytänteistä, joilla yrittäjyyden opetusta voidaan kehittää ja siten edistää yrittäjyyttä. Tutkimuksen tuloksista tiedottamiseen kiinnitetään myös erityistä huomiota

Competence-related challenges for micro-enterprises entering the field of servitization

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the competencies that micro-enterprises (micros) need in order to enter the field of servitization. Servitization is a great business opportunity for micros, but it is important to know what competencies a firm needs when targeting the longer and more profitable customer relationships that servitization may offer. Micros possess limited human resources and thus competencies, and it is crucial for them to understand competence-related challenges in order to operate successfully. This empirical study was conducted by employing a qualitative research approach in order to enrich the collected data and the findings. The multiple case strategy used here allowed for an extensive examination of the phenomenon of interest. Data were collected by means of interviews in eight Finnish subcontracting micros in the fields of forestry and mining in order to produce new information about the competence-related challenges faced by micros entering the field of servitization. The results show that micros face competence-related challenges in servitization in terms of entrepreneurship, functioning under change and financing. Entrepreneurial competencies are strongly linked to recognising opportunities and envisioning future business opportunities. There is also a need for change competencies, both for micros and customers, including the ability and willingness to change by renewing employees’ skills and methods of working. Financial difficulties and a lack of understanding regarding future economic responsibilities were highlighted as challenges. This competence-based approach to studying micros in the context of limited human resources allowed us to identify the competence-related challenges that micros face in the industrial mega-trend of servitization. In addition, this study addressed academic and practical application gaps in the study of micros

Yrittäjyyskasvatuksen tavoitteiden merkityksellisyys ja toteutuminen ammatillisessa koulutuksessa

Tiivistelmä Tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli muodostaa käsitys yrittäjyyskasvatuksen tavoitteiden merkityksellisyydestä ammatillisen toisen asteen tutkinnon suorittamisessa ja tavoitteiden toteutumisesta ammatillisen toisen asteen koulutuksessa. Tarkastelun kohteena ovat yrittäjyys- ja työelämätaitoja sekä oppimisympäristöjä ja -menetelmiä vahvistavat toimenpiteet. Tulosten pohjalta esitetään toimenpide-ehdotuksia tavoitteiden saavuttamiseksi

Clay workshop as staff’s competency self-evaluation related to business strategy

Abstract This case study examines staff members’ self-evaluations of competency relative to a set business strategy and firm’s strategic goals. The study employed a rarely utilized arts-based research approach focused on a clay workshop in conjunction with storytelling. The data was collected via interviews with 16 staff members participating in strategy discussions. The research demonstrated that the inclusion of staff members in a firm’s strategy efforts can produce more diversity and greater creativity by increasing the utilization of reflection as a strategic method. The originality of this study lies in the methodology: a clay-centered workshop was utilized to produce staff’s reflections

Entrepreneurial competencies in successfully innovative SMEs

Abstract This study examines what kinds of specific entrepreneurial competencies enable SMEs to successfully implement innovations. The conceptual research approach is supported by empirical data in a multiple case study. A framework of entrepreneurial competencies in the 2000s is created, based on how they are defined in the recent literature, and the framework is reflected with qualitative interview data from 13 innovative Finnish SMEs in the forest industry. The study indicates that in SMEs that were able to successfully exploit and execute innovations, the entrepreneurial competencies include special extrovert competencies (e.g., open-mindedness), competencies related to preparation, and pro-activeness in business operations, which all seem to have a significant influence on successfully implementing innovations. Additionally, the study concluded that there are no notable differences between different innovation types and found entrepreneurial competencies in innovative SMEs

Towards a new business model canvas for platform businesses in two-sided markets

Abstract Purpose: This study aims to increase the understanding of digital platform businesses and business model innovation in two-sided markets. Design/methodology/approach: A new business model canvas tool was created through abductive reasoning and a real-life case study. The case was a unique driving school digital platform that belongs to employee and professional service platforms. Findings: The proposed business model canvas is based on Scholten’s canvas (2016) for platform businesses and complements it by acknowledging changes in people’s values and macro-environmental factors as new elements. Research limitations/implications (if applicable): The study is limited to an exemplary case of a driving school digital platform. However, the results and the novel canvas tool can be applied to innovating business models for digital service platforms in many industries. Originality/value: The novelty of the study is derived from the insights created by the case study and the new tool that helps platform businesses innovate in two-sided markets

Structural change as an opportunity for a post-mining region:the case of Pyhäjärvi, Finland

Abstract Many mining towns have faced or are about to face challenges regarding keeping their region economically stable and its image attractive. With mineral resources exhausted and mining activities shutting down, alternative opportunities for jobs are difficult to establish and the regional image may be unappealing and not eco-friendly. Furthermore, the closure of a mine comes with large maintenance costs. This is the case in the small town of Pyhäjärvi, where the underground operation of the Pyhäsalmi mine will shut down in 2021. The depth of the Pyhäsalmi mine, 1,445 m underground, offers a unique environment, with large-scale possibilities to utilise the infrastructure and resources, such as for the purposes of establishing a geothermal energy facility. Renewable, low-carbon energy sources are not only at the centre of the fight against climate change, but they also provide profitable and stable energy solutions. Therefore, using existing operation environments such as the Pyhäsalmi mine presents an opportunity to create and use green technology solutions, and thus transform an extractive industrial locality into a forerunner that offers new business opportunities in the clean energy sector. Structural industrial change would require strong regional resilience. A resilient region is able to adapt its activities, markets and local political structures during the change; however, restructuring processes are challenging due to functional, cognitive and/or political lock-in when regions tend to fall into path dependency (Hasslink 2010a; Martin 2012). Recent developments in economic and social systems (caused by globalisation, decarbonisation and the rise of digital technologies) are influencing all regions that should be able create new paths (Giacometti and Teräs 2019; Hasslink 2010b). This study discusses whether the structural change of the region can be turned into an economical and environmental opportunity and what kind of social, economic and political conditions can either make this a reality or act as a hindrance

Living up to young employees’ expectations:employer brand management in health care organisations

Abstract Health care professionals are ageing, and there is a severe, global need to attract future employees. This study examines the construction of employer brand image among young health care professionals, and related elements. The qualitative research data were collected through email and personal interviews from young nursing and physician students. The analysis results indicate that organisations can affect their employer brand image for future employees through supportive working culture and human resource practices as well as direct marketing actions. The marketing and human resource practices targeted towards young health care professionals are underused. The results can help health care organisations in planning recruitment and marketing processes according to young health care professionals’ expectations. This study integrates human resource management research and marketing research relating to employer branding and recruitment

SME business models and competence changes

Abstract As a result of changes in the local or regional business environment, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in many industries are facing the need to change their business models radically and seize new business opportunities or fall out of business. Although the important impact of SMEs in economic growth and job creation is well known, current knowledge is rather limited on the effects of competences for changing the business models in SMEs. This paper focuses on the links between SME competence changes and business model innovations in industrial structural changes in the external environment. The findings of a comparative case study of Russian and Finnish SMEs identified the positive attitude to change and activeness in external networking and in seeking new opportunities as enabling competences for business model innovation. The practical implications highlight the competence transformation strategies enabling business model innovation and the effects of different institutional environments

Competence development needs for micro-enterprises entering servitisation

Abstract Servitisation, as a means to drive growth, provides a great business opportunity for micro-enterprises (micros), offering the possibility of longer and more profitable customer relationships. However, such enterprises possess limited human resources and, thus, competences. Competence-related challenges must be understood in order to operate successfully in the field of servitisation. This study produces new knowledge about competence development needs. The study material consists of interviews conducted in ten Finnish subcontracting micros in the fields of forestry, agriculture, and mining. Using a multiple case approach allows for an extensive examination of the insufficiently studied phenomenon of interest — micros engaging in servitisation — utilising Tukker’s (2004) product-service system. The results contribute both academically and practically by showing that micros face competence-related servitisation challenges in terms of entrepreneurship, change management, and financing. The study broadens Tukker’s product-service categorisation to include product manufacturing industries that offer assembly services