Toni Ahlqvist, Asta Bäck, Sirkka Heinonen and Minna Halonen
This paper seeks to discuss the outcomes of a road‐mapping research on social media project completed at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. Social media refer to a…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper seeks to discuss the outcomes of a road‐mapping research on social media project completed at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. Social media refer to a combination of three elements: content, user communities, and Web 2.0 technologies.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper utilizes socio‐technical road‐mapping to study the potential transformations of social media in the virtual and physical spheres.
Findings
Road‐maps were constructed in three thematic areas: society, companies, and local environment. The results were crystallized into five development lines. The first development line is transparency and its increasing role in society. The second development line is the rise of a ubiquitous participatory communication model. The third development is reflexive empowerment citizens. The fourth development line is the duality of personalization/fragmentation vs mass effects/integration. The fifth development line is the new relations of physical and virtual worlds.
Originality/value
The study of social media has been focusing mainly on its technological aspects from the current perspective. This paper forms a future‐oriented perspective to social media in a wider societal context.
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Heidi Auvinen, Anu Tuominen and Toni Ahlqvist
This paper aims to introduce a process for constructing long‐term visions of the transport system. The vision building process is demonstrated by creating a concise test vision of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to introduce a process for constructing long‐term visions of the transport system. The vision building process is demonstrated by creating a concise test vision of the Finnish transport system in 2100.
Design/methodology/approach
The vision building process combines four futures methods that support the long‐term foresight approach: transition management, PESTE analysis, the futures table and the Delphi method. The process is validated with a test vision.
Findings
A three‐step vision building process for long‐term transport system visions is structured. The three consecutive steps of the process are environmental scanning, constructing futures tables and visions, and describing visions. In addition, a demonstrative test vision is created to describe a possible future transport system in 2100 in a metropolitan Finland. The successful application of the developed method supports further work on creating full‐scale strategy‐driven visions.
Originality/value
Futures studies analyzing transport systems and infrastructures tend to focus on short‐ to medium‐term perspectives. This paper presents a unique method for constructing alternative long‐term visions as far as 50 to 100 years into the future.
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George Bogdan Dragan, Gianita Bleoju, Alexandru Capatina and Arch Woodside
Given the nature of corona chaos, tech startups confront strategic disorientation; therefore, this study aims to constructively engage with the theory development process in the…
Abstract
Purpose
Given the nature of corona chaos, tech startups confront strategic disorientation; therefore, this study aims to constructively engage with the theory development process in the area of management decision, adopt causal complexity with a configurational approach of McKinsey's 5R paradigm and the Newtonian gravitational field.
Design/methodology/approach
This study provides a novel conceptualization of systematic research of explanatory mechanisms for navigating the turbulence and consequences of the COVID-19 crisis. This configurational study shows how European tech startups adopt strategies in addressing COVID-19 challenges successfully.
Findings
The analysis reveals configurations that lead to the outcome of the conceptual model, namely, reimagining the equifinal paths to the next normal. The findings suggest that, in navigating the crisis, tech startups are able to seize market opportunities, capture technological opportunities and consolidate their future positions.
Research limitations/implications
The principal limitation consists of limited empirical evidence regarding tech startups’ ability to navigate Covid-19 crisis and choose the appropriate path to the next normal.
Practical implications
This study enhances European tech startups’ capability to adopt reflexivity and openness while navigating the Covid-19 chaotic context. Furthermore, the study provides a managerial toolkit to guide strategic decisions via deepening their understanding of the new created realities.
Originality/value
This study provides a novel conceptualization of systematic research on explanatory mechanisms for navigating the turbulence and consequences of the COVID-19 crisis context. This configurational study shows how European tech startups adopt strategies that address COVID-19 challenges successfully.
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The purpose of this paper is to report on an industry policy implementation case involving around 30 manufacturing firms, where the intellectual capital (IC) lens, and especially…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to report on an industry policy implementation case involving around 30 manufacturing firms, where the intellectual capital (IC) lens, and especially the intellectual capital navigator (ICN) approach, was found to be very useful for evaluating alternative servitisation strategies. Servitisation is a form of business model innovation and as such involves restructuring the firm’s resource deployment system including its IC resources.
Design/methodology/approach
The ICN was one of several methods and themes used by a sample of manufacturing firms during a 12 month period. Data capture were through video filming, observation, and formal interviewing during and after the interventions.
Findings
The ICN is considered to be the third most valuable theme in a strategic and operational servitisation programme for manufacturing firms, primarily in the domain of effectiveness evaluation of alternative resource deployment strategies and as such should be one of the key dimensions in a business model template for manufacturing firms that aim to servitize. This research also illustrates the usefulness of the intellectual capital lens in the policy implementation process.
Research limitations/implications
The findings of this study is limited to the servitization process of SME manufacturing firms in an Anglo-Saxon operating environment which very rapidly have gone from low to high cost.
Originality/value
The development of service-oriented business models for manufacturing firms suffers due to traditional business model frameworks not having a high relevance for servitising manufacturing firm. Consequently it is important to understand the potential contribution that the IC lens through the ICN can make in the servitisation process.