Showing papers by "Aalto University published in 2004"

Contributions of Psychophysiology to Media Research: Review and Recommendations

Abstract: Despite the increasing use of psychophysiological measures in various research areas, there is a relative paucity of studies on communication, media, and media interfaces that have taken advantage of this approach. This article provides an overview of the use of psychophysiological measures of attention and emotion in media research with the focus on 3 most commonly used measures: heart rate, facial electromyography, and electrodermal activity. Selected media studies that have used psychophysiological methods to test theory-based predictions regarding the role of attentional and emotional factors in message processing are critically reviewed. The article also highlights some methodological and other issues critical for the successful application of psychophysiological methods to problems in media research. In particular, respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), a selective index of parasympathetic nervous system activity, is introduced as a measure that holds particular promise for media research, given that R...

Mobile banking services

Abstract: Adopting new and innovative mobile financial applications and service provisioning methods.

Strategies as Discursive Constructions: The Case of Airline Alliances

Abstract: In this paper, we argue that by examining the discursive elements in strategy talk we can contribute to our understanding of the myriad of micro-processes and practices that make up strategies. We focus on airline alliances as a particularly illustrative case. Based on a critical discourse analysis of an extensive material of strategy talk on airline alliances, we point to five types of discursive practices that characterize strategizing in this context in 1995-2000: (1) problematization of traditional strategies; (2) rationalization, objectification and factualization of alliance benefits; (3) fixation of ambiguous independence concerns; (4) reframing of cooperation problems as 'implementation' issues; and (5) naturalization of alliance strategies. While we want to emphasize the context-specificity of these practices, we claim that similar types of discursive practices are also likely to be an inherent part of strategizing in other settings.

Resource Allocation Based on Efficiency Analysis

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to develop an approach to a resource-allocation problem that typically appears in organizations with a centralized decision-making environment, for example, supermarket chains, banks, and universities. The central unit is assumed to be interested in maximizing the total amount of outputs produced by the individual units by allocating available resources to them. We will develop an interactive formal approach based on data envelopment analysis (DEA) and multiple-objective linear programming (MOLP) to find the most preferred allocation plan. The units are assumed to be able to modify their production in the current production possibility set within certain assumptions. Various assumptions are considered concerning returns to scale and the ability of each unit to modify its production plan. Numerical examples are used to illustrate the approach.

Strategies as Discursive Constructions: The Case of Airline Alliances

Abstract: In this paper, we argue that by examining the discursive elements in strategy talk we can contribute to our understanding of the myriad of micro-processes and practices that make up strategies. We focus on airline alliances as a particularly illustrative case. Based on a critical discourse analysis of an extensive material of strategy talk on airline alliances, we point to five types of discursive practices that characterize strategizing in this context in 1995–2000: (1) problematization of traditional strategies; (2) rationalization, objectification and factualization of alliance benefits; (3) fixation of ambiguous independence concerns; (4) reframing of cooperation problems as ‘implementation’ issues; and (5) naturalization of alliance strategies. While we want to emphasize the context-specificity of these practices, we claim that similar types of discursive practices are also likely to be an inherent part of strategizing in other settings.

Management Consultant Talk: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Normalizing Discourse and Resistance:

Abstract: In this article, we explore the discursive possibilities available to men and women when they construct their professional self as ‘knowledge workers’ in multinational management consultancies. We argue that this professional identity construction is embedded in a normalizing, gendered discourse of what it means to be an ‘ideal’ consultant. However, representations of an alternative discourse, which constructs different spheres in an individual’s life, can also be traced in the consultants’ talk. Through a comparison of British and Finnish consultants’ talk, we show the relevance of placing micro-discourses in context. In the UK, discourse on ‘work/life balance’ may be understood as a form of resistance at the level of subjectivity. In Finland, discourse on the ‘balanced individual’ can be seen to be an articulation of a societally bound normalizing discourse. The cultural context can thus be said to have an effect on forms of resistance in knowledge work.

Using the focus group method in software engineering: obtaining practitioner and user experiences

Abstract: This paper reflects on three cases where the focus group method was used to obtain feedback and experiences from software engineering practitioners and application users. The focus group method and its background are presented, the method's weaknesses and strengths are discussed, and guidelines are provided for how to use the method in the software engineering context. Furthermore, the results of the three studies conducted are highlighted and the paper concludes in a discussion on the applicability of the method for this type of research. In summary, the focus group method is a cost-effective and quick empirical research approach for obtaining qualitative insights and feedback from practitioners. It can be used in several phases and types of research. However, a major limitation of the method is that it is useful only in studying concepts that can be understood by participants in a limited time. We also recommend that in the software engineering context, the method should be used with sufficient empirical rigor.

Quasi-random initial population for genetic algorithms

Abstract: The selection of the initial population in a population-based heuristic optimizationmethod is important, since it affects the search for several iterations and often has an influence on the final solution. If no a priori information about the optima is available, the initial population is often selected randomly using pseudorandom numbers. Usually, however, it is more important that the points are as evenly distributed as possible than that they imitate random points. In this paper, we study the use of quasi-random sequences in the initial population of a genetic algorithm. Sample points in a quasi-random sequence are designed to have good distribution properties. Here a modified genetic algorithm using quasi-random sequences in the initial population is tested by solving a large number of continuous benchmark problems from the literature. The numerical results of two implementations of genetic algorithms using different quasi-random sequences are compared to those of a traditional implementation using pseudorandom numbers. The results obtained are promising.

Managing Evolutionary Method Engineering by Method Rationale

Abstract: This paper explores how to integrate formal meta-models with an informal method rationale to support evolutionary (continuous) method development. While the former provides an exact and computer-executable specification of a method, the latter enables concurrent learning, expansion, and refinement of method use (instances of metamodels) and meta-models (evolution of method specifications). We explain the need for method rationale by observing the criticality of evolving method knowledge in helping software organizations to learn, as well as by the recurrent failure to introduce rigid and stable methods. Like a design rationale, a method rationale establishes a systematic and organized trace of method evolution. Method rationale is located at two levels of typeinstance hierarchy depending on its type of use and the scope of the changes traced. A method construction rationale garners a history of method knowledge evolution as part of the method engineering process, which designs and adapts the method to a given

Career management issues for flexpatriate international staff

Abstract: This article reports findings from an in-depth study of a small number of European men and women that identifies organizational activities and their own initiatives to successfully manage their international careers within the context of their personal and family lives. In contrast to prior studies that have focused on issues for expatriate international work assignments, this study focused on flexpatriates—the frequent flyers of international work. The results indicated that, with minimal human resource management (HRM) assistance, flexpatriates were proactive and self-managing in dealing with career issues and the family and personal demands linked to their flexpatriate lifestyles. Similar career issues were evident for men and women, but the impact of home life seemed more significant for women, and the implications of this for HRM are explored. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Visual attention modulates audiovisual speech perception

Abstract: Speech perception is audiovisual, as demonstrated by the McGurk effect in which discrepant visual speech alters the auditory speech percept. We studied the role of visual attention in audiovisual speech perception by measuring the McGurk effect in two conditions. In the baseline condition, attention was focused on the talking face. In the distracted attention condition, subjects ignored the face and attended to a visual distractor, which was a leaf moving across the face. The McGurk effect was weaker in the latter condition, indicating that visual attention modulated audiovisual speech perception. This modulation may occur at an early, unisensory processing stage, or it may be due to changes at the stage where auditory and visual information is integrated. We investigated this issue by conventional statistical testing, and by fitting the Fuzzy Logical Model of Perception (Massaro, 1998) to the results. The two methods suggested different interpretations, revealing a paradox in the current methods of analysis.

The impact of e‐mail marketing on brand loyalty

Abstract: The study examines the effects of e‐mail marketing on brand loyalty and also reveals the kinds of e‐mail content valued by consumers. Data were gathered from 890 consumers, who were users of a multinational cosmetics brand and had received regular permission‐based e‐mail messages from the marketer. Results reveal that regular e‐mail marketing has positive effects on brand loyalty. E‐mail‐activated consumers visited retail stores. Consumers exposed to e‐mail marketing recommended the brand to their friends. Loyal customers appreciated regular communication and various other information content from the brand more than mere offers. These results encourage marketers to keep in frequent contact with customers via e‐mail with the aim of enhancing brand loyalty.

Emotional response patterns and sense of presence during video games: potential criterion variables for game design

Abstract: We investigated the emotional response patterns and sense of presence elicited by video games with different characteristics (i.e., Tetris, Super Monkey Ball 2, Monkey Bowling 2, and James Bond 007: NightFire) among 37 undergraduates. We also examined the moderating influence of the sensation seeking and self-forgetfulness traits on the responses. Participants self-reported their emotional responses, defined in terms of joy, pleasant relaxation, anger, fear, and depressed feeling, and sense of presence. The results showed that games with different characteristics elicit differential emotional response patterns, and the engagement elicited by the games varies as a function of the Sensation Seeking trait of the player. Measuring emotional response patterns may have practical implications for game design, given that they give information on the game characteristics that maximize entertainment and pleasure, and may potentially be used in pre-testing different versions of the games.

Finance strategies of rapidly‐growing Finnish SMEs: Born Internationals and Born Globals

Abstract: During the past decade, several studies have explored the characteristics of Born International and Born Global business firms, and the reasons for their increase in size and numbers. The objective of this study is to explore the influence of financing strategies and the commensurate finance management capabilities on the globalization of Finnish Born International and Born Global small and medium size enterprises (SMEs). The resulting knowledge from this study should prove valuable for academic researchers, political decision‐makers and business managers. Interestingly, the results of the study show that Born Globals had greater access to superior financial resources and stronger finance‐related managerial resources right from the start‐up phase than did Born Internationals. An interesting finding also focused on the fact that Born Globals were able to more quickly obtain global management‐related skills and industry‐specific business experience through the use of external business partners and venture capital representatives. These findings may partially explain the Born Globals' rapid expansion into world markets in comparison to Born Internationals, and also the failures of other types of enterprises in these same markets.

New limited memory bundle method for large-scale nonsmooth optimization

Abstract: Many practical optimization problems involve nonsmooth (that is, not necessarily differentiable) functions of hundreds or thousands of variables. In such problems, the direct application of smooth gradient-based methods may lead to a failure due to the nonsmooth nature of the problem. On the other hand, none of the current general nonsmooth optimization methods is efficient in large-scale settings. In this article, we describe a new limited memory variable metric based bundle method for nonsmooth large-scale optimization. In addition, we introduce a new set of academic test problems for large-scale nonsmooth minimization. Finally, we give some encouraging results from numerical experiments using both academic and practical test problems. E-mail: makela@mit.jyu.fi E-mail: miettine@mit.jyu.fi

Trends and breaks in per-capita carbon dioxide emissions, 1870-2028

Abstract: We consider per-capita carbon dioxide emission trends in 16 early industrialized countries over the period 1870-2028. Using a multiple-break time series method we find more evidence for very early downturns in per-capita trends than for late downturns during the oil price shocks of the 1970s. Only for two countries do downturns in trends imply downward sloping stable trends. We also consider trends in emission composition and find little evidence for in-sample peaks for emissions from liquid and gaseous fuel uses. These results lead us to reject the oil price shocks as events causing permanent breaks in the structure and level of emissions, a conclusion often made in analyses using shorter postwar data.

The Roles of Employer and Employee Characteristics for Plant Productivity

Abstract: The relationships of worker characteristics and productivity are examined using a matched worker-plant data set from Finnish manufacturing The panel data are used for estimating productivity and wage profiles according to average age, seniority, and education We measure productivity using the multilateral total factor productivity index We find that the wage returns to plant-specific seniority exceed productivity returns when seniority is high This result supports the hypothesis that human capital is not firm specific, and seniority related wages are used for incentive reasons, but may also be a symptom of sorting or insider influences on wage formation Plant average age improves productivity more than it increases wage when average age is low, but for higher ages the productivity and wage returns to age are fairly similar The returns to education in terms of wage and productivity are fairly close to each other for higher levels of education, but mid-level education is underpaid

Exit in duopoly under uncertainty

Abstract: This paper examines a declining duopoly, where the firms must choose when to exit from the market. The uncertainty is modeled by letting the revenue stream follow a geometric Brownian motion. We consider the Markovperfect equilibrium in firms’ exit strategies. With a low degree of uncertainty there is a unique equilibrium, where one of the fi rms always exits before the other. However, when uncertainty is increased, another equilibrium with the reversed order of exit may appear ruining the uniqueness. Whether this happens or not depends on the degree of asymmetry in the firm specifi cp arameters.

Spin asymmetries for events with high p(T) hadrons in DIS and an evaluation of the gluon polarization

Abstract: We present a measurement of the longitudinal spin cross section asymmetry for deep-inelastic muon-nucleon interactions with two high transverse momentum hadrons in the final state. Two methods of event classification are used to increase the contribution of the photon-gluon fusion process to above 30%. The most effective one, based on a neural network approach, provides the asymmetries A(p)lN(-->)lhhX=0.030+/-0.057(stat)+/-0.010(syst) and A(d)lN(-->)lhhX=0.070+/-0.076(stat)+/-0.010(syst). From these values we derive an averaged gluon polarization DeltaG/G=-0.20+/-0.28(stat)+/-0.10(syst) at an average fraction of nucleon momentum carried by gluons =0.07.