Tallinn University of Technology

About: Tallinn University of Technology is a education organization based out in Tallinn, Estonia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: European union & Oil shale. The organization has 3688 authors who have published 10313 publications receiving 145058 citations. The organization is also known as: Tallinn Technical University & Tallinna Tehnikaülikool.

Engineering Students' Experiences in Studying Entrepreneurship

Abstract: Background Entrepreneurial learning, or the acquisition of entrepreneurial skills, in engineering at the college level has become an important topic. The labor market needs engineers who are prepared to adapt to changing market conditions and enhance innovations that offer new value to customers and society as a whole. An entrepreneurial mindset, knowledge, skills, and attitudes are closely related to innovation and creativity as enablers of entrepreneurial actions that are essential to prepare students for a successful professional life. Purpose This study sought to examine how engineering students experience studying entrepreneurship in a course that is based on a socio-constructivist view of learning and the integrative pedagogy model. Design/method The data were collected using semistructured group interviews (n = 48) and individual in-depth interviews (n =16). The study adopted a phenomenographic research approach. Results As a result of the analyses, four qualitatively different categories of experiencing entrepreneurship as part of an engineering degree program were identified. Entrepreneurship studies were experienced by students as a first step to self-directed learning, a preparation for work life, a path to possible self-employment, and a context for developing leadership and responsibility for group achievement. Conclusion The four categories identified show that integrating entrepreneurship studies in an engineering degree program can be experienced in a variety of ways by students. Pedagogical implications are discussed.

Association between Ownership Structure and Public Announcements' Disclosures

Abstract: Manuscript Type: Empirical Research Question/Issue: The impact of ownership structure on annual report disclosures and overall disclosure quality has received some attention in previous literature, but no study has examined it in the context of public announcements. This paper investigates the issue by using a disclosure score based on six disclosure quality attributes and by employing two quantitative disclosure measures in the context of three European emerging capital markets in the Baltics – the Tallinn, Riga, and Vilnius Stock Exchanges. Research Findings/Results: In line with expectations, public announcement disclosure quality had a negative association with ownership concentration and foreign ownership and a positive association with institutional ownership. In terms of other company characteristics, sales growth and size of entry barriers exhibited positive associations with disclosure as expected. Unlike in previous research, statistically significant negative associations between size and announcement length were supported. This is due to the sample used, which included several firms from the Vilnius Stock Exchange with short announcements for the pre-2003 period. Theoretical Implications: This paper presents possibilities for employing information theory in the context of finance for determining possible disclosure quality attributes that could be used in the creation of a disclosure quality score. Practical Implications: Empirical tests reveal the importance of ownership structure in determining the disclosure choice of companies that, in turn, may provide information about the types of companies that need more effective regulative enforcement.