Semi-structured Thematic Interviews Research Articles

Costs and benefits of environmental change: tourism industry's responses in Arctic Finland

ABSTRACTRecent research has focused on the impacts of environmental change to tourism. In particular, the perceived costs of climate change have been increasingly studied. However, the relationship between costs and benefits resulting from the changing environmental conditions for the industry has been less examined. This paper identifies the locally observed changes in the natural and socio-economic environments and aims to analyse the financial costs and benefits to tourism businesses in two tourism-dependent communities in northern Finland. The specific focus is on adaptation and adaptive management in a tourist destination scale. Adaption is understood as an investment creating not only implementation costs, but potentially also benefits for tourism operations. Research materials were collected among tourism and tourism-related businesses through 41 semi-structured thematic interviews. Results indicate that the evaluated benefits of environmental change seem to exceed those of costs. This conforms to the on-going discourse of climate change–tourism relations associated with the Arctic region where both awareness and vulnerability to change are considered relatively high but the level of responses, i.e. adaptation, low. These results can help to further identify the most vulnerable sectors in tourism and assist entrepreneurs preparing for environmental and climate change. However, the paper concludes that while global environmental change, with specific adaptive management strategies, may create local short-term direct benefits for the industry, a long-term sustainability of tourism in the Arctic calls for mitigation responses to climate change.

Finnish WorldSkills Achievers’ Vocational Talent Development and School-to-Work Pathways

This paper examines the perceptions of vocational expertise and school-to-work pathways among WorldSkills Competition (WSC) achievers and their co-workers and employers within the Finnish context. At the biennial international WSC, young people (aged 18-to-23 years) from over 60 countries demonstrate their skills in more than 40 trades. Individualized training for this competition is provided through the cooperation of vocational institutions (e.g., expert coaches, team leaders and competition panellists) and industry (e.g., mentors, sponsors, materials, equipment). Semi-structured thematic interviews (N=51) were conducted in 2013 and 2014 with former Finnish WSC medal or diploma winners (n=18) who had since begun their working lives (1-to-15 years of work experience). Their employers (n=16) and colleagues (n=17) were also interviewed. Results showed that in addition to vocation-specific knowledge and skills, problem-solving skills, creativity, social skills and self-regulatory skills were acknowledged as the most significant elements of vocational expertise. The findings also indicated that formal vocational education combined with deliberate practice and training based on expert mentoring improved the long-term career progress and vocational expertise of the WSC achievers.

Toward a Blended Learning Model of Teaching Guitar as Part of Primary Teacher Training Curriculum

This study focused on the challenges that students face during the early state of learning to play the guitar. Based on those challenges, a model of blended learning was developed, which provides a solution to how to organize teaching and answer students’ diverse needs with the aim of encouraging our students to take advantage of blended learning environments and styles. Data were gathered with semi-structured theme interviews. The most critical factors in organizing teaching and designing a blended learning guitar course fell into four categories: Instrument specific challenges, heterogeneous group, learning facilities and course structure, and motivation. The results added depth to knowledge of previous studies on e-learning. Students want to have an instrument in hand when they watch instructional videos online; otherwise, they are just watching videos without learning. This indicates a need to define the concept of autonomous learning more specifically. When and where exactly is it supposed to happen? Results of the relationship between face-to-face lessons and e-learning were in line with earlier research, in which both were seen to support each other.

The usage of digital marketing channels in SMEs

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into the utilization and goals of digital marketing, and examines factors that influence the adoption and use of digital marketing channels in SMEs. Design/methodology/approach – The data comprises semi-structured theme interviews in SMEs among 16 managers and 421 survey respondents in Central Finland. Findings – The results of this study reveal that SMEs seem not use the full potential of the new digital tools, and so are not deriving benefit from the opportunities they provide. Furthermore, the results also raise the question of whether SMEs have understood the fundamental change in the nature of communication brought about by digitization. Research limitations/implications – The data comes from one region and thus the research context limits the generalizability of the results. Practical implications – SMEs seem not to be keeping pace with digital developments, mostly due to the lack of knowledge of digital marketing. Most of the studied SMEs do not apply the full potential of the new digital tools and hence are not benefitting fully from them. Social implications – Discussions on the future regional development of SMEs have called for training programmes to help SMEs exploit digitization. This is something that the government should take note of. Originality/value – Whereas the adoption process of new technologies such as IT in general and the internet in particular have been examined in the SME literature, this is among the first studies examining adoption and usage of digital tools from the marketing perspective.

Industrial branding in the digital age

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the overall branding logic of an international industrial company operating in the renewable energy industry and to respond to calls for empirical research on how to build a business-to-business (B2B) brand in the digital age and how digital media can be used for branding. A digital branding model is also developed. Design/methodology/approach – A single case study of a company at the forefront of digital media usage is used to develop the model. The main data come from semi-structured theme interviews and from content analysis of the channels used to create a brand on the Internet. Findings – In the digital age, firms seem to benefit from having a strong market orientation and a holistic branding approach with robust integration of their different functions. Branding in the digital age not only requires strong internal communication and consistent external communication, but also positioning of the brand in topical conversations. For an industrial organization, becoming an opinion leader is a strategy well-suited to branding and can be supported by creating relevant content subsequently delivered through various social media channels. Research limitations/implications – The results of this study are based on a single case study and hence are not generalizable. Originality/value – This study is among the first to respond to the calls for empirical research on industrial brand management in the digital age and contributes to the emerging B2B branding and branding on digital age literature.

Digital channels in the internal communication of a multinational corporation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how digital communication tools are used for internal communication (IC) in multinational corporations (MNCs). Specifically, the study illustrates the role of digital channels in IC, the benefits they bring and the difficulties involved in using them. Design/methodology/approach – This research features a single-case study focusing on a listed Finnish multinational industrial corporation with a long history. Data for the study come from semi-structured theme interviews and a workshop in which the results were discussed. Findings – Digital IC tools are able to facilitate IC in MNCs, although some challenges may arise in relation to planning their utilization. Related to the role of digital channels in IC, these findings highlight the importance of face-to-face channels in everyday IC and the role of digital channels as more formal communication channels. Research limitations/implications – This paper focuses on a single organization. Additional research would be required to attain generalizable results. Practical implications – The effective use of new digital communication tools requires common guidelines across all areas of an MNC. Despite the great potential of new tools, the importance of face-to-face communication should not be ignored. Originality/value – Most of the research on IC in MNCs was conducted before the digital communications era. Recent advances in information technology have created new challenges and opportunities for IC.

Diversity through Dualism: The Balancing Principle as an Organizational Strategy in Culture Departments of Newspapers

Abstract This article examines the changes in cultural journalism in newspapers with regard to its dual field structure. The influence of media organizations’ policies on professionalist dualism is discussed based on the results of a quantitative content analysis over the period 1978–2008 and semi-structured theme interviews with the heads of the culture departments of major Finnish dailies. The results indicate that culture departments have developed their own news production, with increased managerial control and the strengthening of the journalistic paradigm, whereas opinionated journalism, including criticism, is increasingly outsourced. The culture departments thus aspire to sustain a balance between the professional paradigms related to field-hybridity, which creates a distinct structural formalism in this specialized type of journalism and makes its evolution over time relatively stable.

Pain and other symptoms in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC): A qualitative analysis.

e15187 Background: HCC is the second leading cause of cancer related deaths worldwide and incidence is increasing. Most HCC patients are diagnosed late-stage and with pain. Understanding the nature of pain experienced by HCC patients is complicated by co-morbid (including other liver) diseases and treatment related pain. The purpose of this study was to identify pain symptoms that are important and relevant to HCC patients who have received systemic therapy. Methods: We conducted semi-structured thematic interviews with 10 HCC patients who were currently on or previously had received oral systemic therapy (e.g., sorafenib) and had not received local or loco-regional therapy (e.g., surgery, radiation or chemo-embolization) within 4 weeks of the interview. Interviews included open elicitation of key symptoms, side effects and concerns. Patients also completed selected pain items from the FACT-Hep; items had previously been validated for patients with hepatobiliary cancers. Results: Mean age was 58 years (range 33-77); 2 patients had co-morbid cirrhosis, 1 had co-morbid hepatitis, and 4 patients had cirrhosis and hepatitis. When asked to describe the symptoms, side-effects or other issues that most significantly impact their quality of life, patients most often mentioned fatigue (n=5), diarrhea (n=5), skin toxicities (n=5), and loss of appetite (n=4). Nine patients reported experiencing pain over their HCC treatment course. Abdomen (N=7) and lower back (N=3) were the most common sites of pain; 2 patients reported only experiencing temporary pain from prior chemoembolization. The other 7 patients experienced ongoing pain, partly attributed to systemic therapy, ascites, or metastases. Ongoing abdominal and back pain were frequently not attributed to a specific cause. All patients indicated that FACT-Hep items adequately assessed their pain. Conclusions: Although pain was not a major driver of quality of life and for a few HCC patients it was transient and treatment-related, the majority of patients experienced some persistent pain. Abdominal pain and back pain were the most common pain sites for HCC patients. These results support the relevance of pain symptoms that have been previously identified as important in HCC.

Key concerns and symptoms of patients undergoing second- and third-line treatment for non-small cell lung cancer: Findings from a patient interview study.

63 Background: Understanding key concerns and symptoms of patients undergoing cancer treatment is important for characterizing drug treatment benefit as well as developing appropriate psychosocial support interventions. The purpose of this interview study of patients undergoing second and third line therapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was to characterize their physiological, especially pulmonary, symptoms, functional impacts, emotional distress, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and coping strategies. Methods: Semi-structured thematic interviews with 20 patients in second and third line treatment for advanced NSCLC. Interviews included open elicitation of NSCLC symptoms, their functional impact, and coping strategies. Results: Mean age was 62 years (range 30-79); 80% of patients had non-squamous histology, and 25% had co-morbid COPD. Patients described a range of core symptom experiences, severity, functional impacts, and coping strategies. Shortness of breath (reported by 16/20, 13/20 rated as very important), cough (reported by 14/20, 10/20 rated as very important), and chest tightness (reported by 15/20, 9/20 rated as very important) emerged as key pulmonary symptoms. Ninety percent (18/20) of patients reported tiredness or fatigue, mostly as “very important.” A quarter (5/20) of the patients reported having no pulmonary symptoms. The symptom importance ratings were influenced by the symptom’s impact on valued roles and responsibilities. Patients reported diverse coping strategies including breaking down activities into manageable tasks, priority setting, using physical assistance, emotional support, and adoption of diet/exercise changes. Conclusions: Findings from this interview study of patients receiving second and third line treatment for advanced NSCLC reveal the importance and relevance of core physiological, especially pulmonary, symptoms in characterizing the benefits of drug therapies. These findings offer insights to the patient education and psychosocial interventions that are likely to enhance patients’ HRQOL.

Classroom Teachers’ Perceptions of Ethical Educational Work

Rearing is one of the fundamental forms of human life: through learning and education, various cultural practices are transmitted from a generation to another. The school environment can be seen as a moral community from the ethical point of view of education. Teachers are moral actors in this community. But what is ethical educational work in teachers’ own opinion? In this research, Finnish classroom teachers’ perceptions of ethical education and its nature and significance at school were studied. The purpose was to study teachers’ basic values and how they employ them in practice. The research was a phenomenographic research and the data were collected through semi-structured theme interviews. The phenomenographic analysis method was applied. Teachers’ self-reflection was regarded as the primary tool for developing ethical educational work. Based on the results, a model of the nature of ethical educational practice was created and further discussed. The purpose of this research was to encourage teachers to contemplate and realize education in versatile ways critically reflecting their own values and beliefs and to show the significance of teachers’ action at various levels in practical educational work.

Desafios da atenção à violência doméstica contra crianças e adolescentes no Programa Saúde da Família em cidade de médio porte do estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

This qualitative case study aimed to analyze the challenges faced by the Family Health Program (FHP) teams in dealing with domestic violence against children and adolescents in Teresópolis, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. The sample consisted of 25 professionals from three family health teams. Data were collected through face-to-face semi-structured thematic interviews and submitted to content analysis. Findings included the health professionals' detection of cases of domestic violence among families enrolled in the program, often associated with drug use and drug dealing, alcoholism, family breakdown, and poverty. Collaboration with the community and difficulty in inter-sector actions were identified as challenges for detecting, reporting, and monitoring cases. Most professionals felt insecure in dealing with such cases, due to lack of appropriate knowledge and skills. The study concludes that it is essential to managers, staff and community discuss the problem and means to approach it in the context of the territories.

Pulmonary symptoms and their importance to patients with non-small cell lung cancer undergoing second- and third-line chemotherapy.

9056 Background: As new cancer therapies are developed, it is important to evaluate their efficacy based not only on survival outcomes but also meaningful patient benefit in terms of symptoms and concerns that are important to patients. The purpose of this study of patients undergoing 2nd/3rd line chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was to characterize pulmonary symptoms and the importance patients place on these symptoms, as a part of assessing the content validity of the Pulmonary Symptom Index (PSI) of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy – Lung (FACT-L). Methods: We conducted semi-structured thematic interviews with 20 stage III/IV NSCLC patients undergoing 2nd or 3rd line treatment. Interviews included open elicitation of NSCLC symptoms and their functional impact, and participant ratings of the relative importance of pulmonary symptoms. Results: Mean age was 62 years (range 30-79); 80% had non-squamous histology, and 30% had co-morbid COPD. While participants described a range of symptom experiences and severity, a core set of pulmonary symptoms emerged - shortness of breath (reported by 16/20, 13/20 rated as very important), cough (reported by 14/20, 10/20 rated as very important), and chest tightness (reported by 15/20, 9/20 rated as very important); these matched key symptoms in the PSI. Symptom importance ratings were influenced by the functional impact they had upon patient ability to perform valued roles and responsibilities. Patients described diverse coping strategies including breaking down activities into manageable tasks, priority setting, physical assistance, emotional support, and health promoting changes in diet and exercise. Ninety percent (18/20) of participants reported tiredness or fatigue; most said it was “very important.” A quarter (5/20) of the participants reported having no pulmonary symptoms. Conclusions: These results in NSCLC patients undergoing 2nd/3rd line treatment support the importance, relevance, and impact of core pulmonary symptoms included in the PSI and offer initial evidence that its content may constitute a key element of patient benefit in evaluating the efficacy of new cancer therapies.

Key stakeholder perceptions regarding acute care psychiatry in distressed publicly funded mental health care markets.

The role of acute care inpatient psychiatry, public and private, has changed dramatically since the 1960s, especially as recent market forces affecting the private sector have had ripple effects on publicly funded mental health care. Key stakeholders' experiences, perceptions, and opinions regarding the role of acute care psychiatry in distressed markets of publicly funded mental health care were examined. A qualitative research study was conducted using semi-structured thematic interviews with 52 senior mental health system administrators, clinical directors and managers, and nonclinical policy specialists. Participants were selected from markets in six regions of the United States that experienced recent significant closures of acute care psychiatric beds. Qualitative data analyses yielded findings that clustered around three sets of higher order themes: structure of care, service delivery barriers, and outcomes. Structure of care suggests that acute care psychiatry is seen as part of a continuum of services; service delivery barriers inhibit effective delivery of services and are perceived to include economic, regulatory, and political factors; outcomes include fragmentation of mental health care services across the continuum, the shift of mental health care to the criminal justice system, and market-specific issues affecting mental health care. Findings delineate key stakeholders' perceptions regarding the role acute care psychiatry plays in the continuum of care for publicly funded mental health and suggest that public mental health care is inefficacious. Results carry implications for policy makers regarding strategies/policies to improve optimal utilization of scarce resources for mental health care, including greater focus on psychotherapy.

Perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs of staff anaesthetists related to multi-source feedback used for their performance appraisal

The aim of this study was to explore anaesthetists' perceptions and experience of the implementation of multi-source feedback (MSF) for their performance review. Twelve semi-structured thematic interviews were conducted with staff anaesthetists and their director to explore the perceptions of, and responses to, the MSF system, the feedback given, and their work context. An inductive thematic cross-comparative analysis of the interview data was conducted. The themes that emerged clustered around the anaesthetists' understanding of MSF, the facilitation process, and the value anaesthetists placed on feedback from the different professional groups available as actual and potential sources of feedback data. The anaesthetists interviewed in this study accepted performance review and the role of MSF in it. Anaesthetists thought anonymity an important feature of MSF, and viewed the process as an opportunity for self-improvement. To the extent that MSF was viewed by the anaesthetists as surveillance by management, this was seen as being largely benign. Rather a view of the acceptance of self-responsibility for using the information gathered to improve their own performance was held by the majority of those interviewed. While broad sampling of sources within and outside anaesthesia was desired, most value was placed on feedback from both nurses and trainees within anaesthesia. The value of feedback from surgeons was contentious, and this may reflect underlying issues with this important relationship that are yet to be explored.

Developing the value perception of the business customer through service modularity

PurposeThe present challenge for many service firms is to develop an offering that is flexible and open for tailoring and at the same time achieves efficiency through standardizing processes. Modularity has been suggested as being one tool for achieving this. The goal of the present study is to find out how services provided in modular form (here referred to as service modularity) can exert an influence on the value perception of the customer in the professional services field.Design/methodology/approachEmpirical part consists of a case study of a large provider of professional services involving construction, engineering, procurement and project management service. Data were gathered by semi structured theme interviews of representatives of the case company and representatives of two of its customers.FindingsThe modular processes had an influence on the customer's expectations that are related to the experienced quality of the service, and hence they create value for the customer. In addition to the service outcome, the modular processes enhanced the customer's trust in the service provider's employees and their skills in co‐operating in a suitable way during the service process. The organizational modularity eased the customer's tasks of managing the project implementation.Originality/valueThe present study contributes the knowledge related to modularity in business services by incorporating the knowledge from the theoretical discussion on customer perceived value.

Expert views on environmental impacts and their measurementin the forest industry

The paper argues that corporate environmental management should be based on significant environmental aspects that result in significant environmental impacts. The Finnish forest industry has substantially reduced its emissions but, being heavy industry, it still causes significant environmental impacts. This paper presents expert views on environmental impacts and their measurement. They were gathered through semi-structured theme interviews. The most frequently mentioned environmental impacts and significant environmental impacts related to water, energy and air. Positive environmental impacts resulted from recycling, forest industry products and use of energy. Traditional emission measurement was considered a well-measured issue. The target subjects of the measurement and especially environmental impact measurement require improvement. The contribution of this research is concerned with the development of measurement and two issues arising from the research are emphasised. First, environmental impact measurement should be further developed. Second, the measurement of the production chain that is physically outside the boundaries of forest industry mills should also be developed.

Reorganizing Cross-Border Governance Capacity

Different forms of regional politics and network-type coordination are present within European cross-border initiatives. The purpose of the article is to study the changing organizational configurations of interregional governance in the context of the Helsinki—Tallinn Euregio (HTE), and how these new forms of coordination influence cross-border institutional capacity and policy outcomes.The basic empirical material consists of official public documents and eight semi-structured theme interviews conducted with the key actors of the HTE in June—July 2004. `Governance capacity' is used here as a theoretical tool to understand and interpret the reorganization process of cross-border governance. The case-study about the HTE shows the possibility that governance may be practised through dynamic social networks and partly shifting territorial configurations according to interregional interests. The HTE agency creates a flexible intervention frame for the cross-border governance capacity to support regional competitiveness through the policy instruments of the European Union.There are already some results, but several challenges remain for the HTE to create additional scale effects between the Helsinki and Tallinn regions.

The role of HR managers in international mergers and acquisitions: a multiple case study

In recent years human resource (HR) managers have been encouraged to play a more strategic role in their organizations, especially in the case of extensive organizational change processes such as international mergers and acquisitions (IM&As). Today this requirement is even more acute since the past decade has been characterized by enormous growth in IM&As. In addition, it has been argued that the challenge in making M&As work is the management of people. In a case of IM&As the role of HR managers is very demanding because they needs to integrate HR practices and, moreover, perform two other roles simultaneously: a strategic role for company-wide integration and a support role for business unit transaction. Considering the importance of human resource management (HRM) in IM&As, it is surprising how little is known about the role and activities of HR managers in these processes. This study addresses the existing research gap by investigating the role of HR managers in the IM&A process. Based on semi-structured theme interviews among corporate level managers in three Finnish international industrial organizations, the roles of corporate HR managers at different stages of the IM&A process are analysed. This study applies Ulrich's (1997) theory of the four HR roles in combination with the HR issues which are present at the different stages of the IM&A process. This paper demonstrates that HRM is an essential part of M&As and that HR issues are given a lot of emphasis throughout the process. In addition, HR managers play an important role in the IM&A process, although it is not self-evident in every case.

Aids e gravidez: os sentidos do risco e o desafio do cuidado

To understand how the risk of vertical HIV transmission is perceived and interpreted by people living with HIV/AIDS, when making decisions regarding reproductive health. This was a qualitative study carried out at three municipal health clinics specializing in STD/AIDS, in the city of São Paulo. Semi-structured thematic interviews were conducted with eight patients (male and female), from July to December 2001. The interviewees were key informants and either they or their partners were seropositive. All of them were aged 18 or over and had been living with their partners for at least one year. Among the motivations for having children, those related to the partner's expectations were highlighted, especially as a form of "recompense" for their actions. The risk of vertical transmission was used by health professionals both for discouraging pregnancy and for giving guidance on transmission prophylaxis. However, reproductive issues were not voiced at the health clinics, either by the patients or by the healthcare providers. Attention should be directed not only towards controlling the infection, but also most importantly towards the wellbeing of people living with HIV/AIDS. There is a need to clarify the different points of view of users and professionals in order to achieve the most effective and appropriate solution for each specific caregiving situation.

Made in Finland: Infertility doctors' representations of children

The aim of this study was to analyse how Finnish infertility physicians talk about children by conducting semi-structured theme interviews. It is of general interest to study how children are represented in the age of assisted reproduction technologies (ARTs), a time when the medical solution to childlessness is preferred over other solutions. Infertility physicians' discourses on children are of particular interest because they are the ones who try to produce children for couples. An understanding of professional agency is crucial to the understanding of how, why and in what context women make reproductive choices. The physicians considered the first choice for infertile couples to be to have their own biological child, with the second choice being to have a child with the help of donated Finnish gametes or embryos, and the last option being to adopt a child. The socially most desirable children were considered to be genetically and culturally Finnish, white and newborn, and therefore likely to be more healthy and socially acceptable than the adopted child who represents the Other, the socially less appropriate child. The adopted child is usually of foreign cultural and family origins, non-white, older and likely to temporarily have compromised mental and physical health. In this sense some doctors felt that the use of a donated Finnish embryo in IVF is more secure in terms of a child's 'quality'. The physicians' negative talk about adopted children draws lines between us and strangers, between those outside and inside the borders of nations and families. A key value was the ability to know about and thus control the genetic and social characteristics of the child.