Jukka Tikkanen

Decision making among Finnish non-industrial private forest owners: The role of professional opinion and desire to learn

Abstract The primary basis of contemporary forest planning research, which assumes the forest owner to maximize his or her expected utility, has left aside cognitive and social patterns of reasoning in real decision-making situations. To add on to present knowledge, the decision aid needs were approached by assessing different ways of solving decision problems among non-industrial private forest (NIPF) owners in Finland. The study investigated how the diversifying goal structure of NIPF owners would be reflected in practical decision-making strategies. Semi-structured in-depth interviews and qualitative analysis were used to acquire a deeper understanding of NIPF owners’ decision making. Altogether, 30 purposively selected owners from southern Finland provided information to analyse the level of sharing decision power and eagerness to learn in decision making. Five decision-making modes were distinguished among the interviewees: (A) substantial trust in professionals, (B) desire to learn for self-reliance, (C) sequential, managerial judgements, (D) balanced, considerate decision making, and (E) strong decisions of ones own. According to these modes, corresponding decision aid approaches were constructed. The results show a broad variety of problem-solving strategies and thus decision aid needs. To facilitate unprompted and genuine decision making, the presented modes should be taken into account when owner-orientated forest planning services for NIPF owners are developed.

Boosters of and barriers to smooth communication in family forest owners’ decision making

Abstract The internationally recognized need to adjust non-industrial private forest policies inspired this study, which seeks a deeper understanding of the communication around decision making among family forest owners. Elements of smooth communication constituted the theoretical basis. The data comprised transcripts of 30 semi-structured in-depth interviews with Finnish family forest owners. Narrative statements associated with information exchange and discussions between people were investigated with the aim of assessing instances and implications of personal relationships, advising services and mediated interaction in the social system of decision making. The analysis was conducted by combining theory- and data-driven approaches. The role of personal face-to-face communication with trusted advisors proved essential. However, some interviewees found internet services and online peer-to-peer communication tempting. The interviewed family forest owners are more or less self-directive in obtaining general information about timber trading or topical forestry issues, but for specific decisions they desire profound, socially reliant consultancy. Elements of distrust and limited comprehension, and tension between service and actual needs seem to be the greatest communicative barriers reducing the supportiveness of consultancy. Communicative decision support services for family forest owners should be developed on the grounds of reliable atmosphere, sense of fellowship, contextuality, customer care and facilitation for peer networking.

Forestry Organization Network in Northern Finland

This study is a network analysis of the regional network of forest-related organizations in northern Finland. The study shows the position of the organizations in the network by grouping the organizations into clusters in terms of co-operation and mutual appreciation. The results are based on a questionnaire mailed to 1400 representatives of the main forestry organizations. Freemans centrality degree measures, multidimensional scaling, factor analysis and hierarchical clustering were used to synthesize three main subgroups, named the Private-forestry-orientated group, the Environment- and nature-orientated group and the Background group. The results were quite predictable. It was a surprise to note how consistently the respondents answered the questions concerning mutual co-operation and appreciation. The attitudes, on the one hand, towards economical forestry and, on the other hand, towards environmental aims, defined the enduring tendency in the responses.

Assessing objectives of regional forest policy in northern Finland

Stakeholders’ objectives regarding regional forest policy were evaluated for the area covered by four northernmost Forestry Centres in Finland. The data were collected through a postal questionnaire with 431 respondents, and the judges were asked to assess the importance of the objectives of the regional forest policy on a ratio scale. The data were analysed applying statistical techniques developed for preference elicitation in forestry-related decision making. The results showed that the stakeholder group is the most important characteristic describing the objectives of regional forest policy. Regional characteristics in the form of different Forestry Centres had only a minor impact on assessments. Among other things, the analysis indicates that the objectives in utilizing forests more effectively without increasing cuttings are supported throughout the stakeholder groups. A comparison of the results with the corresponding Regional Forest Programmes indicates that some stakeholders have objectives that are not implemented properly. Further research is needed to find out whether this is a problem from the viewpoint of sustainable forest management.

Change in forest planner's advisory role

Abstract Urbanisation and related lifestyle changes, as well as the opportunities offered by new information and communication technology, are altering decision-making among family forest owners. Consequently, the approaches and tools of communicating with forest owners are under pressure towards becoming more customer-orientated. The present study looks at forestry advisory practices connected with forest management planning using the theory base and methods of activity theory and the active involvement of practical forestry professionals. Collaborative developmental meetings with a group of foresters were conducted in three organisations. A total of 22 sessions were held within separate developmental projects. Tacit knowledge and good communication practices were observed among the foresters involved in this. New flexible service models and improvements to current service chains were designed and experimented to support forest owners in their forest management activity. Analysis of experiences suggests adjusting forestry advisory practitioners’ roles. A more meaningful customer-compatible role of the forest planner fostering the planners work-related well-being could include two sub-roles: a mediator is sensitive to the owners needs and wishes and s/he informs the owner about the forest holding and its various long-term opportunities and an activator, in turn, supports the realisation of the suggested operations in the forest holding.

Development Phases of Forest Planning on Non-Industrial Private Lands in Finland: Perspective of Planners’ Work

This paper examines the historical phases of Finnish forest planning from the 1960s to the present day in support of the rational future development of forest planning for family-owned forest holdings. The ‘historical types’ of work—craft work, mass production, process enhancement, and mass customization have been recognized in the Finnish planning discourse to date. Indications of mass customization are typical in the present developmental discussion of forest planning. There are some signals in the current planning debate that are calling for the next activity principle, co-configuration. A forthcoming type of forestry extension activity, labelled adaptive planning, is described in this paper to explicate the demands imposed by a future planning system. The present analysis informs also other contexts outside of Finland, where public and private institutions that support family forest owners face post-industrial challenges.

Developing hybrid SWOT methodologies for choosing joint bioeconomy co-operation priorities by three Finnish universities

ABSTRACT The aims of this study were two-fold: to provide decision aid for a practical bioeconomy research, development and innovation (RDI) and education challenge, and to elaborate hybrid strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats (SWOT) methodologies for providing tangible suggestions as to strategic choices to alleviate the challenge. Scientifically, the new methodology developed is the main result of the study, as it can be used for other strategy processes as well, while the case-wise strategic choices may not be generalized. A hybrid method was developed based on the combined use of SWOT that was enlarged by goals and actions, social choice theory and robust portfolio modelling (RPM). The method was applied to deriving joint strategic choices for developing forest bioeconomy education and RDI together by three universities in eastern Finland. A joint brainstorming process was organized in order to choose together the means to develop the co-operation efficiently and in a manner acceptable for all the universities. Voting methods and the core value calculation of RPM were used for prioritizing elements in normal SWOT, goals and actions. The most prioritized elements formed the basis for the co-operation development portfolio. The method development suggestions include, for example, a recommendation to prefer approval voting over cumulative voting in the workshop setting.