Maaria Nuutinen

Core task analysis in accident investigation: analysis of maritime accidents in piloting situations

This article discusses the difficulties in utilising accident analysis as the basis for the development of complex socio-technical systems, and how to improve accident analysis to better meet such aims. It focuses on two themes: accident models and experts’ involvement in accident investigation. The article describes the development of a new core task analysis-based method for accident analysis. It also elaborates on the method by presenting summarising results of an investigation in which several maritime accidents were first analysed case-by-case, followed by a comparative analysis and a synthesis. The latter phases aimed at providing evident-based generic explanations for the accidents. The accidents occurred in Finnish coastal waters during sea or canal piloting between 1997 and 2000. The authors participated in both phases of the investigation for which the Finnish Accident Investigation Board was responsible. The presented method is argued to promote solutions to two current problems in accident investigation: generalisation from the results, and integration of the experts’ work.

Towards service‐oriented organisational culture in manufacturing companies

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to bring new insight into the barriers of service business development in installed base manufacturing companies by studying the transformation from an organisational culture perspective. It proposes a new framework that can be used both in studying the transition and in supporting the change within an organisation.Design/methodology/approach – A case study‐based approach was applied together with conceptual work based on literature in order to construct the framework. The study was carried out in two manufacturing companies and the framework was tested on four other occasions. The data collection methods included interviews, organisational culture surveys and workshops.Findings – The paper provides a service culture and capability framework with tentative descriptions of transformations in the basic elements needed to facilitate the significant progress of a service business. It also gives empirical examples of how the transformation can manifest itself in organisat...

Enhancing service innovation in a business-to-business context

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to develop a theoretically and empirically grounded interdisciplinary framework for understanding service innovation in a business-to-business (b-to-b) context, particularly from the perspective of the small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME). Design/methodology/approach – This study used an abductive research process, supported by theoretical insights from a literature review, and empirical evidence from a multiple-case study. Six SME case companies were all transforming towards service logic. The empirical data consists of semi-structured interviews with the case companies and their business customers, workshops and business documents. Findings – The study identified four critical service logic-related perspectives in service innovation in a b-to-b context, and related key questions: How is potential for new service business recognised? How is freedom of action perceived? What kinds of strategies are plausible? What are the reasons, objectives and support for the...

Expert Identity construct in analysing prerequisites for expertise development: a case study of nuclear power plant operators’ on-the-job training

This article discusses how shifting the focus of research to the emotional side of human actions and cognition could create new perspectives on the problem of how to support the human operator in the control of rare disturbances. A new construct, Expert Identity, is described. A qualitative study of the specific problems with changing the operator generation at a nuclear power plant is presented. The results indicate that the current identity of the trainees is more or less still one of the trainees. The conceived demands of operator work and the perceived learning opportunities are characterised by a dichotomy: disturbances or other exceptional situations emerge as different from daily work. The key challenge and motive for the trainees in the development of expertise is to achieve not only an adequate degree of competence but also to construct confidence in being able to cope with potential disturbance situations.

Seeking New Ways of Innovating in Industry-Research Collaboration Practice

This chapter sheds light on the dynamics of innovation activity and its prerequisites for industry-research collaboration practice. It focuses on a particular intentional attempt to change the prerequisites of innovations. This new kind of research programme aimed to improve the competitiveness of the Finnish metals and engineering industry through enhancing innovations and industrial renewal. Three theoretical lenses were used in reflecting collaboration practice and learning in the programme. Two examples of changes in collaboration activity were presented and analysed within the broader context of the programme. The findings present how the characteristics of the programme and its management practices seemed to construct favourable conditions for co-innovating. The interpretations were founded on the reflections made by the four persons in charge of leading the programme. The chapter is concluded by summing up the results in terms of insight gained, as well as a general framework that aims to support practical efforts to create better prerequisites and conditions for industry-research collaboration in innovation activity.

Schools of Innovation Thought

This chapter aims to start a debate about the underlying assumptions of innovation schools (research traditions) in which various frameworks and models have been developed. By identifying the social science research dimensions in innovation studies, we highlight three schools of innovation thought: (1) linear and planned, (2) iterative and interactive, and (3) practice based. A common perspective emerges within each school with regard to how scholars recognize themselves as a research community (sociological) and set meanings and purposes in focusing on social phenomena (teleological) according to specific beliefs about the nature and the structure of these phenomena (ontological) that in turn influence the knowledge scholars can obtain about them (epistemological). The overall process of grasping social reality is affected by researchers’ values and axiological skills (ethical). Our main claims are that we should be more aware of the epistemological and ontological assumptions of our research, and we should make those assumptions more explicit. In these ways, we cannot only recognize limitations but also be confident when various stances are working “well enough” for practical purposes. Such knowledge creates paths toward new innovation frameworks that reflect the complexity of innovation phenomena and create better conditions for innovation theorizing.

UX Expeditions in Business-to-Business Heavy Industry: Lessons Learned

Traditionally, user experience research has focused on consumer products, and there is little research on the role of experience design in business-to-business industry. This paper shortly reports the lessons learned on introducing experience design to Finnish metals and engineering industry during a 5-year research programme. It proved important to prepare the organization to the experience thinking, to give practical means to designing for experiences, to provide distinctive experiences in all touchpoints, and to widely advertise the benefits of experience-driven design. Investing in experiences ultimately pays off by enhanced competitive advantage. We call for more research on experience design in this domain by suggesting research topics for the future.

Development of Industrial Internet-Related Asset Management Services with Customers

An increasing number of product and service providers aim to gain a competitive advantage through new services enabled by the Industrial Internet. In order to develop and successfully provide Industrial Internet-related services, a company needs to build up related capabilities and construct a strong value proposition in line with real customer needs. This customer and service perspective of the Industrial Internet has so far been rather little studied. Supporting conceptual tools are required. The development of the services relies on how well customers’ business and production environments and management of assets are understood, and therefore this paper proposes a framework that creates necessary new knowledge for the development of new Industrial Internet-related services.