Browsing by Subject "communication"

The aim of this thesis is to examine how the unity of the European Union (EU) is constructed in the Finnish media during a crisis, the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and whether there are distinctive changes in the media portrayal during the analysis period. The present research also aims to point out any frequently occurring features in the data and consider how the portrayal of the EU in the Finnish media builds and shapes its audiences’ perceptions of the EU and its unity in a crisis context. The material of the thesis consists of 58 news articles from YLE and Helsingin Sanomat (HS) covering the ongoing 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Utilising keywords in Finnish, the data was collected from the official websites of YLE and HS using search engines provided by the news outlets. As the methodology of this thesis, qualitative content analysis is utilised. By applying qualitative content analysis, the present study is conducted in a material-oriented way, and it includes systematic close reading of the material in which the identification of key themes and patterns, i.e., coding, is of essence. The results show that during the analysis period, the media portrayal of the EU and its unity was predominantly positive in nature. According to the analysis, the EU was depicted as exceptionally and historically united, but also capable of making decisions in complex circumstances. In addition, the unity of the EU was portrayed in the media as surprising in light of previous crises. However, both YLE and HS were found to be mostly following the national and European elite’s interpretations of the crisis, and ultimately refrained from presenting contradicting views to their audiences. All in all, the present study contributes to the deeper understanding of not only the EU but also, the role of the media, specifically in crisis situations.

Packaging is a part of an integrated food system, where actors are linked through value chains. This research aimed to identify collaboration amongst the primary external stakeholders of the fiber based packaging value chain of CH-Polymers Oy, and to understand the decision making regarding supplier and material selection. This research was conducted as a qualitative case study that explored the experiences of 6 companies. Semi-structured interviews were conducted as the main data collection method. The data collected from the interviews was analyzed using thematic analysis method. The findings showed that stakeholders were dependent on each other, shared mutual goals and understood the benefits and necessity of collaboration. Succeeding in packaging development was found to be the main purpose of collaboration. Even though collaboration functioned well with closest stakeholders, the lack of resources and time limited collaboration with other stakeholders. Lack of supplier and customer involvement in the early stages of packaging development were found to cause challenges and uncertainties. Also, product development projects were often started with former partners. The value chain criteria guided the development of new packaging and the decisions regarding material and supplier selection. However, quality, price and available processing equipment created limitations in adopting new technology. This study raised the importance of integrating the entire value chain during packaging development, and the importance of engaging the suppliers and customers early in the packaging development process. However, the significance of internal collaboration during packaging development should be highlighted and studied further especially regarding sustainable new product development.