Browsing by Subject "perceptions"

The construction industry together with the use of buildings generates a significant amount of the European Union’s greenhouse gas emissions and uses vast amounts of energy, materials and water. Increasing wooden multistory construction (WMC) could be a way to enhance the sustainability of the construction sector, since studies have shown that the lifecycle carbon dioxide emissions and energy-use are smaller in wood-framed buildings than in corresponding buildings built with concrete. Several national and multinational authorities have set targets for increasing the share of wood in construction to decrease the environmental impact of the construction sector, but the share of WMC has increased rather slowly despite the political support. According to previous research, the reasons for the slow growth of the industry include for example path dependencies of the construction sector (i.e. that past events affect future decisions and events), attitudes and lack of knowledge. This thesis aims at increasing the knowledge of the profitability of WMC by finding out the perceptions of WMC experts on the current cost level in WMC, discovering factors that affect the profitability and market share of WMC and finding ways to enhance the profitability of WMC. This study is qualitative and was conducted using semi-structured theme interviews. Six professionals of the WMC industry were selected using purposive sampling and interviewed in 2017. The main criterion in the selection process was that the interviewees are in a decision-making, senior level position in their company and have prior experience about WMC. The results of this study indicate that WMC is currently more expensive than building with concrete. According to the results, the main causes for the higher costs are lack of knowledge, low number of actors, costs caused by planning and difficulties in tendering. However, WMC industry professionals believe that the profitability of WMC will increase in the future and that the market share of WMC will grow. Based on the results, the best ways to increase the profitability of WMC are learning from repeated projects, product development, utilizing industrial construction, cooperation with other companies and open dialogue with public administration. Furthermore, the professionals emphasized that wood should become a genuinely competitive construction material and that wooden construction’s competitive advantage should not be dependent on support from politicians, municipalities or city planning.

The operation environment in the roundwood trade in Finland in the 1990’s include several changes. They are changes in the structure of non-industrial private forest (NIPF) ownership, forest taxation, in forest legislation, in price recommendation agreement, diminishing resources of forestry extension services, etc. At the same time, the roundwood demand has been rising. All these developments cause uncertainty in wood procurement organisations, and call for research to find out how to adapt into the changing environment. The objective of this study is to produce information for roundwood purchasing planning and cus-tomer satisfaction management to be used by Stora Enso Metsä Customer Service, Helsinki. For this pur-pose, data needs to be gathered about the urban NIPFs and their forest estates, behaviour related to forestry and timber-selling, customer satisfaction in their latest timber selling transaction, and their opinions about Enso’s new customer service office and its service concept. To fulfil the objective of the study, a NIPF -owner -survey (N=1064, response rate 39,7%) was con-ducted in October 1998-January 1999. The sample was made on the basis of the marketing database of Stora Enso Oyj Forest Customer Service in Helsinki. In planning the frame of reference of the empirical study, the model of service quality by Grönroos was applied. The following aspects were included in the 7-page questionnaire: demographic, sosio-economic and forest estate background, relation to the forest service supply, behaviour related to forestry, timber-selling motives and behaviour, last contact organisation and its image in forestry business, expectations and percep-tions in the latest timber-selling transactions, and behavioural intentions. The results revealed that the share of women, pensioners and academically educated people among forest owners was quite high. The majority of the forest estates of the metropolitan forest owners were situ-ated in the provinces of South Finland and East Finland. The average forest estate area was considerably smaller than in a previous study. Economic and recreational objectives were most important in the use of forests. Forest Associations were involved in half of the roundwood sales transactions of the respondents in the metropolitan area. The wood quantity of transactions was considerably higher than the average in the whole country. Bank-organised forest-related activities, taxation infos and trips to the forest were the most popular activities. Among the services, silvicultural advices were needed mostly and stub treatment least. Brochure material related to stumpage timber sales and taxation were considered most important compared to material related to delivery sales. The service expectations were at highest for women and they were less satisfied with the service than men. 2nd and 3rd generation residents of the metropolitan area thought about the new customer service concept more positively than the 1st generation residents. Internet users under 60 years thought more positively about new satellite picture-based woodlot search concept. Cross-tabulation of factor scores against background variables indicated that women with relatively low education level a greater need to sell roundwood than entrepreneurs, white-collar workers and directors, and Internet users. Suspiciousness towards timber procurement organisations was relatively strong among women and those whose forest income share of the total income was either null or over 20 %. The average customer satisfaction score was negative in all nine questions. Statistical differences be-tween different companies did not exist in the average satisfaction scores. Stora Enso’s Helsinki forest cus-tomer service could choose the ability to purchase all timber grades as its competitive advantage. Out of nine service dimension included in the questionnaire, in this particular service dimension, Enso’s Helsinki forest customer service’s score exceeded most all organisations’ average customer satisfaction score. On the basis of importance – performance matrix, advice and quidance could have been provided more to the forest owners in their latest timber–selling transaction.