Browsing by Author "Välimäki, Suvi"

The goal of the Helsinki City Strategy for years 2017–2021 has been to make Helsinki the most functional city in the world. Strategy of functionality aim to improve economic attractiveness and competitiveness in Helsinki as one of its main objectives. In academic literature, regional competitiveness is connected to a wide range of different factors. However, common for many theories is an underlying idea of companies benefitting from functioning as part of a wider regional system. These benefits may relate a to better availability of labour and other specialized inputs but above all, to companies being able to make use of the knowledge located in the region. Company’s ability to utilize knowledge is linked especially to developing innovations that improve production. For cities, motivation to improve competitiveness lies in questions of employment and welfare. It can be linked to a development in which globalization and post industrialization have together led to a situation, where cities are considered to be competing on resources. This development can also be seen in a change in the role of city governments. In so called entrepreneurial cities, governments function as active agents aiming to mould cities into favourable platforms for entrepreneurship. However, despite the fact that companies are located in regional system they automatically do not have access into the benefits, such as knowledge. This brings importance to the networks of regional actors and to the manner of how they communicate through these networks. Academic literature gives evidence to an idea that besides examining only the dynamics between urban governments and companies, there should be research placed on how public and private actors exchange knowledge and how that interactions is experienced. The aim of this theses is to examine the interaction between a city and its entrepreneurs as one factor of a regional economic system. The knowledge gained is also hoped to benefit the city of Helsinki in developing its services. The research is done by examining the role of cities in entrepreneurship and the interaction between a city and its companies. Methodological perspective of this thesis is a case study. The case comprises the interaction that takes place in the permission and advisory services of the city of Helsinki, between the city of Helsinki and six private companies from the field of tourism and services. Helsinki City Strategy and one more economically profiled document are used to shed light to the role of urban government from the city of Helsinki point of view. Company perspective is gained from semi structured themed interviews with entrepreneurs, that have been clients of previously mentioned services of the city of Helsinki. Both documents and interviews are analysed by performing a theme analysis. From the entrepreneurship point of view, the current situation of the city of Helsinki aligns with the theory of an entrepreneurial city. Knowledge that companies need is mainly related to being able to understand what rules and structures effect their ability to function as a part of urban environment and to plan and implement ideas. Companies and the city of Helsinki share a common goal of building high quality urban environment that benefits all involved. However, there are also some identified challenges caused for example by different operating speed and difficulties in finding relevant information and knowledge. In general, knowledge accessibility appears to be one of the key factors in successful interaction between companies and the city. According to the results, knowledge accessibility is related to the ability to understand the structure of the city’s network of knowledge and actors. In addition to that, the type and quality of interaction is also considered important. How companies experience the interaction is related to how well the network is known and how fast the right people will find each other. Interaction that is defined by discussion and communication is viewed as effective and entrepreneur friendly. Based on the interviews there is evidence that effectivity of interaction might effect companies’ ability to run business and implement new ideas. To sum up, for companies good advising is considered to mean fast and clear answers, promoting to mean conversation, and enabling entrepreneurship to mean that companies are allowed to develop their businesses to meet the needs of their clientele. Hence, it seems important to remember that in addition to supporting the creation of innovation it is also important that efficient governance enables companies to implement their ideas.