Tampere University of Applied Sciences

This paper presents qualitative validation of a sustainability procurement model, concludes about companies’ different maturity levels in pursuing and reporting sustainability and suggests that in the future, SMEs should take advantage of digitalization to improve the possibilities for collecting data for calculation and reducing emissions, e.g., in the framework of industry 4.0 / 5.0. The research paper studies how Finnish manufacturing SMEs (N = 8) respond to the requirements of current and tightening sustainability regulations with special focus on procurement practices and guidelines. The methodology consists of self-assessment of companies (N = 8, pre-questionnaire), semi-structured interviews (N = 8), and thematic analysis of the qualitive data. The study revealed that sustainability guidelines for procurement are not commonly used, and sustainability is not a priority procurement criterion. This was found when current practices and guidelines of the companies were compared in interviews to a literature-based six-phase ideal model of a sustainable procurement process. The most important driver for sustainability and CSRD Scope reporting is requirements by owner or client, and it was also the best recognized regulation. The main barrier in SMEs in voluntary reporting or ambitious calculation of emissions is lack of resources although pursuing sustainability is seen valuable.

Palveluohjauksella on merkittävä asema muuttuvassa sosiaali- ja terveydenhuollon palvelujärjestelmässä (myöh. sote-palvelut), joka on pitkälti määrittynyt paikallisesti ja tilallisesti uudelleen hyvinvointialueiden aloitettua toimintansa vuonna 2023. Tutkimukset osoittavat, että ikääntyneiden palvelupolut ovat vaihtelevia ja alueellisesti palvelujärjestelmien käytännöt eivät ole yhdenmukaisia (ks. mm. Sinkkonen & Vasara, 2025; Sinkkonen ym., 2026). Ikääntyneiden ja heidän läheistensä voi olla vaikeaa hahmottaa sitä, millaista apua ja tukea on saatavilla sekä miltä tahoilta palveluita voi saada. Nämä vaikeudet ovat näkyneet myös julkisuudessa, esimerkiksi keskusteluissa päivystysjonoista. Tämä lisää entisestään painetta kehittää ikääntyneiden palvelutarpeen arviointia ja palveluja sekä palveluohjausta siten, että jokaiselle voidaan turvata tarkoituksenmukaista tukea ja hoivaa. Tämä ikääntyneiden palveluohjausta tutkiva hanke (myöh. IPO-hanke) sijoittuu sosiaalipoliittisesti merkittävään muutosvaiheeseen. Tutkimus tuottaa uutta tietoa sote-palvelujen ja sosiaalityön työmenetelmistä, niiden vaikutuksista ja asiakasturvallisista palvelukokonaisuuksista, joita voidaan hyödyntää asiakas- ja kehitystyössä sekä päätöksenteossa.

The aim of this exploratory study is to describe the basic desires of comprehensive school teachers in Finland from the perspective of Reiss' basic desires theory. Quantitative data were collected from teachers (n = 71) at nine Finnish comprehensive schools between November 2020 and spring 2021. The Reiss Motivation Profile (R) was used as a scale to measure how the individuals prioritize between their 16 basic desires. Findings show that teachers have low need for saving, independence, power, social contact, and curiosity. In contrast, family is a high-intensity motive, indicating strong motivation related to family-related values and responsibilities. The results suggest that the Reiss Motivation Profile (R) can serve as an effective tool for recognizing teachers' intrinsic motives and values. In leadership, acknowledging these motives as strengths can foster teachers' enthusiasm and empower them in a sustainable way, supporting their well-being and engagement in teaching.

The rapid growth of photovoltaic (PV) systems has altered electricity market dynamics through increasing midday price depressions associated with the so-called “duck curve” phenomenon. Consequently, the economic performance of PV systems depends increasingly on the temporal alignment between production, consumption, and electricity prices. This study examines how evolving hourly electricity price profiles have influenced the economically optimal orientation of residential PV systems in Finnish detached houses. The analysis combines measured hourly electricity consumption data from 22 households with simulated PV production profiles derived from PVGIS data (2012–2023) and historical electricity prices from 2020 to 2025. PV production was simulated for system orientations ranging from 45° east to 45° west in 5° increments for four typical system sizes (3–12 kWp), and annual savings were calculated by combining hourly production, consumption, and spot price data. The results indicate a gradual eastward shift in the economically optimal orientation, particularly in 2025, reflecting increasing price differences between morning and midday hours, although the economic impact remains limited (below 0.3%).

Micro-credentials have gained increasing prominence in higher education as flexible, competence-based instruments for professional learning, lifelong learning, and responsiveness to labour market needs. While existing research has extensively examined micro-credentials at the levels of policy, system design, and learner participation, significantly less attention has been paid to how micro-credentials are experienced pedagogically by academic staff themselves. Little is known about how institutionally embedded quality practices, including criteria-based quality systems such as digital open badge (DOB) frameworks, function as academic staff competence development within higher education. This qualitative study addresses this gap by examining DOBs as micro-credentials for pedagogical competence development and exploring the learning experiences they generate for academic staff at a university of applied sciences. The data (n = 35) were collected in 2024 from academic staff who had completed an institution-specific pedagogical development programme and earned DOBs aligned with the European approach to micro-credentials. The data were analysed using inductive content analysis. The findings identify four qualitatively different learning experiences: (1) learning together through collegial discussion and shared reflection, (2) learning ‘something’ in a limited or confirmatory manner, (3) individual learning focused on organising and validating existing competence, and (4) experiences of non-learning, characterised by perceived irrelevance or resistance. The results highlight a central tension: although the DOBs were underpinned by transparent, competence-based criteria, documented learning outcomes, and internal quality assurance processes, they did not consistently translate into meaningful learning for all participants. The study contributes to scholarly debates on micro-credentials, professional competence development, and quality in higher education by demonstrating that quality assurance arrangements support trust, consistency, and comparability at the system level, but do not in themselves guarantee pedagogically meaningful learning experiences. By foregrounding academic staff learning experiences, including ambivalence and non-learning, the article offers empirically grounded insights into how ‘quality in the small’ is lived and contested in practice, with implications for the design, implementation, and evaluation of micro-credentials in higher education.