JultikaUniversity of Oulu repository

Abstract

In this thesis, I focused on sustainable technology development and services, and how they are understood by Finnish university students in modern society. Students discussed sustainable development in technology and services, in the public system, and private sector, and used the EUs green targets as a base for it. The thesis is focusing to analyze the digital technology development inside the European market areas and takes into account the cultural, economic, and geographical aspects about the topic. The reason for writing this thesis is understanding the values of digital product users’ backgrounds, habits, and values, because these have become an important part of sustainable change strategies and sustainable technology development. For this, I am conducting Nexus Analysis, which leads our focus to three main topics: discourses in place, historical body, and interaction order, to support a deeper understanding of students’ actions and decisions.

I am taking the discourses of Finnish students, future developers, into analysis on sustainable change of technology development, and also what kind of values the student discourses contain, and what kind of methods and features should be remembered in digital technology development when trying to change those values and behavior. This scientific work includes familiarizing with previous research made on the topic, analysis of 163 student essays with quantitative data analysis, as well as qualitative nexus analysis where the focus is on discourses in place, historical body, and interaction order. Quantitative data gave me an overall understanding of favored topics and opinions by the students and nexus analysis provided me a deeper understanding of these student opinions and actions. This thesis is made as a collaboration with INTERACT research group which provided me the students’ essay materials for the analysis.

As a result, I provided guidelines and important factors for behavioral and background analysis, but also, what kind of values are respected by students in the sustainable change. The most highlighted aspects to remember in the future development were focusing on transparency in organization processes, respecting local habits and interests when making marketing strategies, and also what kind of features are respected by the current university students studying in the information and communication (ICT) field. Another view is taken from employers, when sustainability is wanted to be a part of the company’s strategy and what features need to be remembered to improve the sustainability change efficiency in highly competitive markets. These values and factors should be remembered when designing new sustainable products and trying to gain the most efficient change strategies, also in marketing and consumer communication sectors.

In conclusion, I provided two list as guidelines for supporting companies and organizations for more efficient sustainability development strategies. It includes topics that need to be discovered before development, what features need to be assimilated into product development, and also, what kind of values are respected by the people depending on the market area location. These matters will not guarantee success but will be most likely to gain more attention and interest in local markets where the product or change is targeted. This information can be used by organization employers in their processes or researchers in further analysis and research about sustainability changes and strategies, as a regional strategy guideline or targeted sustainable technology development guideline.