0000000000441668
AUTHOR
Mika Raunio
One Size Fits All?
The creative class thesis put forward by Florida [(2002a) The Rise of the Creative Class and How it's transforming Work, Leisure, Community and Everyday Life (New York: Basic Books)] has in recent years been subject to vivid debate and criticism. This article applies the creative class thesis onto a Nordic context in order to examine whether Florida's theory proves fruitful in a context different from the US. Based on qualitative data, the paper analyses the role of people climate and business climate for the location of the creative class and firms in three different kinds of regions in four Nordic countries. The analyses demonstrate that the people climate tends to be of secondary importa…
The Best Science, The Best Science in Finnish – and English – or The Best Finnish Scientists?
Cet article traite d’une « vérité inconfortable » (un mythe), à propos de la mise en place d’une politique ainsi que des pratiques équitables en matière de gestion du personnel, dans le système éducatif supérieur d’un pays admiré pour l’égalité sociale qui le caractérise. L’étude présente une enquête participative des auteurs, qui se fonde sur leurs expériences collectives et leurs perceptions de l’intérieur d’un système qui est en train de changer rapidement. Les auteurs révèlent un certain nombre d’affirmations et de mécanismes qui ont mené à un abandon du débat sur l’égalité dans les discussions portant sur politiques éducatives. L’ironie de cette situation est que le « miracle finlandai…
The International SoleTM of Finnish Higher Eduction: A Virtual Vanishing Act
This participative inquiry critiques recent management trends in the Finnish higher education system. The six authors, presently working in three Finnish universities, focus on strategic internationalization policy to highlight the argument. Global trends in internationalization are introduced, followed by an experienced-based meta-analysis, drawing on several recent studies by the authors. This analysis points to significant challenges and blind spots that exist- well hidden- alongside the Finnish higher education system’s best features. The increasing use of ICT-based management routines are called into question with respect to higher education practices, capacity and linked societal chal…
Nordic City Regions in the Creative Class Debate—Putting the Creative Class Thesis to a Test
The Nordic countries have a quite different urban structure and social systems than the USA. Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden may then constitute a critical test of the empirical reach of Richard Florida's much cited creative class thesis beyond its empirical basis in the USA. This paper employs comparative statistics to examine the importance of the quality of place in attracting members of the creative class to Nordic city regions, and it analyses the role of the creative class for regional economic development. Florida's original study focused only on city regions with more than 100,000 inhabitants. Our statistical analyses mainly support Florida's results with regard to these larger …
Volatile Markets and Reluctant Entrepreneurs?
Winston (1999) asks how well experience with the microeconomic theory of firms and commercial markets helps in understanding the economics of higher education. “That experience and those insights will be used by trustees, politicians, administrators, lawyers, reporters and the public, as well as by economists, to understand and evaluate the behavior of colleges and universities” (Winston, 1999, p. 13). What is interesting is who is not mentioned: faculty and students. This is because Winston’s purpose is to problematize the economic analogies of student and customer, as well as faculty markets and labor markets. Winton’s purpose is now very relevant in Finland. As of 1 January 2010, the Fin…