Composition of the consortium and division of labour
The research team consists of 7 persons. Professor Hannu Schadewitz (TSE), researcher in charge of the joint consortium; Assistant Professor Markku Vieru (UO); Associate Professor Yuan Ding (CEIBS); Ph.D. Janne Peltoniemi (UO); Ph.D. candidate Antti Fredriksson (TSE); Ph.D. candidate Antti Pitkänen (TSE), and Ph.D. candidate Henry Jarva (UO). The research profiles of senior researchers (Ding, Schadewitz, Vieru) complement each others well. Ding, Schadewitz, and Vieru have published actively in the academic refereed journals in the area of their expertise. In addition, the research of three Ph.D. candidates fits with the professional expertise of the senior researchers in the team.
Professor Schadewitz has specialized in firm-to-else business communication in domestic and foreign business environments. Assistant Professor Vieru has specialized in behavioural finance and emerging markets. Associate Professor Ding’s current research is focused on intangibles, international accounting harmonization, earnings management, corporate governance issues, and accounting reform in China. In the year 2005 he achieved his French national doctoral tutorship qualification. Schadewitz is in charge of the joint consortium and of the related TSE project. Vieru is in charge of the University of Oulu project. Ding has a strong background regarding international accounting issues and therefore he contributes especially to the international dimension of the consortium.
Regarding the division of labour we are following the relative superiority principle. Those who have the best understanding and know-how regarding some special issues in the agenda will be responsible for that. Theoretical foundations are jointly conformed. The consortium FINNON comprises seven subprojects. Two subprojects deal with the dissemination of non-financial information and four subprojects deal with the use of non-financial information. Theoretical foundations are jointly conformed. Regarding the data collection, the TSE and UO team members will collect the Finnish data and the CEIBS team member will collect the Chinese and French data. The collection of Baltic data will be done by the TSE and UO team members and/or stock exchange personnel in those stock exchanges.
Value added consortium is expected to generate
The subprojects are closely related to the interests of the post doctorate researcher and three Ph.D. candidates. The subprojects are selected so that they should create synergies for the whole consortium. The consortium should tighten the already existing co-operation between all the team members and add also new links outside the consortium. In practise this co-operation means site visits in order to strengthen the academic international network. The Ph.D. projects overlap each other and therefore the network should be mutually beneficial for all Ph.D. candidates. All the consortium members are encouraged to publish their works in scientific, refereed journals. The more experienced members are, among other things, committed to guiding the Ph.D. candidates in the dissemination of their results.