Difference between revisions of "Hyvä Veli (Finland)"

Unlike the UK or USA, where ‘Old Boy’ networks (see this volume) exist based on being a member of the alumni of a prestigious school or college, Finland is a country with low social inequalities and does not have ‘elite’ universities. The quality of education is high and it is free of charge, therefore ''Hyvä Veli'' networks are not directly analogous with  ‘Old Boy’ networks.  ''Hyvä Veli'' networks are characterised as a phenomenon that occurs in a large number of diverse social circles. It is possible for ''Hyvä Veli'' networks to be established within many environments and groups; examples include ''Hyvä Veli'' networks within rotary groups, associations, ‘niche’ sports clubs, business networks, religious groups, minorities and the military.

Unlike the UK or USA, where ‘Old Boy’ networks (see this volume) exist based on being a member of the alumni of a prestigious school or college, Finland is a country with low social inequalities and does not have ‘elite’ universities. The quality of education is high and it is free of charge, therefore ''Hyvä Veli'' networks are not directly analogous with  ‘Old Boy’ networks.  ''Hyvä Veli'' networks are characterised as a phenomenon that occurs in a large number of diverse social circles. It is possible for ''Hyvä Veli'' networks to be established within many environments and groups; examples include ''Hyvä Veli'' networks within rotary groups, associations, ‘niche’ sports clubs, business networks, religious groups, minorities and the military.

Although ''Hyvä Veli'' networks have been recognised as harmful to the Finnish society and economy by scholars, the government, and the EU, there is no evidence of its impact in monetary value or value ‘in kind’. Literature on the issue is also very limited. Finnish investigative media has been active in recent time and has identified numerous deals characterised by favouritism and brought them to the attention of the public (Salminen and Mäntysalo, 2013<ref>Salminen, A. and Mäntysalo, V. (2013). Epäeettisestä Tuomittavaan: korruptio ja hyvä veli -verkostot Suomessa. Vaasan Yliopiston Julkaisuja Selvityksiä ja Raportteja. Vol. 182.</ref>). Nevertheless, a study by Tuominen (2012)<ref>Tuominen, T. (2012). Tokihan Tää Suomi on Hyvä Veli-maa Vielä. Paikallislehtien päätoimittajien näkemyksiä lehteen kohdistuvista vaikutusyrityksistä.. Tampereen Yliopisto</ref> on the local media of the Tampere region of Finland showed that there was evidence of constant external and internal attempts to influence the content of publications when there was a perceived threat of ‘''Hyvä Veli'' arrangements being made public. The study found that some Editors were members of ''Hyvä Veli'' networks, and therefore were compromised by having strong interpersonal ties with other group members (Tuominen, 2012<ref>Tuominen, T. (2012). Tokihan Tää Suomi on Hyvä Veli-maa Vielä. Paikallislehtien päätoimittajien näkemyksiä lehteen kohdistuvista vaikutusyrityksistä.. Tampereen Yliopisto</ref>), which prejudiced their ability to report proceedings openly and without bias. ''Hyvä Veli'' networks are generally dominated by men, as is the case in ‘Old Boy’ networks in the UK, as well as Amukudari networks in Japan. This may change in the future as a result of the appointment of an increasing number of women to managerial positions, as well as the establishment of rival ‘female networks’. ''Hyvä Veli'' networks are unlikely to disappear from Finnish society anytime soon, however public awareness is increasing regarding the potential negative effects of such networks.

Although ''Hyvä Veli'' networks have been recognised as harmful to the Finnish society and economy by scholars, the government, and the EU, there is no evidence of its impact in monetary value or value ‘in kind’. Literature on the issue is also very limited. Finnish investigative media has been active in recent time and has identified numerous deals characterised by favouritism and brought them to the attention of the public (Salminen and Mäntysalo, 2013<ref>Salminen, A. and Mäntysalo, V. (2013). Epäeettisestä Tuomittavaan: korruptio ja hyvä veli -verkostot Suomessa. Vaasan Yliopiston Julkaisuja Selvityksiä ja Raportteja. Vol. 182.</ref>). Nevertheless, a study by Tuominen (2012)<ref>Tuominen, T. (2012). Tokihan Tää Suomi on Hyvä Veli-maa Vielä. Paikallislehtien päätoimittajien näkemyksiä lehteen kohdistuvista vaikutusyrityksistä.. Tampereen Yliopisto</ref> on the local media of the Tampere region of Finland showed that there was evidence of constant external and internal attempts to influence the content of publications when there was a perceived threat of ‘''Hyvä Veli'' arrangements being made public. The study found that some Editors were members of ''Hyvä Veli'' networks, and therefore were compromised by having strong interpersonal ties with other group members (Tuominen, 2012<ref>Tuominen, T. (2012). Tokihan Tää Suomi on Hyvä Veli-maa Vielä. Paikallislehtien päätoimittajien näkemyksiä lehteen kohdistuvista vaikutusyrityksistä.. Tampereen Yliopisto</ref>), which prejudiced their ability to report proceedings openly and without bias. ''Hyvä Veli'' networks are generally dominated by men, as is the case in ‘Old Boy’ networks in the UK, as well as Amukudari networks in Japan. This may change in the future as a result of the appointment of an increasing number of women to managerial positions, as well as the establishment of rival ‘female networks’. ''Hyvä Veli'' networks are unlikely to disappear from Finnish society anytime soon, however public awareness is increasing regarding the potential negative effects of such networks.