Cyclicality in the Finnish and Swedish sawmill industry, 1970–2000

Abstract

The overall purpose of the article is to analyze cyclicality in sawmills in Finland and Sweden during 1970–2000. We focus on providing answers to two research questions. Firstly, what kind of business cycles, in terms of key economic indicators, has the sawmill industry experienced during 1970–2000? Secondly, what kind of structures and processes have typically caused, enhanced and upheld cyclicality in the Nordic sawmill industry?

The first question is answered by providing historical data on the following market-related economic indicators: the cyclicality of prices, demand, and production levels. Our answers to the second question are based primarily based on our interviews with key managers in several Finnish and Swedish companies in the sawmill industry. We have divided structures and processes underlying cyclicality into what we call operational structures and behavioural regularities. By operational structures, we mean the more objective circumstances, even physical objects. By behavioural regularities, we mean the more subjective patterns of behaviour that are typical for managers in the industry due to their cognitions of the typical industry logic or ‘recipe’.