In light of the coming workforce shortage in Sweden the competition for human capital will be intensified on the market where employers compete in order to attract skilled labor. The competition will be most noticeable in the knowledge-intense industries, where the employees are seen as the companies? most valuable asset. The purpose of this paper is to examine how small knowledge-intensive companies can improve their position in the labor market by using the HR-model People Capability Maturity Model in order to affect their companies' Employer Brand. We take the basis of the theoretical framework in which we examine and identify the key dimensions of the Employer Brand concept and present the People Capability Maturity Model more closely.

This paper explores a model for self-assessment of purchasing maturity in large companies. The author adapts contemporary purchasing theory and further enhances existing tools and procedures to create a survey based instrument for maturity measurementThe paper also explores potential methodological challenges associated with conducting a more extensive study of purchasing maturity via the proposed model. A preliminary study is made and the learnings discussed.The preliminary findings of the survey indicate that the purchasing maturity varies with industry. The purchasing function average score was found to be 3,4 out of 6 with samples spread across the whole spectra ? agreeing with previous theories stating that the purchasing maturity is highly varied between different industries..

Purpose: The purpose of this master thesis is to investigate how a pricing capability can be developed on a general as well as on a practical level in an industrial company working on the international business-to-business market. Methodology: We have conducted a case study of the work on pricing at Triton. After mapping the events we have evaluated the results. We have conducted interviews with people with information concerning Tritons work in the Pricing area. Theoretical perspectives: The theory includes organization and structure, pricing for the market with emphasis on transactions and theories on how to understand the customer.

Purpose - To analyze the relationship between supply chain management maturity, supply chain performance and financial performance in small and medium-sized enterprises (SME:s).Design/methodology/approach - The data comprises 15 SME:s that participated in a local logistic study in Gävleborgs län. The levels of supply chain mature within these firms were based upon an interview study and the financial performance of the firms was then examined using financial reports-based data.Findings -The results of this study indicate that there is a strong relationship between SCM maturity and SC performance in SMEs, some relationships between SCM maturity and financial performance, as well as some relationships between SC performance and financial performance. This means that if firms use maturity indicators in the SCOR areas to improve their processes, they will most likely achieve a positive effect on supply chain performance and probably also on financial performance. The result implies that the supply chain maturities in these firms are higher than expected with no one at the adHoc level.While this study is based on a rather small number of participating firms, it would be valuable to further test the significance of the indicated correlations between SCM maturity and performance in a large-scale survey.Research limitations/Implications - The research is an attempt to understand supply chain maturity and it´s implication on financial performance. Developing supply chain maturity is an opportunity for a company to gain superior performance.

The purpose of this thesis is to try to understand, with the help of existing theories and empirical findings, the parameters which are of importance in the development of the pricing capability. We have used a qualitative and abductive methodology approach. The empirical findings have been collected via semi-structured interviews which we have conducted via personal and telephone interviews. Seeing pricing as a capability within the company our theoretical framework mainly consists of the resource-based view and an article explaining and given proof how pricing can be seen as a capability. We also describe the most used pricing strategy today within business-to-business companies, the cost plus strategy.

Lars Höglund AB is one of Scandinavia?s most qualified manufacturers of sheet metal products and provides custom designed products of very detailed precision. One of the main methods of manufacturing is laser cutting. When Lars Höglund AB signed up a new customer, with high demands in tolerances for the products, Lars Höglund AB thought it would be necessary to know the capability of the laser cutting machine. Also the process of how to retrieve this capability was interesting. The capability will be researched for the following elements: Cutting right angles in squares with a corner radius of 1 mmCutting corners which are not right angleCutting of circles with constant radius Measurements were made on 150 pieces of sheet metal details, which had been cut out by the machine.  The data from the measurements where later used to study the capability.

The purpose with this report is to highlight the value which Enterprise Architecture (EA) can bring,including the effects that can emerge, for a business. In the report we also study how Enterprise Architecturemay serve as basis for generating even more business value. The study is based on a theoretical frameworkwhich covers the following perspectives; architecture design, strategy development, management of changeand evaluation of IT-investments. Gathering and analysis of empirical data has been performed using acustom-developed model which is based on a model from Sogeti called Dynamic Architecture (van DenBerg and van Steenbergen, 2006) and Innovation Value Institute?s maturity curve (Innovation ValueInstitute, 2008) for Enterprise Architecture management.Explaining the value of Enterprise Architecture is invariably an important topic since many organizationsexpect to be able to generate quick value of the investments made in Enterprise Architecture.

Background: Today businesses are largely structured in projects and temporary organizations. In many companies, the ability to pursue projects is decisive for the business efficiency and competitiveness. The risk literature do not discuss identification and handling ofproject risk in building- and construction companies to a large extent, which has led us to investigate how project risk can be treated and handled in Swedish building- and construction companies. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to cover and describe business risk in Swedish building- and construction projects with focus on different risks and risk tools, and also to modify a model for evaluating the business risk maturity. Realization: This thesis has both traces of a case study and a cross-section study and examines eight different companies that are active in the building- and construction business.

Our purpose was to shed light on how parents act in respect of providing alcohol to young people when they ask for a taste of home, or wish to bring alcohol to such a party. We used qualitative interviews and the results show that some of the respondents think that it may be acceptable to provide alcohol, while some do not. The results also show that the respondents think that parents are important as a model for the young. They could not purchase alcohol for the purpose of giving it to the young but only if alcohol is available at home. The reason for this behavior is the parents' assessment that the young person demonstrates a level of maturity for his age that they are presumed to be able to handle a small amount of alcohol.

Swedish Armed Forces are according to their development planning process taking actions to establish a new joint unit (SWEWOSE), with electronic warfare capability. SWEWOSÉ S main task will be designated to produce electronic warfare libraries for electronic warfare systems within the armed forces. The unit shall have capability to support with libraries in any state of conflict situation even if the supported unit with library needs conducting operations abroad.This essay examines the requirements that justify the establishment of a new unit in times when the armed forces conducting reorganizations and cutbacks in both economy and personnel.The possibilities to buy complete system solutions from an external supplier are examined. But also what kind of library support model that is to prefer according to the demands that the Swedish Armed Forces desired, in terms of capability in platform protection and battle space awareness.The results show that the demands that the Swedish Armed Forces has decided, best will be ful-filled and justified by a national electronic warfare unit, with library production as a main task..

This study examines if the prediction of cardiovascular disease in hypertensive patients can be improved upon when renal function and microalbuminuria are added to the classical risk factors The predictive capability of a model is measured by discrimination, calibration, reclassification and Harrell's C.The results are ambigious. In most cases, microalbuminuria should be included in the model, but the results regarding the other measures of renal function are varied. Therefore, the selection of risk factors to include in the model depends on which measure of prediction one prioritizes..

The high feeding value of red clover makes it into an important species in Swedish agriculture. There are three different maturity types grown in Sweden, early, medium late and late. The time for heading, regrowth and winter hardiness is affected by the maturity type, but there can also be other factors that are affected by the maturity type, for instance fiber content. In a greenhouse experiment three red clover varieties of different maturity types were compared; early Titus, middle late SW Nancy and late SW Torun. The features compared were fiber content and differences in development rates.

In this report a new gear concept is evaluated using the magnetic finite element method (FEM)software MagNet and Ansys as well as the mechanical FEM software Abaqus. The gear conceptis evaluated in terms of maximum torque capability, torsional stiffness, gear ratio and efficiency.ABB Corporate Research has proposed a new gear concept which should be less expensive thangearboxes used today. The new concept is called aMagnetic Harmonic Traction Drive and usesthe principles of a harmonic drive gear to achieve a high reduction ratio. The gear conceptreplaces the wave generator used in traditional harmonic drives with magnets and uses tractioninstead of gear teeth to transfer the torque. The main components in the gearbox are the magnets,the flexspline, the magnetic portion and the circular spline.

Evaluating and choosing suppliers based on price alone, has traditionally been the dominant strategy for supplier selection within the purchasing function. With the origin of the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)-concept in the early 1990s, a new philosophy dawned that promoted the importance of knowing the effects of supplier performance on the buying firm?s internal costs. Since then, scholars have been arguing the case of TCO as a viable model for making purchasing decisions and conducting supplier evaluation. Still, after two decades little is known about its penetration and impact on the practices of buying corporations, leaving the questions of which costs are included in the purchasing organisations? decisions unanswered, and even more importantly why certain costs are considered and others not.

The aim of this Master?s thesis is to investigate the library habits of young people, age 15 to 24. Our empirical data are gathered in a survey distributed to 104 young men and women at three different public libraries. The questions are about how young people use the public library, what media and services they use and whether or not they are content with what the public library can offer them. In our analysis we have compared our results to previous research and used a model by Marianne Andersson and Dorte Skot-Hansen to determine how they use the library.