The purpose of this study is to explore the relations between foster parents and their foster children, what kind of motivation there is behind their involvement in foster children, how they experience the commission and what good parenting mean to them. The study is including eight foster parents. They have experience of both long and short placement of foster children. The results show that all these foster families have at least one child that they have a good relationship with. It is important to know that those children either have spent many years in foster families or arrived to foster families when they were very young or as infants.

The use of streaming media such as Spotify has increased rapidly in recent years. Although the consumption side of Spotify is well established with over 10 million users, the medium might provide new unexploited opportunities as an advertising channel. The purpose of this thesis is to increase knowledge about advertising through streaming media and in particular via Spotify. To contribute to such knowledge we have conducted a case study to investigate how Spotify can be used and serve as an advertising medium for a smaller firm, Hasseludden Yasuragi, so that it may reach its target group. To examine the medial effect, a quantitative as well as a qualitative study was carried out using the ARF Model as a basic framework.

Background: Knowledge management is a concept that is considered of increasing importance in the developing knowledge society. Previous research in the area has to a large extent been based on large multinational companies. Purpose: The thesis aims to clarify how middle-sized Swedish management consultancy companies work with knowledge management. The thesis intends to use existing theories about knowledge management to explain the effect of size and area of operation on management consultancy companies? knowledge management.

This thesis aims to open the Pandora?s Box of hedge fund styles through an index-based style analysis. This information asymmetry is due to both less strict disclosure requirements and inherent nature of hedge funds. We employ a multiple unconditional linear regression model wherein 23 Swedish hedge funds are regressed on 10 style indices. In addition to the increased interest in hedge funds and their performance drivers, our unique approach with regressing return on return motivates this study.

Skyfall kan leda till stora konsekvenser för samhället, framförallt i en stad då den urbana miljön är känslig för extrema händelser. Västerås stad har tidigare drabbats av skyfall där följderna har varit kostsamma. Den senaste forskningen pekar på att intensiva regnhändelser kommer bli allt mer vanligt förekommande, därför är det intressant att undersöka vilka konsekvenser dessa regn kan leda till.En analys har gjorts med utgångspunkt från SMHI:s lågpunktskartering över Västerås. Utifrån denna kartering undersöktes vilka förorenade områden, bostadsområden, exploateringsområden, infrastruktur, vårdcentraler, skolor, nätstationer och prioriterade pumpar som ligger i lågpunktsområden. Denna jämförelse har gjorts i ArcGIS.

The essay investigates juvenile offenders experiences of the sanction ?ungdomstjänst? and how it may change attitudes towards committing criminal acts. The essay introduces qualitative interviews with four juvenile offenders, which have all executed ?ungdomstjänst?. The juveniles experiences of features that can be a part of the attitude change have been analyzed with a model of the motivation process, called ?Fyra F?, and four elements of persuading, which can affect an attitude change.

Some MNEs encounter frustration or failures when they enter a new market. The main reason is due to a lack of adaptation. There is a lack of theoretical study about the local adaptation phenomenon of Swedish MNEs in China. Most studies are at the level of experience. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to find out the dimensions subject to local adaptation and their degree for the Swedish MNEs in China.

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.

To dress in used clothes is no longer considered as unfashionable. The acceptance of thesecond hand market has increased over the years. Vintage clothing has becomefashionable because you get the opportunity to create your own individual style. Vintagehas been given status. It has become a trend.

The idea to create authentic learning situations where students are highly integrated made me want to try to develop a new method in the course Restaurant and Catering B MAKU 1208 (another field practicing cuisine). In my quest to do just the practical part as rewarding, stimulating and efficient as possible for the student, I planned for a training model with   focus on group interaction.The implementation of the model for learning was to strengthen students confidence both in themselves and in each other, stimulated to greater cooperation and it has also provided an incentive to the student's own development but not least, a growing self-confidence for many students. Several have also had an increased sense of knowing something, to have something to contribute and that their labour input actually was needed. While highlighting that further education to seek knowledge strengthens the individual's skills and consolidates and increases deeper knowledge in the professional field.In conclusion, training should be done in both individual and group basis for optimal learning process..

The purpose of this study was to explore experiences of the process of developing a homosexual identity during childhood. We wanted to examine the experiences, feelings and thoughts that young adults, identifying themselves as homosexuals, had growing up in Sweden.For the study a qualitative method was used and nine interviews were made with young adults in the ages of 18 - 30. They answered our questions about their process of developing a homosexual identity, about their friends, family and school and about the society in general. We analysed the material from the interviews using the theory of the coming-out-process as presented by mainly Månsson and Hilte (1990).The main result from the study was that there were some difficulties for our respondents to become aware of their homosexuality and reveal their homosexuality to others. Most of our respondents experienced anxiety and/or fear as they were becoming aware of their sexuality but did become conscious about their homosexuality and accepted it before turning 21 years old.

The aim of the study was to study the phenomenon of dyslexia on the basis of a literature study. I did a thorough exposition of what dyslexia is and its history and previous research in the area. Further I assumed two questions at issue which were What testimonies are there from the literature of how it is to live with dyslexia? and What learning styles are there for people with dyslexia? I have taken part of testimonies that are to be found about how it is to live with dyslexia according to the people themselves that live with it. In the second question at issue I move on to present a couple of learning styles that are used.

Syftet med studien är att undersöka huruvida det är mer eller mindre motiverande för anställda inom mjukvaruindustrin att jobba enligt agila utvecklingsmetoder än enligt traditionella utvecklingsmetoder.Undersökningen har gjorts med teoretisk utgångspunkt från motivationsskapande variabler ur de kontemporära motivationsteorierna Self Determination Theory samt Job Characteristic model.Som en ansats till att besvara frågeställningen har en kvalitativ fallstudie genomförts på företaget Kambi Sport Solutions AB. Kambi Sport Solutions AB har under de senaste åren genomfört en organisationsförändring där traditionella projektledningsmetoder ersatts av agila projektledningsmetoder.Studiens empiri visar med stöd ur motivationsteori att övergången till agila metoder signifikant påverkat individens motivation positivt. Framförallt som en följd av en högre grad av självbestämmande, kunskapsvariation, identitet i och betydelse av arbetsuppgiften, autonomi samt feedback.  .

Background: Many authors consider knowledge to be a significant source for competitive advantage. Replicating companies found their competitiveness on an ability to leverage its knowledge base by replicating its business model in new contexts, a process often referred to as the McDonalds approach. Several authors emphasize that an efficient method for knowledge transfer may increase the risk for imitation. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine in an explorative manner how strategies for replicating complex knowledge systems are employed and developed. Furthermore, our ambition is to explore the notion of replication strategy.

Lean is a production philosophy which is about increased resource use while meeting customer requirements. The foundation of lean comes from Toyota and their production philosophy The Toyota Way. Professor Jeffrey k. Liker has worked with Toyota's production philosophy and Lean for a long time and has created a 4 P model and 14 principles that characterize the Toyota production system (TPS), which many sources refer to.The aim of my work is to study the working procedure of asphalt projects from sales to the laid asphalt with a focus on planning and production management. The goal is to examine how the lean philosophy can be applied in planning and production to simplify the flow of asphalt projects based on Likers model and principles.