The objective of this thesis is to examine the capital structure of Swedish small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Accounting data from Swedish game developers, combined with the result from a survey, is used to examine their financial conditions and capital structure decisions. We find that non-debt tax shield, firm size, growth opportunities and age are, to various extents, the determinants of capital structure in the game industry, while effective tax rate and asset structure have marginal effects. Our study also implicates that most of the existing capital structure theories can explain SMEs leverage decisions to some extent; however, some adaptation is needed to fit these theories into the SME context. Additionally, we find the existence of a financial gap in the game industry which might need efforts from both demand side and supply side to eliminate..

The aim of our master thesis is to study the way valuation of real estate is conducted by real estate companies. Furthermore we want to identify the factors that affect the relevance and reliability of the valuation. The reason for this is the introduction of IFRS, in 2005, and the application of the IAS 40 rules stating that real estate are to be recognized at fair value on the balance sheet. To do this we have performed a case study on 10 Swedish real estate compa-nies listed on the Stockholm stock exchange, OMX, Large Cap and Mid Cap list to see how the share value has performed in relation to the reported net asset value since 2005 and how they value their collection of properties. We also studied the assumptions made by real estate company analysts.

During recent years, financial innovation has given rise to numerous structured investment opportunities aimed towards the general public. These have enabled private investors to engage in high-risk investments offering as much as 400 per cent leverage while oftentimes not fully having grasped the risk involved. The issuers of these securities have been criticized for using advertising of a too aggressive and misleading nature.By presenting 819 potential investors with two different investment opportunities yielding the same return over a six day period, we have aimed to assess whether the inclination of being affected by judegmental heuristics varies with factors such as knowledge, overall attitude towards the asset class, risk appetite and experience from previous investments.We have observed that investors' perception of the attractiveness of an investment can be distorted by altering the information presented to the investor. However, our findings show that this tendency decreases with an increased level of knowledge, experience and risk appetite..

In theory, the management control of maintenance functions is described as problematic due to the nature of the work performed in the unit. The purpose of this thesis is to examine these predicted problems in practice. Further,the thesis aims at identifying how these control problems may affect the relationships between the maintenance department and its internal customers. A case study has been conducted in one of Sweden?s largest industrial companies to investigate the said control problems in practice.

Background: The basis for a price valuation of a company is dependent on both its assets net worth and earnings calculations. While the assets are an important part of the valuation of a company, it is important that the valuation is reliable and resource usage can be measured and allocated to each time period. Purpose: The purpose of this essay is to illustrate the difficulties when valuating and allocating own produced fixed assets. Accomplishment: We have chosen a case study where the aims are to understand and explain the difficulties with valuating and allocating own produced fixed assets. The research is based on nine personal interviews.

The aim of this paper is to investigate the underlying motifs leading to the decision to appoint a supplemental liquidity provider and how they vary between companies. As the first study of its kind to take on an internal company perspective, the goal was to broaden the knowledge base of the field and lay ground for further studies. The study has been conducted by interviewing companies providing the service, their customers and the stock exchanges which they are traded on. The results show that there are two main motifs for appointing a liquidity provider, 1) Creating conditions for increased trade and 2) Improving the pricing of the stock. There was also a supplemental group 3) Other motifs consisting of the observations that would not fit in any of the main categories.

The aim of this thesis is to examine what factors that influences the management control in a family business operating in a sector in which they are under-represented. We have therefore conducted a case study of a family business in the finance sector, E. Öhman J: or Fondkommission AB (Öhman). The first conclusion is that the management control in Öhman is influenced by the environment and the increasing size of the company. We have found, however, that it is to an even larger extent affected by the fact that it is a family business even though the company is operating in a sector in which family businesses are not the norm.

The increased interest in relationship marketing and the potential of the Internet as a platform for relationship building activities have given rise to new ways for companies to interact with their customers, such as services based on a freemium pricing model. Based on the premise that relationships are processes consisting of interactive moments of value-creating activities, value is considered subjective, relative and dependent on the context in which the activity takes place. Value is therefore variable given its context and cannot be pre-defined without nuances being lost. Despite the Internet's given role in societal development, our understanding of what contributes to customers' intentions to build relationships with online services is yet to mature.As the music industry is well established on the Internet, alongside the change in how music is consumed, it is thus appropriate to examine activities in accordance with a freemium based service that distributes music online, since it still lacks in academic understanding.This study aims to provide insights about virtual relations and how online services that provide cultural content should relate to there users as well as contributing to the ongoing academic discussion regarding value and how it is manifested by highlighting contextual impact on relational activities. For a rapprochement of relations to online services in cultural industries, this study assumed a practice perspective.

The aim of this text is to study how sectional managers in the care of the elderly work so as to promote basic human values. Semi-structured interviews generated qualitative data from five sectional managers. A hermeneutical approach was applied for interpreting the interviews. The result shows that the respondents are conscious of the fact that it takes a lot of long term work before a change in current procedures will happen. Also, the common everyday principles of work and basic values will continue to be part of the care of the elderly.

In an organizational change process, motivated employees are considered an asset. Work motivation can both be seen as situational and as a stable individual characteristic. The present study attempts to investigate how the employees at the Social Insurance Office in Scania experience the present organizational change by focusing on work motivation and well-being. Both questionnaires and interviews were adopted to examine the area of interest. Findings indicate that the organizational change is considered chaotic but necessary by the employees.

A high degree of urbanization with growing cities has raised a need of transforming closed landfill sites for giving them new uses. This study aims to investigate how old landfills can be re-used, what has lead to the new uses, and for what and whom the transformed site will be an asset. The method used is a case study of four different landfills in Stockholm county, Sweden. The case study is analyzed in the light of former studies regarding re-use of degraded urban areas, so called brownfields, and in particular studies and reports of landfill re-use. The result indicates that old landfill sites is identified as an area with possible values if transformed properly, in the case study area especially as green structure and recreation areas.

This study examines implementation from national law in to local practice in the district of Kalmar to assure newly arrived immigrants orientation in civics. The study takes its starting point in Lipskys theory about street-level bureaucracy.  Questions that are discussed are about how  the education is understood by refugee?s coordinators, civic communicators and the new immigrates, how the organization has been and what role the demography and economic structures has played for the organization. It is a case study where interviews and enquete has been used.

Syfte Studiens syfte är att utvärdera internprissystemet på Blekingesjukhuset i Karlskrona. Metod Uppsatsen är en fallstudie av internprissystemet på Blekingesjukhuset i Karlskrona. För att tillföra en viss bredd till utvärderingen utgörs vårt empiriska material av intervjuer med såväl verksamhetschefer, planeringsstrateg, controllers samt sjukhusets ekonomidirektör. Med avsikt att underlätta presentationen av studiens resultat och utvärderingen, som sådan, har vi utformat en utvärderingsmall baserad på den information som samlats in under våra intervjuer. Slutsatser Studien pekar på att sjukhuset använder internprissystemet i syfte att skapa kostnadsmedvetenhet bland de anställda, för att på så sätt förhindra överkonsumtion av tjänster som utförs internt.

The purpose of this thesis is to bring insight into and understanding of how the market for emission rights in Europe currently works and what problems it is currently facing. The research can be said to be based on positive theory, in the sense that it is grounded more on empirical theory on the subject than normative theory. Furthermore, a qualitative approach to generating data has been used. This has led to a pattern mode of explanation, where understanding a unique and complex field is the focus. The theoretical perspective utilized in this thesis is mainly based on empirical research on similar market-based systems for emission control.

The aim of this text is to study how sectional managers in the care of the elderly work so as to promote basic human values. Semi-structured interviews generated qualitative data from five sectional managers. A hermeneutical approach was applied for interpreting the interviews. The result shows that the respondents are conscious of the fact that it takes a lot of long term work before a change in current procedures will happen. Also, the common everyday principles of work and basic values will continue to be part of the care of the elderly.