Investment in hedge funds is a relatively new phenomenon for investors compared with other forms of savings. In recent years, the interest has increased among investors in investing their money in hedge funds, given the protection against declines in the market they are aiming for. Their main purpose is to generate a high return at a low risk regardless of market trends. This they can achieve by having fewer restrictions that offer more flexible investment strategies and freer investment opportunities.The purpose of this paper is to identify how the selected hedge fund strategies have performed during the recent economic downturn. We also want to clarify the claim that hedge funds exhibit a positive absolute return regardless of what the market is performing.In order to answer the purpose of the essay and its problems, we have used a quantitative method with a deductive approach in the processing of data.

In the early nineties leisure-time pedagogic establishments moved in to school. The aim of the study is to try to find out how leisure-time pedagogues, who have been working for a long time, experience the moving of their establishment in to school and how this affect their practical work and their profession.The study is based on interviewes with four leisure-time pedagogues, who all have been working before?and therefore have experienced the time before?during and after their establishment moved in to school.These interviewes were recorded and later fully transcribed in preparation of analysis. Data was analysed with the help of the sociology of Pierre Bourdieu as a basis. Findings of the study suggest that the leisure-time pedagogues find it positive to be able to cooperate with teachers and other professional groups working in school, they explain how it enabels themselves to see pupils from a different angle and for others working in school to see pupils from a leisure-time pedagogue angle.Some of the pedagogues explain that they find it hard to work with big groups of pupils, or in small surfaces, which they did not have to do before their establishment moved into school.

When patrolling grocery stores, customers engage in a purchase situation where they face great amounts of information, whereof price is one. This paper intends to shed light on the price information search behavior that customer's exhibit before choosing their products in grocery stores. In order to do so two studies have been conducted, one quantitative and one qualitative, to assemble the data needed to provide statistically significant results. The objective of the quantitative study is to gather data on customer's external price information search, and it is based on the most recent eye-tracking technology. The second qualitative study is complementary and based on interviews with randomly chosen customers that have responded to several questions regarding their price information search, shopping knowledge and experiences.

This graduate thesis takes its hold in an idea that many values, in cultural heritage environments, other than the onesthat can be seen with the eyes are as important for the experience of the environment as the visual ones; however theenvironments are usually defined by values that can be experienced visually!Interviews were held with four visually impaired persons. This to get a better understanding for how big part othersense modalities play in the experience of the cultural heritage environments. Questions were asked about what thevisually impaired especially value in cultural heritage environments and what is of value for preservation. Also whatcan be done to make the environments more impressive for them, how they experience the material part of theheritage, architecture, shape and color and with what senses they primarily remember. Furthermore the thesis aims todraw attention to how value definitions made by the conservation field affects the experience of the environmentsand therefore the accessibility for visually impaired.

The city?s public environments are meant to be perceived as safe and inviting areas to visit any time of the day. In recent decades the number of vandalism complaints has doubled and graffiti has become so common that it received a separate category in the crime statistics. With this type of impacts in the public environments the experience are precarious and a boring sight. It?s difficult to put a price tag on these types of crimes, the number of unreported cases suspected to be large.

AbstractResource efficient manufacturing is a term that has been increasingly applied within manufacturing, where one of the key points is to reduce waste of such forms that do not add value for the end customer. By the Lean principles, there are seven plus one types of waste, in which the definition of the eighth point varies among sources. In this study, the eighth type of waste has been interpreted as the untapped creativity and competence among employees that has not been put to use. From this, our question was incubated; How can you make the most of the employees? untapped creativity and potential within manufacturing? The case study will be developed with empirical data obtained from Dometic Group by conducting interviews.From the gathered literature, it was concluded that the communication between employees contributed to an increased understanding of one another as well as it allowed for improvement in work.

The aim of this thesis is to analyse the conceptualisation of the social relations of class and gender within the Social Democratic Women?s Association during the period 1972 ? 1993, on the basis of their programmes for action. The analysis of the concepts is based on an ideology critical study focusing on the manifest ideology.The study is based upon the theoretical concepts of class and gender,  The class analysis is based upon the broadened concepts of class by Erik Olin Wright and Ira Katznelson. The gender analysis is mainly based upon a Marxist understanding and a critical point of view of Marxism and feminism in the context of patriarchy and capitalism.The period of the study is where the social democracy is challenged, both by radical socialism and feminist ideology and the economic crisis during the 1980?s, as well as the possible threat of an organised women?s party in Sweden.

This study aims to analyze the effects of the proposal regarding mandatory reporting for undocumented individuals within the Swedish public sector and how this potentially affects leaders in their efforts to motivate their employees to comply with this requirement, which is considered ethically charged. The primary focus is to understand how these leaders can motivate their employees considering legal requirements that are both legally binding and ethically sensitive. By interviewing leaders from various sectors within the public domain in multiple Swedish municipalities, this case study seeks to highlight the challenges arising from the amalgamation of legal mandates and ethical dilemmas. Its goal is to provide insights that can support these leaders in their complex decision-making regarding such issues. The study addresses theoretical aspects such as change management and critical organizational theory. The study's findings indicate that political decisions play a pivotal role in the processes of change within public operations. Resistance to change varies and takes various forms.

The purpose of this essay is to define the meaning of the concept of crime victim and how the crime victim as a concept is constructed. The question is answered through an investigation of the discourse that constructs and reproduces the crime victim. Furthermore the purpose is to open a theoretical discussion which aims to clarify whether or not the crime victim is a subject or an object through an examination of how the individual is constructed as a crime victim by the crime victim discourse.The essay takes a theoretical point of view based on a mixture of Michel Foucault?s and Ernesto Laclau & Chantal Mouffe?s discourse theories. The method used to organize the research ? regarding the meaning of the concept of crime victim ? is Laclau & Mouffe?s discourse analysis which is an extension and a part of the theory mentioned above.The discourse analysis creates a model of the crime victim discourse which answers the question of how the concept of crime victim is constructed, and how this concept should be understood.

With the curriculum Lpfö98, and its revised version 2010, the demands for evaluation of the quality of the preschool have been emphasized. Accordingly, the activities need to be systematically documented, followed up and assessed, to be improved. Most importantly, this includes continuous follow up, documentation and analysis of the development and learning of the children. This is usually carried out by means of pedagogical documentation, but how this working tool should be used in practice is not totally clear for all pedagogues. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate how pedagogical documentation is performed, assessed and made accessible for the children, parents and staff-members, in practical preschool work.In the study, four pedagogues (two preschool teachers and two pedagogical mentors), working in two different preschools where the Reggio Emilia concept is practiced for pedagogical documentation, were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire.The informants described pedagogical documentation as a complex and time-consuming working tool, albeit necessary and helpful to fulfill the requirements of the curriculum.

In Italy in 1528 the famous author Baldassare Castiglione published the book Il Cortegiano. In words Castiglione portraits the ideal courtiers and provides a lot of advice on how to achieve the ultimate courtier manner. For example he introduces and explains the words sprezzatura and grazia. His advice spread from Italy and influenced the courts around Europe. My purpose with this study has been two folded. Firstly, I have analysed Castigliones Il Cortegiano in order to examine his vision of virtues and ideals.

AimThe aim of this study has been to examine how health enhancement teachers in Montana, USA, view the value of physical activity from a lifelong perspective.In what way does the health enhancement teacher think the importance of physical activity from a lifelong perspective could be presented?What resources are available for teachers to present the value of physical activity from a lifelong perspective?MethodThe issue has been answered through qualitative interviews consisting of six health enhancement teachers, four women and two men, in Montana, USA. One of the teachers worked at an elementary school (for 30 years), three teachers worked at middle schools (20, 10 and 8 years of work experience) and two of the teachers interviewed worked at a high school (30 and 3 years).  ResultsThe majority of teachers feel that a wide variety of activities, adapted to an individual level, and the understanding of a healthy lifestyle are important in order for the teacher to present the value of physical activity from a lifelong perspective.The teachers felt they had sufficient material in order to present the value of physical activity, where the school budget provided the teachers with materials every year. In addition to the budget, all the teachers had 12 hours of professional development every year where they could attend conferences or their own choice of professional development.ConclusionWith the help in forms of professional development offered by the school, conferences, meeting with other teachers, and their own choice of development, the teachers instruction techniques could increase which could help the teachers to find the pupils? interest for different kinds of physical activities.KeywordsPhysical education and health, physical activity, SOC, sense of coherence..

The purpose of this study was to describe the possibility of implementing a lacto-ovo-vegetarian and organic diet in Eskilstuna municipality?s public preschool. Furthermore the purpose was to identify and describe the most important components involved in the implementation and their influence in the process.  The methods used were a survey based on a literature study. This study includes general information about meat production and consumption and also the use of pesticides in farming. It also brings up the environmental and health effects caused by the previously mentioned areas.

The aim of this study is to investigate methods of collection development, the users? influence on selection and quality aspects, focusing on non-fiction literature in Swedish public libraries. To find out opinions of collection development, I use the method comparative literature study. Antonio Gramsci?s concept hegemony forms the theoretical background, and hegemony as concept is related to a library context by using Maj Klasson?s text on the librarians? different positions of authorities.

AbstractThe purpose of this thesis is to examine the professional female members of a board in listed companies. During the 21st century the issue of female quotation into the executive boards was discussed in both the media and politically due to womens underrepresentation in these contexts.The main purpose of this thesis is to examine the professional female members of boards stories of the role models they have, what characteristics have evolved, the views of others, and the self image. In addition, we want to investigate how women perceive themselves in a male-dominated field to identify how the female identity is created at work.Through a qualitative research in the form of personal interviews, we have gathered empirical material that forms the basis of our results. The answers from the interviews have been analyzed with the help of relevant theories and a social constructionist approach throughout the thesis. For our theoretical approach, we primarily chose symbolic interactionism, identity theories, and concepts such as the glass ceiling and gender strategies to analyze the data.The result of the survey shows that there are many elements that play into how women form their identities.