In Sweden, the County Administration board is responsible for improving the water quality in lakes and watercourses according to the European Union Water Framework Directive. In Västmanland county, where river Lillån is situated, the County Administration of Västmanland have the main responsibility for the aquatic environment in that area. The knowledge about the different watercourses in the chatchment of river Lillån is today limited. The aim with this study was to evaluate the ecological quality of River Lillån based on water chemistry analyses and benthic fauna investigations. The aim was also for the benthic fauna to compere different samplingsites and sampling methods with each other in order to see how the species composition changes in the river, and to see the advantages and disadvantages with different sampling tecniques.

The objective of this study has been to examine which significant values are of importance in the telecom sector today, and in a continuing perspective yet to be. To ensure the factors of relevance in the study, we have identified three purposes: - Our first purpose is to clarify the eminent values in the competitive market of the mobile phone operators today, and the reason for its importance.- The second purpose is to understand the function of the brand regarding to value creation and loyalty in the sector of mobile phone operators.- The third purpose is to explore the potential approaches for mobile phone operators to increase value.In this study, our approach has been a qualitative methodology by conducting seven interviews with respondents related to the telecommunication sector.As a result of the process, we find the need to divide the concept of value into two dimensions, which we entitle organizational related values and customer related values. We have found the values related to the characteristics of the market in aspects of its infrastructural features but also in regards to the homogenous core service.Our findings in the empirical data with support to our theoretical frame of reference, is the current highly important organizational related value of constant high result quality (well-functional technological aspect), and the value enhancer by a low price; the strategy of bundling also results in higher value. This result in customer related values that perceives as safeness, availableness and convenience. The brands are a significant source of customer related values with identity value, image value and assuredness. A continued advancement in process quality and individualization will imply greater customer related values of closeness, freedom and flexibility. .

Real estate is defined as ground, which is divided into property. Ground means every part of the surface, which is situated within the country. There is no legal definition of property to be found. Property is usually explained as every unit, which legally should be registered in the register of landed properties. To constitute a property the property must permanently be suited for its purpose.

The study seeks to investigate and understand how individuals create their identity from the perspective of two countries and cultures, and how these affect their current lives today. The focus of the study is aimed at young adults who have mostly or entirely grown up in Sweden to parents that have migrated. The material is based on seven qualitative, semi-structured interviews. The result is then divided into three themes; ethnic and cultural belonging, life impact, and the preservation and passing on of culture. The derivation of the first theme is that there are mixed views regarding the cultural association of the persons interviewed.

This qualitative study involves the implementation of Lean and Kaizen methods in a Swedish service industry. Lean philosophy is based on a method to achieve more with less. In practical terms this means that the use of an organization's resources is improved. The origin of Lean is the Toyota Production System. Now, Kaizen methods give managers and employees a better more efficient system to reach their goals within the organization or company.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a concept that is growing increasingly important, with more and more companies acknowledging that they have an obligation to the environment in which they operate. We were interested in inquiring into why companies chose to do so, even though there are no laws that condition them to engage in CSR. One answer to this might be that companies use CSR as a way to distinguish themselves from the competition as well as to gain trust and goodwill from the stakeholders. When it comes to Corporate Social Responsibility, the question is no longer whether or not companies should engage in it, but how they can gain competitive advantage by doing so. This study aims at providing a framework for possible ways of integrating CSR and branding, as well as different strategies for CSR-communication. We also tried to define how, and why, consumers respond to CSR-initiatives.

Bakgrund: Klusterbegreppet introducerades under 1900-talet, men fenomenet erkändes redan under tidigt 1900-tal. Trots att marknaderna idag blir mer globaliserade, är klusterbegreppet fortfarande aktuellt. Som exempel på områden som kännetecknas av starka länkar mellan företagen kan Silicon Valley och Sophia-Antipolis nämnas, även kända som ?Industriella Hollywoods?.Syfte: Syftet med denna uppsats är att analysera interaktioner mellan aktörer inom ett lokalt ?Industriellt Hollywood? ? Mjärdevi Science Park. Hur förhåller sig aktörerna till fördelar med att befinna sig inom ett närområde, i hur stor utsträckning utnyttjas dessa agglomerationsmöjligheter och varför?Metod: Denna studie är baserad på djupintervjuer med sexton företagsrepresentanter från Mjärdevi Science Park och en professor från Linköpings Universitet.Resultat: Aktörerna verkar vara medvetna om vilka agglomerationsfördelar som föreligger, dock utnyttjas dessa inte i någon större utsträckning.

The global wood pellet market has seen a rapid growth after the adoption of the Kyoto protocol and the renewable energy incentives created within the European Union. The global consumption of wood pellets reached 13,5 million tonnes in 2010 and several experts estimate the consumption to be between 35-50 million tonnes by 2020. These forescasts raise the questions which regions that can supply this vast amount of wood pellets and what the conditions are for producing it. This study evaluates the conditions for wood pellet production and export from British Columbia, on Canada?s west coast, focusing on existing industry structure, raw material supply and the distribution chain.

AbstractThis study aims to investigate the applicability of well-recognized supply chain strategies based on product characteristics. Choosing the right supply chain strategy can be the difference between winner and loser in today?s competitive climate and science offers several recommendations as to which aspects that should be considered. Fisher (1997) and Christopher and Towill (2002) suggest that supply chain strategies should be based on what kind of product the company is handling and that, in order to know which strategy is the most appropriate, the products must be categorized. Some criteria developed for the categorization are lead time, forecast in demand and profit margin.

Campylopus introflexus is a moss species that originates from the southern hemisphere and has spread worldwide during the 20th century. Today it is classified as an invasive alien species in many countries, and it has been seen during inventories that it has become widespread in Sweden as well. The purpose of this essay is to contribute to new knowledge about how this moss affects species diversity on Calluna heathlands in Sweden. The study includes both fieldwork and an analysis of scientific literature on the subject, and the question that is answered is if C. introflexus has an impact on species richness in the heather peat.

This is qualitative study of, four teacher´s views on the use of iPad in teaching and learning. In addition, I will examine the disadvantages and advantages of iPad use as a teaching tool in preschools.My questions are:What is the practical use of tablets in preschools today?Are preschool teachers using the tablet as a teaching tool? If so, how?Is the use of tablets in preschools contributing to children´s social interaction, as well as between children and teachers` social interaction?The purpose of this study was to find out how the four teachers uses the iPad as a teaching tool in the interaction between children in preschool. I have chosen to use Vygotsky?s and John Dewey´s theories.

Background: Around the world, markets deregulates, which leads to increased competition. Meetings between the consumer and the employees of a company determine how the customer perceives the company and / or its brand. This has result in that many companies have realized the importance of internal using the same marketing skills that are used externally. In 2009, pharmacy market went from being a monopoly market to be a regulated competitive market.Problem: Is there any internal conditions for a private company, whose culture and structure was formed under a state monopoly, to create a strong corporate brand?Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to, through a case study, analyze and evaluate the internal marketing in a company which has undergone a change of ownership and retained the same staff.Method: Through interviews with key personnel and staff , data was gathered for the case study, which means that the method is qualitative.

Titel: Value stream mapping in practice ? A case study at Light MyFireAuthors: David Rydman and Tomas ÖnnemarMentor: Veronica Ülgen SvenssonExaminer: Åsa GustafssonBackground: Companies push their prices in today's markets to be competitive, which means that companies need to find ways to reduce costs while maintaining profits. (Cudney, 2009) According to Bergman and Klefsjö 2007, the basic rule of quality improvement says "there is always a way to achieve higher quality at a lower cost". One way is to improve a company's processes to get a more efficient flow and improvements that may cut costs. (Bergman & Klefsjö, 2007) Why it's important to look at the processes are that they often contain waste that can be eliminated.

This bachelor thesis describes why investors should invest in environmentally certified buildings instead of non certified buildings. The report provides an overview of possible factors influencing an investor in the investment process of an environmentally certified building. The report explains why building companies find incentive to build green buildings and how a cash flow method can be adapted so it can be used in the valuation process of an environmentally certified building. Environmentally certified buildings are used as a strategy to reduce emissions that threaten the environment as well as a strategy to obtain market shares for the building companies. This report focuses on the economic advantages of an environmentally certified building.The construction- and real estate industry stands for approximately 40 percent of the energy consumption in the world.

Marketing of education is a phenomenon which has been developed throughout the increasing competition within the educational sector. The focus of this paper is the marketing made by upper secondary schools (grade 10-12) in Stockholm. The competition in this area is increasing partly due to the growing number of private schools. However, this is a phenomenon seen only in larger cities with several schools available. There are over 170 upper secondary schools in Stockholm and the students freely can choose among these.