In order to stay competitive and to be the first choice for customers in a world driven by a high level of competitive advantage, it is important for companies to stay ahead of the competition by conducting thorough market research. Even if this tends to be the case, many products still fail when reaching the market, leaving companies with great losses. The reason for this could be that the development of existing research methods has stagnated, or that they simply lack the ability to find the true answer as to what intentions underlie consumer?s decision making when shopping. Many believe that a new method is desired in order to get a better picture of what customers really think.

Flera forskare går så långt att de säger att kunskap kan vara den enda bestående konkurrensfördelen ett företag har i dagens föränderliga omvärld. Knowledge Management som begrepp tog fart i början av 1990-talet och har sedan dess varit föremål för omfattande forskning. Samtidigt sägs det att kunskap kan vara svår att kommunicera och överföra. Vi började fundera på vilka företag som kan tänkas använda strategier för att hantera kunskap, och om Knowledge Management är så utbrett bland företagen som forskarna ger sken av, är det en så betydelsefull komponent i utvecklandet av företags konkurrensfördelar? Vi valde att undersöka Saab Barracuda AB som är världsledande inom signaturanpassning och titta på hur de, som svenskt multinationellt företag, hanterar tillvaratagande och överföring av kunskap.

Aim: The aim of this study was to examine a way to measure students? knowledge development by using a self-made measure instrument based on William Doll?s postmodern curriculum.Question: Is it suitable to use an self-made measure instrument based on William Doll?s post-modern curriculum theory to measure development of knowledge?Methods: The study was based on process-hermeneutics and was focused on analysingcollege students? written and oral reflective thoughts. The data was collected over three lessons, where six students? written reflective thoughts were handed in. An observation was carried out each lesson for an extra control of validity.

The enormous expansion of knowledge society has lead to a path away from the industrial enterprises toward the more knowledge-based entrepreneurship companies. This development has also meant that intellectual capital now can be seen as the core of the new business structure. However the growth has not been reflected in either the legal or the economic regulations in relation to what could have been expected, which means that there is thus a gap between de lege lata and de lege ferenda. This can specifically been seen regarding the prohibition of adding property other than cash applied in payment for shares or regarding issue of new shares when it comes to work and services. The prohibition may therefore be considered to stand against the knowledge companies? advancement.

This empirical work and base has been to analyze the government?s investigation (SOU 2008:27): the future road ? a reformed high school, which led to the high school reform that the Swedish government introduced as proposition (2008/09:199) about: Higher demand and quality within the high school. Skolverket (part of the Swedish government) has worked with the development of this steering document within their own mission Gy2011 in connection with the high schools during the transition. The reform comes into effect 1 of July 2011. This led to the main purpose to ask questions what high school principals and teachers think of the reform and to what extent it effects the high school programs, the examination system, what impact they see on the individual and the demand from society, and to some extent what the respondent´s answers about the government?s definition of what the higher demand and quality in the reform signify.

 The current estimations in regards to the increase in environmental threats underline the importance of influencing individual behavior towards a more sustainable lifestyle. At the same time current trends show an increasing interest into ecologically produced foods around the world and that the consumption has seen a major rise in the 20th century. It is therefore of great importance that companies show their interest and commitment in order to offer and influence the consumer into choosing the environmentally sustainable alternative. Also, in order to properly reach out to the consumers, it is of outmost importance to map out their attitude towards these types of products. It is equally important, in order to fully realize the potential of successful positioning, to show an understanding for the underlying decision processes that dictates purchase.

The aim of this master's thesis is to examine whether librarians working in public libraries see fiction as a source of knowledge, and what role this plays in the educational mission of the public library. This investigation, which consists of a literary study and an empirical section, shows that the concept of phronesis denotes practical wisdom and moral thinking, and that it can be applied to that form of knowledge to which reading can contribute. An important issue in this context is the reader's motivation to learn. The interviews show that librarians see literature as a source from which knowledge can be drawn. When they mediate literature, they believe that they are conveying something of value and they set great store in mediating literature which could have a not inconsiderable import to the borrowers.

The purpose with our study is to investigate why Capgemini adopts the Rightshore strategy, how they implement this strategy and how it affects Capgemini?s core competence. We also aim to look at how the company?s knowledge management is supporting the offshoring strategey, in addition to how Capgemini ?keeps control of? its core competence in following the trend of offshoring to India?.

The purpose of this thesis, was to study decision processes and the importance of information management in the processes within an academic organisation, which led to the work with adaptions according to the law of Equal Treatment of Students in Higher Education, (SFS 2001:1286). A general question was formulated concerning how different information- and knowledge flows interact within an academic organisation and its library during the decision processes. The questions at issue we have tried to examine, concern the factors that have influenced the participants´ choice of information during the decision processes, in their work of adapting the law of equal treatment, and how these choices have influenced the priorities that were made. The theoretical starting point was basically Cohen, March and Olsens Garbage Can Model. We also found the author Chun Wei Choo´s descriptions of organisations, as systems of information processing, useful for parts of our thesis, especially the parts that deals with the role of information management within the decision processes.

Marketing research has acknowledged the concept of authenticity. It is argued that consumers in modern society increasingly search for something real, in contrast to what they perceive as mediated and distorted. Producers of regional food brands has acknowledged this trend, and started to market their products as being authentic. Given the potential practical and theoretical contributions in studying the concept of authenticity in this context, this study aims to explore how consumers perceive these claims of authenticity. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis is to extend knowledge on how consumers come to perceive a regional food brand as authentic.

Background: Critical conditions to become an attractive supplier of knowledge based IT-services in the B2B market are many. Besides the fact of supplying a service of high quality one must as a supplier communicate values which are understandable and desirable for a new buyer. Buying a knowledge based IT-service involves several risks; the consultant might not have sufficient knowledge or have difficulties understanding the corporate culture and collaborating with other staff within the client?s organization. Since services are intangible offers and it can be intricate to put right price level for something which can only be evaluated when the project is finished, puts severe strain on suppliers competing with other companies in the same market when looking for new clients.

The aim of this Master?s thesis is to examine how health information is integrated into knowledge in an everyday health related context on the web. The more specific aim is, from a LIS point of view, to map knowledge related discourses with the focus on pregnancy, in discussion forums on Swedish health related web sites. The following main questions in this paper are: (1) a) What discourses on pregnancy knowledge can be found and b) how are they expressed? (2) What are the functions of the recognised discourses? and (3) what are the relations between the identified discourses? The theoretical and methodological starting-point is discourse theory with the main focus on discursive psychology according to Wetherell?s and Potter?s theoretical and empirical work.

This study is about differences in knowledge regarding animals. In the study five year old preschool children from a city were compared to five year old preschool children in the suburbs with multicultural background. The study is also about where children´s knowledge about animals comes from and how educators can make a positive difference. To find this out standardized interviews was used on 23 children from four different preschools, two preschools in the suburbs with 15 children and two preschools in the city with 13 children. A survey was sent out to the educators within these preschools to gather background information on what the children do regarding animals.

Sustainable Development is often described as a balance between ecological, economical and social aspects. Between these exists a complicated interaction that creates conflicts in the planning of the landscape. We see a growing need for a functional interaction between values and interest and an understanding for different perspectives. Cooperation and dialogue are key ideas with the focus on cooperation rather than the goal. There is a lack of forum for dialogue and cooperation within municipalities where a great knowledge and competence are gathered.

The aim of this study was to describe home care personnel and their experiences in palliative care. The design was qualitative and data were collected through interviews. Five home care personnel were interviewed, all women, whom have experience of palliative home care.The material was then analysed with qualitative content analysis and eight main categories, derived from experiences of home care personnel, were identified: relationship, safety, quality of care, a better end-of-life, routine, information, knowledge and competence, and work environment. The result showed that all participants of this study identified themselves as family members of the patients whom they had cared for during a long period of time. Additionally, the participants were emotionally touched when the patient died.The majority experienced that the patients do receive good care in their homes.