The main purpose of the essay was to evaluate whether investments in index-linked bonds were suitable investments for smaller investors on the international finance market. To determine whether the index-linked bonds are good investments, the variables yield, cost and risk were used to measure the index-linked bonds against investments in stocks and funds. The reason for the interest in this subject is that investments in index-linked bonds have grown furiously the last few years. With the growth of the investments the criticism of index-linked bonds has also grown stronger. The critics? main point is the cost of the product, and they imply that investors can create their own index-linked bond and thereby avoid the bank fees.This study used a quantitative approach, because all the data of yield, cost and risk consist of numbers.

According to the European Union waste hierarchy, waste should first of all be minimized. Reuse and material and energy recycling come next. Lastly the waste should be thrown at the refuse tip. In the inner city of Stockholm waste handling can be done in various types of ways. The solutions vary as a result of the type of architecture of the building and its condition.

The purpose of this thesis is to examine and analyse which effects a service strategy has on the control system of an organisation. The thesis takes a service perspective, and it is assumed that a service strategy gains competitive advantage and that the goal of the service strategy is to increase the customers? satisfaction level. A qualitative in-depth case study was performed on a Swedish beauty company. The organisation?s vertical structure was examined, from central to local level.

The structure and performance of grocery distribution in Sweden has changed profoundly since the second world war. Increasing access and usage of the private car, in combination with an accommodating town planning has enhanced the exploitation of scale economies within distribution firms. There is, however, some ambiguity concerning the overall efficiency of the distribution system when the costs associated with travelling and purchasing performed by households are treated as an integrated part of the total distribution cost function. The purpose of this master thesis is to develop the foundation of a spatial optimisation model, which defines the most efficient distribution system. The underlying idea is that the optimal localisation and size of grocery stores is a function of economies of scale within the firms weighed against distributions costs within the households, such as transportation costs.

This report describes a new foundation method and compares it with a traditional founding of concrete. This new method is called the Koljern technique and uses cellular glass which is called Foamglas. The Foamglas is compounded to founding elements by lightweight steel beams. Foamglas is an insulation material with high compressive strength, and is rot, insect, vermin and acid proof. The cellular glass is also fire proof and watertight, which makes it a very good construction material.The report contains a study of a number of cases for which the Koljern technique is compared with a foundation of concrete.

The background of this study is the fact that it nowadays is more common to grow wheat after wheat. Usually we plow every autumn to remove the straw, and we wanted to study the effect of alternative methods to do it. We have done this experiment to answer the question if no tillage is better than conventional plowing. The results of the field experiment indicate that there is a link between plant establishment and the choice of equipment, but also a higher weed pressure in experimental plots with only ground tillage. The equipments which left much straw on the top of the ground the problems with fungi were more severe.

The market is developing and a growing competition increases pressure on companies to maintain their competitive advantage. Working with cost savings is a way to enhance earnings in a short term but also in a longer perspective. Volvo Powertrain Production Köping has an overall goal; to reduce costs by nine percentages in three years. To achieve the goal, Volvo Powertrain Production Köping works with World Class Manufacturing where the Department of Processing Technology constitutes an important part.Volvo Powertrain Production Köping lacks a standard for how savings within the metal cutting tool area are to be calculated. This makes it difficult to control and monitor their business outcome but it also causes difficulties in controlling the tool suppliers? outcome.

Syftet med studien är att beskriva hur svenska multinationella företag tillämpar cost plus metoden vid interna transaktioner över landsgränser. Vidare har följande forsningsfrågor formuleras: Hur tillämpar företag cost plus metoden? Vilka faktorer påverkar internprissättningsprocessen? Fallstudien är genomförd på Älvsbyhus som är en av nordens största tillverkare av prefabricerade sektionshus av trä med affärsidén att sälja och tillverka färdigmonterade, källarlösa trähus i 1 eller 1,5 plan till marknadens lägsta pris. Den utbredda handeln mellan företag i olika länder har resulterat i ett ökat antal multinationella koncerner bildats, därmed har ett behov av internpissättning för värdering av interna transaktionerna uppstått. Huvudtanken med internprissättningen är att internpriset ska avspegla marknadspriset för varan eller tjänsten, vilket ofta inte är möjligt då ett marknadspris inte existerar.

Due to the well-developed rhetoric and the relative easiness to estimate costs, cost considerations are usually more in-depth than revenue considerations when discussing strategies impact on profitability. To avoid dysfunctional companies and poorly judged strategy decisions it is necessary to develop the rhetoric of revenue considerations.By collecting data from 230 respondents in a quantitative study of two grocery stores in Mora, the study aimed to assess the relationship between choice of generic strategy and self-reported buying behavior, considering differing decision-making processes of customers.The results of the study indicate that a differentiation strategy performs better than a low-cost strategy in terms of buyer frequency, number of goods and cost of purchase. However, due to a poor data collection method, the results are weak, and should therefore be questioned. The study indicates that reliability considerations for behavioral measures should be treated in the same respect as psychological measures, and therefore illuminates the need for new methods and measures to be developed..

In today?s IT-community, consumers use the internet in a increasing rate to find information or to purchase products and services. This has led to a growth in the market, but also a greater competition between e-stores and web shops. To separate yourself from the masses has become more important, the question is; what strategy should the IT-salesman use? The meaning of this scientific study is to find and focus on witch the primary factors/aspects are, that controls and is the very foundation for the consumer making a purchase, by using the internet. The purpose is to give companies a clear view of what it is that influence the consumer into buying theirs products, and how this group responds to different strategies and factors.

At the end of 70s and the beginning of 80s, 18 terminals was built and used for chipping wood residue from clear cuttings. Most of the terminals was terminated before the 2000s but with the high oil- and energy prices that we can see today there might be a place for these terminals again. The goal with the study was to analyze and compare economical differences between 5 different logistical systems, collected data was used with a set of formulas. The systems include long range transport of slash, chips and bundles. Three of the systems include transport by lorry to industry the last two includes a terminal with access to train transport.

This report describes the results of the project "Concept development of jet engine inspection plugs" carried out in the spring of 2008. The work was done at the department of product definition at the company Volvo Aero in Trollhättan. The objective of the work was to develop concepts for a "Volvo-unique" inspection plug. The work is part of Volvo Aero's focus on proprietary (self-developed) technologies. Inspection plugs can be found on virtually all aircraft engines and gas turbines.

Scania?s discount rate - the return requirement of investments - refers to Scania?s WACC or weighted average cost of capital. The capital markets return requirement on equity and the credit market interest cost of borrowing is weighted to become the single discount rate, the WACC. The purpose of this study is to investigate which asset pricing model of APT and CAPM Scania should use in their WACC calculations. The company now uses a group WACC of 11 percent which is used in all company levels.

Previous research has, by studying large listed firms, identified cost reductions and knowledge transference as the primary reasons for outsourcing.  Previous research has also indicated that Business Process Outsourcing is likely to increase in popularity and experience high annual growth going forward. This study aims to explore why mid-sized and large firms decide to in Jämtlands län, fully or partly, outsource their finance/accounting activities. Theories regarding transaction cost economics and resource based view composes the foundation of this study and the information used has been gathered through the use of semi-structured interviews.  The results shows, like the chosen theories and previous research indicates, that the outsourcing decision is primary based on expected cost reductions.

Background: The construction industry is Sweden?s single most important industry branch with a significant influence on Sweden?s wealth. The political restrictions that once controlled the industry are today almost gone. This combined with an unbalanced supply and demand situation on the Swedish constructions market, caused by urbanisation, has led to increased pressure on the Swedish construction companies who now are forced to find new methods in their struggle to contain or increase their competitive advantage. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to survey: which strategic variables are of great importance in today?s Swedish construction industry with focus on the four main actors, JM, NCC, PEAB and Skanska.