Introduction and research question:  This study investigates the widely discussed notion ?Corporate Social Responsibility? and its practice in the tourism industry. In the contemporary society more companies are realizing the significance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and its potential as a means of differentiation.  The author?s interest in this particular phenomenon was awakened after reading about the business case of Scandic Hotels. This is a company that nowadays is referred to as ?Scandinavia?s leading hotel chain?.

Purpose - To analyze the relationship between supply chain management maturity, supply chain performance and financial performance in small and medium-sized enterprises (SME:s).Design/methodology/approach - The data comprises 15 SME:s that participated in a local logistic study in Gävleborgs län. The levels of supply chain mature within these firms were based upon an interview study and the financial performance of the firms was then examined using financial reports-based data.Findings -The results of this study indicate that there is a strong relationship between SCM maturity and SC performance in SMEs, some relationships between SCM maturity and financial performance, as well as some relationships between SC performance and financial performance. This means that if firms use maturity indicators in the SCOR areas to improve their processes, they will most likely achieve a positive effect on supply chain performance and probably also on financial performance. The result implies that the supply chain maturities in these firms are higher than expected with no one at the adHoc level.While this study is based on a rather small number of participating firms, it would be valuable to further test the significance of the indicated correlations between SCM maturity and performance in a large-scale survey.Research limitations/Implications - The research is an attempt to understand supply chain maturity and it´s implication on financial performance. Developing supply chain maturity is an opportunity for a company to gain superior performance.

This essay concerns equality statistics as part of a population census. It is a kind ofstatistics that is not in action in Sweden because of data protection law for sensitivedata (Personuppgiftslagen). This kind of an enlarged census is requested frominternational institutions like the UN and the EU as a tool to combat discriminationand to keep track of human rights. In Sweden there is a prohibition against collectingsensitive data regarding for instance sexuality, disability, transgender, ethnicbackground and national minority.The essay examines arguments from minority groups in Sweden, who participated inan enquiry done by the Equality Ombudsman on a government assignment 2011. Theenquiry process was done during 2012 and resulted in the report Statistikens roll iarbetet mot diskriminering (The Role of Statistics in Combating Discrimination).The starting point of the essay is to look at equality statistics with a two foldedpotential: as liberating or oppressive for the counted.

Flexible working conditions is used extensively in organizations today as a way tocreate flexibility for the employer. Recently we?ve been reading in the newspapersthat this approach is a growing problem and the EU has warned Sweden twice thatabuse of these forms of employment must be stopped. The Government has recentlysubmitted a proposed rule change to reduce the possibility of stacking one temporarycontract after another. Borlänge kommun makes themselves more flexible with theintermittent employments.

Linnéuniversitetet Kalmar Institutionen för samhällsvetenskaper  Arbetets art:                   D-uppsats, 15 hp                                                                           Lärarprogrammet                                      Samhällsutveckling med ett internationellt perspektiv Titel:                              Hur sker implementering av förebyggande arbete gällande hiv och aids?  Författare:                      Nina Svenman Handledare:                   Gunnar Hansson ABSTRACT This study analyzes the prevention of HIV and AIDS around the region of Pretoria in South Africa. The study's starting point is the cultural, economic, social and health which is relevant when different levels of society affirms. The aim has been the basis of the representation levels of society discern what is valued and given priority as well as the measures and the strategies used in implementation. The empirical data underlying the study is qualitative studies with respondents from a university, a hospital, a school, the Swedish Embassy and an organization in order to create an image of different levels in society means to implement preventive measures on HIV and AIDS to their citizens. The result demonstrates that there are clear shortcomings in its implementation guidance on prevention measures for HIV and AIDS as lack of resources is based.

Background Svenska Spel is a regulated company run by the state and government, where CSR, community and social responsibility is in focus. The highly regulated Swedish gaming market has in recent years become more exposed to competition by foreign unregulated betting companies thru Internet.Problem discussion There are two views regarding CSR and how they are affecting competitive advantage and profitability. On one hand, it suggests that companies foremost shall focus profits and act in the best interest of the shareholders. On the other hand, it connects CSR to be a contributor to competitive advantage that increases the company?s profitability.Problem formulation Svenska Spel is competing with other betting companies who doesn´t act under the same conditions, betting companies that don´t have a responsibility to the state.

This paper deals with the question: "Why does the U.S. aid project to cambat HIV/AIDS in Africa, called PEPFAR, use a strategy that has been shown to be couterproductive?" The author uses an anthropological approach, based on theory of "aid as a gift" inspired by work of Mauss and Stirrat& Henkel. The study demonstrates that the interests that lie behind PEPFAR have had a greater influence on the choice of strategy than the declared goals. It is concluded that evaluations of development assistance should focus as much on the background interests of the givers as the declared objectives..

Flexible working conditions is used extensively in organizations today as a way tocreate flexibility for the employer. Recently we?ve been reading in the newspapersthat this approach is a growing problem and the EU has warned Sweden twice thatabuse of these forms of employment must be stopped. The Government has recentlysubmitted a proposed rule change to reduce the possibility of stacking one temporarycontract after another. Borlänge kommun makes themselves more flexible with theintermittent employments.

The forest and mire landscape surrounding the north Swedish villages have been of fundamental importance through time for the farmers. In the Scandinavian summer farm system the forest and mire pasture was used to its full potential. The system consisted of smaller summer farms some kilometres from the main farm in the village, and were the livestock grazed in the forest around the summer farm. The livestock affect their environment, and grazed forests generally contain a higher biodiversity than an ungrazed forest. The overall aim of this thesis is to understand the impact of livestock grazing on a northern forest ecosystem over a long time period.

This thesis in Educational Sciences consists of a narrative ideology-analysis of the Swedish school's fundamental values with perspectives from the philosophy of Nietzsche and Kant, which also analyzed the same way, with the aim to trace and problematize the ideological foundations of "our society's shared values" that teachers should convey to the students. Based on a theory that a humanism crisis occurs when important values are perceived as threatened, does the introduction of the basic values of the curriculum appear as a response tosocietal changes. Nietzsche and Kant represent completely different idea currents that both have been reflected in the curriculum in which basic values have different meanings. Nietzsche has inspired social criticism, postcolonial and postmodern thinkers to a critical constructivist approach that is an asset in the multicultural classroom to deconstruct stereotypes and prejudices. That culture, ethnicity, morality and religion do not have an objective essence, but seen as social constructions, using a critical approach is a way of thinking which was developed with inspiration from Nietzsche.

By interviewing 10 people in leadership positions from various companies and      countries, this thesis had as main objective to find out how the view the of what environment promotes the intrapreneur to make the organizations more competitive and successful. By transcribing and interpreting the interviews, we have found the keywords that could answer our research question. Our method has been based on a qualitative approach with an inductive direction. The leadership has been shown to have a significant role in terms of company culture and the intrapreneurs ability to contribute to the development of the organizations. The culture is essential.

 The purpose of this study was to study social work models to explain addiction in the assessment of response to people with addictions. This study investigated how social workers' explanations are shaped by their experiences, theoretical points influenced by research in a discretion is affected by organizational conditions, manuals, evidence-based practice and national guidelines in an investigative process. The material in this study has emerged through interviews with four social workers in the social services department for addiction and dependence. The essay is a qualitative study with personal interviews as the basis for the result. The study begins with a description of addiction and dependence, current laws on the matter, and officer's work.

Strategic development is something that concerns all companies, regardless of which industry they?re in. There is extensive research on this topic but one can question if the same theory also applies to E-businesses. Using case studies, this paper looks at strategic development in E-businesses and tries to answer whether strategic development in internet based companies is unique or if existing theory can still be applied. The predominant approach is to look into if E-businesses, due to a turbulent environment, rely less on market research and focus more on internal resources than would be expected by companies in more stable environments.

Cumulative effects are seldom treated in Swedish Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA). This report treats these questions and which procedures and methods that can be used when assessing cumulative effects in EIA. This report is a literature study where also a case study is a part. The case study shows how existing methods for cumulative effects can be used in practice. The report is concentrated on biology and treats cumulative effects on premises of biodiversity and roads. Cumulative effects include both direct and indirect effects.

The study aims to investigate Swedish fitness companies positioning and strategic choices when internationalising in the Scandinavian countries and what has influenced this choice. Furthermore, the corporate risk and what obstacles they encountered will be examined.The study was conducted as a qualitative study with a deductive approach. The results are based mainly on primary data from interviews, as well as secondary data.The fitness companies? choice of strategy in internationalisation depends largely on its concept and positioning. The main obstacles in the internationalisation process are lack of communication, language difficulties and regulations.