This study investigates the corporate sustainability activity, linked to the company's core business, which is a relatively unexplored field in a Swedish context. The study examines how the organization has used management control for its sustainability activity within two social initiatives; and whether these initiatives have generated value for the organization and involved stakeholders. Management control of social initiatives are examined within the theoretical framework of The Sustainable Balanced Scorecard and the organization's value creation contributions are outlined in accordance with a definition of the concept of Creating Shared Value. The method used for the implementation of the study is a qualitative study, embodied in an illustrative case study of a large Swedish company operating within financial sector. The empirical data was collected through 12 in-depth interviews with representative interviewees within the organization and with other stakeholders involved in the company's social initiatives.

Hearing is considered to be the most important sense for the communication between people. Several studies have shown that hearing loss can lead to deterioration in quality of life, reduced social activities, feelings of alienation and hence the increasing incidence of depression symptoms.An early audiological rehabilitation is a prerequisite for proper communication among people with hearing loss. Knowledge has been shown to be of great importance and structured learning and individually targeted approach can be expected to facilitate the audiological rehabilitation.The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of an educational effort for people with hearing loss where the effort was made in the distance within the audiological rehabilitation and was followed-up by professional phone support, through a randomized controlled study.The study group consisted of 69 hearing aid users who were randomized by an independent person into two groups, an intervention group and a control group. The intervention group (n = 33) had access to the book "When the sounds are weaker - on hearing and hearing aids". The group received weekly topic-based information related to the different chapters of the book, in five rounds.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of bilateral repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on language ability in eight participants with aphasia. All participants underwent two periods of treatment and five periods of evaluation. During one treatment period high frequency stimulation was given to the left hemisphere and low frequency stimulation to the right and in one other period placebo stimulation was given. Boston Naming Test and Token Test were used to assess the effects of treatment on naming ability and language comprehension. Results showed that no significant effects were found on group level.

The task of this project was to build an computer processing system for pressureregulation, in which the pressure loss over the open hydrolicvalve should be kept as low as possible. By using an cross connected proportional directional valve the valve problem could be solved. The control- and regulationproblem for the pressureregulation system was solved by using the DAQ- card NI6035E from National Instruments and the computerprogram Automatic Pressure Control 1.0 which has been software developed and written in Visual Basic. The final result showed that correct processvarible was obtained in 0,5 seconds, when the setpoint was changed in the testarea 0 - 2,5 MPa..

Oilseed rape is an important crop in Sweden and is grown on about 90000 ha today. The interest in oil seed pro-duction is increasing because of growing demand and high prices for oil seed both in Sweden and Europe. However, an increased intensity in the oil seed production can bring higher risk of yield losses due to fungal diseases. The purpose of this study was to investigate what different fungi are associated with oilseed rape under field conditions and if their incidence is correlated to crop establishment problems. This study was carried out in three parts: 1) investigations on fungal community structure in roots and rhizosphere soils from young spring- and winter rape plants sampled in failed respectively good establishment patches in four fields, 2) investigations on the pathogenicity of fungi isolated from oilseed rape in controlled environment and 3) investigations on the effect of different fungicide seed treatments on germination and early plant development in a field soil naturally infested with damping off- and Verticillium wilt pathogens. The studies on community structure using a combined approach of standard fungal isolation techniques and DNA based methods revealed a high fungal diversity in three out of four studied fields of spring rape and winter rape. For some unknown reason, very few fungal species were identified from the fourth field.

This study focuses on the internal marketing and how it affects the complaints by companies? communication control. Our purpose with this subject is to increase the understanding of which components affects the relation between internal marketing, communication control and complaints. We have chosen the subject, internal marketing because it caught our interest in an earlier course. On the basis of the literature of costumer complaint there have not been so much research about it and that is why we have chosen this perspective on internal marketing.This study is based on a qualitative approach.

During 2006 an estimated number of 150 persons are supposed to have been killed in road accidents caused by speed limit violations. Through Automatic traffic security control (ATK) the Swedish road administration (Vägverket) is working towards lowering the number of speed related accidents. By placing the speed cameras on roads they've managed to lower the average speed at those places. The enlargement of the number of speed cameras is based upon knowledge about for example how high the risk is for speed related accidents on the roads. The speed cameras always measure the speed in which every vehicle passes, but aren't constantly activated to register speed violations.

Moldova is one of Europe?s poorest countries with a struggling business environment and an unpredictable political situation. The purpose of this thesis is to understand the implications of corruptions and why networks have come to play a key role in the Moldovan culture and if the formations of network are due to heritage or an effect of functionalism. The focus of the study is also to explain how the networks develop and the formation and maintenance of loyalty and trust among the members of the network. The study is of a qualitative nature that uses a key informant sampling method to get access to members of different business networks.

According to the basic values of the Swedish Trotting Association the horse and its welfare should always be held in highest consideration. One part of the animal welfare work in the organization is to ensure good horse management practices by controlling all active trainers through the local licensing committees situated at the Swedish racetracks. The Swedish Board of Agriculture stated that high quality animal welfare assurance programs used by the industry organizations can be used in the risk assessment of the official animal welfare control to make the official control work more effective and the ambition of the Swedish Trotting Association is to establish an animal welfare assurance program which may be approved by the Swedish Board of Agriculture. Racehorses are exposed to welfare hazards both in their management as well as during training and racing and factors like handling, training, feedstuff, stable environment, medication and the possibility to express natural behavior all affect the welfare of the horses. The aim of the project is to investigate and evaluate the animal welfare work performed by the licensing committees and to give advice on how to improve the industry?s animal welfare control.

Detta arbete syftar huvudsakligen till att bidra med rekommendationer för hur ett system för mätning av kvalitetsbristkostnader hos ABB-enheten Control products Sweden bör upprättas. ABB:s globala riktlinjer för vad som ska mätas i ett sådant system har fungerat som utgångspunkt. I rapporten diskuteras vidare hur arbetet med mätsystemet ska upprätthållas utifrån ett ledarskapsperspektiv. I studien har en litteraturstudie legat till grund för en nulägesbeskrivning, en benchmarkingstudie, deltagande observationer och intervjuer. Rapporten innehåller också en sällsynt detaljerat beskriven kvalitetsbristkostnadsmätning som fungerar som riktmärke för enhetens fortsatta arbete med kvalitetsbristkostnader..

Prior studies have shown the relationship between capitalised monthly fees and sales price for tenant-owned apartments in Stockholm. However, few studies have been conducted explaining the effects of capitalised monthly fees over time and how it has changed with, for in-stance, increasing sales prices and fluctuating interest rates. The aim of this study is to deter-mine if the effect of capitalised monthly fees on sales prices of tenant-owned apartments has changed between 2006 and 2014, in Vasastan/Norrmalm in Stockholm. The study shows that there are statistically significant results indicating that capitalised effect of monthly fees on sales prices has in fact changed over the studied time period. The results differ with apartment size (number of rooms) and the conclusion is that there is an effect of time on one, two and three bedroom apartments but not for apartments with four bedrooms or more..

This report is part of the major thesis carried out at Stoneridge Electronics in Bromma,Stockholm during autumn and winter 2005-2006. The background to the thesis is the trendwithin the automotive industry where color displays have become more common for presentationof information to the driver, a trend that has come to the commercial vehicle market. Thepurpose of the thesis has been to evaluate whether programmable logic, with respect to FPGAtechnology, could be suitable for display control and graphics generation of these more complexcolor displays in automotive environment.Within the scope of the thesis the FPGA technology has been investigated, i.e. whatopportunities and threats there are with aspect to environmental and security requirements. Inaddition, the market of FPGAs and pre-built IP-cores has been investigated.

Topping is a precommercial thinning (PCT) method where secondary stems are cut higher above the ground compared to conventional PCT. The secondary stems continue to live for a period and are supposed to compete with the main stems and promote their quality.The objective of the study was to compare the effect of PCT on height and diameter growth between topping and conventional PCT. The study also analysed the relationship between height and diameter growth and the number of stems after PCT.Nine topped stands and six conventional precommercially thinned stands were visited between February 28th and March 5. One sample plot per hectare was laid out in the investigated stands. In every sample plot the number of stems was counted and five main stems were measured for height, height growth since PCT, diameter and diameter growth since PCT.The results showed significantly higher effect on height growth after topping as compared to conventional PCT but no significant difference in the effect of diameter growth between topping and conventional PCT.

The research done in the field of product completeness/incompleteness is limited. The lack of research causes a knowledge gap in the retailing industry, concerning the actual effects on consumer choice, as well as on the overall store evaluation. This report tests the current theories of the subject, and also further aim to explore the effects of completeness/incompleteness on consumer's product choice. The results display an inconsistent effect on consumer's product choice when the completeness/incompleteness in a grocery store is tested. Some products benefit by being incomplete, while others show no such effect.

Background:Companies of today commonly search to gain competitive advantages throughout different forms of co-operation, one of which is referred to as Supply Chain Management. Although little research has been assigned to the topic of how to manage and control this type of relation, lately a growing number of academics has been arguing that ABC is an appropriate mean of controlling this type of relationships.Purpose:The purpose of this thesis is to investigate to what degree the ongoing debate on the use of ABC as a mean of control within SCM correspond to the present theories related to ABC and SCM respectively.Research method:The thesis takes it?s starting point within the literature, meaning that the empirical information consists of published articles in the ongoing debate. This information is put in relation to the original theories concerning both topics.Conclusions:The results shown in the thesis in some content agrees with the ongoing debate referring to the positive aspects that could result from using ABC as a mean of control within SCM. However the main result of the study is the discovery of a lack of discussion concerning the problems that implementing ABC within SCM might implicate, a fact that we believe contributes to the mainly positive view on using ABC within Supply Chain Management..