Background: Theoretical, it?s been questioned why dividends exists in companies based upon the fact that there is a separation between ownership and control. According to the agency theoretical perception, dividends is used as a manner to unify the interest of this separation, which in turn lower the agency cost, and increase the efficiency of companies.Purpose: The aim of this master thesis is to scrutinize and analyse the association between Swedish firms? owner structure and owner types and their inclination to dividend.Method: We attack the problem with a hypothetical-deductive research method by using the existence of a universal theory, the agency theory. From our theoretical framework we propose a set of hypotheses.

This Master Thesis has its basis in a political decision made by Centerpartiet. The primary goal of the decision was to construct a new government agency, with the power to decide over all areas concerning social insurance. To be able to do this safely, by a merge of two different agencies, the thesis looks at different earlier merges for signs. First of all two agencies, Swedish Tax-agency and Swedish Prison and Probation Service, are studied because they are considered succeful in their earlier merges. Two main signs are that it took a long while and that the organisations worked with similar things before the merge.

The aim of this study was to investigate emotions and emotion regulation of a downsizing in an industrial company. The sample consisted of persons who had experienced a downsizing but have kept the employment, within a same position or being transferred to another one. Data consisted of two focus group interviews, analysed by an inductive thematic analysis. The results have indicated that emotional reactions changed over time as well the emotional regulation did during the different phases. The groups differed in emotional reaction related to the time of decision regarding the retention of employment.

In this qualitative user evaluation, users from the Krami-programme in Borla?nge have been interviewed on what they consider to have been positive changes in their social situation after participating in the programme. The respondents also point out factors in the programme that have supported these changes. The method consisted of interviews with five men who have undergone the Krami programme.The results show that Krami primarily helps the users to get an employment which results in the repeal of criminogenic factors. This plays an important part in the positive change of the users self-esteem, which tends to lead towards ?unlabeling? of the individual as ?criminal?.The study also indicates other factors in the program that the users found helpful in their process of change highlighting the interaction between authorities, the approach of the Krami- staff and also the common rules that the participants has to agree upon.

The aim of this study is to examine the factors that motivate people to seek employment at a start-up company. We have conducted a qualitative study by interviewing ten people at six different start-up companies in Stockholm. Empirical findings show that the interviewed are mainly motivated by the possibility to work with challenging work tasks and the possibility to influence and acquire responsibility. Furthermore, status and other self-fulfilment factors such as building something from scratch that can create value and the possibility for a potential ownership is also contributing to the interviewed motivation to seek employment at a start-up. Factors such as an attractive labour market and a possibility to take a temporary break from the university, have contributed to the overall low risk perception of working at a start-up company.

Flexicurity is a union of the English words flexibility and security. The union of the two words to one common term, hints that flexibility and security does not have to be each others counterparts in order to achieve good economical development and employment. Flexicurity, as it is found in Denmark, is described as a three part model composed of active labour market politics, generous financial compensation in the case of unemployment and flexible labour law. The existence of strong collective agreements and three part cooperation is of great importance for the good flow of the Danish model. The same goes for education of different kinds.

The main purpose for this thesis is to investigate why female academics choose to work as temporary workers. Through profound interviews I look at the reasons the women gives to why the have chosen the role as a consultant but also why they choose to stay on in the position. I?m relating their answers to widely spread theories about gender and social structures. I also investigate theories about job satisfaction and how these women?s answers can be interpreted from these theories.

How do we match our education with the needs of the construction line of business and the requirementsof the Swedish National Agency for education? Is there something that we have to change?In this study I have asked our former students about their opinion of our education and I have also asked them to give me their view on what a good teacher is like. I have been able to benefit a lot from their answers in my efforts to be that good teacher. This survey took place at Facebook.The answers showed that we carry on a piece of solid workmanship. But you can always improve, try harder.

With theories of creativity and aesthetic learning processes as a basis, this study explores the usage of the concept of creativity in the curriculum for the Swedish compulsory school (Lgr11) and in the various syllabi?s commentaries and the assessment guidelines for the subject of Sloyd produced by the Swedish National Agency for Education. The purpose of the study is, to examine to which extent an education and assessment that is directed towards the development of creativity among pupils in the subject of Sloyd, is underpinned and supported for in these texts, and furthermore how these wordings relate to the various other subjects? wordings about creativity. Creativity is a concept around which there is no proper consensus.

This qualitative study aims to examine what career opportunities the Swedish employment service Arbetsförmedlingen can provide, as well as how the employees perceive their career development opportunities. Furthermore, we have touched on what it is that makes employees feel satisfied with their job and workplace, and also stay in the organization. The study was conducted on one of Arbetsförmedlingen?s offices in northern Sweden and the informants consisted of six employment agents, an executive assistant and a head of division. The result of the study has been analyzed using theories within the field of career development.

Age is one of two new discriminatory grounds in Swedish law. EU took official position against age discrimination by means of Council Directive 2000/78/EC of 27 November 2000 establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation. From January the 1st 2009 it is, by Diskrimineringslag (2008:567), illegal in Sweden to discriminate anyone based on age. The law covers all age groups and is applicable to various fields in society. Age differ from other discriminatory grounds since everyone has an age.

Previous research has shown that there is a relationship between trust and organizational commitment. Our research questions were if the three trust-variables ability, benevolence and integrity predict organizational commitment differently. Further we examined if the length of employment affected the relationship between benevolence and organizational commitment. Due to the fact that past studies has shown that benevolence develop during a longer period of time than do the other trust-variables. We made a survey using questionnaires (n=50) in a ?caretaking facility? and using a multiple regression analysis we found that ability was a significant predictor (p=0.032) for organizational commitment.

Since several rules of law have a consideration of age, the Swedish labor law collides in many ways with the prohibition of age discrimination. The employment directives of EU were implemented in the member countries after the shift of the millennium. Sweden was the last member to introduce age as a ground of discrimination in its legislation. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate whether the Swedish regulations, regarding age discrimination and its application, is compatible with the EU.  The aim is also to investigate what is required to exclude the prohibition of age discrimination. The labor law provisions concerning the retirement age given in 32 a and 33 §§ LAS, priority rules according to 22 § LAS and the collectively agreed holiday benefit, which is regulated according to a worker's age, is to be investigated to see if they actually qualify for the exclusion of the prohibition against age discrimination. Furthermore, the paper intends to describe if the Swedish legislation has taken account of the research available on the subject of "age" and ?age discrimination?.

I dagens samhälle finns det ett antal arbetstagare som har anställning på begränsad tid. Denna uppsats utreder regleringarna kring visstidsanställningar samt vilket förhållande som finns mellan visstidsanställningar och samhället. Fokus i detta arbete är att undersöka hur visstidsanställningar regleras och hur dessa inverkar på individer i Sverige. För att få full förståelse behandlar uppsatsen vidare EU:s syn på Sveriges reglering av visstidsanställda. Samhällets utveckling behandlas kort för att nå en djupare kännedom om behovet av visstidsanställningar i Sverige.

In this study a case study was conducted at the Transport Agency. The government agency is seeking better alternatives to its current ways of keeping track of important dates stated in legal documents. The agency wants to explore the possibility for an IT-solution for keeping track on those dates. In the case study change analysis was conducted on the vehicle type approval process. Qualitative interviews were conducted with a section manager, vehicle type and component approvers, and with a system administrator and a system manager at the Transport Agency in Borlänge.