One must consider cost effectiveness when deciding how resources within the health sector should be distributed. Quality adjusted life years (QALYs) are used to measure the value of different medical treatments. QALY is based on utility maximization theory, which suggests that a QALY is always a QALY regardless of who receives it. Therefore, a produced QALY is worth the same regardless of the age or the initial health of the patient. Previous research has shown that these assumptions do not seem to fit the real preferences of individuals.

In order to respond to a more complex community planning with increased cooperation and public participation, a common language and a common model to be used as a base for the communication process is needed. The thesis behind this dissertation for a master's degree is that a virtual 3D planning portal would respond to this need. Why and how are explained and described through studies of communication- and perception theory as well as technology and recent research. The introduction concludes that a broad participation and a transparence towards underlying information are important foundations for the coming work with the model. The first four chapters of the theory part show the benefits of using natural signs in our mixed cultural society, instead of the more arbitrary symbols. Using visual landscapes for storing information is motivated by the flexibility of our visual memory and its ability to understand complex connections.

In the light of ever increasing international trade around the globe, affecting men and women in all countries, it is surprising that so little attention is given its gender effects. The effects of trade are said to be gender neutral, but could potentially act reinforcing on the existing gender patterns in a society. The aim of this thesis is to examine whether the implications for men and women in relation to trade liberalization can be found to differ. By stylizing some differences between men and women, this is done by examining the theoretical implications mainly via the Heckscher-Ohlin model and through a Beckerian approach. The implications found are then compared with the findings in existing empirical work.

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to investigate the consultants' approach to the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in temporary work agencies. We examined the motivation of three temporary work agencies to see if there are any differences in how they motivate their consultants. The intrinsic motivation comes from the own spontaneous interest while the extrinsic is related to the surrounding circumstances.We created a survey with 42 questions for the consultants, concerning motivation in order to understand their attitudes to the phenomenon of motivation.The following issues are addressed in our study:- What are consultant?s experiences of motivation in the temporary work agencies and are there any background factors that may impact?- Are there any differences in how consultants in the three different temporary work agencies are experiencing motivation?As analytical tools, we used concepts and theories of the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation based on Self-Determination theory.The results of this study showed no distinct differences between the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation of all consultants, but in general the intrinsic motivation was experienced slightly higher rated. The consultants appeared to be aware of what was expected of them and communication was valued fairly well.

The essay?s main focus has been to investigate and analyze the political actions behind the 2015?s grade compromise; an agreement to introduce grades from the fourth year in primary school. Through a game-theory analysis, mainly based in Leif Lewin?s and Jörgen Herman's research on rationality in politics, this study examined the grade debate  during a fifteen year period. The primary task has thereby been to explain the grade compromise through game-theory.

The aim of our study is to examine stepparents´experiences of their role in the new family, we also want to examine if the role as stepparent is affected to the role as a biological parent. Our study is based on six semi-structured interviews, with three stepmothers and three stepfathers.By using role theory and symbolic interactionism our results indicate the requirement of constant negotiation as well as acknowledging the need to consider the other familymembers, those you may not have chosen to live with.We can see that the division of responsibility is governed by what is best for the family - to make life as easy as possible. It is clear that many stepparent lack guidance in what is expected of them in their new role; howeverr, they have been able to grow into it.  .

The aim of this thesis is to compare two different classification schemes with each other and see what the differences and similarities are when classifying literature concerning film and television. One of the schemes is of general kind, Klassifikationssystem för svenska bibliotek (SAB) and the other is a special system, FIAF Classification scheme for literature on film and television. The focus of the examination is on comparing the structure, contents and division of firstly the main classes and secondly on comparing the notation and the auxiliary tables in the schemes. The theoretical framework of the comparison is based upon theory of classification but the conclusions drawn are though mostly of a more subjective character. In addition to the comparison itself interviews have been made with four libraries, two with experiences of SAB and two with experiences of FIAF.

This study focuses on the motives that recruiters can or may have within companies, organizations and authorities of using Facebook as a complement in the investigation of potential work-candidates. The study also explores the consequences that could occur regarding the boundaries of private and public spheres when recruiters are researching Facebook-pages of potential work-candidates.The results were collected by qualitative interviews with eight different recruiters from a wide range of businesses in Kalmar.By applying a framework of already identified uses and gratifications, we discovered six different motives of why recuriters would use Facebook as a complement while recruiting work-candidates. The motives are; security, guidance and advice, convenience utility, surveillance, curiosity and economic motives. We also discovered that the following consequences of researching Facebook-pages of potential workcandidates are that candidates are restricted in the possibilities of acting private on their Facebook-pages and that candidates have zero control of their published materials since recruiters sets the limits of what can be thought of as private and as public..

This is a qualitative study based on two focus group interviews with a total of six social workers who work with assessing financial aid in two municipalities. The study aims to examine how the social workers experience and handle their ambiguous professional role, on the basis that they are expected to support and control the client. The theoretical framework is the theory about discretion and role theory. The results show that social workers find it difficult to combine these different approaches. Two different groups of strategies that social workers use to manage their professional role have been distinguished, the first is used to combine the different approaches (combination strategies), which are: empathy, to be distinct and to "blame" the organization.

The aim with this study was to gain an understanding for teaching as an profession, and get a bigger knowledge about the certification of teaching and what it means for the teaching occupations status. To get an answer for this study two methods were used. The first method was a survey with questions that were sent out to working high school teachers in the North of Sweden. The second method was a document analysis of articales from three Swedish dailynewspapers. To analyse the results from this study a theory about professions is used troughout the whole paper.This studies resluts shows that profession as an definition is hard to undestand.

Conditions for Swedish forestry are expected to change in the future due to the climate. Among other things, increased production is expected in a warmer climate, mainly because of a longer growing season. With the changing climate risk of damage by such as insects, fungi and storms are expected to increase. Hence, it is of highest importance for private forest owners to spread these risks in the way they cultivate their forest. In this study a qualitative method was used to examine ten private forest owners with forest properties within Kronoberg county, Sweden in their attitudes and actions to prepare in terms of climate change and if they have been affected by the climate change debate in their forest decisions.

Examensarbetet studerar möjligheterna att använda en statisk cross hedge för att prissäkra etanol. Situationen som analyseras är hämtad från Lantmännen Agroetanol. Agroetanol är Sveriges största producent av etanol och driver den första anläggning i Sverige där vete omvandlas till etanol. Anläggningen är Sveriges största och byggs för närvarande ut så att kapaciteten kommer under år 2008 kommer att öka med 300 procent. Priset på spannmål har stigit dramatiskt under år 2007 samtidigt som etanolpriset har sjunkit något.

This paper investigates the relationship between dividends and institutional and foreign ownership in Swedish firms. We use a dataset which covers the Swedish stock market over the period 1999-2009. The institutional ownership is defined as mutual funds, pension funds and insurance companies and these are analysed separately. The study confirms the expected positive relationship between the level of institutional investors in a firm and the size of dividends. We also confirm? the expected negative relationship between foreign investors and the size of dividends paid by Swedish firms.

The main purpose of this master?s thesis is to examine how high school students evaluate the quality of the information available on the online encyclopedia Wikipedia. By doing quantitative research based on questionnaires we expected to find that the means for judging that students use in this situation are most frequently based on a text?s intrinsic qualities in the point of view of its content. It was also our presupposition that 18 and 19 year old high school graduates have received some education in information research and authoritative sources on the Internet.

Forming teacher teams is currently the standard way of organizing teachers in Swedish Compulsory Schools. This is the result of a process that started in the 1970s.Traditionally the culture of teaching has been one of isolation. Once the door to the classroom is shut, what happens behind the door is up to the teacher to decide. Over the past thirty years a lot of time has been dedicated to making fundamental changes in the way teachers interact with their colleagues. Today the idea of teachers forming teams is generally accepted but still the core of a Swedish teacher?s job is that of a lone worker.