Vattenfall AB is a large producer of electric energy where approximately half of the energy comes from hydropower. Vattenfall Hydropower has got almost a 100-year old history and the company has developed a lot since 1909. After that the number of power plants increased and the competition got more intense, there were higher demands on the reliability. One way to secure the reliability with a good satisfaction at the power plants is to implement a maintenance method named Reliability-Centred Maintenance. RCM is a result of the introduction of the complex aeroplane Boeing 747 in the 1960?s.

Companies today are expected to communicate their responsibility to the world around them. Society?s expectations differ and stakeholders are demanding that companies act responsibly on matters related to climate, work environment and human rights. The purpose of sustainability reports is that companies should measure, present and take responsibility in relation to their internal and external stakeholders. It is intended that a reasonable picture of the company's sustainability performance should be communicated, containing both positive and negative effects.Companies efforts with sustainability issues is industry-dependent and industries with significant environmental problems perform the most advanced environmental statement.

The competition for Norway spruce pulp wood in Central Sweden increases, forcing the supply-structure of Holmen to face two important challenges. Firstly, it is of the outmost strategically importance to secure the long-term supply of Norway spruce pulp wood to the industries. Secondly, Holmen desires to increase the obtainable volume of Norway spruce pulp wood. This would enable the company to choose volumes in the lower price-segments and thereby decrease the dependency of costly marginal volumes. As this work shows, one part in managing these challenges could be to lower the quality standards concerning root rot (Heterobasidium annosum). Facts presented in the work shows that: 1. Technically, the TMP-industry of Braviken can handle a much more rotted pulp wood than that used today, although the cost of refinement increases.

In order for construction projects to be completed within the specified time limit while at the same time be financially sustainable it requires thorough preparation and an extensive planning. Most essential is the groundwork and the design that determines the project's progress. There are many aspects to consider in order to avoid inconveniences such as delay, litigation, unexpected cost etcetera. If mistakes are made in an early stage it is very likely that the error will follow the process and become an expensive correction cost towards the later part of the project. In other words, it is expensive to rectify defects later on.

Title: Selection of audit firm - Which factors affects the choice of audit firm in Swedish limited companies?Subject: 4FE03E ? Master thesisAuthors: Alexander Rosén & Martin KarlssonSupervisor: Magnus WillessonExaminer: Sven-Olof Yrjö CollinKey words: Audit firm, audit firm characteristics, client characteristics, limited companyBackground: In Sweden, the auditor is selected when the company has their annual general meeting. Following, the auditor?s task is to secure the quality of the financial information so the owners and other stakeholders can trust the information, which regards to the financial situation for the company and the CEO´s and board of director´s management. Since November 2010, private limited companies are free to use and have an auditor, but only if they fulfils the requirements that are regulated in ABL 2005:551.

The purpose of this master thesis is to map and analyze the appropriate valuation approaches used for Intellectual Property rights and develope a model for valuing patents. This project has been executed on behalf of Electrolux?s Group Intellectual Property and is intended to be used for managerial purposes.Project limitations include patents that doesent concern technology oriented products and services, real option methods, financial forecasts, decisions concerning patents taken by the R&D division, patent applications in general and taking into account unexpected future management decisions regarding patents.Electrolux?s Intellextual Property team applies, manages and protects the groups Intellectual Property rights including patents, designs and trademarks. With an increased globalization and the rise of emerging markets, incentives have increased further to protect and safeguard the group?s innovations.Mainly there are three different valuations approaches for valuing intellectual property rights, these include the income based approach, cost base approach and market based approach.

The foremost objective of business organizations is to generate value for shareholders and to opt for strategies which optimize it. Hence it is of key concern for business leaders to appreciate how operations best are run to maximize value creation. This study explores how financial theory can reveal the link between one particular business strategy and the corresponding effect on shareholder wealth. The question in focus is whether construction companies can enhance their value creation by implementing shift-work to increase the weekly production rate. The thesis particularly targets apartment block projects in Sweden and has the construction company Peab AB as primary object of study.

Background: Since the early 60?s, the CAPM or Capital Asset Pricing Model, has been an invaluable tool for assessing an asset's expected return, assuming that the asset is added to an already well-diversified portfolio of assets. CAPM theory assume that the unsystematic risk can be diversified and that the systematic, market-specific, risk is determined by the Beta value, from the Greek ?. An investor who takes big risks expect higher returns.One of the CAPM?s basic assumptions is that disruption in the market is not taken into account.

Palm oil has been used in processed food commodities since the 19th century. An increasing demand for regulating and ensuring a more sustainable palm oil production has resulted in various initiatives. However, these initiatives have received critique due to lack of compliance and insufficient revisions of palm oil plantations. The initiatives for creating an ethical, social and environmentally sustainable production are not sufficient for the Swedish industrial users of palm oil. As a result, stakeholders such as Swedish food processing companies, commit to ethical sourcing codes of conduct that go beyond the international palm oil initiatives.

AimThe aim of this study has been survey the possibilities for short-term stays in the Stockholm Archipelago for people without their own means of transport, own equipment and/or experience of outdoor life.To fulfil this aim, the following questions were formulated:? What communications are available to chalet parks in the Stockholm Archipelago?? What overnight accommodation is available in the chalet parks in the Stockholm Archipelago?? What activities can be pursued in the Stockholm Archipelago?? What is the financial cost of travelling to and staying in the Stockholm Archipelago for a week?MethodWe chose to use six interviews and three observations in order to gain as much insight as possible. Interviews were conducted with Claes Petterson at Waxholmsbolaget, a company that provides transport services in the Archipelago, and with managers for five chalet parks: Rolf Andersson for Finnhamn, Per Englund for Grinda, Arne Johansson for Rånö, Pär Hjärtström and Peter Hösöyen for Gålö and Anders Bedinger for Gålö and Nåttarö. The interviews were recorded in writing and on tape. Observations were carried out at three chalet parks, i.e.

Air tightness in new buildings has been discussed for several decades. But the knowledge in the subject is low. With tougher requirements from the Swedish government about energy consumption for a new building required competences how these shall be met. It's not only the thick mess of insulation that are important, it's also the air tightness. This report is about air leakage in Swedish houses.

Revenue is the largest post in the financial statements but is often least described. They are an important element when different companies are compared with each other. Revenue is often associated with assessment which Enron and Prosolvia is two examples of. Enron reported their incomes and assets while their costs and debts were not reported. Thus were a positive image maintained of the company when the financial position in reality were otherwise.

Over a long period of time, there has been a rich debate in the academic and financial world if active management can generate an excess return. Many experts say that the current active management strategies is nothing more than a money grab that produces large gains, for banks and investment firms, through high management fees while producing no excess value for the individuals buying their service. In short, an effective market makes it almost impossible for fund managers to produce value for their clients in the long run.No argument has only one side though, other experts say that active management has a role to play because not all investors are rational. This irrationality can lead to mispricing on financial assets in the marketplace and in turn lead to an ineffective market where active management can fill a much needed role. The purpose of this study is therefore to see if active management strategies can create a higher risk adjusted return, taking management fees into consideration, during times of high volatility when the uncertainty is at its peak.

The focus of this essay is on a political party that was founded in Sweden in 1904. Today, we known it as Moderata Samlingspartiet. Historically, this party has transitioned through multiple phases which have included a change of name and also a change of substance in the area of trade policy. The party that was cheering globalisation at the 2006 congress had its roots in protectionism and had been founded as a strict protectionist organisation. The question raised here is what has caused this dramatic change in the trade politic?In addressing this important question, I have used both organization and party strategy theories to identify the main underlying reasons.

Many jobs in rural areas have historically been linked to the agricultural sector. The restructuring that has been implemented in agriculture has resulted in a significant reduction in the number of jobs in rural areas. A consequence of this is that many people have moved to cities to earn a living. To maintain a living countryside in Sweden, it is therefore essential to create alternative livehoods in rural areas. An industry that can have a major impact in the future is rural tourism.