AbstractAt the UN Conference on Environment and Development in 1992 the nations stated that traditional environmental policies were not sufficient to handle the multidimensional challenges posed by sustainable development. Governments needed to broaden their political decision making procedures in order to coordinate and integrate environmental, social and economic policies. Therefore a new tool was introduced in Agenda 21, National Strategies for Sustainable Development (NSDS). The aim of an NSDS would be to bring together actors from all parts of society to jointly reach a consensus on how to work towards the vision of a sustainable society. An NSDS would be seen as a strategic tool to help focus national policies for SD.

Syfte: Syftet med uppsatsen har två delar: Att göra en konkurrensanalys av fem företag i polymerindustrin, en mogen industri, genom att identifiera viktiga strategiska nyckelområden och använda detta som grund. Konkurrensanalysen kommer sedan att vidareutvecklas genom att använda strategy canvas med intentionen att visualisera företagens strategier. Metod: Undersökningen har ett kvalitativt angreppssätt för att vi ska kunna skapa en bättre förståelse för företagen samt svara på vårt syfte att göra en konkurrensanalys. Den abduktiva ansatsen har möjliggjort för oss att vara flexibla i vårt användande av teori och empiri. Vi har undersökt fem företag i polymerindustrin: Primärdata består av intervjuer med analytiker samt utvalda företagsrepresentanter.

The thesis explores an ongoing dialectical process between different levels of employees including top management to workers of Scandinavian Airline Service (SAS) regarding a new change program and to find out the possible social construction among them. In particular, it searches for the constructed reality of SAS ground service employees at Malmö Airport with regard to the preparatory stage of SAS Strategy 2011. A possible ambiguity in dialectical process is explored as it relates to an organization?s ability to effectively influence the understanding and identity of its employees through discourse.

This study examines if men and women have different conflict resolution styles in different situations. There are several studies in this area, but the results are contradictive and they don?t take consideration to the context. The study is an explorative, quantitative examine in the form of a self-report questionnaire, where different scenarios are described. These scenarios are based on the parts of the context that this study focuses on; the relationship to the other part, the perception of treatment and the place where the conflict occurs.

Management consulting firms are dependent on attracting and recruiting new talents since the human capital has a vital role in these types of organizations. In the following years a new generation, Generation Y, will to a large extent enter the labour market. According to several studies this generation has different characteristics than older generations.This thesis examines management consulting firms? views of Generation Y and which strategies they use to attract and retain the generation. The fact that the subjects are unexplored led the authors to conduct a qualitative study of seven management consulting firms through in-depth interviews.

Information management is today a matter of great importance for every organisation. It is therefore necessary for organisations to see information and its management as a significant part of the organisation s key to success. In this essay we have chosen to study the implications of information policy and information strategy for The Nordic Council/The Nordic Council of Ministers. These two intergovernmental organisations share the same information department. Although The Nordic Council/The Nordic Council of Ministers are non-profitable organisations, they share some characteristics with those acting in a competitive market.

Background: The valuation of Biotechnology companies is difficult in many ways. Patent and human capital are hard to value and also there is a great uncertainty about the success of the compaines research programs. Are traditional valuation models really useful when it comes to research companies or do they result in false values of the companies? Purpose: To study what values different valuation models gives biotechnology companies and how they correspond to the market value. Method:We have studied financial litterature och found the most common used models today.

The recent history knows numerous examples of creditor?s inability to evaluate financial solvency of the client correctly. Creditors? risks do not only concern individual relations between the two parties but the economy in general. The standard loan-giving procedure considers evaluation based on a number of financial ratios.

The purpose of this study was to investigate, through a qualitative survey, the need of knowledge and strategy in organisations today and tomorrow. The empirical investigation is built on a semi structured interview that was conducted on nine different companies in Gislaveds community. The companies were from three different branches namely: tree, metal and polymer. Three interviews were conducted in each branch.The result from the interviews showed that the globalisation had put the companies under hard competition which had made the need for rationalisation and effectivness more apparent. Having said this, the demands on the organisation and the individuals within it will constantly increase.

 This paper covers how a company must act to become ?greener? and yet still increase profitability with the main emphasis on the inner structure of the company. The research is focused on the Swedish security systems company Niscayah AB, part of the multinational corporation Niscayah Group with approximately 6000 employees. A company can be assumed to consist of seven parts (strategy, systems, structure, super-ordinate goals, staff, skills and style) that have to cooperate for the firm to be able to become more environmentally friendly. Also, the economic performance is of importance and therefore that too is examined.

Banks carry a great responsibility when it comes to the financial systems in our society. Disturbance in the credit system affects both lender and borrower. All financial institutions must therefore carefully estimate their risk exposure. This assessment enables them to cover themselves from losses with appropriate capital buffers as main guardian. In order to prevent bank crises and also to maintain financial stability in general, new regulations concerning analysis and preventive actions were introduced on the 1st of February 2007.

This thesis was conducted to assess how the privatization of Iran Air process managed in last efforts and how should it be in right way. It increases the knowledge about privatization in Iran and the need for it. Iran air as our case study is a flag-carrier airline company that is protected by government regulations and subsidies. We try to find the reasons for failure of privatization in Iran Air and their attempt on privatization.The method used to collect data was a qualitative methodology, consisting of semi-structured interviews with relevant managers, and knowledgeable professors and the official sites and press. In conclusion, we find that privatization is an important need for Iran Air Company and the main problems that are against Iran Air can be categorized to political, financial, and social.

The Swedish agricultural sector is currently experiencing substantial structural changes, where the number of agricultural enterprises continuously decreases and the average farm size increases. In order to maintain competitiveness, it is important to be aware and adapt to changes concerning the surroundings of the company (Johnson et al., 2011). Agricultural commodity prices sharply fluctuate on the global market in recent years, affecting the profitability of farmers. High volatility market requires tools to reduce price variations and increases the need of decision-making (Bouder & Beth, 2003). Farm-based grain handling facilities increases the sale options regarding agricultural commodities; a flexible strategy to get additional compensation for the storing the grain produced on the farm (Edling, 2002; Edwards, 2013).

The field of the social economy and of the work integration social enterprises (WISE) in particular, is for many a more or less unknown area. Unlike ordinary enterprises the WISE's are different due to their aim of integrating disadvantaged people through work. In comparison with other small enterprises earlier research has shown that the WISE's are dealing with challenges regarding recruitment, participation, leadership, sustainable business ideas but above all, the access to funding. The purpose of this essay has therefore been to examine and analyze the financial situation of eight WISE's located in the Stockholm County. The results indicate that half of the enterprises perceive their economic situation as very unstable and as an obstacle to their further development.

The purpose of this thesis is to through the analysis of interviews with finance professionals in listed companies answer the question on what lies behind capital structure decisions, and to see how well the prevailing theories fit the answers. This article is an explorative and descriptive hypothesis creating study. We have used a qualitative method to analyse practice through theory. We have conducted telephone interviews with CFO:s and financial executives in Swedish listed companies on how they reason when they make capital structure decisions. We have then thoroughly reviewed the theory and empirical tests of the theories.