The world is changing and the business context is no exception. One of the clearest tendencies is a tougher business climate with harder competition due to increased international trade and the expansion of the e-business. At the same time the customers are becoming more sophisticated and demanding. The last decades have also meant that tougher and more frequent demands are being aimed at the businesses from a wider variety of stakeholders; demands regarding how environmental issues, social responsibilities and business ethics should be dealt with. All of the above have driven companies towards implementation of different management systems to be able to cope with the demands as well as to ensure that these issues are being dealt with in an efficient and effective manner.

AbstractThe aim of this study is to investigate the implementation process and the implementation steering of the social development aspects, gender equality and integration, in the program for regional development of the region Kronoberg in the period of 2004-2007.The study asks three questions: 1) How have the social development aspects, gender equality and integration, been implemented in the program for regional development of the region Kronoberg? 2) What has facilitated or hindered the implementation of the two social development aspects? 3) What possibilities to steer the implementation process of the two social development aspects exist at the governmental and at the regional level?In order to answer these questions a qualitative method has been used. To be able to analyse the empirical material, which consists of documents and interviews, the theoretical framework comprehends the policy process and implementation steering. The conclusion is that the incorporation of the social development aspects in the regional development program does not fully correspond with the central intentions, and that is due to circumstances at the regional level..

The purpose of this study was to gain knowledge and a picture of how foster parents perceive their task, the role of the placed children and their biological parents.  Even how they perceived their family have been affected by the mandates removal. Consistently showed the most positive experiences with strong ties to the children placed. However, there are experiences of the need for additional guidance, support, education and contact with the client to enhance a sense of competence in the task and prevent collapse. Burnout experienced often based in the placed child's difficulties in integration.

Under andra halvan av 1990-talet genomförde Försvarsmakten ett omfattande utbildningsprojekt kallat?Försvarsmaktskvalitet?, FMQ. Det övergripande syftet med projektet var att förändra organisationen till attbli mer förändringsbenägen, kvalitetsmedveten och effektiv. Projektet uppvisar stora likheter medmanagementteorier om organisatoriskt förändringsarbete och kan då undersökas som ett exempel på det.Men är det ett framgångsrikt exempel? Jag har undersökt dels hur projektet genomfördes genom att mätapersonalens attityd till FMQ och ambitionen i metodval.

IT-stödd distansutbildning vid svenska universitet och högskolor är en allt vanligare utbildningsform. Denna kvalitativa studie söker studenters erfarenheter av lärande på LUMA-GIS: Masters´Programme In Geopgraphical Information Systems (GIS) vid Lunds universitet. Det är en helt nätbaserad utbildning som är designad att vara flexibel vad gäller studietakt, innehåll, material och arbetsformer och studenterna väljer själva om och på vilket sätt de kommunicerar och interagerar med andra studenter och lärare i kursens diskussionsforum online. Studien är empirisk och har en fenomenografisk ansats. Den syftar till att förstå och beskriva variationen i upplevelser av och perspektiv på lärande och interaktion i online forum.

Med sina  sex ben är en insekt inte enkel att animera  med  vanlig keyframe-teknik. Om flera insekter ska animeras så kan nyttan av att automatisera processen vara stor. För att avlasta animeraren  har därför  insektslokomotion baserad på den biologiska insekten   och   relaterad   robotteknik   studerats   och   implementerats   i   Autodesk Softimage  ICE.  Resultatet  är  ett  ICE-träd  som  simulerar  insektslokomotion  på  en grupp  styrobjekt.  Styrobjekten  används  för  att  styra  en  arbiträr  insektsmodell  över den geometri som finns i en 3D-scen.

The web has evolved much through the years. From being a place where author and reader were clearly distinguished, it now invites everyone to take part in the development of both content and technology. Social services are central in what is called Web 2.0. Wikis, blogs and folksonomies are all examples of how the users and their communities are key to the development of services. Collaborative writing, tags and API:s are central.

I en mjukvaruutvecklingsprocess ingår vanligtvis att ta fram modeller över den mjukvara som ska konstrueras. Detta är inte sällan ett omfattande arbete som kräver ett samarbete mellan flera personer i en gemensam modelleringsmiljö. I sådana modelleringsmiljöer används vanligtvis modelleringsverktyg som stöd i arbetet. Dessa modelleringsverktyg utgör tillsammans en verktygsmiljö. I denna studie undersöks möjligheter för företag och professionella organisationer att i sådana verktygsmiljöer använda modelleringsverktyg som baseras på öppen källkod.Tre modelleringsverktyg baserade på öppen källkod har analyserats i studien; ArgoUML, Fujaba och Umbrello UML Modeller.

Uppsatsen syftar till att ta reda på om undervisningen i historia och bild blir bättre med ämnesintegration.

This final thesis consists of an investigation of how suitable it is to vertically integrate forest in Swedish forest companies. Different strategies to obtain raw materials have been evaluated and the advantages and disadvantages have been weighted against each other. The investigations contain a number of interviews with represents from companies with different strategies and persons that in different ways have faced the question of issue. An account study of SCA´s forest ownership has also been performed. The benefits for a forest company to vertical integrate forest consist mainly of safety in delivery, control over the supply chain and company image.

The role of Islam in integrative work in Swedish societyThe main purpose of this report was to describe the role of Islam in integrative work in Swedish society. Questions connected to the purpose were: Is Islam a possibility or an obstacle to integration? Which arguments are used to describe Islam as a possibility or an obstacle? How are the different views on Islam expressed in integrative work? Which are the consequenses of such views?A qualitative method with an empirical research and a thematic analysis has been applied to the material. The empirical research consists of interviews.The results of this report describe Islam neither as a possibility nor as an obstacle from a political view. By muslims and researchers Islam can be regarded both as a possibility and as an obstacle in integrative work.

This thesis deals with the issues of participation and influence in the multicultural society. The aim with the study is twofold, first to identify determinants improving participation and influence in this context, and second to see if the ecouragement of a strong civil society in ethnic segregated areas is a possible way forward to a multicultural democracy. This is conducted through a case study of brobyggarna in Malmo, Sweden, and how they as an integration policy is working with these questions. Six qualitative interviews have been conducted with seven persons workning as brobyggare or in close connection with them. Toghether with readings of earlier research this material is analysed through an eclectic model with theories put together in five analythic dimensions, Multicultural democracy, Social milieu, Unequal possibillities to participate and influence and Local powerstructures.

Social policy has now received an increased attention in the European Union. The European welfare states experience a high level of unemployment, which the EU now tries to handle through the European Employment Strategy (EES). The core of this essay is whether the welfare institutions of the European member states are integrating through an institutionalization process or not. Within the EU four different types of welfare models can be identified: the Scandinavian, the Continental, the Southern and the Anglo-Saxon. The welfare models differ in the institutional settings e.g.

Unaccompanied children that arrives in Sweden are usually placed in homes for care and residence, called HVB. It is the municipality's responsibility to provide adequate care and protection for the children. The aim of the study is to examine how a workgroup on a HVB home for unaccompanied children is working to meet the needs of the children, and how the workgroup improves the children?s integration process. The study also aims to examine the emotional labour of the workgroup, which illustrates how they can manage their own emotional behavior when working with the unaccompanied children.The study is based on a qualitative approach with detailed descriptions of five semi-structured interviews with the workgroup and assistant managers.

Denna uppsats handlar om integration och integrationsarbetet på landsbygden. Syftet med denna studie är att ta reda på hur aktörer i tre olika integrationsprojekt har upplevt samarbetet. Detta för att sedan se om det är möjligt att skapa en metod för hur man kan arbeta med integrationsprojekt i framtiden. Studien har sin utgångspunkt i en sammanställning av lyckade integrationsprojekt som finansierats av landsbygdsprogrammet. Tre projekt valdes ut för en djupare studie där kvalitativa intervjuer genomfördes med berörda aktörer. Detta för att få en så tydlig bild av hur de har uppfattat arbetet i de olika projekten. Resultatet av studien visar att man i ett tidigt skede identifierat vika kompetenser som behövs i projekten och därefter upprättat samarbeten med aktörer som besitter de kompetenserna.