Forecasting is an important part in attempting to predict how companies will perform in the future. The more accurate the prediction, the more valuable are the results obtained from the forecast. This thesis aims to investigate forecasts of return on equity, and whether a disaggregation of the leverage formula into its underlying components affects the forecasting ability positively. This is conducted by comparing a model based on the leverage formula's components with a model solely based on return on equity from previous years. The study includes manufacturing companies on the Swedish Stock Exchange over the period 1998-2011.

This diploma work has been conducted for the consulting company Ramböll inUppsala, Sweden with the purpose to perform a study with the calculation programFEM Design 9.0 made by Strusoft. The aim has been to find out if it is possible to gainadvantage by utilizing more advanced 3D software for design calculations, instead ofthe traditional methods currently used in construction works.The method of approach has been to model an existing warehouse building with theprogram FEM Design, and then compare the results with those attained with FrameAnalysis and hand calculations. These results are then analyzed. An evaluation is maderegarding to what benefits can be achieved using a more advanced 3D-model.The results of the study show that the differences between the methods are not ofany significance with regard to the design of the steel frame. However in morecomplex materials such as reinforced concrete, the differences become more notable.The conclusions drawn by the authors of this study into FEM Design are that theeducation requirements of the program are higher than for simpler programs, whosepurpose are solving predetermined problems.

Today small metal parts are mass-produced as for example rollers in cylinder bearings. At high velocity cutting the metal is cut with a great force in a scissor-like device. Both precision and repeatability is important to be able to guarantee good quality, but from an economical point of view it is also important to keep a great manufacturing capacity. The part of the process that is most time consuming is when the metal bar, that is about to be cut, is fed to the right position. Therefore it is interesting to examine if the time used for positioning can be reduced.

AbstractTurkey has emerged as a major actor in the Middle East over the last decade, since the ruling party AKP came to power in 2002. Turkey is now playing a mediation role in regional conflicts and has been speaking out loudly on sensitive issues such as the Iranian nuclear program and the Palestinian- Israeli conflict. Furthermore, Turkey has established close ties with the Arab world which has suffered the relationship with its long-time ally Israel. This new presence in Middle East has been criticized by Turkey's allies in west. Critics argue that the country is about to abandon its former western relationship and strengthen their ties with the Arab world instead.This thesis has two main purposes.

To achieve a working collaboration in a big, complex organization where there are vast requirements on both quality and profitability is not always an easy task. An example of this is the organization that was created in the Swedish railway industry following a series of deregulations during the past 25 years. A partial market in this organization is the railway maintenance. In order to achieve a working collaboration between actors in this organization the so-called Purchaser-provider model (PPM) is presently used for the procurement of rail maintenance projects. Previous research has shown that this market-based instrument has clear positive effects regarding the cost-efficiency but hinders the collaboration.

The aim of this thesis is to explore how a bookstore chain and a public library meet the needs of their customers through environmental scanning. The empirical material is derived from six semi-structured interviews with six informants, three from each organization, together with an analysis of internal documents. The method used is a case study and the theoretical framework is based on models used in the process of environmental scanning, as described by Choo, Hamrefors and Hedin & Sandström among others, and which facilitate a comparison of the environmental scanning of the two organizations. The results of the study indicate that the library, as a public organization with a mission in society, perceives the environment as society as a whole and all its members as their users, whereas the bookstore concentrates on the sectors of the environment that affect their sales. The consequences of these different views are that the library is more active in the environment and uses surveys as a basic source of information, while the bookstore is more passive, and relies on statistics for information.

This study has researched different motivations for user participation in brand related activities on social media. The study used three types of participation to evaluate motivations for user participation. These types were the following: consuming content, contributing to existing content and creating new content. An online questionnaire was distributed on brand Facebook pages and was used as a foundation for two focus group interviews that were then held. The goal of the study was to see what motivates user participation, in order to aid companies and organizations in understanding users.

The aim of this paper is to examine how confidence in co-operative behaviour of partner is reached in a relationship between an entrepreneur and a venture capitalist. A case study has been conducted on a Swedish football club that has involved venture capital in order to develop the organization. The paper presents a theoretical approach which draws on a control model of interorganizational relationships developed by Dekker (2004) and a model developed by Shepherd & Zacharakis (2001) illustrating how control, trust and confidence is reached in a venture capitalist-entrepreneur relationship. The relationship between the football club and the venture capitalist can simultaneously be seen as an interorganizational relationship and a relationship between an entrepreneur and a venture capitalist. Because of the complexity of the relationship, different control problems prevail.

For research purposes Saab has developed a generic mathematical model denoted VEGAS of an aircraft with a configuration similar to JAS 39 Gripen. Today parts of Gripen backup control system are used also for VEGAS making the system subject to both corporate and defense secrecy. The main objective of this master thesis is to design, verify and implement public pitch axis flight control system for VEGAS. Furthermore, simplifications regarding the design process is to be examined. Design of pitch axis flight control system for the entire flight envelope has been carried out.

Historically transformers with system earth equipment have been modeled as open circuits in zero sequence. This approximation has been satisfying, but lately it has been discovered that equipment on one side of the transformer have responded to faults that occurred at the other side. Most of these problems took place when the majority of the system on the secondary side of the transformer contained cables. These findings have led to questioning whether or not the former model of the transformer in zero sequence is correct. This report investigates if it is necessary to represent the transformer in zero sequence in another way than it is usually done today.

This thesis work has been performed at the department of diagnosis and dependability at Volvo Car Company, Torslanda. The background of this project is based on interest in ascertaining how different factors possibly can affect a diagnosis method, which has been developed to find leaks in the fuel tank and evaporation system. According to the OBD II requirements leaks with an orifice diameter larger or equal to 0,5 mm, must be detected. The idea of the diagnosis method is to create an over pressure in the system with an air-pump. The current through the pump is measured and correlates to the power consumed by the pump.

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate industrial branding, which as a relatively new concept, both for practioners as well as academia, comprises a less explored application of the brand concept. The theoretical background of the study consists of marketing theory concerning the brand concept, and theory concerning industrial marketing. The empirical foundation consists of case studies of four industrial companies, based on interviews with representatives from the companies. All four companies have engaged in activities which they themselves see as industrial branding. Initially, the study sets out to determine the occurence of industrial branding, according to this study?s definition, and continues to tentatively explore the implications of branding in an industrial context.

Computers together with Internet have been growing enormously, during the last decade and the area of information technology has been growing in the same speed. As long as the surrounding environment evolves, the business models must within the IT-area, keep the same pace. So, how do business corporations handle this change to attract customers? How do the dominant business models look like? In many cases, they are apparently much the same. But what differences can we see and what areas can be improved? We have showed that the IT area isn?t just one, it consist of several segments.

This study aims to seek knowledge of the salutogenic model within geriatric care. This is done by problematizing the female geriatric care personnel?s everyday life and conditions. The study?s comparative empirical focus includes interviews with ten women that work within geriatric care, at two different workplaces.

When Sweden acceded to the European Union in 1995 the term social economy was introduced to the Swedish context, gradually replacing the term civil society. This replacement can be seen as an indicator of a changing meaning of what the concept of civil society used to stand for.The aim of this essay is to study if it is possible to identify changing perceptions of the role of civil society for democracy in Sweden in government bills between 2002 and 2008, and, if so, what effect does this have on the delineation between the civil society and the government.An analytical model is proposed consisting of two dimensions which both capture the roles of civil society for democracy and the model examines how those roles relate to the government.The conclusion is that the government still sees the main function of civil society as a democratic school and a change agent for democracy. However, there is strong evidence to suggest that the civil society is increasingly regarded as more of a welfare producer than a fosterer of democracy..