The purpose with this study is to identify an organizational culture at Posten Örebro based on Edgar H. Schein´s theory about the three levels of culture. These three levels consist of artifacts, espoused beliefs and values and basic underlying assumptions. Artifacts represent the visible and tangible of an organization and this level is the easiest level to identify. Espoused beliefs and values include common thoughts and ideals within the organization and are an aware, but not necessarily material, cultural level.

The environmental demands are increasing when it comes to product development. EcoDesign isabout minimizing the environmental impact of a product, considering the entire life cycle of it,without compromising other qualities like function or cost. In this master of science thesis amobile phone has been analysed with Ten Golden Rules in EcoDesign regarding production, useand End of Life. Also a functional and an environmental profile were made. The goal was tomake a new concept phone, based on the previous analysis, which communicates userfriendlinessand sustainable development.

This thesis seeks to investigate how Swedish first class hotels by use of IT can improve customer service and thereby increase the share of loyal guests. The authors have conducted a qualitative study predominantly consisting of an interview-based case study at one of Stockholm?s largest independent hotels. To get a broader and more generalized picture of the hotel industry four smaller studies at other hotels in Stockholm were also conducted. The findings suggest that the use of IT can improve the communication between the hotel and its guests and make possible a continuing relationship between visits that strengthens guest commitment.

Title: ?The director should be treated with silk gloves.? A discourse analysis of the film director as a leader and a case study of a short film Seminar date: 19 February 2008 Course: Master thesis in organizational studies, 20 Swedish credits Author: Johanna Ranes Advisor: Ph.D. Nanna Gillberg Key words: Film, the film director, discourse analysis, social constructionism, gender studies, creative leadership. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to illustrate and problemize the consequences of the traditional male domination in film creation for a female director by critically examining the construction of the film director. Methodology: The study is based on a qualitative case study which was conducted as a participant observation.

This study is about the child?s perspective when it comes to work with financial assistance. The purpose of the study was partly to describe how social workers regard the child?s perspective in their work with financial assistance and partly to look into whether they impose a child?s perspective in their practical work. To fulfill this purpose the authors used a quantitative method and sent out a web based survey to all the social workers actively working with financial assistance in Stockholm town.

The purpose of this study was to find out how young children are allowed to influence and affect their daily lives in preschools, as well as teachers? views on the latter. My interest in this topic is born out of my experience of working with both younger and older preschool children. My view is that democratic work with older children is largely based on direct verbal communication while with toddlers it is based on an adult?s interpretation of a child?s often non-verbal expressions.

To support uniform and fair assessment of Swedish students? English language competences, mandatory National tests are provided both for secondary and upper secondary education. The current thesis may be seen as a contribution to the further development and validation of these tests, with regard to the likely introduction of computerized testing methods. The aim is to gain further knowledge from current research in the field, to study and elucidate international experiences of implementation, and to gather and analyze feedback from students and teachers. Based on my findings, some tentative conclusions will be drawn, and recommendations made concerning future developments.

The purpose of this essay is to develop knowledge about how learning among employees is perceived to occur practically in a pre-school unit seen as a learning organization. From an employee perspective the intention was to gain an understanding of how they perceive the organization regarding employee learning in the workplace when it comes to in which contexts and what conditions that enable collaborative learning. Because learning organization is mostly a vision from a management perspective thereby it should in this case mostly be viewed as the context in which the employees work in.The essay is based on a qualitative research approach with eight semi-structured interviews. It was based on hermeneutics as method of analysis with the intention to gain an understanding of the employees' subjective perception. It is a case study on a selected pre-school unit in Stockholm.

The aim was to explore how the first page of a student newspaper has been changed over time since it was founded in the 1960´s.This thesis explores how the front page of the student newspaper Lösnummer has been changed since it was founded in 1966. It concerns the location and frequency of elements and it is based on theories of layout, the first page and visual communicationIn addition, the thesis develops a new kind of method for determining the location of elements on the type area. The method is based on the hexadecimal number system. It is formed as a grid which is placed on the first page to determine the location of the elements.It concludes that the frequency of elements had its peak during the 1970´s and has ever since decreased gradually. Image placement has gone from being scattered all over the front page to be centered and increase in size. .

There is strong evidence that cognitive-behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is effective. The aim of this study was to compare 7 group-sessions of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for insomnia (MBCT-I) with 3 group-sessions of CBT-I, on sleep measures and sleep related psychological processes, such as pre-sleep arousal, thought control strategies and mindfulness. Participants (N = 44; age 18-66) with long term insomnia were stratified and randomized into waiting list, MBCT-I and CBT-I. Significant improvements were seen in both groups, compared to waiting list, for instance on insomnia severity, sleep latency and restorative sleep. Small improvements on psychological processes were also found in both groups.

This study is essentially based on my own questions concerning contemporary playgrounds. Why are they so unimaginative? What do the children say about them? Is it possible to create playgrounds less constructed, and with more natural elements? This report starts with references to literature studies, personal references and my personal view, and ends with a suggestion for a physical solution for an actual day care centre. The aim is to learn more about how the natural environment affects children, the importance of playing, and try to use this knowledge in a design of a day care centre. My main theme can be summarized in the following question: Why is natural elements in playgrounds considered to be healthy for children? I wanted to create a playground with natural characteristics which I myself would have appreciated as a child.

This essay is about literature instruction in the last three years of Sweden?s compulsory school from one teacher?s and six of his pupils? perspective. The research is analysed from a socio-cultural perspective on learning and literature reception.The empiric material is based on interviews with the teacher and six of his students.The research shows that there is a difference between what the pupils read on their spare time and what they read during Swedish instruction. It also shows that the pupils wants literature full of action where descriptions of people and the setting don?t slow down the reading experience.The teacher is successful in finding literature the pupils appreciate but sees the value of literature on another level ? in the processing of the reading experience.

Technology based self-service (TBSS) used in supermarket self-scanning checkouts is a relatively new phenomenon in Sweden. Studies on TBSS as a self- checkout device have been formerly carried out but with focus on the customer perspective. The authors therefore saw a challenge in covering the self-scan checkout concept, from a company perspective. The purpose of this research paper is to investigate, through a management perspective, the changes brought about by implementing an innovative TBSS system in Swedish supermarkets, and its effect on the competitiveness of the company. This is done by presenting and linking the theoretical framework and empirical study in the research.

A successful acquisition is based upon good preparations before the integration process..

The main purpose of this essay is to examine, in what way the paintings by Karin Broosand Markus Åkesson are images of autentic situations and furthermore in what way themediespecific essence is performed photografically. Questions occuring: 1) How are thecreations of reality shaped in the two chosen photorealistical paintings? 2) In what waycan you distinguish the iconicity and indexicality in the paintings Den vita klänningenand The Passage? 3) How does the photografic presence occur in the paintings andfuthermore how can you distinguish the mentioned parts above according to thepaintings? The theoretical standpoint is based upon Charles Sanders Peirces ideasconcerning iconicity and indexicality. The methods used are based on thoughtspresented by Andrew Benjamin and Mieke Bal. The signs of iconicity and indexicalitycan be studied in various ways in the two paintings, depending on how abstract andobvious different parts occur in the paintings.