This bachelor thesis examines the relation between countries? degree of economic freedom and their economic performance. Economic freedom as a concept is defined as the degree of market economy within a nation.The variable of measure that is used is the Frasier institute Economic freedom of the world index (EFI). The paper is built upon the Solow growth model and is extended by incorporation of additional variables; among which of course economic freedom. The study is performed through regression analysis, based on the neoclassical model both on rich countries, poor countries and on all investigated countries.Two investigations are performed: i) the impact from economic freedom on countries level of GDP per capita and ii) the impact from economic freedom on the growth rate in GDP per capita.The finding is that economic freedom can be seen as a relevant determinant of differences in GDP per capita growth rates between nations.

This paper describes a study examining four different GARCH models AR(1)-GARCH(1,1), AR(1)-EGARCH(1,1), AR(1)-APGARCH(1,1) and AR(1)-GJR-GARCH(1,1), and their ability to predict future volatility and thereby providing more reliable estimates for Value-at-Risk. The study is based on daily observations for the return of the OMX Stockholm 30 Index, during the time period 31st December 1996 to 29th December 2006. The coefficients for these GARCH models have been estimated using a five-year rolling estimation window, with one-year lags, for five different in-sample-periods. These five in-sample-periods, and the coefficients given by them, have been used to generate five out-of-sample predictions for the volatility in each year. Using these volatility predictions, the daily Value-at-Risk has been calculated for confidence intervals of 90 percent, 95 percent, and 99 percent, respectively, during the time period between 1st January 2001 and 29th December 2006.

The flexibility of the labour market is considered as an instrument for increasing economic growth.Therefore has the use of flexible employment, also called atypical employment, increased. The atypical employment is characterized by insecurity in comparison with a traditional permanent full- time employment. One of the most common atypical employments is the manning employment, which is insecure whether it is permanent or not. The insecurity in the industry is based on insecure income, unpredictable working hours and poor psychosocial work environment.In order to encourage a continued increase of flexibility in the labour market while the need for security for staffing employees would be satisfied was Directive 2008:104 adopted. A certain amount of security has been achieved.

Huvudsyftet med denna uppsats är att undersöka effekterna av aggressionsersättningsträning (ART) program på tre kriminalvårdsanstalter och två frivårdskontor. Huvudfrågeställningen som belyses i studien är: förändras deltagarna i ART-program med avseende på empati och attityder till kriminalitet? För att besvara dessa frågor har vi utfört för- och eftertester på tre kriminalvårdsanstalter och två frivårdskontor. Instrumenten som användes i testerna är Davis Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) och Mill's Measures of Criminal Attitudes and Associates (MCAA).Slutsatserna som kan dras utifrån denna studie är att den emotionella empati-komponenten "personal distress" visar en minskning som kan förklaras av interaktionen med ART.The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of Aggression Replacement Training (ART) program in some of the prisons and probation authorities of the Swedish correctional system. The specific questions we are trying to answer are: (1) does ART-program change the clients' empathic concern and (2) does ART-program help in changing participants' attitudes towards criminality? This investigation is based on a quantitative inquiry consisting of Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) and Measures of Criminal Attitudes and Associates (MCAA) tests.The overall results of this study indicate that the emotional empathy-component "personal distress" shows a statistically significant reduction, which can be explained by the interaction with ART..

Abstract In general, language is the key to the community, to self-sufficiency and independence. Being able to speak the Swedish language is a part of the community integration. Integration also has a practical aspect that includes everyday life and affects one's opportunities in the labor market. Therefore, we have selected in this paper to focus on the language and integration but inevitably we will also discuss the education you need on the labor market. The purpose of this study is to describe how the staffs at the Language Café Nobel works for an increased integration in Malmo, and examine the significance of Language Café Nobel have for their participants.

The challenges facing low voltage grids are rising as an increasing number of domestic houses transition from fossil fueled heating to electricity based heating. Several environmental goals and visions have the same transition from fossil based power to electricity based power in mind for the transportation sector. One of the most important tools for this transformation is widely regarded to be the electric vehicle. With the demands of the electric vehicle pressuring the power grid, several questions arise regarding the growth of the electric vehicle market and what repercussions it may have on the grid. This paper focuses on a typical low voltage grid in southern Sweden and what effects a growing electric vehicle market may have on it. Through computer-assisted simulations based on several future scenarios regarding the EV market, this paper finds that few modifications and reinforcements are needed on this particular grid within the next 10 to 15 years.

Today automotive manufacturers are facing a crisis with increased pressure to strengthen their brands. To prevent declining results many automakers have chosen to extend its brand to other industries i.e. various forms of brand extensions. Automotive manufacturers have developed an international strategy for what merchandise to offer. The strategy has received an overall positive response, however, it does not apply well within the Swedish market where merchandise is sold in less quantity than abroad.

The world gets smaller and smaller and goods, services, people and information are nowadays more and more able to freely cross borders. Half of the Swedish GNP consists of export and almost 70 % of that amount is goods. Because of today?s increasing globalization the Swedish companies are now faced with both new opportunities and threats. Companies with goods which are manufactured in Sweden gets challenged by increased competition from cheap goods produced in other countries and companies can no longer afford to entirely focus on the domestic market.

This paper deals with Iraqis in the Swedish labour market. The main goal was to point out on positive aspects of the Swedish labour market integration. Previous studies were mostly problem oriented on immigrants? situation in finding a job, especially when related to immigrant from non-European countries. Instead this study is focused on the more positive aspects.

A more complex and turbulent world market puts pressure on flexibility and the ability to adjust its business to the market changes. The rapid and unpredictable change is hade to analyze and forecast which demands more short-term forecasting. The issue for this dissertation is based upon the demand of more flexible ways of doing business in the bank sector in Sweden, which is a turbulent and unpredictable market. Handelsbanken is a company that uses the so called Beyond budgeting concept and the dissertation is about this company?s ability to solve the economic governance without the traditional budgeting process.

The aim of this thesis is to examine the possibilities and challenges facing an archive, Svenskt barnbildarkiv (SBBA), if to publish its material online. Our context for this study is image indexing. Our main questions are: How can SBBA index their pictures for a possible publication on the Internet? Are there any pros or cons in the determination of topics in children?s images, and in that case, which? What search paths are important when indexing children?s pictures, and why are they important? To answer these questions, the thesis is built on a wide study of interdisciplinary literature. But also on SBBA: s own handbook for image ?registration?, and on interviews with the persons working at the archive SBBA, in Eskilstuna.

This essay is a study of the market strategies and situations in the telephone business. Our problem was to examine the telecom companies´ strategies to stay competitive and cope with the new VoIP technology. We chose to do a qualitative study and four telephone interviews were made with Swedish and Dutch companies. We investigated three different categories of companies in the market; industry leaders, cable companies and broadband companies to get a broad view of the market. The theory chapter is based on different strategies that companies have to or can apply to get ahead, stay or survive in a hypercompetition.

University of ÖrebroDepartment of social SciencesSociology, Contnuation Course, 61-90hp.Essay 15hp. Spring 2008Title: Who is resbonsible? A soceityscientific discussion about burnout.Author: Emilie FuchsAbstractThe purpose with this essay is to do a critical comparation between two different perspectives, burnout as an individual problem and burnout as a social problem. The first perspective states that the individual itself is responsible for her sickness while the second perspective states that the society and foremost the labour market should work in order to prevent people from beeing burned out. With that purpose in mind I want to enlighten and hopefully bring up the topic for discussion.The essay is based upon the following questions:? How can you sociologically understand the labour market of today?? How can you understand burnout in an individual context?? How can you understand burnout in a social context?By studying and reading four books, I have presented the two different perspectives of burnout.

Mobile telecom and the Internet are converging, which opens new possibilities for market actors to create business through the mobile handset. At the same time market experts are predicting that mobile operator?s existing dominance in the telecom market will in the future decline as new technology such as VoIP and services will erode the operator?s traditional revenue model. This implies that mobile operators will need to rethink their dominant business logic to create new value for their customers. Mobile operators are aiming to expand their existing revenue model through advertising in the mobile handset and are searching to create new business models that evolve advertising sales.

Our aim of this study was to investigate barriers and opportunities for people with mental disorders getting in to the labor market. This from experiences by people whose daily job contains work rehabilitation for this group in particular. On the basis of five qualitative interviews the results showed that prejudices towards people with mental disorders are a barrier for them to get a wage labor. Furthermore the results showed that low self-esteem within the target group and also high educational demands becomes a barrier to a wage labor. The results also showed that to focus on the healthy aspects may serve as an opportunity for people with mental disorders to get in to the labor market and be able to have a paid job.