This essay is about democracy and how a democracy index can be used as a tool to illustratethe gap between reality and ideal. The purpose of this study can be expressed by two researchquestions: Does the Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU) democracy index illustrate thedistance between reality and the ideal of democracy presented by Dahl? and Can the EIU'sdemocracy index be modified by a) internal adjustments and b) using the variables includedin World Economic Forum?s (WEF) equality index?By using a combination of theories (Dahl?s theory of democracy, Rawls theory of justice andchosen theories critical to liberal democracy) as an analytical framework the following twoquestions have been answered:1) Which of the variables included in the EIU's democracy index have the potential to capturethe level of political equality?2) Which of the variables included in the WEF?s equality index have the potential to capturethe degree of political equality?By using a quantitative method the study?s third and last question has been answered:3) How strong is the rank correlation between the EIU?s democracy index and the WEF?sequality index, that is; how strong is the rank correlation coefficient (rho)?The data presented by the WEF?s equality index indicate that women are systematicallydiscriminated against as a group. From a democratic perspective the EIU may need tomeasure inequalities at a group level in order to capture the lack of political equality betweenindividuals. By reformulating some of the EIU?s variables, by revising the EIU?s point systemand by using the variables included in the WEF's equality index to extend EIU?s democracyindex, the chances of capturing the gap between reality and the ideal of democracy presentedby Dahl would likely increase..

This thesis purpose was to contribute to knowledge which could explain the driving forces behind Corporate Social Responsibility in corporate Sweden and their strategic impact from a management perspective. The method used to archive this research was a qualitative interpretative study conducted by interviews. The thesis is based on descriptive theories of drivers for CSR, concepts of strategy and CSR and normative/instrumental theories suggesting a strategic approach to CSR and stakeholder management. The empirical study is based on interviews with Swedish business managers in a strategic board position as well as consultants working with CSR strategies, supported with internet information from companies? webpage.

Syfte: Syftet med denna uppsats är att analysera utvecklingen av användandet av elektroniska business-to-business auktioner, utifrån ett kundperspektiv i fordonsbranschen. Metod: Denna uppsats präglas av den kvalitativa metoden, för att därigenom ge en ökad förståelse kring utvecklingen av användandet av e-auktioner. Inledningsvis har en litteraturstudie genomförts, varpå intervjuer med representanter för företag i fordonsbranschen gjorts. Slutsatser: Som utgångspunkt har vi valt uppskattningen att e-auktioner skall motsvara 25 procent av den elektroniska B2B-handeln i fordonsindustrin 2002. Det råder en övertygelse om att en betydande missräkning gjorts.

Svenska Lantchips is a Swedish SME sized snack manufacturer. Being a small, medium sized, family-owned business with branches throughout the world, they make an interesting company for a case study. The case study I have conducted focuses on the internationalisation process of this family owned company ? how they, despite their size, find ways to keep up an unique business structure, designed for internationalisation.The aim of this essay is to compare Svenska Lantchips? internationalisation process with traditional internationalisation theories and see if these are compatible with this company. The theories used are The Uppsala Model, The Network Model, and The Born Global Theory, with The Born Global Theory representing the younger generation of models.After undertaking an in-depth interview with Michael Hansen, business developer at Svenska Lantchips, I collated a substantial amount of material, which I have used as the basis of this essay.

ABSTRACT System development has become more and more concentrated on development for the Web and this has resulted in larger target groups. It will most surely continue to be so considering that the Web will be the infrastructure of business and services in the future. A big target group involves that the owner of a system can earn a lot of money from the paying users, but that assumes that the system can meet user needs. If a system on the Web does not satisfy the user?s demands then they will use the competitor?s system instead because it is only a mouse-click away.

ABSTRACTTitle: Senses strategic importance to the customer experience in dressing roomAuthors: Anna Andersson & Alexandra LundqvistTutor: Dr. Bertil Hultén, Associate Professor Linneaus School of Business and Economics Linnaeus UniversitySubject:  Bachelor thesis 15 hp. Business Economics C, Marketing. Linnaeus University, spring 2011Presentation of the question: Is it possible for companies to enhance customers experience in dressing rooms by strategically working with the senses?Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyze the senses relevance to the customer experience in the dressing room and create an understanding of the dressing room from a customer and business perspective.

AbstractThis master thesis is a hermeneutic inspired case study of how the value base regarding the environmental and social responsibility in the Swedish coffee company Löfbergs Lila AB is affecting the company's business. A thesis inspired by hermeneutics means that it is based on two ideas, the one of interaction between entirety and partitions and the one of interpretation (Alvesson & Sköldberg 1994). This cause that the emphasis is on how the reality is interpreted and that it never can be seen as completely objective.The case study was conducted during the spring semester of 2010 at Karlstad's University and consists of both empirical and theoretical material collected during this time. The empirical material in this thesis includes, among other things, interviews with four representatives of Löfbergs Lila AB, written material from the company regarding its work related to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), some information about the coffee industry as a whole and different certifications for "ethical? coffee that exists on the Swedish market.The basic idea with CSR as a business strategy is that it can be financially beneficial for companies to take a social and environmental responsibility outside of the company (Vogel 2005).

The aim of the study was to improve understanding of how upper secondary school acknowledge and adjust support and guidance for gifted students regarding their future academic and professional career. The study examined school pricipals and career counselors approach to guidance work with gifted students and how the above mentioned professionals received information about gifted students. It was further examined what measures were applied to adjust the upper secondary school to the needs of gifted students. Qualitative interviews were conducted and the results showed that in cases where the informants were told it took place in conjunctions with seminars about the class, through grades or through a teacher or the students themselves who contacted the career counselor or principal at the upper secondary school.The giftedness was connected to the school curriculum and various course topics in the secondary programs. School principals viewed the career counselor as an important resource to provide motivational support, individualize and survey future plans.

Abstract Titel: Budget development ? a study of multinational industrial companies Date: 2011-05-27 Authors: Daniel Claesson & Tobias Kronvall Supervisor: Fredrik Karlsson Examiner: Lars-Göran Aidemark Purpose: The main purpose of this study is to follow up and to do a comparison                of a study of Arwidi & Samuelson (1991) where we describe and explain budget change, from the traditional budget to today´s modern business management, in some of the leading listed Swedish industrial companies. We will also examine which objectives of the budget are highlighted in the companies. Further, we examine the relationship between                         organization, strategies and budgeting and how it affects the company            management. Method: In this study we used a qualitative approach. We used a multiple case                  study to examine corporate approach to budgeting.

En sammanfattning av uppsatsen på maximalt 8000 tecken..

En sammanfattning av uppsatsen på maximalt 8000 tecken..

The importance of good information security and safety grows larger and larger for each day in the information society of today. This concerns citizens, companies and public authorities. At the Swedish Transport Administration, the operation of an information security and safety process has evolved over the years to guarantee that the public authority can be trusted by its citizens, cooperating companies and other public authorities. This responsibility has been assigned to the Information Security and Safety Department (Informationssa?kerhetsavdelningen, ITsa?).In this thesis the aim is to review to what extent ITsa? achieves any business benefits for the Swedish Transport Administration, and to analyze, streamline and come up with solutions to improve their workflow.

Vår slutsats är att det krävs att produkten är standardiserad och att kunderna känner till produkten för att företaget ska ha större chans att kunna sälja sina produkter via Internet. Detta då kunderna inte är lika beroende av den fysiska kontakten. Detta anser vi är anledningen till att endast ett fåtal möbelföretag använder sig av e-handel. Detta då alla möbelföretags produkter inte är standardiserade och kunderna inte känner till dem. Vilket innebär att alla möbelföretags produkter inte lämpar sig för e-handel.

One of the biggest changes which have affected businesses during the last ten years is the accelerating speed at which Internet technology and e-commerce has developed. If Internet earlier was used in the purpose to entertain it is now accepted as an essential business tool and companies are investing more of its resources in e-commerce activities. Everyone ?has to be on the net? today but that implies a challenge in matching e-solutions to the company?s business goals. It is necessary to have clear goals, carry out research and plan a strategy in order to operate an optimal e-commerce website for the company?s needs.The purpose with this dissertation was to see how well companies adjust to new demands in the rapidly changing e-environment.

The Swedish retail business has been characterized by a small number of ruling distributors. These distributors have been affected negatively by the internationalization which has made it possible for international distributors to establish their stores in the Swedish market. These international distributors are focused on low price stores. Their establishment on the Swedish market has led to a decrease in market shares for the Swedish distributors, which has damaged their profitability. Another change that has affected the Swedish distributors is that the behavior and needs of the customers has changed.