Background: When firms grow through acquisitions it is commonly debated whether the two entities ought to be better off as standalone companies rather than as a merged company. This thesis aims at discussing this issue of M&As advantages and disadvantages in terms of source of synergies from the perspective of resource allocation. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to describe and analyze to what extent pre-M&A differences (against similarities) in resource allocation and corporate culture between the acquiring and target firm have an impact on the post-M&A performance. Theoretical framework: Efficient market hypothesis, resource based view, strategic fit. Methodology: A longitudinal study is conducted on the EU market during 1992 to 2002 based on balance sheet and income statement data.

My main purpose with this study is to investigate how the social worker relates to knowledge, power and profession. From this purpose has also the concept ?to be a social worker? emerged.The study is based on a qualitative study and consists of semi-structured interviews with seven social workers from different fields of expertise.The result of the study shows that the knowledge is dependent of different fields of expertise. But in the contact with the client, regardless of field of expertise, the knowledge is gathered through a reflective pattern. Through theoretical attempts and earlier experience from social workers, this is brought to life in this unique meeting.

Grafiska dokumentgränssnitt används av de flesta datoranvändare. Det finns i huvudsak tre typer av dokumentgränssnitt; MDI (multiple document interface), SDI (single document interface) och TDI (tabbed document interface). I ena halvan av arbetet har dessa tre analyserats utifrån en rad faktorer med målet att se om någon modells fördelar väger över de andras och om man kan skapa några riktlinjer för när det är bäst att applicera respektive modell när man utvecklar en ny programvara. Analysen är baserad på litteratur samt kvalitativ enkätundersökning och programtest. Andra delen av arbetet har ägnats åt testa om det går att programmera så att slutanvändaren kan välja den modell han eller hon föredrar.

As a result of a successful human development around the world an extensive urbanization of societies are taking place that are networked in various ways. In these networks, increased travel and digitization are central where individuals and organizations converge in a constant and immediate wireless and mobile technology flow. An example of this is Stockholm and its public transportation company Storstockholms Lokaltrafik (SL). Although most participate in most of the network society, SL is struggling with an audience that seldom travel with them: families with children. We intended to find out how the communication of SL´s digital platforms could get families to travel more with public transportation.

This study focused on how local politicians in Kalmar perceive journalists and their intertwined relationship. We based our study on the theoretical understanding of today?s media-centric democratic society. The ?adversary model? offered an understanding of the intricate relations between politicians and journalists.

The school is under constant change and school reform on the conveyor belt. In 2009 the Swedish government introduced new directives for the elementaryschool, including multi-national sample, written testimonials from grade one and grade with several grades rose from grade six. The purpose of this study is to examine currently active primary teacher perceptions of the pupils' learning and development might be affected by those earlier and clearer knowledge assessments, and how teachers perceive this reform on the basis of the Swedish school's motto "a school for all". The study was carried out with a phenomenological approach where the method has been depth interviews with five active primary teachers from grades one to six in a school. The results show that teachers perceive that the earlier and clearer assessments will affect students differently according to student performance and knowledge.

I denna studie har policyutvecklingen av den svenska terrorismbekämpningen undersökts. Utvecklingen av den svenska kontraterrorpolicy sedan den nationella strategins introduktion, har ägt rum under en period när allmänheten och det politiska styret inte tillskrivit problemområdet samma betydelse. Medan allmänhetens oro ökat, har det politiska intresset kommit och gått. Med en fallstudiedesign har utvecklingen från 2008 års nationella strategi fram tills idag studerats och analyserats. Genom en kvalitativ textanalys har utvecklingen visat sig ha två trender.

The aim of this theoretical study is to explain how the notion of the Other and Otherness affect individuals possibilities to form multiple, personal identities. This is done by the use of the theory of the Other and the construction of identities. In my analysis I will be using the power perspective presented by Lukes. The purpose of my study is also to investigate whether a focus on similarity over difference between groups can change the situation for individualsMy study shows that otherness affect individuals identity constructions through stereotyping and categorising. This is made possible by the use of power from outside and inside different groupings.

This paper attempts to survey the debate in the Swedish parliament on state surveillance on the Internet, from 1994 to March, 2007. With a discourse analysis inspired by Foucault, we follow how the idea of state surveillance is viewed by politicians during the period. By focusing on the Internet, we expect to find how politicians in the parliament regard the idea of an unregulated forum for citizen communication and interaction, and how the need for state surveillance on the new arena that is Internet, is expressed and argued for. Theoretical framework is given by Foucault?s theory of the Panoptic state, as well as his thoughts on discourse, power and governmentality.

Abortion remains a contentious issue, which greatly raises ethical problems. This thesis examines the leading arguments in the Swedish abortion debate around the ? in terms of legislation ? critical years of 1938 and 1974. With Foucault's genealogical method, Butler's theories of gender as a social construction in relation to power and doxa, the study examines what the development of the argumentation says about the views on morality, the woman's body, life, individual and state? How has the arguments pro and against abortion changed over time and what does this say about the norms that guide and orientate the arguments? The most obvious change in argumentation is seen in the shift from an absolute moral and conservative position into an increasingly relativistic and liberal position, and this study will argue that this shift has its prerequisites in the changing status of the citizen and state.

This thesis is about a potential trade-off between integrity and long-term usability in the choice of file formats for preservation of text documents. Five common formats are discussed: plain text, PDF/A, Office Open XML Document, Open Document Text, and Markdown. The formats are compared with respect to four criteria related to integrity and usability and to the records continuum model: support by widely used software, stability, rendering of contents and reusability.It is concluded that no single format is optimal with respect to all four criteria, when it comes to preserving typical documents in a modern environment, with more or less complex formatting and document structure. Therefore, the feasiblity of using two or more formats for preservation of a single document (e.g. PDF/A combined with Markdown and/or Office Open XML) is discussed.

The purpose of this study was to examine and describe how politicians and directors of care define and experience quality in aged care facilities. Further on we wanted to compare on which fundamental principles the participants base their opinion about quality and how they work with quality. To reach our aim we conducted five interviews with politicians and directors of care. The results show that it is hard to determine quality in an unambiguous and objective way. Quality in aged care appears to be about relations and encounters amongst people.

This essay covers computer gaming as seen from a perspective of gender theory. The main purpose of the essay is to examine women?s relationship to computer games, and more specifically women?s attitudes to the games they play. The theoretical basis for this essay is sprung from a hermeneutic perspective. The empirical basis for analysis consists of two in depth interviews and game analysis of the two computer games Counter Strike and Final Fantasy XI.

The purpose of this study is to examine what motivates people to help others at risk to themselves. The focus is on international aid workers, which in their work put themselves in situations of risk. Earlier research shows that international aid work involves risks such as infectious diseases, violence, death threats, assaults, constant insecurity and risk to be traumatized etc. There is not much research done on what motivates to help others in spite of risks, hence we find this an interesting area. We have interviewed six respondents about the content and character of their motivation and factors that are important for the maintenance and development of this motivation.

Eutrophication is a major problem in the Baltic Sea, as a result of increased loading of nitrogen and phosphorus. In the coastal parts of Östergötland the soil largely consists of clay and contains high levels of phosphorus bound to clay particles. Erosion of the soil in agricultural areas makes the water turbid and transports phosphorus to the Baltic Sea. The aim of this project was to examine the relationship between phosphorus and turbidity in the coastal streams of Östergötland. The aim was also to evaluate the possibility to use turbidity as a surrogate measure for phosphorus.