Title: Diversities of diversity - fluctuating talk, meaning and practice of diversitySeminar date: 06.02.08 Course: Masters thesis in Business Administration, Programme for Managing People, Knowledge and Change, 15 University Credit Points (15 ECTS). Authors: Björt Ólafsdóttir & Clarissa Sia Choon YenAdvisors: Mats Alvesson & Susanne LundholmFive key words: Diversity, Discourses, Hypocrisy, Comparison, National contextPurpose: To identify and compare discourses around diversity within two companies operating in two distinct national contexts. One originated from and still situated in Iceland, while the other is a subsidiary for Asia-Pacific market in Singapore with American values from its headquarters in United States. We wish to explore what are the meanings and implications of diversity for the employees of each company, how their discourses on diversity reflect hypocrisy in the organizations and if and how national context has an impact on discourse on diversity.Methodology: Interviews were conducted, transcribed and codified. Comparison and evaluation of the different discourses were examined around diversity and in the talk of interviewees within the two companies.

AimsThe aim of this study was to conclude whether women living and staff working in a women´s shelter feel experience a need of physical activity in the shelter and also what thoughts women living and staff working in the shelter have regarding possible access to physical activity. Following questions were adressed: Does women living and staff working in the shelter experience that there is a need of physical activity in the shelter? What does women living, and staff working, in the shelter think about the physical activity conducted in the shelter? Why does the women living in the shelter choose to participate in the physical activity? Are there any connections between symptoms which battered women can suffer from and symptoms which scientific studies say can be reduced by physical activity?MethodsThe study is based on five interviews in order to understand and illustrate how women living in a shelter relate to physical activity. The answers from the interviews has been correlated to scientific results and other literature in the area. Literature studies have also derived background information as well as a deeper knowledge regarding in what way violence against women affect the abused woman.ResultsThe results show a need for physical activity at the women?s shelter where this study was conducted.

The purpose of this study is to analyze how special education is done in relation to what is considered "normal". The aim is to discuss how the normalization discourse appears in a pre-school for all and, by extension, how the need of special education is articulated in relation to the normalization discourse. This study also intends to discuss how the perception of what is normal affects special education in pre-schools. The study draws upon previous research within the special education area through which we make our position. Since there is only a few studies in this chosen field which are based on empirical data, our study indicates the importance of more research in this field.

The aim of this study was to examine the experience, knowledge and attitude to mandatory reports of mistreatments amongst first line managers and assistance nurses in municipal elderly care. The following questions were at the center of the analysis: how do the different professional groups view having to report their own organization? How can various factors affect the mandatory reporting of mistreatments? What knowledge do the different professional groups have of mistreatments and mandatory reporting? A qualitative research method was used to examine these questions in the form of semi structured interviews and a small document study. The interviews were carried out with assistance nurses and first line manages in elder care, we interviewed four respondents from both professional groups. The interviews were then transcribed and coded with help of a content analysis.

The Swedish Aviation Safety Authority has decided to standardise a classification system for reporting deviations found in inspections. The purpose of a classification system is that similar deviations always should be reported in the same way since this will enable better decisions regarding different risk areas. The inspectors are therefore constrained to use a standardised classification system and are not free to use their own words when reporting deviations. A hierarchal classification system with predefined phrases is in aviation referred to as taxonomy. Taxonomy is already in use when reporting accidents and incidents but not when reporting deviations found in inspections.

Title:A study of ?Situational followership?.Level:Final assignment for Bachelor Degree in Business AdministrationAuthor:Lykke SilfwerbrandSupervisor:Jonas KågströmDate:2011 ? JanuaryAim:This study looks at the new concept: ?situational followership?. It discusses howfollowership and leadership are connected and takes the approach of the follower. The studymainly looks into the following questions:·How can situational followership can be described?·What is the most important parameter for a follower?·Does the choice of leader differ according to the situation?·How is situational leadership and situational followership connected?Method:This is a qualitative study with ten respondents.

Abstract  Title: High-Risk Funds vs. Mutual- Index FundsA study of macro -variables influence on different funds choice Level: Final assignment for Bachelor Degree in Business Administration Author: Moses Yokie & Bo Lemar Supervisor: Ogi Chun & Cheick Wagué Date: 2011-05-25 Aim: The purpose with this thesis is to compare two different types of mutual-index fond and a high-risk fund in relation to the macro variables. The purpose also includes an investigation about if an investor will receives a higher return on high-risk fund than on mutual-index fund in a 10 years period.Method: A quantitative method has been use in this study, where the information has been received from Morningstar. Microsoft Excel has been used to process the collected data in order to calculate the expected return and the risk measures. The result is presented in graphs and tables on the empirical capital, in order to analyse and compare it with the theories and the selected macro- variables to see if there will be any correlation. Conclusion: This research shows that there is no possibility that the macro-variable factors can benefit an investment on high-risk fund or on mutual-index fund in the short run.

AbstractThe aim of the thesis was to examine some older people's experiences of everyday life and how it is to grow old in Namibia today. Because everyday life is a broad concept, we chose to focus on some specific parts of everyday life. These are chores, family, work/education, elderly past and present and the government/society. Furthermore we chose to look at the similarities and differences between the experiences on the basis of gender, race/ethnic groups and class.We chose to use a qualitative research method and to be inspired by life stories. We used a semi-structured interview guide and interviewed six people between 70 and 89 years.

Tyr ? A historical and comparative study of configurations and formations connected to the Old Norse god Tyr. Klas af Edholm This thesis has two aims. One is a discussion of the history of the study of Old Norse religion and related aspects, centered on how general tendencies within the area of research have affected the interpretations of the god *T?waz/Tyr.

Launching and marketing a health food product is associated with larger problems than a launch of a traditional food product. There are several sales channels that can be used for a health food product, for example the product can be sold as a traditional food product, natural health food product or as a prescription drug. A smaller company can however experience problems while launching its product as a prescription drug because of the large costs associated with this particular sales channel. There is often no other alternative than to launch the product as a traditional food product, this can however create other problems because of the existing regulations on what can and cannot be mentioned in the marketing of a health food product. The limited amount of information about the product that can be enclosed together with it makes it hard for a company to differentiate and position it on the market.

Final assignment for Bachelor Degree in Business Administration,Mid Sweden University in ÖstersundSpring term 2008Title: Abolishment of statutory audit ? a qualitative research on banks attitude when credit rating small businessesAuthor: Rima Harouki, Carina HoffmannSupervisor: Anna-Maria JanssonBackground & problem: In Sweden the statutory audit has been mandatory for every corporation since 1983. With the membership in European Union it became possible to allow exception from statutory audit for small businesses, according to the fourth commission of EG. Today, in the European Union, there are few countries that still have statutory audit for smaller businesses, Sweden is one of them. There are discussions about whether Sweden should follow the trend of abolishment and an analysis management by the justice of the Supreme Court Bo Svensson was recently presented, which ended in the conclusion that statutory audit ought to be abolished.

Emma Eriksson and Christina Henriksson: Mirror mirror on the wall: A study on how ballad texts reflect women as carriers of tradition in nineteenth century Sweden, Växjö: Musikvetenskap C, 10 p 2005.The aim of this essay is to analyze relations between ballad texts and the lives of female carriers of tradition in nineteenth century Sweden. Four carriers of tradition have been chosen, connected by being informants to Gunnar Olof Hyltén Cavallius, a collector of medieval ballads in Sweden around 1850. The four women are Anna Ehrenström (1786-1857), Catarina Andersdotter (1792-1857), Johanna Gustafva Angel (1791-1869) och Wendela Hebbe (1808-1899). Their lives are seen from a women?s historical perspective.Although there are uncertainties regarding to what extent the collected repertoire of the four women reflects their repertoire as a whole, some conclusions can be drawn regarding relations between remaining ballads and their lives as women.

This essay examines the 1962 Swedish parliamentary debate preluding the proposition to introduce a uniform compulsory education for all Swedish children. The proposition aimed at ending the previously heterogeneous educational system and replace it with a more equal and democratic system.A widespread debate ensued, regarding the status of Christian religious education (kristendomskunskap) and its new emphasis on scientific objectivity. This essay will examine the relative position of Christianity within the new uniform school system, as it was articulated by the members of the Swedish parliament. This analysis will be achieved through the use of a discourse analytical study of the parliamentary records, the recorded motions and bills. From these records a substantial disparity in the parliamential members articulation of the concept of Christianity can be ascertained, even within the discourse of an educational regime.

Abstract  The development and onset of diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) and Type 2 diabetes are closely linked to genetics and lifestyle factors including physical activity and diet. A cluster of metabolic disorders called the metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a high-risk factor in developing these diseases. Acording to the International diabetes institute, one fourth of the worlds adult population has MetS. These individuals are twice as likely to die from CVDs compared to individuals without MetS. Physical activity (PA) and exercise has been shown to provide a number of positive effects that are considered to reduce the risk of developing sickness and premature mortality among both men and women of all ages, independent of other risk factors.

This pre-study investigates the possibility of U-value measurements through an acoustic method. A hypothesis about an acoustic model built on acoustic theories combined with U-value theories is presented to answer the questions: ? Can U-value theory be combined with acoustic theories? ? Can the coefficient of heat be affirmed trough an acoustic measurement? The idea for this dissertation begun with a logical idea in mathematical similarity, between the coefficient of heat transmission units and sound intensity units. The U-value theory is based on assumptions such as initial resistance for inner walls and initial resistance for outer walls. The resistance in the material is interpreted through sound intensity theory. The argument is built upon mass law theory, which means if the frequency or thickness of the material layer doubles it implies an increase of sound reduction by 6 dB.