Several studies have investigated the relationship between different measures of innovative activity, such as patent statistics and R&D expenditures and some have looked deeper into the differences between large and small firms regarding number of patents issued per employee or per R&D dollar. In this paper, the objective is to find out if there are any indications of a barrier to entry (due to economical factors, lack of knowledge etc) for small firms to get into the field of patent handling. The approach is to first set up a hypothesis based on some simple assumptions about how firms would make decisions about whether to apply for a patent or not and thereafter use econometric methods in an empirical investigation. The data used for this study are figures on number of employees, number of patents granted and R&D expenditures for the Swedish firms in the pulp and paper industry. The main conclusion is that, based on the analysis of the data from this rather limited group of firms, no such barrier can be seen..

Emmanuel Lévinas is one of the great ethics in the 20th century. His contribution to the philosophical discourse defies our thinking and behavior in a revolutionary way. He dismisses every categorization, every tematization, every moral based on an analytical reflection and compels us with an ethics that demands us not only to think, but to act and be responsible. The 21st century?s emphasis of the individual, globalization, plurality and the questioning of authorities has created new challenges for the individual who sees herself as the nave of morality.

The study focuses on the use of poetry in language teaching in the lower grades in the Swedish school. Poetry has a reputation of being an art form with such specific rules and structures that children and teachers think that it is something that they do not have the ability to work with.  The purpose of this study is to get an understanding of how poetry is used in educating children. My research is based on the following questions. To which extent is poetry being used in schools and how is it being used?Can you as a teacher see any effects on childrens language development by using poetry?As a part of my study I have met with and interviewed four different people, who in one way or another is involved in teaching children. Two working teachers in the lower grades, one pedagogical resource and one artist that work with teachers in reaching different goals through the help of aesthetic processes.

The aim of the study was to investigate how Parkinson?sdisease affects the individual?s ability to give feedback in face to faceinteraction with a significant other and how this affects the conversationalinteraction. The study applied a qualitative approach, using ConversationAnalysis and Activity based communication analysis with altogether fourdyads. The results showed that Parkinson?s disease may have an effect onthe ability to give feedback, shown in an atypical pattern of feedbackpreventing the fulfillment of individual goals in the interaction.

One of the main tasks of the Swedish Armed Forces over the past few years has been International assignments, which increased the importance of the Lessons Learned process. Methods of simulator training with computers have become more frequent and the technical ability to collect digital data from sensors has been developed as well. This work demonstrates how the experience of Lessons Learned can be communicated with the computer simulator StriSimPC and how modern technology in future support experiences from the Lessons Learned process at the tactical level in the Army.Currently knowledge sharing consists of several processes and strategies in the Swedish Armed Forces. This is done by written reports, oral presentations and different practical exercises.This case study shows the functions of the simulator StriSimPC, methods of training and how it is used today. The study also describes the future opportunities, where digital metadata acquired from the modern combat vehicles could contribute sharing of experience in the Lessons Learned process.The summarized conclusions indicate that StriSimPC can combine the two strategies for personalization and codification of knowledge transfer to reach a higher level of learning.

AbstractEvidence based research has shown that organized parent support programmes have a goodeffect in strengthening the role of the parent and preventing problems during growth. Thisin turn has a great significance for Public Health.Komet is one of the evidence based programmes used in Sweden, based on Americanprogrammes and adapted to Swedish conditions.This qualitative study consists of interviews with six children between six and nine yearswith behaviour problems, whose parents have taken part in the Komet programme.With Grounded Theory as research approach the children?s experiences of the programmeand relations within the family have been looked into and analysed.The result of this study suggests that a space for growth of their own is a common need ofthe children, and that this can be achieved by giving them the opportunity to function in afamily environment where they are seen and understood.The Komet programme contributed to this by giving the family tools to strengthen relationswithin the family, create calm and make the children more visible.The self image of the children in this study had improved which gave them more room togrow in a strengthened family situation. This in turn improved conditions for good feelings,and sense of well being, of importance for child development and health..

The purpose of this essay is to investigate how four companies in Värmland, Sweden, are working strategically with their brands. This is a qualitative method in which we have used a combination of interviews and literature review in order to investigate the link between brands and the Karlstad region.Even though there is a huge interest in brands, there are only a few companies who can describe clearly what their own brand represents. This probably due to the fact that the brand is still regarded as a tactical tool, rather than as a strategic one. Because of this we find it very interesting to investigate how organizations in Värmland think about this issue. Are brands regarded as a strategic resource, and how strong is the link between their brands and the region?The result indicate that organizations are working strategically with their brands, but they can still get better.

The aim of the study is to examine which present conceptions of sexuality there are in treatment of substance abuse for men. The intention is to examine how staff members in these environments perceive clients? sex and sexuality as well as studying if and in that case how they work with sexuality in treatment. A qualitative method formed the methodological approach and semistructured interviews were carried out for the collection of data. Four staff members from two different treatment institutions for substance abuse were interviewed.

This study of leadership is comprised of two parts. The first part presented in this study is a theoretical study of leadership and the second part is an empirical study. The empirical study is comprised of six qualitative interviews that examine the perception of leadership among educators working at a school in the inner city.The work is based on the following issues; Do educators think that there is a link between educational work and leadership? Do educators see a link between leadership and goals, and guidelines that are written in Lgr11 and the Education Act? Does the perception of leadership depend on what training the educators have?In this study I use a hermeneutical approach where I try to create an understanding of the interviewees by interpreting their responses, actions and opinions during the interviews.The material gained from the empirical study has been analyzed and interpreted and then related to the theoretical study. The results show that leadership is something that everyone in the school system is in need of whatever their education.

Background: Today, the tourism sector is one of the economically fastest growing sectors in the world. Volunteer travel is a type of service that is gaining in popularity and a number of tour operators organize these trips. Few aid agencies engaged in volunteer activities and therefore the interest in volunteer travel is caught by tour operators. These tourists travel in small groups and interact with locals. Today fifty million children in Africa are orphaned and Africans struggling with the care of these children by founding orphanages.Research questions:What does volunteers contribute with during their stay at orpahanges?What view does volunteers and orphanages have on volunteer tourism?Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the positive and the negative effects that volunteer tourism contributes to orphanages.Method: The study is based on a qualitative approach with semi-and unstructured interviews, observations, and email interviews.

Uppsatsen behandlar problematiken kring implementering av personalekonomisk redovisning, i form av hälsobokslut..

SammanfattningTitel:                                   Talent Management inom den svenska banksektorn.Författare:                         Martin Eriksson och Oscar Alfelt Handledare:                      Timurs UmansNivå:                                  Kandidatuppsats 15 hp, Ledarskap, VT 2012 Frågeställning:                  Hur använder svenska banker talent management processen som en del av sitt HR-arbete? Syfte:                                  Syftet med denna uppsats är att undersöka hur banker använder talent management processen som en del av sitt HR-arbete och på så sätt öka sin konkurrenskraft och effektivisera sitt arbete. Vi ämnar undersöka hur processen kan anpassas till en specifik sektor vilket i vårt fall är den svenska banksektorn.Metod:                               Studien gjordes med ett beskrivande angreppssätt. Vi använde en kvalitativ ansatts med individuella öppna intervjuer. Intervjuerna gjordes över telefon med fem stycken respondenter från svenska banker. Teoretisk referensram:    Den teoretiska referensramen består av tre delar där första delen handlar om att förklara vad talent management är för att sedan presentera två talent management processer samt att beskriva HR inom banksektorn.

The purpose of this thesis is to outline an appropriate model in order for companies to successfully act and compete physically as wholesalers at the same time as acting on the virtual market by selling directly to the end consumer. The approach of this thesis is hermeneutical and abductive with elements of hypothetically deductive approach. Our research has a qualitative research strategy based on case studies and interviews as well as on secondary data. Interviews were conducted with the case company JaymJay Wear AB as well as with other companies, so called mini cases. The secondary data consists mainly of textbooks, web sites and journals.

In the last two decades something called ?the Eleatic Principle? has been quite frequent in philosophical literature. A wide range of philosophers have appealed to this principle when arguing for varioustheses but the principle itself has received comparatively little attention. Especially questions regarding the principle's justificationare often ignored or only mentioned in passing. The aim of this paper is to remedy this situation somewhat by focusing on how it could be justified.In section 2 I give an overview of the various ways in which the principle has been used to clarify just what we are dealing with here.

The purpose of this master?s thesis is to study resource allocation among district libraries within Stockholm?s City Library (SSB) on three different occasions ? 1996, 2001 and 2005 ? and to examine whether there exist any inconsistency between the state of the allocation of resources and what might be considered reasonable. During the course of the study, it became apparent that some measurements are more relevant than others when determining whether the allocation of resources is reasonably fair. The most relevant ratio is the share of net cost per capita in relation to population and the population?s composition of children, youngsters and persons with foreign background as a result of relevant political governing documents giving priority to these three groups.