This paper explores a model for self-assessment of purchasing maturity in large companies. The author adapts contemporary purchasing theory and further enhances existing tools and procedures to create a survey based instrument for maturity measurementThe paper also explores potential methodological challenges associated with conducting a more extensive study of purchasing maturity via the proposed model. A preliminary study is made and the learnings discussed.The preliminary findings of the survey indicate that the purchasing maturity varies with industry. The purchasing function average score was found to be 3,4 out of 6 with samples spread across the whole spectra ? agreeing with previous theories stating that the purchasing maturity is highly varied between different industries..

This research aims at identifying the opinion leaders in order to study their behaviour, characteristics, their role within the word of mouth process, and what importance they have upon another consumers purchase decision. Also, to investigate the content of the message being spread. The results from the study show that opinion leaders are strong in spreading word of mouth. Messages were adapted by opinion leaders to suite their target audience. The results further contribute to the discussion about Watts? ?influentials?..

The purpose of this essay is to show how ESN, IKEA and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (UD) mediated swedishness. This will be done by illustrate and analyse the methods the research fields use to create and spread pictures and message about Sweden, Swedes and Swedish cultures. The essay use the method of represented informants and show three field where the meeting between people and cultures is conspicuously. Hopefully, this essay can be seen as a contribution to the research of identity (identity research). I have chosen to focus on three fields of research, which do not belong to the classic field of research to show how swedishness is mediated..

It is important to understand the process of appraisal of a business in order to establish its value. The purpose of our thesis is to establish which methods and models are used when evaluating a business and investigate the factors that may affect the value and price tag of a business. We have used a qualitative approach by conducting both indepth interviews and a survey as well as reading literature within the field. The main conslusion in our findings is that the common practice of discounted cash flow is widely used when bestowing a monetary value for a business, and in order to raise the value a well established customer relationship was the single most important factor. As far as lowering the value, the answers were of such a wide spread that a single factor could not be attributed.

To provide our company a new business opportunity I have in this essay examined the economical possibilities to sell energy. I have chosen to do a case study on my own farm in this essay. The farm is focused to cropping and also have some properties for hire. The farm is situated in the village of Fjelie and that?s where the opportunity for selling heat are. Fjelie has about forty houses. The idea is to build a plant where straw is being used as fuel.

I have always lived around mines and around people work­ing with mines. They are a natural part of my life and, inev­itably, a great interest of mine. When time came to make a decision for a degree project, focusing on the mine context felt as natural as breathing.In LKABs underground mines, safety in fire accidents is a great priority. Of outmost importance for the escape is to have a personal gas filter for filtration of smoke and/or gas. My design project resulted in a concept which is aimed at shortening the user journey from the start of the accident until the user has applied the personal safety solution and is ready to escape.Throughout the project I?ve been working with a context which is heavily regulated, and all problems are serious, important ones.

Rabies is a fatal zoonotic disease spread worldwide. The most common sources of infection for all animals and humans are bites from dogs or bats. The aim of this degree project was to diagnose and determine the source of infection for 11 rabies samples from São Paulo State and Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Diagnosis was made through direct immunofluorescence assay, mouse inoculation and RT-PCR. The sources of infection were determined by sequencing 234 nucleotides of the 5? end of the N-gene and align these with homologous sequences retrieved from GenBank.

The purpose of this Masters-thesis is to examine the impact of identity politics on (a) Turkey's foreign policy towards Europe and the EU, and (b) Europe's/EU's political attitude towards Turkey, and what implications this may have on a possibly future Turkish membership in the EU. It is a more interpreting thesis than it is an explaining one. The examination shows that Turkey has considered Europe as a political model, while Europe has used the muslime Turkey as a threat to determine its own identity. The negotiations between EU and Turkey this autumn will have great impact on the identity of both sites. If the EU accepted Turkey as a member, the union could gain a chance to spread democracy to the islamic world and thereby earn global respect.

This paper deals with the use of Internet at Swedish public libraries. The author asks whether public libraries should or should not limit access to information available on the Internet. Starting from the American discussion, concerning Internet at public libraries, the author shows the Swedish attitudes. The paper demonstrates that many Swedish public libraries have adopted rules forbidding retrieval of certain kinds of information, such as hard-core pornography and racist propaganda. The persons in charge of such actions claim that public libraries should provide high-quality educational literature and should not spread mass-produced, provocative information.

Over the past 40 years 600 000 ha of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta ssp. latifolia (Engelm.) Critchf.) has been planted in Sweden (280 000 ha on SCA's forest land alone which represents about 15% of the company's total forest land area). In the early 70's SCA situated a number of experimental stands in order to investigate different aspects of the exotic tree, primarily growth rate. To be able to compare the two species plots with scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), this species was also planted at the same time and under the same conditions. A number of questions should always be raised when exotic species are introduced in an ecosystem. Invasiveness, the pathogen situation and purely ethical issues should be discussed.

Analyser och prognoser av företag och deras aktier utgår ofta från försäljningen för att så småningom nå fram till ett prognostiserat eller uppskattat värde. För att kunna göra goda prognoser måste man veta vilka makroekonomiska faktorer som påverkar försäljningen. Denna uppsats syftar till att med hjälp av en ekonometrisk modell undersöka vilka faktorer som påverkar försäljningen av nya bilar i USA. De data som används täcker perioden 1976-2004 och är på månadsbasis. Vidare görs en undersökning av huruvida säsongseffekter existerar i nybilsförsäljningen eller inte.

This essay aims to emphasize and clarify the positions that exist within the current globalization debate. The positions are the neo-liberal, the opponents, the pragmatists and the skeptics. The text presents and explains their ideological, moral and political positions and beliefs about the world, the nation state, the society and the individual; in light of Steven Lukes? and Antonio Gramsci's theories regarding the interaction and the relationship between power and hegemony. The methodological starting point is the ideology-critical analysis; in which their arguments in the current globalization debate is highlighted and categorized.

My work has been to create a magazine for iPad to explore this format, whichthere are mixed feelings about. Instead of seeing the digital format as an enemy ofthe printed magazine, I have chosen to see it as an opportunity.I have given myself the task of designing a magazine that can justify the useof the digital magazine. I have looked at the identity of the magazine, but mainlyexplored the format and its prerequisites.I was triggered to do the project when I saw people who are just making a pdfof the printed magazine and publish it digitally. I have during my work discoveredhow near or far away you can be from the printed magazine.The format of the iPad has multiple aspects to look upon; one that turned outto be clear in my project was navigation. Working with a spread has its problemsand opportunities; the same applies to an article that is larger than a screen.

 AbstractTitle                                      Continuous improvement ? Motivating ICA´s  personnel to    a greater engagement.Problem                                  Getting ICA: s employees involved with continuing improvements.Purpose                                  To motivate ICA: s employees to a higher degree of commitment and    contributing with ideas and embracing approved improvements. Research questions   - How should the employees be properly motivated to contribute with   suggestions for improvement?  - What message and content should improvements send to inspire the   employees? - Witch channels should be used to capture the employee?s attention? - How can best practice be recognized and how can the knowledge be spread  through the organization?Methodology                          Initially a theory study was completed and from the results a case study were  conducted.Conclusion                             Combining success factors for continuing improvements.  To get the      employees feeling appreciated with their work. Results             By combining ten sucessfactors and trying to see the whole picture.                .

The purpose of this paper is to find out which portfolio theory one should use during a financial crisis. We will examine two different portfolio theorys, the Minimum Variance portfolio and the beta portfolio.We have chosen to study two different portfolios, and followed their development during the financial crisis with its start in 2008 and the IT bubble with its start in the middle of 2000.The data has been collected from OMX internet database making it quantitative study. The beta portfolio's objective is to follow the index and the Minumim Variance portfolio´s objective is to spread the risk by investing in stocks with low volatility. By following the two different portfolios, and compare the development to the index, we will be able to determine which theory is most suitable to use during a recession. The studyperiods we chose were both in a recession and it turned out that the most appropriate portfolio to use was the Minimum Variance portfolio because stock in this portfolio tends to be less sensitive to economic fluctuations..