The purpose of our essay is to examine if variation exists in the way that auditors try their independence, this so called analysis-model. We will suggest some factors that influence the way auditors practise the analysis-model. The institutional theory predicts no differencies since the normative pressure could be expected to be severe. But we found that among other things people?s qualifications, personalities and audit firm?s size and age influence the way auditors try their independence.

This essay analyses the European Food Safety Authority's (EFSA) legitimacy. Theories on input- and output legitimacy are used in the examination. After analysing stakeholder representation, forum for deliberation, transparency, independence, and information sharing, input legitimacy in EFSA is assessed to be high. Output legitimacy was examined through the authority's outcome effectiveness, which was divided into compliance and effectiveness. Since food safety is an immense area, two important parts were chosen for the analysis of output legitimacy; transmissible/bovine spongiform encephalopathy (TSE/BSE) and genetically modified organisms (GMO).

In this thesis I based on Fowler?s method of syntax analysis construct a flow scheme which I then use to make a syntax analysis of former State Secretary Lars Danielsson?s statements, in his autobiography, regarding his responsibility in the Swedish government?s management of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami disaster. The focus of the flow scheme is how grammatical constructions can be used in the interest of rhetoric?s to on the syntax (non-explicit) level of the text indicate and place responsibility with or outside of involved individuals. The main conclusion of the syntax analysis performed is that Danielsson in his autobiography in fact does not use very many of the constructions described in the flow scheme, whereby it can be concluded that the syntax analysis in this case wasn?t so ?revealing?.

This essay contains a comparative analysis of Erik Olin Wrights Marxist class analysis and Michael Hardt and Antonio Negris post-Marxist class analysis as presented in their books ?Empire? and ?Multitude: War and democracy in the age of Empire?. I discuss the shift in analytical focus from state level to global level that Hardt and Negri's analysis represent and the ensuing relevance of this for contemporary class analysis. The essay also address the challenge and implications posed to class analysis by the ever increasing economic globalization, from a material production to an ever growing immaterial service economy and the decrease in state power in controlling capital and labor movement. I propose that analytical understanding of class conflict help us to a better understanding of the mechanisms and dynamics that generate social and economical inequalities and that an updated Marxist class analysis still have much to contribute to our understanding to how these issues not only shape our society but also our capacity to counteract them..

The concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has lately gained popularity throughout the globalized world. Swedish retail industry is no exception. Though increased levels of explicitly claimed responsibilities of companies, a number of other facts points out a development that contradicts this trend. Labour conditions and forms of employment is substantially retrograding, with an increased level of insecurity characterizing the Swedish retail labour market. At the same time, almost all Swedish retail companies explicitly state claims on social responsibility.

Syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka hur relationen mellan beslutsprocesser rörande CSR och den strategiska inriktningen skapas och genomföres i olika typer av företag.Vi har genom studien kunnat visa att CSR arbete kan komma aktieägare och företag till gagn, vid en lyckad intern integration. Uppsatsens slutsats betonar vikten av integration samt att företagen snarare bör utgå från sin egen verksamhet och sina intressenter än från externa påtryckningar för att använda CSR strategiskt..

This essay discusses the import of cod (Gadus morhua) in Sweden during the Middle Ages through isotope analysis of cod vertebrae. The isotope analysis is used to trace the cods origin to either the Baltic Sea or the Atlantic Ocean. The bones were subjected to d13C, d15N and d34S analysis; 64 of  the analyzed bones met the quality criteria. The isotop data showed that import of Atlantic cod was significant in medeval Sweden. The analysis suggests that there is no specific time or event that the sites start to import cod but this varies from site to site. .

En hållbar utveckling är ett stort begrepp och innefattar det mesta i samhället. Sveriges regering har som uttalat politiskt mål att samhällsplaneringen ska ske mot en hållbar utveckling, men det finns idag ingen allmänt känd metod för kommunerna att använda i planeringen mot ett hållbart samhälle. Syftet med denna fallstudie har varit att genomföra en deltagandebaserad backcasting för att undersöka dess potential som metod i planeringen av en legitim och hållbar stadsutveckling, vilka för- och nackdelar metoden har, samt att undersöka betydelsen av begreppet ?En hållbar stad?. Deltagandebaserad backcasting är en kombination av traditionell backcasting och stakeholder workshops, vilket innebär att en framtidsvision skapas i seminarieform med lokala aktörer, som sedan även diskuterar och tar fram möjliga sätt att uppnå visionen.

The aim of this thesis is to examine how personnel working with asylum cases at the Swedish Migration Board handle their role as administrators of asylum. For the study 7 asylum administrators were interviewed and the analysis was made with influence from the method critical discourse analysis. To understand the themes in the analysis I have used Michael Lipskys theory about street-level bureaucrats. Main results from the analysis of the interviews were that the street-level bureaucrats had certain strategies for managing the difficult aspects of the job. The interviews also showed that the participating informants had difficulties with different identity positions..

Ett vägprojekts stomme byggs upp av besluts- och samrådsprocesser, där resultaten av förstudierna diskuteras. Syftet med en samrådsprocess är att alla aktörers åsikter och kunskaper ska tas med i det underlag av information, som behövs för att de olika inblandadeparterna ska kunna fatta ett beslut.Uppsatsens syfte var att undersöka hur besluts- och samrådsprocessen för ett vägprojekt, E4:ans delsträcka mellan Uppsala-Läby, gick till och att föra fram vad som kunde ha gjorts bättre. Studien utfördes genom en kvalitativ metod med en analys av material från Vägverketsarkiv, den tillhörande Miljökonsekvensbeskrivningen och genom intervjuer av de olika aktörerna.Min teoretiska utgångspunkt har varit aktörsanalyser och dess principer, samt teori om olika utföranden av samhällsplanering.Resultatet visade att besluts- och samrådsprocessen har varit bristande i demokrati och hänsynstagande av de olika aktörernas åsikter, har varit dåligt från projektörens, i det här fallet Vägverkets, sida. Vägverket har genomfört projektet utifrån dess egna preferenser och har i stort sett inte givit några kompromisser till de andra aktörerna. Allmänheten känner sig missnöjda och besvikna, det var många som drabbades hårt av vägens sträckning.Kommunerna och Länsstyrelsen fick känslan av att det har pågått en informell process hos Vägverket som har varit avgörande för det tagna beslutet om vägens dragning..

The Uppsala based company Q-linea develops procedures, instruments and systems for protein and nucleic acid analysis. The components in such an instrument are controlled by microcontrollers. Microcontrollers are computers in one singular chip that can be used in a wide range of applications such as cars, toys or in this case an analysis instrument. When developing a new instrument for biochemical analysis, Q-linea needed new software for controlling and communicating between the components in the instrument. The process of developing this software is the subject of this thesis.The project included research of microcontrollers and the components in the instrument.

Today, activities funded with public funds needs to present relevant and reliable information which shows the results obtained. Requirements increase in welfare activities to be run based on scientific, empirical knowledge. This applies particularly to social work. The social work is, however, poorly researched in areas such as knowledge of interventions in the content, context and effects. One way to evidence-base social work can be to conduct regular and qualified assessments.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a concept that is growing increasingly important, with more and more companies acknowledging that they have an obligation to the environment in which they operate. We were interested in inquiring into why companies chose to do so, even though there are no laws that condition them to engage in CSR. One answer to this might be that companies use CSR as a way to distinguish themselves from the competition as well as to gain trust and goodwill from the stakeholders. When it comes to Corporate Social Responsibility, the question is no longer whether or not companies should engage in it, but how they can gain competitive advantage by doing so. This study aims at providing a framework for possible ways of integrating CSR and branding, as well as different strategies for CSR-communication. We also tried to define how, and why, consumers respond to CSR-initiatives.

Rapporten som följer är en analys av en metod som genererar regler från neurala nätverk. Metoden heter VI-Analysis (Validity Interval Analysis) och är framtagen av Sebastian B. Thrun [Thrun]. VI-Analysis arbetar på det sättet att det neurala nätverket ses som en svart låda där endast de inputvärden och outputvärden som finns i nätverket används som underlag när regler ska genereras. Dessa inputvärden och outputvärden kommer sedan att få tillåtna intervall av VI-Analysis.

Caso Skanska is an incident that occurred in Argentina and regarded corruption and bribes to government officials. This study investigates how this incident could occur and how it can be explained. The theoretical framework used is the dynamic interaction model, stakeholder theory, embeddedness theory, the political perspective and corruption theory. The method used is qualitative and it consists of data gathered through semi-structured interviews in Sweden and Argentina as well as other sources of written information of relevance for the study. The authors conclude that Caso Skanska could occur due to the lack of strong institutions as well as transparency.