The aim of the thesis was to provide further understanding on how Swedish consumers use the Internet as an information source in their purchase decision process. The subject was investigated from different perspectives: gender, product type and information type. The authors used a quantitative approach, and a survey (n=120) was conducted. It was concluded that men and women are equally influenced by traditional word-of-mouth, but more men than women search for product information online and they are more likely to let their purchase decision to be influenced by it. Women tend more to trust commercial sources.

The aim of this study is to illustrate conceptions held by librarians and library and information scientists about weeding practices of printed books in public libraries. The study has been carried out by performing a series of qualitative interviews with librarians and by study of earlier research relating to the subject of weeding. The results have been analysed by utilizing a textual analysis method called idea and ideology analysis using so called dimensions to analyse and structure the results. The results indicate that weeding at Swedish public libraries is carried out by a mixture of objective and subjective methods, with certain statistical elements. Weeding procedures mainly appears to be legitimized according to what one refers to as knowledge of the local community, although lack of lending are cited from time to time.

The aim of this undergraduate thesis was to study the experience of participation in support groups for children of mentally ill parents. The research questions dealt with how the children and the adolescents talked about the knowledge, that they believed having assimilated in the support groups. The knowledge concerned mental illness and the possible impact on children when having mentally ill parents. The research questions also dealt with how the children and the adolescents talked about the meaning of being in a group. Qualitative semi structured interviews were used in order to capture the respondents? subjective experiences.

This master thesis takes its point of departure in the conflicting worldviews of modernism and post-modernism. As traditional segmentation theory springs from the modernist worldview, this study aims to contribute to the understanding of the complexity regarding market segmentation for lifestyle brands in contemporary society, where the consumer is often claimed to be post-modern. The research was conducted in Malmö and Lund and involved 25 Converse users as respondents. The methods used in this thesis starts with observations as a sampling technique in order to locate the respondents. Short interviews and photo documentation followed.

The aim with my study is to highlight, illuminate and examine the social and maternal health care motivational work of pregnant women with a risk or abuse of alcohol and / or drugs, and what actions can be considered for these women. In addition, the aim is to explore how social services and maternity care might interact in this type of case. The aim is to convey the subjective experience of each of the interviewees. For the purposes of this study, I have chosen to use the qualitative research method. I have interviewed social workers in individual and family care, and midwives.

During consultation procedures between forest owners and the Sámi, data on, e.g., reindeer lichen biomass on the current site is needed. Hitherto, the existing methods of measuring lichen cover and biomass has been either objective methods such as the Point Intercept method, which is time consuming, or some sort of subjective visual estimation, which is faster but less accurate. However, both these methods are sensitive to different observers and/or to different inventories. This paper addresses the further development and evaluation of a photographical inventory method that uses colour distribution in images to estimate lichen biomass. During the autumn of 2011 six different locations, with different grazing pressure and lichen cover, in Norrbotten county were inventoried using both the Point Intercept method and the photographical method, complemented with collection of biomass samples.

Background: Etiquette has become vital in business relationships. In today?s competitive business climate signs indicate that social competence affect whether a business deal is settled or not. This type of competence could be of crucial importance at a first business meeting and it also plays an important role for future business relationships. Business etiquette is therefore, within the world of business, an interesting area to study.Purpose: The purpose of this essay is to clarify what knowledge and understanding companies, listed on the Swedish stock exchange, possess towards business etiquette, their viewpoint on etiquette education and finally to ascertain whether or not those companies perceive business etiquette to be pivotal to success.Methodology: In order to attain our purpose of this essay we found it most suitable to utilize both a quantitative and qualitative research method.

Stroke is caused by a bleeding or infarct in the brain and is one of the most common diseases in Sweden today. The purpose of the study was to evaluate if Ronnie Gardiner?s Rhythm Therapy (RGR-therapy) has any effect, regarding motor control and the subjective experienced health related quality of life, on people who have been affected by stroke. The examination group consisted of eight people. The intervention consisted of RGR-therapy once a week during a period of nine weeks.

This thesis aims to investigate how the interests of women are handled in political parties whose opinion programs are based on class interests. The essay constructs a theoretical framework, which shows that the descriptive representation of women is a prerequisite for their subjective interests being represented, however not a guarantee.By studying how the Social Democratic party deals with the demands from the Women's federation, the empirical material sheds light on the theoretical discussion. The study's methodological foundation consists of an ideology critical textual analysis, which focuses on the debate on the design of parental allowance that took place within the party during 2005. During the party's congress the women's federation advocated a proposition for increased individualization of the parental allowance, however the party did not accept it. The analysis confirms the theoretical argumentation that descriptive representation is not a guarantee for the representation of women's interests.

The purpose of this study was to investigate how directors of preschool apply the mandatory reporting and what information they say is important in the decision to report child maltreat-ment. The study was built on five semi-structure interviews with five directors of preschool working in Greater Stockholm. The perspective of this paper is sociology of law theory. This means to study how out of law information makes sense when director of preschool applies the mandatory reporting. The result was analysed with three different analytic tools: action plan, consulting social services and the considerations of the directors of preschool them-selves.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate if there was a difference in the tear film?s osmolarity before and after drinking coffee. 'Method: All subjects in this study were asked to fill in a questionnaire to diagnose factors in their subjective symptoms, the questionnaire TERTC-DEQ. The subjects with a total graduated points of over 17 were not allowed to participate in the further measurements. In the study there was a total amount of 38 subjects, were 5 participated twice for both measurements, coffee and water.

Concerns for the environment and our impact on it are becoming more prevalant; however, we rarely act accordingly. Consumers mainly choose products based on perceived personal benefits despite the environmental motives that increasingly affect them. The purpose of this thesis is to identify the major drivers behind the purchase of ecological wine. A quantitative study was conducted, using Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as an initial starting point. The subsequent model was then completed with three variables: environmental concern, feelings and word-of-mouth.

The purpose of this study was to examine the routines of performance related pay systems in two Swedish municipal upper secondary schools. A second purpose was to examine what data was included for evaluation of a co-worker?s performance and how a principal collects data. The purpose was also to examine a principal and teachers´ view of performance related pay systems and if it was possible to note an agreement. Principals have been interviewed and teachers have answered a questionnaire to fulfil the purposes of this study.The study shows that the municipality had a good routine that included individual discussions with co-workers about their salary and had fixed municipal criteria.

Trots en hög andel unga med psykosomatiska besvär visar statistiken även att ungdomar generellt upplever sig ha en god psykisk hälsa, ett gott humör, god självkänsla och en god framtidstro. Denna studie fokuserar på att utforska hur varaktiga mönster av stresshanteringsstrategier hos ungdomar kan relateras till deras subjektivt upplevda välbefinnande i termer av affektiva tillstånd och kognitiva bedömningar av livstillfredsställelse. En enkätundersökning genomfördes med 104 deltagare, varav 80 kvinnor, i åldrarna 15 till 19 år. Mätinstrument som användes var svenska versioner av COPE Inventory, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule och Satisfaction With Life Scale. Resultatet visade att emotionsfokuserade copingstrategier i högre grad än respektive problemfokuserade strategier predicerade välbefinnande, vilket skiljer sig från tidigare resultat där de senare stått för detta samband främst i studier med vuxna.

Background: Loneliness is an ordinary but complex concept which exist of several dimensions. Loneliness can mean and create suffering for the individual but there is sometimes a need to be alone and some individuals who live alone can experience a communion with the existence itself.Aim: To clarify the concept loneliness and its complexity with focus on the experience of loneliness in elderly individuals.Method: Walker and Avants (2005) model for concept analysisResults: The defining attributes the analysis resulted in that the experience of loneliness in elderly individual's is: a subjective and unique experience; positive or negative and ranges in intensity; strongly connected to communion and social relationships with other individuals; connected to loss and miss of one or several elements as meaningful interactions, communion, physical abilities, work, respect, health and quality of life. The attributes were also closely connected to their antecedents and consequences. To clarify the concept further was a model case, a borderline case and a contrary case created. The empirical referents are presented in the discussion.Conclusion: Through clarifying the core of the concept with focus on elderly individual's experience of loneliness is the hope that this concept analysis can support nursing staff to search for understanding for the elderly individual's experience of loneliness and pay attention to its complexity..