The purpose of this thesis is to examine and analyze the characteristics of the management control system private equity firms use to manage their portfolio companies. The thesis takes a share holder value perspective, and it is assumed that the goal of the management control system is to increase the shareholder value in the portfolio company. In a qualitative study two private equity firms and two portfolio companies, one for each private equity firm, were studied in detail. In total, nine in debt interviews were completed. The results from this study suggest that the characteristics of the control system are dependent on the surrounding context; the focus on shareholder value and the specific characteristics of the private equity industry shape the characteristics of the management control system.

Title: Real Estate Brokerage Industry's reputation - a study from a relationship marketing perspectiveLevel: Bachelor thesis in business administrationAuthors: Sanna Soininen & Sofia PulkkinenSupervisor: Jonas KågströmDate: 2013 ? AugustBackground: The background to this investigation was primarily another survey, conducted by Fastighetsbyrån, a Swedish real estate agency. According to the survey, only 5% of the Swedish population claims to have high confidence for realtors. The problem discussion revolves around statistics about how few real estate agents who are notified and receive sanctions each year. We believe that those numbers doesn't make sense when compared to how few people trust realtors, which is where our aim with the study comes from.Purpose: The aim of this study is to investigate the real estate brokerage industry's reputation by previous research in relationship marketing.Method: The study was conducted with a deductive and for the most part with a positivistic approach.

The idea to this bachelor thesis was born after carefully following the coverage of Johan Persson and Martin Schibbye in Swedish media during their imprisonment in Ethiopia from June 2011 to September 2012. Based on our interest we designed two questions to answer throughout the thesis. These are:(1) How are Johan Persson and Martin Schibbye portrayed as journalists in the discussion about them that has taken place in Swedish media?(2) How is the journalistic profession described in the discussion about Johan Persson and Martin Schibbye in Swedish media? To answer these questions we decided to analyse texts that can be defined as the genre of opinion journalism, which all came from Swedish printed media. We have chosen 16 texts to analyse which show the variety of ways to write about Persson and Schibbye in the chosen genre during the chosen period of time. Opinion journalism is what newspapers use to attract readers, as they want to supplement the news coverage with comments and analysis from ?experts?. Persson and Schibbye were imprisoned in Ethiopia in June of 2011, and weren?t released until 15 months later, in September of 2012. To analyse our material we have amongst others used theories regarding social constructionism, representation, discourse, the journalistic identity and the journalistic ideals that exist in Swedish society.

The modern auditor is, because of an increased complexity, dependent on the use of experts. Simultaneously different scandals have occurred where the auditor in fact have been using experts. Although the auditor is using an expert, the auditor alone is responsible for the statement that the expert makes. Research simultaneously indicates that the auditor?s use of experts is a difficult task.

What is it that drives a person with criminal behavior to change their lifestyle? What are the obstacles to a lifestyle change? These issues have been guiding us during this study. In the introduction, we describe the previous research that has been done among crime in men. The themes that will follow us through the course of the study are as follows; cause of crime, Self-efficacy, social network and lifestyle change. The aim of the study was to investigate the factors that a former prison convicted individual believes has been significant, as they break their criminal behavior associated with a lifestyle change.

Background: Investors have several options to choose from when the goal is to achieve the highest yield at the lowest cost and risk. Stocks are a common investment options, but is also associated with risks. Portfolios are usually constructed with several different assets to reduce the unsystematic risk of investment. Funds are similar to composite stock portfolios, the big difference is that they dealt with in their entirety and investors may not affect the fund's content. The problem remains that whether you choose stocks or mutual funds there is still uncertainty as to how the future will unfold.

Problem statement and purpose:The purpose of this study was to analyze in what way first-time voters chose to take part of political information. The questions we aimed to answer was how first-time voters use media and other information channels for political purposes, what importance and trust the first-time voters give the different information channels and finally which indicators there is for that structural or individual factors affect the media consumption and political interest.Method and material:We did interviews with twelve 18 years old first-time voters from six different high school programs in Sundsvall, Sweden.Results:The study showed that the premier source of political information were traditional news media, in particular the debates on TV. It?s also in the debates the first-time voter?s trust the most. Even though the social medias are constantly present in their everyday life and even though the first-time voters believe the social medias have potential for engaging young people politically, the possibilities are only taken in advantage by people who are already politically interested.

What is it that drives a person with criminal behavior to change their lifestyle? What are the obstacles to a lifestyle change? These issues have been guiding us during this study. In the introduction, we describe the previous research that has been done among crime in men. The themes that will follow us through the course of the study are as follows; cause of crime, Self-efficacy, social network and lifestyle change. The aim of the study was to investigate the factors that a former prison convicted individual believes has been significant, as they break their criminal behavior associated with a lifestyle change.

Internets framfart har föranlett att den elektroniska handeln etablerat sig som en allt vanligare kanal för konsumtion. Denna utveckling har gett dagens konsumenter betydligt fler alternativ att välja bland vid konsumtion, vilket har försvårat utvecklingen av långvariga relationer mellan konsument och företag. Genom ett konsumentperspektiv undersöker därför denna explorativa studie hur trogen dagens konsument egentligen är mot sin nuvarande butik. Genom att fokusera på de relationella komponenterna knowledge, trust och commitment är studiens syfte att ge en klarare bild av huruvida relationer påverkar konsumenters val att hålla fast vid en och samma butik. Studien genomförs med hjälp av teoretiskt stöd från tidigare forskning om de olika komponenterna.

Background: Companies and organizations of today spend large amounts of money on IT-based business solutions. Such business solutions normally include business- consulting and software-creation (IT-related services). Due to the rapid development of the technology within this field of business the IT-customers find it difficult to select among potential suppliers on objective grounds.Purpose: To increase the understanding for the professionl approach of the people involved in the sales- and purchase process of IT-related services in a business-to-business context. The study is taking the buyers'as well as the sellers'perspective into account when analyzing the process. Method: The empirical findings were collected from eight companies in Linköping and Stockholm.

AbstractThis qualitative study has been made to examine which factors that are required to create a work place that can be associated with loyal co-workers. The study covers half structured interviews with nine people on different levels and with different positions, within a manufacturing company in Värmland. Our ambition with this study is to find out if, and if so, in what way the view on loyalty and which factors that are required to encourage loyalty, differ depending on witch level one belongs to in the organization. Our thesis is that our respondents will have various ways of expressing the term loyalty, and that these various ways are linked to the different levels that each employee is currently stationed at.The result of this study shows that the way people look at loyalty, and what loyalty is really about, does not differ that much among our respondents, regardless of their level. The factors that, according to the respondents, are important if one wants to create a work place that can be associated with loyal co-workers are: to be able to feel trust towards and have faith in those one works with, as well as the company and the way things are being run, to be able to experience the feeling of community, and that one is happy with ones work place, as well as ones co-workers.

Purpose:        The intention of this study is to distinguish if there is a correlation between mutual funds administration fee and their return. The study will also observe if there is a difference regarding the return between active and passive management fees.Method:        The study is founded on a deductive approach because the study is based on existing theories. Quantitative research based on statistical data has been used. A correlation analysis has been applied to determine if there is a correlation between the chosen variables.Conclusion:   The conclusion of the study is that active management of funds mainly do not give a higher return than passive management funds. Neither is the administration fee dependent on the risk a fund has..

The aim of this study is to describe how the cooperation between franchisee and franchisor evolves over time. The parties? work responsibilities are explored as an ingredient of the cooperation. Creation of relational aspects is also studied, as well as how adaptation of the concept is handled throughout the partnership. This study takes on an abductive approach and is based on interviews with franchisees of one franchise system, performed at different stages of the respective cooperations.

Ever since the nation-state has existed identity has been a big deal, it is told that identity is a tool needed to be able to receive consensus from the people concerned on a certain matter. As the European Union is continuously shaped and reshaped due to changing geographical borders, as a consequence of new member-states the aim to integrate the Union equally across its surface has not been an easy task to solve. A lack of trust from the inhabitants in the European Union is a fact, and therefore the main duty of the Union has become to rebuild the trust from beginning to end, creating a Union which easily can be identified with. Since the process of national identity relies upon an excluding-including process and the use of the Other, the identification process on an European level has indeed had fierce effects on the inhabitants within and outside the Union.One of many things that this essay aims at showing is how mythmaking has become a way used by the elite in the Union to integrate a European identity, the myths refer back to a Golden Age when Europe was prosperous and in bloom. Among other tools used to integrate and create a European identity we find such as; unity in diversity, a cultural inheritance based on common denominators such as Christianity and Latin traditions, symbols and a European citizenship.

The study aims to illustrate how women victims of male violence in intimate relationships are treated during the legal process and with professional perspective describe what women?s experiences considered to be in the legal process. The study also aims to draw attention to the interventions for abused women during the legal process.The results are based on interviews with professionals in the justice system, and on observations in the courtroom. Overall our results show that abused women are in need of a great quantity of help and support before, during and after the negotiation. The legal process is very stressful for the women.