We are working on the development and design of an approach to agents that can reason, react to the environment and are able to update their own knowledge as a result of new incoming information. In the resulting framework, rational, reactive agents can dynamically change their own knowledge bases as well as their own goals. An agent can make observations, learn new facts and new rules from the environment, and then update its knowledge accordingly. The knowledge base of an agent and its updating mechanism has been implemented in Logic Programming. The agent?s framework is implemented in Java.

This thesis examines the effects of the Swedish school reforms that took place in the early 1990?s. Theories such as Principal-Agent, Stewardship and Lipsky?s street-level bureaucracy are discussed as well as New Public Management (NPM). These reforms were heavily influenced by NPM, causing an increased level of street-level bureaucracy, and according to Principal-Agent theory some outcomes could have been predicted.

The number of new estate agent offices is increasing yearly and each year many hundred new estate agents graduate. The comparing of estate agents by sellers has perhaps been most common in larger cities, but as competition has increased even in smaller towns we experience that it has become a common phenomenon even there. We both come from a small town but are not afraid of the idea of moving to a larger city as newly qualified estate agents. We ask ourselves, which are the determining factors in the choice of a estate agent in a large city as opposed to a small town? Can we see any differences? The purpose with this essay is to give us added knowledge about which factors private persons consider to be important in their choice of an estate agent when selling a house.The body of information is based on two parallel surveys, one in Hudiksvall and one in Stockholm, together with interviews of people in this line of business.

A description and analysis of the sales process of ERP systems is presented; also the consequences for the parties involved are discussed. The chosen methodological basis is an inductive research design consisting of a case study based on interviews. The analysis of the empirical data is done with a proposed analytical framework. Based on the agency theory, the analysis is tightly knitted together with opportunism. There are three controlling factors: relationships (relationship marketing), contracts (principal-agent theory), and competition.

Problem: The corrugated board industry is highly affected by customer uncertainty, various demands and short delivery times. In combination with a complex multi-step production process managers have to be able to identify bottle-necks and gain knowledge and understanding of how different changes in process will affect the production output. <br/><br/>Purpose: The purpose of this master thesis is twofold, (1) to examine applicability of complexity theory through agent-based modelling on a production process (2) to identify improvement areas in order to increase the production output at SKS production site in Eslöv, by modelling and simulating the production process through an agent-based model. <br/><br/>Method: The chosen method of this study is a combination of a case study and a complex system approach. The empirical data was collected through interviews, observation and document studies which were analysed through an agent-based simulation model.

This essay puts its focus on examining vendors? underlying decision criterias when choosing an estate agent at the purpose of selling an apartment. The purpose is on one hand to expound the knowledge of the vendor?s decision process and on the other hand to evaluate how the choice of an estate agent is perceived to the vendor. By nine interviews we explored what reasons made vendors choose their agents and whether they were contented with their choice.

Stratego is a boardgame not very different from chess, that contains hidden information. Because of this, existing programs play at beginner level. The purpose of this thesis is to adjust a minimax algorithm so that it passes the demands of Stratego, and then build a Stratego agent around it. Tests with existing minimax algorithms leads to the development p-e-minimax. This algorithm uses two different values in its nodes to simulate the different information available to the agent and its opponent.

In this report I have compiled my thesis which was about investigating what sellers of real estates find important when they shall appoint a real estate agent. I have also looked into other parameters in my study, like whether the sellers at all use real estate agents and how they have proceeded in case they do not use an agent. In addition to that, I have tried to find out why sellers didn´t chose LRF Konsult and what they know about the company. This analyses was made through questionnaires sent to those estate owners who didn´t use LRF Konsult when they sold their estate. The questionnaires contained 8 questions.

Aim: Many people react negatively when they find out that I work as an estate agent. They believe that estate agents earn more money then they should. What many do not know is how hard we must work and that it doesn´t suit someone who is looking for an 8-17 work. As an estate agent I thought it would be interesting to found out why the estate agents have such a bad reputation.Method: This essay is based on the interviews with estate agents and branch organizations but also on newspaper articles about real estate agents. Theory is collected marketing, where I have concentrate on concepts of branding, positioning, communication and image.Result & Conclusions: The factors, which I found in my investigation, that have an effect to the bad reputation are; media, commission, the customers and the bidding.

This thesis analyzes the consequences of ?Lex Uggla? ? a law concerning the boundaries between firm and individual with respect to wealth taxation ? for small businesses, with more than 3 million SEK in over-liquidity. There are two main findings of this thesis. Firstly, the wealth taxation of non-operational assets seems to be an inefficient tax which costs the Swedish welfare system much more than it generates. Secondly, the change in actions among entrepreneurs following the extensive news coverage following the tax authority?s charges against the company of the well-known artist, Magnus Uggla (hence ?Lex Uggla?) illustrates that neither changes of rules nor new applications of rules is necessarily sufficient for an agent to change course of action.

Denna rapport beskriver arbetet med att designa, modellera, texturera och rigga en karaktär som är anpassad till att användas i agent FX..

The CASA-paradigm, Computers Are Social Actors, was introduced in the book "TheMedia Equation" by Reeves and Nass. One of their experiments concluded that we tend to be polite to computers in the same way as we are to people. In this study I have replicated Reeves and Nass experiment but instead of a text-based interface I have used a virtual agentin order to find out if we are polite to the agents, or still to the computer. Two experimental setups was conducted. The two setups had a common first part that was carried out on onecomputer with one agent.

Relationen mellan riskkapitalist och företagsledare kan härröras till industrialismens genombrott i början av 1900-talet, vid den tidpunkten ägde uppdelning av ägare och företagsledning rum. Syftet med denna uppsats är att beskriva och öka förståelsen för grunden i relationen mellan en riskkapitalist och en företagsledare. När ägandet och styrningen är uppdelat kan konflikter uppstå vilket gör det intressant att även beskriva och öka förståelsen för när de båda aktörerna i relationen kan ha differentierad riskattityd. I den teoretiska referensramen beskrivs två teorier som kan anses ligga till grund för ekonomiska relationer, principal ? agent teorin och tillits teori.

The purposes of this thesis is study the European Court of Justice from a non legal perspective and investigate the courts possibility to advance its own preferred goals rather that of the member states in cases of non-compliance. Drawing on general principal-agent theory I construct a model from which I derive certain hypothesis mainly about under what circumstances we should expect the Court to be more sensitive to member states preferences and under what circumstances we should expect the Court to be less sensitive. These hypotheses are then tested empirically against all cases of non-compliance initiated by the European Commission against member states between 1953-2000. The results from the study are rather positive. The most important result is that when the threat of sanctions against the Court increases so does the Courts sensitiveness to member states preferences and when it decreases so does the Courts sensitiveness..

Globalisering har möjliggjort för svenska företag att expandera utomlands och etablera sig påinternationella marknader. Det största hindret för små- och medelstora företag (SMFs) i ainternationaliseringsprocess är avsaknad av finansiella medel och kunskap om den nyamarknaden. På grund av detta är användandet av en utlandsbaserad agent ett bra alternativ. Enagent har en god lokal marknadskunskap och representerar en etableringsform som är mindrekostsam i jämförelse med etableringen av ett dotterbolag. Med hänsyn till detta äranvändandet av en agent ett vanligt tillvägagångssätt bland internationaliserande SMFs.Samtidigt drivs företaget och dess agent av olika mål på grund av skillnader i egenintresse.Trots att en agent är anlitad i syfte att arbeta i enighet med företagets ambitioner, kan denneha ett egenintresse som kolliderar med företaget.