Search and rescue operations conducted in wilderness environments can be greatly aided by the use of video filmed from mini-UAVs. While lightweight, inexpensive and easily transportable, these small aircraft suffer from wind buffeting and may produce video that is difficult to search. To aid in the video search process, we have created a system to project video frames into a 3D representation of the search region. This projection allows us to tie each frame of video to a real-world location, enabling a myriad of novel views, mosaics and metrics that can be used to guide the search including a new metric dubbed “see-ability.” The “see-ability” metric is the primary contribution of this research as it indicates what portion of the search area has been viewed and provides an estimate of the quality of that viewing. The research includes a validation of the “see-ability” metric as it correlates to objective performance in the search task by real people.

After breaking through the glass ceiling, women often obtain precarious or risky leadership positions in crisis-ridden organizations (the glass cliff; Ryan & Haslam, 2005). Due to women’s minority status, their appointment in a crisis can signal important changes to organizational stakeholders indicating the use of new strategies for overcoming the crisis (signaling theory; Spence, 1973). Our study examines whether the media visibility of organizations moderates these signaling effects in ways that either strengthen or weaken glass cliffs. We augmented the archival dataset used by Haslam et al. (2010) in which the glass cliff phenomenon was discovered by including data on the media coverage that the Financial Times Stock Exchange index 100 companies received between 2001 and 2005. Our analysis shows that glass cliffs were more pronounced in companies with low media visibility. This suggests that the media visibility of organizations can contribute to increased accountability regarding their personnel decisions in ways that expose women leaders to less discrimination. / Nachdem sie die gläserne Decke durchbrechen, erreichen Frauen oft unsichere und riskante Führungspositionen in krisengeschüttelten Organisationen (gläserne Klippe oder Glass Cliffs; Ryan & Haslam, 2005). Nach der Signaltheorie (Signaling Theory; Spence, 1973) kann die Ernennung von Frauen in Krisenzeiten aufgrund ihrer Seltenheit Stakeholdern grundlegende Veränderungen bezüglich kritischer Probleme ankündigen. Wir untersuchen die Möglickeit, dass die mediale Sichtbarkeit von Organisationen Glass Cliffs moderiert – also verstärkt oder abschwächt. Können medial sichtbare Unternehmen wirksamere Signale senden oder stehen sie stärker unter Beobachtung? Hierfür wurde der Archivdatensatz von Haslam et al. (2010) um die Medienberichterstattung erweitert, die FTSE100-Unternehmen zwischen den Jahren 2001 und 2005 erhielten. Unsere Analyse zeigt, dass Glass Cliffs bei Unternehmen mit geringer medialer Sichtbarkeit stärker ausgeprägt waren. Dieser Befund zeigt, dass die medialer Sichtbarkeit von Organisationen zu einer höheren Verantwortlichkeit bei Personalentscheidungen beitragen kann, so dass weibliche Führungskräfte weniger diskriminiert werden.

This thesis examines the intersection between lithium extraction and contemporary art through a visual semiotic analysis of three contemporary artworks: Unknown Fields’ We Power Our Future With the Breast Milk of Volcanoes, Marcela Magno’s Land [2] Litio, and Julian Charrière’s Future Fossil Spaces. It explores how lithium extraction is visualised in the selected artworks, what connotations can be extracted from them, the geopolitical dimension expressed in them, and how they relate to the myth of ‘green’ transition. This text takes a starting point in the notion of critical visualisations of extractivism in contemporary art as an urgent political, artistic, and ecological issue. Extractivism is a crucial concept in this thesis, and it is further explored through the intersection of art and extractivism in dialogue with previous research by, for example, Eray Çaylı, Macarena Gómez-Barris, and T.J. Demos. The artworld’s interest in lithium has grown in the last years, with cultural projects and exhibitions on lithium taking place in Sweden and the Netherlands, yet there are no academic texts that explore the intersection of lithium extraction and contemporary art. The aim of this thesis is to thoroughly examine this intersection through three contemporary artworks, to expand academic literature regarding this topic, but also to make the results available to curators, cultural workers, and artists who are currently developing cultural projects around lithium and its extraction. The results of the visual semiotic analysis demonstrated that all three of the artworks critically engaged with lithium extraction by visibilising either present or future green sacrifice zones. They all countered the myth of ‘green’ transition with different strategies: by showing the two-furthermost-apart links in the lithium supply chain, by recuperating Indigenous creation myths of the extracted landscapes, and by exploring the supposed intangibility of our ever-expanding digital world.

Title: Road to success: A critical discourse analysis of Bossbabe's web communication  The aim of the study was to investigate and problematize how companies involved in coaching of women's entrepreneurship relate to and construct the discourse of success. The theoretical areas covered are individualisation and reintegration, the expert society, gender theory and gender roles, and relationship-building marketing. The study used critical discourse analysis and semiotics as a method to analyze screenshots from the Bossbabe company's website. From the analysis, findings emerged that Bossbabe challenges and reproduces norms of success. Visibility work was found to be mainly used as an additional source of income. Success was personified by Bossbabe both by showing experts as concrete symbols of success and by advocating a certain type of lifestyle. Bossbabe also uses relationship-building marketing such as pink marketing and word-of-mouth (WOM). From the analysis we see a pattern of reproduction and challenge of gender norms within the discourse of success.

This study investigates how people's perceived sense of safety affects their use of and feeling of safety when they are in a park. The chosen location for the case study research is Karlstad City Garden. Currently, Karlstad City Garden is underutilized and was described as unsafe in a survey conducted by the municipality of Karlstad in 2018 (Karlstad kommun 2019). The purpose of this study is to examine visitors' perceived feelings of safety when they are in Karlstad City Garden. The study will focus on four factors; lighting, lack of people, maintenance, and visibility to provide what effect they have on people when they visit a public place. Previous research, including the municipality's safety survey, identified these four factors as significant contributors to visitors' feelings of safety. This study aims to gain a better understanding of why visitors perceive themselves as safe or unsafe in the park and how these four factors influence their perceived sense of safety. To investigate visitors' experiences of the park, a questionnaire was distributed through social media, and QR codes were distributed in the park to reach a diverse range of respondents. Additionally, observations were conducted as part of the study, primarily to complement the questionnaire and strengthen the findings. The study findings revealed that the time of day and the four factors mentioned above influenced visitors' perceived sense of safety in the park. During the day, more people were present, which made visitors feel safer. In the evening, the park was largely empty, and there were few visitors. The feelings of safety during this time could be attributed to the low population in the park, inadequate lighting in most areas, and reduced visibility during the evening. The poor visibility and lighting could be a result of insufficient maintenance, particularly in the densely vegetated southern part of the park. As a result, many people may have avoided visiting the park in the evening due to feeling unsafe.

The global business environment is rapidly changing, and with the emergence of a new landscape comes new challenges. Traditional supply chains have been reshaped in an attempt to better adjust to the ever-increasing globalization process. This has increased the complexity of logistics as supply chains now are global, multi-tiered and encompass a variety of activities and stakeholders. As a result, many organizations are struggling to fully monitor their supply chains due to the lack of visibility within the supply chain. This concerns not only commercial corporations but also humanitarian organizations in their quest to improve the situation for people in need. The purpose of this study was to explore the concept of Supply Chain Visibility and determine which factors that affect the level of visibility in a supply chain, and to investigate how humanitarian organizations can increase the level of Supply Chain Visibility during the last mile of delivery. The research was conducted by means of an extensive literature review and a case study in Zimbabwe. The case study included a mapping of the national supply chain and an assessment of the current level of visibility. Subsequently, the underlying issues that affect the current level of visibility were identified and analysed. The findings from the study show that the underlying activity and the antecedent of Supply Chain Visibility is information sharing between trading partners in the supply chain. The activity of information sharing is in turn determined by the level of connectivity and willingness. Connectivity measures the maturity of the technological means that an organisation possesses for the use of information sharing and willingness is a measurement of an organization’s attitude toward the act of information sharing. The attribute of the shared information, in terms of quality and quantity, is what finally determines the level of visibilityin a supply chain. For humanitarian organizations to increase the level of visibility during the last mile of delivery, the findings show that organizations must improve the attributes of the shared information. As information collection is often directly tied to the physical distribution of commodities, organizations must improve their transportation operations in order to increase the level of quality of the shared information. In the long run it is imperative that humanitarian organizations detach the information flows from the physical flows so that information is transmitted electronically from health facilities to the central information repository, rather than being collected by vehicle. Implementing a Logistics Management Information System based on the GS1 standards is therefore a necessity as it would allow for automatic information capture and dissemination among supply chain stakeholders. / Den globala marknaden förändras snabbt och i takt med att det affärsmässiga landskapet förändras kommer nya utmaning. Traditionella leverantörskedjor har oformaterats i ett försök att bättre anpassa sig till den ständigt ökande globaliseringen. Detta har lett till att komplexiteten inom logistikområdet ökat och leverantörskedjor är idag globala, flerskiktade och innefattar en mängd aktiviteter och aktörer. Som ett resultat av detta har många organisationer idag svårt att fullt ut övervaka sina leveranskedjor på grund av bristande insyn. Detta rör inte endast kommersiella företag utan även humanitära organisationer i deras strävan att förbättra levnadssituationen för människor i nöd. Syftet med den här studien var att utforska begreppet ”Supply Chain Visibility” och slå fast vilka faktorer som påverkar graden av insyn i leverantörskedjan, samt att undersöka hur humanitära organisationer kan öka graden av insyn i sina leveranskedjor under ”the last mileof delivery”. Studien genomfördes med hjälp en grundlig litteraturstudie och en fallstudie i Zimbabwe. Fallstudien inkluderade en kartläggning av den nationella leveranskedjan och en bedömning av den nuvarande nivån av insyn i denna. De underliggande problemen som påverkar den nuvarande nivån av insyn i leveranskedjan identifierades och analyserades slutligen. Resultaten från studien visar att den underliggande aktiviteten som föregår ”Supply Chain Visibility” är informationsdelning mellan aktörer inom leveranskedjan. Graden av informationsdelning beror i sin tur på konnektiviteten i leveranskedjan och på viljan hos enskilda aktörer att dela information med andra parter. Konnektivitet är ett mått på hur lämpade och sammankopplade de tekniska medel, som en organisation använder sig av, är för att dela information. Det som slutligen avgör vilken insyn, i leveranskedjan, som en aktör kan realisera är egenskaperna hos den delade informationen i termer av kvalitet och kvantitet. Studien visar att humanitära organisationer måste förbättra egenskaperna hos den informationsom delas, för att öka graden av insyn i leveranskedjan. Eftersom insamlandet av information ofta sker i samband med den fysiska distributionen av produkter måste humanitära organisationer fokusera på att förbättra och effektivisera dessa transportprocesser för att öka kvaliteten på informationen. På sikt är det därför helt centralt att informationsflödena skiljs från de fysiska flödena så att information kan överföras elektroniskt från kliniker till den centrala datalagringsenheten, istället för att samlas in med hjälp av distribueringsfordonen. Att implementera ett ”Logistics Management Information System” baserat på GS1 standarden är därför nödvändigt då det skulle tillåta automatisk informationsinsamling och informationsspridning mellan intressenter inom leverantörskedjan.

In the context of recent global disruptions, enhancing supply chain resilience has become critical for businesses. This thesis proposes a conceptual model for implementing a Digital Twin (DT) in the supplier selection process to enhance supply chain resilience. By integrating real-time monitoring, scenario testing, and collaborative platforms, the model addresses three main pillars of supply chain resilience: SC Visibility, SC Agility, and SC Collaboration. The research employs a systematic literature review for the identification of the three pillars and the development of the Supplier Management Digital Twin (SMDT) framework. The findings suggest that the DT can significantly improve supply chain visibility through continuous KPI monitoring, enhance agility by simulating disruption scenarios, and foster collaboration via shared data platforms. Additionally, a case study on the supplier selection process was conducted, through semi-structured interviews, that when applied through the SMDT framework showcased what factors in the supplier selection process that can be applied to a DT. This study contributes to the theoretical understanding of DTs in Supply Chain Management and offers practical insights for managers seeking to enhance resilience to their supply chain. Future research could explore greater insights from DT experts and implementation through simulation models to further validate and expand the model's utility. / I samband med dagens globala störningar har förbättringen av leveranskedjans motståndskraft blivit mer kritiskt än någonsin för världens företag. Denna rapport föreslår en konceptuell modell för att implementera en Digital Tvilling (DT) i leverantörsvalprocessen för att stärka leveranskedjans motståndskraft. Genom att integrera realtidsövervakning, scenariotestning och samarbetsplattformar adresserar modellen tre grundpelare av leveranskedjans motståndskraft: Synlighet, Agilitet och Samarbete. Rapporten använder en systematisk litteraturstude för att identifiera de tre grundpelarna samt utveckla ett ramverk för en DT. Resultaten tyder på att en DT avsevärt kan förbättra leveranskedjans synlighet genom kontinuerlig KPI-övervakning, öka agiliteten genom att simulera scenarier av olika störningar och främja samarbetet via en delad plattform. Dessutom genomfördes en fallstudie av leverantörvalsprocessen genom semi-strukturerade intervjuer, vilket via en analys av Leverantörshanterings DT-ramverket visar vilka faktorer i leverantörvalsprocessen som kan tillämpas på en DT. Denna studie bidrar till den teoretiska kunskapen av DT:ar i leveranskedjehantering och erbjuder praktiska insikter för chefer som söker att öka motståndskraften i sin leveranskedja. Framtida forskning kan utforska djupare insikter från DT-experter och testa implementering genom simuleringsmodeller för att ytterligare validera och utöka modellens användbarhet.

Date: 2nd June 2024 Level: Master Thesis in Product and Process Development, advanced level 30 ECTS Institution: School of Innovation, Design and Engineering at Mälardalens University Authors: Simon Westergren & Andreas Rundh Andersson Title: The Role of Supply Chain Mapping in Complying to ESRS Keywords: Supply chains, Supply chain management, Risk management, Disruptions, Resilience, Visibility, Supply chain mapping, Sustainability, Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, European Sustainability Reporting Standards, Sustainable supply chain mapping, Industrial electronics industry. Supervisors: Mikael Johnsson - Mälardalens University, Mikael Steinar & Paulina Wilhelmsson - Case Company Aim: The aim of the study is to explore if and how acompany within the industrial electronics industry could be supported by supply chain mapping in complying with EU's ESRS regulation. Research Question: How can supply chain mapping support an industrial electronics company in complying with EU's ESRS regulation? Methodology: The methodology of this study employs a qualitative research approach, specifically using a case study to explore the implementation of supply chain mapping within an industrial electronics company for EU's ESRS compliance. Adopting an abductive framework, the research intertwines theoretical exploration and empirical data collection. Literature was reviewed from academic journals and industry reports, while empirical data was gathered through comprehensive supply chain mapping, questionnaires, and a series of interviews, including semi-structured and individual discussions. Conclusion: The study concludes that supply chain mapping is a pivotal tool for aiding an industrial electronics company in complying with the EU's ESRS regulation. It was found that comprehensive mapping of the supply chain not only helps in identifying relevant ESRS topics across the value chain but also enhances risk management and visibility. The application of supply chain mapping demonstrated significant potential for improving operational efficiency and regulatory compliance.

This research focuses on the role of the school principal as instructional leader in primary schools in Thoyandou area, Limpopo Province. It was motivated by a marked decline in the fulfilment of the instructional leadership role of principals in certain schools in the Limpopo Province. A literature study was undertaken to determine the role of a instructional leader, approaches to this role as well as the relationship between the principal's instructional leadership role and staff development and staff appraisal respectively. A qualitative inquiry was conducted using a focus group and personal interviews with a small sample of participants selected by judgement sampling. The findings suggest that understanding of the instructional leadership is fragmented; principals often fail to develop staff adequately; and the Department of Education's new approach to staff and development appraisals is not adequately implemented in schools. Finally guidelines are provided to assist principals in fulfilling their role as effective instructional leaders. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Education Management)

Ce mémoire s'intéresse au phénomène du va-et-vient professionnel entre les médias et la politique et particulièrement aux anciens journalistes qui ont fait le saut en politique au Québec. On croit que ce rapprochement entre les deux professions a pour cause la médiatisation croissante de la vie politique. Pour s'adapter à ce nouveau contexte, les formations politiques ont dorénavant besoin d'acteurs politiques qui maîtrisent la logique des médias afin de contrôler le message et l'ordre du jour politique. On cherche donc à examiner, par le biais d'une analyse de contenu de 2159 articles publiés dans la presse écrite, si les anciens journalistes politiques ont été en mesure d'obtenir plus de visibilité et une couverture plus positive dans le cadre des élections provinciales de 2007, 2008, 2012 et 2014 par rapport à d'autres candidats ayant eu un cheminement professionnel différent. Au final, on a démontré que le statut d'ancien journaliste politique a procuré une couverture médiatique plus abondante, mais pas plus positive que les autres candidats. / This thesis investigates the professional relationship between media and politics in Quebec and, precisely, the case of former journalists that seek a political candidacy. We propose that the increasing mediatization of politics is the cause behind this phenomena. In this context, political parties need to recruit political actors who master the media logic, because we assume that this ability leads to a better control of both the message and agenda setting. Concretely, we investigate whether former political journalists are able to gain more visibility and a more positive media coverage in comparison to other candidates with a different professional pathway. We explore this proposal through a content analysis of 2159 newspaper articles during the Quebec provincial elections of 2007, 2008, 2012 and 2014. The results demonstrate that former political journalists are able to gain more visibility than other candidates, but not a more positive coverage.