In recent years, social commerce sites such as Groupon and LivingSocial have achieved great success in attracting new consumers and increasing store traffic for a growing number of businesses. However, it is still unclear how the information flow to reach new consumers is generated. Understanding this information flow is the key to the question of what lead to the success of these companies. In the online context, the key information disseminators can have both a large-scale network and a decisive influence on the nodes that are connected closely to them, indicating an important pattern of consumer purchase process. Here, we argue that one of the prominent advantages of social commerce is the information dissemination process, during which word of mouth (WOM) is generated to boost consumer traffic. In the present study, we conduct a cluster analysis to segment online shoppers according to their information dissemination contribution. Gatekeeping theory was used for conceptualizing consumers who tend to disseminate more commercial information and WOM in social commerce, providing us the theoretical basis for clustering consumers. Our findings suggest that a sizable proportion of consumers constituted the gatekeeper group (approximately 25%). Gatekeepers tend to be highly active in both finding the outside source of information and connecting it with inside social networks. In addition, different aspects of the potential to become gatekeepers divide the rest of the consumers into two groups. To date, the present research is the first to explore online consumer segmentations using the gatekeeping perspective. / text

The purpose of the study is to investigate how immigrant performing artists have entered the Swedish labour market in the Swedish performing arts profession. Four main questions were considered in the study: 1) Who, and in what capacity, contributed to the artist’s professional success in Sweden, 2) How the artists’ social and cultural capital has contributed to their success, 3) What role does social networking play in the success of these artists, 4) What type of barriers have the artists encountered.Two career theories were applied in the study: Careership theory and the Social Cognitive Career Theory. The qualitative data for the study was acquired through seven interviews. Methods used for analysis were social network analysis of ego-net in combination with analysis of the interview content. The main conclusion from the results of the analysis show that the use of social networks with the right type of contacts and the social and cultural capital of the artists was instrumental in their ability to succeed in the performing arts profession in Sweden. Barriers to establishment in the performing arts profession in Sweden include gatekeepers, normative exclusion, and lack of profession specific language skills.

Many postsecondary institutions have implemented summer bridge programs as a way to assist underprepared students in achieving academic success during the summer prior to their freshman year. The research on these programs is limited and even more limited on programs in the community college ranks. This study examined participants in a summer bridge program from 2015-2018 and compared them to nonparticipants with similar ACT subscores in math and English. This quantitative study answered six research questions about the institution’s summer bridge program. Results showed there was no significant difference between participants and nonparticipants in grade point average (GPA), grades in English Composition I and College Algebra, retention, credit hours earned, and graduation rates. However, the results showed that participants in the program were involved in more discipline issues when compared to nonparticipants. These findings are consistent with some of the literature presented and not consistent with others.

No description available.

nÃo hà / O objetivo deste estudo à identificar e quantificar a existÃncia do risco moral no Mercado de SaÃde Suplementar mais especificamente em uma Operadora de planos de saÃde de grande porte na modalidade de Cooperativa MÃdica, atravÃs da anÃlise da demanda de consultas mÃdicas eletivas. Este trabalho compara o comportamento de utilizaÃÃo entre planos com e sem fatores moderadores, tais como: a co-participaÃÃo e a porta de entrada (gatekeeper). Fez-se uso dos modelos de contagem visando mensurar a sobreutilizaÃÃo dos serviÃos mÃdicos. Dados empÃricos oriundos da Operadora foram coletados, tratados, descritos e analisados buscando testar as hipÃteses levantadas sobre a eficiÃncia da co-participaÃÃo e da porta de entrada (gatekeeper) na reduÃÃo do risco moral. Os resultados revelaram efeitos significantes destes dois instrumentos, apontando uma reduÃÃo de 0,31 consultas/ano para o efeito da co-participaÃÃo e de atà 3,89 consultas/ano nos planos com gatekeeper. Estes resultados sÃo controlados pelas caracterÃsticas dos usuÃrios quanto à idade, sexo, estado civil, tempo de plano, e histÃrico de uso. Em uma extrapolaÃÃo direta, isto representaria um sobre-custo de aproximadamente R$ 290.000,00 (+ 487,42%) se todos os beneficiÃrios passassem a ter planos sem qualquer tipo de fator inibidor. / The aim of this study is to identify and quantify the existence of moral hazard in the Market for Supplementary Health more specifically to a provider of health plans in the form of large Medical Cooperative, through the analysis of demand for medical electives. This study compares the behavior of between plans with and without moderating factors, such as: co-participation and input port (gatekeeper). Was use of count models aiming to measure the overuse of medical services. Empirical data were collected from the Provider, treated as described and analyzed to test hypotheses about the efficiency of co-participation and input port (gatekeeper) in the reduction of moral hazard. The results revealed significant effects of these two instruments, showing a reduction of 0.306308 visits per year to the effect of coparticipation and up to 3.890354 visits per year in plans with gatekeeper. These results are controlled by the characteristics of users for age, sex, marital status, time plan, and usage history. In a direct extrapolation, this would represent an over-cost of about $ 290.000,00 (+ 487,42%) if all beneficiaries to raise their plans without any inhibiting factor.

Im Lebenslauf ist die Berufswahl eine zentrale Entwicklungsaufgabe. Durch die Institutionalisierung des Lebenslaufes in modernen Gesellschaften wird der Prozess auch institutionell begleitet. Schule organisiert in Kooperation mit der Bundesagentur für Arbeit dazu berufsorientierende Angebote, die u.a. die Entwicklung der Berufswahlreife unterstützen sollen. So werden neben den Eltern auch die Schule und Berufsberatung zu zentralen Vermittlern (Gatekeepern) beim Übergang von der Schule in die Ausbildung. Im Rahmen der Analyse des Berufswahlprozesses ist es wichtig, die Interaktion zwischen „Umwelt und Person“ zu betrachten: Wie gelingt es Jugendlichen, diese Entwicklungsaufgabe anhand personaler und sozialer Ressourcen, sowie im Rahmen gesellschaftlicher Strukturen, zu bewältigen? Diese Fragestellung ist grundsätzlich nicht neu, gewinnt jedoch unter den aktuellen gesellschaftlichen und ökonomischen Übergangsbedingungen eine große Bedeutung. Schulen haben in den letzten Jahren verstärkt begonnen, ihre Berufsorientierung systematisch zu organisieren und weiterzuentwickeln. Die Fülle der neu entwickelten Konzepte und Programme zur Verbesserung der Berufsorientierung steht jedoch in keinem Verhältnis zum Stand der empirischen Forschung. Daher ist die vorliegende Forschungsarbeit von der zentralen Zielstellung geleitet, die empirische Evidenz zur Wirkung schulischer Berufsorientierungsangebote zu erweitern. Im Mittelpunkt der Studie steht die Fragestellung, wie sich der schulische Berufsorientierungsprozess für Schülerinnen und Schüler aller Bildungsgänge für einen verbesserten Übergang in weiterführende Bildungs- und Ausbildungssysteme optimieren lässt. Von Interesse ist dabei, ob und inwieweit schulische Angebote die Entwicklung der Berufswahlreife der Schülerinnen und Schüler beeinflussen, welche Angebote als besonders unterstützend oder weniger sinnvoll beurteilt werden müssen. Diese Fragestellungen wurden auf Basis von schriftlichen Befragungen im Zeitraum von 2008 bis 2010 von Oberschülerinnen und Oberschülern im Landes Brandenburg bearbeitet. Anhand von Querschnitts- und Panelanalysen werden Aussagen über die Wahrnehmung und den Einfluss der verschiedenen schulischen Angebote sowohl für einzelne Jahrgangsstufen als auch im Vergleich zwischen den Jahrgangsstufen getroffen. / The study focussed on the question of how career orientation programs for students in middle schools transitioning into advanced educational and vocational levels could be optimized. Particularly of interest was the degree of influence school programs had on the career choices of students and which programs were supportive and which were deemed as not having value. The answers to these questions should help to critically analyze, further develop and adapt current career orientation programs in schools. The accompanying article should be seen as a guidance for teachers who want to use results in current educational research to further develop the career orientation profiles of their schools. The document is an extract of results from the research „My school, my parents and I in the career orientation process – The career choices of students at the end of middle school between career orientation programs in schools and parental influence“ (SEIB).

The purpose of this thesis was to examine how two different groups use information strategies in their Facebook group activities. A qualitative study was made using interviews and a qualitative observation method. The observation groups consisted of two selected groups on Facebook and I interviewed three chosen participants of each group; a Gatekeeper, a Gateopener and a Lurker. Through the information strategies I examined the selected groups’ information environments. To reach my goal, the following questions were studied: which information strategies, within social media, do the groups use to achieve their goals and what are the characteristics of an information environment that has been created by a heterogeneous group, in comparison to a homogeneous group in their networking groups. The theoretical framework that was used to analyze the results of the study consisted of a model that was built of theories, literature and previous research regarding information strategies within heterogeneous and homogeneous groups, Facebook, open- and closed information environments, and Gatekeepers. The results of this study show that it is complex to ascertain whether a group is 100% homogeneous or heterogeneous, and whether a group is 100% closed or open and that there will always be factors and dimensions that cannot be defined as open or closed or homogeneous and heterogeneous. The results also show that a closed group with seemingly closed memberships is much more informal than an open group. / Program: Bibliotekarie

<p>Examensarbetet berör den bild som Dagens Nyheter publicerade den 21 juni 2006 gällande Komvux och om skolan som en elitenhet. Åsikten är att unga med fullvärdiga betyg vandrar från gymnasium till Komvux, i uppsåt att höja betygen. På så sätt hoppas de att bli antagna till de mer attraktiva utbildningarna såsom jurist kandidatutbildning och läkarutbildning. För att verifiera eller dementera våra frågeställningar, har vi analyserat texter både kvantitativt och kvalitativt samt som vi gjort empirisk undersökning i form av intervjuer, vilket skall återge den sanna bilden av Komvux (Gamlebyskolan) i Varberg. Materialet som vi har använt oss av är bland annat rapporter från både skolverket och utbildningsdepartementet. För att erhålla en teoretisk förklaring på våra frågeställningar, har vi använt oss av sociologiskt skrivna verk, författade av Ulrich Beck och Pierre Bourdieu. Utifrån resultatet kan vi dementera den bild som DN presenterade, då merparten av eleverna på Gamlebyskolan läste nya ämnen. Komvux är för den breda massan som planerar att läsa på universitet och högskolor, men dock inom de mindre prestigefyllda utbildningarna.</p>

<p>Over the last few decades, the industrialized world in general and the automobile industry in particular was hit by immense changes which strongly influence the management of R&D. Trends such as globalization and sharp competition on worldwide open markets, increasing product complexity in order to meet the customers’ desires for more variety and individualization, technology fusion and cross industry innovations, high level of technological and competitive uncertainty, increasing pressure to reduce R&D budgets, and shorter time to market and reduced innovation cycles in consequence of rising competition, force companies to source external knowledge and to bring in and exploit outside-in innovations instead of reinventing them their selves. In the same way, the Open Innovation concept highlights the need for organizations to open up their innovation processes. As a consequence, many R&D organizations are being transformed in order to meet the upcoming challenges and established technological listening posts to source external knowledge in centers of technological excellence and innovation.</p><p>This study focus on the knowledge acquisition, transformation and transfer from innovation cluster to central R&D, and examines the roles and typologies of technological gatekeepers. Based on a sound literature review and in-depth qualitative study of the case company BMW, this thesis explores how technological listening posts can take the mediating role of technology gatekeepers and how different mechanisms and typologies for gatekeeping can be deployed for optimal transformation and transfer of external knowledge into internal innovation.</p>

Over the last few decades, the industrialized world in general and the automobile industry in particular was hit by immense changes which strongly influence the management of R&amp;D. Trends such as globalization and sharp competition on worldwide open markets, increasing product complexity in order to meet the customers’ desires for more variety and individualization, technology fusion and cross industry innovations, high level of technological and competitive uncertainty, increasing pressure to reduce R&amp;D budgets, and shorter time to market and reduced innovation cycles in consequence of rising competition, force companies to source external knowledge and to bring in and exploit outside-in innovations instead of reinventing them their selves. In the same way, the Open Innovation concept highlights the need for organizations to open up their innovation processes. As a consequence, many R&amp;D organizations are being transformed in order to meet the upcoming challenges and established technological listening posts to source external knowledge in centers of technological excellence and innovation. This study focus on the knowledge acquisition, transformation and transfer from innovation cluster to central R&amp;D, and examines the roles and typologies of technological gatekeepers. Based on a sound literature review and in-depth qualitative study of the case company BMW, this thesis explores how technological listening posts can take the mediating role of technology gatekeepers and how different mechanisms and typologies for gatekeeping can be deployed for optimal transformation and transfer of external knowledge into internal innovation.