Abstract This qualitative study explored the experiences of employed women with breast cancer. The narrative approach using Frank’s (1995) illness types and the feminist perspective were applied in looking at the women’s diversity of experiences and meanings. Purposive sampling was used to recruit women aged 30-49 (n=8) who continued working during treatment and after treatment ended. Face to face, semi-structured interviews were conducted. The findings discovered that all the women got reasonable accommodations; work environment was supportive; and the majority was successful in returning to work despite treatment challenges. Two separated participants reported being locked into job because of medical insurance and discrimination. Concerns identified were: More support from health care professionals, information, dietary, counselling and the need to be listened to. This study can help social workers and other health care professionals to review their roles in supporting women who return to work and in managing the cancer experience.

This dissertation consists of three essays. In the first essay, I estimate a high dimensional covariance matrix of returns for 88 individual stocks from the S&P 100 index, using daily return data for 1995-2005. This study applies the two-step estimator of the dynamic conditional correlation multivariate GARCH model, proposed by Engle (2002b) and Engle and Sheppard (2001) and applies variations of this model. This is the first study estimating variances and covariances of returns using a large number of individual stocks (e.g., Engle and Sheppard (2001) use data on various aggregate sub-indexes of stocks). This avoids errors in estimation of GARCH models with contemporaneous aggregation of stocks (e.g. Nijman and Sentana 1996; Komunjer 2001). Second, this is the first multivariate GARCH adopting a systematic general-to-specific approach to specification of lagged returns in the mean equation. Various alternatives to simple GARCH are considered in step one univariate estimation, and econometric results favour an asymmetric EGARCH extension of Engle and Sheppard’s model. In essay two, I aggregate a variance-covariance matrix of return risk (estimated using DCC-MVGARCH in essay one) to an aggregate index of return risk. This measure of risk is compared with the standard approach to measuring risk from a simple univariate GARCH model of aggregate returns. In principle the standard approach implies errors in estimation due to contemporaneous aggregation of stocks. The two measures are compared in terms of correlation and economic values: measures are not perfectly correlated, and the economic value for the improved estimate of risk as calculated here is substantial. Essay three has three parts. The major part is an empirical study of the aggregate risk return tradeoff for U.S. stocks using daily data. Recent research indicates that past risk-return studies suffer from inadequate sample size, and this suggests using daily rather than monthly data. Modeling dynamics/lags is critical in daily models, and apparently this is the first such study to model lags correctly using a general to specific approach. This is also the first risk return study to apply Wu tests for possible problems of endogeneity/measurement error for the risk variable. Results indicate a statistically significant positive relation between expected returns and risk, as is predicted by capital asset pricing models. Development of the Wu test leads naturally into a model relating aggregate risk of returns to economic variables from the risk return study. This is the first such model to include lags in variables based on a general to specific methodology and to include covariances of such variables. I also derive coefficient links between such models and risk-return models, so in theory these models are more closely related than has been realized in past literature. Empirical results for the daily model are consistent with theory and indicate that the economic and financial variables explain a substantial part of variation in daily risk of returns. The first section of this essay also investigates at a theoretical and empirical level several alternative index number approaches for aggregating multivariate risk over stocks. The empirical results indicate that these indexes are highly correlated for this data set, so only the simplest indexes are used in the remainder of the essay.

The refrigerant charge reduction in HVAC\R systems is an important issue because it falls within environmental policies regarding refrigerants contributions to the greenhouse effect. A way to move toward charge reduction is to increase the compactness of heat exchangers, which means more complex designs of the evaporators. Nevertheless, while a large amount of studies have has been published on the thermal and hydraulic analysis of flow boiling of refrigerants in horizontal tubes, very little attention has been given to flow boiling in geometries different from straight tubes. This PhD thesis aims at studying the flow boiling characteristics of third generation (HFC) and fourth generation fluids such as HFO-1234yf in geometries which modify the fluid dynamics and two-phase flow with respect to horizontal straight tubes. To achieve this goal, an experimental test facility was specifically designed and built to conduct refrigerant evaporation experiments. This test facility allowed to perform flow regimes visualizations and pressure drop measurements in singularities (such as sudden contractions and return bends). First, two-phase flow regimes visualizations have been carried out using HFO-1234yf, R-134a and R-410A either in straight tubes or in singularities. A qualitative analysis of the flow behavior and also several comparisons to flow pattern prediction methods from the literature were conducted. The second objective of this work was to characterize the flow disturbances caused by singularities such as sudden contractions and return bends, and to study their effects on the hydrodynamic performance (e.g. pressure drop) of refrigerants.Lastly, pressure drop databases for third and fourth generation refrigerants are presented.

Bakalauro baigiamajame darbe nagrinėjamas pensijų fondų pelningumas ir jo investicinė grąža. Darbo teorinėje dalyje analizuojama pensijų fondų samprata, jų atsiradimo Lietuvoje prielaidos, raida bei svarba. Taip pat identifikuojami pagrindiniai pensijų kaupimo fondų privalumai ir trūkumai. Atskirai aptariami II ir III pakopos pensijų fondai bei jų ypatumai. Taip pat nagrinėjamas pensijų fondų teisinis reglamentavimas, aptariama pensijų fondų investavimo strategija. Aprašomas pensijų fondų pelningumas, rizikos ir grąžos vertinimas. Tiriamojoje baigiamojo darbo dalyje trumpai aprašomi Lietuvoje veikiantys II ir III pakopos pensijų fondai. Apskaičiuotas ir palygintas 2004-2011 m. laikotarpio Lietuvos pensijų fondų pelningumas. Atlikta Lietuvos pensijų fondų 2004-2011 m. investicinės grąžos ir rizikos palyginamoji analizė bei įvertinta pensijų fondų dalyvių sukauptas turtas, lyginant skirtingų investavimo strategijų pensijų fondus. / The Bachelor’s final work is consideration of the pension funds’ profitability and its return on investment. The conception of pension funds, their appearance in Lithuania, development and importance are analysed in the theoretical part of the work. Also, the main benefits of funds advantages and disadvantages are identified. The II and III pillar pension funds and their features are separately discussed. The legal regulation of pension funds, investment strategy is considerate and discussed. It describes the profitability of pension funds, risk – reward assessment too. The final exploratory part briefly describes the second and third pillar pension funds operating in Lithuania. The profitability of Lithuania’s pension funds is calculated and compared from 2004 to 2011. The Lithuania’s investment return of pension funds, risk assessment and comparative analysis is done from 2004 to 2011 and also accumulated assets comparing different investment, strategies of pension funds.

digitalisering@umu

This study investigates a method for identifying human capital and its effect on company valuation. We devise a measure for the efficiency of human capital based on the personnel cost. We include all companies listed in the financial and industry sector on Nasdaq OMX Stockholm in an attempt to examine human capital and its effect on firm valuation. Our results indicate that a higher efficiency of human capital has a positive effect on return on assets. However, we find that our measure can be interpreted in two ways; either as a firm’s level of human capital efficiency or its dependency on human capital, to achieve its net sales and revenue. We also find indications that the market is valuing firms that rely on human capital lower than firms that don’t. Although our findings are statistically significant, the regressions can only explain a small part of what return on assests is comprised of or the value the market assigns a firm.

The following have been rectified in response to previous evaluation by examiner Olof Bruninge. -We have solely chosen qualitative methods in data collection and analysis by making use of data gathered from focus group workshop. The findings have been coded and analysed descriptively. -We have reformulated research questions and replaced the hypothesis with open questions. Allowing us to explore the participants’ behaviour rather than testing hypothesis. -All quantitative measures have been replaced with qualitative analysis and descriptions. -We have provided tables with results from focus group findings to increase transparency in our data

Financial market analysis nowadays constitutes an important pillar in central banks' monetary policy considerations. This is because the inherently forward-looking properties of asset prices can provide policy-makers with valuable information about future macroeconomic prospects, as seen through the eyes of investors. The five essays contained in this thesis elaborate upon three separate but complementary topics within the area of financial market research. First, the price discovery process of asset prices following releases of macroeconomic and monetary policy-related news is investigated. Such analysis can help in improving a central bank's understanding of how market participants update their views about future growth and inflation prospects. Second, an attempt is made to identify the factors which explain the time-varying co-movement of bond and stock prices. This analysis reveals that periods of negative correlation between the two assets tend to coincide with periods of very low investor risk appetite. Third, frequency distributions implied by options prices are often employed by central banks to assess the degree of uncertainty prevailing in markets as well as how the perceived balance of risks concerning future asset price movements is tilted. Various methods have been developed to estimate option-implied frequency distributions and the thesis assesses and compares the robustness of two of the most commonly used methods in central banks. / <p>Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögskolan, 2007 S. 9-16: sammanfattning, s. 17-160: 5 uppsatser</p>

A critical task of social policy in most Western welfare states during recent decades has consisted of reducing the economic burden on society due to sick leave, by stimulating participation in the labour market. Many jurisdictions have introduced activation policies, based on the premise that work “per se” has a therapeutic effect on sick-listed workers. People are expected to be “active”, rather than “passive”, recipients of financial benefits. However, there is limited knowledge of how activation policies focusing on return to work (RTW) are carried out in local practice. Against this background, the overall aim of this thesis is to study the local practice of activation policies by analysing how they are received, implemented and experienced by welfare state organizations, employers and sick-listed workers. The analysis has been influenced by theories concerning organization fields, individualization, street-level bureaucracy and organizational governance. In this thesis, the overall aim is investigated in four interrelated papers. In Paper I, the aim is to analyse the perspectives of stakeholders (i.e. welfare state actors and employers) on work ability by studying multistakeholder meetings. Paper II sheds light on activation policy, focusing on early RTW in the context of modern working conditions; the aim is to analyse RTW practice in local workplace contexts, in relation to Swedish early-RTW policy. The third paper focuses on employers, with the aim of analysing their role and activities regarding RTW, in local workplace practice. In Paper IV, the aim is to analyse sick-listed workers’ experiences of the sickness insurance system in their contact with the Swedish Social Insurance Agency (SSIA) and their front-line staff. The empirical material comprises two empirical studies: 1) audio-recorded multi-stakeholder meetings from regular practice (n=9) and 2) semi-structured interviews with sick-listed workers and their supervisors in 18 workplaces (n=36). The analyses of the material have been performed in accordance with the principles of qualitative content analysis. Main findings of the papers reflect strong organizational boundaries in the implementation process of activation policies. Welfare state actors and employers appear to be governed by their own organizational logics and interests, so the actors involved fail to take a holistic view of sick-listed workers and do not share a common social responsibility for individuals’ RTW. This thesis illustrates how current activation policies focusing on RTW are based on a rather idealized image of the standard workplace. There is an explicit or implicit assumption that employers and work organizations are able to welcome sick-listed workers back to work in a healthy way. However, the intensity of modern working life leaves limited room for accommodating people with reduced work ability, who are not considered to have a business value to the workplace. In several cases, findings indicate that the SSIA’s focus on activation and early RTW clashes with the financially oriented perspective of employers. Economic considerations regarding their business take precedence over legal and ethical considerations, and employers have difficulty taking social responsibility for RTW. Sick-listed workers are encouraged to adjust to new workplace settings and environments to meet the demands of the workplace, and, if RTW is not possible, to the demands of the labour market. The findings also show that sick-listed workers experience that contacts with the SSIA are ‘standardized’; i.e., they perceive that the officials are loyal  to demands in their organizations rather than being involved actors who support workers’ individual needs. Sick-listed workers clearly experience that measures in Swedish activation policies have a strong focus on demanding aspects (financial work incentives) and less on enabling aspects (investments in skills). Overall, this thesis illustrates an emerging social climate where sick-listed workers are positioned as active agents who must take responsibility for their sick leave and their RTW process. In a Swedish context, RTW is a matter of activating the sick-listed rather than activating the workplace.

Regeringen vill lägga mer vikt på att stärka möjligheten till kultur och social delaktighet. De belyser vikten av att skapa trygghet och att minska isolering inom grupper som till exempel långtidssjukskrivna och långtidsarbetslösa. Kulturaktiviteter som konst, film, musik och teater har bevisats ha en positiv effekt på hälsan genom bland annat ökad social funktion, ökad livskraft och ökad fysisk hälsa. Det avser både att delta i samt att uppleva utan att delta i kulturen. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka om kulturaktiviteter kan påvisa en skillnad i återgång till arbete och psykisk ohälsa hos långtidssjukskrivna personer med psykisk ohälsa, samt undersöka vilken påverkan egna förväntningar har på återgång till arbete. Det insamlade materialet kom från enkätdata ur projektet Kultur och hälsa, genomförd av landstingets enhet Kompetenscentrum för hälsa i Västerås stad. Resultatet visade att andelen som åter var i arbete efter deltagande i kulturaktiviteter hade ökat och den psykiska hälsan hade förbättrats, men inga statistiska samband kan fastställas i denna studie. Mer forskning behövs inom området kultur som hjälp för återgång till arbete efter långtidssjukskrivning. / The government wants to put more emphasis on strengthening the ability to culture and social participation. They highlight the need to provide security and to reduce the isolation of groups such as long-term sickness and unemployed. Cultural activities such as art, film, music and theater have proven to have a positive effect on health by, improved social functioning, increased vitality and physical health. It refers both to participation in and to experience without participating in culture. The aim of this study was to investigate whether cultural activities may effect in a difference in the return to work and mental illness among long-term sick people with mental health problems, and investigate the impact of their own expectations on return to work. The collected material was taken from the project Culture and Health, made ​​by Department of public health, Västmanland County council in Västerås. The results showed that the proportion of who was back in work after participating in cultural activities had increased and mental health had improved, but no statistical link could be established in this study. More research is needed in the area about if culture help people to return to work after long term sickness.