This paper aims to investigate whether or not it is possible to identify users who are about change provider of service with machine learning. It is believed that the Consumer Decision Journey is a better model than traditional funnel models when it comes to depicting the processes which consumers go through, leading up to a purchase. Analytical and operational Customer Relationship Management are presented as possible fields where such implementations can be useful. Based on previous studies, Random Forest and XGBoost were chosen as algorithms to be further evaluated because of its general high performance. The final results were produced by an iterative process which began with data processing followed by feature selection, training of model and testing the model. Literature review and unstructured and semi-structured interviews with the employer Growth Hackers Sthlm were also used as methods in a complementary fashion, with the purpose of gaining a wider perspective of the state-of-the-art of ML-implementations. The final results showed that Random Forest could identify the sought-after users (positive) while XGBoost was inferior to Random Forest in terms of distinguishing between positive and negative classes. An implementation of such model could support and benefit an organization’s customer acquisition operations. However, organizational prerequisites regarding the data infrastructure and the level of AI and machine learning integration in the organization’s culture are the most important ones and need to be considered before such implementations. / I det här arbetet undersöks huruvida det är möjligt att identifiera ett beteende bland användare som innebär att användaren snart ska byta tillhandahållare av tjänst med hjälp av maskininlärning. Målet är att kunna bidra till ett maskininlärningsverktyg i kundförvärvningssyfte, såsom analytical och operational Customer Relationship Management. Det sökta beteendet i rapporten utgår från modellen ”the Consumer Decision Journey”. I modellen beskrivs fyra faser där fas två innebär att konsumenten aktivt söker samt är mer mottaglig för information kring köpet. Genom tidigare studier och handledning av uppdragsgivare valdes algoritmerna RandomForest och XGBoost som huvudsakliga algoritmer som skulle testas. Resultaten producerades genom en iterativ process. Det första steget var att städa data. Därefter valdes parametrar och viktades. Sedan testades algoritmerna mot testdata och utvärderades. Detta gjordes i loopar tills förbättringar endast var marginella. De slutliga resultaten visade att framförallt Random Forest kunde identifiera ett beteende som innebär att en användare är i fas 2, medan XGBoost presterade sämre när det kom till att urskilja bland positiva och negativa användare. Dock fångade XGBoost fler positiva användare än vad Random Forest gjorde. I syfte att undersöka de organisatoriska förutsättningarna för att implementera maskininlärning och AI gjordes litteraturstudier och uppdragsgivaren intervjuades kontinuerligt. De viktigaste förutsättningarna fastställdes till två kategorier, datainfrastruktur och hur väl AI och maskininlärning är integrerat i organisationens kultur.

Näthandeln ökar över hela världen, och i Sverige är kläder och skor de största produktgrupperna som inhandlas online. I samband med detta ökar även antalet produktreturer, då förutsättningarna hos e-handelsföretag är annorlunda jämfört med fysiska butiker. Denna uppsats syftar till att undersöka vilka aspekter som kvinnliga konsumenter upplever som viktigast när en modeprodukt presenteras på en e-handelssida, och hur detta påverkar deras returbeteende. Vidare undersöks användarvänlighet på en e-handelssida, i form av befintliga funktioner och information gällande hur en produkt presenteras. Resultatet av de kvantitativa studier, i form av en enkät och en nulägesbeskrivning genominnehållsanalys, som gjorts i samband med uppsatsen visar att korrekta och utförligaproduktbeskrivningar är viktiga i processen innan köpet genomförs. Det är inte bara mängden av information som är viktigt, även kvaliteten hos den angivna informationen uppges vara viktig. Detta uppdagades också i nulägesbeskrivningen som gjordes av tre undersökta ehandelsföretag. Samtliga uppvisade en hög grad av användarvänlighet, vilket innebar att de hade många tillgängliga funktioner. Alla tre företag har dock höga returgrader, vilket indikerar på bristande kvalitet gällande den tillgängliga informationen. Resultatet visar också på likheter angående vad konsumenterna upplever som viktigt i en produktbeskrivning, och vad de upplever behöver förbättras. Baserat på resultatet av konsumentstudien samt kartläggningen av nuläget i de aktuella ehandelsföretagen, påvisas hur e-handelsföretag inom mode kan utveckla sitt avoidance-arbete utifrån konsumenternas efterfrågan. Då returgraderna inte är beroende av användarvänlighet i denna specifika undersökning, kan det också konstateras att användarvänligheten inte är den huvudsakliga påverkande kraften i konsumenternas returbeteende. / Online shopping is increasing all over the world, and in Sweden, clothing and shoes are the largest product groups to be purchased online. As a consequence, product returns are increasing as well, due to the conditions of online shopping being different to those in a brick and-mortar store. The purpose of this paper, which is written in Swedish, is to examine which aspects of the online product presentation are perceived to be the most important by female consumers, and how that affects their return behavior. Furthermore, user experience is examined via the available features and information regarding how a product is presented. The results of the performed quantitative studies, which include a questionnaire and a description of the present state of e-commerce companies through a content analysis of their websites, show that accurate and extensive product descriptions are important in the prepurchase process. However, it is not only the amount of information that is important, but also the quality of the provided information. This was also uncovered in the description of the present state, which was an analysis carried out on three e-commerce companies. All three displayed a high level of user experience, which meant a large number of available features. All three companies also displayed high return rates, which indicates a lack of quality in regard to the information provided. The results also show similarities in terms of what the consumers perceive to be important in a product description, while at the same time needing to be improved. Through the results of the consumer study and the description of the present state within the examined e-commerce companies, this study suggests ways for e-commerce fashion companies to develop their avoidance strategies, based on consumer demand. Because the return rates are not dependent on user experience in this particular survey, it was found that user experience is not the main influencing force in the consumers’ return behavior.

Thesis (MScEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The importance of transport should not be underestimated. Transport progresses a person’s quality of life: it connects people to one another and provides access to work, services and recreational opportunities. However, post-apartheid South Africa is unfortunately still faced with a legacy of segregation. While the less-privileged, who mostly live at the fringe of Central Business Districts (CBDs), are captive users of public transport, the private vehicle trend, under the privileged, is becoming more evident. This research project thus proposes that a balanced and integrated sustainable transport system be promoted. That is, one that will aid South Africa in growing and improving its general socio-economical status by providing all its citizens with (equal) access to a balanced transport network. It is believed that, if a multimodal system is promoted, the deficiencies of the current heterogeneous non-integrated systems may be overcome. Therefore, if South Africa’s transport network is augmented with a multimodal platform, the nation will be able to move its citizens effectively and efficiently, without jeopardising the economy, social matters and the environment, today and in the future. Moreover, South Africa will also have the necessary stimulus to utilise the already available resources at its disposal by working together as ‘one’. This research project thus stipulates a (generic) sequential approach needed in achieving an integrated (sustainable) public transport system. The goal of this research project is to create awareness of the benefits that may arise from, and the implementation steps required in obtaining, such a multimodal platform. The focus area for researching the proposition made herein is the City of Cape Town’s (CoCT’s) land transport networks. The City has a management facility, with resultant transport data repository, known as the Transport Management Centre (TMC). This TMC is regarded as one of the finest state of the art facilities in the world and the features thereof offer a sufficient base and point of departure for the promotion of a multimodal transport system. By conducting research in this field, the following portraying aspects, needed for the realisation of the proposition made herein, were found. Firstly, in order to obtain an integrated sustainable transport system, the appropriate Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) need to be integrated. It is believed that, if an intelligent transport scheme, grounded on ITS applications, is advocated, the City will be in the position to more effectively monitor what is going on, to more accurately predict what might happen in the future, and to manage its transport system proactively on an area-wide basis. Secondly, in order to meet the integration requirements imposed by multimodal transport, a centralised database needs to be created. With such a database in place, information sharing across all modes of private- and public land transport, and thus also between the investors or the operators, will be possible. An example of such a database was developed in Microsoft Access and the modes considered therein are: MyCiti, Metrorail and Golden Arrow Bus Service (GABS). The data stored in this database is historic, but the incorporation of real time information was also catered for. Thirdly, it is believed that the success of the City’s transport system, and the development of a multimodal system, is dependent on the provision of an efficient Advanced Traveller Information System (ATIS). The idea is to promote multimodal transport as a convenient transit option by providing travellers with information on journey planning that aims to counteract their reluctance to change. In order to develop such a multimodal Journey Planner (JP), the unimodal networks considered herein were combined into a supernetwork on which Dijkstra’s Shortest Path Algorithm was applied. This algorithm was programmed in Microsoft Excel’s Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) and it incorporates the following user criteria: the origin, the destination, the user’s mode preference, and the user’s optimisation preference of either time or distance. In conclusion, it can be argued that, with information becoming such a vital commodity in everyday life, the catering for informed travellers are the key to successful future transport services. If travellers are informed about the transport networks’ performance, a positive attitude is fostered. Moreover, by providing travellers with information on journey planning, their feelings of uncertainty and fear of the unknown, that are present in (especially) public transport services, may be neutralised. This information will give the public carte blanche to make decisions that give them the perception of having more ‘control over their lives’. Therefore, if a multimodal JP that can be accessed from one portal is created, people’s inclination to acquire more information will be met. And as a result, traversing in an integrated manner may become the norm. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die belangrikheid van vervoer mag nie onderskat word nie. Vervoer speel ’n belangrike rol in die bevordering van ’n persoon se lewenskwaliteit: dit verbind mense met mekaar en verskaf toegang tot die werksplek, diensteverskaffers, en vryetydsbesteding. Post-apartheid Suid-Afrika is egter nog steeds vasgevang in ’n nalatenskap van rasseskeiding. Die minderbevoorregtes, wat meestal aan die buitewyke van die stad woon, is geforseerde gebruikers van openbare vervoer, terwyl die neiging (onder die bevoorregtes) om privaatvoertuie te gebruik, aan die toeneem is. Hierdie navorsingsprojek beveel dus aan dat ’n gebalanseerde, geïntegreerde en volhoubare vervoerstelsel bevorder moet word. ’n Sodanige stelsel sal help om die sosio-ekonomiese status van Suid-Afrika te bevorder. Dít kan net bereik word as alle landsburgers gelyke toegang tot ’n gebalanseeerde vervoernetwerk het. As ’n multimode-stelsel dus bevorder word, kan die tekortkominge van die huidige heterogene, nie-geïntegreerde stelsels oorkom word. Indien Suid-Afrika se vervoernetwerk ’n multimodale platform het, kan die landsburgers effektief en doeltreffend vervoer word sonder om die ekonomie, sosiale aangeleenthede of omgewing, tans en in die toekoms, in gedrang in te bring. Suid-Afrika sal boonop, met so ’n platform in plek, ook die nodige stimulus hê om die bestaande hulpbronne optimaal te gebruik. Hierdie navorsingsprojek verskaf ’n (generiese) in-volgorde-benadering om ’n volhoubare, geïntegreerde openbare vervoerstelsel daar te stel. Die doel is om bewustheid van die voordele wat uit ’n multimodale platform spruit, sowel as die nodige stappe vir die uitvoering daarvan, te kweek. Die fokusarea van die navorsing is die Stad van Kaapstad se land-vervoernetwerke. Die Stad het ’n beheerfasiliteit waar vervoerdata versamel word. Dit staan bekend as die vervoer-beheersentrum (TMC: Transport Management Centre). Hierdie fasiliteit word as toonaangewend in die wêreld beskou. Die kenmerkende eienskappe van hierdie fasiliteit bied verder ook ’n goeie vertrekpunt vir die bevordering van ’n multimodale stelsel. Die navorsing in hierdie veld het die volgende bydraende faktore, wat benodig word om die voorstelling te realiseer, geïdentifiseer. In die eerste plek moet die intelligente vervoerstelsels (ITS: Intelligent Transport Systems) geïntegreer word om ’n geïntegreerde volhoubare vervoerstelsel daar te stel. Indien ’n intelligente vervoerskema, gebaseer op tegnologiese inisiatiewe, aangemoedig word, sal die Stad van Kaapstad in die posisie wees om sy vervoerstelsel pro-aktief te bestuur deur meer effektief te monitor wat aangaan en meer akkuraat te voorspel wat in die toekoms mag gebeur. Tweedens moet daar ’n gesentraliseerde databasis geskep word. Met hierdie databasis sal die nodige integrasievereistes vir ’n multimodale vervoerstelsel, bereik word. Inligting kan dan gedeel word tussen privaat- en openbare landvervoer, asook tussen die beleggers en die operateurs van die verskillende vervoermodusse. ’n Voorbeeld van so ’n databasis is in Microsoft Access geskep en die modusse wat deel daarvan uitmaak, is: MyCiti, Metrorail en Golden Arrow Bus Services (GABS). Die data wat hierin vervat is, is histories, maar daar is vir intydse inligting voorsiening gemaak. In die derde plek is die sukses van die Stad van Kaapstad se vervoerstelsel en die ontwikkeling van ’n multimodale stelsel afhanklik van die daarstelling van ’n effektiewe, gevorderde inligtingsstelsel vir pendelaars (ATIS: Advanced Traveller Information Systems). Die idee is om ’n multimodale vervoerstelsel as ’n gerieflike opsie onder pendelaars te bevorder. Dit kan bereik word deur inligting rakende reisbeplanning aan pendelaars daar te stel. Met die verkryging van sodanige kennis sal die pendelaar se weerstand teen verandering ook afneem. Om so ’n multimodale reisbeplanner (JP: Journey Planner) te ontwikkel, is die eenmodaal-netwerke gekombineer om ’n supernetwerk te skep. Dijkstra se algoritme is op die supernetwerk toegepas. Die algoritme is in Microsoft Excel se VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) geprogrammeer en dit bevat die volgende gebruikerskriteria, nl. die begin- en eindpunt, die gebruiker se modes-voorkeur en die gebruiker se gekose optimeringsvoorkeur van tyd of afstand. Ten slotte kan gesê word dat inligting ’n groot rol in die mens se daaglikse lewe en aktiwiteite speel. Daar kan dus geredeneer word dat die sleutel tot suksesvolle vervoerdienste daarin lê om vir ingeligte pendelaars voorsiening te maak. As pendelaars ingelig is oor die stand van die vervoernetwerk maak dit hul houding meer positief. Verder, as pendelaars ook inligting oor reisbeplanning het, kan dit hul gevoel van onsekerheid en vrees jeens (veral) openbare vervoer teenwerk. Met al hierdie inligting tot sy beskikking kan ’n persoon dus sy eie keuses maak en dit lei daartoe dat die persoon meer in beheer voel. As ’n multimodale JP geskep word, voed dit die mens se begeerte vir meer inligting. En met ’n sodanige JP in plek, kan geïntegreerde pendel moontlik die norm word.

No description available.

Abstract   This thesis examines the role of women who went as missionaries to China between the 1890’s and the 1930’s, with a special regard to the Swedish missionary Sally Nordling. I think it is interesting to find out more about their motives. What made these women choose to go far away from their homes in Europe to live and work for God?   I have noted that there is not much written about these women and I hope that this thesis will shed light on this part of history, and that I will be able to give my own personal reflections. Through analysing different biographies written about female missionaries that lived in China I hope to be able to answer my hypothesis that women through their religious conviction were able to escape their restricted lives. The main research question for this thesis is whether female missionaries were allowed to do similar work as men when going to China.

This thesis is concerned with a comparison of works written by GDR authors Hanns Cibulka, Waldtraut Lewin a Christine Wolter which deal with the motif of the journey to Italy. The analysis is based on spatial and intercultural theories, which are presented in the first part of the thesis. The genre of travelogue, the motif of the Italian journey in the German-language literature and political conditions for the creation and publication of travelogues in the GDR are also introduced. The core of the thesis is the comparison of eleven texts, especially travelogues, regarding the spatial and social dimension of travelling. The first aspect covers reflections of Goethe's Italian journey and the function of travelling, as well as the depiction of nature, urban space and architecture and the treatment of the garden motif. Regarding the second aspect, the author follows the narrative technics used in portraying the mediators between the travelling writers and the Italian culture, as well as in the depiction of tourists or strangers. An additional question of the study is whether (and possibly how) the writers reflect on the GDR regime against the background of the Italian scenery.

This study investigated the experiences of emerging First Nations adults in extensions of care and transitioning out of care in Manitoba. Four research questions were explored in this study: 1) What do you remember about your time in care and what was your transitioning experience out of care or upon reaching 18 years of age? 2) What challenges, barriers or opportunities have you experienced since leaving care or turning 18? 3) How have you maintained the connection to family, community and culture since transitioning out of care? 4) Do you think you have reached adulthood? These questions were discussed through two digital storytelling workshops where over the course of five days participants developed and embedded individual responses to these questions into their own digital video. Follow up interviews were conducted with the participants to get feedback on their perspectives and evaluation about the digital storytelling workshops. Digital storytelling, through the art of combining oral tradition with digital technology, is a participatory, arts-based, learner-centered approach to generating knowledge. It involves using computer software to create a three to five minute video to illustrate a personal history. The findings suggest that Indigenous emerging adults in extensions of care and transitioning from care in Manitoba continue to experience difficulties on their journeys toward adulthood. However, the findings also suggest that the participants in this study are resilient despite the fact that they are dealing simultaneously with memories of being in care, negative peer pressures and problems in getting their basic needs met as they navigate life beyond their child welfare experiences. This study enhances the understanding of First Nations young peoples’ experiences in extensions of care and as they transition out of foster care, and contributes to the growing body of knowledge that utilizes digital storytelling as a contemporary method conducive to working with Indigenous emerging adult populations. / May 2016

This essay investigates the characteristics of Robert Langdon and his female helpers in Dan Brown’s novels Angels and Demons, The Da Vinci Code, The Lost symbol and Inferno.  In each of these novels, the quests are always solved by a male-female team. This essay is therefore going to focus on the character of Robert Langdon and his female helpers with the perspective of the Monomyth by Joseph Campbell. The protagonist Robert Langdon is a Harvard University professor specialised in religious iconology and symbology, but in these four novels he is thrown into breath-taking adventures with dangerous situations, however, with the help of several females he always manages to survive. The aim of this essay is to show how Langdon and his female helpers have the characteristics of a contemporary hero and helper, with the perspective of Campbell’s the Monomyth. Keywords: Character Analysis, Robert Langdon, Hero, Female Helper, the Monomyth, Angels and Demons, The Da Vinci Code, The Lost Symbol, Inferno.

Dans cette thèse nous voudrions mener une étude approfondie sur le Songe du Vieil Pelerin (1389) de Philippe de Mézières concernant la structure complexe de ce voyage allégorique-didactique, ses facteurs de cohérence et cohésion qui font son principe d’unité, l’utilisation de certaines sources ainsi que sa réception auprès du public. Notre but est de mieux éclairer le procès de construction de ce texte, la posture de l’auteur et la place du Songe dans le contexte littéraire de la fin du XIVème siècle. Notre étude commence par une analyse détaillée du prologue. C’est là que Philippe de Mézières fournit les clés de lecture de son œuvre et qu’il met en place la réflexion sur le problème de la vérité: vérité spirituelle, morale ou encore verbale, et donc liée à un modèle rhétorique précis, enfin vérité de l’œuvre, de contenus qui y sont véhiculés et authenticité de l’écriture. Ce problème constitue un fil rouge qui traverse tout l’itinéraire accompli par le pèlerin, dans le récit, ainsi que les parenthèses didactiques ou digressives qui le parsèment, comme nous essayons de montrer dans la partie centrale de notre étude.Enfin, nous choisissons deux canaux langagiers bien définis et privilégiés dans le tissu discursif et narratif du Songe, la polémique et la pénitence, pour analyser plus en détail comment le modèle rhétorique proposé par l’auteur peut être le premier pas vers la voie d’un renouvellement social et spirituel. / This research presents a thorough study on the Songe du Vieil Pelerin focused on four aspects: the complex structure of the allegorical-didactic journey described by Philippe de Mezieres; the internal coherence and cohesion that contribute to the unity of the text; the use of sources and the critical reception by Mezieres' contemporaries. From a general standpoint, the main goal of this research is to clarify the inner workings of Mezieres' creative endeavour, in order to better understand the place of the Songe in the literary context of the late fourteenth century. The research begins with a detailed analysis of the prologue, where Mezieres provides the keys to understand his work and organizes its reasoning on the problem of truth, distinguishing between a spiritual, moral, and verbal truth. This analysis marks the way of the pilgrim – the Songe main character – throughout Mezieres' work, both in the story and in the frequent didactical digressions. When the pilgrim's path ends, the rethorical model that underlies the entire work is explained with the help of the concepts of polémique and pénitence, to show how Mezieres conceives his work as a first step in the way of a social and spiritual renewal.

The customer journey is a re-submerged subject which has become increasingly relevant. The focus derives from the increased focus on customer experience as touch points are increasing as well as becoming more accessible. This is creating problems for companies to allocate their resources in marketing. Previous literature on customer journeys are also limited, mostly originating from research on customer experience. This motivates research within the field with the purpose of exploring the customer journey and connected phenomena.    The basis of this thesis was the customer journey which derives from customer experience. Further, the theoretical framework presents theories about customer experience, consumer buying decisions, customer journey and its touch points. The theoretical framework also presents two conceptual models concerning customer journey and customer experience. Focus was here on exploring the formulation of the customer journey, its steps and components. But also, on investigating how customer experiences affects customer journeys. This thesis had a qualitative research strategy and empirical material was collected through interviews. The empirical findings and the analysis resulted in several conclusions as this was an exploratory study. Reason for use of route, use of different touch points, customer experience impact and were found. Furthermore, the customer journey itself was identified as a reason for conducting a purchase. The result of this thesis might help companies allocate their resources more efficiently between touch points. As well as understanding how to create positive customer experience and the importance of it.