Online users struggle with different concerns whenever they use information systems. According to Miyazaki and Fernandez (2001), there are three important categories of concerns for online users: privacy concern, third party fraudulent behavior concern ("system security"), and online website fraudulent behavior concern ("security"). Kim, Sivasailam, and Rao (2004) proposed a similar categorization for web assurance dimensions. They argue that online websites are supposed to address users' privacy, security, and business integrity concerns to decrease user concerns. Although several researchers tried to answer how different factors affect these concerns and how these concerns affect users' behavior, there are so many ambiguities and contradictions in this area. This Essay I in this work develops a comprehensive map of the role of online privacy concern to identify related factors and categorize them through an in-depth literature review and conducting meta-analysis on online privacy concern. Although users have concerns about their privacy and security, there is still growth in the number of internet users and electronic commerce market share. One possible reason is that websites are applying assurance mechanisms to ensure the privacy of their users. Therefore, it could be an interesting research topic to investigate how privacy assurance mechanisms affect users concern and, consequently, their behavior in different concerns such as e-commerce and social networking sites. Different types of web assurance mechanisms are used by websites. The most prevalent among these assurance mechanisms include web assurance seals and assurance statements and privacy customization features. Essay II and III aims to address how these mechanisms influence e-commerce and social networking sites users' behavior. Essay II applies the procedural fairness theory by Lind and Tyler (1988) to explain how and why the web assurance mechanisms affect consumers' perceived risks. Essay III addresses the issue of self-disclosure on social networking sites. Applying protection motivation theory, this study aims to evaluate the effect of web assurance mechanisms on online privacy concern and self-disclosure behavior on the social networking sites.

This thesis deals with the analysis and design changes to a specific company information system under real conditions, and is therefore more practically oriented. The information system is studied both from the perspective of the end user, which is the focus, and in terms of operation and implementation of program solutions. The information system is studied as a whole in a broader context, not only in terms of applications (software), but also in terms of the flow of information, storage and organization of data, users, security, hardware, etc. It should serve to the company as a guide for the elimination of inefficient and / or risk areas, thereby helping to improve work productivity and employee satisfaction.

This master’s thesis named Continuous/batch production in environment Industry 4.0 deals with software and principles that are designed for discrete manufacturing and their application to the continuous and batch production. First, the functions and properties of individual programs for discrete manufacturing were descripted, then this acquired knowledge was related to continuous and batch production. On the basis of the gained knowledge, a program for the processing of liquid materials with using two tanks was created. This program is aimed at customizing of the final product.

Un nombre croissant de recherches indique que les consommateurs utilisent les produits de marque comme outils pour construire et communiquer leur propre identité. Les produits de marque servent de marqueurs de statut et de symboles d’appartenance à un groupe et permettent aux consommateurs de se différencier des autres et d’exprimer leur individualité. Pour créer des marques qui peuvent servir à construire des identités personnelles et pour renforcer le lien entre la marque et le consommateur, il est important que les consommateurs puissent participer au processus de création (co-création). La personnalisation des produits à grande échelle est un outil particulièrement utile pour impliquer les consommateurs dans ce processus qui contribue à augmenter la satisfaction des clients et leur consentement à payer. Cependant, les théories actuelles sur l’utilisation des marques comme marqueurs d’identités personnelles et les théories sur les stratégies visant à renforcer la relation entre la marque et le consommateur ont été élaborées principalement dans un contexte occidental. Le but de cette recherche est donc d’étudier dans quelle mesure les consommateurs d’Asie de l’Est diffèrent, dans leur utilisation des marques comme marqueurs d’identité personnelle, des consommateurs occidentaux. Elle explore également les implications potentielles des différences interculturelles dans la communication des identités personnelles pour la personnalisation des produits et pour la relation entre les marques et les consommateurs. Suite à des études antérieures indiquant que les vêtements et les accessoires de mode sont fréquemment utilisés par les consommateurs pour communiquer leur identité, la présente recherche se concentre sur les produits de mode de marques de luxe et les produits de marques grand public. Conformément à la tradition de la psychologie culturelle, cette thèse part de l’hypothèse que les variations culturelles dans la conception de soi et dans les relations entre l’individu et les autres permettent d’expliquer des différences dans le comportement des consommateurs. Une approche mixte est utilisée pour étudier les différences interculturelles entre des échantillons représentant une culture collectiviste de l’Asie de l’Est (Corée du Sud) et des échantillons représentant une culture individualiste occidentale (Allemagne). Les données quantitatives recueillies au moyen de questionnaires (études 1A et 1B) sont combinées avec les données qualitatives recueillies au moyen d’entretiens semi-structurés en profondeur (études 2A et 2B). Cette recherche apporte de nouveaux éléments concernant les différences interculturelles et permet d'enrichir les théories sur la relation entre la marque et le consommateur et sur l’utilisation des marques comme marqueurs d’identité personnelle. Elle contribue également au courant de recherche émergent sur la personnalisation des produits. / A growing body of research indicates that consumers use branded products as tools to construct their self-identity and to communicate their self-identities to others. Besides acting as markers of status and symbols of group membership, branded products allow consumers to differentiate themselves from others and to express individuality. Key to generating identity related brand meaning and to strengthening self-brand connections, is the involvement of the consumer in a co-creation process. Product design customization on a large scale has emerged as a particularly useful tool to involve consumers in the creation process of the brand and to increase their satisfaction and willingness to pay. However, existing theories on the use of brands to signal self-identities as well as strategies for strengthening self-brand connections, such as product design customization, are bound to Western individualistic thinking. The aim of this research is to investigate the extent to which East Asian consumers differ in their use of brands to signal self identities from Western individualistic consumers. In addition, it explores potential implications of cross-cultural differences in the signaling of self-identities for product design customization and self-brand connections. Following prior studies indicating that clothing and fashion accessories are particularly likely to be used by consumers to communicate self-identities, the focus of the present research is laid on fashion products of both luxury brands and high street brands. In line with the tradition of cultural psychology, this thesis draws on the assumption that cultural variations in self construal and in self-other relationships lead to differences in consumer behavior. A mixed methods approach is taken to investigate cross-cultural differences between samples representing an East Asian collectivistic culture (South Korea) and samples representing a Western individualistic culture (Germany). Specifically, quantitative data collected through surveys (studies1A and 1B) are combined with qualitative data collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews (studies 2A and 2B). This research provides novel, cross-cultural insights relevant to existing the orizing on consumer-brand relationships and on consumers’ use of brands as signals of self-identities. It also contributes to the emerging stream of research on product design.

One of the central challenges for the healthcare system today is how to manage care for patients with complex needs. This patient group is not well-defined but covers patients with serious diseases and comorbidities, or with a limited ability to perform basic daily functions due to physical, mental or psychosocial challenges. This group has a high service and resource utilisation resulting in high costs for the healthcare system and, typically, poor health outcomes. To improve care for these patients, it is necessary to implement strategies to manage the differentiated care needs, the additional support needs, the uncertainty in care delivery, and the coordination needs of the involved providers and the patient. Care pathways are increasingly used internationally to make care more patient-centred and to structure and design care processes for individual patient groups. Important elements in care pathways include structuring care activities, by defining their content and sequence; coordinating between providers and professionals; and involving patients in their care process. In this thesis, care pathways are proposed as the overall strategy for managing care for patients with complex care needs. The purpose of this thesis is thus to contribute with knowledge on how care pathways can be managed for patients with complex care needs. This is achieved by analysing how the practices coordination, standardisation, customisation and personalisation can support management of care pathways and by discussing how these practices influence quality of care. The quality of care dimensions discussed are accessible, timely, equitable, and patient-centred care. The empirical context in this thesis is the Standardised Cancer Care Pathways (CCPs) which were implemented in Sweden from 2015 to 2018. CCPs is the umbrella term for the national initiative to shorten waiting times, decrease regional differences and reduce fragmentation in care processes. CCPs include elements such as diagnosis-specific pathways and guidelines, introduction of CPP coordinators, and mandatory reporting of waiting times. Focus has been on implementing care pathways for 31 cancer diagnoses in all Swedish healthcare regions. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods have been used. A case study was conducted to examine standardised and customised care pathways, and coordination and multidisciplinary work in care pathways. A document study of regional reports on CCPs was analysed to study effects of care pathways on accessibility, timeliness and equitability. Finally, a national survey was conducted to deepen the understanding of the role of coordination, as performed by coordinators, in care pathways. This thesis argues that standardised and customised care pathways should be combined to manage care for patients with complex care needs. The customised pathway in particular benefits patients with serious unspecific symptoms, unknown primary tumour or more complex care needs, while patients with care needs that can be treated independently of the main diagnosis benefit from following a standardised care pathway. Coordinators are an important means to manage coordination, customisation and personalisation in the care pathway. The coordinators’ role is twofold: the first role is to manage care pathways by customising the care pathway and coordinating involved providers; the second role is to support and guide patients through the care pathway. This can be achieved by adapting interpersonal communication with patients through personalisation. This thesis further argues that care pathways have most potential to positively influence accessibility, timeliness, equitability, and patient-centredness. Accessibility has been positively influenced, especially for patients with ambiguous symptoms where symptoms indicating cancer have improved their chances of accessing cancer diagnostics. A negative aspect of prioritising patients who follow CCPs has been the potentially longer waiting times for other patient groups in equal need of urgent care. Notwithstanding, prioritised access to care is perceived to positively influence timeliness for patients following CCPs. Care pathways are perceived to have positively influenced patient-centredness by shifting the focus from what to deliver to how to deliver it.

Många verksamheter använder idag affärssystem för att styra sin verksamhet, stötta processer och hantera sin information. Affärssystem är från grunden generiska system som är ämnade att passa många olika typer av verksamheter. Denna generiska utformning gör att verksamheter bygger upp anpassningsbehov, något som inte är helt okomplicerat att hantera. Att det är kostsamt och komplext att uppfylla anpassningsbehov genom att utveckla anpassningar i affärssystemet är väl studerat och forskning hävdar ofta att verksamheten istället borde anpassa sig till affärssystemet vid implementering. Faktorer som en snabb teknisk utveckling, nya marknadsförutsättningar och förändringar inom verksamheten gör ändock att behov kan förändras och uppstå över tid. Likaså har nya verktyg utvecklats för att bistå verksamhetsspecifika behov, varav low-code BPM-plattformen är en sådan. Low-code BPM-plattformar kan ses som utvecklingsverktyg för fristående applikationer och integrerade lösningar som används för att uppfylla verksamhetsbehov. Genom en fallstudie undersöker vi hur low-code BPM-plattformar används som ett alternativt sätt för att uppfylla anpassningsbehov av affärssystem samt vilka typer av verksamhetsbehov som kan uppfyllas med en sådan plattform. I studien har fyra intervjuer och en artefaktstudie genomförts vid ett svenskt IT-tjänsteföretag som erbjuder lösningar utvecklade genom deras low-code BPM-plattform. Studiens resultat visar att low-code BPM-plattformar kan användas som självständiga applikationer, integrationsmotorer och inbäddade i affärssystemets gränssnitt. Lösningar utvecklade genom en low-code BPM-plattform har ett tydligt fokus på slutanvändare. I studien har verksamhetsbehov om mobilåtkomst till affärssystem, anpassade processer utefter den enskilda verksamhetens existerande arbetssätt, ökad tillgång till information, styrande och guidande användargränssnitt och förbättrat samarbete, identifierats. / Many businesses today use enterprise resource planning systems (ERP) to handle their processes and information. ERP systems are generically designed to be able to fit a wide range of businesses. This generic composition creates a customization need, something that is not always so easy to handle. To customize ERP system is through research well known to be a both costly and complex task, several studies suggest the business should adapt to the system instead. From factors such as a rapid technical development, shifts in the market, and internal changes within the organization, need for change can arise over time. Likewise, new tools have been developed to meet business specific needs, such as the low-code BPM platform. Low-code BPM platforms can be seen as development tools for stand-alone applications and integrated solutions to be used to meet business needs.  With a case study, we investigate how a low-code BPM platform can be used as an alternative for ERP customization, as well as what types of business needs a low-code BPM platform can meet. The study includes four interviews and an artifact study at a Swedish IT service company, who offer customers solutions developed through their low-code BPM platform.  The results show low-code BPM platforms to be used as stand-alone applications, integration engines, or embedded in the ERP interface. Solutions developed on a low-code BPM platform have a clear focus on end-users. The study identifies business needs of mobile access to ERP-system, customization of processes according to existing business operations, increased access to information, guiding user interfaces, and improved collaboration

Studien undersökte vilka centrala designprinciper inom ärendehantering och tidsplanering som kan appliceras vid utveckling av ett anpassat ERP-system (Enterprise Resource Planning system) inom SMF:er (Små och Medelstora Företag). Anpassning av ERP-system inom SMF:er är ett komplext område med många komplikationer vilket gör det till en problemklass. Två SMF:er som upplever problem med ärendehantering och tidsplanering var involverade i studien och användes som grund för att utveckla ett anpassat ERP-system. Ett antal wicked problems identifierades utifrån de problemområden som företagen upplevde. Undersökningen utfördes genom en ADR (Action Design Research) forskningsansats med kvalitativ insamlad data under en nio veckor lång period, där fem iterationer av utveckling och utvärdering utfördes med en veckas tidsspann var. Studien resulterade i ett anpassat ERP-system som inkluderar ärendehantering och tidsplanering med en god system-till-arbete passform inom företagen. Sex designprinciper utvecklades under ADR-arbetet och fastställdes när systemet var fullt fungerande och godkänt av involverade företag. Designprinciperna besvarade de identifierade wicked problems och kan användas av andra vid anpassning av ERP-system inom SMF:er / The study examined which central design principles in case management and time planning can be applied in the development of a customized ERP system (Enterprise Resource Planning system) within SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises). Customization of ERP systems within SMEs is a complex field with many complications which makes it a problem class. Two SMEs experiencing problems with case management and planning were involved in the study and were used as a basis for developing a custom ERP system. Several wicked problems were identified based on the problem areas that the companies experienced. The study was conducted through an ADR (Action Design Research) approach with qualitative collected data over a nine-week period, where five iterations of development and evaluation were performed with a time span of one week each. The study resulted in a custom ERP system that includes case management and time planning with a good system-to-work fit within the companies. Six design principles were developed during the ADR work and established when the system was fully functional and approved by the involved companies. The design principles answered the identified wicked problems and can be used by others when adapting ERP systems within SMEs.

Lyxvarumärken har en status att erhålla, som är en utmaning, speciellt i ett samhälle somutvecklas snabbt genom teknologi. Därmed befinner sig lyxvarumärken på en marknad medhög efterfrågan. För att kunna hålla sig väsentlig i dagens samhälle är det viktigt förlyxvarumärken att vara medveten om sina marknadsföringsstrategier. Till följd av detta harlyxvarumärken behövt omvärdera sina marknadsföringsplaner, och ett sätt somlyxvarumärken marknadsför sig idag är genom sociala medie marknadsföringsaktiviteter(SMMA). Denna studie undersöker hur SMMAs dimensioner kan bidra till en förbättradkundlojalitet för lyxvarumärken. Genom en kombination av empirisk forskning och teoretiskaperspektiv analyseras SMMAs olika dimensioner: Underhållning, Interaktion, Trendighet,Anpassning och eWOM för att kartlägga dess roll i att skapa och stärka kundens anknytningtill lyxvarumärken. För att uppnå dessa mål genomfördes en kvalitativ intervjuundersökning där respondenterdelade sina upplevelser av att följa och interagera med lyxvarumärken på sociala medier.Dessutom användes en teoretisk ram för att kontextualisera och förstå resultaten i förhållandetill befintlig forskning och teori om marknadsföring och kundlojalitet. Genom att även observera sambandet mellan SMMA och kundrespons har studien kunnatmed detalj se hur konsumenters kundlojalitet påverkas. Resultatet betonar att Underhållning,Interaktion och eWOM identifieras som de mest inflytelserika aspekterna för att skapaintresse och engagemang hos kunderna med lyxvarumärken. Dessa insikter kan vara enavgörande betydelse för utformning av effektiva marknadsföringsstrategier förlyxvarumärken. Genom att tillämpa SMMA på ett korrekt sätt kan lyxvarumärken skapapositiva upplevelser för sina kunder och därmed förbättra kundlojaliteten. / Luxury brands have a status to sustain, which is a challenge, especially in a society that develops fast with the help of technology, thus luxury brands find themselves in a market with high demand. In order for luxury brands to stay relevant in today's society, it is important for luxury brands to reflect about their marketing strategies. This leads to luxury brand shaving to be aware of their marketing plans, for example through social media and throughso-called social media marketing activities (SMMA). This study explores how the dimensions of SMMA contribute to enhanced customer loyalty for luxury brands. Through a combination of empirical research and theoretical perspectives analyze SMMA's different dimensions: Entertainment, Interaction, Trendiness, Customization and eWOM to map its role in creatingand strengthening the customer's connection to luxury brands. To achieve these objectives, a qualitative interview study was conducted where respondents shared their experiences of following and interacting with luxury brands through social media. Additionally, a theoretical framework was used to contextualize and understand the results in relation to existing research and theories on marketing and customer loyalty. By examining the relationship between SMMA and customer response, the study has been able to see in detail how consumer loyalty is impacted. The results emphasize that Entertainment, Interaction, and eWOM were identified as the most influential aspects ingeneration interest and engagement among customers with luxury brands. These insights can be crucial for developing effective marketing strategies for luxury brands. By implementing SMMA correctly, luxury brands can create positive experiences for their customers, thereby enhancing customer loyalty.

El presente trabajo de investigación tiene como objetivo analizar la relación de las acciones post-venta que aplican las empresas y la relación que existe con la satisfacción de los consumidores del sector de restaurantes. Las acciones más relevantes que se consideraron son la acción post venta de delivery, garantía, personalización de producto y la capacidad de respuesta de la empresa al consumidor. Para realizar el objetivo se emplea un análisis cuantitativo con la ejecución de 384 participantes del público objetivo para el desarrollo de encuestas determinadas con fundamento en un 95% de nivel de confianza y un 5% de error a través de un formulario adaptado en base a la escala de Likert con rangos de 1 a 5 codificando los niveles de satisfacción desde “completamente insatisfecho” hasta “completamente satisfecho” respectivamente. Se ha encontrado que la consecuencia que estas variables tienen en los consumidores influye en la satisfacción que estos poseen sobre la empresa donde adquirieron el producto o servicio. Dentro de los alcances y limitaciones encontradas para la presente investigación se consideró los cambios de hábitos de consumo del consumidor, la reducción de actividades en restaurantes en 93,78% y la reducción de ingresos del sector que se encuentran al 40% de su potencial pese al impulso del delivery, debido al confinamiento causado por el SRAS-CoV.19 desde marzo del 2020. / The present research work aims to analyze the relationship of the after-sales actions applied by companies and the relationship that exists with the satisfaction of consumers in the restaurant sector. The most relevant actions that were considered are the post-sale action of delivery, guarantee, product customization and the response capacity of the company to the consumer. To carry out the objective, a quantitative analysis will be used with the execution of 384 participants of the target audience for the development of surveys determined based on a 95% confidence level and a 5% error through a form adapted based on the Likert scale with ranges from 1 to 5 coding the levels of satisfaction from "completely dissatisfied" to "completely satisfied" respectively. It has been found that the consequence that these variables have on consumers influences their satisfaction with the company where they purchased the product or service. Within the scope and limitations found for this research, changes in consumer consumption habits, the reduction of activities in restaurants by 93.78% and the reduction of income in the sector, which are 40% of their potential despite to the delivery impulse, due to the confinement caused by SARS-CoV.19 since March 2020. / Trabajo de investigación

The transport sector is currently facing challenges to reduce environmental impacts during the vehicle’s operation due to its reliance on fossil fuels. The introduction of new technologies such as alternative fuels or battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are therefore rapidly growing because they can significantly reduce the vehicle’s tailpipe emissions. There is however the concern that these could transfer environmental burdens to other life cycle phases such as production. Therefore, a development towards sustainable transport will require more than just the development of alternative fuels or EVs, but also a more sustainable production. Considering that 80% of the product related environmental impacts are determined during the design phase of a product, the significance of product design is studied. Scania offers the opportunity to customize trucks with a high level of detail through customized design, also called S-order design. Design engineers want to know if their customized solutions have the potential to reduce environmental impacts within the production of a truck. Therefore, the life cycle assessment (LCA) framework is used to know the environmental impacts of a truck designed with S- and A-order design and to compare them in order to determine if there is an environmental performance difference between these two designs. The results show that the production of a truck with a S-order design has on average 3% lower environmental impacts on all impact categories than when it’s produced with an A-order design. This is due to the S-order design’s great level of flexibility to consider small details of the truck’s functionality. Nevertheless, this design flexibility can lead to multiple configurations for one truck, thus meaning that the results will vary from product to product since the customer decides the specifications of the truck. The main conclusion is that the early implementation of adaptations through S-order design in heavy truck development at Scania can potentially reduce resource consumption and environmental impacts, and aid to sustainable production. / Transportsektorn står för närvarande inför utmaningar för att minska miljöpåverkan under fordonets drift på grund av dess beroende av fossila bränslen. Introduktionen av ny teknik som alternativa bränslen eller elektriska fordon (BEV) växer därför snabbt eftersom de avsevärt kan minska fordonets utsläpp från avgasröret. Det finns emellertid oro för att dessa skulle kunna överföra miljöbelastningar till andra livscykelfaser som exempelvis produktionen. Därför kommer en utveckling mot hållbara transporter att kräva mer än bara utveckling av alternativa bränslen eller eldrift, men också en mer hållbar produktion. Med tanke på att 80% av de produktrelaterade miljöeffekterna bestäms under en produkts designfas studeras därför produktens design. Scania erbjuder möjligheten att skräddarsy lastbilar med hög detaljnivå genom skräddarsydd design, även kallat S-orderdesign. Designingenjörer vill veta om deras skräddarsydda lösningar har potential att minska miljöpåverkan inom tillverkningen av en lastbil. En livscykelanalys (LCA) används därför för att känna till miljöpåverkan från en lastbil konstruerad med S- och A-orderdesign och för att jämföra dem för att avgöra om det finns en skillnad i miljöprestanda mellan dessa två konstruktioner. Resultaten visar att tillverkningen av en lastbil med S-orderdesign har i genomsnitt 3% lägre miljöpåverkan på alla kategorier av miljöpåverkan än en med A-orderdesign. Detta beror på S- orderdesignens stora flexibilitet för att ta hänsyn till små detaljer gällande lastbilens funktionalitet. Dock kan denna konstruktionsflexibilitet leda till flera konfigurationer för en lastbil, vilket innebär att resultaten kommer att variera från produkt till produkt eftersom kunden bestämmer lastbilens specifikationer. Huvudslutsatsen är att det tidiga genomförandet av anpassningar genom S- orderdesign vid utvecklingen av tunga lastbilar hos Scania potentiellt kan minska resursförbrukningen och miljöpåverkan och stöd till hållbar produktion.