The object of this two years master's thesis has been to study a specific genre of personal archives by examiningthe archives of nine parents who have lost one or several infants. Using internet-based methods, (e-mail, Skypeand digital photographs), I have conducted qualitative research using a general interview guide technique. Usingresearch from archival theory as well as other fields, my material has been arranged and analysed according tothemes and recurring thoughts picked up from my informants during the interviews.My main theoretical aid has been that the role of parent who has lost a child is the starting point for the creationof the personal archives. Another important theory is my definition of the term “document” as not dependent onmedium and format, but on usage: if an object has been used as a part of an archive, it is a document. I also claimthat study of personal archives is a way to help the archival profession and Swedish archival theory to becomemore democratic and inclusive, since especially the former is mandated to reflect all of society's many manifestationsof culture and memory. The results show that the archives contain a large selection of documents in differentformats and mediums, but that they also have many similarities. This is an effect of the fact that the parentshave all had roughly the same document-creating contacts with their relatives and friends, the authorities and theother parts of society often involved in the events proceeding the child's birth and death (or sickness and death).The reasons to create and maintain a personal archive are to preserve the memories of events, people, places,thoughts and feelings associated with the child and whatever time the parents got to spend with him or her. By remembering,the parents are also confirming the child's existence and place within the family, and helping themselvesconfirm their newly acquired role as parents who have lost a child. The archives and their constituent partsare used as physical and psychological “linking objects”, to help the parents feel (at least temporary) closer totheir child by watching, touching or talking about the most important documents. These are often the ones displayedon special memory shelves, on family photo walls or in memory boxes. It follows that arrangement of thedocuments is based mostly on the emotional attachment of the parent to the individual document, and that destructionof records are extremely rare in the studied archives. Their growth diminished with time, but does notstop completely since the parents, other relatives and friends still create new documents, mostly to observe holidaysand anniversaries. Furthermore, the way the parents use their archives and its constituent parts change astime passes. Individual documents may also change their emotional and cultural significance to the parent, orgain additional ones. Some of the underlying factors behind these findings are my informants views on creating,keeping and destroying documents. They all express a need to “save everything”, and most also want to “documenteverything”. The latter, their wish to create new documents to complement the ones created primarily byothers and as a result of specific events and processes, comes from a feeling of not having enough documents inthe archives. It can also be the result of dissatisfaction with those that do exist. Finally, as is commonplace amongpersonal archives, the archives in my study have multiple record creators within the immediate family and outsideit, even though my informants are usually the main creators. This is a two years master’s thesis in Archive,Library and Museum studies.

The population and economic growth experienced by Canadian metropolitan areas in the past twenty years, has been associated with increased levels of car ownership and vehicle kilometres travelled leading to a deterioration of air quality and public health and an increase in greenhouse gas emissions. The need to modify urban growth patterns has motivated planning agencies in Canada to develop a broad range of policies aiming at achieving a more sustainable transportation sector. The challenge however, remains in the ability to test the effectiveness of proposed policy measures. This situation has led to a renewed interest in integrated land-use and transport models to support transport policy appraisal. This research is motivated by the need to improve transport policy appraisal through the use of integrated land-use and transport models linked with a range of sub-models that can reflect transport externalities. This research starts with an exploration of the transport policy environment in Canada through a questionnaire-based survey conducted with planners and policy-makers. The survey results highlight the need for tools reflecting the sustainability impacts of proposed policies. While the second part of this research explores sustainability indicators and recommends a set of social, economic, and environmental measures, linked with integrated land-use and transport models; effort is dedicated to estimate the environmental indicators as part of this thesis. As such, the third part of this research involves the development of an emission-dispersion-exposure modelling framework. The framework includes a suite of sub-models including an activity-based travel demand model (TASHA), an emission factor model (Mobile6.2C), a meteorological model (CALMET), and a dispersion model (CALPUFF). The framework is used to estimate link-based emissions of light-duty vehicles in the Greater Toronto Area under a base scenario for 2001. Dispersion of emissions is then conducted and linked with population in order to estimate exposure to air pollution.

Syftet med studien är att belysa studenters copingprocesser, d.v.s. appraisal och copingstrategier, inför examinationsformerna salstentamen och hemtentamen. En intervjustudie genomfördes med åtta kvinnliga studenter inom samma program på en högskola i Sverige. Data analyserades med induktiv tematisk analys. Resultatet visade att examinationer oavsett form skapar stress, även om studenterna inte upplever en hemtentamen som lika hotfull eller utmanande som en salstentamen. Den tid som studenterna har till förfogande under de olika tentamina och hur de utvärderar examinationsformerna visade sig ha stor betydelse för de copingstrategier som används både inför och under hem- och salstentamen. En av de större skillnaderna visade sig vara hur studenterna studerar inför de olika tentamina. / The purpose of this study is to highlight students' copingprocesses, i.e., appraisal and coping strategies, for written exam and take-home exam. Interviews were conducted with eight female students within the same program at a university in Sweden. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. The results showed that examinations regardless of form create stress, even if the students do not experience a take-home exam as equally threatening or challenging as a written exam. The time that students have available during the different exams and the primary appraisal of the examination proved to be very important for the coping strategies used both before and during the exam. One of the major differences proved to be how students study for the different exams.

The population and economic growth experienced by Canadian metropolitan areas in the past twenty years, has been associated with increased levels of car ownership and vehicle kilometres travelled leading to a deterioration of air quality and public health and an increase in greenhouse gas emissions. The need to modify urban growth patterns has motivated planning agencies in Canada to develop a broad range of policies aiming at achieving a more sustainable transportation sector. The challenge however, remains in the ability to test the effectiveness of proposed policy measures. This situation has led to a renewed interest in integrated land-use and transport models to support transport policy appraisal. This research is motivated by the need to improve transport policy appraisal through the use of integrated land-use and transport models linked with a range of sub-models that can reflect transport externalities. This research starts with an exploration of the transport policy environment in Canada through a questionnaire-based survey conducted with planners and policy-makers. The survey results highlight the need for tools reflecting the sustainability impacts of proposed policies. While the second part of this research explores sustainability indicators and recommends a set of social, economic, and environmental measures, linked with integrated land-use and transport models; effort is dedicated to estimate the environmental indicators as part of this thesis. As such, the third part of this research involves the development of an emission-dispersion-exposure modelling framework. The framework includes a suite of sub-models including an activity-based travel demand model (TASHA), an emission factor model (Mobile6.2C), a meteorological model (CALMET), and a dispersion model (CALPUFF). The framework is used to estimate link-based emissions of light-duty vehicles in the Greater Toronto Area under a base scenario for 2001. Dispersion of emissions is then conducted and linked with population in order to estimate exposure to air pollution.

Archival records are essential for understanding changes in the environment. However, these records are largely ignored by archivists, who overwhelmingly focus on records of human history. Algonquin Provincial Park in east-central Ontario was established in 1893 and is the oldest park in the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Provincial Parks system. In addition to the many official functions and activities that occur in Algonquin Provincial Park, it is host to extensive environmental monitoring, assessment and research. However, no adequate system is in place to ensure that the records of archival value are identified, appraised, and preserved. An appraisal methodology is required to assist archivists to identify environmental records of long-term value. Using Algonquin Provincial Park as a case study, through primary source analysis of its structures and functions and comparisons with other park systems, various archival appraisal theories and methodologies are tested in order to determine the best method for appraising environmental records in general and the records of parks. It is determined that macroappraisal is the best method for appraising only the records created by the official functions and activities of Algonquin Provincial Park. However, the park depends on and interacts with many external affiliated organizations, including the Algonquin Forestry Authority, The Friends of Algonquin Park, Algonquins of Golden Lake First Nation, leaseholders, researchers, protest groups, anglers, businesses and contractors. The creation of environmental monitoring, assessment and research records is increasingly accomplished external to official government functions and activities. Many of these external groups create environmental records of archival value, yet, no formal strategy to preserve irreplaceable records is implemented in Algonquin Park. Elements from archival appraisal methodologies such as macroappraisal, the documentation strategy and the Minnesota Method are helpful for determining the relative archival value, and therefore level of documentation, of these external individuals, groups and organizations. This combination of methodologies is the most effective for ensuring the preservation of important environmental information and subsequently the environment. Various preservation partnership strategies are also suggested for these records identified as having archival value. / October 2006

The research made in the current master thesis uses theoretical framework from the area of project management, voluntary labor turnover and performance appraisal. Prior research based on existing literary sources allows assuming that the following factors, such as job alternatives, knowledge intensity and nature of work have specific relevance for the emergence of voluntary labor turnover in project-based organizations. Employees of the case study company-AGR Field Operations´ Maintenance Engineering department were interviewed and surveyed in order to determine the relevance of those factors on the example of a concrete project-based organization. The obtained results indicate that the nature of work is more significantly related to the emergence of the voluntary labor turnover in the given case study department. Whereas availability of more job alternatives due to being close to the client or knowledge intensity factor of becoming more generalist do not have the same influence. During the course of the research it was discovered that the department uses outcome-based type of performance appraisal which is proved to be unsuitable in the given organizational settings. To that matter there were provided further suggestions in the field of performance appraisal. The current research will attempt to identify specific factors contributing to the emergence of the voluntary labor turnover specifically for project-based organizations. As well as it will attempt to give suggestions for improvement of the concrete case study department´s performance appraisal tools and thus supplement turnover reduction actions already put in place by the department management.

While previous research on African smallholder agriculture has been criticized of focusing on the sole factor of population pressure as driver of agricultural degradation or intensification, the present study tries to nuance this debate by providing empirically grounded research, exploring the dynamics behind local agro-ecological change. The thesis specifically studies the dynamics behind small-scale farmers’ crop choices in relation to their management of trees in cropland in Gera District, Ethiopia. Drawing on situated landscape interviews and focus group discussions with farmers combined with observations and interviews with agriculture officials, a contextual understanding of local agro-ecological processes emerged. While political ecology was used as an overarching framework, the concept of landesque capital served as an analytical tool to explore how external and local forces interact at the point of the land management decision. It was found that external factors sometimes have a reinforcing effect at the local scale, but when top-down interventions are incoherent with bottom-up priorities, a conflict occurs. In this way, local dynamics and external drivers constitute an interacting dialectic, with a set of unintentional synergies and trade-offs eventually forming agro-ecological landscape change. / Examining mismatches between management and the supply of ecosystem services in Ethiopian agroecosystems across scales in space and time

Syfte: Syftet med studien är att undersöka och presentera vilka investeringskriterier som svenska kommuner använde år 2011 vid byggnadsinvesteringar, samt i vilken utsträckning extern hjälp vid investeringsbedömning och utförande av byggnadsinvesteringar användes. Frågeställning: Vilka samband fanns mellan investeringsandel per omsättning och i hur stor utsträckning beslutade byggnadsinvesteringar blev dyrare än beräknat? Vilka skillnader fanns mellan större och mindre kommuner med hänsyn till investeringsbedömningar i byggnader? I vilken utsträckning förekom samarbete mellan kommuner gällande byggnadsinvesteringar? I hur stor utsträckning anlitades extern hjälp med projektledning och kalkylering vid byggnadsprojekt? Metod: Studien är baserad på en webbenkätundersökning med 44 deltagande kommuner och en personlig intervju. Denna undersökning analyserades och jämfördes sedan med en referensram baserad på sekundära källor. Slutsats: Större kommuner behöver förbättra sina planeringar och kontrollera sina byggnadsinvesteringar i och med att investeringarna ofta är större och fler saker kan gå fel än för mindre kommuner. Fler kommuner borde samarbeta mer vid byggnadsinvesteringar för att på det viset kunna matcha byggföretagen vid upphandling. Kommunerna bör fortsätta kontrollera den externa hjälp de använder vid byggnadsinvesteringar och göra tydliga kontrakt. / Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine and present what investment criteria’s Swedish municipals used in 2011 when investing in buildings, and in what extent consultants were used in investment appraisal and implementation of building investments. Research question: Is there a connection between the amount invested in buildings in proportion of net turnover and cost overrun? Is there a difference between large and small municipals with regards to investment appraisal of buildings? Did collaboration occur between municipals with regards to investment appraisal of buildings? To what extent was consultants used to calculate and appraise building projects? Method: This study is based on a Web survey with 44 answers from municipals and one personal interview. The survey was analyzed and compared with the frame of reference based on secondary sources. Conclusion: Larger municipals need to improve their planning and control their investments in buildings because the investments are usually large and more numerous things can go wrong than for smaller municipals. Municipals should collaborate more when investing in buildings and therefore better be able to match the construction companies when negotiating terms. The municipals should continue controlling the external help they use when they invest in buildings and make contracts with clear terms.

The medical equipment market is very competitive in Taiwan, the equipment suppliers in response to the multiplex market changing, and to satisfy with the hospitals about demands of equipment and costs of control, we adopt the cooperative way, buildoperate- transfer (BOT) for specific equipment in some hospitals. ¡´The equipment suppliers may participate in the management of non-medical behavior to achieve mutual benefit and win-win situation with the hospital. ¡´ This study is case study research, according to the experiences of management over past several years I collect data from the objects of 6 BOT cases in each 6 hospital. By data classification and statistical analysis, found the characteristics and differences in each case that the equipment suppliers can proposed the more precise investment appraisal in the future. ¡´ This research found that medical equipment, the number of patients, examination items, the proportion between hospital and the equipment supplier, hospital¡¦s location, and the payment points from NHI are causing hospitals and equipment suppliers having a large gap between revenue and are affecting the survival of medical suppliers. ¡´ According to the results, in order to providing more accurate diagnosis to doctors and improving patient's medical quality, this study suggested that the hospitals and the equipment suppliers should develop a set of medical equipment about BOT investment appraisal system. To achieve the aspect that a three-way win for the patient, hospital and equipment supplier.

Whether it is Forbes, The Globe & Mail, The Wall Street Journal or Harvard Business Review, one can¡¦t help but notice that most accounts of business mergers are about what went wrong! In fact, over 70% of all mergers and acquisitions fail to achieve original financial expectations. That is a traumatic statistic. Additionally, although the merging entities give a great deal of importance to financial matters and the outcomes, HR issues are the most ignored ones. To be ironical, many studies have shown that most of the mergers fail to bring out the desired outcomes due to ¡§people-related¡¨ issue. The uncertainty brought out by poorly managed HR issues in mergers and acquisitions have been the major reason for these failures. The human resource issues in the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) can be classified in two phases the pre-merger phase and the post merger phase. Some literature provides ample evidence of difference in between the human resource activities in the two stages: the pre-acquisition and post acquisition period. However, we will focus on post acquisition period. The post acquisition period involves an assessment of the cultural and organizational differences, which will include the organizational cultures, role of leaders in the organization, and the management styles. The usual impacts, such as high turnover rate, decrease in the morale, motivation, and even lead to M&A failures. The other issues in the M&A activity are the changes in the HR policies, downsizing, layoffs, stress on the workers, and information system issues. As a result, human resource system issues in M&A activity are occupying a crucial position, indeed, human resource planning, compensation designs, performance appraisal system, employee development and employee relations should be given in the priority. Beside, the M&A activity also causes changes in their well defined career paths and future opportunities in the organization. Some employees also have to be relocated or assigned new jobs. Accordingly, HR will place employees in a completely different situation with new job profiles and work teams or design the job rotation programs. This may pose a tremendous impact on the performance of the employees. Therefore, HR may also need to develop a variety of training system and communication system to rebuild self-esteem of each employee. Those programs will enhance employees to obtain ability and create their potentials. Finally, the compensation structure among the organizations may also have a unavoidable difference, for example, one of firms may have performance based pay while other may have higher component of fixed pay; Hence the differences in compensation structure and performance appraisal systems also need to be re-evaluated so as to bring equity in the human resource systems and to treat employees at the equal level. Simultaneously, the employee relations issues will gain more importance in the acquisitions of Taiwan¡¦s industries. The power equation between management and unions is bound to change with the acquisition. The acquiring management also needs to keep track of number of unions in the workplace and equations between HR department and unions. Hence, developing a harmony relationship should be put in the first place. To sum up, this will require study of management-union equation, employee contracts, political linkages of the unions, compensation related clauses, number of union and dynamics between the unions. To sun up, once company accomplish those conditions, it will elevate the successful rate of M&A.