Title: How the expression “in the bargain” affects the valuation of an item Level: Final assignment for bachelor’s degree in business administration  Author: Pontus Axenfalk and Markus Gustafsson Supervisor: Patrik Sörqvist Date: 2022 - June Aim: The purpose of this study is to investigate the interaction between endowment effect and product bundling. More specifically, we intend to investigate whether the size of the endowment effect in relation to a purchased product becomes larger or smaller depending on whether the product is bundled together with another product at the time of purchase. Method: The study is based on a quantitative research method with a deductive approach. An experiment was conducted where data were collected via two web-based surveys, which through a random sample generated 86 responses (43 per survey). Data were analyzed in SPSS and Microsoft Excel. Results and conclusions: Since the average value of Willingness to Accept is higher than Willingness to Pay in a product bundle in comparison with an individual purchase, the conclusion can be cautiously drawn that according to the descriptive statistics an interaction is formed between endowment effect and product bundling.Contribution of the thesis: The results of the study give us strong indications that product bundling can be used to increase consumers' perceived value of a product, which is knowledge that cannot least be applied by business economists and marketers.Suggestions for future research: We believe that it would be interesting to carry out studies where a large sample is looking for the interaction between endowment effect for the various techniques in product bundling to be able to present a result with statistical certainty more strongly. Key words: Product bundling, Endowment effect, Willingness to pay and Willingness to accept. / Titel: Hur uttrycket ”på köpet” påverkar värderingen av en vara Nivå: Examensarbete på̊ grundnivå̊ (kandidatexamen) i ämnet företagsekonomi Författare: Pontus Axenfalk och Markus Gustafsson Handledare: Patrik Sörqvist  Datum: 2022 - Juni Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka interaktionen mellan endowment effect och produktbuntning. Närmare bestämt avser vi att undersöka om storleken på endowment effect i relation till en inköpt produkt blir större eller mindre beroende på huruvida produkten bundlas tillsammans med en annan produkt vid inköpstillfället.  Metod: Studien är baserad på en kvantitativ forskningsmetod med ett deduktivt angreppssätt. Ett experiment genomfördes där data samlades in via två webbaserade enkäter, som genom ett slumpmässigt urval genererade 86 svar (43 per enkät). Data analyserades i SPSS och Microsoft Excel.  Resultat och slutsats: Baserat på att medelvärdet för Willingness to Accept är högre än Willingness to Pay vid en produktbuntning i jämförelse med ett enskilt köp kan slutsatsen försiktigt dras att enligt den deskriptiva statistiken bildas en interaktion mellan endowment effect och produktbuntning. Examensarbetets bidrag: Studiens resultat ger oss starka indikationer på att produktbuntning kan användas för att öka konsumenters upplevda värde av en produkt vilket är kunskap som inte minst går att tillämpa hos företagsekonomer och marknadsförare. Förslag till fortsatt forskning: Med vår studie i bakgrunden anser vi att det vore intressant att genomföra studier där man på ett stort urval letar efter interaktionen mellan endowment effect för de olika tekniker inom produktbuntning för att kunna presentera ett resultat som är statistiskt säkerställt. Nyckelord: Produktbuntning, endowment effect, Willingness to pay och Willingness to accept

The decline in bee populations, driven by biodiversity loss, poses a major threat to food production systems, as many wild plants and agricultural crops rely on bee pollination services. Addressing this issue requires coordinated efforts from producers, retailers, and consumers to restore pollinator habitats. This study explores two key aspects of promoting bee-friendly beef as a potential solution to support pollinator conservation. First, the study examines beef cattle producers' willingness to adopt native warm-season grass and wildflower (NWSG-WF) pastures through conservation programs. A discrete choice experiment revealed that producers require cost-share payments to convert pastureland into NWSG-WF systems. For a 10% conversion, producers would accept an average of $134.58 per acre (51% of establishment costs), while increasing conversions to 20% or 30% would raise the required payments to $154.55 (59%) and $199.06 (76%), respectively. Factors influencing producer participation include education level and interest in pollinator restoration, with those having thin forage coverage being more likely to adopt NWSG-WF. Second, a nationwide choice experiment survey of 2,136 U.S. beef consumers reveals a clear preference for bee-friendly beef over conventional options. On average, consumers are willing to pay $0.87 more per pound for beef produced using pollinator-friendly practices. Certain consumer segments, such as those who volunteer or donate to environmental organizations ($1.74/lb) and those knowledgeable about pollinator decline ($1.39/lb), exhibit an even higher willingness to pay. This suggests that raising public awareness about pollinator conservation could drive greater support for eco-labeled products like bee-friendly beef. Overall, the findings highlight opportunities to promote bee-friendly beef through consumer awareness campaigns and targeted conservation incentives for producers. By aligning consumer preferences with producer incentives, bee-friendly beef production can contribute to both pollinator conservation and sustainable cattle farming. / Doctor of Philosophy / The decline in bee populations, mainly due to the loss of biodiversity, threatens food production since many crops and wild plants depend on bees for pollination. Solving this issue requires joint efforts from farmers, retailers, and consumers to help restore pollinator habitats. This study looks at promoting bee-friendly beef as a possible solution to support bees. First, the study looks at whether beef cattle producers are willing to convert part of their pasture to native warm-season grass-and-wildflower pastures, which are better for bees, through conservation programs. Results from the analysis show that if a conservation program requires cattle producers to convert at least 10% of their pasture to NWSG-WF pasture, they would, on average, ask for $134.58 per acre as cost-share payment. This amount covers about 51% of the cost needed to establish the new type of pasture. However, if the program requires them to convert 20% or 30% of their land, the cost-share payment producers would request increases to $154.55 per acre (for 20% conversion) and $199.06 per acre (for 30% conversion). These amounts cover 59% and 76% of the establishment costs, respectively. Factors that influence their decision include education, interest in helping pollinators, and the condition of their current pastures. Second, a survey of 2,136 U.S. beef consumers shows that people prefer bee-friendly beef over regular beef. On average, they are willing to pay $0.87 more per pound for beef produced in ways that help pollinators. Some groups, like those who volunteer or donate to environmental causes ($1.74/lb) and those who know about the decline in pollinators ($1.39/lb), are willing to pay even more. This suggests that raising awareness about bees could boost support for eco-friendly products like bee-friendly beef. In conclusion, the study shows that increasing consumer awareness and offering financial incentives to farmers can help promote bee-friendly beef. By matching what consumers want with support for farmers, this approach can benefit both bee conservation and sustainable cattle rearing.

The basis of any contract is the agreement of two or more parties. In traditional Swedish and English contract law theory, a contract is formed through the reciprocal exchange of an offer and a corresponding acceptance. Together, these declarations of will represent the common intent of the parties, which binds them to their respective contractual obligations and determines the contents of the contract. In the contemporary commercial sector, the use of standard forms (i.e., sets of terms that have not been individually negotiated) has become more prevalent. This has led to the rise of a particular legal issue, called the “battle of forms”: a situation where both parties refer to their own, conflicting, standard forms during the formation of contract, where after they proceed in fulfilling their contractual obligations. Consequently, the exchanged declarations of will lack conformity in these cases, and there is no discernible common will of the parties. In order to conclude that a contract has been formed, and to decide its contents, this conflict needs to be resolved. The traditional approach to resolving the issue of battle of forms in English law is to regard the last referenced standard terms in the contractual negotiations as an offer (or counter-offer), and the other party’s conduct as an acceptance. This approach largely corresponds with how the issue likely would be resolved according to traditional Swedish contract law principles. However, in the legal scientific environments of both Sweden and England, ideas and concepts of a modern contract law has developed. Included therein is the idea of taking a more flexible stance with regard to the formation of contract. When viewing the contractual relationship holistically, and partly liberated from the offer-acceptance approach, the battle of forms can be resolved by letting the court construe the different sets of terms together, and re-place conflicting terms with suitable substitutes by implication. These modern concepts have partly manifested in recent English precedence regarding the battle of forms. Considering that the patterns of development with respect to the modern law of contract are similar in Swedish and English law, there is reason to believe that a similar “new” approach to the battle of forms might be adopted by Swedish courts as well.

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The effects of short-term meditation is a debated subject. There is studies that indicates that there is none or limited effect. Research of mindfulness meditation has also shown positive effects on working memory related tasks and sustained attention, but it can also show reduction of stress and depression. This study evaluate the effects of short-term guided meditation in a group of 10 persons in comparison with a control group. Results indicated no difference in memory tasks such as digit-span but the experimental group showed significant improvements in self-reported stress and mindful assets such as Acting with awareness and Acceptance without judgement. The results are consistent with previous research in this area. / Effekten av kortsiktig meditation är omdiskuterad. Det finns studier som indikerar att det inte finns någon eller limiterad effekt. Tidigare forskning kring meditation har också visat positiva effekter på arbetsrelaterade uppgifter och bibehållen uppmärksamhet men även på stressreducering och depression. Den här studien utvärderar effekten av guidad meditation vid tre tillfällen på en experimentgrupp av tio personer i jämförelse med en kontrollgrupp. Resultaten visar inte att mindfulness hade signifikant påverkan på arbetsminnet men signifikant positiv påverkan på stressreducering och på mindfulnessdrag som Agera med medvetenhet och Acceptera utan fördomar. Resultaten går i linje med tidigare forskning inom det här området.

This thesis deals with the economic and environmental problems of biofuels in the Czech Republic and abroad. The goal is retrieval and analysis of economic studies that address economic and environmental impacts associated with the introduction of biofuels policy. Individual economic studies on the environment that are at work that are evaluated by using biofuels policy of macroeconomic and microeconomic models. Results of studies show that the introduction of biofuels policy creates economic and environmental impacts such as deforestation, environment, prices, employment and competitiveness of farmers.

本論文的研究論題，主要探討日治臺灣漢文通俗小說，如何在東／西文化的交互影響下生成；以及由東亞、西洋文學的脈絡出發，探究它對雙方小說的接受、移植與再造。就研究時間而言，本文論述範疇集中於日治時期（1895-1945）；就研究對象而言，主要是以刊載於各份報紙上的漢文通俗小說為文本分析對象，探究其敍事組成、文體變化與內容思想。外緣資料則考察此時期流動於東亞各地與臺灣間的小說書籍為重點，析論日治臺灣圖書文化如何與東亞脈絡相接軌，兩者相輔相成，以勾勒日治臺灣漢文通俗市場的面貌。 立基於上述議題，本論文由漢文通俗小說如何對東亞小說與西洋小說進行「接受」、「移植」與「再造」等各項觀點出發，考察日治臺灣漢文通俗小說生成的原由，探討日治臺灣漢文通俗小說如何在跨領域、跨文化的思考模式下，擁有匯聚各方文化的特點，並追問臺灣文人在對中國、日本或西洋翻譯小說閱讀後，如何將之透過傳抄、模擬的方法，再造為臺灣漢文通俗小說的形式與內容，最後傳達給日治臺灣讀者閱讀，日治臺灣閱讀者因此能從中接受到東、西文化交錯下多層次的閱讀體驗。 在內容、章節架構安排上，本論文由日治臺灣漢文通俗小說敍事手法和文體變化的討論為起點，以文本精讀的方式，分章論述小說敍事背景、敍事模式和敍事角度等問題。文體變化方面則探討漢文通俗小說由文言到白話的歷時性變化，以及文體分類的共時性問題。其次，論述中國、日本兩地小說書籍如何代銷和傳播進入日治時期的臺灣，此圖書傳播／接受的現象，將可作為東亞脈絡下臺灣與各地圖書往來互動的例證。最後，分別論述中國演義傳統、日本講談文化和西方翻譯小說在日治臺灣漢文通俗小說中的承衍、紮根和譯介過程，並研析其所表現出如「桃花源」意涵、忠孝精神的宣揚、復仇觀的建立，以及與西方啓蒙精神、政治隱寓和奇幻特點的交互融合。經由上述各項議題的研究，日治臺灣漢文通俗小說跨界容納多元文化，以成就己身繁盛面貌的特點，將被本論文所彰顯，而同時，日治臺灣通俗小說的研究價值也將更被學界所肯定。 / This research aims at the creation of Taiwanese popular fiction during the Japanese colonial period. The literary works were produced in the interaction with Eastern and Western cultures. Therefore, this research elaborates on the permeation, transplantation and reformation in the context of different cultures. In the time scale, it focus on the Japanese colonial period（1895-1945）In the main material, it emphasizes on the popular fiction published in the newspapers, and pays close attention on its narrative, genre and content. Besides, I also consider the catalogue of fiction prevailed over Eastern Asia, seeing how Taiwanese culture associated with Eastern world. In this way, we can have a better understanding of Taiwanese book market in Japanese colonial period. This thesis begins with the ideas of permeation, transplantation and reformation. It is my conviction that Taiwanese popular fiction possesses the characteristics of various cultures. When Taiwanese literati read the fiction translated from Chinese, Japan and Western world, we can notice that they are influenced and stimulated by this reading experiences, and create the new form and content as Taiwanese popular fiction. In the meantime, the reader live in the Japanese colonial period can experience styles combined with Eastern and Western cultures. In the structure of this thesis, I start with the discussion of narrative and genre. I take the close reading as the main strategy to discuss the narrative background, mode, angle and so on. In the transformation of the genre, it not only elaborates on the diachronic change from Classical Chinese to vernacular Chinese, but also researches on the synchrony existed in genre. Secondly, it demonstrates the situation that various books from Chinese and Japan was sold and transported into colonial Taiwan. This special transportation can be considered as a good example of the interaction between Taiwan and Eastern Asia. Finally, it illustrates the process of inheritance, reinforcement and translation of the Chinese novel tradition, Japanese Kōdan culture and the Western fiction, such as the metaphor as the “Utopia”, the spirit of loyalty and piety, the concept of revenge, and the integration of political metaphor and fantasy. After this research, it manifests the truth that Taiwanese popular fiction possesses the great importance in history.

In this essay, I aim to elucidate a concept of public justification. I outline several challenges faced by political philosophers, including a desire to secure stability and treat people respectfully against a background of reasonable pluralism. I suggest that John Rawls‟ account of public reason provides a helpful starting point for accomplishing these goals. But critics have been both persistent and persuasive in their objections to public reason‟s central element of reasons all can accept. I explicate three dominant criticisms: incomprehensibility, attenuation and exclusion. First, some critics have argued that the very idea of reasons all can accept cannot be plausibly articulated. Second, critics maintain that the set of reasons all can accept is insufficiently robust to solve constitutional essentials and matters of basic justice. Third, critics note that if public justification is constrained by reasons all can accept, then many informative and effective arguments must be excluded from the public sphere. In response to these criticisms, I argue for an interpretation of reasons all can accept which is sensitive to critics‟ reasonable demand for an explicit account of each element of the doctrine. My interpretation demonstrates the superfluity of what I call the sharability constraint—the thesis that only reasons acceptable to all can function as justifications in the public sphere. Once the sharability constraint is rejected, I argue that the problem of exclusion dissipates, but that substantive restrictions on acceptable reasons are still possible. I am optimistic that this approach is less attenuating than one constrained by sharability and that, at least under favourable empirical conditions, more problems can be resolved by this approach than by standard Rawlsian theory. I draw on actual convergence in the international realm to bolster this optimism. Finally, I relate this approach to the widespread influence of deliberative democracy. I argue that procedural apparatuses are insufficient for political legitimacy, but that deliberation may be an invaluable tool for uncovering reasons required by substantive justification. / Graduate