Denna studie bygger på andraspråksinlärares skriftliga kompetens kopplad till syntaktiska och kommunikativa nivåer. I synnerhet är syftet att studera språkliga syntaktiska nivåer i texter skrivna av andraspråksinlärare som har behörighet att studera vid universitet. Ytterligare ett syfte är att studera om innehållet i texter kan förmedlas på ett kommunikativt och idiomatisk sätt. Den teoretiska ramen för att mäta syntaktiska nivåer som informanter i denna studie har uppnått bygger på processbarhetsteorin (Pienneman, 1998/ Pienneman & Håkansson, 1999). Studien visar att godkända texter i Svenska som andraspråk B och Tisustest uppnår nivå 4 och 5 på syntaktisk nivå.   Studien visar också på variation av kommunikativ kompetens utifrån förmågan att förmedla ett central innehåll. Informanterna uppnår delvis målspråksnormen och delvis avviker från målspråksnormen i varierad grad vilket påverkar den kommunikativa kompetensen. Det mesta av resultatet pekar på individuella skillnader. Vad som kan förklara skillnader mellan informanterna kan delvis kopplas till varierad kognitiv svårighetsgrad i texterna. Studien visar att processbarhetsteorin kan vara ett fördelaktigt verktyg för att mäta syntaktiska nivåer i texter. Dock pekar studien på att det är av vikt att också genomföra en mer omfattande bedömning av kommunikativa språkkunskaper för att kunna göra en helhetsbedömning av skriftlig språkkompetens av andraspråksinlärare. / The present study concerns second language learners' syntactic and communicative competence in writing. The aim is to study syntactic performances in texts written by learners of Swedish as a second language permitted to study at university. Another aim is to discuss the communicative and idiomatic performances of the informants.   The theoretical framework used for assessment of achieved syntactic levels is the Processability Theory (Pienneman, 1998/Pienneman & Håkansson, 1999). The results reveal that the students who´s texts in Svenska som andraspråk B[1]and the Tisustest[2]have passed the exam have achieved either syntactic level 4 or 5 according to Processability Theory.    The study also reveals the variety of communicative and idiomatic competence based on the ability to convey a core content. The informants partly achieve and partly do not achieve the Swedish language norms, in various degrees, which effects the level of communicative competence which they are able to express. The results point to more or less individual differences. There are small differences between the group of informants in Svenska som andraspråk B and in the Tisustest. Possible causes for these differences may partly be connected to the varying degree of cognitive difficulty in producing the different texts.   The study shows that the use of Processability Theory may be a beneficial tool to measure levels of syntactic proficiency levels in second language learner texts. However, it appears that it also is important to establish a comprehensive assessment of communicative language skills in order to make an overall assessment of written language skills of second language learners. [1]Swedish as a second language, level B [2]Tisus - Test in Swedish for university studies.

L’expertise en orthographe requiert le développement de plusieurs types de connaissances et la possibilité d’y recourir volontairement, que l’on nomme compétence métaorthographique. Comme les élèves dyslexiques (ÉD) éprouvent d’importantes difficultés en orthographe, les objectifs de ce travail sont 1) de dresser un portrait de la compétence métaorthographique de 30 ÉD québécois, 2) de la comparer à celle d’élèves de même âge (n=25) ainsi qu’à celle d’élèves plus jeunes de même compétence écrite (n=24) et 3) d’établir des liens entre cette compétence métaorthographique et la compétence orthographique. Pour ce faire, trois tâches étaient demandées aux participants : 1) repérer et 2) corriger des erreurs orthographiques, puis 3) expliciter les motifs des corrections apportées. Les résultats indiquent que les ÉD obtiennent des résultats inférieurs aux deux groupes contrôles et que la compétence orthographique est liée à la compétence métaorthographique. / The ability to correctly spell words (orthographic competence) requires the development of orthographic knowledge and the ability to use that knowledge voluntarily (metaorthographic competence, Varin, 2012). Because dyslexic students have difficulties to spell words correctly, the goals of this work are 1) to describe the metaorthographic competence of 30 dyslexic francophone children (m= 11,34), 2) to compare their performance to those of 25 normally achieving children matched in age and to those of 24 younger normally achieving children matched in writing-level and 3) to establish links between orthographic and metaorthographic competences. To do so, four tasks were asked of the participants: 1) to identify spelling errors inserted in sentences, 2) to locate them in each word, 3) to correct them and 4) to explain their corrections. The results indicate differences in performance in function of the orthographic skill level and the nature of spelling errors.

During the past decade, research on competence development and cross-cultural organisation has been acknowledged both in academic circles and by industrial organisations. Cross-cultural organisations that have emerged through globalisation are a manifestation of the growing economic interdependence among countries. In cross-cultural organisations, competence development has become an essential strategic tool for taking advantage of the synergy effects of globalisation. The objective of this thesis is to examine how competence development programs are conducted and to identify barriers and enablers for the success of such programs, especially in a cross-cultural organisation. To identify the processes involved in managing competence development programs in a cross-cultural organisation, a case study method was chosen. A total of 43 interviews and 33 surveys were held with participants, facilitators and managers in competence development programs at four units of IKEA Trading Southeast Asia located in Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia, respectively. In addition to the observations made on these four competence development programs, a study of the literature in related research areas was conducted. The interviews were held and the survey data collected in 2003 and 2004. In the findings, the barriers identified were cultural differences, assumptions, language, and mistrust; the enablers were cultural diversity, motivation, management commitment, and communication. The conclusions are that competence development is a strategic tool for cross-cultural organisations and that it is extremely important to identify barriers to, and enablers of, successful competence development, and to eliminate the barriers and support the enablers right from the early stages of competence development programs. / <p>Report Code: LIU-TEK-LIC-2006:44</p>

Bakgrund: Marknadens ökade dynamik resulterar i att allt fler företag genomgår digitala transformationer för att kunna utnyttja de teknologiska möjligheter som uppstår. Samtidigt resulterar en digital transformation i att företaget möts av förändrade kompetenskrav där digitala kompetenser blir allt viktigare för företags långsiktiga överlevnad. Denna dynamiska marknad har visat sig speciellt tydligt hos detaljhandelsbranschen och behoven av digitala kompetenser har ökat kraftigt. Men hur utvecklar ett detaljhandelsföretag dessa digitala kompetenser? Syfte: Syftet med studien är att bidra med en ökad förståelse för hur ett detaljhandelsföretag arbetar med digital kompetensutveckling hos sina medarbetare. Genomförande: Denna studie har sin vetenskapliga utgångspunk i det hermeneutiska perspektivet med en kvalitativ forskningsmetod. Empiriinsamlingen har genomförts genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med sex respondenter från ett fallföretag. Respondenterna har både varit från chef- och medarbetarnivå. Slutsats: Trots utmaningar i att identifiera vad för digitala kompetenser som saknades utifrån ett subjektivt synsätt så var det förmågan att ha ett flexibelt och utvecklande förhållningssätt och digital kunskap som bristen på digital kompetens bestod av. Dessa utvecklades genom tre tillvägagångssätt. Cheferna anställde dels nya medarbetare som skulle hjälpa de gamla att utvecklas. De anställda som fick vara kvar i företaget utbildades, både formellt och informellt varav den informella utbildningen var mest effektiv och använd. Cheferna tog även in konsulter och partners för att sprida vidare den digitala kunskapen till medarbetarna. Utöver detta visar sig företagskulturen och medarbetarnas inställning till förändrings viktig för hur effektiv den digitala kompetensutvecklingen blev. / Background: Dynamic markets result in more and more companies having to digital transform their business in able to use the technological benefits that occur. At the same time a digital transformation will result in demand for new competencies where digital competencies is the most important for the companies long term survival. This rapidly changing market has been particular present in the retail industry and the demand for new digital competencies has been growing. But how does a retail company develop these digital competencies? Purpose: The purpose of this study is to create an understanding of how a retail company work with the development of digital competence with their employees. Completion: This study has a qualitative methodology with a hermeneutic perspective and an interative approach. The empirical material has been collected through semi-structured interviews with six respondents from one retail company. The respondents have been both from the management level and the employee level. Conclusion: Despite challenges in identifying what digital competence were lacking from a subjective point of view, it was the ability to have a flexible and evolving approach and digital knowledge that the lack of digital competence consisted of. These were developed through three approaches. The managers hired new employees to help the existing ones develop. The employees who were allowed to remain in the company were trained, both formally and informally, of which the informal training was most effective and most used. The managers also brought in consultants and partners to pass on the digital knowledge to the employees. In addition, the corporate culture and employees' attitude to change proved to be important for how effective the digital competence development became.

The purpose of this study was to answer three questions and to provide in-depth knowledge of how a company in the sales industry works to improve motivation and skills development. The focus of the study is directed with the help of Hertzberg's two-factor theory towards how the company develops competence, how managers motivate their employees and how the competence of the employees is preserved. I used semi-structured interviews at a large company in the sales industry. I then analyzed the results with support from Herzberg's two-factor theory and found patterns in the interviews with the managers and employees about both competence development and motivation. Herzberg's hygiene and motivation factors are the study's analytical tools for seeing what motivates and develops competence within the company.The company I investigated is in the car sales industry and it requires a lot of training, as you cannot sell without knowledge of the cars. The managers said that as a salesperson, you start with a two-week training period and then get a mentor to help you for the first couple of weeks. During the year, suppliers come and hold educational days with the employed sales people so that the knowledge is maintained and renewed. In order to develop, the sales people work with certain longer educations that are partly web-based, but also a few days of education at another location to become certified. Managers also say that they usually eavesdrop on their salespeople when they sell in order to subsequently give feedback, both positive and negative criticism, so that they can develop and become more motivated in their work, this is a good and easy way to train their salespeople to become even better. It also gives managers an opportunity to show that they are there for their employees.The sales people elaborate about the educations they attend continuously and that you get a certificate. They say that it is generous with training at the company, and appreciate the opportunity to develop and it motivates the sales people to continuously develop. They feel that their managers see them and that they have good relationships between colleagues, which also leads to good motivation at work because the relationships are strong and maintained. In the company, there is a high level of knowledge among both salespeople and managers, which shows a unity within the organization, which is positive. A lot of training and the strong relationships within the company affect the motivation and competence increases.  Keywords: employees, competence, knowledge, leadership, sales, competence development, knowledge transfer, motivation, customer relationship, sales competence. / Syftet med denna studie var att besvara tre frågeställningar och att komma med fördjupad kunskap om hur ett företag inom försäljningsbranschen verkar för motivation och kompetensutveckling. Studiens fokus riktas med hjälp av Hertzbergs tvåfaktorsteori mot hur företaget kompetensutvecklar, hur chefer motiverar sina medarbetare och hur kompetensen hos medarbetarna bevaras. Jag använde semistrukturerade intervjuer på ett stort företag i försäljningsbranschen. Jag analyserade sedan resultatet med stöd i Herzbergs tvåfaktorsteori och hittade mönster i intervjuerna med cheferna och anställda om både kompetensutveckling och motivation. Herzbergs hygien- och motivationsfaktorer är studiens analysredskap för att se vad som motiverar samt kompetensutvecklar inom företaget. Företaget jag undersökte är inom bilförsäljningsbranschen och den kräver mycket utbildning, då du inte kan sälja utan kunskap om bilarna. Cheferna berättade att som säljare börjar man med en två veckors utbildning sedan får de en mentor som hjälp den första tiden. Under året kommer leverantörer och håller utbildningar med de anställda säljarna så att kunskapen uppehålls och förnyas. För att utvecklas jobbar säljarna med vissa längre utbildningar som dels är webbaserade, men också några dagars utbildning på annan plats för att bli certifierade. Cheferna berättar också att de brukar tjuvlyssna på sina säljare när de säljer för att i efterhand kunna ge feedback både positiv och negativ kritik så att de kan utvecklas och bli mer motiverade i sitt arbete, ett bra och enkelt sätt att träna sina säljare att bli ännu bättre. Det ger också cheferna en möjlighet att visa att de är på plats och där för sina anställda. Säljarna berättar om utbildningarna de åker på kontinuerligt och att man får certifikat. De berättar att det är generöst med utbildningar på företaget, och uppskattar möjligheten att utvecklas och det motiverar säljarna att kontinuerligt få utvecklas. De känner att deras cheferser dem och att de har bra relationer kollegorna emellan vilket också leder till bra motivation i arbetet eftersom relationerna är bra och närvarande. I företaget är det en hög kunskapsnivå både hos säljare och chefer, vilket visar en enhet inom organisationen vilket är positivt. Mycket utbildningar och de goda relationerna inom företaget påverkar att motivationen och kompetensen ökar.

Intercultural Communication Competence (ICC) describes the ability to interact with people from different cultures effectively and appropriately. In the impact of globalization and information technology development, social media facilitates intercultural communication and open a new space for intercultural interactions. As the impact of social media on ICC is not often explored, this study would shed light on this unexplored domain and focus on Chinese people who currently live in Sweden by asking the question: How does social media influence the ICC of Chinese people living in Sweden? This study adopts a mixed method: it uses a survey questionnaire followed by individual interviews, collecting both quantitative and qualitative data. As a result, two factors stimulating ICC are identified. The role of social media on ICC when residence in the host country is confirmed, and two stages of ICC development associated with social media in the host country are explored. Last but not least, social media seems to influence the ICC of Chinese people living in Sweden in a positive way, however this positive impact is not independent of real social interaction with the host culture. / Interkulturell kommunikationskompetens (ICC) beskriver möjligheten att integagera med människor från olika kulturer på ett effektiv och lämplig sätt. Globalisering och utveckling av informationsteknologin har gjort att det underlättar sociala mediers interkulturell kommunikation och öppnar nya sätt för interkulturella interactioner. Eftersom konsekvenserna av sociala medier angående ICC undersöks sällan ska denna studie lyfta fram denna outforskade domän, focus ska ligga på personer med kinesikt härkomst som för närvarande bor i Sverige genom att ställa frågan: Hur påverkar sociala medier ICC för personer som bor I sverige av med kinesikt härkomst? Denna studie anammar en blandad metod: den använder en enkätundersökning följt av individuella intervjuer, samlar både kvantitativ och kvalitativ data. Som resultat identifieras två faktorer som stimulerar ICC. Sociala mediernas roll på ICC när bosättning i värdlandet bekräftas, och två steg i ICC-utvecklingen i samband med sociala medier i värdlandet utforskas. Sist men inte minst verkar sociala medier påverka den kinesiska befolkningens ICC på ett posetivt sätt, men denna positiva påverkan är beroende av verklig social interaktion med värdkulturen.

Most jurisdictions have over the past two decades experienced reforms with regard to arbitration law. These include England, America, France, Germany and the Netherlands. These reforms were necessary as the trend in the modern era shows that businessmen situated in different countries usually prefer to have their disputes resolved by arbitration as opposed to court litigation. To have disputes resolved effectively, it is surely a desirable thing to have laws that would promote the use of arbitration as an alternative dispute resolution. This would also ensure progressive international trade which is an important aspect of development in the South African constitutional state. One aspect of the law that would ensure a speedy and effective resolution of dispute by means of arbitration is the incorporation of the doctrine of separability in a country's law. The doctrine of separability provides that an arbitration agreement is a separate and independent contract from the main contract in which it is incorporated. In light of the above, the primary purpose of this study is to compare and analyse the English legal system with that of South Africa with specific focus on the doctrine of separability. / LLM (Import and Export Law), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Most jurisdictions have over the past two decades experienced reforms with regard to arbitration law. These include England, America, France, Germany and the Netherlands. These reforms were necessary as the trend in the modern era shows that businessmen situated in different countries usually prefer to have their disputes resolved by arbitration as opposed to court litigation. To have disputes resolved effectively, it is surely a desirable thing to have laws that would promote the use of arbitration as an alternative dispute resolution. This would also ensure progressive international trade which is an important aspect of development in the South African constitutional state. One aspect of the law that would ensure a speedy and effective resolution of dispute by means of arbitration is the incorporation of the doctrine of separability in a country's law. The doctrine of separability provides that an arbitration agreement is a separate and independent contract from the main contract in which it is incorporated. In light of the above, the primary purpose of this study is to compare and analyse the English legal system with that of South Africa with specific focus on the doctrine of separability. / LLM (Import and Export Law), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The primary aim of this study is to investigate young people´s motives and expectations for participating in the action two “European Voluntary Service” (EVS) under the Youth In Action programme supported by the European Commission at the youth center Villa Elba in Finland. The study also aims to identify which competences the young people think they have developed through EVS. The study consists of one group interview and one focus group interview with ten EVS volunteers in total who accomplish short-term EVS and long term EVS during one month respectively nine months. The methodology is based upon a qualitative research approach and in order to reach a better understanding of the respondents’ motives for participating in EVS, the theories modernity, reflexive project of the self and the individualized society were chosen. The study is also based upon background information about EVS and earlier research. The results indicate that the EVS volunteers’ main motives for participating in EVS were: acquiring new skills, meet new people, and experience an adventure in another country. The most common competence developments turned out to be in the areas of language, social and initiative skills. Moreover, the study demonstrates that many young people in Europe face difficulties in getting into the labour market and becoming independent. The main reason is the economic recession which has severely affected the situation for young people in Europe and this is also confirmed by earlier research. Even though the respondents had positive opinions about their EVS project, criticism was raised towards the European Union´s ideas of creating a feeling of European Citizenship through programmes such as EVS.

Published Article / In 2005 the third-year facilitators of the generic degree in nursing embarked on an action research initiative within a service learning pedagogy to revitalise the nursing process related to wound care.As a result of the action research a unique wound care project unfolded. This project embraced an integrated assessment approach in order to assess the competence related to wound care and to develop health care practitioners with generic- and field-specific competencies. Action research as mode of delivery for this project created an opportunity for producing Mode 2 knowledge where all participants contributed to the production of knowledge relevant to the wound care context.