The freshwater isopod Asellus aquaticus has been shown to exist in two different ecotypes, stonewort ecotypes and reed ecotypes. The differentiation is likely due to adaptation towards different predator regimes and possibly also other selective forces. It is unknown if the ecotypes have different adaptations when it comes to food preferences and roles in the ecosystems. In the present study, isopods of each ecotype were collected from two lakes where the differentiation of pigmentation was especially pronounced to examine whether this had a connection with other physiological adaptations. Growth rate, competitiveness, exposing behaviour and grazing efficiency were tested in two experiments with periphyton or coarse detritus as food sources. None of the results indicated a specialization towards their regular food. Instead, the stonewort ecotype had significantly faster growth rate for both food sources. Presence of snails caused a slight, but statistically insignificant increase in growth rate when periphyton was the food source. Individuals of the reed ecotype were more exposed on the substrate than the stonewort ecotype, but the difference was not statistically significant. Grazing efficiency of both detritus and periphyton was similar and not significantly different between ecotypes. The results thus show no indication to phenotypical differences between ecotypes in the ability to graze or process different types of food. However, currently known adaptations, e.g. in behaviour and pigmentation may be important for the ecological role of the species. / Sötvattengråsuggan Asellus aquaticus har visats kunna förekomma i två ekotyper, kransalgsekotyper och vassekotyper. Differentieringen beror troligen på en anpassning till olika predatorregimer och möjligen även andra selektiva krafter. Det är okänt om ekotyperna har olika anpassningar till födoval och roller i ekosystemen. I denna studie samlades vattengråsuggor av vardera ekotyp in från två sjöar där differentieringen av pigmentering var speciellt markant för att undersöka om detta hade något samband med anpassningar till lokala födoresurser. Tillväxthastighet, konkurrenskraft, exponerat beteende och beteseffektivitet testades i två experiment med perifyton eller detritus som matkällor. Inga av resultaten visade på en specialisering till den normalt förekommande matkällan. Istället visade sig kransalgsekotypen ha signifikant högre tillväxthastighet för båda matkällorna. Närvaro av snäckor orsakade en liten, men icke signifikant ökning av tillväxthastigheten hos vattengråsuggor med perifyton. Individer av vassekotypen var exponerade på substratet oftare än kransalgsekotypen, men skillnaden var inte statistiskt signifikant. Beteseffektiviteten av både detritus och perifyton var jämbördig och inte signifikant olika mellan ekotyperna. Resultaten visar inga indikationer på fenotypiska skillnader mellan ekotyperna i förmåga att beta eller omsätta olika födotyper. Däremot kan fler ekologiska effekter beroende på de i nuläget kända anpassningarna, exempelvis beteende och pigmentering inte uteslutas, och kan ha betydelse för artens funktion i ekosystemet.

Cement Industry in Ethiopia is an emerging industry where only few pioneers were regulating the market. The complacent conditions have led them to be driven by transactional suppliers relationships, not that much customer focused, energy sources and environmental issues were not to the level required and information communications infrastructures and linkages were not that much developed. However, this oligopoly nature of the market is starting to vanish soon as a lot of national and multinational firms are appearing into the market. Accordingly, this report would identify the level of perception of organization on the general issues of supply chain management, mainly suppliers partnership, customer relationship, environmental issues and information communication; analyze their level of impacts and relationships on the competitive position of Cement Factories in Ethiopia.

In the contemporary tourism industry, the competitive game is between destinations. Tourism operations struggle to remain competitive on the international market and their success depends to a large extent on other complementary and competing tourism organizations at the destination. It is the sum of the total tourism offerings at the destination which determines its attractiveness. This research explores tourism collaboration process as a means of generating destination competitiveness. The focus of the research is on the enhancing factors which contribute to the success of the collaboration and to the development of quality tourism products. The research studies the case of Biking Dalarna, a collaboration of different organizations at five biking destinations in Dalarna, Sweden. Its purpose is to develop biking tourism in the region and to make Dalarna into Sweden’s leading biking destination. It is a qualitative research; the empirical data was collected through in depth interviews with representatives of six Biking Dalarna member organizations. The qualitative data collected from the participants provides inside look into the members reflections and experience of collaborating. The findings of this research demonstrate how collaboration has improved the biking product in Dalarna and promoted solutions to development problems. The research finds the good relationship between the collaborating actors and the involvement and leadership of the regional tourism management organization as the most contributing factors to the success of Biking Dalarna. The research also suggests that a third desired outcome of collaboration, improved marketing attributes was yet to be achieved in the case of Biking Dalarna.

En la actualidad, los empresarios en el Perú se han visto en la obligación de utilizar estrategias que permitan crear valor en sus organizaciones y ser competitivos en un mercado cada vez más dinámico, utilizando dentro de estas estrategias, el servicio delivery que ha generado todo un cambio en la forma de interactuar entre empresa-cliente, cambiado el modelo de negocios de muchas compañías y teniendo como resultado beneficios para ambas partes. Este artículo analiza la ejecución del delivery en empresas significativas del medio, mostrando las principales características de esta estrategia y las ventajas de su aplicación. / Currently, managers in Peru have been obliged to use strategies to create value in their organizations and be competitive in a dynamic market, using the delivery service as a means of changing the business-customer relationship, changing the business model of many companies and obtaining benefits for both parties. This article discusses the delivery in important companies, showing the main features of this strategy and the benefits of its application.

The effect of each CSR dimension on competitiveness is in different attribute importance. ABB emphasizes the integration of its CSR policy embedded in entrire five dimensions of CSR in different practices. The strongest, firmly established evidence of a positive effect of CSR on competitiveness appears in image/reputation dimension following by financial performance and innovation. Productivity and quality appeared less storng relations with CSR dimensions. Culture, a new dimension in CSR has been identified.

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The literature reveals that, behavioural finance lends some support to the methodologies of both fundamental and technical analysis. Behavioural Finance supports the concept of investment behaviour being grounded in two dimensions, viz., the dimensions of emotion and rationality. The evidence, presented in the literature suggests that fundamental analysis is grounded in the rational investor, while technical analysis is an attempt to model the behavioural side of investing through trend following, charting and the use of indicators (e.g., momentum, stochastic, etc.). Typically large investment houses tend to use both technical and fundamental analysis; technical analysis appears to be used primarily for timing, while fundamental analysis is used to establish intrinsic or fair value of the share under focus – thus making it easy to establish whether the share is cheap or expensive.

The tension uncovered during this study is between two worlds: the very pragmatic and enormously challenging world of managing in a rapidly changing and highly competitive global market, and the scientific world of strategic management thinking and the concern that contemporary strategic management is unable to deal effectively with the modern dilemma of globalisation. This dilemma is as a result of change; before a current scenario can be solved, the next evolution of scenarios is upon the business community. In today's turbulent world, globalisation is sweeping away the market and industry structures that, historically, have defined competition. Swept away with them are the classic approaches to strategic management, nearly all of which mistakenly assume that a predictable path to the future can be paved from the experiences of the past. The solution: Strategy should be dynamic and should change constantly in order to contend with external turbulences. Organisations should brace themselves for a future of hyper-competition. They should respond to these rapid changes in the business environment by adopting a new approach to strategy, one that combines speed, openness, and flexibility. Organisations need: an ability to sense changes in their environment; an ability to understand the impact, of this change, on the whole; a willingness to adapt to change; and an ability to adapt. Experimenting with new strategies is also important. Constant testing, adaptation and building on what is found to be successful with customers is the way ahead, especially when one is trying to re-invent the value provided, or the way in which it is produced and delivered. The overall purpose of this experimental strategic learning and management process is to establish which strategic options or elements thereof are robust across the possible competitive scenarios, and use the healthiest elements to develop your strategic intent - your core strategic focus or theme.

This study attempts to investigate one of the most cited reasons for the failure of organisational change efforts: individual resistance to change. It also seeks to determine what personal manifestations need to exist in order for an organisation to adequately establish the extent to which a proposed change effort will yield a successful outcome. This was evaluated through the job constructs of communication, job-insecurity, participation, procedural justice and trust. The research also Management and Change Agent roles within the change process to determine whether this had an impact on the individual change experience at a cognitive and behavioural level. In a South African Motor Manufacturing company data was obtained from 306 respondents. The findings clearly indicate that a positive experience of the job constructs is likely to result in positive individual change which will result in a successful implementation and sustainability of the change initiative.

The thesis aims to describe the changing position of a nation state in contemporary economic-political structure as a result of globalization processes. The object of interest is the interrelation of state with transnational actors, but also other states with regard to the concept of competitiveness.