Background Through globalization, the world has changed a lot the latest decades and given people more freedom. Free trade is part of globalization and spreads prosperity and wealth. Sweden is a small and international economy and Brazil is a large and growing economy. More establishments of Swedish companies in the Brazilian market would benefit both Brazil and Sweden in many ways. Purpose The purpose of this study is to create an understanding of the barriers to entry that Swedish companies can face when they choose to establish themselves in the Brazilian market. Method This case study is deductive with a qualitative approach. We have conducted interviews on site in Brazil, with representatives from Swedish companies and organizations. The data from these interviews form the basis of our analysis. We chose to supplement the analysis with secondary data in the form of reports from the Swedish Embassy and Swedish organizations. Results In our case study we have found that the biggest barriers to entry the Brazilian market for Swedish companies are high import duties, bureaucracy, expensive labor force, criminality, high tax burden, lack of knowledge in the English language, a complex tax system, and basic cultural differences.

Title: How to find a great international leader – The case of Swedish Managers working in Singapore Level: Second Cycle: 15 Credit: Master Thesis in Business Administration Author: Charlotte Tham Supervisor: Maria Malama  Examiner: Akmal Hyder Date: June 2011 Aim: I’m interested in finding a way to make successful international recruitments. To do so I have worked with three research questions: What distinguish an international leader from a domestic leader? How do you recruit a successful international leader? Which personal qualities make an international leader successful?  Method: I have used a personal test (Hogan Personality Inventory) to find which personal qualities the manager has. Approx. 10 subordinates to each of the managers have answered a survey, in order to find how successful they find the managers to be. The five managers have also been interviewed twice. The first time to hear their opinion of the international leadership. The second time to follow up the result from the personal test and the survey.    Result & Conclusions: The four main results of the study are: Handling cultural differences makes the international leader special. Following a structured procedure is essential when recruiting a successful international leader. Qualities to look for are high interpersonal skills, strong sense of self, high flexibility, and strong interest in learning new things. Leaders with strong task-orientation and love for details de-motivate their subordinates.   Suggestions for future research: The study could be done on a larger sample, to get a better statistical material. It could also be done on other nationalities, or on women to see how these factors affect the result.  Contribution of the thesis: The study shows that criteria like, high interpersonal skills and flexibility have to be searched for and a structured procedure has to be followed, when recruiting international leaders. The study can help multi-national companies make better recruitments and therefore save money and time.

Since China opened up to the outside world in 1978, a tremendous economic development took place. China is today still a fast growing economy. With a huge population that makes up for an enormous market along with relatively low labor costs, China is very attractive for foreign companies. When foreign companies expand and establish in China, many aspects must be taken into consideration. Aspects like cultural differences must be considered by the foreign managers as well as how to manage the Chinese employees in human relations. Having innovative employees are beneficial to any company. However, the way to influence employees to be innovative can differ from one culture to another. There is little research done on Swedish companies operating in China and how they influence their Chinese employees to be innovative. The aim of this thesis is to provide some insight into this matter. The thesis takes a deductive approach, and the investigation is performed quantitatively by a survey. The survey is answered by the Chinese employees that are currently working in Swedish companies where they are to rank the presence of several Strategic Human Resource Management practices. Also, their perceptions on Chinese cultural aspects are investigated. The results from this thesis will point out the most successful practices in influencing the Chinese employees’ innovativeness, but also the cultural factors that can obstruct innovativeness. This research may be of value for Swedish companies, as well for Swedish managers hoping to establish themselves in China.

This thesis examines the experiences and perceptions that Aboriginal and white women have about abusive relationships and about the police responses to these situations. Differences and similarities between these two groups of women will further highlight the need for resources and policing which are sensitive to the different needs of both groups. Assessments of the cultural differences between Aboriginal and white inner city women are particularly important as women seek to develop more and better alternatives to living in abusive relationships.<p>Theoretically, an examination of gender oppression through patriarchy and its effect on male violence towards women is provided. Understanding the influence of patriarchal social relations on the subordination of women in society is helpful in explaining the similarities in perceptions and experiences of male violence between Aboriginal and white inner city women. The subculture of violence theory is also examined and is used to help understand the differences in perceptions and experiences of these two groups of women. The argument is made that Aboriginal women have qualitatively different perceptions of both battery and the police response to their calls of battery due to the historical legacy of colonization of Aboriginal people in Canada.<p>The data were gathered via a questionnaire and in-person interviews which asked women respondents a wide variety of questions pertaining to their perceptions and experiences with battery, and any police involvement. The questionnaires obtained background information about respondents, responses to a 5 point Likert scale of attitudinal statements pertaining to battery and policing, and responses to specific questions which requested written responses. <p>Analysis of the quantitative data involved descriptive presentation examining relationships between the independent variable ethnic background and dependent variables, as indicated by the 25 questionnaire items, using bivariate distributions. The qualitative data were thematically coded and examined.<p>Importantly, the study revealed that there are significant differences between the perceptions of Aboriginal and white inner-city women. Aboriginal women were found to much more tolerant of abuse from their male partners, and were less likely to call the police in a time of crisis. It was also found that many Aboriginal women had very negative experiences with the police which further disadvantaged them when dealing with battery situations.

Iconic brand is a new topic in the field of branding that has started to attract researchers’ attentions; yet, it is still mostly discussed in the non-academic field. Brand community is also an evolving topic in marketing. These two new concepts are the focuses of this research. The main subject of this research is to explore the componential factors of iconic brand and brand community and the influences of the former ones on the latter ones. Even though there are few books and articles related to iconic brand, so far no quantitative research has been conducted. Thus, in this study, quantitative method is used to explore the componential factors of iconic brand. The same method is applied to brand community as well to explore the impacts of iconic brand on brand community. This research also accounts for a fact that cultural differences of the three countries (Sweden, Taiwan, and Vietnam) may affect respondents’ perceptions on the factors of iconic brand and brand community, as well as the impact levels between them. This study starts with examining the relevant literatures of branding, iconic brand, brand community, and cultural aspects of branding. Then, the hypotheses and research model are proposed based on theories. Questionnaires are distributed to Swedish, Taiwanese, and Vietnamese respondents in accordance with convenience sampling and snowball sampling. A total collection of 486 accepted questionnaires (which includes 171 questionnaires from Sweden, 163 ones from Taiwan, and 152 ones from Vietnam) is coded and analyzed by using SPSS and AMOS. Factor Analysis (EFA and CFA) and Cronbach’s Alpha are used to test the measurement reliability and consistency. Together with them, other statistical techniques, such as ANOVA and SEM (Structural Equation Modeling) are employed to test the proposed hypotheses. Semi-structured interviews are then conducted, based on the results of quantitative analysis, with six dynamic consumers from the three countries to explore further the cultural differences for the topic in Sweden, Taiwan, and Vietnam. The results show that iconic brand has three componential factors: brand personality, brand myth, and brand storytelling, while brand community has two factors: brand loyalty and emotional attachment to brand community. Also, the findings reveal that brand personality has the most positive impacts on brand loyalty while brand storytelling has the lowest positive impact on brand loyalty. Other impacts of iconic brand’s factors on brand community’s factors are positively moderate. Furthermore, both quantitative and qualitative results confirm the hypotheses of cultural differences in respondents’ perceptions (in the three countries) on iconic brand’s factors, brand community’s factors, and the positive impact levels between them.

Befolkningen i Sverige blir alltmer mångkulturell. Detta bidrar till att hälso- och sjukvårdspersonal möter fler patienter med en annan kulturell bakgrund. Kommunikationen är ett viktigt hjälpmedel för sjuksköterskan i omvårdnadsarbetet och det kan därför leda till allvarliga konsekvenser när sjuksköterska och patient inte förstår varandra. Syftet med studien var att belysa sjuksköterskans erfarenhet av kommunikation med patienter med olika kulturella bakgrunder i hälso- och sjukvården. 12 kvalitativa artiklar ligger till grund för denna litteraturstudie. Resultatet visar att sjuksköterskan förutom de språkliga hindren, ser kulturella olikheter som ett stort problem. De eftersöker mer utbildning för att kunna hantera detta på ett bättre sätt. Då sjuksköterska och patient inte förstår varandra eller inte kan kommunicera, kan detta leda till att patienten inte får den vård han/hon har rätt till. Tolken har en stor betydelse, men används dessvärre inte i tillräcklig utsträckning. Bättre tillgång och större ekonomiska resurser krävs enligt sjuksköterskan, som anser att tolk i vissa fall är nödvändigt för att kunna genomföra en god omvårdnad. / The Swedish population is getting more and more multicultural. This means that medical staff meets many patients, belonging to a large variety of cultures. Communication is a vital part of nursing and when lacking, it can lead to serious consequences. The aim of this study was to investigate how nurses experience communication with patients from another culture, within healthcare. This research study is based on 12 research articles using the qualitative approach. The result shows that, besides language barriers, cultural differences are experienced as a major problem for nurses today and they believe education is necessary to handle these situations. If the nurse can’t communicate with the patient, it could affect the patients’ quality of care. An interpreter is needed to overcome these communication difficulties but unfortunately, health care personnel do not use it enough. There has to be financial resources available and the interpreter needs to be easily accessible.

Most multicultural teams are not as successful as expected. Germany and Sweden are close trade partners and one form of cooperation are German-Swedish project teams. In this thesis the reader will get answers to the following questions: What are the problems and benefits among German-Swedish project team members due to cultural differences and in which way can problems be coped with and benefits be enhanced. This thesis does not focus on virtual teams, the leadership of multicultural teams and the formation of German-Swedish project teams. The main components of the theoretical framework are cultural models which serve as basis for our analysis are Hofstede’s five dimensional model, Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner’s model and Hall’s model. For our research we interviewed eight members of German-Swedish project teams. We discovered problems among German-Swedish project team members deriving from differences in the communication styles, in the focus on cooperation versus task and in dealing with rules. Beneficial in the German-Swedish collaborations is that the cultures complement each other in focusing on the facts versus broadening the subject and in the focus on team spirit versus goal achievement. Another beneficial characteristic is the similarity of the German and Swedish culture. After analysing the problems and benefits due to cultural differences in German-Swedish project teams, we present our concept to reduce the problems in German-Swedish project teams. The concept consists of steps which build up on one another and therefore represent an overall concept which can serve as a basis and inspiration for enhancing the collaboration in German-Swedish project teams. Our concept includes the steps: intercultural training, a mentor system in the team, internal advisors in the company and a cultural evaluation.

Många människor lever idag med långvarig smärta som påverkar deras vardag och orsakar stort lidande. Relationen mellan arbetsterapeuten och patienten är alltid avgörande för om arbetsterapin blir lyckad eller inte. Antalet anmälningar till patientnämnden har ökat och hälso- och sjukvårdslagens krav på att patienter ska bli bemötta med respekt och öppenhet uppfylls inte. Syftet var att beskriva arbetsterapeuters upplevelse av bemötandet av personer med långvarig smärta. En kvalitativ metod användes och urvalet gjordes genom lämplighet och snöbollssampling. Tio stycken arbetsterapeuter med erfarenheter av arbete med den aktuella gruppen intervjuades utifrån en intervjuguide. En kvalitativ innehållsanalys genomfördes på samtliga intervjuer. Resultatet ledde fram till följande kategorier: bidragande faktorer till ett gott bemötande och svårigheter för ett gott bemötande. Slutsatser som kan dras är att ett gott bemötande av personer med långvarig smärta innefattar att arbetsterapeuten lyssnar och bekräftar patientens berättelse. Det krävs en ökad kunskap inom området för att öka förståelsen och förbättra bemötandet av gruppen. / Occupational therapists experiences of meeting people with chronic pain Today many people live with chronic pain that affects their everyday lives and cause great suffering. The relationship between the occupational therapist and patient is always crucial if therapy is successful or not. Lately, the number of reports to the Board has increased and the requirements of the health care law concerning addressing people with respect are not met. The aim of this study was to describe the occupational therapists experience of meeting people with chronic pain. A qualitative methodology was used and the selection was made regarding suitability and snowball sampling. Ten occupational therapists with experience of working with this group were interviewed. A qualitative content analysis was made on all interviews. Categories that emerged in the result were: contributing factors to a good meeting and difficulties for a good meeting. In order to create a good meeting it is of importance that the occupational therapist listens and confirms the patient´s story. However, further knowledge is necessary in order to increase the understanding of this group.

I bakgrunden redogörs olika aspekter som berör kultur samt sjuksköterskos förhållning till patienters etnicitet. Patienters syn på vård skiljer sig åt beroende på kulturtillhörighet vilket påverkar mötet i vården. Sjuksköterskans ansvar är att ge vård samt behandla patienterna med respekt och värdighet oavsett etnicitet. Svårigheter kan finnas i att tillgodose detta i mötet med patienter då uppfattningen av sjukdomsorsak kan skilja sig ifrån sjuksköterskans. Svårigheter i kommunikationen samt i förståelsen för respektive kultur kan leda till missförstånd. Gränsen är hårfin gällande kulturell lyhördhet då patienten lätt kan särbehandlas eller diskrimineras. Syftet med examensarbetet är att beskriva sjuksköterskors upplevelser i möten med patienter med annan etnisk bakgrund än majoritetsbefolkningen. Metoden som användes var en systematisk litteraturstudie där vetenskapliga artiklar analyserats. Resultatet presenteras under fyra teman: Förståelse för genusperspektiv i vårdandet, Förståelse för olika uttrycksätt, Kunskap om sjukdomssyn samt Utbildningsbehov. Resultatet visar att sjuksköterskor önskar mer kunskap om kultur i sin utbildning, samt mer förståelse för skillnader i genusdynamiken då kulturella möten uppfattas som svåra vilket kan medföra ett uteblivet vårdande möte speciellt när kommunikationsbrister fanns. Sjuksköterskor behöver och önskar mer utbildning om kulturella aspekter för att känna större trygghet i mötet med patienter med en annan etnicitet än dem själva. / The background describes cultural aspects and how nurses relate to patients' ethnicity. Patients' view on health care varies depending on cultural background, which affects the encounter with health care. Nurse's responsibility is to provide care for and treat patients with respect and dignity regardless of ethnicity. During the encounter with patients difficulties may arise in meeting these needs when the understanding of what caused the disease may differ from the nurse. Difficulties in communication and in understanding each culture can lead to misunderstandings. There is a fine line to cultural sensitivity as the patient can easily be treated differently or discriminated against because of their ethnicity. The aim of the thesis is to describe nurse’s experience in encounters between patients with another ethnic background than the majority ethnic population. The method used was a systematic literature review where scientific articles were analyzed. The result is presented in four themes: Understanding the gender perspective in caring, understanding of different modes of expression, knowledge of insight to disease and Educational needs. The result shows that nurses desire more knowledge about culture in their training, and a broader understanding of differences in gender dynamics as cultural encounters were perceived as difficult resulting in a non-caring encounter especially when communication deficiencies were found. Nurses need and want more training about different cultures.

This study seeks to contribute to entry mode literature by introducing the concept of ¡§corporate culture diversity¡¨. Compared to multinational corporations (MNCs) from developed countries, Taiwan¡¦s MNCs have shorter history of internationalization. Therefore, international learning is critical to their entry modes. We examined an original determinant of entry mode choice, proposed and tested the operationalization for a new theoretical construct, namely ¡§corporate culture diversity¡¨. In the theory of knowledge development process, it suggests that MNCs enter a foreign country initially with relatively small commitments, for instance through export, because of the high uncertainty caused by a low level of knowledge regarding the operational environment of the host country. At the later stage, as knowledge development takes place over time and the uncertainty is reduced. MNCs then gradually increase their levels of commitment to the country. MNCs are viewed to go through this sequential and incremental process of internationalization within not only a foreign country but also when they stretch out from one foreign country to another. To establish a new theoretical construct, hypotheses were developed on the entry modes in relation to cultural diversity of a firm¡¦s international experience, a step beyond the conventional theory of how national cultural differences influence entry mode choice. The hypotheses were tested within the framework of organizational learning, using data on 1,156 entries that 376 Taiwanese MNCs carried out in 41 countries and territories during 1986-2006. Additionally, a moderating effect of corporate culture diversity regarding entry modes in countries with high level of cultural distance was also specified. The result shows that not only culture distance at national level and prior experience by the MNC in a host country, but also the culture diversity of the MNC itself has a strong effect on the decision making process of entry mode choice. In addition, the research confirmed the traditional view that the amount of cultural learning needed in a particular host country is an important determinant of mode choice in foreign direct investments. However, less traditionally, the finding that corporate culture diversity that reflects the capacity of an MNC in understanding foreign cultures had a significant increasing effect on the selection of WOSs mode over JVs mode seems to provide an important contribution to this field of research. Most importantly, the novelty of the research is that we have successfully formulated an operationalization of a new construct ¡V the culture diversity at corporate level, a step beyond the national level. The culture diversity reflects the level that an MNC exposes to foreign cultures. Our result contributes to support the importance of the concept of corporate culture diversity. The operationalization of this construct has also been tested and found significant in our empirical test.