This thesis contributes original knowledge through an inclusive design approach to lowering language and communication barriers in healthcare and suggests shifting the discussion from culture to context to lower intra-cultural hindrances towards learning English amongst some ethnic minorities. It offers an adaptable, scalable concept for gathering data on ethnic minorities (considering both different generations and religions) and employs a framework based analysis in design. Over the course of three studies grounded on theoretical insights from literature, primary research lead to the development and testing of innovative aids for communication, including educative and motivational elements. This research began by seeking to understand ethnic minority consumers (EMCs) perceptions of any barriers hindering their take-up of products or services in the UK, and their preferences. This is particularly significant as the UK s EMC population is predicted to double by 2051 and to diversify further, presenting challenges for social cohesion and planning future community goals. EMCs also represent a significant market for service and product providers. The research focussed on EMCs from the Indian Subcontinent based on religions and generations. It highlighted that first generation females lacking English and/or literacy (across religions and age groups) faced problems with services and issues around empowerment . The importance of improved access to healthcare was a strong theme. On investigating NHS staffs perceptions, five barriers were identified (Language barriers; Low-literacy; a Lack of understanding; Attitudes, gender and health beliefs; and Information retention) and that a female subgroup was particularly affected. This study sets out staffs perceptions of the aids currently employed and suggestions of what would help. It identified a (currently) low use of visual communication aids in adult-patient care and that pharmacist-patient communication in pharmacies was low. Ideally, staff would like patients to learn English and to use more low-cost visual communication aids. These findings lead to the development of innovative visual communication aids through inclusive and user-centred approaches and participatory design and brainstorming methods. This enabled the development of aids by considering the needs of NHS staff, EMCs lacking English and/or literacy and indigenous elderly people to promote better patient-staff communication including a take-away educational element for learning English at home.

Ambush marketing has recently become a large problem for event owners and official sponsors. One of the main focuses, in the field of ambush marketing, has been about consumers' attitudes towards ambush marketing. However, the research field has a gap in what affects consumers’ attitudes. The purpose of this thesis is to explain the causal effect between consumers’ culture factors and their attitudes towards ambush marketing. This thesis uses a conceptual model that is based on theories in national culture, marketing and psychology. This thesis uses a positive, deductive approach with an explanatory research design. The quantitative method is a survey that is handed out to Swedish students and exchange students from China. Analyses show that consumers' culture has a significant correlation to their attitudes towards ambush marketing. Consumers in cultures with high power distance and/or collectivism, have a significant stronger negative attitude towards ambush marketing, compared to consumers who have low power distance and/or individualism. The theoretical implications in this thesis fill the gap about what causal effect culture factors have on consumers’ attitudes towards ambush marketing. This thesis has also contributed to the more controversial belief, that the consumers’ do not have such negative attitude towards ambush marketing. The findings will be of managerial use for event owners who are taking actions against the ambush companies. Limitation of this study is that theory on the cultural factors is only based on one theoretical framework, Hofstede’s cultural dimensions.

The main objective of the research described in this thesis was to investigate and understand the origins of culturally-determined usability problems in the context of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) to develop a method for treating this issue, when designing systems intended to be shared by culturally-heterogeneous user groups, such as Computer Supported Co-operative Work (CSCW) systems and the Internet. The resulting approach supports HCI designers by providing an alternative to internationalisation and localisation guidelines, which are inappropriate for tackling culturally-determined usability problems in the context of shared-systems. The research also sought to apply and test the developed approach in order to assess its efficacy and to modify or improve it accordingly.

This dissertation consists of two essays: one looks at the cross-country variations in volume-price variability relationship and cultural and other country factors, and the other looks at cause and effects of large one-day price changes in commodity futures. The first essay presented in Chapter 1 investigates the effect of cultural and other country factors on the dynamic relation between market-wide trading activity and price variability in 20 countries. The results show that individualism and masculinity are positively related to volume-variability relation; other country factors including information asymmetry, financial development, short sale and age distribution are also closely related to the volume-variability relation. Specifically, the return-variability relation is stronger in less financially-developed countries with short-sale constraints and high information asymmetry. The second essay presented in Chapter 2 examines the causes and effects of large price changes in 26 commodity futures. The results indicate that announcements of macroeconomic news, the maturity effect, and the seasonal effect can explain the futures price movements of food (non-grains), grain, and livestock better than those of energy and metal. Without controlling for other factors, I find some support for the overreaction theory, especially following negative large price changes in closing. However, controlling for macro factors or market conditions, there is no support for overreactions.

Culture is an important business element which can make the difference between success and failure for businesses that will expand abroad. The differences between two cultures do not have to vary to a large extent, but they still have to be considered. Hence knowledge about culture plays an important role in a company's decision making process. This master thesis is focused on selected aspects of cultural differences and their influence on the international marketing mix. The first part of the thesis contains a theoretical overview of culture and some of the main research which has been done through history: Hofstede and Trompenaars. Further on theory about Philip Kotlers' four P's are discussed, as well as how the culture elements influence the international marketing mix. The practical part consists of a case study of the international marketing mix Häagen-Dazs uses on the Chinese market. It starts with general knowledge about Häagen-Dazs, their products and their strategy in the United States. Then it continues with basic information about China, Chinas' history and culture which is relevant to understand the changes Häagen-Dazs have made on their marketing mix used in China. Further analyses of Häagen-Dazs' marketing mix on the Chinese market is discussed. The emphasis is put on the elements which are adapted to the Chinese culture and why these changes were made. The practical part also includes Hofstede's analyses about China and sees if these analyses are applicable on the marketing mix that Häagen-Dazs use. As a closure of the practical part further recommendations for Häagen-Dazs' in China have been conducted with emphasis on adaption to the Chinese culture.

This thesis explores how and why gender wage inequality persisted in Australia during the period 1990 to 2003. A review of the wage data indicated that Australian inequality persisted during this period and even increased in Western Australia. An analysis of the literature and published tribunal decisions showed that the focus of action relating to gender wage equality was on the formal industrial relations system, through legislation and tribunal decisions. As the literature also indicated that these measures had failed to assist many female-dominated occupations, it was felt useful to examine the views of key stakeholders in the formal industrial relations system. Given the mainly quantitative and aggregate data analysis of previous empirical literature and the theoretical literature’s growing focus on less quantifiable social factors, it was felt that qualitative research would add to the analysis of gender wage determination. This thesis uses in-depth interviews with stakeholders in the federal and Western Australian industrial relations systems to examine the period 1990 to 2003. Their perceptions and observations are triangulated with published wage data from selected occupations. / Interviewees felt that the persistence of gender wage inequality was a complex artifact. An artifact of economic, industrial relations, social and cultural factors, combined with the biological and psychological attributes of all involved in decisions before and in the workplace. While much of the gender wage gap literature has been focused on the economic, industrial relations, or legal aspects of wage inequality, this thesis uniquely demonstrates why and how social and cultural influences also act to create persistent gender wage inequality. As much as action is taken in the legal and political arena to create equality, the players in the industrial relations system, consciously or not, both male and female, say that they have helped to (re)construct the gender wage gap. The implications are that in order to achieve gender wage equality, action cannot be left only to legislation and activity in the courts, but is also needed at the social and cultural level. Such action could be taken within the enterprise as well as in the school, community and home.

This project explores the 'maternal migration effect'. Following migration to a high-income country with a low maternal mortality rate, we assume that some immigrant women’s reliance upon maternal practices that respond to a low-income, high-mortality context can adversely affect care-seeking and utilization of treatment facilities. At highest risk in the United Kingdom and Sweden are those from Africa's Horn, particularly Somali women who have experienced diasporic migration. By applying constructivist qualitative methods as proxies for medical anthropology, we propose a framework for identifying socio-cultural factors, and then we explore how these can influence the western facility-based maternity care encounter. Study 1 proposes a conceptual framework to understand why sub-Saharan African immigrants might experience adverse childbirth outcomes in western settings. Analysis was guided by 'naturalistic inquiry method' to explore delay-causing socio-cultural factors to optimal maternity treatment. Delays can result from (a) broken trust underlying women’s late-booking or refusal of treatment interventions, and care provider frustration; (b) over-reliance on poorly-functioning interpreter services that deny women’s access to medical expertise; and (c) mutual broken trust and miscommunication, and limited development of guidelines for treatment avoidance. Limited coherence exists in the perspectives between women and providers about caesarean section and other interventions, refusal of treatment, and coping strategies following adverse birth outcomes. Care providers' held misconceptions about women’s preferences for gender- and ethnic-congruence. Women preferred competent care. Congruent language was identified as the key ingredient for optimal culture-sensitive care. Study 2 applied 'grounded dimensional analysis' and 'functional narrative analysis' to explore pre-migration socio-cultural factors that influence Somali parents' childbearing in Sweden. Women’s delayed care-seeking continues, despite that childbearing is still perceived as life-threatening. Decision-making is shared between the couple. Men more than women trust care providers to fill gaps in their knowledge. The postpartum period showed that fathers play an important role. "Aftercare" concerns include unarticulated sexual aversion combined with loss of traditional kin support. Women's autonomy is enhanced but greater necessity exists for intimate partner communication and reliance upon professional care services. Medical anthropology can provide a complementary instrument for developing qualitative evidence-based strategies that target prevention of adverse childbirth outcomes in European countries.

The important problems for marketing companies in the Czech Republic are how to exposure determinants that lead consumer to decision of buying certain products and which factors influence the consumer purchasing, Through this, Czech marketing companies can understand deeply their consumer behaviour and issue suitable strategies so they can develop their companies and whole industry more. The objective of the study is: To exploit the factors that influence buying decision when buying certain product (water) for young consumers in the Czech market. This thesis contributes to the current academic research through; 1. It can identify the factors affecting the consumer behaviour in the Czech market for a certain product. 2. It can contribute to the next academic research as a reference. 3. Researches can use the findings to gain deep understanding of the consumer decision when buying certain product categories in the Czech Republic.

Background: Over the years, Data Analytics (DA) has gained much attention enabling the extraction of valuable insights from the massive amount of data that is being produced every day. To exploit DA practices, various requirements for its successful usage are needed. Organizational Culture (OC) is provenly one critical intangible resource that is required for DA practices. However, there is a lack of existing research about what factors and values of OC facilitate DA practices. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore what role OC plays for DA practices and how OC can support the effective use of DA in a company. This research is guided by the research question: What are facilitating factors and underlying values of OC for DA Practices? By exploring and linking the two concepts of DA and OC, the study aims to provide a greater understanding of OC for DA practices. This offers insights for DA practitioners and managers to handle their specific OC and guide DA more targeted. Method: Following an inductive, qualitative study with an exploratory research design, the authors conducted 12 semi-structured interviews. The interviewees were selected through purposive sampling and represent two different perspectives: DA experts and DA collaborators. By conducting a Grounded Analysis, a deeper understanding of OC factors and values was created, leading to a final framework of an OC for DA practices.  Conclusion: The study results illustrate various OC factors that facilitate DA practices. These factors differ between subcultures, which are represented by four groups of actors. Three factors were identified as superior, as they had an enabling effect on DA practices in the investigated OCs. Finally, the study derived five underlying values, representing a shared cultural mindset among organizational members, that facilitate DA practice.

This thesis is a comparative case study of induction programmes from five different countries: Britain, Australia, New Zealand, United States, and Canada. The intent was to investigate pedagogical and structural factors prevailing within these induction programmes that would encourage the confluence of pre-service, induction, and in-service education. An examination of how these induction programmes might enhance ongoing professional development opportunities for the beginning teacher was also undertaken. Based on a review of literature concerning i) issues, parameters, and pedagogical perspectives of teacher education; ii) the socialization experiences and instructional challenges of beginning teachers; and iii) the processes, academic systems, and programme variations of induction the argument is made that many conflicting and complex pedagogical variables as well as historical, cultural, and educational factors may influence the establishment and institutionalization of induction. A qualitative research methodology was employed using naturalistic inquiry techniques within a case and field study design. Data was derived from interviews, extant documentations, field notes, and evaluation summaries over a three-year period. Documented evidence revealed that no two induction programmes were iden'tical, although various academic, governance and organisational factors did indicate similarities within and among various countries. Confluence of the three stages of teacher education were generally absent from most programmes. Teacher assessment and supervision were identified as important strategies that could either enhance or obstruct professional development among beginning teachers. Self-evaluative activities incorporated as basic teacher assessment procedures were also profiled as critical factors in promoting a self directed beginning teacher. From these findings an identification of five distinguishable paradiams of induction were developed. The five models have been categorized as the laissez-faire model, the Collegial model, the formalized mentor-protege model, the mandated competency-based model, and the self-directing professional model. The latter was absent from the induction programmes that were investigated. Thirteen recommendations were proposed based upon the research findings. Twelve recommendations described how induction may enhance the confluence of teacher education as well as how induction may establish continuous development for beginning teachers. A thirteenth recommendation identified how programme efficacy may be achieved within induction.