This study investigates the interplay between institutional structures, organizational culture, and the efficacy of employment initiatives, focusing on the Swedish Public Employment Service (Arbetsförmedlingen) and its implementation of subsidized employment programs known as "nystartsjobb."  Through qualitative interviews and analysis of existing literature, the study examines how external institutional pressures shape Arbetsförmedlingen's approach to addressing potential exploitation within “nystartsjobb” placements. Findings reveal a complex dynamic wherein the organization navigates formal and informal norms of the labor market while striving to maintain legitimacy and public trust.  Despite acknowledging the risk of employer exploitation, respondents note a lack of proactive measures to prevent exploitation, with interventions typically triggered by specific complaints or suspicions. Furthermore, the study highlights internal organizational attitudes, with nystartsjobb often viewed as a short-term support mechanism rather than a pathway to sustainable employment. The absence of systematic follow-up exacerbates this issue, hindering the program's ability to fulfill long-term employment goals.  Ultimately, the study underscores the significance of both institutional structures and organizational culture in shaping the implementation and outcomes of employment policies, while also prompting considerations for future research on program effectiveness and sustainability.

This paper explores value co-creation and value co-destruction with a focus on the social practices embedded in the online brand community “My Starbucks Idea (MSI).” The objectives of the research are accomplished through a detailed explanation of the study’s stages, starting with the Research design/Planning, and followed by the Community Entry (Entrée), Data collection, Limitations, and Ethical implications. Since the study is exploratory in character, the qualitative research strategy was used. As Bryman and Bell (2011) note, qualitative research gives particular attention to words rather than numbers in the gathering and interpretation of data. This study applied a modified ‘netnographic’ approach, a new qualitative method devised specifically to investigate consumer behaviour vis-à-vis cultures and communities present on the Internet (Kozinets 1998). This study identifies three elements of practice: stalking, gossip, and exhibitionism. It also supports the idea stated by Echeverri & Skålén (2011) that there is no positive without a negative in interactive value formation. Although those authors’ work was focused on the provider-customer interface, the idea proves applicable to the online brand community (OBC) used for illustration in this study. The present study also draws attention to a vital characteristic of practice often forgotten: ‘Language’ as an enabler of all other elements (Whittington 2006). The paper contributes to the knowledge in the practice theory domain, and thus consumer culture, especially relating to OBCs. When using OBCs as a marketing tool, considerable ingenuity must be employed by business managers to gain strategic information and feedback from online forum discussions. Such information can help in the company’s strategic decision making. By building relationships and gaining new customers through the process of collaboration, managers can become more like brand storytellers. Also, such communication can be channelled as a means to create greater awareness, both of the brand and the users’ experiences, along with aiding in the development of better services and products to meet customers’ needs. In the current study, consent was an ethical concern that limited the scope and path taken by the paper. The ten-week research period was another limiting factor in properly covering all of the contextualized consumption activities and gaining sufficient experience within the MSI community.

附屬於台鐵的《暢流》半月刊（1950~1991）是一本為火車乘客、鐵路員工發行的綜合性雜誌，講求「消閒」與「興趣」，內容五花八門，包括詩詞、遊記、書畫金石、人物軼聞、歷史掌故、文化探源、海外新知、文學創作等，堪稱一般大眾居家旅行必備良伴。本研究藉由細讀《暢流》，管窺戰後二十年間的文學文化生產的情況，一方面爬梳《暢流》的發展史及其週邊，一方面由文學研究的角度出發，指出《暢流》的特色、文學史上的定位，以及《暢流》所代表的美學取向。 　　本研究首先交代《暢流》刊史，分從：一、組織面上，說明《暢流》發行單位與歷任主事者的更迭與改組；二、經營面上，說明《暢流》的行銷方式、普及情形、售價調整、叢書出版等概況；三、編輯面上，點出編輯和作者的互動關係，闡釋編輯方針、刊物內容、讀者反應之間的交流與影響。接著，本研究聚焦《暢流》的形式與內容，追溯其承襲日本明治末期及中國民初以來鐵路附屬雜誌之脈絡，並在與同時代報刊的各種功能、類型對比下，照見《暢流》的綜合性。 　　本研究的第二部分，著重以「日常生活理論」分析《暢流》的旅遊書寫與生活新知。在外省人士以「由景點至風景線」的趨勢逐步認識台灣的同時，旅遊活動的頻繁複寫，使我們見到個體在現代的日常世界中，藉著「移動」所呈現的豐沛活力。另外，差異性不斷地展現在《暢流》的旅遊書寫中，展現在旅人對異地風俗、景觀的敏銳感知當中，於是，旅遊書寫的「非常」意義也由此展開。更重要的是，文本中橫貫公路、福隆海水浴場這些「地點神話」的建構過程裡可以得見，隨著五○年代中期以後台海情勢緊張、反共話語沸騰，同時期的《暢流》卻因為滿眼盡是遊山玩水的旅人，遂勾勒出一個現代化社會的輪廓：即連長年備戰的離島空間，都褪去反攻戰略跳板的色彩，而更接近於現代性不斷滲透、施展其神力的實驗場。另一方面，《暢流》的生活常識、科學新知則是時人在濃厚現代性的環境下，對「日常」萬象的期許與再現。 　　承上，本研究的第三部分由日常生活理論提示的「變動」、「流動」出發，析論《暢流》的文學作品內涵及其美學特徵。第一，本研究標舉「日常生活書寫」作為思考五○年代台灣文學的新框架，其具體文本內涵則包括購物活動、鄰里角力、社群關係的解散或重組、對愛情的質詰、以及寫實的社會百態等。第二，《暢流》的日常生活書寫顯示：所謂「反共」集體意識很可能是一種虛張聲勢，當脫去政治框架，「日常」仍將獲得普遍的關注。另外，在現代性的介入使日常不斷流變的歷程裡，「懷鄉」不再只是政治話語的附屬品，而成為日常書寫的同質異構體。 　　對《暢流》的全面探析，有助調校關於五○、六○年代社會實況的刻板印象。在看似政治掛帥、反共聲浪不斷的外象之下，現代性的滲透、現代生活的浮現，一一成為不宜忽略的面向。由此，五○、六○年代台灣文學的文藝美學、活動板塊、評價定位等，將再次走入評家論者的視野，亟待進一步的詮釋。 / With the research strategy of close reading and the methodology of Everyday life and culture theory, this thesis focuses on the Chang-Liou Fortnightly(1950-1991) to discover its developmental history, significant characteristics, and representative position in modern Taiwanese Literature. Aiming at the staff and the passengers, the Chang-Liou Fortnightly is an affiliated comprehensive magazine to the Taiwan Railway Administration, which includes classical poetry, travel notes, traditional Chinese painting, calligraphy, and graphic arts, anecdotes, general knowledge, science and technology, overseas experience, literary works and creative writings, etc. In the first place, this thesis explicates the developmental history of the Chang-Liou Fortnightly in three aspects: 1, at the organizational level; 2, at the management level; and 3, at the editing level. The second part of study borrows a lot from Everyday life and culture theory to analyze the travel notes and the common knowledge in the Chang-Liou. While the mainlanders build a gradual understanding into Taiwan by the sequence which is named as “from scenic spots to landscape”, the frequent replication of tourism activities shows rich vitality in the course of moving and commuting. In addition, we can indicate a strong “non-everydayness” from the observation on local scenery and customs out of the travel notes. Above all, the emergency of “location myth” surrounding the Central Cross-Island Highway and the Fulung Beach for example reflect a modern image and also reveal a modern atmosphere during the martial law period. On the other hand, general knowledge, science and technology, and overseas experience all together outline the “everydayness” in the Chang-Liou. The third part of this thesis, Chapter 4, discuss the meaning, the connotation and the text feature of the literary works especially those written by women writers. In view of “flowing” and “changing” hinted by Everyday life Theory, literary works in the Chang-Liou present a distinctive array of themes including shopping, neighborhood wrestling, interpersonal relation restructuring, questioning love, and investigating social issue. Besides, under the framework of “Everyday life writing”, the widespread perspective on taking the 1950s Taiwanese literature as anti-communist literature requires further reading and revaluation. Therefore, so-called nostalgic prose is no longer the product of political discourse, but another type of practice on Everyday life writing. Studying the Chang-Liou on the Everyday life Theory basis improves the formation of railway magazine history and helps recognize how modernity influences everyday life during the first two decades in postwar Taiwan, so as to urge existing interpretations of 1950s Taiwanese literature and modern Taiwanese female literature to make certain alterations. Although purpose of the magazine is for leisure and for interests, the Chang-Liou expresses serious concern on literature, culture, and society, that is definitely a key notion for further research.

本文以「都市」作為分析西西作品裡的切入點，探討西西創作歷程中以城 市作為主題或場景的作品，呈現出作家眼中的獨特城市風景，書寫與客觀環境 間的關係以及書寫對作家、城市的重要。香港作為一個現代化的城市，其殖民 經驗和九七回歸的政治、社會經驗刺激作家思考本地情感與文化認同。從西西 早期的作品，如《我城》、《美麗大廈》等作品，已呈現細緻流動的城市生 活，瑣碎平凡的文字間透露作家對香港本地的情感與記憶，並以個體實踐和生 命歷程為城市注入新的活力和風采。對城市生活的情感和記憶為香港主權回歸 中國帶來的文化認同思考，帶來穩固的基礎。西西在八○年代後的肥土鎮系列 作品，漸次地反思不同年代的政治、社會問題，看見作家思考問題時轉折的態 度和情感，直至九○年代的《飛氈》追述和想像香港歷史，確立西西對香港的 文化想像和認同情感。隨著時代之變遷，二十一世紀後的小說裡，其城市面貌 與過去有所區別，其因不免是由於政權更易、社會現象改變的客觀環境因素， 亦有作家個人境遇改變的主觀因素。在分析後期作品裡的城市時，西西以其女 性的生命情態與城市之間的思考、寫作對城市背後的政治、經濟思維系統的解 構作用，使西西看待城市時帶著敏銳又滿懷情感的眼光。

A thesis submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy - Flinders University of South Australia, Faculty of Education Humanities, Law and Theology, June 2003. / Title from electronic thesis (viewed 27/7/10)

Ce manuscrit vise une participation à la construction de savoir sur la consommation masculine, une thématique de recherche largement délaissée au profit des représentations féminines en la matière. Inscrite dans le courant de la Théorie Culturelle de la Consommation, la thèse propose d’investiguer à la fois le discours des marques liées à l’apparence et les discours d’hommes investis dans de nouvelles pratiques de consommations connotées du féminin, la lingerie d’hommes. Dans un premier essai, le discours sur la masculinité de 20 marques issues de traditions masculines (Automobiles, High-Tech,...) et de traditions féminines (Mode, Beauté...) est investigué sur une période de 40 ans (des années 1970 à nos jours) pour comprendre les termes du changement de l’identité masculine. Une lecture sémiotique du corpus combinée à une analyse critique de l’histoire socio-culturelle masculine française permet d’interpréter et qualifier l’évolution des imaginaires masculins contenus dans les récits de marques.Dans un deuxième essai, sur la base d’une étude phénoménologique (entretiens individuels avec 21 hommes), l’auteur interroge l’expérience de consommation de lingerie pour hommes en révélant les processus de découverte, d’entrée et d’implication dans une consommation jugée « anomique » jusqu’à peu. La mise en lumière du rôle d’un réseau esthétique féminin qui supporte cette consommation ainsi que les perceptions et bénéfices retirés dans l’entre- nous du couple hétérosexuel permettent d’aborder l’évolution des représentations liées à l’apparence et à l’intime. La recherche permet d’introduire le concept de l’intime dans le champ de l’investigation du consommateur masculin comme un marqueur de l’évolution des consommations masculines. Quatre dimensions du concept d’intimité ont par ailleurs émergé du discours des répondants.7Dans un troisième essai, l’auteur combine l’approche macro et l’approche micro de la consommation masculine dans le but d’éclairer sa participation à la construction des identités masculines. D’abord, la « Maison des hommes » ou les interactions entre pairs masculins permettent de mieux cerner les stratégies d’évitement et les tensions générées par l’adoption des nouveaux codes de consommation de parure proposés par le marché. Emerge notamment une dimension largement sous-investiguée en comportement du consommateur : la question de la relation au père dans la formulation des repaires de consommation. Ensuite, l’auteur propose la notion de limite pour matérialiser les termes des tractations identitaires vécues par les hommes et matérialisées par leurs choix de consommation. Une forte dualité entre schèmes égalitaristes et différentialistes émerge des représentations de l’identité masculine. Cette opposition sert la construction d’un carré sémiotique qui permet de resituer le discours des consommateurs dans le champ idéologique des forces sociales qui structurent les comportements des répondants et d’affiner les différents positionnements masculins. L’intrication de l’identité masculine avec l’identité nationale permet enfin d’apporter le versant français à la conception de l’idéologie masculine américaine de consommation développée par Holt et Thompson (2004). Il est proposé que le concept de performance peut rapprocher les masculinités américaines et françaises bien que des différences d’imaginaires notoires persistent entre les deux cultures de consommation / This doctoral dissertation aims participating in building knowledge on the masculine consumption, a topic that was neglected in consumer research until very recently. Through the Consumer Culture Theory lens, it proposes an investigation of this phenomenon both from brand (producer) and male (consumer) perspectives. The essays progress from public to private discourses on masculinity, combining macro and micro levels of analysis to unpack evolving gender ideologies and consumption.Through a socio-historic perspective, the first essay shows how the masculine identity is evolving from monolith masculinity to contemporary masculinities. The research aims to understand if and how these new cultural values are transferred to brands communication. Using a semiotic approach, masculine archetypes, their values and relationships are underlined by using a Utilitarian vs. Aesthetic semantic axis. A corpus of twenty brands communication of masculine and feminine sectors is analyzed with a past/present perspective. The study reveals an evolution of men’s representations in brands communication. The theoretical implications of the findings are discussed, theorizing especially the metrosexual managerial phenomenon.The second essay investigates male consumers representations and rituals as regard a new and highly feminine inspired product category: men’s lingerie. The process of discovery, entrance and involvement in this consumption is deciphered, the influencers’ roles highlighted and the interactions within the heterosexual couples emphasized. Doing so, the paper participates in building knowledge on the masculine consumption by describing male engagement in “anomic” consumption. It also introduces the concept of intimacy as a marker in the shift in9the masculine identity and proposes four dimensions of this concept as they emerged from consumers’ discourses.Finally the third essay attempts to explore how a new masculine consumption – men’s lingerie- that had clear divisions between men and women, may shape and reinforce men’s socially defined gender roles/identity construction. The author focuses on new identity landmarks, which move the social frontier between the sexes. First, the interactions in- between the male peers are emphasized as a window for the masculine identity construction through consumption. Secondly, the deep contradictions and the negotiations of acceptable masculine norms as expressed by the respondents are interpreted. Finally, the results are located in a macro-level of analysis allowing accounting for the role of the social forces in shaping masculine norms and French masculine schemes compared to the American masculinities described by Holt and Thompson (2004)

La recherche se situe dans le courant de la Consumer Culture Theory dans la lignée de travaux récents visant à comprendre les relations collectives à une marque. La marque n’est plus pensée comme une « chose » fabriquée exclusivement par l’entreprise, mais comme un processus dans lequel sont impliqués de multiples acteurs échappant souvent au contrôle de l’entreprise. La thèse investigue comment la marque s’insère et est insérée dans les réseaux de relations, les pratiques et les représentations des consommateurs au sein de leur famille sur trois générations. La méthodologie est basée sur l’auto-ethnographie, une méthode rarement utilisée dans la recherche sur la marque. Le dispositif déployé permet une compréhension fine des interactions et stratégies des personnes, grâce à la prise en compte du temps long (trente ans) et à la multivocalité. La thèse étend le concept de « cultural branding » au niveau de la famille, en introduisant le concept de « réseau familial de marque » qui rend compte de la façon dont familles et marques s’imbriquent dans notre société. En décrivant une réalité différente des principes de gestion de la marque dans lesquels l’entreprise est supposée influencer un consommateur isolé, la thèse renouvelle les approches conventionnelles de la relation marque-consommateur et complète les approches communautaires de la marque. / This thesis is situated in the research stream called Consumer Culture Theory (CCT), in line with recent research trying to understand the collective relationships to a brand. The brand is no more understood as a “thing” created by a company (brand as a name), but as a process (branding as a verb) in which many participants play different roles, frequently outside the control of the company. The thesis investigates how the brand becomes embedded in the networks of relationships, practices and discourses within a family through three generations. The methodology is based on an autoethnography, a method rarely used in consumer and branding research. This approach enables a deep understanding of the interactions and strategies of people, taking a long-term perspective (thirty years) and considering the multivocality. This thesis is an extension of cultural branding at the family level, by introducing the concept of « brand family network », which reports how families and brands are embedded in our society. The thesis describes a reality different from the traditional principles of brand management, based on the idea that the company is supposed to influence a single consumer. By doing so, it extends the understanding of consumer-brand relationships, and complement the approach of the brand communities.

Thesis (M.Phil.)--Murdoch University, 2006. / Thesis submitted to the Division of Arts. Title from electronic document (viewed 17/4/08). Includes bibliographical references (leaves [137]-146).