Det råder idag bostadsbrist i Sverige men trots detta så är antalet nybyggnationer avbostadslägenheter fortfarande mycket lägre än vad som krävs för att behandla bostadsbristen. Närfastighetsmarknaden befinner sig i en uppgångsfas så ökar bostadsproduktionen av hyresrätter ochinvesteringar på den svenska fastighetsmarknaden. Idag står vi inför en nedgång påfastighetsmarknaden vilket gör att färre investeringar i produktion av bostäder görs trots attefterfrågan samt bostadsbehovet består. Det ligger en osäkerhet i dels vilja och dels förmåga attproducera fler hyresrätter idag. Frågan är vilka faktorer som påverkar fastighetsbolagensinvesteringsbeslut gällande nyproduktion av hyresrätter idag? Detta är en kvalitativ studie som grundas av en empirisk insamling och byggs upp av dels enlitteraturstudie och dels en kvalitativ intervjustudie med en avsikt av att kunna ge stöd för varandra.Insamlingsdatan av litteraturstudien är grundad på tidigare forskning och rapporter som berörämnet. Insamlingsdatan av intervjustudien grundas på 7 intervjuer med aktörer som representerarprivata fastighetsbolag och besitter mycket kunskap om dagens marknad och investeringsbeslut. Resultatet av denna studie visar att den största faktorn som påverkar fastighetsbolagensinvesteringsbeslut gällande nyproduktion är att projektet behöver vara lönsamt och genereraavkastning. Konjunkturen är också en faktor på så sätt att det är svårt att tajma projekt eftersom detär svårt att förutse vad som kommer hända på marknaden i framtiden. Samtliga respondenter anseratt Sveriges bostadsbrist inte är en faktor som påverkar bolagens investeringsbeslut utan att detsnarare är fastighetens geografiska läge som påverkar. Sveriges regelverk och lagar tas också uppsom faktorer där Svea hovrätts nya dom om presumtionshyra påverkar många fastighetsbolagsinvesteringar av hyresrätter. Den stigande räntan, inflationen, avkastningskraven ochproduktionskostnaden är också faktorer som har lett till att fastighetsbolagen är mer defensiva iinvesteringar idag. Det förekommer också vissa skiljaktiga åsikter angående vilken investering som ärmest lönsam: hyresrätter eller bostadsrätter. Detta påverkar också många fastighetsbolag i vilkenupplåtelseform de väljer att investera i. Slutsatsen är att faktorerna som påverkar fastighetsbolagens investeringsbeslut i nyproduktion tillstor del är påverkade av konjunkturläget i samhället. I nuläget kostar det helt enkelt för mycket förfastighetsbolagen att starta nyproduktion. Det går inte att anta ett projekt som genererar en lönsaminvestering, vilket är det viktigaste för alla fastighetsbolag vid ett investeringsbeslut. Ett förslag påvidare forskning är att utvidga arbetet och intervjua ytterligare fastighetsbolag vilket skulle leda tillökad validitet i studien. Det hade varit intressant att göra en likartad studie men att också få in deallmännyttiga fastighetsbolagens perspektiv. Ett ytterligare förslag på vidare forskning är attundersöka forskningsfrågan i andra områden i Sverige eller utifrån ett internationellt perspektiv sområder av andra marknader och förutsättningar. / Today, there is a housing shortage in Sweden, but despite this, the number of new constructions ofresidential apartments is still much lower than what is required to address the housing shortage.When the real estate market is in an upswing, the production of rental properties and investments inthe Swedish real estate market increases. Today we are facing a downturn in the real estate market,which means that fewer investments in the production of housing are made, even though thedemand and the need for housing remain. There is an uncertainty in both the will and the ability toproduce more rental properties today. The question is which factors influence the real estatecompanies' investment decisions regarding new production of rental properties today? This is a qualitative study that is based on an empirical collection and is built up partly by a literaturestudy and partly by a qualitative interview-study with the intention of being able to provide support for each other. The collection data of the literature-study is based on previous research and reports concerning the subject. The interview-study is based on seven interviews with people who representprivate real estate companies and possess a lot of knowledge about today's market and investmentdecisions. The results of this study indicate that the biggest factor that influences real estate companiesinvestment decisions regarding new production is that the project needs to be profitable andgenerate yield. The economy is also a factor in that it is difficult to account for happenings in themarket when planning a project. All respondents believe that Sweden's housing shortage is not afactor that affects companies investment decisions, but rather that it is the property's geographicallocation that affects it. Sweden's regulations and laws are also brought up as a factor. Svea Court ofAppeal's new ruling on presumptive rent has affected many property companies desire to invest inrental properties. The rising interest rate, inflation, yield requirements and production costs are alsofactors that have led to real estate companies being more defensive in investments today. There arealso some differing opinions regarding which investment is more profitable: rental properties orcondominiums. This also affects many property companies in which form of lease they choose toinvest in. The conclusion is that the factors that influence the real estate companies investment decisions innew production are largely influenced by the economic situation in society. Today, it costs too muchfor property companies to start new production. It is not possible to adopt a project that generates aprofitable investment, which is the most important thing for all real estate companies when makingan investment decision. A suggestion for further research is to expand the work and interviewadditional real estate companies, which would lead to increased validity in the study. It would havebeen interesting to do a similar study but to also get the perspective of the public propertycompanies. Another suggestion for further research is to investigate the research question in otherareas in Sweden or from an international perspective that is governed by other markets andconditions.

In this thesis, the response of a provincial government's budgetary decisions with respect to changes in Federal conditional and unconditional grants was investigated with special reference to whether or not the responses of a high income province (Ontario) differed from those of a low income province (New Brunswick). In order to facilitate the analysis, a theoretical framework (called Model I) was set forth in which a province's expenditure and tax responses to changes in net provincial product and Federal grants could be derived. Using this framework, separate equations were estimated for Ontario and for New Brunswick for those expenditures aided by the National Health Grant Program, the Trans-Canada Highway Program, the Hospital Insurance and Diagnostic Services Program, and the categorical welfare programs and the Canada Assistance Plan; and for other aided expenditures, unaided expenditures, and revenue. Since expenditure data were not available according to the definitions required for Model I, separate expenditure equations could not be estimated, within the context of Model I, for education, fish and game, forest~ and lands (settlement and agriculture). Thus, an alternative framework (called Model II) was developed. In Model II, these data difficulties were taken into account through a reformulation of the province's quadratic utility function; this allowed the magnitude of the conditional and unconditional grant coefficients to be derived and interpreted prior to estimation. Nine expenditure equations and one revenue equation were estimated for Ontario and for New Brunswick within the framework of Model II. The major difference between the dependent variables used in Model I and Medel II is that in the latter the dependent expenditure variable for each program area considered separately allows the inclusion of expenditures which may be both aided and unaided whereas in Model I the dependent variable for programs considered separately properly includes expenditures only on those goods and services which are specifically aided by federal conditional grants. On the basis of the empirical estimates of Models I and II, the following conclusions may be drawn: first, Ontario and New Brunswick do not appear to respond to changes in Federal conditional and unconditional grants in the same manner. For example, the empirical estimates of Model I reveal that only New Brunswick's expenditures responded as predicted to the receipt of Federal limited conditional grants in the three limited grant programs considered separately, namely, the General Health Grants' Program, hospital construction, and the Trans-Canada Highway. On the other hand, the empirical estimates of Model II indicate that Federal conditional grants for hospital construction, hospital insurance and diagnostic services, social welfare, and lands (settlement and agriculture) stimulated both provinces' expenditures in these areas during the period from 1948 to 1970; and that Federal grants for the Trans-Canada Highway encouraged Ontario's total road expenditures while gr'-nts received under the General Health Grants' Progran and under the various forestry programs stimulated New Brunswick's expenditures on general and public health and on forests, respectively. With regard to unconditional grants, only Ontario's expenditures on education and New Brunswick's expenditures on lands (settlement and agriculture) were stimulated by their receipt. A second conclusion is that conditional grants stimulate spending on individual programs to a greater degree than do unconditional grants; and, third, unconditional grants are used as a substitute for own source revenue in the case of New Brunswick. In addition, the theoretical models' predictions that a province responds to the same extent to changes in net provincial product and unconditional federal grants is supported in the case of both Ontario and New Brunswick. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Den viktigaste lagen inom socialtjänsten på enhet ekonomiskt bistånd är ramlagen socialtjänstlagen (2001:453). Utifrån socialtjänstlagen kan socialsekreterarna på enhet ekonomiskt bistånd dokumentera, bedöma, utreda och ta ett beslut gällande rätten till olika slags bistånd för enskilda individer. För att socialsekreterarna skall kunna fatta olika beslut på ett korrekt sätt måste detta göras utifrån ett rättssäkerhetsperspektiv, då det handlar om påverkandet av andra individers ekonomiska och sociala situation. Uppsatsen syftar till att förstå hur socialsekreterarna i sin yrkesroll upplever att dokumentera, bedöma och utreda rätten till ekonomiskt bistånd, ur ett rättssäkerhetsperspektiv och vilka för och nackdelar detta i sin tur kan leda till. Uppsatsen syftar även till att förstå hur handlingsutrymmet i socialsekreterarnas yrkesroll påverkas. Vi har använt oss av en kvalitativ ansats i form av semistrukturerade intervjuer för att få en djupare inblick av intervjupersonernas egna upplevelser av arbetet som socialsekreterare. Vi har intervjuat sex socialsekreterare som arbetar på socialtjänsten inom enhet ekonomiskt bistånd. Resultatet visade bland annat att socialsekreterarna ser socialtjänstlagen (2001:453) som en trygghet. De anser att de som har erfarenhet av arbetet också har möjlighet till ett stort handlingsutrymme när de fattar beslut. Rättssäkerheten kan enligt socialsekreterarna påverkas både positivt och negativt beroende på de individuella bedömningar som handlingsutrymmet och socialtjänstlagen (2001:453) ger utrymme för. / The most important law in social services at economic assistance is the framelaw “socialtjänstlagen” (2001: 453). Based on the “socialtjänstlag”, the social workers at the economic assistance should document, assess, investigate and make decisions regarding rights to various kinds of assistance for individuals. Social workers should be able to make different decisions in a proper way. This must be done from a legal certainty perspective, when it comes to exerting influence of other individuals’ economic and social situation. The purpose of this study is to explore and understand how the professional role of social workers at economic assistance on social services experience to document, assess and investigate rights to economic assistance, from a legal certainty perspective and what advantages or disadvantages for the social workers, this can lead to. Also how the social workers experience that their discretion can be affected in their professional role. We have used a qualitative approach in the form of semi-structured interviews to gain a deeper insight of the interviewees’ own experience of working as a social worker. We interviewed six social workers working in social services within the economic assistance. The results showed that the social workers see “socialtjänstlagen” (2001:453) as a security. They believe that those social workers who have a longer experience of the work also have the opportunity for a wide discretion when making decisions. The legal certainty according to social workers affected both positively and negatively, depending on the individual assessments that discretion and the “socialtjänstlagen” (2001:453) provides space for.

This dissertation consists of three essays on firms' behaviors under staggered treatment adoption. The first essay draws information from a micro-lender and a credit bureau to identify the causal effects of small loans on the financial health of a group of small U.S. business owners. To achieve this, we exploit temporal variations in the loan disbursements and use an estimation strategy that controls for potential biases due to treatment effect heterogeneity. The results suggest that even small loans are effective in generating lasting positive impacts on widely accepted financial health indicators, such as Vantage Score (Credit Score), Debt-to-Income Ratio, and Credit Utilization Ratio. We obtain similar robust results for subprime and startup borrowers, who are known to face difficulties in securing credit. The second essay combines unionization data from the National Labor Relations Board and financial data from Compustat to examine the causal effects of unionization on the financing decisions of publicly traded firms in the United States. In this essay, I exploit temporal variations in the election date of unionization across firms and use a dynamic difference-in- difference estimation strategy to identify the effects of unionization on a range of financial indicators, including the Debt-to-Equity ratio, market leverage, book leverage, long-term book leverage, net leverage and cash to asset ratio. I find that unionization negatively affect firms' financing decisions. For example, after unionization, firms rely less on leverage to raise capital. At the same time, unionization offers incentive to firms to hold more cash in hand. My analysis also suggests that the effects of unionization vary according to the political and institutional structure of the states in which firms operate. For instance, the impacts on the outcome variables are more pronounced for the firms in democrat-led states and for firms which operate in states without right-to-work laws. The effects of unionization are also more noticeable for multi-establishment firms versus one-establishment firms. In addition, we find that the effects vary according to the margin of support for unionization within a firm. The third essay examines the causal effects of unionization on innovation activities of publicly traded firms in the United States. As in the case of chapters 1 and 2, the analysis uses a dynamic difference-in-difference estimation strategy on a dataset that is compiled using information on unionization data from the National Labor Relations Board, financial data from Compustat and KPSS patent data. My analysis encompasses a wide range of innovation indicators, including the number of patents, number of forward citations, market value of patents, average citations, number of patents to RandD expenditures ratio, number of citations to RandD expenditures ratio, number of patents per 1000 employees, capital expenditures to sales ratio and RandD expenditures to sales ratio. The findings suggest a small positive impact of unionization on most of these innovation indicators, with the exception of market value of patents and number of patents to RandD expenditures ratio. I also find that the effects of unionization vary according to political orientations of states, industry type, firm size and firm age. The results demonstrate that the effects on innovation are more pronounced for smaller and younger firms and for firms operating in democrat-led states as well as manufacturing firms. / Doctor of Philosophy / This thesis is a collection of three self-contained essays that examine the firms' behaviors in contexts where not all the units received the treatment at the same point in time. In the first essay, we investigate how small loans affect the financial health of small business owners. By analyzing data from a lender and credit bureau, we identify the causal effects of receiving loans on the financial health of borrowers. The results indicate that even small loans have a positive and lasting impact on credit scores, debt-to-income ratios, and credit utilization ratios. This research also sheds light on the effects of loans on borrowers with less favorable credit status or those starting a new business, who often face challenges in accessing credit. In the second essay, the focus shifts to the impact of unionization on the financing decisions of publicly traded firms in the United States. We examine the causal effects of unionization on various financial indicators. The findings reveal a negative effect of unionization on metrics such as debt-to-equity ratio, market leverage, and book leverage. However, cash holdings experience an increase. Furthermore, the effects of unionization vary based on the political and institutional structure of the states where firms operate, as well as the margin of support for unionization within a firm. The impact of unionization is more pronounced in democrat- led/without right-to-work law states, multi-establishment firms and when the support for unionization is stronger among employees. In the third essay, we investigate the effects of unionization on innovation activities within publicly traded firms in the United States. By analyzing unionization data, financial data, and patent data, the study examines the causal effects of unionization on various innovation indicators. The results reveal a small positive impact of unionization on most innovation indicators, such as the number of citations, number of patents per 1000 employees as well as ratio of number of citations to RandD expenditures. However, the effects on market value of patents and number of patent-to-RandD expenditure ratios are not statistically significant. Moreover, the analysis considers factors like political orientations of states in which the firms operate, industry type, firm size and firm age. The findings indicate that the effects on innovation outcomes are more pronounced for smaller firms, younger firms, firms operating in democrat-led states and manufacturing firms.

Den svenska aktiemarknaden har genomgått en märkbar förändring de senaste åren, med en ökning av intresset för aktier bland unga. Samtidigt står samhället inför utmaningar att hantera bristen på kunskap när det gäller att fatta ekonomiska beslut. Det är av stor betydelse att kunna fatta välgrundade finansiella val, då det har en omfattande påverkan på både individen och samhällets ekonomiska välbefinnande.  Mot bakgrund av att allt fler unga människor tar ekonomiska beslut redan i tidig ålder är det nödvändigt att undersöka vad som påverkar finansiell läskunnighet. Finansiell läskunnighet innebär att ha en grundläggande förståelse för finansiella begrepp och att ha förmågan att fatta välgrundade beslut. Tidigare forskning betonar att flera faktorer har en viktig roll vid undersökning av finansiell läskunnighet, inklusive kön, ålder och utbildning. Dessutom är det avgörande att framhäva vikten av att förstå risktolerans vid finansiella beslut. Den finansiella risktoleransen avser den grad av osäkerhet som en individ är villig att acceptera.  Syftet med studien är att genomföra en undersökning av finansiell läskunnighet bland individer i Norra Sverige och identifiera faktorer som kan påverka och främja en ökning av finansiell läskunnighet. Med hänsyn till den växande trenden som unga människor har på aktiemarknaden, är det särskilt relevant att undersöka vad som bidrar till ökad finansiell läskunnighet. För att besvara studiens syfte har en enkätundersökning konstruerats och svaren har analyserats med hjälp av statistiska tester.  Resultaten av studien, som baserar sig på ett stickprov om 100 individer, visar att kön inte har någon betydande påverkan på finansiell läskunnighet. Däremot är ålder en faktor som påverkar nivån av finansiell läskunnighet, individer i åldersgruppen 18–44 år visade sig ha högre finansiell läskunnighet än de som var 45 år och äldre. I den här studien är också utbildningsnivå en betydande faktor för att förstå finansiell läskunnighet, vilket stöder tidigare forskning. Sambandet mellan finansiell läskunnighet och risktolerans kunde inte bekräftas i denna studie. Därmed kan det konstateras att utbildning och ålder är de faktorer som bidrar till högre nivå av finansiell läskunnighet, vilket understryker vikten av att främja utbildning i finansiell läskunnighet i tidig ålder. Studien bidrar till en ökad medvetenhet om finansiell läskunnighet i Norra Sverige och lägger grund för fortsatt forskning kring faktorer som kan bidra till att öka finansiell läskunnighet och främja en mer hållbar ekonomisk framtid för individer och samhället som helhet.

The emergence of online stores specializing in fast fashion apparel has presented a significant challenge to brick-and-mortar stores and has had detrimental consequences for the environment. Consequently, it is essential for physical stores to stay informed about emerging trends in physical store design. Currently, the fashion industry is acknowledged as a highly detrimental sector in terms of its environmental impact, attributable to its extensive utilization of harmful chemicals, substantial consumption of energy and water resources, and contribution to waste generation and pollution. Therefore, it is imperative to adopt more sustainable practices when it comes to purchasing apparel, particularly in light of sustainability concerns. Moreover, physical second-hand stores play a crucial role in promoting sustainability by offering pre-owned items. To attract customers, these stores need to cultivate a more appealing ambiance and atmosphere. To achieve this, the implementation of a sensory marketing strategy within physical second-hand stores can be employed to enhance the customer experience. By engaging the senses of smell, touch, vision, and hearing in a cohesive manner, a sensory marketing strategy can potentially contribute to a more enjoyable shopping experience and attract customers to physical second-hand stores. This study adopts a qualitative approach, collecting empirical data through semi-structured interviews with female participants aged between 18 and 60 years old in Sweden. The interviewees consisted of individuals who frequently made purchases in physical second-hand stores, as well as those who did so less frequently. The empirical findings were subsequently analyzed in conjunction with the existing literature. The research findings conclude that the implementation of sensory marketing techniques in physical second-hand stores has the potential to enhance the store's image, market position, and overall attractiveness. Creating congruence among the senses can result in a positive customer experience and a pleasant atmosphere, thereby increasing the likelihood of customers choosing to purchase apparel from second-hand stores. Additionally, the study reveals a growing interest among customers in sustainable shopping choices, leading to an increased inclination to opt for second-hand items.

The forest plays a large role both nationally and internationally towards a sustainable planet. Therefore, understanding non-industrial private forest owners’ preferences is important to achieve the environmental targets, since they are a large ownership group in Sweden. The present study focusses on non-industrial private forest owners’ harvesting decisions in Norrbotten. Furthermore, the study extends to analyze how the forest owners’ preferences towards promotion of ecosystem services are affected if compensation is offered. To understand the harvesting decisions of non-industrial private forest owners’, an empirical approach was used where a questionnaire was constructed. The data were analyzed through logistic regression. The results suggest that non-industrial private forest owners’ harvesting decision is positively affected by previous experience in the forest, days present in the forest, membership in a forest cooperative and a price increase of timber. Forest owners with economic objectives harvest more than owners with no or other objectives. No significant relationship between nature- and economic objectives in the harvesting decisions were identified. The results related to willingness to promote ecosystem services for compensation indicated ambiguous results.

The nation is facing a physician shortage, specifically in relation to primary care and in rural underserved areas. The most basic function of a medical school is to educate physicians to care for the national population. The purpose of this study was to examine the physician practicing characteristics of the graduates of East Tennessee State University Quillen College of Medicine including factors that influence graduates’ specialty choices and practice locations, especially those related to primary care. Secondary data for this study were collected from the college’s student database system and the American Medical Association Physician Masterfile. The study population included all living graduates with Doctor of Medicine (MD) degrees who graduated from 1998 through 2009 (n=678). Statistical procedures included Pearson Chi-square, logistic regression, independent t tests, ANOVA, and multiple linear regression. Data analyses revealed that the majority of graduates were between 24 and 29 years of age, male, white, non-Hispanic, and from metropolitan hometowns. Most had completed the generalist track and initially entered a primary care residency training program. The majority passed USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 on the first attempt. The USMLE Step 2-CK average was 212.50. The average cumulative GPA was 3.44. Graduates were nearly evenly divided between primary care and nonprimary care practice, with the majority practicing in metropolitan areas. Graduates who initially entered primary care residency training were more likely to practice primary care medicine than those who entered nonprimary care programs; however, fewer graduates were practicing primary care than had entered primary care residency training. Graduates who attended internal medicine residency training were less likely to be practicing primary care medicine than those who attended family medicine, pediatrics, or OB/GYN programs. Women and Rural Primary Care Track graduates were significantly more likely to practice primary care than were men and generalist track graduates, respectively. Nonprimary care physicians had significantly higher USMLE Step 2-CK scores than did primary care physicians (PCPs). PCPs practiced in more rural locales than non-PCPs. Family physician graduates tended to practice in more rural locales than OB/GYNs or pediatricians. Hometown location predicted practice location over and above medical school track.

Background: Accreditation of local health departments (LHDs) has been identified as a crucial strategy for strengthening the public health infrastructure. Research Objective: To identify the role of organizational and structural factors on accreditation-seeking decisions of LHDs. Of particular interest is the effect of rurality on the likelihood of seeking accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). Data Sets and Sources: Data were obtained from the NACCHO 2013 National Profile of Local Health Departments Study (2013 Profile Study). The 2013 Profile Study includes a core questionnaire (core,) that was sent to all LHDs, and two modules, sent to a sample. Variables were selected from the core and module one for this project. LHDs were coded as “urban”, “micropolitan”, or “rural” based on Rural/Urban Commuting Area codes for the zip code of the LHD address. “Micropolitan” includes census tracts with towns of between 10,000 and 49,999 population and census tracts tied to these towns through commuting. “Rural” includes census tracts with small towns of fewer than 10,000 population, tracts tied to small towns, and isolated census tracts. Both “micropolitan” and “rural” categories are considered rural by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. Study Design: Cross-sectional. Analysis: Binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to predict PHAB accreditation decision. The variable for PHAB accreditation decision was created from the 2013 Profile Study question, “Which of the following best describes your LHD with respect to participation in the PHAB’s accreditation program for LHDs?” LHDs that selected “My LHD has submitted an application for accreditation” or “My LHD has submitted a statement of Intent” were coded as “Seeking PHAB Accreditation.” LHDs that selected “My LHD has decided NOT to apply for accreditation” or “The state health agency is pursuing accreditation on behalf of my LHD” were coded as “Not Seeking PHAB Accreditation.” Predictors included variables related to rurality, governance, funding, and workforce. Findings: From a sample of 448, approximately 6% of LHDs surveyed had either submitted their letter of intent or full accreditation application. Over two-thirds were either not seeking accreditation or deferring to the state agency. LHDs located in urban communities were 30.6 times (95% CI: 10.1, 93.2) more likely to seek accreditation compared to rural LHDs. LHDs with a local board of health were 3.5 times (95% CI: 1.6, 7.7) more likely to seek accreditation (controlling for rurality). Additionally, employing an epidemiologist (aOR=2.4, 95% CI: 1.2, 4.9), having a strategic plan (aOR=14.7, 95% CI: 6.7, 32.2), and higher per capita revenue (aOR=1.02, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.02) were associated with higher likelihood of seeking PHAB accreditation. Conclusions: Specific geographic, governance, leadership, and workforce factors were associated with intention to seek accreditation. Implications: Rural LHDs are less likely to seek accreditation. This lower likelihood of seeking accreditation likely relates to a myriad of challenges (e.g., lower levels of staffing and funding). Simultaneously, rural populations experience health disparities related to risky health behaviors, health outcomes, and access to medical care. Through accreditation, rural LHDs can become better equipped to meet the needs of their communities.

<p>As the economy recovered with the winding down of the pandemic, businesses with complex supply chains could not bring their inventories back to optimal levels as their production was susceptible to disruption due to supply outages. Deriving optimal ordering policies as a way to mitigate the impact of production disruption represents a challenge in multi-stage decision problems given the complexity of the network and the uncertainty in the demand.</p> <p><br></p> <p>In the first part of the thesis, we formulate a stochastic inventory control problem for a general supply network model. Using the Bellman’s recursion and properties of the cost function at each stage, we characterize the optimal request decision as a threshold policy where the threshold computation is based on the marginal cost. Lastly, we validate that the policy developed minimizes the inventory cost and meets an exogenous random demand. However, the policy does not guarantee that the inventory level for each firm satisfies the constraints when a supply disruption occurs in the network.</p> <p><br></p> <p>In the second part of the thesis, we consider a serial network in which firms engage in production subject to disruption risk and they look to maximize their profit. We propose an algorithm to characterize a stationary optimal policy based on the closed-form solutions obtained from a discounted finite horizon problem for profit maximization. Finally, by computing the policy proposed as a function of the tier’s location and its disruption probability, we provide simulation results of the disruption effect in the supply network.</p>