With up to four generations working together in today’s workforce, research suggests that managers may feel overwhelmed at the idea of strategically managing the diversity of work values amongst their teams. Many studies suggest practical implications for managing a generationally diverse work force, however strong opposition does exist questioning the impact that generation alone has on work values and management strategy. There exists a lack of research studying how managers themselves perceive these conclusions regarding generational differences in work values, and their effect on how they should manage their teams, an intriguing scenario, as it is them whom the conclusions have been derived for. As such the purpose of this study was to be one of the first to determine the degree to which practicing managers acknowledge common conclusions pertaining to the effect an employee’s generation has on their work values, and it’s relevance in management strategy.   The research followed a deductive approach as existing theories and conclusions were tested with the perceptions of practicing managers. A qualitative design allowed for the researchers to engage with respondents in a way that is not possible through a quantitative survey, avoiding the potential overgeneralizations already perceived by some to be abundant in the field. 11 experienced respondents from a single company within the engineering consultancy industry were interviewed addressing three research questions.   Results of the study revealed that practicing managers do recognize work value differences between generations, showing consistencies with existing research however with some deviations in certain work values.  Analysis of results revealed that generation was not the only contributing factor in these differences. Factors such as age, life stage and career stage, as well as industry trends were also revealed to be factors. Generation was not found to be an important influence on an employee’s individual work values compared to individual traits such as one’s personal upbringing, as well as other external, and dynamic factors. Generation was also not an important consideration when creating project teams. As such, understanding employees as individuals was regarded as more relevant than generation in the context of management strategy. Two preliminary models were developed to illustrate the theories and were updated reflecting the results of the analysis.   The study added to the existing body of knowledge by gaining insight on the idea of generational work value differences from a unique perspective by employing a different methodology than commonly seen in the area.

Bakgrund: Underprissättning vid börsintroduktioner är ett väldokumenterat fenomen med flera teoretiska infallsvinklar, men kvarstår fortfarande som ett utav pusslen inom finansiell ekonomi. Underprissättningen, som avser en positiv avkastning efter första handelsdagens slut, skiljer sig i nivå mellan länder och över olika tidsperioder. Formella och informella institutioner är viktiga dimensioner för att förstå företagens och investerarnas strategier, vilket gör att den institutionella miljön även kan förväntas förklara skillnader i underprissättningsnivån. Syfte: Studiens syfte är att undersöka om och hur formella och informella institutioner kan förklara variationen i underprissättningsnivån mellan länder. Metod: Studien följer ett kvantitativt förhållningssätt där 16 hypoteser deduceras. Dessa hypoteser består av olika formella och informella institutionella faktorer som förväntas påverka underprissättningsnivån. Det empiriska materialet består av 6993 börsintroduktioner för perioden mellan 2006 och 2014 och utgör data från 25 länder med olika institutionella karaktärsdrag. Korrelationer undersöks genom en korrelationsmatris medan sambanden analyseras med hjälp av multipla regressioner. Resultat: Resultaten visar att den institutionella miljön har en signifikant påverkan på underprissättningsnivån. En högre kvalité på de formella institutionerna minskar underprissättningsgraden, främst som en följd av att problemen med informationsasymmetrier reduceras. Graden av underprissättning påverkas också av skillnader i informella institutioner där olika kulturella miljöer och normer framhäver skilda beteenden hos börsintroduktionens inblandade parter. / Background: IPO underpricing is a well-documented phenomenon with several theoretical approaches, but it is still one of the puzzles within financial economics. Underpricing, which refers to a positive return after the first day of trade, differ in level between countries and over time. Formal and informal institutions are important dimensions to understand the strategies used within businesses and by investors, which allows the institutional environment to also explain the variations in the level of underpricing. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine if and how formal and informal institutions can explain the variation in level of underpricing between countries. Method: The study follows a quantitative research approach where 16 hypotheses are derived. These hypotheses consist of different formal and informal institutional factors which are expected to explain the differences in the level of underpricing. The empirical data consists of 6993 IPOs between the period of 2006 and 2014 and represents 25 countries with different institutional characteristics. The correlations between the variables are examined in a correlation matrix while the relationships are analyzed by the use of multiple regressions. Conclusions: The results show that the institutional environment has a significant impact on the level of underpricing. A higher quality in the formal institutions reduces the level of underpricing, mainly because of reduced problems with information asymmetry. The level of underpricing is also affected by differences in informal institutions, where different cultural environments and values emphasize different behaviors of the IPO involved parties.

The thesis examines attitudes towards outdoor advertising, with strong emphasis on gender-based differences. The research intends to reveal the most influencing factors, including gender, format, different images and recall. Earlier researchers have argued that females are inclined to rate advertisements more positively than men. Five different, but interconnected studies, one content analysis and four surveys, were implicated in order to measure the responses to advertising. It is further suggested that positive attitude towards outdoor advertising affects the purchase intent. The theme of sexualised advertising is also discussed within this research. After detailed examination of the advertisements in the centre of St. Petersburg it was concluded that females’ rating is considerably more positive compared to males in the situation of high processing opportunity. However, men were more positive when respondents were asked about more general attitudes to outdoor advertising. Recall of advertising was studied within the field settings and showed that women indeed demonstrate better visual memory. Such factors as format, content were proved to have influence on the recall. In addition, different visual preferences were tested within one study. The findings prove that gender differences in perception of outdoor advertising do exist and should be taken into consideration by advertisers in order to raise the effectiveness of advertising campaigns.

published_or_final_version / Literary Studies / Master / Master of Arts

published_or_final_version / English Studies / Master / Master of Arts

published_or_final_version / Community Medicine / Master / Master of Public Health

published_or_final_version / abstract / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts

published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Som ett resultat av globaliseringen har produktionen av textila produkter flyttat utomlands, ett faktum som idag är mer en regel än ett undantag. Att hantera leverantörsledet med kulturella skillnader likväl som språkliga och fysiska avstånd har därför blivit en allt större del av företag- och leverantörsstyrning. Att använda dokument i form av en leverantörshandbok kan vara ett sätt att skapa hållbara och stabila samarbeten beställare och leverantör emellan. Genom att använda idén av en uppförandekod och ytterligare applicera andra viktiga faktorer i produktionen, exempelvis orderläggning, leveranser och dylikt, är det möjligt att skapa ett konsekvent arbete med alla företagets leverantörer. Denna uppsats utforskar leverantörshandböcker, vilka problem de kan lösa, hur de ska utformas samt vilken effekt de kan ha för det beställande företaget. Studien är genomförd genom en kombination av litteraturstudie, intervjuer, fallstudie samt studie av existerande leverantörshandböcker. Resultatet förtydligar olika aspekter gällande implementerandet av leverantörshandböcker, inklusive ett förslag på ramverk till fallstudieföretaget. Slutligen konkluderas att en leverantörshandbok kan vara bra hjälp till att lösa vanligt förekommande problem, exempelvis när företag arbetar med en mängd olika leverantörer då det är ett sätt att förbättra kommunikationen företag emellan. Handboken bjuder också på möjlighet till effektivisering, förutsatt att berörda interna rutiner anpassas där efter. / Due to the increasing globalization companies working across borders with suppliers in foreign countries is more a rule than an exception. Managing the cooperation regarding cultural differences as well as language barriers and physical distance is therefore becoming a larger part of company and production management. Using documents in the form of a Suppliers Guide could be an answer to making the collaboration solid and sustainable. By utilizing the idea of a Code of Conduct but incorporating other relevant parts of the production, such as routines in ordering, delivering etc, it is possible to provide a handbook for consistent work with all the companies’ suppliers. This article explores the matter of Suppliers Guides, what problems they solve, what they should include, as well as what effect they could have on the ordering company. This study was conducted through a literature study combined with interviews, a case study and a study of suppliers guides. The conclusion makes clear different aspects of implementing a Suppliers Guide including a suggestion of a framework for the subject of the Case study. Finding that Suppliers Guides could be a good help in eliminating common issues when working with a variety of suppliers, as they are a way of improving communication. Suppliers guides give possibilities of efficiency as long as surrounding internal routines are adapted.

Studies investigating the etiology of delinquent involvement have pointed to two influential theories: Differential Association Theory and Social Control Theory. Both theories suggest that bonding can impact delinquent behavior. Strong friend relationships influence delinquent involvement while strong parental relationships serve as a positive influence in the curtailment of adolescent delinquency. Indeed, a great deal of research has shown that both friends and families are an integral part of adolescent delinquent involvement. Although these theories provide us with a framework for understanding adolescent delinquency, the contextual nuances of the connections among friend relationships, parental relationships, and delinquency are still unclear. In this project, I investigate the gender and race/ethnicity of the respondent as well as the predominant race/ethnicity and gender of the respondents’ friendship networks to better understand how both friend and parent-child relationships affect adolescent delinquency. I utilize data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (TARS). Results suggest that both friend relationships and parental relationships impact respondent delinquency; however, such effects differ by the gender and race/ethnicity of the respondent. Furthermore, the predominant race/ethnicity and predominant gender of the respondents’ friendship network appear to effect delinquent involvement for some groups and not others. The exploration of this topic provides a much-needed look into some understudied areas in human behavior. The long-standing tradition of investigating the role of peers in criminal offending has certainly examined the importance of family and the dynamics of friendships. However, few studies have incorporated both gender and race/ethnicity in their investigations into the relationship between friendships and delinquency. In addition, this study is unique in that it examines friendship network characteristics and how they relate to delinquency. Furthermore, this project explores how family and friend influences on delinquent behavior vary across different groups. Neither of these aspects have been adequately explored in past research. It is the purpose of this study to being to fill this gap in the literature and highlight how both gender and race/ethnicity influence involvement in delinquency. / text