This thesis contributes to the analysis of optimal industrial and strategic trade policy in the presence of oligopoly and other forms of imperfect competition, so as to make contact with important empirical regularities and policy concerns, such as international R&D collaboration, unionization and free trade. First, in the context of international competition in which R&D plays an important role, we study the consequences of allowing governments to subsidize R&D and coalition deviation on the R&D collaboration networks. Then we investigate the formation of FTAs as a network formation game. While the analysis of welfare effects takes the central stage, we also analyze the nature of trading regimes that are consistent with the incentives of individual countries. We address the issue of conflict of interests among firms, consumers and governments as well. Finally, we integrate the analysis of international R&D collaboration and strategic trade policies, and demonstrate how an asymmetric equilibrium arises from an international trade model with symmetric countries and symmetric firms, and study whether it is sometimes possible to improve national welfare by jointly implementing trade and industrial policies.

The purpose of this study was to advance the discussion of collaboration between Canadian sport organizations beyond current levels of critical rhetoric and to (a) recommend improvements to the collaborative sport management processes specifically related to this particular case and (b) provide an analytical framework that will facilitate the application of this knowledge to others in similar interorganizational relationships. The purpose was achieved by collecting empirical evidence on the collaborative process through a theoretically guided case study of the relationship between Sport Canada and Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS), which were selected for the study due to their prominence in the Canadian sport system. Agency theory was chosen to provide the primary guiding framework for development of the research questions, and data collection and analysis. Data collection included three sources: my personal narrative, a selection of relevant documents, and personal interviews with thirteen key informants familiar with the two sport organizations. Data analysis was guided by the key concepts of agency theory to provide structure for the process. Consistent with the assumptions of agency theory, my findings indicated that the primary goals of Sport Canada and CIS are incongruent and that a managed contract is in place that includes financial incentives for CIS to collaborate with Sport Canada, but the incentives do not appear to work. Reporting and monitoring occur on an annual basis, but the relationship is essentially one of funding and accountability and not collaboration. The results of this research suggest that the current paradigmatic approach to understanding the Canadian sport system, based on the assumption that the federal government controls funding and national policy and thereby controls the sport system, is inappropriate and works directly against the espoused need for interorganizational collaboration. The opportunity for enhanced collaboration does exist, but intentional efforts to collaborate must be increased. The control paradigm should be rejected in favor of shared goal setting and decision-making and a negotiated contract between the organizations that identifies a measurable collaborative advantage. This research confirmed and explained the contribution that can be made by agency theory to the study and management of collaboration in sport organizations.

The goal of this inductive study was to identify factors that facilitate and inhibit binational collaboration in the recovery of endangered species in the northern Mexico borderlands, focusing on the Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi). A conceptual model was developed using qualitative techniques, providing the basis for design of a mail survey. The target population included participants with experience in recovery efforts for over a dozen species at risk in the region. Long interviews were recorded with 44 participants from Mexico and the United States. Thematic hierarchical analysis was used to develop a conceptual model of how interviewees talked about factors influencing binational collaboration. Issues were classified in five thematic clusters: project, organization, people, resources, culture/history. The survey was used to conduct a needs assessment, measuring respondents' attitudes about the relative priority of issues identified in the conceptual model. High priority needs were identified from each thematic cluster: (a) equitable participation in project design and implementation, (b) continuity of personnel, (c) coordination of federal, state and local efforts, (d) increased funding, managed with accountability, and (e) exchange visits to facilitate understanding of diverse perspectives. Responses to almost half the survey items indicated accord among the sample of respondents, providing a basis for shared common ground. The nature of discord was within the range of "manageable", with no clear polarization of attitudes measured. This exploratory data analysis suggested that the structure of the conceptual model developed from the Mexican wolf case study was generally a valid basis for future deductive analysis and reflection by practitioners. For 82% of 22 statements of need, priorities of participants in the Mexican wolf recovery efforts did not differ significantly from other respondents. Nationality (of respondents) significantly affected priority rankings for only 18% of the need statements. Significant effects of five demographic variables indicated that interactive effects should be examined in future multivariate analyses to determine how respondents' attitudes on issues related to priority rankings. Recommendations were provided for a more efficient and effective approach to collaborative problem-solving, engaging reflective practitioners from the private and public sectors in principled negotiation processes to better understand diverse perspectives.

In the competitive environment of today’s global markets, the demands of customers are increasing. They expect to get the best product at the lowest price with immediate availability. Logistics, including transportation, inventory maintenance, order processing, purchasing, warehousing, materials handling, packaging, customer service standards, and product scheduling must continuously be developed to meet the challenges of the market. The globalization, with longer distances to customers and suppliers, and the progressing trend of outsourcing are examples of why the importance of logistics has increased over the last few years. A considerable part of the final product cost is frozen during the early product development phases. In the early phases of the product development process, the cost of making design changes is low compared to making changes later in the product development process. The product development decisions made in the early phases of the product development process have considerable impact on future manufacturing and logistics activities as well. The objective of this research project is to develop a framework supporting the collaboration between the logistics- and the product development process. To do this, it has been essential to analyze which parameters influence the efficiency of the logistics process and the interface between the logistics- and the product development process. Also, to investigate how the logistics department can be integrated earlier in the product development process has been of interest. This has been done through both a theoretical review and also through a number of case studies. The result and conclusion of this project is a framework that gives support for what to focus on, how to collaborate, in which phases collaboration is meaningful, and which persons need to be involved in the different product development phases. Working as the framework suggests will, hopefully, give closer collaboration between the logistics- and the product development process than without this supportive framework. The expectation of the collaboration is an earlier integration of the logistics department in the product development process and through this influence and increase the efficiency of the logistics process.

This study’s purpose was to examine which main forms of teaching methods that occurs in the Swedish nine-year compulsory school and how often learning through social collaboration take place. The study contained literature and interviews with eight teachers. Our research-questions were: What is the teacher’s opinion about different teaching methods, their opinion about learning and teaching and if there were any difference between the teachers teaching younger or older students regarding teaching methods? Our conclusions of this study were that ”lecture-methods” is the most common among teachers. In the beginning of the nine-year compulsory school the teachers chooses and controls the student’s methods for learning. Later when the students gets older and more experienced the teachers expects them to take more responsibility and decisions of their own. Collaboration between the student’s occurred, but the teacher’s ambition seldom was that the students could learn from each other. The teachers purpose were that the students shall practice their social skills, cooperation and to form a strong group.

To sort, is the meaning of the word “triage”. Triage is used at emergency departments to facilitate prioritization of patients according to the urgency of the chief complaint. The aim of this study was to investigate how the nurses experience the triage model at the emergency department at Uppsala university hospital. Twelve nurses were interviewed. The mean age was 40 years and the mean work experience was three years and four months. An interview guide was used, consisting of questions about triage, collaboration and work situation. The nurses perceived that triage supports assessment and prioritization of patients. Different triage models were used depending on the nurses’ level of triage-education, which was perceived as problematic. The nurses perceived safety when triage was performed together with the physician. The level of collaboration, between the nurses and the physicians, was experienced to be person-dependent. The importance of good communication between nurses and physicians were highlighted. Triage supports the assessment and prioritization of patients. A standardized triage model would increase the quality of care. The collaboration between nurses and physicians could be improved if they receive the same information and education about triage. Improved communication will facilitate the collaboration. Physicians should participate in the triage process.

This dissertation study focuses on reasons and means of industry and university collaboration which lead to innovation. Collaboration in this study is viewed as one: communication, exchange of knowledge and learning form the innovation process. This research has followed a qualitative approach for methodology and the data was collected through two interviews. The results of this study show how university research collaborates with industry from the university research point of view. The findings also reveal that university research can not produce innovation without practical knowledge which is provided by company during collaboration. In the same way the company can not produce scientifically based innovation without the interactive learning.

This study contains how pre-school teachers talk about their mission as tutors and their assignments to educate student teachers in relation to the document that contains information concerning practice-based learning. The students are involved in communities of practice regarding pre-schools for children between one year and five years old. The pre-school teachers will share their daily work and pedagogical responsibility in the activities, meaning that the students are expected to show social engagement in interaction between children and adults. When teachers from the University visit the pre-school, the students are supposed to have a lesson or activity with the pupils in the practice class. And afterwards the students, the pre-school teachers and the teacher from University together have a developing discuss about the outcome objectives that the students are supposed to reach during the practice. The teachers from the University are also supposed to serve as a sounding board with whom to discuss ideas. A fundamental idea in the teacher-education in University of Skövde is that the students will be connected to an activity during a longer period. By following the same activity in the pre-school the students get an understanding and confidentiality with the profession. The teacher-education is based on "one foot in practice and one foot in theory". The empirical data is generated through interviews with pre-school teachers who work with children from one to five years old. We have chosen pre-schools in four different communities in the area of Skaraborg. The results of the study show that pre-school teachers are proud of their profession and they are interested in working with student teachers both pedagogical and as a colleague. A concept as collaboration, opportunities, responsibility, and motivation and to believe in future is often expressed by the pre-school teachers when they talk about their work as tutors for the teacher-students. Pre-school teacher’s memories of their own time as teacher-students are very important for their behavior as tutors and the document of practice-based learning, has because of that, not been used as it was meant to be from the University of Skövde, neither by the pre-school teachers nor by students. The result from this study shows that pre-school teacher’s memories, from their own education, are very important in their missions as tutors.

Utvecklingen och marknadsföringen av ett samhälle som turistdestination, kan generera många fördelar, bland annat genom ökad sysselsättning och infrastrukturella förbättringar. Samtidigt kan en okontrollerad exploatering leda till negativa konsekvenser utifrån kultur- och naturmiljöaspekter. Utifrån denna vetskap har planeringsperspektivet till stor del fått en dominerande roll inom diskussioner och forskningslitteratur. Det finns dock fler faktorer som bör beaktas i destinationsutvecklingssammanhang, varav samarbete och nätverk samt destinationsmarknadsföring utgör viktiga aspekter. Med fokus på, och en teoretisk förförståelse för dessa begrepp angriper denna studie de två fallstudieobjekten Ornö och Utö i Stockholms södra skärgård i syfte att utröna hur begreppen påverkat de skilda utvecklingar som skett på öarna. Utö präglas av ett starkt samarbetsklimat där aktörer, med turistbyrån som samordnande funktion, skapat en gemensam identitet och en enad marknadsföringskanal utåt. Genom att samordna resurser skapas även ett nätverk där kunskapsspridning och samarbete leder till positivt resursutnyttjande. Lokalbefolkningen på Utö känner en delaktighet i den utveckling som sker och en positiv attityd råder, inte minst genom att de flesta är direkt anknutna till näringen genom sina eller anhörigas arbetsplatser. På Ornö råder å andra sidan en brist på kommunikation aktörer emellan, liksom avsaknad av entreprenörskap och kunskap om näringen, vilket lett till att försök till fungerande samarbeten stagnerat. Dessutom leder ett bristande förtroende till turistbyråns kunskap och erfarenhet till att en position som samordnare inte kunnat utvecklas. Detta har i sin tur lett till en svag och fragmenterad marknadsföring liksom att lättillgängligheten för besökare försvårats då det saknas ett lättöverskådligt helhetserbjudande. / The development and marketing of a destination can contribute with benefits such as employment growth and infrastructural improvements. At the same time, uncontrolled exploitation can have the reverse effect and work negatively on sensible cultural- and natural environments. Knowledge about these effects has, in discussions and literature about destination development, led to the dominating roll of the perspective of planning. Meanwhile there are other important factors to consider when looking to the big spectra. In this context collaboration, networking and destination marketing becomes significant aspects to review. With a focus on, and theoretical preunderstanding for, these concepts this thesis will focus on the two case-studies of Ornö and Utö, two neighbouring islands in the archipelago of Stockholm, Sweden. In spite of their physical similarity the two islands have undergone very different developments as tourism destinations. The purpose with this thesis will therefore be to determine how the concepts of collaboration, network and destination marketing have influenced the development of the islands.

This article is a working paper presenting a network building cooperative project between Umeå University inSweden and Zhejiang University in China. The project focuses on parents’ involvement and home-schoolcollaboration in Sweden and China and has an ambition to entail a set of empirical objectives: (1) to map andcompare the systems, policies, curricula, and resources dealing with home-school collaboration in Sweden andChina at the national level; (2) to identify and analyze the similarities and differences in the definitions, foci,models, practices, and perspectives on home-school collaboration in the two countries at the local level; and (3) toidentify and seek out good examples and models from both countries for communication and interaction amongteachers, parents, and students. Following an introduction to the project design where a comparative case-studyapproach is presented, this article reviews policies and researches concerning home-school collaboration inSwedish and Chinese contexts. Cases from both countries are selected, described, and discussed. Relative issues forfurther study are suggested. / Establishing research network between Sweden and China on cooperation between home and school