Course/Level: 2FE23E, Bachelor DegreeAuthors: Linda Dürholt & Josefine MöllerSupervisor: Dan HalvarssonExaminer: Bertil HulténTitle: Add value within the trade of brokers – A studie about the brokers work with homestyling in their broker serviceKeywords: add value, services, experiences, brokers, homestylingBackground: The broker profession is included in the servicesector where the broker acts as a middleman between buyer and seller and their task is to add value to a real estate deal. If the broker lacks knowledge within a surtain field, he or she should refer to another person with this competence. Services that lays beyond the brokers ordinary work and competence, are often requested and therefore brokers use supplementary services. Homestyling is one of these supplementary services that is implemented since it can generate increased value.Research question: How does homestyling add value to the brokers service?Purpose: The purpose with this studie is to describe and analyse brokers work with homestyling in their service.Method: The qualitative studie was executed by single interviews with four different broker companies. The interviews were of a semi-structured form.Conclusion: Brokers have identified a way of creating value to their service by offering designed packages where the core service is combined with a number of supplementary services, where homestyling is one of them. How present the phenomenon has been over time within the different broker companies differ but all of them are today working with homestyling in a high extent. / Kurs/nivå: 2FE23E, KandidatuppsatsFörfattare: Linda Dürholt & Josefine MöllerHandledare: Dan HalvarssonExaminator: Bertil HulténTitel: Addera värde inom mäklarbranschen - En studie om mäklares arbete med homestyling i sin mäklartjänstNyckelord: värdeaddering, tjänster, upplevelser, mäklarbranschen, homestylingBakgrund: Mäklaryrket ingår i tjänstesektorn där mäklaren i fråga agerar mellanhand mellan köpare och säljare och har till uppgift att addera värde vid en bostadsaffär. Saknar fastighetsmäklaren kunskap inom ett visst område, bör denna hänvisa till någon som erhåller kompetensen. Ofta efterfrågas tjänster som ligger utanför mäklaruppdraget och mäklarens kompetens och därför använder mäklare tilläggstjänster som komplement. Homestyling är en tilläggstjänst som implementeras eftersom det kan generera ökat värde.Frågeställning: Hur adderar homestyling värde till mäklarens tjänst?Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att beskriva och analysera mäklares arbete med homestyling i sin mäklartjänst.Metod: Den kvalitativa studien utfördes genom enskilda intervjuer med fyra olika mäklarföretag. Intervjuerna var av semi-strukturerad form.Slutsats: Mäklare har identifierat ett sätt att skapa värde till sin mäklartjänst genom att erbjuda utformade paket där kärntjänsten kombinerats med ett antal tilläggstjänster, varav homestyling är en. Hur aktuellt fenomenet varit i de olika mäklarbyråerna över tid skiljer sig åt men idag arbetar alla med homestyling i hög grad.

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study is entitled: "An investigation into the industry attractiveness of the residential mortgage origination industry for entrepreneurs in the Western Cape region of South Africa". The South African mortgage origination industry dates back to 1998 when Mortgage.com approached the banks to originate home loans via the Internet. The USA had seen a rise in the deployment of these websites and predictions where that the platform would outstrip physical channels. This was not to be, but this led to the establishment of Mortgage SA. The mortgage origination industry experienced rapid growth since its inception and was considered to be highly attractive in terms of revenues and opportunity. However, because of the oligopolistic structure of the industry, non-competitiveness of smaller originators ascribed to lower commission rates offered to them by financial institutions and optimal profit levels being reached, it appears that the mortgage origination industry is becoming less attractive than it used to be. The primary objective of the study was to draw conclusions on the fundamental industry attractiveness of the mortgage origination industry for entrepreneurs in the Western Cape region of South Africa. Secondary objectives included; determining whether the mortgage origination industry is still a viable or profitable industry for entrepreneurs to explore, examining the current state of the mortgage origination industry, investigating the key issues and problems facing the mortgage origination industry and establish the entry and exit barriers as well as the feasibility of the industry for new entrants. This study was a culmination of literature from various sources, researching theories, views and perceptions regarding mortgage origination in South Africa. Various websites, newspaper articles, journals and books were used as part of the research process to deepen the researcher's understanding of the mortgage origination industry, its roles and functions. Secondary research was conducted in the form of a literature review which provided a better understanding of the mortgage origination industry, provided an introduction to industry attractiveness and provided a basis for the primary research. Primary research was conducted by means of personal one-to-one interviews with key decision makers from a predominantly external (client) as well as an internal (mortgage originator) perspective. To avoid bias and ensure an overall perspective of the industry, it was important that the sample be reflective of role players involved in the mortgage origination process, including home buyers (investors), estate agents, mortgage originators, lawyers and lenders (banks). The methodology employed for the purpose of the study was qualitative. The interviews were conducted by means of using a discussion guide and were based on the respondent's personal experience with the industry as a whole. To answer the research question as set out in the research problem as well as fulfil the objectives of this study, it was essential that the selected sample be representative of stakeholders in the mortgage origination industry, and a purposive or judgemental sample was selected using non-probability sampling. Overall, the mortgage industry is not as attractive as it used to be, yet it cannot be deemed to be completely unattractive either. On an average the industry is attractive. The research hypothesis can, therefore, neither be accepted nor rejected with confidence. Considering the current economic climate and market conditions, one would be tempted to reject the research hypothesis, but a positive economic turn would cause the industry to become attractive again. Finally, it is recommended a more detailed analysis of the industry be conducted. The methodology employed for the purpose of this study was qualitative, as exhaustive quantitative research was not required. Furthermore, it is recommended that a quantitative approach be utilised to verify the results of the study. Furthermore, it is also recommended that the mortgage origination industry be analysed in terms of its fundamental attractiveness every one to three years, as strategies need to be re-examined as events unfold. An accurate diagnosis of the industry is necessary for deciding on a sound long-term direction, setting appropriate objectives and crafting winning strategies. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie se titel is: "'n Ondersoek na die industrie-aantreklikheid van die residensiele verbandopnemingsindustrie vir ondernemers in die Wes-Kaapse streek van Suid-Afrika". Die Suid-Afrikaanse verbandopnemingsindustrie dateer terug na 1998 toe Mortgage.com die banke genader het om huislenings op te neem via die Internet. Die VSA het 'n toename in die aanwending van sulke webtuistes ervaar en daar is voorspel dat hierdie platform fisiese kanale sou verbysteek. Dit het nie gebeur nie, maar dit het tot die stigting van Mortgage SA gelei. Die verbandopnemingsindustrie het vinnige groei sedert sy stigting beleef en is gesien as hoogs aantreklik ingevolge inkomste en geleentheid. As gevolg egter van die oligopolistiese struktuur van die industrie, die gebrek aan mededingendheid van kleiner opnemers wat toegeskryf is aan laer kommissiekoerse wat finansiele instellings aan hulle aangebied het en optimale winsvlakke wat behaal is, kom dit voor asof die verbandopnemingsindustrie minder aantreklik raak as wat dit vantevore was. Die primere oogmerk van die studie is om tot gevolgtrekkings te kom oor die fundamentele industrie-aantreklikheid van die verbandopnemingsindustrie vir ondernemers in die Wes-Kaapse streek van Suid-Afrika. Sekondere oogmerke sluit in om vas te stel of die verbandopnemingsindustrie steeds 'n lewensvatbare of winsgewende industrie is vir ondernemers om te ontgin, om die huidige status van die verbandopnemingsindustrie na te gaan, om die sleutelkwessies en probleme wat die verbandopnemingsindustrie raak, na te vors en om vas te stel wat die binnekoms- en verlatingsversperrings is, asook hoe uitvoerbaar dit vir nuwe toetreders is om tot die industrie toe te tree. Hierdie studie was 'n samevoegingspunt van literatuur vanuit verskeie bronne, navorsingsteoriee, menings en persepsies aangaande verbandopneming in Suid Afrika. Verskeie webtuistes, koerantartikels en boeke is geraadpleeg as deel van die navorsingsproses om die navorser se begrip van die verbandopnemingsindustrie, sy rol en funksies te verdiep. Sekondere navorsing is onderneem by wyse van 'n literatuuroorsig wat 'n beter begrip geskep het van die verbandopnemingsindustrie, 'n inleiding tot industrie-aantreklikheid verskaf het en ook 'n basis vir die primere navorsing daargestel het. Die primere navorsing is onderneem by wyse van een-tot-een onderhoude met sleutelbesluitnemers vanuit 'n oorwegend eksterne (klient) asook 'n interne (verbandopnemer) perspektief. Om bevooroordeeldheid te vermy en 'n oorhoofse perspektief van die industrie te verseker, was dit belangrik dat die steekproef verteenwoordigend van die betrokke rolspelers in die verbandopnemingsindustrie sou wees, insluitende huiskopers (beleggers), eiendomsagente, verbandopnemers, prokureurs en leners (banke). Die metodologie wat vir die doel van die studie aangewend is, was kwalitatief. Die onderhoude is gevoer deur middel van die gebruik van 'n besprekingsgids en is gebaseer op die respondent se persoonlike ervaring van die industrie as 'n geheel. Ten einde die navorsingsvraag te beantwoord, asook om te voldoen aan die oogmerke van die studie, was dit noodsaaklik dat die geselekteerde steekproef verteenwoordigend moes wees van die belanghebbendes in die verbandopnemersindustrie. 'n Doelgerigte of beoordelende steekproef is gekies met gebruikmaking van 'n nie-waarskynlikheidsteekproef. Oorhoofs is die verbandindustrie nie meer so aantreklik soos vroeer nie, maar dit kan egter ook nie as totaal onaantreklik gereken word nie. Die industrie is gemiddeld aantreklik. Die navorsingshipotese kan dus met vertroue nog aanvaar nog verwerp word. Met inagneming van die huidige ekonomiese klimaat en markomstandighede, sou mens geneig wees om die navorsingshipotese te verwerp, maar 'n positiewe ekonomiese opbloei sou weer daartoe lei dat die industrie aantreklik word. Dit word laastens aanbeveel dat 'n meer gedetailleerde analise van die industrie onderneem word. Die metodologie wat vir die doel van die studie gebruik is, was kwalitatief, aangesien uitvoerige kwantitatiewe navorsing nie nodig was nie. Dit word verder aanbeveel dat 'n kwantitatiewe ondersoek onderneem word om die resultate van die studie te verifieer. Dit word ook aanbeveel dat die verbandopnemingsindustrie elke een tot drie jaar geanaliseer word ingevolge sy fundamentele aantreklikheid, aangesien strategiee telkens beproef behoort te word namate gebeure ontvou. 'n Akkurate diagnose van die nywerheid is noodsaaklik om op 'n gesonde langtermynkoers te besluit, om op gepaste doelwitte te besluit en om wennerstrategiee te formuleer.

This ethnographic research examines the social implications of the ethnolinguistic contact that occurs in the U.S.-Mexico border region at a day labor center in Tucson, Arizona. I discuss the multiple values of English and Spanish in this setting and how individuals interpret and negotiate these values in the construction and performance of identity. More specifically, I analyze how discourses of linguistic capital shape the organization of this community and influence the dynamics of employment negotiations. The research setting includes immigrant day laborers (primarily from Mexico and Central America), employers who contract workers, and bilingual volunteers who act as language brokers between workers and their employers; all of whom use language to interactively negotiate their social status as they construct identities vis-à-vis other members of the community. My analysis reveals a discourse that places a high level of linguistic capital on Spanish-English bilingualism in the economic market. Although I have not found evidence that this linguistic capital has a real exchange rate into dollars, my data demonstrates that immigrants rapidly acquire and contribute to this locally constructed discourse. I explore the techniques that workers use to exploit and promote their language abilities through ‘performances’ of bilingualism that are realized not only to secure employment, but also for social positioning within this community of practice. Language, then, is one of the many tools that both workers and employers use in the construction of interpersonal relationships and social hierarchies. In addition, I analyze gatekeeping encounters focusing on the rapid employment negotiations that occur between day laborers and their employers, building on previous research with regard to the concepts of rapport, co-membership, and the presentation of an institutional self. Finally, I propose a model for the study of intercultural communication and contact that reflects the dynamic nature of contact and the complexity of overlapping categories of identity. Identity formation is a multiplex and multidirectional social construction that necessitates pushing beyond binary models of intercultural communication. Identity construction is informed not only by face-to-face interlocutors, but also by the linguistic ecology of dominant and subordinate discourses and the imagined individual and collective interlocutors they evoke.

Currently, new knowledge domains and professions emerge as a consequence of societal changes that transform that conditions for work and work integrated learning. Integration work directed to newly arrived immigrants is one example of such a new professional knowledge domain. In civic orientation, which is the empirical case in this study, quality, standardization and dialogue are explicit strategies that impact the planning, organization and decision-making in everyday work. The interest in this thesis concerns the professional knowledge that is developed in activities aiming to provide heterogeneous groups of immigrants an orientation in the Swedish society. By making activity systems the prime unit ofanalysis and scrutinizing the ways in which integration workers make use of a stipulated course material and interactions in a specific context, the aim is to contribute to the understanding of the pedagogical and communicative knowledge that is developed in practice. The analytical approach takes its point of departure in a socio-cultural perspective on workplace studies. Three separate studies have been carried out in which the empirical data consist of observations,interviews, video recordings, field notes and documents from various integration offices.The results show that different perspectives on knowledge and culture becomes relevant in local discourses on quality in integration work. What distinguishes the integration workers professional knowledge concern seeing and understanding the heterogeneity of immigrants' cultural backgrounds and bridging boundaries.Culture function as an organizing element in work that makes it possible to make distinctions and organize a contextually relevant content that can be elaborated together with the members in the groups. Such work imply transformation of procedures and it is shown that the integration workers develop their knowledge from specific situations to understand the significance of textually mediate dimeanings in other situations. Knowledge is developed as the integration workers move between different situations and activities. It is concluded that the meaning-making involved in bridging between different cultural contexts relies on extensive knowledge in and about the recognition of the other and of interactions based on equal grounds. Negotiating agreements with the members of the groups about how common possibilities and responsibilities can be understood is central for respecting heterogeneity in the process and is at the core of the integration workers professional knowledge. Considering the future development of integration work, cumulative structures are needed that recognize and support the development of the integration workers professional knowledge within as well as between organizations and other related fields of practice and in relation to higher education.

The master thesis deals with the sale of insurance products to customers. In the first chapter are discussed the distribution possibilities used by insurance companies on the Czech insurance market. Distribution possibilities are divided into internal and external ones, and the emphasis is consequently pointed out on the current trends in these areas. The other chapter is focused on specific entities entering into the process of buying, selling and brokering of insurance products. The main theses of this chapter include an analysis of shopping habits of consumers of insurance, selling insurance products by insurance companies and insurance solutions to the specific needs of potential clients.

I have invented "Internet Fish," a novel class of resource-discovery tools designed to help users extract useful information from the Internet. Internet Fish (IFish) are semi-autonomous, persistent information brokers; users deploy individual IFish to gather and refine information related to a particular topic. An IFish will initiate research, continue to discover new sources of information, and keep tabs on new developments in that topic. As part of the information-gathering process the user interacts with his IFish to find out what it has learned, answer questions it has posed, and make suggestions for guidance. Internet Fish differ from other Internet resource discovery systems in that they are persistent, personal and dynamic. As part of the information-gathering process IFish conduct extended, long-term conversations with users as they explore. They incorporate deep structural knowledge of the organization and services of the net, and are also capable of on-the-fly reconfiguration, modification and expansion. Human users may dynamically change the IFish in response to changes in the environment, or IFish may initiate such changes itself. IFish maintain internal state, including models of its own structure, behavior, information environment and its user; these models permit an IFish to perform meta-level reasoning about its own structure. To facilitate rapid assembly of particular IFish I have created the Internet Fish Construction Kit. This system provides enabling technology for the entire class of Internet Fish tools; it facilitates both creation of new IFish as well as additions of new capabilities to existing ones. The Construction Kit includes a collection of encapsulated heuristic knowledge modules that may be combined in mix-and-match fashion to create a particular IFish; interfaces to new services written with the Construction Kit may be immediately added to "live" IFish. Using the Construction Kit I have created a demonstration IFish specialized for finding World-Wide Web documents related to a given group of documents. This "Finder" IFish includes heuristics that describe how to interact with the Web in general, explain how to take advantage of various public indexes and classification schemes, and provide a method for discovering similarity relationships among documents.

The term ‘knowledge mobilization intermediary’ (KMI) is used to describe third party organizations whose role between research producers and users is a catalyst for knowledge mobilization (KM) - targeted, systematic efforts to increase connections between research, policy and practice in public services. This study analyzes 44 Canadian KMIs in education exploring types (governmental, not-for-profit, for profit, and membership), organizational features (mission, scope, target audience, size, resources, membership composition) and processes (message, strategies, functions, dissemination mechanisms). This study maps the landscape of research mediation in education and reports on these findings using a multiple-paper format. The introductory chapter sets the stage for the papers by providing the background of the study and introducing the concept of knowledge mobilization. The first conceptual paper provides a typology of KMIs and a framework of knowledge brokering characteristics with seven elements (mission, resources, staff roles, political affiliation, autonomy, message, and linkages). The second paper reports on an approach to measuring and comparing KM efforts of diverse organizations using a common matrix of elements arising from the research utilization literature: KM strategies (products, events and networks) and KM indicators as they relate to strategies (different types, ease of use, accessibility, focus of audience and so on). The third paper outlines what KMIs exist in Canada, their organizational features, and reports on their activities, ultimately providing a typology of brokering strategies utilized in research mediation and a framework of eight major brokering functions used to increase research use and its impact: awareness, accessibility, engagement, capacity building, implementation support, facilitating linkages and partnerships, policy influence and organizational development. The fourth paper presents empirical findings of online practices of KMIs such as blogging and microblogging, social networking, social bookmarking, multimedia, share buttons on websites, and RSS feeds. Overall, use of social media is not pervasive and, when it is used, the content is often not research-based. The concluding chapter synthesizes the findings in relation to each research question, summarizes the implications arising from each paper, and makes recommendations for research producers, users and intermediaries across public service sectors.

The term ‘knowledge mobilization intermediary’ (KMI) is used to describe third party organizations whose role between research producers and users is a catalyst for knowledge mobilization (KM) - targeted, systematic efforts to increase connections between research, policy and practice in public services. This study analyzes 44 Canadian KMIs in education exploring types (governmental, not-for-profit, for profit, and membership), organizational features (mission, scope, target audience, size, resources, membership composition) and processes (message, strategies, functions, dissemination mechanisms). This study maps the landscape of research mediation in education and reports on these findings using a multiple-paper format. The introductory chapter sets the stage for the papers by providing the background of the study and introducing the concept of knowledge mobilization. The first conceptual paper provides a typology of KMIs and a framework of knowledge brokering characteristics with seven elements (mission, resources, staff roles, political affiliation, autonomy, message, and linkages). The second paper reports on an approach to measuring and comparing KM efforts of diverse organizations using a common matrix of elements arising from the research utilization literature: KM strategies (products, events and networks) and KM indicators as they relate to strategies (different types, ease of use, accessibility, focus of audience and so on). The third paper outlines what KMIs exist in Canada, their organizational features, and reports on their activities, ultimately providing a typology of brokering strategies utilized in research mediation and a framework of eight major brokering functions used to increase research use and its impact: awareness, accessibility, engagement, capacity building, implementation support, facilitating linkages and partnerships, policy influence and organizational development. The fourth paper presents empirical findings of online practices of KMIs such as blogging and microblogging, social networking, social bookmarking, multimedia, share buttons on websites, and RSS feeds. Overall, use of social media is not pervasive and, when it is used, the content is often not research-based. The concluding chapter synthesizes the findings in relation to each research question, summarizes the implications arising from each paper, and makes recommendations for research producers, users and intermediaries across public service sectors.

Taiwan is a typical island. Taiwan lacks natural resources and needs to rely on import and export of goods for living. International trade plays a crucial role in Taiwan's economy. In recent years, the government promotes actively integration with the global free trade agreement, relaxation of national barriers to trade, promotion clearance simplify, shortened the customs clearance of goods aging. The government promotes actively the custom broker industries transformation into logistics industries. Therefore, the study invests to raise the rate of success in business only by way of finding out the key success factors (KSF). That is my study motivation. This study refers strategy, competitive advantage, resource based view, the key success factors of the theories to construct a framework which focuses on members of customs broker association of Kaohsiung, actual operators owner and people belong more than ten years related-experience .The main purpose which custom broker businesses need to control what are important business operating variables. They would be success and achieve sustainable operation in this industry. The conclusions of this study provide the reference which developing key operation strategies and an overall arrangement for the customs broker industries.

Kiekviena gyvybės draudimo bendrovė turi pažinti ir suvokti draudėjų poreikius bei jų elgseną. Draudimo rinkoje veikia ne tik draudimo bendrovės, bet ir draudimo brokeriai. Darbo tikslas – įvertinti gyvybės draudimo ir draudimo brokerių veiklos reikšmę vartotojams. Atlikti gyvybės draudimo rinkos ir brokerių veiklos analizę, ir pateikti, gyvybės draudimo paslaugų, pardavimą skatinančius sprendimus. Darbo tyrimo objektas - UAB ,,Bonum Publicum“: atlikta jos veiklos sisteminė analizė, nustatyti lemiantys vartotojų/ klientų elgsenos veiksniai, įtakojantys gyvybės draudimo produktų pirkimo sprendimus. Magistrinis darbas susideda iš 3 dalių: 1) aptariama gyvybės draudimo ir brokerių veiklos reikšmė kitų mokslinių šaltinų autorių atžvilgiu; apžvelgiami vartotojų elgsenos veiksniai, darantys įtaką gyvybės draudimo produkto pirkimui; 2) atskleisti UAB gyvybės draudimo ,,Bonum Publicum“ veiklos, išorinės ir vidinės aplinkos veiksniai bei jos vartotojų/ klientų elgsenos ypatumus, apsisprendimą įsigyti gyvybės draudimo produktą; ištirti brokerių veiklos, nuo jų atsiradimo iki šių dienų, rezultatus; 3) apibendrinti UAB ,,Bonum Publicum“ vartotojų/klientų elgsenos tyrimo rezultatai, kurių metu įvertinti pagrindiniai veiksniai, įtakojantys sprendimą įsigyti gyvybės draudimo produkto priėmimo procesui. Atskleista draudimo brokerių veiklos įtaka gyvybės draudimo vartotojų elgsenai. Atliko tyrimo dėka, buvo nustatyta, jog būtina plėsti draudimo brokerių pardavimo kanalus, skatinti... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Each life insurance company has to be aware of and realize the needs, attitude of assured. Not only insurance companies participate in the insurance market but insurance brokers are becoming more and more popular. The master’s work thesis is to estimate the importance of actions for consumers held by insurance companies and their brokers, to perform the survey of actions of life insurance and their brokers and to bring the solutions promoting selling up to discussion. The object of the research has been chosen a JS life insurance company of ‘’Bonum Publicum’’: systemic analysis of its activities has been performed to submit the determinants of consumers/clients influencing on decisions of the purchase of products of life insurance. The thesis is composed of three sections in the master’s work: 1. to submit the importance of actions of life insurance and their brokers, analysis of the activities of consumers that make great influence on selling products from life insurance companies; 2. external and inner environment factors and the actions of consumers/clients causing the reasons to get the products of life insurance; the results of actions of brokers since the very start of the JS company ‘Bonum Publicum’ were revealed. 3. the results of the research of actions of consumers/clients of JS insurance company ‘Bonum Publicum’ were summarized, the basic determinants were estimated to cause the actions of consumers by the actions of brokers. It is approached to... [to full text]