<p>This paper is structured to answer the question why it is significant to be flexible on the market and also how to become a flexible company. To create cognitive perception of this issue, analyse of flexible company - an example of still prospering, a leader company HMS Industrial Network, is presented.</p>

Introduction: The world is changing rapidly and the uncertainty that characterizes today´s society makes companies preparations for the future crucial. Purpose: To examine how CEO:s in small companies look at the future and what kind of preparations they make in order to meet it. Hereby, our ambition is to find out whether there is a difference between companies working in industries characterized by different degrees of stability. Mode of procedure: The purpose of this thesis has been fulfilled by interviews with four CEO:s from industries characterized by different degrees of stability. Result: The companies working in relatively unstable environments tended to be relatively more flexible and have an emergent strategy formation process, whereas companies working in relatively stable environments displayed relatively less flexibility and tended to have a planning strategy formation process.

This paper is structured to answer the question why it is significant to be flexible on the market and also how to become a flexible company. To create cognitive perception of this issue, analyse of flexible company - an example of still prospering, a leader company HMS Industrial Network, is presented.

QC 20100921

Denna rapport berättar om vårt arbete med att ta fram ett inredningskoncept till den nya kårpuben i Eskilstuna. Vi har med hjälp av våra kunskaper inom informationsdesign och rumslig gestaltning arbetat fram ett förslag, anpassat efter uppdragsgivarens önskemål. Våra uppdragsgivare är Kårhusstiftelsen och Mälardalens studentkår. De ville att inredningskonceptet skulle vara målgruppsanpassat med funktion, flexibilitet och nytänkande i fokus. Då kårpubens personal till största del består av ideell arbetskraft ville de även att inredningskonceptet skulle underlätta det dagliga underhållet av verksamheten. Vi har utfört observation, målgruppsanalys, behovsanalys, enkätundersökning, intervjuer samt utprovningar. Det slutliga konceptförslaget gestaltade vi med hjälp av en digital presentation. I presentationen ingick planritning, 3D visualisationer och inspirationsbilder med möbelval etc. Vi ansåg att den digitala presentationen var ett informativt sätt att få alla inblandade parter att förstå inredningskonceptet och dess fördelar.

Sammanfattning Titel: Flexibilitet utan gränser Författare: Anders Spångmark och Anna Öhrner Handledare: Michael Allvin Lärosäte: Uppsala Universitet Datum: 2013-05-22 Syfte: Uppsatsens syfte är att undersöka vilka konsekvenser intervjupersonerna upplever till följd av sitt flexibla arbete. Syftet är också att ta reda på om intervjupersonerna använder sig av några strategier för att hantera det flexibla arbetet och i så fall vilka dessa strategier är. Studien syftar även till att diskutera hur dessa strategier förhåller sig till de institutionaliserade och mer traditionella sätten att reglera arbetet. Metod: Uppsatsens empiriska material bygger på åtta stycken intervjuer med personer som har ett flexibelt arbete, innebärande att de själva kan påverka var och när deras arbetsuppgifter utförs. Efter behandlingen av materialet analyserades det och diskuterades med utgångspunkt i tidigare forskning inom området. Resultat/slutsats: Det flexibla arbetssättet kan innebära många konsekvenser för individen. Främst beskrivs svårigheter när det gäller kommer till gränsdragning mellan arbete och fritid, en känsla av otillräcklighet och påverkan på individens relationer. Vissa individuella strategier för att hantera det flexibla arbetet återkom hos flera av intervjupersonerna. Dessa har sammanställts till tre huvudstrategier för hur de intervjuade väljer att hantera konsekvenserna av det flexibla arbetet. Det framgår också att dessa strategier tenderar att gå i en annan riktning än de institutionaliserade formerna för reglering av arbetet, genom lagstiftning och partsöverenskommelser, där dessa har svårt att täcka in det flexibla arbetet. Nyckelord: Flexibelt arbete, strategier, coping, gränsdragning / Abstract Title: Flexibility without boundaries Authors: Anders Spångmark och Anna Öhrner Mentor: Michael Allvin University: Uppsala University Date: 2013-05-22 Purpose and problem statement: The purpose of the essay is to research the consequences of flexibility in the workplace, as they’re experienced by the interviewees. The purpose is furthermore to investigate whether the interviewees make use of any coping strategies to handle the work-related flexibility and, in that case, what those strategies are. The essay will also contain a discussion about how the aforementioned strategies relate to the institutionalized and more traditional means to regulate labor. Approach: The empiric data of the essay is based on eight interviews with people who all have flexible jobs, in the sense that they can affect where and when they are to carry out their job assignments. The data was subsequently processed, analyzed and discussed, using earlier research on the subject as a foundation. Results/conclusions: Flexibility in the workplace can be the cause of many different consequences for the concerned individual. The consequences most prominently described are difficulties regarding demarcation between work and leisure, a sense of inadequacy and the effect flexibility in the workplace has on personal relationships. Some individual strategies to handle flexibility in the workplace proved to be utilized by several interviewees. These have been compiled into three main categories. The results show that these strategies tend to go in a different direction, so to speak, than the institutionalized means to regulate flexibility in the workplace, such as legislation and covenants. This is a result of the fact that it’s difficult to apply the institutionalized means to flexibility in the workplace. Key words: Flexibility in the workplace, strategies, coping, demarcation

This paper presents the development of a finite element method for modeling fastener joints in aircraft structures. By using connector element in commercial software Abaqus, the finite element method can handle multi-bolt joints and secondary bending. The plates in the joints are modeled with shell elements or solid elements. First, a pre-study with linear elastic analyses is performed. The study is focused on the influence of using different connector element stiffness predicted by semi-empirical flexibility equations from the aircraft industry. The influence of using a surface coupling tool is also investigated, and proved to work well for solid models and not so well for shell models, according to a comparison with a benchmark model. Second, also in the pre-study, an elasto-plastic analysis and a damage analysis are performed. The elasto-plastic analysis is compared to experiment, but the damage analysis is not compared to any experiment. The damage analysis is only performed to gain more knowledge of the method of modeling finite element damage behavior. Finally, the best working FE method developed in the pre-study is used in an analysis of an I-beam with multi-bolt structure and compared to experiments to prove the abilities with the method. One global and one local model of the I-beam structure are used in the analysis, and with the advantage that force-displacement characteristic are taken from the experiment of the local model and assigned as a constitutive behavior to connector elements in the analysis of the global model.

Problematic levels of eating disorder (ED) spectrum problems are becoming increasingly pervasive on college campuses, especially among female college students. Research suggests that ED cognitions and a lack of body image acceptance are linked to diminished psychological flexibility (PF), which is linked to ED and other negative health symptoms. Two hundred thirty-six undergraduates completed an online survey, and mediation analyses were conducted. PF fully mediated the relation between ED cognitions and non-specific psychiatric symptoms and partially mediated the link between ED cognitions and ED symptoms. PF also partially mediated the link between body image acceptance and non-specific psychiatric symptoms, but not the relation between body image acceptance and ED symptoms. Findings suggest that clinical symptoms and one’s coping style are both important factors to take into consideration in case conceptualization and treatment, and suggest that therapies such as ACT that target PF may be beneficial in treating ED spectrum problems.

This report seeks to evaluate the flexibility in a number of Fortum’s hydropower stations. The deregulation of the Nordic electricity market has put an emphasis on revenue maximizing rather than cost minimizing and there are good indications that flexible assets will be even more valuable in the future when more wind power has been introduced into the system. Through interviews with people involved in the hydropower planning and operation process a number of factors with the potential of affecting the flexibility or causing deviations between planned and realized operation have been identified and explained. These interviews have also been used to identify main flexibility limitations in studied stations, and what potentially could be done to improve the flexibility. A data analysis has been performed where historical data from planned and realized operation and results from a model developed in Matlab has been studied. The developed linear programming model is used as a reference level of an idealized theoretical potential for flexibility. Volume weighted average prices have been used to measure and compare the flexibility of studied stations. The analysis shows that the studied stations can be divided into two groups with regards to their flexibility compared to the modeled flexibility. This result is somewhat confirmed by the interview findings. Factors related to constraints imposed by water rights seem to have the biggest single impact on the flexibility of hydropower stations. The potential for flexible operation varies with season and the planned and realized operation is closer to the modeled results during the winter. It is a general opinion within the organization that there is a potential for a more flexible utilization of many hydropower stations. Experience, resources, understanding in how to fully utilize the reservoirs, and how multiple stations in a river reach can be coordinated are keys to improving the flexibility.

Syftet med den här uppsatsen är att få en djupare förståelse för hur nya arbetsmetoder ocharbetssätt påverkar individen och arbetssituationen på en arbetsplats. Allt fler studier ochforskning visar att samhället förändrats från industrisamhället till postindustriellt samhälle,vilket bidragit till att nya former av organisationer har vuxit fram. Dessa förändringarpåverkar individerna som arbetar i dem. Tre teman belyses i studien. Fysisk arbetsmiljö- hurpåverkas individen av arbete, arbetstid och arbetsmiljö. Social arbetsmiljö- flexibilitet, kravoch samverkan. Arbetsvillkor- individens möjligheter och gränser. Studien är utförd på ABF(Arbetarnas bildningsförbund) i Sydhalland. Kvalitativa intervjuer har använts och sexmedarbetare på ABF har intervjuats. De teoretiker som ligger till grund i analysen är Beck,Sennet, Theorell och Hatch. Begreppet flexibilitet är centralt. Resultatet visar tydligaskillnader mellan vanligt och flexibelt arbetssätt. Dessa skillnader yttrar sig bland annatgenom intervjupersonernas förhållningssätt till den rumsliga arbetmiljön och arbetstiden.Resultatet visar också skillander vad gäller flexibilitet, både i samarbete och förmågan att varaanpassningsbar i arbetet. Studien visar även att det flexibla arbetet ställer krav på ständigutveckling av nya kunskaper. Förändringen av nya organisationsformer ställer också nya kravpå dess anställda.Utifrån vilken kontroll, inflytande samt stöd man som arbetstagare har i sittjobb påverkar det arbetssituationen. Detta skapar möjligheter men även gränser för individen. / The purpose of this paper is to gain a deeper understanding of how new practices andprocedures affects individuals and the work situation at a workplace. More studies andresearch shows that society has changed from an industrial society to postindustrial society,which contributed that new forms of organizations have emerged. These changes affectindividuals who work in them. Three themes are highlighted in the study. Physical work-How affected individuals of work, working hours and working environment. Social work,flexibility, and interoperability requirements. Working conditions, opportunities forindividuals and borders. The study was conducted at the ABF (Workers EducationalAssociation) in Halmstad. Qualitative interviews were used and six employees at ABF havebeen interviewed. The theorists who form the basis of the analysis is Beck, Sennet, Theorelland Hatch. The concept of flexibility is very important in this study. The result show cleardifferences between normal and flexible working. These differences manifested by the spatialworking environment and working time. The results also show differences in terms offlexibility, both in collaboration and the ability to be adaptable in tasks. The flexible workalso requires constant development of new knowledge. Based on control, influence andsupport you as an employee has in job affects the work situation. The change of new forms oforganization places new demands that create opportunities and limits for the individual.