This bachelor thesis in applied mathematics and industrial engineering aims to determine if and how weather affects the consumption of goods at small grocery stores. To study this, we conducted a regression analysis based on sales data from an ICA Nära. We have collected one year’s weather- and sales data and used mathematical statistics to determine how weather affects the sales for different product groups. Our belief is that weather does affect the consumption. Several large actors in the industry have some sort of consumption of goods forecast. None of these takes weather into account when creating their sale forecast. Hopefully, this thesis will provide information aiding companies in deciding whether or not to use weather forecasts as a prediction parameter.  The results indicate a large effect on sales for some groups of products. The regression reveals how much the sale of a group increase along with an increase of one unit of the different measured weather factors. There is, most likely, not a perfect linear relation between our response variable and the explanatory variables. Therefore, one must interpret the results carefully. In addition, we discuss how a possible implementation affects the supply chain of a large grocery store company and the importance of flexibility in one’s supply chain. / Detta kandidatexamensarbete i tillämpad matematik och industriell ekonomi syftar till att undersöka korrelationen mellan väderlek och försäljning av vissa sorters varor i en mindre matbutik. Genom att genomföra en regressionsanalys baserat på säljdata från en ICA Nära och väderdata från SMHI kan vi undersöka sambandet. Förhoppningsvis ger arbetet ett tydligare beslutsunderlag gällande huruvida företag bör implementera väderleksprognoser i sina varuåtgångsprognoser. Varuåtgångsprognoser är något flera stora aktörer på marknaden använder sig av, ingen av dessa tar väderprognoser i beaktning. Vi har antagit att väderlek påverkar försäljningen av varor. Resultaten påvisar en stark relation mellan väder och försäljning för vissa varugrupper. Emellertid måste resultatet tolkas på rätt sätt, det visar en ökning i försäljning av en grupp varor då väderparametern ökar med en enhet. Detta skulle beskriva verkligheten perfekt förutsatt att det existerar ett linjärt samband mellan vädret och försäljningen, vilket det förmodligen inte gör. Följaktligen ska resultaten tolkas aktsamt.  Utöver genomförda regressionsanalys har ”supply chain” diskuterats. Matvaruföretags ”supply chains” påverkas om de förändrar sin prognostisering av varuåtgång. Den främsta effekten är att det sätter krav på hur nära inpå en butik kan beställa innan de får leveransen. Således blir ”supply chain flexibility” en viktig aspekt för att företaget ska ha möjlighet att implementera förändringar.

The power grid faces major and escalating challenges in maintaining the power balance whilst society transitions towards increased sustainability. One promising solution to this challenge is found in the concept of demand response, where consumers adapt their energy demand due to some incentive in order to help balance the power grid. This study analyses the technical potential for industrial energy consumers to provide demand response by combining theory on demand response with theory on operations management and puts this to the test through a case study of a Swedish industrial sheet metal plant. In the study relevant factors such as energy and productivity parameters as well as planning and business models are shown to restrict the demand response potential. Different kinds of load shape objectives are analyzed, where peak clipping is shown to be simple but costly whilst load shifting is shown to be more complex but with the potential of offering demand response without affecting the overall productivity of the plant. These results help expand the picture of industrial consumer demand reponse from a static value depending on the economical incentive into a more complex concept that requires further research and optimization.

THE INFLUENCE OF STRETCHING EXERCISES ON THE RANGE OF JOINT FLEXIBILITY IN STUDENTS AT JAN EVANGELISTA PURKYNĚ UNIVERSITY IN ÚSTÍ NAD LABEM The dissertation evaluates the influence of stretching exercises on the range of joint flexibility in students of the study programme Physical Education and Sport at Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem. In total, 128 students aged 21 - 25 (78 women, 50 men) enrolled in the subject Basic Gymnastics took part in the experiment, conducted in the period from February to May of the academic year 2008/2009. Of these, 59 students were excluded by a physiotherapist - i.e. hypermobile men and hypermobile women as well as women with normal flexibility (excluded purposefully) subject to the results of the Thomayer test. In total, data from 39 men and 30 women were used. From April 2009, over a period of six weeks (before the end of the summer term tuition), an intervention flexibility programme including the Anderson static stretching method and the PNF stretching method by Sölveborn were applied for the research file. To evaluate the level of joint flexibility, the Sit and Reach Test and credit exercise to estimate joint flexibility were used. In a controlled interview, out-of-school activities were analysed, which contained stretching exercises with a...

Det allmänna forskningsfältet om personalomsättning är nyanserat då det påvisar både positiva och negativa konsekvenser av personalomsättning. Samma forskningsfält inom konsultbranschen har däremot alltjämt brist på nyanserad forskning. I stället framställer det personalomsättning som negativt och fokuserar enbart på hur konsultföretag ska arbeta för att behålla anställda. Samtidigt är managementkonsultföretag i behov av numerisk och funktionell flexibilitet, där personalomsättning kan utgöra en del i att uppnå dessa. Även HR-aktiviteter har visat sig vara viktiga för konsultföretags flexibilitet och konkurrenskraft. Frågetecken uppstår därmed kring vilka HRaktiviteter som bidrar till managementkonsultföretagens flexibilitet, samt huruvida personalomsättning i managementkonsultföretag egentligen är så negativt som forskningsfältet i branschen menar. Studiens syfte är att skapa en djupare förståelse för hur personalomsättning påverkar numerisk och funktionell flexibilitet i managementkonsultföretag. För att förstå detta ämnar studien även till att undersöka vilka HR-aktiviteter som bidrar till numerisk respektive funktionell flexibilitet. Detta med en förhoppning om att generera en nyansering till konsultbranschens forskningsfält, som idag inte antar en nyanserad syn på personalomsättning. Studien är en kvalitativ flerfallstudie där empiriskt material har insamlats genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med partners och chefer från sju managementkonsultföretag i Sverige. Studien tar avstamp i ett hermeneutiskt vetenskapligt synsätt och med en iterativ ansats. Slutligen har den empiriska datan analyserats genom en tematisk analysmetod. Personalomsättning påverkar managementkonsultföretags numeriska och funktionella flexibilitet positivt, då det bland annat möjliggör ett lämpligt antal konsulter med högkvalitativ kompetens i företagens karriärstegar. Numerisk och funktionell flexibilitet påverkas dock även negativt av personalomsättning då det komplicerar för managementkonsultföretagen att möta efterfrågan samt att viktiga nyckelkompetenser går förlorade. Det onyanserade forskningsfältet om personalomsättning i konsultbranschen framställer därmed inte en helt korrekt bild av verkligheten. I stället kan konstateras att det nyanserade allmänna forskningsfältet om personalomsättning är mer applicerbart för denna studie. Slutligen, de HR-aktiviteter som bidrar till numerisk och funktionell flexibilitet i managementkonsultföretag är arbetsgivarvarumärke, rekrytering, utbildning samt exit-hantering. / The general field of research on employee turnover is nuanced as it demonstrates both positive and negative consequences of employee turnover. The same field of research in the consulting industry, on the other hand, still lacks nuanced research. Instead, it presents employee turnover as negative and focuses only on how consulting firms should work to retain employees. At the same time, management consulting firms need numerical and functional flexibility, where employee turnover can be a part of achieving these. HR activities have also proven to be important for consulting firms' flexibility and competitiveness. Question thus arises as to which HR activities contribute to the flexibility of management consulting firms, and whether employee turnover in management consulting firms is as negative as the research field in the industry believes. The purpose of the study is to create a deeper understanding of how employee turnover affects numerical and functional flexibility in management consulting firms. To understand this, the study also aims to investigate which HR activities contribute to numerical and functional flexibility. This with a hope of generating a nuance to the consulting industry's research field, which today does not adopt a nuanced view of employee turnover. The study is a qualitative multiple-case study where empirical material has been collected through semi-structured interviews with partners and managers from seven management consulting firms in Sweden. The study is based on a hermeneutic scientific approach and with an iterative approach. Finally, the empirical data have been analyzed using a thematic analysis method. Employee turnover has a positive effect on management consulting firms' numerical and functional flexibility, as it enables, among other things, a suitable number of consultants with highquality competence in the firms' career ladders. However, numerical and functional flexibility is also negatively affected by employee turnover as it complicates for management consulting firms to meet demand and that important key competencies are lost. The nuanced research field on employee turnover in the consulting industry thus does not present a completely correct picture of reality. Instead, it can be stated that the nuanced general research field on employee turnover is more applicable for this study. Finally, the HR activities that contribute to numerical and functional flexibility in management consulting firms are employer branding, recruitment, training and exit management.

With the advancements that have taken place in technology the recent decades, it is nowpossible to work anywhere and at any time. Coworking space is the type of flexible workplacethat is currently growing the fastest and comprises a workplace shared between severalcompanies and individuals with emphasis on collaboration and knowledge sharing. Withbenefits such as cost efficiency for members, it is now questioned how the companies that offercoworking make it work financially. This thesis investigates the profitability of coworkingcompanies and whether they are persevering enough to survive an economic downturn orrecession.By examining the Stockholm market’s nine largest coworking companies' annual reports,interviewing them and experts from different areas on the market, these questions have beenanswered. In order to further assess the potential of the new market segment, the currenteconomic climate has been compared with the IT-bubble in 2001. Further, the financial positionof the coworking companies has been set against the business model of hotels. Through a datacollection that is both qualitative and quantitative, the results have been discussed thematically.From the study it was concluded that coworking operators are economically weak with low orno profitability. By developing their business model in accordance with the one of hotels,companies are expected to improve their financial position. This is done by overbookingflexible workplaces and in detail work with profit per workplace to increase the total return.The coworking companies' rental cost to their property owners one of the largest expenses andthus also decisive. For companies to be able to operate in the long run, revenue sharing rent isrecommended. Experience, strong ownership, central location and diversification of membersare recognized as success factors. Regarding the coworking companies' sustainability ineconomic downturns, they are also considered weak. Given their deficient financial statementsand balance sheets, they lack the margins and qualifications to endure an economic downturnor recession. A consolidation is expected to take place where survival of each coworkingoperator depend on new customers to leave conventional leases and prioritize flexibility.  Furthermore, the study has shown the economic climate today to resemble with what led to theIT-bubble in 2001, which in turn signals for a coworking bubble. A pattern of increased demandfor service in the office market has also been discovered. What we are seeing today is thebeginning of a change on the office market - a servicification that requires a fundamental changein the office sector's business model. / Med de framgångar som skett inom teknik de senaste decennierna är det idag möjligt att arbetavar och när som helst. Coworking space är den typ av flexibel arbetsplats som just nu växersnabbast och innebär att arbetsplatsen delas mellan flera företag och individer samtunderstryker samarbete och kunskapsdelning. Med fördelar såsom kostnadseffektivisering förmedlemmar ifrågasätts nu hur företagen som erbjuder coworking får det att gå ihop ekonomiskt.I den här uppsatsen belyses coworkingföretagens lönsamhet och om de är uthålliga nog attöverleva en ekonomisk nedgång eller lågkonjunktur.Genom att för Stockholmsmarknaden undersöka de nio största coworkingföretagensårsrapporter, intervjua dem och experter från olika områden av marknaden har dessa frågorutvisats. För att ytterligare kunna bedöma potentialen för det nya marknadssegmentet hardagens ekonomiska klimat jämförts med vad som ledde upp till IT-krisen 2001 samtcoworkingföretagens ekonomiska ställning ställts mot den affärsmodell som hotell använder.Genom en datainsamling som både är kvalitativ och kvantitativ har resultaten diskuteratstematiskt.Studien har mynnat ut i en slutsats om att coworkingoperatörer är ekonomiskt svaga företagmed låg eller ingen lönsamhet. Genom att utveckla sin affärsmodell efter den som hotellanvänder förväntas företagen kunna förbättra sin ekonomiska ställning. Detta görs genom attöverboka flexibla arbetsplatser och på detaljnivå arbeta med vinst per arbetsplats för att ökaden totala avkastningen. Coworkingföretagens hyreskostnad till sina fastighetsägare är en avde största utgifterna och därmed också avgörande. För att företagen ska kunna verka i längdenrekommenderas omsättningsbaserad hyra. Erfarenhet, starkt ägandeskap, central lokaliseringoch diversifiering av medlemmar ses som framgångsfaktorer. Gällande coworkingföretagensuthållighet i konjunkturnedgångar, bedöms dem också svaga. Med hänsyn till bristanderesultat- och balansräkningar har de inte marginaler eller förutsättningar nog att utstå enekonomisk nedgång eller lågkonjunktur. En konsolidering väntas ske där coworkingoperatörernasöverlevnad hänger på tillskott av nya kunder som väljer att lämna konventionellahyresavtal och prioritera flexibilitet.  Ytterligare har studien visat på att det ekonomiska klimatet idag också liknar det som leddefram till IT-krisen 2001, vilket i sin tur signalerar för en coworkingbubbla. Det har ocksåuppdagats ett mönster av ökad efterfrågan på service på kontorsmarknaden. Vad vi nu ser börjanpå är en förändring i kontorsmarknaden - en tjänstefiering som kräver en fundamentalförändring av kontorssektorns affärsmodell.

In coastal defense operations, anti-ship missile (ASM) attacks on amphibious assault high value targets (HVT) constitutes a window of opportunity with decisive potential. However, in war, the availability and performance of ASM-forces is uncertain and most likely less than ideal. This thesis explores how organizational and technological flexibility can be a solution to such uncertainties. This is achieved by modeling representative examples of weapon redundancy, weapon versatility, and a flexible balance between offensive and defensive powers. A Two-Layer Defense HVT Acquisition Missile Salvo Model is developed, as an extension of Hughes Missile Salvo Model, to enable detailed study of sub-saturation attacks that rely on missiles leaking through target defenses. The result of this study shows that organizational and technological flexibility can potentially enhance ASM-attacks directed at the HVTs of an amphibious assault in multiple ways. Mentionable key-findings are that additional ways of challenging target defenses, additional firepower, and increased lethality through characteristics such as precision will create tolerance to loss and tactical benefits.

Aggregators targeting smaller customers, and their possibility to alleviate grid congestions through local flexibility markets, is a new concept in Sweden. The study’s purpose consisted of four main objectives. Investigate SthlmFlex and compare it to two other European flexibility markets. Explore the institutional, technical, financial and social considerations of an aggregator in Sweden. Identify barriers for the aggregators considerations as well as market barriers for SthlmFlex. Lastly, estimate the potential of aggregated demand side flexibility from heat pumps and electric vehicles in single-family houses to alleviate grid congestions in Stockholm 2021-2030. The study mainly followed an exploratory research approach where literature review was combined with interviews. A quantitative approach was applied for the estimation of the potential. SthlmFlex is an open market that offers trade of flexibility services as well as temporary subscriptions that allows Ellevio and Vattenfall to manage grid congestions through different solutions. The most noticeable difference in the comparison of markets was that SthlmFlex did not offer an integrated rebalancing mechanism. New Swedish regulations that will enable independent aggregation will be enforced in the beginning of 2022 and will facilitate the operation and acquisition of customers for aggregators. The aggregator requires a technical setup of both hardware and software to gain control of the technology and active the flexibility service. The business model is centred on sales of the technical system, which enables implicit and explicit services. Explicit services constitute a small part of the total revenue stream which is due to the low prices offered on flexibility markets. The aggregator has to consider the customers’ view on demand side flexibility and their competence within the electricity system. The study concluded that there is enough demand side flexibility potential in single-family houses to alleviate grid congestions in Stockholm from 2021-2030. However, several barriers were identified that limits the realization of this potential and the development of aggregators in Sweden. These include barriers related to balance responsibility, measurements and low revenue streams. Barriers in terms of market design and market approach were also identified specifically for SthlmFlex. / Aggregatorer som riktar sig mot mindre kunder, samt deras möjligheter att bidra till att minska flaskhalsarna i elnätet, är ett nytt koncept i Sverige. Studiens syfte bestod av fyra huvudmål. Utforska SthlmFlex och jämföra den med två andra europeiska flexibilitetsmarknader. Undersöka de institutionella, tekniska, finansiella och sociala övervägandena för en aggregator i Sverige. Identifiera barriärer för aggregatorns överväganden samt marknadsbarriärer för SthlmFlex. Slutligen, uppskatta potentialen av aggregerad efterfrågeflexibilitet från värmepumpar och elbilar i småhus för att underlätta flaskhalsar i elnätet i Stockholm från 2021–2030. Studien följde en utforskande ansats där litteraturstudier kombinerades med intervjuer. En kvantitativ metod användes för att uppskatta potentialen.SthlmFlex är en öppen marknad som erbjuder handel av flexibilitetstjänster samt tillfälliga abonnemang som tillåter Ellevio och Vattenfall hantera flaskhalsar i elnätet genom olika lösningar. Den mest noterbara skillnaden i jämförelsen av marknader var att SthlmFlex inte erbjöd en integrerad åter balanserande mekanism. Nya svenska regler som möjliggör oberoende aggregering träder i kraft i början av 2022 och kommer underlätta driften och införskaffning av kunder för aggregatorn. Aggregatorn kräver en teknisk struktur som med både hårdvara och mjukvara för att få kontroll av teknologin och aktivera flexibilitetstjänster. Affärsmodellen kretsar kring försäljning av det tekniska systemet som möjliggör tjänster som implicit, explicit och övriga. Explicita tjänster utgör en väldigt liten del av den totala intäktsmodellen, bland annat på grund av de låga priserna som erbjuds på flexibilitetsmarknader. Aggregatorn måste ta hänsyn till kundernas inställning till efterfrågeflexibilitet samt deras kompetens inom elsystemet. Studiens slutsats visar att den potentiella efterfrågeflexibiliteten hos småhus är tillräcklig för att underlätta flaskhalsar i elsystemet i Stockholm från 2021–2030. Flera barriärer identifierades som begränsar realisationen av denna potential och utvecklingen av aggregatorer i Sverige. Dessa inkluderade barriärer relaterade till balansansvar, mätning och låga inkomstströmmar. Barriärer i form av marknadsdesign och syfte med marknad identifierades även för SthlmFlex.

This study investigates the effect of the value of financial flexibility on bidder’s merger and acquisition (M&A) performance, including the differences between domestic and cross-border M&As and the effect of the financial crisis. Using data gathered between 2005-2012 of 3,882 M&As with the bidder from developed Europe or the U.S., OLS regressions are used to predict the effect of value of financial flexibility on the bidder’s cumulative abnormal returns (CARs). Findings reveal partial evidence to support a positive effect of the value of financial flexibility and the cross-border effect on bidder’s M&A performance. Collectively, these findings increase understanding of the interdependence of financial flexibility and investments.

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / William P. Winslow III / The American campus is a distinct place. Harboring collegial values much different from American social-scapes, urban campuses are insular places of outward-minded activism. The University of Pennsylvania is breaking down these perceived barriers that separate its campus from the city; attempting to reconnect with adjacent neighborhoods, civic institutions and the greater Philadelphia-area. Dynamism at Palestra Green seeks to establish this connection along the most important pedestrian corridor linking Penn to Center City Philadelphia. A proper connection requires extensive knowledge of Penn’s genius loci. By synthesizing an analysis of the historic DNA of Penn and its spaces, as well as regionalism and site-specific programming, the proper design of Palestra Green is achieved. Furthermore, the proposed site design is intended to provide flexible spaces for the accommodation of numerous programmatic functions located both on site and in adjacent campus buildings. Adapting to seasonal campus, event and civic programming while adhering to the aesthetic and underlying qualities of Penn creates a truly unique and dynamic destination. Through this robust design, Palestra Green connects to the whole of Penn, properly accommodates the range of uses and events taking place on site, and contributes to the extensive park network in Philadelphia. In addition, the implementation of multiple designed systems provides a diverse set of amenities contributing to the flexibility of use and sustainability at Palestra Green. Supporting these solutions is a project-specific conceptual framework driven by personal philosophy and experience. The conceptual structure is tuned to actively reconcile and resolve all site and program issues. In its final state, Dynamism at Palestra Green communicates the significance of all proposed components, discusses the space’s long-term value to the university and city and exhibits how the new Palestra Green positively contributes to the profession of landscape architecture.

One of the lasting concerns in audiology is the unexplained individual differences in speech perception performance even for individuals with similar audiograms. One proposal is that there are cognitive/perceptual individual differences underlying this vulnerability and that these differences are present in normal hearing (NH) individuals but do not reveal themselves in studies that use clear speech produced in quiet (because of a ceiling effect). However, previous studies have failed to uncover cognitive/perceptual variables that explain much of the variance in NH performance on more challenging degraded speech tasks. This lack of strong correlations may be due to either examining the wrong measures (e.g., working memory capacity) or to there being no reliable differences in degraded speech performance in NH listeners (i.e., variability in performance is due to measurement noise). The proposed project has 3 aims; the first, is to establish whether there are reliable individual differences in degraded speech performance for NH listeners that are sustained both across degradation types (speech in noise, compressed speech, noise-vocoded speech) and across multiple testing sessions. The second aim is to establish whether there are reliable differences in NH listeners' ability to adapt their phonetic categories based on short-term statistics both across tasks and across sessions; and finally, to determine whether performance on degraded speech perception tasks are correlated with performance on phonetic adaptability tasks, thus establishing a possible explanatory variable for individual differences in speech perception for NH and hearing impaired listeners.