Although Operational Research (OR) has successfully provided many methodologies to address complex decision problems, in particular based on the rationality principle, there has been too little discussion regarding their limited consideration in IT evaluation practice and associated decision making satisfaction levels in an organisational context. The aim of this paper is to address these issues through providing a current account of diffusion and infusion of OR methodologies in IT decision making practice, and by analysing factors affecting decision making satisfaction from a Technological, Organisational, and Environmental (TOE) framework in the context of IT induced business transformations. We developed a structural equation model and conducted an empirical survey, which supported four out of five developed research hypotheses. Our results show that while Decision Support Systems (DSS), holistic IT evaluation methods, and management support seem to positively affect individual satisfaction, legislative regulation has an adverse effect. Results also revealed a persistent methodology diffusion and infusion gap. The paper discusses implications in each of these aspects and presents opportunities for future work. (authors' abstract)

Syftet var att undersöka äldre personers uppfattningar om självbestämmande och inflytande relaterat till rambeslut i hemtjänsten. Att respektera individens rätt till självbestämmande och inflytande är grundläggande värden och förhållningssätt i svensk äldreomsorg. Rambeslut i hemtjänsten är ett salutogent arbetssätt som syftar till att i högre utsträckning stärka individens möjlighet till självbestämmande och att utöva inflytande över insatsernas utformning avseende hur och när de ska utföras. Uppsatsen tar sin utgångspunkt i den salutogena teorin.   Studien genomfördes med kvalitativ metod. Åtta äldre personer deltog i semistrukturerade intervjuer. Intervjuerna bandades och transkriberades ordagrant och analyserades med kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Deltagarna ingick i ett pilotprojekt där rambeslut skulle utvecklas för att därefter införas för alla hemtjänstkunder i den aktuella kommunen.   Analysen resulterade i tre kategorier som beskriver äldres uppfattningar om självbestämmande och inflytande relaterat till rambeslut i hemtjänsten. Kategorierna inkluderade 1) de äldres vaga uppfattningar om innebörden av begreppen, 2) vad de äldre tycker är viktigt att ha inflytande över och 3) att de äldre uppfattar sig ha inflytande i stunden men inte i planeringen. De äldre uttryckte bland annat att det är viktigt att ha inflytande över när man ska få sin hemtjänst, hur städningen utförs och att det finns flexibilitet utifrån dagsform. En slutsats som kan dras utifrån detta är att det som de äldre tycker är viktigt att ha självbestämmande och inflytande över stämmer väl överens med intentionerna för införandet av rambeslut. En annan slutsats är att de äldre uppfattar att de har självbestämmande och inflytande i stunden, i den faktiska vardagen, men inte i själva planeringen av insatserna. En tredje slutsats är att samtliga tre salutogena faktorer, begriplighet, hanterbarhet och meningsfullhet, är essentiella för att rambeslutets intentioner om ökat självbestämmande och inflytande ska uppnås. / The objective was to examine older people’s perceptions of autonomy and influence related to Framework Decision in Home Help Services. Respect of individual's rights of autonomy and influence are fundamental values and attitudes in Swedish elderly care. Framework Decision in the Home Help Services has the main goal of strengthening the individual’s right to decide for himself and have influence over how the Home Help Service should be carried out and when it should be performed.   The study was conducted using qualitative method. Eight older persons participated in semi-structured interviews. The interviews were taped and transcribed verbatim, and the data was analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The participants were part of a pilot study aimed at developing Framework Decisionsin Home Help Services that subsequently would be implemented for all home care clients in the municipality.   The analysis resulted in three categories that describe the older persons’ perceptions of autonomy and influence related to the Framework Decision in Home Help Services. The categories included 1) the older persons have vague notions about the meaning of the terms, 2) what the older persons think is important to have influence over, and 3) that the older persons perceive themselves to have influence in the moment but not in the planning. The participants expressed, among other things, that it is important to have control over when to get help service, how the cleaning is carried out and that there is flexibility on daily basis. One conclusion that can be drawn from this is that the things the older persons think is important to have self-determination and influence over is in line with the intentions of the introduction of the Framework Decision. Another conclusion is that the older persons feel that they have autonomy and influence in the moment, in the actual everyday life, but not in the planning of activities. A third conclusion is that all three salutogenic factors, comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness, are essential in order to achieve the Framework Decision’s intentions of greater autonomy and influence.

Unstoppable development in every area of life which brings an innovative methods, implements and forms has been an inherent part of the evolution of society for a long time now. Accordingly, the field of international judicial cooperation in criminal matters with phased pressure on the integrating procedures within the framework of the European Union, with the development of international relations between the Member States, and with increased rate of criminal activity exceeding the implementation of free movement of persons within the European Union has been made to reflect introduction of new mechanisms. The main task of such mechanisms is repressing organised crime and cross-border criminal activities, and also protection of fundamental rights of individuals who are suspected of commiting an offence. One of these mechanisms is the European arrest warrant, relatively new legal instrument to which is my diploma work devoted to. This instrument of criminal law based on the principle of mutual recognitions in criminal matters represents not just a symbol of mutual confidence for the Member States reflecting in their systems of criminal justice, but also some achievement of philosophical purpose in integrating aspects or rather ambitions in the field of judicial cooperation in criminal matters. It is...

La ricerca fornisce una valutazione del livello di armonizzazione e di ravvicinamento della legislazione in materia di criminalità organizzata tra gli stati membri dell'Unione Europea. La valutazione è realizzata mediante due set di indicatori e si basa su diverse fonti di dati. La valutazione dell'armonizzazione individua somiglianze e differenze tra la norme nazionali degli stati membri su specifici aspetti della legislazione penale in materia di criminalità organizzata. La valutazione del ravvicinamento individua il livello di conformità con i requisiti prescritti dalla Decisione quadro 2008/841/GAI relativa alla lotta alla criminalità organizzata / The research provides an assessment of the level of harmonization and approximation of organized crime legislation among EU MS.The assessment is made through two sets of indicators and is based on multiple sources of data. The assessment of harmonization identifies similarities and differences among Member States national norms on specific issues of criminal legislation in the sector of organized crime. The assesssment of approximation identifies the level of compliance with the requirements set by the Framework Decision 2008/841/GAI on the Fight against Organized Crime

The marine environment provides essential ecosystem services that are critical to the functioning of the earth’s life support system and the maintenance of human well-being. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are recognised as being the mechanism though which marine natural capital may be conserved. This thesis focuses on the value associated with marine conservation in a case study area, Lyme Bay, England where a ‘closed area’ was created in 2008. A review of literature spanning 20 years shows that despite sound ecological knowledge of a marine area, the reliance on traditional neo-classical economic valuations for marine spatial planning can obscure other issues pertinent to the ecosystem approach. A further valuation of the marine leisure and recreation industry shows that the industry is of economic significance and that the MPA enables the protection of the most valuable sites but has limited benefits for protecting the full resource base. In terms of ecological value, a ‘service orientated framework’ was developed to enable decision makers to understand the links between benthic species, ecological function and indirect ecosystem services. Results spatially identify which ecosystem services occur and demonstrate the value of the MPA in ensuring delivery of these ecosystem services. In relation to the social value of the MPA the research reveals that support for the MPA is strong amongst the majority of stakeholder groups. Values are expressed as the economic, environmental and social benefits of the MPA. However, there have been clear social costs of the MPA policy and these have been borne by mobile and static gear fishermen and charter boat operators. Each valuation methodology can inform decision making. Though, if ecosystem service valuation is to become a deliberative tool for marine conservation and planning, then there is a need for a larger societal discussion on what activities and trade-offs society considers acceptable.

European Arrest Warrant is an institute of the police and judicial cooperation in the criminal matters. Based is on the mutual confidence of Member States in its legal systems. His formation was caused not only by the failed ratification of the international agreements governing extradition, but also by the terrorist attacks occurred on 11 September 2001 in New York. European Arrest Warrant meant the breakthrough into the national traditional sovereignty of Member States and that all to ensure the area of freedom, safety and justice inside Europe. Formation of the European Arrest Warrant led to the restriction of some principles, which dominated to the extradition, when between the most important ones belongs the principle of surrender of own citizens. European Arrest Warrant is the necessary means and tool of police and judicial bodies in the fight against the national and multinational crime, whose use rises year from year.

Die vorliegende Arbeit analysiert den Umgang mit dem Tatbestand der Holocaust-Leugnung durch die Europäische Union (EU) und den Europäischen Gerichtshof für Menschenrechte (EGMR). Derzeit befinden sich diese in einer heiklen Situation: Sie müssen das Gedenken an ein für die europäische Identität zentrales historisches Ereignis – den Holocaust – pflegen und schützen und zugleich die Achtung der Grundrechte, insbesondere der Meinungsfreiheit, gewährleisten. Diese besondere Situation erfordert eine gründliche Untersuchung des europäischen Umgangs mit dem Tatbestand der Holocaust-Leugnung. Der erste Teil der Dissertation steckt den Anwendungsbereich der europarechtlichen Verpflichtungen zur Kriminalisierung der Holocaust-Leugnung ab. Bewertet wird insbesondere die Bedeutung des Rahmenbeschlusses 2008/913/JHA über Rassismus und Fremdenfeindlichkeit für die EU-Mitgliedstaaten. Dabei werden einige Beispiele der Umsetzung in staatliches Recht dargestellt. Der zweite Teil der Arbeit befasst sich mit der Rechtsprechung des EGMR und untersucht das Verhältnis zwischen dem Tatbestand der Holocaust-Leugnung und der Meinungsfreiheit mit dem Ziel, die Grundsätze, nach denen Staaten verpflichtet sind, entsprechende Äußerungen zu kriminalisieren, herzuleiten. Die übergreifenden Ziele der Untersuchung sind: a) den Charakter des Zusammenspiels zwischen EU und EGMR herauszuarbeiten; b) zu ermitteln, ob die jeweiligen Positionen gegensätzlich oder komplementär sind; c) die Rechtsnatur und den Inhalt der für die Mitgliedstaaten begründeten Verpflichtungen zu bestimmen; d) herauszuarbeiten, ob eine europaweite Kriminalisierung verpflichtend ist oder lediglich gefördert werden soll; und e) ob beziehungsweise unter welchen Bedingungen ein mit Kriminalstrafe sanktioniertes Verbot der Holocaust-Leugnung erstrebenswert wäre. / The present study aims to analyse the legal treatment of the crime of denialism by the two main actors in European justice, namely, the European Union (‘EU’) and the European Court of Human Rights (‘ECtHR’). Presently, these two systems find themselves in a delicate position: they must cherish and protect the memory of an historical event – the Holocaust – which is central to Europe’s own identity, while simultaneously promoting respect for fundamental rights such as the freedom of speech. This unique balance raises a need for a thorough investigation into Europe’s approach to the crime of denialism. The dissertation’s first section seeks to measure the scope of EU-imposed obligations to make denialism a crime. Notably, the impact on EU Member States of the Framework Decision 2008/913/JHA on racism and xenophobia is assessed, with illustrations of a few archetypal examples of domestic implementing legislation. The second part of the dissertation turns to the jurisprudence of the ECtHR to examine the relationship between Holocaust denial as a crime and the right to freedom of expression, with a view to deducing the principles under which States must comply in the criminalization of this kind of utterance. The work’s overall goals are to assess: a) the nature of interactions between the EU and ECtHR; b) whether their positions on denialism are better portrayed in terms of contrast or mutual support; c) the legal nature and content of the obligations originating for the Member States; d) whether a Europe-wide criminal prohibition on denialism is dictated or simply encouraged; and e) whether such a prohibition would be desirable, and if so, under what conditions.

On the way towards a more biobased economy, the sustainable use of global wood resources remains a challenge as several trade-offs arise, e.g., from an increased energetic use of wood, an increased use of innovative but probably less recyclable wood composites, or from the need to conserve other forest ecosystem services. The aim of this study is to identify existing environmental indicators and methods for an evaluation of the sustainability of wood products in consideration of all life cycle stages, site-dependent aspects and later use in corporate decision-making. We chose a systematic literature review to answer the research questions explicitly and comprehensively. Qualitative content analysis was used to code indicators and scientific methods according to the Pressure-State-Response (PSR) framework. The sample (N = 118) is characterized by a high number of life cycle assessment (LCA) case studies. In 51% of all studies, the study authors use a combination of different methods. A total of 78 indicators and 20 site-dependent aspects could be identified in the sample. The study findings represent a first step towards a holistic environmental assessment of wood products.