Background: Several fast fashion brands have been criticised regarding their business practices, with poor working conditions in developing countries and use of toxic chemicals. Subsequently, many consumers have turned to anti-consumption practices such as brand avoidance to distance themselves from various fast fashion brands. Five elements have emerged among brand avoidance associated with experiential avoidance, identity avoidance, moral avoidance, deficit-value avoidance, or advertising related avoidance which underpin this behaviour.  Purpose: The aim of this study is to compare brand avoidance behaviours toward fast fashion brands among Generations X, Y, and Z. This research attempts to identify the specific reasons why different generations avoid fast fashion brands, as well as the factors that contribute to this behaviour. The purpose is to compare the three generations to know which factors influence each generation the most. It is plausible that the factors vary significantly between cohorts since they have grown up in different environments. Consequently, generational distinction is regarded as an essential variable.  Method: Comprehending the purpose of this research and examining causal relationships, this thesis used a quantitative research design. The empirical data was gathered through an online survey, considering the large sample size and current COVID-19 pandemic. Due to these circumstances, the most insightful information could be obtained about participants' behaviour regarding fast fashion brands using an online survey. The data was analysed and interpreted utilising a deductive approach.  Conclusion: The results show that the generations differ in their brand avoidance behaviours for experiential avoidance, moral avoidance, and advertising avoidance towards fast fashion brands. These differences were observed where the consumers perceive the performance to be poor, the brand is inconvenient, and when the advertising is perceived to be unpleasant. Regarding moral avoidance, the data was not sufficient to distinguish which cohorts differ, but only that there was a significant difference somewhere.

Det finns en hel del genomgående forskning kring hur arbetsgrupper fungerar. Angående fenomenet generationer finns det även relativt mycket forskning, dock är den forskningen främst ifrån USA. Går vi vidare till hur olika generationer fungerar i arbetsgrupp, speciellt i en svensk kontext, finner vi däremot en kunskapslucka. Arbetsgruppers dynamik och uppbyggnad har under lång tid varit ett stort forskningsämne. Att arbetsgrupper fungerar och är högpresterande är viktigt för organisationer då de ansvarar för många viktiga områden och uppgifter. Under senare tid har etnicitet, kultur och köns påverkan på arbetsgrupper varit faktorer som varit en trend inom forskningen. I skuggan av dessa har olika generationers påverkan blivit bortglömd. Därmed ville vi genom en kvalitativ forskningsmetod öka förståelsen för samspel, konflikter och utveckling i multigenerationella grupper. Genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med två arbetsgrupper ifrån olika företag fick vi ett empiriskt material med en svensk kontext som visade vad medarbetare i grupperna hade för egna erfarenheter och intryck av multigenerationella grupper. Uppsatsen visar att arbetsgrupper gynnas av att ha olika generationer i sin arbetsgrupp då de bidrar med olika styrkor och svagheter som kompletterar varandra väl. Konflikter var något vi vid uppsatsens början förväntade oss skulle finnas mellan generationerna, det visade sig dock inte vara något större problem enligt arbetsgrupperna. Trots olikheter mellan generationernas syn på värderingar, lojalitet och hierarki fungerar samspelet i arbetsgrupperna väl.

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In this thesis, we mainly focus on image generation. However, one can still observe unsatisfying results produced by existing state-of-the-art methods. To address this limitation and further improve the quality of generated images, we propose a few novel models. The image generation task can be roughly divided into three subtasks, i.e., person image generation, scene image generation, and cross-modal translation. Person image generation can be further divided into three subtasks, namely, hand gesture generation, facial expression generation, and person pose generation. Meanwhile, scene image generation can be further divided into two subtasks, i.e., cross-view image translation and semantic image synthesis. For each task, we have proposed the corresponding solution. Specifically, for hand gesture generation, we have proposed the GestureGAN framework. For facial expression generation, we have proposed the Cycle-in-Cycle GAN (C2GAN) framework. For person pose generation, we have proposed the XingGAN and BiGraphGAN frameworks. For cross-view image translation, we have proposed the SelectionGAN framework. For semantic image synthesis, we have proposed the Local and Global GAN (LGGAN), EdgeGAN, and Dual Attention GAN (DAGAN) frameworks. Although each method was originally proposed for a certain task, we later discovered that each method is universal and can be used to solve different tasks. For instance, GestureGAN can be used to solve both hand gesture generation and cross-view image translation tasks. C2GAN can be used to solve facial expression generation, person pose generation, hand gesture generation, and cross-view image translation. SelectionGAN can be used to solve cross-view image translation, facial expression generation, person pose generation, hand gesture generation, and semantic image synthesis. Moreover, we explore cross-modal translation and propose a novel DanceGAN for audio-to-video translation.

Relations are central in education and educational research. This thesis is an exploration of how generational relations are represented in an American film called Mud from 2012. In Mud, we are presented with the portrayal of the young and coming-of-age boy Ellis and his encounters with the mysterious title character. Despite the absence of formal education, the film deals with a young person’s formation and existential questions such as love and loss. Struggling with his parents’ upcoming separation, Ellis seeks refuge on an island together with a friend and meets a stranger (Mud). The young boy eventually views the man as a guide. For Herman Nohl (1933), the experience of being in relation to a guide is pivotal for one’s formation and the pedagogical relation rests upon this very experience. Hence, the aim is to shed light on the pedagogical relation and how the younger and older generations are seen to relate to each other (through the example of film). Put differently, the focus is to show how the characters in the film make use of different pedagogical postures and incline in relation to one another as well as to ‘the world’ in which they find themselves. I will argue that these bodily movements take place in various pedagogical spaces - open yet secluded ‘islands’. In highlighting how the film represents pedagogical relations, the thesis seeks to lay bare some of the ambiguities of the term. It is through problematising the idea of pedagogical relations that the thesis contributes to the field of educational theory. The thesis is divided into five main parts. In the first part I discuss the relevance of investigating the film Mud itself. The second part gives attention to the medium of film and how it can be understood. The three concepts of (pedagogical) relations, inclinations and the world are presented in the third part of the thesis. In analysing the film, I start by studying the initial scenes of the film where the younger generation is seen to relate to the older generation and the surrounding world. As the younger generation in the film travels along a river, I similarly go where the text takes me. The thesis ends with a concluding discussion and a summary.

Image generation has been taking large strides and new models showing great potential have been created. One of the continued struggles with image generation is controlling what the output will be, with no real way of guiding the generation into creating what the user wants. This has now been improved with the creation of text-image similarity models, which can be used together with an image generation model to guide the generation. This thesis will examine this new method of using a text-image similarity model and see how well it can generate pixel art of humanoid characters. The thesis compares the popular model Diffusion with a simple image generation method that relies solely on the text-image similarity models guidance. The results show that combining a diffusion model with a text-image similarity model improves the results over only using the text-image similarity model in almost every regard. Using a text-image similarity model allows the user to guide the generation, although sometimes the model will misinterpret the request. / Bildgeneration har tagit stora steg och nya modeller har tagits fram som visar stor potential. En av de forsatta svårigheterna med bildgeneration är att kontrollera vad modellen genererar. De nya text-bild-likhet modellerna förenklar nu för användare att tillsammans med en bildgenerator modell använda text-bild-likhet modellen att styra bildgeneratorn. Den här uppsatsen kommer utforska den nya metoden och se hur väl den kan användas för att generera mänskliga pixel art karaktärer. I uppsatsen kommer den populära Diffusion modellen jämföras med en enkel ritmetod som styrs av text-bild likhet modeller. Resultatet visar att kombinationen av en Diffusion modell och text-bild likhets modell ökar prestandan på nästan alla sätt i jämförelse med att låta text-bild-likhets modellen styra bildgeneratorn helt och hållet. Det visar sig att text-bild likhet modellen kan användas för att styra generationen men ibland så missförstår modellen vad som önskas.

The thesis of this research is that database queries can be translated to corresponding English descriptions for the use in applications in intelligent tutoring (in particular, problem generation and feedback generation) for the subject domain of database query construction. To demonstrate this thesis, a rule-based graph-rewriting algorithm and a concrete set of rules for systematically transforming queries in a subset of SQL to English descriptions are presented. Further, through an implementation of this technique, this study demonstrates an evaluation of its performance on SQL queries from database textbooks.

Idag ser vi hur Generation Y (födda 1980-2000) är den generation som i störst utsträckning tar steget ut på arbetsmarknaden. Om ledare och följare inte lyckas bygga förståelse för generationsmässiga skillnader kan både tillfredsställelse och produktivitet i arbetet bli lidande. För att främja förståelse över generationsgränser syftar denna uppsats till att genom kvalitativ metod kartlägga medlemmar ur Generation Y:s ledarpreferenser utifrån vilka egenskaper, färdigheter och beteenden de uppfattar hos effektiva ledare. Studien baserar sig på två uppsättningar intervjuer, där den första var en inledande pilotstudie som genomfördes för att ta reda på vilka ledarkännetecken som skulle utforskas ingående i de djupgående intervjuerna. De kännetecken som ingår i de områden vi har utformat vårt teoretiska ramverk utifrån är: egenskaper, färdigheter och beteenden hos ledare. Vi har funnit åtta specifika ledarkännetecken som våra intervjupersoner tillhörande Generation Y såg hos effektiva ledare. Ledaregenskaperna var: beslutsamhet, ärlighet och integritet, självförtroende och intelligens. Ledarfärdigheterna var: tekniskt kunnande, social förmåga och kommunikation. Ledarbeteendena var: demokratiskt- och autokratiskt ledarskap. För att förklara skillnader och likheter i intervjupersoners preferenser av kännetecken använder vi oss av implicita ledarskapsteorier som söker ge en förklaring till hur människor uppfattar effektivt ledarskap. Även om ledarpreferenserna varierade till viss grad bland våra intervjupersoner tyder våra resultat på att ledares sociala förmågor värderas högst av de kännetecken som utforskats.

Small and medium-sized businesses are a major contributor to many economies, but it is lesser known that some of these are also classified as family businesses. These family businesses are created due to the entrepreneurial mind set and ability of one or more of its founders, who identify an opportunity and seek to exploit such an opportunity. To be able to survive, sustain and grow the business they need to maintain at least their entrepreneurial orientation through other generations. Although these businesses face similar challenges, the literature showed that family businesses are very different to other non-family businesses due to their uniqueness and the overlapping of the family relationships. Family businesses represent a large proportion of the businesses registered world-wide, and they make an important contribution to economic growth and wealth creation in the world. South Africa is no exception and it is estimated by scholars that for the last 300 years family businesses have contributed to the South African economy. However, very few of these businesses will continue to exist after the first generation because of succession failure. This results in a great loss in skills and wealth transfer, and a change in the contribution to economic growth. Family business leaders need to learn how to manage the factors that affect the succession process. Researchers in family business literature acknowledge that leadership is vital to the success and survival of the firm. Leadership can be seen as a process of influencing the activities of an organised group in its efforts towards goal setting and goal achievement. Interestingly, family business researchers typically refer to succession and not leadership succession, and additionally, there is little crossover between the two fields of study and scholars rarely reference one another. Bridging this gap will greatly benefit the family business literature and will enhance the understanding of both fields of study. Therefore, the high failure rate for family businesses in the second and later generations has led to the problem that the succeeding generations might not have developed sufficient leadership practices to sustain the business performance of the family business. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there is a relationship between leadership practices and business performance. The results of this quantitative correlational study indicate that positive significant correlations exist between the occurrence of leadership practices and measures of business performance for first generation leaders of the selected family businesses. In addition, a disparity was found where effectively only two correlations existed between the variables for the second generation leaders. These results illuminate the potential differences in the ways that first and second generation leaders‘ lead family businesses. By empirically investigating the leadership practices of leaders in family businesses, this study has added to the limited quantity of leadership-related topics in family business literature. By way of the conceptual model developed in this study, a significant contribution has been made towards understanding the possible impact leadership practices have on business performance in these selected family businesses. As a result, this study presents propositions to assist founders to train future and existing family business leaders in leadership practices. / PhD (Business Management), North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2014