A physically inactive lifestyle is a predisposing risk factor for fall-related hip fracture. The circumstances, or precipitating factors, surrounding hip fractures are, however, not well understood, a factor of relevance for Swedish adults who have one of the highest hip fracture risks in the world. The aims of this thesis, therefore, were: to explore perceptions of physical activity (PA) among older adults, to describe the circumstances surrounding hip fracture events and the health characteristics of those who experience them. Four observational studies were conducted involving qualitative, epidemiological and mixed method designs. Participants in study I were recruited from community settings in Stockholm and Dublin (n=30). Studies II-IV (sample sizes, n=484, n=125, n=477) were based on a population-based sample of people admitted to Uppsala University hospital due to hip fracture. Study IV also incorporated the background population of Uppsala county in 2010 (n=117 494). Analysis of PA perceptions in study I revealed that PA which is functional nature is perceived as most meaningful among certain participants. The uptake of PA in later years was a means of creating a new self-identify and being active in outdoor environments was an important culture-specific motivator to PA among Swedish participants. Analysis of hip fractures patterns in studies II-III showed that: hip fractures among psychotropic drug users were twice as likely to occur during night-time hours compared to those occurring among people not receiving these drugs. Additionally, the fall-related hip fractures of community dwellers with poorest health and function tended to occur indoors during positional changes. In study IV, all categories of disease (according to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision) were seen to be positively associated with hip fracture.  Cardiovascular disease and previous injury (including previous fracture) posed the highest relative and absolute fracture risks. Detailed investigation of hip fracture circumstances reveal patterns in health and functional characteristics, which provide information regarding predisposing and precipitating factors for these events. This knowledge, in combination with findings regarding PA perceptions, can be used when identifying individuals at high risk for hip fracture and when tailoring fracture prevention at an individual level to those at risk.

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With the number of Asian immigrants continually increasing in New Zealand society, Asian immigrant businesses have been appearing more rapidly in New Zealand, particularly in Auckland. The primary purpose of this study is to enquire into why a certain Asian immigrant group become business people after migrating to Auckland, New Zealand. In addition, it investigates the level of their business activity and the level of happiness with their new life in New Zealand. This study examines the growing phenomenon of Asian immigrants, and the entrepreneurship rate of ethnic groups through existing statistics. The study focuses on Korean immigrants. Twenty self-employed Koreans who are running a business in Auckland participated in the study. They were invited to talk about why they became self-employed business people and related matters about their business activity. The study found that Korean immigrants chose self-employment as a means of getting a job. They gave up seeking mainstream employment opportunities due to the language barrier and their inability to cope with a new society and new system. Other fundamental factors in their decision to become entrepreneurs were that firstly, they were willing to invest a considerable amount of their own money and secondly, they preferred to participate in the workforce rather than to depend on the New Zealand welfare system. Based on the information acquired through the research, the study reported that the recently increased numbers of Asian businesses are partly attributable to New Zealand business immigration policy which introduced a new business category – Long Term Business Visa (LTBV). The findings from this research pointed to commitment that immigrant businesses contribute to the New Zealand economy and New Zealand society as taxpayers and potential employers.

The marine conservation organization Sea Shepherd is most known for its radical direct action, e. g., against whale poaching. This thesis examines the campaign “Operation Dolphin Bycatch,” coordinated by the French branch of the NGO, through discourse analysis and interviews with Sea Shepherd France (SSF) members. Dolphins serve as the flagship species of the campaign. They allow SSF to criticize non-selective fishing methods that cause the accidental killing of dolphins in the Bay of Biscay. With expressions from war and religion, SSF portrays the French government and most fishermen as enemies of the dolphins’ wellbeing that pursue self-interested profit values. It is found that SSF positions itself as radical more in its worldview than its approaches. The ecological philosophy of biocentrism contradicts the anthropocentrism that dominates society. In this campaign, the NGO uses “outsider” tactics: It exerts pressure on French policy-makers with footage of dolphin bycatch and takes great care to maintain international legitimacy by staying within legal boundaries. / L’organisation de conservation du milieu marin Sea Shepherd est surtout connue pour ses méthodes d’action directe radicale, par exemple contre le braconnage des baleines. Ce mémoire de master examine la campagne « Opération Dolphin Bycatch », qui est coordonnée par la branche française de l’ONG, à travers une analyse multimodale du discours et des entretiens avec des bénévoles de Sea Shepherd France (SSF). Les dauphins sont l’espèce porte-drapeau de la campagne. Ils permettent ainsi à SSF de critiquer les méthodes de pêche non sélectives qui provoquent la mort accidentelle de dauphins dans le Golfe de Gascogne. Avec des expressions provenant des champs lexicaux de la guerre et de la religion, SSF dépeint le gouvernement français et la plupart des pêcheurs comme poursuivant des valeurs lucratives égoïstes à l’encontre du bien-être des dauphins. Il s’avère que SSF se positionne comme radicale dans sa vision du monde plus que dans ses approches. Sa philosophie biocentrée de l’environnement contredit l’anthropocentrisme qui domine la société. Dans cette campagne, l’ONG utilise des tactiques « extérieures », c’est-à-dire qu’elle exerce une pression sur les décideurs politiques français avec des images de prises accessoires de dauphins et prend soin de maintenir une légitimité internationale en restant dans un cadre légal. / Die Meeresschutzorganisation Sea Shepherd ist vor allem für ihre radikalen „Direct Action“-Methoden bekannt, beispielsweise gegen Wal-Wilderei. Diese Arbeit untersucht die Kampagne „Operation Dolphin Bycatch“, die vom französischen Zweig der NGO koordiniert wird, durch multimodale Diskursanalyse und Interviews mit Mitgliedern von Sea Shepherd Frankreich (SSF). Delfine dienen als Flaggschiff-Art der Kampagne. Sie ermöglichen es SSF, die nicht-selektiven Fischereimethoden zu kritisieren, die das versehentliche Töten von Delfinen im Golf von Biskaya verursachen. Mit Begriffen aus Krieg und Religion schreibt SSF der französischen Regierung und den meisten Fischerleuten eigennützige Profitinteressen zu und stellt sie als Feinde des Wohlergehens der Delfine dar. Es zeigt sich, dass SSF eher in ihrer Weltanschauung als in ihren Ansätzen eine radikale Position beansprucht. Ihre biozentrische Umwelt-Philosophie steht im Widerspruch zum Anthropozentrismus, der in der Gesellschaft vorherrscht. Bei dieser Kampagne bedient sich die NGO „Außenseiter“-Taktiken: Sie übt Druck auf französische Politiker*innen aus, indem sie Filmaufnahmen von Delfin-Beifang zeigt, und achtet durch das Einhalten gesetzlicher Vorgaben darauf, internationale Legitimität zu wahren.

Sammanfattning   Bakgrund: Fysisk aktivitet är viktigt för barn och ungas hälsa och välmående. I Sverige så som i hela världen ses en nedåtgående trend för barn och ungas fysiska aktivitet. Genom hälsobesöken träffar skolsköterskan alla skolbarn, vilket ger tillfälle till dialog kring barnens inställning till fysisk aktivitet. Elever som vill göra en förändring kan få hjälp genom motiverande samtal (Miller & Rollnick, 2013). Syfte: Beskriva skolsköterskors erfarenheter av att arbeta med fysisk aktivitet med mellan- och högstadieelever. Metod: Kvalitativ intervjustudie genomfördes med en induktiv ansats. Studien analyserades genom en kvalitativ manifest innehållsanalys enligt Graneheim och Lundman (2004). Totalt intervjuades 17 skolsköterskor. Resultat: Skolsköterskorna var engagerade på olika sätt i elevernas fysiska aktivitet och använde sig delvis av motiverande samtal. Det framkom även andra aktörer i omgivningen som hade positiv inverkan på elevernas fysiska aktivitet. Genom analysen kom två kategorier fram vilket var; Hälsofrämjande arbetes betydelse och Omgivningens roll. Slutsats: Skolsköterskorna har en viktig, men tidvis svår roll, i att uppmuntra eleverna till fysisk aktivitet. Det är en stor utmaning i hälsosamtalen. Skolsköterskorna ser individuella variationer kring hur fysiskt aktiva eleverna är. Skolans engagemang är viktig för elevernas fysiska aktivitet enligt skolsköterskorna.   Nyckelord: Barns hälsa, Djupintervjuer, Hälsofrämjande, Kvalitativ forskning, Motiverande samtal / Summary   Background: Physical activity is important for the health and well-being of children and young people. In Sweden, as in the whole world, a downward trend is observed for the physical activity of children and young people. Through the health visits, the school nurse meets all schoolchildren, which provides opportunity for a dialogue about the children's attitude to physical activity. Student who want to make a change can get help through motivational conversations (Miller & Rollnick, 2013). Aim: To describe school nurses´ experiences of working with physical activity with middle and high school students. Methods: A qualitative interview study was conducted with an inductive approach. The study was analyzed through a qualitative manifest content analysis according to Graneheim and Lundman (2004). A total of 17 school nurses were interviewed. Results: The school nurses were involved in various ways in the students' physical activity and used parts of motivational interviewing. Other actors in the area also appeared that had a positive impact on the students' physical activity. Through the analysis two categories emerged which were; The importance of health promotion work and The role of the environment Conclusions: The school nurses have an important, but sometimes difficult role, in encouraging students to physical activity. This is a major challenge in health conversations. The school nurses see individual variations in how physical active the students are. The school´s involvement was also important for the students´ physical activity according to the school nurses.   Keywords: Child Health, Health promotion, In depth- interviews, Motivational interviewing, Qualitative research

The fast fashion industry has a large negative impact on the environment and its workers. Consumers purchasing fast fashion are reinforcing the dominant social paradigm, the assumption that humans are superior and the Earth’s resources unlimited. Even though customers are reconsidering their fashion consumer behavior, they often fall back to making unsustainable choices. Research has shown that communication strengthens ethical consumption and supports reducing the attitude-behavior gap. This study proposes that sustainable communication encourages fashion customers to reason with themselves in a way their behavior evolves to be more sustainable. The aim is to investigate customers’ reception and interaction with sustainable communication using the example of the ethical fashion brand Nudie Jeans. Based on the theories of the attitude-behavior gap and sustainable communication, semi-structured in-depth interviews with Nudie Jeans customers were conducted. The analysis of the interview responses demonstrates the initial presence of an attitude-behavior gap and low awareness of sustainable communication among customers. The research indicates that after customers have developed an awareness of sustainable concerns in the fashion industry, a fashion brand can succeed in encouraging customers to adjust predominant consumption patterns towards more ethical ones. On this basis, it is recommended that ethical fashion brands continuously use transparent sustainable communication to educate consumers about the environmental and social maladministration in the fashion industry.

The aviation industry has some tough years behind it due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the emergence of low cost carriers. In the competition of retaining and attracting passengers, the importance of the passenger's airport experience has been discovered. This thesis investigates how digitalising of airports can lead to an enhanced airport experience for passengers. With the use of a digital transformation model and the field of service design a research design of four phases has been assembled. Through in-depth interviews, participation in a vision seminar and shadowing of passengers, the current state of digitalisation at airports has been assessed and goals for a future digital airport has been defined. This laid the foundation for the developed vision for future digital airports presented in this thesis. The results indicated that digitalisation can have a great impact on passengers' airport experience if properly designed. In fact, simply digitising is not enough, the airports must undergo a digital transformation to reach the full potential of digitalisation. The digital maturity of passengers is also found as a key point to successfully change the way airports operate.

Energy feedback systems have the potential to support households in utilizing their energy more efficiently and making sustainable decisions. However, the feedback must be carefully designed and delivered to resonate with the individual and change behavioral patterns. This thesis investigates the prerequisites needed to increase awareness and engagement of energy usage and presents a prototype of an energy feedback mobile application. The requirements were found through a qualitative study where eleven households of GodEl with varying characteristics participated in semi-structured interviews. The responses were analyzed through thematic analysis and contributed to a deeper understanding of an energy feedback system’s user needs and requirements. A prototype was created aiming to meet the needs and requirements found. Results suggest that households respond to feedback individually. However, the data presented in the system must be reliable, relatable, and assist the user in decision-making to accommodate the individual needs of each household. Evaluation through user testing reveals that the prototype would increase the users’ knowledge and awareness. However, the prototype’s effect on behavioral changes could not be confirmed without letting the users test the system over some time in a real-world context.

School evaluation has increased in importance in recent years, particularly at the level of the whole school. It is the process which assesses the worth and merits of the institution. Due to the fact that, in most cases, evaluation is judgemental, the notion of Whole School Evaluation (WSE) was introduced into the South African education system by the national Department of Education after the 1994 democratic election. WSE has since then became the official evaluation system in South Africa. In WSE schools undergo internal as well as external evaluation. The results of the evaluation are then used by schools to draw the School Improvement Plans which are aimed at school improvement. This study explores the implementation of WSE in rural primary schools in Limpopo Province. A literature study investigated school evaluation within the international and the South African context, the provision of education in Limpopo Province and existing models of WSE. Against the background of the conceptual framework provided by the literature, a qualitative investigation was done in four primary schools in the Vhembe district in Limpopo Province. Data were gathered by means of in-depth interviews with principals of schools and supervisors. The researcher also conducted focus group interviews with School Management Team (SMT) members from participating schools. Data was analysed, discussed and synthesized. Analysed data revealed the following findings: schools experience difficulties in conducting self-evaluation, educator development in rural primary schools in Limpopo is a problem and the district and the Department of Education do not assist schools concerning development after WSE has been conducted. As a result of these findings, there is a need to assist schools in their development endeavours after WSE. The district officials as well as supervisors should find ways and means of assisting schools in the route to development. Areas for further investigation that would enhance WSE in rural primary schools have been identified. Finally, the conclusion is drawn that schools need to be rehabilitated after WSE. This will assist in developing the whole institution and improving the level of education in South African schools. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Education Management)

An increasing number of reports indicate that managers are opposed to performance appraisal. It is important to understand why managers have favourable or unfavourable attitudes towards performance appraisal and it is necessary to investigate the causing factors of these attitudes. The aim of this research was therefore to gain a deeper understanding of the factors that influence managers’ attitudes towards performance appraisal. This study was conducted within the interpretive research paradigm and situated in a medium-sized organisation within the financial services industry. The sample was purposefully selected and the data were collected through in-depth interviews and naïve sketches. The data were analysed applying Tesch’s descriptive analysis method. The main findings indicated that managers who needed to conduct performance appraisals perceived and experienced performance appraisal as an uncomfortable and emotional process that might cause them to become defensive. Moreover, it was revealed that the managers experienced uncertainties about aspects of performance appraisal, such as the purpose of performance appraisal, what must be measured and frequency of performance appraisal. As a result of such uncertainties, managers might not always have the ability or readiness to conduct performance appraisals, especially when the performance appraisal contains negative performance feedback. Furthermore, the organisational context might put managers in an undesirable situation to distort performance ratings of employees in order to achieve organisational goals or the manager’s personal goals, which in turn influence the attitude of the manager. The findings of the study can assist organisations in influencing managers’ attitudes more positively and in enhancing the overall performance appraisal process. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)