This dissertation describes a compositional model rooted in cross-influential methodology between complementary musical compositions that share generative source material. In their simultaneous construction, two composition pairs presented challenges that influenced and mediated the other's development with respect to timbre, transposition, pitch material, effects processing, and form. A working prototype first provides a model that is later developed. The first work Thema is for piano alone, and the companion piece Am3ht is for piano and live computer processing via the graphical programming environment Max/MSP. Compositional processes used in the prototype solidify the cross-influential model, demanding flexibility and a dialectic approach. Ideas set forth in the prototype are then explored through a second pair of compositions rooted in cross-influential methodology. The first work Lusmore is scored for solo contrabass and Max/MSP. The second composition Knockgrafton is scored for string orchestra. The flexibility of the cross-influential model is revealed more fully through a discussion of each work's musical development. The utility of the cross-influential compositional model is discussed, particularly within higher academia.

This master thesis investigates how an infrastructure for cultural adoption in a merger and acquisition integration could be designed. This research is valuable since prior research indicate that culture plays an important role in the success of integrating an acquired firm into the acquirer’s organization. However, there has been no research conducted in the field of how the culture should be regarded for. Our research took place at the Stockholm office of Logica, an Information Technology (IT) consultancy company which was acquired by CGI in August 2012. We have by the means of interviews and observations through our study at the case company derived numerous factors which all have a positive impact on the cultural adoption. These factors have then been categorized into three major themes; Experience, Planning, and Communication. These themes, and thus also factors, are not entirely independent but rather impose effects on each other, most notably in the case of experience. However, it is still our suggestion that the infrastructure for cultural adoption in a merger and acquisition (M&A) integration should address these three topics. Furthermore, it is in our beliefs that if these areas are addressed, the frequently recurring problem of unsuccessful M&As due to the neglecting of culture can be managed. And hopefully, by applying an infrastructural approach, it will aid the cultural adoption and moreover increase the probability of a successful M&A integration.

This study examined influential factors in upper secondary school teachers’ experiences ofgrammar education, and wishes teachers have regarding development opportunities within thegrammar. The purpose of the study was to find development opportunities within the grammar and develop both knowledges and experiences of the subject. The study was conductedthrough visual interviews of qualitative character, where the participating teachers constructedexperience curves of how their grammar experiences have been over the years and includedthe own schooling and teacher education as well as the years as a teacher. The teachers described the factors that affected the experience and which factors that would provide themwith even better conditions to drive a successful grammar education. The study showed thatthe teacher, the education and the personal relationship to grammar is recurrent themes in thenarratives. The first two mentioned are also recurrent when it comes to the question of wishesfor a developed grammar education / Denna studie undersökte påverkande faktorer i gymnasielärares upplevelser av grammatikundervisning och vilka önskemål lärare har gällande utvecklingsmöjligheter inom grammatiken.Studiens syfte var att hitta utvecklingsmöjligheter inom grammatiken och utveckla både kunskaper och upplevelser av ämnet. Studien genomfördes genom visuella intervjuer av kvalitativkaraktär, där de deltagande lärarna konstruerade upplevelsekurvor över hur deras grammatikupplevelser sett ut genom åren och inkluderade såväl den egna skolgången och lärarutbildningen som åren som verksam lärare. Lärarna beskrev de faktorer som påverkat upplevelsenoch vilka faktorer som skulle kunna ge dem ännu bättre förutsättningar för att driva en framgångsrik grammatikundervisning. Studien visade att läraren, undervisningen och det personliga förhållandet till grammatik är återkommande teman i upplevelseberättelserna. De tvåförstnämnda är även återkommande när det gäller frågan om vad som önskas för en utveckling av grammatikundervisningen.

Social media are online accommodations where users can interact with other users, which has become a phenomenon that has grown and completely exploded over the past decade. Companies are well aware of this and has invested a large amount of resources in order to establish a better contact with their customers. Companies have several different fields of applications with social media such as gathering information, promotion, communicating with customers and reach out to desired audience effectively. Millennials are the generation who most frequently use social media and also grown up during the phenomenon's development. Previous research has shown that companies have had difficulties in reaching out to the millennial generation. This thesis purpose is to gain a deeper understanding of how companies can use social media to facilitate the segmentation process and effectively reach out to the millennial generation. Therefor two research questions have been established. The two research questions have been answered with assistance from relevant theory and research in the subject area. A case study was applied for the study, where the data was gathered from two focus groups discussing the social media platform Facebook. Each focus group consisted of eight participants within the millennial generation containing basic knowledge in marketing. The study’s result indicates millennials to follow (and thereby self-segment themselves) influential profiles they have a personal interest towards. However, Facebook is not the platform where the millennials follow these profiles. The study also indicates the best way to capture millennials interest on Facebook is through short, humorous videos with an interest capturing beginning. The study’s results also show millennia’s have a low interest in interacting with companies on Facebook. / Sociala medier är onlineplatser där personer kan interagera med varandra. Detta fenomen har vuxit i en accelererande fart under de senaste decenniet och fångat stort intresse hos företag som lägger massiva resurser på att få en bättre kontakt med sina kunder. Företag har åtskilda användningsområden av sociala medier, som till exempel att samla kundinformation, marknadsföra sig, kommunicera med kunder och att nå ut till en önskad målgrupp. Millennials är den generationen som flitigast använder sociala medier och har växt upp under fenomenets utveckling. Tidigare forskning visar att företag har haft svårigheter med att nå ut till millennial generationen. Denna uppsats syfte är därför att ge en djupare förståelse om hur företag kan använda sig av sociala medier för att förenkla segmenteringsprocessen och nå ut till millennial generationen. För att få en djupare förståelse inom område, har vi formulerat två forskningsfrågor. Forskningsfrågorna har i sin tur blivit besvarade med ståndpunkt i relevant teori och forskning inom området. Studien utfördes som en fallstudie, där informationen samlades in från två fokusgrupper som diskuterade Facebook. Vardera fokusgrupp bestod av åtta deltager inom millennial generationen, med grundläggande marknadsförings kunskaper. Studiens resultat indikerar på att millennial generationen följer (och där igenom själv-segmenterar sig själva) inflytande profiler de finner ett personligt intresse för. Dock är Facebook inte den plattform de använder för att följa dessa profiler. Vidare indikerar studien att det bästa sättet att fånga millennial generationens intresse är genom en kort, roligt video, där något intressant händer under de första sekunderna. Studiens resultat visar även att millennial generation inte har något större intresse av att interagera med företag på Facebook.

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在線性迴歸分析中，資料的不適當，常導致研究者選擇了不當的模式，為避免此缺失，在分析資料前須先做好診斷工作。本文中將從貝氏觀點提出一些不同的診斷方法以供參考。首先推導出均數移動參數a=(a₁,…,a_k)'的事後分配，並利用a'a/k的事後均數診斷出不當資料點。接著，考慮在個別模式下以β事後分配之總變異及廣義變異為標準，診斷出離群值及具有潛在影響力之觀測值。最後，分別利用(i)β的事後分配(ii)σ²的事後分配(iii)(β,σ²)的聯合事後分配，推導出對應的對稱均方差以做為診斷標準。 / In this thesis, some different diagnostic methodologies for outliers and influential observations from Bayesian point of view are proposed. We firstly derive the marginal posterior distribution of the mean-shift parameter a=(a₁,a_k)¹, then use the posterior mean of a¹a/k to detect the spurious data items. Secondly, we use the posterior total variance and generalized variance of β as diagnostic criterions for outliers and influential observations. Finally, we utilize (i) the posterior distribution of β, (ii) the posterior distribution of σ², and (iii) the joint posterior distribution of β, σ² to find their corresponding symmetric mean square differences , which can be used as diagnostic criterions.

根據2009年IMS生物技術開發中心統計，國內藥廠前十大銷售排名均為外商企業，且在健保藥品給付進口外國藥廠的購買金額也高達70%。由此可見外商製藥公司在台灣藥品市場所佔有的舉足輕重地位。而以往有關製藥產業的論文研究中，較多著重於其行銷業務、策略以及研發模式等方面的分析，很少針對製藥公司的知識管理來加以探討。就知識密集的製藥業來說，此為明顯的研究缺口，因此，本研究以製藥產業為主軸，選定在台灣藥品市占率高的外商藥廠為研究對象，探討其知識管理作為，以及知識管理影響因素如何影響知識管理活動。 本研究同時從知識管理影響因素與知識管理活動兩構面來探討我國外商藥廠的知識管理。研究方法上採用多重個案研究法，研究者首先結合研究問題與文獻回顧，結果導出實證研究的觀念性架構，再以此理論觀念模式為主軸進行個案的訪談與資料的收集，實地深入訪談四家我國外商藥廠，瞭解其知識管理影響因素以及知識管理活動主要作為。 本研究所得到的結論如下： 1. 外商藥廠的知識管理目標若越明確、且與人員的工作流程結合度越高，則其知識蓄積活動越容易進行，且知識保護活動也越能確實執行。 2. 外商藥廠會透過企業內部環境的建構，來促進其知識的擴散。 3. 外商藥廠的科技設備若越完備，則其知識蓄積越容易進行，也因而強化了其知識的創造與擴散。 4. 外商藥廠的績效評估制度之設計與衡量指標之搭配，有助於其知識創造及知識擴散的進行。 5. 外商藥廠知識的結構化程度會影響知識蓄積以及擴散方式。知識的結構化程度越高，則越容易透過文件式的蓄積方式、並經由資訊系統來擴散知識；而知識的結構化程度越低，則越容易透過人員式的蓄積方式、並仰賴面對面接觸來擴散知識。 6. 外商藥廠會藉由成功經驗的分享，來創造組織與各部門的知識，也因而促進了知識的擴散。 7. 外商藥廠會藉由師徒制度來擴散經驗型的知識。 8. 外商藥廠會積極主動並重視知識保護的活動，且使之成為日常作業流程的一部分。 本論文最後說明本研究結果在學術上的貢獻，同時對實務研究上與後續研究上提出一些建議。 / According to IMS Health Global Pharma Forecast in 2009, the top ten sales volumes of pharmaceutical enterprises in Taiwan are all international enterprises. Under the National Health Insurance reimbursement, the international enterprises occupy only 30% of all the pharmaceuticals volumes, but occupy up to 70% of all the pharmaceuticals sales, which shows that the international pharmaceutical enterprises play a decisive role in Taiwan pharmaceutical market. Most of the past studies of pharmaceutical industry focus on the aspects of marketing, strategy, and research and development. Few specifically inrestigate the issues of knowledge management and knowledge management influential factors. Consequently, a research gap can be found as pharmaceutical industry in a knowledge-intensive one. This research focuses on the pharmaceutical industry, explores the knowledge management activities of international pharmaceutical enterprise in Taiwan from both the view of knowledge management influential factors and knowledge management activities, and aims to discover the key factors that influence knowledge management. This research adopts four international pharmaceutical enterprises in Taiwan as case studies and conducts interviews with managers to understand knowledge management influential factors and knowledge management activities. By knowing inside information of knowledge management of the four companies, this research can deliver a more practical and well-organized point of view, giving examples and facts to the future implementation of knowledge management for Taiwan pharmaceutical enterprise. The conclusions of this research are as bellow. 1. The clearer of the goal in knowledge management and the stronger of connection to the daily process in the company allow knowledge researving and protection activities implemented. 2. Higher level of organization cooperation and sharing culture leads to higher level of reliance of knowledge among each department, facilitating knowledge to spread more effectively in the company. 3. The completeness of technolocial facilities helps knowledge researving activities more convenient, knowledge creation activities more smoothing , and knowledge difussion activities more efficient. 4. The design of performance appraisal influences the knowledge creation and knowledge difussion activities. 5. The degree of knowledge structure influences the knowledge researving and difussion activities. 6. Sharing the best practice ficilitates knowledge creation and knowledge difussion activities . This method had gradually become a well-known practice in international pharmaceutical enterprise. 7. 「Mentor program」 is an important way to extend experienced knowledge. Each company has different approach to conduct 「Mentor program」. 8. The knowledge protection activity includes intellectual property rights、information system、contracts、data reserved management and data destroyed process, and the degree of compulsory execution is in accordance with the principles of the companies.

La coopération décentralisée franco-marocaine, une forme particulière de solidarité internationale, mobilise par conventions des collectivités territoriales françaises de divers niveaux qui accompagnent, au Maroc, un double processus (décentralisation et déconcentration) évoluant progressivement vers une « régionalisation élargie » Ces collectivités sont ainsi impliquées dans des projets ponctuels sous des formes multiples intervenant dans des domaines d'action très variés. Aujourd’hui, la coopération décentralisée fait partie du paysage de la coopération partenariale entre le Maroc et la France, deux pays euro méditerranéens historiquement et structurellement interdépendants. En outre, de par leurs intérêts communs et de par les enjeux de leur position géostratégique, ils se trouvent actuellement contraints d’être solidaires et de « coopérer autrement » car ils sont dans une aire géographique porteuse de « turbulences ». Néanmoins, certains questionnements, parmi d’autres, s’imposent : ▪ Cette nouvelle forme de « diplomatie économique des territoires» est-elle conçue et pilotée pour être réellement un appui efficient au développement des entités territoriales ciblées ? ▪ Autrement dit, ne serait-elle, en fin de compte, qu’un outil parmi d’autres au service d’une nouvelle forme de diplomatie économico-politique de coopération «soft/smart», à la française, visant implicitement par le biais des actions de « politique de développement » initiées et engagées par les différentes collectivités territoriales pour la maitrise à la source des marchés commerciaux servant ainsi de paravent discret à des objectifs économiques et sécuritaires ? Bref, la coopération décentralisée, telle qu’elle est conçue et pratiquée, est-elle « un vecteur efficient d’une politique de coopération au développement ou bien n’est-ce qu’un nouvel outil, parmi d’autres, d’une diplomatie économique française d’influence ? » / Decentralized cooperation between France and Morocco, a special form of international solidarity, mobilizes, through agreements, local or territorial communities at varying levels accompanied in Morocco with a double process of decentralization/devolution gradually evolving towards an “enlarged regionalization”. Morocco’s rural or urban communities, provinces, prefectures, regions, municipalities, intercommunities, general councils, regional councils along with France’s departments and regions are all involved in punctual projects that are targeted under various forms and operating in different fields. Today, decentralized cooperation is part of a partnership cooperation landscape between Morocco and France, two historically and structurally interdependent Euro-Mediterranean countries. Besides, due to their common interests and due to the stakes of their geostrategic position, they have, at present, to show solidarity and cooperate differently as they are in a geographical area characterized by crisis-generated turbulences However, some questioning imposes itself: Is this new type of parallel diplomacy conceived and piloted to be actually an efficient support to development and the targeted territorial entities? What about its socio-anthropological practice? In other words, wouldn’t it be ultimately no more than a tool at the service of a new preventive policy of cooperation soft/smart, the French way, aiming implicitly (through actions of “development policies”, initiated and carried out by the various territorial collectivities) at controlling, at the source, the flow of migration towards Europe and serving as a discrete screen for undeclared security objectives? In short, is decentralized cooperation, as it is conceived and practiced, an efficient vector of aide to development or only a new tool in an influential policy?

Homeownership is widely advocated and believed to contribute towards economic activity, employment, wealth creation, economic, political, and neighbourhood stability and financial independence. Despite government’s interventions to advance homeownership there is currently a declining trend in homeownership and an increase in renting experienced in South Africa. As the government does not have the resources to provide adequate housing to all South Africans, identifying the factors which attribute to non-subsidised homeownership will assist in implementing interventions and strategies to increase access to non-subsidised homeownership and reduce reliance on government subsidised housing. The main objective of this study was to determine the comparative odds of variables contributing to non-subsidised homeownership in South Africa from secondary data obtained from a South African household survey. Compared to the heuristic model, the following variables were found to align closely with the expectation created; non-subsidised homeownership attainment was most likely for households within high-income groups and least for households within the low-income groups, more likely for households who have access to credit than those without, more likely for households with no accounts in arrears than those with accounts in arrears, more likely for households with an ability to save than those without, most likely for households consisting of seven or more household members and least likely for single member households, most likely for households where FKP (Financially Knowledgeable Person) has completed a tertiary education level and least likely for households with primary not completed education levels, most likely for households where the FKP is older (aged 65 and older) and least likely for young FKP households (aged between 18 and 24), most likely for households residing in rural areas and least likely for households residing in metropolitan areas, most likely for female FKP households and least likely for male FKP households. Unexpectedly the regression model indicated that non-subsidised homeownership is most likely for households where the Financially Knowledgeable Person (FKP) is not economically active (for example pensioners) and least likely for employed households, most likely for households from the African population group and least likely for Indian households, most likely where the FKP is never married or single and least likely for separated or divorced FKP households (which is expected) and most likely for households residing in Limpopo (which is expected) and least likely for households residing Western Cape. / Financial accounting / M. Phil. (Accounting Science)

Recently, there has been a significant rise in the Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) video streaming usage worldwide. However, the knowledge of performance of HTTP video streaming is still limited, especially in the aspect of factors which affect video quality. The reason is that HTTP video streaming has different characteristics from other video streaming systems. In this thesis, we show how the delivered quality of a Flash video playback is affected by different factors from diverse layers of the video delivery system, including congestion control algorithm, delay variation, playout buffer length, video bitrate and so on. We introduce Quality of Delivery Degradation (QoDD) then we use it to measure how much the Quality of Delivery (QoD) is degraded in terms of QoDD. The study is processed in a dedicated controlled environment, where we could alter the influential factors and then measure what is happening. After that, we use statistic method to analyze the data and find the relationships between influential factors and quality of video delivery which are expressed by mathematic models. The results show that the status and choices of factors have a significant impact on the QoD. By proper control of the factors, the quality of delivery could be improved. The improvements are approximately 24% by TCP memory size, 63% by congestion control algorithm, 30% by delay variation, 97% by delay when considering delay variation, 5% by loss and 92% by video bitrate.