The construction industry remains one of the least digitalised sectors in the world resulting in inefficiencies such as low productivity, cost overruns, project delays and quality deficiencies. Addressing these issues is crucial not only for economic efficiency but also for promoting sustainability and adapting to demographic change. Although there are studies on digitalisation barriers in the construction industry, there is a lack of literature that investigates the causes of these barriers. Therefore, this thesis addresses the research question: "What are major intra-and inter- organisational barriers to digitalisation in the pre-construction phase of construction projects and why do they arise?”. The study is based on the Industrial Network Approach (INA) and applies the Actors, Resources, Activities (ARA) model by Håkansson and Snehota (1995) to analyse the findings. This is done in order to identify how the structure of the industry influences the barriers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with interviewees from the client company, its subcontractors and a user of the buildings. The study shows that at the industry level, the different levels of maturity of companies, regulatory uncertainty, the lack of standards and uncertain return on investment discourage investment in digital tools. Due to the project-based nature of the industry, personal exchange is favoured. Compatibility and data exchange issues as well as practical problems such as language barriers and internet access hinder digital collaboration at the project level. The client's failure to create a proactive framework for digitalisation also inhibits the other players in the industry. Internal barriers such as a lack of technical expertise and the resulting scepticism prevent effective internal digital transformation. To drive change, companies need to expand their technical knowledge resources, align their internal structure to support digitalisation and use their influence to drive industry-wide change and address productivity issues and future challenges. / Byggbranschen är fortfarande en av de minst digitaliserade sektorerna i världen, vilket leder till låg produktivitet, kostnadsöverskridanden, projektförseningar och kvalitetsbrister. Att ta itu med dessa frågor är avgörande inte bara för den ekonomiska effektiviteten, utan också för att främja hållbarhet och anpassa sig till demografiska förändringar. Även om det finns studier om hinder för digitalisering i byggbranschen, råder det brist på studier som undersöker orsakerna till dessa hinder. Därför behandlar denna uppsats forskningsfrågan: ”Vilka är de intra- och interorganisatoriska hindren för digitalisering i de tidiga skedena i byggprojekt?”. Studien baseras på industriell nätverksteori (INA) och tillämpar ARA-modellen (Actors-Resources-Activities) av Håkansson och Snehota (1995) för att analysera resultaten. Detta görs för att identifiera hur branschens struktur påverkar barriärerna. Intervjuer genomfördes med respondenter från kundföretaget, dess underleverantörer och en användare av byggnaderna. Studien visar att på branschnivå bidrar företagens olika mognadsnivåer, osäkerhet kring regelverk, avsaknaden av tydliga standarder och den osäkra avkastningen på investeringar från att investeringar till att det inte investeras i digitala verktyg. På grund av branschens projektbaserade karaktär gynnas utbyten mellan individer. Kompatibilitets- och datautbytesproblem samt praktiska problem som språkbarriärer och tillgång till internet hindrar digitalt samarbete på projektnivå. Att kunden inte skapar ett proaktivt ramverk för digitalisering hämmar även de andra aktörerna i branschen. Interna barriärer som brist på teknisk expertis och den skepsis som följer av detta förhindrar en effektiv intern digital transformation. För att driva förändring måste företagen utöka sina tekniska kunskapsresurser, anpassa sin interna struktur för att stödja digitalisering och använda sitt inflytande för att driva branschomfattande förändringar och ta itu med produktivitetsfrågor och framtida utmaningar.

Miljömässig hållbarhet inom modeindustrin är en viktig strategi för att hantera de miljöutmaningar som är förknippade med modeproduktionens storskaliga användning av naturresurser. Det är viktigt att modeföretag tar hänsyn till miljömässig hållbarhet genom att integrera hållbarhet tidigt i design- och tillverkningsprocessen. Utmaningarna när det kommer till svenska små till medelstora företag (SME) och implementering av hållbarhetsstrategier i design- och tillverkningsprocessen är omstridda. Tidigare studier menar att det handlar om att SMEs har brist på resurser och kunskap, medan annan forskning menar att modeföretag inte prioriterar hållbarhet. Därav är det intressant att undersöka de utmaningar som SMEs inom den svenska modeindustrin står inför eftersom Sverige är känt för sin modeindustri, och historiskt sett haft internationell framgång inom branschen. Studien undersöker hur leverantörer och brist på resurser internt och externt kan utgöra en utmaning vid implementering av hållbarhetsstrategier i utvecklingsfasen, hos svenska SMEs inom modeindustrin med fokus på miljömässig hållbarhet. Den teoretiska ramen är baserad på Industrial Network Approach (INA). Studien använder sig av en kvalitativ metod, empirin har samlats in genom fem semistrukturerade intervjuer hos tre företag, samt observation av webbplats med fokus på miljömässig hållbarhet och utmaningar. En tematisk analys användes för att identifiera viktiga teman. Genom att tillämpa analysmodellen ARA utforskade studien hur affärsnätverket kan påverka modeföretagens hållbarhet i utvecklingsfasen. I resultatet visar studien att det är både interna och externa faktorer som påverkar implementering av miljömässig hållbarhet. Bland annat spelar ledningen hos SMEs en avgörande roll gällande om hållbarhet ska implementeras och att det är svårt att balansera ekonomiska mål med den generella hållbarhetssträvan. Dessutom påverkar externa faktorer såsom kundernas villighet att betala mer och vad leverantörerna kan erbjuda i form av resurser och kunskap, vilket kan skilja sig åt. Studien bidrar med kunskap till området implementering av hållbarhetsstrategier genom att ge en djupare förståelse för de specifika utmaningar som SMEs inom den svenska modeindustrin kan möta när de ska gå mot att bli mer miljömässigt hållbara. För att kunna implementera hållbarhetsstrategier i utvecklingsfasen kräver det att ledningen sätter upp mål som produktionsansvariga kan förhålla sig till. Produktionsansvariga har en delaktighet och påverkar i stor utsträckning hur hållbara produkterna blir. Studiens resultat visar slutligen att det finns skillnader inom SMEs i den svenska modeindustrin, särskilt när det gäller tillgången på resurser mellan små och medelstora företag. En betydande skillnad är den utmaning som leverantörer utgör för dessa företag vilket är kopplat till produktionskvantiteter. Studiens begränsningar inkluderar urvalet av tre modeföretag, varav ett av dem var medelstort, vilket begränsade möjligheten att skapa en tydlig förståelse för deras unika utmaningarna. Framtida forskning föreslås omfatta ett bredare urval för att ge en mer djup förståelse av SMEs inom den svenska modeindustrin. / Environmental sustainability within the fashion industry is a crucial strategy for addressing the environmental challenges associated with large-scale use of natural resources in fashion production. It is important for fashion companies to consider environmental sustainability by integrating it early in the design and manufacturing process. The challenges faced by Swedish small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in implementing sustainability strategies in the design and manufacturing process are debated. Previous studies suggest that SMEs lack resources and knowledge, while other research indicates that fashion companies do not prioritize sustainability. Therefore, it is interesting to investigate the challenges faced by SMEs in the Swedish fashion industry since Sweden is known for its fashion industry and has historically had international success in the field. This study examines how suppliers, and the lack of internal and external resources can pose challenges in the implementation of sustainability strategies during the development phase for Swedish SMEs in the fashion industry, with a focus on environmental sustainability. The theoretical framework is based on the Industrial Network Approach (INA). The study uses a qualitative method, with empirical data collected through five semi-structured interviews at three companies, as well as observations of websites focusing on environmental sustainability and challenges. A thematic analysis was used to identify key themes. By applying the ARA analysis model, the study explored how the business network can impact the sustainability of fashion companies during the development phase. The results show that both internal and external factors influence the implementation of environmental sustainability. Among other things, management at SMEs plays a crucial role in determining whether sustainability will be implemented, and it is difficult to balance economic goals with the general pursuit of sustainability. Additionally, external factors such as customers' willingness to pay more and what suppliers can offer in terms of resources and knowledge, which can vary, also have an impact. The study contributes to the field of implementing sustainability strategies by providing a deeper understanding of the specific challenges that SMEs in the Swedish fashion industry may face when striving to become more environmentally sustainable. To implement sustainability strategies in the development phase, it requires management to set goals that production managers can adhere to. Production managers are involved and significantly influence how sustainable the products become. The study's results finally show that there are differences within SMEs in the Swedish fashion industry, particularly regarding access to resources between small and medium-sized enterprises. A significant difference is the challenge that suppliers pose for these companies, which is linked to production quantities. The study's limitations include the selection of three fashion companies, one of which was medium-sized, which limited the ability to gain a clear understanding of their unique challenges. Future research is suggested to include a broader selection to provide a more in-depth understanding of SMEs in the Swedish fashion industry. This essay is written in Swedish.

The high economic growth of formerly closed markets such as China, Russia, Poland, and the Baltic states has created vast business and growth opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Although this international business expansion of SMEs occurs in highly dissimilar business contexts and fierce international competition, it remains overlooked by research. Therefore, the main aim of this thesis is to contribute to an enhanced understanding of internationalization processes of SMEs by studying the overarching research question: What are the main features of internationalization processes of SMEs in an emerging market context? Three sub-problems are researched with regard to SMEs entering and taking off from emerging markets, as well as differences and similarities between these processes, in order to identify what features characterize them. Empirically, two surveys of 116 and 203 Swedish SMEs, respectively, with experiences of entry into emerging markets were conducted through standardized questionnaires via mail and on-site visits. In addition, case studies were conducted through interviews and observations of five internationalizing Chinese SMEs and four Chinese wholesale and retail market platforms. Five essays are compiled within the thesis and major findings and conclusions provide theoretical and empirical contributions to research on the internationalization processes of SMEs. With regard to the overlooked internationally experienced manufacturing SMEs from mature markets such as Sweden, theoretical advancements are made identifying the main concepts of their entry into emerging markets: entry node (the establishment point into the foreign business network); market-specific experiential knowledge; and perceived institutional distance. With regard to the internationally novel Chinese SMEs, these were seen to diverge from traditional internationalization paths. Indications were found of a parallel expansion abroad and at home, even using foreign markets as a springboard for further growth at home. The take-off node concerns the departure from an emerging home market, where a paradox of knowledge was found: the use of indirect export via a domestic intermediary facilitates the take off, but hinders further international expansion since no international experience or relationships are built up. Moreover, institutional distance was reduced due to collective internationalization through co-locating abroad. Generally, degree of maturity of the home market; as well as degree of internationalization and type of firm; are the main features behind differences between internationalization processes of SMEs in an emerging market context.

At the very heart of variationist Sociolinguistics is the notion that language has an underlying structure, and that this structure varies according to external linguistic variables such as age, gender, social class, community membership, nationality, and so on. Specifically, this study examines variation in initial and final segments, as well as sentence final particles in Cantonese in Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR). Results of this study indicate that external linguistic constraint categories play a role in the realization of how and when initial and final segments, as well as sentence final particles are used in Macau Cantonese. Finally, this dissertation illustrates that pragmatic functions in the systematic use of linguistic variables requires explanations that draw from variationist sociolinguistic research that has an ethnographic and interpretive basis. / Linguistics / M.A. (Sociolinguistics)

At the very heart of variationist Sociolinguistics is the notion that language has an underlying structure, and that this structure varies according to external linguistic variables such as age, gender, social class, community membership, nationality, and so on. Specifically, this study examines variation in initial and final segments, as well as sentence final particles in Cantonese in Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR). Results of this study indicate that external linguistic constraint categories play a role in the realization of how and when initial and final segments, as well as sentence final particles are used in Macau Cantonese. Finally, this dissertation illustrates that pragmatic functions in the systematic use of linguistic variables requires explanations that draw from variationist sociolinguistic research that has an ethnographic and interpretive basis. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / M.A. (Sociolinguistics)

Human body temperature is an important indicator of physical performance and condition in terms of comfort, heat or cold stress. The aim of this research was to develop Temperature Sensing Fabric (TSF) for continuous temperature measurement in healthcare applications. The study covers the development and manufacture of TSF by embedding fine metallic wire into the structure of textile material using a commercial computerised knitting machine. The operational principle of TSF is based on the inherent propensity of a metal wire to respond to changes in temperature with variation in its electrical resistance. Over 60 TSF samples were developed with combinations of different sensing elements, two inlay densities and highly textured polyester yarn as the base material. TSF samples were created using either bare or insulated wires with a range of diameters from 50 to 150 μm and metal wires of nickel, copper, tungsten, and nickel coated copper. In order to investigate the Temperature-Resistance (T-R) relationship of TSF samples for calibration purposes, a customised test rig was developed and monitoring software was created in the LabVIEW environment, to record the temperature and resistance signals simultaneously. TSF samples were tested in various thermal environments, under laboratory conditions and in practical wear trials, to analyse the relationship between the temperature and resistance of the sensing fabric and to develop base line specifications such as sensitivity, resistance ratio, precision, nominal resistance, and response time; the influence of external parameters such as humidity and strain were also monitored. The regression uncertainty was found to be less than in ±0.1°C; the repeatability uncertainty was found to be less than ±0.5°C; the manufacturing uncertainty in terms of nominal resistance was found to be ± 2% from its mean. The experimental T-R relationship of TSF was validated by modelling in the thermo-electrical domain in both steady and transient states. A maximum error of 0.2°C was found between the experimental and modelled T-R relationships. TSF samples made with bare wire sensing elements showed slight variations in their resistance during strain tests, however, samples made with insulated sensing elements did not demonstrate any detectable strain-dependent-resistance error. The overall thermal response of TSF was found to be affected by basal fabric thickness and mass; the effect of RH was not found to be significant. TSF samples with higher-resistance sensing elements performed better than lower-resistance types. Furthermore, TSF samples made using insulated wire were more straightforward to manufacture because of their increased tensile strength and exhibited better sensing performance than samples made with bare wire. In all the human body wear trials, under steady-state and dynamic conditions both sensors followed the same trends and exhibited similar movement artifacts. When layers of clothing were worn over the sensors, the difference between the response of the TSF and a high-precision reference temperature were reduced by the improved isothermal conditions near the measurement site.

L’objectif de cette thèse est d’éclairer un phénomène invisible mais prégnant dans les organisations : les relations affinitaires au travail. Articulant les approches en psychosociologie et en philosophie avec une littérature plus récente propre aux sciences de gestion portant sur les réseaux et les workplace friendships, la thèse permet de mieux comprendre les relations affinitaires dans leur caractérisation, leur développement et leurs conséquences en contexte de travail. Basée sur deux niveaux d’analyse, individuel et groupal, la méthodologie se déploie autour de récits de vie et de quatre études de cas d’équipes de travail aux caractéristiques organisationnelles contrastées. Quatre types de relations affinitaires au travail sont ainsi identifiés : les « amis », les « collègues amis », les « amitiés stratégiques » et les « collègues ennemis ». Leur formation est non seulement influencée par des facteurs individuels et inter individuels, mais aussi par la structure et la culture organisationnelles. Leurs conséquences contrastées portent sur le bien-être et la motivation au travail, les relations de collaboration et le fonctionnement des équipes. Cette thèse montre que les relations affinitaires s’avèrent structurantes pour le fonctionnement d’une organisation à fort potentiel de collaboration. / The purpose of this dissertation is to understand an invisible but significant phenomenon in organizations: friendship ties at work. The conceptual framework combines philosophy and psychosocial studies with network approach and workplace friendship perspectives from the management literature. It highlights the characterization, development and consequences of friendship ties at work. Through individual and group-level analysis, the methodology is based on life stories and multiple case studies of work teams. Four types of workplace friendships are identified: « personal friends », « work friends », « strategic friends » and « work enemies ». Their development is influenced by individual and inter individual factors as well as organizational structure and culture. Friendship ties have also consequences on well-being, motivation, collaboration and functioning of teams at work. The findings underline that workplace friendships are more structuring for the functioning of organizations based on strong potential of collaboration.

Dans cette thèse, nous nous sommes intéressés aux protocoles pair-à-pair (P2P), qui représentent une solution prometteuse pour la diffusion et le partage de données à faible coût sur Internet. Nous avons mené, dans un premier temps, une étude comportementale de différents protocoles P2P pour le partage de fichier (distribution de contenus sans contrainte de temps) puis le live. Dans la première étude centréesur le partage de fichier, nous avons montré l’impact d’Hadopi sur le comportement des utilisateurs et discuté l’efficacité des protocoles en fonction du contenu et l’efficacité protocolaire, en se basant sur les choix des utilisateurs. BitTorrent s’est nettement démarqué au cours de cette étude, notamment pour les grands contenus. En ce qui concerne le live, nous nous sommes intéressés à la qualité de servicedu réseau de distribution live Sopcast, car plus de 60% des événements live diffusés en P2P le sont sur ce réseau. Notre analyse approfondie de ces deux modes de distribution nous a fait nous recentrer sur BitTorrent, qui est à la base de tous les protocoles P2P Live, et est efficace en partage de fichier et complètement open source. Dans la seconde partie de la thèse, nous avons proposé et implémenté dansun environnement contrôlé un nouveau protocole sur la base de BitTorrent avec des mécanismes protocolaires impliquant tous les pairs dans la gestion du réseau. Ces nouveaux mécanismes permettent d’augmenter l’efficacité du protocole via une meilleure diffusion, tant pour le live que le partage de fichier, de métadonnées (la pièce la plus rare) et via une méthode dite de push, par laquelle un client va envoyer du contenu aux pairs les plus dans le besoin / In this study, we focused on peer-to-peer protocols (P2P), which represent a promising solution for data dissemination and content delivery at low-cost in the Internet. We performed, initially, a behavioral study of various P2P protocols for file sharing (content distribution without time constraint) and live streaming. Concerning file sharing, we have shown the impact of Hadopi on users’ behavior and discussed the effectiveness of protocols according to content type, based on users’ choice. BitTorrent appeared as the most efficient approach during our study, especially when it comes to large content. As for streaming, we studied the quality of service of Sopcast, a live distribution network that accounts for more than 60% of P2P broadcast live events. Our in-depth analysis of these two distributionmodes led us to focus on the BitTorrent protocol because of its proven efficiency in file sharing and the fact that it is open source. In the second part of the thesis, we proposed and implemented a new protocol based on BitTorrent, in a controlled environment. The modifications that we proposed allow to increase the efficiency of the protocol through improved dissemination of metadata (the rarest piece), both for live and file sharing. An enhanced version is introduced with a push method, where nodes that lag behind receive an extra service so as to improve the overall performance