The role of purchasing in supply chain management has received and continues to receive increasing attention as the years go by. Purchasing enhances efficiency and competitiveness among other benefits but to realize these benefits it is imperative to select and maintain competent suppliers. However, many factors affect a firm’s ability to choose the right supplier. Uncertainty is an issue that has received great attention. It affects all functions of a company consequently affecting purchasing and supplier selection. This thesis seeks to provide an understanding of the supplier selection process and criteria under circumstances of uncertainty in the case where the potential supplier under evaluation is a newly created company. The authors try to find out if uncertainty varies with firm’s age and tested the suitability of existing criteria on the selection of newly created firms. They also sought ways by which uncertainty can be reduced.One of the realisations of this thesis is that there is a relationship between the characteristics or problems faced by new firms and uncertainty. Uncertainties created by new firms include lack of trust and commitment, inadequate finance, poor quality, unreliable delivery times, inadequate logistic technological capabilities. No new types or sources of uncertainty were discovered however, it was found that uncertainty was certainly higher when working with new firms. The criteria delivery, quality, cost/price, financial position and communication and technology were recognized as the commonly used criteria a fact confirmed from empirical results as well as in previous literature. However other criteria such as ISO certification, reliability, credibility, good references and product development were also identified. These criteria had existed before but did not receive the same attention in previous studies. This show that focus is shifting from solely relying on quantitative factors to include qualitative criteria. The study identified that some methods of minimising uncertainty could include detailed financial analyses, site visit, intensive verification, close relationships, ISO certification, good references and recommendations. It is worth noting that uncertainty cannot be entirely eliminated in all situations

The purpose of this essay is to find out what new graduate teachers conceptions are of their own leadership in the classroom. The paper also aims to examine the different leadership styles the teachers perceive themselves to use. My study is based on qualitative data collected through interviews, where the informants are newly graduated teachers in grade 1 to 6. Using a qualitative approach has made it possible for me to get a deeper understanding of this study. I have also used previous research in this area where Arfwedson (1993), Franssons & Morbergs (2001) and Paulin (2007) presents a number of experiences that student teachers and recent graduate teachers has shared. My study shows that newly qualified teachers faces difficulties to conquer their newly acquired roles for different reasons. It is also shown that the newly qualified teachers have a tendency, at first to be too authoritarian in their leadership i.e. too hard or too laissez-faire in their leadership, which means that the leader is passive in the leading role. However, the informants from my study feel they have found themselves in their leading role today through practical experiences, and the balancing act required for the leadership in the classroom.

The purpose of this paper is to find out pedagogues approach to intercultural education through IVIK, goals and guidelines, the school for newly arrived students and how student experience and knowledge are utilized. In my study, I used a qualitative research method. I have interviewed four teachers and four students and a school administrator at IVIK. Results of the study show that most teachers have a good understanding of interculturalism, but that doesn’t mean that teachers make of this relationship means in their teachings. Lack of knowledge about students' cultural background means that teachers can´t integrate it into their teaching. Another result is that the school has no clear goals, students are not faced with high expectations and the school will not be on the student's own experiences. Pupils' prior knowledge is mapped and not the pupil's needs are met. The key aspects that emerge are that teachers should have knowledge of their students' cultural backgrounds in other words, become inter-culturally competent, the school must have clear goals and guidelines and will offer training that is tailored based on student needs and abilities, and student prior knowledge must be identified on the student school language. For individual support and education to plan and to primarily utilize the student's skills and strengths and not focus on the student's potential lack of ability.

Syftet med studien var att beskriva nyutbildade distriktssköterskors upplevelse av första tiden i yrket. Studien genomfördes som en semistrukturerad intervjustudie och hade en deskriptiv design. Intervjuerna genomfördes med tio nyutbildade distriktssköterskor inom primärvården i ett län i Mellansverige. Materialet analyserades med hjälp av kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultatet redovisas utifrån tre kategorier: Utbildningen förbereder för yrkesrollen men det mesta lärs genom att utöva yrket, Inställning och tidigare erfarenhet påverkar upplevelsen av att vara nybliven distriktssköterska och Viktigt med praktiska förutsättningar för att lära sig yrket. Distriktssköterskorna ansåg att utbildningen saknade vissa viktiga områden eller innehöll för lite om vissa områden vilket ledde till osäkerhet inför nya arbetsuppgifter. De distriktssköterskor som arbetat inom primärvården eller inom kommunal vård innan utbildningen upplevde inte distriktssköterskearbetet som svårt. De med enbart erfarenhet från slutenvård/akutsjukvård innan utbildningen upplevde det som krävande att vara nybliven distriktssköterska.Distriktssköterskorna beskrev distriktssköterskekunnandet som något som växte fram under och efter utbildningen i kombination med tidigare erfarenhet. Det innebar ett lärande under hela yrkeslivet. En viktig förutsättning för lärandet var att få praktiska förutsättningar på arbetsplatsen via introduktion och stöd från kollegor. / The purpose of this study was to describe how newly qualified district nurses' experience their first time in the profession. The study was carried out as a semi structured interview study with descriptive design. The interviews were conducted with ten newly qualified district nurses in primary care in central Sweden. Data was analyzed based on qualitative content analysis. The study resulted in three categories: Education prepares for the professional role but most is learnt by practicing the profession, Attitude and previous experience affect the experience of being a newly qualified district nurse and The importance of getting practical conditions to learn the profession. District nurses considered that the education lacked some important areas, or contained too little of certain areas resulting in uncertainty in facing new tasks. Those with prior experience from primary care or community care before the education experienced it as easy to become a district nurse. Those with experience only from emergency care before the education perceived it as challenging to be a newly qualified district nurse. District nurses considered the profession of district nursing as something that based on past experience grows and develops when practicing the occupation. That involves a lifelong learning. An important prerequisite for learning is introduction and support from colleagues.

The aim of this study is to describe and analyse the cooperation between the public employment service and the refugee reception in a medium-sized municipality in southern Sweden on basis of the establishment reform. The study examines how the collaborative process is regarded when it comes to implementation of the reform, and when it comes to the directives and resource allocation between the employment services and the refugee reception. The study also focuses on the deficiencies and the benefits that can be discerned with the establishment reform at local level. A qualitative data collection method has been used. It is semi-structured interviews with workers from the public employment service and the refugee reception. Information materials and evaluations that various authorities have made have also been investigated. The study concludes that it is important that the directives are clarified and that a new local and regional agreement will be established on paper. The study also concludes that because of the strong working line policy and the national workfare regime more responsibility is focused on the individual. This can discourage the establishment and integration process of the newly arrived when the concept of inclusion comes to be regarded as synonymous with employability.

This thesis is a case studie of a newly arrived student placed in a regular class in a P-9 school in a suburb south of Stockholm. The purpose of this study is to investigate how the class teacher for the regular class and the Swedish as a second language teacher are working with this student. The research questions are: What are the basic ideas behind the placement of newly arrived students in regular classes with no previous language skills? How is the language development for the newly arrived student according to the teacher of the selected class? What methods and materials are used by the teacher in her teaching to benefit the newly arrived student’s language development? The purpose of my study has been to investigate the teachers and the headmaster’s perspective on how the integration of newly arrived students into the regular class can be done and the decisions context for the placement of newly arrived students into the regular class. The study is based on interviews with two teachers and the school headmaster. Results of the study show that the principal of the selected school has a vision for the integration of newly arrived students into the regular class, which means that this particular school has a different way of working than other schools in the area where the newly arrived are placed into a preparation class before being integrated into the ordinary class. The class teacher believes that the headmaster’s vision of direct placement into ordinary classes is good for integration. In this vision the newly arrived student receives knowledge related to the context and task during class. The teacher in “Swedish as a second language” does not believe that the headmasters vision is good for the newly arrived students, she believes that it is better if they get separate schooling in Swedish before being integrated into ordinary classes. The overall conclusion after having collected my results and studied previous research is that the work with newly arrived students at the school looks different from what the School Board calls for. The selected school for my study has no clear guidelines on how the work with the newly arrived students in regular classes should be attended. This is sought by the class teacher and that there is a need for such guidelines to give these students an equivalent schooling

The purpose of this study is to understand how teachers in the preparatory class and regular class, in the meeting with newly arrived pupils, plan and carry out their teaching. This in order to facilitate social interaction and learning in the classroom, from an intercultural perspective. The examination was conducted through interviews with four teachers from the schools that I selected. The teachers gave their perspective on their approach to newly arrived pupils, through interviews. The result shows that the teachers have ambitions to start from the newly arrived pupils' own ideas and from their prior knowledge. They use these aspects as a starting point in the child's continued learning. You can see the tendencies of the intercultural approach in education that involves respectful responses that relate to the pupils' background, life and knowledge. The intercultural approach that largely pervades the teaching of the researched school allows the newly arrived pupils to have access to a school that accepts and respects them. The conclusion is that when these teachers educate, they use various teaching methods and they also offer each pupil the opportunity to gain knowledge and feel socially included. Teaching strategies that benefit the newly arrived pupils and that includes the pupil both educationally and socially in the classroom, has been described by every teacher. And the result shows that each pupil has individual abilities and needs for learning. The newly arrived pupils are included in the regular classroom with the other pupils, but yet they are excluded from the regular lessons because of teacher's teaching strategies that can be seen as flawed from an intercultural perspective. This result shows that the newly arrived pupils are prevented from participating in the didactic and the social inclusion in the regular classroom with the other pupils, which also can result in them falling outside and pointed out as different.

<p>The role of purchasing in supply chain management has received and continues to receive increasing attention as the years go by. Purchasing enhances efficiency and competitiveness among other benefits but to realize these benefits it is imperative to select and maintain competent suppliers. However, many factors affect a firm’s ability to choose the right supplier. Uncertainty is an issue that has received great attention. It affects all functions of a company consequently affecting purchasing and supplier selection. This thesis seeks to provide an understanding of the supplier selection process and criteria under circumstances of uncertainty in the case where the potential supplier under evaluation is a newly created company. The authors try to find out if uncertainty varies with firm’s age and tested the suitability of existing criteria on the selection of newly created firms. They also sought ways by which uncertainty can be reduced.One of the realisations of this thesis is that there is a relationship between the characteristics or problems faced by new firms and uncertainty. Uncertainties created by new firms include lack of trust and commitment, inadequate finance, poor quality, unreliable delivery times, inadequate logistic technological capabilities. No new types or sources of uncertainty were discovered however, it was found that uncertainty was certainly higher when working with new firms. The criteria delivery, quality, cost/price, financial position and communication and technology were recognized as the commonly used criteria a fact confirmed from empirical results as well as in previous literature. However other criteria such as ISO certification, reliability, credibility, good references and product development were also identified. These criteria had existed before but did not receive the same attention in previous studies. This show that focus is shifting from solely relying on quantitative factors to include qualitative criteria. The study identified that some methods of minimising uncertainty could include detailed financial analyses, site visit, intensive verification, close relationships, ISO certification, good references and recommendations. It is worth noting that uncertainty cannot be entirely eliminated in all situations</p>

Prof Rachmond Howard, newly appointed Director of the Nelspruit/Mmombela Campus, brings to the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) a wealth of knowledge and experience spanning more than 20 years.

Acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibiting herbicides are commonly used to eliminate weeds from mature turfgrasses. Field trials were conducted from 2004-2006, testing ALS herbicides for preemergence and early postemergence activity on newly seeded turfgrasses, using four species: Riviera bermuda, Zenith and Companion zoysia, L- 93 creeping bentgrass, and Poa annua L. Data collected were phytotoxicity and percent turf cover. Bermuda and zoysia herbicides were metsulfuron-methyl (42 g ha-1), trifloxysulfuron (29 g ha-1), flazasulfuron (53 g ha-1), foramsulfuron (30 g ha-1), bispyribac-sodium (112 g ha-1), and rimsulfuron (35 g ha-1). Treatments occurred the day of seeding and two-three weeks after seeding. Flazasulfuron, trifloxysulfuron and bispyribac-sodium caused significant damage in all treatments. Data suggests that bermuda and zoysia are tolerant of seedling treatments of foramsulfuron, rimsulfuron, and metsulfuron-methyl at these rates. Bentgrass and P. annua herbicides were foramsulfuron (15 and 30 g ha-1), siduron (2803 g ha-1), bispyribac-sodium (49 g ha-1), and paclobutrazol (281 g ha-1). Treatments occurred the day of seeding, two and four weeks after seeding. Foramsulfuron at 15 and 30 g ha-1 caused significant damage regardless of when it was applied. Data suggests that bentgrass and P. annua are tolerant of seedling treatments of siduron, paclobutrazol, and bispyribac-sodium at these rates.