In order to improve people’s living situation and decrease the use of fossil energy in the world, researchers’ attention has been focused on the energy side of the building sector. Especially single family houses in the Nordic countries Norway, Sweden and Finland have been given attention in the Increasing Energy Efficiency in Buildings (IEEB) project, with the purpose of increasing energy efficiency in buildings. In the project presented in this report, this has been studied by simulating a low energy single family house at different locations in Scandinavia, and applying the various national building codes to the house to see how it would match the energy requirements. The simulated locations included the different climates in Helsinki, Oulu (Finland), Oslo, Narvik (Norway), Piteå, Umeå, Karlstad, Borlänge, Stockholm and Kalmar (Sweden). The house fulfilled almost all the national energy requirements with more or less margin because of its low energy use. A comparison with actual measurements of the house did not match as good, because of uncertainty in measurement methods and climate aspects. The national building codes and climate in the Nordic countries turned out to be similar enough for a coordination of the building codes to be possible in the future.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to direct attention to recent research on women's entrepreneurship, focusing on Nordic countries. Design/methodology/approach – The paper encourages research that investigates how context, at the micro, meso and macro level, is related to women's entrepreneurship, and acknowledges that gender is socially constructed. Findings – This paper finds evidence that recent calls for new directions in women's entrepreneurship research are being followed, specifically with regard to how gender is done and how context is related to women's entrepreneurial activities. Originality/value – This paper assesses trends in research on women's entrepreneurship, mainly from the Nordic countries.

This thesis aims to investigate the trade intensity between the Baltic States and the Nordic countries over a period of 14 years. The bilateral exports of 42 European countries are explored with the focus on the Baltic-Nordic trade. Since many previous studies provided support for the strong relationship between the Baltic States and the Nordic countries, this thesis aims to explore this relationship over time. The Baltic States after their independence, shifted their trade to the Western economies, including Nordic countries. The results reveal that the magnitude of the trade intensity between these two regions have become more important and is higher than expected. Furthermore, it is accounted for commodities of different values traded between the Baltic States and the Nordic countries by introducing dummy variables. It has been shown that the value of commodities is not very important in the Baltic-Nordic trade and therefore there is no trend over time.

Aim: The aim of this thesis was to obtain an overview over the options of Nordic infertile couples regarding assisted reproduction treatment, and to follow couples’ arguments and decision-making process to make relevant decisions about these options. Methods: Quantitative and qualitative methods were used. The study design was inspired by Ecological systems theory, where data was gathered from laws and regulations (macro-level), fertility clinics (meso-level) and the couples using these options (micro-level). Study I consists of results from a review of the legislations in the five Nordic countries and results from a questionnaire that was sent to all fertility clinics to gather information about available options. Papers II and III present the findings of the interviews with 22 Nordic couples, after their first appointment with a specialist at the fertility clinic. The couples came from Denmark (3), Finland (6), Iceland (3), Norway (4) and Sweden (6). Study IV presents the findings of follow-up interviews with the same couples approximately three years later. For the qualitative study the tools of Grounded Theory were used. Findings: In Study I it was found that Nordic couples generally have good access to assisted reproductive technology treatments (ART), although it is not evenly distributed and there are restrictions related to certain criteria, such as age. There are national differences in the legislations, especially regarding gamete donation. These differences open up for cross-border reproductive care, andmore than one third of the fertility clinics offered treatment to people from other countries. Study II describes the decision-making process of the couples when determining the “right time” to try for a child. The couples mention the need to feel prepared for parenthood; such as a stable social situation, and once they felt prepared they became more susceptible to decision-making catalysts, such as influence from friends and family. Fear of infertility made the couple accelerate their decision regardless of preparation. In Study III the decision-making process of seeking medical help is illustrated. The core category was “negotiation and re-negotiation”. The process of decision-making is first to accept that they have a problem in common, secondly that they need knowledge and finally to take action and get help. Study IV deals with the decision-making process during treatments. Of 22 couples, 17 had succeeded at becoming parents after approximately three years, three couples were still trying and two had not decided how to continue. The core category was “maintaining control in an uncertain situation”. The couples tried to keep focus on the goal and to learn to deal with the new world with various methods. Conclusions:The structure of and the access to service for infertile couples differ between the Nordic countries. Some of the differences, e.g. regarding subsidy systems and waiting time, affected the decision making process since they could mean a delay in the treatment process or whether a private or public clinic was chosen. Additionally, a couple consists of two individuals with independent decision-making processes, which makes joint decision-making difficult and time-consuming. The couples have to negotiate their way to a consensus and are constantly confronted with new choices they need to re-negotiate on. The decision-making process, when dealing with infertility, is not a straight line, but rather a chain of small decisions affected by feelings, context and situation / Markmið: Markmið rannsóknarinnarvar að ná yfirsýn yfir þeim tæknifrjóvgunarmöguleikum sem norrænum pörum sem kljást við ófrjósemi stendur til boða, og að fylgja rökleiðslu þeirra og ákvarðanatökuferli sem tengist þessum möguleikum. Aðferð: Megindlegum og eigindlegum aðferðum var beitt.Hönnun rannsóknarinnarsótti innblástur til Ecological systems theory, með söfnun gagna frálögum og reglugerðum (macro-stig), tæknifrjóvgunarstofum (meso-stig) og frá pörunum sem nýttu sérþessa möguleika (micro-stig). Grein Iinniheldur niðurstöður rýni á reglugerðum Norðurlandanna fimm, ásamt niðurstöðum spurningalista sem sendur var öllum tæknifrjóvgunarstofum til að fá upplýsingar um þá möguleika sem stóðu til boða. GreinarII og III kynna niðurstöður úr viðtölum við 22 norræn pör sem fórufram eftir fyrsta tíma þeirra hjá sérfræðingi á tæknifrjóvgunarstofu. Pörin komu frá Danmörku (3), Finnlandi (6), Íslandi (3), Noregi (4) og Svíþjóð (6). Grein IV kynnir niðurstöður framhaldsviðtala við sömu pör sem fóru fram u.þ.b. þremur árum síðar. Fyrir eigindlega hluta rannsóknarinnar var aðferðum úr Grounded theory beitt. Niðurstöður: Grein Isýndi fram á að aðgengi norrænna para að tæknifrjóvgunarmeðferðum er alla jafna gott. Þó er aðgengið er ekki jafndreift og það eru hömlur sem tengjast tilteknum skilyrðum, svo sem aldri. Það er munur á reglugerðum landanna, sérstaklega hvað snýr að kynfrumugjöf. Þessi mismunur opnar fyrir tæknifrjóvgunarþjónustu yfir landamæri, en meira en þriðjungur tæknifrjóvgunarstofa buðu þjónustu sína fólki frá öðrum löndum. Grein II lýsir ákvarðanatökuferli paranna þegar þau ákvarða hvenær sé „réttur tími“ til að reyna að eignast barn. Pörin nefndu þörfina fyrir að finnast þau vera undirbúin fyrir foreldrahlutverkið, svo sem að hafa trygga félagslega stöðu, en að því búnu urðu þau móttækilegri fyrir ákvarðanatökuhvötum, svo sem áhrifum frá vinum og fjölskyldu. Óttivið ófrjósemi olli því að pörin flýttu ákvörðun sinni, óháð öðrum þáttum. Grein III varpar ljósi á ákvarðanatökuferlið sem leiðir til þess að leitað er aðstoðar sérfræðinga. Kjarnaflokkurinn (e. core category) var „að semja og endursemja“. Ferli ákvarðanatökunnar hefst með því að parið þarf að sætta sig viðað þau eigi við sameiginlegt vandamál að stríða, því næst þurfa þau að afla sér vitneskju, og loks að bregðast við ogleita hjálpar. Grein IV fjallar um ákvarðanatökuferlið meðan á meðferð stendur. Af 22 pörum, þá hafði 17 tekist að verða foreldrar eftir þrjú ár, þrjú pör voru enn að reyna og tvö pör höfðu ekki tekið ákvörðun um framhaldið. Kjarnaflokkurinn var „ að halda stjórn í ótryggum aðstæðum“. Pörin reyndu að einblína á markmiðið og að nota ýmsar aðferðir til þess að höndla nýjar aðstæður. Samantekt: Það er munur á uppbyggingu og aðgengi að þjónustu fyrir ófrjó pör milli Norðurlandanna. Sumir þessara mismunandi þátta, t.d. niðurgreiðslur og biðtími, höfðu áhrif á ákvarðanatökuferlið þar sem þeir gátu tafið meðferðina eða ráðið því hvort parið leitaði til einkastofu eða opinberrar stofnunar. Par samanstendur af tveimur einstaklingumhvor um sig með eigiðákvarðanatökuferli, en það gerir sameiginlega ákvarðanatöku erfiða og tímafreka. Parið verður að semja til að komast að sameiginlegri niðurstöðu, en þarf síðan í sífellu að endursemja um nýja möguleika sem koma fram. Ákvarðanatökuferlið eins og það snýr að ófrjósemi er ekki bein lína,heldur er það keðja af litlum ákvörðunum sem mótast af tilfinningum, samhengi og aðstæðum.

Background – This paper examined the literature on the concept of the glass ceiling in the management field, with an emphasis on Finnish and Swedish female leaders' perceptions of the barriers and facilitating factors of their career. Purpose – The purpose of this thesis was to explore the factors that affect the career development of women in the context of Nordic countries, namely in Finland and Sweden. Furthermore, this thesis tried to understand the welfare state paradox better and how the women in Finland and Sweden perceive it. Lastly, the purpose of this study was to find out if there are any differences between the perceptions of these countries due to the societal and cultural differences. Method – Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 female leaders from different companies in Finland and in Sweden. The grounded analysis was used in the qualitative analysis of the coding. Conclusion – The research resulted that there are several barriers and facilitating factors that have affected the career of female leaders. Finnish and Swedish women highlighted their own individual factors such as motivation, self-esteem and courage as the major facilitating factor, and thereof lack of them a barrier. Based on this research, women’s perception of Nordic welfare policies is that they are beneficial to career development, providing an opportunity to focus on work more. Contrary to the expectations, there were relatively few differences in perceptions between Finnish and Swedish female leaders identified in this study. However, it seems that in Sweden the responsibilities about family are shared more equally and the overall social atmosphere is more encouraging for women's career success.

Bakgrund: Endast ett fåtal kvinnor i Norden väljer en planerad hemförlossning. I Sverige har en studie gjorts för att undersöka vilka karaktärsdrag som går att urskilja hos dessa kvinnor men liknande studier saknas för Norden. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie var att beskriva vad som är karaktäristika för kvinnor i Norden som väljer en planerad hemförlossning samt jämföra karaktäristika hos kvinnor i Sverige med kvinnor från tre andra nordiska länder. Metod: Studien är en retrospektiv tvärsnittsstudie med kvantitativ ansats. Materialet är insamlat mellan 2009-2011 inom ramen för forskningsnätverket ”Nordic Homebirth” via enkätformulär på internetsidan www.nordichomebirth.com. Icke-parametriska analyser genomfördes med hjälp av Chitvå-test. Resultat: Totalt svarade 778 kvinnor på enkäten. Kvinnorna i Sverige var i genomsnitt två år äldre och i högre grad omföderskor och sammanboende/gifta. Fler kvinnor i Norden var ensamstående/ej sammanboende jämfört med de svenska kvinnorna. Ingen skillnad i utbildningsnivå fanns mellan kvinnorna i Sverige och Norden. Slutsats: Skillnader i karaktäristika för kvinnor som väljer en planerad hemförlossning i Norden finns avseende ålder, paritet, civilstånd och ursprungsland. Bättre registrering av planerade hemförlossningar behövs för att kunna göra säkrare undersökningar av denna grupp. Nyckelord: planerad hemförlossning, karaktäristika, kvinnor, Sverige, Norden

Disposal and deaccessioning are difficult subjects in the museum and archaeological field. Archaeological materialin museums grows only with time and increased number of excavations. Therefore problems are rising in themuseum field. In this thesis disposal and deaccessioning of archaeological material in the Nordic countries isstudied. The main question is: How is the disposal of archaeological material in the Nordic countries handled?Legislations of the countries and museum policies were studied with disposal or deaccessioning in mind. Questionswere sent to a museum in each country to get first hand information about the subject. Disposal of archaeologicalmaterial is not handled in the same way in the five countries. Two of them, Denmark and Norway havesimilar systems. But the other three have another process in these matters. The word disposal seems not to havethe exact same meaning in all of the countries. In this thesis it is argued that there is no theory that has a clearsolution about what disposal of archaeological material is. I have come to the conclusion that this is an issue thathas to be handled in the museums and the first step is to have a clear policy on disposal and deaccessioning inthe archeological field / Gallring är en svår fråga i museer och på det arkeologiska fältet. Det arkeologiska materialet i museer växer ioch med de arkeologiska utgrävningarna. Detta skapar ett stigande problem inom museum. Denna uppsats behandlargallring av arkeologiskt material i de nordiska länderna. Huvudfrågan är: Hur hanteras gallring av arkeologisktmaterial i de nordiska länderna? Ländernas lagstiftning och museer policy har studerats med gallring iåtanke. Frågor har skickats till ett museum i varje land för att få information om hur de hanterar gallring. De ärinte desamma i de fem länderna. Danmark och Norge använder liknande system medan de tre andra länderna haren annat system. Ordet gallring verkar inte ha exakt samma innebörd i alla länder. I uppsatsen diskuteras det attdet inte finns någon teori som har en klar lösning över gallring av arkeologiskt material. Jag har kommit till slutsatsenatt detta är en fråga som måste hanteras i museer och det första steget är att ha en tydlig policy om dessafrågor i museerna.

Mål: Å vurdere effekten av det norske BCG-vaksinasjonsprogrammet blant ungdommer ved(1) å vurdere om forskjeller i tuberkuloseepidemiologi i fire nordiske land er assosiert med forskjeller i bruk av BCG og (2) å estimere betydningen av BCG vaksinasjon blant ungdommer i Norge. Metode: Studieperioden var 1975-2005, med hovedvekt på 1996-2005. Artikler, overvåkingsrapporter, EuroTB-databasen og nasjonale tuberkuloseregistre var datakilder. Data fra EuroTB ble brukt til å beregne insidensrater for tilfeller rapportert som “born in country/national” i Norge, Sverige, Finland og Danmark. Data fra de norske og svenske tuberkuloseregistrene ble brukt til å beregne insidensrater for tilfeller som var født i de respektive land og som hadde foreldre som begge var født i et land med lav insidens av tuberkulose. Insidensrater for aldersgruppene 0-14 and 15-29 år ble sammenlignetHovedresultater: Fra 1975 til 2005 var det et fall i insidensrate i alle landene, mest uttalt i Finland. I 1996-2005 hadde Finland lavest insidensrate i aldergruppen 0-14 år, og Norge hadde lavest insidensrate i gruppen 15-29 år. Dette er forenlig med beskyttende effekt som følge av BCG-vaksinasjon av nyfødte i Finland og av 12-14-åringer i Norge. Vi estimerer at det norske BCG vaksinasjonsprogrammet blant ungdommer gir 61-64% beskyttelse i aldersgruppen 15-29 år. Om man forutsetter 50-80% beskyttelse, er det nødvendig med 14918 - 51409 vaksinasjoner for å forebygge ett tilfelle av tuberkulose. I 1996-2005 kan tidligere BCG-vaksinasjon blant ungdommer ha forebygget 1,2 – 3,9% av tilfeller av tuberkulose blant norskfødte, og 0,4 – 1,2% av totalt antall tilfeller. Konklusjoner: BCG-vaksinasjon av norske ungdommer med lav risiko for tuberkulose kan ha bidratt til redusert risiko for tuberkulose i en periode på 15 år etter vaksinering. Men et stort antall vaksinasjoner er nødvendig for å forebygge ett tilfelle. / Purpose: to assess the effectiveness of the Norwegian adolescent BCG vaccinationprogramme by (1)examining if differences in tuberculosis epidemiology in four Nordiccountries is associated with different use of BCG and (2) using evidence from this and paststudies on BCG efficacy to estimate the impact of vaccination in the present epidemiologicalsituation. Method: The study period was 1975-2005, with main focus on 1996-2005. Data sourceswere articles, surveillance reports, the EuroTB database, and national tuberculosis registers.EuroTB data were used to calculate incidence rates for cases reported as “born incountry/national” in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark. Data from the Norwegian andSwedish tuberculosis registers were used to calculate incidence rates for cases that were born in the respective countries and that had parents who were both born in countries with low incidence of tuberculosis. Incidence rates in the age groups 0-14 and 15-29 years were compared. Main results: From 1975 to 2005 all countries experienced a reduction in incidence rates,most pronounced in Finland. During 1996-2005 Finland had the lowest incidence rate in the0-14 year age group, and Norway had the lowest incidence rate in the 15-29 year group. Thisis consistent with protection by BCG vaccination of newborns in Finland and of 12-14 yearolds in Norway. We estimated that the Norwegian adolescents BCG vaccination programme confers 61-64% protection in the age group 15-29 years. Assuming 50-80% protection, 14918 - 51 409 vaccinations are needed to prevent one case of tuberculosis. During 1996-2005,prior BCG vaccination of Norwegian teenagers may have prevented 1.2 - 3.9% of cases oftuberculosis among Norwegian-born and 0.4 - 1.2% of total cases. Conclusions: BCG vaccination of low-risk Norwegian adolescents may have contributed to reduced risk of tuberculosis for a period of 15 years after vaccination. However, a large number of vaccinations must be given in order to prevent one case of tuberculosis. / <p>ISBN 978-91-85721-59-7</p>

This paper examines the effects of the Global Financial Crisis on the relationship between unemployment and inflation rate through the Phillips Curve in five Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, from 1999 to 2016. The Nordic countries are quite unique in the world, as they are all economically and culturally connected to each other, which allows us to analyse how the crisis affected them differently. The foundation of our research is the Phillips Curve, which shows an inverse relationship between unemployment and inflation. By using the two-way fixed effects model, we have investigated whether the Phillips Curve and the relationship still holds during the time of the crisis for the Nordic countries. The results have shown that the relationship has changed during the crisis period, which might be due to the unemployment shock and the low targeted inflation rate.

In the economy intangible assets have become more and more important. Financial standards have evolved in order to capture this change and to be relevant. IFRS are international financial accounting standards with the goal to provide investors relevant information in their investment decision process.  Since 2005, all listed companies in the European Union have to implement the IFRS 3; Forcing companies to write off their goodwill instead of amortizing it. The goal of this measure was to provide investors more information about management’s investment decisions. Beside, companies proceed to firm acquisitions in order to gain a competitive advantage. Such events are important in companies’ life and are impacting the potential value creation. Out of that reason, investors are reacting to acquisition announcements. Moreover, the market reacts to goodwill impairments.   The purpose of this research was to examine to what extent the market reaction of an acquisition announcement can predict goodwill impairment in the two following years. This study was conducted using a quantitative method; focusing on aspects of the financial statements of 43 companies from the Nordic countries that acquired companies in the G20 countries. A Spearman’s correlation, logistic and linear regressions were pursued in order to observe the correlation and the strength of the relationship between goodwill impairment and the market reaction.   The findings imply that the market reaction can predict goodwill impairment in the first year after an acquisition in case of positive market reaction. Additional to that, it can also predict the amount of impairment in the second year, but not whether the impairment is happening. Also, there is a correlation between the first and second year goodwill impairments. However, the results of this research indicate that neither the industry, financial or non-financial, nor the deal value can predict goodwill impairment after an acquisition.