Automation är viktig inom dagens rekryteringsprocesser, och har trots dess effektivitet medfört utmaningar som diskrimination och bias. Trots att ett av AI algoritmers syfte är att minska bias finns det allt mer bevis på att AI inte är så rättvis som den sägs vara. Vi har därför valt att göra en studie kring automationens roll i rekryteringsprocesser. Vi har använt oss av en kvalitativ ansats för att få möjligheten att utforska respondenternas åsikter kringautomation och hur de arbetar med rekrytering. Vi utförde totalt nio intervjuer och två uppföljningsintervjuer där urvalet bestod av personer som arbetade inom rekrytering. I studien har vi identifierat att objektivitet kan vara utmanande att uppnå i automatiserade arbetsprocesser, brist på transparens i beslutstagandet av rekryteringsverktyget och dålig återkoppling till kandidaten från företagen. I studien har vi identifierat utmaningar som objektivitet, transparens och kommunikation. Dessa utmaningar behöver lyftas för att rättvisthantera kandidater i rekryteringsprocesser och undvika diskrimination. / Automation has a high significance in today's recruitment process and has despite its effectiveness, contributed to some challenges. Despite the fact that one of the main purposes of AI algorithms is to decrease bias, there is more proof that AI algorithms aren't as fair as it says it would be. We have chosen to conduct a study about the role of automation in the recruitment process. We chose a qualitative approach to have the opportunity to explore the respondent's opinions about automation and how they are working with recruitment. In total,we conducted 9 interviews and 2 follow-up interviews with respondents from various professions within the recruitment sector. In this study, we identified that objectivity could be challenging to achieve in automated work processes, lack of transparency in the decision making of the recruitment tool and lack of feedback to the candidate from the companies. In our study we have identified challenges such as objectivity, transparency and communication.These are important issues to address in order to equally handle candidates in the recruitment process and to avoid discrimination.

This thesis aims to research the art of Swedish painter Stina Forssell (1906-1970) with a special focus on her paintings of interiors from the early half of the 20th century. The theoretical starting point is the interior as an expression of self-definition as proposed by the cultural critic Walter Benjamin in The Arcades Project. The method used is an in-depth analysis of the selected paintings adopted from Tamar Garbs contextual and in-depth analysis in Bodies of modernity: figure and flesh in fin-de-siècle France combined with archival research. The thesis show that the artist’s interior paintings can be understood as expressions relating to the new objectivity, but also that her motives are deeply rooted in the art history. The analysis further shows that Forssells representations of her home and studio paintings can be understood as ”a room of one’s own” in line with Virginia Woolf, and as manifestations of her professional identity. / Den här uppsatsen undersöker den svenska konstnären Stina Forssell (1906–1970) med ett särskilt fokus på hennes interiörer från 1930- och 40-talen. Den teoretiska utgångspunkten för studien är Walter Benjamins teorier om interiören som en skådeplats för individens självdefiniering som den kommer till uttryck i hans bok Passagearbetet. Metoden för studien är djupgående bildanalyser med inspiration från Tamar Garbs metod i Bodies of modernity: figure and flesh in fin-de-siècle France kombinerat med arkivforskning. Resultatet visar att Forssells detaljerade och omsorgsfulla gestaltningar dels kan relateras till strömningen den nya sakligheten men också att hennes gestaltningar är djupt rotade i en konsthistorisk tradition. I arbetet visar jag att konstnärens interiörer från hemmet och ateljén kan förstås som bilden av ett eget rum och som manifestationer av konstnärens professionella identitet. På grund av att konstnären är knapphändigt hanterad i konsthistorieskrivningen finns i uppsatsen också en biografi, som även är tänkt att underlätta för framtida forskning.

A research project submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. / This research report examines the way the media framed the introduction of Mandarin to the South African school curriculum, and the relationship between frame sponsors and the frames employed by the media. The dramatic growth of Chinese investment and its related social and political influence in Africa has been greeted by a mixed response. The media has often characterised the relationship in a binary way, as either Chinese imperialism or a developmental relationship. To improve China’s image, the Chinese government has embarked upon a policy of soft power, which extends into influencing educational language policy, to encourage more people to learn Mandarin and understand Chinese culture. To explore the media articulation of the China-South Africa relationship media framing theory was employed. The frame analysis was conducted by analysing the content of 50 articles published in the South African press between March and October 2015. The analysis found three mega-frames: imperialism, globalisation and nationalism. The imperialism and globalisation frames are consistent with other academic and media literature that considers the China-Africa relationship as either colonial or a natural outcome of global market dynamics. The role of frame sponsors and their influence on the framing process was also explored. The majority of frame sponsors were official government, trade union and academic sources, suggesting an elite contestation. Notably absent were Chinese frame sponsors and the views of teachers, parents or learners. Government frame sponsors promoted the globalisation mega-frame while trade union sources promoted the imperialism and nationalism frames. The results suggest that the South African media articulates the China-South Africa relationship using the binary of colonial predator or developmental partner, where a more nuanced reading may prove more fruitful in understanding the dynamics of their relationship. / MT2017

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Improved methods of planning are needed to deal with today's issues of traffic congestion, sprawl, and loss of greenspace. Past research and recent legislation call for new methods that will consider a regional perspective. Regional planning is challenged with two difficult questions: 1.Is it possible to achieve regional goals without infringing upon the local autonomy of city planners? 2.Is it possible to objectively analyze the thousands, even millions, of land use and transportation plans to find the best design? Metropolitan regions across the country have made great efforts to answer the first question. Unfortunately, effective methods for harmonizing the goals of regional and city planners have not been developed. Likewise, efforts have been made to introduce objectivity into the planning process. However, current methods continue to be subjective because there is no way to efficiently analyze the millions of alternative plans for objective decision-making. This thesis presents a new approach to regional planning that provides an affirmative answer to the two questions posed above. The first question is answered through a unique problem formulation and a corresponding 3 stage process that compels coordination between the regional and city planners. Regional goals are achieved because they are cast as objectives and constraints in stage one. Local autonomy is achieved because some of the decisions are left for the city planners to decide in the second stage. The third stage allows for negotiation between the regional and city planners. The second question is answered through the use of a genetic algorithm. The genetic algorithm provides the means to objectively consider millions of plans to find the best ones. The new approach is demonstrated on the main metropolitan region of Utah and a local city center within the region. The results from the case study provided the opportunity to learn valuable lessons concerning land use and transportation planning that can be applied to other regions experiencing rapid growth.

Diese Arbeit befasst sich mit dem Wesen normativer Gründe – d.h. mit Gründen, die für oder gegen etwas sprechen (und somit für die Frage relevant sind, was jemand alles in allem tun sollte). Die einschlägige Forschungsliteratur unterscheidet dabei zwischen praktischen Gründen, die sich auf Handlungen und handlungsleitende Einstellungen (wie Wünsche oder Absichten) beziehen, und epistemischen Gründen, die sich auf doxastische Einstellungen wie z.B. Überzeugungen beziehen. Die zentrale Frage dieser Dissertation lautet: Welche Implikationen ergeben sich aus einer plausiblen Theorie epistemischer Gründe für die Frage, ob – und wenn ja, in welchem Sinne – praktische Gründe existieren? Die Dissertation leistet damit einen Beitrag zu einer einheitlichen Theorie normativer Gründe. Vertreten werden zwei zentrale Thesen: Erstens, der sogenannte Konstitutivismus – demzufolge normative Tatsachen letztlich durch deskriptive Tatsachen über das Wesen von Akteurschaft erklärbar sind – liefert eine überzeugende Theorie epistemischer Gründe. Zweitens, die Wahrheit des epistemischen Konstitutivismus impliziert, dass in Bezug auf praktische Gründe entweder eine Irrtumstheorie oder der praktische Konstitutivismus gilt – mit anderen Worten, dass praktische Gründe konstitutivistisch erklärbar sein müssen, sofern diese überhaupt existieren. Aus diesen beiden Thesen folgt unmittelbar, dass eine der gegenwärtig populärsten Theorien in der philosophischen Debatte über Normativität, der sogenannte Quietismus – demzufolge normative Gründe zwar existieren, ihre Existenz aber prinzipiell nicht gehaltvoll erklärbar ist –, falsch sein muss. Darüber hinaus liefert die Arbeit einen konstruktiven Vorschlag, wie der praktische Konstitutivismus (insbesondere mit Blick auf moralische Gründe) unter Verweis auf die soziale Natur von Akteurschaft entwickelt und gegen eine Irrtumstheorie verteidigt werden kann. / This thesis is about the nature of normative reasons – i.e., reasons that count in favor of or against something (and thus bear on the question of what one ought to do, all things considered). The extant literature distinguishes between practical reasons, which concern actions and action-guiding attitudes (like desires or intentions), and epistemic reasons, which concern doxastic attitudes like beliefs. The central question of this thesis is: How does a plausible theory of epistemic reasons constrain answers to the question of whether – and if so, in what sense – there are practical reasons? It is thus a contribution to a unified theory of normative reasons. I argue for two central claims: First, a so-called constitutivist view, according to which normative facts are ultimately explicable in terms of descriptive facts about the nature of agency, provides a plausible theory of epistemic reasons. Second, the truth of epistemic constitutivism entails that, regarding practical reasons, either an error theory or practical constitutivism is true – in other words, that practical reasons must be explicable in constitutivist terms, if there are practical reasons at all. It follows from these two claims that quietism – one of the currently most popular views about practical normativity, according to which normative reasons exist, but are not explicable in any meaningful way – must be false. Moreover, this thesis offers a constructive proposal for fleshing out a version of practical constitutivism (specifically with respect to moral reasons) and considers how it can be defended against the error theory.

This theoretical master’s dissertation explores the cleavage between how audiences and journalists perceive transparency and objectivity through the following research questions: “Can transparency be understood independently of objectivity, or can it be included in a model of objectivity?”, “What are the underlying interests with normative concepts like objectivity and transparency, and what drives the process of replacing objectivity with transparency?” and “Can transparency replace objectivity’s dominance as ethical ideal in journalism?”. The questions are studied through a comparative research design of the main concepts transparency and objectivity and by employing a methodology that consists of secondary data analysis of qualitative data and qualitative meta-analysis. The theoretical framework consists of pragmatic objectivity, the process model of journalists’ roles, paradigm building and boundary maintenance and is applied to the secondary empirical material (academic articles). The results show that transparency is compatible with pragmatic objectivity, and I argue that unifying the ethical ideals is a way forward in order to resolve the contestation between the ethical ideals. The results also show that transparency has not reached the status of a normative role in contemporary news journalism. Furthermore, there are indications that transparency in contemporary news journalism has not replaced objectivity’s dominance, as the journalistic community is generally unwilling to give any genuine insight into its methodology. From a boundary maintenance perspective, the results also show that objectivity is in the process of being defended by journalists, as it is a highly practiced and valued ethical ideal in journalistic communities.

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Text in Afrikaans / 'n Verkennend-beskrywende, interpretatiewe, meta-teoretiese studie is onderneem om die invloed van epistemologiese relativisme op opvoedkundige teorievorming te ondersoek. Die verwagting bestaan, in 'n tydsgees wat die kompleksiteit van die kenterrein van die Opvoedkunde benadruk, dat die opvoedkundige objektiewe en praktykrigtende kennisuitsprake aangaande die kenterrein van die Opvoedkunde sal maak. Om aan laasgenoemde verwagting te kan voldoen, is dit vir die opvoedkundige nodig om die kenterrein van die Opvoedkunde te betree en interpretatiewe, kontekstueel-funksionele kennisuitsprake te maak. Vanuit 'n tradisionele perspektief op wetenskapsbeoefening en rasionaliteit kan aantygings van epistemologiese relativisme ontstaan teen kennisuitsprake wat die kenterrein interpreteer. Dit is egter moontlik om aantygings van epistemologiese relativisme in opvoedkundige teorievorming te weerle, indien 'n verbrede beskouing van rasionaliteit in die Opvoedkunde gehuldig word. Op grond van die verband wat tussen taal, interpretasie en rasionaliteit bestaan, word meta-norme van rasionaliteit wat met taalgebruik en interpretasie verband hou, ge"identifiseer. Die mensbeskouing van die Eksistensiele Fenomenologie en Habermas se Teorie van Kommunikatiewe Rasionaliteit het dit in gemeen dat dit die moontlikheid erken dat mense deur middel van taalgebruik 'n gemeenskaplike realiteit kan identifiseer wat ook as 'n vertrekpunt in wetenskaplike gesprekvoering kan dien en wat objektiewe kennisuitsprake moontlik maak. Die mens se interpretasie van die werklikheid deur middel van taal is 'n ontiese gegewene, daarom word dit gestel dat die navorser se interpretasie van 'n kenobjek deur middel van taal deur. meta-norme van rasionaliteit onderle word. Met die grondliggende aanname dat daar metanorme van rasionaliteit bestaan wat met taal en interpretasie verband hou, word 'n verbrede begrip van rasionaliteit in die Opvoedkunde, wat interpretatiewe kennisuitsprake van die opvoedkundige akkommodeer, voorgestel. Omdat daar meta-norme van rasionaliteit bestaan wat met taalgebruik en interpretasie verband hou, is dit vir opvoedkundiges moontlik om binne hulle eie paradigmatiese kontekste die kenterrein van die Opvoedkunde funksioneel te interpreteer, sonder om in epistemologiese relativisme te verval. Op grond daarvan dat meta-norme van rasionaliteit bestaan, is dit vir opvoedkundiges moontlik om oor die kenterrein van die Opvoedkunde in gesprek te tree en toenemend objektiewe kennisuitsprake, wat die kontekste van individuele paradigmas oorskry, te maak. / An investigative, descriptive, interpretative, meta-theoretical study was undertaken to determine the influence of epistemological relativism on educational theory formation. It is expected that, at a time when the complex nature of Education is being emphasised, educationists will make objective as well as functional, directive knowledge statements about the education epistemic. To fulfil the latter expectations, it is necessary for educationists to enter into the education epistemic and make interpretative, contextually functional knowledge statements about education. From a traditional perspective on the practice of science and rationality, allegations of epi stemological relativism may arise against statements which interpret the education epistemic. However, it is possible to allay allegations of epistemological relativism in educational theory formation, if a broadened view of rationality is upheld in Education. On the basis of the relation between language, interpretation and rationality, meta-norms of rationality are identified that relate to language usage and interpretation. Existential Phenomenology and Habermas's Theory of Communicative Rationality correlate in their acknowledgement of the possibility that people can, through language usage, identify a common reality which can also seNe as point of departure in scientific discourse, while at the same time facilitating objective knowledge statements. A person's interpretation of reality by means of language is an ontic premise and, therefore, it is stated that the researcher's interpretation of an object of study is based on language through meta-norms of rationality. With the basic assumption that there are meta-norms of rationality which are related to language and interpretation, a broadened understanding of rationality in Education, which accommodates interpretative knowledge statements, is suggested. Because meta-norms of rationality exist which are related to language interpretation, it is possible for educationists to make a functional interpretation, within their own paradigmatic context, of the education epistemic, without lapsing into epistemological relativism. On the basis of the existence of meta-norms of rationality, education discourse becomes possible between educationists, and they can make increasingly objective knowledge statements, which extend beyond the context of individual paradigms. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Filosofie van die Opvoeding)

Titel: Relationen mellan Revisor och Kund- en Idealbild: En empirisk kundperspektivstudie med fokus på ideal kontra lagstadgade ramar Nivå: C-uppsats i ämnet företagsekonomi Författare: Maria Mejstedt och Marthina Tedesund Handledare: Jan Svanberg Datum: 2016 – januari Bakgrund och Syfte: Tidigare forskning utifrån ett revisorperspektiv tyder på att relationen mellan revisorn och kunden är central vid hot mot oberoendet och revisionskvaliteten. Däremot efterlyses mer forskning från ytterligare perspektiv. Syftet med denna studie är därmed att studera relationen från ett kundperspektiv och kontrastera dennes idealbild av sin revisor ur ett flerdimensionellt perspektiv mot de lagstadgade kraven på objektivitet i revision. Metod: Studien antar ett hermeneutiskt och konstruktivistiskt perspektiv. Forskningsansatsen är abduktiv med tillämpning av en kvalitativ undersökningsmetod och semistrukturerade intervjuer som datainsamling. Den teoretiska referensramen bygger på tidigare forskning, vidare sker tematisk analys där teman söks i intervjusvaren som fördelas i grupper. Svaren tolkas med förankring i tidigare forskning samt genom bearbetning av oss som författare där vi reflekterar/diskuterar över det framkomna resultatet. Resultat & slutsats: Studien tyder på att kundens idealbild av relationen till sin revisor är kopplad till revisorns insatthet och förståelse i kundens verksamhet, dock endast till den grad revisionskvaliteten inte äventyras. Vid anlitandet av större revisionsbolag tycks förhållandet vara transaktionellt fokuserat, vid mindre kan en närmare personlig och social kontakt skönjas. Dock framkommer en överensstämmande bild av hur idealbilden gällande revisor-kundrelationen framställs; en närmare relation anses vara önskvärd. Förslag till fortsatt forskning: Till vidare forskning finns ett behov av att undersöka hur studiens framtagna idealbild skiljer sig mellan olika kundbranscher samt vilken påverkan kundens idealbild av relationen har på revisorns beteende. Vidare är konkurrenssituationen på revisorsmarknaden intressant att koppla till kundens idealbild och revisorns villighet att anpassa sig för att inte förlora kunder i en konkurrenskraftig marknad. Studiens bidrag: Denna studie bidrar med ett nytt perspektiv på revisor-kundrelationen, vilket är av intresse för såväl revisorer som intressenter och redovisnings-/revisionslitteratur. Revisorer gynnas av en djupare förståelse kring relationen för möjligheten att förstå och tillmötesgå kundens idealbild. Detta bidrar till ökad revisionskvalitet vilket även tredje part främjas av. / Title: The Ideal Relationship between the Auditor and the Client: An empirical client perspective study focusing on ideals versus legislation Level: Final assignment for Bachelor Degree in Business Administration Authors: Maria Mejstedt and Marthina Tedesund Supervisor: Jan Svanberg Date: 2016 – January Aim: Previous research from an auditor perspective indicates that the relationship between the auditor and the client is a central factor in concerns regarding objectivity threats and the quality of audit. This research field will greatly benefit from new perspectives. This study therefore aims to investigate this relationship from the client’s perspective in a multidimensional manner, as well as put the client’s ideal relationship in contrast to the auditor’s legislative requirements regarding objectivity. Method: This study adopts a hermeneutic and constructivist perspective alongside an abductive research approach. A qualitative research method is used including semi-structured interviews for the empirical segment of the study. The theoretical part of the study is connected to, and based on, earlier research. When analyzing the results, a thematic analysis approach is applied. The results are then discussed and interpreted by us as authors where we put them in relation to earlier research and theories to generate new conclusions. Result & Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that the client’s ideal image of the relationship is closely connected to the auditor’s insertion in and understanding of the client’s business. However, this only applies as long as the audit quality is not compromised. Differences based in the size of the audit firms has also appeared; clients with large auditing firms seem to have a transactional approach whereas clients with smaller auditing firms seem to have a more relational approach. However, a consistency appears regarding the ideal relationship; that it would be closer and have a more relational focus. Suggestions for future research: For future research, there is a need to examine how the ideal image concluded from this study differs between client sectors, as well as the impact the client's ideal image would have on the auditor behaviors. Furthermore, future research could also cover the effect of the auditor’s competitive situation and the willingness to adapt towards the client’s ideal image in order to keep their clients in an increasingly competitive market.   Contribution of the thesis: This study provides with a new perspective of the auditor-client relationship, which should be of interest for as well practitioners and standardization authorities as stakeholders and accounting/audit literature. A more extensive understanding concerning the relationship in contrast to the legislation should be considered beneficial in legislation updating as well as for all parties affected by the threats to impartialness by the auditor.