An important event in people´s lives is graduating from high school, which opens new possibilities. One of them is to be able to move to a new place, whether it is within the same municipality, to another region or even another country. Several motives can affect the decision-making process in terms of where the individual chooses to move and why. The aim of this paper is to study these motives and how a decision can be explained with Weber’s social action theory and the push/pull-theory   The method used to investigate this subject is a survey study in terms of a questionnaire with high school students in Luleå municipality. The answers were thereafter analyzed in two parts. The first part by using quantitative methods to create statistics regarding the chosen population, how they rank different motives and their opinions regarding different factors. The second part of the questionnaire was analyzed with qualitative methods to investigate the answers on a more complex level since different factors are taken into account in the reasoning behind a decision.   The result of this study shows that the main motive for moving is further education and the main motive to stay is social motives like family and friends. Other motives also come into play in this complex decision making process, such as a change of environment to experience new things. Where and why people choose to move can also be explained by push/pull-factors where the current condition in Luleå municipality is fairly good concerning employment and education but does not have the program or courses they want to study at the university and this functions as a push-factor for some in the studied group. Family and friends function as the main pull-factor to stay and is sometimes given as the only motive to stay. Where they want to move is mainly metropolitan areas or larger cities in the south of Sweden with the given explanation that this would offer more possibilities with a wider range of higher education, meeting new friends, access to more entertainment and experiencing city life. This decision can also be explained by the social action theory regarding how the individual chooses to act and it is usually based on the goal-oriented type where the individual chooses to move to reach a set goal.

This paper examines the major potential drivers of five international real estate markets with a focus on pushing versus pulling effects. Using a quantile regression approach for the period 2000-2015 we examine the coefficients during three different market conditions: downward (bearish), normal (median) and upward (bullish). Using monthly data we look at five of the larger securitized property markets, namely, the US, UK, Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong. We find inconclusively that stock market volatility, as measured by the pushing factor VIXS&P500, best informs property market returns during bearish market environment. We also find that our pulling factors, money supply, treasury yields and unemployment presents theoretically grounded results in most cases with the expected signage. However, compared to the volatility index, pulling factors are not as uniformly suited for informing property market returns during bearish markets. We also find a range of insignificant results, which might be indicative of a suboptimal model specification and/or choice of estimation method.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 25-28, 1999 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / A high performance lossy data compression technique is currently being developed for space science applications under the requirement of high-speed push-broom scanning. The technique is also error-resilient in that error propagation is contained within a few scan lines. The algorithm is based on block-transform combined with bit-plane encoding; this combination results in an embedded bit string with exactly the desirable compression rate. The lossy coder is described. The compression scheme performs well on a suite of test images typical of images from spacecraft instruments. Hardware implementations are in development; a functional chip set is expected by the end of 2000.

There has been an on-going discussion between researchers regarding the economic and climate induced reasons for migration (Renaud et al. 2011, Afifi, 2011).  There also seems to be insufficient data when it comes to internal migration within low-income countries (Tacolí, 2009). This study focuses on the impact of climate change and climate variability on migration processes to the area of Cochabamba, Bolivia. Two communities were chosen as study areas: Lopez Rancho and Alto Paraíso, both located in the growing city of Sacaba in the department of Cochabamba. In total 13 semi-structured interviews were made, including three key-informants and ten migrants, of which nine were female and one was male. The results show that while perceived environmental changes had an impact on the decision to migrate for six out of the ten respondents, other factors, such as education, infrastructure, health services, economy and decisions based on the family as a whole, were also important. Future studies on this subject can include these factors into various frameworks and surveys so that the nature of migration flows can be understood better.

Problemformulering och syfte: Lokaltidningarnas pappersupplagor minskar i Sverige. De digitala plattformarna blir allt viktigare för mediehusen när människor i allt större utsträckning övergår till att konsumera medier via sina mobiltelefoner. En naturlig del i utvecklingen blir att medierna följer samma väg, för att på det viset också i fortsättningen nå ut till sin publik, och på längre sikt säkra och stärka sin ekonomi. Syftet med vår studie är att undersöka varför svenska lokalmedier väljer att implementera nya tekniker och det gör vi genom att i en fallstudie följa mediekoncernen Mittmedias satsning på mobila och digitala plattformar när koncernen lanserar nyhetsapplikationer och push-notiser under hösten 2015. Vi studerar hur lanseringen förbereds, vilka strategier och drivkrafter som är inblandade och hur lanseringen genomförs på fyra olika redaktioner inom Mittmedia.  Metod och material: Vi inleder med att studera och själva använda test-versionerna av applikationerna och deltar på Mittmedias förberedande möten. Vi genomför sedan kvalitativa och semistrukturerade samtalsintervjuer med digitalchefer på respektive redaktion som ingår i undersökningen, samt den redaktionellt utvecklingsansvarige på Mittmedia. Intervjuerna genomförs dels i samband med att nyhetsapplikationerna släpps ut till allmänheten, dels några veckor senare i uppföljande syfte.  Huvudresultat: Vi kommer fram till tre nyckelord: Lokalt, lojalt och betalt, som tillsammans sammanfattar det breda spektrumet i lanseringen.

This qualitative research project focused on the interviews of 27 low socio-economic students at a research university in the southwestern United States. The students had already withdrawn from the university or were in the process of withdrawing. The study seeks to provide increased understanding of how students negotiate the decision-making process to withdraw from the first university they attended after high school. The theoretical lenses of student departure theories (Astin, 1993; Bean, 1983; Tierney, 1992; and Tinto, 1993) and decision-making theories (Becker, 1976; Frank, 1987; Kahneman, 2003; March, 1994; Scott, 2000) were combined. The Decision-Making Process Model of Student Departure is offered as a new theoretical framework that combines decision-making theories and student retention theories. This conceptualization is unlike other student departure models because it includes the proposition that forces push at the student from within the institution and forces pull them from outside the institution. In addition, it is different from other student departure models because it includes the discussion about how students think about their process to withdraw - it is not meant to describe their behaviors. Financial, academic and psychological stresses (from both within and outside the institution) influenced how the students negotiated the decision-making process to leave the institution. The students did not seek out institutional agents (advisors or faculty members) for advice when they were struggling academically. They developed their own strategies or went to their family members for advice, many of whom had never been to college.

The explosive demand for multimedia and fast transmission of continuous media on wireless networks means the simultaneous existence of traffic requiring different qualities of service (QoS). In this thesis, several efficient algorithms have been developed which offer several QoS to the end-user. We first look at a request TDMA/CDMA protocol for supporting wireless multimedia traffic, where CDMA is laid over TDMA. Then we look at a hybrid push-pull algorithm for wireless networks, and present a generalized performance analysis of the proposed protocol. Some of the QoS factors considered include customer retrial rates due to user impatience and system timeouts and different levels of priority and weights for mobile hosts. We have also looked at how customer impatience and system timeouts affect the QoS provided by several queuing and scheduling schemes such as FIFO, priority, weighted fair queuing, and the application of the stretch-optimal algorithm to scheduling.

The UK has been amongst the leaders in providing higher education for both home and international students, especially from developing countries such as Malaysia. The recent budget cuts on the UK higher education sector implemented in the academic year 2012/13 have increased the competition for UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to secure home [UK and EU] students as the opportunity cost is greater compared to starting a career. Therefore, it is almost imperative for UK HEIs to attract more international students to fill the gap left by home students to remain financially sustainable. Previous researches on the decision making process for higher education destinations looked extensively at rational factors such as financial viability, size of institutions and availability of programmes as well as reputation related factors, such as university ranking and league tables. The question is: Are these the factors - rational factors - that influence the decision making of prospective international students' evaluation and selection of the UK as a possible host country for higher education migration? This research aims to elicit and understand the non-rational factors that may intrinsically influence the decision making behaviour of Malaysian students when selecting the UK as the destination for HE migration. Interpretive phenomenology was utilized as the research approach and the Ethnographic principle of cultural interpretation was enhanced by the researcher's reflexive stances. Data was analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Six emergent constructs were revealed which then led to the emergence of three core themes reflecting the intrinsic influences hidden within Malaysian students' HE migration decision behaviour. Twelve ZMET interviews and two focus group conversations with participants whom were recruited using the stratified random sampling method - covering three geographical regions of the UK, eleven UK universities within four main university groups. ZMET, short for Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique, is an eleven-step in-depth interview technique that elicits both conscious and unconscious thoughts by exploring metaphoric expressions. Findings from previous researches employing ZMET as data collection method showed that data saturation is achievable with just four to five interviews, providing 90% validity. Focus group conversations functioned as methodology triangulation to validate findings. Both of these data collection methods were guided by two overarching questions: (1) why do you choose a UK university? and (2) what and how does being a UK university student make you feel? The six emergent constructs: (1) Egotism; (2) Self-concept; (3) Current security; (4) Future security; (5) Freedom and independence; and (6) Future opportunities, were then interpreted through the researcher's reflexive stances - personal and epistemic - to signify the insights of the three emergent themes: (1) Fulfilling their emotional needs for acceptance; (2) Satisfying their spiritual pleas for freedom and independence; and (3) Providing a promise for a greater self-worth. These six emergent constructs were embedded into the conceptual framework of this research - Consumer Decision Making model underpinned by Push/Pull Theory of Migration - resulting in a revised conceptual framework depicting Malaysian students' HE migration behaviour. This research contributes to academic knowledge, research methodology, practitioners and policy makers of HEIs - both in Malaysia and the UK. Suggestions for further research are longitudinal study, geographical extension study, comparison study and a study using this research's revised conceptual framework as the research model.

Background: Women partaking in businesses as entrepreneurs is a field getting increased attention in Palestine. Women’s underutilized economic potential along with entrepreneurial activity as a key driver behind economic progress, make the field of women entrepreneurship in Palestine a matter of importance. The agricultural sector is one of the larger for Palestinian women employment, which is why it might attract aspiring entrepreneurs. With investments from Palestinian authorities as well as NGOs, directed towards developing Palestinian women entrepreneurship, one could argue that the opportunities for women to become entrepreneurs exist. But what is the opinion of the women entrepreneurs themselves regarding existing possibilities and obstacles?Purpose of the study: To examine the process for women entrepreneurs of establishing and running micro companies in the agricultural sector on the West Bank in order to highlight the possibilities and obstacles that they experience.Methodological framework: The study had a qualitative approach in which we conducted semi-structured interviewes with eleven women entrepreneurs, active in agriculture.Conclusion: Our findings suggest that women enter entrepreneurship out of necessity as well as reasons more connected to self fulfilment and grasping at possibly profitable business opportunities. Previous experience in agriculture affected both the willingness to start a business and proved helpful for the entrepreneurial success. Notable challenges were found in marketing, legal matters and the physically tiring work. Most of our respondents did not concentrate on developing the support activities connected to their businesses, directing more of their attention towards primary activities. Our respondents also made use of networks, spanning from private connections to professional contacts.

China has been one of the most important markets for Abisko tourism. The significant growth of Chinese tourists raised academia interests in understanding what motivates them to this remote town. As little information has been documented about Chinese tourists' travel motivations to Abisko, this study attempts to identify the factors that influence Chinese tourists' choice of travel destination.  Based on the push-pull theoretical framework in tourism, the authors conducted qualitative research and created a model. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 12 Chinese tourists living both in Sweden and China. The problems were identified related to both psychological factors as "push factors" and destination factors as "pull factors". The analysis delineated 5 push factors (physical factors, emotional factors, cultural factors, interpersonal factors, and prestige factors) items and 7 (transportation, accommodation, food & beverage, recreation activities, natural environment, public safety, and technology) pull factors. The finding revealed what push and pull motives were the determinant factors of Chinese tourists in deciding to select Abisko as their destination choice. Discussion and suggestions were also made for the tourism industry of Abisko.