Due to the increasing economical significance of information services the thesis attempts to map possible payments models (revenue streams) and compile relevant selection criteria. First part is therefore dedicated to clarify the very basic terms, such as general and information service, followed by a description of web services as an implementation of their particular subset. This somewhat more technically and technologically oriented chapter covers standards as XML-RPC, SOAP, REST, WSDL and UDDI. Next part's goal is to explore the most important non-functional aspects of information services operation, including QoS and security, guaranteed by outlined SLA contracts. To meet these requirements, additional infrastructure components are needed, such as an identity management, monitoring, metering and accounting. Different pricing strategies, involving differentiation and bundling, are followed by an analysis of possible payment models themselves, divided to both revenue (transactional, subscription, register, licensing, one-time) and non-revenue (provider-supported, advertisement, freemium) based. Covered models are briefly described and their advantages and disadvantages proposed, as well as their infrastructure prerequisites and key metrics. The final chapter compiles relevant selection criteria and uses them to compare the chosen models, so that providers are given a guide when dealing with a service pricing.

本研究企圖從Rogers創新傳佈的觀點探討科技特質因子如何影響雜誌業採用新型態便利商店繳款單付費方式。研究採問卷調查法，有效問卷68份。統計分析結果發現：一、創新傳佈理論五項科技特質中相對利益、相容性、可觀察性因子與採用採用新型態便利商店繳款單付費方式之決策有關。二、決策階段之科技導入評估因子：選用程度、作業程度、補償程度與採用決策有關。三、科技特質因子與科技導入評估因子之間交互相關。四、不同雜誌組織對於便利商店付費方式有顯著不同差異。發行規模較小的公司(發行量低於一萬份或雜誌代理商)，反而願意投入掌握新市場。本研究建議未來可延伸以破壞性創新理論，繼續探討創新付費模式是否能使新進市場的媒介組織擁有優勢，對於未來數位內容、網路分類廣告等是否採用創新付費機制，都將具有啟發作用。 / The research uses Roger’s diffusion of innovation theory to explore how magazines adopt an alternative new payment method to sale magazines－using 7-11 chain stores barcode method. A total of 68 valid questionnaires were collected. The results support our hypotheses that the relationships exist between technology characteristics of the new payment method and the adoption; second, the organizational size and types of the magazine affect the adoption. The research suggests that future research consider using Christensen’s desruptive innovation theory to examine innovative payment models, especially in the area of digital contents and e- classified.

Over the past decade, the healthcare landscape has shifted for Ontario’s family physicians as government policies changed the availability of practice and compensation models. The most impacted population are early career family physicians. Given this changing healthcare environment, the factors that drive early career family physicians practice choices are unclear and not well-studied. Therefore, this thesis sought to answer the following research questions: 1. What factors shape family physician choice of practice and compensation models in Ontario? a. How do early career family physicians perceive the availability of practice and compensation models in Ontario? 2. From the perspective of Ontario family medicine residency administrators, how does residency influence family physician practice choices? This study was a part of a broader, cross-provincial study examining family medicine resident and early career family physician practice patterns in British Columbia, Nova Scotia, and Ontario. Nineteen early career physicians and 7 family medicine residency administrators were interviewed for their perceptions and understanding of the factors and policies affecting their (or in the case of administrators, residents’) career choices. In this thesis, I used thematic analysis as described by Braun and Clarke to answer the research questions. Patton and McMahon’s Systems Theory Framework (STF) provided a systems perspective that was used to model and assess the interactions between emergent themes. The factors that shaped family physician choice of practice and compensation models were divided into micro- and macro-level factors as described by the STF. Micro-level factors were ‘gender’, ‘health’, ‘interests’, and ‘world of work knowledge.’ Macro-level factors included ‘educational institutions’, ‘geographical location’, ‘historical trends’, ‘peers’, ‘family’, ‘community groups’, ‘workplace’, and ‘employment market.’ Finally, two additional factors were found: ‘flexibility’, and ‘financial considerations.’ The interaction between these factors was complex, where many linked themes gave rise to career decisions made by family physicians. A second perspective in the form of residency administrators helped develop a holistic description of these factors. Furthermore, a gap between physician training and practice opportunities after graduation was identified.

The continuous advances and prevalence of embedded systems, being systems consisting of both hardware and software put together, provides a great challenge for industrial companies. Due to the increasing need of complex products to meet the demands of customers, companies more often need to source software from external suppliers. Software has the characteristic of being a product which is difficult to specify as it has the ability to iteratively update itself according to the changing environment, making it hard to determine precisely what it will look like at the beginning of its development. As a result, traditional waterfall contracts, for which the intention is to set clear specifications early on, are often not suitable for developing systems including software. Therefore, the need for flexible contracts, called agile contracts, among industrial companies is emerging to support new technological applications. The purpose of this thesis was to examine what the main challenges are when implementing agile contracts in industrial companies who are purchasing embedded systems, and how these challenges can be mitigated or rectified. This was done by an empirical study in the form of interviews with various relevant actors. Firstly, employees from an industrial company looking to implement agile contracts within its procurement processes to support its embedded system purchases were interviewed. The respondents expressed their concerns and perceived challenges with introducing agile contracts to their business. Then, to answer the challenges interviews were conducted with people who were knowledgeable within the topic of agile contracts. Also, a benchmark, a literature review and a theoretical framework have been performed to analyse previous findings within this research area. This thesis identified nine main challenges being Risk Management, Payment Model, Time Aspect, Communication, Embedded Systems, IP-Rights, Supplier Management, Mindset & Knowledge and Future. Each of these challenges was answered separately, but it was found that some answers overlapped between different challenges. The most prevalent challenge was regarding communication, as a successful relationship built on sufficient collaboration and trust lays a foundation for all the other challenges to be managed more easily. Another recurrent theme was that all involved parties must understand precisely what an agile contract implies in order to make beneficial decisions to manage all the challenges. / De kontinuerliga framstegen för inbyggda system, som består av både hårdvara och mjukvara sammansatt innebär en stor utmaning för industriella företag. På grund av det ökade behovet av mjukvara för att möta kundernas efterfrågan behöver företag köpa in mjukvara från externa leverantörer. Mjukvara är svårt att specificera eftersom det har förmågan att iterativt uppdatera sig själv i enighet med den förändrade miljön. Detta gör det svårt att i ett tidigt skede av ett projekt fastställa exakt hur produkten ska vara utformad. På grund av detta är traditionella kontrakt, som ofta följer vattenfallsmodellen för vilken avsikten är att tidigt sätta tydliga kravspecifikationer, sällan lämpade för att köpa in inbyggda system. Därav uppstår behovet av agila kontrakt bland industriföretag för att stödja nya tekniska tillämpningar. Syftet med denna avhandling var att undersöka vilka de huvudsakliga utmaningarna är gällande att implementera agila kontrakt på ett industriföretag som köper in och utvecklar inbyggda system samt hur dessa utmaningar kan bemötas. Detta gjordes i form av en empirisk studie med relevanta aktörer, främst inom ett industriföretag som avser att implementera agila kontrakt i sin inköpsprocess för att effektivisera inköp av inbyggda system. Först intervjuades medarbetare som idag köper in inbyggda system. Dessa fick uttrycka sina tveksamheter och utmaningar kring att implementera agila kontrakt i sin inköpsprocess. Efter det utfördes mer strukturerade intervjuer med kunniga personer inom agila kontrakt med målet att hitta lösningar till de tidigare identifierade utmaningarna. Dessa intervjuer i kombination med en litteraturstudie, ett teoretiskt ramverk och en benchmark användes för att analysera och besvara de identifierade utmaningarna. Denna avhandling identifierade nio huvudsakliga utmaningar från de explorativa intervjuerna; Riskhantering, Betalningsmodell, Tidsaspekt, Kommunikation, Inbyggda System, IP-Rättigheter, Mentalitet & Kunskap samt Framtid. Dessa utmaningar har alla blivit besvarade separat men det fastställdes tidigt att de finns tydliga överlappningar mellan utmaningarna. Den vanligaste överlappningen var angående kommunikation då en framgångsrik relation byggd på samarbete och förtroende lägger grunden för att alla andra utmaningar lättare ska kunna bemötas och lösas. Ytterligare ett återkommande tema var att alla parter måste förstå exakt vad ett agilt kontrakt innebär och hur det fungerar för att kunna fatta rätt beslut och hantera övriga utmaningar.