The accurate modeling of travelers’ route choice decision making when faced with unreliable (risky) travel times is necessary for the assessment of policies aimed at improving travel time reliability. Two major objectives are studied in this thesis. The first objective is to evaluate the applicability of a process model to route choice under risk where the actual process of decision making is captured. Traditionally, we adopt “as-if” econometric models to predict people’s route choice decisions. The second objective is to investigate travelers’ capability to incorporate future real-time traffic information into their current route choice decision making. Two separate stated preference (SP) surveys were conducted for each objective. The first SP survey used an interactive map in a computer based test. The second SP survey used a full-scale high-fidelity driving simulator. Compared with econometric models, process models have been rarely investigated in travel decision making under risk. A process model aims to describe the actual decision making procedure and could potentially provide a better explanation to route choice behavior. A process model, Priority Heuristic (PH), developed by Brandstatter et al. (2006) is introduced to the travel choice context and its probabilistic version, Probabilistic Priority Heuristic (PPH), is developed and estimated in this study. With data collected from a stated preference (SP) survey which is based on an animated computer interface, one econometric model, Rank-Dependent Expected Utility (RDEU) model, and two other alternative models were compared with the PPH model in a cross validation test to investigate their data-fitting and predictive performance. Our results show that the PPH model outperforms the RDEU model in both data-fitting and predictive performance. This suggests that the process modeling paradigm could be a promising new area in travel behavior research. With the advance of information and telecommunication technology, real-time traffic information is increasingly more available to help travelers make informed route choice decisions when faced with unreliable travel times. A strategic route choice refers to a decision taking into account future diversion possibilities at downstream nodes based on real-time information not yet available at the time of decision-making. Based on the data collected from a driving simulator experiment and a matching PCbased experiment, a mixed Logit model with two latent classes, strategic and nonstrategic route choice, is specified and estimated. The estimates of the latent class probabilities show that a significant portion of route choice decisions are strategic and subjects can learn to make more strategic route choice as they have more experience with the decision scenarios. Non-parametric tests additionally show that network complexity adversely affects travelers’ strategic thinking ability in a driving simulator environment but not in a PC environment and a parallel driving task only affects strategic thinking ability in a difficult scenario but not a simple one. In addition, we find that people’s strategic thinking ability are influenced by their gender and driving experience (mileage) in the non-parametric analysis, but not in the modeling work. These findings suggest that a realistic route choice model with real-time traffic information should consider both strategic and non-strategic behavior, which vary with the characteristics of both the network and the driver.

In the last decades there has been an elevated interest in increasing process thinking in organisations, with the advantages of standardisation and efficiency connected to processes. A challenge with processes is how to document them in process models, and how to get employees to use these process models. At Clear Channel, an organisation providing surfaces for advertisement in urban environments, there is a need for a standardisation in process models to increase quality and cooperation between business units.The purpose of this degree project is to investigate how to increase the level of process maturity in an organisation by looking into process models and the platform where they are stored, with Clear Channel as an example, by answering the two questions: “What are some motivators that can increase the use of process models and what could decrease motivation to use process models?” and “What makes a process model be perceived as user friendly, accessible and useful?”. To answer these questions the Expectancy-Value Theory is used to operationalise motivation. Furthermore the Technology Acceptance Model and research about process model usability is used. The main study is performed with three focus groups with participants from Clear Channel Tech Europe, and the data is analysed using directed content analysis. Furthermore, a prototype of a process model was developed to use in the focus groups. Results showed that new employees could feel overwhelmed by the current process models by being too detailed. Participants argued that everyone wants to be seen and know that their work is contributing to something greater. Process models are one way to visualise this. Regarding perceived usefulness, participants believed a process model was useful when it was complete. Participants also believed the process model needs to be accessible to everyone. For process model usability, when viewing the process model prototype, the participants had a positive response to what was intuitive to use, for example the clickability and an easy indication of what objects were clickable. For platform usability two things were regarded as important, to have everything in one place, and that it is easy to find what you are looking for. If the process models, and the surrounding work practices, within the organisation follow the recommendations given in this degree project, they could help in increasing the process maturity in an organisation. / De senaste årtiondena har intresset för att höja processtänket i organisationer ökat, där fördelar som standardisering och effektivisering följer. En utmaning är dock hur processerna dokumenteras i processmodeller, och hur anställda kan engageras att använda de processmodeller som finns. På Clear Channel, ett företag som tillhandahåller ytor för reklam i stadsmiljöer, finns ett behov av standardisering av processmodeller för att förbättra kvalitet och samarbete mellan företagsdelar. Syftet med detta examensarbetet är att undersöka hur processmognaden i en organisation kan öka, genom att studera processmodeller och den plattform där de lagras. I arbetet används Clear Channel som exempel, och syftet uppfylls genom att söka svaret på dessa frågor: “Vad är några motiverande faktorer som kan öka användandet av processmodeller, och vad kan minska motivationen att använda processmodeller?” och “Vad gör att en processmodell uppfattas som användarvänlig, tillgänglig och användbar?”. För att besvara frågeställningarna används teorin om förväntningar och värde (Expectancy-Value Theory) för att operationalisera motivation. Vidare används en modell för teknisk acceptans (Technology Acceptance Model) och forskning om användarvänliga processmodeller. Huvudundersökningen genomförs med tre fokusgrupper med anställda på Clear Channel Tech Europe, och datan analyseras med riktad innehållsanalys. Dessutom utvecklades en prototyp av en processmodell för att användas i fokusgrupperna. Resultatet visade att nya anställda kan känna sig överväldigade av att de aktuella processmodellerna är för detaljerade. Vidare argumenterade deltagarna för att alla vill bli sedda och känna att ens arbete bidrar till något större, vilket kan synliggöras genom processmodeller. Angående uppfattad användbarhet ansåg deltagarna att processmodeller är användbara när de var fullständiga. Gällande process-användarvänlighet, vid användning av prototypen framtagen i rapporten, hade deltagarna en positiv respons till innehåll som var intuitivt att använda, till exempel klickbarhet och enkla indikatorer för vilka objekt som var klickbara. För plattformsanvändarvänlighet ansågs två saker vara viktiga, att ha allting på samma plats, och att det är lätt att hitta det som söks. Om processmodellerna, och de omgivande arbetssätten inom orginsationen följer rekommendationerna givna i detta examensarbete, kan processmognaden inom organisationen öka.

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As a result of the outbreak of Covid-19 in early 2020, the world was impacted at different levels, and the health and lifestyle of Chinese people were affected as a result. This was a serious challenge for the retail industry in China. Although many industries have resumed work since April 2020, the impact of the pandemic still remains, and retailers of all sizes are looking for a reasonable response to reduce their losses.This thesis uses a self-owned small coating retailer in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province, China, asthe case study, and obtains the information needed for modelling through interviews and documents. The modelling approaches chosen for this thesis include Business Model Canvas(BMC) and Business Process Model Notation (BPMN). These two modelling approaches provide an intuitive way to read the information for the study. The SWOT analysis was then used to analyze the effects of the measures taken by the retailer in both short- and long-termperiods. Combined with the firm modelling, this thesis summarizes the measures taken by the case retailer in both periods. In the short term, the case retailer further reduces its own logistics costs with the aid of flexible working hours. In the long term, the case retailer expanded its business horizontally, transforming its business model of selling a single product into a business model of bundled sales of products plus services. This business model weakened the impact of the pandemic on the supply chain in terms of piling up goods and reducing th ecustomer base.

<p>There are various dual process models of human cognition. While many models of cognitive control propose processes that are selected exclusively or in combination, a default-interventionist model of reasoning assumes that processing occurs in serial stages. System 1 processes are believed to recruit unconscious memory retrieval processes by default and precede System 2 processes (Evans & Stanovich, 2013; Kahneman, 2011). System 1 processes are also considered to be overly sensitive to the automatic influences of the environment and thereby also to various cognitive biases and errors; hence System 1 is inferior. On the other hand System 2, which represent conscious logic and normative reasoning processes, is not considered susceptible to such automatic influences and thereby capable of overriding errors made through System 1 reasoning; hence System 2 is superior. This default-interventionist model has become highly influential in theories about best practices in medical education (Croskerry, 2009; 2003; Klein, 2005; Redelmeier, 2005), and has encouraged a view that increased conscious processing and reflective thought will improve performance. Such a view is in stark contrast to models of human memory in psychology that suggest contextual or automatic influences of the environment are not only critical for learning, but also critical for adaptive processing and the development of expertise (Yonelinas, 2002; Larsen & Roediger, 2012). In this thesis I investigate and critique several assumptions of the default-interventionist model by testing the relationship between processing time, reflective thought, experience and accuracy. The results of two large studies do not support basic assumptions presented in the literature and instead demonstrate that experience and knowledge are better predictors of performance.</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Perturbations to the upper limb in aiming tasks act to force individuals to modify their movements using online control processes. Individuals are able to successfully counteract these mechanical and perceptual perturbations to accurately acquire a specific target goal. What is less well understood is how individuals self-initiate a change to their trajectory during obstacle avoidance. A series of two studies were conducted to better understand the effects of a visual perturbation when performing two-dimensional sliding aiming movements during a manual obstacle avoidance task when a second set of obstacles appeared unexpectedly along the preferred, optimal trajectory. On each trial, a planned obstacle appeared at 25%, 50% or 75% of the movement amplitude. On some trials, a second set of obstacles appeared early or late in the movement to force participants to make online corrections or adapt their preferred trajectory to successfully reach the specified target. Results revealed that the mere possibility of the unexpected second obstacles influenced the overall trajectory and movement kinematics (i.e., whether that second obstacles appeared or not). Despite performing the movement in the same amount of time, participants executed a more lateral avoidance trajectory and reached higher accelerations later and further into the movement. We suggest that this pattern of behaviour is indicative of an optimal movement strategy such that the potential for an online correction resulted in individuals planning for the worst-case scenario. The presentation of a case-study for an individual with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) provides insight into potential differences in obstacle avoidance tasks when compared to a matched control. Despite relative differences in execution behaviour, the individual with an ASD successfully completed the task. This provides potential support for the sparing of motor execution processes within this population. Taken together, we suggest that optimal movement strategies may be better defined on a more individual basis. That is, what is optimal for one population might not be optimal for another. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc) / It is well known that individuals are able to successfully aim to targets in environments that are both predictable and unpredictable. Additionally, these trajectories are successfully modified in the presence of an expected obstacle resulting in a change to the optimal movement to incorporate the location of the obstacle. What is less understood, however, is how individuals respond to the sudden onset of an obstacle along the optimal trajectory. This thesis characterizes these behaviours using a manual obstacle avoidance task wherein obstacles unexpectedly appear to obstruct the preferred movement pathway. The behavioural response to this perturbation is indicative of the performance of more cautious movements, adapted for the worst-case scenario. On average, individuals compromise between the biomechanical and computational demands of the task to execute wide trajectories that do not need to be updated during movement execution, a response that is potentially identified in an autism spectrum population.

Bereavement is painful at any time of life. For young children experiencing bereavement, grandmothers are often the first line of defense. Grandmothers are frequently called upon when their family members experience an out-of-order death, and while they are willing to provide care, grandmothers don't always know the best way forward. This qualitative study sought to learn more about the grief experiences of 22 grandmothers who had lost a family member prematurely through semi-structured interviews and Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. Findings suggest (a) grandmothers experience layered grief in that they grieve the loss of the family member, experience the pain of the surviving family members, and their own pain; (b) grandmothers experience invisible grief as their feelings are not often revealed to or recognized by their family members; (c) grandmothers experience confusion in knowing how to help and attend to their family members who are bereaved. These difficulties seem related to the family relationships, the connection to the person who died (their own child or an in-law child or grandchild), what they are grieving, and their ability to develop new roles and relationships during the bereavement period.

The global supply chain has been built on the material handling capabilities provided by the use of pallets and corrugated boxes. Current pallet design methodologies frequently underestimate the load carrying capacity of pallets by assuming they will only carry uniformly distributed, flexible payloads. But, by considering the effect of various payload characteristics and their interactions during the pallet design process, the structure of pallets can be optimized. This, in turn, will reduce the material consumption required to support the pallet industry. In order to understand the mechanical interactions between stacked boxes and pallet decks, and how these interactions affect the bending moment of pallets, a finite element model was developed and validated. The model developed was two-dimensional, nonlinear and implicitly dynamic. It allowed for evaluations of the effects of different payload configurations on the pallet bending response. The model accurately predicted the deflection of the pallet segment and the movement of the packages for each scenario simulated. The second phase of the study characterized the effects, significant factors, and interactions influencing load bridging on unit loads. It provided a clear understanding of the load bridging effect and how it can be successfully included during the unit load design process. It was concluded that pallet yield strength could be increased by over 60% when accounting for the load bridging effect. To provide a more efficient and cost-effective solution, a surrogate model was developed using a Gaussian Process regression. A detailed analysis of the payloads' effects on pallet deflection was conducted. Four factors were identified as generating significant influence: the number of columns in the unit load, the height of the payload, the friction coefficient of the payload's contact with the pallet deck, and the contact friction between the packages. Additionally, it was identified that complex interactions exist between these significant factors, so they must always be considered. / Doctor of Philosophy / Pallets are a key element of an efficient global supply chain. Most products that are transported are commonly packaged in corrugated boxes and handled by stacking these boxes on pallets. Currently, pallet design methods do not take into consideration the product that is being carried, instead using generic flexible loads for the determination of the pallet's load carrying capacity. In practice, most pallets carry discrete loads, such as corrugated boxes. It has been proven that a pallet, when carrying certain types of packages, can have increased performance compared to the design's estimated load carrying capacity. This is caused by the load redistribution across the pallet deck through an effect known as load bridging. Being able to incorporate the load bridging effect on pallet performance during the design process can allow for the optimization of pallets for specific uses and the reduction in costs and in material consumption. Historically, this effect has been evaluated through physical testing, but that is a slow and cumbersome process that does not allow control of all of the variables for the development of a general model. This research study developed a computer simulation model of a simplified unit load to demonstrate and replicate the load bridging effect. Additionally, a surrogate model was developed in order to conduct a detailed analysis of the main factors and their interactions. These models provide pallet designers an efficient method to use to identify opportunities to modify the unit load's characteristics and improve pallet performance for specific conditions of use.