Raw material of high quality and in sufficient quantities is of great importance to manufacturing companies. However, the availability of such raw material is often uncertain. One such important raw material is cereals because the consumption of food products containing cereals is very common. The company in this case study is a manufacturing company in the food industry that purchases cereals from external suppliers. The suppliers are required to deliver cereals that meet posed quality standards and also to deliver cereals in sufficient quantities at the right time in order not to affect the product quality during the manufacturing phase and in order not to cause unnecessary production delays. However, under the current purchasing strategy, the company encounters difficulties in meeting production demand due to shortages of the supplied cereals. Therefore, it is of interest to investigate and map the reasons for such shortcoming of the current purchasing strategy. Furthermore, since suppliers are essential for the success of an organisation, the need to develop and apply a serious vendor rating strategy, particularly with respect to the ability to deliver cereals of the right quality and quantity, has arisen. The objectives of the master thesis are to investigate why the cereal supplies do not meet the production demand under the current purchasing strategies and also to achieve mitigation of the effects that cereal supply variations have on the production process. Thus, to meet these objectives, the following two research questions are examined in this master thesis: “Why do not the cereal supplies meet production demand under the current purchasing strategies?” “Which vendor rating strategies can companies use to mitigate the effects of cereal supply variations?” The master thesis is delimited to the cereals buckwheat flour, corn flour, rice flour, sorghum flour and teff flour. Furthermore, the master thesis includes the stage vendor rating and follow up in the purchasing process of cereals. A literature review, an examination of historical data, interviews, and a focus group with employees included in the purchasing process of cereal are conducted. The purchasing process of cereals at the case study company includes the stages specification, supplier selection, contract agreement, ordering, delivery expediting, arrival control, monitoring of best before date, vendor rating, and follow up. The found reasons why the cereal supplies could not meet production demand under the current purchasing strategies are: Variations in supply and demand. The production demand fluctuates and can therefore be difficult to meet depending on the available cereal supplies.  The available choice of suppliers. The case study company face difficulties in finding suppliers that can meet the requirements.  Supplier problems. The supplier problems include late deliveries, and also that received orders do not meet the specification. The flow of information. The suppliers do not inform the company about problems with orders, making it more difficult for the company to prevent supply disruptions. The accuracy of the forecasts sent to the suppliers is low, making it difficult for the suppliers to prepare sufficient quantities of cereals.  Transportation issues. The transportation companies deliver orders too late, which cause production delays.  The vendor rating strategies that companies can use to mitigate the effects of cereal supply variations are based on a three-stage model for vendor rating, including the design, implementation and use of the vendor rating system. Companies need to adjust the vendor rating system to suit their specific business. The recommendations to the case study company consist of the additional activities that the case study company should conduct in order to follow the three-stage model for vendor rating.

This diploma thesis deals with inventory management during company transition Sanmina-SCI Česká republika s. r. o. to new information systems. First are explained the basic and specialized concepts of logistics, information systems and introduces related issues to the reader. Other parts of the thesis deal with analysis and suggestions for possible solutions to streamline planning of the purchase of material elements.

Ridsporten är en av de största sporterna i Sverige och domineras av en modeintresserad målgrupp, då majoriteten av utövarna är kvinnor. Två centrala produkter inom ridsporten är ridbyxor och hästtäcken, och är en stor del av konsumenternas inköp. Det används stora mängder av textilier inom ridsporten vilket i sin tur påverkar textilbranschens hållbarhets-utmaningar. Denna studie är avsedd att bidra till forskning angående hållbarhet av textilier inom ridsporten. Målet med studien är därför att undersöka ridsportens konsumenters köpprocess i relation till hållbarhet. Denna kvalitativa studie har genomförts med femton intervjuer, med fokus på inköp av hästtäcken och ridbyxor. Empirin har sedan analyserats med köpprocessen som analysverktyg, samt ytterligare faktorer som har inverkan på konsumtionen och därmed även på köpbeteendet och köpprocessen. Analysen visar ett flertal faktorer i ridsportens konsumenters köpprocess, som beskriver tillvägagångssätten vid inköp av ridbyxor och hästtäcken. När det kommer till hållbarhetens roll i köpprocessen går den endast att finna i två av fem delar. Som ett resultat av denna analys anser informanterna att det är svårt att hitta tillräckligt med information om hållbara inköp, i relation till hästtäcken och ridbyxor. Informanterna tycker att det finns en brist av miljömässigt hållbara produkter på marknaden. De menar att företag inom ridsporten som producerar och säljer textila produkter behöver bli mer informativa gällande deras hållbarhetsarbete. Detta för att skapa en efterfrågan hos konsumenter. Syftet med studien har varit att skapa kunskap om konsumenters val av miljömässigt hållbara textila produkter inom ridsporten. Resultatet av denna studie visar en brist på miljömässig hållbarhet inom ridsporttextilier. / Equestrian is one of the largest sports in Sweden and is dominated by a target group of people who are often interested in fashion given the majority of this group is female. Two key products in equestrian are riding pants and horse blankets, which contribute as a major part of consumer purchases. There are large volumes of textiles used in the equestrian industry for different products, which create a challenge for sustainability. This study is intended to contribute as research relating to the sustainability of textiles within equestrian. Moreover, the study investigates the purchasing process of consumers in equestrian in relation to sustainability. The qualitative data has been collected by undertaking fifteen interviews, focusing on the purchasing of horse blankets and riding pants. The results have been analysed using the purchasing process as a framework, as well as focusing on additional factors which have an impact on consumption, and in turn on purchasing behaviour and the purchasing process.The analysis outlines some key factors in the equestrian consumers’ purchasing process, which help outline the procedures for purchasing riding pants and horse blankets. When it comes to the role of sustainability, it can only be found in two out of five parts of the purchasing process. As a result of the analysis, the interviewees believe that it is difficult to find enough information regarding sustainable purchases of horse blankets and riding pants. Moreover, there is a belief that there is a shortage of environmentally sustainable products in the market. The interviewees also believe that companies within the equestrian industry that produce and sell textile products need to be more informative about the sustainability of their products. This is to create a demand among consumers for sustainable products. The aim of the study has been to create an understanding of consumers’ choice of environmentally sustainable products within equestrian. Overall, the result of the study shows that there is a lack of environmentally sustainable textile products within the equestrian industry.

Purchases account for a large proportion of companies’ turnover. It has therefore long been an important factor to work efficiently with purchasing to achieve increased profitability in companies. Because of the importance of efficient purchasing, the interest in the purchasing process has increased. The existing research, on the other hand, is primarily aimed at how large companies can achieve competitiveness from the purchasing process. Thus, there is limited research on how small companies can efficiently manage their purchasing process. The study has been carried out with a case study at a small manufacturing company with the aim of investigate and recommend how small manufacturing companies can manage their purchasing process in an efficient way. The case study has used a deductive approach where the work began with the collection of existing theory linked to the purpose of the study. Based on the existing theory, the interview questions have been designed to investigate how the purchasing process can look at small manufacturing companies. These interviews laid the foundation for the study's empirical material.   A comparison between the theoretical framework and empirical data has identified important factors for an efficient purchasing process in small manufacturing companies. This is presented in a recommendation model. Generally, it is significant that every step of the purchasing process gets enough focus because all the steps are based on each other.  To forget about parts of the purchasing process will negatively affect the efficiency. It is also important to have durability in mind when performing these steps. Using tools from the Lean philosophy can also help small manufacturing companies to streamline the purchasing process. The tools that the study has found useful have been to eliminate waste and to make use of continuous improvements and respect for people. / Inköp står för en stor andel av företags omsättning. Det har därför länge varit en viktig faktor att arbeta effektivt med inköp för att uppnå en ökad lönsamhet i företag. Beroende på vikten av effektivt inköp har intresset för inköpsprocessen ökat. Den befintliga forskningen är däremot främst riktad till hur stora företag kan uppnå konkurrenskraft från inköpsprocessen. Därmed finns en begränsad forskning hur små företag på ett effektivt sätt kan hantera sin inköpsprocess. Studien har genomförts med en fallstudie på ett tillverkande företag med syftet att undersöka samt ge en rekommendation hur små tillverkande företag kan hantera sin inköpsprocess på ett effektivt sätt. Fallstudien har använt sig av en deduktiv ansats där arbetet började med insamling av befintlig teori knuten till studiens syfte. Baserat på den befintliga teorin har sedan intervjufrågor utformats för att undersöka hur inköpsprocessen kan se ut på små tillverkande företag. Dessa intervjuer lade grunden till studiens empiriska material.   Genom en jämförelse mellan den teoretiska referensramen och empiri har viktiga faktorer för en effektiv inköpsprocess i små tillverkande företag identifierats. Detta presenteras i en rekommendationsmodell. Generellt är det betydande att varje steg inom inköpsprocessen får tillräckligt med fokus eftersom alla stegen bygger på varandra. Att glömma bort delar av inköpsprocessen kommer påverka effektiviteten negativt. Det är även viktigt att hållbarhet i åtanke vid utförande av dessa steg. Att använda sig av verktyg från Lean-filosofin kan även hjälpa små tillverkande företag att effektivisera inköpsprocessen. Verktygen som studien har funnit användbara har varit att eliminera slöseri samt att använda sig av ständiga förbättringar och respekt för människan.

Abstract Title: What motivates Swedish Millennials’ choices when buying wine?  Level: Bachelor thesis in Business Administration, final assignment.  Authors: Richard Tarschis and Dag Ehlin  Supervisor: Jonas Kågström  Date: 2018 – January  Aim: The purpose of this work is to analyze which driving forces affect the Swedish Millennials’ choices in the purchasing process of wine.  Method: We used a quantitative research method in the form of a web-based survey that was sent out via Facebook and email with a total of 254 respondents. These data were then analyzed in the SPSS statistical software through cluster analysis, factor analysis and correlation analysis. The selection was aimed at Swedish men and women from Generation Y.  Results & Conclusion: The results showed that the two most important driving forces were the emotional aspect as well as Word of Mouth. We also found that hedonism is a driving force for buying wine in general rather than for buying a specific wine.  Contribution of the thesis: The study contributes to an understanding of what driving forces are the basis for purchasing decisions of a particular wine for the younger part of Swedish Generation Y. For marketers, this means knowledge about which marketing strategies they should use to reach the target group in question.  Suggestions for future research: Future research should focus on replicating the study with a representative sample, a selection that is evenly distributed between all ages of the generation. It would also be interesting to replicate the study in neighboring countries such as Norway and Finland.  Key Words: Consumer behavior, motivational factors, purchasing process, wine consumption, Millennials, Sweden.

Kräsnare kunder, snabbare modeväxlingar och billigt mode. I modeindustris globala klimatstår modeföretagen inför större konkurrens och tvingas agera snabbt för att kunna gekunderna det bästa erbjudandet. Inköpsstrategier har blivit allt viktigare för att kunnakonkurrera om pris, kvalitet och tillgänglighet vilket har resulterat i inköp mot internationellamarknader. I samband med produktion i billigare länder har konsumenternas krav på socialtansvarstagade ökat vilket gjort att det för företagen blivit allt viktigare att styra sina inköp moträtt marknad och rätt leverantörer. Många svenska modeföretag gör inköp från Kina ochdärför är syftet med denna studie att med Lindex som fallföretag skapa en förståelse för hurett svenskt modeföretag använder sig av ett produktionskontor och vad det har föransvarsområden i inköpsprocessen vid inköp från Kina. Syftet är även att skapa enuppfattning om produktionskontorets syn på leverantörsrelationer och vilka förutsättningarnaär för att modeföretaget ska kunna arbeta med socialt ansvarstagande i leverantörsledet.Studien har en kvalitativ undersökningsdesign då syftet är att skapa ett djup inom det valdaområdet vilket även var anledningen till att problemet applicerades på ett fallföretag. Studiensempiriska material bygger på tolv semistrukturerade intervjuer med anställda på fallföretagetsamt två observationer av fallföretagets leverantörer. Detta gjordes för att kunna skapa endjupare förståelse inom områdena Lindex inköpsprocess, leverantörsrelationer och socialtansvarstagande. Det fält som undersöktes var fallföretagets huvudkontor i Göteborg,produktionskontoret i Hongkong samt CSR-avdelningen i Shanghai. Studien påvisade attproduktionskontorets ansvarsområden berörde faktorer som pris, kvalitet, ledtider ochkapacitetsplanering. Genom resultaten som fallföretaget Lindex genererade kunde slutsatsendras att ett produktionskontor skulle kunna vara en användbar inköpsstrategi för ett svensktmodeföretaget då det för studiens fallföretag innebar lösningar till kritiska faktorer som pris,kvalitet, ledtid och kapacitetsplanering. Det har blivit allt viktigare att ha godaleverantörsrelationer i modebranschen och studien tyder på att fallföretaget värderadeleverantörsrelationer då tillit, engagemang och samarbete var nyckeln till att lyckas medovanstående faktorer. Förutsättningen för att ett modeföretag skulle kunna arbeta med socialtansvarstagande var att leverantören hade en förståelse för vad syftet med uppförandekodenvar, att företagets personal var väl utbildad och uppdaterad inom området för att i sin turkunna inspirera leverantörerna samt att det kontinuerligt gjordes leverantörsinspektioner somockså följdes upp. Studiens resultat kan inte generaliseras på alla svenska modeföretag dåfenomenet undersökts genom fallföretaget Lindex men studien är ändå relevant ochanvändbar för svenska modeföretag med liknande omständigheter att ta del av.Due to more selective customers, shorter fashion trend cycles and cheaper fashion, in today'sglobal fashion industry companies face stiffer competition and they are forced to act faster toanswer customer demands. As such, purchasing strategies play a crucial role when it comes tocompetition in price, quality and availability of products, which in turn has forced fashioncompanies to introduce a buying strategy focused on the international market. As a result ofcompanies moving into cheaper production countries the demands on social responsibility hasincreased. This has pushed companies to drive their buying strategy toward the correct marketand supplier. Many Swedish fashion companies have decided to purchase from China andtherefore the purpose of this study with Lindex as the company in focus is to form anunderstanding of how a Swedish fashion company utilizes their production office and what itsresponsibilities are in the buying process when sourcing from the Chinese market. In addition,the authors want to describe what the view of the production office is in relation to supplierrelationships in the buying process and what circumstances are necessary for the fashioncompany to be able to influence social responsibility in the supply chain. The thesis has aqualitative research design since the purpose was to create a deeper understanding of theresearch topic, which also was the reason for the authors to study the problem through a casecompany. The empirical material is conducted by twelve semi-structured interviews withsome of the case company’s employees and two observations of the case company’ssuppliers. The purpose was to create a deeper understanding in the areas of Lindex’s buyingprocess, supplier relations and social responsibility and therefore the field study was carriedout at the case company’s head quarter in Gothenburg, its production office in Hong Kongand its CSR department in Shanghai. The result of the study showed that the productionoffice’s areas of responsibility involved factors such as price, quality, lead-time and capacityplanning. Through the results that the company in focus generated the conclusion that couldbe drawn is that the strategy of establishing a production office could be useful for a Swedishfashion company in terms of better prices, higher product quality, shorter lead time as well assetting the production capacity. It has become more important to build good relationships inthe fashion industry and the study has found that Lindex highly values their supplierrelationships. Factors such as trust, engagement and collaboration with the suppliers are thekey to succeed in addition to all of the factors mentioned above. To enable fashion companiesto work with social responsibility it is vital that the supplier understands the purpose of thecode of conduct and that the company’s employees are well educated within the subjectmatter to in turn be able to influence the suppliers. It is equally important that inspections aremade on a continuous basis with the necessary follow-up carried out. The result of this thesiscannot be generalized for all Swedish fashion companies since the problem has beeninvestigated through a case company, but the study is nevertheless highly relevant and usefulfor other Swedish fashion companies under the same circumstances to take note of. / Program: Textilekonomutbildningen

Companies operate in a changing world with rapid technological development. Automation of the purchasing process in companies by means of electronic solutions is in line with this development. Companies constantly demand new concepts and electronic solutions in or-der to make the purchasing process more efficient, known as E-procurement management. This concept has become widespread in the automotive industry owing to that a car is a system product that on average consists of 20 000 parts, and consequently many transac-tions when purchasing these products. However, to be able to automate the purchasing process the company has to explore and analyze what new technology solutions there are. With regard to this, the study will focus to analyze how a purchasing process in the auto-motive industry can be automated. The authors have chosen to look deeper into three dif-ferent electronic solutions. Thereto the study will examine what impact a certain type of product and supplier has concerning electronic solution. Additionally, how the buyer-supplier relationship is affected of automation is a fundamental question when considering automation, and will therefore be discussed in the study. These questions will concern to study both the buyer’s and the supplier’s perspective. The purpose of this thesis is to analyse how a purchasing process can be automated in stra-tegic relationships in the automotive industry, thereto taking product and supplier type into consideration concerning electronic solutions. We will also study the possible effect on the buyer-supplier relationship of automation. A qualitative method has been employed, in or-der to get a more precise and deep knowledge of the subject. The authors have conducted interviews with respondents working at a large car manufacturing company in Sweden, and with three suppliers to this company. The study found that there are several areas in the purchasing process that still can be more efficient. Two technological drivers have been outlined as potential solutions: Covisint and web-EDI. Moreover, it is possible to conclude that an automation of a purchasing process will have an effect on the buyer-supplier relationship. The authors have drawn the conclusion that companies should not rush into things such as an automation. Much attention should be paid to the question what degree of an automation that can be allowed before it will have a negative effect on the relationship. Moreover, they should thoroughly study on what electronic solution is most suitable, thereto with consideration to what type of product and supplier one is dealing with. / Företag verkar i en omvärld med snabb teknisk utveckling. Ett led i denna utveckling är att automatisera inköpsprocessen med olika IT lösningar. Nya koncept och elektroniska lös-ningar efterfrågas konstant av företagen för att kunna uppnå mer effektivitet i inköpspro-cessen, känt som E-procurement management. Detta koncept har blivit allmänt utbrett i fordonsindustrin, vilket har sin orsak i att en bil är en system produkt med 20 000 be-ståndsdelar och där av många transaktioner vid inköp av dessa delar. För att kunna automa-tisera inköpsprocessen måste företaget undersöka och analysera vilka nya tekniska lösningar och vilka elektroniska hjälpmedel som finns. Med hänsyn till detta avser denna studie att fokusera på att analysera hur en inköpsprocess i fordonsindustrin kan automatiseras. För-fattarna har valt att titta närmare på tre olika elektroniska hjälpmedel. Därtill kommer stu-dien innehålla att analysera vilken inverkan en viss produkt och leverantörs typ har på val av elektroniska lösningar. En annan väsentlig fråga som också kommer att diksuteras är hur vid en automatisering av inköpsprocessen påverkar leverantörsrelationen. Dessa frågor kommer att innebära att studera både köparen´s och säljaren´s perspektiv. Syftet med denna uppsats är att analysera hur en inköpsprocess i strategiska relationer i bil-industrin kan automatiseras, med hänsyn tagen till vilken typ av produkt och leverantör be-träffande val elektroniska hjälpmedel. Vi kommer också studera den eventuella påverkan på kund - leverantör förhållandet som en automatisering kan leda till. För studien har en kva-litativ metod använts, detta för att få en mer precis och djupare kunskap i hur kund- leve-rantör relationen påverkas vid en automatisering. Författarna har genomfört intervjuer hos ett stort biltillverknings företag i Sverige, och med tre av deras leverantörer. Studien visade på att där finns ett flertal områden i inköpsprocessen som kan effektivieras. Två drivare har konstaterats som möjliga lösningar : Covisint och web-EDI. Vidare är det möjligt att dra slutsatsen att en automatisering av inköpsprocessen påverkar leverantörsrelationen. Författarna har dragit slutsatsen att företag inte bör rusa in i en automatisering, istället måste uppmärksamheten riktas till frågan om i vilken grad av automatisering som kan tillåtas utan att det får en negativ inverkan på relationen. Vidare bör företaget grundligt studera vilken elektronisk lösning som är mest passande, därtill med hänsyn till vilken typ av produkt och leverantör det handlar om.

<p>Companies operate in a changing world with rapid technological development. Automation of the purchasing process in companies by means of electronic solutions is in line with this development. Companies constantly demand new concepts and electronic solutions in or-der to make the purchasing process more efficient, known as E-procurement management. This concept has become widespread in the automotive industry owing to that a car is a system product that on average consists of 20 000 parts, and consequently many transac-tions when purchasing these products. However, to be able to automate the purchasing process the company has to explore and analyze what new technology solutions there are. With regard to this, the study will focus to analyze how a purchasing process in the auto-motive industry can be automated. The authors have chosen to look deeper into three dif-ferent electronic solutions. Thereto the study will examine what impact a certain type of product and supplier has concerning electronic solution. Additionally, how the buyer-supplier relationship is affected of automation is a fundamental question when considering automation, and will therefore be discussed in the study. These questions will concern to study both the buyer’s and the supplier’s perspective.</p><p>The purpose of this thesis is to analyse how a purchasing process can be automated in stra-tegic relationships in the automotive industry, thereto taking product and supplier type into consideration concerning electronic solutions. We will also study the possible effect on the buyer-supplier relationship of automation. A qualitative method has been employed, in or-der to get a more precise and deep knowledge of the subject. The authors have conducted interviews with respondents working at a large car manufacturing company in Sweden, and with three suppliers to this company.</p><p>The study found that there are several areas in the purchasing process that still can be more efficient. Two technological drivers have been outlined as potential solutions: Covisint and web-EDI. Moreover, it is possible to conclude that an automation of a purchasing process will have an effect on the buyer-supplier relationship. The authors have drawn the conclusion that companies should not rush into things such as an automation. Much attention should be paid to the question what degree of an automation that can be allowed before it will have a negative effect on the relationship. Moreover, they should thoroughly study on what electronic solution is most suitable, thereto with consideration to what type of product and supplier one is dealing with.</p> / <p>Företag verkar i en omvärld med snabb teknisk utveckling. Ett led i denna utveckling är att automatisera inköpsprocessen med olika IT lösningar. Nya koncept och elektroniska lös-ningar efterfrågas konstant av företagen för att kunna uppnå mer effektivitet i inköpspro-cessen, känt som E-procurement management. Detta koncept har blivit allmänt utbrett i fordonsindustrin, vilket har sin orsak i att en bil är en system produkt med 20 000 be-ståndsdelar och där av många transaktioner vid inköp av dessa delar. För att kunna automa-tisera inköpsprocessen måste företaget undersöka och analysera vilka nya tekniska lösningar och vilka elektroniska hjälpmedel som finns. Med hänsyn till detta avser denna studie att fokusera på att analysera hur en inköpsprocess i fordonsindustrin kan automatiseras. För-fattarna har valt att titta närmare på tre olika elektroniska hjälpmedel. Därtill kommer stu-dien innehålla att analysera vilken inverkan en viss produkt och leverantörs typ har på val av elektroniska lösningar. En annan väsentlig fråga som också kommer att diksuteras är hur vid en automatisering av inköpsprocessen påverkar leverantörsrelationen. Dessa frågor kommer att innebära att studera både köparen´s och säljaren´s perspektiv.</p><p>Syftet med denna uppsats är att analysera hur en inköpsprocess i strategiska relationer i bil-industrin kan automatiseras, med hänsyn tagen till vilken typ av produkt och leverantör be-träffande val elektroniska hjälpmedel. Vi kommer också studera den eventuella påverkan på kund - leverantör förhållandet som en automatisering kan leda till. För studien har en kva-litativ metod använts, detta för att få en mer precis och djupare kunskap i hur kund- leve-rantör relationen påverkas vid en automatisering. Författarna har genomfört intervjuer hos ett stort biltillverknings företag i Sverige, och med tre av deras leverantörer.</p><p>Studien visade på att där finns ett flertal områden i inköpsprocessen som kan effektivieras. Två drivare har konstaterats som möjliga lösningar : Covisint och web-EDI. Vidare är det möjligt att dra slutsatsen att en automatisering av inköpsprocessen påverkar leverantörsrelationen. Författarna har dragit slutsatsen att företag inte bör rusa in i en automatisering, istället måste uppmärksamheten riktas till frågan om i vilken grad av automatisering som kan tillåtas utan att det får en negativ inverkan på relationen. Vidare bör företaget grundligt studera vilken elektronisk lösning som är mest passande, därtill med hänsyn till vilken typ av produkt och leverantör det handlar om.</p>

A vivid democracy requires participation from those who live in it, including children. Unlike adults, children have special laws and regulations to ensure them their democratic rights. Librarians’ decision on what to buy makes an impact to someone else, which puts the librarian in a hegemonic position. Therefore, the purpose of this bachelor thesis is to, out of the child librarian’s perspective, view children’s participation at the public library in the matter of purchasing literature. The research questions examine the process of purchasing, how the children’s participation is apparent in it and also in the librarian’s work. The aim for this study is not to problematize the purpose nationwide, but simply to look into it in a smaller selection. Therefore the interviews have been limited to two and have been conducted with children’s librarians who operate in similar contexts. The results have been analyzed out of the theories concerning the librarian profession, the aspects of hegemony and participation using sense interpretation as an analysis. The results have shown that children’s participation is seen as important by the librarians but not always easy to implement. Also, they acknowledge the fact that publishing houses do have the power to decide what to release and not. As a link between politicians, the society and the publishers, the librarian is placed in an intermediate position which demands a great deal of competence. Furthermore, working on this study has shown that research on children’s participation from the children’s own perspective is needed.

Title: Conscious purchasing - Securing the purchasing process in the apparel industry Authors: Jakob Bank, Emma Sjödoff and Helena Zebergs Tutor: Roger Stokkedal Examiner: Helena Forslund Background: There has been several scandals within the apparel industry and due to this brand owners of apparel companies has started to offer their customers’ alternative products, which has been manufactured in a more conscious and sustainable way. The purchasing process has thereby become more complex including multiple criteria such as social and environmental considerations which have to be fulfilled by their suppliers. Purpose: To describe how Swedish brand owners of apparel companies select their supplier for their conscious collections, which sustainability policies they include in contracts with their selected suppliers and how they evaluate these suppliers in regard to the brand owners’ policy on sustainability. Method: This thesis was conducted using qualitative semi-structured interviews and a deductive approach. Several sampling methods was used which led to the involved companies who were interviewed through both structured as well as semi-structured interviews. Conclusion: Swedish brand owners of apparel companies select their suppliers based on how well they fulfil their demands, and if there is a possibility to establish a long term relationship. They include different sustainability policies in their contracts, but all suppliers need to approve the brand owners CoC as well as use organic cotton. The evaluation visits are conducted, but the evaluation responsible, how often it takes place and the duration of the visit depends on the brand owner.