Using one subsidiary of one international consumer goods company as an example, the author shows the main challenges of HR Management and their consequences for business activities in Russia. This empirical study details HR practices at the Russian subsidiary of one international consumer goods manufacturer with headquarters in Western Europe (hereafter referred to as ABC Russia for confidentiality). The author spent a few weeks in Moscow with the task of 1) reviewing the recruitment market and establishing trends with regard to the availability of candidates, salary movements and turnover of employees; and 2) making recommendations on how ABC Russia should proceed based on the findings. It was a great opportunity to observe ABC Russia employees and partly participate in their daily business; have access to some internal information, especially to HR procedures and rules; talk to some employees and get their impressions on what it means for a well-known international company doing business in Russia. (author´s abstract) / Series: WU Online Papers in International Business Communication / Series One: Intercultural Communication and Language Learning

There is an ever increasing need to ‘Close the Gaps’ in higher education and increase college enrollment rates. Colleges have responded to this need through numerous recruitment efforts yet limited research exists on the successful components of model programs that have been established. This study explored components of College Connection, a nationally recognized recruitment initiative by Austin Community College. College Connection is geared toward increasing the college-going rate in central Texas by providing all high school seniors with the tools, support, and guidance to enroll in college. The research was conducted through a qualitative study of graduating high school seniors from two different high schools in central Texas. The study explored whether students were participating in the four ‘required’ components of College Connection, and if so, were the ‘optional’ and ‘recommended’ support services at each of the high schools being utilized. It was also important to examine which of the student support services offered on the high school campuses were most helpful according to students. Factors that students perceived were preventing them from participating in enrollment activities were also explored. Additionally, themes and recruitment strategies that emerged from the qualitative interviews were collected and used as suggestions to refine current practice. Background data on the participation rates, success, and retention of students who had participated in College Connection showed enormous progress in central Texas. This study, however, reaffirmed the idea that “students don’t do optional,” and it was essential to have students in all high schools participate in all of the enrollment steps. None of the participating students in this study attended any of the ‘optional’ evening or Saturday events held on their high school campus. The study went on to reveal that even the ‘required’ enrollment components at one of the high schools were not being required of all high school seniors. This prevented many graduating high school seniors from participating in enrollment activities and gathering college information as was intended. Furthermore, both high schools elected not to schedule any of the optional or recommended components the college had offered such as registration support, teleconferencing or campus tours. This study overall found that students who did participate in the required enrollment activities found the college support services to be extremely “helpful and informative.” It also became evident that the recruitment efforts at both high schools had begun to establish a college-going culture where students were familiar with college enrollment steps and terminology, and all but one student mentioned they would be pursuing higher education after high school graduation. / text

My dissertation focuses on the effect of several variables on two key forms of political participation -- voting and candidacy. First, I examine how voter turnout is impacted by differences in the intensity of political beliefs across the electorate and the resulting impact on candidate issue choice. Next, I examine the role of term limits and political party recruitment policies in determining the quality of the political class. Finally, I examine the impact of term limits at the lower rungs of the political ladder on the quality of individuals seeking higher office. In Chapter 2, I present a modified version of Downs’ spatial model to analyze the effect on candidates’ policy choices when there is a positive relationship between political extremism and conviction. I assume that alienation and lack of conviction affect voter turnout negatively. I find that the positive relationship between political extremism and conviction leads candidates away from the center and describe the conditions under which segments of the electorate will abstain in equilibrium. Incorporating candidate asymmetry through differences in valence and campaign finances resulted in the strategy of the disadvantaged candidate being unrestricted. Meanwhile, the advantaged candidate can afford to be more centrist or extremist than his opponent in order to win the election. In Chapter 3, I present a multi-period model analyzing the impact of political party recruitment and retention policies and the implementation of term limits on the quality of individuals seeking a career in politics. Candidates differ in political skill and their political skill directly affects the provision of a public good. Term limits lead to a restructuring of the timing of rewards for political careers. I find that term limits increase the probability of entry of those of lesser quality. Under certain conditions, term limits reduce the expected ability of those entering the political arena, as those of higher ability are more adversely affected by the restructuring of rewards. In Chapter 4, I explore the extent to which term limits alter the average quality of office-seekers for higher-level political positions. In addition, I determine whether improvement in quality in upper level political positions comes at the expense of lower level positions. The results suggest that term limits on lower level elected offices reduce the expected political skill of officeholders at this level. Under limited circumstances, term limits will also reduce the expected political skill of those seeking upper level political positions. Under most conditions, term limitation at lower level offices lead to an improvement in the quality of elected officials in upper level offices. / text

Proper distribution of blood flow in the microcirculation is necessary to match changing oxygen demands in various tissues. How this coordination of perfusion and consumption occurs in heterogeneous microvascular networks remains incompletely understood. Theoretical models are powerful tools that can help bridge this knowledge gap by simulating a range of conditions difficult to obtain experimentally. Here, an algorithm is first developed to estimate blood flow rates in large microvascular networks. Then, a theoretical model is presented for metabolic blood flow regulation in a realistic heterogeneous network structure, derived from experimental results from hamster cremaster muscle in control and dilated states. The model is based on modulation of arteriolar diameters according to the length-tension characteristics of vascular smooth muscle. Responses of smooth muscle cell tone to myogenic, shear-dependent, and metabolic stimuli are included. Blood flow is simulated including unequal hematocrit partition at diverging vessel bifurcations. Convective and diffusive oxygen transport in the network is simulated, and oxygen-dependent metabolic signals are assumed to be conducted upstream from distal vessels to arterioles. Simulations are carried out over a range of tissue oxygen demand. With increasing demand, arterioles dilate, blood flow increases, and the numbers of flowing arterioles and capillaries, as defined by red-blood-cell flux above a small threshold value, increase. Unequal hematocrit partition at diverging bifurcations contributes to capillary recruitment and enhances tissue oxygenation. The results imply that microvessel recruitment can occur as a consequence of local control of arteriolar tone. The effectiveness of red-blood-cell-dependent and independent mechanisms for the metabolic response of local blood flow regulation is examined over a range of tissue oxygen demands. Model results suggest that although a red-blood-cell-independent mechanism is most effective in increasing flow and preventing hypoxia, the addition of a red-blood-cell-dependent mechanism leads to a higher median tissue oxygen level, indicating distinct roles for the two mechanisms. In summary, flow rates in large microvessel networks can be estimated with the proposed algorithm, and the theoretical model for flow regulation predicts a mechanism for capillary recruitment, as well as roles for red-blood-cell-dependent and independent mechanisms in the metabolic regulation of blood flow in heterogeneous microvascular networks.

Dispersal influences the genetic and social composition of populations, yet it has been difficult to understand the mechanisms underlying dispersal and this limits our ability to understand how dispersal may be influencing population dynamics. Behavioral traits, such as aggression, have been implicated as drivers of both dispersal and population dynamics. However, the influence on both has never been addressed in a single system. Western bluebirds (Sialia mexicana) provide an excellent opportunity to address this question, as their dispersal propensity is dependent upon aggressive phenotype and we have detailed observations over a period of more than a decade. I show that natal dispersal is influenced by an interaction between father and son aggressive phenotypes, in addition to available resources on the natal territory. Furthermore, population density is influenced by resource availability and an interaction between population aggression and recruitment of offspring as breeders. Males that breed for multiple seasons once the population has reached saturation recruit a higher proportion of offspring into the population, as do males that are nonaggressive. Males that are nonaggressive are more likely to breed for multiple seasons, which suggests an added cost to aggressive behavior in this species. Both aggressive behavior and the availability of resources are mechanisms influencing dispersal of individuals that manifest at the population scale.

In 2000, contributors to the formulation of the National Plan for Training Personnel to Serve Children with Blindness and Low Vision anticipated a severe shortage of direct service personnel as early as 2006 with an increasing negative impact on teacher numbers through the end of the decade. It is necessary to attract approximately 5,000 new teachers to the field to meet the needs of the ever-increasing population of students with visual impairments requiring specialized training.This study investigated the personality and background experiences of individuals who are attracted to work as educators with students with visual impairments. A sample of 132 teachers who had been trained at either the undergraduate or graduate level and were employed within their first five years as teachers with this specialization completed the Holland Self-Directed Search (Form CP) and a Participant Profile form to ascertain the personality types and experiences of those new to the field.The study considered three variables: (1) gender, (2) race/ethnicity, (3) teacher training level and their association with Holland personality type (RIASEC). All three variables were weak predictors of the personality type of teachers of the visually impaired as indicated by Goodman and Kruskal's tau. Results of the Holland Self-Directed Search was a stronger measure of the personality type associated with becoming a teacher of students with visual impairments. The data related to the sample revealed that 65.2% of those responding identified themselves as Social type.Teachers identified how they became aware of the field prior to making a decision to enter a teacher-training program, what their reasons were for making a decision to enter a training program to become a teacher of students with visual impairments, and which areas of their teaching experience differed from what they had expected prior to employment in the field. Limitations of the study, implications of the results for recruitment and retention of teachers of students with visual impairments, and recommendations for future research are provided.

Known to be one of the most important resources, but also one of the most difficult ones to obtain, the workforce constitutes (consistence) the core of any organization. To find the right person for a particular position is not a trivial task. The recruitment of new staff members is important for any organization in general, but for treating organizations in particular. In order to provide the best service for its clients, it is, for a treating organization, vital to recruit nothing but highly qualified personnel. A well educated workforce can more easily stick to the treatment program and thus maintain treatment integrity. The purpose of this study is to examine how the recruitment process is executed by three treating organizations situated in the municipality of Örebro. Moreover the purpose is to evaluate the process in terms of strengths and weaknesses with the objective of pinpointing parts in the recruitment process in need of improvment. A theoretical framework capturing definitions and theories; treatment conditions, organization theory and the recruitment process. In order to answer the research questions, according to the study’s purpose, a qualitative method was adopted. The data sample ecompassed six personers: two managers and four group officers. The results in brief: The recruitment process of “Ungdoms- och familjeenheten” (the study’s delimit of treating organizations) in the municipality of Örebro has strengths as well as weaknesses. The major strength is the recruiter’s unanimous understanding for the importance of hiring a workforce holding a suitable education fulfilling all requirements. The major weakness is the recruitment process’s lack of a common structure (also read as action plan or policy). This might be due to the fact that recruiters rely on previous experiences.

ABSTRACT Title: The defend of the picture – a comparison of recruitment advertisements from the Swedish Armed Forces / Bilden av försvaret– en jämförande studie av Försvarsmaktens rekryteringsannonser Number of pages: 35 Author: Greta Simonsson Tutor: Mats Lind Course: Media and Communication Studies C Period: Autumn Semester 2007 University: Division of Media and Communication, Department of Information Science, Uppsala University Aim: Do the messages in the recruitment advertisements from the Swedish Armed Forces differ between such advertisements produced in the “defense against invasion” era and those produced in the present, more internationally oriented era, when analyzed using semiotics? And, how are these advertisements understood by their receivers? Material and method: Interviews, a focus group and semiotic analysis. Main results: The messages in the recruitment advertisements have changed. In line with the changed focus of the Swedish Armed Forces to more international cooperation and missions, the present day advertisements do indeed have a more international and aggressive focus. Keywords: Swedish Armed Forces, information, recruitment, advertisements, semeiotics.

Följande studie har till syfte att undersöka hur lärarrekryteringsarbetet på kommunala och fristående gymnasieskolor i en mellanstor kommun i södra Sverige går till. Skillnader och likheter vid rekrytering av lärare mellan de olika skolorna har undersökts. De psykologiska aspekterna (intelligens/begåvning, personlighet och kompetens) knutna till urval har behandlats i denna uppsats för att undersöka om dessa aspekter väger in i beslutet om anställning. Sex rektorer från sex olika gymnasieskolor (tre kommunala och tre fristående skolor) i en mellanstor kommun i södra Sverige har intervjuats. Resultatet av intervjuerna har sammanfattats, diskuterats och analyserats utifrån tidigare forskning och teorier. De aspekter som diskuterats i studien är rekryteringsarbetet på de olika skolorna, felrekryteringar, anställningsförlopp, lärarkompetens och egenskaper, användandet av personlighets- och intelligenstest samt lärarbehörighet. De slutsatser författarna kommit fram till är att det råder likhet mellan de olika skolorna när det handlar om hur rekryteringsarbetet ser ut. Dock finns vissa skillnader i vilka som är med vid anställningsintervjun på skolorna och vilka sökande som har företräde till en ledig lärartjänst. Alla skolor strävar efter att ha behöriga lärare i de undervisande ämnena. Inga av skolorna använder sig av begåvningstest eller personlighetstestning vid rekryteringsarbete, istället används intervjuer frekvent. / The purpose of this study is to examine the recruitment procedure of teachers on municipal and independent comprehensive upper secondary schools in a medium-sized municipality in southern Sweden. The problems that compose the foundation of the study are how recruitment of upper secondary schools teachers is being carried out. Differences and resemblances in the recruitment process between the different type of schools was studied. The psychological aspects (intelligence/aptitude, personality and competence) tied to selections has been treated in this essay in order to examine if these aspects are important for the decision about employment. Six headmasters from six different comprehensive upper secondary schools (three municipal and three independent schools) in a medium-sized municipality in southern Sweden was interviewed. The result of the interviews has been summarized, discussed and analyzed from earlier research and theories. The aspects that have been discussed are recruitment procedures on the different schools, wrong recruitments, employment course, teacher competences and other competences, the use of personality - and intelligence tests and teacher qualifications. The analysis and discussion of this study point out that there is resemblance between the different schools concerning the recruitment procedure. Differences between the schools are: who is present during the employment interview at the schools and which applicants have precedence to a vacant teaching position. All schools strive to have authorized teachers in the teaching subjects. None of the schools used intelligence/aptitude- or personality tests during the recruitment procedure. Instead they used interviews frequently.

Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att förklara hur revisionsbyråers storlek påverkar kravprofiler vid rekrytering. Metod: För att få fram resultat för den empiriska analysen har ett positivistiskt synsätt, en deduktiv ansats och en kvantitativ metod använts. Teoretiskt perspektiv: Studien har använt sig utav tidigare teori som rör ämnet. Teorikapitlet innehåller information om kravprofil och byråstorlek. Empiri: Studiens empiriska material är baserad på en enkätundersökning som genomfördes på byråernas personal- och rekryteringsansvariga. Svaren av enkäten sammanställdes med hjälp av det statistiska programmet SPSS. Resultat: Analysen visade att det inte finns några skillnader mellan större och mindre byråers kravprofiler. / Purpose: The aim of this study is to explain how audit firm size affects the recruitment profile. Methodology: To obtain results for the empirical analysis, a positivistic view, deductive approach and a quantitative method was applied. Theoretical perspective: The study has used previous theory related to the subject. The theory chapter contains information about requirement profile and firm size. Empirical foundation: Study's empirical material is based on a survey conducted on the firm’s personnel and recruiting managers. The answers of the survey were consolidated using the statistical program SPSS. Conclusion: The analysis showed that there are no differences in requirement profiles between large and small firms.