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<p>The purpose of this thesis is to, from an institutional approach, study how the Stockholm importers within the textile sector adapted their foreign trade to the change in economic policy 1720 through 1738. The focus is to investigate to what extent the introduction of new laws, regulations etc. can be an explanation for what happened to Stockholm’s foreign trade, mainly imports, particularly textile imports during the period. It is mainly the economic policies that had been enacted during the Hornian government and their effects that have been studied. This is a period that has seldom been studied in other research.</p><p>This thesis begins when the Russian raids were over. This was a year when the foreign trade still was relatively free and was untouched by the 17th century’s regulations. After 1721 the policies that would be introduced to increase Sweden's level of self-sufficiency and strengthen ties with the North Sea area had several components. Besides the economic policy, the main sources for the thesis are the city toll records.</p><p>The trade policies in the shape of tolls and fees, import and consumption bans etc. and the commercial policies together became different kinds of political tools used for several purposes. The conclusion of this thesis is that the economic policies made the Stockholm importers adapt their trade to the change. The import bans and sumptuary laws had an effect. The economic policies gave rise to an increase in the import of textile raw materials. The rise in toll costs and import fees contributed to displacing the foreign trade towards other areas. The change in the economic policies was successful in the sense that it gave rise to new conditions for domestic production within the textile sector and forced Stockholm's importers to adapt their foreign trade.</p>

Organisations today operate in a complex, unpredictable, globalised, and competitive business environment and challenging marketplace, emphasis on just-in-time deliveries and service quality through the integration of resources. In response to the changing business dynamics, web-based EDI (WEDI) has been adopted by the global container shipping industry to cost-effectively utilise available resources to build and remain its competitive advantage. To improve the current understanding of WEDI adoption factors, this research explores inter-organisational collaboration of WEDI adoption, focusing on the organisational adoption stage and examine how business level social and relational factors influence WEDI adoption in the context of the container liner shipping industry. Based on theoretical and literature reviews on previous EDI adoption, in particular to three key inter-organisational system adoption empirical research (including Lee and Lim, 2005; Boonstra and de Vries, 2005; Zhu et al., 2006), an integrated research model was established of which features ‘Social Resources' of (trading partner power, trading partner dependence and social network effect), ‘Relational Resources' of (trading partner trust, top management commitment and guanxi, ‘Reward' of (perceived interests), and ‘Technological State' of (technological trust and e-readiness) as prominent antecedents. Through E-mail and Web Survey approach, we examine the nine independent constructs in the research model quantitatively on a dataset of 164 respondents from the top 20 leading container shipping liner in year 2009 and 195 respondents of the top 20 leading container shipping liner in 2012 by 3 case studies through online surveys. After examining its reliability, validity and correlation of the constructs, PLS structural Equation Modelling was applied to test hypotheses. The empirical results update how firms exchange business dada, in particular to the use of WEDI in the industry. This study demonstrated that ‘Social Resources' of trading partner power, trust and guanxi, positively associated with the perceived interest of WEDI adoption. Relational Resources' of trading partner trust, top management commitment and guanxi positively associated with the perceived interest of WEDI adoption. It also confirms the nine constructs to be positively association the WEDI adoption decisions. Drawing upon social exchange theory, we argue that firms simultaneously modify and adjust their social and relational resources to affect other firms' expected benefit as a reward. Overall, based on a rigorous empirical analysis of two different international dataset, this research provides valuable and the most updated insights into a set of key factors that influence WEDI adoption. By recognising what may influence WEDI adoption in the context of the container liner shipping, this study will be useful in suggesting strategies to overcome the constraints that inhibit adoption. Researchers will benefit from the study's theoretical insights and explore further WEDI adoption and diffusion patterns. Practitioners who learn why organisations adopt WEDI and what the related factors are that influence the adoption process will make better strategic decisions concerning the adoption of WEDI.

Med en allt hårdare konkurrens om arbetstillfällena för fartygsbefäl krävs det att den arbetssökande att sticker ut ur mängden vid en arbetsansökan. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka vad den svenska sjöfartsbranschen värderar av innehållet i ett CV och personligt brev vid anställning av nyutexaminerade svenska fartygsbefäl. Detta har undersökts genom intervjuer med nio rekryterare från olika rederier och managementbolag som anställer svenska juniorbefäl. Genom att söka efter tidigare studier som gjorts angående rekrytering skapades en bredare förståelse av ämnet och dess relevans. Litteratursökningen visade att det finns en kunskapslucka angående hur ett nyutexaminerat svenskt fartygsbefäl bör skriva sitt CV och personliga brev för att vara rekryterare i sjöfartsbranschen till lags. Resultatet av studien visar på vissa mönster i svaren från respondenterna, gemensamt är att det efterfrågas korta CV samt personliga brev med innehåll som är relevant för den sökta tjänsten. Samtidigt visar resultaten att en arbetsansökan tolkas subjektivt och därför i viss mån bör skräddarsys för varje enskild tjänst. / As the competition for employment toughens amongst deck officers high effort is required in order to stand out from the crowd regarding job applications. The purpose of this study has been to investigate what content the Swedish shipping industry values most in CVs and cover letters. This was achieved by interviewing nine recruiters from different shipping companies and management agencies that recruit Swedish junior officers. A literature search regarding previous studies concerning recruitment provided a wider understanding of the subject and its relevance for maritime science graduates. The literature search also revealed a knowledge gap regarding recruiters in the Swedish shipping industry preferences about CVs and cover letters. The results of the study show some patterns and tendencies amongst the respondents, common to all of which is a preference of short and concise CVs and cover letters with content that is relevant for the applied position. The results also show that a job application is interpreted subjectively and therefore to some extent must be tailored to each individual employment opportunity.

Le transport maritime a connu, ces trente dernières années, une forte croissance qui a des conséquences sur le milieu marin sensible aux pollutions. Le droit maritime s'inscrit généralement dans une démarche attentiste construite en réaction aux catastrophes écologiques successives, et liée à la nécessaire conciliation des intérêts économiques des armateurs et de l'urgence des enjeux environnementaux. Le poids économique du transport maritime influe fortement sur les schémas décisionnels des Etats qui, dans leur triple fonction d'Etat côtier, Etat du port et/ou Etat du pavillon, sont souvent amenés à construire des régimes de complaisance en matières fiscale, économique, sociale et environnementale. Des mesures pourraient être proposées pour établir un équilibre au sein de l'OMI, et restaurer un lien substantiel et transparent entre les Etats, les flottes et les armateurs. De fait, le droit maritime moderne laisse place à d'autres acteurs qui interviennent dans les modes de gouvernance présidant à l'édiction et l'application du droit, notamment à travers les outils du lobbying. L'ouverture plus large du processus normatif et des voies de sanction/réparation à l'ensemble des parties prenantes pourrait garantir une meilleure intégration de la norme environnementale dans le droit du transport maritime. Si le dialogue avec les collectivités locales est rendu complexe par leur statut, à la fois victimes, acteurs et entraves au droit, la place accrue des ONG, aujourd'hui limitée dans le cadre juridictionnel international, serait le gage de la réalisation de ces objectifs, et notamment d'une meilleure effectivité du droit. / Sea transport has seen strong growth over the past 30 years, which impacts on the marine environment, an environment sensitive to pollution. Maritime law generally adheres to a wait-and-see approach, developed as a reaction to successive environmental disasters, and arising from a much-needed reconciliation of shipowners' economic interests and the pressing nature of environmental issues. The States' decision making process is strongly influenced by the economic importance of sea transport who, in their triple function of coastal State, port State and/or flag State are often driven to make legislations of convenience in tax, economic, social and environmental matters. Measures could be proposed to develop laws in order to establish a balance within the IMO, and restore a transparent and genuine link between States, fleets and shipowners. In fact, modern maritime law allows room, in particular through lobbying tools, for other parties who intervene on the enactment and implementation of the law ruled by governance procedures. This widening of the normative process and avenues for sanction/redress to all stakeholders could ensure a better integration of environmental standards in maritime law. If the dialogue with local authorities is complicated by their status, at the same time victims, actors and obstruction of rights, the development of NGOs, currently limited in the international jurisdictional framework, would guarantee these objectives are achieved, including a better effectiveness of the law. The experience gained in the field of a CIFRE thesis, within the legal department of Surfrider Foundation Europe illustrates and establishes these avenues of improvement.

Bakgrund: Företag kan använda sig av flera olika distributionsprocesser för att leverera produkter till kunder och alla dessa distributionsprocesser innebär olika kostnader, förutsättningar och hinder. Distributionskostnaden består av transport-, hanterings-, lagrings- och informationskostnad och utgör hos många företag en stor andel av de totala produktkostnaderna. Kostnaderna påverkas av hur ett företag väljer att utforma sin distributionsstruktur. Vid utformning av en distributionsstruktur finns det även vissa faktorer att ta hänsyn till, såsom olika kundkrav. Dessa faktorer och kostnader behöver samlas i ett ramverk för att kunna utgöra beslutsunderlag för företag. Syfte: Studien syftar till att utveckla ett teoretiskt ramverk för val av distributionsstruktur. Vidare syftar studien till att applicera ramverket på fallföretaget för att demonstrera hur ramverket kan tillämpas och branschanpassas. Slutligen redovisas möjliga kostnadsbesparingar för fallföretaget och en handlingsplan för att uppnå besparingarna. Tillvägagångssätt: Studien är en fallstudie på möbelåterförsäljaren Svenssons i Lammhult. Utifrån intervjuer och observationer har fallföretagets nuläge kartlagts i form av en processkarta. Därefter har ett teoretiskt ramverk för val av distributionsstruktur utformats och tillsammans med nulägesbeskrivningen har kostnader för alternativa distributionsprocesser beräknats på 30 utvalda produkter. Utifrån kostnadsberäkningarna har en ny distributionsstruktur presenterats tillsammans med en handlingsplan för en övergång till den nya distributionsstrukturen. Slutsats: Den största kostnadsbesparingen, cirka 2.000.000 kr, uppnås vid en övergång till direktleverans för de hemlevererade produkter som i dagsläget endast skickas med produkter från en leverantör. Vidare kostnadsbesparingar är uppnåbara genom att distribuera mindre produkter via upphämtningsplats istället för att dessa levereras hem till kund. För att implementera dessa förändringar kan förhandlingar med leverantörer krävas och kostnader för integrerade informationssystem kan uppstå. / Background: Companies can use a variety of distribution processes in order to deliver their products to their customers and all of these distribution processes results in different costs. The distribution costs are transport, handling, storage and information costs and these costs constitute a large share of the total product cost for many companies. Depending on how a company designs their distribution structure the resulting cost varies. There are also several factors that influence the design of a distribution structure, such as various customer requirements. When gathering these factors and costs in a framework it is possible to use the framework when making business decisions. Purpose: The purpose of the study is to develop a theoretical framework designed to choose a distribution structure. Furthermore, the framework will be applied on the case company in order to demonstrate how the framework can be applied on the case company and adapted to an industry. Lastly, possible savings for the case company will be demonstrated and an action plan for reaching these savings will be presented. Methodology: The study is a case study at the furniture retailer Svenssons i Lammhult. A current state map has been created through interviews and observations at the case company. Thereafter a theoretical framework for choosing a distribution structure has been developed, and by using the current state map, cost calculations for alternative distribution processes has been carried out on 30 selected products. Based on the cost calculations a new distribution structure and an action plan has been presented. Conclusions: The largest savings, about 2.000.000 SEK, can be achieved by a transition to direct delivery for home delivered products that are being ordered with products from a single supplier. Further cost savings can be achieved by distributing smaller products through pickup points instead of home delivery. To implement these changes the case company needs to negotiate with their suppliers and investigate costs for implementing integrated information systems with their suppliers.K

Long-term omni-directional ambient noise was collected at several sites in the Gulf of Mexico during 2004 and 2005. The Naval Oceanographic Office deployed bottom moored Environmental Acoustic Recording System (EARS) buoys approximately 159 nautical miles south of Panama City, Florida, in water depths of 3200 meters. The hydrophone of each buoy was 265 meters above the bottom. The data duration ranged from 10-14 months. The buoys were located near a major shipping lane, with an estimated 1.5 to 4.5 ships per day passing nearby. The data were sampled at 2500 Hz and have a bandwidth of 10-1000 Hz. Data are processed in eight 1/3-octave frequency bands, centered from 25 to 950 Hz, and monthly values of the following statistical quantities are computed from the resulting eight time series of noise spectral level: mean, median, standard deviation, skewness, kurtosis and coherence time. Four hurricanes were recorded during the summer of 2004 and they have a major impact on all of the noise statistics. Noise levels at higher frequencies (400-950 Hz) peak during extremely windy months (summer hurricanes and winter storms). Standard deviation is least in the region 100-200 Hz but increases at higher frequencies, especially during periods of high wind variability (summer hurricanes). Skewness is positive from 25-400 Hz and negative from 630-950 Hz. Skewness and kurtosis are greatest near 100 Hz. Coherence time is low in shipping bands and high in weather bands, and it peaks during hurricanes. The noise coherence is also analyzed. The 14-month time series in each 1/3- octave band is highly correlated with other 1/3-octave band time series ranging from 2 octaves below to 2 octaves above the band's center frequency. Spatial coherence between hydrophones is also analyzed for hydrophone separations of 2.29, 2.56 and 4.84 km over a 10-month period. The noise field is highly coherent out to the maximum distance studied, 4.84 km. Additionally, fluctuations of each time series are analyzed to determine time scales of greatest variability. The 14-month data show clearly that variability occurs primarily over three time scales: 7-22 hours (shipping-related), 56-282 hours (2-12 days, weather-related) and over an 8-12 month period.

<p>The rise of technologies and the Internet have provided opportunities to connect logistics demand and supply using the crowd. In this system, named crowd-shipping (CS), a requester doing the shipping selects a courier via a platform. In reality, the idea of CS has been explored by many firms over the last several years. However, there is a lack of fundamental understanding of the issues related to: (1) the markets that are likely to be influenced by CS; (2) the considerations that govern the success of this system; and the (3) the impacts of CS and its design.</p><p><br></p> <p>To address these issues, there is a need of understanding CS system's stakeholders, such as requesters' (i.e. senders') and potential couriers' (i.e. driver-partners') behaviors as well as operations and management of CS firms. This research will address these gaps by conducting a survey to understand driver-partners' behaviors and requesters' behaviors given the CS services availability in the logistics market. Then, pricing and compensation strategies are designed and modeled based on behavior rules of supply and demand generations as well as various CS market penetrations. As such, this research addresses the CS industry in a triad of supply, demand, and operations and management.</p><p><br></p> <p>This research uses advanced econometrics, statistics analysis, mixed integer optimization, and data science techniques to analyze data and generate insights. The contributions of this research are to identify the contributing factors that impact the emerging logistics service. This research also reveals factors that influence the current and future shipping behaviors of requesters, as well as influencing factors of the individuals' willingness to work as driver-partners. The integrated matching and routing models have been developed to examine different pricing and compensation strategies under several market penetration scenarios. `Individual' price and compensation have found to provide the highest profit for CS platform providers.</p><p><br></p> <p>This research provides meaningful knowledge for stakeholders, especially for the CS firms to develop business strategies. Several remarkable benefits that CS firms can obtain include: focusing on some specific population groups to recruit driver-partners (e.g. people with children, middle-aged people having lower incomes, or no car ownership); addressing certain market segments to promote CS services (e.g. tight-window delivery packages, peripheral products, or personal health and medicine items); implementing `individual' or `flatted' pricing and compensation strategies depending on the time of the day, the day of the week, or the market penetration; and improving platform features to incorporate requesters' and driver-partners' expectations.</p>

Seaports, or harbours, play a vital role in the logistical supply chain, since they handle the largest volumes of containerised cargo and bulk goods that enter any country. Over the decades, globalisation and free trade have resulted in increased movement of cargo and people through the sea ports. The security functions in all categories of the ports are of paramount importance, seeing that border posts or ports are the main entry and exit points of any country. The marine transport system is responsible for 95-98 per cent of South Africa’s imports and exports. South Africa’s maritime sector, and in particular its eight commercial ports-of-entry, play a major role in the South African economy, as well as those of South Africa’s neighbouring landlocked countries. As a result of the volume of cargo containers passing through these ports, it is often challenging to detect or even examine all of the cargo that enters or leaves the port. A 2007 report titled ‘The collective approach to Border Control’ states that the movement of illegal goods crossing South African borders is in the amount of 20 billion Rand per year. The illegal movement of goods represents an enormous loss to South Africa in terms of revenue, as well as customs and excise duties, and negatively impacts on the confidence of our international investors. One of South Africa’s busiest seaports-of-entry is the Durban harbour. This study sought to investigate the challenges presented by the illegal movement of goods through Durban harbour. The research sought to establish how the goods were being moved illegally through the Durban harbour area. The focus is on the security risk control measures that should control the illegal movement of goods from the Durban Harbour. The objectives of this study were: to examine the existing security risk control measures at the Durban harbour; to assess the risks associated with the illegal movement of goods at the Durban harbour; and to identify the security risk control measures required to prevent the illegal movement of goods at the Durban harbour. The study made use of the qualitative research approach to research the unlawful transfer of goods entering through seaports. Three methods of data collection were used. These were a documentary study of police case dockets, an onsite security audit of the Durban harbour, and face-to-face interviews between the researcher and the interviewees in accordance with an interview schedule. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the SAPS Border Police, customs officials and security officials who were stationed at the Durban harbour. Thirty (30) sample respondents were individually interviewed by the interviewer. An analysis of fifty (50) police dockets which were registered on the SAPS crime administration system for ‘Theft and Contraband Smuggling’ were also analysed, where the scene-of-crime was the Durban harbour. In addition, an onsite evaluation of the current security measures at the Durban harbour was conducted. All of the data collected was analysed using a data-spiral method, which generated themes and categories. The findings established that there are shortcomings or gaps within the existing security measures for the prevention of, and safeguarding the harbour as a port against, criminal risks or security weaknesses. Accordingly, the researcher has recommended certain measures that should assist in eliminating or reducing the associated criminal risks affecting the harbour. / Criminology and Security Science / M. Tech. (Security Management)

Initialement exclu des domaines couverts par le Traité de Rome, le transport maritime a fait l’objet en 1992 de mesures permettant l’accès des armateurs de l’Union à la libre prestation de service sur les lignes intérieures des États membres. Néanmoins, l’espace maritime européen n’a pas de consistance juridique : il n’est composé que de la juxtaposition des espaces reconnus par le droit international comme la mer territoriale de chaque État membre. Au-delà de cette limite, la mer est internationale. L’Union, au fil des élargissements, a perdu sa configuration continentale pour intégrer un nombre croissant d’îles ce qui accentue l’importance des transports maritimes pour la libre circulation des personnes et des marchandises au sein du marché intérieur. En outre, la situation géographique, économique et démographique de ces îles est hétérogène : quelques habitants dans les Orcades, plusieurs millions en Sicile ... Malgré la diversité des territoires insulaires, de la mer du nord à la mer Egée, les conditions de mise en oeuvre de la libre prestation de service de transport maritime par le règlement du Conseil n° 3577/92 (cabotage) sont identiques en dépits de la réalité contrastée des marchés concernés. Pourtant, les mesures adoptées par l’Union, au regard des conditions d’attribution des aides relatives aux missions de service public vers les îles, notamment dans le cadre d’un SIEG, ont des effets restrictifs tant sur les conditions de concurrence entre les armateurs que sur les échanges commerciaux entre les États membres. Malgré l’incompatibilité des aides aux entreprises, le Traité FUE ménage des dérogations dont la Commission peut jouer. Dans le secteur maritime les aides compatibles avec le Traité FUE concernent notamment la construction navale, la sécurité, la formation des équipages. Une distinction doit être opérée entre ces aides sectorielles et les aides individuelles concernent les transports de ligne. Lorsqu’ils sont corrélés à des contrats de service et, où, à des obligations de service public établis sur des trajets prédéterminés, les dispositifs d’aide agissent comme des barrières non tarifaires aux échanges qui structurent les circulations maritimes et impactent le fonctionnement du marché intérieur en influant sur l’origine nationale des marchandises destinées aux consommateurs insulaires. La Commission, sous le contrôle de la Cour, analyse les marchés et la compatibilité des aides en anticipant leurs effets. Cependant, cette activité prédictive la conduit à influencer les marchés maritimes. L’étude de la pratique décisionnelle de la Commission en matière d’aide au transport maritime montre qu’elle utilise une analyse ligne par ligne qui restreint le marché géographique. Ayant établi en 2005, et renouvelé en 2011, l’exemption de notification des compensations de service public et pratiquant des analyses insuffisantes des marchés maritimes, la Commission se prive de contrôler les conditions réelles de la circulation maritime de marchandise. Cependant, si la Commission exempte de notification la majeure part des aides au profit des SIEG de transport maritime, et si ses analyses des marchés sont insuffisantes, c’est in fine la capacité du juge de l’Union à arbitrer entre l’intérêt général des États membres et l’intérêt commun de l’Union qui, compte tenu du principe du contrôle restreint applicable en matière de faits économiques complexes, est remise en cause. / Initially excluded from areas covered by the Treaty of Rome, maritime transport has been in 1992 the subject of measures allowing shipowners to access to the freedom to provide services on domestic routes in the Member States. Nevertheless, the European maritime area has no legal consistency: it is only composed of the juxtaposition of areas recognised by international law as the territorial sea of each Member State. Beyond this limit, the sea is international. Over the course of enlargements, the Union has lost its continental configuration to integrate a growing number of islands, which highlights the importance of maritime transport for the free movement of people and goods within the internal market. In addition, the geographic, economic and demographic situation of these islands is heterogeneous: some people are living in Orkney, millions of others are living in Sicily... Despite the diversity of island territories from the North Sea to the Aegean Sea, the conditions for the implementation of the freedom to provide maritime transport service by Council Regulation No 3577/92 (cabotage) are identical, despite the multifaceted reality of the concerned markets. However, the measures adopted by the Union, based on the conditions for the allocation of the aid in connection with public service missions to the islands, particularly in the context of an SGEI, have restrictive effects both on the conditions for competition between shipowners, and on trade exchange between the Member States. Despite the inconsistency of State aid with companies, the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) allows derogations on which the Commission can play. In the maritime sector, the aid compatible with the TFEU is about shipbuilding, safety, crew training, amongst others. A distinction must be made between these sectoral aid and individual aid as regards transport line. When correlated with service contracts or with public service obligations established on predetermined paths, the aid system acts as a non-tariff barriers to trade, which structure maritime traffic and impact the functioning of the market by influencing national origin of goods for consumers living in island regions. The Commission, under the control of the Court, analyses the markets and the compatibility of aid by anticipating their effects. However, the predictive activity leads the Commission to influence maritime markets. An analysis of the decisions taken by the Commission on aid to maritime transport shows that it uses a line by line analysis which brings a restriction on the geographic market. Having established in 2005 and renewed in 2011 the exemption from notification of public service compensation, and having practiced insufficient analysis of the maritime market, the Commission denies controlling the real conditions of maritime traffic goods. However, if the Commission exempts from notification the main part of aid in favor of SGEI shipping, and if its market analyses are insufficient, it is ultimately the ability of the EU Courts to arbitrate between the public interest of the Member States and the common interests of the Union, which, based on the principle of limited control applicable to the complex economic facts, is questioned.