Customer overall satisfaction towards a public transport system depends mainly on two factors: how satisfied they are with different aspects that make up the service and how important each of the service aspects is to the customer. Traditionally, researchers use revealed preference surveys and ordered probit/logit models to estimate the contribution of each service attribute towards the overall satisfaction. This paper aims to verify the possibility of replacing the traditional method with the more cost-effective best-worst case 1 method, using a customer survey recently conducted in Santander, Spain. The results show that the satisfaction level obtained from these alternative methods are remarkably similar. The relative importance of each attribute delivered by the two methods differ, with the Best-Worst approach showing more intuitive and consistent results with the literature on public transport customer satisfaction. A regression method is developed to derive customer satisfaction with each service attribute from Best-Worst modelling results.

Although data collection through discrete choice experimentsconducted using surveys are commonly used in research, aimingto improve data quality is still serviceable and necessary. Three distinct experiments were conducted with the objectives of improving data quality by better tailoring experiments to market conditionsas well as decreasing complexity and fatigue. First, consumer willingness-to-pay(WTP) for yogurt attributes was estimatedusing a survey targeted to be nationally representative of the US.A novel approach was used to allow for self-selection into the choice experiment for commonly purchased types of yogurt.On average, respondentswere willing-to-paya positive amount for requiring pasture access and not permitting dehorning/disbudding for both traditional and Greek yogurt. Respondents had positive WTPfor Greek yogurt labeled free of high fructose corn syrup, and were willing-to-pay morefor low-fat yogurt when compared to nonfat for both yogurt types.<div><br></div><div> Second, anew WTP data collection method, employing component discrete choice experiments in place of traditional larger experimental designs,was proposedand compared to the traditional method to elicit yogurt consumer’s WTP for attributes in yogurt. The new WTP data collection method was designed with the objective of decreasing complexity by having respondents participate in fewer choice scenarios. Incidences of attribute non-attendance (ANA), a potential simplifying heuristic that results from complexity, occurred less frequently for all attributes in the new WTP data collection method with one exception. Exhibiting ANA for any attribute was negatively correlated with the time respondents took to complete the choice experiment.<br></div><div><br></div><div>Finally, through the use of a newbest-worst scaling(BWS)data collection method,consumer preferences for fluid dairy milk attributes were elicited and results as well as measures of data quality were compared to the traditional method of BWS. Nine attributes of fluid milk were included in this study: container material, rbST-free, price, container size, fat content, humane handling of cattle, brand, required pasture access for cattle, and cattle fed an organic diet. The top (price) and bottom (container material) attributes in terms of relative ranking did not change between the new BWS data collection method and the traditional BWS method. The new BWS data collection method resulted in fewer incidences of ANA for all attributes except one. There was not a statistical difference in the number of transitivity (an axiom of consumer theory) violators,between the new and traditional BWS methods.<br></div>

Using benthic macroinvertebrates to measure stream health has been widely used and accepted around the world. Macroinvertebrates are resident monitors of chronic impairment in a stream since they are relatively sessile and most commonly respond to disturbance by drift but can recolonize a restored stream reach very quickly. This study tested the effectiveness of macroinvertebrate metrics developed through the Rapid Bioassessment Protocol (RBP) to detect changes in stream integrity as the result of placement of a best management practice (BMP), installed on a tributary of Roaring Branch, located in Columbus, Georgia. The BMP was designed to attenuate flow to reduce sediment suspension and downstream deposition. A sampling protocol derived from the Georgia Ecoregions Project was implemented to evaluate the macroinvertebrate community, located downstream of the BMP, and downstream of the confluence with Roaring Branch, both before and after the BMP installation. The resulting metrics were compared to a reference condition described for subecoregion 65c, sandhills-lower piedmont. A dramatic improvement or increase of macroinvertebrate populations suggests an improvement in water quality (via reduction in fine sediment deposition) due to improved physical habitat conditions for indicators (Trichoptera) of healthier streams. The results of this study suggests further restoration activities should continue and that re-evaluation of the sampling protocol should take into account a larger subsample size of benthic macroinvertebrates than currently recommended by the RBP.

The aim of this study was to understand which factors that lay the foundation for social workers’ custody investigations and the judges’ decisions in custody disputes. Additionally, it was to examine the social workers’ and the judges’ views on children’s’ rights in this process. The study was based on qualitative research where six semi-structured interviews were conducted. Four social workers and two judges working with custody- investigations, and disputes were interviewed. The analysis consists of two key concepts: the concept of discretion and child sociology. The result shows that judges and social workers experience difficulties with interpreting the best interest of the child, that there are different perceptions about when lone and joint custody should be considered and how to best design the rights of access. A common consensus among the interviewees with regards to the best interest of the child, is that each situation requires an individual interpretation while considering necessary safety aspects. Social workers’ statements tend to dominate how the best interests of a child is defined in a judge’s decision. Both professions find ways to accommodate the best interests of the child, even though it does not always turn out ideal. There is a strong believe that the child’s voice is governing the decision, even though our study shows that it is not always considered in the custody investigations nor in court.

The society that we are living in has a responsibility to make sure that no children suffer from violence or any type of neglect. All authorities in society, as well as the social services and decision-making agencies have an obligation to protect and prioritize the best interests of the child in all types of decisions concerning children. In cases where children are at a tangible risk of harm due to circumstances at home, children can be involuntarily removed from their parents by law. In such circumstances, the child's parents do not consent to the child being taken care of according to law based on voluntariness. This requires a court care order according to LVU. In recent years, the public debate in Sweden has increased regarding when it is safe for a child who has been removed from its parents to move back home. Due to this societal debate, this study aims to define which factors affect as well as being most significant in the court's decision-making regarding when it is appropriate or not for a child to either stay in the foster family or to reunite with its parents. Furthermore, the study also aims to provide a deeper understanding on how the court considers on one hand the best interest of the child and on the other hand the parental perspective in their basis of verdict. The conflict of interest stands between whether the care of the child should cease or continue. The purpose of this study has been enabled through a qualitative review of 12 court decision orders which have been made between the years 2021-2022. The result shows that all 12 court orders decide that the compulsory care of the children should continue. The main reason in the courts basis for decision is that the circumstances that caused the care has not yet improved enough. In the review of the court decisions several significant themes occurred. One of the most significant themes were lack of lasting change among the parents. Moreover, another major theme was that the parents could not show insight in the situation. Lastly, the parents had a lack of ability to meet the children's needs, which in some cases were extensive. The result shows that the court considers the best interest of the child before the parental perspective. This appears while the court highlights each individual child and its needs. Meanwhile, the court also listens to the children who are old enough to express their feelings and opinions to a relatively large extent. Nevertheless, the court also shows understanding for the parents' will and desire to bring back their children. The court emphasizes what further needs to be achieved for the parents to reach a cessation of the compulsory care of their children.

Syftet med studien har varit att undersöka hur barnets åsikter kommer till uttryck i familjerättens utredningar gällande vårdnad, boende och umgänge och på vilket sätt barnet görs delaktigt. Studiens empiri bestod av tolv vårdnadsutredningar som ingick som aktbilagor från domstolsbeslut från en större tingsrätt under mitten av 2020. Materialet undersöktes utifrån en kvalitativ innehållsmetod. Analysen av empirin gjordes med hjälp av Harts (1992) delaktighetsstege kombinerat med ett barndomssociologiskt perspektiv. Studien visar att barn oftast är delaktiga i en ganska låg nivå utifrån Harts (1992) delaktighetsstege. Barn begränsas av att delaktigheten sker genom vuxna på olika sätt eller att barn själva kan välja att inte vara delaktiga och därmed visa aktörskap. Studien visar också att vuxna spelar en stor roll för att möjliggöra för barn att vara delaktiga. Det är de vuxna som beslutar om delaktighet. Vidare visar studien att familjerättsutredaren i många fall går efter barnets vilja, antingen att det har framkommit i samtal med barnet eller att barnets åsikt har framkommit på annat sätt. / The aim of the study was to investigate how the child's views are expressed in family court investigations concerning custody, residence, and access. The empirical material of the study consisted of twelve custody investigations included as case files from court decisions from a major district court in mid-2020. The material was examined using a qualitative content method. The analysis of the empirical data was conducted using Hart's (1992) participation ladder combined with a childhood sociology perspective. The study shows that children are usually involved at a rather low level according to Hart's (1992) participation ladder. Children are limited by the fact that participation is done by adults in different ways or that children themselves can choose not to participate and thus show agency. The study also shows that adults play a major role in enabling children to be involved. It is the adults who decide on participation. Furthermore, the study shows that in many cases the family court mediator follows the child's wishes, either expressed in discussions with the child or the child's opinion expressed in other ways.

Lean Thinking has been widely implemented in various industries in the production context. Lately a number of companies in the service sector have developed lean systems within their organisations to improve efficiency, productivity, and quality of their services. In our study we are putting forward an approach for operational excellence using Lean Thinking principals in the public service context. The study was performed at the Swedish Tax Agency and the main process examined was mail-returns handling process, the main goal was to improve business process by eliminating non value adding activities within the mail-returns handling process. A thorough investigation of the Swedish Tax Agency process was carried out, primary (core) business process was identified. We examined the supporting processes and how they can affect the primary process performance, and we defined the activities associated with mail-returns handling process and the costs incurred, which led to having a fact-sheet that examined the entire process. Process mapping for the current state was carried out and Root Cause Analyses was performed. We identified root causes of the problem and process elements with high improvement potential, and we presented an optimisation proposal for the current state. Based on the optimisation proposal, an improvement proposal for the whole process was developed. Some of the notable attributes of this redesigned strategy were substantial cost savings and reduced process time. The proposal was approved by the Swedish tax agency and practical implementation is initiated.

Die Dissertation sondiert Perspektiven von früher in der Medienbranche abhängig beschäftigten älteren Führungskräften, die als Selbstständige eine neue berufliche Zukunft suchen. Die Betroffenen müssen klären, ob sich für sie durch eine in Deutschland nur zögerlich aufkommende Kultur der Selbstständigkeit ein Ausweg aus drohender oder bereits eingetretener Arbeitslosigkeit eröffnet. Gelingt dieser Neubeginn nicht, zeichnet sich nach dem Ende der Manager-Karriere die Gefahr eines zweiten Scheiterns ab. Die konzeptionelle Klammer der Dissertation ist die Auseinandersetzung mit der aktuellen sozialpsychologischen Arbeitskraftunternehmer-Theorie. Die Applikation der Theorie auf die Gruppe der Selbstständigen wird dargestellt am Beispiel der Personengruppe Best Ager der Medienbranche als Existenzgründer auf Grundlage empirischer Erhebungen (Fallbeispiele von Berufsbiografien).Ergebisse: Die Voraussetzungen für den erfolgreichen Weg in die Selbstständigkeit setzen sich aus dem spezifischen Medienwirtschaftsumfeld und der Nachfrage nach neuen Einzelfirmen bzw. neuen Produktangeboten zusammen. Die Marktanalyse der Dissertation zeigt, dass der Strukturwandel in der Medienwirtschaft Freiräume für Existenzgründungen bietet und beantwortet die Frage, ob und wie diese genutzt werden können. In einem zweiten Schritt liefert das Forschungsergebnis klare Hinweise für Erfolg versprechende bzw. hinderliche Gründungsoptionen auf der individuellen Ebene, und dass Gründungserfolge maßgeblich von der Bereitschaft der neuen Selbstständigen für einen Mentalitätswechsel (Selbstwirksamkeitsthese) und durch Zielklärung (Motivstrukturthese) der Gründer basieren.Die Dissertation betritt deshalb in den entscheidenden Bereichen Forschungsneuland, weil keine einschlägige sozialwissenschaftliche Literatur zum Thema Best Ager der Medienbranche in der Gründerrolle vorliegt.

In this thesis an optimal stopping problem related to the classical secretary problem is studied. The theory of optimal stopping represents a special branch of stochastic optimization. Here the socalled full information best choice problem with a known number of offers is generalized by maximizing the probability of selecting an r-candidate, where an offer is called r-candidate if it is not lower than the maximal offer reduced by function r. In the first part discrete time is investigated. For this optimal stopping problem to select an r-candidate an optimal stopping time is indicated, the suboptimal myopic stopping time is displayed and threshold rules are studied including asymptotic behaviour. The basis of this optimal stopping problem is displayed in a general setting where the payoff depends on the prophet´s choiceand on the maximal offer, i.e. the value of the prophet. As a further application the mean of the ratio of the gambler´s choice and prophet´s value is investigated. Then in the second part offers arrive in continuous time. Offers are presented according to random arrival times and the horizon terminating the period of choosing is taken to be fixed and random. Here stress is layed on the geometric and on the exponential distribution, i.e. the Poisson process. In the final part the optimal stopping problem of maximizing the duration of owning a sufficiently good offer is applied to the concept of an r-candidate. A distinction between an overall and a temporary r-candidate is made. The duration of owning an r-candidate is investigated for a finite number of offers with regard to recall. The duration problem with discounted epochs is resolved. Finally the duration of owning an r-candidate is considered regarding the Poisson process where the horizon is fixed and exponentially distributed.

Dans cette thèse, nous étudions des stratégies d’allocation séquentielle de ressources. Le modèle statistique adopté dans ce cadre est celui du bandit stochastique à plusieurs bras. Dans ce modèle, lorsqu’un agent tire un bras du bandit, il reçoit pour récompense une réalisation d’une distribution de probabilité associée au bras. Nous nous intéressons à deux problèmes de bandit différents : la maximisation de la somme des récompenses et l’identification des meilleurs bras (où l’agent cherche à identifier le ou les bras conduisant à la meilleure récompense moyenne, sans subir de perte lorsqu’il tire un «mauvais» bras). Nous nous attachons à proposer pour ces deux objectifs des stratégies de tirage des bras, aussi appelées algorithmes de bandit, que l’on peut qualifier d’optimales. La maximisation des récompenses est équivalente à la minimisation d’une quantité appelée regret. Grâce à une borne inférieure asymptotique sur le regret d’une stratégie uniformément efficace établie par Lai et Robbins, on peut définir la notion d’algorithme asymptotiquement optimal comme un algorithme dont le regret atteint cette borne inférieure. Dans cette thèse, nous proposons pour deux algorithmes d’inspiration bayésienne, Bayes-UCB et Thompson Sampling, une analyse à temps fini dans le cadre des modèles de bandit à récompenses binaires, c’est-à-dire une majoration non asymptotique de leur regret. Cette majoration permetd’établir l’optimalité asymptotique des deux algorithmes. Dans le cadre de l’identification des meilleurs bras, on peut chercher à déterminer le nombre total d’échantillons des bras nécessaires pour identifier, avec forte probabilité, le ou les meilleurs bras, sans la contrainte de maximiser la somme des observations. Nous définissons deux termes de complexité pour l’identification des meilleurs bras dans deux cadres considérés dans la littérature, qui correspondent à un budget fixé ou à un niveau de confiance fixé. Nous proposons de nouvelles bornes inférieures sur ces complexités, et nous analysons de nouveaux algorithmes, dont certains atteignent les bornes inférieures dans des cas particuliers de modèles de bandit à deux bras, et peuvent donc être qualifiés d’optimaux. / In this thesis, we study strategies for sequential resource allocation, under the so-called stochastic multi-armed bandit model. In this model, when an agent draws an arm, he receives as a reward a realization from a probability distribution associated to the arm. In this document, we consider two different bandit problems. In the reward maximization objective, the agent aims at maximizing the sum of rewards obtained during his interaction with the bandit, whereas in the best arm identification objective, his goal is to find the set of m best arms (i.e. arms with highest mean reward), without suffering a loss when drawing ‘bad’ arms. For these two objectives, we propose strategies, also called bandit algorithms, that are optimal (or close to optimal), in a sense precised below. Maximizing the sum of rewards is equivalent to minimizing a quantity called regret. Thanks to an asymptotic lower bound on the regret of any uniformly efficient algorithm given by Lai and Robbins, one can define asymptotically optimal algorithms as algorithms whose regret reaches this lower bound. In this thesis, we propose, for two Bayesian algorithms, Bayes-UCB and Thompson Sampling, a finite-time analysis, that is a non-asymptotic upper bound on their regret, in the particular case of bandits with binary rewards. This upper bound allows to establish the asymptotic optimality of both algorithms. In the best arm identification framework, a possible goal is to determine the number of samples of the armsneeded to identify, with high probability, the set of m best arms. We define a notion of complexity for best arm identification in two different settings considered in the literature: the fixed-budget and fixed-confidence settings. We provide new lower bounds on these complexity terms and we analyse new algorithms, some of which reach the lower bound in particular cases of two-armed bandit models and are therefore optimal