Inledning:Dagligen möts organisationer av situationer där de måste ta beslut. Frågan är vad som egentligen avgör vilket alternativ organisationen väljer, vilka beslutskriterier används? Ju bättre insikt den säljande organisationen har om den köpande organisationens beslutsprocess och beslutskriterier, desto bättre kan de påverka inköpsbeslutet. Inom hotellbranschen är säsongvariationen hög och för att övervinna den erbjuder vår uppdragsgivare Björkbacken Karaktärshotellet konferensmöjligheter. De behöver dock skapa förståelse för vilka kriterier potentiella konferensköpare använder sig av när de väljer konferensanläggning för att kunna attrahera fler övernattande konferensgäster. Syfte: Syftet med den här uppsatsen är att beskriva organisationers väg till beslut och vad de efterfrågar vid köp av konferenser. Det ska göras genom att utforma en modell för beslutsprocessen och empiriskt testa den. Metod: Vårt syfte har vi angripit med en i grunden positivistisk vetenskapssyn med ett deduktivt angreppssätt. Undersökningen utgörs av tvärsnittsdesign, och kvalitativa semi-strukturerade telefonintervjuer har genomförts med organisationer som har liknande profil som vår uppdragsgivare Björkbacken Karaktärshotellet nämligen; kultur, historier och berättande. Slutsats: Vår modell för organisationers beslutsprocess, Beslutsvägen, kan bekräftas. Den beskriver att beslutsprocessen startar med att organisationen blir medveten om ett behov och därefter identifieras beslutskriterier. Enligt vår studie är följande beslutskriterier viktiga; pris, tillgänglighet, lokalernas funktionalitet, omgivning, mat samt anknytningen till konferensköparens verksamhet. Då organisationer har identifierat sina beslutskriterier väljer de mellan två vägar i Beslutsvägen, Kustvägen och E6:an. Längs båda vägarna är minnen och erfarenheter en betydande del som finns med längs hela processen. Oavsett vilken av vägarna som organisationen färdas på når de till sist sin slutdestination Beslut. / Introduction: Every day organizations face situations where they must make decisions and are forced to choose between different alternatives. The question is, what determines which option the organization chooses, which decision criteria do they use? The better understanding the selling organization has for the buying organization's decision-making process and their decision criteria, the better they can influence the purchase decision. Within the hotel industry the seasonal variety is high and to overcome them our client Björkbacken Karaktärshotellet offers conference facilities. However, they do need to create a better understanding of the potential buyers’ criteria when they are choosing a conference to attract more overnight conference guests. Purpose: The purpose is to describe what organizations demand when they purchase a conference. This will be done by designing a figure of the decision-making process and empirically test the figure. Method: We have approached our purpose with a positivistic view of science and with a deductive approach. The study consists of a cross-sectional design and to collect our empirical data we have used qualitative semi-structured telephone interviews with organizations that have similar profile as our client Björkbacken Karaktärshotellet namely; culture, history and storytelling. Conclusion: Our figure of the organizations' decision-making process, the Road to Decision, can be confirmed. It describes the decision-making process starting with awareness of a need and follows by identification of decision criteria. According to our study the following decision criteria are important; price, availability, functionality, environment, food and good connections to the conference. When organizations have identified their decision criteria they choose between two paths in our figure; the Coastal Road or the freeway E6. Along the entire process memories and experiences are a significant part. No matter which of the roads the organization travels by, their final destination is the decision.

This study will examine the importance of Country-of-Origin, Price, Quality and Expiration date, in the consumer decision making process for fresh meat. Country-of-Origin has earlier been investigated, however the research has been focusing on manipulating one single cue. With the recent scandals in the fresh meat industry, were animals being abused and expiration dates being changed, it is interesting to investigate how important the consumers find the four attributes; Country-of-Origin, price, quality and expiration date.In order to answer the research questions, and fulfil the purpose, the authors will use a mix of different data collection methods. Qualitative data will be gathered by performing interviews and quantitative data will be gathered by conducting a pilot study and an experiment. The data will be retrieved with the use of SPSS 17.0 and the conjoint analysis procedure. Country-of-origin has been found to be the most preferred attribute for consumers in their purchasing process for fresh meat, closely followed by expiration date. The consumer did find price and quality to be of importance, however the attributes were not found to be as important as Country-of-Origin and expiration date. As Country-of-Origin was found to be the most significant attribute for consumers in their decision making process, this indicates that the consumers are ethnocentric in their behaviour, i.e. they consider their own country and culture to be above others, which leads to a purchase of Swedish meat. It has also been found that the purchasing process of fresh meat is of great complexity, especially with the negative attention the fresh meat industry has induced.

The Motor Group of the European Council was commissioned in the autumn of 1997 to prepare a proposal for a new European Bus and Coach Directive. In the beginning, most of the Member States did not have the accessibility requirements as their main concern; still a smaller network with actors from the National delegations from Britain, Germany and Sweden would influence the other National delegations in the Council group to finally agree to retain the requirement of accessibility of the Directive. Within the EU decision process, the European Disability movement acted as a strong player during the whole negotiation process using the proposal to a new Bus and Coach Directive as a tool to influence key actors to go towards a Directive with a strong approach for accessibility. Policy Transfer and Policy Transfer Network are used as analytical tools to understand and structure the transfer of the question of accessibility during the negotiation process. Actors understanding how the bureaucratic process works within the EU decision system have a chance to contributing for the changes in the directions they wishes for within a range of policy areas. The principal aim of the Directive was to guarantee the safety of passengers and to provide technical prescription in particular to wheelchair users. In the end it turned out to be one of the most successful achievements for the European Disability movement in history.

This qualitative case study explores the decision-making process of administrative staff in a private senior high school when they face an ethical dilemma, aiming to discover the beliefs and principles applied when the staff make decisions and the factors that underlie those decisions. In the study, semi-structured interviews were conducted to ten administrative staff at the positions of division director and sub-division chief in a senior high school in New Taipei City. The summarized findings are as follows: 1. Ethical dilemmas being constantly faced by administrative staff in the private high school are: 1) conflict of beliefs; 2) human relations versus system; 3) difficulties in interpreting roles; and 4) struggle between ideal and reality. 2. Steps of a decision-making process for administrative staff in the private high school are: 1) determine the nature of the dilemma; 2) make sure the right objective; 3) gather extensive information; 4) study feasible solutions; 5) evaluate the scope of influence and outcomes for each solution; 6) select the best solution; 7) execute the solution; and 8) review and adjust the solution. However, interviewees who discuss the decision-making process are mostly division¡¦s directors, while sub-division chiefs tend to ¡§take orders¡¨ from above and seldom have the opportunities to decide the steps during the decision-making process. 3. Beliefs held by the administrative staff during a decision-making process for an ethical dilemma are: 1) protect students¡¦ rights and interests; 2) maintain fairness and justice; 3) communication with rational respect; 4) commitment in the administrative professionalism; and 5) establish a mutual objective. 4. Principles applied by the administrative staff during a decision-making process while facing an ethical dilemma are: 1) solve the dilemma fairly; 2) communicate genuinely; 3) keep open mind; 4) behave following regulations; 5) act professionally; 6) respect and empathize; and 7) follow instructions from above. 5. Factors that affect the administrative staff¡¦s decision-making process for an ethical dilemma can be divided into two categories: 1) internal and personal factors; and 2) external and circumstantial factors. Based on research findings, the study suggests the administrative staff in the private senior high school to adopt the following practice in order to reduce ethical dilemmas: 1) to make sure the school¡¦s directions and its educational objectives; 2) to acquire consensus among organizational members through frequent communication; 3) cultivate respect, trust, and a harmonious environment; 4) nurture organizational members to increase their professional capacity and to stimulate creative thinking. Keywords: ethical dilemma, decision making, decision-making process, administrative staff¡¦s beliefs, administrative principles, private senior high school, administrative staff

<p>This study will examine the importance of Country-of-Origin, Price, Quality and Expiration date, in the consumer decision making process for fresh meat. Country-of-Origin has earlier been investigated, however the research has been focusing on manipulating one single cue. With the recent scandals in the fresh meat industry, were animals being abused and expiration dates being changed, it is interesting to investigate how important the consumers find the four attributes; Country-of-Origin, price, quality and expiration date.In order to answer the research questions, and fulfil the purpose, the authors will use a mix of different data collection methods. Qualitative data will be gathered by performing interviews and quantitative data will be gathered by conducting a pilot study and an experiment. The data will be retrieved with the use of SPSS 17.0 and the conjoint analysis procedure. Country-of-origin has been found to be the most preferred attribute for consumers in their purchasing process for fresh meat, closely followed by expiration date. The consumer did find price and quality to be of importance, however the attributes were not found to be as important as Country-of-Origin and expiration date.<strong> </strong>As Country-of-Origin was found to be the most significant attribute for consumers in their decision making process, this indicates that the consumers are ethnocentric in their behaviour, i.e. they consider their own country and culture to be above others, which leads to a purchase of Swedish meat. It has also been found that the purchasing process of fresh meat is of great complexity, especially with the negative attention the fresh meat industry has induced.</p>

<p>Arguably, the Schumpeterian ideology of “creative destruction” saying that eventually even the most secure monopoly will be destroyed by a new technology, a new idea, or a shift in tastes could be applied to open source software. Currently, the proprietary software holds a strong position in the software market. Nevertheless, one could see a surge in articles and acceptance among organisations concerning open source software.</p><p>Proprietary software companies like Microsoft are still gaining ground within the Swedish municipalities. Although one get the impression that municipalities generally are positive toward open source software, the decision-making process often results in choosing a proprietary software alternative. However, one could question which are the underlying factors and to what extent are these factors affecting the decision-making process of municipalities integrating or migrating into open source software?</p><p>In order to study this phenomenon, we chose a quantitative approach using a questionnaire as the tool for data gathering. The sample consisted of 100 randomly selected municipalities. A pre study was made through an interview in order to strengthen the accuracy of the questionnaire which later on was sent out to the IT manager at each municipality in the sample.</p><p>The organisational-, environmental-, user- and system level are four main factors affecting the decision-making process concerning open source software. Among these, the organisational factor was the only one which had a significant negative impact on the decision-making process concerning open source software. The importance of being able to integrate different software increases the need for compatibility which, according to the IT managers, is facilitated using a standardized software environment offered by for example Microsoft.</p>

In this thesis I provide general guidelines for a commercial building owner’s decision making process for heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system energy efficiency projects, discuss an example HVAC project at an existing building, and recommend the most energy-efficient, cost-effective project option. First, a building’s HVAC system’s inefficiencies are identified. The systems and the components can be investigated to understand the nature of the operations. In the building owner’s interests, possible alternatives can be developed to address the systems with improvements. Consulting engineers, contractors, and other building professionals can assist in this process. There are necessary engineering and construction considerations for defining realistic project alternatives. With the alternatives, there are costs, benefits, and trade-offs. The costs, which mainly include the investment and the operational costs, and the benefits, which mainly include the available financial incentives, defined in dollars, are identified for the alternatives. The alternatives can be evaluated with Building Life Cycle Cost (BLCC) software. In this evaluation the net present-value (NPV) method is used to rank the alternatives. Then, the highest-ranking, lowest life-cycle cost, alternative is recommended for the owner. In the example, an existing commercial building’s HVAC systems are considered. The construction plans, the facilities records, and the existing field conditions were investigated and analyzed. A few operational inefficiencies were identified. To address two of these existing inefficiencies, there were alternatives considered to replace the standard-efficiency air handling unit motors with premium-efficiency motors and to renovate the ventilation system with an energy recovery wheel. The investment costs, the available rebates, the net annual energy savings, and the energy and other operational costs were estimated, over a 30-year study period, for each of these alternatives, and compared to the costs of the existing system. The BLCC evaluations were performed across a range of discount rates in the present-value calculations. Based on the lowest present-value life-cycle cost reports, the premium-efficiency motor replacement project only is recommended. / text

This study examined the factors superintendents consider when making the decision between commercially developed curriculum or locally developed curriculum. This study was guided by three research questions: (a) What factors does the superintendent consider in selecting a curriculum? (b) How do these factors impact the decision to use a commercially developed curriculum or to use a locally developed curriculum? and (c) How does the decision-making process regarding curriculum selection correlate with other functions of the superintendent and the school district? This qualitative multiple-case study intended to describe the experiences of six school superintendents who have served in this capacity for ample time to have developed a perspective in relation to curriculum choice for their respective districts. During semi-structured interviews, questions posed to the participants were organized around the following themes: (a) importance of curriculum along with time devoted to overseeing curriculum and how this relates to other responsibilities of the superintendent; (b) the factors considered when deciding curriculum choice; (c) the pros and cons of commercially developed curriculum and locally developed curriculum; and (d) the challenges associated with curriculum. This questioning along with the review of documents relating to curriculum guided the development of the findings and provided structure for the reporting of data and analysis. The data collected through the interviews and document reviews were coded according to first-level coding and pattern coding. This research study revealed that overseeing and maintaining a guaranteed and viable curriculum is very time and cost intensive, but the essential piece for student achievement. In addition, in regards to deciding between commercially developed or locally developed curriculum, the superintendents in this study were adamant advocates for their curriculum choice and had justifiable reasons for their choice. The final finding disclosed in this study was that with the role of the superintendent being very taxing, the function of Curriculum and Instruction does not always take priority. In conclusion, with such emphasis placed on having a guaranteed and viable curriculum, as the chief instructional leader, superintendents must put forth a concentrated effort to select a curriculum that will promote and support student learning and success. / text

Šiuolaikinėje verslo aplinkoje ypatingas dėmesys skiriamas sprendimo priėmimo procesui, jo pagrįstumo ir efektyvumo didinimui. Sprendimų priėmimas yra svarbi kiekvienos organizacijos gyvavimo dalis: labai svarbu tinkamai įvertinti situaciją ar problemą iš daugelio perspektyvų, sukurti ir įvertinti daugybę galimų vystymosi krypčių, tinkamai pasirinkti reikiamą idėją ir pan. Įmonė, siekdama įgyvendinti užsibrėžtus tikslus ir uždavinius, turėtų tikslingai nukreipti savo darbuotojų veiksmus, kad bendromis jėgomis pasiektų laukiamų rezultatų. Vienas iš būdų tai padaryti – įtraukti darbuotojus į sprendimų priėmimą, suteikiant jiems įgaliojimus, nubrėžiant atsakomybės ribas. Magistro darbo tikslas – išanalizuoti „Verslo žinių“ įmonės darbuotojų dalyvavimo sprendimų priėmimo procedūroje ypatumus ir pateikti pasiūlymus, kaip gerinti šį procesą. Siekiant užsibrėžto tikslo, atlikta Lietuvos bei užsienio autorių mokslinių publikacijų analizė, kokybinis bei kiekybinis tyrimas įmonėje „Verslo žinios“ darbuotojų dalyvavimo sprendimų priėmime aspektu. Apibendrinus tyrimo rezultatus paaiškėjo, įmonėje „Verslo žinios“ darbuotojai pakankamai aktyviai dalyvauja visuose sprendimų priėmimo proceso etapuose: nuo problemos identifikavimo iki proceso analizės. Darbuotojai aktyviausiai dalyvauja priimant sprendimus, kurie yra susijęs su organizacijos klientų aptarnavimu, išlaidų mažinimu bei organizacijos įvaizdžio kūrimu. Naujų darbuotojų įdarbinimas, darbuotojų atranka, darbuotojų atleidimo tvarka... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / In today's business environment, special attention is given to decision-making process, increasing their validities and efficiencies. Decision-making is very important in all organizations: it is important to assess the situation or problem from different perspectives, develop and evaluate possible directions of development, properly choose the right idea, and so on. The company implementing its objectives and tasks should direct their workers actions to achieve the desired results. One way to do this is to include personnel in decision-making, giving them powers and draw the limits of liability. The objective of master's final work is to analyze “Business news” company’s personnel participation features in decision-making procedure and submit proposals to improve this process. To achieve objective, analyzed Lithuanian and foreign authors scientific publications, "Business News" company’s qualitative and quantitative study in personnel participation in decision-making aspect. Result showed, that personnel of “Business news” company’s actively participating in all decision-making process: from the problem identification to the process analysis. Personnel actively participating in decision-making, which is associated with an organization's customer service, cost reduction and company image building. New employees recruitment, employees selection, employees dismissal procedures, salary setting – it is the areas in which personnel are not included. Company personnel feeling happy... [to full text]

The research was stimulated by involvement in leading elements of an Education Management programme. Developing part of the teaching material led to the realisation that while pupils' choice of school has been extensively researched it appeared that subject choice, particularly at A level had not. It also became apparent that ideas and models concerning decision making, extensively adopted within the Consumer Behaviour literature had not been applied in this context. Extensive reviews ofthe literature confirmed this position and indicated that the post sixteen school choice was also under researched and further that it was not possible to apply extant consumer behaviour models directly to the A level or School choice contexts. The research programme consisted of a mixture of qualitative and quantitative techniques. Building on elements of theory, from the literature, exploratory research employing focus groups was used to develop an initial model of adolescent pupil decision making. Early in the exploratory research it was found that the decision for adolescents choosing where to study their A levels was inextricably linked to choice of subjects. Choice of A level subjects was added to the research programme. Based on the exploratory results a quantitative study, using questionnaires, was developed to test the model on both single (choosing a school) and multiple (choosing A level subjects) choice situations. The study investigated differences between single-choice and multiple-choice decision making, an area neglected by consumer research, which provides at least a partial explanation of the process used by the pupils when they choose schools/colleges and A level subjects. Findings identify that although some aspects ofthe choice process are similar, there are important differences between the two types of decision. Evoked set are larger for multiple-choice decisions, and multi-choice decisions are likely to involve more stages in the decision making process than single-choice decisions. The results also identified that the parents' role has changed from 'decider', when their children were younger, to 'influencer', with the adolescent pupils becoming the decision makers. Concomitantly, choice criteria are shown to have evolved with 'discipline' decreasing markedly in importance and subject range increasing. The pre-eminence of personal sources of information is confinued but co-orientation emphasised.