The shift towards electric vehicles has during the last years increased; nevertheless, the rate has not been fast enough. Electric vehicles have several environmental benefits as reduced CO2 footprint and a lower climate impact. On the other side, the reality shows that there are several adoption barriers on an individual level for electrical vehicles. These are technical, economic, infrastructure, policy, and social. However, a low amount of literature focuses on the business sector. This thesis examines and explores what the different adoption barriers are concerning battery electric vehicles for small and medium enterprises in Sweden, and why they occur. The purpose of this is to fill the current research gap and provide valuable data to vehicle providers/manufacturers in Sweden. To reach the objectives, an extensive theoretical framework has been created to accurately utilize current literature. In the thesis, five small and medium enterprises participated, and interviews were conducted with nine informants at the specific companies. The findings display that the technical, economic, and infrastructure barriers have the most negative effect on the possibility to adopt battery electric vehicle. It further shows two new barriers, planning and customer/competitors which influence the adoption of battery electric vehicles. These findings solely display the barriers for small and medium enterprises, and by linking together with current literature, new barriers have been presented in terms of planning and customers/competitors.

Background: Engaging in sharing economy practices has in recent years increased in popularity. Hence, renting a private home instead of traditional accommodation options are becoming more common among travellers. Previous research has focused on the demand side of renting accommodations. The suppliers' perspective has also been developed and researched regarding their intentions to continue renting out their properties. However, non-experienced hosts have previously been neglected in academic research. Therefore, this thesis focuses on non-experienced hosts and their thoughts regarding opening their home and their intention to engage in sharing economy practices.  Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore how the different factors guide Swedish ‘småhus’ owners' intention to rent out their primary residence.  Method: To explore the purpose of this thesis, a qualitative research design was chosen. The empirical data was gathered through fifteen semi-structured interviews sampled through non-probability judgemental sampling. An abductive research approach was chosen to analyse and interpret the data using thematic analysis.  Conclusion: This study found that participants' intentions to act as hosts were guided by attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control presented through the theory of planned behaviour. Participants further showed that trust, concerns, control, privacy, economics, environment, security, and people were themes that affected some- or all ‘småhus’ owners' intentions in this research. Furthermore, this study found that economic benefit acts as the largest motivator to act as hosts, especially where an economic need exists. However, trust was deemed necessary to enable most participants to consider the idea of opening up their private homes.

Background: Ordering online food delivery has become an urban lifestyle for many people around the world, especially in China. The booming of this online-to-offline market has brought lucrative profits to online food delivery industry players, while consumers are enjoying the diversity of food available through this convenient delivery way. However, the environmental issues are also alarming with huge impact on every aspect of human development. This paper is interested in whether the Chinese Generation Z is thinking green when ordering food online. Purpose: The study aims to examine the effect of different influencing factors on Generation Z’s green consumer behaviour in three stages: purchasing, using and disposing for a holistic view. This also serves the purpose of an adaptation of relevant theories in green consumer behaviour studies such as theory of planned behaviour and ecological conscious consumer behaviour framework into the Chinese online food delivery industry. Method: A quantitative research was conducted based on a hypothesised model aiming to analyse the causal relationships between 5 factors (perceived consumer behaviour, environmental control, altruism, narcissism and subjective norm) and ECCB, together with the purchasing, using and disposing stages. 326 valid responses were collected from an online survey for the data analysis procedures in SPSS and SPSS Amos. Confirmatory factor analysis and multiple regression were among the analysis methods conducted. Conclusion: Subjective norm, narcissism, and perceived consumer effectiveness were found to have significant positive effects on green consumer behaviour among the five proposed predictors for Chinese Generation Z. The most impactful determinant is narcissism, followed by subjective norm and lastly, perceived consumer effectiveness.

The Covid-19 pandemic, as a health and economic crisis, has significantly affected consumers, businesses and industries in all parts of the world. In this study, the aim was to investigate how situational factors, the covid-19 pandemic, affected consumer behavior regarding food purchases via e-commerce instead of physical stores. This has been done through a qualitative method in the form of 15 semi-structured interviews that have taken place via the Zoom program. The study sample consisted of a combination of both a goal-directed and convenience sample, where the authors chose the interviewees based on their circle of acquaintances and based on three different criterias, (1) the interviewees live in either the Salem or Södertälje municipality, (2) the interviewees need to be at least 18 years old to participate in the study and (3) the interviewees must have purchased food via e-commerce after the emergence of the covid-19 pandemic. The study's question is: How has the covid-19 pandemic affected consumers over the age of 18 in Södertälje and Salem municipalities when buying food, from shopping in physical stores to shopping via e-commerce? The authors analyzed the empirical data with regard to the study's theoretical frame of reference. The results of the study showed that the situational factor, the covid-19 pandemic, has been a contributing force in a change in consumer behavior when purchasing food starting from physical stores to e-commerce. This has been demonstrated by the fact that the interviewees' subjective norm, attitude and evaluation of alternatives have been influenced by the situational factor. Some trends have also been found in the empirical study, where one of the trends concerns the perceived behavioral control, which has been shown to have the opposite effect. Post-purchase evaluation in The Consumer Purchase Decision-Making Process has been shown to be for the most part positive in the interviewees answers and finally, WOM-communication has had an impact on consumer behavior inconnection with the impact of the covid-19 pandemic. / Covid-19-pandemin, som både en hälso- och ekonomisk kris, har väsentligt påverkat konsumenter, företag och industrier i alla delar av världen. I denna studie var syftet att undersöka hur situationella faktorer, covid-19-pandemin, påverkat konsumentbeteendet gällande inköp av livsmedel via e-handeln istället för fysiska butiker. Detta har genomförts via en kvalitativ metod i form av 15 semistrukturerade intervjuer som skett via Zoom-programmet. Studiens urval bestod av en kombination av ett målstyrt och bekvämlighetsurval, där författarna valde intervjupersonerna utifrån deras bekantskapskrets och utifrån tre olika kriterier, att (1) intervjupersonerna bor i antingen Salem eller Södertälje kommun, (2) intervjupersonerna behöver vara minst 18 år gamla för att delta i studien och (3) intervjupersonerna måste ha handlat livsmedel via e-handeln efter covid-19-pandemins uppkomst. Studiens frågeställning lyder: Hur har covid-19-pandemin påverkat konsumenterna över 18 år i Södertälje och Salem kommun vid inköp av livsmedel, från att handla i fysiska butiker till att handla via e-handel? Författarna analyserade empirin med hänsyn till studiens teoretiska referensram. Studiens resultat visade att den situationella faktorn, covid-19-pandemin har varit en medverkande kraft i ett ändrat konsumentbeteende vid inköp av livsmedel från fysiska butiker till e-handeln. Detta har påvisats genom att intervjupersonernas subjektiva norm, attityd och utvärdering av alternativ har påverkats av den situationella faktorn. Även en del trender har upptäckts i empirin, där en av trenderna berör den upplevda beteendekontrollen, vilket har visats ha en omvänd effekt. Utvärdering efter köpet i  The Consumer Purchase Decision-Making Process har visats vara för den övervägande delen positiv och slutligen har WOM-kommunikationen haft en påverkan på konsumentbeteendet i samband med covid-19-pandemins inverkan.

Informal markets for fashion are a growing phenomenon around the world and more specifically in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In different cities in the Democratic Republic of Congo, there are tents housing vendors who sell second-hand clothes. These markets are becoming the millennials' shopping hubs as millennials are on a quest for uniqueness, fashion trends and value for money. Limited research regarding the shopping patterns and purchase decisions of Congolese millennials and even less regarding the informal clothing market in the Democratic Republic of Congo is available. This research is aimed at investigating factors influencing millennials in the purchase of second-hand clothes in the informal markets in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The theoretical framework was guided by the theory of planned behaviour from which the researcher constructed an adapted model. The purchase of secondhand clothes is the behaviour that is preceded and influenced by the consumer's intention to purchase. In turn, the intention to buy clothing from informal markets is influenced by various factors. Five factors were added to the model, namely quality, clothing interest, peers' opinions, price consciousness and the need for uniqueness. The model was investigated through a qualitative case study analysis. The data was collected through face-to-face interviews and the thematic analysis was conducted and interpreted manually. The target population argued that second-hand clothes are unique, durable and affordable. These clothes allow them to shop the fashion trends they see on social media from around the world. Thus, it is important to have a valuable understanding of the factors influencing Congolese millennials to buy second-hand clothes. Retailers and marketers in the fashion industry of the Democratic Republic of Congo, particularly those in the informal clothing market, can consider the consumer insights acquired in this research and apply them to increase their advantage in the market place.

The extensive literature on financial literacy has sought to explain financial behaviours and decisions. On the asset side of the balance sheet, financial literacy is associated with good financial practice and wealth accumulation. On the liability side, however, the contribution of financial literacy to individuals’ financial decisions is not entirely clear. To add to this literature, as well as that of behavioural finance and alternative financial services, this research develops a conceptual framework based on Ajzen’s (1991) theory of planned behaviour (TPB). This framework links individuals’ attitudes to financial matters, subjective norms, perceived feasibility, financial knowledge, and behavioural biases that include overconfidence and present bias on the decision to obtain high-interest loans. The empirical tests of the developed framework suggest that individuals in distinct socio-economic groups have different antecedents that lead to borrowing from alternative financial services. For instance, individuals from low-income households are more likely to obtain these loans if they: do not have access to other forms of credit; struggle to pay their bills; are unemployed; or do not have access to advice from finance professionals. In turn, individuals from high-income households are more likely to obtain these loans if they lack financial knowledge or have behavioural biases like overconfidence or present bias. These results suggest the importance of access to professional advice while ensuring access to traditional means of obtaining credit for low-income individuals in order to reduce the negative effects of these high-interest loans. The results also confirm the importance of current policy initiatives to implement basic finance education in public school curriculums, and the urgency to seek effective approaches to address individuals’ cognitive assumptions.

The research problem for the study was the low entrepreneurial activity in South Africa that leads to high unemployment rates. The research question wanted to investigate the effect that entrepreneurship education may have on the students’ entrepreneurial intentions. Intentions were measured because the Theory of Planned Behaviour, which was employed as the framework, postulates that intention is the best predictor of behaviour. The study also investigated the effect of social norms on the students’ entrepreneurial intentions; whether the students who have self-employed parents and/or have personal entrepreneurial experience, would show higher levels of entrepreneurial intentions than students with a different background. A quantitative research design was employed to answer the research questions, and to test the hypotheses. An online survey was sent to the entire target population and anonymous responses were received. This was important and ethical as it protected the respondents’ identity. A total of 92 responses out of 1 743 students were received, and 73 were complete. The collected data was analysed using a Stata 15 statistical package. The study found that entrepreneurship education does indeed have an effect of raising the students’ entrepreneurial intentions, attitudes and their perceived entrepreneurial skills gained from studying entrepreneurship. The students who come from communities where entrepreneurship is less prevalent showed the highest gain in intentions, attesting to the effect of education in an open distance learning context on their intentions. The students’ entrepreneurial background did not show any effect on their intentions; those who have self-employed parents did not have higher intentions than the students with a different background. To increase the effectiveness of entrepreneurship education, it is recommended that more practical ways of teaching entrepreneurship should be implemented. It is also recommended that entrepreneurship education should be extended to more students, and particularly to science and engineering students. This is because the latter are more likely to produce innovative products that will lead to high growth, high impact businesses that will employ more people for longer, therefore raising entrepreneurial activity and reducing unemployment. / Business Management / M. Com. (Entrepreneurship)

Problem Att få användarna i hushåll att konsumera och använda el hållbart är en del av utvecklandet av ett smart elnät. Detta menar man ska möjliggöras med tekniska lösningar, som digitala verktyg. Forskning menar dock att vi måste förstå mer än bara möjligheten och belyser vikten av att förstå hur digitala verktyg ska användas för att möjliggöra ett smart elnät. Vi bör inte bortse ifrån är att digitala verktyg står i relation till användaren och kräver därmed förståelse för användarens behov och hur dessa kan bemötas med digitala verktyg för att användaren ska konsumera och använda el hållbart. Syfte Studien syftar till att öka förståelsen för hur och varför universitetsstudenter av Generation Z resonerar och agerar som de gör kring sin elkonsumtion och elanvändning i hemmet. Detta för att förstå deras behov kring deras elkonsumtion och elanvänding och belysa hur de ska konsumera och använda el hållbart med hjälp av digitala verktyg. Metod Studien bygger på en kvalitativ studie baserad på en abduktiv ansats där data bygger på enskilda semistrukturerade intervjuer med universitetsstudenter av Generation Z för att förstå hur de förhåller sig till sin elanvändning och elkonsumtion. Innehållsanalys har sedan tillämpats. Slutsats Uppsatsens resultat visar på att gruppen inte gör många aktiva beslut för att konsumera och använda el hållbart till följd av deras attityd vilket kan förklaras med deras bekvämlighet och okunskap. Detta är något digitala verktyg kan bemöta genom att på ett tvingande sätt driva ett hållbart beteende. Vi ser därför att ett smart elnät kan möjliggöras med passiv användare som konsumera och använder el på ett hållbart sätt som är värdefullt för dem.

Title: Attitudes and motivations of young people towards sport betting Objectives: To find out which factors significantly influence sport betting in young Czechs between the age of 18 and 30. Methods: Due to the quantitative nature of the research, the only used method was electronic survey. The survey was based on the theory of planned behaviour. It primarily sought information on independent variables (predictors) within this theory, which are attitudes, subjective norm and perceived control (in connection with sport betting). This part was adopted from a similar previous research. The intention and behaviour of the respondents as response variables were also surveyed in order to describe the relationships between independent and response variables. The sample consisted of 122 respondents, mostly active betters. Statistical methods such as correlation and regression analysis were used, followed by a final path analysis, which provided a model visualizing the relationships between the crucial variables. Results: All of the examined predictors within the theory of planned behaviour influence the intention to bet - the values are 0,241 for attitudes, 0,335 for subjective norm and -0,410 for perceived control. The negative value means that those with higher perceived control have lower intention to...

Microtransactions is a relatively new concept within the gaming industry witha very large monetary value for businesses. Companies utilize persuasivedesign strategies such as time-based scarcity in order to incentivize players tospend money on microtransactions which in turn creates addiction towardsmicrotransactions. The purpose of this paper is to explain the addictiveinfluence limited time scarcity possesses on purchase intention for randomizedvirtual cosmetics (RVC) or definite virtual cosmetics (DVC), and which ofRVC and DVC carries the stronger influence. To arrive to a fitting conclusion,a quantitative method was utilized in order to collect the data required. Sincethis research is explanatory in nature and built on existing research, a crosssectional approach was utilized. Two hypotheses were tested, and aquestionnaire was conducted. The findings from this study suggest that bothRVC and DVC has an impact on purchase intention, however RVC proves tocarry a stronger influence than DVC.