The purpose of this thesis is to analyze how emerging market multinational enterprises (EMNEs) can effectively bridge the cultural gap between their home market operations and internationalized operations in advanced markets like Sweden, particularly with regards to adapting recruitment strategies to secure top talent in the new business context. The authors aim to expand the existing ‘springboard framework’ for internationalization by multinational enterprises originating in emerging market countries which are increasingly reshaping the global competitive landscape. The study interviewed seven managers with extensive experience working in both advanced and emerging markets, and five top talent from two of the highest ranked Swedish business schools. The study found that for EMNEs cultural distance is a secondary consideration when expanding to advanced markets and their main focus is showcasing their value proposition to clients, customers, and top talent alike. From the experience of the executives interviewed for this thesis, top talent prioritizes organizational and managerial values that a company imbibes and the career progression that it provides over remunerations. This was confirmed by the top talent we interviewed who repeatedly spoke about how important career opportunities and organizational values were for them. The findings from our thesis contribute to expanding the field of cross- cultural management theory by supplying a qualitative study of EMNE adaptation for internationalization. They also contribute to the recruitment literature by demonstrating how EMNEs have to adapt their HRM systems to the local environments in order to gain the attention of and acquire the local top talent.

The diploma thesis focuses on the new tool Landscape planning study for the municipality with extended competence. The main aim of this work is to find out, how Landscape planning study can be used, who can use it and how it may change the landscape. The thesis uses the case study methods of three selected municipalities with extended competence, namely Votice, Humpolec and Vodňany. The theoretical part discusses the concept of landscape and anchoring in planning activities. In next part, the thesis deals with the basic forms of tools that regulate the planning and using of landscape in Czechia, focusing mainly on spatial planning. Furthermore, the thesis deals with models that currently affect space planning, namely top-down and bottom-up models. Two basic hypotheses of the diploma thesis are set based on theoretical frameworks. There are two qualitative research methods used in the practical part of the thesis. The first method is the analysis of Landscape planning studies, second method are semi-structured interviews with selected respondents. The results of both methods show that Landscape planning study can be used only to a limited extent, mainly as an information source. However, the implementation rate of specific measures is very low now. The identified causes are the lack of...

Load induced top-down fatigue cracking has been recognized recently as a major distress phenomenon in asphalt pavements. This failure mode has been observed in many parts of the world, and in some regions, it was found to be more prevalent and a primary cause of pavements failure. The main factors which are identified as potential causes of top down fatigue cracking are primarily linked to age hardening, mixtures fracture resistance and unbound layers stiffness. Mechanistic Empirical analytical models, which are based on hot mix asphalt fracture mechanics (HMA-FM) and that could predict crack initiation time and propagation rate, have been developed and shown their capacity in delivering acceptable predictions. However, in these methods, the effect of age hardening and healing is not properly accounted and moreover, these models do not consider the effect of mixture morphology influence on long term pavement performance. Another drawback of these models is, as analysis tools they are not suitable to be used for pavement design purpose. The main objective of this study is to develop a reliability calibrated design framework in load resistance factor design (LRFD) format which could be implemented to design pavement sections against top down fatigue cracking. For this purpose, asphalt mixture morphology based sub-models were developed and incorporated to HMA-FM to characterize the effect of aging and degradation on fracture resistance and healing potential. These sub-models were developed empirically exploiting the observed relation that exist between mixture morphology and fracture resistance. The developed crack initiation prediction model was calibrated and validated using pavement sections that have high quality laboratory data and observed field performance history. As traffic volume was identified in having a dominant influence on predicted performance, two separate model calibration and validation studies were undertaken based on expected traffic volume. The predictions result for both model calibration and validation was found to be in an excellent agreement with the observed performance in the field. A LRFD based design framework was suggested that could be implemented to optimize pavement sections against top-down fatigue cracking. To achieve this objective, pavement sections with various design target reliabilities and functional requirements were analyzed and studied.  A simplified but efficient limit state equation was generated using a central composite design (CCD) based response surface methodology, and FORM based reliability analysis was implemented to compute reliabilities and formulate associated partial safety factors. A design example using the new partial safety factors have clearly illustrated the potential of the new method, which could be used to supplement existing design procedures. / <p>QC 20150427</p>

El objetivo principal de esta tesis es el desarrollo de un sistema de análisis de la marcha basado en visión que permita clasificar la marcha patológica. Este objetivo general se divide en tres subobjetivos específicos más concretos: definición formal de la marcha, especificación e implementación de un sistema de obtención de parámetros de la marcha basado en visión y clasificación de la marcha patológica. En el primer subobjetivo, definición formal de la marcha, nuestros esfuerzos consisten en obtener una definición de la marcha que incluya la visión por computador pero sin excluir otros métodos y que sea lo suficientemente abierta como para incluir todos los casos de marcha humana. La definición propuesta es la siguiente: "Gait is the anthropomorphic upright self-displacement, in an alternating stepping of two feet, with no additional fulcra, keeping at least a point of support at every time, on a horizontal or slightly inclined surface." A partir de esta definición, las variables que consideramos son tiempos y longitudes de paso y zancada, tiempos de apoyo monopodal y bipodal, velocidad, cadencia, etc... Para el segundo subobjetivo, especificación e implementación de un sistema de obtención de parámetros de la marcha basado en visión, nos centramos en el análisis de la marcha mediante visión por computador utilizando únicamente una cámara RGB, que obtenga imágenes laterales y frontales del sujeto. El algoritmo propuesto es capaz de extraer las variables de la marcha, establecidas en la definición del objetivo de especificación, con suficiente precisión, de modo que la marcha puede ser interpretada y clasificada. La decisión de limitar la infraestructura necesaria a una única cámara RGB, obedece al interés por abaratar los costes del sistema y que sea sostenible medioambientalmente, ya que no requiere de energía adicional para capturar la imagen, sino que utiliza la radiación lumínica que inunda el escenario, ya sea de forma natural o artificial. Este sistema actúa como interfaz de entrada del subobjetivo tres que son las variables de la marcha propuestas en el subobjetivo uno. Por tanto, el subobjetivo dos puede ser reemplazado por otro sistema basado en otro fenómeno como es el caso de un sistema inercial, siempre y cuando pueda proporcionar las variables definidas en el subobjetivo uno. El subobjetivo tres, clasificador de la marcha patológica, usa las variables proporcionadas por el sistema del subobjetivo dos para caracterizar la marcha y clasificarla. Mediante una serie de casos de entrenamiento, el sistema genera los modelos de marcha patológica y normal. A partir de estos modelos, el clasificador es capaz de determinar a qué modelo pertenece la entrada de parámetros de la marcha proporcionada por el subobjetivo dos. El objetivo de formalización nos ha llevado a profundizar en los aspectos conceptuales y procedimentales del conocimiento y de su creación, con la consecuencia de aportar sendas definiciones para problema y modelo, así como hallar una justificación formal, basada en la teoría de conjuntos, que confiere coherencia causal al método experimental. Además de encontrar formalmente la justificación causal del método científico, hemos podido encajar en ese marco formal los enfoques divide et vinces, model driven y top-down de resolución de problemas ingenieriles. Al tiempo que hemos encontrado que la técnica top-down de diseño es coincidente con el método científico de resolución de problemas, el método bottom-up es coherente con la implementación de prototipos, lo cual justifica la restricción de su utilización al diseño de instancias para las que ya se conoce solución.

It is well recognized that due to customers’ ever-growing material and cultural needs for a better life, an increasing number of people choose to experience premium hotels on their work trips or personal travels to keep top-tier elite membership of premium hotels. Previously, most luxury consumption research showed that higher needs drive consumer behaviour, such as identifying recognition and self-esteem. However, many people still focus on achieving job tasks, increasing income, or saving money by their membership. This phenomenon brings a puzzle about whether keeping top-tier elite membership of premium hotels is driven by spiritual needs or economic needs. To address that, this study drew on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory. It investigates the effects of spiritual needs (higher need) and economic needs (lower need) on consumer willingness to keep top-tier elite membership of premium hotels and how individual education levels moderate these effects. This study administers an online questionnaire-based survey among top-tier elite membership owners of premium hotels in mainland China. It uses the PLS-SEM technique to analyse the 150 valid questionnaires we collected. Our empirical findings indicate that spiritual needs, instead of economic needs, are the key driver to encourage consumers to maintain their top-tier elite membership of premium hotels. Furthermore, we uncover the moderating effect of individual education level and determine that the positive impact of spiritual needs on consumer willingness to keep top-tier elite membership of premium hotels is strengthened among highly educated people. Therefore, this study mainly reinforces the theoretical and practical value of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in luxury consumption research and extends its application, meanwhile, advances the research on luxury consumption and particularly in top-tier elite members of premium hotels.

In this thesis the application of machine learning algorithms as a tool in the search for top squark is studied. Two neural network models are trained with simulated stop events as signal against dileptonic and semi-leptonic top pair production events as background. There is a substantial class imbalance between the number of signal and background samples that are used. The performance of the neural network models are compared to the performance of a cut and count method. None of the models outperform the standard cut and count method.

Diploma thesis deals with the assessment of performance appraisal of non-medical healthcare employees in Oblastní nemocnice Jičín a.s. . The thesis contents theoretical and practical part. The theoretical part anchors the performance appraisal system into the human resource management, with focus on the role of line managers. It also deals with the definition of job performance, circumstances that influence, and capabilities of its monitoring. Another part of the thesis emphasizes on the implementation of employee appraisal into practice, in which top management of the organization plays an important role. At the end of the theoretical part, I try to highlight the importance of linking of employee assessment with the vision, goals and values of the organization. The theoretical part offers the solution of the imperfections identified in the applied research. The practical part brings point of view on the reasons and way of implementation of employee appraisal in the organization, its adaptation by the employees and effectiveness of its use by the line managers. In this part I acquire pieces of knowledge through combination of qualitative and quantitative research. The research reveals the actual functioning of the system, imperfections in its implementation as well as line manager's suggestions for...

The thesis focuses on the use of political marketing by the political party TOP 09 during the municipal elections in 2010. This chosen topic explores issues that have not been covered by the Czech political research yet. The thesis is mostly based on the theoretical concepts of Lees-Marshment and Bruce Newman. The research surmised that the political party TOP 09 had implemented political marketing techniques during the last municipal elections, and it might be considered, as described by Lees-Marshment model, as a market-oriented party. The thesis uses qualitative research methods. Its second part comprises of two case studies on the municipal campaigns of TOP 09 in the cities of Olomouc and Prague: the empirical evidence reviews campaign strategy, electoral programme, election polls, relations to the other candidate parties, media coverage, campaign organization, internal marketing and (last but not least) campaign financing. The thesis comes to conclusions that TOP 09 was using political marketing on municipal level, but still there are differences in the extent of its usage. While the Prague party organization behaved as a market-oriented one, the Olomouc regional organization might be described as a sales-oriented party.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are man-made fluorinated compounds that havebeen detected in humans, the environment, and wildlife. The strong C-F bonds contribute tothe high thermal stability of some PFASs and make them extremely resistant to degradationunder normal environmental conditions. The commonly studied classes of PFASs areperfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids and perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids. Though the phase-out ofperfluorooctane sulfonic acid and perfluorooctanoic acid for some time, they were the mostfrequent compounds measured and detected in biota.In this study, the total oxidisable precursor (TOP) assay, which is a method used to indirectlymeasure and estimate PFAS precursors, was evaluated. Different parameters were studied tounderstand their effects on oxidation of precursor compounds following TOP assay method(e.g., oxidation rate, pH of the oxidation solution and different washing steps during solidphaseextraction)The results from this experiment showed that the target precursors were oxidised and part ofthe proportion of the compounds formed ranged from 37 to 100% (molar ratio). Whenperforming TOP assay, it was shown that some precursors oxidised before 0.5 h while otherprecursors were oxidised after 4 hours. However, it was still unknown what products wereformed when some precursors were oxidised e.g., 7:3 fluorotelomer carboxylic acid (7:3-FTCA) and 10:2 fluorotelomer unsaturated carboxylic acid (10:2- FTUCA) because of animbalance of precursors to degradation products (molar to molar ratio).When the washing steps for solid-phase extraction were evaluated for potential losses ofprecursors, it could be seen that the ammonium acetate and the 20% methanol in Milli-Q waterled to the loss of some precursors. These results showed precautions were needed wheninterpreting the results using TOP assay.

Contrast agents are often crucial in medical imaging for disease diagnosis. Novel contrast agents, such as gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and lanthanides, are being ex- plored for a variety of clinical applications. Preclinical testing of these contrast agents is necessary before being approved for use in humans, which requires the use of small animal imaging techniques. Small animal imaging demands the detection of these contrast agents in trace amounts at acceptable imaging time and radiation dose. Two such imaging techniques include x-ray fluorescence computed tomography (XFCT) and photon-counting CT (PCCT). XFCT combines the principles of CT with x-ray fluorescence by detecting fluorescent x-rays from contrast agents at various projections to reconstruct contrast agent maps. XFCT can image trace amounts of AuNPs but is limited to small animal imaging due to fluorescent x-ray attenuation and scatter. PCCT uses photon-counting detectors that separate the CT data into energy bins. This enables contrast agent detection by recognizing the energy dependence of x-ray attenuation in different materials, independent of AuNP depth, and can provide anatomical information that XFCT cannot. To achieve the best of both worlds, we modeled and built a table-top x-ray imaging system capable of simultaneous XFCT and PCCT imaging. We used Monte Carlo simulation software for the following work in XFCT imaging of AuNPs. We simulated XFCT induced by x-ray, electron, and proton beams scanning a small animal-sized object (phantom) containing AuNPs with Monte Carlo techniques. XFCT induced by x-rays resulted in the best image quality of AuNPs, however high-energy electron and medium-energy proton XFCT may be feasible for on-board x-ray fluorescence techniques during radiation therapy. We then simulated a scan of a phantom containing AuNPs on a table-top system to optimize the detector arrangement, size, and data acquisition strategy based on the resulting XFCT image quality and available detector equipment. To enable faster XFCT data acquisition, we separately simulated another AuNP phantom and determined the best collimator geometry for Au fluorescent x-ray detection. We also performed experiments on our table-top x-ray imaging system in the lab. Phantoms containing multiples of three lanthanide contrast agents were scanned on our tabletop x-ray imaging system using a photon-counting detector capable of sustaining high x-ray fluxes that enabled PCCT. We used a novel subtraction algorithm for reconstructing separate contrast agent maps; all lanthanides were distinct at low concentrations including gadolinium and holmium that are close in atomic number. Finally, we performed the first simultaneous XFCT and PCCT scan of a phantom and mice containing both gadolinium and gold based on the optimized parameters from our simulations. This dissertation outlines the development of our tabletop x-ray imaging system and the optimization of the complex parameters necessary to obtain XFCT and PCCT images of multiple contrast agents at biologically-relevant concentrations. / Graduate