Background: Firms are today competing for educated and qualified people within the IT-industry, due to the high business activity. Firms require new employees to have both a formal education and relevant work expe-riences. Newspaper articles state that IT-companies have difficulties finding qualified employees and that they also see this shortage of competencies as the most prominent hinder to economic growth. To handle this shortage are an increased amount of companies starting structured training activities for their new employees, which by general terms is called trainee programs. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to do an explorative study of compa-nies in the Swedish IT-industry, to see if and why a trainee program could be a source of competitive advantage. Method: A qualitative approach has been applied when collecting data. Four small case studies were made by interviewing top managers and col-lecting company related information. The companies had diverse sizes and different experiences from trainee programs. The data was analyzed with the Resource-based view as a guiding theory applying the VRIN framework. Conclusion: By doing the studies three value adding aspects was found. They were staffing/recruitment, marketing and, organizational learning and development. Within the resource-based views boundaries were: recruitment and staffing found to be a source of at best tem-porary competitive advantage, the same conclusion applies for trai-nee program as a marketing tool. Organizational learning and de-velopment could be seen as a source of competitive advantage due to the complex impact a trainee program has to an organization. To summarize the above mentioned; trainee program could be a source of sustainable competitive advantage. Three obstacles for implementing trainee programs were found; feeling of being to small, short-term thinking and the lack of time.

This study is to explore the future development of Bank of Kaohsiung (BOK), the only Kaohsiung based medium-size banking institute. Due to the close relationship between banking and economic development, banking institutes with headquarter at Kaohsiung serving the local enterprises in this region play a significant role. While¡Amost of the local banking institutions in Kaohsiung area moved their headquarters to Taipei or have been merged by Finance holding companies owing to their poor performance. BOK is the only one left. Nevertheless, BOK should not be satisfied with the advantage of being the only medium-size local bank, but has to seek the way to withhold the advantage from the market and survive even better when facing the severe competition from giant Finance holding companies. This research adopts the questionnaire research method of case study and carries on the research by exploring: 1.the viewpoint of the middle-ranked clerks of BOK for the value of the Bank¡¦s operation core resources. 2.the viewpoint of the bank clerks of BOK for their intention and cooperative willingness in the bank development, including bank organizational change and economies of scope. The conclusions of this study are presented as follows: 1.Most of the middle-ranked clerks of BOK agree to the view points of resource-based view that ability is more important than resources , intangible resources is more important than physical resources and finance resources. 2.42.5% of bank clerks agree that it is a major defect of BOK with most of their branch office located at the southern part of Taiwan. Over 70% of bank clerks agree to move of the poor performance branch office to other volatile city. However, 84.5% of the questionnaires insist that any assignment to serve in other area shall be volunteered. 3.Developing the wealth management business is mild positive to bank clerks of BOK, and young, new coming, high educated bank clerks are more optimism. Over 80% of bank clerks recognize that solid customer support is the great asset of their Bank. 4.Expanding the loaning business among the medium and small enterprises is mild positive to bank clerks of BOK, especially high educated young bank clerks. 5.Nearly half of bank clerks believe that there is a little chance that BOK will not become a financial holding company. Also, 42% of the employee reject or highly reject the Bank to carry out actively to merge with other financial holding company. This research attempts to make some contributions on this subject. We start from the viewpoint of the middle-ranked clerks and bank clerks of BOK, through the empirical questionnaire research. We hope this can provides an objective discussion platform for people who concern the future development of BOK in the relevant issues.

This dissertation aims at describing the worldview and the ontological boundary work that descriptions of ”the information society” presuppose as well as understanding how these relate to technocratic descriptions of the world. The theoretical point of origin of this work is that worldviews are communicated, and that when this transpires, three worlds are related to (the objective, the social, and the subjective) which contain ideological components that make them plausible. The material that has been studied is public documents from 1994 – 2004. These materials have been analysed with the help of text analysis, where a reconstruction of the ideological components of the worldview is the objective. The results of the analysis show that these descriptions, first of all, presuppose an objective world where an ontological boundary between technology and values is drawn. Technology is driven by one form of logic and values are driven by another. Technology does not in itself contain values, but when put to use, only certain types of value can be created. The subsequent theoretical consequences are that these values (for instance effectiveness) are presented as objective, independent of value conflicts in society. Second, the analysis shows that descriptions partly presuppose a social world that is divided into a normative centre and a normative periphery, and partly a historicist description of historical development. These two ideological components provide a logical consequence, that in the social world, identifiable groups who live according to lifestyle patterns of the future can already be found today. Third, results show that descriptions presuppose a subjective world that is possible to change and direct. Man is to be made responsive to certain aspects of his existence and unresponsive toward others. This requires causing him to be responsive to change and unresponsive to that which hinders change. The logical consequences become a description of a system integrated information society where the individual is to adapt himself to changes on the system level. All in all, the three results of the study show that the world view which the descriptions presuppose have clear elements of technocracy and the art of social engineering.

Small and medium enterprises play an important role in the development of a country. The growth of SMEs is also important for the world economy which has been widely discussed in recent years. Although the growth of small firm is a well known topic in theoretical research, still there are some research gaps that need to be filled. There is no single multidimensional theory which would embrace all possible approaches; most studies on SMEs’ growth examine the growth factors one by one. (Wasilczuk, 2000) Nor is there any single theory that can adequately explain small business growth due to the heterogeneity of SMEs. Moreover, growth itself is difficult to measure, and can be measured either objectively or subjectively. (Delmar, 1996) Therefore, this study incorporates the resource-based view, as well as the consideration of SMEs’ fives stages model to examine the growth factor of SMEs. The resource-based view provides a unified approach in the conceptualization of the resource analysis in the small firm. The five stages model shows the position of SMEs current growth stage. By analyzing SMEs’ key resources (tangible and intangible resources), indentifying their growth stages, SMEs can find out the critical resources which influence their business growth. As a conclusion, the study finds that each resource has its importance in different stages. Tangible resources, such as cash and physical resources are critical in the start-up firms, while intangible resources are prioritized in the success and resource maturity stages. In order to gain the competitive advantages, SMEs should fully develop the unique and inimitable resources such as the brand, technology, culture and reputations.

”Livsfrågor är något man måste äga in i märgen”- en kvalitativ studie av två olika skolor om pedagogers syn på sitt bemötande och arbete med barns livsfrågorStudiens syfte var att undersöka pedagogers syn på sitt bemötande och arbete med barns livsfrågor. Även att undersöka vilken roll pedagogerna anser sig ha i arbetet med barns livsfrågor och vilket förhållningssätt pedagogerna anser sig ha då barns bakgrunder ser olika ut. Den kvalitativa intervjumetoden har använts, då målet var att få en nyanserad bild av pedagogers olika arbeten med barns livsfrågor. Intervjuerna har skett på två olika skolor där den ena skolan har en majoritet med elever med svensk bakgrund medan den andra skolan har en majoritet med elever från skilda kulturer. Två pedagoger från varje skola har varit med i studien. Rektorerna på båda skolorna har även intervjuats för att få deras syn på pedagogernas arbete med barns livsfrågor. Resultatet visar att pedagogerna anser sig ha en betydelsefull roll i arbetet med barns livsfrågor. Genom att lyssna och vara lyhörd inför eleverna blir allas tankar betydelsefulla. Den problematik som framkom i studien var att då elevers kulturer skiljer sig åt kan det vara svårt som pedagog att finna ett förhållningssätt där alla blir sedda. Det är av stor betydelse att lyfta barns olikheter för att finna en förståelse för varandra. Skolan är inte bara en plats för lärande av ämnen utan en plats med lärande för livet, då arbetet och bemötandet av barns livsfrågor har en stor roll. Pedagogerna saknade teoretisk kunskap från lärarutbildningen gällande barns livsfrågor men genom erfarenhet utvecklas man som pedagog inom ämnet. Studien visar att man önskat mer utbildning. / “Vital questions are something one has to possess in the marrow according to”- a qualitative study of the pedagogue’s opinion on their behavior and work with children´s vital questions in two different schools. The aim of the study was to investigate the point of view of the pedagogues in their work with children´s vital questions. Also to investigate which role the pedagogues believe they have in working with the vital questions of children and which behavior the pedagogues consider they have when the children’s backgrounds look different. The qualitative method of the interview has been used because the aim was to get a verified picture of the pedagogues´ different work with children´s vital questions. The interviews have been taken place in two different schools, where one school has a majority of children with a Swedish background, while the other one has a majority of pupils from various cultures. Two pedagogues from each school have taken part in the study. The headmasters from both schools have also been interviewed in order to get their point of view on the pedagogues´ work with children´s vital questions.The result shows that the pedagogues think that they have an important role in working with vital questions of the children. Through listening and having sensitive ears in the presence of the pupils will all thoughts be important. The problems which came out in the study were because of the difference in cultures it can be difficult as a pedagogue to find a method where all can be seen. The school is not only a place in order to learn subjects. It is a place with learning for life, because the work and meeting of children´s vital questions have a great role. The pedagogues have no theoretical knowledge from the education of teachers according to children´s vital questions but through experience one develops as a pedagogue within the subject. The study shows that they wish much more education.

Abstract Aim: The aim was to evaluate height measurements made with the single view metrology method and to investigate the influence of standing position and different phases of gait and running on vertical height. Method: Ten healthy men were recorded simultaneously by a 2D web camera and a 3D motion analysis system. They performed six trials, three standing and three during gait and running. The vertical height was measured with the single view metrology method and in Qualisys Track Manager. The results were compared for evaluation. The vertical height in the different postures was compared to the actual height. Results: The measurements made with the single view metrology method were significantly higher than the measurements made with Qualisys Track Manager (p<0.001). The vertical height in the two standing positions was significantly lower than the actual height (p<0.05). The vertical height in midstance was significantly lower than actual height in the walking trials (p<0.05). No significant difference was found between maximum vertical height and actual height during running (p>0.05). Conclusion: The single view metrology method measured vertical heights with a mean error of +2.30 cm. Posture influence vertical body height. Midstance in walking is the position where vertical height corresponds best with actual height, in running it is the non-support phase.

Tidigare forskning har visat att förmågan att läsa och skriva påverkar både människans kognitiva tänkande och neurologiska strukturer. Likaså innebär oförmågan att läsa och skriva en social press som påverkar vår syn på oss själva. Men hur påverkas vår själv- och framtidssyn av att vi lär oss att läsa och skriva? Detta har undersökts genom intervjuer med 14 kvinnor i Nepal med olika erfarenheter av att läsa och skriva. Resultatet visade huvudsakligen att kvinnorna såg sig själva som mer självständiga och självsäkra, och sin framtid som mer ljus efter att de lärt sig att läsa och skriva. Slutligen har studiens reliabilitet och förslag på fortsatta studier diskuterats.

Data can be represented in multiple views. Traditional multi-view learning methods (i.e., co-training, multi-task learning) focus on improving learning performance using information from the auxiliary view, although information from the target view is sufficient for learning task. However, this work addresses a semi-supervised case of multi-view learning, the surrogate supervision multi-view learning, where labels are available on limited views and a classifier is obtained on the target view where labels are missing. In surrogate multi-view learning, one cannot obtain a classifier without information from the auxiliary view. To solve this challenging problem, we propose discriminative and generative approaches. / Graduation date: 2013

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This thesis analyses techniques employed by Jane Austen in Emma and Sense &amp / Sensibility to control the readers when they make judgements about characters and events.The thesis will argue that the point of view used in these two novels to present events and characters has great influence upon readers. In addition, the role of skilful use of irony by Austen, and witholding of information by characters and author in keeping readers alert will be analysed.