Sammanfattning Syftet med studien är att få en djupare förståelse för hur några speciallärare tänker kring stödinsatser och främjande av skrivutveckling hos mellanstadieelever i skrivsvårigheter. Studiens frågeställningar är hur resonerar speciallärare kring skrivsvårigheter och dess yttringar, hur beskriver speciallärare att de arbetar med extra anpassningar för att främja god skrivundervisning och hur utformar speciallärare det särskilda stödet till elever i skrivsvårigheter. Studien har en kvalitativ forskningsansats och bygger på tolv semistrukturerade intervjuer med verksamma speciallärare. Empirin har analyserats medutgångspunkt i tre teoretiska ramverk; den kognitiva skrivmodellen The Not so Simple View of Writing, det sociokulturella perspektivet på lärande samt det relationella perspektivet på specialpedagogik och därefter kategoriserats i sju centrala teman; språkförståelse, text- och stödstrukturer, inre processer, gemensamt skrivande, motorik,digitala verktyg och kollegial samverkan. Resultatet ger en samstämmig bild av att skrivande är en komplex process där skrivsvårigheter yttrar sig på många sätt och att mer kunskap behövs kring hur olika kognitiva förmågor samverkar vid skapandet av text. De relationella och sociokulturella perspektiven framträder när informanter beskriver främjande och stödjande insatser som till exempel cirkelmodellen och scaffolding.

Elevens läsförmåga påverkar hur eleven tar till sig textinnehåll, vilket i sin tur inverkar på kunskapsinhämtningen. Undervisning i läsning är viktig i alla skolans ämnen då ämnestexter ställer olika krav på läsförmågan. Matematiska texter har sina särskiljande egenskaper och kan orsaka problem, särskilt för elever i lässvårigheter. Syftet med denna studie var att synliggöra hur lärare som undervisar i matematik på mellanstadiet arbetar för att öka förutsättningarna för lärande och utveckling för elever i lässvårigheter. Den teoretiska utgångspunkten har varit modellen The simple view of reading som på ett tydligt sätt visar på komplexiteten i läsning samtidigt som den belyser hur läsningens beståndsdelar, avkodning och språklig förståelse, påverkar elevens läsförmåga i matematikämnet. Den tidigare forskningen som lyfts i studien beskriver hur viktigt det är att matematiklärare har kunskap om båda dessa delar för att kunna främja och stödja i sin undervisning för elever i lässvårigheter. I studien har en kvantitativ forskningsansats valts för att uppnå syftet och för att samla in empiri har en anonym enkät utformats och besvarats av matematiklärare på mellanstadiet via professions- och ämnesrelevanta grupper via sociala medier och via e-post. Resultatet visade att lärarna redan idag gör en hel del i sin undervisning, genom aktiviteter som tycks främja elevers läsning och med åtgärdande insatser för elever i lässvårigheter. Samtidigt blev det synligt att lärare efterfrågar mer kunskap om hur läsning och lässvårigheter påverkar lärande och utveckling i matematikämnet. Denna studie har visat att det finns ett behov att fylla där specialläraren/specialpedagogen har en viktig funktion att lyfta det språkliga perspektivet i matematikundervisningen, hur lässvårigheter påverkar elevers lärande i matematikämnet, samt hur matematikundervisning och stöd kan utformas för elever i lässvårigheter.

There has been an increasing interest in visual sensors and vision-based solutions for single and multi-robot systems. Vision-based sensors, e.g., traditional RGB cameras, grant rich semantic information and accurate directional measurements at a relatively low cost; however, such sensors have two major drawbacks. They do not generally provide reliable depth estimates, and typically have a limited field of view. These limitations considerably increase the complexity of controlling multiagent systems. This thesis studies some of the underlying problems in vision-based multiagent control and mapping. The first contribution of this thesis is a method for restoring bearing rigidity in non-rigid networks of robots. We introduce means to determine which bearing measurements can improve bearing rigidity in non-rigid graphs and provide a greedy algorithm that restores rigidity in 2D with a minimum number of added edges. The focus of the second part is on the formation control problem using only bearing measurements. We address the control problem for consensus and formation control through non-smooth Lyapunov functions and differential inclusion. We provide a stability analysis for undirected graphs and investigate the derived controllers for directed graphs. We also introduce a newer notion of bearing persistence for pure bearing-based control in directed graphs. The third part is concerned with the bearing-only visual homing problem with a limited field of view sensor. In essence, this problem is a special case of the formation control problem where there is a single moving agent with fixed neighbors. We introduce a navigational vector field composed of two orthogonal vector fields that converges to the goal position and does not violate the field of view constraints. Our method does not require the landmarks' locations and is robust to the landmarks' tracking loss. The last part of this dissertation considers outlier detection in pose graphs for Structure from Motion (SfM) and Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) problems. We propose a method for detecting incorrect orientation measurements before pose graph optimization by checking their geometric consistency in cycles. We use Expectation-Maximization to fine-tune the noise's distribution parameters and propose a new approximate graph inference procedure specifically designed to take advantage of evidence on cycles with better performance than standard approaches. These works will help enable multi-robot systems to overcome visual sensors' limitations in collaborative tasks such as navigation and mapping.

The aim of the study is to capture and understand the perceptions of SMEs with regard to the resources that they feel are missing as they engage in the process of internationalisation. The methodology of this study follows a qualitative method wherein four SMEs were interviewed along with an industry expert using semi-structured interviews. The collated data was processed according to academic procedure outlined by Creswell & Creswell (2018). Thereafter, the categorised data was analysed using an adapted situational analysis inspired by the SOAR Framework to identify missing resources. Findings and Conclusion: SMEs from Gävleborg, Sweden wish to internationalise but face extensive barriers caused by the lack of necessary resources. The empirical findings align with existing literature in identifying a lack of financial, human, and intellectual resources among the SMEs. However, the findings reject theories which cited a lack of financial skills and physical resources as causal factors. The framework presented (Figure 3) was found to be useful for academics, in reality the SMEs in the Gävleborg region follow a different approach. Contribution of the Study: This study adds specific insights and knowledge about the resource gaps experienced by Swedish SMEs to the literature. The outcomes indicate significant obstacles facing SMEs in the early or pre-internationalisation stage. Practical recommendations from this study suggest regional development of mentoring, accessible funding, and networking support. Reflections on the Study and Suggestions for Future Research: The Covid-19 pandemic forced all interviews online but zoom recordings facilitated clear and accurate collection of empirical evidence. For the future, a longitudinal study of SMEs in Sweden comparing resource availability by region and/or by firm size merits investigation. Similarly, research into why the resource gaps among SMEs remain an issue would be a welcome addition to resource-based literature.

Background. In many smart monitoring applications, such as smart healthcare, smart building, autonomous cars etc., data are collected from multiple sources and contain information about different perspectives/views of the monitored phenomenon, physical object, system. In addition, in many of those applications the availability of relevant labelled data is often low or even non-existing. Inspired by this, in this thesis study we propose a novel algorithm for multi-view stream clustering. The algorithm can be applied for continuous pattern mining and labeling of streaming data. Objectives. The main objective of this thesis is to develop and implement a novel multi-view stream clustering algorithm. In addition, the potential of the proposed algorithm is studied and evaluated on two datasets: synthetic and real-world. The conducted experiments study the new algorithm’s performance compared to a single-view clustering algorithm and an algorithm without transferring knowledge between chunks. Finally, the obtained results are analyzed, discussed and interpreted. Methods. Initially, we study the state-of-the-art multi-view (stream) clustering algorithms. Then we develop our multi-view clustering algorithm for streaming data by implementing transfer of knowledge feature. We present and explain in details the developed algorithm by motivating each choice made during the algorithm design phase. Finally, discussion of the algorithm configuration, experimental setup and the datasets chosen for the experiments are presented and motivated. Results. Different configurations of the proposed algorithm have been studied and evaluated under different experimental scenarios on two different datasets: synthetic and real-world. The proposed multi-view clustering algorithm has demonstrated higher performance on the synthetic data than on the real-world dataset. This is mainly due to not very good quality of the used real-world data. Conclusions. The proposed algorithm has demonstrated higher performance results on the synthetic dataset than on the real-world dataset. It can generate high-quality clustering solutions with respect to the used evaluation metrics. In addition, the transfer of knowledge feature has been shown to have a positive effect on the algorithm performance. A further study of the proposed algorithm on other richer and more suitable datasets, e.g., data collected from numerous sensors used for monitoring some phenomenon, is planned to be conducted in the future work.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to identify the causes and benefits of workforce diversity in a Swedish electrical engineering multinational corporation. Furthermore, to identify various challenges faced by the managers in diversity management and to find strategies adopted by them to minimize those challenges. Design/Methodology/Approach For this research qualitative method is undertaken. The research was undertaken in two stages. In stage one, an open-ended questionnaire was used to collect primary data from three line-managers and in stage two focused group discussion was conducted with three employees from HR department. The total sample size is six employees working in a Swedish Electrical Engineering MNC. Findings and Conclusions The nature of the business carried by the studied MNC requires continuous innovation and customization of products, which requires employees with diverse knowledge, skills and capabilities. The causes for diversity in the studied organization are because of encouraging internal movement of employees from various subsidiaries to the headquarters and by using various other staffing practises such as inpatriation, global virtual teams, permanent transfers etc. The company is also hiring employees from diverse jobmarkets. The findings from the primary data shows that the studied MNC is benefited from highly diversified work force. However, there are certain challenges faced by managers in managing diversity. The Diversity 360 policy of the company is helping the studied MNC to overcome the challenges in diversity management.

Bakgrund: Personcentrerad vård definieras som ett partnerskap mellan sjuksköterskorna och patienterna där fokus i vården ligger på patienten som en unik person och inte på sjukdomen. Tidigare forskning visar att patienter och närstående upplever välbefinnande och tillfredsställelse då sjuksköterskorna ger vård baserad på medkänsla. Vid avsaknad av detta kan oro upplevas. Syfte: att beskriva sjuksköterskornas erfarenheter av personcentrerad vård. Metod: För arbetet valdes metoden systematisk litteraturstudie med beskrivande syntes och resultatet baserades på tio kvalitativa artiklar inom valt område. Resultat: I resultatet framkom två teman och fem subteman. Helhetssyn på människan är första temat och det består av tre subteman: att utgå från patienternas berättelser, att göra patienterna delaktiga och att skapa relationer som är betydelsefulla för personcentrerad vård. Vårdmiljöns betydelse är det andra temat som innehåller två subteman: att inte ha förutsättningar och att uppleva teamsamverkan som beskriver medverkande eller hindrande omständigheter som påverkar den personcentrerade vården. Slutsats: Utövning av personcentrerad vård upplevdes både underlättande för patientmedverkan men var även påfrestande för sjuksköterskorna. Sjuksköterskorna upplevde tidsbrist, avsaknad av kunskap och den hierarkiska strukturen som hindrande faktorer med negativ inverkan på utövning av personcentrerad vård.

This study examines the effects of servant leadership and service technology on frontline bank employees’ turnover intentions, mediated by job satisfaction and organizational commitment. A conceptual framework is developed based on the tenets of the resource-based view of the firm and the self-determination theory to test the hypothesized relationships. Frontline employees of a bank serve as the study setting. The results indicate that servant leadership and service technology affect employees’ turnover intentions through job satisfaction and organizational commitment where servant leadership plays a stronger role. We discuss the implications of our findings and offer future research avenues.

The resource-based view (RBV) of competitive strategy emphasises the importance of unique firm resources and associated capabilities to the formulation of competitive strategy. This cross-sectional study seeks to determine whether or not the pattern of usage of competitive methods related to marketing, information technology and flexibility in the Portuguese service sector aligns with the resource-based view. Fifteen service-related competitive methods are identified. Surveyed firms were asked to indicate the degree of relevance of these competitive methods to their competitive strategy. Exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modelling indicates that these methods represent four underlying strategy dimensions that reflect some of the dynamic capabilities suggested by the resource-based view. In addition, cluster analysis revealed that each of the responding firms could be classified into one of three capability orientations. Some implications of these findings for strategy development in the Portuguese service sector are discussed. Limitations of the study and areas for future research are also presented.

The overall aim of this study is to analyse and describe reading ability from the second to sixth year of schooling in Sweden (ages 8–13). An intro­ductory study presents the pupils’ reading profiles and also the extent to which teaching in reading comprehension is given at their schools. In a second study, the results and effects of the national test in Swedish in grade three (age 9) are studied and compared with other recognised test data on the development of children’s reading. A total of 428 pupils at four schools participated in the study. Each child was tested once a year during two consecutive school years. In addition to collecting results on the national test for all the pupils in their third year, standardised tests of word decoding ability and reading comprehension were administered to all students in the study. A questionnaire dealing with teaching reading and skills development was answered by 23 teachers. The study reveals that there are stronger links between phonological tasks and reading comprehension for pupils in their first three years than for those in years 4–6. The study also shows that the national test identifies some pupils with reading difficulties but not all of them. A number of pupils who have problems with word decoding nevertheless attain the national test threshold for reading comprehension tasks in the third year. There are also pupils who cannot manage the age-adapted reading comprehension tasks but who still pass the national test in their third year. The findings reveal that teachers work with reading comprehension exercises to only a small extent in both the first three years and second three years of schooling. The study indicates the importance of using a diagnostic approach, so that early and effective measures can be adopted to prevent the emergence of reading comprehension problems.