This thesis addresses the requirements and procedure for determining the amount of indemnity for a home insurance claim within the selected period of time. Introductory chapter describes general principles of insurance and types of insurance. It clarifies differences between insurance and insurance industry. Next section is devoted to the particulars of the insurance contract, one of the mandatory legislation at the conclusion of the insurance policy and, therefore, this topic received considerable attention. The work also focuses on property insurance, on the valuation methods for the liquidation of assets and, finally, discusses the basic concepts of the topic. The main chapter describes a case study of insurance claim process and indemnification process in the event of property damage. The beginning of the section describes the case study property in general. Later in the chapter it is described property appraisal throughout past decades, the event of property damage, process of determination of the amount of indemnity in accordance with the insurance contract and general insurance conditions. The final chapter focuses on the evaluation of the results and their comparison.

This Master‘s thesis deals with a performance evaluation of a selected business. The first part of the thesis is focused on basic terms and theoretical introduction related to the tools for measuring and evaluating company performance. The next part contains an introduction of the company, a current state assessment and a practical application of theoretical findings. The final part of the thesis includes suggestions for performance and current situation improvement.

I investigated the experiences of teachers as co-researchers in a long-term partnership with university researchers in an asset-based intervention project known as STAR1. The goal of STAR is to investigate how teachers can promote resilience in scare-resource and high need schools. To inform participatory research methodology, I explored and described how coresearchers (teachers) experience power relations. I conducted the participatory reflection and action (PRA) study by using feminist standpoint theory as guiding epistemological paradigm, Gaventa’s power cube as theoretical framework and participatory research as methodological paradigm. I conveniently chose two cohorts (schools) in the STAR project to partner as the unit of analysis. I thus applied convenience sampling to select information-rich cohorts. The schoolcohorts included a primary school in the Eastern Cape Province and a secondary school in a remote area in the Mpumalanga Province. I then purposefully selected participating coresearchers (n=15: 14 females, 1 male) from the participating schools. Over a two year period, I employed multiple PRA data generation techniques (observation, four focus groups and two semi-structured interviews) and documentation procedures (field notes, research journal, visual data and verbatim transcriptions). I used thematic analysis and categorical aggregation for data analysis, with three themes emerging. In terms of the nature of power in participatory partnerships, co-researchers expressed factors which influenced power and partnership in a participatory project. For co-researchers, these factors enabled them to experience a sense of power-sharing. Regarding the role of agency in relation to power and partnerships, co-researchers indicated that agency resulted from power-sharing and partnerships they had established. The agency meant that they took action through leadership to empower others in school-communities. Co-researchers’ meaning-making of power and partnerships culminated in their construction of power in a participatory project as both a way in which their working environment enabled them to do what they wanted to do, and also as a personal space where they felt capable and had initiative to coordinate project activities. Findings of this study correlate with existing literature where (i) power is seen as the ability of actors to express and act on desires, (ii) power can be redistributed as action for inclusive benefits, (iii) partnerships imply balancing time, and (iv) partnerships evolve over time, are dynamic and involve issues of trust and confidence. In contrast to existing knowledge on power in participatory research, I found that teachers did not view power as dominance or as exclusively owned. I developed a framework of power sharing partnerships to extend Gaventa’s power cube theory. This framework, and its five interrelated elements (leadership as power, identifying vision and mission, synergy, interdependent role of partners, and determination), provide insight into the way co-researchers shared their experiences of participatory research methodology. I posit an evidence-based conceptualisation of power as leadership where community partners play influential roles as co-researchers. I theorise power sharing partnerships as a complimentary platform hosting partners’ shared strengths, skills and experience, creating synergy in collaborative projects. I argue that synergy in power sharing partnerships relies on recognition, appreciation and mutual respect inherent in interdependent roles of partners. Furthermore, the power sharing partnership framework explains how power and partnership depends on determination amongst partners which manifests as agency to drive social change. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

Det sociala arbetet ställer höga krav och medför ofta en hög arbetsbelastning,vilket kan leda till att socialarbetare säger upp sig. Studiens syfte är att få enförståelse för hur chefer och arbetsledare för socialsekreterare som arbetar medbarn eller missbruk erfar att socialsekreterare hanterar stress, faktorer som bidrartill stress och förutsättningar som kan reducera stress. Åtta semistruktureradeintervjuer genomfördes och analyserades med en tematisk analys. Resultatet visaratt stress främst uppstår i situationer eller orsakas av faktorer där brist på kontrolleller resurser finns. Socialsekreterare tenderar att hantera stress genom konkretaförändringar eller känslofokuserade strategier. En god relation till kollegor samtbra stöd från chef och arbetsledare kan minska stress. Slutsatsen är attsocialsekreterare kan utsätts för hög stress och hanterar denna med hjälp av olikametoder som är mer eller mindre effektiva. / Social work sets high demands and often entails a high workload, which can leadto them resigning. The purpose of the study is to get an understanding of howmanagers and supervisors for social workers who work with children or addiction,experience that social workers manage stress, factors that contribute to stress andconditions that can reduce stress. Eight semi-structured interviews were conductedand analyzed with a thematic analysis. The results show that stress mainly occursin situations or is caused by factors where there is a lack of control or resources.Social workers tend to deal with stress through concrete changes or emotionfocusedstrategies. A good relationship with colleagues and good support from themanager and supervisor can reduce stress. The conclusion is that social workerscan be exposed to high stress and handle this with the help of various methods thatare more or less effective.

Studien undersökte regleringar som vägleder arkivarier Sverige, vilket omfattade intervjuer med åtta olika arkivarier som arbetar för svenska kommuner, regioner och statliga myndigheter. Studiens teoretiska utgångspunkt omfattade Lawrence Lessigs ”pathetic dot theory” med fyra modaliteter (lagar, sociala normer, marknad och arkitektur) som användes vid analysen för att förklara intervjuresultaten. Paralleller drogs mellan tidigare litteratur och resultatet från intervjuerna för att kontextualisera och skapa en bättre förståelse av svaren. Studien visade att det finns annat än lagar och föreskrifter som kan påverka arkivarier vid gallring av allmänna handlingar. Dessa faktorer inkluderade normer och sociala strukturer, samt brist på förståelse för gallringens innebörd och hur det ska utföras. En ytterligare faktor var arkivariens förutsättningar för att använda sin kompetens för att nå ut i verksamheten. / This study examined the regulations that guide archivists in appraisal work in Sweden. The study is centred on interviews with eight different archivists working for swedish municipalities, regions, and public authorities. Lawrence Lessigs’ ”pathetic dot theory” with four modularities (the law, social norms, the market and architecture) were used to in the analysis to explain the interview results. Parallels were drawn between previous literature and the result from the interviews to contextualise and create a better understanding of the responses. The study showed that there are several factors other than laws and regulations that can affect archivists in appraisal work of public records. These factors included norms and social structures. Another factor were a simple lack of understanding on the meaning of appraisal and how it should be performed. Yet another factor were inadequacies in archivists’ work conditions which may hinder them to use their expertise in the workplace.

The purpose of this study was to examine Dienstbier's (1989) hypothesis that SAM elicitation is prompted by subject's cognitive expectations of an acute stressor ('challenge' or 'threat' appraisal). Reported anxiety was also measured.

When digitizing the public sector there is a risk that public administrations lose control of what is preserved in their archives. The main issue raised in this thesis concerns the valuation of information, also called appraisal, that is required before and during scanning of archival material. The focus is on reviewing and analyzing how the appraisal process may be affected by the fact that external companies perform the scanning work when digitizing archives. Also, the background as to why public administrations choose external providers of scanning is examined. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with four archivists and one project leader from five different public administrations and transcripts from the interviews formed the data of analysis.The analysis was based on Terry Cook's theory macroappraisal and Lennart Lundquist's theory of public ethos. The theories were applied to the empirical material. The study showed that external companies did not have to evaluate information in the way that is usually discussed under the concept of appraisal. The reason for this is that the public administrations themselves have prepared the material to be digitized. The study has also showed that almost all interviewees describe how the lack of equipment and skills regarding the actual scanning has contributed to the choice of providers. Three out of five interviewees also state that they lacked the time and/or staff to do the scanning themselves. Only one of the interviewees said that the choice of provider was made on the basis that the cheapest option was chosen. The conclusion that could be drawn is that the public administrations already have identified the risk of losing control of what is preserved in their archives when using external companies for scanning. A question one might ask instead is whether the prudence that the public administrations show is justified? This is a two years master’s thesis in Archival Science.

The value of real estate is a fundamental part of the economy as it is used both as a collateral for loans as well as a key basis for a company’s annual reports. Today there are more than three million real estates in Sweden, and the market value of these can not be directly observed but have to rather be based on estimates. Thus, it is critical to attain reliable assessment and hire appraisers before making an investment decision or finalising an annual report. However, depending on the purpose and context of a valuation, the client may posses incentives to influence the outcome of the valuation in some direction. Such impact on the valuation of an asset is referred to as “client pressure,” and may come in various forms; expert pressure, information pressure and reward pressure. Does this have a real impact on market values? According to previous scholarly research, both domestic and international, client pressure is an observable phenomenon but its outcome is difficult to accurately assess. The purpose of this thesis is to provide evidence that supports the existence of client pressure within the commercial real estate market in Stockholm, and to establish a framework that may better understand the outcomes that such skewed valuations may lead to. In order to conduct this study, the authors have carried out a number of personal interviews with authorised appraisals, as well as further research into what can be done to prevent client pressure. The results of this study supports the notion that client pressure, primarily that of expert pressure, can be observed in the commercial real estate market in Stockholm. Moreover, what has been accentuated by the interviewed appraisals though is that such pressures do not affect the valuation outcome and that the discussion may actually provide a more accurate valuation as long as the appraisal manages to stay objective. However, several of the appraisals pointed out that they knew of others that have allowed themselves to be influenced. In order to counteract client pressure an authorization has been established by the organization Samhällsbyggarna - a development which has received great support by a large group of appraisals. Ultimately, the research in this study concludes that the best way to counteract client pressure is through knowledge, and our findings lead to the belief that experienced appraisals are willing to help less experienced ones if they are exposed to client pressure. / Värdet på fastigheter är en samhällsangelägenhet och gäller som bland annat säkerhet för lån och underlag för bolags årsresultat. I Sverige finns drygt tre miljoner fastigheter och marknadsvärdet på dessa är ingenting som kan observeras, bara bedömas. Därför har man behov av tillförlitliga bedömningar och anlitar värderingsmän inför såväl investeringsbeslut som årsredovisningar. Vad det bedömda värdet på fastigheten ska användas till kan ge incitament för kunden till att vilja påverka det åt något håll. Beroende på olika egenskaper hos kunden kan försök till att påverka värdet yttra sig i olika former utav press; expertpress, informationspress samt belöningspress. Kan det påverka bedömningen av marknadsvärdet? Pressen finns enligt tidigare forskning, det har undersökts både nationellt och internationellt, men konsekvenserna är svåra att avgöra. Studien i den här uppsatsen har fokuserats på att undersöka om press finns på Stockholmsmarknaden för kommersiella fastigheter och i vilken form den i så fall förekommer. För att ta reda på resultaten har ett antal intervjuer gjorts med aktiva värderare och det har också undersökts vad man i så fall gör för att motverka pressen. Det som kunnat konstateras är att kundpress finns och främst i form av expertpress. Värderarna menar dock att det inte påverkar deras egna bedömningar och att det till och med i vissa fall kan vara nyttigt att få en diskussion med kunden om de använda värdena så länge man fortsatt är objektiv. Flertalet har dock meddelat att de vet om fall där en värderare låtit sig påverkas. För att motverka kundpress finns auktorisering från organisationen Samhällsbyggarna och en stor del av värderarna tycker att det är ett bra stöd. Man motverkar även press med kunskap, erfarna värderare kan gå in och hjälpa de mer oerfarna med argument om man blir utsatt för press.

Bakgrund: Ventilatorassocierad pneumoni, VAP, är en vårdrelaterad infektion inom intensivvården som ökar mortaliteten och vårdkostnaden. För att förebygga VAP finns olika åtgärder som beskrivs i kliniska riktlinjer. Dessa finns som stöd för hälso- och sjukvårdspersonal för att öka patientsäkerheten. I dagsläget finns inga nationella eller internationella VAP-förebyggande riktlinjer. Syfte: Syftet är att kvalitetsgranska och jämföra svenska intensivvårdsavdelningars lokala kliniska riktlinjer gällande VAP-förebyggande åtgärder för vuxna. Metod: Kvantitativ deskriptiv studie. De lokala kliniska riktlinjerna kvalitetsgranskades med hjälp av kvalitétbedömningsinstrumentet AGREE II.  Resultat: Totalt kvalitetsgranskades och jämfördes 34% (n=27) av Sveriges intensivvårdsavdelningars lokala kliniska riktlinjer gällande VAP-förebyggande åtgärder. Alla granskade lokala kliniska riktlinjerna var av låg kvalité. Den låga kvalitén var bland annat orsakad av låg noggrannhet vid framställningen av riktlinjen [md=5] och lågt redaktionellt oberoendet [md=0]. I jämförelsen av VAP-förebyggande åtgärderna beskrev 93–100% (n=25–27) av riktlinjerna möjlighet till subglottisaspiration, kufftryck mellan 25–30 cmH2O, höjd huvudända eller tippning till 30–45 grader och skriftliga rutiner.  Slutsats: Sveriges intensivvårdsavdelningars granskade lokala kliniska riktlinjer gällande förebyggande av ventilatorassocierad pneumoni, VAP, var av låg kvalité. De innehåller en stor variation av VAP-förebyggande åtgärder, som i vissa fall var motsägande.  Det finns behov av en uppdaterad och evidensbaserade nationell eller internationell klinisk riktlinje gällande förebyggande av VAP. Detta för att säkra patientsäkerheten på Sveriges intensivvårdsavdelningar. / Background: Ventilator associated-pneumonia, VAP is a hospital acquired-infection that increases the mortality and the healthcare cost in the intensive care. There are different methods to prevent VAP. These methods are described in clinical guidelines. These guidelines are there to support healthcare professionals and to increase patient safety. There exist no national or international clinical guidelines for VAP-preventions. Aim: The aim is to quality appraise and compare Swedish intensive care units´ local clinical guidelines of VAP-prevention for adults.  Method: A quantitative descriptive study. The local clinical guidelines were appraised with the qualitative appraisal instrument AGREE-II.  Main result: In total 34% (n=27) of the Swedish intensive care units clinical guidelines for VAP-preventions were quality appraised and compared. All reviewed local clinical guidelines were of low quality. The low quality was caused by low accuracy in the preparation of the guideline [md=5] and low editorial independence [md=0]. In the comparison of VAP-preventions 93–100% (n=25–27) of the clinical guidelines described the possibility of subglottic aspiration, cuff-pressure between 25–35 cmH20, elevated head of the bed to 30–45 degrees and written guidelines.  Conclusion: The local Swedish intensive care units reviewed clinical guidelines for prevention of ventilator associated pneumonia, VAP had low quality.  They included a large variation of different VAP-preventions, and some of the preventions were contradictory. There is a need for an updated and evidence based national or international clinical guideline to prevent VAP. There is a need to ensure the patient safety in Sweden's intensive care units.

Google Translate’s mission is “to enable everyone, everywhere, to understand the world and express themselves across languages” (Pitman, 2021). But are algorithms capable of leading us beyond the translation of the word toward an understanding of the world? Computational linguistics research has been interested in assessing this kind of real-world effects of technology and invited other disciplines to join their effort. With this purpose, this study examines the ways the algorithmic agency (Maly, 2022) elicits a ‘movement of meanings’ (Silverstone, 1999) when mediating news reports from English to Portuguese – the official language of Brazil, the country with the greatest use of Google Translate (Turovsky, 2016). For that, it investigates how algorithms convert appraisal and semiotic elements that carry ideological stances. The bilingual sample consists of six news articles on the U.S. Capitol attack published in U.S. outlets, two each of right, center, and left political leaning, along with their translations obtained through Google Translate. The analytical framework encompasses Fairclough’s (2003) CDA methods that allow an exploration of how discourses embedded in these texts represent the social phenomena that are being depicted. This lens is complemented by the Appraisal theory (Martin & White, 2005) to investigate how value positions are constructed within texts through evaluation. A third analytical tool is necessary to engage with the ways in which meanings are moved from source to target texts. For this, van Leeuwen’s (2008) notion of recontextualization affords an assessment of the processes inherent to translations. The analysis showed that algorithms neutralized appraisal through lexical choices, changed semiotic elements through recontextualization, and blurred stances by standardizing the target language. The paper, thus, concludes that Google Translate constructed power by renaming reality and enacted it by reshaping evaluations, advancing research that seeks to examine algorithms’ impacts on digital discourse. Speaking from the epistemic locus of the Global South, this thesis proposes a critical reflection on the ideologies concealed by the self-proclaimed discourse of the universality of digital technologies.