This essay looks at the various differentiation strategies for a company in the fashion industry. The chosen fashion company for this study is Zara. The reason for this is that Zara is a relatively new company which has grown quickly and today has a big market share. The aim of this thesis is to decide which differentiation strategies are the more relevant ones for Zara to attract new customers. This will be done through a discussion and analysis of all five of the differentiation strategies which are; product-, channel-, image-, service- and personnel differentiation. The theoretical framework gives an overview of the differentiation strategies; it also provides the reader with a description of branding, consumer decision process, competitive advantage, strategic customer and key competitors. These marketing factors can be describing and supporting factors to the most suitable differentiation strategy for Zara. The methodology chapter provides a description of the method choices for this thesis; this study is done by a qualitative approach. The methodology chapter also consists of a part about secondary sources, interviews, different question types used in the interviews and source criticism. The empirical findings consist of information gathered from face to face interviews. The interviews where done with three managers of Zara in France, Paris. In the analysis chapter there will be a discussion about the differentiations strategies that are mentioned in the theoretical framework, this will be combined with the empirical information gained through personal interviews with the managers at Zara. There will also be an analysis and discussion about the marketing factors mentioned above. The conclusion will conclude the analysis of the empirical and theoretical parts of this thesis and answer our research question. In the conclusion there is a description and summarize of the various differentiation strategies. In the conclusion there is a description and summarize of the various differentiation strategies discussed in the theoretical chapter. As a conclusion there is a need for improvements to the personnel-, service- and channel differentiation strategies. The needed future improvements will be discussed closely in the conclusion.

Nature is full of mysterious creatures which fascinate and spark imagination. In my final project, What Crawls Beneath, I take a closer look at what drives my interest in creatures that simultaneously attract and repel. Drawing on inspiration from parasites and dinosaurs, I was able to create a piece that represents the danger and beauty that nature so masterfully brings together. The importance of process is discussed as I consider the traditional methods of working with clay and how they affect the outcome of the artwork.

<p><strong>A</strong><strong>BSTRACT</strong></p> <p>In healthcare organizations, the first–line nurse manager role is pivotal. The role links management and employees, and has a direct impact on organizational performance, including quality of care, financial stability, and patient satisfaction (Gallo, 2007). The first-line nurse manager interfaces with a variety of professions including physicians, and is expected to be clinically proficient, and to demonstrate non-nursing knowledge in areas such as labour relations, information technology, financial and business management (Gould, Kelly & Maidwell, 2001). When retirement projections are applied to the first-line nurse manager population, Canada will face a serious nursing management shortage this decade (CNA, 2009). In light of the paucity of research studies pertaining to this subject, an exploratory descriptive qualitative research study was conducted in a large regional health care organization in Central South Ontario to determine the factors that attract and retain Registered Nurses in this role. The findings revealed a discrepancy between the factors that attract and retain Registered Nurses in the first-line nurse manager role, underscored the importance of the mentor role, and confirmed the challenges encountered by first-line nurse managers practicing in the current healthcare environment. Several recommendations are presented at the individual, program, organization and policy levels to inform Registered Nurses who are interested in pursuing a career in nursing management, and to assist healthcare leaders to create environments that attract and support Registered Nurses in this important role.</p> / Master of Science (MSc)

Studiens syfte handlar om huruvida kompetensutveckling kan fungera som konkurrensmedel när en kommun har för avsikt att attrahera och behålla förskollärare. Bakgrunden inleds med vilka kompetenshöjande insatser kommunen arbetat med för att bli en attraktiv arbetsgivare. Det efterföljs av en teoretisk beskrivning om hur kompetensutveckling kan fungera som konkurrensmedel samt skolan som attraktiv arbetsgivare. Metoden som användes vid insamlandet av data var semistrukturerade intervjuer. Forskningsansatsen inspirerades av fenomenologin och styrde sedan arbetet med insamlandet av data samt val av analysmetod. Då urvalet innefattade två grupper; förskollärare och förskollärarstudenter skapades en intervjuguide för respektive grupp som utformades efter studiens syfte och frågeställningar. I studiens resultat framkommer samtliga intervjupersoners upplevelse av att kompetensutveckling är något positivt. Förskollärarna såg det som en avgörande faktor vid val av arbetsgivare medan förskollärarstudenterna värderade exempelvis lön som en faktor av större betydelse. I resultatet lyfts andra övergripande faktorer som exempelvis arbetsklimat, stöd från chef och storlek på barngrupper vilka även styr intervjupersonernas val av arbetsgivare. Det lyfts också möjliga kommunspecifika utvecklingsområden samt generellt för förskolor. / The purpose of the study is to explore whether competence development can serve as a competitive advantage when a municipality intends to attract and retain preschool teachers. The theoretical background begins with which competence enhancements the municipality has worked with to become an attractive employer. Then follows a theoretical description of how competence development can serve as a means of competition and schools as attractive employers. The method used in the collection of data were semi-structured interviews. The research approach was inspired by phenomenology and functioned as a guideline during the work with the collection of data and choice of method of analysis. Since the selection of participants for the study consisted of two groups; preschool teachers and preschool teacher students, an interview guide for each group was created that was shaped by the study's purpose and questions. The result presents the interviewees' experiences of competence development as a positive thing. The preschool teachers expressed it to be a deciding factor in their choice of employer while the preschool teacher students stated that salary is a factor of major importance. The result also presents other general factors that are of great importance; work environment, support from managers and size of child groups which all also affect the interviewees' choice of employer. Other potential areas to further develop for the municipality and its kindergartens are also brought up.

Bakgrund: Kamp om talanger är ett problem som kan finnas på en arbetsmarknad. Därför måste organisationer differentiera sig för att kunna tävla om talanger. Att kunna attrahera och rekrytera har blivit allt mer viktigt för organisationer. Organisationer vill kunna attrahera och rekrytera talanger då det innebär marknadsfördelar och att organisationen kan bli mer attraktiv. Därför är det viktigt att belysa varför och förstå hur organisationer kan använda Employer branding för att attrahera och rekrytera talangfull personal.  Syfte: Studiens syfte är att undersöka hur organisationer kan använda Employer branding för att attrahera och rekrytera talangfull personal liksom att förklara samband mellan studier samt näringsliv.  Metod: Till studien användes en kvalitativ metod. Det gjordes sex intervjuer med chefer från olika organisationer. Intervjuerna utfördes för att få en djupare förståelse hur Employer branding kan användas av organisationer praktiskt. Utöver intervjuer utfördes observationer på organisationernas sociala medier för att undersöka hur detta stämmer överens med vad som har sagts i intervjuerna. Respondenterna selekterades utifrån deras relevanta yrkesroll i respektive organisation som anses ha kunskap och erfarenhet inom Employer branding och rekrytering. Resultat/Slutsats: Studien har kommit fram till att de deltagande organisationerna har svårt att definiera talang, men att talang är viktigt. Organisationer kan använda Employer branding som marknadsföringsstrategi för att attrahera och rekrytera talangfulla arbetstagare till sin organisation. För att organisationer ska kunna använda Employer branding kan de arbeta med fyra olika komponenter: organisationsattribut, marknadsföring &amp; kommunikationskanaler, skapande av arbetsgivarens image och arbetsgivarattraktivitet. Studiens organisationer är positivt inställda till de olika komponenterna och använder dessa i stor utsträckning. Organisationerna använder sig av marknadsföring och kommunikationskanaler för att visa upp sitt varumärke, vilka kandidater de söker och vad som är viktigt med tjänsten. Samtliga organisationer tycker att det är viktigt med en bra image för att det visar att organisationen är attraktiv i framtiden. Organisationernas medlemmar försöker uppträda bra i organisationens intressen utanför arbetsplatsen. Därmed kan Employer branding användas som en strategi för att attrahera och rekrytera talanger på en arbetsmarknad. / Background: The struggle for talents is a problem that can exist in a labour market. Organizations must differentiate themselves to compete for talent. To attracting and recruiting has become a more important dilemma for organizations. The organization wants to attract and recruit the talents to its organization, since this means market benefits and that the organization can be more attractive. Therefore, it is important to highlight why and to understand how organizations can use Employer branding to attract and recruit talented staff. Purpose: The purpose is to investigate how organizations use Employer branding to recruit talented staff and thereby explain the connection between studies and business. Method: In order to be able to answer the purpose of the report, a qualitative study with six interviews was conducted with managers at each organization. The interviews were conducted to gain a deeper understanding of how Employer branding can be used by organizations. In addition to interviews, observations were performed on the organisation's social media to investigate how this corresponds to what has been said in the interviews. The respondents were selected based on their relevant professional role in each organization, which is considered to have knowledge and experience within Employer branding and recruitment. Result/Conclusion: The study has concluded that the organizations find it difficult to define talent. The organizations that has been interviewed to the study agreed that talent was important with talented staff. Organizations can use Employer branding as a marketing strategy to attract and recruit talented workers to their organization. To use Employer branding organizations can work with four components: organizational attributes, promotion &amp; communication channels, formation of employer image and employer attractiveness. The study organizations are positive towards the components and use them to a large extent. The organizations use marketing and communication channels to showcase their brand, which candidates they are looking for and what is important with the service. All organizations also think it is important to have a good image because it shows that organizations can be attractive in the future. The organizations members try to perform well in the organizations interests outside the workplace. Employer branding can thus be used as a strategy to reach out to talents in a labour market.

Due to the technical development, employers will face tough challenges in recruiting the right staff. It is important that employers succeed in employing employees who possess the skills that may be of relevance to the future transformation of working life. When it comes to technical knowledge, the younger generation is at the forefront, as these employees have grown up with the internet and other technical tools. In order to be an attractive employer for today's young people, employers must thus adopt new working methods regarding communication, technology, motivation and corporate culture. The purpose of this essay is therefore to examine what makes an employer attractive at the labor market for young people born 1989-1999. The method has been a qualitative method in which nine semi-structured interviews were conducted with people aged 20 to 30 years. In order to analyze the collected empirical data, coding has been carried out to then be linked to theory and previous research.  The result shows a number of different factors that are of relevance to being an attractive employer. The most important factor in attracting and retaining younger employees is the opportunity to develop their competence. By offering employees the opportunity to grow at work, they will not seek another employer. Furthermore, the result shows that good relations with colleagues, as well as fun and varied tasks, are of great importance for attracting and retaining younger employees. In jobs where the employer has the opportunity to offer flexibility, the result shows that the employer should allow the employees to choose when and where the work should be performed. It is something that matters for both the choice of employer but also for staying in the workplace. It is also important to invest time and resources on both the physical and psychosocial work environment, since the working environment is something that is highly valued both in the choice of workplace but also to stay with an employer. / På grund av den tekniska utvecklingen kommer arbetsgivare att ställas inför allt tuffare utmaningar med att lyckas rekrytera rätt personal. Det är av yttersta vikt att arbetsgivare lyckas anställa de medarbetare som besitter den kompetens som kan komma att vara av relevans för den framtida omställning som arbetslivet står inför. När det gäller tekniska kunskaper ligger den yngre generationen i framkant då dessa medarbetare vuxit upp med internet och andra tekniska verktyg. För att vara en attraktiv arbetsgivare för dagens unga måste arbetsgivare således anamma nya arbetssätt gällande kommunikation, teknik, motivation och företagskultur. Syftet med denna uppsats är därför att undersöka vad som gör en arbetsgivare attraktiv på arbetsmarknaden för unga människor födda 1989-1999.Den metod som tillämpats har varit kvalitativ metod där nio semistrukturerade intervjuer genomförts med personer i åldrarna 20 till 30 år. För att sedan analysera den insamlade empirin har kodning utförts för att sedan kopplas samman med teori och tidigare forskning. Resultatet visar på en rad olika faktorer som är av relevans för att vara en attraktiv arbetsgivare. Den absolut viktigaste faktorn till att både attrahera och behålla yngre medarbetare är möjlighet till kompetensutveckling. Genom att erbjuda medarbetarna möjlighet till att växa i arbetet kommer de följaktligen inte söka sig till en annan arbetsgivare. Vidare visar resultatet att goda relationer till arbetskamrater samt roliga och varierande arbetsuppgifter ärav stor vikt för att både attrahera och behålla yngre medarbetare. I de arbeten där arbetsgivaren har möjlighet att erbjuda flexibilitet visar resultatet att arbetsgivaren bör låta medarbetarna välja när och var arbetet ska utföras. Detta är något som har betydelseför både val av arbetsgivare men ocksåför att stanna kvar på arbetsplatsen. Det är även viktigtatt satsa tid och resurser på både den fysiska och psykosociala arbetsmiljön eftersom arbetsmiljö är något som värderas högt både i val av arbetsplats men också för att stanna kvar hos en arbetsgivare.

Over fifty percent of humans live in cities. The environmental cost of this is massive, as is the potential for utilizing privately held yards as an integral part of conservation in urban areas. The Backyard Habitat Certification Program (BHCP) in Portland, Oregon, was established to reduce invasive plants, support wildlife, and promote conservation. The program involves > 3000 yards certified at three tiers. While onsite inspections are required to verify compliance, there has never been an assessment of the value of these yards to wildlife. Chapter 1 examined the relationships between the urban landscape and bird distributions outside of yards. Chapter 2 evaluated the ability of the program to separate yards by assessing differences in vegetation structure and composition. Chapter 3 tested if avian abundance, richness and diversity in yards are a product of responses to yard or landscape vegetation structure. Avian data was collected at 146 yards and 73 random locations in 2013 and 2014. Public landscape data was used to collect yard data in the field. Avian abundance, richness, and diversity were affected negatively by urbanization (especially impervious surface) and population density, but positively by tree cover. The BHCP was effective at distinguishing platinum yards from others, but overlap was relatively high among gold, silver and uncertified yards. Avian abundance, richness and diversity within yards was less affected by yard vegetation than the structure of habitat in the surrounding landscape. Species responded individualistically to yard vegetation and the urban landscape, and response was a continuum of tolerance to urbanization. Ultimately, the ability of yards to support wildlife will depend on wide scale neighborhood participation.

Purpose: This thesis uses a case study approach. The purpose is to conduct a critical review of the potentiality of intrapreneurship/corporate entrepreneurship to create an attractive workplace that 1) draws Generation Y as potential employees, and 2) retains them by satisfying their demands, unlocking their full potential through motivation. Background: It is now time for Generation Y to enter the workforce and their values and expectations on the workplace is different from the generations before them. This causes difficulties for organisations to attract and retain Generation Y but it is necessary in order to become a competitive performer in the future. In order to attract and retain Generation Y companies need to motivate their employees, foster and encourage creativity, and create an exciting work environment. This can be done through corporate entrepreneurship/ intrapreneurship and it is therefore interesting to see how Generation Y responds to this concept as well as if it contributes in creating an attractive workplace. Method: The authors made use of a mixed method concurrent triangulation strategy within an explorative sequential design. Where qualitative data was gathered through an explorative pre-study and then through case studies with two companies, simultaneously quantitative data was collected through surveys and the study ended with a qualitative confirmatory study where the results of the analysis was tested against a third company. Conclusion: The result of the study indicated that the companies investigated all had a high level of corporate entrepreneurship, it was also confirmed that Generation Y are suited to become intrapreneurs and that they would feel attracted and more likely to retain in an organisation that promotes intrapreneurship. It was furthermore concluded that corporate entrepreneurship contributes in creating an attractive workplace also for non-intrapreneurs.

During the past planned economy in China, the local government established too many and too small-scale state-owned enterprises, and disregarded market faculty in order to be self-sufficiency. After carried out the market economy in China, those medium, small-scale state-owned enterprises would have faced harsh competition and test, and the scale economy in the market would be leading the industrial structure transforming of China in the future. The main purpose of this research is probing into the problems of the foreign-invested enterprises merger with the Chinese state-owned enterprises, because this research would like to know how the government of China to regulate those activities of the foreign-invested enterprises merger with the state-owned enterprises of China, and will help the foreign-invested enterprises to choose the most potential state-owned enterprises to merger with under the laws and decrees of China. After reformed and opened of China, and during joining the WTO, the main developed goal is how to attract more foreign investments, innovate state-owned enterprises, and fuse with the international market. Under insisting opening to the outside world, attracting more foreign investments tactics, China must adapt to the world tide, and encourage the state-owned enterprises and the multi-national corporations to work together, lead in advanced technologies, funds, managing and selling modes, and build R & D center to increase the international competitiveness of the state-owned enterprises by cross-border modes. However, the foreign-invested enterprises in order to contend for the Chinese market, will get the market share quickly by M & A mode, and this will cause the activities continuing expanding of the foreign-invested enterprises merger with the state-owned enterprises of China.

<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This thesis uses a case study approach. The purpose is to <em>conduct a critical review of the potentiality of intrapreneurship/corporate entrepreneurship to create an attractive workplace that 1) draws Generation Y as potential employees, and 2) retains them by satisfying their demands, unlocking their full potential through motivation</em>.</p><p><strong>Background: </strong>It is now time for Generation Y to enter the workforce and their values and expectations on the workplace is different from the generations before them. This causes difficulties for organisations to attract and retain Generation Y but it is necessary in order to become a competitive performer in the future. In order to attract and retain Generation Y companies need to motivate their employees, foster and encourage creativity, and create an exciting work environment. This can be done through corporate entrepreneurship/ intrapreneurship and it is therefore interesting to see how Generation Y responds to this concept as well as if it contributes in creating an attractive workplace.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>The authors made use of a mixed method concurrent triangulation strategy within an explorative sequential design. Where qualitative data was gathered through an explorative pre-study and then through case studies with two companies, simultaneously quantitative data was collected through surveys and the study ended with a qualitative confirmatory study where the results of the analysis was tested against a third company.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The result of the study indicated that the companies investigated all had a high level of corporate entrepreneurship, it was also confirmed that Generation Y are suited to become intrapreneurs and that they would feel attracted and more likely to retain in an organisation that promotes intrapreneurship. It was furthermore concluded that corporate entrepreneurship contributes in creating an attractive workplace also for non-intrapreneurs.</p>