Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The rationale for the topic flows out of education policy and societal pressures worldwide which are calling for an ever greater responsiveness from higher education to the workplace in the twenty-first century. Responsiveness to Work (i.e. the world of work) requires collaborative and integrative work between communities of academic and non-academic practitioners. Differences between knowledge and practices at Work and within the academy are broadly acknowledged in the literature, yet the ensuing nature and complexity of interactions between these two communities in curriculum design 'on the ground' is poorly understood. A key point is to recognize that integration as such cannot be the goal: the differences remain, but have to be turned into productive collaboration and joint development, for example, of a curriculum. Productivity here is not used in the sense of the ratio between output achieved and inputs needed, but rather refers to the activity theorists' concept of zones of potential development between two different, interacting activity systems (their way of conceptualizing communities of practice). Productivity is then a measure of the extent to which new hybrid knowledge emerges in the interactive zone with positive outcomes for both systems. Ideally, the integrated curriculum elements look to both Work and academic knowledge. Such productivity involves the acknowledgement of pre-existing boundaries and differences between types of knowledge and the subsequent actions of actors in crossing these boundaries. After sketching the policy backdrop to the issues of responsiveness to Work "on the ground", the first part of the thesis discusses theories of curriculum development, and of boundaries, differences, boundary crossing and maintenance. Inspired by the work of Nooteboom, a model is outlined for optimal difference allowing for innovative and productive curriculum development. The processes and patterns of responsiveness of higher education to the needs of 2 re studied empirically at two interconnected levels: The meso-level of the design of curriculum units; and the micro-level of face-to-face interactions between representatives from Work and the academy as they negotiate how to implement responsiveness. The curriculum units examined are those in which universities have attempted to design units which include aspects of Work. The face-to-face interactions are those between lecturers and Work representatives as they attempt to negotiate what sort of knowledge should be taught in the academy to meet both Work needs and those of the academics. At the meso-level, different cases (in different countries) were studied which together spanned the spectrum of differences between academic knowledge and workplace knowledge. At the micro-level, the focus was on the actual boundary work, and how it might set productive developments in motion. The processes involved are those of the mutual presentation of knowledge difference between work and the academy followed by knowledge transformations. These transformations are in tum enabled by the representatives' actions and their mobilisation of structures to enable bridging between the different types of knowledge. Difference between work and academic knowledge matters. Firstly, difference needs to be recognised and identified, not as a stumbling block to further developments, but as a resource. Secondly, an optimal degree of initial difference, rather than no difference at all, is an enabling factor, in concert with actor strategies, in the development of hybrid work/academic curriculum objects. The insights in micro-interactions can be combined with the analysis of meso-level curriculum development to create a model for productive work towards integration of Work and higher education. This model is supported by the literature discussed in the first part of the thesis, and can actually be used more broadly, for example for productive development and implementation of policy (in this case, for responsiveness to Work).

Syftet med denna uppsats är att undersöka hur mäklarna i Sverige använder sig av sina kunskaper inom kapitalvinstbeskattning och uppskov gentemot sina kunder. Vi undersöker också om kunder som någon gång sålt och köpt bostad önskar att mäklare visar dem hur deras ekonomiska situation efter bostadsförsäljningen kommer att se ut. Vi frågar även de intervjuade kunderna om deras kunskaper kring uppskov och om det var någonting mäklaren förklarade för dem. Vi undersöker alltså vad kunden vill ha av mäklaren och jämför det med vad mäklarna tror att kunderna vill ha.  Vi genomförde fem kvalitativa intervjuer med mäklare från olika områden och företag i Sverige. Vi ville få en bild av hur de använder sig av nettokalkyler och information om uppskov i praktiken och även veta hur de uppfattar kundernas kunskaper kring ämnet. Vi intervjuade även 69 personer som någon gång sålt och köpt en bostad. Vi intervjuade dem genom att använda oss av en enkät där de fick flervalsfrågor med alternativ för “övrigt”. Vi ville lägga fokus på hur deras process med mäklaren gick till och om mäklaren erbjöd dem information och hjälp med kapitalvinstbeskattning och uppskov. Vi ville även veta om deras kunskaper kring ämnet ökade efter att de anlitat mäklaren eller om de redan hade kunskaperna som behövs.  Våra huvudresultat var att det skiljer sig väldigt mycket åt ifall mäklaren informerar kunden om deras ekonomiska situation före eller efter försäljningen av deras bostad. Vissa mäklare använder sig dagligen av nettokalkyler på sitt första möte med kunden och vissa använder det endast vid hjälp med deklarationen. Några mäklare sa att deras kunder oftast har bra koll på det som behöver vetas angående kapitalvinstbeskattningen och uppskov medan vissa sa att deras kunder har väldigt dålig koll. Det är de mäklare som använder sig av en nettokalkyl på intagen som också säger att kunderna oftast vill ha det. Det som enkätundersökningen visar är att majoriteten av de intervjuade kunderna vill ha hjälp med kapitalvinstberäkningen och information om uppskovet och kostnaden för att ta uppskov. Kundernas uppfattning av en mäklare som informerar om detta är att mäklaren är kunnig och bryr sig om dem. / This thesis analyzes real estate brokers’ use of their knowledge concerning capital income taxes (CIT) and postponement taxes in response to customers. We further analyze if customers that once have sold or bought an accommodation would have liked to have the broker examine their future economic status after finished transactions. Additionally, we interview customers regarding their understanding of postponement taxes. We analyze what a customer asks of a broker and compare those answers to what brokers assume the customer wants.  We performed five interviews with brokers from different regions and businesses in Sweden. We sought to understand how brokers use the "net calculus" and information regarding postponement taxes in practice, and also to determine how brokers apprehend customers' overall knowledge on the subject. Furthermore, we interviewed 69 people who had experience of either selling or buying an accommodation. The interviews were carried out through multiple-choice surveys. The surveys concentrated on the individual's experience of the process with their broker, specifically how the process went, if the broker offered satisfying information and if help with capital income taxes and postponement taxes were provided. Additionally, we sought to understand if the sellers' knowledge increased after consulting with a broker, or if they already had the necessary knowledge.  Primarily, our research concluded that the information customers received concerning their economic status before or after the transaction varied excessively. Some brokers use “net calculus” throughout the whole process starting at the first meeting and others only use it when assisting with the declaration. A few brokers presume that their customers usually have the necessary knowledge concerning capital income taxes and postponement taxes; in contrast, some brokers claimed the customers do not. Furthermore, the brokers that use “net calculus” from the first meeting argue that most customers appreciate the use of it. Among conducted multiple- choice surveys, a majority express a desire to receive assistance with calculations of capital profits and information about the costs regarding postponement. The overall perception of the customer is that a broker who informs about this is one that is knowledgeable and cares for the customer.

När pandemin var ett faktum i mars 2020 var det osäkert i vilken utsträckning det skulle påverka Sverige. Men som resten av världen drabbades Sverige hårt av pandemin. Både Folkhälsomyndigheten och mäklarbranschen var tidigt ute med information om åtgärder en kunde genomföra för att begränsa smittan. Syftet med uppsatsen var att svara på hur mäklare i Stockholm har påverkats av pandemin, och vilka åtgärder som implementerats i de olika delarna av förmedlingsprocessen för att minska smittspridningen. Ämnet är mycket relevant i den nuvarande situationen och syftar till att ge en översikt över de råd och rekommendationer som kom från myndighet och branschen, samt hur väl fastighetsmäklarna följde dem i praktiken. Dessutom ville jag undersöka vad mäklarna tycker om framtiden när det gäller dessa åtgärder som har genomförts och hur yrket kan påverkas på lång sikt. Med utgångspunkt i de olika delarna av förmedlingsprocessen och den regelbundna kontaktenmellan mäklare och kunder, har mäklare varit tvungna att vidta åtgärder i alla delar av förmedlingsprocessen för att minska smitta av covid-19. Från den första kontakten till visning,kontraktsskrivning och tillträde har mäklare vidtagit åtgärder som att erbjuda handdesinfektion,undvika fysisk kontakt, hålla avstånd, använda munskydd och erbjuda alternativ till visning. Användning av privata visningar har ökat, liksom ökning i digitala visningar som VR- visning och online visning. Även om hela världen vill att allt ska återvända till det som det var före pandemin, är tron och hoppet att vissa åtgärder har kommit för att stanna, och det med fördel. Den digitala utvecklingen samt underlättande arbete för mäklare när spekulanter bokar in sig till visning, tror mäklare vill fortsätta. Med fördel också åtgärder om hygien. Även om mäklarna tar sitt ansvar vill de också att betona att alla har ett ansvar för att smittan inte sprids. / When the pandemic was a fact in March 2020, it was uncertain to what extent it would affect Sweden. But like the rest of the world, Sweden was hit hard by the pandemic. Both the Swedish Public Health Agency and the brokerage industry gave information early on with measures that could be implemented to limit the infection. The purpose of the thesis was to answer how brokers in Stockholm have been affected by the pandemic, and what measures have been implemented in the various parts of the brokerage process to reduce the spread of infection. The topic is very relevant in the current situation andI wanted to provide an overview of what information came from the government and the industry, as well as how well the real estate agents followed them in practice. In addition, I wanted to investigate what brokers think about the future in terms of these measures that have been implemented and how the profession can be affected in the long term. Based on the different parts of the brokerage process and the steady contact between brokers and clients, brokers have had to take measures in all parts of the brokerage process to reduce covid-19 infection. From the first contact to viewing, contract writing and getting the keys,brokers have taken measures such as offering hand disinfection, avoiding physical contact, keeping their distance, using mouth guards and offering alternatives for viewing. The use of private views has increased, as has the increase in digital views such as VR viewing and onlineviewing. Although the whole world wants everything to return to what it was before the pandemic, the belief and hope that certain measures have come to a halt, and that with advantage. The digital development as well as more automatic work for brokers when speculators book in for viewing online, brokers want to continue. Advantageously also measures on hygiene, the brokers want to continue. Even if the brokers take their responsibility, they also want to emphasize that everyone has a responsibility to ensure that the infection does not spread.

Grid computing provides the necessary infrastructure to pool together diverse and distributed resources interconnected by networks to provide a unified virtual computing resource view to the user. One of the important responsibilities of the grid software is resource management and techniques to allow the user to make optimal use of the resources for executing applications. In addition to the goals of minimizing job completion time and achieving good throughput there are other minimum requirements such as minimum memory and cpu requirements, choice of operating system, fine grained file access permissions etc. Currently such requirements are being fulfilled by resource brokers, which act as mediating agents between users and resource owners. In this thesis we approach the resource brokering architectural issue in a different manner. Instead of a monolithic broker, which performs all the superscheduling functions we propose a Modular Framework based Architecture for Task Initiation and Scheduling (MFATIC) based on the three main stages in the superscheduling process. There are three major goals of this research. The first aim is to develop a decoupled architectural model that not only provides a clear distinction in the responsibilities of each of the components but also provides the user the flexibility to replace one component with another functionally equivalent component. Secondly each of these components should be configurable and extensible to be able to accommodate user requirements. Finally, the design should enable the user to plug in modules within components of different deployments of the resource broker and thus promoting software reuse. / Master of Science

Title: Motivation and performance among real estate Brokers: The role of motivation in realestate brokers' performance and well-being: A study based on Self-Determination Theory Level: Bachelor's thesis in Business Administration Authors: Amanda Hurtig and Maja Lindgren Supervisor: Jonas Kågström Date: 2024 – May Aim: The purpose of the study is to explain how real estate brokers are motivated andthrough an investigation explain how their motivation affects their performance. Method: The study employed a quantitative method with a deductive approach and aweb-based survey. The sample included 4218 Swedish real estate brokers, with 470 responsesfor analysis. Statistical software JASP was used for descriptive analyses, correlation analyses,and T-tests. Results and Conclusion: Both internal and external factors were found to be important, withstrong correlations between work environment and performance. An interesting discoverywas that internal motivation, such as interest in challenges, influenced goal achievement. Thestudy also emphasized the importance of a positive work environment in promoting bothperformance and well-being. Contribution of the Thesis: The study provides insights into the importance of motivationalfactors for performance and well-being. Both internal and external factors are crucial, with anemphasis on creating an environment that supports autonomy and engagement. Suggestions for Further Research: Future studies could investigate gender differences,geographical factors, and conduct longitudinal studies to understand changes over time. Comparisons with other variables such as job satisfaction could provide additional insights. Keywords: Self-Determination Theory, Performance, Real Estate Brokers, Work Environment, Motivation.

One of the puzzles regarding IPO’s is that the issuers rarely get upset about leaving substantial amounts of money on the table due to underpricing. The cost of underpricing is the number of shares sold multiplied by the difference between the first-day closing price and the offer price. The research sample of IPOs and JSE databases comprised, respectively, 160 and 321 new applicants for the years 1995-1999. New applicants comprising the research sample raised R12.55 billion with an underpricing cost exceeding R2.85 billion i.e., 22.71 percent of the IPO capital raised. This cost was found to be nearly 10 times greater than the R295 million paid in fees to the corporate advisors by the issuing companies. The prime beneficiaries of this discount were a select grouping of private placement investors at the discretion of the corporate advisors and directors. Mean unadjusted initial first day returns amounted to 55.04 percent. Public Offer IPO’s (solely or as a component of a Hybrid Offer) follow UK influenced corporate legal systems– both in legislative norm and empirical results. First day initial returns were presented per issuer List Board, Method and Type of Listing, IPO capital raised and disclosed use of proceeds. Internationally many theories have been raised as to what has become to be known as the short-run underpricing puzzle. The winner’s curse hypothesis is directly tested flowing from and the unique data availability. It was shown that South African Public and Hybrid IPO Offer methods bear an exceptionally close correlation to UK influenced corporate legal systems and as such proved a reliable empirical testing ground for the winners curse phenomena using the same methodology and equations as their international counterparts hereunder. The UK based corporate law and institutional arrangements in South Africa allow a direct test of the empirical implications of the winner’s curse hypothesis in pricing unseasoned new issues.

In my first chapter, I use a novel dataset of customer reviews from Amazon.com to study the impact of managerial myopia on product market reputation. Using exogenous variation due to the timing of CEO equity vesting events, I show that short-term incentive shocks predict declines in reputation. A changing product market lineup and a deterioration of existing products are two mechanisms through which reputation is affected. The effect is larger when the CEO has other short-term concerns and when the firm has a low reputation in the product market. However, higher advertising expenses mitigate the negative reputational effect among consumers. Using an alternative empirical methodology, I find that higher short-term ownership in the firm is also associated with declining product market reputation, while higher long-term ownership is associated with increasing reputation. My second chapter uses a different setting to examine the consequences of personal wealth incentives. We test whether household wealth shocks affect professional misconduct by financial advisors. We use a panel of advisors' home addresses and examine within-advisor variation relative to other advisors who work at the same firm and live in the same ZIP code. We show that advisors increase misconduct following declines in their homes' values. The increased misconduct is due, in part, to willful actions, such as churning. We show that advisors' housing returns explain misconduct targeting out-of-state customers, breaking the link between customer and advisor housing shocks. Further, the results are stronger for advisors with lower career risk from committing misconduct.

Le but de cette recherché doctorale est d'établir la liaison entre deux phénomènes de mobilité parallèles qui peuvent faire changer une société de manière dramatique. On trouve dans le Maramures deux couloirs de mobilités fort liés entre eux: l’arrivée de personnes vers la région, qui consiste surtout en tourisme rural, et le départ des personnes originaires de la région vers l’étranger, qui est représenté par la migration de travail. Le tourisme rural est encastré dans un contexte social, politique et historique particulier. La spécificité supposée de la région est celle d’une authenticité bien préservée, avec un fort usage du discours concernant l’Etat national. Le Maramures est considéré comme une des régions “authentiques”, “archaïques” et “traditionnelles” qui attirent une certaine catégorie de visiteurs, comme c’est souvent le cas du tourisme rural. L’évolution du phénomène touristique est le résultat des intersections complexes des divers acteurs, les migrants jouant un rôle important. Une grande partie des remises de fonds provenant des migrants est investie dans le tourisme rural, d’une manière directe ou indirecte. De plus, ceux-ci fonctionnent comme des médiateurs culturels pour les activités touristiques. La participation à une pratique, tel le tourisme rural ou la migration, facilite souvent l’accès à l’autre, générant ainsi des tensions et clivages sociaux. La croissance continue du tourisme et de la migration est en même temps cause et effet d’une interdépendance entre les modèles culturels et économiques de l’Est et de l’Ouest. / The goal of this PhD research is to show the connection between two parallel mobility phenomena that have the potential to dramatically change a local society. There are two strongly linked “mobility corridors” in Maramures. Incoming mobility, i.e. the arrival of foreigners, largely involves tourists, whilst outgoing mobility consists mostly of labour migration. Rural tourism is embedded in a particular social, political and historical context. The alleged specificity of this area is a well-preserved authenticity, with a strong background of national discourse. Maramures is seen as an “authentic”, “archaic” or “traditional” area, so it attracts a particular category of visitor, as is often the case in rural tourism. The evolution of this tourism phenomenon is the result of the complex intersection of different actors’ interests, and migrants play a major role. A large part of the labour migrants’ remittances is invested in rural tourism, directly or indirectly. Moreover, these migrants function as cultural brokers for tourism-related activities. Participation in either rural tourism or migration often facilitates access to the other. However, it also creates tensions and social gaps. The steady growth of tourism and migration is both cause and effect of an interdependence between the cultural and economic models of Eastern and Western societies.

<p>The ever increasing regional and global trade competition has manifested itself in a growing number of non-standard forms of employment including the increasing use of &quot / temporary employment services&quot / (or &ldquo / labour brokers&rdquo / as commonly referred to). Labour brokers enter into employment relationships as third parties with client companies to supply employees through a commercial contract. These labour services usually fall outside the regular twoparty contract of employment defined under existing labour laws and thus the employees are not covered by that law. Labour brokers have been labelled as &ldquo / the re-emergence of new apartheid strategy&rdquo / and &ldquo / modern slavery&rdquo / by some quarters in labour sectors of Namibia and South Africa. Trade unions, particularly, have led the most vocal resistance against labour brokers in both countries. They argue that, like previous apartheid contract labour systems, labour brokers today erode standards for decent working conditions and weaken union representations in the workplace. Thus unions have repeatedly sent strong calls to lawmakers to amend existing labour laws and &bdquo / forever put labour broking in its grave where it belong‟1. On the other hand, employers have argued that recent forces of globalisation demand flexible employment strategies and banning labour brokers will make it more difficult for local businesses compete profitably globally via flexible short term employments and can lead to losses of many job opportunities.2 It is against this background that I will argue that current labour laws should be amended to define and regulate labour brokers more closely and compel them to recognise workers rights and conditions as equal as those of standard employees. But first, I will highlight some socio-economic indicators influencing the labour markets in South Africa and Namibia, including the history of worker‟s rights under the contract labour systems in both countries. Second, I will look at some of the expressed exploitive conditions resulting from the use of labour brokers and also look at some reasons why businesses engage labour brokers. Thereafter I will point out some of the reasons why trade unions have called for a total ban on labour brokers. I will then discuss the difficulty of banning labour brokers, including the constitutional challenge in the landmark case of African Personnel Services v Government of the Republic of Namibia3. Lastly i will expand on the ruling by the Namibian Supreme Court of Appeal (NSA) recommending a regulatory approach in line with the International Labour Organisation‟s (ILO) conventions on third-party employments.</p>

<p>The ever increasing regional and global trade competition has manifested itself in a growing number of non-standard forms of employment including the increasing use of &quot / temporary employment services&quot / (or &ldquo / labour brokers&rdquo / as commonly referred to). Labour brokers enter into employment relationships as third parties with client companies to supply employees through a commercial contract. These labour services usually fall outside the regular twoparty contract of employment defined under existing labour laws and thus the employees are not covered by that law. Labour brokers have been labelled as &ldquo / the re-emergence of new apartheid strategy&rdquo / and &ldquo / modern slavery&rdquo / by some quarters in labour sectors of Namibia and South Africa. Trade unions, particularly, have led the most vocal resistance against labour brokers in both countries. They argue that, like previous apartheid contract labour systems, labour brokers today erode standards for decent working conditions and weaken union representations in the workplace. Thus unions have repeatedly sent strong calls to lawmakers to amend existing labour laws and &bdquo / forever put labour broking in its grave where it belong‟1. On the other hand, employers have argued that recent forces of globalisation demand flexible employment strategies and banning labour brokers will make it more difficult for local businesses compete profitably globally via flexible short term employments and can lead to losses of many job opportunities.2 It is against this background that I will argue that current labour laws should be amended to define and regulate labour brokers more closely and compel them to recognise workers rights and conditions as equal as those of standard employees. But first, I will highlight some socio-economic indicators influencing the labour markets in South Africa and Namibia, including the history of worker‟s rights under the contract labour systems in both countries. Second, I will look at some of the expressed exploitive conditions resulting from the use of labour brokers and also look at some reasons why businesses engage labour brokers. Thereafter I will point out some of the reasons why trade unions have called for a total ban on labour brokers. I will then discuss the difficulty of banning labour brokers, including the constitutional challenge in the landmark case of African Personnel Services v Government of the Republic of Namibia3. Lastly i will expand on the ruling by the Namibian Supreme Court of Appeal (NSA) recommending a regulatory approach in line with the International Labour Organisation‟s (ILO) conventions on third-party employments.</p>