This thesis consists of an overview and five essays. The purpose of the thesis is to show how economics can contribute to a better understanding of medical practice variations – why they exist, their consequences, and the extent to which they can – and should – be influenced. The first essay, Econometric analysis of variation in cesarean section rates – a cross-sectional study of 59 obstetrical departments in Sweden, is an attempt to identify the causes of variation in cesarean section rates, and to discuss their economic consequences. The econometric model applied explains 27 percent of the variation. We conclude that the unexplained variation in cesarean section rates indicates inefficiency, mainly due to over-utilisation. Estimates of the economic consequences indicate an additional cost for "unnecessary" cesarean sections of 13-16 million SEK per year. The welfare loss to society due to undesired variation is tentatively estimated to be about twice as high. In the second essay, Estimating the effect of cesarean section rate on health outcome – evidence from Swedish hospital data, we test the null hypothesis of a zero effect of cesarean section rate on health outcome, against the alternative of a positive effect. We could not reject the null hypothesis of a zero effect, i.e., we did not find any significant positive relationship between cesarean section rate and health outcome, in terms of perinatal mortality or rate of asphyxia. In the third essay, Benchmarking in obstetric care – a comparative study based on data envelopment analysis (DEA), we apply the DEA method to compare technical efficiency (productivity) of inpatient obstetric care in Swedish hospitals in 1994 and 1995. The results indicate an average potential for enhanced productivity of at least 6-7 percent each year. Most hospitals show decreasing productivity 1994-1995, partly due to inability to adjust production capacity and costs to a decreasing demand. The last two essays apply a new method – Quality Satisfaction Performance (QSP) – for incorporating patient perspectives into the management of health care, i.e., as a basis for quality improvement. Change-oriented patient questionnaires – testing a new method at three departments of ophthalmology, is a pilot study. The results show consistently high patient satisfaction indices. Satisfaction varies somewhat among the different patient segments and departments. We conclude that decisions on improvements must be preceded by thorough assessment of costs as well as effects associated with the various changes. The last essay, Patient satisfaction and priority setting – an economic approach, aims at analysing if and how priorities according to the QSP approach are influenced when an economic perspective is explicitly included. This is accomplished by a cost-effectiveness analysis of certain proposed changes/improvements, and a cost-benefit analysis based upon the patients` willingness-to-pay for these changes. Our results show that the ranking between various improvements is strongly influenced when an economic dimension is included. We conclude that even a methodologically appropriate measurement of patient satisfaction may lead to cost-ineffective priority setting, unless economic consequences are explicitly considered. / Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Handelshögsk., 2001

Κατά την διάρκεια της ύστερης αρχαιότητας στην Β. Πελοπόννησο, ισχυροί σεισμοί έχουν πλήξει κατοικημένες περιοχές, προκαλώντας μεγάλες καταστροφές. Στην παρούσα εργασία εξετάζονται δημοσιευμένες συστηματικές ή/και σωστικές ανασκαφές, που οι ενδείξεις των ευρημάτων τους οδηγούν στο ότι συγκεκριμένες περιοχές έχουν πληγεί από σεισμούς. Πιο συγκεκριμένα, μελετήθηκαν 12 αρχαιολογικές θέσεις στην περιοχή της Β. Πελοποννήσου τη χρονική περίοδο από τον 1ο αιώνα μ.Χ έως και τον 6ο αιώνα μ.Χ. Με την παρούσα εργασία έγινε δυνατός με μεγαλύτερη ακρίβεια ο χρονικός προσδιορισμός της εκδήλωσης των σεισμικών γεγονότων σε σύγκριση με τις υπάρχουσες καταγραφές σε καταλόγους ιστορικών σεισμών ή προστέθηκαν επιπλέον σεισμικά γεγονότα ή αφαιρέθηκαν σεισμοί ανάλογα με το αν έχουν ή δεν έχουν αναγνωρισθεί στις αρχαιολογικές ανασκαφές, Συσχετίσθηκαν ρήγματα με ισχυρούς σεισμούς του παρελθόντος με βάση την γειτνίαση ή την διασπορά των καταστροφών σε αρχαιολογικές ανασκαφικές μαρτυρίες. Τέλος σύμφωνα με τα συμπεράσματα της παρούσας μελέτης, ισχυροί σεισμοί επηρέασαν την περιοχή της Β. Πελοποννήσου σε αρχαιολογικές θέσεις στον δυτικό και ανατολικό Κορινθιακό προσθέτοντας νέα στοιχειά στην χρονολόγηση και στην ένταση τους. Με βάση τα στοιχεία αυτά καταδεικνύεται ότι ο Ανατολικός Κορινθιακός παρουσιάζει συχνότερη σεισμική δραστηριότητα έναντι της δυτικής απόληξής του. / During the late antiquity in northern Peloponnesus, strong earthquakes have hit residential areas, causing considerable damage/major disasters. In the present study published systematic and / or rescue excavations are examined, whose finding evidence lead to the fact that specific regions are affected by earthquakes. More specifically, 12 archaeological sites in Northern Peloponnese have been studied from the period from the 1st century AD to the 6th century AD. In the present research the time of the occurrence of seismic activity was detected with greater precision in comparison with the existing records in the lists of historical earthquakes. Moreover, seismic activities were added or earthquakes were removed, depending on whether or not they have been identified in archeological excavations. Cracks have been associated with strong earthquakes of the past based on the vicinity or outspread of disasters in archaeological excavation evidence. Finally, according to the conclusions of this study, strong earthquakes have affected the area of North Peloponnesus, at archaeological sites in western and eastern Corinthian Gulf, adding new elements to their dating and their intensity. Based on these data it is demonstrated that the East Corinthian Gulf has more frequent seismic activity than its western part.

Förtätning är en stadsplanestrategi som fått stort genomslag i Sverige, men som enligt Bunce (2018), Rådberg (2014) och Boverket (2016a, 2016b) kan medföra gentrifiering. Boverket (2016a, 2016b) har uppmanat till hantering av gentrifiering vid förtätning av centrala områden. Hur förhåller sig kommunal planering till gentrifiering som en av förtätningens konsekvenser? Den här kandidatuppsatsen i samhällsplanering vill påbörja ett svar på den frågan. Studien angriper frågan genom en diskursanalytisk fallstudie av plandokument och mötesprotokoll från Gävle kommun. Kommunen studeras därför att förtätning är en huvudstrategi för kommunens bostadsförsörjning i dess översiktsplan från 2017 (Gävle kommun, 2017). Materialet består av utdrag ur planbeskrivningar (Gävle kommun, 2014-2018), översiktsplan för 2030 (Gävle kommun, 2017), riktlinjer för bostadsförsörjning (Gävle kommun, 2013) och mötesprotokoll från kommunala beslutsorgan som hanterat dessa frågor (Gävle kommun 2014-2018). Med en kombination av olika diskursanalytiska verktyg och teorier samt ett kodschema plockas centrala teman och värdeladdningar ut ur textmassan, och gentrifiering (i tre betydelser) och dess synonymer eftersöks. Resultatet visar att ämnet gentrifiering förekommer mycket sparsamt i diskursen, och påvisar dessutom att beskrivningar av sociala konsekvenser domineras av positiva ordalag. Resultatet jämförs med Kurzons (2007) och Huckins (2002) kriterier för tystnad och manipulativ tystnad. Därefter dras slutsatsen att diskursen präglas av tystnad i ämnet gentrifiering, och att denna tystnad kan kvalificera sig som manipulativ. Studien föreslår en kombination av rådande stadsbyggnadsideal, kvantitativ målsättning för bostadsbyggande, och lagställda krav som möjlig förklaring, men påtalar behovet av vidare forskning kring den bredare diskursens innehåll och dess orsaker. / Urban densification has become a prevalent strategy of city planning in Sweden. Urban intensification is also a strategy which, according to Bunce (2018), Rådberg (2014) and the Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning (2016a, 2016b) runs the risk of resulting in gentrification. The Swedish National Board advices that gentrification should be considered when urban densification is implemented in central areas (Boverket, 2016a, 2016b). In what way do Swedish municipalities address the issue in their city planning? This Bachelors Degree essay is an attempt at beginning to answer that question. The study applies discourse analysis and takes the form of a case study of the municipality of Gävle. It focuses on central urban densification for housing purposes, and studies excerpts from planning documents on different geographical scales, combined with protocol from municipal policy meetings. All materials used are within the public domain. The study uses three different definitions of gentrification (Hamnett, 2003; Marcuse, 2015; Boverket 2016a, 2016b). Combining different methods of discourse analysis, the study pinpoints any discussion regarding gentrification or its synonyms, as well as the overall themes and values present within the text. The study finds that gentrification is sparingly mentioned within the material, and in addition notes that social consequences are predominantly described as being positive. The findings are compared to definitions of silence (Huckin, 2002; Kurzon, 2007), and to Huckin’s (2002) criteria for manipulative silence. The study concludes that the absence of gentrification and of negative social impact within the discourse qualifies as silence, and that this silence fits the criteria for manipulative silence. It is speculated that the silence may be caused by a combination of urban planning ideals, pressure to prepare for a large number of dwellings, and demands made by the laws that regulate urban planning. Further study is recommended to broaden the studied discourse and to examine the cause of the silence found in this study.

This study aims at understanding the decision to buy "Made in Mozambique" products, which is important for developing marketing strategy and promoting national products. To explore the factors influencing consumers' buying decisions, means-end theory and its associated methodology provide a useful framework for understanding why people buy "Made in Mozambique" rice by characterising the relationships between the attributes, consequences associated with those attributes, and the values those consequences help reinforce. Methodology: a total of 20 consumers were interviewed. It is important to mention that only rice was used in this study. The laddering interviewing technique was then used to link these chains of meanings. Analyses and interpretation of the resulting data provide an effective complement for studying consumer purchasing motives and suggest recommendations for managerial practice and future research efforts. Summary of the study findings include: (i) Attributes: Quality, cost, national; (ii) Consequences: healthy, well-being, affordable, trust, contribution, and fulfillment; and (iii) Values: Feeling happy, longevity and self-esteem.The theoretical component of this research covers the definition and discussion of Means-end theory and consumer decision-making. / Industrial Psychology / M.A. (Industrial & Organisational Psychology)

A presente dissertação investiga as possíveis consequências jurídicas imputáveis a descumprimentos de deveres anexos de boa-fé ocorridos em negociações coletivas trabalhistas. Para tanto, pesquisa-se a negociação coletiva trabalhista em si mesma, suas origens, os interesses nela envolvidos, suas funções, seus princípios, delineando-a como uma fase negocial análoga ao momento pré-contratual dos contratos em geral. Após, estuda-se o princípio da boa-fé, desde seu berço natural, no Direito comum, especialmente na sua vertente objetiva, que tem papel primordial na limitação do princípio da autonomia negocial, para então analisar-se sua aplicabilidade ao Direito Coletivo do Trabalho, especificamente no tocante as negociações coletivas trabalhistas, com a visualização dos deveres anexos de boa-fé incidentes nas mesmas. Também verificam-se as consequências jurídicas imputáveis aos descumprimentos de deveres anexos de boa-fé na negociação coletiva trabalhista, que parecem exigir, para harmonização do sistema e atingimento da finalidade do próprio instituto negocial coletivo laboral, respostas que, de fato, estimulem, privilegiem e otimizem a negociação coletiva laboral como um direito fundamental, eficaz e democrático-construtivo das relações de trabalho. Em conclusão, questiona-se se essa verificação não seria necessária para um futuro saudável das relações coletivas trabalhistas. / This dissertation investigates the possible legal consequences attributable to the noncompliance with good faith obligations in collective labor bargainings. Therefore, the collective labor bargaining is researched in itself, its origins, the interests involved, its functions, its principles, delinating it as a negotiation phase comparable to the pre-contractual moment of contracts in general. After, the principle of good faith is studied, from its birth in commom Law, especially in its objective strand, which has a primordial role in limitating the principle of negotiation autonomy, for then analyse its applicability to the Collective Labour Law, specifically about collective labor bargainings, with the visualization of its incidents good faith obligations. Also, the legal consequences for the noncompliance of good faith obligations in the collective labor bargaining are verified, which seems to require, to harmonize the system and to reach the purpose of the very institute of the collective labor bargaining, responsaes that, in fact, stimulate, privilege and optimize the collective labor bargaining as a fundamental, effective and democratic-constructive right. In conclusion, it is questioned whether this verification would not be necessary for a healthy future of collective labor relations.

This thesis is dealing with the issue of risk management during order processing in manufacturing company, which is focused on textile production. Introduction of thesis is presenting theroretical basis. Practical part of the thesis is dealing with company introduction organizational structure of the body, product range, order progressing, OSH policy and environmental policy. Tools chosen for risk assessment techniques - analysis of the causes and consequences (Ishikawa diagram), analysis of possible errors and their consequences (FMEA) and the Pareto chart. The thesis aims to analyze the risks and for the most significant risks to process proposals for their elimination.

The Chernobyl nuclear disaster of April 26, 1986 is the worst nuclear accident in the history of mankind. An experiment conducted in the 4th reactor resulted in its explosion and a huge amount of radionuclides escaped into the environment in the course of the subsequent fire. The greater part of Europe was contaminated by radioactive fallout, including the former Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. From a health point of view, the most harmful radioactive substances causing radioactive contamination were caesium 137Cs and iodine 131I. The then government did not provide objective and true information to the citizens and the media depicted the disaster as an insignificant incident. I set the following goals of my thesis: a) to develop an overview of immediate and especially long-term consequences of the accident; b) to analyse the knowledge of the population of the South Bohemian Region of the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster depending on the age of respondents. For fulfilling the set goals, I set myself the following hypotheses: H1) the theoretical division of the population's knowledge will be normal; H2) the knowledge of persons over 45 years of age will statistically be significantly higher than that of younger people. I handled the given theme using available specialized literature, Internet sources and publications published by relevant institutions. In the introductory part I describe the construction of the power plant, basic technical parameters of the reactor used and the course and causes of the actual accident. The next section is focused on the consequences of the accident in individual time periods immediately, after 10 years and after 20 years. I devote myself both to influences on human lives and health and to environmental, social, economic and psychological consequences. Furthermore,I describe the situation in former Czechoslovakia and the way of informing the population by the then government. The last section of the theoretical part is dedicated to the present situation in the Chernobyl region and at the power plant itself. While compiling the research part of the thesis, I gathered data among the inhabitants of the South Bohemian Region through questionnaire investigation. I addressed a total of 280 respondents, of which 140 were under 45 years of age and 140 were over 45 years of age. The questionnaire contained 15 questions concerning basic, not professional knowledge in this area. For the purposes of my questionnaire investigation, I divided the South Bohemian Region into districts. The selection of individual towns within the framework of the questionnaire investigation was carried out at random, by drawing lots. 280 questionnaires were completed in all, of which 140 questionnaires were completed by respondents under 45 and 140 questionnaires were completed by respondents over 45. By drawing lots, I selected 100 questionnaires out of these completed questionnaires, each age group being included. The test of the set hypotheses and statistical evaluation are carried out using descriptive and mathematical statistics. I carried out statistical evaluation by testing normality, using X2-good agreement test. I mutually compared the knowledge of the groups monitored by testing using a two-sample t-test, based on the estimate of empirical parameters from each group. Based on statistical investigation I came to the conclusion that the division of the population's theoretical knowledge was normal, which confirms the first hypothesis. The results of the investigation also unambiguously confirmed the fact that the knowledge of the population over 45 years of age was statistically significantly higher than the knowledge of the younger group of respondents. As far as total evaluation is concerned, the average value of correct answers in case of the older group of respondents reached 71%, while the younger group showed just 44% of correct answers, which confirms the second se hypothesis.

The importance of electrical energy for a contemporary society is increasing. However, most of people don´t realise possible consequences of power outage for agriculture. This thesis aims at presenting an analysis of power outage effects on agricultural breeding in MEC Soběslav area. Considering the aim of the thesis, there is a problem whether the selected breeding farms are ready enough for power outages. The theoretical part of the thesis characterises crisis management, integrated rescue system (IRS), critical infrastructure and electrical grid. The following part of the chapter deals with livestock, poultry and pig breeding, mainly from the point of view of their technological as well as technical equipment. The research part is based on pen and paper interviews with representatives and owners of breeding farms. The research was focused on a degree of dependency on electrical energy in MEC Soběslav area. Two breeding farms in Germany were selected for a comparison with the situation abroad. The results revealed that most of the breeding farms are strongly dependent on electrical energy. Thanks to the last modernisation, automatic feeding or water supplying became a common standard. Unfortunately, most of the modern breeding farms are not able to guarantee these procedures in case of power outage. Great amount of breeding farms don´t have any emergency sources of energy and those that own some, have only limited supplies of fuel. There are no contracts guaranteeing the fuel for the breeding farms. The most problematic situation concerns poultry breeding, where the breeding procedures are wholly controlled by information systems and even the minute failures cause massive losses. Therefore the research problem was confirmed because the breeding farms are not equipped for powers outages. This diploma thesis is supposed to be used for educational purposes or as the means of orientation in the problem for individual breeders. The purpose is the education of presented subjects.

Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van hierdie studie was om vas te stel hoe vaderlike werkloosheid die leefwereld van die adolessent beinvloed. In 'n poging om die adolessent se leefwereld te verstaan, was dit nodig om die adolessent-in-totaliteit aan te spreek. Daar is aangedui hoe emosionele trauma soos die skielike werkloosheid van die vader nie net die adolessent se fisieke-, kognitiewe-, affektiewe-, sosiale- en normatiewe wording rem nie, maar dat dit ook 'n negatiewe invloed op skolastiese prestasie het. Vaderlike werkloosheid het 'n besondere invloed op die relasies binne die gesin. Die adolessent se leefwereld, wat die Gestalt is van al die relasies wat hy/sy gevorm het, word beduidend deur die vader se werkloosheid geraak. Die empiriese studie toon dat die adolessent wie se vader werkloos geraak het, se betekenisgewing, belewing en betrokkenheid negatief is en derhalwe word sy selfaktualisering gerem en is hy uiteindelik op terapeutiese ingryping aangewese. / The aim of this study was to determine the effect of fathers unemployment on the adolescent's life world. In an attempt to understand the adolescent's life world, it was necessary to address the adolescent in totality. It has been shown how emotional trauma, such as the unexpected unemployment of the father, not only impairs the adolescent's physical-, cognitive-, affective-, social- and normative development but also has a negative influence on scholastic performance. The unemployment of a father has a particular influence on the relations within the family. The adolescent's life world, which is the Gestalt of all the relations that he or she formed, is also particularly influenced by the father's unemployment. The empirical research reveals that the adolescent who's father is unemployed is much more inclined to negative meaning, involvement and experience. Thus this adolescent is restraint on his way to self - actualisation and becomes receptive to therapeutic intervention. / Psychology of Education / M.Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Text in Afrikaans / Die siviele lasterreg word gekenmerk deur verdeeldheid aangaande bewyspligtigheid. 'n Unieke situasie doen horn voor: weerlegbare regsvermoedens van onregmatigheid en animus iniuriandi word opgevolg deur verskeie regsverdigingsgronde. Bykomend hiertoe stel die Grondwet die vereiste van konstitusionele regverdiging vir beperkings op fundamentele regte. 'n Oorsig oor die regspraak in sowel die voorgrondwetlike - as na-grondwetlike bedeling, dui op 'n versuim deur die howe om behoorlik aandag te skenk aan die bewyspligtigheidsgevolge van die regverskynsels wat hulself in die lasterreg voordoen. In hierdie verhandeling word bewyspligtigheid in lastersake krities ondersoek om vas te stel of dit die reg korrek weerspieel en om 'n werkbare bewyslasformule vir lasteraksies in 'n konstitusionele litigasie te vind. Daar word voorgestel dat die probleem opgelos word deur 'n tweefase-benadering: Die eiser moet in die eerste fase die omvang van sy reg bewys en dat daarop inbreuk gemaak is. In die tweede fase moet die verweerder sy regverdigingsgronde bewys, asook dat dit konstitusioneel regverdigbaar is. / The civil law of defamation is marked by discord regarding onus of proof. A unique situation evidences itself: rebuttable presumptions of law concerning unlawfulness and animus iniuriandi are followed by various grounds of justification. In addition thereto the Constitution sets the requirement of constitutional justification for limitations on fundamental rights. An overview of case law in the pre-constitutional as well as the post-constitutional dispensation, indicates a failure by the courts to pay proper attention to the evidentiary consequences of the legal phenomena found in the law of defamation. In this dissertation onus of proof in defamation cases is critically examined to ascertain whether it reflects the law correctly and to find a workable "onus of proof" -formula for defamation cases in a constitutional dispensation. It is suggested that the problem be solved by a two stage approach: in the first phase, the plaintiff must prove the extent of his right and the encroachment thereof . In the second phase the defendant must prove his grounds of justification and show that they are constitutionally justifiable. / Constitutional, International and Indigenous Law / LL.M.