<p>This paper will answer which factors are important for the business relation between a small Swedish import company and a Chinese contractor. The problem is based partly in theories that points to cultural and organizational differences between Sweden and China, and partly in current examples from Swedish companies. The relevant data has been collected by interviews with three small Swedish companies that are currently using Chinese contractors.</p><p>The result is that the differences between the countries and organizations exist, but that they do not interfere with the inter-company relations. The conclusion is that our result contradicts</p><p>the established theories in the field, and that a more comprehensive investigation is warranted.</p> / <p>Denna uppsats skall svara på vilka faktorer som är viktiga för en handelsrelation mellan ett litet svenskt importföretag och en kinesisk leverantör. Problemet grundar sig dels i teorier som visar på kulturella och organisatoriska skillnader mellan Sverige och Kina och dels aktuella exempel från svenska företag. För att få fram relevant data har vi intervjuat tre svenska småföretag som använder sig av leverantörer i Kina.</p><p>Resultatet är att skillnaderna mellan länderna och organisationerna finns, men att det inte stör relationen företagen emellan. Slutsatsen blir därför att vårt resultat motsäger dom etablerade teorierna i ämnet, och att en mer omfattande undersökning är befogad.</p>

This paper will answer which factors are important for the business relation between a small Swedish import company and a Chinese contractor. The problem is based partly in theories that points to cultural and organizational differences between Sweden and China, and partly in current examples from Swedish companies. The relevant data has been collected by interviews with three small Swedish companies that are currently using Chinese contractors. The result is that the differences between the countries and organizations exist, but that they do not interfere with the inter-company relations. The conclusion is that our result contradicts the established theories in the field, and that a more comprehensive investigation is warranted. / Denna uppsats skall svara på vilka faktorer som är viktiga för en handelsrelation mellan ett litet svenskt importföretag och en kinesisk leverantör. Problemet grundar sig dels i teorier som visar på kulturella och organisatoriska skillnader mellan Sverige och Kina och dels aktuella exempel från svenska företag. För att få fram relevant data har vi intervjuat tre svenska småföretag som använder sig av leverantörer i Kina. Resultatet är att skillnaderna mellan länderna och organisationerna finns, men att det inte stör relationen företagen emellan. Slutsatsen blir därför att vårt resultat motsäger dom etablerade teorierna i ämnet, och att en mer omfattande undersökning är befogad.

The purpose of this essay is to analyze the intersectionality between themes of cultural clash and gender roles within the novels Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë and Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, accentuating their common quest for equality. This essay offers a historical and cultural analysis, divulging the gender norms prevalent in Victorian England and pre-colonial Nigeria, serving as a backstage to the characters’ adaptations and struggles. The essay analyses the characters, giving an insight how they either conform or resist to the societal limitations of their respective eras. In addition, it examines the transformative effect of British colonialism on Igbo society, looking over the resulting struggles in gender dynamics and cultural conflicts. Spirituality and religion become evident as important aspects in shaping gender roles, juxtaposing Igbo traditions against the influence and spread of Christianity. The protagonists’ quest for independence and self-respect is documented in both novels, marked by their steadfast commitment to personal principles despite societal expectations. The essay draws similarities between Jane Eyre's pursuit of equality and the evolving gender roles in Igbo society, ultimately attesting to the enduring significance of these literary explorations in the context of contemporary conversations on the never-ending quest for equity, shifting gender norms, and cultural clashes. / Syftet med denna uppsats är att analysera intersektionaliteten mellan teman om kulturkrock och könsroller i romanerna Jane Eyre av Charlotte Brontë och Things Fall Apart av Chinua Achebe, och accentuera deras gemensam strävan efter jämställdhet. Den här uppsatsen erbjuder en historisk och kulturell analys som avslöjar de könsnormer som är vanliga i det viktorianska England och det förkoloniala Nigeria, och fungerar som en backstage till karaktärernas anpassningar och kamp. Uppsatsen analyserar karaktärerna och ger en insikt om hur de antingen anpassar sig till eller motsätter sig de samhälleliga begränsningarna i sina respektive epoker. Dessutom undersöker den omvälvande effekten av brittisk kolonialism på Igbo-samhället, och ser över den resulterande kampen i genusdynamik och kulturella konflikter. Andlighet och religion blir uppenbara som viktiga aspekter i att forma könsroller, och ställer Igbo-traditioner mot kristendomens inflytande och spridning. Huvudpersonernas strävan efter självständighet och självrespekt finns dokumenterad i båda romanerna, präglade av deras orubbliga engagemang för personliga principer trots samhälleliga förväntningar. Uppsatsen drar likheter mellan Jane Eyres strävan efter jämställdhet och de utvecklande könsrollerna i Igbo-samhället, vilket i slutändan vittnar om den bestående betydelsen av dessa litterära utforskningar i sammanhanget av samtida samtal om den oändliga strävan efter jämlikhet, skiftande könsnormer och kulturella sammandrabbningar.

This paper explores Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart (1958) within the context of postcolonial theory, focusing on the clash between traditional Igbo culture and the forces of European imperialism. Achebe's work serves as a response to Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness (1899) and challenges the stereotypical portrayal of Africans. This thesis delves into the impact of missionaries and Christianity on Igbo society, analyzing the mechanisms through which they established influence and sparked conflicts with traditional beliefs. Employing a postcolonial framework, the study scrutinizes power dynamics, colonial strategies, and the consequences of cultural clashes. The study’s findings critically assess European colonialism by highlighting how missionaries utilized Christianity for colonization, revealing conflicts between African and European cultures and prompting reflection on the repercussions of cultural interactions in pre- and postcolonial Africa. The research reveals the multifaceted impact of missionaries and Christianity on Igbo society, employing tactics such as education-driven conversion, economic dependence, cultural stigmatization, exploitation of social divisions, and legal/political influence. These strategies were designed to subvert traditional beliefs, reshape cultural values, and establish Christianity as a dominant force, resulting in significant cultural conflicts within the Igbo community.

Submitted by Julien Antoine Marie Montcel (julienmontcel@gmail.com) on 2015-02-20T17:14:37Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Julien Montcel_Thesis_FGV_20022015 - Final version post presentation.pdf: 535252 bytes, checksum: bfe7fc52e8d66af7ff52b70f555400f0 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luana Rodrigues (luana.rodrigues@fgv.br) on 2015-02-20T18:47:35Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Julien Montcel_Thesis_FGV_20022015 - Final version post presentation.pdf: 535252 bytes, checksum: bfe7fc52e8d66af7ff52b70f555400f0 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-02-20T19:36:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Julien Montcel_Thesis_FGV_20022015 - Final version post presentation.pdf: 535252 bytes, checksum: bfe7fc52e8d66af7ff52b70f555400f0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-01-20 / A privatização de uma empresa é uma mudança empresarial disruptiva que geralmente coincide com o fim de uma posição de monopólio e da subsequente entrada num ambiente competitivo. Os desafios que a privatização coloca são tão árduos que eles levam muitas vezes a liderança (leadership) para executar planos ambiciosos de mudança empresarial. No entanto, a literatura mostra que muitos deles falharam. Na verdade, esses planos preveem mudanças bruscas e importantes que tendem a empurrar a empresa privatizada na armadilha de aceleração (acceleration trap). Um tipo de 'burnout organizacional' (organizational burnout) onde a exaustão e a resignação da força de trabalho afetam drasticamente o desempenho da empresa. A tese, portanto, focalizou em estudar a ligação entre um processo de privatização e o risco de cair na armadilha de aceleração. Uma investigação preliminar sobre a literatura das mudanças empresariais permitiu a concepção de um quadro preliminar teórico que sugere a existência de dois moderadores (moderators) deste relacionamento entre um processo de privatização e a armadilha de aceleração: um 'choque cultural' (cultural clash) e um 'fraco clima de liderança transformacional' (weak transformational leadership). Em seguida, um estudo de caso - baseado numa empresa de telecomunicações europeia e conduzido através de uma abordagem metodológico não puramente indutivo (non-purely inductive approach) - confirma, mas também aprofunda a compreensão da ação desses dois moderadores. A respeito do moderador 'choque cultural' (cultural clash moderator), a análise de dados do estudo de caso da empresa de telecomunicações europeia mostra a importância exercitado tanto por um 'choque de identidade corporativa' (corporate identity conflict) como por um 'conflito de identidade gerencial' (management identity conflict). Quanto ao moderador 'fraco liderança transformacional', a análise dos dados destaca o papel da 'falta de confiança na nova gerência' (lack of trust in the new management), mas também de 'sentido do trabalho' (lack of job sense), principalmente através da perda de 'orgulho no trabalho' (loss of proudness). Finalmente, a análise dos dados salienta que a 'não aceitação do novo sistema de incentivos' (non-acceptance of the new incentive system) afeta significativamente a relação entre a privatização e a armadilha de aceleração, contribuindo tanto para um 'choque cultural' como para um 'fraco clima de liderança transformacional'. / The privatization of a company is a disruptive shift that generally coincides with the end of a monopoly position and the subsequent entry into the competitive game. The challenges that it raises are so arduous that they tend to lead the leadership to execute massive corporate changes. Yet, the literature shows that many of them fail. In fact, those plans envisage abrupt and severe changes that tend to push the privatized company into the acceleration trap: a type of organizational burnout where the exhaustion and the resignation of the workforce affect dramatically the performance of the company. The thesis has therefore focused on studying the link between a privatization process and the risk of falling into the acceleration trap. An initial investigation into the corporate change literature has permitted to design a preliminary theoretical framework, which has suggested the existence of two moderators of the relationship between privatization and acceleration trap: a cultural clash and a weak transformational leadership climate. Then, a single case study - based on a European telecommunication company and driven through a non-purely inductive approach – has confirmed but also deepened the understanding of the action of those two moderators. Regarding the cultural clash moderator, the data analysis of the company’s case study shows the importance played by not only a corporate identity conflict but also by a management identity clash. With regard to the weak transformational leadership climate moderator, the data analysis highlights the role of lack of trust in the new management but also of job sense, particularly through a loss of proudness. Finally, it also derives from the data analysis that the non-acceptance of the new incentive system also significantly affects the relationship between privatization and acceleration trap by contributing to both a cultural clash and a weak transformational leadership climate.