<p>Diss. (sammanfattning) Umeå : Umeå universitet, 2001. Härtill 6 uppsatser.</p> / digitalisering@umu

This paper investigates the factors that influence hammer price in fine art auctions. Unlike previous studies, this thesis focuses solely on Mark Rothko’s abstract painting auction results, which eliminates pricing variation from multiple artists or painting genres. Using a freshly constructed database that covers all Rothko auction records from 1985 to 2017, this thesis affirms the presence of declining price anomaly. Auction house experts’ pre-sale estimates are shown to be largely unbiased with a marginal downward pricing tendency. Furthermore, size is a statistically significant variable that affects hammer price and Rothko’s vertical compositions are favored in the auction market.

It is possible for firms to survive within declining industries. However, growth through internationalization within this stage of an industry’s life-cycle has not been sufficiently explored in the past. As SMEs supposedly face many barriers during this process, the purpose of this thesis is to research the internationalization of SMEs within declining industries, with a focus on finding what is the biggest challenge to their internationalization. A multiple-case study and semi-structured interviews were used to explore internationalization in a declining industry, the watch industry. A theoretical framework was built and compared to both the primary and the secondary data collected throughout this study. The analysis shows that finding the right distributor is the biggest challenge throughout SMEs’ internationalization. It also finds trade shows related to declining industries not to be effective promotion tools for firms from this industry. Finally, this thesis finds smartwatches not to be perceived as a threat by traditional watch brands, due to the different values associated to these products.

The licentiate thesis consists of three papers with the particular topic in public housing. They discuss how the public housing companies manage the transition to higher economic demands meeting increased customer and market requirements. These studies focus specifically on how the public housing company deal with market challenges associated with the decision to demolish, maintain and/or new construction. Market-oriented perspective can be a tool for the public housing companies to achieve better customer value and enhance economic development. Although the market orientation concept has contributed to valuable improvements in research, the thesis assumes that it is necessary to distinguish between that the public housing companies operate market-oriented to meet customer requirements and their focus on innovation. Paper I develops market/innovation types and then investigates how public housing companies adapt to these types. It was found that economic conditions in the municipality have a major impact on the housing companies, causing them to act innovatively and create superior customer value by innovations. The study confirms that the implementation of market and innovation orientation contributes to competitive advantages in growing markets, while weak economic conditions impair implementation in declining markets. Paper II addresses how public housing companies in declining markets act based on the concept of market intelligence. This study suggested and tested whether there is a positive link between collecting customer information, disseminating it in the organization, and responding to customer needs, and whether this link has an impact on strategic performance. The result shows that weak links exist in the process; the efficiency of intelligence distribution in public housing companies is affected mainly by their responsiveness to customer needs. Paper III also addresses the public housing companies’ market strategies in declining markets. This study, based on a market-strategic perspective, compares how public housing companies act in relation to customer wants compared to the private housing market. The result shows that public housing companies are more engaged in carrying out new construction, renovation, and reconstruction, as well as taking more social responsibility compared to the private sector. In particular, their concern for the customers’ social needs is evident. / <p>QC 20160215</p>

This study compares the morbidity and mortality of non-adults in urban and rural cemeteries between AD 850-1859. It was hypothesised that the development of urbanisation and industrialisation with subsequenot overcrowding and environmental pollution, would result in a decline in human health in the urban groups. This would be evident in lower mean ages at death, retarded growth and higher rates of childhood stress and chronic infection in the children living in the urbanised environments. Non-adult skeletons were examined from Raunds Furnells in Northamptonshire (Anglo- Saxon), St. Helen-on-the-Walls in York (later medieval, urban), Wharrarn Percy in Yorkshire (later medieval, rural) and from the crypt of Christ Church Spitalfields, in London (AD 1729-1859). The results showed that it was industrialisation, rather than urbanisation that was most detrimental to child health. Weaning ages declined from two years in the Anglo-Saxon period to one year in the eighteenth and nineteenth century. Industrialisation was characterised by a lower mean age at death, growth retardation and an increase in the prevalence of rickets and scurvy. Although higher rates of dental disease and matemal stress were apparent in the urbanised samples, respiratory diseases were more common in the rural areas. Growth profiles suggested that environmental factors were similar in the urban and rural communities in the later medieval period. However, there was evidence that employment had a detrimental effect on the health of later medieval apprentices. This study demonstrates the importance of non-adult remains in addressing issues of health and adaptation in the past and, the validity of using skeletal material to measure environmental stress.

Um sistema de filtração rápida com taxa declinante variável devidamente projetado e operado pode funcionar como uma alternativa econômica e prática uma vez que este tipo de sistema dispensa equipamentos de controle de vazão e de nível, diminuindo o custo da obra e simplificando a operação. Várias são as formas encontradas por pesquisadores para o estudo de sistemas, mas a grande maioria os pesquisou em escala piloto; alguns modelaram a hidráulica do sistema tentando obter parâmetros de projeto, outros utilizaram métodos gráficos que permitem visualizar o que acontece teoricamente nesses sistemas, mas poucos são os trabalhos desenvolvidos em escala real. O sistema de filtração com taxa declinante variável, na realidade, é bastante simples, mas, na maior parte das vezes, uma implantação inadequada pode dificultar a operação e por consequência tornar o processo complexo e pouco eficiente. Este trabalho consistiu em desenvolver uma metodologia de trabalho que permite estudar esses sistemas em escala real por meio de simulações numa instalação piloto com características similares à de instalação em escala real com o intuito de se obterem as condições mais adequadas de operação do sistema. O trabalho ressalta as dificuldades encontradas numa instalação com filtração direta descendente e taxa declinante variável em escala real, quando seu funcionamento ocorre sem uma operação prévia, na qual os equipamentos e o sistema deveriam ter sido devidamente ajustados.O desenvolvimento desse trabalho resultou em uma metodologia que permite obter parâmetros de projeto de um sistema com taxa declinante variável a partir de uma instalação piloto constituída de um único filtro, levando-se em conta a área de armazenamento a montante dos filtros. / A variable declining rate filtration system, designed and operated with care, can be an economical and practical alternative for water treatment as this type of system requires no control equipment for discharge and head. There are various ways to study such systems but most of them employed pilot scale tests; some either modelled the hydraulic of the system mathematically trying to obtain project parameters; others made use of graphical methods to visualise what occurs within these systems. Very few studies have been conducted at full scale. Although declining rate filtration systems are rather simple, their inadequate implantation can pose difficulties in operation, thus making the process complex and less efficient. This work consisted of developing a methodology of investigation that permits the study of full scale rate filtration systems by means of simulations in a pilot installation with the same characteristics as the real system, in order to determine the most adequate operational conditions. This research reveals the difficulties associated with the study of an actual direct down flow and a variable declining rate filtration system, when it functions without a previous experimental operation in which the system and its equipment are adequately adjusted. The development of this work has led to a methodology that allows for obtaining project parameters of a declining variable rate system by means of a pilot installation comprising one single filter, talking into account the storage upstream the filters.

近年來，臺灣因社會觀念、經濟狀況等大幅改變，生育率急速下降；人口結構失衡除了生育數應由政策面加以著手改善，更應藉此提升人口素質，此時負責人口素質第一線的國小教育體系越發重要。觀諸各層級學校之業務運作上，行政業務乃為校務工作成功與否的幕後推手，故學校行政人員的心理感受及行為舉措將間接影響國民小學教學品質，此議題值得深究。本研究旨在探究偏遠地區六班國小行政人員在少子化衝擊下，其工作滿足及生涯規劃之影響，藉由多個面向瞭解受訪者工作滿足程度，並從「個人特質」、「心理動機」及「價值觀」等三種取向分析受訪者生涯之規劃，俾作為後續研究者瞭解此一議題的參考。 本研究採質性研究之深度訪談法。研究對象總數為8人，均為現仍服務於偏遠地區國民小學之專任行政人員。經分析訪談資料後，所得研究發現綜述如下： 一、偏遠地區小型國小因編制員額有限，故絕大部份行政人員業務範圍皆為一般中大型學校行政人員多樣工作複合，易有不滿足感產生。 二、小校因人員有限，同ㄧ處室之行政人員，常常需共同協力完成業務，若其中有人怠惰或拖延，其他人員勢必承擔多出的業務，才能使事情順利完成，此時易有怨言產生。 三、學校之存廢裁併政策應該整體性作考量，並針對偏遠地區訂定例外規定，畢竟學校規模小不是原罪，是否廢校要視多方的指標來善加評估。 四、無論是對於教學工作的支援，使教師及學童無後顧之憂；或者建置完善教學環境，皆指明行政人員係維持校務持續運作的幕後功臣。 五、學生人數下降並非單純因學校教學不佳，而係各種因素交錯產生的結果，少子化僅是因素之一，另學校地理位置偏僻與否、學區內學校多寡、居民經濟狀況…等皆是原因。 本研究根據研究發現，提出以下建議： 一、部份公務機關對於學校行政人員觀感為：抗壓性不足、工作輕鬆、業務單純；為避免年輕有抱負之公務人員視國小行政人員為畏途，且強化國小教育行政力量，應暢通國小行政人員之升遷管道。 二、工友或校園警衛等可使用外包或派遣人力之職務，宜考慮委由民間辦理，不但可節省國小人事經費，亦可藉此導入民間經營效率。 三、偏遠地區國小之業務主管應對於複合工作較繁重之同仁多加溝通，適時紓解其累積之不滿足感；另應定期輪調，使工作不致分配不均。 四、偏遠地區國民小學應積極發展學校特色，結合社區資源，或營造生態校園…等，提升學校價值，可讓學童感受課本外的環境，豐富教育內涵。 關鍵字：少子化、工作滿足、生涯規劃 / In the recent years, the birth rate in Taiwan has been declining rapidly due to the concepts in the society and the economic statuses. The population structure has become unbalanced. Besides increasing the number of newborns, it is more important to improve the quality of the population. And the front line of improving the quality of the population is the elementary school education system. Whether affairs in schools of different levels can be done smoothly depends on administrative works. Thus, school administrative personnel’s mental perception and behaviors may indirectly influence teaching quality in elementary schools. It is worthy to further explore this issue. This study discussed the impact of declining birth rate on the job satisfaction and career planning of the administrative personnel from an elementary school with six classes in a remote area. From different views, this study explored the degrees of job satisfaction of the interviewees and analyzed their career plans from the aspects of “individual characteristics”, “psychological motivation”, and “values”. This study can be used as a reference for future studies regarding this issue. This study adopted a qualitative research method – in-depth interviewing. There were a total of 8 research subjects, who were full-time administrative personnel serving in an elementary school in a remote area. The data obtained from the interviews were analyzed and the findings of this study are listed below: 1. Because the number of personnel in a small elementary school in a remote area is limited, most of the administrative personnel have to cover more complex works than those working in middle or large sized schools. Therefore, it is very common that these personnel are dissatisfied. 2. Because the number of personnel in a small elementary school is limited, the administrative personnel who work in the same department often have to complete tasks together. In case one of them being lazy or delaying, others have to shoulder more burdens to make sure things go smoothly. This is when complaints started to surface. 3. The consideration for the policies of school abolishment must be broad and general. There should be additional regulations for remote areas. After all, being small is not a sin for schools. Whether a school should be abolished should depend on evaluations with indexes of different aspects. 4. The success of supporting teaching works, which relieve teachers’ and children’s worries, and constructing a perfect teaching environment should be attributed to administrative personnel who school affairs on track. 5. The decreasing number of students is a result of various factors and their interactions, not just bad teaching in schools. The factors include declining birth rate, geographic locations of schools, number of schools in the same school district, economic statuses of residents, etc. According to the research findings, this study came up with the following suggestions: 1. Some of the public sectors have the following impressions on school administrative personnel: unable to handle pressure, without heavy burdens, and with simple tasks. In order to avoid the situation that public servants with ambitions being unwilling to serve the posts of elementary school administrative personnel, it is important to improve administrative power of elementary school administration and ensure promotions of elementary school administrative personnel. 2. The works of fellow workers and campus guards can be outsourced or contracted to private companies. This way, personnel expenses of elementary schools can be reduced and efficiencies of private companies can be introduced to schools. 3. Superintendents in elementary schools in remote areas should help their colleagues with heavy tasks to communicate in order to release their dissatisfaction in time. Also, a rotation system should be implemented so that job arrangement can be fairer. 4. Elementary schools in remote areas should actively develop their own features and integrate them with community resources or build ecological campuses, in order to increase values of schools. This way, children can experience environments outside their text books. These experiences are very educational. Key words: declining birth rate, job satisfaction, career planning

An industry is constantly affected by its environment and the changes that occur within it. These environmental forces are the drivers of the industry’s evolution and throughout its life an industry undergoes irreversible transformations, which creates an industry life cycle. The competitive pressure on firms has increased the importance of developing competitive strategies throughout the industry’s life. This becomes especially important when the industry reaches the decline stage. There are different strategies that are suggested for firms to undertake in a declining industry. However, these strategies do not consider small and medium-sized enterprises, thus they might not be the most suitable for these firms to undertake. In addition, international activities have not been seen as a way to increase performance in a declining industry. The purpose of this study is therefore to fill this gap by investigating how small and medium-sized enterprises seek to increase their performance in a declining industry. To fulfil this purpose, we have conducted a qualitative case study of four SMEs currently operating in a declining industry. The empirical data was collected through interviews at each case company.The theoretical framework includes the theoretical concept of the industry life cycle, strategies specific for declining industries, theories regarding how firm chooses to compete, and different theories regarding international activities. The chapter ends with a theoretical synthesis that is developed from the theories presented earlier in the chapter. The empirical chapter presents the findings from the interviews with the case companies.In the analysis, the theoretical framework is connected to the empirical data, and is the basis for our conclusions. After conducting this study we can conclude that small and medium-sized enterprises seek to increase their performance by undertaking a niche strategy as their end-game strategy, compete with a differentiations strategy, and by a large scope of international markets, which enables them to shift their market focus from unbeneficial markets to more beneficial markets.

Darbe atlikta teorinė ir empyrinė senyvo amžiaus asmenų, gyvenančių socialinės globos įstaigose, socialinių problemų analizė. Iškelta hipotezė, kad senyvo amžiaus asmenų, gyvenančių Šiaulių apskrities ilgalaikės socialinės globos įstaigose, socialinės problemos yra įtakojamos jų socialinių poreikių patenkinimo/nepatenkinimo. Anketinės apklausos metodu atliktas tyrimas, kurio tikslas –išaiškinti ir apibūdinti pagrindinius senyvo amžiaus žmonių, gyvenančių socialinės globos namuose, socialinių problemų bruožus. Atlikta statistinė ir kokybinė duomenų analizė. Tyrime dalyvavo 128 senyvo amžiaus asmenys, gyvenantys Šiaulių apskrities ilgalaikės socialinės globos įstaigose ir 4 įstaigų vadovai. Empirinėje dalyje nagrinėjamos Šiaulių apskrities ilgalaikės socialinės globos įstaigose gyvenančių senyvo amžiaus asmenų socialinės problemos ir jas įtakojantys veiksniai. Svarbiausios empirinio darbo išvados teigia, kad senų žmonių socialines problemas Šiaulių apskrities ilgalaikės socialinės globos įstaigose įtakoja netektys ir pokyčiai jų gyvenime, iššaukti persikėlimo gyventi į globos namus. Socialinės problemos daugiausiai sietinos su paties seno žmogaus ir jį supančios socialinės aplinkos sąveikos įtakotu nepakankamu socialinių poreikių tenkinimu. Didžiausią poveikį senyvo amžiaus asmenų socialinių problemų kilimui daro nepatenkinti saugumo, savarankiškumo ir savirealizacijos socialiniai poreikiai, pasireiškiantys menkesniu fiziniu, socialiniu ir psichologiniu saugumu... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The social problems of the aged people in the social care houses of Siauliai County are analysed in this paper. The paper is based on the doctrin that the social problems of the aged people in the care house are influence under the social needs. The problematic questions are reflect the topicality of this research: 1) what social problems have the aged people in the social care house of Siauliai County? 2) what are the reasons of these social problems? The aim of the research is to explain the social problems of the aged people in the social care house of Siauliai County. The aim presupposed the next tasks of the research: 1) on the basis of the scientific literature analysis to distinguish the main social problems of the aged people in the care house; 2) to identify the social problems of the aged people in the care house on the operational research; 3) on the basis of the theoretic – hypothetic model to style the questionnaire; 4) to reveal the reasons of the social problems of the aged people in the care house by the empirical research. The methods of the research are: theoretical (analysis of the academic literature), empirical (the quantitative and the qualitative analysis), statistical. The theoretical analysis of the research problem show the reasons of the social problems of the aged people in the care house: the losses and the changes after start living in the care house. The social problems are influence under the unmet social needs of the aged people. The... [to full text]

Um sistema de filtração rápida com taxa declinante variável devidamente projetado e operado pode funcionar como uma alternativa econômica e prática uma vez que este tipo de sistema dispensa equipamentos de controle de vazão e de nível, diminuindo o custo da obra e simplificando a operação. Várias são as formas encontradas por pesquisadores para o estudo de sistemas, mas a grande maioria os pesquisou em escala piloto; alguns modelaram a hidráulica do sistema tentando obter parâmetros de projeto, outros utilizaram métodos gráficos que permitem visualizar o que acontece teoricamente nesses sistemas, mas poucos são os trabalhos desenvolvidos em escala real. O sistema de filtração com taxa declinante variável, na realidade, é bastante simples, mas, na maior parte das vezes, uma implantação inadequada pode dificultar a operação e por consequência tornar o processo complexo e pouco eficiente. Este trabalho consistiu em desenvolver uma metodologia de trabalho que permite estudar esses sistemas em escala real por meio de simulações numa instalação piloto com características similares à de instalação em escala real com o intuito de se obterem as condições mais adequadas de operação do sistema. O trabalho ressalta as dificuldades encontradas numa instalação com filtração direta descendente e taxa declinante variável em escala real, quando seu funcionamento ocorre sem uma operação prévia, na qual os equipamentos e o sistema deveriam ter sido devidamente ajustados.O desenvolvimento desse trabalho resultou em uma metodologia que permite obter parâmetros de projeto de um sistema com taxa declinante variável a partir de uma instalação piloto constituída de um único filtro, levando-se em conta a área de armazenamento a montante dos filtros. / A variable declining rate filtration system, designed and operated with care, can be an economical and practical alternative for water treatment as this type of system requires no control equipment for discharge and head. There are various ways to study such systems but most of them employed pilot scale tests; some either modelled the hydraulic of the system mathematically trying to obtain project parameters; others made use of graphical methods to visualise what occurs within these systems. Very few studies have been conducted at full scale. Although declining rate filtration systems are rather simple, their inadequate implantation can pose difficulties in operation, thus making the process complex and less efficient. This work consisted of developing a methodology of investigation that permits the study of full scale rate filtration systems by means of simulations in a pilot installation with the same characteristics as the real system, in order to determine the most adequate operational conditions. This research reveals the difficulties associated with the study of an actual direct down flow and a variable declining rate filtration system, when it functions without a previous experimental operation in which the system and its equipment are adequately adjusted. The development of this work has led to a methodology that allows for obtaining project parameters of a declining variable rate system by means of a pilot installation comprising one single filter, talking into account the storage upstream the filters.