Seminar Date: 28th May, 2010 Level: Master Thesis – EFO705 Program: MIMA – International Business and Entrepreneurship Authors: Alisa Pongsriwat & Wissawa Aunyawong Title: Cross Institutional and Cultural Barriers: The opportunity of Thai entrepreneurs in doing business in Sweden - Case study of Restaurant business Tutor: Sune Tjernström Background: Doing Thai Restaurant in Sweden seems to be opportunity of Thai entrepreneurs as there are potential trend leading to business success and many advantages supporting investment. However, cross institutional and cultural barriers can cause business failure. Research Problem:´How can Thai entrepreneur overcome the cross institutional and cultural barriers for successfully running restaurant business in Sweden to beat in Swedish market? Purpose: Our purpose is to understand and explain the cross cultural barriers in doing Thai restaurant business in Sweden in the context of cultures embedded in both Thailand and Sweden. The foundation of our research is based on the case study of Thai food restaurants in Sweden. Method: Our research is mainly based on qualitative research using the case study and the secondary information gathered during the research. We have also taken into account some primary information by conducting three semi-structured interviews from the Thai owners of Thai restaurants in different locations in Sweden. All the information collected during the course of our research has been analyzed and has finally led us to a conclusion. Conclusion: After the analysis of outcomes, both from the interviews and the secondary information conducted, we concluded that Thai entrepreneurs need to strictly follow the laws and regulations of Sweden because they cannot be changed. They also need to adapt some norms and cultures but not too much in order to maintain Thai uniqueness as competitive advantage in Swedish market. We have recommended that Thai entrepreneurs should recognize the key characteristics between Thai and Swede as the key successful business. Contribution: Our research will give the useful information and practical recommendations in the future to the Thai entrepreneurs in Thailand, who are interesting in doing business in Sweden in order to seeking new opportunity.

Title: The influence of culture on corporate sustainability Authors: Adriana Corral Alonso and Daphné Lapourré Supervisor: Jean-Charles Languilaire Level: Bachelor Thesis in Business Administration, Marketing Key words: Sustainability, sustainable development, corporate sustainability, Tetra Pak, culture, cultural influence, cultural dimensions, France, Spain, Sweden… Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore how and to what extent cultural aspects can influence the corporate sustainability of a given company. Method: It is a qualitative case study enhancing on one hand primary research and on the other hand secondary data. The primary data based on three interviews of Tetra Pak key employees in France, Spain and Sweden are completed by the secondary research based on facts about Tetra Pak and on key authors’ books. Theoretical framework: The framework consists of theories and models about sustainability and its extensions and about cultural dimensions theories. Conclusion: Culture has an influence on corporate sustainability. However the extents are not easy to measure and vary according to the culture and the country’s means.

Date: May 29, 2009 Course: Master thesis, EFO705 Authors: Uliana Kovaleva, 830906, Karolina Turbak, 850710 Tutor: Tobias Eltebrandt Title: The Influence of Culture and the Level of Acculturation on the Perceptions of Service Quality among the Customers with Swedish, Polish and Russian Backgrounds. Strategic question: How important is the customers’ ethnic background, culture and level of acculturation when choosing a provider of financial services? Research questions: If customers with Polish and Russian origin differ in their perceptions of the service quality attributes from Swedish customers, what kind of influence do culture and the level of acculturation have on their perceptions of service quality? Method: Apart from secondary data, the questionnaire results were collected as a source of the primary data. The study was conducted using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The questionnaire results were analysed in SPSS by applying T-tests, and the answers for the open-ended questions were analysed additionally. Theoretical Framework: The theories which were used include service quality dimensions, Hofstede’s cultural dimensions and the level of acculturation. The results of previous studies addressing the cultural influences on the service quality were applied extensively. The theories were chosen according to the purpose of the study and used in analysis in a comprehensive way. Conclusions: According to the study culture and the level of acculturation have influence on the perceptions of service quality. The Polish and Russian customers with the low and medium levels of acculturation have lower overall service quality perceptions compared to the highly acculturated customers with foreign background and Swedish. In particular, the perceptions of assurance and empathy dimensions are significantly different between the studied groups. / “The impact of cultural recognition on service‐consumtions among customers in Sweden with foreign background.”

In 1988, the red snapper fishery in the Gulf of Mexico was declared severely overfished. Since then, the daily bag limit has been reduced from 7 to 2, the minimum size limit has increased from 13 to 16 inches, and the year-round recreational season has been reduced to one lasting 53 days. Despite NOAA's recommendations that the Gulf States match these regulations, Texas has enforced a 4 bag limit and no seasonal restrictions. In 2009 alone, the total recreational catch exceeded the allocated quota by 1.7 million pounds. The lack of consistency between state and federal regulations and the drastic changes in management schemes have affected anglers' confidence in management, and limited the ability of the fishery to successfully adapt. This study provides an innovative assessment that measures fishers' knowledge and determines their support for current fishery regulations and for the scientific rationale behind the regulatory system. Over 150 interviews of red snapper anglers at charter and head boat docks were conducted along the Texas coast. The majority of respondents were 20-50 year old (74.5%), male (89.3%), four-year college graduates (34.9%), who resided near the coast (65.3%), and were targeting red snapper (92.5%). Results showed that 72.5 percent of respondents agree with the science behind red snapper management, 63.4 percent believe that the stock has improved since 2008, 89.5 percent agree that a bag limit in general is an appropriate management tool, and 78.2 percent agree with the Texas state management of red snapper. However, 51.7 percent of respondents disagree with the federal management of red snapper, and 90.1 percent of all respondents did not know that red snapper live to be 41-60 years old. The lack of support for the federal management may be due to the lack of knowledge of red snapper life span. Applications of this research will be imperative for managers - who already address biological, ecological, and economic aspects of a fishery - to expand their multi-disciplinary approach to include social analysis for the successful evolution of recreational fisheries management. Future research should explore improved management approaches that involve greater communication between the stakeholders and managers.

Durant la passada d`ecada, els models de dimensions extra corbades han estat estudiats com a candidats per a completar el Model Est`andard (ME) de la f´ısica de part´ıcules. En aquesta tesi estudiarem una s`erie d’aspectes dels models amb una dimensi´o extra corbada; en particular, la possibilitat de generalitzar la ben coneguda soluci´o de Randall-Sundrum (RS), la qual es basa en la m`etrica Anti-de Sitter (AdS). Primer, discutim la construcci´o dels models de soft-wall, que s´on una modificaci ´o de RS on la brana infraroja ha sigut substitu¨ıda per una singularitat nua a la m`etrica. Donem receptes per a construir models consistents d’aquests tipus i estudiem com la longitud de la dimensi´o extra pot ser estabilitzada. Tamb´e estudiem l’espectre de les fluctuacions que apareixen en els models de soft-wall, i trobem que podem obtenir des d’un espectre continu a partir d’una certa massa fins a un espectre discret amb un espaiament variable. Discutim les possibles aplicacions dels models de soft-wall, i finalment presentem un model concret on es pot generar una jerarquia ultravioleta/infraroja prou gran sense necessitat de cap ajust fi. Despr´es, retornem a la construcci´o original amb dues branes per tal d’estudiar com la simetria electrod`ebil pot ser trencada en models amb m`etriques generalitzades quan el bos´o de Higgs es propaga a l’engr´os de la dimensi´o extra. Veiem com les cotes sobre l’escala dels modes de Kaluza-Klein (KK), que apareixen a causa dels observables electrod`ebils de precisi´o, poden ser redu¨ıdes quan el Higgs est`a localitzat a prop de la brana infraroja. Apliquem els nostres resultats a una extensi´o m´ınima del ME en 5D, i considerem la geometria AdS i una deformaci´o d’aquesta inspirada pels models de soft-wall. Trobemque la geometria deformada redueix enormement les cotes sobre l’escala de KK, fins al punt en qu`e els estats de KK es poden trobar dins del rang de l’LHC i el problema de la petita jerarquia pot ser eliminat sense requerir la introducci´o de cap simetria custodial. Finalment, estudiem la propagaci´o de tots els fermions del ME al llarg de la dimensi´o extra, la qual cosa fem servir per tractar el problema del sabor en el ME. Trobem expressions generals i expl´ıcites per als observables electrod`ebils oblics i no oblics, aix´ı com per als operadors que violen sabor i la simetria CP. Apliquem aquest resultat al model RS i al model amb geometria deformada, per la qual cosa fem un estudi estad´ıstic a partir d’un conjunt aleatori d’acoblaments de Yukawa en 5D. La comparaci´o de les prediccions amb les dades experimentals actuals mostren una millora de les cotes en el nostre model en comparaci´o amb RS. / Models of warped extra-dimensions have been studied over the last decade as candidates to complete the Standard Model (SM) of particle physics, for they provide a natural mechanism to address its hierarchy problem. In this thesis we study a number of aspects of the five-dimensional warped models, and in particular the possibility of generalizing the well-known Randall-Sundrum (RS) solution, which is based on the Anti-de Sitter metric (AdS). We first discuss on the construction of soft-wall models, which are a modification of RS where the infrared brane is substituted by a naked singularity in the metric. We provide recipes for constructing consistent models of this kind and address the issue of how the length of the extra dimension can be stabilized. We also discuss on the spectrum of fluctuations that arise in soft-wall models, finding that it can range from a continuous spectrum above a mass gap to a discrete spectrum with a variable level spacing. We discuss on the possible applications of soft-wall models, and finally present a concrete model where a large ultraviolet/infrared hierarchy can be generated without any fine-tuning. Next, we return to the original two-brane setup to study how the electroweak symmetry can be broken in warped models with generalized metrics when the Higgs boson propagates in the bulk. We show how the bounds on the Kaluza-Klein (KK) scale that arise from electroweak precision observables can be alleviated when the Higgs is localized towards the infrared brane. We apply our results to a minimal 5D extension of the SM and consider the AdS geometry and a deformation of it inspired by soft-walls. We find that the deformed geometry greatly reduces the bounds on the KK scale, to a point where the KK states can be within the range of the LHC and the little hierarchy problem can be removed without requiring the introduction of any custodial symmetry. Finally, we study the propagation of all SM fermions in the bulk of the extra dimension, which we use to address the flavor puzzle of the SM. We find general explicit expressions for oblique and non-oblique electroweak observables, as well as flavor and CP violating operators. We apply these results to the RS model and the model with deformed geometry, for which we perform a statistical analysis departing from a random set of 5D Yukawa couplings. The comparison of the predictions with the current experimental data exhibits an improvement of the bounds in our model with respect to the RS model.

L’endometri és el revestiment interior de la mucosa de l’úter. Histològicament, en l’endometri podem diferenciar dos tipus cel·lulars epitelials: l’epiteli luminal i l’epiteli glandular. Els teixits epitelials es caracteritzen per ser teixits polaritzats que presenten unes característiques morfològiques distingibles com són: polarització apico-basal, contactes cèl·lula - cèl·lula específics i adhesió a la membrana Basal. El primer objectiu d’aquest treball va ser la creació d’un cultiu en tres dimensions (3D) de cèl·lules epitelials d’endometri de ratolí, que permetés la possibilitat d’estudiar els diferents processos relacionats amb la morfogènesi i carcinogènesi endometrial. Un cop desenvolupat el sistema de cultiu, vam estudiar els factors extracel·lulars que influïen en la correcta formació del lumen glandular, així com l’establiment de la polaritat de les cèl·lules epitelials que formen les glàndules. D’aquesta manera hem pogut determinar un nou paper de les citocines TNF-α i IL-1α en la formació i manteniment del lumen. A més a més, també hem pogut demostrar que els glucocorticoides són els encarregats de reprimir l’expressió d’aquestes citocines a través de l’acció del receptor d’estrògens. En segon lloc, hem utilitzat el model de cultiu desenvolupat per estudiar aspectes relacionats amb la polaritat cel·lular i la carcinogènesi. Recentment s’ha suggerit que l’establiment de la polarització cel·lular podria actuar com a supressor tumoral mentre que la pèrdua de la mateixa, és un reconegut marcador de la progressió tumoral. Per aquest motiu, i utilitzant el nostre sistema de cultiu, vam voler caracteritzar l’acció del TGF-β tant en cèl·lules polaritzades com en no polaritzades. En aquest treball demostrem que la pèrdua de la polaritat canvia la resposta pro-apoptòtica del TGF-β en cèl·lules polaritzades a una resposta associada a la progressió del fenotip tumoral (EMT) en cèl·lules no polaritzades. Finalment vam voler estudiar els efectes de l’hiperestrogenisme en relació a pèrdues del gen supressor de tumors PTEN en la carcinogènesi endometrial. Per una banda, les pèrdues del supressor tumoral PTEN constitueixen una de les principals alteracions en el carcinoma d’endometri. Per altra banda, l’hiperestrogenisme és un conegut factor de risc en el desenvolupament de neoplasies endometrials. Tanmateix, no està clara si l’acció de l’estradiol sobre les cèl·lules epitelials, és directa o és dóna a través d’un efecte paracrí de les cèl·lules del estroma; i si la pèrdua d’expressió de PTEN té repercussió en els efectes produïts pels estrògens sobre l’endometri. Per aquest motiu, vam voler investigar els efectes de l’estradiol en cèl·lules polaritzades que creixen en un medi definit, sense la interferència de factors paracrins provinents de les cèl·lules de l’estroma. Els nostres estudis indiquen que l’estradiol i la Insulina cooperen en la regulació de la proliferació de cèl·lules endometrials a través del receptor d’estrògens α. A més a més, pèrdues al·lèliques en PTEN donen lloc a una proliferació desmesurada en resposta a Insulina i estradiol, similar a la que es troba en les hiperplàsies endometrials. Fa més d’una dècada que es va suggerir, per primera vegada, la rellevància de la polarització cel·lular a l’hora d’entendre els mecanismes involucrats en la morfogènesi cel·lular així com en la progressió tumoral. Tot i això, avui en dia encara es desconeixen molts dels mecanismes involucrats en aquest processos. En aquest context, el nostre treball és important perquè: per primer cop, hem generat un cultiu en 3D de cèl·lules no immortalitzades i no transformades; hem determinat quins són els factors extracel·lulars involucrats en el manteniment i formació de la cavitat luminal; hem aportat evidencies què la polaritat epitelial actua com a supressor tumoral no canònic i; hem demostrat que pèrdues en PTEN causen una hiperplàsia de les cèl·lules endometrials en resposta a l’exposició a l’estradiol i la Insulina. / El endometrio es el revestimiento interior de la mucosa del útero. Histológicamente en el endometrio podemos diferenciar dos tipos celulares epiteliales: el epitelio luminal y el glandular. Los tejidos epiteliales se caracterizan por ser tejidos polarizados que presentan unas características morfológicas distinguibles como son: polarización apico-Basal, contactos célula - célula específicos y adhesión a la membrana Basal. El primer objetivo de este trabajo fue la creación de un cultivo en tres dimensiones (3D) de células epiteliales de endometrio de ratón, que presentara algunas ventajas a los cultivos ya existentes, a la vez que permitiera la posibilidad de estudiar los diferentes procesos relacionados con la morfogénesis y la carcinogénesis endometrial. Una vez obtenido el sistema de cultivo, quisimos estudiar los factores extracelulares que influían en la correcta formación del lumen de las glándulas, así como el establecimiento de la polaridad de las células epiteliales que forman las glándulas. De esta manera hemos podido determinar un nuevo papel de las citoquinas TNF-α y IL-1α en la formación y mantenimiento del lumen. Además, también hemos podido concluir que los glucocorticoides son los encargados de reprimir la expresión de estas citoquinas a través de la acción del receptor de estrógenos. En segundo lugar, utilizamos el modelo de cultivo desarrollado, para estudiar aspectos relacionados con la polaridad celular y la carcinogénesis. Recientemente se ha sugerido que el establecimiento de la polarización celular podría actuar por si misma como un supresor tumoral, mientras que la pérdida de dicha polarización es un reconocido marcador de la progresión tumoral. Por este motivo, y utilizando nuestro sistema de cultivo, quisimos caracterizar la acción del TGF-β tanto en células polarizadas como en no polarizadas. En este trabajo demostramos que la pérdida de la polaridad, cambia la respuesta pro-apoptótica del TGF-β en células polarizadas a una respuesta asociada a la progresión del fenotipo tumoral (EMT) en células no polarizadas. Finalmente quisimos estudiar los efectos del hiperestrogenismo en la tumorogénesi endometrial. El hiperestrogenismo es un factor de riesgo muy importante en el desarrollo de neoplasias endometriales. Sin embargo, no está claro si la acción del estradiol es directa o se da mediante un efecto paracrino de las células del estroma. Por este motivo, quisimos investigar los efectos del estradiol en células polarizadas que crecían en un medio definido, sin la interferencia de factores paracrinos procedentes de las células del estroma. Gracias a nuestro estudio, hemos podido determinar que la acción del estradiol mediante el receptor de estrógenos alpha, actúa por debajo de la acción de PTEN en la tumorogénesis endometrial. Hace más de una década se sugirió, por primera vez, la relevancia de la polarización celular a la hora de entender los mecanismos involucrados en la morfogénesis celular así como la progresión tumoral. Sin embargo, hoy en día todavía se desconocen muchos de los mecanismos involucrados en estos procesos. En este contexto, nuestro trabajo es importante porque: por primera vez hemos generado un cultivo en 3D de células no transformadas, hemos determinado cuáles son los factores extracelulares involucrados en el mantenimiento y formación de la cavidad luminar, hemos aportado evidencias de que la polaridad epitelial actúa como supresor tumoral no canónico y que el hiperestrogenismo ligado a una deficiencia en la expresión de PTEN da lugar a un fenotipo de hiperplasia. / The endometrium is innermost glandular layer of the uterus. It functions as a lining for the uterus. Histologically, we can distinguish two types of epithelial cells: luminal and glandular epithelium. The epithelial tissues have some distinct morphological features such as: apico-Basal polarity, cell-cell specific contacts and adhesion to the basement membrane. The first objective of this work was to establish a three dimensional culture (3D) of mouse endometrial epithelial cells suitable for the study of endometrial morphogenesis and carcinogenesis. Once the 3D culture protocol was established, our next step was to analyze the influence of the extracellular factors in the formation and maintenance of the glandular lumen. To this regard, we have identified a new role of cytokines TNF-α and IL-1α in the formation and maintenance of the lumen. In addition, we demonstrate that glucocorticoids are the responsible of cytokine down-expression, in an estrogen receptor alpha dependent manner. Our next step was to use our culture model to study the issues related with the cellular polarity and malignance development. Recently it has been suggested that the establishment of cell polarization is a potent tumor suppressor mechanism. Loss of this polarization is a wellknown marker of tumor progression. Taking advantage of our 3D culture system, we sought to characterize the action of TGF-β in both polarized cells and in non-polarized. In this study, we show that loss of polarity changes the pro-apoptotic response of TGF-β (in polarized cells) to a response associated with tumor progression phenotype (EMT) in non-polarized cells. Finally we wanted to study the effects of hyperestrogenism. Hyperestrogenism represent a major risk for development of endometrial neoplasia. However, it is unclear whether estradiol action occurs direct or trough a paracrine effect of stromal cells. For this reason, we wanted to investigate the effects of estradiol on polarized cells growing in a defined medium without interference of paracrine stromal factors. With our study, we could conclude that estradiol trough its receptor, acts as downstream mediator on PTEN mediated tumorogenesis. More than one decade ago, cell polarization was as an important mechanisms involved in cellular morphogenesis and tumor progression. However, most of the mechanisms involved in these processes are still unknown. Our study provides new insights about mechanisms involved in those processes. In this context, we have generated, for the first time, a 3D culture from untransformed cells, we have determined the extracellular factors involved in maintaining and formation of the luminal cavity, we have provided evidence that epithelial polarity acts as a non-canonical tumor suppressor and PTEN deficient expression leads an exacerbated response to estrogen, which leads to loss of cell polarity and glands structure, two alterations observed in cancer.

No description available.

It is obvious that customers are important stakeholders in organizations and their satisfaction is a priority to management. Customer satisfaction has been a subject of great interest to organizations and researchers alike. In recent years, organizations are obliged to render more services in addition to their offers. The quality of service has become an aspect of customer satisfaction. It has been proven by some researchers that service quality is related to customer satisfaction. Others used service quality dimensions to evaluate service quality. What about the relationship between customer satisfaction and service quality dimensions; the relationship between service quality and its dimensions?   Purpose: The main purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between customer satisfaction and service quality in service sectors with respect to the service quality dimensions.   Method: Convenience sampling technique was used to collect quantitative data from customers of Umeå University, ICA and Forex to get their satisfaction levels and meaning of service quality which were substituted in the SERVQUAL model. Chi-square test was used to test the hypotheses separately and in a group.   Findings: The study showed distinctive results for the relationship between service quality dimensions and service quality/customer satisfaction.ICA and Forex had significant relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction; butUmeåUniversity had no significant relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction. Meanwhile the group result showed that: ´responsiveness`, empathy´ and ´reliability´ were significantly related to service quality; ´reliability` and `empathy`, were significantly related to customer satisfaction but `responsiveness` was not significantly related to customer satisfaction; meanwhile service quality was significantly related to customer satisfaction.   Implication/Contribution: The findings imply that service quality is not the only factors that could lead to customer satisfaction in service sectors; that service quality dimension varies in the different service sectors. The findings suggest that to provide quality service in order to satisfy customers, organizations in this kind of service sectors need to improve on the dimensions of service quality. Also, to provide total satisfaction to customers, the service sectors need to improve on the other factors that were given as reasons for satisfaction. This study contributes to existing theories by confirming or adding value to the relationships that are involved in customer satisfaction, service quality and SERVQUAL dimensions. It provides results that could be useful to managers in business organisations for strategic planning.

Title: IKEA's brand culture in today's Chinese market: Focus on Shanghai Level: Final assignment for Master of Business Administration Author: Hongming Yang, Chen Hu  Supervisor: Maria Fregidou-Malama Date: 2012-June Aim: The aim of this study is to analyze the collected information to study the IKEA's brand culture and consumer psychology and behavior in Shanghai market nowadays. By using Hofstede´s cultural dimensions to assess the IKEA's brand culture in Shanghai we give suggestions to IKEA about how to adapt to the regional market.  Method: Use of primary data which were collected through interviews, with a  questionnaire provided to managers. Secondary data in form of articles, books and published literature has been collected through databases such as DIVA, Emerald and the library at Gävle University. We use qualitative analysis to study the issue. Result & Conclusions: IKEA's brand culture to provide good quality products to improve people's life in Shanghai in cheap price is not so clearly understood. IKEA has to adjust its marketing strategy, such as improving the quality of its products, or reducing the price, to remove the Shanghai consumers' confusion and misunderstanding of IKEA, in order to suit the Shanghai regional culture. Contribution of the thesis: We suggest that multinational enterprises should pay attention on the regional culture of the market they want to enter in. It is  important that the enterprises know the Shanghai consumers' culture requirements, which can lead enterprises to promote their brand culture.

Japanese companies have been said to rarely have strategies that resemble the ones that can be seen in literature from the Western world. However, even though Japanese companies do not show the same kind of strategy as can be found in the west, it does not necessarily mean they have no strategy at all. Recent studies have shown that Japanese companies do show clarity in their approach to strategy. Still, not much research can be found on this subject. When the world is becoming more globalized and multinational, it is of interest for both the companies’ stakeholders and shareholders to know how they operate, and their strategic planning process is one part of this. The research question therefore becomes: How does the process of strategic planning in Japanese companies work and in what way is the Japanese culture an influence? The main purpose of this master thesis is to provide a deeper understanding concerning the concept of strategic planning in Japanese companies. It also has two sub purposes. Firstly, this research aims towards understanding the current strategic planning process, in what way it is used in Japanese companies. Secondly, it will try to understand if the Japanese culture influences the strategic planning process and if so, in what way.The thesis is based on a qualitative study with semi structured interviews where five respondents were divided into two categories (based in the respondents’ background), two respondents with a Japanese view and three with an international view. A constructionist ontological position, interpretivism epistemological position and an inductive scientific approach have been adopted.The theoretical framework is divided into two parts; the first concerns the strategic planning process and the second Japanese business culture.Analysis was done across the two different categories of respondents’ and from my research I have found that the strategic planning process in Japan is different from company to company but that they all tend to share one important step, consensus. I have also found that Japanese culture has had a great impact on the strategic planning process although there seem to be a shift towards becoming more streamlined and more international to be able to compete on the global market.The practical implications of my findings are that since Japanese companies seem to incorporate their culture into their strategic planning, it is important that the field of strategic planning research take into consideration the culture and its effect on the strategic planning process. Japanese companies also need to assess if strategic planning should be used as a way towards becoming more globalized, and if so, in what way.