Energy efficiency is important – but an energy saving potential has yet to reach its full range. Energy services are means to reach that potential and energy companies are stressed as important actors into creating an established market for energy services. Energy services are tools that include providing in-direct services such as energy statistics, audits, declarations, consultations and analysis. It also includes a number of more complex and direct services, for example energy efficiency measurements or service contracts. This report is a result of a study on Danish and Swedish energy companies offering energy services, based on the market they act upon. It aims to find their driving forces for providing energy services. It also looks closer into whether publically and privately owned energy companies differ and if there exist contradictions to both supply energy and energy services at the same time. It also looks into how energy companies are affected and feel about national regulatory instruments. Energy companies in both countries offering energy services are reaching a wide spectrum of client segments and energy services. They often have the possibility to combine and package energy supply with energy services and they can reduce many of the theoretical barriers to energy efficiency by offering energy services. They are driven by a client demand and a closer client relationship, both leading to a decreased supply client fluctuation. A new business opportunity and a green profile strategy are also driving factors. Energy services also help energy companies to decrease heavy investment on existing equipment by having more control over their clients’ energy use and reducing energy utilization tops. Danish energy companies are tied to an energy saving obligation scheme, providing them with conditions, which their market is based, whilst Swedish energy companies offering energy services act on a market that is created by them and their competitors derive from different business backgrounds. There exist an assertive regulatory instrument in Denmark affecting driving factors for public and private energy companies and clients. In Sweden regulatory instruments, such as energy efficiency programmes, subsidises for energy audits and voluntary agreements for industries affect energy companies in a less way than in Denmark, mostly increasing a client demand for energy services. The regulatory instruments in Denmark increase a trust for energy companies as energy service providers as in Sweden they are trusted upon their existing substantial role on the energy market, a reputation of knowledge and experience and a strategy aiming towards visualisation, motivation and education for the clients. Public energy companies feel a responsibility towards their public owners to offer an efficient energy supply and by having a local connection to the municipality they are able to increase competiveness in the region by offering energy services. Private companies are substantially larger than public companies and have a great potential to reach out to a larger number of clients through their existing supply client stock. This is of substantial higher relevance in Sweden than Denmark.

<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Along with the rapid spread of the World Wide Web, internet, and personal computers, e-learning has been increasingly adopted by higher educational institutions (<strong>HEIs</strong>). A serial of studies have been conducted in order to study the implementation of e-learning in HEIs.  This study is a comparative study of two Chinese universities and one Swedish university. It is trying to answer the following research questions:</p><ol><li>What are teachers’ attitudes towards e-learning and purpose for using it?</li><li>What are the driving factors and barriers of e-learning implementation?</li><li>How do national cultures influence the e-learning implementation? </li></ol><p><strong>Purpose:</strong> This study is conducted as an explorative study. It is seeking to find out driving factors and barriers of e-learning implementation in HEIs; Analyse the impact of national culture on e-learning implementation based on the findings and the analysis out of Hofstede´s culture dimension model.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>The deductive approach will be adopted in this study. Therefore, a hypothesis has been built and tested by both primary and secondary data.  Primary data was collected through questionnaires and the secondary was collected from internet resources, books, published articles and conference papers.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>There are similarities and differences between universities from the two countries, however, the differences are relatively greater than the similarities. Taken into consideration the significant differences in culture of these two countries, the conclusion can be drawn that national culture is a significant ingredient of factors that can affect e-learning implementations in HEIs.</p>

Aim: Banks’ settlement of handling cash and the technological developments of our payment services, leaves us guessing at the outlooks of consumers’ payment systems. One of the new payment options arising from this development is mobile payment. With access to internet, mobile payment can take over the role as the primary method of payment, as it can be used on any occasion. Questions are raised about which factors that are affecting the future users’ attitude to use mobile payment, and if the service can be a threat to the traditional card payments. Method: This study is based on a quantitative method by the means of a survey design. Questionnaires are used in order to collect a considerable amount of data. A deductive approach is used to formulate hypotheses from existing theory, which is tested with various statistic methods. Result &amp; Conclusions: The study results display a significant relationship between the users’ attitude to start using mobile payment and compatibility and usefulness. The variable that showed no significant relationship was ease of use. The results also showed that the method of card payment is accepted and is therefore main competitor for mobile payment. Suggestions for future research: To investigate which factors future users value between the variables compatibility and usefulness is a possible suggestion for future research. When these two were found to have a relationship with attitude, it can affect the future users’ acceptance to mobile payment. It would also be interesting to examine a merchant’s perspective to identify who intends to offer such services. This is an important aspect, as the study results showed that the respondents had lower response rates regarding whether mobile payment could be associated with the availability for use in the market. Contribution of the thesis: The study highlights future users’ acceptance of mobile payment and which factors that can be driving for increased spread. The result can provide ideas on what incentives are neccessary to be focused on, to get more of the younger generation to develop a positive attitude towards this service and then apply it. The study results also provide an insight for card companies, as they seek knowledge whether the mobile payment is a threat in the current situation.

Introduction: Along with the rapid spread of the World Wide Web, internet, and personal computers, e-learning has been increasingly adopted by higher educational institutions (HEIs). A serial of studies have been conducted in order to study the implementation of e-learning in HEIs.  This study is a comparative study of two Chinese universities and one Swedish university. It is trying to answer the following research questions: What are teachers’ attitudes towards e-learning and purpose for using it? What are the driving factors and barriers of e-learning implementation? How do national cultures influence the e-learning implementation? Purpose: This study is conducted as an explorative study. It is seeking to find out driving factors and barriers of e-learning implementation in HEIs; Analyse the impact of national culture on e-learning implementation based on the findings and the analysis out of Hofstede´s culture dimension model. Method: The deductive approach will be adopted in this study. Therefore, a hypothesis has been built and tested by both primary and secondary data.  Primary data was collected through questionnaires and the secondary was collected from internet resources, books, published articles and conference papers. Conclusion: There are similarities and differences between universities from the two countries, however, the differences are relatively greater than the similarities. Taken into consideration the significant differences in culture of these two countries, the conclusion can be drawn that national culture is a significant ingredient of factors that can affect e-learning implementations in HEIs.

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore the drivers and barriers to conducting an environmental analysis of transport processes in an SME. Method– The research method used in this study is a single-case study. The research approach for this study is an abductive approach. One data collection method was used for data collection, which was interviews. Findings – This study identified internal and external drivers and barriers to conducting an environmental analysis of transportation processes. Some findings of this study confirm the findings from the previous studies. Also, some findings of this study extend the findings from the previous studies. Implications– The answers to the research questions of this study will increase awareness and help SMEs to increase their understanding of the drivers and barriers when it comes to adopting sustainability and conducting an environmental analysis of transportation processes. Limitations– The limitation of this study are large logistics companies are not considered and will not be included in this study, this study does not delve into environmental analyses relating to warehouse operations or energy consumption, it does not investigate how SMEs gather and analyze the data necessary for conducting an environmental analysis. Also, this study is not focused on how to conduct an environmental analysis and the actual tools itself. Moreover, the study is limited to Swedish SMEs which may have some branches inside of Europe. Keywords – Barriers, Driving factors, Environmental Sustainability, Green Logistics, SMEs, Transportation

The aim of this research is to investigate the extent to which Open Source Software (OSS) adoption behaviour can empirically be shown to be governed by a set of self-reported (driving and inhibiting) salient beliefs of key informants in a sample of organisations. Traditional IS adoption/usage theory, methodology and practice are drawn on. These are then augmented with theoretical constructs derived from IT governance and organisational diagnostics to propose an artefact that aids the understanding of organisational OSS adoption behaviour, stimulates debate and aids operational management interventions. For this research, a combination of quantitative methods (via Fisher's Exact Test) and complimentary qualitative method (via Content Analysis) were used using self-selection sampling techniques. In addition, a combination of data and methods were used to establish a set of mixed-methods results (or meta-inferences). From a dataset of 32 completed questionnaires in the pilot study, and 45 in the main study, a relatively parsimonious set of statistically significant driving and inhibiting factors were successfully established (ranging from 95% to 99.5% confidence levels) for a variety for organisational OSS adoption behaviours (i.e. by year, by software category and by stage of adoption). In addition, in terms of mixed-methods, combined quantitative and qualitative data yielded a number of factors limited to a relatively small number of organisational OSS adoption behaviour. The findings of this research are that a relatively small set of driving and inhibiting salient beliefs (e.g. Security, Perpetuity, Unsustainable Business Model, Second Best Perception, Colleagues in IT Dept., Ease of Implementation and Organisation is an Active User) have proven very accurate in predicting certain organisational OSS adoption behaviour (e.g. self-reported Intention to Adopt OSS in 2014) via Binomial Logistic Regression Analysis.

Försvarssamarbetet mellan Sverige och Finland har accelererat under de senaste åren. Sist ut och kanske även den mest komplicerade delen i detta samarbete är samarbetet mellan de båda ländernas arméer. Markförbandens unika kontext sätter den mänskliga interaktionen i centrum då stora mängder människor, fordon och system skall ledas och samordnas i tid och rum på en begränsad geografisk yta. När denna verksamhet involverar två försvarsmakter uppstår en interaktion som är intressant att studera. Ur ett arméperspektiv belyser studien de förutsättningarna och de faktorer som påverkar det svensk-finska militära samarbetet, med den taktiska nivån som utgångspunkt. Studien baseras på intervjuer med officerare från både svenska och finska försvarsmakten, och tar upp och förklarar både faktorer som förenar och driver samarbetet framåt respektive faktorer som försvårar samarbetet. Slutsatserna i studien förklaras kring en modell som beskriver de faktorer som i störst utsträckning påverkar samarbetet samt hur dessa förhåller sig till sin kontext. Studien visar att det finns olikheter mellan försvarsmakterna som påverkar samarbetet, men också aspekter som stärker det gemensamma arbetet. Sammantaget pekar studien på fem faktorer inom olika områden som har tydlig påverkan på samarbetet. Faktorerna påverkar samarbetet på olika sätt med olika påverkansgrad på olika nivåer i organisationen. Samarbetets drivkraft är starkt knutet till den tydliga politiska viljan. Den svenska och finska ledningskulturen skiljer sig år vilket återspeglas på alla nivåer men är tydligast och får störst påverkan på den lägre nivån. Språket är en skiljande faktor. Lösningen med ett gemensamt arbetsspråk är logisk men studien visar att det innebär utmaningar av större dimension än vid första anblick. Att bygga ett samarbete utan avtalade förpliktelser gör att tillit och förtroende får en betydande roll. För ett samarbete mellan arméstridskrafter är vikten av ett ledningsstödsystem central. Det gemensamma arbetet inom ledningssystemområdet kan skapa dessa förutsättningar. Olikheterna till trots så har Sverige och Finland redan ett väl fungerande samarbete, vilket nutida erfarenheter visar bland annat från våra gemensamma beredskapsförband och internationella insatser. Man har också genom tydlig målsättning och ambition mycket goda förutsättningar att fördjupa samarbetet ytterligare. / The defence cooperation between Sweden and Finland has accelerated during the last couple of years. Last into the cooperation, and maybe the most complex part is the cooperation between the two armies. The unique context of land forces puts human interaction in focus when large amounts of people, vehicles and technical systems are to be commanded and coordinated in time and in a limited geographical space. When this type of action involves two defence forces the dynamics that occurs is worth studying. This thesis project studies the conditions and factors that affect the Swedish-Finnish defence cooperation on a tactical level, from an Army perspective. The study explains both the driving and the constricting factors in the cooperation. The research is based on interviews with Swedish and Finnish army officers. Conclusions are drawn supported by a model built on the factors that are most influential on the cooperation and how these factors apply to the context of the cooperation. The thesis shows that there are differences between the two defence forces that affect the cooperation, but it also shows aspects that strengthens the efforts. The factors have different effects and different impact depending on the organisational level in the defence forces. The conclusions points to five strong factors in different areas that influence the cooperation. The main drive has a strong connection to the political will. Swedish and Finnish leadership culture is diversified, this shows and has the greatest impact on lower organisational levels. Language is a dividing factor. It is a logical solution to use a common working language, but this study shows that the common language results in great challenges. Building a cooperation without obligations means that trust and confidence are of substantial importance. In a cooperation between Armies a common command and control system is vital. The collaboration on system development can set the condition for a common command and control system. Even though this study found differences it also found a working cooperation. Proof of this is our bilateral high readiness units and international operations. Through clear and common goals and ambitions there are prerequisites for an even deeper cooperation. / Yhteenveto Ruotsin ja Suomen puolustusyhteistyö on edennyt nopeasti viime vuosina. Viimeinen ja ehkä monimutkaisin osa tätä yhteistyötä on molempien maiden maavoimien välinen yhteistyö. Maavoimien yksikköjen ainutlaatuisuus asettaa keskeiseksi ihmisten vuorovaikutuksen, jossa suuria määriä ihmisiä, ajoneuvoja ja järjestelmiä on johdettava ja koordinoitava aikaan ja paikkaan rajoitetulla maantieteellisellä alueella. Kun tähän toimintaan liittyy kahden maan puolustusvoimaa, muodostuva dynamiikka on pohdinnan arvoinen. Maavoimien näkökulmasta tutkimuksessa tuodaan esiin olosuhteet ja tekijät, jotka vaikuttavat Ruotsin ja Suomen väliseen sotilaalliseen yhteistyöhön, lähtökohtana taktinen taso. Tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan ja selitetään sekä yhteistyötä yhdistäviä ja eteenpäin vieviä tekijöitä että yhteistyön vaikeuttavia tekijöitä. Tutkimus perustuu sekä Ruotsin että Suomen armeijan upseerien haastatteluihin. Tutkimus perustuu johtopäätöksiin mallista joka kuvaa tekijöitä jotka vaikuttavat yhteistyöhön eniten ja miten nämä liittyvät sen kontekstiin. Tutkimus osoittaa, että asevoimien välillä on eroja jotka vaikuttavat yhteistyöhön, mutta myös aspekteja jotka vahvistavat yhteistä työtä. Kaiken kaikkiaan tutkimus osoittaa viisi tekijää eri alueilla, joilla on selvä vaikutus yhteistyöhön. Tekijät vaikuttavat yhteistyöhön eri tavoin ja erilaisilla vaikutustasoilla organisaation eri tasoilla. Yhteistyön liikkeellepaneva voima liittyy kiinteästi selkeään poliittiseen tahtoon. Ruotsin ja Suomen johtamiskulttuuri eroavat, mikä heijastuu kaikilla tasoilla, mutta on selkein ja vaikuttaa enempi alemmalla tasolla. Kieli on erottava tekijä. Yhteinen työkieli on ratkaisuna looginen, mutta tutkimus osoittaa, että se asettaa suurempia haasteita kuin ensi silmäyksellä voisi todeta. Yhteistyön rakentaminen ilman sopimusvelvoitteita tarkoittaa, että luottamuksella on merkittävä rooli. Komentotukijärjestelmän merkitys on keskeinen maavoimien yhteistyölle. Yhteinen työskentely johtamisjärjestelmän alueella voi luoda nämä olosuhteet. Eroista huolimatta Ruotsilla ja Suomella on jo hyvin toimiva yhteistyö, jonka nykypäivän kokemukset osoittavat esimerkiksi yhteisistä valmiusjoukoista ja kansainvälisistä rauhanturvaamis- ja kriisinhallintatehtävistä. Selkeät tavoitteet ja pyrkimykset luovat myös erittäin hyvät edellytykset syventää yhteistyötä entisestään.

Finding a way to forecast what characteristics make a fast growing company would be useful, both for companies trying to succeed and for investment companies wanting to make successful investments. This thesis aims to develop a model describing the relationship between 9 chosen characteristics, based on real data from 2015 concerning companies that were rewarded with a DI Gasell in 2018. The final result show that half of the variables chosen to form the model have little to no relationship with the response variable EBIT margin. However, the final model consists of four variables that with statistic significance correlates with the response variable. The explanatory level is low and implies that forecasting companies growth probably can’t be done using this model. The four regressors that correlate with EBIT margin are Year of Incorporation, Operatingrevenue, Number of subsidiaries &amp; SNI code. Although a forecast can’t be performed other insight are obtained from the research. Companies with SNI code 4, which corresponds to operating in the economic sector, affects EBIT margin in a more positive way than other sectors. Number of subsidiaries correlates fairly linearly with the response variable. Contradictory to previous research CEO characteristics are shown to be the least important factor contributing to profitability. / Att hitta ett sätt att förutspå vilka egenskaper som skapar ett snabbväxande företag kan vara användbart, både för företag som vill växa men också för investeringsbolag som letar efter gynnsamma investeringar med bra avkastning. Denna avhandling strävar efter att utveckla en modell som beskriver relationen mellan 9 utvalda variabler, baserat på data från år 2015 gällande företag som 2018 tilldelades utmärkelsen ”DI Gasell”. Den slutgiltiga modellen visar att hälften av regressorerna statistiskt signifikant påverkar responsvariabeln EBIT-marginal. Förklaringsgraden för modellen är låg, vilket antyder att sambanden inte är starka nog att kunna förutspå vilka företag som kommer att bli ”DI Gasell” med denna modell. De fyra regressorer som påverkar EBIT-marginalen mest är registreringsår, omsättning, antal dotterbolag och SNI-kod. Trots modellens låga förklaringsvärde kan andra slutsatser dras av undersökningen. Företag i ekonomisektorn påverkar EBIT-marginalen mer positivt än företag inom andra sektorer. Antal dotterbolag korrelerar relativt linjärt med respons variabeln. Till motsats från tidigare studier visar avhandlingen att ålder och kön på VD inte påverkar lönsamheten.