The real estate agent's main task is to be the intermediary actor between seller and buyer, to this task handling of practical elements such as contract writing, access and customer contact is added. These practical elements are usually handled at the real estate companies' offices, which are often located in different places in the cities. In Helsingborg, the business climate is among one of the foremost in the country, and in comparison with the average in Skåne and the country, the real estate industry is larger in Helsingborg. In addition, there are real estate companies scattered in different places in Helsingborg, whereupon the natural question becomes why? This study therefore aims to investigate the driving forces that may lie behind the localisation decision for the real estate companies in Helsingborg. The study has used a qualitative approach where the empirical material has been obtained through semi-structured interviews that have been transcribed and then summarized in the empirical section. The selection of respondents has been goal-oriented to cover the whole of Helsingborg and gain a broader perspective. The interview questions and the analysis are based on and have been formulated according to the theoretical material on which the study is based. The results of the study show that the main driving forces behind the localisation decision for the real estate companies in Helsingborg are accessibility and visibility towards their customers. / Fastighetsmäklarens huvudsakliga uppgift är att vara den förmedlande aktören mellan säljare och köpare, till denna uppgift tillkommer hantering av praktiska moment såsom bland annat kontraktsskrivningar, tillträden och kundkontakt. Dessa praktiska moment hanteras oftast på fastighetsmäklarföretagens kontor som ofta finns lokaliserade på olika platser i städerna. I Helsingborg är företagsklimatet bland ett av de främsta i landet och i jämförelse med snittet i Skåne och riket är branschen fastighetsverksamhet större i Helsingborg. Dessutom finns fastighetsmäklarföretagen utspridda på olika platser i Helsingborg, varpå den naturliga frågan blir varför? Denna studie syftar därav till undersöka vilka drivkrafter som kan ligga bakom lokaliseringsbeslutet för fastighetsmäklarföretagen i Helsingborg. Studien har nyttjat en kvalitativ ansats där det empiriska materialet har inhämtats genom semistrukturerade intervjuer som transkriberats för att sedan blivit sammanfattade i avsnittet empiri. Urvalet av respondenter har varit målstyrt för att täcka hela Helsingborg och få ett bredare perspektiv. Intervjufrågorna och analysen bygger på och har formulerats utefter det teoretiska material som ligger till grund för studien. Studiens resultat visar på att de främsta drivkrafterna bakom lokaliseringsbeslutet för fastighetsmäklarföretagen i Helsingborg är tillgänglighet och synlighet gentemot sina kunder

Thermal Barrier Coating systems (TBCs) serve as a key component in gas turbines in aerospace engines, isolating the metallic substrate from severe heat flux of the environment. The durability of TBCs has been considered to be a critical issue to determine the service lifespan of hot section components. Comprehensive studies of failure mechanisms benefit the gas turbine industry to develop TBCs with better material properties and stable microstructures, thus potentially enhancing their durability. To date, many failure mechanism analyses have been conducted based on the understanding of critical residual stress developed under different thermal tests. For the present study, using the Finite Element (FE) method with temperature-process-dependent model parameters, the maximum residual stress is calculated with evolution of the localized/global interfacial roughness profile based on Electron Beam-Physical Vapour Deposition Thermal Barrier Coating system (EB-PVD TBCs). With studies of cracking routes from past research, qualitative failure mechanism analysis is conducted for EB-PVD TBCs. In addition, the estimated energy release rates are compared to reveal the effect of different thermal profiles on the crack driving forces for Atmospheric Plasma Sprayed Thermal Barrier Coating systems (APS-TBCs). Using previously observed cracking routes from different thermal cycling experiments, a quantitative failure mechanism analysis is conducted for APS-TBCs with modified analytical expressions. In addition, literature works revealed that physics and mechanics-based models were proposed to evaluate environment induced damage. For the last part of my research, erosion of EB-PVD TBCs is estimated using a modified solid particle erosion model. A stochastic approach is applied to study the erosion of EB-PVD topcoat (TC) under real engine service conditions. The durability of TBCs is affected by both oxidation-induced degradation and environment-induced damage. The combination of “internal” crack driving forces (generated from residual stresses developed upon different stages of thermal cycles) and “external” erosion damage (from temperature-process dependent brittle/ductile erosion) lead to complexity of evaluating durability under different service conditions.

It can be argued that the growing threat of climate change, of a culture of capitalism and consumption established in today’s society, drives networks of people to form unions and not to follow standard production and consumption systems, of which Änggärdet is a representation. This thesis project aims to create a desirable and sustainable future scenario for Änggärdet in 2030 based on a backcasting methodology. Additionally, this project aims to build a vision and potential future solutions and concepts for Änggärdet sustainable development. To do so, research has been done in the form of a literature review and empirical data collection through surveys and workshop tools. A vision was formulated while not setting ambitious goals and therefore having a high degree of plausibility. Findings show that developing a future solution requires a greater need to involve stakeholders, further evaluate internal limitations, and account for two accelerating forces. Furthermore, six-short term goals can be set as part of the development initiation. Finally, an awareness and an understanding of present and long-term challenges exist amongst members of Änggärdet. The study enables Änggärdet to train and develop skills in terms of sustainable production and consumption and encourages collaboration between Flen Municipality and Änggärdet to influence and raise awareness amongst the surrounding residents and companies. / Det kan argumenteras för att det växande hotet om klimatförändringar, och om en kultur av kapitalism och konsumtion som etablerats i dagens samhälle, driver nätverk av människor till att bilda sammanslutningar och till att inte följa modula produktions- och konsumtionssystem. I denna rapport är Änggärdet - en gårdsgemenskap, en representation av ett alternativ till en social rörelse. Denna masteruppsats syftar till att skapa önskvärda och hållbara framtidsscenarier för Änggärdet till år 2030. Änggärdets huvudsyfte är att gemensamt utveckla en hållbar livsstil och att bidra till övergången till | ett hållbart och motståndskraftigt samhälle. Änggärdet vill även skapa en livsstil som har ett mindre beroende av konsumtion och ett större beroende av ett mer kreativt och enhälligt samhälle. I linje med gårdens vision syftar denna studie till att bygga en vision och potentiella framtida lösningar och koncept för Änggärdets hållbara utveckling. För detta ändamål tillämpas två kombinerade backcasting-modeller; ett metodologisk ramverk för backcasting och en modulär deltagande backcasting. För att utföra detta har forskning genomförts i form av litteraturöversikt och empirisk datainsamling baserade på workshop- och undersökningsinstrument. En vision formulerades, utan krav på ambitiösa mål, vilket bidrog till en hög grad av rimlighet. Resultaten demonstrerar att, för att en framtida lösning ska utvecklas, finns ett större behov av att involvera intressenter, att vidare utvärdera interna begränsningar och att ta hänsyn till två accelererande drivkrafter. Vidare kan sex kortsiktiga mål användas som en del av den initierade utvecklingen. Slutligen råder en medvetenhet och en förståelse för nuvarande och långsiktiga utmaningar bland Änggärdets medlemmar. Föreliggande studie ger Änggärdet möjligheten att utbilda och utveckla färdigheter, gällande hållbar produktion och konsumtion, och uppmuntrar även till samarbete mellan Flen kommun och Änggärdet. Detta för att influera och öka medvetenheten hos de omgivande invånarna och företagen.

With only approximately one quarter of plate margins composed of subduction zones, North American plate is an unique continental plate featured with a western active continental margin atop widespread slow seismic velocity anomalies in the asthenosphere, an eastern passive continental margin covering several localized regions of slow seismic velocity, and a strong central cratonic root (Laurentia). The coexistence of the prominent thermal and compositional structures beneath the North American plate complicates the construction of numerical models needed to investigate the dynamics of the whole plate. Recently, a new generation mantle convection code, ASPECT (Advanced Solver for Problems in Earth ConvecTion) equipped with fully adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) technology opens up the potential to build a multi-scale global mantle flow model with a local high-resolution focus beneath the North America plate. Given the immature state of this new code for mantle flow modeling in 3-D spherical shell geometry at the beginning of my doctoral study, I first developed a new geoid algorithm for the 3-D spherical AMR numerical modeling based on ASPECT. Then I systematically benchmarked the velocity, dynamic topography, and geoid solutions from ASPECT through analytical kernel approach in the uniform mesh. I further verified the accuracy of the AMR mantle flow computation in the 3-D spherical shell geometry. Based on the improved ASPECT code, I construct global mantle flow models to investigate the driving forces for the North American plate motion. I focus on the comparison between the effects of near-field slabs (Aleutian, central American, and Caribbean slabs) and far-field slabs (primarily those around western Pacific subduction margins) and find that the far-field slabs provide the dominant driving forces for the North American plate. I further identified that interpreting the extremely slow seismic anomalies associated with the partial melt in the uppermost mantle around southwestern U.S. as purely thermal in origin results in considerably excessive resistance to North American plate motion. My numerical experiments prove that a significantly reduced velocity-to-density scaling (0.05 or smaller in our models) from the original thermal scaling coefficients (0.25 in our models) for these negative seismic shear-velocity anomalies must be incorporated into the construction of the buoyancy field to predict North American plate motion. I also examine the role of the lower mantle buoyancy including the ancient descending Kula-Farallon plates and the active upwelling below the Pacific margin of North American plate. Lower mantle buoyancy primarily affects the amplitudes, as opposed to the patterns of both North American and global plate motions. Another part of this dissertation reports the receiver function analysis along a recent dense seismic array across the eastern U.S from the western border of Ohio to the Atlantic coast of Virginia. 3D stacking yields shallowing trends of 410-km and 660-km discontinuities and thinning transition zone thickness from the inland to the coast. These results are hard to reconcile with any of the three existing hypotheses regarding the vertical mantle flow patterns beneath the eastern U.S., including edge-driven convection excited by the craton edge, hydrous upwelling from the dehydration of the deep Farallon slab, and the sinking of the delaminated or dripped mantle lithospheric block below the central West Virginia/Virginia border. A hydro-thermal upwelling beneath the eastern U.S. coastal plain due to hydrated transition zone and the neighboring passive hot upwelling induced by the descending Farallon slab in the lower mantle is consistent with the results from 3D stacking. The hydro-thermal upwelling hypothesis is also able to reconcile the shallower tectonic processes and deeper mantle dynamics below the eastern U.S. through its dehydration melting atop 410-km discontinuity. Overall, this dissertation documents the technical details on the improvements of the ASPECT code in mantle flow modeling and provides new insights into the dynamics and evolution of the North American continent. / Doctor of Philosophy / Chapter 1 details the motivation of the study in this dissertation, which covers three topics in the disciplines of geodynamics and seismology. Recently, the new computational tools of geodynamic modeling into the Earth's interior have been extensively developed. One of the cutting-edge technical advances is adaptive mesh refinement (AMR), which enables the construction of mantle flow models in highly variable resolution within the domain. However, the accuracy of the results from these multi-scale models needs to be verified. In addition, the algorithms of the geoid (equipotential surface of the gravity on the Earth) in spherical harmonic domain needs to be updated in accordance with AMR mantle flow computation. Chapter 2 documents a geoid algorithms in spherical harmonic domain working with AMR mantle flow simulation. This geoid algorithm is developed based on a a new generation mantle convection code, ASPECT (Advanced Solver for Problems in Earth ConvecTion). The numerical results including velocity, topography, and geoid from ASPECT are systematically benchmarked in both the uniform mesh and the adaptive variable mesh. The AMR simulation of ASPECT is able to achieve nearly the same high accuracy as that from the highly resolved uniform mesh. Chapter 3 systematically investigates the driving forces for the North American plate motion. Through the mantle flow modeling based on well-developed ASPECT code, I find that the remote subducting slabs (primarily those around western Pacific subduction margins), as opposed to the nearby marginal slabs (Aleutian, central American, and Caribbean slabs), provide the dominant driving forces for the motion of the North American plate. I further confirm that a reasonable estimation on the positive buoyancy from the extremely slow seismic velocity anomalies associated with partial melt in the uppermost mantle around southwestern U.S. is necessary to predict North American plate motion. Lower mantle buoyancy primarily affects the amplitudes, as opposed to the patterns of both North American and global plate motions. Chapter 4 reports the results of a seismic survey on the transition zone (the mantle region between ~410-km and ~660-km depths) structures below the eastern U.S. Our results can be explained by a hydro-thermal upwelling beneath the eastern U.S. coastal plain due to hydrated transition zone and the neighboring passive hot upwelling induced by the descending Farallon slab (an ancient oceanic plate subducting below the North American plate) in the lower mantle. Chapter 5 concisely summarizes the major findings of the above three topics in this study.

For marine fishes, the early larval phase is considered a critical stage for survivorship and recruitment. The spatial and temporal dynamics of larval fish assemblages can influence their success and trophic structure of marine communities and entire ecosystems. This thesis will provide the first characterization of larval fish assemblage in the Strait of Georgia (SoG) in terms of diversity, abundance and composition, and their variability over multiple temporal scales, as well as the first quantification of variability in larval fish distribution in the SoG across multiple spatial scales. On the interdecadal scale, a significant decrease in larval abundance of several dominant fish taxa (Pacific hake, walleye Pollock, northern smoothtongue and rockfishes) contributed to a decline in total larval abundance and turnover in the composition structure between the early 1980s and the late 2000s. In contrast, both abundance and the relative composition of flatfishes and several demersal forage fish taxa increased during the same period. On interannual scales, abundance, diversity and community structure of the spring larval assemblages varied dramatically through 2007-2010, a period which alternated between strong La Niña and El Niño events. Higher overall larval concentrations were associated with warm conditions in the SoG in 2007 and 2010, while the lowest larval concentration was associated with cooler condition in 2009. Examination of associations between larval fish assemblages and environmental fluctuations suggests a potential influence of large-scale climate processes between the early 1980s and the late 2000s, but a primary association with local environmental factors on interannual scales. Spatial patterns in larval density of three dominant fish taxa (Pacific herring, Pacific hake and northern smoothtongue) were mostly structured on predefined broad (> 40km) and medium (20~40km) scales. Although their scale-dependent associations with environmental factors varied interannually, larval distributions in the central-southern SoG were generally associated with salinity, temperature and vertical stability of water column in the upper layer (0-50m). Our results emphasize the role of local estuarine circulation in structuring hierarchical spatial distributions of planktonic fish larvae in the SoG. These findings will provide considerable implications in fisheries resource management and conservation strategies. / Graduate / 0416 / 0329 / guanlu129@gmail.com

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to create an understanding of how customer engagement, communication / interaction and customer insight are driving forces behind the use of Social CRM from a leadership perspective. Method: The purpose of the study, we believed it was appropriate to use a qualitative approach to conduct the study. The empirical data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The sample consisted of 10 companies located in the Gävle area who are active on social media. The interviews were coded to obtain keywords and patterns. These patterns and keywords are then analyzed to arrive at the study's results. Results and contributions: Our results suggest that all the identified benefits, customer engagement, customer insight and communication are driving forces to make use of social CRM. However, they are used to different extents with different purposes. The two main drivers are customer engagement and communication. Customer insight is the driving force that is used least extensively and least consciously. Our investigation has confirmed much of the already existing research in this area but also highlighted that all driving forces do not have the same priority. Our study contributes to a better understanding of the driving forces behind the use of social CRM.

The purpose of this study is to examine the driving forces within the non-profit organization, Läxhjälpen. This study will limit itself to examining the non-profit organization Läxhjälpen which provides homework assistance throughout the country with its seat located in Stockholm - Sweden. In order to fulfill the purpose of this study, the following two questions are put forth: what motivates collaborators within Läxhjälpen, and which societal contribution dose the collaborators within Läxhjälpen see themselves contributing with to society as a whole? The data was collected with the help of semi-structured interviews. Interviews were held with a homework assistant, a coworker in charge of contacts, a coach and the person in charge of the region. The gathered material was subsequently analyzed with the help of the leading theories in motivation and sustainable development. The conclusions of this paper shows that the employees of the organization that has participated in this study get their motivation from multiple sources including but not limited to: autonomy, a feeling of responsibility, self-realization needs, competence development, and last but not least an opportunity to help the less fortunate. / Att arbeta ideellt fyller ett syfte i samhället. I Sverige existerar det cirka 251 000 verksamma ideella organisationer. Det är inte helt lätt att definiera vad en ideell organisationen är. Wijkström och Lundström (2002) diskuterar inom vilket ramverk en organisation skall befinna sig för att betraktas som ideell. Bland annat ska en organisation för att betraktas som ideell inneha en ideell målsättning, samt att den inte delar ut något ekonomiskt överskott till varken ägare eller andra involverade parter. Istället återinvesteras vinsten i organisationen. Att själviskt avvara tid från sin vardag för att hjälpa andra mot en symbolisk ersättning, eller ingen alls kan ses som en altruistisk handling som är nyttig i gemenemans liv då det inger känslor av glädje. Syftet med denna studie är att belysa drivkrafterna inom den ideella organisationen, Läxhjälpen. Studien har avgränsats till Stiftelsen Läxhjälpen som bedriver läxhjälpsprogram runt om i Sverige med sitt huvudsäte i Stockholm. För att kunna besvara studiens syfte har följande forskningsfrågor legat till grund: vad motiverar medarbetarna inom Läxhjälpen, samt vilket samhällsbidrag anser medarbetarna inom Läxhjälpen att de bidrar med? Insamlingen av data har skett med hjälp av semistrukturerade intervjuer, där intervjuer skett med en läxhjälpare, kontaktansvarig, coach samt regionansvarig. Det insamlade materialet har sedermera analyserats med hjälp av teorier rörande motivation samt hållbar utveckling. Slutsatserna inom denna studie påvisar att medarbetarna som medverkat i studien inte motiveras av en ensam faktor utan att det är en samling av faktorer som innefattar; autonomi, en känsla av ansvarsfullhet, självförverkligande, kompetensutveckling, och kanske viktigast av allt, en chans att få hjälpa mindre lyckligt lottade människor och bidra till att dem får en möjlighet att förbättra sina livsvillkor.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to seek out the driving forces behind students’ choices of clothing in relation to their personal brand. Methodology: Three interviews with students from different universities test the query formulation. Empirical findings: The driving forces we have found to be the strongest is the desire to create relationships, to strive for success, to be perceived as unique, to feel belonging and to strive for perfection. Limitations: It goes without saying that the number of respondents makes it hard to generalize the results on larger populations. Due to a relative short deadline we had to cut the number of students. Implications: The underlying driving forces are of great importance to consumer choice in relation to the personal brand. The knowledge of why consumers want to achieve the ideals presented in a company's communication may be of greater importance than what we earlier have believed.

I och med ett ökat intresse för entreprenörskap samt den allt svårare situationen på arbetsmarknaden för invandrare väcktes under 1990-talet ett stort intresse i Sverige för invandrarföretagande. Företag som drivs av personer med utländsk härkomst har blivit en allt vanligare del av marknaden. Denna grupp av företagare har kommit att bidra med nya affärsidéer samt ny kompetens på marknaden.Det framkommer i flera utredningar och rapporter att många invandrare finner det svårt att få fäste på den svenska marknaden på grund av bland annat språkliga brister och begränsade kunskaper inom det regelverk som styr företagandet i Sverige. Vår studie fokuserar på att undersöka invandrarföretagares position på den svenska marknaden. Syftet har även varit att ta reda på drivkrafterna bakom valet att starta eget samt vilka tillväxtstrategier invandrarföretagen använder sig av. Vi har genomfört sju kvalitativa intervjuer med utvalda respondenter för att få en uppfattning om hur invandrare upplever det egna företagandet i Sverige. De kvalitativa intervjuerna har sammanställts för att sedan analyseras med hjälp av våra utvalda teorier som bland annat inkluderar Saras Sarasvathys berömda teori om causation och effectuation. I resultatet som vi har kommit fram till presenteras bland annat att det har skett en förändring sedan 1990-talet och att invandrare inte längre finner den utländska bakgrunden som problematisk, för den egna företagsstarten. Drivkrafterna bakom valet att starta eget beror till stor del på förverkligandet av sina egna idéer. Vi har även kunnat konstatera att invandrarnas bakgrund inte har någon påverkan på deras tillväxtpotential utan det är istället den entreprenöriella förmågan som är en betydande faktor. / Program: Civilekonomprogrammet

The  construction  industry  is  a  costly  business  such  in  respect  of  capital  for  most construction defects which then require rework, tear down and rebuild again. This study is  meaningful  awareness  of  tools  that  can  reduce  this  best  through  communication  and information sharing between the parties.  The  construction  industry  is  known  as  temporary  projects  organizations,  where  the construction  project  consists  of  several  actors  who  have  to  communicate  and  share information  between  them  to  avoid  mistakes  later  in  the  build  time.  These  actors  are bounded together thus for the duration of the project, then broken when the project has reached its end. The challenge here is for these actors to apply a tool that can help and simplify communications, information sharing, and perhaps the most important aspect is to  create  a  routine  for  the  association  and  the  shattering  of  these  actors.  To  implement such  behavior  using  a  tool  such  as  BIM  in  the  industry  whose  size  perhaps  is indescribable may be a very hard task.  BIM (Building Information Model) could be seen as the solution to this problem because it  acts  as  a  portal  where  the  actors  involved  must  sign  in  and  communicate,  share information, and eventually create a behavior, a routine for this association and division of  the  actors  following  the  end  of  the  project.  The  technology  could  help  the  involved from  the  beginning  of  the  project,  already  in  the  model  stage,  break  down  and  prevent any construction barriers when the building has been placed in the works.  In the current situation used paper models, 2D models and three-dimensional models, 3D, where  the  last  one  is  a  part  of  the  BIM.  BIM  makes  it  also  possible  to  implement  4D, price  calculation  for  the  construction  from  beginning  to  end  and  5D  ie  construction details such as what kind of wood the door is made of, what kind of concrete it is, and even the amount of cable for the construction for example.  BIM  is  seen  as  a  information  technology  used  primarily  in  construction,  where  to encounter  several  obstacles  during  the  implementation  and  use  of  such  technology  is expensive  to  implement  in  a  small  operation,  but  it  creates  many  drivers,  many  agents that  have  implemented  BIM,  which  ultimately  pays  according  to  those  who  can  afford and in the current situation using it