In recent years there has been a growing trend of Western companies outsourcing many engineering jobs to Taiwan, India, and China. While companies have been outsourcing and moving manufacturing jobs for decades, there is a recent acceleration of sending “high tech” engineering jobs overseas. While the job loss in the Western world is alarming to Western engineers, there is another trend that is keeping jobs in the West that deserves some consideration. Asian multinational corporations are acquiring engineering operations in the United States and Europe. Since there is seemingly abundant talent available in their home countries, what motivates these Asian multinational corporations to invest in Western engineering operations? Is this investment a long term viable employment option for Western engineers? This paper will address these two critical questions. / text

Religion’s influence on fertility behavior has long been discussed. This paper examines the consequences of family size for the intergenerational transmission of religiosity. Using the first and third waves of the National Study of Youth and Religion, I find that family size is a positive predictor of religious salience and service attendance, particularly in emerging adulthood. While parents remain strong influences on both family size and their children’s religiosity, family size appears to provide additional support to religious commitments in emerging adulthood by fostering a more conservative orientation towards family formation. This study adds nuance to our understanding of the dynamics of religiosity in emerging adulthood and provides new evidence of the close connection between religion, family, and fertility. / text

Emerging adulthood is a new concept that identifies the span of time between 18 and 24 as a unique period of human development. The recognition of this stage as distinct and meaningful established a framework to better understand this under researched group. Yet more research needs to be conducted to address what factors and resources that are conducive to transition from this period into healthy and capable adults. A sample of 464 college students between 18 and 24 was gathered from three social science courses, two hard science courses, and two performing arts walk-in sessions. In order to assess differences in identity exploration and commitment, the Ego Identity Process Questionnaire (EIPQ) was utilized. Of these 464 participants, 6 participants took part in qualitative interview sessions. Interview questions asked participants to state their past experiences and expectations before coming to college, how those expectations had changed, what experiences and events were viewed as beneficial or detrimental toward becoming an adult, and their future plans and aspirations.No statistically significant differences were found in commitment and exploration scores between course enrolled, academic year, gender, and ethnicity. These results suggest that identity status should be regarded as a separate construct. The analysis of qualitative interviews 1) supported the validity of the EIPQ to assess identity statuses, 2) recognized developing competence and establishing autonomy as common goals among college students, 3) identified social support and the unique opportunities available at college as crucial resources and experiences conducive to adult growth, 4) identified academic difficulties and managing emotions as valuable challenges to student's development while financial difficulties and personal crises posed detrimental obstacles, and 5) recognized that achieving individual and cultural criteria was more important in establishing adult status than biological age.Thus, college can be recognized as a source of both difficulties and opportunities toward interpersonal and professional development. More exploration should be conducted in order to address how colleges can bolster its benefits while reducing negative outcomes. Furthermore, exploring the differences within identity status may provide a better understanding of the services, resources, and experiences that may support emerging adults toward adult development.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has a high priority in companies’ business agendas today. Extensive research has been done in the field for nearly 50 years, although it still remains a complexity. Despite this research, no generalised CSR strategy has been established for companies to follow. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the question, how is CSR being implemented in a company’s overall strategy in emerging markets? A second aim, is to explore whether or not a trigger is needed in order for a company to implement CSR into its overall strategy within emerging markets. This research is built up around a particular theoretical framework, which is composed of key factors of CSR strategy and stages of CSR implementation (see illustration p. 25). An exploratory research design with a qualitative research method was chosen with the purpose of exploring the similar patterns between companies. Four Swedish multinational companies (MNEs) were selected and data was collected from sex respondents. The results showed that companies were aware of the opportunities to have CSR integrated in their business. However the type of CSR initiative differed between the companies. Nevertheless, the results indicate that there is a correlation between to what extent the companies have integrated CSR, and the level of a company’s awareness of CSR. CSR initiatives could be either interpreted as passive CSR engagement or active CSR engagement. These different CSR initiatives could be interpreted as levels of corporate willingness towards CSR where the companies CSR engagement was either to gain reputation or to gain sustainability. This dissertation contributes to leading the research forward in the field of CSR and sustainable business, due to the fact that the consolidative model along with other theories chosen show conformed patterns to the empirical study, thus further research is suggested. Sida’s label for developing countries presented in 2004, defines emerging markets as a developing country which is identified as a country where the income BNI/capita is below $3 256-$10 065.

The current discussion of Inflation Targeting (IT) in emerging economies deals with the effects that nominal exchange rate movements have on the overall inflation rate. The literature has focused in the analysis of the advantages and disadvantages that IT has with respect to other monetary policy regimes and the relevancy of the nominal exchange rate pass-through effect into inflation. So far none of them have dealt with the differences arising from the policy instruments used to fight off inflationary pressure under an IT regime. The literature on IT for emerging economies can be separated in two categories. In the first category the monetary authority uses interest rate policy as the instrument variable to implement and control the inflation target. The second category illustrates when the monetary authorities use international reserves as the instrument to influence the nominal exchange rate in such a way that the depreciation rate is consistent with the overall inflation target. This dissertation presents a model in which both policy instruments are available to the monetary authority. This model is used to address two questions: i) Is IT better than a monetary rule regime? and ii) Is it better to intervene directly in the foreign exchange market rather than use interest rate policy to control exchange rate pressure on inflation, or are they equivalent? The results show that there are important differences between these choices and the answers to these questions are shock dependent. These differences arise because the intervention needed under IT is accompanied by important output costs or benefits depending on the direction of the shock being analyzed. Regarding the pass-through effect, some studies have shown that the pass-through effect from currency depreciation into inflation has been decreasing and therefore is becoming less of an issue for these countries. The literature has offered different explanations for these declines but so far they have not been directly linked to the adoption of IT. This dissertation shows that lower pass-through levels can be a natural result of fear of floating observed in emerging countries that adopted IT and therefore exchange rate effects on inflation are still relevant.

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate how a multi-national company can adapt its business marketing strategy to emerging markets. The research approach of the thesis was a case study of CCI in Turkey and Kazakhstan to see how the company can adapt it international business marketing strategy to conditions of local market. The study was done by identifying of the current situation on the emerging markets and the company and by describing external environment and institutional factors within emerging markets. Analysis of current elements of international business marketing strategy and environmental factors that have affected it was done by applying theoretical framework to the case study. The last step was to give recomendations for the company to adapt or standart international business marketing strategy and importance of analyze external enviromental factors for the international business marketing strategy for the emerging markets. Data for the thesis was collected from primary sources through interviews and secondary data through company’s presentations and articles, internet sources. The study showed that CCI enters each new market with standard brand portfolio tries to make adaptations of promotion and communication strategies to conductions of local market and to get external fit which will bring competitive and societal advantages for CCI on those markets where company operates. We have identified number of external environmental factors in Kazakhstan that have a certain influence on CCI’s operations. Economical situation has largely affected CCI’s operations and activities in Kazakhstan. This factor directly affects consumption level and purchasing power and behavior of local consumers. The legislation has obviously affected the company as well, resulting in local production. Cultural issues are also influenced CCI operations in Kazakhstan. That expressed through difference in consumption preferences of local consumers, which were directed aside traditional drinks. In the end of the thesis some recommendations are given. Among the most important are – to balance between standart brand portfolio and adapt communication and distribution strategies accorging local enviromental factors; to identify which environmental factors can affect the company, which will require adjustments, and which can be influenced by the company; to effort developing personal relationship with customers, distributors, retailers in order to increase the competitive advantage and gain an increased loyalty among them.

China’s status as the world’s top destination for foreign direct investment and the largest trading nation is likely to attract more international firms seeking market entrance, and increase the speed of expansion by those already present in the market. Its progress in reaching this point has been accompanied by significant changes in laws and regulations. This study sets out to understand the events of foreign market entry to emerging markets experiencing recurring changes in laws and regulations, and asks the research question: How may institutional change in the host market influence the market entry behaviour of the firm over time? Based on retrospective longitudinal case studies of DeLaval, Elekta and Höganäs from 1980 to 2010, the findings show that institutional change taking place in the host market plays a signal role that enables firms to recognise the availability and accessibility of market opportunity. Firms also make market commitment accordingly to capture the market opportunity recognised. Additionally, institutional change comes in different forms (transitional change and turbulent change), and plays out differently in various industries and at various points in time. They also have varying influences on market opportunity in terms of the source through which it is recognised (structural opportunity and relational opportunity), and the direction in which market commitment is made (commitment toward the host market, relationships, and organisational integration). Furthermore, depending on the point in time, the relations among institutional change, market opportunity, and market commitment may change. While a consistent level of institutional change encourages firms to recognise structural opportunity, the escalation of institutional change over time seems to influence firms to form stronger relationship commitment with local actors and leads to stronger recognition of relational opportunity. This study’s findings imply that recurring institutional changes in emerging markets have an overarching impact on foreign market entry of the firm, and needs to be understood from a long-term perspective. Foreign firms that have acquired experience in emerging markets over time face less of a threat from ongoing institutional changes. Actively engaging in the host market and remaining alert to information from various sources will enable firms to recognise market opportunity in emerging markets.

The role of society for the development of multinational companies’ (MNC) business has so far not attracted much scholarly attention in international marketing. Responding to recent calls for further research relating MNCs with society, the aim of this thesis is to enhance the understanding of the MNC relationship with society. Standing on the business network perspective, the theoretical view includes society in the network. Apart from business actors, the view incorporates public actors (such as governments) and civil society actors (such as Non-Governmental Organizations). Thus, contrary to earlier business network studies, the MNC relationships with non-business actors are explicitly handled as part of the business network in this thesis. For the fulfillment of the aim - understanding the MNC relationship with society - the study applies the four relationship elements knowledge, commitment, trust and legitimacy. In further developing the theoretical view, the results from the empirical and theoretical findings in the papers, along with others’ contributions in this field, have inspired the development of interdependence in relationships. Consequently, the main emphasis in the ‘Thesis Summary’ is put on a deeper theoretical discussion of the concept of interdependence. The interdependence framework maps different relationship types with business and non-business actors in business networks. The implications on the management of the different types of relationships are also further developed. The empirical study, which inspired the theoretical development, concerns a qualitative and abductive case study of a Swedish MNC’s relationships with actors from the business, public and civil society sectors in Argentina and Brazil. The study is based on 51 interviews, observations and documentation as its main data sources. It resulted in four papers, which were developed in the areas of crisis, subsidiary strategy, radical innovation and expansion to the rural ‘Base of the Pyramid’, all applying a relational perspective. The thesis has both empirical and theoretical contributions. The major empirical contribution concerns the behavior of MNCs in emerging economies in relation to society. The theoretical development contributes deeper exploration of business relationships and network perspectives in the context of society, adding a novel employment of the same.

The feasibility of using solid phase micro-extraction (SPME) as an in vivo sampling tool for analysis of trace environmental contaminants in fish exposed to municipal wastewater effluents (MWWEs) was validated using controlled laboratory and field experiments. SPME was compared with traditional extraction techniques， including solid phase extraction (SPE) in water and solid-liquid extraction (SLE) in fish tissues to assess relative efficiencies. All three techniques were used to quantify the presence of eight compounds of interest in fish exposed to MWWEs in the laboratory, as well as in wild and field caged fish upstream and downstream of three wastewater treatment plants in the Grand River watershed. Atrazine, carbamazepine, naproxen, diclofenac, gemfibrozil, bisphenol A, fluoxetine and ibuprofen were selected as target compounds due to their diverse chemical characteristics and frequent detection in surface waters and sediments around the world. The distribution coefficients between various sample matrices (water, fish) and extraction phases (SPME fibers) were compared, as were extraction profiles and bioconcentration factors of target analytes in muscle of fish exposed to MWWEs under laboratory conditions, during field caging studies, or collected (wild) from the Grand River. Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) medical grade tubing was utilized as the SPME extraction phase, which when kinetically calibrated, were effective at extracting and quantifying the target analytes from both water and fish tissue relative to traditional techniques. Caged and in wild fish exposed to MWWEs from all three municipal treatment plants bio-accumulated detectable levels of several of the target chemicals. All target analytes (except for fluoxetine) were identified in the MWWEs and exposed fish by SPME at low concentrations (ng/L). The presence and concentration of the targeted analytes in both water and wild fish living in the Grand River watershed varied with season and proximity to the wastewater outfalls. Results demonstrate that properly applied SPME can detect and quantify selected contaminants in fish tissues, surface water, and wastewater effluents. In vivo SPME allows for non-lethal sampling of fish, which creates the opportunity for monitoring contaminant exposure in receiving environments influenced by MWWEs or non-point-source runoff while minimizing the impact on the organisms.

The presence of human pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment is now becoming a well-established fact. The identified problems associated with their presence include the fact that these compounds are biologically active, some of them are toxic in nature, and a number of compounds have potential to foster and maintain drug resistant microorganisms. They are discharged into the aquatic environment from a variety of sources, but mainly by the excretion of incompletely metabolized pharmaceuticals by individuals into the wastewater. This situation makes finding a source-control strategy difficult. However, healthcare facility (hospitals and long-term-care homes) effluents are suspected to have relatively higher concentrations of these compounds, as such facilities use pharmaceuticals in large amounts for diagnostic, cure and research purposes. It is expected that controlling discharges from these facilities may provide a cost-effective solution to reduce the pharmaceutical loads entering the aquatic environment.