<p>ABSTRACT</p><p>Title: First steps towards successful recruitment – A study about a small Swedish firm’s recruitment strategy</p><p>Course: Bachelor Dissertation - Leadership</p><p>Authors: Filip Agby, Damir Macanovic and Thomas Mennerdahl</p><p>Advisor: Anders Billström</p><p>Key Words: Recruitment in small firms, recruitment strategy, wrong fit recruitment, HRM, right staff</p><p>Problem enunciation: What pros and cons could the choice of recruitment strategy mean for a small Swedish firm. </p><p>Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to give recruiters a better understanding of how a small Swedish company could use different recruitment strategies, together with systematic preparations, to affect the experienced recruitment result. Another purpose is to study if earlier mentioned international research about small firms’ recruitment strategies is applicable to a small Swedish firm.</p><p>Theoretical framework: The section initiates by introducing the reader to the subject through describing Human resource management with a focus on recruitment. Then we point out the importance of systematic preparations prior to recruiting. Thereafter we present five common recruitment strategies. The chapter ends with reasoning about successful recruitment and wrong fit recruitment.</p><p>Method: We have used a qualitative approach to gather profound data for the study.</p><p>Empirical perspective: The empirical framework presents the fallout of the interviews we had with the studied company.</p><p>Conclusion: Our study implies that earlier international research about the challenges in small firms’ recruitment is applicable to our studied firm. The study also demonstrates that our firm have had and has a lack of resources, structure and discipline which is pointed out by the researchers. Particularly the neglection of systematic preparations, which increases the risk of wrong fit recruitment. Our result also shows that the firm uses advertising, network recruitment, recruitment firms and recruiting through the own website. Network recruitment was earlier considered to be fitting when the staffing requirement was very high and speed was of importance. Recruitment firms were on the other hand considered to have many valueable advantages and tended to generate successful recruitments.</p>

<p>This research is based on the observation that people in the service industry is being replaced by technology.  This insight formed a foundation for the presentation of the problem this essay is based upon. We began to speculate over how tourist information bureaus handle the changes, regarding information technology, in their surroundings when their main task is to inform and communicate with their market. Information technology has created new possibilities for organizations to reach their consumers and it has influenced all kinds of industries. We decided to examine organizations in the tourism sector because it is one of the biggest and fastest growing industries in the world. The entering of information technology in the tourism industry has changed its structure and we want to examine how tourist information bureaus succeed to deal with this phenomenon.</p><p>The aim with this essay is to examine how and to what extent tourist information bureaus integrate with changes in their surroundings caused by information technology and which values that slip away/ is added by the adaption. To accomplish this we have interviewed six persons representing the tourist information bureaus in Färjestaden, Kalmar, Tranemo, Visby and Norrköping.</p><p>By applying the empirical material, which we gathered through interviews, on theory we wanted to create a deeper understanding in how an organization can handle changes in their surroundings, created by information technology.</p><p>Both the theoretical and the empirical chapter are divided into two main parts, “Information technology” and “Organizational fit”. The conclusion of the research is described in the analyze and discussion chapter.   </p>

Presently, one of the most promising sources for a future of abundant, low-emission, and efficient energy comes in the form of nuclear fusion. However, in order for it to become a reality, fusion technology must overcome the obstacle of plasma confinement. Utilizing the tokomak based design for magnetic plasma confinement; ITER is currently developing a fusion reactor to prove its commercial viability. The purpose of this research was to determine the feasibility of pulling toroidal field cable with a press-fit grip sleeve that utilizes friction to generate a gripping force. Such a design is being considered by ITER to integrate (join) 800 m long sections of superconducting cable and conduit for use in toroidal field plasma confinement coil construction. In order to see if friction alone had the potential to withstand the required pulling load, eight grip sleeve samples were subjected to monotonic tensile loading until failure (sleeve slippage) occurred. It was also important that the grip could withstand the variable loading that will likely occur during the pulling process due to friction between the cable and conduit. Therefore, a period of cyclic loading, prior to tensile loading, was incorporated into the testing regimen. Based on the results of each experiment, additional modifications were made until the sleeve’s gripping strength exceeded that of the weld joint used in the design, meaning the physical limitations of the grip sleeve had been reached. Once the design was optimized, additional samples were tested under identical conditions to establish repeatability. In addition, Finite Element Analysis was used to obtain better insight into the deformation behavior of the cable. Based on the findings of this research, it was determined that a 300 mm long press-fit sleeve with a 25.4mm long reinforcement grip ring is capable of supporting a 116 kN (26,000 lbf) to 126.5 kN (28,500 lbf) tensile load, with little to no adverse effects from fatigue testing. Since this value exceeds the 8,000 lbf load used by a Japanese team to perform this same task, it can be concluded that the press-fit grip design is capable of performing the required cable pull with a generous safety factor.

The accelerated lifetime model is considered. To test the influence of the covariate we transform the model in a regression model. Since censoring is allowed this approach leads to a goodness-of-fit problem for regression functions under censoring. So nonparametric estimation of regression functions under censoring is investigated, a limit theorem for a L2-distance is stated and a test procedure is formulated. Finally a Monte Carlo procedure is proposed.

Humanitarian logistics is a young science and complex discipline compared to business logistics because not only are actors in that arena compelled to work with outmost speed in interrupted environments having undetermined demand, they are also forced to work closely with other unknown players. Even more complex are civil-military relations because as studies show, the differences between these two humanitarian actors run deep to include contrasting missions, humanitarian principles, organizational and cultural differences. The purpose of this work is to examine civil-military relations during the preparedness and response phases of humanitarian crises. We developed a frame of reference, set forth some operational and theoretical definitions, examined overlapping supply chains, modeled organizational structures and coordination mechanisms, established civil-military cooperation framework, disaster cycle studies and proposed a working model. Our methodology included primary data collection through an empirical study of two NGOs and the military force through a series of interviews. Data culled was then analyzed in conjunction with the models and literature outlined in the frame of reference. Based on our analysis, a number of observations were made in the conclusion. To begin with a number of strategies are employed during the preparedness and response phase where speed and agility are crucial. Also, overlapping roles between the military and NGOs have both positive and negative impact. Different organizational structures and funding outlay mean differences abound in how actors coordinate activities and share information. Cooperation, trust, information sharing and coordination are closely linked when finding a strategic fit among actors. In spite of the attempt at seeking a right formula for civil-military relations, it would be erroneous to ‘standardize’ relations as no two cases are ever the same.

The spectral analysis method is an important tool in time series analysis and the spectral density plays a crucial role on the spectral analysis. However, one of limitations of the spectral density is that the spectral density reflects only the covariance structure among several dependence measures in the time series data. To overcome this restriction, we define two spectral densities, the quantile spectral density and the association spectral density. The quantile spectral density can model the pairwise dependence structure and provide identification of nonlinear time series and the association spectral density allows detecting periodicities on different parts of the domain of the time series. We propose the estimators for the quantile spectral density and the association spectral density and derive their sampling properties including asymptotic normality. Furthermore, we use the quantile spectral density to develop a goodness-of-fit tests for time series and explain how this test can be used for comparing the sequential dependence structure of two time series. The asymptotic sampling properties of the test statistic are derived under the null and alternative hypothesis, and a bootstrap procedure is suggested to obtain finite sample approximation. The method is illustrated with simulations and some real data examples. Besides the exploration of the new spectral densities, we consider general quadratic forms of alpha-mixing time series and derive asymptotic normality of these forms under the relatively weak assumptions.

In this dissertation, the classical problems of testing goodness-of-fit of uniformity and parametric families are reconsidered. A new omnibus test for these problems is proposed and investigated. The new test statistics are a combination of Bayesian and score test ideas. More precisely, singletons that contain only one more parameter than the null describing departures from the null model are introduced. A Laplace approximation to the posterior probability of the null hypothesis is used, leading to test statistics that are weighted sums of exponentiated squared Fourier coefficients. The weights depend on prior probabilities and the Fourier coefficients are estimated based on score tests. Exponentiation of Fourier components leads to tests that can be exceptionally powerful against high frequency alternatives. Comprehensive simulations show that the new tests have good power against high frequency alternatives and perform comparably to some other well-known omnibus tests at low frequency alternatives. Asymptotic distributions of the proposed test are derived under null and alternative hypotheses. An application of the proposed test to an interesting real problem is also presented.

ABSTRACT Title:First steps towards successful recruitment – A study about a small Swedish firm’s recruitment strategy Course: Bachelor Dissertation - Leadership Authors: Filip Agby, Damir Macanovic and Thomas Mennerdahl Advisor: Anders Billström Key Words: Recruitment in small firms, recruitment strategy, wrong fit recruitment, HRM, right staff Problem enunciation: What pros and cons could the choice of recruitment strategy mean for a small Swedish firm. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to give recruiters a better understanding of how a small Swedish company could use different recruitment strategies, together with systematic preparations, to affect the experienced recruitment result. Another purpose is to study if earlier mentioned international research about small firms’ recruitment strategies is applicable to a small Swedish firm. Theoretical framework:The section initiates by introducing the reader to the subject through describing Human resource management with a focus on recruitment. Then we point out the importance of systematic preparations prior to recruiting. Thereafter we present five common recruitment strategies. The chapter ends with reasoning about successful recruitment and wrong fit recruitment. Method:We have used a qualitative approach to gather profound data for the study. Empirical perspective:The empirical framework presents the fallout of the interviews we had with the studied company. Conclusion: Our study implies that earlier international research about the challenges in small firms’ recruitment is applicable to our studied firm. The study also demonstrates that our firm have had and has a lack of resources, structure and discipline which is pointed out by the researchers. Particularly the neglection of systematic preparations, which increases the risk of wrong fit recruitment. Our result also shows that the firm uses advertising, network recruitment, recruitment firms and recruiting through the own website. Network recruitment was earlier considered to be fitting when the staffing requirement was very high and speed was of importance. Recruitment firms were on the other hand considered to have many valueable advantages and tended to generate successful recruitments.

This work develops a methodology for the FEM simulation of a multi-piece crankshaft. Various simulation models that include press-fit joint contact conditions and complex meshing schemes are examined in order to accurately capture details of the stress fields present at the stress concentration area (labeled as the SCA) on the edge of the press-fit. The maximum stress components are demonstrated to be of limited values (non-singular) and Hertzian in nature. To obtain the stress convergence sufficiently small elements, which can be determined using a 2-D axisymmetric model, are required at the vicinity of the SCA. The same level of mesh refinement is then used for large 3-D FEM models of the crankshaft geometry, to study the resulting behavior of the press-fit joint for the dynamic operating loads. However, it may not always be possible or practical, as some limits on the mesh refinement have to be imposed to obtain a reasonable computational time to run such models. Less complex 'equivalent' symmetrical FEM models are investigated to determine if these models can provide a sufficient level of accuracy at an acceptable computational effort. Such models may be useful as practical design tools, producing data to speed up the decision making process. The simulation results are compared to some test data for the stress state monitored in real crankshafts under operating conditions. 'Intuitive' design sensitivities to various crankshaft parameters are examined as well. The numerical tools and engineering rules developed in the thesis may be applied to systematically improve the design by extending the joint's life and/or load carrying capability.

Caspase-3 is a cysteine protease that hydrolyzes diverse intracellular proteins during programmed cell death (known as apoptosis). It has been a popular target for drug design against abnormal cell death for more than a decade. No approved caspase based drug, however, is available so far. Therefore, structural insights about the substrate recognition of caspase-3 are needed for the future development of caspase-3 based inhibitors and drugs. In this study, crystal structures of recombinant caspase-3 in complex with seven substrate analog inhibitors, including acetyl (Ac)-DEVD-aldehyde (Cho), Ac-DMQD-Cho, Ac-IEPD-Cho, Ac-YVAD-Cho, Ac-WEHD-Cho, Ac-VDVAD-Cho, and tert-butoxycarbonyl (Boc)-D-fluoromethylketone (Fmk), have been analyzed in combination with enzyme kinetic data and computational models. Seven crystal structures were determined at resolutions of 1.7-2.6Å. The binding conformation of each inhibitor residue at P1-P4 position was analyzed. The negative P1 aspartic acid side chain is exclusively required by the positive S1 pocket of caspase-3. Small hydrophobic P2 residues are preferred by the nonpolar S2 pocket formed by Y204, W206, and F256. Although hydrophilic residues at P3 position tend to fit better, hydrophobic residues also can be accommodated by the plastic S3 pocket. Two substrate binding sites were found in the S4 pocket, one formed by main chain atoms of F250 and side chain atoms of N208 and the other formed by aromatic side chains of W206 and W214. These two binding sites are responsible for the binding of hydrophilic and hydrophobic P4 residues, respectively. Furthermore, the S5 subsite of caspase-3 formed by side chains of F250 and F252 was discovered. It stabilizes hydrophobic P5 residues on the substrates by an induced fit mechanism. Computational studies were performed to help improve prediction of protein structures and protein-ligand interactions. Based on the Morse’s function, a novel potential function with only three adjustable parameters per residue pair was developed, which will significantly increase the efficiency of protein structure prediction and molecular mechanics. Altogether, our studies have provided valuable information for the future caspase-3 based drug development.