Ausgehend von den klassischen vier Paradigmen zur Messung individueller Differenzen wird die dominierende variablenzentrierte Forschungsausrichtung in der Differentiellen Psychologie hinterfragt und dafür plädiert, diese um einen personenzentrierten Ansatz zu ergänzen. Die Operationalisierung des personenzentrierten Zugangs erfolgt durch einen Prototypenansatz, der auf dem Fünf-Faktoren-Modell der Persönlichkeit basiert und dessen Potential und Grenzen in dieser Arbeit untersucht wurden. Zuerst wurde die Anzahl der Prototypen untersucht und diese Prototypenlösung anschließend validiert. Die auf Basis von zwei bevölkerungsrepräsentativen Stichproben sowie einer umfangreichen Internetstichprobe durchgeführten Analysen konnten übereinstimmend zeigen, dass anhand der ausgewählten multiplen Entscheidungskriterien eine Fünf-Cluster Lösung anderen Clusterlösungen vorzuziehen ist. Die Replizierbarkeit der Prototypen über unterschiedliche Stichproben verschiedenen Alters, Geschlechts, regionaler Herkunft, Bildungshintergrund, sozioökonomischem Status, Gesundheit (Allgemeinbevölkerung, Patientenstichproben), Erhebungsinstrumente (Selbst- und Fremdbeurteilungsverfahren, Fragebogen, Adjektivlisten, Papier-Bleistift-Verfahren und internetbasiert) und Extraktionsverfahren (Clusteranalyse, Mischverteilungsmodelle) zeigt, dass Persönlichkeitstypen eine Möglichkeit der Klassifikation von Personen nach der Ähnlichkeit ihrer Persönlichkeitsprofile darstellen. In vier Validierungsstudien konnten die Befunde zu emotionalen, kognitiven, verhaltensbezogenen und gesundheitsbezogenen Unterschieden zwischen den Prototypen im Erwachsenenalter repliziert und erweitert werden. Wie im Kindes- und Jugendalter zeigt auch der resiliente Prototyp im Erwachsenenalter die beste psychosoziale Anpassung. Für den über- und unterkontrollierten Prototyp lassen sich die Befunde einer hohen psychischen Belastung ebenfalls ins Erwachsenenalter übertragen. Der zuversichtliche und der reservierte Prototyp nehmen eine mittlere Position im Kontinuum der psychosozialen Anpassung zwischen dem resilienten und dem über- und dem unterkontrollierten Prototyp ein. Weiterhin wurden der variablenzentrierte und der personenzentrierten Ansatz hinsichtlich seiner Prädiktionsleistung verglichen. Anhand von zwei umfangreichen und heterogenen Stichproben konnten konsistente Zusammenhänge zwischen der Zugehörigkeit zu einem Persönlichkeitsprototyp und einer Vielzahl relevanter Straßenverkehrskriterien bestätigt werden. Abschließend wurde das Potential der Prototypen als Moderatoren geprüft. Es konnte demonstriert werden, dass die Prototypen den Zusammenhang zwischen dem CRP-Wert und der täglich verwendeten Dosis Prednisolon zur Behandlung der Symptome einer rheumatoiden Arthritis moderieren.

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Titel: Internationalisering med entry mode i fokus – en fallstudie av Zero Belysningar Kurs: 2FE03E ‐ 15 hp. Kandidatuppsats Författare: David Gustafsson 870926, Emmie Thurn 880909, Jasenko Arsenovic 890119 Bakgrund: Globalisering och inträde på internationella marknader har för SME blivit en trend. Åtskilliga företag väljer att konkurrera på en internationell nivå och internationaliseringen sker snabbare och på flera olika sätt än någonsin tidigare. Att välja rätt entry mode har en stor påverkan på om företaget kommer att nå framgång eller ej på den nya marknaden. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att undersöka olika faktorer som påverkar småföretag val av entry mode vid expansion. För att kunna svara på problemformuleringen har författarna valt att använda ett fallföretag, där deras situation kommer att användas för att undersöka ett svenskt småföretags val av entry mode vid expansion till Norge. Metod: Denna kvalitativa studie har utgått ifrån hermeneutiska antaganden och utförts ut efter en induktiv forskningsansats. En har applicerats där olika intervjuer och granskningar av dokument har agerat datainsamlingsmetoder. Slutsats: Undersökningen visade att ett flertal faktorer påverkar beslutet. Författarna har funnit att faktorerna attraktionskraft, externa påtryckningar och kulturella skillnader, politik och lagar, tidigare erfarenheter, målmarknad och målgrupp, konkurrens och nya aktörer, substitut, kundernas och leverantörernas kraft, företagets storlek och kompetens och resurser har en inverkan på svenska småföretags val av entry mode. Vilket entry mode ett svenskt småföretag bör välja vid expansion beror till stor del på vilka resurser och kompetenser företaget innehar och hur värdlandets struktur ser ut. Författarna finner därför att det inte finns något generellt entry mode för samtliga småföretag. Undersökningen visar på att betydande styrkor för ett småföretag är hög servicekvalitet, differentierade kvalitetsprodukter, unik internkompetens och flexibilitet. Dess betydande svagheter är att de ej utvecklats inom LED‐teknik, skev bild av marknaden, hög prisnivå och långa leveranstider. Eventuella möligheter är delmarknaders tillvätpotential, småkulturella skillnader och lagliga restriktioner och utveckling inom LED‐teknik. Det finns hot i form av nya aktöer, liten aktö, priskäslig marknad och differens i språ och konsumentbeteende. Nyckelord: Entry mode, SME, Porters Five Forces, Resource Based View, SWOT‐analys / Title: Internationalization with entry mode in focus ‐ a case study of Zero Belysningar Course/course code: 2FE03E ‐15 hp. Bachelor thesis Authors: David Gustafsson 870926, Emmie Thurn 880909, Jasenko Arsenovic 890119 Purpose: The purpose with this study is to examine various factors that affect small businesses in the choice of entry mode. In order to answer the problem formulation, the authors have chosen to use an case company, where its situation will be used to investigate a Swedish small firms' choice of entry mode for expansion into Norway. Method: This qualitative study was based upon hermeneutical assumptions and carried out by an inductive research approach. Various interviews and reviews of documents have been used to collect data. Conclusion: The investigation revealed that several factors influence the choice of entry mode. The authors have found that factors of attractiveness, external pressures and cultural differences, politics and laws, past experience, target market and target audience, competition and new entrants, substitutes, customers' and suppliers' power, its size and expertise and resources have an impact on Swedish small firms' choice of entry mode. Which entry mode a Swedish small business should choose depends largely on the resources and competences it holds and how the host‐country’ structure looks like. The authors find that there is no general entry mode for all small businesses. The survey also reveals that significant strengths for a small business is high service quality, differentiated quality products, unique internal competence and flexibility. Its major weakness is that they are not developed in LED technology, distorted picture of the market, high prices and long delivery times. Possible opportunities are submarkets growth potential, small cultural differences and legal restrictions and development in LED technology. There are threats from new entrants, small player, price sensitive market and the difference in language and consumer behavior. Keywords: Entry mode, SME, Porters Five Forces, Resource Based View, SWOT‐analysis.

Personlighetsfaktorerna har betydelse för hur mycket risker individer tar. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka om det finns ett samband mellan personlighetsfaktorerna enligt femfaktormodellen och graden av generell riskbenägenhet. Mycket av tidigare forskning har kopplat personlighet till domänspecifikt risktagande som hälsa, ekonomi och arbete, medan denna studie undersöker kopplingen till generell riskbenägenhet i vardagen vilket kan vara att välja ett okänt resmål eller att söka till en ny universitetsutbildning. 189 undersökningsdeltagare i olika åldrar och från olika yrkesgrupper besvarade en enkät bestående av två olika tester, den svenska versionen av the Big Five Inventory (BFI) och en svensk översättning av the Risk Propensity Scale (RPS). Resultatet visar på ett signifikant samband mellan fyra av de fem personlighetsfaktorerna enligt femfaktormodellen och en ökad riskbenägenhet, nämligen Öppenhet, Samvetsgrannhet, Utåtriktning och Vänlighet. Däremot fanns ingen signifikant korrelation mellan personlighetsfaktorn Neuroticism och riskbenägenhet.

Mergers and Acquisitions (M&As) are a popular strategy companies undertake in order to create value and synergies, and also to increase the competitiveness of the firm.  Findings from previous studies show that many M&As fail to create value, however there is also existing evidence that they do, where the execution plays a major role. The success of an M&A depends on both internal and external factors such as the competitive strengths of the firm, strategic fit, and growth of the market. It is argued that problems such as poor management within M&A processes could affect the outcome of the M&A in a negative way. Previous research shows that middle managers play a key role in strategic change processes such as M&As. When companies go through strategic change, the entire company gets involved; however the middle manager is the one who must keep in contact with co-workers, customers, suppliers, and top management at the same time. The purpose of this thesis was to investigate middle managements’ perception of changed competitiveness after an M&A has been completed. In order to fulfill the purpose, we used a qualitative approach where we conducted a case study and made interviews with middle managers at Toyota Material Handling’s German subsidiary that had recently gone through an M&A process. Our findings show that when a company is buying another company it needs to see the positive assets from another perspective than only through possible gains in market shares and synergies. When the two companies merge they must take advantage of each other’s specific resources that have made each company successful. Furthermore what fosters increased competitiveness after a merger is good information and communication about goals and strategies. What in turn hinders increased competitiveness after a merger is low flexibility in terms of not being able to adapt to market changes fast enough, and to have an organization that does not make it possible for employees to bring up their opinions.

This study examined the importance of the Big-Five personality traits and work values for the prediction of entrepreneurial intent. Data were collected from a sample of 261 undergraduate students at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. Results of a hierarchical regression analysis revealed that none of the Big-Five personality factors predicted entrepreneurial intent; however, the importance individuals attached to achievement and social-affective work values accounted for 9% of the variance in entrepreneurial intent, above and beyond personality. The results lend support to the argument that entrepreneurship is a cultural phenomenon and that entrepreneurs are ‘made’ as opposed to ‘born’. Consequently, the implications of culture and gender characterization are discussed in relation to entrepreneurial intentions. Finally, a dynamic model of entrepreneurial emergence is proposed and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Purpose – The current study aims to analyze how employees in temporary groups gets motivated, based on their personality traits and generation belonging, focusing on the goal setting theory. The study also focuses on the combination of these two variables concerning the goal setting theory. Design – A total of 56 individuals working in project groups completed the questionnaire made for measure their personality traits and their work motivation. Findings – Results in this specific case demonstrated differences in motivation based on their personality traits and generation. The study also found differences when studying the combination of the two variables. For example that generation X employees with a high trait of extrovert, gets motivated by taking more responsibility, while employees in generation Y with high trait of openness gets motivated when a goal is set high. Research limitations – this study should be seen as a case and not to be generalized across all employees working in temporary groups.

This thesis presents a five-transistor SRAM intended for the advanced microprocessor cache market. The goal is to reduce the area of the cache memory array while maintaining competitive performance. Various existing technologies are briefly discussed with their strengths and weaknesses. The design metrics for the five-transistor cell are discussed in detail and performance and stability are evaluated. Finally a comparison is done between a 128Kb memory of an existing six-transistor technology and the proposed technology. The comparisons include area, performance and stability of the memories. It is shown that the area of the memory array can be reduced by 23% while maintaining comparable performance. The new cell also has 43% lower total leakage current. As a trade-off for these advantages some of the stability margin is lost but the cell is still stable in all process corners. The performance and stability has been validated through post-layout simulations using Cadence Spectre.

With the shift in perspective from temporary to permanent residence in this country, Sikhs are caught in between two polar ends of homeland and diaspora. This thesis attempts to illuminate a third – a universal permanence free of physical barriers. This account describes a movement towards establishing a Sikh homeland that is manifested in the collective Sikh body of the world rather than in the physical land of Punjab. The turban that is the physical identity of the Sikhs in diaspora has also come to represent the rigidities of the culture, which neglect the omnipresent divinity, and sacredness of every place. In its form and content, this thesis is engaged in “unfolding of the turban” to open it to the new worlds it is now a part of, to create a new beginning as a human body unfolds upon death into its five primal elements on the verge of reviviscence. Sikhs worldwide are aware of their need to convert diaspora back into a homeland, to fight against restrictions that hinder the completion of rituals of life and death. The unraveling of the turban into an undulating path allows for a new perspective on permanence for the Sikhs in foreign lands. Unfolded into a form of the meandering river, the turban also represents the eternally flowing waters. The silent sacredness of the water indistinctly exists in Toronto. Behind the towering city, the Don River often flows quietly, leading a life parallel to that of the River Ganges and the River Sutlej. This once pastoral valley that sustained villages and nature is now discarded, in post-industrial despair. Trapped within these modern city confines, the river still secretly retains the power to transfigure souls, but its powers of reviviscence remain unidentified and unused due to restrictive cremation bylaws. This thesis attempts to create for the Sikhs an essential funeral landscape, whose icons may be read through an anamorphic lens of Sikh culture, while providing for all an opportunity to engage the forgotten river, and its energy.

This research is to carry out an experimental study to examine and verify the effectiveness of the control algorithms and strategies developed at the Advanced Engineering Design Laboratory (AEDL). For this purpose, two objectives are set to be achieved in this research. The first objective is to develop a generic experiment environment (test bed) such that different control approaches and algorithms can be implemented on it. The second objective is to conduct an experimental study on the examined control algorithms, as applied to the above test bed. <p>To achieve the first objective, two main test beds, namely, the real-time controllable (RTC) mechanism and the hybrid machine, have been developed based on a two degree of freedom (DOF) closed-loop five-bar linkage. The 2-DOF closed-loop mechanism is employed in this study as it is the simplest of multi-DOF closed-loop mechanisms, and control approaches and conclusions based on a 2-DOF mechanism are generic and can be applied to a closed-loop mechanism with a higher number of degrees of freedom. The RTC mechanism test bed is driven by two servomotors and the hybrid machine is driven by one servomotor and a traditional CV motor. To achieve the second objective, an experimental study on different control algorithms has been conducted. The Proportional Derivative (PD) based control laws, i.e., traditional iii PD control, Nonlinear-PD (NPD) control, Evolutionary PD (EPD) control, non-linear PD learning control (NPD-LC) and Adaptive Evolutionary Switching-PD (AES-PD) are applied to the RTC mechanism; and as applied to the Hybrid Actuation System (HAS), the traditional PD control and the SMC control techniques are examined and compared. <p> In the case of the RTC mechanism, the experiments on the five PD-based control algorithms, i.e., PD control, NPD control, EPD, NPD-LC, and AES-PD, show that the NPD controller has better performance than the PD controller in terms of the reduction in position tracking errors. It is also illustrated by the experiments that iteration learning control (ILC) techniques can be used to improve the trajectory tracking performance. <p>However, AES-PD showed to have a faster convergence rate than the other ILC control laws. Experimental results also show that feedback ILC is more effective than the feedforward ILC and has a faster convergence rate. In addition, the results of the comparative study of the traditional PD and the Computed Torque Control (CTC) technique at both low and high speeds show that at lower speeds, both of these controllers provide similar results. However, with an increase in speed, the position tracking errors using the CTC control approach become larger than that of the traditional PD control. In the case of the hybrid machine, PD control and SMC control are applied to the mechanism. The results show that for the control of the hybrid machine and the range of speed used in this experimental study, PD control can result in satisfactory performance. However, SMC proved to be more effective than PD control.