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While there is an abundance of research that shows a direct and positive relationship betweenentrepreneurial orientation (EO) and organizational performance the relationship is far from simpleand clear. Research suggest that the relationship is complex and is contingent on internal andexternal variables that affect this relationship. This study examines the effect of EO and itsdimensions on organizational performance in SMEs in Jordan. Further, the study examines themediating effect of internal and external contingency factors such as: market orientation, strategicflexibility and environment hostility on the EO-performance relationship. Using questionnairesurvey the study collected 137 usable questionnaires and utilized PLS to analyze the data. Thestudy found that EO significantly affects performance directly and positively. The study also founda mediating effect of environmental hostility on the relationship between EO and organizationalperformance. No evidence was found to support that MO and strategic flexibility have a mediatingeffect on the EO-performance relationship. With regards to the effect and mediation effect of EOdimensions; the study found that both innovativeness and proactiveness have a significant positivedirect effect on performance. While risk taking has a significant negative direct effect onperformance. With regards to the mediation effect of market orientation, strategic flexibility andenvironmental hostility on the relationships between EO dimensions (innovativeness,proactiveness and risk taking) the study found that only EH has a mediation effect while marketorientation and strategic flexibility have no mediation effect.Specifically, the study also found that EH mediates the relationship between innovativeness andperformance. The mediation is a full mediation since there are both direct and indirect effects ofinnovativeness on performance. The study found a partial mediation effect of EH on theproactiveness-performance relationship since the direct effect becomes insignificant when themediator is added. The study also found a partial mediation effect of EH on the risk takingperformance relationship since the direct effect becomes insignificant when the mediator is added.

In the recent years, substantial shifts of advanced technologies have enabled more and more companies to adopt and implement innovation strategies within their products and operations. Industries tend to behave more flexible in order to stay updated to new significant technological shifts. On the other hand, the need to remain productively stable, makes strategies towards innovation necessary for numerous corporations in order to adapt to an ever changing commercial, social and technological environment. Innovation represents one of the main factors that allow followers to achieve success and depending on the radical content, innovation leads companies to beneficial results. An innovative approach based on technological, business and market development, drives companies towards the exploitation of the full potential of innovative methods, while striving to achieve high flexibility and productivity. In this thesis an industrial case at Ericsson assembly lines is studied, current hurdles are defined and potential innovative strategies are analyzed. The study aims at providing a theory on a methodology that can support a business project at Ericsson Corporation in defining innovative applications and seizing the full potential of new conceptual frameworks which increase innovativeness and create new more productive and flexible logics.

Continued water scarcity, flooding, pollution and urbanisation, especially in developing countries, have signified the necessity of renewed exploration of the most appropriate approach to water management. This approach should aim to meet the water requirements in the changing world in a sustainable way. Reviewing the different water approaches that have emerged in the developed countries during the last decades suggests that Adaptive Water Management (AWM) could provide a sustainable route to address the existing complex problems of urban water management through the future. The purpose of this study was to determine whether AWM could be applied to Greater Tehran in order to maximise sustainability and deal with the future uncertainties. The AWM characteristics of polycentric governance, institutional flexibility, and public participation were used to assess the adaptability of the existing water management. The research findings showed that, despite the lack of adaptability in the current Greater Tehran water management, there are positive attitudes towards adaptability among water professionals and the public. The research findings emphasised that the AWM application could be promoted by more participation in various levels of institutional structure. This thesis suggests that if the concept of AWM is applied to Iran, it has the potential to have a significant influence in the current/future water management by promoting technical and institutional performances simultaneously.

The situation of the housing stock in Sweden is at present imbalanced, as has often been the case throughout history, due to the difficulty of its prediction. Society is constantly changing and thus it ́s economical, social and demographical conditions with it which affects the way we build. Swedens housing need is within the next ten years expected to vary between numbers of 592000-664 000 dwellings. A relatively high number. This study is therefore an investigation into the means available for meeting the demands posed by the society of today and of tomorrow on our housing stock. The investigation, conducted via literature studies, in conjunction with an iterative projecting process, has found the means most apt to meet these demands to be a plurality of flexible solutions that can be easily adapted with regards to the very unpredictability of said demands. These means are put together into an analysis-and method tool consisting of a number of criterias to ensure ”the flexible dwelling”. The aim of the study is to investigate the means available and how they are used most effectively in order to develop a housing stock capable of adaptating to current needs and demands. The ability of adaptation would in this case act as an buffer to the unpredictability and inevitabel shortcomings of the market. These dwellings capable of withstanding the tides of time would therefore become more sought after in the long run. These solutions will in turn help to champion a more sustainable housing development. The goal of the study is to be able to present a functionally flexible floorplan that will simultaneously meet the requirements stipulated by swedish state regulations. The result showcases, with the help of six quality criteria for flexible projecting, three separate alternatives of floor plans and their respective relations and adaptibility visavi the conditions of todays housing situation. / Inom Sveriges bostadsbestånd råder idag obalans vilket historien även vittnar om ofta varit fallet på grund av ett behov som är och alltid varit mycket svårt att förutspå. Samhället genomgår ständigt förändring och dess ekonomiska, sociala och demografiska förutsättningar präglar hur vi ser på bostadsbyggandet. Byggbehovet beräknas inom kommande tioårsperiod i Sverige ligga mellan 592 000 och 664 000 bostäder varav ett årligt behov av cirka 60 000, vilket är relativt höga siffror. Arbetet undersöker därför, genom litteraturstudier och en iterativ projekteringsprocess, vilka metoder som finns tillgängliga för möjligheten att tillgodose både dagens och morgondagens krav på våra bostäder. Dessa metoder sammanställs sedan i form av ett projekteringsverktyg bestående av ett antal kriterier för säkerställandet av ”den flexibla bostaden”. Syftet med arbetet är att undersöka hur flexibilitet kan användas och implementeras för att skapa goda bostäder som enkelt kan anpassas och förändras till nya typer och storlekar efter framtidens bostadsmarknadsbehov. Förmågan till anpassning skulle i detta fall kunna betraktas som en buffert mot marknadens tillkortakommanden och ett föråldrat bostadsbestånd. När en bostad kan projekteras för att med enkelhet kunna anpassas efter rådande förutsättningar och därigenom stå emot tidens tand, skulle en stor del av det oförutsedda behovet förebyggas. Fler bostäder skulle, bli mer attraktiva och funktionella, också över tid. Målet är således att presentera ett förslag för en funktionellt flexibel planlösning som samtidigt uppfyller kraven från gällande svenska regelverk. Resultatet redovisar med hjälp av projekteringsverktyget, bestående av sex kvalitetskriterier för flexibel projektering, tre olika planlösningsalternativ för en specifik byggnad. Hur dessa förhåller- och anpassarsig efter tidens förändrade förutsättningar, behov och efterfrågan i syftet att främja en mer hållbar bostadspolitisk utveckling.

In an effort to reduce exorbitant employee turnover, the hospitality industry has recently offered career development programs to their employees in pursuit of longer retention. Such educational human resource (HR) practices are expected to increase the skill flexibility of individual employees (i.e., individual skill breadth) across a wide range of skill categories, leading to lower turnover through improved job satisfaction. However, the empirical association between employee skill flexibility and turnover at the individual level has remained unexplored in the HR literature. This study fills in this research gap by drawing on the theoretical framework of employee skill flexibility in the field of strategic human resource management (SHRM). Building on a unique data set from over 10,000 LinkedIn profiles among hotel employees in major brands across the United States, we operationalize their skill flexibility and find its association with turnover. For this purpose, we first identify seven hotel employee-specific skill categories using an unsupervised machine-learning method and subsequently quantify skill flexibility at the individual level. Our results show that the association between skill flexibility and turnover is moderated by skill categories. This study contributes to the HR literature as a data-driven implementation of human capital analytics (HCA). / Doctor of Philosophy / Employee turnover has long been a critical issue in the hospitality industry. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the hospitality sector had a turnover rate of 86.3% in 2021, while the average of all industries is 47.2%. As the quality of customer service in hotels is directly linked to the competence of employees, it is essential to reduce the turnover rate and retain highly skilled workers for long-term competitiveness. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is by developing employees' skill sets through upskilling and reskilling practices (Deloitte, 2020), which can improve their flexibility and performance in the workplace. By analyzing the profiles of 10,560 hotel employees on LinkedIn, this study identified key skill categories using machine-learning-based text analytics, then, two main variables are operationalized: individual skill flexibility using the Herfindahl-Hirschman index and turnover frequency. This study found that the role of individual skill flexibility on turnover is contingent on specific skill categories employees have. Individual skill flexibility is negatively associated with turnover in employees with accounting and finance skills, but employees with software skills show a positive association between individual skill flexibility and turnover. The findings in this study suggest that hotel managers and HR practitioners need to implement customized skill training programs based on their employees' primary skill sets. By doing so, they can focus more specifically on individual career development, continuously reconfigure their workforce, and improve the company's resilience. By reducing turnover rates and retaining highly skilled employees, hotels can also enhance customer service quality and achieve a competitive advantage in the long run. Such findings are largely consistent with anecdotal evidence found in major hotel brands and operators.

Today's labor market is characterized by flexibility, companies address this by employing temporary employee consultants. As a result, precarious employment has increased. Previous research indicates job satisfaction to be lower among consultants, since temporary employee consultants tend to be viewed as uncertain. Previous research also indicates the importance for consultants to feel organizational affiliation with the client company they work on. The purpose of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of how financial consultants perceive their work situation and which factors they consider important to achieve job satisfaction. In addition, our study intends to study differences between being a temporary employee consultant and other employees at client companies. Empirical data has been collected through semi-structured interviews with financial consultants. The results have been analysed based on figuration theory and two-factor theory. The results of the study highlights the consultants perceivement of job security, working conditions and development opportunities as inadequate. Further, the results show the consultants face several challenges in their work situations. This can be understood as a result of the unequal power relationship that exists between the consultant and the managers and staff of the client company. These power relations can thus contribute to the creation of prejudices about financial consultants and affect the financial consultants' experience of exclusion at client companies. The results also highlight the consultants' perception of their work situation as based on the type of assignment and client company at which the consultant works. / Dagens arbetsmarknad präglas av flexibilitet, vilket företagen hanterar genom att anställa arbetstagare som arbetar på tidsbegränsade uppdrag. Som ett resultat av flexibiliteten anställs allt fler konsulter som arbetar på tidsbegränsade uppdrag. Tidigare forskning belyser att arbetstillfredsställelsen tenderar att vara lägre hos konsulter, eftersom tidsbegränsade uppdrag upplevs som osäkra av konsulterna. Tidigare forskning fastställer även att konsulter upplever det viktigt att känna organisationstillhörighet till det kundföretag de arbetar på. Syftet med denna studie är att få en fördjupad förståelse för hur ekonomikonsulter uppfattar sin arbetssituation och vilka faktorer de anser vara viktiga för att uppnå arbetstillfredsställelse. Dessutom har vår studie för avsikt att studera eventuella skillnader mellan att vara konsult med ett tidsbegränsat uppdrag och övriga anställda av kundföretaget. Empiri har samlats in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med ekonomikonsulter. Resultatet har analyserats utifrån figurationsteorin och tvåfaktorteorin. Studiens resultat belyser att konsulterna upplever faktorerna anställningstrygghet, arbetsvillkor och utvecklingsmöjligheter som bristfälliga. Resultatet visar även att konsulter möter flera utmaningar i sina arbetssituationer. Detta kan förstås som ett resultat av det ojämna maktförhållande som finns mellan konsulten och cheferna samt personalen på kundföretaget. Dessa maktförhållanden kan således bidra till att fördomar skapas om ekonomikonsulterna och påverkar ekonomikonsulternas upplevelse av exkludering på kundföretagen. Resultatet belyser även att konsulternas uppfattning om sin arbetssituation baseras på vilken typ av uppdrag och kundföretag som konsulten arbetar på.

Thesis advisor: David L. Blustein / This study aimed to illuminate a piece of complexity behind vocational identity development in emerging adulthood. While identity development involves changes across various areas within one’s life, the establishment of a vocational identity is thought to be among the most vital and daunting tasks to manage during the transition from adolescence to adulthood (e.g., Erikson, 1959). For those fortunate enough to experience positive developments in this aspect of their identity, a plethora of positive life- and career outcomes are associated with them (Diemer & Blustein, 2007; Hirschi, 2011a; Hirschi, 2011c; Klotz et al., 2014; Luyckx et al., 2010). While this form of identity development is historically understood to be among the most challenging, evolving changes in “macrostructural conditions” (i.e., technological innovation and AI) have further complicated things, leading some to feel discouraged from taking an “active engagement in the exploratory process,” likely followed by a delay in making an occupational choice (Mortimer, 2002, p. 442). Despite the prominent role that establishing a vocational identity has in a young person’s maturation process (Erikson, 1959), this phenomenon has yet to be introduced and examined in a modern career development theory, and more specifically, within psychology of working theory (PWT; Duffy et al., 2016). The current study postulates that both original and new PWT career variables: economic constraints, marginalization, work volition, career adaptability, and psychological flexibility, interact and contribute to the overall development of an emerging adult’s vocational identity. The purpose of the present study was to demarcate how specific paths of PWT (Duffy et al., 2016) were connected to vocational identity development for those within emerging adulthood (ranging in ages 18-25). Broadly, it was hypothesized that work volition and career adaptability would predict vocational identity development and that these relationships would be moderated by psychological flexibility. Additional exploratory models, which placed psychological flexibility in two other locations, were also assessed. These relationships were examined by surveying 283 emerging adults via an online survey tool. These participants responded to questions about their vocational identity, levels of psychological flexibility, work volition, career adaptability, experiences of macro-level barriers, and demographic characteristics. Data were analyzed using hierarchical linear regression. Findings revealed that the primary hypothesized model describing work volition and career adaptability to predict vocational identity was an excellent fit to the data. Additionally, the model results indicate that psychological flexibility did not moderate these relationships. However, it does play a significant role in overall vocational identity development, career adaptability, and work volition independent of other variables. Among demographic variables, SES differences were found within the sample. These results are discussed and grounded in their unique contribution to the existing literature on vocational identity development, psychological flexibility, and career development. Theoretical, policy, and practical implications are discussed. Future directions and limitations of the study are also considered. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2022. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Counseling, Developmental and Educational Psychology.

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