During the last decades, franchising as an organizational form has received a lot of attention from researchers and practitioners alike. While many studies have examined various aspects of franchising from the franchisor's perspective, little research has taken the franchisee’s perspective. Therefore, given the importance of franchisees in a franchise system, the lack of research about consequences from the franchisee's perspective, and that many of the previous studies have taken a top-bottom view, this research concentrated on the franchisee's performance. This study focused on business format franchising in the restaurant industry in two countries, Iran and Sweden. In this study, the three perspectives of entrepreneurship, strategic management, and marketing were used to study the franchisee’s performance. Moreover, the resourcebased view, relational view, and relational exchange theory have been used to find the influential factors in a franchisee’s performance. Therefore, by considering franchising as a mutual relationship and examining the influential factors in a franchisee's performance, the related factors of both the franchisor and franchisee, as well as the relationship between them, were examined. According to the franchisee’s related factors, the franchisor's related factors, and the relationship and environmental factors, 12 main hypotheses and 9 sub-hypotheses were developed. In total, 191 usable questionnaires from Sweden and Iran, comprising a response rate of 22 percent, were returned from the franchisees. In this study, confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the construct measurement; to test the hypothesis, hierarchical multiple regression analysis was performed. Moreover, the Chow test was conducted to integrate the data from these two countries. A primary contribution of this study is taking a bottom-top view in franchising research. This study also provided a detailed and holistic view about the consequences of franchising for franchisees. Moreover, this study, offers important contributions toward understanding entrepreneurial activities, as a controversial issue, in franchising outlets. The results provide interesting insights into the franchisee’s performance. While the franchisees’ related factors of absorptive capacity, Kirznerian entrepreneurial orientation, and social capital positively affected their performance, Schumpeterian entrepreneurial orientation and human capital did not affect their performance. Moreover, the franchisor’s related factors of system profitability, brand reputation, advertisement and providing raw material had a positive influence on the performance. However, training did not cause a difference in the franchisee’s performance. All relationship factors also positively affected the performance, and conflict and satisfaction mediated the relationship between trust and performance. Finally, the implications of this study and suggestions for further contributions in this stream of research are discussed.

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Chinese medicine is one of China's key national assets, an indigenous medical knowledge and practices that serves Chinese for thousands of years. As very little research has been focused on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) from systems of innovation perspective, the topic of study was chosen. This qualitative case study research introduces, defines and explores how TCM organisations collaborate to innovate from an evolutionary, interactive system perspective. In particular, the focus is on the development of knowledge and capabilities related to TCM drug research and production. Thirty one TCM organisation cases were analysed and presented in this study, interpreting their behaviour in terms of ideas drawn mainly from the literatures on systems of innovation, collaboration between organisations and resource (knowledge) based theory of the firm. Actors such as government play various roles in facilitating organisational and sectoral innovation processes. 'Various policy instruments', in particular research funding and institutions (e.g., standards and regulations) were used to enhance innovation and production. Various forms of collaborative networks were found among key actors: enterprises, universities, research organisations and end users. They contribute to the active innovation processes of 'Identification, Selection, Integration and Creation' of tangible and intangible outcomes and changes. Based on the research, new insights were derived as to how indigenous resources (defined as original and/or traditional knowledge and capabilities) may lead to indigenous innovation. This thesis contributes to the academic understanding of systems of innovation operating in the context of indigenous product and related process developments with reference to various actors interplaying in complex networks (systems) of collaborations. New understandings made on the processes of indigenous innovation (using TCM as a case) through investigating the actors' roles, inter-relations and their restless attempts to identify opportunities and problems, select and integrate different indigenous, scientific, technological and managerial knowledge, capabilities, resources and institutions, to create value that may 'fit' in evolutionary terms, the demand of the key actors in the sector.

Bakgrund: Utskrivningen från slutenvården till hemmet är ett sårbart moment för patienter som övergår mellan två olika miljöer. Tidigare forskning visar att sjuksköterskor upplever utskrivningen som otydlig. Sjuksköterskor ser inte alltid utskrivningen som ett vårdande tillfälle eller upplever att det inte finns möjlighet att vårda. Det är oklart hur patienter påverkas av sjuksköterskans perspektiv på utskrivningen. Syfte: Att beskriva patienters upplevelser av vårdandet vid utskrivning. Metod: En systematisk litteraturstudie med deskriptiv design och analys av 13 kvalitativa vårdvetenskapliga artiklar. Resultat: Vårdrelationen vid utskrivning brister och patienter känner sig utelämnade. De upplever att deras behov inte blir uppmärksammade och att de blir utskickade. Patienter upplever att informationen är otillräcklig och att de inte får hjälp att förstå den. De vet inte vad de har att förvänta sig och blir oroliga. Omfattande information anses vara betryggande. Slutsats: Sjuksköterskor behöver förbättra sitt helhetsperspektiv på patienterna vid utskrivning. Mer uppdaterad kunskap angående vårdande relationer behövs för att synliggöra patientens behov och kunna utföra vårdande handlingar.

<p>ABSTRACT</p><p>Titel: “Some kids really love those commercials” -A study of how children experience and construe commercials. (Vissa barn älskar faktiskt sånna dära TV-reklamer” – En övergripande studie om hur barn upplever och tolkar tv-reklam.)</p><p>Number of pages: 40</p><p>Author: Lotta Norberg</p><p>Tutor: Amelie Hössjer</p><p>Course: Media and Communication Studies C</p><p>Period: Autumn term 2007</p><p>University: Division of Media and Communication, Department of Information Science, Uppsala University</p><p>Purpose/Aim: The aim of this essay is to make a study of how children experience and construe commercials. Key questions to be answered are; can children distinguish commercials from TV programmes? What do the children think of commercials? How do they watch commercials? What do they think about a ban against commercials directed to children? Do they understand the purpose of commercials? Do their buying habits change?</p><p>Material/Method: A qualitative method with 18 interviews and 3 observations with 7, 9 and 11 year old children.</p><p>Main results: The children in my study can distinguish commercials from TV programs. What they think about commercials and how they watch commercials depend on their stage of development and from previous experience. The younger children do not understand the purpose of commercials, they think it is funny to watch them and important so they know what to buy. Most of the 9- and 11 year olds understand that the companies want to sell their products.</p><p>Keywords: Children, commercials, attitudes, experience, holistic view, socialization, consumer, development.</p>

ABSTRACT Titel: “Some kids really love those commercials” -A study of how children experience and construe commercials. (Vissa barn älskar faktiskt sånna dära TV-reklamer” – En övergripande studie om hur barn upplever och tolkar tv-reklam.) Number of pages: 40 Author: Lotta Norberg Tutor: Amelie Hössjer Course: Media and Communication Studies C Period: Autumn term 2007 University: Division of Media and Communication, Department of Information Science, Uppsala University Purpose/Aim: The aim of this essay is to make a study of how children experience and construe commercials. Key questions to be answered are; can children distinguish commercials from TV programmes? What do the children think of commercials? How do they watch commercials? What do they think about a ban against commercials directed to children? Do they understand the purpose of commercials? Do their buying habits change? Material/Method: A qualitative method with 18 interviews and 3 observations with 7, 9 and 11 year old children. Main results: The children in my study can distinguish commercials from TV programs. What they think about commercials and how they watch commercials depend on their stage of development and from previous experience. The younger children do not understand the purpose of commercials, they think it is funny to watch them and important so they know what to buy. Most of the 9- and 11 year olds understand that the companies want to sell their products. Keywords: Children, commercials, attitudes, experience, holistic view, socialization, consumer, development.

Systems Thinking, (ST), has lately received increased attention, once again, as a result of accelerate change conditions and as organisations seem to operate in a more complex and uncertain context, which demands a new way of thinking. ST is an answer to these challenges as it is a way of thinking and acting that adopt a broader perspective. However, the perspective is not new itself and despite its positive aspects, it is still received inferior attention in the academia as well as practice. The purpose of this research was to contribute to an understanding of the employees perception of the change process towards this perspective, in order to gain an understanding of what is difficult and what factors that have helped these individuals to gain the perspective. A theoretical framework was developed and by conducting an exploratory study of the individual change, data were collected from in-depth interviews. The research findings come up with a model of nine key factors that are considered helpful to the employees in the change process, and three of those especially useful when implementing the ST perspective. The model can be seen as practical guidelines for implementation of ST reforms.

Background: In the 1950s there is a shift from an approach where patient have a passive role towards a more actice and participatory role in caring. Laws and policies emphasize patients' rights and the nurse's responsibility for providing good and safe care. Patients describe that person-centered care brings about a sense of trust, dignity, integrity and security. Aim: To describe nurses´ experiences of person-centred care. Method: A general literature review. Result: Nurses could create a care relationship by involving patients, taking into account patients individual preferences. With adapted information for the individual patient, nurses could contribute to an increased knowledge and understanding of the patients. Barriers to the performance of person-centered care arose in a shortage of time and when patients views were abscent. Conclusion: By being attentive and present, nurses can monitor patients change and make visible the needs and values of patients. The fact that the patients are involved in the care gives them an opportunity to grow.

Bakgrund: Personcentrerad vård definieras som ett partnerskap mellan sjuksköterskorna och patienterna där fokus i vården ligger på patienten som en unik person och inte på sjukdomen. Tidigare forskning visar att patienter och närstående upplever välbefinnande och tillfredsställelse då sjuksköterskorna ger vård baserad på medkänsla. Vid avsaknad av detta kan oro upplevas. Syfte: att beskriva sjuksköterskornas erfarenheter av personcentrerad vård. Metod: För arbetet valdes metoden systematisk litteraturstudie med beskrivande syntes och resultatet baserades på tio kvalitativa artiklar inom valt område. Resultat: I resultatet framkom två teman och fem subteman. Helhetssyn på människan är första temat och det består av tre subteman: att utgå från patienternas berättelser, att göra patienterna delaktiga och att skapa relationer som är betydelsefulla för personcentrerad vård. Vårdmiljöns betydelse är det andra temat som innehåller två subteman: att inte ha förutsättningar och att uppleva teamsamverkan som beskriver medverkande eller hindrande omständigheter som påverkar den personcentrerade vården. Slutsats: Utövning av personcentrerad vård upplevdes både underlättande för patientmedverkan men var även påfrestande för sjuksköterskorna. Sjuksköterskorna upplevde tidsbrist, avsaknad av kunskap och den hierarkiska strukturen som hindrande faktorer med negativ inverkan på utövning av personcentrerad vård.

This essay tells about the meaning of eurhythmics for children’s development and why it is so difficult to draw attention to the value of eurhythmics compared to other activities in preschool. The essay builds upon a story that shows what consequences may follow when the meaning of the eurhythmics in the process of learning is not acknowledged. By looking at the relation between rhythm and human beings in a global perspective, I have examined the meaning of rhythm for the human well-being. The question I have researched is; why does eurhythmics appeal to almost every child in spite of being rejected by so many teachers? By researching the reasons behind these completely different points of views, I have tried to enhance the understanding for the different perspectives. I see a danger in the fact that the children lose a very important way to express themselves, as the eurhythmics in preschool and elementary school has to give way for other theoretical subjects. Despite the knowledge many of us possess regarding the development of children, we consent to the limitation of the different ways to express ourselves that we were born with. With my text, I want the reader to reflect over things that might otherwise have been unthought-of. The essay is a story that draws on my own experiences. I have during many years worked with eurhythmics groups in preschool and have been able to follow a positive development in the children whom have participated in my eurhythmics sessions. Yet, I have been experiencing a resistance from some pedagogues, which takes away the children’s opportunity to participate. Moreover, I have gained knowledge of the subject matter by having conversations with people who have long experience with working with children and eurhythmics/music. I have, during the process of writing, many of my thoughts confirmed; such as eurhythmics being one of the hundred languages Loris Malaguzzi talks about and how it is being jeopardized if not given attention and stimulation. By the help of literature, I have reflected over the subject and myself and my actions.