Todays digitized society have open up for new types of office arrangements and possibilities of working from home in a higher extend. This thesis is based on the flexible working culture that is increasing, which means more personal responsibility regarding ergonomic and environment conditions as well as artifacts needed for a well equipped workplace outside the traditional office. Furniture dealers are having a new approach as open office hubs and home office environment are increasing with new needs. This project contains of a small investigation of which artifacts are needed and wanted from a customer perspective in the home environment due to these new behaviors.  This thesis will as well show the outcome and process of one product in a collection of 5 stationary objects. The name of the project is as well the name of the collection. This project consists of two main objectives, customer orientation and product development.

El objetivo de este trabajo de investigación es validar el proyecto de negocio de instalación y comercialización de ventanas que reducen el ruido, Easy Windows dirigido a los hogares de Lima Metropolitana pertenecientes a los segmentos A y B que presentan el problema de ruidos externos en su hogares. Para ello, se realizaron diferentes metodologías cualitativas y cuantitativas como entrevistas a profundidad, encuestas y la creación de un producto mínimo viable para confirmar la existencia del problema y confirmar la hipótesis. Así también se comprobaron algunos objetivos específicos como la disposición del mercado objetivo a invertir en una solución a los ruidos externos. Además de comprobar cuales son los principales factores en los que se ven afectados los hogares a causa de este problema. El problema de contaminación sonora existe varias décadas atrás pero se ha agudizado a raíz del confinamiento producto de la pandemia Covid 19, ya que se han generado nuevos hábitos y por ende nuevas necesidades. Es así que existe una gran oportunidad de negocio al solucionar este problema a través de la comercialización de ventanas de aluminio y vidrio que reducen el ruido. Finalmente, nuestro plan de negocios arroja resultados financieros óptimos con una TIR de 141.54%y un VAN de $ 598,609. Por lo tanto, podemos concluir que, de acuerdo al análisis realizado en el presente proyecto, el desarrollo de la empresa Easy Windows es viable económicamente. / The objective of this research work is to validate the business project for the installation and sell of windows that reduce noise, Easy Windows, aimed at homes in Metropolitan Lima belonging to segments A and B that present the problem of external noise in their homes. For this, different qualitative and quantitative methodologies were carried out, such as in-depth interviews, surveys, and the creation of a minimum viable product to confirm the existence of the problem and confirm the hypothesis. Thus, some specific objectives were also verified, such as the willingness of the target market to invest in a solution to external noise. In addition to verifying which are the main factors in which homes are affected because of this problem. The noise pollution problem has existed for several decades but has worsened as a result of the confinement caused by the Covid 19 pandemic since new habits and therefore new needs have been generated. Thus, there is a great business opportunity to solve this problem through the commercialization of aluminum and glass windows that reduce noise. Finally, our business plan produces optimal financial results with an IRR of 141.54% and an NPV of $ 598,609. Therefore, we can conclude that, according to the analysis carried out in this project, the development of the Easy Windows company is economically viable. / Trabajo de investigación

This thesis aims to interpret the changed interactions and communication in the workplace due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Due to the massive changes in society and the workplace, it is important to look into this aspect of the pandemic’s consequences. The research question “What impact does the expedited digitalisation of communication, caused by the global pandemic of 2020, have on the experienced interactions in organisational contexts?” allows for easy access into different aspects of the topic by conducting the study relatively broadly. In order to answer the research question, semi-structured interviews with employees, who were working during the pandemic, were held and all necessary data was extracted from these interviews. This data was then interpreted in light of the four principal theoretical topics: Communication, Social Interaction, Work Life and Leadership Relations. Certain similarities, but also paradoxes were discovered in the findings, and therefore discussed through paradoxical lenses. The basic findings concerning the research question are that many changes happened in opposing directions, for example having at the same time more, but also less communication. This double shift applies to almost all findings. To put these findings into practical use, organisations and companies should consider their team’s needs and optimise the working structures between hybrid and on-site in order to get the best possible working results.

This Master Thesis, inspired by the relevance that home-offices have assumed as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, originated from the architectural, quantitative, and qualitative analysis of lighting within the author’s student accommodation on KTH Main Campus, in Stockholm (Sweden). As a matter of fact, this background study proved that recommended lighting levels (Illuminance, Contrast Ratio, CCT, CRI, M-EDI, and DER values) were not met, making the space unsuitable and unhealthy to both live and work in. Moreover, evaluating individual lighting preferences, it was demonstrated that flexibility, customizability, and adaptability to daylighting and tasks are fundamental requirements for working from home.Considering the temporary nature of students’ leases, the idea of developing an inexpensive and easily assemblable kit of smart products, aimed at improving lighting in dormitories, came quite naturally.To study the implementation of visual comfort and focus on tasks, literature review, market analysis, quantitative measurements, and hands-on experiments were carried on.Thus, with the gained knowledge and experience, the Home-Office Lighting Kit, an array of commercially available sockets, shades, and smart sources, supporting circadian rhythm and individual preferences, was proposed. Along with it, instructions on set-up and scenarios were provided.Although the overall conclusion was that the market needs products with a better balance between price, sturdiness, and reliability, the lighting conditions within the case study space were substantially improved, making other students interested in doing the same.Eventually, interesting cues for the sector’s development were proposed.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the world faced lockdown and quarantine restrictions that encouraged or forced people to stay home. Along with the rest of the world, Brazil faced many difficulties during this period and it became one of the countries that lost more lives due to the Coronavirus infection worldwide. This study focuses on showing how people in Brazil coped with the challenges brought by the pandemic. It also focuses on showing if and how participants used media as a coping mechanism. The research was done through qualitative methods with semi-structured interviews with 25 adults who were living in Brazil during the pandemic and the lockdown restrictions. This study shows that participants did use media as a coping mechanism and even though they have encountered negative consequences, they have also faced and mentioned several positive effects during this period. Participants mentioned other coping mechanisms that made a difference for them during the darkest moments in the pandemic like, having interpersonal communication with family and friends, religion, gaming, and others.

Architectual study deals with the design of an apartment building in the new south district in Brno – area the south from the existing main station. Living close to the Svratka river and concurrently near historic centre are the greatest potentials of the territory. Another similar place does not exist anywhere in Brno. The project follows plans of building a new main station of the city. This includes extensive transport infrastructure. The new district is connected to the Brno boulevard and also to „highline“ park on the historic viaduct. The area was not built till today, although it is really attractive and unusual place in the city. The main reason is flood area located here. Nowadays a city administration is preparing a new zoning plan, which suggests many flood control measures. In my thesis I am interested in one block of buildings from the new district, which is situated close to the river. One of these apartment buildings is designed in more detail. This is the coner object located near the square. The house is composed of eight floors – two underground and six upper floors. Garages are located underground. Entrance area for residents, technical background and some home-office units are planed on the first storey. The part of the first floor is rentable – coner space for cafe or bar. Upper floors have only resident function. Varied flats are two-rooms to five-rooms. A part of proposal is also outdoor spaces. They are very significant for really beautiful views to the waterfront, the river and adjancent park. All housing units have loggia, balcony or terrace. Home-office units on the first floor are completed with private gadens in the courtyard. Roof apartments are favored for theirs private roof gardens. But a part of roof green terraces is available for all residents of the house.

1 EINLEITUNG Der Einsatz von Enterprise 2.0-Lösungen steht noch am Anfang. So nutzen nur ca. 20 % der Unternehmen in den USA und Europa Social Software-Werkzeuge wie Blogs, Wikis oder Foren [7]. Nach [3] geht es bei Enterprise 2.0 darum, die Ideen und Konzepte des Web 2.0 und von Social Software zu verstehen und auf die Zusammenarbeit in Unternehmen zu übertragen. Viele Unternehmen haben Schwierigkeiten bei der Integration solcher Lösungen, wodurch die Zugänglichkeit und Handhabbarkeit der Informationen im Unternehmen leidet. In einem konkreten Anwendungsfall sollen Lösungen gefunden werden, um das Gewahrsein der Informationen bestehender Social Software-Systeme und die Zusammenarbeit in Entwicklungsabteilungen zu verbessern.

The diploma thesis investigates attitudes of employers and employees towards flexible forms of working. Flexible forms of working are, for purpose of the diploma thesis, understood as a tool for work-life balance. Attention is devoted to part-time, home office, flexible working hours and job-sharing. Research of employers and employees attitudes is based on a questionnaire survey and focus groups realized within a project METR at Fond of Further Education. The aim of the diploma thesis is to find out not only the actual using of flexible forms of working in companies and organizations, but also the potential for their development. The results of the diploma thesis show that flexible forms of working are very actual topic among employers and employees. However, employers are still afraid of their implementation. Part-time contracts are the most often used flexible forms of working and also have the greatest potential for the future development. Keywords: Flexible forms of working, part-time, home office, flexible working hours, job-sharing, employees, employers, attitudes

A inicios del mes de marzo, en el año 2020, el gobierno peruano decretó el estado de emergencia sanitaria debido a la pandemia del COVID-19. Entre las medidas de prevención indicadas, se obligó que las empresas deberían adaptarse y enviar a sus colaboradores a trabajar desde casa; en otras palabras, hacer uso del Home Office, para evitar el contagio masivo por el virus. Este estudio explora la digitalización como un facilitador del manejo de equipos virtuales. El objetivo de esta investigación es identificar la percepción de los colaboradores de la empresa Belcorp respecto al Home Office y su aplicación durante la coyuntura de la pandemia del virus COVID-19. El presente trabajo basa su análisis en un paradigma interpretativo, pues estudia el punto de vista de los participantes. El enfoque de este proyecto es cualitativo, ya que busca entender un fenómeno, en este caso, la percepción de los colaboradores. En esta línea, la estrategia de recojo de información consiste en agrupar a individuos que hayan experimentado el mismo fenómeno. Para ello, el estudio plantea una serie de entrevistas que permitan entender la percepción de los colaboradores de la empresa Belcorp sobre el Home Office. / At the beginning of march, 2020, the Peruvian government decreed a state of sanitary emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the prevention measures, in order to prevent a massive outbreak, it was indicated that the companies must adapt and send their employees to work from home, in other words, to make use of the Home Office. This study explores the digitalization as a facilitator for managing virtual teams. The objective of this investigation is to identify the perception of the workers at the Belcorp Company regarding the Home Office and its application during the conjuncture of the pandemic of the virus COVID-19. The present work bases its analysis on an interpretative paradigm, since it studies the participant´s point of view. This project´s focus is qualitative, because it seeks to understand a phenomenon: the perception of the workers. Therefore, the information gathering strategy consists of grouping individuals that have experimented the same phenomenon. That´s why this study proposes a series of interviews that allows the understanding the perception of the workers at Belcorp Company about the Home Office. / Trabajo de investigación

This diploma thesis focuses on determining the internal and external factors (both economic and social) that affect the motivation of civil servants to conduct and perform their work activities in ministries of the Czech Republic.The research that forms the basis for it is primarily a follow-up to the quantitative research of prof.PhDr.Arnošt Veselý, Ph.D. The diploma thesis is multidisciplinary and not only deals with human resource management in terms of its functionality, efficiency, and effectiveness, but also in terms of its influence on, among other things, public policy, sociology, psychology and public economics. The theoretical part is based on the theory of motivation (Madsen), McGregor's theory of X and Y, Maslow's hierarchy of needs and the theory of bureaucracy (Weber). The work is theoretically and methodologically anchored in the findings of alternative action theory (Weinberger, 1997), the ontology of ethical phenomenon (Hartmann, 2002) and the concept of public accountability (Veselý). The empirical part includes the results of qualitative research conducted in the form of semi-structured interviews with 17 ministerial officials across 8 ministries of the Czech Republic. During the interviews, research topics were presented in the form of questions, the answers to which were...