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No description available.

Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) are not only becoming more common globally, but they are also increasing in size and value in Sweden. The pace of this trend has not even slowed down due to the eruption of the global pandemic, there is rather a tendency showing the opposite. In solitude may this have its reasonable causes but when delving deeper into the matter may the effects of a M&A be alarming, especially for the individual. Scholars are often stressing their concerns that M&As often ends in failure or being devastating in terms of their performance. While some have argued that cultural aspects play a crucial part for the realization of a deal- transaction, have the findings either been inconclusive or inconsistent.  This thesis is therefore exploring the notion of culture and the role it plays in the M&A-process, particularly the pre-deal phase in order to shed light on the matter. By doing so have a theoretical framework been developed that connects the phases of the M&A-process with social identity theory and the modes of acculturation which the seller and buyer may desire prior to entering a deal. Thus, by investigating the actions taken by both an acquirer, “Alfa”, and a targeted firm, “Bravo”, from an acquisition in 2021, have a case study been developed for a later thematic analysis. While the former is a publicly listed company in the central regions of Sweden, is the latter a privately held company in the northern parts. Both companies operate within the construction industry which may limit the transferability to other settings. However, the methodological and qualitative design choices of this study make it possible to favor interpretations and inductive reasoning of the semi-structured interviews through which the data has been collected.  It has been found that there is no one best way for companies who are entering a M&A-deal to make sure that they will be culturally congruent with one another and that various acculturation modes might be simultaneously occurring. From the case has the modes of integration and separation been found to be present which have caused acculturation stress to transpire during the post-deal phase. Having a decentralized structure in tandem with clear communication and sharing information to those individuals being affected by the M&A has been found to be vital factors for mitigating acculturation stress, making parties more congruent, and creating favorable conditions in which implementation can be successful.

The focus of this study is the humour in English spoken podcasts which is conveyed through intra-linguistic or dialectal codeswitching. The aim was to define the formal and functional patterns in creating humour in podcasts through intra-linguistic codeswitching, and to analyse how the usage of such codeswitching relates to the identities and relationships between the participants of the podcasts. The analysis was done using a sequential approach to codeswitching, applying both concepts from social identity theory and politeness theory. The results show that codeswitching may be a way to enhance the performance aspect of direct speech, that a sense of shared group identity is important for humour that involves crossing to be seen as non-face threatening, and that imitations can be seen as non-threatening if the target is a celebrity. Based on the results, the study suggests that intra-linguistic codeswitching serves different purposes within humour, whether it is a way to make an anecdote seem more dramatic and engaging to the listener, or to construct an in- versus out-group identity.

Extant literature on academic identities claims that academic identities not only represent academics’ subjectively construed understandings of who they are but they also derive from roles, statuses, membership in disciplinary communities and characteristics that make academics unique individuals. Even so, research focusing exclusively on academic identities is unprecedented in the Lesotho higher education (HE) sector; therefore, this study describes how narratives of experiences and meanings attached to being an academic relate to the construction of academic identities at the National University of Lesotho (NUL). How do reflexive interpretations of cultural expectations tied to membership in disciplinary communities influence the negotiation of academic identities and work behaviour of academic staff? How do descriptions of the (mis)alignment between job facets, individual values and expectations influence the meaningfulness and fulfilment for academics’ professional self-concepts? How do stories of internalised meanings of involvement and symbolic identification with NUL influence academic identity trajectories? Being interpretive in nature, this study used narrative interviews to collect data from a sample of thirty-one academics from NUL. The findings revealed that ‘who’ an academic is derives from meanings of ‘lived experiences’ of work enjoyment, applicability, exploitation, facilitation, multitasking, prestige and burnout. The findings also showed that academic identities were negotiated by reflexively interpreting the cultural expectation of ‘finishing work on time’ through work behaviours such as managing time, working overtime, self-motivation, underperforming, balancing roles and seeking work assistance. The participants’ narratives also revealed that the fulfilment for academics’ professional self-concepts derived from autonomy, accomplishments, learning, interdependencies, work environment, students’ attitudes and recognition. Lastly, the study showed that participants’ academic identity trajectories were influenced by altruism, passion, options, disillusions and relations. Overall, the ‘narratives of experience’ reiterated that academic identities at NUL were contextualised constructs of ‘work experiences’, ‘membership in communities’, ‘job attitudes’ and ‘self -discovery,’ based on the self as a unique individual, a group member and a role holder. Consistent with the interactionist perspective, academic identities at NUL represent structurally, culturally and institutionally located stories of experiences and meanings derived from the work situation, the setting and social relationships that academics participate in daily at NUL. / Sociology / D. Phil. (Sociology)

Social dominance theory (SDT) and Social identity theory (SIT) are theoretical frameworks that have been conceptualised and examined in societies that predominantly have stable intergroup relations. The present study sought to examine both theoretical frameworks in a context that is undergoing social change. Three cross-sectional studies were conducted amongst black and white students from a South African University. Results indicated that there was no difference in the desire for group-based inequality (i.e. social dominance orientation, SDO) amongst groups affected by social change, when group status was measured subjectively. Yet, when group status was determined sociologically, dominant group members had significantly higher SDO levels. Furthermore, results indicated that the perception of social change had a conditional effect on the relationship between SDO and support for affirmative action amongst white participants, in that when white participants perceived higher in-group status loss, higher SDO levels predicted opposition towards affirmative action. Racial in-group identification had a conditional effect on the relationship between perceived social change and support for affirmative action amongst black participants; when black participants had higher racial in-group identification, greater perception of social change predicted support for affirmative action. Lastly, amongst black participants, hierarchy-attenuating legitimising myths had a conditional effect on the relationship between SDO and support for affirmative action. Specifically, when colourblindness or Ubuntu were endorsed, higher SDO predicted support for affirmative action. However, when these hierarchy-attenuating legitimising myths were rejected, higher SDO predicted opposition towards affirmative action. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

The Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) is an innovative, team-based health care model that was applied during the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). However, the competencies for PCMH health care social worker team members are not identified within this model. Thus, the purpose of this phenomenological study focused on identifying the core competencies that will enable social workers to perform competently in PCMHs. This study also explored the roles and training needs as related to improving the competence of social workers. Sandberg’s and Parry’s conceptualization of the competency model was used as the theoretical framework. Data were acquired through interviews with 10 PCMH social workers. These data were then inductively coded and analyzed using a modified Moustakas method. Key findings indicated that these social workers believed that improvements in competencies may include training and knowledge with mental health and physical health knowledge which consist of diagnoses, interventions, medications, symptoms, and terminology. It was also noted that knowledge of evidence-based practices for mental health interventions and patient-centered, team-based principles were essential to ACA policy implementation. The positive social change implications of this study include recommendations to health care leadership, educational institutions, and other PCMH providers to develop competency-based training for social workers. Recommendations are also put forth to adapt social work curriculum to ensure the effective implementation of the principles of the ACA policy and to improve social work practice in PCMH health care settings.