The governance field is well studied. However, small family firms do not receive their fair amount of coverage, despite their importance. In this work the field of governance in small family firms is qualitatively explored, using a sample of eight Swedish firms with a total of ten interview partners. Using a Constructivist Grounded Theory, informed by previous literature, we find nine key themes characterizing governance in small family firms: (1) Ownership & Board, (2) Holding Company, (3) Advisor & External Help, (4) Responsibility, (5) Formality, (6) Informality, (7) Conflict, (8) Succession and (9) Discussion & Conversation. Our findings suggest that all small family businesses employ some form of governance, however, this is not always recognized as such in previous literature, showing that corporate governance is too narrowly defined. We also investigate why governance structures are (not) implemented and how this is done. In connection to this, we visualize the factors influencing whether or not a small family firm implements formal governance structures. Additionally, we discuss what actually makes a family firm small. We contribute by investigating governance concepts in another context, namely the one of small family businesses, and seeing to what extent they hold up. The work allows us to conclude that some findings confirm existing theory, while others question it or cannot be found therein at all.

In 1987 a book by Chris Freeman with the title “Technology policy and economic performance. Lessons from Japan” was published. This book turned out to be the birth certificate of the systems of innovation perspective which came to enjoy a tremendous popularity the next three decades. The topic of this thesis is within the field of systems of innovation.  This approach is extensively used today and the systems of innovation is an extensive field of studies; there is a growing interest and a well-established group of researchers deal with the concept and set the research agenda. Despite the great interest and the extensive work so far, the concept is challenged by noteworthy conceptual and methodological ambiguities and limitations. The aim of this thesis is to advance a theoretical framework of the systems of innovation perspective by adopting an actor-based perspective. From a theoretical perspective, the dissertation pinpoints the system of innovation at the interplay between two rationales: a territorial rationale and a functional rationale. The intention of this theoretical framework is to shed light upon the variety of actors operating within a system of innovation. Based on different logics or rationalities, actors understand and behave differently which has an impact on the behaviour and performance of the system. The assumption is that the different rationalities influence the innovation process, and how activities are organized and carried out. In the empirical backdrop of the thesis, the Swedish system of innovation is analysed in terms of how innovation policy discourse and practice have developed over time. The territorial based system of innovation is analysed through three instances: VINNOVA, the Swedish National Innovation Strategy and the Innovation Council, all considered to be relevant in understanding the embeddedness of ideas on innovation within Swedish politics and practice. The functional based system of innovation is addressed through the role of the large firm Ericsson in the systems of innovation. Ericsson has been chosen as an actor in a system of innovation, and therefore attention is paid to the interplay with the territorial actors, such as the state and universities. Several conflicts of interests characterize the relation between Ericsson on the one hand and the university and government on the other. The interplay between the two types of systems of innovation is further concretized in the analysis of the Mobile Heights case, an innovation cluster programme. Three main analytical conclusions have been emerged from the empirical research, discussed in terms of policy makers, policy implementers and practitioners pinpointing to a fairly loose system where different interests, networks and practices can only be partially and temporarily aligned.

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Title: Notification for a revered Public: the education market in 1798 Stockholm and its environs, with focus on private tutorsThis paper examines the education market of Stockholm and its environs in 1798 by looking at work advertisements written by men and women, as well as people looking to hire male and female teachers. The paper uses Yvonne Hirdman’s gender theory as well as Thomas Laqueur’s thoughts about the two-sex model to see whether there were differences in how men and women portray themselves in advertisements and how gender affected the     subjects offered. It also examines what different types of educational work was offered, subjects sought after by advertisers when hiring teachers, and which social groups, if any, can be ascertained through the material. Both hermeneutically influenced textual analysis as well as quantitative analysis is used as methods throughout the study.This study shows that a majority of the advertisers were men, and that a majority of women offered other kind of work besides teaching in their advertisements. Men tended to offer higher education while women mainly offered to teach French and needlework. This paper argues that men tended to use academic merits over characteristics, whereas women used a wider variety of strategies, using merits but also positive attributes, connecting their teaching to the concept of motherhood, as well as using strategies of weakness. It is argued that gender as a social construct affected what men and women taught and that the two-sex model can be seen in the material along-side the one-sex model. Keywords: Sweden, 18th century, Stockholm, education market, private tutors, gender.

The aim of this thesis is to analyze the ideological similarities and differences between the two Swedish conservative parties Sweden Democrats and the Moderate Party by study how the two parties basic ideological positions relate to liberal and traditional conservative values. The four dimensions view of human nature (pessimistic - optimistic), theory of society (collectivist - individualistic), view on moral values (collectivist - individualistic) and view on economic ideals (collectivist - individualistic) are used as the analytical instrument to study the two parties ideological positions on each dimension, where the pessimistic/collectivist positions represents traditional conservative values and the optimistic/individualistic positions represents liberal values. My result show that the Moderate Party express a predominantly optimistic view of human nature, a individualistic theory of society, a individualistic view on moral values and a individualistic basic position in their view on economic ideals. The Sweden Democrats express a pessimistic view of human nature, a collectivist theory of society, a collectivist view on moral vaues and a collectivist basic position in their view on economic ideals. My result thus shows that fundamental ideological differences can be discerned between the Sweden Democrats and the Moderate Party.

To readjust the direction of social development and to enable sustainable learning for students at all levels, international policy emphasises the necessity to transform education systems based on a whole institution approach. The idea of involving all stakeholders in the transformation of educational environments shifts the focus of research in connection to education for sustainable development (ESD) also towards the teachers and students as protagonists of didactic situations, in order to gain knowledge on their respective potential to contribute to the desired change of learning and teaching environments. Concentrating on sustainability-related study programs at leading universities in Germany and Sweden, this comparative case study investigates how different actors in the field conceive of the role of students as change agents in higher education for sustainable development (HESD). Recent research has largely ignored learners as potential initiators of change in this regard. Taking a discourse analytical approach and referring to the concept of different educational traditions in environmental education (EE), the focus of this thesis is on didactic contracts among teachers and students, to analyse how the general organisation of learning as well as the degree to which students apply critical thinking and transformative action in class is perceived by experts, teachers and students themselves. It is investigated if and how active and critical participation on part of the students is actually seen to contribute to changing their own learning environments. The didactical perspective on students as critical change agents, shaping their own learning processes, helps to understand to what extent HESD in these two countries – both considered ‘advanced’ in implementing ESD – allows students to gain the experience of achieving change in learning, fostering their confidence to initiate change outside of academia also. The findings of this research indicate that students are generally expected and seen to act as change agents within their own learning processes. However, it is to emphasise that the degree of change agency on part of the students appears not only to differ between the examined institutions and course formats, but also to be depending on individual personality traits of students and the establishment of a critical learning culture.

While capitalism can be held responsible for many of the numerous social and environmental issues that haunt us today, corporations hold great power and possibilities to compensate for the damage they cause. A solution can be the implementation of Creating Shared Value (CSV), which builds on identifying societal needs and approaching these as business opportunities. By doing so, value can be created for society whilst driving business results. The purpose of this thesis is to examine what factors influence the implementation of CSV in companies operating in Sweden. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with experts who have worked with CSV. Factors that influence the implementation of CSV policies and practices, as well as factors that influence whether these lead to the desired goal of shared value creation have been extracted. The findings suggest that the public’s prevailing distrust towards companies’ engagement in solving social issues is the most noteworthy barrier for implementation of CSV, while managerial buy-in and understanding of the concept represent the strongest enabler. Getting lost in rhetoric and belief in the concept as well as focusing too strongly on measuring procedures illustrate the two greatest risks for implemented CSV policies and practice to become decoupled from the end goal of shared value creation.

Bakgrund: Närstående inom palliativ vård har ofta en vårdande roll samtidigt som de själva är i behov av stöd då deras livssituation ofta är mentalt och emotionellt påfrestande. För att kunna ge ett adekvat stöd behöver vårdpersonal kunskap om hur närstående inom den palliativa vården upplever sin livssituation. Syfte: Syftet var att undersöka hur närstående inom den svenska palliativa vården upplever sin livssituation. Metod: De elva vetenskapliga originalartiklar till denna litteraturöversikt identifierades via sökningar i databaserna CINAHL Complete och PubMed. Vedertagna riktlinjer användes för granskning av resultatstudierna och data analyserades genom att jämföra likheter och skillnader samt vidare identifiera teman i materialet. Resultat: I resultatet framkom sex teman; Att få information och att vara delaktig, Att bli sedd och bekräftad, Att få en paus, Att inte behöva upprätthålla en fasad, Att uppleva ensamhet samt Att uppleva olika former av förlust. Genomgående i de teman som framkom var att relationen med vårdpersonalen påverkade de närståendes upplevelse kring sin livssituation. Diskussion: I diskussionen togs de centrala fynden i resultatet upp och relateras till Watsons teori om mänsklig omsorg samt konsensusbegreppet hälsa för att få en djupare förståelse för hur de närståendes livssituation inom den palliativa vården kan påverkas. Relationen mellan de närståendes livssituation och deras hälsa behöver ses ur ett holistiskt perspektiv och genom en vårdande relation kan vårdpersonal stödja närstående i deras livssituation och främja närståendes hälsa. / Background: Relatives´ within palliative care often end up with a caring role, and are at the same time in need of support themselves due to their own life situation being both mentally and emotionally demanding. In order to give adequate support, health care professionals need knowledge about how the relatives´ within the palliative care experience their life situation. Aim: The aim was to examine how the relatives´ within palliative care in Sweden experience their life situation. Method: The eleven original articles in this literature review was identified by searching the databases of CINAHL Complete and Pubmed. Accepted guidelines were made for review and data was analyzed by comparing similarities and differences and further identifying themes in the material. Results: The result revealed six themes; To get information and to participate , To be seen and to get acknowledged, To get a break, To not have to keep up appearance, To experience loneliness and To experience different types of loss. Throughout all the themes showed that the relation between the health care professional and the relatives´ affected how the relatives experienced their life situation. Discussion: In the discussion the central findings of the result was brought up and related to Watsons theory of human caring and the concept of consensus health to get a deeper understanding of how the relatives´ life situation within palliave care can be influenced. The association between the relatives´ life situation and their health needs to be seen from a holistic perspective and a through a caring relationship can health care professionals support the relatives´ life situation and promote the relatives´ health.

All children have the right to a safe school environment that promotes good health. The fact that children’s feeling of well-being is declining is a vital public health concern. Health promotion in schools can help to create an environment that fosters good health, and the Swedish school environment is in need of improvement. The main aim of the thesis was to examine the health promotion activities that have been performed in Karlstad municipality primary schools between 2006 and 2012, from different perspectives, focusing on the school environment. This thesis includes four studies. Studies I and II are qualitative, and are based on interviews with all school managers in a municipality and children’s suggestions for improvement, respectively. Studies III and IV are quantitative and feature a cross-sectional design based on a questionnaire that was distributed at different points in time. In study I the categories: ‘Organization and collaboration’, ‘Optimize the arena’ and ‘Strengthening the individual’ emerged as vital by the school managers in health promotion, to enable ‘Opportunities for learning and a good life’. In Study II, ‘Psychosocial climate’ and ‘Influence’ emerge by the children as essential to increase school satisfaction and improve social relations among peers. Study III shows that classmates’ characteristics and class composition were associated with different perceptions of the classroom climate. Study IV shows that the school environment improved during 2005-2011 in the project municipality schools, and compared to the other municipalities in the county. In sum, it is always important to endeavor to provide a health supportive school environment, as it is a vital prerequisite for children’s health, well-being and academic achievements. This thesis contributes to the field by showing what is needed to enhance future health promotion in Swedish schools from different perspectives, to improve children’s opportunities for learning and a good life. / All children have the right to a safe school environment that promotes good health. Health promotion in schools can help to create an environment that fosters good health. The aim of this thesis was to examine the health promotion activities that have been performed in Karlstad municipality primary schools, between 2006 and 2012 from different perspectives, focusing on the school environment. The results complement with new knowledge about how schools work with health promotion, and describe how school satisfaction and social relations might be improved, if children’s perspectives are considered in the planning of health promotion. The school environment has improved in the Karlstad municipality secondary schools 2005-2011, at both the municipality- and school level. The thesis contributes to the field of public health sciences, by showing what might be needed to further enhance school health promotion in Sweden and thereby improving schoolchildren’s opportunities for learning and living a good life.

The gender portrayals study aims to understanding how the roles of men and women are portrayed in magazine advertisements. This has been an issue investigated over the past decades as companies try to achieve a higher level of sales of their products and services and the gender issue influences in how this companies plan one advertising program or another. However, there is a debate among authors: some of them believe that advertising reflects what is already on society and others express that advertisers use the most convenient reality to sell their products. Thus, it makes us wonder what is the actual truth behind this debate. This thesis tries to answer the question of how men and women are portrayed in advertising campaigns. There are several studies on gender portrayals across countries but none that compares France, Spain and Sweden. This thesis tries to fill this gap.   The study is conducted following Hofstede framework that classifies countries whether masculine or feminine, and is completed by analyzing the data gathered from four magazines of these three countries. We classified this data following Courtney and Lockeretz classification scheme and analyzed the data obtained with theories of some other authors.   The results of this thesis show that males were dominant among working roles while females were in non-working roles. The findings might not add a huge contribution to this field of study but may be used as guiding tool for further research.