Research Questions: Following questions will be looked at from a management perspective in the researched elite hockey clubs: (1) How has the commercialization affected the areas of responsibility? In regards to areas of responsibility: (a) How has the commercialization affected the decision making? (b) How has the commercialization affected the information and communication? (c) How has the commercialization affected the motivation? In addition, we need to find out the overall structure of the clubs and the managers’ view on commercialization in non-profit organizations. Therefore we need to add two more research questions: (2) In what respect is the organizational structure experienced in a different way today? and (3) How has the commercialization changed Swedish hockey clubs? Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to create an understanding about how managers in Swedish elite hockey clubs experience the assumed adjustments in organizational structure and areas of responsibility when turning into more commercial organizations. Method: With an interpretive hermeneutic approach used in the sense of a qualitative study, we explain how the managers of five hockey clubs within Elitserien experience the adjustments when turning into more commercial organizations. The qualitative study consisted of a number of personal and phone interviews in order to collect the empirical data. Results: The main implication of the commercialization of Swedish hockey is that it has created conflicts in the daily operations, caused by the contradictions between commercial and non-profit activities. In addition, the organizational structure has in general become more professional with an increasing amount of distinct areas of responsibility.

This thesis consists of three empirical studies on the economics of organization using novel data on organizations for analysis. Chapter 1 uses the longitudinal and nationally representative data from Statistics Canada's Workplace and Employee Survey to examine the distinct effects of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on decentralization of decision rights. Using a sample of workplaces from different sectors and controlling for unobserved workplace-level heterogeneity, I find that decentralization (defined as the case when workers can plan work for themselves) is more likely when database software is used (which reduces learning cost) but is less likely when communication system is used (which reduces communication cost). These results are consistent with the predictions of the organizational model by Garicano (2000). Chapter 2 also uses the data from Workplace and Employee Survey and examines the impact of competition on the quality of the middle management in terms of the use of Human Resources Management (HRM) practices. I find that increased competition leads to an improvement in managerial quality, proxied by the use of HRM practices. These results complement the industry-specific evidence documented in the literature. Chapter 3, co-authored with Professor Varouj A. Aivazian, uses the management score of Bloom and Van Reenen (2007) as a proxy for managerial quality to examine the extent to which market structure interacts with capital structure. We find that leverage is negatively related to competition (measured by Import Penetration Ratio, Lerner Index, and Herfindahl-Hirschman Index). Besides, we find that competition is positively associated with managerial quality, and that managerial quality is in turn negatively related to leverage. We conclude that managerial quality explains the impact of competition on leverage which suggests that managerial quality serves as an important link between capital structure and market structure.

This thesis consists of three empirical studies on the economics of organization using novel data on organizations for analysis. Chapter 1 uses the longitudinal and nationally representative data from Statistics Canada's Workplace and Employee Survey to examine the distinct effects of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on decentralization of decision rights. Using a sample of workplaces from different sectors and controlling for unobserved workplace-level heterogeneity, I find that decentralization (defined as the case when workers can plan work for themselves) is more likely when database software is used (which reduces learning cost) but is less likely when communication system is used (which reduces communication cost). These results are consistent with the predictions of the organizational model by Garicano (2000). Chapter 2 also uses the data from Workplace and Employee Survey and examines the impact of competition on the quality of the middle management in terms of the use of Human Resources Management (HRM) practices. I find that increased competition leads to an improvement in managerial quality, proxied by the use of HRM practices. These results complement the industry-specific evidence documented in the literature. Chapter 3, co-authored with Professor Varouj A. Aivazian, uses the management score of Bloom and Van Reenen (2007) as a proxy for managerial quality to examine the extent to which market structure interacts with capital structure. We find that leverage is negatively related to competition (measured by Import Penetration Ratio, Lerner Index, and Herfindahl-Hirschman Index). Besides, we find that competition is positively associated with managerial quality, and that managerial quality is in turn negatively related to leverage. We conclude that managerial quality explains the impact of competition on leverage which suggests that managerial quality serves as an important link between capital structure and market structure.

The role of web 2.0 technologies has become windfall for knowledge building in higher education in the entire modern world. Web 2.0 technologies (Podcasts, Wikis, and Blogs) are being explored for collaboration, innovation, and creative purposes in digital literacy. The ICT based system (Learning Management System, Student Portal, Web mail) of Växjö University lacks web 2.0 technologies (Podcasts, Blogs, and Wikis) that are important for classroom learning for knowledge building. This research intends to investigate and describe the educational importance of web 2.0 (Podcasts, Wikis, and Blogs) as a possible source to facilitate class room learning in higher education in Sweden. In this regard, role of web 2.0 in its current usage in the teaching and learning have been identified and, thereby, possible measures for more improvements have been suggested in this research. Keeping in view the potential of web 2.0 as content development and management technologies and incorporating their role in formative evaluation of students, peer assessment, collaborative content creation, and individual as well as group reflection on learning experiences, the researcher conducted a survey by asking very simple and short questions as to how far has this potential been exploited in Sweden. Based on the findings and the empirical evidences thereof a model has been proposed for maximum utility of web 2.0 technologies.

The purpose of this research is to study the role of information and communication technology (ICT) and information and communication technology for development (ICT4D) in Cambodian non-government organizations (NGOs). By focusing on a workshop on the ICT applications Unicode and Open Office, initiated by the Cooperation Committee for Cambodia (the CCC), I intend to see how these applications were adopted, how they are used and what the future is for ICT and ICT4D in Cambodia. The research is based on qualitative, semi structured interviews with employees at CCC as well as NGO workers who were participants at the workshops. The theories that I have used are Amartya Sen’s capability approach, Everett Rogers’ diffusion of innovation theory and intercultural communication. This study shows that ICT is considered to be a very important tool for the development of Cambodia. Unicode has contributed with an easier way to type and read documents in Khmer and it is considered to promote the Khmer language. Open Office have not found its renaissance yet since people find it difficult to use although the NGOs sees its’ potential and wants to learn it. According to the NGO workers, ICT and ICT4D will play an important role for the Cambodian development in the future but because of a lack of infrastructure and proper knowledge about the new technology, it has not been used to its full capacity. In order for us to understand how ICT can reach its full potential within NGOs, there have to exist an understanding of Cambodian culture and history since the Khmer people’s values affect how the NGO workers look at development and the tools they are using.

Over the past decade, the rapid developments and growth of information and communication technology (ICT) have triggered a new wave of customer service. This study utilizes the net-enable business innovation cycle theory with secondary data analysis to analyze the process and outcomes of the implementation of emerging technology, i.e., web-based application and voice over internet protocol (VoIP) for the case company, i.e., A Company. We investigate the characteristics and feature of the emerging technology including the web-based application and VoIP, identify the potential economic opportunity for the A Company, analyze the needed business innovation for its growth, and assess the potential value for its customer. The findings have the potential to contribute to the understanding of impacts occurring in the innovation associated with the implementation of the emerging technology for the A Company and offer rich insights for the company to exploit the economic opportunities, the needed business innovation, and the potential value for the customer. This approach also provides a systematic template that helps an organization to decide whether an emerging technology is worthy to implement.

This thesis emphasizes the importance of software industry within global perspective, in addition, aims to study the economic, social and structural dimensions of Indian, Irish and Turkish software industries. Because of coming from developing countries scale and attaining to significant software export achievements in global software industry, India and Ireland will be in center of this study. In this context, the determination of India and Ireland&rsquo / s industrial and national software strategies and the results and achievement evaluations in application case are accomplished. In consequence of related assessments, Turkish software industry is analyzed and future oriented suggestions are presented via taking into account country dynamics. In theoretical perspective, Indian, Irish and Turkish software industries are analyzed on the basis of Richard Heeks&rsquo / &ldquo / Software Strategies in Developing Countries&rdquo / model with appropriate approaches. Beyond, in this study, which is commenced on the basis of three countries, division of labor of global software industry will be analyzed in &ldquo / core and periphery&rdquo / framework and the suggestions will be presented to developing countries on their national software industries. The findings of the study indicate that, countries which have advanced national software industries keep high value added phases in their home countries, however outsource low value added phases of software development projects to developing countries because of workforce cost, qualified human resources, tax incentives, geographical market position etc. advantages.

This study aimed to provide a general picture of ICT education in primary schools. Through this aim, students&rsquo / perceived ICT competencies, their attitudes towards the ICT course, the characteristics of the teaching-learning process in the ICT course, the deficiencies of the IT classrooms and the effectiveness of the ICT Student Workbook were analyzed. This study was designed as a cross-sectional survey study. In order to collect the data, a self-reported questionnaire consisted of 63 items was developed by the researcher. The sample consisted of 442 Grade 8 students in 11 primary schools located in the metropolitan area of Izmit. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were utilized to analyze the data. Multivariate Analysis of Variances with Pillai&rsquo / s Trace test was employed to investigate whether the significant differences among dependent variables across independent variables existed. Results of the study indicated that primary school students generally perceived themselves competent in ICT tasks and they had favorable attitudes towards the ICT course. Significant differences were found in students&rsquo / perceived ICT competencies and attitudes with respect to gender, educational background of parents, computer ownership and availability of home assistance related to the ICT course. This study also revealed several obstacles which prevent taking full benefits of IT classrooms, and problems with the implementation of the new ICT program.

One of the aims of thesis is to examine and describe current trademark law in Turkey and point out the fact that an excessive trademark protection is being implemented and that this kind of a protection does not automatically bring wealth to Turkey. Main aim of this thesis is to point out the fact that new circumstances of unfair usage of trademarks occured with the introduction of the internet and that important problems between the trademark law, which is of national character, and the internet, which does not have any limits arised in settlement of disputes. Another aim is to point out that, currently, there is no agreed legal text regulating in detail the circumstances of unfair use of mark via Internet both at international and national levels. In this context, basic concepts of current trademark law, birth and development of information and communications technologies and in this respect, the Internet, effect of Internet to current social structure and changes caused therein, national and international steps taken in this context, the question whether unfair usage of trademarks could be examined within current legal framework, problems arising from the differences between Internet and Trademark Law also discussed.

The purpose of the study was to identify the factors affecting the information and communication technologies. integration in the basic education schools. Mixed Model Research Design was utilized to find out the factors directly affecting integration of ICT integration in schools of K-8. Three different research methods were use sequentially. In the first step, new curricula used for Math, Social Studies and Science and Technology courses were examined to draw the pattern of ICT use defined by these curricula. In the light of the information gained through examination of curricula, 20 teachers were interviewed to understand whether they can put ICT based activities defined by curricula into practice or not. Simultaneously, they also identified common problems preventing them to integrate educational technology in their lessons and possible solutions to have a better ICT and education relationship. The literature and the information gained through first two step of the study suggested computer self-efficacy of teachers is very important factor within the integration of ICT. To assess teachers&#039 / computer self-efficacy, a questionnaire was designed by the researcher and necessary pilot studies were completed to conduct exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Final form of the questionnaire was distributed to K-8 schools&#039 / teachers from 12 predefined cities of Turkey according to statistical information provided by EUROSTAT (Statistical Office of European Union). 1025 correctly filled questionnaire forms were returned and the data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics techniques. Result of the study suggested that, Internet is the most vital technology to successfully apply the curricula. Use of Office programs and different educational software also constitute considerable part of the curricula. But teachers indicated that they cannot apply curricular ICT based activities in school setting because of lack of access to technology, literacy, training, time and confidence/self-efficacy. It is also found that, teachers&#039 / age/ and teaching experience negatively contributed to their level of computer self-efficacy when their personal or home computer use was contributing very positively. On the other hand, existing computer training programs were found less effective than expected in terms of ICT integration. Based on these results, some basic improvements and modifications in curricula, training programs, and technology infrastructure of schools were suggested.