The steady state response of thin-walled members subjected to harmonic forces is investigated in the present study. The governing differential equations of motion and associated boundary conditions are derived from the Hamilton variational principle. The harmonic form of the applied forces is exploited to eliminate the need to discretize the problem in the time domain, resulting in computational efficiency. The formulation is based on a generalization of the Timoshenko-Vlasov beam theory and accounts for warping effects, shear deformation effects due to bending and non-uniform warping, translational and rotary inertial effects and captures flexural-torsional coupling arising in asymmetric cross-sections. Six of the resulting seven field equations are observed to be fully coupled for asymmetric cross-sections while the equation of longitudinal motion is observed to be uncoupled. Separate closed form solutions are provided for the cases of (i) doubly symmetric cross sections, (ii) monosymmetric cross-sections, and (iii) asymmetric cross-sections. The closed-form solutions are provided for cantilever and simply-supported boundary conditions. A family of shape functions is then developed based on the exact solution of the homogeneous field equations and then used to formulate a series of super-convergent finite beam elements. The resulting two-noded beam elements are shown to successfully capture the static and dynamic responses of thin-walled members. The finite elements developed involve no special discretization errors normally encountered in other finite element formulations and provide results in excellent agreement with those based on other established finite elements with a minimal number of degrees of freedom. The formulation is also capable to predict the natural frequencies and mode-shapes of the structural members. Comparisons with non-shear deformable beam solutions demonstrate the importance of shear deformation effects within short-span members subjected to harmonic loads with higher exciting frequencies. Comparisons with shell element solution results demonstrate that distortional effects are more pronounced in cantilevers with short spans. A generalized stress extraction scheme from the finite element formulation is then developed. Also, a generalization of the analysis procedure to accommodate multiple loads with distinct exciting frequencies is established. The study is concluded with design examples which illustrate the applicability of the formulation, in conjunction with established principles of fatigue design, in determining the fatigue life of steel members subjected to multiple harmonic forces.

This thesis seeks to explain the phenomenon of party switching (or floor-crossing) in the understudied case of the Canadian House of Commons. It uses Müller and Strøm’s “Policy, Office or Votes?” framework at the individual level of analysis and a mixed methods approach that combines document analysis and econometrics to assess the effects of individual and institutional variables on the decision to switch parties. The results inform a wider discussion regarding individual political behavior as well as the role, influence and evolution of political parties in the Canadian state. The research demonstrates that the electorate is adept at recognizing opportunism and tends to respect MPs who switch parties on principle while punishing those that switch for more self-centered reasons.

The diploma thesis analyses macroeconomic development of five selected new member countries of the European Union, concretely the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Cyprus, Latvia and Bulgaria. The paper is divided into two periods of development - the period of pre-accession preparation ending in 2004 and the period since accession till the present, when the statistics have already been influenced by the global economic crisis. The comparison has been based upon the fundamental macroeconomic indicators such as GDP growth, rate of inflation, rate of unemployment or state of public finances. At the end of each chapter, a brief final summary of development of the examined countries in particular period is stated. The last chapter treats the involvement of new member states in the integration process, namely the country presidency of European Council. Till the present, only the Czech Republic and Slovenia presided the European Council. Other new member countries are yet to fulfil this duty. The integration process is being gradually joined by other, nowadays candidate countries, whose economic situation is also briefly described in chapter three. The aim of the paper is thus to evaluate the economic development of new member states of the EU, comparing the period before and after accession.

The aim of the thesis is to identify the determiants of social expenditure levels in EU member states and estimate the sensitivities. The analysis is based on the fixed effects model with robust standard errors. Seven out of the 24 variables, that have been tested, are statistically significant. Social expenditure levels are positively dependent on population ageing, unemployment rate and economic level, and negatively on economic growth. The openness of economy and public debt ratio are also robust. The presence of a christian party in government is also statistically significant, however, the coefficient is not theoretically consistent. The sensitivity of social expenditure level to the share of population aged 65 years and over on the total population, is about 0,30. It means, that on average, the rise in the share of the old by 1 percentage point, is followed by the rise of social expenditure level by 0,3% of the GDP. In case of unemployment rate, economic growth and the openness of economy, the sensitivity estimates are 0,3, -0,1 and -0,03. The sensitivities to the other three robust variables cannot be quantified due to a strong dependence on the exact model specification or a bias, caused by extreme values. The expenditure on pensions are relatively more dependent on population ageing, whereas other social expenditure are more sensitive to current position in economic cycle. The determinants in the old and the new EU member states are similar, with only one exception, as the expenditure levels in the new member states are less dependent on demographic structure. The model explains international differences and the changes during the period between 1990 and 2010.

This thesis focuses on the correlation of the UNSC voting behaviour of the People's Republic of China and its foreign policy. China's importance as a global power at the platform of the UN has been rising ever since 1971, the year of China's admittance as a new member of the UN and more importantly also the permanent member of the Security Council with the power of veto. Given that the veto power strongly influences the actions of the UNSC, its use has served as a major indicator of what issues are considered as most unfavourable and threatening to China's national interests and foreign policy goals. This thesis elaborates on the development of the foreign policy of China, which has changed significantly since the year of its acquired UN membership but has also kept many principles, present even before the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949. By specifically concentrating on the individual cast vetoes, also considering the use of a so-called hidden veto and the reasons behind them being cast, this thesis tries to find out, how China has been using its veto power with regards to its declared foreign policy objectives within the UN Security Council.

This longitudinal study evaluates the role of a follower's self-concept and implicit leadership theories on the interpretation of transformational leadership behaviors and the development of leader-member exchange. Leadership behaviors were hypothesized as antecedents to leader-member exchange. The hypotheses draw upon the social cognition theory of self-verification. Implicit leadership theories were evaluated as absolute differences between actual and recognized leadership behaviors. Both implicit leadership theories and self-concepts were tested for moderation of the leadership behaviors and leader-member exchange. Additional dependent variables included turnover intentions, organizational identification, and perceived organizational support. A key contribution of this research is the application of these variables to new organizational entrants. Two-hundred and ten new followers at a single organization completed three surveys upon organizational entry, 30 days post hire, and approximately 90 days post hire. Structural equation modeling was utilized to conduct confirmatory factor analyses and the development of the measurement and structural models. Leadership behaviors were significantly related to the development of leader-member exchange. Leader-member exchange also fully mediated the leadership behaviors. The collective and relational self-concept levels were correlated with leader-member exchange but failed to reach significance in the full structural model. Implicit leadership theories and absolute difference scores were significantly related to leader-member exchange development. Neither the self-concept nor implicit leadership theories moderated the relationship between leadership behaviors and leader-member exchange. Leader-member exchange had significant effects on all of the outcome variables.

Private law consequences of violation of the duty to act with the diligence of a professional manager of a member of an elected body of a capital company This thesis deals with the private law consequences of violation of the duty to act with the diligence of a professional manager of a member of an elected body of a capital company. Considering the big extent of all the existing private law consequences, I have chosen to focus on only two selected ones, which are the statutory guarantee of a member of an elected body in the extent of not compensated damage that this member has caused to a company and the duty to reimburse any unfair advantage gained in connection with violation of the duty to act with the diligence of a professional manager. The thesis is divided into three main parts. First part deals briefly with defining the duty to act with the diligence of a professional manager. There are examined the two main parts of this duty, which are the duty of loyalty and the duty of care. The second part of the thesis focuses on the first selected private law consequence which is the statutory guarantee of a member of an elected body, regulated in the civil code. There are analysed the main conditions for the creation of the statutory guarantee and the relation between them. Attention is also given...

Relationen mellan elev och lärare i grund- och gymnasieskolan och dess betydelse för eleverna är ett stort forskningsområde, motsvarande relation i högre utbildning har dock inte undersökts i samma omfattning och särskilt inte utifrån Leader-Member exchange teorin. Syftet med denna studie var att med hjälp av intervjuer identifiera, belysa och analysera tidigare studenters upplevelser av student-lärarrelationen utifrån LMX-teorin. Studien har en kvalitativ ansats med semistrukturerade intervjuer. Respondenterna har tidigare genomfört en distansutbildning inom det samhällsvetenskapliga området. Av resultatet framgår att respondenterna har något skilda upplevelser av student-lärarrelationen och att behovet av en god och nära relation med lärarna varierar, men att den i huvudsak upplevts som positiv och betydelsefull för bland annat respondenternas motivation. Däremot upplever respondenterna att distansformen utgör ett hinder för att skapa dessa relationer samt att de inte får bli för nära då studenten befinner sig i beroendeställning. Resultatet bekräftar till stor del tidigare forskning på området. Fortsatt forskning kring student-lärarrelationen ur ett LMX-perspektiv, under en längre tidsperiod och med fler deltagare skulle kunna bidra till ökad förståelse för hur dessa relationer skapas och utvecklas över tid samt vilken betydelse dessa har för studenterna, särskilt för distansstudenter. / <p>Betygsdatum 2021-06-07</p>

This thesis deals with solution of steel members under fire conditions. The goal of the thesis is to examine and compare unprotected steel members with steel members protected by different types of passive protection. Calculation is performed according to applicable design standards. ANSYS software is used for thermal and structural analysis.

The effect of trust on employees’ business processes and work outcomes is an important focus for managers because more businesses have combined centralized and remote work environments in mixed-design organizations (MDOs). A multiple case study was conducted to explore successful strategies that 9 business leaders and managers in 5 service sector MDOs in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest region of the United States used to improve organizational performance by successfully building organizational cultures of trust. Leader–member exchange served as the conceptual framework for this study. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and documents as secondary sources. Thematic analysis was used to examine participant content, evaluated in chronological and random order, as well as secondary data. Four themes emerged from data analysis: value of ongoing multidirectional communications, valuing mistakes as learning moments, observing trust responses regardless of leader/follower proximity, and relying on Internet communications technology to enable managers and leaders to create teams and build trust. Findings of this study may be used by leaders and managers in service sector MDOs to nurture and sustain trust among stakeholders regardless of location, including colocated and remote work environments. The implications of this study for positive social change include the potential of trust between leaders and stakeholders to strengthen employee engagement and productivity, improving quality of work life for personnel and sustainability for residents who might seek career opportunities and contributing to community viability.