A evolução do consumo de energia elétrica, as dificuldades crescentes para atender à demanda, o elevado custo das alternativas de suprimento, o impacto de novas plantas geradoras ao meio ambiente, e a necessidade das empresas inserirem-se em um mundo globalizado e competitivo, requer uso otimizado dos recursos. Muitas empresas, principalmente as pequenas e médias têm dificuldade em conceber a Gestão Energética (GE) como uma prática gerencial com caráter decisivo para as diretrizes do planejamento estratégico. A proposta desta dissertação é apresentar medidas de baixo custo, geralmente desconhecidas, na gestão energética industrial e quantificar seu benefício econômico. Os resultados foram obtidos por meio de um estudo de caso, para o qual foi realizada uma breve auditoria energética em uma indústria que produz caldeiras, levantando dados sobre o perfil energético e o histórico de faturas de energia elétrica para um ciclo de produção (11 meses). A economia mensal resultante superou 45% nas faturas e valor presente maior que R$ 1.000.000,00 para o montante acumulado em 2 anos, que pode ser tanto investido no retrofit das instalações, como aplicado em outros targets dados pelo Planejamento Estratégico, contribuindo significativamente para a garantia da competitividade e crescimento dentro do mercado. / The development of consumption of electric energy, the growing difficulties to meet the demand, the high cost of supply alternatives, the impact of new generating plants to the environment, and the need of the companies enter into a globalized and competitive world requires optimized use of resources. Many companies, especially small and medium-sized find it difficult to conceive of the Energy Management (EM) as a management practice with decisive character for strategic planning guidelines. The purpose of this dissertation is to introduce low-cost measures, generally unknown, in industrial energy management and to quantify its economic benefit. The results were obtained through a case study, which was performed a brief energy audit in an industry that produces boilers, lifting energy profile data and history of electricity bills for one production cycle (11 months). The resulting monthly economy exceeded 45% on bills and present value greater than $ 1,000,000.00 for the cumulative amount in 2 years, which can be either invested in retrofit installations, as applied in other data targets for strategic planning, contributing significantly to ensuring competitiveness and growth within the market.

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Understanding the practical implications of work-based learning opportunities (WBLOs) is complex. Although WBLOs are not new learning environments, understanding and clearly defining them is increasingly necessary. In Kentucky, WBLOs are part of the political discourse in post-secondary education. The Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) and local/regional economic and workforce development agencies have incorporated strengthening and growing WBLOs into their strategic plans. By interviewing students that have completed WBLOs at three colleges in the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS), this study intended to explore student perspectives of WBLOs by asking the following research questions: 1) What role do WBLOs play in transmitting dominant workplace cultural capital and how has that transmission impacted student career pathway decisions? 2) What impact do WBLOs have in developing workplace expectations post-graduation? The dissertation is produced in three manuscripts, including a companion piece written in collaboration with Lauren McCrary, examining faculty perspectives of WBLOs in Kentucky. The second manuscript is an essay addressing the concept of workforce mis-alignment between the skills possessed by post-secondary graduates and the need of industry. The third manuscript is a review of the research, which was conducted to explore student perspectives of WBLOs in relation to the research questions.

Understanding the practical implications related to experiential learning is complex. It is important to first view experiential learning as an umbrella term under which work-based learning (WBL) is housed. To further particularize, there are different avenues for students to pursue work-based learning opportunities (WBLOs), with internships and cooperative education being two. Although these are not new learning environments, understanding and clearly defining them (to both internal and external bodies) is increasingly necessary. In Kentucky, WBLOs are part of the political discourse on postsecondary education. The Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) and local economic development agencies have incorporated strengthening and growing WBLOs into their strategic plans. This demand is echoed by students and parents. By interviewing faculty with varying enrollments in their WBLOs, this study set out to explore influences on the development and implementation of these experiences from their perspective. The dissertation is written in three manuscripts, including a companion piece written in collaboration with Robert Boone that examines WBLOs from a complementary faculty (McCrary) and student perspective (Boone). It situates the problem of practice (WBLOs) in the current landscape of Kentucky Community and Technical College System. The second manuscript describes anticipated and unanticipated findings related to the development and implementation of WBLOs drawn from my interviews with WBLO coordinators across the state. Selected examples include the role of the advisory board and faculty background on the development of WBLOs and stakeholder preparation and conveying benefits to the community during implementation. The third manuscript explores obstacles encountered and offers potential avenues to circumvent or overcome said obstacles based on information collected through the interviews of this qualitative, exploratory study. This dissertation will be of use to both senior administrators interested in increasing WBLOs at their institution and to faculty who are interested in offering the opportunities to their students. This study offers insight to current practices related to WBLO development and implementation and offers potential avenues to overcome obstacles.

The diploma thesis deals with the approaches of Roma parents living in socially excluded localities in Chomutov to the education of their children. The thesis deals with the issue of social exclusion in the Czech Republic and also in the locality of Chomutov. The thesis also informs about the so-called Strategic Plan for Social Inclusion for the years 2017-2020, which was prepared for the city of Chomutov, in cooperation with the city management and the Agency for Social Inclusion and describes in detail the Local Inclusion Plan, which forms an important part of the Strategic Plan for Social Inclusion . It also deals with the issue of education and education for Roma children, segregation of Roma children in schools, inclusive education. The work also deals with Roma parents, Roma children and their pupil role, their social environment with respect to the fulfillment of the given goal. Furthermore, it informs about the personality of a teacher who works with Roma children at school and his / her competences. As a method of data collection, the method of individual interviews with Roma parents was used to achieve the chosen goal. At the end of this work there is a summary of the results of the analysis and recommendations for improving the access of Roma parents in the area of their children. These...

In Kenya, a 2013 presidential directive reserved 30% of government procurement opportunities for enterprises owned by women, youth, and persons with disabilities to promote economic empowerment; however, as of 2016, female entrepreneurs continued to be outpaced by their male counterparts. The lack of policy evaluation from the female entrepreneur perspective limits the ability to assess progress and identify obstacles. Through purposeful sampling and semistructured interviews, this qualitative phenomenological study obtained the perceptions of the implementation and impact of Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO) on economic empowerment from the perspective of 20 female entrepreneurs in Kenya previously awarded procurement contracts. Responses were coded and analyzed thematically using Moustakas's modified van Kaam method in the context of the policy feedback theory and empowerment. Five themes emerged from the female entrepreneurs' experiences: (a) enhanced economic empowerment; (b)improved potential to earn new government contracts motivated enrollment in the AGPO; (c) access to business development services enhanced competitiveness to obtain government tenders; (d) negative financial impact due to government-delayed payments for goods and services; and (e) success impeded by procurement officers' incompetence, corruption and harassment. Social change may be promoted through the economic empowerment of women being maximized with stronger implementation and regulation of this affirmative policy primarily through a streamlined application process, prompt payments for services rendered, flexible funding, and regulated competent and ethical procurement practices.

Skolans styrdokument vilar på demokratisk grund och Sverige har tagit ställning till att all verksamhet i skolan ska utgå från ett inkluderande synsätt. Den inkluderade skolan bygger på att alla elever, oavsett förutsättningar och behov, ska få möjlighet till gemenskap och delaktighet i skolan. Då det till författarnas kännedom inte fanns någon tidigare forskning om inkluderande undervisning mellan grundsärskolan och grundskolan, växte intresset och studiens syfte fram, att beskriva och analysera vilka utmaningar och möjligheter speciallärare och grundskollärare möter när de ska arbeta inkluderande mellan grundsärskolan och grundskolan. Den undersökningsmetod som användes för studiens genomförande var kvalitativ intervjumetod. Sex stycken speciallärare och sex grundskollärare blev intervjuade och intervjumallen utgick från teman om inkluderingens formella och informella syfte, inkluderingens praktiska utförande, förutsättningar och hinder för inkludering och fokuserade uppnåendemål. Resultatet visade att speciallärare och grundskollärare tankemässigt befinner sig på olika platser i inkluderingsprocessen. Majoriteten av speciallärarna och grundskollärarna uttrycker, trots upplevelser av hinder också goda möjligheter, samt en vilja och ambition att arbeta och utveckla den inkluderande undervisningen på den undersökta skolan. Den viktigaste ramfaktoren och förutsättningen som speciallärarna och grundskollärarna lyfte fram var tillgången till tid och att ha avsatt tid. Vidare var andra betydelsefulla faktorer speciallärarnas och grundskollärarnas attityder till ett inkluderande arbetssätt, rektors förhållningssätt och de mål som var satta för skolan när det gällde den inkluderande undervisningen. Den undersökta skolan har kommit långt i sin strävan efter att bedriva en inkluderande undervisningsform. Genom en större organisatorisk stabilitet i arbetslagen skulle arbetssätt och metoder ha större möjlighet att fördjupas och utvecklas. Att ge goda förutsättningar för inkluderande undervisning på organisationsnivå kan leda till att rektorer underlättar för elever att skapa bestående relationer mellan varandra och mellan grundsärskolan och grundskolan. / The school's governing documents are based on democratic grounds, and Sweden has taken a stand that all activities in school should be based on an inclusive approach. The included school is based on the fact that all pupils, regardless of their prerequistes and needs, will be given the opportunity for community and participation in the school. Since there was no prior research to the author's knowledge, about inclusive teaching between the special school and primary school, interest and the purpose of the study developed, to describe and analyze the challenges and opportunities of special school teachers and primary school teachers when they are going to work inclusive between special school and primary school. The study method used for the study's implementation was qualitative interviewing. Six special school teachers and six primary school teachers were interviewed, and the interviews were based on the themes about the formal and informal purpose of inclusion, the practical achievment of inclusion, pre-conditions and obstacles of inclusion and focused achievement goals. The result showed that special school teachers and primary school teachers had different thoughts of the process of inclusive teaching. The majority of special school teachers and primary school teachers had, despite experiences of obstacles, also expressed good opportunities, as well as a willingness and ambition to work and develop inclusive teaching at the studied school. The most important framework factor and the condition that special school teachers and primary school teachers raised were access to time and reserved time. Furthermore, other significant factors were the attitudes of special school teachers and primary school teachers had to an inclusive approach, the headmasters approach and the school's set goals for the inclusive teaching. The studied school has come a long way in pursuing an inclusive teaching method. Through greater organizational stability in the teaching crew, working methods would have a greater opportunity to deepen and develop. By providing good conditions for inclusive teaching at the organizational level, head masters can also make it easier for pupils to create permanent relationships between each other and between the special school and primary school.

Bakgrund: Våld mot kvinnor är ett globalt hälsoproblem, 35% av samtliga kvinnor i världen har någon gång blivit utsatta för våld. Sjuksköterskans ansvar syftar till att identifiera behov och erbjuda god omvårdnad till kvinnan utsatt för våld utifrån rådande situation. En bristande sjukvård leder till sjuksköterskor som tvivlar på sin förmåga och patienter som känner sig otrygga till att avslöja våldet. Identifieras inte kvinnans utsatthet föreligger det en risk att hon kvarblir i en osund relation och i värsta fall dör till följd av våldet. Syfte: Att beskriva hindrande och möjliggörande faktorer för att identifiera kvinnor som utsatts för våld i nära relationer. Metod: En allmän litteraturstudie utifrån tio artiklar med både kvantitativ och kvalitativ ansats. Huvudresultat: Identifierade utmaningar var vårdpersonalens bristande kunskap, känslor och attityder samt organisatoriska brister. Vikten av identifiering och den betydelsefulla vårdrelationen identifierades som möjligheter till upptäckten av kvinnor utsatta för våld. Både utmaningar och möjligheter hade anknytningar till sjuksköterskans kunskap, attityd, identifiering, bemötande och ansvar. Slutsats: Slutsatsen tyder på att bristfällig kunskap, organisatoriska brister såväl som känslor och attityder hos vårdpersonal står till grund för en del svårigheter såsom att inte veta hur de ska förhålla sig, inte veta var de ska vända sig och obehagskänslor. Bättre identifieringsstrategier och en betydelsefull vårdrelation visade påverka sjuksköterskans förhållningssätt till det bättre vilket kunde leda till fler avslöjanden från kvinnor. / Background: Violence against women is a global health problem, of which 35% of all women in the world sometime during their lifetime has experienced. The nurse has a significant part in the encounter with women exposed to violence due to the nurses responsability of identification and providing of a tailor-made nursing. An inadequate healthcare leads to nurses who discredit themselves and patients who feel unsafe to disclose the violence. If the nurse doesn’t identify battered women there is a risk that she stays in the abusing relationship and in worst case, dies. Aim: Was to describe obstructive and enabling factors for identifying women who were exposed to domestic violence. Method: A litterature study was applied based on ten articles that were of both quantitative and qualitative approach. Results: Identified challenges were the lack of knowledge, feelings and attitudes of healthcare professionals and organizational deficiencies. The importance of identification and the important care relationship were identified as opportunities for the discovery of women subjected to violence. Both challenges and opportunities had links to the nurse's knowledge, attitude, identification, treatment and responsibility. Conclusion: The conclusion suggests that insufficient knowledge is the basis for both organizational deficiencies but also feelings and attitudes among healthcare personnel, this was also the area that was most in need of development. Better identification strategies and a meaningful relationship to the patients turned out having positive effects on nurses approach, which could lead to more disclosures from women.

As a resource based economy international engagement plays a critical role for the growth and development of New Zealand. One of the most notable trends over the past 15 years has been the rise of some of the largest markets around the world, that have led to a rapid and substantial increase in international trade and investment flows. The liberalisation and consequently the rise of emerging markets has today changed the economic geography for the business world, with companies entering these markets with the hope of getting superior returns arising from rapid economic growth and related market opportunities. Amongst other emerging markets, the economic resurgence of the Indian market in the recent years has been widely noticed and in many senses has influenced and changed the structure and operations of businesses around the world. The prospects offered by India have allowed firms to substantially expand their activities beyond their domestic borders and access new growth opportunities generating significant productive growth. The benefits that markets like India today generate are likely to be particularly significance for New Zealand, given the small size of the domestic market. Indeed, increasing New Zealand’s exporting and international investing activity is vital to raising New Zealand’s growth rate. The rapid rise and deregulation of the Indian market has seen a rise in the number of New Zealand businesses keen to tap into the vast prospects across different sectors over the recent years. Nevertheless, New Zealand businesses have not been participating to nearly the same extent as most businesses from other small developed countries currently operating in the Indian market. Reasons for this limited interaction are unclear and not well documented in the current literature that examines the economic activities amongst the two markets. Given the importance of international engagement New Zealand businesses cannot afford to isolate themselves from the opportunities provided by the Indian market. Considering this, the main aim of this research is to focus on the opportunities that India provides and the benefits that New Zealand businesses stand to gain from those. On identifying, this may help devise actions that might lead to substantially increased levels of international investments by New Zealand firms, given the challenges of entering the Indian base from a small remote country. Drawing on insights gained from existing literature and case studies of companies operating in India, the research will identify appropriate strategies and policies that might help New Zealand businesses to succeed and better direct operations in India.

This thesis examines the stock market price variations associated with physical asset expenditure announcements in Australia. With the exception of the study of Chen and Ho (1997) in Singapore, most capital expenditure studies in other markets investigate the announcement effects associated with changes in budgeted capital expenditures. The fact that there is almost never any firm level capital budget announcement in Australia presents a unique opportunity to examine individual physical asset expenditure announcements. ¶ Three primary hypotheses pertaining to growth opportunities, free cash flow theory, and the capital market monitoring argument are developed and tested. These arguments are formulated to explain the abnormal return variations associated with physical asset expenditure announcements. The growth opportunities hypothesis posits that the abnormal returns at physical asset expenditure announcements are positively related to a firm's growth opportunities. Both free cash flow theory and capital market monitoring hypothesis postulate that the abnormal returns at physical asset expenditure announcements are negatively related to a firm's free cash flow, and cash flow respectively. Other control explanators are incorporated from the merger and takeovers literature. ¶ Event study methodology is used to examine the abnormal returns associated with physical asset expenditure announcements. Two sets of data, intraday and daily, are used to investigate the market reaction. Intraday returns are calculated on a time-weighted approach and two methods are used to calculate intraday abnormal returns. The first method defines abnormal returns as the difference between actual returns and market returns. The second method defines abnormal returns as the difference between market-adjusted returns and market-adjusted returns on a control portfolio. Daily abnormal returns are calculated using the market model. ¶ Both univariate and multivariate analyses provide strong support for the growth opportunities hypothesis. The results suggest the quality of firms' growth opportunities is the key variable determining the direction and magnitude of the abnormal returns at announcement. Support for the capital monitoring argument and the free cash flow theory is mixed, generally with a lack of support. The free cash flow variable is found to be significantly negatively related to abnormal returns, only when a finer dummy is used in the multivariate regression. All other control variables are found to be insignificant in explaining the stock market variations once the growth opportunities variable is included in the regression. ¶ This thesis makes the following contributions. First, this thesis presents the initial empirical evidence concerning physical asset expenditure announcements in Australia. Second, the thesis shows that the quality of a firm's growth opportunities is the key factor in determining the direction and magnitude of abnormal returns around physical asset expenditure announcements. These results also suggest that the equity market in Australia reacts to physical asset expenditure announcements which contain information pertaining to growth opportunities rather than the relative size of the physical asset expenditure transactions to firm value. Third, support for the capital monitoring argument and the free cash flow theory is not strong. Fourth, all other control variables are found to be insignificant in explaining the stock market variations once market to book ratio is included in the regression. Fifth, the results suggest that prior research which fails to segregate market to book ratio and free cash flow proxy into finer partitions may have possibly underestimated the market to book and the free cash flow effects.