The thesis deals with the influence of international actors in the fight against organized crime. The issue of combating the organized crime is pictured on the case study of Colombia. Colombian organized crime is largely associated with drug trafficking, therefore the thesis concentrates on options for addressing drug problem. USA as the most important market for Colombian drug production is a major ally of Colombia in the fight against drugs. The thesis focuses on the joint policy initiatives of the USA and Colombia to resolve production and drug trafficking. The aim of the thesis is to find out possible solutions to adress drug trade and identify the benefits and shortcomings of antidrug policies for the case study of Colombia.

A formação de redes colaborativas é uma importante forma das organizações estimularem a inovação, reduzirem custos e transferir conhecimentos. Uma forma particular de rede colaborativa, as redes auto-organizadas, demonstram grande capacidade de promover o aprendizado dos envolvidos, sistematizar o conhecimento e promover a inovação. Já os programas Seis Sigma, adotados por diversas organizações, possuem como objetivo principal a redução da variabilidade de um processo, resultando na redução de custos e melhoria da qualidade. A literatura sobre redes auto-organizadas pouco apresenta sobre a formação destas redes e a literatura sobre Seis Sigma é voltada a métodos estatísticos. Desta forma, o objetivo desta pesquisa é identificar os elementos para um modelo de referência baseado no programa Seis Sigma para a formação e gerência de redes de inovação auto-organizadas. Foram realizados cinco estudos de caso em diferentes organizações. Os programas Seis Sigma destas organizações foram modelos com o uso da metodologia Enterprise Knowledge Development (EKD). Com base na literatura estudada foram identificas as necessidades de mudanças que viabilizariam a formação de redes de inovação auto-organizadas. Como resultado tem-se os elementos para o modelo de referência para formação e gerência de redes de inovação auto-organizadas baseado no programa Seis Sigma. / The formation of collaborative networks is an important way for organizations to stimulate innovation, reduce costs and transfer knowledge. A particular form of collaborative network, the self-organized networks have shown great capability to promote the learning of those involved, systematize knowledge and lead to innovation. The Six Sigma programs, adopted by several organizations, have as main objective the process variability reduction, resulting in lower costs and quality improvement. The literature on self-organized networks presents little about the formation of these kind of networks and literature on Six Sigma is focused on statistical methods. Thus, the objective of this research is to identify the elements for a reference model based on the Six Sigma program for setting up and management of innovation selforganized networks. Five case studies were conducted in different organizations. The Six Sigma programs of these organizations were modeled using the Enterprise Knowledge Development (EKD) methodology. Based on the studied literature the needs for changes that enables the formation of innovation self-organized networks were identified. As a result there are the elements of the reference model for the formation and management of innovation self-organized networks based on the Six Sigma program.

This dissertation is an historical case study of a highly publicized investigation of vice and official corruption which took place in Portland, Oregon from 1954 to 1958. Three major relevant areas of social science literature are reviewed. These are: historical material on American reform and corruption, criminology and political science. This literature suggests both the ubiquity and usefulness of vice and corruption in the urban situation. A set of propositions regarding vice, corruption and reform was developed from these works. These propositions were then examined in terms of the vice probe and political situation in Portland, Oregon. The triangulation method of this study involves three separate data sources: popular accounts in the print media; government documents, including material from the Oregon State Archives, the City of Portland and the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Improper Activities in the Labor or Management Field; interviews conducted by the author (1979-1981) with persons who had intimate knowledge of the vice situation, political arrangements or corruption in Portland. This case study has utility and general application beyond the single case illustrated. It demonstrates the functions and limits of corruption and reform. While historical in nature, this study offers insight into processes seen in many cities today.

Adult physical activity is important for prevention of chronic diseases and to minimize health issues; therefore, the motivational influences of sociodemographic variables on participation in organized physical activity events warrant an investigation. The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate differences in motivational influences between various sociodemographic variables as related to physical activity events in organized settings. The theoretical framework that guided this research study consisted of the theory of reasoned action (TRA), and the health belief model (HBM). The TRA was applied to study the intention of health behavior, while the HBM was used to investigate individuals' motivation to engage in organized physical activity events. A cross-sectional study design in which an online survey consisting of the 40 item Physical Activity and Leisure Motivation Scale was used to collect data from adults who participated in an organized 5K or 10K running or walking event. The inferential statistical tests of the independent t test, one-way ANOVA, and ordinal logistic regression were used to determine the statistical relationships. The main research finding suggested that 6 motivational influences showed statistically significant relationship with organized physical activity events, which consisted of others' expectations (p = .025), competition/ego (p = .001), appearance (p = .001), affiliation (p = .034), mastery (p = .001), and psychological condition (p = .002) as it relates to their age group and gender. The research findings may be used to influence engagement in future organized physical activity events by understanding the sociodemographic variables relating to participation rates that may result in increased physical activity behavior within the community.

<p>In this thesis, Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs are used to measure the effects of organized crime on young men’s experience of narcotics. The study relies on panel data for Swedish counties stretching over the period 1995-2005, using results from conscript surveys to determine young men’s experience of narcotics. When applying a fixed effect model, the results show that Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs actually have a negative effect on the experience of narcotics among 18-year-old Swedish men. However, when lagging the time of establishment for the gangs one year, positive estimates are derived for individuals ever used, or been offered to use illicit narcotics. These findings are only significant on a ten percent level, but the results could implicate that it may take some time for the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs to penetrate new markets; finding a profitable way of adapting to the new market conditions. Due to possible problems with endogeneity, it’s difficult to derive any definitive conclusions regarding the true effects of Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs. It’s possible that the location of a new OMG is partially determined by the use of narcotics, wherefore the results are to be taken with some caution.</p>

Since the late 1960s of the 20th century, Bulgaria experienced a great increase in organized crime. As a result, relations between the managers of state-owned enterprises, the state security service, party officials, and criminal actors grew and became stronger. Parts of the old network are still functioning. Through the support of governmental circles, organized crime became established and dominated essential parts of the economy, from the mid-1990s. Since 1996, however, governments tried to act against organized crime. The influence of the mafia is still an unsolved problem and a challenge to the transformation of the country.

In this thesis, Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs are used to measure the effects of organized crime on young men’s experience of narcotics. The study relies on panel data for Swedish counties stretching over the period 1995-2005, using results from conscript surveys to determine young men’s experience of narcotics. When applying a fixed effect model, the results show that Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs actually have a negative effect on the experience of narcotics among 18-year-old Swedish men. However, when lagging the time of establishment for the gangs one year, positive estimates are derived for individuals ever used, or been offered to use illicit narcotics. These findings are only significant on a ten percent level, but the results could implicate that it may take some time for the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs to penetrate new markets; finding a profitable way of adapting to the new market conditions. Due to possible problems with endogeneity, it’s difficult to derive any definitive conclusions regarding the true effects of Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs. It’s possible that the location of a new OMG is partially determined by the use of narcotics, wherefore the results are to be taken with some caution.

Organized Industrial Zones (OIZs) are used as a main and important industry policy tool in Turkey. In 2012, the number of OIZs is 263 with 148 active and 115 planned ones. Network between the firms reveal the knowledge spillovers which is inevitable for economic growth of a country for neo-classical economists. In this thesis, existence of intra-OIZ and intra-industry knowledge spillovers in Ankara and Istanbul is tested by the help of an export decision function. As it considers the spatial dependence between the regional units the spatial econometric method is preferred for the analysis. The data set is taken from the &ldquo / Field Research Survey&rdquo / of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Organization (SMEDO). It consists of 62,137 firm level observations from 24 manufacturing industries in 81 provinces between 2004 and 2007. After the cleaning process of the data, 1545 and 1172 observations are left for Ankara and Istanbul, respectively. The results show that the size of the firm (which is proxied by logarithm of total labor), technology (which is proxied by computer usage), organizational proximity and foreign language knowledge of the administrator are the common determinants of export decision for Ankara and Istanbul for both intra-IOZ and intra-industry relations when spatial dependence is not ignored. Besides these variables, in Ankara percentage of high skilled labor is significant while in Istanbul cluster proximity is significant. Moreover, for Ankara while for intra-OIZ relations the spatial effect is one third of the total effect, it is one fourth of the total effect for intra-industry relation. For Istanbul one fourth of the total effect is from spatial effects for both intra-OIZ and intra-industry relations.

Föreningsidrott är en stor del av många barns liv och idrottsledarna är en viktig del inom föreningsidrotten. Idrottsledare har betydelse för barns hälsa, såväl den fysiska som den psykiska och sociala hälsan. Det finns idag negativa hälsotrender hos barn när det gäller till exempel övervikt, stillasittande och psykisk ohälsa. Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur ledare för barnidrottslag upplever att de kan påverka sina utövares hälsa. Studien syftar även till att söka förståelse för hur en ledare inom föreningsidrotten genom sitt bemötande och agerande kan skapa en hälsofrämjande miljö för barn. Detta kan i sin tur ligga till grund för det fortsatta hälsofrämjande arbetet inom idrottsrörelsen. Metoden som användes vid datainsamlingen var individuella kvalitativa intervjuer. Det genomfördes tio intervjuer med ledare i lagidrotter för barn i tio till tolvårsåldern. Resultatet av studien visade att idrottsledarna upplevde att de hade möjlighet att påverka barnens hälsa, såväl den fysiska som den psykiska och sociala hälsan. De områden som idrottsledarna upplevde som påverkningsbara var bland annat fysisk aktivitet, kost och sömn, delaktighet och inflytande, självförtroende och självkänsla, krav och stress, motivation, kommunikation och klimat. Det framkom även att idrottsledare bör föregå med gott exempel, vara ett socialt stöd samt se och bekräfta alla barn för att gynna barnens hälsa. Utifrån resultatets användbarhet i folkhälsopedagogiska sammanhang drogs slutsatsen att det krävs ökad förståelse för hur en idrottsledare har möjlighet att påverka barns hälsoutveckling för att stärka barnens hälsa och vända de negativa hälsotrenderna. / Organized sports are a main part of many children's lives and sport leaders are an important part of organized sports. Coachesare important for children's health,physical as well as mental and social health. Today, there are negative health trends amongchildren, for example, obesity, sedentaryand mental illness. The purpose of thisstudy was to examine how theleaders of children’s sports teams experience that they caninfluence their practitioner’shealth. The study also aims toseek an understanding of how a leader in organized sports through attitude and behavior can create a healthy environmentfor children. This may serve asthe basis for future healthpromotion within the sports movement. The method used for data collection wasindividual interviews. Teninterviews with leaders in teamsports for children of ten totwelve years old were conducted. Theresult of thestudy showed that sports leadersfelt that they had the possibility toinfluence children's health, physicalas well as mental and social health.The sports leaders experienced that theycould influence physical activity, diet and sleep,participation and empowerment, confidence and self esteem,demands and stress, motivation, communication and the atmosphere. The result also showed that sportsleaders should lead by example,be a social support and acknowledge all children to benefit children's health. Based on the result's usefulnessin public health context,the conclusion wasthat greater understanding of howsports leaders can influence children's health development to enhance children's health and reverse the negative health trends.

Pupils, and most of all girls, drop out of organized sports in the ages 13-18. The purpose of this survey was to study which motives girls had to proceed in sports together with differences between certain groups. This study was based on a survey which included 86 responses from girls active in sports in 10 different compounds. The results showed that the most frequent motives to do sports were to have fun and to feel well. Differences showed were that the ones who trained more often and the ones who practiced more than one sport found that to work hard was an important motive, compared to the other groups. The ones that trained more often also found that to have fun was an important motive in difference to the group which trained in less extent. The organizational factors that could influence on the girls’ exercise were the coaches’ motivational techniques and the athletes’ experiences of competition in a negative way.