<p>Active forest management is generally considered a desirable approach for both private and public tracts. While stakeholder collaboration and input are used on public lands, states have used several approaches to facilitate forest management on private forests including property tax-incentive programs, cost-share and technical assistant programs, and professional advice. Some researchers have studied how educational programs can facilitate woodland management on private lands. While some determined that the adoption of management practices can be influenced, in part, by attending educational programs, understanding of the factors that contribute to successful outcomes of educational programs for family forest owners is limited. Similarly, many federal and state agencies have used stakeholder input to inform natural resource management and policy in a variety of collaborative formats. In Indiana, the Indiana Forest Stewardship Coordinating Committee has provided input into private and public forest management in the state since 2010. </p> Using a case-study approach, this dissertation, through mail surveys and interviews, examined the role of the Forest Management for the Private Woodland Owner eight-week short course in woodland owner management decisions. Findings suggest that, across behaviors, woodland owner attitudes about and reasons for owning their woodlands were the most consistent predictors of the level of influence the course had on participants. Enrollment in the Indiana Classified Forest and Wildlands Program and likelihood of attending future educational programs were also positively associated with course influence for some behaviors while contact with the instructor after the course and owning woods for privacy had negative associations. The course played a role in different stages of the decision-making process of woodland owners to harvest timber, control invasive plants, create a written management plan, and use the services of a professional forester. Compatibility and relative advantage of a practice were important factors in adoption decisions. I also interviewed members of the Indiana Forest Stewardship Coordinating Committee to investigate its perceived value to members and how they view its contributions to forest management in the state. Overall, members generally held a positive perspective of its value<a></a><a></a><a></a><a></a><a></a> and thought the committee benefited Indiana’s forests although there was limited evidence to support this viewpoint. The committee followed some recommended collaborative approaches, but fell short on others. Findings inform several recommendations that could benefit the committee and its role in the future.

Syftet med följande examensarbete har varit att kartlägga och utforska vilka åtgärder som fastighetsbolag bör tillämpa eller utveckla vid ombyggnationer som uppfattas främja en förbättrad inomhusmiljö. Arbetet omfattar en kartläggning över vilka områden som fastighetsbolag bör fokusera på att förbättra vid en ombyggnation. Inklusionskriterier för fastighetsbolag och entreprenadföretag i examensarbetet har varit: att huvudbolaget eller de själva varit verksamma under minst 10 år i branschen, att företaget i dagsläget arbetar med ett utarbetat miljösystem inom företaget och/eller inom projekt samt att fastighetsbolagen ska inneha fler än 165 lägenheter och/eller kontorslokaler. Studien har tillämpat intervjuer med utvalda fastighetsbolag och entreprenadföretag samt en fallstudie med hjälp av fastighetsbolaget Diös som belyser praktiska åtgärder som uppfattas främja en förbättrad inomhusmiljö. Innehållsanalysen av intervjuerna och tillämpad fallstudie har sedan jämförts med insamlad teori vilken består av både litteratur och artiklar. Resultatet av studien presenterar de analyserade intervjuerna samt fallstudien. Slutsatsen av studien är att fastighetsbolagen kan utföra ombyggnationer som uppfattas kunna främja en förbättrad inomhusmiljö genom att effektivisera projekteringsskedet, utveckla ett styrmedel som kan generera en god dialog mellan hyresgäst och beställare samt fördela resurser inom aspekter som anses viktiga för en trivsam inomhusmiljö: termisk-, akustisk- och visuell miljö samt luftkvaliteten.

Owner-operator lack of knowledge about financial and operation costs is a serious impediment to business survival. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between the knowledge of financial and operational costs among trucking owner-operators and their business performance. The theoretical framework for the study was the resource-based theory and knowledge gap theory. A convenience sample of 78 owner-operator truckers across the United States participated in this study. The response rate was 17% for a web-based survey that was distributed to owner-operators in Facebook, and 83% for the paper-based surveys from the owner-operators who were visiting more than 10 truck stops in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The findings from multiple linear regression analysis indicated a significant relationship between the trucking owner-operators' financial knowledge, operational costs knowledge, and financial performance. A significant relationship also existed between the financial knowledge of trucking owner-operators, operational costs knowledge, and nonfinancial performance. The findings of this study provide the owner-operator with a better understanding of factors that relate to business performance, which may inform their reasons for successes and failures. The implications for social change will occur if the failure rate of owner-operators declines and the opportunities for sustainable businesses increase. Sustainable owner-operator performance could lead to higher employment by the trucking industry and contribute to a better economy

Small businesses are critical to the health of the United States economy as they account for approximately 50% of all jobs and 99% of all firms. The purpose for this descriptive multiunit case study was to explore what strategies small business owners used to achieve profitability by the end of the first 5 years of opening their business. The sample comprised 4 small business owners who have been profitable by Year 5 of being in business in Denver, Colorado. The conceptual framework for this study was built upon the general systems theory. The data were collected through semistructured interviews and company documents. Transcript review and member checking were completed to strengthen credibility and trustworthiness. Based on the methodological triangulation of the data sources collected, 3 emergent themes were identified after completing the 5 stages of data analysis: seasonality of the business, passion and dedication of the small business owner, and hiring the right employees. The findings from this study may contribute to social change by providing insights and strategies for small business owners in preparing and sustaining profitability. The data from this study may contribute to the prosperity of the small business owners' employees, their families, communities, and the local economy.

As recently as 2009, the Government's bill 2008/09:91 was adopted, leading to greater freedom of choice and increased housing production in the Swedish housing market. The forecast at the time was that approx. 4,000 owner- occupied apartments would be built annually, but the letting form has since increased slowly. The estimate of 4,000 owner-occupied apartments per year can be compared with the total number of completed owner-occupied apartments in Sweden in 2022 - just under 4,000.  Just like with the small house, the buyer of the owner-occupied apartment pays 100 percent of the value of his home which means direct ownership, where there is the possibility to mortgage the property and freely rent it out without approval from a condominium association.  An owner-occupied apartment is a 3D property delimited horizontally and vertically, resulting in an efficient property division because a building with these characteristics can consist of several different properties with different areas of use. Despite this modern real estate development, the letting form has become less popular than expected and the number of owner-occupied apartments sold today is few compared to condominium apartments.  The purpose of the study is to find out which decisive factors exist when choosing an owner-occupied apartment over a condominium apartment, and by studying which characteristics are in high demand and valued, these factors can be met in future projects and thus contribute to the increased popularity of owner-occupied apartments in Sweden. The question is answered based on a qualitative method where a literature study, semi-structured interviews, and a survey are used in the study.  The study is an indication that it is primarily financial aspects that are decisive due to the expensive purchase price as well as costs for title deeds and mortgage deeds, which means that the buyer of owner-occupied flats must be financially strong and at the same time demand individual freedom and full control over their home without a condominium association. The study has also shown that owner-occupied apartments are a valued form of letting and the future looks bright for owner-occupied apartments in Sweden. / Så sent som år 2009 antogs Regeringens proposition 2008/09:91 som skullemöjliggöra för större valfrihet och ökad bostadsproduktion på den svenskabostadsmarknaden. Prognosen var vid tillfället att det skulle byggas cirka 4000ägarlägenheter årligen men upplåtelseformen har sedan dess ökat långsamt ochestimatet på 4000 enheter per år kan jämföras med det totala antaletfärdigbyggda ägarlägenheter i Sverige år 2022 som var strax under 4000. En ägarlägenhet är en 3D-fastighet som avgränsas både horisontellt ochvertikalt vilket resulterar i en effektiv fastighetsindelning eftersom en byggnadmed dessa egenskaper kan bestå av ett flertal olika fastigheter med olikaanvändningsområden. Vid köp av en ägarlägenhet betalar köparen precis somför småhuset 100 procent av den totala köpeskillingen, vilket innebär ettdirekt ägande där möjligheten till pantsättning av sin egendom och friuthyrning utan godkännande från en bostadsrättsförening finns. Trots dennamoderna fastighetsbildning och fria ägandet så har upplåtelseformen inte blivitså populär som förväntat och antalet sålda ägarlägenheter är idag få ijämförelse med bostadsrättslägenheter. Syftet med studien är att ta reda på vilka avgörande faktorer som finns vid valav ägarlägenhet före bostadsrättslägenhet och genom att studera vilkaegenskaper som efterfrågas och värderas högt kan dessa faktorer mötas iframtida projekt och på så sätt bidra till ökad popularitet för ägarlägenheter iSverige. Frågeställningen besvaras utifrån en kvalitativ metod där enlitteraturstudie, semistrukturerade intervjuer och en enkätundersökninganvänds i studien. Studien är en indikation som visar att det främst är ekonomiska aspekter somär avgörande på grund av det dyra inköpspriset samt kostnader för lagfart ochpantbrev vilket innebär att ägarlägenhetsköparen måste vara kapitalstark ochsamtidigt efterfrågar individuell frihet med möjlighet till uthyrning och fullrådighet över sin bostad utan en bostadsrättsförening. Studien har även visatatt ägarlägenheter är en uppskattad upplåtelseform och framtiden ser ljus utför ägarlägenheter i Sverige.

Den 1 maj 2009 infördes lagreglerna som tillåter bildande av ägarlägenheter, en för Sverige ny upplåtelseform. Till skillnad mot bostadsrätten innebär ett köp av en ägarlägenhet ett direkt ägande av en fastighet, närmare bestämt en ägarlägenhetsfastighet. Liksom bostadsrätten äger del i bostadsrättsföreningen, äger ägarlägenheten del i en samfällighetsförening, men som till skillnad från bostadsrättsföreningen normalt sett inte upptar några lån i samband med förvärvet av fastigheten. Avsaknaden av lån i samfällighetsföreningen innebär att årsavgiften för ägarlägenheten blir betydligt lägre än motsvarande avgift för bostadsrätten. Detta utgör en väsentlig skillnad för konsumenten. Mot bakgrund av att ägarlägenheter är en relativt ny upplåtelseform, och att tidigare studier visar att det råder stor okunskap om vad ett ägande av den nya boendeformen innebär, finns det en kunskapslucka att fylla. Vidare innebär det rådande ränteläget i kombination med en historiskt hög skuldsättning hos de svenska hushållen att dess känslighet mot stigande räntor vuxit sig allt större. Således syftar studien till att utreda skillnaderna i bostadskostnader för upplåtelseformerna bostadsrätt och ägarlägenhet ur ett konsumentperspektiv, samt att undersöka hur olika räntenivåer påverkar bostadskostnaderna för respektive upplåtelseform. Grundläggande information om de olika upplåtelseformerna sammanställdes och relevanta teorier kopplade till ämnet redogjordes för. Vidare insamlades data till den kostnadskalkyl som sedermera upprättades. Slutligen utfördes känslighetsanalyser på bostadskostnaderna genom att justera räntenivåerna i kalkylen. Resultaten av studien visar att ägarlägenheten är den dyrare upplåtelseformen att köpa. Däremot bör tydliggöras att orsaken till att ägarlägenheten är den dyrare av de två, är på grund av amorteringen av bostadslån och det privatlån som tas för att täcka mellanskillnaden i kontantinsatsen mellan upplåtelseformerna. Känslighetsanalysen visar, både vid en måttlig och kraftig ökning av räntenivå, att bostadsrätten är känsligast för ränteökningar då den uppvisar högre procentuell ökning i bostadskostnader än ägarlägenheten. / On the 1st of May, 2009, a new type of housing form was legally introduced in Sweden, a leasing form which allows for a direct ownership of the apartment. In the same way that the more usual form of housing, condominiums, owns a share in a tenant-owner association, the so called owner- occupied apartments owns a share in a joint property association. One important difference though, is that the joint property association does not take up any loans when purchasing the residential property. For the consumer this significantly affects the costs of living since the joint property association does not haveto charge the consumer for cost of capital, in contrast to the tenant-owner association. Considering the fact that owner- occupied apartment is a relatively new form of housing in Sweden,and that previous studies indicates that the consumer is ill informed regarding owner- occupiedapartments, there is a knowledge gap that needs to be filled. Furthermore, the current interest rate levels in combination with a historically high debt among swedish households, implies that the sensitivity towards raised interest rates has become increasingly large. Thus, the aim of this study is to examine the differences in cost of housing between condominiums and owner- occupied apartments, and also to analyze how different levels of interest rates affect the cost of housing. Fundamental information about the two different forms of housing was compiled inthe form of a table. Finally, the interest rates were put through a sensitivity analysis, in order to examine the sensitivity of cost of housing to raised interest rates. The study results shows that owner- occupied apartments is the more expensive alternative to acquire.It should be clarified, however, that the reason for the owner- occupied apartment being the more expensive alternative is because of the amortization. The yearly cost of amortization is much higherfor the owner- occupied apartment because of its higher price, but considering the fact that amortization could be seen as a form of saving, one could argue it makes the comparison unfair. The sensitivity analysis shows that condominiums is more sensitive to a raise in interest rates, both at a moderate and a vigorous raise.

Äganderätten till skog är ett ofta återkommande tema i den svenska debatten om skogen. Denna studie undersökte upplevelsen av brukanderätt till skog hos privata skogsägare i Sverige, Norge och Finland. För att uppnå syftet studerades respektive lands skogsbrukslagar, och en skogsägare i varje land intervjuades. Studien är en kvalitativ fallstudie där respondenternas svar analyserades baserat på respektive lands skogsvårdslagstiftning.  Resultatet visade att de tre länderna har liknande skogsvårdslagar, där produktion och miljö är jämställda mål. Skogsägarna i alla tre länderna har liknande processer att följa vid skogsbruksåtgärder och har stor frihet under ansvar. De intervjuade skogsägarna upplevde inte att deras brukanderätt var begränsad utan kunde bruka sin skog efter eget tycke inom de lagstiftade ramarna.

Information plays an essential role in supporting an organization's business; this information encounters any business's technology, people, and process aspects. In contrast, each aspect can risk an organization's information assets. Information traceability and accountability can play a significant role in controlling and protecting information assets. When individuals perceive accountability for each modification or change, they will behave systematically in their activities because they can expect their actions to impact others. A sense of information accountability increases the likelihood that people think about their behaviors in daily processes. However, if the accountability mechanism is insufficient, it can cause conflicts between information owners and employees. Previous works are based on the theories to increase the sense of information accountability and have efficient mechanisms. Moreover, improvement of the accountability mechanism is a concern because researchers rely on laboratory results, which is not enough to develop and have a systematic mechanism. Therefore, existing theories and explanations of information accountability tend to be unclear in practice.This study presents a qualitative case study focusing on information asset accountability among information owners and finding the practical tools and techniques to enforce the accountability. Data collection is carried out through ten semi-structured interviews among information owners who directly own information and make decisions related to classified information and controlling access levels. The interview questions were based on the increasing information asset accountability to reveal the influential factors that must be addressed. Data analysis discloses information owners’ requirements to increase the sense of accountability in an organization when it comes to information asset accountability. Key findings seem to be applying proper tools and processes such as verification and traceability to strengthen the information asset accountability within organizations. It also reveals the employee’s awareness and training to understand the information handling and processes. Employees get involved with processes by receiving training, clarifying their accountability expectations within information assets, and acknowledging the importance of their actions to secure critical information. The study's contribution provides an insight into the information accountability mechanism to identify the enforcement requirement from the information owner’s perspective. Based on the result of the study, it can raise the significance of accountability and traceability mechanisms to the information owners and provide input to maximize their information asset’s security level within the organization.

Redevelopment of brownfield sites has become increasingly popular since the inception of voluntary cleanup programs in the early to mid 1990’s. Local governments have begun to offer incentives to private developers or land owners to offset costs associated with contamination and encourage the redevelopment of properties that are typically underutilized. Incentives may take several forms including, but not limited to, fast-tracked project approval, risk based cleanup standards, liability relief, tax breaks, and direct funding assistance. This study investigates how incentives that are offered by local governments to private developers or land owners influence the rate of redevelopment in their sphere of influence. A survey was administered to local governments throughout the State of California to determine how incentives are used for the redevelopment of brownfields. Results from this study show a preference by participating local governments to offer direct funding assistance, which may be directly linked to a relative level of inexperience.

No description available.