<p>I uppsatsen undersöker jag hur handelsavtal påverkar handelsströmmarna mellan länder. En</p><p>genomgång av de olika handelsteorierna görs med en början hos de klassiska teorierna för att</p><p>därnäst gå vidare med de nya handelsteorierna. Utgångspunkten i uppsatsen är teorin om navoch-</p><p>eker system med fokus på Barcelona processen, avtalet mellan EU och Chile samt</p><p>avtalet mellan EU och Ryssland. Här kan det påvisas att handel påverkas positivt när länder</p><p>ingår avtal med varandra. För att få den största effekten på handel krävs ett samarbete utöver</p><p>ett borttagande av tullar mellan länderna men eftersom det tar ett tag att anpassa sig till de</p><p>nya förhållandena som ett avtal innebär är det svårt att på ett tidigt stadium avgöra avtalets</p><p>effekter. Länder som av olika anledningar ej har möjlighet att ingå handelsavtal kommer att</p><p>påverkas mer negativt ju fler länder som ingår i avtalet. Det är oftast nav-landet som kan se</p><p>de största positiva effekterna av handelsavtal.</p>

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Graduate School of Education, Oral Roberts University, 2004. / Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 158-170). Also available on the Internet.

The constraints experienced by water utilities in developing countries, with regard to the universal provision of access to water and improved water services, have been defined by international policymakers as "a crisis of governance". This study departs from the theoretical perspectives on governance and aspires to accumulate knowledge and advance understanding on how the performance of water utilities can be enhanced. The thesis comprises five papers and the cover essay. Four of the papers address case studies and one is a theoretically based paper, while all five papers are supported by reviews from the literature relevant to the topic of each paper. The thesis uses insights from literature reviews mapping relevant scientific theories and concepts in the areas of mainly governance, deliberative policymaking and communicative planning, social capital, civil society and institutional theoretical perspectives. The study integrates different research methods and explores theoretical perspectives on governance to examine the governance aspects of water utilities in the transition phase from public to private management and operation. The study investigates whether the  governance structure that involves the private sector in the form of Public Private Partnership (PPP) of water utility has produced "good governance" and enhanced water governance in two cases, the Lema Water Company in Amman, Jordan and the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) in Accra, Ghana. The analysis highlights evidence of governance deficiency. Accordingly, the thesis argues against the policy design that assumes that simply transferring the management and operation of water utility to private operators would resolve the problems of water utilities and enhance water governance. The analyses and the conclusions reached in the papers, together with a review of the literature on New Institutional Economics theory that knits together all the theories that are utilised in the papers, offer insights in the understanding of aspects of water governance. The insights suggest that policymakers need to better understand how institutions at different levels impact the overall performance of a water utility. The performance of the water utility cannot be detached from the wider institutional setting or reduced to simply changing the operator.  What has been disregarded from the calculus of international policymakers, the thesis mainly argues, is the institutional perspective. The study concludes that actors’ performances are affected primarily by their institutional settings. The constraints of water utilities to provide a better performance and good governance processes reside in different kinds of institutional settings To address this, the thesis develops a generic institutional framework within which water governance aspects can be assessed at different institutional levels, from the higher level of politics to that of the individual level. According to this perspective, the study views governance process as "the interaction between actors from the spheres of a society within specific sets of formal and informal institutions in a social setting that produces certain political, economic and social outcomes".  It defines good governance as "the legitimacy given by the wider public to institutions in a social setting and the coherency of formal and informal institutions to produce socially effective outcomes for the collective public". The developed generic institutional framework is used to more thoroughly analyse the two cases integrated in the study. This approach to assessment of water governance provides an explanation for why the water utilities were not able to meet their performance goals and enriches our understanding of water governance processes. It also modestly maps the main problematic institutional areas that in each case constrained aspects of good water governance. In practical terms, this thesis emphasises that policymakers have to map and identify the institutional factors constraining the overall performance of a water utility, at all levels. The thesis also urges policymakers to be cautious regarding which formulated policies are seen as solutions. Policymakers should restrain themselves from experimenting with policy when they are not sure that certain outcomes are likely to be produced by adopting a particular policy. In the long run, inappropriate policies may negatively affect local institutional settings and are likely to undermine the capacity of local governance. / QC20100628

It is claimed that low-income people in Dhaka city do not have the financial ability to enjoy adecent housing environment. There is a clear lack of knowledge on how low-income people,drawing upon both their available income together and support from formal financial institutions,would be able to afford housing. It is commonly considered a fact that their access to formalfinancial means is largely hindered by their poor financial status, along with the absence of anyform of land tenure security. The case of this study demonstrates, on the contrary, the adequatefinancial ability of the urban poor when it comes to meeting rent and payments for other necessaryservices. This study therefore primarily responds to the critical issue of whether the government isunaware of informal housing practices, or is simply ignorant of low-income housing provision.In this study, perspectives on change are analyzed in order to comprehend the obstacles andchallenges embedded within the housing organizations of Dhaka city. Within the local governanceparadigm, the concepts of deliberative dialogue and partnership are explored with the aim toreveal both the resources rooted in ‘informal’ low-income housing practices, and the resources atstake for the ‘formal’ housing gatekeepers. Different land tenure security options are explored inorder to understand their compatibility with the informal nature of low-income housing. Thetheory of social business is critically reviewed, and used to examine whether low-incomeaffordable housing could be seen as a product resulting from partnerships between vested actors,for whom the low-income community could be considered to be both a beneficiary and a partner.This study suggests that outside the boundary of ‘formal’ housing, there is an unexplored andfunctional ‘informal’ housing market where de facto owners purchase ‘business tenure security’from the slum lords, while de facto tenants buy ‘house rental tenure security’ in exchange forregular rental payments. Within this informality, an innovative financial organization (the JhilparCooperative) has emerged as a creative platform for business investment. This study reveals thatJhilpar’s inhabitants pay more than 30 percent of their monthly income for housing. As anabsolute value, this is more than what is being paid by middle-class – and even many high-income– people. The slum inhabitants also pay more for a limited supply of basic services, such aselectricity.This study concludes that the formal housing gatekeepers lack a complete knowledge of‘informality’ – a notion reflected in, for example, the actual financial ability of the urban poor; thestrength and potentials of systematic community-based cooperative business; and housing relocationdecisions (employment-housing nexus). This fundamental lack of knowledge precludesthe housing gatekeepers from taking the right decisions to achieve affordable low-incomehousing. These deficiencies have led to low-income housing projects that have barely benefitedthe urban poor, benefiting other income groups instead. Low-income housing projects utilizingland title provision, sites and services schemes, and relocation to other places (amongst otherstrategies) disregard the nature, strength, and potentials of housing ‘informality’ in the slums inthe most pronounced manner. This identified knowledge gap also rules out private and publichousing gatekeepers employing their resources as enablers or providers. To improve this impassewith regard to affordable low-income housing, this study advocates a ‘social business model forlow-income housing’ as the most effective option for the Jhilpar community, wherebypartnerships would be built on an ‘investment’ mindset, through a shift away from conventional‘give away’ practices. / QC 20120221

Det övergripande syftet med arbetet är att undersöka och studera ett läsinlärnings projekt med fokusering på arbetet med storböcker. Med arbetet vill jag få reda på orsaken till att man har startat ett kommunomfattande läsinlärningsprojekt och vad läsinlärningsprojektet innehåller. Syftet är vidare att ta reda på vad storböcker är för något och hur man arbetar med dem. Genom arbetet vill jag hitta ett sätt som både inspirerar mig som lärare och mina kommande elever till att lära sig läsa. Arbetet inleds med en litteraturgenomgång där läsaren får bekanta sig med vad läsning är och med olika begrepp som nämns i resultatdelen. Förutom en litteraturstudie har jag gjort intervjuer med 6 personer som har varit insatta i arbetet med projektet och storböcker. Jag har också gjort en klassrumsobservation för att se vad läraren gjorde och vad eleverna gjorde under arbetet med storboken. Då jag ställde samma frågor till några av de jag intervjuade har jag kunnat jämföra de svar jag fått och se om de fanns några likheter i deras sätt att se på storboksmetodiken. Dessa redovisas under resultat diskussionen. I mitt arbete har jag kommit fram till att storboksmetodiken är ett bra sätt att använda då barn lär sig läsa. Den inbjuder till en lustfylld och meningsfull inlärning som går helt i Lpo-94:s anda.

Background: A majority of strategic alliances do not create value for the participants. One of the main reasons for the high failure rate is an inadequate process for partner selection. If the correct partner is not selected, it can have serious effects on the management of the partnership. This is a serious problem since failed alliances usually are very expensive for the involved companies. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to investigate which theoretical factors are important when selecting a partner for a strategic alliance. Further we aim to investigate how these factors can effect partner selection for small and middle size technology intensive companies. Realisation: The empirical part is based on interviews with persons holding key positions at four case companies. All the case companies are situated in Mjärdevi Science Park. Result: Our research has shown that the strategic fit is the crucial factor. Other important factors are brand, network position, compatibility and attention when selecting a partner for a strategic alliance.

This paper addresses the so-called political rationale of the European Union’s (EU) regional policy in the context of the forthcoming eastern enlargement. The political rationale emphasises a particular type of organisation, involving multiple layers of governance and actors. This organisation is considered important in effectively reducing regional disparities. Regarding the great amount of EU regional funding the candidate states in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) are expected to receive upon accession, capable institutions and structures for handling these funds are vital. Also, it is a crucial part of the EU’s accession criteria. By using Hungary and the implementation of the partnership principle as a case study, the process of preparing for the regional funds in CEE is investigated in-depth. A policy analysis of the cohesion between EU policy objectives and the Hungarian implementation process of the partnership principle serves as the overall basis for the analysis. In order to analyse and understand the implementation process, Historical Institutionalism (HI) is applied as a theoretical framework. It contributes by assessing the factors affecting the implementation process and thus, policy coherence. A triangulation of data consisting of interviews with Hungarian officials and EU Member State experts involved in the implementation of partnership practices, primary and secondary texts as well as basic statistics is made against the propositions formulated through HI. In turn, a number of analytical findings have been discovered. Firstly, the policy process is seen as highly constrained by formal and informal institutional factors, created by historical policy legacies. These have shaped the goals and preferences of the actors involved and have also privileged certain groups over others. In turn, path-dependency is noticed. Secondly, this has made policy cohesion rather weak, with certain short-term requirements being fulfilled but with a lack of more in-depth, long-term measures. Thus, there is a mismatch between the EU and the Hungarian regional policy organisation. Thirdly, although the formal institutional mechanisms for change are rather rigid, indications of informal mechanisms providing possibilities of institutional change were found, with some actors adapting to the EU enlargement context. This could lead to partnership practises gradually infiltrating some ofthe institutional and organizational features and in turn, become strengthened through the multi-level governance structure of the EU. Yet, implementation of the partnership principle is identified as a long and open process, with the real challenges arriving as Hungary enters the EU

Background: Lean has had a great influence on how companies work today, and both academics and practitioners have admitted its link with superior performance and the ability to create competitive advantage. There is however a widespread confusion of what lean really is and the absence of a clear definition has been highlighted by many researchers within the field. Since the birth of lean, a lot of focus has been on the internal perspective of the concept. Although today with an increased globalization, higher customer demands and a severe competition, the work with lean between companies becomes highly appropriate. Within companies, the processes often work effectively, but it is in the interfaces between companies where a lot of waste and possibilities to improvement exist. Aim: The purpose is to analyse the companies’ consciousness of lean and to what extent their understanding of lean can influence the effectiveness of the entire value stream. Furthermore, the purpose is to analyse how this consciousness affects the collaboration between a customer and a supplier. Method: The study has a deductive approach where the starting point has been in the theories within lean, supplier partnership and effectiveness. A multiple case study has been conducted where five different interfaces have been studied. The study has a qualitative approach where the empirical findings come from ten semi-structured interviews. Result: Our study shows that working with lean interorganisationally helps to create a higher performing value chain. For companies working with lean internally, it is also natural working with lean with the partners. From a lean perspective, effectiveness is defined as a reduction of cost through elimination of waste. By performing VSM, having regular evaluating meetings, sharing forecasts and giving each other insight in inventories, a lot of waste in the interfaces can be reduced. However, to have a well working collaboration, the study shows that a high level of trust and a common view and attitude towards collaboration are necessary.

China and India enjoy the most robust economic growth in the world. They are also two important players in the international arena that cannot be underestimated because of their population, nature resources, and regional influence. The fact that China and India are forging a strategic partnership will not only reshape Asia's geopolitics, but also have a significant global impact. The current relationship between China and India is still very fragile due to different political systems, international visions, and geopolitical benefits between the two countries. Their bilateral relationship is mixed with Realism and Idealism. Since 1990s, India has adopted a new forward-looking foreign policy with East Asian countries; known as ¡§Look East Policy¡¨, and this policy help establishing the relationship between Taiwan and India and reaching a new stage. This policy has made some progress since then, and this India new foreign policy obviously has strategic politics in mind, on being security and strategic alliance, and intention to compete with China. To sum up, the two countries still see each other as an important rival. For example, on some international issues in Asia, India's foreign policy has dual characters. On one hand, India wants to improve its relations with China; on the other hand, India takes precautions against and antagonizes China. Adding the influence factors from other countries with global influence such as the United States, Japan, Russia, etc., the India-China relationship is becoming more complicated. The Post-Cold War Era provides less comfort than questions for the future of Sino-Indian relationship. This is bound to be influenced by many imponderables in their respective domestic and external environments. Whether both countries can lay their disputes aside in the future, and construct an economic alliance, or they cannot get along well, there will have important consequences. Moreover, how to reassess the Indian government policy toward China? What are the potential impacts between the India-Taiwan relationships? How the Indian government solidifies its own national interests between China and Taiwan? These are the major subjects addressed in this dissertation. This doctoral dissertation is mainly divided into three parts: First, the India-China border problem has been there for a long time and the contradictions presented by different perspectives from both sides are discussed. The second part, through such historical-oriented topic such as the Tibet status and its democratic movement, and the latest outlook of India's internal political development shows the different arguments and national interests to formulate internal and international policies, and derives into a new analogy and theorem as a starting point to analyze the current India political transformation and international policy. The third part is to discuss the Indian government's policy, the self-esteem and attitude, current development of India-China cooperation in economy and trade, India's role in the Cross-straits relations, and then assesses the future development of the India-China strategic partnership, and the potential influence on the international affairs.

The purpose of this study was to understand the collaborative model between university and its affiliated experimental elementary school. The author used NCATE¡¦s (National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education) PDS Standards (Professional Development School Standards) announced in 2001 in the USA to examine current collaborative models in Taiwan. The author firstly proceeded documentary analyses to analyze related data about Professional Development Schools in the United States and interviewed subjects who have been or are being related to the topics and have rich experiences within the two university-school partnership cases. The interview questions were developed and based upon NCATE¡¦s PDS Standards. The author collected the related data through a variety of channels, such as school websites, laws and regulations, newspaper features & reports, and school documents. The findings and results of the study are as follows: (1) The collaborative model provides an environment which supports multiple learners through University-School partnership; (2) The collaborative model can expand the learning group and share experience with people through University-School partnership; (3) The majority of the University-School partnership operated are based on the laws and regulations and both sides thus display their responsibilities; (4) The collaborative model supports teacher education interns¡¦ learning and develops the contents of teacher education program; (5) The partnership designs the programs from multiple perspectives, assesses the effect in various ways, and provides the experiences for the interns to face different students; (6) Due to the long history of affiliated elementary school, both sides have been taking the partnership for granted. However, the context has changed a lot recently, people got involved are concerned about the impact that might have on the partnership in the future; (7) As for the liaison and coordination, the university should strengthen organizations¡¦ function and use the school principal, an academic department, and a network to communicate with each other; (8) Resources sharing can promote collaboration between the university and the affiliated school. The above results have been analyzed and discussed to provide conclusions and suggestions for the reference of the education authorities, school administration and future related studies.