Die Dissertation prüft das Potential von Fines Semantischem Relationismus für einen kognivistischen Ansatz der Sprache und des Geistes. Hauptziel ist es, den Semantischen Relationismus als einzig angemessene Inhalstheorie für die Gedankensprache zu verteidigen, indem die Vorzüge gegenüber den wichtigsten Alternativen, dem Referentialismus und dem Fregeanismus, aufgezeigt werden. Die Arbeit soll zeigen, dass nur der Semantische Relatinismus alle Varianten des Frege Puzzles für die Gedankensprache lösen kann, und zwar in einerWeise, die die erheblichen Schwierigkeiten der alternativen Theorien umgeht. Das Ergebnis ist sowohl eine Verteidigung des Sematischen Relationismus als auch eine Bestätigung der Tragbarkeit der Hypothese einer Gedankensprache. Auf Basis der Gedankensprache und einer relationistischen Semantik stellt die Arbeit zudem eine neue Theorie der Propositionen vor, die sich erheblich von allen bestehenden Alternativen, inbegriffen der von Fine, unterscheidet. Das Endergebnis ist eine Auffassung von Propositionen als syntaktisch strukturierten mentalen Repräsentationen, die Sätze in der Gedankensprache darstellen, sowie Träger von Inhalten, die durch ihren semantischen Inhalt typindividuiert sind. Ein Kernziel der Arbeit ist es, die Vorteile dieser Auffassung gegenüber klassischen und modernen Alternativen aufzuzeigen. Die Arbeit entwickelt ihr Gesamtergebnis durch die Aufarbeitung von drei aktuellen, eng miteinander verbundenen Debatten. Erstens, das Problem, dass Freges Puzzle für Gedanken und überzegungen darstellt, insbesondere in Form von Kripkes Puzzle. Zweitens, das Problem der Typindividuierung von Symbolen in der Gedankensprache. Drittens, die Debatte um die Ontologie von Begriffen und Propositionen. Indem eine vielversprechende relationistische Lösung in diesen Problembereichen entwickelt wird, bietet die Arbeit zusätzliche Bestätigung für Fines semantische Theorie durch eine erhebliche Erweiterung ihres Anwendungsbereichs. / The thesis evaluates the potential of Fine’s Semantic Relationism for a cognitivist approach to language and the mind. The main aim is to champion Semantic Relationism as the only adequate theory of content for the Language of Thought by bringing out the benefits of the theory over its main rivals, Referentialism and Fregeanism. It seeks to show that only Semantic Relationism can address all the variants of Frege’s Puzzle for the Language of Thought, and that it can do so in a way that avoids the substantial difficulties that beset other semantic theories. The main outcome is at the same time a vindication of the adopted semantic theory and a confirmation of the viability of the Language of Thought hypothesis. The thesis also offers a new theory of propositions on the basis of the Language of Thought and a Relationist semantics that differs significantly from all such presently available theories, including Fine’s. The final result is a theory of propositions as syntactically structured mental representations, which are sentences in the Language of Thought, that are content bearers individuated by their semantic content as specified by Semantic Relationism. A major objective of the thesis is to highlight the advantages of this view over both classical and current alternatives. The thesis develops its overall view by offering solutions in three closely related ongoing debates. First, the challenge posed by Frege’s Puzzle for thought and belief, Kripke’s Puzzle notably included, secondly, the problem about the proper type-individuation of Language of Thought symbol tokens, and thirdly, the debate about the ontological nature of concepts and propositions. By developing a promising Relationist response to these problems, the thesis also provides additional support to Fine’s semantic theory by considerably expanding its scope of application.

Cette thèse étudie la distribution et les propriétés de la forme appelée "supin" dans la grammaire traditionnelle du roumain, dans le cadre de la grammaire générative et dans une démarche comparative. Dans l'analyse proposée, le supin et le participe roumain sont un seul item lexical. Le statut du supin n'est pas mixte, mais verbal ou nominal en fonction du contexte. On montre que le participe - supin y compris - repose sur une opération d'externalisation de l'argument interne, qui se réalise différemment selon les environnements syntaxiques. Cette proposition sert aussi à expliquer certaines propriétés spéciales de la nominalisation du participe. On étudie le statut des domaines maximaux du supin: Groupe Prépositionnel ou Proposition non finie, et la structure des propositions participiales dont le "supin verbal" est générateur, qui sont d'un type particulier, à statut d'argument ou de prédicat.

L’une des voies d’innovation plébiscitées par les détaillants pour orchestrer l’évolution de leur proposition de valeur consiste à réviser le design des espaces de vente. Les contributions académiques sur l’expérience en magasin se sont concentrées sur les perceptions des consommateurs ainsi que sur le repérage de pratiques managériales significatives. En prenant pour objet la traduction du repositionnement d’une enseigne par le design expérientiel des espaces de vente, la thèse propose de suivre le processus au cœur même du marché et de mettre à jour les mécanismes qui le sous-tendent. La conduite d’une étude longitudinale de cas enchâssés dévoile une conception holistique, basée sur l’interaction souhaitée du chaland avec le magasin. L’analyse relate l’enchâssement des quatre phases du cycle de vie et permet de recenser pour chaque phase les événements et problématiques associés aux six dimensions du processus. La thèse établit le rôle prégnant de la vision entrepreneuriale du dirigeant, clé de voûte de l’innovation. La proposition de valeur se matérialise par trois composantes gigognes que sont l’intrigue, l’action et le décor. Pour chacune des cinq étapes du parcours-client, des éléments de décor sont implantés pour relayer ou renforcer l’action souhaitée. Ces éléments constituent des mécanismes ou dispositifs destinés à stimuler le système expérientiel du chaland. L’évaluation, qui porte sur la mesure du positionnement perçu et vécu, contribue à ajuster la proposition de valeur au regard de quatre niveaux de cohérence et de la flexibilité du design. Enfin, les logiques de coproduction occasionnent une possible co-destruction de valeur, intentionnelle ou accidentelle. / One of the innovative ways favoured by retailers to drive change in their value proposition is to review the design of their stores. Academic contributions to the in-store experience have mostly focused on consumer perspective and identifying relevant managerial practices. The core of this research studies how repositioning a retail brand translates into the experiential design of retail spaces. To this end, the research follows the repositioning process from a managerial perspective and updates the mechanisms that underlie it. The longitudinal study of embedded cases reveals the importance of an holistic design that takes into account the desired interactions between the shopper and the store. The analysis shows the four overlapping phases of the store’s life cycle, and breaks down the process into six dimensions, each with its own events and issues. The six dimensions are vision, plotline, action, decor, assessment and coproduction.The entrepreneurial vision of the leader is the cornerstone of the whole innovation process. The value proposition is embodied by three components, namely plotline, action and decor. For each of the five stages of the shopper’s journey, elements of the decor are implemented to relay or reinforce the desired action. These are mechanisms or devices meant to stimulate the shopper’s experiential system. The assessment, which involves measuring the perceived and experienced positioning, helps to adjust the value proposition in terms of four levels of consistency and flexibility of design. Finally, the coproduction of store design between different stakeholders can cause a co-destruction of value, whether intentional or accidental.

Bakgrund: En ökad konkurrens på arbetsmarknaden och ett ökat behov av personal har gjort det viktigare för kommuner att fokusera på att skapa en unik organisationsidentitet på arbetsmarknaden. Detta koncept, känt som employer branding, kan bidra till en rad fördelar såsom ökad konkurrenskraft och ökad motivation bland medarbetarna, där framför allt det sistnämnda kan underlätta för organisationer gällande att rekrytera och behålla medarbetare. Med employer branding följer även utmaningar, vilket understryker vikten av att förstå hur det bör hanteras för att dra nytta av dess potentiella fördelar. Syfte: Att undersöka medarbetares uppfattningar av kommuners employer branding och dess påverkan på motivation. Metod: Studien har utgått från en kvalitativ forskningsansats där tio semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes på ekonomiavdelningarna inom fyra av Skaraborgs kommuner. Resultat och slutsats: Studiens resultat visade att employer branding-strategierna inte diskuterades öppet inom kommunerna och uppfattades främst undermedvetet av medarbetarna. Inom kommunerna låg också ett fokus på att främja den inre motivationen genom faktorer som organisationskulturen. Det var även den inre motivationen som ansågs vara mest attraktiv hos medarbetarna och motiverade dem mest, så länge de hade en grundläggande nivå av yttre motivation där deras löner låg på en acceptabel nivå, då lönen betraktades som en hygienfaktor för medarbetarna. / Background: Increased competition in the labour market and a growing need for personnel have made it more important for municipalities to focus on creating a unique organisational identity in the labour market. This concept, known as employer branding, can contribute to a range of benefits such as increased competitiveness and enhanced motivation among employees, where especially the latter can facilitate organisations in recruiting and retaining employees. However, employer branding also comes with challenges, highlighting the importance of understanding how to manage it to capitalize on its potential advantages. Purpose: To examine employees’ perceptions of municipalities’ employer branding and its impact on motivation. Method: The study has used a qualitative research approach, where ten semi-structured interviews were conducted within the finance departments of four municipalities in Skaraborg. Findings and conclusion: The study’s findings revealed that employer branding strategies were not openly discussed within the municipalities and were primarily perceived subconsciously by the employees. There was also a focus within the municipalities on promoting intrinsic motivation through factors such as organisational culture. Intrinsic motivation was also considered most attractive to the employees and motivated them the most, as long as they had a basic level of extrinsic motivation where their salaries were at an acceptable level, as salary was viewed as a hygiene factor for the employees.

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Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University , 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Grammars with regulated rewriting are used to restrict the application of contextfree productions in order to avoid certain derivations. This enables these grammars to generate both context-free and non-context-free languages using only production rules with a context-free format. These grammars are more powerful than contextfree grammars, but usually not as powerful as context-sensitive grammars. Various grammars with regulated rewriting have been developed and some will be discussed in this thesis. Propositional linear temporal logic is a formal system used to describe truth values of propositions over time. This is done by defining a timeline together with a set of propositions. It is then possible to construct temporal logic formulae, consisting of these propositions and temporal operators, to specify the truth values of the propositions for every step in the timeline. In this thesis we define and discuss temporal grammars that combine grammars with propositionallinear temporal logic. Since a derivation can be associated with a timeline, a regulating device can be constructed from temporal logic formulae, that will control the application of productions within the derivation. The discussion on temporal grammars includes some of the properties of these grammars, while many ideas are illustrated by examples. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Grammatikas met gereguleerde herskrywing word gebruik om 'n beperking te plaas op die toepassing van konteksvrye produksies en verhoed sodoende sekere afleidings. Hierdie grammatikas beskik oor die vermoe om beide konteksvrye en nie-konteksvrye tale te genereer deur slegs produksiereels van 'n konteksvrye formaat te gebruik. Grammatikas met gereguleerde herskrywing is dus sterker as konteksvrye grammatikas, alhoewel dit soms swakker as konteks-sensitiewe grammatikas is. 'n Verskeidenheid sulke grammatikas is al ontwikkel en sommige sal in hierdie tesis bespreek word. Proposisionele lineere temporale logika is 'n formele stelsel wat gebruik kan word om die waarheidswaardes van proposisies oor tyd te beskryf. Dit word gedoen deur 'n tydlyn, asook 'n versameling proposisies te definieer. Dit is clan moontlik om temporale operatore tesame met die proposisies te gebruik om temporale logika-formules te konstrueer wat in staat is om waarheidswaardes van die proposisies te spesifiseer vir elke oomblik in die tydlyn. In hierdie tesis word temporale grammatikas, wat grammatikas met proposisionele lineere temporale logika kombineer, gedefinieer en bespreek. Aangesien 'n afleiding met 'n tydlyn geassosieer kan word, is dit moontlik om 'n regulerende meganisme uit temporale logika-formules te konstrueer wat die toepassing van produksiereels in die afleiding kontroleer. Die bespreking van temporale grammatikas sluit 'n verskeidenheid eienskappe van die grammatikas in, asook 'n aantal voorbeelde wat ter illustrasie gebruik word.

This case study examines how a company can work with employer branding and talent management in order to attract students. The study explores how these concepts can be combined in the joint activity and what the implications are of arranging such an activity. This is illustrated through the case competition Brandstorm, arranged by L’Oréal Group. The study has a qualitative approach and it is based on in-depth interviews with managers on three different organizational levels at L’Oréal. The result shows that using a case competition as a joint activity is a tool to combine employer branding and talent management. The aim of a joint activity is two folded; the case is developed by the employer branding team to create awareness and appear as an attractive employer, further targeting students in order for the talent management team to spot and recruit talents. Additionally, the study highlights the importance of communicating a consistent Employer Value Proposition (EVP) that conveys symbolic values. A case competition can also be seen as a tool for managing talents and creating of talent pools. It is further clear that collaborating with universities is preferable when targeting students, thus conveying an attractive employer brand image.

We are living in the “Anthropocene” the era in which human activities are responsible for severe damage to the resilience of the ecological and social systems, undermining the Earth’s autopoetic mechanism, integrity and ability to function as a healthy complex adaptive systems. The prevailing societal paradigm for business practices has yet to realise the reality of our current global unsustainable state – and the shift necessary to move us forward collectively. Startup companies have a unique opportunity to gain and leverage competitiveness and attractiveness for funding and customers through sustainability driven business strategies, models and value propositions. This research analyses literature, document and interview data to explore if and how current practices in the Lean Startup contribute to a sustainable society – and how a Strategic Sustainable Development approach might be introduced to enhance the resilience of Lean Startups. Therefore, our key recommendations for Lean Startups that want to introduce an SSD approach are: to raise awareness about the sustainability challenges and opportunities; utilise backcasting towards a vision framed by the Sustainability Principles; focus on fulfilling fundamental basic Human Needs; utilize strategic prioritization questions when pivoting and combine the FSSD ABCD process with the Lean BML cycle. Ultimately, this thesis proposes the use of Strategic Sustainable Trigger Questions to (re)design sustainable business models and value-propositions. We conclude that “asking the right questions - rather than giving answers up front” might spark conversations and innovations in Lean Startups, beneficial for the sustainability of both the individual startup the larger socio-ecological systems.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / Regional shopping centres play an important role in the South African economy, especially by providing location services to retailers (large and small) and non-retailers. One of the main value propositions of regional shopping centres is to attract a large number of customer footprint to a central location where a group of retailers can market and sell to a larger customer market. Independent retail jewellers have numerous channel options available, in South Africa the preferred channel for independent jewellery retailers is a physical retail outlet within regional shopping centres. The purpose of this research is to determine the value proposition quality of Cape Town Metropolitan regional shopping centres as a preferred location to independent retail jewellers. The location value proposition analysis was performed by evaluating a set of location criteria as prescribed by available literature. Furthermore, this research also explores the antecedents of relationships and trust between shopping centre management and independent retail jewellers. This research followed a mixed-method approach and the focus is a sample of regional shopping centres and independent retail jewellers within the Cape Town Metropolitan area. Information was gathered through interviews by using structured questionnaires, which was prepared from literature on location value assessment criteria for shopping centres, relationship management and building trust within relationships. The research shows that although regional shopping centres are the preferred channel for independent retail jewellers there are some location value proposition elements that require improvement. A key concern for shopping centre management should be the imbalance in power created by contractual agreements that mostly favour regional shopping centres. This imbalance in power negatively influences relationships and trust between shopping centre management and independent retail jewellers. Furthermore, the feedback from independent retailer jewellers is that rental costs charged for location services are miss-aligned to the value received from these services. This study is limited that it only surveyed regional shopping centre management and independent retailer jewellers within the Cape Town Metropolitan area in South Africa. The limited scope and focus of this study confines the generalisability of this study for other types of retailers and / or other metropolitan areas within South Africa. The value of this study is that it tested location criteria from international literature within the South African context and set the foundation for future research, which is currently limited in South Africa.

Abstract Title: Recruiting Through the Grapevine - The relevance of employee referral programs within the field of employer branding   Date: 2016-06-03   Authors: Mikaela Löjdqvist & Isabella Nilsson   Course: Bachelor Thesis in Business Administration (FOA214), 15 HP   University: Mälardalen University   Academia: School of Business, Society and Engineering   Supervisor: Magnus Hoppe   Examiner: Eva Maaninen-Olsson   Co-assessor: Konstantin Lampou ____________________________________________________________________________   Research question: How do employee referral programs, as a part of the recruitment process, connect to the employer brand of a company?     Purpose: Understanding the correlation and connection between the two concepts, employer branding and employee referral programs, may help companies recognize the importance of using such programs as a stable foundation of their recruitment process. Thus concurrently, identifying the consequences that the employer brand presents, has on the employees and their willingness to recommend. This leads to the purpose of this thesis, which is to examine the connection between employee referral programs and a company's employer brand.     Methodology: Answering the purpose and research question was approached by using a mixed method, based on the qualitative and quantitative approaches. The qualitative method was used in the two semi-structured in-depth interviews, while the quantitative approach was used in construction and analysis of the survey. Both methods provide a foundation to strengthen the arguments not only for the results of the survey, but also for drawing conclusions when trying to answer the research question. By using a case company, a real-life understanding of how the connection between employer branding and the employee referral program correlates.     Conclusion: A connection between employee referral programs and the employer brand can be denoted from the conducted research within the chosen case company. However, if this connection is true for all companies, needs to be further investigated.     Keywords: employer branding, employee referral programs (ERP), employee value proposition (EVP), recruitment, staff-word-of-mouth (SWOM), word-of-mouth (WOM)