No / Electronic word of mouth (eWOM) significantly affects the consumer decision-making process. A number of studies investigated why consumers provide eWOM communications. Existing literature has contradicting factors regarding factors affect eWOM providing behaviour. This study aims to evaluate factors affecting eWOM providing behaviour by performing a systematic review and weight analysis of existing research outputs. Based on the result of weight analysis it was found that the best predictors of eWOM providing behaviour are involvement, self-enhancement, and trust in web eWOM services. Scholars can use the results of this study when making decisions regarding the inclusion of factors in their research. Practitioners can pay more attention to the best predictors.

Tidigare forskning gällande barn som förlorat en förälder genom dödsfall pekar på att det finns tydliga tendenser att fokus ofta läggs på den kvarvarande föräldern och att barnet många gånger kommer i skymundan eller glöms bort. Syftet med studien är att undersöka professionellas uppfattningar och yrkeserfarenheter om barns behov av stödinsatser då en förälder avlidit. Studiens teoretiska ansatser är; det salutogena perspektivet, ”den nya barndomssociologin” samt den konstruktivistiska struktureringsteorin. Metoden fenomenografi har använts för att fånga professionellas uppfattningar och materialet har samlats in genom sju semistrukturerade intervjuer. Resultatet och slutsatserna visar att professionella utgår från någon form av modell i sitt arbete och modellen vägleder den professionelle i hur barnet kan få information, råd och stöd. Barnets behov av stöd är oftast att finna nya strategier, för att hantera sin vardag och för att skapa en identitet utan ena föräldern. Olika stödinsatser kan hjälpa barnet att avdramatisera och normalisera sina känslor då en förälder avlidit. Ambitionen för de professionella är att lyssna till det enskilda barnet och dennes familjesituation. Detta eftersom barn inte är en homogen grupp och för att på bästa sätt tillmötesgå det behov av stöd det enskilda barnet har. Det viktigaste är att barnet inte upplever att denne även förlorar närvaron och omsorgen från den kvarvarande föräldern genom förälderns egen sorgebearbetning. / Previous research of children with parental loss shows visible tendencies that focus is on remaining parent and that the child easily tends to fall in shadow or becomes forgotten. The study aims to investigate professional´s views and experiences of children´s needs for support when losing a parent. The theoretical views of the study are; the perspective of salutogenic, ”the new sociology of childhood” and the theory of structuration in a constructive perspective. The study was performed with a phenomenographic methodological approach to capture professional´s views and experiences and the material consists of seven semi-structured interviews. The result and conclusions shows that professionals proceed from some kind of model in their work and the model then guide the professionals in giving information, support and advice to the child. The child´s needs of support is mainly to find new strategies to deal with everyday life and the creation of identity when losing a parent. Different inputs of supports can help the child to defuse and normalise their expression of emotions in losing a parent. The ambition of the professionals is to listen to the child in order to meet each individual child and his/hers family situation, since children are not an homogenous group, their needs also vary. Most important is that the child doesn´t feel that he/she also is losing the remaining parent´s attendance and caring for him/her, through the parent´s own grieving process.

Esta investigação tem por objeto o estudo do princípio da continuidade do serviço público. Inicia-se pela definição de serviço público (e de serviço público essencial) e os princípios que regem a prestação dos mesmos. Aborda-se a matéria em relação às leis de concessões e os direitos e garantias dos usuários dos serviços delas decorrentes, somadas às garantias constitucionais e consumeristas. Enfrenta-se o problema da interrupção do serviço público por inadimplemento e o direito de greve, em face do princípio da continuidade. No intuito de cumprir tal tarefa, realizou-se cuidadosa análise dos entendimentos doutrinários nacionais e estrangeiro, adotando-se o método analítico. As técnicas de pesquisa utilizadas, por sua vez, foram a bibliográfica, em livros e artigos extraídos de revistas especializadas, através da qual foram reveladas as semelhanças e as oposições existentes entre os entendimentos formulados pela doutrina. Por fim, manifestamos nosso entendimento sobre o assunto. / This investigation has as main objective analyzes the principle of continuity public service, facing the problem of the interruption of essential public service because of the default and the right of strike. Starts studying the definition of essential public service and its principles taking to account the concession law, the rights and guarantees of the consumers and the constitutional precepts about the subject. Intending to fulfill this duty, it was made a carefully analyses of the national and foreigner authors, using the analytic method to examine these documents. The bibliography method had revealed resemblances and differences between the authors opinions and the rules of law that are related in the conclusion of this research.

Apesar do valor percebido pelo cliente ser um dos principais determinantes da intenção de compra, lealdade e da satisfação dos clientes, observa-se que não existem modelos abrangentes de sistemas de serviço orientados para a entrega de valor ao cliente. Visando preencher esta lacuna, esta tese teve por objetivo desenvolver um modelo abrangente de sistema de serviço orientado para a entrega de valor ao cliente. Nesse sentido, inicialmente realizou-se uma pesquisa bibliográfica para levantar na teoria de marketing os diversos aspectos relacionados ao projeto e gestão dos sistemas de serviço e identificar modelos de sistemas de serviço focados no cliente desenvolvidos anteriormente. Os resultados da pesquisa bibliográfica forneceram a base para a construção do modelo proposto, o qual se fundamenta na orientação para o mercado, na cultura de serviço e no marketing interno para implementar os seguintes processos, cada qual se constituindo em um subsistema do sistema de serviços: desenvolvimento da orientação para o mercado; desenvolvimento da cultura de serviço; desenvolvimento de inovações; projeto do sistema de serviço; implementação do sistema de serviço; monitoramento do desempenho; desenvolvimento das ações de marketing interno. Para conferir maior robustez ao modelo proposto, considerou-se importante que ele fosse complementado com a visão de empresários do setor de serviços sobre os aspectos relacionados à entrega de valor ao cliente, a qual foi obtida mediante a realização de uma pesquisa empírica de dois estágios. No primeiro estágio realizou-se uma pesquisa descritiva quantitativa para identificar empresas cujos empresários possuíam atitude favorável à adoção do foco no cliente como direcionador-chave para o sucesso nos negócios e dos esforços para aperfeiçoamento do sistema de serviço. De uma amostra de 16 empresas, 4 foram selecionadas como casos a serem estudados no estágio 2. O segundo estágio da pesquisa envolveu a realização de um estudo de caso de caráter exploratório e natureza qualitativa para captar e entender a visão dos empresários das empresas objeto do estudo de caso sobre os diversos aspectos relacionados à entrega de valor ao cliente, o que foi feito através da condução de entrevistas semi-estruturadas. As informações obtidas a partir dessas entrevistas proveram reflexões sobre os aspectos valorizados pelo cliente, as dificuldades relacionadas à entrega de valor ao cliente, as ações para se garantir a entrega de valor ao cliente e o projeto do sistema de serviço visando à entrega de valor ao cliente, as quais foram utilizadas para complementar o modelo construído anteriormente. Por ter sido concebido com base na abordagem sistêmica, o modelo se comporta como um sistema aberto que se relaciona com o ambiente, recebendo elementos dele (fatores motivadores, condicionantes externos e condicionantes internos), processando-os (atividades desempenhadas pelos diversos subsistemas que compõem o sistema de serviços) e devolvendo os elementos processados ao meio (resultados), gerando uma corrente de entradas e saídas, a qual faz com que o sistema opere como uma caixa preta, mas com mecanismos de controle e auto-regulação (feedback) que permitem conduzir e adaptar o processo de transformação de modo a se alcançar o objetivo de se entregar valor aos clientes. O modelo proposto destaca a necessidade de alinhamento entre filosofia, valores, comportamentos, métricas e sistemas a fim de se projetar um sistema de serviço orientado para a entrega de valor ao cliente e a necessidade de uma liderança forte para se implementar o projeto desenvolvido. Espera-se que o modelo proposto contribua para a ampliação do conhecimento sobre os componentes do sistema de serviço, dos relacionamentos entre eles e de como o aperfeiçoamento deles pode contribuir para a entrega de valor ao cliente, constituindo-se, assim, em uma ferramenta eficaz para o projeto e gestão dos sistemas de serviço. / Customer perceived value is one of major antecedents of buying intention, loyalty and customer satisfaction. In spite of it, we observe theres no comprehensive service systems oriented to customer value delivery. For filling this gap, this thesis had the purpose of developing a comprehensive model of service system oriented to customer value delivery. For getting this objective, a bibliographic research focusing marketing theory was conduced for collecting factors related to design and managing of service systems. The results of bibliographic research provided the foundation for building the proposed model, which is based on market orientation, service culture and internal marketing to implement the following processes, which are subsystem of service system: market orientation developing; service culture developing; innovation developing; service system design; service system implementation; performance monitoring; internal marketing developing. For fostering the proposed model, it was complemented with a perspective provide by service sector entrepreneurs about the aspects related to customer value delivery, which was obtained by a two-stage empirical research. The first stage used a descriptive and qualitative research for identifying companies whose entrepreneurs had a positive attitude to customer focus adoption a key-driver for getting success in the business and driving the efforts for service system improvement. From a sample of sixteen companies, four were selected as cases to be studied in the second stage. The Second stage of research involve a exploratory qualitative case study for getting and understanding the perspective of case study companies entrepreneurs about several aspects related to customer value delivery, which was done by conducing semi-structured interviews. These interviews provided insights about the aspects fostered by the customer, difficulties related to customer value delivery, and the design of service system oriented to customer value delivery. These insights were used to complement the proposed model. Because it used systemic approach, the proposed model works as an open system linked to the environment, receiving elements from it (drivers factors and external an internal antecedents) processing these elements (activities executed by the several subsystem of service system) and sending back these processed elements to the environment. This way, the proposed model provides an interrupt flow of entries and outs, which make the system work as a black box with feedback mechanisms that allow conducing and adjusting the transforming process for getting the purpose of customer value delivery. Proposed model highlights the need of aligning between philosophy, values, behaviors, metrics and systems towards designing a service system oriented to customer value delivery and of a strong leadership to implement the system designed. We hope proposed model helps to increase the knowledge about service system components, relationship between the components, and as their improvement can contributes to customer value delivery, working as an effective tool for designing an managing of service system.

This study was conducted to assess Masters of social Work students’ interest in gerontology. Students’ gerontological knowledge, attitude and experience with the aging population was examined to see if they have any influence on interest in working with older adults. The positivist worldview was used to identify students’ behavior toward older adults while checking to see if correlates to interest in working with that population. Survey questionnaire was used to collect information on student’s interest in working with older adults, their knowledge, attitude and experience. Modified versions of Palmore Facts on Aging Quiz (FAQ) and Kogan’s Attitude Toward Old People (KAOP) scales were used to collect information on students’ knowledge and attitude toward older adults. Additional questions about demographic data was included along with direct question on interest in working with the older adults. The results from the use of the quantitative approach allowed further statistical analysis using SPSS to identify relationships between the variables. The study found relationships between knowledge of aging and interest in aging-related work. The study recommends that future research examine factors that influence attitude and implementing gerontological education and training in social work programs to improve student’s interest in aging related work.

Our thesis is that operating systems should manage the on-chip shared caches of multicore processors for the purposes of achieving performance gains. Consequently, this dissertation demonstrates how the operating system can profitably manage these shared caches. Two shared-cache management principles are investigated: (1) promoting shared use of the shared cache, demonstrated by an automated online thread clustering technique, and (2) providing cache space isolation, demonstrated by a software-based cache partitioning technique. In support of providing isolation, cache provisioning is also investigated, demonstrated by an automated online technique called RapidMRC. We show how these software-based techniques are feasible on existing multicore systems with the help of their hardware performance monitoring units and their associated hardware performance counters. On a 2-chip IBM POWER5 multicore system, promoting sharing reduced processor pipeline stalls caused by cross-chip cache accesses by up to 70%, resulting in performance improvements of up to 7%. On a larger 8-chip IBM POWER5+ multicore system, the potential for up to 14% performance improvement was measured. Providing isolation improved performance by up to 50%, using an exhaustive offline search method to determine optimal partition size. On the other hand, up to 27% performance improvement was extracted from the corresponding workload using an automated online approximation technique, made possible by RapidMRC.

Our thesis is that operating systems should manage the on-chip shared caches of multicore processors for the purposes of achieving performance gains. Consequently, this dissertation demonstrates how the operating system can profitably manage these shared caches. Two shared-cache management principles are investigated: (1) promoting shared use of the shared cache, demonstrated by an automated online thread clustering technique, and (2) providing cache space isolation, demonstrated by a software-based cache partitioning technique. In support of providing isolation, cache provisioning is also investigated, demonstrated by an automated online technique called RapidMRC. We show how these software-based techniques are feasible on existing multicore systems with the help of their hardware performance monitoring units and their associated hardware performance counters. On a 2-chip IBM POWER5 multicore system, promoting sharing reduced processor pipeline stalls caused by cross-chip cache accesses by up to 70%, resulting in performance improvements of up to 7%. On a larger 8-chip IBM POWER5+ multicore system, the potential for up to 14% performance improvement was measured. Providing isolation improved performance by up to 50%, using an exhaustive offline search method to determine optimal partition size. On the other hand, up to 27% performance improvement was extracted from the corresponding workload using an automated online approximation technique, made possible by RapidMRC.

This thesis is a qualitative study of a new law that was applied in December 2010. The law is called Lagen om etableringsinsatser för vissa nyanlända invandrare, and is meant to help newly arrived immigrants that come to Sweden to establish themselves in the Swedish society. The aim of the study is to see what discourses the Swedish government produces as a result of this new law. Interesting for the study is to see what happens in the implementation stage at a local level, in this case in the municipality of Örnsköldsvik. Theoretically and methodologically I emanate from critical discourse theory and institutional theory. Previous research about the production of knowledge and power that originate from a post colonial theory is central throughout the study. The key findings are that the discourses that are being produced as a result of this new law build much on previous discourses within the field of integration policy. The main discourses that are being produced and reproduced are a care providing discourse, a market discourse and a state controlling discourse. A momentous problem is however the presumption of “Us and Them” which is connected to institutional structures and leads to an unequal power relationship. / Maria Strandberg

Darbo objektas – teikiamos sporto paslaugos ir jų perspektyvos Darbo tikslas – ištirti teikiamas sporto paslaugas ir jų perspektyvas Kaišiadorių rajone Uždaviniai: • Aptarti paslaugų teorinę sampratą ir ištirti pačias paslaugas • Nustatyti teikiamas sporto paslaugas • Įvertinti teikiamų sporto paslaugų perspektyvas Darbo išvados: 1. Aptariant paslaugos teorinę sampratą galima teigti, kad paslauga – tai tam tikrų veiksmų derinys skirtas palengvinti įvairius procesus, jų dalis. Kitaip tariant, paslaugos tai vartotojui ir personalui arba renginiams sąveikaujant vykstanti veikla, kuri yra skirta įvairiems vartotojų poreikiams tenkinti. Paslaugos pasižymi šiomis savybėmis: neapčiuopiamumu, heterogeniškumu, nepatvarumu, vartotojo dalyvavimu paslaugos teikimo procese, vienalaikiškumu ir nuosavybės nekeičiamumu. Paslaugos klasifikuojamos pagal šiuos veiksnius: funkcinę paslaugų paskirtį, paslaugos teikėją, paslaugos vartotoją, paslaugos teikimo vietą, paslaugos apčiuopiamumo laipsnį, vartotojo dalyvavimą, paslaugos vartojimo motyvus, teikėjo motyvus, pasiūlos pobūdį ir vartotojo ir teikėjo santykių pobūdį. Norint įvertinti paslaugų naudą, vieni svarbiausių komponentų tai – paslaugos kaina ir kokybė. 2. Atlikus tyrimą paaiškėjo, kad kultivuojamos sporto šakos Kaišiadorių rajone yra šios: krepšinis, futbolas, plaukimas, stalo tenisas ir atletinė gimnastika. Taip pat tyrimas parodė, kad svarbiausi veiksniai, įtakojantys paslaugos vartojimą, yra šie: vartotojams patinka sporto šaka... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The object of the paper: sports services provided and prospects for them The objective of the paper: to explore sports services and prospects for them in Kaišiadorys district The tasks of the paper: • to discuss a theoretical concept of services and analyse the very services • to determine sports services provided • to assess the prospects for the sports services provided The conclusions of the paper: 1. As concerns a theoretical concept of service it can be claimed to be a combination of particular activities designed to facilitate various processes or their parts. In other words, services are an activity, ensuing from the interaction between the user and the staff or events, the purpose of which is to fulfill different needs of users. The characteristics of services are the following: intangibility, heterogeneity, instability, the participation of the user in the process of service provision, simultaneity and non-transferability of possession. Services are classified according to the following factors: the function of services, service provider, service user, the place of service provision, the degree of the tangibility of service, the participation of the user, the motives for usage, the motives of the provider, the type of supply and the type of the relationship between the user and the provider. What plays a major role in the assessment of the utility of services is the price and quality. 2. The research has indicated that the existing sports in Kaišiadorys district are... [to full text]

The work deals with the explanation of services and their impact on local development. It focuses on the analysis of the services offered in two areas surveyed on the Novohradsko and Veselsko. This is the assessment of supply and quality of services to the needs of the population and visitors. Based on the results relating to the service offerings are designed measures in each area would be improved and expanded range of services. To develop these services are designed to further the possibility of drawing money from funds of the European Union.