abstract: In the past three decades alone, the United States has witnessed a dramatic rise in the prevalence of obesity and overweight in adults and children. Efforts towards obesity mitigation and prevention have produced promising recommendations and researchers and practitioners alike acknowledge that real solutions must match the complexity of the problem. Comprehensive approaches that target environmental, economic, socio-cultural, and knowledge-based factors that influence diet and physical activity are highly recommended. However, the literature yields little in the way of what such comprehensive obesity interventions actually entail and how they ought to be developed. In particular, there are knowledge gaps in how various stakeholder groups can bridge institutional barriers to collaborate in ways that maximize resources, build upon synergies, and avoid duplication of efforts; and how specific recommendations are actually implemented. This thesis aims to contribute to an emerging body of literature that fills this gap by presenting a practical case study on how to create a playground obesity intervention in the Gateway District of Phoenix, Arizona, in collaboration with researchers, health professionals, neighborhood residents, and city officials. The objectives were two-fold: 1. To outline concrete steps that will allow an organization to create a playground linked with healthy kids education program that aims to increase physical activity, perceptions of safety, and community cohesion; 2. To outline how diverse stakeholders can collaborate effectively to create such a cohesive, complex obesity intervention. A detailed, actionable intervention manual was drafted through semi-structured interviews, literature review, a survey, a stakeholder workshop, and an extended peer-review. The manual describes the sequence of actions necessary for creating an innovative playground that reinforces learning, encourages creative play, and increases physical activity. The sequence of actions was linked with existing local assets, stakeholder roles and responsibilities, costs, and potential barriers. This manual, as well as the process itself, can serve as a transferable model for helping organizations come together to build the capacity required in order to tackle complex health challenges. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.A. Sustainability 2013

Trends in the surrounding society have made companies more interdependent and increased the number of actors in value chains, emphasizing the importance of business ecosystems. This is especially relevant for the hydrogen gas-based mobility ecosystem, as it presents novel opportunities for delivering solutions in relatively uncharted territory. This study therefore examines how solution-oriented business models apply in the context of hydrogen gas-based mobility solutions. By identifying key actors within the business ecosystem, a better understanding of key activities and success factors can be established and used for understanding the proper governance configuration that maximizes shared value creation in the ecosystem. An abductive approach with a methodological choice of qualitative research through a case study was applied in this study. The case study was conducted at the Scania Pilot Partner division at Scania and investigated the hydrogen gas-based mobility ecosystem with Scania as the focal firm. The case study consisted of 12 interviews, of which five were conducted with employees at Scania and seven with various actors in the business ecosystem. The theoretical and empirical findings suggest that energy suppliers, authorities, customers, and an ecosystem leader are key actors for hydrogen gas-based mobility solutions. Furthermore, the usage of a business model framework, being flexible, integrating customers, having proper knowledge management, and enabling a single touchpoint seem to be important elements to include. It is also indicated that risk sharing, joint venture, dedicated sales and service companies as well as incentives, trust, and transparency are beneficial governance mechanisms. Companies should also consider ownership structure, but the analysis is inconclusive on how much of a value chain should be owned by the focal firm. Based on the results, five recommendations are made to companies looking to deliver hydrogen gas-based mobility solutions: (1) establish a joint venture with key actors, (2) establish a single touchpoint for customers through dedicated sales and service companies, (3) set up processes for both internal and external knowledge management and knowledge sharing, (4) engage and align incentives with authorities early, and (5) take a leadership position in the ecosystem if the resources necessary for such a commitment are available.

Combining techniques from Solution-Oriented Therapy and Vygotsky's theory of cognitive development, this study examines young children's abilities to respond to certain solution-oriented techniques. Developmentally, young children (ages up to five years) may have difficulty responding to abstract questions,. such as questions designed to generate solutions. According to Vygotsky's theory of cognitive development, children can be aided to understand more developmentally complicated concepts through a process called "scaffolding" (Wood, Bruner, & Ross, 1976). Adults or peers can provide scaffolding in the form of questions, clues, prompts, or modeling. Supplementing complex ideas with concrete objects can also aid the scaffolding process. In this qualitative study, five five-year-olds were interviewed using solution-focused questions and scaling questions based upon solution-oriented techniques. These techniques aid the search for solutions and the person's awareness of resources. Concrete props and questions were the primary scaffolding techniques employed. Results of this study suggest that young children are able to respond to the solution-oriented techniques used in this study and are able to generate a variety of potential solutions. Common resources the children recognize include words, ways of sharing, adults, toys, and friends/siblings. An awareness of individual differences is naturally important when interacting with children, as they each have unique experiences and resources. Because of the individual differences and the small sample size, these results have limited generalizability. Suggestions for future research are included. In addition, recommendations for other developmentally appropriate methods of adapting solution-oriented techniques when working with young children, primarily through play and stories, are proposed. / Master of Science

How should requirements be expressed to support the design process of advanced software? This is what this report contributes based on facts from qualitative research methods performed at Ericsson Software Technology. The design process studied is influenced by different ways of expressing the requirements, problem-oriented and solution-oriented. The problem-oriented way of expressing requirements supports the designers to keep the overall picture of the product and make visions possible in the requirement handling process. The study also points out that the problem-oriented way of expressing requirements facilitates distributed software projects. / Rapporten berör hur krav kan uttryckas problemorienterat eller lösningsorienterat och hur dessa olika uttryckssätt påverkar designprocessen.

The aim of this thesis was to find out how the teachers I have interviewed, felt that they worked with and looked at conflict management. The aim was also to find similarities and differences in teachers' ways of working with conflict. With the help of my questions, I got answers to what I wanted to explore in my essay. I used these questions: What strategies do the teachers I interviewed for managing conflicts in preschool? What tools do the teachers I interviewed see as most effective in the process of conflict management? Are there differences and similarities in the way that the teachers I interviewed work with current conflict? What factors, according to the informants starts a conflict? What is the teachers’ definition of a conflict and how does their definition affect their approach when working with conflicts?In my study, I have used a qualitative approach in the form of structured interview, to get material for my thesis. In my interviews, I used an interview guide and a tape recorder.I analyzed my material using three different theories. The first theory is Vygotsky's theory of learning and development from a sociocultural perspective, the other is Skinner's theory of positive feedback and the third is Freud's psychoanalytic theory. I have also used the previous research to analyze my empirical material. Previous research describing various approaches to working with conflicts. I have also used the book Solution -oriented pedagogy as a tool to analyze my material.      The study shows that it seems as the most important thing in one's work with conflict, is the way a teacher look at and relate to a conflict. Many of the teacher see a conflict as something constructive and positive. There is a different approach and strategies in the way the different pre-schoolteachers work and help the kids to take on and resolve a conflict. The similarities in the teachers work with conflict is that they find dialogue as an important tool and that the language is important in resolving a conflict.

Im Masterkurs „Sustainable Supply Chain Management“ wurde ein innovatives und vielschichtiges Seminar entwickelt. Es bietet Studierenden die besondere Herausforderung, Wissen durch eigene Forschung sowie in Teams und durch die Kooperation mit Partnern aus der Wirtschaft/der Industrie zu erlangen und dabei dieses Wissen mit kreativen Methoden zu systematisieren und weiter zu entwickeln, um am Ende eigene Ideen, Lösungen und Konzepte zu kreieren. Die Studierenden sind von Anfang an aktive Gestalter_innen der Unterrichtsinhalte, verfolgen das klare Lernziel, Resultate und Erkenntnisse aus der Forschung kreativ für Industriepartner aufzubereiten, und tragen dadurch zum Wissenstransfer bei.

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