<p>By first arguing for the fact that globalization is a concept under contest within the social sciences this thesis develops a tool to classify perspectives of globalization. This tool is then applied to textual documents that represents the so called globalization councils (or initiatives) of Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway. Each document is then classified as falling within one of four perspectives of globalization; Liberalisms, Marxisms, Constructivisms and Post-colonialisms. By analyzing a number of documents tied to all four councils and initiatives the thesis is able to interpret what perspective of globalization that is dominant within each of them. Since all four nations examined aspire to use scientific methods to deal with the challenges of globalization they should reflect the diverse state of explanations present within the social scientific community. The thesis finds that this is not the case. While the Norwegian initiative establishes a platform where the concept of globalization could be said to be broadly debated and understood, the other three nations show an astonishing conformity around the perspective named Liberalisms.</p><p>In a concluding discussion the thesis argues that the results of the study cannot be fully explained by differences within the institutional arrangement among the councils and initiatives. Instead the thesis holds that the results can be explained by investigating how science is used in modern society to establish truths that are not necessarily the views of the scientific community. Using theories by Georg Henrik von Wright and Chantal Mouffe the essay concludes that the conformity could be understood as a part of a process that some social scientists call post-politics.</p>

Earlier studies have proposed that Swedish refugee policy started to change around 1942, when a restrictive refugee policy became more generous and humanitarian. From a quantitative point of view this statement is true: there were about ten thousand refugees in 1941, compared to almost two hundred thousand by the end of the war. However, this does not tell us whether the well-known discourses of Swedish inter-war anti-Semitism, nationalism and xenophobia underwent the same changes. The aim of this dissertation is to analyse the public debate concerning foreigners, refugees and refugee policy in 1942–1947. The dissertation puts forward the hypothesis of The Nordic prerogative. In brief, this prerogative meant that Sweden primarily held itself obliged to accept ethnical Northeners as refugees, and looked upon this obligation as more important than other considerations, such as the refugee’s ideological views, need of protection or humanitarian needs. Symptomatically, the groups which could not be entirely encompassed within the idea of a Nordic prerogative, particularly the Balts and the Danish Jews, were perceived as the most problematical refugee groups, both on a general level of the debates, and in specific issues. The idea of a Nordic prerogative did not derive from a sense of ethnical fraternity and humanitarian considerations alone, however. Several undertakings were also brought about by pragmatic considerations. Sweden sought goodwill, and reception of refugees was seen as one way of winning it. The dissertation also shows that the idea of a Nordic prerogative seems to become less important when the refugee comes closer to the everyday life of Sweden, where the Nordic refugees too were referred to as ”foreigners”, ”aliens” etc. As such, they had to put up with being spoken of in negatively loaded expressions, in the same way as other foreigners.

Problem: Det finns skillnader kring hållbarhetsredovisning mellan länder när det gäller reglering, tillämpning av GRI:s (Global Reporting Initiatives) riktlinjer, intressenternas makt att påverka med flera. Dessa skillnader kan ha uppstått på grund av många orsaker men i denna uppsats kommer det att utredas om kulturen kan förklara dessa skillnader.   Syfte: Syftet med denna uppsats är att beskriva och förklara i vilken utsträckning kulturen har en inverkan på hur de olika nordiska länderna väljer att lagstifta kring hållbarhetsredovisning och hur företagen tillämpar GRI:s riktlinjer. Men även om intressenternas makt att påverka företagen att göra en hållbarhetsredovisning har någon förklaring i kulturen. Metod: Den insamlade datan är huvudsakligen kvalitativ men har kompletterats med en del kvantitativ data. Insamlingen har skett genom litteratursökning, telefonintervjuer och en e-mailkontakt. Vid telefonintervjuerna har vi utgått ifrån ett frågeformulär och låtit respondenterna besvara frågorna med egna ord. Respondenterna har valts utifrån Fredrik Ljungdahls affärsnätverk inom PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers).                              Resultat: Det finns en svag kulturell förklaring till hur företagen i nordens länder väljer att lagstifta kring hållbarhetsredovisning, tillämpa GRI:s riktlinjer samt vilken makt intressenterna har att påverka företagen till att hållbarhetsredovisa. Graden av lagstadgad kontroll kan förklara skillnader i reglering medan det inte finns någon kulturell förklaring till tillämpningen av GRI:s riktlinjer. Graden av maktdistans kan slutligen förklara intressenternas makt att påverka företagen till att hållbarhetsredovisa. / Problem: There are some differences in sustainability reporting between countries when it comes to regulation, applying GRI:s (Global Reporting Initiatives) guiding principles, stakeholders´ power to influence and so on. These differences can appear from different reasons but in this graduate paper we will investigate if these differences can be explained by cultural factors. Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe and explain to which extent the culture has any impact on how the Nordic countries choose to regulate the sustainability reporting and how the companies apply GRI:s guiding principles. But also if the stakeholders´ power to affect companies to do a sustainability report can have its explanation in the culture. Method: The gathered data is mainly qualitative but has been complemented with quantitative data. The gathering has been done through literature research, telephone interviews and an e-mail contact. In the telephone interviews we used a question form although the interviewee was allowed to answer the questions in his or her own words. The interviewee have been chosen on the basis of Fredrik Ljungdahls business network within PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers).             Result: There are a weak cultural explanation to how the Nordic countries choose to regulate the sustainability reporting, apply GRI:s guiding principles and which power the stakeholders´ have to influence the companies to do a sustainability report. The degree of statutory control can explain the differences in regulation while there are no cultural explanation to the application of GRI:s guiding principles. The degree of powerdistance can finally explain the stakeholders´ power to influence the companies to do a sustainability report.

During the last decades a stronger role for the regions has developed in many West European countries. To a significant degree this regionalisation trend has coincided with European integration. The key change in the role of the regional level has been with regard to its status as an agent of regional development. In most West European countries there has been a shift from an approach to regional policy that has focused on redistributive measures from the centre in which the regions play a relatively weak role to a perspective that is sometimes labelled “new regionalism” in which the focus is on the region taking responsibility for its own development. In this new regionalist perspective, which is both descriptive and normative, the region is considered as the appropriate arena for both economic activities and decision-making. In the political systems of the Nordic countries the regional level has traditionally been in a relatively weak position and regional policy has emphasized centralisation and redistributive measures. Not unexpectedly, the pan-European trend toward a stronger role for the region has also found its way to the Nordic countries. The aim of this study is to describe and analyze if and to what extent key actors in three peripheral regions, situated in countries with a strong tradition of redistribution from the centre and a weak role for the regional level, have embraced the new regionalist perspective. The three regions are Troms in Norway, Pohjois-Pohjanmaa in Finland and Västerbotten in Sweden. All are peripherally located with small populations and economies that rely heavily on natural resources. The analysis is based on interviews with regional and local politicians, civil servants, and business representatives. The empirical material is presented in the form of narratives formulated by the regional actors who express their views on regional policy and the role of the region. The results of the study show that regional actors in the three peripheries express similar narratives. To a certain degree actors have embraced the new regionalist perspective in the sense that they see the regional level as an important coordinator for development initiatives and measures. However, the actors’ claims for a stronger regional level must be understood in the context of the unitary state. In this context, the actors’ perspective combines the new regionalist and the centralist redistributive approach, one that can be labelled ‘redistributive regionalism’. The state remains the key actor and is expected to guarantee equal conditions in all parts of the country. The emphasis on strengthening the administrative region is more pronounced in Troms and Västerbotten than in Pohjois-Pohjanmaa, where instead there is a stronger focus on the functional region. Actors in the three regions do not see any contradiction between a strong state and increased regional influence on development issues. In sum, the study finds that the new regionalist perspective has been embraced to a certain extent but that it has been adapted to national characteristics, as well as to the specific conditions in the three regions.

This study investigates the capital structure pattern on the Nordic Banking sector, and analyzes if the macroeconomics conditions have an impact on it. The topic is timely and relevant as the credit crises, which has reached the real economy strongly, appears to lead to a restructure of the capital structure of the firms. To achieve my objective I have observed the debt-to-equity ratio in the period 2003-2008. I conducted correlation analysis and further regression analysis to search for a relationship between the variables and then a cause-effect relation between the macroeconomic measures and the capital structure. In order to understand and select the macroeconomics measures to this investigation I have reviewed well known theories and studies about the subject.   I have found a stable debt-to-equity ratio on the book value; however to the market value the figures indicate a decrease in equity value, especially in the last year. In order to search for a macroeconomic relationship, I have developed hypotheses and examined them to select the most suitable variables to a regression analysis. The choice was the change in the GDP, the interest rate and tax rate.   The results revealed that the book value is better explained by these measures than the market value. They demonstrate statistical significantly, highlighting the change in GDP. Even if the findings suggest that there is a correlation between the macroeconomic condition and the capital structure, the analyses suggest only moderate relationship, that should be further investigate.

Maxicap AB är ett företag som utvecklar och tillverkar elektronisk utrustning för bland annat olika mätuppgifter. Målet med detta examensjobb var att undersöka och implementera en stabil trådlös dataöverföringsmetod med den utrustning som Maxicap ville använda. Detta skulle åstadkommas/testas genom att sända temperatursensorvärden trådlöst med Nordic Semiconductor’ssändtagare (eng. transceiver) styrda av Atmel’s mikrokontrollers. Arbetet fokuserade på att få till denna stabila trådlösa överföring genom att implementera frekvenshoppning och datapaketskontroll på datatrafiken inom det fria 2,4 GHz ISM-bandet. All den C-kod som utvecklades i detta arbete är skriven för att vara lättanpassad till flera olika modeller av mikrokontrollers inom Atmel’s produktserie samt att kunna användas till andra liknande projekt. Koden är väldokumenterad med kommentarer vid varje funktionsblock som beskriver vad funktionerna gör och hur de skall användas. Arbetet resulterade i två fungerande prototyper. En enhet känner av temperaturen i luften och skickar sedan detta temperaturvärde trådlöst till enhet nummer två. Detta värde samt några inställningsvärden för mottagaren visas sedan på den enhetens display.

För att mycket snabbt kunna komma på plats vid en kris, har Europa inom ramen för EU börjat upprättasnabbinsatsstyrkor, såkallade EU Battle Groups. En EU Battle Group kommer att ha en mycket kort tid på sig frånbeslut till insats. I samband med att Sverige engagerat sig i EU militära samarbete tog Sverige huvudansvaret för enav de Battle Groups som skall upprättas, den såkallade Nordic Battle Group. Sverige har vid tidigare insatser visatatt det är mycket svårt att snabbt få förband på plats i ett insatsområde. Materielen är ofta det som varitgränssättande för när förbandet skall bli operativt vid en insats.Uppsatsens syfte är att ge ett svar på hur stridsfordon till svenska snabbinsatsförband som står i beredskap börförvaras för att skapa de bästa förutsättningarna vid en insats.Metoden för uppsatsen är ett antal frågeställningar, där svar söks genom en fallstudie med två olikaförvaringsprinciper. Kvalitativa intervjuer, studiebesök, litteratur- och dokumentstudier samt entillförlitlighetsförstärkande enkät har använts. Teoriansatsen som ligger till grund är, Förvarsmaktens riktlinjer förförvaring av förnödenheter och den israeliske militärlogistikern Moshe Kress, hur status på förnödenheterupprätthålls.Resultatet visar att svenska snabbinsatsförband bör ha stridsfordon förrådställda under beredskap. Men att hastridsfordonen ute vid förbandet är också en fullt möjlig förvaringsprincip.Det vetenskapliga bidraget i uppsatsen är att modellen kan ligga till grund för att jämföra förvaringsprinciper förannan typ av materiel till snabbinsatsförband. / In order to be rapidly in place in crises, Europe has within the framework of EU, started toestablish rapid reaction units, so-called EU Battle Groups. An EU Battle Group will have avery short time from decision to mission. As Sweden has become more involved in EUmilitary cooperation, it has assumed main responsibility for one of the Battle Groups to beestablished, the so-called Nordic Battle Group. Sweden has in earlier missions, shown that itis very hard to get units quickly in place in an area of responsibility. Equipment is often thecrucial factor in getting the unit operational in a mission.The purpose of this essay is to find an answer to how the combat vehicles for Swedish unitsshould be stored to get the best conditions for a mission when in the state of alert.The method for the essay is a number of questions, where the answers will be found thru acase study of two different principles of storage. Also, qualitative interviews, educationalvisits, literature and document studies have been used including a reliability reinforcementquestionnaire. The basis for the theoretical approach is the Swedish Armed Forces’ guidingprinciples for storage of supplies, and the Israeli military logistician Moshe Kress’s theory onhow to maintain the status of supplies.The result shows that Swedish units should have their combat vehicles kept in storage duringa state of alert. However, having combat vehicles within the units is also a possible principleof storage.The scientific contribution in the essay is that the model described can be used to compareprinciples of storage for other types of equipment for rapid reaction units. / Avdelning: ALB - Slutet Mag 3 C-upps.Hylla: Upps. ChP 04-06

Bakgrund: Förändringen från invasionsförsvar till ett insatt insatsförsvar innebär ävenförändring för officerens fysiska prestationsförmåga utifrån ett kompetensperspektiv. Detta ikombination med statsmakternas vilja att Sverige skall delta i internationella insatser i störreutsträckning än tidigare kommer troligen att påverka kravet på officerens fysiskaprestationsförmåga?Syfte: Få insikt om dagens armeofficer uppfyller de kvalifikationer/krav som ställs på fysiskprestationsförmåga i Nordic Battle Group sett ur ett kompetensperspektiv.Teori: Kompetensbegreppet och därtill hörande teorier.Metod: Abduktiv metod har tillämpats, empiri utifrån enkät- och intervjuresultat.Huvudresultat: Resultatet visat att en minoritet av armeofficerarna känner till tilläggskraven,både beträffande insatsorganisationen och krav för personal i NBG. Resultatet visat att enmajoritet av armeofficerarna uppskattar att de uppfyller de fysiska kraven för personal i NBG urett kompetensperspektiv. Resultatet visar dock att det generellt finns förbättringspotentialbeträffande armeofficerens fysiska prestationsförmåga. / Background: The transformation of the Swedish Armed Forces (SAF) from the Cold War conceptto today’s mission-oriented SAF with units designated for international operations. This,combined with Swedish political ambition to increase SAF commitments to operations abroad,affects the demands placed on the physical capacity of Swedish armyofficers.Purpose: To examine Swedish armyofficer ability to fulfill Nordic Battle Group physicalrequirements.Theory: A competence model and theories related to it have been utilised.Method: An abductive method has been applied and empirical results have been gained fromquestionnaires and interviews.Main result: A minority of armyofficers aren’t aware of the new physical requirements of thetransformed Armed Forces. However, most armyofficers’ physical capacity corresponds to therequirements of the new mission-oriented SAF. Nevertheless, the study concludes that there isroom for improvement concerning Swedish armyofficers’ physical capacity. / Avdelning: ALB - Slutet Mag 3 C-upps.Hylla: Upps. ChP 04-06

Efter kalla kriget har den generella hotbilden ändrat karaktär. Stater och samarbetsorganisationeragerar olika mot de nya hoten. Avsikten med uppsatsen är att utifrån ett sjömaktsperspektiv undersökaoch diskutera hur utvecklingen av de svenska sjöstridskrafterna, särskilt internationella korvettstyrkan(IKS), förhåller sig till den hotbild och de samarbetsmönster som framträder idag. Följande frågorligger till grund för uppsatsen:1) Hur kan nya typer av hot hanteras inom sjöarenan?2) Vilka nya samarbetsmönster kan urskiljas inom sjöarenan och hur förhåller sig Sverige till dessa?3) I vilken mån är svenska sjöstridskrafter, särskilt korvettstyrkan, användbara i den nuvarandehotmiljön och i förhållande till de nya samarbetsmönster som kan urskiljas?Den teori som används är modellen sjökrigets metoder, som huvudsakligen grundar sig på amiral Alfred T Mahan och Sir Julian Corbetts teorier om hur att vinna krig till sjöss.Metoden är litteraturstudier, som omfattar: nya typer av hot, IKS, NATO operation Active Endeavouroch samarbetsorganisationer. Beskrivningarna analyseras och tolkas och diskuteras slutligen motbakgrund av uppsatsens syfte. Följande slutsatser utgör mina svar på frågorna:• Nya typer av hot kan effektivast hanteras genom dominerande närvaro, power projection• Samarbetsmönster för framgångsrik insats mot nya hot tycks vara allianser eller koalitioner.• Svenska sjöstridskrafter behärskar erfordliga sjökrigsmetoder och besitter förutsättningar attbekämpa nya typer av hot i maritima säkerhetsoperationer. / Since the Cold War, new kinds of threats have occurred, to which states and organisations reactdifferently. Looking from a sea power perspective, the aim of this essay is to examine and discuss howSwedish naval units, specifically the Swedish international corvette unit (SwICU), can adapt to thenew threat situation and new patterns of cooperation that occur today. The thesis is based on thefollowing questions:1) How can new kinds of maritime threats be handled?2) What new patterns of cooperation occur in the maritime arena and how does Sweden relate to these?3) In what way are Swedish naval units, specifically the SwICU, useful in a new threat environmentand in relation to other cooperation patterns?The theory used in this essay, with which to analyse the research, is the compiled methodical summaryof the Methods of Combat at Sea, mainly based on admiral Alfred T Mahan’s and Sir Julian Corbett’stheories on how to win wars at sea.The method used is to study literature, which comprises: the new kinds of threats, SwICU, NATOoperation Active Endeavour and organisations. Each part of the studies is analysed and interpreted andfinally discussed as regards the aim of the essay. The following main conclusions form answers to thequestions:• New kinds of threats are best handled with dominant presence, power projection.• Successful patterns of cooperation seem to be different alliances or coalitions.• Swedish naval units do possess the required methods for fighting new kinds of threats and areable to contribute to a maritime security operation. / Avdelning: ALB - Slutet Mag 3 C-upps.Hylla: Upps. ChP 04-06

In our master thesis “Fashionable strategies” we analyze the internationalization processof small and medium sized Nordic Fashion companies. In our study we conducted aquantitative survey and qualitative in-depths interviews to shed light on the topic. We usehereby an iterative research strategy through the triangulation analysis method as researchapproach. The combination of methodologies and perspectives allowed us to analyze ourtheoretical framework and the research questions in a favorable manner. The researchquestions we aim to investigate in our study were the following:· What are the reasons for the small and medium sized Nordic fashion companies wheninternationalizing, and what are the strategies the companies use hereby?· What influences the small and medium sized Nordic fashion companies in their choiceof strategy and market to enter?· Which barriers of entry and problems do the small and medium sized Nordic fashioncompanies see as critical in their internationalization process and how do theyovercome these issues?In the research we especially took a look at the following areas that we found mainlyimportant for fashion companies in their internationalization process: The reasons forexpanding, the choice of market, the entry modes that are used and barriers and problemsthat occur in the process. We take a view on the theoretical models of the Uppsala Model,Helsinki model, Revised Uppsala model and Born-Global Theory to explain the strategiesbehind the small and medium sized Nordic fashion companies.We see that the growth of the company and the profit increase are the main reasons for theNordic fashion companies when expanding their business. The entry modes used by thecompanies are agents and distributors, and when choosing the markets the fashioncompanies are contact-driven and focusing first on markets that have a rather smallerdistance to their own domestic market. The problems the companies have to overcome arecosts of entry, cash-flow and invoice payments which are all related to financial issues.We believe that our study has contributed with new information to the research field ofinternationalization concerning small medium fashion companies in the Nordic countries.