This research seeks to contribute towards the understanding of economic linkage within the rural context by exploring the relationship between rurally located small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and their purchase of producer (business) services. In addition, the work considers other inter-rural and intra-rural differences, in both firm (SME) behaviour and firm characteristics. Whilst the subject of linkages has been explored by other researchers, the market town and SME focus of this thesis provides a more spatially contained framework than is often encountered within this type of research. By using four towns of similar size and structure contained within two noticeably different counties, the work is able to explore difference within the rural setting. Given its emphasis on market towns, rural areas, SMEs, the service sector and indigenous growth potential, the work contributes to current debates in both academia and in national and European government policy. The underlying hypothesis is that integration, in terms of local spending on producer services, is a function of a firm's characteristics. In order to test this hypothesis, data was collected from four rural towns, and a logistic regression model was constructed using variables that described both firms' characteristics and proportion of spend on services in their resident town. The model was then tested using data collected firom a further two towns. This thesis shows that there is a relationship between a firm's characteristics and the location of the firm's producer service spending, enhancing our understanding of firms operating within the rural context. Key characteristic variables that are shown to have a relationship with producer service spend location are: firm Standard Industrial Classification (SIC), size (in terms of total sales, total number of hours worked by all staff), total spend on producer services by firm and distance that the current location is from the firm's previous location. Given the changing role and nature of rural firms, this research provides timely information concerning the relationship between firms and service providers.

Syfte: Syftet med studien är att undersöka motivation inom virtuella arbetsmiljöer. Vidaresyftar studien även till att jämföra skillnader mellan olika generationer gällande motivation ivirtuella arbetsmiljöer.Metod: I denna studie har en kvantitativ metod applicerats med hjälp av enwebbenkätundersökning. Studien är hypotetisk-deduktiv där hypoteser härleds från denteoretiska referensramen. Den data som samlats in består av 84 svar, vilka bearbetades iprogrammet SPSS där oberoende t-test och medelvärdesanalys genomfördes.Resultat & slutsats: Av de motivationsfaktorer som studerats motiveras den äldregenerationen av flexibilitet och självstyre och bra ledarskap, samt delvis av teknologiskbekvämlighet. Den yngre generationen motiveras av flexibilitet och självstyre, teknologiskbekvämlighet och bra ledarskap, samt ledarskap kopplat till social närvaro. Studien har ävenfunnit att de faktorer som leder till motivation, också kan leda till amotivation inom virtuellaarbetsmiljöer om de hanteras oaktsamt.Bidrag: Studiens praktiska bidrag är en ökad förståelse för olika generationers motivationhos medarbetare inom virtuella arbetsmiljöer, vilket kan underlätta ledararbete ochHR-processer. Studiens teoretiska bidrag ger framför allt en indikation på motivationsfaktoreroch amotivationsfaktorer inom virtuella arbetsmiljöer genom de teoretiska modeller somutvecklats. Vidare bidrar studien även med teoretiska förslag på nya perspektiv på Herzbergstvåfaktorteori och Hawthornestudien. / Aim: The purpose of the study is to investigate motivation in virtual work environments.Furthermore, the study also aims to compare differences between different generationsregarding motivation in virtual work environments.Method: In this study, a quantitative method has been applied using a web based survey. Thestudy is hypothetical-deductive where hypotheses are derived from the theoreticalframework. The data collected consists of 84 responses, which were processed in the programSPSS where independent t-tests and mean value analyses were performed.Results and conclusions: The older generation was found to be motivated by flexibility andself-management and good leadership, as well as in part by technological comfort. Theyounger generation is motivated by flexibility and self-management, technological comfortand good leadership, as well as leadership linked to social presence. The study additionallyfound that the factors which lead to motivation also can lead to amotivation in virtual workenvironments if they are handled negligently.Contribution: The study's practical contribution is an increased understanding of differentgenerations' motivation among employees in virtual work environments, which can facilitateleadership work and HR processes. The study's theoretical contribution primarily provides anindication of motivational factors and amotivational factors within virtual work environmentsthrough the theoretical models that were developed. Furthermore, the study also contributeswith theoretical proposals for new perspectives on Herzberg's two-factor theory and theHawthorne study.