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| 2. |
- Hulthén, Hana
(författare)
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A model of contextual factors and inter-organizational integration : A Ground Theory study of two supply chains
- 2013
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The purpose of this thesis is to contribute to understanding of the effect of organizational context on supply chain integration. One result is a context- based model that can provide support for practitioners regarding what level of integration to establish with suppliers and customers.Given the notion that most organizations are dependent on other organizations, it leads to a need for not only cross-functional integration but also for integration across organizational boundaries. However, in many organizations the level of integration with suppliers and customers is often inappropriate, inefficient and limited mainly to dyadic integration of order processing and operational scheduling. The existing literature provides only a limited insight concerning the essential circumstances for the integration and the slow growth of the implementation of inter-organizational integration has been attributed primarily to lack of guidelines for creating business relationships with supply chain partners. In the literature, “the more integration the better performance” solutions have often been presented without consideration of very complex internal and external organizational environments of involved companies.During recent years, questions have been raised regarding the nature of integration with suppliers and customers and the extent to which it can be accomplished. Instead of all-encompassing integration, selectivity has been suggested in terms of what level of integration should be applied to each link of the supply chain. The problem for an organization is not to find “one best way”; rather it is to search for solutions that advance integration and differentiation simultaneously. Preferable level of integration depends on many contextual factors associated with e.g. focal company, industry, competitive environment, and nature and type of products. However, in the previous research the focus has primarily been on studying single or limited sets of contextual factors and their impact on integration. These results are often fragmented, leading to multiple frameworks and models. A unifying model providing recommendations in terms of what level of integration to establish with suppliers and customers considering organization’s specific circumstances is desirable. In this study, a large number of contextual factors of integration with suppliers and customers were identified and structured. Additionally, the relationship between these factors and level of the integration was clarified.The study is based on the Grounded Theory methodology. To understand the effect of context on level of integration, two supply chains (triads) from two different industries - medical devices and fast moving consumer goods - have been selected as core samples. Findings are based on in-depth analysis of qualitative data obtained from fourteen interviews with practitioners such as CEOs, SC managers, sales managers, purchasing managers, and logisticians. Following the Grounded Theory methodology, the analysis of the collected data was conducted in three major rounds divided into six steps. The results were compared with a theoretical frame of reference.The main result of this study is a model that describes the relationship between contextual factors and integration activities with suppliers and customers. The findings suggest that the assumption of a fit between context and integration of the Structural Contingency Theory is applicable also from an inter-organizational perspective. The model can be applied to contextual factors both external and internal to an organization. It is supplemented by structured lists of identified contextual factors and integration activities.Recalling the notion of fit between value of contextual factors and level of integration with suppliers and customers, it can be stated that even low levels of integration can be appropriate as long as they are consistent with the values of certain factors representing organizational context. Furthermore, the model adds to existing models and frameworks as it can be used as a diagnostic tool. Applying this model, an organization can evaluate if current levels of integration fit with the corresponding values of contextual factors. Furthermore, the model support identification of misfits between values of contextual factors and present level of integration and it provides an opportunity to adjust or reevaluate the current levels of integration. The model, in combination with the lists of contextual factors and integration activities, can then be used to develop corrective actions in order to regain the desired fit.Intention of this study was to identify and analyze integration of triads in the studied supply chains, commonly known as Supply chain integration. However, this scope of integration has not been found, which is in line with previous research indicating that triadic integration is rare. To reflect the actual situation in more accurate way it is suggested to use the term Inter-organizational integration, implying dyadic scope of integration, rather than Supply chain integration.
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- Johannesson, Björn
(författare)
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Modelling of Transport Processes Involved in Service Life Prediction of Concrete : Important Principles
- 1998
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The main focus in this licentiate thesis is a description of the environmentally introduced action of diffusing and chemically reactive (e.g. carbonation and chemical-physical adsorption-desorption) matter in the pore solution and in the air-filled space in the pore system of the material. The governing equations describing the variation of concentrations of different substances and temperature within the material will then be used in a coupled description of the stress-deformation state using the so-called smeared crack approach.
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- Johansson, Bengt
(författare)
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Improved Models for DC-DC Converters
- 2003
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- To obtain high performance control of a dc-dc converter, a good model of the converter is needed. It is suitable to consider the load to be included in the converter model since it usually affects the dynamics. The load is often the most variable part of this system. If the load current and the output voltage are measured there are good possibilities to obtain a good model of the load on-line. Adaptive control can then be applied to improve the control. In peak current-mode control, the output voltage and the inductor current are measured and utilized by the controller. This thesis analyses some properties that can be obtained if the load current is also measured and utilized for control. Accurate expressions for the control-to-output transfer function, the output impedance, and the audio susceptibility are derived for the buck, boost, and buck-boost converters operated in continuous conduction mode in the case where the load is a linear resistor. If the measured load current is utilized properly by the controller, the output impedance becomes low and the control-to-output transfer function becomes almost invariant for different loads. The use of load current acts as a feedforward term if the load is a current source. However, if the load is a resistor the load current is influenced by changes in the output voltage and the stability is affected. Therefore, the use of load current is not a feedforward action in this case. Instead it can be seen as gain scheduling, which can be considered a special case of adaptive control. In the thesis it is also shown that the two published models for currentmode control, Ridley (1991) and Tan and Middlebrook (1995), give accurate expressions for the control-to-output transfer function and the output impedance but not for the audio susceptibility. A novel model for the audio susceptibility is presented and it is used to improve the two published models. Most of the results in the thesis are validated by comparing the frequency responses predicted by the expressions and switched large-signal simulation models.
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- Schmidt, Manuela
(författare)
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Persons who frequently visit the psychiatric emergency room : who are they and what are their needs?
- 2018
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Persons who frequently visit psychiatric emergency rooms (PERs) account for a disproportionately high number of total visits to PERs. They have needs just as any other human beings do. Yet in addition, they also have specific daily function needs, service needs, and needs for professional healthcare.The overall aim of this thesis was to investigate who persons frequently visiting PERs in Sweden are and what needs they have. Both studies I and II were conducted in southern Sweden. Study I is a quantitative mapping study describing who persons who frequently visit PERs are, what characterizes them, and what characterizes their visits, while study II investigates their self-expressed and selfassessed needs using a mixed-methods design.For data collection, a large-scale registry was used in study I, while in study II an interviewer-administered manual was applied consisting of open-ended questions and validated instruments covering the person-in-care’s needs assessment, alcohol and drug use, exposure to violence, and social network. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests (I, II) and qualitative data were analysed using qualitative content analysis (II).The results indicate that persons who frequently visit PERs represented 8.1% of the total number of PER visitors but accounted for 38.3% of the total number of PER visits (I). They differed significantly from the rest of the PER visitors in terms of gender, diagnoses, hospital admissions, and temporal patterns of visits. Differences were also found in the distance between the PERs and the home municipalities of the visitors (I). In addition, they reported problems in many need areas in life, involving physical and psychiatric health problems as well as financial, emotional, and social problems (II). Results also indicate that they are often subject to violence and have limited social networks (II).The results may be used for planning, developing, and evaluating interventions targeting the needs of persons who frequently visit PERs, which is in line with a person-centred approach. Such an approach might eventually address their needs better, reduce their suffering, and consequently result in fewer PER visits.
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