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- Alänge, Sverker, 1951, et al.
(författare)
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ISO 9001 and Small Companies: a vehicle for growth and maturation
- 1993
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Ingår i: CIM-Working Papers. - 0280-9753. ; :WP 1993:09, s. 21-
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Small and large corporations have met an increasing demand for quality certification according to the ISO 9000 regulations. The ISO 9001 is the most comprehensive of the standards providing guide-lines for third party audits and certification of supplier firms, which besides manufacturing are also involved in development of the products supplied. The standard presribes that the supplier firms are required to have a documented quality system including descriptions of work tasks, report routes and document. The value of this certification process for a small company has been questioned, see e.g. Bergman & Klefsjö (1991). The documentation process has been seen as a waste of time, putting a lot of effort on producing documents instead of practical work to improve quality.It is well-known that small firms that grow rapidly might stumble for various reasons, including an increasing difficulty for the entrepreneur to keep track of every detail in combination with a limited ability for delegating authority. The ISO 9001 provides a route to more structure, hence there seems to be a potential of assisting a small entrepreneurial firm in its growth process.The purpose of the present study is to analyze the effect of a third party certification process according to ISO 9001 on the growth process of small entrepreneurial companies. The empirical analysis is based on the case of BIM Kemi AB, a fast growing entrepreneurial firm which in 1989 was the first small firm to receive an ISO 9001 certificate in Sweden. BIM Kemi AB is a producer of specialized chemicals for the paper and board industry. The firm was founded in 1974 and the number of employees trippled from 1984, to 75 in 1990.The study found that the ISO 9000 certification process can be used as a means for facilitating growth in small entrepreneurial companies. The main contribution is that it remedies some of the growing pains by forcing the company toward more structure by documenting and thus considering and developing work tasks and the relationship between them.The real efficiency of ISO 9001 as a tool for quality improvement and growth is totally dependent on the firm itself and its management. It is up to the company to decide upon where to put the cross bar, i.e. the company must use goals far beyond the mere spur of certification in order to make a major impact.In sum, there is still some validity in the words of Dr. Juran, who stated, that one should involve oneself in ISO 9000, but not let it interfere with quality work. However, we believe that ISO 9001 can be used as a driver for organizational change, provided that the management understands its role and limitations. In such case, the ISO 9001 can provide dynamic input both for company growth by providing structure, as well as contribute toward total quality. However, ISO 9001 can never be more than one contributing factor toward attaining a state of continous improvement and striving for total customer satisfaction.
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| 5. |
- Bengtsson, Sverker, et al.
(författare)
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Time, Money and Support : Student-Athletes Transition to High Achivement Sport
- 2012
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Ingår i: Athletic Insight Journal. - New York : Nova Science Publishers, Inc.. - 1947-6299 .- 2374-0531. ; 4:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this study was to examine the perceptions of within-career transition, as experienced by student-athletes striving to reach the international level. Interviews were used to examine the perceptions of 26 Swedish student-athletes with a mean age of 22.5 years practicing individual sportsatthe national elite level, involved in a career assistance program. Categories identified through thematiccontent analysis were changes experienced in the transition, the career assistance program, resources to adjust to the new level in sport, satisfaction with their current situation, and strategies to adjust to the new level in sport. The athletes highlighted the value of interpersonal support and commitment, and recognized the need to develop further coping strategies, such as stress and time management. Practical implications for promoting successful within-career transitions are discussed © 2013 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.
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| 6. |
- Bengtsson, Sverker, et al.
(författare)
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Time, money and support : Student-athletes' transition to high achievement sports
- 2013
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Ingår i: Athletic Insight's Writings of 2012. - New York : Nova Science Publishers, Inc.. - 9781626181205 ; , s. 99-116
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- All rights reserved.The aim of this study was to examine the perceptions of within-career transition, as experienced by student-athletes striving to reach the international level. Interviews were used to examine the perceptions of 26 Swedish student-athletes with a mean age of 22.5 years practicing individual sportsa the national elite level, involved in a career assistance program. Categories identified through them at iccontent analysis were changes experienced in the transition, the career assistance program, resources to adjust to the new level in sport, satisfaction with their current situation, and strategies to adjust to the new level in sport. The athletes highlighted the value of interpersonal support and commitment, and recognized the need to develop further coping strategies, such as stress and time management. Practical implications for promoting successful within-career transitions are discussed. © 2013 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
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| 8. |
- Enquist, Henrik, et al.
(författare)
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FemtoMAX - An X-ray beamline for structural dynamics at the short-pulse facility of MAX IV
- 2018
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Ingår i: Journal of Synchrotron Radiation. - 0909-0495. ; 25:2, s. 570-579
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The FemtoMAX beamline facilitates studies of the structural dynamics of materials. Such studies are of fundamental importance for key scientific problems related to programming materials using light, enabling new storage media and new manufacturing techniques, obtaining sustainable energy by mimicking photosynthesis, and gleaning insights into chemical and biological functional dynamics. The FemtoMAX beamline utilizes the MAX IV linear accelerator as an electron source. The photon bursts have a pulse length of 100fs, which is on the timescale of molecular vibrations, and have wavelengths matching interatomic distances (Å). The uniqueness of the beamline has called for special beamline components. This paper presents the beamline design including ultrasensitive X-ray beam-position monitors based on thin Ce:YAG screens, efficient harmonic separators and novel timing tools.The FemtoMAX beamline facilitates studies of the structural dynamics of materials on the femtosecond timescale. The first commissioning results are presented.
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| 9. |
- Lundin, Margareta, 1967, et al.
(författare)
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Life Cycle Assessment of Wastewater Systems - Influence of System Boundaries and Scale on Calculated Environmental Loads
- 2000
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Ingår i: Environmental Science & Technology. ; 34, s. 180-186
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology was used to compare the environmental loads from wastewater systems with different technical solutions. This study compared proposed conventional wastewater systems, both large and small scale, with separation systems: one in which urine is handled separately and one in which black water is treated in a liquid composting process. The study showed that large economies of scale, in environmental terms, could be gained both for the operation and for the construction phase. The separation systems outperformed the conventional systems by showing lower emissions to water and more efficient recycling of nutrients to agriculture, especially of nitrogen but also of phosphorus. This implies that the use of separation systems could significantly reduce the need for, and hence the production of, mineral fertilizers and thus reduce the overall use of energy and phosphate minerals. The combination of large-scale wastewater treatment and urine separation was found to be especially advantageous in these respects. It is concluded that some of the most important environmental advantages of separation systems emerge only when models of wastewater systems are expanded to also include potential effects on the production of fertilizers.
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