Thesis Foreign Studies

http://www.essays.se/essay/1961e16c5e/ Can CSR be used to increase loyalty among Chinese employees in China? A study from a Western perspective
University essay from Göteborgs universitet/Företagsekonomiska institutionen
AUTHOR: Sanna Danielsson; Jonatan Zettergren; [2014-08-12]
KEYWORDS: CSR; China; motivation; loyalty; Western firms; Chinese employees;
ABSTRACT: One of the largest difficulties faced by multinational firms operating in China is the high turnover rate among their Chinese employees. In fact, in 2013, it was rated by US firms to be a larger problem than for example restrictions on foreign investment, transparency and problems related to protection of intellectual property rights (USCBC, 2013). Studies have been made, which shows that other things than only monetary incentives can work to motivate Chinese employees, but there are still much research to be done in the area. Simultaneously, research on Western employees has shown that a company’s work with CSR can increase loyalty. Whether a possibility for the same connection of CSR and loyalty can be found in China, is a question which has not yet been properly addressed. This thesis therefore aims to provide a deeper understanding on whether there is a possibility for Western firms in China to use CSR as a way to increase loyalty among their Chinese employees. In order for the answers of this thesis to be applicable on a longer term perspective, the focus is not only on individuals who are currently employed, but also on future employees, i.e. mostly students. The questions aimed to be answered are; Can CSR strategies and implementation be used by Western firms which are active in China to increase loyalty of Chinese current and future employees? Is it important for Chinese current and future employees if their employer are behaving responsibly or not?The research for this thesis has been conducted through a qualitative online survey on Chinese citizens and trough an interview with a manager at a Western company in China. It is concluded that there are indications that Chinese find CSR important. There are however differences within the Chinese society which has an effect on the perception of CSR and its importance, and thereby on the possibility for Western firms to use CSR to increase loyalty. Lastly, findings from the survey show that there are differences between China and West in which types of CSR efforts are perceived to be most important.

http://www.essays.se/essay/fcc2d94d1c/

A Matter of Relations : A reception study of global audiences’ interpretations of, and interest in, the Norwegian terrorist attacks in 2011
University essay from Stockholms universitet/Institutionen för mediestudier
AUTHOR: Stina Franzén; [2014]
KEYWORDS: Reception study; Cultural studies; Psychology; News value; Survey; Content analysis; Anders Behring Breivik; Norway; Terrorism; Youth For Understanding;
ABSTRACT:
This Master’s thesis investigates the matter of relations as a contributing factor to foreign audiences’ interest in, and interpretation of, news events. An explorative designed quantitative study is conducted based on the example of the terrorist attacks in Norway, 2011. First, a questionnaire was created and shared online with audiences from 53 different countries, with the target group of members of the international exchange student organization Youth For Understanding. 318 responses were collected and analysed in SPSS and the thesis then analyses behavioural-, knowledge- and attitude responses through a quantitative content analysis. The findings are discussed in relation to earlier research on news value, psychology, global compassion and cultural studies. In the results, it is found that foreign audiences’ relationships to the affected foreign country matter to a large extent, both seen to personal relationships such as having friends or family in or around Norway; but also features such as the respondents’ ability to identify with, and relate to, the news. The survey results show that a relation to Norway contributes to more in-depth knowledge and a higher interest rate in the news about the terrorist attacks, and also how relations to Norway affected the respondents’ cognitive and emotive memories of the event. The author recommends further studies with news examples tested on other, larger populations in order to reach a more reliable, valid and generalizable result.

http://www.essays.se/essay/cd8bf57daa/

Influence of Corruption on Business Strategies = An explorative study of Swedish entrepreneurs in Tanzania
University essay from Handelshögskolan i Stockholm/Institutionen för marknadsföring och strategi
AUTHOR: Maria Abramova; Anton Israelsson; [2013]
KEYWORDS: corruption; corruption distance; entry mode; partner selection; post-entry;
ABSTRACT: A limited amount of research has been done on how companies respond to corruption in developing countries apart from avoiding entry. Even less studies concern strategies of international small and medium enterprises entering unknown to them African markets. The purpose of this thesis was to study influence of host country corruption on business strategies of foreign companies both at the entry and post-entry stages through the example of Swedish SMEs in Africa. In order to fulfill the purpose a qualitative study was conducted where the Swedish entrepreneurs doing business in Tanzania were interviewed. Their responses were further compared to the results of the previous studies on corruption, after that differences and similarities were analyzed.The main conclusion of the thesis is that it is possible for international entrepreneurs to successfully start and grow a business in a corrupt host country without taking part in corruption. The important recommendation drawn from the interviews and the literature is having a local partner who has connections and knowledge of the market. However, you have to put significant amount of time and effort into partner selection to make sure that you find a person that shares your values and principles, including negative attitude towards corruption. Another strategies that appeared to be sustainable against corruption were spreading your investment, not outsourcing non-core activities and performing micromanagement on the upper management level.

http://www.essays.se/essay/eb91c518a3/

Local adaptation of larval life history in the moor frog Rana arvalisacross a landscape mosaic
University essay from Uppsala universitet/Uppsala universitet/Institutionen för biologisk grundutbildningPopulationsbiologi och naturvårdsbiologi
AUTHOR: Monique Lustenhouwer; [2012]
KEYWORDS: rana arvalis; moor frog; growth rate; local adaptation; life history; landscape mosaic; predation;
ABSTRACT:
Growth rate is an important life history trait, which impacts fitness indirectly through its effect on the age and size at maturity, as well as directly through costs associated with accelerated growth such as increased predation risk. Genetic variation and plasticity in growth are widespread in nature, and local adaptation of growth rate may evolve due to divergent selection in different environments, for example related to predation risk, temperature or time constraints. I studied local adaptation of larval life history in the moor frog Rana arvalis, in a local network of ponds close to Uppsala. Local adaptation of growth rate and survival was studied in a reciprocal transplant experiment between ponds with different habitat characteristics. Meanwhile, differences among the populations in intrinsic growth, activity and response to predation were studied in a common garden experiment in the laboratory, where tadpoles were raised in the presence or absence of a predator and tested in direct predation trials. In the field, differences in growth among populations were found, independent of which pond the tadpoles were raised in, indicating that the ponds were similar growth environments. Survival differences among the populations depended on the pond, but local populations did not do better than foreign ones. In the laboratory, similar patterns in growth rate were found. All populations were highly plastic in their response to predation, having lower growth and activity in the predator-induced treatment and decreased mortality in the predation trials. Tadpole size was an important factor in escaping predation. One population clearly grew faster than the others in the field and in the lab, which could be explained in terms of its habitat of origin but was most likely related to the relatively late hatching of this population. Future studies are necessary concerning the possible costs of this accelerated growth and the importance of breeding phenology. Apart from the one differential population, I did not find evidence of local adaptation in the field or in the laboratory. The influence of habitat characteristics on tadpole life history was difficult to study, due to the limited number of ponds and many environmental differences among them. However, this thesis was a valuable pilot study concerning the design of experiments to study factors promoting and constraining local adaptation in landscape mosaics. An understanding of local adaptation at the scale at which gene flow occurs is important for the conservation of populations in fragmented landscapes as well as for the study of ecological speciation.

http://www.essays.se/essay/29d5aece6d/

When the western journalist pictures Kenya: A minor field study about colonial heritage and cultural meetings
University essay from Luleå/Department of Arts, Communication and Education
AUTHOR: Malin Wretling; Alexander Asklöf; [2012]
KEYWORDS: journalistik; utrikesjournalistik; postkolonialism; medie- och kommunikationsvetenskap; kenya; kvalitativa forskningsintervjuer; framställning; mfs; minor field studies; stereotyp; kultur; kolonialt arv; över- och underläge;journalist; afrika; anna roosvall; vi och dom;
ABSTRACT: This thesis examines how Western foreign reporters think and reflect on how the post‐colonial heritage affect them in their journalistic portrayal and what journalistic fields they cover in Kenya. The aim is also about to find what difficulties Western foreign reporters face in relation to culture and how they can handle post‐colonial thoughts and culture clashes in the best way.
The investigation consists of a qualitative interview study. The results are based on interview answers from five Western foreign reporters covering Kenya, two Kenyan journalists and the media researcher Anna Roosvall.
The essay also contains an interpretation part, where the authors themselves have act Western foreign reporters in Kenya and have collected journalistic experiences. By writing reportages and then analyze the experiences and the finished texts, they have tried to show how they are affected by and experience the existence of colonial thoughts and cultural differences. The material was analyzed using the Post‐colonial theory, Cultural theory and the theory of news values. The study concludes that there is no much concern over the portrayal among Western journalists; that they think it they have a good view of humanity and that they also have a great responsibility in terms of the image they create of Kenya. They cover both positive and negative fields. Some of the Western journalist’s employers wish for stereotype and familiar reports from Kenya, while other employers of the Western journalists demand positive news and want their reporters to show the "new Africa". The study shows that the Western journalists do not "want” to see the cultural differences that complicate their job. However, they give examples of things (which depending on how you see it can be linked to culture) that complicate their professional practice; that things take longer; that they more often than in their home country face bureaucracy, suspicion for being interviewed and pressure for money in exchange for information. In order to handle cultural difficulties can one for example learn the Kenyan language Swahili, obtain local contacts and prepare oneself for corruption and different kinds of pressure. The portrayal of Kenya can be fairer if one stop to compare Kenya with the Western home country, if one look for more positive news, and include Kenya in a community rather than an outsider.