University of Borås
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Efficiency of reconditioning through digital product passports
No full textBakgrunden till studien är att rekonditionering av textilier ofta försvåras på grund av brist på information om olika komponenter som material, användning och tidigare behandlingar. Rekonditionering inom textil innebär att man förlänger livslängden genom olika metoder, såsom enzymbehandling, infärgning med mera. Denna utmaning varierar beroende på affärsmodell och typ av produkt. Syftet är att undersöka hur informationsbrist påverkar rekonditionering av textilier och om digitala produktpass kan effektivisera och underlätta rekonditioneringsprocesserna. Även hur det kan implementeras inom sektorn undersöks. Genom kvalitativa intervjuer med aktörer inom återbruk och rekonditionering undersöks behovet av bättre informationsflöden och hur digitala produktpass skulle kunna möta dessa. Resultatet visar att det finns en positiv inställning till digitala produktpass men även att det existerar hinder som kräver att systemen klarar av att hantera båda produkter med och utan digitala produktpass, samt hur teknisk och organisatorisk kapacitet bör anpassas därefter. Fortsatt visar resultatet att branschöverskridande samarbeten genom hela den textilavärdekedjan är central för att digitala produktpass skall kunna implicera en positiv påverkan på effektiviteten inom rekonditionering av textilier. Sammanfattningsvis visar diskussionen att bristen på produktinformation kraftigt försvårar rekonditionering av textilier, då aktörer tvingas fatta beslut utan tillräcklig kunskap om material, behandlingar, skötsel och dylikt. Digitala produktpass lyfts som en lösning med stor potential att förbättra spårbarhet, kvalitetssäkring och informationsflöde, men även ett initiativ som kräver genomgripande organisatoriska anpassningar. Diskussionen belyser även att den uteblivna informationen i textilsystem inte bara är ett praktiskt problem utan ett resultat av konsumtionsdriven designkultur där återvinning inte tas hänsyn till.The background to the work is that reconditioning of textiles is often made more difficult due to a lack of information about different components such as materials, use and previous treatments. Reconditioning in textiles means extending the lifespan through various methods, such as enzyme treatment, dyeing, etcetera. This challenge varies depending on the business model and type of product. The aim is to investigate how a lack of information affects the reconditioning of textiles and whether digital product passports can streamline and facilitate the reconditioning processes. How it can be implemented within the sector is also investigated. Through qualitative interviews with actors in recycling and reconditioning, the need for better information flows is examined and how digital product passports could meet these. The result shows that there is a positive attitude towards digital product passports but also that there are obstacles that require that the systems can handle both products with and without digital product passports, and how technical and organizational capacity should be adapted accordingly. The result also shows that cross-industry collaborations throughout the textile value chain are central for digital product passports to be able to have a positive impact on the efficiency of textile reconditioning. In summary, the discussion shows that the lack of product information greatly complicates the reconditioning of textiles, as actors are forced to make decisions without sufficient knowledge about materials, treatments, care, etcetera. Digital product passports are highlighted as a solution with great potential to improve traceability, quality assurance and information flow, but also an initiative that requires thorough organizational adaptations. The discussion also highlights that the lack of information in textile systems is not only a practical problem but a result of a consumption-driven design culture where recycling is not considered
The Purchased Sense of Belonging : A Study on Young People's Decision to Buy Tickets to Way Out West
No full textWay Out West har vuxit till ett av Sveriges mest betydelsefulla evenemang och lockar över 100,000 besökare varje år, där unga utgör en stor del av publiken. Festivalens starka attraktionskraft av just denna målgrupp väcker frågan om vad som påverkar deras biljettköp. Studien undersöker vad som ligger bakom ungas beslut att köpa biljett till musikfestivalen Way Out West. Syftet är att förstå vilka känslomässiga och sociala faktorer som påverkar beslutet. Studien bygger på en kvalitativ metodansats där semistrukturerade intervjuer har genomförts med personer i åldern 20–28 år som köpt biljett till festivalen. Analysen visar att biljettköpet ofta motiveras av en önskan att känna tillhörighet och undvika känslor av utanförskap. Festivalen uppfattas inte enbart som en musikupplevelse, utan som en viktig social arena där gemensamma minnen och identitet formas. Med stöd i SIT (social identitetsteori) framkommer hur deltagande i festivalen bidrar till skapandet av in-grupper och social tillhörighet. FOMO (fear of missing out) framträder som en central drivkraft, där rädslan för att gå miste om meningsfulla upplevelser med vänner påverkar beslutet att delta. Sociala medier förstärker dessa känslor och fungerar både som en källa till FOMO och som en bekräftelse på gemenskap. Studiens främsta bidrag är att den identifierar emotionella aspekter av biljettköp som hittills inte belysts i svensk festivalforskning. Resultaten kan vara relevanta för aktörer inom evenemangs- och marknadsföringsbranschen som vill förstå hur unga konsumenter motiveras av tillhörighet, exklusivitet och social identifikation.Way Out West has grown into one of Sweden’s most significant events, attracting over 100,000 visitors annually, with young people accounting for a large portion of the audience. The festival’s strong appeal to this particular target group raises questions about the factors that influence their ticket purchases. This study explores the underlying factors behind young people's decisions to purchase tickets to the music festival Way Out West. The aim is to understand the emotional and social influences that shape these decisions. The study is based on a qualitative approach, using semi-structured interviews with individuals aged 20-28 who have bought tickets to Way Out West. The analysis reveals that the ticket purchase often is driven by a desire to feel a sense of belonging and to avoid feelings of exclusion. The festival is perceived not merely as a musical experience, but as a significant social space where shared memories and identity are created. Supported by SIT (Social Identity Theory), the findings illustrate how participation in the festival contributes to the creation of in-groups and a sense of social belonging. FOMO (fear of missing out) emerges as a central motivating factor, where the fear of missing out on meaningful experiences with friends strongly influences the decision to attend. Social media amplifies these emotions, serving both as a source of FOMO and a means of affirming social connection. The main contribution of this thesis is the identification of emotional aspects of ticket purchasing that have not previously been addressed in Swedish festival research. The findings may be relevant for professionals in the event and marketing industries seeking to understand how young consumers are motivated by belonging, exclusivity, and social identification
AI Disclosure in Major Swedish Banks’ Annual- and Sustainability Reports : A Document Study
No full textNär artificiell intelligens snabbt omformar banksektorn förändras också hur tekniken kommuniceras utåt. Denna uppsats undersöker hur svenska storbanker använder års- och hållbarhetsrapporter för att legitimera sin användning av artificiell intelligens (AI). Genom en kvalitativ och kvantitativ innehållsanalys av rapporter från Handelsbanken, Nordea, SEB och Swedbank under perioden 2021-2024 analyseras mängden och karaktären av AI-relaterad disclosure. Analysen utgår från fyra kategorier: allmänna uttalanden, projekt och initiativ, applikationer och tjänster, samt etik och värderingar. Dessa tolkas sedan med stöd i legitimitetsteori och signalingteori. Resultatet visar att både frekvensen och omfattningen av AI disclosure har ökat över tid, samtidigt som innehållet har fått en mer framträdande placering i rapporterna. Detta tyder på ett växande behov av att motivera och förankra AI-användningen inför intressenter. Studien visar att bankerna utvecklar olika strategier för att signalera legitimitet, där vissa lyfter sin teknologiska förmåga och innovation, medan andra istället framhäver ansvarstagande och värdegrund. Därmed framstår AI disclosure som inte enbart informationsdelning, utan också som ett strategiskt verktyg för att bygga legitimitet och signalera identitet och riktning gentemot intressenterna.As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes the banking sector, the way this technology is communicated externally is also evolving. This essay examines how major Swedish banks use annual and sustainability reports to legitimize their use of artificial intelligence (AI). Through a qualitative and quantitative content analysis of annual- and sustainability reports from Handelsbanken, Nordea, SEB, and Swedbank during the period 2021-2024, the study analyzes the volume and nature of AI-related disclosure. The analysis is based on four categories: general statements, projects and initiatives, applications and services, and ethics and values. These are interpreted using legitimacy theory and signaling theory. The results show that both the frequency and extent of AI disclosure have increased over time, while the content has gained more prominent placement in the reports. This suggests a growing need to justify and anchor the use of AI to key stakeholders. The study shows that the banks develop different strategies to signal legitimacy, with some emphasizing their technological capabilities and innovation, while others highlight responsibility and core values. Thus, AI disclosure emerges not merely as information sharing, but as a strategic tool for building legitimacy and signaling identity and direction to stakeholders
Systematic Quality Work in Preschool : a Critical Discourse Analysis ofPower Relations and Consequences in Practice
No full textDet systematiska kvalitetsarbetet (SKA) ären lagstadgad arbetsuppgift som är ålagd rektor, förskollärare, barnskötare och annanpersonal i förskolan. Det är ett arbete som ska bidra till förskolans måluppfyllelse.Nationella granskningar visar dock på brister i det systematiska kvalitetsarbetet och attlikvärdigheten och kvaliteten bland förskolorna varierar kraftigt. Variationerna tros bero påolika påverkansfaktorer, men det understryks att det systematiska kvalitetsarbetet behöverförbättras. Forskning visar att det systematiska kvalitetsarbetet är en komplex arbetsuppgiftför pedagoger och rektorer. Samtidigt som pedagogerna och rektorer ska genomföra sittuppdrag är de bundna till nationella uppfattningar om kvalitet och resultatfokus. De härstyrda uppfattningar medför konsekvenser som i sin tur påverkar pedagogernas praktik.Den här studien fokuserar på att lyfta fram vad dessa konsekvenser och maktförhållandeninnebär i praktiken och hur de skapas i yrkesgruppernas diskursiva praktik och ikonstruerandet av ett systematiskt kvalitetsarbete. I studien används enskilda intervjuer avbarnomsorgsbiträden (personal utan pedagogisk utbildning), barnskötare, förskollärare ochrektorer samt fokusgruppintervjuer av tre olika arbetslag, för att få del av yrkesgruppernasutsagor om SKA. De här utsagorna har sedan genomgått en omfattande process ochanalyserats utifrån ett kritiskt diskursanalytiskt perspektiv, med hjälp och inspiration avverktyget CDA. Resultatet visar att det SKA i förskolan konstrueras genom olikadiskurser, som i sin tur formar och omformar det systematiska kvalitetsarbetet som praktik.De synliga maktförhållanden som kan klarläggas från resultatet är pedagogernasunderkastelse till ett styrt SKA med ständiga anpassningar samt distinkta roller och enojämlik ansvarsfördelning mellan pedagoger i en reproducerande diskurs om roller och ansvar. Resultatet visar på några konsekvenser i praktiken. En del pedagoger någraförbättringar jämfört med tidigare arbetssätt, men de anser att de ständiga anpassningarnainte leder till ett meningsfullt eller förbättrat systematiskt kvalitetsarbete. De distinktarollerna och den ojämlika ansvarsfördelningen framställer också det systematiskakvalitetsarbetet som kontraproduktivt. Studiens resultat understryker att verkligheten ärkonstruerande och konstrueras i mer än bara det talade språket. Hur vi talar om detsystematiska kvalitetsarbetet får betydelse för praktiken, särskilt vad gäller pedagogersautonomi och vad som görs möjligt i förskolan.Systematic quality work (SQW) is astatutory task imposed on the principal, preschool teachers, childminders and other staff inthe Swedish preschool. It is work that should contribute to the preschool's goalachievement. However, national reviews show shortcomings in the systematic qualitywork and that the equivalence and quality among preschools vary greatly. The variationsare believed to be due to various influencing factors, but it is emphasized that thesystematic quality work needs to be improved. Research shows that systematic qualitywork is a complex task for educators and principals. While educators and principals mustcarry out their mission, they are bound by national perceptions of quality and a focus onresults. These guided perceptions have consequences that in turn affect the educators'practice. This study focuses on highlighting what these consequences and power relationsmean in practice and how they are created in the discursive practice of professional groupsand in the construction of systematic quality work. The study uses individual interviewswith childcare assistants (staff with no education in pedagogy), childminders, preschoolteachers and principals, as well as focus group interviews with three different work teams,to gain insight into the professional groups' statements about SQW. These statements havethen undergone an extensive process and have been analyzed from a critical discourseanalysis perspective, with the help and inspiration of the CDA tool. The results show thatSQW in preschool is constructed through different discourses, which in turn shape andreshape systematic quality work as practice. The visible power relations that can beclarified from the results are the educators' submission to a controlled SQW with constantadaptations as well as distinct roles and an unequal distribution of responsibilities betweeneducators in a reproducing discourse about roles and responsibilities. The results showsome consequences in practice. Some educators have made some improvements comparedto previous working methods, but they believe that the constant adjustments do not lead tomeaningful or improved systematic quality work. The distinct roles and the unequaldistribution of responsibilities also present systematic quality work as counterproductive.The results of the study underline that reality is constructive and being constructed in morethan just spoken language. How we talk about systematic quality work has significance forpractice, especially the autonomy of educators and what is made possible in preschool
Textile Nerves : Conductive Fibres for E- and I-Textiles
No full textWhen it comes to electronic textiles (e-textiles), textiles are mostly used in combination with metallic conductors. Metallic conductors often operate well but have the downside of contributing to the current environmental crisis by increasing the amount of e-waste. Additionally, their inherent properties are not typical from a textile manufacturing standpoint and thus limit the viability of the products of which they can be a component. Therefore, multiple non-metallic conductors (such as carbons, conducting polymers, and ionic liquids) are investigated in this thesis in order to uncover some of their intricacies with or as textile fibres. In juxtaposition with e-textiles, ionotronic textiles (i-textiles) are here introduced as devices that concentrate on the control of electric currents via ions versus all kinds of electrically charged particles. Compared to metallic conductors, ionic conductors resist electric current more. However, in biological systems and especially in nervous systems, the ionic nature of electrical currents showcases endless inspiration for designing i-textiles. From a textile manufacturing standpoint, developing e- and i-textiles first requires maturing practical methods of production and characterisation for conductive fibres, i.e. (by analogy to biology) textile nerves. An assortment of methods is developed/used to study the nuances between the different textile nerves produced. Ultimately, their textile processability is also assessed in fabric manufacturing processes on industrial machines which contributes to industrial and scientific knowledge. This thesis aims to bring novel insights on the production and characterisation of textile nerves for the realistic manufacturing of e- and i-textiles. For instance, a green chemistry approach was taken for producing textile nerves out of paper, casein, and graphite. Other textile nerves were made using conducting polymers for producing textile muscle fibres or using ionic liquids to make ionic conductors in processable fibre forms, i.e. ionofibres. This thesis also leads towards the production of textile muscles with textile muscle fibres innervated by ionofibres.
When Graphics Movie : How Visual Design Choices in Motion Graphics Influence User Comprehension
No full textThis study explores how visual design factors in motion graphics influence users’ comprehension of digital information. Using a qualitative approach, five semi-structured interviews were conducted in which participants reflected on two contrasting videos explaining the same content — a simple cooking task — but designed with different visual strategies. One version featured slow pacing, clear sequencing, and consistent visual hierarchy, while the other used fast transitions, competing visual elements, and decorative effects. The aim was to examine how these design choices affected users’ understanding, attention, and perceived cognitive load. Thematic analysis revealed five key themes: sequential clarity, pacing, visual structure, the function of text, and preference for logical flow. Participants consistently favored the slower, more structured video, describing it as easier to follow and more meaningful. In contrast, the more visually intense version was perceived as confusing and cognitively demanding. The results are discussed in relation to theories of cognitive load, visual hierarchy, and multimodal design. The study highlights how specific visual strategies in motion graphics can either support or hinder comprehension, and concludes that rhythm, structure, and clarity are essential for cognitively accessible visual communication
”A safe and important space for many” : The fanfiction community regarding fanfiction in the library
No full textFanfiction has gotten more popular with the widespread existence of the internet and the consequential popularisation of fanfiction websources. This study aims to illuminate the reading promotional potential of fanfiction within the library space or as a library activity. To do this the study examines what role participants in the fanfiction community believe that the library can have in relation to their interest, as well as examining the participatory culture within the fanfiction community and its significance for the fanfiction readers’ reading habits. Five semi–structured interviews were conducted with participants of the fanfiction community. The interview data was analysed using thematic analysis and interpreted through the theoretical frameworks of participatory culture (Jenkins, 2009) and Dolatkhah’s (2010) Four 'M' model: meaning-making, materiality, modality, and power. The results show that fanfiction holds potential as a reading promotional tool, but also notable potential as a tool for writing promotion. The results further show that there is an interest in fanfiction related activities at the library amongst the interviewees, although there is uncertainty regarding how these activities could be conducted without infringing on copyright and without causing harm to the community. The activities suggested were often based on fanfiction writing and reading as a participatory activity. These findings suggest that fanfiction could be a tool used by the library to promote reading and writing, if utilised in a legal and respectful manner
Swedish Public libraries and the legitimacy of recorded music : Mapping the usage 1970–2024
No full textThis thesis aims at creating a better understanding on how Swedish public libraries have incorporated recorded music in their collections during the period 1970-2024. In a time when music distribution has changed, it can be difficult for the libraries to find new ways of working with recorded music. Using a theoretical framework drawing from institutional theory and the concept of legitimacy, as well as the library's collection repertoires, a study using documents as material has been conducted. Qualitative text analysis was used to examine governmental, as well as a Swedish library-oriented journal. Spanning through multiple changes in format, digital innovations and societal aspects, the challenges for public libraries have been plentiful. While CD's and youth combined made recorded music a successful library item, the music in digital formats has been struggling to make its way into becoming a consistent digital library service, with the library relying heavily on the material aspects on music as a physical library item. The library as an institution providing musical culture has moved from general education repertoire and alternative repertoire towards demand repertoire and alternative repertoire. This thesis provides useful information on the evolution of recorded music as a library item with omitted political support for digital music distribution
Search or click? : A comparison of menu-based and search-based navigation
No full textThis study investigates the effectiveness of two navigation systems, menu-based and search-based on e-commerce websites, with a focus on how they impact users’ ability to efficiently find information. As digital services become increasingly integrated into our life, understanding how users interact with different navigation models is essential for user experience and usability. The study uses a mixed-methods approach, combining observed usability tests, structured interviews and a survey. The study was conducted on Zalando which has both navigation systems. Participants completed a series of tasks using both methods. The results show differences in efficiency and user satisfaction depending on the navigation method and the user’s experience. The findings also suggest that user preferences in everyday navigation do not always align with actual task efficiency. By applying theoretical frameworks such as Wilson’s model of information behavior and Bates’ berrypicking model, the study offers a deeper understanding of how navigation choices interact with cognitive processes. The results contribute to the field of information architecture and user-centered design by offering practical insights for optimizing navigation structures on e-commerce websites.
