Individual-level explanations of corruption within an intercollegiate context

Understanding why individuals engage in sport corruption is an emerging topic of research. Micro-level accounts of corruption have generally used a single disciplinary approach toward understanding why actors commit corruption (e.g., doping and match-fixing) in specific sports. The purpose of this study was to first examine individual-level explanations of corruption in the context of intercollegiate athletics; and, second, to generate an interdisciplinary framework. A multi-case analysis was conducted of 20 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) major infractions (corruption) reports that occurred between 2005 and 2015. The findings showed that actors’ explanations were based on psychological factors—motivations (social relationship and self-interest) and personal norms, professional factors (abuse of power and failure of responsibilities), and justification factors (rationalizing strategies). This research builds on existing scholarship by generating an interdisciplinary framework of micro-level accounts of sport corruption in intercollegiate athletics

Application of full-reference video quality metrics in IPTV

Executing an accurate full-reference metric such as VQM can take minutes in an average computer for just one user. Therefore, it can be unfeasible to analyze all the videos received by users in an IPTV network for example consisting of 10.000 users using a single computer running the VQM metric. One solution can be to use a lightweight no-reference metrics in addition to the full-reference metric mentioned. Lightweight no-reference metrics can be used for discarding potential situations to evaluate because they are accurate enough for that task, and then the full-reference metric VQM can be used when more accuracy is needed. The work in this paper is focused on determining the maximum number of situations/users that can be analyzed simultaneously using the VQM metric in a computer with good performance. The full-reference metric is applied on the transmitter using a method specified in the recommendation ITU BT.1789. The best performance achieved was 112.8 seconds per process

Framing Swedish Sami Policy

An ambiguity characterises Swedish Sami policy. In some regards, Sweden is securing rights for the Sami and receiving praise from international organisations. However, Sweden is also criticised for not supporting Sami interests, as for instance regarding a ratification of the ILO convention No. 169. Thus, Swedish Sami policies have showed to support disparate ends; in some instances strengthening Sami rights, and in others deeming against. Through frame analysis, this thesis aims to determine whether distinct assumptions of theories on multiculturalism can explain the discrepancies between these types of Sami policies. Moreover, the thesis aspires to concretise the challenges inhibiting Sweden’s ratification of ILO 169. The study shows, that conflicting notions of multiculturalism do not explain why Sami policies promote disparate ends, rather, the two types of policies are as conflicted within, as in relation to each other. Instead, the policies seem to differ in terms of interest

Delivering Difficult Decisions - Exploring organizational justice in the Swedish Social Insurance Agency’s communication

Aim: The aim of this thesis is to deepen our understanding of how public authorities enact justice when communicating negative decisions to citizens. Specifically, the study examines withdrawal letters sent by the Swedish Social Insurance Agency (SIA) to claimants regarding the withdrawal of sickness benefits. Drawing on organizational justice theory, with a particular focus on the dimensions of interactional and procedural justice, the aim is to analyze this communication and provide insights into how public authorities can promote a sense of justice in their actions. The following research question has been defined to guide the thesis: - How are concepts of organizational justice reflected in the SIA’s communication surrounding withdrawal of sickness benefit? Theory: The thesis draws upon concepts from the literature on organizational justice. The thesis focuses on two specific dimensions of justice: interactional and procedural. Interactional justice pertains to how organizations communicate with and treat individuals, while procedural justice focuses on the processes and means by which outcomes are allocated. Method: Quantitative and qualitative approaches to content analysis were employed to analyze withdrawal letters sent from the SIA to claimants denying sickness benefit. Results: The results indicate both achievements and areas for improvement in the SIA’s enactment of justice in communication. While balancing dimensions of justice presents a challenge and failing to uphold justice in some instances a problem, the study also demonstrates that public authorities have the capacity to change and even improve their communication practices when delivering negative decisions to citizens