<p>Women are often predominated in so-called "women´s jobs" including nursing, teaching and administration while jobs such as manager, board of director and financier are dominated by men. Hence, the corporate board has been male-dominated. However, in recent decades the number of women entering the boardroom has increased. Women are aware of their opportunites in terms of managerial jobs. Nevertheless, Sweden has one of the highest levels of gender equality in the world. Women with business experience and education are steadily moving upp the corporate ladder. The importance of female directors´ contributions on the corporate board has been recognized. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate how women contribute on the corporate board in Sweden. The focus of the study lies on the perspectives of female and male directors. The study was conducted with the use of a qualitative method. It provided us with an understanding of the subject based on respondents´ experience. In order tol fulfill the purpose, eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with male and female directors on the corporate board in Sweden. The empirical data was analyzed by the process of qualitative data analysis (QDA). We have increased the knowledge of female directors´ contributions on the corporate board in Sweden. Female directors do not posses a profound understanding of female customers. There is a strong link between female representatives and enhanced board communication. Furthermore, there is no relation between female directors and companies´ involvement in charitable activities. There is no difference in the way female and male directors monitor the board.</p>

By using five measures of corporate governance, this paper sheds light on the relationship between corporate governance, firm performance and firm valuation in a sample of large Swedish firms between 2013-2016. The study is conducted on the grounds of the Agency Theory as proposed by Jensen and Meckling (1976) and influenced by corporate governance research by Bhagat and Bolton (2008). Using Tobin’s Q and return on assets (ROA) as estimates of firm valuation and firm performance respectively, we find mixed results compared to prior research concerning the effects of good corporate governance. Our study shows that greater equity holdings of board members are significantly and positively impactful on Tobin’s Q as well as ROA. Furthermore, we find that a larger board size has a significant inverse relationship with both Tobin’s Q and ROA, which is consistent with prior research suggesting that smaller boards are more effective. Interestingly and partly inconclusive with prior research however, we find that greater equity holdings of the CEO is significantly and negatively impactful on Tobin’s Q as well as ROA. These results are robust for multiple controls and various models.

O presente trabalho refere-se a uma pesquisa-intervenção realizada no Centro de Cidadania LGBT da cidade do Rio de Janeiro, que é uma das principais ações do Programa Estadual Rio sem Homofobia executado pela Secretaria Estadual de Assistência Social e Direitos Humanos do Rio Janeiro. As práticas produzidas neste serviço se ancoram nos encontros da Psicologia com o Direito e o Serviço Social e nos encontros entre saber-técnico e saber-militante cujos diálogos produzidos têm causado alguns deslocamentos no campo de discussão acerca da diversidade sexual e de gênero, ao nos convocar à construção de práticas produtoras de novos territórios de existências. A partir de alguns instrumentos da Análise Institucional, em especial a cartografia, inicia-se esta viagem-pirataria que, conduzida pela possibilidade de Ser Afetado, aporta e aposta em práticas produtoras de subjetivações e potencializadoras da Vida a partir da Teoria da Afetividade Humana de Espinosa e do conceito de Ecosofia de Guattari / This thesis is about an intervention research realized in the LGBT Citizenship Center of the Rio Without Homophobia State Program, run by the State Department of Social Welfare and Human Rights. The practices produced in this Service are anchored in the meetings between Psychology, Social Service, Law and technical knowledge with militant knowledge. The dialogues coming from these meetings have enabled some displacements in the field of discussion about sexual and gender diversity, by calling us to build practices that produce new living territories. From some Institutional Analysis instruments, especially the cartography, starts this trip-piracy, led by the possibility of Being Affected, which lands and bets in practices that intend to be producers of subjectivities and enhancing Life, based on Spinozas Theory of Human Affection and Guattaris Ecosophy Concept

Background:           This thesis was written in context of the debate concerning gender equality and female representation on company boards. Gender quota legislation have been implemented by various countries on a national level, and a similar regulation was proposed by the European Commission. Legislation regarding board gender diversity have given rise to the discussion on the actual effects of female director’s on board effectiveness and firm financial performance.   Purpose:                  The aim of the study is to evaluate the relationship between gender diversity on boards and firm financial results. A sample of 100 Swedish companies listed on Nasdaq Stockholm for the time period 2013-2016 is analysed.    Method:                    The study had a quantitative approach and used a panel data methodology. The data analysis was conducted using Ordinary Least Square Regression. Board gender diversity was measured by four variables including the diversity measurements Blau and Shannon indices, and Tobin’s Q was deployed as the market-based measurement of financial performance.   Conclusion: The results of the data analysis indicate that the presence of one or more women has a positive effect on financial performance, which contradicts previous findings. Also, it is found that higher gender diversity on boards influenced firm performance positively, which conformed to the majority of the previous findings.

O presente trabalho refere-se a uma pesquisa-intervenção realizada no Centro de Cidadania LGBT da cidade do Rio de Janeiro, que é uma das principais ações do Programa Estadual Rio sem Homofobia executado pela Secretaria Estadual de Assistência Social e Direitos Humanos do Rio Janeiro. As práticas produzidas neste serviço se ancoram nos encontros da Psicologia com o Direito e o Serviço Social e nos encontros entre saber-técnico e saber-militante cujos diálogos produzidos têm causado alguns deslocamentos no campo de discussão acerca da diversidade sexual e de gênero, ao nos convocar à construção de práticas produtoras de novos territórios de existências. A partir de alguns instrumentos da Análise Institucional, em especial a cartografia, inicia-se esta viagem-pirataria que, conduzida pela possibilidade de Ser Afetado, aporta e aposta em práticas produtoras de subjetivações e potencializadoras da Vida a partir da Teoria da Afetividade Humana de Espinosa e do conceito de Ecosofia de Guattari / This thesis is about an intervention research realized in the LGBT Citizenship Center of the Rio Without Homophobia State Program, run by the State Department of Social Welfare and Human Rights. The practices produced in this Service are anchored in the meetings between Psychology, Social Service, Law and technical knowledge with militant knowledge. The dialogues coming from these meetings have enabled some displacements in the field of discussion about sexual and gender diversity, by calling us to build practices that produce new living territories. From some Institutional Analysis instruments, especially the cartography, starts this trip-piracy, led by the possibility of Being Affected, which lands and bets in practices that intend to be producers of subjectivities and enhancing Life, based on Spinozas Theory of Human Affection and Guattaris Ecosophy Concept

Submitted by Leonardo Lima (leonardoperlim@gmail.com) on 2017-01-30T15:13:38Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) TEIXEIRA, Fabiane Lopes.pdf: 3601461 bytes, checksum: 184c72d40911f547ac1a1863ce8b3920 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Simone Maisonave (simonemaisonave@hotmail.com) on 2017-02-07T11:55:44Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 TEIXEIRA, Fabiane Lopes.pdf: 3601461 bytes, checksum: 184c72d40911f547ac1a1863ce8b3920 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Aline Batista (alinehb.ufpel@gmail.com) on 2017-02-22T21:14:01Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 TEIXEIRA, Fabiane Lopes.pdf: 3601461 bytes, checksum: 184c72d40911f547ac1a1863ce8b3920 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-02-22T21:17:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 TEIXEIRA, Fabiane Lopes.pdf: 3601461 bytes, checksum: 184c72d40911f547ac1a1863ce8b3920 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-09-03 / Sem bolsa / Na presente Tese, vinculada à linha de pesquisa “Currículo, profissionalização e trabalho docente” do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação da Universidade Federal de Pelotas, investigo narrativas de profissionais da educação sobre diversidade de gênero e sexual no espaço da escola, a partir de um curso de aperfeiçoamento a distância intitulado Gênero e Diversidade na Escola - GDE. A pesquisa estabeleceu algumas conexões com os Estudos Culturais, nas suas vertentes pós-estruturalistas e com algumas proposições de Michel Foucault. Esta Tese ancora-se no Método da Investigação Narrativa, que considera a narrativa como uma forma de produção dos dados e, também, como uma possibilidade metodológica, com base nos autores Jorge Larrosa, Michel Connelly e Jean Clandinin. Assim, entendo a narrativa tanto como uma metodologia investigativa como uma prática social de constituição dos sujeitos. Para compor o corpus de análise, foram consideradas as narrativas produzidas por um grupo de cursistas do curso GDE, promovido pela FURG/UAB, nos anos de 2009 e 2010, do Polo de São Lourenço do Sul, do qual esta pesquisadora atuava como tutora. Foram consideradas narrativas tanto as falas dos sujeitos nos encontros presenciais e suas interações na Plataforma Moodle, quanto a produção de seus projetos de intervenção. Para a análise dos dados, lancei mão de duas categorias de análise: diversidade de gênero e diversidade sexual. Ao analisar as narrativas sobre diversidade de gênero na escola, problematizo a questão das masculinidades e feminilidades na escola, trazendo a categoria de gênero para se pensar as práticas escolares e para refletir como são educados/as os/as alunos/as, tendo como base as relações de gênero que foram sendo construídas em nossa sociedade. Nas produções narrativas sobre diversidade sexual na escola, analiso a fabricação do sujeito normal da escola, trazendo o conceito de currículos praticados para se pensar que as experiências vivenciadas pelos sujeitos são construções culturais que regulam e produzem as identidades a partir de uma lógica heteronormativa. Considerando as narrativas, entendo que os sujeitos narram os seus entendimentos sobre as diversidades sexuais e de gênero no espaço da escola, a partir da interpelação dos discursos das instituições sociais pelas quais transitam. A partir daí, problematizo que as representações sobre a sexualidade, construídas historicamente e atravessadas por relações de poder e saber, produzem as relações de distinção social, que incidem na fabricação dos sujeitos considerados normais e anormais. / In this Thesis, linked to the research line "Curriculum, professionalization and teaching" of the Post-Graduation Program in Education of the Federal University of Pelotas, I investigate narratives of professional education on sexual and gender diversity in the school environment from an improvement distance course entitled Gender and Diversity at School – GDS. The research established some connections with Cultural Studies, in its poststructuralist trends and some propositions of Michel Foucault. This Thesis is anchored in the Narrative Research Method, which considers the narrative as a form of data production and also as a methodological possibility, based on the authors Jorge Larrosa, Michel Connelly and Jean Clandinin. So, I understand the narrative as both a research methodology as well as a social practice constituting the individuals. In order to compose the corpus analysis, it was considered the narratives produced by a group of GDS course participants, promoted by FURG/UAB, in the years of 2009 and 2010, from the campus of São Lourenço do Sul in which this researcher acted as tutor. It was considered as narrative both subjects? speeches in person during some meetings and their interactions in Moodle, and also the production of their intervention projects. For data investigation, I have drawn two categories of analysis: gender diversity and sexual diversity. By analyzing narratives about gender diversity at school, I cast doubt on the issue of masculinity and femininity in school, bringing the gender category to think about school practices and to reflect on how the students are educated, based on gender relations that have been built in our society. In narratives about sexual diversity in school productions, I analyze the manufacturing of normal school subject, bringing the concept of curriculum practiced to think that the experiences lived by the subjects are cultural constructions that regulate and produce identities from a heteronormative logic. Considering the narratives, I understand that the subjects narrate their understandings about sexual and gender diversity in the school environment from questioning the discourses of social institutions through which they pass. Thereafter I question the representations of sexuality, historically constructed and traversed by relations of power and knowledge, producing relations of social distinction, which focus on the manufacturing of subjects considered normal and abnormal.

Background: Females are underrepresented in Swedish boards, and in 2016 females represented 29 % of all board members. Many researchers have studied the relationship between the gender composition of company boards and company performance, but they have not managed to reach consensus in explaining the relationship. Pure shareholder theory suggests that the company philosophy is to focus on profitability and shareholder maximization. If the gender distribution in the board affects the performance of the company, some companies may underperform because of their board composition. If so, this is an issue that should be solved according to the shareholder theory and some adjustments to the composition should be done.   Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate whether or not companies with female directors on their boards perform better than companies without female directors on their boards. The target group of the study is Swedish listed companies with a statutory domicile in Sweden.   Method: For conducting this research, data for a period of three years (2013-2015) are collected from a sample of 94 Swedish listed companies. The performance measurements investigated are the ratios; ROE, profit margin, ROCE, EBIT margin and EPS. As for control variables, the board size and company size are used. An independent samples t-test is conducted, as well as a correlation matrix analysis and a regression analysis, to fulfil the purpose of this study.   Conclusion: The results show that there is a significant positive correlation between female representation in the boardroom and the ratio EBIT margin. However, the correlation strength is so weak that it is not fair to draw the conclusion that female representation has a positive effect on the financial performance of the companies. Also, the regression analysis shows no relationship between the two variables. However, this study contributes by showing that there is no negative correlation between the presence of females on boards and the financial performance of the companies.

The purpose of this study was to examine the attention to the COVID-19 pandemic displayed by top-level management in companies listed on Nasdaq OMX Stockholm Large Cap, and how this aforementioned attention was affected by the board size and board gender diversity of respective company. To accomplish this, a content analysis on a word-by-word level was conducted of all interim reports produced in 2020 by each company, and data regarding the board size and board gender diversity was gathered, for each company. The frequency with which each company mentioned select keywords concerning the COVID-19 pandemic was measured and then used as a comparative measure of the attention to the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to determine the magnitude of the impact of the independent variables a control variable, firm size, was introduced and linear fits were constructed of various combinations of variables. The resulting fits all clearly displayed an absence of correlation between either board size or board gender diversity and the attention paid to the COVID-19 pandemic by top-level management in large Swedish companies. Hence, this study suggests that there is no increase in board activity regarding daily operations in large Swedish companies during crises.

Företag har sedan lång tid tillbaka frivilligt redovisat hållbarhetsinformation och idag finns det, inom EU, regler att alla större företag ska redovisa en hållbarhetsrapport. Utvecklingen stannar inte här och från år 2023 kan lagen om obligatorisk hållbarhetsrapportering komma att gälla alla börsnoterade bolag. Hållbarhet är därför ett fortsatt växande fenomen. Samtidigt blir jämställdhetsfrågan alltmer aktuell. Som en respons på detta har frågan gällande om kvinnliga styrelsemedlemmar kan ha någon påverkan på hållbarhetsarbete växt fram. Ytterligare en konsekvens av att jämställdhet är viktigt är att vissa länder infört könskvoteringslag i bolagsstyrelser. Huvudfrågan och syftet med studien är att undersöka om andelen kvinnor i en bolagsstyrelse har någon påverkan gällande prestation inom CSR i Norden. Vidare adresseras den effekt reglerad könskvotering kan ha på sambanet. Studien antar en deduktiv ansats där sekundära data samlats in. Studiens resultat påvisar att andelen kvinnor i styrelsen har en positiv effekt på företagets hållbarhetsarbete i Norden. Studiens slutsats är därför att företag genom att öka andelen kvinnor i bolagsstyrelsen kan öka företagets prestation inom CSR. Såväl i stort samt inom dess olika dimensioner; miljö, socialt samt bolagsstyrning. För företag som befinner sig i ett land utan kvoteringslag visar det sig att detta samband fortsatt gäller. För länder med lagstadgad kvoteringslag uppmärksammas dock ingen effekt. / Companies have for a long time voluntarily reported sustainability information and today, within the EU, there are regulations that all major companies must report a sustainability report. The development does not end here and from year 2023, the law on mandatory sustainability reporting may apply to all listed companies. Sustainability is therefore a continuing growing phenomenon. At the same time, the issue of gender equality is becoming increasingly relevant. In response to this, the question of whether female board members may have any impact on sustainability work has emerged. Another consequence of the fact that gender equality is important is that some countries have introduced gender quotas laws on company boards. The main question and purpose of the study is to investigate whether the proportion of women on a company board has any impact on performance within CSR in the Nordic region. Furthermore, the effect regulated quota law can have on the connection is addressed. The study assumes a deductive approach with secondary data obtained. The results of the study prove that the proportion of women on the board has a positive effect on the company's sustainability work in the Nordic region. The study's conclusion is therefore that by increasing the proportion of women on the company board, companies can increase the company's performance within CSR. Both in general and within its various dimensions; environment, social and corporate governance. For companies located in a country without a quota law, it turns out that this connection still applies. For countries with a statutory quota law, however, no effect is noticed.

This study investigates the relationship between female representation, women as chief executive officers, and corporate sustainability disclosures in Swedish listed companies. The used data was collected from the Swedish listed companies in Nasdaq Stockholm for the period 2017-2020. The specific research period is due to the new amendments of the Swedish Annual Accounts Act (Årsredovisningslagen) which came into force 2017. To investigate the effect female representation, and women as chief executive officers have on the legally issued corporate sustainability disclosures, this study applies content analysis and quantitative methods. By estimating multiple regression models, the results revealed a non-significant relationship of female representation on the board of directors and of women as chief executive officers, on the quality of corporate sustainability disclosures. For the critical mass of at least three women, a non-significant impact is detected. Lastly, an additional test for reversed causality has been conducted, however no significant relationship was documented.