The central argument that I advance in this dissertation is that the influence of the Rockefeller Foundation (RF) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) in the governance of global health and agricultural development has been derived from their ability to advance knowledge structures crafted to accommodate the preferences of the dominant states operating within the contexts where they have sought to catalyze change. Consequently, this dissertation provides a new way of conceptualizing knowledge power broadly conceived as well as private governance as it relates to the provision of public goods. In the first half of the twentieth-century, RF funds drove scientific research that produced tangible solutions, such as vaccines and high-yielding seed varieties, to longstanding problems undermining the health and wealth of developing countries emerging from the clutches of colonialism. At the country-level, the Foundation provided advanced training to a generation of agricultural scientists and health practitioners, and RF expertise was also pivotal to the creation of specialized International Organizations (IOs) for health (e.g. the League of Nations Health Organization) and agriculture (e.g. the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research) as well as many informal international networks of experts working to solve common problems. Finally in the neo-liberal era, RF effectively demonstrated how the public-private partnership paradigm could provide public goods in the face of externally imposed austerity constraining public sector capacity and the failure of the free-market to meet the needs of populations with limited purchasing power. Since its inception, the BMGF has demonstrated a similar commitment to underwriting innovation through science oriented towards reducing global health disparities and increasing agricultural productivity in poor countries, and has greatly expanded the application of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) approach in both health and agriculture. Unlike its intellectual forebear, BMGF has been far more focused on end-points and silver bullets than investing directly in the training of human resources. Moreover whereas RF has for most of its history decentralized its staff, those of BMGF have been concentrated mainly at its headquarters in Seattle. With no operational programs of its own, BMGF has instead relied heavily on external consultants to inform its programs and remains dependent on intermediary organizations to implement its grants. Despite these and other differences, both RF and BMGF have exhibited a common capacity to catalyse institutional innovation that has benefited historically marginalized populations in the absence of structural changes to the dominant global power structure. A preference for compromise over contestation, coupled with a capacity for enabling innovation in science and governance, has resulted in broad acceptance for RF and BMGF knowledge structures within both state and international policy arenas. This acceptance has translated into both Foundations having direct influence over (i) how major challenges related to disease and agriculture facing the global south are understood (i.e. the determinants and viable solutions); (ii) what types of knowledge matters for solving said problems (i.e. who leads); and (iii) how collective action focused on addressing these problems is structured (i.e. the institutional frameworks).

Diplomatic summits serve as critical opportunities for national leaders to interact and mobilize the political will needed to address the world’s greatest challenges. Yet, summits have a checkered past with both successes and failures. Consequently, summit diplomacy has been equated with highly publicized photo opportunities for heads of government and grandiose communiqués with vague commitments that are never fully realized. Due to concerns about their effectiveness, legitimacy, and representation, summits are in a period of transition. These trends and challenges are especially evident in the G8, and scholars have recognized that the G8 summit has evolved to include more actors than the past. Although acknowledged as a potential site of networked governance, empirical evidence of such activity is limited. Research has yet to identify the actors involved, the structures of the relationships, and the impact of networked approaches on the preparatory process. This research specifically explores the question of how a global level network affects the priorities adopted by the G8. Using the 2010 G8 Summit as a case to examine the increased prevalence of networked activity, this study focuses on the Summit’s signature initiative: maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH). MNCH is a longstanding global problem and despite efforts such as the Millennium Development Goals, poor health outcomes persist in regions throughout the world. But to understand the selection and shaping of MNCH as the signature initiative of the 2010 G8 Summit, a mixed method approach is used. Social network analysis provides a detailed description of the actors involved in networked governance in summit diplomacy for the G8, and the structure of their relationships with one another. Qualitative data analysis of 63 in depth interviews of network members illuminates the rich and varied perspectives of the participants, which yields insight about why and how actors engage each other in order to achieve individual and collective goals. The study demonstrated that networked governance contributed to the political prioritization and substantive policy content of summit agenda items, determined during the 2010 G8 Summit preparatory process. In the case of MNCH, while the network was found to include of a diverse range of state and non-state actors, a core group of bureaucratic, political, and NGO actors played a prominent role in the selection and shaping of the MNCH initiative. Yet, the role, values and contributions of actors within the network were contested by network members during the preparatory process, demonstrating that shared goals and norms were not a dominant feature of the network. Moreover, the networked governance process has not entirely escaped the confines of geographical boundaries, given the most central actors in the network met face-to-face on a regular basis and were located in close geographical proximity. Actors from regions where MNCH problems persist most severely remained marginalized in the networked approach. While financial capital is an essential ingredient for the MNCH programs and interventions proposed for the G8 initiative, social capital was a neglected factor that is critical for building the capacity to generate new ideas and solutions. Actors within the 2010 G8 preparatory network for MNCH adopted various strategies to build and mobilize social capital. Specifically, a group of Canadian-based NGOs and an international organization formed a coalition in order to strategically advance the MNCH issue on the summit agenda. Conversely, government actors did not invest in developing and mobilizing social capital. Ultimately, informal strategies proved more valuable for breaking down hierarchical barriers and exerting influence than formal processes designed by government. Networked governance was a key factor that contributed to the political prioritization and shaping of the MNCH signature initiative for the 2010 G8 Summit and increased the inclusiveness of the summit’s preparatory process. However, while important, networked governance was not sufficient to fully explain the final outcomes – other factors such as domestic and global political contexts and the characteristics of the MNCH issue influenced the process and outcomes. Moreover, G8 summit diplomacy moved beyond being solely a state-based process in the case of MNCH, but the presence of a network of interconnected actors did not equate to better problem-solving. Although scholars and practitioners agree that integrated horizontal and vertical approaches are required for addressing the complexity of MNCH challenges, the networked approach failed to enable a move beyond conventional solutions to address the systemic nature of MNCH challenges. The findings of the study have important implications for policy and governance processes, where widespread cooperation among a network of state and non-state actors will be required for resolving intractable global problems.

Zugl.: Zürich, Univ., Diss.

zugl. Diss. Univ. St. Gallen, 2006. / Register. Literaturverz.

Adaptive Governance approaches are being implemented by officials in Swedish municipalities. A close dialogue and cooperation between municipalities, and the acceptance of the uncertainty and unpredictability of climate change are included in the strategic work, and facilitate the introduction of Adaptive Governance approaches. However, Adaptive Governance approaches are at the same time hindered by the municipal systems, which does not allow for the introduction of new and innovative information. In particular, this study demonstrates that the systems are not structured to include such information from informal sources, such as citizens and farmers. This comparative study investigates water quality management at the local level, applying the concept of Adaptive Governance in three Swedish municipalities: Kalmar, Västerås and Upplands Väsby.The analysis is based on the theoretical framework of Adaptive Governance that expands on the understanding of adaptive management. The 17 semi-structured interviews conclude that the facilitators for Adaptive Governance are most evident within the areas of collaboration and shared responsibility between municipalities. Barriers to the development of Adaptive Governance are identified as a failure in the systems to include ecological knowledge. Expanding Adaptive Governance research to a larger number of municipalities within the European Union would shed some more light on what facilitates and what hinders the inclusion of Adaptive Governance approaches at the local level. Such research would have a dual effect: as a contribution to science and as a promotion for the practical implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive according to the Adaptive Governance approaches of the European water quality management.

As the topic itself might advice, this diploma thesis examines the issue of governance of a real company, TQM -- Holding s.r.o. The fundaments of this thesis are the management in the mentioned organization and the ownership structure of said organization, as well as its administrative bodies and their activities. The thesis examines whether the organizational and ownership structure of the company are well chosen in the sense that the company is able to operate effectively for both its future development and the satisfaction of its customers. The analysis aims, among others, to find out what competencies were passed on the managers by the owners -- and what competencies the owners have refused to delegate, i.e. in what way the owners might take part in managing the company.

Corporate governance can play a significant role in financial market stability and economic development. Corporate governance scholars have provided controversial results with respect to the relationships between corporate governance and both corporate financial performance and market value. Based on agency theory and institutional theory, the purpose of this correlational study was to investigate the relationship between corporate governance mechanisms, financial performance, and market value in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's 116 firms from 2010 to 2014. Financial performance was measured by return on assets and return on equity, while market value was measured by Tobin's q. Corporate governance mechanisms involved in this study were board size, board independence, board committees, ownership structure, and executive compensation. The financial statements and corporate governance mechanisms collected from the websites of sampled firms and the Saudi stock market (Tadawul). The findings of multiple regression tests revealed a statistically significant relationship between corporate governance mechanisms and both corporate financial performance and market value. This study may contribute to social change by building confidence in the Saudi capital market and improving the lives of stakeholders and community in general. The results may help business leaders understand the influence of corporate governance on their firms' success and the country's growth. Academic researchers, investors, regulatory bodies, practitioners, and experts in the area of corporate governance may benefit as well.

Data governance reaches across the field of information technology and is increasingly important for big data efforts, regulatory compliance, and ensuring data integrity. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore strategies for implementing data governance practices. This study was guided by institutional theory as the conceptual framework. The study's population consisted of informatics specialists from a small hospital, which is also a research institution in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. This study's data collection included semi structured, in-depth individual interviews (n = 10), focus groups (n = 3), and the analysis of organizational documents (n = 19). By using methodological triangulation and by member checking with interviewees and focus group members, efforts were taken to increase the validity of this study's findings. Through thematic analysis, 5 major themes emerged from the study: structured oversight with committees and boards, effective and strategic communications, compliance with regulations, obtaining stakeholder buy-in, and benchmarking and standardization. The results of this study may benefit informatics specialists to better strategize future implementations of data governance and information management practices. By implementing effective data governance practices, organizations will be able to successfully manage and govern their data. These findings may contribute to social change by ensuring better protection of protected health information and personally identifiable information.

This paper examines the implementation of biodiversity in local policy in the cities of Melbourne and Stockholm. Using process tracing as methodology, the study examines the process from the time the process to develop a policy on climate adaptation is initiated, to the time it is adopted. The process is examined in order to determine if and how biodiversity is included in local climate adaptation policies. Particular attention is paid to citizen participation in local governance in the process examined in the light of the research and theories developed by Elinor Ostrom. The paper finds biodiversity to be included in the policy outlined in the policy document in Melbourne, and citizen participation in local governance may have been conducive to this result. In contrast, biodiversity is included but in a less pronounced manner in the climate adaptation policy in Stockholm, and there seems to be no citizen participation in the policy process examined. These results indicate that citizen participation in local governance could be a contributing factor to biodiversity being included in local climate adaptation policy. It is however not unequivocally determined that it is in fact a causal mechanism.

Klimatförändringar är resultatet av decenniers handlande som saknat konsekvenstänk. Behovet av en klimatomställning har länge varit känt, men vidtagna åtgärder och traditionella arbetssätt har hittills inte ansenligt bidragit till att förbättra klimatet. I klimatkontraktet 2030, en förstärkning av befintliga styrdokument, framhålls governance som det rätta verktyget för att uppnå klimatneutralitet. Studien syftar till att undersöka hur implementeringen av klimatkontraktet har påverkat Linköping kommuns förmåga att genomföra klimatomställningen och uppnå klimatmål i en snabbare takt. Syftet har uppfyllts genom en dokumentstudie av Linköping kommuns styrdokument och deras klimatkontrakt, kompletterat med en kvalitativ intervju. Studien visar hur Linköping kommuns förmåga att hantera klimatomställningen har förbättrats, men att det samtidigt finns ett behov att ytterligare utveckla governancestrukturen om klimatneutralitet inte ska vara en allt för avlägsen framtid. / Climate change is the result of decades of actions lacking foresight. The need for climate transition has long been recognized, but our efforts and traditional approaches have so far been insufficient to secure a sustainable future. As a response to this inadequacy, klimatkontraktet 2030, a reinforcement of Linköpings current policy documents, puts forward a new way of looking at climate governance. This essay aims to investigate how the implementation of the contract has affected Linköping municipality’s ability to carry through the transition and reach climate goals at a faster pace. The aim has been achieved through a document study and a supplementary qualitative interview. The study demonstrates how Linköping municipality has enhanced its capacity and ability to undergo a climate transition. Furthermore, we have identified certain aspects of the governance structure that could and should be developed to ensure climate neutrality is achieved in the near future.