The purpose of this thesis has been to examine how cultural differences influence post-acquisition organizational change when there is an acquisition between two countries, in this case, the United Kingdom and Sweden. The study followed a qualitative research method. This is to get a deep insight into the company's actions of how they assimilate and adapt to the new country and culture. The theoretical basis implies mainly acquisitions, culture, integration and organizational change. Furthermore, in the empirical part introduces one case company from the United Kingdom whose acquiring a Swedish company; how they have adapted to each other, how the cultural differences have influenced each other and how integration has proceeded.   The analysis combines our theoretical framework with the collection of empirical data, which they put against each other in a discussion of how well the theory is consistent with empirical data. It also analyzes the context and differences between theory, empirical evidence and case companies' experiences from how the acquisition was formed. This is in order to find patterns showing how employees from lower to higher ranks within the company perceive the acquisition from a Swedish to a British company.   The analysis leads to the conclusion that when the British company takes over a Swedish organization, extreme amount of changes need to be done. The British company culture is reflected by the national culture where financial profits are more important than the personal relationships that Swedes highly value. It is possible to deal with cultural differences if one is aware of their existence, even between countries where the cultural distance is extremely significant.

Poster presented at ALA Annual Conference 2013, Chicago, IL / As the University of Arizona Libraries employ a 21st century user-centered approach to information resource management, we have adopted a Patron-Driven Acquisitions program. Fundamentally, the program is based on the model of users as the drivers of library acquisitions. By embedding order records in the library catalog and by identifying user needs through interlibrary loan requests, the library is able to acquire targeted information resources that more efficiently meet the research needs of our users. This service significantly enhances the user experience and allows the UA Libraries to see greater use of our resources.

Using a sample of 45,283 firm year observations between 1993–2012, I examine the influence of different types of diversification and M&A accounting on firm value. I find that there are different explanations for earlier variations among documented discounts. I find different value effects for geographical and industrial diversification. These effects vary over time, with decreasing discounts for geographical diversification. Furthermore, I find different value effects of M&A accounting between industries. Controlling for firm fixed effects leads to insignificant results for most regressions, which indicates that underlying firm characteristics play an important role in the determination of the discount. Together, these findings explain earlier documented differences in the literature on the diversification discount.

The number of domestic and cross border bank mergers and acquisitions (M&A) has increased over the last decade with a resultant impact on the bank dividend. This study examines the effect of M&A on the dividend policy by comparing the abnormal returns, profitability and dividend policy of the domestic and cross border bank acquirers. The study focused on EU mega-bank mergers and acquisitions within 1997-2007 involving only commercial-to-commercial banks. The sample consists of a total of 62 mega-M&A with a minimum deal value of €500 million. Three hypotheses were formulated specifically to test: (i) the wealth effect and geographical diversification of the M&A between domestic and cross border acquirers; (ii) the effect on in the financial performance of both acquirers and (iii) the M&A impact on dividend policy on banks after bank M&A. Two strands of the literature were reviewed focusing on M&A and dividend policy. The event study methodology was used to calculate the abnormal returns of both the domestic and cross border acquirers which were standardised. A long window of 61 days was applied to capture a satisfactory length of pre and post merger events that could capture the behaviour of the abnormal returns and consequent effect on dividend policy. The hierarchical regression model was used to estimate the impact of the variables on the profitability and dividend policy of the acquirer banks. In comparison with the domestic acquirers, the cross border abnormal returns showed a trend of significant negative results following the M&A announcement. The domestic acquirers showed no significance but, on average have higher cumulative total standardised abnormal returns (CTSAR) than the cross border acquired banks. The result of the financial performance showed that CTSAR of the cross border acquirers is significantly affected by the profitability of the banks but insignificant with domestic acquirers. However, the cost-to –income ratio (CIR) significantly affects the performance of both bank acquirers. CIR and RISK (measured by the ratio of the loan provision to net interest revenue of the banks) highly correlated with profitability of both the domestic and cross border acquirers. The management of costs and loans risks were found to be significant variables in the achievement of profitability among domestic acquirers. The dividend policy hypothesis result indicated that CTSAR has a weak correlation and insignificant effect on the dividend policy variables. Infact, the Causality test result confirmed that the CTSAR does not Granger cause dividend policy. However, the study provides strong support to previous studies that beta, liquidity, taxes, and the finance structure of the acquirers are significant variables in the formulation of the dividend policy of the merged banks. The beta, which a proxy for risk, is the most significant factor affecting the dividend policy of the merged banks.

Around eighty percent of cross-border mergers do not succeed. Despite a substantial body of literature offering guidance on how to make them work, success remains elusive. Regardless of strategic direction, involving macro-level planning, restructuring of positions and improved remuneration, repeated failure indicates there is clearly a gap in our understanding. It is proposed that mergers and acquisitions (M&A) constitute a threat to social identity by disrupting longstanding patterns of relating between people. This is experienced as emotional anxiety, which is personally felt and collectively shared. In response, social defences are invoked that alleviate this distress but simultaneously inhibit the processes of recognition and conflict necessary to effect identity transformation. New relationships and connections do not therefore form and, consequently, new identity does not emerge. Hence, M&A fail. Attending to complex responsive processes of relating, particularly pertaining to the preservation and transformation of identity is crucial to the successful outcome of any M&A project. Using reflexive narrative, I have shown how anxiety and protective processes arise and offer insight into executive interventions that may be helpful. This research offers a new approach and an advance in our understanding of the social processes at work during M&A.

The effectiveness of traditional due diligence practices and whether they contribute to Merger and Acquisition (M&A) success or failure is an ongoing debate in finance research. This research report contributes to the debate by examining the effectiveness of traditional due diligence using a qualitative research approach. A dataset of traditional due diligence practices was compiled from the literature, which formed the basis for an interview which was conducted with corporate finance practices. The findings indicate that the traditional due diligence process is considered to be an evolving process, where due diligence practices of the last decade are considered to be significantly different from the due diligence required in acquisitions today. Due diligence is also considered to be indispensable, and its scope and importance underestimated. Furthermore, any perceived deficiency in a due diligence is not necessarily in concept, but rather in execution, with excessive focus on the accounting and legal aspects of a M&A, while neglecting the macro-environment, marketing, production, management and information systems. It is also concluded that most stakeholders have understood that failure to carry out proper due diligence could be financially damaging to the parties transacting. In an attempt to determine what due diligence means for the current as well as the future, this study uncovers a critical trend in the forms and manner of flawed due diligence practices and paves the way to a more strategic due diligence, which are useful for practitioners in the present and in the future for M&A success.

Diversos estudos apontam que as aquisições gerariam riqueza para os acionistas das empresas adquiridas, mas que para os acionistas adquirentes, estas atividades seriam projetos com valor presente líquido nulo. Com base nestas evidências, este trabalho investiga se uma das motivações para tais atividades residiria no objetivo dos gestores de reduzir o risco de suas carteiras de investimento, as quais seriam, teoricamente, menos diversificadas que aquela de seus acionistas, e concentradas em suas respectivas empresas. Gestores e acionistas teriam assim um conflito quanto ao nível de risco sistêmico e não-sistêmico que a empresa deveria assumir. Este conflito influenciaria não somente a variância dos retornos da empresa, mas também o próprio retorno médio aos acionistas e poderia ser considerado um custo de agência. O objetivo deste trabalho foi o de investigar se as aquisições alteram o risco total, o risco sistêmico e o risco não-sistêmico do retorno das ações das empresas adquirentes não-financeiras, de capital aberto e listadas na Bolsa de Valores de São Paulo. As hipóteses do estudo testaram essas relações para uma amostra de 34 aquisições realizadas entre os anos de 1997 e 2005. Os resultados do estudo apontaram que a variância total das empresas adquirentes se reduziu após as aquisições, de forma estatisticamente significante. Decompondo-se a variância total em seus dois componentes - sistêmico e não-sistêmico, os resultados indicaram, entretanto, que essa redução da variância total decorreu da redução do risco não-sistêmico. Ao contrário do que foi proposto, verificou-se assim que a relação risco-retorno das empresas adquirentes, segundo a moderna teoria de finanças, não foi alterada após a aquisição das empresas-alvo, não gerando, deste modo, custos de agência relacionados ao desbalanceamento da carteira de investimento dos acionistas adquirentes. O retorno acima do ativo livre de risco da empresa adquirente e o risco sistêmico não apresentaram alteração estatisticamente significante. A combinação de empresas não afetaria, por isso, a exposição da adquirente a riscos sistêmicos, mas auxiliaria na redução dos riscos não-sistêmicos a que os gestores estariam expostos.Complementarmente ao objetivo principal, investigaram-se quais das variáveis independentes, identificadas em estudos anteriores como relacionadas aos eventos de aquisição, poderiam influenciar na alteração do risco não-sistêmico das empresas adquirentes da amostra selecionada. A análise dos resultados das regressões indicou que o ajuste linear não se mostrou o mais adequado para representar a relação entre a variação do risco não-sistêmico e as demais variáveis independentes, seja de forma individual ou simultânea. Desta forma, os resultados não foram conclusivos quanto aos fatores que influenciariam na redução do risco não-sistêmico das empresas adquirentes. / Previous research indicates that acquisitions create value for target shareholders, but for acquirers, such activities could be considered projects with no net present value. Considering such evidences, this research investigates whether one of the motivations for such activities could reside on the managers\' goal of reducing their investment portfolio risk. Such portfolio, theoretically, would be less diversified than that of their shareholders and concentrated on their respective organizations. Thus, managers and shareholders would have a conflict regarding the level of systemic and non-systemic risk which their companies should incur. Such conflict would impact not only the variance of the returns, but also the shareholders´ average returns, and could be considered an agency cost. The goal of this study was to investigate whether acquisitions modify the total, the systemic and the non-systemic risks of stock returns of non-financial acquirers listed in the São Paulo stock exchange. The hypothesis of this research tested such relationships for a sample of 34 acquisitions performed between 1997 and 2005. The results indicated that acquirers´ total variance was reduced after the acquisitions, and that such reduction was statistically significant. Partitioning the total variance in its two components - systemic and non-systemic, the results indicated that the reduction in the total variance derived from the reduction in its non-systemic component. Thus, the results pointed out that the relationship between acquirers´ risk and return, according to the modern financial theory, was not altered, and, in this way, did not generate agency costs related to the rebalancing of acquirers´ investment portfolio. The acquirer stock return over the risk-free asset and the systemic risk did not change in a statistically significant way. Enterprise merger, in this way, would not impact the acquirer\'s exposition to systemic risk, but would assist in the reduction of non-systemic risks to which managers are exposed. In addition to the mentioned goal, this research investigated which independent variables, identified in previous studies as related to acquisition events, could influence in the change of acquirers´ non-systemic risk. The linear regression results pointed out that the linear adjustment did not show to be an adequate representation of the relationship between non-systemic risk and the independent variables, individually or simultaneously. Thus, the results were inconclusive regarding the factors which could influence the reduction in acquirers´ non-systemic risk.

Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) of private target firms is a common phenomenon and being acquired is the desired outcome for some private firms, as it is the path to wealth creation for these firm’s owners and investors. However, this M&A type has received limited attention in the literature, especially from the perspective of the target firm. Furthermore, neither a theoretical model to explain the phenomenon where the goal of the target firm is to be acquired in M&A, nor an indicator to gauge wealth creation for such firms were identified in the review of the literature. This paper established that, because being acquired in a M&A may be the goal, the wealth generated from the M&A is the outcome or performance indicator for such firms. The outcomes of M&As depend, among other factors, on the acquiring firm’s perception of the target firm’s value. Thus, this paper coined the term ‘private firm’s attractiveness as an acquisition target’, and built on the resource based view of the firm and signaling theory to identify factors that influence a private firm’s attractiveness to acquirers. Furthermore, private firm’s attractiveness as an acquisition target was used as the bridge between the acquiring firm perspective and target firm perspective in a M&A. The resource-based view of the firm and the signaling theory were used jointly in building the theoretical framework for hypotheses development. Hypotheses were tested using a sample of 222 acquisitions of US private target firms by US public acquiring firms. Hierarchical regression with inverse mills ratio, as well as two-step Heckman model were used to address the potential selection hazard. Results provided strong support for most hypotheses, and showed that investor involvement, target firm’s industry innovativeness, and target firm’s emphasis on growth in human capital were positively related to the private firm’s attractiveness as an acquisition target. Furthermore, the effects of emphasis on growth in human capital were stronger when the target firm’s growth in revenue was lower and when the target firm operated in a more innovative industry. The effects of emphasis on growth in revenue were stronger when the target firm operated in a less innovative industry. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2018. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

BAKGRUND:Man tillägnar sig språk när man omges av det, genom att lyssna på och läsa det. Egenproduktion av språk, att tala och skriva, kommer efteråt. Det är viktigt att arbeta medelevernas ordförråd och med de typer av övningar som är språkutvecklande för eleverna.Läromedel kan användas i olika utsträckning och på olika sätt och det är viktigt att man somlärare gör ett medvetet val av aktiviteter i sin undervisning. Enligt styrdokumenten skaengelska vara ett kommunikativt ämne.SYFTE:Undersökningen syftar till att se hur pedagoger i år F-5 undervisar i engelska. Vi fokuserar påatt se vilka undervisningsmoment pedagogerna använder sig av och i vilken utsträckningläromedel används.METOD:Vi har genom en enkät undersökt hur ett antal pedagoger arbetar med engelskämnet.Redskapet valde vi för att kunna se hur vanliga olika aktiviteter är. Innan vi skickade ut denslutgiltiga enkäten testade vi frågorna i en pilotstudie. Pedagogerna i undersökningenrepresenterar både små och stora skolor belägna i storstadsmiljö och mindre stadsmiljö samtmindre samhällen. Enkäten skickades ut till pedagogerna via post eller e-mail efter kontaktmed rektorerna på flertalet skolor.RESULTAT:Vårt resultat visar att många olika moment är respresenterade i undervisningen men storafokus är att eleverna ska tala och skriva. Resultatet visar även att majoriteten av pedagogernaanvänder sig av läromedel då textbook, workbook (övningsbok) och glosor är vanligaaktiviteter i undervisningen. De flesta pedagoger tycker också att det är roligt att undervisa i engelska. / Uppsatsnivå: C

Diversos estudos apontam que as aquisições gerariam riqueza para os acionistas das empresas adquiridas, mas que para os acionistas adquirentes, estas atividades seriam projetos com valor presente líquido nulo. Com base nestas evidências, este trabalho investiga se uma das motivações para tais atividades residiria no objetivo dos gestores de reduzir o risco de suas carteiras de investimento, as quais seriam, teoricamente, menos diversificadas que aquela de seus acionistas, e concentradas em suas respectivas empresas. Gestores e acionistas teriam assim um conflito quanto ao nível de risco sistêmico e não-sistêmico que a empresa deveria assumir. Este conflito influenciaria não somente a variância dos retornos da empresa, mas também o próprio retorno médio aos acionistas e poderia ser considerado um custo de agência. O objetivo deste trabalho foi o de investigar se as aquisições alteram o risco total, o risco sistêmico e o risco não-sistêmico do retorno das ações das empresas adquirentes não-financeiras, de capital aberto e listadas na Bolsa de Valores de São Paulo. As hipóteses do estudo testaram essas relações para uma amostra de 34 aquisições realizadas entre os anos de 1997 e 2005. Os resultados do estudo apontaram que a variância total das empresas adquirentes se reduziu após as aquisições, de forma estatisticamente significante. Decompondo-se a variância total em seus dois componentes - sistêmico e não-sistêmico, os resultados indicaram, entretanto, que essa redução da variância total decorreu da redução do risco não-sistêmico. Ao contrário do que foi proposto, verificou-se assim que a relação risco-retorno das empresas adquirentes, segundo a moderna teoria de finanças, não foi alterada após a aquisição das empresas-alvo, não gerando, deste modo, custos de agência relacionados ao desbalanceamento da carteira de investimento dos acionistas adquirentes. O retorno acima do ativo livre de risco da empresa adquirente e o risco sistêmico não apresentaram alteração estatisticamente significante. A combinação de empresas não afetaria, por isso, a exposição da adquirente a riscos sistêmicos, mas auxiliaria na redução dos riscos não-sistêmicos a que os gestores estariam expostos.Complementarmente ao objetivo principal, investigaram-se quais das variáveis independentes, identificadas em estudos anteriores como relacionadas aos eventos de aquisição, poderiam influenciar na alteração do risco não-sistêmico das empresas adquirentes da amostra selecionada. A análise dos resultados das regressões indicou que o ajuste linear não se mostrou o mais adequado para representar a relação entre a variação do risco não-sistêmico e as demais variáveis independentes, seja de forma individual ou simultânea. Desta forma, os resultados não foram conclusivos quanto aos fatores que influenciariam na redução do risco não-sistêmico das empresas adquirentes. / Previous research indicates that acquisitions create value for target shareholders, but for acquirers, such activities could be considered projects with no net present value. Considering such evidences, this research investigates whether one of the motivations for such activities could reside on the managers\' goal of reducing their investment portfolio risk. Such portfolio, theoretically, would be less diversified than that of their shareholders and concentrated on their respective organizations. Thus, managers and shareholders would have a conflict regarding the level of systemic and non-systemic risk which their companies should incur. Such conflict would impact not only the variance of the returns, but also the shareholders´ average returns, and could be considered an agency cost. The goal of this study was to investigate whether acquisitions modify the total, the systemic and the non-systemic risks of stock returns of non-financial acquirers listed in the São Paulo stock exchange. The hypothesis of this research tested such relationships for a sample of 34 acquisitions performed between 1997 and 2005. The results indicated that acquirers´ total variance was reduced after the acquisitions, and that such reduction was statistically significant. Partitioning the total variance in its two components - systemic and non-systemic, the results indicated that the reduction in the total variance derived from the reduction in its non-systemic component. Thus, the results pointed out that the relationship between acquirers´ risk and return, according to the modern financial theory, was not altered, and, in this way, did not generate agency costs related to the rebalancing of acquirers´ investment portfolio. The acquirer stock return over the risk-free asset and the systemic risk did not change in a statistically significant way. Enterprise merger, in this way, would not impact the acquirer\'s exposition to systemic risk, but would assist in the reduction of non-systemic risks to which managers are exposed. In addition to the mentioned goal, this research investigated which independent variables, identified in previous studies as related to acquisition events, could influence in the change of acquirers´ non-systemic risk. The linear regression results pointed out that the linear adjustment did not show to be an adequate representation of the relationship between non-systemic risk and the independent variables, individually or simultaneously. Thus, the results were inconclusive regarding the factors which could influence the reduction in acquirers´ non-systemic risk.