The Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 (CAFA) was signed into law on February 18, 2005. Prior to CAFA, plaintiffs found it easier for class action lawsuits to be tried in their preferred venue—state courts. Changes introduced by CAFA practically removed the majority of class action jurisdiction from state to federal courts. Since law and regulation might serve as an external corporate governance mechanism, an interesting question is whether CAFA has strengthened or weakened corporate governance. If CAFA improves corporate governance, associated marginal benefits would outweigh marginal costs. The opposite would be true if CAFA weakens corporate governance. This issue was hotly debated in the US Congress. The proponents argued that CAFA would reduce costs for the affected firms, while opponents argued the opposite. The main purpose of this paper is to examine which side of the debate is reflected in market reactions to various events that either enhanced or reduced the chances of the passage of CAFA. We identify the firms that are most likely to be affected by CAFA and find that the overall market reaction for these firms is positive when the likelihood of CAFA passage increases, while the reaction has been negative when the chance of its passage diminishes. We also hypothesize that firms that are more likely to be exposed to product liability litigation would experience a significantly higher (positive or negative) abnormal return than firms that are more likely to be involved in contract liability law suits. The results support this hypothesis. We also examine potential factors that might explain cross-sectional variations in abnormal returns and find that duality of Chairmanship and CEO has negative impact, while the

The purpose of the present thesis is to create an understanding of entrepreneurship interpreted as communicative action. This is done through reflections on an interactive study that was planned and conducted together with members of a civic network-organization called Societal Change in Practice (SIP). According to Habermas, civic organizations are ideally characterized by a communicative rationality that enables them to organize informal public spheres; that is, arenas in social life where individuals can come together to discuss and act upon societal problems or opportunities that they have experienced in their private life-spheres. I have actively participated in three ventures with members from SIP. The first venture revolves around my own and members from SIP’s respective practices as education coordinators. Based on our common interest in education and learning in relation to entrepreneurship, we planned and conducted a series of joint activities that also involved our respective student groups. The activities are interpreted based on my own personal experiences as a researcher participating in a project that requires commitment and responsibility. The second venture involves the creation of a local community magazine that highlights examples of civic initiatives in two municipalities. The production of the magazine is interpreted as an example of how SIP creates public opinion in the local community. The third event relates to the organization of a conference on the subject of youth and digital media. The main message of the conference is interpreted in terms of a manifestation of what the public sphere can accomplish, or as a reaction in defense of a well-functioning public sphere in society. The methodological contribution of the thesis is its definition of three interactive research roles based on my own interaction as a researcher in different kinds of ventures. Based on a theatrical metaphor, I argue that the researcher can participate as one of the directors of a venture, as a member of the ensemble that performs a venture, or as a member of the audience that observes an event. The theoretical contribution of the study is that it shows how Habermas’ theory of communicative action can be modified and made useful as a theoretical frame of reference for studying entrepreneurship in civil society. Entrepreneurship is understood as a way to vitalize the informal public sphere, thereby influencing society as a whole and not just its economy.

The main aim of the study is to create insight into students' algebraic knowledge and the conditions for their algebra learning at upper secondary level. An additional goal is to suggest ways to improve algebra teaching and learning within the Swedish edu­cational system, based on the results from the study. The study builds on an extended research and development project, which are presented in four phases. In the empirical study two cohorts of students were followed during their time of study at one upper secondary school in southern Sweden, and some main factors for success in algebra learn­ing were identified. This part of the study was presented more in detail in my licentiate thesis. The following three phases are described in the three articles, on which this thesis rests. In the second part of the study I reflect upon my development from being a teacher into being a teacher-researcher and what this has meant for my understanding of what happens in the classroom, and in what ways this has changed, especially enhanced, my way of teaching. In the third part, a deepened analysis is made of stu­dents' answers to how a functional relation can be explained. The fourth part is a literature review of recent research of the influence of calculators and other tech­nological tools on algebraic knowledge and skills. All parts of the project are put into one overarching frame, based on the didactical triangle with its main parts: the learning/the student, the teaching/the teacher, and the learning matter/the result of the education. As a background for the study a theoretical framework is used with five main components: mathe­matics and philosophy of mathematics, theories of knowledge and learning, the meaning of symbols, representational forms, and tools for learning. A thorough overview of earlier research in the field of algebra education is given, with a multi-dimensional perspective and with special focus on areas of importance for the study. A range of findings from the different parts of the study are presented and compiled, both on the basis of the theoretical framework and the didactical tri­angle. These results then form the starting point for consideration of significant implications for educational practice in mathematics within the areas: knowl­edge and development, symbols and representational forms, algebra as a strand in mathematics education, technology in mathematics education, and the importance of affective factors. Moreover, some suggestions is given to teachers about different methods and ways for local development projects in schools, and also suggestions for further research. / Huvudsyftet med studien är att skapa insikter om algebrakunskaper och villkor för algebralärande hos gymnasieelever. Ett andra syfte är att med utgångspunkt i resultaten föreslå vägar till en förbättrad algebraundervisning inom det svenska skolsystemet. Studien bygger på ett längre forsknings- och utvecklingsprojekt, som kan indelas i fyra faser. I den empiriska grundstudien följdes två årskullar elever under sin studietid på en gymnasieskola i Sydsverige, och några huvudfaktorer för framgång i algebrastudierna identifierades. Denna delstudie har närmare presenterats i min licentiatuppsats. De tre följande faserna är beskrivna i de tre artiklar, som denna avhandling vilar på. I den andra delstudien reflekterar jag över vad min utveckling från att bara vara lärare till att även bli forskare betytt för min förståelse för vad som händer i klassrummet och på vilka sätt detta förändrat mitt sätt att undervisa. I den tredje fördjupas analysen av elevernas svar på frågan om hur ett centralt funktionssamband kan förklaras. Den fjärde delstudien är en litteraturöversikt över nyare forskning kring räknares och andra teknologiska verktygs inverkan på algebrakunskaper och -lärande.Samtliga delstudier sätts in i ett övergripande sammanhang som utgår från den didaktiska triangeln med huvuddelarna: den lärande/eleven, läraren/undervisningen och det lärda/resultatet av undervisningen. Som bakgrund för studien används ett teoretiskt ramverk bestående av fem huvudkomponenter: matematik och matematikfilosofi, teorier om kunskap och lärande, symbolernas betydelse, representationsformer och verktyg för lärande. En utförlig översikt över tidigare forskning inom området algebraundervisning ges, med ett multidimensionellt perspektiv och med speciellt fokus på delområden av betydelse för studien.En rad resultat från de olika delstudierna presenteras och sammanställs, utgående från såväl det teoretiska ramverket som den didaktiska triangeln. Dessa resultat bildar sedan utgångspunkt för viktiga implikationer för undervisningspraktiken i matematik inom områdena: kunskap och kunskapsutveckling, symboler och representationsformer, algebra som en röd tråd i matematikundervisningen, teknologi i matematikundervisningen och de affektiva faktorernas betydelse. Dessutom ges förslag till lärare om olika metoder och tillvägagångssätt för lokala utvecklingsarbeten på skolorna, samt förslag till vidare forskning. / Godkänd; 2010; 20100204 (ysko); DISPUTATION Ämnesområde: Matematik och lärande Opponent: Professor Carl Winsløw, University of Copenhagen, Danmark Ordförande: Gästprofessor Barbro Grevholm, Luleå tekniska universitet Tid: Fredag den 12 mars 2010, kl. 13.00 Plats: A109

Internet adoption and e-business has been of particular interest amongst researchers and practitioners, however, most of the studies focus on large organisations and only recently there has been a shift of interest to e-commerce/business adoption by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with little or no reference to dot-com initiatives. It is well documented that SMEs have significant and different challenges in comparison to large organisations in the brick and mortar domain. Therefore, investments in the e-business domain (such as dot-com start-ups) present even more challenges to SMEs. Consequently, this research offers an in-depth study of the start-up process of a dot-com company by examining the stages, phases, and components that are key for this process. The empirical contexts of this research are three projects with three different SMEs that have actively participated in the creation of a new dot-com venture. These were analysed using an action research approach with interpretative and qualitative analysis. The main component of the action research approach covers a longitudinal study (2 years) divided in four cycles, followed by two case studies used for the evaluation of the findings of this research. These results of all research cycles, which in turn, can be considered the contributions to theory and practice of this research, can be seen in two ways: the development of a start-up framework for SMEs, and a Business Information Database (BID) that supports the implementation of the framework. The framework is designed to visualise, from a strategic perspective, the stages that an organisation have to go through in order to initiate a new dot-com venture. Is proved that organisations have, directly or indirectly, followed specific steps related to the phases described in the framework. Hence new entrepreneurs can use the phases of the framework to facilitate and ease their start-up process looking at the main features of each phase. The BID was constructed under two premises: a) to structure the main documents and corresponding building blocks used in industry and in the proposed framework, such as the Strategic Plan, Business Model, Business Plan, and Business Case, and b) to identify the relationships among the building blocks of all the aforementioned documents. The BID and related documents can be used to identify how a particular piece of information (e.g. building block) affects other aspects of the dot-com initiative. The BID can be also be used as an independent artefact to assist organisations through the structure of the business documents in the start-up process, even if the organisation is not following a specific framework. Hence the BID itself can assist entrepreneurs to start-up firm without the need to have an overarching framework. Last but not least, practical recommendations are offered to practitioners and stakeholders interested in developing new ventures within the dot-com domain.

Si la chaîne de contrats est une notion éprouvée en droit civil, les chaînes d'actes n'ont pas reçu les mêmes honneurs en droit administratif. Pourtant, l'observation du champ de l'action administrative unilatérale et contractuelle dévoile les nombreuses hypothèses d'actes juridiquement liés selon un procédé d'enchaînement. Si l'acte administratif s'appréhende comme une action isolée, il est une entité liée au confluent de relations hiérarchiques, fonctionnelles et procédurales. En matérialisant les relations entre les actes, les chaînes se présentent comme l'assise d'un nouveau raisonnement, non plus centré sur l'acte dans son individualité, mais orienté sur une vision globale de ce dernier. Sans remettre en cause les apports de la conception individualiste à la théorie de l'acte, elles offrent un regard nouveau et complémentaire à travers les liens juridiques que l'acte entretient avec d'autres. Expression d'une conception de l'acte en relation, la chaîne d'actes est une notion matériellement hétérogène mais conceptuellement cohérente. Son intérêt théorique a été confirmé par sa confrontation à la réalité du droit positif. A défaut d'être l'application d'un certain régime juridique, les chaînes d'actes font la preuve de leur utilité dans la compréhension des solutions relatives aux relations entre les actes. En cernant les enjeux pratiques soulevés par des actes juridiquement liés, et en centralisant la variété des solutions positives jusqu'alors traitées de manière éparse, la recherche permet de déterminer les finalités des chaînes hiérarchiques et des chaînes fonctionnelles en droit administratif. / Although contracts chain is a proven concept in civil law, chains of acts have not been tackled adequately the public law. However, by observing the unilateral and contractual public scope, we may consider that the acts are legally bound by a chaining process. While the public act is seen as a lone action, the hierarchical, functional and procedural relations are all related to it. By focusing on the links between acts, we contribute to a new way of thinking not just focused on the act itself but as a whole. Without questioning the contributions made by the individualistic conception to the act theory, chains offer a new and complementary vision through the prism of their legal links with other acts. Resulting from a relationship acts understanding, the chains of acts is a physically heterogeneous concept but conceptually coherent. In its confrontation with positive law reality, his theoretical interest has been confirmed. Failing to be an application of a legal regime, chains acts are useful for understanding the solutions about links between acts. Both by identifying practical issues raised by acts legally bound and by centralizing the variety of positive solutions thinly addressed, this research allows to determine the hierarchical and functional chains purposes in administrative law.

Au fil du temps, la victime a acquis une place bien solide et dispose aujourd’hui d’un rôle considérable au sein du procès pénal. En effet, à l’exception de la phase de l’exécution des peines, la victime intervient effectivement dans le procès répressif en qualité de partie. De plus, la victime qui n’exerce normalement que l’action civile pour la réparation du préjudice subi par une infraction pénale s’immisce dans l’action publique au point de brouiller les frontières qui existaient auparavant entre l ’action privée et l’action publique. Il s’est produit un renouveau du sens du procès pénal, ses finalités ont été ébranlées, la réponse pénale s’est diversifiée et le rôle des acteurs par là-même modifié. L’étude des droits qui lui sont octroyés et du rôle qu’elle exerce au sein du procès répressif a révélé l’ambiguïté de son action. Il est donc apparu nécessaire de clarifier la place de la victime au sein du procès pénal. / As time went on, the victim acquired a very solid place and has a considerable role within the criminal trial. Except for the phase of the execution of sentences, the victim actually intervenes in the repressive trial as a party. Furthermore, the victim who normally only exercises the civil action for the repair of the damages suffered by a criminal offense, interferes today in the « public action » to the point that blurs the borders which existed previously between the private action and the public action.The meaning of the criminal trial has therefore been renewed. Its finalities have been shaken, the criminal justice response has been diversified and even the role of the actors in the procedure have been modified. The study of the rights which are granted to the victim and the study of the role which the victim exercises within the repressive trial revealed the ambiguity of its action. It therefore seemed necessary to clarify the place of the victim within the criminal Trial.

This study is based on the perspectives of Syrian youth, on how they can contribute to and participate in future peace initiatives for Syria. The purpose of the study is to investigate opportunities and barriers to youth’s participation for peace, as well as the instrumental role of education in learning about nonviolent pathways for change. Thus, the research is conducted through the collection of narratives with a digital survey-interview method, followed by a thematic analysis with primarily inductive approach, putting the views and ideas of the youth at the centre of the study. The results from the narratives show that the youth have agency and hope to act for positive change in their societies, although they simultaneously feel restrained by suffering, due to imposed restrictions, increasing deprivation, and the on-going violent conflict. Following the analysis, the final themes are discussed against existing research on the topics of peace, participation, and education. The importance of education as a tool for peace and nonviolence was confirmed by the research participants’ strong emphasis on the benefits of education. Additionally, the youth propose that education for peace should include practical elements, and that practical skills are also part of building peace. The barriers in the narratives are discussed as something that can restrict people’s opportunities to return at all, however, the worries are accompanied by strong beliefs in cooperation, dialogue, and intergroup networks of care and respect. The final conclusions include emphasis on the need to support existing local and grassroots initiatives for peace, ideally through multi-sectoral approaches, incorporating support both from the humanitarian and the peacebuilding sectors. Furthermore, the youth participants show a great will to partake in creating positive change and building sustainable peace, nonetheless, they also need support to manage current barriers, including to put an end to the violent conflict.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--University of the Witwatersrand, 1999. / Recent developments in South Africa and the impending changes in the workplace, have placed new challenges and demands on managers of both big and small organisations. One of these challenges is the introduction and implementation of successful Affirmative Action (AA) programme. However, preparatory to this, it is important to gain an understanding of the perceptions of employees concerning AA because the way perceptions of employees may influence the manner in which such programmes are implemented in companies. The Employment Equity Act No. 55 (Republic of South Africa, 1998) makes it clear that every designated employer must, in order to achieve employment equity, implement AA measures. A survey method was used in this study, and opinions were sought from 209 supervisors and junior managers at Eskom Head Office, Megawatt Park. The results were analysed quantitatively in order to gain an insight into their perceptions of issues concerning AA. The results reveal that there are differences of opinion about AA amongst the junior and middle management employees. The differences are mainly racially based. There is no common understanding of AA and this leads to a dysfunctional effort in the implementation of this change. As resistance to change is a natural behavior of organisations and its members, naturally AA can be expected to be resisted by most employees. The present study suggests ways to overcome this problem and identifies the need for intervention to be undertaken concerning changing perceptions before AA can be understood and successfully implemented .

Le préjudice de l'actionnaire est un sujet encore peu étudié en France alors qu'il soulève de nombreuses interrogations. A l'inverse de nombre de solutions reçues dans les droits étrangers, le droit français n'admet que peu sa réparation tant il reste lié à la distinction jurisprudentielle fondamentale entre préjudice purement personnel (réparable) et préjudice simple corollaire du préjudice social (non réparable). Pourtant, cette distinction n'est pas des plus satisfaisantes ni sur le plan théorique, ni sur le plan pratique. Elle est en outre remise partiellement en cause dès lors que le préjudice trouve sa source dans une infraction pénale, telle que la communication d'informations mensongères. Par ailleurs, l'internationalisation des mouvements de capitaux soulève de plus en plus fréquemment la question de la loi applicable ou du juge compétent (judiciaire ou arbitral également) relativement aux actions en justice des actionnaires. Cette étude se propose dès lors de fournir une appréciation critique du droit positif afin de tenter l'élaboration d'un droit prospectif. Les solutions existantes peuvent-elles et doivent-elles changer ? Pour adopter quel type de solutions ? / The subject of shareholder damages has seldom been studied in France. Nonetheless, it is a topic of much discussion and debate in legal circles. Unlike under some foreign laws, French law rarely permits the direct compensation of shareholder damages because of the summa divisio between the personal damage (recoverable) and the damage of the company (not recoverable). However, this distinction is not relevant both in terms of theory and practice. More doubt is cast on this distinction where the potential damage arises from an infringement of the penal law, such as the use of false or misleading information to induce shareholder reliance or action. Furthermore, the internationalisation of capital introduces conflicts of law and jurisdictional questions, asking the courts to first determine whether they are the proper authority to hear a shareholder’s case, and which nation’s laws to apply.This study presents a critical analysis of the positive law and proposes avenues of reforming French laws concerning shareholder damages. Should the existing remedies be changed ? Which remedies should be adopted to reverse the strict trends in French law against adequately compensating shareholders’ losses ?

L’attrait de l’homme pour le changement met l’accent en premier lieu sur un questionnement existentiel fondateur de notre identité vécu comme un drame : qui suis-je ? Cette interrogation dramatique en engendre une seconde à la fois évidente et obscure : qui est cet Autre ? Ces deux questions rendent compte de la plupart des questionnements humains au sein du monde. Au départ de toute civilisation, de tout rassemblement, de toute existence, si petite soit-elle, cette interrogation angoissante sur notre identité demeure. La totalité de notre être se fonde sur la définition que nous donnons de notre identité : nous pouvons être définit comme « une chose qui pense », « l’incarnation d’un intelligible dans le sensible », ou bien encore « un être existant », nous ne cessons de chercher la réponse à la question existentielle et dramatique de notre identité. Nos recherches partent de ce sentiment que nous avons face à cette interrogation. Nous tenons absolument à savoir coûte que coûte qui est cet être que notre conscience semble appréhender comme un « je » : notre « je ». Comment ce constitue-t-il ? Quels en sont les fondements et savoir si son fondement n’implique que lui ou s’il s’ouvre vers autre chose ? Nous ne cherchons pas à décrire simplement une situation où notre être se réalise au sein de la multiplicité humaine et où nous ne sommes qu’un « récepteur » passif de ce spectacle qui de prime abord apparaît tel un miracle anthropologique. Nous souhaitons de fait, prendre le problème de notre identité et celui d’Autrui, dans son intériorité opératoire, c’est-à-dire aller aux tréfonds de ses rouages et mécanismes phénoménologiques, et ainsi participer à la compréhension du problème de la définition d’un « être-collectif », tant en tant que « témoin » de sa réalisation, qu’en tant « qu’acteur » de son existence commune à la nôtre. / The attraction of man to change focuses primarily on existential questions of our founding identity experienced as a drama: who am I? This dramatic interrogation spawns a second both obvious and obscure: who is this Other? These two issues account for most human questions in the world. From any civilization, any gathering of all existence, however small it may be, this agonizing question about our identity is. Our entire being is based on how we define our identity: we can be defined as "a thinking thing," "the epitome of an intelligible in the sensible" or even "an existing being" we never stop looking for the answer to the existential and dramatic question of our identity. Our research go of this feeling that we face this question. We really want to know all costs is that our consciousness seems to be apprehended as an "I" our "I". How is it there? What are the foundations and whether its basis does not imply that he or it opens to something else? We are not trying to simply describe a situation where our being is realized in human multiplicity and we are only a "receiver" passive of this show that initially appears as an anthropological miracle. We want to actually take the problem of our identity and that of the Other, in its operative interiority, that is to say, delving deep into its workings and phenomenological mechanisms, and thus contribute to the understanding of the problem of defining a "collective-be" both as a "witness" of its realization that as "actor" of his town to ours existence.