The purpose of this study is to explore the mechanics of guanxi in an organizational setting, focusing on the use of interpersonal relationships within Chinese firms to discover how firms initiate, build and use guanxi networks. Two richly detailed case studies document changes that take place over time in two distinct networks with respect to key actors and their contacts. This research also investigates patterns of social structure that emerge over time in these two distinct cases looking at brokerage relationships, network density, and dyadic redundancy in three waves at six month intervals. The cases are dissimilar in all aspects except absolute size demonstrating the universal use of guanxi across time, geographic location, specific industries, and firm experience. Dynamic network visualization is used to highlight the sequence and rate of activity in each network to identify salient changes. The findings show that firms seek to improve their organizational guanxi by improving existing employees' guanxi quality within the firm and by recruiting new actors from outside the firm. Additionally, firms use organizational guanxi to expand their networks by forming cooperative partnerships with complementary organizations that enhance the attributes or potential of both organizations. And finally, firms initially exploit brokerage in organizational guanxi, then attempt to stabilize the network by fostering new ties to exclusive contacts.

This dissertation is about social mobilizations in rural Kyrgyzstan from 2010-2015. Following a constructivist approach, I aim to answer a puzzling question in regard to multiple but rarely sustainable protests in this global periphery: Under what conditions can provisional episodes of mobilization be transformed into sustained mobilization? In particularly, I consider Eric Hirsch’s insight that the commitment of participants of mobilization to the cause is formed within collective instances, i.e. ‘group processes’, and I employ it in the Kyrgyzstani context of generalized distrust and discredited corrupt politics. I explore the conditions in which participants of episodes of mobilization create trust in organizers and into the cause of mobilization. I investigate these conditions in two case studies: one concerns a fragmented labour force at a state-owned gas and oil company in which, in the course of four years, workers succeeded to empower themselves as a collective actor within the group processes of collective learning and collective decision-making. The second tells a story about a fragmented rural community that goes against mining operations but sees the decline of an initially successful mobilization within group processes of monitoring. These findings point to the presence of a specific ‘pre-condition’ for any lasting mobilization: trust between organizers and participants of episodes of mobilization must be established in the process of monitoring the commitment to collective interests. With this insight I contribute to the literature on social movements and mobilizations that tends to take commitment and trust as pre-established resources. Furthermore, this work intervenes in the ongoing discussion on social change in the former Soviet Union. First, my observations of the difficult formation of protest groups lead, surprisingly, to the conclusion that the weak state produces a weak society. Second, due to the fragmented and localized nature of these mobilizations, social and political change in Kyrgyzstan is most likely to occur at the local level.

O objetivo geral desta dissertação é analisar o não dito sobre os requisitos de seleção de pessoal das empresas de telefonia móvel, através de vagas encaminhadas para empresas intermediadoras de emprego. O estudo está centrado em três grandes eixos: a flexibilização, os requisitos descritos e os requisitos não descritos nas seleções realizadas por intermediadoras de emprego para as empresas de telefonia móvel. O primeiro eixo diz respeito ao contexto em que ocorrem os processos seletivos e verifica os aspectos explícitos e implícitos das relações flexíveis estabelecidas entre operadoras e empresas intermediadoras. O segundo eixo está centrado na análise dos requisitos descritos como necessários para os cargos, sendo esses critérios os anunciados para os candidatos. O terceiro eixo, por fim, analisa os requisitos não descritos, aqui nomeados como “não ditos”e não anunciados, mas praticados pelas empresas e determinantes para contratação ou exclusão de candidatos. Trata-se de uma pesquisa de abordagem qualitativo-exploratória. A coleta de dados foi realizada através de entrevistas semiestruturadas, realizadas com 14 sujeitos – gestores, selecionadores e trabalhadores – que atuam em empresas intermediadoras de emprego. O estudo constata que as vagas encaminhadas para as empresas intermediadoras são predominantemente operacionais e temporárias e que os processos seletivos realizados ocorrem mediante pressão por cumprimento de prazos e metas impostas pelas operadoras. A pesquisa revela que os requisitos de seleção de pessoal vão além dos descritos e anunciados socialmente, identificando 12 elementos que não constam no perfil formal das empresas, mas que são considerados na seleção. Com isso, questiona a negação da subjetividade e discurso de imparcialidade e neutralidade nos processos seletivos sustentados por correntes tradicionais da Administração e Psicologia. O estudo também discute a aplicação do modelo de competências no contexto de submissão e pressão por prazos em que estão inseridas as intermediadoras e conclui que o seu caráter subjetivo e ainda incipiente, em termos de ferramentas de avaliação, ajuda a mascarar os requisitos velados. / The objective of this paper in general is to analyze the untold about the requirements for personnel selection of mobile phone companies through vacancies taken to job brokerage companies. The study focuses on three main areas: flexibility, the requirements described and the requirements that are not described in the selections made by job brokerage companies to the mobile phone companies. The first axis is related to the context in which there are selective processes and it verifies the explicit and implicit aspects of flexible relations established between operators and brokerage companies. The second axis focuses on the analysis of the requirements needed for the positions described, these being the advertised criteria for applicants. The third axis, finally, discusses the requirements that are not described, here named as "untold" and not announced, but practiced by companies and fundamental to the recruitment or exclusion of applicants. This is an exploratory qualitative research approach. Data collection was conducted through semi structured interviews with 14 individuals - managers, pickers and workers - who work for job brokerage companies. The study points out that the vacancies taken to the job brokerage companies are mainly operational, temporary and the selective processes occur under pressure because of meeting deadlines and targets imposed by the operators. The research reveals that the requirements for personnel selection go beyond those described and announced socially, identifying 12 elements not found in the formal profile of the companies, but considered in the selection. Thus, it questions the denial of subjectivity and discourse of impartiality and neutrality in the selection processes supported by traditional patterns of management and psychology. The study also discusses the application of the competency model in the context of submission and pressure for deadlines in which job brokerage companies are embedded and it concludes that its subjective and still nascent nature in terms of assessment tools helps mask the hidden requirements.

O objetivo geral desta dissertação é analisar o não dito sobre os requisitos de seleção de pessoal das empresas de telefonia móvel, através de vagas encaminhadas para empresas intermediadoras de emprego. O estudo está centrado em três grandes eixos: a flexibilização, os requisitos descritos e os requisitos não descritos nas seleções realizadas por intermediadoras de emprego para as empresas de telefonia móvel. O primeiro eixo diz respeito ao contexto em que ocorrem os processos seletivos e verifica os aspectos explícitos e implícitos das relações flexíveis estabelecidas entre operadoras e empresas intermediadoras. O segundo eixo está centrado na análise dos requisitos descritos como necessários para os cargos, sendo esses critérios os anunciados para os candidatos. O terceiro eixo, por fim, analisa os requisitos não descritos, aqui nomeados como “não ditos”e não anunciados, mas praticados pelas empresas e determinantes para contratação ou exclusão de candidatos. Trata-se de uma pesquisa de abordagem qualitativo-exploratória. A coleta de dados foi realizada através de entrevistas semiestruturadas, realizadas com 14 sujeitos – gestores, selecionadores e trabalhadores – que atuam em empresas intermediadoras de emprego. O estudo constata que as vagas encaminhadas para as empresas intermediadoras são predominantemente operacionais e temporárias e que os processos seletivos realizados ocorrem mediante pressão por cumprimento de prazos e metas impostas pelas operadoras. A pesquisa revela que os requisitos de seleção de pessoal vão além dos descritos e anunciados socialmente, identificando 12 elementos que não constam no perfil formal das empresas, mas que são considerados na seleção. Com isso, questiona a negação da subjetividade e discurso de imparcialidade e neutralidade nos processos seletivos sustentados por correntes tradicionais da Administração e Psicologia. O estudo também discute a aplicação do modelo de competências no contexto de submissão e pressão por prazos em que estão inseridas as intermediadoras e conclui que o seu caráter subjetivo e ainda incipiente, em termos de ferramentas de avaliação, ajuda a mascarar os requisitos velados. / The objective of this paper in general is to analyze the untold about the requirements for personnel selection of mobile phone companies through vacancies taken to job brokerage companies. The study focuses on three main areas: flexibility, the requirements described and the requirements that are not described in the selections made by job brokerage companies to the mobile phone companies. The first axis is related to the context in which there are selective processes and it verifies the explicit and implicit aspects of flexible relations established between operators and brokerage companies. The second axis focuses on the analysis of the requirements needed for the positions described, these being the advertised criteria for applicants. The third axis, finally, discusses the requirements that are not described, here named as "untold" and not announced, but practiced by companies and fundamental to the recruitment or exclusion of applicants. This is an exploratory qualitative research approach. Data collection was conducted through semi structured interviews with 14 individuals - managers, pickers and workers - who work for job brokerage companies. The study points out that the vacancies taken to the job brokerage companies are mainly operational, temporary and the selective processes occur under pressure because of meeting deadlines and targets imposed by the operators. The research reveals that the requirements for personnel selection go beyond those described and announced socially, identifying 12 elements not found in the formal profile of the companies, but considered in the selection. Thus, it questions the denial of subjectivity and discourse of impartiality and neutrality in the selection processes supported by traditional patterns of management and psychology. The study also discusses the application of the competency model in the context of submission and pressure for deadlines in which job brokerage companies are embedded and it concludes that its subjective and still nascent nature in terms of assessment tools helps mask the hidden requirements.

O objetivo geral desta dissertação é analisar o não dito sobre os requisitos de seleção de pessoal das empresas de telefonia móvel, através de vagas encaminhadas para empresas intermediadoras de emprego. O estudo está centrado em três grandes eixos: a flexibilização, os requisitos descritos e os requisitos não descritos nas seleções realizadas por intermediadoras de emprego para as empresas de telefonia móvel. O primeiro eixo diz respeito ao contexto em que ocorrem os processos seletivos e verifica os aspectos explícitos e implícitos das relações flexíveis estabelecidas entre operadoras e empresas intermediadoras. O segundo eixo está centrado na análise dos requisitos descritos como necessários para os cargos, sendo esses critérios os anunciados para os candidatos. O terceiro eixo, por fim, analisa os requisitos não descritos, aqui nomeados como “não ditos”e não anunciados, mas praticados pelas empresas e determinantes para contratação ou exclusão de candidatos. Trata-se de uma pesquisa de abordagem qualitativo-exploratória. A coleta de dados foi realizada através de entrevistas semiestruturadas, realizadas com 14 sujeitos – gestores, selecionadores e trabalhadores – que atuam em empresas intermediadoras de emprego. O estudo constata que as vagas encaminhadas para as empresas intermediadoras são predominantemente operacionais e temporárias e que os processos seletivos realizados ocorrem mediante pressão por cumprimento de prazos e metas impostas pelas operadoras. A pesquisa revela que os requisitos de seleção de pessoal vão além dos descritos e anunciados socialmente, identificando 12 elementos que não constam no perfil formal das empresas, mas que são considerados na seleção. Com isso, questiona a negação da subjetividade e discurso de imparcialidade e neutralidade nos processos seletivos sustentados por correntes tradicionais da Administração e Psicologia. O estudo também discute a aplicação do modelo de competências no contexto de submissão e pressão por prazos em que estão inseridas as intermediadoras e conclui que o seu caráter subjetivo e ainda incipiente, em termos de ferramentas de avaliação, ajuda a mascarar os requisitos velados. / The objective of this paper in general is to analyze the untold about the requirements for personnel selection of mobile phone companies through vacancies taken to job brokerage companies. The study focuses on three main areas: flexibility, the requirements described and the requirements that are not described in the selections made by job brokerage companies to the mobile phone companies. The first axis is related to the context in which there are selective processes and it verifies the explicit and implicit aspects of flexible relations established between operators and brokerage companies. The second axis focuses on the analysis of the requirements needed for the positions described, these being the advertised criteria for applicants. The third axis, finally, discusses the requirements that are not described, here named as "untold" and not announced, but practiced by companies and fundamental to the recruitment or exclusion of applicants. This is an exploratory qualitative research approach. Data collection was conducted through semi structured interviews with 14 individuals - managers, pickers and workers - who work for job brokerage companies. The study points out that the vacancies taken to the job brokerage companies are mainly operational, temporary and the selective processes occur under pressure because of meeting deadlines and targets imposed by the operators. The research reveals that the requirements for personnel selection go beyond those described and announced socially, identifying 12 elements not found in the formal profile of the companies, but considered in the selection. Thus, it questions the denial of subjectivity and discourse of impartiality and neutrality in the selection processes supported by traditional patterns of management and psychology. The study also discusses the application of the competency model in the context of submission and pressure for deadlines in which job brokerage companies are embedded and it concludes that its subjective and still nascent nature in terms of assessment tools helps mask the hidden requirements.

Global industries are characterized by complex networks of organizations, which are often dominated by a few disproportionately large transnational corporations. While industry consolidation is not a new phenomenon, the scale and speed at which global industries now impact diverse social-ecological systems is unprecedented. In this thesis, I combine the interconnected perspective of business ecosystems with the sustainability focus of the social-ecological systems literature through the concept of keystone actors. Adopting a network perspective, I apply this framing to the global clothing industry, and specifically analyze the patterns of coordination and collaboration among actors working to address systemic sustainability challenges facing the industry. While keystone actors wield significant influence over both the industry’s biophysical and socio-economic impacts, I find it is the presence of key brokers – actors who mediate indirect connections between keystone actors in the clothing industry – that possess the potential to coordinate action around sustainability challenges into a collective industry-wide effort. I conclude the thesis by discussing how the empirical findings, and network perspective more generally, can advance the study of keystone actors in global business ecosystems.

No description available.

No description available.

Fastighetsbranschen har länge varit en konservativ bransch med låg benägenhet till förändring. Grunden till detta är branschens stabila affärskoncept, att hyra ut kvadratmeter. Fastighetsbolag har levererat goda resultat under många år då marknaden länge präglats av en stabil ekonomisk uppgång. Detta har föranlett till att branschen inte varit pressade till att följa samhällets digitala transformation. Under de senaste två till tre åren har man däremot kunnat identifiera en ny trend som lett till att många bolags förändringsvilja ökat. Denna rapport syftar följaktligen till att undersöka hur digitala verktyg och hjälpmedel kan effektivisera avyttrings-, förvärvs-, förvaltnings- och förmedlingsprocessen av kommersiella fastigheter. Branschfenomenet proptech och fastighetsdigitalisering har på senare tid förändrat branschen syn på digitalisering och värdet av digitala arbetsprocesser har blivit allt mer påtagligt. Detta har i sin tur resulterat i att branschen just nu genomgår en digital transformation där många bolag gör aktiva val att använda en bred skara digitala hjälpmedel för att effektivisera, spara kostnader eller stimulera intäkter. I och med denna transformation uppstår många frågor och oklarheter kring vilka för- respektive nackdelar som finns med att digitalisera. Genom flertalet intervjuer med representanter från en bred skara bolag så har branschens numera optimistiska inställning till vad som komma skall varit påtaglig. Samtliga intervjuade respondenter uttrycker att framtiden inom fastighetsbranschen kommer att vara digital. Rapporten kartlägger även varför vissa bolag är mer digitalt mogna än andra och hur framtiden kommer att se ut för branschen som helhet. / The real estate sector has long been a conservative industry with low activity for change. The reason for this is the industry's stable business concept, to rent out square meters. Real estate companies have delivered good results for many years as the market has long been characterized by a stable economic growth. This has led to real estate companies not being forced to follow society's digital transformation. Though, in the last two to three years a new trend has been seen which transformed many companies' willingness to change. This report aims to analyze how digital solutions and tools can streamline divestments-, acquisitions-, management- and brokerage process of commercial real estate. The industry phenomenon proptech and real estate digitization has recently changed the industry's view of digitization and the value of digital work processes has become more evident. This has resulted in the industry currently undergoing a digital transformation where many companies make active choices to use a wide range of digital tools to streamline the management process, save costs or stimulate revenue. With this transformation many questions and uncertainties arise regarding the advantages and disadvantages of digitalization. Through interviews with representatives from a wide range of companies, the industry's now optimistic approach to what is to come has been evident. All interviewed respondents express that the future within the real estate sector will be digital. The report also maps out why some companies are more digitally mature than others and what the future will look like for the industry.

This dissertation consists of three studies related to corporate governance of equity mutual funds in a framework of relations between the three closely interrelated actors of mutual fund industry. The mutual fund advisers, the shareholders and the mutual fund board being the advocate of shareholders rights. The first study analyzes the advisory fee, using a survivorship bias free data set of 176 equity funds managed by 125 different advisers. The price of professional portfolio management provided by the mutual fund adviser depends not only on the fund characteristics but also on the fund objective, the adviser's portfolio related and management based decisions, and the portfolio performance. I find that the advisers may reduce their own costs through the use of derivatives or manipulate the actual fee contract by engaging in soft dollar agreements. Advisers actively manage the advisory fee contracts responding to the outcome of their management decisions. The advisory fee increases after voluntary fee reimbursement or if the adviser is not fully reimbursed for certain services. Risk taking behavior is the main motivation behind the structure of advisory contracts. Also, I show that non-surviving funds have higher advisory fees, suggesting competitive fee pricing may be necessary for survival. The second study focuses on the relation between general board characteristics, independent director characteristics and the advisory fee which is solely an outcome of the negotiations between the fund board and the adviser, thus a good proxy for the governance skills of the board. I also examine the impact of SEC's regulation change of 2000. Mutual fund scandals that took place after the regulation change of 2000 suggested that besides the fraction of independent seats, the individual characteristics of the members that occupy board seats are crucial for mutual fund board governance. I find that boards benchmark objective average fee but not necessarily for the best interest of shareholders. Shareholders are likely to benefit from the expertise of members with higher tenure and finance backgrounds. Although increase in board independence is likely to contribute to board governance, the effect of 2000 regulation change of board independence on its arguably target group is limited. Nominating committee improves the board governance. Although the results do not suggest that an independent chairman directly improves board governance, I find modest evidence that the impact of an independent chairman is likely to depend on the expertise of the member that would occupy the chairman seat. Third study analyzes a specific tool, soft dollar arrangements using a survivorship bias free data set of 432 equity funds managed by 129 different advisers. Soft dollar arrangements affect all three actors of mutual fund industry. They are widely used by the advisers, have to be monitored closely by the fund board and eventually affect the overall wealth of shareholders. Fund advisers determine the broker base, scope of brokerage services and whether to self produce or outsource brokerage services through soft dollar arrangements. In return, shareholders expect to benefit from better fund performance and reduction in advisory fee. I find that transaction execution not necessarily motivated by additional brokerage services is likely to be responsible for high turnover. Construction of brokerage base by the adviser is not arbitrary. Advisers ex ante construct the broker base in order to minimize the brokerage commissions and considering ex post soft dollar arrangements. Transaction execution related services lead to less brokerage commissions and soft dollar use while both increase if research is a consideration for broker participation. More concentrated broker base leads to lower brokerage fee and higher soft dollar use. Results indicate that advisers enforce competition within brokerage industry for lower cost of transaction execution. Shareholders benefit from increasing soft dollar use through performance improvement and reduction in advisory fee. Yet, the cost of soft dollar arrangements seems to exceed their benefit to shareholders. If the results indicate competition within brokerage industry for lower cost of transaction execution, the undisclosed premium paid for the additional services are likely to be responsible for this adverse effect.