本研究主要探討CEO背景與公司從事慈善活動與否之間的關係，以CEO任期及教育背景為討論重點，並將教育背景細分為主修背景、國內外學歷及取得之學位。由於CEO的教育背景可反應出其本身的價值觀及認知，且教育背景對於個人的知識及技能基礎有所影響，因此，CEO的價值觀及認知將透過其於公司的管理裁量權，再加上其本身的知識技能，影響公司慈善活動之決策；而CEO任期對其取得資訊之管道有所影響，一般而言，新任CEO取得資訊的管道較多，也較有意願接受創新、不同於公司過去做法的想法，因此，新任CEO較有可能做出從事慈善活動之決策。本研究以台灣經濟新報中，上市櫃之鋼鐵業、半導體業、資訊服務業及金融業為研究對象，研究期間為2008年至2012年，並以logistic regression模型檢驗。實證結果發現：一、CEO為商學背景的公司，更可能從事慈善活動；二、CEO為機械背景的公司，更可能從事慈善活動；三、CEO具有國外學歷的公司，更可能從事慈善活動；四、CEO具有研究所學位的公司，更可能從事慈善活動；五、新任CEO與公司從事慈善活動與否之間無顯著關聯。本研究之發現不僅可用以解釋不同組織面對同樣壓力採取不同策略的原因，亦提供了一個基礎，使得公司欲雇用新任CEO時，可以透過衡量其個人背景，了解其對於組織可能產生的影響；又或者公司欲評估競爭對手時，可以透過了解競爭對手公司之CEO的背景，推測其可能採取的策略，透過此方式，公司將能夠事先做好準備以因應挑戰。

根據過去文獻公司經常以管理階層之薪酬契約來解決代理問題，激勵經理人做出股東財富極大化之決策。而過去企業衡量經理人績效時，大多使用財務性指標，然而知識時代來臨，傳統財務性指標已不足衡量獎酬制度，尤其當公司策略重視創新及品質導向時，若獎酬只與傳統財務績效指標做連結，可能會導致經理人做出不當的決策，故亦應加入非財務性指標來決定獎酬。本文主要探討專利權對高階經理人超額薪酬之影響，由於專利權對於獲利存在遞延效果，本文推論董事會可能依據外部人無法觀察到的當期非財務性績效指標，給予相對應之超額薪酬。 由於專利權對於高科技業更為重要，因此本研究以高科技產業公司為樣本，進行實證研究，結果顯示公司專利權申請數、核准數及被引證次數愈多，高階經理人超額薪酬愈高。 / Traditionally, firms use financial performance measures to reward managers and thus align managerial incentives with the interest of shareholders. However, recent evidence shows that firms are increasing using non-financial performance measures to evaluate CEO performance, especially when firms emphasize on innovation and quality. The purpose of this study is to examine the relation between patents information and CEO excess compensation for high-tech firms. The empirical results show that CEO excess compensation is positively associated with patent counts and patent citations after controlling for financial performance measures. Overall, the evidence suggests that non-financial performance measures provide incremental information about CEO efforts over financial measures and thus compensation committees adjust CEO compensation for non-financial performance.

This thesis investigates the performance of Swedish listed family-controlled firms using re-turn on assets (ROA) and Tobin’s Q as performance measures. Results show that found-ing-family firms perform 6.1 % better than other firms for ROA. Firm-specific knowledge of the founder-CEO is the main cause of the enhanced performance. The results are not robust to residual testing which suggests caution when drawing conclusions from these re-sults. The main contribution of this thesis is an empirical analysis of family insider repre-sentation and the relation to ROA and Tobin’s Q in a sample consisting entirely of Swedish firms.

Chief Executive Officers (CEO) remuneration has been a hot topic the last couple of years and has brought a great amount of attention in the media, when some companies have increased the CEO’s compensation even though the firm have been reporting lower earnings. Bonus systems have recently become more frequent to increase CEOs incentives, but have also been a disputed subject since the financial crisis in 2008. The aim of this thesis is to study the relation between CEO compensation and companies’ size as well as performance. The study extends over a four-year period, from 2007 to 2010, comprising the companies within the finance and real estate industry listed under large-, mid and small cap on NASDAQ OMX Stockholm. A four-year period from 2000 to 2003 and a  three-year period after the financial crisis from 2011 to 2013 is analyzed and taken into account in the study to get a deeper understanding of how the compensation has varied over time. The study takes a quantitative approach using secondary data from the companies’ annual reports. A pooled regression analysis is used as the statistical method where we are able to take multiple companies into account over several periods. The empirical results find that there is no significant relation between CEO compensation and firm performance. The study does however show a strong positive relation with market capitalization, suggesting that the companies’ size have a great effect on the CEO compensation.

AIMS:The project examines the perceptions of significant stakeholders in the Catholic Education system concerning the nature, outcomes and effectiveness of the implementation of the Quality Assurance Processes developed by the Catholic Education Office (CEO), in the Archdiocese of Sydney. The study identifies factors that were assisting or hindering the effective implementation of these processes as they existed in 1996. It offers suggestions and recommendations for a future and more effective implementation of these processes. SCOPE This research is qualitative in nature, and uses interview as the main source of data collection. The Catholic schools selected for this study are those that have been involved in the implementation of the first Cycle of the Quality Assurance Processes of the CEO, Sydney. Care was taken to select two schools from each of the three Regions under which the Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Sydney are presently organised. CONCLUSIONS The achievement and maintenance of quality outcomes has always been an integral part of Catholic Education. Through the brief historical background, this study has revealed that leaders in Catholic Education in Sydney have always sought to achieve and maintain quality outcomes since the establishment of the first schools, up until the implementation of the current quality assurance processes. This study found that the current form of Quality Assurance Processes is a most effective means of achieving and maintaining quality outcomes in the present-day Catholic education system. The Processes are professionally articulated in context with current practices, and have the potential to enhance accountability, credibility and development of both the personnel and the schools system. The implementation of the Quality Assurance Processes, to a great degree, has been effective and successful, the present study has shown that, stakeholders are becoming more and more aware of the actual nature and outcomes of these processes. The study also found great optimism among in the key player about the future of the Processes and has concluded that they well received and appreciated across the system. There were a few concerns about the clarity of aims and objectivity, the link between the different processes, and the apparently high and technical terms involved in naming/describing these Processes. The study has, therefore, concluded further that the Processes need streamlining, regular reviews and training programs to strengthen the practice and consolidate the gains and achievement. The implementation of Cycle 2 with appropriate modification is desirable.

Due to various corporate scandals and failures, there has been a renewed interest on the role of boards in the performance of firms. This thesis examines the relationship between the key board characteristics and firm performance. Unlike most studies on boards which predominantly use only financial variables affecting governance, I take a different approach by combining them with non-financial variables. This combined set of variables is used for theoretical and empirical modelling. Based on the extant literature, I develop a conceptual framework and a set of hypotheses to examine the relationship between board characteristics and firm performance. Board characteristics considered in this research include board size, director ownership, CEO duality, gender diversity, educational qualification of board members and number of board meetings. Additionally, I use board size as a moderating variable to examine how the effect of other board characteristics is contingent on board size. Firm performance is measured by return on assets. I test my hypotheses on a longitudinal sample of 156 firms over a four year period from 2004 to 2007. My sample includes all firms listed on New Zealand stock exchange as on November 2007. Empirical analysis is undertaken using Generalised Least Squares analyses. The findings of the study show that board characteristics such as board size, CEO duality and gender diversity were positively related with firm performance, where as director ownership, board meetings and the number of board members with PhD level education was found to be negatively related. Board size was found to be moderating some of these relationships, indicating the critical role being played by board size in the design and role of corporate boards. The findings also provide partial evidence to different governance theories, further indicating the need for theoretical pluralism to gain insights into boards’ functioning. The study contributes to the understanding of board-performance link by examining both the traditional variables such as board size, CEO duality, and number of board meetings as well as other organisational attributes such as gender diversity and competence variables represented by women and PhD holders, respectively. The theoretical framework and the findings of my thesis are expected to stimulate scholars for further research to identify the contingency conditions upon which the board characteristics and firm performance may be dependent.

Abstract Thesis in Business Administration, School of Business and Economics, Linnaeus University, 2FE26E, 2017 Author: Hanna Daneshmir Supervisor: Frederic Bill Examiner: Anna Stafsudd
 Title: Emotional Intelligence in an Entrepreneurial context Background: Emotional Intelligence (EI) has been said to matter twice as much as Intelligent Quotient (IQ) for predicting business success (Goleman, 1998b). This study addresses Emotional Intelligence in previously unexplored context in Sweden: entrepreneurship. Purpose: The purpose of this research is to explain Emotional Intelligence and its possible relationship with the entrepreneur. Hypothesis: Being an entrepreneur is positively related to EQ Method: The study has a deductive research approach where the hypothesis is formed by the theoretical framework of Emotional Intelligence, providing an empirical framework that measures the concept in the entrepreneurial context and outlines linkages among the constructs. The study is conducted among members of the business organization Företagarna in Region Halland, Sweden, by the measurement instrument Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS). Conclusion: The assumptions derived from a theoretical perspective could be confirmed empirically. Being an entrepreneur is positively related to EQ. Keywords: CEO, EI, EIS, EQ, Emotional Intelligence, Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurship

VD-ordet i noterade företags årsredovisningar har utvecklats till en av de delar som läses allra mest och som ofta anses ha en stor betydelse för företagets intressenter. Vad syftet med VD-ordet är och hur processen går till är dock tidigare studier oeniga om, likväl hur texten uppfattas hos intressenter. Genom att inta VD:s och investerares perspektiv kan luckan som tidigare forskning lämnat fyllas och därigenom öka förståelsen kring VD-ordet. Syftet med studien är att utifrån VD:s perspektiv bidra med kunskap kring innehållet i och processen bakom VD-ordet, samt tillföra en förståelse om hur dessa delar uppfattas av investerare. För att uppnå syftet har kvalitativa intervjuer genomförts med sex respondenter på noterade företag samt med fem privata investerare. Studien konkluderar att VD upprättar VD-ordet med syftet att bidra till en helhetsbild av företaget i årsredovisningen genom att sätta siffrorna i sammanhang samt vägleda om framtiden. Det är även en viktig del för att förmedla en positiv bild av företaget. VD-ordets upprättande kan även vara hänförligt till ett legitimitetsperspektiv, eftersom företagen genom VD-orden bemöter de krav som samhället ställer. Vidare är det sällan VD som skriver VD-ordet själv, utan det är en intern medarbetare eller extern byrå som skriver det utifrån VD:s tankar. Investerarna uppfattar VD-ordet som en vägledning till företagets räkenskaper som även möjliggör att skapa en helhetskänsla för företaget samt dess möjligheter att skapa framtida värde. Att VD sällan skriver VD-ordet själv är något som majoriteten av investerarna anser sänker VDordets trovärdighet och vikten de lägger vid texten. / The CEO-letter in listed companies’ annual reports has developed into one of the parts that is most frequently read and which often is considered to have a big impact on companies’ stakeholders. What the purpose is with the CEOletter and how the creating process goes to establish it is something which previous studies is ambiguous about, as well as how investors perceive the text. By examining the CEO and investor perspective this study intends to fill the gap from the previous studies, and thereby enhance the comprehension about the CEO-letter. Thus, the purpose of this study is from a CEO perspective contribute with knowledge about the content and the process of the CEO-letter, as well as bring an understanding about how investors perceive these parts. In order to achieve the purpose, qualitative interviews have been made with six respondents from public companies as well as with five private investors. An important conclusion is that CEO’s publish the CEO-letter with the purpose to contribute to a complete image of the company in the annual report by explaining the numbers and guide about the future. It is moreover an important part to mediate a positive image of the company. The publishing of the CEO-letter can furthermore be attributable to legitimacy reasons, because the companies respond through the CEO-letter to the demands which the society has. It is rarely the CEO himself that writes the CEO-letter, it is rather an internal coworker or an external bureau who writes the text, based on the CEO’s thoughts. The investors perceive the CEO-letter as guidance towards the numbers which also enable them to create an overall feeling about the company and their possibilities to create future value. The fact that the CEO rarely writes the letter is something which the majority of the investors consider to be something that lowers the trustworthiness of the CEO-letter and thereby also the extent which they put on the text.

Society's awareness of the importance of environmental-, social- and economic issues has increased over the last decades. This increased interest has led to the development of the Corporate Social Responsibility concept (CSR) in which companies actively work simultaneously with environmental, social and economic issues that extend beyond what is legally required by these companies in order to achieve a more sustainable society. As the interest in CSR has increased, a debate whether CSR is value-creating or should be considered an agency cost has arisen. To approach this question previous researches have used the CEO compensation to examine if the engagement in CSR actually is an agency cost or a value creating activity and found that agency costs can be mitigated by tying incentives to performance. Based on these assumptions this study will examine the link between CSR and agency costs using the existence of a CSR related compensation incentives for CEOs related agency costs. This study is characterized to be positivistic and within the field of positive accounting research as it has deductive approach in which hypotheses are formulated that this study intends to test which are based on what fundamental economic theories and previous research have found that may affect agency costs. The empirical data are manually collected from companies’ on NasdaqOMX Stockholm 2016 annual reports followed by an analysis of the data using univariate t-test and multiple regressions in order to relate these findings to previous research. This study finds no direct evidence that CEO compensation incentives related to CSR affect agency costs which means that we have not closed the ongoing debate whether CSR engagement is creating shareholder value or should be considered an agency cost. Nonetheless, the results show indications that agency costs are higher for companies that use CEO compensation incentives related to CSR which indicates that CSR is not beneficial to shareholders but should instead be regarded as an agency cost at the expense of shareholders. The result also indicates that a positive accounting research is not particularly useful on a small stock market with reliable results because the findings can not be generalized in a broader perspective

Risk is something intrinsic to business, and something firms are exposed to on a daily basis. This means that there exists a great deal of pressure on the Top Management of a firm to successfully navigate the different risks to which they are exposed. The CEO holds a unique position in the firm, as she is ultimately responsible for deciding which strategies to employ in order to properly respond to these risks. But what influenced the CEO when making such decisions? The Upper Echelon Theory suggests that decisions made by the Top Management Team of a firm are influenced by their values and their cognitive base, which is formed throughout their upbringing. Researchers on Upper Echelon Theory suggest that these two abstract constructs can be difficult to measure and analyse, and should therefore be approximated using specific and observable characteristics of the Top Management Team. In our study, this theory has applied to Swedish CEOs as they are the ultimate decision-maker in a firm. The specific characteristics observed and analysed in our investigation into the relationship between the CEO and risk are; gender, age, nationality, and tenure. Thus, the purpose of this study is formulated as follows: “The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between CEO characteristics, specifically age, gender, tenure, and nationality, and firm risk-taking, as measured by the leverage ratio, stock return volatility, cash holdings, and R&D expenditure, on the Swedish market. As a sub-purpose, we intend to investigate whether there is a nonlinear relationship between CEO tenure and risk-taking.” By collecting data from the databases, Thomson Reuters Eikon and Amadeus, a dataset of 284 firms and their CEOs was collected and used in the cross-sectional analysis. Multiple linear regression analysis was employed to determine the relationships between the previously mentioned CEO characteristics and the proxies for firm risk-taking. The majority of the relationships found were of a non-significant nature, indicating that the relationship between Swedish CEO characteristics and the strategies they employ when running their firms is weak and differs from relationships found in earlier studies, using data from different markets. The significant relationships found were between cash holdings and age, long tenures and leverage ratio, and short tenures and stock return volatility. This indicates that older CEOs are more risk-averse, while longer seated CEOs maintain less debt, and shorter seated CEOs are perceived as more risky by the market. However, as these results only entail 15% of our observed results, none of the hypotheses constructed for this study were verified. Therefore, our conclusion is that the previously observed relationships between the characteristics of CEOs and their risk-taking is not present within our sample of firms listed on the Swedish market. Some tendencies that align with previous results have been found but are not generalisable and as a result, we cannot recommend that private actors act on these results.