Dans l’immense catalogue des travaux consacrés à l’étude des chemins de fer, cette thèse prétend àune certaine originalité en abordant la question des fonctions et des usages de la comptabilitéferroviaire. Cette question s’inscrit dans un cadre plus global d’étude des pratiques comptables desentreprises de réseau. Appliquée aux compagnies de chemin de fer des origines à 1937, notre étudea pour ambition d’identifier les facteurs de contingence et d’évolution de la comptabilité ferroviaire.À ce dessein, nous avons mobilisé les travaux de Flichy pour dépasser le déterminisme desprincipaux paradigmes en histoire de la comptabilité. Les résultats de cette étude montrent que lesfonctions explicites de la comptabilité ne correspondent pas souvent à ses usages sociaux. Desfacteurs de contingence sont identifiés pour expliquer la divergence des usages de la comptabilitépar les différents acteurs du secteur ferroviaire. Cette étude a permis également d’identifier troisrégimes majeurs dans l’évolution des savoirs théoriques et pratiques en matière de comptabilitéferroviaire. Le premier régime de la pratique (1817-1842) est caractérisé par la diversité despratiques comptables et l’inexistence d’un savoir théorique structuré. Le deuxième régime de latechnique (1842-1883) est caractérisé par des phénomènes de mimétismes et de recherche de lameilleure méthode comptable. Enfin, le troisième régime de la technologie (1883-1937) secaractérise par une rigueur méthodologique et scientifique, notamment à travers l’introduction de laformation et l’enseignement, dans l’élaboration des règles comptables. / In the vast catalog of works devoted to the study of railways, this thesis claims to originality inapproaching the question of the functions and uses of the railway accounting. This question is part ofa more comprehensive study of accounting practices within network industries. Applied to railwaycompanies from origins to 1937, this study aims to identify contingency factors and development ofrailway accounting. For this purpose, we mobilized Flichy work to overcome the determinism of themain paradigms in accounting history. The results of this study show that the explicit functions ofaccounting often do not correspond to its social (implicit) uses. Contingency factors were identifiedto explain the divergent uses of accounting by the stakeholders operating in the railway sector. Thisstudy also identified three major periods in the development of theoretical and practical knowledge inrailway accounting. The first period of practice (1817-1842) is characterized by the diversity ofaccounting practices and the lack of a structured theoretical knowledge. The second period oftechnique (1842-1883) is characterized by the phenomenon of mimicry and search for the bestaccounting method. The third regime of evolution, technology (1883-1937), is characterized bymethodological and scientific rigor, notably through the introduction of training and education in thedevelopment of accounting rules.

本文研究了海外背景的董事在中国上市公司中的表现和作用。本文从董事最基本的两个作用监督和指导出发，研究了海外背景的董事对于董事会治理和公司表现的各项投入和产出。研究结果表明，海外背景的董事在董事会会议的缺席记录更多，更少参与特殊委员会的工作。海外背景的董事对于高管薪酬水平的管理更弱，但在解雇表现不佳的CEO有积极的作用。在指导作用上，海外背景的董事表现得并不尽如人意。海外背景的董事并没有利用自己的海外经历为公司在海外并购业务来带好处。最后，海外背景董事占比最高的公司，托宾Q所代表的公司表现更低。这篇文章的重要性在于，这是第一篇用国内数据研究海外背景董事在公司治理和表现中的作用的文章，同时也是第一篇详细阐述不同的海外背景所具有的不同影响的文章。 / This paper discusses the presence and the roles of directors with foreign backgrounds in China’s listed companies. Starting from the two basic roles of boards, monitoring and directing, this paper examines the inputs and outputs of foreign-background directors (FBDs) on board governance and firm performance. The result shows that FBDs are associated with worse board meeting attendance records, less special committee assignments, weaker control in senior executive compensation level, but more strength in firing underperforming CEOs. In directing-related functions, FBDs does not meet the expectation that they can benefit the firm’s cross-border merger and acquisition decision by taking advantage of their foreign background knowledge. Finally, firms with higher fraction of FBDs on board are associated with poorer performance in terms of Tobin's Q. This research is significant because it is the first exploration of the functions of FBDs in listed corporations using China’s data, and the first attempt to identify the role of each different foreign background. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Xia, Keqin. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2012. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 30-34). / Abstracts also in Chinese. / Foreign Background Directors and Corporate Performance: Empirical Evidence from China’s listed Companies --- p.I / ABSTRACT --- p.II / 摘要： --- p.III / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.IV / Chapter SECTION I --- : INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter SECTION II --- : LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.3 / Chapter 2.1 --- Board Functions--Monitoring and Directing --- p.3 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Monitoring function & agency problem --- p.3 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Directing function --- p.6 / Chapter 2.2 --- Board Governance and Firm Performance --- p.6 / Chapter SECTION III --- : DATA AND METHODS --- p.7 / Chapter 3.1 --- Individual characteristics --- p.7 / Chapter 3.2 --- Board characteristics --- p.8 / Chapter 3.3 --- Firm characteristics --- p.10 / Chapter 3.4 --- Different foreign backgrounds --- p.10 / Chapter SECTION IV --- : EMPIRICAL RESULTS --- p.12 / Chapter 4.1 --- Board Meeting Attendance Problem and FBDs --- p.12 / Chapter 4.1.1 --- Regression analysis of absence ratio --- p.14 / Chapter 4.1.2 --- Regression analysis of the total absence ratio --- p.15 / Chapter 4.1.3 --- Conclusion on attendance problem and foreign backgrounds --- p.17 / Chapter 4.2 --- Probit Regression Analysis of Committee Assignments --- p.17 / Chapter 4.3 --- Regression Analysis of Senior Executives’ Compensation --- p.19 / Chapter 4.4 --- Regression Analysis of CEO Turnover Rate --- p.21 / Chapter 4.5 --- An Event Study: Cross-border Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) Analysis --- p.23 / Chapter 4.6 --- Firm Performance Regression Analysis: FBDs and ROA --- p.26 / Chapter 4.7 --- Firm Performance Regression Analysis: Tobin’s Q and FBDs --- p.28 / Chapter SECTION V --- : SUMMARY --- p.29 / REFERENCES --- p.30 / FIGURES AND TABLES --- p.35

by Ching Chi Keung. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 89-91). / Chapter 1. --- Introduction --- p.3 / Chapter 2. --- Literature Review --- p.9 / Chapter 3. --- Data --- p.17 / Chapter 4. --- Profile of IPOs in Hong Kong --- p.24 / Chapter 5. --- Methodology --- p.27 / Chapter 6. --- Results --- p.43 / Chapter 7. --- Comparison with the study in U. S --- p.57 / Chapter 8. --- Summary --- p.61 / Chapter 9. --- Tables --- p.64 / Chapter 10. --- Results of statistical test --- p.70 / Chapter 11. --- Charts --- p.72 / Chapter 12. --- Appendixes --- p.79 / Chapter 13. --- Reference --- p.89

by Cheung Ho-Wan Oswald, Kwok Tsz-Hong, Yeung Kwong-Yiu. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 37-42). / ABSTRACT --- p.I / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.II / LIST OF TABLES --- p.IV / Chapter / Chapter I. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter II. --- HISTORY OF CHINA SECURITIES MARKETS --- p.3 / Chapter III. --- WHY FIRMS PAY DIVIDENDS --- p.6 / The Bird-in-the-Hand Explanation --- p.6 / The Signaling Explanation --- p.7 / The Tax-Preference Explanation --- p.9 / The Agency Explanation --- p.10 / Chapter IV. --- HOW TO DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF DIVIDENDS TO PAY --- p.13 / Methodology --- p.14 / Data Analysis --- p.14 / Model (L3) --- p.16 / Fama and Babiak Model --- p.16 / The Percentage Adjusted Model (PAM) --- p.17 / CAR Analysis --- p.20 / Chapter V. --- COMPANY CLASSIFICATIONS --- p.22 / Chapter VI. --- CONCLUSION --- p.25 / APPENDIX --- p.26 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.37

So, King Pui. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 49-52). / Abstracts in English and Chinese; appendix II, III also in Chinese. / Cover Page --- p.1 / Abstract --- p.2 / Chinese Version --- p.3 / Acknowledgements --- p.4 / Contents --- p.5 / Chapter 1. --- Introduction --- p.7 / Chapter 2. --- Definition and basic idea of Cumulative Voting --- p.9 / Chapter 3. --- Literature Review --- p.11 / Chapter 4. --- History and Development --- p.12 / Chapter 4.1. --- Around the world --- p.12 / Chapter 4.2. --- Cumulative voting in listed companies in China --- p.13 / Chapter 5. --- Hypothesis --- p.15 / Chapter 5.1. --- Nature of cumulative voting --- p.15 / Chapter 5.2 --- Relationship of corporate governance mechanism and tunneling in signaling the effect of cumulative voting --- p.18 / Chapter 5.2.1. --- Ownership characteristics --- p.18 / Chapter 5.2.2. --- Activeness of minority shareholders --- p.20 / Chapter 5.2.3. --- Legal framework --- p.21 / Chapter 5.2.4. --- Ownership nature --- p.22 / Chapter 5.2.5. --- Board of directors and supervisors --- p.22 / Chapter 5.2.6. --- Compensations of top executives --- p.23 / Chapter 6. --- Methodology --- p.24 / Chapter 6.1. --- Cumulative voting in the election of the board of director --- p.24 / Chapter 6.2. --- Ownership concentration and characteristics --- p.24 / Chapter 6.3. --- Legal framework --- p.25 / Chapter 6.4. --- Firm Operation Policy --- p.25 / Chapter 6.5. --- Ownership Nature --- p.25 / Chapter 6.6. --- Board of directors and supervisors --- p.26 / Chapter 6.7. --- Top Executives' compensations --- p.27 / Chapter 6.8. --- Operating performance --- p.27 / Chapter 6.9. --- Industry sectors --- p.28 / Chapter 6.10. --- Market firm value --- p.28 / Chapter 6.11. --- Event study approach --- p.29 / Chapter 6.12. --- Matched Propensity Scores Approach --- p.32 / Chapter 6.13. --- Top Executives' Pay-Performance Sensitivities --- p.34 / Chapter 6.14. --- Difference in differences approach --- p.35 / Chapter 7. --- Data --- p.39 / Chapter 7.1. --- Sources of Data --- p.39 / Chapter 7.2. --- Cumulative voting announcements and firm characteristics --- p.39 / Chapter 8. --- Empirical Results --- p.40 / Chapter 8.1. --- Short-term market response --- p.40 / Chapter 8.1.1. --- Event study --- p.40 / Chapter 8.1.2. --- Univariate test --- p.41 / Chapter 8.1.3. --- Multivate OLS regressions --- p.42 / Chapter 8.2. --- Long-term impact --- p.43 / Chapter 8.2.1. --- Matched Propensity Scores --- p.43 / Chapter 8.2.2. --- Top Executives' Pay-Performance Sensitivities --- p.44 / Chapter 8.2.3. --- Univariate test --- p.45 / Chapter 8.2.4. --- Difference in Differences regressions --- p.46 / Chapter 9. --- Conclusions --- p.47 / References --- p.49 / Table 1: Descriptive statistics for firms announcing the implementation of cumulative voting in the election of board of directors --- p.53 / Table 2: Descriptive statistics for firm characteristics --- p.54 / Table 3: Descriptive statistics for annual shareholders' meetings from 2002-2008 --- p.56 / Table 4: Cumulative abnormal returns for an event study of the information content of implementation of cumulative voting in election of board of directors announcements --- p.56 / Table 5: Abnormal returns for an event study of the information content of implementation of cumulative voting in election of board of directors announcements --- p.57 / Table 6: Descriptive statistics for firm characteristics --- p.57 / "Table 7: Mean comparison between above median/ ´ب´ب 1"" group and below median/ ""0"" group using t-test" --- p.59 / Table 8: OLS regression --- p.60 / Table 9: First stage Logistic Model --- p.62 / Table 10: Top Executives Pay-Performance sensitivities for salary and inside stock ownership --- p.64 / Table 11: Mean comparison between cumulative voting and straight voting group using t-test --- p.65 / Table 12: Difference in differences regressions (Corporate governance) --- p.66 / Table 13: Difference in differences regressions (Operating performance) --- p.67 / Table 14: Difference in differences regressions (Market firm value) --- p.68 / Appendix I --- p.68 / Appendix II --- p.71 / Appendix III --- p.72

Pour répondre à leur difficulté financière, les sociétés commerciales doivent mettre en place des mesures de financement en vue de surmonter les obstacles qu’elles rencontrent. La présente thèse ne porte uniquement que sur le droit du financement des sociétés commerciales en difficulté, sur la possibilité pour ces dernières d'assurer leur sauvetage/rebond dans un contexte financier difficile. Ces dernières disposent de solutions financières qui sont communes aux autres débiteurs. La société commerciale en difficulté est un des débiteurs concernés par les articles L620-1 et L631-2 du Code de commerce et peut donc bénéficier des mesures du droit des entreprises en difficulté qui sont négociées par le dirigeant et/ou son conseil ou bien imposées par le tribunal de la procédure en fonction du contexte. La structure sociale est également une personne juridique avec un régime juridique propre qui s’efface au bénéfice des dispositions du Livre VI du Code de commerce relatives aux procédures préventives et curatives du droit des entreprises en difficulté. C’est pourquoi il existe des outils de financement réservés uniquement aux sociétés commerciales en difficulté. Les mesures permettant de financer ou refinancer une société commerciale ont évolué et continuent d’évoluer pour s’adapter aux innovations juridiques tout en assurant le respect de tous les intérêts en présence / In order to solve their financial difficulties, trading companies need to put in place funding measures to overcome the obstacles they may face. The present thesis discuss about with the financing of trading companies in difficulty, the law applicable and the possibility for them to ensure their rescue/rebound in a difficult financial context. They have financial solutions that are common to other debtors. The distressed trading company is one of the debtors concerned by articles L620-1 and L631-2 of the Commercial code and can therefore benefit from the measures of the insolvency law which are negotiated by the manager and/or his council or imposed by the court depending on the context. The social structure is also a legal person with its own legal regime which is erased to the benefit of the provisions of the Commercial code relating to the preventive and curative proceedings of insolvency law. That is why there are financing tools reserved only for distressed commercial companies. The measures to finance or refinance a trading company have evolved and continue to evolve to adapt to legal innovations while ensuring respect for all interests in the presence

Abstract not available

An underlying issue which inheres in any taxation framework relates to the manner in which it operates and the actual distribution of its imposts or appropriations. In this respect, a tax system needs to confront two fundamental (and interrelated) questions – first, precisely how the tax or impost should be imposed and, secondly, who should bear the legal obligation or onus of payment. These issues can be conceptualised not only from a purely legal or positivist perspective, in terms of identifying who will incur the obligation to pay tax, but also in terms of a more economic and instrumental standpoint as to which entity or individual should effectively be paying the tax. These alternatives may not result in the same conclusions, particularly for the taxation of business forms. To provide one example, if the business form has separate legal entity status from its members, should the business form, as a legal person, be subject to tax separately from its members? From a legal standpoint the response to this question is that such a business form should bear the impost. However, from an economical perspective it may be preferable that the business income and/or losses are directly allocated to its members. Indeed, tax transparency (aggregate approach) has been argued as an economically superior model, although it is not without its critics...

<p>Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögsk.</p>

The study investigates the extent, development and nature of foreign direct investments in Sweden during the years 1895-1945. The work also has a qualitative aspect, which may be summarized as a question: Why do foreign companies undertake direct investments in Sweden? The basic premise has been that the companies' decisions are based on their own calculations regarding profit interests and structural conditions on the market, but these decisions are also influenced by various power relations. The aim is to discover partly the motives behind a company's readiness to enter the Swedish market, and partly the national and international power relations that furnished the institutional conditions favouring or hindering the making of direct investments in Sweden. The study shows that direct investments were much more extensive before 1945, above all before World War One, than has previously been assumed. Slightly more than half the direct investments were made by Denmark and Norway, and the greatest contribution from the major industrial nations was made by Germany. American direct investments increased in importance during the interwar years, and represented the greatest volume of activity in the foreign sector by the end of the 1930's. Manufacturing companies were the most important before World War One, as a result of direct investments in Swedish natural resources and the consumer goods industry. During the interwar years direct investments inclined more to forward linkage, and the majority were made in the chemical and engineering industries. Conditions in Sweden exerted most influence on direct investments before World War One - for example, Swedish tariff policy. Sweden's attempts to protect itself against the imperialism of the large industrial nations resulted moreover in 1916 in legislation which severely restricted the possibilities of making direct investments in the raw materials industry. After World War One, motives connected with specific countries and owneers were more important. At this time conflicts between American and European, primarily German, interests also entered the picture. One of the circumstances affecting direct investments was the increasing importance of the Scandinavian countries in the world market. This led to altered conditions between the Scandinavian countries, and partly to the realization by international business that Sweden must be seen as a market in its own right and not just as a sub-market in the Scandinavian region. / digitalisering@umu