Background: Emerging economies is more fragile for global actions than developed markets, and they struggle to keep the economic growth consistent. Brazil, as an emerging economy, has one of the higher growth in the world, but the country has had some difficulties during the last years and foreign direct investments have decreased. Most foreign direct investments activities tend to go north-to-north, and the most common investment strategy is acquisition and the success is related to the type of activity and industry. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to investigate what type of cross-border acquisitions companies choose to be involved in and which financial factors have the greatest impact, when entering the Brazilian market. Theory: The theoretical framework consists of theories related to acquisition strategies to answer formulated purpose. Following theories have been used as an analytical tool in the thesis: merger and acquisition waves, horisontal, vertical and conglomerate strategies and information asymmetry. Method: This study is based on a mixed method design with inductive and deductive approach. Statistical data have been gathered together with four semistructured interviews to gain data about ingoing acquisitions in Brazil. The statistical data have been gathered from the database Zephyr. Conclusion: To summarize the conclusions, ingoing cross-border acquisitions in Brazil follow a wave-like pattern that is mostly depending on horisontal acquisitions, were the financial factors that have the greatest impact is information, taxation, labor and laws.

Thesis advisor: Philip G. Altbach / Thesis advisor: Karen D. Arnold / Over 200 international branch campuses (IBCs) currently exist globally and the number continues to rise (Lawton & Katsomitros, 2012). This study examines the strategy, structure, and motivation behind a single American IBC--Texas A&M University at Qatar (TAMUQ). Drawing from organizational theory and international higher education literature, this research reveals important considerations for institutions developing or currently operating IBCs. Findings stemmed from 27 in-depth qualitative interviews with faculty and administrators from the branch campus in Qatar, the main campus in Texas, and the host country sponsor. Multiple factors contributed to Texas A&M being poised and ready to accept the opportunity to open an international branch campus: an invitation from a host country sponsor willing to cover all expenses, existing international ambitions, and strong support from the central administration. The inception period leading up to the opening of the branch campus proved crucial for success. University administrators wisely developed buy-in among campus constituencies, negotiated important contract stipulations with the host country, ensured that the institution's existing structure could reasonably support such an endeavor, and assessed whether Qatar was a good fit. The early years of TAMUQ resembled a startup organization. The pioneering team of faculty and staff brought an entrepreneurial spirit necessary to build the institution, but they operated largely independent from the home campus in Texas. A later push for greater ties with the main campus was difficult but important for progress. Since TAMUQ is a derivative of the main campus, administrators had to consider the degree to which they would replicate and adapt various institutional elements. Academically, the curriculum is only modified slightly, but course content and pedagogy are adapted more heavily in response to the unique needs of the student population. Hiring faculty with experience teaching on the main campus is considered an important way to maintain quality, yet administrators consistently struggle to recruit faculty. Unlike other IBCs, TAMUQ has developed a robust research program through the financial support of the host country sponsor. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2014. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

University of Macau / Faculty of Social Sciences. / Department of Government and Public Administration

There is a paradoxical realism as the number of cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&As) increases on a global scale, despite the fact that organizations’ failure rate to generate the expected value from these cross-border M&As remains high. Researchers have argued that these failures have been connected to the post-merger integration (PMI) process in which multiple challenges are imposed. However, the findings within the area are both limited and scattered, and researchers have emphasized the need to enhance the understanding of how different sociocultural factors impact the integration process of merging organizations in an international context.   Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate how sociocultural factors impact the PMI process in cross-border M&As. The empirical data was collected through a qualitative multiple case study from a Swedish company that has conducted numerous cross-border M&As. Four acquisitions in different international settings were examined, and 16 interviews were carried out with employees from both the case company and the acquired firms.   The findings demonstrate that sociocultural factors on four different levels need to be considered; national, company, team and individual. Interestingly, the findings highlight that there is no apparent connection concerning the level of psychic distance between national cultures and the challenges imposed in the PMI process, as previously suggested by research. However, national culture still matters, but this study suggests that the most substantial impact on the PMI process derives from sociocultural factors on a company cultural level. This is surprising as most research on culture has been focusing on the national level, and this suggests that future research should shift focus to incorporate and investigate additional levels of culture as well.

There is a paradox in the literature where the amount of cross-border M&As are increasing, even though there is a high volume of unsuccessful cross-border M&As. According to researchers, it can be due to lack of knowledge regarding the knowledge transfer process. Therefore, this study aims to grasp the technological knowledge transfer process and how enablers and constraints influence it during the post-acquisition phase. To fulfil the aim, data was collected through a qualitative case study where eight interviews were held with managersand non-managerial employees that had an important role in the studied technological knowledge transfer process. In addition, case documents were provided by the case company and a site visit was conducted. The results indicate that the technological knowledge transfer process is complex and dynamic, making it difficult to distinguish different phases as they overlap. The results also show that the technological knowledge transfer process is influencedby certain enablers and constraints, which in turn either facilitate or challenge the process. However, the enablers and constraints can vary depending on if the perspective of the senderor receiver of knowledge is applied.

Esta pesquisa da tese de doutorado tratou de compreender como a mulher brasileira e boliviana contribui para a (re)produção do espaço transfronteiriço das cidades-gêmeas de Corumbá, no Brasil, e das cidades de Puerto Quijarro e Puerto Suarez, na Bolívia. A abordagem geográfica sobre o trabalho produtivo e reprodutivo da mulher teve como pressuposto a produção do espaço, uma vez que a divisão social do trabalho implica em divisão sexual do trabalho, ou seja, o trabalho feminino é uma questão de análise do espaço (ROSSINI, 1988). Observou-se que a pesquisa de Gênero na Geografia tem como propósito entender a organização desse espaço transfronteiriço a partir do uso da força de trabalho feminino no comércio, onde as mulheres organizam a atividade concomitante a reprodução social. O princípio norteador do método da pesquisa foi a formação sócioespacial das cidades-gêmeas entre Brasil e Bolívia e revelou os vários períodos de ocupação desse espaço fronteiriço. Duas frentes de ocupação se destacaram no estudo, pois potencializaram as relações transfronteiriças ao longo das décadas de 1990 e 2000: a circulação de produtos industrializados provenientes de várias fronteiras, como a brasileira, a chilena, a peruana e a argentina; e a expansão do comércio popular, especialmente de confecção, para as fronteiras bolivianas com uso da força de trabalho feminina. Sobretudo, no que se refere à base teórica metodológica sobre o trabalho feminino na área de fronteira, a investigação orientou-se pelas análises socioeconômica, espacial e pelo conceito da divisão sexual do trabalho. A pesquisa evidenciou a importância das famílias, empresas e agentes governamentais consolidados nos territórios de fronteira, pois funcionam como organismos sociais do Estado ratzeliano. Adotou-se a pesquisa qualitativa por meio de observações, imagens fotográficas, reportagens e noticiários da imprensa local, bem como, de entrevistas semi-estruturadas e informais para a coleta de dados nas cidades-gêmeas de fronteira. Em termos gerais, constatou-se que as mulheres que trabalham no comércio do circuito inferior das cidades-gêmeas entre Brasil e Bolívia foram as responsáveis pela pulverização das relações transfronteiriças, mediante as formas de organização dos negócios e do trabalho e, principalmente, pelo estreitamento dos laços familiares. Portanto, revelou-se que a atividade comercial operacionalizada pela mulher faz dela importante articuladora dos arranjos territoriais da fronteira. / This doctoral dissertation deals with the comprehension of how the Brazilian and Bolivian woman contributes to the reproduction of the transboundary space from Corumba\'s twin cities, in Brazil, and in Bolivian cities Puerto Quijaro and Puerto Suarez. The geographic approach about the productive and reproductive work of woman supposes the production of space, once that the social division of work implies in sexual division of work, so the female labour is a matter of analysis of space (ROSSINI, 1988). The gender research in Geography has as purpose to understand the spatial organization of this cross-border space, from the use of the womens workforce in the trade, where the women organize the activity concomitantly with the social reproduction. The research method had as mainspring principle the socio-spatial of the twin-cities border between Brazil and Bolivia and revealed the several periods of occupation of this border space. Two occupancy fronts highlighted in the study, which potentiate the cross-border relationship, over the 1990s and 2000s: the circulation of industrialized products from several borders, as the Brazilian, Chilean, Peruvian, Argentinian; and the popular expansion trade, especially of clothing manufacture, for the Bolivian borders with the use of womens work. Especially as regards to the methodologic theoretical base about the womens work in the border area, the investigation was oriented by the socioeconomic analysis, spatial and by the concept of sexual division of work. The research evidenced the importance of the families, business and governmental agents consolidated in the border territory, since they work as social organisms of ratzelian State. The qualitative research were adopted by means of observations, photograph images, news and local press news, as well the semi structured and informal interviews for the data collection in the twin-cities border. Generally speaking, it was found that the women working in the trade of the low circuits from twin-cities between Brazil and Bolivia, were the responsible for the spraying of the cross-borders relationships, by means of organization modes from the business, work and manly by the narrowing of the family bond. Therefore, it was revealed that the business activity operationalized by woman makes her an important articulator of the border territorial arrangements.

abstract: 本论文研究的目的是针对银行卡跨境支付行为，根据不同的跨境支付渠道，结合资金清算的不同模式下的资金清算效率进行研究，并对现有清算系统内，运用理论和模型，对如何提高银行卡跨境资金清算进行阐述分析，力图在现有跨境资金清算金融设施的基础上，对银行卡跨境资金清算的流动性管理、头寸控制、增加清算周期等因素进行研究分析，进而尝试提出清算机制和流程的优化设计，以促进跨境资金提高周转效率，节约社会交易成本和持卡人资金成本。 论文将对相关银行卡跨境支付、清算基本流程、涉及的相关系统进行说明，并对全球和世界主要国家的银行卡市场进行介绍，结合我国银行卡跨境业务的现状、跨境支付清算涉及的主要环节、清算系统，通过不同层次、不同模型的分类比对，提出提高银行卡跨境支付资金清算的关键节点，并加以聚焦、深入测算、推导。研究的最终目的是期望通过对以上的分析，能够对银行卡资金清算参与主体对清算模式的选择、流动性节约、头寸管理等有所帮助，让清算主体能籍此对支付通道、清算模式、账户管理等选择上有所参考，促进卡组织（支付系统）籍此提高清算效率，从而降低整体交易和资金成本，提高支付行业整体资金资源的使用效率。 / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Business Administration 2019

Venture capital (VC), a historically American industry, has been in the process of globalizing in recent years. International venture capital flows (investing outside of one’s own country) have grown substantially over the past 30 years and even more dramatically in just the past decade. Previous research has mostly highlighted the determinants of where capital flows. However, research on the factors in a VC’s home country that affect investments abroad has been underdeveloped. To address this gap, this paper explores the impact of home country economic conditions on VCs’ propensity to invest abroad. I find that higher interest rates and economic wellbeing in a country (as measured by GDP growth and stock market capitalization to GDP) are associated with less deal flow abroad and, that higher foreign exchange rates are related to greater deal flow. I also note an interesting divergence in the role of these factors between VCs located in countries that exhibit different levels of international investing experience. My research indicates that VCs’ home country economic conditions do play a role in their decisions to invest abroad and suggests that these considerations may be different depending on the experience level of the VC industry in the firm’s country.

Cette thèse de science politique propose de comparer l’européanisation des politiques de santé en Suède et en France dans une perspective historique et interactionniste. Depuis les années 1990, de nombreuses études ont démontré l’importance croissante des interventions de l’Union européenne dans le domaine de la santé. Mais peu de travaux se sont interrogés sur la manière dont l’institutionnalisation de l’action publique européenne s’articule avec les changements des politiques de santé nationales sur la longue durée. Partant du postulat selon lequel les systèmes de santé font partie des secteurs les plus solidement ancrés dans les espaces nationaux et sont organisés selon des modèles institutionnels très divers, il s’agit de comprendre comment les dimensions européennes des politiques de santé ont été construites et incorporées dans les systèmes nationaux. La comparaison entre les politiques de santé en Suède et en France se justifie d’une part par le fait que ces pays correspondent à deux grands types d’organisation des systèmes de santé existant au sein de l’Union européenne, respectivement les systèmes nationaux de santé et les systèmes d’assurance maladie, et d’autre part en raison de l’histoire européenne contrastée de ces deux pays, la France étant un État-membre fondateur et la Suède n’ayant rejoint l’UE que tardivement et sans enthousiasme. Nous pouvons ainsi démontrer sur une période longue et pour deux cas contrastés que les effets de l’intégration européenne ne se réduisent pas aux pressions européennes sur des systèmes de santé plus ou moins fit. En retraçant les trajectoires d’européanisation des politiques de santé suédoises et françaises sur une longue période et pour plusieurs enjeux clefs des modèles nationaux en termes d’organisation des soins (démographie médicale et choix des patients) et de santé publique (lutte contre le cancer, le tabagisme et l’alcoolisme), cette thèse montre que l’européanisation des politiques de santé est le fruit d’un travail politique ancien de construction d’acteurs domestiques en interactions. / This PhD thesis, in the field of political science, offers to compare the Europeanisation of health policies in France and Sweden, in a historic and interactionist perspective. Since the 1990s, numerous studies have shown the growing significance of the European Union’s intervention in the health sector. However, few of them have looked at how the institutionalisation of European public action interplays with national health policy changes in a long-term approach. Based on the premise that health systems are strongly embedded in national settings and are organised along very different institutional models, the aim is to understand how the European dimension of health policies have been built and incorporated into national systems. The comparison between health policies in Sweden and France is justified on the one hand by the fact that each country represents one of the two main type of health systems existing in the European Union, the national health and national insurance system respectively; and on the other hand by the contrasting European histories of these two states, France being one of the founding members and Sweden having joined the EU at a later stage and with little enthusiasm. We can thus show on a long period of time, and for two different cases, that the effects of European integration cannot be reduced to European pressures on health systems that are more or less fit. By tracing the trajectories of Europeanisation of Swedish and French health policies on a long period, and for key issues for the national models regarding healthcare services (demography of health care professionals and patient’s choice) and public health (fight against cancer, tobacco and alcohol addictions), this dissertation shows that the Europeanisation of health policies results from the long-term political work of construction of domestic actors in interaction.

This Bachelor’s thesis focuses on those terms that, from a Swedish perspective, have to be fulfilled to entitle deduction for definitive losses in a cross-border merger situation. The thesis analyses one of the ten rulings from the Swedish Supreme Administrative Court which were published in 2009.The ruling is analysed in the light of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the merger directive and the Court of Justice rulings in Marks & Spencer and Lidl. The purpose is to examine if the Swedish rules concerning cross-border mergers is compatible with the EU-law. The Swedish rules concerning mergers are found in chapter 37 in the Swedish income tax act. To enjoy the rights of the rules in chapter 37 the merger needs to be qualified. The criterion in 11 § stands out as a clear obstacle for the deduction of losses and is therefore examined thoroughly. It states that the transferor company needs to be taxable for some kind of activity in Sweden immediately before the merger. That criterion is not fulfilled if the company is situated in another member state. In the Marks & Spencer case, the Court of Justice stated that a rule which hinders deduction for losses which is considered to be definitive could be a possible breach of the freedom of establishment. The Swedish rules concerning qualified mergers in chapter 37 in the Swedish income tax act was questioned in the case RÅ 2009 ref 13. The criterion stated in § 11 was discussed first by the Swedish tax board and then by the Swedish Supreme Administrative Court as a possible breach of the freedom of establishment. It is in my opinion clear that when a loss is definitive the loss should be entitled to deduction, thus the 11 § could therefore constitute a breach of the freedom of establishment.