Alterações nos regulamentos, mudanças no comportamento do consumidor e potenciais ganhos de competitividade são alguns dos motivos citados por gestores como motivadores para a adoção de várias práticas de gestão ambiental. Estas práticas afetam, de acordo com outros estudos, os desempenhos ambiental e financeiro das empresas. No entanto, práticas diferentes afetam de forma diferente os desempenhos mencionados, ou ainda algumas práticas podem ser usadas de forma propagandísticas, podendo afetar o desempenho financeiro, mas não necessariamente o desempenho ambiental.. Assim, este trabalho tem como objetivo verificar se há relação entre as práticas de gestão ambiental (aqui divididas em \'práticas de planejamento e organização\', \'práticas operacionais\' e \'práticas comunicacionais\') utilizadas pelas empresas e os desempenhos ambiental e financeiro destas por meio da análise de empresas do setor químico brasileiro, utilizando modelagem de equações estruturais (Structural Equation Modeling - SEM) e uma survey para coleta dos dados subjetivoprimários (percepção dos gestores). Para tanto, foi desenvolvido um modelo teórico e construído um diagrama de caminhos de relações causais que foi convertido em um conjunto de modelos estruturais e de mensuração. Para testar o modelo proposto, um teste empírico foi aplicado em empresas do setor químico brasileiro. Os resultados deste teste foram os seguintes: (a) PGAs de planejamento e organização possuem uma relação positiva com o desempenho ambiental e o com desempenho financeiro; (b) PGAs operacionais possuem uma relação negativa com o desempenho financeiro; (c) PGAs comunicacionais possuem uma relação positiva com o desempenho financeiro; (d) Não há relação estatisticamente significativa entre as PGAs operacionais e o desempenho ambiental; (e) Não há relação estatisticamente significativa entre as PGAs comunicacionais e o desempenho ambiental; (f) Não há relação estatisticamente significativa entre o desempenho ambiental e o desempenho financeiro. Neste estudo, as práticas de gestão ambiental se relacionam mais significativamente com o desempenho financeiro, podendo indicar, na amostra estudada, um perfil menos proativo de gestão ambiental, com foco na adequação legar para a continuar com um bom desempenho financeiro. / Regulation modifications, changes in consumer behavior, and potential competitiveness gains have motivated managers to adopt a number of environmental management practices. These practices affect, according to other studies, environmental and financial performance of companies. However, different practices act differently upon the aforementioned performances. Some practices may even be used in a propagandistic way, which may affect the financial performance, but not necessarily the environmental one. Thus, this study aims to determine whether there is relationship between environmental management practices (here divided into \'planning and organizational practices\', \'operational practices\', and \'communication practices\') used by companies and their environmental and financial performance by analyzing companies in the Brazilian chemical industry, using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and a survey to collect data according to the perception of managers. As a result, a theoretical model was developed and a diagram of causal relationships paths was built and converted into a set of structural models and measurement. To test the model, an empirical test was applied to companies in the Brazilian chemical industry. The results of this test were: (a) There is a positive relationship between planning and organizational practices and both environmental and financial performances; (b) There is a negative relationship between operational practices and financial performance; (c) There is a positive relationship between communication practices and financial performance; (d) there is no statistically significant relationship between operational practices and environmental performance; (e) there is no statistically significant relationship between communication practices and environmental performance; (f) there is no statistically significant relationship between environmental performance and financial performance. In this study, environmental management practices relates more significantly to the financial performance and may indicate, in the sample, a less proactive profile environmental management, focusing on theadequacy bequeath to continue with a good financial performance.

Submitted by Marcia Bacha (marcia.bacha@fgv.br) on 2012-05-11T13:51:46Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação RRAlthoff 2011.pdf: 1721700 bytes, checksum: 309e2b9926f63cff48688785bc81217f (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marcia Bacha (marcia.bacha@fgv.br) on 2012-05-11T13:51:57Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação RRAlthoff 2011.pdf: 1721700 bytes, checksum: 309e2b9926f63cff48688785bc81217f (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marcia Bacha (marcia.bacha@fgv.br) on 2012-05-11T13:52:04Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação RRAlthoff 2011.pdf: 1721700 bytes, checksum: 309e2b9926f63cff48688785bc81217f (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2012-05-11T13:52:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação RRAlthoff 2011.pdf: 1721700 bytes, checksum: 309e2b9926f63cff48688785bc81217f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Dada a relevância cada vez maior das questões sociais e ambientais, várias iniciativas vêm sendo cobradas das corporações por parte da sociedade. Frente a essa demanda tem-se uma resposta por parte das corporações, inclusive de entidades financeira, como, por exemplo, a divulgação de relatórios de sustentabilidade e a criação dos investimentos socialmente responsáveis, mais comumente conhecidos como Socially Responsible Investing (na sigla em inglês, SRI). Além disso, cada vez mais questões sociais e ambientais são importantes dimensões de análise para a obtenção de recursos vindos tanto de instituições bilaterais quanto unilaterais. Tais fatos vêm provocando a busca por evidências de associação das questões socioambientais com o desempenho financeiro da empresa. Diante disso, o presente estudo teve como objetivo identificar o nível de integração entre questões socioambientais e o desempenho financeiro nas informações públicas de empresas líderes mundiais do setor de mineração. O setor de mineração foi escolhido como foco dessa pesquisa, principalmente, devido à sua alta importância para a economia mundial e brasileira, e dado o seu alto impacto social e ambiental. Para tanto, fez-se uma análise das três maiores mineradoras globais em valor de mercado, BH Billiton, Vale e Rio Tinto, utilizando-se como base a metodologia proposta por Epstein e Roy (2003), na qual a integração entre questões socioambientais e desempenho financeiro é classificada em quatro níveis. Dentre as informações analisadas, identificou-se que apenas 1% dessas foram classificadas como nível 4, por se tratarem de informações monetizadas sobre os benefícios de investimentos socioambientais. Esse estudo, portanto, concluiu que a integração entre as ações socioambientais e o desempenho financeiro nas informações públicas das empresas analisadas é praticamente inexistente. / Given the increasing relevance of social and environmental issues, corporation initiatives have been charged from society. Considering this demand, a response by corporations, including financial institutions, has being seen, through the disclosure of sustainability reporting and the creation of Socially Responsible Investing (SRI), for example. In addition, increasingly, social and environmental issues are important dimensions of analysis to obtain resources from both unilateral and bilateral institutions. These facts had lead to the search for evidences of the association between environmental issues and company's financial performance. This study aimed to identify the level of integration between social and environmental issues and financial performance in the public informations provided by world leaders companies of the mining sector. The mining sector was chosen as the focus of this research, mainly due to its importance for the global and the Brazilian economy, and given its high social and environmental impact. To this end, the three major global mining companies by market value (BH Billiton, Vale and Rio Tinto) were analyzed, based on the methodology proposed by Epstein and Roy (2003), in which the integration between social and environmental issues and financial performance is classified into four levels. Among the information analyzed, we found that only 1% of these were classified as level 4, as they were monetised information about the benefits of environmental investments. Therefore, this study concluded that the integration between social and environmental issues and financial performance in the public informations of the analyzed companies is virtually nonexistent.

The purpose of this study is to explore the current practices in corporate sustainability/CSR communications and how this trend contributes to corporate value creation. More specifically, this study looks at this subject from the angle of how companies can use corporate sustainability/CSR communications in marketing activities to attain corporate marketing objectives. To achieve the aim of this study, an examination of the current practices in corporate sustainability /CSR communications was performed through a pertinent empirical and theoretical literature review as well as a quantitative and qualitative empirical method using a survey questionnaire. The author attempted, in the same way, to illustrate how corporate sustainability/CSR communications can strengthen corporate reputation and directly enhance financial performance. For theory, two bodies of literature (corporate communications and corporate sustainability) were selected for review in terms of the degree of synergy and integration between them and their implications for this thesis. The key findings from literature review and empirical study showed that the practices of corporate social responsibility communications occurs through CSR, Triple Bottom Line (PPP) or corporate sustainability reporting, stakeholder dialogue on sustainability issues and social and environmental communication programs. Also, the auditing and assurance of CSR reporting is carried out through different measures including internal (i.e. human resources management, CSR and/or PR department) and external (i.e. business partner, consulting or risk management firm) or both measures. It was also found that sustainability has been a part of corporate culture and strategy development for a number of organizations pursuing the sustainability path for decades. Moreover, public relations activity is ranked the most effective in communicating sustainability at corporate level and has the potential to reach a wide spectrum of stakeholder audiences. However, a level of skepticism was noticed among stakeholders towards corporate sustainability/CSR communications. Nonetheless, knowing how stakeholders perceive corporate image and what they expect in return for their support is fundamental in designing effective corporate and marketing communications strategies. Stakeholders’ relations management is the bottom line for success and sustainability of the business and lies at the core of CSR practice and its reporting. Further, the growth of corporate sustainability/CSR communications has reflected the keen interest from all stakeholders; hence, it has become a topic of major importance and also, as it was found, a key factor that experts and planners in the field should capitalize on and watch in competitive marketplaces. Furthermore, having a pro-social and environmental agenda means having a sound corporate and marketing communications strategies that can build a company’s reputational standing and create sustainable competitive advantages. The trend towards injecting sustainability into corporate decisions making and strategy development has come about through what organizations have achieved in terms of value creation pertaining to reputation and financial performance enhancement. The author’s review of the literature makes an advance on extant reviews of the literature by highlighting the importance of corporate sustainability/CSR communications in marketing with respect to corporate value maximization. Overall, this thesis endeavours to present contributions, avenues and departure of journeying for further empirical research and development. / +46704352135

Magister Educationis - MEd / The study shows the financial impacts on costs per student at academic module level, at departmental level, at faculty level, and at institutional level, thereby showing the effects of cross-subsidisation at all levels of management. The reports were developed in termsof the guidelines compiled in terms of Llewellyn's five levels of theorisation.

The diploma thesis deals with the issue of financial performance of central banks. Central banking is generally considered as a profitable part of financial system. However, this paper focuses on the loss-making central banks and emphasizes the examples of central banks with large accumulated financial losses. Relationship between the quality of balance sheet assets and financial performance of central banks is closely examined in the thesis. Alongside, it analyses the impact of negative financial performance on the main objectives of central bank, in the role of monetary authority. Effectiveness of monetary policy is conditioned by many factors, among them are independence of central bank, the level of development of financial markets - central bank operates in, analytical skills of employees and etc. However, the case, where financial performance of central bank is discussed in connection with monetary policy performance, is extremely rare. The primary goal of this diploma thesis is to reveal and describe the main ways in which financial performance of the central bank influences monetary policy decisions. It also tries to find out whether there is hidden threat of a damaging impact on the decisions in case the central bank accumulates the negative financial results.

Tato práce si klade za cíl porovnat obraz finanční výkonnosti podniku poskytnutý českým účetním systémem s obrazem, který poskytují výkazy zpracované dle Mezinárodních standardů účetního výkaznictví (IFRS). Na příkladu společnosti ATAS elektromotory Náchod, a.s. je ukázáno, jak se přechod na výkaznictví dle IFRS projeví ve vybraných finančních indikátorech. Pro zhodnocení celkové výkonnosti podniku byl dále použit model INFA.

This thesis is concerned with an evaluation of a role of financial and managerial accounting in the management of financial performance. From the range of criterions, that indicate the development of performance, the profit was chosen. The basic approach of the thesis is the concept of financial performance in the U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (U.S. GAAP). The diction of U.S. GAAP is compared with the text of International Accounting Standards / International Financial Reporting Standards (IAS / IFRS) and the Czech accounting legislation. In addition, the thesis deals with the concept of financial performance and its role in the performance management system. In conclusion, the theoretical background is confronted with its practical application. The comparison is made with the assistance of the example of financial performance management in the company Škoda Auto, a.s.

There are numerous researches done in the last couple decades dedicated to the observation of impact of merges and acquisitions on the performance of the company. The topic is considered to be up-to-date, as still there is no common approach to evaluating of benefits mergers are about to bring to a new established entity. In this thesis the issue of post-merger financial performance is investigated on an example of three biggest energy companies in Europe: RWE, E.ON and Vattenfall. The aim of the thesis is to find out whether financial performance of chosen companies improves after the merger occurs. This target is elaborated with a help of the analysis of commonly used financial ratios in corporate finance and construction of two regression models, which explain the interrelations between basic indicator of the company's growth (net income), the fact of the merger and determined financial ratios. As an outcome of the research, a few findings were obtained, such as worsening of financial performance three to five years after the merger, with continuing improvement in further years, quite stable financial indicators before the merger, positive interconnection between the fact of the merger and the net income. Such outcomes might be considered as significant, though further research and elaboration of the topic can be performed in the future.

Cette thèse évalue la performance financière de l'investissement socialement responsable (ISR). Dans le but de surmonter le manque de consensus sur le thème de recherche, nous proposons d'aborder la question sous l'angle de la généralisation à travers une approche méta-analytique ayant pour objectif de démontrer un lien de cause à effet entre ISR et performance financière (ou boursière). A travers l'étude d'un corpus empirique d'observation incluant 75 études (161 expérimentations) sur la période 1972-2009 sélectionnées sur la base de notre propre typologie définitionnelle de l'ISR, nous articulons notre recherche autour de deux études : exploratoire et approche méta-analytique.L'étude exploratoire fournit ainsi, via l'utilisation de tests non paramétriques (Chi-deux) et de l'analyse de données (analyse factorielle des correspondances simple et multiple, classification ascendante hiérarchique), des typologies d'effet ISR sur la performance financière regroupant natures d'impact ISR sur la performance (positif, négatif ou neutre) et modalités de variables méthodologiques (marché ISR, méthode de comparaison de données, mesure de la performance financière…). L'approche méta-analytique (la première dans le champ de recherche) explore la relation entre ISR et performance financière sur un corpus réduit (61 études / 123 expérimentations). Les résultats observés tendent à prouver que l'éthique n'a pas de coût financier et génère des rentabilités similaires (voire légèrement supérieure) à celle de l'investissement conventionnel. Nous observons également que les choix empiriques effectués par les auteurs influencent considérablement la nature de la performance financière de l'ISR. / This thesis evaluates the financial performance of socially responsible investment (SRI). In the purpose of overcoming the lack of consensus on the research theme, we propose to approach the question under the angle of generalization across a meta-analytical approach, aiming to demonstrate a link between SRI and financial performances (or stock exchange performance) and identify the methodological determinants of this causal relationship. Across the study of an empirical corpus observation, including 75 studies (161 experimentations) across the 1972-2009 period, all selected on the basis of our own typological definition of SRI, we articulate our research around two studies : exploratory and meta-analytical approach.By the use of non-parametric tests (chi square), and of data analysis (simple and multiple correspondence analysis, ascending hierarchical clustering), the exploratory study provides typologies of SRI effects on the financial performance, gathering the nature of SRI impacts on performance (positive, negative or neutral) ant the terms of methodological variables (SRI market, data comparison method, financial performance measure...). The meta-analytical approach (first one in the field of research) explores the relation between SRI and financial performance on a reduced corpus (61 studies / 123 experimentations). The results we observed tend to prove that ethics has no financial cost and generates similar profitability (even slightly more) than a conventional investment. We also observe that the empirical choices made by the authors have a considerable influence on the nature of the ISR financial performance.

The master's thesis focuses on detailed mission statements analysis of leading companies operating in Czech republic. The aim of the thesis is to provide the comprehensive view on the current situation in field of mission statements and to examine the relationship between mission statement and firm performance. Theoretical part introduces the topic, basic charasteristics of mission statements and describes research methods used in practical part. In second part is performed content analysis, textual analysis, analysis of mission statements availability, readability, origin of its owner. Also the link between the corporate ethos and mission statements is defined in practical part. Through the statistical analysis of dependence is examined the relationship between mission statements and chosen financial indicators at the end of the thesis.