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With a majority of studies on journalist killing focused on identifying its causes, this study attempts to fill a gap in the literature by exploring the consequences of the phenomenon and whether these are similar to those brought on by traditional forms of media restriction. Based on previous research, two hypotheses were formulated. First, corruption was theorized to be greater where journalists are killed, and secondly, this effect was theorized to be amplified in democracies which are not fully consolidated. To test these hypotheses, OLS regression analysis was conducted on 172 countries between 2009-2014. While the results show that journalist killings increase the level of corruption, no conclusive evidence indicating an amplified effect in unconsolidated democracies could be found. This study has contributed to an enhanced understanding of the consequences of journalist killings and further indicate that these are in line with the consequences of more general forms of media restriction.

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Business expansion and critical success factors are two subjects researchers have studied diligently. It exists several methods and analytical tools to explore these topics in more detail, however, separated from each other. Furthermore, it exists today no established model that has empirical support to identify the critical success factors in business expansion. The purpose of this paper is therefore to develop a general model for the identification and ranking of critical success factors for business expansion, which is also applicable for many different industries. This master thesis answers which the critical success factors are for project-based companies during business expansion in a resource-dependent market. In order to collect empirical data, a case study on Infranord AB has been conducted, which is a Swedish railway contractor that operates in a resource-dependent market. Infranord AB's home market is in Sweden and this master thesis has studied their expansion to the Norwegian railway market. The collection of data has been done through a literature study, seventeen interviews with employees at Infranord AB and a questionnaire, which was sent out to carefully selected individuals within the company. This master thesis presents a theoretical framework that builds on existing research, and is complemented by a resource dependency perspective. Furthermore, this master thesis consists of three levels of analysis: firm, industry and macro level. The framework further describes how the collection of empirical data has been done and also how the developed general model considers how empirical data should be collected in order to enable the identification of critical success factors in business expansion. This master thesis’s conclusions are that the developed general model is practically useful in other industries. It is also the first model produced that combines the areas of business expansion and critical success factors. The implication of this is particularly important when current research has not dealt with this. Finally, the paper presents a proposal for future work, which is to carry out more case studies according to the presented general model on other companies that are expanding in a resource-dependent market in order to strengthen the level of the model’s universal applicability. This master thesis is delimited is business expansion in a home region.

This thesis examines the rhetoric of the volunteer tourism organization Volontärresor in regards to how it contributes to a normalizing discourse around global inequality. Given that rhetoric affects people’s perceptions of matters, and by extension their behaviors, the choice of words becomes political. Thus, this study aims to uncover the meaning behind the linguistic choices the organization has made. A theoretical framework is constructed based on postcolonial, marxist and poststructuralist theories, and divided into the themes of the economic system, othering and white saviorism. By employing a critical discourse analysis, the organization’s website is analyzed in detail, illustrated in the result by extensive quotes and a following discussion. Volontärresor is found to avoid any mention of root causes and complexity of global injustice in their rhetoric, thereby presenting it as naturally given. In addition, connections to an orientalist discourse and the white savior narrative are identified within the material. The study concludes that Volontärresor places its entire focus on symptoms rather than causes of global inequality, displaying an illusion of care which never actually challenges the deep unequal structures globally.

This thesis examines China’s investment programme the Belt and Road initiative, through the theory of neo-colonialism. The aim is to categorise to what extent the BRI in Laos embodies patterns of neo-colonialism and additionally what agency Laos has in its economic and political relationship with China. The purpose of the research is to broaden the perception of neo-colonialism and contribute to the notion that all developed countries, not only western powers, can have a neo-colonial relationship with developing countries. This is done by examining China’s economic influence and political interference in Laos through the BRI and further by unpacking the complexities of power relations, economic dependencies, and local agency. The study uses a single case-study format to test the theory of neo-colonialism on the BRI in Laos. Drawing on a range of academic literature, policy documents, and news articles the study concludes that China’s BRI in Laos shows patterns of neo-colonialism to some extent, but that Laos still has some agency both economically and politically in its relationship with China.

Populism has promptly become a common words used as a form of political slur, used to delegitimize political parties, but what does it actually entail? This paper has explored if populistic characteristics can be found in the Swedish political party, the Sweden Democrats, and more specifically, if they can be classified as a populistic political party at all. Needless to say, literature on the subject of populism is massive, and research exploring the relationship between populism and the Sweden Democrats is constantly growing. In spite of this, a research gap is present as the Sweden Democrats became the second largest party in the latest governmental election, despite having a complicated history with connections to racism and, according to some, populism. This ideological analysis has utilized public documents and speeches by applying the theory of the ideational approach, as well as ideal types. The paper has found substantial confirmation of populistic characteristics within the political party, but cannot with full conviction classify the Sweden Democrats as a populistic party beyond doubt.

Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) is essential for balancing coordinated water management with developmental needs and ecological sustainability. However, the escalating frequency and severity of extreme hazard events, such as floods, exacerbate risks to water resources and socio-economic development. At the same time, inefficiency of IWRM has caused flooding of many densely occupied regions. The aim of this study is to explore if there is an association between the frequency (number of events) and severity (fatalities, people affected) of flood disasters and the degree of water policy implementation on a national level. In the field of policy research, there are differing views on whether disasters facilitate policy change. Many have studied these contested assumptions, although previous research consists mostly of case studies or large-N studies that include several types of disasters. Here, regression analysis is used to study specifically flood disasters and water policy implementation. This cross-sectional study seeks to explore whether floods can explain why countries have made different progress in their IWRM implementation at a given point in time, in 2023. Data on 923 flood disasters between 2018-2022 will be combined with survey data on SDG indicator 6.5.1 tracking the progress on SDG 6 and assesses the status of IWRM implementation across the world. The results show significant relationships between severity measures of floods and status of IWRM, which could be small signals for an association between flood disasters and water policy implementation. However, the relationships vary in direction and strength, by element of IWRM and time-period, and therefore showing no strong association. This result goes in line with results from previous study and the ongoing debate within the policy field.

This master’s thesis explores the discursive constructions of gender equality and women’s rights within policy documents issued by the United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU), and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). Thirty years after the Bosnian War, BiH remains marked by ethno-nationalist and religious divisions, which impacts gender equality efforts. The research addresses the discursive techniques used to justify policy recommendations, how gender policies intersect with identity axes like ethnicity, class, and religion, the key themes and priorities specified in the documents, and the similarities and differences in their narratives and policy priorities. Despite alignment on objectives such as combating gender-based violence and enhancing women’s political participation, the documents reveal limited intersectional approaches and minimal engagement with religious institutions. The EU leverages Bosnia’s EU candidacy to exert influence, UN Women focuses on technical support and data-driven policies, and the OSCE emphasises local capacity-building. This study highlights the importance of integrating intersectional and culturally contextualised policies for effective gender mainstreaming in BiH.

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