Konkurrensen på den svenska bankmarknaden har efter en rad avregleringar på 1990-talet förbättrats, mycket på grund av nya nischbanker som på allvar börjat tävla med de stora aktörerna på marknaden. I februari år 2007 inträdde ett nytt regelverk för banker, Basel II, som bland annat reglerar hur mycket kapital en bank måste hålla i förhållande till den risk den tar. Regelverket öppnar upp för banker att använda olika metoder, som kostar olika mycket att implementera och underhålla, för att beräkna detta kapitalkrav. Som en följd av detta kommer mindre banker att ha svårt att bära de kostnader som mer avancerade metoder för med sig. Valet av beräkningsmetoder kommer också leda till att banker beläggs med olika stora kapitalkrav. Denna studie syftar till att beskriva den förväntade effekt införandet av Basel II kommer att ha på nischbankernas ställning på den svenska bankmarknaden. För att kunna besvara detta syfte har en kvalitativ studie genomförts, där intervjuer med nio nischbanker och två storbanker gjorts. Dessutom har representanter från Finansinspektionen, Svenska Bankföreningen, Konkurrensverket samt KPMG Financial Services intervjuats, för att få en djupare inblick i regelverkets konkurrenspåverkande effekter på olika typer av banker. Studien har visat på att de aspekter i Basel II som kan komma att påverka konkurrensen på marknaden är de kostnader som implementering och tillämpning av regelverket kommer att innebära samt det faktum att banker tillåts använda olika metoder för beräkning av kapitalkravet för kreditrisker, med en ökad prisdifferentiering baserad på risk som följd. Nischbankerna har möjlighet att behålla och förstärka sin ställning på marknaden förutsatt att de anpassar sin verksamhet efter de nya förutsättningar som regelverket innebär. Vidare har ur studien framkommit att det finns fördelar med att vara en nischaktör, oavsett storlek, över att vara en liten aktör. För banker som konkurrerar om lågriskkunder innebär regelverket fördelar för dem som antingen är riktigt stora fullsortimentsbanker eller riktigt nischade banker som då kan vara stora inom ett specifikt område. En bank som nischar sig mot ett kundsegment med högre risk måste inte nå samma volymer, då marginalerna där förväntas bli högre, men banken måste begränsa sin verksamhet för att fortsatt kunna använda mindre kostnadskrävande beräkningsmetoder utan att tappa konkurrensmässigt på detta. / The competition level on the Swedish bank market has increased after an extended deregulation in the 1990s, much due to niche players entering the market, competing with the large players on the field. In February 2007, a new regulation, Basel II, regulating the level of capital a bank must keep in relation to its risks taken, was implemented. The regulation allows banks to use different methods to calculate this capital requirement, methods that cost different amounts to implement and maintain. As a result of this, many smaller banks will have difficulties in implementing more advanced methods since the costs associated with these are too high for a smaller bank to handle. Different methods will also result in different capital requirements for different banks. The purpose of this study is to describe the expected effect the introduction of Basel II will have on the positions of the niche banks on the Swedish bank market. To be able to fulfil this purpose, a qualitative study has been made, where interviews have been held with nine niche banks and two large ones. People from The Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority, The Swedish Banker’s Association, The Swedish Competition Authority and KPMG Financial Services have also been interviewed to receive a better view of the competitive effects of Basel II. The study has shown that the aspects of Basel II that will effect the competition on the market are the implementation and maintenance costs that come with the regulation, and the fact that banks are allowed to use different methods to calculate the capital requirements for credit risks, with an increased risk-based pricing differentiation as a result. Niche banks have a possibility to keep and strengthen their positions on the market if they adjust their activities in relation to the new conditions Basel II involves. Moreover, this study has shown advantages in being a niche actor, regardless of size, over being a small actor. Banks that compete for customers with lower risks will have advantages due to Basel II if being large, or a bank working within one area and therefore has a possibility to be large in this specific area. Niche players that choose to compete in areas involving high risk customers do not need the same volumes since the margins in these areas are expected to rise, but the banks need to limit their activity to specific business areas to be able to keep using less costly methods to calculate the capital requirements without loosing in competitive strength as a result of this.

<p>Konkurrensen på den svenska bankmarknaden har efter en rad avregleringar på 1990-talet förbättrats, mycket på grund av nya nischbanker som på allvar börjat tävla med de stora aktörerna på marknaden. I februari år 2007 inträdde ett nytt regelverk för banker, Basel II, som bland annat reglerar hur mycket kapital en bank måste hålla i förhållande till den risk den tar. Regelverket öppnar upp för banker att använda olika metoder, som kostar olika mycket att implementera och underhålla, för att beräkna detta kapitalkrav. Som en följd av detta kommer mindre banker att ha svårt att bära de kostnader som mer avancerade metoder för med sig. Valet av beräkningsmetoder kommer också leda till att banker beläggs med olika stora kapitalkrav.</p><p>Denna studie syftar till att beskriva den förväntade effekt införandet av Basel II kommer att ha på nischbankernas ställning på den svenska bankmarknaden. För att kunna besvara detta syfte har en kvalitativ studie genomförts, där intervjuer med nio nischbanker och två storbanker gjorts. Dessutom har representanter från Finansinspektionen, Svenska Bankföreningen, Konkurrensverket samt KPMG Financial Services intervjuats, för att få en djupare inblick i regelverkets konkurrenspåverkande effekter på olika typer av banker.</p><p>Studien har visat på att de aspekter i Basel II som kan komma att påverka konkurrensen på marknaden är de kostnader som implementering och tillämpning av regelverket kommer att innebära samt det faktum att banker tillåts använda olika metoder för beräkning av kapitalkravet för kreditrisker, med en ökad prisdifferentiering baserad på risk som följd. Nischbankerna har möjlighet att behålla och förstärka sin ställning på marknaden förutsatt att de anpassar sin verksamhet efter de nya förutsättningar som regelverket innebär.</p><p>Vidare har ur studien framkommit att det finns fördelar med att vara en nischaktör, oavsett storlek, över att vara en liten aktör. För banker som konkurrerar om lågriskkunder innebär regelverket fördelar för dem som antingen är riktigt stora fullsortimentsbanker eller riktigt nischade banker som då kan vara stora inom ett specifikt område. En bank som nischar sig mot ett kundsegment med högre risk måste inte nå samma volymer, då marginalerna där förväntas bli högre, men banken måste begränsa sin verksamhet för att fortsatt kunna använda mindre kostnadskrävande beräkningsmetoder utan att tappa konkurrensmässigt på detta. </p> / <p>The competition level on the Swedish bank market has increased after an extended deregulation in the 1990s, much due to niche players entering the market, competing with the large players on the field. In February 2007, a new regulation, Basel II, regulating the level of capital a bank must keep in relation to its risks taken, was implemented. The regulation allows banks to use different methods to calculate this capital requirement, methods that cost different amounts to implement and maintain. As a result of this, many smaller banks will have difficulties in implementing more advanced methods since the costs associated with these are too high for a smaller bank to handle. Different methods will also result in different capital requirements for different banks.</p><p>The purpose of this study is to describe the expected effect the introduction of Basel II will have on the positions of the niche banks on the Swedish bank market. To be able to fulfil this purpose, a qualitative study has been made, where interviews have been held with nine niche banks and two large ones. People from The Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority, The Swedish Banker’s Association, The Swedish Competition Authority and KPMG Financial Services have also been interviewed to receive a better view of the competitive effects of Basel II.</p><p>The study has shown that the aspects of Basel II that will effect the competition on the market are the implementation and maintenance costs that come with the regulation, and the fact that banks are allowed to use different methods to calculate the capital requirements for credit risks, with an increased risk-based pricing differentiation as a result. Niche banks have a possibility to keep and strengthen their positions on the market if they adjust their activities in relation to the new conditions Basel II involves.</p><p>Moreover, this study has shown advantages in being a niche actor, regardless of size, over being a small actor. Banks that compete for customers with lower risks will have advantages due to Basel II if being large, or a bank working within one area and therefore has a possibility to be large in this specific area. Niche players that choose to compete in areas involving high risk customers do not need the same volumes since the margins in these areas are expected to rise, but the banks need to limit their activity to specific business areas to be able to keep using less costly methods to calculate the capital requirements without loosing in competitive strength as a result of this. </p>

<p>Background: In our case study we have been studying a company that during the last seven years have tried to implement the control system Balanced Scorecard. They have during this period made three attempts. According to Kaplan and Norton, the creators of Balanced Scorecard, it should take about 16 weeks to implement a Balanced Scorecard. </p><p>Purpose: Our purpose is to investigate which factors that influence the possibility to implement Balanced Scorecard. </p><p>Method: We have conducted a case study where we have studied implementation at three levels in a company. We have interviewed two people from management, five of the department heads and made an inquiry investigation with 28 people of the companies employees. </p><p>Results: We have found that there are seven determining factors that influence an implementing process. The process starts with an internal or external pressure for change that indicates that a change is needed in the company. There is a need for a project leader who is responsible for the work and leads the implementing process forward. The project leader needs to have knowledge about the implementing process and knowledge about the contents of what they want to implement. Management support is another factor and by that means that management must stimulate and support the members of the staff. Information and elucidation of goals is another factor that is needed about the implementation. The last factor to get a successful implementation is to get the members of the staff participate. We have also found some minor determining factors that can act as a counterforce towards a change that can arise during the implementing process. Two of these counter forces are frustration and delay. Frustration arises when knowledge about the implementation is missing and the loss of knowledge leads to delay. If the members of the staff don’t receive information and elucidation of goals confusion may arise which is another counterforce. The last counter- force that can arise is that the members of the staff are afraid of change.</p>

<p>Bakgrund: Det har visat sig att det i många fall kan vara svårt att jämföra kalkylinformation mellan likartade enheter trots att dessa använder sig av samma kalkyleringsmetoder, särskilt om enheterna i fråga är geografiskt placerade i regioner med olika kalkyleringstraditioner. Det är därför av intresse att undersöka hur kalkylinformationen kan skilja sig åt i dessa fall. </p><p>Syfte: Syftet är att analysera försäljningsomkostnader med hänseende på deras urval och värdering i kalkyler. </p><p>Genomförande: Vi har genomfört en casestudie med intervjuer med tre enhetschefer i den svenska divisionen samt med tre engelska chefer för motsvarande enheter i den brittiska divisionen inom en och samma globala koncern. </p><p>Resultat: Vi finner i vår studie att kalkyltraditioner spelar en stor roll för vad kalkylinformationen visar, men att det även förekommer stora skillnader mellan enheter som har samma kalkyltradition. Vi bedömer att den främsta orsaken till att dessa skillnader uppkommer är att enheterna tillämpar olika urval.</p> / <p>Background: It has many times proved to be difficult to compare calculation information between different units, although these units use the same calculation method. This is especially so if the units in question geographically are belonging to regions with different calculation traditions. Therefore it is of great interest to examine how calculation information can diverse.</p><p>Purpose: The purpose is to analyse sales costs with focus on selection and valuation in calculations.</p><p>Research Method: We have carried out a case study combined with interviews with three middle-managers in the Swedish division and with three middle-managers for the corresponding units in the UK division of the same global company.</p><p>Results: We find that the calculation traditions to a large extent influences what the calculation information shows, but we also find big differences between units which historically use the same calculation traditions. According to our study the principal cause of the differences comes from the fact that the units use different selections.</p>

<p>Background: In 2001 the European Commission presented legislation to require use of IASB standards named IAS/IFRS for all listed parent companies within the EU no later than 2005, to improve an internal market for financial services within the EU. This harmonisation of the accounting regulations answers to the social development of today with land-frontiers easier to cross, increased demands on an open financial market and the companies searching for risk capital outside the boundaries of the own country. International comparisons within accounting have consequently become more of current interest and necessary. When the requirement to use the IASB standards only is intended for the group accounting the remaining question is according to which regulations the parent companies will set up their annual financial reports. In Statens Offentliga Utredningar 2003:71(Swedish Government Official Reports) the parent companies are suggested to be given an opportunity to apply IAS/IFRS also in the annual financial report. </p><p>Purpose: The purpose of the investigation is to map how the listed parent companies will take advantage of the suggested opportunity to, from the year of 2005, choose set of accounting rules for their annual financial reports. We furthermore intend to explain and understand the attitude towards the current accounting and taxation debate of the parties concerned. </p><p>Delimitations: The investigation is delimited to concern Swedish parent companies listed on the Stockholm stock exchange. The investigation is furthermore excluding financial companies as banks and insurance companies while they are governed by their own law of annual financial report. We consequently have chosen to focus on those companies applying the law of annual financial report of 1995 (1995:1554). </p><p>Realization: The investigation was realized as a cross-section investigation where quantitative as well as qualitative data were collected with the intention of creating an on-the-spot account of the present situation. The quantitative data were obtained through a questionnaire investigation directed towards those in Swedish listed parent companies accountable for accounting and the qualitative data was obtained by interviewing experts. </p><p>Result: The majority of the companies participating in the questionnaire investigation have chosen to apply IAS/IFRS in their annual financial report, even though they have a negative attitude towards the regulations. Homogeneous regulations within the group are considered the most important reason for using IAS/IFRS in the parent company as well. A majority of these companies want to keep the link between accounting and taxation despite some negative fiscal consequences. Only less than one third of the representatives of the companies would choose to render account according to the IAS/IFRS regulations, if they had the possibility to choose by themselves, though. The regulations are furthermore by many representatives of the companies experienced as complex and hard to manage.</p>

<p>Bakgrund: På grund av diverse politiska åtgärder har den offentliga sektorn börjat utsättas för ökad konkurrens. Genom Friskolereformen som drevs igenom 1992 har möjligheterna att starta upp friskolor blivit allt större och därmed också mer populärt. Mellan 1992 och 2002 ökade antalet friskolor i Sverige med över 500 %. Ur pedagogisk utgångspunkt har mycket forskning bedrivits om skolor medan det är knapphändigt med studier av fenomenet från ekonomisk vinkel. Det som föräldrar angett som främsta anledning till skolbyte är skolans status och rykte, undervisningens kvalitet och skolans atmosfär, miljö och storlek. Detta är styrvariabler som vi ska studera. </p><p>Syfte: Vårt syfte med denna undersökning är att klarlägga huruvida styrningen av organisation, fysisk arbetsmiljö och personal skiljer sig mellan kommunala skolor och friskolor. Vi vill även förklara vad eventuella skillnader beror på. </p><p>Avgränsningar: Rapporten omfattar främst årskurs 7-9 och endast friskolor med allmän inriktning. </p><p>Genomförande: Undersökningen genomfördes med hjälp av en mailenkät. Skolledare i 15 friskolor, 15 kommunala skolor i de kommuner som friskolorna låg och 15 kommunala skolor i kommuner utan friskolor tillfrågades. </p><p>Resultat: Styrningen skiljer sig en aning åt mellan skoltyperna på enskilda variabler. Orsakerna till skillnaderna var dock olika varför vi inte ser att den övergripande styrningen skiljer sig åt.</p>

<p>Background</p><p>Today, collaboration between actors in a supply chain is often a necessity if a business wants to remain competitive. Moreover, efficient sharing of information is vital for success in this collaboration. One way of sharing demand and inventory information between the customer and supplier in a supply chain is by utilizing vendor managed inventory, VMI. The recent focus on VMI has produced a great number of articles on this subject, however, few of them give the whole picture of the VMI relationship. The VMI literature tends to have its focal point on the large customers in a supply chain, failing to cover the effects of VMI for the small and medium-sized (SME) supplier.</p><p>Purpose</p><p>The purpose of this thesis is to study VMI and its effects on the small and medium-sized supplier. The thesis will look at VMI from an electronic information sharing perspective.</p><p>Realisation</p><p>The study has a qualitative approach and is based on qualitative interviews conducted with representatives from three SME suppliers and one of their largest customers. In addition, interviews were conducted with VMI experts.</p><p>Results</p><p>The study shows that the prime motive for SME suppliers to enter into a VMI partnership is the demands of the customer. The fact that the SME supplier gains competitive advantage and gets access to information when joining a VMI collaboration are further reasons. For a successful implementation, the SME supplier must know his prerequisites, understand the goal and vision of the collaboration, participate in the design phase of the collaboration, and use the VMI information efficiently. In the long run, VMI normally leads to reductions in inventory, production, transportation and administrative costs for the SME supplier. Any absence of benefits can be due to the logistical knowledge being isolated to a few individuals. The VMI collaboration must bee seen as a strategic matter and a long term investment.</p>

<p>Bakgrund: Under slutet av 1900-talet uppstod ett intresse bland svenska företag att redovisa miljöinformation. I dag finns endast lagstadgade krav på att företag som bedriver tillstånds- eller anmälningspliktig verksamhet enligt miljöbalken skall ange detta samt ett antal andra relaterade uppgifter i årsredovisningens förvaltningsberättelse. Miljöredovisning är annars inte reglerat enligt svensk lag och det finns inte inom området någon enhetlig praxis. Hur redovisar de börsnoterad företagen miljöinformation? Följer de lagens krav? Använder sig företagen av de riktlinjer och standarder som finns, vid utformningen av sin miljöinformation?</p><p>Syfte: är att undersöka hur svenska börsföretag 2004 har redovisat miljöinformation i sina årsrapporter, samt eventuella separata miljö- eller hållbarhetsredovisningar.</p><p>Genomförande: Kvantitativ undersökning (dokumentundersökning) av 270 svenska börsföretags årsredovisningar</p><p>Resultat: De lagstadgade kraven som ställs på redovisning av miljöinformation följs illa, 69 procent bryter på något sätt mot kraven. Inte i något fall har detta kommenterats av revisorn i revisionsberättelsen. På grund av bristen av enhetliga riktlinjer redovisas miljöinformation på varierande sätt i företagen, vilket försvårar jämförbarheten företagen emellan. Den miljöinformation som redovisas håller generellt, med några undantag, hög kvalitet och är relevant i sin karaktär.</p> / <p>Background: During the late 20th century an interest for environmental accounting arose among the Swedish companies. Today there only exist legislated demands for companies that run businesses that require a permit, or require a report, according to the Swedish environmental Act. There is no other legislation or regulation in the field of environmental accounting. How do the listed companies in Sweden design their environmental accounting? Do they follow the law? To what extent do they use the guidelines and standards available when they put their environmental information together?</p><p>Aim: The aim of this thesis is to investigate how Swedish companies declares environmental information in their annual reports, and if any, in their environmental or sustainability reports.</p><p>Completion: A quantitative survey of annual reports from 270 Swedish listed companies.</p><p>Results: The legislated demands are scarcely followed, 69 per cent of the companies have broken against at least one of the demands. Due to the lack of uniformed guidelines, there is a remarkable difference in the information provided and therefore the comparability decreases. The environmental information provided is, in most cases, of high quality and is relevant as well.</p>

<p>Bakgrund: För företag som transporterar produkter internationellt blir transportkostnaderna en stor kostnadspost. Förkalkyler upprättas som ska jämföras med faktiska kostnader. Det är viktigt för företagen att kunna styra över och veta vad som orsakat avvikelser som uppkommer mellan förkalkyler och faktiska kostnader eftersom förkalkylerna ofta ligger till grund för beslut. </p><p>Syfte: Syftet med denna uppsats är att utveckla och pröva en analysmetodik för att spåra orsaker till avvikelser mellan förkalkylerade och faktiska transportkostnader. Avgränsningar: Undersökningen berör endast kostnader som uppkommer i samband med transporter. Försäkringskostnader som behövs vid transporter av gods behandlas dock inte. </p><p>Genomförande: En fallstudie har utförts på Holmen Paper. Det empiriska materialet har samlats in genom intervjuer. </p><p>Resultat: Vi har funnit att det går att spåra orsaker till transportkostnadsavvikelser genom att studera hanteringen av transporter ur ett systemperspektiv. När det finns relationssvårigheter mellan delkomponenter i systemet uppkommer avvikelser mellan förkalkylerade och faktiska transportkostnader.</p>

<p>The accounting information system comprises budgeting, accounting, and costing. The accounting information system has, traditionally, constituted an integrated system where the different elements collaborate. If ABC is introduced this order is disturbed, since ABC is based on another logic which cannot easily be integrated with budget and accounting. ABC, therefore, is usually used parallely to the conventional costing method. There are, however, companies that have taken its ABC one step further by letting it replace the old costing model and integrate it with the accounting information system. Our purpose is to describe how a well-integrated ABC has been designed and analyse its general possibilities to create an integrated ABC and accounting information system. In order to fulfil this purpose we have based our empirics on interviews and internal documents from our case company; a subsidiary to Volvo. In the case we have studied, a high degree of integration has been achieved through a partial adaptation of ABC as well as the remaining components of the accounting information system. The account of overhead revenues has changed from focusing on hours to register based on articles produced. The budget, at a whole, continues unchanged, but some rationalisations in the budget process have been a positive consequence of the adoption of ABC. ABC has been adapted by letting the accounts plan and the cost pool structure remain unchanged and no division based on activities has been realised. The procedure of the studied case can be applicable to other constructing enterprises facing the decision to adopt or integrate ABC to its accounting information system.</p>