xii, 84 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / In this dissertation, I investigate how cross-country differences in regulatory environments affect the value and distribution of gains in cross-border acquisitions. I focus on how pre-acquisition strategies to reduce the valuation discount arising from weak regulatory environments affect the value and distribution of gains between acquiring and target firms. The two specific strategies I examine are cross-listing and voluntarily adopting International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). I compare the value and distribution of synergy gains for target firms from weak regulatory environments that have cross-listed or adopted IFRS (i.e., "strategic firms") to (1) target firms in similar countries that have not done so (i.e., "non-strategic firms") and (2) target firms in strong regulatory environment countries. For the first group, I expect lower total synergy gains and merger premia in acquisitions involving strategic target firms. However, I expect higher total valuation gains (i.e., the merger premium plus the increase in value from the strategy) for strategic firms. For the second comparison group, I expect higher total synergy gains and merger premia in acquisitions involving strategic firms relative to firms from strong regulatory environments. I test my predictions on a sample of cross-border acquisitions completed in 26 countries between 1995-2007. In acquisitions involving target firms from weak regulatory environments, I find no evidence that either the total synergy gain or merger premium are smaller for strategic firms. In fact, I find some evidence that the total synergy gains are higher for strategic firms relative to non-strategic firms. I find some evidence of higher total valuation gains for cross-listed firms, consistent with my hypothesis. For the second comparison group, I find no evidence that either the total synergy gain or merger premium are higher for strategic firms. By examining cross-border acquisitions, my research provides evidence on an increasingly important and economically significant type of foreign direct investment. I relate literature investigating the determinants and distribution of merger synergies to literature analyzing methods to eliminate cross-country valuation discounts. Therefore, my research makes an important contribution by providing insights beyond identifying which party captures synergy gains in cross-border acquisitions. / Committee in charge: David Guenther, Chairperson, Accounting; Steven Matsunaga, Member, Accounting; Linda Krull, Member, Accounting; Bruce Blonigen, Outside Member, Economics

abstract: Managers’ control over the timing and content of information disclosure represents a significant strategic tool which they can use at their discretion. However, extant theoretical perspectives offer incongruent arguments and incompatible predictions about when and why managers would release inside information about their firms. More specifically, agency theory and theories within competitive dynamics provide competing hypotheses about when and why managers would disclose inside information about their firms. In this study, I highlight how voluntary disclosure theory may help to coalesce these two theoretical perspectives. Voluntary disclosure theory predicts that managers will release inside information when managers perceive that the benefits outweigh the costs of doing so. Accordingly, I posit that competitive dynamics introduce the costs associated with disclosing information (i.e., proprietary costs) and that agency theory highlights the benefits associated with disclosing information. Examining the context of seasoned equity offerings (SEOs), I identify three ways managers can use information in SEO prospectuses. I hypothesize that competitive intensity increases proprietary costs that will reduce disclosure of inside information but will increase discussing the organization positively. I then hypothesize that capital market participants (e.g., security analysts and investors) may prefer managers to provide more, clearer, and positive information about the SEO and their firms. I find support for many of my hypotheses. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Business Administration 2017

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / O presente estudo objetivou investigar a relaÃÃo entre o disclosure socioambiental e a prÃtica de incentivos governamentais, pela perspectiva da Teoria da Legitimidade. Tal questÃo surge a partir do cenÃrio das empresas incentivadas por benefÃcios governamentais. Essas empresas criam uma imagem socialmente irresponsÃvel, por utilizarem recursos pÃblicos para satisfazer objetivos privados, perdendo sua legitimidade. Como forma de resgate de legitimidade, as empresas utilizam ferramentas capazes de mitigar o problema causado pelo recebimento de SubvenÃÃes e AssistÃncias Governamentais (SAG). Uma dessas ferramentas, apontadas pela literatura cientÃfica, à a evidenciaÃÃo socioambiental. Os estudos sobre disclosure socioambiental, legitimidade e SAG tÃm instigado diversos pesquisadores. Entretanto, quando esses temas sÃo abordados em conjunto, as pesquisas ainda sÃo incipientes e se restringem ao nÃvel internacional. A partir dessa hipÃtese, a presente pesquisa se propÃe investigar a associaÃÃo entre o nÃvel de divulgaÃÃo socioambiental e a prÃtica de recebimento de SAG das empresas listadas na BM&FBovespa. Foram utilizadas ferramentas qualitativas (AnÃlise de ConteÃdo das DemonstraÃÃes Financeiras Padronizadas disponibilizadas nos websites da BM&FBovespa e da CVM, alÃm dos RelatÃrios de Sustentabilidade e similares disponÃveis nos websites das empresas) e quantitativas (estatÃstica descritiva, teste de diferenÃas de mÃdias e regressÃo linear mÃltipla) para compreender o comportamento da amostra, que, apÃs criteriosa seleÃÃo, totalizou 337 empresas. Com relaÃÃo Ãs SAG recebidas pelas empresas avaliadas, constatou-se que o normativo a elas referente ainda nÃo à aplicado como devido. No que diz respeito à evidenciaÃÃo socioambiental, ressalta-se o fato de o governo se destacar como principal stakeholder-alvo das empresas estudadas. AtravÃs da anÃlise conjunta das SAG e da evidenciaÃÃo socioambiental, foi possÃvel constatar que as empresas que recebem incentivos governamentais e que divulgam a receita deles proveniente divulgam mais, corroborando a Teoria da Legitimidade. Na anÃlise dos possÃveis fatores determinantes do comportamento do Ãndice de Disclosure Socioambiental, o tamanho da firma se destaca como fator influenciador em todos os grupos analisados. Contudo, a anÃlise de variÃveis diretamente relacionadas ao recebimento de incentivos e o Valor do Incentivo e o Tipo de Incentivo nÃo se mostram determinantes para a evidenciaÃÃo de informaÃÃes socioambientais. Concluiu-se que, para as firmas brasileiras, os incentivos governamentais nÃo estimulam a utilizaÃÃo de ferramentas de resgate da legitimidade, no caso da presente pesquisa, o disclosure socioambiental. / The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between environmental disclosure and the practice of government incentives, from the perspective of the theory of legitimacy. This question arises from the scenario of the companies encouraged by government benefits. These companies create a socially irresponsible image for using public resources to meet private goals, losing its legitimacy. As a way of redemption of legitimacy, companies use tools that can mitigate the problem caused by the receipt of government grant and assistance. One of these tools, cited by the scientific literature, is the environmental disclosure. Studies on environmental disclosure, legitimacy and government grant and assistance have instigated many researchers (PATTEN , 2002; DEEGAN , 2002; SMITH WARD , 2007; HANLON ; Slemrod , 2009; Taveira , 2009; RODRIGUES ; SILVA ; FAUSTINO , 2011; LOUREIRO ; GALLON ; DE LUCA , 2011) . However, when these issues are addressed together, the research is still scarce and are restricted to the international level ( FREEDMAN , 2003; CHRISTENSEN ; MURPHY , 2004; WILLIAMS , 2007; PREUSS , 2010; LANIS ; RICHARDSON , 2012, 2013 ). From this hypothesis, the present research proposes to investigate the association between the level of environmental disclosure and the practice of receive grants and government assistance by the companies listed on the BM & FBovespa. Qualitative ( content analysis of the Standardized Financial Statements available on the BM&FBOVESPA and CVM sites, and Sustainability Reporting and the like available on the websites of companies ) and quantitative ( descriptive statistics , mean comparison test and multiple linear regression) tools were used to understand the behavior of the sample studied. After selection criteria, 337 companies were evaluated. Regarding the Governmentâs Grants and Assistance (GGA) received by the companies studied, it was found that the normative references are still not properly implemented. In relation to social and environmental disclosure, it was emphasized the fact that the government stands out as a target-stakeholder of companies studied. Through joint analysis of SAGs and environmental disclosure, it was found that companies that receive government incentives and disclose income from these incentives, disclose more, corroborating the theory of legitimacy. In the analysis of possible determinants of IDS behavior, the size of the company stands out as influential factor in all analyzed groups. However, analysis of variables directly related to the receipt of incentives and the value of the Incentive and Incentive Type, do not show as a decisive factor for the disclosure of environmental information. It was concluded that, for Brazilian companies, the incentives of the government does not stimulates the use of rescue tools of legitimacy, in the case of this research, the environmental disclosure.

Much research has studied cohesiveness within client groups in terms of making therapeutic gains. These studies have defined cohesiveness in terms of a) attraction of the group as perceived by a group member, b) how clearly each member sees his/her role within the group, and c) the effectiveness of one's skills in attaining group goals. Little research has dealt with the role of staff cohesiveness in developing an effective treatment program. Effectiveness, in this study, is defined as the degree to which clients are willing to disclose personal information to the staff. The results show a positive correlation between staff's perceived effectiveness with clients and the clients' willingness to self-disclose. On-hand experience with clients seems important in involving clients in therapy.

This study examines the impact of U.S. states’ staggered adoption of the inevitable disclosure doctrine (IDD) on rival companies’ auditor choice. I posit that, in states where the IDD limits employee mobility among rival companies, the IDD adoption exogenously increases the costs of disclosing proprietary information through other channels. I find that on average peer companies do not show any changes in the probability of audit office sharing after the companies’ headquarter states adopt the IDD. I also find that companies with trade secrets respond to IDD adoption by avoiding audits conducted by the same audit office as their competitors’ audit office, supporting the proprietary cost hypothesis. The results are robust not only in various levels of auditor sharing but also after I incorporate factors including Mergers and Acquisitions, SOX, and differentiations of IDD adoption and rejection. Cross-sectional results related to Big N auditors suggest that peer companies with trade secrets that hire Big N auditors increase audit office sharing because Big N auditors’ higher levels of reputation, higher litigation costs, and deep pockets alleviate concerns of potential information leakage through audit office sharing in the post IDD adoption periods. My cross-sectional results related to audit committee experts show that peer companies with trade secrets respond to IDD adoption by engaging in more frequent audit office sharing when they have industry experts and accounting financial experts on audit committees. Supervisory financial expertise on audit committees of peer companies with trade secrets does not seem to affect the probability of audit office sharing after the IDD adoption. To my knowledge, this study is the first to document the causal effect of proprietary information costs on audit office choices of U.S. companies with trade secrets. / Business Administration/Accounting

Bakgrund: Under de senaste decennierna har frivillig informationsgivning blivit vanligare. Den växande digitaliseringen, högre krav på mer informationsgivning från intressenter, ökade krav på hållbarhet samt ökade nivåer av granskning från omvärlden är några förklaringar till den ökade efterfrågan på frivillig informationsgivning. På grund av den växande efterfrågan har ämnet blivit intressant att studera. Syfte: Den här studien undersöker vilken kategori inom frivillig informationsgivning som är dominerande samt vilka likheter och skillnader det finns mellan börsnoterade och icke-börsnoterade företag när det gäller mängden av frivillig informationsgivning. Metod: Studien innefattar en kvantitativ metod där studien baseras på årsredovisningar från 2021 och urvalet består av 30 stora svenska börsnoterade och 30 stora svenska icke-börsnoterade aktiebolags årsredovisningar. Metoden som används för att analysera informationen är ett kodningsschema och chi-2-test. Resultat: Resultatet visar att den dominerande kategorin av frivilliga informationsgivning är “analys av föregående år” samt att det finns en skillnad mellan börsnoterade och icke-börsnoterade aktiebolag angående mängden frivillig informationsgivning. / Background: In recent decades, voluntary disclosure has become more common. The growing digitization, higher demands for more information from stakeholders, increased demands for sustainability and increased levels of audit from the outside world are some explanations for the increased demand of voluntary information provision. Due to the growing demand, the subject has become interesting to study. Purpose: This study investigates which category of voluntary disclosure is dominant and what similarities and differences exist between listed and non-listed companies in terms of the amount of voluntary disclosure. Method: The study includes a quantitative method where the study is based on annual reports from 2021 and the sample consists of 30 large Swedish listed and 30 large Swedish non-listed joint stock companies' annual reports. The method used to analyze the information is a coding scheme and Chi-square tests. Results: The results show that the dominant category of voluntary disclosure is "analysis of the previous year" and that there is a difference between listed and non-listed companies regarding the amount.

This study examined stepparents' privacy boundary management when engaging in communicative interactions with stepchildren. I utilized Petronio's communication privacy management theory to investigate stepparents' motivations of disclosing or concealing from stepchildren as well as how stepparents' gender influences such motivations. Moreover, present research also explored types of privacy dilemma within stepfamily households from stepparent perspectives. Fifteen stepfathers and 15 stepmothers received in-depth interviews about their self-disclosing and concealment experiences with stepchildren. I identified confidant dilemma and accidental dilemma in stepfamily households from stepparents' perspectives, as well as stepparents' gender differences in self-disclosing and concealing motivations. Findings also suggest that stepparents reveal and conceal from stepchildren out of same motivations: establishing good relationships, viewing stepchildren as own children, helping stepchildren with problems resulting from the divorce and viewing stepchildren as "others." The result also indicates that stepparents experienced dialectical tensions between closedness and openness during the decision of revealing or concealing from stepchildren.

No description available.

Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to explain how the gender diversity of the top management team affects the disclosure strategy regarding gender diversity, in state-owned enterprises. The study, in addition, tests if hybridity, conceptualized as conflicting institutional logics, has a moderating effect on this relationship. Theoretical perspectives: With its starting point in the upper echelon theory, the study uses both positive accounting theory and signaling theory to explain managers’ disclosure decision, where the intuitional logics approach represents the moderating decision-making context. Methodology: The study is based within the positivistic paradigm, following a deductive approach and quantitative methodology. Both the textual and visual diversity content of the annual reports of 30 state-owned enterprises over a 5-year period, is collected and analyzed using the Spearman correlation matrix and multiple regression analysis. The moderating effect of hybridity is tested through hierarchical moderated multiple regression analysis. Findings: The findings of the study provide partial support for the relationship between the gender diversity of the top management team and gender diversity disclosure, suggesting that the influence of management depends on the means of disclosure. No support is found for the claim that hybridity has a positive moderating effect on this relationship. However, incorporating hybridity stills indicates that integrating the institutional context into the upper-echelons model facilitates understanding about the relationship, by establishing conditional boundaries and identifying main effects.

Corporate reporting has changed from the traditional form of reporting which covered financial information only to the modern form of reporting called integrated reporting which covers, financial, corporate governance and sustainability information. The levels of corporate disclosure among corporate entities within any country and between countries are thus likely to have been affected by this change. Motivated by the IMF/World Bank (2006) that observed that corporate reporting improved in Botswana during the previous five years, without indicating what the actual level was or how it compares with that of other countries; this study sought to determine the actual level of corporate disclosure of two samples of companies: 23 companies listed on the Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) and the top 40 companies (by market capitalisation) that are listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). The study also shows how the two levels of corporate disclosure compare. This study is qualitative and descriptive by design; and involves analysing the content of the corporate annual report of each company in a sample using a corporate disclosure checklist; and determining the level of corporate disclosure for each sample of companies. The process ends with a comparative analysis of the levels of corporate disclosure of the companies from the two samples. Consistent with the IMF/World Bank report, the study revealed that the level of corporate disclosure in the BSE sample was low but increasing. However, the increase in the level of corporate disclosure varied from sector to sector and the specific information items. The study also showed that integrated reporting was not practised at all by the companies in the BSE sample. Comparatively, companies in the JSE sample had a higher level of corporate disclosure than that of companies in the BSE sample; and the rate of increase was much higher than that in the BSE sample. The study further found integrated reporting practiced in the entire JSE sample, although at different levels. xi This study also noted that although in principle it is sensible to benchmark from the best, other fundamental factors need to be considered before carrying out the exercise. Furthermore, the study indicated that the prevalent low level of corporate disclosure in the BSE sample was evidence that the corporate reporting environment in which the BSE lies was not conducive for the theories of corporate disclosure to fully explain corporate disclosure. A number of recommendations were made including establishing corporate disclosure indices and creation of a corporate environment in which all the theories discussed in the study can explain corporate disclosure. This study contributes to the literature on cross-country corporate disclosure and cautions companies with low levels of corporate disclosure not to embark on benchmarking without creating an environment conducive for corporate reporting. The study also offers useful insights to policymakers in Botswana and South Africa; and stimulates further research on cross-country corporate disclosure. The academia too will be able to identify areas for further research from this study. / Business Management / M. Com. (Accounting)