A área de cultivos de sequeiro no Uruguai quadriplicou-se na ultima década como consequência dos aumentos nos preços das commodities, do crescimento da soja e da rápida consolidação da lógica empresarial na produção de grãos. A conduta das principais empresas agrícolas mudou a realidade do setor, aumentando a concentração da terra e deslocando outras atividades. Novas regiões começaram a ser utilizadas para a agricultura e o incremento da demanda pelos arrendamentos da terra elevou os preços e dificultou o acesso a este recurso. Utilizando como referencial teórico o paradigma Estrutura-Conduta-Desempenho da Organização Industrial, a pesquisa foi realizada com o objetivo de identificar e analisar como as variáveis da conduta empresarial afetaram os resultados, consolidando assim o processo de expansão agrícola no Uruguai. Foram realizadas entrevistas com experts visando identificar as empresas a serem entrevistadas, das quais seis responderam sobre as suas estratégias e resultados no período 2004/05 a 2008/09. Os dados foram analisados com ferramentas de estatística descritiva, matrizes de correlações e pela construção de modelos de regressão com dados em painel, visando identificar variáveis da conduta que explicassem a expansão da área e da produção, além das variações na produtividade e nas margens líquidas por hectare. Os modelos foram testados em três subgrupos de variáveis, aquelas pertencentes à totalidade da empresa, à produção de soja e do trigo. Os resultados demonstram que a maior distribuição dos sistemas de produção nas regiões do Uruguai e a proporção de terra arrendada tiveram efeito estatisticamente significativo e positivo na expansão da área e da produção, indicando a importância destas duas estratégias nos resultados. Apesar de que o arrendamento da terra tenha permitido gerar incrementos na área e na produção do bloco de empresas, teve um efeito negativo na produtividade da soja. Isto confirmou a necessidade de desenvolver mais eficientes processos de produção, aprimorando as parcerias com os proprietários da terra, perspectivas que foram apontadas pelas empresas. Após a realização desta pesquisa, estima-se que a continuidade da expansão agrícola ocorra a partir de ajustes nos processos de produção mais do que por novos aumentos importantes da superfície. / Uruguayan dry land cropping has quadrupled in the last decade as a result of important increases in commodities prices, the growth in soybean cropping, and the fast consolidation of grain production enterprise models. The actions of the most important agricultural companies have modified the sector’s reality, increasing the land concentration and relocating other activities. New regions began being used for cropping and the increase in demand for land to lease resulted in higher rental values and more difficulty of access to this resource. Using the Structure-Conduct-Performance paradigm of the Industrial Organization as a theoretical reference, the research was carried out with the aim of identifying and analyzing how enterprise conduct variables affected the results, therefore consolidating the agricultural expansion process in Uruguay. Expert interviews were carried out, with the aim of identifying the companies to be later analyzed. Six of them reported their strategies and results in the period between 2004/05 and 2008/09. Data processing and analysis were undertaken through the descriptive statistic study, correlations matrices and through the construction of panel data regression models. This was developed with the aim of identifying enterprise conduct variables which explained the area and productive expansions, apart from productivity variations and net margins per hectare. Models were evaluated in three sub-groups of variables; those that belonged to the whole company and the ones related to wheat or soybean production. Results indicate that an increase in territorial diversification of production areas in the different Uruguayan regions, and the proportion of leased land had a statistically significant and positive effect on area and production expansion, which indicates the significance of these two strategies in the companies’ results. Although land leasing allowed an increase in production and area, it had a negative effect on the soybean productivity. This situation reaffirms the need to develop more efficient production processes, by improving relationships with land owners, a fact that was rated as highly relevant by the companies. Through this research, it can be conclude that the continuity of agricultural expansion will take place through production-process improvements, rather than through significant increases in the cropping areas. / La superficie de cultivos de secano en Uruguay se cuadriplicó en la última década como resultado de importantes aumentos en los precios de las commodities, del crecimiento de la soja y de la rápida consolidación de modelos empresariales en la producción de granos. La conducta de las principales empresas agrícolas modificó la realidad del sector, aumentando la concentración de la tierra y reubicando otras actividades. Nuevas regiones comenzaron a ser utilizadas para la agricultura y el incremento de la demanda por arrendamientos de tierra elevó sus precios y dificultó el acceso a este recurso. Utilizando como referencial teórico el paradigma Estructura-Conducta-Resultados de la Organización Industrial, el trabajo fue realizado con el objetivo de identificar y analizar como las variables de la conducta empresarial afectaron los resultados, consolidando así el proceso de expansión agrícola en Uruguay. Fueron realizadas entrevistas a experts, con el objetivo de identificar a las empresas que posteriormente fueron analizadas. Seis de ellas respondieron sobre sus estrategias y resultados en el período comprendido entre la zafra 2004/05 y 2008/09. El procesamiento y análisis de los datos se hizo a partir del estudio de estadística descriptiva, matrices de correlaciones y a partir de la construcción de modelos de regresión con datos de panel. Esto fue realizado con el objetivo de identificar variables de la conducta empresarial que explicaron la expansión del área y la producción, además de las variaciones en la productividad y en los márgenes neto por hectárea. Los modelos fueron evaluados en tres subgrupos de variables, aquellas que pertenecían a la totalidad de la empresa y las relacionadas con la producción de soja o de trigo. Los resultados indican que la mayor diversificación territorial de los sistemas de producción en las diferentes regiones de Uruguay y la proporción de tierra arrendada tuvieron un efecto estadísticamente significativo y positivo en la expansión del área y la producción, lo que indica la importancia de estas dos estrategias en los resultados de las empresas. A pesar de que el arrendamiento de la tierra permitió aumentar la producción y área, tuvo un efecto negativo en la productividad de la soja. Esto situación reafirma la necesidad de desarrollar procesos de producción más eficientes, mejorando las relaciones con los propietarios de la tierra, situaciones que fueron evaluadas como muy relevantes por las empresas. A partir de este trabajo se concluye que la continuidad de la expansión agrícola tendrá lugar a partir de mejoras en los procesos de producción y no por nuevos aumentos significativos en la superficie.

A área de cultivos de sequeiro no Uruguai quadriplicou-se na ultima década como consequência dos aumentos nos preços das commodities, do crescimento da soja e da rápida consolidação da lógica empresarial na produção de grãos. A conduta das principais empresas agrícolas mudou a realidade do setor, aumentando a concentração da terra e deslocando outras atividades. Novas regiões começaram a ser utilizadas para a agricultura e o incremento da demanda pelos arrendamentos da terra elevou os preços e dificultou o acesso a este recurso. Utilizando como referencial teórico o paradigma Estrutura-Conduta-Desempenho da Organização Industrial, a pesquisa foi realizada com o objetivo de identificar e analisar como as variáveis da conduta empresarial afetaram os resultados, consolidando assim o processo de expansão agrícola no Uruguai. Foram realizadas entrevistas com experts visando identificar as empresas a serem entrevistadas, das quais seis responderam sobre as suas estratégias e resultados no período 2004/05 a 2008/09. Os dados foram analisados com ferramentas de estatística descritiva, matrizes de correlações e pela construção de modelos de regressão com dados em painel, visando identificar variáveis da conduta que explicassem a expansão da área e da produção, além das variações na produtividade e nas margens líquidas por hectare. Os modelos foram testados em três subgrupos de variáveis, aquelas pertencentes à totalidade da empresa, à produção de soja e do trigo. Os resultados demonstram que a maior distribuição dos sistemas de produção nas regiões do Uruguai e a proporção de terra arrendada tiveram efeito estatisticamente significativo e positivo na expansão da área e da produção, indicando a importância destas duas estratégias nos resultados. Apesar de que o arrendamento da terra tenha permitido gerar incrementos na área e na produção do bloco de empresas, teve um efeito negativo na produtividade da soja. Isto confirmou a necessidade de desenvolver mais eficientes processos de produção, aprimorando as parcerias com os proprietários da terra, perspectivas que foram apontadas pelas empresas. Após a realização desta pesquisa, estima-se que a continuidade da expansão agrícola ocorra a partir de ajustes nos processos de produção mais do que por novos aumentos importantes da superfície. / Uruguayan dry land cropping has quadrupled in the last decade as a result of important increases in commodities prices, the growth in soybean cropping, and the fast consolidation of grain production enterprise models. The actions of the most important agricultural companies have modified the sector’s reality, increasing the land concentration and relocating other activities. New regions began being used for cropping and the increase in demand for land to lease resulted in higher rental values and more difficulty of access to this resource. Using the Structure-Conduct-Performance paradigm of the Industrial Organization as a theoretical reference, the research was carried out with the aim of identifying and analyzing how enterprise conduct variables affected the results, therefore consolidating the agricultural expansion process in Uruguay. Expert interviews were carried out, with the aim of identifying the companies to be later analyzed. Six of them reported their strategies and results in the period between 2004/05 and 2008/09. Data processing and analysis were undertaken through the descriptive statistic study, correlations matrices and through the construction of panel data regression models. This was developed with the aim of identifying enterprise conduct variables which explained the area and productive expansions, apart from productivity variations and net margins per hectare. Models were evaluated in three sub-groups of variables; those that belonged to the whole company and the ones related to wheat or soybean production. Results indicate that an increase in territorial diversification of production areas in the different Uruguayan regions, and the proportion of leased land had a statistically significant and positive effect on area and production expansion, which indicates the significance of these two strategies in the companies’ results. Although land leasing allowed an increase in production and area, it had a negative effect on the soybean productivity. This situation reaffirms the need to develop more efficient production processes, by improving relationships with land owners, a fact that was rated as highly relevant by the companies. Through this research, it can be conclude that the continuity of agricultural expansion will take place through production-process improvements, rather than through significant increases in the cropping areas. / La superficie de cultivos de secano en Uruguay se cuadriplicó en la última década como resultado de importantes aumentos en los precios de las commodities, del crecimiento de la soja y de la rápida consolidación de modelos empresariales en la producción de granos. La conducta de las principales empresas agrícolas modificó la realidad del sector, aumentando la concentración de la tierra y reubicando otras actividades. Nuevas regiones comenzaron a ser utilizadas para la agricultura y el incremento de la demanda por arrendamientos de tierra elevó sus precios y dificultó el acceso a este recurso. Utilizando como referencial teórico el paradigma Estructura-Conducta-Resultados de la Organización Industrial, el trabajo fue realizado con el objetivo de identificar y analizar como las variables de la conducta empresarial afectaron los resultados, consolidando así el proceso de expansión agrícola en Uruguay. Fueron realizadas entrevistas a experts, con el objetivo de identificar a las empresas que posteriormente fueron analizadas. Seis de ellas respondieron sobre sus estrategias y resultados en el período comprendido entre la zafra 2004/05 y 2008/09. El procesamiento y análisis de los datos se hizo a partir del estudio de estadística descriptiva, matrices de correlaciones y a partir de la construcción de modelos de regresión con datos de panel. Esto fue realizado con el objetivo de identificar variables de la conducta empresarial que explicaron la expansión del área y la producción, además de las variaciones en la productividad y en los márgenes neto por hectárea. Los modelos fueron evaluados en tres subgrupos de variables, aquellas que pertenecían a la totalidad de la empresa y las relacionadas con la producción de soja o de trigo. Los resultados indican que la mayor diversificación territorial de los sistemas de producción en las diferentes regiones de Uruguay y la proporción de tierra arrendada tuvieron un efecto estadísticamente significativo y positivo en la expansión del área y la producción, lo que indica la importancia de estas dos estrategias en los resultados de las empresas. A pesar de que el arrendamiento de la tierra permitió aumentar la producción y área, tuvo un efecto negativo en la productividad de la soja. Esto situación reafirma la necesidad de desarrollar procesos de producción más eficientes, mejorando las relaciones con los propietarios de la tierra, situaciones que fueron evaluadas como muy relevantes por las empresas. A partir de este trabajo se concluye que la continuidad de la expansión agrícola tendrá lugar a partir de mejoras en los procesos de producción y no por nuevos aumentos significativos en la superficie.

This thesis aims to understand the determinants of car ownership in the Swedish regions containing the largest cities: Skåne, Stockholm, and Västra Götaland. This is done by performing a fixed effects regression analysis as well as creating and comparing different predictive models. Both socioeconomic and spatial factors are looked at. The data used in the study is on a Demographic Statistic Zone level for the years 2016-2021. The data consists of approximately 90 variables that are narrowed down to 12 variables based on the level of existing multicollinearity, which are used in the final models. The results from the fixed effects regression show that variables such as population density, age, income, house owning type, and house type are the main influencers on car ownership. These results are similar for the specific regions; however, some differences are discovered, pointing out the disadvantages in creating a generalized model. The results of the predictive models shows that a Long Short-Term Memory model performs better than Random Forrest Regression and OLS, however the performance of the latter two models is considered satisfying enough making them superior as they are easier to interpret and more established within the industry. The region-specific predictive models perform equally well as the ones created from all the data. In conclusion, it can be said that the determinants of car ownership that are mentioned align well with the previous studies made and are considered reliable. Regarding which predictive model to use OLS should be considered sufficient even if more complex methods perform better.

This master’s thesis has aimed to contribute and fill the gap in existing studies and research where there has been a lack of knowledge about the relationship between credit ratings and stock recommendations. The purpose of this study is to analyse whether credit ratings from credit rating agencies affect financial analysts’ recommendations, as well as the opposite, if financial analysts’ recommendations affect credit rating agencies' credit ratings. The thesis has used quantitative methods with both panel data regressions where credit rating has been the dependent variable, as well as logistic regressions where recommendation has been the dependent variable. The data set has been based on firms Moody’s has issued credit ratings to between the years 1994 and 2016. The thesis’ results show that both the credit ratings from credit rating agencies and recommendations from financial analysts do indeed affect each other. This concludes that the two-way mirror between credit ratings and recommendations does exist.

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the United States, which predominately occurs in the manufacturing sector, remains critically important for a strong regional and local economy, due to the resulting increase in employment, wages, and tax revenue. Traditionally, local economic development strategies have focused on attracting external manufacturing plants or facilities as the primary route to economic growth, through the expansion of the tax base and/or an increase in employment. In comparison, Sustainable Local Economic Development (SLED) emphasizes the establishment of a minimum standard of living for all and an increase in this standard over time; a reduction in the steady growth in inequality among people; a reduction in spatial inequality; and the promotion and encouragement of sustainable resource use and production (Blakely & Leigh, 2010). These essential SLED principles motivate this study, which will seek to develop a better understanding of whether and how FDI contributes to SLED in terms of its spatial patterns and its impact on middle class earnings. By selecting Georgia as a case study area, this research specifically examines whether and how the location of manufacturing FDI has reduced (or increased) spatial inequality at the intra-state and intra-metropolitan levels. It also identifies whether and how manufacturing FDI has reduced (or increased) inequality among people, focusing on its impact on middle class earnings. This study finds a strong spatial concentration of manufacturing FDI employment in metropolitan areas, particularly in a large metropolitan area, at the intra-state spatial pattern analysis. The results of panel regression analysis suggest that presence of agglomeration economies in metropolitan areas has positively influenced the location of manufacturing FDI jobs. The study also finds a suburbanization pattern of manufacturing FDI employment in the intra-metropolitan spatial pattern analysis. This intra-metropolitan suburbanization of FDI in manufacturing jobs is associated with loss of urban industrial land in the central areas within a large metropolitan area. These uneven distribution patterns of manufacturing FDI jobs indicate increased spatial inequality at both intra-state and intra-metropolitan levels, but the implications of this finding are mixed. Using individual earnings data from the American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample files, this study also conducts a quantile regression to estimate the earnings distribution effects that a concentration of manufacturing FDI may have on different earnings groups. The findings both from place-of-work and place-of-residence earnings analysis suggest that manufacturing FDI generally has reduced inequality among people. The concentration of manufacturing FDI in a certain area show the largest distribution effects on area workers in the lower earnings group and residents in the middle earnings group.

我國現有的員工入股制度共有三種，包括了員工分紅入股、員工認股選擇權與員工優先認股權。員工分紅入股屬於短期誘因激勵制度，而學理上員工認股選擇權則屬於長期誘因激勵制度。又員工優先認股權在實施上較不靈活且假上近年來股市低迷在國內現金增資之公司數銳減，故其激勵效果較不受重視。本研究係以Panel Data的資料型態對於上述三種員工入股制度如何影響公司價值與績效進行迴歸分析。 本研究之實證結果發現： 1. 現金紅利與股票紅利對於Tobin’s 與ROE皆有顯著正向的影響。若同時發放現金與股票紅利激勵效果更佳。採用市價作為計算員工股票紅利之基礎，始能正確反映出股票紅利對員工之激勵效果公司為資訊科技產業，此一因素會讓市價衡量之股票紅利對Tobin’s Q的影響變大並不會因為公司為資訊科技產業，而使其現金紅利使員工有較強誘因之增加公司價值。資訊科技產業公司，其實施員工分紅制度並不會讓員工提昇公司之績效。 2. 員工認股選擇權似乎並不能使公司員工產生誘因讓公司持續成長以增加公司之價值與績效。可能原因係因為公司採用發行新股方式，讓員工執行認股選擇權，可能會稀釋股價造成反激勵效果。實施雙軌制（兼實施員工分紅與員工認股選擇權）之公司，員工認股選擇權，對Tobin’s Q並沒有一致地顯著影響。而不管是現金紅利或是股票紅利，其對Tobin’s Q有顯著正向的影響。實施雙軌制公司，其員工現金紅利對ROE有顯著的正向影響。員工股票紅利與員工認股選擇權對於ROE則沒有顯著的影響。若公司為資訊科技產業，其實施員工認股選擇權對TBQ的影響並未較其他公司顯著地大。實施員工認股選擇權之公司，並不會因為其屬於資訊科技產業，而產生較高的淨值報酬率。 3. 員工優先認股權，對於TBQ或ROE而言，確實有正向顯著的影響。 實施雙軌制的公司，無論是員工紅利或員工優先認股權對於Tobin‘s Q與ROE的影響皆不顯著。可能的解釋是員工股票紅利與現金增資的股票所產生的稀釋效果較大。公司為資訊科技產業而實施員工優先認股權時，並不會比非資訊科技產業有較大且顯著的激勵效果。若採用員工當次現金增資得認購比率當作激勵變數，結果仍然與上述相似。

Over the recent decade the world has seen an increase in businesses launching new, or changing theirbusiness model to, digital platforms. New and established businesses are flocking to digital platformsin order to evolve their business model and keep up with advancements in technology, such as cloudcomputing, which enables commerce and communication on a much faster and more streamlinedlevel. Digital platforms with two-sided markets often face fierce competition from market incumbentswhich benefit from traditional supply-side economies of scale, as well as from other digital platforms.Therefore, the competitive strategy adopted at market launch and under operations will have a greatimpact on the platform performance in terms of firm financial performance.This study is divided into two parts and is performed with the objective to gain insight into thecompetitive strategies adopted by digital platform businesses with two-sided markets, and how suchstrategic decisions may be informed in favor of profitability. The first part investigates the influence ofinternal factors, such as debt ratio, quick ratio, sales growth, and capital turnover ratio, on the firmfinancial performance (measured by return on assets) of digital platforms with two-sided markets inthe Nordics. The second part investigates the relationship between the firm financial performance(measured by return on assets) of digital platform businesses with two-sided markets after launch andthe type of strategy adopted. Subsequently, two hypotheses are presented. Subsequently, twohypotheses are presented. A panel data regression model is developed to evaluate these relationships,allowing the authors to test the null hypotheses. The data set used in the panel data regression modelcomprise an unbalanced sample of 27 companies who have launched their platforms in Norway,Sweden, and Denmark. Financial data was gathered in the form of return on assets (dependentvariable), capital turnover ratio, quick ratio, debt ratio, and sales growth (explanatory variables).These companies were grouped depending on which strategy was adopted on market launch and underearly operations. These strategies are subsidy, seeding and marquee users, micro market launch andpiggybacking (categorical ‘dummy’ variables).Studying the firm financial performance of businesses which adopt digital platforms will help us tobetter understand the efficacy of strategies adopted and how these strategies impact financialperformance. Both null hypotheses tested may be partially rejected. The authors conclude that theinternal factors debt ratio, quick ratio, and sales growth have a significant influence on theprofitability (measured by return on assets) of digital platforms with two-sided markets in the Nordics.The influence of the internal factor capital turnover ratio on profitability is statistically insignificant.Quick ratio has a positive significant influence on profitability, whereas debt ratio and sales growthhave a negative influence. The authors also conclude that companies which have business modelsallowing them to adopt a subsidy strategy yields stronger profitability than those which adopt otherstrategies. Companies which entice seed & marquee users to their platform as a strategy yields thesecond strongest profitability. Companies which choose a micro market launch strategy yield theweakest profitability. The authors of this study will not draw conclusions on the efficacy of theadoption of a piggybacking strategy on profitability due to the limited number of observationsattributed to the piggybacking dataset.Future studies may expand upon this research with the inclusion of a wider catchment of businesses,as well as the inclusion of a wider data set to include other geographical locations and improvestatistical significance of the data set. An improvement to the study may also be to analyze thecorrelation between the strength of competitors upon market entry and the efficacy of the strategiesadopted.