Underdevelopment has plagued Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), since independence the post-colonial African states have experienced extreme poverty, unemployment, and other economic ailments that have persisted in the region. The aim of this thesis is to critique the null hypothesis of dependency theorists that it is structural factors that cause underdevelopment instead this study proposes an alternative hypothesis through Neo-Classical Realism to explain that it is in fact state-level actors and domestic issues that are the true culprit of causing the dependent variable. The methodological approach is a single embedded case-study with an explaining-outcome process-tracing. The thesis found that the cause of the underdevelopment in Nigeria is firmly rooted in the domestic sphere and that it delves much deeper than the main factors; resource dependence, lax institutions, prebendalism, and Sino-Nigerian relations, but it is the socio-political culture that has produced the norms which the elites operate on and possibly contributing to the exasperation of the negative aspects of the main factors that have perpetuated and sustained underdevelopment in Nigeria and SSA.

Purpose: Firm innovation is relevant in the fast paced business world. Recent years, research on board diversity has found that demographic and cognitive diversity have an impact on innovation, however this research is still inconclusive. To contribute to the research this thesis introduces informal hierarchy as a moderating variable to investigate if this can explain the previous contradictory findings.  Theoretical perspective: By using concepts from resource dependence theory, upper echelons theory, and behavioral theory, five hypotheses were formulated and tested.  Method: For board diversity Blau’s index was used, innovation was defined as an index of strategic change and informal hierarchy was measured as the dispersion of rank within the board, through the gini coefficient. 186 Swedish publicly listed limited liability firms were analyzed. Findings: The results provided evidence that neither demographic nor cognitive board diversity impacts innovation and informal hierarchy does not have a moderating role on that relationship. However, the findings suggest a direct relationship between informal hierarchy and innovation. Another finding suggests that board size and informal hierarchy separately has a negative impact on innovation, however when both board size and informal hierarchy is present there is a slightly positive effect on innovation.

Bakgrund: Molntjänster har ansetts vara den största tekniska trenden de senaste åren. På grund av den snabba utvecklingen av molntjänster har möjligheten till molnbaserad redovisning öppnats upp. Användningen av molnbaserad redovisning ökar allt mer hos företag, särskilt i Sverige. Tidigare forskning har till stor del fokuserat på de för- och nackdelar som molnbaserad redovisning för med sig, samt olika faktorer till adoption och implementering av molnbaserad redovisning. Det finns dock begränsad forskning om molnbaserad redovisning och dess användning kopplat till den beroendeställning som skapas hos företag vid användning av molnbaserad redovisning. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att beskriva hur användning av molnbaserad redovisning ser ut, genom att beskriva hur företags beroende till leverantörerna av de molnbaserade systemen ser ut, samt beroendet av andra resurser. Metod: Studien har genomförts med hjälp av en kvalitativ metod. Det empiriska materialet har samlats in genom semi-strukturerade intervjuer, tillsammans med 12 respondenter från 11 företag i Sverige som använder molnbaserad redovisning. Slutsatser: Utifrån vår studie kan vi beskriva hur beroendeställningen mellan företag och leverantör ser ut och vad användandet i sin tur har för inverkan på beroendet till andra resurser. Ansvaret för redovisningssystemet ligger på leverantörerna av de molnbaserade redovisningssystemen. Det innebär att företag som använder sig av molnbaserad redovisning är beroende av olika resurser som behövs för att utföra redovisningsarbetet i systemen. Studien indikerar att företag som använder molnbaserad redovisning blir mindre beroende av interna resurser samtidigt som beroendet av externa resurser ökar. Många företag kan inte längre utnyttja sin interna kompetens i redovisningssystemet. Det kan ses som en möjlighet att få tillgång till användbara och kritiska resurser från leverantören, men också som en risk på lång sikt, om företag gör sig av med sin intern kompetens. / Background: Cloud services have been considered the biggest technology trends in recent years. Due to the rapid development of cloud services, the opportunity for cloud accounting has emerged. The use of cloud accounting is increasing among companies, especially in Sweden. Previous research has largely focused on the pros and cons of cloud accounting, as well as various factors influencing the adoption and implementation of cloud accounting. However, there is limited research about cloud accounting and its usage in relation to the dependency created within companies when using cloud accounting. Purpose: The purpose of the study is to describe the use of cloud accounting by examining how companies' dependency on the providers of these cloud-based systems manifests, as well as their dependency on other resources. Method: The study was conducted using a qualitative method. The empirical data was gathered through semi-structured interviews, together with 12 respondents from 11 companies in Sweden utilizing cloud accounting. Conclusions: Based on our study, we can describe the dependency relationship between the company and the supplier, and how the usage in turn impacts the dependency on other resources. The responsibility for the accounting system lies with the providers of the cloud-based accounting systems. This means that companies using cloud accounting are dependent on various resources needed to perform accounting tasks within the systems. The study indicates that companies using cloud accounting become less dependent on internal resources, while the dependence on external resources increases. Many companies can no longer utilize their internal competence in the accounting system. This can be seen as an opportunity to gain access to useful and critical resources from the provider, but also as a long-term risk if companies get rid of their internal competence.

In Sweden all limited liability companies are required to have a board of directors. The board of directors’ task is to manage the business of the firm, but in recent years boards have been subjected to critical review in the media, questioning the tasks and structure of the board. Further, there are differences in the regulations regarding limited liability companies, depending on whether they are private or public companies. Moreover, a majority of the research within the area of corporate governance has been conducted on public companies. However, corporate governance in small and medium sized enterprises (SME) has in the last 30 years become a field of interest. Several scholars and doctorates have used different board roles to explain e.g. the tasks, demographics, and financial performance. The board roles are mainly derived from the agency-, resource dependence-, and stewardship theory. Many papers have come to the conclusion that a board of directors who performs their task, and/or have a certain board demography is beneficial to the firm. Hence, the board and its activity is of importance, however, a general image is conveyed that boards in SMEs rarely are active, but rather are seen as a necessary mean in order to have a firm. Due to this, the research question in this thesis is: What motivates small and medium sized firms to have an active board and are boards in Norr- and Västerbotten active? The criteria for having an active board has been derived from antecedent research and are further recommendations from StyrelseAkademien. Three different board roles have been used with the purpose of explaining the motivation behind having an active board. Further, this thesis has had a quantitative method, and in order to gather data a survey was sent out to board members in Norr- and Västerbotten. The results show that the motivation behind having an active board cannot be explained through the roles network and service of the board. The control role could partly explain the motivation behind having an active board of directors in SMEs in Norr- and Västerbotten, having a negative relationship to board activity. Moreover, due to the opposing results in terms of whether or not boards are active, an unambiguous answer could not be found. However, 49.1 percent of the sample is considered to be active. Lastly, the finding support that in order to have an active board, the firm must recognize a need to include outside directors.

Despite a Presidential Order in 2004 that launched national incentives for the use of health information technology, specifically the Electronic Health Record (EHR), adoption of the EHR has been slow. This study attempts to quantify factors associated with adoption of the EHR and Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE) by combining multiple organizational theories and empirical studies. The study is conducted in two phases. The primary phase of this study identifies and evaluates the effects of external environmental and internal organizational factors on healthcare organizations to adopt the EHR. From secondary data, twelve IVs (df=19) are chosen based on existing models and literature. Logistic regression is used to determine the association between the environmental factors and EHR adoption. The secondary phase of this study examines the adoption of five variations of CPOE using the same IVs from phase one. This EHR component of CPOE is chosen due to its promotion as a solution to help cross the quality chasm (IOM, 2001). Secondary data are analyzed and logistic regression is used to quantify the association between the factors of EHR adoption and CPOE adoption. Eleven of the twelve IVs are significant between the two phases (p<.1). This study uses data from 2009 because the HITECH Act was passed that year and significant government incentives were offered for those health care organizations (HCOs) that meet the qualifications of meaningful use. This study serves as a baseline for future studies, extends the work of other empirical studies, and fills a gap in the literature concerning factors associated with the adoption of the EHR and specific dimensions of CPOE. The Kruse Theory developed is strongly based in literature and reflects complexity commensurate with the health care industry.

I den här studien undersöks hur samverkan fungerar i arbetet med våld i nära relation utifrån personers erfarenheter av arbetet. Våld i nära relation är ett globalt folkhälsoproblem som främst drabbar kvinnor och kan leda till hälsokonsekvenser som både är fysiska och psykosociala. Våld i nära relation kan ske på många sätt och yttra sig som psykiskt våld, fysiskt våld, sexuellt våld samt försummelse. Eftersom att våld i nära relation är en komplex fråga kräver det många aktörers samlade samverkan för att kunna garantera att våldsutsatta individer och våldsutövare får rätt stöd och bästa möjliga hjälp. De aktörer som är iblandade i samverkansarbetet kring våld finns i alla samhällsnivåer och kan vara både statliga och icke-statliga organisationer och samverkan kan ske inom organisationer eller mellan dem.  Studiens syfte var att undersöka erfarenheter av hur samverkan fungerar i arbetet med våld i nära relation. För att besvara studiens syfte användes en kvalitativ ansats med semistrukturerade intervjuer som datainsamlingsmetod. Ett nätverksurval genomfördes för att få kontakt med intervjupersoner. Sju kvinnor och en man intervjuades och en manifest innehållsanalys genomfördes för att analysera det insamlade materialet.  Resultatet av studien visar att intervjupersonerna upplever att samverkan mellan aktörer är avgörande i arbetet med våld i nära relation. Intervjupersonerna menar också att det måste finnas rätt förutsättningar för en fungerande samverkan där tid, resurser, ekonomiska medel och närhet lyfts fram som avgörande. Resultatet har tydliga kopplingar till RDIC-modellen som används för att utvärdera samverkan.  Olika resurser i form av tid, ekonomiska medel, personal och närhet till varandra både gällande avstånd och perspektiv och kunskap anses viktigt i samverkansarbetet. De utmaningar som finns kring samverkan i arbetet med våld i nära relation är skilda uppfattningar om vem som initierar samverkan, otydlig ansvarsfördelning, skillnader i kunskapstraditionerna, att arbetet sker i stuprör inom den egna organisationen samt en hård sekretess och tystnadsplikt kring individen. Då våld i nära relation är ett område med många inblandade aktörer måste dessa kunna samverkan för att garantera att insatser som riktas mot individen leder till adekvat hjälp och stöd för denne.

The purpose of this phenomenological research study was to describe the cultural influences of resource dependence for community college administrators responsible for the implementation of initiatives related to Tennessee’s new performance funding program. Tennessee’s funding formula, considered one of the most aggressive and robust in the country, is among a second generation of performance funding programs commonly referred to as performance funding 2.0. Cultural influences of resource dependence were defined as values, beliefs, and customs that influence administrator efforts to improve institutional outcomes and acquire additional resources through performance funding. A top performing community college in terms of the performance funding formula was selected because resource dependence theory suggests that a college succeeding under performance funding would be one that is adapting to improve outcomes and acquire state appropriations. Data were gathered from interviews with 10 administrators responsible for the implementation of initiatives related to Tennessee’s new performance funding program. Data were also gathered from 3 observations and 144 documents. Findings indicated 4 themes: (1) Students Come First (values), (2) Pathway Mentality: Benefits and Conflict (beliefs), (3) The College Way: Be First, Be the Best (customs), and (4) Building on Foundation, Maintaining Momentum (changes). Overall, cultural influences of resource dependence for administrators responsible for implementing initiatives related to performance funding appear to be limited. Data suggest administrators are influenced by multiple cultural influences such as personal values, sense of community, faith in leadership, belief in the purpose of community colleges, and personal and institutional pride. Although data indicate resource dependence has some influence, data also indicate that the power of performance funding’s influence appears connected to the vision and narrative it embodies. The study is significant because it contributes to the body of knowledge related to performance funding 2.0 programs. The study also provides rich understanding of cultural influences of performance funding and addresses the relationship between culture, organizational behavior, and organizational change.

I contribute to the literature by providing additional factors that could affect the incremental budgeting theory and punctuated equilibrium theory (PET) within a budgetary context. Because of the fluctuation in the price of natural resources, I argue that dependence on natural resources could lead to less stable budgets than ones not dependent on natural resources. I also argue that democracy is another source that leads to stability in the budget, relative to countries that are not democratic. I theorize that countries with no democracy and heavy dependence on natural resources will have budgets with more volatility than the rest of the countries. Most of the extant literature focuses on countries that are democratic and not dependent on natural resources. My theory expects these to have the most stable budgets. I extend the literature by comparing the Kuwaiti National Budget (dependent on natural resources and not democratic) to the U.S. Federal Budget (democratic and not dependent on natural resources). The results of all tests are consistent with the expectations of the theory that countries with no democracy and heavy dependence on natural resources have less incremental budgets than nations that are democratic and not dependent on natural resources.

Immediate Breast Reconstruction Surgery (IBRS) is associated with better quality of life among women who undergo a mastectomy. Despite insurance coverage for IBRS, utilization of IBRS remains low. Data from publicly available sources for 2010-2012 are used to examine the association between hospital characteristics receipt of IBRS by patients. Minority-serving status, low bed size, for-profit ownership, non-teaching status, high competition, low density of plastic surgeons in the market and non-metropolitan location are associated with lower likelihood of receipt of IBRS. Racial and ethnic minorities are less likely to receive IBRS. A mixed effects logistic regression model with interactions between Black/Hispanic race/ethnicity and hospital variables is estimated to examine whether certain hospital characteristics are associated with disparately low receipt of IBRS for racial and ethnic minorities. Minority-serving hospitals located in markets with a higher density of plastic surgeons and higher competition characteristics are associated with disparately low receipt of IBRS for racial and ethnic minorities. In order to reduce racial/ ethnic differences in receipt of IBRS, it is important to understand which factors contribute the most to these differences. Fairlie decomposition is used to examine the contribution of multi-level factors to racial and ethnic differences in receipt of IBRS. Racial and ethnic differences in being Medicaid insured, residing in low-income neighborhoods and receiving care at minority-serving hospitals are the three largest contributors to racial and ethnic differences in receipt of IBRS. The results from this study have significant implications for access to IBRS among racial and ethnic minority patients.

國家科學委員會（簡稱國科會）於志願服務法推展下，自2002年開始啟動科學志願服務工程計畫，是我國具原創立意的創新性志願服務，其以跨領域的科學普及與社會關懷為目標；並自2005年開始，設立補助機制與管道，邀請民間單位共同參與志工培育與科學普及服務工作。面對全球資源短缺下，跨部門治理合產以及志願服務促進公民社會發展之重要趨勢，本研究以國科會補助科學志工團隊計畫為探討情境，瞭解國科會與民間非營利組織之資源交換下，其形構之政策網絡與服務內涵，以檢視補助機制是否回應非營利組織需求。 本研究主要採取深度訪談法、次級資料分析法、參與觀察法，應用鉅觀之Marsh & Smith政策網絡辨證途徑模型非營利組織觀點修正架構，嘗試釐清該補助機制之運作與困境。研究發現科學志願服務乃回應志願服務法規，透過層級委辦與補助途徑，跨部門輸出科學知識轉譯、科學知識建構之服務，交構科學志工之公民知識權內涵。而承辦之國家高速網路與計算中心應用行動者優勢，發展線上平台，提昇國科會科學志工補助機制效率。對於整體資源配置與運用而言，審查委員背景以及其對於科學性之詮釋、團隊計畫書內容品質、以及財務管核體系等，皆影響非營利組織推展科學志工計畫。此外，在公部門有限資源下，團隊組織展示了其專業力、聯結力、培植力優勢；然而，跨部門之間網絡互動連結性弱，對非營利組織來說，整體機制之政策參與度空間有待拓展。 因此，本研究建議應採取策略聯盟行動，強化網絡緊密性，並藉此提昇服務效益，擴散全民受益。最後，則應回歸政策參與管道之建置，以孕育互為主體之跨部門協力溝通場域。 / With “The Volunteer Service Act”, National Science Council (NSC) has developed original Science Volunteer Program since 2002, which is applied to promote the development of science, education and humanities. In order to expand the science volunteer effect, NSC drawn up the subsidy policy in “The NSC Executive Plan for Promoting Science Volunteer”. The subsidy process of Science Volunteer Program practice cross-sectoral partnership between NSC, National Center for High-performance Computing (NCHC), and Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs), and the research takes the perspective of NPOs to examine the subsidy mechanism for Science Volunteer Teams of NSC. Applying the method of in-depth interview, secondary data and participatory observation in the Marsh & Smith Dialectical Approach of policy networks theory, the research finds that science volunteers are both science knowledge interpreters and makers, which devotes to citizen scientists in Taiwan. About the subsidy mechanism and resource dependence, the plan book, reviewers and financial management from NSC affect the development of Science Volunteer Teams. Besides, the network between NSC, NCHC and NPOs is not strong; and policy participation is also expected to improve. Thus, the research suggests that NSC could modify the interactive manner and take strategic alliance to enhance the beneficial result of interdisciplinary collaborative from different excellent NPOs.