This thesis examines the effect of a responsible investment index (FTSE4Good) on corporate social responsibility (CSR). In the first study I investigate the impact of the FTSE engagement reinforced by the threat of exclusion from the index on companies’ improvements in environmental management. The results show that FTSE involvement doubles the probability that a company will meet stricter environmental management requirements within the three-year period 2002 to 2005. Both the dialogue and the exclusion threat stimulate compliance but the dialogue appears to be more effective where the perceived threat of exclusion is higher. The engagement effect persists for at least five years and is positively related to low concentrated ownership and to domicile in a coordinated market economy. In the second study I examine FTSE4Good’s effect on the probability that a company will implement strong countering bribery practices within the two-year time period 2007 to 2009. The results demonstrate that the combined effect of engagement and exclusion threat is significant in promoting compliance and the two act independently. Stronger anti-bribery provisions are positively associated with companies based in liberal market economies, with better internal governance and higher reputational concerns related to ethical controversies. In the third study I investigate FTSE4Good’s impact on companies’ compliance with climate change criteria. The results show that the index is able to stimulate compliance and the dialogue appears to contribute more than the exclusion threat. I also find that the likelihood of the company adopting the required practices is negatively associated with concentrated ownership and with strong internal governance. Finally, the results offer some evidence that compliance is related to subsequent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. These studies contribute to the understanding as to how different CSR areas are promoted or discouraged by the managers and the owners, and how the institutional environment influences this. The results are consistent with engagement via a responsible investment index being an effective means of large-scale collective monitoring by institutional investors. The findings are also relevant for policy makers who wish to promote active ownership.

This study is a literary analysis of J. M. Barrie’s Peter and Wendy, which focuses on how Wendy and her mother are described and what actions and behaviors are applied to them. A clear gender difference is presented, where the female characters move in the domestic realms. The analytical approach is based upon Deborah Madsen’s description of socialist feminism as well as psychoanalytic feminism and Carol Gilligan’s idea of morality of responsibility complemented by Ann Alston’s description of family in the early twentieth century. Using these theories my study shows that the patriarchal gender norms of society are evident in every part of the novel.

Problemformulering och syfte: Den senaste tiden har frågan kring mjölkböndernas rådande situation fått mer uppmärksamhet. Denna uppmärksamhet har i sin tur resulterat i att olika initiativ för att stödja mjölkproducenterna har uppstått. Bland annat det initiativ som genomförs av ICA tillsammans med LRF samt ett initiativ från Axfood. Med hjälp av ett Corporate Social Responsibility-perspektiv, vill vi i denna studie beskriva organisationernas övergripande arbete och initiativet, samt se hur dessa organisationer kommunicerat sina respektive initiativ. Syftet med studien är att utifrån ett sändar- och CSR-perspektiv beskriva några utvalda organisationers initiativ för att kommunikativt stödja mjölkbönderna. Metod och material: I studien har vi använt oss av en informantintervju med en mjölkproducent och totalt tre respondentintervjuer med representanter från ICA, LRF och Axfood. Vi har även valt att göra en kvalitativ innehållsanalys av undersidor från respektive organisations hemsida. Huvudresultat: De huvudsakliga resultaten i denna studie är att begreppet Corporate Social Responsibility uppfattas olika av de organisationer som medverkat i studien. Trots att CSR-perspektivets definitioner pekar på att organisationernas arbete för samhällsfrågor kan benämnas som CSR, valde vissa organisationer att avstå från begreppet. Initiativen genomfördes och kommunicerades på skilda sätt, men med det gemensamma målet att väcka medvetenhet och uppmuntra till handling

published_or_final_version / Psychology / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

One of the most significant questions in ethics is this: under what conditions are people morally responsible for what they do? Assuming that people can only be praised or blamed for actions they perform of their own free will, the particular question that interests me is how we should understand the nature of this freedom – with what kind of freedom must people act, if they are to be morally responsible for what they do? A natural answer to this question – and the one I think is correct – is to point to the freedom to do otherwise. This is encapsulated in the principle of alternative possibilities (PAP), the principle that a person is morally responsible for what he has done only if he could have done otherwise. PAP has led many to believe that the freedom required for moral responsibility must be incompatible with determinism or the existence of God because it is plausible to argue that if determinism is true or if God exists, then people would lack genuine freedom of choice and hence could not be morally responsible for their behavior. In the light of two important articles by Harry Frankfurt almost four decades ago, which challenged the claim that moral responsibility requires the freedom to do otherwise, compatibilism – the opposing view that the freedom for moral responsibility is compatible with determinism – has experienced a resurgence. Inspired by Frankfurt’s work, those wanting to reject PAP – typically compatibilists – attack the principle on two main grounds: directly and indirectly. First, they have argued directly that PAP is false by developing alleged counterexamples to it. Second, they have challenged PAP indirectly by arguing that there are alternative conceptions of freedom from freedom of choice that, it is claimed, are not reliant on alternative possibilities but are sufficient to capture the freedom required for moral responsibility. My dissertation evaluates these two lines of attack on PAP. In particular, I attempt to defend the truth of PAP against both kinds of challenge. / text

<p><strong>Abstract</strong></p><p>Date: 2008-11-5</p><p><strong>Level</strong><strong>:</strong>           C thesis in Business Administration, 15ECT</p><p><strong>Authors</strong>:       Beatrice Yola Konlaan       Prince kofi Hanson</p><p><strong>Tutor:           </strong>Mats Viimne</p><p><strong>Title:             </strong>The Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility on an Organization’s  stakeholders: Case study: DHL, Sweden.</p><p><strong>Problem:</strong>      How does a corporate social responsibility performance    benefit its stakeholders?</p><p><strong>Purpose:</strong>       This research work will seek to find out how aware DHL is about CSR activities and in what ways this awareness can be impacted on its Stakeholders.</p><p><strong>Methods:      </strong>A qualitative method of approach was used for this research work, with regards to primary data; interviews (face-to-face interview, telephone and email interview) were used. Secondary data sources were literature, articles, journals and internet sources from the university data bases.</p><p><strong>Co</strong><strong>nclusion</strong><strong>:  </strong>The impacts of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities on stakeholders have an overall influence on the organization hence steps must be taken to understand the broad issues that should be addressed, management should come out with an inclusive strategy for stakeholder involvement to carry out research and surveys on effective strategic conversations with stakeholders.<strong></strong></p><p>The involvement and early engagement of stakeholders in the planning process of decision making and implementation is very vital in view of the fact that stakeholders are those affected and affecting change in the community. Stakeholder involvement and collaborative decisions on CSR issues represent a high level of participation programs. However, it is not easy, and must be complemented in many cases with conflict resolution.</p><p>The awareness creation of CSR activities by DHL on its stakeholders would add a very useful contribution to business development and profit making by this organization. The consciousness of CSR would cause all stakeholders alike to play their apart in the sustainability of CSR.</p><p><strong>Key words: </strong>Corporate social responsibility (CSR), Stakeholders, DHL, Sweden.</p>

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Knowledge of the responsibilities of engineers is key to answering ethical questions about the work of engineers, because the decisions made by engineers often have ethical dimensions and implications. Engineers develop and implement technologies that influence and shape the way we live, at times in manners unanticipated by those who develop such technologies. To be able to answer important ethical questions, it is essential first to define what the responsibilities of engineers are. This paper defines the responsibilities of engineers by considering what constitutes the nature of engineering as a particular form of activity. Specifically, this paper focuses on the responsibilities of engineers qua engineers, where that refers to the duties acquired in virtue of being a member of a group. In order to answer this question, this paper examines the practice of engineering, drawing on the idea of practices developed by philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre and showing how the elements of a practice are important for finding and justifying the responsibilities of engineers. To demonstrate the contribution that knowledge of the responsibilities of engineers makes to engineering ethics, a case study is discussed at the end of the paper which deals with ethical questions in the discipline of structural engineering. The circumstances surrounding the failure of the Sleipner A platform off the coast of Norway in 1991 will be discussed to demonstrate how the responsibilities of engineers can be derived from knowledge of the nature of engineering and its context.

Gambling availability has increased as well as the number of people gambling. Within gambling, addiction has become a growing problem, affecting both the gambling business as well as the individuals. This situation forces companies to balance their profit with responsible action in order to prevent gambling addiction. This thesis examines why and how gambling companies differ in their methods to help players avoid addiction in order to establish a sustainable society. A multiple case-study has been carried out, where three gambling companies have been examined and analyzed. The companies are Svenska Spel, Norsk Tipping and Unibet. The survey is based on interviews with representatives from the companies working in the departments of Responsible gambling or CSR. The conclusions of this study show that gambling companies can profit both economically and establish good will, if they show responsibility. Gambling companies differ in how they handle addiction, mainly because of diffuse concepts as CSR and Responsible Gambling. If gambling companies cooperate actively between themselves as well as with research of addiction, a balanced, sustainable society may be reached. Discussions of solving the problem of gambling addiction can preferably continue in order to reach a sustainable society.

This paper examines the ways in which corporate social responsibility (CSR) is used by mining companies in Peru to minimize conflict between themselves and communities. It assesses the use of CSR at both the community and national levels, and concludes that there are important limitations to a reliance on the privatized management of social conflict. Most importantly, a reliance on corporations to manage conflict in which they themselves take part inherently limits the outcomes of this conflict for the communities to those which do not threaten the business interests of the companies. This paper further argues that the political organization of communities and the involvement of external actors in the conflict has an effect on the type of CSR policies enacted by the company. Thus, communities who are better organized, especially with the help of external actors, may achieve more favourable results from CSR-led negotiations with companies.