The social and environmental impacts of mining, especially in the case of large mining developments, can be dramatic and irreversible. From a regulatory perspective, the impacts of mining present a range of challenges, at both global and local levels. In recent years, however, many large, globalised mining corporations have been attempting to demonstrate that they can be trusted to adequately address the potential social and environmental impacts of their activities. This has lead some mining corporations to engage in certain behaviours that may be further leveraged to help to steer them towards improved social and environmental outcomes. This research explores the reasons why some mining corporations want to be trusted, how they believe trust can be built, the kinds of activities they are undertaking in order to build trust, and the implications of this for regulation and governance. Sociological perspectives on trust are employed as a theoretical foundation to analyse the significance of trust to large mining corporations in the context of their social and environmental performance, and the consequences of this for corporate regulation. Using a qualitative methodology, data was collected through participant observation, relevant industry documentation, and interviews with mining executives, non-government organisations, regulators and other key players in the mining industry. This data provides an insight into the dynamics of trust, regulation and corporate behaviour from the perspective of the mining industry and its stakeholders. The research finds that trust does play a significant role in corporate behaviour, and in regulatory dynamics. Further, many corporate trust-building efforts were found to have resulted in some level of improved social and environmental performance, at least at the level of systems, procedures and corporate rhetoric. Such findings around corporate trust-building and resultant corporate behaviour have implications for regulatory strategy in that it helps to explain why and how corporate trustworthiness may be targeted by regulators in order to achieve improved regulatory outcomes. This research contributes to the body of knowledge on trust and regulation in the fields of sociology and regulatory studies, and has practical application in terms of regulatory strategy. It also offers a platform for further studies into how trust might be more effectively harnessed in terms of regulatory strategy in the mining industry and across other industry sectors.

This thesis investigates the aesthetic presence of social performance in six French and Czechoslovak New Wave films of the 1960s. The New Wave was particularly interested in portraying everyday life, and the film corpus studied in this thesis focuses specifically on the representation of the characters' social lives. In addition, the films share the commonality of being made with an aesthetic of authenticity inspired more or less by the 1960s observational documentary genre of cinéma vérité. In the film corpus, ordinary social situations occupy a more prominent place on screen than usual, and instigate a social kind of engagement with the films. Where narrative context conventionally provides the framework for a character's actions, in these unconventional films, it is the characters' social environments that more precisely contextualize their way of being. The aim of the thesis is to engage with these social contexts to understand the characters' social behaviours, and to examine how the 'vérité aesthetic' evokes a social kind of reading of the films. To this end, I develop in the first chapter a Goffmanian approach to the films, inspired by sociologist Erving Goffman's writings on social reality as a performative realm. I use his notions of social performance, social framework, and social perception to engage with each film through what I call a 'social gaze' that inspects the social dynamics of the characters' behaviours. Over the course of three case study chapters, I apply this approach to the films to unearth and discuss their social range of meaning. This thesis thus aims to contribute both to film historical scholarship on the 1960s European New Wave, and to a study of the aestheticization of social reality in film in general.

In the last decades there was an evolving theoretical and practical discussion about the implementation of corporate social responsibility (CSR), partially provoked due to the occurrence of incidents which were caused by negligently companies. Furthermore, there is a disagreement of financial outcomes of the implementation of CSR strategies in prior research. The thesis contributes to the limited established empirical research on the impact of social incidents on company’s CSR transparency and social performance of companies listed in European Union Member States. Furthermore, the thesis examines the impact of social performance on financial performance based on 308 observations in a time range of 2012 to 2014. The author finds no significant relationship between incidents and an improved CSR transparency or social performance for the overall sample at any conventional level. However, the author finds a positive significant relationship between social performance and financial performance, measured by the logarithm of Tobin’s q, which indicates that social performance has a positive impact on financial performance.

Aim and method: This study aims to investigate the implementation of CSR activities to attain sustainability in SMEs by focusing on the pharmaceutical industry in Sweden.To achieve the aim of this study, qualitative method has been used to conduct multiple case study of 10 SMEs in the pharmaceutical industry in Sweden. Result and conclusion: This study has shown that the CSR activities in the studied pharmaceutical SMEs are at the primary stage as most of them currently go through research and development. There is no balance between three aspects of the CSR(social, environmental and economic), and CSR activities could not be fully implemented to maintain holistic sustainability. Ethics seems to have a high impact on CSR activities in the pharmaceutical sector, especially due to its involvement in the betterment of lives all over the world. Thus, in a way, this industry is ethically responsible for providing affordable treatments. Contribution: The present study contributes to the literature by investigating the CSR activities in the Swedish pharmaceutical SMEs and their ability to attain sustainability in terms of employment, society, revenues and supporting the economy. A new framework, which consists of three pillars namely ethical, environmental and social, could be used to assess the CSR activities in order to achieve sustainability in SMEs. In this framework, ethics would be a pillar of the CSR instead of the economic one.

This study is an investigation into poverty coping strategies of microfinance and its social performance in crisis environments using empirical evidence from Zimbabwe. Microfinance has close association with informal microcredit, mainly self-help schemes and Government led rural agricultural credit, which was based on the idea of lending for the poor up to the 1960s through to the early 1970s. Whilst informal microcredit was viewed to be a success on many forms for some decades, it was clear that tailor-made changes were needed to respond specifically to the poor’s financial needs and help them fight poverty. Thus, it was seen as necessary to experiment on an institution based/formal financial service sector for the poor in the late 1970s through to the 1990s, which could perhaps tackle poverty reduction more systematically and effectively. In this, microcredit transformed into microfinance having incorporated more financial services on offer in addition to credit and was regarded as the new step forward and backed by several development agencies including the United Nations. In fact, microfinance was hailed as the most innovative poverty alleviation tool, able to deal with poverty whilst at the same time generating sufficient extra income to cover operating costs. Over four decades on since its inception, the microfinance sector has grown tremendously but, as is commonly acknowledged, the shackles of global poverty are just as visible as ever and in some cases are even stronger. This study critically explores and analyses the state of the microfinance sector in Zimbabwe following a recent political, economic and social crisis characterised by hyperinflation reaching six figure digits, which led to a revamp of the microfinance sector in 2009. The findings this study reflect a systematic departure of the original hopes and ideals of microfinance as a poverty-reduction centred programming to that of a profit-led business approach and the emergence of a new breed of microfinance institutions (MFIs). In this new world of “microfinance”, very poor social performance causing distressful situations for borrowers where in certain instances have been known to take their own lives (as In India) due to debt pressures has been witnessed. Ironically, also visible are the microfinance millionaires and successful MFI banks floating on the stock. Not surprisingly, as a result, microfinance has attracted a lot of public scrutiny particularly among academics and policy makers with its credibility as a poverty alleviation tool being seriously questioned. Consequently, both the supporters of microfinance wanting to prove that microfinance reduces poverty as well as the critics of microfinance wishing to discredit those results have carried out several randomised-control trials (RCT) impact studies. In some cases previous studies that had claimed that microfinance reduces poverty were revisited by opposing academics in an effort to refute findings. However, both supporters and critics each found just as much evidence for both positive impact in reducing poverty in some places as well as the negative impact on poverty elsewhere. Neither side could be conclusive about whether microfinance actually does help to reduce poverty. As discussed in the literature review, this resulted in a surge in the number of available studies on the subject of microfinance impact, prompting even more systematic reviews of such studies in an attempt to reconcile the critical question of the role of microfinance in poverty reduction. As before, the systematic reviews also confirmed just as much evidence in favour of microfinance positive impacts on poverty as those against in the negative impacts, thereby failing yet again to provide conclusive evidence on either side of the argument. Such arguments suggest that microfinance delivered in a certain way and under certain conditions can help reduce poverty, but may equally have little effect at all on poverty or can even worsen the poverty situation of individuals when delivered under certain conditions and in a certain way. To the best of my knowledge, no known previous studies have attempted to associate the model of microfinance delivery and conditions to ascertain whether different forms of microfinance operations can produce different impact on poverty even where conditions are similar in order to inform best practice for social performance and help poor individuals to cope with high income-risks. High income-risk is part of life for most people in Zimbabwe as in other developing countries. Zimbabwe was affected by frequent droughts, political turmoil, extreme economic challenges due to sanctions and questionable economic policies between 2000 and 2008, and finally the global financial crisis of 2007/8, creating extraordinarily harsh operating environment for microfinance institutions, characterised by depleted loan portfolio investment, skyrocketing inflation eroding the loan book value and growing default rates. The country’s GDP declined by about 40 percent during the period. Hyperinflation in 2007-2008 peaked at 500 billion percent leading to the collapse of the national currency in February 2009. The Zimbabwean dollar disappeared from circulation in instant literarily forcing MFIs and other financial institutions to freeze all balances in their books which was in local currency and raise new capital in the US dollar and South African Rand. The political and economic challenges negatively affected the Zimbabwean microfinance “industry,” causing the sector to suffer significantly. Both the number of microfinance institutions (MFIs) in the country and the quality and range of services were eroded. Capital, social performance, and viability concerns plagued the microfinance sector forcing the government to introduce sector specific regulation with immediate minimum capital requirement for MFIs resulting in small institutions leaving the market, increasing monopoly by large institutions. Within this uncertainty of the role and effectiveness of microfinance in poverty reduction, and the difficult political and economic circumstances that Zimbabweans have experienced recently, this study looked at the coping strategies of microfinance stakeholders including practitioners and regulators. It employed an exploratory inductive approach using mixed methods methodology. This included a survey questionnaire using both closed and open-ended questions randomly administered to 60 registered microfinance clients and potential clients collecting both qualitative and quantitative data. In addition, comprehensive case assessments were carried out on 3 MFIs. The assessments concluded that there exist two different approaches to microfinance: (1) the Capital Market Driven (CMD) approach characterised by private equity investments and (2) the Poverty Reduction Driven (PRD) approach characterised by emphasis on poverty alleviation and social performance. This thesis argues that the two approaches may have very different impact on poverty. Therefore, a clear distinction between the CMD and PRD are necessary in debates about microfinance impact, whether positive or negative.

This dissertation proposes a new interpretative approach to the theatrical material in Horace’s Sermones and Epistles. In particular, it focuses on a selection of poems in which Horace employs a wide array of dramatic devices to depict and discuss the patron-client relationship (Sermones 1.9, 2.5, 2.7 and Epistles 1.17 and 1.18). These devices include dialogue, stage directions, stock characters, expressly theatrical metaphors, and diction echoing playwrights such as Plautus and Terence. I argue that Horace intentionally activates the language of the stage in order to spotlight the theatricality involved in performing the role of a client. In so doing, the poet characterizes the client as an actor and underlines the scripted nature of the words and gestures that he directs toward his patron. In each of these poems, Horace employs a variety of negative stereotypes in order to associate the client with different kinds of performers (e.g., the parasitus, captator, servus, scurra, and planus). In the process, he confronts criticism that he himself likely received in the extrapoetic world impugning his amicitia with his own patron, Maecenas. Horace defends himself against charges of acting and sycophancy by demonstrating that an element of performance is endemic to the patron-client relationship itself. The dissertation is organized as a series of close readings of the five poems that best illustrate Horace’s correlation between dramatic and social performance. For each poem, I identify and interpret the dramatic elements and illustrate how they complement and enhance the dramatic subtext. Chapter 1 concentrates on Sermones 1.9, in which Horace encounters a pest seeking an introduction to Maecenas. Chapter 2 deals with Sermones 2.5, the dialogue between Tiresias and Ulysses on the subject of inheritance-hunting (captatio). Chapter 3 explores Sermones 2.7, in which Horace’s slave Davus accuses him of proteanism when it comes to Maecenas. Chapter 4 presents comparanda from Horace’s Epistles 1.17 and 1.18, in which Horace utilizes the same dramatic devices to shape his advice to two prospective clients. Taken together, these analyses uncover new layers in Horace’s multifaceted depiction of the patron-client relationship, and provide additional insight into his poetic personae and poetic program.

Les opérateurs économiques sont confrontés à un fort accroissement de la concurrence combiné à des préoccupations sociales et environnementales désormais devenues indispensables. De ce constat, il semble que la performance qu’elle soit de type économique, social ou environnemental, soit devenue une valeur intrinsèque qui s’intègre ponctuellement à des obligations, ou engendre des obligations. Elle sera parfois extérieure au contrat et imposée par le droit lui-même. En ce sens, le législateur impose que la rémunération de certains dirigeants de sociétés soit obligatoirement indexée sur des critères de performances. Mais la performance sera parfois interne au contrat et constituera un élément essentiel pour ce dernier. Ces manifestations traduisent un mouvement d’ensemble rendant nécessaire la construction d’une réflexion juridique sur la performance, prisme de lecture devenu inévitable et particulièrement crucial. En dépit de l’attrait de la quête de performance, le droit est à la recherche d’un point d’équilibre de nature à permettre un développement économique dans les meilleures conditions, adossé au respect de l’environnement, naturel, humain, voire sociétal. C’est dans cette perspective que la dynamique de cette étude est construite. Elle appréhende la performance comme le fait d’atteindre un objectif, avec des moyens et des méthodes efficientes, tout en limitant les pertes financières et les effets néfastes. La performance est la nouvelle clé de lecture de la vie en société, et le droit des affaires s’impose à cet égard comme l’un des premiers relais / Economic operators are facing a sharp increase in competition combined with social and environmental concerns that have become of the essence. From this observation, it seems that the performance, be it economic, social or environmental, has become an value that is part of obligations, or creates itself obligations. It will sometimes be outside the contract and imposed by the law itself. In this sense, the legislator requires that the remuneration of certain companies executives is compulsorily indexed on performance criteria. But the performance will sometimes be internal to the contract and will be an essential element for the latter. These events reflect an overall movement making it necessary to construct a legal dissertation on performance, a new reading prism that has become inevitable and particularly crucial. Despite the attractiveness of the quest for performance, the law is seeking a point of balance likely to allow economic development in the best conditions, backed by respect for the environment, natural, human, even societal. It is in this perspective that the dynamics of this study is built. It understands performance as achieving a goal, with efficient means and methods, while limiting financial losses and adverse effects. Performance is the new key to reading life in society, and business law is one of the first relays

The three studies in this dissertation explore the relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Corporate Financial Performance (CFP). CSR consists of social, ethical, and environmental performance dimensions that have not traditionally appeared in mandated financial reports and largely reflect societal expectations for corporate behavior beyond legal and regulatory constraints. CSR is reflected in both corporate actions (performance outcomes) and voluntary reporting (disclosure), and the two are not necessarily equivalent due to managerial discretion in disclosure. Although the mechanisms remain unclear, the general consensus is that there is a positive relationship between CSR and CFP. In considering the drivers and goals of CSR, two themes emerge and are used to inform these papers: a stakeholder view of organizational relationships and the need to signal legitimacy in the face of changing social norms. A stakeholder view asserts that a wide range of groups across society are important to the long-term success and health of the organization. Legitimacy theory provides the explanation of why the stakeholder view is important to organizational success and can produce significant strategic advantages. The first study utilizes archival data in an exploration of how to model the relationship between Corporate Social Performance (CSP) and CFP. Using independent evaluations of organizational CSP from KLD STATS, I explore the CSP-CFP relationship at four different levels (overall CSP, component CSP, directional component CSP, and issue-based component CSP). I consider the effect of CSP on a range of outcome measures of CFP performance, at different levels of aggregated performance measures and linkage to stakeholder groups. Finally, I explore the pattern of significant CSP components on individual CFP outcome measures to iv determine if there is evidence for changing associations based on relevant stakeholder groups, in answer to concerns raised by prior research (Wood and Jones 1995; Orlitzky, Schmidt, and Rynes 2003). I find that (a) stock market measures are extremely insensitive to CSP; (b) the appropriate measurement level of CSP varies with the degree to which the CFP measure is aggregated and attributable to a more focused group of stakeholders; and (c) significant CSP aspects and associated CFP outcomes do vary in patterns and sensitivity. The second study examines the role voluntary social disclosure plays in economic performance through an attribute I term resilience. Resilience influences stakeholder resource allocation decisions in the face of unexpected poor performance attributable to an exogenous shock and is associated with perceived organizational legitimacy. To test this model, an experiment is conducted in which participants are asked to assess the perceived legitimacy of an organization based on information characteristics of voluntary CSR disclosure and then to make reallocation decisions in the face of poor performance caused by an industry crisis not involving the underlying organization. I find that high quality disclosure (driven by reporting accuracy) is significantly associated with greater perceived legitimacy. In turn, the legitimacy construct is significantly associated with resilience following an exogenous shock. The final study considers organizational choices in CSR disclosure to preserve credibility in the face of a crisis threatening the legitimacy of the institutional framework. Using qualitative data surrounding the turbulent 2001 – 2002 period encompassing the Enron and WorldCom scandals and the fall of Andersen, I examine organizational voluntary disclosure decisions to ascertain how they sought to preserve their own informational credibility and legitimacy in the face of a threat that did not directly involve their actions. I find that organizations responded v throughout this period by increasing signals of both transparency (greater CSR disclosure) and credibility (greater use of external sources of assurance of that disclosure). I also find that thirdparty assurance was not widely used, and remained at a steady, minimal percentage over time. Overwhelmingly, organizations turned to the implementation of an independent, external reporting framework (e.g., the Global Reporting Initiative’s widespread guidelines) that provided consistency and comparability in their reporting, made use of standardized measurements and definitions, and required specific items and measures.

No description available.

Social movement scholars have contended that considerable research on protest policing has been done, but research testing multiple theories in recent decades is lacking. To resolve this gap in the literature, this study integrates major paradigms in repression research and theories of policing styles around a dramaturgical approach to collective action, identifying factors influencing violence at social protests in the United States from 2006-2009. Conceiving of social protest as a form of political and symbolic action, I maintain that social actors and the qualities of their actions and immediate environment importantly influence a protest event's characteristics and outcomes. Specifically, I code for three violent outcomes—arrests, police violence, and any violence—and one measure of threat—police presence. I identify four components of the protest event which influence these outcomes—actors (e.g., authorities, protesters, and counterprotesters), enemies (e.g., the target of protesters' claims), the stage (e.g., qualities of place and space where a protest occurs), and protest performance (e.g., protest size and specific tactics employed by actors). Thus, this research focuses on how qualities of police, protester, and counterprotester performances intersect to influence violence at protest events. Data for this project were collected from multiple sources from 2006-2009. Information on protest events was collected by content coding of newspaper articles in the Los Angeles Times and New York Times. Information on community policing styles was derived from lists of funding for agencies participating in the U.S. Department of Justice's Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program. In some instances the results of this study show that certain characteristics leading to police presence and violence at social protests in the U.S. persist from research conducted on earlier decades—presence of African Americans or counterprotesters, protester use of "more confrontational" tactics and/or multiple tactics, and the damaging of property by protesters or counterprotesters. However, my findings also contradict previous studies, because I find that: (1) larger protests are less likely to be policed or result in violence; (2) social and cultural targets are more likely predictors of policing and violence rather than government or economic ones; and, (3) specific social movement families and tactical types influence protest event outcomes differently. I also found that community policing styles had no effect on protest event policing. These findings are important because they show how a protest event's symbolic nature influences policing and violent outcomes. / Ph. D.