Abstract   Background: With the heightening pressure of climate change, the public as well as the corporate world calls for leaders that can drive sustainable development, hence tackling the challenges to come. Companies are facing growing pressure from both internal and external stakeholders to adopt sustainable practices. As a consequence, the question arises as to whom is the most suitable for such challenges. The presence of female leaders in corporate settings have shown to increase sustainable performance within companies. However, what actual role female leaders play in enabling such performance remains subdued. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to study what role female leaders play in sustainability strategy processes.  Method: This study is conducted through qualitative case study methods, using primary data collected from interviews with female leaders of Swedish companies.   Conclusion: The results identified that female leaders play different roles in the sustainability strategy process. The roles identified in the study are Carer, Responsibility Taker, Equality, Enabler and Motivator which are collectively conceptualized as Holistic Trustee meaning; Someone who includes all perspectives and components into their assessment, so that decisions made, enables development while preserving resources of coming generations. In such role, the female leader bridges the organizational level and individual level of her company and provides her employees with a bigger purpose in their “day-to-day” operations. The role as a Holistic Trustee broadens the understanding of leaders` importance in sustainability and draws attention to female traits that are naturally suited for a sustainable leadership.

Cette thèse en stratégie vise à comprendre comment les organisations pluralistes, qui combinent une pluralité de logiques d’action, peuvent conduire la transformation délibérée de leurs doctrines. Elle développe une approche originale du travail politico-stratégique dans les organisations pluralistes, approche qui s’appuie sur les théories pragmatistes de la rationalité et des institutions. Les résultats qu’elle présente sont issus d’une recherche de terrain (ethnographie et intervention) réalisée au sein d’une grande mutuelle d’assurance française, la Macif, qui est un acteur référent dans le champ de l’économie sociale. Le premier volet de la recherche a permis d’identifier et d’analyser les obstacles que rencontrent les organisations pluralistes lorsqu’elles cherchent à transformer leurs doctrines. Le second volet a permis de conceptualiser et d’expérimenter les modalités sous lesquelles elles peuvent parvenir à opérer la transformation souhaitée. La thèse présente pour finir un certain nombre de propositions visant à guider l’élaboration de la stratégie des organisations pluralistes / This doctoral research aims at understanding how pluralistic organizations that combine multiple institutional logics can engage in their deliberate transformation. It draws on pragmatist theories of rationality and of institutions to develop a novel perspective on strategy practices and processes in pluralistic organizations. Its results rely on fieldwork (ethnography and research-action) conducted within a French mutual insurance company, Macif, which is a key actor in the field of social economy. Firstly, this research identifies and analyzes the major obstacles that prevent pluralistic organizations from conducting such a transformation. Secondly, it conceptualizes and experiments ways to do so. Finally, this research suggests some methods for strategizing and organizing in pluralistic contexts

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to examine how Management Control Systems (MCS) impact Diversification Strategy Processes (DSP) in diversified firms. Method: A qualitative research method was used where five different profiled managers participated in the research. The interviews were semi-structured and secondary data were used together with the findings where secondary data was available. Thematic analysis was used throughout the data analysis. Conclusion: The results are inconclusive regarding the impact of the Belief, Interactive, and Diagnostic Controls on the Initiation, Searching, and Execution Stage of DSP. The findings are, however, consistent with the impact of Boundary Controls on the Initiation, Searching, and Execution Stage of DSP. Research Limitations: This research has not differentiated between different types of diversification strategies and their processes. Small, medium, and large firms have not been separated throughout the research. The sample size of the data collection was small, making the results not generalizable.

The dissertation thesis focuses on information systems and communication technologies and ways they are provided (sourced) in healthcare. The aim of this dissertation thesis is to design and verify a model of IS/ICT sourcing strategy for healthcare as a factor leading to the improvement of patient care, taking into account different categories of healthcare facilities and other specifics resulting from the application in medicine. The introductory section of the thesis (Section A) defines the areas of health care and identifies their specifics. Moreover, categories of healthcare facilities are defined and therapeutic, nursing and IS/ICT processes are identified. Sourcing is defined for the needs of the designed sourcing strategy model and the current trends are analysed as well as the offered outsourcing services. In the next section of the thesis (Section B), requirements on the IS/ICT sourcing strategy model are defined. Theories of sourcing strategies are analysed including assessment of the current practices of healthcare facilities. Identification of specific factors affecting sourcing in healthcare is an essential part of this section. The most important section of the thesis is a design of the IS/ICT sourcing strategy model and its verification in practice at a real healthcare facility, which is described in the final part (Section C). The designed model employs two layers to cover the whole spectrum of healthcare facilities. The base layer defines the types of objects used in developing the sourcing strategy. The specific layer takes into consideration the differences between the various categories of healthcare facilities and provides the actual implementation. Successful implementation of the model including its two layers was achieved in an independent outpatient healthcare facility.