The thesis explored financial stringency by analysing differing managerial interpretations and responses. The data was partially collected through an action research process with three management teams in a Social Services Department of a Local Authority. A concept of organisational monetarism was developed as a description of those approaches which predict positive benefits from restricted resource growth. Organisational monetarism, together with other analyses which also explain managerial responses solely in terms of characteristics of the stringency itself were found to be inadequate. Additionally sub-cultures and contextual features were identified as significant determinants of responses to stringency. Subculture is defined as collective, taken for granted, values and behaviours of a management team. These included management style and role and their definitions of the task. Contextual features were defined as variables within each group's internal environment. The five variables identified were: environmental control, task visibility, pattern of spending, unionateness and degree of professional development. Because these factors differed for each team, the extent to which management teams could effectively manage stringency also varied. The degree of congruence between organisational factors and the reductions task, and thus, the extent of management change required if the task is to be accommodated, determined the interpretation and response to stringency by management groups. With a high degree of congruence, where both sets of organisational factors facilitated the performance of the reductions task, stringency was interpreted as a routine matter and assimilated. With less congruence, stringency posed a threat and was avoided. A low degree of congruence indicated a need for radical change if the task were to be routinised. In this latter case stringency led to crisis and managers responded by overt resistance and withdrawal from reductions related activities. The organisational costs and benefits of these different responses, in terms of resource consumption, conflict, control and innovation, were explored. Finally, the significance of managing diversity and reformulating the organisation's strategy in circumstances of financial stringency was stressed.

No description available.

This thesis aims to gain insight to lockdowns and social distancing measures taken by European governments during the early period of the Covid-19 pandemic. Questions have been raised of whether the variations of responses can be systematically explained, which have so far received little attention in research. However, prior research has stressed the importance of government capacity and legitimacy for the facilitation of a crisis response. On the one hand, capacity to coordinate within governing authorities, and with external actors is crucial. On the other hand, emphasis is put on cultural factors, such as citizens’ trust in political institutions. Through a quantitative analysis of 30 European countries, this thesis maps the stringency of measures implemented by governments. Furthermore, utilizing an expert survey from SGI (Sustainable Governance Indicators) and the Eurobarometer survey (2019), this thesis asks how coordination capacity and political trust are associated with the maximum stringency of policy responses implemented by governments. Using bivariate and multivariate regressions, the models suggest that European countries with high coordination capacity are more likely to implement modest policy responses, while European countries with low coordination capacity are more likely to implement strict policy responses. A possible understanding is that countries with high coordination capacity weigh alternatives and address certain issues, instead of beating the drum all at once. As expected, there is a negative relationship between political trust and stringency of policy responses, but further research is needed to confirm this covariation. The complexity of the Coronavirus crisis complicates a comprehensive understanding of governmental responses. However, this thesis contributes with early insights and provides a piece of the puzzle as to why European governments have acted so differently.

A presente tese de doutorado analisa, de forma crítica, a interpretação dada ao texto constitucional na parte em que trata das competências tributárias, tendo em vista a rigidez da discriminação dessas competências. Procura-se verificar se é adequada a interpretação muitas vezes pretendida para as palavras e expressões empregadas no texto, segundo a qual nelas se veiculam termos de conceito, cujo significado é extraído geralmente de lições colhidas no âmbito do Direito Privado, e ainda em visão estática, assimilando o conceito como entendido no momento da entrada em vigor da Constituição. Para empreender a análise crítica, parte-se do exame histórico das constituições brasileiras, verificando se, na passagem de uma para outra, com a alteração da distribuição de competências, as palavras e expressões permitem, já no plano constitucional, certeza quanto a seu significado. Em seguida, faz-se análise da forma de pensar a realidade, levando em consideração o conceito e o tipo. Busca-se refletir sobre a possibilidade de existência de abertura e graduabilidade na figura dos tributos, ainda no plano constitucional, o que afasta o obrigatório emprego de conceitos de Direito Privado e acena para a admissão de tipos. Considera-se também a mudança pela qual passou a interpretação do Direito, sobretudo tendo em vista as técnicas de interpretação constitucional, como premissa para analisar a alegada imposição literal e automática do art. 110 do Código Tributário Nacional, que cuida da interpretação das regras de competência e determinaria a opção por conceitos de Direito Privado, sempre que os termos utilizados na Constituição tiverem correspondentes em tais conceitos. Com fundamento nessa análise, procura-se verificar os limites à interpretação das regras de competência, caso se tolere maior abertura. Admitir outras significações das palavras, além da conceitual privatista, ou admitir a interpretação global da regra de competência sem a análise específica de cada palavra, não implica aceitar falta de rigidez ao sistema. Por mais que a regra só seja construída diante da realidade, atual e verificável no tempo, e não se restrinja à análise palavra por palavra, prévia, estanque e jusprivatista, o texto traz programa normativo cujo limite é delineado por vários fatores, dentre os quais a amplitude histórica do tributo, o confronto com as demais regras de competência e com os princípios da tributação, o recurso à linguagem natural e ainda à prática discursiva. / This doctoral thesis conducts a critical analysis of how constitutional text is interpreted, more specifically the section that addresses taxing powers, considering how strictly such powers are discriminated. The aim is to determine whether the interpretation often intended for words and expressions deployed in that text is appropriate. According to such interpretation, the text carries concept terms whose meaning is usually derived from lessons in the field of Private Law; and also under a static perspective, assimilating the concept as it was construed when the Constitution came into effect. Critical analysis is based on a historical review of Brazilian constitutions in order to determine whether words and expressions, in the transition from one constitution to another, as the distribution of taxing powers changed, allow any certainty with regard to their meaning, at the constitutional level. This is followed by an analysis of how one reflects on reality, taking into account concept and type. The intention is to consider the possibility of flexibility and progressibility in tax types, still at the constitutional level; this rejects a mandatory use of Private Law concepts and signals toward the admission of types. We also consider changes which the interpretation of Law has undergone, taking into account, above all, constitutional interpretation techniques, as a premise to analyze the alleged literal and automatic imposition of Article 110 of the Brazilian National Tax Code CTN, which addresses the interpretation of taxing power rules and that would determine the option for Private Law concepts, whenever the terms in the Constitution have an equivalent in Private Law. Based on that analysis, this study aims to find the limits to interpretations of taxing power rules, if more open interpretation is possible. Admitting that words have meanings other than privatist concepts, or admitting a global interpretation of the taxing power rule without specifically analyzing every single word, does not imply accepting that the system is not very stringent. Even though the rule can only be conceived based on reality, which is up to date and verifiably in time, and though it is not limited to a word-by-word, prior, static and privatist analysis, the text introduces a normative framework whose boundaries are set by several factors, some of which include taxs historical range, confrontations with other taxing power rules and with principles of taxation, resorting to natural language and finally discourse practice.

A presente tese de doutorado analisa, de forma crítica, a interpretação dada ao texto constitucional na parte em que trata das competências tributárias, tendo em vista a rigidez da discriminação dessas competências. Procura-se verificar se é adequada a interpretação muitas vezes pretendida para as palavras e expressões empregadas no texto, segundo a qual nelas se veiculam termos de conceito, cujo significado é extraído geralmente de lições colhidas no âmbito do Direito Privado, e ainda em visão estática, assimilando o conceito como entendido no momento da entrada em vigor da Constituição. Para empreender a análise crítica, parte-se do exame histórico das constituições brasileiras, verificando se, na passagem de uma para outra, com a alteração da distribuição de competências, as palavras e expressões permitem, já no plano constitucional, certeza quanto a seu significado. Em seguida, faz-se análise da forma de pensar a realidade, levando em consideração o conceito e o tipo. Busca-se refletir sobre a possibilidade de existência de abertura e graduabilidade na figura dos tributos, ainda no plano constitucional, o que afasta o obrigatório emprego de conceitos de Direito Privado e acena para a admissão de tipos. Considera-se também a mudança pela qual passou a interpretação do Direito, sobretudo tendo em vista as técnicas de interpretação constitucional, como premissa para analisar a alegada imposição literal e automática do art. 110 do Código Tributário Nacional, que cuida da interpretação das regras de competência e determinaria a opção por conceitos de Direito Privado, sempre que os termos utilizados na Constituição tiverem correspondentes em tais conceitos. Com fundamento nessa análise, procura-se verificar os limites à interpretação das regras de competência, caso se tolere maior abertura. Admitir outras significações das palavras, além da conceitual privatista, ou admitir a interpretação global da regra de competência sem a análise específica de cada palavra, não implica aceitar falta de rigidez ao sistema. Por mais que a regra só seja construída diante da realidade, atual e verificável no tempo, e não se restrinja à análise palavra por palavra, prévia, estanque e jusprivatista, o texto traz programa normativo cujo limite é delineado por vários fatores, dentre os quais a amplitude histórica do tributo, o confronto com as demais regras de competência e com os princípios da tributação, o recurso à linguagem natural e ainda à prática discursiva. / This doctoral thesis conducts a critical analysis of how constitutional text is interpreted, more specifically the section that addresses taxing powers, considering how strictly such powers are discriminated. The aim is to determine whether the interpretation often intended for words and expressions deployed in that text is appropriate. According to such interpretation, the text carries concept terms whose meaning is usually derived from lessons in the field of Private Law; and also under a static perspective, assimilating the concept as it was construed when the Constitution came into effect. Critical analysis is based on a historical review of Brazilian constitutions in order to determine whether words and expressions, in the transition from one constitution to another, as the distribution of taxing powers changed, allow any certainty with regard to their meaning, at the constitutional level. This is followed by an analysis of how one reflects on reality, taking into account concept and type. The intention is to consider the possibility of flexibility and progressibility in tax types, still at the constitutional level; this rejects a mandatory use of Private Law concepts and signals toward the admission of types. We also consider changes which the interpretation of Law has undergone, taking into account, above all, constitutional interpretation techniques, as a premise to analyze the alleged literal and automatic imposition of Article 110 of the Brazilian National Tax Code CTN, which addresses the interpretation of taxing power rules and that would determine the option for Private Law concepts, whenever the terms in the Constitution have an equivalent in Private Law. Based on that analysis, this study aims to find the limits to interpretations of taxing power rules, if more open interpretation is possible. Admitting that words have meanings other than privatist concepts, or admitting a global interpretation of the taxing power rule without specifically analyzing every single word, does not imply accepting that the system is not very stringent. Even though the rule can only be conceived based on reality, which is up to date and verifiably in time, and though it is not limited to a word-by-word, prior, static and privatist analysis, the text introduces a normative framework whose boundaries are set by several factors, some of which include taxs historical range, confrontations with other taxing power rules and with principles of taxation, resorting to natural language and finally discourse practice.

This dissertation examines the effects of tax and expenditure limitations (TELs) stringency and its interaction with revenue diversity and the council-manager form of government on municipal general fund expenditure. TELs are explicit rules that states impose to reduce local government spending. TELs stringency varies from state to state, leading to difficulties in assessing their impact across the nation. This dissertation proposes a new means for measuring the stringency of TELs imposed on local governments. Factor analysis is utilized, and then factor scores are calculated to identify degrees of TELs stringency. This study contends that higher levels of TELs stringency are associated with lower local government spending. However, the effectiveness of TELs is dependent on revenue diversity and the form of government. This study suggests that both revenue diversity and the council-manager form of government mitigate the impacts of TELs stringency on local government spending. Panel data from 2007 to 2011 from 1,508 municipalities are utilized. This study finds that higher levels of TELs stringency are associated with lower levels of municipal general fund expenditures per capita. However, TELs stringency is effective only when revenue diversity is low and when cities have a form of government other than council-manager. These results are generally consistent with the theory presented in this dissertation.

This thesis consists of four independent papers covering macroeconomic topics such as unemployment insurance, retirement, business cycles and disability insurance. The unifying theme connecting all papers is the importance of health when addressing these issues. The first paper derives the optimal insurance against unemployment and disability in a setting where individuals can determine the probability of becoming disabled by exerting prevention effort. The second paper develops a life cycle model of labor supply and retirement to study the interactions between health and the labor supply behavior of older workers, in particular disability insurance and retirement. The third paper looks at the role of health in a business cycle framework. Here, health is treated as an asset that generates time and utility. The last paper derives a theoretical model of the application decision for disability benefits and proposes an empirical strategy for measuring screening stringency in the disability insurance program. / <p>Diss. Stockholm :  Stockholm School of Economics, 2012. Introduction together with 4 papers</p>

The thesis is focused on two main fields: first one is financial analysis as a possibility of predicting a stringency of a company, second one being insolvency resolution from legal and accounting points of view. The theoretical part of the thesis describes the importance and the content of financial analysis, the crisis of a company and further on it deals comprehensively with insolvency proceedings. The practical part is mainly focused on performance analysis of the financial situation of a selected company, it sets problems in the field of financial management. It also gives an opinion on the possibility of the company's bankruptcy and demonstrates an insolvency proceedings in accounting.

This thesis investigates if the announcement of lockdown had a significant impact on stock market return in Denmark. The research approach used is quantitative and deductive and the sample consists of ​​daily adjusted close prices of stock from the 20 largest listed companies in Denmark, according to market capitalization rate. The time period studied is 28th of February 2020 till 27th of March 2020. Lockdown's effect on stock market return is studied using a Difference-in-Difference model, where daily adjusted close prices of stocks from the 20 largest companies in Sweden are used as a control group.  The COVID-19 pandemic has for the past two years had a huge impact on societies globally. At the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, to try and stop the spread of the virus, governments around the world implemented lockdowns of varying degrees. Denmark was one of the first countries to implement lockdown. However, the culturally and market similar Sweden, opted for a different approach and did not implement a lockdown at all. It is therefore of interest to investigate whether lockdown announcements had a measurable impact on stock returns at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak. Previous research conducted by Vasileiou (2020), Baker (2020), Ichev and Marnič (2018), Hassing Nielsen &amp; Lindvall (2021) and Ashraf (2020) on the subject have found that COVID-19 generally contributed to market uncertainty. This uncertainty in turn affected the stock market significantly, both positively and negatively. The major findings of this thesis suggest that the lockdown implemented in Denmark had no significant effect on stock returns during the investigated sample period.

The aim of this thesis is to document the process of translating literary texts that have no stylistic equivalent in the target culture. The research is based on selected works by three contemporary Norwegian authors whose style is perceived as very specific. The theoretical part discusses current tendencies in Norwegian as well as in Czech prose writing and also approaches to literary translation developed in translation studies are presented in this part of the thesis. The other part of this thesis focuses on the unique styles of Hanne Ørstavik, Erlend Loe and Jon Fosse. The significant features of their styles are documented in analyses of their novels. These analyses at then used for the assessment of the Czech translations.