This research considers a person’s ontological fabric woven from experiences of and in (trans)formative childhood and adolescent places through three conceptual frameworks: complexity theory, endogeny, and i/Indigenous ways of knowing. By re-visiting the (trans)formative places of four exemplary citizens with them, creating an interactive website and iBook, and exploring ten online public participants’ posts, I gained an understanding of how childhood and adolescent outdoor places act as catalysts of community, ecological, and civic environmental engagement. To achieve this, I asked the question: Does learning that occurs in childhood and adolescent outdoor places inform civic, emotional, physical, and/or spiritual engagement or connectedness over the course of people’s lives? If so, how? Tsartlip (Coast Salish First Nations) Elder, May Sam, Hua Foundation co-founder Claudia Li, National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence, Wade Davis, and former Lieutenant Governor of BC, Iona Campagnolo, all exemplary individuals, shared personal relationships with their childhood and adolescent places. They engaged though participatory action research by taking me to these places, contributing to the interview process, and supporting the analysis of the results. As a way to engage decolonizing methodologies and encourage authentic voice within this research, I took great care in using interview and discourse techniques that were respectful, engaging, and empowering. Each of these visits were filmed and appropriate sections were shared through online social media as a way to invite participation from the larger North American public (www.transformativeplaces.com). Ten more participants’ experiences were analyzed based on their submissions to this website. Data were explored through a hybrid of phenomenological and participatory analysis and participants were invited to help discern meaning through post-filming interviews and dialogue. The concept (trans)formative places was defined as sites that engage humans in biophysical, emotional, spiritual, and civic engagement. Major notions included the development of a memetic group of concepts that help describe the processes, characteristics, and relationships that occur from, in, and with (trans)formative places. I found that my participants’ relationship to places were formed through family and community bonds, where learning occurs through shared stories, collective healing, and respect-building. Places transformed my participants through identity development, memory and anxiety, resiliency behaviour, nostalgia, and loss. Finally, my participants related to places through connective processes like knowing a place and being home, engendering bliss and appreciation, development of pride and hope and emotionality. The final section of this dissertation is articulated as a manifesto for creating, sustaining, and engaging in (trans)formative places. To download the interactive iBook of this dissertation search for it in iTunes. / Graduate / 0350 / 0525 / 0534 / 0740 / 0768 / 0620 / 0727 / nstanger@nicholasstanger.ca

This research considers a person’s ontological fabric woven from experiences of and in (trans)formative childhood and adolescent places through three conceptual frameworks: complexity theory, endogeny, and i/Indigenous ways of knowing. By re-visiting the (trans)formative places of four exemplary citizens with them, creating an interactive website and iBook, and exploring ten online public participants’ posts, I gained an understanding of how childhood and adolescent outdoor places act as catalysts of community, ecological, and civic environmental engagement. To achieve this, I asked the question: Does learning that occurs in childhood and adolescent outdoor places inform civic, emotional, physical, and/or spiritual engagement or connectedness over the course of people’s lives? If so, how? Tsartlip (Coast Salish First Nations) Elder, May Sam, Hua Foundation co-founder Claudia Li, National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence, Wade Davis, and former Lieutenant Governor of BC, Iona Campagnolo, all exemplary individuals, shared personal relationships with their childhood and adolescent places. They engaged though participatory action research by taking me to these places, contributing to the interview process, and supporting the analysis of the results. As a way to engage decolonizing methodologies and encourage authentic voice within this research, I took great care in using interview and discourse techniques that were respectful, engaging, and empowering. Each of these visits were filmed and appropriate sections were shared through online social media as a way to invite participation from the larger North American public (www.transformativeplaces.com). Ten more participants’ experiences were analyzed based on their submissions to this website. Data were explored through a hybrid of phenomenological and participatory analysis and participants were invited to help discern meaning through post-filming interviews and dialogue. The concept (trans)formative places was defined as sites that engage humans in biophysical, emotional, spiritual, and civic engagement. Major notions included the development of a memetic group of concepts that help describe the processes, characteristics, and relationships that occur from, in, and with (trans)formative places. I found that my participants’ relationship to places were formed through family and community bonds, where learning occurs through shared stories, collective healing, and respect-building. Places transformed my participants through identity development, memory and anxiety, resiliency behaviour, nostalgia, and loss. Finally, my participants related to places through connective processes like knowing a place and being home, engendering bliss and appreciation, development of pride and hope and emotionality. The final section of this dissertation is articulated as a manifesto for creating, sustaining, and engaging in (trans)formative places. To download the interactive iBook of this dissertation search for it in iTunes. / Graduate / 0350 / 0525 / 0534 / 0740 / 0768 / 0620 / 0727 / nstanger@nicholasstanger.ca

Nesta pesquisa descrevem-se e exploram-se pela primeira vez os papéis de controle, direcionamento (estratégia e política) e prestação de serviços dos Conselhos de Administração (CAs) e sua relevância no sistema de governança corporativa nas empresas listadas na BOVESPA. Estuda-se, ainda, também pela primeira vez, de um lado a relação entre os papéis do CAs e a estrutura e tipo de propriedade, tamanho e idade da empresa, determinantes da qualidade de governança no nível do CA e de outro a relação entre os papéis e a participação de investidores institucionais. Os resultados, dada a concentração da amostra, são principalmente aplicáveis às empresas listadas no Novo Mercado ou que emitem ADRs na Bolsa de Nova Iorque. No estudo quantitativo, de caráter descritivo e correlacional, considerou-se uma amostra não probabilística, por conveniência composta por 65 empresas listadas e 122 administradores. O Modelo de Equações Estruturais foi usado inicialmente, mas suspeitas sobre sua adequação levaram a um segundo modelo - o Modelo de Equações Simultâneas. Devido à ausência de dados, o modelo estatístico acabou por utilizar um total de 88 observações. Os CAs em grande parte são dominados pelos acionistas controladores. A participação de conselheiros independentes ainda está abaixo da recomendação das melhores práticas e a presença de acionistas minoritários nos CAs é pequena. O acúmulo dos cargos de presidente do conselho e presidente executivo não é um problema maior, porém mais importante é o acúmulo de poder verificado já que a presidência do CA é, em grande parte, ocupada por familiar do acionista controlador ou por ele próprio. A frequência relevante de presidentes executivos que também são familiares do controlador é outro elemento de concentração de poder. O papel de controle predomina nos CAs estudados, mas o papel de direcionamento também é relevante. O papel de serviço é o menos importante. O papel de controle pode ser enfraquecido nas empresas onde o presidente executivo e o presidente do conselho são familiares dos acionistas controladores. CAs com maiores níveis decisórios estão associados a um número maior de melhores práticas de governança. Os resultados não confirmaram as hipóteses de relação entre os elementos estudados e o papel das empresas listadas brasileiras. A pesquisa traz contribuições práticas aos agentes de mercado, indicando prioridades para a melhoria das práticas do CA e introduzindo não só o conceito de estilo do CA, mas também seu nível decisório. Para a pesquisa acadêmica, contribui-se com a construção de dois indicadores de concentração de poder e de endogenia/exogenia dos CAs que poderão ser utilizados não só em futuras pesquisas, como também pelas empresas. Os papéis do conselho de administração devem ser mais explorados e, já que o entendimento do órgão central do sistema de governança está apenas se iniciando, conclui-se esta dissertação com proposições de caminhos de pesquisa. / This study is the first to describe and to explore the control, guidance (strategy- and policydirecting), and service roles of boards of directors (BoD) and their relevance to the corporate governance system of companies listed on the São Paulo Stock Exchange (BOVESPA). It also studies on one side the relationship between the roles of the boards and structure and type of ownership, company size and age, board-level determinants of governance quality and on the other, the role of boards and institutional investor participation, and was also the first study to analyze this. Due to the concentration of the study sample, results are mainly applicable to companies listed on the Novo Mercado or issuing ADRs on the New York Stock Exchange. This quantitative, descriptive, and correlational study used a nonprobabilistic convenience sample of 65 listed companies and 122 executives and board directors. Structural equation modeling was initially employed, but suspicion on its adequacy led to an alternative one, the simultaneous equation model. Because there was an absence of data, a total of 88 observations were used in the statistical model. Boards are mostly dominated by controlling shareholders; participation of independent directors is still below the best practice recommendations levels, and minority shareholder participation is low. The functions of CEO and chairman played by the same person is not a major concern; the power concentration is more important, as boards are often chaired by relatives of controlling shareholders or by controlling shareholders themselves. Another element that concentrates power is the relevant frequency with which controlling shareholders relatives hold CEO positions. In the selected boards, the control role is dominant, with guidance also playing a relevant part; the service role was the least important. The control role may be weakened in companies where CEO and chairmen are from controlling shareholders family. Boards with higher decision-making levels are associated with a higher number of best governance practices. Results did not confirm the hypotheses of a relation between the studied elements and the role of listed Brazilian companies. This dissertation provides practical contributions for market agents, suggesting priorities for the improvement of board practices and introducing the concept of board style and decision-making level. The study also contributes to the academic literature by constructing two indicators concentration of power and board endogeny/exogeny which may be used in future researches and in the corporate environment. The roles of the BoD must be explored further, as we have only just begun to understand this central body of the corporate governance system. This dissertation concludes by proposing several possible research directions.

Nesta pesquisa descrevem-se e exploram-se pela primeira vez os papéis de controle, direcionamento (estratégia e política) e prestação de serviços dos Conselhos de Administração (CAs) e sua relevância no sistema de governança corporativa nas empresas listadas na BOVESPA. Estuda-se, ainda, também pela primeira vez, de um lado a relação entre os papéis do CAs e a estrutura e tipo de propriedade, tamanho e idade da empresa, determinantes da qualidade de governança no nível do CA e de outro a relação entre os papéis e a participação de investidores institucionais. Os resultados, dada a concentração da amostra, são principalmente aplicáveis às empresas listadas no Novo Mercado ou que emitem ADRs na Bolsa de Nova Iorque. No estudo quantitativo, de caráter descritivo e correlacional, considerou-se uma amostra não probabilística, por conveniência composta por 65 empresas listadas e 122 administradores. O Modelo de Equações Estruturais foi usado inicialmente, mas suspeitas sobre sua adequação levaram a um segundo modelo - o Modelo de Equações Simultâneas. Devido à ausência de dados, o modelo estatístico acabou por utilizar um total de 88 observações. Os CAs em grande parte são dominados pelos acionistas controladores. A participação de conselheiros independentes ainda está abaixo da recomendação das melhores práticas e a presença de acionistas minoritários nos CAs é pequena. O acúmulo dos cargos de presidente do conselho e presidente executivo não é um problema maior, porém mais importante é o acúmulo de poder verificado já que a presidência do CA é, em grande parte, ocupada por familiar do acionista controlador ou por ele próprio. A frequência relevante de presidentes executivos que também são familiares do controlador é outro elemento de concentração de poder. O papel de controle predomina nos CAs estudados, mas o papel de direcionamento também é relevante. O papel de serviço é o menos importante. O papel de controle pode ser enfraquecido nas empresas onde o presidente executivo e o presidente do conselho são familiares dos acionistas controladores. CAs com maiores níveis decisórios estão associados a um número maior de melhores práticas de governança. Os resultados não confirmaram as hipóteses de relação entre os elementos estudados e o papel das empresas listadas brasileiras. A pesquisa traz contribuições práticas aos agentes de mercado, indicando prioridades para a melhoria das práticas do CA e introduzindo não só o conceito de estilo do CA, mas também seu nível decisório. Para a pesquisa acadêmica, contribui-se com a construção de dois indicadores de concentração de poder e de endogenia/exogenia dos CAs que poderão ser utilizados não só em futuras pesquisas, como também pelas empresas. Os papéis do conselho de administração devem ser mais explorados e, já que o entendimento do órgão central do sistema de governança está apenas se iniciando, conclui-se esta dissertação com proposições de caminhos de pesquisa. / This study is the first to describe and to explore the control, guidance (strategy- and policydirecting), and service roles of boards of directors (BoD) and their relevance to the corporate governance system of companies listed on the São Paulo Stock Exchange (BOVESPA). It also studies on one side the relationship between the roles of the boards and structure and type of ownership, company size and age, board-level determinants of governance quality and on the other, the role of boards and institutional investor participation, and was also the first study to analyze this. Due to the concentration of the study sample, results are mainly applicable to companies listed on the Novo Mercado or issuing ADRs on the New York Stock Exchange. This quantitative, descriptive, and correlational study used a nonprobabilistic convenience sample of 65 listed companies and 122 executives and board directors. Structural equation modeling was initially employed, but suspicion on its adequacy led to an alternative one, the simultaneous equation model. Because there was an absence of data, a total of 88 observations were used in the statistical model. Boards are mostly dominated by controlling shareholders; participation of independent directors is still below the best practice recommendations levels, and minority shareholder participation is low. The functions of CEO and chairman played by the same person is not a major concern; the power concentration is more important, as boards are often chaired by relatives of controlling shareholders or by controlling shareholders themselves. Another element that concentrates power is the relevant frequency with which controlling shareholders relatives hold CEO positions. In the selected boards, the control role is dominant, with guidance also playing a relevant part; the service role was the least important. The control role may be weakened in companies where CEO and chairmen are from controlling shareholders family. Boards with higher decision-making levels are associated with a higher number of best governance practices. Results did not confirm the hypotheses of a relation between the studied elements and the role of listed Brazilian companies. This dissertation provides practical contributions for market agents, suggesting priorities for the improvement of board practices and introducing the concept of board style and decision-making level. The study also contributes to the academic literature by constructing two indicators concentration of power and board endogeny/exogeny which may be used in future researches and in the corporate environment. The roles of the BoD must be explored further, as we have only just begun to understand this central body of the corporate governance system. This dissertation concludes by proposing several possible research directions.