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Syftet med denna studie var att genom intervjuer med 6 personer, som levt på ekonomiskt bistånd i mer än 10 månader, skildra deras upplevelse av sin livssituation och möjligheter att påverka den. Genom semi-strukturerade intervjuer samlades material in, material som analyserades med utgångspunkt i en induktiv tematisk metod. I analysen träder fyra huvudteman fram som beskriver upplevelsen av att vara långvarigt beroende av ekonomiskt bistånd: skam, förändring, bristande kontroll och låg framtidstro. Teman som i en sammantagen förståelse leder till kärnkategorin som är ett: förstärkt beroende - att hamna mellan stolarna. / The purpose of this study was to describe, through 6 interviews with people who have been living on social security service for more than 10 months, their experience of their lifesituation and opportunities to influence it. The material was collected through semi-structered interviews and anlayzed based on an inductive thematic method. The analysis revealed four main themes that describe the expeience of being long term dependent on social security service; shame, change, lack of control and low faith in future. These themes could be understood on the basis of the core category: reinforced dependency on social security – to end up between the chairs.

Concerns have long been raised about the conduct and accountability of charitable organisations, particularly the adequacy of reporting and oversight mechanisms. Consequently, charities and the institutions that monitor the sector are under increasing pressure to demonstrate their legitimacy. This thesis focuses on the ways in which risk is operationalised by the Scottish Charity Regulator and experienced by charities. In particular, it examines the nature, extent, determinants and outcomes of four types of risk: complaints concerning charity conduct, regulatory action in response to a complaint, financial vulnerability, and triggering accountability concerns. The thesis begins with a detailed review of the overlapping literatures of risk, regulation and charity theory, and the development of a contextual framework for guiding the empirical work. The thesis draws on contemporary large-scale administrative social science data derived from the regulator, supported by modest use of primary social survey and qualitative data. Findings from the four empirical chapters provide evidence that the risks explored in this research are uncommon for individual charities but are a persistent feature of the sector as a whole, and vary in predictable ways across certain organisational characteristics. The results also reveal the concern of charities with financial risks, their willingness to demonstrate transparency regarding their actions (particularly in response to complaints), and the perceived lack of regulatory burden. The thesis makes an original contribution in the form of new empirical knowledge about the charity sector, in particular through the use of large-scale administrative social science data to ‘peer under the hood’ and shine a light on aspects of charity behaviour that are often overlooked. The thesis concludes with a reflection on the key findings and comments on potential areas for future research.

Nonprofit organizations rely heavily on their governing board of directors to provide leadership, strategic guidance, and financial oversight. The nonprofit community continues to grow, and the services provided by these organizations have become a critical part of our society, providing a wide variety of services targeting a diverse population. In this context, how the role of the board of directors impacts the financial position of the nonprofit organization is of great interest to both the academic community and the practitioner. This study examined three areas of interest: board effectiveness, funding source, and financial vulnerability. First, the association between board effectiveness and financial vulnerability was tested. Second, specific board behaviors associated with strategic planning and stakeholder management were tested to determine if they were greater predictors of financial vulnerability. Finally, the role of funding source (specifically privately funded organizations) as a moderating variable for board effectiveness and financial vulnerability was explored. The sample was composed of 112 participants, consisting of board member/executive director survey responses and financial information for the participating organizations. The sample was drawn from six counties in the Central Florida area. Data were collected from a series of mailings, and surveys were distributed at nonprofit lecture series. The Financial Vulnerability Index (FVI) was used as a measure of the financial condition of the nonprofit organization and represented the dependent variable in this study. The Board Self-Assessment Questionnaire (BSAQ) was used to assess board effectiveness and represented the independent variable in this study. Primary funding source was identified as a moderating variable, while board size, age of the organization, CEO tenure, service area, United Way affiliation, national affiliation were included as control variables. Board effectiveness as measured by the BSAQ was a significant predictor of financial vulnerability as measured by the FVI. The strategic and stakeholder behaviors associated with board effectiveness were not found to be significant predictors of financial vulnerability, beyond other behaviors associated with board effectiveness. Funding source was shown to moderate the observed relationship between board effectiveness and financial vulnerability, as the association between effectiveness and financial condition was significant in privately funded nonprofit organizations (no such significance was identified in government funded or commercially funded organizations).

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Death, Mortality and Consumer Decision Making: Two Essays Dwayne Scott McGraw ABSTRACT This dissertation presents two essays that address specific aspects of the broad domain of death, mortality and consumer decision making. Essay 1 examines how priming mortality salience (MS) and financial vulnerability (FV) influences insurance policy choices of young, middle aged and senior consumers. Essay 2 investigates how, in funeral planning contexts when consumer may be dealing with significant grief, manipulating choice architecture (via additive vs. subtractive framing of funeral package options) influences the composition and cost of the chosen funeral package. In Essay 1, we use a three-factor design: 2 (MS prime: present/absent) x 2 (FV prime: present/absent) x 3 (Age: Young/Middle-Aged/Senior) to examine how participants evaluate and choose among three hypothetical policies (premium/benefits: low, medium, and high). In a control group (neither prime present), the younger and middle age groups modally select the medium policy whereas the seniors select the high policy. However, the primes affect these choices. When MS alone is primed (FV prime absent), young adults move toward the low policy (assures death benefits at affordable cost). The middle-aged group moves toward the high policy. The seniors remain over-insured with the high policy. When FV is primed, the senior group seems to recognize that their strong financial situation and low obligation levels warrant the medium policy. Interestingly, sensitive to higher financial obligations, the middle-aged tend to buy the high policy. With both MS and FV primed, seniors continue to show affinity toward the medium policy (salience of lower FV tempers the MS effect). Sensitized to their financial situation, younger adults continue to favor the low policy. The middle-aged group remains with the higher policy: both primes have impact. These evaluation data are generally consistent with the choice data. The findings have significant implications for designing life insurance products attuned to the needs of consumers in various age groups. They provide insight into the factors that, if made salient at choice, may facilitate better consumer choices. The results also have important regulatory implications. In Essay 2, we examine if consumers are influenced by how funeral package options are presented at the time of choice. Specifically, we study these effects of choice architecture using manipulations of choice architecture (additive versus subtractive framing of package options). In study1, we examine how grief and related emotions surrounding death influence the effects of additive versus subtractive framing of items. In Study 2, we examine how these effects are moderated by when the funeral is pre-planned or planned at the time of death. These studies shed light on how options framing influence the choice of funeral packages and also the costs and benefits of preplanning funeral events and providing advanced directives for end-of-life care and death related expenses. / Doctor of Philosophy / Death, Mortality and Consumer Decision Making: Two Essays Dwayne Scott McGraw GENERAL AUDIENCE ABSTRACT This dissertation (titled Death, Mortality, and Consumer Decision Making: Two Essays) address specific aspects of the broad domain of death, mortality and consumer decision making. Essay 1 examines how priming mortality salience (MS) and financial vulnerability (FV) influences insurance policy choices of young, middle aged and senior consumers. Essay 2 investigates how, in funeral planning contexts when consumer may be dealing with significant grief, manipulating choice architecture (additive vs. subtractive framing of funeral package options) influences the composition and cost of the funeral package that is ultimately chosen. In Essay 1, we investigate how priming mortality salience (MS), and financial vulnerability (FV) influences the insurance policy choices of young, middle-aged, and senior consumers. These findings show that such priming affects makes the likelihood of death and associated financial needs salient, and differentially influences choice of policies with specific benefit/premium profiles in different age groups. The results provide significant insights for designing life insurance products tailored to the needs of consumers at different life stages and the factors that highlight may influence consumer choices of such products. The results also have regulatory implications. In Essay 2, we examine how coping with grief surrounding death and bereavement may influence consumers' choices of funeral packages. Specifically, we examine the effects of choice architecture (additive versus subtractive framing) on the funeral package that is finally chosen in such situations. In Study 1, we find that both option framing as well as grief and related emotions surrounding the death of a loved one affect the composition and cost of the funeral package that consumers choose. In Study 2, we assess how these effects are influenced by whether the funeral is pre-planned or arranged at the time of death. These studies shed light on how options framing influence the choice of funeral packages and also the costs and benefits of preplanning funeral events and providing advanced directives for end-of-life care and death related expense.

The aim of this study is to highlight inequality among elderly. The study increase the understanding of poverty and financial vulnerability in elderlies life. This study describes what their living conditions look like for themselves and what their financial situation can have in their everyday lives and consequences. The aim is to understand the patterns and paths that lead to financial vulnerability in retirement. Seven retired people in the age between 65-80 years were interviewed. The result shows that there are large differences in income between men and women when retired. Some of the main reasons for this are that the women have worked unpaid by living as housewives and taking a bigger responsibility for children and the home. The unpaid work has had an impact on the income when retired and affected their living conditions. The majority of the respondents answer that planning and limitations are needed to cope up with everyday life as retired person. Some of the respondents have to continue to work extra after retirement to succeed financially. Generally the finances of the elderly are worse after retirement than before and this has negative consequences, it will not get better when they are retired as many of them thought, but they still manage to get their lives to work out even if they have limitations in their everyday life. Gender, individualization and social exclusion are used to analyze the results in the essay.

CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Com o avanço dos processos de desregulamentação financeira, liberalização externa e, expansão das inovações financeiras, principalmente a partir das décadas de 1980 e 1990, num sistema monetário e financeiro hierarquizado, é visto que o montante de capitais circulantes no globo aumentou sobremaneira, buscando, a partir de então, outros destinos que não apenas aqueles vinculados aos países acima da linha do equador. A consequência desse movimento foi a enxurrada de capitais para os países periféricos, aproveitando-os dos novos mercados e das elevadas taxas de juros, em que estes fluxos financeiros estarão mais ligados a fatores extranacionais (ciclos de liquidez, taxa de juros norte-americana) do que propriamente aos fundamentos macroeconômicos daqueles países. Assim, uma vez que parte dos Investimentos Diretos é composto por mera compra de ações, a hipótese do trabalho é que sua dinâmica não foge deste movimento e que parte dos seus fluxos tem caráter semelhante ao encontrado nos Investimentos em Carteira, por serem fluxos altamente voláteis e especulativos. O objetivo da dissertação é estudar, através de uma perspectiva pós-keynesiana, como se dá a dinâmica dos fluxos de capitais para o Brasil, com foco nas rubricas Investimento Direto e Investimento em Carteira passivos. O estudo desenvolve-se a partir de análises histórica, gráfica e econométrica (modelos VAR/VEC e ARCH/GARCH), e os resultados apontam que os Investimentos Diretos no País (Participação no Capital) possuem volatilidade e dinâmica parecidas com a das rubricas dos Investimentos em Carteira Passivos (Ações e Títulos de Renda Fixa, negociados no país), com relação próxima aos movimentos do índice VIX e da rubrica Ações Negociadas no País. A constatação é que primordialmente após a crise do subprime, e dos seus desdobramentos, os Investimentos Diretos no País (Participação no Capital) passaram a apresentar de forma mais clara (também) esta característica, seja ela: fluxos voláteis, curto-prazistas e especulativos. / With the advancement of financial deregulation, external liberalization and expansion of financial innovations, especially since the 1980s and 1990s, in a hierarchical monetary and financial system, It is perceived that the amount of capital circulating on the globe has increased enormously, and looking for destinations other than those linked to countries above the equator. The consequence of this movement was the flow of capital to the peripheral countries, taking advantage of the new markets and the high interest rates, in which these financial flows will be more associated to extranational factors (liquidity cycles, US interest rates) than the macroeconomic fundamentals of those countries. Thus, since part of the Direct Investments consists of mere stock purchase, the hypothesis of the work is that its dynamics does not escape this movement and that part of its flows has a similar character to that found in Portfolio Investments, since they are highly volatile flows and speculative. The objective of this dissertation is understand, through a post-Keynesian perspective, how the dynamics of capital flows to Brazil, focusing on the items Direct Investment and Portfolio Investment passive. The study is based on historical, graphical and econometric analysis (VAR/VEC and ARCH/GARCH models), and concludes that Direct Investments in the Country (Equity Interest) have volatility and dynamics similar to those of Portfolio Investments Liabilities (Debt Securities and Investments Fund Shares, traded in the country), with behavior close to the movements of the VIX index and the Stock Traded Securities in the Country. The main finding is that, after the subprime crisis, and its unfolding, Direct Investments in the Country (equity participation) started to presente, more clearly, (also) this characteristic, which is: volatile, short-term logic and speculative flows. / Dissertação (Mestrado)

This study aimed to develop a causal chain that illustrates the path through which a variety of factors influence consumer financial vulnerability. In order to achieve the stated aim, it was necessary to firstly identify the factors that gave rise to consumers being financially vulnerable. Secondly, the nature of the causal chain between the identified factors was determined. Thirdly, the causes of consumer financial vulnerability according to key informants in the financial services industry were determined. Finally, based on the results of the first three stages, possible explanations for consumer financial vulnerability were provided. Before the construction of the causal chain could be explored, a theoretical framework regarding household financial position as well as financial attitudes and behaviours was provided. The theoretical framework was supported by a description of the linkages through which consumers function and transact in an economy by applying chain reasoning. The chain reasoning was extended by providing financial statements reflecting the results of consumers’ interactions in the macroeconomy with an extract from the national accounts of South Africa presenting the income statements, balance sheets and relevant financial ratios of consumers for the period in which the research was conducted (2008 to 2009). For this study, the explanatory sequential mixed methods design was deemed appropriate to achieve the proposed research objectives. The research process firstly consisted of a quantitative strand where the possible causes for consumer financial vulnerability were identified after which the results were validated with data obtained in the second phase by means of four focus group discussions. To determine the factors giving rise to and establish the causal chain of overall consumer financial vulnerability, regression analysis was conducted. Based on the results of the regression analysis, it became evident that the financial vulnerability chain is not a singular linear process but rather a non-linear process (with contemporaneous and singular linkages) with a variety of factors influencing financial vulnerability, but also influencing each other over time. / Management Accounting / D. Accounting Science

This study aimed to develop a causal chain that illustrates the path through which a variety of factors influence consumer financial vulnerability. In order to achieve the stated aim, it was necessary to firstly identify the factors that gave rise to consumers being financially vulnerable. Secondly, the nature of the causal chain between the identified factors was determined. Thirdly, the causes of consumer financial vulnerability according to key informants in the financial services industry were determined. Finally, based on the results of the first three stages, possible explanations for consumer financial vulnerability were provided. Before the construction of the causal chain could be explored, a theoretical framework regarding household financial position as well as financial attitudes and behaviours was provided. The theoretical framework was supported by a description of the linkages through which consumers function and transact in an economy by applying chain reasoning. The chain reasoning was extended by providing financial statements reflecting the results of consumers’ interactions in the macroeconomy with an extract from the national accounts of South Africa presenting the income statements, balance sheets and relevant financial ratios of consumers for the period in which the research was conducted (2008 to 2009). For this study, the explanatory sequential mixed methods design was deemed appropriate to achieve the proposed research objectives. The research process firstly consisted of a quantitative strand where the possible causes for consumer financial vulnerability were identified after which the results were validated with data obtained in the second phase by means of four focus group discussions. To determine the factors giving rise to and establish the causal chain of overall consumer financial vulnerability, regression analysis was conducted. Based on the results of the regression analysis, it became evident that the financial vulnerability chain is not a singular linear process but rather a non-linear process (with contemporaneous and singular linkages) with a variety of factors influencing financial vulnerability, but also influencing each other over time. / Management Accounting / D. Accounting Science