It has been recognised that exporting is an engine for growth at both country and firm levels. However, the challenging nature of international business often prevents companies from entering and surviving in international markets. In the Small and Medium-size Business context, lack of resource is normally the main reason behind the inability of firms to overcome export barriers. In recognition of the issue and for promoting exporting, the governments have been offering the so-called Government Export Promotion Programmes (GEPPs) to act as “resource supplements”. While there have been extensive practices, the mechanism and effectiveness of these programmes have not been thoroughly explored and analysed. In some academic studies, criticisms and doubts about these programmes have been raised. Against this background, the thesis investigates the working mechanism of these programmes and tests their effectiveness in terms of export initiation, performance and regularity. Using an extended version of the Resource Based View, two integrative and comprehensive conceptual models are developed in order to reveal the indirect impacts of GEPPs on export behaviour. The models are then tested with a total of 495 completed questionnaires collected from two sample countries; namely, Algeria and the UK. These were analysed through a multivariate analysis using a variance-based statistical technique known as Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling. The findings of this thesis are two-fold. First, with respect to the critical resources affecting export behaviour, the study finds that while both Algerian and UK firms’export intention are affected by management resources only, firms’ export performance and regularity are instead mainly influenced by management and organisational resources in the UK and management and relational resources in Algeria. Second, regarding the impact of GEPPs on export intention, the study confirms its indirect nature through the management resources in both countries. However, when it comes to their effect on export performance and regularity, the indirect effect was only established in the UK and mainly through management and organisational resources. These findings have both theoretical and practical implications in that the results have provided empirical evidence on the indirect impact of GEPPs and can serve as an indication in practice for both firm managers and policy makers in deploying key resources for different stages of internationalisation.

An enhanced approach for the impact analysis is presented. Impact analyses play an important role in future research analysis as part of the scenario techniques in the strategic management field. Nowadays, they are also applied for the description of mutual relationships of tangible and intangible resources in organisations. The new method is based on currently existing methods using a cross impact matrix and overcomes some of their drawbacks. Indirect impacts are considered together with their impact strengths. A modification of the impact matrix is not necessary. Simple examples show that the new method leads to more reasonable and stable results than the existing methods. The new method shall help analysing the complexity of social systems in a more reliable way.

An enhanced approach for the impact analysis is presented. Impact analyses play an important role in future research analysis as part of the scenario techniques in the strategic management field. Nowadays, they are also applied for the description of mutual relationships of tangible and intangible resources in organisations. The new method is based on currently existing methods using a cross impact matrix and overcomes some of their drawbacks. Indirect impacts are considered together with their impact strengths. A modification of the impact matrix is not necessary. Simple examples show that the new method leads to more reasonable and stable results than the existing methods. The new method shall help analysing the complexity of social systems in a more reliable way.

Les adénovirus humains (HAdVs) provoquent généralement une infection bénigne chez l'hôte sain. En revanche, chez les patients immunodéprimés et immunocompétents, ils peuvent causer des infections sévères à létales. Les vecteurs HAdVs sont couramment utilisés dans les domaines de la thérapie génique et de la vaccination. L'immunité pré-existante de l’hôte protège généralement contre les infections de type sauvage mais peut entraîner des effets indésirables lors du relargage des virus tel que l’induction de processus inflammatoire locale ou général. Après l'infection, l'inflammation va principalement entraîner le recrutement de cellules dendritiques (DCs), de monocytes et de neutrophiles. Les DCs ont la capacité unique de présenter l'antigène et d’activer les cellules T, qui, par la suite, aideront les cellules B à produire des anticorps. En plus de leurs activités phagocytaires, des peptides antimicrobiens dérivés des neutrophiles (AMPs) jouent un rôle central dans l'immunité innée. Les AMPs peuvent neutraliser les microbes infectieux et / ou activer différents types de cellules immunitaires. Dans ce contexte, nous avons étudié l'interaction ex vivo entre le facteur hôte (anticorps anti-HADV et AMPs) contre les HAdVs dans les DCs ainsi que le rôle des DCs activés indirectement (indir-DCs) lors de la réponse immunitaire. Nous avons caractérisé le profil des cytokines et des chimiokines sécrétées par les DCs stimulées par différents HAdVs, AMPs et les combinaisons qui en découlent. Enfin, nous avons constaté que l’opsonisation d’HAdV5 par les IgG accroît la capacité de capture antigénique des MoDCs (cellules dendritiques dérivées de monocytes) et induit la mort cellulaire par pyroptose. Je me suis donc concentrée sur les caractéristiques et la fonction des indir-DCs dans l’immunité contre les HAdVs. Afin de mieux comprendre les propriétés et les phénotypes des indir-DCs et DCs activés directement (dir-DCs), nous avons caractérisé leurs profils de maturation, les facteurs influençant cette maturation, et leur capacité fonctionnelle de recruter les leucocytes. Ainsi nous avons pu mettre en évidence que les dir-DCs empêchent le recrutement leucocytaire tandis que les indir-DCs favorisent la migration des monocytes. L’ensemble de ces données contribue à comprendre comment l'immunité pré-existante contre les HAdVs peut impacter l’efficacité des traitements contre les maladies HAdVs ainsi que la conception de vaccins. / Human adenoviruses (HAdV) generally cause mild infection in healthy host, but in immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients, they cause severe on lethal infections. HAdV vector are also commonly used for gene transfer and vaccination. We know that pre-existing immunity can protect from wild type infection and cause adverse effects during vector delivery including local and system inflammation. Following HAdV infection on vector use, inflammation leads to the recruitment of dendritic cells (DCs), monocyte and neutrophils. DCs have the unique ability to present antigens and activate T cells, that subsequently aid B cells to produce antibodies. In addition to their phagocytic activities, neutrophil-derived antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) play a central role in innate immunity. AMPs can kill invading microbes and/or activate various cell types. Here I studied the ex vivo interaction between host factor (anti-HAdV antibodies and AMPs) to HAdV in DCs and the role of indirect-activated DC (indir-DCs) in immune response. I characterized the profile of cytokines and chemokines of DC stimulated with different HAdV, AMPs and their combination. We recently found that IgG-oposonization of HAdV5 increase the update by MoDCs (monoctyes-derived dendritic cells) and induced pyroptotic cell death. I therefore focused on the characteristic and function of indir-DCs in anti-HAdV immunity. To better understand the properties and phenotypes of indir-DCs and direct-activated DCs (dir-DCs), we characterize their maturation profile, the factors influencing their maturation, and the functional ability to recruit leukocyte. We found that dir-DC prevent leucocyte recruitment while indir-DC increases monocyte migration. These data contribute to understand how the pre-existing immunity to HAdV impacts treatment for HAdV diseases and vaccine design.

All companies, municipalities, governments and private individuals are in need of a functioning banking system. Research shows that for the long-term survival of banks, sustainability is important. However, there are several reasons why the banks are working with sustainability. The purpose of this study is to contribute to a deeper understanding of the sustainability work of banks operating in Sweden and to see how sustainability work differs between banks. The purpose is also to contribute to a deeper understanding of why the banks work with sustainability. The study has examined the banks Nordea, Handelsbanken, Danske Bank, Swedbank, SEB and Ekobanken. The study has a deductive approach and uses mixed methods. Semi-structured interviews have been conducted, sustainability reports have been reviewed, the number of customers and customer satisfaction have been taken into account. The study consists of interviews with Handelsbanken, Danske Bank, Ekobanken, Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority and Fair Finance Guide. A thematic analysis has been made based on the collected data. The study has come to the conclusion that the banks are working with sustainability to meet the expectations of their stakeholders, reduce risks, achieve trust, marketing goals and profitability. The banks work with both long-term social measures and short-term financial targets. The banks, Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority and Fair Finance Guide believe that the climate is a current issue. It is also through the indirect impact they have the greatest opportunity to influence the world towards a more sustainable society. Sustainability is constantly changing as society norms and expectations change. There is also a gap between the banks' policies and what they do in practice regarding their work with sustainability. / Alla företag, kommuner, stater och privatpersoner är i behov av ett fungerande banksystem. Forskning menar att för bankernas långsiktiga överlevnad är hållbarhetsarbetet viktigt, dock finns flera olika anledningar till att bankerna arbetar med hållbarhet. Syftet med denna uppsats är att bidra till en djupare förståelse för hållbarhetsarbetet inom bankerna med verksamhet i Sverige samt att se hur hållbarhetsarbetet skiljer sig mellan olika banker. Syftet är även att bidra till en djupare förståelse för varför bankerna arbetar med hållbarhet. Studien har undersökt bankerna Nordea, Handelsbanken, Danske Bank, Swedbank, SEB och Ekobanken. Studien har en deduktiv ansats och använder sig av metodtriangulering. Semistrukturerade intervjuer har utförts, hållbarhetsrapporter har granskats, antalet kunder och kundnöjdhet har tagits i beaktande. De som har intervjuats är Handelsbanken, Danske Bank, Ekobanken, Finansinspektionen och Fair Finance Guide. En tematisk analys har gjorts med utgångspunkt i den insamlade datan. Studien har kommit fram till att bankerna arbetar med hållbarhet för att leva upp till sina intressenters förväntningar, minska risker, uppnå förtroende, marknadsföringssyfte och för lönsamheten. Bankerna arbetar både långsiktigt med sociala mått och kortsiktigt med finansiella mått. Bankerna, Finansinspektionen och Fair Finance Guide anser att klimatfrågan är väldigt viktig just nu. Det är även genom den indirekta påverkan de har störst möjlighet att påverka världen mot ett mer hållbart samhälle. Hållbarhetsarbetet förändras hela tiden i takt med att samhällets normer och förväntningar förändras. Det finns dessutom ett gap mellan bankernas policy och vad de gör i praktiken när det kommer till deras hållbarhetsarbete.

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