This study examines perceptions of threats and the actors in the Swedish Nato-debate. The particular sequence of debate which is investigated took place in Swedish media during the summer of 2015. The objects examined in this study are the actors involved in the debate and the perceptions of threats formed by these actors. Lack of knowledge regarding how debates are formed by actors, through their perceptions of threats, makes us unable to fully comprehend how and why these perceptions are formed. This lack of knowledge makes us unable to evaluate the debate beyond the claims of the participating actors. This study seeks to explain how perceptions of threats in the chosen debate-sequence were formed through filtration. Theory considering filtration of perceived threats states that the actors forming perceived threats does this through psychological-, bureaucratic-, political- and medial processes. Actors and their perceived threats can also exercise power. Whether the actors and their discourses have exercised power in the Swedish Nato-debate is examined through a relational- and productive power perspective. Results show that the participating actors examined, scientists, journalists and politicians, have all formed perceived threats through different forms of filtration, and all actors have in some way exercised relational or productive power in the debate.

Heightened perceptions of threat, along with the proximity and nature of terrorist attacks, can influence trust dynamics. This dynamic often increases due to heightened social cohesion and collective resilience. This study examines the influence of jihadist terrorist attacks on social trust within communities in the Netherlands, Sweden, France, and Germany. The study hypothesized and theorized about how jihadist terrorism influences shifts in societal trust among the affected populations. Utilizing a "multiple unexpected events during survey" (MUESD) research design and integrating individual-level responses from the European Social Survey (ESS) with event-specific data from the Global Terrorism Database (GTD). The findings indicate a statistically significant increase in social trust shortly after the attacks, within the first to two weeks. This emphasizes the link between external security threats and internal social cohesion. By providing a nuanced understanding of the resilience responses activated during crises, the study contributes to the knowledge of the socio-political impact of terrorism and offers insights into the shifts in societal trust among affected populations. This research underscores the importance of understanding how societies react to and recover from terrorist threats, shedding light on the dynamics of trust and community solidarity in the face of adversity.

The European financial market is rapidly changing with emerging fintechs targeting the banks’ traditional value chain, leveraging on their lower pace of innovation. The Payment Services Directive 2 (PSD2) is put into force in 2018 and aims to open up the financial market to new competitors, thus, promoting positive competition. This study examines how the managerial perception of changes in the external environment, caused by PSD2, affects banks’ preparatory work. The study uses a mix of Market Based View and Resource Based View along with an extension of RBV, illuminating how capabilities and managerial cognition affects managerial action. Using a qualitative approach through an interview based comparison between managers of two Swedish banks, the study confirms the theories’ stating that managerial cognition of the external environment, comprised of perceived opportunities and threats, affects managerial preparatory actions. Additionally, the study shows that managers’ perception of organisational capabilities affects managerial action.