The primary objective of this dissertation is to determine the factors that have shaped the corporate financial reporting practices in Bahrain. Prior researchers have offered two explanations, environmental factors and cultural importation, for the emergence of financial reporting practices in developing countries. The environmental explanation suggests that a nation's financial reporting practices will be shaped by its socioeconomic structure. The cultural importation explanation states that the desire for international legitimacy creates incentives for developing nation to adopt Western financial reporting practices. Bahrain provided an excellent environment in which to examine the two explanations since its public and closed corporations have similar economic characteristics. Only public corporations are legally required to publish financial reports. I posited that public corporations would try to gain legitimacy for their published reports by adopting Western standards, while closed corporations would not have a similar incentive. I used an interpretive framework to analyze the Bahrain socioeconomic environment and to examine the general financial reporting practices of Bahraini corporations. I found that closed corporations provided data responsive to the Bahraini environment. Public corporations, however, adopted International Accounting Standards. My analysis supported prior researchers7 findings that colonialism, the need for international legitimacy, and international audit firms were important factors in gaining acceptance for Western accounting practices. The adoption of Western financial reporting practices may be dysfunctional to a developing nation like Bahrain if these practices do not provide relevant information about corporate performance. Therefore, Bahrain, as well as other developing countries, needs to proceed cautiously before adopting Western corporate reporting practices.

"… en utveckling som tillfredsställer dagens behov utan att äventyra kommande generationers möjligheter att tillfredsställa sina behov". Så definieras enligt Brundtlandkommissionen begreppet hållbar utveckling. Det handlar om att företag låter balansera ekonomiska, sociala och miljömässiga frågor i sin verksamhet. Tre ansvarsområden som på senare tid kommit att spela en allt mer betydande roll i såväl företag som samhälle. I Sverige lyder våra statligt ägda bolag under direktiv att redovisa sitt beaktande av ovanstående ansvarsområden i form av en hållbarhetsredovisning vilken dessutom ska kvalitetssäkras av oberoende tredje part. Studien syftar till att beskriva och förklara vilka upplevda fördelar ovanstående direktiv frambringar. Vidare vill vi beskriva om de bolag som låter utföra kombinerad granskning upplever fördelar i större utsträckning än de som enbart låter utföra översiktlig granskning. Med hjälp av kvalitativ och kvantitativ undersökningsmetod avser vi förklara huruvida upplevda fördelar kan likställas med de incitament diverse teorier menar driver bolag att rapportera hållbarhetsarbete. Resultatet visar att granskningen upplevs bland bolagen medföra fördelar oavsett granskningsprincip. Några större signifikanta skillnader har dock inte kunnat konstateras; varken avseende skillnader i upplevda fördelar eller fördelaktighet utifrån nyttjad granskningsprincip. Däremot kunde signifikanta skillnader påvisas i huruvida omsättningen varit påverkande faktor vid implementering av hållbarhetsrapportering. Dessutom framkom att bolag som rapporterat längre upplevde effektiviserade processer i större mån. / "… development that meets the needs of the present world without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". The above quote is how The Brundtland Report defines sustainable development. It is all about the importance of companies implementing and balancing economic, social and environmental dimensions. Lately these fields of responsibility have become a more and more important function for businesses as well as in society. In Sweden, governmentally owned companies are under the obligation to report their consideration of the above mentioned fields of responsibility. Furthermore the obligation also includes ensuring the quality of the sustainability report. The purpose of this thesis is to describe and explain advantages companies perceive with the governmental obligation. In addition to this, the thesis intends to describe whether companies with an audit engagement review are able to emphasize advantages to a greater extent than companies with a review engagement. By means of qualitative and quantitative inquiry we explain whether perceived advantages can be placed on a level with those incentives various theories consider to drive companies into reporting sustainability or not. Results of the study indicate that the review assignment results in perceived advantages irrespective of which review engagement that have been used. Any significant differences were however not able to state; neither between perceived advantages or advantageous because of applied review assignment. However we did find significant differences when it comes to businesses yearly turnover and its impact when deciding whether to begin sustainability reporting or not. We also found that companies that have used the sustainability report for a longer time, before the governmentally obligation, were able to bring out more effective processes as an advantage to a greater extent than companies that quite recently started reporting sustainability.

Šiame darbe atskleistas juridinio asmens dalykinės reputacijos apsaugos reglamentavimas, praktinis įgyvendinimas bei pagrindinės jo problemos. Pirmojoje darbo dalyje buvo siekiama atskleisti juridinio asmens dalykinės reputacijos sąvoką, analizuojant ne tik teisės, bet ir kitų socialinių mokslų kontekste. Buvo prieita prie išvados, kad Lietuvos teisėje juridinio asmens dalykinė reputacija yra siejama su nematerialiuoju turtu ir ieškovai, norėdami sėkmingai apginti savo dalykinę reputaciją, turi įrodyti realų faktinį jos sumenkėjimą. Antroji darbo dalis buvo skirta išanalizuoti visas galimas dalykinės reputacijos gynimo procedūras ir būdus. Jų yra įvairių, todėl juridiniai asmenys gali pasirinkti jiems priimtiniausią ir efektyviausią gynybos būdą. Trečiojoje dalyje buvo nagrinėjamas juridinio asmens dalykinės reputacijos ir saviraiškos laisvės santykis. Buvo siekiama atskleisti problemas ir galimus sprendimus ieškant šių vertybių balanso. Ketvirtoji dalis skirta išanalizuoti neturtinės žalos kompensavimo galimybę pažeidus juridinio asmens dalykinę reputaciją ir kylančias problemas. Šiame darbe buvo analizuojamas juridinio asmens dalykinės reputacijos ir teisės į jos apsaugą reglamentavimas ir detaliai nagrinėjamas praktinis įgyvendinimas. / This paper analyses protection of corporate reputation and it‘s regulation, practical implementation and the main problems. In the first part it is discussed the concept of corporate reputation in law as well as other social sciences. The conclusion is that corporate reputation is an intangible property and if the claimants want to succeed in defending their corporate reputation, the real factual harm must be proven. In the second part it is analysed all the possible procedures and ways to defend corporate reputation. The are various possibilities to protect corporate reputation and legal entities may choose the most reasonable and effective one. In the third part it was discussed the relation between corporate reputation and freedom of self-expression. The aim was to reveal problems and possible solutions to find the balance between them. In the last part it was analysed possibilities to compensate non-pecuniary damages when corporate reputation is damaged. It was also revealed the main problems. This paper thoroughly analysed regulation of protection of corporate reputation as well as implementation in practise.

A presente dissertação versa sobre limites para a intervenção do Estado na economia sob a forma empresarial e os controles a ela aplicáveis. Além de abordar o papel do Estado como acionista de sociedades privadas e a compatibilidade dessa forma de intervenção com o ordenamento jurídico brasileiro, promove-se uma releitura da doutrina e jurisprudência sobre as sociedades de economia mista e sobre as empresas públicas. Estuda-se as razões que levam o Estado a intervir na economia de uma maneira geral, seja de forma direta ou indireta, a partir das teorias econômicas normativas e descritivas sobre a intervenção estatal na economia. Discorre-se sobre os fundamentos constitucionais à intervenção do Estado na economia e os possíveis motivos para a criação de empresas estatais e participação minoritária em sociedades privadas, bem como sobre os condicionamentos impostos pelo princípio da livre iniciativa à intervenção do Estado na economia, em especial à luz da jurisprudência dos Tribunais Superiores. Foram abordados, ainda, os princípios da eficiência, da livre concorrência e da proporcionalidade, que também constituem fundamentos e limites gerais à intervenção do Estado na economia, além da necessidade de autorização legal. Além de apresentarmos um breve resumo da discussão histórica sobre a criação das empresas estatais no Brasil e os motivos para a escolha de um ou outro tipo de sociedade estatal, analisa-se o regime jurídico aplicável a essas entidades, à luz dos dispositivos constitucionais e da jurisprudência sobre o tema, incluindo-se o estudo do seu regime de pessoal, de bens, tributário, licitações, contratual, responsabilidade civil e falência. Estudaremos, ainda, as formas de controle incidentes sobre essas entidades. Por fim, a dissertação também abrange o estudo da intervenção do Estado como acionista minoritário em sociedades privadas, abordando os motivos para essa participação societária, bem como a natureza dessa intervenção. Trata-se de empresas controladas pela iniciativa privada, mas que têm algum grau de participação estatal em seu capital. São muitos os motivos que podem levar o Poder Público a participar sem poder de controle em empresas privadas. A participação minoritária pode visar a permitir um maior controle do Estado sobre a empresa participada, ou mesmo a tomada de controle gradual de determinada companhia, mas também pode constituir uma forma de parceria entre a iniciativa estatal e a privada, como forma mais eficiente de fomento de atividades consideradas de interesse público ou de compartilhamento de riscos e custos envolvidos em determinada atividade explorada pelo Poder Público e pela iniciativa privada. Aborda-se a relação das sociedades meramente participadas com a Administração pública, bem como os condicionamentos constitucionais à participação minoritária estatal sem controle em sociedades privadas (proporcionalidade, eficiência, necessidade de autorização legal, realização de procedimento licitatório com vista à escolha do parceiro privado, e controle do Tribunal de Contas da União). / This dissertation discusses the limits imposed to State intervention in the economy under corporate form and the respective control enforced. Further, to approach the role played by the State as shareholder on private Companies and the compatibility of this form of intervention with the Brazilian legal order, it promotes a doctrine and jurisprudential rereading over joint capital Companies and public capital Companies. It studies the reasons for a direct or indirect State intervention in the economy, from a normative and descriptive economic perspectives. It also analyses the constitutional fundaments for the economic intervention and possible reasons for the creation of state-owned enterprises and public-private companies without state control. It also approaches the principles of free market, efficiency, competition and proportionality, that constitute fundaments and general limits for the state interventionism on the market, besides the necessity of legal authorization. After a brief introduction about the historical discussion over Brazilian state owned enterprises, it analyzes the applicable law for those entities, according to constitutional jurisprudence over this theme, including the regime of labor, goods, taxes, bidding, contracts, liability and bankruptcy. It also encompasses the study of the forms of control falls on those entities. Finally, this dissertation also reaches the State as a minority shareholder on private Companies, landing reasons for this shareholder intervention. These companies, as not being controlled by the state partner, are not included in private and public joint stock companys definition given by the Decree-law n200/67. Its about corporations controlled by the private initiative, but with some degree of state participation on their capital. There are many reasons that may take the Public Power to participate without control power in private companies. The minority participation may aim to allow a bigger control by the State over the under-taking company, or even the gradual investiture of control on determined company, but may also constitute a way of partnership between public and private initiatives, as a more efficient way of promotion of activities considered of public interest or sharing risks and costs involved in certain activity explored by the Public Power and by the private initiative. This study gives special attention to the constitutional basis and limits for this kind of State intervention on the economy, as well as the incident control over it, with emphasis on the control done by the Brazilian Superior Audit Institution.

A presente dissertação versa sobre limites para a intervenção do Estado na economia sob a forma empresarial e os controles a ela aplicáveis. Além de abordar o papel do Estado como acionista de sociedades privadas e a compatibilidade dessa forma de intervenção com o ordenamento jurídico brasileiro, promove-se uma releitura da doutrina e jurisprudência sobre as sociedades de economia mista e sobre as empresas públicas. Estuda-se as razões que levam o Estado a intervir na economia de uma maneira geral, seja de forma direta ou indireta, a partir das teorias econômicas normativas e descritivas sobre a intervenção estatal na economia. Discorre-se sobre os fundamentos constitucionais à intervenção do Estado na economia e os possíveis motivos para a criação de empresas estatais e participação minoritária em sociedades privadas, bem como sobre os condicionamentos impostos pelo princípio da livre iniciativa à intervenção do Estado na economia, em especial à luz da jurisprudência dos Tribunais Superiores. Foram abordados, ainda, os princípios da eficiência, da livre concorrência e da proporcionalidade, que também constituem fundamentos e limites gerais à intervenção do Estado na economia, além da necessidade de autorização legal. Além de apresentarmos um breve resumo da discussão histórica sobre a criação das empresas estatais no Brasil e os motivos para a escolha de um ou outro tipo de sociedade estatal, analisa-se o regime jurídico aplicável a essas entidades, à luz dos dispositivos constitucionais e da jurisprudência sobre o tema, incluindo-se o estudo do seu regime de pessoal, de bens, tributário, licitações, contratual, responsabilidade civil e falência. Estudaremos, ainda, as formas de controle incidentes sobre essas entidades. Por fim, a dissertação também abrange o estudo da intervenção do Estado como acionista minoritário em sociedades privadas, abordando os motivos para essa participação societária, bem como a natureza dessa intervenção. Trata-se de empresas controladas pela iniciativa privada, mas que têm algum grau de participação estatal em seu capital. São muitos os motivos que podem levar o Poder Público a participar sem poder de controle em empresas privadas. A participação minoritária pode visar a permitir um maior controle do Estado sobre a empresa participada, ou mesmo a tomada de controle gradual de determinada companhia, mas também pode constituir uma forma de parceria entre a iniciativa estatal e a privada, como forma mais eficiente de fomento de atividades consideradas de interesse público ou de compartilhamento de riscos e custos envolvidos em determinada atividade explorada pelo Poder Público e pela iniciativa privada. Aborda-se a relação das sociedades meramente participadas com a Administração pública, bem como os condicionamentos constitucionais à participação minoritária estatal sem controle em sociedades privadas (proporcionalidade, eficiência, necessidade de autorização legal, realização de procedimento licitatório com vista à escolha do parceiro privado, e controle do Tribunal de Contas da União). / This dissertation discusses the limits imposed to State intervention in the economy under corporate form and the respective control enforced. Further, to approach the role played by the State as shareholder on private Companies and the compatibility of this form of intervention with the Brazilian legal order, it promotes a doctrine and jurisprudential rereading over joint capital Companies and public capital Companies. It studies the reasons for a direct or indirect State intervention in the economy, from a normative and descriptive economic perspectives. It also analyses the constitutional fundaments for the economic intervention and possible reasons for the creation of state-owned enterprises and public-private companies without state control. It also approaches the principles of free market, efficiency, competition and proportionality, that constitute fundaments and general limits for the state interventionism on the market, besides the necessity of legal authorization. After a brief introduction about the historical discussion over Brazilian state owned enterprises, it analyzes the applicable law for those entities, according to constitutional jurisprudence over this theme, including the regime of labor, goods, taxes, bidding, contracts, liability and bankruptcy. It also encompasses the study of the forms of control falls on those entities. Finally, this dissertation also reaches the State as a minority shareholder on private Companies, landing reasons for this shareholder intervention. These companies, as not being controlled by the state partner, are not included in private and public joint stock companys definition given by the Decree-law n200/67. Its about corporations controlled by the private initiative, but with some degree of state participation on their capital. There are many reasons that may take the Public Power to participate without control power in private companies. The minority participation may aim to allow a bigger control by the State over the under-taking company, or even the gradual investiture of control on determined company, but may also constitute a way of partnership between public and private initiatives, as a more efficient way of promotion of activities considered of public interest or sharing risks and costs involved in certain activity explored by the Public Power and by the private initiative. This study gives special attention to the constitutional basis and limits for this kind of State intervention on the economy, as well as the incident control over it, with emphasis on the control done by the Brazilian Superior Audit Institution.

**Note** During the research process, IndyGo donated some of the resources cited within this paper to the Indiana Historical Society. That collection has not been archived yet. Further, IndyGo may have placed other documents (created during the time of public ownership) in the Indiana State Archives or the Indiana State Library. / Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Today, most urban mass transit providers are publicly owned. Just a few decades ago, and for a majority of the history of mass transit, private owners provided transportation for communities. The decline of private ownership in Indianapolis resulted in transit crisis that pitted private owners against local government, riders and community groups. Advocates lambasted the private owners for their profit-first tactics, pointing to the dividends gained by the private owners. These owners, the Midland Transportation Corporation, also owned the mass transit companies in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Louisville, Kentucky. Indianapolis politicians, residents and newspapers, all firmly conservative, hoped private owners could continue to operate Indianapolis Transit Systems without public assistance. The imminent failure prompted a discussion of the future of transportation in the city of Indianapolis. Community groups hoped the new public corporation would increase service for Indianapolis and not continue the skeleton system managed by the private owners. A storm of uncontrollable events prevented the robust expansion of the new public corporation and its lack of funding resulted in a continuing decline of service, much akin to the private owners that were abhorred by transit riders. Public ownership in Indianapolis revealed the importance of public ownership in the historiography of mass transportation and urban history. The regional investigation of Midland Transportation confirmed the notion of transit as a unique industry, both in its industrial relations and influence of the locality. The basic rationale for public ownership in Indianapolis would be the most important: the provision of public transportation for those unable to afford private transportation to obtain necessary services.