Background - The underrepresentation of women in corporate boardrooms has been a central corporate governance issue for decades; still, improvement is made at a slow pace and varies by industry sector. On average, the Swedish financial industry displays high levels of female board representation compared to other industry sectors; however, there are large differences between the companies. Therefore, investigating whether certain organizational and/or board characteristics have an impact on female board representation in this industry may provide valuable insights as to whether some factors enhance gender diversity on these boards and, consequently, could serve as tools for further growth of female board representation. Purpose - The purpose of this study is to evaluate the development of female board representation in Swedish publicly listed financial firms and to investigate whether certain organizational and/or board characteristics have an impact on female board representation. As such, the study answers call for research regarding women on boards in the finance industry, while also contributing to the limited amount of research examining whether certain organizational factors may act as predictors of female board representation. Method - The study is of quantitative nature with a deductive approach and longitudinal design. Data is collected from annual reports and corporate governance reports of Swedish public financial firms listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and NGM Equity between 2011 and 2017. The initial sample contains all 60 listed firms, while the final sample consists of 37 firms. The dependent variable is female board representation and the independent variables are firm size, female employment base, board size, outside directors, multiple directorships, older directors, and female chairman. Control variables for market capitalization segments and year-fixed effects are included. Data is analysed using multiple linear regression, which is in line with prior research. Conclusion - The results of the study show that there is a significant negative relationship between female board representation and board size, while there are significant positive relationships between female board representation and the variables outside directors and female employment base. Significant positive relationships are also found between female board representation and effects related to time and market capitalization segment. The results are both in line with and contradictory to prior research, indicating the need for further research to clarify the relationship – if any – between certain factors and female board representation. Moreover, the results provide indications for policymaking, especially concerning the large inequalities found regarding the position as chairman as well as the relationship between the female employment base and female board representation.

Advanced practice nurses fill a vital need in the U.S. by increasing access to needed healthcare. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) are one type of advanced practice nurse with a long history of safe and effective peri-anesthetic care. Nurse anesthetists have a rich tradition of providing anesthetic care for rural and underserved communities, and are a primary provider of anesthesia for active and retired military personnel. CRNAs comprise over one-half of the actively practicing U.S. anesthesia workforce currently, and are able to function in any anesthetic care model. Nurse anesthesia educational programs (NAEPs) are the single source for new graduate nurse anesthetists in the U.S. Demographic, geographic and epidemiological factors have combined to produce a predicted increase in the demand for peri-operative anesthesia care among a complex, aging and increasing patient population. The uninterrupted or increased supply of CRNAs to the anesthesia workforce is important. The goal of this study was the production of a comprehensive analysis of potential resource constraints upon the NAEPs in the U.S. This was accomplished through a focused, prospective and correlational research design, grounded conceptually in Resource Dependence Theory. A novel survey tool was developed for the assessment of critical resource constraints, completed by U.S. NAEP administrators and faculty. This research was exploratory in nature and is the basis for continued work in critical resource planning tools for U.S. NAEPs.

Individual shortcomings and the need for resources stimulates organizations desire to establish collaborative relations with each other. An organization tends to prefer to collaborate with other familiar organizations. The information available to an organization about its peers is necessary for its ability to appreciate the suitability of potential partners as well as their capabilities and ability to contribute to a successful collaborative relation. In a three stage analytical process, social network analysis and statistical network modelling is applied to investigate the correlation between patterns of communication and the extent to which organizations establish collaborative relationships. With a theoretical framework of resource dependence theory and social capital, data on information exchanges, resource exchanges and common advocacy among humanitarian 55 organizations is mapped. The first analytical stage explicates the structures of the collected information exchanges and evaluates the prevalence of coordination facilitating communication structures. The second stage appreciates the extent of inter-organizational involvement in collaborative relationships. The third step combines these results to demonstrate the covariance between the prevalence of coordination facilitating structures and extent of collaborative relations. The results indicate that the collected information exchanges exhibit few coordination facilitating structures and the organizations are only to a very limited extent engaged in collaborative relationships with each other. While consistent with previous research on the importance of communication for coordination, these observations illustrate the negative consequences of lacking communication. This analysis contributes with added empirical experiences to solidify our understanding of organizational behavior in inter-organizational interaction and tendencies to establish collaborative relations.

This is the first research to empirically study the congruity in supply chain operations strategies. The tests show that the congruity in supply chain operations strategies are related to performance and also moderate the association between performance and the types of supply chain relationships. 308 manufacturing firms were studied for empirical tests. Various methods including multiple regressions, cluster analyses, and logistic regressions are applied in this study. Based on the tests, five hypotheses are supported and only one hypothesis is inconclusive. This dissertation contributes in different thresholds. First, by studying operations strategies through a different angle (the supply chain instead of a firm) this study reconciles results in the relationships between performance and operations strategies and between performance and supply chain relationships. Therefore, this study contributes to reconciling two long-term puzzles in both operations strategies and supply chain management literatures. Second, this research draws on three different disciplines, operations strategies, supply chain management and organization theory (resource dependence theory). This interdisciplinary approach provides a broader perspective in operations management research. Third, through this research, guidelines are provided for not only powerful firms but also the weak ones on how to improve their performance through developing different types of supply chain relationships and integrating their operations strategies with their supply chain members.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T13:53:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 RooseveltBSF.pdf: 738768 bytes, checksum: 1b44c9904337b95af5a512f4d87db232 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-08-24 / This work consists in a study of the Shrimp Industry in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, whose central issue relates to the understanding of how the Triple Helix (University, Government and the productive sector) interrelationship limits or expands the industry s innovation process. The study aims to understand how the Triple Helix relationship interferes in the innovation process of shrimp in Rio Grande do Norte. As the knowledge becomes the resource key for production methods, the generation of new technologies, new products and processes which demands joint and integrated action of the institutions comprising the Triple Helix: University, Government and productive sector, which possess the essential resources to innovate the process and can be maximized from cooperative relationships between the referred Institutions. Thus, in this work, it was sharply used the pioneering studies of Sabato and Botana (1968) regarding the cooperation relationship between the scientific-technological sphere, the governmental and the productive base, and studies on the Triple Helix approach, proposed by Etzkowitz and Leydesdorff (2000), in which the university has a key role in the process of technological and innovative development of countries and regions, and under which it is assigned to the very University - the character of the entrepreneurial institution, through the concept of entrepreneurial University. Aiming to overcome the criticism of Cooke (2005), regarding the limitations of the Triple Helix approach, in this study it was used - as analytical perspectives - the perspective of social immersion (Granovetter, 1985, 2005) and the theory of resources dependence (PFEFFER; SALANCIK, 1978). The analytical perspectives presented in here, despite of the different assumptions, are essential to eliminate the bias that one only approach can lead (ASTLEY; VAN DE VEM; 2007). The authors arguments focus on the fact that the integration is possible if the researcher acknowledged that different perspectives may have different descriptions of the same phenomenon. As a research strategy, this study is characterized as a study case, along with the proposed objectives - the qualitative method was used as an approach and, depending on the gathering of the sector s historical, a sectional longitudinal view approach was applied (VIEIRA, 2004). The primary and secondary data were used in order to understand the sector s evolutionary process and its inter-institutional relations - regarding the shrimp culture in Rio Grande do Norte - to promote the development, as the content was used for the technical analysis (BARDIN, 1977). The approach of social immersion and resources addiction dependence made it possible to understand that relationships are established within and between each sphere (university, government and productive sector) characterizing a network of low density relationships and strongly internal and external dependence. Based on the speech of Etzkowitz and Mello (2006), a successful Triple Helix strategy of innovation requires not only the involvement and commitment of the parts, within the institutional sphere and among them, but also the development of mechanisms to coordinate the multiple and complex interactions and interfaces, focusing on promoting both environment and context for innovation and learning; it can be acknowledge from study results that the shrimp in the State of the RN, although there are several institutional mechanisms to promote greater integration and technological development, has been presented disjointed - both internally and between the spheres - and under no legitimate practice when facing the innovational promotion and integration institutions. Due to those factors, the central institutions of the network are crucial to the promotion of innovations, spreading through their direct contacts the importance factor of the sustainable competitive activity in the world market and on the national level. However, it may be concluded, from the data, that the Triple Helix relations are interfering in a negative way on what concerns the promotion of innovations in the shrimp industry in RN / Este trabalho consiste em um estudo no setor carcinicultor do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte, cuja quest?o central est? na compreens?o de como as rela??es inter-atores da Tr?plice H?lice (universidade, governo e setor produtivo) limitam ou ampliam o processo de inova??o no setor. O estudo tem como objetivo central compreender como as rela??es da Tr?plice H?lice interferem no processo de inova??o da carcinicultura norteriograndense. Na medida em que o conhecimento passa a ser o recurso essencial para os m?todos de produ??o, a gera??o de novas tecnologias, de novos produtos e novos processos demanda a a??o integrada e conjunta de atores que comp?em as esferas institucionais da Tr?plice H?lice: universidade, governo e setor produtivo; sob os quais residem os recursos essenciais para o processo de inova??o e podem ser maximizados a partir de rela??es cooperativas entre os atores. Para tanto, utilizou-se os estudos pioneiros de S?bato e Botana (1968) quanto a rela??o de coopera??o entre a esfera cient?fico-tecnol?gica, o governo e a base produtiva, e os estudos acerca da abordagem da Tr?plice H?lice, proposta por Etzkowitz e Leydesdorff (2000), na qual a universidade passa a ter um papel fundamental no processo do desenvolvimento tecnol?gico e inovativo de pa?ses e regi?es, e sob a qual lhe ? atribu?da o car?ter de institui??o empreendedora, atrav?s do conceito da universidade empreendedora. Como forma de superar as cr?ticas de Cooke (2005), quanto as limita??es da abordagem da Tr?plice H?lice, utilizou-se como perspectivas anal?ticas neste estudo a perspectiva da imers?o social (GRANOVETTER, 1985; 2005) e a teoria da depend?ncia de recursos (PFEFFER; SALANCIK, 1978). As perspectivas anal?ticas apresentadas neste estudo apesar de terem pressupostos diferentes s?o essenciais para que se possa eliminar os vieses que uma abordagem s? pode conduzir (ASTLEY; VAN DE VEM (2007). O argumento dos autores ? que a integra??o ? poss?vel se o pesquisador reconhecer que as diferentes perspectivas podem apresentar descri??es diferentes sobre um mesmo fen?meno. Como estrat?gia de pesquisa, este estudo se caracteriza como um estudo de caso, em conson?ncia com os objetivos propostos, utilizou-se como abordagem o m?todo qualitativo, e em fun??o do resgate dos marcos hist?rico do setor, utilizou-se uma abordagem seccional com perspectiva longitudinal (VIEIRA, 2004). Os dados prim?rios e secund?rios foram utilizados de forma a compreender o processo evolutivo do setor, bem como as rela??es inter-atores na carcinicultura do Rio Grande do Norte para a promo??o do desenvolvimento. Como t?cnica de an?lise, utilizou-se a de conte?do (BARDIN, 1977). A abordagem da Imers?o social e da Depend?ncia de Recursos permitiu compreender que as rela??es que se estabelecem dentro e entre cada esfera (universidade, governo e setor produtivo) caracterizam a rede com relacionamentos de baixa densidade e com uma forte rela??o de depend?ncia tanto internamente como externamente. Tomando por base o argumento de Mello e Etzkowitz (2006) de que o sucesso de uma estrat?gia de Tr?plice H?lice de inova??o necessita de envolvimento e compromisso dos atores dentro de cada esfera institucional e entre elas, como tamb?m do desenvolvimento de mecanismos para a coordena??o das m?ltiplas e complexas intera??es e interfaces para a promo??o de um ambiente e um contexto para a inova??o e aprendizagem, conclui-se a partir dos resultados apresentados que a carcinicultura do Estado do RN, apesar de possuir v?rios mecanismos institucionais para promover maior integra??o e o desenvolvimento tecnol?gico, tem se apresentado desarticulado tanto internamente quanto entre as esferas, e com pr?ticas nem sempre legitimadas perante atores por parte das institui??es de promo??o de inova??es e de integra??o. Dessa forma, os atores centrais da rede s?o cruciais para que a promo??o de inova??es, difundindo atrav?s dos contatos diretos a import?ncia do fator para a sustentabilidade competitiva da atividade no mercado mundial e nacional. Contudo, pode-se concluir a partir dos dados que as rela??es da Tr?plice H?lice vem interferindo de maneira negativa na promo??o de inova??es na carcinicultura do RN

BAKGRUND: Sedan revisionsplikten avskaffades 2010 har inte fastställts hur den ekonomiska brottsligheten påverkats av att små svenska aktiebolag inte längre revideras. Trots att Ekobrottsmyndigheten varnat för att avsaknaden av revisor kan vara en riskfaktor för ökad ekonomisk brottslighet pågår en utredning om att utöka gränsvärdena för revisionsplikten för svenska aktiebolag. SYFTE: Studien syftar till att förklara sambandet mellan revision och förekomsten av ekonomisk brottslighet i små svenska aktiebolag. METOD: Denna kvantitativa studie har ett deduktivt angreppssätt. Utifrån agentteori, resursberoendeteori och beslutsteori har en hypotes formulerats. En tvär-snittsdesign har använts och sekundärdata, främst bestående av räkenskaps-information, har analyserats med Chi2-test och logistisk regression. SLUTSATS: Studiens analys visar på ett svagt negativt samband mellan revisor och ekonomisk brottslighet, vilket innebär att resultatet indikerar att ekonomisk brottslighet är mer förekommande i bolag som väljer bort revisorn. Vidare minskar revisorn risken för att ekonomisk brottslighet förekommer inom små aktiebolag med 10,35 procentenheter. / INTRODUCTION: Since voluntary audit was introduced in 2010, it has not been established how the economic crime in Swedish SMEs has been affected by no longer being revised. Although the Swedish Economic Crime Authority has warned that the absence of an auditor may affect the risk of increased economic crime, a debate about whether to increase the limit of voluntary audit has arisen. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to explain the relationship between audit and economic crime in Swedish SMEs. METHOD: This quantitative study is based on a deductive approach. Based on agency theory, resource dependence theory and decision theory a hypothesis has been developed. A cross-sectional design has been used and secondary data, mainly from financial statements, has been analysed using Chi2-test and logistic regression. CONCLUSION: In the analysis, a weak negative correlation between auditor and economic crime is presented. I.e. the results indicate that the risk of economic crime is more prevalent in companies without an auditor. Further, the auditor reduces the risk of economic crime in Swedish SMEs with 10,35 percentage points.

The objective of this diploma thesis is to bring different views on the issue of resource dependence and the origins of conflicts connected to the diamonds from Sub-Saharan Africa; and to point out on the existence of conflict diamonds and the disinterest of international forum to solve this problem in the present and in the past. The diploma thesis consists of three chapters. First chapter analyses the resource dependence, conflict and the connection between them. Second chapter is focused on the definition of conflict diamonds, international initiatives and Kimberley Process. Third chapter represents the practical part of this diploma thesis, it analyses two conflicts connected to diamonds, the conflict in Angola and in Sierra Leone.

This dissertation examines whether managers influence corporate boards of directors in their auditor selection, change, and compensation decisions. This topic is important because it addresses concerns that the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) is not effective in eliminating managerial influence over auditor engagement decisions and that it may provide a false sense of security to investors. These concerns are based on the implicit assumption that managers prefer weaker governance oversight and lower audit quality. However, empirical research testing associations between managerial influence and audit-related decisions post-SOX is scarce and generally guided by agency theory. Incorporating agency, stewardship, and resource dependence perspectives, I find that managerial preferences for auditor selection are not aligned. Specifically, CEOs positively influence the selection of higher quality auditors, whereas CFOs have the opposite effect. Further, CEOs who hold powerful roles as chairs of their companies' boards of directors appear to mitigate the negative influence of CFOs and inside directors on audit quality. CEOs serving in dual roles also oppose auditor turnover when lower earnings quality prompt higher demand for audit effort. Finally, my study provides some evidence that management exercises downward pressures on audit fees, suggesting that managers utilize their authority beyond the regulations established by SOX to negotiate auditor compensation.

This thesis aims to take part of and contribute to the continuously ongoing debate ongender diversity, more specific about gender diversity in the operational level includingthe gender of CEO in Swedish firms across the Large cap, Mid Cap and Small Cap lists.The purpose is to analyze whether there is a statistical significance between operationalgender diversity and financial performance as well as firm volatility. The thesis uses aquantitative method with an OLS multiple regression analysis on a total of 448 Swedishlisted firms. The measures used for performance are return on assets (ROA) and return onequity (ROE), as well as volatility as a risk measure. The test variables used are femaleCEO and female executives, against the control variables females in the board, sector,market capitalization and full-time employees. The results of the thesis suggest that thereis not any significant correlation between the gender of the CEO and firm performance aswell as volatility, and there is neither any significant correlation between the genderdiversity amongst the executives and the firm performance or stock volatility.

No description available.