This thesis studies the change process of risk management practices associated with the implementation of Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) and the extent to which it can lead to changes in capital allocation practices. The study develops a theoretical framework to study risk management changes, which draws on structuration theory (Giddens, 1979, 1984) and institutional theory, particularly the institutional framework of Burns and Scapens (2000), as well as new institutional sociology theory. A two-stage empirical study was undertaken in non-life insurance companies. The first stage was a field study of 10 listed non-life insurance companies, while the second stage was a case study of a large non-life insurance company. Multiple data collection methods were used including semi-structured interviews, documentary evidence, annual reports, and publicly available data. Findings show internal, coercive, and normative pressures have mainly driven the ERM adoption decision. The literature supports the impact of coercive, mimetic, and normative pressures on the trend toward ERM in financial industries. However, the study finds that internal pressures related to achieving the company's objectives are either equal to or surpass the external pressures. The study also provides empirical evidence of the changes in risk management practices, which include capital allocation change process associated with ERM implementation. Effective capital allocation requires the incorporation of ERM elements in the whole process of allocating capital. Furthermore, new capital allocation routines and institutions are produced. The study shows that the risk-based capital allocation method is intra- and extra-institutionalised at the company level. The main contribution of this thesis is to identify the nature of ERM adoption and implementation in insurance companies. More specifically, this study provides a better understanding of the institutional forces driving ERM adoption and offers empirical evidence on ERM implementation and the change in risk management practices (routines) within nonlife insurance companies. Moreover, this study avoids the limitations of previous research that was based on surveys, and it does so by conducting an exploratory field study and explanatory case study to address the changes in risk management practices. Practices and process need to be located in their institutional context and hence cannot be reflected in surveys.

Background/Introduction:  Coaching is a concept that has existed since the 16th century but recently seems to be in every context. There are life coaches, work coaches, sports coaches and coaching in companies. Suddenly coaching seems to be everywhere. Despite that, there is not many empirical studies about coaching. At the same time there is a discussion going on about wheater coaching could be seen as a short-lived fashion or not. Purpose: Develop an understanding of coaching by showing how coaching can end up in and how it can be expressed in organizations.  Research questions: How has coaching ended up in the cases in the study? How has coaching been expressed in the cases in the study? Method: We have made a qualitative study with an abductive approach. First we have collected empirical material through semi-structured interviews without a theoretical basis. Then we analyzed and interpreted the empiricals using institutional theory.  Conclusion: The study shows that coaching has spread through leadership educations, sport coach educations, university studies, own interest, lectures, books, and role models. The coaching then been expressed through communication, questions, goals and planning, support and feedback. The characteristics of coaching, the way it is spreads and the way it has come to the companies are in line with how fashion works according to the theory. The organisations also handle coaching in the exact same way as they are handling fashion. With these facts we claim that one could say that coaching is fashion today. / Bakgrund/inledning: Coaching är ett begrepp som funnits sedan 1500-talet men som på senare tid verkar finnas överallt. Det finns livscoacher, jobbcoacher, idrottscoacher och coaching i företag. Det verkar vara något som plötsligt finns i alla sammanhang. Trots det finns det få empiriska studier om coaching. Samtidigt pågår en diskussion kring huruvida coaching kan ses som ett mode eller inte.  Syfte: Utveckla förståelsen för coaching genom att visa på hur coaching kan komma till och ta sig i uttryck i organisationer Frågor: Hur har coaching kommit till fallen i studien?  Hur har coaching tagit sig i uttryck i fallen i studien?  Metod: Vi har gjort en kvalitativ studie med med ett abduktivt tillvägagångssätt. Vi har först samlat in empiriskt material via semi-strukturerade intervjuer utan en teoretisk utgångspunkt för att sedan analysera och tolka det empiriska materialet med hjälp av institutionell teori. Slutsats: Studien visar att coaching har spridit sig via ledarskapsutbildningar, idrottscoachutbildning, universitetsstudier, eget intresse, föreläsningar, böcker, och förebilder. Coachingen har sedan tagit sig i uttryck genom kommunikation, frågeställningar, mål och planering, stöttning och feedback. Cochingens egenskaper, sätt att sprida sig på och komma till företaget stämmer överens med hur ett mode fungerar. Organisationerna hanterar dessutom coaching precis som de hanterar moden vilket gör att vi menar att vi kan säga att coaching ses som ett mode idag.

This thesis focuses on e-government implementation and related institutional adoption and diffusion factors in Omani public sector organisations. With the advancement of the Internet and supporting Information and Communication Technologies, e-government has emerged as an effective means of delivering government services to citizens. While most early e-government efforts were concentrated on developed countries, in the recent past, it has also become popular in many developing countries. Most notably are the Middle Eastern countries that have continued to invest significantly into e-government initiatives in the last five years. However, compared to the West, the progress of e-government implementation and diffusion has been laggard in the Middle East region. The Sultanate of Oman is one such example, where, although large investments have been made since 2003 to facilitate the implementation of its electronic services, limited progress has been made in terms of realising fully functional e-government. The aim of this thesis is to examine the institutional factors influencing the development and implementation of e-government in the context of Oman using case study based research. From an institutional perspective economic, political and social as well as technological issues signify the most fundamental pressures that organisations face when initiating e-government implementation led change. Using institutional theory as a conceptual lens, this thesis aims to provide a better understanding of the internal and external pressures that influence the success of e-government projects. This research identified nineteen different factors influencing the progress of the national e-government project, e-Oman, from a public sector organisational perspective. Further, a conceptual model for examining e-government implementation has been developed and evaluated empirically within the context of Oman. By doing so, this research contributes to the body of knowledge by identifying the institutional factors that contributes to the success of e-government implementation and explaining its paradoxes.

"... it will be the purpose of this paper to search the writings of Classicism as exemplified by Smith, Say, Ricardo, Senior, Mill and Marshall, and the works of Veblen for their theories of monopoly. By a contrast and comparison of these theories, it is hoped that the information developed may become the basis for checking any hidden holdovers from these two schools and, by showing their origin, to develop some understanding of a singularly complex problem of the modern world."--leaf 2

ABSTRACT HOSPITALS WITH PHYSICIAN CEOS: AN INSTITUTIONAL THEORY PERSPECTIVE By: Jeremy S. Zoch, Ph.D. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Health Related Sciences at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2011 Major Director: Kenneth R. White, Ph.D. Professor Department of Health Administration The complexities of the healthcare industry at the beginning of the 21st century continue to challenge hospitals to optimize their operations. A key leadership position in the overall success of a hospital is the role of the Chief Executive Officer. The purpose of this study was to determine the kind of leader that hospitals have in place and to analyze more closely those specific organizations that have physician CEOs. This study had three distinct objectives. The first was to describe the organizational variables for American Hospital Association (AHA) hospitals with CEOs who are physicians. The second objective was to analyze the organizational and market characteristics of hospitals with physician CEOs. The final objective was to examine the similarities and differences between hospitals that have a CEO who is a physician and those headed by a CEO who is not a physician. Institutional theory was utilized to form a theoretical model and to develop the relevant hypotheses. The study was a retrospective, cross-sectional study of over 5600 American Hospital Association (AHA) short-term, acute care hospitals located in the United States. Data sources utilized were the AHA’s Annual Survey of Hospitals, the Area Resource File, Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, HealthLeaders-Interstudy, and SK&A from 2007-2008. There were 118 hospitals out of 5,671 with a physician CEO in 2008. The descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that although hospitals with physician CEOs are located in many different locations and types of hospitals, they are some attributes that indicate a greater likelihood. Hospitals with physician CEOs are most prevalent in the northeast. The multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed there is a greater likelihood that hospitals with physician CEOs are more likely to be larger, specialty, not-for-profit and non-church operated, teaching, and be in a market with higher physicians per capita. The study also found that there wasn’t more likelihood for a hospital to have a physician CEO when comparing with US News top hospitals, based on affluence of a market, based on the competition in the market, or the managed care penetration. The study identified several of the components and how they positively relate to the institutional theory model that was developed. The study also identified several limitations that could further be improved using additional research approaches and obtaining more data. Overall, the study has furthered the information available about hospitals with CEOs who are also physicians and their corresponding organizational and market characteristics.

Evidence has shown that internationalizing firms operating in emerging markets are facing institutional challenges different and more distinctive from those existing in developed markets. This requires firms to adapt their strategic management by taking institutional impact into consideration. Research providing knowledge on how to manage this issue is very limited, especially in the context of Thailand. This thesis aim to explore and provide knowledge about the institutional settings in Thailand and analyse how it impacts the strategic management of Swedish firms. “How do legal, political and cultural institutions impact the strategic management of Swedish manufacturing firms operating in Thailand?” This is a qualitative thesis which follows a deductive research approach. It takes an exploratory design, where semistructured interviews were conducted with five managers representing Swedish firms in Thailand. Political, legal and cultural institutions impact the strategic management of Swedish firms in different ways; the most evident challenges stemming from the legal institutions. It can further be concluded that it is of high relevance for firms to take the institution based view into consideration when formulating and implementing their strategies the Thai market, since it is easier to carry out intended strategies when possessing institutional knowledge International business;

Thesis advisor: Ted Youn / The intent of this single-case study was to explore the effects of a competitive environment on organizational decision making. The study examines the decision making processes that resulted in the adoption of an undergraduate business major at a traditional, middle-tier Liberal Arts College and offers an analysis of academic leaders’ perspectives on institutional identity, environmental pressures, strategic decision making and organizational change. This qualitative study uses Institutional theory to examine organizational behavior in competitive environments. Analysis of interviews and institutional data revealed four important findings. 1. The external environment defined the organizational reality and significantly influenced and shaped behavior and decision making; 2. A unique organizational culture and identity moved the organization to rely on rules and routines which reflected historic institutional values; 3. Responses to uncertainty produced an organizational adaptation that reflected a decoupling of one subunit which represented a new institutional strength, and 4. The environment exerted isomorphic pressure on the College to adopt a change that was incongruent with its historic values. The implications of the study include identifying the pressing need for new revenue streams that strengthen the financial model for tuition-dependent liberal arts colleges while preserving the values of a liberal education. Also, organizations should find ways to extend and share leadership in order to facilitate necessary organizational learning and time-bound responses to organizational threats. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2017. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

Thesis advisor: Mary Ann Glynn / Institutional Theory has responded to early criticism that actors are characterized as passive "cultural dopes" primarily through work on Institutional Entrepreneurship, which implicitly links actors' agency to institutional change or creation. In this dissertation, I decouple change from agency, examining how actors work to maintain existing institutional arrangements that have come under threat. Through inductive, qualitative analysis of the creation of the Securities Exchange Commission in 1934, focusing primarily on the legislative history, I ground my analysis in the speech events of the actors involved in stabilizing the securities markets as an institution after the Crash begun in 1929, identifying different forms of Institutional Guardianship aimed at preserving different aspects of the institution. I then generalize across actors to present an abstracted model of Institutional Guardianship. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2010. / Submitted to: Boston College. Carroll School of Management. / Discipline: Organization Studies.

As evidenced by the rapid increase of United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI) signatories, the integration of environmental, social and governance indicators (ESG) in investment decisions has become a popular topic. However, despite its popularity, there is no consensus among practitioners on what this actually means and how it should be tackled. The obvious lack of standardization is reflected by divergent ESG rating procedures, incomparable company sustainability reports and the widely differing strategies by asset managers and asset owners. This is a substantial hurdle as it can cause misalignment of perspectives within the investment chain, which keeps ESG from being pushed up the agenda. There appear to be substantial struggles on the road to ESG integration and several questions arise; are the perspectives on ESG integration aligned between companies, asset managers and asset owners? Where do possible obstacles on the road to responsible investment reside, what are they and how can they be overcome? My main findings are four-fold. First, I find ESG reporting fatigue among companies due to the sheer number of ESG ratings and rankings. Companies should not let this overwhelm them and be clear that they only respond to a handful. Investors should only use it as a starting point and ensure that it does not become a substitute for a real conversation with their portfolio companies about ESG. This interest is necessary for top management to sign off on sustainability initiatives. Second, I find that asset owners are not as convinced of the business case of ESG as asset managers and companies are. This is often reflected in the way they select, monitor and review their asset managers. Third, the lack of in-depth ESG due diligence by asset owners likely lets asset managers get away with decoupling statements from actions. More specifically, it appears that ESG and finance are often still separated. Lastly, companies are more reactive than proactive when it comes to ESG efforts. The main driver for them to embark on their ESG journey is the consumer. We can therefore play a significant role in creating a more sustainable world, either as the beneficiary or the consumer.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become an increasingly significant element in contemporary business. Globalisation, a growing concern for environmental degradation, and evident social inequality have installed CSR on the global agenda. Companies around the world are introducing CSR programs, and many of the Schools of Management or Business Schools have CSR courses in their core programmes, including their MBAs. Organisations such as EFMD (www.efmd.org), ABIS (www.abis.org) and PRME (www.prme.org) are prompting universities and business schools to implement CSR as well as sustainability courses and seminars. Conceptual research concerned with the influences on firms’ socially responsible actions has recently emphasized the importance of institutional factors. However, current institutional accounts of corporate social responsibility implicitly assume the presence of well-developed and relatively stable institutional characteristics found in developed countries. In order to address this gap, this thesis presents a conceptual model, which explores how institutional pressures configure a local company’s CSR practices in developing countries. This thesis presents empirical findings drawn from in depth open-ended interviewees to managers of local companies in Argentina, taking into account type of industry, size, and the presence of multinational companies (MNCs). In so doing, this study contributes to extending the application of institutional theory to developing countries context and to theoretical analysis of local companies CSR practices in such contexts. Within this analysis, this study places particular emphasis on the role of MNC and the State in the processes of adoption of CSR practices by local companies in a developing country. Finally, this thesis contributes with practical implications for mangers of local companies and managers of MNCs’ subsidiaries in developing countries.