In this study, we examine the presence and consequences of CEO overconfidence in the Swedish market. We identify overconfidence with two insider-trading based measures and find that overconfidence is apparent among one third of CEOs in companies listed on the Swedish stock market. We also find that these CEOs are more prone to carry out acquisitions, as the probability of conducting an acquisition increases by 27 % if the CEO is overconfident. However, we do not find evidence that acquisitions by overconfident CEOs are more value-destroying. This finding contradicts results from previous studies conducted on Anglo-Saxon markets that suggest that overconfidence has a negative impact on the value-creation in acquisitions.

The recent financial crisis has entailed in a fierce debate whether CEOs variable remuneration has caused unsound risk exposure in public companies. Hence it is considered as interesting to elucidate if this connection exists empirically. With grounding in principal-agent theory, and its implicit assumption of risk adverse agents, this study aims to find empirical evidence for a positively correlated relationship between CEOs variable remuneration and company risk exposure. Through a regression analysis of multidimensional data from 102 listed Swedish companies during the period of 2000-2009, we show that the relationship between CEOs variable remuneration and company risk, in contrast to our expectations, is significantly negative. The coherent result is interpreted as the inherent risk in companies seems to explain the usage of variable remuneration for CEO, rather than vice versa.

In this master thesis we are trying to investigate whether the heads of the four major Swedish banks are receiving compensation because of their own performance. We have investigated a number of parameters in the reporting and compensation description of Handelsbanken, Nordea, SEB and Swedbank and compared it to macro data.We have used publicly available information from the banks as well as macro data from 1998 to 2009.We have come to the conclusion that the revenue and profits of the banks are heavily influenced by external factors and that there does not appear to be a clear link between a CEOs actions, the reported results for the bank, the shareholder gains and the compensation for the CEO. It appears as if the bonus payments to a CEO may depend more on parameters beyond the CEOs own control than the performance of the CEO..

Agency theory describes the conflict of interest between the principal (stockholders) and the agent (CEO). Aligning the incentives of executives with those of the owners is the most direct way to mitigate the agency problem. If there is no meaningful link between CEO compensation and company performance, it is doubtful that the large sums of assets in public corporations are being managed efficiently. In theory the solution is simple reward the CEO when shareholders wealth increases. The purpose of this paper is to investigate if there is a relationship between company performance and CEO compensation among Swedish companies, in materials and information technology industry.

Agency theory describes the conflict of interest between the principal (stockholders) and the agent (CEO). Aligning the incentives of executives with those of the owners is the most direct way to mitigate the agency problem. If there is no meaningful link between CEO compensation and company performance, it is doubtful that the large sums of assets in public corporations are being managed efficiently. In theory the solution is simple reward the CEO when shareholders wealth increases. The purpose of this paper is to investigate if there is a relationship between company performance and CEO compensation among Swedish companies, in materials and information technology industry.

Entrepreneurship is said to be the missing link between knowledge and growth in the Swedish economy. New ventures run a high risk of failing and this holds true especially for technology ventures. Since company leaders have proven to exert an influence on organisations' survival possibilities, the selection of an appropriate CEO is important. The purpose of this study is to describe the importance of the CEO for ventures as well as to explain how knowledge and experience affect the opinion of who should be CEO. Using a qualitative case study research design including three life science companies, we show that there are three main factors crucial when selecting a CEO.

Kardiovaskulära sjukdomar är en av de främsta orsakerna till för tidig sjuklighet och död i Sverige och västvärlden. Deras etiologi är multifaktoriell och starkt förknippad med olika riskfaktorer. Vissa av dessa är opåverkbara, som hereditet, kön och ålder. Andra däremot, som dyslipidemi, högt blodtryck, övervikt, rökning och psykosociala faktorer är påverkbara.Att upptäcka individer som har flera riskfaktorer och därmed lämpliga för primärprevention utgör en utmaning. De flesta riskfaktorer förutom psykosocial stress omfattas av ett lätt användbart risk- och bedömningssystem.

Syftet med uppsatsen har varit att beskriva hur patienter under utredning för stressrelaterad ohälsa ser på sin känsla av sammanhang totalt och uppdelat på komponenterna begriplighet, hanterbarhet och meningsfullhet. För att kunna göra detta användes ett kvantitativt material i form av patientdata som samlats in av forskarna vid Centrum för miljörelaterad ohälsa och stress (CEOs) i Uppsala. Det är 155 patienter som har svarat på frågor rörande deras känsla av sammanhang i ett av Aaron Antonovsky utformat frågeformulär. Vidare har patienternas basvariabler som kön, ålder, civilstånd med mera beskrivits och analyserats tillsammans med svaren på KASAM-formuläret. Det framkom att patienterna har en lägre känsla av sammanhang (KASAM) än studier som gjorts på friska människor.

A company may use different accounting techniques to adjust accounting information and thereby attract investors. Big Bath Accounting is defined as a strategy used to make changes in the financial statements and reduce the results further when the companies expect negative results. This phenomenon has been observed empirically and occurs when including CEO change and negative results. The aim of this study is to test whether there is another factor affecting Big Bath Accounting, namely remuneration of the CEO. The CEOs should, by changing the accounting information, be able to influence their compensation.

This thesis is about university spin-offs and the competition in high technology industries. In the light of efforts to increase the competitiveness of the European Union, an effective transfer of cutting edge technology from universities to the industry plays an important role. University spin-offs, start-ups founded to exploit academic inventions, are likely to face considerable market entry barriers. This is among other reasons due to high capital requirements for further technology development and lack of complementary resources. With a combination of relevant literature and empirical investigation, commercialisation of technologies within spin-offs is investigated and analysed.

Title: Familjära chefer och opersonliga ledare ? en studie om reproducering av stereotypa könsroller i intervjuer med kvinnliga och manliga chefer i Dagens industriAuthors: Linnéa Pettersson and Lovisa WaldeckSubject: Undergraduate research paper in journalism studies, Dept. of journalism, media and communication, JMG, University of GothenburgTerm: Autumn 2013Supervisor: Mats Ekström, JMG, University of GothenburgPages: 33Purpose: The main purpose was to identify and examine the difference between how thebusiness newspaper Dagens industri portray male and female CEOs and executives.The study focuses on longer interviews of more personal character.Method: Qualitative content analysisProcedure: Fourteen interviews in Dagens industri, with seven men and seven women, were described and analyzed.Results: By using qualitative content analysis we were able to find that stereotypic gender roles are being reproduced in many ways in Dagens industri. The interviews with the female leaders have a more personal character with a larger focus on their private life while men gets to answer more technical questions related to their company. Women are questioned about their children and home while men are not.

AbstractTitle: A changing climate? A study on the changes of the communicativeclimate. Klimat i förändring? En studie om det kommunikativaklimatets förändring.Author: Anne BjörckAim: The aim of this essay is to study changes in the area of the communicative climate and link that to Karl Weicks thoughts on communication and change. Karl Weick is famous for his contribution to organizational theories and he is still very well used around the world and that is the main reason to why his theory is served as a base in this essay.Method: The essay has a theoretical base with elements of qualitative explorative research method.

Vi vill med denna studie ta reda på vilka mekanismer, som bidrar till den låga andelen kvinnor bland VD:ar i svenska privata företag och om situationen har förändrats de senaste tio åren. Syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka glastaket från ett ovanifrån-perspektiv. Fokus i studien ligger därför på de styrelseordförande, som arbetar med rekrytering, och inte på de kvinnor, som strävar efter att nå toppen. I referensramen ingår feministiska begrepp som genuskunskap, intersektionalitet, hegemonisk maskulinitet, och homosocialitet men den behandlar även rekrytering, kvotering och positiv särbehandling.Studien är kvalitativ och genomfördes med hjälp av semi-strukturerade intervjuer. En serie intervjuer utfördes, med två projektledare på en jämställdhetsorganisation, sex styrelseordförande och två rekryterare.