This bachelor thesis delves into the role and impact of cultural dimensions, identity and leadership on post-merger acquisition in Sweden through an in-depth analysis of two companies that have undergone acquisitions or mergers. Using an abductive method, where theories are continuously adapted based on empirical data, qualitative information was gathered through semi-structured interviews with managers and employees from the two companies. The study aimed to gather well-founded insights on how corporate cultural dimensions, identity and leadership are experienced by individuals during the merger. By examining culture, leadership and identity in three different time phases of the integrationprocess, a comprehensive understanding of the integration process was achieved. The results of the study highlight that cultural factors such as leadership, culture, and identity play a central and crucial role in mergers and acquisitions. By considering and managing employees' and leaders' identities, organizations can create a sense of coherence and continuity despite changes.

In  the  constantly  changing working  life  of  today, where  emphasis  on  human  capital  grows stronger,  the  importance  of  recruiting  and  retaining  good  staff  increases.  Successful recruitment  requires  a  first-rate  recruitment  process.  In  literature  on  recruitment recommendations for successful recruitment are presented.   The  aim  of  this  study  is  to  describe  similarities  and  differences  between  these recommendations and Svenska Spel?s recruitment practice on the basis of a description of the recruitment process at AB Svenska Spel, and also to identify possible reasons for differences between theory and practice.  To  meet  the  purpose  of  this  study  literature  and  scientific  reports  have  been  studied. Interviews  with  five  HR-specialists  and  four  managers  have  also  been  conducted.  The recruitment process is therefore described out of the employer?s point of view.

The purpose of this study is to describe if and how a seasonal based company named SkiStar, learns through the exchange of experience and knowledge. We have analyzed gathered qualitative and empirical data to explore this subject. We conducted three semi-structured group interviews with employees from the SkiStarshop division. They described their routines and procedures in SkiStarshop. The collected data was processed and analyzed through our theoretical framework.

Datum: 2009-06-02Nivå: Magisteruppsats i ekonomistyrning, 15 hpFörfattare: Peter Forsberg och Per ErikssonHandledare: Esbjörn SegelodTitel: Corporate Social Responsibility och hållbarhetsredovisning i tre svenska företagProblem: Vilket CSR-arbete har Atlas Copco, Vattenfall och ICA idag och hur redovisas resultatet? Har de skett några förändringar i vad bolagen redovisar idag i sina hållbarhetsredovisningar jämfört med 2005?Syfte: Syftet med denna uppsats är att undersöka hur Atlas Copco, ICA och Vattenfall arbetar med CSR idag och hur deras hållbarhetsredovisningar presenteras 2008 jämfört med 2005.Metod: För att genomföra undersökningen har vi valt att intervju de tre företagen, granska deras hållbarhetsredovisningar från 2005 respektive 2008 och studerat litteratur.  Resultat: Resultat vi kom fram till är att arbetet är organiserat på olika sätt men gemensamt för bolagen är att många har CSR-frågor som en del i sitt arbete och att det rapporteras in och sammanställas. Alla tre bolagen har förbättrat sin presentation av hållbarhetsredovisningarna, exempelvis har strukturen blivit tydligare i de nyare rapporterna. Jämfört med 2005 har två av tre bolag utökat sin rapportering av prestandaindikatorer trots att dessa totalt har minskat sedan övergången från Guidelines 2002 till nya G3.

Consumers seem to become more demanding in their buying behaviour within the fashionmarket. The society refers to individualism, personality and creativity, which affect people?s wayof dressing themselves. Many companies have started to work with aspects that create aconsumer experience to meet the customers? new demands.

The European Union has been working to promote equality between women and men for a long time. Despite this, Sweden still have a gender segregated labor market where men generally has the leading positions. According to European law the member states shall promote gender equality and to take all appropriate measures. Statutory gender quotas for company boards is one such measure that some of the European member states have implemented in national law. The Swedish law has no provisions governing gender quotas and therefore the purpose of this study is to explain how gender quotas for company boards relate to current law, both of European law and national legislation.

The purpose of this thesis is to examine whether institutional ownership has an influence on CEO compensation in companies where the institutions have invested. In order to fulfil the purpose of the thesis a quantitative study was carried out within the Swedish corporate context where we have studied Swedish institutional investors and companies quoted on the Stockholm Stock Exchange. Our period of study was the financial year of 2007.The empirical questions at issue is; Was there a connection between Swedish institutional ownership and the size of the CEO compensation, and, does Swedish institutional ownership lead to a certain type of CEO compensation in terms of structure?Our results did not suggest that an increased institutional ownership neither leads to a certain type of salary level nor a certain kind of salary structure. These results contradict earlier American research, which has been done within this area and has previously shown a secured connection.The reasons for our results may be many and it is difficult to state any concrete conclusions to why we received differing results.

The purpose of the thesis is to map the meaning of ?international competence? in Swedish company boards of directors. The study is divided in a qualitative part and a quantitative part. The qualitative study consists of a discourse analysis where variation in interpretative repertoires are identified to enhance the understanding of the nature of reasoning related to the meaning and importance of the issue at stake. The discourse analysis is conducted on an empirical material from 27 interviews with decision makers in recruitment processes to Swedish company boards of directors.

Since 1987 until November 2010, the entrepreneurs who choose to conduct its? company in the Swedish corporate form aktiebolag had no opportunity to evade or deselect the mandatory audit. The only choice that really was there to make was to which audit firm they would turn to and the Swedish auditor?s position was rather unchallenged. Today the circumstances are different and the small businesses have been given a chance to take charge of their own situation now being able to remove the auditor.

Idag använder sig många textilföretag av långa leverantörskedjor över stora avstånd samtidigtsom företagens omgivning ställer allt högre krav på dem i samband med sociala frågor. Dethar resulterat i ett allt större behov av att kunna kontrollera företagens produktion. På grundav det har uppförandekoder blivit allt vanligare. Uppförandekoder är ett sätt för företagen attförsäkra sig om att deras produkter tillverkas på ett socialt ansvarstagande sätt. Dock finns detflera frågetecken i samband med om uppförandekoder verkligen fyller sitt syfte.Syftet med uppsatsen är att utvärdera hur fyra svenska textilföretag arbetar meduppförandekoder för att minimera de sociala problem som finns i deras leverantörskedjor.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), även kallad hållbar utveckling och ansvarsfullt företagande, var en term som började användas i slutet av 60-talet. Det är en arbetsmodell där syftet är att få företag ta ansvar för verksamheten och uppmuntra till en positiv inverkan på miljön, marknaden, samhället och anställda. CSR fungerar som en inbyggd självreglerande mekanism, genom vilket ett företag kontrollerar och håller sig uppdaterade beträffande de aktiva lagarna inom internationella normer och etik. Boliden lägger stort fokus och engagemang inom CSR- relaterade frågor. Blan annat har Boliden stärkt företagets CSR- engagemang genom att starta projektet Evaluation of Business Partner (EBP). Ett av huvudmålen med EBP är att höja standarden och öka medvetenheten angående mänskliga rättigheter bland sina affärs- och samarbetspartners.

Syfte: Vi vill öka kunskapsmassan kring huruvida konsumenters tolkningar av logotyper ligger i linje med kreatörers tankar. Metod: Induktiv ansats, kvalitativ metod i form av 16 konsumentintervjuer och 3 expertintervjuer. Den information vi har erhållt har legat till grund för våra senare delar. Teoretiska perspektiv: Corporate identity och visuell identitet, vidare har områden som färg, teckensnitt och symboler studerats. En empirisk studie om logotyper har också legat till grund i vårt teoriavsnitt.

Aim of the thesis: The aim of this thesis is to describe and gain a deeper understanding of how companies use communication as a tool to overcome the gap between the company and the consumer. The aim is also to clarify some of the factors contributing to this gap.Method:  This thesis has been made from a qualitative approach with quantitative influences. The qualitative primary data collection was gathered through six in-depth interviews with companies in Gothenburg either selling organic and fair-trade produced clothes or marketing towards sustainable consumption. The quantitative part consists of a consumer questionnaire given to 100 women in the inner city of Gothenburg.  Frame of references: Related researches within the field of the subject are presented in the beginning of this chapter. Further theories presented are the consumer?s awareness and the consumer´s responsiveness to CSR.

Issuing convertible bonds for financing purposes has never become widespread practice amongst Swedish companies, in spite of the instrument being common in international markets. Economic theory based on efficient markets suggests that companies should gain no financial benefits from using convertibles and the Swedish situation could be interpreted as in line with this reasoning. However, there are Swedish companies that have chosen to issue convertibles and the Swedish market therefore seems both supportive and contradictory to the existence of benefits of convertible bond financing. Little research concerning the Swedish market has been conducted and the purpose of this explorative thesis is thus to enhance the understanding of the Swedish market for convertibles. This is achieved by conducting in-depth interviews with six listed Swedish companies that have recently issued convertible bonds.

The ongoing harmonization process aims to incorporate IFRS regulations into the Swedish accounting. As a consequence investment property?s starting from 2005 may be valued using the fair value method, in accordance to IAS 40. This involves major changes for listed property enterprises that from now on can value a large extent of their assets to fair value. All parties don?t appreciate this progress, opponents to fair value have expressed great concern that fair value don?t work in practice.