Sustainability reports are drawn up for the company's stakeholders and declare the company?s corporate social responsibility. Consumers are one of the companies' most important stakeholders for food companies. This study is aimed to describe how consumers perceive sustainability reporting in the food industry and if the application level of the GRI framework has an impact on how consumers perceive sustainability reports. Consumer perception is described in the GRI principles and the basis is the ICA and Coop's sustainability reports, which are two of Sweden's largest food company.

With this paper we intend to investigate what kind of benefits there are by adding commodity futures to a well-diversified portfolio. Since the last fifteen years the commodity speculation has grown tremendously, which partially can be explained by that commodities exposes the investor to certain factors other than an investment in equities. According to our calculations the commodity futures have outperformed stocks during our research period, which partially could be explained by the increasing demand of physical commodities in developing countries e.g. India & China (Akey, 2005). By constructing different portfolios consisting of equities and corporate bonds we could investigate whether our portfolios will benefit from commodity futures and how this will vary over different levels of risk.

Skogsbruket är en viktig del i den Svenska miljön och för kulturlandskapet samt att såg och pappersindustrin är viktiga sociala inslag för glesbygden. Storbritannien är den största marknaden för många av Sveriges sågverksföretag. Idag är den brittiska marknaden med byggande av trähus växande och många av de ledande företagen har sin hemvist i skottland men expanderar i hela Storbritannien. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) är ett aktuellt ämne som är omdiskuterat och kommer att bli allt mer aktuellt framöver då formella rapporteringssystem ökar i användande. I detta examensarbete undersöks hur kunder till svenska sågverksföretag i Storbritannien uppfattar leverantörernas arbete med CSR.

SammanfattningI dagens läge är konkurrensen inom livsmedelsbranschen stenhård och företag försöker på alla möjliga sätt att marknadsföra sina produkter. Dock räcker det inte med att endast göra reklam för sina produkter, utan man måste integrera med kunderna och skapa underlag som möjliggör en positiv varumärkesimage i kundernas ögon och får dem att känna en positiv känsla inför företagets varumärke. Ett sätt att dra detta ett steg längre är att använda sig av corporate branding, som syftar till att man använder sig av ett varumärke som är detsamma som företagsnamnet. Detta kan vara såväl positivt som negativt, då företaget måste vara väldigt konsekventa i hela företagskedjan, eftersom konsumenterna kommer bedöma företaget och dess produkter utifrån helhetsintrycket och inte bara på hur bra de upplever att den specifika produkten är. Ett dåligt bemötande av en medarbetare, som arbetar för företaget, kan leda till att konsumenter väljer bort det varumärket vid inköpet.

Sammanfattning Titel: Challenging Strategic Change in a Multinational Company- A Master Thesis Evaluating the Implementation Process of aNew Corporate Strategy Författare: Malin Kruse, Technology Management och Ekonomprogrammet, LundsUniversitetAnnika Nilsson, Technology Management och Kemiingenjör,Lunds Universitet Handledare: Christer Kedström, Företagsekonomiska institutionen, Ekonomihögskolan i LundJan-Erik Rendahl, Institutionen för Designvetenskaper,Lunds Tekniska HögskolaFredrik Groth, Chef på ABS Group Problem: ABS Group har historiskt sett varit ett produktorienterat industriföretag meddecentraliserade dotterbolag, med varierande strukturer, system och rutiner. Föratt uppnå bättre konkurrensfördelar på den mogna marknaden inom ?wastewatertechnology solutions? har man arbetet fram en mer kundfokuserad strategi. Denkomplexa situationen inom företaget med decentraliserade dotterbolag världenöver komplicerar implementeringen av den nya strategin. Syfte: Det huvudsakliga syftet med examensarbetet är att identifiera faktorer sompåverkar en strategisk förändring i huvudsak men med betoning påomständigheterna inom ABS Group.

Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att skapa ökad förståelse för medias roll i förmedlingen av begreppet CSR, corporate social responsibility. Med media menas i studien svensk papperstidning.Metod: Diskursanalys kring CSR i svensk tryckpress, inspirerad av Michael Foucault och Norman Fairclough, applicerad på nyhetsartiklar. I studien används ordet diskurs som en förklaring till att nyhetstexter påverkar den sociala verkligheten. CSR innebär företags sociala ansvar, kring frågor om bland annat miljö, som går utöver vad lagen kräver.Slutsatser: Analysresultatet visar att CSR i nästintill samtliga artiklar benämns synonymt med samhällsansvar, som alltså varit det mest dominerande området som behandlats i de artiklar som har analyserats. Det framkommer även att det finns skillnader i artiklarnas intertextualitet, beroende på vilken tidning de tillhör.

I och med att globalisering ökar i världen, kan det vara av vikt för företag att se över sitt ar-bete med frågor som går under begrepp så som Global Compact och Corporate Social Re-sponsibility (CSR) samt att ha kunskap i hur samarbete kan ske på olika nivåer i företaget med hjälp av Non Governmental Organizations (NGO). Denna uppsats har valt att tolka be-greppet CSR utifrån de tio principerna i FN:s Global Compact. När ett företag arbetar enligt dessa principer ställs krav på rapportering av hur principerna tillämpas och vilka effekterna blir, vilket skapar goda normer för hur andra företag bör arbeta med dessa frågor. Det finns olika sätt att mäta detta arbete på.Syftet med denna uppsats har varit att ta reda på hur företag i Sydafrika arbetar och agerar vad gäller frågor relaterade till CSR. För att uppfylla syftet ställdes följande frågor; på vilket sätt arbetar företag i Sydafrika med frågor som omfattas av begreppet CSR samt vilka är de främs-ta hindren för att Sydafrikanska företag skall kunna fortsätta implementera CSR i sin verk-samhet? En kvantitativ studie med kvalitativa inslag har genomförts.

In the light of the criticism from the Swedish Consumers? Association towards the actions of modern fund managers on the Swedish Sustainable and Responsible Investment (SRI) market, discussions of change has increased. The reasons underlying a change and communication process are scarcely focused on. Thus, grounded on theories in the fields of Critical Management Studies (CSR), Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), change and communication, this study analyses how a change of implementing revised SRI communication is carried out at Handelsbanken Asset Management, existing motives for the change in communication, and how key actors can affect the process. A participant observation and in-depth interviews were carried out enfolding a discussion that contributed with a critical analysis and discussion, concluding external motives to be dominant and that key actors of the change process are influential to a various extent.

This essay focuses on the construction of so called "computer game addiction" or "computer game abuse" in the Swedish press during 2000-2006. During this period computer game addiction went from an obscure phenomenon to a legit reason for the involuntary commitment of a fourteen-year-old.The study's theory is based on several social constructionist ideas. Kitsuse and Spector's theories about constructing social problems as claims-making activities are used for understanding the actions of the individual and groups involved. Hewitt and Hall's article about quasi-theory is used to explain the construction of explainations for the new social phenomenon. Blumer's five-stage model is used for categorizing the construction of the new social problem.

As a result of today`s competitive situation, the demand on the rapid development of research has increased. Both universities and companies are realizing the importance of a functioning and well-developed cooperation. A close collaboration and communication between universities and the business community has in many studies been shown to be very important for business development and knowledge transfer. The purose was to examine how communication and collaboration between universities and industry can be developed and strenghthen on the basis of innovative thinking. In order to initially identify the perceived problems the authors studied how communication and cooperation manifests itslelf today between the two parties, what does not work and how the existing tools for communication and collaboration look like today.

The thesis strives to reveal the dynamics between a central and a peripheral shopping area in Kalmar, Sweden. The establishment of larger shopping centers has become a hallmark of postindustrial cities. Cities globally are at risk of creating an urban economic rift between the central and peripheral shopping areas. By establishing major shopping venues around the traditional central business districts, cities hope to create a larger customer hinterland and thereby also increased economic growth. The aim of this thesis is answered by two research questions regarding collaboration and competition between two shopping areas; the central Kvarnholmen and peripheral Hansa City Mall.

The park at Svaneholm is a place, the history of which is very little known today and the needfor better knowledge has been the cause of this investigation. The essay is primarily limited tothe time from late 17th century up to the end of the 18th century and takes stand on profoundinvestigations in accessible map-and archive material. The results presented show a manorhill, which during the course of a hundred years was subject to several changes and in bigparts consisted in other than park/garden.Burman related to the manor hill containing a cowshed, a large dam and a parterre garden isix quarters and it is plausible to think, that this establishment generally was built as producedon the plate.In the 18th century the construction is being changed, they go on building at the cowshed andin 1707 there are totally 268 livestock on the farm. In 1723 the garden is represented in amuch bigger scale than on the plate from the 1680:s, but it is not possible to tell, whether it isnew or not.Parts of the parterre garden is remaining during the whole of the 18th century, for the leastuntil it is being squared, but on two of the squares there was built a riding-groundMoreover the cowshed burnt down and was only partially reconstructed.The image given by the archive material is at the same time variegated. The inventory list ongarden tools from 1726 gives an image of gardening more directed to growing and pathshuffling, while the possibilities of keeping the parterres were fewer (e.g.

A field experiment was carried out in 2006 to investigate the effects of deep rotary cultivation on sugarbeet growth. The background to the experiment was a 2005 study showing potentially higher yield, higher cleanness and higher sugar content when primary tillage was carried out to 35 cm depth with a rotary cultivator. On four field sites in Skåne (L:a Isie, Ädelholm, Stävie and Vragerup), five different treatments were compared: mouldboard ploughing in the autumn to 20 cm; mouldboard ploughing in the autumn to 20 cm + rotary cultivation in the spring to 35 cm; rotary cultivation in the autumn to 35 cm; rotary cultivation in the spring to 35 cm; and mouldboard ploughing in the spring to 20 cm. The rotary cultivator used in the treatments is manufactured by a Dutch company, Imants. The implement cultivates the soil with spade tines fitted on arms that are mounted on a horizontal rotating PTO-driven axle. Beet plants were inspected and yield determined in the experiment, and three soil parameters were examined: penetration resistance, water infiltration and infiltration of blue dye. Root shape was also examined. The site at Stävie was not harvested due to poor beet establishment. At the other sites, the highest yield was found when the soil was rotary-cultivated in the autumn.

This thesis discusses the global regime complex concerning the management of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, and how different regimes concerning these resources cooperate or stand in opposition to each other. Because of changes in US patent law and the establishment of TRIPS, patent claims over plant genetic resources has increased dramatically globally. This, amongst other things, in turn has lead to the development of CBD which in turn lead to the creation of access and benefit laws in many countries. To create a free flow of genetic resources for food and agriculture the ITPGRFA, with its multilateral system, were negotiated. The aim of this thesis is to investigate which consequences the regime complex concerning plant genetic resources for food and agriculture can have on the rights of small farmers, agricultural research and food security in the global South.

This paper investigates the relationship between dividends and institutional and foreign ownership in Swedish firms. We use a dataset which covers the Swedish stock market over the period 1999-2009. The institutional ownership is defined as mutual funds, pension funds and insurance companies and these are analysed separately. The study confirms the expected positive relationship between the level of institutional investors in a firm and the size of dividends. We also confirm? the expected negative relationship between foreign investors and the size of dividends paid by Swedish firms.