DOWNLOAD PDF A COMPARISON OF THE PERFORMANCE OF SWEDISH AND U.K. COMPANIES

Transcription

1 Chapter 1 : Corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Sweden Title / Author Type Language Date / Edition Publication; 1. A comparison of the performance of Swedish and U.K. companies: 1. It compares education performance in 65 countries and economies. Significantly different education systems in places such as Shanghai question comparability of overall scores. Although PISA is the most politically prominent measure, there are other international measures which exist. For example, the measure highlights a divergence in education performance across the UK, with Wales performing consistently lower across all subjects than the rest of the UK. For example, Chinese pupils are tested in three separate areas: Shanghai, Hong Kong and Macao. Distinct education systems mean that the test results for these areas may be influenced by the socio-economic backgrounds of the pupils who sit the test. They say that the parents in the urban population tend to be drawn from a cultural and economic elite, whose children in turn tend to perform better academically. Still, Professor Tom Loveless at the Brookings Institute argues that there are problems with this comparison too. There are a number of reasons for this: Most of these occurred before, but in eight more areas took part, which could impact on changes in the OECD mean scores and rankings between and The OECD have said that 71 economies are signed up to participate in Beware of rankings PISA assigns each country a score based upon the mean performance of the students taking part. If we take the ranking of the UK in, and compare it to the ranking it had in out of 57 economies and, it appears that there has been some fluctuation in UK performance: Maths performance ranked 24th in, 28th in, and 26th in Reading performance ranked 17th, 25th and 23rd respectively. Science performance ranked 14th, 16th and 20th respectively. Because the scores are calculated from a sample of pupils, there is a margin of error attached to these rankings. Where countries perform similarly to each other, taking account of this error can change the rankings. Looking at the tests scores shows a more stagnant picture. Still, this only gives us a picture of the performance of a sample of 15 year olds and in a particular way of testing. It finds that English performance has remained largely constant since, apart from science performance of year 5 pupils which has fallen. Academics and journalists alike have queried how reliable PISA is and indeed whether we can conclude anything at all from the measure. Page 1

2 Chapter 2 : United Kingdom vs United States Economy Stats Compared Note: Citations are based on reference standards. However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study. The specific requirements or preferences of your reviewing publisher, classroom teacher, institution or organization should be applied. Revenues calculated on an exchange rate basis, i. This entry records the difference between national government revenues and expenditures, expressed as a percent of GDP. Normalizing the data, by dividing the budget balance by GDP, enables easy comparisons across countries and indicates whether a national government saves or borrows money. Countries with high budget deficits relative to their GDPs generally have more difficulty raising funds to finance expenditures, than those with lower deficits. No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval. This entry briefly describes the type of economy, including the degree of market orientation, the level of economic development, the most important natural resources, and the unique areas of specialization. It also characterizes major economic events and policy changes in the most recent 12 months and may include a statement about one or two key future macroeconomic trends. This entry provides the total US dollar amount of merchandise exports on an f. These figures are calculated on an exchange rate basis, i. It is calculated without making deductions for depreciation of fabricated assets or for depletion and degradation of natural resources. Data are in current U. Dollar figures for GDP are converted from domestic currencies using single year official exchange rates. For a few countries where the official exchange rate does not reflect the rate effectively applied to actual foreign exchange transactions, an alternative conversion factor is used. This entry gives the gross domestic product GDP or value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year. This is the measure most economists prefer when looking at per-capita welfare and when comparing living conditions or use of resources across countries. The measure is difficult to compute, as a US dollar value has to be assigned to all goods and services in the country regardless of whether these goods and services have a direct equivalent in the United States for example, the value of an ox-cart or non-us military equipment ; as a result, PPP estimates for some countries are based on a small and sometimes different set of goods and services. Per capita figures expressed per 1 population. This entry shows GDP on a purchasing power parity basis divided by population as of 1 July for the same year. Figures expressed per capita for the same year. GNI formerly GNP is the sum of value added by all resident producers plus any product taxes less subsidies not included in the valuation of output plus net receipts of primary income compensation of employees and prop. Population below poverty line: National estimates of the percentage of the population lying below the poverty line are based on surveys of sub-groups, with the results weighted by the number of people in each group. Definitions of poverty vary considerably among nations. For example, rich nations generally employ more generous standards of poverty than poor nations. Public debt should not be confused with external debt, which reflects the foreign currency liabilities of both the private and public sector and must be financed out of foreign exchange earnings. This entry contains the percent of the labor force that is without jobs. Substantial underemployment might be noted. The distribution gives the percentage contribution of agriculture, industry, and services to total GDP, and will total percent of GDP if the data are complete. Agriculture includes farming, fishing, and forestry. Industry includes mining, manufacturing, energy production, and construction. Services cover government activities, communications, transportation, finance, and all other private economic activities that do not produce material goods. This index measures the degree of inequality in the distribution of family income in a country. The index is calculated from the Lorenz curve, in which cumulative family income is plotted against the number of families arranged from the poorest to the ric Human Development Index: The human development index values in this table were calculated using a consistent methodology and consistent data series. They are not strictly comparable with those in earlier Human Development Reports. International inbound tourists overnight visitors are the number of tourists who travel to a country other than Page 2

3 that in which they have their usual residence, but outside their usual environment, for a period not exceeding 12 months and whose main purpose in visiting is other than an activity remunerated from within the country visited. When data on number of tourists are not available, the number of visitors, which includes tourists, same-day visitors, cruise passengers, and crew members, is shown instead. Sources and collection methods for arrivals differ across countries. In some cases data are from border statistics police, immigration, and the like and supplemented by border surveys. In other cases data are from tourism accommodation establishments. For some countries number of arrivals is limited to arrivals by air and for others to arrivals staying in hotels. Some countries include arrivals of nationals residing abroad while others do not. Caution should thus be used in comparing arrivals across countries. The data on inbound tourists refer to the number of arrivals, not to the number of people traveling. Thus a person who makes several trips to a country during a given period is counted each time as a new arrival. Official exchange rate refers to the exchange rate determined by national authorities or to the rate determined in the legally sanctioned exchange market. It is calculated as an annual average based on monthly averages local currency units relative to the U. The ratio of the PPP conversion factor to the official exchange rate also referred to as the national price level makes it possible to compare the cost of the bundle of goods that make up gross domestic product GDP across countries. All yearly references are for the calendar year CY unless indicated as a noncalendar fiscal year FY. The gross domestic product GDP or value of all final goods produced by the industrial sector within a nation in a given year. Gini index measures the extent to which the distribution of income or, in some cases, consumption expenditure among individuals or households within an economy deviates from a perfectly equal distribution. A Lorenz curve plots the cumulative percentages of total income received against the cumulative number of recipients, starting with the poorest individual or household. The Gini index measures the area between the Lorenz curve and a hypothetical line of absolute equality, expressed as a percentage of the maximum area under the line. Thus a Gini index of 0 represents perfect equality, while an index of implies perfect inequality. This entry provides the total US dollar amount of merchandise imports on a c. Gross National Income per capita: Highest marginal tax rate individual rate is the highest rate shown on the schedule of tax rates applied to the taxable income of individuals. Human Development Index trends, Per capita figures expressed per 1 million population. Figures expressed per thousand people for the same year. This entry provides a listing of the highest-valued exported products; it sometimes includes the percent of total dollar value. Expenditures calculated on an exchange rate basis, i. Reserves of foreign exchange and gold per capita: Net foreign assets current LCU. Net foreign assets are the sum of foreign assets held by monetary authorities and deposit money banks, less their foreign liabilities. Data are in current local currency. International tourism receipts are expenditures by international inbound visitors, including payments to national carriers for international transport. These receipts include any other prepayment made for goods or services received in the destination country. They also may include receipts from same-day visitors, except when these are important enough to justify separate classification. For some countries they do not include receipts for passenger transport items. Revenue is cash receipts from taxes, social contributions, and other revenues such as fines, fees, rent, and income from property or sales. Grants are also considered as revenue but are excluded here. GDP per capita is gross domestic product divided by midyear population. GDP is the sum of gross value added by all resident producers in the economy plus any product taxes and minus any subsidies not included in the value of the products. Total public and private debt owed to non-residents repayable in foreign currency, goods, or services. Gross domestic savings are calculated as GDP less final consumption expenditure total consumption. The gross domestic product GDP or value of all final services produced within a nation in a given year. Data are in constant local currency. International tourism, number of arrivals. These receipts should include any other prepayment made for goods or services received in the destination country. They also may include receipts from same-day visitors, except in cases where these are so important as to justify a separate classification. Household final consumption expenditure formerly private consumption is the market value of all goods and services, including durable products such as cars, washing machines, and home computers, purchased by households. It excludes Page 3

4 purchases of dwellings but includes imputed rent for owner-occupied dwellings. It also includes payments and fees to governments to obtain permits and licenses. Here, household consumption expenditure includes the expenditures of nonprofit institutions serving households, even when reported separately by the country. This item also includes any statistical discrepancy in the use of resources relative to the supply of resources. Consumer price index reflects changes in the cost to the average consumer of acquiring a fixed basket of goods and services that may be fixed or changed at specified intervals, such as yearly. The Laspeyres formula is generally used. The gross domestic product GDP or value of all final goods produced by the agricultural sector within a nation in a given year. PPP GDP is gross domestic product converted to international dollars using purchasing power parity rates. An international dollar has the same purchasing power over GDP as the U. Data are in current international dollars. A rank ordering of industries starting with the largest by value of annual output. The distribution gives the percentage contribution to total GDP of household consumption, government consumption, investment in fixed capital, investment in inventories, exports of goods and services, and imports of goods and services, and will total percent of GDP if the data are complete. This includes consumption of both domestically produced and foreign goods and services. These figures exclude government transfer payments, such as interest on debt, unemployment, and social security, since such payments are not made in exchange for goods and services supplied. It is measured gross of the depreciation of the assets, i. Earlier editions of The World Factbook referred to this concept as Investment gross fixed and that data now have been moved to this new field. This figure may be positive or negative. Page 4

5 Chapter 3 : Currency Rates Comparison Table OANDA A Comparison of the Performance of Swedish and U.K. Companies (Department of Applied Economics Occasional Papers) [C. F. Pratten] on theinnatdunvilla.com *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Power Distance This dimension deals with the fact that all individuals in societies are not equal â it expresses the attitude of the culture towards these inequalities amongst us. Power Distance is defined as the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organisations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed unequally. At 35 Britain sits in the lower rankings of PDI â i. Interestingly is that research shows PD index lower amongst the higher class in Britain than amongst the working classes. The PDI score at first seems incongruent with the well established and historical British class system and its exposes one of the inherent tensions in the British culture â between the importance of birth rank on the one hand and a deep seated belief that where you are born should not limit how far you can travel in life. A sense of fair play drives a belief that people should be treated in some way as equals. Individualism The fundamental issue addressed by this dimension is the degree of interdependence a society maintains among its members. In Individualist societies people are supposed to look after themselves and their direct family only. At a score of 89 the UK is amongst the highest of the Individualist scores, beaten only by some of the commonwealth countries it spawned i. Australia and the USA. The British are a highly Individualist and private people. Children are taught from an early age to think for themselves and to find out what their unique purpose in life is and how they uniquely can contribute to society. The route to happiness is through personal fulfillment. A low score Feminine on the dimension means that the dominant values in society are caring for others and quality of life. A Feminine society is one where quality of life is the sign of success and standing out from the crowd is not admirable. The fundamental issue here is what motivates people, wanting to be the best Masculine or liking what you do Feminine. At 66, Britain is a Masculine society â highly success oriented and driven. A key point of confusion for the foreigner lies in the apparent contradiction between the British culture of modesty and understatement which is at odds with the underlying success driven value system in the culture. In comparison to Feminine cultures such as the Scandinavian countries, people in the UK live in order to work and have a clear performance ambition. Uncertainty Avoidance The dimension Uncertainty Avoidance has to do with the way that a society deals with the fact that the future can never be known: This ambiguity brings with it anxiety and different cultures have learnt to deal with this anxiety in different ways. The extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations and have created beliefs and institutions that try to avoid these is reflected in the score on Uncertainty Avoidance. There are generally not too many rules in British society, but those that are there are adhered to the most famous of which of of course the British love of queuing which has also to do with the values of fair play. In work terms this results in planning that is not detail oriented â the end goal will be clear due to high MAS but the detail of how we get there will be light and the actual process fluid and flexible to emerging and changing environment. Planning horizons will also be shorter. Most importantly the combination of a highly Individualist and curious nation is a high level of creativity and strong need for innovation. What is different is attractive! This emerges throughout the society in both its humour, heavy consumerism for new and innovative products and the fast highly creative industries it thrives in â advertising, marketing, financial engineering. Long Term Orientation This dimension describes how every society has to maintain some links with its own past while dealing with the challenges of the present and future, and societies prioritise these two existential goals differently. Those with a culture which scores high, on the other hand, take a more pragmatic approach: With an intermediate score of 51 in this dimension, a dominant preference in British culture cannot be determined. Indulgence One challenge that confronts humanity, now and in the past, is the degree to which small children are socialized. This dimension is defined as the extent to which people try to control their desires and impulses, based on the way they were raised. Cultures can, therefore, be described as Indulgent or Page 5

6 Restrained. A high score of 69 indicates that the British culture is one that is classified as Indulgent. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish. Join the Hofstede Insights Network A highly selective worldwide network of culture and management consultants with extensive professional experience and knowledge on how to implement culturally sensitive management practices. Page 6

7 Chapter 4 : Sweden vs United States Economy Stats Compared Abstract. Like the lay public and the media, the business community tends to use the term productivity loosely. Nevertheless, many firms doâ as many more should and willâ show an interest in tracking their own performance in accord with the familiar professional definition. Revenues calculated on an exchange rate basis, i. This entry records the difference between national government revenues and expenditures, expressed as a percent of GDP. Normalizing the data, by dividing the budget balance by GDP, enables easy comparisons across countries and indicates whether a national government saves or borrows money. Countries with high budget deficits relative to their GDPs generally have more difficulty raising funds to finance expenditures, than those with lower deficits. No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval. This entry briefly describes the type of economy, including the degree of market orientation, the level of economic development, the most important natural resources, and the unique areas of specialization. It also characterizes major economic events and policy changes in the most recent 12 months and may include a statement about one or two key future macroeconomic trends. This entry provides the total US dollar amount of merchandise exports on an f. These figures are calculated on an exchange rate basis, i. It is calculated without making deductions for depreciation of fabricated assets or for depletion and degradation of natural resources. Data are in current U. Dollar figures for GDP are converted from domestic currencies using single year official exchange rates. For a few countries where the official exchange rate does not reflect the rate effectively applied to actual foreign exchange transactions, an alternative conversion factor is used. The distribution gives the percentage contribution of agriculture, industry, and services to total GDP, and will total percent of GDP if the data are complete. Agriculture includes farming, fishing, and forestry. Industry includes mining, manufacturing, energy production, and construction. Services cover government activities, communications, transportation, finance, and all other private economic activities that do not produce material goods. This entry gives the gross domestic product GDP or value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year. This is the measure most economists prefer when looking at per-capita welfare and when comparing living conditions or use of resources across countries. The measure is difficult to compute, as a US dollar value has to be assigned to all goods and services in the country regardless of whether these goods and services have a direct equivalent in the United States for example, the value of an ox-cart or non-us military equipment ; as a result, PPP estimates for some countries are based on a small and sometimes different set of goods and services. Per capita figures expressed per 1 population. This entry shows GDP on a purchasing power parity basis divided by population as of 1 July for the same year. Figures expressed per capita for the same year. GNI formerly GNP is the sum of value added by all resident producers plus any product taxes less subsidies not included in the valuation of output plus net receipts of primary income compensation of employees and prop. Public debt should not be confused with external debt, which reflects the foreign currency liabilities of both the private and public sector and must be financed out of foreign exchange earnings. This entry contains the percent of the labor force that is without jobs. Substantial underemployment might be noted. This index measures the degree of inequality in the distribution of family income in a country. The index is calculated from the Lorenz curve, in which cumulative family income is plotted against the number of families arranged from the poorest to the ric Human Development Index: The human development index values in this table were calculated using a consistent methodology and consistent data series. They are not strictly comparable with those in earlier Human Development Reports. International inbound tourists overnight visitors are the number of tourists who travel to a country other than that in which they have their usual residence, but outside their usual environment, for a period not exceeding 12 months and whose main purpose in visiting is other than an activity remunerated from within the country visited. When data on number of tourists are not available, the number of visitors, which includes tourists, same-day visitors, cruise passengers, and crew Page 7

8 members, is shown instead. Sources and collection methods for arrivals differ across countries. In some cases data are from border statistics police, immigration, and the like and supplemented by border surveys. In other cases data are from tourism accommodation establishments. For some countries number of arrivals is limited to arrivals by air and for others to arrivals staying in hotels. Some countries include arrivals of nationals residing abroad while others do not. Caution should thus be used in comparing arrivals across countries. The data on inbound tourists refer to the number of arrivals, not to the number of people traveling. Thus a person who makes several trips to a country during a given period is counted each time as a new arrival. Official exchange rate refers to the exchange rate determined by national authorities or to the rate determined in the legally sanctioned exchange market. It is calculated as an annual average based on monthly averages local currency units relative to the U. The ratio of the PPP conversion factor to the official exchange rate also referred to as the national price level makes it possible to compare the cost of the bundle of goods that make up gross domestic product GDP across countries. All yearly references are for the calendar year CY unless indicated as a noncalendar fiscal year FY. The gross domestic product GDP or value of all final goods produced by the industrial sector within a nation in a given year. Gini index measures the extent to which the distribution of income or, in some cases, consumption expenditure among individuals or households within an economy deviates from a perfectly equal distribution. A Lorenz curve plots the cumulative percentages of total income received against the cumulative number of recipients, starting with the poorest individual or household. The Gini index measures the area between the Lorenz curve and a hypothetical line of absolute equality, expressed as a percentage of the maximum area under the line. Thus a Gini index of 0 represents perfect equality, while an index of implies perfect inequality. This entry provides the total US dollar amount of merchandise imports on a c. Gross National Income per capita: Highest marginal tax rate individual rate is the highest rate shown on the schedule of tax rates applied to the taxable income of individuals. Human Development Index trends, Figures expressed per thousand people for the same year. This entry provides a listing of the highest-valued exported products; it sometimes includes the percent of total dollar value. Expenditures calculated on an exchange rate basis, i. Reserves of foreign exchange and gold per capita: Net foreign assets current LCU. Net foreign assets are the sum of foreign assets held by monetary authorities and deposit money banks, less their foreign liabilities. Data are in current local currency. International tourism receipts are expenditures by international inbound visitors, including payments to national carriers for international transport. These receipts include any other prepayment made for goods or services received in the destination country. They also may include receipts from same-day visitors, except when these are important enough to justify separate classification. For some countries they do not include receipts for passenger transport items. Revenue is cash receipts from taxes, social contributions, and other revenues such as fines, fees, rent, and income from property or sales. Grants are also considered as revenue but are excluded here. GDP per capita is gross domestic product divided by midyear population. GDP is the sum of gross value added by all resident producers in the economy plus any product taxes and minus any subsidies not included in the value of the products. Total public and private debt owed to non-residents repayable in foreign currency, goods, or services. Gross domestic savings are calculated as GDP less final consumption expenditure total consumption. The gross domestic product GDP or value of all final services produced within a nation in a given year. Data are in constant local currency. International tourism, number of arrivals. These receipts should include any other prepayment made for goods or services received in the destination country. They also may include receipts from same-day visitors, except in cases where these are so important as to justify a separate classification. Household final consumption expenditure formerly private consumption is the market value of all goods and services, including durable products such as cars, washing machines, and home computers, purchased by households. It excludes purchases of dwellings but includes imputed rent for owner-occupied dwellings. It also includes payments and fees to governments to obtain permits and licenses. Here, household consumption expenditure includes the expenditures of nonprofit institutions serving households, even when reported separately by the country. This item also includes any statistical discrepancy Page 8

9 in the use of resources relative to the supply of resources. Consumer price index reflects changes in the cost to the average consumer of acquiring a fixed basket of goods and services that may be fixed or changed at specified intervals, such as yearly. The Laspeyres formula is generally used. The gross domestic product GDP or value of all final goods produced by the agricultural sector within a nation in a given year. PPP GDP is gross domestic product converted to international dollars using purchasing power parity rates. An international dollar has the same purchasing power over GDP as the U. Data are in current international dollars. A rank ordering of industries starting with the largest by value of annual output. The distribution gives the percentage contribution to total GDP of household consumption, government consumption, investment in fixed capital, investment in inventories, exports of goods and services, and imports of goods and services, and will total percent of GDP if the data are complete. This includes consumption of both domestically produced and foreign goods and services. These figures exclude government transfer payments, such as interest on debt, unemployment, and social security, since such payments are not made in exchange for goods and services supplied. It is measured gross of the depreciation of the assets, i. Earlier editions of The World Factbook referred to this concept as Investment gross fixed and that data now have been moved to this new field. This figure may be positive or negative. If the stock of unsold output increases during the relevant time period, investment in inventories is positive, but, if the stock of unsold goods declines, it will be negative. Investment in inventories normally is an early indicator of the state of the economy. If the stock of unsold items increases unexpectedly â because people stop buying - the economy may be entering a recession; but if the stock of unsold items falls - and goods "go flying off the shelves" - businesses normally try to replace those stocks, and the economy is likely to accelerate. New businesses registered are the number of new firms, defined as firms registered in the current year of reporting. Foreign direct investment are the net inflows of investment to acquire a lasting management interest 10 percent or more of voting stock in an enterprise operating in an economy other than that of the investor. Page 9

10 Chapter 5 : â Sweden: 20 largest companies by turnover Statistic Read the latest articles of Journal of Comparative Economics at theinnatdunvilla.com, Elsevier's leading platform of peer-reviewed scholarly literature. Tech Industry In Sweden and Finland, tech companies help refugees find work Both Nordic nations are stretched thin processing thousands of new asylum seekers. The tech industry is lending a much-needed hand. Safinaz Awad went through hell to get to Sweden. Two days after reaching Greece, her mother and sister snuck onto a plane to Sweden, where they could live permanently if granted asylum. Awad and her husband, though, feared their baby would draw too much attention from the authorities. Jonathan Persson of Stockholm startup Bigspin stands with employee Safinaz Awad, an asylum seeker who worked for seven years as a programmer in Damascus, Syria. Laura Hautala So Awad, 30, and her family spent the next six months trying to sneak across the Greek border using fake IDs and passports. Desperate, she tried to board a ferry to Italy with her son. She was stopped and sent to jail for a night, along with her baby. So they applied for asylum in Greece in order to get a travel document allowing them to legally head to Sweden. They knew they could potentially be sent back to Greece now that they had registered there, but it was a risk worth taking to get to Sweden. Then her luck changed -- at least temporarily. I found the same thing in Finland. For two weeks in June, I traveled across Sweden and Finland to see firsthand how these two tech-rich nations are coping with the biggest influx of refugees either has experienced in years. Both countries offer extraordinary social services fueled by some of the highest personal income taxes in the world. And both benefit from a tech sector eager to help newcomers contribute their fair share. More than, refugees applied for asylum in Sweden in, compared with 80, applicants in Tiny Finland, with just 5. No matter how you slice the numbers, these migrants are a burden on countries offering comprehensive welfare services ranging from guaranteed housing to universal health care. Finland provides days of unemployment insurance, cheap health care -- and even a state-supplied gift of baby clothes, bedding and baby care products to all expectant parents. Around people gathered to demonstrate for human rights and rights for refugees in Malmo, Sweden, in February, demanding that European authorities and governments take action to open the safe passage routes for asylum seekers. By comparison, the US tops out at The course, held in Helsinki, was just one of a series of conferences, workshops and hackathons organized by Techfugees, a nonprofit social enterprise that describes itself as "a tech community response to the needs of refugees. So he founded Sync Accelerator, a private recruitment agency matching technically proficient refugees with Swedish companies that need their skills. The agency gets a commission for every person it helps land a job. As of August, that was three people. She tells me about a special microsite for asylum seekers and how a photo that went viral one weekend in September inspired it. That photo showed 3-year-old Aylan Kurdi lying lifeless on a beach in Turkey, drowned after the boat carrying his family to Greece capsized. The following Monday, "no one had the power to discuss anything normal. We were devastated," Gunnarsson says, sitting on a cerulean blue couch in a large meeting room filled with leather-bound books. Page 10

11 Chapter 6 : Country Comparison - Hofstede Insights The introduction of new forms of competition and improved management into public health services in the U.K. and Sweden have stimulated changes in costing and performance measurement (PM). In the United Kingdom, there were 11 stoppages in March costing 29, working days. The resolution of such disputes in America depends on the application of the existing federal and state laws relating to labor. There are both differences and similarities between the American and European labor laws. Employment Contract In the United States labor laws, there is no requirement for an explicit contract of employment. Most employment is on an at-will basis, meaning that the employer or the employee can terminate the working relationship at any time, as long as the reasons are lawful. In Europe, the employment contract, derived from common law, is the basis of all employer-employee relations. Employment-at-will doctrine does not apply, notes High Street Partners, a leading international business service provider; the employer is required to follow due process in terminating an employee; if he fails to do so, he can be liable for wrongful termination. Wrongful Termination American federal laws and the U. Fair Labor Standards Act do not require that employers notify their employees before termination. An employer can terminate the working relationship for any reason other than discrimination, retaliation, defamation, breach of explicit contract or fraud. According to the HG Global Legal Resources, just because an employee feels he has been treated unfairly, he may not be able to claim wrongful termination. Under European labor laws, an employee can claim wrongful dismissal or termination if the employer breaches the employment contract. For example, if the employer dismisses the employee without any notice or fails to follow disciplinary measures as stipulated in the contract before dismissal, the employee could claim wrongful termination. Working Hours Federal employment laws in the United States place no limitations on the working hours for employees. However, California state laws entitle employees to a day off every week unless the nature of the occupation makes it difficult to do so. In comparison, European Union member states such as Germany legislation limit weekly working hours to 35 hours. In, the U. Child labor The U. Fair Labor Standards Act permits minors aged 14 and 15 to work outside school time for limited hours in nonmining or nonmanufacturing industries. Minors aged 16 and 17 are allowed to work for unlimited hours; however, all minors are prohibited from performing hazardous jobs. Similarly, European child labor laws resonate with those of the United States. Article 32 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union prohibits the employment of minors who have yet to reach the minimum school-leaving age in their countries. It protects minors from economic exploitation, which may interfere with their safety, development and education. Page 11

12 Chapter 7 : PISA: Can we compare the UK's education performance with other countries? - Full Fact Country comparison. Select one or several countries in the menu below to see the values for the 6 dimensions. To compare your personal preferences to the scores of a country get the Culture Compassâ from our store. Efforts to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, promotion of equal career opportunities, and involvement with local communities are examples of CSR initiatives. Swedish companies have a long history of active CSR work and Sweden is viewed as a pioneer within the field. In, Sweden topped the RobecoSAM Country Sustainability Ranking, which ranks 59 countries based on 17 environmental, social and governance indicators. The scope of the term CSR has expanded dramatically over the years and now covers aspects of business operations as diverse as corruption in supply chains and local environmental efforts. Yet even though Sweden has made great progress, there are many challenges remaining. Environment The environmental aspects of CSR are extremely broad, including areas such as paper recycling, the sustainable use of resources, minimising environmental footprints and reducing water consumption. Climate Counts is a collaborative effort to bring consumers and companies together to find ways to address global climate change. It assesses companies on 22 criteria including their climate footprint, impact on global warming and transparency of their environmental efforts. Cleantech â a term used to describe products or services that improve operational performance, productivity or efficiency while reducing costs, inputs, energy consumption, waste or pollution â is another important part of CSR. Internationally, Sweden fares well in energy and environmental technology, coming third in the Global Cleantech Innovation Index, after Denmark and Israel. Sida Sida is a government authority that works on behalf of the Swedish parliament and government to reduce poverty around the world. Its remit also includes CSR, and Sida works with companies on numerous projects. Companies can promote equality by making it possible for parents to combine work and family, encouraging shared participation in childcare, and giving women and men equal opportunities to rise to leadership positions. The report, which can be read at www. Anti-corruption Corruption, identified by the World Bank as one of the greatest threats to growth, has become one of the biggest challenges within CSR. Transparency International Sweden has assessed the 20 largest Swedish companies, and its resulting report shows that Swedish companies perform better than their international counterparts. Despite the good results, Transparency International continues to encourage Swedish companies, especially those operating internationally, to work more actively against corruption. New legislation against bribery came into force in Sweden on 1 July Among other measures, it categorises the giving or acceptance of bribes as serious crimes. Since, the OECD has had a convention prohibiting the bribery of overseas public servants in international business relationships; 39 countries have ratified the convention. Global sustainability leaders Swedish corporations are often praised for their far-reaching work with corporate responsibility. Several recent studies list Swedish companies in this perspective: The Global study included five Swedish companies: Parameters in the study included carbon dioxide emissions, leadership diversity and taxes paid. The analysis, compiled by SAM from Switzerland, has significant influence on funds and investors who base their investments on ethics and sustainability. The index includes six Swedish companies: The Swedish Government owns more than 50 companies of various sizes. In, Sweden became the first country to demand sustainability reports from state-owned enterprises. In, Sweden took another important step by asking state-owned companies to set several sustainability goals, and to report on them in The targets are to be set by the company boards, with focus on diversity, environment issues, human rights, working conditions, anti-corruption measures, business ethics and gender equality. Human rights â a priority The Swedish Government expects all Swedish companies, private or state-owned, to respect human rights in all their operations. In the end, however, sustainable business practice should be driven and owned by the private sector, with each company deciding if and how it will work with CSR. Striving to lead by example, the Government has a unit within the Ministry for Foreign Affairs focusing on issues related to sustainable trade and business, and has also appointed a CSR Page 12

13 Ambassador see box. Environmental initiatives Strict environmental legislation combined with high levels of environmental awareness and knowledge have led Swedish companies to be environmentally innovative and efficient in their operations. Low-impact production techniques, in particular within industrial production, are now often exported to other countries. Sweden also plays a prominent role in cleantech sectors such as non-fossil fuels and water quality, with several companies as leaders in their fields. SEKAB, for example, is a major European supplier of ethanol and ethanol derivatives, used for fuels and low-environmental-impact chemicals, while water-technology company Xylem has operations in more than countries. Chapter 8 : Compare U.S Labor Laws & European Labor Laws theinnatdunvilla.com Companies > Market capitalization of listed companies > Current US$ per capita: Market capitalization of listed companies (current US$). Market capitalization (also known as market value) is the share price times the number of shares outstanding. Chapter 9 : In Sweden and Finland, tech companies help refugees find work - CNET The comparison of corporate social performance with corporate financial performance has been a popular field of study over the past 25 years. The results, while broadly conclusive of a positive relationship, are not entirely consistent. In addition, most of the previous studies have concentrated on. Page 13