Publikationer från Stockholms universitet
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The Towercast Judgment: the baseless criticism : Has the Towercast judgment created a materially uncertain
No full textOn March 16, 2023, the CJEU issued its preliminary ruling in the Towercast case. The answer given by the CJEU was that Article 21(1) of the Merger Regulation did not prevent national competition authorities in the Member States from ap-plying Article 102 TFEU to acquisitions. The background to the case before the CJEU was that Towercast considered that its competitor, TDF, had abused its dominant position by acquiring its competitor, Itas. Towercast appealed to the Paris Court of Appeal against the decision of the French competition authority, which stated that it did not have the power to review the acquisition under Article 102 TFEU. The CJEU concluded that national competition authorities in the EU may apply Article 102 TFEU to merger control. Following the judgment, legal scholars and practitioners have argued that the decision has led to a materially uncertain legal situation for undertakings. Legal scholars and practitioners have further argued that the legal uncertainty may lead to increased financial and administrative burdens for undertakings acquiring other undertakings. In light of the criticism raised, the overarching question has arisen as to whether and in what way the Towercast judgment has created a ma-terially uncertain legal situation. The paper critically analyzes the legal conse-quences of the Towercast judgment in the light of the alleged criticism. The paper aims to clarify whether and to what extent the Towercast judgment has indeed created a materially uncertain legal situation. To answer the overall question, the paper analyzes several issues raised by critics. These are whether the Towercast judgment has changed the substantive test in Article 102 TFEU regarding acquisitions as abuse, what type of sanctions undertakings risk in the event of a breach of Article 102 TFEU as a result of acquisitions, whether undertakings risk double control, and whether the Tower-cast judgment’s retroactive effect is consistent with EU law. The paper uses the EU legal method to investigate whether and the extent to which the legal situa-tion as a result of the Towercast judgment is consistent with EU law in light of the criticism raised. The paper concludes that the Towercast judgment has not led to an uncertain legal situation for undertakings, despite the extensive criticism raised in the wake of the Towercast case. The analysis shows that the Towercast judgment has not changed the substantive test, that undertakings that violate Article 102 TFEU, as a result of acquisitions, can expect high fines and structural remedies, that under-takings do not risk double control, and that the Towercast judgment’s retroactive effect is consistent with EU law
How accounting continues: 25 years of building a management control infrastructure in a Swedish municipality : 25 years of building a management control infrastructure in a Swedish municipality
No full textAbstract Purpose– This paper follows how a Swedish municipality builds their management control infrastructure over 25 years – from the early 1990s to the middle of the 2010s; complemented by a revisit in 2023. The analysis builds on Power’s (2015) framework on “how accounting begins.” As such, it will show the process in which objects such as quality, competence, fairness and economy (1) start their journey as abstract policy objects – promises or dreams, but also as problems – that should be achieved by the municipal organization; (2) begin to take on more concrete forms as they become elaborated, activities are orchestrated and an increasingly stable infrastructure is built around them and (3) achieve multiplicity in ways that make the daily work of practitioners highly complex, leading them to engage in strategizing. This makes accounting continue: once this long and arduous process is worked through, when the infrastructure has stabilized, and the strategizing behavior is learned, this three-step process moves much faster. Design/methodology/approach– This study is a longitudinal case study over 25 years in one municipal organization: the city of Stockholm – capital of Sweden. We begin in 1991, which is the approximate start of a shift in Stockholm from an old public administration model (Hood, 1991) toward NPM, and we end in 2016, with a post script 2023, when this shift has proceeded into something slightly new and different. Our research engagement with the city of Stockholm has been long-standing: since the early 1990s, we have been conducting five larger research projects on different aspects of management control (for example, the introduction of competition or the decentralization reform) and we have had continuous exchange with city officials and co-workers through workshops and participative observations. For the purpose of this study, we focus on the data from the five research projects and the reading of all budget documents and annual reports from 1991 to 2016. Findings– The findings extend the framework by Power (2015) in a way that helps us understand how accounting continues. Accounting continues for three interrelated reasons: (1) because of the foundational work that is done over a long time, and according to Power’s (2015) model, where objects such as quality, competence and economy go from existing in abstract programmatic forms to more concrete technological ones around which activities can be orchestrated and where exercises involving learning and collaboration are key. (2) because such learning and collaboration allow practitioners – professionals and accountants – to engage in strategizing the system in different ways that make it functional. Such strategizing can be argued to be part of the broader infrastructure – not only the “highways” but also the shortcuts and scenic detours are part of it. (3) because such strategizing makes top managers and politicians think that the system works in rather unproblematic ways – they never see the struggles that go on “the lower levels” of organization. The argument of his paper is that the focus on the outside world and the interest to extend the system by incorporating more and more objects in programmatic forms that we see on the political level in the third period is a sign of further iffusion by accounting: because the system seems to work so well, it can be extended to new parts of the world. And this is how accounting continues. Research limitations/implications– From the empirical data, we have derived three periods, which can be seen as three phases of building the infrastructure. We see these periods as struggles to gain knowledge about what the organization should provide and an ongoing engagement to build an infrastructure that would support the delivery of the identified objects quality, economy, fairness and competence. These periods could, of course, be divided in different ways. However, as we interpreted the patterns in our data, this dividing of the data seemed reasonable. Practical implications– In the first chapter of their book, Lapsley and Miller (2024, p. 4) provide a quote from 1983 by an NPM proponent. This proponent depicted the old public administration model, which institutions like, e.g. the NHS, were built upon, as “‘a mobile’: designed to move with every breath of air, but which infact never changes its position and gives no clear indication of direction.” Exactly the same thing can be said about the NPM-related infrastructure we have analyzed. Funck and Karlsson (2023) are obviously right when they argue that proponents of post-NPM movements echo the concerns of NPM proponents “back in the days.” We add to this by arguing that NPM has become what it was supposed to replace: a directionless mobile, maintaining status quo while allowing for strategic behavior (Caffrey et al., 2019). What we learn from NPM’s early days is that no “radical rethinking” (Parker et al., 2023) or “imaginaries” (Funck and Karlsson, 2023) can change this: what is needed, for a real paradigm shift, is the introduction of new problems and new experimentation on the practical level. What remains, both from a practical and academic point of view, would be to discuss what constitutes “enough experimentation”? What can be introduced today that is as disruptive as the introduction of, e.g. tender documents, purchaser/provider models, profit units, etc. during the implementation of NPM? These questions might have to be answered – otherwise accounting will continue to perform as is. Originality/value– We believe a relevant contribution with the paper is the longitudinal character of the method
Veni, Vidi, Fieldi : Bayesian Field-Level Inference of Local-Type fNL in the Large-Scale Structure of the Universe
No full textOne of the most pressing questions in modern cosmology pertains to the physical processes governing the early universe and the origins of cosmic structure. Primordial signals are manifest in various probes of the large-scale cosmic structure, such as the higher-order statistics of the density field and the scale-dependent bias effect. Detecting and measuring non-Gaussian primordial signals would shed light on the potential shape of the inflaton field, the hypothetical particle responsible for cosmic inflation. In the near future, next-generation galaxy surveys will begin operation, aiming to constrain the non-linearity parameter fNL to the degree of uncertainty necessary for identifying feasible inflationary models. Nevertheless, accomplishing this objective necessitates modern statistical data analysis tools to accurately account for stochastic and systematic uncertainties when extracting these subtle signals from observations. In this thesis, I describe a novel approach for measuring primordial non-Gaussianity in galaxy redshift surveys that I have developed. The method is based on a Bayesian field-level inference technique, which includes the full field to constrain fNL. In this way, the method is able to go beyond current state-of-the-art methods, which employ a limited set of summary statistics, to capture the full information content of the three-dimensional cosmic structure. The method uses a physical forward model that translates any set of initial conditions to a predicted observable. The space of plausible initial conditions and cosmological parameters are sampled with the help of a Bayesian framework utilizing a Hamiltonian Monte Carlo approach. The method accounts for the gravitational formation of the three-dimensional cosmic structure, and inherently and fully self-consistently accounts for all stochastic uncertainties and systematic effects associated with selection effects, galaxy biasing, and survey geometries. The method is able to account for multiple probes of primordial non-Gaussianity, e.g. the higher-order correlation functions, galaxy mass distributions, peculiar velocity fields, and the scale-dependent bias effect. I showcase highlights of the development process, and present work in inferring primordial non-Gaussianity in galaxy survey data sets. Lastly, necessary preparation for next-generation galaxy redshift surveys is discussed
Påverkan från havsbottensmorfologi på isrecessionen hos norra Grönlands utlöparglaciärer under klimatuppvärmning
No full textIn our warming climate, driven by human activity and greenhouse gas emissions, the Greenland ice sheet is shrinking in extent. One of the ways in which the Greenland ice sheet loses mass is through its interaction with warm water at its outlet glaciers. The three adjacent fjords: Petermann fjord, Sherard Osborn fjord, and Victoria fjord, are marine terminating glacial fjords, where the Greenland ice sheet meets the ocean. Comparing the three adjacent fjords, there is noticeable difference in how much of their respective floating ice tongues remain. One of the factors behind this variation is the differences in seafloor geomorphology of the fjords, which controls the inflow of warm water into the fjords. The aim of this study is the comparison of seafloor geomorphology within the fjords in relation to their respective ice masses. Bathymetric data acquired by multibeam echo-sounding from multiple Greenland expeditions were used for the morphological mapping done in QGIS. The study results show varied seafloor landforms throughout the three fjords, with more sedimentary landforms such as grounding-zone wedges and moraines present in the Petermann and Sherard Osborn fjords, and Victoria fjord instead dominated by rough bedrock structures. A possible interpretation of the results is that the presence of sedimentary landforms formed at longer standstills during past ice retreat episodes act as barriers against warm water inflow, keeping the floating ice tongues from collapsing. In our continuously warming climate, deepening the knowledge on ice-ocean interaction and ice sheet melting is of critical importance. This study aims to contribute some new insights to that area.
Isomers of ions in space and planetary atmospheres : Experimental and theoretical studies
No full textThe list of detected molecules in space has grown rapidly in recent years. Identified compounds now include both nitrogen and oxygen bearing species and detection is being made in a variety of different regions. Isomers have also become increasingly interesting, as their interconversion often is hindered by an energy barrier unlikely to be overcome given the energy-scarce conditions in space, they readily act as different species. In order to describe the chemical environments in space, model calculations are being performed, heavily relying on detailed knowledge about the abundances and reactivity of these species. However, the abundances and formation pathways of many compounds still remain largely unknown. This thesis presents two experimental studies: i) the possible selective generation of the [CH3N]+ isomers and their reactivity with hydrocarbons methane, ethene, ethyne, propene, propadiene and propyne and the alcohol methanol, and ii) the infrared-predissociation spectroscopy of the [CH3N]+ and [C3H3]+ isomers (and the deuterated isotopologues of the latter). Both isomeric pairs have been proposed to exist on Titan as well as to act as key intermediates in the synthesis of heavier compounds, potentially including aerosols, tholins and amino acids. Theoretical calculations accompanies the above experiments, presenting potential energy surfaces of the reactions and predicted vibrational band positions. The results show that the reactions of [CH3N]+ isomers with the hydrocarbons and the alcohol do lead to heavier compounds in exoergic pathways feasible to occur in space and on Titan. Products identified by our calculations includes protonated acrylonitrile, hydrogen cyanide and protonated pyrrole. The reactivity is also isomer dependent, highlighting the importance of isomer consideration in computational modeling of chemical networks in space. The obtained IRPD spectrum allows for identification of these species and pave the way for detection of them with infrared telescopes in space
”Like having a full-time job” : Caregiver experiences ofcooperation between home, school and care-support effortsconcerning children with neuropsychiatric impairment
No full text Studien undersöker vårdnadshavares erfarenheter av samverkan mellan hem, skola och vård- och stödinstanser för barn med neuropsykiatriska funktionsnedsättningar (NPF). Syftet är att identifiera framgångsfaktorer och hinder i samverkan, med ambitionen att bidra till bättre samarbetsmodeller. Studien utgår från Epsteins ramverk för partnerskap mellan skola, hem och lokalsamhälle samt ett systemteoretiskt perspektiv med relationer och organisationer i fokus. Datainsamlingen genomfördes via kvalitativa intervjuer med 8 vårdnadshavare rekryterade genom intressegrupper på sociala medier. Analysen av resultatet visar att framgångsfaktorer för samverkan inkluderar tillit, kontinuerlig och tydlig kommunikation samt lyhördhet från skolans och stödinstansernas sida. Hindren omfattar bristande samordning, otydliga roller samt en upplevelse av ansvarsförskjutning till vårdnadshavarna. Studiens slutsats betonar behovet av stärkt relationskompetens hos professionerna liksom organisatoriska strukturer med tydlig ansvarsfördelning för att främja en god och meningsfull samverkan mellan skola, hem och vård- och stödinstanser
Complex multivalued maps & their invariant sets
No full textThis thesis consists of five papers, each of which investigates the dynamics of multivalued maps on the Riemann sphere or in the complex plane. The problems studied stem from, and are special cases of, the Pólya–Schur problem. In Papers I and III, we initiate the study of continuous Hutchinson invariance and characterize the associated invariant sets both topologically and geometrically. In Paper I, we establish necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of a unique invariant set that is minimal under inclusion, and determine when this set is non-trivial and when it is compact. Paper III focuses on the boundary of this set, providing bounds on its complexity in a specific sense. Moreover, we classify the different types of boundary points. Papers II and IV examine the dynamics of holomorphic correspondences. In Paper II, we construct explicit differential operators and associated holomorphic correspondences such that, for the differential operator, there exists a unique Hutchinson-invariant set in high degrees that is minimal under inclusion, and we study the equidistribution of the associated holomorphic correspondences. In Paper IV, we explore conformal measures of a class of (anti)holomorphic correspondences, prove their existence, and derive bounds on the Hausdorff dimension of the limit sets. Paper V focuses on a question more closely related to the Pólya--Schur theory. For a given differential operator T and a degree n, a set S ⊂ ℂ is said to be Tn-invariant if T maps any polynomial of degree n with all zeros in S to a polynomial with all zeros in S, or to the zero polynomial. We find conditions on T that guarantee the existence of a unique Tn-invariant set that is minimal under inclusion and establish some of its properties
Seeing the invisible : A qualitative study on care managers work with mental health among older adults; Identification, Management, and Challenges
No full textThis study investigates how care managers within Swedish eldercare identify and manage mental health issues among older adults, and explores the challenges they face in this work. Using a qualitative research design, data were collected through six semistructured interview with care managers from four municipalities in Sweden. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The theoretical framework includes ageism and the concept of human service organizations. Specifically focusing on the categories of people-processing, people-sustaining and people-changing. The results show that mental health is often overlooked in favor of physical needs, and the care managers express limited knowledge about mental illness in older populations. Organizational constraints, lack of guidelines, and unclear interprofessional collaboration further complicate their work. Ageist attitudes such as the normalization of loneliness and sadness are normal aspects of aging. It also contributes to the neglect of mental health issues among older adults, by making these problems seem less visible and less worthy of intervention. This study highlights the need for clearer routines, increased knowledge, and more preventive work to improve support for older adults with mental illness needs.
Justice for the whole forest : How legal recognition of interspecies justice could help avoid triggering forest-related Earth system tipping points
No full textCurrent international law has failed to stop large-scale forest exploitation driving forests towards imminent Earth system tipping points. Such tipping points are critical thresholds at which a part of the Earth system can take no more disturbance without rapidly and often irreversibly shifting to a fundamentally different state, with catastrophic consequences. The urgent threat of tipping changes how law should be understood. In this thesis, I argue that some principles of international environmental law should be interpreted to create obligations to stop driving forests towards tipping. So far, however, international environmental law has both been insufficient in mitigating, and complicit in facilitating, the exploitation at the core of tipping drivers. This supports the well-established conclusion that keeping within Earth system boundaries requires the system of international law to transform, towards sustainability and justice and in ways that address drivers of tipping. Built on the concept of interspecies justice and inspired by existing Indigenous and other laws aligned with this notion of respect, care, and reciprocity, this thesis envisions a new, planetary-scale legal governance structure where forests govern themselves. In this vision of forest self-determination, forests have exclusive authority to decide which forest uses shall be permitted and to make its own Forest Laws. Synergies between interspecies justice and counteracting drivers of forest tipping indicate that legal governance structures informed by interspecies justice could effectively address such drivers. This thesis imagines a legal system where the power to address drivers of forest tipping is held in the hands/paws/wings/roots/mycelium of those most affected and knowledgeable: forests themselves. This vision of law could be a beginning to a much larger and urgent effort of thought and action required to turn a dream of life within Earth system boundaries, characterised by justice for all and safety from the catastrophes of tipping, into reality.