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We conduct laboratory experiments to study peer effects on compliance with extortive requests. To this aim, we use an “extortion game” with multiple victims. In agreement with our hypothesis, our results show that when the information on peers’ behavior is available, compliance with appropriative requests is triggered by conformism among victims rather than by punishment. Moreover, we find that extorted sums are rather small, requests are proportional to the victim’s earnings, similar across victims, and are significantly lower when the extorter self-selects into this role. Punishment is rare, but effective. Finally, our results indicate that fairness concerns matter even in a context of extra-legal taxation, shaping both extorters’ requests and victims’ compliance. 

2008-05-26

Bedrock heat as an energy source

The sun has warmed up the bedrock and this heat can be used for warming up houses. Approximately 100 – 200 meters down in the bedrock the temperature of the heat is stable. This is a source of energy that can be used by installing a heat pump system. The ground source heat pumps are low maintenance and can last for many years. There is also a pollution risk for the groundwater and therefore the wells in the area. Before the ground source heat pump can be installed the municipality need to give permission, according to the environmental code. To install the system without permission is a crime against the environmental code. A requirement when applying for permission to install the heat pump system is to get the neighbours to agree with the place for the bore hole. The neighbour can appeal against the environmental and health authorities’ decision to give permission to install the ground source heat pump system. However there needs to be more research done regarding the environmental effects that may occur in the future, if the ground source heatpump system continues to increase as rapidly as today.

In Sweden, the eutrophication of lakes, water courses and the coastal areas is considered the major threat to aquatic ecosystems and therefore actions taken to reduce the nutrient load to aquatic system including the Baltic Sea has high priority. There are many different sources of phosphorous and nitrogen and domestic wastewater is one contributing factor to the high load. Especially waste water from households that is not connected to municipal sewage treatment or a local small scale plant with appropriate nutrient removal efficiency is considered a problem. These types of households are quite common in rural areas in Sweden and in areas where summer houses has been converted to permanent living. Swedish legislation now permit the municipalities to decide in which areas within the municipality higher demands of the local small scale treatment facility should be met by the households (i.e. high protection level) and where it is acceptable with a less efficient treatment facility (i.e. normal protection level). In this study, using the Swedish legislation, Swedish Environmental goals and simple Hazard Assessment Schemes a proposal for how these protection levels could be used in the municipal of Köping, one of the municipals with water courses entering Lake Mälaren, the 4^th biggest lake in Sweden and with large problems with eutrophication will be presented.

Date: 6/16/2008

Institution: School of Sustainable Development of Society and Technology, Mälardalen University, Västerås (Sweden)

Authors:

Brüning, Andrea

830111

Västerås

Curtolo,Anna

820517

Västerås

Tutor: Tobias Eltebrandt

Title: A Study of Switch Pac: what would be the efficient ways for Switch Pac to increase potential demand and capitalize on green attitudes and behavior in the Swedish market?

Problem: What would be the efficient ways for Switch Pac to increase potential demand and capitalize on green attitudes and behavior in the Swedish market?

Purpose: The aim of our project is to see the potential of Switch Pac’s oxo-biodegradable plastic bags on the Swedish market by capitalize on green attitudes and behaviour.

Method: The report is based on primary data collected through questionnaires (end consumer/ B2B customers). For the investigation of Switch Pac’s macro- and microenvironment secondary data was used (books, journals, newspaper and the Internet)

Conceptual Framework: The conceptual framework consists of certain models to investigate the following topics:

Consumer behavior

AIDA-Model

STP-Model

Switch Pac´s business environment

PESTEL

Conclusion/ Recommendations: In our conclusion based on our frameworks PESTEL, AIDA and STP we concluded that peoples’ awareness regarding environmental friendly plastic bags are not very high based on our questionnaire. The efficient ways for Switch Pac to increase potential demand is to target the customer in the age range from 20 – 49 years and cooperate with supermarkets and (department) stores. Furthermore, Switch Pac needs to position its products in the consumers mind through create brand awareness by using certain elements of the marketing mix model.

Violators of cooperation norms may be informally punished by their peers. How such norm enforcement is judged by others can be regarded as a meta-norm (i.e., a second-order norm). We examined whether meta-norms about peer punishment vary across cultures by having students in eight countries judge animations in which an agent who over-harvested a common resource was punished either by a single peer or by the entire peer group. Whether the punishment was retributive or restorative varied between two studies, and findings were largely consistent across these two types of punishment. Across all countries, punishment was judged as more appropriate when implemented by the entire peer group than by an individual. Differences between countries were revealed in judgments of punishers vs. non-punishers. Specifically, appraisals of punishers were relatively negative in three Western countries and Japan, and more neutral in Pakistan, UAE, Russia, and China, consistent with the influence of individualism, power distance, and/or indulgence. Our studies constitute a first step in mapping how meta-norms vary around the globe, demonstrating both cultural universals and cultural differences. 

This article presents a concise overview of the Financial information Retrieval Ecosystem (FIRE) project. In the article an overview of the technological cornerstones of FIRE, its potential legal implications, stakeholder perspectives, and its influence on various professions, with a particular emphasis on the underlying technologies propelling this initiative. The FIRE project also suggests that both mandatory book-keeping and annual reporting might be possible to abolish in the future.

This chapter examines the principle of the legality of taxation in the contextof the rule of law. It begins with an exploration of the legality of taxation ininternational and EU Law, providing a comparative overview and delvinginto the specific case of Sweden. The authors discuss how this principleis not explicitly stated as a fundamental right in the European Charter ofHuman Rights and Fundamental Freedoms but can be derived from itsprovisions. The Court of Justice of the European Union recognizes it as ageneral principle, necessitating that tax obligations and their substantiveelements be defined by law.The article then focuses on the Swedish interpretation of the principle,tracing its evolution and current application. It highlights the nuances in theSwedish legal system, where the principle of legality in tax law is interpretedas a general rule that taxation must be lawful and in accordance with theprinciples of the rule of law. This includes a discussion of the role of theSwedish Parliament in enacting tax laws and the interpretative approachesof the Supreme Administrative Court.In conclusion, the paper emphasizes the principle of legality as an integralpart of a larger legal system grounded in the rule of law. It addresses thechallenges and complexities in applying this principle, especially whenharmonizing national and EU law principles in tax cases.

Social norms pervade society and when they conflict with legal norms, the former undermine the latter making them ineffective. In this study, we propose that the extortion racket in Sicily has turned into a social norm and this is why recent top-down interventions have failed in stalling this socially undesirable activity. One exception is represented by Addiopizzo, a grass root movement that uses non-legal means to fight the racket phenomenon in Sicily. During the last 15 years, Addiopizzo was able to produce an effective reduction in the payment of protection money in the Sicilian city of Palermo by triggering, we suggest, among other things, a process of change in social norms. Acknowledging the importance of a change in social norms to achieve social change allows us to link the theory of institutions as 'rules' with the theory of institutions as 'equilibria'.

Today many companies and municipalities requires that their suppliers should have an environmental management system to work by. This might be one of the reasons to the increasing number of companies that today are implementing environmental management systems. Care of Haus is one of the companies that thinks that the benefits are bigger than the disadvantages, when it comes to environmental management systems, therefore they have made the choice to work with ISO 14001.

The ISO 14001 standard is deified on the PDCA- cycle. PDCA stands for Plan, do check and act. Care of Haus choose to work with the ISO 14001 standard since it is a well-known standard for the companies that’s Care of Haus collaborates with and it is also well-known within their clientele

Within this report an environmental investigation has been made. Care of Haus consumption of water, energy, transportation etc. have been measured and analysed. An investigation concerning whether Care of Haus reaches the demands set by the ISO 14001 standard, and an environmental policy was also made. The results are that Care of Haus has transportation and energy consumption as their biggest environmental aspects. When working towards “constant improvement” ISO 14001 catchphrase, the environmental aspects should improve.

This policy note highlights issues concerning the right to seek asylum raised by a panel of migration experts in Sweden during the annual Swedish Forum for Human Rights in 2016. The discussion took place following Swedish asylum and immigration policy taking an increasingly restrictive turn. Two main themes are identified. The first theme encompasses views on the relationship between the legal framework’s increased restrictiveness and discourses of securitization and explores the possibilities of moving beyond this pattern. The second theme highlights that different professionals and other staff engaged with asylum seekers and refugees can retain a (legal) space to resist repressive activities that challenge their professional code of conduct and personal integrity.

Hair care is a hygienic treatment and is supervised by the Local Environment and Public Health Committee in the municipality. According to the Swedish Environmental Code, hairdressers as all practitioners are required to take measurements to protect the environment and public health. In hygienic treatments hazards may arise from inadequate hygiene practice which spread infection. Hazards may also arise from the use of hair care products such as permanent wave solutions, bleaches and hair dyes. Some hair dye components are known to cause contact allergy, mostly in hair dressers who are exposed professionally but also in some cases in consumers. Bleaches increase the risk of occupational asthma in hairdressers. Some studies have shown an increased risk of cancer in hairdressers and possibly also in consumers. The use of cosmetic and hygienic products also affects the environment. Some components, e.g. surfactants, are hazardous to aquatic organisms, even though the contribution from hair care products is relatively small. Some hairdressers perform ear piercing. All activities that penetrate the skin involve a risk of infection. There is also a risk of developing a nickel allergy if the earrings are not nickel free. In Sweden, due to recently changed legislation, hairdressers no longer need to notify the Local Environment and Public Health Committee before starting a practice. The changes also mean that the rules about documentation of the measurements practitioners need to take to protect public health are less clear. The changes have made the supervision of hairdressers harder for the Local Environment and Public Health Committee.