Redovisningskommunikation i turbulenta tider - Swedbanks hantering av penningtvättskandalen
(2025) FEKH69 20251Department of Business Administration
- Abstract
- Research question: In what way has Swedbank applied accounting communication surrounding
the money laundering scandal and how has the communication developed and changed over time
along the course of the event?
Purpose: The purpose of the study was to examine how Swedbank applied accounting
communication in order to manage and rebuild their reputation in connection to the money
laundering scandal by systematically interpreting and analyzing the communication from the
bank.
Methodology: This longitudinal case study was based on a qualitative research method where
the focus revolved around words rather than numbers. The data collection process followed the
most common approach in quantitative analysis of organisation documents, a... (More) - Research question: In what way has Swedbank applied accounting communication surrounding
the money laundering scandal and how has the communication developed and changed over time
along the course of the event?
Purpose: The purpose of the study was to examine how Swedbank applied accounting
communication in order to manage and rebuild their reputation in connection to the money
laundering scandal by systematically interpreting and analyzing the communication from the
bank.
Methodology: This longitudinal case study was based on a qualitative research method where
the focus revolved around words rather than numbers. The data collection process followed the
most common approach in quantitative analysis of organisation documents, a content analysis.
The empirical material was presented through short and concise quotes, which guided the
reflection of the underlying themes in the bank's communication. In the process of the analysis a
continuous exchange between the theory and the empirical evidence was necessary in order to
answer the research question.
Theoretical perspective: William L. Benoit's theoretical framework, Image Repair Theory, was
used to aid in the mapping of how different strategies in image reparation were expressed and
altered in Swedbank’s accounting communication over time.
Result: The empirical evidence showed that Swedbank, during the time period of 2019-2024,
applied a total of nine strategies through their communication. Specifically, the bank has shifted
and denied responsibility as well as emphasized deficiencies in internal governance and control.
They have also highlighted previous good actions, placed the incident in a broader, more positive
context, in order to minimize the extent of the scandal and attacked the accuser. In addition,
corrective actions and admissions of guilt were observed strategies used in order to address and
rebuild Swedbank’s reputation in connection with the money laundering scandal. These
strategies have been assigned varying degrees of prevalence and intensity.
Conclusion: Swedbanks accounting communication was initially very defensive. In the
following stage the bank moved on to admit shortcomings, while, at the same time an emphasis
on positive qualities and corrective actions were given ample space throughout the course of the
events. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9199781
- author
- Bojanic, Maja ; Juhl, Isabell and Nguyen, Isabella
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- FEKH69 20251
- year
- 2025
- type
- M2 - Bachelor Degree
- subject
- keywords
- Crisis communication, financial communication, accounting communication, money laundering, Swedbank
- language
- Swedish
- id
- 9199781
- date added to LUP
- 2025-09-16 10:16:37
- date last changed
- 2025-09-16 10:16:37
@misc{9199781, abstract = {{Research question: In what way has Swedbank applied accounting communication surrounding the money laundering scandal and how has the communication developed and changed over time along the course of the event? Purpose: The purpose of the study was to examine how Swedbank applied accounting communication in order to manage and rebuild their reputation in connection to the money laundering scandal by systematically interpreting and analyzing the communication from the bank. Methodology: This longitudinal case study was based on a qualitative research method where the focus revolved around words rather than numbers. The data collection process followed the most common approach in quantitative analysis of organisation documents, a content analysis. The empirical material was presented through short and concise quotes, which guided the reflection of the underlying themes in the bank's communication. In the process of the analysis a continuous exchange between the theory and the empirical evidence was necessary in order to answer the research question. Theoretical perspective: William L. Benoit's theoretical framework, Image Repair Theory, was used to aid in the mapping of how different strategies in image reparation were expressed and altered in Swedbank’s accounting communication over time. Result: The empirical evidence showed that Swedbank, during the time period of 2019-2024, applied a total of nine strategies through their communication. Specifically, the bank has shifted and denied responsibility as well as emphasized deficiencies in internal governance and control. They have also highlighted previous good actions, placed the incident in a broader, more positive context, in order to minimize the extent of the scandal and attacked the accuser. In addition, corrective actions and admissions of guilt were observed strategies used in order to address and rebuild Swedbank’s reputation in connection with the money laundering scandal. These strategies have been assigned varying degrees of prevalence and intensity. Conclusion: Swedbanks accounting communication was initially very defensive. In the following stage the bank moved on to admit shortcomings, while, at the same time an emphasis on positive qualities and corrective actions were given ample space throughout the course of the events.}}, author = {{Bojanic, Maja and Juhl, Isabell and Nguyen, Isabella}}, language = {{swe}}, note = {{Student Paper}}, title = {{Redovisningskommunikation i turbulenta tider - Swedbanks hantering av penningtvättskandalen}}, year = {{2025}}, }