Investing for a Brighter Future :  A qualitative study of the management of impact investing in emerging markets.   

The purpose of this thesis is to gain a deeper understanding of the term impact investing and examine how Nordic impact investors manage risk, return, and social and/or environmental in emerging markets. Relevant aspects to impact investing have been identified to enable this thesis to be conducted. The thesis derives from a qualitative research method, this to gain a deeper understanding of the term and how Nordic impact investors conduct their business in emerging markets. The thesis is based on a deductive research approach due to that the term impact investing has a limited amount of previous research. The literature review highlights relevant theories related to the research questions. The concepts presented are impact investing, emerging markets, dual interest, and risk management. These theories have later been put into a conceptual framework to showcase the interconnections. From the conceptual framework, three main concepts (impact investing, dual interest, and risk management in emerging markets) have been established and then later analysed based on the empirical data gathered from a multi-case study. The analysis chapter includes a comparison and discussion between the empirical findings and the literature review in order to answer the thesis research questions. Furthermore, the analysis follows the same concepts presented in the operationalization. The final chapter reveals the conclusions drawn based on the analysis conducted. The final chapter further highlight implications both theoretical and practical, followed by suggestions for future research. The theoretical implications of the thesis pinpoint that impact investing require conceptual clarity to raise more awareness and gain recognition. Furthermore, risk management is an essential part of conducting investments in emerging markets. The practical implications showcase that impact investing can be conducted in several different ways and that there are no distinct patterns on how to manage impact investments best. Furthermore, the thesis stresses the importance of impact investing in emerging markets