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Cerfonteyn, Henk. "The anatomy of the knowledge economy." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/51938.
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Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2000.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A major trend from an information era towards a knowledge economy is currently being experienced, which can be ascribed to the growing importance of knowledge in various countries. The anatomy of the knowledge economy concerns an overall view from the perspective of the organisation. The knowledge economy is analysed in terms of what it involves, its effects on the workplace, the role of information and communication technology (lCT), and emergent key ethical issues. Production and exploitation of knowledge will become the main source of wealth in the knowledge economy. Knowledge can be regarded as value-added to data and information that can be located in organisations either explicitly or tacitly. Tacit knowledge is most prevalent and underutilised form in organisations, and can be exploited to its full extent in the form of intellectual property. A printing metaphor is used to illustrate the extent to which knowledge can become embedded in products, thus increasing intangibility levels within products. Knowledge, as a strategic asset for any organisation, can be generated by innovation and dissemination processes. Knowledge also results in more customised high-valued goods, for which clients are willing to pay more. In facilitating a favourable environment for knowledge development in organisations, governments have an essential role to play. This role includes establishing cultures of entrepreneurship, innovativeness and competitiveness through education, training and funding of appropriate organisations. In order to reap substantial benefits from the knowledge economy, various countries are transforming their economies accordingly. The United States of America, Sweden, Finland and Singapore are currently leading in this respect while others like Canada and the United Kingdom have committed themselves to the new economic order. The measurement of knowledge within organisations has not yet been resolved due to difficulties in isolating the value of knowledge at various levels within the organisation. The escalation and importance of information and knowledge in work processes have resulted in the emergence of knowledge workers at the expense of workers involved with the physical dimension of work. By defeating spatial and temporal limitations through virtualisation, ICT will offer organisations and their workers the necessary agility for survival in the knowledge economy. In response, management will have to change organisational structures and increase innovativeness. Technology, as in the past, will increase capabilities of people even more, for example in the form of supporting tools, automation, controlling devices and connectivity. ICT, being the core technology in the knowledge economy, will have a major role to play relating to knowledge development within organisations by means of the knowledge value chain. The Internet will become an important technology in the knowledge economy. Concerns about unethical and criminal practices in knowledge economies centre around the violation of rights in terms of privacy and freedom, protection of property rights, accountability and liability, reliability of systems and quality of life. To sustain a prosperous knowledge economy and just society will involve innovative stakeholders who participate actively in achieving and maintaining goals of common interest.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Tans vind 'n belangrike neiging vanaf 'n inligtingsera na 'n kennisekonomie plaas, wat toegeskryf kan word aan die toenemende belangrikheid van kennis in verskeie lande. Die anatomie van 'n kennisekonomie behels 'n oorsig vanaf die perspektief van die organisasie. Die kennisekonomie word beskou in terme van wat dit impliseer, die effek op die werksplek, die rol van inligtings- en kommunikasietegnologie (lKT), en opkomende etiese aangeleenthede. Die produksie en benutting van kennis gaan die belangrikste bron van welvaart word in die kennisekonomie. Die verskynsel van kennis kan beskou word as waarde toevoeging tot data en inligting en is sigbaar in organisasies in die vorm van óf eksplisiete óf verskuilde kennis. Verskuilde kennis is die mees algemene, maar onbenutte vorm in organisasies kan tot sy volle potensiaal ontgin word as intellektuele eiendom. Die drukkuns word as metafoor gebruik om aan te dui tot watter mate kennis deel geword het van produkte, wat lei tot verhoging van die nie-tasbare komponent in produkte. Kennis, as 'n strategiese bate vir enige organisasie, word geskep deur middel van innovering en verspreiding. Kennis bied ook hoë-waarde aan goedere tot so 'n mate dat kliënte bereid is om daarvoor meer te betaal. Om 'n gunstige omgewing vir kennis ontwikkeling te verkry, het regerings 'n belangrike funksie met betrekking tot die daarstelling van kulture wat betref entrepreneurskap, innovering en mededingendheid deur middel van opvoeding, opleiding en befondsing van toepaslike organisasies. Verskeie land is besig om hul ekonomieë te omvorm om die beduidende voordele wat die kennisekonomie bied, te benut. Die Verenigde State van Amerika, Swede, Finland en Singapoer is tans leiers in dié verband, terwyl Kanada en die Verenigde Koninkryk hulself ook tot die nuwe ekonomie verbind het. Om kennis binne organisasies in finansiële terme te meet is nog nie uitgepluis nie, vanweë die probleme om waarde van kennis by verskeie vlakke binne die organisasie te isoleer. Die toename en belangrikheid van inligting en kennis in die werksplek het gelei tot die verskynsel van kenniswerkers, ten koste van diegene betrokke met die fisiese sy van werk. Deurdat die beperkinge van ruimte en tyd deur middel van virtualisasie opgehef is, maak IKT organisasies en sy werkers meer rats en lenig - eienskappe wat vir oorlewing in die kennisekonomie vereis word. In reaksie hierop, sal bestuur hul organisasie strukture moet aanpas en innoveringsvermoë moet opknap. Tegnologie, soos altyd, sal vermoëns van mense verder verhoog, byvoorbeeld in die vorm van ondersteunende hulpmiddele, outomatisering, beheermiddele en skakeling. IKT, as kerntegnologie in die kennisekonomie, gaan 'n sentrale posisie inneem in die ontwikkeling van kennis in organsasies met behulp van die kennis waardeketting. Die Internet gaan 'n sleutel tegnologie in die kennisekonomie word. Kommer oor onetiese en kriminele praktyke in die kennisekonomie hou verband met die oorskryding van regte in terme van privaatheid en vryheid, beskerming van eiendomsreg, aanspreeklikheid en verantwoordelikheid, betroubaarheid van IKT stelsels en lewensgehalte. Om 'n voorspoedige kennisekonomie terselfdertyd met 'n regverdige gemeenskap te handhaaf, beteken dat innoverende rolspelers aktief sal moet deelneem om gemeenskaplike doelwitte na te streef en te verseker.
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Naidoo, Satiaseelan. "The I-space as an evolutionary framework for an economics of knowledge : a comparison with generalized Darwinism." Thesis, Link to the Internet, 2008. http://etd.sun.ac.za/jspui/handle/10019/1835.
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Grigoriou, Konstantinos. "Essays on the micro-foundations of the knowledge-based view: human capital, knowledge networks and innovation strategy." Diss., Georgia Institute of Technology, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/44892.
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I look at knowledge networks emerging through individual collaboration within incumbent firms and I make an effort to identify individual roles that are driving a number of meaningful firm-level innovation-related outcomes. I document how certain individuals occupy such positions in their firms' knowledge network that equip them with unique blends of human and social capital, thus making them consequential for the innovative performance of the system as a whole. Integrators are the actors with an extraordinarily large and dense network of different collaborators. Connectors are the individuals who collaborate with others across diverse knowledge areas and clusters. Isolates are actors who are productive while remaining relatively unconnected and independent. I find that relational stars (i.e. integrators and connectors) positively affect their organization's quantity and quality of inventive output. On the other hand, I find that it is isolates and star inventors who positively affect inventive productivity. I find that individuals with extreme patterns of collaborative behavior (either local or distant) facilitate exploration and that productive isolates drive exploitation. In addition, I find that organizational ambidexterity can be attained by having individuals who can simultaneously explore and exploit or by increasing the connectedness between exploratory and exploitative activities. Finally, I find that knowledge boundary choices are also affected by internal organization and human resource attributes.
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Siwale, Mengo. "Scenario planning 2020 for Southern African economic empowerment : can Southern Africa leapfrog from an agrarian to a knowledge economy." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/5770.
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Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The central question that this research report attempts to answer is how southern African countries can leapfrog from agrarian to knowledge-based economies. There is no single answer to this question, but rather a complex solution. This can best be answered using scenario planning; hence the title 'Scenario planning 2020 for southern African economic empowerment'. Scenario planning is not the only way of answering the central question, but is the one preferred by the author. The scenario-building process helps to identify a number of key forces or factors that impact on the region. Culture and openness were top of the list with regard to importance and uncertainty in answering the central question. Using culture and openness, the author was able to develop a matrix with four quadrants. With these quadrants the author developed four plausible futures for the region, using the other forces identified and listed as characters, guided by the technique developed by experts in the field of scenario planning. The scenario process gives insightful information that helps one appreciate the dynamic forces, both positive and negative, and how they interact with each other to translate into an outcome - be it a desirable or undesirable outcome. There is a strong business case for recognising and appreciating the existence of culture and that this is the reason why people (and their culture) cannot be separated from the way of business. People have a way of life and, in order to do business with them, their culture must be understood.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die sentrale vraag wat hierdie navorsingsverslag probeer beantwoord, is hoe lande in Suider Afrika die sprong van landbou- tot kennis-gebaseerde ekonomiee kan bewerkstellig. Daar is geen enkel-antwoord tot hierdie vraag nie, maar eerder 'n komplekse oplossing. Dit kan die beste beantwoord word deur scenariobeplanning; daarom die titel 'Scenario planning 2020 for Southern African economic empowerment. Scenario-beplanning is nie die enigste wyse om die sentrale vraag te beantwoord nie, maar is die een wat deur die skrywer verkies word. Die scenariobouproses help om 'n aantal sleutelkragte of -faktore te identifiseer wat 'n impak op die streek het. Kultuur en openheid was bo aan die lys met betrekking tot belangrikheid en onsekerheid. Met die gebruik van kultuur en openheid, was dit vir die skrywer moontlik om 'n matriks te ontwikkel met vier kwadrante. Met hierdie kwadrante het die skrywer vier geloofwaardige toekomsbeelde vir die streek ontwikkel, met gebruikmaking van die ander kragte wat geldentifiseer en gelys is as karakters, gelei deur die tegniek deur kenners ontwikkel in die veld van scenariobeplanning. Die scenarioproses hied insig wat 'n mens help om die dinamiese kragte te waardeer, positief sowel as negatief, en hoe hulle met mekaar in wisselwerking is om'n uitslag te bewerkstellig - wenslik of nie-wenslik. Daar is 'n sterk saak uit te maak vir sakeondememings om herkenning en waardering te gee vir die bestaan van kultuur en dat dit die rede is waarom mense (en bulle kultuur) nie geskei kan word van die wyse waarop sakebelange bedryf word nie. Mense het 'n leefwyse en om sake met hulle te bedryf, moet hul kultuur verstaan word.
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La, Grange M. E. "The relevance of knowledge management in the public sector : the measure of knowledge management in government." Thesis, Link to the online version, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10019/91.
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Yun, Pui-ho Patrick, and 甄沛豪. "Implementing knowledge management to gain sustainable competitive edgein self-financing tertiary education institution." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2004. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B29804784.
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Pellegrino, Juan M., and n/a. "Strategy, learning and knowledge in the internationalisation process : a comparative study of NZ incremental and early-internationalising SMEs." University of Otago. Department of Marketing, 2009. http://adt.otago.ac.nz./public/adt-NZDU20090826.101221.
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Small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which represent around 95% or more of the total number of enterprises in many countries, are often considered critical for a country's economy because of their effects on economic output and their contribution to overall employment. However, as a result of globalisation and the deregulation of the New Zealand economy, SMEs in this country have been faced with the need to internationalise in order to grow because of increased domestic competition. Moreover, when they make their move to offshore markets they also face fierce competition. Hence, it is in this largely integrated and competitive global marketplace that it becomes critical for smaller firms to learn about international business to succeed. Therefore, this thesis aimed to understand and explain how internationalising NZ SMEs learn and develop knowledge throughout their internationalisation process.
To frame this problem an extensive review of the literature on internationalisation, organisational knowledge and organisational learning was conducted. This assessment revealed a gap related to the evolution of learning and knowledge in SMEs' internationalisation process. It also identified the incremental and born-global internationalisation types, two more common and distinctive internationalisation paths that SMEs follow. The literature described the several common forms of knowledge that played more or less critical roles in these firms' internationalisation. Furthermore, extant research also stated that experiential learning and other learning processes were important for the internationalisation of these firms but it did not delve into the development of these learning processes over time. Finally, the evaluation of the knowledge and learning literatures identified three most distinctive and important forms of knowledge that organisations develop as a result of several learning processes.
Anchored on the research problem and the specific research questions, derived from the literature review, and framed by a post-positivist worldview, this study developed a methodology that combined theory building, process-based research and case studies to address the problem. More specifically, the methodology involved the selection of and collection of historical, or retrospective, data from eight cases, four incremental and four early-internationalising firms. The data collected through interviews and document analysis was examined using different process analysis techniques.
This research has found that there were important differences in the incremental and early-internationalising firms' learning and knowledge during their creation. Furthermore, the early-internationalising firms identified and implemented an internationalisation strategy from the beginning. Thus, the knowledge about international markets and products acquired through congenital learning and their initial intention to offer their products offshore allowed the early-internationalising firms to expand internationally from their creation or soon after. In contrast, the incremental firms only decided to internationalise after they learned from their experience in their domestic market that they had a successful product that had international potential. Besides their initial internationalisation strategy, or lack of it, and knowledge, other factors, such as firm resources, product and industry characteristics and previous learning and knowledge, influenced these firms' subsequent internationalisation strategy, learning and knowledge.
Publication associated with this thesis: Pellegrino, J. (2005) Organisational Learning Processes in Internationalising Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises: a Comparison between Traditional and Born-Global firms. Udevalla Symposium & McGill International Entrepreneurship Conference, Udevalla, Sweden, September 2005.
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Weyer, Dylan James. "Assessing linkages between local ecological knowledge, HIV/AIDS and the commercialisation of natural resources across Southern Africa." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007180.
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That natural resources (NRs) are important to those experiencing adversity, and, especially, vulnerability associated with HIV/AIDS, is well documented, particularly with respect to food and energy security. What is unclear is where HIV/AIDS ranks in terms of its significance in comparison to other household shocks, the role local ecological knowledge may (LEK) play in households' response to shock, a propos the types of coping strategies that are employed. Consequently, this research aims to bridge the knowledge gap between HIV/AIDS and the degree to which it is contributing to the expansion of NR commercialisation and to explore the unknowns surrounding the influence of LEK on people's choice of coping strategy. A two phase study was designed to provide quantitative rigour with qualitative depth. Phase one was an extensive, rapid survey of NR traders within urban and rural settings in five southern Africa countries. The principle objective was to profile the trade, the livelihoods of those involved and their reasons for entering the trade, to ultimately establish to what degree HIV/AIDS may have been a catalyst for this. Almost one third of the sample entered the trade in response to illness and/or death in their households, with 80% of deaths being of breadwinners. The findings illustrated considerable dependence on the sale of NRs; for almost 60% of the sample it was their household's only source of income. There was evidently increased blurring of the lines between rural and urban NR use with a greater diversity of products being traded in urban areas. Phase two involved in-depth interviews and work with a smaller sample at two sites selected based on the findings from the first phase. It incorporated three groups of households; non-trading, inexperienced trading and experienced trading households. Key areas of focus were household shocks, coping strategies employed in response to these and the role LEK may be playing in the choice of coping strategies. Within a two year period, 95% of households registered at least one shock, of which 80% recorded AIDS-related proxy shocks. Non-trading households were significantly worse-off in this regard, while in the case of non-AIDS proxy shocks, there was no such difference between groups. The most frequently employed coping strategy was the consumption and sale of NRs and was of particular importance when households were faced with AIDS proxy shocks. Trading households emerged as having superior levels of LEK in comparison to non-trading households, even for non-traded NRs, suggesting that prior LEK of NRs opened up opportunities to trade in NR as a coping strategy. Further inspection of the latter group however revealed that the portion of non-trading households who traded on a very ad hoc basis actually had comparable levels of LEK to the trading households. Despite the ad hoc trading households' vulnerable state and their disproportionately high level of AIDS proxy measures, they had at their disposal, sufficient LEK to unlock certain key coping strategies, namely the NR trade. In this sense there are apparent linkages between LEK, HIV/AIDS and the expansion of the commercialisation of NRs.
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Steyn, Colin Samuel. "Creative leadership as the essential driver of organisational competitive advantage for sustaining the economy of knowledge." Thesis, Bloemfontein : Central University of Technology, Free State, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/11462/111.
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Thesis (D. Tech.) -- Central University of Technology, Free State, 2008In the twenty-first century knowledge landscape, companies are compelled to compete in a complex and challenging context, transformed by globalisation, technological development, new applications of knowledge and hyper-competition. This new economic landscape requires organisations to perform differently with their knowledge assets to survive and prosper. It has become crucial for organisations to reinvent themselves through new rubrics of leadership, which essentially requires radical change as post-modern perspectives on the knowledge economy emphasise the fluidity, and immediacy of information exchanges that are leveraged through creativity and innovation as the new future sustainable rent. Postmodernist contestations of modernist economic and organisational rationalities have successfully activated discourse from diverse audiences and immense contributions to contemporary knowledge-intensive organisational diagnoses have been proffered. A current issue, which urgently enquires into new conceptions of organisational leadership, is regarded as the global knowledge economy. This economy seeks new sources of inspiration and revitalisation within the dynamic, mutable domains of future knowledge competency construction and enactment. New forms of human capital are now required to manifest tacit and intellectual capacity through exponential creativity and innovation capabilities, rather than explicit production-driven modalities. Therefore, organisations must access this new talent that engages deeply with creative thinking, as they can no longer reproduce themselves within the old traditions of management and control. The need to conjure new aspects of leadership to harness and then transform novel solutions into action should create an environment enabled to validate creativity and innovation as the major building blocks for knowledge transfer and trading. The purpose of this study is to render solutions for future knowledge-intensive organisations and explore new methodologies where leadership realises the paramount importance to nurture the knowledge worker as the most important source of knowledge creation. This study explores the complex challenges faced by contemporary leadership in grasping future value propositions for advancing knowledge trading and offers suggestions to unlock creativity and innovation for the enhancement of knowledge productivity and the development of supportive managerial effectiveness. It is recommended that leadership requires a profound cultural shift from traditional methods of management that can be best described as control orientated, bureaucratic and autocratic. These former hierarchical management structures originated in the modernist paradigm of industrial capitalism. In contrast, contemporary knowledge management is defined within the post-modern debate, where authority is diffused throughout the organisation and leadership engages in sufficient reflexivity to facilitate a more effective understanding of the contemporary knowledge worker. Within this postmodern context, fluidity of knowledge-leadership could actively promote the immediacy of creative exchanges as foundational to deliver the future into the present. The findings suggest a new role for leadership acting as coach and innovation facilitator, rather than controller. Furthermore the findings indicate that creative leadership should involve knowledge workers in defining the mission, vision and strategic intent and secure participation in the knowledge philosophy to mould their respective knowledge roles within a supportive culture. The findings indicated that collaboration between knowledge workers and leadership is crucial to establish formal communities of practice. These, as opposed to informal exchanges amongst knowledge workers, are pivotal to the process of continuous reinvention and proffer the shifts that are essential to drive future knowledge competencies. The findings furthermore revealed that communities of practice should be formally encouraged by leadership who diffuses the strategic intent to initiate forums where formal learning and the sharing of skills occur and creativity is continually advanced. The result is the creation of repositories of knowledge and innovation networks within knowledge concomitance required to enhance knowledge performance and ultimately drive sustainable competitive advantage. The research findings produced novel suggestions to proffer new knowledge-trading opportunities. The recommendations address contemporary leadership to perpetually challenge communities of practice to seek new creative and innovative horisons. This would yield the competencies and capabilities required for improved knowledge performance, based on individual and collective creative contributions. It is imperative for creative leadership to imbibe a new corporate curriculum to embrace the necessary radical innovative approaches required in today’s hyper-competitive economy. The recommendations suggest that the harnessing of creative and innovative potentials of knowledge workers, through the development of the creativity dimensions, namely fluency and elaboration could yield dominant discourse as a central ingredient for collective learning. This, in turn, would propel exponential levels of knowledge productivity, which is the critical component required to drive economic sustainability. Knowledge-leading organisations need to unearth and exploit the economy of knowledge by tapping into subjective experience, creativity and intuitive reflexivity. This study endeavours to offer a compelling vision of the future and recommends an intelligent organisation of the future that utilises a new corporate curriculum achieved by creative leadership to leverage enhanced managerial effectiveness. Finally, a definition for creative leadership is proposed which promotes innovative awareness, fluency and elaboration through formalised communities of practice to leverage enhanced knowledge productivity by means of knowledge worker empowerment and two-way communication. Creating a high-involvement organisation also involves new choices with respect to organisational design. An effective design would be the entrenchment of an organisational culture where the knowledge worker is accountable for and involved in the future success of the organisation. It is recommended that future leadership can achieve new innovative value propositions by structuring new mental models for increased knowledge productivity. The knowledge concomitance model suggests solutions to manipulate and economise knowledge to produce a transformational fusion of discontinuous innovation, nurturing a new syntagma for future knowledge management practitioners.
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文玉蘭 and Yuk-lan Catherine Man. "Cyanide waste management: technologies, economic aspects, and constraints." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1996. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31253507.
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Man, Yuk-lan Catherine. "Cyanide waste management : technologies, economic aspects, and constraints /." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 1996. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B17665346.
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Björkman, Oscar. "Meaning-making knowledge sharing : Learning aspects of a Sandvik knowledge management system." Thesis, KTH, Skolan för teknikvetenskaplig kommunikation och lärande (ECE), 2014. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-142647.
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The focus of this thesis is the KMS at a Sandvik design department. Purposed to deal with information overload using user-generated content, it is also intended to enable the employees to share knowledge. Previous research has studied what motivates employees to use technology for knowledge sharing. This study seeks beyond what is motivating and instead asks what it is that creates meaning for the employees in using and contributing to the KMS. Based on what is found to be meaning-making the thesis discusses and highlights design considerations for the KMS. Qualitative methods as well as theories on learning, motivation and meaning-making is used. Six employees were interviewed and the analysis suggests using thematization that what is meaning-making for the employee is linked with the approach towards work tasks. Meaning-making aspects is seen as either instrumental or social. The use of communicative and social features should be considered.I uppsatsens fokus står en kunskapsdelningsplattform på en av Sandvikskonstruktionsavdelningar. Plattformen ska med användargenererat innehåll underlätta informationssökning samt tillåta användarna att dela kunskap. Tidigare forskning har studerat vad som motiverar anställda att använda datorsystem till att dela kunskap. Denna uppsats söker bortom vad som motiverar och frågar istället vad det är som skapar mening för de anställda i att använda sig av och bidra till denna plattform. Utifrån detta diskuterar och föreslår uppsatsen designförslag till plattformen. Kvalitativa metoder samt teorier om lärande, motivation och meningsskapande används. Sex anställda intervjuades och i den efterföljande analysen som bestod av tematisering framkom det att vad som skapar mening för den anställde går hand i hand med hur denne ser sina arbetsuppgifter. De meningsskapande aspekterna betraktas som antingen instrumentella eller sociala. Användning av kommunikativa och sociala funktioner föreslås till utformningen av plattformen.
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Pari, Anees Ahmed Abdul. "Health economic aspects in the management of bipolar disorder." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2016. https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:f8ea6eae-9111-4efe-87d1-52276d97e827.
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Bipolar disorder (BD) is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide and has a detrimental impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and personal and social functioning. Despite this, there is insufficient knowledge of the costs, HRQoL implications relevant to BD, and the cost-effectiveness of current treatments for BD in the UK. This thesis aims to inform decisions about local and national service provision by applying a variety of health economic tools to build an economic case for BD. First, economic evaluations of BD management strategies are systematically reviewed. A cost-of-illness study is then conducted to estimate the societal burden of BD in the UK and explore the factors that drive variations in these costs. The appropriateness of applying the EQ-5D-3L outcome measure in BD is assessed, and the feasibility of mapping disease-specific measures to the EQ-5D-3L is explored. Finally, a cost-utility analysis (CUA) is conducted to bring together evidence on the costs and outcomes associated with alternative psychological interventions in BD management. This thesis makes critical contributions to multiple research domains, informing the allocation of scarce healthcare resources in this context. There is a sheer dearth of evidence on cost-effectiveness strategies for the long-term management of BD in the UK, especially the evidence for psychological therapies is limited. The annual societal costs associated with BD in the UK are estimated to be £5.14 billion, demonstrating the significant economic burden associated with this disease. The EQ-5D-3L instrument is found to be useful in measuring HRQoL in BD patients who predominantly experience depressive symptoms but is not sensitive enough to detect changes in individuals with mania. More psychometric evidence is therefore required before this instrument can be widely applied in economic evaluations of BD-related interventions. Finally, the CUA indicates that a novel structured psychoeducation intervention in individuals on remote mood monitoring in the UK is not cost-effective.
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Rawlins, Amy. "Socio-economic aspects of peatland management : an ecosystems approach." Thesis, Cranfield University, 2008. http://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/3804.
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Peatland areas comprise half of the world’s wetlands and play important ecological roles. Peatlands offer a diversity of social, economic and environmental benefits, and in so doing serve a wide range of human interests. Despite this peatlands are fast disappearing. Some uses, particularly those associated with agriculture, result in degradation of the peat stock itself. In this context, the research aims to increase the understanding of the socio-economic dimensions of lowland peatland systems in Northern Europe. Focussing on two sites in England, namely Somerset and the Fens, it uses the ecosystem services framework to explore the flow of multiple goods and services from peatlands, while simultaneously linking these to stakeholder interests and influences. Stakeholder and multi-criteria analysis were used in combination to identify the ecosystem services delivered in the case study areas and explain how these services were distributed amongst stakeholders. Using open stakeholder interviews, workshops and formal multi-criteria techniques (AHP and MAUT), it was possible to elucidate the factors that shape land use preferences. Livelihood provisions, maintenance of wildlife interest and floodwater storage were found to be the most important peatland services to stakeholders. The high livelihood associated with consumptive use of peatlands, along with the high degree of private land ownership and the continued relative freedom this affords were found to be the two largest barriers to wise use of peatlands. The findings suggest that new policy mechanisms may be required to designate property rights to secure particular ecosystem services for the public good. This might involve new institutional arrangements, possibly involving multi dimensional entitlement systems, to secure the future of peatlands. The ecosystem services framework, combined with stakeholder and multi-criteria analyses, were shown to be effective in providing an understanding of the synergies and conflicts in peatland management.
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Catena, Rodolfo. "Essays on health care operations management." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2015. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:3c2035a6-b5d0-43b7-9b12-4883e5db4526.
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The aim of operations management in health care is to enhance the provision of services to patients and to decrease costs. Overall worldwide health care expenditures represent around 10.5% of the global GDP and are projected to increase at an annual rate of 5.3% from 2015 to 2017 [74]. In order to investigate how to curb health care costs, I study the English NHS, a health care system that provided universal care to around 54 million people in 2014 [243]. The NHS has launched many initiatives to improve the performance of hospital operations such as the "QIPP" program, which has the objective to save £20 billion of costs by 2015 [98]. Given this framework, this research aims to contribute to the theory that is guiding these operational changes, using data on all admissions to hospitals and focussing on the inguinal hernia, one of the most common surgical procedures [86]. In the next chapters, this research describes inguinal hernia care delivery in the English NHS, examines the impact of spillovers and complementarities on costs, and investigates the effects of length of stay reduction on risk of re-admission and risk of death. The findings of this thesis indicate that one of the possible problems in the delivery of inguinal hernia care in the NHS is the decrease in the number of elective operations performed and the increase in readmission rates. They also clarify how decisions on allocation of resources can affect hospital expenditures by showing that loss in focus can increase health care costs and by pointing out that there is little evidence to support the theory of spillovers and complementarities in the surgical context. Finally, the results of this research can be used to suggest the logic of a policy to decrease length of stay that can inform hospital decisions and can decrease hospital costs.
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Blomé, Gunnar. "Organizational and economic aspects of housing management in deprived areas." Doctoral thesis, KTH, Bygg- och fastighetsekonomi, 2011. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-48616.
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This dissertation consists of five papers with different objectives. The overall objective is to improve knowledge of effective policies regarding socially deprived large housing estates. All studies deal with the real estate context from a housing company decision-making perspective. The first two papers focus on organisational issues and the following three papers deal with economic issues related to the development of a specific housing area. The research is based on case studies which involve specific methodologies such as interviews, direct observation and collecting data from company accounts. The main message of this thesis is that landlord policies and resources spent on operation and maintenance contribute to local area development. It is also underlined that there is a need for a paradigm shift in Swedish housing, since the regulatory framework appeared to be inadequate. The experience from this study shows that many problems can be solved within the existing laws and through efficient customised property management, but landlords need more effective incentives to improve their policies further. The first two papers address issues about how to organise local management resources in large housing estates. Three different functions were identified: customer service, (e.g. fault-reporting); the letting process; and caretaking (day-to-day management and control over indoor and outdoor areas). The models where more decisions are decentralised lead to better information about the local conditions, make it easier to coordinate work in an area, create more motivation for the staff and make it easier to involve the tenants. This was particularly valuable for socially deprived estates, but the decentralised model raised some moral hazard problems, e.g. the local team create their own agenda, are pressured by certain tenants to give them advantages and that the result is lack of control and consistent housing policy in the company. The third paper deals with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in housing management. Different types of costs are identified and related to the estates’ social condition. The results indicate that a CSR-based management policy leads to approximately 4.5 percent lower annual operation and maintenance costs which improved the company’s profitability, especially if the higher standard of maintenance, made higher rents possible. The study also identified three other benefits of CSR; improved tenant relationship, goodwill and business opportunities and the study is a first step towards a better understanding of the economic consequences of CSR in a real estate-context. The fourth paper analyses the return of the Swedish slumlords, with a focus on a specific area in Malmö. The tenants stayed even though the rent was higher and the quality was lower than in neighbouring areas because of a combination of three factors; rents were paid by different forms of welfare payment, lack of alternatives because of queues to other areas and because some tenants saw an advantage in the “no questions” asked policy that the slumlord followed. It is further argued that the property owners found this slum strategy as profitable either because they hoped to find a “bigger fool” to sell to or because the decision makers in the company had not invested their own money. The study concludes that both tenants and investors were in the end losers, but not the company managers.The fifth paper is an economic evaluation of renovation in socially deprived housing estates. The empirical data indicates that it is profitable to use a clear and active housing management strategy, especially if the rent levels are affected by the standard of management by the landlord. The results also show that the landlord’s policy had positive social effects, both in the form of tenant welfare and in the form of lower costs for Police and the Fire department. The study also indicates that it can be difficult to justify large scale investment purely from a business perspective.QC 20111122
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Storman, Anders, and Elin Storman. "Inter-organizational knowledge management : A case study in a Swedish economic association." Thesis, Högskolan Dalarna, Företagsekonomi, 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:du-30405.
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Purpose The purpose of this case study is to understand how inter-organizational knowledge management is conducted in an economic association by analysing how different actor representatives perceive the inter-organizational collaboration. Design/methodology/approach The method of this study is qualitative, with a single case study of an economic association in Dalarna, Sweden. The interviews were of semi-structured character. A total of nine respondents were interviewed; four respondents from private member organizations, three respondents from public member organizations and two respondents employed by the economic association. Findings and conclusion Six themes were found that together answers the purpose of this study. These themes are personalization, codification, collaboration, conditions, capabilities and challenges. The personalization strategy from the knowledge management framework by Hansen et al (1999) is suggested to be the main strategy in the case of the economic association, while the codification strategy is the supporting strategy working in relation to each other. In order to use those strategies in this interorganizational context, four other themes are added in a model created by the authors of this study. The four additional themes need to be taken in consideration and as the theme capabilities points out; the inter-organizational collaboration gives not only challenges, but also opportunities for the participating organizations. Furthermore, the conditions and the reasons for collaborating can be used for improving the structure of an inter-organizational collaboration. Practical Information A Swedish economic association can be described as a legal entity which involves a minimum of three partners, with a common interest and where all members of the economic association are required to participate in the activities of the economic association. Originality/Value This study contributes to the field of inter-organizational knowledge management by providing insight from a Swedish economic association perspective. There is an apparent gap pointed out between theory driven and practical driven research, where this single case study aims to contribute to the practical field of applying inter-organizational knowledge management perspective into a real case scenario. The case is particularly interesting to study since there are 33 organizations involved in knowledge management, with knowledge bases of both private and public sectors, small- and middlesized organizations and from different branches.
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Kirsch, Florian [Verfasser]. "Economic aspects of disease management programs in chronic diseases / Florian Kirsch." München : Verlag Dr. Hut, 2018. http://d-nb.info/1164293648/34.
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Starkie, Helen Jane. "Health economic aspects in the management of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 2010. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/2154/.
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The broad aim of this thesis on ‘Health Economic aspects in the management of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease’ (COPD) was to study the natural history of the disease in order to inform the conceptualisation and development of a new economic model. Existing economic evaluations for COPD were critiqued and information on the natural history of the disease gathered though literature searches and analyses of two large datasets, a COPD randomised controlled trial called TORCH and a general population observational dataset called the Renfrew/Paisley (MIDSPAN) study. Particular attention was paid to identifying the COPD population using different diagnostic criteria. The elicitation of utility estimates under a number of circumstances was considered. A regression based prediction model was conceptualised and developed. Significant contributions of this thesis include, but are not limited to: a NICE COPD cohort were identified who were found to be at higher risk of all-cause and COPD mortality than a GOLD defined cohort; a mapping equation was successfully developed that predicts the EQ-5D from the SGRQ; and an entirely new concept for modelling COPD was developed that uses a series of regression equations to predict cost and effect based on lung function, symptoms and exacerbations and weighted by survival probability in order to generate a model with one arm representing current treatment and a second arm representing a comparator treatment. The thesis successfully combined information gathered throughout the period of research on the natural history of COPD with treatment effects in a novel way in order to conceptualise and develop a new economic model for COPD.
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Häring, Thomas W. "Optimizing loblolly pine management with stochastic dynamic programming." Diss., Virginia Tech, 1993. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/39478.
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This study examines effects of unpredictable price fluctuations and possible catastrophic losses on the optimal site preparation intensity of un thinned loblolly pine plantations under the assumption of lisk aversion. It concentrates exclusively on financial motives and does not take non-market values and portfolio considerations into account. The results should be interpreted with these limitations in mind.
Two approaches are taken to compare site preparation intensities: a quasideterministic approach, where expected cash flows are discounted with risk-adjusted discount rates, and a stochastic approach, where probability functions of cash flows are used to maximize expected utility from net present values. The stochastic approach is further divided into non-adaptive scenarios and adaptive scenarios, where the investor can gather additional price information during the life of a stand to optimize the harvest decision. The adaptive management problem is solved with stochastic dynamic programming. For each possible harvest age, an optimal reservation price below which the forest landowner should not sell the stumpage is calculated.
The study shows that the use of a single risk-adjusted discount rate is generally inadequate to compare different management intensities. The stochastic approaches reveal that the optimal management intensity depends on the degree of risk aversion, with increasing risk aversion leading to a lower intensity level. Given the possibility of catastrophic losses, the adoption of a feedback harvesting policy strengthens the already dominant influence of risk aversion and does not generally lead to an increase in management intensity.
The study's results suggest that even if the landowner is managing the forest solely for financial reasons, some of the reluctance to invest in intensive forestry may not indicate a lack of interest or information but simply an economic reaction to risk, especially in regions with a high potential danger of catastrophic losses.Ph. D.
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Wilgenbusch, Brian. "Developing an information management system for an environmental and economic monitoring system." Thesis, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/17331.
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Schwering, Heinz Jürgen. "On risk and the production of knowledge : economic and sociological perspectives." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 1997. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.368508.
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Philpott, Rodger Frank. "Commercializing the university: The costs and benefits of the entrepreneurial exchange of knowledge and skills." Diss., The University of Arizona, 1994. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/186730.
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The emergence of the global economy has forced the Australian government to revise economic strategies and to seek institutional changes. Higher education's new roles in research and human resource development, have been manifested in university commercialization activities. Mindful that Universities are prestige rather than profit maximizers, this study applies Schumpeter's (1942) theoretical model for the survival of a firm under financial stress. The model's responses, extended to education by Leslie and Miller (1973), include new products, new markets, restructuring, increased productivity and new supply factors. University entrepreneurial activities have monetary and non-monetary impacts. The non-monetary costs and benefits of Australian university enterprise were studied by Leslie (1992) and Leslie and Harrold (1993). In this study, academics at Curtin University of Technology (Perth, Western Australia) were selected as entrepreneurial or non-entrepreneurial subjects and surveyed on the non-monetary costs and benefits of entrepreneurial activities affecting Curtin's teaching, research and public service mission. This data were analyzed and subsequently compared with data obtained by Leslie (1992). Differences in academic perceptions were found among the Curtin respondents by gender, academic status, discipline area, entrepreneurship and non-entrepreneurship, and entrepreneurial revenue importance. Using the Leslie data inter-institutional differences were examined and an order of entrepreneurial institutional types proposed, with Curtin University described as a frontier entrepreneurial university. The taxonomy of costs and benefits developed by Leslie (1992) was revised with the addition of personal social costs, stress, networking and professional development. An estimate was made of the dollar value of non-monetary items; non-monetary benefits were three times the dollar value of monetary benefits; non-monetary costs were less than half the monetary cost levels. The ratio of non-monetary costs to benefits was 1:3.5. Academics in the disciplines of engineering and science had more favorable perceptions of entrepreneurial costs and benefits than respondents in business studies. Health science respondents were described as having pessimistic perceptions. Future research may look at the levels of commercial revenue and investigate the effects of the amount of financial success or failure on the entrepreneurial efforts of academics. In university enterprise successes seem to foster success and the favorable perceptions of academics.
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Goddard, John Gabriel. "Microeconomic foundations of knowledge-driven growth : modelling the dynamic allocation of R&D resources." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2004. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:775f8ca2-6042-499f-926b-cdcca1acad24.
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This D.Phil, thesis undertakes a theoretical analysis of the microeconomic incentives for scientific and technical knowledge-creating activities at the firm-level, the channels by which these activities impinge on industrial change and economic growth, and the effectiveness of governmental policies formulated to influence these systemic linkages. The motivation for this work is explained in Chapter 2, which reviews the state of the art in new growth theory and puts forward a typology of privately sponsored RandD activities and knowledge resources defining the premises on which the thesis rests. Chapters 3 and 4 investigate the RandD allocation and output decisions of a profitmaximising monopolist investing in exploratory- and applications-oriented research, dealing separately with product and process innovations. The characteristic properties of the optimal time paths are ascertained by means of formal and numerical optimal control methods, including comparative dynamics. The complementarity between the two modes of research is shown to generate increasing returns, but these turn out to be short-lived. The model is extended in Chapter 5 to study the development of multiple product lines. Knowledge spillovers and demand-side externalities across successive product lines can provide the basis for continued spending on RandD, allowing sustained output growth and profitability. Chapters 6 to 8 turn to the challenges of modelling the irreducible elements of uncertainty in the innovation process and their bearing upon the dynamics of market competition and industry structure. In the sequential game theoretic model introduced, firms can invest in fundamentally uncertain "innovative-RandD," or wait until the uncertainty surrounding original innovation is dispelled and invest in certain but costly "imitative-RandD." These decisions are taken in a vertically and horizontally differentiated market where noninnovating firms can compete with a "traditional" product. The industry-wide scale of RandD investments and the related evolution in market structure are determined endogenously. To do so, a symmetric equilibrium concept is defined and its uniqueness established. The model can support Schumpeterian industry evolutions, in which surges of innovative entry are followed by waves of imitation, and ensuing "creative destruction" in which traditional producers are driven out of the industry and innovators' rents are eventually eroded. Numerical simulations are employed in Chapter 7 to provide further insights into the evolution of product development, market structure, pricing, firm growth, profitability, and consumer welfare. The final chapter considers the implications of this game theoretic approach for competition and innovation policies.
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Missopoulos, Fotios Stavros. "An analysis of cost influential factors for the development of a software product and a hypothetical method for estimating cost using the Cocomo and Putnam models." Virtual Press, 1988. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/539731.
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The inability to accurately estimate costs which are associated with software development is an increasing concern of the scientists and practitioners involved. Many factors influence the cost and many models have been offered to estimate the expenses for developing a software system of any size and type. Unfortunately, the problem remains the same. There is a significant need for further research in order to develop complete understanding in this area.This thesis examines the cost influential factors and reviews a number of existing cost estimation models. Then, a hypothetical method is shown for estimating cost, incorporating the PERT sizing technique, the Basic and Intermediate COCOMO models, and a blend of features from the Putnam's Resource Allocation model and the SLIM model. The implementation of this method is also included.Department of Computer Science
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Žičkienė, Skaidrė. "Socio-economic aspects of municipal waste management in the context of sustainable development." Doctoral thesis, Lithuanian Academic Libraries Network (LABT), 2005. http://vddb.library.lt/obj/LT-eLABa-0001:E.02~2005~D_20050121_131714-40752.
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The idea of harmonizing economic growth with the laws of development of society and the environment is expressed in the concept of sustainable development. In the frame of sustainable development an exceptional importance is attached to studying material flows, therefore management of waste flows must not contradict the principles of sustainable development. In agreement with M. Jacobs, it is possible to affirm that waste management in the context of sustainable development means using materials in closed cycles.
Investigating socio-economic efficiency of municipal waste management means studying the organizational waste management process and factors disclosing characteristic features of this process, making deep comparative socio-economic analysis of waste management options and studying waste managements acts both on national and local level in order to reveal the ways of increasing socio-economic efficiency in municipal waste management. This study is induced by the necessity of changing the traditional waste management of depositing it in landfills, by recycling using not only national and international funds, but by mobilizing resources of local waste management systems as well.
It is natural, that the policy of waste management, in which neither the scale of economic damage nor future waste management expenditure were evaluated, was orientated towards disposal of waste in refuse dumps. This means transferring problems to future generations, and this cardinally... [to full text]Dėsninga, jog atliekų tvarkymo politika, kurioje nebuvo įvertinas ekonominės žalos aplinkai ir visuomenei dydis bei būsimos atliekų tvarkymo sąnaudos, buvo orientuota į atliekų deponavimą sąvartynuose. Tokia praktika įvardijama kaip problemų (pavojaus) aplinkai perkėlimas ateities kartoms, o tai kardinaliai prieštarauja darnios plėtros koncepcijai. Todėl keliamas klausimas, kokios atliekų tvarkymo sistemos laikytinos efektyviomis socialiniu-ekonominiu požiūriu. Tyrimai, atlikti Europos Sąjungos šalyse, rodo, jog tai sistemos, kurių ištekliai nukreipti antrinėms žaliavoms tvarkyti ir nuolatinei šio tvarkymo plėtrai organizuoti. Diegiant regionines atliekų tvarkymo sistemas, antrinių žaliavų surinkimo, rūšiavimo ir parengimo perdirbti išlaidoms padengti numatyti du šaltiniai – bendrasis tarifas (ar vietinė rinkliava) ir „Gaminių ar pakuotės atliekų tvarkymo programos“ lėšos. Bendrojo tarifo didinimas atsižvelgiant į atskirų atliekų srautų tvarkymo išlaidas arba tarifo neišrūšiuotai ir rūšiuotai atliekų daliai diferencijavimas priskiriamas prie neatidėliotinų priemonių, tačiau pirmiausia būtina identifikuoti lokalinių komunalinių atliekų tvarkymo sistemų vidinius rezervus, kurių dėka galima padidinti socialinį-ekonominį atliekų tvarkymo rezultatyvumą, kartu praktiškai realizuojant darnios plėtros principus.
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Denne, Timothy. "An expert system for stored grain pest management." Thesis, Imperial College London, 1988. http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/47023.
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Jonson, Fredrik, and Przemyslaw Rudzki. "Identifying and Analyzing Knowledge Management Aspects of Practices in Open Source Software Development." Thesis, Blekinge Tekniska Högskola, Avdelningen för programvarusystem, 2004. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:bth-3281.
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In this thesis we explore how knowledge management is performed in open source projects. Open source projects are often perceived as informal, even unmanaged. Still, they appear to manage knowledge acquisition and sharing sufficiently well to successfully develop software in such a distributed environment as the Internet. This thesis aims to explore that apparent contradiction, and thus complement the currently limited research in this field. The thesis consists of a literature study of knowledge management theory and open source development, resulting in the analysis of open source practices from a knowledge management perspective. Currently the field of knowledge management maintains several, partially opposing doctrines. Apart from the business aspect, two main schools of thought are present. The commodity school approaches knowledge as a universal truth, an object that can be separated from the knower. The community school emphasises knowledge as something internal to the human mind, but which can be shared as experiences between people. In the analysis presented, we have applied an analysis method which considers both the commodity and the community perspectives. The analysis is based on previous research studies of open source, and open source practices, and is furthered by a cursory case study using examples from a selected set of open source projects. Our conclusions are that knowledge management indeed is present in open source projects, and that it is supported by an ecology like interaction of project practices.Denna uppsats undersöker hur kunskapsledning används i öppenkällkodsprojekt. Öppenkällkodsprojekt uppfattas ofta som informella, ibland till och med okontrollerade. Ändå verkar de kunna hämta in och sprida kunskap tillräckligt väl för att kunna utveckla lyckade programvaruprojekt, även i en så distribuerad miljö som Internet. Med uppsatsen vill vi undersöka den skenbara motsättningen. Uppsatsen består av en literaturstudie av kunskapsledning och öppen källkod. Dessa studier har utmynnat i en analys av projektmetoder som används i öppenkällkodsprojekt, sett från ett kunskapsledningsperspektiv. Idag finns det flera motsägelsefulla lärosatser inom området kunskapsledning. Två huvudsakliga inriktningar är den kognitiva skolan och den konstruktivistiska skolan. I den kognitiva skolan anses kunskap kunna objektiviseras och behandlas som en vara, separat från personen som har kunskapen. Den konstruktivistiska skolan anser att kuskapen är bunden till den som vet, men att det går att dela med sig av kunskap genom social interaktion. I uppsatsen har vi analyserat projektmetoderna från båda dessa perspektiv. Analysen baseras på tidigare forskning om öppenkällkodsprojekt, och kompletteras av exempel på hur projektmetoderna används i ett urval av öppenkällkodsprojekt. Våra slutsatser är att det finns ett starkt stöd för kunskapsledning i öppenkällkodsprojekt och att den stöds av en ekologiliknande växelverkan mellan olika projektmetoder.
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Frost, R. A. "The binary-relational view and aspects of database and knowledge base systems work." Thesis, University of Strathclyde, 1985. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.381496.
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Greenberg, Laura B. "AN EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVE MECHANISMS FOR FINANCING NONGAME WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT IN ARIZONA." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 1987. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/276495.
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The aims of this study were to identify alternative mechanisms for financing nongame wildlife management in Arizona and to evaluate the mechanisms based on criteria drawn from the fields of public finance and political science. A public opinion survey was conducted to estimate support for the funding of nongame management and the employment of specific mechanisms. The results of the study indicate that a combination of state general fund appropriations and user charges would provide the best means for financing nongame wildlife management. In order to gain financial support from the public and the state legislature it is suggested that the Arizona Game and Fish Department focus its efforts on enhancing its image as an agency that serves a diverse constituency of nonconsumptive and consumptive wildlife enthusiasts.
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Kelly, David T. "The impact of the internal organisational environment on NSD knowledge management and NSD performance." Thesis, City University London, 2000. http://openaccess.city.ac.uk/8164/.
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Building on a diverse stream of literature, knowledge strategy and NSD in particular, the theory investigated in this research is that service firms can use knowledge strategy to improve the innovation performance of their business. Although scholars are now beginning to organise their research agendas around a set of explicit hypotheses concerning the causes and effects of knowledge intensive environments, knowledge management has only recently emerged as an explicit area of pursuit for managing firms. This research empirically investigated knowledge management activity in the context of NSD, and as such provides insight into a subject area previously lacking in rigorous empirical studies. Previous research in the field of NSD has tended to concentrate its focus on the financial services market. In contrast, this research drew its sample from a wider population and identified that many of the findings appear to be generalisable across a number of business markets, both in a consumer and business context. In adopting a knowledge-based view of a service business, this research conceptualised a notion of NSD Knowledge Environment( NKE) to represent the way in which knowledge supports the business' ability to develop new services across a NSD programme. The nine unique bundles of resources which comprise the NKE (knowledge depth; knowledge dispersion; NSD memory, personal interaction; climate of learning; creative climate; entrepreneurial climate; collaborative climate; goal climate) were found to be capable of yielding sustainable, above-normal business performance. The NKE was discovered to have a significant impact on the service business' overall NSD programme performance across four distinct measures: financial; new opportunities; customer responsiveness innovation. Whilst service firms were found to be aware of the importance of knowledge resources to their business, few had embraced a business-wide' framework, for managing- particular knowledge 'assets.' This research therefore indicates the importance of addressing the need for. a knowledge management framework targets specifically at NSD success. Whilst the NKE was discovered to have a'significant impact on the service business' overall ability to develop innovative new products supports the findings of previous research, interestingly, this research identified a multi-dimensional concept of innovativeness, comprising both measures of innovative outcomes and innovative processes. The more innovative NSD programmes were found to be more successful on many' other performance dimensions (financial'and nonfinancial) than their counterparts,i. e. innovative NSD programmes were more successful than their competition on all dimensions, aswell as having a very high percentage of sales and profits originating from new services introduced in the last three years. The overall implication of this research is that if a firm's scarcer resources are the source of improved economic performance, it follows that supportive knowledge practices and a supportive internal knowledge environment must be created to ensure these assets are leveraged successfully.
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Low, Ming Kaan. "Design and financial aspects of the end-of-life management of telecommunications products." Thesis, Loughborough University, 1997. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.362670.
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Li, Jiayan Emma, and 李嘉彦. "Economic evaluations of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for chronic disease management: asystematic review." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2010. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B45173072.
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Leblanc, Maryse. "Efficacy and economics of yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus L.) management systems." Thesis, McGill University, 1990. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=59571.
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Cropping systems were: corn + atrazine + EPTC/dichlormid; corn + atrazine + metolachlor; corn + atrazine + bentazon; corn + EPTC/dichlormid intercropped with red clover as green manure or managed as forage crop in the following year; alfalfa + EPTC; soybean + metalachlor + metribuzin; sorghum as green manure followed by winter wheat; and spring barley + diclofop-methyl + bromoxynil. Control treatments were yellow nutsedge growing in a pure stand and complete yellow nutsedge control. After two growing seasons in experiment #1, the tuber population had decreased in all cropping systems. Yellow nutsedge was reduced to 9% of the initial population under perfect control while it tripled in the pure stand. After the first growing season in the second experiment, only corn intercropped with red clover significantly reduced yellow nutsedge population by 17%. When the systems were not treated with herbicides, the yellow nutsedge population increased between 41 to 180% in all cropping systems. There was a significant relation between yellow nutsedge, broadleaf weed and grass densities and yellow nutsedge tuber production. Corn was the most profitable cropping system. The least economically advantageous cropping system was barley.
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Marais, Deidre. "ICT as an enabler for socio-economic development in South Africa." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/988.
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Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study aims to investigate the enabling role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as a tool to develop the South African economy, taking into account the change in the economy from a primary to a secondary economy and tertiary economy. It also analyses the impact of apartheid on the social and economic conditions in South Africa (SA). The legacy of apartheid is still evident if we look at the underdevelopment of basic infrastructure in the rural areas. The report studies ICT development within seven provinces and reveals that major gaps exist in the development of the rural versus the urban areas. SA has come a long way fifteen years into democracy, having developed in various areas. However, structural challenges, race, gender and economic inequalities are problems that cannot be resolved in the short term but need long term planning to see desired results. The high poverty rate, inadequately skilled workforce and high unemployment rate in SA makes it difficult to convince local communities that there is a need for ICT. Introducing the internet in rural areas for example is also a major challenge due to the poor infrastructural development and the low penetration of fixed line telecommunication services. The generation of ICT infrastructure and access to this technology is a priority for the development of the South African economy. For SA to achieve their development goals, ICT infrastructure needs to be distributed equally. This is one of the goals of the South African government, more specifically of the Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa (USAASA). In order for the South African government to create a competitive ICT sector, changes to the regulations and framework strategies in the telecommunications sector was necessary. The Telecommunication Act of 1996 was extensively criticized because the Telkom monopoly was viewed as a major restraint to competition for ICT development. In 2001, the Telecommunication Act of 1996 was modified to address the inequity in the ICT sector and to make telecommunications more affordable. Furthermore, SA signed the World Trade Organization Telecommunication Agreement to liberalise trade by opening up the world market to competition. There exists a lack of clear national strategy in SA that includes the input of all the stakeholders such as Small, Medium and Micro-sized Enterprises (SMME), government departments, private sector etc. The Information Technology (IT) strategy should have timelines with clear guidelines on where the IT industry is going. There is also a need for the identification of focus areas where high growth and development are required. South Africa has the capacity to develop into an ICT leader, but for this to happen the culture must change from being dependent on innovations of developing countries to becoming independent. ICT will not necessarily alleviate poverty, but it is merely an accelerator to develop people by changing information into valuable knowledge to empower communities. Poverty does not only refer to the lack of basic needs like water, shelter and food, but it is also prevalent when people are: • Unable to access property and credit to do business. • Vulnerable and powerless in situations like crime, economic downturns and recessions. • Socially and economically excluded from society. The ICT Charter was developed to address issues such as employment equity, skills development and socio-economic development, as well as to clarify treatment of multinational enterprises. The charter is the Code of Good Practice for the ICT sector. The automation of work processes, machinery and the use of technology has further led to obsolete positions in the workplace. The change in the structure of the South African economy and the emergence of the digital economy has brought about fundamental economic changes. For SA to keep abreast with global developments it must embrace the transformational stages and exploit the market opportunities of the digital economy. The conditions for creating an environment that is conducive to socio-economic growth include investment in ICTs, policies, human resources and a clear IT strategy. These conditions form the pillars on which the framework of this research report is built.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie ondersoek die bemagtigingsrol van inligting- en kommunikasietegnologie (IKT) in die ontwikkeling van die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie. Die oorgang in die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie van ‘n primêre ekonomie na ‘n sekondêre en tersiêre ekonomie word in ag geneem, en die impak van apartheid op die sosio-ekonomiese omstandighede word geanaliseer. Die nalatenskap van apartheid is nog steeds sigbaar as ons kyk hoe onderontwikkel die basiese infrastruktuur in landelike gebiede is. Hierdie studie ontleed die ontwikkeling van IKT in sewe provinsies, en dit is duidelik dat daar groot verskille bestaan ten opsigte van IKT-ontwikkeling in landelike gebiede vergeleke met dié in stedelike gebiede. Die Suid-Afrikaanse demokrasie het in die afgelope vyftien jaar baie ontwikkel in verskeie areas. Die resultate van die planne wat geïmplementeer word ten opsigte van strukturele probleme, rasseverdeling en ekonomiese ongelykhede sal egter eers oor die langtermyn sigbaar wees. Die hoë armoedesyfer en die oorwegend onvoldoende geskoolde bevolking, tesame met die hoë persentasie werkloosheid in veral landelike gebiede, maak dit moeilik om hierdie gemeenskappe te oortuig dat daar ‘n behoefte aan IKT bestaan. Dis ook moeilik om tegnologie soos die internet in dié gebiede te vestig weens die agterstand in die ontwikkeling van die nodige infrastruktuur en die klein aantal telefoonlyne wat beskikbaar is. Die ontwikkeling van IKT en toegang daartoe is ’n voorvereiste vir die groei van die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie. Een van die vereistes om dit te bereik is die eweredige verspreiding van IKT-infrastruktuur. Die Suid-Afrikaanse regering, en meer spesifiek USAASA (Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa), stel dit gevolglik as een van hulle doelwitte. Die Suid-Afrikaanse regering het besef dat veranderinge aan die wetgewing rakende die telekommunikasiesektor nodig was om ’n mededingende IKT-sektor te vestig. Die Telekommunikasiewet van 1996 het wye kritiek ontlok, aangesien die monopolie van Telkom geïdentifiseer is as ’n struikelblok in die ontwikkeling van IKT. Die wet is in 2001 hersien, waartydens die ongelykhede in die IKT-sektor aangespreek is, om sodoende telekommunikasie meer bekostigbaar te maak. Suid-Afrika (SA) het ook die World Trade Organisation Telecommunication-ooreenkoms onderteken, wat blootstelling aan internasionale markte en wêreldwye kompetisie verseker. Daar bestaan tans geen duidelike nasionale IKT-strategie wat insette van al die rolspelers, soos Klein- en Medium-Sakeondernemings, regeringsdepartemente en die private sektor, bevat nie. So ’n strategie sal tydroosters met duidelike riglyne aan die IKT-bedryf moet verskaf. Die identifisering van fokusareas waar vinnige groei en ontwikkeling noodsaaklik is, is ’n prioriteit. Suid-Afrika het die vermoë om ’n leier op die gebied van IKT te word, maar die kultuur van afhankliheid van die ontwikkelende lande moet omgeswaai word na ’n kultuur van onafhanklikheid. IKT sal nie noodwendig armoede in SA direk verlig nie, maar dit sal sorg vir die sneller ontwikkeling van mense wanneer inligting getransformeer word na kennis waardeur gemeenskappe bemagtig kan word. Die definisie van armoede is nie beperk tot die gebrek aan basiese lewensmiddele soos water, voedsel en huisvesting nie, maar kom ook voor wanneer mense: • Nie toegang het tot eiendom en krediet om handel te dryf nie. • Weerloos is teen geweld, ekonomiese insinkings en resessies. • Sosiaal en ekonomies afgesny is van die breër samelewing. Die IKT Handves is ontwikkel om ongelykheid op die gebied van indiensneming, vaardigheidsontwikkeling en sosio-ekonomiese ontwikkeling aan te spreek, en om riglyne vir multinasionale projekte te verskaf. Hierdie ooreenkoms vorm ook die gedragskode van die IKT-bedryf. Outomatisering in die werkplek het gelei tot die afskaffing van talle poste. Strukturele veranderinge sowel as die ontwikkeling van die digitale ekonomie het die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie fundamenteel verander. SA moet hierdie transformasietydperk omarm en in pas met die wêreld bly, en in die proses leer om geleenthede in die digitale ekonomie ten volle te benut. Hierdie ondersoek kyk na die voorvereistes om ’n omgewing te skep waarin sosio-ekonomiese groei kan plaasvind, insluitend beleggings in IKT, menslike hulpbronne, beleidsraamwerke en ’n duidelike IKT-strategie. Die genoemde vorm die fondament waarop die raamwerk van hierdie navorsingstudie rus.
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Durell, Karen Lynne. "Corporations and intellectual assets : a case of being blinded by the economic value." Thesis, McGill University, 2004. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=82659.
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Corporations appear to be mesmerized by the revenue value of intellectual assets to the exclusion of other attributes thereof. Moreover, empirical evidence suggests that corporate lawyers share this perception, primarily conceptualizing of intellectual assets as a means of generating corporate wealth. This over-promotion of revenue value has wide ranging effects. Specifically, this example of willful blindness on the part of corporations and corporate lawyers is a potential stumbling block for the appropriate utilization of corporate intellectual assets as well as the development of intellectual property regimes and academic discourse. These negative effects stem directly from the misguided corporate perception of intellectual assets as primarily revenue value.
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Radja, Rajni. "The economic sequestration potential of agricultural soils in Canada in response to a carbon market /." Thesis, McGill University, 2007. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=100202.
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The Canadian greenhouse gas offset system was proposed and developed with the objective of assisting Canada in achieving its Kyoto target by means of low cost emission reduction. This study estimates the potential of agricultural soils in Canada to provide carbon credits. Carbon sequestration practices such as moderate till, no-till and perennial crop activities were considered in the analysis. Crops under different tillage regimes, hay and alfalfa were also included in the study. Simulation analysis was undertaken using the Canadian Regional Agricultural Model (CRAM) for carbon prices ranging from $5 to $100/t of CO2e. Carbon credits generated as a result of the sequestration activities were estimated by endogenizing a carbon price for the sequestration activity into the CRAM model. The analysis was done regionally, provincially, and nationally. Two scenarios were investigated; one that included tillage practices and perennial crops (Policy All) and the other that only included tillage practices (Policy Till). Cropping pattern changes, carbon sequestration levels, carbon revenues, and adoption rates were estimated in the simulation. In addition, the role of transaction costs in the offset system was also examined.The results of the simulation indicated that crop shifts towards hay and alfalfa occurred in the Policy All scenario, while practice shifts towards moderate and no-till occurred in the Policy Till scenario. Simulation analysis indicated that carbon sequestration levels vary by province and region. Among the provinces, the Prairie provinces had the highest carbon sequestration levels ranging from 50 percent under the Policy Till scenario, while under the Policy All scenario it was close to 97 percent. Nationally at a medium price of $15/t of CO2 approximately 1.08 Mt of CO2 and 0.11 Mt of CO2 were sequestered under Policy All and Policy Till scenario. When transaction costs were included in the analysis, approximately 30 to 40 percent less sequestration from the baseline was estimated. The results varied by province and region.
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Giles, Andrew. "Exploring the Social, Environmental and Economic Aspects of Trail Surfacing Decisions." Thesis, University of Waterloo, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/10012/964.
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Visitor activities in parks often have a heavy impact on the soil, vegetation, water and wildlife. In front country areas, the most extreme damage is concentrated on and adjacent to recreational trails. Aside from controlling the numbers, activities and behaviours of trail users, managers may choose to make trails more resistant to impact through surfacing. Unfortunately, surfacing may have negative influences on park visitors' enjoyment of trails by limiting access or detracting from the primitive setting. In addition, some surfaces may be ineffective in certain environmental conditions such as wet ground or steep slopes. Finally, the wide variety in construction and maintenance costs may make some surface types economically unfeasible.
The goals of this research are to investigate the role of trail surfacing in the management of impacts from outdoor recreation; to develop better understanding of the social, economic and environmental aspects of trail surfacing decisions; and to explore a comprehensive framework for incorporating these three factors in trail management. It is hoped that this research can assist park managers in selecting surfacing options to reduce visitor impact without excessively compromising recreational experience or organizational limitations, such as financial resources.
In addition to a comprehensive review of literature on visitor impact management on trails and surfacing techniques, this research employs three methods to further investigate the social, environmental and economic aspects of trail surfacing: a trail user survey, manager survey and trail condition assessment. The trail user survey was conducted at two well-used natural areas in southwestern Ontario, Canada: Presqu'ile Provincial Park and Belfountain Conservation Area. Surveys at each area explored trail users' perceptions and preferences of trail surfacing techniques in late summer 1999. The managers' survey provided insight into organizational approaches to surfacing, including construction cost and observations on recreational or environmental effectiveness. Finally, the trail condition assessment explored an approach to determining environmental effectiveness of trail surfacing techniques, but was limited by the physical and recreational variation between trails.
Seven recommendations for trail managers are presented, tying in several conceptual frameworks of visitor impact management and trail surfacing decisions developed in the thesis. First, trail managers are recommended to develop a full understanding of trail design principles and alternative visitor impact management techniques. If surfacing is selected as the best impact management technique, trail managers should obtain as much information on user characteristics, environmental conditions and organizational limitations as possible. Despite the benefits and drawbacks for all surfaces, road base gravel (or angular screenings with fines) merits special attention as an excellent surface, while asphalt and concrete are not recommended for front country, semi-primitive recreation. Finally, trail managers are encouraged to share information on surfacing more freely and open surfacing decision processes to affected trail users.
Overall, trail managers are provided with an approach to surfacing decisions that considers the social, environmental and economic aspects of trail surfacing, with the goal of working toward more enjoyable, environmentally responsible and cost-effective trail solutions.
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Al, Mohannadi F. "A framework for talent management to support the 2030 knowledge-based economic vision for Qatar." Thesis, University of Salford, 2017. http://usir.salford.ac.uk/42188/.
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Over the last few years, the United Nations’ (UN) goals to achieve a sustainable world by 2030 have made a significant impact on many countries and regions; one such region has been Qatar. The national leadership of Qatar, through the strategic leadership of the ruler Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, embarked on an ambitious programme to transform the country’s vibrant oil and gas-centric economy to a knowledge-based economy. The leadership created the Qatar National Vision (2030), which had a focus on ensuring that local Qataris get the maximum benefit from the economy and fully participate in the process of transforming it into a knowledge-based economy (KBE). The QNV 2030 policy has many strands; however, the overarching thread has been to transform the economy through human development and sustainable productivity. In trying to operationalise the transformation of the economy, the government embarked on short-term programmes, such as the development of local infrastructure through the promotion and hosting of international events, including the Asian games and the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup. As a policy, therefore, the QNV 2030 has centred on ensuring that the economy creates a systematic way of attracting, identifying, developing, engaging, retaining and deploying local Qataris to work as knowledge workers within the local economy; this process could be referred to as ‘talent management’ – a sub-set of the human development vision of the QNV 2030, and of the UN at large. This research found that, from the onset, the QNV 2030 policy had no tangible, detailed plan for organisations operating in Qatar to use in order transform the economy into a knowledge-based system through talent management. The research used interpretivist and positivist research philosophies to design a mixed methodology that relied on questionnaire surveys and interviews to gather both qualitative and quantitative data from the industry and from literature in general. The research used data from 284 questionnaire survey responses, 24 interviews and interpretive structural modelling to establish the overall picture that, while industries are aware of the importance of the QNV 2030, there has been no synchronisation of organisational and national goals. In addition, the research found that local cultural tendencies tend to create toxic working environments where leadership is restricted, talent management stifled, and the wrong jobs are given to the wrong candidates. This is creating demotivation amongst those individuals who are well qualified but not socially or culturally connected. The overarching conclusion of the research has been that, while the national leadership foresees a KBE in Qatar by 2030, the strategic leaders of organisations in the economy have failed to link their organisational vision to the national vision for the country. The operationalisation of the QNV 2030 has, to a large extent, focused on maintaining short-term economic gains as opposed to the longer-term visionary gains that could accrue if managers invested heavily in human development through talent management. As such, this thesis proposes a framework through which Qatar’s local economy might be transformed into a knowledge-based system through the deployment of a matrix of knowledge workers in learning organisations. It also sets out the critical strategic steps to be undertaken by organisations in both the private and public sectors.
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Adams, Junay. "Economic empowerment of housing beneficiaries." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/52813.
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Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2002.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A premise of this thesis is that too much emphasis is still placed on dealing with the crisis of housing provision, rather than planning for housing development in South Africa. Little consideration is given to the economic improvement of the housing beneficiaries. The following research question was posed: What can and should be done in order for housing beneficiaries to become economically empowered? Government has the obligation to enhance and maintain the personal social welfare of its inhabitants. Housing is part of a package of social welfare services that includes physical health as well as the incorporeal element within a human being. Housing is also a process of how people came to be housed, starting at the moment when they first apply for a house. Economic empowerment should be linked to the four dimensions of development, i.e. equity, capacity-building, participation, self-reliance. Equity leads to economic empowerment by providing equal access to economic opportunities. capacity-building has aspects of developing skills, providing access to, and establishing supportive structures for economic empowerment. Participation is concerned with achieving power to influence decisions. Finally, self-reliance is linked to economic empowerment because it refers to the ability of people to produce most of its basic needs as well as producing surpluses with which to trade for those commodities and services which it does not produce efficiently itself (Burkey, 1993:51). Economic empowerment of housing beneficiaries implies a micro, individual level focus of economic development. According to Gildenhuys (1993:26) economic welfare refers to the development of the economic and material welfare and prosperity of the individual. Apart from a micro focus, a multi-objective focus is required for sustainability. According to Dalal-Clayton and Bass (2000:12), sustainable development entails balancing economic, social and environmental objectives. Finally, there are two dimensions to economic empowerment, namely, empowerment of the housing beneficiaries, as well as empowerment of development facilitators. Evidence of shortcomings of development projects relating to economic empowerment was provided in this thesis by means of applying the findings of an empirical research project in Wesbank to economic empowerment. The research explored the management processes that were implemented that eventually resulted in outcomes not being desirable. It was explained that the initial "scattering" of opportunities to emerging contractors was not part of a concerted approach for the primary beneficiaries to become economically empowered. This housing development project did not only fail to ensure economic empowerment, but also denied the housing beneficiaries what little economic activity they were involved in prior to the move. The Wesbank evidence was also linked to the views and findings of various authoritative sources that confirmed that government development projects in general, have an unfortunate track record when it comes to economic empowerment of so-called beneficiaries. Two case studies from the United States were used to illustrate that integrated development provides the context for the economic empowerment of housing beneficiaries. Four economic development foci then provided the framework within which solutions were formulated: residential dispersal and mobility, enhancing the capacity of housing beneficiaries, investing in economic empowerment of women, and changing the mindset of the developers. This framework embodies the how of economic empowerment of housing beneficiaries.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: 'n Aanname van hierdie tesis is dat te veel klem steeds geplaas word op die hantering van krisisse t.o.v behuisingsvoorsiening, eerder as beplanning vir behuisingsontwikkeling, met min inagneming vir ekonomiese bemagtiging van behuisingsbegunstigdes. Die volgende navorsingsvraag word gestel: Wat kan en moet gedoen word ten einde ekonomiese bemagtiging vir behuisingsbegunstigdes te bewerkstellig? Regerings het 'n plig om die persoonlike sosiale welsyn van landsinwoners te bevorder en te handhaaf. Behuising is deel van 'n pakket van sosiale welsynsdienste wat fisiese gesondheid sowel as die psigiese element van mens wees insluit. Behuising is ook 'n proses wat begin die oomblik wanneer 'n persoon die eerste keer aansoek doen vir 'n huis. Ekonomiese bemagtiging moet gekoppel word aan die vier dimensies van ontwikkeling, naamlik gelykheid, kapasiteitsbou, deelname, en onafhanklikheid. Gelykheid lei tot ekonomiese bemagtiging deurdat dit gelyke toegang tot ekonomiese geleenthede bevorder. Kapasiteitsbou sluit in ontwikkeling van vaardighede, verskaffing van toegang, en die oprig van ondersteunende strukture vir ekonomiese bemagtiging. Deelname bevorder die toename in mag om besluite te beïnvloed. Onafhanklikheid word gekoppel aan ekonomiese bemagtiging omdat dit verwys na die vermoë van mense om self in die meeste van hul basiese behoeftes te voorsien. Ekonomiese bemagtiging van behuisingsbegunstigdes impliseer 'n mikro, individuele vlak fokus op ekonomiese ontwikkeling. Volgens Gildenhuys (1993:26) verwys ekonomiese welvaart na die ontwikkeling van die ekonomiese en materiële welvaart en vooruitstrewendheid van die individu. Behalwe 'n mikro fokus, is 'n multi-doelwit fokus ook noodsaaklik vir volhoubaarheid. Volhoubare ontwikkeling behels die balansering van ekonomiese, sosiale en omgewings doelwitte. Daar is twee dimensies van ekonomiese bemagtiging, naamlik bemagtiging van die behuisingsbegunstigdes, sowel as bemagtiging van ontwikkelingsfasiliteerders. Bewyse van tekortkominge in ontwikkelingsprojekte aangaande ekonomiese bemagtiging word voorsien d.m.v die toepassing van bevindinge van 'n empiriese navorsingsprojek in Wesbank op ekonomiese bemagtiging. Die navorsing het die bestuursprosesse ondersoek wat gevolg was in die projek en uiteindelik ook veroorsaak het dat die uitkomste onwenslik was. Die aanvanklike verspreiding van geleenthede teenoor opkomende kontrakteurs was nie deel van 'n gefokusde plan vir die primêre begunstigdes om ekonomies bemagtig te word nie. Die behuisingsprojek het nie net daarin gefaal om ekonomiese bemagtiging te bewerkstellig nie, maar het ook die bietjie ekonomiese aktiwiteit waarin begunstigdes betrokke was voor die skuif na Wesbank, weggeneem. Die bewyse in Wesbank word ook gekoppel aan die sieninge en bevindinge van verskeie gesaghebbende bronne wat bevestig dat regeringsontwikkelingsprojekte oor die algemeen 'n swak rekord het wat betref ekonomiese bemagtiging van sogenaamde begunstigdes. Twee gevallestudies van die VSA is na verwys om te illustreer dat geïntegreerde ontwikkeling die konteks verskaf vir ekonomiese bemagtiging van behuisings begunstigdes. Vier ekonomiese bemagtiging fokus areas verskaf 'n raamwerk waarin oplossings geformuleer is: verspreiding en mobiliteit, verbetering van kapasiteit van begunstigdes, ekonomiese bemagtiging van vroue, en verandering van die denkpatroon van ontwikkelingsfasiliteerders. Hierdie raamwerk stel voor die hoe van ekonomiese bemagtiging van behuisingsbegunstigdes.
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Zhang, Xin. "An investigation of the management and socio-economic impacts of the 2006 Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon." Thesis, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11838/1602.
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Thesis (MTech (Tourism and Hospitality Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2007.South Africa is a fast growing and developing sport tourism destination and has hosted various international sport tourism events. With specific reference to the 2006 Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon (OMTOM), which is considered one the most beautiful marathons in the world, this study focuses on different stakeholders' perceptions concerning the management and socio-economic impacts of sport tourism events. Questionnaire surveys for spectators (n=200), participants (n=200) and residents (n=400), as well as key informant interviews for established businesses (n=20), stallholders/exhibitors (n=20), sponsors (n=4), the event organiser (n=1) and the destination marketing organisation (n=1), were designed specifically for this study. Spatially-based random sampling for spectators and participants, was implemented, while purposive sampling for residents, stallholders/exhibitors, established businesses, sponsors, the event organiser and CTRU, were adopted to collect data. Volume counts were undertaken to estimate the number of spectators, while the number of participants was provided by the event organisers. The direct economic impact of the total of the event's contribution to the local economy was ascertained by utilising spending patterns of the spectators and participants. The contribution of the event to the local economy is estimated at R44.7 million, which is relatively significant. The event is diverse in terms of spectators and participants. The stakeholders were generally satisfied with the event organisation. Engendering community pride, utilising a sport tourism event as a regional showcase and providing economic opportunities for local businesses in terms of leveraging opportunities, were key benefits for local businesses and residents in close proximity to the race route. However, problems such as traffic congestion and insufficient parking were raised by all stakeholders and there is still room for improvement in this area as well as the management on the day of the event. The study reveals that there is a greater need to consider attendees' motivations, spending patterns, perceptions and altitudes, demographic profiles, the dire need for community involvement, as well as current and possible event leveraging opportunities for local businesses to enhance the management and positive impacts of sport tourism events. Furthermore, this study also provides holistic information to manage sport tourism events and to retain standard service quality, fulfil customer satisfaction and generate more economic, socio-cultural benefits for the tourist destination in a sustainable manner. Stakeholders can share information, which would improve relevant performance problems in the sport tourism event industry, moreover, effectively make management decisions and assess the socio-economic impacts of sport tourism events.
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Kerr, Muriel Ann. "Programs of socio-economic impact management : the Norman Wells project." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 1985. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/25426.
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Social and economic impacts are often by-products of large scale resource development projects. These socio-economic impacts have become an important component of assessment and review processes during the 1970's and are beginning to attract attention as an issue within impact management. Effective measures of socio-economic impact management are being sought by industry, government and communities who wish to mitigate or avoid negative impacts and/or to enhance potential positive impacts of development.
The Norman Wells Oilfield Expansion and Pipeline Project, approved by the Federal Cabinet on July 30, 1981 was formally assessed as having potentially significant socio-economic impacts. The Federal Government therefore created a number of measures that constituted a socio-economic impact management plan. One of these measures was a benefits package of $21.4 million "to ensure that the training objectives, jobs and business opportunities which we have insisted be part of this project are real and meaningful." The federal government's "coordination approach" to management associated with the Norman Wells Project has been vetted as a model for the management of future development projects. The subject of this thesis is the implementation of two of the impact funding programs within this benefits package. The thesis purpose is to assess the effectiveness of these impact funding initiatives as programs of socio-economic impact management.
The descriptions of the two initiatives chosen for this analysis indicate that their general purpose was to involve the Dene Nation and the Metis Association of the Northwest Territories in the initiation of programs of community and social development and of planning support and monitoring for the communities of the Mackenzie Valley. These two programs are the subject of some debate between federal government representatives and representatives of the two native organizations involved in the Norman Wells Project. The key parties-at-interest disagree over the effectiveness of the two initiatives as instruments of socio-economic impact management for the Norman Wells Project.
In preparation for the actual analysis of these programs, I first developed a process model for socio-economic impact management. This process model provides the framework within which programs of socio-economic impact management are located. Next, I examined the relationship between the socio-economic issues and anticipated problems identified during the Norman Well's Project review processes and the impact fund initiatives under study. This was achieved through a content analysis of documents produced by the Norman Wells Environmental Assessment and Review Panel (E.A.R.P.) and the National Energy Board. I then examined in full the implementation of the initiatives. This was accomplished through a review of documentation and interviews with the relevant actors associated with the two study impact funding programs. My assessment of the effectiveness of the two study initiatives as programs of socio-economic management is based on a comparison of the implementation of these programs to a set of criteria that reflect the basic requirements of programs of impact management.
The two study initiatives failed to satisfy all but the program effectiveness criteria that required a relationship with the public review process concerns. The thesis conclusion, therefore, is that as programs of socio-economic impact management for the Norman Wells Project, the two study initiatives have not been effective. I discuss the basis of this conclusion and propose three recommendations toward the planning for future programs of socio-economic impact management.
This thesis contributes to the assessment of the impact management efforts associated with the overall approach to management of the Norman Wells Project. It should be useful for parties involved in the determination of impact management programs in future development projects. This analysis will aid in the planning of effective procedures to reduce negative impacts, thus serving the interests of both those affected directly, and the nation at large.Applied Science, Faculty of
Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of
Graduate
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Anderson, Larna. "Art marketing and management." Thesis, Rhodes University, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002188.
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Formal art education equips students with skills to produce artworks. A formal art education may increase the opportunity for employment, however, art-related employment is very limited. Art graduates would be better equipped to market and manage art establishments or their own careers if art education were to be supplemented with basic business skills. Artists who wish to earn unsupplemented incomes from their art should undertake to acquire business acumen. This includes being presentable to the market place in attitude and appearance. It also includes aptitude in art, marketing and management. Role models and non-models of success and failure in business should also be observed. Art graduates should adopt applicable tried and tested business methods. Good marketing is a mix of business activities which identifies and creates consumer needs and wants. Marketing activities involve research, planning, packaging, pricing, promoting and distributing products and services to the public to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organisational objectives. Art products include artworks, frames, art books and art materials. Art-related services include the undertaking of commissions, consulting, teaching, free parking, convenient shopping hours, acceptance of mail or telephone orders, exhibitions, ease of contact, approval facilities, wrapping, delivery, installations (picture hanging), quotations, discounts, credit facilities, guarantees, trade-ins, adjustments and restorations. Good management is a mix of business activities which enables a venture to meet the challenges of supply and demand. There is a blueprint for management competence. The three dimensions of organisational competence are collaboration, commitment and creativity. Self-marketing and management is an expression of an artist's most creative being. It is that which can ensure and sustain recognition and income. Artists, like other competent organisations and entrepreneurs from the private sector, should operate with efficient manufacturing, marketing, management and finance departments. They are also equally important and therefore demand equal attention. Artistic skill together with business acumen should equip the artist to successfully compete in the market place. There are no short-cuts to becoming an artist but there are short-cuts to becoming a known and financially stable artist. Understanding marketing and management could mean the difference between waiting in poverty and frustration for a "lucky break" (which may only happen after an artists's death) and taking control. Success should be perpetuated through continuous effort.
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Zamuee, Zanata Clarence. "International economic integration and financial contagion vulnerability : the case of South Africa." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/6409.
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Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--Stellenbosch University, 2008.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The phenomenon of globalisation has seen the closer integration of the world's countries and people. The result of this, is that overall, the world economy has grown substantially. On the flip side, globalisation has greatly increased the exposure of individual countries to occurrences elsewhere in the world. This latter statement is witnessed by the events such as the spread of financial crises from source countries to third party countries that do not seem to have any obvious ties with the crisis-source countries. This has been termed financial contagion. This study seeks to break new ground by focussing on trade-related issues of contagion rather than presenting the usual macro-economic, financial, and political perspectives. A model that considers the trade pattern of countries as linkages tying together countries around the world as a whole (network) is used. This study uses the network approach to international trade as an integration measure and ascertains the occurrence of contagion in South Africa. These parameters will then be used to establish whether trade network integration can be used to explain financial contagion affecting South Africa (and extended to other countries). Two hypotheses are designed and tested in order to establish this. Two measures are used to determine the level of integration of the four study countries. The two measures are country centrality and country importance index. Comparative analysis done showed that all four countries are relatively highly integrated and are in close proximity for both degree centrality and importance. A summary of both indicators of integration measures relative to other countries in the trade network indicate that Mexico, Russia, South Africa and Thailand are well integrated in the network. Secondly the difference in ranking amongst these countries is not significant. Three financial crises are used namely, the Mexican Tequila (1994), the Asian Flu (1997) and the Russian Virus (1998). The contagion testing methodology applied uses the cross-market correlation coefficients between crisis-country and test-country. It is shown that there is no evidence to suggest that South Africa (JSE) was contagiously affected by any of the three financial crises. Only interdependence seems to have existed between the South African market and the crises countries. Evidence shows that countries that are, relatively, highly integrated with the crisis epicentre in terms of the international trade are more immune to episodes of contagion. It is shown further that the relative position of the crisis-suspect country to the crisis epicentre countries, in terms of integration in the international economic landscape, can provide susceptibility indications of that particular country.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die fenomeen van globalisering het gelei tot 'n groter integrasie van die wereld se lande en mense. Die gevolg hiervan is, dat oor die algemeen die wereld ekonomie beduidend gegroei het. Aan die ander kant het globalisering gelei tot die toename in blootstelling van individuele lande aan gebeurtenisse elders in die wereld. Die laasgenoemde stelling getuig van die gebeure, soos die verspreiding van finansiele krisisse vanaf die land van oorsprong tot 'n derde party land wat op die oog af geen ooglopende bande met die krisis-bron lande gehad het nie. Hierdie verskynsel word finansiele besmetting genoem. Hierdie studie beoog om nuwe lig te werp op die saak deur om te fokus op handelsverwante kwessies van besmetting eerders as om die gewone makro-ekonomiese, finansiele en politieke perspektiewe voor te le. 'n Model word gebruik wat die handelspatrone van lande voorstel as 'n samesnoering van lande dwarsoor die wereld as 'n netwerk. Hierdie studie gebruik die netwerk uitgangspunt vir internasionale handel, as 'n integrasie maatstaf en stel vas wat die voorkoms van besmetting in Suid-Afrika is. Hierdie parameters sal dan gebruik word om vas te stel handelsnetwerk integrasie gebruik kan word om die finansiele besmetting wat Suid Alrika (en verspreiding na ander lande) affekteer. Twee hipotese (veronderstellings) word ontwerp en getoets om bogenoemde te bewys. Twee maatstawwe word gebruik om die vlak van integrasie van die vier studie-lande te bepaal. Die twee maatstawwe is 'n land se sentralisasie en die land se belangrikheidsindeks. Vergelykende analise het gewys dat al vier lande relatief hoogs geintegreer is en parallel is in beide sentralisasie en belangrikheid. 'n Opsomming van beide aanduidings t.o.v. integrasie maatstawwe, relatief tot ander lande in die handelsnetwerk, toon dat Meksiko, Rusland en Thailand goed geintegreer is in die netwerk. Tweedens die verskil in rang tussen die lande is nie beduidend nie. Drie finansiele krisisse word gebruik naamlik die Meksikaanse Tequila (1994), die Asiatiese Griep (1997) en die Russiese Virus (1998). Die besmettings waarnemings metodologie gebruik die krisismark korrelasie medewerkende faktore tussen die krisisland en die toets-land. Dit wys dat daar geen getuienis is wat te kenne gee dat Suid Afrika (JSE) besmet is deur enige van die drie krisisse nie. Slegs onderlinge afhanklikheid kom voor tussen die Suid Afrikaanse mark en die krisislande. Dit is bewys dat lande, wat relatief hoog geintegreer is met die krisis episenter, in terme van internasionale handel, meer immuun teen episodes van besmetting is. Verder het dit bewys dat die relatiewe posisie van die krisis-vermeende land tot die krisis episenter lande, in terme van integrasie in die internasionale ekonomiese landskap, vatbare indikasies vir daardie spesifieke land kan verskaf.
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Schneider, Bettina. "Economic feasibility study for the wave energy technology of Gaia Power Group Pty Ltd." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/79331.
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Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2011.Gaia Power is a South African start-up in the renewable energy industry. Among other products, they developed a wave energy converter, which is a device used to extract energy from ocean waves. This research deals with the economic feasibility study of the wave energy converter. Wave energy is a young field of research, especially in the South African context. Therefore sources for multiple angles of the project had to be found, analysed and brought into the Gaia Power context. Understanding the cost drivers of a wave energy plant was the foundation of the research itself. The Gaia Power specific levelised cost of electricity generation was calculated based on actual supplier quotes, reference costs found in the literature as well as assumptions. Still, such a calculation is actually more an estimation due to a high uncertainty level in all cost components. Especially the construction cost as well as the discount rate used have therefore been tested for sensitivity. Gaia Power‟s target production cost was R0.54 kWh, which equalled the Eskom tariff at the time of this research. Taking into account a R0.10/kWh fee payable to Eskom, the target cost sank to R0.44, which is about 25 percent lower than the minimum value for electricity generation cost found in the literature. This target was therefore expected to be and proved to be difficult to reach. The calculated levelised electricity cost was R0.99/kWh, with a possible range of R0.54/kWh to R1.60/kWh observed in the sensitivity analysis. These results show that the Gaia Power wave energy converter in the given specifications was not economically feasible. It was therefore recommended to rethink the specifications in order to reduce construction cost, which proved to be the largest cost driver. Besides the quantitative findings, this research also has a strong qualitative side. During the whole research it became obvious that there was an overall high risk level in the project due to the lack of experience with wave energy in general and in South Africa specifically, as well as the high impact of weather on the construction. Those risks were identified, analysed and recommended mitigation actions were derived.
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Mashiapata, Makidiidi Blantina. "Self-evaluation of perceived knowledge and skills of economic and management sciences teachers in South Africa." Diss., Pretoria : [s.n.], 2006. http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-09162008-124639/.
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Nicol, Lorraine, and University of Lethbridge Faculty of Arts and Science. "Irrigation water markets in Southern Alberta." Thesis, Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Arts and Science, 2005, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10133/275.
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Irrigation is central to the functioning of the southern Alberta economy. Irrigation also uses a significant amount of what is expected to be an increasingly scarce resource: water. The Alberta government is embarking on a long-term water management strategy in which irrigation water management will be pivotal. The government is considering a range of economic instruments to assist in this management. One instrument already implemented is the ability of private irrigators and irrigators within irrigation districts to trade irrigation water rights on a temporary and permanent basis. This has established the foundation for water markets. The research presented in this thesis centers on establishing the characteristics of irrigation water markets in southern Alberta. The research also aims to determine whether the markets are behaving according to basic economic principles and whether they are supporting government's goals of increased water productivity, efficiency and conservation. The findings reveal that characteristics of irrigation water markets in southern Alberta. The research also aims to determine whether the markets are behaving according to basic economic principles and whether they are supporting government's goals of increased water productivity, efficiency and conservation. The findings reveal that characteristics of water markets in southern Alberta are very similar to markets elsewhere and the markets are behaving in a manner one would expect. However, markets are also creating activity that at one and the same time support and contradict government's water management goals. In addition, the small degree of market activity in general suggests that if government is relying on markets to contribute to these goals to any significant extent, it will need to create conditions that promote greater water market activity.x, 184 leaves : ill., maps ; 29 cm.
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Wells, Marilyn A. "Perceptions of knowledge gatekeepers social aspects of information exchange in an organisation undergoing change /." View thesis, 2009. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/45372.
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Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Western Sydney, 2009.A thesis presented to the University of Western Sydney, College of Business, School of Management, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Includes bibliographies.
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Napit, Krishna Bahadur. "Economic impacts of extension integrated pest management programs in the United States." Thesis, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1986. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/74524.
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Integrated pest management (IPM) is an approach to pest control which emphasizes the Integration of biological, cultural, and chemical control methods for optimal pest management. The purpose of this thesis is to empirically examine the level and distribution of net economic benefits of Extension IPM, and to assess the relative importance of socioeconomic factors in affecting the adoption of IPM in the states of Indiana, Virginia, Georgia, New York, North Carolina, Texas, Massachusetts, Mississippi and the Northwest region.
Budgeting and hypothesis testing procedures are used to conduct a net returns analysis. Consumer-producer surplus analysis is used to assess IPM benefits to producers and consumers. Finally, a polychotomous logit model is used to assess the importance of socioeconomic factors affecting IPM adoption.
The results of these analyses show significantly higher returns and less variability of returns per acre for users of IPM as compared to non-users. Moreover, consumers receive significant positive economic gains. However, pesticide cost and the variance of pesticide cost per acre increase with increasing levels of IPM use in several states but decrease in a few others. Gross farm income, percent family income from farming, frequency of contacts with Extension agents, and the education level of respondents are the most important factors related to adoption of IPM. A typical user of IPM is white, male, with at least some college education, has frequent contacts with Extension agents, has a relatively large farm, higher gross farm income, and a higher percent family income from farming.Master of Science
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Baktir, Yusuf. "Connected and Benevolent: The Positive Impact of Social Connections in Reducing Economic Concerns for Volunteering." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2018. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1157604/.
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This dissertation attempts to answer how social and economic mechanisms operate in individual, community and state levels to impact volunteering. Both social processes and economic factors significantly impact the amount of volunteering. However, researchers have a tendency to explain volunteering only by one of these factors. As both theories are equally important in explaining volunteerism, the development of a coherent theory is necessary to combine economic and social theories. This dissertation suggested that, when evaluated together, the influences of the economic factors on volunteering diminish as individuals get more connected with the other members of the society. The three-level analysis of the volunteering largely supports the primary hypothesis of the dissertation that economic concerns for volunteering are crowded out when individuals or the society is highly connected. This finding can help practitioners design better strategies to enhance volunteering such as creating opportunities for the members of the society to interact with each other.