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Ferreira, Pena Do Amaral J. A. "Aspects of optimal sequential resource allocation." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1985. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.370266.
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Slattery, M. "Demographic aspects of resource allocation to Health Services." Thesis, University of Southampton, 1986. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.374235.
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Wadho, Waqar ahmed. "Essays on the economics of corruption." Thesis, Aix-Marseille 2, 2011. http://www.theses.fr/2011AIX24005/document.
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Cette thèse est composée de trois essais; dans le premier essai je traite les questions de la détermination, de la variance et des répercussions de la corruption. J’ai montré que la corruption est déterminée par la part des travailleurs non qualifiés sur la population. Si cette part est large alors il existe une corruption, si elle est faible la corruption est inexistante, et pour des niveaux intermédiaires, il existe une multiplicité d’équilibres. La corruption augmente les inégalités salariales entre travailleurs qualifiés et non qualifiés, et une perte de bien-être. Dans le deuxième essai je traite la question de lutte contre la corruption à travers l’incitation salariale. Avec une technologie de contrôle endogène, je montre que le gouvernement peut mieux accepter la corruption lorsqu’il est coûteux de contrôler. Lorsqu’il est optimal de combattre alors le gouvernement peut le faire soit à travers des salaires d’efficience ou soit par le contrôle. Néanmoins le rôle des salaires d’efficience dans la lutte contre la corruption est moindre dans les sociétés avec un niveau de malhonnêteté élevé. Le troisième essai traite la malédiction des ressources naturelles. Je montre que l'éducation et la corruption sont déterminées conjointement ; les ressources naturelles affectent l’incitation à investir en éducation et en ‘rent-seeking’ ce qui en retour affecte la croissance. En outre, la relation entre une abondance et la malédiction des ressources naturelles n’est pas monotone. Pour un niveau d’inégalité d’accès à l’éducation faible et un coût élevé de participation dans la vie politique, un niveau de croissance élevé et la trappe à la pauvreté coexistentThis dissertation consists of three essays. The topics cover determination, variance and repercussions of corruption (essay one), corruption deterrence through wage incentives (essay two), and natural resource curse (essay three). In the first essay, I show that for a larger population of unskilled labor, there is a widespread corruption and for a smaller population there is no corruption. For the intermediate levels there are multiple equilibria. On its consequences, corruption increases wage inequality between skilled and unskilled workers, and results in output and welfare losses. In the second essay, I argue that deterring corruption through efficiency wage may become prohibitively expensive. With endogenous monitoring technology that allows capturing the dual role of auditing, as a complement with and as a substitute for wage incentives, I find that the government is better-off accepting corruption when it is costly to monitor. When it is optimal to deter bribery, the government can do it either through efficiency wages or monitoring. The role of efficiency wages decreases in societies with higher level of dishonesty. In the third essay, I build a theory explaining a resource curse. In contrast to the existing literature which generally considers low education, corruption and natural resources separately, I combine three strands of literature. Natural resources affect incentives to invest in education and rent seeking that in turn affects growth. Second, the relationship between resource-abundance and resource-curse is non-monotonic. For low inequality in access to education and high cost of political participation, high-growth and poverty-trap equilibria co-exist
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Yuan, Di, Jingon Joung, Ho Chin Keong, and Sumei Sun. "On Tractability Aspects of Optimal Resource Allocation in OFDMA Systems." Linköpings universitet, Kommunikations- och transportsystem, 2013. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-93408.
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Joint channel and rate allocation with power minimization in orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) has attracted extensive attention. Most of the research has dealt with the development of suboptimal but low-complexity algorithms. In this paper, the contributions comprise new insights from revisiting tractability aspects of computing the optimum solution. Previous complexity analyses have been limited by assumptions of fixed power on each subcarrier or power-rate functions that locally grow arbitrarily fast. The analysis under the former assumption does not generalize to problem tractability with variable power, whereas the latter assumption prohibits the result from being applicable to well-behaved power-rate functions. As the first contribution, we overcome the previous limitations by rigorously proving the problem's NP-hardness for the representative logarithmic rate function. Next, we extend the proof to reach a much stronger result, namely, that the problem remains NP-hard, even if the channels allocated to each user are restricted to be a consecutive block with given size. We also prove that, under these restrictions, there is a special case with polynomial-time tractability. Then, we treat the problem class where the channels can be partitioned into an arbitrarily large but constant number of groups, each having uniform gain for every individual user. For this problem class, we present a polynomial-time algorithm and provide its optimality guarantee. In addition, we prove that the recognition of this class is polynomial-time solvable.Funding Agencies|Swedish Research Council||Linkoping-Lund Excellence Center in Information Technology||Center for Industrial Information Technology of Linkoping University||
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Moraiz, Francisco. "Political economy models of conflict." Thesis, University of Surrey, 2000. http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/843899/.
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We present a study of conflict from an economic perspective. We start by reviewing the approach to conflict in the economic sciences. We model conflict as a process of allocation of resources into two main technologies, production and appropriation. Then we complement this framework by allowing participants to negotiate. We introduce models of bargaining with complete and incomplete information. We incorporate the cost of conflict and this ensures that negotiated settlements always produce a more efficient outcome. The possibility of conflict arises as a result of incomplete information, which takes the form of informational asymmetry about the cost of conflict. We find endogenous war equilibrium outcomes and compare the outcome of optimal resource equilibria with arbitrary non-equilibria allocations. We also present some empirical evidence in the literature supporting the choice of utility models of conflict and present new results showing support for our propositions.
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Berry, Anthony John Richard. "Northampton : a study of town expansion, political structures and processes." Thesis, University of Leicester, 1987. http://hdl.handle.net/2381/7494.
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This study is concerned with an aspect of public sector resource allocation, specifically the mechanisms whereby United Kingdom central government public expenditure within the New Towns budget heading was utilised for the planned expansion of the town of Northampton from 1965 to 1985. The distinctive feature of the town expansion process associated with Northampton was that, for the first time in the history of the New Town programme, such expansion involved a designated area which contained within it the whole of a County Borough. The consequences of this were that the central government and its agent, the development corporation, found themselves involved in establishing a pattern of allocative, decision making relationships which included a major role for the County Borough. A partnership was established and codified between central government and the County Borough of Northampton that involved institutional, functional and process arrangements of a unique kind, that have not, in total, been replicated elsewhere in the New Town programme. This unique partnership between central government and the County Borough of Northampton provided a focal point for the wider consideration of the role of 'policy communities' in central-local relations. The detailed consideration of the policy community associated with Northampton's town expansion has been based on the model devised by R A W Rhodes. The use of the model in this way has both tested it as a methodological tool and provided an opportunity for indicating possible further areas for development. In addition, its specific application to the Northampton experience has raised issues and indicated possible policy options that are of significance for other centrally funded urban development schemes such as the regeneration of the United Kingdom's inner city areas.
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Gregory, Harold Melvin. "Local organizations, local races : an examination of county party resource allocation on county-level office contests." The Ohio State University, 1996. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1296593375.
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Salazar, Domínguez Julián G. "The political determinants of resource allocation in Mexican municipalities : the fund for municipal social infrastructure." Thesis, University of Sussex, 2011. http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/6306/.
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This research explores the political factors that affect the allocation of antipoverty funds in Mexican municipalities. Specifically, it analyses whether the adoption of FAISM, a decentralised fiscal fund intended to reduce poverty, did, in fact, help provide better services for the poor or if it was capture by political influence. In this sense, my work addresses a classic question of when and how political institutions can effectively improve the allocation of antipoverty funds. In the last decade, an ambitious decentralisation process was promoted in Mexico as a way to strengthen local governance and hence improve basic service provision. The idea was to limit politician‟s influence on resource allocation and return decision making to the people. By looking at more than 57,000 FAISM projects carried out in 122 municipalities of Estado de Mexico between 1998 and 2006 my work argues that political influence could not be circumvented and clientelism remained as a common political practice to allocate antipoverty funds. My findings demonstrate that the three major political parties relied on FAISM to obtain political benefits through the allocation of private goods. Regarding the effects of democratic institutions, my work demonstrates that greater party competition increases the probability that FAISM was used for public benefit. Similarly, there is a propensity towards greater spending on clientelism during elections. Although these factors influence the allocation of municipal funds, my work does not find concluding evidence to test the impact of fund allocation and poverty reduction. My dissertation makes three important contributions to the literature. Substantively, it qualifies the premise that clientelistic linkages between voters and politicians prevail and shows the conditions under which local politicians strategically allocate antipoverty funds for political gain. A second, methodological, contribution is the use of a more refined measure of social spending at the municipal level by looking at the split between public and private goods. Finally, this dissertation seeks to inform the longstanding debate about the ways in which democratic politics can contribute to effective poverty reduction.
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Vassilacopoulos, George. "Aspects of information management and resource allocation in hospitals with special reference to Accident and Emergency." Thesis, Royal Holloway, University of London, 1985. http://repository.royalholloway.ac.uk/items/25499417-0afb-49ea-b48d-8d21ff56e843/1/.
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The management and control process in an Accident and Emergency (A/E) department of a District General Hospital is investigated and the functional relationship between the A/E department and the inpatient hospital service is discussed. Attention is focused on resource allocation and methods are proposed towards reconciling levels of service and resource utilisation. Within the framework of control problems inside the A/E department, a computerised patient record system has been designed and implemented, on an experimental basis, to allow easy access to patient-related information for performance evaluation. Established statistical techniques are employed to demonstrate how such information can be utilised in medium-term management activities in the A/E department and to provide a sound basis for defining areas where specific problems arise. A method is developed, which uses patient data to the extent that they are routinely available through the patient record system, for allocating physicians to weekly shifts in a way which takes account of the fixed number of physician hours per week; of physician preferences with regard to shifts; and of the patient assessment of the service provided. With regard to the role of the A/E department as an essential link between the community at large and the hospital service, a simulation model is developed for determining the number of beds in hospital inpatient departments on the basis of expected demand and according to a pre-specified set of measures of hospital efficiency. The measures used are the rapid admission of emergency patients; high occupancy rates; and short lengths of waiting lists. A further study on bed capacity planning concerns the contemplated development of an observation ward in the A/E department. Owing to the increased uncertainty in planning for prospective units, approximation is accepted for the sake of procedural simplicity and an analytic infinite server queueing model is employed to evaluate various numbers of beds for the unit interms of the average occupancy rates and of hourly and daily service levels.
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Teslyuk, Nataliya. "Natural resources: a curse or a blessing? Political incentives in the resource allocation (example of gazprom)." Thesis, Видавництво СумДУ, 2007. http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/13105.
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In my presentation I will reflect on whether politicians (in particular Russian ones) tend to over-extract the natural resources, because of the boundaries to their short-term power and the willingness to satisfy the needs of the population during the period when they are in control; this strategy can contradict effective path in the medium, and long run. There is a model developed to answer to this questions by the scientists of Norwegian University of Science and Technology, James A. Robinson, Ragnar Torvik, and Thierry Verdier which can be applied to Russia as well, but interestingly there are major differences, and it seems to be that Russia’s situation is distinct, what does not surprise much taking into account its position on the market.
When you are citing the document, use the following link http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/13105
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Shing, Chak Hung, and 盛澤鴻. "Invariance of resource allocation under the following contractual arrangements: share contract, piece rate andtime rate." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2001. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31954686.
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Pettersson, Stefan. "Radio resource management for wireless indoor communication systems : performance and implementation aspects." Doctoral thesis, KTH, Signals, Sensors and Systems, 2004. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-3743.
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In this thesis, we investigate several radio resourcemanagement (RRM) techniques and concepts in an indoorenvironment with a dense infrastructure. Future wireless indoorcommunication networks will very likely be implemented atplaces where the user concentration is very high. At these hotspots, the radio resources must be used efficiently. The goalis to identify efficient RRM techniques and concepts that aresuitable for implementation in an indoor environment.
Handling the high level of co-channel interference is shownto be of paramount importance. Several investigations in thethesis point this out to be the key problem in an indoorenvironment with a dense infrastructure. We show that a locallycentralized radio resource management concept, the bunchconcept, can give a very high performance compared to othercommonly used RRM concepts. Comparisons are made withdistributed systems and systems using channel selection schemeslike CSMA/CA. The comparisons are primarily made by capacityand throughput analysis which are made by system levelsimulations. Results show that the centralized concept can give85 percent higher capacity and 70 percent higher throughputthan any of the compared systems.
We investigate several RRM techniques to deal with thechannel interference problem and show that beamforming cangreatly reduce the interference and improve the systemperformance. Beamforming, especially sector antennas, alsoreduce the transmitter powers and the necessary dynamic range.A comparison is made between the use of TD/CDMA and pure TDMAwhich clearly shows the performance benefits of usingorthogonal channels that separates the users and reduces theco-channel interference. Different channel selection strategiesare studied and evaluated along with various methods to improvethe capability of system co-existence.
We also investigate several practical measures to facilitatesystem implementation. Centralized RRM is suitable forguaranteeing QoS but is often considered too complex. With thestudied centralized concept the computational complexity can bereduced by splitting the coverage area into smaller pieces andcover them with one centralized system each. This reduces thecomplexity at the prize of lost capacity due to theuncontrolled interference that the different systems produce.Our investigations show that sector antennas can be used toregain this capacity loss while maintaining high reduction incomplexity. Without capacity loss, the computational complexitycan be reduced by a factor of 40 with sectoring. Theimplementation aspects also include installation sensitivity ofthe indoor architecture and the effect of measurement errors inthe link gains. The robustness against installation errors ishigh but the bunch concept is quite sensitive to largemeasurement errors in the studied indoor environment. Thiseffect can be reduced by additional SIR-margins of the radiolinks.
The studied bunch concept is shown to be promising for usein future wireless indoor communication systems. It provideshigh performance and is feasible to implement.
Keywords:Radio resource management, indoorcommunication, the bunch concept, centralized RRM, dynamicchannel allocation, channel selection, co-channel interference,power control, feasibility check, capacity, throughput, qualityof service, beamforming, downtilting, sector antennas,co-existence, computational complexity, sensitivity analysis,measurement errors, infrastructure, system implementation,WLAN, HiperLAN/2, IEEE 802.11.
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Jengo, Elisabeth Naito. "Resource scarcity and social identity in the political conflicts in Burundi." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/80070.
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Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2013.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Since Burundi gained independence in 1962, this country has experienced periods of mass communal violence. Extensive scholarly research has focused on exploring the factors behind, and the nature of, the conflicts in Burundi from a socio-ethnic perspective. There has, however, been a persistent lack of attention paid to the inextricable relationship between environmental factors; particularly the scarcity of resources, coupled with rapid population growth; and Burundi‘s recent history of internal conflict. Noteworthy explanatory factors, which are often ignored in literature on the environment and conflict, have thus motivated this study. Burundi is an example of this reality because of a highly dependent agricultural economy and a constant growing population. This study used a descriptive analysis, as methodological tool; in order to gain an understanding of Burundi‘s land question - that is, how limited access to land and the constantly increasing population have led to environmental degradation, that served as motivational trigger factors for the violent political conflicts that occurred at various periods between 1965 and 1993 in this country. This study addresses this epistemological gap. In order to explore the nexus between environmental factors, land access, population growth and the political conflicts in Burundi, this study draws and builds upon Jared Diamond‘s (2005) five point framework of potential trigger factors to environmental collapse. Moreover, Diamond‘s (2005) ecocide theory argues that there are eight specific indicators to demonstrate how societies undermine themselves by damaging their own environment; thus resulting in an ecocide. This theory was applied to the two main environmental variables examined in this study. More specifically, this theoretical perspective provided a base for exploring how land issues, population growth, environmental degradation and political change can be understood as important precursors to the violent conflicts in Burundi. What may be surmised by this study; is that there is indeed a positive correlation between these forces, where the values of the independent variables (land access and population growth) are associated with the values of the dependent variable (violent conflict). This correlation, therefore, calls for an acknowledgement of the complexity of the Burundian conflicts and that ethnicity which has dominated contemporary conflict analysis is but one of several social rifts.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Sedert Burundi in 1962 onafhanklikheid verkry het, het hierdie land periodes van massa gewelddadige politieke konflik ervaar. Uitgebreide wetenskaplike navorsing het daarop gefokus om die faktore agter die gebeure, sowel as die aard van die konflik in Burundi vanuit ‘n sosio-etniese perspektief, te ondersoek. Tog word daar steeds gebrekkige aandag geskenk aan die onlosmaaklike verhouding tussen omgewingsfaktore, veral gebrek aan hulpbronne, gepaardgaande met die voortgesette bevolkingsaanwas; asook Burundi se onlangse geskiedenis van interne konflik. Noemenswaardige gapings, wat dikwels in die verklarende literatuur geïgnoreer word, het dus hierdie studie gemotiveer. Burundi is ‘n voorbeeld van hierdie werklikheid omdat die land baie afhanklik van landbou is; as gevolg van die kontstante bevolkingsaanwas in die land. Hierdie navorsing het beskrywende analise as ‘n metodologiese instrument gebruik om insig te kry oor Burundi se grondkwessie – met ander woorde hoe die beperkte toegang tot grond en ‘n toenemende bevolkingsaanwas gelei het tot die agteruitgang van die omgewing. Bostaande faktore het as motiverende sneller faktore gedien, wat aanleiding gegee het tot die gewelddadige politieke konflik, wat gedurende verskillende periodes tussen 1965 en 1993 in hierdie land ontstaan het. Hierdie studie poog dus om hierdie epistomologiese gaping aan te spreek. Ten einde die verband (nexus) tussen omgewingsfaktore, grondbesit, bevolkingsaanwas en die politieke konflikte in Burundi te ondersoek, steun en bou hierdie studie voort op Jared Diamond (2005) se vyfpunt raamwerk van potensiële sneller faktore, wat lei tot omgewings ineenstorting. Verder beweer Diamond (2005) se omgewings uitwissing (ecocide) teorie dat daar agt spesifieke aanduidings is om te demonstreer hoe gemeenskappe hulself ondermyn deur hul eie omgewing te beskadig/vernietig: wat uitloop op omgewings uitwissing (ecocide). Hierdie teorie is aangewend in die twee hoof omgewings veranderlikes, wat in die studie/ navorsing ondersoek is. Hierdie teoretiese perspektief het ook spesifiek ‘n basis voorsien om te ondersoek hoe grondkwessies, bevolkingsaanwas, omgewings agteruitgang en politieke verandering verstaan kan word as belangrike aanwysers van die geweldadige konflik in Burundi. Deur middel van hierdie studie kan ‘n duidelike opsomming gemaak word dat daar inderdaad ‘n positiewe korrelasie tussen hierdie magte voorkom, waar die waardes van die onafhanklike veranderlike (toegang tot grond en bevolkingsgroei) geassosieer word met die waardes van die afhanklike veranderlike (geweldadige konflik). Hierdie korrelasie verg dus ‘n beroep om erkenning te gee aan die kompleksiteit van konflik in Burundi. Hierdie etniese debat, wat tans die oorheersende konflik aanvuur, is maar net een van die verskeie interpretasies van sosiale breekpunte in Burundi is.
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Lee, Myungheon [Verfasser], G. [Akademischer Betreuer] Schmitt, and M. [Akademischer Betreuer] Leserer. "Off-farm labor supply and various related aspects of resource allocation by agricultural households / Myungheon Lee. Gutachter: M. Leserer. Betreuer: G. Schmitt." Göttingen : Niedersächsische Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Göttingen, 1998. http://d-nb.info/1045069396/34.
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Lee, Myung-heon [Verfasser], G. [Akademischer Betreuer] Schmitt, and M. [Akademischer Betreuer] Leserer. "Off-farm labor supply and various related aspects of resource allocation by agricultural households / Myungheon Lee. Gutachter: M. Leserer. Betreuer: G. Schmitt." Göttingen : Niedersächsische Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Göttingen, 1998. http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:gbv:7-webdoc-806-2.
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Davidson, Michael Raphael. "Institutional structures for equitable and sustainable water resource management in the Middle East." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2006. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/3063.
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Water management is a challenge in the Middle East today because of increasing population, decreasing water quality, political instability and security concerns. Israel and the Palestinian Authority share the three major freshwater sources in an inequitable and unsustainable manner. This study details the hydro-geological, political, cultural and legal challenges to equitable and sustainable water resource management in the region.
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Riley, Timothy. "Trans-boundary river basins: a discourse on water scarcity, conflict, and water resource management." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2003. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc4396/.
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This thesis is an inquiry regarding the interconnections between water scarcity, geopolitics, resource management, and the strategies for developing effective ways to resolve conflict and encourage sustainable water resource use in developing countries. The ecological services of trans-boundary rivers are explored in conjunction with the potential impacts to freshwater availability due to economic modernization, water resource development, and decision making regimes that determine how water is allocated among competing users. Anthropogenic stressors that induce water scarcity and the geopolitical mechanisms of conflict are studied. A discourse on the creation and functional extent of global and localized water ethics is investigated, emphasizing the importance of perceptual dispositions of water users in understanding the value of trans-boundary river basins.
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Lakshman, Narayan. "The political economy of resource allocation by the state in India : an inter-state comparison of public policy and distributional outcomes for the poor." Thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science (University of London), 2007. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.441360.
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Empirical evidence suggests that India had significant and persistent regional disparities in poverty reduction, particularly during the period 1985-2000. This evidence makes a compelling case for examining the impact of political factors on pro-poor policies and distributional outcomes when combined with the fact that: 1. The state has continued to play a key role in affecting distributional outcomes for the poor, and 2. Regime types across Indian states vary in terms of their caste composition and the overall balance of power between competing groups in society. This thesis is an exploration of the impact of regime type at the state level in India on the effectiveness of pro-poor policies, appropriately selected. To investigate this relationship between regime types and pro-poor policies this thesis combines, for two middle-income south Indian states during the period 1985-2000, state-level analyses of the budgetary process with studies of the political history of each state. The aim of the exercise is to shed light upon the main trends in the politics of resource allocation and situate these trends in the context of the changing political settlement in each state. The thesis uses the framework of political economy, which recognises the interplay of political factors on economic policies and their distributional outcomes. Thus the underlying argument of this paper considers the role of political power, and the mechanisms of this power are studied at the state level through a wide range of interviews and analysis of secondary data. Additionally, attention is given to the politics of redistribution in terms of pro-poor policies. Under the broad methodology of inter-state comparative case studies, this research therefore shows how public policy and the evolving balance of power during the twentieth century can significantly explain political and distributional outcomes for the poor observed in these two states today.
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Mpapela, Vuyo. "Our turn to eat?: an Interrogation of South African media discourse on allocation of value through cadre deployment." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/19179.
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South Africa‟s liberal democratic constitution allows for political competition for office, enhanced by the media‟s involvement or role, as both stakeholder and facilitator for debate between the public and political parties. The role of the media becomes a sensitive one as it entails perspectives on the political process and, as a consequence, certain perceptions of the political class, structures and electoral process will emerge. In previous elections the media has been cited for abdicating its objective stance in the narrative on political competition in view of candidate lists, party coalitions and allocation of value through cadre deployment, a term used for political appointments within party structures to positions of leadership in public office. Accordingly, it provokes intense debates in which the rationality of liberal-objective-observer to democratic process is criticized by thinking which argues that such rationality remains trapped by a devotion to „liberalist rituals‟, rituals detached from embedded meanings specific to South Africa‟s socio-political dynamics.
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Wing, Donna Marie. "The use of political strategies for resource acquisition and allocation for home health care a comparative field study of Central Thames, United Kingdom, and Energytown, United States /." Access abstract and link to full text, 1987. http://0-wwwlib.umi.com.library.utulsa.edu/dissertations/fullcit/8712610.
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Martin, Sarah Ruth. "Community Connections: Exploring the Constructive Potential of Facebook for Civic Engagement." PDXScholar, 2014. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/1987.
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Recognizing the importance of civic engagement to the health of local communities and the overall success of a democracy, this research sought to better understand the relationship between online media use and civic engagement. Specifically, the constructive potential of the social networking site Facebook was explored using the theoretical framework of communication infrastructure theory (CIT; Ball-Rokeach, Kim, & Matei, 2001). Results of a cross-sectional survey with a national sample of 375 participants indicated that Facebook does hold potential for civic engagement. The two most important findings of the research were that Facebook facilitated connection to neighborhood storytelling and that connection to storytelling was positively associated with civic engagement. As such, results indicated that Facebook holds potential for civic engagement insofar as the site facilitates connection to neighborhood storytelling. Additionally, Facebook was a regular part of participants’ daily routines, a means to maintain social capital, and a forum for occasional civic participation. Cumulatively, these results highlight a number of strengths that citizens and communities can build upon to improve social capital and increase civic engagement.
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Chatur, Noorin. "Political outcomes of digital conversations : case study of the Facebook group "Canadians against proroguing parliament"." Thesis, Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Political Science, 2011, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10133/3100.
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Since the emergence of the Internet, scholars have had mixed opinions regarding its role in influencing levels of political participation. Two frameworks, the mobilization and the reinforcement theses, were created from these opposing views. The introduction of social networking websites (such as Facebook) offers new platforms with which to test these opposing theories on.
This study investigates the Facebook group ―Canadian‘s against Proroguing Parliament,‖ to determine: 1) what the members' motivations were for participating in the group, 2) whether the group attracted formerly marginalized voices to participate on the group, or simply reinforced those who were already active in the political process, and 3) whether the participation of members on the group translated into offline or real world political participation. The findings suggest that the group‘s members had a variety of reasons for joining the group. As well, the findings suggest that the group both mobilized reinforced its participants. Finally, the data indicates that in some instances, the group‘s members translated their online participation into real world political activity.171 leaves ; 29 cm
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Reynolds, Teddy. "Pulling back the curtain : an examination of the English Defence League and their use of Facebook." Thesis, University of St Andrews, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10023/6927.
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As social media becomes an integral part of our daily lives, and groups seek to utilize this medium to facilitate activism, understanding the nature of these communications and the impact of the content on the individual user becomes a valid area of interest. When one then considers that extremist and terrorist groups have found social media to be an inexpensive and effective means for communication, radicalization, recruitment and member mobilization, the need for this understanding becomes critical. This research seeks to provide just such an understanding in its examination of Far-Right English Defence League and their use of Facebook during a period of increased activism and online growth. Important elements of this work include an understanding of the legal and ethical issues surrounding the collection of online content, particularly in extremist environments; the role of traditional media in their coverage of the group and whether the comments of the members reflect the group's mission statement of the characterization of traditional media; the ability to enhance data segregation and analysis through the development and use of specialized software; and most importantly the findings from the data analysis. Contained within these findings is an understanding of the intricacies of online participation in extremist social media. These include insights into overall traffic generation, the use of links within communications and their impact on the member traffic, and how the group narrative put forth by the administrator is reflected in the dialogue of the users. The most important finding was an understanding of individual user participation within the group and how, even with such an inexpensive and pervasive media outlet, activist groups still struggle to overcome the problem of participation. That this knowledge can be applied in a meaningful way in counter extremist and counter terrorism efforts was an interesting and satisfying development.
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Shongwe, Lucas B. "The implications of transfrontier conservation areas : a comparative policy analysis study of sustainable development in South Africa between the great Limpopo transfrontier conservation area and Lubombo transfrontier resource area." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/23988.
Full textAbstract:
The dissertation is rooted in the implications of the policy on Transfrontier Conservation Areas. It is a comparative policy analysis study of sustainable development in South Africa between the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area and Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation Resource Area. Qualitative research methodology and theoretical analysis are used in this research. Qualitative research answers the question, “what is going on here?” (Bouma, 1996: 169). The research on the two Transfrontier Conservation Area is investigated through literature review and to a lesser extent by conducting face to face interviews with government officials dealing with the two Transfrontier Conservation Areas. The approach in the research is the Managerial approach. “The focus of the management approach is the improvement of the efficiency, effectiveness and economy of the public sector by the utilisation of techniques which were once regarded purely appropriate to the private profit sector” (Parsons, 1995: 479). The dissertation also examine the effects of the two TFCA’s in question on Ecotourism, Economic growth and the conservation of biodiversity for sustainable development in South Africa within the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) initiative. Chapter one is the introduction, the rationale for the dissertation, background and objectives of the study. Chapter two is the theoretical framework in detail which define the managerial approach technique used in the research. Chapter three explain Sustainable Development. It looks at various arguments by the different school of thoughts. It also explains the link between the economy and the environment. In chapter four Environmental Economics and the TFCA’s are looked into as part of the aim of the dissertation to establish whether the policy of the TFCA’s on economic growth and sustainable development is viable or not. Chapter five examine Ecotourism as one of the sub-themes of the dissertation. Ecotourism is defined and the value of ecotourism is examined. Integrated tourism plan is also discussed in the chapter in order to determine the effects of TFCA’s in question on ecotourism. Chapter six deals with the case study no. one of the dissertation which is the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area. It is an indepth study on this TFCA i.e. history of the region of these protected areas, management structures, zonation rivers, diseases etc. Chapter seven is a further expansion on the case study no. one and looks at the developmental aspects of the TFCA. Chapter eight deals with the second case study of the dissertation which is the Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation and Resource Area. It describes in detail the composite parts of this TFCA. It also looks at sociological, cultural and historical resources of the TFCA in question. Opportunities for development and the activities that can boost the economic growth of the region and the surrounding communities. Chapter nine is the concluding chapter of the dissertation which gives findings and recommendation of the dissertation.Dissertation (MA(Political science))--University of Pretoria, 2007.
Political Sciences
unrestricted
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El, Battiui Mohamed. "L'eau au Moyen-Orient: entre gestion et instrumentalisation." Doctoral thesis, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/2013/ULB-DIPOT:oai:dipot.ulb.ac.be:2013/210507.
Full textAbstract:
L’eau est vitale dans toutes les économies. C’est à cause de son rôle prépondérant pour la survie que les tensions politiques autour des basins et des fleuves internationaux tendent à être particulièrement très épineuses. Actuellement, la mauvaise répartition de cette ressource pose un sérieux problème du fait qu’elle est gérée en fonction de stratégies politiques et non en fonction des réalités hydrologiques régionales. Nous expliquons à l’aide de la « Enhanced Power Matrix Model » (La Matrice de FREY et NAFF améliorée) que les tensions autour des bassins et des fleuves au Moyen – Orient n’aboutiront pas à des conflits armés mais à une situation de non guerre et de non paix, très peu propice à la coopération. Pour sortir de cette situation de blocage, nous proposons aux décideurs politiques et aux négociateurs, sur base de l’article 6 de la Convention de New York de 1997 sur « les cours d’eau internationaux à d’autres usages que la navigation », un modèle de répartition de la ressource hydrique entre les différents riverains d’un cours d’eau international. Face à cette situation, beaucoup de pays de la région tentent de mettre de façon unilatérale des modèles de gestion macroéconomique :réduction de la demande ou l’augmentation de l’offre de l’eau. Ces modèles se heurtent à des obstacles de nature économique, politique, sociologique et culturelle. Dans un objectif de conception de nouveaux modèles de gestion de l’eau, nous proposons un modèle coopératif, les projets de transfert inter – bassin, pour faire face à la mauvaise répartition de cette ressource au Moyen – Orient.
Nous appuyons sur la méthodologie multicritère d’aide à la décision pour opérationnaliser l’article 6 de la Convention de New York et pouvoir comparer les différents projets de transfert inter - bassin. Cette méthodologie fait appel à un logiciel d’aide à la décision « Décision Lab 2000 ». Le commentaire des résultats fournis par ce logiciel nous a permit de tirer l’enseignement suivant :seuls les projets qui présentent une faisabilité politique élevée arrivent en tête de classement. Ce qui nous fait dire que la question de l’eau au Moyen – Orient est, avant tout, une question politique.
Doctorat en Sciences économiques et de gestion
info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished
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Cortobius, Fredriksson Moa. "Involvement without Influence? : Theoretical and Organisational Premises for Women´s Empowerment in Development Programmes." Thesis, Södertörns högskola, Institutionen för livsvetenskaper, 2011. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:sh:diva-14486.
Full textAbstract:
The objective of the thesis is to discuss how the theoretical and organisational premises of the gender approaches of development programmes affect their possibilities to empower women and to enhance gender equality. This will be done through a study of the gender approaches of six development programmes for democratic and economic governance in the water and sanitation sector located in Angola, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay and Philippines respectively. The programmes strive towards the achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals and are financed by the Spanish Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund. The programmes‟ gender approaches are defined as: the way the programmes interpret the concepts of women‟s empowerment and gender equality; the way they incorporate the concepts into their programme design and organisational structure, and; the activities and strategies implemented to enhance women‟s empowerment and gender equality in the programme areas. The analysis of the gender approaches of the programmes will be centred on the five theoretical assumptions which together state that a) a gender approach based on a collective postulation, with; b) adequate mechanisms for women‟s influence and; c) a purposeful involvement of men, backed-up by; d) adequate resource and responsibility allocation, and; e) a gender integrated design enabling evaluation and monitoring, is more probable to empower women. The main findings of the thesis are that: 1) all of the six gender approaches of the programmes are fundamentally individualistic and driven by efficiency rationales; 2) women‟s possible influence is generally limited and partial because of inadequate scope of participatory spaces; 3) men are not considered in any of the gender approaches; 4) the responsibility allocation for gender issues is the most important organisational feature for the implementation of the approaches, but it is weak in the majority of the programmes; 5) the integration of gender in the programme design and the funding mechanisms appear to not affect the implementation directly. Based on the results of the thesis it is concluded that both the theoretical and organisational premises of the gender approaches create small possibilities for the programmes to empower women and to enhance gender equality. The results also point to what appears to be fundamental structural weaknesses in the present gender interpretation, integration and implementation of international development agencies.
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Kuecker, Aaron J. "The Spirit and the 'other' : social identity, ethnicity and intergroup reconciliation in Luke-Acts." Thesis, St Andrews, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10023/532.
Full text
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Eagan, April Hurst. "Heritage and Health: A Political-Economic Analysis of the Foodways of the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah and the Bishop Paiute Tribe." PDXScholar, 2013. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/685.
Full textAbstract:
Funded by Nellis Air Force Base (NAFB), my thesis research and analysis examined Native American knowledge of heritage foods and how diminished access to food resources has affected Native American identity and health. NAFB manages the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR), land and air space in southern Nevada, which includes Native American ancestral lands. During a research period of 3 months in the spring/summer of 2012, I interviewed members of Native American nations culturally affiliated with ancestral lands on the NTTR, the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah (PITU) and the Bishop Paiute Tribe. My research included participant observation and 31 interviews with tribal members considered knowledge holders by tribal leaders. In dialogue with the literature of the anthropology of food, political economy, and Critical Medical Anthropology, my analysis focused on the role of heritage foods in everyday consumption, taking into account the economic, social, environmental, and political factors influencing heritage foods access and diet. My work explored the effects of structural forces and rapid changes in diet and social conditions on Native American health. I found shifts in concepts of food-related identity across ethnic groups, tribes, ages, and genders. I also found evidence of collective efforts to improve diet-related health at tribal and community levels. Through the applied aspects of my research, participants and their families had the opportunity to share recipes and food dishes containing heritage foods as a way to promote human health and knowledge transmission.
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Huang, Chien-Ying, and 黃建穎. "The Study on Micro-political Aspect of Educational Resource Allocation－Taking Northern Universities as Examples." Thesis, 2017. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/5swfed.
Full textAbstract:
碩士臺北市立大學
教育行政與評鑑研究所
105
The purpose of this study was to comprehend the effects of micro-political strategies on the allocation issue of educational resources in their departments. Hence, the questionnaire method was adopted for investigating professors from northern Taiwan universities. Overall, about 202 out of 1493 questionnaires were collected and the return rate was 14%. This study applied descriptive analysis, independent-samples t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient and multiple regression to understand the micro-political practice applied by professors, as well as the adaptation of each department. According to the analysis results, the findings could be depicted as following statements: 1.Professors have high recognition in the current situations and educational resources of their departments. 2.The micro-political strategy is often adopted by professors, such as exposure, persuasion, coalition, negotiation, ingratiation, and exchange. 3.Different factors of individual backgrounds might cause significant differences on using micro-political strategies, the situations of departments and the recognition of educational resources. 4.The situations of departments and educational resources have positive moderately correlated. 5.The institutional power from the situations of departments has adaptive function when they utilize the coalition strategy of micro politics to endeavor the funds for educational resources. According to results, this study provides suggestions to administrator in universities and future study for researchers. Keywords: educational resources, educational resource allocation, micro-political strategy, the situation of department
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Mastronardi, Nick. "Strategic political resource allocation." Thesis, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/2152/29639.
Full textAbstract:
Economics is the study of the allocation of resources. Since Arrow's Fundamental Welfare Theorems, we know that competitive-markets achieve Pareto allocations when governments correct market failures. Thus, it has largely been the mission of economists to serve as 'Market Engineers': To identify and quantify market failures so the government can implement Pareto-improving policy (make everyone better without making anyone worse). Do Pareto- improving policies get implemented? How does policy become implemented? Achieving a Pareto efficient allocation of a nation's resources requires studying the implementation of policy, and therefore studying the allocation of political resources that influence policy. Policy implementation begins with the electoral process. In this dissertation, I use auction analysis, econometrics, and game theory to study political resource allocations in the electoral process. This dissertation consists of three research papers: Finance-Augmented Median-Voter Model, Vote Empirics, and Colonel Blotto Strategies. The Finance-Augmented Median-Voter Model postulates that candidates' campaign expenditures are bids in a first-price asymmetric all-pay auction in order to explain campaign expenditure behavior. Vote Empirics empirically analyzes the impacts of campaign expenditures, incumbency status, and district voter registration statistics on observed vote-share results from the 2004 congressional election. Colonel Blotto Strategies postulates that parties' campaign allocations across congressional districts may be a version of the classic Col Blotto game from Game Theory. While some equilibrium strategies and equilibrium payoffs have been identified, this paper completely characterizes players' optimal strategies. In total, this dissertation solves candidates' optimal campaign expenditure strategies when campaign expenditures are bids in an all-pay auction. The analysis demonstrates the need for understanding exactly the impacts of various factors, including strategic expenditures, on final vote results. The research uses econometric techniques to identify the effects. Last, the research derives the complete characterization of Col Blotto strategies. Discussed extensions provide testable predictions for cross-district Party contributions. I present this research not as a final statement to the literature, but in hopes that future research will continue its explanation of political resource allocation. An even greater hope is that in time this literature will be used to identify optimal "policy-influencing policies"; constitutional election policies that provide for the implementation of Pareto-improving government policies.text
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"Economical Aspects of Resource Allocation under Discounts." Doctoral diss., 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/2286/R.I.28553.
Full textAbstract:
abstract: Resource allocation is one of the most challenging issues policy decision makers must address. The objective of this thesis is to explore the resource allocation from an economical perspective, i.e., how to purchase resources in order to satisfy customers' requests. In this thesis, we attend to answer the question: when and how to buy resources to fulfill customers' demands with minimum costs?
The first topic studied in this thesis is resource allocation in cloud networks. Cloud computing heralded an era where resources (such as computation and storage) can be scaled up and down elastically and on demand. This flexibility is attractive for its cost effectiveness: the cloud resource price depends on the actual utilization over time. This thesis studies two critical problems in cloud networks, focusing on the economical aspects of the resource allocation in the cloud/virtual networks, and proposes six algorithms to address the resource allocation problems for different discount models. The first problem attends a scenario where the virtual network provider offers different contracts to the service provider. Four algorithms for resource contract migration are proposed under two pricing models: Pay-as-You-Come and Pay-as-You-Go. The second problem explores a scenario where a cloud provider offers k contracts each with a duration and a rate respectively and a customer buys these contracts in order to satisfy its resource demand. This work shows that this problem can be seen as a 2-dimensional generalization of the classic online parking permit problem, and present a k-competitive online algorithm and an optimal online algorithm.
The second topic studied in this thesis is to explore how resource allocation and purchasing strategies work in our daily life. For example, is it worth buying a Yoga pass which costs USD 100 for ten entries, although it will expire at the end of this year? Decisions like these are part of our daily life, yet, not much is known today about good online strategies to buy discount vouchers with expiration dates. This work hence introduces a Discount Voucher Purchase Problem (DVPP). It aims to optimize the strategies for buying discount vouchers, i.e., coupons, vouchers, groupons which are valid only during a certain time period. The DVPP comes in three flavors: (1) Once Expire Lose Everything (OELE): Vouchers lose their entire value after expiration. (2) Once Expire Lose Discount (OELD): Vouchers lose their discount value after expiration. (3) Limited Purchasing Window (LPW): Vouchers have the property of OELE and can only be bought during a certain time window.
This work explores online algorithms with a provable competitive ratio against a clairvoyant offline algorithm, even in the worst case. In particular, this work makes the following contributions: we present a 4-competitive algorithm for OELE, an 8-competitive algorithm for OELD, and a lower bound for LPW. We also present an optimal offline algorithm for OELE and LPW, and show it is a 2-approximation solution for OELD.Dissertation/Thesis
Doctoral Dissertation Computer Science 2015
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"Identification of intra-household resource allocation: extensions and alternative approaches." Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1996. http://library.cuhk.edu.hk/record=b5888799.
Full textAbstract:
Yuk-fai Fong.Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1996.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 69-71).
Chapter 1. --- Introduction --- p.1
Chapter 2. --- Review of Related Literature and Motivation of Research
Chapter 2.1 --- "Browning, Bourguignon, Chiappori and Lechene (1994)" --- p.6
Chapter 2.2 --- Chiappori (1992) --- p.9
Chapter 2.3 --- "Bourguignon, Browning, Chiappori and Lechene (1993)" --- p.10
Chapter 2.4 --- Motivation of Research --- p.11
Chapter 3. --- The Identification of non-assignable consumption
Chapter 3.1 --- Extension from Previous Results --- p.15
Chapter 3.2 --- An Alternative Approach --- p.18
Chapter 4. --- Identification in case of Incomplete Observation of Private Expenditure
Chapter 4.1 --- The BBCL Approach --- p.22
Chapter 4.2 --- An Alternative Approach of Identification --- p.24
Chapter 4.3 --- Inclusion of Exogenous variables in Sharing Rule: Structural vs. Reduced form --- p.30
Chapter 4.4 --- Test for Omission of Some Items in the Total Private Expenditure --- p.35
Chapter 4.5 --- Designation of Nature of Goods- A Remark --- p.36
Chapter 5. --- Extension to Include Private Leisure as a Choice Variable of Individuals
Chapter 5.1 --- Difficulties in Identification of Sharing Rule of Total Private Expenditure in a Framework of Free Labor Choice --- p.38
Chapter 5.2 --- Identification of Sharing Rule of Total Private Expenditure Without Observation of Private Leisure --- p.41
Chapter 5.3 --- Identification of Sharing Rule in Structural Form with the Observation of Unearned Incomes --- p.46
Chapter 6. --- Possibility of Identifying the Sharing Rule of Total Private Expenditure under Incomplete Observation of Consumption of Commodities --- p.49
Chapter 6.1 --- Identification of ) --- p.50
Chapter 7. --- Parametric Examples for Illustration
Chapter 7.1 --- Example I --- p.57
Chapter 7.2 --- Example II --- p.61
Chapter 8. --- Conclusion --- p.65
Appendix --- p.67
Reference --- p.69
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Calmon, Paulo Carlos du Pin. "The political economy of the Brazilian budget process." 1993. http://catalog.hathitrust.org/api/volumes/oclc/32359114.html.
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Woldekidan, Berhanu. "Resource allocation in traditional agriculture in the Ethiopian highlands : a case study." Master's thesis, 1985. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/123347.
Full textAbstract:
This study examines the technical efficiency of the semisubsistence
farmers of Ethiopian highlands at Basona-Warana subdistrict.
It also looks at their allocative efficiency in the way that
they equate marginal value products of inputs with the respective
prices "on the average" in allocating the resources at their disposal.
Prior to examining the technical and allocative efficiencies, an
overview of the study area is presented. this is followed by a
theoretical and empirical literature review on technical and allocative
efficiency with particular reference to less developed countries.
The study applies a complex, carefully specified, modified
transcendental production function of log-semi-log (L-S-L) form to the
time-series cross-sectional data to estimate the input-output
relationship of the three major crops grown in the area.
The results obtained from this study do not provide evidence of
inefficient allocation of resources, on the average. Accordingly,
output can hardly be raised by reallocating the existing resources.
The measure of technical efficiency indicates that only small
proportion of the farmers are significantly different from the average
farm. However, the magnitude of the technical efficiency differential
between the best performing, the average and poorly performing
farmer(s) is quite substantial. Hence there is some scope to raise
production by improving the technical efficiency of the average and
weak farmers.
To this end both the included observable explanatory variables as
well as some excluded factors which are significantly related to
technical efficiency were identified. The results obtained suggest that
a significant relationship exists between technical efficiency and the
included variables of land under wheat and horsebeans, the relationship
being negative with the former and positive with the latter. Similar
tests with excluded factors of farm asset holdings and number of plots revealed that farm assets are significantly related to technical
efficiency in barley and horsebeans and that number of plots under
barley has a negative impact on technical efficiency in barley
production. Similar technical efficiency rankings of the farmers were
observed in the three different crops. There was also a marked shift in
productivity between the two years analysed.
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Lee, Myungheon. "Off-farm labor supply and various related aspects of resource allocation by agricultural households." Doctoral thesis, 1998. http://webdoc.sub.gwdg.de/diss/1998/lee/inhalt.htm.
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Nainggolan, Sabam S. M. "Optimal resource allocation for land settlement in Indonesia : a combined static linear programming and dynamic budgeting approach." Master's thesis, 1986. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/122933.
Full textAbstract:
The integration of land settlement under Nucleus Estate-Smallholder
(NES) schemes in Indonesia is aimed at increasing export crop production
and improving the settlers' well-being. In spite of improvements in the
schemes' implementation, profit-maximising farm plans have rarely been
formulated and used as a basis for settlement development. As a result,
the productivity of existing resources has not been optimised.
Consequently, incomes accruing to the farms have not been a stimulus to
the development of both settlements and regions.
This study seeks to devise an optima] farm plan that maximises farm
incomes within the framework imposed by limited resources and other
restraints. The approach is a combination of static linear programming
and multi-period budgeting. Although planning for long-lasting perennial
crop farming systems can be handled by dynamic linear programming, this
technique requires a main-frame computer. Such computational facilities
are not available at a regional planning level. By contrast, the chosen
approach relies on readily available microcomputer hardware and
software. Thus, the technique can be adopted even at more remote
regional planning offices.
The optimal farm plan is formulated in three steps. First, static
linear programming is employed to formulate an optimal combination of
enterprises when the farm is assumed to be at 'maturity'. This is when
the main perennial (rubber) reaches its yield plateau. Two perennial
crops, rubber and coconut, are included in the optimal plan. The former
is forced into the farm plan by the scheme management (nucleus estate),
while the latter dominates the third of the three parcels of land that
make up the settler's holding.
Based on this solution, in the second step, a linear programming
problem at 'immaturity' is specified. Here, the perennials are given
equality constraints at their mature levels although their current
returns are negative. Also, intercropping is allowed on the perennial blocks for the first several years. Static linear programming is used to
derive the optimal farm plan at immaturity.
In the third step, multi-period budgeting is employed to link the
optimal static solutions and to span the total 30 year planning horizon.
The empirical results show that rubber, with the establishment cost
charged to the settler, does not pay. The rubber block is subsidised not
only by the government through its credit scheme, but also by the other
crops. Intercropping the rubber block for the first three years and the
coconut block for five years, allows the second parcel of farm land to
remain fallow. The delay in utilising this parcel has two advantages.
Firstly, the nucleus estate will have sufficient time to clear the
second parcel and allot it to the settler. Therefore, together with the
settler, they can concentrate on the upkeep of the immature rubber.
Secondly, the newly opened second parcel of farm land will give good
yields, at least for several years, before the demanding efforts of soil
management need to be undertaken.
Without taking explicit account of the cost of family labour, the
investment in the farm as a whole is highly remunerative as is shown by
its benefit-cost ratio of 2.3. The internal rate of return is 37.8 per
cent. Net income, as a return to family labour and management, is
substantially higher than the poverty level that settlers are assumed to
face in their places of origin. The sum of net present value is more
sensitive to changes (over the whole planning horizon) in the gross
revenue than to material costs.
However, it is important to stress that the actual solution should
not be used for any current policy conclusions owing to the inadequacy
of the data used. What is far more important is that this study has
demonstrated an innovative technique for optimal planning of
long-lasting farming systems. The combination of static linear
programming and dynamic budgeting provides a wider range of economic
measures than does either technique in isolation.
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Steenkamp, Marika Louise. "Assessing the role of online social media in the South African political sphere." Thesis, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10210/4783.
Full textAbstract:
M.A.The use of the Internet and New Media is becoming increasingly relevant for 21st century politics, not only as a means of political campaigning but also as a platform used by the public to engage in political discussion, debate and opinion formation. As the field of study is relatively new, there has been much argument regarding the opportunities that New Media, such as the Social Media network Facebook, holds for political use. However, not enough research has been done to scrutinise the outcomes of truly utilising the platform. Furthermore, not enough research concerning the use of Social Media in the South African political sphere has been done. Thus, this study concentrates on how the public and the political parties are using Facebook. The research questions examine the nature of (a) political party (ANC and DA) and (b) public participation on the respective Facebook sites. It also enquires as to what benefits and challenges Social Media such as Facebook offer to political parties in South Africa. The study relies on a qualitative methodological orientation. Firstly, content analysis by means of thematic analysis was applied to all posts present on the Facebook pages of the ANC and the DA during the timeframe of 14-21 June 2010. The overall themes were World Cup 2010 and Youth Day, and their emergent sub-themes were explored in this context. Secondly, in-depth interviews were conducted with representatives from each political party who dealt with the Social Media output and monitoring of the party. It would appear that political parties are not capitalising on the full range of Social Media offerings and not promoting two-way communication. Instead they are merely using it as a monitoring tool or as a way to disseminate information. However, the research shows that the members of the public are utilising the Facebook site(s) to engage in discussion of a political nature as well as using the platform to connect with and reach individuals in new ways.
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Govender, Urishanie. "A resource allocation model to support air quality management in South Africa." Thesis, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/4714.
Full textAbstract:
South African Air Quality Units are continuously undergoing changes, and
improving their performance remains a constant endeavour. In addition, these
units are also experiencing several challenges in terms of improving
communication across the different spheres, accessing air quality data and using
the information to support the decision-making required for efficient management
of air quality in South Africa. This study investigated the concept of output
efficiency within the South African air quality management context. Models that
enable efficient resource allocation can be used to assist managers in
understanding how to become efficient. There are, however, few models that
focus on the output efficiency of the public sector and air quality management
units. The primary purpose of the study was to develop a model to predict the
extent to which organisational efficiency could be explained by the percentage of
man-hours allocated to a range of management activities. In this study, the
development of a model using the logistic regression technique is discussed.
Data was collected for two financial years (2005/6 and 2006/7) from the air
quality officers in the national, provincial and local spheres of government
(N=228). The logistic regression model fitted indicates that the proportion of time
spent on knowledge management activities contributes the most to the likelihood
of an Air Quality Unit being efficient. The resource allocation model developed
will ensure that air quality officers allocate resources appropriately and improve
their output performance.Graduate School for Business Leadership
D.B. L.
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Tomasson, Kimberley. "Ethical consistency, the Canada Health Act and resource allocation : arguments for a rights-based approach to decision-making." 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/1828/703.
Full textAbstract:
The purpose of this work is to show the importance of ethical consistency and its
application in the decision-making process when allocating health care resources with
respect to the Canada Health Act. Based on the specific decisions in its history and the
development of its principles, I suggest that the Act can be interpreted as indicating a
particular moral basis and that this could have an influence on how resources are
allocated. I will focus on three claims supporting the argument that services can be
delivered in a consistent and methodical manner that respects this particular moral
foundation. First, the outcomes of decisions justified by simultaneous use of logically
incompatible and distinct moral theories are problematic. I suggest that an approach to
reasoning that uses one type of moral theory throughout the decision-making process
results in less ambiguous outcomes. Second, based on key points in the history of the
Canada Health Act, I believe there is a moral theory, deontological in nature, and that it
captures the spirit behind the Act's development and current formulation. Third,
decision-makers in Canada should follow one deontological theory when allocating
health care resources to avoid inconsistencies, and to work within the moral framework
of the Act as I have interpreted it. A delivery system that consistently follows this
procedure may have different outcomes than the current methods of macro-allocation,
and these differences may have effects on the amount and availability of health care
services.
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Cai, Yiyong. "Three essays on theories of economic growth, resource development and climate change." Phd thesis, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/149867.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis is a collection of essays on theories of economic growth, resource development and climate change. The first essay (Chapter 2) studies the fundamental dynamic properties of stochastic optimal growth models with capital and elastic labour supply. It provides conditions on the primitives of the model under which the optimal policy functions are existent, unique, continuous and monotone. Second, it provides conditions under which the distribution of income converges to a unique invariant probability measure independent of initial income. It also studies when the law of large numbers and central limit theorem hold for functions of income, investment and labour. The second essay (Chapter 3) develops a theoretical model to study the resource curse. In a general equilibrium framework, it relates poor economic performance to the existence of social fractionalisation, market frictions and resource-related conflicts. When resources are monopolised by the elite, exports lead to the under-provision of public resource goods for domestic production. This lowers the marginal return to productive activities, and consequently, insurgency emerges as the civilians' default activity. The resultant conflicts further displace resources and labour, and bring the economy into a vicious cycle. The third essay (Chapter 4) proposes a non-probabilistic approach to the analysis of international climate policies. It argues that issues associated with climate change are historically unprecedented, and thus policymakers do not have a prior distribution over possible outcomes. Therefore, the theoretical framework based on maximising expected utility is not well defined. Under the alternative assumption that policymakers act strategically, but choose the policy that allows the highest possible gain in the worst-case scenario, this essay shows how multilateralism can be inferior to unilateralism in both carbon mitigation and loss minimisation. Hence, it is not appropriate to judge the success of global climate talks in terms of country engagement and reduction commitment. -- provided by Candidate.
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Jamison, Wesley V. "Resource policy implications of animal rights activism : a demographic, attitudinal and behavioral analysis." Thesis, 1994. http://hdl.handle.net/1957/35622.
Full textAbstract:
The thesis analyzes the demographic, attitudinal and
behavioral characteristics of animal rights activists,
placing them in the context of resource policy. It is
argued that the animal rights movement combined the
Victorian critique of empiricism with a reaction to
modernity that was characteristic of other contemporary mass
movements. Animal rights activism emerged from a sociopolitical
milieu that legitimized and encouraged political
activism in the form of interest groups, and was consistent
with American interest group politics. Nonetheless, the
movement could not have appeared in its current form prior
to the 1960's. Changes in American politics during the last
four decades have facilitated the emergence of mass
movements, including civil rights and environmentalism.
Survey research indicated that activists were
caucasian, highly-educated urban professional women
approximately thirty years old with a median income of
$33,000 (1989). Most were Democrats or Independents and had
moderate to liberal political views. They were often
suspicious of science. It was concluded that animal rights
activism is, in part, a symbolic manifestation of
egalitarian social and political beliefs reacting to
scientific and technological change.
The California Wildlife Protection Act of 1990 provided
a case study of the movement's implications for natural
resource policy. Activists were able to ban the hunting of
mountain lions and reallocate $900 million dollars in the
California budget toward habitat acquisition. They
demonstrated sophistication and finesse in building a
coalition with environmentalists. Nevertheless, both
movements were divided by fundamental philosophical
differences which makes political cooperation difficult.
Animal rights activism was also marked by extraordinary
levels of intensity which arose from quasi-religious fervor,
and it is suggested that activism fulfills Yinger's
functional definition of religion in the lives of at least
some of the movement's core constituency. This explains the
movement's ability to retain activism in the face of
incremental change.
The thesis concludes with a discussion concerning the
future implications of animal rights activism in society
(312 words).Graduation date: 1994
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Lee, Yohan. "Initial attack fire suppression, spatial resource allocation, and fire prevention policy in California, the United States, and the Republic of Korea." Thesis, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/1957/35917.
Full textAbstract:
In this dissertation, I combined a scenario-based, standard-response optimization model with a stochastic simulation model to improve the efficiency of the deployment of initial attack firefighting resources on wildland fires in California and the Republic of Korea. The optimization model minimizes the expected number of fires that do not receive a standard response���defined as the number of resources by type that must arrive at the fire within a specified time limit���subject to budget and station capacity constraints and uncertainty about the daily number and location of fires. The simulation model produces a set of fire scenarios in which a combination of fire count, fire locations, fire ignition times, and fire behavior occur. Compared with the current deployment, the deployment obtained with optimization shifts resources from the planning unit with the
highest fire load to the planning unit with the highest standard response requirements. Resource deployments that result from relaxing constraints on station capacity achieve greater containment success by encouraging consolidation of resources into stations with high dispatch frequency, thus increasing the probability of resource availability on high fire count days. I extended the standard response framework to examine how a policy priority influences the optimal spatial allocation and performance of initial attack resources. I found that the policy goal of a fire manager changes the optimal spatial allocation of initial attack firefighting resources on a heterogeneous landscape, especially, for the socio-economic value of a potential fire location. Furthermore, I investigated the tradeoff between the number of firefighting resources and the level of fire ignition prevention efforts mitigating the probability of human-made fires in the Republic of Korea where most fires are caused by human activities. I found that fire ignition prevention is as cost-effective as initial attack resources given the current budget in the Republic of Korea on reducing the expected number of fires not receiving the standard response. From the comparison of the California and Republic of Korea cases, I can identify "rules of thumb" to be followed when allocating IA resources in particular ecological and policy settings.Graduation date: 2013
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Wu, Qian. "Trade costs and business dynamics in U.S. regions and industries." Thesis, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/1957/34359.
Full textAbstract:
Firms' participation in exporting or foreign direct investment is an extremely rare behavior: only 4 percent of over 5.5 million U.S. firms were exporters in 2000. Exporters are generally larger (e.g. output and employment) and more productive than firms serving only domestic markets. Such heterogeneity within a narrowly defined industry cannot be fully explained by either comparative advantage arguments or the presence of scale economies and consumers' love of variety. Recent studies of heterogeneous firms show that a reduction in trade costs, i.e. policy, geographic and institutional barriers, has two effects within an industry previously not recognized in trade literature: (i) exit of low productivity firms, and (ii) resource reallocation in favor of high productivity firms. These two effects combine to raise an industry's average productivity and overall welfare, but can adversely affect some regions of an economy with firm closures or job losses.
The objective of this dissertation is to examine the effects of trade costs on firm entry, exit, and employment at a regional level in the United States. For this purpose, industry-specific trade costs by U.S. regions are derived and their underlying sources are examined. The chosen trade-costs measure, based on the gravity equation, captures the variation over time in trade fictions among countries. Data from the Census Bureau and the World Bank are employed to quantify trade costs by U.S. industries and regions. Results show that a single measure of trade costs for the United States does not adequately represent the large number of and diverse regions through which trade in agriculture and manufacturing occurs. Moreover, geographic factors appear to be relatively more important than policy barriers in explaining the level of trade costs faced by U.S. regions.
Drawing on recent heterogeneous firms models, this dissertation specifies an empirical framework to examine: (i) firm entry or exit arising from changes in trade costs, i.e. extensive margin, and (ii) changes in employment of surviving firms creation arising from changes in trade costs, i.e. intensive margin. These two hypotheses are tested using regional business dynamics data from the Census Bureau and trade cost measures derived earlier. Results show that trade cost changes affect firm exit and employment as hypothesized. That is, lowering trade costs increases the likelihood of firm exit, presumably of the low-productivity ones. Thus, trade costs, by way of the extensive margin, affect an industry's average productivity. Similarly, trade costs appear to affect the employment of surviving firms suggesting that the intensive margin also operates to improve average productivity of an industry, such as through resource reallocation towards high-productivity firms.
The intra-industry reallocation of resources to high productivity firms is an important source of gains from trade to the whole economy. Nonetheless, some regions face firm exit and job losses. In assessing the gains from trade, attention must be paid to the distributional consequences of resource reallocation within an industry as well as a country.Graduation date: 2013
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Burgers, Johannes Wilhelmus. "Choice by chance : an exploration into the practice and virtues of using lotteries in public choices." Phd thesis, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/156009.
Full textAbstract:
Sometimes distributional schemes for scarce goods and public roles include a lottery element. Lottery schemes are seen in a variety of contexts, from the selection of jurors and the conscription of soldiers, to the allocation of educational places and affordable housing. The use of lotteries in our allocative practices provokes two questions. First, what exactly is the practice of allocation by lottery, and how widespread and important is it? Second, under what circumstances and why would it be justifiable to use a lottery in a distributive scheme? The first part of this dissertation - which includes Chapters 1 and 2 - is devoted to answer-ing the first question. Chapter 1 gives an overview of the main applications and most important examples of allocation by lottery. It shows that lottery schemes have been and still are employed in a wide variety of, often very important, public choices. It also emphasizes the great variety in the details of lottery schemes, and their frequently high degree of complexity. Chapter 2 provides a characterization of a lottery, and distinguishes equiprobable from weighted lotteries. It argues that the process employed in any lottery has five main characteristics, and that the process's probabilities might be interpreted in multiple ways. I also introduce a distinction between simple and complex lotteries, and stress that a complex lottery can provide participants with unequal probabilities of success without being weighted. The second part of this dissertation-which includes Chapters 3, 4, 5, and 6 - covers various topics regarding when and why we would want to employ a lottery. Chapter 3 considers what general approach we should take to justifying lotteries. I argue for pluralism in the justification of lotteries: there will be varied and multiple reasons that can justify lotteries in different contexts, and these reasons are often grounded in the interplay between different institutional features. Chapter 4 analyzes what types of distributive procedures might be appropriate when claims to a scarce good are equal. I contend that only certain lottery procedures seem to fully respect equal claimants, because they are fair and meet other relevant standards for treating claimants properly. Additionally, I argue that in many, if not all cases, it would be fairer not to allocate the scarce good at all, rather than to hold a lottery. Chapter 5 entertains the position that a lottery's contribution to fairness plays a main role in its general justifiability. I maintain that this position is only plausible, if the contribution of lotteries to fairness is understood pluralistically and not exclusively related to respecting equal claims. I identify two additional ways of how lotteries might be understood to contribute to fairness. Chapter 6 considers whether inadequate epistemic capacity can ground the claim that all proposals for randomly selected citizen assemblies are epistemically indefensible. I argue that, with the appropriate design, a citizen assembly would at least not have substantially worse epistemic capacity than an elected assembly, and that it may even have more epistemic capacity given its advantage in terms of diversity.
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Phiri, Elisha Francis. "Initiatives of the Pentecostal assemblies of God (Zambia) in response to the unequal distribution of Christian mission resources in the world." Thesis, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/3619.
Full textAbstract:
The subject of “unreached people” is still debated in Christian circles. Given the vast resources of the Church, it is difficult to understand that there are still people unreached by the gospel. This study views that part of the reason for this is that there is an unequal distribution of Christian mission resources. It thus critically examines the reasons that have been advanced to explain this unequal distribution. Next, it makes an in-depth study of one particular church in Zambia, namely the Pentecostal Assemblies of God (Zambia), which has more than 1400 congregations across the country, by looking at the initiatives it has taken towards reaching the unreached. Chapter 5 reveals that the lack of a clear mission policy and the autonomy of congregations contribute to an unequal distribution of mission resources in the PAOG (Z). The dissertation uses the “praxis cycle” to structure its theoretical framework and research methodology.Christian Spiritual Church History and Mission
MTH (MSN)
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Mkwalo, Andile Churchill. "Assessment of potential and impacts of afforestation in the Letaba catchment, Limpopo Province, South Africa." Diss., 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/5622.
Full textAbstract:
The plantation forestry is economically a very important industry in South Africa because it
promotes the upliftment of many rural South African communities. However, afforestation
has significant impacts on water use and biodiversity in a catchment. Thus, understanding
the effects of afforestation on water resources at the catchment level is fundamental for
optimal water resource allocation, long-term sustainable use, development and
conservation. Much of the Limpopo Province is climatically and physiographically suitable for
plantation forestry but it only contains approximately 4.7 % of the total existing plantation
area in South Africa. For example, the size of the Letaba Catchment of the Limpopo
Province is 13 669 km² but only approximately 484 km² of it is currently afforested. This
study aims to identify potential areas for further afforestation in the Letaba Catchment using
the Water Resources Modelling Platform (WReMP) model to determine if afforestation can
be expanded here to promote development in South Africa‟s poorest Province.Geography
M. Sc. (Geography)
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Staub, David. "Soziale Trinität für soziale online Netzwerke : ein Beitrag zur Bedeutung des Glaubens an die soziale Trinität als Inspiration und Ressource für ein erfüllendes zwischenmenschliches Zusammenleben im Kontext sozialer Online-netzwerke." Diss., 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/10564.
Full textAbstract:
German textDiese Forschungsarbeit versucht aufzuzeigen, inwiefern der Glaube an die Trinität als Gemeinschaft von Vater, Sohn und Heiligem Geist zu einem erfüllenden zwischenmenschlichen Zusammenleben in sozialen Online-Netzwerken beitragen kann. Im Gespräch mit den drei Theologen Jürgen Moltmann, Leonardo Boff und Gisbert Greshake wird das Konzept der Sozialen Trinität mit seinen Implikationen für das zwischenmenschliche Zusammenleben erarbeitet. In einem zweiten Teil werden die neuen Möglichkeiten von sozialen Online- Netzwerken und die deutlichsten damit verbundenen Mängel für das zwischenmenschliche Zusammenleben am Beispiel von Facebook dargestellt. Schlussendlich wird danach gefragt, inwiefern die Erkenntnisse aus der theologischen Diskussion für den spezifischen Kontext sozialer Online-Netzwerke fruchtbar gemacht werden können. Es werden drei unterschiedliche Aspekte herausgearbeitet, in denen der Glaubende durch das Eingebundensein in die göttliche Gemeinschaft eine neue Sicht auf seinen sozialen Kontext erhalten und eine hilfreiche Ressource finden kann, um den Unzulänglichkeiten des zwischenmenschlichen Zusammenlebens in sozialen Online-Netzwerken entgegenzuwirken.
This thesis wishes to demonstrate in how far faith in the Trinity as community of Father, Son and Holy Spirit can contribute to a fulfilling human communal life on social networking sites. In conversation with the three theologians Jürgen Moltmann, Leonardo Boff and Gisbert Greshake, a concept of the Social Trinity and its implications on human communal life is being elaborated. In a second part, the new possibilities and the gravest shortcomings of human interactions on Facebook are depicted. Finally, it is asked, in how far the findings of the theological discussion can be fructified in the specific context of social networking sites. In three different aspects it will be elaborated, in which the believer can find, through his or her incorporation into the godly community, a new perspective for his social context and a helpful resource to counter the shortcomings of human communal life on social networking sites.
Philosophy & Systematic Theology
M. Th. (Systematic Theology)
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Turton, Anthony Richard. "The hydropolitics of Southern Africa: the case of the Zambezi river basin as an area of potential co-operation based on Allan's concept of virtual water." Diss., 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/16231.
Full textAbstract:
Southern Africa generally has an arid climate and many hydrologists are predicting an increase in water scarcity over time. This research seeks to understand the implications of this in socio-political terms. The study is cross-disciplinary, examining how policy interventions can be used to solve the problem caused by the interaction between hydrology and demography. The conclusion is that water scarcity is not the actual problem, but is perceived as the problem by policy-makers. Instead,
water scarcity is the manifestation of the problem, with root causes being a combination of climate change, population growth and misallocation of water within the economy due to a desire for national self-sufficiency in agriculture. The solution lies in the trade of products with a high water content, also known as 'virtual water'. Research on this specific issue is called for by the White Paper on Water Policy for South Africa.Political Sciences
M.A. (International Politics)