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Recent Structural Adjustment Program (SAP) reforms promoting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) carried out by the Sierra Leonean government has attracted foreign investors into its extractive industry. Access to natural minerals in the country has been ensured through land leases, and the government of Sierra Leone has obtained the opportunity to accumulate revenues through participation on the global market. However, despite increasing state revenues the country remains underdeveloped and unindustrialized, and faces great challenges in promoting public development within state borders. This study aims at illuminating structures of the global economic system and domestic social fabric which may hinder public development in Sierra Leone. Such structures have be illuminated through the application of a qualitative approach including field work, participating observations and open-ended interviews in Kalansogoia chiefdom during May and June 2013. The findings of this study suggest that the international structure of dependency, and domestic formal; informal; informal institutions; and social networks structures hinder public development within Sierra Leone.

[EN] An accurate fault diagnosis of both, faults sensors and real process faults have become more and more important for process monitoring (minimize downtime, increase safety of plant operation and reduce the manufacturing cost). Quick and correct fault diagnosis is required in order to put back on track our processes or products before safety or quality can be compromised. In the study and comparison of the fault diagnosis methodologies, this thesis distinguishes between two different scenarios, methods for multivariate statistical quality control (MSQC) and methods for latent-based multivariate statistical process control: (Lb-MSPC). In the first part of the thesis the state of the art on fault diagnosis and identification (FDI) is introduced. The second part of the thesis is devoted to the fault diagnosis in multivariate statistical quality control (MSQC). The rationale of the most extended methods for fault diagnosis in supervised scenarios, the requirements for their implementation, their strong points and their drawbacks and relationships are discussed. The performance of the methods is compared using different performance indices in two different process data sets and simulations. New variants and methods to improve the diagnosis performance in MSQC are also proposed. The third part of the thesis is devoted to the fault diagnosis in latent-based multivariate statistical process control (Lb-MSPC). The rationale of the most extended methods for fault diagnosis in supervised Lb-MSPC is described and one of our proposals, the Fingerprints contribution plots (FCP) is introduced. Finally the thesis presents and compare the performance results of these diagnosis methods in Lb-MSPC. The diagnosis results in two process data sets are compared using a new strategy based in the use of the overall sensitivity and specificity / [ES] La realización de un diagnóstico preciso de los fallos, tanto si se trata de fallos de sensores como si se trata de fallos de procesos, ha llegado a ser algo de vital importancia en la monitorización de procesos (reduce las paradas de planta, incrementa la seguridad de la operación en planta y reduce los costes de producción). Se requieren diagnósticos rápidos y correctos si se quiere poder recuperar los procesos o productos antes de que la seguridad o la calidad de los mismos se pueda ver comprometida. En el estudio de las diferentes metodologías para el diagnóstico de fallos esta tesis distingue dos escenarios diferentes, métodos para el control de estadístico multivariante de la calidad (MSQC) y métodos para el control estadístico de procesos basados en el uso de variables latentes (Lb-MSPC). En la primera parte de esta tesis se introduce el estado del arte sobre el diagnóstico e identificación de fallos (FDI). La segunda parte de la tesis está centrada en el estudio del diagnóstico de fallos en control estadístico multivariante de la calidad. Se describen los fundamentos de los métodos más extendidos para el diagnóstico en escenarios supervisados, sus requerimientos para su implementación sus puntos fuertes y débiles y sus posibles relaciones. Los resultados de diagnóstico de los métodos es comparado usando diferentes índices sobre los datos procedentes de dos procesos reales y de diferentes simulaciones. En la tesis se proponen nuevas variantes que tratan de mejorar los resultados obtenidos en MSQC. La tercera parte de la tesis está dedicada al diagnóstico de fallos en control estadístico multivariante de procesos basados en el uso de modelos de variables latentes (Lb-MSPC). Se describe los fundamentos de los métodos mas extendidos en el diagnóstico de fallos en Lb-MSPC supervisado y se introduce una de nuestras propuestas, el fingerprint contribution plot (FCP). Finalmente la tesis presenta y compara los resultados de diagnóstico de los métodos propuestos en Lb-MSPC. Los resultados son comparados sobre los datos de dos procesos usando una nueva estrategia basada en el uso de la sensitividad y especificidad promedia. / [CA] La realització d'un diagnòstic precís de les fallades, tant si es tracta de fallades de sensors com si es tracta de fallades de processos, ha arribat a ser de vital importància en la monitorització de processos (reduïx les parades de planta, incrementa la seguretat de l'operació en planta i reduïx els costos de producció) . Es requerixen diagnòstics ràpids i correctes si es vol poder recuperar els processos o productes abans de que la seguretat o la qualitat dels mateixos es puga veure compromesa. En l'estudi de les diferents metodologies per al diagnòstic de fallades esta tesi distingix dos escenaris diferents, mètodes per al control estadístic multivariant de la qualitat (MSQC) i l mètodes per al control estadístic de processos basats en l'ús de variables latents (Lb-MSPC). En la primera part d'esta tesi s'introduïx l'estat de l'art sobre el diagnòstic i identificació de fallades (FDI). La segona part de la tesi està centrada en l'estudi del diagnòstic de fallades en control estadístic multivariant de la qualitat. Es descriuen els fonaments dels mètodes més estesos per al diagnòstic en escenaris supervisats, els seus requeriments per a la seua implementació els seus punts forts i febles i les seues possibles relacions. Els resultats de diagnòstic dels mètodes és comparat utilitzant diferents índexs sobre les dades procedents de dos processos reals i de diferents simulacions. En la tesi es proposen noves variants que tracten de millorar els resultats obtinguts en MSQC. La tercera part de la tesi està dedicada al diagnòstic de fallades en control estadístic multivariant de processos basat en l'ús de models de variables latents (Lb-MSPC). Es descriu els fonaments dels mètodes més estesos en el diagnòstic de fallades en MSPC supervisat i s'introdueix una nova proposta, el fingerprint contribution plot (FCP). Finalment la tesi presenta i compara els resultats de diagnòstic dels mètodes proposats en MSPC. Els resultats són comparats sobre les dades de dos processos utilitzant una nova estratègia basada en l'ús de la sensibilitat i especificitat mitjana. / Vidal Puig, S. (2016). FAULT DIAGNOSIS TOOLS IN MULTIVARIATE STATISTICAL PROCESS AND QUALITY CONTROL [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/61292

Background:Nova Poshta, a leading Ukrainian logistics company, faced with the disruption caused by the 2022full-scaled Russian invasion, strategically adapted by expanding into Europe under the new brand"Nova Post," becoming the first Ukrainian company to enter the EU internal market during wartime.Despite the challenges posed by the war, Nova Post entered 13 European countries, aiming to servethe Ukrainian diaspora while also attracting a broader European customer base.Problem:Despite the fact that the Temporary Protection Directive was crucial in harmonizing the EU’sresponse to the humanitarian crisis caused by the war and allowing Nova Post to target displacedUkrainians as their primary audience, the company faced significant legal challenges and varyingenforcement across member states, particularly affecting parcel delivery services and food products.Understanding the harmonization of EU legislation is essential for Nova Post's expansion strategy.Research methods:This research undertakes a mix of legal and business methods, namely a legal dogmatic method and aqualitative single-case study, describing the Ukrainian firm Nova Post’s expansion to Europeancountries during wartime.Conclusion:Nova Post's internationalization into the European market has been shaped by strategic entry modes,leveraging network relationships, and adapting to local market conditions. While EU legislation hasprovided a robust framework facilitating smoother logistics, trade in services, and a stable businessenvironment, regulatory fragmentation and non-harmonized procedures across member states posesignificant challenges. Overcoming these barriers through greater regulatory harmonization will becrucial for enhancing efficiency and reducing costs in Nova Post’s cross-border operations.

Globalization has become an unstoppable trend in nowadays world economy. It brings both risks and opportunities to a country. In order to seize the best part of globalization and avoid possible harms, it is important to comprehend the mechanisms of how openness impacts the overall economy. My dissertation includes three essays that contribute to understanding the impact of openness for the macro-economy. My first chapter starts from two novel observations - 1. Bilateral migration is pervasive across OECD countries, both for high-skilled and low-skilled workers; 2. Foreign affiliates of multinational corporations (MNCs) tend to hire a significantly larger fraction of migrant workers than domestic firms. These two observations challenge the traditional migration models, which assume foreign and native workers within a skill group are homogeneous. These facts also indicate that there exists a tight connection between migration and multinational corporations' activities. I formalize these two points into a general equilibrium model and demonstrate how MNCs and migration can come together to explain the aforementioned observations, and their welfare implications. In my second chapter, I use the theoretical model I developed in Chapter One for a quantitative discussion of immigration policies between the U.S. and Canada. I calibrate the model and implement counterfactual experiments to address two general policy considerations - the effect of migration quotas, and the welfare implication of moving cost adjustments. Contrary to common belief, I find that migration quotas have negative effect on native workers' real income. Further, lower moving costs in general help improving the welfare of workers from both countries. Finally, in the third chapter, I provide a theory to explain the observation that, before WWII, openness is general negatively related to long-term growth, while the relationship becomes positive after WWII. I argue that the effectiveness of technology diffusion between two trading economies is the key determinant of the net effect of openness to long-term growth. The more effective is technology diffusion between two countries, the more likely openness is good for their long-term growth.

No / This paper examines the linkage effects of foreign direct investment (FDI) on firm-level productivity in Chinese manufacturing. It is found that FDI generates positive vertical linkage effects in Chinese manufacturing at both the national and regional levels, and limited positive horizontal spillovers at the regional level. While OECD firms gain from both vertical and (probably) horizontal linkages, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwanese firms benefit only from backward linkage effects. In the domestic sector, in which we are most interested, both state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and non-SOEs are hurt by competition from foreign firms in the same industries. While SOEs gain from vertical linkages with foreign firms, non-SOEs are unable to do so. The patterns of productivity spillovers from FDI in Chinese manufacturing seem to be determined by one key factor ¿ the technological capabilities of the firms involved. Important data limitations and policy implications of this research are discussed.

Yes / This study examines the institutional arrangements that define the characteristics of national legal systems that are used to protect intellectual property (IP) assets embedded in outward FDI. The focus of the study is on how the institutional underpinnings of IPR regimes affect the costs and risk of using legal arenas to enable effective use of IP assets. Following a property rights approach it is postulated that formal and informal institutional arrangements influence how IP regimes affect the transaction costs and risk associated with converting ownership rights over IP into economic rights. Informal institutions are considered to affect the behaviour of agents involved in enforcing legal rights. This behaviour influences how IP law is implemented in legal arenas and thereby impacts on the efficacy of IPR regimes to help secure economic rights from the use of IP assets. Using data on outward FDI from the USA to 42 host countries the results find that the strength of informal institutions connected to the enforcement of IP in a country directly affects outcomes and positively moderates the effect of formal legal aspects of IP law on FDI flows. The results highlight the importance of informal institutional aspects connected to the behaviour of enforcement agents when using national legal systems to protect IP rights in cross-frontier transactions.

This dissertation consists of three papers: two theoretical explorations of the relationship between globalization and unilateral policies and an empirical study on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and standardization. The first two chapters contribute to the literature on trade models with heterogeneous firms, focusing on offshoring as a form of trade in tasks. These tasks—one of which may be offshored to a lower-wage or lower-emission tax country—are inputs in the production of intermediate goods, which are then assembled into a final product. The intermediate goods sector is characterized by monopolistic competition, with firms varying in productivity according to Melitz (2003). Factor allocation is determined by an occupational choice mechanism based on managerial ability. This framework allows for an exploration of the connections between globalization, redistribution, and environmental policies. The third paper shifts focus to the financial aspect of globalization, contributing to the literature on the determinants of FDI, particularly the role of management standards. The theoretical models in Chapters 2 and 3 are set in an asymmetric two-country context where firms from a higher-wage country (the North) relocate parts of their production to a lower-wage country (the South). Both chapters examine unilateral policies in the North: Chapter 2 explores a redistribution policy involving an increase in the corporate tax rate, while Chapter 3 investigates an increase in the emission tax rate. Financially, this shift in production patterns mirrors North-South FDI. Chapter 4 examines the role of the ISO 9001 management standard in various FDI scenarios. Chapter 2 investigates the effects of a unilateral redistribution policy in an asymmetric two-country setting where globalization is modeled as offshoring. It combines the offshoring model from Egger et al. (2015) with a redistribution scheme from Kohl (2020), offering insights into how welfare states impact globalization. The framework involves two countries: a source and a host country. In the source country, individuals can choose to become workers or managers (owners of firms), while in the host country, this option is unavailable, creating asymmetry. Individuals in the source country differ in their managerial ability, and only the most capable become managers. These firms produce in the intermediate goods sector, characterized by monopolistic competition. Intermediate goods production involves two tasks: a non-routine task and a routine task, with the latter being offshorable to the host country. Offshoring allows firms to benefit from lower effective wages in the host country but involves fixed costs, so only the most productive firms choose this option. Profit income is taxed, representing a progressive income tax, while tax revenue is redistributed to individuals in the source country. The key finding is that increasing the tax rate in the source country alters factor allocation, making the worker occupation more attractive, increasing the number of workers, and decreasing the local wage rate. This adjustment reduces the marginal cost advantage of the host country, making offshoring less attractive and resulting in reshoring. This mechanism introduces an indirect channel through which a tax rate increase affects factor allocation, aggregate income, and inequality. While aggregate income decreases due to occupational choice distortion and tax-induced reshoring, inequality decreases. These results differ from related work where a tax increase is linked to decreased market share and increased attractiveness of exporting (Kohl and Richter, 2023). An extension considers the deductibility of offshoring fixed costs, affecting the tax base. A broader tax base due to lower deductibility reduces offshoring. Chapter 3 uses the same asymmetric two-country setting from Egger et al. (2015) but generalizes intermediate goods production to include emission generation, as modeled by Copeland and Taylor (1994). Firms now decide how to allocate labor between non-routine and routine tasks and how emission-intensive production should be. Emissions are taxed in both countries, with each government redistributing tax income. Unlike in Chapter 2, firms' offshoring decisions depend on wage differences and emission tax differentials. Managerial ability and firm productivity follow a Pareto distribution, leading to higher profits and lower emission intensity. The model examines the impact of a unilateral increase in the source country's emission tax rate, making emission-intensive production more expensive. This leads to several outcomes: productive domestic firms begin offshoring, domestic firms reduce their emission intensity, and the average emissions of domestic firms decrease (the technique effect). The increase in offshoring raises labor demand in the host country, increasing local wages and shifting offshoring firms' production towards more emission-intensive methods. Less productive firms enter offshoring, lowering average productivity and increasing emissions leakage. If offshoring is already high, the tax increase could lead to higher global emissions. Additionally, income shifts from the source to the host country, reducing between-country inequality but increasing within-country inequality in the source country. These findings contrast with models where an emission tax increase reduces global emissions (Egger et al., 2021b). An extension incorporating border carbon adjustment shows that such reforms prevent emission leakage, lowering global emissions but increasing global income losses. This chapter offers insights into the effects of policy instruments on climate change. Chapter 4 shifts focus to the financial aspects of cross-border activities, specifically the role of standardization in management practices, as exemplified by the ISO 9001 standard, in driving cross-border investments. This certification helps firms increase productivity, align with customer needs, and signal quality to potential partners and investors. Drawing on the literature on the role of institutions (North, 1991), globally recognized certificates can reduce frictions in cross-border investments, especially in countries with weak institutional quality. The analysis in Chapter 4 examines the effect of ISO 9001 certification diffusion on destination country inward FDI stocks, using bilateral panel data from 1995 to 2020. The estimation follows the gravity model literature, controlling for economic and institutional variables, as well as pair- and year-fixed effects. The findings reveal a positive impact of destination country certification on FDI inward stocks, particularly in North-South pairs, where lower-developed countries attract higher FDI stocks from developed countries when more local firms are certified. Origin country certification also boosts cross-border investments, especially for high-income countries, aligning with findings from Clougherty and Grajek (2008). These results highlight a novel determinant of cross-border investments, particularly relevant for firms in lower-developed countries facing higher transaction costs and information asymmetries due to weak institutions. The mechanism, beginning with the membership of national standardization bodies at ISO, suggests a policy channel through which the diffusion of certificates and, consequently, FDI can be encouraged.

The effectiveness of South Africa's policy framework towards attracting FDI has been questionable. Determined to redress the instabilities created by the apartheid regime, the Government of National Unity (GNU) commissioned the Macroeconomic and Research Group (MERG), and charged it to devise appropriate policy reforms and intervention mechanism to address the shortcomings. This research critically interrogates the effectiveness of government's policy reforms towards attracting FDI, especially the impacts of the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP), the Growth, Employment and Redistribution (GEAR) initiative and the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative of South Africa (ASGISA). This research concludes that the policy determinants for inflow FDI have been self-defeating. Also, it was found that necessary reforms would have to be conducted to correct some of the shortcomings of the macroeconomic policies, as a way of creating an environment that is capable of attracting greenfield investments (FDI) to South Africa. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)

This dissertation is divided into six chapters, as foHows: Chapter 1 of this dissertation discusses the growing significance of FDI for developing countries. It compares FDT in developed and developing countries and analyses recent evidence ofFDI flows to developing countries. Chapter 2 analyses the (endogenous and exogenous) detenninants ofFDI flows into developing countries. Chapter 3 discusses the importance of FDI flows, which are essential for new investments or for financing fortuitous deficits in host countries, and looks at the adjustment mechanisms for the equilibrium of the balance of payments. Chapter 4 gives attention to FDI flows, the liberalisation of financial markets and the financial account of the balance of payments in developing countries in providing more opportunities and mechanisms for development and economic growth. Finally, chapter S examines and compares FDI flows tu South Africa and Angola - the biggest FDI recipients on the African continent. / Economics / MCom (Economics)