The purpose of this dissertation is to understand how individuals’ preferences for resource allocation affect their attitudinal and behavioral responses towards the organization. Building on the three main allocation norms (equity norm, equality norm and need norm) and taking the perspective of the recipient of an allocation, a model that predicts the antecedents of norm preference and consequences of using different allocation norms by the organization is presented and tested with a sample of Turkish registered nurses. Results show that recipients have differential preferences for allocation norms depending on resource type being allocated and characteristics of the environment. Furthermore, the fit or misfit between recipients’ preferred allocation norm and the allocation norm used by the organization affects recipients’ justice perceptions about the organization, their outcome satisfaction and performance.

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This research is aimed at developing the method for efficiently using the water in irrigation schemes in semi-arid regions. These irrigation schemes are often short of water to irrigate entire culturable command area (CCA) with maximum water requirement of different crops and are characterised with different weather patterns, soils and the possibility to grow several crops. The CCA of these schemes is also large with several users or units, each having different characteristics. The previous research in this field was mostly either on optimum allocation of the resources considering the irrigation scheme as a whole or on evaluating the performance of the irrigation scheme for certain irrigation schedules for different units in the scheme. However in such schemes optimum allocation of resources (land and water) to different crops and their distribution over different units is important (optimum allocation plan, OAP). In the present study, the method and a computer model are developed to prepare OAPs for these irrigation schemes under rotational water supply, by incorporating the concepts of deficit irrigation and productivity and equity in the optimisation process. The previous research stressed the importance of equity observed in different ways but seldom adopted in optimum allocation of resources. Therefore this method includes the preparation of OAPs while observing equity in allocation of land and water resources and distribution of crop production and net benefits. The developed model, Area and Water Allocation Model (A WAM), consists of four phases each one for generating irrigation strategies, preparing irrigation programme for each irrigation strategy, screening irrigation programmes and allocating resources optimally to different crops in different units. The A W AM estimates the irrigation water requirement, crop yield and net benefits by simulating the various process in the irrigation scheme, produces the OAPs at preseason planning with different scenarios of productivity and equity and management options, develops the steady OAP by considering the temporal variability in the weather and modifies the allocation plan optimally during the intraseasonal operation of the irrigation scheme. A W AM operates in seven different modes to achieve this. These are simulation, calibration, generation, optimisation, planning, operation and evaluation. The A W AM was applied to Nazare Medium Irrigation Project (medium lmgation scheme) in semi-arid region of Maharashtra State, India to evaluate the existing practice of irrigation (fixed depth irrigation), full depth irrigation and deficit irrigation for obtaining the OAPs. The practice of deficit irrigation was found to be beneficial over the existing approach and full depth irrigation. The OAPs at preseason planning are obtained for several alternatives and compared. The OAPs were obtained for different equity criteria. The productivity and equity were found to be inversely related. The method is proposed to obtain the stable OAP with A WAM by considering several years' data. The present research contributes towards efficient utilisation of water in the irrigation scheme by incorporating the deficit irrigation and productivity and equity in obtaining OAPs, developing the methods to obtain the steady OAP and modifying the allocation plan optimally during the intraseasonal operation of the irrigation scheme.

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Les entreprises accordent énormément d'importance à identifier des démarches automatisées et réplicables pour résoudre leurs problèmes. Ce constat s'applique aussi au démarche de rénovation d'architecture logicielle. Au sein d'une grande entreprise, nous avons intégré l'équipe chargée de réaliser la rénovation de l'architecture d'un logiciel. Nous avons étudié la démarche informelle suivie par cette équipe afin d'en proposer une généralisation et des outils facilitant son automatisation et sa réplication à d'autres projets. La plupart des solutions proposées dans la littérature ne peuvent s'appliquer à ce projet, du fait de leur caractère manuel, de leurs contraintes particulières ou de leur manque d'application sur des cas réels. Toutefois, nous avons identifié que le Reflexion Model, la recherche d’information et le regroupement statistique peuvent s'y appliquer. Nous avons alors proposé une nouvelle démarche structurée qui se base sur une adaptation du Reflexion Model et sur la démarche réalisée par l'entreprise. Notre démarche utilise cinq critères permettant l'allocation du code source existant à l'architecture du logiciel rénové. Nous avons montré que l'application de nos critères d'allocation donne des résultats satisfaisants au contraire de la recherche d’information et du regroupement. Enfin, pour répondre au besoin d'automatisation, nous avons défini ce que nous appelons des opérateurs. Ils se basent sur les activités que nous avons identifiées dans le travail des ingénieurs de l’entreprise. Nous avons montré que ces opérateurs permettraient de répliquer entièrement notre démarche structurée autorisant ainsi son application efficace sur d'autres projets. / Companies attach great importance to identifying automated and replicable approaches to solving their problems. This observation also applies to the software architecture renovation process. Within a large company, we joined the team in charge of renovating the software architecture. We studied the informal approach followed by this team in order to propose a generalization and tools facilitating its automation and its replication to other projects. Most of the solutions proposed in the literature cannot be applied to this project because of their manual nature, their particular constraints or their lack of application to real cases. However, we have identified that the Reflexion Model, information retrieval and statistical grouping may apply. We then proposed a new structured approach based on an adaptation of the Reflexion Model and on the approach developed by the company. Our approach uses five criteria to allocate existing source code to the architecture of the renovated software. We have shown that the application of our allocation criteria gives satisfactory results as opposed to seeking information and grouping. Finally, to meet the need for automation, we have defined what we call operators. They are based on the activities we have identified in the work of the company's engineers. We have shown that these operators would allow us to fully replicate our structured approach, thus allowing its effective application on other projects.

Equitable allocation of health care resources is crucial for promoting health equity. Since the emergence of the resource allocation working party (RAWP) formula nearly three decades ago, many countries have implemented resource allocation policy reforms aiming to improve equity. Little is known about whether, how and the extent to which, most of these policies have actually improved equity. This study examined whether, and the extent to which, decentralisation of health resource allocation decision-making in Ghana has improved equity in funding within regions and explored the factors that influenced the equitable allocation of resources for health care in Ghana. The study used a mixture of quantitative and qualitative methods. Two of the ten regions in Ghana: Ashanti and Northern, covering the southern and northern sectors of the country, were purposefully selected. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to measure levels of relative deprivation of districts applied as a proxy of need. An equity-adjusted share index (EAS) was developed and used as a yardstick against which equity in funding was assessed. Factors influencing the equitable allocation of resources were explored qualitatively through open-ended interviews with policy makers and other health sector stakeholders. The study found that resource allocation in the Ashanti and Northern Regions were largely inequitable, in terms of differentially benefiting the most disadvantaged districts. The proportion of variance in the actual share of funds that could be explained by the predicted EAS was below 50% for all the years examined, except for the allocation of government funds to the Ashanti Region for 1999, where the proportion of variance was 56%. Resource allocation in the Northern Region favoured three urban districts over their rural counterparts. However, in the Ashanti Region, there was a significant shift in resources from richer to poorer districts from 2000 to 2002. The Kumasi Metro district, for example, saw its share of donor-pooled funds reduced drastically from 20% of the total budget in 2000 to 7.2% in 2001 and 5.6% in 2002. Key factors influencing resource allocation and equity included low funding of the health system, local capacity to utilise funds efficiently, manpower availability, politics, donor influence and the nature of collaboration with the local government. The study concluded that intra-regional resource allocation in Ghana???s Ashanti and Northern regions was less equitable than expected, despite efforts to redistribute funds. It recommended more effective mechanisms for promoting equity through intra-regional resource allocation in Ghana.

This thesis presents the potential opportunities of global asset allocation and the possible enhancement of these opportunities from using a Markov Switching Model. The thesis extends upon previous conditional asset pricing studies in global asset allocation, such as those done by Ilamnen (1995), Harvey, Solnik and Zhou (1992) and Bilson (1993), where expected future returns are forecast based on conditional variables. The finding of these studies, and many others, are combined with the works on Markov Switching models and market segmentation theories to create a uniform structure for analysing regime switching properties in currencies, international equities and international bond markets. This thesis is segregated into 4 major sections. The chapters 1-4 develop a unified framework that is used in the analysis of markets. The chapters 5-7 are focused on currencies, international equities and international bonds. For each market a model is constructed that is based upon the structure proposed by Frankel and Froot (1988). In this model the market is segmented into two groups ?? value based investors and momentum based investors. To replicate this structure, a two regime Markov Switching model is used, where one regime is constructed as a value regime and the second is constructed as a momentum regime. These models are then compared to linear versions of the models, to see whether there is any additional benefit to the application of regime switching methods. In conjunction with testing the potential benefits of the Markov Regime Switching process, this study also investigates the very nature, or characteristics of regime switching in the international markets. This is undertaken though some alternate models and enhancements to see whether there is any predictability, or characterisations can be made of the switching process. To ensure a comprehensive analysis, several analytical methods have been used, including extensive econometric modelling, statistical analysis of forecasts and portfolio back testing. A number of conclusions can be drawn from the results. Firstly it appears that there is substantial evidence of regime switching in international markets, such as that shown in a Frankel-Froot framework. This in turn has major implication for the understanding of the way in which international markets function, and further the empirical evidence supports many of the anecdotal observations of market based participants. Secondly, there appears to be a strong level of economic relevance to the modelling. The models are shown to generate a theoretical economic profit, which shows that the international markets are only semi efficient. Further, forecasts generated from the Markov Switching models outperform the linear counterparts in economic significance in portfolio tests. However, for both equities and bonds, the general accuracy of the forecast tends to be inferior to the linear counterparts. Finally, the nature of regime switching is investigated in detail, particularly in reference to 3 potential drivers ?? greed, fear and success. The evidence shows that these can help explain the characteristics of regime switching, as in some cases potentially adding economic value. However, it seems that success is more important than a broader economic environment.