Within the field of public health, there has been increasing interest in the factors that influence national priorities in health in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where resources are often particularly scarce and decision-making processes are often ad- hoc. Understanding how priorities are set in these countries necessitates a look at the process concealed in the black box that transforms policy inputs into outputs. However, rigorous health policy analysis of macro-level priority setting in LMICs is rare. Using a case study approach, this thesis explores the drivers of priority for primary health care, sanitation and HIV/AIDS over the past five decades in Barbados. To do this I use process tracing techniques, drawing on analysis of public expenditure on health from 1960 to 2010, in-depth interviews with key policy actors, non-participant observation, archives, media reports, parliamentary records and other documents. I argue that powerful individual policy actors or 'policy entrepreneurs' act as necessary drivers of macro-level priority setting in Barbados, although they do not single- handedly determine the outcomes. In particular, I find that these actors are successful in generating priority when they are able to propagate powerful framing ideas and can effectively navigate the policy context by seizing windows of opportunity and managing negative constraints. Moreover, because resources are scarce, their ability to mobilize external financial support is also important. In particular, this thesis stresses the fact that allocating public resources for health is a political process and suggests that it is best explained by considering a set of interrelated factors. In doing so, it illustrates the utility of health policy analysis in helping to open the black box of macro-level priority setting in LMICs more broadly.

The West India Royal Commission of 1897 advanced a number of recommendations intended to lift the West Indies out of their depressed condition and to shape their future economic development. This thesis examines the efforts made to implement those recommendations and the extent to which they influenced economic progress in the colonies of Barbadoes, British Guiana, The Windward and Leeward Islands. Particular attention is directed towards the recommendation that the labouring populations be encouraged to settle on the land as small proprietors. This proposal provided for the welfare of the largely Negro populations of the colonies, but it also threatened to upset the plantation dominated nature of the agriculture economy. The Royal Commission believed that peasant land ownership could be extended only through the introduction of government schemes of land settlement. The considerations which underlay the success or failure of such schemes and of peasant proproetorship in gneral constitute the central theme of the thesis. Other aspects of the economu which are examined affected planter and peasant alike. Freight connections, choice of crops, methods of cultivation, availability of markets, and access to expert advice were considerations which determined the success of both plantation and peasant proprietary. The Colonial Office role in the development of these colonies was limited and for the most part initiative rested with the colonies themselves. Questions of crop selection, or of the location for a settlement scheme, could only be decided by local experts. Furthermore, Joseph Chamberlain, the most influential Colonial Secretary of the period, as far as the West Indies were concerned, clearly believed in delegating responsibility to the local official. Nevertheless, when appropriate, the Colonial Office did play an active part. Its influence over shipping contracts was considerable, whilst the survival of the valuable Imperial Department of Agriculture, established in consequence of a recommendation of the Royal Commission, was entirely due to Colonial Office determination in the face of Treasury resistance.

Today, the effective management of people is assuming prominence as a source of sustained business performance improvement. The rationale for this trend is that other significant aspects of business, such as marketing, new technology, market niche, trademarks and brand image have generally been mastered. Therefore, business enterprises are being encouraged in seeking to gain comparative advantage by reliance on their human resources because this aspect of business is arguably more difficult to imitate or understand than the more conventional resources. As a result, there is an awakening of the need to introduce management practices that will concentrate on the added value which a highly motivated work force may provide to the organisation. The idea of added value from a highly motivated work force assumes even greater significance when the main business hinges almost entirely on the attitudes and approaches of people. This concept applies most forcibly to Barbados and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (BOECS), the region covered by this study. This research therefore, explores the idea of gaining comparative advantage through appropriate people management methods and follows the trend in the developed and more industrialised nations of the world in an effort to determine whether there is a useful model of effective management practices which may be replicated in the BOECS and thus lead to improved business performance in the micro states which constitute this ii region. However, this study is mindful of the limitations of the research methodology which a vast number of contributors to this intriguing topic have employed. Nevertheless, this exploratory attempt examines the issue in the light of its possible positive effect on a previously uncharted area, viz., Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean (BOECS) as far as it relates to scholarly treaties on Human Resource Management. The idea is that even in the absence of clear unequivocal empirical evidence about its benefits, it may be useful to pursue the strategic approach to Human Resource Management including expansion of employee involvement, for it own sake.

Following the collapse of Arthur Andersen in the Enron debacle, whistle-blowing within audit firms has taken on greater importance. Given the profession's requirements to be confidential, independent and to act in the public's interest, there is a need for a model that addresses auditors' whistle-blowing intentions. This thesis presents a conceptual model on whistle-blowing intentions among external auditors, where individual-led antecedents influence whistle-blowing intentions, but are moderated by isomorphic and issue-specific factors. Survey questionnaires were administered to 226 external auditors, and 18 individual interviews as well as 2 focus groups were conducted in Barbados. Results indicated that individual antecedents (attitudes, perceived behavioural control, independence commitment, personal responsibility for reporting, and personal cost of reporting) were significantly related to internal whistle-blowing, but only perceived behavioural control was significantly related to external whistle-blowing. Partial support was found for the moderating effects of perceived organizational support, moral intensity, team norms and group cohesion on the relationships between the majority of the independent variables (attitudes, perceived behavioural control, independence commitment, personal responsibility for reporting and personal cost of reporting) and internal whistle-blowing. However, partial support was found for the moderating effects of perceived organizational support, moral intensity, team norms iii and group cohesion on the relationships between fewer independent variables and external whistle-blowing. Overall, respondents preferred anonymous internal channels of reporting, and showed a general reluctance to report externally. The presence of an open-door policy, ethics partners, hotline, on-going training and clearly defined policies could encourage whistle-blowing. Further implications for research and practice are discussed. / University of the West Indies

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Today, the effective management of people is assuming prominence as a source of sustained business performance improvement. The rationale for this trend is that other significant aspects of business, such as marketing, new technology, market niche, trademarks and brand image have generally been mastered. Therefore, business enterprises are being encouraged in seeking to gain comparative advantage by reliance on their human resources because this aspect of business is arguably more difficult to imitate or understand than the more conventional resources. As a result, there is an awakening of the need to introduce management practices that will concentrate on the added value which a highly motivated work force may provide to the organisation. The idea of added value from a highly motivated work force assumes even greater significance when the main business hinges almost entirely on the attitudes and approaches of people. This concept applies most forcibly to Barbados and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (BOECS), the region covered by this study. This research therefore, explores the idea of gaining comparative advantage through appropriate people management methods and follows the trend in the developed and more industrialised nations of the world in an effort to determine whether there is a useful model of effective management practices which may be replicated in the BOECS and thus lead to improved business performance in the micro states which constitute this ii region. However, this study is mindful of the limitations of the research methodology which a vast number of contributors to this intriguing topic have employed. Nevertheless, this exploratory attempt examines the issue in the light of its possible positive effect on a previously uncharted area, viz., Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean (BOECS) as far as it relates to scholarly treaties on Human Resource Management. The idea is that even in the absence of clear unequivocal empirical evidence about its benefits, it may be useful to pursue the strategic approach to Human Resource Management including expansion of employee involvement, for it own sake.

Disasters and climate change threaten the very existence of a special group of developing states- Small Island Developing States (SIDS). This research tackles the problem of limited uptake of integrated approaches to address risk in practice- in particular through disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA). The benefits of these approaches are so significant that they can be considered to be investments in development. Focusing on Barbados, a SIDS, this research therefore seeks to identify the prospects for establishing an integrated disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation (DRR-CCA) development decision-making framework. It also seeks to understand the policy implications for other SIDS. In addressing the research problem, a risk governance framework and mixed methods approach is proposed for identifying the prospects for DRR-CCA. This allows for the challenges and the potential in actor networks, institutions, and the various dimensions of risk decision-making to be identified. The specific SIDS DRR-CCA risk governance framework utilised to generate the prospects is identified from literature. Data from documents, surveys and in-depth semi-structured interviews with 30 representatives from 20 organisations operating at different levels were gathered on DRR and CCA risk governance in Barbados from November, 2014 to May 2015. Analysis was carried out using document analysis, thematic analysis; social network analysis, and descriptive statistics. The research identifies that SIDS require an enhanced risk governance framework for DRR-CCA. This framework has a systemic approach at the core, as well as an explicit development approach supported by a joined-up governance approach. Furthermore, risk assessments should include assessments of adaptive capacity. Existing potential for DRR-CCA risk governance was identified in highly dense networks, established disaster management networks, and a unique polycentric network that engages intraregional partners in national governance. Notwithstanding, challenges related to cohesion within and across institutions and sectors; missing community and socio-economic participation; as well as issues connected to unadjusted mind-sets to address the DRR paradigm shift in practice, and limited development-socio-ecological systems approaches, meant that the prospects identified mainly addressed these shortcomings. A spatial methodology for DRR-CCA seemed feasible. This research contributes a framework for conceptualising DRR-CCA risk governance in SIDS which could be applicable to others. It offers a Caribbean SIDS perspective and practical suggestions for DRR-CCA that are relevant to SIDS practitioners and donors. Further research should focus on testing the prospects across the varying governance contexts of SIDS.

Tourism, Barbados's primary industry, declined substantially from the outset of the 2008 global recession, triggering an economic slump in the local economy. The purpose of this exploratory study was to explore the views of 20 Barbadian tourism executives regarding the ability of community-based tourism (CBT) to resuscitate Barbados's tourism industry. The participants included 10 from the government and 10 from the business sector; all possessed knowledge of CBT and worked with tourism for at least 10 years. Arnstein's ladder of citizen participation constituted the conceptual framework of this study. Participants were recruited by snowball and purposive sampling. Data were collected using an interview guide with semistructured interview questions, an audio recorder, and interview notes. The collected data were coded and analyzed using thematic analysis, which involved collating the most cited codes into potential themes and developing thematic maps. The major themes that emerged from the data analysis of the private sector included the use of CBT as a means to solidify social relationships among locals and tourists and its ability to encourage repeat vacations. The major themes that materialized from interviewing the government workers included the need for the education of residents regarding the importance of their roles as stakeholder participants and the obligation by the relevant officials to stem any potential for criminal activity that could occur through CBT implementation. Repeated vacations through CBT could give rise to positive social change in the island by generating increased foreign currency injections and improving the social well-being of Barbadians and the Barbados economy.

Depuis leur fondation en 1870, les Témoins de Jéhovah ont connu une croissance spectaculaire jusqu’en 1995, dans les pays dont la religion dominante est le christianisme. Puis, un ralentissement progressif de leur croissance a été constaté au milieu des années 1990, en particulier dans les pays industrialisés. Par ailleurs, leur croissance a connu un succès inégal d’un pays à l’autre. Ainsi, en 2017, il y avait un Témoin de Jéhovah pour 50 habitants en Guadeloupe, un Témoin pour 112 habitants à la Barbade et un Témoin pour 263 habitants aux Etats-Unis. La présente recherche doctorale a étudié plusieurs facteurs de croissance, en empruntant les concepts des sociologues états-uniens Ryan Cragun et Ronald Lawson ainsi Rodney Stark et Lawrence Iannacone liant la croissance d’un groupe religieux à l’interaction entre l’offre religieuse qui est la sienne et la demande religieuse du pays où il s’est implanté. Une recherche documentaire a été effectuée passant en revue l’histoire et l’évolution de ce mouvement religieux. Puis, une méthode qualitative a été adoptée, à travers des entretiens menés auprès de dizaines de Témoins au cours de plusieurs années ainsi qu’une observation participante, afin de mieux connaître le mouvement, ses doctrines mais aussi la motivation des fidèles. Ensuite, une méthode quantitative a été appliquée à travers une enquête menée auprès de centaines de Témoins de Jéhovah à la Barbade en Guadeloupe et aux États-Unis d’Amérique. Les spécificités de ces trois pays expliquent en partie la différence de croissance constatées au sein du groupe religieux étudié. / Since their founding in 1870, Jehovah's Witnesses have experienced spectacular growth until 1995, in the country where Christianity predominates. A gradual slowdown in growth was then observed, particularly in the industrialized countries in the mid-1990s. Moreover, their growth has been successfully imbalanced from one country to another. Thus, in 2017, there was a Jehovah's Witness for 50 people in Guadeloupe, one for 112 people in Barbados and one for 263 in the United States.This PhD thesis examines several growth factors, borrowing from the concepts of American sociologists Ryan Cragun and Ronald Lawson as well as Rodney Stark and Lawrence Iannacone, linking the growth of a religious group to the interaction between religious offerings and religious demand. in the country where the religious group settled. A literature search was conducted to examine the history and evolution of this religious movement. In addition to that, a qualitative method was adopted in interviews with dozens of Witnesses over several years and with participant observation, in order to better understand the movement, its doctrines, but also the motivations of the members. Then, a quantitative method was applied to a survey of hundreds of Jehovah's Witnesses in Barbados, in Guadeloupe and the United States of America. The specificities of these three countries partly explain the differences in growth observed in the religious group studied. / Depi fondasyon yo nan lane 1870, Temwen Jewova yo te gen yon kwasans espektakilè jiska 1995, nan peyi kote dominasyon relijyon se krisyanis la. Lè sa a, yon ralentissement gradyèl nan kwasans yo te obsève patikilyèman nan peyi yo endistriyalize nan mitan ane 1990 yo. Anplis, li te kwasans yo te dezekilibre siksè soti nan yon peyi a yon lòt. Kidonk, nan 2017, te gen yon Temwen Jewova pou 50 moun nan Gwadloup, yon Temwen pou 112 moun nan Barbad ak yon Temwen pou 263 moun nan Etazini yo.Rechèch doktora prezan an etidye plizyè faktè kwasans, prete konsèp sosyolojis ameriken Ryan Cragun ak Ronald Lawson ak Rodney Stark ak Lawrence Iannacone ki lye kwasans yon gwoup relijye nan entèraksyon ant òf relijye ki se li ak demann relijye nan peyi kote li te etabli tèt li. Yon rechèch literati te fèt revize istwa a ak evolisyon sa a mouvman relijye yo. Answit, yo te adopte yon metòd kalitatif, nan entèvyou ak plizyè douzèn Temwen sou plizyè ane ak yon obsèvasyon patisipan, pou pi byen konprann mouvman an, doktrin li yo, men tou motivasyon fidèl yo. Lè sa a, yon metòd quantitative te aplike nan yon sondaj sou dè santèn de Temwen Jewova nan Barbad nan Gwadloup ak nan Etazini. Espesifikite yo nan twa peyi sa yo eksplike an pati diferans nan kwasans obsève nan gwoup relijye etidye.