Thesis advisor: Edward J. Kane / Portfolio theory attempts to answer two fundamental questions concerning financial investments. In the language of the old adage "Don't put all of your eggs in one basket," the two questions arising are: 1) "How many baskets should the eggs be put into?" and 2) "How many eggs should be put into each basket?" / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 1972. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Economics.

由於外部環境瞬息萬變，科技發展一日千里，大部份企業為因應激烈之競爭環境，大都朝著企業多角化方向發展。企業多角化係企業總體策略規劃相當重要的一環，在美國從事多角化經營之企業，佔總家數比率尚不及全國企業數的百分之一，但卻創造了38%之就業機會；而在台灣地區從事多角化經營之企業，佔企業總家數比率僅0.2%，但卻創造了5%之就業機會，足見企業多角化經營之重要性。 　　回顧國內對企業多角化之研究，大都擷取部份股票上市公司已公開之財務資料，以財務觀點或統計觀點加以分析，至於朝企業多角化整體規劃方向而從事研究者，目前則極少有相關文獻或研究被提出。有鑑於此，本研究認為構建一套完整之企業多角化整體規劃程序，供實務界之應用及參考，實為當務之急。 　　本研究乃以多角化企業為主體，試圖建立完整之企業多角化整體規劃程序之運作架構，目的旨在探討當企業面臨多角化經營決策時，所依恃之適當多角化分析構面為何？並廣泛探索各個構面之分析技術，使各個構面之環節能環環相扣，且能易於整體思考及規劃。具言之，本研究之目的有下列三項： 　　(1)以企業為主體，構建一套完整之企業多角化整體規劃程序。 　　(2)以個案實務探討驗證此程序之可行性。 　　(3)成為實務界與學術界間之橋樑。 　　研究方法採文獻探討及個案實証兩部份。理論及國內外資料由書籍、論文、期刊及雜誌中查閱；實証資料則採個案深度訪談方式取得。企業多角化整體規劃程序之理論架構構建過程，乃參考國內外過去文獻及相關理論做為構建之基石、並參酌實務界之需求及運作發展而成的，俾能提供企業在進行多角化整體規劃時之參考與運用。經過數次深度訪談個案公司之多角化實務運作結果，得到下列七點發現與策略涵義： 　　(1)企業多角化整體規劃程序之理論架構能契合個案公司之需求。 　　(2)理論架構經適度修正可適用於其他策略規劃程序。 　　(3)理論架構之內外在環境分析，使企業能掌握最佳商機。 　　(4)企業從事相關性多角化經營時，有較高之經營綜效。 　　(5)落實多角化可行性分析，促使企業多角化成功機率大增。 　　(6)落實相關功能政策及長短期行動方案，能有效執行多角化經營 　　(7)能測試組織結構之有效性。 　　上述之研究發現與策略涵義，研究結果已然達成本研究所提及之各項研究目的。並再次驗証，當企業面臨激烈之競爭環境，且需朝多角化方向發展時，唯有充份掌握時機，並剖析各個內外在環境所帶來之威脅、機會及優勢與弱勢，且加以評估各項多角化可行性分析，並詳實規劃各種相關性功能政策及行動方案，方能有效執行企業多角化經營。

Measuring, modeling, and managing risk has always been an important task for researchers. Many of the traditional assumptions relied on in risk research, such as the assumption of normality and single period optimization, have proven too restrictive and alternative methods have been developed. The objective of this dissertation is to explore and apply these tools to analyze geographical diversification. The first step to analyze geographical diversification is to understand how different climate and spatial variables impact yields. Yield dependencies for wheat, cotton, and sorghum are estimated using linear correlation and copulas. The copulas provide an alternative to linear correlation. The results of the different dependency estimations indicate that there is a significant difference between the results. The next step is to analyze geographical diversification in a portfolio setting. Traditional portfolio optimization has assumed that risk and dependence are symmetric. Using a single period model, an asymmetric risk measure, conditional value at risk, and asymmetric dependence measure, copulas, are implemented into the portfolio optimization model. The efficient frontiers under both symmetric and asymmetric assumptions show that ignoring the asymmetric nature of the data could lead to optimal portfolio allocations that could underestimate the actual risk exposure. The implication of these results provides researchers with more motivation to move beyond the standard assumptions of linear correlation and normality. Building on the single period problem, a multi-period portfolio model is formulated using discrete stochastic programming. One key in formulating a discrete stochastic program is the representation of uncertainty. Scenario generation is a method to obtain a discrete set of outcomes for the random variables. A moment matching routine is developed to capture the first four moments of the variables and the multivariate relationship is modeled using copulas. The results show that the moment matching routine closely captures the higher moments of the data. The results also indicate that there are possible gains from geographical diversification. Wealth levels increased for all three regions when production is diversified over the different regions. The optimal land allocation was dependent upon the base acreage assumption

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2003. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 107-113). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2003. / Supervisors: Gautam Ahuja and George P. Huber. Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Also available from UMI.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 1978. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 124-129). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2003. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 107-113). Also available on the Internet.

This thesis examines how livelihood diversification is also a site in which gender relations are unsettled, maintained and (re)configured. With the aim of strengthening the links between feminist and agrarian change scholarship, I present ethnographic material from Naga, a medium-size city in Bicol, Philippines, to explore how daily discourses, practices and performances of livelihood change are instrumental in mapping ways of life that are gendered. In the first part of the thesis, attention is devoted to the inadequate, or at least outdated, attention to gender relations in previous models of livelihood change, and to spell out some of the implications its integration may bring. In the remaining part of the thesis my aim is to indicate how this integration should be achieved. Specifically, I highlight some of the problems stemming from ‘structural’ analyses of gender, and emphasize the fresh perspectives opened up by a post-structural, performative approach. I then proceed to the Naga context, where I present two case studies to ‘flesh out’ these theoretical claims in more depth. Part One traces the involvement of state institutions in these changing political economies. Specifically, I consider how local state policies and practices associated with agrarian change are not simply implicated in people’s tendency to diversify, but also in the (re)production of gender identities. Notions of male responsibility and women’s rightful position in the home emerge as particularly important in this respect. In Part Two, I move to Pacol, a small farming community located on Naga’s peri-urban fringe. By drawing on interview and focus group material provided by ten ‘diversifying’ households, I consider how these discourses come into being; how they are worked through and (re)produced inperformances.

This study examines whether diversification is beneficial to commercial banks using data of U.S., Europe and Asia banks from 1997 to 2003. The empirical results suggest that banks perform better if they diversify between interest and non-interest activities, but this effect is not significant when banks diversify within each of these broad sets of activities. Regional results point out the different effects of commercial banks in U.S., Europe and Asia. My results show that banks earn less risk-adjusted returns from commission, fee and trading income. We conclude that increasing non-interest shares is not as good as expected.

This thesis examines how livelihood diversification is also a site in which gender relations are unsettled, maintained and (re)configured. With the aim of strengthening the links between feminist and agrarian change scholarship, I present ethnographic material from Naga, a medium-size city in Bicol, Philippines, to explore how daily discourses, practices and performances of livelihood change are instrumental in mapping ways of life that are gendered. In the first part of the thesis, attention is devoted to the inadequate, or at least outdated, attention to gender relations in previous models of livelihood change, and to spell out some of the implications its integration may bring. In the remaining part of the thesis my aim is to indicate how this integration should be achieved. Specifically, I highlight some of the problems stemming from ‘structural’ analyses of gender, and emphasize the fresh perspectives opened up by a post-structural, performative approach. I then proceed to the Naga context, where I present two case studies to ‘flesh out’ these theoretical claims in more depth. Part One traces the involvement of state institutions in these changing political economies. Specifically, I consider how local state policies and practices associated with agrarian change are not simply implicated in people’s tendency to diversify, but also in the (re)production of gender identities. Notions of male responsibility and women’s rightful position in the home emerge as particularly important in this respect. In Part Two, I move to Pacol, a small farming community located on Naga’s peri-urban fringe. By drawing on interview and focus group material provided by ten ‘diversifying’ households, I consider how these discourses come into being; how they are worked through and (re)produced inperformances.