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This thesis takes as its starting point a set of questions raised by the regulatory politics school of thought. These questions are addressed from the specific perspective of the insurance sector during the European single market programme of the late 1980s to early 1990s. The focus is on German and British sectoral and governmental actors and their interaction with EC-level institutions (in particular the European Commission), rules and policies. The thesis addressesis sueso f regulatory autonomy, regime change, interest representation and the evolution of norms and ideas in the context of the European single market. The issues are examined from three interdependent levels of governance: (a. ) multilateral (the negotiations during the Uruguay Round, leading to the GATS); (Chapter 2); (b. ) the European Community level (the Single Market); (Chapter 3 and Chapter 4); and (c. ) domestic policy reform (German reform of insurance regulation in the context of the Single Market Programme) (Chapter 5). These sector-specific developments are set into the broader context of the debate on the nature of European integration. An institutionalist account is contrasted with a critical evaluation of the realist school of European studies and its origins in public choice theory. A central, guiding question is: what different "landscapes" do we perceive if we observe (de- and re-) regulation through the analytical "lenses" of economic accounts of regulation and institutionalist approaches? Public choice theories, it is argued, focus almost exclusively on efficiency concerns and utility (whether at the level of the individual or at the level of the company), neglecting broader social ideas that motivate decision-makers, as well as the impact of institutions on choice and collective strategies. It is concluded that, despite trade liberalisation and deregulation, regulatory practices in the insurance sector continue to be driven by normative "road maps", anchored in and mediated by national institutions and historical experiences

This study assesses challenges of financial service providers, specifically banks, microfinance institutions, long term insurers and short term insurers, at the base of the pyramid with respect to affordability, acceptability, availability and awareness in Nigeria. This was done through a questionnaire posed to base of the pyramid consumers in Nigeria. Loyalty to financial service providers was examined to determine what the drivers of loyalty are in the base of the pyramid market. These drivers differ per financial service and need to be viewed separately by each of the industries within the financial services sector. It was found that most base of the pyramid consumers do not participate in financial services due to acceptability, showing that the products and services provided by these institutions are not meeting the needs of the base of the pyramid consumers. Affordability also plays a role in base of the pyramid consumers not taking out financial services products. This indicates that financial services providers need to come up with new products and services with appropriate pricing models in order to service this market. Other factors, such as trust, also play a role in the financial services sector in base of the pyramid consumers in Nigeria. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

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The initial direction of this research was in the application of Quality tools and techniques, within the framework of the EFQM Model for Business Excellence. Three quality improvement projects managed by the author (Cost of Quality, BPR and Benchmarking) sought to identify the key elements of a process improvement methodology. However, the completion of the three case studies led the author to review the whole approach of the research. The review led to the need to develop an understanding of the culture and the environment of an organisation as a precursor to implementing quality improvement. The ability of an organisation to manage the process of continuous improvement or TQM implementation was fundamentally dependent on the culture of an organisation. Organisational culture is the bedrock upon which organisational change is based and an understanding of the culture could help the practitioner focus on key change issues at the outset. The main work in the research then set about attempting to develop and test a model of organisational culture and climate which would help practitioners develop a fuller understanding of organisational culture and internal environment before interventions were carried out. A process for developing an understanding of organisational culture and climate was derived, using information obtained from the culture, quality and climate literature and the review of the case studies. This process included the use of various tools and techniques such as multi-item questionnaire and focus groups. The process used Focus Groups to identify key issues within Lloyds TSB and to help develop a multi-item questionnaire, termed PCOC. The PCOC questionnaire was then tested in four different Areas of Lloyds TSB and the results were analysed and compared to identify similarities and differences across Business Areas. The implications for the implementation of quality improvement were identified and recommendations for managing change were made.

Hedge funds introduce considerable volatility into global financial markets. Given the volume of capital they mobilize, hedge funds are capable of precipitating 'herding'---the underlying dynamic behind the transmission of financial distress and the precursor to systemic crises. Greater regulatory oversight of hedge-fund activities could reduce these excesses without necessarily impinging on the self-correcting mechanism of the free market. Presently, there is no regime or monetary authority in place that would compel states to undertake efforts to enhance existing regulatory structures so as to mitigate the exigency of systemic risk. That coordination has not been achieved exposes both the obstacles facing monetary cooperation for establishing a more robust international financial order and the limitations of liberal theories of international cooperation. It also makes evident the importance of hegemonic participation in the construction of economic regimes in an era of accelerating financial globalization.

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Thesis (M.S.C.I.T.)--Regis University, Denver, Colo., 2008. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on June 10, 2008). Includes bibliographical references.