No description available.

Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2015 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT : Organisations are rapidly discovering the invaluable influence of creativity and innovation at work. An individual’s capacity to engage creatively with his or her work is becoming increasingly recognised as integral for organisational success and competitive advantage. The quest for an increase in creative output is driven by the following question: what causes variance in creative work involvement? The purpose of this study was to address the question of variance in creative work involvement across a variety of industries. In order to do so empirically, a structural model was developed after an interrogation of the literature to present the hypothesised relationships suggested through previous research. In essence, this study explored the significance of four relationships: (1) the effect of psychological safety on creative work involvement, (2) the effect of inclusive leadership on psychological safety, (3) the effect of openness to experience on creative work involvement, and (4) the moderating effect of vitality on the relationship between psychological safety and creative work involvement. The research approach was a quantitative study in which an ex post facto correlation research design was used. A total of 39 organisations participated in the study; they are located in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Gauteng provinces in South Africa. An electronic self-administered survey that consisted of six sections and 39 items was distributed to employees in varying roles and across different industries. Participation was voluntary; 519 employees engaged in the survey. Multiple regression analysis was used in order to evaluate the data collected. Creative work involvement, psychological safety and vitality were measured by utilising the measurement items presented by Kark and Carmeli (2009). Inclusive leadership was measured using nine items from Carmeli, Reiter-Palmon and Ziv (2010). Lastly, openness to experience was measured using the HEXACO-60 survey (Lee & Ashton, 2004), of which only the 10 items pertaining to this construct were included in the survey presented to the participants. The findings reveal that psychological safety had a significant effect on creative work involvement, and inclusive leadership was shown to have a significant effect on psychological safety. In addition, there was a significant positive relationship between openness to experience and creative work involvement. Moreover, vitality was shown not to have a significant moderating effect on the relationship between psychological safety and creative work involvement. It also was found that the relationship between vitality and creative work involvement was significant. The discussions and implications of this research suggest a number of implementations with which managers can engage in order to stimulate creative behaviour and further encourage creative work involvement through strategic decision making at a variety of organisational levels. Greater levels of creative work engagement can be achieved for the overall success of the organisation, which could have an impact on the global community at large. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Organisasies besef toenemend die onskatbare waarde van kreatiwiteit en innovasie in die werkplek. ’n Individu se vermoë om kreatief met sy of haar werk om te gaan, word toenemend erken as noodsaaklik vir ’n organisasie se sukses en mededingende voordeel (Florida & Goodnight, 2005, soos Bissola & Imperatori, 2011). Die soeke na ’n toename in kreatiewe uitset/produksie/opbrengs/vermoë word gedryf deur die volgende vraag: wat veroorsaak variansie in kreatiewe werksbetrokkenheid? Die doel van hierdie studie was om die vraag oor variansie in kreatiewe werksbetrokkenheid in ’n verskeidenheid industrieë aan te spreek. Om dit empiries te doen, is ’n strukturele model, na bestudering van die literatuur, ontwikkel wat die hipotetiese verhoudinge uitbeeld wat deur vorige navorsing gesuggereer is. In wese verken hierdie studie die beduidendheid van vier verhoudinge: (1) die effek van sielkundige veiligheid op kreatiewe werksbetrokkenheid, (2) die effek van inklusiewe leierskap op sielkundige veiligheid, (3) die effek van ontvanklikheid vir ervaring op kreatiewe werksbetrokkenheid, en (4) die modererende effek van lewenskragtigheid op die verhouding tussen sielkundige veiligheid en kreatiewe werksbetrokkenheid. Die navorsingswerkswyse is ‘n kwantitatiewe studie waarin ʼn ex post facto-korrelasionele navorsingsontwerp gebruik is. ’n Totaal van 39 organisasies, geleë in die Wes-Kaap, Oos-Kaap en Gauteng, het aan die studie deelgeneem. ’n Elektroniese selfgeadministreerde vraelys, bestaande uit ses afdelings en 39 items, is onder werknemers in verskeie rolle en in verskeie industrieë versprei. Deelname was vrywillig en 519 werknemers het die vraelys voltooi. Meervoudige regressie-analise is gebruik om die ingesamelde data te evalueer. Kreatiewe werksbetrokkenheid, sielkundige veiligheid en lewenskragtigheid is gemeet met behulp van die metings-items wat deur Kark and Carmeli (2009) voorgestel is. Inklusiewe leierskap is gemeet met nege items van Carmeli, Reiter-Palmon en Ziv (2010). Laastens is die ontvanklikheid vir ervaring gemeet met gebruik van die HEXACO-60 opname (Lee & Ashton, 2004), waarvan slegs die 10 items wat betrekking het op hierdie konstruk ingesluit is in die vraelys wat aan die deelnemers voorgelê is. Die bevindinge het getoon dat sielkundige veiligheid ’n beduidende effek op kreatiewe werksbetrokkenheid het en dat inklusiewe leierskap ‘n beduidende effek op sielkundige veiligheid het. Bykomend hiertoe is ’n beduidende positiewe verwantskap tussen ontvanklikheid vir ervaring en kreatiewe werksbetrokkenheid gevind. Verder is aangedui dat lewenskragtigheid nie ’n beduidende modererende effek op die verwantskap tussen sielkundige veiligheid en kreatiewe werksbetrokkenheid het nie. Daar is ook bevind dat die verwantskap tussen lewenskragtigheid en kreatiewe werksbetrokkenheid beduidend is. In die bespreking en implikasies van hierdie navorsing word ’n aantal voorstelle gemaak wat bestuurders kan implementeer om kreatiewe gedrag te stimuleer en kreatiewe werksbetrokkenheid verder aan te moedig deur strategiese besluitneming op ’n verskeidenheid van organisatoriese vlakke. Groter vlakke van kreatiewe werksbetrokkenheid kan bereik word wat die oorkoepelende sukses van ’n organisasie bevorder, wat dan weer ’n impak op die globale gemeenskap kan hê.

This thesis has three main aims. First, I will propose and explain a genre ascription for the sayings in Prov 10:1-22:16 – the ‘didactic proverb’. Second, I will analyse ‘openness’ as a textual feature, and show its contribution to the functions of this genre. Third, I will demonstrate how reading this way may influence our understanding of some key issues in Proverbs’ scholarship. Part 1 tackles the first and second aims. In ch. 1, I suggest that the sayings in Prov 10:1-22:16 have something of a hybrid genre, displaying features akin to both ‘didactic’ texts and ‘proverbs’. This can be seen from their: generically related texts, probable social settings, media, self-presentation, and literary forms. As ‘didactic’ texts, the sayings shape the worldview, character and intellect of their students. As ‘proverbs’, they apply to specific situations with specific purposes. In ch. 2, I explain three manifestations of literary ‘openness’: polysemy can give a text multiple meanings; parallelism makes the relationship between lines unclear; imagery opens up worlds for exploration. Ch. 3 begins to show how this ‘openness’ enhances the sayings’ ‘didactic’ and ‘proverbial’ functions. Here I move beyond openness in interpretation to openness in application, and draw on the field of ‘paremiology’ (the technical study of the ‘proverb’ as a genre), which has been somewhat neglected in Proverbs’ scholarship. In Part 2, I turn to the text, drawing out the openness of key verses, and showing how they function ‘didactically’ and ‘as proverbs’. This proves to have implications for certain classic debates in Proverbs’ scholarship (my third aim). Ch. 4 considers ‘character’ terms (e.g. wise/foolish, righteous/wicked). I use cognitive linguistic theories to examine the terms as open categories with ‘prototype structure’. Viewed this way, the terms are not (as some have argued) abstract and cut off from the world, but profoundly useful for life. Ch. 5 considers the apparent ‘act-consequence connection’ in Proverbs. The connection is predictable but not inviolable, may come about through a number of agencies, and has strong motivational potential. Ch. 6 looks at proverbs about the king. These do not necessitate an actual court context, for the ‘king’ figure may encapsulate wider principles, and function as a teaching tool. Even when he appears to be glorified, his role may be subverted, requiring students to exercise their minds. In ch. 7, I consider the way wisdom is acquired in the ‘didactic proverb’ genre, and suggest a principle for gaining it: students must ‘trust and scrutinise’. They are thereby empowered in their quest for wisdom, whilst also becoming aware of their limitations. Throughout Part 2, I find ‘openness’ to be an important facilitator for didactic and proverbial goals. Prov 10:1-22:16 presents its readers with a panoply of fascinating texts. By exploring them as ‘open’, ‘didactic’, and ‘proverbial’, this thesis offers a fruitful reading strategy; new insights into functions and meanings; and some fresh perspectives on old debates.

Can we become a developed country in a generation? Yes, if we implement the following reforms. Sustain macroeconomic stability. Sustain commercial and financial openness to become the source of sustained economic growth. Complement openness with the following reforms: improvements in human capital via increases in the quality of education and health, increase in private investment via improvement in the investment climate and complementary infrastructure, financial deepening and labor market reform. A new source of growth is the promotion of a broad entrepreneurial middle class via the elimination of the distortions in the productive structure that have induced the increase of informality and the concentration of entrepreneurship in microenterprises and in a low productivity services sector. The elimination of distortions in the tax system, the social security system and the labor market will increase the demand for quality labor and the improvements in human capital will increase its supply and induce the emergence of a broad entrepreneurial middle class. Finally, for this entrepreneurial middle class to emerge, we have to reform the estate to eradicate corruption, reduce crime and to create a predictable and fair judicial system to defend property rights including compliance with commercial contracts. / ¿Podremos llegar a ser desarrollados en una generación? Para lograrlo debemos implementar diversas reformas. Debemos mantener la estabilidad macroeconómica. Debemos mantener la apertura económica y, para que se convierta en fuente permanente de crecimiento económico, debemos complementarla con la mejora en la calidad del capital humano, a través de la mejora en la calidad de la educación, la salud y el crecimiento de la inversión privada, a través de la optimización del clima de negocios, la infraestructura, el sistema financiero y la reforma del mercado laboral. Una nueva fuente de crecimiento es el desarrollo de una amplia clase media empresarial mediante la eliminación de las distorsiones en la estructura productiva, que inducen a la informalidad y han concentrado a la mayoría de la fuerza laboral en la microempresa y el sector de servicios de muy baja productividad. La eliminación de las distorsiones de la tributación, de la seguridad social y del mercado laboral incrementará la demanda de trabajo bien remunerado y la mejora del capital humano aumentará su oferta. Finalmente, para que pueda surgir masivamente esta clase media empresarial necesitamos liberarla del peso de un Estado parcialmente disfuncional y corrupto, mediante una reforma que erradique la corrupción, disminuya la inseguridad, desarrolle un poder judicial predecible que respete los derechos de propiedad y el cumplimiento de contratos.

O Brasil apresentou nas décadas de 80 e 90 taxas de crescimento econômico substancialmente inferiores às de outras economias emergentes. Apesar das taxas brasileiras terem se elevado a partir de 2004, tal mudança é, em parte, atribuída a uma conjuntura favorável, de altos preços das commodities. As novas teorias de crescimento econômico ressaltam a relevância do investimento em tecnologia para se alcançar um crescimento sustentável no longo prazo. No entanto, o desempenho brasileiro em investimento em P&D é relativamente baixo quando comparado ao de outros países. Teorias Schumpeterianas de crescimento e trabalhos sobre comércio internacional ressaltam a importância da criação de um ambiente favorável ao investimento em P&D, através do estimulo à competição industrial e empresarial que é criada com a abertura comercial. Sendo assim, o presente estudo pretende avaliar empiricamente o impacto da competição internacional sofrida pelas firmas brasileiras sobre suas decisões de investimento em P&D. Para isso, será construído um modelo relacionando as variáveis relevantes, e serão utilizadas técnicas econométricas, a partir de dados da PINTEC, PIA e outras bases de dados industriais. / Brazilian growth rates in the 80\'s and 90\'s were lower than in other emerging economies. The new theories of economic growth emphasize the relevance of investment in technology to achieve sustainable growth in the long term. However, Brazilian performance in R&D expenditures is relatively low compared to other countries. Schumpeterian growth theories and some studies on international trade emphasize the importance of creating an environment conducive to investment in R&D, through the stimulus to competition, which can be increased by trade openness. Therefore, this study aims to empirically assess the impact of international competition suffered by Brazilian firms on their R&D decisions. In order to achieve that, econometric techniques relating relevant variables will be used, with data from PINTEC, PIA and other industrial database.

The drivers of CO2 emissions are a widely studied subject of great importance to both individual countries and the global community. However, the inclusion of a quantitative measure of political uncertainty, national and global, has until now been largely overlooked. We investigate how geopolitical uncertainty (GPU) and income interact with CO2 emissions using a panel quantile regression approach for a set of 63 nations over the period 1985-2014. Our key findings are; (i) a consistent negative (positive) relation between global (local) uncertainty and the different CO2 emission distribution levels, (ii) the relation between uncertainty and emissions is heterogeneous across different income groups, (iii) clear and consistent evidence for the Environmental Kuztnet Curve hypothesis with respect to uncertainty, (iiii) when deciding on environmental policy, it is of great importance to consider political uncertainty and whether to use a local or global measure.

The goal of the master thesis titled "Trade openness and income inequality in Eastern Europe" is to analyze the effects on income inequality changes in the population in the period of transformation from centrally planned economies to market economies in the last decade of the twentieth century. The first part of the thesis focuses on the development before the individual countries started to join the European Union. The subsequent liberalization in the early 21st century is evaluated in the second part of the thesis. The multiple regression analysis is used to estimate the effects. The data were provided by the World Bank for the period of from 1989 to 2014. The objective of the thesis is to enlighten the factors which are influencing the changes in income inequality.

Purpose of this thesis is to describe causes of current global crisis and evaluate their impact on czech economy. Throughout the thesis are mentioned big economic crises from the past as well as causes of current global crisis. More comprehensive analysis is dedicated to business cooperation between Czech republic and Germany, as its main business partner, and to consequences of crisis to bank and entrepreneurial sector of Czech republic.

The aim of this diploma thesis is to analyze the impact of openness (competition) to the final price of public tender. The openness is presented by a number of bids offered to a tender and is compared to the level of savings, i.e. ratio of final and assumed value of the tender. The analysis is done on a data set of tenders of works published in the year 2013, which contain 5065 tenders. Based on correlation and regression analysis, the impact of openness was confirmed, concretely each additional bid decrease final price of tender by 2,36 percent. Recommendations for changes of the tender handling are stated at the end of the thesis.

Traditional views regarding families are being challenged by new family arrangements. In this study I have explored the experiences of children growing up in same-gendered families, in order to inform our current understanding of how children experience the social constructedness of same-gendered families. I have utilised a narrative research design in order to present and re-present the children’s own meaning-making about being a child in a same-gendered family. I also inquired into the ways in which they negotiate the heteronormativity of society. In order to situate the broader contextual factors of heteronormativity I constructed a narrative tale, which was then developed throughout the thesis as part of the presentation to create a multivoiced, dialogical and reflexive text. From a holistic analysis of the created data, narratives were written which gives a unique and individual account of the experiences of each child that I had engaged with. Grounded in these narratives five concepts emerged, that formed my conceptualisation of the experiences of children growing up in same-gendered families. The main findings suggest that the experiences of children growing up in same-gendered families in this study are (1) that they experience different levels (or ways) of okayness, namely a level of okayness regarding having same-gender parents and a level of okayness to disclose or not to disclose their family structure, (2) children in same-gendered families are aware of others’ okayness or open-mindedness regarding same-gendered families, (3) children in same-gendered families at times show the need for openness in their relationships with others and (4), children in same-gendered families receive support from their parents, siblings, significant others, friends, class mates and other children also growing up in same-gendered families. Finally, I have also explored the interconnectedness between okayness, disclosure, awareness, openness and support and constructed a conceptual framework that serve as a theoretical forestructure against which the findings, interpretations and narratives can be viewed. / Thesis (PhD (Educational Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted