With increasing scrutiny over standards of financial statement transparency, this paper attempts to resolve misconceptions about effects of negative special items on future earnings. Value investor Benjamin Graham advises students to avoid firms that consistently post special items, because it is indicative of the volatility of the business. Using panel data from 2003 to 2014 and a regression structure used by Burghstaler et al. (2002), I find in contrast to Graham’s warning, that negative special items significantly increase earnings in the four quarters following its occurrence. Furthermore, I analyze results by sector and find that negative special items in the Information Technology sector have the most dramatic positive effects on future earnings. This study gives investors more insight as to what negative special items mean for future earnings of a company.

Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Sharp divisions featured between curative and preventative health care in the Public Health Services of South Africa before the democratisation process. There was fragmentation in authority structures and inequalities between urban and rural areas as well as along racial lines. This resulted in a situation where there was duplication and inequality in the distribution of resources amongst the different levels of health care which led to costly inefficient and ineffective health services. The introduction of the White Paper Towards the Transformation of Health System in South Africa in 1997, aims at the restructuring of health services towards a unified health system which is capable of delivering quality health care to all in a caring environment. The District Health System (DHS) is featured as the key to ensuring decentralised, equitable Primary Health Care (PHC) to all the citizens of South Africa. This study looks at the reorganisation of health services in the clinics and the day hospitals which are rendered by the Health Department of The City of Tygerberg and the Community Health Service Organisation (CHSO) of the Provincial Administration of the Western Cape(P AWC) in Khayelitsha with the aim of achieving comprehensive PHC services. Inthe absence of legislation for the integration of health services, initiatives for the achievement of quality comprehensive PHC within the district are envisaged. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Openbare Gesondheidsdienste in Suid Afrika was voor die demokratieseringsproses gekenmerk deur 'n skeidig tussen kuratiewe en voorkomende gesondheidsdienste. Daar was fragmentasie van bestuurstrukture, ongelykheid tussen stedelike en landelike gebiede asook ongelykheid op grond van ras. Dit het gelei tot duplisering van, en ongelykheid in, die verspreiding van hulpbronne op die verskillende vlakke van gesondheidssorg. Die Witskrif op die Transformasie van Gesondheidstelsels in Suid-Afrika, 1997, fokus op die herstrukturering van gesondheidsdienste en het 'n verenigde gesondheidstelsel ten doel wat daartoe in staat is om gehalte gesondheidsorg in 'n sorgsame omgewing aan almal te lewer. Die Distriksgesondheidstelsel (DGS) word gekenmerk deur gedesentraliseerde, gelykmatige Primêre Gesondheidsorg (PGS) dienslewering aan al die inwoners van Suid-Afrika. Hierdie studie kyk na die herorganisering van gesondheidsdienste wat deur die gesondheidsdepartement van die Stad Tygerberg en die Gemeenskapsgesondheidsdiens organisasie van die Provinsiale Administrasie van die Wes-Kaap (PAWK) in die klinieke en daghospitale in Khayelitsha gelewer word met die doel om omvattende Primêre Gesondheidsorgdienste te voorsien. Weens die afwesigheid van wetgewing vir die integrasie van gesondheidsdienste word inisiatiwe vir die bereiking van gehalte omvattende Primêre Gesondheidsorg binne die distrik beoog.

Bakgrund: Det har skett stora förändringar i tidningsbranschen vad gäller flerkanalspublicering och omstruktureringar. Tidningarnas huvudsakliga intäktskällor är från prenumerationer och annonsförsäljning. På grund av flerkanalspubliceringen råder en trend av vikande läsning i den tryckta tidningen. Forskningsfråga: Hur har intäktskällorna hos lokala tidningar i Västra Götaland påverkats av de förändringar som skett i branschen angående flerkanalspubliceringen samt nya ägarförhållanden? Syfte: Syftet är att genom en kvalitativ metod redogöra för hur lokala tidningar i Västra Götaland har påverkats av flerkanalspublicering och omstruktureringar i organisationerna vad gäller intäkter från annonser och prenumerationer. Metod: Vår studie är gjord genom en kvalitativ metod bestående av semistrukturerade intervjuer som har genomförts med åtta representanter från fyra olika tidningsorganisationer i Västra Götaland. Teoretisk referensram: Vår teoretiska referensram består av förändringar av arbetsprocesser inom organisationer, kopplat samman med en modell av mediekonvergens. Empiri: Här presenteras den empiri våra åtta intervjuer har gett oss under rubrikerna intäkter, flerkanalspublicering, mediekonvergens samt framgångsfaktorer. Analys: Analysen består av vår tolkning av det empiriska materialet från våra intervjuer med hjälp av vår teoretiska referensram, och är uppbyggt med samma rubriker som empirikapitlet. Slutsats: Här för vi en diskussion kring hur den lokala tidningsbranschens intäktskällor påverkats av digitaliseringen av nyheter. En viktig slutsats är; för att generera intäkter krävs att de satsar på de lokala nyheterna, som andra större konkurrerande kanaler inte fokuserar på. / Background: There have been major changes in the newspaper industry in terms of multi-channel publishing and restructuring. Their main sources of income are from subscriptions and advertising sales. Because of the multi-channel publishing there is a trend of declining reading the printed newspaper. Research question: How has the income sources of local newspapers in Västra Götaland been affected by the changes in the branch regarding multi-channel publishing and new ownership? Purpose: The purpose is, through a qualitative approach to explain how local newspapers in Västra Götaland have been affected by the multi-channel publishing and restructuring of organizations in terms of revenues from ads and subscriptions. Method: Our study is made through a qualitative approach consisting of semi-structured interviews that have been conducted with eight representatives from four different newspaper organizations in Västra Götaland. Theory: Our theoretical framework consists of changes in the newspaper branch, linked together with a model of media convergence. Empiricism: Here we present the empirical results our eight interviews have given us under the titles income, multi-channel publishing, media convergence and factors for success. Analysis: The analysis involves our interpretation of the empirical material from our interviews with the help of our theoretical framework, and is built with the same titles as the empirical chapter. Conclusion: Here we discuss how the revenue sources of the local newspaper industry are affected by the digitalization of the news. An important conclusion is that in order to generate revenue it’s needed to invest in the local news that other major competing channels are not focusing on.

Transition in Europe is one of the most important transformations in modern history. This research investigates the impact of economic and political transition on the liner sector of post-Soviet Europe. Former socialist shipping corporations have begun to offer services under market conditions and left behind the rigid leeway of central planning (Cottam and Roe 2007). Extensive adjustments in ownership, organisation, fleets and markets have transpired. Successful transformation of the maritime industries has a major influence upon the speed and route of economic development in transition countries (Von Brabant 2011). Despite this, liner shipping has received very little attention from academia. There have been no profound investigations, nor a recognised transition model concerning the Eastern European liner sector. However, developments within this field and its importance for liner shipping internationally make transition shipping a topic worthy of rigorous analysis. A review of Eastern European liner shipping during the period of transition was undertaken in order to assess the level of adaptation to the demands of the free market placed upon the Eastern European liner shipping corporations by the post-1989 transformations. Eastern European maritime literature supported the application of the concept from a transition context and assisted in the development of a conceptual model. The role of the model is to provide a visual representation of the most important elements of restructuring processes used in the facilitation of liner shipping in the European free market. Analysis of the research synthesis resulted in the identification of key dimensions crucial to successful transition. A three-tiered Delphi survey classified major areas of change and the relationship of changes to the liner industries. From a systemic point of view, research findings indicate the existence of a number of transitional processes utilised in the restructuring of liner shipping fleets. These are: liberalisation, deregulation, commercialisation, privatisation and European Union accession. Such processes are intricately linked and deeply dependent upon evolutionary timing and sequencing. A discussion of the results provides serious implications for world practitioners. Based on the findings of this study, European Union competitors may take advantage of the fact that transitional liner shipping has largely lost touch with market decisive players, although it has undergone broad privatisation and restructuring. Conversely, Eastern European liner corporations can analyse the effect of transition upon shipping, and draw comparisons between the varying techniques applied and the results achieved by national fleets in order to identify the most advantageous commercialisation strategies. Government initiative will now be required to overcome the conflict between the interest of the liner industry and that of the national citizen, such that there will be public acceptance of free competition, privatisation and foreign investment.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited / A historical analysis of the Iraqi military suggests that certain actions should be taken if the state building process of the United States led coalition is to be successful. The fulcrum of power in Iraq has always been the internecine ethnic, religious, and tribal relationships and interactions. This thesis studies the recently constructed security structure of Iraq, particularly the new Iraqi Armed Forces, by focusing on likely influences of the ethnic and sectarian factions and social structure of the country on security and reconstruction/reintegration of the new Iraqi Military. The thesis brings into sharp focus a singular fact that the military of Iraq has always been used in one way or another against one section of the population or another by the prevailing political power using the time-honored virtues of patronage and corruption. The use of the military in Iraq as an internal political tool more than anything else contributed to the lack of national identity, the prerequisite for a sound military structure. The thesis presents some situational operating methodologies that if followed should provide a structurally sound modern Iraqi military rather than a supernumerary police force. The recommendations would not only provide a military as a strong basis for national unity and identity, but they would create a military contributing to regional stability. / Major, Turkish Army

<p>U disertaciji su detaljno istraženi uzroci, tok, dinamika i posledice<br />transformacija društvene i prostorne strukture Novog Sada u periodu<br />tranzicije. Kroz multidisciplinarni pristup analizi kompleksnih<br />urbanih fenomena, uspostavljene su korelacije i definisane kauzalne<br />veze između složenih političkih, ekonomskih, institucionalnih i<br />društvenih reformi i urbanih promena, dajući naučni doprinos<br />razumevanju specifičnog konteksta razgradnje socijalističkog i geneze<br />postsocijalističkog grada u okolnostima kašnjenja tranzicionih procesa.<br />Istraživanje predstavlja osnovu za utvrđivanje teorijskih, metodoloških<br />i formalnih principa i smernica za dugoročno planiranje budućih<br />intervencija u gradkom prostoru, kao i teorijsku i analitičku bazu za<br />osmišljavanje određenih segmenata politike urbanog razvoja.</p> / <p>The thesis encompasses а detailed investigation of the causes, course<br />dynamics and outcomes of social and spatial restructuring conducted in Novi<br />Sad during the transitional period. Through a multidisciplinary approach to the<br />analysis of complex urban phenomena, it establishes correlations and defines<br />causal relationships between complex political, economic, institutional and<br />social reforms and urban changes, providing a scientific contribution to<br />understanding mechanisms of context-specific deconstruction of socialist urban<br />matrix and post-socialist city genesis in the circumstances of delay in<br />transitional processes. The thesis provides an insight needed for further<br />investigation of theoretical, methodological and formal principles and guidelines<br />for long-term planning of future interventions in urban space, as well as a<br />theoretical and analytical basis for developing certain segments of urban<br />development policy.</p>

Des données de Statistique Canada montrent que le Québec a perdu 86 700 emplois manufacturiers nets entre 2004 et 2008, ce qui représente un recul de 13,8% (Bernard, 2009). Un dollar canadien fort, la concurrence internationale, les délocalisations de la production et les consolidations globales d'opérations sont souvent mentionnés comme étant les causes des difficultés du secteur manufacturier canadien - principalement concentré au Québec et en Ontario. La crise financière amorcée à l’été 2007, a contribué à aggraver la crise propre au secteur manufacturier dont les origines remontent au début des années 2000 (Weir, 2007; AgirE, 2008; Pilat et al., 2006). Cette recherche examine le processus de restructuration du secteur manufacturier québécois de manière détaillée au niveau des établissements afin d’en évaluer l’ampleur et la nature entre 2003 et 2008. Les données colligées permettent de poser un regard unique et original sur les restructurations ayant impliqué des licenciements collectifs au Québec. Ces données sont issues de deux sources. D'abord, nous avons utilisé une liste d‘entreprises qui ont envoyé un avis de licenciement collectif au Ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale du Québec entre 2003 et 2008. En second lieu, nous avons eu recours aux archives en ligne des médias pour trouver d’autres évènements de restructuration non rapportés par le ministère ainsi que pour obtenir des informations complémentaires sur les évènements déjà compilés dans la liste du ministère. Notre méthodologie de recherche et notre typologie analytique des types de restructuration sont basées sur celles développées par l’European Monitoring Center on Change (EMCC) et reprises dans certaines études comme celles de Bronfenbrenner et Luce (2004) et Hickey et Schenk (soumis). Les résultats, présentés en termes d’événements de restructuration et d’emplois perdus, sont ventilés en fonction de quelques variables (année d’occurrence, taille de l’établissement, sous-secteur d’activité, intensité technologique, région administrative, types de restructuration). Les raisons données par l’entreprise afin de justifier la restructuration ont aussi été colligées. Au cours de la période étudiée, nous avons identifié au total 1 631 évènements de restructurations dans le secteur manufacturier à travers toutes les régions du Québec, qui ont entraîné la perte de 129 383 emplois. Ainsi, 78 246 emplois ont été perdus suite à la réduction des activités de l‘établissement et 51 137 emplois l’ont été suite à la fermeture de leur établissement. La forme la plus fréquente de restructuration est la restructuration interne, suivi par la faillite/fermeture. Les types de restructuration qui ont engendré le plus de pertes d’emplois en moyenne par évènement sont dans l’ordre, la délocalisation, la sous-traitance, la consolidation d’activités ainsi que la fusion-acquisition. L’année 2008 fut celle où il y a eu le plus grand nombre de restructurations. Montréal et la Montérégie sont les régions qui ont le plus été touchées par la restructuration, les pertes d’emplois et les fermetures d’établissements. Les industries à faible intensité technologique ont davantage été frappées par la crise manufacturière. C’est le sous-secteur du papier et du bois qui connu le plus grand nombre d’événements de restructurations. Ce sous-secteur a aussi subi les pertes d’emplois les plus importantes, suivi par le sous-secteur du textile et du vêtement. Ces deux industries se partagent plus de la moitié des fermetures d’établissements. L’insuffisance de la demande (22,1%), la concurrence internationale (14,3%), la hausse de la valeur du dollar canadien (11,2%), la réorganisation interne de l’entreprise (11,1%), la rationalisation des coûts visant une augmentation de la profitabilité (10,1%) ainsi que les difficultés financières (9,9%) sont les motifs principaux donnés par les employeurs. Nos résultats montrent qu’il y a eu deux temps dans l’évolution de la restructuration du secteur manufacturier au Québec. Un premier temps au début de la période où des changements structurels profonds ont été observés dans certaines industries (p.ex. le bois-papier et le textile-vêtement) et un second temps, en fin de période caractérisé par des changements davantage liés à la conjoncture en raison de la crise économique dont les effets commençaient à se faire sentir à ce moment (Institut de la statistique du Québec, 2009a). / Data from Statistics Canada show that Quebec lost 86.700 manufacturing jobs between 2004 and 2008, which represents a withdraw of -13,8% (Bernard, 2009). A high value Canadian dollar, international competition, production shifts and global operations consolidations are often mentioned as causes of the difficulties in Canadian manufacturing — mainly concentrated in Quebec and Ontario, which have both been severely hit. The financial crisis that broke out in the summer 2007, contributed to worsen the crisis, specific to the manufacturing sector whose origins go up at the beginning of the years 2000 (Weir, 2007; AgirE, 2008; Pilat and al., 2006). This paper examines these aspects in some detail at the establishment level, in order to assess its extent and nature between 2003 and 2008. The data set featured provides a unique overview of the specific aspects of the restructuring processes that involve job losses in Quebec. Two original sources contributed to our study. First, we consulted the list of companies that sent a notification of mass termination to the Quebec Ministry of Labour between 2003 and 2008. Second, we searched electronic media archives to find new cases of plant closures not reported by the Ministry and additional information on the cases found with the Ministry database. Our tracking methodology and analytical typology of restructuring processes are based on those developed by the European Monitoring Center on Change (EMCC) and used in other studies by Bronfenbrenner and Luce (2004) and by Hickey and Schenk (submitted). The results, presented in terms of restructuring events and job losses, are broken down into a few variables (year of occurrence, facility size, sub-sector, technological intensity, administrative region, restructuring type). In total for the study period, we have identified 1,631 restructuring events within Quebec’s regions, which resulted in the loss of 129,383 jobs. Thus, 78,246 workers lost their jobs due to downsizing and 51,137 workers lost their jobs due to closures. Internal restructuring is the most frequent form of restructuring, followed by bankruptcy/closure. Offshoring, outsourcing, relocation and merger/acquisition are the types of restructuring that have resulted on average, in more job losses per event in Quebec's manufacturing sector during the study period. The year 2008 was one that generated the most restructuring events. Montreal and Monteregie are the regions that were the most affected by restructuring events, job losses and plant closures. Overall, it’s the low-technology industries that were the most impacted by the manufacturing crisis. The paper and wood industry had the greatest amount of restructuring events. This sub-sector also had the most job losses, followed by the textiles and clothing industry. These two industries share more than half of the closures. Demand shortage (22.1%), global competition (14.3%), the rise of Canadian dollar (11.2%), internal corporate reorganization (11.1%), cost rationalization to increase profitability (10.1%) and financial difficulties (9.9%) were the main reasons given by employers. Our results show that there were two stages in the evolution of the restructuring events within Quebec’s manufacturing sector. First, structural changes were observed in some industries (e.g. wood and paper and textile-garment) at the beginning of the period and a second phase characterized by economic related changes , due to the economic crisis, whose effects began to be felt at that time (Quebec Institute of Statistics, 2009a).

Orientador: Maria Encarnação Beltrão Sposito / Banca: Everaldo Santos Melazzo / Banca: William Ribeiro da Silva / Resumo: Esta dissertação analisa a produção do espaço urbano e suas articulações com o mercado imobiliário, a partir da realidade concreta investigada na cidade de Londrina - PR. Os objetivos consistem em analisar a expansão da malha urbana e a evolução dos preços fundiários em Londrina, no fito de apreender o processo de valorização seletiva do espaço pelos mecanismos próprios do circuito imobiliário. Assim, a conjuntura da última década foi base do processo investigativo. No entanto, a compreensão da expansão físico-territorial da cidade de Londrina diz respeito às ações historicamente engendradas por agentes responsáveis pela produção do espaço urbano sob o modo capitalista de produção, quais sejam: os agentes privados, o Estado, e a sociedade civil. Desse modo, realizamos uma reflexão sobre a atuação dos incorporadores de loteamentos nas últimas quatro décadas, bem como da atuação do Estado na promoção da habitação e estruturação da cidade. Constituído esse quadro analítico, a compreensão volta-se ao estudo da evolução do preço da terra urbana a partir do levantamento e mapeamento das variáveis disponíveis nos classificados de terrenos do principal jornal de circulação local. Por fim, tratamos de analisar a estruturação do espaço urbano pela dinâmica da atividade imobiliária, investigando o caso mais específico da Zona Leste da cidade de Londrina, onde atualmente ocorre valorização imobiliária e incorporação de novos empreendimentos imobiliários bastantes elucidativos da reestruturação urbana contemporânea / Abstract: This dissertation examines the production of urban space and their interaction with the real estate market, from the reality investigated in Londrina - PR. The objectives are to analyze the expansion of urban land and price developments in Londrina, the aim of understanding the process of selective recovery of space by the mechanisms of the circuit housing. Thus, the conjuncture of the last decade was based on the investigative process. However, understanding the physical and territorial expansion of the city of Londrina with respect to shares historically engendered by agents responsible for the production of urban space under the capitalist mode of production, namely: the private agents, the state and civil society. Thus, we held a discussion on the role of developers of subdivisions in the last four decades, and the role of the state in housing promotion and structuring of the city. Consisting this analytical framework, the understanding back to the study of the evolution of urban land prices from the survey and mapping of the variables available in the classifieds of land from the main newspaper of local circulation. Finally, we analyzed the structure of urban space by the dynamics of real estate activity, investigating the more specific case of the Eastern Zone of the city of Londrina, where he currently is real estate appreciation and incorporation of new houses quite illustrative of contemporary urban restructuring / Mestre

Evidencia-se na atual fase de expansão do capital agroindustrial canavieiro a reafirmação da necessidade de sequentes somas de investimentos, processo a contar significativamente com inversões do sistema financeiro, tendo como destaque a mediação estatal nesse contexto. Repete-se assim, algumas das mesmas características que marcaram a expansão canavieira em períodos precedentes, como durante o Proálcool, isto é, uma necessidade sempre presente da subvenção estatal, seja para garantir a implantação e/ou modernização de unidades processadoras, seja para imputar o desenvolvimento e aperfeiçoamento das lavouras. No âmbito desse processo, reitera-se uma busca pelo aumento de ativos imobilizados pelas diversas empresas do segmento, com destaque para intensificação da incorporação de novas áreas de lavoura canavieira. Conforma-se assim um cenário de pressão sobre as médias e principalmente as pequenas propriedades, realidade posta num contexto de concentração de terras sob o controle da agroindústria da cana. Este cenário foi analisado a partir de casos específicos na área delimitada para estudo, a destacar o Bairro União e o Projeto de Assentamento Fazenda Primavera, localidades compreendidas entre os municípios de Andradina, Castilho e Nova Independência. / Evident in the current phase of expansion of the sugarcane industry reaffirming the need for sums of investments, counting on significant investments in the financial system, with the highlight state mediation in this context. Is repeated so some of the same features that marked the sugarcane expansion in previous periods, such as during Proálcool, an ever present need of state subsidy, is to ensure the development and / or modernization of processing units, is to impute the development and improvement crops. As part of this process, it is reiterated a search for fixed assets increased by several companies in the segment, which also means an intensification of the incorporation of new areas of production of sugarcane. Conforms well a backdrop of pressure on small and medium farms, actually put in a context of concentration of land under the control of the sugarcane industry. This scenario was analyzed from specific cases in the defined area for study, the Neighborhood União and Settlement Project Spring Farm, localities between municipalities Andradina, Castilho and Nova Independência.

A dissertação analisa as condições de inserção e de permanência dos migrantes nordestinos no mercado de trabalho da Região Metropolitana de São Paulo no contexto de reestruturação econômica que teve lugar a partir dos anos 1990. Empreende-se uma revisão da literatura brasileira no campo dos estudos demográficos e sociológicos sobre migrações internas, para em seguida realizar um exercício empírico, de tipo qualitativo, baseado na recomposição de trajetórias migratórias e ocupacionais de migrantes nordestinos de distintas gerações, com diferentes inserções profissionais e de ambos os sexos. / This dissertation analyses Northeastern Brazilian migrants insertion conditions and permanence at labor market of Sao Paulo metropolitan region in the context of the economic restructuring that took place since the 1990s. This research reviews Brazilian literature in the field of demographic and sociological studies on internal migration and perform a qualitative empirical exercise, based on the recomposition of occupational and migratory paths of Northeastern migrants of different generations and types of professional insertion from both sexes.