This thesis explores the components of the MCSs in use by two Albanian Mobile Operators AMC and Eagle. The methodology used is that of multiple case studies; the study is interpretative, analyzing qualitative data, and has an inductive approach. There are three MCS frameworks used the Object of Control (Merchant and Van der Stede 2007), Control Package (Malmi and Brown 2008) and Performance Management Systems (Otley and Ferreira 2009). The empirical findings were gathered by using semi-structured interviews. Both managerial and non-managerial staff were interviewed according to their areas of expertise in MCSs. The findings suggest that the MCSs used by the two operators are highly structured as per the three frameworks, that AMC does not use any well known model (such as BSC, Tableau de Bord, Performance Prism etc.), whereas Eagle uses a customized BSC, and that the strategies of each of the companies are translated into action through the respective MCSs.

This DBA thesis explores the development of a corporate brand in a transitional economy, a previously under-explored context. The work employs a qualitative exploratory case-study research strategy involving a leader in the FMCG industry in Albania. This helps to set a positive example for the rest of the industry in the context of a transitional economy. Agna Group, the case study in focus, is a FMCG company operating in a domestic market, thus contributing to further insights in the area of corporate brand development and management from a business context which has been under-explored to date, as main focus of corporate branding has been on MNCs. A conceptual framework of corporate brand building and management is initially introduced, and its relevance in the transitional economy of Albania is further explored. The research benefits from the privileged access of the researcher in the case study organization, and the triangulation of a variety of data collected through in-depth interviews, documentation, and observations. The research advances our knowledge and practice of corporate brand building and management by adding to empirical work in the area. It indicates the constructs and practicalities involved in corporate brand development and management in a transitional economy context. This is an important contribution as the literature to date has predominantly focused on developed countries, i.e North America and Western Europe. The research showcases the six main constructs involved in corporate brand development and management and the three main drivers behind them. Research indicates that corporate brand building and management is strongly impacted by culture, as well as market context influence.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints entered Albania in 1992. Albania was a unique and difficult place to establish the LDS Church. Under the communist dictatorship of Enver Hoxha religion was systematically eliminated from Albania and replaced with atheism. Additionally, missionaries were twice evacuated in the first decade in the country and the Book of Mormon was not available in Albanian until 1999. Despite these setbacks the LDS Church grew at a steady rate in Albania due to native Albanian interest and individual attention by missionaries.

Self-control can be defined as the ability to select a larger, later reward over a smaller, sooner reward. This ability, also known as gratification delay, has been highly correlated with academic competence and success. Studies that examine gratification delay have identified strategies that have been observed to increase the delay time to reward. This study examined the extent to which parents of children with Autism or a related disability could be trained to teach these strategies. Participants were seven mothers who were all ethnic Albanian. The results indicated that these mothers were able to teach the three strategies they were trained on at a high quality and that there was a preference for one strategy over the other two.

Drug use is considered in many countries the plague of today's society. Researchers from medical, psychological and sociological fields, as well as lawmakers, are interested in finding more answers to this widespread phenomenon. All over the world there are known conflicts related to drug producing, transportation routes and distribution, that harm the economy and social standing of the involved communities or countries. Policies towards drug use vary from country to country, but this research focuses on how stigma affects the lives of individuals suffering from substance use disorder (SUD) in Albania. Substance use disorder is not often considered a disease, and more often individuals suffering from this disorder are stigmatized and not given the right care from their families, societies, or healthcare providers. Drug usage in Albania is closely linked to the country's geopolitics and its communism and dictatorship past history. This phenomenon has influenced the Albanian societal perceptions. Even though Albania became a democratic country in the 1990s, there are still old mentalities to be changed, with social stigma towards drugs being one of them. The purpose of this pilot research is to understand the connection between social stigma and the treatment that individuals with substance use disorder receive from their families, society, and medical institutions. This pilot study was based on interviews conducted in a small sampling of 18 individuals. The qualitative information collected through interviews falls into four categories: Medical professionals and psychologists, family members or people who have loved ones with substance use disorder, current users of cocaine or synthetic drugs who are in denial regarding their addiction and everything it entails, and heroin users currently in treatment programs. There are also different types of stigma associated with different types of drugs. These types of stigma are herein categorized based on the collected information which supports the premise of how social stigma affects these individuals' lives. This study is the first known research for this subject matter in the country of Albania, therefore, it intends to open the path for further research that is inclusive of more groups/individuals.

No description available.

This dissertation is a case study of Albania regarding the influence institutions have over the utilization of the EU financial aid, more specifically, the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance II (IPA II) for the period of 2014-2020. Albania has been struggling with EU accession despite the allocation of numerous funds in the form of development programs for several years. The study attempts to identify the endogenous obstacles to development and the utilization of funds due to both formal and informal institutions. The reviewed literature shows a clear correlation between economic growth and good quality institutions. Besides, it indicates that informal institutions play a major role in the development process. Therefore the role of the Kanun in Albania is examined. As defined by mainly Douglas North, the New Institutional Economics theory is used to dive into Albania’s formal and informal institutions and discover how those determine the politico-economic and social structures. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine key participants who work in IPA II projects at the local level across the country. The country was divided into three regions in order to identify variations in the role of IPA II funds, institutions, and degree of development. Before the analysis is done and the results are presented, the historical background of the three key historical periods of the country, Ottoman, Communist and Democracy, is provided to set the base of the origin of present institutions. The results from the interviews and the macro-economic indicators of the three regions show a correlation between good defined formal institutions and economic growth and strong informal institutions and stagnation, as the theory suggested.

During the term of 2010 we received a Minor Field Study scholarship from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), which allowed us to do a two-month study in Tirana, Albania. The study examined one of Europe’s most common tools when it comes to assisting candidate countries, potential candidate countries, and neighbouring countries of the European Union: Twinning. The idea of Twinning is that the beneficiary country gets assistance from EU member state institutions in order to develop its own institutions, in terms of standards of quality and safety. We have observed a Twinning project structured in the form of a consortium between the Swedish Tax Agency and the French Tax Agency assisting the Albanian General Tax Directorate (GTD) in Tirana. The study highlights the relationship between the four different actors involved in the ongoing project (EU, Sweden, France and Albania) and Twinning as a working method. More specifically we investigated (A) the transition from an old to a new system and if any difficulties emerged in the process, (B) what necessary factors are needed for a successful Twinning project, and (C) how the actors’ different backgrounds affect the project. The result we gained from the field study shows that the transition towards a new system progresses well as long as the project follows the main principles of Twinning: partnership and cooperation. These two principles allow the Albanian GTD to direct the project and decide the direction of their Europeanization process. Twinning generates many positive aspects e.g. institutional understanding and friendship, and it brings the cooperating nations closer to each other. The difficulties that have emerged have been technical or when one of the actors has not followed the structure of the project. These difficulties are natural in the beginning of any project since structures and relations take time to establish. Three main qualities affect the outcome of this Twinning project: experience, flexibility and communication. Actors involved in the project have to be experienced, in form of personal as well as institutional experience. Besides, they have to be flexible since the project follows the development of society where unpredicted needs can emerge. Most importantly, communication has to be free from friction between the actors in order to maintain the partnership principle of Twinning. Our analysis shows that the outcomes of this Twinning project are mutually shaped between the actors involved. Therefore, the emphasis should be on personal abilities to mutually create a working structure that follows the principles of Twinning.

Farmers around the world rely on IPM practices in order to increase their yields and reduce their losses due to pests. Assessing the impacts of previous IPM CRSP studies is crucial for successful continuance of the program and to provide meaningful recommendations to farmers. This thesis summarizes previous IPM CRSP impact studies, and provides additional impact assessments of IPM practices developed on the program. Scientist-questionnaires were sent to scientists in each IPM CRSP site around the world. Using the data from the questionnaire responses in combination with additional secondary information on elasticities, prices and quantities, economic surplus analyses were conducted. The tomato IPM program in Albania, the plantain IPM program in Ecuador, and the tomato IPM program in Uganda resulted in net present values of approximately $8 million, $7 million and $1 million, respectively. Sensitivity analyses for each case were also conducted, and net benefits ranged from $5 to 23 million in Albania, from $4 to 7 million in Ecuador, and from $0.03 to 3 million in Uganda. Additionally, an ordered probit analysis was conducted to determine the factors affecting adoption of IPM technologies in Bangladesh. The level of education, being a female, IPM training and awareness of pesticide alternatives were found to have positive and statistically significant impact on the adoption of IPM technologies in Bangladesh. / Master of Science

L’Albanie est demeurée longtemps l’un des pays européens les plus méconnus. Ce pays qui depuis la fin du XVe siècle était resté pendant presque cinq cents ans sous la domination ottomane était un mystérieux avant-poste de l’Islam au cœur de l’Europe. Ce fut seulement au tout début des années 1800 qu’on commença à l’inclure parmi les destinations du « Grand Tour ». Cette recherche a visé à dégager les typologies de la représentation par lesquelles les écrivains et les artistes européens donnèrent les « images » par lesquelles l’Albanie fut conçue par les étrangers. Les sources abordées vont du début du XIXe siècle aux années 1940. À partir d’un corpus primaire comprenant les Souvenirs de la Haute-Albanie du consul français Alexandre Degrand, L’Albania de l’écrivain-journaliste italien Ugo Ojetti, et High Albania de l’Anglaise Mary Edith Durham, le champ d’observation s’est élargi à inclure un large éventail de textes allant des journaux de voyage aux œuvres fictionnelles aux articles de presse. Une attention particulière a été portée au côté proprement figuratif des œuvres littéraires, consistant en des gravures, des croquis et d’autres formes de la visualisation ; leur observation a constitué un outil complémentaire aux fins de l’identification du réseau historico-conceptuel où prit forme l’image de l’Albanie. Enfin, une étude à part entière a été consacrée à des ouvrages se déroulant dans de pays fictionnels inspirés de l’Albanie ; rédigés entre la fin du XIXe et nos jours, ils montrent une concentration de clichés et de stéréotypes, constituant ainsi un test réactif pour détecter certaines des sources de l’image de l’Albanie dans le courant dominant contemporain. / Albania has long been one of the less known European countries. This country which had remained for nearly five hundred years under Ottoman rule was a mysterious outpost of Islam in the heart of Europe. It was only in the early 1800s which it began to be considered worthwhile to include among the Grand Tour destinations. This research has been aimed at detecting and identifying representation patterns through which writers and European artists shaped the « images » by which Albania was conceived by foreigners. The sources range from early XIXth to the 1940s. Starting from a primary corpus consisting of Souvenirs de la Haute-Albanie by the French consul Alexandre Degrand, L’Albania by the Italian writer Ugo Ojetti, and High Albania by the English Mary Edith Durham, our observation field widened to include a broader survey of works ranging from travel diaries and fictional novels to newspaper articles. A prominent place belongs to the iconological corpus, namely to the engravings, sketches and other representational forms through which European literature illustrated Albanian subjects. Observing them has been a complementary tool for identifying the historical and conceptual framework in which the image of Albania took shape. Finally, a specific study has been devoted to works taking place in fictional countries inspired by Albania. Written from the late XIXth century to the present day, they show a rather high concentration of clichés and stereotypes scattered throughout European literature, thus acting as a reactive test to detect some of the sources of the current image of Albania. / Pur essendo nel cuore del Mediterraneo, l’Albania è stata a lungo uno dei Paesi europei meno conosciuti. Agli occhi del resto d’Europa, questo Paese rimasto per quasi 500 anni sotto la dominazione ottomana rappresentava un misterioso avamposto dell’Islam di fronte alle coste italiane; fu soltanto agli inizi del 1800 che cominciò a essere considerato una meta da inserire fra le tappe del Grand Tour.Questa ricerca ha mirato a identificare i modelli di rappresentazione attraverso cui viaggiatori, scrittori e artisti europei hanno visto l’Albania, le sue tradizioni e il suo popolo, dando così origine a quelle che sarebbero diventate le sue «immagini» nella percezione collettiva. Le fonti vanno dai primi del XIX secolo, quando il Paese entrò nel pantheon della letteratura internazionale grazie al "Childe Harold" di Lord Byron, al 1940.Il corpus originario, costituito dai "Souvenirs de la Haute-Albanie" del console francese Alexandre Degrand, da "L’Albania" dello scrittore-giornalista italiano Ugo Ojetti, e da "High Albania" dell’inglese Mary Edith Durham, cui è stata dedicata un’attenzione particolare per la sua complessa e innovativa opera etno-antropologica, si è ampliato fino a comprendere un campo d’indagine che va dai diari di viaggio ai resoconti diplomatici, dalla narrativa alla stampa periodica.Inoltre, nella convinzione che nella creazione dell’immagine dell’Altro un posto rilevante spetta alla rappresentazione visuale in se stessa, è stata dedicata particolare attenzione al campo figurativo, consistente in dipinti, schizzi e altre forme della visualizzazione attraverso cui l’arte e la letteratura europea hanno rappresentato temi e motivi albanesi. La loro osservazione ha fornito ulteriori strumenti di analisi del quadro storico e concettuale in cui ha preso forma l’immagine dell’Albania. Infine, uno studio specifico è stato dedicato a una tipologia di rappresentazione alquanto particolare, fatta di testi narrativi ambientati in paesi immaginari ispirati all’Albania. Scritti tra la fine del XIX secolo e i giorni nostri, essi offrono un’elevata concentrazione di cliché e stereotipi sparsi nella letteratura di viaggio, fornendo un repertorio utile a individuare alcune delle fonti dei più diffusi modelli di rappresentazione dell’Albania.