Bibliography: pages 316-351. / In both scholarly and popular literature on the South African business sector, a high premium is commonly placed on the role of business in promoting political reform. This study investigated the perceived extent of such influence on political and socio-political aspects of public policy in the period 1978 to 1989. Using the "elite" and "group" approaches in Political Science as a point of departure, the perceptions of government and business elites in this regard, in particular the perceptions of the Afrikaner business elite, were analysed. Data from the government elite was gathered by means of postal questionnaires, and the business elite's input was obtained via interviews. The government elite's attitude towards, and perceptions of, interest groups were examined in the light of the premise that the latter's influence is largely determined by their legitimacy in the eyes of the decision-makers. These attitudes were established by moving from an assessment of the government elite's general perception of interest groups, to more specific perceptions of, amongst others, the business sector's access to decision-makers, and their perceived influence. The second part of the study primarily focused on the perceptions of the Afrikaner business elite vis-a-vis the influence of the business community on various dimensions of public policy. It was found that the government elite's attitude towards the existence of interest groups was largely dependent on the latter's utility with regard to the implementation and maintenance of policy, via mainly "positive" and "constructive" research. Government perceptions confirmed that several elite groups exercised specific influence on various dimensions of public policy. The Afrikaanse Handelsinstituut (AHI), for example, was found to have the greatest influence on economic policy formulation, whereas the Afrikaner Broederbond and the Dutch Reformed Church exercise more significant influence on socio- political policy than the AHI. Apart from these traditional Afrikaner elite-groups, the "insiders" were found to include those whose economic ideologies, amongst other variables, were reconcilable with those of government Due to the fact that the National Party was compelled to enlarge its power base in the early 1980s, certain English business organisations such as ASSOCOM and the FCI and the black political organization, lnkatha, have to some extent, been included as "insiders" despite divergent political convictions or cultural differences. Both the government elite and the business elite felt, however that the Afrikaner businessmen and their organizations still retained the decisive influence on aspects of economic and socio-political decision-making. With regard to political decision-making, that is the forms of state, government and authority, the business elite did not express a desire to have a role in this arena. The government elite, on the other hand, was prepared to grant the business sector a role in this regard, on the condition that business input exercised a reactive legitimising role to their policy, rather than initiating change.

by Ann Shu-ju Chiu. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 147-157). / Acknowledgement --- p.i / Chapter 1. --- Introduction / Chapter 1.1 --- Statement of the Problem --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Literature Reviews --- p.5 / Chapter 1.3 --- Fieldwork --- p.12 / Chapter 2. --- China Policy towards Foreign Investment and the Entry Mode of Taiwanese Investors / Chapter 2.1 --- China Policy in SEZs and Foreign Investment --- p.21 / Chapter 2.2 --- The Entry Mode of Taiwanese Investors --- p.26 / Chapter 3. --- Cultural Identity and the Business Behavior of the Taiwanese Business people in Mainland China --- p.32 / Chapter 3.1 --- Special Economic Zones and Dialect Group Identity --- p.36 / Chapter 3.2 --- Religious Connections --- p.42 / Chapter 3.3 --- Trends of Popular Culture --- p.50 / Chapter 3.4 --- Business of Food Culture --- p.55 / Chapter 4. --- Taiwanese Business Behavior Pattern in the China Market --- p.66 / Chapter 4.1 --- Guanxi as a Socio-cultura 1 Value Shared by Ethnic Chinese --- p.66 / Chapter 4.2 --- The Political Culture of Guanxi --- p.73 / Chapter 4.3 --- Taiwanese Ethnic Edge in the China Market --- p.78 / Chapter 4.4 --- The Practice of Guanxi of the Taiwanese Businessmen --- p.84 / Chapter 4.5 --- The Changing Patterns of Guanxi Practice --- p.89 / Chapter 4.6 --- Discussions on the Rationality of the Guanxi Value Systems --- p.93 / Chapter 4.7 --- Concluding Remarks --- p.102 / Chapter 5. --- "Investment, Management and Cultural Affinity" / Chapter 5.1 --- Cultural Affinity and Investment Behavior: From Donation to Investment --- p.103 / Chapter 5.2 --- Taiwanese Investment and Management --- p.114 / Chapter 5.3 --- Kinship and Management --- p.121 / Chapter 5.4 --- Taiwanese Employees in Multinational Corporations --- p.128 / Chapter 5.5 --- Patterns of Investments --- p.133 / Chapter 6. --- Concluding Remarks --- p.138 / Notes --- p.146 / Bibliography --- p.147

This thesis is based on an ethnographic study of entrepreneurs of the construction business in Lombardy, Northern Italy. The aim is to gain some understanding of this business, of entrepreneurialism, and of individuals in a non-stereotypical light through a full and complex account of their daily lives. The aim is to reveal the thoughts, actions and strategies of particular local actors in their everyday contingency and contradictoriness. No attempt is made to simplify the complexity of their understandings and practices for the sake of producing a single encompassing and consistent image. Many similarities were found between the practices of entrepreneurialism and those of the discipline of anthropology. Knowledge and information are constantly sought after but are recognised as emerging in unexpected places and times and as being socially negotiated. Apprenticeship is often used as a methodology, and learning often happens through experience. Contextual application of knowledge is seen as essential. In order to exchange information and knowledge, to collaborate with other businessmen or to simply get a job, trust is fundamental and constantly negotiated. Personal relationships and trust become particularly important in an uncertain market situation, as ways to face risk. Trust is acquired slowly and accorded contextually, through face-to-face interaction and cultivated relationships, but also through positive recommendations or simply a feeling of sympathy. Knowledge, apprenticeship, trust and risk are key themes of the thesis. The blurred borders between the distinct individual personalities of my informants and their collective identities and commonalities are also discussed. The personality of an entrepreneur is seen as ideally complex, in which many (possibly contradictory) characteristics can be expected to be present, but also ideally balanced, each manifesting itself in specific situations. The ethnography also explores the fragility of the entrepreneur, in apparent contradiction to their strong and charismatic personalities. It is seen to be despite and because of their positions of power that they also feel vulnerable: their discourse is imbued with their fears for their businesses in a difficult period of economic crisis. Finally, through a ubiquitous desire to control markets and the future, we also encounter forms of corruption; corruption that is often condemned verbally but nevertheless is present in the business world and amplified by public and media discourses. The mechanisms by which work that is put out to tender is subject to possible manipulation are examined, and the ideas of the entrepreneurs about these practices are described—again demonstrating how thoughts and practices are often self-contradictory in their contextual relevance and application.

Thesis (PhD)-- Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study is a biography of Sir David Pieter de Villiers Graaff, Bt, of Cape Town, who was born in 1859 and died in 1931. It covers his whole life span, from his birth as a poor farm boy in the district of Villiersdorp until his death as one of South Africa’s most innovative businessmen after he also distinguished himself in a political career. As the pioneer of cold storage in South Africa he brought the practice of frozen meat and food to the country at the end of the nineteenth century and in the meat trade he built up one of the biggest business undertakings in the Southern Hemisphere. As mayor of Cape Town at the youthful age of 31 he played a decisive rol in the modernisation of the city. As a member of Genl. Louis Botha’s first Cabinet after Union in 1910, a defining event which laid down the borders of the present Republic of South Africa, he played a sometimes underestimated role in the development of the country and its economy after the tribulations and long-term effects of the Anglo-Boer War. The life of this complex businessman/politician, a Cape Afrikaner who as a bachelor at an advanced age received a hereditary British title and thereafter married the daughter of the dominee of his Dutch Reformed congegation, is also a fascinating example of the difficult choices which Cape Afrikaners in colonial times had to make between loyalty to the British Crown and commitment to the native soil of South Africa. His biography furthermore offers an insight into the role of a top business leader who enters politics, a facet which has received little coverage in South African historial research. By describing the mosaic of his life in the time span in which he was a prominent figure, it was endeavoured to cast more light on the social and cultural context of an epoch-making period, thereby seeking to contribute to a nuanced understanding of the South African past. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie is ‘n biografie van sir David Pieter de Villiers Graaff, die baronet van Kaapstad wat in 1859 gebore en in 1931 oorlede is. Dit dek sy hele lewensloop, van sy geboorte-uur as arm plaasseun in die distrik van Villiersdorp totdat hy as een van Suid-Afrika se innoverendste sakemanne gesterf het nadat hy hom ook in ‘n politieke loopbaan onderskei het. As die pionier van koelbewaring in Suid-Afrika het hy teen die einde van die negentiende eeu die verkoeling van vleis en voedsel op groot skaal na die land gebring en in die vleisbedryf een van die grootste sakeondernemings in die Suidelike Halfrond opgebou. As burgemeester van Kaapstad op die jeugdige ouderdom van 31 het hy ‘n deurslaggewende bydrae tot die modernisering van die stad gelewer. As lid van genl. Louis Botha se eerste Kabinet na Uniewording in 1910, ‘n bepalende gebeurtenis waardeur die landsgrense van die huidige Republiek van Suid-Afrika vasgelê is, het hy ‘n soms onderskatte rol in die opgang van die land en die landsekonomie na die beproewinge en langtermyn-gevolge van die Anglo-Boere-oorlog gespeel. Die lewensverhaal van hierdie komplekse sakeleier-politikus, ‘n Kaapse Afrikaner wat as vrygesel op gevorderde leeftyd ‘n erflike Britse titel ontvang het en daarna met die dogter van die leraar van sy NG gemeente getroud is, is boonop ‘n boeiende voorbeeld van die moeilike keuses wat Kaapse Afrikaners in koloniale tye tussen trou aan die Britse Ryk en verankering in die Suid- Afrikaanse bodem moes maak. Sy lewensverhaal bied voorts insig in die rol van ‘n top-sakeman wat tot die aktiewe politiek toetree, ‘n faset wat in die Suid-Afrikaanse geskiedskrywing nog weinig ontgin is. Deur die mosaïek van sy lewe uit te beeld in die tydsgewrig waarin hy ‘n prominente figuur was, is gepoog om ook meer lig op die maatskaplike en kulturele konteks van daardie epogmakende tydperk te werp en sodoende ‘n genuanseerde begrip van die Suid- Afrikaanse verlede te bevorder.

published_or_final_version / Management Studies / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

2008年元月實施的《中華人民共和國勞動合同法》，是中國大陸政府當局宣告擺脫過往提供低廉人力資源的新興國家形象，挑選更願意肩付企業社會責任的企業，轉型成為真正大國。這部勞動合同法在更全面保障勞工權益時，被資方及部分學者視為一部親勞方遠資方的法令，執行後衝擊許多外商，其中包括台商。 2008年元月實施的《中華人民共和國勞動合同法》，是中國大陸政府當局宣告擺脫過往提供低廉人力資源的新興國家形象，挑選更願意肩付企業社會責任的企業，轉型成為真正大國。這部勞動合同法在更全面保障勞工權益時，被資方及部分學者視為一部親勞方遠資方的法令，執行後衝擊許多外商，其中包括台商。 本論文針對勞動合同法對台商造成的影響進行探討，不同產業的台商受到影響的差別性，並研討台商因應之道，例如作出內部制度改革及遷徙廠房等，遷徙路線是本文探討焦點。 本論文透過與台商的深度訪談獲得相關資訊，歸納出台商在勞動合同法實施後，決定西移入中國大陸內地、南移向東南亞國家、或是向東返回台灣投資的三個遷徙路線，與作出這個決定的背後考量。 2008年台灣總統大選後再次政黨輪替，馬政府團隊重新開啟與對岸的交流，台灣當局也利用這個台商思動和兩岸融冰的時機，提供優惠政策吸引台商返台投資。勞動合同法的頒布也牽動台商在兩岸的移轉和經營的變革。 / Law of The People’s Republic of China on Employment Contracts is executed to get rid of the image of offering cheap human resource, Mainland China’s stereotype for investors in majority. After practicing the Law, the government expects to attract enterprises with more willing of taking social responsibilities to transform as the modern country. The Law protects labors’rights more completely, but is regarded a bias against investors. The consequence of practicing the Law impacts many foreign investors, including Taiwanese businessmen. This thesis discusses how the Law impacts Taiwanese businessmen, various effects to different businesses, and the responses from Taiwanese investors, such as the innovation of internal system and removal of business. Where do those Taiwanese businessmen remove their investment is the key point of this thesis. The conclusion of this thesis is based on one-by-one interview with selected Taiwanese businessmen among various businesses. If they decided to remove the investment, three routes are mostly considered: east to interior land of Mainland China, south to East Asia countries, and east to Taiwan. This thesis also indicates why they do such considerations. 2008 Taiwan Presidential Election rotated ruling party. KMT Ma government restarts the interaction with Mainland China and takes advantage of ice-breaking timing to offer favorable policies to attract Taiwanese businessmen to return to Taiwan. The execution of Law of The People’s Republic of China on Employment Contracts also affects the move of Taiwanese businessmen and the mode of business operation.

The objective of this study is to define differences and similarities in certain aspects of education, experience, and business practices of White, Black, and Latin American small businessmen, and approximately fifty questions relating to their operations were asked.

The small businessman in an undeveloped country often finds himself isolated from formal, institutional credit sources, either through ignorance or by his non-acceptability as a credit risk. Both his lack of credit and lack of education can limit his participation in national development, and in fact, such development might even work against him as it makes his competitors' easier access to these resources even more important. It was concluded that the educational level achieved by the small businessman in Santos Guardiola is roughly the sixth grade, that the lack of business and financial content in their formal education does not prevent their learning about business and finance, and that a large majority of them use credit in their business. It was further concluded that the loan officers with the four lending institutions have adequate education and training to administer the loans made, that business credit needs are generally satisfied without resort to an informal credit market, and that while the deposits and business loans are expanding for all four institutions the credit union has been able to expand most rapidly by attracting the small saver and the small borrower. In addition, it was concluded that development banks are primarily interested in large industrial projects that are generally not suited to Santos Guardiola.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-10T11:21:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MARCELO BARBOSA AFONSO.pdf: 2722258 bytes, checksum: 0aee7b7b704e009fffe7468bef39def6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-05-17 / This research aims at identifying the measures taken by businessmen from Goias in partnership with both the federal and the state governments in order to activate the economy of Goias, especially in the industrial area. To understand this process an investigation of the Brazilian economic situation from 1930 to 1978 was accomplished, knowing that this situation was in favor of the industrialization of the country with emphasis on the concepts of corporativism, its influence on the Brazilian political system and the support of Church and of the business class in the process of the establishment of patron entities of social assistance. This research analyses the use that the businessmen and the political élite did of the ideology of corporativism which pursued integrating functions of mobilization of popular classes in order to keep workers under control, observing that the ideology of corporativism did not limit itself to the manipulation of falsely integrating values. The social peace so often emphasized by businessmen in the articles of the Goiás Industrial magazine was searched by means of concessions and solid benefits to the working class. In this research another emphasis is laid on the relevance of the role of the Social Assistance to Industry (SESI) searching for harmonization in the relationship between businessmen and the working class with the support of social assistants who, by means of an educational action , tried to adjust the contingent of workforce to the latest relations of capitalist development. In an attempt to understand the relevance of SESI/GO in the process of the economic development of the state of Goias, the actions accomplished by that institution were also analyzed observing that besides providing the workforce with specialized improvement, the institution was also concerned with providing workers with the offer of leisure areas aiming at a peacemaking of the conflicts between capital and labor. As a result it was possible to check the partnership established between the public and the private sections of business searching for the industrialization of Goias and the change of the economic profile of the state highlighting relevant industrial achievements. The main source of the documentary basis used in this research was provided by Goiás Industrial magazine which was issued from 1950 to 1970 as a meaningful register of the actions performed by businessmen from Goias in defense of their interests and in favor of the economic development of Goias. / Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo identificar as medidas tomadas pelos empresários goianos, em parceria com o governo federal e estadual, no sentido de dinamizar a economia goiana, notadamente no setor industrial. Para compreender esse processo, foi realizado um estudo da conjuntura econômica brasileira no período de 1930 a 1978, conjuntura essa favorável à industrialização do país, destacando os conceitos do corporativismo, sua influência no sistema político brasileiro e os apoios da Igreja e da classe empresarial no processo de implantação das entidades patronais de serviço social. O trabalho analisa a utilização que os empresários e as elites políticas fizeram da ideologia do corporativismo, que cumpria funções integrativas de mobilização das classes populares, para manter os trabalhadores sob controle, observando que a ideologia corporativista não se limitava à manipulação de valores falsamente integrativos. A paz social tão declamada pelos empresários nas reportagens da revista Goiás Industrial era procurada através de concessões e benefícios concretos à classe trabalhadora. Destaca-se também, neste trabalho, a relevância do papel do Serviço Social da Indústria (SESI) na busca da harmonização da relação entre empresários e classe trabalhadora, através da intervenção dos assistentes sociais que, utilizando uma ação educativa , buscavam ajustar o contingente de mão de obra às novas relações de desenvolvimento capitalista. No sentido de entender a importância do SESI/GO no processo de desenvolvimento econômico do estado de Goiás, foram analisadas as ações realizadas por essa instituição que, além de proporcionar a formação de mão de obra especializada, se preocupou com a criação de um espaço de lazer para os trabalhadores, visando ao apaziguamento dos conflitos entre o capital e o trabalho. Como resultado foi possível verificar a parceria estabelecida entre o setor público e o privado na busca da industrialização de Goiás e a alteração do perfil econômico do estado, com destaque para relevantes empreendimentos industriais. A fonte documental principal, utilizada neste estudo, foi a revista Goiás Industrial, que circulou durante as décadas de 1950 a 1970, registrando as ações desenvolvidas pelos empresários goianos na defesa dos seus interesses e em prol do desenvolvimento econômico de Goiás.

Nesta tese estudamos as redes de comércio compostas pelos cristãos novos portugueses em um período particular da Época Moderna: durante a União Ibérica (1580-1640). Na primeira parte do trabalho conectamos as redes de comércio com duas problemáticas: a da identidade cristã nova e a da relação ente cristãos novos, Inquisição e Coroa espanhola. Nesse sentido, salientamos as estratégias dos homens de negócios e cristãos novos portugueses frente às tensões geradas pela perseguição inquisitorial e os estatutos de limpeza de sangue. Na segunda parte do trabalho estudamos um caso exemplar das conexões e tensões mencionadas acima: a história da rede familiar de António Fernandes dElvas, homem de negócio e cristãos novo português, mercador e traficante de escravos, que atuava no Mundo Ibérico, em especial no comércio ultramarino. Nesta tese consideramos que havia uma relação de reciprocidade entre a identidade cristã nova influenciava na organização dos cristãos novos em redes de comércio e essas, por sua vez, que reforçavam a identidade. / This thesis focuses on the Portuguese New Christians commercial networks in a specific period of the Modern Ages: the Iberian Union (1580-1640). The first part of this work connects the trade networks with two major issues: the new Christian identity, and the relationship between New Christians, the Inquisition and the Spanish Crown. Accordingly, the study emphasizes the strategies of businessmen and Portuguese New Christians in face of the tensions generated by inquisitorial persecution and the statutes of \"purity of blood\". The second part of this work analyzes an exemplary case of the connections and tensions above mentioned: the story of António Fernandes d\'Elvas and his family network. A business man and Portuguese New Christian, dElvas was a merchant and slave trader in the Iberian world, especially in overseas trade. This thesis considers that there was a reciprocal relationship between the New Christian identity and the organization of New Christians trade networks, in which the identity influenciated the organization of the trades and the trades reinforced the identity.