Climate change implication and rural livelihood capitals remain the major inextricable dimensions of sustainability in this twenty first century globally. As a result, the impact and outcome of climate change on rural livelihood capitals, including economic development cannot be overemphasized in Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality of the North West Province of South Africa, where the study took place. It is one of the largest maize production regions in South Africa, where a preponderance of the people in the province obtain their livelihood from agriculture which contributes enormously to the promotion of household’s food security. The study, therefore, investigated the adaptation strategies, awareness of climate change, factors that influenced climate change adaptation in North West Province of South Africa, with the aim of ascertaining the effects of climate change on livelihood capitals among small and emerging maize farmers. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select three hundred and forty-six (346) farmers who were interviewed from the study area, while a pre-tested questionnaire was administered to the maize farmers, aiming at matters related to climate change impact on livelihood and adaptation. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics while inferential statistical tools employed were Principal Component Analysis, Two-Stage Least Square regression model, Binary Logistic regression model, and Tobit regression model. The results of the study showed that climate change was linked to rural livelihood capitals as climate change awareness, low profit and co-operative finance were statistically significant (p<0.05). The study also established that majority of the rural farmers in the study area were aware of climate change, in which farm size, education, ownership of the farm, information received on climate change, source of climate change information, climate change information through extension services, channel of information received on climate change and support received on climate change were statistically significant (p<0.05). Factors such as farm size, household gender, type of farms, who owns the farm, land acquisition, source of climate change information, support received on climate change, and adaptation barrier were statistically significant (p<0.05) and influenced climate change adaptation in the study area. Conclusively, climate change is entwined with rural livelihood, and the variables that are significant to the study were identified. It was therefore recommended that government intervention, access to information, extension service and support, farmers’ networking, adoption of drought and heat stress tolerant seeds, indigenous knowledge should be improved, practiced and promoted among the rural farmers and the stakeholders involved in the study area. / Agriculture, Animal Health and Human Ecology / D. Phil. (Agriculture)

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-25T20:21:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Francisco Americo Cassano.pdf: 664441 bytes, checksum: 52de16385ba8b8f86aeb75c060d8e215 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-05-26 / This study aims to understand the effects that Brazilian external politics exerts on foreign capital flow into the country in the respective periods of government, starting in1947. The subject is justified by the existence of a large volume of resources available in the international financial market and by the rapid adaptation of the poorer countries to the regulations defined by the investors. A theoretical reference was made to allow the hypothesis confirmation that an aligned external politics with the developed countries is fundamental to an increase of the foreign direct investments in Brazil. To verify scientifically this hypothesis, a search in two parts was done: a survey of documents about the Brazilian external politics definition with the respective content analysis, and, a quantitative analysis for the confirmation of qualitative analysis. The results obtained allowed to confirm the hypothesis that the alignment with developed countries, with the increase of direct investments, was be fundamental for Brazil s development in the studied period. Besides, it was possible to conclude that such investments interfere in the national PIB, according the constructo defined in the study. These conclusions allow suggesting to the Brazilian external policy makers not to despise the alignment with developed countries, for a most favorable capitation of external resources / Este estudo tem como objetivo geral compreender os efeitos que a política externa brasileira exerce sobre o fluxo de capitais externos no país em cada período de governo, a partir de 1947. O tema se justifica pela existência de intenso volume de recursos disponíveis no mercado financeiro internacional e pela rápida adaptação dos países carentes de recursos às regras definidas por tais investidores. Foi construído um referencial teórico, a fim de permitir a confirmação da hipótese de que uma política externa alinhada aos países desenvolvidos é fundamental ao incremento dos investimentos estrangeiros diretos no Brasil. Para se constatar cientificamente essa hipótese, foi elaborada uma metodologia de pesquisa dividida em duas etapas: levantamento de documentos relacionados com a definição da política externa brasileira no período, com a análise de conteúdo dos mesmos, e, uma análise quantitativa, para ratificação da análise qualitativa. Os resultados obtidos permitiram confirmar a hipótese de que o alinhamento aos países desenvolvidos, com incremento dos investimentos diretos, foi fundamental para o desenvolvimento do Brasil em todo o período estudado. Além disso, foi possível concluir-se que tais investimentos interferem no comportamento do PIB nacional, conforme constructo definido no estudo. Estas conclusões permitiram sugerir-se aos formuladores da política externa brasileira que não desprezem o alinhamento aos países desenvolvidos, para uma captação mais favorável de recursos externos

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T14:55:50Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Francisco Americo Cassano.pdf: 664441 bytes, checksum: 52de16385ba8b8f86aeb75c060d8e215 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-05-26 / This study aims to understand the effects that Brazilian external politics exerts on foreign capital flow into the country in the respective periods of government, starting in1947. The subject is justified by the existence of a large volume of resources available in the international financial market and by the rapid adaptation of the poorer countries to the regulations defined by the investors. A theoretical reference was made to allow the hypothesis confirmation that an aligned external politics with the developed countries is fundamental to an increase of the foreign direct investments in Brazil. To verify scientifically this hypothesis, a search in two parts was done: a survey of documents about the Brazilian external politics definition with the respective content analysis, and, a quantitative analysis for the confirmation of qualitative analysis. The results obtained allowed to confirm the hypothesis that the alignment with developed countries, with the increase of direct investments, was be fundamental for Brazil s development in the studied period. Besides, it was possible to conclude that such investments interfere in the national PIB, according the constructo defined in the study. These conclusions allow suggesting to the Brazilian external policy makers not to despise the alignment with developed countries, for a most favorable capitation of external resources / Este estudo tem como objetivo geral compreender os efeitos que a política externa brasileira exerce sobre o fluxo de capitais externos no país em cada período de governo, a partir de 1947. O tema se justifica pela existência de intenso volume de recursos disponíveis no mercado financeiro internacional e pela rápida adaptação dos países carentes de recursos às regras definidas por tais investidores. Foi construído um referencial teórico, a fim de permitir a confirmação da hipótese de que uma política externa alinhada aos países desenvolvidos é fundamental ao incremento dos investimentos estrangeiros diretos no Brasil. Para se constatar cientificamente essa hipótese, foi elaborada uma metodologia de pesquisa dividida em duas etapas: levantamento de documentos relacionados com a definição da política externa brasileira no período, com a análise de conteúdo dos mesmos, e, uma análise quantitativa, para ratificação da análise qualitativa. Os resultados obtidos permitiram confirmar a hipótese de que o alinhamento aos países desenvolvidos, com incremento dos investimentos diretos, foi fundamental para o desenvolvimento do Brasil em todo o período estudado. Além disso, foi possível concluir-se que tais investimentos interferem no comportamento do PIB nacional, conforme constructo definido no estudo. Estas conclusões permitiram sugerir-se aos formuladores da política externa brasileira que não desprezem o alinhamento aos países desenvolvidos, para uma captação mais favorável de recursos externos

This dissertation studies a local manifestation of ecclesiastical reform in the medieval county of Savoy: the twelfth-century transformation of secular canons into Augustinian regular canons at the church of Sts. Peter and Ursus in the alpine town of Aosta (now Italy). I argue that textual sources, material culture, and the practice of place together express how the newly reformed canons established their identity, shaped their material environment, and managed their relationship with the unreformed secular canons at the cathedral. The pattern of regularization in Aosta—instigated by a new bishop influenced by ideas of canonical reform—is only one among several models for implementing reform in medieval Savoy. This study asserts the importance of this medieval county as a center for reforming efforts among a regional network of churchmen, laymen, and noblemen, including the count of Savoy, Amadeus III (d. 1148). After a prologue and introduction, chapter 1 draws on traditional textual evidence to recount the history of reform in medieval Savoy. Chapters 2 through 4 focus on the twelfth-century sculpted capitals in the cloister built to accommodate the common life of the new regular canons. Several of the historiated capitals portray the biblical siblings, Martha and Mary, and Leah and Rachel, as material metaphors that reflect and reinforce the active and contemplative lives of the Augustinian canons. Other capitals represent the regular canons’ assertion of their precedence over the cathedral canons and suggest tensions between the two communities. The final chapter examines thirteenth-century conflicts over bell-ringing and ecclesiastical processions in the urban topography of Aosta to illustrate how the regular and secular canons continued to negotiate their relationship. Appendices include an English translation of a vita of St. Ursus (BHL 8453). The dissertation as a whole reconstructs the places and material culture of medieval Aosta to convey the complexities of religious and institutional life during a time of reform and beyond. / text

The work describes the theoretical foundations of modern methods of creating new fonts, that is, using information technology, specifically vector programs. It also marginally shows the history of the font, Roman writing, the basic division of its compositions and describes its individual elements. The next part of the project focuses on creating digital fonts and continues with bringing it to live using algorithms and methods that can easily be processed in Matlab programming language. The method of implementation of the bringing the typeface to live is described and presentation of the generated results are then shown in few examples. Attention is also paid to the coordinates system, which is very important to solve geometric transformations, and two-dimensional vector graphics, which are widely used in the design and to render the fonts. Bézier curves and cubic Bézier curves are described in further detail along with vector graphics rasterization. One part of this text describes very important de Casteljau algorithm. The last chapter focuses on implementation in Matlab programming language, the creation of curves, that means single font characters, and the ways of how the algorithm works with transformations. Some sample images showing transformations using different input arguments are displayed in this section as well. There is evaluation of the contribution of this application and the possibilities of further expansion at the end.

Cette thèse propose une exploration du lien entre le capital social familial et les dimensionscognitive et relationnelle du capital social organisationnel de l'entreprise familiale (EF). La rechercheconduite allie fondamentaux théoriques de l'EF et théories de la sociologie, psychosociologie etpsychanalyse. En considérant que la famille, via sa culture, fournit un socle de lectures partagées dela réalité et influence les schèmes d'action et de pensée de ses membres, la question se pose del'impact sur le construit socio-culturel de l'EF, de l’entrechoquement ou de la superposition de cesschèmes (entre générations, membres d’une fratrie, ou membres de la famille et salariés exogènes).Pour aborder les ambivalences animant ces synergies famille-individu-entreprise, nous adaptons leconcept de PIH (Patrimoines Individuels d'Habitudes) développé par Kaufmann (2001) aux dirigeantsfamiliaux (DF), dans le cadre d'un cas unique (EF sous contrôle familial depuis le 19e siècle) précédéd'un cas exploratoire, et en enrichissant ce concept des dimensions émotions-psyché-affects. Unmodèle de cube dialectique est exploité pour une analyse et une mise en perspective inter ettransgénérationnelle conduisant à l'identification d'un "processus de gestion des PIH" des DF.L'analyse des risques attachés à ce processus offre un double axe de réflexion et d'action aux DF,l'un relatif au capital social interne de l'organisation, l'autre à la gouvernance. Le design de larecherche, abductif, de nature qualitative et interprétative, combine techniques de récits de vie,cartes cognitives, questionnaires, matrices processuelles, génogrammes, analyses des risques etélaboration de plans d'action. / The objective of this thesis is to explore the link between family social capital and the cognitive andrelational dimensions of the family firm (FF) social capital. At the crossroads of managementsciences, sociology and psychoanalysis, this work contributes to a better knowledge of the FF, whichintermingles, because of its very nature, emotions and affects in a very specific and ambivalent way.We consider that the family, through its culture, provides a shared framework to tackle reality andinfluences therefore the patterns of action and thought of its members. Thus, the question arises ofthe impact of the confrontation or superposition of these patterns (between generations, betweenbrothers and sisters, or family members and non-family employees) on the organizational culture ofthe FF. To address the ambivalences animating these family-individual-business synergies, we adaptthe concept of ICH (Individual Capitals of Habits) developed by Kaufmann (2001) to family-membermanagers (FMM), throughout a single case (preceded by an exploratory case), and we enriched itwith emotion-psyche-affect dimensions. Thus we use a dialectical cube model as a framework ofanalysis to shed light, from the inter and transgenerational angle, on a ICH management process.The analysis of the risks induced by this transversal process provides FMM with means to improveinternal organizational social capital and FF governance. The design of the research is abductive,based on a qualitative and interpretative approach. It combines FMM life stories, cognitive maps,semi directive interviews (non-family-member managers), matrices of process analysis, genograms,and risk analysis.

在國際時尚舞台中，台灣在過去一直扮演代工的角色：儘管手中握有無與倫比的研發與生產技術，然而報酬率卻遠不及握有「國際品牌」的廠商。 1990年起，台灣以往勞力、技術密集的紡織產業開始走下坡。台灣紡織產業開始面臨勞工短缺、工資上漲，許多低價紡織品在國內生產已無獲利空間；從2000年左右開始，隨著全球化市場發展，中國大陸與東南亞等新興國家陸續崛起，我國紡織產業開始產生外移。2005年，WTO協定生效，取消「紡織貿易配額」，以及全球各地逐漸形成的「區域經濟體」，使得全球紡織產業發生結構性的變化。 近來「美學經濟」指標性產業：「時尚產業」，已經成為亞洲國家積極發展的目標，而政府也大力鼓吹由過去專業代工的「製造經濟」，轉型為以品牌、設計為主的「創意、知識經濟」。2008年國家重點發展計畫中提出「產業高值化」政策，除了研發，強化行銷能力以提升品牌知名度亦是創造高附加價值的重要關鍵。 台灣在本土時裝設計師品牌不少。然而，礙於台灣市場規模，始終無法有大幅的成長。因此，台灣設計師如何進軍國際市場，便成了一個值得深入探討的議題。 本研究結合Csikezentmihalyi創造力系統模式、與設計師日常事業經營，探討本土設計師時裝品牌國際化的動態過程：設計師如何以服裝設計專業、結合創業營運相關知識，不斷與國際時尚界專業人士與買家們溝通互動，進而使其品牌在國際間佔有一席之地。 本研究同時歸納設計師在進軍國際市場時需要哪些能力，以及在進入國際市場不同階段所應注意的管理議題，期望能供業界、後續學術研究參考、指教。 / This research is about how Taiwanese fashion designers market their products internationally. Taiwanese textile companies didn’t have their own brands before. They mainly manufactured and sold products overseas under foreign brand names. However, the textile manufacturing industry in Taiwan has already moved abroad to low-labor-cost area during the past two decades. Taiwanese designer brands have been struggleing between the small domestic market and the competition of foreign brands. I explored three cases of Taiwanese fashion designers who market their brands and products internationally. They are respectively Hong, Li Fen’s designer brand ‘Sophie Hong’, Chien, Yu Feng and Pan, Po Shun’s ‘Shawnyï’, and Chia, Wen Lan’s ‘Twinkle by Wenlan’. I analyzed these cases based on the Creativity Dynamic System Model (Csikezentmihalyi, 1990). First, I discovered how they combine their expertises of fashion design and business management to organize their international network. Second, the abilities a fashion designer has to possess during his way to international fashion market have already been clearly listed and categorized. In the end, I casted several managerial issues the fellow designers should pay attention to in different stages when they try to internationalize their brands and products.