The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between market orientation and business performance mediated by marketing resources and moderated by contextual factors. The study also examined the extent to which the conceptual model was a good fit to the sample data. A quantitative approach was used to test if there was a significant relationship between market orientation, marketing resources, and business performance. For the purpose, a cross-sectional survey was carried out to obtain data pertaining to market orientation, marketing resources, contextual factors and business performance. The unit of analysis of the study was banks consisting of 3 public and 15 private banks. A sample size of 507 consisting of 492 branch managers and 15 top level marketing managers was used in the survey. With a response rate of 87.97%, 446 questionnaires were collected of which 377 were used for data analysis. A SEM was used to test the extent to which the theoretical model fits the sample data. Mediation analysis was used to test the indirect effect of market orientation on business performance and hierarchical regression analysis was used to test whether the relationship was moderated by market dynamism, competitive intensity, and government regulation. Finally, an independent t – test was used to examine the statistical variations between public and private banks in terms of market orientation, marketing resources, and business performance. The confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the modified model was fit with the observed data in terms of chi-square and the individual indices. The total effect of market orientation on business performance was moderate with a 0.36 regression coefficient. The indirect effect was high with a 0.91 regression coefficient where complete and inconsistent mediation was found due to suppression effect. The moderation analysis revealed that the interaction effect of market dynamism, competitive intensity, and government regulation was not statistically significant. Finally the result showed that there was a statistically meaningful difference between public and private banks in terms of market orientation, marketing resources, and business performance. Banks in Ethiopia shall strive to segment the market, differentiate their services, and build a strong brand with clear identity. Banks in Ethiopia shall also build on their marketing resources to enhance their business performance. / Business Management / D.B.L.

Thèse numérisée par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal.

Thèse numérisée par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

To respond to the high imported food prices in their domestic markets, net food importing countries in the Communauté Financière Africaine (CFA) zone[1] are adjusting their import tariffs and homologate domestic prices of imported commodities such as rice, wheat, maize, and sugar. This research uses a multivariate specification of error correction model (VECM) of estimation to investigate the link between food imports, world price index of rice, wheat, maize and sugar, real effective exchange rates, domestic food production, GDP, and trade openness in the short and long run. The data are on each homogenous commodity from 1969 to 2012. This research finds a long-run relationship between world price index, domestic production, GDP, real effective exchange rates and trade openness. Under fixed exchange rates regime, GDP, domestic food production, world price index of food, and trade openness are the determinants of food imported in the CFA zones. Policy options focusing on long-term investment in domestic food production of rice, wheat, maize and sugar, and trade openness are the fundamental factors to curtail the increasing food import volume/bill under fixed exchange rate regime in the CFA zones. [1] The CFA zone in Sub-Saharan Africa is the WAEMU and CEMAC Countries, which are listed and represented in figure 1.

La problématique du financement du développement dans les pays en développement se trouve au cœur de cette thèse. Le chapitre 1 explore les effets des épisodes budgétaires dans les pays donateurs traditionnels de l'OCDE (Organisation pour la Coopération et le Développement Economique) sur leur offre d'aide au développement aux pays en développement. On observe que les épisodes budgétaires affectent significativement l'offre d'aide, avec une différence comportementale en termes d'offre d'aide du groupe de pays de l'Union européenne versus le groupe de pays de l'OCDE n'appartement pas à L'Union européenne. Le chapitre 2 s'intéresse aux conséquences des transferts des migrants et de l'imprévisibilité de l'aide au développement sur la probabilité de consolidation budgétaire dans les pays en développement. Les résultats montrent que les transferts des migrants affectent positivement et significativement cette probabilité alors que l'effet est statistiquement nul pour l'imprévisibilité de l'aide. Le chapitre 3 analyse l'existence ou non d'effet de la vulnérabilité structurelle des pays en développement sur leur dette publique totale. Les résultats suggèrent qu'un tel effet existe: en l'occurrence, on montre l'existence d'une relation en forme de 'U' entre la vulnérabilité structurelle de ces pays et leur dette publique totale. En focalisant dans le chapitre 4 sur les pays de la zone Franc CFA, nous examinons si leur vulnérabilité structurelle conduit les gouvernements à un endettement excessif. Les résultats suggèrent que plus ces pays sont vulnérables, plus ils sont enclins à un endettement excessif et qu'au-delà d'un seuil de vulnérabilité, leur probabilité d'endettement excessif diminue.

Social Capital and Open Innovation are important for organisational growth, as both of them influence Innovation, Learning and Job Satisfaction. The literature indicates that informal network measured as social capital and formal network measured as open innovation influences positively to organizational innovation performance, learning and job satisfaction. Most of the studies in this area have been carried out using univariate approaches, and only few dimensions of both Social Capital and Open Innovation have been considered. Current literature outlines the positive influence of Social Capital and Open Innovation on Learning, Innovation and Job Satisfaction. In this study, an attempt has been made to develop a multi-dimensional framework for Social Capital and Open Innovation, in order to better understand the nuances of Learning, Innovation and Job Satisfaction in an R&D setting. Another important factor influencing the R&D outcomes is Absorptive Capacity; it is the capacity of the organisation to identify and use external knowledge. The direct and moderating role of Absorptive Capacity has been examined. Both theoretical and conceptual models have been proposed, and a measurement scale in form of a questionnaire has been developed. Data was collected from 35 organisations across India operating in the field of defence R&D. The sample included Government-run R&D organisations, Public Sector Units (PSUs) and private firms, and total of 331 engineers/scientists responded to the survey. Data was analysed using statistical methods such as Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), Common Method Variance (CMV), and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Reliability and validity of the proposed scales for the constructs have been verified using appropriate techniques, and further inferences have been drawn by using regression techniques and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to assess the proposed relationships. It has been found that both Social Capital and Open Innovation have positive influence on Learning, Innovation and Job Satisfaction. Further, it was found that Absorptive Capacity had a positive association with both Innovation and Learning. However, Absorptive Capacity did not moderate the relationship of Social Capital with both Innovation and Learning, but was found to moderate the relationship between Open Innovation and Innovation, for both outbound and inbound approaches of Open Innovation. Bonding Social Capital had a relatively stronger positive association with Learning, while Bridging Social Capital was found to have a stronger relationship with Innovation. In summary, networking factors Social Capital and Open Innovation have strong positive association with R&D outcomes measured as innovation performance, learning and job satisfaction.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between market orientation and business performance mediated by marketing resources and moderated by contextual factors. The study also examined the extent to which the conceptual model was a good fit to the sample data. A quantitative approach was used to test if there was a significant relationship between market orientation, marketing resources, and business performance. For the purpose, a cross-sectional survey was carried out to obtain data pertaining to market orientation, marketing resources, contextual factors and business performance. The unit of analysis of the study was banks consisting of 3 public and 15 private banks. A sample size of 507 consisting of 492 branch managers and 15 top level marketing managers was used in the survey. With a response rate of 87.97%, 446 questionnaires were collected of which 377 were used for data analysis. A SEM was used to test the extent to which the theoretical model fits the sample data. Mediation analysis was used to test the indirect effect of market orientation on business performance and hierarchical regression analysis was used to test whether the relationship was moderated by market dynamism, competitive intensity, and government regulation. Finally, an independent t – test was used to examine the statistical variations between public and private banks in terms of market orientation, marketing resources, and business performance. The confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the modified model was fit with the observed data in terms of chi-square and the individual indices. The total effect of market orientation on business performance was moderate with a 0.36 regression coefficient. The indirect effect was high with a 0.91 regression coefficient where complete and inconsistent mediation was found due to suppression effect. The moderation analysis revealed that the interaction effect of market dynamism, competitive intensity, and government regulation was not statistically significant. Finally the result showed that there was a statistically meaningful difference between public and private banks in terms of market orientation, marketing resources, and business performance. Banks in Ethiopia shall strive to segment the market, differentiate their services, and build a strong brand with clear identity. Banks in Ethiopia shall also build on their marketing resources to enhance their business performance. / Business Management / D.B.L.

This work deals with using modern active functional blocks in electronic circuits. These blocks have better features than classical operational amplifiers and are characterized especially by working in current mode. Therefore these blocks can be used in higher frequencies. Using those blocks it is possible to design e.g. electronically variable-frequency filters of types low-pass filter, high-pass filter, band-pass filter, etc. Then it is also possible to easily realize electronically variable-frequency oscillators. This work is focused on some of these blocks, their basic characteristics and principles. Also three oscillators with current conveyors of second generation are designed. Its made simulation, sensitivity and tolerance analysis and magnitude stabilization. Everything is performed in OrCAD PSpice program. These made oscillators are electronic tunable in the band frequency ones of MHz.

Goal of this doctoral thesis is to focus to understand of behavior of working of basic electronics circuits and to appoint which parameters of these circuits is possible to control using external digital system. Further the examples of some digitally controlled analog circuits are present and the analysis of these circuits is achieved. Some of these blocks are realized and the results of that’s measuring is presented.

Fruit de la globalisation économique et financière, la rencontre entre l’arbitrage international et la finance était inéluctable. Plusieurs facteurs expliquent ce phénomène : l’accroissement des échanges commerciaux et des investissements transnationaux, le choix des opérateurs du commerce international pour l’arbitrage lorsqu’il s’agit de régler leurs différends malgré le coût élevé des procédures d’arbitrage, enfin les nouvelles approches adoptées par les entreprises transnationales en matière de gouvernance et de gestion du risque. Le financement de procès par un tiers dans l’arbitrage international est protéiforme. Il implique différents acteurs comme les avocats, les assureurs mais ce sont les tiers-financeurs avec le concept du « Third-Party Funding », qui cristallisent notre attention pour cette étude. Le Third-Party Funding offre plusieurs options avec un schéma classique : le financement d’un procès mais aujourd’hui, nous assistons à un schéma beaucoup plus élaboré avec le financement de portefeuilles d’arbitrages « Portfolio Funding » qui a la préférence des tiers-financeurs. Aussi, dans un premier temps, il semblait essentiel d’analyser le financement de procès par un tiers dont le Third-Party Funding pour en comprendre les fondements, les mécanismes. Si le financement Third-Party Funding présente des atouts indéniables pour comme l’accès à la justice, il soulève aussi des problématiques en raison de la spécificité de l’arbitrage. Le tiers-financeur n’étant pas partie à l’arbitrage, sa participation a un réel impact sur la procédure et soulève des questions dont les principales touchent à la constitution du tribunal arbitral et au déroulement de la procédure arbitrale. Dès lors, il s’agit de savoir comment maîtriser cet impact sur la procédure d’arbitrage, comment la sécuriser, la pratique du Third-Party Funding n’étant pas réglementée. Les règles étatiques apportant des réponses laconiques, les règles informelles plus flexibles, sont plus à même à offrir un encadrement adapté à une activité résolument transnationale et globale. Certes, il existe bien une autorégulation des tiers-financeurs avec des codes de conduite mais insuffisante pour répondre aux spécificités de l’arbitrage. Les acteurs de l’arbitrage ont donc un rôle à jouer dans la proposition d’une réglementation tout comme les arbitres qui ont ainsi favorisé le développement d’une jurisprudence arbitrale principalement CIRDI. Les institutions arbitrales devraient s’inspirer des principes de base comme l’éthique et la transparence pour mettre en place de nouvelles règles intégrant le financement Third-Party Funding dans leurs Règlements d’arbitrage (comme l’ont fait le SIAC à Singapour, le Centre d’arbitrage et de médiation de la Chambre de commerce Brésil-Canada (CAM-CCB). Enfin, les règles de compliance viendraient compléter cette réglementation appropriée avec les Autorités de régulation financière. La réglementation est de toute évidence l’enjeu majeur dans les années à venir pour voir un financement Third-Party Funding éthique, transparent, efficient et concourant pleinement à l’efficacité de l’arbitrage international. / Being the result of economic and financial globalization, the meeting between international arbitration and finance was inevitable. Several factors explain this phenomenon: the increase of transnational trade and investment, the choice of international trade operators in favor of arbitration, despite the high cost of arbitration procedures, when they must solve disputes and new approaches adopted by transnational corporations in governance and risk management. Third-party funding in international arbitration proceedings is multifaceted. It involves different stakeholders such as lawyers, insurers but it is the third-party funders, with the concept of “Third-Party Funding”, which will be the focus of our attention for this study. It offers several options with a classic scheme, which is the financing of a trial but nowadays we witness a much more elaborate scheme with the financing of portfolios of arbitration i.e. “Portfolio funding”, which is favored by funders. Therefore, it seemed essential to analyze the funding of trials including the Third-Party Funding to understand the foundations, the mechanisms. While Third-Party Funding has undeniable strengths such as access to justice, it also raises problems because of the specificity of arbitration. Since the third party is not a party to the arbitration, its participation has a real impact on the procedure and raises questions, the main ones being the constitution of the arbitral tribunal and the conduct of the arbitration proceedings.It is therefore a question of knowing how to control this impact on the arbitration proceedings, how to secure it, since the Third-Party Funding practice is not regulated. State rules providing laconic answers, so more flexible informal rules are better able to offer a framework adapted to a resolutely transnational and global activity. There is, of course, a self-regulation of third-party funders with codes of conduct but insufficient to meet the specificities of arbitration. The actors of the arbitral community therefore have a role to play in the proposal of a regulation just like the arbitrators, who have thus favored the development of an arbitration jurisprudence mainly ICSID. Arbitral institutions should use basic principles such as ethics and transparency to implement new rules integrating Third-Party Funding into their Arbitration Rules (as did the SIAC in Singapore, the Center for Arbitration and Mediation of the Chamber of Commerce Brazil-Canada, CAM/CCBC. Finally, the compliance rules would complement this appropriate regulation with the financial regulatory authorities. Regulation is clearly the major issue in the coming years to see ethical, transparent, efficient Third-Party Funding that fully contributes to the effectiveness of international arbitration.