Over the last three decades, Australia and many other industrialised nations have seen major social and economic changes. For Australia, two of these have been increasing inequality of earnings and the growth in alternative forms of employment arrangements. For the US and a number of other countries, the prevailing explanation for the increase in inequality centres on the notion of skill-biased technological change (SBTC). This view is based on the consensus that technical change favours more skilled workers, as new technologies evolve and are introduced into workplaces. This explanation relates the increases in earnings inequalities to a shift in demand towards highly skilled workers and away from less skilled workers, and centres around the concept and measure of skill. In this context, this thesis investigates three central issues that relate to dimensions of inequality in the Australian labour market. First, has there in fact been increasing skill bias in the demand for labour, and how should skill best be measured in addressing this issue? Second, if increasing skill bias is confirmed, is there any evidence that this increase in relative demand for high skill labour is an important explanatory factor in the rise in earnings inequality? Third, can the increasing role of casual and part-time work in Australia be interpreted as, in substantial part, a response to skill bias in the demand for labour, and as indicative of rising inequality in the labour market? The main findings of the thesis are as follows. For the first question, there is evidence of skill-bias in the demand for labour both in the long and short term in total and full-time employment. Although there was clear evidence of skill bias in full-time employment for men and women, the extent was not homogenous across different job types. Secondly, earnings inequality continued to increase in occupations for men and women between 1989-1995 and 1997-2002, irrespective of the type of inequality measures employed. Moreover, in trying to explain the causes of increasing earnings inequality in full-time work, the analysis found that the O*NET measures of skill and knowledge provided some tentative evidence that supports the skill bias hypothesis in Australia. Thirdly, in the exploration of the relationship between skill bias, alternative job types and earnings inequality, the thesis finds some indicative evidence to suggest that the process of job type creation may imply a new dimension of increasing earnings inequality in the Australian labour market. The broad implications of these findings are tied to both increasing earnings inequality in full-time earnings and in household income inequality. This is particularly so for those households whose majority of members are low skilled and are dependent on casual and part-time work, and who on average work a small number of hours.

In the wake of the rapid evolution of information technology (IT), including the internet, during the last three decades, much attention has been given to the introduction of IT to the agricultural sector, and to ensuring its adoption by farmers. Given its apparent ability to provide rich information to a large number of people, hopes have been raised about the role of IT as a tool for diffusing innovations in the agricultural sector. This thesis addresses the reality of such a role in Australia and Sri Lanka. Following the broader innovation literature, an innovations systems approach is used, and the key aspects of diffusion stressed are reach, richness and the time taken. The agricultural innovation system (AIS) is seen as a complex interactive system involving actors fulfilling eleven functions – policy, education, finance and credit, marketing, input supply, research, extension and information, logistics, processing and storage, farmers and farm organisations, and consumers. It is clear that the Australian AIS is more effective than its Sri Lankan counterpart in terms of its use of leading-edge technologies, competition in global markets with innovative products, and quick diffusion of research findings to farmers. The use of IT in agribusiness in Australia is quite advanced, although still limited in small firms. While there are many examples of the use of IT for innovation diffusion in Australian agriculture, there is little evidence that this is yet a widely used process for the spread of innovations. The situation in Sri Lanka is quite different, with low levels of computer literacy and usage in the farm sector, with technology transfer ‘across the last mile’ remaining the weakest link in the Sri Lankan AIS. But farmers often go to great efforts to obtain better information, and much attention is being given by the Government and NGOs to the development of wireless networks, telecentres and other methods for promoting IT access and knowledge diffusion in the rural sector in Sri Lanka. Given the heterogeneous nature of the actors in an AIS, together with the importance of tacit knowledge and social and peer groups factors, IT will complement existing methods of innovation diffusion for the foreseeable future, rather than substitute them. Nevertheless, IT is likely to become increasingly important in innovation diffusion in agriculture, in both developed countries and in developing economies such as Sri Lanka. In implementing policies to this end, Sri Lanka must give due attention to the complex interactions between the many players in the AIS, to the role of tacit knowledge and social actors, and to the low level of the IT literacy in the rural sector. While continuing efforts to build relevant infrastructure are essential, these must be supported by measures to strengthen communication between the actors in the AIS, by education and capability development for farmers and by the creation of suitably tailored digital information packages on key issues.

Issues and Significance: It is widely believed that good corporate governance is an important factor in improving the value of a firm in both developing and developed financial markets. However, the relationship between corporate governance and the value of a firm (the CGVF relationship) differs in developing and developed financial markets due to disparate corporate governance structures in these markets resulting from the dissimilar social, economic and regulatory conditions in these countries. There is a need to understand the differences which affect the value of a firm for academic investigations, financial and management practices and public regulation of markets and corporations. Existing Literature and Limitations: The existing literature on how good corporate governance contributes to improving the value of a firm is not well developed and has several limitations. No single research thus far, has undertaken a comprehensive study of the differences in the relationship between the level of corporate governance sophistication of the firm and its contribution to firm value. In the context of developing markets the relationships between corporate governance and the value of a firm are not defined properly and these relationships are not adequately tested by incorporating the relevant factors affecting them. Furthermore, comparative analyses of the relevance of different management theories (such as agency theory, stewardship theory, etc.) in shedding light on the nature and process of the CGVF relationships in developing and developed markets have not been reported in literature. Therefore, there is a need to redefine and properly analyse CGVF relationships by incorporating the factors relevant for a firm operating in developing and developed financial markets. Objectives of the Study: To help overcome the limitations of the existing literature, this study develops separate models for the CGVF relationships for developed and developing markets keeping in mind the differences between these markets; defines the concept of corporate governance and the value of a firm suitable for developing and developed financial markets; highlights the differences in the process by which corporate governance affects the value of a firm in developing and developed financial markets; and states the implications of different management theories in explaining the differences in CGVF relationships in these markets. Methodology and Data: Two typical financial markets, Australia (developed) and Malaysia (developing) are selected for the present study. The panel data is collected from 2000 to 2003 for Tobin’s Q, price to book value ratio, market capitalisation, gearing ratio, return on total assets, shareholder’s concentration (agency cost), CEO duality, board size, and judicial and regulatory authority efficiency. Multifactor corporate governance and the value of a firm (CGVF) models relevant for developed and developing markets are constructed and econometric analyses are performed to test the relationship between corporate governance instruments and the value of a firm. Incremental tests are also carried out to see the importance of individual variables in the model for developing and developed financial markets. In addition, tests for the complementarities of corporate governance instruments in affecting the value of a firm are also performed. Results and Implications of CGVF Relationships The results of the corporate governance model for developing, developed and crossmarket analysis suggest a positive relationship between corporate governance and the value of a firm. The results on the relationship between the value of a firm and corporate governance mechanism in the developed market suggest a negative relationship between debt and the value of a firm. The result confirms agency theory, as managers do not handle the debt properly. Also, there is a negative relationship between the value of a firm and a larger board, further confirming agency theory. On the contrary, control variables such as market capitalisation and the price to book value ratio have a positive relationship with the value of a firm in this market. The managers are stewards in this case and are inclined to support the interests of the shareholders thereby supporting stewardship theory. Similarly, the results on the relationship between corporate governance and the value of a firm in the developing financial market suggest a negative relationship between shareholder concentration and the value of a firm. The results of this model confirm agency theory where the majority shareholders, as agents, are involved in empire building. Similarly, control variables such as return on total assets, market capitalisation and price to book value ratio have a positive relationship with the value of a firm in the developing financial market. The results support stewardship theory. Finally, the bigger board size has a positive relationship with the value of a firm in the developing financial market. The results on the cross-market analysis show that higher debt and inefficient regulatory authority have a negative relationship with the value of a firm. There is an agency cost involved in handling debt. Furthermore, the inefficient regulatory authority deteriorates the value of a firm supporting agency theory. On the contrary, control variables such as return on total assets and price to book value ratio have a positive relationship with the value of a firm in both developed and developing financial markets, supporting stewardship theory. The incremental regression shows that price to book value ratio is the most significant factor in improving the value of a firm in all the CGVF models. The tests of complementarities in the cross-market analysis suggest that board size improves the marginal benefit of CEO duality. Similarly, the regulatory regime encourages an independent CEO to improve the value of a firm. Finally, the value of a firm in a developing market is a broad concept and also incorporates the social value in addition to the monetary value of a firm. The difference in the results for developing and developed markets is due to the different social, regulatory and corporate governance systems in their financial markets. Due to these variations in the selected financial markets, the process by which the value of a firm is affected is also different. Conclusion: In light of the above findings, the study has highlighted the role of corporate governance in effective utilisation of assets to improve the value of a firm. The role of the board and regulatory authority is important in disciplining the CEO and majority shareholders in the financial markets. A bigger board creates value for shareholders in developing financial markets. On the contrary, a smaller board and less debt create value in developed financial markets. The current study makes an original contribution by suggesting that there is a positive relationship between corporate governance and the value of a firm in both developing and developed markets, although, the nature of this relationship differs due to differences in the characteristics of developing and developed markets. The divergence in the social, economic and organisational aspects of these markets makes the relevance of various organisational and management theories in explaining the CGVF relationships different as well. These insights in explaining the CGVF relationships are useful for academic understanding and business and public policy formulations.

Through analysis of large-scale ocean gyre dynamics from simulation results of the ocean component of the Community Earth System Model version 1 - the Parallel Ocean Program version 2 (CESM1-POP2) - this study builds upon existing research suggesting recent changes in the circulation of global subtropical gyres with respect to the South Atlantic Ocean. Results all point to an increase in the total counterclockwise circulation and a southward displacement of the sub- tropical gyre system. The northern boundary of the South Atlantic Subtropical Gyre (SASG) is represented by the bifurcation of the southern branch of the South Equatorial Current (sSEC) into the North Brazil Undercurrent/Current (NBUC/NBC) to the north and the Brazil Current (BC) to the south. The sSEC Bifurcation Latitude (SBL) dictates the partition between waters flowing poleward and those flowing equatorward. Although a northward migration of the SBL would be expected with the gyre spin up and associated poleward transport increase, the SBL migrates southwards at a rate of 0.051o/yr, in conjunction to a substantial increase in the equatorward advection of waters within the sSEC-SBL-NBUC system, which is included in the upper-branch of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. / Através de análises da dinâmica de grande-escala do giro oceânico, proveniente dos resultados de simulação da componente oceânica do Community Earth System Model versão 1 - o Parallel Ocean Program versão 2 (CESM1-POP2) - este estudo se baseia em estudos prévios sugerindo mudanças recentes na circulação dos giros subtropicais globais, com respeito ao oceano Atlântico Sul. Os resultados apontam para uma intensificação da circulação anti-horária e um deslocamento para sul de todo o sistema do giro subtropical. A borda norte do Giro Subtropical do Atlântico Sul (GSAS) é representada pela bifurcação do ramo sul da Corrente Sul Equatorial (CSEs) em Subcorrente/Corrente Norte do Brasil (SCNB/CNB) para norte e Corrente do Brasil (CB) para sul. A Latitude da Bifurcação da CSEs (LBC) determina a partição entre as águas fluindo em direção ao pólo e aquelas fluindo em direção ao equador. Embora seja esperada uma migração para norte da LBC com a aceleração da circulação do giro e consequente aumento do transporte em direção ao pólo, a LBC migra para sul a uma taxa de 0.051o/ano. Esta migração ocorre em conjunto à um aumento substancial na advecção de águas em direção ao equador com o sistema CSEs-LBC-SCNB, o qual está incluso no ramo superior da Circulação de Revolvimento Meridional do Atlântico.

Through analysis of large-scale ocean gyre dynamics from simulation results of the ocean component of the Community Earth System Model version 1 - the Parallel Ocean Program version 2 (CESM1-POP2) - this study builds upon existing research suggesting recent changes in the circulation of global subtropical gyres with respect to the South Atlantic Ocean. Results all point to an increase in the total counterclockwise circulation and a southward displacement of the sub- tropical gyre system. The northern boundary of the South Atlantic Subtropical Gyre (SASG) is represented by the bifurcation of the southern branch of the South Equatorial Current (sSEC) into the North Brazil Undercurrent/Current (NBUC/NBC) to the north and the Brazil Current (BC) to the south. The sSEC Bifurcation Latitude (SBL) dictates the partition between waters flowing poleward and those flowing equatorward. Although a northward migration of the SBL would be expected with the gyre spin up and associated poleward transport increase, the SBL migrates southwards at a rate of 0.051o/yr, in conjunction to a substantial increase in the equatorward advection of waters within the sSEC-SBL-NBUC system, which is included in the upper-branch of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. / Através de análises da dinâmica de grande-escala do giro oceânico, proveniente dos resultados de simulação da componente oceânica do Community Earth System Model versão 1 - o Parallel Ocean Program versão 2 (CESM1-POP2) - este estudo se baseia em estudos prévios sugerindo mudanças recentes na circulação dos giros subtropicais globais, com respeito ao oceano Atlântico Sul. Os resultados apontam para uma intensificação da circulação anti-horária e um deslocamento para sul de todo o sistema do giro subtropical. A borda norte do Giro Subtropical do Atlântico Sul (GSAS) é representada pela bifurcação do ramo sul da Corrente Sul Equatorial (CSEs) em Subcorrente/Corrente Norte do Brasil (SCNB/CNB) para norte e Corrente do Brasil (CB) para sul. A Latitude da Bifurcação da CSEs (LBC) determina a partição entre as águas fluindo em direção ao pólo e aquelas fluindo em direção ao equador. Embora seja esperada uma migração para norte da LBC com a aceleração da circulação do giro e consequente aumento do transporte em direção ao pólo, a LBC migra para sul a uma taxa de 0.051o/ano. Esta migração ocorre em conjunto à um aumento substancial na advecção de águas em direção ao equador com o sistema CSEs-LBC-SCNB, o qual está incluso no ramo superior da Circulação de Revolvimento Meridional do Atlântico.

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