O objetivo principal desta pesquisa é descrever e analisar tipos evolucionários de sistemas locais de produção que podem ser levados em conta por atores sociais tanto para a elaboração de estratégias como na execução de práticas socioambientais. As aglomerações produtivas têm sido objeto de análises e de políticas públicas nas últimas décadas graças à ocorrência de diversas experiências de sucesso em termos de desempenho econômico-financeiro das empresas participantes de tais formas de interação extramercado. Ao mesmo tempo, restrições socioambientais crescentes fazem com que as empresas busquem resultados em triple bottom line. Nesse sentido, os sistemas locais de produção podem oferecer aos atores sociais estratégias e experiências de ações conjuntas que produzam resultados socioambientais importantes. Considerando isso, foi realizado um estudo de caso da cadeia produtiva petroquímica-plásticos da região do Grande ABC paulista, para explorar e avaliar as práticas socioambientais dos sistemas locais de produção com indicadores que se baseiam nos princípios da Economia Ecológica e Ecologia Industrial. Dessa forma, espera-se contribuir para o entendimento de um novo conceito de sistema local de produção verde, a partir do qual empresas e os atores locais desenvolvam projetos cooperativos voltados também para as dimensões social e ambiental da sustentabilidade. / The main objective of this research is to describe and analyze evolucionary ways of the clusters that can be take into account by the social actors both in the elaboration of strategies as in the execution of socio-environmental practices. The productive agglomerations have been object of analysis and of public policies in the last decades due the occurrence of diverse experiences of success in terms of performance economic-financial of the participants companies of such forms of interaction extramarket. At the same time, socio-environmental restrictions increasing make that the companies search results on triple bottom line. In this sense, the local production systems can provide to the social actors, strategies and experiences of joint actions that produce socio-environmental important results. Considering this, a case study of a petrochemical-plastics cluster was prepared for exploring and assess the socio-environmental practices of the local production systems with indicators that are based in the principles of the Ecological Economy and Industrial Ecology. Therefore, are expected to contribute for the understanding of a new concept of \"green\" local production system, from which companies and local actors develop cooperative projects focused both on the social dimensions and the sustainability environment.

A rápida mudança do ambiente industrial está forçando as indústrias a aumentarem sua competitividade através do investimento nas tecnologias e inovação. Ao mesmo tempo, o desenvolvimento acelerado da tecnologia de ponta acha-se relacionado fortemente à cooperação universidade-empresa. A transferência de tecnologia tem sido considerada, em vários estudos sobre o assunto, como uma das mais eficazes modalidades para reverter o presente atraso tecnológico da indústria. Entretanto, existem muitos fatores inibindo a transferência de tecnologia. Na verdade, em poucas ocasiões as universidades tem estabelecido mecanismos e instrumentos capazes de gerar na economia os impactos esperados a partir da pesquisa. Este trabalho, tem a intenção de mostrar alguns aspectos sobre a transferência de tecnologia universidade-empresa. Contribuindo, deste modo, para o entendimento das barreiras e dos fatores de sucesso inerentes à transferência de tecnologia e propõe ações e mecanismos para tornar mais eficiente e dinâmica essa relação. / The rapidly changing global industrial environment is forcing companies the improve their competitiveness through investment in technologies and in innovation. On of the ways to accelerate the development of high technologies begins with the cooperations university-industry. The technology transfer, have been considered, in severaI studies on the subject, as one of the most effective modalities to revert the present backward technological state of industry. However, there are many factors inhibiting the technology transfer. In fact, in a few occasions have the universities established mechanisms and instruments to generate the economic impacts expected from the research. This paper intend showing some aspects about the technology transfer university-industry. Thus contributing to the understand of the barriers and of the successful factors inherent in technology transfer and propose actions and mechanisms more dynamic and efficient this relationship.

This thesis focuses on value co-creating processes in international business relationships, where customers and suppliers have different frames of reference that create a distance, often expressed in terms of uncertainty between the customer and the supplier. This tension between developing cooperative business relationships in order to co-create value versus handling uncertainty, misunderstandings and conflicts based on perceived distance, makes an interesting arena for exploring how the value co creating process is formed in international business relationships. In this thesis, a customer-supplier perspective is used. The thesis rests on reasoning and concepts discussed in the field of marketing, where literature on value co-creation forms the theoretical foundation of the thesis. Three case studies of co-operation between Chinese customers and Swedish suppliers operating in the Chinese automotive industry have been carried out so as to obtain an in depth picture of the value co-creating processes in international business relationships. The main contribution of the thesis is a nuanced phraseology which should prove fruitful when discussing value co-creating processes in international business relationships. The notion of value co creation in interactive processes is further developed by discussing value through a business relationship and value in a business relationship, where value co-creation includes both individual value for customers and suppliers respectively and common value for both parties to share. The concepts of conversation, coordination, collaboration and co-generation capture the process of cocreating value between international customers and suppliers with different frames of reference. The concepts constituting the phraseology can be seen as generally applicable, but the content of the different concepts discussed varies between business actors, across cultures and over time. By discussing the temporal dimension of past, present and future in this thesis, the developed phraseology infer the notion of continuity instead of short term interaction episodes often discussed in other types of valueco-creation frameworks.

This research was carried out in order to gather information on the current situation and practices of libraries in Kuwait so as to investigate the possibly of designing a model for establishment of a national bibliographic network in the State of Kuwait. As context for the research, background is provided on national bibliographic networks in developed countries and in the Arab World, together with consideration of the role of a national library in such a network. In order to gather data, three questionnaire surveys (for library administrators, cataloguers and automation specialists) were distributed to all types of libraries in Kuwait. Information was sought on the composition and training of staff, the nature and extent of library resources and databases, the degree of automation of systems and services, and the nature of co-operation and resource sharing. Opinions were also sought on the feasibility of establishing centralised cataloguing and the implementation of a national bibliographic network. Follow-up interviews were also carried out, and professionals in both Kuwait and Saudi Arabia were consulted for advice on practical solutions and recommendations for an effective national bibliographic network. The findings of the questionnaire surveys indicated some deficiencies that Kuwait libraries face: the absence of a leadership role by the national library; lack of a deposit law for national publications that would ensure a collection that would provide central focal point for a national information infrastructure; coverage by the national bibliography is neither comprehensive nor adequate; there are no formal systems of co-operation for resource sharing; implementation of standards for bibliographic services has been ineffective; many libraries still lack automated systems; lack of professional staff was noted by all sectors. Nevertheless, respondents were positive in their concern for needing strong leadership, adequate financial support for the national library, and expressed a desire for co-operation, which was felt to be possible even under the current circumstances. Based on the findings of the survey and experience described in the literature, it is concluded that a national library is the most appropriate body to develop and maintain the bibliographic databases that would be the centre of national bibliographic network. A model for such a network is presented, discussing the links to different libraries in the country and the duties and responsibilities of the national and other libraries in attaining successful functioning of the network. Recommendations are made for the functioning of the proposed national bibliographic network.

Abstract The phenomenon of networking has been the subject of considerable research and has made a significant contribution to business practice. In business life networks of different kinds are found as common modes of operation, and confirms the clear advantages of networks. This has increased the interest of academic research in networking. The theoretical research has extended from dyad relationships to more complicated forms, such as systems of innovation. Networking has not only been a popular research area in the field of economics, but also in the social sciences. The resulting interdisciplinary perspectives have provided new insights into the multi-faceted phenomenon of networking. This thesis is a qualitative case study. The case network is the ICTnetwork in the Oulu area in northern Finland. During the last few decades, the Oulu area has grown and established itself as one of the most important centres of wireless communication. This has been recognised worldwide and it has been labelled the “Oulu-phenomenon”. The main theoretical frameworks for this study are business and social networks theories, supplemented by innovation system and regional development theories. A network is defined in this study as A group of actors that works intentionally together to harness the long term business capabilities of the network of participants and exchange information form the business enabling network. Between the actors there can either be formal commercial relations or the relations can be informal i.e. social relations. Based on the case study, the principal contribution of this study is a novel model of networking – identified as a business enabling network – the assets of which are a goal, trust, competence, an infrastructure, and continuity. A business enabling network model is operationalized on the basis of a five-level network maturity model. These models are described in the study and provide a novel framework for the development and assessment of regional business networks. Furthermore, the study increases the understanding of the case network's operations. / Tiivistelmä Verkostoilmiö on osoittautunut hedelmälliseksi sekä tutkimuksen että käytännön kannalta. Liike-elämässä erilaiset verkostot muodostavat yhä merkittävämmän yhteistyön muodon, mikä on seurausta verkostojen eduista. Tämä kehitys on myös lisännyt akateemisen tutkimuksen kiinnostusta verkostoja kohtaan. Teoreettiset tarkastelukulmat ovat laajenneet kahdenvälisistä suhteista monimutkaisempiin verkostoihin kuten innovaatiojärjestelmiin. Liiketaloustieteen lisäksi verkostoituminen on ollut kiinnostava tutkimusalue myös sosiologiassa. Erilaisten tieteellisten näkökulmien yhdistäminen on tuottanut uusia näkökulmia kiinnostavaan ja merkittävään verkostoilmiöön. Tämä väitöstutkimus on kvalitatiivinen tapaustutkimus. Tutkimuksen case-verkostona on ollut informaatio- ja kommunikaatioteknologian verkosto Pohjois-Suomessa Oulun alueella. Muutaman viimeisen vuosikymmenen aikana Oulun alue on noussut globaalisti yhdeksi tärkeäksi langattoman kommunikaatioteknologian keskukseksi. Tämä on huomioitu myös kansainvälisesti ja se on saanut nimen "Oulu-ilmiö". Keskeisimmät teoreettiset viitekehykset tässä tutkimuksessa ovat liiketoiminta ja sosiaaliset verkostot, joita on täydennetty innovaatio järjestelmien ja alueellisen kehittymisen teorioilla. Tässä tutkimuksessa verkosto on määritelty seuraavasti: Verkoston muodostavat toimijat, jotka toimivat tietoisesti yhteisen tavoitteen toteuttamiseksi ja joiden välillä tapahtuu informaation vaihdantaa. Verkoston toimijoiden välillä voi olla liikesuhteita tai suhteet voivat olla epävirallisia eli sosiaalisia suhteita. Tutkimuksen keskeisenä kontribuutiona on uudenlainen verkostomalli – liiketoimintaa tukeva verkosto, jonka keskeiset tekijät ovat verkoston päämäärä, luottamus, osaaminen, infrastruktuuri ja jatkuvuus. Kehitetty verkostomalli on operationalisoitu viisintasoisen verkoston kypsyysmallin avulla. Kehitetyt mallit tarjoavat viitekehyksen alueellisten verkostojen kehittämiseen ja arviointiin. Lisäksi tutkimus on syventänyt ja monipuolistanut ymmärtämystä case-verkoston toiminnasta.

Magister Philosophiae (Integrated Water Resource Management) - MPhl(IWM) / The aim of the study is to understand the level of co-operation between emerging and commercial farmers in a Water User Associations. The effort is expected to inform policy and improve practice in the building of new water institutions as government strives to implement IWRM. / South Africa

Magister Artium - MA / Development thinking in the 21st century has embraced the challenge to inform development practice towards managing the relationship between the macro and micro level of development with an emphasis on people-centred development (PCD) and a participatory development approach (PDA). People-centred development advocates a process focused on people, which enables beneficiaries of communitydevelopment initiatives to empower themselves through participation. People-centred development has been universally accepted in the development community as the only viable option, with the potential to reverse decades of top-down approaches to development through the engagement of community stakeholders in a meaningful participation process. The social development scene in South Africa is characterised by a strong presence of the civil society in general and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in particular, which are major role players in socio-economic development at the grassroots. Most of these organisations are committed to participatory development methodologies in order to meet the needs of povertystricken communities in South Africa. This thesis critically assessed participatory development in the Small Business Development Departments (SBDD) programmes/projects at the Elgin Learning Foundation, in the Overberg district of the Western Cape. A qualitative research methodology was applied throughout the study. This research approach was chosen because the purpose of this project was to understand and describe community participation at the SBDD from an insider perspective, and not to predict social action or make generalisations about it. Accordingly, observation, in-depth interviews, documentary analysis, and focus-group discussions were utilised for data collection. The study also used secondary sources of information, namely policy briefs, project proposals, annual evaluation reports, and minutes of meetings. The findings indicate that the community-development activities of the SBDD are very visible in the Overberg region, and that the organisation maintains good relationships with community stakeholders. In addition, the department contributes significantly towards entrepreneurship and skills development in the  community, through its training and mentorship programmes. However, results also suggest that community-development at the SBDD is not always people-centred because training programmes are largely externally designed, monitored and evaluated, without taking into consideration the felt needs of the people. Participation that is perceived as a means to an end, rather than an end in itself can be described as tokenistic. In this light, the study recommends that the SBDD develops context-specific strategies to implement participatory methodologies at all stages of project-cycle management, in order to provide an enabling environment for the genuine participation of people at the grassroots. This approach can empower community members and build local institutional capacities to ensure project/programme sustainability in the long term. / South Africa

Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA(DVS) / Development thinking in the 21st century has embraced the challenge to inform development practice towards managing the relationship between the macro and micro level of development, with an emphasis on people-centred development (PCD) and a participatory development approach (PDA). People-centred development advocates a process focused on people, which enables beneficiaries of communitydevelopment initiatives to empower themselves through participation. People-centred development has been universally accepted in the development community as the only viable option, with the potential to reverse decades of top-down approaches to development through the engagement of community stakeholders in a meaningful participation process. The social development scene in South Africa is characterised by a strong presence of the civil society in general and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in particular, which are major role players in socio-economic development at the grassroots. Most of these organisations are committed to participatory development methodologies in order to meet the needs of povertystricken communities in South Africa.This thesis critically assessed participatory development in the Small Business Development Departments’ (SBDD) programmes/projects at the Elgin Learning Foundation, in the Overberg district of the Western Cape. A qualitative research methodology was applied throughout the study. This research approach was chosen because the purpose of this project was to understand and describe community participation at the SBDD from an insider’s perspective, and not to predict social action or make generalisations about it. Accordingly, observation, in-depth interviews,documentary analysis, and focus-group discussions were utilised for data collection. The study also used secondary sources of information, namely policy briefs, project proposals, annual evaluation reports, and minutes of meetings.The findings indicate that the community-development activities of the SBDD are very visible in the Overberg region, and that the organisation maintains good relationships with community stakeholders. In addition, the department contributes significantly towards entrepreneurship and skills development in the community,through its training and mentorship programmes. However, results also suggest that community-development at the SBDD is not always people-centred because training programmes are largely externally designed, monitored and evaluated, without taking into consideration the felt needs of the people. Participation that is perceived as a means to an end, rather than an end in itself can be described as tokenistic. In this light, the study recommends that the SBDD develops context-specific strategies to implement participatory methodologies at all stages of project-cycle management, in order to provide an enabling environment for the genuine participation of people at the grassroots. This approach can empower community members and build local institutional capacities to ensure project/programme sustainability in the long term.

The landmark inauguration of the East African Cooperation (EAC) on 14 March 1996 brought to the fore some key issues regarding regional economic integration in East Africa, particularly since it signalled the second attempt by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania to form a regional economic bloc. The EAC's predecessor, the East African Community, had collapsed in 1977 in acrimonious circumstances. Prominent among the issues that led to the collapse of the East African Community was the perception of unequal gains from the integration scheme, with Uganda and Tanzania considering that disproportionate benefits were accruing to Kenya at their expense. With the new initiative, the question emerges as to whether the problems that caused the collapse of the Community will not beset the EAC and subject it to a similar fate. In an attempt to address this question, this study considers some of the theoretical issues relating to regional economic integration among countries at different levels of development, and attempts to provide an analysis of the new initiative of the EAC in the light of this theory and the history of the East African Community. The study also critically examines the objectives of the EAC and the integration strategy adopted by the three countries, and offers suggestions on the way forward. Among the arguments made in this thesis are that, contrary to the suggestions of orthodox static analysis, if the dynamic effects of integration are considered, then there may be important gains which may accrue to integrating states in the developing country context. It is also argued that different levels of development among integrating states need not necessarily be an impediment to economic integration. The study finds that, in spite of the enormous challenges facing the EAC, member states may be better off within the integration scheme than if they acted as individual units in a rapidly globalizing international system.

The thesis describes the evolution of development co-operation in CR and Portugal, compares impacts of the membership in the EU on the development co-operation systems, answers the question if there is any convergence between development policies and territorial priorities. Further analyses position of NGOs in two countries and their possibility to influence development policy of the government.