Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

La thèse traite de l'industrialisation qui s'opère au sein des systèmes de distribution de la presse dans les pays de l'union européenne, notamment la France, la Grande-Bretagne, l'Allemagne, l'Italie et l'Espagne. L'accent est porté sur la libéralisation et la régulation du processus de diffusion des journaux et magazines selon des mécanismes et procédés empruntés à la logistique industrielle et au marketing distributeur propres au secteur de la distribution des marchandises courantes. Après avoir présenté les contraintes et les spécificités liées à l'étude comparative des marchés de la diffusion de la presse, nous proposons dans un premier temps, une analyse structurelle du système de distribution des titres afin de mettre en évidence les mutations managériales au sein de la chaîne d'édition et de diffusion. Dans un second temps, nous analysons le processus relationnel et de rémunération régulant le travail d'échange et de prestation entre les membres en vue de faire ressortir les pratiques marchandes. Le cadre de résolution globale s'inscrit dans une perspective méthodologique développée à l'origine par l'économie industrielle en vue d'analyser la structure du marché de l'offre d'une industrie, et se réfère également à des approches juridique, financière et de gestion. Hormis ce cadre théorique, la thèse essaie de rendre compte de l'environnement industriel des différents maillons de la chaîne de diffusion en s'appuyant sur les modèles d'analyse des canaux de la distribution courante. En somme, la démarche méthodologique que nous revendiquons se situe à l'intersection de l'économie industrielle et de l'économie de la culture et de la communication.

This research investigates the discursive construction of Hong Kong identity in mediated political communication, in order to understand the relationship between media discourse and the political economy of the media in Hong Kong, as well as the political and economic context in Hong Kong, and thereby reveal the dynamic of the involvement of the media in the politics of Hong Kong identity. It is argued that the Hong Kong identity has changed substantially over the past few decades, and that these changes have been shaped by broader political changes, economic developments and cultural shifts, all of which have been filtered through the Hong Kong media system. To demonstrate this, the thesis employs a novel combination of textual and contextual analysis, drawing on analytical techniques and concepts from corpus linguistics, critical discourse analysis, the political economy of the media, and sociological theories of identity. To be able to assess the relative role of the media system factors and the broader contextual elements in shaping the mediated representations of Hong Kong, the research encompasses two case studies, one focusing on the media coverage of the 2004 interpretation of the Basic Law regarding universal suffrage, the other on the coverage of the Chief Executive Election in 2005. The analysis reveals that the mediated construction of Hong Kong identity is closely related to the political economy of individual newspapers the newspaper type, its readership, ownership, political affiliation and commercial orientation. The comparison between the two case studies also shows that the media representations of identity are also inflected by the characteristics of the broader society of Hong Kong, its politics and economy at the chosen points of time. The results of the study contribute to a better understanding of Hong Kong, its identity, political culture, and its media system. These results also suggest that the analytical approach used, based on a parallel examination of the political economy of the media and the discursive constructions of identity in the media, has a lot to offer and could be fruitfully applied to other cases around the world.

The development of the news media in western societies coincided with the formation of a fully democratic polity based on universal suffrage, and from the outset the press and later broadcasting were assigned a central role in providing the information and argumentative resources for citizenship and in checking for abuses of power. But the commercial news media were also industries, increasingly financed by the sale of advertising, and commentators saw the search for audience maximisation moving news towards sensation. While these developments gathered momentum over many decades in the West, in Taiwan they have been compressed into two, as the country has experienced a rapid triple transformation: from authoritarian, single-party rule, to democratic politics based on multi party competition; from a state managed economy to a market-driven economy; and from a restricted media system to an open one marked by fierce competition. Many observers see this highly compressed process of change, coupled with the relative weakness of civil society, generating a particularly aggressive form of tabloidisation, a withdrawal from social responsibility and ethics, and news system ill adapted to serving the needs of a still consolidating democracy. This argument empirically through three detailed case studies of key stories places them in the context of the general changes reshaping Taiwanese news media and the original arguments over tabloidisation in the West, and concludes by exploring the possibilities for reform in the future.

This thesis explores the implications of the changes in the political and social conceptions of higher education and the resulting crisis of higher education in the UK. The specific focus is placed on business schools as institutions operating in increasingly competitive management education markets, and on postgraduate students as key stakeholders that are largely neglected in academic and public discussions. It explores how the emerging characteristics of the management education, such as the reliance on specialised rankings and corporate-inspired business school designs, influence student perceptions of the purposes of education and their experiences of their chosen the programmes of study. In doing so, the thesis draws from theoretical discussions on mechanisms for mediation of market values and principles to students. Specifically, the thesis focuses on commodification of education through commensuration and standardisation embedded in specialised media rankings, and the representation of market values through the features of business school space. A qualitative exploratory study was conducted over a period of one academic year with 61 students enrolled on a postgraduate taught (MSc) programme in Management at a reputable UK business school. Data was collected on student behaviours, activities, opinions and views, as well as on their relationship with their social and organisational surroundings. Student views and perceptions were gathered through observations, informal conversations and 20 in-depth interviews from the chosen programme. Additional interviews with 12 postgraduate students from other schools informed the discussion by providing insights into the similarities and differences between student perceptions and experiences in different institutional settings. Data collection was supplemented with secondary data, including policy documents and visual data. Contrary to the prescriptive, linear and goal-oriented perspective on students dominating contemporary academic and policy discourses, findings suggest that students experience education as a messy and a transformative process, with ambiguous and uncertain outcomes. The thesis contributes to academic debates on the social roles and functions of specialised rankings by providing insights into the nature of the student consumption of rankings, and their influence on student experiences. Furthermore, it contributes to the literature on the implicit and informal elements of business school settings by recognising space as an active and constitutive part of student experience. The thesis challenges the prevalent institutional and political reduction of students to consumers of education, and instead implies that student experience should be treated as a complex, multi-layered and, above all, fluid process. In doing so, the thesis offers a novel approach towards a more comprehensive understanding of the roles and purposes of higher education in contemporary society.

Empirical evidence has shown that goats are of significance in marginalised, poor, and rural economies and this information has been well documented in scholarly research. Despite its importance and potential contribution, goat farming remains underutilised and undeveloped in the rural economy - particularly in South Africa. Developmental intervention has focused on improving productivity with minimal effort aimed at the integration of key role players in the value chain, and even less emphasis on improving farmers' attitudes. The largest goat population in South Africa is found in the Northern Cape where there is great potential to be realised for goat farming. The main objective of this study was to identify supply side (production) factors constraining subsistence goat production in South Africa, with the view of identifying key actors to establish an innovation platform through vertical integration. By transforming the subsistence farming orientation of goat farmers into a commercial (market) orientation, the welfare of communities can be improved through the commercialisation of smallscale goat farmers. Studies highlight the need to enhance goat production beyond subsistence goat rearing and towards commercialisation through access to markets, veterinary services, credit facilities, and government support. Furthermore, a focus on market development, value chain integration and innovation platforms can improve the efficiency of the goat farming sector. This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge on goat farming in South Africa and offers an innovation platform to foster partnerships among the actors along the value chain, creating an enabling environment for the easy flow of market information and infrastructure development. A praxis model is incorporated into this research. This takes the form of a business model and is provided in Appendix B as a practical way of applying the knowledge gathered in this research.

The impact of micro-finance on the lives of the poor is a hotly debated issue filled with controversies and inaccuracies. The literature review on the benefits of micro-finance indicates that early debates were mostly based on heart-warming anecdotes and case studies, with little empirical study on its actual impact. Thus, despite the heated debate on micro-finance, there is still little understanding on the true empirical impacts of microfinance, particularly its psychological impacts on the poor. This study investigated the relationship and impact of micro-finance on self-esteem and self-efficacy. The study was conducted using a non-experimental research strategy (within-subjects design) and quasiexperimental strategy (pre-post-test non-equivalent control group). Two sampling methods, systematic and convenience sampling were used to select participants. A total of 264 pre-test and 159 post-test participants took part in this study. Data were collected using the Rosenberg self-esteem scale and General self-efficacy scale. The Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient was employed to measure the relationship between micro-finance, self-esteem and self-efficacy. The MANCOVA was used to investigate the impact of the provision of micro-finance on self-esteem and self-efficacy. The results not only showed that micro-finance is positively related to self-esteem and self-efficacy, but also showed that the provision of micro-finance led to an increase in the self-esteem of the recipients. The study further revealed a decline in the self-esteem of those who were declined micro-finance and highlighted the covariates that influenced this relationship. In light of these results, practical and theoretical implications affecting micro-finance practitioners, researchers and recipients are identified. Suggestions for future research are made based on the improvement of current methodologies, inclusion and use of valid control groups, the use of different sampling methods and larger sample sizes. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / Psychology / PhD / Unrestricted

University Knowledge Commercialisation‘ (UKC) has come to be seen as a stimulant for developing economic performance. Regardless of the increasing body of literature in the UKC, it is revealed to be undertheorized, whilst existing theories are the result of inductive theorizing based on successful KC stories within the western context. Moreover, the literature provides modest practical directions and pay insufficient attention to the role of mechanisms, such as power, mimetic isomorphism, and intermediation, in bridging differences in institutional logics between actors. These gaps inspired the study aim, which is to explore the implication of such mechanisms in bridging differences in logics within UKC institutionally emerging context, Oman. Through a qualitative, multiple case-study approach, data was collected from four contract research projects through semi-structured interviews. The first three interviews served as a pilot study, the results of which were then used to formulate the second stage which was interviews with participants from academia, industry, and government. This approach improves the internal validity of the research, and provides a rich picture of the Omani UKC emerging institutional environment. The findings suggest that the influences of power, mimetic isomorphism, and intermediation have significantly shaped bridging, though not always positively, in logics in the Omani UKC context. The findings show that adverse influences in this process included: asymmetric power relationships, mimetic isomorphism‘s simplistic view of logics convergence and negligence of institutional fragmentation, and insufficient intermediation activities. The novelty of introducing the concept of power adds a new theoretical dimension into the UKC and ILP theories. Additionally, the novelty of using case of Oman as an empirical study added new contribution into the field. In addition, this study contributes to a better understanding of the Omani policy actions with regard to shift to an effective UKC approach.

Au Cameroun, les communautés locales font face à des défis de gouvernance forestière pour commercialiser leur bois en toute légalité. La présente étude visait à évaluer la gouvernance forestière au sein des communautés dans 12 forêts communautaires (FC) de l’Est Cameroun. Des groupes de discussion et des entretiens individuels ont permis (1) d’évaluer la gouvernance forestière dans des FC pendant leur processus de création en fonction des acteurs d’appui; (2) de comparer les pratiques locales aux exigences de la grille de légalité N°6 de l’APV-FLEGT (Accord de partenariat volontaire - Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade) et (3) d’évaluer la mise en œuvre d’un nouveau système de traçabilité du bois dans les FC. Les résultats montrent que les acteurs d’appui influencent la création des FC. La perception de la gouvernance forestière par les communautés était positive lorsque l’appui à la création de la FC provenait d’acteurs tournés vers la communauté plutôt que vers la matière ligneuse. Le diagramme des déterminants relationnels entre communautés et acteurs d’appui basé sur les principes de gouvernance (participation, transparence, légitimité, équité, intégration, imputabilité, capacité et adaptabilité), révèle les actions correctives possibles pour tenir compte des besoins des communautés et atteindre la dévolution sur l’échelle de la gouvernance. Certaines pratiques locales d’exploitation du bois créent des écarts avec les exigences de l’APV-FLEGT. Pour réduire les écarts, en plus d’être reformulée, la grille devrait être réajustée pour mieux distinguer les responsabilités des communautés, des sous-traitants et de l’administration des forêts. Pour les défis de la mise en œuvre de l’APV-FLEGT, une amélioration de la participation et de l’accès à l’information préparerait mieux les gestionnaires des FC à se conformer, à défaut de pouvoir influencer la mise en œuvre. Les résultats confirment que les FC n’ont pas de système fiable de traçabilité du bois. L’utilisation des déterminants d’amélioration de la gouvernance forestière garantirait une prise en charge des FC par les communautés locales pour une commercialisation légale de leurs bois. / In Cameroon, local communities face forest governance challenges during legal timber trading operations. The present study aimed at evaluating forest governance amongst local communities in 12 community forests (CF) located in the East region of Cameroon. Focus group discussions and individual interviews were used (1) to analyze forest governance in CF during their creation by different support actors; (2) to compare local practices with the requirements of legality matrix Number 6 of the VPA FLEGT (Voluntary Partnership Agreement - Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade) and (3) to analyze the implementation of a new timber tracking system in CF. The results show that support actors influence the creation of CF. Community perception of forest governance was positive when support for CF creation came from community-based actors rather than resource-based actors. The diagram of the interactive determinants between communities and support actors based on the principles of governance (participation, transparency, legitimacy, equity, integration, accountability, capacity and adaptability), highlights possible corrective actions to better take into account community needs in order to achieve devolution on the scale of governance. Some local timber harvesting practices create discrepancies with VPA FLEGT requirements. To reduce the gaps, the matrix should be reformulated and readjusted to better distinguish the responsibilities of communities, subcontractors and the forest administration. Regarding the challenge of implementing VPA FLEGT, improved participation and access to information would better prepare CF managers to comply, even if not influencing implementation. The results show that CF do not have a reliable wood tracking system. The use of the determinants of forest governance improvement would guarantee self-management of CF by local communities and legal marketing of their timber.

Les plantations de teck ont de multiples avantages socio-économiques. Elles constituent de ce fait un secteur à bon potentiel, qui mérite d’être étudié convenablement pour en tirer un maximum de retombées. Malheureusement, la commercialisation du bois de teck au Bénin et sa rentabilité restent encore très peu connues. Cette situation entraîne la prise de décisions qui entravent le développement de l’activité. Une étude diagnostic du circuit de commercialisation et une évaluation de la rentabilité du bois de teck du Bénin dans les plantations industrielles ont donc été menées. L’objectif général du travail est de fournir une description détaillée de la filière du bois de teck dans les plantations industrielles de l’Office National du Bois (ONAB). Pour atteindre cet objectif, nous avons suivi trois étapes. Tout d’abord, nous avons procédé à une description de la filière du bois de teck de l’Office Nationale du Bois (ONAB) par l’entremise d’une revue de la littérature qui a permis de collecter des données secondaires. Par la suite, nous avons pris connaissance de la perception des professionnels du milieu forestier par rapport à la gouvernance de la filière afin de faire ressortir les difficultés qui freinent la filière. Pour ce faire, nous avons réalisé une enquête terrain et interrogé dix-neuf intervenants au total, répartis en trois catégories soit les acteurs directs, les acteurs d’appui et les acteurs indirects. L’analyse financière des plantations de teck de l’ONAB fût réalisée en se basant sur des coûts réels fournis par les agents de l’ONAB et en calculant la valeur actuelle nette. Une analyse de sensibilité de certains facteurs nous a permis d’établir une liste des facteurs qui ont une grande influence sur la rentabilité. Il s’avère que le prix du bois, le rendement du bois, le taux d’intérêt et le coût de production des plants de teck sont les quatre facteurs prépondérants dans la rentabilité des plantations de teck. En général, l’activité des plantations de teck est rentable. Cependant il est important de prendre ce résultat avec réserve.