Thesis (M. Ec.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Commerce, 1986. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 212-217).

Financial Accounting Standard Committee modified the Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No.7 ¡§Consolidated Financial Statement¡¨ in 2004. The new standard was conducted in 2006. This study is to discuss the influence of the modified Standard on earnings management of Business Groups. The test samples include 178 companies, which belong to 69 business groups. The test window is from 2005 June to 2007 June. We, using Modified Jones Model, compared the discriminate accruals generated from both consolidated financial statements and financial statements of parent companies. The findings of this study are presented as follows: 1. The modification of SFAS No.7 conducted no influence on earnings management and related party transactions of business groups. 2. After modified SFAS No.7 was conducted, the discriminate accruals generated from consolidated financial statements differ from those of financial statements of parent companies. However, no such difference exists before SFAS No.7 was modified. The findings reveal that the modification of SFAS No.7 helps fully disclose the financial information of business groups. The stakeholders, therefore, should consider both consolidated financial information and financial statements of single parent companies.

Processing of lignocellulosic biomass for transportation fuels and other biocommodities in integrated biorefineries has been proposed as the future for emerging sustainable economies. Currently bioprocessing strategies are all multi-step processes involving extensive physicochemical pretreatments and costly amounts of exogenous enzyme addition. Consolidated bioprocessing (CBP), or direct microbial conversion, is a strategy that combines all the stages of production into one step, thus avoiding the use of expensive pretreatments and exogenous enzymes that reduce the economic viability of the products produced. With a growing trend towards increased consolidation, most of the reported work on CBP has been conducted with soluble sugars or commercial reagent grade cellulose. For CBP to become practical fermentative guidelines with native feedstocks and purified cellulose need to be delineated through specific substrate characterization as it relates to possible industrial fermentation. By carefully reviewing the fundamentals of biomass pretreatments for CBP, a comparative assessment of the fermentability of non-food agricultural residue and processed biomass was conducted with Clostridium thermocellum DSMZ 1237. Cell growth, and both gaseous and liquid fermentation end-product profiles of C. thermocellum as a CBP processing candidate was characterised. Batch fermentation experiments to investigate the effect of cellulose content, pretreatment, and substrate concentration, revealed that higher yields were correlated with higher cellulose content. Pretreatment of native substrates that increased access of the bacterial cells and enzymes to cellulose chains in the biomass substrate were key parameters that determined the overall bioconversion of a given feedstock to end-products. The contribution of amorphous cellulose (CAC) in different biomass substrates subjected to the same pretreatment conditions was identified as a novel factor that contributed to differences in bioconversion and end-product synthesis patterns. Although the overall yield of end products was low following bioaugmentation with exogenous glycosyl hydrolases from free-enzyme systems and cellulosome extracts. Treatment of biomass substrates with glycosyl hydrolase enzymes was observed to increase the rate of bioconversion of native feedstocks in biphasic manner during fermentation with C. thermocellum. A “quotient of accessibility” was identified as a feedstock agnostic guideline for biomass digestibility. / October 2015

Thèse (maîtrise)--Université Laval, 2002. / Bibliogr.: f. [104]-105. Publié aussi en version électronique.

M.Comm. / The realities of competing in today’s rapidly changing environment require flexible leadership styles, motivation, empowerment, creativity and innovation to drive maximum performance. The core of leadership today is the art of mobilising and putting together the intellectual resources of all employees (i.e. skills, knowledge and experience) of the organisation to maximise productivity. Most organisations are experiencing the challenges of understanding that leadership styles do have a significant impact on performance and employee motivation. This study investigates the relationship between these concepts (i.e. leadership, motivation and performance) and the impact they have on employees and the organisation. A quantitative research project was conducted within the De Beers Corporate Headquarters through an online survey. A random sample of employees at various job levels and within various disciplines was selected. A total of 310 questionnaires were distributed and a response rate of 79% was achieved. The main findings of the research discovered that a significant relationship exists between the style of leadership demonstrated in a particular situation and the impact it has on the motivation and performance levels of employees in an organisation. Recommendations are made regarding improvements and changes that should be made should the study be repeated in the future. The recommendations include: putting in place measures to recognise and reward the successful implementation of new ideas made by employees; consider providing employees with flexibility in terms of structuring their remuneration packages and negotiating flexible working arrangements; putting in place performance systems that recognise and reward team performance adequately and consistently; putting in place measures to monitor the evaluation and tracking of poor performers within De Beers and regularly benchmark the reward system with ii world-class systems to ensure that De Beers remains competitive and is able to retain its exceptional performers. Limitations of the study were identified and outlined. The main limitation was that the research study was limited only to employees based at the headquarters and did not include employees at the various operations in other regions. This results in limited respondents’ perceptions, which would have been better enhanced if all operations were included in the study. The research has added value in that it will ensure that De Beers leaders are aware of the various leadership styles that they can use. This can establish a broader understanding of how and when to use the various leadership styles to ensure maximum performance, through happy and motivated employees.

Pell Grant funding is without question foundational to the American community college mission – providing access to higher education to over 9 million students. Pell Grants are particularly important in the 2-year sector, where such a large number of students are from low-income socioeconomic areas. In December 2011, then-President Obama signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act (2012) which significantly changed the Pell Grant program for college students by making 3 major changes to the eligibility criteria for Pell Grants. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of these 3 changes at the national, state, and local level to estimate the impact felt by colleges and students across the United States. This quantative study utilized data from the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) Integrated Postsecondary Data System (IPEDS) as well as from a mid-sized urban college located in the state of Minnesota. Both regression analysis and seasonal time decomposition techniques were conducted to determine the estimated number and amount of Pell Grant award post Act compared to actual. The findings of this study indicated a significant correlation between the model and the output when used with national and local data. Not all of the state models produced significant results.

M.S.

The diploma thesis focuses on differences in the preparation of consolidated financial statements according to Austrian and Czech legislation. Although the countries are located in the European Union and the legislation of individual countries is increasingly corrected, there are some differences in the preparation of consolidated financial statements according to the legislation of both countries. These differences are explained by selected economic indicators on the results of the consolidation group. The diploma thesis also includes the preparation of a methodological manual for the preparation of consolidated financial statements according to the legislations of both countries, based on information from the user.

This master thesis deals with the problem of synergistic effects. There is the basic characteristic of transformations of companies and of consolidated financial statements in opening chapters. After that attention is paid to the suitable indicators to monitor the synergistic effects. In following chapters, the thesis is focused on the evaluation of the synergistic effects in the selected companies.

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The need to mitigate the twin crises of peak oil and climate change has driven a headlong rush to biofuels. This study was aimed at the development of a process to efficiently convert steam explosion pretreated (STEX) sugarcane bagasse into ethanol by using combinations of commercial enzyme cocktails and recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains. Though enzymatic saccharification is promising in obtaining sugars from lignocellulosics, the low enzymatic accessibility of the cellulose and hemicellulose is a key impediment thus necessitating development of an effective pretreatment scheme and optimized enzyme mixtures with essential accessory activities. In this context, the effect of uncatalysed and SO2 catalysed STEX pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse on the composition of pretreated material, digestibility of the water insoluble solids (WIS) fraction and overall sugar recovery was investigated. STEX pretreatment with water impregnation was found to result in a higher glucose recovery (28.1 g/ 100 bagasse) and produced WIS with a higher enzymatic digestibility, thus was used in the optimization of saccharification and fermentation. Response surface methodology (RSM) based on the 33 factorial design was used to optimize the composition of the saccharolytic enzyme mixture so as to maximize glucose and xylose production from steam exploded bagasse. It was established that a combination of 20 FPU cellulase/ g WIS and 30 IU -glucosidases/ g WIS produced the highest desirability for glucose yield. Subsequently the optimal enzyme mixture was used to supplement enzyme activities of recombinant yeast strains co-expressing several cellulases and xylanases in simultaneous saccharification and fermentations SSFs. In the SSFs, ethanol yield was found to be inversely proportional to substrate concentration with the lowest ethanol yield of 70% being achieved in the SSF at a WIS concentration of 10% (w/v). The ultimate process would however be a one-step “consolidated” bio-processing (CBP) of lignocellulose to ethanol, where hydrolysis and fermentation of polysaccharides would be mediated by a single microorganism or microbial consortium without added saccharolytic enzymes. The cellulolytic yeast strains were able to autonomously multiply on sugarcane bagasse and concomitantly produce ethanol, though at very low titres (0.4 g/L). This study therefore confirms that saccharolytic enzymes exhibit synergism and that bagasse is a potential substrate for bioethanol production. Furthermore the concept of CBP was proven to be feasible. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die behoefte om die twee krisisse van piek-olie en klimaatsverandering te versag, het veroorsaak dat mense na biobrandstof as alternatiewe energiebron begin kyk het. Hierdie studie is gemik op die ontwikkeling van 'n proses om stoomontplofde voorafbehandelde (STEX) suikerriet bagasse doeltreffend te omskep in etanol deur die gebruik van kombinasies van kommersiële ensiem mengsels en rekombinante Saccharomyces cerevisiae stamme. Alhoewel ensiematiese versuikering belowend is vir die verkryging van suikers vanaf lignosellulose, skep die lae ensiematiese toeganklikheid van die sellulose en hemisellulose 'n hindernis en dus is die ontwikkeling van' n effektiewe behandelingskema en optimiseerde ensiemmengsels met essensiële bykomstige aktiwiteite noodsaaklik. In hierdie konteks, was die effek van ongekataliseerde en SO2 gekataliseerde stoomontploffing voorafbehandeling van suikerriet bagasse op die samestelling van voorafbehandelde materiaal, die verteerbaarheid van die (WIS) breuk van onoplosbare vastestowwe in water (WIS), en die algehele suikerherstel ondersoek. Daar was bevind dat stoomontploffing behandeling (STEX) met water versadiging lei tot 'n hoër suikerherstel (21.8 g/ 100g bagasse) en dit het WIS met ‘n hoër ensimatiese verteerbaarheid vervaardig en was dus gebruik in die optimalisering van versuikering en fermentasie. Reaksie oppervlak metodologie (RSM), gebasseer op die 33 faktoriële ontwerp, was gebruik om die samestelling van die ‘saccharolytic’ ensiemmengsel te optimaliseer om sodoende die maksimering van glukose en ‘xylose’ produksie van stoomontplofde bagasse te optimaliseer. Daar was bevestig dat ‘n kombinasie van 20 FPU sellulase/ g WIS en 30 IU ‘ -glucosidases/ g’ WIS die hoogste wenslikheid vir glukose-opbrengs produseer het. Daarna was die optimale ensiemmengsel gebruik om ensiemaktiwiteit van rekombinante gisstamme aan te vul, wat gelei het tot die medeuitdrukking van verskillende ‘cellulases’ en ‘xylanases’ in gelyktydige versuikering en fermentasie SSFs. In die SSFs was daar bevind dat die etanol-produksie omgekeerd proporsioneel is tot substraat konsentrasie, met die laagste etanolopbrengs van 70% wat bereik was in die SSF by ‘n WIS konsentrasie van 10% (w/v). Die uiteindelike proses sal egter 'n eenmalige "gekonsolideerde" bioprosessering (CBP) van lignosellulose na etanol behels, waar die hidrolise en fermentasie van polisakkariede deur' n enkele mikroorganisme of mikrobiese konsortium sonder bygevoegde ‘saccharolytic’ ensieme bemiddel sal word. Die ‘cellulolytic’ gisstamme was in staat om vanself te vermeerder op suikerriet bagasse en gelyktydig alkohol te produseer, al was dit by baie lae titres (0.4 g/L). Hierdie studie bevestig dus dat ‘saccharolytic’ ensieme sinergisme vertoon en dat bagasse 'n potensiële substraat is vir bio-etanol produksie. Daar was ook onder meer bewys dat die konsep van CBP uitvoerbaar is. / The National Research Foundation (NRF) for financial support