Dans un contexte où le rôle de l’entreprise en matière de pauvreté est de plus en plus questionné, ce travail de recherche explore la manière dont les grandes entreprises traitent leurs clients pauvres en France. Sur le plan théorique, cette thèse articule principalement la théorie néo-institutionnelle, afin de comprendre les modalités d’action des entreprises, avec la théorie des capacités d’Amartya Sen pour cerner les contours de la pauvreté. Sur un plan empirique, ce travail s’est déroulé dans le cadre d’une CIFRE (Convention Industrielle de Formation par la Recherche) au sein du cabinet de conseil BearingPoint. Via une recherche qualitative qui nous a amené à étudier les dispositifs mis en place par huit grandes entreprises à l’égard de leurs clients pauvres, nous obtenons trois résultats principaux. Premièrement, nous identifions cinq modes de traitement qui diffèrent selon leur impact sur l’autonomisation des clients pauvres. Deuxièmement, nous montrons que les modes de traitement particulièrement adaptés à la réduction de la pauvreté sont liés soit à l’intervention publique – réglementation ou contrat de service public –, soit à une culture d’entreprise marquée par un fort degré de préoccupation à l’endroit des plus démunis. Troisièmement, enfin, nous proposons un ensemble d’éléments clés susceptibles d’améliorer le traitement réservé aux clients pauvres. Pour cela, nous nous adressons aux entreprises ainsi qu’au régulateur qui sont, sans conteste, les deux acteurs les mieux à même de corriger les écueils identifiés. / As the role of companies in addressing poverty is increasingly highlighted, this thesis focuses on how large companies in France serve poor customers. On a theoretical level, this work builds on neo-institutional theory to understand the practices of companies on the one hand, and draws on Amartya Sen’s concept of capabilities to comprehend poverty’s dimensions on the other hand. On a practical level, this research has been conducted as part of a CIFRE (university-industry partnership) sponsored by the consulting firm BearingPoint. Our research has primarily been informed by qualitative research on the practices of eight large corporations in France. Three main results emerged. First, we identified five ways in which companies deal with poor customers according to their impact on customers’ empowerment. Second, we demonstrated that the approaches that seemed most effective in alleviating poverty are either linked to state intervention – through regulation or public service contracts– or linked to cases where values of solidarity are strongly embedded in the corporate culture. Third and finally, we present a number of key elements that could help improve customer service to vulnerable populations. To that effect, we are directing our message to companies and policy makers, both of which are undoubtedly in the best position to address obstacles we have identified.

Contribuições recentes em teoria econômica têm sugerido que os efeitos do gasto do governo sobre o consumo privado dependem da interação entre agentes otimizadores e não-otimizadores, dada a restrição de liquidez dos últimos. Este trabalho analisa empiricamente tal hipótese estimando modelos de correção de erros em painel uniequacionais (P-ECM) e multiequacionais (P-VECM) para um painel com 48 países, assumindo uma estrutura de dependência de corte transversal e utilizando alguns dos mais recentes procedimentos de cointegração em painel. Sob a hipótese de que em países em desenvolvimento existe uma maior fração de agentes não-otimizadores (restritos ao crédito), analisa-se a existência de efeitos distintos entre países desenvolvidos e em desenvolvimento. Os resultados indicam que o gasto do governo crowds in o consumo privado agregado no longo prazo, sugerindo que o gasto do governo e o consumo privado podem ser descritos como bens complementares, e que os efeitos são duas vezes maiores nos países em desenvolvimento relativamente aos desenvolvidos, dando suporte às hipóteses testadas. / Recent contributions in economic theory have proposed that the observed effects of government spending on private consumption depend on the interaction between optimizing and non-optimizing agents, i.e., those who are liquidity constrained. This dissertation empirically analyzes this hypothesis by estimating panel error-correction models both uniequational (P-ECM) and multiequational (P-VECM) in a panel of 48 countries, assuming cross-sectional dependence structure and applying some of most recently developed methodologies on panel cointegration. Under the hypothesis that developing countries have a higher fraction of non-optimizing agents (with credit constraints), the dissertation analizes the existence of different effects on developed and developing countries. The results show that government spending crowds in private consumption in the long run, suggesting that government spending and private consumption can be described as complementary goods, and that the effects are two times as larger in developing countries as in developed ones, supporting the tested hypothesis.

Drawing on perspectives from stakeholder, resource dependence, institutional and the resource based theories and using a multiple-case inductive study, this research reframes the drivers of corporate environmentalism in the context of developing and developed countries. Based on case analysis of 23 environmentally responsive organizations in India and New Zealand, corporate environmentalism in this research has been operationalized as a two level construct. Organizations were categorized as being at first order responsiveness when they were observed to recognize the importance of the natural environment and exhibited attempts to decrease their impact on the natural environment through the adoption of programmes aimed at pollution reduction and prevention, decreased resource consumption and recycling of wastes. Organizations at second order responsiveness were observed to exhibit a higher order commitment in integrating environmental issues into their strategic decision making. This involved strategies such as green product development and initiating projects aimed at industrial ecology. Detailed within and cross case analysis revealed fundamental differences in the drivers that propel business organizations in developing and developed countries to be environmentally responsive at each level. The findings of this study reveal that lax enforcement of environmental regulations in developing countries implied that domestic regulations were not a driving factor for corporate environmentalism. Neither was pressure from consumers or communities reported to be a driving factor. Instead first order environmental responsiveness in organizations in developing countries was observed to be driven by pressure arising out of internationalization. Thus pressure from multinational organizational customers in developed countries and the institutional pressures imposed by the liability of foreignness (that arises when these firms set up subsidiaries in developed countries) drives first order responsiveness in the organizations in developing countries. However higher order environmental responsiveness in organizations in developing countries was observed to be associated with deep rooted identities and capabilities based in social responsiveness. In the context of business organizations in developed countries, the necessity to comply with stringently enforced domestic environmental regulations emerged as the primary driver for first order responsiveness. Societal expectations to comply with environmental regulations reinforce the regulatory drivers. Internationalization drives first order responsiveness in organizations in developed countries to the extent that the requirements of the host country are additional to and exceed current regulatory requirements in the parent country. Higher order corporate environmentalism in organizations in developed countries was observed to be associated with environmentally high impact organizations. Such organizations are considered environmental liabilities and are forced by stakeholders (with access to resource needed for continuity of operations) to exhibit higher order responsiveness or face a cancellation of the license to operate. The major contribution of this research lies in extending and reframing the existing theory about the drivers of corporate environmentalism.

<p> <p>&nbsp / </p> </p> <p align="justify">At the heart of this study is the topic of small economies in the Multilateral Trade System (MTS). The study examines the World Trade Organisation&rsquo / s (WTO) legal framework and policy objectives in order to develop a comprehensive definition of small economies as a group of WTO members with specific needs. Particular attention is given to the determination of the specific characteristics of small economies, as well as the issues and constraints they are facing in the MTS. The study explores solutions proposed in order to tackle the constraints to the effective integration of small economies in the MTS, with specific reference to the policy reasoning of small economies. More importantly, the study explores the impact of the size factor, which is certainly not only a burden on the growth and development perspectives of the considered entity, but which may also become an advantage and promotes the trade performance of a small economy. Hypotheses are then made relating to the relevance of the economic and political environments in the determination of a successful (or not) integration, and participation, of a small economy in the MTS. A crucial argument developed is that the differences observed between countries sharing similar characteristics of smallness, vulnerability and remoteness/landlockedness, illustrates the fact that what ultimately matters is the interplay of factors related to the economic and political environments, the effect of which is to promote or constrain (depending on the case) successful integration of the small economy in the MTS.</p>

<p>The research paper seeks to investigate the possible ways in which African countries can maximise their benefit from the existing special and differential treatment clauses for trade in agriculture, and, then, make recommendations as to what should be the potential bargaining position of African countries with regard to future trade negotiations on agricultural trade.</p>

The Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region is faced with limited medical personnel and healthcare services to address the many healthcare problems of the region. Poor health indicators reflect the overall decline in socio-economic development. Shortages of access to health services in the region is further complicated by the concentration of health services in urban areas, the region’s multiple medical problems (over 70% of HIV/AIDS cases in the world); and the brain drain phenomenon – it is estimated one-third of African physicians emigrate to North America and Europe. The result is that the SSA region is left with about 10 physicians, and 20 beds, per 100,000 patients. Telemedicine has been found to offer socio-economic benefits, reduce costs, and improve access to healthcare service providers by patients, but previous attempts to move various information technologies from developers in the industrial world to the developing world have failed because of a clear neglect of infrastructural and cultural factors that influence such transfers. The objective of this study is to address key factors that challenge the introduction of telemedicine technology into the health sector in SSA in particular, and by extension, other developing countries with similar socio-economic structures. This research offers a distinctive perspective, focusing on visually-based clinical applications in the SSA region, and considerable attention to the national infrastructure and cultural impact of telemedicine transfer (social and value) outcomes. Two research models and its associated hypotheses are proposed and empirically tested using quantitative data collected from SSA physicians and other health professionals. The study also contributes to the ongoing debate on the potential of telemedicine in improving access and reducing costs. This research can help to understand the socio-economic impact of telemedicine outcomes in a comprehensive way. The finding from the survey shows the rapid advances in telemedicine technology specifically, visual clinical applications may become an essential healthcare tool in the near future within SSA countries.

No description available.

The threat of global warming is bringing a new pro-environmental paradigm all over the world under the Kyoto Protocol. Addressing climate change is beneficial to all countries because environment is global public good. However, because global warming is also closely related to each country’s specific condition such as industrial development and political situation, prudent approaches considering different situations of each country are required in order prevent unintended negative consequences. This study focuses on the weakness of the current CDM (Clean Development Mechanism) in terms of impeding sustainable development in LDCs (Least Development Countries). As a case study, the Grameen Shakti Program in Bangladesh demonstrates the potential scenario of sustainable development in LDCs through CDM markets and a new financial model of CERs (Certified Emissions Reductions) is suggested to support and replicate the Grameen Shakti Program other LDCs. / text

<p> <p>&nbsp / </p> </p> <p align="justify">At the heart of this study is the topic of small economies in the Multilateral Trade System (MTS). The study examines the World Trade Organisation&rsquo / s (WTO) legal framework and policy objectives in order to develop a comprehensive definition of small economies as a group of WTO members with specific needs. Particular attention is given to the determination of the specific characteristics of small economies, as well as the issues and constraints they are facing in the MTS. The study explores solutions proposed in order to tackle the constraints to the effective integration of small economies in the MTS, with specific reference to the policy reasoning of small economies. More importantly, the study explores the impact of the size factor, which is certainly not only a burden on the growth and development perspectives of the considered entity, but which may also become an advantage and promotes the trade performance of a small economy. Hypotheses are then made relating to the relevance of the economic and political environments in the determination of a successful (or not) integration, and participation, of a small economy in the MTS. A crucial argument developed is that the differences observed between countries sharing similar characteristics of smallness, vulnerability and remoteness/landlockedness, illustrates the fact that what ultimately matters is the interplay of factors related to the economic and political environments, the effect of which is to promote or constrain (depending on the case) successful integration of the small economy in the MTS.</p>

<p>The research paper seeks to investigate the possible ways in which African countries can maximise their benefit from the existing special and differential treatment clauses for trade in agriculture, and, then, make recommendations as to what should be the potential bargaining position of African countries with regard to future trade negotiations on agricultural trade.</p>