E-learning is a form of education that is increasingly being used in higher education in the developed world. However, the take-up and use of e-learning in developing countries is at a preliminary stage. This thesis deals with e-learning in the context of a developing country. The aim of the study was to describe and understand teachers’ beliefs about e-learning in higher education at UMSA. Qualitative semi-structured interviews and observations were used to identify 10 teachers’ beliefs about e-learning. The Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge framework was used for analysing the interviews and observations. Teachers’ showed varying levels of knowledge about technology, pedagogy and content, as well as varying knowledge levels about different combinations of these three knowledge domains. Despite the limited educational resources at Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (UMSA), most teachers’ believed e-learning is beneficial for themselves and their students

Over the last two decades, sanitation policy and development has undergone a paradigm shift away from heavily-subsidized, supply-driven approaches towards behavioral-based demand-driven approaches. These current approaches to increase sanitation demand are multi-faceted, requiring multiple stakeholders with varying degrees of interest, knowledge, and capacity. Although efforts exist to increase sanitation access by incorporating engineering design principles with implementation planning approaches, these groups generally work independently without strong connections, thus reducing the potential of their impact. As a result, the design of appropriate sanitation technology is disengaged from the implementation of acceptable technology into communities, disconnecting user preference integration from sanitation technology design and resulting in fewer sanitation technologies being adopted and used. To address these challenges in developing successful interventions, this research examined how user preferences for specific attributes of appropriate sanitation technologies and their respective implementation arrangements influence their adoption and usage. Data for the study included interviews of 1002 sanitation users living in a peri-urban area of South Africa; the surveyed respondents were asked about their existing sanitation technology, their preferences for various sanitation technology design attributes, as well as their perspectives on current and preferred sanitation implementation arrangements. The data revealed that user acceptability of appropriate sanitation technology is influenced by the adoption classification of the users. Through the identification of motives and barriers to sanitation usage that were statistically significant, it exhibited the need to differentiate users who share private sanitation from those use communal sanitation facilities. Results also indicated that user acceptability of appropriate sanitation systems is dependent on the technical design attributes of sanitation. The development of utility functions detailed the significance of seven technical design attributes and determined their respective priorities. An agent-based simulation examined how user preferences for sanitation technology design and implementation influence its adoption and usage. Findings suggest that user acceptability of sanitation technology is dependent on both the technology design and the implementation arrangement being preferred.

This dissertation examines the Corporate Social Responsibility in a developing country, Malaysia. The research is divided into two phases. First phase of the research contributes to the literature on CSR by providing a national perspective on CSR in Malaysia. The second phase of the research takes an organisation-centric viewpoint. The aim of is to examine (1) CSR core issues; (2) translation of identified core issues into CSR principles; and (3) implementation of these principles with CSR activities engaged. The key findings from the within-case and cross-case analysis suggest: (i) the role of regulatory bodies promoting CSR; (ii) organisations focus on CSR core issues and written policies; (iii) certain core issues being ignored; (iv) written policies developed not known throughout the organisations; (v) CSR carried out as project or add-on depending on industry norm; (vi) most common CSR activities; (vii) communications aspect rather weak; and (viii) organisation in early stage of CSR reporting; in the CSR management process in Malaysia.

We attempt to answer the following key questions: What are the revaluation effects and the impacts on the cost of capital, volatility, and correlation with world market returns from stock market liberalization in emerging market countries? These questions have been studied extensively at the market-level, i.e. using country indices, but not at the firm level. In the market-level analysis, there is increasing concern whether the country indices are proper means to answer those questions, for example they may not represent the real holdings of foreign portfolio investors after liberalization. Indeed, foreign portfolio investors are known to prefer investment in large and well-known firms. Hence, the opening of capital markets should have a differential impact across securities depending on foreign investors' demand. In order to take into account the potentially different impacts caused by foreign investors' demand, we use individual firm data as well as market-level indices. Our analysis is based on the cross-sectional and time-series panel regression method. / Our test results using country indices show statistically and economically significant revaluation effects, and increases in the cost of capital. While the stock market volatility increases, its correlation with world market return does not change after stock market liberalization. More important than these market-level findings, we report significantly different impacts of stock market liberalization, based on firm size, which is used as a proxy for foreign investors' demand. Large firms tend to exhibit large revaluation effects, insignificant change in the cost of capital, small increases in volatility, and increases in correlation with the world market from liberalization. Small firms show small revaluation effects, increases in the cost of capital, large increases in volatility and decreases in correlation with world market returns after liberalization. Our results have important implications for international investors seeking to manage their global exposure as well as for policy makers considering capital market liberalization.

The major part of the island school groups in South-West Thailand is comprised of remote areas, which are under development and lack facilities and basic needs. Most people on the islands are poor Thai gypsies living in temporary shelters or small boats. They have distinctively different origins, cultures and languages. Developing the infrastructures in this area is a low priority on the government's list. Only a marginal percentage of the budget is being spent in the development of gypsy people, especially on their education. This has in turn become a major hurdle for the acceptance and implementation of the new Information Communication and Technology (ICT) in the island school's group sector. The schools generally have an inappropriate infrastructure, inadequate teachers and huge limitations in education resources. ICT implementation has been carried out by the Ministry Of Education (MOE) to assist in teaching, learning and school administration. In examining the ways in which ICT integration has been administered and used in island schools, the study investigated the roles of two different levels of the educational system: 1) The Satun Education Service Area (Satun ESA), located on the mainland; and 2) an island school group, located in the Andaman sea. The Linstone's Multiple Perspectives Model provided a framework for data collection and the organisation of results in a qualitative study. Data was collected by interviewing the Director of the Office of Satun Educational Service Area, the head teachers, teachers, parents and students in the island schools. Data from interviews, observations and documents was analysed using a template analysis approach (King, 2004). The findings of this study were interpreted in three dimensions: ICT benefits, ICT barriers and ICT sustainability. Sustainability is key to the effectiveness of a remote ICT project. Therefore, it is important to understand the concepts and categories associated with ICT project sustainability in rural areas. The categories of sustainability, including infrastructure, policies, politics, culture, management, human resources, co-operation and finance factors, need to be considered in the implementation of ICT projects in island schools or other projects in remote areas. The outcome of this study is a framework that clarifies the process of effective ICT implementation in the island context, which provides an additional valuable source of knowledge for local education policy makers in Thailand and other developing countries.

The aim of the thesis "Peru: developing country with mineral wealth" is to analyze the most prosperous economic sector in Peru, which is the mining industry. Although Peru is a developing country in the world known for its rich history, also has big economic potential, which still faces many challenges. Peru belongs to the world's ten largest producers and holders of the world's reserves of silver, copper, zinc, lead, tin, and gold. In addition, this sector is important to the global level, it has a big impact on the Peruvian economy After obtaining independence in 1821, Peru has undergone periods of political unrest, financial crises and phases of stability and economic growth. During the colonial period was indigenous people often exploited and their culture suppressed. Today the indigenous population of about half the population live mostly in the traditional way of life in mountain areas and Amazon jungle. Liberalization reforms in the 90s opened Peru doors to economic prosperity, but also a deepening social differences. The work uses the methods of analysis, synthesis and comparison and is divided into four chapters. The first chapter of the thesis deals with the general definition of the developing world, with an emphasis on developing region of Latin America. Second chapter is focused on Peru's political, economic and social development. Third chapter belongs to the most significant sector of the Peruvian economy, mining industry and its impact in the world and domestic economy. This sector faces big problems as informal mining and social conflicts because of the pollution. Last chapter aims to assess the future development of the mining industry in Peru, which affect the internal and external influences of the global and national economic situation.

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Recent literature has shown a close correlation between economic prosperity and the intensity of energy use in a country. In this study, an investigation to determine the extent of evolution of the concept of sustainability in the energy industry to realise the aim of Kenya Vision 2030 development blueprint is presented. In this study, journals, government reports, statutes and policies dating back to the end of the eighteenth century were reviewed to establish the research gap. Interviewing of key stakeholders in the energy industry a survey of rural, peri-urban and urban households on energy use and supply in the country and a geographical information system were methods used for data analysis. The study findings revealed that; the current energy policies are a legacy of colonial policies which benefit the urban and commercial centres along the railway line; the current policies are skewed to promoting electricity and petroleum sectors in energy industry and; biomass is the main source of fuel for rural and peri-urban households and, increased household energy demand has a negative impact on environment. In light of these findings, the practice of energy use and policies have to evolve significantly so that the aim of the Vision 2030 has to be realised. Therefore, this study is an innovative, analytical and methodological approach to sustainable energy use and policy assessment for developing countries. The study also makes contribution to the body of knowledge in the field of sustainable energy use and policies for developing countries by literature publication.

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In recent years the development community has pressured LDCs to privatize agro- industries. This pressure stems from poor public enterprise performance and an ideological shift. However, public enterprises mitigate market failures. The major objective of this study is to measure the impact of privatizing the Nepalese yak cheese industry. To achieve the objective, public and private behavior are determined. The impacts of privatization stem from changes in monopsony behavior and institutional constraints that differ between the public and private sectors. The Dairy Development Corporation (DDC) of Nepal produces yak cheese. The DDC's mandate is to provide a "fair" price to consumers and producers. Private producers of cheese have emerged in recent years. Milk shed structures include: single DDC factories, single private factories, multiple private factories, and mixed production. Market performance is evaluated using partial equilibrium models that include the yak cheese and milk markets. Economic surplus measures are used for evaluation. Herder producer surplus is the most important criterion because herders are the poorest beneficiaries. The impact of privatization is determined through comparison of observed DDC and predicted private equilibria. Private equilibrium is predicted using a simultaneous equation system developed for this research. The equations ensure that supply and demand balance at the aggregate and individual milk shed levels. The Lerner index is incorporated to model monopsony behavior. Private monopsony parameters used in the system are estimated econometrically. A private equilibrium is also predicted with a modified firm cost structure reflecting reduced impacts of institutional constraints. Findings show that private and public firms are exercising monopsony power. DDC privatization can be advocated because it increases herder producer surplus by 15.4%. Total surplus falls slightly because private cheese is lower quality. DDC privatization decreases herder welfare in milk sheds that support only a single firm. The simultaneous equation system developed to predict the private market equilibrium for post agro-industry privatization has the potential to be extended to solve a broader range of economic problems. The equation system can be adapted to applications where there are multiple production regions and monopsony behavior varies by regional characteristics. / Ph. D.