La tesi vuole esaminare i fattori determinanti l’implementazione di sistemi di gestione responsabile degli approvvigionamenti. In particolare, si è voluto verificare la presenza di pressioni – interne ed esterne – che spingono l’impresa a integrare la responsabilità sociale nella gestione delle relazioni di fornitura globali. La prima parte presenta gli sviluppi che hanno portato alla definizione del concetto di Responsible Procurement Management. In particolare, vengono discusse le nuove sfide nel contesto globale che hanno accresciuto l’attenzione nei confronti delle implicazioni sociali e ambientali connesse all’estensione delle catene di fornitura. Successivamente, si propongono le definizioni di Responsible Procurement Management e gli approcci strategici che si stanno affermando nella letteratura. Infine, si presentano le ipotesi di ricerca. La seconda parte si concentra sul progetto di ricerca realizzato durante il periodo di Dottorato. Dopo aver presentato la metodologia utilizzata, la discussione di focalizza sui risultati dell’analisi statistica ed evidenzia se questi confermano o negano le ipotesi di ricerca. / The thesis is aimed at examining the determinants of the Responsible Procurement Management. In particular, attention has been focused on understanding what factors – internal and external the organization – affect the decision to integrate corporate responsibility into the management of global supply relationships. The first part presents the developments that led to the concept of Responsible Procurement Management. In particular it discusses the new challenges in the global context that have increased the attention towards the social and environmental implications of extended supply chains. Then, it proposes the definitions of Responsible Procurement Management in literature and the emerging strategic approaches. Finally, the research hypotheses are introduced. The second part presents the research project aimed at verifying the hypotheses previously discussed. It begins by describing the methodology, then it moves to the discussion of findings in order to understand whether gathered data do support or deny hypothesized determinants.

The aim of this study was to investigate milk consumption among children in a village in a developing country where access to milk during childhood may be limited. Another aim was to see if measurable information could demonstrate growth among children who drank milk. The data was collected through anthropometric measurements on 66 boys and girls (aged 5-6). Nutritional data from a selected group of parents of the participating children were done through 24-hour-recall, questions about meal arrangement, availability and attitudes about milk were asked. Result: Five-year-old girls who drank milk at home and in school were significantly taller compared to girls (5 yr) who did not drink milk, as well as taller than the girls (5 yrs) who drank milk only at home. Arm muscle area, and arm circumference was also significantly larger among the girls (5 yr) who drank milk. No significant differences were shown among the boys. Food consumption included more nutrients among children who drank milk, which might contribute to the growth effect among the girls (5 yrs). Consumption of milk was due to economic situations, access to school-milk or owning a cow. Conclusions: Some significant differences among 5-year-old girls were shown. Poverty was the main reason for not drinking milk, as well as lack of access to milk. / Syftet med denna etnografiska studie var att undersöka mjölkkonsumtion bland barn i en by i ett utvecklingsland där tillgång till mjölk under barndomen kan vara begränsad. Syftet var även att se om mätbar information kan visa tillväxt hos barn som dricker mjölk. Data samlades in genom antropometriska mätningar på 66 pojkar och flickor (5-6 år). Kostdata hos en utvald grupp föräldrar till några av de barn som deltog i mätningarna har gjorts genom 24-timmars-intervjuer, där även frågor kring måltidsordningen, tillgänglighet och attityder kring mjölk ställdes. Resultat: Femåriga flickor som drack mjölk både i skolan och i hemmet visade sig vara signifikant längre än flickor (5 år) som inte drack mjölk, de var även längre än flickor (5 år) som bara drack mjölk i hemmet. Armmuskelarea och armomkrets var också signifikant större hos flickorna (5 år) som drack mjölk jämfört med de flickor som inte drack mjölk. Inga signifikanta skillnader gällande tillväxten visade sig hos pojkarna. Matkonsumtionen var mer varierad hos de barn som drack mjölk, vilket kan ha påverkat resultatet. Mjölkkonsumtionen berodde på ekonomi, tillgång till skolmjölk, brist på mjölk och kunskap om mjölk. Slutsats: Några signifikanta skillnader gällande tillväxten visade sig hos femåriga flickor. Fattigdom var största anledningen till att inte konsumera mjölk, även brist på mjölk i bostadsområdet. Barn som drack mjölk hade tillgång till mjölk i skolan och/eller i hemmet.

Eradicating poverty, malnutrition, and the burden of disease have been included as three of the major issues facing the world. The United Nation member countries, having set forth the Millennium Development Goals, have committed themselves to solving these problems. Two major factors which affect solutions to these problems are increasing water stress and implementing improved sanitation. Integration of tilapia aquaculture and reuse of wastewater has been suggested as a solution which addresses both of these factors. The objective of this study is to examine the feasibility, and explore the benefits and drawbacks, to implementing small community wastewater fed (WWF) aquaculture systems in the developing world. The water quality characteristics of treated effluent from nine wastewater treatment (WWT) plants were compiled from other studies. The concentration of total nitrogen in the effluent and the flow rate were of most importance, as they were used to calculate the nitrogen loading at each WWT plant. The nitrogen loading was then used to estimate the total pond size which could be supported by each WWT plant, the expected yearly yield for tilapia, and the percentage of the population who would benefit from provision of protein associated with the integration a fish farming system with the WWT plant. Results show that WWF, semi-intensive tilapia culture can provide 10 grams per day of dietary protein for 11% - 52% of the population of the communities in this study when integrated with a community managed wastewater treatment system. To assess potential risks to human health, associated with WWF aquaculture, the level of fecal coliform (FC) contamination was compared to the standard set by the World Health Organization; less than 105 FC per 100 mL for reuse in fish ponds. The level of FC contamination in the WWT plant effluents ranged from 653 to 1.78 × 105 FC per 100 mL, exceeding this standard. Given the context, the level of fecal coliforms should not rule out integrated reuse and aquaculture as an option. The nutrients found in wastewater are valuable resources in tilapia culture; therefore, allowing their persistence through treatment for reuse, while optimizing wastewater treatment technologies for pathogen removal is an appropriate solution for small communities in developing countries for reducing poverty, malnutrition, and disease burden of waterborne illnesses.

The importance of water as a mechanism for the spread of disease is well recognized. This study conducted household surveys and measured several physical, chemical, and microbial water quality indicators in 37 elevated storage tanks constructed of different materials (polyethylene, fiberglass, cement) located in a peri-urban community near Cochabamba, Bolivia. Results show that although there is no significant difference in physical and chemical water quality between polyethylene, fiberglass and cement water storage tanks there is a difference in microbial contamination as measured by E. Coli counts (p = 0.082). Evidence points toward elevated water temperatures that increase along the distribution system (from 10.6°C leaving the treatment plant) to within the black polyethylene storage tank (temperatures as high as 33.7°C) as the most significant factor in promoting bacterial growth. Results indicate that cleaning frequency may also contribute to microbial water quality (p = 0.102).

Population growth, urbanization, degrading water quality, and climate change are making management of scarce water resources an increasingly difficult task for the domestic sector. It is recognized that in order to manage urban water resources demand management is requisite. Demand management has been experimented with in large cities of developing countries but continued focus on expanding supply overshadows its potential benefits and ultimate success. In order to manage demand, it must be measured and understood. Intermittent water services are prevalent in developing countries, but unmetered domestic water use under such conditions has not been carefully studied. This study conducted 1,149 household surveys in a small, growing, coastal city (population est. 35,645) in La Libertad, Peru. The objectives were to 1) characterize current household water use behaviors, perceptions and values as they vary among three user groups (two distinct unmetered intermittent water services and well users) and reveal the existing water use and potential household demand for water, and 2) propose demand management tactics applicable to conditions of the study site that may be generalizable to small, developing, cities. Survey results show daily per capita water use in the range of 35 to 90 L with more water being used by the group that receives water for a longer duration of time. The distribution of water was inequitable and, on average, households received water for less time than the service providers' reported duration. Demand is likely to grow due to increasing water-related infrastructure, established water behaviors, and a lack of understanding regarding regional scarcity and water conservation. Households are not satisfied with existing service conditions, particularly water quality, but due to an apparent distrust in their water providers are unwilling to pay for improvements. For domestic service to remain sustainable under the pressures of increasing water scarcity, demand management strategies, particularly education and awareness building, are likely achievable and should be adopted, complementary to supply-minded management.

This thesis focuses on compliance with IFRS disclosure requirements in Malaysia. There are four objectives that this study attempts to achieve, namely: (1) to ascertain whether present regulatory enforcement is effective in curbing non-compliance with IFRS in Malaysia; (2) to determine whether corporate ownership structure, culture and corporate governance attributes have a significant influence on the extent of compliance with IFRS disclosure requirements; (3) to identify the factors of (non-) compliance with IFRS from the perceptions of preparers and auditors; and (4) to explore the reasons why an unqualified audit report was issued despite non-compliance with IFRS disclosure requirements. This study employs a mixed methods approach to achieve the stated objectives, where annual reports of 225 Malaysian listed companies are examined and interviews with regulators, preparers and auditors are conducted. The following findings are documented in this study. Although compliance with accounting standards is mandated by law, this study demonstrates that no Malaysian company has fully complied with IFRS disclosure requirements. Similarly, the companies examined still receive unqualified audit reports despite significant non-compliance with IFRS disclosure requirements. This study argues that merely mandating compliance with accounting standards by law does not result in full compliance with accounting standards if sufficient or stringent enforcement is not in place. The Malaysian economy is dominated by family-owned companies and government-owned companies; however, this study finds that there was not enough evidence to support the influence of these ownership types on the extent of compliance with mandatory disclosure requirements. Despite the importance of corporate governance mechanisms in enhancing financial reporting quality, this study finds that only board meeting, audit committee size and audit committee expertise are significantly associated with the extent of compliance with IFRS disclosure requirements. However, the association direction for audit committee expertise is puzzling, because the negative coefficient suggests that mandatory disclosure decreases with the presence of audit committee experts. This study also provides evidence that culture (ethnicity) has a significant influence on the extent of compliance with IFRS disclosure requirements. This study also contributes to the extant literature by documenting the factors of (non-) compliance with IFRS from the perceptions of preparers and auditors. These factors are the attitude of top management, problems with accounting standards, lack of enforcement, passive investors, materiality, accountants’ attitude, undeveloped capital markets and political excuse. These (non-)compliance factors in fact cannot be revealed by statistical analysis. This study finds that materiality and true and fair view are the two reasons suggested by interviewees that can explain why unqualified audit opinion was expressed despite non-compliance with IFRS. Nevertheless, this study argues that materiality and true and fair view override might also be used (or misused) as an excuse by auditors for not qualifying audit reports in the case of significant non-compliance with IFRS disclosure requirements, given the subjective and vague concept of both materiality and true and fair view.

Purpose:The purpose of this study is to approach a solution to reduce housing shortage, by using inspiration from an industrialized building concept, which can lead to the opportunity for underprivileged people to get a livable housing. The aim is to study how knowledge from industrialized building could be used for a more efficient way of building in developing countries similar to Colombia.   Method:Utilizing literature studies for achieving abutment to published research also giving the authors an observant mind. With this knowledge, participatory observations were made as action research to explore the prevailing procedure when establishing a house. Operating analyzes, interviews were held in Leticia for understanding observed decisions. To be able to critically analyze the results from the interviews and observations, collected data were compared with knowledge based on the authors’ reference frames.   Findings:Keystones identified as the overall concept are applicable on establishments in the western world, since the concept is designed after similar conditions. Capital is required designing a building system as well as establishing a factory for prefabrication of elements, conditions limited in developing countries. Climate conditions and prevailing corruption prevents implementation of the concept. Identified weaknesses during the observations, noted repetition of unnecessary and non-value adding activities. One conclusion is not to implement the entire industrial building system, only practice the mindset. Initially keystones are implemented such as planning, exchange of information and reflection of performed projects, in order to improve upcoming projects. These keystones require no direct capital, merely a mindset that should be implemented.   Implications:The outcome of this study is to enlighten the subject, since obvious weaknesses were noticed, with capacity for development. Further research is realistic because, in a long term it will help solving the housing situation. For example, using this result as underlay for education like creating more efficient building, enlightening planning for reducing unnecessary non value-adding activities. As a conclusion of the study, identified weaknesses during the establishment affects the efficiency, creating unnecessary costs. A developing country should focus upon emphasizing reduction of costs, since their economic status is already declining.   Limitations: The observations during the case study have been concentrating on one small-scaled project in Leticia, Colombia. No further observations have been made but complements such as literature studies and interviews. Due to lack of time and language barrier, the amount of collected empirical data was too limited to provide durable conclusions for question formulations. Since only observations were performed on one establishment, a general result cannot be submitted.

The objective of this thesis is to investigate how of the concepts of adaptation and vulnerability are defined in IPCC’s third assessment report (TAR) with specific focus on IPCC’s response to the critique from South. I have achieved this by doing a text analysis of the content in TAR. My point of departure was in the position of South and there critiques on the climate change policy. I have divided the objective into different research question where I focus on the definition of vulnerability, the determining factors of adaptive capacity, if there is a difference in vulnerability between and within regions and whether focus is on adaptation or mitigation in TAR. There are two definitions of vulnerability in TAR. One is by Brooks (2003) referred as biophysical and the other as social vulnerability. Which one the authors in the report refer to is not put out which cause confusion. In earlier assessments are the biophysical approach more common than the social. In TAR is the use of vulnerability in terms of social conditions more common than the biophysical. This is an improvement since this definition is necessary to get a greater focus on the need for immediate adaptation, in South particularly. It was somewhat problematic to determine whether the adaptive capacity only on the level of the system was considered in TAR or also exogenous factors, which affect the capacity of the system, was included in the definition. In some sense exogenous factors have been considered however it is not much reflection over this. In the report there is a consensus that the vulnerability differs between regions. However there is not much research conducted in developing countries. Also in the issue of concentration on adaptation or mitigation the problem is that there is not enough research from developing countries. Despite this, this assessment report has more focus on adaptation than the other ones.

In South Africa one of the strongest influences on domestic indoor air quality is the type of energy used for heating, cooking and other household purposes. Emissions from fuel combustion, along with housing factors, can result in respiratory infections, a leading cause of death in the country. In this study I examine the relationships between energy types, patterns of use, housing conditions such as improper ventilation and overcrowding, indoor air quality and respiratory health in poorer communities of Msunduzi Municipality, South Africa. These variables were examined using an ecohealth perspective through the integration of data concerning individual time-activity budgets, housing materials and structure, energy sources used for heating, cooking and lighting, respiratory symptoms and continuous real time monitoring of indoor air pollutants (particulate matter (PM), carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO) and sulphur dioxide (SO2)). A total of 20 dwellings, displaying large variability in housing structure and energy patterns, were sampled for 24 hours (hr) over a period of 60 days. The mean 24-hr average indoor concentrations measured were as follows: PM2.5= 16 ± 11 µg/m3, PM10= 78 ± 46 µg/m3, CO= 5 ± 6 ppm and SO2= 0.18 ± 0.27 ppm. Mean indoor concentrations measured were significantly greater than mean outdoor concentrations (p<0.0001 (PM2.5), p=0.017 (PM10), p<0.0001 (CO), p<0.0001 (SO2)). Although PM concentrations increased with the use of increasingly inefficient-burning fuel types (gas < paraffin < wood), no significant differences in the means were found across these fuel types. It is thought that the high degree of variability among dwellings and the small sample size in this study obscured any statistically significant relationships. No significant differences in mean concentrations were found across different housing types either. Indoor exposures were, on average, highest among very young children (ages 0-5) and elders (ages 51+). All age groups reported experiencing high levels of respiratory symptoms, with the elder group (ages 51+) reporting the highest percentages for each symptom. This study will be used to inform local governments and NGOs of local indoor air pollution and exposure risks, so that policy and resources can be allocated accordingly to improve physical environments. / Thesis (Master, Environmental Studies) -- Queen's University, 2007-09-27 08:52:05.443

This study empirically investigates the direct and indirect effects of export promotion programs (EPPs) on firm export performance. Government export promotion programs normally define the premise for successful exporting activities of the corporate sector and play a key role in stimulating international business activities of firms (Cavusgil and Michael, 1990; Marandu, 1995; Seringhaus and Rosson, 1990). While the extant literature on export performance mostly neglected EPPs as an antecedent of export performance, the literature on export promotion fails to relate it to export performance. A very few researchers in this area have focused on a direct relationship between EPPs and firm export performance, however, no study has investigated the effect of EPPs on other determinants of export performance toward establishing any indirect relation between EPPs and export performance. This study attempts to develop and test a comprehensive model of firm export performance that investigates how EPPs directly and indirectly influence firm export performance. Theoretical foundations are drawn from internationalization process and resource-based theories as frameworks for the analysis of the study. The model integrates the use of EPPs, management perception of export market environment, export knowledge, export commitment, and export strategy that influence firm export performance and develops a number of hypotheses. Export promotion programs are classified into two categories according to their similarity of purpose- "market development", and "finance and guarantee" related programs. All other variables in the model are latent and are measured by a set of observed items. The model is tested on primary data obtained from a sample survey of exporting firms drawn from three major export oriented industries in Bangladesh. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) techniques (in AMOS 5) are used to test the validity of the overall model and the relationship between variables hypothesized in the model. A two stage process is employed whereby the construct measurements are first evaluated, followed by an evaluation of the structural relationships. Analysis of the structural relationships supports most of the hypothesized relationships. The dimensions of export promotion programs are found to positively impact overall export performance. The research findings demonstrate that the use of market development-related export promotion programs influence firm export performance directly as well as indirectly through management perception of the export market environment, export knowledge and commitment. However, finance and guarantee-related export promotion programs indirectly influence export performance through export commitment. The study provides a guideline for managers of firms suggesting how they can benefit from EPPs in improving their positive attitude towards the export market environment, building their knowledge and enhancing commitment to exporting for better success in their international operations. This study provides guidelines to policymakers in designing and targeting export promotion programs effectively. The study also contributes to the literature by examining the indirect impact of EPPs on firm export performance. Finally, the limitations of the study are considered and possible directions for further research outlined.