Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2004. / Supervisor: Omer R. Galle. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--Baylor University, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 30-34).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 1987. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 296-303). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center.

No description available.

Urbanization and economic development have important implications for many environmental processes including global climate change. Although there is evidence that urbanization depends endogenously on economic variables, long-term forecasts of the spatial distribution of population are often made exogenously and independent of economic conditions. A beta distribution for individual countries/regions is estimated to describe the geographical distribution of population using a 1° x 1° latitude-longitude global population data set. Cross-sectional country/regional data are then used to estimate an empirical relationship between parameters of the beta distribution and macroeconomic variables as they vary among countries/regions. This conditional beta distribution allows the simulation of a changing distribution of population, including the growth of urban areas, driven by economic forecasts until the year 2100. / Abstract in HTML and technical report in PDF available on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change website (http://mit.edu/globalchange/www/).

Thesis (M.Phil.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 114).

A substantial body of literature is written on the benefits of cross-functional integration between marketing and Supply Chain Management (SCM), nevertheless, a major gap was identified regarding concrete actions needed to be taken to effectively implement such integration and measures to realise and evaluate the integration's impact on performance. Previous research has failed to support the claim about the positive impact of marketing/SCM cross-functional integration on performance. This research proposes a framework to conceptualise marketing/SCM cross-functional integration in order to optimise Supply Chain Performance (SCP) and overall business performance through identifying a set of integrative marketing capabilities and a measurement taxonomy to assess the impact on performance. Due to the novelty of the research, scarce studies and limited cross-functional effective practices, purposive sampling of specific case studies had to be followed. The case studies were selected from the Egyptian Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) market. Five Multinational Companies (MNC) fulfilled a set of criteria to be used as the research case studies and to reflect a global perspective. The research was divided into three phases, exploratory, explanatory and descriptive. The exploratory phase used a semi-structured research approach. At the exploratory phase, the cross-functional integration status between the marketing department and the SCM departments was examined. Moreover, a set of integrative marketing capabilities was explored. These capabilities are claimed to have the ability to impact SCP and business performance if well aligned between the demand creation side of the organisation (marketing and sales) and the demand fulfilment side (SCM). In addition, a list of integrative practical SCP measurements were investigated at this phase in an attempt to compile a measurement taxonomy capable of assessing the impact of integrating/aligning the identified marketing capabilities with SCM. At the second phase, the explanatory phase, the study attempted to support the results of the exploratory phase. The explanatory phase was divided into two parts, Part A and Part B. This phase employed a more structured approach. Part A resulted in defining the strength of the relationship/influence between each identified marketing capability and each SCP attribute (reliability, agility, responsiveness, cost and asset management). Part B resulted in a proposed comprehensive measurement matrix of 28 Performance Indicators (PI) capable of assessing the impact of marketing/SCM cross-functional integration on SCP and business performance. Thus, a conceptual framework was developed to visualise the measured impact of marketing/SCM cross-functional integration on performance through illustrating the influence of integrating each marketing capability on each SCP attribute and that this influence can be measured by specific corresponding PI. Moreover, in order to practically illustrate a cross-functional integration process, a descriptive research phase was conducted. The integration processes of each case study were mapped and in-depth observations were undertaken to follow and understand the level and scheme of cross-functional integration between the marketing department and the SCM department at the case studies. The descriptive phase resulted in a practical cross-functional integration process model based on the best practices of the five MNCs. This research phase followed an unstructured research approach to fully comprehend the cross-functional integration phenomenon. Finally the cross-functional integration process of Unilever Mashreq, a core case study, was demonstrated and the results of its integrative Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) were shown in order to serve as a real life example reflecting the integration impact on performance. The research provides an original contribution to knowledge by developing a conceptual framework that can benefit companies by offering a tool to evaluate the effectiveness of the marketing/SCM cross-functional integration leading to improved SCP and overall business performance. Moreover, this research also presents a practical integration model to marketing and SCM executives with key cross-functional processes that facilitate implementing successful practices between the demand creation side of the organisation, the marketing department, and the demand fulfilment side of the organisation, the SCM department.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:30:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2011-03-18Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:18:37Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 portinho_jl_me_botib.pdf: 988699 bytes, checksum: 35177a563b0c79b60df1a761f31652d9 (MD5) / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a distribuição longitudinal e os atributos ecológicos das assembléias zooplanctônicas (Copepoda, Cladocera e Rotifera) e as variáveis limnológicas na zona lacustre do reservatório de Itaipu, trecho do rio Paraná a jusante e desembocadura dos rios Iguaçu e Monday, os quais não sofrem influência de barragem. Para tanto, foram realizadas coletas em dois períodos distintos: período seco (inverno 2009) e período chuvoso (verão 2010), em nove estações de amostragem: uma em ambiente lêntico, a montante da barragem de Itaipu, seis no rio Paraná, uma na foz rio do Monday – Paraguai, e outra na foz do rio Iguaçu – Brasil/Argentina. Foram obtidas amostras de qualitativas, através de arrastos horizontais, e quantitativas (tréplicas), através de arrastos verticais de 20 m (1.143 litros), ambas com rede de 50 μm. Os seguintes parâmetros físicos e químicos da água foram medidos na região de superfície e meio do canal dos rios: transparência, temperatura, velocidade, pH, oxigênio dissolvido, condutividade elétrica, turbidez, material em suspensão (frações orgânicas e inorgânicas), nitrogênio total, fósforo total, silicato dissolvido e biomassa fitoplanctônica (clorofila a). Para auxiliar na interpretação dos dados determinou-se a riqueza de espécies (S), o índice de Shannon-Wiener (H‟), a Equitabilidade de Pielou (J‟). Foram feitas ainda análises de componentes principais (ACPs), de correspondência canônica (ACCs), de agrupamento por similaridade (UPGMA) e de variância ANOVA “two-way”, todas estas baseadas na abundância e composição dos microcrustáceos e rotíferos. As ACPs indicaram a separação dos pontos entre os períodos (seco e chuvoso) e as variáveis limnológicas atuantes na diferenciação. A região a jusante da barragem de Itaipu, no rio Paraná, foi distinta dos rios Iguaçu e Monday... / The aim of the study was to analyze the longitudinal distribution and ecological attributes of the zooplankton assemblages (Copepoda, Cladocera and Rotifera) and the limnological variables in the Itaipu Reservoir and Paraná River stretch downstream the dam –and Iguazu and Monday Rivers. Samples were collected in two distinct periods: dry season (winter 2009) and rainy season (summer 2010), in nine sampling stations: one site in lentic environment upstream of the Itaipu Dam, six sites in the Paraná River, one site in the mouth of Monday River – Paraguay River, and one site in the mouth of the Iguazu River - Brazil/Argentina. The zooplankton was collected (treplicates) through vertical hauls (20 m depth; 1,143 liters), for quantitative analyses, and through horizontal throws for qualitative analyses, both with a 50 μm plankton net. The following physical and chemical water parameters were measured on the surface water, in the middle of the river channel: transparency, temperature, water speed, pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, turbidity, suspended matter (organic and inorganic fractions), total nitrogen, total phosphorus, dissolved silicate and phytoplankton biomass (chlorophyll a). In order to improve the data interpretation it was calculated the species richness (S), Shannon-Wiener index diversity (H ') and Pielou evenness (J'). It was also performed Principal Component Analyses (PCAs), Canonical Correspondence Analyses (CCAs ), cluster analyses (UPGMA) and variance analyses (ANOVA two-way ), all of them based on the abundance and composition of microcrustaceans and rotifers. The ACPs indicated the separation of sites between the seasonal periods and limnological variables interfering in the distributions. Sites downstream the Itaipu Dam, in the Parana River, were distinct from the ones in Iguazu River and Monday River. These last two sites contributed to the increase... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

South Africa is acknowledged as having the highest Gini coefficient in the world. The Gini coefficient is a measure of income inequality in a country. The eradication of all forms of inequality was probably the most important aspiration for people pre-democracy. After two decades of democracy, not only has the eradication of inequality not materialised, but inequality has worsened. The aim of the research is threefold. Firstly, to understand the origins and the ensuing reasons for inequality as it is experienced in South Africa in 2013 and secondly, to investigate what the effects of this inequality are on the lives of South Africans, socially, politically and economically. Lastly, the research aims to find what, if anything, South Africans can do to address the issue, in order to determine if the aspiration is indeed attainable. Qualitative exploratory research was conducted by interviewing 16 prominent South Africans with the requisite knowledge of the topic and experience in their respective fields. Semi-structured, in-depth face-to-face interviews were performed. Content and theme analysis were carried out on the transcripts, followed by the recording of the responses in logically ordered tables. The literature informed the interpretation of the results in the tables. The reasons for and causes of South Africa’s high Gini coefficient were identified, with the apartheid legacy and the present government’s governance style as the two greatest contributors. The effects of the high inequality in the South African context were considered far more detrimental to society, than to the politics and the economy of the country. The research yielded a number of actions that could be considered to reduce inequality, thereby improving the Gini coefficient. The two most important proposals were addressing the current poor education system and finding a solution for unemployment. / Dissertation (MBA)--Gordon Institute of Business Science, 2013 / mn2014 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / MBA / Unrestricted

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