The U.S. tung oil industry began as a government experiment in plant diversification but businessmen mistakenly interpreted this interest as an endorsement of domestic production and began growing tung trees in the Gulf South states of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. The new crop quickly caught the attention of paint, varnish, and ink companies in the northern and Midwestern states and created a buzz among chemurgists like Henry Ford and other industrialists who eagerly expanded tung acreage. With the erection of the first crushing mill in 1928, the tung oil industry began but it did not acquire any semblance of maturity until World War II. The war thrust the nascent tung oil industry into strategic status. Used as a varnish on military airplanes and naval vessels, a brake lining, a machinery lubricant, a liner for tin cans, and as electrical insulation, demand exceeded supply. Traditional consumers had such a difficult time purchasing tung oil during the war that they turned to other oilseeds or new synthetic oils. The war both aided and crippled tung oil by highlighting its chemurgic uses and deterring consumers given that shortages encouraged the quest for alternatives. Despite a barrage of synthetic competitors and imports, domestic tung growers continued production in the hopes that the discovery of new industrial markets would increase demand and attract government support in the form of parity, tariffs, and quotas. Between 1949 and 1969, a series of agricultural policies granted protection but from the outset federal support proved reluctant and tenuous because production remained miniscule, quotas threatened to heighten diplomatic tensions, and wealthy, part-time growers comprised the bulk of parity recipients. Hurricane Camille has often received credit for bringing a swift end to the industry but imports, competitive oilseeds, synthetics, and freezes had delivered powerful blows to the extent that many farmers stopped growing tung long before 1969. Indeed, Camille proved nothing more than a death knell to a waning industry that had become dependent on government largesse.

Life on Earth is incredibly diverse. The process of diversification that gives rise to this diversity is not the same for all lineages. Diversification is often driven by ecological opportunity. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen present in a variety of environments that causes chronic lung infections in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. It diversifies rapidly within the CF lung and CF lung-like environments. Here we aim to assess both ecological and genetic factors in diversification of several strains of P. aeruginosa. We evolved 12 replicate populations of 8 different strains of P. aeruginosa in a nutritionally complex (LB) and simple environment (MIN) for 750 generations. We then measured diversity over time by observing the number of colony morphologies in each population every 250 generations. We also measured competitive fitness relative to the ancestor for endpoint populations. To provide a more complete analysis, phylogeny was factored into our statistical models. First, we found no significant differences in diversification between populations evolved in LB versus MIN media. Ancestor population size had no significant effect on diversification. We found that in both selection environments, CF strains diversified less than environmental strains, but this difference was marginally significant and only present when comparing these two niches directly and excluding acute strains. Finally, we found no correlation between gains in fitness and endpoint diversity. Our results suggest that diversification is limited by niche specialization (domestication) of P. aeruginosa to the CF lung.

La transformación corporativa es un imperativo en el mundo empresarial. Los mercados adquieren cada vez un mayor dinamismo, las nuevas tecnologías disrumpen industrias sin compasión, y los clientes cada vez son más exigentes. Como resultado, empresas de todo el mundo se ven obligadas a transformarse y a buscar nuevas formas de seguir siendo relevantes, mejorar la rentabilidad y desempeño de sus organizaciones y lograr una trayectoria de crecimiento sostenible. Las transformaciones corporativas son, o deberían ser, holísticas e implican naturalmente cambios en el modelo de liderazgo y en los empleados, en las estructuras organizativas, en los procesos internos, en los modelos de negocio y en la estrategia corporativa y de negocio (Laczkowski et al., 2021). Aunque las empresas siempre han tenido que adaptarse a los nuevos entornos empresariales, a las cambiantes dinámicas de mercado y a las demandas de los clientes, el actual periodo de crisis y agitación social y económica resultante de la pandemia del coronavirus y de la guerra entre Rusia y Ucrania está creando una sensación de urgencia sin precedentes en muchas empresas. En consecuencia, es innegable que, en el clima de incertidumbre actual, las empresas se encuentran con la necesidad urgente de transformarse (Cordon, 2022; Terino et al., 2022). Hay quién afirma que el término transformación sea “quizás el término más usado en el mundo de los negocios" (Bucy, Hall & Yakola, 2016). Puede ser que no le falte razón, ya que las transformaciones impregnan todos los aspectos empresariales. Las transformaciones son amplias y muy complejas, aunque, a riesgo de simplificar, podemos genéricamente dividirlas en tres grandes tipologías. Algunas transformaciones son organizativas, cuando las empresas redefinen sus estructuras corporativas y las diferentes funciones y responsabilidades organizativas. Algunas transformaciones son estratégicas, cuando las empresas cambian o adaptan sus modelos de negocio, sus estrategias de llegada al mercado o la escala o el alcance de sus actividades. Algunas son transformaciones digitales (TD), cuando las organizaciones utilizan las tecnologías digitales para reinventar cualquier aspecto de su negocio. Y, francamente, muchas transformaciones son simplemente todo lo anterior, y pueden denominarse básicamente transformaciones corporativas. Numerosos estudios académicos se han centrado en aspectos muy concretos de las transformaciones. En el ámbito organizativo, los investigadores han examinado cómo se reorganizan las empresas para llevar a cabo las transformaciones (Balakrishnan & Das, 2020), cómo emplean métodos de trabajo "ágiles" (Rigby, Sutherland & Takeuchi, 2016; Gobillot, 2016), cómo gestionan el aprendizaje para transformarse con éxito (Schuchmann & Seufert, 2015), cómo rediseñan el trabajo (Richter et al., 2018), cómo exploran colaboraciones con actores internos y externos (Prahalad & Ramaswamy, 2004; Weiblen & Chesbrough, 2015; Furr, O'Keeffe & Dyer, 2016) y, en términos muy generales, cómo se adaptan al cambio (Christensen & Overdorf, 2000; Birkinshaw, Zimmerman & Raisch, 2016). En el frente estratégico, ciertos académicos han estudiado el tema de la transformación y el crecimiento a través de la diversificación (Rumelt, 1982; Thompson, 1984; Hoskisson & Hitt, 1990; Goold & Luchs, 1993), las alianzas corporativas (Eisenhardt & Schoonhoven, 1996; Zollo, Reuer & Singh, 2002; Van den Steen, 2014), las fusiones y adquisiciones (Christensen et al, 2011; Cuatrecasas, 2019), la redefinición de su cartera de negocios (Pidun et al., 2011; Untiedt, Nippa & Pidun, 2013) o la integración vertical (Harrigan, 1983; Stuckey & White, 1993; Rothaermel, Hitt & Jobe, 2006). Otros han estudiado los cambios de modelo de negocio a través de la innovación continua (Steiber & Alänge, 2013), la innovación disruptiva (Christensen & Raynor, 2003), la innovación abierta (Chesbrough, 2003; Gassmann, 2006; Pohlisch, 2020; Papa et al, 2020), la innovación sostenible (Skarzynski & Gibson, 2008), o la disociación estratégica (Teixeira, 2019). Por último, en el ámbito digital, diversos académicos han explorado numerosos aspectos de las TDs. Schwarzmüller et al. (2018) analizaron cómo las TDs han conducido a la redefinición de múltiples funciones y responsabilidades corporativas; y Horlacher y Hess (2016) y Kunisch at al. (2020) estudiaron la aparición de nuevas figuras, como la del Chief Digital Officer. Sousa y Rocha (2019) exploraron las capacidades y habilidades requeridas en los procesos de TD. Fenech et al. (2019) estudiaron cómo las TDs han supuesto importantes cambios en las prácticas de gestión del talento. D'Ippolito et al. (2019) y Rachinger et al. (2019) examinaron la intersección entre las TDs y la innovación de modelos de negocio. Y Wrede et al. (2020) y Porfírio et al. (2021) investigaron el papel de los altos ejecutivos en las TDs. Esta tesis no pretende encasillarse en un área específica de estudio y más bien explora el concepto de las transformaciones corporativas de una forma amplia. Existen múltiples razones para ello, siendo quizás la principal que simpatizo con quienes argumentan que las verdaderas transformaciones son holísticas y deben, por definición, involucrar e incidir sobre todos los ángulos de la empresa si aspiran a tener éxito. A pesar de la ingente literatura que se centra en las transformaciones empresariales, hay muchos aspectos que quedan por estudiar. Esta tesis explora cuatro aspectos interrelacionados de las transformaciones corporativas que han sido poco estudiados por los académicos, por diversas razones -desde la impopularidad de ciertas herramientas, el estudio limitado de las estrategias de transformación en ciertos sectores o geografías, o la contemporaneidad de ciertos eventos. Aunque unidos por un tema común, estos artículos contribuyen por separado a cuatro corrientes de investigación independientes pero interconectadas. Desde un punto de vista práctico, esta tesis pretende contribuir a responder a cuatro preguntas críticas en cualquier proceso de transformación empresarial, a saber: ¿Cuál es la combinación adecuada de mercados y negocios en los que la empresa debe estar presente? (Capítulo 5) ¿Cuál es el posicionamiento adecuado en la cadena de valor de la empresa en un contexto de mercado cambiante? (Capítulo 6) ¿Qué herramientas estratégicas puede aprovechar la empresa para transformar su negocio? (Capítulo 7) ¿Cómo puede la empresa gestionar eficazmente un proceso de transformación? (Capítulo 8). Por supuesto, estas preguntas son tan amplias que esta tesis nunca podría aspirar a responderlas de forma categórica. De hecho, este trabajo de investigación pretende realizar una contribución original, desde una perspectiva o ángulo novedoso, que pueda hacer avanzar nuestra comprensión colectiva de las prácticas estratégicas y de gestión adecuadas que deben aplicarse en los procesos de transformación, y servir de apoyo y referencia para futuras investigaciones.

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Numerous studies have been undertaken on corporate and international diversification. While most early research indicates the existence of a diversification discount, later research reports mixed results (both premiums and discounts). Recent research has even found a U-shaped, an inverted U-shaped, or an S-shaped relationship between international diversification and performance. This paper suggests a major reason for these mixed results is that the success of international diversification is dependent on specific industry and/or firm characteristics. Therefore, by looking at all firms and industries in aggregate, past diversification studies have been undertaken at too aggregate a level to understand how firm and industry specific issues affect international diversification. This study hypothesizes that the success of international diversification is dependent upon industry and firm specific advantages such as tacit knowledge, information technology capability, marketing capability, and international experience. Industries/firms that possess a significant competitive advantage in one or more of these areas will likely have an international diversification premium, while those that do not will likely have an international diversification discount. The ability of firms to generate a competitive advantage in these areas varies significantly across industries. Therefore, firms in certain industries are likely to have an international diversification premium, while others will likely have an international diversification discount. The findings of this study do indicate that in the 30 industry sectors tested, 18 have an international diversification premium while 12 have an international diversification discount. This suggests that international diversification premiums/discounts by industry to exist. The firm specific advantages of tacit knowledge, information technology capability, and marketing capability were found to be positively correlated with firm performance for international firms, while the results of international experience with firm performance were not significant. / Business Administration/International Business Administration

In the last century, many mobile pastoralists have transitioned to more sedentary lifestyles. Mobile people can be both pushed into a more settled existence by environmental or political forces, or pulled by new economic opportunities. While researchers have examined the causes and consequences of growing sedentarization, few contemporary studies have examined the patterns of settlement among mobile groups who are shifting to sedentary lifestyles and how these patterns may be related to socio-economic outcomes. This research examines settlement site selection by using GIS and remote sensing techniques to quantify settlement patterns in four Maasai villages in northern Tanzania, exploring the environmental and infrastructure correlates of settlement locations. A subset of these geographic variables is used with social survey data for 111 Maasai households in the study site to test the hypothesis that settlement location impacts livelihood strategies and economic outcomes by creating and constraining access to important resources and infrastructure. Landscape level evaluation of settlement pat-terns show that certain soil types limit occupation and the potential for agricultural expansion in 30% of the study area. Settlement density and existing agriculture are also clustered in certain parts of the landscape. The spatial models support the hypothesis that proximity to roads and village centers plays an important role in shaping overall settlement patterns. However, models that combine these factors with environmental and geophysical elements show improved explanatory performance, suggesting that competing factors are at play in influencing settlement patterns. Spatial models also indicate that agricultural development may be limiting land available for settlement in some parts of the study area. Results of the household level outcomes are more ambiguous, with few relationships between geographic variables and household livestock holdings, land under cultivation, annual income. Rather, these factors are influenced largely by demographic variables such as household size, age of the household head, and asset allocation. However, there appears to be less income diversity in households more distant from permanent water sources. / Master of Science

It has been observed that there has been an ever growing trend toward more extensive corporate diversification. The thesis here is that a great deal of the observed diversification has been the result of an effort by firms to develop internal markets for resources which do not trade well through external markets. The nature of this resource, called firm specific capital, is examined theoretically and empirically. The work begins with a presentation of a neoclassical model of the firm, where firm specific capital is produced as a joint output in the firm. It is shown how this capital, which for simplicity can be thought of as managerial expertise, would lead a firm to diversify. Then the model is subjected to an empirical test. This test supports the argument that firms use diversification to develop and exploit internal markets. In addition, the test suggests that the diversification process is procompetitive, not anticompetitive as some have argued. After the general industry level test, the study examines the effect of diversification on the individual firm. This portion of the study was concerned with the impact of diversification on corporate risk. Using risk and performance measures derived from the Capital Asset Pricing Model, and diversification measures calculated for individual firms, the study analyzes the impact of diversification on 97 firms for the years 1960 and 1965. The results of this portion of the study also demonstrate the importance of firm specific capital in the firm's diversification decision. / Ph. D.

The research for this thesis was conducted in village of Samene, Mali from 2006-2008 where I served as a Peace Corps volunteer. In Samene I became interested in understanding the livelihood experience of men and women and the critical factors that led to positive livelihood outcomes for individuals. The formal research question addressed in this thesis is how assets and access (social rules and norms) influence livelihood diversification options for men and women. The research is based on a mixed method design consisting of extensive individual and household surveying, focus groups, interviews, and participant observation. The Livelihood Approach is utilized to describe the assets, access restrictions and diversification strategies that comprise the livelihoods for men and women in Samene. The findings shows that while diversification activities are important to both men and women, women are unable to access the more attractive high return activities that are dominated by men. Differences in the livelihood experiences between and within gendered groups are explained by looking at an individual's relationship to the critical assets, which are identified as the keys to accessing activities that lead to greater livelihood security. Based on the research findings a new livelihood framework is advanced to show the different pathways men and women take to sustain and improve their livelihoods. This framework incorporates the concepts and processes of social differentiation, social exclusion, historical motion, power and access that were found to be critical in explaining an individual's livelihood experience in Samene. / Master of Urban and Regional Planning

Thesis (MDevF (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Portfolio diversification in capital markets is an accepted investment strategy. On the other hand corporate diversification has drawn many opponents especially agency theorists who argue that executives must not diversify their firms. Instead, they must pay out the ‘free cash flows’ used to make acquisitions as dividends so that shareholders can diversify on their own. The ‘conglomerate discount’ of diversified firms in stock markets confirmed this argument and compelled many firms to refocus by selling-off non-core units from the 1980s. Through a case study of Zimbabwe Stock Exchange listed Delta Corporation Limited which spun-off its unrelated subsidiaries to focus on its core cold beverages business in 2001, this thesis investigates if by refocusing conglomerates improve shareholders’ returns. Using inflation adjusted share returns and factoring in risk by adopting the Sharpe index, the study results show that Delta underperformed the market and its peers as a diversified conglomerate but outperformed both benchmarks after refocusing. The study also argues that market failures in Zimbabwe, in particularly the foreign exchange and agriculture markets, compelled firms to divert from their core strategies in order to survive hyperinflation. It concludes by affirming the consensus in corporate diversification research that conglomerates are an inefficient structure for growing shareholders’ returns but may indeed be the default corporate strategy in developing economies frequently marred by market imperfections and failures.