Unemployment in South Africa has continued to be consistently high as indicated by the various reports published by Statistics South Africa. Unemployment is a global problem where in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries it is related to economic condition. The economic conditions are not solely responsible for the problem of unemployment in South Africa. Consistently high unemployment rates are observed irrespective of the level of economic growth, where unemployment responds marginally to changes Gross Domestic Product (GDP). To understand factors that influence unemployment in South Africa, we need to understand the dynamics of the unemployed population. This study aims at providing a statistical tool useful in improving the understanding of the labour market and enhancing of the labour market policy relevancy. Survival techniques are applied to determine duration dependence, probabilities of exiting unemployment, and the association between socio-demographic factors and unemployment duration. A labour force panel data from Statistic South Africa is used to analyse the time it takes an unemployed person to find employment. The dataset has 4.9 million people who were unemployed during the third quarter of 2013. The data is analysed by computing non-parametric and semi-parametric estimates to avoid making assumption about the functional form of the hazard. The results indicate that the hazard of finding employment is reduced as people spend more time in unemployment (negative duration dependence). People who are unemployed for less than six months have higher hazard functions. The hazards of leaving unemployment at any given duration are significantly lower for people in the following categories - females, adults, education level of lower than tertiary, single or divorced, attending school or doing other activities prior to job search and no work experience. The findings suggest an existence of association between demographics and the length of stay in unemployment; which reflect the nature of the labour market. Due to lower exit probabilities young people spent more time unemployed thus growing out of the age group which is more likely to be employed. Seasonal jobs are not convenient for pregnant women and for those with young kids at their care thus decreasing their employment probabilities. Analysis of factors that affect employment probabilities should be based on datasets which have no seasonal components. The findings suggest that the seasonal components on the labour force panel impacted on the results. According to the findings analysis of unemployment durations can be improved by analysing men and women separately. Men and women have different challenges in the labour market, which influence the association between other demographic factors and unemployment duration / Statistics / M. Sc. (Statistics)

Les systèmes hybrides sont des systèmes dynamiques, caractérisés par un comportementdual, une interaction entre une partie discrète et une partie continue de fonctionnement.Dans le centre de notre travail se trouve une classe particulière de systèmeshybrides, plus spécifiquement les systèmes stochastiques à commutation que nous modélisonsà l’aide des Chaînes de Markov en temps continu et des équations différentielles.Le comportement aléatoire de ce type de système nécessite une commande spécialequi s’adapte aux événements arbitraires qui peuvent changer complètement l’évolutiondu système. Nous avons choisi une politique de contrôle basée sur les événements quiest déclenchée seulement quand il est nécessaire (sur un événement incontrôlable - parexemple un seuil qui est atteint), et jusqu’à ce que certaines conditions de fonctionnementsont remplies (le système revient dans l’état normal).Notre approche vise le développement d’un modèle probabiliste qui permet de calculerun critère de performance (en occurrence l’énergie du système) pour la politiquede contrôle choisie. Nous proposons d’abord une méthode de simulation à événementsdiscrets pour le système stochastique à commutation commandé, qui nous donne la possibilitéde réaliser une optimisation directe de la commande appliquée sur le système etaussi de valider les modèles analytiques que nous avons construit pour l’application ducontrôle.Un modèle analytique pour déterminer l’énergie consommée par le système a étéconçu en utilisant les probabilités de sortie de la région de contrôle, respectivement lestemps de séjour dans la chaîne de Markov avant et après avoir atteint les limites decontrôle. La dernière partie du travail présente la comparaison des résultats obtenusentre la méthode analytique et la simulation. / Hybrid systems are dynamical systems, characterized by a dual behaviour, a continuousinteraction between a discrete and a continuous functioning part. The center ofour work is represented by a particular class of hybrid systems, more specific by thestochastic switching systems which we model using continuous time Markov chains anddifferential equations.The random behaviour of such systems requires a special command which adapts tothe arbitrary events that can completely change the evolution of the system. We chose anevent-based control policy which is triggered only when it’s necessary (on an unforeseenevent - for example when a threshold that is reached), and until certain functioningconditions are met (the system returns in the normal state).Our approach aims to develop a probabilistic model that calculates a performancecriterion (in this case the energy of the system) for the proposed control policy. We startby proposing a discrete event simulation for the controlled stochastic switching system,which gives us the opportunity of applying a direct optimisation of the control command.It also allows us to compare the results with the ones obtained by the analytical modelswe have built when the event-based control is applied.An analytical model for computing the energy consumed by the system to apply thecontrol is designed by using the exit probabilities of the control region, respectively, thesojourn times of the Markov chain before and after reaching the control limits. The lastpart of this work presents the results we have obtained when comparing the analyticaland the simulation method.

This thesis focuses on specification of key characteristics and principles of private equity and includes specification of both the local market and the international market trends. Furthermore this paper defines institutional framework for support of private equity in the Czech Republic and specifies the history and operations of leveraged buyouts including description of leverage effect and its illustration. The leverage effect arises when combination of debt and equity is used for financing. Private equity transactions are characterized by uniqueness and this paper describes the investment process starting from the identification of investment opportunity through monitoring to exit. Analysis and definition of key characteristics of target companies is also included.

The purpose of this study was to explore the awareness and feelings of parents and their perceptions about the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) and the impact on their children. Also, it looked at the social implications from an ecological perspective.

abstract: My research is motivated by a rule of thumb that no matter how well a system is designed, some actors fail to fulfill the behavior which is needed to sustain the system. Examples of misbehavior are shirking, rule infraction, and free riding. With a focus on social-ecological systems, this thesis explored the effectiveness of social feedback mechanisms driven by the two available individual options: the exit option is defined as any response to escape from an objectionable state of affairs; and the voice option as any attempt to stay put and improve the state. Using a stylized dynamic model, the first study investigates how the coexistence of participatory and groundwater market institutions affects government-managed irrigation systems. My findings suggest that patterns of bureaucratic reactions to exit (using private tubewells) and voice (putting pressure on irrigation bureaus) are critical to shaping system dynamics. I also found that the silence option – neither exit nor voice – can impede a further improvement in public infrastructure, but in some cases, can improve public infrastructure dramatically. Using a qualitative comparative analysis of 30 self-governing fishing groups in South Korea, the second study examines how resource mobility, group size, and Ostrom’s Design Principles for rule enforcement can co-determine the effectiveness of the voice option in self-controlling rule infractions. Results suggest that the informal mechanism for conflict resolution is a necessary condition for successful self-governance of local fisheries and that even if rules for monitoring and graduated sanctions are not in use, groups can be successful when they harvest only stationary resources. Using an agent-based model of public good provision, the third study explores under what socioeconomic conditions the exit option – neither producing nor consuming collective benefits – can work effectively to enhance levels of cooperation. The model results suggest that the exit option contributes to the spread of cooperators in mid- and large-size groups at the moderate level of exit payoff, given that group interaction occurs to increase the number of cooperators. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Environmental Social Science 2020

Magister Artium (Social Work) - MA(SW) / Global and national standards for social work training have for a very long time required that institutions of higher learning include a theoretical as well as a practical component into the social work programme. The integration of theory and practice is purposefully aimed at enhancing the student's competency and skills (SAQA, 2003:9). The introduction of Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) in South Africa (Government Gazette No. 19640, 1998) has confirmed the need for addressing challenges relating to integration of theory and practice. Assessments of social work fieldwork competence at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) indicate that the majority of the students in the third year of study struggle to integrate theory and practice resulting in low level competence in Intermediate Fieldwork Education (University of the Western Cape Quality assurance report: Intermediate Fieldwork, 2007). In addition to the aforementioned, student reports indicate that there is a perception that the classroom learning, the supervision and fieldwork practice often are not sufficient to facilitate the integration of theory and practice. The lack of integration of theory and practice results in students not achieving the expected learning outcomes. This is an urgent concern in social work education and it seems most appropriate to learn from the people who are closely affected by and involved in this issue. The focus of the study was thus on the challenges experienced by social work students, their lecturers and fieldwork supervisors at UWC regarding the integration of theory and practice at intermediate level in the context of OBE. Hence I used a qualitative approach as I wanted to study the challenges of theory and practice integration from an insiders' perspective. This is appropriate when the goal of research is to describe and understand a social issue. For this reason I selected an exploratory-descriptive research design and an instrumental research strategy to study the issue of theory and practice integration in the selected programme. The population of the study was third year social work students at UWC and also a selected group of third year social 'work students from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU), social work lecturers from UWC and field supervisors form agencies in the Western Cape where social work students are placed. Purposive sampling were utilized to select sixteen third year social work students from UWC, seven NMMU students, sixteen field supervisors and eight lecturers from UWC. Data were collected by means of individual interviews as well as focus group sessions from students and field supervisors and by means of written responses to an open -ended guide from lecturers. Data were analyzed by means of thematic, content analysis. Relevant literature findings on constructivism, cooperative learning and social work teaching and learning in particular were compared to the findings of the case study exploration. Literature pertaining to social work teaching and learning in the context of ELOs is limited and therefore further justifies the need for this research. The findings indicated that participants in this study experienced challenges with regard to theory and practice integration on various levels and to different extents. They attribute these challenges to a variety of factors relating to the construction of knowledge in the classroom and in the fieldwork setting as well as personal challenges experienced by students. Hence I made various recommendations with regard to collaborative teaching and learning strategies within the classroom and fieldwork setting as well recommendations based on the conclusions of findings relating to students' personal challenges.

Syftet med arbetet var att först beskriva hur avhoppsprocessen kan gå till enligt Helen Ebaughs (1988) ”role-exit theory” och sedan identifiera och analysera de sociopsykologiska processer som verkar inom ramen för avhoppsprocessen. Det empiriska materialet som analyserades med hjälp av en kvalitativ insats var tre självbiografier av avhoppare från tre olika nyreligiösa rörelser. Materialet inhämtades genom en djupläsning av de tre självbiografierna som står i fokus i denna studie. Resultatet analyserades med hjälp av Ebaughs (1988) teori om rollbyte och tidigare forskning. Resultatet visade att avhoppsprocessen är en komplex process i vilken olika sociopsykologiska processer verkar. Tvivel visade sig vara den första processen som sker under avhoppsprocessen. Andra faktorer, som alternativa sociala roller, kriser i ens liv samt stödet av individens sociala nätverk är sådant som enligt Ebaughs teori kan påverka avhoppet. Ännu en faktor som framkom i analysen av självbiografierna och påverkade individernas beslut att lämna de respektive nyreligiösa rörelserna var avhopparnas kontakt med Internet som de använde sig av för att bland annat få information om de respektive rörelserna från ett annat perspektiv.

This thesis is focused on one approach to technical analysis - technical indicators, which are used for forecasting the future trend of share prices and finding entry signals to buy stocks and exit signals to sell stocks generated by technical indicators. The application of chosen technical indicators is demonstrated on selected stocks traded on the Prague Stock Exchange during the chosen period. The result of analyses is a comparison of technical indicators and the successfulness of trading based on the indicated signals.

In the course of eurozone exit, the underlying stocks of American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) would be redenominated from euros into the new national currency. We exploit ADR investors’ exposure to currency redenomination losses to derive a novel measure of eurozone exit risk. We find that while domestic bank stocks are not significantly affected by domestic exit risk, there is a negative exposure to exit risk of other countries that is channeled through bilateral credit risk. For the real sector, exposure to eurozone exit risk is heterogeneous among industries and is less negative for more indebted companies.

Uppsatsen är gjord i form av en stilistisk analys med mål att utforska dokumentärfilmens autenticitet och mer specifikt en analys av mockumentärfilmers stilelement. Tanken är att genom att analysera vilka stilelement som används i mockumentärfilmer och analysera hur filmskaparna använder dem inom en film skapad ur fiktion, att se ut som en dokumentärfilms form av autenticitet. För analysen valde jag ut tre mockumentärfilmer: This Is Spinal Tap (1984), Man Bites Dog (1992) och Exit Through The Gift Shop (2010). Dessutom valdes ytterligare nio dokumentärfilmer ut, som används i analysens del för att kunna ge exempel från mockumentär till dokumentär. Analysen visar att filmskapare av mockumentärfilmer och dokumentärfilmer använder samma stilelement, men skillnaden ligger i hur filmskaparna använder dem. En mockumentärfilmskapare använder dokumentära stilelement med avsikt att filmen ska få samma utseende som en dokumentärfilm. Analysen visar också att en stor skillnad mellan dokumentärfilmen och mockumentärfilmen finns inom kontraktet till tittaren. Mockumentärfilmskapare knyter ett kontrakt till tittaren för att få åskådaren att förstå att filmen är fiktion. Med hjälp av detta kontrakt och samma förståelse av filmens mockumentära innehåll ger detta åskådaren det fulla spektrumet av filmens innehåll.