D.Litt. et Phil. / This study essentially is about the correlation between finance and economic growth. The research hypothesis postulates a direct causal correlation between bank-intermediated finance and economic growth in South Africa (SA) during the reference period. International research findings give mixed signals on the role, if any, that finance plays in economic growth. In the past, many economic commentators ignored the role of finance in economic growth, or argued that finance had no direct role in economic growth. However, contemporary research tends to assign a positive role for finance in economic growth. This has implications for economic policy-making, because policies which promote bank intermediation indirectly contribute towards enhancing prospects for economic growth, and vice versa. An innovative dimension in the discourse on the finance-economic growth nexus is introduced in this study by means of qualitatively linking bank regulation to economic growth. It is argued in this thesis that bank regulation influences the intensity and scope of the mobilisation and allocation of loanable funds in an economy. If the financial regulatory regime restricts banks from optimising their mobilisation of surplus funds, and the subsequent allocation of credit for productive investment, then the prospects for economic growth will be diminished. On the contrary, financial regulatory policies that promote bank intermediation are also likely to enhance prospects for economic growth. Moreover, financial regulation that unwittingly triggers financial crises, such as bank runs, will be harmful to the performance of the economy. This emphasises that financial regulation should be designed to create an environment in which stability reigns in the financial markets.

This is the study of how theology can contribute its insights and perspectives to the current debate on how economic development should be conducted. It argues that the philosophy of economics is underpinned by the notion of scarcity as a point of departure for the solution of relative scarcity. This notion has guided the major economic systems - capitalism and socialism - around the world. In spite of unprecedented wealth in the last two hundred years, especially in developed countries, relative scarcity characterised by, inter alia, poverty, unemployment, and homelessness, continues in the modern world unabated. In addition, scarcity-guided economic systems have contributed to massive environmental degradation on a world scale.With the fall of socialist command systems, the market economy as the surviving economic system has, in many ways, contributed to the disruption of the moral fibre of society due to its exclusive emphasis on market virtues. The impact of the notion of scarcity can be illustrated in the specific case of Zambia with regard to its economic evolution and local ecclesial participation in this revolution. Zambia's political economy in all its phases in the period 1964 to 1999, was founded on the notion of scarcity. Apart from the well-known failures and weaknesses in the implementation of economic development programmes, the adherence to scarcity contibuted to the compromisation of social and enviromental imperatives. During the period under review, Zambian churches did not provide an alternative basis for economic development. They were content to contribute their pastoral and social tasks to society and to the economic development of Zambia within a social environment which was defined by the ethos of scarcity. In the light of the inadequacy of scarcity, this thesis argues that Christian theology needs to develop a new point of departure and model for economic development founded on stewardship. In order to do this well, Christian theology needs to spell out clearly relevant moral criteria. These moral criteria need to be expressed within the philosophy of stewardship as a feasible framework for economic development. Stewardship is not simply another moral criterion, but a workable Biblical metaphor and mechanism that calls on all humans to begin to manage well the resources of the earth for the sake of the human family and non-humans. Even though there were certain aspects of stewardship in the implementation of economic development programmes in Zambia, too little was done to achieve a social context defined by the ethic of stewardship. In this regard, Zambian churches should re-assert themselves and promote new values for economic life by appropriating this framework within their ecclesial structures. This ecclesial appropriation ought to be extended to their local economies, local businesses and to the state as a whole. This study humbly contributes to the emergence of stewardship-guided economic processes and systems which respect the interests of human communities and the environment as the basis of all life. / Thesis (PhD(Dogmatics and ethics))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Dogmatics and Christian Ethics / unrestricted

This research project aims to assess development projects in the energy sector with its focus on the shale gas exploration in the Karoo. The assessment is based on a critical analysis of the concepts and principles of sustainability, complexity and the National Environmental Management Act, using a critical hermeneutics methodology to develop an assessment criterion. Critical hermeneutics is the science and art of interpreting texts, challenging the status quo, its influences and assumptions. Hermeneutics is the reaction to enlightenment fundamentalism, which is an over-reliance on rationality and the scientific method as a primary means of obtaining truth. Hence this research has adopted a triangulation of ideas and concepts derived from sustainability and complexity to find the truth about the sustainability of development projects (Cilliers, 1998; Deleuze & Guattari, 1994; Byrne, 1998). The Central Karoo is situated in the North Eastern part of the Western Province. It is characterised by dry, arid conditions with highly environmentally sensitive land. Central Karoo has the smallest concentration of people in the Western Cape (Van Vuuren, 2008). This research project offers an assessment that will help governments determine the feasibility of energy sector projects since it discusses the impact of exploration for shale gas in the Karoo and explains the process, recommendations and the environmental legislature required for any project to take place in South Africa. Further, it highlights the environmental damage caused by the shale gas exploration as well as the positive economic impact that it could have on the country. For this research, hermeneutics has offered a framework rather than a system; it is a research philosophy that places human experience at the forefront as it honours a variety of interpretations.

Dire que le capital humain a un impact important sur le développement économique n'est pas une affirmation très controversée. Elle a été confirmée par la recherche des cinquante dernières années et améliorer les indicateurs de capital humain dans les pays en développement est depuis quelques temps déjà un des objectifs principaux des gouvernements, des ONG et des organisations internationales. Cependant, le capital humain est souvent seulement considéré comme une question individuelle. Pourtant, le capital humain comporte une dimension sociale encore relativement peu analysée. L'objectif de cette thèse est d'apporter un éclairage sur cet aspect social du capital humain. La question que je pose tout au long de cette thèse est «Quelle est l'importance des autres? »par rapport au capital humain. En particulier, je me demande comment capital social et capital humain interagissent, et les éléments de réponse que j'apporte reposent sur des données indiennes. L'Inde est un pays où il est particulièrement intéressant d'étudier cette question, car le capital humain y a beaucoup évolué dans les cinquante dernières années, et le capital social a joué un rôle important dans cette évolution. Le contexte social indien, propose aussi un cadre d'analyse riche pour l'étude de la relation entre capital humain et capital social. / There is nothing controversial in saying that hum an capital matters a great deal for economic development. Research during the past 50 years has confirmed this belief, and governments, international organizations and NGOs have worked hard to improve human capital indicators. But the majority of policy makers and researchers have considered and studied human capital as an issue only concerning individuals. However, human capital also has a social component which has not yet been well understood, despite a growing literature looking beyond the individual aspect of human capital. The aim of this dissertation is to shed some light on this social component of hum an capital. The recurrent question that I am asking throughout this thesis is "How do others matter?", in relation to hum an capital. In particular, I am wondering how social capital interacts with human capital. To study this question, I take India as a case study. India is a country where human capital has dramatically changed in the last 50 years, and social capital had an important role in this evolution. More concretely, India's peculiar social structure pro vides a very interesting context to study the relation between human capital and social capital.

The thesis is; a retrospective examination of two economic plans and their respective planning processes, undertaken for the same area during the same time period. The geographic setting for the thesis is northwestern British Columbia. The time period covered by the review is approximately 1980 to 1985. The thesis describes the differences which can occur between the two plans and searches for variations in the planning processes which seem to account for these differences. The economic plan produced by the British Columbia provincial government recommends a future regional economy based on large-scale, capital-intensive technology and functional integration of the region with a world economy. The planning process used was centralized and technocratic. The other plan, produced by the regional Economic Development Commission, also recommends functional integration but is oriented towards sustained community development and appropriate (i.e. small-scale, locally-controlled) technology. The plan is informed by a locally-based, participatory process. Categories for comparing the two plans and processes are drawn from regional development planning literature, planning theory literature and review of the cases themselves. Nine planning process variables are employed in the analysis. The study concludes that the critical planning process variables which affect the content of the plans are: the level of public participation in each process, the manner in which control over planning process is centralized or decentralized, and the spatial interest of key actors. The study method used, an ex post facto case study, however, can only infer causal relationships between process and plan variables; it does not provide certain knowledge of these relationships. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

Bibliography: pages 71-75. / After more than two decades of phenomenal economic expansion, Botswana now faces the challenge of slowing economic growth, rising unemployment and increasing poverty. The minerals sector, which dominated economic growth since the late seventies, has served the economy well in the past, but social and economic developments have reached a juncture where the broad strategic direction of the economy needs to be re-evaluated. The need to diversify the economy to reduce its reliance on mineral commodities has long been acknowledged by government. One of the sectors of the economy earmarked for diversification was the manufacturing sector. However, in spite of government efforts to promote this industry, the sector's contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has remained small and even declined in recent years. An investigation into those structural features of the economy which are responsible for this record and impose limitations on the sectors' future development is therefore of great relevance. This study attempts such an investigation by focusing mainly on one aspect of the problem: those features related to booms in the minerals sector. More specifically, the study examines the effect of the real exchange rate and real wage rate movements. It also uses case study and survey data to gain insight into other major factors responsible for industrial development and to corroborate the conclusions reached on the basis of macro-economic data. The data collected suggest that Botswana has managed its mineral windfalls relatively well. It shows that the major effects through which mineral windfalls corrode competitiveness of industry -- real exchange rate appreciation and real wage rate increases have been successfully avoided. It is argued, therefore, that the country's industrial backwardness does not necessarily arise from booms in the mining sector. This conclusion is supported by the firm survey which found that low productivity, high utility costs and the lack of skilled labour to be the major impediments to industrial development. The study is intended as a contribution to understanding of the impact of mineral windfalls on the industrial development process in Botswana, but it also offers some policy prescriptions. The major policy recommendations that emerge are that wage rate increases should be tied to productivity improvements, productivity should be raised to international levels through training and the exchange rate be managed in such a manner that it does not undermine the ability of industry to compete in the Southern African Customs Union market.

This thesis discusses the role of agriculture in the economic development of Taiwan. Chapters I and n present and discuss the indicators of economic growth in Taiwan , particularly in the post World War n era. Chapter ill analyses Taiwan's natural conditions and the part played by Japan prior to the great war. Chapters IV and V discuss agriculture and its role in Taiwan's march to development. Chapter VI talks about American aid that was provided and Chapter Vll presents the expectations and hopes for the future under the newest five year plan.

This study was designed to investigate and analyze whether a community college foster economic growth in its service area and, more specifically, to analyze the economic development contributions of one rural Mississippi community college to its service area. The population under study consisted of business owners in the community college’s area, local elected officials, a targeted community college president and administrators, economic development planners, and the Mississippi Development Authority. 100 questionnaires were distributed; 48% of them were returned. Data were collected, arranged, and analyzed using descriptive, comparative, and correlational statistical tools. Additionally, a 5-point Likert scale was used to measure the community college’s economic contribution statements. Demographic information was collected. The following information was revealed: (a) 35% of the respondents were elected officials, 20% were community college board members, and 21% were administrators; (b) 73% of those responding were Caucasian; and (c) 40% of those responding had 21 years or more of academic experience. Results revealed that respondents believed that this particular community college made significant contributions to the overall economic development of its service area. Based upon research findings, the researcher recommends the following: (a) continued elaboration between lawmakers and community college leaders, (b) identification of the economic needs of their regions by community college leaders, (c) community colleges’ employment of an Economic Development Recruiter, and (d) the maintenance of business incubators. Additionally, the researcher recommends that more research is needed to determine how college administrators can increase enrollment and retrain displaced workers who are now students.

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