For close to two decades the leading international financial organizations, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, have imposed their structural adjustment programme on Third World countries, notably in Sub-Saharan African, creating forms of neoclassical financial management at an unsurpassed rate. However, the thesis argues that this approach does not distinguish adequately between policies favourable to the growth and prosperity of developed countries and those pertaining to developing countries in part because the paradigm has an impoverished notion of information, communication, and culture. By fostering this economic paradigm in developing countries, these organizations may, in effect, be imposing an inconsistent model on them in many respects. This thesis explores this conundrum with particular reference to the model's concepts of information, communication, and culture and the consequences of these concepts on the application of the model in Sub-Saharan Africa, specifically in Ghana. / The thesis employs case studies to demonstrate the impact of cultural imperatives on the neoclassical economic concepts of efficiency of competition, trade liberalization, currency devaluation, public expenditure reduction, and privatization promoted by the structural adjustment programme. It suggests that some of the failures of the programme may be ascribed to the great differences between the imperatives of neoclassical economics and the cultural realities of Sub-Saharan Africa. / The thesis takes the position that the incorporation of an understanding of culture and economy similar to that of the communicologists' holistic and wider perspective on economics and economic systems would ameliorate many weaknesses of the structural adjustment programmes of the IMF and the World Bank and enhance the effectiveness of future structural adjustment programmes.

The thesis examines the "Tom Mboya Airlifts", a scholarship program which took place in 1959, 1960 and 1961 and sent Kenyans to study in North American universities. The "Airlifts" serve as a case study, and are used to illustrate particular aspects of the relationship between "pre-modern" social structures--known as the "economy of affection"--and the particular form of capitalism that developed in Kenya after independence.

The inspiration for this study was the work of Karl Polanyi. The study therefore looks to an economics of which market economy is only part of a special case. On the basis of evidence from economic historians and economic anthropologists, it seeks to show that the wider economics of Polanyi can be given a unified basis that operates equally in simple and complex communities, ancient and modern communities, and in communities on either side of the "great transformation". A first charge on economic surplus is invariably the resources to perpetuate the social structure itself, and may be a charge so large as to exhaust almost all of the surplus and so variable in its expression that the charge on resources often passes unnoticed or is mistaken as irrational and non-economic. In its particulars, this study examines social, cultural and political determinants of economic activity from a selection of social systems and historical periods. It argues for a much expanded analytical framework than that of market-focussed theory. It draws attention to rarely noticed contributions by earlier writers, notably Carl Menger, and to important contemporary contributions by the substantivist school in economic anthropology.

<p>Development should not be viewed as just a project but must be understood as an overarching strategy with a thorough implementation plan and specific targets as well as review mechanisms. All different spheres of government, organs of civil society and business have a tremendous role to play in pursuit of sustainable economic growth and development. In Khayelitsha there are emerging trends of bulk infrastructure spending and community led partnership that seek to unlock the economic potential however this progress has thus far been limited to retail development with no productive industrial development.</p>

The South African Department of Trade and Industry administers supply side incentive programmes aimed at promoting industrial development. This report presents a strategic analysis of the Chief Directorate: Manufacturing Development, and the Small Medium Manufacturing Development Program (SMMDP), in the context of South African Economic Development. Principles of corporate strategic theory are applied to analyse the SMMDP, a key element of government's basket of supply side measures. The programme has been implemented under the direction of the Board for Manufacturing Development whose objective is "To promote manufacturing Growth by way of incentives or concessions with regard to requirements within the framework of the economic policy of the republic." The success of the SMMDP is measured by the extent to which it accomplished the objectives of Wealth Creation, Employment Creation, Development of Entrepreneurship, Promoting the Utilisation of Raw Materials, Ensuring the Long Term Sustainability of Projects Receiving Incentives, Creating Opportunities for the Introduction of New and Advanced Skills into South Africa, and Facilitating International Competitiveness. Its effectiveness is hindered by policy conditions embodied in the SMMDP. Policy requirements that are within the Board for Manufacturing Development's control, ranked in order of severity are: Plant and Machinery, Equity, Turnover, and Human Resources. The requirement that has the highest frequency of non-compliance and the greatest effect is the Plant and Machinery requirement. Since this requirement has no bearing on the achievement of objectives and is only in place for the board's convenience, it should be removed from the programme. A strategy that focuses on clusters of industry that produce high numbers of employment relative to the investment made would be better suited to the objective of employment creation. Employment creation can also be more easily achieved if the Board allows the use of second-generation machinery. Insufficient correlation between the Board for Manufacturing Development's strategy and that of the labour authorities negate the positive effects of incentives on employment creation. The strategy was acceptable to the stakeholders at the time of implementation, but since many of the intended outcomes did not materialise, a post implementation assessment does not find the strategy acceptable. In assessing the feasibility of the strategy, the resources and competencies of the Chief Directorate: Manufacturing Development are considered. Many industrialists loose incentives due to the exclusion of expansion projects from the scope of the SMMDP. However, since the exclusion is due to lack of resources, the strategy cannot be feasible if expansions are included within the scope of the programme. Although the SMMDP has failed to achieve most of it's objectives, the overriding objective of the Board for Manufacturing Development, is the creation of wealth. The programme has achieved this requirement, in spite of its failures, and should therefore not be considered a total failure. The study recommends that: • The Plant and Machinery requirement be removed from the SMMDP. • The equity ratio is re-evaluated to produce a more desirable outcome. • The Board for Manufacturing Development employ's a bird's eye economic approach to stimulate growth in industries that will produce the most favourable economic outcomes. In other words, blanket incentives should be traded for specific incentivisation. • Expansions are included in the scope of industrial incentives. • The Board for Manufacturing Development adopts a transparent approach so that industry and government may work together to produce favourable economic outcomes. / Thesis (MBA)- University of Natal, 2003.

The global burden of road traffic casualties is estimated at US$5l8 billion in direct economic costs. Road traffic crashes are now preventable and predictable as demonstrated by the existence of many proven and cost effective intervention strategies, a result of three decades of research and development in high income countries. While remarkable progress has been made towards the provision of safe, sustainable and affordable means of transport in high income countries where road traffic deaths are on a declining trend, the global road traffic safety situation is however expected to get worse by 2020, in view of increasing deaths in the low to middle income countries, due to rapid motorization against the background of inadequate road infrastructure with poorly maintained roads, passive traffic law enforcement and corruption, inadequate health services, lack of funds, and inadequate data collection and research. These countries have thus experienced little or no success in resolving the problem of road traffic safety. Since South Africa falls into this latter category, this paper supports the thesis that the issue with road traffic deaths and injuries is a global problem requiring national capacity to be part of a global cooperation and responsibility. Given the recent institutionalized framework for planning, organizing and implementing the strategy for road safety management (the Road to Safety 20012005), the relatively high mortality rate of 27 per 100000 population and the R13.8 billion in direct social costs to the economy, remains the challenge to build a strong political advocacy to enable the achievement of conditions for a sustainable national road safety capacity to manage road traffic safety. This calls for a comprehensive set of cost effective countermeasures. Most country successes have had a good political will complemented by a systems approach. Despite a good start with the Road to Safety 2001-2005, successes and mistakes made in high income countries as well as in low to middle income countries, can benefit South Africa in the design and implementation of a multisectoral national road safety strategy with the health sector playing a major role, in order to achieve significant reductions in road traffic deaths and injuries on our roads. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2005.

The informal sector, a sector which is formed by small businesses, plays the pivotal role in Southern African countries’ economic development and has predominately acted as a source of entrepreneurship essential to economic restructuring. It also acts as a social buffer for mitigation of the imbalances created by falling growth in the formal sector. Currently the sector appears the most viable alternative for employment creation to formal sector. The research notes that the economic crisis has exacerbated unemployment and poverty in Southern Africa in general, and Lesotho in particular. Low rate of labour absorption in the formal sector has meant that informal sector provides the best opportunity for unemployment reduction and poverty eradication. Further, it offers alternative employment and a source of income supplementation to formal sector workers as the formal sector is now not able to generate adequate employment opportunities. Factors contributing to failure of small businesses include lack of management skills/practices, marketing, financial, poor coordination and networking especially formation of partnerships, lack of knowledge of succession and strategic planning, poor access to credit and other problems such as lack of support from the government, and high tax rates. The infrastructure is inefficient and directly and indirectly hinders development and employment. Many small business owners are entrepreneurial but lack support both financially and institutionally. Measures are outlined to improve access to finance, formation of partnerships through buying syndicates, and access to relevant training. A vacuum exists in developing policies so governmental support to small businesses is also important in economic development. Recommendations are made on the restructuring of educational curricular through the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC) so as to address the environmental needs and also those of small business owners in the country. The key conclusion is that because small businesses are the breeding ground for new and emerging entrepreneurs, they have a major role in job creation for the expanding labour force in Lesotho. Lesotho government, relevant private agencies and chambers of commerce are urged to assist specifically the developing small businesses in Lesotho. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2010.

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A new environmental immersion school has opened in Canada. This case study examines early stages of the project's implementation in order to contribute to an understanding of how best to implement environmental education in schools. / Examination of the literature on educational change led to an analytical framework which included: (1) Characteristics of the innovation; (2) Strategies and tactics used; (3) Contextual characteristics; (4) Macro sociopolitical factors. This was used to categorize qualitative data collected through interviews, observation, a questionnaire and documents. / The study uncovered a number of obstacles to implementation in the school, principally: (1) Conceptual problems about environmental education; (2) Poorly defined school philosophy and goals; (3) Difficulties in coordinating the project between individual efforts and departments; (4) A hiatus between administration and teacher perceptions. / The case study provided insight on the process of curriculum implementation as well as specific issues relating to environmental education and the theme of sustainable development.

No description available.