[No abstract available] / Land and Food Systems, Faculty of / Graduate

Various investigators of logging operation efficiency have stated that the harvesting of small trees is inevitably associated with higher operating costs. A comprehensive survey of literature has been presented to substantiate this fact. The cited information was supplemented, for the purpose of this thesis, by a time study conducted at the University Research Forest, near Haney, B. C, in June, 1961. During this study felling, bucking, yarding and loading of timber was studied at two different operations in that Forest. These studies supplied basic data for the computation of the size of the zero marginal tree. It was found that, under existing conditions, the indicated sizes were 12 and 14 in. d.b.h. for Douglas fir and hemlock trees, respectively. Further it was shown that the milling operation constituted the largest cost component, especially penalizing the small dimensions. A new schedule, with certain proposed improvements in operating efficiency, was established. Under this schedule the milling operation was omitted, and the logs were assumed to be the final, marketable product. The solution of this computation revealed that, under the assumed conditions, the zero marginal limit in terms of d.b.h. for Douglas fir and hemlock was lowered to 7 and 8 in., respectively, provided the logs from such small trees could be sold at the same price as # 3 sawlogs. The shape of the net return function suggests, however, that only around and above 15 in. d.b.h. could the operation be regarded as safely paying its way, under current market conditions and restrictions as to minimum log size and length. The technique of linear programming (LP) has been successfully employed in other sectors of manufacturing and transportation. It is demonstrated in this thesis that the LP technique may be applied to certain forest harvesting situations. Progressing through three problem situations of increasing complexity, it is shown how an optimum strategy of action may be established in terms of the economically marginal tree size. The difficulty of obtaining precise time and cost values in sufficient quantity was encountered throughout this work. Consequently, the main purpose of these computations is to illustrate the underlying principles of the application of LP, and to demonstrate its applicability to certain aspects of forest harvesting problems. This area offers wide scope for future investigation and for improvement of techniques. / Forestry, Faculty of / Graduate

This study examines the criteria for efficient fisheries' management, and an efficient allocation of fisheries' labour in the Newfoundland inshore cod fishery. The first part of this thesis (fisheries' management) is an outline of H. Scott Gordon's theoretical model of the fisheries, which deals with the maximization of the social rent from a common property resource. An additional section has been included on the applicability of Gordon's model to the Newfoundland case. This was found necessary, because the organization of effort on the total Newfoundland cod stock, i.e. the inshore and the offshore sectors, present certain practical constraints on the feasibility of optimizing the social rent to this fishery. Indeed, the analysis of this section indicates that, for the present at least, it might be very difficult, administratively, to operate the inshore fishery according to Gordon's efficiency criterion. The second aspect of this study is the problem of low returns to fishermen in the inshore sector of the fishing industry. The theoretical framework used in this section is the staple-mobility theory approach, which maintains that the returns to labour and capital in declining areas need not decline below the returns in occupations of comparable skills, providing, both factors, capital and labour, are mobile. It is hypothesized, therefore, that the low returns to fisheries’ labour is a result of diminishing marginal returns in the fishing industry plus immobility of the fishermen. This necessitated a discussion of possible reasons for this immobility before any policy recommendation is offered. The arguments of high psychic costs, additional remuneration to fishermen from seasonal employment, and the general high unemployment rates in Newfoundland, are presented as likely barriers to mobility from the fishing industry. It is thought, however, that the latter problem, high unemployment rates throughout the rest of the economy, is the most plausible explanation of the immobility of the fisheries' labour force. That is to say, mobility has not been high, because the opportunity cost of this labour is not high. In order to correct this problem of surplus labour in the fishery, it is therefore necessary to improve the alternative employment situation for these men. To do this, some indication of the causes of high unemployment in Newfoundland must be provided. There are two possible explanations of this problem of unemployment. The first, an aggregate demand defficiency argument, is rejected on the grounds that stimulating demand in Newfoundland may not have any employment effects on the island because of import leakages. The second possibility, a structural imbalance, is more acceptable. Assuming a downward flexibility of wages, it is possible to have full employment in Newfoundland, therefore, it could be said that the unemployment problem is a result of a wage rigidity. However, given the present level of resources on the island, and the size of the labour force, it is possible that full employment would take place only at a general level of income considerably lower than Canadian standards. It is suggested therefore that the cause of the unemployment problem in Newfoundland is the result of a lack of mobility of the surplus labour in Newfoundland with respect to the higher income markets outside the province. There would seem to be two ways to correct this problem. (a) To provide incentives for the emigration of labour from Newfoundland, or (b) given sociological barriers to mobility, import suitable industry to the island. Both of these alternatives are briefly examined in the text. The final analytical section of this study deals with government policy for the fishery. The actions of the government can have considerable effects on the type of labour adjustment made between the fishery and other industries. The general conclusion of this thesis, i.e. labour mobility from the fishing industry, is in accordance with certain aspects of government fisheries' policy, but not with others. The government’s emphasis on training and transference of labour to the offshore fishery is acceptable, however it is thought that the subsidization programs for the inshore fishery are defeating the general aim of mobility from this sector. Such a policy is deemed unacceptable from the economic standpoint of an effective utilization of Newfoundland's fisheries' resources and labour. / Arts, Faculty of / Vancouver School of Economics / Graduate

This dissertation has two objectives. The first is to provide a framework for understanding strategic interactions between an auditor and investors in a competitive rational expectations economy. The second is to provide a welfare analysis of auditor litigation in a costly legal environment. We present a model which captures the following aspects: (i) investors in a competitive capital market form rational expectations about their future litigation opportunities against auditors; (ii) auditors compete for potential clients, and they strategically consider the threat of litigation; (iii) the audited firm's production decision depends on audit quality; and (iv) trial is a costly process, and litigants have settlement opportunities. The market price of the firm and audit quality are endogenized. The welfare analysis provides a rationale why society maintains a legal system which provides an incentive for the investors to recover their ex post financial loss from the auditor through a costly legal process, even if they can price-protect themselves ex ante with or without such a mechanism. We interpret the court system as a decentralized disciplinary mechanism for the auditor moral hazard problem, which enables the potential auditee to use an auditor as a commitment device. We examine the economic consequences of legal policies which potentially influence the size of legal costs. When audit failure is clearly defined, an increase in the auditor's legal costs decreases social welfare. An increase in the investors' legal costs has a more complex impact on the actions of economic agents upon which the social costs and benefits of an audit crucially depend. We also study the economic impact of a change from an American to a British rule of allocating legal costs, which was recently proposed by the accounting profession in the U.S. In contrast to the practitioners' common belief, we demonstrate that the British rule might increase the frequency of lawsuit. Therefore, regulators must be very careful in evaluating the accountants' proposal of the British rule, and it should not replace the American rule unless a careful analysis indicates that the net benefit of audits under the British rule is larger than that under the American rule. / Business, Sauder School of / Graduate

The feasibility of utilizing the aspen, birch and cottonwood stands which are found in large volumes in northeastern British Columbia was investigated. The study included raw material analysis, plant design of five integrated production lines, market study and model of investment. The integrated complex was designed to produce aspen and cottonwood dried veneer with an annual capacity of 70 000 m³, 3 mm thick, 13 500 m³/year of sliced - dried birch face veneer, 0.8 mm thick, 40 billion splints for match manufacture, 10 000t of pelle- tized aspen bark and 50 GJh of thermal energy. The aspen, cottonwood and birch veneer production was chosen because of its higher profitability than other products and its market potentials. The residue utilizing lines were included to add manufacturing values in addition to the main products. The complex is expected to consume 140 000 m³ of aspen and cottonwood and 30 000 m³ of white birch yearly. This volume is considered a fraction of the species annual allowable cut in the Fort Nelson Forest Unit. A total capital investment of $29 373 000 is required; of which $17 083 000 would be for fixed investment and $12 290 000 for annual operating cost. The expected after tax profit on investment would be $10 910 000/year, based on annual sales of $3k million. Projected annual return on investment is expected to reach 6k% of the fixed investment with a payout of 1.6 years. Sixty eight tables and 1+9 figures in addition to plant layout for the entire integrated industrial complex are included in the study as illustrating material. / Forestry, Faculty of / Graduate

Corn-based ethanol production has increased dramatically in the past ten years, causing an increase in demand for corn by ethanol producers and an increase in production of ethanol by-products such as distillers' grains. The increase in ethanol production can be attributed to ethanol policy at the state and federal levels. Because of the increase in production of corn-based ethanol, cattle producers face greater competition for a major feed source, corn, and greater supply of an emerging feed source, distillers' grains. The objective of this study is to analyze and quantify the effects of ethanol policy on cattle production. A theoretical model and an econometric model are used to fulfill the objectives of this study. The theoretical model contains an ethanol model and a general livestock model. Results of the theoretical model present the possibilities of ethanol policy affecting cattle production. The econometric model identifies the indirect and direct effects of ethanol policy on cattle production. The results of the econometric model indicate that there is a relationship between ethanol policy, specifically the Renewable Fuel Standard, and cattle production.

Dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts by research in Political Science Graduate School for Humanities and Social Sciences University of the Witwatersrand March 2019 / Somalia has been described as a “state without a state” or a “nation in search of state” since the end of colonial rule and the subsequent total collapse of the postcolonial state in 1991 (Samatar and Laitin, 1989, Newman, 2009, Menkhaus, 2003). Scholars have been attempting to locate the source of the conflict and ways of reconstructing the Somali state, describing the Horn of Africa nation not only as an archetype of a failed state, but also a threat to regional and global security. Since the arrival of European invaders, Somalia’s inhabitants have routinely been referred to as the most “difficult race to pacify” (Beech, 1996:5). The repetition of these colonial tropes which are consistently reported in the contemporary literature on Somalia is not surprising because of two consistent elements in the Somali conflict which ought to be probably understood. First, the population’s strong attachment to Islam has resulted in the country’s historical transformation into indigenous political Islam, a phenomenon that is “downplayed and understudied,” in the historiographic accounts of Somalia (Abdullahi, 2011:16). In this vein, I argue that the forced secularisation of Somalia, from the colonial era to the current attempts to create a secular state, has been at loggerheads with popular indigenous Islam in this Horn of Africa nation. This popular Islam attracts the presence of a global force that has been attempting to steer Somalia away from its indigenous identity to a more secular notion of the state. Arising from these hypotheses, the dissertation aims to establish the continuities between Somalia’s current political instability, its past and political loyalty, by exploring Islam as both an ethnicised identity and defence mechanism. While investigating the role of Islam in shaping the social and political Somali identity, I historicise Ahmad Gurey’s war with Abyssinia and the Portuguese empire in 1500s, and Sayid Maxamad’s confrontations with colonial powers: Britain, France, Italy and Abyssinia in 1900. Finally, I explore the tension between the formation of the secular postcolonial state and indigenous Islam. The research attempts to trace the present turmoil and investigate the role of popular Islam in “inviting” foreign powers to the Somali peninsula, thus arresting the process of domestic state reconstruction / M T 2019

The objective of this report was to gain a better understanding of the value that support networks provide to participants in the networks and to organisations that set up these networks. Used correctly, this understanding could enhance the success rate of organizations. The researcher’s objectives were to answer 4 research questions in order to determine the key attributes that render support networks effective. The research was conducted in 2 parts. (1) Seven subject matter experts on support networks were selected from independent network service providers and from an organization that promotes support networks to its employees. (2) A structured questionnaire was distributed to selected support networks comprising of approximately 185 participants altogether. One hundred and sixty two participants in the support networks selected, responded by completing the questionnaire. Various techniques were used to collect and analyse the data. The study found that there are key attributes that are necessary for a support network to achieve its purpose. It further found that the key attributes of a traditional family support network can exist in a corporate support network by allowing people to come together to discuss issues of common interest and challenges facing them as members of organisations. Copyright / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

No description available.

This dissertation consists of three essays in family economics. The underlying objective of this dissertation is to better understand inequality in family formation and in intra-household allocation. The first two chapters study racial sorting in the United States marriage market. The third chapter studies the effects of higher female bargaining power on household consumption of married couples in the United States. Chapter 1 studies the unequal gains from racial desegregation in the United States marriage market. Interracial marriages have increased in the United States over the past several decades, but the trends differ across race, gender, and education groups. This suggests that racial desegregation in the marriage market may not have equally improved the marriage prospects of different groups. This paper studies why some groups have gained more from marital desegregation than others over the past four decades. To this end, I build a transferable utility matching model to define and estimate the welfare gains from marital desegregation by comparing the equilibrium rates of singlehood in the observed marriage market with those in a completely segregated marriage market. I find that among Blacks and Whites, college-educated men gained more than their female and lower-educated male counterparts. To understand why, I implement a decomposition method to quantify how changing population and changing marital surplus have shaped the unequal gains, accounting for general equilibrium effects. I find that the rise in the welfare gains for college-educated Black men is largely driven by the increase in the joint surplus from marriage with college-educated White women. Other Black men and women did not benefit as much from any change in the marital surplus, implying that race relations have not substantially improved in the marriage market except for the most educated Black men. I also find that the rise in welfare gains for college-educated White men is driven by the female-biased population increase among college graduates. Simulation results suggest that fixing the unbalance in marital surplus and making progress toward racial integration in the marriage market would significantly improve marriage outcomes for Black men and women. Chapter 2 examines the geographical variation in racial sorting in the United States marriage market. There are substantial variations in interracial marriage rates across states, but it is challenging to disentangle the role of marital surplus from the population composition. I use a structural marriage market model to document the geographical variation and time trends in the racial assortativeness in marital matching across the US states. I document several new facts. First, preference for same-race marriage compared to different-race marriage is the highest in the southern states and the lowest in the western states, even after controlling for the demographic composition. Second, the ranking of each state in terms of racial assortative matching has been persistent over the past four decades. Third, the geographic variation in racial assortative matching is closely related to the racial attitudes of White respondents, but not of Black respondents. This suggests that geographic variation in racial assortative matching may be driven more by White people's marital preferences than by Black people's marital preferences. In terms of individual welfare gains from interracial marriage, I find that higher-educated Black men living in the West benefit more from interracial marriage and those living in the South do not benefit at all from interracial marriage. This is consistent with the geographical patterns in racial assortative matching. On the other hand, Black women do not benefit at all from interracial marriage regardless of where they live. Chapter 3, which is joint work with So Yoon Ahn, studies how spousal bargaining power affects consumption patterns of married households in the US, using a detailed barcode-level dataset. While there has been substantial evidence from developing countries settings that bargaining power within the household affects household consumption, there is a lack of such evidence in more developed country settings like the US. To study this, we use two distribution factors as proxies for spousal bargaining power: spouses' relative education and spouses' relative potential wage, which is our preferred distribution factor. As an arguably exogenous measure of bargaining power, our relative potential wage is constructed as a Bartik-style measure of the female-to-male wage ratio, exploiting county-level variations in heterogeneous exposure to different industries and state-wide wage growth. We find that the expenditure shares on women's beauty goods increase and the expenditure shares on alcohol decrease significantly both when the relative education of wives increases and when the relative potential wages of wives increase. These results are consistent with household bargaining explanations. For couples with children, improved women's household bargaining position is associated with a higher budget share on books, stationery, and school supplies, which are potentially related to investment in children. Our evidence shows that local labor market condition that is favorable to women than men shifts household consumption towards more female-preferred goods among married couples in the US.