A research report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (International Relations), 2017 / Through a close reading of the changes that have occurred within African agriculture using Food Regime Theory, this study will attempt to further understand the impact that has been felt by small-scale farmers who are a dominant feature of African agriculture. This paper will seek to understand the influence that the increased corporatization of agriculture through globalization has had on the small-scale farmer in Africa. As agriculture has become more and more corporatized and commodi:ied, it becomes important to consider the changes that have occurred for those actors within the industry and how these changes will impact them. This paper is attempting to do that through a close reading of the changes that have taken place within an integral part of the agricultural process: the seed. / GR2018

Migration is a major global issue of the 21st century (Martin & Widgren, 2002) [...] In recent years there has been an upsurge of African Diaspora returning home (Thomas, 2008). Notwithstanding anecdotal and editorial coverage, very little academic research exists on international migration to Africa (Ammassari, 2006). The focus of migration studies related to Africa has largely centred on outward migration and measures of the extent and cost benefits of the drain or gain and the ensuing debate on macro policy implications (Heenan, 2005). This research offers a new perspective on migration by exploring reasons and deeper motivations behind why African Diaspora mid-career professionals migrate to Africa, specifically South Africa and Nigeria. [Abbreviated Abstract. Open document to view full version] / MT2016

Thesis (M.Com. (Development Theory and Policy))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, School of Economic and Business Sciences, 2017 / The past decade has seen increasing attention given to the process termed ‘financialisation’ within the socio-political and economic literature. Despite the existence of robust macroeconomic literature, there is still a deficiency of firm-level studies on how financialisation takes root, particularly in developing countries. This paper contributes here by examining two agricultural firms within South Africa. South Africa is of particular heuristic value as it has a very advanced financial industry comparatively, and its agricultural industry has undergone very dramatic changes since the adoption of free-market policies in 1994. The study finds that the experience of financialisation remains variegated in South African agriculture. It does not support the view that financialisation is simply the ‘return of the rentier class’, instead illustrating how the changing role of the financial industry has had varied, though not insignificant effects on individual firms. It also confirms microeconomic linkages between liberalization and financialisation (previously identified on a macroeconomic level) as well confirming the importance of banks and ownership structures in facilitating financialisation. / GR2018

Outsourcing has become a significant factor in the U.S. economy over the past two decades. Annual report disclosures made by a firm related to outsourcing are voluntary disclosures. Understanding the determinants and firm performance implications of initial outsourcing annual report disclosures is important to capital market providers, standards developers, and to the firms themselves. I identify and study firms making initial voluntary disclosures of outsourcing in their annual reports on Form 10-K between 1993 and 2003 after they make non-annual report related public disclosures. Specifically, I investigate if determinants of the initial annual report disclosure decision and subsequent performance are associated with the initial disclosure. This study contends managers disclose information related to outsourcing in their annual reports to reduce information asymmetry and to minimize agency costs. I hypothesize and develop a firm-related variable commonly used in agency theory to test this assertion. Signaling theory and voluntary disclosure theory also explain the determinants for firm voluntary outsourcing annual report disclosures. I develop several hypotheses defining determinants potentially associated with the likelihood of initial annual report outsourcing disclosure decisions, and test these determinants using a conditional logistic regression model and a matched-pair group of firms making public outsourcing disclosures but not making annual report disclosure. Using signaling theory, I also develop hypotheses testing if the initial outsourcing annual report disclosure sends a signal regarding future firm performance--specifically testing firm performance measures related to profitability and cash flow. I test these hypotheses using OLS models and the same matched-pair group of firms. I find firms with high levels of debt, high total cost ratios, and high returns on assets are more likely to make initial annual report outsourcing disclosure. / I also find firms may signal improvements in future levels of profitability when making the initial annual report outsourcing disclosure. / by Ronald F. Premuroso. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2008. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, FL : 2008 Mode of access: World Wide Web.

在過去的幾十年，儘管經歷了飛速的經濟增長，中國居民的平均幸福感水平卻並未大幅度提高。"幸福感悖論"的主流解釋強調相對經濟地位的角色，本文從不同的角度提供了社會比較效應在中國的新證據。 / 第一個使用2003到2013橫跨十年的橫截面時間序列數據，檢驗了幸福感悖論是否存在于中國。結果不但證實了該悖論：幸福感的長期變化與省級人均GRP的長期變化之間沒有顯著相關；也揭示了中國的獨特性：短時期內，省級人均GRP對居民幸福感有負向影響。 / 第二個研究關注社會比較效應在高速經濟增長背景下的異質性。基於調查數據的分析首先證實了"隧道效應"，即儘管經濟地位落後於他人，個人幸福感反而會升高。 此外，我們驗證了相關機制：納入未來收入指標后，同伴收入的正向影響甚至變為負向。進一步，我們分析了情境準實驗數據。主要結論包括，在具體的工作情境中，(1)比同事/好朋友的相對收入更高，情境幸福感越高，反之亦然；(2)與集體降薪背景相比，在集體升薪背景下，更低相對收入的負向影響加劇，而更高相對收入的正向影響減弱。 因而，中國居民對於當前收入不平等的容忍主要來自於他們對未來收入會上升的期望。 / 第三個研究關注社會比較效應在家庭內的異質性。基於調查數據的分析發現，相對經濟地位對幸福感的影響具有顯著的性別差異：比配偶相對經濟地位高會提高男性的家庭滿意度，卻會降低女性滿意度。此外，我們區分了兩種比較維度，發現在職業聲望上的相對地位效應的性別差異比在收入維度上更微弱。 我們進一步分析了自行收集的情境實驗數據。結果與調查數據分析基本一致。 最後，通過比較未婚群體及已婚群體在情境中的處理效應，我們揭示了性別角色意識對性別化不平等效應的強烈的型塑影響。 / Despite the remarkable economic growth in China over the past few decades, the average level of happiness of the Chinese does not rise on a large scale. The mainstay of the interpretation for this "happiness paradox" has been highlighting the role of relative economic standing. The current thesis provides new evidence on social comparison effects in China from different perspectives. / The first study describes a social fact under the influence of relative economic status: "happiness paradox". Using a cross-sectional time-series data spanning 10 years (2003-2013), we empirically test whether or not the "happiness paradox" also exists in China. We demonstrated the validity of the "happiness paradox" on one hand: there is no significant association between the economic growth (i.e. the 10-year difference of the provincial per capita GRP) and the change of happiness (i.e. the 10-year difference of the aggregated happiness index). On the other hand, we uncovered a unique pattern in China: in the short term, the provincial per capita GRP is negatively correlated with the provincial happiness index. / The second study examines the heterogeneity of social comparison effects in the workplace under the background of the rapid economic growth. Analyses on survey data firstly verify the "tunnel effect": after holding one’s income constant, the average income of peers in workplace imposes positive effect on personal happiness. In addition, the effect of reference income changes from positive to negative after incorporating the expected income index. Furthermore, we analyze a quasi-experimental dataset based on an original vignette design. Main conclusions include: in the workplace setting, (1) higher relative income comparing to one’s colleagues or friends makes one happier; (2) comparing with the pay-cut scenario, under the pay-rise scenario, the negative effect of lagging behind colleagues or friends would be aggravated, while the benefit of surpassing others would be eliminated. Our analyses suggest that the major social force behind the unexpected tolerance to the rising income inequality among the Chinese people is their prospect for the upward income mobility in the near future. / The third study focuses on the heterogeneity of social comparison effects within family. Analyses on survey data suggest that the impact of relative economic status between husband and wife is highly gendered: for males, the higher relative income over spouse, the more satisfied they are with family, while the opposite is true for females. In addition, given the multidimensionality of the relative status, we distinguished two dimensions for comparison, finding that the relative status effect on the dimension of occupational prestige is much weaker than on income. Further analysis based on a quasi-experimental vignette data confirmed the above two conclusions. Finally, by contrasting the treatment effects of the single and married population, we revealed a powerful impact of specialized gender role ideology in shaping people’s perspective on inequality within family. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / 吳菲. / Parallel title from added title page. / Thesis (Ph.D.) Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2015. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 122-137). / Abstracts also in English. / Wu Fei.

In this thesis, return to health is also estimated. We examine the effects of height on hourly wage, monthly earnings, working hours, and education level. Our results show that height has different causal impacts on women and men. Women benefit from height: taller women earn more, work less, and have more leisure time. However, taller men are more likely to land a job and work longer, largely because they are better endowed. Moreover, the positive effect of height on hourly wage for women is larger than that for men. In general, the findings have contributed new evidence to existing literature that estimates the return to health. / This thesis mainly investigates the intergenerational transmission of socioeconomic status. Specifically, it estimates the effects of family income and parental education on the health status and educational attainment of the next generation using unique twins data collected from urban China. By using twins strategy, we can largely control for unobservables, which may cause biases in estimations. Our results show that the positive correlations of family income and maternal education with child health are largely due to unobserved endowment and family background. However, family income and paternal education do have a positive effect on child education. Overall, our findings suggest that increasing family income and parental schooling do not help in improving child health. However, to reduce the educational gap of the next generation, redistributing income would prove beneficial. The design of government policies is dependent on the policy targets. / Xiong, Yanyan. / Advisers: Hongbin Li; Junsen Zhang. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-06, Section: A, page: 2176. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references. / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest dissertations and theses, [201-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / School code: 1307.

by Po-keung Wong. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hongkong. / Bibliography: leaves 265-298.

by Tiong Chong Wong. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 92-97). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Acknowledgements --- p.1 / Abstracts --- p.2 / Chapter Chapter 1: --- Introduction --- p.3 / Research problem / Definitions / "Questions, methodology and research" / Chapter Chapter 2: --- Theoretical framework and concepts --- p.12 / Media ecology and competition / Forces of market-driven journalism / Environmental change and organizational change / Chapter Chapter 3: --- The changing ecology and pressures on Ming Pao --- p.26 / Price war and its effect on ecological balance of newspaper industry / The location and pressures on Ming Pao / Sources of pressures / Chapter Chapter 4: --- The impact on Ming Pao and its response (I) : An analysis of change of style and content --- p.45 / Objective and methodology / Results of sampling survey on selection of news topics / Close-up analysis of page layouts and content / Some typical layout of pages as illustrations / Chapter Chapter 5: --- The impact on Ming Pao and Its Response (II): Organizational change and strategic management --- p.57 / Marketing strategy and product improvement / The changes and permanence in the news room / The real effect of inter-organizational pressure / Newsroom control and interactions / Resistance and constraints to change / Chapter Chapter 6: --- Conclusions and discussions --- p.77 / Media behavior during environmental change / Pattern of ecological constraints on media performance / Organizational resistances to dramatic change of an established newspa / Social-political foundation of news / Theoretical reflection and limitation

Liang, Yaqian. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2013. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 163-176). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts also in Chinese.

Lee Chun Sing. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 64-68). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i-ii / Acknowledgment --- p.iii / Contents --- p.iv / Lists of Tables --- p.vi / Lists of Figures --- p.vii / Chapter Chapter One --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter Chapter Two --- The Basic Model with Exogeneous Real Interest Rate --- p.6 / Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction --- p.6 / Chapter 2.2 --- Benchmark Model --- p.9 / Chapter 2.3 --- Discussion of Results --- p.18 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Agent Behaviour --- p.19 / Chapter 2.4 --- Numerical Examples --- p.23 / Chapter 2.4.1 --- Base Results --- p.25 / Chapter Chapter Three --- The Basic Model with Endogeneous Real Interest Rate --- p.28 / Chapter 3.1 --- Numerical Examples --- p.30 / Chapter 3.1.1 --- Base Results --- p.30 / Chapter 3.2 --- Government Policy Evaluation --- p.33 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Education Subsidies --- p.35 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Wage Subsidy --- p.35 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- Base Case Outcome --- p.36 / Chapter Chapter Four --- Conclusions --- p.40 / Appendix A --- p.41 / Appendix B --- p.42 / Appendix C --- p.42 / Tables --- p.47 / Figures --- p.58 / References --- p.64