No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Mississippi State University. Department of Leadership and Foundations. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

The general objective of this study is to identify skills required by employers relevant to the agricultural sector especially in cash crop rice farming and to explore how to increase the contribution of new entrants to the labour market leading to increased production, socio-economic development and the reduction of income-poverty in Tanzania. Productivity gains in the agriculture sector have been modest and have had a limited effect on economic growth in Tanzania. Although the country has considerable agricultural potential, making the most of this depends on the availability of a labour force that has the skills to support a shift to greater productivity. This study profiles, analyses and examines the reality of skills provision and the emerging opportunities to find out how skills development and employability should be improved. The research questions focus on (i) identifying the existing skills gaps between employers' needs and employees' capabilities; (ii) identifying the skills which TVET programs impart to enhance performance in the agriculture subsector; and (iii) identifying the skills required by employers and analysing the employability of TVET graduates entering work in the agricultural sector, especially for paddy production. The study concludes by outlining policy implications for improving TVET programs for workforce development. Among the key research findings was the identification of the high degree of irrelevance of most TVET courses for the targeted labour market as overall 89 % of employers claim that the skills possessed by graduates were not applicable to their intended jobs. Moreover, there is a gap in perception between employers and employees about the value of their training. Serious concerns need to be addressed. This can be done by creating an effective system of knowledge dissemination and training building on the current cascade training system involving both the TVET institutions and the visitation of extension workers in the field responsible for enhancing the transfer of modern farming practices. Findings also indicate that very few TVET graduates who enter the agriculture sector have actually studied agriculture, and only seven percent out of the entire TVET graduating cohort have studied the agricultural track. These research findings, drawn largely from a case study analysis as well as analysis of secondary sources, were formed during my professional experience working in the TVET sub-sector in Tanzania. The findings lead to the conclusion that the nature and structure of the curriculum as well as the teaching methodology mean the skills of the TVET graduates are inadequate to meet the demand from the labour market, especially in the paddy production sector. In addition, the study findings lead to a number of critical policy options to reduce skills gaps by refining the curriculum and pedagogy to ensure it is more demand driven and by ensuring that a mechanism is created linking supply and demand. Critical policy options include the need for a clearer and more systemic occupational analysis of the skills needed in paddy production -- such as the analysis provided in the Developing A Curriculum (DACUM) approach in order to ensure that the TVET curriculum is in alignment with the demanded occupational skills. To enhance the scientific and technological foundation of TVET, a strong focus will be required on high-order literacy and numeracy skills. The study also suggests that to establish a “knock-on effect”, youth who obtain skills from TVET institutions also need to be provided with appropriate leadership training during their TVET programs in preparation for disseminating knowledge and skills to other farmers in the field and leading change in agricultural practice. The training system needs to be more closely linked with employers and work places where knowledge and skill can be utilised.

Existing research (Guarnizo et al. 2003; Portes, 2001; Cohen and Sirkeci, 2005) has endeavoured to clarify the relationship between migrants' transnational activities and their integration into the host society. Although there are both positive and negative perspectives on this relationship, it remains unclear whether migrants' transnational activities are likely to help or hinder their integration into the host society (Vertovec, 2009). This thesis uses the lens of social capital and diaspora identity to shed light on the relationship between Indonesian migrants' transnational activities and their integration in a multi-ethnic town in South Korea. The influx of migrants from various countries has led to the creation of what is called ‘Borderless Village', where people have opportunities to build intercultural connections beyond their national group. Based on ethnographic fieldwork with a group of Indonesian migrants, which themselves show social disjunctions in terms of region of origin, language, religious belief and cultural practices, this thesis examines the integration patterns of Indonesian immigrant groups in this town. In terms of whether transnational activities help or hinder integration in South Korea, I argue that both realities co-exist, and that the status of Wongok-Dong as a migrant enclave and the internally divided nature of the Indonesian migrant group itself are key factors in this regard. Indonesian migrants achieve integration among themselves by performing economic and socio-cultural transnational activities, thereby transcending divisions within the group. Although there are differences in terms of their capacity to conduct transnational activities that are shaped by each Indonesian immigrants' different types of social capital, they are able perform transnational activities through creating and utilising ‘hidden social capital'. This is generated when Indonesian migrants strategically reveal one of their identities, such as Indonesian, Muslim or other positions, rather than emphasising their regional origin in Indonesia to achieve their objectives such as pursuing economic profits, saving face and maintaining livelihood. Through mobilising these additional identities, most Indonesians can access resources that enable them to perform transnational activities – making international phone calls, occupying cultural spaces, participating in national celebrations – beyond their regional affiliations. In this regard, Indonesian migrants integrate into Wongok-Dong by performing transnational activities due to the features of the town as a migrant enclave. However, they are isolated from mainstream Korean society, as they only achieve integration into the multiethnic space of Wongok-Dong. Thus, this research adds crucial dimensions to theories of the relationship between migrants' transnational activities and integration into their host society through redefining both the features of the diaspora group and the role of social capital.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Mississippi State University. Department of Leadership and Foundations. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität Bonn, 2004. / Series statement supplied by vendor. Includes bibliographical references (p. 137-146).

Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1988. / Also available in print.

M.Comm. / The primary objective of the study is to determine the influence of service quality on the perceived relationship between internal marketing and the brand image of the South African staffing brands and staffing subsidiaries of the Kelly Group. The study will further seek to determine how the different elements of internal marketing influence the brand image of employees and clients of selected staffing agencies in South Africa. The elements of internal marketing mix, namely product, price, promotion, distribution, people, processes and physical evidence will be separately observed in terms of their influence on the brand image dimensions, namely brand consistency, brand trust, brand satisfaction and brand commitment. The influence of the dimensions of service quality, namely reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy on the dimensions of brand image and the influence of service quality on the elements of internal marketing, will be explored in order to determine the influence of service quality on the relationship between internal marketing and brand image. A framework to manage internal marketing, service quality and brand image in an integrated manner was determined. The conclusion and findings of the study were found to support the objectives of the study, and the results of the statistical analysis were found to accept the hypotheses of the study. Various recommendations for staffing agencies were given, based on the findings of the statistical analysis. These recommendations included the need for staffing agencies to monitor service quality gaps and confirmed that the internal product was highly influential to service quality, and therefore staffing agencies need to provide a competitive internal product to employees. Internal distribution was found to be highly influential towards the responsiveness, assurance and empathy of a service, and therefore staffing agencies need to focus on creating higher levels of internal service quality and teamwork within their organisations. Physical evidence and tangibles were found to be influential regarding the assurance and empathy of service quality and the importance of a modern, open-plan staffing environment and a professional employee dress code were identified. Internal promotion was found to be influential to the responsiveness of a staffing agency’s service, and therefore the need to segment employees to determine how much and how frequently information needs to be communicated to each group of employees was mentioned. The importance of staffing agencies considering the use of new media such as social networking websites, intranets and wikis was identified as most staffing agency employees work at the clients’ premises.