The study aimed to evaluate the impact of economic freedom on economic growth and investments in the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC). The region was created in 1994 by the six states of Cameroon, Chad, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. CEMAC countries comprise low and middle-income countries that share the same currency - the CFA Franc. The CEMAC countries were observed between 1995 and 2008 and panel regression methodologies were employed. A positive impact of economic freedom on economic growth was established using fixed effects method and the generalised method of moments. The impact of a unit increase in the economic freedom index on GDP per capita ranged between 72.65 and 124.51 units (dollars) increase on GDP per capita, ceteris paribus. Economic freedom was also found to Granger-cause economic growth. The results underline a significantly positive relationship between economic freedom and economic growth which is consistent with existing literature. The impact of economic freedom on domestic investment and foreign directs investment was then examined. With regard to domestic investment, economic freedom was found to be statistically significant and positive in all specifications of the model, thereby implying that a unit increase in the economic freedom index increases domestic investment by values of between 0.50 and 0.69 dollars in the CEMAC. The results obtained were consistent with most findings on the relationship between economic freedom and investments. With regard to the relationship between economic freedom and foreign direct investment inflows, economic freedom was unexpectedly statistically insignificant in most specifications of the model. The latter implies that economic freedom does not have a significant impact on foreign direct investment in the CEMAC. However, the study revealed that economic freedom Granger-causes foreign direct investment but foreign direct investment does not Granger-cause economic freedom. This means that economic freedom precedes foreign direct investments, and foreign direct investments do not precede economic freedom. The study strongly recommends an improvement of institutions in the CEMAC in order to enjoy greater levels of economic freedom and therefore foster economic growth and domestic investment in the region.

The Intshona Group of Companies operates in South Africa as a hybrid agribusiness combining entrepreneurial principles with a philosophy of social upliftment in Africa. This research views Intshona through the lens of social entrepreneurship theory, a hybrid research field with a dominant theme being the need for growth and scaling of impact, but which is seen as fragmented, containing ambiguities and lagging practice. In this research, a case study of Intshona is developed based on questionnaires and interviews with the organisation’s management, a concerned NGO, social beneficiaries as well as employees. The result is a two-way flow of knowledge integrating elements of existing social enterprise theory with Intshona’s business practices, building on a generic model of entrepreneurship and culminating in a business model for growth in a social enterprise. The research delivers strategic directives for Intshona for its future growth, presents a case study for addition to the body of knowledge on social entrepreneurship and concludes with suggestions for further research to continue developing theory.

The role of institutions – economic freedom – is a critical determinant of economic growth, yet the global distribution of economic freedom is skewed. Economic freedom focuses on personal choice, the ability to make voluntary transactions, the freedom to compete and the security of property rights. The SADC is attempting to alleviate poverty and achieve sustainable development and economic growth. This thesis illustrates that economic freedom, in aggregate, and on an individual component basis, drives economic growth. The annual data for the 12 SADC counties from 2000 to 2009 are used to construct a panel data model to conduct the empirical analyses. Cross-sectional effects, as well as time (period) effects, are valid; and thus, a two-way error-component model is estimated. The Hausman test showed the regressors to be endogenous and correlated with the error term. The Pesaran CD test, suitable for dynamic panels, determined that cross-sections are interdependent; and the cross-correlation coefficient indicated a relatively weak, yet substantial, correlation. The LSDV two-way error-component model is re-estimated using the Driscoll and Kraay standard errors and time-demeaned data to correct for cross-sectional dependence. Given the endogeneity between the idiosyncratic disturbance term and the regressors, the presence of heteroskedasticity and serial correlation, as well as the interdependence amongst the cross-sections, the econometric model is then estimated using the two-step system general method of moments with forward orthogonal deviations – instead of differencing. The results meet all the post-estimation diagnostic requirements: the Arellano and Bond test for second-order serial correlation fails to reject the null hypothesis of no autocorrelation; theSargan test for over-identification fails to reject the null hypothesis that the over-identification restrictions are valid, and the difference-in-Hansen test fails to reject the null hypothesis that the instrument subsets are strictly exogenous. The empirical results confirm the a priori expectations. Economic freedom is a positive and significant driver of economic growth. Investment and economic openness are positively related to growth, whereas government debt decreases growth. Government consumption is an insignificant driver of a country’s growth. The Granger causality test confirmed the direction of causality; economic freedom precedes economic growth; and it is possible for the SADC to improve their growth rates by becoming economically freer. The coefficient of adjustment derived from the error-correction model indicates that the dynamic system takes approximately two years to adjust to the long-run structural level. The Koyck Transformation indicates that the relationship between economic freedom and growth is intertemporal, requiring a lag structure. An impulse-response function shows that a permanent, positive ‘shock’ to economic freedom results in an increase in economic growth, although the extent differs for each country, as well as for the different freedom components. The five individual economic freedom components are all highly significant and positive drivers of growth; however, the magnitude of the elasticity parameters varies. The causality amongst the components indicates that bidirectional causality is present. Therefore, improving economic freedom in one area improves economic freedom in another, creating a multiplier effect.

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Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Think tanks are generally described as nonprofit institutions made up of experts who achieve change by offering policy prescriptions to lawmakers and by strategically marketing their ideas in the media. They have been part of the American political landscape since the turn of the 20th century, and there are now hundreds of such organizations across the country. This study was directed to state-based groups on the conservative side of the political spectrum that produce policy research in support of their political philosophy of a limited role for government, free enterprise in the marketplace, and greater individual liberty. The purpose was to examine the effectiveness of state-level, free-market think tanks, using some of the same criteria that have been applied to national think tanks; evaluate their use of nonprofit networks and the types of social capital they generate; and provide new insights into this relationship.

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research report is a comparative analysis of the pre-1996 marketing control board system and the post-1996 free market system in the fruit and vegetable industry in South Africa. The report investigates and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of both systems and their effect on the stakeholders of the industry. The control boards had both positive and negative effects on the producer within the fruit and vegetable industry. The free market system is currently also having an effect, both positive and negative, on the producer. In this research report these divergent effects are explored, the objective being to obtain a better understanding of their impact on the industry stakeholders. On reaching a clearer understanding, strategy recommendations have been designed and are presented for all producers operating within the fruit and vegetable industry. The fresh produce industry is large, with many stakeholders. The information potentially available is vast, but, given the fact that time was too limited to do a complete research study on the entire industry, it was decided to focus on four sectors of the industry, namely bananas, deciduous fruit, citrus and potatoes. To give the report more credibility in terms of the data acquired, a number of interviews were conducted with producers and producer organisation leaders, from whom first-hand, ground level information was obtained. In this research it was found, among other things, that in general there was an imbalance in both the producer and consumer surplus in South Africa. Despite regulation, the marketing control boards had, through the pooling of prices, provided benefits only to certain producers. This, in effect, meant that quality improvement was largely negated, as the return to the producer did not provide an incentive to produce a better quality product. Contrary to the control board system, the free market system provides industry stakeholders with many opportunities, while the role of producers is also evolving to incorporate aspects of marketing. Producers consider service excellence, and culture and diversity to be important. Furthermore, in terms of available channels for marketing, many producers view the fresh produce markets as a desirable means of marketing their produce, as these outlets are still considered to be the price-determining mechanism for the fresh produce industry. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsingsverslag is 'n vergelykende studie van die bemarkingsbeheerraadstelsel voor 1996 en die vryemarkstelsel ná 1996 in die vrugte- en groentebedryf in Suid-Afrika. Die verslag ondersoek en bespreek die voor- en nadele van albei stelsels en hul uitwerking op die bedryf se belangegroepe. Die beheerrade het ’n positiewe sowel as negatiewe uitwerking op die produsent in die vrugte- en groentebedryf gehad. Die vryemarkstelsel het tans ook ’n positiewe sowel as negatiewe uitwerking op die produsent. Hierdie uiteenlopende gevolge word in hierdie navorsingsverslag verken om só ’n beter begrip van die impak daarvan op die bedryf se belanghebbers te verkry. Strategie-aanbevelings is op grond van groter begrip ontwerp en aan produsente in die vrugte- en groentebedryf voorgelê. Varsprodukte is die grootste bedryf in vrugte- en groentebedryf, en daar is talle belangegroepe. Die inligtingsmoontlikhede is enorm, maar gegewe die feit dat tyd te beperk was om ’n volledige navorsingstudie van die hele bedryf te onderneem, is daar besluit om vier sektore te beklemtoon, naamlik piesangs, sagtevrugte, sitrus en aartappels. Om die verslag meer geloofwaardigheid te gee ten opsigte van die data wat verkry is, is ’n aantal onderhoude met produsente en die leiers van produsentorganisasies gevoer om eerstehandse, voetsoolvlakinligting te bekom. Die verslag het onder meer bevind dat daar oor die algemeen ’n wanbalans in die produsente- sowel as verbruikersurplus in Suid-Afrika is. Die bemarkingsbeheerrade het ondanks regulasie voordele slegs aan sekere produsente gebied deur die saampot van pryse. Dit het in werklikheid beteken dat gehalteverbetering grootliks ontken is omdat die opbrengs nie die produsent aangespoor het om die gehalte van hul produkte te verbeter nie. Die vryemarkstelsel bied, in teenstelling met die beheerraadstelsel, talle geleenthede aan die bedryf se belangegroepe terwyl die rol van produsente ook ontwikkel word om aspekte van bemarking te inkorporeer. Produsente beskou voortreflike diens, en kultuur en diversiteit as belangrik. Daarby beskou produsente die varsproduktemark, wat een van die beskikbare bemarkingskanale is, as ’n wenslike manier om hul produkte te bemark omdat dié afsetpunt steeds as die prysbepalende meganisme vir die varsproduktebedryf gesien word.

Submitted by Maria Aparecida (cidazen@gmail.com) on 2017-05-04T13:02:08Z No. of bitstreams: 1 RAYANA PEREIRA SOTÃO ARRAES.pdf: 929825 bytes, checksum: c0ff57576facb193781ec406cebfd96c (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-04T13:02:08Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 RAYANA PEREIRA SOTÃO ARRAES.pdf: 929825 bytes, checksum: c0ff57576facb193781ec406cebfd96c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-01-29 / The Constitution of 1988 expressly guaranteed the State's commitment to promote education, culture, sport and recreation to citizens. Similarly, in order to achieve the goal of promoting the Republic development, it disciplined economic order in particular session and expressly tutored private property and free enterprise. Although the operation of educational and cultural activities has been authorized to the private sector with significant autonomy, leaving the state the role of monitoring the compliance of the exercise of such activity to the values of society - such as the exercise of the social function of property - State interference upon free initiative of the entertainment business sector has been gigantic, on the grounds of democratization of education and culture, as with federal laws 9870/99 and 12.933 / 2013. This paper analyzes such laws, seeking to identify the incompatibility thereof with the Constitution, as well as demonstrating the negative consequences to democracy, the economic environment and access to education and culture, in that it interferes with administrative and financial autonomy of private enterprises of the branches pointed out, to ensure the rights to education and culture, transfering this burden to the private sector. / O texto constitucional de 1988 trouxe expressamente o compromisso do Estado em promover a educação, cultura, esporte e lazer aos cidadãos. Da mesma forma, com o intuito de concretizar o objetivo da República de promoção do desenvolvimento, disciplinou a ordem econômica em sessão específica e tutelou expressamente a propriedade privada e a livre iniciativa. Embora a exploração de atividades educacionais e culturais tenha sido autorizada à iniciativa privada com significativa autonomia, restando ao Estado o papel de fiscalização da conformidade do exercício de tal atividade aos valores da sociedade – tais como o exercício da função social da propriedade – a interferência do Estado na livre iniciativa do setor empresarial de entretenimento tem sido agigantada, sob a justificativa de democratização da educação e da cultura, como acontece com as leis federais 9.870/99 e 12.933/2013. O presente trabalho analisa as referidas leis, buscando apontar a incompatibilidade das mesmas com o texto constitucional, bem como demonstrando os reflexos negativos à democracia, ao cenário econômico e ao acesso à educação e à cultura, na medida em que interfere na autonomia administrativo-financeira das empresas privadas dos ramos apontados, sob a justificativa de garantia dos direitos à educação e à cultura, por via reversa de transferência deste ônus à iniciativa privada.

published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

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