Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Kansas, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 156-161).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Louisville, 2004. / College of Business, Department of Urban and Public Affairs. Vita. "August 2004." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 136-151).

Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Queensland, 2004. / Includes bibliography.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin, 1973. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M. Hous. M.)--University of Hong Kong, 2006.

Thesis (D.A.)--Illinois State University, 1997. / Title from title page screen, viewed June 9, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Rati Ram (chair), Neil T. Skaggs, Michael A. Nelson, Nazul M. Hasan. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 60-62) and abstract. Also available in print.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Montana, 2007. / Title from title screen. Description based on contents viewed July 31, 2007. Includes bibliographical references (p. 114-119).

Diss. Jönköping : Internationella handelshögskolan, 2008.

South Africa is acknowledged as having the highest Gini coefficient in the world. The Gini coefficient is a measure of income inequality in a country. The eradication of all forms of inequality was probably the most important aspiration for people pre-democracy. After two decades of democracy, not only has the eradication of inequality not materialised, but inequality has worsened. The aim of the research is threefold. Firstly, to understand the origins and the ensuing reasons for inequality as it is experienced in South Africa in 2013 and secondly, to investigate what the effects of this inequality are on the lives of South Africans, socially, politically and economically. Lastly, the research aims to find what, if anything, South Africans can do to address the issue, in order to determine if the aspiration is indeed attainable. Qualitative exploratory research was conducted by interviewing 16 prominent South Africans with the requisite knowledge of the topic and experience in their respective fields. Semi-structured, in-depth face-to-face interviews were performed. Content and theme analysis were carried out on the transcripts, followed by the recording of the responses in logically ordered tables. The literature informed the interpretation of the results in the tables. The reasons for and causes of South Africa’s high Gini coefficient were identified, with the apartheid legacy and the present government’s governance style as the two greatest contributors. The effects of the high inequality in the South African context were considered far more detrimental to society, than to the politics and the economy of the country. The research yielded a number of actions that could be considered to reduce inequality, thereby improving the Gini coefficient. The two most important proposals were addressing the current poor education system and finding a solution for unemployment. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / pagibs2014 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / MBA / Unrestricted

This dissertation investigates the factors that firms take into consideration when they decide in which manner to expand internationally (i.e. foreign direct investment and international trade). Another component of the investigation focuses on what types of firms benefit the most and what are the associated benefits with expanding internationally. I investigate self-selection and learning-by-exporting hypothesis by applying matched sampling techniques and non-structural econometric models. Using a Chinese firm-level dataset, I find that firms that start exporting are more productive than non-exporting ones. Additionally, in most industries exporters become more productive in time. I then investigate how income inequality leads firms to make different choices on how they expand internationally. I develop a simple theoretical model by carefully choosing a mean-preserving income distribution. I find that changing the mean-preserving parameter of the income distribution affects market demand for firms' products and firms' choosing of strategies for international expansion. Some, but not all firms gain market shares due to larger market size caused by the more concentrated income distribution around the mean. Using Gini coefficient as the proxy for income distribution, I demonstrate empirically that some firms gain market shares and benefit from more consumers becoming part of the middle class due to the corresponding change in income distribution. I also study the aggregate implication of opening the economy in a two-country Dynamic Stochastic Equilibrium in which firms have heterogeneous productivity in the spirit of Melitz (2003). I show that benefits incurred by international engagement are not equally distributed among firms. I separate firms into four categories based on their productivity levels. The highest productivity firms gain the most by breaking into a new market as multinationals. The second highest productivity firms become exporters and obtain the second largest market share. The third highest productivity firms only serve the domestic market, while the lowest productivity firms exit the market.