Thesis (MBA) --Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Africa's stock markets are considered by many emerging market specialists to have great potential for investors. Developing models which track share/financial indices provide a means of disseminating information about market performance. With the active move towards regional stock markets, regional indices will provide an important tool for performance of the region. Stock market indices provide information to investors and portfolio managers about the performance of various markets or groups of stocks. Investors can use the movement of indices as a way of assessing market trends and opportunities for investment. As economic integration increases in Africa, it will become increasingly important to have markers of regional market performance. This study project collected weekly market capitalisation data from the markets in the various regions, which were utilised to construct regional all-share indices for the year 2000. Regional indices for three of the four regions within Africa were constructed. The three indices are the EASDEX (for East Africa), the NADEX (for North Africa) and the WADEX (for West Africa). The weekly market capitalisation data were further utilised to construct an All-Africa index. The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) dominates the Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional market's total market capitalisation. Similarly the SAOG region dominates the total market capitalisation for Africa. The JSE contributes 59% to the total market capitalisation of Africa (January 2000). The All-Africa index moves together with the SADIX (SAOG regional index) confirming the high weighting of South Africa in the total market capitalisation of Africa. Encouraging economic growth throughout Africa and not just in Southern Africa will assist the continent as a whole to attract market capital. In the long term this should increase market growth in the other regions of Africa and enable investors to diversify into Africa. There are certainly opportunities for investors in Africa. The low correlation between Egypt and the other two North African markets allows for diversification within the North African Region. Nigeria has been the market that had the highest returns during 2000, one that outperformed many international markets. SADIX has low or negative correlation coefficients with the rest of the African individual as well as the regional market indices. Historically emerging markets are volatile and risky. The case for diversification into emerging markets originates from the high economic growth potential of emerging markets, together with low correlation with other developed markets. The development of All-Share indices, which track market performance on the African continent, will assist both potential institutional as well as individual investors. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Afrika se effektemarkte word deur baie opkomende markspesialiste beskou as potensieel gunstig vir beleggers. Deur modelle wat aandele/finansiële indekse volg te ontwikkel, word 'n middel voorsien om informasie oor markprestasie te ontleed. Met die aktiewe beweging na streeksaandelemarkte, sal streeksindekse 'n belangrike maatstaf vir die prestasie van 'n area voorsien. Aandelemarkindekse voorsien informasie aan beleggers en portefeulje bestuurders oor die prestasie van verskeie markte of aandelegroepe. Beleggers kan die beweging van die indekse gebruik om marktendense te ontleed asook om geleenthede vir investering te identifiseer. Dit sal belangriker raak om maatstawwe van streeksmarkprestasie te hê soos ekonomiese integrasie in Afrika toeneem. Hierdie studieprojek het weeklikse markkapitalisasie data van die markte in die verskeie areas versamel, wat gebruik is om 'n streeksindeks van alle aandele vir die jaar 2000 saam te stel. Streeksindekse vir drie van die vier streke binne Afrika is saamgestel. Die drie indekse is die EASDEX (Oos Afrika), die NADEX (Noord Afrika) en die WADEX (Wes Afrika). Die weeklikse markkapitalisasie data is verder aangewend om 'n Alle- Afrika indeks saam te stel. Die Johannesburgse Effektebeurs (JEB) domineer die totale markkapitalisasie van die Suidelike Afrika Ontwikkelingsgemeenskap (SAOG) se streeksmark. Insgelyk domineer die SAOG streek die totale markkapitalisasie vir Afrika. Die JES dra 59% by tot die totale markkapitalisasie van Afrika (Januarie 2000). Die Alle-Afrika indeks beweeg saam met die SADIX (SAOG streeksindeks) wat die gewigtigheid van Suid Afrika in die totale markkapitalisasie van Afrika bevestig. Deur ekonomiese groei regdeur Afrika en nie bloot in Suider Afrika nie, aan te spoor, sal dit die vasteland as 'n geheel steun om markkapitaal aan te trek. Op die lange duur behoort dit groei te bevorder in die ander streke van Afrika en beleggers in staat te stel om binne Afrika te diversifiseer. Daar is ongetwyfeld geleenthede vir beleggers in Afrika. Die lae onderlinge afhanklikheid tussen Egipte en die ander twee Noord Afrika markte laat diversifikasie binne die Noord Afrika streek toe. Nigerië is die mark met die hoogste opbrengste tydens 2000 en het selfs baie internasionale markte oortref. SADIX het lae of negatiewe korrelasiekoeffisiënte met die res van die Afrika individuele-, sowel as die streeksmarkindekse. Histories is opkomende markte onstabiel en riskant. Partydigheid vir diversifikasie in opkomende markte ontstaan vanuit die hoë ekonomiese groeipotensiaal van hierdie markte tesame met lae onderlinge afhanklikheid met ander ontwikkelde lande. Deur indekse van alle aandele wat markprestasie op die Afrika-vasteland volg saam te stel, sal beide potensiële institusionele, sowel as individuele beleggers se besluite/ontledings ondersteun word.

Child trafficking is a term used to define situations where children are forced, coerced or tricked to migrate for the purpose of their future exploitation. The issue of child trafficking is a well established UK policy concern initially emerging in the seventeenth century. The issue re-appeared in the late nineteenth century influenced by the social purity movement. This generated an infamous media exposé which led to parliamentary debates and legislative changes. Child trafficking resurfaced as a UK policy concern periodically in the twentieth century as children were once again forced to migrate. At the start of the twenty-first century child trafficking is back on the UK national policy agenda following pressure exerted by international anti-trafficking networks and Non Government Organisations. This study examines the social construction of risk in current and historical child trafficking UK policy discourses. Interviews with key informants in the ports safeguarding sector are discussed, together with an analysis of policy documents and primary historical sources. The construction of risk in these child trafficking discourses appear in a specific format which is explained by drawing on the conceptual lens of melodramatic tactics. This analysis reveals how narratives of child trafficking tend to have a stereotypical tragic child victim, who is forcibly separated from their family, and in need of protection from dangerous criminals who aim to deceive and exploit them. The employment of these melodramatic tactics is a central feature of current UK child trafficking policy discourses. Research studies which situate migrant children as competent social actors illuminate accounts of triumph, and these contrast with the outrage-driven protest drama which has current and enduring appeal in UK child trafficking policy discourses. The implications of these findings are discussed in the context of current UK child trafficking policy and recommendations about future research with children on the move are also proposed.

Το περιοδικό "Μπουκέτο" κυκλοφόρησε για πρώτη φορά τον Απρίλιο του 1924 και συνέχισε χωρίς διακοπή μέχρι το 1946. Πρόκειται για ένα περιοδικό ποικίλης ύλης με πλούσιο λογοτεχνικό περιεχόμενο, με το οποίο συνεργάστηκαν σημαντικά ονόματα της νεοελληνικής φιλολογίας: ο Μήτσος Παπανικολάου, ο Ναπολέων Λαπαθιώτης, ο Παύλος Νιρβάνας, ο Γρηγόριος Ξενόπουλος, ο Σταμάτης Σταματίου και πολλοί άλλοι. Στο εισαγωγικό μέρος της εργασίας παρουσιάζονται τα στοιχεία ταυτότητας του περιοδικού και οι συνεργασίες του, επιχειρείται μια γενική ανάλυση του περιεχομένου και της θεματολογίας του και μια σύντομη εξέταση της σχέσης του με το αναγνωστικό κοινό. Το κύριο μέρος αποτελούν τα ευρετήρια των περιεχομένων, αρχικά κατά τεύχος και ακολουθούν τα ευρετήρια των ονομάτων. / The "Bouketo" magazine was first released in April 1924 and continued to be published without interruption until 1946. It is a magazine with a rich literary content, with which important names of modern Greek literature were affiliated, such as Mitsos Papanikolaou, Napoleon Lapathiotis, Pavlos Nirvanas, Grigorios Xenopoulos, Stamatis Stamatiou and many others. In the introductory part of the study, there is a presentation of the magazine’s identity and collaborations as well as a general analysis of its content and themes presented and, also, a brief examination of its relationship with the audience. The main part consists of the contents indexes, first by issue, followed by the names indexes.

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

The major economic policy issue of the 1980s is inflation. Although economists have been writing about inflation for several decades, little work has been done on the theory of inflation measurement. There is an extensive literature dealing with the statistical aspects of price indices and the inflation phenomenon. However, statistical discussions ignore the economic theory behind inflation measures and inflation discussions fail to address the practical aspect of measurement of inflation. This dissertation develops an inflation measure that overcomes these failings. By combining the principles of price formation found in microeconomic literature with the macroeconomic theory of inflation, an economically appropriate measure of inflation is presented. The measure adopts the Marshallian view that producers fix prices and vary output in response to market conditions. Recognizing that production takes time which leads to uncertainty about the forward delivery market, the measure stresses both labor and material input costs as the prime price determinants. Contracts fix these costs. Current or spot market demand influences prices only in the service sector. This influence is measured and added to the price forming factors determined in oligopoly, monopoly and competitive sectors. The four sectors are combined with a measure of government price influence to generate the measure of inflation. A highly stylized model of this measure is tested monthly for the 1965-78 period. The theoretical measure and the model results are then compared to conventional inflation measures. The CPI, GNP deflator and WPI are discussed and their problems as measures of inflation are assessed. The measure proposed and tested here eliminates much of the sampling bias, substitution bias, and quality bias plaguing the others. Being designed as a measure of inflation in the general price level, the proposed measure actually incorporates the broad economic base necessary for a macroeconomic measure. It provides a useful policy guide for inflation management and an appropriate measure of the policy's success.

Computer programs are described for: (1) the derivation of tree-ring indices and associated statistical parameters, (2) the dating of unknown tree-ring series against a longer master chronology using correlation techniques, (3) the calculation of cross- correlation to evaluate covariation among a large number of series, and (4) the estimation of variance components for sampled tree-ring series. General applications of these programs are illustrated by reference to an example of archaeological dating, a study of correlation among tree-ring series as a function of distance, and several ecological evaluations of tree-ring variability.

The Personality Inventory for Youth (PIY) is a recently developed, multiscale assessment instrument designed specifically for adolescents between the ages of nine and 18. The purpose of this archival study was to establish clinical correlates for the PIY scales. PIY profiles were collected from 100 juvenile files at the Gainesville State School and examined in conjunction with the Child Assessment Scale (CAS) and the Personal Attitude Scale (PAS) to provide evidence of convergent and discriminant validity. Results indicate modest to moderate convergent validity according to Campbell and Fiske's criteria for construct validity; however, discriminant results indicate considerable overlap among traits which are not expected to be highly correlated.

Despite the enormous body of literature studying the typing errors of adults, children's typing errors remain an understudied area. It is well known in the field of Child-Computer Interaction that children are not 'little adults'. This means findings regarding how adults make typing mistakes cannot simply be transferred into how children make typing errors, without first understanding the differences. To understand how children differ from adults in the way they make typing mistakes, typing data were gathered from both children and adults. It was important that the data collected from the contrasting participant groups were comparable. Various methods of collecting typing data from adults were reviewed for suitability with children. Several issues were identified that could create a bias towards the adults. To resolve these issues, new tools and methods were designed, such as a new phrase set, a new data collector and new computer experience questionnaires. Additionally, there was a lack of an analysis method of typing data suitable for use with both children and adults. A new categorisation method was defined based on typing errors made by both children and adults. This categorisation method was then adapted into a Java program, which dramatically reduced the time required to carry out typing categorisation. Finally, in a large study, typing data collected from 231 primary school children, aged between 7 and 10 years, and 229 undergraduate computing students were analysed. Grouping the typing errors according to the context in which they occurred allowed for a much more detailed analysis than was possible with error rates. The analysis showed children have a set of errors they made frequently that adults rarely made. These errors that are specific to children suggest that differences exist between the ways the two groups make typing errors. This finding means that children's typing errors should be studied in their own right.

Thesis (M.Com. (Development Theory and Policy))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, School of Economic and Business Sciences, 2015. / Food price inflation has been an important subject of debate internationally since 2008. This sharp increase in food prices experienced during 2008 lead to intense research into the causes, dynamics and responses to this particular instance of food price inflation. The international literature attributed food price inflation to such factors as climate change, increases in energy costs and speculative activity in financial markets for agricultural commodities. This research report undertakes a review of the measurement of food price inflation in South Africa, broadly assessing how it is to be linked to the poor in South Africa. The research report focuses on the work of institutions concerned with the measurement of food price inflation in South Africa. Different methodologies of identifying foods as food staples are looked at. Food prices and trends are analysed using CPI data from January 2008 until October 2008, using selected consumer price index series from Statistics South Africa. The research report finds that the institutions studied show evidence of that higher food price inflation is correlated with demographic markers of poverty, although the traditional measure, the CPI, does not suggests that this is very extensive. This, it is argued, is due to the calculation methodologies used in the published CPI, and the data period. The research report then ends with an overview of the political economy of food in South Africa, thereby makes recommendations as to why the measurement of food price inflation is important for the poor.

A Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, 2012. / The purpose of this study is to investigate if the International Comparison Program (ICP) methodology could be used to examine the different buying power (worth) of the currency on the same products or goods amongst South African provinces. The method will be tested on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) food data collected from January 2006 to December 2006 from the main cities in the provinces. The food basket is obtained via the Income and Expenditure Survey (IES), which is generally updated every 5 years. South Africa (SA) has disparities and differentials in economic indicators such as the CPI, Gross Domestic Product and employment, amongst the provinces which are caused by among other things geographic set-up, urbanisation, inflation rates, and expenditure patterns. We use the monthly data to do an inter-provincial comparison of food prices by deriving annual purchasing power parities (PPPs) for each of the provinces, using the Country Product Dummy (CPD) method recommended as best practice by the World Bank. The CPI data is validated using the SEMPER software developed by the African Development Bank (AfDB). The validated data is examined for variability over the months and between the provinces using Analysis of Variance. Significant price differences are found for various products over the months and between provinces. The validated data was used to compute PPPs at the group and basic heading level. PPPs were investigated for differences in the provinces on grouped level of food products using Analysis of Variance. The reliability of PPPs between provinces is investigated both at grouped and basic heading level of products using the Cronbach-alpha statistic. The results show that there are no significant variations in PPPs across provinces. This could be due to the similar business opportunities or developments in the provinces or due to the aggregation of prices from the individual product (basic heading) to the main product group level. This implies that the cost of the food basket is the same across provinces.