The study highlights the significance of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) economies. The first objective focuses on analysing the SADC investment policies pertaining to FDI. FDI instruments available at the regional and national levels are analysed. The study takes an in-depth look at the various activities by Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs) currently existing for SADC member states (MS). The existing policy instruments are key in attracting FDI and the policy architecture will largely determine the extent to which FDI will flow to different countries. The second objective focuses on reconciling the evidence on the determinants and impact of FDI in the SADC region. Through a systematic literature review, various literature reports pertaining to FDI have been analysed. Journal articles were collected from the UNISA library by means of a standard database search criterion through Scopus, Web of Science and EconLit search engines ranging from 1960 to 2019. The database was built based on known published and unpublished empirical papers for FDI in SADC. Out of the 554 journals investigated, 346 were found to be relevant to the study, with 114 journal articles contributing to the qualitative study. Through its quality assessment, descriptive statistics and qualitative synthesis provided a summary of the samples and measures utilized in a study through the measures of central tendency (mean and median) and dispersion - how spread out the data is (standard deviation). The results showed a higher mean value for general case studies reporting 0.53 with a standard deviation of 0.23. The standard deviations of variables indicated less spread or variability in the data collected over the years of the estimation period 1990 to 2019, indicating the results being more reliable. In conclusion, the study highlights the need to address the investment environment by addressing challenges such as political instability and wide differences in tax incentives. / Economics / M.. Com. (Economics)

This thesis aims to investigate fund managers salaries in relation to their contributions. The study is conducted on the Swedish fund market under a period over five years, 2014-2018, and include 332 funds. The result observed shows a positive relation between salaries and risk-adjusted performance. The result proves that fund managers are able to outperform the market on average, which should not be possible to do systematically over time according to the efficient market hypothesis. It also turns out that salary has a positive relationship with assets under management. This indicates that fund managers are employed and compensated for more reasons than to generate a high return, namely to contribute to more significant inflows of cash to the fund company. Interpretations of fund managers’ salaries are primarily linked to agency theory and economics of superstars. The agency problem alter in the fund industry since the setting is two-folded. Agency problem could be mitigated by implementing a performance-based compensation structure, to aligning investors, management and fund managers’ ambitions. The result shows signs that a performance-based salary is present in the fund industry. A fund managers’ salary assumes to be based on his/her skillfulness, but could also be due to an individual’s stardom. To conclude, the thesis state that fund managers’ deserve their salary, which in relative terms are fairly high, since they procure additional benefits to the fund company.

L’aspect peu volatil observé durant les différentes crises financières et l’importance des externalités relatives à la simulation des économies hôtes attribuent aux IDE une dimension considérable surtout pour les pays en développement (PED). Dès lors, l'attractivité du territoire est devenue la priorité principale des politiques des PED vers une ouverture sur les marchés internationaux. Ce qui explique la grande vague de réformes structurelles et de stratégies attractives qui a marqué ces économies durant ces deux dernières décennies. La contribution de cette thèse repose sur l'analyse des déterminants des IDE au niveau macroéconomique et mésoéconomique. La première étude consiste à estimer l’attractivité des territoires de la région du Moyen Orient et de l’Afrique du Nord (MENA). Nous avons appliqué les nouveaux apports de l’économétrique spatiale pour la spécification des flux bilatéraux de huit pays MENA en provenance de 16 pays d’OCDE sur la période 1985-2010. L'objectif est d'examiner la spécificité de cette région en évaluant conjointement la contribution spatiale interrégionale pour expliquer la nature des IDE et le rôle de l’autocorrélation spatiale intra-régionale à promouvoir l’investissement dans les territoires étudiés. La deuxième étude procède à l’analyse typique du climat d’investissement marocain objet de la recherche. Il s’agit de faire une comparaison sectorielle en identifiant la significativité des déterminants des IDE dans le secteur primaire, le secteur secondaire et le secteur tertiaire. Le travail consiste en premier lieu d’évaluer l’impact des variables macroéconomiques sur les flux des IDE dans neuf secteurs. En deuxième lieu, des variables mesurant la qualité institutionnelle sont intégrées individuellement afin d’approximer les différentes élasticités du climat juridique et administratif sur l’attractivité des IDE. / The low volatility observed during the global financial crises and the importance of externalities on simulating host economies attribute considerable interest to foreign direct investment especially for developing countries (DCs). Therefore, the territorial attractiveness became the main priority for DCs’s policies towards more international openness. This explains the multitude of structural reforms and attractive strategies adopted by these economies over the last two decades. The contribution of this thesis is based on the analysis of FDI determinants at the macroeconomic and mesoeconomic level. The first study estimates the territorial attractiveness of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). We have applied the new contributions of the spatial econometric specification to examine the bilateral flows from 16 OECD countries to eight MENA countries over the period 1985-2010. The purpose is to jointly evaluating the spatial interregional contribution to explain the nature of FDI present in the region and the role of the spatial intraregional autocorrelation to promote investment in the studied areas. The second study proceeds to analyze the specificity of Moroccan investment climate subject of this research. It consists to compare different economic sectors by identifying the significance of the FDI determinants in the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors. Thus, we estimate the impact of macroeconomic variables on FDI inflows within nine sectors. Thereafter, three institutional variables are individually incorporated to approximate the various elasticities of the legal and administrative climate on FDI attractiveness.

Submitted by Oliver Sleczka (oliver.sleczka@student.unisg.ch) on 2017-12-11T13:34:22Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Performance of Private Equity Funds in Emerging Markets_MPGI Dissertation_2017.pdf: 1511526 bytes, checksum: 5880b1437aa5a15cc2e08f09ac374e4a (MD5) / Rejected by Josineide da Silva Santos Locatelli (josineide.locatelli@fgv.br), reason: Dear Oliver, There are some corrections to do on your thesis, please, see below: The title is different: PERFORMANCE OF PRIVATE EQUITY FUNDS IN EMERGING MARKETS An Empirical Analysis We have: PERFORMANCE OF PRIVATE EQUITY FUNDS IN EMERGING MARKETS - A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS Page 2: In “Knowledge Field”, must to be your advisor field: Economia e Finanças Internacionais; Page 4: In “Knowledge Field”, must to be your advisor field: Economia e Finanças Internacionais, in “Approval Date” put your presentation date; Page 5: “ACKNOWLEDGMENT” must to be on the middle of the page; After correction, please, post it again on 2017-12-11T14:24:20Z (GMT) / Submitted by Oliver Sleczka (oliver.sleczka@student.unisg.ch) on 2017-12-11T17:40:14Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Performance of Private Equity Funds in Emerging Markets_MPGI Dissertation_2017.pdf: 1511283 bytes, checksum: 77cd6246c673012b4ee5c97c532f3274 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Josineide da Silva Santos Locatelli (josineide.locatelli@fgv.br) on 2017-12-11T17:46:14Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Performance of Private Equity Funds in Emerging Markets_MPGI Dissertation_2017.pdf: 1511283 bytes, checksum: 77cd6246c673012b4ee5c97c532f3274 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-12-11T17:50:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Performance of Private Equity Funds in Emerging Markets_MPGI Dissertation_2017.pdf: 1511283 bytes, checksum: 77cd6246c673012b4ee5c97c532f3274 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017 / This paper investigates the performance of private equity funds in emerging markets based on data of individual fund level returns from 1995 to 2013 obtained from Preqin. The research focus of this thesis lies on performance drivers and return persistence. The analysis is divided in two parts. The first part investigates the relationship between fund performance and fund characteristics focusing on the GP location, the investment focus, as well as the fund size, sequence number, and GP experience. The key objective is to determine significant emerging market-specific performance factors. Our results suggest that funds with a clear geographic investment focus earn significantly higher returns. The second part aims to find evidence for persistence in the performance of emerging market private equity funds. The findings corroborate the hypothesis that unlike in developed markets, performance persistence still exists in emerging markets. / Esta tese investiga o desempenho de fundos de private equity em mercados emergentes, com base em dados de retorno a nível individual dos fundos de 1995 a 2013, obtidos por meio da base de dados Preqin. O foco de pesquisa desta tese é nos drivers de performance e persistência de retornos. A análise é dividida em duas partes. A primeira parte investiga a relação entre a performance e características do fundo, com foco na localização do administrador (GP), foco do investimento, assim como o tamanho do fundo, número de sequência do fundo, e experiência do GP. O principal objetivo é determinar fatores de performance significativos específicos de mercados emergentes. Os resultados sugerem que fundos com um claro foco geográfico de investimentos obtém retornos significativamente mais altos. A segunda parte visa encontrar evidências de persistência na performance de fundos de private equity de mercados emergentes. Os achados corroboram a hipótese de que, diferentemente de mercados desenvolvidos, persistência de performance ainda existe em mercados emergentes.

The purpose of this study is to develop an indebtedness framework that explains the effects of financialisation and household indebtedness on economic development. For this purpose, the study empirically examines annual South African data covering the years 1990-2017 to look at the effect of financialisation before and after the 2007/08 financial crisis. South Africa adopted an inflation targeting monetary policy regime in the 1990s before the global economic crisis in response to the global financial crisis of 2007-08. Examining data from 1990-2017 made it possible to look at the effects of financial deregulation policies that were introduced post the 2007-08 financial meltdown. The study addressed three objectives. The first objective sought to establish the extent of financialisation in the South African economy pre and post the 2008 financial crisis. To achieve this objective, annual time series data from 1990-2017 on financialisation variables was split into two, before and after the financial crisis. Graphical presentations of the four financialisation variables (financial deregulation, foreign financial inflows, asset price volatility, and shift to market-based finance) showed that there was a difference in financialisation before and after the 2008 financial crisis. Analysis of variance showed that there is a statistically significant difference between the foreign financial inflows’ series before and after the financial meltdown of 2008 (t-test value -6.527, p ≤ 0.0001). (1990-2008). The findings also showed that there was no statistically significant difference between asset price volatility before and after the financial meltdown of 2008. Interestingly, there is a statistically significant difference between stock market value traded in the period from 1990-2008 and 20092017 after the financial crisis (t = -4.295, p ≤0.001). The second objective sought to examine the causal direction between financialisation and household indebtedness. Contrary to a priori expectations, the findings showed that financial deregulation, foreign financial inflows and shift to market-based finance do not Granger cause indebtedness. However, the findings showed that the null hypothesis that asset price does not Granger cause household indebtedness was rejected. This implies that there is a causal direction between asset price volatility and household indebtedness Lastly, the third objective of this study was to explain the effects of financialisation and indebtedness on economic development to inform the indebtedness framework that this study set out to develop. Using annual data for the period of 1990 to 2017, the third objective was addressed by examining the effect of household indebtedness and financialisation on economic development. These effects were tested using OLS regression and error correction modelling technique (ECM) for each of the four financialisation variable: (1) financial deregulation measured using the financial reform index; (2) foreign financial inflows measured using stock of foreign liabilities as percentage of GDP; (3) asset price volatility; and (4) shift to market-based finance, measured using stock market value traded as percentage of GDP. The findings showed that foreign financial inflows and asset price index when regressed with household indebtedness showed a statistically significant effect on economic development in a long-run model. The indebtedness framework was duly presented showing that economic development is likely to be negatively and strongly affected by financialisation as experienced in asset price volatility and foreign financial inflows. / Graduate School of Business Leadership / D.B.L.

This thesis examines which factors drive overall net inflows to a Swedish niche bank. It further investigates whether these factors are the same or different from the factors that drive net inflows to mutual funds as well as shares. To find the key factors, and to what degree they drive the different net inflows, three separate multiple linear regressions were performed. The data analysed was taken from the period January 2018 to February 2022, and was provided by Avanza Bank. The data for the driving factors were gathered from different sources online. 21 regressors were used for this analysis. The thesis conclusion in brief was that for total net inflows the main contributor was the number of customers, which positively impacted the net inflows. The two subcategories: mutual fund and stock inflows were more volatile and the number of customers proved not as important in these cases. Some seasonal patterns were recognized, e.g. January was always a significant month for total net inflows. Therefore, performing a time series analysis would be recommended to draw further conclusions. Other possible avenues for future research is to gain a deeper understanding of this applied area of mathematics and to gather more data both in terms of the analysed time period and number of regressors. / Detta arbete ämnar undersöka vilka faktorer som generellt driver nettoflöden till en svensk nischbank. Arbetet ämnar även att vidare undersöka om dessa eller andra faktorer är mest drivande för nettoflöden till kategorierna fonder och aktier. För att hitta dessa nyckelfaktorer, samt till vilken grad de driver nettoflöden, utfördes tre stycken regressionsanalyser. Datan som analyserades avsåg tidsperioden januari 2018 till februari 2022 och sammanställdes av Avanza Bank. Samtliga potentiella nyckelfaktorer för nettoinflödet samlades in från diverse källor online, totalt användes 21 stycken regressorer för analysen. Arbetets slutsats i korthet var att det för det totala nettoflöden är bankens totala antal kunder som är den största drivande faktorn, vilket har ett positivt samband med den beroende variabeln. För de två sub-kategorierna, nettoflöden till fonder och aktier var det svårare att bygga en modell och antal kunder visade sig inte ha en stor påverkan för dessa. Ett säsongsmönster kunde observeras i datan, exempelvis var januari alltid en signifikant månad för stora nettoflöden. Med detta som bakgrund kunde ett tidsserieanalys rekommenderas för att kunna dra bättre slutsatser inom ämnet. Andra möjliga alternativ för framtida forskning innefattar en djupare analys inom detta område av tillämpad matematik samt insamling av mer data både i fråga om den studerade tidsperioden samt antalet använda regressorer.

This study focuses on foreign direct investment ("FDI") and its importance to the economy of South Africa. Recognising that FDI, notwithstanding the type, can contribute to economic growth and development, most countries including South Africa are constantly working to attract it, and hence its demand has become highly competitive. However, FDI does not go without some negative effects, such as conflicts between host and investor country, and the creation of damaging competition to local firms. These negative effects could be minimised if policies and strategies for the promotion and attraction of FDI is part of, and integrated into, general economic development and economic reform policies, and not seen in isolation. Although South Africa has implemented strategies to attract more FDI, a refinement of some of these policies is needed if the country is to be successful in this regard. / Economics / M. Comm. (Economics)

Dans le premier chapitre, nous avons travaillé sur l’impact d’une réévaluation réelle de la monnaie chinoise sur ses excédents commerciaux. Nous avons suggéré une nouvelle approche pour mesurer cet impact, en utilisant des données de panel relatives aux exportations et aux importations des entreprises à capitaux étrangers et domestiques implantées dans vingt-et-huit provinces chinoises. Nous avons constaté que l’effet d’une réévaluation du Yuan sur les exportations et les importations était plus accentué après l’accession de la Chine à l’OMC. Enfin, d’autres facteurs comme le taux de change nominal et les prix relatifs entrent en jeu dans l’explication de la dynamique des exportations et des importations de la Chine.Dans le deuxième chapitre, nous avons étudié les effets spatiaux sur les exportations et les importations provinciales des entreprises multinationales et domestiques. Nous avons utilisé trois différentes matrices de poids spatiales et maintenu la même division de période qu’au premier chapitre. La méthodologie d’estimation spatiale utilisée a révélé des effets spatiaux importants sur les exportations et les importations des deux types d’entreprises, mais a aussi permis de faire un état des lieux sur l’intégration du marché domestique de la Chine. Dans le troisième chapitre, nous avons étudié les flux de capitaux vers la Chine déguisés en valeur d’échanges commerciaux. Nous avons proposé une nouvelle approche en utilisant les prix des produits échangés les plus susceptibles à la manipulation et étudié leur sensibilité à l’anticipation d’une réévaluation future de la monnaie chinoise. Nous avons trouvé que la balance commerciale de la Chine était surestimée. / In the first chapter, we investigate the impact of a revaluation of the China’s Yuan on its trade balance. We use panel data on export and import of multinational and domestic firms, disaggregated at a regional level in the period 1996-2012.We find significant impact of a revaluation of the Yuan on export and import, the impact differs regionally, time period, and by firms. We also find that other factors like nominal exchange rate and relative prices play significant role in explaining China’s trade balance.In the second chapter, we investigate the spatial effects on China’s trade performance. In fact, we use the same data as in the first essay.We use three different weight matrices to take into account the dynamism in the China’s decentralization policies.We find significant spatial effects on export and import, varying between firms, regions and time period. This essay also reveals important facts on the China’s domestic market integration. In the last chapter, we put forth a new approach to measure capital inflows into China hidden in the regular trade flows. This phenomenon known as trade misinvoicing is suspected to actually overstate China’s trade surpluses.We measure the sensitivity of the prices for some commodities which are the most susceptible to trade misinvoicing to the non-deliverable forward exchange rate for the Yuan in Hong-Kong. We find that, in fact China’s trade balance is relatively overestimated.

Depuis le vingtième siècle, les flux migratoires ont augmenté entrainant des flux financiers – nommés "remittances" - partant des zones d'immigration vers celles d'émigration. Ces transferts, que les migrants envoient à leurs familles dans leur pays d'origine peuvent générer des effets opposés selon des pays. Cette thèse a pour objectif d'analyser leurs conséquences sur le capital physique et humain dans les pays qui les reçoivent.Le premier chapitre souligne l'impact négatif de ces flux sur le stock de capital ainsi que sur l'offre de travail. Ce revenu supplémentaire durant leur dernière période de vie conduit les individus à moins travailler et moins épargner. Ces transferts peuvent rapprocher ou éloigner les économies de la règle d'or d'accumulation du capital en fonction de leurs caractéristiques. Une politique de taxation est proposée afin de maximiser le bien-être. Le second chapitre étend l'analyse à des économies ouvertes faisant face à des contraintes exogènes de crédit sur le marché international des capitaux. Il montre que les transferts réduisent les incitations des agents à épargner, mais peuvent accroitre l'investissement en capital physique dans certains pays, via les entrées de capitaux, en relâchant directement la contrainte de crédit. Le troisième chapitre développe un modèle de croissance avec accumulation de capital humain, dans lequel les agents empruntent pour s'éduquer. Les contraintes de crédit sont cette fois endogènes : les agents ne peuvent s'engager à rembourser et sont exclus du marché des capitaux en cas de défaut. Ce modèle explique que les "remittances" peuvent générer des effets positifs, dans certains pays, ou négatifs dans d'autres. / Since the twentieth century, migratory flows have largely increased entailing financial flows - named remittances - from immigration areas to emigration areas. These transfers that migrants send to their families in their home countries may empirically lead to positive or negative effects on physical and human capital. This thesis aims at explaining this mixed evidence in developing countries.The first chapter underlines the negative impact of remittances on capital stock but also on labour supply. Due to this additional income in their last-period of life, agents have less incentive to work and save. Remittances may bring economies closer to their golden rule of capital accumulation or further from their golden rule according to their features. A taxation policy is provided in order to maximise the welfare in the home country of the migrants. The second chapter extends the analysis to open economies facing exogenous credit constraints on the international capital market. Even if remittances reduce incentive to save, these flows may increase investment in physical capital in some countries, through capital inflows, by directly relaxing the credit constraints. The third chapter considers a growth model with human capital accumulation in which agents borrow to finance their education. Borrowing constraints are, in this non-commitment framework considered as endogenous: agents may choose to default and are excluded from the financial market in case of default. In accordance with empirical literature, this model is able to explain a negative or a positive impact of remittances on economic growth.

In light of increasing harmful algal blooms and the need to protect human health and aquatic resources, proactive management approaches merit further study. For this purpose I conducted field samplings to characterize plankton community composition and laboratory experiments to test some approaches to new management schemes in the lower Rincon Delta. On site measurements and microscopic analysis showed that environmental parameters and plankton community composition varied considerably among sampling stations and sampling dates. A recent modeling study suggested that manipulation of freshwater inflow to estuaries might prevent phytoplankton blooms and enhance secondary productivity. To test this theory I conducted three semi-continuous design and flow-through incubation design experiments using natural plankton assemblages. I investigated the effect of two different pulsing regimes of inflow and nutrient loading on zooplankton densities, and phytoplankton biomass and diversity. Despite differences in zooplankton structure and phytoplankton community composition between the two experiment designs, the results confirmed that pulsed inflows might alter plankton dynamics. My findings showed that 3-day pulse treatments consistently supported greater zooplankton densities and higher phytoplankton species diversity when compared to 1-day pulse treatments. In addition, accumulation of phytoplankton biovolume remained low during 3-day pulse treatments. Differences in zooplankton performance between 3-day pulse and 1-day pulse inflow treatments were likely due to the ability of phytoplankton to uptake and store greater amounts of nutrients under conditions of 3-day pulse inflow. This resulted in food of higher quality for zooplankton, and might have supported greater zooplankton population growth rates. Additionally, in an attempt to understand the mechanisms leading to high biodiversity in aquatic ecosystems, I built a resource-storage model and studied the effects of resource-storage on competition of multiple phytoplankton species on multiple abiotic resources. I compared this model with a well-established multi-species competition model. My results showed that for certain species combinations a resource-storage-based model can generate dissimilar outcomes when compared to a model without resource-storage.