Text in Afrikaans, abstract in Afrikaans and English / Suid-Afrika het ongekende verstedeliking ervaar en agtergeblewe verbruikers het hulle in gebiede in en om stede gevestig. Steeds toenemende verstedeliking veroorsaak enersyds probleme aangesien basiese infrastruktuurvoorsiening (elektrisiteit, water, en riool) ontbreek. Andersyds laat die afwesigheid van formele kleinhandelsfasiliteite in die agtergeblewe gebiede die vraag ontstaan wat hierdie verbruikers se behoefte aan afsetpunte behels. 'n Ewekansige-waarskynlikheidsnavorsingstudie met 'n steekproef van 300 huishoudings, 'n vraelys, en persoonlike onderhoude is onderneem om die agtergeblewe verbruikers in die Soshanguve gebied se behoeftes na kleinhandelsafsetpunte te bepaal. Die bevinding is dat die meeste verbruikers buite hul woongebied werksaam is, 'n gemiddelde inkomste van tot R2 000 per maand verdien, en dat taxi's die hoofvervoermiddel is. Kleinhandelsaankope word hoofsaaklik in Pretoria en Mabopane gedoen. Daar bestaan wel 'n behoefte na formele kleinhandelsafsetpunte, veral vir bederfbare produkte en kruideniersware soos voorsien deur bekende kleinhandelsintellings soos die OK Bazaars. Die ondersoek bevestig dat Soshanguve kleinhandelsbeleggingsgeleenthede bied vir verskeie kleinhandelsfasiliteite. / South-Africa experienced unknown urbanisation and disadvantaged consumers flocked to the cities. Continuous urbanisation causes infrastructural problems such as a lack of electricity, water, and sewerage facilities. The absence of formal retail outlets in these areas poses the question what retailing needs these consumers do have. A simple random probability research study with a sample of 300 households, a questionnaire, and personal interviews was used to determine the disadvantaged consumers' needs for retail outlets in the Soshanguve area. The results indicate that most consumers work outside Soshanguve, earn an average of up to R2 000 per month, and use taxi's as a means of transportation. Retail purchases are made in Pretoria and Mabopane. There is a definite need for formal retail outlets, especially for perishables and groceries as provided by retailers such as OK Bazaars. The research confirms that there are retail investment opportunities in Soshanguve for the establishment of various retail facilities. / Business Management / M. Comm. (Business Management)

Internet intermediaries facilitate a wide range of conduct using services supplied over the layered architecture of modern communications networks. Members of this class include search engines, social networks, internet service providers, website operators, hosts, and payment gateways, which together exert a critical and growing influence upon national and global economies, governments and cultures. This research examines who should face legal responsibility when wrongdoers utilise these services tortiously to cause harm to others. It has three parts. Part 1 seeks to understand the nature of an intermediary and how its liability differs from the liability of primary defendants. It classifies intermediaries according to a new layered, functional taxonomy and argues that many instances of secondary liability in English private law reflect shared features and underlying policies, including optimal loss-avoidance and derivative liability premised on an assumption of responsibility. Part 2 analyses intermediaries’ monetary liability for secondary wrongdoing in two areas of English law: defamation and copyright. It traces the historical evolution of these doctrines at successive junctures in communications technology, before identifying and defending limits on that liability which derive from three main sources: (i) in-built limits contained in definitions of secondary wrongdoing; (ii) European safe harbours and general limits on remedies; and (iii) statutory defences and exceptions. Part 3 examines intermediaries’ non-monetary liability, in particular their obligations to disclose information about alleged primary wrongdoers and to cease facilitating wrongdoing where it is necessary and proportionate to do so. It proposes a new suite of non-facilitation remedies designed to restrict access to tortious internet materials, remove such materials from search engines, and reduce the profitability of wrongdoing. It concludes with several recommendations to improve the effectiveness and proportionality of remedies by reference to considerations of architecture, anonymity, efficient procedures, and fundamental rights.

Jouant un rôle crucial pour l’efficience des marchés, la banque d’investissement contemporaine se caractérise par l’exercice d’une grande diversité d’activités aussi complexes qu’hétérogènes sous un même toit. Agissant tantôt auprès d’une clientèle de particuliers, d’entreprises, d’institutions financières, de fonds d’investissement ou de gouvernements, et tantôt pour son propre compte, elle compose avec une multitude d’intérêts divergents, ce qui soulève un certain questionnement quant à la portée de l’obligation de loyauté dont elle peut être tributaire envers ses clients. Les implications répétées des banques d’affaires dans la vague de récents scandales financiers ont inévitablement affecté la confiance que les épargnants témoignent envers l’intégrité de cette institution et des marchés financiers en général. Elles ont de plus contribué significativement à relancer le débat concernant la pertinence de contrôler, et même d’éliminer les conflits d’intérêts, un phénomène largement répandu au sein de la banque d’investissement. À titre de mécanismes préventifs, les solutions de marchés et l’autodiscipline des intermédiaires financiers sont imparfaits. La réglementation des conflits d’intérêts se justifie alors afin de pallier les défaillances du marché et de l’autorégulation. Pour autant qu’il maintienne sa réglementation dans un rapport efficience-équité acceptable, l’État est appelé à concevoir des normes de contrôle aux objectifs variés, allant de la réforme structurelle du secteur financier à l’élaboration de principes généraux devant servir de balises à la conduite des intermédiaires financiers. Ainsi, dans une industrie caractérisée par une forte conglomération, la réponse des législateurs semble s’articuler autour du traitement adéquat des conflits d’intérêts, traitement qui s’opère par divers mécanismes, dont la muraille Chine, la divulgation et le refus d’agir. / Playing a key role in market efficiency, the modern investment bank offers a wide variety of services that are as complex as they are different, all under one roof. Acting sometimes in the interest of individuals, businesses, financial institutions, investment funds or governments and sometimes in its own interest, an investment bank must contend with a multitude of diverging interests, which raises certain questions as to the extent of any duty for loyalty it may owe to its clients. Repeated involvement by investment banks in the wave of recent financial scandals has inevitably affected investors’ confidence with respect to the integrity of these institutions and financial markets in general. This factor has significantly contributed to renewing the debate concerning the relevance of controlling, or even eliminating, conflicts of interest, which are a wide-spread phenomenon in the investment banking industry. In terms of preventive measures, market-related solutions and self-discipline by financial intermediaries are inherently flawed. Therefore, in order to offset such deficiencies, it becomes justifiable to regulate conflict of interest situations. Numerous possibilities exist and, as long as regulation is maintained at an acceptable effectiveness/fairness ratio, the State is called upon to establish monitoring standards for various objectives, ranging from a structural reform of the financial sector to developing general principles to serve as guidelines for the conduct of financial intermediaries. Thus, in an industry characterized by a strong tendency for conglomeration, the response from regulators seems to hinge on adequate handling of conflicts of interest, which includes various mechanisms such as the Chinese wall, disclosure and a refusal to act.

This thesis examines responses to the problem of stock market short-termism ('SMST'). SMST is defined as investors preferring short-term financial returns over potentially more profitable longer-term investment opportunities. Such short-termism may result in serious real-world consequences. Company executives appear to respond to short-term pressures in ways that jeopardize the long-term sustainability of listed companies negatively impacting investors and other stakeholders including employees, customers and the community at large. This thesis provides an original contribution to the academic literature via an in-depth examination of all significant regulatory and financial industry efforts meant to reform SMST in major capital markets after the global financial crisis of 2007-2009. I hypothesize that the extensive discussion of the SMST issue has generated substantial reforms. Based on an analysis of the implemented reforms, I reveal that the anticipated surge of SMST reform has not occurred. I then explore why the widespread SMST discussion has not resulted in greater reform efforts. This examination reveals the complex nature of the SMST problem and the evidentiary issues inherent in viably identifying and measuring the harms of SMST. However, I determine that there is probable cause for concern justifying SMST reform measures. Further, I conclude that SMST issues arise because investors are biased towards short-term returns when calculating risk. This bias is evident in share pricing, meaning that share prices are not a reliable indicator of fundamental corporate value. Based on this conclusion, an original dual pathway for SMST reform is proposed. This dual pathway indicates that SMST reform measures must either: (1) reduce the actual or perceived excessive discounting of future returns by investors (i.e. make share prices better reflective of long-term value); or (2) cut-off the transmission mechanisms of SMST into the listed company (i.e. sever the link between share prices and corporate decision-making). Assessing the reforms against this dual pathway reveals that few of the reforms are conceptually effective. Of the few reforms that are conceptually effective, most are relatively 'light' touch. A 'light' touch approach may not be problematic, however, as such measures are easier to implement than 'hard' law. In the case of regulatory reforms, a 'light' touch approach provides scope for flexibility to minimize the many potential harms associated with 'hard' law measures. Consequently, this thesis concludes that SMST reform is more likely to occur if reformers pursue a 'lighter' touch approach meant to reduce excessive discounting of future returns and 'nudge' capital markets away from their harmful short-termism focus.

Cette thèse se compose de trois chapitres ayant en commun la question de la qualité des exportations dans un contexte de pays en voie de développement. La thèse s’intéresse plus particulièrement à différents aspects permettant d’améliorer le niveau de qualité des exportations. Le premier chapitre est consacré à l'impact de l'Aide au commerce (Aid for trade) sur la qualité des exportations des pays récipiendaires. Il suggère un effet positif de la politique d'aide au commerce sur la qualité des exportations. Le deuxième chapitre porte sur le rôle de vérification de la qualité joué par les intermédiaires dans le commerce international. Les résultats indiquent que seuls les intermédiaires spécialisés jouent ce rôle. Le troisième chapitre examine le lien entre l'orientation à l'exportation des entreprises et leur performance en matière d'innovation. L’analyse empirique met en évidence une réduction des investissements en R&D chez les exportateurs dont les ventes s’orientent principalement vers les exportations au détriment du marché intérieur et ce d’autant plus qu’ils font face à une incertitude élevée de la demande. Ces évolutions défavorables pourraient être surmontées néanmoins si l’entreprise a une riche expérience commerciale ou une productivité élevée. Les trois résultats principaux de cette thèse sont ainsi que l'aide au commerce ainsi que l’essor d’intermédiaires de type spécialisé contribuent à la montée en qualité des exportateurs tandis que l'incertitude de la demande extérieure tend à l’inverse à entraver l’innovation des firmes exportatrices. / This thesis is composed of three chapters that have in common the question of export quality in a developing country context. The thesis focuses on different aspects of improving the quality level of exports. The first chapter is devoted to the impact of Aid for Trade on the quality of exports from recipient countries. It suggests a positive effect of Aid for Trade policy on the quality of exports. The second chapter focuses on the quality assurance role played by intermediaries in international trade. The results indicate that only specialized intermediaries play this role. The third chapter examines the link between firms' export orientation and their innovation performance. The empirical analysis shows a reduction in R&D investment by exporters whose sales reorient towards exports to the detriment of the domestic market, especially as they face high demand uncertainty. These unfavourable developments could nevertheless be overcome if the company has a long trade experience or high productivity. The three main results of this thesis are that aid for trade and the rise of specialized intermediaries contribute to the rise in quality of exporters, while the uncertainty of external demand tends, on the other hand, to hinder innovation by exporting firms.

As of fairly recently, migrant workers from South East Asia are migrating to Canada for work in the agricultural industry. Little research has been conducted on migration routes and recruitment patterns of these migrant workers. Interviews with 13 workers and three support workers were conducted between May and July 2011 to learn about this process; specifically with how these individuals are getting to Canada, and how they maintain (or do not maintain) relationships with the private intermediaries and employment agencies that facilitate this movement. This research will fill a gap in the literature by describing the recruitment processes of ‘low-skilled’ workers into Canada and, more importantly, it will provide a much-needed space for South East Asian migrants to share their experiences about working in Canada.

Jouant un rôle crucial pour l’efficience des marchés, la banque d’investissement contemporaine se caractérise par l’exercice d’une grande diversité d’activités aussi complexes qu’hétérogènes sous un même toit. Agissant tantôt auprès d’une clientèle de particuliers, d’entreprises, d’institutions financières, de fonds d’investissement ou de gouvernements, et tantôt pour son propre compte, elle compose avec une multitude d’intérêts divergents, ce qui soulève un certain questionnement quant à la portée de l’obligation de loyauté dont elle peut être tributaire envers ses clients. Les implications répétées des banques d’affaires dans la vague de récents scandales financiers ont inévitablement affecté la confiance que les épargnants témoignent envers l’intégrité de cette institution et des marchés financiers en général. Elles ont de plus contribué significativement à relancer le débat concernant la pertinence de contrôler, et même d’éliminer les conflits d’intérêts, un phénomène largement répandu au sein de la banque d’investissement. À titre de mécanismes préventifs, les solutions de marchés et l’autodiscipline des intermédiaires financiers sont imparfaits. La réglementation des conflits d’intérêts se justifie alors afin de pallier les défaillances du marché et de l’autorégulation. Pour autant qu’il maintienne sa réglementation dans un rapport efficience-équité acceptable, l’État est appelé à concevoir des normes de contrôle aux objectifs variés, allant de la réforme structurelle du secteur financier à l’élaboration de principes généraux devant servir de balises à la conduite des intermédiaires financiers. Ainsi, dans une industrie caractérisée par une forte conglomération, la réponse des législateurs semble s’articuler autour du traitement adéquat des conflits d’intérêts, traitement qui s’opère par divers mécanismes, dont la muraille Chine, la divulgation et le refus d’agir. / Playing a key role in market efficiency, the modern investment bank offers a wide variety of services that are as complex as they are different, all under one roof. Acting sometimes in the interest of individuals, businesses, financial institutions, investment funds or governments and sometimes in its own interest, an investment bank must contend with a multitude of diverging interests, which raises certain questions as to the extent of any duty for loyalty it may owe to its clients. Repeated involvement by investment banks in the wave of recent financial scandals has inevitably affected investors’ confidence with respect to the integrity of these institutions and financial markets in general. This factor has significantly contributed to renewing the debate concerning the relevance of controlling, or even eliminating, conflicts of interest, which are a wide-spread phenomenon in the investment banking industry. In terms of preventive measures, market-related solutions and self-discipline by financial intermediaries are inherently flawed. Therefore, in order to offset such deficiencies, it becomes justifiable to regulate conflict of interest situations. Numerous possibilities exist and, as long as regulation is maintained at an acceptable effectiveness/fairness ratio, the State is called upon to establish monitoring standards for various objectives, ranging from a structural reform of the financial sector to developing general principles to serve as guidelines for the conduct of financial intermediaries. Thus, in an industry characterized by a strong tendency for conglomeration, the response from regulators seems to hinge on adequate handling of conflicts of interest, which includes various mechanisms such as the Chinese wall, disclosure and a refusal to act.

This thesis is focused on creating and managing marketing distribution channels in terms of a particular enterprise. The basic concept for this thesis is marketing, from which further depends on other important concepts. The aim is to assess the current creation and management of marketing distribution channels in the selected company. Based on the analysis to propose appropriate measures for improvement. For these purposes, was chosen production company that specializes in the manufacture of doors and door frames.

Text in Afrikaans, abstract in Afrikaans and English / Suid-Afrika het ongekende verstedeliking ervaar en agtergeblewe verbruikers het hulle in gebiede in en om stede gevestig. Steeds toenemende verstedeliking veroorsaak enersyds probleme aangesien basiese infrastruktuurvoorsiening (elektrisiteit, water, en riool) ontbreek. Andersyds laat die afwesigheid van formele kleinhandelsfasiliteite in die agtergeblewe gebiede die vraag ontstaan wat hierdie verbruikers se behoefte aan afsetpunte behels. 'n Ewekansige-waarskynlikheidsnavorsingstudie met 'n steekproef van 300 huishoudings, 'n vraelys, en persoonlike onderhoude is onderneem om die agtergeblewe verbruikers in die Soshanguve gebied se behoeftes na kleinhandelsafsetpunte te bepaal. Die bevinding is dat die meeste verbruikers buite hul woongebied werksaam is, 'n gemiddelde inkomste van tot R2 000 per maand verdien, en dat taxi's die hoofvervoermiddel is. Kleinhandelsaankope word hoofsaaklik in Pretoria en Mabopane gedoen. Daar bestaan wel 'n behoefte na formele kleinhandelsafsetpunte, veral vir bederfbare produkte en kruideniersware soos voorsien deur bekende kleinhandelsintellings soos die OK Bazaars. Die ondersoek bevestig dat Soshanguve kleinhandelsbeleggingsgeleenthede bied vir verskeie kleinhandelsfasiliteite. / South-Africa experienced unknown urbanisation and disadvantaged consumers flocked to the cities. Continuous urbanisation causes infrastructural problems such as a lack of electricity, water, and sewerage facilities. The absence of formal retail outlets in these areas poses the question what retailing needs these consumers do have. A simple random probability research study with a sample of 300 households, a questionnaire, and personal interviews was used to determine the disadvantaged consumers' needs for retail outlets in the Soshanguve area. The results indicate that most consumers work outside Soshanguve, earn an average of up to R2 000 per month, and use taxi's as a means of transportation. Retail purchases are made in Pretoria and Mabopane. There is a definite need for formal retail outlets, especially for perishables and groceries as provided by retailers such as OK Bazaars. The research confirms that there are retail investment opportunities in Soshanguve for the establishment of various retail facilities. / Business Management / M. Comm. (Business Management)

Le catalogue occupe une place privilégiée dans l’offre de service des bibliothèques universitaires, pivot de l’intermédiation. Depuis 10 ans, il traverse une crise grave, voyant les usagers le délaisser à la faveur des moteurs de recherche généralistes. Le web, plus qu’un sérieux concurrent, devance aujourd’hui les systèmes d’information documentaires, et devient le point d’entrée principal pour la recherche d’information. Les bibliothèques tentent de structurer un espace documentaire qui soit habité par les usagers, au sein duquel se développe l’offre de service, mais celle-ci se présente encore comme une série de silos inertes, sans grande possibilité de navigation, malgré de considérables efforts d’ingénierie et des pistes d’évolution vers les outils de découverte. La profession, consciente de cette crise profonde, après avoir accusé les remous occasionnés par la dimension disruptive du numérique, cherche des moyens pour adapter et diversifier son offre, fluidifier la diffusion de l’information, et se réinvente un rôle d’intermédiation en cherchant à tirer profit des nouvelles pratiques des usagers, de leurs nouvelles attentes, et de nouvelles perspectives. Les bibliothèques placent leur espoir dans de nouveaux modèles de données, tentent d’y ajouter un niveau d’abstraction favorisant les liaisons avec l’univers de la connaissance. L’évolution vers le web sémantique semble une opportunité à saisir pour valoriser les collections et les rendre exploitables dans un autre contexte, au prix d’importants efforts que cette analyse tente de mesurer. Une approche constructiviste fondée sur l’observation participante et le recueil de données offre une vision issue de l’intérieur de la communauté des bibliothèques sur l’évolution des catalogues et des outils d’intermédiation, et ouvre des perspectives sur leurs enjeux. / The catalog takes up a special position in the supply of services of academic libraries, as a pivot for the intermediary between users and information professionals who carry the responsibility for building up collections. For 10 years, through a serious crisis, they’ve been seeing their patrons preferring the general or commercial search engines. The Web is more than a serious competitor today, ahead of the document information systems, and became the main access point for information retrieval. Libraries are trying to structure an information space that is temporarily or permanently inhabited by users, in which the service offering is developed, but it is still presented as a series of silos, with few opportunities of navigation between them despite considerable engineering efforts and a perspective of evolution towards discovery tools. The profession, having become aware of this deep crisis after accusing eddies caused by the breakdown of the digital switch, looking for ways to adapt and diversify its offering, streamlines the dissemination of information, and reinvents its roles, trying to take advantage of new practices of users, new expectations and new prospects. Libraries put their hope in new data models, trying to add a level of abstraction promoting links with the world of knowledge. The evolution towards the Semantic Web seems to be a valuable opportunity to enhance the collections and make them usable in another context, at the expense of significant efforts sized up by this analysis. A constructivist approach based on participant observation and data collection offers a vision of the outcome within the library community on the development of catalogs and intermediation tools, and an outlook on their issues.