Thesis (D.P.A.)--University of Oklahoma, 1991. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 172-180).

M.Comm. / South Africa as a country continues to rank low in the world of competitiveness. The research done for this dissertation focused on the need for South African organisations to perceive Competitive Intelligence (CI) as one of the most important tools to improve their competitiveness through a systematic, practical approach to make the CI cycle worth while, especially through skills development. This study intends to identify the skills CI professionals in South Africa need in order to conduct the CI process in organisations effectively, thereby improving the country’s competitive position. However, the difficulty of this task lies with organisations in general not acknowledging the necessity of CI in the workplace. Only a limited number of organisations recognise the importance of such a unit. A survey was therefore conducted, by questionnaire, among organisations with existing CI units in which the respondents had to identify the skills they deemed necessary for the CI professional to run the CI process effectively. Findings suggested that the majority of respondents were 40 years and older, in the top structure of larger organisations and had been using CI for longer than five years. The overwhelming result is thus that there are skills inequalities between what skills respondents view as crucial and those that rated highest in their self-evaluation. Skills identified as most important include, among others, networking and research skills analytical abilities. The research also indicated that where CI had been established in certain organisations for at least five years, it did not reflect positively overall on South Africa’s current competitive situation. However, where there is a systematic CI approach, problem-solving is easier to address and negatives could be turned around. With this in mind and a proper “buy-in” into skills development, it will have a very positive outcome for all the organisations that wish to improve their competitiveness.

Thesis (MBA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The object of this study was to do a comparative analysis of the competitiveness of the South African apple industry with the competitive ran kings published by Dr Desmond O'Rourke as a guideline. Firstly, the intention was to determine if South Africa's ranking is valid and representative, and secondly, to look at the scope for improvement. South Africa's best competitive performance is in the area of production. Although South Africa is performing well there is still scope for improvement by increasing productivity of orchards and quality of the crop. Input costs, labour and climate change are other big concerns. The biggest area for improvement however lies with the relationship between the South African apple industry and the South African government. Many of the changes in legislation and policy since 1994 have had a negative impact on the competitiveness of the South African apple industry. Government need to play an active role in supporting the apple industry through infrastructure, market access and financial support for industry initiatives like promotion and research. This can only be achieved if there is a partnership between the industry and government. The Department of Agriculture also need to be capacitated to perform their functions professionally and efficiently. In terms of market and demand the main concern is the dependence of the South African apple industry on the markets of Europe and the United Kingdom. These markets also have a decline in per capita consumption of apples. This, associated with increased consumer pressure in terms of food safety, environmental and ethical issues and the power of retailers, creates a need to get market access in new developing markets like India and China. The promotions of consumption of apples in the local market would also have a positive effect on profitability. In a world market where the production volume of South Africa is insignificant, the industry needs to do everything in its control to increase competitiveness. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie was om 'n vergelykende studie van die mededingendheid van die Suid-Afrikaanse appelindustrie te doen met die mededingendheidsranglys van Dr. Desmond O'Rourke as 'n riglyn. Eerstens was die oogmerk om te bepaal of hierdie ranglys verteenwoordigend is van die mededingendheid van Suid-Afrika, en tweedens om die ruimte en area vir verbetering te identifiseer. Suid-Afrika se beste area van kompeterende prestasie is produksie. Alhoewel Suid-Afrika goed vaar op hierdie gebied is daar nog steeds ruimte vir verbetering deur produktiwiteit van boorde en die kwaliteit van die oes te verhoog. Insetkoste, arbeid en klimaatsverandering is ook areas van bekommernis. Die grootste area vir verbetering is egter die verhouding tussen die Suid-Afrikaanse industrie en die regering. Baie van die veranderinge in wetgewing en beleid sedert 1994 het 'n negatiewe impak op die mededingendheid van die Suid-Afrikaanse appelindustrie gehad. Die regering moet 'n aktiewe rol speel om die appelindustrie te ondersteun t.o.v. die infrastruktuur, marktoegang, promosie en navorsing. Dit kan slegs bereik word as daar 'n vennootskap tussen die regering en industrie is. Die Departement van Landbou het ook die kapasiteit nodig om hulle taak professioneel en effektief te kan verrig. In terme van markte en vraag is die grootste bekommernis die afhanklikheid van die Suid-Afrikaanse industrie van die markte van Europa en die Verenigde Koninkryk. Hierdie markte toon 'n afname in per capita verbruik van appels. Dit tesame met die verbruikersdruk in terme van voedselveilighied, omgewing en etiese kwessies en die mag van die supermarkte skep die behoefte om marktoegang tot nuwe ontwikkelende markte soos Indie en China uit te brei. Die promosie van verbruik van appels in die plaaslike mark sal ook 'n positiewe effek op winsgewendheid he. In 'n wereldmark waar die produksievolume van Suid-Afrika nie noemenswaardig is nie, is dit van die uiterste belang dat die industrie alles in hul vermoe doen am mededingendheid te verhoog.

This research focused on employee participation in South African organisations as a tool for global competitiveness. Chapter one outlines the background to the study, its aims, statement of the problem and the research methodology. World wide socio -political and political changes were discussed. It emerged that such changes have revolutionalised and democratised countries and their organizations. Despite being recognised as a democratic country now, many of South Africa’s organisations are not yet fully democratic. Such organisations face the danger of being out-performed globally by those organisations that have already democratised themselves, as dictated by global trends. Using a theoretical exploration of relevant literature, the research was designed to determine the extent to which organisations in South Africa have positioned themselves to compete globally through the use of employee participation at the workplace. A theoretically-oriented method was utilised since the concepts of Global Competitiveness, or being “World-Class”, and that of Employee Participatio n are relatively new in South Africa. It is argued that the method contributes, inter alia, to the uncovering of generalisations that could be investigated by future researchers using more accurate and complex designs. At the same time, a broader understanding of the concepts of Global Competitiveness and “World-Class” is gained. From a detailed discussion of the concept “World-Class” it is evident that “world-class” organisations design their strategies, structures and leadership processes in such a way that customers’ needs are continuously met. To ensure that customers are provided with high quality products, globally competitive organisations continuously benchmark their systems, processes and results against those of the best organisation in the world . It is argued that Employment Relations Management as a sub-system of the wider organisational system has to be designed and managed in a way that ensures the satisfaction of the organisation’s employees and external clients. It also has to be benchmarked to ensure that it continues to deliver optimally. This necessitates a paradigm shift in the management of Employment Relations, from the typically Unitarist approach that characterised the work-place prior to the country’s democratisation in April 1994, to an integrated approach that takes cognisance of the interests, values and needs of all stakeholders. Such an approach would, no / Prof. J.A. Slabbert

O Direito Internacional da Concorrência é o ramo do direito que protege o exercício da liberdade de concorrência. Liberdade esta que, com o desenvolvimento do mundo globalizado, vem sendo atacada pelas multinacionais, causando prejuízo às economias tanto locais quanto internacionais, assim como aos consumidores, se fazendo necessária a intervenção estatal para regulação desses conflitos. Entretanto, emerge um novo conflito quando o Estado detém o controle acionário de uma empresa, como é o caso das empresas estatais. Tal panorama vem se agravando e causando conflitos concorrenciais no cenário global. A China, país em que tradicionalmente o governo detinha controle de todas as empresas nele constituídas, após a abertura de mercado, vem adotando constantes reformas de políticas de mercado com o viés de introduzir a alta tecnologia e expandir as relações comerciais com os demais países do mundo. Hodiernamente, após as reformas comerciais e estruturais das empresas estatais, a China determinou que setores-chave considerados importantes para segurança econômica chinesa serão de controle estatal, isto é, com monopólio estatal. Isto posto, a presente investigação procurou verificar se as empresas estatais chinesas estariam abusando de sua posição dominante para além das fronteiras e infringindo, sobretudo, a própria legislação concorrencial da China, cuja promulgação fora exigida pelos demais membros da Organização Mundial do Comércio. A investigação se dividiu em três partes essenciais: primeiro sobre as transformações econômicas, mercantis, sociais e jurídicas chinesas, principalmente no período posterior ao século XX; na segunda parte, se tratou do direito concorrencial na China, confrontando-o com as empresas estatais; e no último capítulo, foram verificados casos administrativos e judiciais perante os órgãos de regulamentação concorrencial. Pretendeu-se, pelo método dedutivo de pesquisa, verificar se a dicotomia formada entre a proteção governamental às empresas estatais fere a liberdade de um mercado competitivo. Buscou-se, assim, verificar se a atividade das empresas estatais chinesas ocupou fatia relevante de mercado a ponto de abusar da sua posição dominante e se é a China um palco para a aplicação de penalidades, visando à ordem e à liberdade concorrencial. Conclui-se que ocorre tratamento desigual na imposição de penalidades por práticas de abuso de posição dominante quando se tratam de empresas estrangeiras e empresas estatais chinesas. Denotou-se por meio da análise casuística que os esforços dos órgãos de fiscalização concorrencial chineses no combate a práticas anticoncorrenciais são alcançados, até o presente momento, quando versam sobre empresas estrangeiras, enquanto que as empresas estatais recebem tratamento dessemelhante e permissivo às práticas monopolistas. / The International Competition Law is the law that protects the freedom of competition. Freedom of which, with the development of the globalized world, comes under attack by multinationals, causing damage to the economies both local and international, as well as consumers, making it necessary the state intervention to regulate these conflicts. However, emerges into a new conflict when the state holds a controlling stake of the company, such as state-owned enterprises. This scenario has been growing worse and causing conflicts competitive on the global stage. China, which traditionally held control of all companies set up in it, after the opening of the market, has been adopting constant market policy reforms with the bias to introduce high technology and expanding trade relations with other countries worldwide. In our times, after trade and structural reforms of state-owned enterprises, China has determined that key sectors of the economy considered important to China's economic security will be of state control. Accordingly, the present investigation sought to ascertain whether chinese state-owned enterprises were abusing their dominant position beyond the borders and in particular violating China's own competition law, which was demanded by the other members of the World Trade Organization The investigation was divided into three essential parts: first on the chinese economic, mercantile, social and legal transformations, mainly in the period after the twentieth century; on the second part, it dealt with competition law in China, confronting it with state enterprises; and in the last chapter, administrative and judicial cases were verified before the regulatory bodies of competition. It was intended, by the deductive method of research, to verify if the dichotomy formed between governmental protection of state-owned enterprises hurts the freedom of a competitive market. It was therefore sought to ascertain whether the activity of Chinese state-owned enterprises occupied a relevant market share to the extent of abusing its dominant position and whether China is a stage for the application of penalties for order and competitive freedom. It is concluded that there is unequal treatment in the imposition of consequences for abuse of dominant positions when dealing with foreign companies and chinese state-owned enterprises. The case-by-case analysis has shown that the efforts of Chinese competition authorities in the fight against anticompetitive practices have so far been reached when dealing with foreign companies, while state-owned enterprises are treated differently and permissively from monopoly practices.

Na presente dissertação, o setor petroquímico é utilizado como mote para um estudo sobre os contornos do direito antitruste nacional, sua interpretação e aplicação à luz das especificidades da economia brasileira. O pano de fundo deste trabalho é o debate, levantado durante os anos 1990, sobre a disciplina da concorrência nos países em desenvolvimento dever ou não seguir as tendências mais contemporâneas das instituições de países de economia mais avançada e com tradição na matéria antitruste. Além da revisão dos conceitos e práticas da regulação da concorrência nos países centrais (e de alguns dos desafios apontados pela literatura acerca da sua aplicação em economias em desenvolvimento), são descritos os traços gerais atribuídos a esse ramo do direito, no ordenamento jurídico brasileiro, focalizando as disposições referentes ao controle das estruturas de mercado. Para contextualizar a pesquisa empírica sobre os atos de concentração apreciados pela autoridade de defesa da concorrência (Conselho Administrativo de Defesa da Concorrência - CADE) envolvendo a petroquímica, abordam-se as características do setor e a trajetória da atuação estatal nesse ramo. Os resultados encontrados apontam que o direito da concorrência complementa, mas não substitui outros instrumentos de política pública necessários à coordenação dos mercados e à promoção de sua competitividade, os quais são especialmente relevantes para as economias em desenvolvimento. / In this study, petrochemical industry plays the framework for the research about the boundaries of Brazilian competition law, its interpretation and application in the light of the singularities of Brazilian economy. This subject is concerned with the debate raised during the 1990\'s about the adequacy of the model of competition law and policy advocated by advanced economies for developing countries. In addition of revising the leading concepts and practices on competition law, the main features of Brazilian antitrust law are also described, focusing on the provisions for the control of mergers and acquisitions. With the aim of contextualizing the empirical research about the cases entailing petrochemical firms submitted to the Brazilian Competition Law Council, the characteristics of this industry and the role of public regulation in this field are approached. The results obtained indicate that competition law complements, but does not substitute other instruments of public policy, which are necessary to market coordination and industrial competitiveness. These policies are especially important for the economies of developing countries.

<p>This thesis consists of three self-contained essays. The first two essays address the consumption of culture and are closely related in terms of the theoretical framework used. The third essay is a separate analysis of international trade and competition.</p><p>The studies of culture are motivated by the special treatment of culture consumption in most modern societies: there are usually large, government-provided subsidies, the aim of which is to stimulate both the production and the consumption of culture. The purpose of the present work is to explore reasons for this special treatment. Using a stylized theoretical framework, the essays contrast culture with another, generic, good or activity. Culture is thus regarded as an "experience good": previous consumption of the good enhances the current appreciation of the good. The generic good is one where experience is assumed not to be at all relevant for the appreciation of the good. For experience goods, decisions made today will influence future utility and future choices. This makes the intertemporal preferences essential. If, in particular, consumers have time-inconsistent preferences of the type that can be characterized as a present-bias---modeled with "multiple selves" using quasi-geometric discounting---as opposed to standard, time-consistent preferences, there will be a case for government subsidies. The first essay explores this possibility in detail in a framework where experience is mainly of importance in the short run. The second essay then studies cases where experience is more potent and can cause persistent diversity in culture consumption across individuals.</p><p>"Culture and Control: Should There Be Large Subsidies to Culture?" studies the circumstances under which public support for culture is warranted. A policy example is designed to illustrate important aspects of public support systems currently in place, and is calibrated to Swedish data. The essay concludes that, given present-biased agents with self-control problems, public support of culture can work as a commitment device and improve long-run welfare. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that welfare-maximizing subsidies to culture can be substantial if the present-bias is profound and the taste-cultivation property of culture consumption is pronounced.</p><p>"Origins of the Diversity of Culture Consumption" analyzes the diversity of culture consumption among individuals. If the culture good and the generic good are sufficiently close substitutes in a static sense, very large and persistent differences in the consumption of highbrow culture across consumers can be explained by differences in initial experience levels alone. Moreover, slight differences in preferences and time endowments can cause significant diversity between individuals, both in the long- and short-run levels of culture consumption. In addition, if consumers have time-inconsistent preferences, further diversity can be rationalized. If there is a present-bias, there may also be Pareto-ranked multiple equilibria with "optimism" and "pessimism": high (low) culture consumption of the current self is rationalized, based on the belief that future culture consumption will be high (low).</p><p>"Has international competition increased? Estimates of residual demand elasticities in export markets" studies the impact of the last decades of intense economic integration on the competitive conduct of Swedish export industries. The functional relationship between the inverted residual demand elasticity and the Lerner index is used to estimate markups in eight industries. The econometric evidence suggests a deviation from competitive behavior in all industries. Moreover, the results demonstrate a trend of decreasing market power.</p>

This thesis consists of three self-contained essays. The first two essays address the consumption of culture and are closely related in terms of the theoretical framework used. The third essay is a separate analysis of international trade and competition. The studies of culture are motivated by the special treatment of culture consumption in most modern societies: there are usually large, government-provided subsidies, the aim of which is to stimulate both the production and the consumption of culture. The purpose of the present work is to explore reasons for this special treatment. Using a stylized theoretical framework, the essays contrast culture with another, generic, good or activity. Culture is thus regarded as an "experience good": previous consumption of the good enhances the current appreciation of the good. The generic good is one where experience is assumed not to be at all relevant for the appreciation of the good. For experience goods, decisions made today will influence future utility and future choices. This makes the intertemporal preferences essential. If, in particular, consumers have time-inconsistent preferences of the type that can be characterized as a present-bias---modeled with "multiple selves" using quasi-geometric discounting---as opposed to standard, time-consistent preferences, there will be a case for government subsidies. The first essay explores this possibility in detail in a framework where experience is mainly of importance in the short run. The second essay then studies cases where experience is more potent and can cause persistent diversity in culture consumption across individuals. "Culture and Control: Should There Be Large Subsidies to Culture?" studies the circumstances under which public support for culture is warranted. A policy example is designed to illustrate important aspects of public support systems currently in place, and is calibrated to Swedish data. The essay concludes that, given present-biased agents with self-control problems, public support of culture can work as a commitment device and improve long-run welfare. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that welfare-maximizing subsidies to culture can be substantial if the present-bias is profound and the taste-cultivation property of culture consumption is pronounced. "Origins of the Diversity of Culture Consumption" analyzes the diversity of culture consumption among individuals. If the culture good and the generic good are sufficiently close substitutes in a static sense, very large and persistent differences in the consumption of highbrow culture across consumers can be explained by differences in initial experience levels alone. Moreover, slight differences in preferences and time endowments can cause significant diversity between individuals, both in the long- and short-run levels of culture consumption. In addition, if consumers have time-inconsistent preferences, further diversity can be rationalized. If there is a present-bias, there may also be Pareto-ranked multiple equilibria with "optimism" and "pessimism": high (low) culture consumption of the current self is rationalized, based on the belief that future culture consumption will be high (low). "Has international competition increased? Estimates of residual demand elasticities in export markets" studies the impact of the last decades of intense economic integration on the competitive conduct of Swedish export industries. The functional relationship between the inverted residual demand elasticity and the Lerner index is used to estimate markups in eight industries. The econometric evidence suggests a deviation from competitive behavior in all industries. Moreover, the results demonstrate a trend of decreasing market power.

Master's thesis. / Format: PDF. Bibl.

O Direito Internacional da Concorrência é o ramo do direito que protege o exercício da liberdade de concorrência. Liberdade esta que, com o desenvolvimento do mundo globalizado, vem sendo atacada pelas multinacionais, causando prejuízo às economias tanto locais quanto internacionais, assim como aos consumidores, se fazendo necessária a intervenção estatal para regulação desses conflitos. Entretanto, emerge um novo conflito quando o Estado detém o controle acionário de uma empresa, como é o caso das empresas estatais. Tal panorama vem se agravando e causando conflitos concorrenciais no cenário global. A China, país em que tradicionalmente o governo detinha controle de todas as empresas nele constituídas, após a abertura de mercado, vem adotando constantes reformas de políticas de mercado com o viés de introduzir a alta tecnologia e expandir as relações comerciais com os demais países do mundo. Hodiernamente, após as reformas comerciais e estruturais das empresas estatais, a China determinou que setores-chave considerados importantes para segurança econômica chinesa serão de controle estatal, isto é, com monopólio estatal. Isto posto, a presente investigação procurou verificar se as empresas estatais chinesas estariam abusando de sua posição dominante para além das fronteiras e infringindo, sobretudo, a própria legislação concorrencial da China, cuja promulgação fora exigida pelos demais membros da Organização Mundial do Comércio. A investigação se dividiu em três partes essenciais: primeiro sobre as transformações econômicas, mercantis, sociais e jurídicas chinesas, principalmente no período posterior ao século XX; na segunda parte, se tratou do direito concorrencial na China, confrontando-o com as empresas estatais; e no último capítulo, foram verificados casos administrativos e judiciais perante os órgãos de regulamentação concorrencial. Pretendeu-se, pelo método dedutivo de pesquisa, verificar se a dicotomia formada entre a proteção governamental às empresas estatais fere a liberdade de um mercado competitivo. Buscou-se, assim, verificar se a atividade das empresas estatais chinesas ocupou fatia relevante de mercado a ponto de abusar da sua posição dominante e se é a China um palco para a aplicação de penalidades, visando à ordem e à liberdade concorrencial. Conclui-se que ocorre tratamento desigual na imposição de penalidades por práticas de abuso de posição dominante quando se tratam de empresas estrangeiras e empresas estatais chinesas. Denotou-se por meio da análise casuística que os esforços dos órgãos de fiscalização concorrencial chineses no combate a práticas anticoncorrenciais são alcançados, até o presente momento, quando versam sobre empresas estrangeiras, enquanto que as empresas estatais recebem tratamento dessemelhante e permissivo às práticas monopolistas. / The International Competition Law is the law that protects the freedom of competition. Freedom of which, with the development of the globalized world, comes under attack by multinationals, causing damage to the economies both local and international, as well as consumers, making it necessary the state intervention to regulate these conflicts. However, emerges into a new conflict when the state holds a controlling stake of the company, such as state-owned enterprises. This scenario has been growing worse and causing conflicts competitive on the global stage. China, which traditionally held control of all companies set up in it, after the opening of the market, has been adopting constant market policy reforms with the bias to introduce high technology and expanding trade relations with other countries worldwide. In our times, after trade and structural reforms of state-owned enterprises, China has determined that key sectors of the economy considered important to China's economic security will be of state control. Accordingly, the present investigation sought to ascertain whether chinese state-owned enterprises were abusing their dominant position beyond the borders and in particular violating China's own competition law, which was demanded by the other members of the World Trade Organization The investigation was divided into three essential parts: first on the chinese economic, mercantile, social and legal transformations, mainly in the period after the twentieth century; on the second part, it dealt with competition law in China, confronting it with state enterprises; and in the last chapter, administrative and judicial cases were verified before the regulatory bodies of competition. It was intended, by the deductive method of research, to verify if the dichotomy formed between governmental protection of state-owned enterprises hurts the freedom of a competitive market. It was therefore sought to ascertain whether the activity of Chinese state-owned enterprises occupied a relevant market share to the extent of abusing its dominant position and whether China is a stage for the application of penalties for order and competitive freedom. It is concluded that there is unequal treatment in the imposition of consequences for abuse of dominant positions when dealing with foreign companies and chinese state-owned enterprises. The case-by-case analysis has shown that the efforts of Chinese competition authorities in the fight against anticompetitive practices have so far been reached when dealing with foreign companies, while state-owned enterprises are treated differently and permissively from monopoly practices.