The content of this thesis is the result of a comprehensive study about global spot crude oil markets. Using a large data set including 32 crude varieties, this thesis analyzes price dependency, return and volatility spillover effects, and explores the driving forces behind such spillover effects. The first major aim of the thesis is to detect the presence of structural breaks in the price dependency relationship found in the literature (Wlazlowski et al., 2011). Tests allowing for structural breaks are applied to re-examine unit root test, cointegration test and causality relationships. The results show significant structural breaks in all tests. However, the basic conclusions of unit root tests and cointegration tests are still valid in accounting for structural breaks, while the causality relationship is greatly influenced by the 2008 global crisis, making the conclusion of Wlazlowski et al. (2011) that the Russian Urals could serve as a potential benchmark invalid when using a longer sample period. The second topic of investigation is the return and volatility spillover effects in the spot crude oil market. By applying a VAR forecast error variance decomposition method (Diebold and Yilmaz, 2012), various spillover measures are constructed. Static analysis shows that the majority of the total variance of the forecast error is explained by shocks across markets rather than by idiosyncratic shocks (87.1% for return and 80.57% for volatility), therefore supporting the integration hypothesis in the global crude oil market. Moreover, benchmark crudes play a key role in terms of return spillovers, possibly due to the pricing formula mechanism in the spot crude oil market. In terms of volatility, WTI behaves as a dominant transmitter. This is attributed to the 2008 global financial crisis, which originated in the United States. Dynamic analysis shows that return and volatility spillover indexes have different patterns. Return spillovers display gradual trends but no bursts, while volatility spillovers display clear bursts that correspond closely to events in the crude oil market. Further dynamic analysis was applied at individual, pairwise and group levels. Generally a time-varying characteristic of spillovers is found. The third topic of analysis explores the driving forces behind spillover effects which are identified in the second chapter. Five categories of variables were selected to explain the spillover effects. These are international trade variables, fundamental economic variables, country risk variables, global risk factors and time trends. These variables are found to be more relevant for return spillovers than for volatility spillovers, and more relevant for non OPEC countries than for OPEC countries.

The aim of this thesis is to understand what supply chain quality management (SCQM) is and to examine SCQM practices in the Chinese automobile industry by comparing the different SCQM implementation between Chinese Self-owned Brands (CSBs) and Joint Ventures (JVs). This thesis attempts to reveal and understand SCQM practices in order to provide new insights in dealing with quality issues along the supply chain. Hence, in this thesis three research questions (RQs) are explored and answered: RQ1) What are the main factors impacting on SCQM in the Chinese automobile industry? RQ2) What are the differences between CSBs and JVs in the field of SCQM? RQ3) Why do such differences occur? A mixed research methodology was implemented to answer these three RQs. First, a case study in seven Chinese automobile companies was conducted. Resulting from this qualitative method, this research proposes a robust SCQM framework and generates SCQM measurements. SCQM is conceptualised as a multidimensional construct and the framework is composed of companywide quality management, supplier-side SCQM, customer-side SCQM, and performance. The measurement model evaluation, structural model evaluation, and multigroup analysis were conducted in sequence to investigate multi-dimensionality of SCQM, test the relationships among these dimensions, and clarify the different SCQM between CSBs and JVs. Variance-based structural equation modelling of Partial Least Square (PLS) on the platform of Smart-PLS 3.0 was used to analyse the 196 quantitative data that were collected from CSBs and JVs. Further, six follow-up interviews were then conducted to identify the root causes of the findings of the survey study. This research finds that companywide quality management cannot directly influence operational performance due to the complexity of China’s automobile supply chain. It illustrates that customer-side SCQM practices have the most significant influence on operational performance. This study also clarifies that ownership bears a critical impact on the relationship between customer-side SCQM practices and operational performance. It extends the SCQM literature by studying a large number of automobile companies in China and comparing the different supply chain level quality practices between CSBs and JVs. It provides good breadth to the literature by answering the calls for ownership and emerging market research. This thesis also enhances the understanding of managers about the best SCQM practices to assist companies in moving from their current practices to their preferred one. It also illustrates significant directions for supply chain level quality system designs for automobile companies.

The aim of this study is to examine the moderating effect of demand uncertainty on the relationship between supply chain integration and operational performance of automotive supply chains in China. Several studies have previously been performed by providing empirical evidence to examine the supply chain integration to operational performance relationship. However, their empirical findings are inconsistent. Some authors investigated the supply chain integration from an aggregated level and explicitly indicated that the degree of integration always improves the operational performance. On the other hand, some studies indicate negative and non-significant relationships between supply chain integration and operational performance in sub-dimensions. Some even support that there are curved relationships. Scholars have modelled different types of these relationships; however, none appear to provide a satisfactory explanation of the inconsistencies among the current findings. To bridge the gap, and based on the contingency theory, this study argues that there is no single best model of supply chains’ integration. Instead, it is the fitness between the supply chain integration model and the environmental factors that optimises the operational performance. Hypotheses were developed and tested to create a new conceptual model. In particular, the modelling process re-examines such relationship under the moderating effect of an external environmental factor –demand uncertainty. An empirical survey instrument has been designed and applied to gather data from a wide spectrum of aspects of the automotive industry in China. After testing for reliability and validity of the collected data, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, hierarchical regression analysis and threshold regression analysis were applied as primary research methodologies to test the proposed research hypotheses. As a result, strong empirical evidence has been found to support most of the hypotheses, which leads to the findings that the relationship between supply chain integration and operational performance is non-linear, and the nature of this non-linearity can be significantly moderated by demand uncertainty. This study extends the current literature by contributing an analytical model that represents the relationship between supply chain integration and operational performance with respect to external environmental factors.

In the last century, and especially with the development of European market integration, economies in Europe experienced a deep restructuring of their agricultural sector. The structural shift away from the primary sector activities, with the reallocation of labour across sectors, is an important engine of economic development. Nonetheless, the patterns and drivers of structural change in the New Member States (NMS) have differed in nature, speed and intensity from those of the EU-15. More importantly, the high incidence of farm employment and family workers in some of the NMS, despite low levels of agricultural training and labour productivity, suggests that farming, particularly in the least developed regions, might be the only viable solution for obtaining a minimum standard of living, especially for those who lack the human capital for 'better' employment opportunities. Against this background, the aim of this research is to investigate the driving forces behind agricultural labour adjustments and, thus, shed light on the facilitators of, and barriers to, labour mobility. The analysis focuses on the linkages between farm and non-farm sectors and explores the determinants of agricultural employment and inter-sectoral labour mobility in six selected Member States (MS): France, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. Using national and European micro-level data from labour force and agricultural business surveys, the econometric analysis employs various discrete choice modelling techniques on cross-section and panel data. The key message from this research is that skills mismatch, due to inadequate levels of education and vocational training, and labour market characteristics appear to be the most important impediments to the inter-sectoral and spatial mobility of labour. The mixed evidence in the results across MS reflects the heterogeneous organisational and production structures, implying different constraints or prospects for farm survival and hence different capacities to release and absorb labour. Hence, in order to ensure an efficient allocation of labour and a smooth transition across sectors, investments in human capital and the diversification of rural areas constitute crucial rural development policies. Nonetheless, a one-size-fits-all policy is not appropriate for the wide diversity of rural areas and labour markets across MS. Instead, more targeted and diverse measures should be implemented in order to meet particular needs.

The main topic of this thesis is a historical analysis of the land use development in the small cadastral territory Krchova Lomná, which is situated in South Bohemia. The historical analysis of the land use development is based on an analysis of three different periods. Two of them are historical and one is actual. The first one is the period of 2nd military mapping. The second period are the fifties of the 20th century And the third period is the current state of the land use. There are two parts in my thesis. The first part is focused on basic terms like landscape and land use. The second part is focused on a historical analysis of the land use development in the cadastral territory Krchova Lomná. Used were information about the land use acquired from the historical maps and also from up-to-date map. These maps were processed in program AcrMap. The results are presented like graphical reports and graphs. The conclusion includes a prediction for the future development of the observed area..

The research addresses the topic of design for assembly from an aerospace structures perspective. Aerospace assembly has traditionally taken secondary important to aircraft performance. This approach has been validated through healthy sales, most recently demonstrated in the Single Aisle market. However, in recent times, design for assembly has become more important. There are two main drivers behind this shift in focus. The first is a desire from aircraft manufacturers to maximise profits on existing aircraft orders through redesign. The second is the future outlook of aircraft sales, estimated to be in the trillions of dollars 2035. Aircraft manufacturers have therefore recognised that optimising their manufacturing system is critical lest market share is lost to emerging aircraft manufacturers through an inability to meet rising demand. Three methods are then developed to provide design for assembly indicators for development decisions. The underpinning methodology behind these methods is a data driven approach. This is that cost saving decisions can be made using the mass of existing available data from production systems at early stages provided that key indicators are identified. The methods allow engineers to make informed decisions on design for assembly and technology development. The first method addresses the issue of redesign. A tool is presented that relies on available data of assembly processes to make recommendations on redesign projects. The method is populated with real data and its output is compared against real business decisions. The results show that the method provides positive direction and is beneficial when filtering between costly redesign projects. The second method addresses design for assembly at early product development. A complexity metric is developed using a combination of historical data and known data at a particular development stage to produce a complexity metric that carries out an analysis of a full assembly system. It provides the engineer with a macro view enabling the identification of potential bottlenecks. Data from a previous product was used to demonstrate this method. The results shown were able to highlight real issues and make recommendations about technology strategy. The final method developed in this research recognised that design for assembly and assembly technology were synergetic and should be developed together. It proposed an assembly process characterisation technique to enable future technology strategy planning at design for assembly stage. The tool was demonstrated using existing data and proposed several concepts for a future product to enable higher levels of automation and more cost effective future technology implementation. The research concluded that there was a definite advantage in using the demonstrated methods in providing direction to an aircraft manufacturing business. In the redesign method and the complexity analysis method this was validated through comparison against real business decisions. The two methods were in line with business thinking. Also, where the redesign method was different in its advice compared with business direction, it was shown that following the advice of the method would have been beneficial to the business. It was more difficult to validate the shared platform approach method due to its results providing indicators for future decisions. Early analysis into its potential validity through technology benchmarking looked promising.

Through a case study, this thesis explores the limitations of workplace unionism among shopfloor engineering workers. This subject is examined through an historical case study of one machine tool factory, Herbert's Edgwick plant, and an account of the research process itself. The historical approach shows how far the limitations of workplace unionism at Edgwick resulted from the resilience of a distinctive accommodation between skilled workers and managers. It also reports several findings that parallel those made in other labour studies. However, greater emphasis is placed on (1) the stewards' active reproduction of sectionalism - detailing, particularly, the impact on women and Asian workers - and (2) the corporatist politics that arose out of their pragmatism. This study also challenges some contemporary theories about both the politics of new technology and the internal centralisation of workplace organisations. The narrative of the research process links together the subject of the case study with the experience of the Coventry Machine Tool Committee's campaign for import controls. It does this both chronologically, by showing how my research came to focus on Edgwick, and thematically by highlighting the common limitations in workplace unionism which led to the CMTC's demise and the dispirited opposition to massive redundancies at Herbert's. The first two chapters develop the setting and identify key issues by providing a biography of the research process. Chapters 3 to 9 provide the main narrative and analysis by tracing the historical development of industrial relations at Herbert's and detailing key events leading up to Edgwick's closure in 1983. Chapter 10 links the case study with the combine and considers the 'pragmatic' character of the stewards' politics. Chapter 11 draws the thesis to a close by reviewing the main findings of the case study and considering their wider relevance to the study of workplace politics.

Little empirical evidence is available on the determinants of wages at the level of the individual for Ireland and to the author’s knowledge no such evidence is available for young workers. One objective of this thesis, therefore, is an examination of the determinants of wages at the micro level using data from a national survey of young workers recently undertaken in Ireland. The effects of education, training, region, industry and occupation are assessed. More importantly, gender wage differentials are calculated for the sample under a number of alternative assumptions concerning the treatment of occupations. In the applied econometric literature relating to the estimation of both wage equations and gender wage differentials little emphasis has focused on the appropriate treatment of occupations. In view of this, an econometric objective of this thesis is an analysis of how the gender wage differential is affected by altering the econometric assumptions underlying occupations. The sensitivity of the gender wage differential to occupational endogeneity is examined in a dichotomous framework using two contrasting econometric methods. Statistical tests for occupational exogeneity are provided and their results reported. Structural occupational models are also estimated. To assess the effects of occupational segregation on the gender wage differential a five-way occupational categorisation is employed and an effort is made to disentangle inter and intra occupational wage effects. Occupations are again treated as endogenous and a consistent estimator designed to correct for selectivity bias is employed. In both the dichotomous and the polychotomous frameworks the estimated gender differentials appear sensitive to occupational endogeneity. Finally, the issue of segregation is again addressed but this time in the context of the dual labour market. An empirical dual labour market model is estimated using an endogenous switching model with partial observability in the latent dependent variable. Sectoral differentials are calculated and the results of an informal test of rationing, a basic tenet of dual labour market theory, tentatively suggest that primary sector rationing, to the extent it exists, falls disproportionately on the young females in the sample.

This thesis is about working class women and the way in which their interests are represented in trade unions. The key argument made is that there operates a 'trade union agenda' which precludes the full representation of women's interests, even when individual members strive to have these interests represented. The study is based on empirical research with four trade union branches, two from NUPE and two from COHSE, covering ancillary workers at four NHS hospitals. The thesis stresses the importance of understanding how women's work is structured in order to investigate the role of trade unions in challenging or reproducing inequalities. It focuses on catering and cleaning workers, and therefore includes a detailed analysis of these areas of work. The research shows that this work is constructed around gender and results in women having specific interests in the workplace. It suggests that these workplace interests reflect an underlying conflict between men and women based on the hierarchical division of the labour market by sex. Throughout the study the importance of racial divisions to the development of unity or division is considered. The thesis analyses the role of local trade union branches in representing the interests of these workers, showing that unions vary in their success in this process. It argues that structural modification in unions cannot guarantee improved participation and representation of women members, although is a prerequisite. The thesis concludes that the 'trade union agenda' presents an underlying limitation to this process.

This research analyses the explanatory and descriptive limitations of strategic groups research, a theory that addresses a number of important issues for strategy research. That is, it considers rivalry among firms in a similar competitive environment, the relation between strategy and performance and similarities and differences among competing firms. An historical study of the origins and development of strategic groups research shows that the concept of strategic groups was independently developed in strategic management and industrial organisation in the mid-1970s. Much research has been conducted since its inception. However, this research has been mainly empirical in nature. Empirical research has not brought unambiguous findings with regard to some of the fundamental hypotheses of the theory of strategic groups. This has led researchers to raise fundamental questions about the usefulness of the concept of strategic groups. A number of approaches emerged in the 1980s that question some of the fundamental hypotheses of strategic groups theory. Our analysis shows that each approach has its limitations and that strategic groups theory is still the most comprehensive approach, addressing a number of issues of interest for strategy researchers. Given the problems identified at both theoretical and methodological levels, an exploratory approach is used in this research. An historical analysis of the dynamics of firms’ strategies and competitive structure in the UK grocery retailing industry between 1980 and 1995 is used to gather information. This forms the basis of the analysis of (a) the importance of similarities and difference in the strategies of comparable firms and (b) for understanding the mechanisms underlying industrial and business dynamics. The empirical research shows the severe limitations that characterise strategic groups at analytical, descriptive and theoretical levels. The information gathered in the empirical research is an important basis to start thinking about developing a better approach to analyse and explain the dynamics of firms’ strategies and competitive structures.