Thesis (MBA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / The South African clothing and textile industry has historically benefited from import substitution industrialisation which protected the industry through tariff and non-tariff barriers from foreign competition. Factors such as the impact of globalisation, our accession to the World Trade Organisation and the associated effects on trade liberalisation changed South Africa‟s trade policy to move towards export lead growth at the threshold of South Africa‟s democracy, which paved the way for increased imports from foreign countries. The opening up of the South African economy to foreign competition negatively impacted on the competitiveness of these industries. The clothing and textile industry has been plagued by various challenges, amongst others, cheap imports especially from China (often illegal), South Africa‟s accelerated tariff reduction programme and currency fluctuations (especially the appreciation of the Rand), which culminated in factory closures and huge job losses. South Africa has since 1994 developed unstructured and uncoordinated sectoral responses to these challenges in the absence of a comprehensive industrial policy. The government‟s response to deal with the challenges facing the clothing and textile industry was to re-impose protectionist measures via import quotas on certain categories of products from China. These measures were intended to protect the industry and provide it with breathing space to reposition itself and regain its competitiveness, retain existing jobs and create additional jobs. The quest to regain global competitiveness should be founded on a combination of measures (e.g. the legislative and institutional environment, infrastructure, skilled workforce, innovation and networking) designed to satisfy consumer tastes and preferences that aims to improve the potential for growth in the medium to long-term. The objective of this research report was to assess whether the introduction of import quotas on Chinese goods positively contributed to the South African clothing and textile industry in regaining a measure of competitiveness and growth. The basis of the study is informed by a series of personal interviews with the key industry stakeholders which focused on examining the state of the industry, especially the impact of import quotas of certain categories of Chinese goods. The results revealed that the impact of import quotas on Chinese goods failed to provide any significant benefits to the clothing and textile industry since: (i) although there was a reduction in imports from China into South Africa in the quota categories, importers merely sourced their products from other low cost countries (e.g. Pakistan, Vietnam, Mauritius); (ii) there was no significant increase in local output and purchases; and (iii) there was no significant reduction in the number of jobs lost and none created during this period. These results although supported by business and other academic literature are contested by both labour and government. One conclusion was that a comprehensive approach should be pursued to arrest the challenges faced by the clothing and textile industry to reposition itself within the global environment to regain its competitiveness. This requires the active participation of all industry stakeholders and the implementation of appropriate strategies and tactics which is sequenced and coordinated to enhance their collective outcomes.

A service can be traded either directly between a consumer and provider of the service or a service can serve as an input into the manufacturing of various products and other services that are traded. Trade in services has therefore become an essential part of global trade and contributes significantly to global, as well as South African economic growth, development and productivity. Service trade has furthermore been growing at a greater rate than trade in manufactured goods. The growth of services trade can be attributed to growth in goods trade, technological advances, rising per capita incomes, micro-economic reforms, as well as increased consumer and business demand, and technological change. According to the GATS’ (General Agreement on Trade in Services) services sectorial classification list, the service sector can be classified into twelve major categories and these sectors can further be divided into 160 sub-sectors. One of the sub-sectors that have been identified that has significant growth potential globally and for South Africa is the sub-sector, ‘other business’ services. This sub-sector falls under the sector, business services. Trade data revealed that this sub-sector is one of the top three traded service categories internationally, as well as for South Africa. For the purpose of this study the focus was specifically on ‘other business’ services provided by members of the BEPEC (Built Environmental Professional Export Council). The services performed by the members of the BEPEC are: consulting engineering, architectural, quantity surveying, and construction project managing services. These services are inputs into the manufacturing or construction of human creations such as buildings, structures, dams, roads etc. Trade barriers, however, hinder the free flow of services from the service provider to customers in other countries. This is no different for the providers of ‘other business’ services. Therefore in order to increase the competitiveness of South Africa’s ‘other business’ services sector internationally; the primary objective of this study was to identify the internal, as well as external barriers experienced by the exporters of ‘other business’ services. These internal and external barriers were identified by means of a questionnaire that the members of the BEPEC, who are exporters of ‘other business’ services, completed. Once these barriers were identified recommendations were made to the South African government. The most significant internal barriers were found to be: • lack of information about foreign markets; • lack of information on how to enter these foreign markets; • lack of personnel who are experienced in export activities; • scarcity of internal financial resources for export purposes and export promotion. • The most significant external barriers were found to be: • exchange rate risk and the risk of non-payment; • corruption and bribery; • risks involved with political instability in a country; • restrictions on immigration provisions such as delay in obtaining entry visas, residency or work permits; • poor infrastructure; • foreign government procurement policies; • distance to the target market. All of the identified barriers can mostly be addressed by the South African government by providing training, the provision of market related information, and trade negotiations. / Thesis (MCom (International Trade))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012

Cette thèse de doctorat porte sur l'émergence de l'aéroport comme nouvel acteur stratégique dans le système de transport aérien qui a connu de vastes changements depuis sa libéralisation et au sein duquel l'aéroport est devenu un acteur majeur. En considérant l'aéroport comme acteur du transport aérien, bien qu'il soit affecté par son environnement au sens large, ce travail propose une contribution à la discussion récente sur la question des aéroports. Cette contribution se réfère à deux niveaux : une analyse du système de transport aérien européen dans lequel l'aéroport émerge comme partenaire à part entière et une analyse détaillée du lien entre stratégies aéroportuaires et l'ancrage de l'aéroport dans l'espace et dans le territoire. En partant de la différentiation des stratégies aéroportuaires avec des aéroports qui se spécialisent dans un certain ou plusieurs segments de marché, l'analyse du contexte spatial et territorial, dans lequel les aéroports sont ancrés, a révélé son influence sur le développement des aéroports mais a confirmé aussi que ce dernier n'est pas un résultat mécanique mais est soumis aux dynamiques résultant du jeu d'acteurs. L'émergence de l'aéroport comme nouvel acteur stratégique dans le système de transport aérien met en lumière les rapports complexes entre aéroports et territoire qui se reflètent dans un certain nombre d'aspects discutés dans ce travail / This thesis deals with the emergence of the airport as a new strategic actor in the air transport system which has undergone profound changes since its liberalisation and within which the airport turned out to be a major player. Considering the airport as an actor in the air transport system, even if it is affected by its environment in a large sense, this work proposes a contribution to current discussion about airport economics. This contribution refers to two levels : an analysis of the European airport business within which the airport emerges as a full player and an analysis of the link between airport strategy and the spatial and territorial context into which the airport is embedded. Based on the differentiation of airport strategies according to the airports' commitment to certain market segments, the analysis of the spatial and territorial context into which the airports are embedded showed its influence on the development of airports but confirmed also that the latter is not automatic but subject to the dynamics arising from the interactions between the different actors. The emergence of the airport as a new strategic player in the air transport system places the emphasis on the complex relation between airport and territory which is reflected in a number of issues connected with the airport activity

Title: Competition Protection in Network Industries Abstract: I provide description of relevant markets within electroenergy industry in European countries since after liberalization movements of the last 20 years the development of these markets open new issues in antimonopoly legislation to be passed and in antimonopoly practice to be solved. The key term of any antimonopoly issue is the relevant market. Hence, its definition as provided by case law of European Commission and European Courts is crucial for companies as well as regulators to understand in order to be able to pursue their activities. As I show, after 20 or so years, the countries of the EU at least in electroenergy area are no closer to the Single Market as they were at the beginning of 90s before liberalization of electricity markets began and there is no sign of improvement for year to come. This thesis provides an overview (the tools and analyses) that can be used to explore individual national relevant markets in the area of electroenergy business. For further research it is worth exploring detailed analysis of relationship between price development and degree of competition, phasing of market opening, protection of small consumers and RES support within individual national energy systems. Keywords: competition, competition law and...

A number of attempts have been made to facilitate agricultural trade liberalisation over the last decades. In spite of these efforts, trade liberalisation of agricultural and food processed goods has been modest. It is argued that this lack of trade liberalisation is explained by the existence of governments that are politically biased in the sense that they place anti-trade policies in order to favour powerful sectors in the economy. While there exists some evidence supporting this argument, it is difficult to assess how these biases influence agricultural trade patterns because existing quantitative modelling approaches do not normally consider simultaneously key aspects that characterise the food industry such as intra-industry trade and the existence of intermediaries in the supply chain with significant market power, among others. The objective of this thesis is to offer an alternative theoretical model that has the potential to accommodate these key aspects and corresponds to an international trade network model that extends the framework developed by Goyal and Joshi (2006). The model was solved by means of simulations and the results revealed that policy biased indeed can prevent trade liberalisation of agricultural and food processed goods. However, other factors that apparently have not been reported so far and that are related to the market power exercised by intermediaries were identified. They correspond to the position of a country in the trade network (i.e. a country occupying a central position in the network is less likely to support trade liberalisation independently of any policy bias), the possibility that global free trade is an unlikely outcome, and the possibility that the world is trapped in an inefficient international trade network. The results also revealed that the adoption of compensatory lump sum payments across countries (i.e. inter-node transfers) or across sectors within a country (i.e. intra-node transfers) could be used a potential tools to achieve global free trade in agriculture as they can compensate losers from trade by gainers achieving, as a consequence, Pareto improving outcomes.

Liberalisation of trade is deepening, and so have the incentive schemes put in place by a number of countries to promote it. International trade promotion agencies in developing countries are actively promoting their countries as the best, with which to trade. With international trade emerging as a favourite source of revenue and technology transfer for most countries, profound questions about the impact of trade liberalisation to economic growth are addressed in this study. The main purpose of this study is to empirically assess the relationship between trade liberalisation and economic growth in Zimbabwe using annual time series data from 1980 to 2017. Autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds testing approach to cointegration and Error Correction Mechanism (ECM) are applied in order to investigate the long run and short run impact of trade liberalisation on economic growth. The results proved the existence of a positive long-run relationship between trade liberalisation and economic growth. The study therefore concludes that policy makers and government negotiators in Zimbabwe should introduce policies that promote openness through the removal of barriers to trade and export promotion in order to promote overall growth of the economy. / Economics / M. Com (Economics)

This thesis deals with the emergence of the airport as a new strategic actor in the air transport system which has undergone profound changes since its liberalisation and within which the airport turned out to be a major player. Considering the airport as an actor in the air transport system, even if it is affected by its environment in a large sense, this work proposes a contribution to current discussion about airport economics. This contribution refers to two levels : an analysis of the European airport business within which the airport emerges as a full player and an analysis of the link between airport strategy and the spatial and territorial context into which the airport is embedded. Based on the differentiation of airport strategies according to the airports' commitment to certain market segments, the analysis of the spatial and territorial context into which the airports are embedded showed its influence on the development of airports but confirmed also that the latter is not automatic but subject to the dynamics arising from the interactions between the different actors. The emergence of the airport as a new strategic player in the air transport system places the emphasis on the complex relation between airport and territory which is reflected in a number of issues connected with the airport activity

A service can be traded either directly between a consumer and provider of the service or a service can serve as an input into the manufacturing of various products and other services that are traded. Trade in services has therefore become an essential part of global trade and contributes significantly to global, as well as South African economic growth, development and productivity. Service trade has furthermore been growing at a greater rate than trade in manufactured goods. The growth of services trade can be attributed to growth in goods trade, technological advances, rising per capita incomes, micro-economic reforms, as well as increased consumer and business demand, and technological change. According to the GATS’ (General Agreement on Trade in Services) services sectorial classification list, the service sector can be classified into twelve major categories and these sectors can further be divided into 160 sub-sectors. One of the sub-sectors that have been identified that has significant growth potential globally and for South Africa is the sub-sector, ‘other business’ services. This sub-sector falls under the sector, business services. Trade data revealed that this sub-sector is one of the top three traded service categories internationally, as well as for South Africa. For the purpose of this study the focus was specifically on ‘other business’ services provided by members of the BEPEC (Built Environmental Professional Export Council). The services performed by the members of the BEPEC are: consulting engineering, architectural, quantity surveying, and construction project managing services. These services are inputs into the manufacturing or construction of human creations such as buildings, structures, dams, roads etc. Trade barriers, however, hinder the free flow of services from the service provider to customers in other countries. This is no different for the providers of ‘other business’ services. Therefore in order to increase the competitiveness of South Africa’s ‘other business’ services sector internationally; the primary objective of this study was to identify the internal, as well as external barriers experienced by the exporters of ‘other business’ services. These internal and external barriers were identified by means of a questionnaire that the members of the BEPEC, who are exporters of ‘other business’ services, completed. Once these barriers were identified recommendations were made to the South African government. The most significant internal barriers were found to be: • lack of information about foreign markets; • lack of information on how to enter these foreign markets; • lack of personnel who are experienced in export activities; • scarcity of internal financial resources for export purposes and export promotion. • The most significant external barriers were found to be: • exchange rate risk and the risk of non-payment; • corruption and bribery; • risks involved with political instability in a country; • restrictions on immigration provisions such as delay in obtaining entry visas, residency or work permits; • poor infrastructure; • foreign government procurement policies; • distance to the target market. All of the identified barriers can mostly be addressed by the South African government by providing training, the provision of market related information, and trade negotiations. / Thesis (MCom (International Trade))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012

Omvandlingar, såsom den digitala revolutionen, IT-utvecklingen och internationell integration i form av t ex EU har utmanat såväl företagande som politik och satt etablerade teorier och modeller om företagande och politik på prov. En longitudinell studie av Televerkets/Telias strategiska utveckling, med speciell inriktning på Televerkets/Telias interorganisatoriska strategier, telepolitikens framväxt samt den allmänna politikens utveckling sedan 1960-talet visar att: Företagande och politik är beroende av varandra även när de strävar mot oberoende. Det finns skillnader mellan hur statligt ägda företag och privatägda företag hanterar förhållandet mellan företagande och politik. Studien identifierar strategiska och politiska faser och analyser hur dessa påverkar förutsättningarna för strategiskt handlande. / Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögsk.

L'étude vise principalement à analyser l'origine de la crise financière globale de 2007 (2007 GFC) au États-Unis et dans les autres économies avancées (AE), ses impacts macroéconomiques sur les économies (de marché) émergentes (EME) ainsi qu'un examen critique de leurs réponses en termes de politique économique. L'étude met en évidence les défis en matière de régulation post crise et discute des implications des réformes qui ont été récemment introduites dans les EME. A cette fin, la thèse se décline en quatre chapitres. Le premier chapitre établit le contexte théorique de la thèse et présente un exposé critique des approches orthodoxe (dominante/néolibérale) et hétérodoxe concernant la fragilité financière et la crise. Après avoir examiné l'approche orthodoxe, on met en évidence le mérite et la pertinence du cadre d'analyse de Minsky connu en tant que « Hypothèses d'instabilité financières » (FIH), afin de comprendre la question de la fragilité dans les économies de marché. Dans le deuxième chapitre, la thèse propose un compte rendu exhaustif des explications et des conséquences de la crise de 2007 en mettant l'accent sur ses prémisses qui se trouvent sur le marché immobilier américain. On met également en évidence les principaux dysfonctionnements du marché financier et du système de régulation qui se trouvent à l'origine de la crise. Le troisième chapitre présente une analyse approfondie du processus de transmission de la crise de 2007 aux EME. Par la suite, on met en évidence les réactions en matière de politique économique (monétaire) de certaines EME sous forme d'étude comparative. Le quatrième chapitre analyse les diverses réformes de régulation financière introduites après la crise. L'examen indique que ces réformes (la loi Dodd Franck Act de 2011 et les nouveaux standards Bâle III) sont d'inspiration néolibérale et qu'elles ne peuvent pas résoudre le problème de fragilité et de crise financière. Sur la base de notre analyse développée au travers de ces quatre chapitres on met en évidence deux principaux résultats. Premièrement, les marchés financiers ne devraient pas être laissés aux vicissitudes des marchés (libres). Il faudrait mettre en place un cadre de régulation pertinent assorti des principes macroprudentiels qui puissent remplacer l'approche dominante de marchés libres efficients. Les orientations de politique et d'analyse de « gouvernement puissant » et de « banque centrale puissante », assumées par l'économiste hétérodoxe Hyman Minsky, semblent appropriées pour comprendre et contenir la fragilité des économies de marché. Ensuite, il est recommandable pour les EME d'adopter des politiques cohérentes avec leurs propres caractéristiques macroéconomiques et avec leur niveau de développement financier et non de s'attacher à une croyance aveugle dans la libéralisation du marché ou dans le paradigme néolibéral. / This study mainly aims to investigate the origin of the global financial crisis of 2007 (2007 GFC) in United States and in other advanced economies(AEs),its macroeconomic impact on the Emerging Market Economies(EMEs) and the critical analysis of their policy response. Study highlights the regulatory challenges of the post-crisis period and discusses the implications of newly introduced regulatory reforms for the EMEs.In this aim the thesis is delineated into four chapters. First chapter of the thesis sets the theoretical context of the dissertation and presents a critical review of orthodox (mainstream/neoliberal) and the heterodox approaches on financial fragility and crisis. After giving a critique of the orthodox approach, merits and relevance of Minsky's framework known as “Financial Instability Hypothesis”(FIH) are emphasized to understand the issue of fragility in capitalist economies. Second chapter of the thesis provides a compelling compendium of various explanations and consequences of the 2007 GFC focusing on its origination in the US housing market. Main dysfunctions of the financial markets and the regulatory system that led to the eruption of financial crisis are highlighted. Third chapter presents an in-depth analysis of the contagion of the 2007 GFC to EMEs. A comparative case studies analysis highlights the policy response of selected EMEs. Fourth chapter of the thesis investigates the various financial regulatory reforms introduced in the aftermath of the 2007 GFC. Analysis in this chapter indicates that introduced reforms (The Dodd- Franck Act of 2011 and the new Basel III Banking Standards) are rooted in neoliberal philosophy so would be unable to solve the issues of fragility and financial crisis. On the basis of our analysis in these four chapters, two major conclusions are emphasized. Firstly, the financial markets should not be left to the vicissitudes of free markets, and a relevant regulatory framework having macroprudential orientations must be implemented to replace the dominant free-market-based approach. Analytical and policy insights (“big government” and “big central bank”) endorsed by heterodox economist Hyman Minsky seem appropriate to understand and constrain the fragility of capitalist market economies. Secondly, it is advisable for EMEs to adopt policies keeping in view their own macroeconomic characteristics and the level of financial development and not by the blind faith in market liberalisation or the neoliberal policy paradigm.