Thesis (Ph. D.)(Technology Management)--University of Pretoria, 2004. / Title from opening screen (viewed March 14, 2005). English summary. Includes bibliographical references.

It is well recognized that there are imperfections in the market for knowledge transfer due to the nature of ideas and inventions. This is consistent with market failures commonly discussed in the economics of information literature. Some of the impediments to efficiency axe examined here in three essays—one empirical, one theoretical, and one case study—all of which share the theme of scientific knowledge movement. The first essay is empirical and measures the systematic effects of direct interaction and geographic distance between university and firm scientists on the economic performance of imported inventions. This study concludes that, with respect to licensing royalties, scientific interaction has an elasticity of approximately 3 at the mean, which is highly robust, and that distance does not have a significant effect after controlling for interaction. This suggests imperfections in the market for know-how that are sensitive to distance. The second essay is a case study of an invention from the area of robotics and control systems and augments the empirical work presented in the previous essay by illustrating specific reasons why interaction was important for the commercialization of one particular early stage invention. The third essay develops a game theoretic model involving the strategic manipulation of incentives by an incumbent to create an 'intellectual property commons' for the purpose of preventing the commercial development of a disruptive technology that would otherwise threaten existing industry margins. The strategy of spoiling incentives to commercialize public sector scientific inventions by eliminating exclusive intellectual property rights—the strategy of the commons—is motivated by a fear of cannibalization and supported by a credible threat. It is shown that the degree of cannibalization to which the new technology exposes the old market is responsible for this market failure. / Business, Sauder School of / Graduate

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Thesis--Kassel, Universität, 2005. Universiẗat, Diss., 2005 u.d.T.: Müßig, Peter: Die Sicherung von Verbreitung und Zugang in Bezug auf urheberrechtlich oder ähnlich geschützte Inhalte beim Satellitenrundfunk in Europa--Kassel. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 219-229).

Research presented for the degree of Master of Management in the field of Public and Development Management to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management of the University of Witwatersrand. March 2016 / As an economic hub of Africa, South Africa has been experiencing an influx of economic and political migrants leading to the ethnic diversification of its population. This trend has incited a xenophobic atmosphere due to frustrations from locals, and has led to violent attacks towards foreign nationals. In particular, the Somali population has endured a high number of attacks as this group has successfully penetrated the informal business market in the townships of South Africa. Government has responded to these xenophobic attacks by proposing, amongst others, a Licensing of Businesses Bill in 2013. The bill has been criticised by the public as it is considered a hostile policy that aims to enforce regulations that restrict foreign nationals from operating businesses in the informal sector. This political dilemma has also led to questions as to how this policy response may have an effect on social cohesion in unequal societies where violence against Somalis is prevailing. The Klipspruit community was selected as it forms part of the City of Johannesburg that has a significant amount of Somali informal traders. The purpose of the study was to examine the root causes of violence against Somalis and the potential of the governments’ policy response to mitigate this phenomenon. In particular, the study also investigated the effect of the proposed Licensing of Businesses Bill on social cohesion development between Somalis and South Africans in Klipspruit. The qualitative research findings indicate that violence against Somalis was due to the economic situation, lack of regulation, competition and business miscommunication. The responses were generally driven by the perception that the government of South Africa introduced a bill that is fostered by nationalistic interests to the detriment of foreign nationals such as Somalis. It is therefore recommended that the government develops a way to enhance power sharing in decision-making processes, monitoring and correcting inequalities amongst culturally distinct groups, promoting cultural diversity and integration through education and lastly ensuring that the government acts in a constitutional manner. / GR2018

This dissertation aims to provide a better understanding of the technology licensing practices of academic research institutions. The study identifies time durations in licensing and incorporates these into a model to evaluate licensing performance. Performance is measured by the efficiency of an institution's technology licensing process and efficiency changes over time, using Association of University Technology Managers annual survey data from 1991 to 2007. Organizational characteristics influencing the licensing performances of 46 U.S. research institutions also are explored. The study resulted in a new approach that integrates the identification of time lags in licensing, analysis of efficiency change, and exploration of the influence of organizational characteristics on efficiency change. A super-efficiency variable returns to scale data envelopment analysis (DEA) model was applied to the time-lag neutralized licensing data, to measure the efficiency of U.S. research institutions' licensing performance over time. The study also includes an innovative approach to resolving issues with the super-efficiency DEA model, including mathematical infeasibility and zero-data issues. The licensing mechanisms included in the study are disclosure, patent applications, patents issued, licenses and options executed, start-ups, and licensing income. The time duration from expenditure to licensing income, including all intermediating licensing processes, ranged from 2 to 27 years. The study identified the organizational characteristics related to licensing practice. Academic prestige and research quality are positively related to disclosure, patents granted, and start-up. The resources of a technology licensing office influences the number of licensing agreements, whereas licensing office experience has a positive relationship with start-ups. Increased licensing resources improve the efficiency of licensing practices, and a research institution with more dedicated licensing staff has improved licensing productivity. Private institutions improved their licensing practice more than public ones during the study period. On the other hand, institutions with a medical school demonstrated low efficiency. This dissertation fills a gap in the understanding of licensing practice and the organizational characteristics related to licensing performance. In addition, the study contributes to research methodology by providing a new approach to identifying time lags and improving the DEA method. The results, grounded in comprehensive observations over multiple time durations, provide an insight into the licensing practices of U.S. research institutions. The dissertation presents recommendations for research institutions based on the relationships identified among academic prestige, research intensity, organizational characteristics of the technology licensing office, and licensing performance.