No description available.

Earlier quantitative entrepreneurial studies with a focus on poverty rate has centred their arguments and analyses entirely on income differences which has resulted in a high poverty rate among self-employed. Their results shows that variables such as age, gender, hours of labour and structure of the household significantly affect the poverty rate among self-employed. In this study we aim the focus on material living standards instead of income differences, thus using a more representative approach while studying entrepreneurial poverty. The purpose of the study was to examine how personality traits (big five) affect the material living standards among the self-employed in Sweden, using a group of employed as a control group. Variables earlier known to affect the poverty risk among self-employed where used as control variables together with education and household income. With this new aspect on entrepreneurial research, we found that four out of five personality traits affect the material living standard among self-employed. Two out of the five personality traits, openness and extraversion, where found uniquely on self-employed. Among the control variables only gender and household income seemed to affect the material living standard, thus excluding the effect of age, hours of labour, education and household structure. This indicates that personality traits should be considered using while studying poverty among the self-employed.

The aim of the research is to identify territorial differences of the living standards between separate Lithuania municipalities and rural - urban living areas according to the specific of social and economical factors size and dispersion of territory also to clarify the reasons of these differences. It is detailed territorial research in level of municipalities, evaluating the forces which directly and indirectly effect the living standards. The cluster analyzes and grouping involves not only the specific the living standards factors but also the other social economical meanings which helps to define its territorial specific in more adequate way. Municipalities are presented according to the living standards expression and the priorities of resolution of the problems. The territorial distribution of most of the socio-economic phenomena illustrating the standard of living depends on the level of urbanization. It was found that in Lithuania, territorially adjacent municipal groups (clusters) are emerging with the characteristic specificity of occurrence of social and economic indicators illustrating the living standard. The municipal typology by the degree of performance of indicators of the standard of living was carried out, allowing identification of the priorities of problems to be addressed. The maximum state attention should be focused to the municipalities, where the values illustrating living standards are the lowest, and the priority areas of the life raising level... [to full text] / Šio tyrimo tikslas - nustatyti gyvenimo lygio teritorinius skirtumus tarp atskirų Lietuvos savivaldybių, miestų ir kaimų gyvenamųjų vietovių pagal socialinių ir ekonominių rodiklių dydžio ir teritorinės sklaidos specifiką bei išaiškinti nustatytų skirtumų priežastis. Tai išsamus teritorinis tyrimas savivaldybių lygiu, įvertinant gyvenimo lygį tiesiogiai bei netiesiogiai lemiančius veiksnius. Tyrime atlikta klasterinė analizė apima ne tik konkrečių gyvenimo lygio rodiklių bet ir jį lemiančių kitų socialinių ekonominių reiškinių reikšmes. Savivaldybės išdėstytos pagal gyvenimo lygio rodiklių pasireiškimo laipsnį ir nustatomi problemų sprendimo prioritetai jose. Daugumos socialinių - ekonominių reiškinių, nusakančių gyvenimo lygį, teritorinis pasiskirstymas priklauso nuo urbanizacijos lygio. Nustatyta, kad Lietuvoje ryškėja teritoriškai gretimų savivaldybių grupės (klasteriai) su jiems būdinga gyvenimo lygį nusakančių socialinių - ekonominių rodiklių pasireiškimo specifika: Vilniaus – Kauno įtakos zonos, Vidurio ir Vakarų Lietuvos, Šiaurės Rytų ir Pietų Lietuvos ir pasienio savivaldybių. Atlikta savivaldybių tipologija pagal gyvenimo lygio rodiklių pasireiškimo laipsnį, leidžia išskirti spręstinų problemų prioritetus. Didžiausio valstybės dėmesio turi sulaukti tos savivaldybės, kuriose gyvenimo lygį nusakančių rodiklių reikšmės yra žemiausios, o prioritetinės gyvenimo lygio gerinimo kryptys pirmiausia turi būti nukreiptos į gyventojų užimtumo bei išsilavinimo/išsimokslinimo... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

Šio tyrimo tikslas - nustatyti gyvenimo lygio teritorinius skirtumus tarp atskirų Lietuvos savivaldybių, miestų ir kaimų gyvenamųjų vietovių pagal socialinių ir ekonominių rodiklių dydžio ir teritorinės sklaidos specifiką bei išaiškinti nustatytų skirtumų priežastis. Tai išsamus teritorinis tyrimas savivaldybių lygiu, įvertinant gyvenimo lygį tiesiogiai bei netiesiogiai lemiančius veiksnius. Tyrime atlikta klasterinė analizė apima ne tik konkrečių gyvenimo lygio rodiklių bet ir jį lemiančių kitų socialinių ekonominių reiškinių reikšmes. Savivaldybės išdėstytos pagal gyvenimo lygio rodiklių pasireiškimo laipsnį ir nustatomi problemų sprendimo prioritetai jose. Daugumos socialinių - ekonominių reiškinių, nusakančių gyvenimo lygį, teritorinis pasiskirstymas priklauso nuo urbanizacijos lygio. Nustatyta, kad Lietuvoje ryškėja teritoriškai gretimų savivaldybių grupės (klasteriai) su jiems būdinga gyvenimo lygį nusakančių socialinių - ekonominių rodiklių pasireiškimo specifika: Vilniaus – Kauno įtakos zonos, Vidurio ir Vakarų Lietuvos, Šiaurės Rytų ir Pietų Lietuvos ir pasienio savivaldybių. Atlikta savivaldybių tipologija pagal gyvenimo lygio rodiklių pasireiškimo laipsnį, leidžia išskirti spręstinų problemų prioritetus. Didžiausio valstybės dėmesio turi sulaukti tos savivaldybės, kuriose gyvenimo lygį nusakančių rodiklių reikšmės yra žemiausios, o prioritetinės gyvenimo lygio gerinimo kryptys pirmiausia turi būti nukreiptos į gyventojų užimtumo bei išsilavinimo/išsimokslinimo... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The aim of the research is to identify territorial differences of the living standards between separate Lithuania municipalities and rural - urban living areas according to the specific of social and economical factors size and dispersion of territory also to clarify the reasons of these differences. It is detailed territorial research in level of municipalities, evaluating the forces which directly and indirectly effect the living standards. The cluster analyzes and grouping involves not only the specific the living standards factors but also the other social economical meanings which helps to define its territorial specific in more adequate way. Municipalities are presented according to the living standards expression and the priorities of resolution of the problems. The territorial distribution of most of the socio-economic phenomena illustrating the standard of living depends on the level of urbanization. It was found that in Lithuania, territorially adjacent municipal groups (clusters) are emerging with the characteristic specificity of occurrence of social and economic indicators illustrating the living standard. The municipal typology by the degree of performance of indicators of the standard of living was carried out, allowing identification of the priorities of problems to be addressed. The maximum state attention should be focused to the municipalities, where the values illustrating living standards are the lowest, and the priority areas of the life raising level... [to full text]

This study is concerned with investigating whether corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives provide a means to build brand equity, specifically emotional connections known as share of heart, in bottom of the pyramid (BOP) markets. Research has found that brand experiences, positive product outcomes and nostalgia are antecedents to share of heart; however, this presupposes developed markets in which categories have already achieved primary demand.In underdeveloped BOP markets, market expansion is challenging and necessitates investments into social initiatives to increase the welfare of the community. The study proposes the use of CSR initiatives to encourage brand building as consumers were found to form an emotional attachment with brands, which brings about loyalty and intentions to purchase.A correlation study was carried out to determine whether a relationship existed between CSR and emotional attachment and whether this predicts greater intentions to purchase. The research confirmed that CSR is an antecedent to EA; however, the results revealed that certain conditions have to be met before consumers can connect with brands emotionally. The findings also indicated that CSR awareness fosters positive CSR beliefs, whereas consumers‟ emotional attachment towards the brand explains their intention to purchase the brand. Copyright / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

First part defines living standard and its understanding in retail context. Second part concentrates on consitions in retail business and their development in the 90s. Third part summarizes some of the qualitative features of today's retail business with services offered to customers. All with its impact on living standard.

This study describes the factors that drive competitiveness between local firms and multinational enterprises (MNE) in a retail consumer market of an emerging country. It also seeks to identify the approaches and strategies the competitors consider and adopt to maintain the advantage in the consumer market.The objective of this study is to identify the factors local firms and MNE’s will consider when competing with each other. The study also wants to identify the preferred mode of entry of MNE’s.The study will be a quantitative study where relationships between competitors and their performance in the market are measured.The results revealed that local firms do have a competitive advantage over MNE’s in the retail consumer market due to the local firm’s knowledge of the market, rather than the technology and skills. It’s also clear that MNE have a preferred mode of entry and they chose to compete in the industries where they are stronger than the local firms. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

This thesis deals with the comparison of the European Union countries, in particular their schemes of pension and living standard of pensioners who use these schemes in confrontation with the economic standard of these countries. After a theoretical introduction, where various aspects of operation and theoretical construction of the pension system are introduced, there follows a brief outline of the situation in each country, completed with comparison of the values of indicators relating to the pension systems. The middle part of this thesis is devoted to the process of population aging, as the main cause of the current need for reforming the pension systems and the adequacy of extending the age for retirement. The last part of this thesis is devoted to determining the sequence of the states of the European Union by the standard of living of people in retirement age and confronting these results with the information on economic standard of these countries.

This dissertation thesis deals with an economic evaluation of population ageing in the Czech Republic. The emphasis is put on statistical and economic factors. The issue of population ageing is very wide and it affects many areas of human life. Therefore, it should be perceived in its range. The substance lies in continuity among economic area, health, education, housing, retirement policy and migration policy. Both macroeconomic and social effects of changes in the demographic structure of population should be regularly evaluated. Impacts of demographic ageing are both qualitative and quantitative. Qualitative relate to personal life, good health in old age, ensuring an adequate living standard and security of older persons. Similarly, quantitative impacts cover sustainability of funding of the pension system and social and health care systems. The thesis focuses on important factors that are often neglected and that can represent the threat to the proper function of society. On the contrary, there can be found factors acting positively e.g. the issue of labour immigration or integration of older people into the labour market. This dissertation thesis also provides complex statistical and economic view on the issue of population ageing including all key factors and effects on pensions, health, social and demographic area. The aim of the thesis lies is in the synthesis of important factors connected with population ageing and provides statistical assessment of the issue. The thesis provides procedures and methods that are innovative in the Czech Republic.

評定合理的房屋價格，有助於維護交易雙方權益，並給予相關稅負有一適當的課稅基礎。惟影響房屋價格的因素眾多，除了房屋內部特徵外，土地價格亦為影響房屋價格之重要變數。由於影響房屋價格與土地價格之有關變數區分不易，過去文獻多僅對房屋價格及土地價格進行個別研究，本文參考評價土地價格相關文獻，利用區位變數將土地價格由房屋價格分離。將影響房屋價格之變數分為房屋內部特徵變數與外部生活機能變數兩類，透過加入兩個交互作用項，並架構於特徵價格估計法上以最小平方估計法分析之。 本文資料採自山東省青島市2008年商品住宅交易數據，實證分析顯示，透過區位變數可分析土地價格之相關區位變數，個別對房屋價格所產生之邊際效果，發現土地價格對於房屋價格有顯著影響。由實證結果發現，在內部特徵變數中，公攤率對房屋價格之邊際效果最大；在外部生活機能變數中，該住宅之行政區位於萊西市對房屋價格之邊際效果最大。 / Evaluating a reasonable housing price is helpful for maintaining the benefits of both buyers and sellers. Also, it can give the tax an appropriate base. However, there are lots of factors affecting the housing price. Besides the inside characteristics, the price of land is the other characteristic. Because it is difficult to distinguish out the factors of housing price and land price, previous studies only pick up one of them to do studies. This study takes the way that previous studies evaluate the land price as reference, and use the location variables to separate the land price from the housing price. The variables which influence housing price are divided into the inside characteristics and outside living standard. By adding two interactions and basing on the hedonic price model, the current study uses the ordinary least squares to do regression. This study uses the housing transaction data of ShanDong Seng QingDao City in 2008, which finds out the location variables can analyze the land price and the marginal effect of housing price. The empirical analysis reveals the land price has significant influence on the housing price. In the inside variables, the pool rate has the biggest significant influence; in outside variables, the house which is located in Laixi city has the biggest significant influence.