The first generation of agricultural crops developed using biotechnology have offered the primary producers of the crops agronomic benefits. Some consumers have resisted accepting this technology because of concerns with food and environmental safety, and ethical issues that arise from the processes that are involved in developing these products. The second and third generation of agricultural biotechnology are being developed to offer products with direct benefits to consumers. The focus of this thesis is the second generation, which have added health benefits. Specifically, the obstacles to commercialization of functional foods derived through biotechnology are examined. The three factors which have the potential to set back commercial introduction of functional foods derived through biotechnology are government regulatory uncertainty, consumer aversion and brand risk, and gaining access to intellectual property. The regulations governing functional foods are examined to show the regulatory ambiguity that exists in Canada. Comparisons are drawn to other nations. Literature that focuses on consumer aversion to agricultural biotechnology is reviewed, along with consumer preference studies with regards to genetically modified (GM) foods with and without health benefits. Transaction cost economics literature is used to analyse the problems related to gaining access to intellectual property and the resulting supply chain implications. Three separate theoretical models are developed to examine each of the three factors separately. Government regulatory uncertainty is incorporated into an expected profit model to show the effects of increased uncertainty on the expected profit from a new technology. A heterogeneous consumer preference model is used to show the effects of changing consumer preferences on the market share of the firm introducing the GM functional food to the market. Simulation analysis using this model shows the effects of changing variables on the market shares of three products in the market. Finally a stylized model of the vertical market shows the effects of increased transaction costs incurred in gaining access to intellectual property on the rent that is available for distribution throughout the supply chain. The results show that these factors could be an obstacle to commercial development of functional foods derived through biotechnology. When the three factors are combined, the rent available for distribution is important for the success of the supply chain. Multiple bilateral monopoly negotiations cause this rent to be less than optimal. Increased levels of government regulatory uncertainty, consumer aversion and brand risk, and costs gaining of access to intellectual property decrease the expected rent available for distribution. This could be a problem facing developers of functional foods derived through biotechnology.

Taiwan¡¦s monopoly system, originating from the Military Governor Ming-chuan Liu of Qing Dynasty and applied by the Japanese, was a major financial source in Japan-colonized Taiwan. Chen Yi, the first ROC Chief Executive and Garrison Commander of Taiwan, renamed the Monopoly Bureau of Government-General as the Monopoly Bureau of Taiwan and then continued its monopolistic business. He stipulated five items -- tobacco, alcohol, camphor, matches, and measurement gadgets-- be monopolized by government whereas private manufacturing and sales be barred under the supervision of the Monopoly Bureau. Also banned from private transactions are certain necessities, such as salt, lime, cane sugar, gasoline, and electricity, which were distributed by some authorities other than the Monopoly Bureau. It was thought that such measures could restrict individual capital, and reinforce national capital in the hopes of realizing the idea of the nation founding, based on the doctrines of the Three People¡¦s Principles. Dr. Sun Yat-sen, though asserting capital restrictions in some degree, was not opposed to private capital, but, rather, was keen to encourage private enterprises. He had the national industries developed by a dual action via both private enterprises and national organizations. His philosophy argued that those productions not so proper to be commissioned to a state-run organization as to a private one should, along with incentives from the state and protection by the law, be rendered to the latter for operations. Based on this, it appeared obvious that people¡¦s livelihood didn¡¦t connote nationalization. And by no means did livelihood denote that the government could confiscate the industries already operated by civilians. After a further study, a distinction could be found in the argument between the economic centralization implemented by the authorities of Taiwan¡¦s administrative officers and the capital restriction elaborated in the Principles of People¡¦s Livelihood. The colossal assets taken over from Japanese-owned industries didn¡¦t mean any opportunities to reinforce national capital. Instead, monopolistic business was designed to operate by the government and afterwards turned up being outstanding samples of state-owned businesses among the industries in post-war Taiwan. The key factor consisted in the fact that state-owned industries were run under the supervision of the Taiwan Provincial Assembly, which boosted the managerial performance. The revenues from monopolistic sales of tobacco and spirits were crucial to the finances of our country and were helpful to the development of its economic constructions. The monopoly featured two functions. One function was to revive the production of the state-owned industries, which laid a foundation to carry out a six-term Four-year Economic Program, beginning in 1953; to make a substitute for imports; to spur export expansion; and to help kick-start our country¡¦s economic boom. The other function was to improve village constructions with land reforms of Three-seven-five Rent Deduction (a program limiting the rent of a land to a maximum of 37.5 percent of its total product), Release of State Lands, and Land-to-the-tillers Movements. The monopoly system was an indispensable support of finances, and it also ensured that the capital from the agricultural sector could be transferred to the industrial sector, which proved that provincial constructions were closely related to national economic development.

Darbo tikslas - išanalizavus metodinę - teorinę literatūrą ekonomikos subjekto konkurencinės aplinkos vertinimo klausimais įvertinti UAB „Vilniaus duona“ konkurencingumą pagal apibendrintą konkurencinės aplinkos vertinimo schemą. Ją pritaikius nustatyta, jog įmonė yra konkurencinga, jos konkurencinė aplinka yra palanki įmonės veiklai, plėtrai, tačiau ji neturėtų apleisti savo pozicijų rinkoje, o išlikti jos lydere, todėl privalo nuolat stebėti konkurencinę aplinką. Darbe iškelta hipotezė - suformuluotos ir apibendrintos konkurencinės aplinkos vertinimo schemos etapų, kuriuos ekonomikos subjektas gali įtakoti ir įtakoja, eiliškumas nedaro įtakos ekonomikos subjekto konkurencinės aplinkos vertinimo rezultatams - patvirtinta. / The purpose of the Thesis is to generalize a scheme of evaluation and to measure competitive ability of Private Company “Vilniaus duona” after the analysis of methodical – academic works on competitive environment. After applying the scheme, it was identified that the Company is competitive in Lithuanian market, and its competitive environment is beneficial for further activity and development of the Company. However, the Company should not neglect its positions and should remain the leader in the market; therefore it should always observe the competitive environment. The hypothesis of the Thesis - succession of competitive environment evaluation stages, which can be influenced by a company, does not influence the results of evaluation – was proved. The international trade and competition became more intensive in Lithuania after joining European Union. Therefore, if company seeks profitability or even a survival it should be competitive, and it has to give a lot of attention to the competitors and evaluation of competitive environment. The Thesis also defines the concept of competition and competitive environment, as well as evaluation of competitive environment. The result of theoretical analysis is a scheme on competitive environment evaluation. The Thesis includes the analysis on the bread market, hot issues and problems on evaluation of competitive environment in Lithuania after joining the European Union. The Thesis reviews the main participants in the bread market and... [to full text]

Praktinio pobūdžio bakalauro baigiamasis darbas, sudarytas iš penkių pagrindinių dalių: Monopolio žaidimo analizė, reikalavimų specifikacija, architektūros specifikacija, testavimo protokolas bei išvados, naudotojo ir diegimo vadovas. / Practical bachelor thesis, consisting of five major chapters: game Monopoly analysis, requirement specification, architecture specification, software test protocol, end-user and installation manual.

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This thesis explores, first, the evolvement and implementation of competition policy in China, where a competition culture was largely missing for decades; and second, the extent to which the government has resolved the inherent contradiction between preserving state control and promoting competition. The main aim is to evaluate how a competition law, which is essentially a product of capitalist free market economy, is being applied in China, a socialist country where predominant state-owned enterprises (SOEs) together with their owner – the Chinese government – generate the most distortions to market competition. To achieve this aim, the thesis studies, first, the ongoing economic transition and the historical development of Chinese competition policy; second, the prolonged drafting process of the Anti- Monopoly Law (AML); third, the substantive and institutional aspects of the enforcement of the AML, and the outstanding problems of the current competition system; and fourth, the role of the government in the interplay between competition policy and SOEs. The thesis also studies the European Union (EU) competition regime, which had substantial influence on the adoption of the AML and the design of China’s competition system. This discussion intends to use the experiences of the EU in modernising its competition system and in handling competition-related issues involving public enterprises to provide some meaningful answers to certain problems concerning the application of the AML and to possible reform of competition system in China.

This thesis entitled "Use of didactical games in teaching mathematics at the lower secondary level" deals with the use of educational games in math classes at secondary schools. This work is composed of two main parts, theoretical and practical. The theoretical part introduces the concepts of the game, didactic game, math games. More specifically focus on the modification of the board game Monopoly. The practical part is devoted to quantitative research, which determines what is the attitude of mathematics teachers of lower secondary school teaching to the use of games in education, as well as focus on the views and experiences of students with didactic game. Also, the work compares the written test of the curriculum for the class that graduated mathematical hour with the inclusion of educational games monopolies and class that this teaching not undergone.

China’s behavior as a near-monopolist of rare earths has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years. This thesis first examines the underlying causes behind China’s rise to the status of rare-earths near-monopolist, including government support; lax environmental controls; unregulated production; and relatively low costs compared to the rest of the world. Second, the thesis also examines the preeminent international and domestic factors influencing China’s behavior as a near-monopolist of rare earths. International factors include international demand; international trade pressure; international price-setting authority issues; and geopolitical factors. I next identify domestic factors that exert influence over China’s rare earths-related behavior: environmental protection; rare earth resource protection; rare earths industry regulation; and protecting and aiding China’s domestic rare earths industry. The study concludes with a synthesis of the factors influencing China’s rare-earths-related behavior in the overall context of support and direction by China’s Central Government.

Importance of rating/credit rating agencies' role has recently significantly increased. Rating has become an integral part of the financial, capital markets. Yet this market (i.e. credit rating market) is not subject to regulation (the market works on the basis of a self-regulation principle) which is the fact widely used as a basis for the criticism of this industry in the light of recent events in the financial markets (the collapse of Enron, Parmalat, and other companies, lately followed by a collapse of the subprime mortgage market). The paper outlines the (monopoly) structure of the rating industry in the U.S. and the EU, discusses the new roles of rating in the regulation (e.g. regulation of the banking sector, BASEL II) as well as potential barriers for the market entry. The paper also addresses potential conflicts of interest and lack of regulation which can be observed in the industry.

Diploma thesis, with the help of available literature and facts we attempt to analyze the approach to the issue of monopoly providers and their engagement in public relations within the water service industry. Customers of monopolistic organizations are often of the impression that such a supplier does not communicate and interact with them as well as they should. This work will attempt to prove or disprove that in an environment of imperfect competition a supplier does not have firm desire to communicate with their clients compared to an environment of perfect competition. Another question is whether monopolistic organizations who invest in marketing initiatives will increase their profits or not. The work will use its own published in-house surveys, which should confirm or refute the results of this research.