Without change, stagnation is inevitable. Never has this truth been more obvious than during the current epoch of industrial decline in North America. This research provides two economic narratives that exemplify the struggles of industrial communities as they strive to regenerate. The research involves a comparative analysis of the transformation of two steel cities, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Hamilton, Ontario, from 1970 to 2008. For cities in which one major industry has formed the foundation of the local economy, job losses can result in massive dislocation and devastating consequences for individuals, families, and communities. Pittsburgh and Hamilton are among many cities striving to diversify and strengthen their economies as manufacturing diminishes and Western sunset industries rise in the East. Transformation has been much more extensive in Pittsburgh than in many cities because Pittsburgh was so largely dominated by the steel industry and faced a virtual collapse of that industry. Hamilton has also experienced a steep decline in steel and related manufacturing jobs. Based on 55 interviews with city leaders, including a pilot study in Welland, Ontario, this research examines eight critical factors that collectively influence development: transformational leadership, strategic development planning, civic engagement, education and research, labor, capital, infrastructure, and quality of life. The study looks at how city leaders drive these factors in the context of global economic forces to revitalize their communities. Together, these elements combine to create the new economy of cities. To achieve successful transformation, the elements must function as part of an integrated system─a community economic activity system (CEAS). This research is grounded in MacGregor-Burn’s (1978; 2003) transformational leadership theory and positions local leadership as the central driver of economic regeneration. It highlights the importance of enduring social relations among leaders for creating an organized, yet dynamic, base of power that is necessary to mobilize resources and execute development policies to achieve qualitative change. Moreover, it points to the importance of inclusiveness and openness in engaging local citizen groups in order to build trust and confidence that recovery will happen. Pittsburgh and Hamilton offer many examples of successful partnerships that increasingly involve public-private-nonprofit-academic collaboratives.

The industrial age was bound to end when the microprocessor was invented. Even though the classical economic theory applies for today as well as for the 1960s, the last thirty years were symptomatic by the change of the fundamental characteristics of the economy and information technology plays a key role in this process. The aim of this thesis was to describe the principles and micro- and macroeconomic phenomena present in the New Economy of today, the challenges that the companies face in this environment and, finally, to conduct a cross-industry analysis on the impact of IT on company's performance, namely value-added. The empirical results did not show any clear patterns among the industries and therefore no significant relationship between the share of information technology assets of total assets and company's value-added could be proven. One of the reasons for that could be the technical issues regarding the statistical measurement of IT which also remains the biggest challenge for the researchers in this field.

The purpose of this paper is to summarize current knowledge about electronic trading and to outline the benefits and drawbacks of potential software solutions in electronic trading. This paper is focused not only on theoretical findings and bases, relating to electronic trading, but also on the possibilities of establishing such trading within the confines of the Czech environment. Its goal is to select a suitable open source software solution for electronic trading based on predefined criteria and to warn of potential challenges relating to it. This paper should contemporaneously serve to help an individual interested in establishing electronic trading to decide which solution is the most appropriate, even if he/she selects a product that is not open source. This should serve, in such a case, as a methodical set of instructions that guides the individual to select the correct solution. Among other aspects, this paper should also help an individual interested in electronic trading to decide, whether or not an open source solution is suitable, and if there is any merit in exploring this option.

Nas últimas décadas, cientistas sociais vêm defendendo a ideia de estarmos presenciando o início de uma nova etapa do desenvolvimento histórico do capitalismo, a chamada nova economia. Entre outros aspectos, aponta-se para mudanças profundas no âmbito das organizações e do trabalho, que foram provocadas pelo impacto do surgimento e difusão das tecnologias da informação. Nesse sentido, esta tese escolhe por contribuir em torno do conhecimento sobre a nova economia a partir de um interesse analítico bem delimitado, a saber, compreender o cálculo econômico de valor realizado por firmas de tecnologia da informação, quando estas comparecem no mercado de trabalho. Tal interesse analítico se operacionaliza através de três perguntas de pesquisa: Quais são e como as condições engendradas por redes sociotécnicas das firmas de tecnologias da informação estruturam as suas capacidades de cálculo econômico de valor? Quais valores econômicos e economicamente relevantes, essas firmas lançam mão para definir o valor e, por conseguinte, a sua demanda no mercado de trabalho? E quais procedimentos e práticas elas adotam para classificar e julgar a oferta de trabalho e planejar a realização de sua demanda diante dessa oferta? Visando responder essas três perguntas, procedeu-se à realização de quatro estudos de casos em empresas de diferentes segmentos de atividade econômica das tecnologias da informação. Os quatro casos estão localizados no município de Porto Alegre (RS) ou na sua região metropolitana. Com base na análise dos dados coletados nesses estudos, a tese encerra refletindo sobre o valor do trabalho como mercadoria no contexto da nova economia e também sobre o desenvolvimento de uma abordagem de sociologia econômica voltada para o comportamento da firma no mercado de trabalho e a sua capacidade de cálculo econômico de valor. / In the last decades, an increasing number of social scientists have defended the idea that we are witnessing the beginning of a new stage of the historical development of capitalism, the so-called new economy. Among other aspects it has been recognizing profound changes within organizations and the labor world that are related by the impact of the emergence and diffusion of information technologies. The present thesis chooses to contribute in the comprehension of the new economy trough a well-defined analytical interest, namely, understand the economic calculation of values that are realized by information technologies firms in the labor market. This analytical interest is reflected through three research questions: Which are and how the conditions articulated by socio-technical networks of firms, structure their abilities to economic calculation of values? What economic and economic relevant values these firms resort to set the value and therefore their demand in the labor market? And what procedures and practices these firms adopt to classify and judge the supply of labor and plan the realization of their demand? In order to answer these three questions, we carried out four case studies with companies from different segments of economic activities in information technologies. All of these cases are located at city of Porto Alegre (RS) or at the metropolitan area. Based on the analysis of data collected in these four case studies, the thesis closes with a reflection on the value of labor as a commodity in the context of the new economy and also discussing the development of an economic sociology approach about firms behavior in the labor market.

Nas últimas décadas, cientistas sociais vêm defendendo a ideia de estarmos presenciando o início de uma nova etapa do desenvolvimento histórico do capitalismo, a chamada nova economia. Entre outros aspectos, aponta-se para mudanças profundas no âmbito das organizações e do trabalho, que foram provocadas pelo impacto do surgimento e difusão das tecnologias da informação. Nesse sentido, esta tese escolhe por contribuir em torno do conhecimento sobre a nova economia a partir de um interesse analítico bem delimitado, a saber, compreender o cálculo econômico de valor realizado por firmas de tecnologia da informação, quando estas comparecem no mercado de trabalho. Tal interesse analítico se operacionaliza através de três perguntas de pesquisa: Quais são e como as condições engendradas por redes sociotécnicas das firmas de tecnologias da informação estruturam as suas capacidades de cálculo econômico de valor? Quais valores econômicos e economicamente relevantes, essas firmas lançam mão para definir o valor e, por conseguinte, a sua demanda no mercado de trabalho? E quais procedimentos e práticas elas adotam para classificar e julgar a oferta de trabalho e planejar a realização de sua demanda diante dessa oferta? Visando responder essas três perguntas, procedeu-se à realização de quatro estudos de casos em empresas de diferentes segmentos de atividade econômica das tecnologias da informação. Os quatro casos estão localizados no município de Porto Alegre (RS) ou na sua região metropolitana. Com base na análise dos dados coletados nesses estudos, a tese encerra refletindo sobre o valor do trabalho como mercadoria no contexto da nova economia e também sobre o desenvolvimento de uma abordagem de sociologia econômica voltada para o comportamento da firma no mercado de trabalho e a sua capacidade de cálculo econômico de valor. / In the last decades, an increasing number of social scientists have defended the idea that we are witnessing the beginning of a new stage of the historical development of capitalism, the so-called new economy. Among other aspects it has been recognizing profound changes within organizations and the labor world that are related by the impact of the emergence and diffusion of information technologies. The present thesis chooses to contribute in the comprehension of the new economy trough a well-defined analytical interest, namely, understand the economic calculation of values that are realized by information technologies firms in the labor market. This analytical interest is reflected through three research questions: Which are and how the conditions articulated by socio-technical networks of firms, structure their abilities to economic calculation of values? What economic and economic relevant values these firms resort to set the value and therefore their demand in the labor market? And what procedures and practices these firms adopt to classify and judge the supply of labor and plan the realization of their demand? In order to answer these three questions, we carried out four case studies with companies from different segments of economic activities in information technologies. All of these cases are located at city of Porto Alegre (RS) or at the metropolitan area. Based on the analysis of data collected in these four case studies, the thesis closes with a reflection on the value of labor as a commodity in the context of the new economy and also discussing the development of an economic sociology approach about firms behavior in the labor market.

Without change, stagnation is inevitable. Never has this truth been more obvious than during the current epoch of industrial decline in North America. This research provides two economic narratives that exemplify the struggles of industrial communities as they strive to regenerate. The research involves a comparative analysis of the transformation of two steel cities, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Hamilton, Ontario, from 1970 to 2008. For cities in which one major industry has formed the foundation of the local economy, job losses can result in massive dislocation and devastating consequences for individuals, families, and communities. Pittsburgh and Hamilton are among many cities striving to diversify and strengthen their economies as manufacturing diminishes and Western sunset industries rise in the East. Transformation has been much more extensive in Pittsburgh than in many cities because Pittsburgh was so largely dominated by the steel industry and faced a virtual collapse of that industry. Hamilton has also experienced a steep decline in steel and related manufacturing jobs. Based on 55 interviews with city leaders, including a pilot study in Welland, Ontario, this research examines eight critical factors that collectively influence development: transformational leadership, strategic development planning, civic engagement, education and research, labor, capital, infrastructure, and quality of life. The study looks at how city leaders drive these factors in the context of global economic forces to revitalize their communities. Together, these elements combine to create the new economy of cities. To achieve successful transformation, the elements must function as part of an integrated system─a community economic activity system (CEAS). This research is grounded in MacGregor-Burn’s (1978; 2003) transformational leadership theory and positions local leadership as the central driver of economic regeneration. It highlights the importance of enduring social relations among leaders for creating an organized, yet dynamic, base of power that is necessary to mobilize resources and execute development policies to achieve qualitative change. Moreover, it points to the importance of inclusiveness and openness in engaging local citizen groups in order to build trust and confidence that recovery will happen. Pittsburgh and Hamilton offer many examples of successful partnerships that increasingly involve public-private-nonprofit-academic collaboratives.

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Globalisering, tegnologiese vooruitgang, die Internet en veranderinge in Suid-Afrika vanaf 1994 het bygedra tot die huidige nuwe ekonomie. Indien organisasies wil oorleef in die nuwe ekonomie sal hulle moet aanvaar dat die nuwe ekonomie ‘n aantal nuwe uitdagings te weë gebring het tot die manier waarop besigheid gedoen word in Suid-Afrika en in die res van die wêreld. In die nuwe ekonomie moet organisasies takties te werk gaan om volgehoue sukses te verseker. Besluitnemers moet die impak wat die nuwe ekonomie op hulle besigheid en hul stand in die betrokke mark het analiseer en strategiese beplanning doen oor hoe die organisasie gaan aanpas in die nuwe ekonomie om oorlewing te verseker in ‘n mark wat aanhoudend verander. Verwantskappe met interne en eksterne belangegroepe en deelhebbers is van kardinale belang in die nuwe ekonomie. Organisasies moet hul fokus plaas op verwantskappe met belangegroepe wat deel is van die besigheidsproses en sodoende deelhebbers beïnvloed tot voordeel van die organisasie. ‘n Aantal nuwe toetreders tot die mark (klein tot medium ondernemings en internasionale organisasies wat investeer in Suid-Afrika) het ‘n beduidende toename in mededinging veroorsaak. Die toename in mededinging het op sy beurt gelei tot ‘n groter veskeidenheid aanbiedinge wat beskikbaar gestel word aan verbruikers en ander belangegroepe. Die reputasie van ‘n organisasie, sy produkte en sy werknemers speel ook ‘n baie belangrike rol in die nuwe ekonomie aangesien belangegroepe en deelhebbers verkies om geassosieer te word met geloofwaardige en suksesvolle organisasies, produkte en dienste. Dit is dus belangrik dat indien ‘n organisasie will oorleef in die nuwe ekonomie moet die organisasie homself onderskei van ander en seker maak dat hulle ‘n plek in die gedagtes van hulle belangegroepe en deelhebbers toe eien. Die enigste manier om ‘n mededingende voordeel binne die nuwe ekonomie te bewerkstellig is om die besigheid takties in die gedagtes van alle belangegroepe en deelhebbers te posisioneer. As gevolg van die uitdagings en veranderinge wat die nuwe ekonomie te weeg gebring het kan ‘n organisasie nie langer net staat maak op tradisionele bemarkingsbeginsels om hulle self te posisioneer nie. ‘n Posisionerings- (of plasings-) strategie moet ontwikkel en toegepas word deur ‘n stelsel benadering te volg waar die hele organisasie betrokke is in posisionering. Die navorser het hierdie studie aangepak omrede ‘n handleiding te ontwerp en daar te stel vir besluitnemers in organisasies wat hul betrokke organisasies takties wil posisioneer in die nuwe ekonomie. Om die konsepsionele model vir posisionering (of plasing) van ‘n organisasie in die nuwe ekonomie daar te stel het die navorser kwalitatiewe navorsing gedoen wat ‘n studie van gepaste vak-inhoud, teorieë, beskikbare studiemateriaal, opinies van deskundiges en ‘n inhouds-analise van steekproef onderhoude ingesluit het. Die resultaat van die studie is ‘n goed geformuleerde teoretiesie model vir posisionering van ‘n organisasie in die nuwe ekonomie wat enige organisaie wat dit toepas in sy geheel sal bevoordeel en sy posisionering sal versterk. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Globalisation, technological enhancements, the Internet and changes in South Africa from 1994 led to the current new economy. If a company wants to survive in the new economy it will have to realise that the new economy brings a number of challenges to the way that business is conducted in South Africa and abroad. Companies need to work tactically in the new economy business environment to ensure sustainability. Decision-makers are to access the impact that the new economy has on the company and its position in the market and strategise how to adapt to the new economy in order to survive in an ever changing market. In the new economy relationships with internal and external stakeholders have become more important and companies need to focus on the relationships within its value chain in order to influence its stakeholders to the benefit of the company. Competition has increased due to a number of new entrants to the market (small to medium enterprises and international companies investing in South Africa) which led to a vast amount of offerings being available to consumers and other stakeholders. The reputation of a company, its products and its employees also play an important role in the new economy as stakeholders want to be associated with a credible and successful company, product or service. It is thus important that if a company wants to survive in the new economy it needs to differentiate themselves from others and make sure to own an area in the minds of their stakeholders. The only way to create a competitive advantage in the new economy is to position a company tactically in the minds of all stakeholders. Due to the challenges and changes that the new economy brought about a company can no longer only use traditional marketing principles to position themselves. A positioning strategy needs to be developed and implemented from a systems point of view where the whole company is involved in its positioning. The researcher embarked on this study to create a tool for companies that will assist decision-makers in the tactical positioning of their companies within the new economy. In order to create a conceptual model for positioning of a company in the new economy qualitative research was conducted, that included a study of content, theories, available material, views from experts as well as a content analysis from sample interviews. The outcome of the study was a well formulated theoretical model for positioning of a company in the new economy that will benefit and enhance the positioning of any company that applies it in its entirety.

一九九○年代學術界、媒體紛紛出現對於新經濟、知識經濟的介紹，坊間書籍多以主流經濟學觀點描繪新經濟的特性，包括資訊技術、創新、科技、金融投資增加帶來財富增加等美好榮景。然而，當知識經濟被高度稱揚時，社會上卻有越來越多的失業者。 新經濟的宣稱是否顯示資本主義已邁入另一階段的發展進程？資本主義發生了根本的變化了嗎？新經濟的生產模式是否能解決資本主義長久以來的結構性矛盾，還是只是深化和擴大商品化的矛盾？而馬克思主義能否解釋當代資本主義的變化？ 這是本論文的問題意識源起。 每當馬克思主義的研究對象－－資本主義－－發生變化或經歷出乎預料的變革時，馬克思主義的範式（paradigm）就會發生危機。由於對論爭問題的舊表述不與新的現實相適應，所以很容易得出結論說，這種範式（典範）本身被超越和過時了。 本論文的核心論點是：今日的資本主義並未發生根本性的變化。現實界的表象變化並未超出馬克思的理論範圍。在研究方法上，採馬克思的分析方式來切入比較新舊經濟的異同。

Concept forgé par le Commissariat Général du Plan au début des années 1990 autour de la redéfinition de l'intérêt général, le thème de I'«État stratège» a émergé dans l'espace public afin d'apporter une réponse adaptée à la crise de l’État planificateur. Dès lors, l'interrogation sur le nouveau rôle de l’État dans l'économie se pose. Confronté à un univers hyper concurrentiel et aux impératifs de la nouvelle gestion publique, l’État est appelé à être davantage partenaire et stratège que providentiel. Cette présente thèse a donc pour ambition d'étudier les implications juridiques et administratives de la thématique de l’État stratège. L'étude comprend trois parties. En premier lieu, l'accent sera mis sur la nouvelle conception du rôle de l’État. En deuxième lieu, on évoquera le renouveau du procédé contractuel dans l'action publique. Enfin, on insistera sur l'impact du thème sur les principes d'organisation de l’État. Tels sont donc les enjeux de cette recherche. Au final, si la formule de l’État stratège privilégie davantage de souplesse, d'efficacité et la recherche d'un appareil étatique plus resserré, plus recentré et adossé sur un personnel réduit, mobilisant le droit souple au côté du droit classique, force est de constater que les structures nouvellement créées n'ont pas remplacé l'administration existante. Bien au contraire, tous ces éléments cohabitent. Une telle situation est tout à fait inédite et singulière dans la vie de l’État au 21e siècle. / The concept was introduced by the French General Plan Commission in the early 1990s over the redefinition of public interest. The subject of "strategic state" emerged into the public space to bring an adequate response to the crisis of the planning state. Therefore, the question about the new role of the state in the new economy arises. The state must now be more of a partner and more strategic than providential, in this highly competitive environment and with the demands of new public management. Our main objective, in this thesis, is to pinpoint the legal and administrative implications of the subject of strategic state. We will firstly emphasize on the new conception of the role of the state. Secondly, we will touch upon the renewal of the contractual procedures in the public action. And, in a final part, we will analyse the impact that this concept has had on the state's organizational principles. Those will be the three main points dealt with throughout this research. Ali in all, the renewal structures have not taken over the current administration. On the contrary, they coexist, side by side, in a quest for a tighter, more refocused government apparatus, with less staff than ever. Moreover there seems to be more flexibility and a further quest for performance in the concept of a strategic state. This situation is unheard of-in the life of the state in the-21st century as it brings together soft and traditional-law.

The urban landscape reflects the social, economic, and policy changes that have taken place in a community. The inner city has been previosly called a microcosm that indicates the changes that are occurring in society. The inner city can thus be studied to examine how it responds and adapts to economic change. This thesis asks in what ways are the historic and current economic transitions visible in Hamilton’s inner city landscape; and how do planning policies influence the emerging urban built form. The thesis examines select characteristics of the contemporary inner city derived from the literature (i.e. art and entertainment amenitites, recreational uses, residential revitalization, institutional uses, post-Fordist economy, decline in manufacturing activity, promotion of multi-modal transportation, sustainability policy, and statement place making) and their expected physical manifestations. The methods consist of a historical analysis and visual diagnosis that uses photographs and field notes in order to provide a bottom-up interpretation of downtown Hamilton’s changing urban landscape. There is evidence of arts-culture led rejuvenation of downtown Hamilton and the public realm. However, there is the challenge of promoting revitalization in a context of visual urban blight and the possibilities of policy-induced loss of employment lands.