This thesis identifies the enabling factors that are relevant for a company’s BoP innovation process. It aims at visualizing differences and challenges of BoP innovation processes in contrast to generic innovation processes. A literature review which was conducted first identified seven enabling factors for generic innovation processes: customer orientation, rigorous planning & early specification, pre-development activities, formalized project selection, functional competence & cross-functional teams, strong project leader and top management support. These theoretical findings provided the necessary framework for the qualitative, semi-structured interviews that were conducted with two companies, GE Healthcare and Godrej & Boyce, which both recently implemented a BoP project. The empirical results visualized the companies’ BoP innovation processes and suggested the following findings. First, the focus on customer orientation was strengthened as a company’s unfamiliarity with the local context strengthens the importance of exactly understanding the consumers’ needs. Second, rigorous planning & early specification was found not as important as in generic innovation processes due to the novelty of the endeavor and the necessary adjustments in the course of the project. Third, predevelopment activities remain important. Fourth, formalized project selection is found to be one of the most influential factors for a BoP innovation project. Fifth, no difference in significance was found in functional competence & cross-functional team. However, the two dimensions of internationality of the team and proximity to respective decision makers were added. Sixth, the case studies showed that a strong project champion is decisive for a BoP project. Last, top management support was found to be one of the most important factors for a BoP innovation project as adjusting structural factors and strategic orientations is necessary for a BoP project to fully unfold. Furthermore, three additional factors (strategic (re-)orientation of a company, independent business unit and mindsets and work approach) were discussed.

This research investigates the role of efficiency in attracting long-term finance to the mortgage sector. Within the framework of the traditional economic theory, the new institutional theory and the theory of mortgage collateral, the study investigates the efficiency of primary mortgage banks and the perceived efficiency of the larger system within which they operate using quantitative and qualitative techniques. Quantitative data were extracted from the financials of 27 mortgage banks in Nigeria, which constitute about 90% of the size of the entire industry in Nigeria, as measured by banks’ total assets. These were analyzed using data envelopment analysis (DEA) and stochastic cost frontier (SCF) analysis to determine the efficiency of mortgage banks in Nigeria. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were conducted among 40 CEOs of mortgage banks in Nigeria to investigate the perceived efficiency of both the banks and the entire mortgage sector. This sample constitutes about 54.2% of the CEOs in the industry and represents all geopolitical zones and ethnic groups where mortgage banks exist in the country. A review of housing finance policies, systems and sources of funds in thriving emerging economies was also conducted with the aim of drawing lessons from them that are applicable to improving the efficiency of the Nigerian mortgage sector. The findings from the review formed the basis of a mixed method questionnaire survey to investigate the existing and potential sources of funds for housing finance, to assess the acceptability and suitability of lessons drawn from other countries in Nigeria and to make policy recommendations for improving the efficiency of the Nigerian mortgage sector. The findings reveal that on average, mortgage banks in Nigeria are 33% - 49% efficient compared to best practice firms within the sector. Ownership structure and bank size influence the efficiency of these banks. Banks owned by private organizations and commercial banks are more efficient than those owned by the government or religious organizations. Banks with average total assets in excess of ₦5 Billion are more technically efficient than those with total asset less than ₦5 Billion. Practitioners perceive the mortgage banks and the larger system within which they operate as only about 10% efficient. This perceived efficiency is much lower than the technical efficiency measured in the quantitative assessment. Through the lens of institutional theory, this low rating is attributed to the negative perception of the institutional structures of the mortgage sector by mortgage finance practitioners. The findings also reveal that two categories – external and internal factors – impair the efficiency of the sector. The regulative constraints account for 55% of challenges to efficiency, normative constraints account for 24%, while cultural cognitive constraints account for 21%. The study identified accumulated deposits in pension funds, unclaimed dividends, funds in dormant accounts of commercial banks and other financial institutions, and funds from insurance companies, as possible sources of long-term funds for housing finance, while a concerted effort is being made to set up a secondary mortgage facility. The findings also reveal that effective government policies, regulation and amendment of existing laws would help improve the efficiency of the mortgage banking sector and attract investors to this sector.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1998. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 140-146). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1998. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 140-146). Also available on the Internet.

Purpose: The aim of the study was establish if increased information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure investment at the macro level improves the micro level ICT Maturity level within small and medium enterprises (SME’s in Africa. The research further established if urban SME’s benefit more than rural SME’s in terms of ICT maturity level if there has been increased ICT infrastructure investment. Methods: The study makes use of factor analysis to compose a composite index that measures the ICT maturity levels within SME’s in Africa. Further to this it uses that composite index to do statistical tests on the means of samples to answer hypothesis based on the research questions posed. Results: The study finds that there is a significant difference in the ICT maturity level of small and medium businesses in African countries where there has been and increased level of ICT infrastructure investment. Furthermore the study finds that in those African countries where there has been increased ICT infrastructure investment urban SME’s have higher ICT maturity level than rural SME’s. Conclusion: This study has important implications for governmental as well as private sector policy relating to ICT infrastructure investment. The study further also empirically could guide ICT investment towards rural SME’s as a means of improving economic benefit from ICT. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / pagibs2014 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / MBA / Unrestricted

The thesis sought to explore the experience of caring for an individual with an eating disorder. It is comprised of three standalone papers. Paper one and two have been prepared for submission to a journal and in accordance with the journal guidelines. Paper one is a systematic literature review synthesising qualitative studies relating to the experience and impact of caring for, or living with an individual with an eating disorder. Databases were systematically searched and twenty studies were included in the review. Nine core themes emerged from the meta-synthesis. Eating disorders were found to have a pervasive impact on family members mediated by a number of factors. Cognitive appraisals affected the caregiving experience and responses to the individual. The experience of caregiving was continually reappraised leading to a process of adaptation over time. Paper two is a qualitative study which sought to examine caregivers’ accounts of managing Anorexia Nervosa with an emphasis on accommodation responses. Eight participants were interviewed and transcripts were analysed using a grounded theory approach. A theory of the processes by which accommodation responses operate was developed which emphasised the importance of caregivers’ emotional resources in mediating responses. Difficulty managing anorexia nervosa led to low perceived efficacy and diminished resources. Subsequently caregiving aims shifted in line with accommodation responses. Carers recognised accommodation as counterproductive to recovery and experienced internal conflict (dissonance) which was reduced using a number of cognitive and behavioural strategies. The clinical implications of the findings are discussed with reference to existing literature. Paper three is a critical review of the research process, focusing on the experience of undertaking qualitative research. Personal reflections of the process, as well as the implications of the research for the researcher’s professional practice and for the wider profession are discussed.

As a result of its capacity for material discrimination, hyperspectral imaging has been utilized for applications ranging from mining to agriculture to planetary exploration. One of the most common methods of exploiting hyperspectral images is spectral unmixing, which is used to discriminate and locate the various types of materials that are present in the scene. When this processing is done without the aid of a reference library of material spectra, the problem is called blind or unsupervised spectral unmixing. Independent component analysis (ICA) is a blind source separation approach that operates by finding outputs, called independent components, that are statistically independent. ICA has been applied to the unsupervised spectral unmixing problem, producing intriguing, if somewhat unsatisfying results. This dissatisfaction stems from the fact that independent components are subject to a scale ambiguity which must be resolved before they can be used effectively in the context of the spectral unmixing problem. In this dissertation, ICA is explored as a spectral unmixing approach. Various processing steps that are common in many ICA algorithms are examined to assess their impact on spectral unmixing results. Synthetically-generated but physically-realistic data are used to allow the assessment to be quantitative rather than qualitative only. Additionally, two algorithms, class-based abundance rescaling (CBAR) and extended class-based abundance rescaling (CBAR-X), are introduced to enable accurate rescaling of independent components. Experimental results demonstrate the improved rescaling accuracy provided by the CBAR and CBAR-X algorithms, as well as the general viability of ICA as a spectral unmixing approach.

学位プログラム名: 京都大学大学院思修館 / 京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(総合学術) / 甲第21232号 / 総総博第4号 / 新制||総総||1(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院総合生存学館総合生存学専攻 / (主査)教授 池田 裕一, 教授 IALNAZOV Dimiter Savov, 教授 諸富 徹 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Philosophy / Kyoto University / DFAM

No / It is the first part of a tutorial which aims to provide an introduction to the current state-of-the art of Digital Video Broadcasting standards over satellite and its fusion with mobile and Internet technologies. It provides an overview of the different technologies and issues that facilitates better understanding of the current and future operational scenarios, focusing on the available DVB and IP technologies.

The Rural Expansion Program for At-risk Communities to Promote Health Outcomes through the Integration of Mental health and Enabling services in an Existing Primary Care School-Based Setting (REACH ME) program was established to increase access to mental health services at two existing school-based health centers (SBHC) in rural Hancock County, TN. These SBHCs are among the most unique in the nation, holding designations as federally funded qualified health centers - proving primary care services in a geographically isolated, rural, and medically underserved area. The aim of the project is increasing the number of patients receiving mental health and enabling services for not only the children and adolescents of Hancock County, but also adults who use the clinic for primary care services. This project employs a secondary data analysis to determine if there is an increase in the use of mental health services by patients using a school-based health center for care. Variables include number of visits, screening employed, and mental health diagnosis. Data gathered by health center staff and input into Excel will be used. Data collection is ongoing and is expected to be completed in February 2024. Early results indicate an increase in mental health and enabling services from initiation of the project. There were identified facilitators and barriers that impacted the project. Significance for this project is two-fold, identified facilitators and barriers to initiating integrated mental health services in the SBHC setting and increasing early screening, identification, referral and treatment of rural populations with mental health problems.