Thèse (M.A.)--Université Laval, 2002. / Bibliogr.: f. 35-38. Publié aussi en version électronique.

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This dissertation principally analyses: (i) the privatisation of Zambia’s copper mines; (ii) the impact of state and private ownership and control of the mines on development; and (iii) the roles of mining TNCs in the Zambian economy. The research covers the period from independence in 1964 to 2006/7, but mainly focuses on the 1991 to 2006/7 period. The validity of several neo-classical theoretical views and counter-arguments pertaining to the social and economic benefits of privatisation and the private ownership and the activities of mining TNCs is tested in the mining sector study. The methodology is based on a case study comprising fieldwork and literature research, utilising a qualitative approach and an inductive method. The conclusions of the study could enhance knowledge from which other developing countries intent on privatising their SOEs could draw, as privatisation studies of sub-Saharan countries have mostly overlooked analyses of the social impact of the private ownership of enterprises. Key findings of the study are that the privatisation and private ownership of the mines by TNCs have failed to produce net positive socio-economic outcomes for Zambia. Furthermore, under private ownership of the mines, the political-economic benefits have shifted, mainly concentrating the surpluses from mining in favour of mining TNCs. The primary recommendations from the study are that certain measures, in particular a strong state capacity, are fundamental in enabling greater and more equitable redistribution of benefits for the country from privatisation, private ownership and the economic activities of mining TNCs.

Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the Arabian Peninsula and about 65% of the landscape is comprised of deserts. The country is located in arid regions where renewable water resources are limited and the annual rainfall is less than 150 mm in most of the country except for the south western region. The country is rich in petroleum resources, and petrochemicals, and oil exports account for much of the nation's prosperity. Saudi Arabia is a country that enjoys several economic booms, with urban expansion continuing years in the future. The country witnessed comprehensive developments accompanied by rapid population growth during the last three decades after the increase in oil profits in 1975. This has resulted in a large increase of domestic, industrial and agricultural demands. The agricultural demands are satisfied by groundwater pumping from local aquifers. The country relies on costly sea water desalination plants in producing about 50% of its domestic water supplies because the groundwater quality is not suitable for domestic purposes in most of the country. Saudi Arabia has, for several years now, been experiencing domestic water shortage problems in some major cities especially in the summer season. As things stand, the water industry in Saudi Arabia remains under the government's control and until the last year, there are no clear rules and regulations to open the door for private companies to come in and operate the water sector with the aim of providing a better quality of water service. This picture has changed during the last two years after the establishment of the Ministry of Water and Electricity (MOWE). The Ministry has shown strong indication for involving the private sector in water and sanitation services. This thesis, therefore, represents an attempt to provide comparative and analytical studies on the question of whether privatisation of the water industry could provide a better water system to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), and whether such a system would be better able to satisfy the water requirement in terms of quality and quantity. Some other countries have already gone through privatization process, and have found better solutions for water supply, which surmount different cultural, geographical and even legal environments. England is one of such country which has successfully privatized its water services. This thesis will therefore attempt to examine the existing regime for water regulations in Saudi Arabia and compare it to the English system. We will then analyze whether there are lessons for KSA to learn from the English system of water privatization. This will involve a critical review on the backgrounds of Saudi Arabia and England in respect of the legal and economical basis for privatization. The research consists of seven chapters. In Chapter One, I will introduce my research topic, providing the general background of that topic and addressing the issues I hope to raise in my research. I will also seek to justify my research topic and introduce the research methodologies that underpin my research. Chapter Two is concerned with the economic background of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This chapter sets out the importance of inter-relationship between the national economy and the water situation in the country. Chapter Three will then turn to an assessment of Islamic perspective on water matters as well as looking at how that law is interpreted in KSA. This chapter thus sets out the general framework of Islamic Law and the way in which it addresses the issues of water ownership in Saudi Arabia. Chapter Four gives an analysis of the successful English model of privatization in water industry. The chapter starts with a summary of the historical evolution of the issues of privatization in the water sector, and then looks at the evolution of the regulatory regime in England. This chapter also mentions the main issues for a private water industry and focuses specifically on the role of the regulator in this sector. Chapter Five will compare and contrast the Saudi Arabia system with the English model, with particular relation to matters of regulation, the regulator, contracts and ownership in the water services. Following this chapter. Chapter Six offers policy model and recommendations to the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia based on the experience of the English model, with the hope of finding a course of action for privatization of the Saudi water sector in an attempt to tackle the ongoing challenges faced by the water services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Saudi recommended model can be followed by other arid countries especially the Muslim States. The concluding Chapter Seven will then summarize the results and findings of my research.

The performance and operation of privatisation in the water sector in developing countries typically diverges from that proposed within the rationalising theoretical framework. There is a broad literature that considers the various aspects of such performance and operation, from the nature of outcomes typically characterised by dispute and renegotiation, to the implications for consumers. It is the purpose of this thesis to analyse the underlying factors that contribute to this typical dispute and renegotiation process, utilising the theoretical rationale for the programme, and its associated weakness and assumptions, as an explanatory framework. Through this analysis it is possible to expose and identify the particular aspects of private sector participation (PSP), the contracts established and administration thereof, which contribute to such problematic implementation. The utilisation of such a framework further permits the identification of likely implications for the functioning of PSP where implemented prospectively. The examination of these connections is performed in a case study environment, with privatisation of water services in Ghana providing the context. The Ghanaian experience shows significant deficiencies in contract design that entail considerable delays and disputes between parties, with contractual deficiencies intensifying the already inevitable role of institutional intervention. Conceptions of water as a merit good and human right, problematic commercial viability, and an incoherent implementation with local contextual variation all further contribute to the contradictory environment of the water sector in Ghana. Theoretical weaknesses, inconsistencies and problematic assumptions are manifest in the sector and contribute to divergence in performance, and where ideological commitment to the programme is evident, this divergence is exaggerated. Theoretical validity for sector policy is therefore questionable, with consequences of increased distortion in risk transfer, significant concessions to the private sector, and the increased role of institutions. This process, it is proposed, threatens the functioning of the programme where implemented, with regulation undermined, inherent and acknowledged renegotiation and dispute, paralleled by a failure to provide sufficient capacity and structure to sector institutions.

This thesis attempts to understand the role and meaning of occupational identity in the contemporary British railway industry. It examines the way in which culture change initiatives and programmes have explicitly targeted an older 'railroad culture'. The study explores the way such a culture was portrayed by successive Conservative Governments and management as being a major obstacle to change, and a historic reason why the industry has under performed. The notion of the past failure of the industry, and a cultural analysis predicated on such assumptions, is challenged. Employing a historical and comparative research strategy, it is argued here that grade and industry culture is an emergent autonomous property of the workforce itself and as such attempts to change it are misguided, and at times positively harmful to the organisation. The research uses a variety of material collected from London Underground and former British Rail companies, including documentary sources, semi-structured interviews and non-participant observation techniques.

The privatization of outer space has in recent years crossed the boundary from science fiction to science fact. As such, this thesis argues that creating and diffusing an intersubjective shared idea of an apocalyptic imagined future through securitizing speech acts, where humanity's only chance of survival will be an established permanent privately owned and operated colony in outer space, will be a crucial aspect required to build an epistemic community large enough and with enough influence to reconceptualize outer space from an international regulatory and regime perspective. This in turn will serve as a catalyst for the normalization and legitimization of free-market private enterprise in outer space. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

Bibliography: pages. 63-66. / This research consists of a wide literature review on deregulation and privatisation of airline business world wide. The emphasis is on the benefits of airline privatisation. The idea was to attempt to find out whether the deregulation of South African Airways (SAA) indeed brought about the changes that are expected of a commercial concern. These changes included cost cutting strategies and charging economically efficient fares as well as abandoning unprofitable routes. Some personal contact with the SAA Public Relations Officers in Cape Town and Johannesburg was used to gather the data used in the research. The Transnet and the Competition Board annual reports were other major sources of data. The analysis was accomplished by scrutinising the SAA financial statements as to whether SAA followed all the requirements implemented when deregulation was introduced. An econometric test was used to check whether there was any improvement in capacity utilisation at SAA as was expected to happen after deregulation. The findings from this research are that SAA did introduce new measures to try to be profitable and cut costs, such as, reducing the labour force and abandoning unprofitable routes. SAA also stopped cross-subsidisation practise, whereby loss making routes were financed by profitable ones. In general SAA introduced measures that can be expected from a profit maximising firm which is under pressure to tum profits. However, these changes have not yet produced consistent results as far as profit is concerned and is supported by the econometrics test which does not support the expected hypothesis that since SAA is now operated on commercial basis, should be able to tum profits and be efficient.

The aim of this thesis is to analyze the transformation and privatization process in the Czech Republic since 1989 to period when Czech Republic is the member of European Union. It also aims to verify the validity of theorems formulated in an introduction and called "First Transformation Law" and "First Privatization Law". The privatization process in the Czech Republic is unique in terms of volume of assets privatized and the privatization methods used. The text is focused on different methods of privatization (small privatization, large privatization, restitution). A separate section is devoted to voucher privatization and the closely related issue of privatization investment funds. The process of privatization of banks carried out in 1999-2001 is also analyzed. Particular attention is paid to less known facts which had a major impact on the transformation and privatization process.