Public-private partnership (PPP) is an innovative funding mechanism for state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) to utilize private capital and expertise in transportation infrastructure projects, so as to increase funding options to bridge the budget gap of DOTs. In this thesis research, a literature synthesis was conducted to clarify key concepts including reviews on the literature of PPP and toll projects, investigation of the state-of-art financial models, presentation of problems in toll revenue estimation and summarization of the significance of conducting risk management in PPP investments. Financial models can provide public sectors and private partners with an analysis tool to evaluate the potential returns of investments and financial feasibility of the projects. This research develops a methodological framework to illustrate key stages in applying the simulation of investment returns of toll projects. This methodological framework of risk analysis for financing toll projects acts as an example process of helping agencies conduct numerical risk analysis by taking certain uncertainties associated with toll projects into consideration. The numerical financial model provides a deterministic financial evaluation for the project. Next, there are four risk sources identified in this research, including project-based risks, cost-based risks, toll-based risks and finance-based risks. For each risk source, critical variables are recognized. Furthermore, probability distributions of identified variables are suggested. The deterministic financial evaluation result is obtained through the projected single-value estimates of these variables. By considering the variability associated with the components of a project, the Monte Carlo simulation technique is used to estimate the overall project risks. Risk simulation results are interpreted through various numerical measures of project’s risks, which further provide agencies with quantitative information to set investment decision criteria. For risk optimization, there are two main functions. One is to explore the optimal value-combination of variables so as to help set risk control benchmarks. The other is to utilize the single-variable control method to investigate the optimal total revenue considering the impact of toll prices on the traffic demand, which could assist agencies in setting threshold toll prices in order to achieve the goal revenue and maximize potential returns on the investment. The risk analysis, consisting of risk simulation and risk optimization, can give the statistical distribution of investment returns for a project under analysis, providing decision makers with a direct approach to the evaluation of the projects’ financial risks and the development of recommendations for risk control measures. / text

An approach to smoking through an analysis of its representations, grounded in the medicalization literature, highlights the inadequacies of a narrow medical perspective and some of its negative implications. This does not require that we abandon the medical discourse, but stresses the importance of setting it in a wider representational context. Drawing on the work of Saussure, Barthes, Eco and Foucault, the author constructs a theory of interaction amongst representations suited to both discourse and images. To investigate the medicalization of smoking, four empirical studies are reported which include quantitative and qualitative approaches to press reporting at both macro-and micro-levels, cigarette advertising and packaging. There have been medical representations of smoking since the introduction of tobacco into Britain. However, a thematic analysis of tobacco-related reporting in the Times newspaper (1946-1995) found that these representations have expanded and diversified, becoming increasingly linked to other representations (e.g. financial) and generating new themes (e.g. discrimination, litigation). Medical representations, however, are contested and subject to subversion by alternative representations, including libertarian and alternative medical constructions of smoking. These processes are investigated in a detailed structural and rhetorical analysis of a contemporary newspaper article, together with related correspondence and cartoons. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of 754 UK cigarette advertisements from four national newspapers (1946-1995) identified an increase in medical and packaging-related representations of smoking and a decrease in financial representations, representations of the act of smoking and of cigarettes as social currency. The final, questionnaire, study (with 60 participants) found, among other things, a clear and consensually-held system of health-related signification in contemporary UK cigarette packaging in ratings of packets. The thesis concludes with a discussion of the implications of medicalization for smoking-related policy and for the smoker, and of smoking for the medicalization literature.

<p>Nowadays, information technology outsourcing (ITO) represents an established business practice in which a considerable number of companies are involved. Since the success of ITO is highly dependent on the exposure to ITO risks, studying the very risks is of great importance. The aim of this thesis consists in revealing the occurrence of specific ITO risks: supplier lock-in, hidden costs and the loss of control over outsourced IT. Further aims of this work are the revelation of measures which can be taken in order to face these risks and of the influences these risks have on backsourcing considerations. The first part of this thesis constitutes the theoretical framework which is based on the review of relevant literature. Within this part of the work, transaction cost theory and resource-based theory are presented and applied for the discussion of the specific ITO risks under consideration. Furthermore, a multidimensional approach is utilized in order to illustrate the various dimensions of ITO. By this means, the identification of situations in which the ITO risks under consideration appear is enabled. The empirical part of this exploratory research is based on a multiple case study. The data necessary for this qualitative research was gathered from telephone interviews conducted with both ITO clients and IT suppliers. The results of this study indicate that the ITO risks under consideration all pose considerable threats to ITO operations and that there are both internal and external measures ITO companies can take in order to face these risks. Furthermore, the risks under discussion influence backsourcing considerations.</p>

Nowadays, information technology outsourcing (ITO) represents an established business practice in which a considerable number of companies are involved. Since the success of ITO is highly dependent on the exposure to ITO risks, studying the very risks is of great importance. The aim of this thesis consists in revealing the occurrence of specific ITO risks: supplier lock-in, hidden costs and the loss of control over outsourced IT. Further aims of this work are the revelation of measures which can be taken in order to face these risks and of the influences these risks have on backsourcing considerations. The first part of this thesis constitutes the theoretical framework which is based on the review of relevant literature. Within this part of the work, transaction cost theory and resource-based theory are presented and applied for the discussion of the specific ITO risks under consideration. Furthermore, a multidimensional approach is utilized in order to illustrate the various dimensions of ITO. By this means, the identification of situations in which the ITO risks under consideration appear is enabled. The empirical part of this exploratory research is based on a multiple case study. The data necessary for this qualitative research was gathered from telephone interviews conducted with both ITO clients and IT suppliers. The results of this study indicate that the ITO risks under consideration all pose considerable threats to ITO operations and that there are both internal and external measures ITO companies can take in order to face these risks. Furthermore, the risks under discussion influence backsourcing considerations.

The risks of Extasy Use This topic is very present in Czech Republic as the use of soft drugs, including the extasy is becoming increasingly popular. Extasy is considered as a weekend or experimental drug that is mostly used by the young population. Our society is tolerant towards the use of the soft drugs; consequently these drugs are becoming a common part of our lives. Extasy is represented as a soft and safe drug. Nevertheless the use of any addictive substances is far to be without risks. Such risks are often neglected or totally ignored. This diploma thesis consists of two parts: theoretical and practical part. First part, the literature review is embracing all different aspects of the dance drug extasy and its culture. History of the drug, description of its effects, identification of its users, hazards related to its use and also preventive measures - harm reduction programs are being defined. The aim of this work was to present complex information about the extasy drug and yet to describe the hazards linked to the drug abuse and draw attention its dangers. First part also includes the description of the means for minimising such risks and the harm reduction preventive programs {--} analysis of an extasy tablet. Practical part of this work results from several interviews of the formal extasy users. The endeavour of this part was to get more information about the drug. The interviews consisted of a number of parts. Questions in these parts focused on frequency of attendance of the dance parties, number of the extasy tablet used on average and the circumstances of the drug use, knowledge of the drug and its incidences and motivation to stop using it. Other set of questions enquired about the dangers of extasy in combinations with other drugs, ``fake extasy{\crqq} issue and dangerous behavioural under the influence of extasy. In the following part of the interview extasy users were asked to describe their awareness of the dangers and risks linked to the use of the drug, what precautions are they taking to avoid such risks and weather they know about possibility to get the pill analysed for purity and further if they care about the importance of the fluid intake. This thesis demonstrated that the extasy users are well informed about the risks, hazards and dangers of the drug however they overlook it and act as they are not aware of the hazards.

Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

This research study had two distinct objectives. The first objective was to determine in which areas in South African banks the most severe operational risk losses are likely to occur (based on the Basel II seven loss event types and eight business lines). Severity was assessed based on single operational risk events that might have significant monetary values attached to them. The likely frequency of single operational risk events was also assessed. The investigation of the aforementioned research problem was explorative and quantitative of nature, as the researcher made extensive use of survey research in the form of a questionnaire to all registered banks. The second part of the research study’s objective was to assess the range of practices in collecting internal loss data for operational risk purposes as required by Basel II. This part was approached from a qualitative perspective, by benchmarking the research findings against the Basel II text, the researcher’s experience in risk management in banks, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision’s Sound Practices for the Management and Supervision of Operational Risk, and related literature. The literature review, including reference to certain surveys and studies, focuses on the main concepts of operational risk within banks that are pertinent to the research problem. The literature review also includes several references to the Basel II text and other relevant publications and papers issued by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. The research results revealed that respondents in South African banks believed that ‘business disruption and system failures’ is the loss event type that is likely to result in the most severe single operational risk loss. ‘Trading and sales’ scored the same high average rating as ‘business disruption and system failures’ as the business line where the most severe single operational risk loss is likely to occur in South African banks. ‘External fraud’ and ‘execution, delivery and process management’ scored the highest average ratings as the loss event types where the most frequent operational risk losses are likely to occur. Respondents indicated that ‘retail banking’ is the business line where the most frequent single operational risk losses are likely to occur in South African banks. Based on the above-mentioned findings the researcher recommends that these high-risk areas be highlighted to the Bank Supervision Department of the South African Reserve Bank, the boards of directors and senior management of banks in order for them to strengthen banks’ internal controls. The researcher recommends the inclusion of near misses and opportunity cost in operational risk loss databases. Banks should at least capture the date of the discovery of an operational risk event as this represents acceptable practice among the majority of banks. Operational risk losses should be assigned to the multiple business activities in which it occurred on a pro-rata basis. All recoveries of operational risk losses should be processed separately, but associated with the original loss event. Replacement cost is seen as the most appropriate way to capture gross loss amounts for the damage to fixed assets. The researcher encourages the recording of overtime cost for fixing systems failures. Market risk losses due to operational risk events should be treated as market risk losses, while loan-related losses due to operational risk failures should be treated as credit risk losses by banks. The researcher’s view is that banks should set different thresholds for the collection of operational risk losses for its various business units based on each business unit’s operations and nature of business. Banks should, as a starting point, map operational risk events to the Basel II 8x7 matrix. Operational risk losses should be assessed by both legal entity and on a consolidated basis.

No description available.

published_or_final_version / Statistics and Actuarial Science / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Farmers in the high plateau region of Algeria are assumed to exhibit risk averse behavior, particularly, due to highly variable weather conditions inducing income instability over time. This in turn directly affects their production behavior. The Eastern High Plateau (Setif) is not a homogeneous region. In the El-Eulma daira, for example, three different agroecological zones have been identified on the basis of climate, topography and soil quality. In addition, two distinct agricultural sectors (private and socialist) coexist side by side in each of the agroecological zones. This study constitutes an attempt to measure farmers' risk attitudes in three communes (El-Eulma, Oum Ladjoul and Beni Fouda) which are representative of the three agroecological zones of the El-Eulma daira. Farmers' risk attitudes were measured through the experimental approach developed by Binswanger in India. The technique used consisted of presenting the subjects, i.e. the farmers, with a set of alternative prospects involving real money. Based on the derived risk aversion coefficients, a series of tests was run to determine if farmers' risk attitudes are dependent on the zone and/or the sector. The effect of socioeconomic characteristics (age, schooling, number of working children, etc.) on partial risk aversion was analyzed. Finally, the derived risk aversion coefficients were used in a risk programming model (MOTAD) to determine optimal farming plans for private as well as socialist sector farmers. The experiment results indicate that regardless of the zone and the sector, farmers unanimously exhibit risk averse attitudes. At low payoff level, the distribution of risk preferences is more spread. A narrower distribution occurs at higher payoff levels (e.g. 200 DA scale). There was no evidence of significant difference among sites and between sectors. Also socioeconomic attributes correlate poorly with the estimated partial risk aversion coefficients. In the socialist sector major discrepancies between the risk programming model solutions and actual activity levels occured. They were expected because of the specific structure of this sector. The inclusion of government cropping pattern recommendations in the constraint matrix indicates that government interventions have a different effect on socialist farmers' welfare of the three zones. / Graduation date: 1986