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This study analyzes the economic impact of a recent gene marker innovation for seedstock selection in beef cattle. Gene markers are being developed for many beef cattle attributes; this study focused on the tenderness quality of beef using two categories: tender and tough. The study begins by describing conventional procedures for seedstock selection, the science which underlies selection by gene markers and other non-genetic procedures currently being used to improve beef tenderness. After describing the commercialization of the gene marker innovation, a stylized model of a beef supply chain is constructed. The supply chain consists of a representative consumer, a producer/processor group and a monopolist supplier of the patented technology. Welfare changes resulting from the adoption of the innovation were simulated using four sets of demand elasticity data from literatures. An important focus of this research is determining how the economic surplus from the innovation will be shared by consumers, producers and the gene marker monopolist. The consumer and gene marker monopolist benefit from the technology unless the marginal and fixed cost variables (not estimated in this study) of the monopolist, are excessively high. Producer surplus was simulated as positive with three of the four elasticity data sets. The share of surplus capture by producers is generally low relative to the gains captured by consumers and the gene marker monopolist. Comparative static analysis reveal that the benefit from the innovation varies across breeds, being higher for breeds in which the favorable form of the marker gene is more likely to be present. Despite the apparent benefits of the innovation for beef supply chain participants, reported interviews with industry scientists reveal that markers should not be viewed as a replacement for conventional selection techniques. Indeed, selecting seedstock on the basis of a small number of available markers is not likely to produce the benefits that are currently being promised by life science companies. Consequently, this study recommends that the innovation be incorporated into existing seedstock selection practices. Much more analysis is needed to understand the full economic impact of gene markers for beef tenderness and for other beef quality attributes.

Colombia occupies a prominent position among world coffee producers and exporters. The coffee sector has counted on the support of many institutions; however, this support was not sufficient to effectively face times of crisis for the past twenty years. Some farmers have therefore adopted new strategies such as the substitution or incorporation of new crops. The Caramanta Farmers Association implemented agroecological farms. This system has allowed farmers to diversify their activities and to obtain better trading conditions. This document aims to learn from the Caramanta experience and the comparisons of the conventional and the agroecological system of coffee crops. The research methodology combines bibliographical review and fieldwork. The first chapter introduces some theoretical frameworks on rural development. The second chapter starts the comparative exercise and describes the conventional system. The third chapter analyses the agroecological system. The concluding chapter highlights the importance of a territorial development strategy rather than a sectoral one.

Title: Branding the public sector Author: Rasmus Bergmark and David Backman Tutor: Magnus Fredriksson Purpose: The purpose of this thesis was to examine branding in the public sector. The frame extends to government agencies and authorities in the Swedish public sphere, and aims to identify ulterior motives for their work with branding. Method/Material: The material used in this thesis consists 102 graphic manuals for government agencies in the Swedish public sector. The examination was based on an inductive survey where we extracted prominent motives among the graphic manuals. Main results: The main results of this survey shows which ulterior motives are more prominent than others, why they are more prominent and correlations between different motives. Number of pages: 53 Course: Media and Communications studies C University: Division of Media and Communication, Department of Information sience, Uppsala university Period: Fall 2013 Keywords: Corporate branding, public sector, motives, market communication / Denna studies syfte är att undersöka vilka motiv som myndigheter anger vara skäl till att arbeta med profilering och vilka av dessa motiv som är de mest framträdande. Uppsatsen bygger på en övergripande frågeställning och tre stycken mer specificerade frågor som berör den övergripande frågan på en närmare nivå. Den övergripande frågan är: Varför vill man profilera sig som myndighet? Vidare är de tre andra frågorna som uppsatsen ämnar besvara dessa: Hur motiverar svenska myndigheter sitt arbete med profilering? Vilka motiv är vanligast förekommande? Hur beskrivs det att myndigheter arbetar med profilering?   Undersökningen baseras på en kvantitativ studie och genomfördes med hjälp av en innehållsanalys. Studien är utförd på samtliga tillgängliga profilmanualer för statliga förvaltningsmyndigheter i Sverige. Utifrån dessa har vi utformat ett eget ramverk med kategorier baserat på vad vi kunnat utläsa ur manualerna. Genom detta ramverk har vi kunnat ta fasta på vad och hur svenska myndigheter motiverar sitt arbete med profilering.   Undersökningens resultat visade vad som motiverar svenska myndigheter att bedriva arbete med profilering. Resultatet i underökningen visade i vilken utsträckning myndigheterna angav dessa motiv. Majoriteten angav tydlighet som motiv till att bedriva arbetet med profilering och detta motiv tycks även vara grundläggande för resterande faktorer i deras arbete. Vidare kan vi konstatera att det är viktigt att arbetet bedrivs konsekvent då majoriteten av svenska myndigheter angav detta som ett motiv.

Service management is a fascinating and complex subject. It is fascinating because, even entities that manufacture products get concerned about customer service. Management scientists such as Edward Deming developed a concept known as total quality management (TQM), which has been implemented in manufacturing companies mostly, and some of those companies include those discussed by Robbins & Decenzo (2001 : 65), namely ; General Motors, Ford, & Daimler-Chrysler. This concept TQM is implemented in order to make the ultimate customer happy and thus creating customer loyalty. If TQM was implemented only for the purpose of quality in products and not involve those employees in support departments such as Finance, Human Resources, Marketing & Sales, Customer Care/Enquiries, within one company, such an endeavour will be rendered ineffective and non-systemic. The service industry is however still lagging behind with it's own innovations. We still yet to see strategies spawned from the service sector. Service in this instance refers to the 'non-product' sector. It is for this reason that this study focuses on service management in the service industry, to make a clear distinction. Service management is complex. because, as it is argued in this study, it is intangible. The definitions of service developed by many authors such as Gronroos (1990), van Looy et al (2003), and Fitzsimmons & Fitzsimmons (2004), state that service is an activity of more or less intangible nature. They further say that service involves the interaction between a customer and service employees. This is what makes it complex. Service is about people. Zeithaml & Bitner (2000) pointed it out that "the employees delivering the service frequently are the service in the customer's eyes.."(pg. 13). Human activity systems, are typically complex, and as such service is likely to be complex because it involves human interaction. Such a complex system is likely to be characterized by complex phenomena. Complex systems are best studied through systems approach. It was in this light that this study is based on a systems inquiry. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2005.

This thesis will examine Britain’s role within the European Union through an analysis of the banker bonus cap. British politicians challenged the cap on the grounds that the required fixed ratio between fixed and variable pay would negatively impact the competitiveness and stability of European financial services in the long-run. While Britain’s legal challenge was primarily motivated by concerns about cap’s effects on London specifically, it also correctly predicted the cap’s detrimental consequences. The decision of the European Court of Justice to reject Britain’s challenge despite its legitimacy reflects the gradual marginalization of British interests within the EU’s policymaking process. Since the financial crisis of 2008, Britain’s relationship with the European Union has further deteriorated as the Eurozone struggles to stabilize its currency union. Meanwhile, Euroskepticism has moved from the periphery of Britain’s political arena to the mainstream. The forces driving Britain and Europe apart are particularly apparent in the realm of financial regulation. British politicians display an increasing tendency to challenge the EU’s efforts to regulate financial services within Europe. The central tension which emerges from this dynamic is that, while Euroskepticism may be driving Britain’s politicians away from political integration with the EU, the success of Britain’s financial services sector remains fundamentally dependent on access to the common market. Ultimately, an analysis of Britain’s response to the cap in the larger context of its relationship with Europe demonstrates that Britain’s economic wellbeing relies on Britain’s politicians demonstrating a greater willingness to commit to the political dimension of the EU.

The challenges we face as a nation are complex and recalcitrant; to address them, we need to be equipped with multifaceted and resilient solutions. Yet, substantial pressures – such as significant fiscal constraints, growing citizen expectations, and the rapid pace of technology – prevent the U.S. Government from efficiently and effectively solving the nation’s ills alone. The public, private, and nonprofit sectors must partner and collaborate to create lasting social change and the best solutions to address our nation’s most pressing social issues lie in the power of social innovation. Drawing from nearly thirty years of scholarship, the views of leading experts in the field of social innovation, and three case studies of social innovation offices in the United States, this paper addresses the case for social innovation in the United States by answering four key questions: what is social innovation; why does the U.S. need it; what has the U.S. government done to support social innovation; and what is the future of social innovation in this United States.

Swedens membership in the European Union have resulted in an international characterized labour market. The construction sector is the area who employs most posted workers among the 7400 employees who monthly enters the market. It’s also the sector where a big part of the work-related deaths occurs. The purpose of this study is therefore to contribute to a greater understanding of the regulation regarding posted workers, their work environment and the consequences of it. I have been using the right dogmatic method and a social science perspective as complement in order to answer the purpose of the study. The application of the posted workers directive has been criticized for opening opportunities for false self-employment and limiting the trade unions rights. Combined with the Laval-case the trade unions have restricted possibilities to enforce the collective agreements and protect the posted workers rights. Subcontracting processes complicates the investigation regarding which employer who has the overall responsibility for safety regulations and work environment. Foreign workers tend to be a big part in these subcontractor chains with major linguistic difficulties and lack of legislation knowledge which increases the risk of accidents. Arbetsmiljöverket is the authority who has the general responsibility for monitoring that the health and safety legislation are respected by all employers. Their investigations are partially based on the statistics of work-related accidents. But when it comes to foreign workers only more serious accidents are reported to the authority. Which means that minor incidents regarding foreign workers never reaches the statistics.          In summary, conclusion is drawn that the inspection of posted workers working environment are unsatisfied. The hands of the trade unions are tied by the legislation while the inspections by the monitoring authority are based on inadequate statistics. All that combine with the fact that posted workers tend to be unwilling or lack the knowledge to take action for their rights, leads to openings for employers to take advantage of foreign workers.

Swedens membership in the European Union have resulted in an international characterized labour market. The construction sector is the area who employs most posted workers among the 7400 employees who monthly enters the market. It’s also the sector where a big part of the work-related deaths occurs. The purpose of this study is therefore to contribute to a greater understanding of the regulation regarding posted workers, their work environment and the consequences of it. I have been using the right dogmatic method and a social science perspective as complement in order to answer the purpose of the study. The application of the posted workers directive has been criticized for opening opportunities for false self-employment and limiting the trade unions rights. Combined with the Laval-case the trade unions have restricted possibilities to enforce the collective agreements and protect the posted workers rights. Subcontracting processes complicates the investigation regarding which employer who has the overall responsibility for safety regulations and work environment. Foreign workers tend to be a big part in these subcontractor chains with major linguistic difficulties and lack of legislation knowledge which increases the risk of accidents. Arbetsmiljöverket is the authority who has the general responsibility for monitoring that the health and safety legislation are respected by all employers. Their investigations are partially based on the statistics of work-related accidents. But when it comes to foreign workers only more serious accidents are reported to the authority. Which means that minor incidents regarding foreign workers never reaches the statistics. In summary, conclusion is drawn that the inspection of posted workers working environment are unsatisfied. The hands of the trade unions are tied by the legislation while the inspections by the monitoring authority are based on inadequate statistics. All that combine with the fact that posted workers tend to be unwilling or lack the knowledge to take action for their rights, leads to openings for employers to take advantage of foreign workers.

This thesis examines the response of Taiwanese hotels to climate change. Climate change is increasingly recognised by industry, governments and researchers as one of the most substantial challenges to the sustainability of tourism at both a destination and business level in both the short and long-term. Hall (2008) observed that tourism was explicitly recognised by the IPCC as one of the most important industries in Asia, yet the lack of research on tourism and climate change in an Asian context was identified, with especially little explicit research on the climate change response of the hospitality and accommodation sector. This is also despite the accommodation sector being the most significant tourism sector contributor to emissions after aviation (United Nations World Tourism Organisation [UNWTO] and United Nations Environment Programme [UNEP] 2008; World Economic Forum [WEF] 2009; Scott et al. 2012). Therefore this research seeks to explicitly respond to this knowledge gap by examining the response of the Taiwanese hotel sector to climate change. It is also the first known study that explores the extent to which the hotel sector meets the specific recommendations of the UNWTO-UNEP (2008) with respect to accommodation sector measures in relation to climate change. In order to provide a firm basis of methodological comparison with the previous international literature on environmental studies of the accommodation sector, this thesis conducted a baseline survey to investigate the response of Taiwanese hotels towards environment and climate change with respect to four main dimensions, including perception, attitudes, actions, and influencing factors for environmental and climate change practices. Overall, 270 hotel participants answered the email-based questionnaire survey of the total population of Taiwanese hotels, reflecting a response rate of approximately 10%. Taiwanese hotel respondents acknowledged the existence of climate change, but rarely related this phenomenon to their daily business operations. Their attitude towards their own hotel’s contribution to climate change was especially reserved. In addition to waste management, energy-saving practice, and the offer of local-produced cuisine, the level of implementation of environmental practices in Taiwanese hotels was relatively limited. There were also low compliance rates with existing environmental policy, although they were aware of environmental schemes. The factors of size and extreme weather event experience were identified as the more significant variables to differentiate Taiwanese hotel response to environment and climate change. The significance of hotel size, standard, and experience of weather extreme variables were also examined. Finally, this research discussed the prospective contributions and issues of the results of this study, and argues for their application in the fields of climate change research, benchmarking development, education and and training, government regulation and policy, and hotel management.