The scope of this study is to provide an understanding of crude oil price determination. The approach to this general problem starts by identifying the key areas that will help us achieve the specific objectives of the research which are the derivation of both a theoretical and an empirical framework of price formation. The areas examined are: depletion theory (chapter one), the evolution of the oil industry's structure and pricing practices (chapter two), the literature concerned with explaining that evolution (chapter three). A critique of that literature enables the derivation of the theoretical framework which can be called the transition period scenario - the transition from the centrally planned industry of the 1950s to the competitive market of the 1980s. Crude oil prices since .1970 have been determined not by a cartel of producers but by an imperfect market, within which inefficiencies, imperfect information, lags in adjustment and uncertainty together with the major oil companies fading power and the OPEC group following rather than leading the market - despite the perception of it as a cartel - have all combined to formulate prices. The attempt to confirm or reject that framework by empirical testing starts by choosing a specific methodology which is believed to be superior to conventional econometric techniques: The Box and Jenkin's approach to modelling time series, testing for causality patterns and determining lead and lag relationships, by thorough empirical investigation of the data rather than by arbitrary specification of causality directions and lag structures (chapter four). Application of that methodology to the data collected yields the results presented in chapters six and seven, which confirm the basic hypothesis and supply the functions which describe the true behaviour of the system and can therefore be used for forecasting. The major conclusion emerging from the study is that OPEC should not be thought of as a cartel. The demand for crude oil being a derived demand, it is the final consumers who will in the end dictate whether or not we are likely to face further price crises or whether spot markets will be calm and orderly. Nevertheless, the high proportion of world reserves in OPEC member countries means that OPEC can assist in the prevention of abrupt price changes by assuming a supervisory role rather than attempting in vain to assume an administrating role.

Made available in DSpace on 2013-08-07T18:45:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 000397284-Texto+Completo-0.pdf: 5046294 bytes, checksum: 16356a5626029340e9bc40cb9dfd2ff6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007 / This work has as a main goal to verify the occurrence of Agenda Setting hypotesis in organizations’ communication during the flow of information and the generating of organizational knowledge. Thus, it intends to identify how Agenda Setting’s ideas permeate such processes by characterizing corporate portals as a tool able to optimize these practices. For this purpose, it has been used the Exploratory and Descriptive Researches (GIL, 1999) as a methodological way. Firstly, the work presents the theoretical body, which has been elaborated based on a bibliographical research. After discussing about some points that have come along from it, a fieldwork has been carried out on Sicredi – Credit Corporate System – with the aim of verifying in praxis the occurrence of some points observed in theoretical level. This study has both qualitative and quantitative approaches. For the first one, it has used two techniques: interviews for collecting data and the Content Analysis (PAGÈS, 1987) in presenting, analyzing and interpreting them. For the second one, it has been applied questionnaires, whose data have been presented, analyzed and interpreted from the Descriptive Statistics. It has realized that the main concepts of Agenda Setting that have been verified in the relation between media and receptors can be found where exchanges between organizations and their public take place from the communication processes. Like news, that are the element which provides content to the agendas that go around in communication media, information is the fuel that feeds the flow of the organizational communication. It has also verified that, by comparing to mass media, the institutional channels have a similar influence on people who surround organizations in regard to the agenda formation and to the influence on what and how to think and to speak. / A presente pesquisa tem como objetivo principal verificar a ocorrência da hipótese de Agenda Setting junto à comunicação nas organizações, durante o fluxo de informações e na geração de conhecimento organizacional. Assim, pretende identificar como os pressupostos do agendamento permeiam tais processos, caracterizando os portais corporativos como uma ferramenta capaz de otimizar estas práticas. Para tanto, utilizou-se, como caminho metodológico, as Pesquisas Descritiva e Exploratória, propostas por Gil (1999). Em um primeiro momento, é apresentado o referencial teórico elaborado, a partir da Pesquisa Bibliográfica. Feitas as discussões que surgiram deste levantamento, realizou-se uma pesquisa de campo, junto ao Sicredi – Sistema de Crédito Cooperativo –, para verificar, na práxis, a ocorrência dos apontamentos realizados em nível teórico. Este estudo teve duas abordagens distintas, uma de fórum qualitativo e outro quantitativo. Para o primeiro, as técnicas que balizaram as consultas foram a realização de entrevistas para a coleta dos dados e a Análise de Conteúdo (PAGÈS, 1987) na apresentação, análise e interpretação dos dados. Para a abordagem quantitativa, foram aplicados questionários, cujos dados foram apresentados, analisados e interpretados a partir da Estatística Descritiva (MALHOTRA, 2001).Percebeu-se que os principais pressupostos e conceitos que acompanham a hipótese de Agenda Setting, verificados na relação entre a mídia e os receptores, podem ser encontrados nos espaços onde ocorrem as trocas entre organizações e seus públicos, a partir de processos de comunicação. Assim como a notícia é o elemento que dá conteúdo às pautas que circulam nos meios de comunicação, a informação é o combustível que alimenta os fluxos de comunicação organizacional. Verificou-se, ainda, que os canais institucionais têm influência similar junto aos sujeitos que povoam as organizações, se comparados com os meios de comunicação de massa, na formação da agenda e na influência sobre o quê e como pensar e falar.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / Try to represent a line through the data of an experiment, so that it can draw inferences,enables the experience develop important hypothesis about a phenomenon. This work aims to present the method of least squares as a way to find the line that best fits a set of points. For development of this research, it was decided to do a whole literature, allowing to make theoretical survey about some concepts and differential calculus demonstrations, analytical geometry on the straight and linear algebra, as yet, define the method of least squares and apply LSQ solution to resolve an impossible system in the usual sense. Also explored in this study using Excel software as a teaching support tool and its use in the classroom. We finish with a hint of an interdisciplinary lecture on the subject, which in turn, is in an accessible and clear language to the teacher. This class has been developed for teaching steps, in which the latter is performed using Excel software as an auxiliary tool. For a deeper attachment content, we enumerated the end of class several practical exercises. / Representar atravÃs de uma reta os dados de um experimento de modo que possa fazer inferÃncias, possibilita,ao experimentar, elaborar hipÃteses importantes sobre um determinado fenÃmeno. Este trabalho tem por objetivo apresentar o mÃtodo dos MÃnimos Quadrados como caminho para encontrar a reta que mais se ajusta a um conjunto de dados. Para o desenvolvimento desta investigaÃÃo, optou-se por fazer uma pesquisa inteiramente bibliogrÃfica, permitindo realizar um levantamento teÃrico acerca de alguns conceitos e demonstraÃÃes de CÃlculo Diferencial, Geometria AnalÃtica na Reta e Ãlgebra Linear, como ainda, definir o mÃtodo dos mÃnimos quadrados e aplicar a soluÃÃo LSQ na resoluÃÃo de um sistema impossÃvel no sentido usual. TambÃm se explorou neste estudo o uso Software Excel como ferramenta de apoio didÃtico e sua aplicabilidade em sala de aula. Finaliza-se com sugestÃo de aula interdisciplinar sobre o tema, que por sua vez, està em uma linguagem acessÃvel e clara ao professor. Essa aula foi desenvolvida em etapas didÃticas, na qual a Ãltima, utiliza-se o Software Excel como ferramenta auxiliar. Na perspectiva de uma fixaÃÃo mais profunda do conteÃdo, enumeramos ao final da aula,vÃrios exercÃcios de aplicaÃÃo.

Many organisations are continuously searching for methods which can be used to improve performance. One such method is by means of implementing a performance management programme. This research study addresses the influence that a performance management programme has on the achievement of organisational and individual performance. To achieve this objective a comprehensive literature study was performed to determine the views on performance, and on performance management programmes. The study also included an investigation into the extent to which a performance management programme should be aligned with organisational and individual goals. Questionnaires, developed from the literature study, were distributed amongst randomly selected respondents, in order to determine the extent to which a specific organisation manages performance, in line with the guidelines provided by the literature study. The information obtained from the questionnaires were compared with the guidelines provided by the literature study in order to identify shortcomings in the influence that the performance management programme has on the achievement of organisational and individual goals at the selected organisation. The final step of this study entailed the formulation of recommendations. Three of these recommendations are regarded as critical to ensure the successful improvement of performance by means of a performance management programme: Firstly, it is of utmost importance that training and development, and the necessary resources to achieve objectives is provided. Secondly, feedback forms an integral part of a performance management programme. Those who provide feedback, need to acquire the necessary skills, so as to ensure that both positive and negative feedback is given to employees, which could ultimately enhance performance. Thirdly, the success of a performance management programme resides with both management and employees. Management need to be committed to the programme, and the well-being of their employees. Management also needs to be able to eliminate problems that negatively influence performance. On the other hand, employees need to realise that a performance management programme is not only linked to pay, but also the development of each individual, and the improvement of performance.

Magister Curationis - MCur / An increasing number of males is entering the nursing profession. The researcher in his position as a clinical supervisor at the School of Nursing at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), through informal ward rounds with student nurses in the wards, has received concerns raised by male student nurses regarding their dissatisfaction with their clinical learning. Given the paucity of literature about the experiences of males working in a profession dominated by females, the researcher embarked on this study to understand how male student nurses experienced the clinical learning environment. The aim of the study was to explore and describe the lived clinical learning experience of male student nurses during their experiential learning in the clinical setting. A descriptive phenomenological design was used. Purposive sampling was used to select participants from the second, third and fourth year of their study. Three focus group discussions, consisting of six participants per group were used to collect data. One open-ended question guided the interviews. Focus group discussions were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data analysis was conducted by means of Colaizzi`s (1978) seven steps method of qualitative analysis. Three major themes identified focused on the experiences regarding the constraints in the learning environment, the impact on the self and social support of students working in a female dominated profession. The participants in this study were male students only, but after looking at the findings and literature, the problem of not being given opportunities to practise clinical skills in a clinical learning environment, particularly according to their level of study, is a problem that faces both male and female students. The findings indicate that male nurses do have different experiences compared to female nurses because of their masculinity, hence they are limited in the care that they can provide to female patients.

Många motivationsteorier existerar vilka försöker beskriva drivkraften bakom våra handlingar. En sådan är goal-setting teorin enligt vilken specifika svåra mål skapar bättre prestationer. Self-efficacy påverkar dessutom influensen av mål eftersom individer med hög self-efficacy tenderar att engagera sig mer kring uppsatta mål. Effekten av mål verkar även bero på nivån av komplexitet i en uppgift. Syftet med studien var därför att vidare undersöka hur goal-setting och self-efficacy tillsammans påverkar prestationer på uppgifter med olika grad av komplexitet. En enkätundersökning med 145 undersökningsdeltagare genomfördes där prestation på två olika uppgifter testades med och utan mål samt relaterades till generell self-efficacy. Resultaten visade dock inga signifikanta skillnader i prestation mellan grupper som blev tilldelade specifika svåra mål och grupper som inte blev tilldelade tydliga mål. Ingen signifikant påverkan av self-efficacy kunde heller påvisas för de olika betingelserna. Resultaten antas främst bero på uppgifternas korta tidsspann, deltagarnas egen förmåga och uppgifternas svårighetsgrad.

Globally, research has shown that media coverage of illicit drug issues can play an important role in influencing public opinion and shaping drug policies. However, in Afghanistan, the world’s largest opium producer, very little is known about the media coverage of illicit drug issues. Afghan media, especially radio and television have developed dramatically during the past 11 years. Using the theories of agenda setting and framing, this study explored what drug-related topics were covered in the Afghan news media; how were these topics covered; how were the health and social consequences of drug abuse depicted in the media; and how much time was devoted to drug related topics in the media. Employing content analysis, the study examined primetime news coverage of the two leading media outlets: Azadi Radio and Tolo Television from 1st March 2011 until 31st July 2011. This thesis found the following types of imbalances in Afghan media reporting on illicit drug issues: 1) media reports on drug issues were heavily focused on supply reduction issues (81%) while paying considerably less attention to drug demand reduction issues (19%); 2) media predominantly framed illicit drugs as a law enforcement issue (83%) with only 15% of the paragraphs in the sample framing illicit drug as a public health problem; 3) media reporting on illicit drugs heavily relied on official sources (79%) lacking voices of the public health practitioners and drug addicts; 4) media coverage of illicit drug issues was heavily centered in Kabul (56%) with considerably less reporting from southern Afghanistan, which is the largest opium producing region. This study, which is presumably the first of its kind, provides media organizations, policy makers, and public health officials with a broad picture on the drug-related information available to the public on the leading Afghan news outlets. In addition, it serves as a basis for future research on media coverage of illicit drug issues in Afghanistan.

The thesis analyzes media's ability to establish their chosen issues and thus affect the relevance of the political groups, leading to better outcomes of selected politicians in elections The thesis is based on the assumption of rational ignorance and the assumption of voters choosing between political parties that have a real chance to be elected. The hypothesis is that the very relevance of a political group is determined by media. Empirical research is based on the elections to the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic in 2013.

La plaine de la Bekaa, notre région d’étude, est une région qui a connu au cours des cinquantedernières années une évolution importante dans le mode d’occupation du sol (couvert urbain, couvertvégétal). Le système d’information géographique permet une étude objective dans une région où lapratique directe du terrain n’est pas toujours facile. Pour conduire cette étude, nous avons choisi decomparer deux dates différentes : 1962, 1998. L’évolution constatée nous a poussés à chercher lescauses du changement du couvert du sol (facteurs climatiques, facteurs socio-économiques). Ensuite,nous avons étudié le risque qui peut menacer cette région agricole. Le risque d’érosion hydrique(érodibilité et battance) est un problème majeur de dégradation du sol, qui menace l’avenir del’agriculture dans la plaine de la Bekaa et dans la région d’étude.Plusieurs facteurs déterminent le risque d’érosion hydrique. La majorité de ces facteurs, comme le sol,la pente, la géologie, ont une valeur constante. Quant au couvert du sol et à la pluviosité, ils peuventvarier d’une année à l’autre. Pour cela, nous avons travaillé sur le couvert végétal, compte tenu deson importance, pour assurer un couvert végétal productif qui aide à protéger le sol contre l’érosionhydrique. / The Bekaa Valley, our study site, has undergone a significant land-cover evolution over the last fiftyyears (urban vegetation cover). This evolution has prompted us to seek the causes of soil coverchange (climatic and socio- economic factors, etc.). The Geographical Information System (GIS)allows conducting an objective study in an area where direct on-site observations are not always easy.In our study, we compare two different periods (1962 to 1998). We study the risk factors that couldthreaten this agricultural region. The risk of hydric erosion (erodibility and crusting soil) is a majorcause of soil degradation threatening the future of agriculture in the Bekaa Valley and the study area.Several factors are associated with hydric erosion hazard, most of which like the soil, slope of thearea, and geology maintain a constant value while soil cover and rainfall may vary from year to year.For this, we worked on the vegetation cover, given its importance for ensuring productive agriculturewhich helps protect the soil against hydric erosion. This led us to establish several optimization mapsof land-use according to the map of land suitability in an area which lacks agricultural guidance, andto study erosion sensitivity tailored to each optimization map, in order to be able to choose the mostsuitable mechanism of land development to protect the environment, taking into account the socioeconomicfactors of the study site.

Magister en Psicología Clínica de Adultos / El objetivo del presente estudio es comprender los sentidos que emergen en el encuentro entre terapeutas y consultantes, en el marco de visitas domiciliarias que forman parte de un proceso psicoterapéutico sistémico de instituciones de salud mental públicas. Para ello se realiza un estudio exploratorio, analítico-relacional, con un enfoque metodológico cualitativo que incorpora entrevistas reflexivas, aproximándonos con ello a la complejidad de situaciones terapéuticas particulares, donde tanto terapeuta como consultante mostraron una disposición inicial por desmarcarse del setting tradicional del box. Dentro de los resultados aparecen dimensiones centrales de sentido, como son el usuario/a y su habitar como refugio y arraigo; actitudes terapéuticas de cautela, comodidad, confianza, y humanidad; relaciones vinculares re-situadas con acento en el recibimiento a la casa, la inversión de roles, la íntima complicidad, los objetivos comunes, compartir experiencias, la sensación de ser vistas de las usuarias, el humor y la confirmación mutua; acciones psicoterapéuticas de exploración, reflexión conjunta, validación afectiva, mejoras habitacionales y trasladar la casa al box y, por último, otros emergentes como son las características del contexto, nuevos recursos, la interacción familiar también de los que no están presentes y las huellas cotidianas. Con ello fue posible evaluar los efectos que la práctica de la visita domiciliaria tiene en relación con el dispositivo psicoterapéutico, a partir de un análisis teórico que incorporó la relación con la fenomenología del habitar y las dimensiones políticas y éticas involucradas en este tipo de intervenciones psicosociales, como son la aparición de usuarios con un potencial más activo en sus procesos y una aproximación vincular desde la colaboración y el reconocimiento de la alteridad. Así también, se empieza a trascender lo puramente “psi” en la conceptualización del psicólogo clínico, desafiándolo a recorrer aspectos sociales, contextuales y materiales que han sido históricamente exclusivos de otras áreas de la psicología, o derechamente de otras disciplinas