SMMEs contribute to socio-economic development, and play a critical role in reducing unemployment. Information and communication technology infrastructures (ICTs) impacts on the establishment, growth, and success of SMMEs and also on how enterprises manage their operational activities. This study was conducted in Pretoria, South Africa, in Gauteng province, with the objective to study SMMEs owned by women in order to identify the challenges they encounter in accessing and using ICT infrastructures. The researcher addressed issues related to ICTs in general, and then assessed the challenges preventing business owners from accessing and using ICT infrastructures in order to improve their operational capabilities. A qualitative research methodology which included explorative and descriptive approaches was used. The findings of the study revealed the following challenges which women experience in their businesses: entrepreneurial challenges, infrastructure, ICTs, family responsibilities, support from government and other relevant bodies, lack of mentoring, financial and gender inequality. / English Studies / M.A. (English)

SMMEs contribute to socio-economic development, and play a critical role in reducing unemployment. Information and communication technology infrastructures (ICTs) impacts on the establishment, growth, and success of SMMEs and also on how enterprises manage their operational activities. This study was conducted in Pretoria, South Africa, in Gauteng province, with the objective to study SMMEs owned by women in order to identify the challenges they encounter in accessing and using ICT infrastructures. The researcher addressed issues related to ICTs in general, and then assessed the challenges preventing business owners from accessing and using ICT infrastructures in order to improve their operational capabilities. A qualitative research methodology which included explorative and descriptive approaches was used. The findings of the study revealed the following challenges which women experience in their businesses: entrepreneurial challenges, infrastructure, ICTs, family responsibilities, support from government and other relevant bodies, lack of mentoring, financial and gender inequality. / English Studies / M.A. (English)

The main aim of the study was to analyze the socio-economic variables effecting agritourism business using data from two rural communities of the Limpopo province, Nwa’metwa and Lenyenye. The results showed that there are significant socio-economic differences among agritourism and non-agritourism farmers. The socio-economic variables used are literacy, gender, age, land size and family size. Two multinomial models were used to model agritourism behavior. The two models, namely fully and partially registered agritourism farmers were estimated. Non-registered agritourism farmers were used as the reference group. These models denoted the relative probability of both fully and partially registered agritourism farmers to the probability of the non-registered agritourism farmers. The logarithm results implied that older farmers were less likely to prefer to operate business as a fully or partially registered agritourism farmer compared to the non-registered agritourism group. Farmers’ decisions in business operation were informed by their level of education, experience as well as social networks. / Agriculture, Animal Health and Human Ecology / M. Sc. (Agriculture)

The Least developed countries represent the weakest and poorest segment of the Word economy. Members of this this specific group are countries with the lowest incomes per capita, low human development and high economic vulnerability. Dealing with problems of these countries including extreme poverty isn't successful in the long run. Many advanced, developing as well as the LDCsstart to concentrate on tourism development, thank to its wide impacts on the economy and regional development. Also the UN strengthens its support to the LDCs in sustainable tourism development. The goal of this thesis is to analyze the significance of tourism for the economies of the LDCs and its potential for boosting the socio-economic development in these countries and for solving their problems includingtha alleviation of poverty.

Abstract Developing countries are net importers of intellectual property products and open source software (OSS) production is one way in which local socio-economic development can take place. The public goods characteristics of OSS are contested and this study investigates whether in a developing country context OSS is a pure public good that can be locally appropriated and not exclude any users or producers from doing so. This case study of an OSS public good finds that it does not have all the characteristics of a pure good, that there is a role for a sponsor, and in particular the importance of copyright protection of derivatives in order to ensure that the source code does not fall out of fashion and use. Having explored that, however, there is further evidence that OSS collaborative learning is both publically and personally beneficial for developing country computer programmers. Furthermore, the state benefits from the improved benefits of health information systems made possible through the appropriation of this model of learning.

Thesis (MPA.) --University of Limpopo, 2016 / Refer to the document

<p>Regional integration has gained momentum since the 1980s and throughout the world. The new regionalism process prevailing since differs from the old one by its multidimensionality covering economic, political, social, and cultural issues within a regional setting. While the old regionalism focused on market protection using a range of tariff and non tariff barriers, the New Regionalism is reinforced by the globalisation effects and strives for efficiency in production, and market access. Using the New Regionalisms Approach, the aim of this thesis is to appreciate the actual levels of regional integration in Africa and explore plausible ways of deepening the integration process with the view that regional integration can promote socio-economic development, provided a pro-development approach is privileged in the conception and implementation of the regional integration process. Focusing on SADC as a representative regional economic community, a qualitative content analysis is used for data collection while policy analysis is carried out using the Institutional Analysis and Development framework. The results of this study reveal discrepancies between policy formulation and policy implementation when it comes to enhancing the pro-developmental aspects in the unfolding regional integration process. In spite that shortcomings in past experiences triggered dramatic structural reforms ranging from the reorganisation of the Organisation of African Unity into the African Union, the creation of NEPAD, to structural reforms within regional economic communities with the example of the 2001 restructuring of SADC, empirical evidence shows that little change has occurred at the operational level. Moreover, even policy formulation at the collective-action level still lacks concrete strategies and plans for harmonisation and implementation of regional initiatives. Some of the strategies for deepening the regional integration process would include prioritising regional commitments to external ones and improving policy formulation as well as establishing linkages between different regional policies and strategies.</p>

Regional integration has gained momentum since the 1980s and throughout the world. The new regionalism process prevailing since differs from the old one by its multidimensionality covering economic, political, social, and cultural issues within a regional setting. While the old regionalism focused on market protection using a range of tariff and non tariff barriers, the New Regionalism is reinforced by the globalisation effects and strives for efficiency in production, and market access. Using the New Regionalisms Approach, the aim of this thesis is to appreciate the actual levels of regional integration in Africa and explore plausible ways of deepening the integration process with the view that regional integration can promote socio-economic development, provided a pro-development approach is privileged in the conception and implementation of the regional integration process. Focusing on SADC as a representative regional economic community, a qualitative content analysis is used for data collection while policy analysis is carried out using the Institutional Analysis and Development framework. The results of this study reveal discrepancies between policy formulation and policy implementation when it comes to enhancing the pro-developmental aspects in the unfolding regional integration process. In spite that shortcomings in past experiences triggered dramatic structural reforms ranging from the reorganisation of the Organisation of African Unity into the African Union, the creation of NEPAD, to structural reforms within regional economic communities with the example of the 2001 restructuring of SADC, empirical evidence shows that little change has occurred at the operational level. Moreover, even policy formulation at the collective-action level still lacks concrete strategies and plans for harmonisation and implementation of regional initiatives. Some of the strategies for deepening the regional integration process would include prioritising regional commitments to external ones and improving policy formulation as well as establishing linkages between different regional policies and strategies.

Public sector organisations are established in order to promote the quality of citizen's lives through the provision of public services. However, the demands for public services often outstrip the limited resources at the disposal of the public sector for the delivery of such services. Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are emerging as an important tool of public policy to deliver public infrastructure and the attendant services. The main aim of this study is to establish the extent to which PPPs can be used to improve the quality of the delivery of secondary education in the Gaborone City area in Botswana. The study includes a conceptual analysis of the nature of the public services in general, and in particular, the nature and the provision of secondary education in Botswana with specific reference to the Gaborone City area. The study also includes a conceptual analysis of PPPs as gleaned from published literature. Various dimensions of PPPs are analysed and these include but are not limited to definitions, benefits, models and the antecedents for the successful implementation of PPPs. Among the various models that are analysed in the study, the design, build, operate and finance (DBOF) model is preferred for improving the quality of the delivery of secondary education in the Gaborone City area in Botswana. In addition to the conceptual analysis, an empirical research study is undertaken in which the secondary school heads are the respondents to a structured questionnaire. The results of the empirical research support the conceptual analysis to the extent that in both cases, it is possible to improve the quality of the delivery of secondary education through PPPs. More secondary schools can be built and more facilities be made available to schools. Through the use of PPPs, most if not all learners can receive the entire secondary education programme, from junior to senior secondary education. Existing secondary schools can be modernised through PPPs. Ancillary services can be delivered by the organisations that have the necessary expertise. Certain antecedents for the successful implementation of PPPs are necessary. Through PPPs, secondary schools can be made attractive and intellectually stimulating. / Public Administration and Management / (D.Litt. et Phil. ( Public Administration))

Orientador: Shiguenoli Miyamoto / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-17T18:53:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Mathias_Meire_D.pdf: 1273511 bytes, checksum: e90643ef15890c382cfaacb4e946280f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: O estudo busca analisar a política externa brasileira dos anos 90, sob o ângulo dos interesses de atores estatais e não estatais na Agenda externa do país, particularmente em relação ao Mercosul. Nesse sentido, a investigação se reporta a inserção internacional do Brasil no pós-Guerra Fria, período em que foi definida uma nova estratégia econômica de desenvolvimento para o país, escolha que implicou mudanças na política exterior. Tendo em vista o cenário internacional de incertezas para os Estados, conferimos à hipótese de que a reestruturação da economia política global e a assimilação da hegemonia neoliberal por parte dos países latino-americanos, implicaram certa negligência com o modelo de desenvolvimento endógeno. Do mesmo modo, no período em tela, as decisões sobre política externa reuniram não somente os interesses estatais, mas também de atores não estatais, porém organizados, que buscaram exercer poder de pressão e influência nos processos decisórios. Destarte, considerando que as relações entre Estado e sociedade permeiam as decisões quanto ao desenvolvimento nacional e as diretrizes de política exterior, coloca-se em evidência que interesses específicos pautam as relações entre o Governo, representado pelo Ministério das Relações Exteriores (MRE), e a Confederação Nacional da Indústria (CNI), representante de um determinado grupo de empresas do segmento industrial brasileiro. Com isso, verifica-se que as relações entre ambos os Atores foram pautadas no modelo de desenvolvimento liberalizante, que acabou por se constituir em plataforma de inserção internacional do Brasil. Sob essa perspectiva, confirma-se que o processo decisório em política externa não está dissociado dos interesses e da ideologia dos atores envolvidos no processo / Abstract: This study aims to present an analysis of the Brazilian Foreign Policies, considering the special points of view of particular interests (sponsored by State and non-State actors) in the country's Foreign Agenda, especially Mercosul ones. In this context, the researches are directed to Brazil's insertion into the international into the post Cold War period; that moment brought up a definition of a new economics strategy for the development of the country. This choice brought on changes in the Brazilian Foreign Policy. Considering the international and uncertain scenario in the Countries studied, we checked the hypothesis that said that, the reconstruction of the global economics policy and the assimilation of neo-liberal hegemony by some of the Latin-American countries, implyed a certain neglect of the endogenous development model. And at this same focused moment, the decisions concerning foreign policies united not only the state interests, but also, hosted non-state activists, but organized ones, who aimed to influence and put pressure upon the decision process. In this manner, considering that the relationship between State and Society permeate decisions concerning national development and the directions for Foreign policies, it is focused that specific interests regulate the relationships between the Government ( represented by Ministério das Relações Exteriores ( MRE) Ministry of Foreign Affairs ); and, Confederação Nacional da Industria (CNI), National Confederation of Industries, that represents a certain segment of the Brazilian industrial companies and scenario). Considering these previous ideas, it comes to light that the relations between both parties, were based on a model of liberated development, and this model became the platform for the acceptance of the international insertion of Brazil. Under this perspective, it is born, that a confirmation of the decision process in foreign policy is not separated from the interests and ideologies of the activists involved in this process / Doutorado / Relações Internacionais / Doutor em Ciência Política