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This thesis seeks to provide an extensive theoretical framework for the potential incentive effects from debt relief. The objective is achieved by integrating the positive incentive model by Krugman with a negative incentive framework developed by drawing on the theories of a soft budget constraint. The analysis shows that the existence of bailouts offers the possibility that debt relief can produce negative incentives for the debtor instead of positive incentives for improved performance. Taking on a game theoretical perspective suggests that strategic behavior in the interaction between the debtor and the creditor can increase the likelihood of a specific incentive effect to prevail. Such an interactive game also highlights the importance for the creditor to obtain reliable information about the behavior of the debtor.

Modernioje visuomenėje reglamentavimas yra būtinas, kad galėtų funkcionuoti ekonomika visuomenė, tačiau per didelis reglamentavimas gali turėti ir neigiamų pasekmių – stabdyti inovacijas, mažinti konkurencingumą, produktyvumą bei sukurti nereikalingas kliūtis prekybai. Esant per daug sudėtingam reglamentavimui, didėja administracinė našta.Šio darbo tikslas - išanalizuoti ir apžvelgti administracinio supaprastinimo iniciatyvas bei išnagrinėti problemas, susijusias su administracinės naštos sumažinimo ir supaprastinimo iniciatyvų įgyvendinimu Lietuvoje. / In modern society regulations are necessary for society and economy functioning, but regulations, that are poorly designed, could have even negative outcomes – impede innovations, reduce competitiveness, productivity and to create unnecessary barriers to trade. If regulations are very complex, then administrative burden, so called “red tape”, increases.The goal of this master thesis is to analyse and review the initiatives of administrative simplification and to analyse problems, related to administrative burden reducing issues and the implementation of administrative simplification initiatives in Lithuania.

Given the high prevalence of physical inactivity, effective strategies are urgently needed to increase physical activity levels among youth, especially those most at risk for inactivity including adolescent girls, older adolescents, and youth from low socioeconomic status households. A clear understanding of the factors associated with physical activity among youth is needed to design effective interventions. Physical activity is a complex behaviour that is influenced by intrapersonal, interpersonal, and environmental factors. Most recently, emphasis has been placed on the environmental correlates of youth physical activity. One consistent finding is that access to recreation facilities and opportunities to be active are positively associated with youths’ physical activity participation. Environmental interventions, which are often community-based, hold particular promise of instilling population-wide change. Yet, to date, little information is available about the effectiveness of environmental interventions to enhance youth physical activity in community settings. The manuscript presented in Chapter 3 of this thesis addresses these gaps in knowledge by providing evidence about a community-based initiative designed to increase access to recreation facilities by eliminating facility user-fees for youth. More specifically, recreation facility use among adolescents (n=1261; Mage = 14.97 ± 0.39; 46.3% girls) was objectively measured and the factors associated with the use of recreation facilities were examined. A total of 200 students accessed at least one facility. Results revealed that the likelihood of the best multilevel model examining pass use was 13 times larger than a model that included only individual-level predictors (p< 0.01). Pass users were more likely to: attend schools that were only a short distance away from facilities (OR=0.90 p< 0.01), be active (OR=1.69, p< 0.05), rate their health as fair (OR=2.32, p< 0.05), report homework as a barrier (OR=1.84, p< 0.01) and to have used facilities previously (OR=2.01, p< 0.05). Overall, results suggest that providing free access may be insufficient to enable adolescents to use recreation facilities. Furthermore, an ecological model should be used when designing interventions that aim to increase adolescents’ use of facilities. The implications of this study for research and practice will be outlined. Although further research is greatly needed to enhance our understanding of youths’ behaviours in order to develop effective interventions, the challenges associated with conducting research involving youth can deter researchers from investigating this population. In particular, several researchers have highlighted the methodological and ethical concerns of school-based research. These issues and their implications will be discussed in Chapter 4 of this thesis. Lastly, recommendations to help reduce the challenges of school-based research will be presented. / Thesis (Master, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2010-09-24 22:15:55.972

Because tobacco smoking causes 430,000 U.S. deaths annually, wide-reaching smoking bans are needed. Bans reduce cigarette consumption, encourage cessation, protect nonsmokers from second-hand smoke, and promote an attitude that smoking is undesirable. Therefore, bans may prevent future generations from suffering many smoking-related health problems. The federal government has not implemented widereaching smoking bans so it falls on individual states, counties, or communities to devise appropriate smoking policy. To date, smoking policy has been determined by legislators, who may have conflicts that prevent them from acting in the publics best interest. However, this method of implementing smoking policy may be changing. In 2005, Washington residents voted by ballot initiative to strengthen existing state smoking regulations. In 2006, Arizona, Nevada, and Ohio residents voted by ballot initiatives to implement strict statewide smoking bans. This research presents a way to predict how residents of other states might vote if given the opportunity. Two research hypotheses are tested and accepted: a positive relationship between favorable votes and urbanness, and a preference favoring smoking bans where smoking regulations already exist. Finally, a projection is made that a smoking ban vote in Kentucky would yield favorable results, and a map showing projected county votes is provided.

No description available.

Corporate Social Environmental Reporting is a process through which companies and organisations can inform the societies within which they operate about their performance on non-economic issues including environmental performance. The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is an internationally recognised organisation which has frameworks and guidelines organisations can use to standardise the reports which they issue to the society. Data gathering for reporting on environmental performance can be done in several ways, including by means of the data required for an Environmental Management System (EMS) based on the ISO 14001 “plan – do – check - act” commonly known as the Demming cycle, aimed at continual improvement of environmental performance by an organisation. The clauses in an EMS allow for an organisation to measure its performance and hence the generation of data which can be used for interpretation on environmental performance. The utility of data generated from an EMS is optimised for input towards the generation of a Corporate Social Environmental Report by the level of alignment between the reporting process and the system used for data generation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of such an alignment between the two processes for AngloGold Ashanti (AGA), a multinational gold mining company which issues its reports according to GRI guidelines and also has an ISO 14001 EMS in place. The method used entailed a desktop documentary analysis, a questionnaire answered by individuals responsible for implementation of the EMS and an interview posed at corporate level. It was found that despite corporate commitment to continually improve CSER, there is a relative weak alignment between the two systems, with consequent duplication of effort and sub optimal use of human resources. Recommendations for improved alignment include focused education and training of staff on the relationship between CSER and EMS, and improvements in EMS monitoring and measuring procedures. / Thesis (M. Environmental Management)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

Corporate Social Environmental Reporting is a process through which companies and organisations can inform the societies within which they operate about their performance on non-economic issues including environmental performance. The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is an internationally recognised organisation which has frameworks and guidelines organisations can use to standardise the reports which they issue to the society. Data gathering for reporting on environmental performance can be done in several ways, including by means of the data required for an Environmental Management System (EMS) based on the ISO 14001 “plan – do – check - act” commonly known as the Demming cycle, aimed at continual improvement of environmental performance by an organisation. The clauses in an EMS allow for an organisation to measure its performance and hence the generation of data which can be used for interpretation on environmental performance. The utility of data generated from an EMS is optimised for input towards the generation of a Corporate Social Environmental Report by the level of alignment between the reporting process and the system used for data generation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of such an alignment between the two processes for AngloGold Ashanti (AGA), a multinational gold mining company which issues its reports according to GRI guidelines and also has an ISO 14001 EMS in place. The method used entailed a desktop documentary analysis, a questionnaire answered by individuals responsible for implementation of the EMS and an interview posed at corporate level. It was found that despite corporate commitment to continually improve CSER, there is a relative weak alignment between the two systems, with consequent duplication of effort and sub optimal use of human resources. Recommendations for improved alignment include focused education and training of staff on the relationship between CSER and EMS, and improvements in EMS monitoring and measuring procedures. / Thesis (M. Environmental Management)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

Thesis (M.A. in Security Studies (Far East, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific))--Naval Postgraduate School, September 2009. / Thesis Advisor(s): Twomey, Christopher P. "September 2009." Description based on title screen as viewed on 5 November 2009. Author(s) subject terms: Deterrence, Japan, China, Nuclear Missile Defense. Includes bibliographical references (p. 57-66). Also available in print.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität, Münster, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references.