Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA (DVS) / Formal microfinance institutions have been an important tool in the fight against poverty in developing countries, but their reach for rural people and urban slum poor are limited. Following this, Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) are established as an alternative, informal mechanism for saving and borrowing that do not require external capital or ongoing financial or administrative support from a founding organization or government bodies. Thus, this study aimed to assess the effects of women participation in VSLA on poverty reduction with a case study in Hawassa city, Ethiopia. Using a mixed qualitative and quantitative research methodology, the study tried to focus on examining the effects of VSLAs contribution to economic and social wellbeing of households, and decision makings, and women participation in community activities. The study used 254 samples (127 VSLA participants, and 127 non-participants) and collected data using questionnaire and focus group discussion. The study used propensity score matching (PSM) to estimate the impact of women participation in VSLA on average monthly household income, and the result indicated the average effect of women participation in VSLA on average monthly household income of participant women is positive and significant at 5% significant level, ranging from 169.63 Birr/month (nearest neighbor matching) to 141.55 Birr/month (Kernel matching), on average. Besides, comparison between participants and non-participants using hypothesis testing shows that women participation in VSLA has a significant positive association with improvements in household diet, health, children's education, and women’s involvement in household decisions. However, although hypothesized, no significant association is found in relation to women participation in community activities. Findings from the focus group discussions are also consistent with the results from the PSM and hypothesis testing. Following the findings, the study recommends government and nongovernmental organizations to provide regular, timely and need based capacity building trainings for VSLA participants; Link VSLA participants with formal microfinance institutions; conduct regular monitoring and follow ups by either the city or sub-cities Women Children Affairs Department/offices or concerned government body; different concerned stakeholders in the city including government, nongovernmental organizations, microfinance institutions and others need to work in coordinated manner to solve the recurrent challenges of VSLA participants in Hawassa city; and finally government and/or nongovernmental organizations need to take best practices and lessons from existing VSLAs and expand the VSLA initiative to address more impoverished women in the city.

The land grabbing phenomena grew in both reported cases and in scholarly interest after the 2008 financial crisis. The concept of land grabbing has been greatly debated and some have chosen the term large scale land acquisition instead, focusing on win-win outcomes while the land grabbing term rather focuses on the unequal power relations involved. Our study has defined land grabbing as; a global land rush characterized by transnational and domestic investors, governments and local elites taking control over land in order to produce food and other industrial commodities for domestic and international markets. The study's aim is to examine land grabbings implications on smallholders local livelihoods in Ethiopia and furthermore to reveal what narratives that are being promoted by the Ethiopian government to justify these land grabs. This to understand how the implications on smallholders' livelihoods and the narratives by the government match. The study is based in a qualitative methodology, basing most of the study's result in a literature review. The study is examined through a Political Ecology framework, focusing on political economy with theory influences from both Marx and David Harvey. Furthermore, the study will also combine the theoretical understanding of discursive power, focusing on development discourses, with a narrative analysis. Findings of the study show that the main narratives pushed by the government to justify said land grabs in the country was economic growth, further enabling a ‘development state’, modernizing pastoralists by providing stable income and changing living situations for pastoralists and increasing the food security in the country. Furthermore, the study found that the livelihood implications for smallholders have been overall negative, with outcomes such as displacement, loss of land and resources, weakened food security and also negative psychological and social impacts as well. Therefore the study could conclude that the Ethiopian government's argumentations have not matched with the lived realities for many smallholders.

[ES] La transformación digital es un eje tractor para la competitividad de las empresas. Convierte a las compañías tradicionales en empresas digitales con fuerte capacidad de innovación y agilidad para adaptarse a entornos y mercados constantemente cambiantes. Pero es un proceso complejo que parece estar reservado solo para las grandes organizaciones. Actualmente la brecha digital entre las pymes y las grandes empresas representa un problema para el desarrollo económico de un país en el que el 99% del tejido empresarial está conformado por pequeñas y medianas empresas. Agrava la situación el desconocimiento que las pymes tienen sobre la transformación digital y la tendencia a confundirla con otros conceptos, como marketing digital o digitalización, que por sí mismos no habilitan las capacidades que debe tener una empresa digital para competir en los mercados actuales. Además, la mayoría de las modelos y metodologías de transformación digital que ofrecen las compañías consultoras requieren elevados recursos económicos y de tiempo que están fuera del alcance de la mayoría de las pymes. De este modo surge la necesidad de crear un modelo de diagnóstico de madurez digital orientado especialmente a pequeñas y medianas empresas y adaptable a cualquier sector de actividad. Asimismo, una metodología para elaborar un plan de transformación digital realista y alcanzable. Para resolver esta cuestión, se efectuó una revisión bibliográfica sobre métodos y modelos de diagnóstico de madurez digital e indicadores para su medición y evaluación, obteniendo muy pocos resultados. A partir de allí, la investigación se centró en identificar los elementos fundamentales para determinar la madurez digital de pymes y que son comunes a todas ellas.Se establecieron seis ejes de análisis: 1. Estrategia de negocio, 2. Gestión de clientes, 3. Talento humano, 4. Procesos, 5. Tecnologías y 6. Sostenibilidad; con sus respectivos componentes e indicadores. Asimismo, se diseñó una metodología para elaborar un plan de transformación digital que, más allá de elevar el nivel de madurez digital de la empresa, produzco el cambio cultural para lograr la transformación y la innovación continua. Ambos componentes de esta investigación, tanto el modelo de diagnóstico como la metodología del plan de transformación, en versiones iniciales simplificadas, fueron probados en el marco de operaciones de la Cámara de Comercio de València. Posteriormente, las versiones finales del modelo de diagnóstico y de la metodología para elaborar el plan de transformación digital se han convertido en una solución comercial de la empresa valenciana Metric Salad, con el nombre de HUMAN-DT, cumpliendo su propósito de ser de utilidad para cualquier pyme. / [CA] La transformació digital és un eix tractor per a la competitivitat de les empreses. Converteix a les companyies tradicionals en empreses digitals amb forta capacitat d'innovació i agilitat per a adaptar-se a entorns i mercats constantment canviants. Però és un procés complex que sembla estar reservat només per a les grans organitzacions. Actualment la bretxa digital entre les pimes i les grans empreses representa un problema per al desenvolupament econòmic d'un país en el qual el 99% del teixit empresarial està conformat per petites i mitjanes empreses. Agreuja la situació el desconeixement que les pimes tenen sobre la transformació digital i la tendència a confondre-la amb altres conceptes, com a màrqueting digital o digitalització, que per si mateixos no habiliten les capacitats que ha de tindre una empresa digital per a competir en els mercats actuals. A més, la majoria dels models i metodologies de transformació digital que ofereixen les companyies consultores requereixen elevats recursos econòmics i de temps que estan fora de l'abast de la majoria de les pimes. D'aquesta manera sorgeix la necessitat de crear un model de diagnòstic de maduresa digital orientat especialment a petites i mitjanes empreses i adaptable a qualsevol sector d'activitat. Així mateix, una metodologia per a elaborar un pla de transformació digital realista i assolible. Per a resoldre aquesta qüestió, es va efectuar una revisió bibliogràfica sobre mètodes i models de diagnòstic de maduresa digital i indicadors per al seu mesurament i avaluació, obtenint molt pocs resultats. A partir d'allí, la investigació es va centrar en identificar els elements fonamentals per a determinar la maduresa digital de pimes i que són comunes a totes elles. Es van establir sis eixos d'anàlisis: 1. Estratègia de negoci, 2. Gestió de clients, 3. Talent humà, 4. Processos, 5. Tecnologies i 6. Sostenibilitat; amb els seus respectius components i indicadors. Així mateix, es va dissenyar una metodologia per a elaborar un pla de transformació digital que, més enllà d'elevar el nivell de maduresa digital de l'empresa, produïsc el canvi cultural per a aconseguir la transformació i la innovació contínua. Tots dos components d'aquesta investigació, tant el model de diagnòstic com la metodologia del pla de transformació, en versions inicials simplificades, van ser provats en el marc d'operacions de la Cambra de Comerç de València. Posteriorment, les versions finals del model de diagnòstic i de la metodologia per a elaborar el pla de transformació digital s'han convertit en una solució comercial de l'empresa valenciana Metric Salad, amb el nom de HUMAN-DT, complint el seu propòsit de ser d'utilitat per a qualsevol pime. / [EN] Digital transformation is a driving force for business competitiveness. It turns traditional companies into digital ones with a strong capacity for innovation and agility to adapt to constantly changing environments and markets. But it is a complex process that seems to be a privilege of large organizations. Currently, the digital gap between SMEs and large companies represents a problem for the economic development of a country where SMEs represent 99% of the business industry. The situation is aggravated by the lack of knowledge that SMEs have about digital transformation and the tendency to confuse it with other concepts, such as digital marketing or digitization, which do not tap the capabilities that a digital company must have to compete in current markets. In addition, most of the digital transformation models and methodologies offered by consulting companies require high financial and time resources, which are out of the SMEs. This is how the need arises to create a digital maturity diagnosis model focused especially on small and medium-sized companies and adaptable to any sector of activity. Also, to develop a methodology to elaborate a realistic and achievable digital transformation plan. To resolve this issue, a bibliographic review was carried out on methods and models for diagnosing digital maturity and indicators for its measurement and evaluation, obtaining very few results. From there, the research focused on identifying the fundamental elements to determine the digital maturity of SMEs that are common to all of them. Six analysis axes were established: 1. Business strategy, 2. Customer management, 3. Human talent, 4. Processes, 5. Technologies, and 6. Sustainability; with their respective components and indicators. Likewise, a methodology was designed to develop a digital transformation plan that, beyond raising the level of digital maturity of the company, produced the cultural change to achieve transformation and continuous innovation. Both components of this research, the diagnostic model and the methodology of the transformation plan, in simplified first versions, were tested in the operations framework of the Valencia Chamber of Commerce, obtaining satisfactory results and resulting in their implementation in other Chambers of Commerce of Spain. Subsequently, the final versions of the diagnostic model and the methodology to develop the digital transformation plan have become a commercial solution of the Valencian company Metric Salad, with the name of HUMAN-DT, fulfilling its purpose of being useful for any SME. / Arjona Blanco, BV. (2023). Modelo de diagnóstico y metodología para la transformación digital de las PYMES y el uso de la innovación como ventaja competitiva [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/191962

2012年3月28日爆發的文林苑事件，北市府對於王家的合法獨立建物執行強制拆除，該建物無礙公共安全，且由外觀上看來並無都更之必要。王家與其支持者誓死抵抗，同意戶因原有房屋早被拆除而返家無期亦備受煎熬，預售屋的買主亦稱自己才是真正受害者，同時間政府與實施者皆堅稱一切都是「依法行事」:依照「都市更新條例」。文林苑事件引起的質疑與辯論迄今未歇，公權力之發動是否與重要公益失去連結？都更法制之設計與運作是否向建商不當傾斜？民眾之權利救濟於實體或程序上是否有不當障礙？ 2013年4月26日，司法院釋字第709號解釋宣告都更條例若干條款不符憲法要求之正當行政程序，相關機關應就違憲部分檢討修正。值此修法之際，正是對都更體制全面體檢的良好時機。本文將聚焦於民辦都更模式，依都更條例的多階段行政程序設計，深入檢視各階段中政府行政行為之法律性質與救濟途徑、分析造成重大爭議之條款所牽動之公法或私法關係、探究法規之實體與程序規定是否合宜、並歸納實務判決對於都更法律之適用與解釋原則，冀能提供修法之適切建議。 整體觀之，無論是採協議合建或是權利變換方式，民辦都更體制所採取的多階段行政程序，於一開始自行劃定更新單元時就與重要公益失去有效連結，而於「事業計畫」與「權利變換計畫」階段就個案之公益性與必要性亦無具體之檢驗標準。隨著程序之遞進，對於不同意者之基本權限制逐漸加深，但對不同意者權利之保護卻逐漸弱化，甚至在執行階段導致不同意者之財產權與居住自由被完全剝奪。此種法制之設計思維亦反映在實際運作上，政府傾向與實施者站在同一立場，在「大多數人之私益等於公共利益」與「加速都更」此理所當然之脈絡下，不同意者之權益經常被忽略，且被迫負擔不成比例的不良後果。 確實，就不同意者之權益保障，都更體制之設計於各階段中無論在實體與程序方面均有欠缺之處，尤其是執行階段，實施者得借用公權力之設計更讓整個都更體制朝實施者偏斜而去，致不同意者與實施者間所產生之私權關係嚴重失衡。而於行政救濟方面，法院傾向尊重審議會之判斷餘地而採寬鬆立場，故就行政行為對地主權益之侵害是否合理與正當，似易錯失再度檢驗之機會。 本文主要建議，政府劃定更新地區時，應確保民眾之程序參與並明白揭示其救濟之道；於事業計畫核定前，宜准許地主撤銷同意書；於權利變換階段，應增設同意機制，估價師之選定與委任宜讓地主參與，審議核復之救濟程序應予明文釐清；於執行階段，因強拆與強徵手段不符公益與比例原則，恐不宜適用於民辦都更案件。 總括而言，現行都更之法律體制一律以單純「國家與人民」之公法二維思維來規範都更事務，自對當事人間私益之權衡欠缺考量。尤其民辦都更主要涉及以私法為本質的私權關係，此種因循公法框架之制度設計，更無法平衡兼顧各方私益之調和。本文亦贊同，都更之實施應以公辦都更為主要之模式，俾能與上位的都市計畫產生有效的連結，並較可能基於公益之理由而發動公權力。至於民間發動之都更，因多以追逐私益為主要目的，政府之介入既無法確保權利人間利益之公平分配，又無法提供與公益之有效連結，在無都更必要性與急迫性之情形，則以回歸傳統私法自治之範疇，經全體同意為宜。 惟重要的是，無論是民辦與公辦都更，應訂定具體之公益檢驗標準，並區分都更之必要性與急迫性，以分級制度適用寬嚴不同的程序，且應於各階段設計針對個別建物公益性與必要性之評估機制。尤其，強制拆除與強制徵收都必須節制為最後手段，僅宜運用在情況最為急迫嚴重之案例。如此，始能期待各方當事人與社會大眾同享都更之果實。 / On 28 March 2012, the Taipei City Government exercised its authority to evict the homeowners and tear down the buildings, which were legally and exclusively owned by the Wang family refusing to take part in the urban renewal project. Neither did the buildings pose any existing threat to public safety, nor did it show any urgent need for urban renewal. Thus, the so-called “Wen-Lin Yuan Incident” sparked a series of confrontation: The Wang family and its supporters vowed to defend homes with their lives； the 36 households taking part in the project hoped to speed up the construction, because their houses have long been demolished by developer； the buyers of the pre-sale houses said they were also the innocent victims； meanwhile the private developer and the city government insisted that their handling in this case has been adhering to the law-The Urban Renewal Act. The debates and questions ignited in this dispute have sustained and continued till now: Does the exercise of official authority well connect with the purpose of important public interest? Are the Urban Renewal Act and the related regulations designed and used to favor developers? Is there unreasonable substantive or procedural obstacles on legal remedies for residents? On 26 April 2013, the Justices of the Constitutional Court issued J.Y. Interpretation No. 709, which declared some provisions of the Urban Renewal Act do not comply with the due process in administrative procedures required by the Constitution and the unconstitutional parts of the provisions should be reviewed and amended by the relevant authorities. It’s time to fully re-examine the current urban renewal laws. Based on the multiphase-administrative-procedural model, the Urban Renewal Act governs and facilitates the renewal projects initiated by both private and public sector. This thesis focuses solely on the issues of private-initiated renewal projects. Within each phase, by examining in detail the legal nature and remedies of government decisions or actions, analyzing how controversial statutes influencing the relationship between individuals and the government and the relationship between individuals, exploring if the substantive or procedural provisions are appropriate, and generalizing legal principles enunciated and embodied in judicial decisions, hope this thesis can make meaningful suggestions for the amendment of the law. From an overall perspective, no matter what the method taken- “Rights Transformation” or “Joint Construction Agreement”, starting from the early phase of “business summary”, in which the law allows property owners to designate the renewal units by themselves, the legal system on the private-initiated urban renewal causes great risk of losing effective connection to an important public-interest purpose. Moreover, in the “business plan” and “rights- transformation plan” phases, the law lacks clear standards or criteria to check if the specific case meets the proportionality principle and whether the public interest is best served. As each phase involves different government decisions, the restrictions on the property right of dissenting owners grow bigger, yet the mechanism for their rights protection becomes weaker, eventually in the final “execution” phase, the dissenting owners could be completely deprived of their property right and freedom of residence. When it comes to the practical application, following this legal structure’s line of reasoning, the administrative agency tends to act in concert with implementer (mostly private developer), both parties interpret public interest as the sum of most private interests and aim at speeding up the whole process, so that the dissenting property owners’ rights are usually overlooked and the dissents are forced to shoulder a disproportionate share of the negative effects. Actually, for the property owners refusing to join the project, the law fails to provide proper protection no matter substantively or procedurally. Especially in the “execution” phase, the implementers are entitled to request the government to demolish or expropriate the property. Thus, through the indirect transfer of public power to the implementer, the law impairs the supposed-to-be-fair balance between the rights of the property owners and the rights of the implementer. On the other hand, in administrative judicial proceedings, given that administrative courts often defer to the discretion of expert committee set up by administrative agency for the review of renewal projects, it is unsurprising that the courts tend to adopt administrative agency’s litigation interpretation. Thus, when property owners’ fundamental constitutional rights are infringed, the administrative action may not be under adequate scrutiny by courts. This thesis proposes that: in the first phase when designating the renewal area, the administrative agency should ensure an open and transparent public participation, and after decision made, especially for those most affected in the renewal area, including property owners and residents, the legal remedy should be clearly specified in the law； before the “business plan” approved and announced by administrative agency, property owners should be allowed to withdraw their letter of consent unconditionally； in “rights- transformation plan” phase, the consent mechanism should be added into the process, property owners should be entitled to participate in selecting and entrusting real estate appraisers, the special “disagreement inspection procedure” should be well-clarified and defined in law； in the last “execution” phase, the use of forced demolition or expropriation as a legal instrument to take private property for private-initiated renewal projects, cannot be justified under the principle of proportionality and public interest. Thus, the related unconstitutional regulations need to be modified. In short, the current urban renewal laws are designed under the framework of governing the relationships between government and individuals. As for the relationship between individuals, especially in the now dominating private-initiated mode, this original design is inherently flawed to balance the diverse and competing interests among different private parties. In essence, all urban renewal projects should conform to the overall urban plan adopted and formulated by the city government. Besides, the use of authority and power can be legitimate only when implementing public purpose and public benefits. Given that the government-initiated mode is more likely to be consistent with the comprehensive urban plan and be aligned with public interest, this thesis suggests that government take the responsibility to lead and initiate most urban renewal projects. As for the private-initiated mode, which mostly driven by short-term private profits, the current government intervention can neither ensure equitable distribution of benefit among stakeholders, nor can it provide a significant link to public interest, thus, better leave it to the traditional realm of private law, that is, if there is no necessity or urgency, reconstruction shall require the consent of all property owners. If the public and private modes are to be maintained and co-exist in the urban renewal system, both laws should contain concrete guidelines and standards on factors that should be taken into account in determining if the designation of renewal areas or units is in pursuit of important public interest. Besides, a priority rating system should be established based on the degree of need and urgency to categorize the different procedural implementation, aiming to ensure a direct correlation between the degree of government intervention and the degree of need and urgency. Furthermore, an assessment tool of the necessity and proportionality is required to be built in each phase, thus to help administrative agency decide whether in the particular case, the public interest outweighs the interests adversely affected. In all cases, the use of eminent domain and forced demolition should be reserved as the last resort for the most serious conditions. Hopefully, by the aforementioned amendments, the promised fruits of urban renewal can be available not only to the parties involved but also to the general public.