published_or_final_version / abstract / Comparative Literature / Master / Master of Philosophy

This thesis investigates to what extent there is a link between the illicit drugs trade and regional terrorist/insurgent organisation s in Central Asia. In particular , the research attempts to understand the dynamics of actor participation within the drugs trade, including whether any such involvement is motivated by either criminal or political incentives. To inform such an assessment analysis of engagement opportunities, financial requirements, network connections and organisational structure have taken place. The study initially drew from the wide body of literature that has examined the degree to which exploitation of natural resources, including drugs, has fuelled armed conflict. From this starting point a qualitative field research agenda comp rising of over 180 semi - structured interviews, documentary analysis and observation has been undertaken. It is the proposition of this thesis that the manner in which regional terrorist/insurgent organisations participate within the drugs trade appears to be more sporadic and localised than previously thought. The assertion that participation will significantly expand a group’s capabilities only appears accurate in very specific circumstances . Furthermore, the evolving theory that terrorist/insurgent groups have developed long term strategic relationships with organised crime actually appears to be increasingly distant in the post 2001 Central Asian drug trafficking environment.

Lau Wing Man. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 47-57). / Abstract in English and Chinese. / ABSTRACT --- p.1 / 摘要 --- p.2 / ACKNOWLEDGEMENT --- p.3 / Chapter CHAPTER 1. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.6 / Management Development (MD) in Asia --- p.6 / Human Resources Management (HRM) and Organizational Performance --- p.7 / Management Development - A Key Component of HRM --- p.8 / The Concept of Management Development --- p.9 / Relationship between Management Development and Performance --- p.9 / The Importance of Aligning Human Resources Strategies with Business Strategies --- p.10 / The Role of Perception in Moderating the MD-Performance Linkage --- p.12 / Discrepancy in Perception between Human Resources Managers (HR) and Line Managers (LM) --- p.14 / Key MD Aspects: MD Ethos and MD Systems --- p.15 / The Hypothesized Model --- p.17 / Consistent vs Inconsistent Groups --- p.19 / Significance of the Present Study --- p.21 / Chapter CHAPTER 2. --- METHOD --- p.23 / Participants --- p.23 / Procedures --- p.23 / Measures --- p.24 / Data Analyses --- p.26 / Chapter CHAPTER 3. --- RESULTS --- p.29 / "Descriptive Statistics, T-test Statistics and Correlations between Key Variables" --- p.29 / Multisample Analysis of the Hypothesized Path Model --- p.32 / Chapter CHAPTER 4. --- DISCUSSION --- p.37 / Discussion on Key Findings --- p.37 / The Importance of Strategic Alignment --- p.37 / Discrepancy in Perception between HR and LM --- p.37 / "The Importance of Managers' Perception of MD Systems in Collectivistic, Tight Cultures" --- p.38 / Uniqueness of the HL Group --- p.41 / HL Group vs LH Group --- p.41 / HL Group vs HH Group --- p.42 / Theoretical and Practical Implications --- p.43 / Theoretical Implications --- p.43 / Practical Implications --- p.44 / Limitations and Further Studies --- p.45 / REFERENCES --- p.47 / APPENDIX A --- p.58

Leung Sze Wan. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 62-64). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.ii / Acknowledgments --- p.iv / Table of Contents --- p.v / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- A review of the related literature --- p.7 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- The data --- p.12 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Research methodology --- p.31 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Determinants of peg duration --- p.34 / Chapter Chapter 6 --- Main results --- p.41 / Chapter Chapter 7 --- Predicted probabilities of devaluation --- p.51 / Chapter Chapter 8 --- Results from an alternative exchange rate peg definition --- p.54 / Chapter Chapter 9 --- Conclusion --- p.59 / Bibliography --- p.62 / Appendix --- p.65

by Chan Kei-Shun Keith, Yeung Yu-Hung Antonia. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 53-56). / ACKNOWLEDGEMENT --- p.ii / ABSTRACT --- p.iii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iv / LIST OF TABLES --- p.vi / LIST OF FIGURES --- p.vii / LIST OF APPENDICES --- p.viii / Chapter / Chapter I. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Diversification and Firm Performance --- p.1 / The Asia Financial Crisis --- p.2 / Chapter II. --- THEORY AND LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.5 / Internationalization --- p.6 / Market Concentration vs. Market Diversification --- p.7 / Product Diversification --- p.9 / Competitive Advantage --- p.10 / Diversification Strategies for Emerging Markets --- p.10 / Chapter III. --- HYPOTHESES --- p.12 / Chapter IV. --- DEFINITION OF VARIABLES AND METHODOLOGY --- p.15 / Sample --- p.15 / Measures --- p.17 / Market (International) Diversification (GEO) --- p.17 / Diversification (DIV) - Product and Industry --- p.18 / Firm Performance --- p.19 / Methodology --- p.19 / Chapter V. --- RESULTS --- p.21 / "Market, Product, and Industrial Diversification" --- p.21 / Firm Performance --- p.25 / Categorization of Firms Based on Sales Growth/Profit Growth Standing --- p.28 / "Sales Growth as a Function of Market, Product, Industrial Diversification and 1997 Sales and Profit" --- p.35 / "Sales Growth as a Function of Market, Product, and Industrial Diversification" --- p.36 / "Profit Growth as a Function of Market, Product, Industrial Diversification, and 1997 Sales and Profit" --- p.37 / "Profit Growth as a Function of Market, Product, and Industrial Diversification" --- p.38 / Chapter VI --- DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION --- p.40 / Implications to Managers --- p.43 / Further Research and Limitations --- p.44 / APPENDICES --- p.46 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.53

Master's thesis. / Format: PDF. Bibl.

Bachelor's thesis. / Format: PDF. Bibl.

This thesis investigates the potential role of historical isolation of ocean basins in promoting diversification among marine organisms in Southeast Asia. It also questions the possible effects of Pleistocene exposure of the Sunda Shelf on present day marine distributions and genetic diversity. Four species of exploited seahorses (genus Hippocampus), with differing ecological parameters, are used to test historical hypotheses. The results (based on cytochrome b DNA sequencing) suggest that significant phylogeographic structure does exist among seahorse populations in Southeast Asia, but that the patterns are only partially concordant across species. Distinct phylogeographic breaks are seen in H. barbouri, H. kuda, and H. trimaculatus, whereas greater spatial overlap of haplotypes in H. spinosissimus indicates more extensive gene flow. The phylogeographic history of the two shallow water species (H. barbouri and H. kuda) appears to have been primarily shaped by fragmentation and/or long-distance colonisation events. Both species show patterns consistent with hypotheses of divergence mediated by ocean basins separations. The deeper water species (H. spinosissimus and H. trimaculatus) show more evidence of range expansion and isolation by distance. Hippocampus trimaculatus shows a deep east-west phylogeographic division at right angles to that predicted by the separation of the Indian versus Pacific Ocean basins and instead parallels the terrestrial division known as Wallace's Line. Different species have also responded differently to the reflooding of the Sunda Shelf at the end of the last Ice Age: the two deeper water species have colonised it extensively suggesting limited barriers to movement, whereas the shallow water species have not. It is possible that the populations of H. kuda now inhabiting the shelf may stem from populations that found refuge in brackish water lakes when the shelf was exposed to the air. All four species are heav

This thesis results from a long interest and association with Australian export activities in the East Asian region. It has developed from an investigation into the relevance of tariffs to Australia’s export performance in East Asia into a thesis which explores the performance of Australia’s Statutory Marketing Authorities (SMA’s) in the beef, dairy and wheat sectors in Japan, Taiwan and Thailand, and the influence of Non-Tariff barriers on this performance. It is hoped that the data presented in the thesis will be a useful guide to the activities of SMA’s in East Asia between 1974 and 1994 and illustrate the success, or lack of it, that Australian exporters have had in overcoming the considerable barriers to agricultural trade with the region. More detailed analysis and assessments have been made of the statistical relevance of NTB’s, and the performance of SMA’s over the past ten years. However, this thesis sets out to charter a more diverse route through the intricacies and complexities of Australia’s export performance and admonish the notion that NTB’s are the pivotal factor to export success in East Asia.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Murdoch University, 2007. / Thesis submitted to the Division of Arts. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 296-309).