The purpose of this research was to determine if the existing office administration program at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University was meeting the perceived needs of the students completing the program, those of the business world, which will employ these students, and those of persons in its community (community college transfers and office workers)--what is--and what the program should be delivering. / The objectives of this study were accomplished through the admintration of six questionnaires mailed to 86 graduates of the office administration program (1976-77 - 1982-83), their employers, 25 recognized business education leaders, 25 companies in Florida, 25 companies that are members of the FAMU Cluster, 25 companies that recruit at FAMU, 100 office workers in the Tallahassee area, and students at the four community colleges in the FAMU coverage area. / Discrepancy analyses were done to identify the differences between what is and what should be for the office administration program. Additionally, data were collected and reported to determine self-sufficiency status of graduates. / It was concluded that the office administration program at FAMU was delivering a valuable product to society--well trained graduates and good citizens. / The office administration program was also meeting the needs of the business world, those of employers participating in the study, and those of the graduates, who were pleased with the program they completed. / There was concern, however, as to whether the office administration program was meeting the needs and desires of its community because a large portion of the university community had very little or virtually no information about the office administration program at FAMU, which probably accounted for the low attendance of the area community college graduates and office workers in classes. / The findings also indicated graduates' first jobs were at a lower level than graduates and office administration faculty expected them to begin. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-09, Section: A, page: 3287. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1986.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of one intervention strategy on the perceptions of male students enrolled in business education classes toward business and office occupations as a career. The study was based on the premise that male students, when exposed to new informational materials that minimized occupational differences in opportunities between men and women in business careers specifically, would change their attitudes toward considering a career in business, would score higher on criterion measures, and would be more favorably toward seeking out more information on business occupations that have been traditionally identified as female-intensive occupations than would male students who were not so informed. In addition, the study was designed to determine if attitudinal changes in male student toward non-traditional career choices occurred and to derive a list of factors that influence students' choices of business education programs or particular business classes. / An experimental instructional program packet, consisting of six separate business occupations and self-instructional modules was presented to two intact classes of 35 male and 54 female ninth grade students enrolled in business education classes in a Palm Beach County, Florida, high school. / Eighty-nine students of which 39 comprised the experimental group and 50 made up the control group. Pretests and posttests were designed to be parallel both within and across modules. An opinionnaire was given to all students to measure the overall effectiveness of the study. An assessment rating scale was given to the experimental group subjects to measure the effects of treatment materials. Both groups were given the pretests, one per week, and instructional materials were given to the experimental group subjects only. Posttests for each of the six modules were given to all students at the completion of each module. / A test of significance using Chi Square revealed increased scores for the experimental group students on four of the six posttest measures. This was supportive of the research strategy. Experimental males however, scored higher than males in the control group on only two of the six posttest measures. The control group students increased scores on two of the six posttest measures. There was insufficient evidence to conclude that males exposed to sex-free materials would be more favorable toward receiving more information on business occupations. Although findings were encouraging, in that students scored higher on four of the six posttest measures, the general conclusion was that some of the experimental materials were not powerful enough to introduce change. / The identification of attitudinal changes in male students toward non-traditional career choices was not substantiated. However, the introduction of sex-free information about careers emerged as being one factor that could influence students' choices of selecting business education programs and particular classes. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 41-02, Section: A, page: 0506. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1980.

Problems associated with existing models of customer satisfaction have created the need for a more integrated theory of the processing mechanisms underlying satisfaction evaluations. Specifically, no consideration has been given to the effect of product/service experience on judgments of satisfaction. An experimental study was conducted to better understand how consumers' ranges of experience affect satisfaction judgments. Two theories, Helson's Adaptation Level Theory and Parducci's Range-Frequency Theory, have traditionally been relied upon in psychophysics to explain how contextual effects influence categorical judgments. Although both theories were tested, the study found that when students were given varying distributions of performance ratings for a typing service, Range-Frequency Theory was more successful in predicting the changes in subsequent satisfaction ratings. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 51-03, Section: A, page: 0720. / Major Professor: James Dennis White. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1990.

Female entrepreneurship, with a focus on mothers is a relatively unexplored topic in the context of Pakistan, yet it is a significant growing theme of literature on female entrepreneurship in the western context (Ekinsmyth, 2013). This study seeks to examine the experiences of one particular subset of female entrepreneurs in Pakistan i.e. those who set up businesses in order to enable them to both work and care for young children. The focus of this study is on their entrepreneurial experiences, rather than on their businesses. Therefore, the objective of this study is to find out how they construct their experiences of the move into entrepreneurship, how they draw upon prevailing discourses of enterprise and motherhood in making sense of their career transition, and the challenges that they perceive within their current career. Thus, the findings of this research will help us determine how these women weave a path between the discourses of intensive mothering and enterprise. Importantly, it will help us ascertain how becoming self-employed was deemed preferable by them to working for others in the backdrop of a conservative social and religious environment (Roomi and Harrison, 2010) in which they have to operate their businesses in Pakistan. This is a qualitative study, using a career narrative methodology and semi-structured interviews. The participants were thirty female business owners with young children, from three different localities of Islamabad categorised on a class basis. This study focuses on mumpreneurship in Pakistan as a relatively new and understudied phenomenon in the country. It captures the lived experiences of women entrepreneurs with young children and investigates their motivations, the factors affecting their businesses, the challenges they face, and their survival strategies. It also explores entrepreneurship’s impacts on women’s lives, particularly affecting their ascribed gender roles and contributions to social transformation. The findings of this research suggest that female entrepreneurship could be an effective way of involving women in social and economic development who are chiefly viewed as homemakers in the Pakistani cultural environment. Therefore, this thesis also contributes to women’s empowerment and makes a strong case for home based entrepreneurship for Pakistani mumpreneurs amid tight social and religious prescriptions in which they generally have to operate. The research findings also has the potential to address women’s previously unexplored real challenges in terms of religious and social conservatism especially with regards to the impact of religion on their entrepreneurial careers. It is argued that in religiously conservative societies like Pakistan, female entrepreneurship can bring about social change by normalizing women’s presence in the public sphere, particularly in business, and therefore it should be supported and promoted.

In general, this study examines the Stock Market, Financial Development and Economic Growth in selected sub-Sahara African countries. Empirically, Chapter Two of the study used Generalised Method of Moment (GMM) dynamic instrumental variable approach to investigate financial development and economic growth nexus in the East African countries. Also, the study applied both Fixed Effect Estimation (FEM) techniques and Panel vector autoregressive (PVAR) to analyse the causal effects of equity market development on economic growth in eleven sub-Sahara African countries, in Chapter Three of this study. On the other hand, Chapter Four of this study measures the conditional variance (volatility) of the stock returns of Tanzanian stock market (Dar-es-Salaam Stock Exchange). For modelling stock market return volatility, we use both standard and asymmetric GARCH models to capture the volatility clustering and asymmetric features in the financial data of the companies selected. To attain the objectives of all three empirical chapters highlighted above, this study had to consider various important and necessary tests; such as tests for unit root, to check if the expected variables were stationary, and tests for cointegration to check whether there was a long-run equilibrium relationship between variables under study in Chapter Two and Chapter Three. However, in Chapter Four (modelling volatility) we tested for an additional ARCH effects apart from stationarity (unit root) tests we have had. Specifically, this study found that there is causal relationship between financial development (when presented by indicator domestic credit to private sector) and economic growth in the East African countries (EAC). Also, we found that the domestic credit to private sector as an indicator for financial development has a role to play in economic growth of EAC. Moreover, we find that there is unidirectional Granger causality, which flows from equity market development (using indicator market capitalization rate-MCR) to economic growth of the panel of 11 sub-Sahara African countries. We also declare that stock market development via MCR play a positive role in SSA economic growth. In addition, the study reveals that there is existence of leverage effects in Tanzanian stock market, therefore, the bad news (negative shocks) reflect an increase in the conditional variance (volatility) of DSE stock returns for the next period than the good news. However, we find that the volatility clustering exists in Tanzanian stock market returns.

On all international measures of gender equality Scandinavian countries emerge as more equal with Norway as the most equal of countries. Yet, despite an apparent equality, vertical segregation is resilient in Scandinavian countries. The use of affirmative action (AA) has been offered as a potential way to challenge inequality and occupational sex segregation, yet, as illustrated by Acker (2006b) these strategies often fail. Few studies have investigated women’s experience of gender segregation in Norway, moreover, we know little of the experience of women in occupations influenced by AA strategies. This thesis aims to contribute to understanding the experience of women in the ‘most equal of countries’ and it draws on Acker’s (2006b) ‘inequality regimes’ as an analytical framework. This thesis takes a multilevel approach to explore gendering practices within Norway in three occupational groups; politics, academia and corporate boards of directors to understand the processes underpinning vertical segregation. The rationale for focusing on these three occupational groups lies in the nature of the groups and their use of AA, as well as the different representation of women. The thesis builds on a variety of methods of both a qualitative and quantitative nature and will demonstrate the nature of the interrelationship of structural factors and individual agency in understanding the Norwegian paradox. In particular, 66 in-depth interviews with women employed in senior positions within the three occupational groups form the key method. In addition, the thesis draws on secondary quantitative data to situate women in the three occupational groups and in Norway. Findings reveal that the idea of Norway’s equality is still more of an aspiration than reality as gender inequality regimes are present in politics, academia, and boards of directors, but they take different forms. The thesis finds that Norwegian organisations are not gender neutral; instead they provide a set of institutional conditions that encourage forms of vertical segregation. In particular, the thesis identifies the importance of political strategies, both related to AA as well as welfare for improving equality. Nevertheless, the thesis also acknowledges the complexity of these strategies and the importance of designing country and occupational group specific strategies in order to progress. The thesis uncovers the resilience of gendered social processes in women’s exclusion but also highlights the fewer and more constrained conditions under which ‘woman’ may also have an advantage. Hence, this thesis contributes to the literature on occupational sex segregation and AA.

This thesis aims to provide a critical realist account of diversity managers' agency, incorporating a critique of the existing diversity management research. A multilevel and relational analytical framework is offered in order to understand diversity managers' agency. The framework interpreted and operationalised Bourdieu's key concepts, `field', `habitus', `capitals' and `strategies' in the organisational context, for exploring and explaining macro, meso and micro level influences on the agency of diversity managers. The macro-social field of diversity management is mapped out by analysing data from an online national survey completed by diversity managers in the UK, and in-depth interviews with diversity managers of large public and private sector organisations. Then, findings of an extensive case study of Ford Motor Company, which includes company documentation and interviews with the company's diversity managers, are introduced to examine meso-organisational and micro-individual dynamics of diversity managers' agency. The analysis of the findings revealed that the agency of diversity managers is multilayered and complex. Whilst the boundaries of this agency are drawn by the deeply seated structures and mechanisms which are embedded in the fabric of social and organisational lives, diversity managers own varying degrees of social, cultural and symbolic capitals which are potential sources of power and influence, and they utilise strategies in order to activate this potential and widen the scope of their agency. The thesis addresses the limitations in diversity management literature, which are associated with dualisms of agency and structure, and qualitative and quantitative methods. It makes theoretical and methodological contribution by offering original empirical evidence generated through a multi-method strategy and analysing diversity managers' agency at the interplay of agentic and structural dynamics. It also offers policy makers at organisational and national levels a realistic understanding of diversity management processes that may inform design of more effective and progressive policies and initiatives.

Historically, black women's labour market experiences in the UK have been largely framed by factors that encouraged the racialisation of women's work. migration patterns, changes in the global economy and government policy which led to concentrations of black women working in employment personal and health services and hotel and catering services. Self-employment seems to offer minority groups a way out of the gendered and racialised employment structures. This doctoral thesis demonstrates the lack of attention given to the experiences of black women. that is. those for whom the literature on a) gender and, b) ethnicity provide only a partial account. This thesis has sought to address this partiality. Critical insights emerge from the adoption of an original, in-depth and multi-layered qualitative methodological approach to the examination of the motivations and start-up experiences of black women in the legal and African-Caribbean hairdressing sectors, examining macro, meso and micro influences on their self-employment experiences. The thesis establishes a link between the wider structures of gender, ethnicity and class set within specific historical and contemporary sectoral contexts, and black women's self-employment experiences. The study also demonstrates the intersectional nature of the influence of these structures, highlighting black women's entrepreneurship as being framed by an interlocking influence of gender, ethnicity and class in contrast to the one dimensional perspective of much current literature. Using Pierre Bourdieu's sociological concepts of field, habitus, strategies, dispositions and capital within a feminist paradigm the thesis contributes to a growing body of post-colonial feminist literature through a reconceptualisation of the relations of dominance and resistance in the self-employment experiences of black women. It also offers policy makers concerned with the use of self-employment as a means of addressing the inequalities that black women face in the labour market and BME women's under-representation in self-employment. a new understanding of the dynamics of black women's business experiences that will aid in the formulation of policy and support initiatives that meet the needs of black women.

This study aims to generate insights into the business start-up activities of Turkish Cypriot business owners in the restaurant and the legal sectors in North Cyprus and Britain, by drawing cross cultural comparisons between the two sectors, and the two countries. The research objectives are to examine the business start-up reasons for Turkish Cypriot restaurateurs and lawyers; to identify and investigate, the 'forms of capital' (Bourdieu, 1986) that they acquire and deploy; and to compare and contrast the business start-up activities of Turkish Cypriots cross-nationally, North Cyprus and Britain, and cross-sectorally, restaurant and legal sectors. Methodologically, the research draws on extensive fieldwork with 66 participants drawn from two different sectors in both countries. Applying a critical realist methodology, experiences of participants are examined by analysing rich interview material and documentary evidence. Business start-up activity of Turkish Cypriots is a multi-faceted phenomenon, which is examined in this thesis by looking into the interplay of agentic and structural influences. The agentic influences, such as individual reasons for financial betterment, serving to their community groups, desire for independence, are intertwined with structural factors. The most important structural factors appear to be the importance of family and changing socio-economic conditions. There are cross-country and cross-sectoral variations in the degree to which these factors influence business set-up experiences. The thesis makes empirical contributions to this field of study. There have been extensive studies which have touched on ethnicity, sectoral differences, cross-national variations and individual forms of capital. However, there has not been a study which looked at the complex intersection of these key structural influences on business set-up activity. This study fills this gap and contributes to our understanding of mainstream and minority ethnic business start-up experiences between business start-up experiences in one ethnic community across two sectors and two countries. Empirically, the research findings reveal that both agentic and structural influences shape 'business start-up activity of Turkish Cypriots in restaurant and legal sectors, in North Cyprus and Britain.

This thesis is concerned with the development of incentives for pharmaceutical R&D, specifically for neglected diseases. The following approaches are adopted. The short-term effects of the recent cost-containment reforms on seven financial indicators related to firms‘ R&D in Denmark, Germany, France, Japan, and the US are estimated. The dataset represents a panel data of financial statements of 1306 pharmaceutical firms for the period 1997-2007. National pharmaceutical expenditures, population, availability of credit, patent applications, and regulatory quality have been controlled for. The average treatment effects on the treated are econometrically estimated with before-after comparisons, two difference-in-differences (DiD) and three matching DiD methods. Impacts of liquidity constraints on R&D and investment are estimated with dynamic panel methods. Using frontier modelling, technical production inefficiencies are estimated and tested for independence from the stringency of national regulation. The major findings of this dissertation are: R&D indicators tend to be persistent despite the regulatory changes; tighter cost-containment regulations appear not to be associated with technical efficiency or R&D intensity of firms; cash flow has a positive effect on pharmaceutical R&D of small and young firms, but not on physical investment. Improved access to clean water appears to be the most important factor in the reduction of the neglected diseases‘ burden; evaluation of R&D schemes for neglected diseases based on 17 criteria indicates insufficient performance of the existing proposals and a number of recommendations to design better incentives are substantiated. Based on this analysis, I have designed a new hybrid public-private partnership model for financing R&D in the form of a prize screening mechanism, which relies on the innovative effort of small firms by reducing entry barriers and moral hazard problems.