This research is aimed at the formulation of a model for the processing of demography as a determinant of the education system. The inadequate understanding of demography in the education system causes flawed management of the target group by educational providers worldwide. Enrolment rates, school life expectancy, put-through rates and school completion rates (especially in developing countries) are not up to standard in most countries. Although developed regions manage most of these imperatives satisfactory, other education system aspects are experienced as challenges, for example inclusivety and equality. To steer the formulation of the model for the processing, a literature study was undertaken to elucidate demography in the context of the education system. The concept demography is investigated from a theoretical perspective. Research about the worldwide demographic tendencies was undertaken and the different aspects concerning demographic challenges were exposed. This was followed by a study concerning demographic challenges with respect to the four components of the education system. The literature clearly showed that the way in which demographic imperatives influence the four components, determines the criteria according to which a particular education system might measure it's success. Within this context demography as determinant of the education system is explained and an awareness is cultivated about how demographic demands of the target group can be approached by the education provider. A local investigation was undertaken to understand demographic demands in regional context. The North-West Province was used as a case study to present a local perspective of demographic demands on the education system. As the North-West Province is one of the nine provinces of South Africa, it was also necessary to indicate the wider South African demographic trends. Although the North-West Province does experience certain demographic challenges similar to those of the South African set-up as a whole, it also possesses has a number of unique aspects, for instance its geography and economy, which have direct demographic influence on the education system. The general population data and the education data of the province was scrutinised in the context of the educational region to emphasis the implications for the Department of Education. Typical examples of demographic imperatives (especially migration between regions of the province and migration to and from the province) which operate in the North-West Province can be attributed to the farming and mining activities prevalent in the province. The empirical investigation of the research was aimed at the experiences of schools in the North-West Province concerning demographic challenges. The investigation is focused on the leadership of schools and the management of the school leaders regarding demography. The demographic impact in the school- and regional context is also investigated in detail. Administrative problems experienced by principals as a result of inefficient planning are investigated and a policy analysis is done from a management perspective. The responses regarding the above-mentioned aspects show the challenges facing the Department of Education because of the demographic impact. A model is formulated with general demographic guidelines, relevant demographic imperatives and a structural education system approach. Suggestions are made about the adequate application of the model. This contribution to demographic processing is intended to broaden the understanding of educational providers regarding demography as a determinant of the education system and to address the gaps in educational provision and management. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Education))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

Darbo objektas: konkurencingumą lemiantys veiksniai. Darbo problema: kokie yra konkurencingumą lemiantys veiksniai? Darbo tikslas – įvertinti Kauno miesto viešbučių konkurencingumą lemiančius veiksnius. Darbo uždaviniai: 1. Apibrėžti konkurencingumo sampratą ir svarbą viešbučiams; 2. Išskirti svarbiausius įmonių konkurencingumą lemiančius veiksnius; 3. Nustatyti viešbučių konkurencingumo ištyrimo lygį; 4. Nustatyti svarbiausius Kauno miesto viešbučių konkurencingumą lemiančius veiksnius; Darbo metodai: mokslinės literatūros analizė, anketinė apklausa, formalizuotas (struktūrizuotas) interviu, statistinė duomenų analizė ir kokybinė turinio analizė. Darbe suformuluotos išvados: 1. Konkurencingumas yra kompleksinė sąvoka. Viešbučių lygmenyje jis suprantamas kaip gebėjimas pritraukti ir išlaikyti vartotojus, parduoti paslaugas efektyviau nei tai daro konkurentai. Konkurencingumo svarba viešbučiams pirmiausia apibrėžiama gebėjimu sukurti šalies, kaip turistų pasirinkto kelionės tikslo, įvaizdį. 2. Įmonių konkurencingumą lemiantys veiksniai yra skirstomi į dvi pagrindines grupes: vidinės ir išorinės aplinkos veiksniai. Nustatyta, jog įmonių konkurencingumą labiau lemia vidiniai negu išoriniai konkurencingumo veiksniai. Vidiniai veiksniai grupuojami į „minkštuosius“, „kietuosius“ veiksnius ir aplinką, kuri dvi pirmąsias grupes susieja į bendrą visumą. 3. Viešbučių konkurencingumas – dar pakankamai nauja mokslinių tyrimų sritis, neseniai pradėta nagrinėti tiek teoriškai, tiek... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The target of the work: determinants of competitiveness. The problem of the work: what are determinants of competitiveness? The aim of the work: to estimate determinants of competitiveness in Kaunas city hotels. Objectives of the work: 1. To define the concept and importance of competitiveness of the hotels; 2. To highlight the most important determinants of competitiveness; 3. To ascertain the investigation of the competitiveness of the hotels; 4. To ascertain the key determinants of competitiveness in Kaunas city hotels; Methods of the work: analysis of scientific literature, questionnaire, formalized (structured) interview, statistical analysis of the data and qualitative content analysis. Conclusions: 1. Competitiveness is a complex concept. In hotels level it is understood as the ability to attract and retain customers, to sell services more efficiently than competitors do. The importance of competitiveness of the hotels is defined as the ability to create country, as a tourist destination, image. 2. Determinants of competitiveness of the enterprises are divided in two main groups: internal factors and external factors. It is find out, that internal factors determine competitiveness of enterprises much more than external factors. Internal factors are grouped into „soft“, „hard“ factors and the environment. 3. Competitiveness of the hotel is a relatively new area of research. It has been recently started to examine both theoretically and empirically. Published studies... [to full text]

Background: Positive emotional health is an important component of overall health, and it is linked to many social and health outcomes among youth. The natural environment is thought to influence emotional health. Psychological and experimental research have each shown links between exposure to nature and both stress reduction and attention restoration. Some population studies have suggested positive effects of green space on various indicators of health. However, there are limited large-scale epidemiological studies assessing this relationship, specifically for populations of young people and in the Canadian context. Objectives: To examine possible effects of natural space on positive emotional health among young adolescent Canadians. Methods: This cross-sectional study was based upon the Canadian 2009/10 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Survey with linked geographic information system (GIS) data. Following exclusions, the sample included 17 249 (mostly grades 6 to 10) students from 317 schools. Features of the natural environment were extracted using GIS within a 5 km radius circular buffer surrounding each school. Multilevel logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between the presence of natural space and students’ reports of positive emotional health, while controlling for salient covariates and the clustered nature of the data. Results: Over half of Canadian youth reported positive emotional health (58.5% among boys and 51.6% among girls). Relationships between the amount of natural space and positive emotional health were weak and lacked consistency. Compared to the lowest quartile of natural space, the most notable protective effect existed for students who lived in the third quartile (RR: 1.05; 95% CI: 1.00-1.10). The relationship appeared to differ by urban/rural geographic location, suggesting protective effects in small cities. Positive emotional health was, however, more strongly associated with other factors including demographic characteristics, family affluence, and perceptions surrounding neighbourhoods. Conclusion: Exposure to natural space in youth’s immediate living environment may not be a leading determinant of their emotional health. The relationship between natural space and positive emotional health may be context specific, and hence different for Canadian youth compared to adult populations and those studied in other nations. The main contributors to emotional health among youth were personal factors. / Thesis (Master, Community Health & Epidemiology) -- Queen's University, 2011-12-22 06:01:18.593

Influenza is a population health issue in Canada, with an annual infection rate of 10-25% of the population. The purpose of this thesis was to analyze influenza-like illnesses (ILI) from 2004-05 through to 2008-09, both spatially and temporally, throughout the province of Manitoba. The analysis used a framework specific to spatial analysis, and incorporated the principles of population health and ecological frameworks. The underlying objectives of the research were to better understand the patterns of ILI diagnoses as well as the characteristics of those diagnosed. Maps were created to show the results from various perspectives and negative binomial regression analysis was used to test which, if any, of the chosen variables were significant. Based on this research, one could conclude that although clusters of ILI do exist in Manitoba, a clear relationship does not exist between the determinants of health and ILI.

Cattle producers are faced with difficult decisions on how they market theircalves. This study examines the different characteristics that play a role in determiningthe price of a group of animals. Identifying characteristics that determine pricedifferentials relative to the price premium given to producers participating in CPH salesis important information when producers are making a marketing decision. The modeldeveloped in this study provides producers with evidence of what characteristics generatethe highest price, as well as relative differences between sales locations and types ofsales. The more information available to producers, the better equipped they are to makedecisions.

Influenza is a population health issue in Canada, with an annual infection rate of 10-25% of the population. The purpose of this thesis was to analyze influenza-like illnesses (ILI) from 2004-05 through to 2008-09, both spatially and temporally, throughout the province of Manitoba. The analysis used a framework specific to spatial analysis, and incorporated the principles of population health and ecological frameworks. The underlying objectives of the research were to better understand the patterns of ILI diagnoses as well as the characteristics of those diagnosed. Maps were created to show the results from various perspectives and negative binomial regression analysis was used to test which, if any, of the chosen variables were significant. Based on this research, one could conclude that although clusters of ILI do exist in Manitoba, a clear relationship does not exist between the determinants of health and ILI.

This paper looks at the determinants of bond yields for a select group of Eurozone countries, during the European sovereign debt crisis. In addition to traditional determinants of spreads, which include credit risk, liquidity risk and international risk aversion, this paper looks at the role of credit rating agencies. The movements of countries’ yields during the debt crisis played an integral role in the resulting bailouts by the European Union. Using expected data published by the European Commission, the results of the model were in line with current literature, with the exception of the effect of budget deficits. One interpretation of the conflicting results is that during a debt crisis what market participants care about is growth, not austerity. Including the effect of credit ratings showed that credit ratings have high predictive power.

This paper examines the financing of professional athletic venues and why certain franchises are able to obtain high percentages of overall stadium funding from the public. Existing literature shows the negligible effect of new athletic venues on the local economy and per capita income, and therefore the benefits from such a project are largely intangible. I use an ordinary least squares regression and show that the more successful a team is the less public funding they tend to receive. I also find that broad city statistics do not represent the specific areas that policy makers consider when making decisions about spending public money.

This research is aimed at the formulation of a model for the processing of demography as a determinant of the education system. The inadequate understanding of demography in the education system causes flawed management of the target group by educational providers worldwide. Enrolment rates, school life expectancy, put-through rates and school completion rates (especially in developing countries) are not up to standard in most countries. Although developed regions manage most of these imperatives satisfactory, other education system aspects are experienced as challenges, for example inclusivety and equality. To steer the formulation of the model for the processing, a literature study was undertaken to elucidate demography in the context of the education system. The concept demography is investigated from a theoretical perspective. Research about the worldwide demographic tendencies was undertaken and the different aspects concerning demographic challenges were exposed. This was followed by a study concerning demographic challenges with respect to the four components of the education system. The literature clearly showed that the way in which demographic imperatives influence the four components, determines the criteria according to which a particular education system might measure it's success. Within this context demography as determinant of the education system is explained and an awareness is cultivated about how demographic demands of the target group can be approached by the education provider. A local investigation was undertaken to understand demographic demands in regional context. The North-West Province was used as a case study to present a local perspective of demographic demands on the education system. As the North-West Province is one of the nine provinces of South Africa, it was also necessary to indicate the wider South African demographic trends. Although the North-West Province does experience certain demographic challenges similar to those of the South African set-up as a whole, it also possesses has a number of unique aspects, for instance its geography and economy, which have direct demographic influence on the education system. The general population data and the education data of the province was scrutinised in the context of the educational region to emphasis the implications for the Department of Education. Typical examples of demographic imperatives (especially migration between regions of the province and migration to and from the province) which operate in the North-West Province can be attributed to the farming and mining activities prevalent in the province. The empirical investigation of the research was aimed at the experiences of schools in the North-West Province concerning demographic challenges. The investigation is focused on the leadership of schools and the management of the school leaders regarding demography. The demographic impact in the school- and regional context is also investigated in detail. Administrative problems experienced by principals as a result of inefficient planning are investigated and a policy analysis is done from a management perspective. The responses regarding the above-mentioned aspects show the challenges facing the Department of Education because of the demographic impact. A model is formulated with general demographic guidelines, relevant demographic imperatives and a structural education system approach. Suggestions are made about the adequate application of the model. This contribution to demographic processing is intended to broaden the understanding of educational providers regarding demography as a determinant of the education system and to address the gaps in educational provision and management. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Education))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

Globally, the tourism industry is recognised as one of the fastest growing industries, generating high revenues and creating a vast number of job opportunities. In South Africa, this is no different and, in recent years, the tourism industry has outshone the country's gold exports therefore claiming its position as the fourth highest earner of foreign exchange to date. Yet the industry is still to receive the attention it deserves from conventional economics. This research aimed to fill this gap in South Africa by providing an understanding on the determinants of international tourism demand for South Africa. The first objective of the study was to provide a broad overview of the tourism industry of South Africa. The discussion focused on the supply and demand sides of tourism which, in turn, are divided into the domestic and international tourism markets. There has been a high growth, especially in the international market since 1994 and, while domestic and international markets continue to grow, seasonality remains an issue. Tourism has a significant impact on economic activity, employment, and the balance of payments and therefore the industry has great potential. The second objective was to create a theoretical understanding on the different factors that could determine the international demand for the tourism product. From this discussion it was found that there are various economic and non-economic factors that are believed to have an influence on tourism demand. Income, prices, transport cost, and the exchange rate are amongst the favourite economic variables with travel time, population, marketing expenditure, climate, and capacity being the more popular noneconomic factors. Among these, certain threats were also identified that could have harmful impacts on tourism growth. The third objective and main aim of the study was to determine which of the factors identified earlier determine the demand for international tourism to South Africa. This was done through an empirical investigation. Data from all the continents were used to attain an international perspective on tourist arrivals (tourism demand). The results indicated that capacity and climate factors determine tourism demand in the short term with income and transport cost influencing South Africa as a tourism destination in the long term. The last objective was to determine whether certain events or disasters that take place globally have a negative influence on tourism demand to South Africa. The event that was looked as was the terror attacks on the United States in September 2001. It was found that although the overall tourism activity of the world became stagnant during this period, the effect was not that considerable in South Africa's tourism arrivals. Tourism in countries such as the United Sates, on the other hand, has still not recovered fully after this event. / Thesis (M.Com. (International Commerce))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.