Magister Commercii - MCom / Nearly half a century after independence, the Cameroon economy has experienced little or no growth in per capita incomes in spite of the enormous natural and human potentials of the country and in spite of the huge packages of aid and subsequent debt relief received from the international donor community, suggesting a more profound cause to the development problems facing the country. Under the current WTO rules-based system of multi-lateral trade management, Cameroon, like other poor countries, is left with limited scope for effective implementation of industrial and trade policies that could bail her out of her present predicament. Against this backdrop, this study seeks to explore the fundamental determinants of sustainable growth within the context of the Cameroonian economy. While acknowledging the role of openness to international markets in promoting growth, its effects could only be maximised with the attainment of certain threshold conditions such as the availability of basic skills, provision of vital infrastructure services and public goods, and good governance. In a nutshell, for development to happen, the country needs not only well functioning markets, but also good governments that do not steal the fruits of workers' labour. Drawing on the endogenous growth models, the study suggests that incentives for investment in knowledge capital, for infrastructure provision and for good governance could bail the country out of its low level traps, setting it on the path of sustainable growth in an evermore globalising world economy.

The increasing number of travelers in urban areas has led to new opportunities for local government and private mobility providers to offer new travel modes besides and in addition to traditional ones. Multimodal travel provides an especially promising opportunity. However, until now the underlying reasons why consumers choose specific alternatives have not been fully understood. Hence, the design of new travel modes is mainly driven by obvious criteria such as environmental friendliness and convenience but might not consider consumers’ real or latent needs. To close this research gap, sixty in-depth interviews with urban travelers were conducted. To identify the perceptual differences of customers among different travel modes, the repertory grid technique as an innovative, structured interview method was applied. Our data show that urban travelers distinguish and select travel alternatives based on 28 perceptual determinants. While some determinants associated with private cars such as privacy, flexibility and autonomy are key indicators of travel mode choice, costs and time efficiency also play a major role. Furthermore, by comparing travel modes to an ideal category, we reveal that some perceptual determinants do not need to be maximized in order to fulfill customer needs optimally. A comparison of consumers’ perceptual assessments of alternative travel modes identifies specific advantages and disadvantages of all alternatives, and provides fruitful implications for government and private mobility providers.

Med den starka prisuppgången på Stockholms bostadsmarknad som bakgrund är det intressant att undersöka skillnader i prisutveckling för bostadsrätter. Med en teoretisk utgångspunkt i modeller om prispåverkande faktorer har en fallstudie på ett premiumfastighetsbolag i Stockholm utförts. Metodmässigt är studien i huvudsak kvantitativ. Historisk data gällande försäljningar har undersökt och ställts emot bostadsprisindex där skillnader i prisutveckling har kunnat identifieras. Företaget i fallstudien visade sig ha en starkare prisutveckling än både index för Stockholm Stad och respektive SAMS-område, vilket innebär en högre avkastning för investerare i det undersökta företaget jämfört med index. En regressionsanalys har genomförts för att testa hypotesen att ett premiumvarumärke har positiv påverkan på priset på bostadsrätter. Variabeln premiumvarumärke konstaterades statistiskt signifikant enligt modellen som testades och hypotesen kunde bekräftas. Förändringen i pris och prisutveckling i den här studien kan härledas till förändrade preferenser på marknaden, ett starkt varumärke och ett relativt unikt koncept. För att kunna fastställa att ett premiumfastighetsbolags snabbare prisutveckling beror på dessa faktorer krävs dock ytterligare analyser av fler premiumföretag. Sammanfattningsvis konstateras att ett premiumvarumärke i det undersökta fallet påverkar både pris och prisutveckling gällande bostadsrätter positivt. / Due to a rapid increase in housing prices at the Stockholm housing market there is a stated interest to further examine the differences in price development. A study of historical data from a premium property development company has been conducted. With theoretical models describing price determinants as a background data has been analyzed to find variances in price development. The study is primarily quantitative. By comparing historical data with price indices, differences in price development have been identified. The company showed greater price development than both the Stockholm index and each SAMS-area index. This results in a higher return, compared to index, for those who invest in an apartment from the studied company. A regression analysis has been conducted to test the hypothesis that a premium brand has a positive influence on property prices. The variable premium brand turned out to be significant according to the model and the hypothesis could be confirmed. A change in preferences, a strong brand and a relatively unique concept can explain a lot of the differences in price development in this study. To be able to determine that the differences really are due to these factors requires further research on premium property development companies. To summarize, a premium brand has a positive influence on both price and price development.

While previous health research with Aboriginal populations focused almost exclusively on Aboriginal Peoples of First Nations descent living on reserves or in isolated rural communities in Canada, this study focusing on diabetes aimed to engage Aboriginal Peoples of First Nations and Métis descent living in an urban Ontario setting. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a progressive metabolic disorder that affects Aboriginal Peoples of Métis and First Nations descent disproportionately compared to the rest of the Canadian population. To understand this disparity in diabetes incidence and to address issues with existing diabetes prevention and management strategies, this study: a) explores the perceptions surrounding Type 2 diabetes and its prevention from First Nations and Métis community people and health service providers and policy makers; and b) informs the existing diabetes prevention, management and care strategies in light of these perceived understandings. Primary data was collected through 40 in-depth one-on-one narrative interviews with First Nations and Métis people, health service providers and policy makers. Thematic codes that emerged through the narrative analysis of this data revealed that to fully understand the social determinants of diabetes in an urban First Nations and Métis people’s context required the application of intersectionality theory, since production of First Nations and Métis diabetes is socially determined and deeply intersectional. By combining the concepts of the social determinants of health and intersectional approaches, narrative analysis of the primary data revealed that diversities in socio-economic, cultural, legal and spatial contexts determine First Nations and Métis people’s life choices and have a strong bearing on their health outcomes. First Nations and Métis participants’ narratives revealed that dimensions of marginalization were reflected not only through inadequate material resources, but also through intersections of multiple factors such as colonial legacies, stereotyping, legal statuses, and the pan-Aboriginal nature of government policies and services. First Nations and Métis community members indicated that preventive programming aimed at avoiding or managing diabetes should be grounded in balancing and restoring the positive aspects of physical, mental, spiritual and emotional health and should also balance their diverse needs, lived realities, and social circumstances. The views of health service providers and policy makers captured in this thesis tended to reflect an understanding of diabetes causation grounded in both biomedical and intersecting social determinants of health. At the pragmatic level, however, the solution to this health issue presented by health service providers and policy makers addresses only the measurable individualistic biomedical risk factors of diabetes. Policy makers also discussed the need for developing qualitative indicators of the success of presently implemented health programs. Overall, the results of this study indicated that effective diabetes prevention and management strategies for urban First Nations and Métis people must recognize and address the diversities in their historical, socio-economic, spatial and legal contexts as well as their related entitlement to health services. A comprehensive diabetes prevention strategy should target the social determinants of health that are specific to urban First Nations and Métis people and must build on community strengths.

Thesis (M. Com. (Business Management)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / Information and communication technologies (ICT) and its impact in the economic, social and personal development has become an important object of scientific research in recent decades. Theoretical and empirical studies have demonstrated the necessity to gain and exploit positive outcomes such as productivity growth, organisation expansion, efficiency, effectiveness, competitiveness and so on of ICT adoption and implementation in various organisations. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to investigate the determinants of ICT adoption by SMEs for improved performance. The study utilised the quantitative research approach whereby a survey was conducted using convenience and snowball sampling methods. Data was tested for reliability using the Cronbach’ Alpha. Furthermore, descriptive analysis was conducted as well as correlation and regression tests. The questionnaire was developed from the empirical literature review. The determinants of ICT adoption were represented by perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, entrepreneurial orientation, entrepreneurial passion, personal factors, business characteristics and performance. Based on the results, SMEs should seek to adopt ICT using the determinants which were assessed as they show how effective a business can improve performance if these determinants are used to adopt ICT. Furthermore, more should be done by government to give support and awareness to SMEs on various aspects that can improve their businesses such as ICT. Keywords: ICT, SMEs, Determinants, Adoption, Performance

Book Summary: Designed as a supplemental text for introductory courses in public health practice at the undergraduate and graduate levels, Contemporary Public Health provides historical background that contextualizes the current state of the field and explores the major issues practitioners face today. It addresses essential topics such as the social and ecological determinants of health and their impact on practice, marginalized populations, the role of community-oriented primary care, accreditation, and the organizational landscape of the American public health system. Finally, it examines the opioid epidemic, the impact of pandemics including COVID-19, and international public health and explores the potential of systems based on multilevel partnerships of government, academic, and nonprofit organizations. With fresh historical and methodological analyses conducted by an impressive group of distinguished authors, Contemporary Public Health is an essential resource for practitioners, health advocates, students, legislators, and informed citizens.

With yearly rates ranking clearly above world average in Europe, suicide constitutes a substantial public health problem. Because of that, prevention has become a major concern for German mental health institutions. A requirement for successful prevention strategies is to address all key factors that contribute to suicidality. It is highly relevant in this respect that suicidal behaviour itself exhibits a social gradient: drawing on the relevant literature, low socioeconomic status (SES) and a high extent of social isolation (SI) are related to increased suicide risks (Lorant et al. 2005; Li et al. 2011; Qin et al. 2003; Agerbo et al. 2007). The purpose of this study was therefore to add to these findings and to further investigate associations of SES and SI with suicide in order to define starting points for public health interventions. It was consequently hypothesized that lower individual levels of SES and higher individual levels of SI are correlated with increased suicide rates. SI potentially compromises the perception of social support in stressful live events associated with low SES (Cohen et al. 2006; Kumari et al. 2010). Since such life events correlate with suicidal behavior (Beautrais et al. 1997; Cohen et al. 2019), the effects of low SES were further hypothesized to be aggravated in individuals with high SI levels (SES x SI interaction). In order to test the hypotheses, all 149.033 suicide deaths between 1997 and 2010 (T = 14 years) were extracted from the official German death record as coded by ICD categories E950 - E959 for 1997 and X60 - X84 for the years from 1998 onwards, respectively. Information on SES and SI was gained by merging the dataset with Germany’s main household survey, i.e. the Microcensus. In accordance with the existing literature, established indexes on occupational status (ISEI, Ganzeboom & Treiman 1996) and educational achievements (CASMIN, König et al. 1988) were applied as well as items on income, minor employment, unemployment, the number of received public transfers and the reception of social bene fits due to unemployment (ALG I/II) in order to capture SES. SI was proxied with variables measuring single marital status, living in a one-person-household and relocations throughout the year before the survey was conducted. Due to German data protection regulations that do not permit the analysis of death record data based on individual level information, suicide deaths were examined as aggregated rates at the level of N = 390 administrative districts. In order to deal with two problems associated with this kind of statistical analysis, Prentice and Sheppard’s model for aggregate data (1995) was applied accounting for potential estimation biases due to differences in baseline suicide rates between districts and between time periods. The model specification further corrected for spatial effect correlations. An important limitation to this procedure is that the estimates represent a blend of effects at the individual and district levels. However, an adequate solution is only available through the application of individual level data. The statistical analysis turned out the following results: The positive effect on suicide rates of unemployment and the negative effect of income as two out of seven SES proxies and the positive effect of living in a one-person-household as one out of three SI proxies validate the proposed hypotheses on the relations of SES and SI with suicide rates. Confirming the hypothesis on SI mediating SES effects, the model revealed positive effects on suicide rates of income decreases in single individuals. Likewise, we observed positive effects on district suicide rates for decreasing levels of CASMIN in district population shares who had relocated throughout the past year. In contradiction to the theoretical claims, however, increases in CASMIN scores were found to result in positive effects on suicide rates just as a history of relocation prior to suicide was related to decreasing suicide rates. Furthermore, decreases in income were found to result in negative effects on suicide rates in the district population of persons living in a one-person-household. The results indicating associations of SES and SI with increases in district suicide rates represent appropriate starting points for the definition of suicide prevention strategies. Thus, particularly the unemployed, individuals with low incomes, persons living in one-person-households and relocated individuals with lower educational levels should be targeted by public health interventions. Moreover, the observations of the present study clearly demonstrate the significance of longitudinal individual level data for public health policies. Respective research incorporating such data would permit a better understanding of the causal mechanisms resulting in suicidality and help to further investigate the robustness of the shown results. By this means, prevention strategies could be better adapted to the specfic needs of the individuals under concern. Regarding the findings contradicting the theoretical claims, it needs to be mentioned that associations of low SES and high SI levels with increases in suicide risks can not be ruled out at the individual level. Rather, the observed inconsistent effects might be attributable to differences in district compositions than to differences in characteristics of the respective subjects. Also a statistical separation of compositional effects from effects of individual traits would be made possible by including individual level data in future work.:Abbrevations II Tables II 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Suicide - A Global Health Burden 1 1.2 Risk Factors and Etiology of Suicide 1 1.3 Suicide Prevention 2 1.4 Social Disparities in Suicide 2 1.4.1 Socioeconomic Status 2 1.4.2 Social Isolation 3 1.4.3 Health Inequalities and Health Inequities 4 1.4.4 Causation and Selection 5 1.4.5 Individual Life Courses 7 1.5 Stress and Diathesis 8 1.5.1 Critical Life Events 9 1.6 Neurobiological Correlates of Suicidality 9 1.6.1 Neurobiological Correlates of SES and SI 10 1.7 SES, SI and Social Support 11 1.8 Aims of the Thesis 11 1.9 Methods 12 2 Original Publication 14 Summary 23 References 26 Supplementary Materials - Further Statistical Tests & Models 41 Structural Breaks in Suicide Numbers 41 Age- and Gender-Adjustment of District Suicide Rates 42 Alternate Model Specifications Anlagen i Erklärung über die eigenständige Abfassung der Arbeit i Spezifizierung des eigenen wissenschaftlichen Beitrags iii Danksagung iii

This paper aims to investigate the change in corporate debt levels in South Africa from 1994 to 2016, included is an analysis of factors that firms take into consideration when determining the company’s capital structure. This study uses data from firms in the Real Estate and REIT, Travel and Leisure and Construction and Materials sectors listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). Four different leverage measures are used to determine the change in capital structure for the period under review, as well as six of the most commonly used determinants of capital structure. A high level interpretation of the results reflected the following; an increase in the use of debt in the Travel and Leisure and Construction and Materials Sectors, however a significant decrease in the use of debt relative to equity was seen in the Real Estate and REIT Sector thus skewing the Total Sample findings considerably. An increase in the use of long term debt relative to short term was also found. Results from the analysis of the capital structure determinants varied, with some determinants showing statistical significance. The following determinants were positively related to debt; firm size, asset tangibility and growth while the determinants; cost of debt and tax had a negative relationship. The relationship between profitability and leverage was varied.

HIV is a virus that leads to AIDS. Millions of people are living with HIV. Globally, there is an increased incidence of this disease among adolescents. In literature, there is a gap regarding how social determinants of health have jointly or singly contributed to HIV/AIDS transmission. With the application of the AIDS risk reduction model (ARRM) to the secondary analysis of survey data, the purpose of this study was to determine whether any significant relationships existed between adolescents' childhood health care factors, demographic factors, social-level factors, structural-level factors, aspects of disease management factors, and knowledge about HIV transmission/AIDS among Nigerian adolescents. Survey data were used from Measure Demographic and Health Survey (MDHS) in Nigeria for 2008. Multiple linear regression revealed that childhood vaccinations were a weak predictor for HIV transmission risk (R2 - 0.020). Gender, age, place of residence, education, religion and culture, some disease management aspects (e.g., accessibility and affordability of care), and wealth index were all significant but weak predictors of knowledge of HIV/AIDS (R2 = 0.016, R2 = 0.019, R2 = 0.003 & R2 0.015). The potential positive social change effect of the study would be HIV transmission reduction through increasing knowledge of HIV/AIDS among adolescents in Nigeria. The results could be used by both governmental and nongovernmental organizations to influence childhood healthcare improvements and advance education to help reduce or eradicate the causes of HIV/ AIDS transmission among adolescents in Nigeria.

Stroke causes substantial morbidity and mortality, and physical activity can reduce the risk of stroke occurrence. The purpose of this study was to test the association between biopsychosocial factors and levels of physical activity and to develop a model to predict inactivity for US stroke survivors. A quantitative, cross-sectional analysis was performed of the 2013 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), which is a representative sample of US households. Association for 1,077 stroke survivors was tested with chi-square between physical activity and independent variables: biological factors (age, sex, race, body mass index, musculoskeletal conditions, and cardiovascular diseases), psychological factors (mental distress, perception of health), and sociological factors (income, health provider contact, family structure, neighborhood, region, marriage, and education). Multiple variable logistic regression was weighted and adjusted for a complex sampling design. Independent associations were found among biopsychosocial variables. A multiple logistic regression model demonstrated statistically significant variables of older age (OR 6.1, 95% CI 2.1 to 17.6), poor perceived health (OR 4.6, 95% CI 3.0 to 6.8), lower levels of education (OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.5 to 5.0) and living in the Northwest (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.2 to 4.1) or Midwest region (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.0 to 2.7), predicting the likelihood of inactivity for stroke survivors. This biopsychosocial model may contribute to positive social change by identifying stroke survivors at risk for inactivity and directing interventions and supportive care. Targeting those most at risk and increasing activity could help to reduce morbidity and mortality among stroke survivors, which could improve their lives and the lives of their families and communities.