Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 80-84). Also available in print.

Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 47-01, page: 0342. Adviser: Kristy O. Murray. Includes bibliographical references.

Broad societal and cultural changes since the 1970s have provided incentives for young people to postpone parenthood. The greater access to and longer pursuit of higher education, the greater involvement of women in the labour market, and changes in family behaviour have contributed to a long-term increase in age at parenthood. The spread of effective contraception and wider access to abortion have also played a part, helping women and couples better plan the timing of births. Using data from the Human Fertility Database, we document a rise in fertility rates among women aged 40 and older in low-fertility countries of Europe, East Asia, North America, and Australia.

The question that Less Developed Countries have faced since the advent of floating exchange rates among the Industrial Countries is whether they should also adopt a floating exchange rate system. The Less Developed Countries have opted for a pegged exchange rate system, since their economic characteristics and institutional structure indicate that floating for the Less Developed Countries would result in volatile or unstable exchange rates. Since Less Developed Countries peg t heir exchange rates in the presence of flexible rates among industrial countries, the Less Developed Countries pegged exchange rates move in accordance to the exchange rates to which they are pegged. This study examines whether there are differences in the variability of the different effective exchange rate indices or currency baskets. Specifically the export, import and total trade weighted effective exchange rates for three African Less Developed Countries are examined. Currency baskets are varied by changing the number of currencies coefficent of variation included in was used the basket. The to compare the variability in the different effective exchange rates.

The current research is motivated by the controversy between the proponents and opponents of privatizing SOEs in LDCs concerning its impact on the MCSs designed and implemented in these companies. On the one hand, proponents expect privatization to foster the design and implementation of market-based, consensual and transparent MCSs. On the other hand, opponents are more critical about the ‘actual’ changes that privatization might entail to SOEs’ MCSs as they expect it to entail the design and implementation of non-transparent, coercive MCSs. When examined closely, this conflict was found to be rooted in the different theoretical perspectives adopted by each side. While proponents base their arguments, mostly, on ‘traditional’ agency and property-rights theories that underplay the role of structure in shaping the MCSs designed and implemented in privatized companies, many of the opponents base their arguments on neo-Marxist theories that underplay the role of agency in that process (namely labour process theory- LPT). The current research contributes to this debate through developing a power-informed theoretical model that acknowledges the role of both agency and structure in shaping the nature of the pre- and post-privatization MCSs designed and implemented in companies operating in LDCs. The model provides an attempt to develop the Hopper et al (2009) model through integrating into it a theory of power informed by the works of Lukes (1974 and 2005) and Gaventa (1980 and 2007) while adopting the integrative agency-structure approach suggested by Mahoney and Snyder (1999).Once developed, the model is used to guide the analysis of the relevant literature pertaining to Egypt’s supra-national and national power relations and structural factors throughout its state and market capitalism eras as a first step towards comparatively analysing the pre- and post-privatization power relations and MCSs manifesting in two Egyptian companies. The empirical data was mainly collected through conducting semi-structured interviews in the two companies and with some of the government officials involved in their privatization. Other sources of data include the companies’ internal records and financial reports, government publications, and newspapers. The comparative analysis shows how the power-informed model can help shed more light onto the nature of, and the dynamics of change in, MCSs transformations in LDCs; without having to abandon LPT as one of the main theoretical perspectives informing the analysis. While doing so, the nature of a company’s MCSs (be it coercive, consensual, or irrelevant) is found to reflect the power relations manifesting in that company (namely, powerful management, comparatively powerful management and labour, or powerful labour, respectively). Furthermore, as the comparative analysis shows, it is found that privatization is more likely to result in changing the nature of a SOE’s MCSs when it entails altering the power relations shaping these MCSs.

South Africa has been going through a series of political, economic and social changes since 1994. These changes have transformed it into a state that shows increased commitment to sustainable development. Although the country is considered as one of the largest developing country emitters of pollution, the South African government has recognised the need to move towards a low-carbon society. The country’s participation in international climate mitigation bodies has seen its commitment to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 34% by 2020 and 42% by 2025. South Africa has committed to achieve these goals provided that it receives the necessary finance, technology and support from the international community. The major objective of this study was to conduct a comparative analysis of the effectiveness of green taxes in SA and developed countries. Four countries were chosen for the analysis in this study; South Africa, China, the United States and the United Kingdom. The study depends on secondary analysis obtained from published articles, databases and websites providing research on various organisations and government bodies. From my analysis, this study observed that many developed and developing countries have already implemented environmental taxes, and many other countries are considering similar instruments. The findings of this study are that green taxes and environmental taxes in general, are intended to protect the environment. By levying higher taxes on activities and products that harm the environment, businesses are discouraged from developing industries that destroy nature. Based on the findings, this study recommends that South Africa should address the inconsistencies in its policies across various government departments. The study also recommends the need for tax policy reconsideration so as to improve the relevance of environmental and green taxes. However, the study observed that since South Africa is still hampered by the triple constraints of unemployment, poverty and inequality, and in order to address the negative impacts of carbon taxes, it needs to put in place certain mitigation agreements with high pollution emitting companies. / Dissertation LLM--University of Pretoria, 2014 / hb2014 / Mercantile Law / unrestricted

Thesis advisor: Hiroshi Nakazato / Since the start of the Industrial Revolution, the common desire of states has been for constant economic growth. While this aspiration has promoted the flourishing of some societies it has been a detriment to others. With intensified inequality across the globe, the powerful have both inadvertently and knowingly exploited the vulnerable— including people, animals and the planet. Now, that inequality and environmental degradation persist in the collective crisis of climate change. Moving forward, it is critical for nations to acknowledge both their culpability for destruction and their capacity for action amidst this crisis. With differing historical responsibilities, states may have proportionately accountable solutions. This thesis provides both an ethical and a practical framework for addressing both local and global challenges that come with climate change as well as how to mitigate the injustices that are borne of it in thoughtful, multi-faceted and integrated approaches to sustainable development. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2020. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Departmental Honors. / Discipline: International Studies.

Although many extraneous variables such as different countries, levels of economic development, technologies, and politics are as important in determining the success of a project as its budgeting and finance, this report is solely from the finance and budgeting perspective. It is shown that projects in the United States have a systemic budgeting process, based on sound concepts of planning and control. In contrast, financial and budgeting planning is underdeveloped in the two projects examined in Nigeria. It is desirable that the least developed countries seek expert advice before embarking on any environmental health services programmes which may lead to the waste of resources if not properly planned and managed.

This dissertation reported an investigation of e-commerce institutionalization process in women-led SMEs in Mozambique. The goal was to understand how e-commerce is conceptualized by these SMEs while exploring the contextual factors that contribute or inhibit the process of institutionalization from the unique perspective of a least developed country (LDC) such as Mozambique. The study combined the perspectives offered by the contextualist theory (Pettigrew, 1985) and the Perceived E-readiness Model (PERM) (Molla & Licker, 2005a) to employ an integrated framework for investigating the process of e-commerce institutionalization. An interpretative and qualitative multiple case study approach was employed as a methodological basis, using six SMEs which have been able to institutionalize e-commerce. The data collection was conducted through multiple data sources including semi-structured interviews, analysis of company website, and social media platforms. Data were analysed using a thematic analysis approach across the cases. The findings indicate that there are different patterns of e-commerce institutionalization. SMEs do not always follow the traditional steady stages of e-commerce growth described in the literature. Furthermore, the results showed a socially constructed feature of e-commerce characterized by the extensive use of social media networks. A great levels of institutionalization and satisfaction was attained when enabling factors within and outside the organization interacted positively. Within the internal context of the organizations, the SMEs manager’s capability to use social media networks, e-mail and mobile phones to build innovative business models, create direct relationships with customers, and marketing direct to their niche markets. Factors from the external context emerged as the main challengers to the process of institutionalization, specifically the challenges faced by the government, market forces, supporting industries, and those of sociocultural nature. A number of important recommendations were made, for example, the government should not only provide the regulatory framework but also work actively in its promotion and implementation. This should encompass the establishment of networks and training opportunities to improve SMEs knowledge regarding e-commerce, and continuous partnership between the various stakeholders involved in the e-commerce ecosystem in addressing the various environmental challenges. By conducting an investigation on the selected women-led SMEs in Mozambique, this study has extended knowledge of e-commerce research in the country. Additionally, it is an important contribution for the debate about e-commerce in developing countries, specifically a better understanding of SMEs that go beyond the initial adoption phase.

<p><font face="Times New Roman"> <p align="left">This study examines the legal and policy objectives of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) with specific reference to international standards and the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO). The study sets out the history and development of the TBT Agreement and the relationship between the TBT Agreement and selected WTO Agreements. The study also explores the application and interpretation of the TBT Agreement under the WTO dispute settlement system. More importantly, the study addresses the legal, policy and practical implications of the TBT Agreement for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in Africa. A central argument put forward in this study is that, albeit international standards have been recognised as an important tool for LDCs in Africa to gain access to foreign markets, there is no significant &lsquo / political will&rsquo / and commitment from the key players in standardisation work, that is, the national governments, the private sector and the ISO. At the same time, some developed and developing countries tend to use their influence and involvement in the activities of the ISO as a means of promoting the use and adoption of their homegrown standards. The study proposes, among others, that a more participatory approach which encompasses representatives from consumer groups, the private sector and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from these LDCs in Africa, should be adopted.</p> </font></p>