Holland's theory of vocational personalities and work environments incorporates four theoretical constructs (congruence, consistency, differentiation and identity) which attempt to explain sources in variability of achievement and satisfaction among employed adults and college students. This study sought to: (1) investigate the relationship of Holland's constructs to academic achievement and educational satisfaction of undergraduate music majors; (2) investigate differences in all variables according to gender and degree major. Data were collected from undergraduate music majors (N = 100) enrolled at the University of North Texas using the Vocational Preference Inventory. Mv Vocational Situation. and the Music Major Satisfaction Questionnaire. Reliability for the Music Major Satisfaction Questionnaire was estimated at .92 using Cronbach's coefficient alpha. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients indicated that: (1) congruence was significantly related to academic achievement and educational satisfaction; (2) identity was significantly related to academic achievement and educational satisfaction; (3) consistency was significantly related to academic achievement, but not to educational satisfaction; (4) differentiation was significantly related to academic achievement, but not to educational satisfaction. Multiple regression using a stepwise entry method indicated that: (1) the identity construct was the best predictor of educational satisfaction scores; (2) identity was the best predictor of academic achievement scores. The results of the study suggested: (1) it is unlikely that any single theory accounts for all dimensions of variability in achievement among college music majors. To arrive at a comprehensive model of achievement, it will be necessary to utilize constructs of several theories. Such a model should include Holland's constructs of identity, congruence, and possibly differentiation. (2) similarly, a comprehensive model of satisfaction should include Holland's constructs of identity and congruence. (3) Holland's classification system may distinguish among two traditionally held divisions of college music majors, performance majors and education majors. (4) music education majors and music performance majors differ on the social dimension of their vocational personalities.

Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) is a popular financial instrument and communication tool for the appraisal of companies. Often, companies management and other practitioners use untested rules and behavioural approach when investigating the key determinants of ROCE, instead of the scientific statistical paradigm. The aim of this dissertation was to identify and quantify key determinants of ROCE of individual companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), by comparing classical multiple linear regression, principal components regression, generalized least squares regression, and robust maximum likelihood regression approaches in order to improve companies decision making. Performance indicators used to arrive at the best approach were coefficient of determination ( ), adjusted ( , and Mean Square Residual (MSE). Since the ROCE variable had positive and negative values two separate analyses were done. The classical multiple linear regression models were constructed using stepwise directed search for dependent variable log ROCE for the two data sets. Assumptions were satisfied and problem of multicollinearity was addressed. For the positive ROCE data set, the classical multiple linear regression model had a of 0.928, an of 0.927, a MSE of 0.013, and the lead key determinant was Return on Equity (ROE),with positive elasticity, followed by Debt to Equity (D/E) and Capital Employed (CE), both with negative elasticities. The model showed good validation performance. For the negative ROCE data set, the classical multiple linear regression model had a of 0.666, an of 0.652, a MSE of 0.149, and the lead key determinant was Assets per Capital Employed (APCE) with positive effect, followed by Return on Assets (ROA) and Market Capitalization (MC), both with negative effects. The model showed poor validation performance. The results indicated more and less precision than those found by previous studies. This suggested that the key determinants are also important sources of variability in ROCE of individual companies that management need to work with. To handle the problem of multicollinearity in the data, principal components were selected using Kaiser-Guttman criterion. The principal components regression model was constructed using dependent variable log ROCE for the two data sets. Assumptions were satisfied. For the positive ROCE data set, the principal components regression model had a of 0.929, an of 0.929, a MSE of 0.069, and the lead key determinant was PC4 (log ROA, log ROE, log Operating Profit Margin (OPM)) and followed by PC2 (log Earnings Yield (EY), log Price to Earnings (P/E)), both with positive effects. The model resulted in a satisfactory validation performance. For the negative ROCE data set, the principal components regression model had a of 0.544, an of 0.532, a MSE of 0.167, and the lead key determinant was PC3 (ROA, EY, APCE) and followed by PC1 (MC, CE), both with negative effects. The model indicated an accurate validation performance. The results showed that the use of principal components as independent variables did not improve classical multiple linear regression model prediction in our data. This implied that the key determinants are less important sources of variability in ROCE of individual companies that management need to work with. Generalized least square regression was used to assess heteroscedasticity and dependences in the data. It was constructed using stepwise directed search for dependent variable ROCE for the two data sets. For the positive ROCE data set, the weighted generalized least squares regression model had a of 0.920, an of 0.919, a MSE of 0.044, and the lead key determinant was ROE with positive effect, followed by D/E with negative effect, Dividend Yield (DY) with positive effect and lastly CE with negative effect. The model indicated an accurate validation performance. For the negative ROCE data set, the weighted generalized least squares regression model had a of 0.559, an of 0.548, a MSE of 57.125, and the lead key determinant was APCE and followed by ROA, both with positive effects.The model showed a weak validation performance. The results suggested that the key determinants are less important sources of variability in ROCE of individual companies that management need to work with. Robust maximum likelihood regression was employed to handle the problem of contamination in the data. It was constructed using stepwise directed search for dependent variable ROCE for the two data sets. For the positive ROCE data set, the robust maximum likelihood regression model had a of 0.998, an of 0.997, a MSE of 6.739, and the lead key determinant was ROE with positive effect, followed by DY and lastly D/E, both with negative effects. The model showed a strong validation performance. For the negative ROCE data set, the robust maximum likelihood regression model had a of 0.990, an of 0.984, a MSE of 98.883, and the lead key determinant was APCE with positive effect and followed by ROA with negative effect. The model also showed a strong validation performance. The results reflected that the key determinants are major sources of variability in ROCE of individual companies that management need to work with. Overall, the findings showed that the use of robust maximum likelihood regression provided more precise results compared to those obtained using the three competing approaches, because it is more consistent, sufficient and efficient; has a higher breakdown point and no conditions. Companies management can establish and control proper marketing strategies using the key determinants, and results of these strategies can see an improvement in ROCE. / Mathematical Sciences / M. Sc. (Statistics)

Cette thèse comporte trois chapitres qui se rattachent aux relations entre les migrants et leur communauté d'origine sur le cas de la Chine et le Vietnam. Le premier chapitre étudie la relation entre les transferts de fonds envoyés par les migrants, et le niveau de confiance et de fiabilité des villageois vietnamiens qui en sont bénéficiaires. Voici les résultats principaux obtenus en combinant les données d’un terrain d’expérimentation de 2010 avec les données de VHLSS 2002 (2002 Vietnam Household Living Standard Survey). En ce qui concerne le niveau de confiance, cette étude montre que les transferts de fonds internationaux sont liés de manière positive au comportement de confiance de ceux qui les reçoivent. En ce qui concerne le niveau de fiabilité, l’étude trouve que les transferts de fonds internationaux ont un lien négatif avec le niveau de fiabilité de celui qui les reçoit tandis que les transferts de fonds internes ont un lien positif avec le niveau de fiabilité de celui qui les reçoit. Cette étude montre en outre que le niveau de fiabilité est plus élevé dans le sud que dans le nord de Vietnam. Le deuxième chapitre s'interroge sur l'impact des enfants lassés dans la communauté d’origine par les migrants sur leur décision de retour en Chine en utilisant une enquête ménage en milieu rural du district de Wuwei (dans la province de l’Anhui) en 2008. Un modèle de durée paramétrique à hasards proportionnels en temps discret et un modèle probit sont employés pour estimer séparément le rôle des enfants laissés au village par âge et par sexe sur la longueur des épisodes migratoires pour les migrants actuels et les migrants du retour, ainsi que pour les intentions de retour de migrants actuels. Cette étude souligne le rôle des enfants lassés derrières comme raison significative pour le retour des parents migrants. Le dernier chapitre étudie l’impact de l’expérience migratoire sur le choix d’être entrepreneur pour un migrant du retour après son retour dans sa communauté d’origine. En utilisant la même base de donnés chinoise, cette étude montre que les migrants du retour ont une tendance plus affirmée à devenir entrepreneurs que les non-migrants, et que l'épargne rapatriée par les migrants, comme la fréquence des changements d'emploi pendant l'épisode migratoire, exercent une influence positive sur la probabilité des migrants de devenir entrepreneurs après leur retour. / This dissertation is comprised of three chapters on the interaction between migrants and their source regions applied to China and Vietnam. The first chapter examines whether remittances are related to receivers’ trust and trustworthiness in Vietnam. Using a combination of a field experiment conducted in 2010 and the “2002 Vietnam Household Living Standards Survey”, the chapter finds that while internal remittances have no significant relationship to trusting behavior, international remittances demonstrate a significantly positive connection. On the other hand, international remittances are negatively related to trustworthiness, while internal remittances are positively associated. Besides, this study finds that the level of trustworthiness is higher in the south than in the north. The second chapter explores the role of children by age and by gender as a motive for return migration in China by using a rural household survey conducted in Wuwei County (Anhui province) in 2008. Resorting to a discrete time proportional hazard model and a binary Probit model to estimate respectively the determinants of migration duration for both on-going migrants and return migrants, and the return intentions of on-going migrants, the chapter finds consistent results regarding the role of left-behind children as a significant motive for return. The last chapter examines the impact of the migration experience on individuals’ choice of being self-employed upon their return to their home villages. By using the same data of Wuwei survey, the chapter finds that return migrants are more likely to be self-employed than non-migrants, and that both return savings and the frequency of job changes during migration increase the likelihood for return migrants to become self-employed.

This essay is a qualitative interview study that investigates what enables motivation for publicly employed nurses and how this affects their choice to be publicly employed in front of the alternative of becoming staffing nurses. As analysis tools, the sociological concepts of valuerational and rational-purposeful actions, idealization and identity work is use in conjunction with the psychological theoretical model Self-determination theory. The results of the study shows that publicly employed nurses experience a continuity in their work situation, which they imagine that they could not experience to the same extent if they were staffing employees. Continuity enables them, through their competence, to satisfy their intrinsic interests and motivations - to meet people and make something meaningful for others. / Denna uppsats är en kvalitativ intervjustudie som undersöker vad som möjliggör motivation hos sjuksköterskor inom landstinget, och hur detta påverkar deras val att vara landstingsanställda framför alternativet att bli bemanningssjuksköterskor. Som analysverktyg används de sociologiska begreppen värderationellt och målrationellt handlande, idealisering och identitetsarbete i samverkan med den psykologiska teoretiska modellen Self-determination theory. Undersökningens resultat visar att landstingsanställda sjuksköterskor upplever en kontinuitet i sin arbetssituation som landstingsanställda, vilket de föreställer sig att de inte skulle kunna uppleva i samma utsträckning om de vore bemanningsanställda. Kontinuiteten möjliggör för dem att genom sin kompetens tillfredsställa sina inneboende intressen och motivationer - att möta människor och göra något meningsfullt för andra.

This dissertation is comprised of three chapters on the interaction between migrants and their source regions applied to China and Vietnam. The first chapter examines whether remittances are related to receivers' trust and trustworthiness in Vietnam. Using a combination of a field experiment conducted in 2010 and the "2002 Vietnam Household Living Standards Survey", the chapter finds that while internal remittances have no significant relationship to trusting behavior, international remittances demonstrate a significantly positive connection. On the other hand, international remittances are negatively related to trustworthiness, while internal remittances are positively associated. Besides, this study finds that the level of trustworthiness is higher in the south than in the north. The second chapter explores the role of children by age and by gender as a motive for return migration in China by using a rural household survey conducted in Wuwei County (Anhui province) in 2008. Resorting to a discrete time proportional hazard model and a binary Probit model to estimate respectively the determinants of migration duration for both on-going migrants and return migrants, and the return intentions of on-going migrants, the chapter finds consistent results regarding the role of left-behind children as a significant motive for return. The last chapter examines the impact of the migration experience on individuals' choice of being self-employed upon their return to their home villages. By using the same data of Wuwei survey, the chapter finds that return migrants are more likely to be self-employed than non-migrants, and that both return savings and the frequency of job changes during migration increase the likelihood for return migrants to become self-employed.

In many cases rural crafters have had only limited exposure to the market economy and have little understanding of how it works. If the crafters are unable to market their products, then their efforts in making craft items are being wasted. It was for this reason that this study was undertaken. The study focused on indigenous handcraft (beadwork, basketry and leatherwork) owing to the fact that these kinds of crafts are widely produced in the area of Izinqoleni. The purpose of this study was to investigate the marketing opportunities of indigenous handcrafts, and highlight problems faced by crafters in Izinqoleni. To accomplish this, the study had to describe the productive functioning of individuals and group producers of indigenous handcraft, find out about the kinds of craft items produced, and understand what was required to produce crafts in sufficient quantities and appropriate quality for markets. It also had to identify such suitable markets and describe the market places in relation to access, requirements, and potential for economic returns of crafters, to identify the gaps in the relationships between present production by crafters and marketing requirements, identify the constraints on crafters and markets, and recommend remedial actions that need to be taken. For this study, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and personal observations were employed to obtain information. The target population of this study comprised of the individuals and group crafters, craft traders (formal and informal traders such as art and craft galleries, craft shops, farm stalls, Tourism Information Centre, beach/road side craft sellers) as well as the buyers of indigenous handcrafts (schools and Shembe religious groups). Ten individual crafters, two craft groups, seven informal craft traders, four formal craft traders, two schools and two Shembe groups participated in this study. The findings of this study indicated that, despite the constraints facing the crafters in Izinqoleni; both the individual and group crafters had great potential for producing marketable products, although groups had better opportunities in term of exposure to markets and other requirements than individuals. There was not a big difference between the craft items that were produced by the crafters of Izinqoleni and those that were available at the local craft outlets. The traders, however, did not obtain their goods from local crafters; they depended on the distant crafters for supply of indigenous handcrafts. Therefore, they were very positive in creating strong relationships with the local crafters, provided they conformed to the requirements of these markets. It was therefore recommended that the crafters form cooperatives so that they could become recognized and then be supported in every possible way. The Government policies should consider indigenous handcraft as a major contributor to the economy, and promote indigenous handcraft production and marketing by providing sufficient support and services. / Thesis (M.Sc)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

Though Botswana is regarded as one of the richer countries in Africa, it is faced with challenges experienced by other developing countries in Sub-Saharan Africa such as poverty, unemployment and HIV/AIDS. Recession in the mining and agriculture sectors, which have been the pillars of the country's wealth, has caused the economy to decline. The National Development Plan 9 (NDP 9 2003/4-2008/9) is a five year national development plan for Botswana that states that 36.7% of the populace have incomes below the poverty datum line. Entrenched in the nation's Vision 2016 statement are two development goals aimed at poverty reduction; to create sustainable jobs and to develop human resources. The Botswana government has thus earmarked the promotion of small, medium and micro-enterprises as one of the measures to reduce poverty. This shift to self-employment would help create much needed jobs, contribute to the economy and improve the quality of life of the Batswana. The government's efforts alone will not suffice in this predicament. It needs the assistance of all stakeholders including the private sector and the general public. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether the Junior Achievement Botswana Programme is an effective programme for equipping the youth in Botswana with business skills with the hope that they would in turn establish businesses in their communities. The study focused on exploring the perceptions of the trainees/learners in the programme to establish if they felt that the training gave them the necessary knowledge and skills to boost their confidence and motivation to plan, start up and sustain business ventures. The perceptions of teachers and trainers involved in the delivery of the programme were also sought to establish the programme's strengths and challenges and to suggest how the programme could be improved. The study also employed an entrepreneurial test to determine whether the programme attracted teachers and students who have the desired characteristics for business. At the heart of this study was an attempt to articulate the role of education and training in preparing the youth for self-employment. Data was collected using both quantitative and qualitative data collection strategies. The data was analysed descriptively as well deriving themes and meanings. The study found out that the JAB is a good and informative programme that inspires the youth and instils confidence in them to believe that they have gained knowledge and skills required to be engaged in viable business ventures. They felt particularly confident about market research, production and marketing components of running businesses. However, the study also found out that the programme has deficiencies such as insufficient preparation of its trainees to access and manage finances, inability to develop networks for support especially once the students have left schools and are no longer under the comforting guidance of the programme facilitators. In addition, the study realised that the programme seems to overlook the role of monitoring, follow up, evaluation, networking and mentoring in training for entrepreneurship. Issues pertaining to partnerships and public relations also surfaced in the study. On the whole, the respondents in the study found the programme enjoyable and worthwhile and wished it could be extended to many others. The study also found that the desired characteristics for business as identified by the entrepreneurship test administered were possessed by fewer than 20 percent of the students and teachers. This may also have contributed to the low numbers of people who went on to start their own businesses. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

The draft for a Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base Directive in the European Union includes the suggestion for an apportionment formula which allocates taxable group profits to group member corporations. These allocated profits shall then be taxed in the respective Member States. The draft directive delegates the right to define one factor of the apportionment formula, the term "Employee" to the Member States, who are therefore free to choose a narrow or a broad definition, the latter including also atypical employment schemes. Using a game-theoretic approach the paper shows that the individually rational strategy of any Member State to define "Employee" broadly so as to maximize the volume of the apportionment factor and thus maximize the allocated share of taxable income is only the best solution when tax rate differences and differences in the volume of atypical employment schemes are disregarded. If such differentials and the corporate groups' reactions to different Member States' definitions are included in modelling the game's pay-offs a narrow definition of "Employee" yields the highest individual pay-offs to the Member States involved. This change of dominant strategies is triggered by the corporate group's shifting of the employment factor from high-tax to low-tax Member States. Our paper differs from previous research on the economic effects of the CCCTB apportionment formula as it is the first paper identifying and analysing the employment factor and its distorting effects. The paper discusses possible tax minimizing strategies for corporate groups by shifting workforce and develops a model to quantify these potential relocations. Furthermore the paper presents advice to policy makers in their "Employee" definition decision and shows how Member States could use this definition to both minimize outward factor shifting and maximize inward factor shifting.(authors' abstract) / Series: WU International Taxation Research Paper Series

The dissertation deals with the current situation of the labour market, as well as presents legal wording in the field of labour law, employment law, labour code, their ammendments, and other important legal regulations. The aim of this work is an analysis of the existing situation of the labour market and the cooperation with employment offices and companies in the Czech Republic. In addition, it looks to define an understanding of the real situations and problems these institutions struggle with, using statistical and mathematical models learned during my studies.

A cette époque de crises économiques internationales, de mondialisation et d’ouverture des marchés, la micro-entreprise apparaît plus que jamais comme une arme d'anti-crise et de création d'emplois. Dans ce contexte, les outils juridiques s'avèrent être le meilleur moyen pour accomplir ces objectifs. Ces outils sont principalement composés du droit des sociétés et des entreprises, du droit de la sécurité sociale et du droit fiscal. Cependant, ils ne sont pas les mêmes en France qu'au Liban. En effet, les législations de ces deux pays ont pendant longtemps porté des conceptions juridiques similaires. Or, depuis une vingtaine d'années le droit français a commencé à prendre un rythme d’évolution accéléré suite à l’influence exercé par le droit continental européen dans le cadre de l’harmonisation européenne. Ainsi, il s’agit d’intégrer les évolutions du droit français dans le droit libanais. Toutefois, le droit français connaît lui même plusieurs imperfections. C’est pourquoi un regard porté sur les législations appartenant à un autre système juridique que celui du « Droit civil », notamment sur celles appartenant à la famille de la « Common Law », pourrait apporter des solutions originales aux limites des droits français et libanais. Par conséquent, cette contribution vise à trouver des remèdes aux lacunes juridiques existantes en matière de micro-entreprise en France et au Liban et à élaborer de nouveaux moyens de la promouvoir. / At this time of international economic crises, globalization and open markets, the micro-enterprise appears more than ever as a weapon of anti-crisis and job creation. In this context, the legal tools are proving to be the best way to achieve these goals. These tools are mainly composed of company and corporate laws, social security law and tax law. However, they vary from France to Lebanon. Even though, for a long time, the legislations of both countries have carried similar legal concepts. Yet, for more than twenty years now French law has begun taking an accelerated pace of evolution, due to the influence of the European continental law in the context of European harmonization. Thus, the objective is to incorporate the French law evolutions in the Lebanese law. However, the French law suffers of several imperfections, this is why a glance at the legislations of other legal systems than the “Civil law”, in particular those of “Common law”, could provide original solutions to the limits of French and Lebanese law. Therefore, this paper aims to find cures for existing legal loopholes concerning the micro-enterprise in France and Lebanon and to develop new ways to promote it.