Thesis (M.A.)--Guo li zheng zhi da xue / Cover title. Mimeo. copy.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2005. / Supervisors: D. Paul Newman and Shane S. Dikolli. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1985. / Typescript (photocopy). Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves l9l-l99).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1980. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 488-496).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2005. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 72-75). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of North Texas, May, 2007. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.

M. Comm. / Industrial incentives were introduced in South Africa for the first time during 1956. It was initially applied near the so-called homelands, and were only made available to all the industrialists in 1996. The problem which led to this study was that the incentives which were granted to industrialists have had no real benefits for the economy in the long run. South Africa is still not competitive in the global markets, we are still facing low productivity levels and the economy has no real wealth creation amongst its people. The purpose for this study was to compare the industrial incentive programmes with that of other African countries, with other developing countries and even with some developed countries to identify the shortcomings. This would then indicate which route South Africa could take to ensure that monies paid to industrialists are well spent. The factors which governments are taking into consideration when introducing incentives to industrialists were identified. It became clear that there are major differences in the objectives between developing and developed countries. The factors identified by of the United Nations were taken as a benchmark and as a starting point to evaluate specific industrial incentives for South Africa. These factors are investments and financial resources, technology, exports, employment and skills development, and the protection of the environment. The Department of Trade and Industry is in a process to implement new incentive programmes. Although the proposals are accommodating the labour and skills problems of South Africa effectively, the other factors have not been addressed as promptly. Proposals have been made that all the factors as identified by the United Nations should be addressed much more comprehensively in future. The new incentive programmes have not been approved by the SA Government as yet.

This study examined incentives, academic outcomes, and student performance in the South African higher education (HE) sector using the University of Cape Town as a case study. The analysis was conducted using a dataset that stacked three cross-sections of first year entering students and tracked these students over time. The thesis comprises six chapters. The introductory chapter provides background content on the research. Chapter 2 presents an exploratory and descriptive analysis of the South African HE sectors over the period 2004–2015. It focuses on a descriptive analysis of key South African HE indicators and outcomes. The first objective was to evaluate access to HE by identifying the pool of potential entrants through an examination of the school-leaving cohort of each year. The second objective was to identify racial enrolment, progression, and completion patterns to observe whether significant changes occurred over the period. The author finds that the differentials in performance between racial subgroups have narrowed over time. White students are shown to have the highest student success rates at above 80%, and although other subgroups show some improvement, they do not catch up to these rates. A trend analysis of the data, however, provided support for a fall in the dropout rate for all students. This chapter also provides evidence for persistence in but slower progression through HE. Chapter 3 presents a way to consider and evaluate the Dean's Merit List (DML) incentive system in the context of an African economy. The author evaluated the impact of academic recognition policies, specifically the DML, on student outcomes. Using a regression discontinuity approach, the chapter shows that the DML as an academic incentive policy, has largely negative rather than the intended positive effects over the short- and long-term on academic performance in the South African context. The results indicate that the DML has an unfavourable impact on subsequent academic performance. Students who received the award tended to earn lower grade point averages in subsequent years than expected. The findings suggest that the DML does not reinforce academic achievement. These results appear to be counterintuitive but support Bénabou and Tirole's theoretical expectations regarding extrinsic motivation in a situation of asymmetric information between an agent and principal. Chapter 4 investigates student performance over time by introducing a ranking variable of student achievement. The main finding is that race, gender, and performance on final school leaving examinations are important determinants of academic achievement. Female students outperform male students across the distribution of grade point average, and this finding is consistent with the growing international literature. Chapter 5 presents detailed evidence on the determinants of academic outcomes using discrete-time methods for competing risks survival analysis. An important contribution of this chapter is studying the determinants of dropout and graduation in HE in the context of an African country. While graduation is the preferred route of exit, voluntary and involuntary exit before completion remain prominent for a significant number of students. Interestingly, and contrary to other international studies, the author did not find support for financial aid status contributing to either voluntary dropout or graduation, even after controlling for academic and socio-economic background factors. Students on academic programmes are shown to be more likely to be involuntarily excluded and less likely to graduate or voluntarily exit HE then mainstream students. This is a cause for concern as these programmes are an initiative intended to address transformation and equity in, HE, attracting significant resources from within and outside universities. Chapter 6 summarises and presents policy discussions. Overall, the study shows that one-size-fits-all policies within the same institution applied across heterogenous faculties do not achieve their desired outcomes in the South African HE is setting. Considerable thought should be given to the nature of recognition policies as other basic requirements, such as course progression criteria, tend to crowd out the desired incentive effects of recognition policies. In addition, academic administrators should consider programmes that promote a decrease in outcome disparities in HE, including establishing more and expanding academic development programmes.

No description available.

This study examined the effects of a productivity-indexed pay for performance plan in a professional services firm. The new plan was implemented after productivity decreased under an existing plan. Performance of staff and senior level accountants was analyzed across three departments under a three-year baseline and a two-year intervention period. Several measures of productivity indicated that the intervention was effective in improving production, especially for employees with full annual workloads. Percentage of salaries earned in incentives was comparable for both the baseline and intervention periods. Possible explanations for trends in the data, weaknesses in the plan, and implications for future research are also discussed.