In this thesis I develop a contemporary history of memetics, or the field dedicated to the study of memes. Those working in the realm of meme theory have been generally concerned with developing either evolutionary or epidemiological approaches to the study of human culture, with memes viewed as discrete units of cultural transmission. At the center of my account is the argument that memetics has been characterized by an atypical pattern of growth, with the meme concept only moving toward greater academic legitimacy after significant development and diffusion in the popular realm. As revealed by my analysis, the history of memetics upends conventional understandings of discipline formation and the popularization of scientific ideas, making it a novel and informative case study in the realm of science and technology studies. Furthermore, this project underscores how the development of fields and disciplines is thoroughly intertwined with a larger social, cultural, and historical milieu. / Master of Science

No / Jagdish Bhagwati's proposal for a 'brains tax' to be levied on the incomes of the diaspora from developing countries residing in the developed countries and the proceeds to be remitted to the countries of origin of the diaspora is well known. In recent years the voluntary contributions or remittances from the diaspora to their countries of origin have often been higher than the aid monies given to these countries. It is now increasingly recognised that the diaspora may have an active role to play in the development process of their countries of origin. They are not only a source of funds; they are also a rich source of skills and know-how. This paper analyses the potential of the diaspora as agents of change in their countries of origin and argues that the social rate of return to a unit of diaspora investments may be higher than that for a unit of foreign direct investment from non-diaspora sources.

No / This article investigates the relative importance and variability of the country-of-origin effect in employee relations approaches of US subsidiaries within the context of diversity of employee relations patterns in home- and host-country business systems and the influence of important industry forces. It is based on a representative survey of US subsidiaries and indigenous firms in the UK. The cross-sectional comparison with indigenous UK firms confirmed a distinct US country-of-origin imprint in employee relations patterns in US subsidiaries. However, the magnitude of such an effect cautions against assumptions of popular stereotypes and reflects, inter alia, the diversity of employee relations approaches among US parent companies as well as developments in the UK industrial relations landscape over the last decades. The intra-US analysis revealed the importance of both the level and type of industry internationalisation in shaping the strength and nature of the country-of-origin influence. On the basis of the findings, the article highlights lessons to be learned for the study of cross-border policy-transfer issues in MNCs.

No / In light of current changes in the German industrial relations¿ landscape and the wider and deeper integration of German multinationals into the world economy, this study investigates the relative importance of the country-of-origin effect in employee relations of German affiliates in an Anglo-American setting. The paper addresses important issues that relate to the wider international business domain. The comparative analysis to US affiliates in the UK and British owned firms points to a distinctively German flavored hybrid approach that integrates the best practice elements of the US model with the collective orientation of the German model. This bears a resemblance to an emerging trend in the parent companies¿ home locations. The intra-German analysis revealed that affiliates of multinationals that face pressures for international integration are at the forefront of this development. The findings suggest that this might provide a suitable model of international operation for multinationals from strongly institutionalized countries.

Yes / We study the asset pricing implications arising from imperfect investor protection using a new governance measure. This is defined as the product of institutional quality in a country and the proportion of free float shares, which captures the impact of controlling block holders. Using monthly returns of 4756 blue chip firms from 50 international equity markets for 13 years, we show through tests of variants of the augmented-CAPM, that a two factor CAPM augmented with a factor mimicking portfolio based on our new investor protection metric yields the highest explanatory power, especially for markets that exhibit true variation in ownership types.

Yes / Organelle biogenesis is concomitant to organelle inheritance during cell division. It is necessary that organelles double their size and divide to give rise to two identical daughter cells. Mitochondrial biogenesis occurs by growth and division of pre-existing organelles and is temporally coordinated with cell cycle events [1]. However, mitochondrial biogenesis is not only produced in association with cell division. It can be produced in response to an oxidative stimulus, to an increase in the energy requirements of the cells, to exercise training, to electrical stimulation, to hormones, during development, in certain mitochondrial diseases, etc. [2]. Mitochondrial biogenesis is therefore defined as the process via which cells increase their individual mitochondrial mass [3]. Recent discoveries have raised attention to mitochondrial biogenesis as a potential target to treat diseases which up to date do not have an efficient cure. Mitochondria, as the major ROS producer and the major antioxidant producer exert a crucial role within the cell mediating processes such as apoptosis, detoxification, Ca2+ buffering, etc. This pivotal role makes mitochondria a potential target to treat a great variety of diseases. Mitochondrial biogenesis can be pharmacologically manipulated. This issue tries to cover a number of approaches to treat several diseases through triggering mitochondrial biogenesis. It contains recent discoveries in this novel field, focusing on advanced mitochondrial therapies to chronic and degenerative diseases, mitochondrial diseases, lifespan extension, mitohormesis, intracellular signaling, new pharmacological targets and natural therapies. It contributes to the field by covering and gathering the scarcely reported pharmacological approaches in the novel and promising field of mitochondrial biogenesis.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / Almost every geographical wine producing area has a generic marketing organisation in the form of a wine route organisation or similar organisation that aspires to create a favourable perception of their area in the minds of wine consumers. In their efforts to try and escape the growing commoditising of wines, wine producers recently intensified their efforts to differentiate themselves from other offers by increasingly certifying more wine as wine from a specific geographical area, launching competitions that embrace terroir as the defining factor for quality and increasing the number of demarcated areas. It was the purpose of this study to examine whether the South African consumer assigns a high degree of relevance to the certification of origin as an influencing factor when purchasing wine. As a starting point, a literature study was conducted to establish the current state of knowledge regarding the relevance of certification of origin of wine in wine marketing. The literature review also provided the framework for designing a survey conducted among South African wine consumers. The data gathered via an online questionnaire was analysed by employing both descriptive and inferential statistical methods. The analysis showed that certification of origin of wine plays a secondary role in influencing consumers when faced with a purchasing decision on its own. However, as part of the regional composite variable, which consists of variety, region and wine style, it plays a major role in influencing consumers (McCutcheon, Bruwer & Li, 2009: 229). In accordance with other studies conducted among South African wine consumers (Von Arnim, 2008: 58), the specific wine variety emerged as the most important factor influencing consumers. It was also found that consumers with a high involvement and interest in wine assign a higher degree of relevance to certification of origin of wine than consumers with a low involvement. The findings of this research report are based on respondents who mainly reside within the Western Cape and the demographic profile of respondents shows that mostly male respondents completed the online questionnaire. The findings are therefore tentative due to the geographical and demographical limitations. This research report is of value to academic researchers, wine marketing professionals and generic marketing organisations such as wine route organisations.

The focus of this study is the role and function of country of origin (COO) in the creation and communication of the brand identities of Scottish premium/luxury brands. It applies the identity concept which is well developed in the branding literature to the COO literature where the focus on the consumer perspective of country image has resulted in the area of origin management being underdeveloped. Recognising the paucity of COO literature which examines the mechanisms and processes used by luxury brands to communicate COO, these are also analysed. The study uses an innovative two stage sequential mixed methods research design. In the first stage, the macro perspective is gained from the analysis of a database of companies compiled specifically for the study covering six categories of Scottish premium/luxury brands. Additionally a postal survey and analysis of company web pages gather a mix of qualitative and quantitative data to examine the role of COO. The second stage gains strategic insights from semi structured interviews with business elites achieving in depth understanding of the decision making process regarding the strategic advantages of COO in brand identities. The value of the study lies in the contribution to knowledge from frameworks which identify: the characteristics which differentiate companies within and across luxury sectors and organisational structure models which reflect the dominant ownership structures in the Scottish food and beverage, textiles/cashmere and whisky sectors; the dimensions of Scottish premium/luxury brands across a range of product categories; the motivations and drivers for adopting a COO identity; the criteria which distinguish COO brands; the COO communication process. The importance of COO as a key differentiating device which conveys competitive advantage is developed using the metaphor of COO as the anchor which locates the brand in a place which evokes symbolic, emotional and psychological associations and provides the brand with protection and security.

Title: The Country-of-Origin Effect in the Personal Care Market  Level: Final assignment for Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration Author: Simon Andersson and Gustaf Persson Supervisor: Jonas Kågström Date: 2019 – January Aim: The study aims to analyse Swedish consumers’ perceptions on the Country-of-Origin effects regarding Chinese products. Method: The study is based on a quantitative method. The data collection was done with a questionnaire with a deductive approach. The empirical data was collected through a web survey which was published on social media e.g. Facebook and LinkedIn. The data was then processed in the statistical program IBM SPSS Statistics (SPSS) to form models, figures and values. A descriptive-, correlation-, factor- and cluster-analysis was then formed. Result & Conclusion: The results showed how different variables correlate, different factors which the variables were grouped in and five different clusters of respondents. The conclusion is that there is a so-called COO-effect for Swedish consumers subconsciously. Furthermore, Swedish consumers are aware of the origin, but rank other quality and price as higher cues. Contribution of the thesis: This study aims, with help of previous research and a conducted survey, examine how Swedish consumer perceptions of Chinese personal care products regarding the COO-effect. Furthermore, it provides information on how Swedish consumers ranks certain cues. The study is unique since it provides insight on a market that has not yet been analysed with regard to the COO effect (Sweden) and with a certain product group where there is no current research available in relation to COOeffects. Furthermore, the study contributes to general COO-research, with certain implications deriving from previous research. There are both theoretical and practical contributions of importance, illustrating Swedish consumer perceptions of Chinese products. Suggestions for future research: This essay is limited to the Swedish market and focused on a particular product group. There are several other products groups that are yet to be researched in regard to COO-effects/consumer perception. Further research could compare two different product groups with high involvement to analyse the difference between certain product types. A comparison between two (or more) different countries would provide a vertical view of COO-effects, analysing the differences between different consumer perceptions and what cultural variables that may be vital for purchasing decisions. Keywords: Country-of-origin (COO), Country-of-origin effects, Product evaluation, Cultural differences, Made in China, Consumer behaviour, Purchase decision, Trust / Titel: The Country-of-Origin Effect in the Personal Care Market  Nivå: Examensarbete på Grundnivå (kandidatexamen) i ämnet företagsekonomi Författare: Simon Andersson och Gustaf Persson Handledare: Jonas Kågström Datum: 2019 – Januari Syfte: Studien syftar att analysera svenska konsumenters uppfattning om effekterna av ursprungsland för kinesiska produkter. Metod: Studien baseras på en kvantitativ metod. Datainsamlingen skedde med en enkätundersökning som utgår från ett deduktivt synsätt. Empiriska data har samlats in via en webbenkät som publicerades på sociala medier som exempelvis Facebook och LinkedIn. Data behandlades i statistikprogrammet IBM SPSS Statistics (SPSS) för att få ut resultat; modeller, figurer och värden. Sedan utformades en deskriptiv analys, korrelationsanalys, faktoranalys och en klusteranalys. Resultat & slutsats: Resultatet uppvisade hur olika variabler korrelerar, olika faktorer som grupperar variabler samt fem olika kluster med respondenter. Vi kan dra slutsatsen att det finns en så kallad ”country-of-origin” (COO) -effekt som svenska konsumenter inte är medvetna om. Svenska konsumenter är medvetna om produktens ursprung, men rankar variablerna kvalitet och pris högre. Examensarbetets bidrag: Denna studie syftar till, att med hjälp av tidigare forskning och en genomförd undersökning, analysera svenska konsumenters uppfattning av kinesiska hälsoprodukter när det gäller COO-effekten. Dessutom ger den information om hur svenska konsumenter rankar olika variabler vid köp. Studien är unik eftersom den ger insikt om en marknad som ännu inte analyserats med avseende på COO-effekten och med en viss produktgrupp som det inte finns någon forskning om samband av COO-effekter. Studien kommer dessutom att bidra till generell COO-forskning, med vissa avvikelser som härrör från tidigare forskning. Det finns både teoretiska och praktiska bidrag av betydelse, som ger en inblick i svenska konsumenters uppfattning av kinesiska produkter. Förslag till fortsatt forskning: Den här uppsatsen avgränsar sig till den svenska marknaden och riktade in sig på en särskild produktgrupp. Det finns flera andra produktgrupper som ännu inte undersöks med avseende på COO-effekter och dess inverkan på konsumenters uppfattning. Framtida forskning kan jämföra två olika produktgrupper för att analysera de skillnader som finns/inte finns. En jämförelse mellan två (eller flera) olika länder skulle ge en vertikal bild av COO-effekter och en sådan analys skulle öka förståelse för att förstå vilka kulturella skillnader som är avgörande i konsumentbeteende. Nyckelord: Country-of-origin (COO), Country-of-origin effects, Product evaluation, Cultural differences, Made in China, Consumer behaviour, Purchase decision, Trust

Europos Sąjungos sudaryti preferenciniai susitarimai su trečiosiomis šalimis importuojant atitinkamos kilmės šalies prekes, leidžia joms taikyti sumažintą, ar net 0 proc. importo muito tarifą. Taip skatinamas Susitariančių šalių ekonomikos augimas. Preferencijos taikomos prekėms, kurios numatytos atitinkamuose susitarimuose ir atitinka preferencinės prekybos prekių kilmės taisykles. Kadangi Lietuva yra Europos Sąjungos narė, mūsų šaliai yra aktualūs preferencinių susitarimų taikymo ypatumai, sąlygos ir perspektyvos. Magistro baigiamojo darbo tikslas yra kompleksiškai išanalizuoti teisinius ir organizacinius prekių kilmės kontrolės reglamentavimo principus, teorinius bei praktinius aspektus ir atskleisti praktines jų įgyvendinimo spragas bei problemas. Darbe keliami uždaviniai: išnagrinėti ES preferencinių prekybos susitarimų teisinio reglamentavimo sistemą, jų įtaką prekių importui ir eksportui, atskleisti prekių kilmės esmę ir jos nustatymo metodus bei kontrolės formas, atlikti prekių kilmės tikrinimo ir kontrolės analizę Lietuvos muitinėje ir nustatyti trūkumus taikant prekių kilmės kontrolę bei apibendrinti taikomus prekių kilmės kontrolės teisinius ir organizacinius aspektus ir numatyti jų tobulinimo kryptis. Darbe naudojami teorinės medžiagos analizės ir sintezės, grafinio vaizdavimo, statistikos duomenų analizės ir sintezės metodai. Remiamasi tiek oficialiais, tiek antriniais informacijos šaltiniais. Teiginiai iliustruojami statistiniais duomenimis, sudaromos diagramos... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The work was produced in Vilnius, in 2007. Scope of this conclusive work is 80 pages. The work consists of introduction, tree parts and is concluded by giving conclusions and proposals. The report of work are 17 pictures, 3 tables in this work, as well as list of literature, summary and 9 annexes. Preferential arrangements of EU with the third countries importing some products with origin, allow to use reduced tariff or 0 ℅ rate of duty of import. So it is the prime to pump the developing of economy of contracting parties. The preferences are applied to products which are covered by respective agreements and adequate the rules of origin in preferential trade. Lithuania is the member of EU so it is actual for our country the use of general peculiarity of preferential origin, conditions and perspectives. Goal of this conclusive work is the integrated analyse of juriducal and organizational control of proof of origin, theoretical and practical aspects and the point is to show the practical breaches and problems of their realization. Tasks are raised in this work is to study the preferential agreements of trade of EU, the systems of regulation, their influence for import and export, to show the substantiality of origin, methods, forms of control and evolution of control in Lithuanian customs and to establish directions of their perfection. The aim of this work was reached by the analysis and synthesis on theoretical, repository and statistical material. In conclusion work were... [to full text]