A thesis submitted to the Wits School of Social Science, Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Johannesburg 2015 / The literature on International Relations purports that the proliferation of strategic partnership, particularly at the minilateral level, is explained with reference to the inherent characteristics of this latest archetype of international alignment. Although it is generally accepted that it is the inherent characteristics of strategic partnership that make it an effective diplomatic and political tool through which states can strategically position themselves in a shifting global arena, this assumption has yet to be validated. The aim of this research study is to elucidate the extent to which, and how, strategic partnership at the minilateral level impacts upon the global strategic position(ing) (GSP) of its member states. Combining universal comparison in case study methodology with constructivist perspectives, South Africa’s dual membership of the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Dialogue Forum and the Brazil-Russia-India- China-South Africa (BRICS) Forum are used to test the hypothesis that strategic partnership at the minilateral level enhances the GSP of its member states. The considerable overlap in membership of IBSA and BRICS yields two related research questions addressed in this study; what it is that India, Brazil and South Africa are better suited to achieve through IBSA without China and Russia; and what it is that China and Russia (the two BRICS members not in IBSA) bring to the table. The findings of this research study reveal that membership of IBSA and of BRICS has made a positive impact upon South Africa’s GSP according to the three strengths by which GSP is measured. However, the impact of IBSA on South Africa’s GSP is limited and largely confined to the diplomatic arena, while in the case of BRICS the impact is more significant and cuts across the diplomatic, political, economic and social spheres. As part of these findings, the particular issue-areas in which IBSA and BRICS respectively make a discernible impact upon South Africa’s GSP are identified. These findings show that IBSA and BRICS are better suited to dealing with different issue areas, which enables the two forums to be considered sui generis entities on separate but parallel tracks. Further than this, the findings provide valuable insight into South Africa’s strategic approach to international politics in the 21st Century; in particular how South Africa seeks to leverage its soft power in the international system through the intensification of its network power. More significantly, though, at the theoretical level these findings show that strategic partnership at the minilateral level is not by itself sufficient to strengthen the GSP of its member states. Instead, the extent to which a strategic partnership has an impact upon a member state’s GSP is determined by the particular composition of that minilateral alignment; that is to which particular states are (minimally) essential to achieving a particular identified mutually desired outcome. Thus, a smarter more targeted approach to minilateral alignments may well rest not only in a “magic number” but, more crucially, in their composition.

1 1 Abstract The topic of this dissertation thesis is Public Private Partnership. Public Private Partnership is a new phenomenon for delivering services and works by public authorities and other public bodies and entities (as contracting authorities). It emerged in the English speaking countries, namely in the USA and UK, in the 70s and 80s of the last century. Later, because of budgetary restraints and problems with financing public con tracts other countries across the European Union and the world showed interest in this phenomenon. Public Private Partnership is an economic rather than a legal term. Legislation does not use this designation. Instead, common features of Public Private Partnership are used to describe and set down Public Private Partnership in law. It is a general designation for different forms of cooperation between public and private entities which have the following features: The cooperation is based on contractual relations, it is a long term relation and the private entity bears risks related to the performance which would bear the public entity otherwise. The objective of establishing the cooperation is to deliver services and works in the public interest and to satisfy public needs. Provided that the aforementioned features are given we can consider the relation as the Public...

Föreliggande studie undersökte skillnader i attityder mellan män och kvinnor gällande partnervåld och dess allvarlighetsgrad bland unga. Fortsättningsvis undersökte studien även huruvida deltagarnas kön, könet på den fiktiva utsatta och om deltagarna var i en parrelation eller inte kunde påverka attityderna. Studien använde sig av en enkät innehållande en vinjett med ‘Opinion of Domestic Violence Scale’. Studiens urval bestod av 504 universitetsstudenter mellan åldrarna 19–28 (M= 22,6, SD= 2,2) från en mellanstor stad i Sverige. Totalt deltog 312 kvinnor (M= 22, 3, SD= 2,2) och 192 män (M= 23,2, SD= 2,2) Studiens resultat visade en skillnad mellan män och kvinnors attityder till partnervåld där de kvinnliga deltagarna i studien rapporterade högre medelvärdespoäng, vilket indikerar att kvinnor ansåg partnervåld som mer allvarligt. Kvinnor som var i en parrelation, hade attityder som indikerade att de såg partnervåld riktat mot kvinnor som mindre allvarligt. Resultaten diskuterades utifrån tidigare forskning och konceptet av det ‘Ideala brottsoffret’. Den slutsats som kan dras utifrån föreliggande studies resultat är att det finns en tydlig skillnad mellan män och kvinnors attityder till partnervåld och dess allvarlighetsgrad där kvinnor anser partnervåld som mer allvarligt / The present study examined differences in attitudes between young men and women regarding partner violence and its severity. The study examined whether the participants’ gender and the sex of fictitious victim, as well as whether being in a partnership had an impact in the participants’ attitudes. The study was conducted through a questionnaire with a vignette along with the ‘Opinion of Domestic Violence Scale’. This was completed by 504 undergraduates between the ages of 19-28 (M= 22,6, SD= 2,2) at a university located in a medium-sized city in Sweden. A total of 312 women (M= 22,3, SD= 2,2) and 192 men 192 (M= 23,2, SD=2,2) participated. The results showed a difference between men and women, where the female participants reported higher mean scores, indicating that women find partner violence more severe. Women who were in a relationship at the time, reported that partner violence against a woman was less severe. The results were discussed on the basis of previous research along with the concept of the ‘Ideal Victim’. The conclusion was that there was a difference between men and women's attitudes regarding partner violence, where women viewed it as more severe

Background: Sweden is the home to many successful startups. The lack of IT-developers causes companies to use offshore outsourcing to realize their ideas. In research, there are studies on what needs to be done to outsource successfully. Researchers and practitioners argue that different perspectives on the impact of success need to be considered. Many studies show that the quality of the partnership relationship between customer and supplier is essential for the success of an outsourcing project. However, there are little studies on how success in outsourcing for a start-up comes about in the pre start-up phase and from which factors this depends. Purpose: This research has the purpose to understand why software startups outsource offshore in the pre-startup phase and how success can be achieved in these outsourcing projects. The partnership relationship has an influence on the success of outsourcing and is influenced by several factors. This research aims to find critical success factors in the pre start-up phase for offshore outsourcing. Method: To find answers to our research questions a multiple case study within 9 Swedish start-ups was conducted. Therefore, we collected all data through semi-structured interviews based on an interview guide. The critical success factors in outsourcing in the pre start-up phase were analyzed using content analysis methods. Conclusion: Our results show that outsourcing was an essential business step for all the examined software start-ups in order to realize their idea. In most cases, tactical reasons like availability of resources and costs savings were why start-ups chose to outsource software development to a provider abroad. The quick confirmation of ideas was another important aspect for some start-ups:  "fail fast and fail cheap". All investigated factors play a role in offshoring success, but communication, which directly influences trust, has the biggest influence on outsourcing success in the pre start-up phase of a firm. All other success factors influence the trust between client and vendor, which has a positive influence on the outsourcing success. It turns out that factors such as performance become more relevant in a more mature phase of the business.

Trata-se de pesquisa sobre o processo político-decisório que levou o governo paulista a adotar e manter a política de convênios com organizações da sociedade civil para a oferta de alfabetização e escolarização inicial (Ensino Fundamental I) para jovens e adultos após a municipalização dessa etapa e modalidade de ensino em 1996. O estudo reconstitui a história do Programa Alfabetiza São Paulo, desenvolvido pela Secretaria de Educação de São Paulo e cinco organizações não governamentais (ONGs), identificando e analisando os significados atribuídos pelos envolvidos à relação de parceria que estabeleceram, bem como os sentidos que se tornaram hegemônicos, determinando a permanência do Programa na agenda de governo. Dentre as hipóteses de pesquisa, foram consideradas as alternativas de que o governo estadual tenha sido permeável às demandas de organizações comunitárias, e de que, em um contexto de escassa visibilidade pública, traços de clientelismo político tenham afetado o processo decisório relativo ao Programa. A investigação se desenvolveu mediante abordagem qualitativa, utilizando a metodologia de estudo de conteúdo de políticas públicas associada à perspectiva analítica ex post, assemelhada às avaliações de processo. A coleta de dados compreendeu a pesquisa bibliográfica, o levantamento documental e a realização de entrevistas. Da perquirição realizada, concluímos que a gênese e o desenvolvimento da parceria que estrutura o Programa se deveu às relações privilegiadas que os patronos das ONGs conveniadas mantiveram com membros do governo paulista e que permaneceu na agenda do governo por meio da pressão por elas exercida. Tendo-se em vista que o Programa não atende aos critérios da publicidade e da transparência, a parceria resguarda traços de uma relação política clientelista de função latente, que emerge como alternativa à não consolidação de espaços públicos de participação e consecução de direitos frente à demanda por alfabetização de jovens adultos. / This research is about the political decision process that led the São Paulo state government to adopt and maintain a policy of partnerships with the civil society organizations to literacy and initial education (Elementary Education I) for young people and adults after the municipalization of this stage and modality of education. The study reconstructs the history of the Alfabetiza São Paulo Program, developed by the São Paulo Education Secretary (SP - SE) and five non-governmental organizations (NGOs). It identifies and analyzes the meanings attributed by the involved parties to the partnership established, and elucidates which of these meanings became hegemonic and determined the permanence of the Program on the government\'s agenda. Among the research hypotheses, were considered the alternatives that the state government has been permeable to the community organizations demands, and that, in a context of scarce public visibility, the political clientelism has affected the decision-making process concerning the program. The research was developed through a qualitative approach, by using the methodology of the study of public policy content associated with the analytical ex post perspective, similar to the process evaluations. The data collection included the bibliographic research, the documentary survey and the interviews. The investigation performed concludes that the origin and the development of the partnerships in Alfabetiza São Paulo Program was due to relations between party members of the state government and leaders of the NGOs, so the Program just remained in the government\'s agenda due to the pressure from NGOs partnerships. Having in mind that the program does not meet the criteria of publicity and transparency, the partnership preserves features of a clientelistic political relationship of latent function, which emerges as an alternative to non-consolidation of public spaces for participation and achievement of rights regarding the demand for literacy of young adults.

Thesis advisor: Philip G. Altbach / This case study examines the experiences of the government and academic personnel in the United States-Brazil Higher Education Consortia Program. It addresses the overall question, "What factors influence the successful implementation of international higher education collaborations?" The participants include representatives from the two government sponsoring agencies and one four-institution consortium project. The findings reveal that there were certain conditions that facilitated the successful implementation of the consortium project. These conditions are categorized into six themes: partner equality and mutuality, partner characteristics, partner relationship, finances, strategies, and staffing. The findings also reveal that the participants did not consider national culture to be a significant factor in the implementation and collaboration experience. This research is particularly relevant to the international higher education community because it focuses on the project director rather than the student perspective, addresses implementation factors rather than discipline-specific matters or student outcomes, and directly impacts an institution's ability to conceptualize and implement international collaborative initiatives. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2009. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Administration and Higher Education.

Thesis advisor: Dennis Shirley / The ability to express meaning in prose is a foundational skill in our society. Given the importance of being a competent writer, concern with the quality of writing instruction is a recurring theme among American educators (Cutler & Graham, 2008; Gilbert & Graham, 2010; National Commission on Writing, 2003, 2004, 2006). Research shows that teachers are unprepared to teach writing (Gilbert & Graham, 2010) and devote limited amounts of time to it (Cutler & Graham, 2008; Gilbert & Graham, 2010). In addition, national assessment data indicates that most students are not proficient writers (Salahu-Din, Persky & Miller, 2008). An embedded case study design (Yin, 2009), using mixed methodology (Greene & Caracelli, 2003a, 2003b; Hesse-Biber, 2010), was employed to determine whether a school-university partnership enacted systemic functional linguistics theory guided writing intervention changed fourth and fifth grade teachers' writing instruction over the course of three years in an urban elementary school. The study further investigated changes to 41 fourth and 27 fifth graders' writing performance during the third year of the invention. Examination of the relationship between students' performance in writing and the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) test in English language arts was conducted. The study also explored how teachers articulated their experiences with the partnership. Findings showed the content of teachers' instruction changed involving the use of metalanguage and the teaching of genre, language, and tenor. Similarly, instructional strategies evolved regarding negotiating field and deconstruction of text. Findings also indicated a significant improvement in writing performance for all students, and bilingual students had more growth over time than monolingual peers. Also, a moderate positive relationship existed between writing performance and MCAS performance, which suggests understanding of genre may support reading comprehension. Overall, teachers positively experienced the partnership and found value in the professional development. Implications of these study findings will benefit teacher education, administrators and policymakers, and allow for improved school-university partnerships. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2012. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Teacher Education, Special Education, Curriculum and Instruction.

Thesis advisor: Johannes de Wit / While internationalization in higher education is widely documented, little research has been conducted on how internationalization efforts at the 28 Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States have been operated. Through three exploratory case studies at Boston College, Saint Louis University, and the University of San Francisco, administrators, faculty members, and students were interviewed to address questions of rationales, strategies, outcomes with respect to internationalization, in relation to the Jesuit mission. Information from institutional websites and Jesuit documents served to round out the analysis of global engagement at Jesuit higher education institutions in the United States. Informed by the literature, the study draws on data collected from the 24 semi-structured interviews including individual and focus groups of international and study-abroad students. The study employs the conceptual framework of three pillars of internationalization at home, abroad, and through partnerships, provided by De Wit, Howard, Egron-Polak, & Hunter (2015). The findings show the growth of Jesuit institutions in the United States in the number of their internationals students, more concentration on global curricula, more opportunities for study abroad, and promotion of international partnerships. However, the study illustrates that Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States are still more regional or national institutions and are involved in internationalization at a preliminary stage of the process with ad hoc and fragmented strategic plans. The thesis ends with recommendations for more global collaboration and frequent assessment among Jesuit entities in order to sustain their operation and continually pursue the international mission of their Jesuit tradition, for a more balanced approach between the business/reputation model and the mission model, for more faculty and international students support, and for more attention to international alumni. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2018. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

Este trabalho aborda a estratégia na relação com os fornecedores em empresas de alta tecnologia e produtos complexos. Para tanto, foi tomado o caso da fabricação de aeronaves produzidas pela Embraer, que se destacou pela sua estratégia de parceria com seus fornecedores, principalmente na linha dos produtos das Famílias ERJ 145 e E-Jets. No entanto, na sua última linha de produtos, o que se percebe é uma estratégia diferenciada no seu modo de se relacionar com seus fornecedores, o que levou à questão da pesquisa. O presente trabalho discute as opções de relacionamento com fornecedores, do simples fornecimento ao compartilhamento de investimentos e riscos, e as racionalidades subjacentes. As técnicas utilizadas para elaborar o trabalho foram observação direta e pesquisa em dados secundários, revistas especializadas, web sites vinculados à indústria aeronáutica e associações, artigos acadêmicos e documentos da empresa. Além disso, foram conduzidas entrevistas semi-estruturadas, com empregados e ex-empregados da empresa, inclusive diretores. Os resultados mostram que, apesar de as grandes empresas como Boeing e Airbus terem adotado o modelo de parceria de risco desenvolvido pela empresa em estudo, esta hoje adota um modelo híbrido, com foco em lições anteriormente aprendidas na relação com fornecedores. / This paper discusses the strategy for relationship with the suppliers at high-tech and complex product companies. Therefore, the case studied was the manufacture of aircraft produced by Embraer and its unique strategy of partnering with suppliers, mainly when dealing the products of the ERJ145 and E-Jets families. In the company\'s latest line of products a particular strategy is observed in terms of relationship with suppliers, which led to our research question. This paper discusses the options of supplier relationships, from simple supply to shared investments and risks, and the rationales that underly them. The techniques used in this study were direct observation and research on secondary data, journals, websites linked to the aircraft industry and associations, academic papers, and the company\'s documents. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with both current and former employees. The results show that despite the fact that large companies like Boeing and Airbus use the partnership model of risk adopted by the company under study, Embraer is currently adopting a hybrid model focusing on lessons learned earlier in its supply chain.

Esta dissertação buscou identificar junto a empresas de grande porte quais os critérios de seleção de fornecedores que são considerados mais importantes quando se deseja construir relacionamentos de parceria dentro da cadeia de suprimentos. A revisão de literatura foi dividida em três grandes partes. Na primeira parte procurou-se abordar aspectos da gestão de suprimentos que são relevantes para o tema, como organização de compras, classificação de tipos de produtos e tipos de relacionamentos entre empresas, onde as características teóricas das parcerias com fornecedores foram exploradas. A segunda parte foca as características do processo de seleção de fornecedores. A terceira parte é dedicada ao estudo dos critérios encontrados na literatura para a escolha da mais adequada fonte de suprimentos. A consolidação desta parte do trabalho resultou na apresentação de uma lista com 45 critérios de seleção de fornecedores e suas respectivas definições para uniformização de abrangência e compreensão dos critérios. Com base nesta lista, a pesquisa foi conduzida na forma de estudo de casos junto às Gerências de Suprimentos de três empresas de grande porte com operações no mercado brasileiro de bens industriais e de consumo. Através de questionários e entrevistas foram identificados 17 critérios como sendo os mais importantes para o processo de seleção parceiros. A pesquisa também encontrou que os conceitos de parcerias com fornecedores são definidos pelas realidades de mercado de cada empresa e não convergem para os conceitos apresentados na literatura acadêmica. Parcerias vêm sendo definidas somente como relacionamentos de longo prazo com fornecedores em detrimento de qualquer outro atributo referenciado pela literatura acadêmica. Portanto, a utilização deste termo precisa vir precedida de uma conceituação precisa para evitar duplicidade de interpretações. / This dissertation aimed the identification of the most important supplier selection criteria used by large size companies when they want to build partnering relationships in their supply chains. The review of literature was separated in three parts. The first one concerns the supply management subjects that are relevant to the theme, such as purchase structure, product classification and sort of companies relationships, where the supplier partnerships characteristics were explored. The second part focuses the characteristics of supplier selection process. The third part is dedicated to the selection criteria found in the literature used to choose the most appropriated source of supply. The consolidation of this part resulted in the presentation of a list with 45 supplier selection criteria and their definitions to standardize the scope and comprehension. Based on this list, the research was conducted as case studies with Purchasing Managers of three large size companies that have operations in the Brazilian markets of industrial and consumer goods. Using questionnaires and interviews procedures, 17 criteria were considered the most important for the partner selection process. The research also found that the suppliers’ partnerships concepts are defined by the market realities of each company e do not converge to concepts shown in the academic literature. Partnerships has been defined only as long term relationships with suppliers rather than any other attribute mentioned in the academic literature. Therefore, before making use of the term Partnership it should be precisely defined in order to avoid misinterpretation.