Introduction: From a legal point of view, gender-based discrimination is not condoned in the workplace. However, perceptions that such discrimination exists persist. Understanding the extent and nature of the phenomenon may contribute to the management thereof. Aim: The aim of this research was to report on the nature and level of workplace gender-based discrimination from the perspective of managers and employees, as well as by making use of objective measures. Method: Interviews were conducted with 75 managers focusing on the prevalence of gender-based discrimination in specific organisational processes. Furthermore, 145 managers and 1 740 employees completed questionnaires on this topic. Results: Managers reported flaws in all the organisational processes investigated. According to these managers, some processes showed a pro-female bias whilst others displayed a pro-male bias. More female than male employees reported discriminatory incidents at work, but both groups reported gender-based discrimination. Gender-based discrimination was the most prominent form of discrimination reported by women. Some female respondents reported pro-male and others pro-female discrimination. The same pattern applied to men. No statistically significant gender wage gap was found and the salaries of males and females were not differentially affected by qualifications, training, workplace experience or family responsibility. Managers and employees concurred that gender-based discrimination was the primary source of discrimination in the workplace, and they reported similarly on the consequences of this problem. Conclusions and recommendations: Managers are aware of discrimination in organisational processes. This awareness can be used to initiate programmes aimed at minimising discrimination. Both males and females are exposed to gender-based discrimination and they report similar consequences. This suggests that interventions should be directed at both groups. The different, and often opposing, reports provided by the male and female groups support the social identity theory and conceptions of group-serving bias. From the objective data it can be concluded that perceptions of being discriminated against are the result of psycho-social processes and not necessarily the result of justifiable biographical differences. / PhD (Business Administration), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Introduction: From a legal point of view, gender-based discrimination is not condoned in the workplace. However, perceptions that such discrimination exists persist. Understanding the extent and nature of the phenomenon may contribute to the management thereof. Aim: The aim of this research was to report on the nature and level of workplace gender-based discrimination from the perspective of managers and employees, as well as by making use of objective measures. Method: Interviews were conducted with 75 managers focusing on the prevalence of gender-based discrimination in specific organisational processes. Furthermore, 145 managers and 1 740 employees completed questionnaires on this topic. Results: Managers reported flaws in all the organisational processes investigated. According to these managers, some processes showed a pro-female bias whilst others displayed a pro-male bias. More female than male employees reported discriminatory incidents at work, but both groups reported gender-based discrimination. Gender-based discrimination was the most prominent form of discrimination reported by women. Some female respondents reported pro-male and others pro-female discrimination. The same pattern applied to men. No statistically significant gender wage gap was found and the salaries of males and females were not differentially affected by qualifications, training, workplace experience or family responsibility. Managers and employees concurred that gender-based discrimination was the primary source of discrimination in the workplace, and they reported similarly on the consequences of this problem. Conclusions and recommendations: Managers are aware of discrimination in organisational processes. This awareness can be used to initiate programmes aimed at minimising discrimination. Both males and females are exposed to gender-based discrimination and they report similar consequences. This suggests that interventions should be directed at both groups. The different, and often opposing, reports provided by the male and female groups support the social identity theory and conceptions of group-serving bias. From the objective data it can be concluded that perceptions of being discriminated against are the result of psycho-social processes and not necessarily the result of justifiable biographical differences. / PhD (Business Administration), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

El motiu que ens dugué a introduir-nos en l'estudi dels preus i salaris a la Lleida dels segles XIV i XV fou l'interès d'ampliar els coneixements d'una parcel.la de la història de Catalunya, fins el moment actual, insuficientment coneguda en tota la seva amplitud. Però a més, volíem fer-ho en relació amb la nostra ciutat, conscients de la necessitat de superar l'excessiva hegemonia historiogràfica de Barcelona.La bibliografia existent sobre l'evolució de preus i salaris als segles XIV i XV, si bé molt àmplia en estudis monogràfics arreu d'Europa, és més aviat minsa pel que fa a Catalunya. La causa està possiblement en la inexistència d'un tipus de documentació que proporcioni sèries de dades que abastin llargs períodes de temps. Nosaltres hem tingut la sort d'aconseguir una font documental temporalment extensa i a més rica: els llibres d'obra de la Seu Vella de Lleida. No hem estat els primers en utilitzar-los. Molts són els historiadors de l'art que al llarg del temps els han consultat, sobresortint entre tots Alonso, qui dugué a terme un seguiment exhaustiu de la totalitat d'ells. Però hem estat els primers en utilitzar-los per fer un estudi econòmic. / El motivo que nos llevó a introducirnos en el estudio de los precios y salarios a la Lleida de los siglos XIV y XV fue el interés de ampliar los conocimientos de una parcela de la historia de Catalunya, hasta el momento actual, insuficientemente conocida en toda su amplitud. Pero además, queríamos hacerlo en relación con nuestra ciudad, conscientes de la necesidad de superar la excesiva hegemonía historiográfica de Barcelona.La bibliografía existente sobre la evolución de precios y salarios a los siglos XIV y XV, si bueno muy amplia en estudios monográficos arreo de Europa, es más bien exigua con respecto a Catalunya. La causa está posiblemente en la inexistencia de un tipo de documentación que proporcione series de datos que abarquen largos periodosperíodos de tiempo. Nosotros hemos tenido la suerte de conseguir una fuente documental temporalmente extensa y además rica: los libros de obra de la Sede Vieja de Lleida. No hemos sido los primeros en utilizarlos. Muchos son los historiadores del arte que a lo largo del tiempo los han consultado, sobresaliendo entre todos Alonso, quien llevó a término uno seguimiento exhaustivo de la totalidad de ellos. Pero hemos estado los primeros en utilizarlos por hacer uno estudio económico.

Los modelos Neo-Keynesianos se han impuesto en el análisis de las políticas monetaria y fiscal óptimas. Esta literatura no considera la interacción estratégica entre los agentes económicos y las autoridades de la política económica. En esta tesis, se identifican dos problemas interesantes que no pueden abstraerse de este asunto: las implicaciones de política monetaria en una economía con grandes sindicatos; el mix de política monetaria y fiscal óptimas en una unión monetaria. El primer capitulo muestra cómo la política monetaria determina el nivel de producción y ocupación en el largo plazo, cuando los salarios se fijan en el marco de contratos colectivos. El segundo capítulo deriva la política monetaria óptima en este contexto. El tercer capitulo identifica la política monetaria óptima en una unión monetaria, cuando los gobiernos eligen el gasto público bajo discreción.

Gyrodactylus salaris Malmberg, 1957, is a notifiable freshwater ecto-parasite that infects both wild and farmed populations of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar, L.). It has caused catastrophic damage to wild salmon stocks in Norway since its accidental introduction in 1975, reducing salmon density in some rivers by 98% over a period of five years. It is estimated that G. salaris has cost the Norwegian salmon industry more than 500 million EUR. Currently the UK has G. salaris free status under EU law, however, it is believed that if G. salaris emerged in the UK the impact would be similar to that witnessed in Norway. The aim of this thesis is to develop mathematical models that describe the salmon-G. salaris system in order to gain a greater understanding of the possible long-term impact the parasite may have on wild populations of Atlantic salmon in G. salaris-free territories such as the UK. Mathematical models, including deterministic, Leslie matrix and individual based models, were used to investigate the impact of G. salaris on Atlantic salmon at the individual and population level. It is known that the Atlantic strain of Atlantic salmon, examples of which occur naturally in Norway and the UK, does not have any resistance to G. salaris infections and the parasite population is able to quickly grow to epidemic levels. In contrast, the Baltic strain of Atlantic salmon, examples of which occur naturally in Sweden and Russia, exhibits some form of resistance and the parasite is unable to persist. Thus, baseline models were extended to include immunity to infection, a trade-off on salmon reproductive rate, and finally, to consider interactions between populations of G. salaris and multiple strains of salmon exhibiting varying levels of immunity from fully susceptible to resistant. The models proposed predict that in the absence of host resistance or an immune response infections by G. salaris will result in an epidemic followed by the extinction of the salmon host population. Models also predict that if salmon are able to increase their resistance to G. salaris infections through mutations, salmon population recovery after the epidemic is indeed possible within 10-15 years post introduction with low level parasite coexistence. Finally, models also highlight areas where additional information is needed in order to improve predictions and enable the estimation of important parameter values. Model predictions will ultimately be used to assist in future contingency planning against G. salaris outbreaks in the UK and possibly as a basis for future models describing other fish/ecto-parasite systems.