published_or_final_version / Chinese / Master / Master of Arts

By the second half of the 1980s, the USSR was on the br i nk of the most ambitious and far-reaching reform programme f or decades. This study concentrates on a policy area which is an integral element of the overall economic reform strategy - foreign economic relations with the developed capitalist countries. Gorbachev's policy of 'opening up' to the West is a continuation of a process which began during the 1960s but was interrupted as the USSR entered a phase of retreat f rom the world economy between 1976 and 1985. The Soviet policy line was not followed by all of its CMEA allies, most notably Hungary where the intention was declared to pursue further integration into the world economy. Concentrating on the USSR and Hungary in particular, this study examines the range of factors, internal as well a s external, which influenced CMEA countries' policies on economic relations with the OECD countries between 1976 and 1985. A number of important issues are covered, including the following. The reasons why the USSR and Hungary preferred different long term strategies. The role of nonleadership groups in each country's policy process. What the most important long term influences on CMEA countries' relations with the world economy are. Factors which affect East European leaderships' abilities to implement radical reform in the domestic economy and in foreign economic relations. The relationship between foreign trade poli cy and domestic economic and political reform. The case studies show how all the above issues a r e interrelated and highlight a range of phenomena applicable to all CMEA countries during a decade in which they faced acute dilemmas over their future development.

WILLIAM PICKERING, (1796-1854), ANTIQUARIAN BOOKSELLER., PUBLISHER, AND BOOK DESIGNER: A STUDY IN THE EARLY NINETEENTH CENTURY BOOK-TRADE. By James M. McDonnell This study is the first systematic and detailed examination of the life and career of William Pickering. Pickering was chosen as a subject because he can be regarded as a transitional figure. In a period when the specialist publisher was coming to the fore, and bookselling and publishing were tending to become quite separate occupations, Pickering's combination of rare-book dealing and publishing was a continuation of eighteenth century practices into the 1850s. On the other hand Pickering's invention of cloth binding for books, his creation of a personal publishing style, his achievements as a book designer, and his involvement with the movement to lower book prices, are all innovatory traits. The study argues that Pickering's conservative and innovatory tendencies can best be understood as a response to particular social and economic conditions. It investigates Pickering's perception of and relation to his public, his authors, and his printer (Charles Whittingham the Younger) and financial backer (John Joseph Thornthwaite). It also examines Pickering's awareness of the financial and economic conditions which constrained his business. The argument is based upon an extensive and thorough study of Pickering Is extant correspondence, and upon those papers relating to his business which have been preserved. The most important primary source has been the printing ledgers of the Chiswick Press.

This study is about determining the circumstances which make, the inter- national sales of technology and know-how-through licensing arrangements a viable alternative to FDI and foreign trade for manufacturing firms. It identifies basic motivations for licensing, and examines company characteristics of British'companies in relation to observed licensing strategy overseas. In addition, it examines the effect on licensing of competition in the-sales of technology. A conceptual model of foreign licensing is tested on cross-sectional data gathered from 202 UK-based. and non-UK based companies. Data for 50 of these firms which were not engaged in any licensing activity, were obtained through direct phone calls and from their annual reports for 1980. Data for the remaining-152 companies, -which were involved in licensing arrangements, were obtained through mailed questionnaires and from published sources. In addition, 33 of these company's managers in charge of licensing were interviewed. The data was analysed by a battery of univariate and multivariate techniques. With regard to the costs and benefits of licensing, company executive responses show explicitly two common directions for their evaluation and concern. A company whose foreign licensing consists predominantly of granting licence rights for the use of its patents, trademarks and know-how in industries other than those in which it is itself active, or in the manufacture of products it does not choose to make or market overseas, is generally satisfied to assess the success of its activity by the volume of royalty receipts minus such easily determined direct costs as are incurred in negotiating, obtaining, and maintaining the licence contracts. Companies which are licensing proprietary rights and know-how relating to its own particular products and activities in contrast are much more involved with the licensee, have higher profit opportunity but greater loss exposure, and have much more opportunity to influence the indirect costs and indirect benefits generated by the licensing agreements. Other findings related to cost-benefit of licensing are that companies (1) which spend a relatively larger percentage of value-added on R&D, (2) which are relatively large in their industry, (3) which are more highly diversified, or (4) which have less experience in foreign manufacturing operations are more likely to license in order to supplement their FDI. Also, if there is competition in the sale of technology, managers are more willing-to-licence than to invest, providing the company does not try to preserve its market position in older products facing competition. The results of the study also show that companies which are involved in licensing are indeed distinguishable from those that do not have any licensing engagement, by a number of discriminatory characteristics. The research also shows that these companies do evaluate licensing as an alternative to FDI when they consider manufacturing in host-market. Finally, there is evidence that the firms which are enjoying-relative scale in their industry,. are highly diversified and have high R&D intensity are likely to adoptapolicy involving reciprocal exchange of technology licence with other innovative firms in their industry.

Four assumptions-- 1. That there is an effective and potential demand for processed fruit products in the Western State of Nigeria. 2. That current supply of raw materials in the Western State of Nigeria is more than sufficient to meet the increased demand which the short-term addition or expansion (or both) of market opportunities as provided by processors will stimulate. 3. That farmers could be better-off economically by widening their margin. 4. That while a processing unit may have many objectives, like survival, large size, power and status, the overriding motive of the unit is to try to maximize profit. -- were made in conducting this study which is an attempt to understand the impact a particular processing firm in the Western State of Nigeria has made on farmers in its surrounding, and a postulate of the role such firms could play in the improvement and expansion of fruit crop production, especially in the context of the stage of development Nigeria is today. With orange and pineapple as fruits of emphasis, the field work, done in Nigeria, took 59 days (July 20, 1970, to September 17, 1970); 45 days spent in interviewing farmers, 12 days in watching processing activities of 'Blaize'--the fruit processor; and 2 days taken off in-between. Three major issues examined are 1. The system of farming practiced by the producers--farmers producing for Blaize--particularly the farming changes (if any) induced by the addition or expansion (or both) of market opportunities as provided by the processor--'Blaize'. 2. The organization, activities and program of the processor-buyer (Blaize) as they relate to the purchase of orange and pineapple from Abeokuta area. 3. The kind of relationship which has been established between the processor firm (Blaize) and farmers who supply to it. Findings are: 1. The area of land planted to orange and pineapple in Abeokuta has been increasing over the years. 2. Farmers are responsive to price incentives; and are willing to increase their productivity to take advantage of profit opportunities, but they tend to guard against a long-term curtailment of food production. 3. Farmers earn their most cash-income from farming. 4. Nonfarm activities of the present farmers provide an increasingly smaller resource potential for production increase. 5. Capital, labor, good roads and transport are major constraints on farmers' production in Abeokuta area. 6. Abeokuta farmers diversify, but they grow more crops for domestic market than for export. 7. Land-use in Abeokuta features 9.2 percent devoted to ara-ables, 16.3 percent to tree crops, about 11.6 percent and 15.4 percent devoted to orange and pineapple, respectively; and 60 percent still residual. Average land-size per farm family is 32.7 acres, all scattered on an average of 8.6 plots. 8. Fruit growers in Abeokuta area are market oriented. 9. People in age brackets (26-37) and (37-46), as compared with other age brackets, have the largest amount of land, are more numerous, and are more market oriented. Areas of possible further investigation are: 1. Analysis of consumer demand. 2. The difficulties which may be faced by the expansion of processed fruit products when such will be meant for exports. 3. Promotional measures, and the utilization of by-products of processing plants. 4. Analysis of the existing marketing channels and services. 5. Capacity assessment of any given processor-plant. 6. The determination of the most suitable location of any proposed plant. / Graduation date: 1973

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