Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Cost and standard of living – Russia'
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1
Huh, Eunjeong. "Leisure expenditure patterns of retired and near-retired households /." free to MU campus, to others for purchase, 2000. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/mo/fullcit?p9974640.
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Tu, Tina. "New Zealand household debt is it too high? a dissertation submitted to Auckland University of Technology in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business (MBus), 2008 /." Click here to access this resource online, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10292/478.
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Chan, Ka-lin Karen. "Forecasting models for Hong Kong's consumer price index." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 1993. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B13787202.
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Lawrence, Martha Matthews. "The modification and field testing of the Institute of Nutrition Quality of Life Scale for the Elderly." Thesis, This resource online, 1991. http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-11072008-063603/.
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Sawyer, Asha. "The application of Sen's Capability approach to selected women in Khayelitsha." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2007. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/index.php?module=etd&action=viewtitle&id=gen8Srv25Nme4_1407_1255008445.
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Measuring poverty adequately is critical for any type of development project, and yet there are still no clear guidelines as to which approach is best to be used for different circumstances. There is a variety of different ways of measuring and understanding poverty, each with their own advantages and disadvantages, depending on the intended goal. This research explored the theory regarding poverty and poverty measurements, and research various perspectives ranging from income to basic needs, socail exclusion, sustainable livelihoods, and finally to the Human Development Approach.
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Sivakul, Aganitpol. "Essays in applied microeconomics." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2015. https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:617fabeb-e47b-4194-bfab-a7601c0edce1.
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This thesis is a collection of three independent essays that applies microeconometrics techniques to empirically study topics in development and labour economics. The first chapter uses evidence from a natural experiment in Bangladesh, where households were treated to different types of transfer, food grains and cash, at different periods in time, to test the effect of these transfers on household consumption behaviour. Using the fixed effect instrumental variable model, the estimation results show that though in-kind transfers did cause households to consume more grain than they would have chosen under equal-value cash transfers, the impact on calorie consumption and children health status is minimal. Households that received cash were able to reallocate their funds more effectively, and chose to spend their extra income on clothing and children's non-food consumption, while at the same time spending no more on vices. The second chapter investigates the dynamics of living standards in Thailand. Income and earnings processes are first modelled after the statistical Galton-Markov process before being extended to follow a more structural permanent earnings model. Empirical estimations of income and earnings persistence in Thailand employ both constructed pseudo-panel data from Thailand's Labour Force Surveys and the Townsend Thai panel data. Galton-Markov estimates found conditional persistence to be low in Thailand. However, quantile regression estimates find that persistence is low at the bottom of the distribution but high at the top, indicating a divergence in earnings as time passes. A study of the covariance structure of earnings finds that total variation in the earnings process is predominantly driven by moderately persistent transitory components following the AR(1) process. The third chapter attempts to empirically fit the power-law distribution and study the dynamics of inequality, especially at the upper end, of the income and consumption distribution in Thailand. We find that using the popular but incorrect method based on the linear regression approach will lead to researchers drawing a wrong conclusion. Regression estimates of the power-law exponent, a, provide strong evidence of power-law fit in Thailand. However, from the implementation of the superior Clauset et al. method, the evidence in support of the power-law fit is much weaker. Estimates of a for both income and consumption suggest that there is low inequality at the top in Thailand but further inspection finds that there is a high level of persistent between-group inequality between the top and bottom ends of the distribution. In addition, following Battistin et al. (2009), we find weak support for Gibrat's law of proportional random growth as the income-generating process in Thailand.
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Tai-Do-Anh. "Family resources and their impact on living standard and food security of farmers in the mountainous farming systems in Northwest Vietnam /." Weikersheim : Margraf, 2004. http://www.loc.gov/catdir/toc/fy0801/2007464451.html.
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Lin, Shu-Chin. "Aggregation and time series implications of state-dependent consumption /." free to MU campus, to others for purchase, 1996. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/mo/fullcit?p9737881.
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Liu, Zhangzhang. "Tang dai Chang'an de ju min sheng ji yu cheng shi zheng ce /." Taibei Shi : Wen jin chu ban she, 2006. http://www.loc.gov/catdir/toc/chi0701/2007320257.html.
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Originally presented as the author's thesis (Ph. D.--University of Hong Kong) under the title: Tang dai shou du Chang'an de ju min sheng ji yu cheng shi zheng ce yan jiu.Includes bibliographical references (p. 330-390).
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Chan, Ka-lin Karen, and 陳家蓮. "Forecasting models for Hong Kong's consumer price index." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1993. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B3197725X.
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Chibuye, Miniva. "The impact of rising food prices on household welfare in Zambia." Thesis, University of Sussex, 2015. http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/56908/.
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Given the global food price spike experienced in 2007/8, the core question of this research is, ‘what was the impact of the rising food prices on household welfare in Zambia'? Taking an empirical approach and using micro-economic methods, four welfare outcomes are assessed: consumption, equality of income distribution, poverty and nutrition. The 2006 and 2010 cross-section household surveys - Living Conditions Monitoring Surveys (LCMS) - are primarily used to answer the question. The thesis first assesses the changes in consumption patterns across time, geographical locations and quintiles. The short-term distribution of income from the rise in prices is then analysed using non-parametric methods to show the likely winners and losers from the price spike and the subsequent impact on poverty. These results are supplemented by a supply response as an attempt to understand longer-term poverty effects. The final empirical exercise focuses on nutrition outcomes. The thesis confirms the hypothesis that on average, urban households may suffer a welfare loss but rural households may gain. In the case of maize grain, the results suggest that the highest gain may accrue to rural households clustered around the poverty line. Furthermore, the findings suggest that, while overall poverty may increase in the short-run, the long-run impacts of rising food prices (once supply response are accounted for) may lead to a marginal decline in poverty. Finally, we observe that the slight increase in income, from selling maize, among some rural households may not necessarily lead to an improvement in nutrition outcomes. In particular, while rural households exhibit a small net rise in income from an increase in maize prices, the impact on stunting levels among children below five years appears to be regressive in both urban and rural areas. The overall results of this research strengthen the case for contextual impact analysis of covariate shocks and also highlight the policy challenges arising from such conflicting results.
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Sedirwa, Thato Agatha. "What influences households saving behaviour in Botswana." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/97442.
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Thesis (MDF)--Stellenbosch University, 2015.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A high savings culture is important for sustainable economic development of any country. Whilst Botswana has one of the highest gross national savings in sub-Saharan Africa, the same cannot be said regarding household savings. Household savings in Botswana have grown at a very slow pace between 2003 and 2012, a worrisome trend given the importance of savings. The main objective of the research assignment was to determine the factors that influence households saving behaviour in Botswana. A probit econometric model was used to find out what factors influence households to choose to save and which ones influence them not to save. Saving behaviour was measured by whether an individual has saved money with a financial institution within the past 12 months. The individual characteristics that were modelled for influence on households saving behaviour were age, income level, education level, gender, formal credit, informal credit, insurance and property ownership. The results indicated that, as suggested by theory and empirical evidence, age, income level and education level have a positive and significant influence on households saving behaviour, whereas, also in line with theory, formal and informal credit and insurance have a negative and significant influence on households saving behaviour. Being female also has a negative but insignificant influence on households saving behaviour. Contrary to expectations, property ownership, which was used as proxy for non-financial assets, has a positive influence on household saving behaviour, although the influence is not significant.
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O'Reid, Esmerelda. "The impact of monetary compensation as a form of land restitution on the current life-styles of Paarl residents." Thesis, Peninsula Technikon, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11838/1655.
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Thesis (MTech (Public Management))--Peninsula Technikon, Cape Town, 2002Restitution is a constitutionally mandated programme aimed at redressing the injustices of the apartheid era. Land rights are being addressed via a legal administrative process in order to make some form of reparation. The mission of the Commission on the Restitution on Land Rights is to have persons or communities, in the Western Cape province, who were dispossessed of property after 19 June 1913 as a result of past racially discriminatory laws or practices, restored to such property or receive just and equitable redress. The restitution process is the first programme in South Africa that aims to restore people to the land from where they were dispossessed. The processes and procedures involved are very complex, which could result in slow delivery. The research attempts to determine the impact of monetary compensation as a form of land restitution on the current life-styles of Paarl residents. The research will focus on financially settled claims. The reason for selecting Paarl as a case study was because of the demographics and diversity of the region. This study also includes the history of forced removals in South Africa as well as the local international restitution processes. The study has a descriptive approach. Primary data will be collected by means of questionnaires based on the living standard measurement. The questionnaires will focus on the life-styles of people prior to dispossession and their life-styles after receiving their restitution awards. This study may provide a positive or a negative critique on the restitution process. The study attempted to determine whether restitution provides a better quality of life to the disadvantaged, displaced people of our country and provides an indicator for future similar endeavours.
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Reid, Esmeralda O. "The impact of monetary compensation as a form of land restitution on the current life-styles of Paarl residents." Thesis, Peninsula Technikon, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11838/1666.
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Being a Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the
Magister Technologae Public Management to the Department of Public
Management and Law in the Faculty of Business at the Peninsula Technikon, 2002Restitution is a constitutionally mandated programme aimed at redressing the injustices of the apartheid era. Land rights are being addressed via a legal administrative process in order to make some form of reparation. The mission of the Commission on the Restitution on Land Rights is to have persons or communities, in the Western Cape province, who were dispossessed of property after 19 June 1913 as a result of past racially discriminatory laws or practices, restored to such property or receive just and equitable redress. The restitution process is the first programme in South Africa that aims to restore people to the land from where they were dispossessed. The processes and procedures involved are very complex, which could result in slow delivery. The research attempts to determine the impact of monetary compensation as a form of land restitution on the current life-styles of Paarl residents. The research will focus on financially settled claims. The reason for selecting Paarl as a case study was because of the demographics and diversity of the region. This study also includes the history of forced removals in South Africa as well as the local international restititution processes. The study has a descriptive approach. Primary data will be collected by means of questionnaires based on the living standard measurement. The questionnaires will focus on the life-styles of people prior to dispossession and their life-styles after receiving their restitution awards. This study may provide a positive or a negative critique on the restitution process. The study attempted to determine whether restitution provides a better quality of life to the disadvantaged, displaced people of our country and provides an indicator for future similar endeavours.
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Cheng, Hsiang-tai. "Impacts of socioeconomic and demographic factors on household expenditure for disaggregate fish and shellfish in the United States." Diss., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1985. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/54253.
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As the popularity for seafood in the United States continues to grow, information about consumer patterns of fishery products will be a valuable aid to various groups in the seafood industry. The primary objective of this dissertation is to provide quantitative information, notably own price, income, and household size elasticity measures, about consumer behavior relating to specific fish and shellfish products.
The methodology used in this study is as follows: (1) organize and analyze at-home seafood consumption data for specific finfish and shellfish species by three product forms (canned, fresh and fresh frozen, and other prepared) from the 1981 Seafood Consumption Survey: (i) finfish -- cod, flounder (or sole), haddock, herring, mackerel, perch, pollock, salmon, sardines, snapper, tuna, whiting, total finfish, and (ii) shellfish -- clams, crabs, oysters, scallops, shrimp, and total shellfish; (2) identify and assess the factors that affect household expenditure on these products for home consumption, and (3) compare the results of this research to those from previously published works.
Price and coupon value are the dominant factors in explaining the variation of household expenditure on seafood commodities for at-home consumption. All price elasticities are negative and in the inelastic range except for fresh and fresh frozen oysters and canned tuna. These results suggest that for almost all shellfish and finfish species, unit percentage changes in product availability lead to greater than unit percentage changes in product prices. Coupon values, as expected, have significant positive impacts on household expenditures for seafood commodities for at-home consumption. Except for scallops, all shellfish products are normal goods, while the nature of the income effects for finfish products is mixed. Generally, household size elasticities are not only positive but also less than unity.
Significant differences exist in household expenditures for fishery products due to geographic region, urbanization, employment status and age of the household manager, race, and season. Finally, households spend significantly less on all categories of canned fishery products, but more on fresh and fresh frozen shellfish, at the supermarket and the grocery store than at other seafood outlets. Occupation and education of the household head and religious affiliation are not generally statistically important factors in explaining the variation in household expenditure on fish and shellfish products.Ph. D.
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Mosia, Matladi Daniel. "The use of secondary data in the study of living arrangements of households : a case of the October household survey-'96 (OHS) : Western Cape Province." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/52032.
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Incorrect Afrikaans summary included in thesis.Thesis (MPhil--University of Stellenbosch, 2000.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study was aimed at using secondary data to conduct an investigation into the relationship between macro-economic factors on one hand and aspects of household life on the other hand. On the basis of the results thereof, an assessment was to be made of how such a relationship reflected on the living arrangements of households in contemporary South African society. The basis of the analysis was secondary data from the October Household Survey (OHS-96) data set, which is rich in specific information encompassing various aspects of human life, like demographic details and household variables as well as health, education and employment variables. As expected, the results showed that the current state of living arrangements of households is characterised by positive relationships between income levels on the one hand and households variables like type of dwelling and dwelling ownership on the other hand. However, the same findings further revealed a surprising outcome that unlike expected, there is no clear relationship between income and another significant household variable i.e. household size (members). However, our findings lead us to a conclusion that on the whole, there is a hypothesised relationship between macro-economic conditions of a country on one hand, and patterns in living arrangements of households on the other hand. The results further revealed that as expected, the factors of magisterial district and race/population groups have an effect on this relationship that reflect our legacy of social and economic development policies of the apartheid era which gave rise to urban (metropolitan) and racial bias in the socio-economic development of households. The results thereof are that African households in particular, and urban poor black households in general, have become the least prosperous in terms of material or economic living conditions. The implications of these findings for theory and policy are highlighted. At the level of methodology, the valuable experience of this study served to further highlight the worth of secondary data analysis, not only in general economic terms, but also as invaluable educational or teaching tool for students which recommends its increased use by all practitioners or institutions of social research methods.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Internet en sy Kuberruimtes is ontwikkel in die 1960s as 'n manier om inligting oor te dra sonder die risiko van intersepsie en vernietiging. Vandag, 40 jaar later het die Internet gegroei in beide grootte en toepassing. Die mees algemene gebruike is nogsteeds kommunikasie en die oordrag van informasie. Hierdie tesis is 'n etnografiese studie van my ervaringe in 'n Kuberruimte van die Internet- 'n virtuele gemeenskap byname Amazon City.com. Virtuele gemeenskappe is areas op die Internet waar mense bymekaar kom om hul daaglikse lewens, kwessies en enige iets toepaslik vir die spesifieke gemeenskap, te bespreek. Die tipe gemeenskap word gesien as 'n reaksie van die verval van "derde plekke" in af-lyn lewe en globalisering Die gemeenskap wat vorm in hierdie areas ontwikkel kulturele veronderstelling. Hierdie veronderstellings word openbaar aan 'n nuwe lid deur tyd en interaksie in die konferensie area. Die veronderstellings wat ek ervaar het strek van kennis benodig om 'n aanvaarde en suksesvolle lid van die gemeenskap te word, tot taal gebruik en identiteit van die lede. Die konklusie is bereik dat lede hul interaksie en lidmaatskap in hierdie gemenskappe as net so bevredigend en "eg" ervaar as hul aktiwiteite in hul af-lyn lewe. Verdere aspekte wat 'n webblad 'n suksesvolle en ekonomiese vatbare besigheids strategie maak vir sy eienaar, was my volgende fokus. Internet besigheid groei teen 'n geweldige spoed, en impliseer nie slegs die verkoop van produkte aanlyn nie. Rekenaar-ondersteunde kommunikasie toestelle is geimplimenteer op kommersiële webbladsye nadat dit gevind is in die vroeë 1990s dat mense soek vir 'n plek wat meer is as net nog 'n winkel. Ander maniere wat hierde dot com webbladsye gebruik om inkomste te genereer en of die lede gesien word as burgers of as verbruikers word ook bestudeer. Daar is gevind dat die lede hulself sien as burgers maar webbladsy lojaliteit sal die lede aanspoor om as verbruikers op te tree indien nodig. Die kommersiële aspekte van die tipe webbladsy is 'n noodsaaklik deel vir die voortbestaan van die dot com webbladsy, en die gemeenskap wat daar ontwikkel.
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Zündorf, Irmgard. "Der Preis der Marktwirtschaft : staatliche Preispolitik und Lebensstandard in Westdeutschland 1948 bis 1963 /." Stuttgart : Steiner, 2006. http://www.gbv.de/dms/bs/toc/509406394.pdf.
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McRae, Kent Lewis. "Housing Affordability In Collier County: How Does It Affect Moorings Park Employees." Oxford, Ohio : Miami University, 2008. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=miami1209061220.
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KOLEV, Alexandre. "Three essays on living standards and access to alternative sources of labour income in Russia during transition." Doctoral thesis, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/1814/4981.
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Defence date: 17 January 2000Examining board: Prof. Simon Commander, EBRD and the World Bank ; Prof. Andrea Ichino, European University Institute ; Prof. John Micklewright, EUI and UNICEF, Florence, Supervisor ; Prof. Michel Sollogoub, University of Paris 1
PDF of thesis uploaded from the Library digitised archive of EUI PhD theses completed between 2013 and 2017
-- The role of the safety net and the labour market on falling cash consumption in Russia : 1994-96 -- The distribution of enterprise benefits and their impact on job satisfaction in Russia -- Labour supply in the informal economy in Russia during transition
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COUDOUEL, Aline. "Living standards in transition : the case of Uzbekistan." Doctoral thesis, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/1814/4899.
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Defence date: 18 September 1998Examining board: Prof. Andrea Ichino,EUI; Prof. Emmanuel Jimenez, World Bank, Washington; Prof. Ravi Kanbur, Cornell University, Ithaca; Prof. John Micklewright, UNICEF, Florence and EUI (Supervisor)
First made available online 04 August 2017
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Pribytkova, Elena. "Global Human Rights Obligations Relating to a Decent Standard of Living." Thesis, 2019. https://doi.org/10.7916/d8-2dhq-pw13.
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The dissertation provides a systematic analysis of global obligations relating to a decent standard of living. Global obligations represent a type of extraterritorial obligations, which does not presuppose any causal link between acts/omissions of global actors and individuals’ inability to enjoy their human rights. Global obligations are a key legal tool for empowering the most vulnerable individuals, promoting social justice, and reducing extreme poverty and inequality worldwide. Despite their importance, global obligations have not yet received adequate legal recognition, regulation, and realization. They are the least elucidated and the most unfulfilled type of extraterritorial obligations. Many scholars and practitioners highlight a major discrepancy between globalization and contemporary human rights law: socio-economic rights obligations are still often considered to be applicable only within states’ borders (if at all); obligations of intergovernmental organizations and non-state actors are frequently believed to be exhausted by negative duties to respect human rights; and contemporary mechanisms of the implementation of global obligations (for instance, obligations of development cooperation or international assistance) are insufficient, inefficient, and often violate human rights. In this context, the justification, conceptualization, and furtherance of global obligations is a task of paramount importance.
The primary goals of the dissertation are, therefore: first, to justify global obligations as human rights obligations of multiple actors; second, to analyze their nature, status, types, content, scope, right-holders, and duty-bearers; and third, to examine contemporary mechanisms used for the realization of global obligations and suggest some measures for their improvement. The research is aimed at proposing a coherent and plausible framework for a reconstruction of human rights law regulating global obligations.
The dissertation intends to uncover the interrelation between philosophical discourse, normative legal order, and legal practice. On the one hand, it demonstrates how contemporary theories of global justice can contribute to the justification, conceptualization, allocation, and implementation of global obligations. It translates philosophical ideas into the language of law and incorporates empirical findings in relation to global obligations. On the other hand, it explores whether human rights theory and practice are capable of, and essential to, solving the most pressing issues of global justice, extreme poverty and inequality alleviation. In particular, it shows that the existing international soft and hard law instruments, customary international law, and human rights practice also give an important framework for the legal acknowledgement, specification, and attribution of global obligations to various actors.
The dissertation takes a form of three Articles. The first Article provides a legal-philosophical justification for and outlines a legal conception of global obligations of multiple actors relating to a decent standard of living. The second Article undertakes a legal analysis of global obligations for sustainable development. The third Article explores the legal theory and practice of global obligations to assist in the realization of socio-economic rights.
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Seshan, Ganesh Kumar. "Assessing the distributional impact of trade liberalization in a developing country." 2006. http://catalog.hathitrust.org/api/volumes/oclc/236913766.html.
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Kuandachakupt, Supriya. "The impact of population change on household investment in education in Thailand." Thesis, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/10125/9657.
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Kironji, Edward. "Measuring quality of life in South Africa A household-based development index approach /." Thesis, 2007. http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-01252008-090610.
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Mahlaule, Hlanganani Rose. "A qualitative survey of poverty in the rural areas around Giyani township." Thesis, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10210/6042.
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M.Ed.Poverty is a serious concern all over the world. This phenomenon hinders development, particularly in rural areas where the majority of families are living below the poverty line. In many rural communities the RDP programme did not reach the majority of people. The study is aimed at finding out the extent, perceived causes and consequences of poverty in Homu A and Homu C near Giyani. The families regarded as the more impoverished in the two villages were selected as participants of the study. One member from eight families in each village was interviewed in this qualitative study. The collection of data was made through survey interviews as suggested by Silverman (1993), observations, and the recording of artefacts on poverty. A literature review was conducted to construct a theoretical framework for the inquiry. The findings show that many people in these areas are extremely poor. They are physically, socially and psychologically affected by poverty. They are helpless because they believe there is nothing they can do to develop themselves and their villages. Their helplessness hampers development of these communities. The findings also indicate that there is a need for informal and non-formal programmes to educate and empower the community members to combat poverty. These programmes should be linked with income generating projects to equip the community members with skills needed for the economy.
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Darley, Warren. "Measures to improve household savings in South Africa." Thesis, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/10429.
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The level of savings in South Africa has been described as dismal and on the
verge of becoming an economic crisis. Household savings has declined to a level
of dissavingand is therefore in need of rectification. Savings can be broken down
into household, corporate and government saving. The purpose of this research is
to identify measures to improve household savings in South Africa. A critical
review of household savings is conducted in chapter two utilising secondary data
to examine household savings, identify factors affecting savings as well as
establish measures to improve household savings. The study gathers primary data
from 10leading economists and financial experts located in South Africa.A
qualitative study is undertaken as it helps provide intrinsic information on the
thoughts and opinions of the sample group on measures to improve household
savings. The research has revealed that South African households are not saving
sufficiently and that there are a few key factors affecting households savings. The
key factors are indentified and investigated in the literature review and further
examined by the respondents for their expert opinions. The respondents have
identified thathousehold savings behaviours are insufficiently contributing to
savings and there is a lack of a savings culture to encourage positive savings
growth. Consumers are caught up in a web of consumerism with easy access to
credit as a result of financial liberalisation. These two factors have created a debt
trend and left many households in a downward spiral of debt. The respondents
have identified the main factors affecting households as: savings culture,financial
literacy, consumerism, income levels, education and interest rates. Measures
identified to improve household savings are: Tax breaks, government incentives to
saving, education, budgeting as well as developing a national culture of saving.
These suggestions help outline a path for government, corporations and
individuals to follow in achieving greater household savings. The research has
outlined measures to improve household savings and stressed that there is no one
single measure to rectify the savings dilemma, but rather it is to identify and
acknowledge that the savings solution lies in addressing each of the factors
affecting saving with a view to improving saving as a whole.Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2011.
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Ackland, Robert James. "International comparisons of real income." Phd thesis, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/147407.
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Devey, Richard Michael. "Characteristics of informal economy workers and their households : concepts and measurement using household surveys." Thesis, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/4346.
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This study describes the characteristics of informal economy workers and their households. The central reasons for initiating the study were twofold. Firstly, the informal economy has grown in size and it is increasingly recognised as an important component of the economy. Secondly, it is widely agreed that accurate measurement of the informal economy has not been achieved. Thus, the study aimed to describe the informal economy using the most up-to-date national labour force survey as well as assess how accurately the informal economy has been measured with that instrument.
The informal economy has developed as a result of globalisation and the
technological revolution (amongst other factors) according to researchers.
Recognition that workers within the informal economy (and those subject to
informalisation within the formal economy) are not achieving fair labour standards has led to efforts to re-conceptualise work. The informal economy is extremely difficult to define and four conceptual models are described in this study. Each of the models agrees that the informal economy operates outside the ambit of formal activities, thus a form of dualism is defined, and that the economy is heterogeneous in character. The models differ in how the informal economy interrelates with the formal economy; the dualist model proposes there is no interaction while the legalist model states that a superior-subordinate relationship exists between the two. Competing models view the informal economy as either survivalist or as a vibrant, productive entity. A notable characteristic of the informal economy is flexibility in working conditions. This study will contribute to debate on the nature and measurement of the informal economy in South Africa. The method used in this study was secondary analysis of the Labour Force Survey. Integrating elements of theory and measurement, it is suggested that the design of the
survey instrument reinforces the dualist model. Analysis revealed that different
economies - formal and informal - occur and that, although the two are not mutually exclusive, these exhibit markedly different characteristics. The formal worker and his or her household showed significantly better statistics for a range of demographic, social and economic indicators. Formal employees enjoyed better quality employment relationships than informal workers, as demonstrated by higher proportions in permanent employment and longer duration of employment. Measurement of an interrelationship between the formal and informal economies was hampered by the design of the survey instrument, however, there is evidence that a relationship does exist and this was defined as superior-subordinate in nature. The heterogeneous nature
of the informal economy was confirmed by example of a wide range of occupations, involving varied levels of skill. Generally, the South African informal economy appears to be survivalist in nature, as demonstrated by high frequencies of workers in occupations of low skill as well as by the general poverty and low standard of living exhibited by the informal workers' household. It was recognised that there are categories of worker who are worse off than the informal worker and this finding, along with the observation that disparities exist between different types of worker within the informal economy itself, raises the question of how useful it is to use the
dualist framework for analysis. Informal workers did report higher levels of
flexibility, however, it is argued that this would not compensate for poor statistics recorded for nearly all other indicators measured. Based on the analysis above, it is suggested that the informal worker 'formalise' if
this path is made possible because it is clear that formal workers achieve a
significantly better standard of living. In the long term this goal could be achieved by
improving education levels and by facilitating access to the formal economy. In the
short to medium term the outlook for the informal worker could be improved by
adopting policies that foster improved work conditions, including improved access to
medical aid, paid leave, and some form of pension or retirement plan.
The study concludes that measurement of the informal economy is more accurate than
past attempts, but that further improvement is possible. Given the disparities within
the informal work force and the idea that a dualist approach is not the most effective
conceptualisation of the labour force, the study calls for a flexible survey instrument
that caters for various definitions of the informal worker. The inclusion of additional
questions, for example to measure workers' perceptions of exploitation and
satisfaction with working conditions, is encouraged. These suggestions would
facilitate effective investigation of alternative conceptualisations of the informal
economy through means of the survey instrument.Thesis (M.Dev. Studies)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.
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Carroll, Nicholas Edward. "Essays on the consequences of low income and unemployment." Phd thesis, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/151116.
Full text
30
Ungerer, Leona M. "Values as multivariate consumer market segmentation discriminators : a subjective well-being approach." Thesis, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/3188.
Full textAbstract:
The Living Standards Measure (LSM), a South African marketing segmentation method, is a
wealth measure based on standard of living. This research study investigates whether a
rationale can be found for the inclusion of value-related variables in this type of multivariate
segmentation approach.
Schwartz’s (1992; 2006) values model was used to operationalise personal values and
individual-level culture – focusing on two of its dimensions, ideocentrism and allocentrism.
The current positive psychology research trend manifests in the inclusion of subjective wellbeing
(SWB), as measured by satisfaction with life (SWL).
The primary objective of this research was to investigate at individual (and not group or
societal) level whether values and SWL can be used to discriminate among multivariate
consumer segments.
Data were collected by means of a survey from a nationally representative sample (n = 2566)
of purchase decision-makers (PDMs). The measurement instruments used were the Portrait
Values Questionnaire (PVQ) and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). A multi-group
confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA) was used to assess the psychometric properties and
test the equivalence of the scales across cultural groups. MGCFA was also used to test for
differences across LSM groups on the PVQ and SWLS. Centred value scores were used to
test for differences between LSM groups in terms of their values and SWL, using MANOVA.
The findings supported Schwartz’s theory of basic human values, and small differences were
found in the PVQ values between LSM groups using the MGCFA approach. MANOVA
analyses showed stronger differences across LSM groups. PDMs in the higher LSM
segments were more satisfied with their lives. No significant relationships between values
and SWL were found, and the effect of individual-level culture, as a higher-order dimension
of four values, showed a small but significant effect on SWL.Psychology
D. Litt. et Phil. (Psychology))
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Nzhinga, Rendani Kenneth. "Strategies in managing financial risk vulnerability among South African households." Diss., 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/23216.
Full textAbstract:
Various studies have found that South Africa’s high unemployment rate contributes to poverty, inequality, crime and ill-health. Furthermore, South African low to middle-income households are characterised by a high debt to income ratio which contributes to low or negative savings rates. This has left many households vulnerable to financials risk and shocks. This research examined how households with low-income or no income manage to cope on a daily basis. The research adopted an auto ethnography method. During the initial phase of the fieldwork the researcher observed participants over a period of more than a year in the provinces of Limpopo and Gauteng, this was followed by in-depth interviews with households selected using purposive and snowballing sampling. The results revealed that the most common coping strategies used by participants’ to deal with financial risks and shocks are borrowing from peers (family, friends and neighbours) and high-risk lenders i.e. mashonisas and accessing social support networks. Other strategies employed included pawning and selling of assets as well as employers’ loans. It was interesting to note that unlike studies in other countries, skipping meals were not a common coping strategy, and this could mainly be ascribed to the social support networks (Ubuntu) that were found in the communities studied. Future research is recommended on the impact of family financial obligations on households’ financial well-being.Taxation
M. Phil. (Accounting Sciences)
32
Brand, Christiaan Burger. "Aspekte van skadevergoeding by gebruiksverlies." Diss., 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/15846.
Full textAbstract:
Summaries in Afrikaans and EnglishText in Afrikaans
In the recent decision in Kellerman v South African Transport Services 1993 4 SA 872 (C) a claim for the loss of the use of a thing not utilised in the production of income was apparently allowed for the first time in South African law. A number of strict requirements were however set for such a claim. For a considerable time a claim has been recognised in English and German law even where a substitute was not hired and where the article was used for pleasure purposes. It is submitted that this should also be the position in South African law because the loss of the use of a thing per se has an independent value. It is further submitted that the interest on capital value method (as per English law) can be used as starting-point in the determination of quantum. A degree of flexibility is necessary to ensure fairness and equity.
In die onlangse beslissing in Kellerman v South African Transport Services 1993 4 SA 872 (K) is daar klaarblyklik die eerste maal in die Suid-Afrikaanse reg 'n eis om skadevergoeding weens gebruiksverlies van 'n saak wat nie in die produksie van inkomste gebruik is nie erken. Die hof stel egter 'n aantal streng vereistes vir so 'n eis. 'n Eis word al 'n geruime tyd in die Engelse en Duitse reg erken selfs waar 'n substituut nie gehuur is nie en waar sake bloot vir plesierdoeleindes gebruik is. Daar word submitteer dat dit ook die posisie in die Suid-Afrikaanse reg behoort te wees aangesien gebruiksverlies opsigself 'n selfstandige waarde het. Dit word verder aangevoer dat die rente-op-kapitaalwaarde-metode (soos in die Engelse reg) gebruik kan word as 'n uitgangspunt by kwantumbepaling. Ter wille van redelikheid en billikheid behoort die maatstaf 'n mate van buigsaamheid te he.
Private Law
LL. M.
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Moatshe, Montlhe Piet. "Assessing the effective management of the allocated funding for the provision of free basic services in Polokwane Local Municipality." Diss., 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/26740.
Full textAbstract:
Most households from rural areas did not have access to basic municipal services prior to the advent of democracy in 1994. The most affected were those from the former homelands and deep rural areas from the former South Africa. Hence, since 1994, the South African government has inherited huge infrastructure backlogs which affect effective delivery of basic municipal services, particularly Free Basic Services (FBS), to alleviate the plight of the rural and poor communities.
Municipalities have to be self-sustainable for effective service delivery, even though their revenue base is such that they cannot generate enough income to maintain, extend and sustain basic services. Yet, they are mandated by the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 to deliver services to all communities within their areas of jurisdiction, irrespective of whether the beneficiaries of the services contribute to their revenue. For this reason, the national government has committed in the Constitution to allocate funding to municipalities through the equitable share allocations to subsidise the costs of providing FBS to indigent households. However, the impact of the FBS programme on indigent households in the Polokwane Local Municipality has not been significant, given the effective management of the programme. Hence, this study was conducted at the Polokwane Local Municipality to establish the effectiveness of the management of the funding allocated for the provision of FBS.
The primary aim of the study was to determine the extent to which the Polokwane Local Municipality effectively manages the provision of FBS and the related funding to establish deficiencies in the system, with a view to improve the effectiveness of FBS delivery to indigent households. The data comprised responses to a questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, documents and studies conducted at the Polokwane Local Municipality.
The study highlighted that the Polokwane Local Municipality has developed an indigent policy for the implementation of the FBS programme; however, it is only applied in urban or established areas, thus only covering Polokwane city, Seshego and Westernburg out of a possible 265 settlements. Proper planning is also only done around these three areas, while estimations are made for rural areas or villages in terms of targeted households and budgets. Furthermore, National Treasury provided more than three times the funding budgeted by the municipality to fund the FBS programme. This suggests that the rest of the funds allocated for FBS delivery were used for municipal operations rather than for benefitting indigent households. Therefore, it can be concluded that the Polokwane Local Municipality does not manage the funding allocated for FBS effectively, given the limitations in the registration of indigent households as well as the planning, budgeting and implementation of the FBS programme. Finally, the study could not establish whether the municipality is making any impact on the lives of the indigent households as the municipality has not assessed the impact of the FBS programme on the indigent households since the inception of the programme in 2000.
The study will enable the development of proposals and recommendations which can assist in improving the effectiveness of the Polokwane Local Municipality’s management of funding allocated for the provision of FBS.Public Administration and Management
M. Admin. (Public Administration)
34
Weber, Mareike Tabea. "Evaluation of creativity as a factor contributing to human development in Ethiopia : an empirical qualitative study." Diss., 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/25465.
Full textAbstract:
The study emphasizes two major issues of development: poverty theories and human development. Human development is understood as a process of expanding human freedoms and potential.
Focus is put on the perception of Ethiopians on the promotion of creativity as possible means to foster human development and as a result reduce many dimensions of poverty. The study evaluates the perception of people involved in child development in Ethiopia regarding the promotion of ‘creativity as capability’ as a factor contributing to human development.
The conclusions of this study can provide Ethiopian development effort with practical insight on how Ethiopian citizens perceive ‘creativity’ within their culture as potential chance and effective addition to promote human development in Ethiopia. The study identifies several existing as well as absent aspects of creativity within Ethiopian society and presents practical starting points to establish ‘creativity as capability’ on micro-level in Ethiopian communities.Development Studies
M.A. (Development Studies)
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Malan, Shan. "The changing needs of a household's demand for liabilities over the life course : focused on young adults." Diss., 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/20984.
Full textAbstract:
South Africans carry high debt levels and many deal with the threat of over-indebtedness. In particular, the debt situation of the youth is of utmost concern. This study was undertaken to gain an understanding of how the liability usage of households fluctuates over the life course. The main objective was to identify and describe how debt is accumulated by young South Africans and how household characteristics and events may be related to the uptake of household liabilities.
This study conducted a comprehensive literature review culminating with the development of a heuristic model that identified variables that may affect household debt uptake. Quantitative statistical analysis techniques were employed on secondary data acquired from the South African Audience Research Foundation’s All Media and Products Survey for the years 1999 until 2013.
The findings identified that household debt follows a familiar life cycle pattern. A number of independent variables were shown to affect household debt uptake. Furthermore, certain of these variables are related to the trajectories of the life course.Taxation
M. Acc. Sci.
36
Magadze, A. A. "An assessment of food consumption patterns of selected households of Mbilwi and Matavhela Villages in Thulamela Municipality, Limpopo Province of South Africa." Diss., 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/11602/875.
Full textAbstract:
MRDVInstutute for Rural Development
Health and wellbeing of humans is affected by their eating habits, patterns and choice of meals. This research discusses food consumption patterns of selected households of Mbilwi and Matavhela villages in Thulamela Municipality, Limpopo Province of South Africa. The study identified types of food consumed and the nutritional knowledge of households living in the study area. In addition, the study assessed the knowledge of households on how food choices affect their health. Lastly an analysis of socio-economic factors that influence food consumption patterns in households living in Mbilwi and Matavhela villages was investigated. Using purposive sampling, qualitative and quantitative inquiry were used to explore the research objectives. A sample size of 50 and 47 households from each village were selected respectively and the heads of each household were interviewed. Thematic content analysis was used to categorise data into themes, to address and interpret qualitative data. Themes were generated as the units for analysis based on the objectives of the study to enable interpretation of qualitative information. The quantitative data was analysed using Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0. The findings indicated that there was no variety in foods consumed by households in both the weekly food consumption pattern and 24-hour food recall. There was also limited nutrition knowledge of the foods consumed in households of both villages. Households usually consumed energy giving foods such as carbohydrates and body building foods such as proteins. There was low consumption of milk and milk products, fruit and vegetable food groups. Various socio-economic factors such as income, living conditions, health, nutrition knowledge, culture, religion and lack of time to prepare food, affected eating habits. Some foods were recommended or condoned based on religious and cultural factors. Most households were unemployed and relied on government grants and remittances from family members working in the metropolitan centres. The findings in this study provide a better understanding of food access, availability and consumption in rural areas which can also assist in the formulation of policies that would improve quality of food consumption in rural areas. This study presented an opportunity that can be filled by institutions working in rural areas to support and strengthen their activities. Information sharing with households on the benefits of balanced diets can contribute to the health and the well-being of the society. The emphasis must be on strengthening backyard vegetable/fruit gardens and community food gardening programmes for household consumption v and sale, to generate income. These programmes can also offer fruit/vegetable preservation skills to households in order to help improve the shelf life of the produce. Policy makers must encourage provision of nutritional knowledge to households through different media and channels such as television, clinics, hospitals, schools, and newspapers.
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D'AMORE, GABRIELE. "Economic and financial aspects of crude oil markets." Doctoral thesis, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/11573/985529.
Full textAbstract:
The Role of Market Speculation in Rising Oil Prices:
the large oil price fluctuations occurred from 2003 to 2008 has raised many questions about their causes. Many empirical studies have attempted to understand how oil price fluctuations are driven by changes in both market fundamentals and speculative pressures. In this regard, some problems arise such as: the use of unreliable data like the global level of inventories or the specification of a vast number of arbitrary restrictions for the models. In this study I try to isolate, coherently with the view of Knittel and Pindyck(2016) and inspired by Kilian's works, the speculative effect on the short-term spot price fluctuations determined by structural forward-looking behavioral shocks produced in the futures market. Exploiting a dataset used in Kilian and Murphy (2012), CFTC data (period 1999M1-2008M6) and taking advantage of the standard theory of storage we will be able to verify, with a Blanchard-Quah structural approach, that the impact of these shocks is remarkable but not the prevalent one in magnitude. Instead, it would seem that speculative inventory holdings may have played a much more important role.The study named "European Energy Security: the Substitutability of European Crude Oil Imports from Russia" is meant to be a contribution to the current debate on the diversification possibilities in EU for reducing the dependency on Russian crude oil and ensuring the energy security of the European Union (EU). We focus on the aggregate demand for crude oil in EU with the aim of investigating the degree of substitutability of crude oil imports from the Former Soviet Union countries (FSU) and crude oil imports from four alternative regions (America, Middle East, Europe, Africa). Following Fuss (1977) and Serletis (2010) we employ an econometric model of intra-fuel substitution, using a nonlinear seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) estimator, to assess the aforementioned degree of substitutability in terms of Morishima elasticities of substitution. We use the most recent dataset, published by the European Commission, consisting of a collection of imported volumes and CIF prices of crude oil by country of origin. The results indicate that the crude oil provided by former Soviet Union (FSU) countries is strongly substitutable with those imported from African and Middle Eastern countries whilst it is not substitutable with those imported from European and American countries.
Predictability Information Criterion for Selecting Stochastic Pricing Models: pricing models of derivative instruments usually fail to provide reliable results when risks rise and financial crises occur. More advanced stochastic pricing models try to improve the fitting results adding risk factors and/or parameters to the models, incurring the risk of overfitted results. Drawing on these observations, it is proposed a generalization of the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) suitable to evaluate forecasting power of alternative stochastic pricing models for any fixed arbitrary forecasting time-horizon. The Predictability Information Criterion (PIC) differs from the classical criteria for evaluating statistical models as it assumes that the random variable to study can (or cannot) be partially predictable, which makes it particularly suitable for studying stochastic pricing models coherently with the semimartingale definition of the price process. On the basis of this assumption the criterion measures and compares the uncertainty of the predictions of two different alternative models when prices are (or are not) predictable. We conclude with a focus on the crude oil market by comparing GBM and OU stochastic processes that are commonly used for modeling West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil spot price returns in derivative pricing models.
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De, Clercq Bernadene. "Analysing the predictors of financial vulnerability of the consumer market microstructure in SouthAfrica." Thesis, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/13537.
Full textAbstract:
This study aimed to develop a causal chain that illustrates the path through which a
variety of factors influence consumer financial vulnerability. In order to achieve the
stated aim, it was necessary to firstly identify the factors that gave rise to consumers
being financially vulnerable. Secondly, the nature of the causal chain between the
identified factors was determined. Thirdly, the causes of consumer financial
vulnerability according to key informants in the financial services industry were
determined. Finally, based on the results of the first three stages, possible
explanations for consumer financial vulnerability were provided.
Before the construction of the causal chain could be explored, a theoretical
framework regarding household financial position as well as financial attitudes and
behaviours was provided. The theoretical framework was supported by a description
of the linkages through which consumers function and transact in an economy by
applying chain reasoning. The chain reasoning was extended by providing financial
statements reflecting the results of consumers’ interactions in the macroeconomy
with an extract from the national accounts of South Africa presenting the income
statements, balance sheets and relevant financial ratios of consumers for the period
in which the research was conducted (2008 to 2009).
For this study, the explanatory sequential mixed methods design was deemed
appropriate to achieve the proposed research objectives. The research process
firstly consisted of a quantitative strand where the possible causes for consumer
financial vulnerability were identified after which the results were validated with data
obtained in the second phase by means of four focus group discussions.
To determine the factors giving rise to and establish the causal chain of overall
consumer financial vulnerability, regression analysis was conducted. Based on the
results of the regression analysis, it became evident that the financial vulnerability
chain is not a singular linear process but rather a non-linear process (with
contemporaneous and singular linkages) with a variety of factors influencing financial
vulnerability, but also influencing each other over time.Management Accounting
D. Accounting Science
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Lessy, Zulkipli. "Philanthropic zakat for empowering Indonesia's poor : a qualitative study of recipient experiences at Rumah Zakat." Thesis, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/1805/4038.
Full textAbstract:
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)Existing zakat research reports little information about the living conditions of Indonesian zakat recipients. This study examined the perceptions of zakat recipients at Rumah Zakat, a charitable institution, in Yogyakarta. Semi-structured interviews solicited seven economic empowerment and seven socio-health program respondents’ narratives. This data collection method incorporating multiple approaches to data analysis, including phenomenology, revealed that economic empowerment respondents with more education and spousal support could better subsist after utilizing Rumah Zakat’s interest-free loans. And, compared to individual efforts or group support, spousal support helped significantly with business growth. These respondents typically earned incomes above the national standard of poverty. As their businesses grew, four respondents planned to employ the jobless. In the socio-health program, respondents had minimal education and incomes that fell below the national standard of poverty. A Rumah Zakat clinic gave these respondents four to five years of free health care services; it also facilitated collaborative learning. Although the services lowered their expenses, three respondents requested food distribution in addition to health care. Respondents benefiting from both programs reported a significant positive impact on their home economies, health, and social lives. Thus, an integrative program offering assistance with micro-credits, health care, food security, and education would better serve the poor.
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Kedir, Kemeria Barsenga. "Livelihoods and coping strategies of rural households in Abela Lida Peasant Association of Shebedino District, Southern Ethiopia." Diss., 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/20001.
Full textAbstract:
Executive summary: last page (unnumbered)The Sustainable Livelihood framework approach is a comprehensive method for determination of food insecurity and poverty at household level. The objective of this study was to determine the livelihood strategies and the coping mechanisms used by rural households in Abela Lida PA, Shebedino district, Southern Ethiopia. This study used both qualitative and quantitative methods to estimate the contribution of different resources to total food access and cash income, detailing expenditure patterns, asset holdings and capacity to cope with shocks. Simple random sampling was used for selecting 72 households for the survey. The data was collected during the hunger season using the checklists designed for livelihood and coping strategies. The study showed only 30% households had all the adults as working members, due to poor work skill, low awareness and lack of job opportunities. The main sources of income are sale of cash crops mainly coffee (55.6%) followed by sale of cash crops plus livestock (18%), labour (12.5%), PSNP (8.3%). The average annual income for the households was found to be birr 4,727.92 (~$293.34) and agriculture is the main livelihood strategy. Awareness and access to basic social services has improved and escalated price of staple foods, has negatively affected poor households and safety net beneficiaries who rely on purchase. Seasonality has also affected agricultural activities, prices and employment opportunities. The increase in fuel price was found to be the main shock followed by coffee price fluctuations and failure in purchasing power of money. About (63%) households faced shortage of food or money to buy food, medical expenses, cooking fuel and school fees.
Agriculture, Animal Health and Human Ecology
M.A. (Human Ecology)