To see the other types of publications on this topic, follow the link: Internal Barriers of growth.
Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Internal Barriers of growth'
Create a spot-on reference in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and other styles
Consult the top 50 dissertations / theses for your research on the topic 'Internal Barriers of growth.'
Next to every source in the list of references, there is an 'Add to bibliography' button. Press on it, and we will generate automatically the bibliographic reference to the chosen work in the citation style you need: APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, Vancouver, etc.
You can also download the full text of the academic publication as pdf and read online its abstract whenever available in the metadata.
Browse dissertations / theses on a wide variety of disciplines and organise your bibliography correctly.
1
Alhasni, Rafah, and Tari Negar Askari. "Internal Growth Barriers Of Small Swedish Family Business." Thesis, Jönköping University, Internationella Handelshögskolan, 2021. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hj:diva-52767.
Full textAbstract:
Background:The family business is one of Sweden’s most common business forms, making up 90% of all firms and institutions. Also, it accounts for more than a third of GDP. So, it plays a vital role in the economy in Sweden. However, most of the family businesses are relatively small. Purpose:This paper aims to explore and understand the internal growth barriers to the small Swedish family business. Method:A qualitative method inspired by the inductive approach was conducted through semi-structured interviews with five owners of small family businesses in Sweden. The data were analyzed through three steps of general analytical procedure, which are (1) data reduction, (2) data displays, (3) conclusion and verification. Conclusion:This study concludes several internal growth barriers that affect the small Swedish family business: having only revenue goals, long-term growth goals, no written form of goals, family-oriented goals, unawareness of owner to change the firm’s structure during the growth, owner’s tendency to control all activities, owner prefers to keep the business smaller to keep control, the owner has more than one role and task, shortage of competencies and skills, unqualified successors and family members are welcome, lack of robots and Knowledge, owners have another job, different tasks, and roles, family business offers services of high quality that need time, selecting the oldest son to take over regardless of his competencies, employees’ attitude towards obeying a female owner, successors have no interest in taking over, no successors, rivalry among siblings and conflict of their interest, high arguments, different goals of family members from different generations, employ the first non-family member employee, employed more people, fear that non-family employees are less interested in FB or that more employees lead to loss of control, not able to employ more people and finally risk-avoiding behaviour. These barriers resulted in: hindering strategic changes in the needed time, innovation changes in the market obstructed, goals are forgotten, lack of competencies and skills, increases workload and challenges for the male manager, not responding to the market changes quickly, impossible to manage everything effectively, decrease control, not employing needed employees, responsibilities and roles on the owner increase, decrease integrity and harmony in the family, and finally, not developing the products, assisting more customers, and focusing on the growth. Consequently, lead to selling the firm and not keep it for a long time, slow growth, do no maximize potential growth, growth affected negatively, growth hindered, stay in the same size, avoid growth chances, or miss growth opportunities.
2
Eskilsson, Malin, and Theresia Sape. "Tillväxt - möjligheter och begränsningar : En studie om interna tillväxthinder i snabbväxande företag." Thesis, Linköpings universitet, Företagsekonomi, 2016. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-129807.
Full textAbstract:
Bakgrund: Snabbväxande företag bidrar med majoriteten av alla nyskapade jobb i Sverige. Tidigare forskning har dock visat att dessa företag får problem i och med snabb tillväxt, något som leder till att de inte blir uthålliga över tid. Vid en kartläggning av tidigare studier påträffades en avsaknad av forskning som har till syfte att förklara varför snabbväxande företag inte är uthålliga, varav vi ansåg det vara av intresse att studera fenomenet interna tillväxthinder. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att genom grundares perspektiv identifiera interna tillväxthinder inom snabbväxande företag. I samband med detta undersöks hur de snabbväxande företagen tar sig an och överkommer dessa barriärer. Genomförande: Denna studie har utgått från en kvalitativ forskningsmetod, med ett induktivt angreppssätt för att kunna utforska fenomenet interna tillväxthinder. Studien har genomförts med utgångs-punkt i intervjuer med fyra grundare av tillväxtföretag. Slutsats: Studien har kunnat identifiera fyra områden som utifrån företagsgrundares berättelser haft särskild betydelse för överkomsten av tillväxthinder. Studien indikerar att de fyra områdena kan utvecklas till tillväxthinder om snabbväxarna inte arbetar med dem på rätt sätt, men kan med största sannolikhet omvandlas till tillväxtmöjligheter om grundaren inser värdet av att arbeta med dessa.Background: High-growth firms contribute to a majority of all newly created jobs in Sweden. Recent studies have shown that these companies encounter problems and growth barriers as a result of their rapid growth. After investigating the study field of high-growth firms we found an absence of research that seeks to explain why they are not persistent over time. We consider it to be of interest to study the phenomenon of internal growth barriers. Aim: The aim of this study is to identify internal growth barriers in high-growth firms through the perspective of the founders. In relation to this we examine how the high-growth firms undertake and overcomes these barriers. Completion: This study is based on a qualitative research strategy, with an inductive study approach, to enable an exploration of the phenomenon internal growth barriers. The study was conducted based on interviews with four founders of high-growth firms. Conclusion: The study has been able to identify four areas based on the founders' dictums, which had special significance for the emergence of internal growth barriers. The four areas can be developed to emerging growth obstacles if the high-growth firms do not consider their importance. This study suggests that the growth barriers most likely can be converted to growth potentials if the firms realize the importance to develop them.
3
Struyk, David A. "Praying through growth barriers." Theological Research Exchange Network (TREN), 2006. http://www.tren.com/search.cfm?p006-1515.
Full text
4
Amaral, Paulo Cancela Simões do. "Barriers to internal benchmarking initiatives: an emprirical investigation." Master's thesis, Universidade de Aveiro, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10773/4602.
Full textAbstract:
Mestrado em Gestão de OperaçõesA implementação de iniciativas de benchmarking interno enfrenta barreiras que se podem tornar críticas para o seu sucesso, relacionadas com a organização, a gestão de projecto e a qualidade da informação. A comunidade científica tem-se debruçado pouco sobre este tópico e ainda não existe um quadro conceptual suficientemente evoluído que possa orientar os gestores das iniciativas de benchmarking na sua tomada de decisão. Geralmente, não se tem consciência das barreiras que podem surgir ou das estratégias mais apropriadas para as ultrapassar. Por conseguinte, os gestores dos processos de benchmarking têm dificuldades em antecipar problemas; recorrem à improvisação e perguntam-se frequentemente se estão no caminho certo. A presente dissertação visa aumentar a compreensão sobre as barreiras que podem surgir numa iniciativa de benchmarking interno e sobre as estratégias associadas, recorrendo à literatura científica e à investigação empírica. Primeiro, revê-se a literatura sobre benchmarking, com vista a identificar as características e dinâmica dos processos de benchmarking. De seguida, revêse a literatura sobre benchmarking, gestão da mudança e gestão de projectos; identificam-se barreiras à implementação de iniciativas de benchmarking e apontam-se estratégias para as ultrapassar (quando disponíveis). Depois, desenvolve-se um estudo empírico de uma iniciativa de benchmarking interno implementado numa empresa portuguesa; complementam-se e validam-se, por esta via, os resultados obtidos através da revisão da literatura. No fim, apresentam-se e discutem-se as barreiras e estratégias associadas (quando disponíveis) que possam orientar os gestores de iniciativas de benchmarking interno no respectivo processo de implementação.
The implementation of internal benchmarking studies faces critical barriers related to the organization, project management and information quality. Existing research has focused insufficiently on this topic and professionals do not yet benefit from an adequate conceptual framework to assist them in making the right decisions. Usually, there is no awareness of what barriers may emerge nor of what the appropriate strategies may be to overcome them. Thus, the promoters of benchmarking initiatives have difficulties in anticipating problems, are left improvising and frequently wonder if they are doing the right thing. We aim to increase the understanding of the barriers that may emerge in an internal benchmarking initiative and associated strategies, based on a review of the literature enriched by an empirical investigation. In this connection, we review the benchmarking literature in order to identify the characteristics of benchmarking processes and their underlying steps. Next, we analyse the benchmarking, change management and project management literatures; we identify barriers to the implementation of benchmarking initiatives and associated coping strategies (when available). Then, we perform an empirical study of an internal benchmarking initiative implemented in a Portuguese plant, validating and complementing the theoretical results. In the end, we present and discuss the barriers and associated coping strategies (when available) that may guide promoters of internal benchmarking initiatives during the implementation process.
5
ANDERSSON, TORSTENSSON LIZA. "Internal barriers for moving towards circularity - An industrial perspective." Thesis, KTH, Maskinkonstruktion (Inst.), 2016. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-192477.
Full textAbstract:
För organisationer som siktar på att bli hållbara är det hävdat att en organisatorisk övergång snarare än en optimering av den nuvarande organisationen är nödvändig (Loorbach & Wijsman, 2013). Detta leder till att när en Cirkulär Ekonomi (CE) modell appliceras och materialflöden sluts innebär det förändringar som påverkar affärsmodeller, logistik, tillhandahålla erbjudanden, service, tillverkning och processer. Företag idag brottas med att applicera CE eftersom det idag saknas en generell bild av hur firmor borde inkludera hållbarhet i sina affärsmodeller, på grund av en brist på kunskap inom fältet (Bocken, Short, Rana, & Evans, 2013). För att kunna röra sig mot en hållbar cirkulär affärsmodell så behöver organisationer övervinna interna barriärer för att genomföra förändringen och hitta transformeringsstrategier för att övervinna dem. Baserat på omfattande litteratur genomfördes elva explorativa djupintervjuer inom ett stort, moget, tillverknings business-to-business företag i Sverige. Företaget har ett intresse av CE men är fortfarande nya på området och har deras affärer baserade på en linjär ekonomi. Den här studien bidrar till att förstå de barriärer som stora mogna organisationer står inför när dom applicerar CE. Studien presenterar en intervju utredning som utforskar ett företags styrkor och svagheter kopplade till deras kapacitet att applicera CE, genom att identifiera barriärer i syfte att kunna använda som en grund för företag att bemöta utmaningarna med en transformation, att ge dom riktningar av var och ge dom riktningar om var och hur dom kan påbörja en transformering. Genom att identifiera barriärer mot en förändring så blir det möjligt att identifiera möjligheter att överkomma dem (Grant, 2010). Studien presenterar sedan områden barriärer befinner sig inom, som författaren anser viktigast, samt förslag på hur man kan bemöta dem. Den här studiens främsta bidrag till forskningen är en detaljerad och övergripande inblick i ett inflytelserikt företags inställning till Cirkulär Ekonomi, samt de barriärer de kan stå inför vid en eventuell övergång.For organizations that aim to become sustainable, it is argued that an organizational transition is required rather than an optimization of the existing firm (Loorbach & Wijsman, 2013). Hence, applying a Circular Economy (CE) model and closing material loops implies changes that affects business models, logistics, offerings provided, services and manufacturing processes. Companies are currently struggling with applying CE since there is no general view today of how firms should include sustainability into their business models due to a lack of knowledge within the field (Bocken, Short, Rana, & Evans, 2013). In order to move into a sustainable circular business model, organizations needs to overcome internal barriers for performing the change and find transformation strategies for overcoming them. Based on extent literature eleven explorative in-depth interviews were conducted within one large, mature manufacturing business-to-business company in Sweden. The investigated company (hereinafter the Company) has an interest in CE but is still novel in the area and has its businesses based on a linear economy. This paper contributes to understanding the barriers that large mature organizations face when applying CE. The paper presents an interview investigation which explores a company’s strengths and weaknesses based on its capacity to apply CE. The aim is to provide a base for companies to tackle the challenges of transformation, to give them directions of where and how to start. By identifying the barriers of change it becomes possible to identify opportunities to overcome them (Grant, 2010). The study presents areas where barriers are located which the author considers most important, and provide suggestions for how to meet them. The foremost contribution of this study to science is a detailed and all-embracing insight into a powerful company’s attitude to CE, and barriers they might face in a potential transition.
6
Zhu, Ping. "Predictive modelling and simulations of internal transport barriers in tokamaks /." Full text (PDF) from UMI/Dissertation Abstracts International, 2001. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/utexas/fullcit?p3008483.
Full text
7
Niemelä, M. (Miikka). "The significance of firm internal barriers to the internationalization of SMEs." Bachelor's thesis, University of Oulu, 2016. http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:oulu-201611123032.
Full textAbstract:
This Bachelor’s Thesis is literature review that focuses on studying the significance of internal barriers to SMEs’ internationalization. Firm internal barriers are a collection of barriers that arise from companies’ internal capabilities and resources as well as companies’ approach to internationalization, rather than from the external environment. The internal barriers found in this research are related to internal resource deficiencies and attributes that significantly hinder the international growth of SMEs. Barriers related to insufficient information, managerial attributes, human resources, financing and marketing were found to be the most prominent barriers as they were included, in some form, in most of the previous studies. The importance of proactive measures against internal barriers and the importance of building networks arose as relevant managerial implications for SMEs. The results of this research can help SMEs by making them aware of problems that internationalizing SMEs commonly face and giving them a possibility for preparation and proactive measures. In addition to SMEs, the results can also be utilized by policymakers and external service providers contributing to the international growth of SMEs
8
Nissar, Nahmed. "Analyzing internal shearing in compound landslides using MPM." Thesis, Virginia Tech, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/99142.
Full textAbstract:
Landslides cause significant damage worldwide and therefore epitomize the most important problems in geotechnical engineering. Hence, perceiving the mechanics involved in the deformation process of landslides is necessary for risk assessment. In addition to the resistance offered by basal shear surfaces, internal shearing also influences the stability and kinematics of compound landslides. For compound landslides, internal shearing is essential to develop feasible sliding mechanisms. The internal distortion is caused by the formation of shear bands that develop within the sliding mass. The strain localization is generally attributed to slope changes along the basal sliding surface (or topography) that constrain the strain field of the landslide. The development of these internal shear bands also controls the energy dissipation, and its distribution determines the final degradation of the material. This work focuses on the study of internal failure mechanisms that develop in compound landslides. A theoretical model of a compound landslide is numerically analyzed using the Material Point Method (MPM), a state-of-the-art numerical technique appropriate to model large deformation problems. The internal failure pattern is identified for different basal sliding geometries. Based on that, a generalized method is proposed to estimate the internal failure mechanism of bi-planar compound geometries. The material degradation and energy dissipation are evaluated in terms of the accumulated deviatoric strain and the reaction forces exerted by the landslide on a vertical wall. Moreover, preliminary studies are conducted to analyze the use of barriers as a mitigation strategy to counter landslide damage, and their efficiencies are investigated.Master of Science
Landslides consist of movement of rock and debris down a slope. They cause substantial damage each year and therefore represent an important class of problems in geotechnical engineering. Understanding the deformation process and internal shearing pattern occurring in landslides is an important aspect for assessing the risk that a landslide poses. The internal shear is caused due to the formation of shear bands that develop within the mass flowing down the slope and originate at the points of slope change on an incline. These shear bands also affect the amount of energy dissipated and the degradation of flow material. In this work, the internal failure mechanism in landslides is analyzed and effects on landslide kinematics are studied. Material Point Method (MPM) is used to simulate slope instabilities which is an advanced numerical technique appropriate for modeling large deformation problems such as landslides. Several theoretical models of compound landslides are presented considering variation in geometry (roundedness), friction, and slope angle. A generalized failure mechanism of a landslide is proposed based on its geometry and physical parameters. Finally, accumulated strains and reaction forces impacted by moving mass on a wall are calculated for different landslide geometries, and subsequently correlated to energy dissipation material degradation. These results also serve as a precursor to studying the role of barriers in mitigating landslide damage.
9
Barth, Henrik. "Barriers to growth and development in small firms /." Luleå : Luleå University of Technology, 2004. http://epubl.luth.se/1402-1544/2004/55.
Full text
10
Heide, Carsten. "Nonequilibrium processes in heterostructures under the influence of internal and external magnetic fields." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1997. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.389021.
Full text
11
Seid, Jacob J. (Jacob Julius) 1975. "Barriers to growth of the Hong Kong software industry." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/46231.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (S.B. and M.Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 1998.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 165-170).
by Jacob J. Seid.
S.B.and M.Eng.
12
Seeger, Lucas H. F. "China's internal migration, public policies, and economic growth." Thesis, Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10945/27902.
Full textAbstract:
Studying the internal migration of China since 1949, the overall effect of migration on economic performance has had a discernible impact both positive and negative at different times. There are two distinct aspects the actual migration patterns and their relative effects on the economy; and the domestic policies enacted by the PRC that directly prompted movements whether intentional or not. This thesis has led to the conclusion that it was the push and pulls aspect or opposing forces of domestic policies and the migration of the people and labor throughout this entire time period that helped shape economic successes and failures in China. This push and pull aspect is the push by the PRC to control (via domestic policies) migration patterns or urban growth and the pull (internal migration) of businesses and firms for relatively cheap labor that drive internal migration. This in my opinion is the most important aspect in this thesis. The impact that of circular cause and effect is, in turn, a crucial basis of either the economic successes or failures seen throughout the time periods examined in this thesis.
13
Mäkinen, A. (Anna). "Development of internal communication policy in growth enterprise." Master's thesis, University of Oulu, 2018. http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:oulu-201809052711.
Full textAbstract:
Internal communication has an important role in an organization’s every action. It is affecting to the efficiency of processes as well as sense of community among the members of an organization. Even though internal communication as such is relatively much searched topic, developing internal communication and internal communication policy have been disregarded among scientific community.
The objective of this research is to find out how to develop an internal communication policy when there are factors that are strongly affecting to that. The main theory is contingency theory which argues that there is no one universal way to organize an internal communication policy. There are some external and internal factors that affect to organizing such. In this research the growth is an external factor which has affected to the internal factor, the amount of tacit knowledge. The research is made for an IT company Aava Mobile Oy which needs development for three different internal communication channels: intranet, familiarization package and Common Coffee Break. The goal is to find the objectives of development for each channel.
The research is a case study which is using qualitative methods such as semi-structured interviews, questionnaires and observation. The researcher was an active part of the working community which meant the observation was inclusive. The research philosophy is critical realism which means there is an objective reality but the knowledge is socially constructed.
This research found out that growth has many impacts on the development of internal communication policy. The growth makes the organizational structure more complex than it was before which affects the flow of information and the amount of tacit knowledge. Internal communication can be measured in multiple ways, in this research the employee satisfaction was connected with the success of the internal communication policies. Employee satisfaction and the amount of tacit knowledge was also connected, less tacit knowledge within an organization equals more satisfaction among employees.
14
Kim, Chul. "Overcoming the barriers of Korean discipleship for greater church growth." Theological Research Exchange Network (TREN), 1989. http://www.tren.com.
Full text
15
Kahnamoui, Farrokh. "The effects of trade barriers on growth : an empirical investigation /." Available to subscribers only, 2007. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1456289911&sid=10&Fmt=2&clientId=1509&RQT=309&VName=PQD.
Full text
16
Venter, Jani. "Barriers to growth in the US real estate derivatives market." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/42015.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (S.M. in Real Estate Development)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2007.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 105-106).
Commercial real estate is an important asset class but it does not yet have a well-developed derivatives market in the United States. A derivative is a contract that derives its value from an underlying index or asset. Examples of the most well-known derivatives that have been widely used and traded for years are stock options, commodity futures and interest rate swaps. The advent of direct real estate equity derivative products has created the opportunity for similar applications in both the US and international commercial real estate markets. The United States is currently experiencing a convergence between real estate and finance and it appears that the real estate derivatives market might be ready to take off. The use of derivatives could improve the functioning of the real estate industry by allowing investors to gain or reduce exposure to the commercial real estate asset class without directly buying or selling properties. The increased liquidity and reduced up front capital requirements provide added flexibility in executing real estate investment strategies (i.e. speculating) and managing risk (i.e. hedging). This has resulted in significant interest in the development of commercial property derivatives by key players in all sectors. A number of barriers (e.g., indices, pricing, education, fund mandates, tax and accounting treatment) still exist that hinder the successful implementation and growth of real estate derivatives in the US commercial real estate market. It is crucial for the market to overcome these barriers in order to revolutionize the institutional world and allow investors to gain exposure to the real estate asset class and to hedge private real estate risk. This thesis analyzes these barriers to the development of a synthetic market that is on the brink of expanding.
(cont.) The US real estate sector is an eight trillion dollar market composed of real estate assets which has been managed until recently without pointed focus on the property specific risk. The size of this market presents a vast opportunity for risk hedging, asset allocation and portfolio rebalancing in a more efficient manner through the use of derivatives.
by Jani Venter.
S.M.in Real Estate Development
17
Ali, S. (Sara). "The internal features of high-growth firms in Finland." Master's thesis, University of Oulu, 2019. http://jultika.oulu.fi/Record/nbnfioulu-201906052415.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract. It is evident that high-growth firms are getting attention from the researchers. But there is still a gap in defining high-growth firms as there is scattered data available for defining high-growth firms with respect to its characteristics. The purpose of this study is to find out the inner qualities of high growth firms that differentiate them from other firms due to which, it is called high-growth firms. Previous researches have mainly focused on high-growth firms with respect to job creation only. Also, researches have emphasized on the firm-specific features of high-growth firms such as size, age, and industry. As high growth firms play an important role to support economic growth and raise the employment level in the country so it is very important to further research on it due to which it stands out as compared to other companies in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
This research is a qualitative study. Data is gathered by semi-structured interviews. All the interviewees were personnel from Finnish high-growth firms and had several years of experience in their field. In this study, internal characteristics are highlight based on the contemporary literature such as the growth vision: the identified opportunities or needs: the strategic management, partnerships or the inter-organizational relations,innovation and R&D, capabilities, entrepreneurial teams: entrepreneur characteristics, and human resource management practices: human capital.
From the finding of the research Finnish high-growth firms in the metropolitan area have similar internal features which help the firms to grow. Moreover, there are some features which are also positively correlated such as 1) entrepreneurial teams and entrepreneur characteristics, 2) entrepreneurial teams, human capital, and Strategic management, 3) human resource management practices and human capital, and 4) partnerships or inter-organizational relations, capabilities and identified opportunities. Hence, it is empirically proven that High-growth firms possess these characteristics and some are positively correlated to each other. Further, the findings of the study are similar to the extant literature. The limitations and future studies are also discussed.
18
Ambrose, Carrie. "Considering men in distress : masculinity, mental health and barriers to care." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2010. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/36705/.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis explores a number of areas related to men who experience distress in mental health or physical care. Chapter one, the literature review, considers research that has examined the impact on masculinity when men experience a debilitating healthcare event, such as chronic illness or a mental health condition. Despite the wide variety of healthcare events considered, this critical review finds many similarities in the experiences of men and proposes a conceptual model for the renegotiation of masculinity. Considerations for further research are suggested. Chapter two, the empirical paper, is a grounded theory study of the experiences of male military personnel with emotional distress. Seven participants reflected on their psychological wellbeing and considerations about accessing mental healthcare within the military. A process model was developed from analysis of the interviews which placed military culture as a key consideration for personnel. Other categories, including a number of conflicting perceptions, are discussed. Considerations for further research and implications of the findings for clinical services are offered. Chapter three, the reflective paper, provides the author’s reflections of the research process with specific attention to the area of conducting sensitive research. Consideration is given to how the research carried out as described in chapter two might be considered sensitive and personal reflections are offered that might be of use to other researchers using qualitative methods or researching similar sensitive topics. The author’s reflections on the research process are considered in relation to key literature on sensitive research.
19
Louis, Dominic, and Priscila Macamo. "Barriers to Business Growth : A study on Small Enterprises in Maputo." Thesis, Umeå universitet, Handelshögskolan vid Umeå universitet, 2011. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-50705.
Full text
20
Xheneti, M. "Barriers to SME growth in transition economies : the case of Albania." Thesis, University of Bristol, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/1983/640cd5aa-1d2f-4440-ad88-11d5d8d9429c.
Full text
21
Meres, Sereke-Berhan. "Ethiopian and Eritrean Businesses Growth Barriers in the Washington, DC Area." ScholarWorks, 2016. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/2613.
Full textAbstract:
Prior studies have revealed that recent Asian and Hispanic immigrant entrepreneurs have made significant contributions to social change in the United States. Although African immigrant entrepreneurs have made such contributions, few studies exist about them, and there is limited knowledge about this business community. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify the barriers of growth in Ethiopian and Eritrean immigrant-owned firms in the Washington, DC area who were in business for a minimum of 3 years and represented various trade lines and geographical locations. The enhanced integrated model of ethnic business development, which proposes growth strategies by analyzing the interaction of opportunity structures, ethnic resources, and entrepreneurial and management skills, was used as the conceptual framework to guide this study. Semistructured interview data were gathered from the business owners and then analyzed by employing a pattern matching technique. The data analysis revealed the themes of management deficiencies and the lack of organizational support system as the main growth barriers of the firms studied. These findings suggested the improvement of management skills and the creation of an organizational support system. This effort demands a collaboration of public, private, and community organizations. The results of this study may have positive social change implications to local economies by facilitating the growth of immigrant-owned businesses and enhancing their job and income-creating potential.
22
Comrie, Andrew Charles. "Growth, Structure and Prediction of the Thermal Internal Boundary Layer." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 1988. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6920.
Full textAbstract:
The Thermal internal Boundary Layer (TIBL) is a dynamic and turbulent mesoscale feature of the coastal atmosphere that forms over the land during conditions of onshore flow. The TIBL develops as an adjustment of the atmospheric boundary layer to the discontinuities of temperature and roughness that occur at the interface between the underlying marine and terrestrial surfaces. The resulting formation of a characteristically convex mixed layer below relatively stable air aloft has serious implications for the dispersion of pollutants in shoreline environments. Although a wide range of research relating to various features of the TIBL may be found in the literature, relatively few broadly-based studies have been performed. This study has employed both airborne and surface measurements to obtain a comprehensive spatial and temporal data set, in order to elucidate aspects of the characteristic structure and behaviour of the TIBL. TIBL growth was found to follow a diurnal pattern, the initially irregular boundary becoming more uniform during the day as a steady balance between various factors was achieved. The TIBL was associated with a layer of uniform wind speed anti direction flowing perpendicular to the coastline, within which warmer temperatures and changes in relative humidity and moisture content were observed. The temperature structure of the onshore flow strongly influenced the intensity of turbulence encountered in the TIBL and the degree of entrainment aloft. Patterns of turbulent properties displayed significant increases in the TIBL, which were relatively abrupt near the surface and more gradual towards the top of the TIBL. Measurements of sensible heat flux revealed strong undulations in TIBL structure due to transitory eddies and thermal upcurrents. Certain theoretically based predictive equations of TIBL height displayed the best overall performance out of eight selected models, and some promise was shown by an empirical formulation. TIBL development was generally complex and irregular within the first few kilometres of the shore, while further inland more regular TIBL formation enabled the relatively accurate observation and prediction of TIBL height.
23
Liao, Wen, Daniel Bost, and John G. Ekerdt. "Growth of Ultra-thin Ruthenium and Ruthenium Alloy Films for Copper Barriers." Universitätsbibliothek Chemnitz, 2016. http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bsz:ch1-qucosa-207151.
Full textAbstract:
We report approaches to grow ultrathin Ru films for application as a seed layer and Cu diffusion barrier. For chemical vapor deposition (CVD) with Ru3(CO)12 we show the role surface hydroxyl groups have in nucleating the Ru islands that grow into a continuous film in a Volmer-Weber process, and how the nucleation density can be increased by applying a CO or NH3 overpressure. Thinner continuous films evolve in the presence of a CO overpressure. We report an optimun ammonia overpressure for Ru nucleation and that leads to deposition of smoother Ru thin films. Finally, we report a comparison of amorphous Ru films that are alloyed with P or B and demonstrate 3-nm thick amorphous Ru(B) films function as a Cu diffusion barrier.
24
Thomas, Kevin. "How international are we? : a study of the internal barriers to internationalisation of UK higher education." Thesis, Northumbria University, 2012. http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/11365/.
Full textAbstract:
As the landscape of UKHE undergoes yet another significant change, currently related to the funding of home students, the importance of a university’s international activities have been placed in a sharper focus. Although the direct economic impact of international student recruitment is of interest and importance, how institutions approach and organise themselves in relation to wider internationalisation is critical. This study has investigated in detail the internal barriers that exist to restrict or prevent that internationalisation process. A mixed methods approach, aligned with a realist ontology and pragmatist epistemology, has utilised a rigorous, sequential, three phase primary investigation. The earlier phases informing, although also allowing data to be transferred to other stages, the follow-on phases. An initial phase of content analysis of internationalisation strategies was utilised to identify the enablers to internationalisation and also to allow the formulation of a probability sampled questionnaire to staff involved with, and interested in, internationalisation. The phase two questionnaire results were then utilised to identify the barriers to internationalisation and to formulate detailed questions to be asked at a series of purposive sampled interviews, these interviews confirming the previously identified barriers. A series of internal barriers have been identified as follows; Resources; senior management support and leadership; staff interaction/engagement; use of a strategy and monitoring; complicated and over- bureaucratic procedures; internationally focused curriculum; internationalisation at home; staff and student mobility; communication and clarification. The degree of impact of these barriers will vary between institutions and suggestions have been made how to approach and deal with them. This study has therefore made a direct contribution to higher education practice but has also made a contribution to knowledge by utilising the sequential primary data gathering and closing the evident knowledge gap associated with the identification of the internal barriers to internationalisation of higher education in the UK.
25
Kennedy, Amy. "Examining the barriers and benefits to exercise in adults with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2017. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/7257/.
Full textAbstract:
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) results from autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta cells. Preservation of beta cell function reduces the risk of the complications of T1D. Regular exercise preserves beta cell function rat models of T1D and patients with other forms of diabetes. We wished to examine whether exercise could preserve beta cell function in T1D and whether this was influenced by adipokine receptor expression and function. We undertook a qualitative study to explore barriers to exercise in patients newly diagnosed with T1D. This showed that patients lacked confidence managing diabetes for exercise, and were poorly supported by healthcare professionals. Using these results, we then undertook a pilot clinical trial aiming to determine recruitment and retention, adherence to exercise, and exploring whether exercise preserves beta cell function in patients newly diagnosed with T1D. We show successful recruitment to an unsupervised exercise intervention study. We did not detect a beneficial effect of exercise on beta cell function in this pilot trial, but identified several areas that will need to be addressed in designing a larger scale study. Finally, we demonstrate improved adiponectin receptor expression and adiponectin mediated suppression of T cell endothelial migration in the months after diagnosis with T1D.
26
McElroy, Daniel. "Elucidating the functions of fibroblast growth factor 9 in multiple sclerosis." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 2018. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/30798/.
Full textAbstract:
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. In around 85% of cases, the disease progresses through two distinct stages: relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) is driven by repeated bouts of demyelination caused by autoimmune inflammation; and progressive MS, in which inflammation gives way to neurodegenerative processes that lead to axonal loss and the steady accumulation of disability. There is no cure for MS and the majority of disease-slowing treatments target the immune response in RRMS. These interventions are ineffective in progressive MS and other treatment options are extremely limited. Understanding the mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration in MS is critically important to developing therapeutics for progressive disease. Fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9) has recently been implicated in the pathogenesis of MS. FGF9 inhibits myelination and promotes the production of inflammatory chemokines. This led to the hypothesis that FGF9 is involved in remyelination failure and may promote neurodegeneration via tissue remodelling and inflammatory pathways. FGF signaling is complex and the findings in MS raised many questions: what cells respond to FGF9 in MS? Why is FGF9 expression induced in the first place? Can FGF9 cause demyelination as well as inhibit myelination? This thesis has focused on the roles of FGF9 in MS and tried to answer these questions. Through in vitro models, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and macrophages were shown to express feedback inhibitors of FGF signaling when treated with FGF9. Astrocytes produced FGF9 in response to hypoxic stress, macrophages expressed FGF9 when polarized towards an anti-inflammatory phenotype, suggesting hypoxia, and repair processes may drive FGF9 expression in the CNS. FGF9 did not cause demyelination in vitro but over-expression in vivo induced severe demyelination over the course of several months. Oligodendrocytes exposed to FGF9 failed to differentiate properly when the factor was removed which led to aberrant myelination. Long-term treatment with FGF9 induced axonal pathology, potentially via deficits in axon-transport. Over-expression of FGF9 in rat cortex also produced an axonal pathology, which suggests chronic exposure is detrimental to neurons. Together, these findings indicate that increased levels of FGF9 are detrimental to myelination and neurons in the CNS. Demyelination, and axonal pathology are hallmarks of MS and these studies provide evidence that FGF9 can mediate these processes in in vitro and in vivo models.
27
Larsson, Jennie, Charley Litchfield, and Filippa Smedberg. "Exploring the barriers of consumer purchasing in M-commerce : A Qualitative Study." Thesis, Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för marknadsföring (MF), 2018. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-76099.
Full textAbstract:
Purpose: Explore the external and internal barriers preventing consumer purchases in M- commerce. Research Questions:RQ1: What are the external barriers that prevent consumer purchases on smartphones?RQ2: What are the internal barriers that prevent consumer purchases on smartphones? Methodology: This thesis is a qualitative study using an exploratory purpose and used a cross- sectional strategy collecting data through two focus groups. Conclusion: There are existing external barriers in M-commerce that consist of; unadjusted webpages for the smartphone, small screen size, and inconvenient internet connection. Along with that, internal barriers consist of; the inability to complete a task efficiently, consumers’ motivation to use the smartphone other than purchasing, technology perceived as difficult, security concerns and lack of trust, and finally the lack of skill. Thus, the findings of this thesis explored how these factors prevent consumer purchasing in M-commerce. Theoretical contributions/limitations/future research: The key contributions of this thesis is in the field of M-commerce. More specifically, dividing the barriers of purchasing in M-commerce into two categories, external and internal barriers, which has not been studied before. Since this thesis used an exploratory purpose, the subjective nature therefore has implications affecting its validity and reliability resulting in lower levels of generalizability and replication. Along with this, the language barriers in the focus groups may have had an effect on the results. A suggestion for future research is to focus on the relationship between the external and internal barriers in M-commerce rather than distinguishing them. Future research could also consist of identifying other approaches of the barriers in M-commerce.
28
Vernon, Jonathan Andrew. "Barriers to sustainability among tourism-related businesses : identification and reduction." Thesis, University of Plymouth, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/10026.1/395.
Full textAbstract:
The attainment of sustainable development has emerged as one of the main challenges facing society and the economy in the twenty-first century. In tourism, the English Tourism Council (2001 a, p. 11) recognise that sustainable tourism can no longer be regarded as an optional extra, but is fundamental to safeguarding the long-term competitiveness of the industry. To establish sustainable development as a primary strategic objective within the tourism industry represents a substantial challenge. Such a goal is problematic not least because the sector is so diverse and is based around a large number of small businesses which are not always accessible or responsive to change and innovation. The purpose of this thesis is to examine the response of tourism-related businesses to environmental sustainability issues in South East Cornwall. The research represents a three-year joint project funded by the University of Plymouth and Caradon District Council, with support from South West Tourism and the European Regional Development Fund through Caradon Area LEADER II (1999-2001). The aims of the project were to obtain a more detailed understanding of the issues and barriers that tourism businesses face in the implementation of sustainable business practices. The results had practical outcomes in the formulation of a district-wide strategy for sustainable tourism. Through a mixed-method research programme, almost half of tourism businesses in the district contributed to the study. The results revealed a diversity of behaviour, attitudes and motives that are currently not recognised within policy interventions or conceptual models of business behavior. Additionally, the research demonstrated that business responses are modified by a range of complex barriers, which operate at different geographical scales and require a broad policy focus. Within policy initiatives for sustainable tourism, small tourism businesses cannot be treated as scaled-down versions of large businesses. More sophisticated policy interventions will have to be developed if sustainable development is to become a reality within the sector.
29
Barger, Katie, Blair Abelson Reece, Twanda Wadlington, Sherry Freeman, Deborah T. Pfortmiller, and Karen E. Schetzina. "Effective, Time-Saving Intervention to Overcome Barriers to Breastfeeding in the Primary Care Setting." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2010. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/5058.
Full text
30
Petersson, Jasmine, and Andersson Emelie Rasmusson. "Om SEO är så bra, så varför inte? : En kvalitativ studie om sökmotoroptimering." Thesis, Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för marknadsföring (MF), 2018. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-76558.
Full textAbstract:
Syfte och forskningsfrågor: Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka på vilka sätt enmans- och mikroföretag tar till sig sökmotoroptimering. Detta för att bättre förstå vilka hinder företag upplever med att ta till sig sökmotoroptimering, så att kunskap om hur företag skulle kunna ta sig förbi identifierade hinder genereras. 1. På vilka sätt tar enmans- och mikroföretag till sig sökmotoroptimering som den digitala utvecklingen möjliggjort? 2. Vad finns det för hinder för enmans- och mikroföretag att ta till sig sökmotoroptimering? Metod: Studien är av kvalitativ karaktär och har genomförts med en induktiv ansats. Datainsamlingen har främst skett genom åtta semistrukturerade intervjuer med respondenter från enmans- och mikroföretag samt med experter inom området från marknadsföringsbyråer. Slutsats: Studien har resulterat i kunskap kring hur enmans- och mikroföretag tar till sig sökmotoroptimering. Resultatet visar att enmans- och mikroföretag upplever fyra framträdande hinder när de tar till sig SEO vilka är brist på finansiella resurser, tidsbrist, extern påverkan och bristen av kunskap inom informationsteknik och strategi. Studien har vidare identifierat fem nya hinder vid implementering av SEO vilka är kunskapsbrist om teknisk implementering av SEO, föråldrad generation på företag, brist på tillit, konjunkturell påverkan samt tidsbrist. Dessa hinder kategoriseras som interna eller externa hinder beroende på hur de påverkar företag. Kunskap har även genererats kring hur enmans- och mikroföretag skulle kunna ta sig förbi dessa hinder.Purpose and research questions: The purpose of this study is to investigate how one-person- and microenterprises relate to search engine optimization. This to better understand what kind of barriers companies experience when adopting search engine optimization, to generate knowledge about how companies could overcome the identified barriers. 1. In what ways does one-person- and microenterprises adopt search engine optimization which the digital development has enabled? 2. What kind of barriers do one-person- and microenterprises experience when adopting search engine optimization? Method: The study is of qualitative nature and has been implemented with an inductive approach. The data has mainly been collected through eight semistructured interviews with respondents from one-person- and microenterprises as well as experts in the field from marketing agencies. Conclusion: The study has resulted in knowledge about how one-person- and microenterprises relate to search engine optimization. The result shows that one-person- and microenterprises experience four prominent barriers when approaching SEO. These four barriers are lack of financial resources, lack of time, external impact and lack of knowledge in information technology and strategy. The study has further identified five new barriers when enterprises approach SEO which are lack of knowledge about technical implementation of SEO, elderly generations at the company, lack of trust, impact of business cycle and lack of time. These barriers are categorized as internal or external barriers depending on how they affect companies. The study has also generated knowledge about how one-person and microenterprises could overcome these barriers.
31
Gazheli, Ardjan. "Achieving sustainability transitions: Behavioral barriers, limits to green growth, and investments under uncertainty." Doctoral thesis, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/399828.
Full textAbstract:
Está
ampliamente
aceptado
que
es
necesaria
una
transición
urgente
hacia
la
sostenibilidad.
El
cómo
hacer
esa
transición
está
intensamente
en
discusión.
Está
claro,
sin
embargo,
que
implicará
grandes
cambios
radicales,
socio-‐técnicos,
que
van
mucho
más
allá
de
enfoques
tradicionales
de
políticas
públicas.
Esta
tesis
doctoral
aborda
este
reto
a
través
de
tres
estudios
distintos
y
complementarios.
El
primer
estudio
está
motivado
por
el
hecho
de
que
las
políticas
de
transición
-‐
en
términos
de
eficacia,
equidad
y
eficiencia
-‐
dependen
en
gran
medida
del
modelo
subyacente
de
la
conducta
individual.
Sólo
un
modelo
empíricamente
fundado
en
la
acción
individual
y
en
la
motivación
puede
garantizar
el
diseño
de
las
políticas
de
transición
adecuadas.
Un
obstáculo
potencial
para
una
transición
hacia
la
sostenibilidad
pueden
ser
las
barreras
de
comportamiento
para
el
cambio.
Los
diferentes
actores
involucrados
tienen
sus
propios
intereses
y
tratarán
de
mantener
cualquier
posición
de
poder.
Ideas
acerca
de
la
racionalidad
limitada,
la
interacción
social
y
el
aprendizaje
pueden
contribuir
a
unas
políticas
más
eficaces
en
afrontar
las
barreras
y
oportunidades
para
así
realizar
una
transición
hacia
la
sostenibilidad.
Con
el
fin
de
llegar
a
las
recomendaciones
políticas,
me
centro
en
las
características
de
comportamiento
tanto
a
nivel
de
organización
como
individual,
prestando
atención
a
cuestiones
como
el
monopolio
comercial,
imprevistos
en
los
sistemas
de
innovación
o
interacciones
de
red,
mientras
intento
conectar
dichas
cuestiones
para
el
diseño
de
políticas
públicas.
El
análisis
combina
puntos
de
vista
de
la
literatura
sobre
las
transiciones
de
sostenibilidad,
"economía
conductual-‐ambiental",
y
fundamentos
de
comportamiento
de
aprendizaje
e
innovación.
A
continuación,
analizo
el
conflicto
potencial
entre
crecimiento
económico
y
mitigación
del
cambio
climático.
Utilizo
un
enfoque
basado
en
los
sectores
economicos
para
analizar
la
relación
entre
las
emisiones
de
CO2,
por
un
lado
utilizando
el
dólar
de
producción
y
por
el
otro
el
crecimiento
de
la
producción
económica
y
la
productividad
del
trabajo.
Esto
nos
permite
investigar
si
el
crecimiento
verde
-‐
combinando
el
crecimiento
económico
con
la
sostenibilidad
ambiental
-‐
es
factible.
Una
conclusión
principal
es
que,
a
pesar
de
las
políticas
climáticas
realizadas
hasta
ahora,
desarrolladas
bajo
el
protocolo
de
Kyoto,
sectores
relativamente
limpios
no
parecen
ser
más
productivos
que
los
más
sucios,
y
tampoco
muestran
un
mayor
crecimiento
de
la
productividad.
De
hecho,
los
sectores
asociados
a
la
alta
intensidad
de
emisiones
crecieron
más
en
términos
absolutos
que
aquellos
con
baja
intensidad.
La
quota
del
primer
tipo
de
sector
aumentó,
lo
que
sugiere
que
el
desarrollo
verde
requiere
un
ritmo
extremadamente
rápido
de
descarbonización
(para
permitir
el
crecimiento
verde),
o
la
economía
en
su
conjunto
para
reducir
el
tamaño
(disminución
verde).
Un
hallazgo
importante
adicional
es
que
el
crecimiento
sectorial
a
largo
plazo,
tal
y
como
se
expresa
por
un
cambio
en
el
valor
añadido,
no
parece
estar
correlacionado
positivamente
con
la
intensidad
de
las
emisiones
de
carbono.
En
el
último
estudio,
examino
la
inversión
óptima
por
parte
de
una
sociedad
o
empresa
mediante
la
diversificación
de
la
inversión
en
dos
tecnologías
de
energía
renovable
con
distintas
ratios
de
aprendizaje
y
costes
iniciales,
como
la
energía
solar
fotovoltaica
y
la
energía
eólica.
Los
resultados
muestran
la
importancia
de
la
tasa
de
aprendizaje:
afecta
a
la
anticipación
sobre
la
opción
de
invertir
y
reduce
el
umbral
crítico
para
su
ejercicio
o
para
un
más
alto
coste
de
producción
inicial.
A
más
capital
invertido,
mayor
es
el
aprendizaje
que
estimula
el
ejercicio
temprano
de
la
opción
de
invertir,
debido
a
un
efecto
de
reducción
de
costes.
Una
mayor
incertidumbre
en
los
precios
de
la
energía
o
de
los
costes
de
la
tecnología
pospone
la
opción
de
invertir.
A
través
de
las
subvenciones,
los
gobiernos
implícitamente
protegen
a
los
inversores
contra
las
fluctuaciones
de
precios
y
la
incertidumbre.
Un
resultado
inesperado
de
este
estudio
es
que,
a
pesar
de
que
la
inversión
tanto
en
energía
solar
como
en
eólica
puede
ser
rentable
en
condiciones
particulares
de
incertidumbre
de
precios
y
costes,
la
estrategia
teóricamente
óptima
suele
ser
invertir
en
una
sola
tecnología,
es
decir,
en
solar
o
eólica,
en
función
de
sus
relativos
costes
y
ratios
de
aprendizaje
iniciales.
Esto
sugiere
que
la
práctica
de
la
diversificación
de
las
energías
renovables
en
la
mayoría
de
los
países
puede
ser
una
estrategia
equivocada.
Sin
embargo,
tal
vez
ciertas
motivaciones
para
la
diversificación
no
están
insuficientemente
cubiertas
por
nuestro
modelo,
por
lo
que
sugerimos
seguir
investigando
mediante
el
uso
de
modelos
más
complejos.It is widely agreed that a transition to sustainability is urgently needed. How to make such a transition is strongly debated. It is clear, though, that it will involve radical, large-scale socio-technical changes that go well beyond traditional policy approaches. This PhD thesis addresses this challenge through three distinct, complementary studies. The first is motivated by the fact that the performance of transition policies – in terms of effectiveness, equity and efficiency – depend very much on the underlying model of individual behavior. Only an empirically founded model of individual action and motivation can guarantee the design of adequate transition policies. A potential obstacle to a sustainability transition can be behavioral barriers to change. The different stakeholders involved in a transition have their own interests and will try to maintain any power position. Insights about bounded rationality, social interaction and learning can contribute to making transition polices more effective in addressing barriers and opportunities to realize a sustainability transition. In order to arrive at policy recommendations I focus on behavioral features of both individual and organizational level, paying attention to issues like lock-in, surprises in innovation systems, and network interactions, while trying to connect these to policy design. The analysis combines insights from the literatures on sustainability transitions, “environmental-behavioral economics”, and behavioral foundations of learning and innovation. Next, I consider the potential conflict between economic growth and climate change mitigation. This is done by developing a sector-based approach to analyze the relation between on the one hand CO2 emissions per dollar of output and on the other the growth in economic output and labor productivity. This allows us to investigate whether green growth – combining economic growth with environmental sustainability – is feasible. A main conclusion is that despite past climate policy, developed under the Kyoto protocol, relatively clean sectors do not seem to be more productive than dirtier ones, and neither show a higher productivity growth. In fact, sectors associated with high carbon intensity grew more in absolute terms than those with low carbon intensity. The share of the first type of sectors increased suggesting that green development requires an extremely rapid pace of decarbonization (to allow for green growth), or the economy as a whole to shrink (green decline). An important additional finding of this study is that longer-term sectoral growth, as expressed by a change in value added, does not seem to be positively correlated with carbon intensity. In a final study I examine optimal investment by a community or firm diversifying its investment in two renewable energy technologies with distinct learning rates and initial costs, like solar PV and wind electricity. The results show the importance of the learning rate: it affects anticipation of the option to invest in, and it reduces the critical threshold for exercising it, or for higher initial production cost. More capital invested, more learning stimulates earlier exercising of the option to invest, due to a cost reduction effect. More uncertainty in energy prices or technology costs postpones the option to invest. Through subsidies, governments implicitly protect investors against price fluctuations and uncertainty. A surprising message from this study is that although investing in both solar and wind may be profitable under particular conditions of price and cost uncertainty, the theoretically optimal strategy is generally investing in only one technology, that is, solar or wind, depending on their relative initial costs and learning rates. This suggests that the practice in most countries of diversifying renewable energy may be a wrong strategy. However, perhaps certain motivations for diversifying are not or insufficiently covered by our model, which suggests a need for further research employing more complex models.
32
Al-Zubi, Khalid Nasser. "Determining the relationships between e-business growth and enablers and barriers in Jordan." Thesis, Sheffield Hallam University, 2010. http://shura.shu.ac.uk/19269/.
Full textAbstract:
Despite its obvious benefits and its potential for improving productivity and sharpening an organization's competitive edge both locally and internationally, SMEs are still reluctant to deploy the emerging technology of e-business. This lack of enthusiasm may be due to difficulties in identifying and measuring costs, benefits and risks associated with the adoption of e-business. Recent studies have shown, however, that many SMEs have engaged in e-business in order to catch up with their larger counterparts who have adopted such solutions. The contribution of SMEs to their national economies cannot be overemphasized. These organizations account for some 99 per cent of private sector growth in Jordan, including most of the growth in employment. The present study was undertaken in response to the lack of empirical data, as well as to determine the stages of growth in the uptake of e-business by SMEs and to discover the factors influencing their decisions to adopt it. It supplies the deficiency of relevant evidence, which will improve understanding of the current state of affairs in this regard. In order to achieve the objectives of this research, data was collected according to a quantitative research paradigm in order to provide exhaustive descriptions of how SMEs currently use e-business and of the factors involved in their decisions. A questionnaire with 42 questions was distributed personally to a sample of 55 personnel in SMEs in the communications sector. The overall response rate was 87 per cent. Several analysis methods including descriptive statistics analysis, factors analysis, biavariate analysis, bar charts were applied to the data using SPSS. The results validate the six-stage model, developed from previous studies, for the Jordanian context, and show that respondents' use of e-business is still in the first two stages. Some have reached the third stage, but the last three more complex levels have yet to be utilized to any significant extent. The results also provide empirical evidence that enablers (market, external and organizational) of, and barriers (technological, organizational and external) to, the use of this technology, as well as organizational size, play a significant role in decisions as to whether or not to adopt it, as well as the degree of its success in SMEs. This study has important implications for research and practice. Specifically, it offers a useful framework with which to assess the six stages of growth in each factor in order to better pursue the adoption of e-business. The results will constitute a guide for the conduct of empirical studies based on the framework foundation of e-business adoption, and will give practitioners an understanding of how these factors influence such adoption, thereby improving that process.
33
Welsh, Rita. "Internal barriers to small business development : a study of independent retailers from the Edinburgh South Asian community." Thesis, Queen Margaret University, 2009. https://eresearch.qmu.ac.uk/handle/20.500.12289/7305.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis presents a conceptual model of the nature/interaction of internal factors shaping individual ethnic minority micro-enterprise owners’ response to external threats in the business environment aimed to assist business support agencies developing/targeting appropriate help/support to enhance business development. Focus of the empirical research is Edinburgh Pakistani community owned convenience stores, as the failure to survive will adversely affect this community disproportionately reliant on the c-store sector and provision of related local social and economic benefits. The intangible influences on business approaches (education, experience, access to finance/business advice, personal values, goals, motivation, role models and cultural background) demands a qualitative, postmodern constructivist methodology, utilising social science adaptive grounded theory methods for sample selection, data collection/management, and theory generation. The initial conceptual model emerging from constant comparison analysis of qualitative interviews with a theoretical sample of 21 Edinburgh Pakistani c-store owners indicates key internal factors as start-up motivation, cultural influences and changing aspirations, awareness and acknowledgement of these influences on predominantly reactive responses to trading challenges varying widely. Comparison with wider ethnic minority/micro-enterprise research develops a conceptual model of the interacting internal barriers to minority community micro-enterprise development. Within any minority community and/or micro-business sector the owner’s response to changing business environments is shaped by three factors: motivation for self-employment and changing sojourner mentality; cultural influences and depth of social embeddedness; and generational aspirations and degree of economic embeddedness in the mainstream community. By taking the complex, multi-layered, individual, dynamic nature of these factors into account when developing and marketing business advice, support agencies can design and deliver products and services relevant to specific needs and resource availability. Raising owners’ awareness of the factors influencing business decisions will increase the potential for micro-enterprises to react proactively to external threats, with related benefits to individual owners, minority populations and the local community.
34
Mooney, Ciarán James. "Expression of growth factor receptors by haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2017. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/7332/.
Full textAbstract:
The mechanisms that govern the lineage commitment of haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) have been a topic of debate since the 1960s. Two models of lineage commitment have been described; a permissive model, in which haematopoietic growth factors (HGFs) stimulate proliferation and survival of distinct HSPC subpopulations to permit stochastic lineage-specification, and a deterministic model, which proposes that HGFs instruct HSPCs to differentiate towards a specific cell lineage. To provide further insight into whether HGFs provide instructive cues or act in a selective manner, this study has investigated the expression of fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 (Flt3), and the receptors for erythropoietin (EpoR) and macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSFR) by single HSPCs within the bone marrow. Using single-cell qRT-PCR and flow cytometry, a large number of novel HSPC subpopulations have been identified based on receptor expression. Importantly, multiplex analysis of protein and mRNA expression revealed that the above receptors are rarely co-expressed during the early stages of haematopoiesis. Furthermore, Flt3 expression was identified within the haematopoietic stem cell compartment and in vitro analysis demonstrated that Flt3 ligand primarily acts on a subpopulation of downstream progenitors. These findings suggest that Flt3, EpoR and M-CSFR differentially regulate distinct early HSPC subpopulations.
35
Zeh, Peter. "Delivering Diabetes Care to Ethnic Diversity (DEDICATED) : exploring potential barriers and solutions to delivering high quality diabetes care to people from ethnic minority groups." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2013. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/62062/.
Full textAbstract:
Background/Aim Diabetes is a chronic metabolic condition with worldwide prevalence and burden increasing rapidly, particularly in ethnic minority groups (EMGs). Health inequalities and inadequate provision of diabetes care services to EMGs are recognised, primarily because EMGs express a strong cultural element in healthcare and some healthcare professionals lack sufficient cultural competence. The primary aim of this research was therefore to develop an in-depth understanding of cultural barriers within diabetes services and recommend how services can be tailored to meet the needs of EMGs with diabetes in a medium-sized UK ethnically mixed city. Methods Two systematic reviews were completed. Primary data were collected using mixed methods: a General Practice survey, participatory case study and interviews with ethnic minority patients and health workers. These were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic comparisons. Results The findings showed cultural barriers to the uptake of diabetes services across global multi-ethnic populations and some effective interventions. The first systematic review on cultural barriers in accessing effective diabetes care services, included 22 heterogeneous studies and identified eight cultural barriers, perceived by EMGs as compromising their care. The second review elucidated approaches to overcome or minimise these barriers by investigating the impact of culturally-competent interventions from 11 experimental studies. Using a novel culturally competent assessment tool (CCAT) to assess existing interventions, it was found that any structured intervention, tailored to EMGs by integrating elements of culture, language, religion, and health literacy skills, produced a positive impact on important patient outcomes. In the Population General Practice survey, one in three people with diabetes from the diabetic population compared with one in five staff were from EMGs. Ninety-four per cent of General Practices reported the ethnicity of their populations. Improved number of diabetes annual checks was seen in the majority white British population compared to EMGs. Key cultural barriers included language and strong traditions around food, coupled with less culturally competent providers. Cultural issues were further explored in one participatory research General Practice case study. This practice selected and prioritised the designing of a Diabetes Specialist Multilingual Link Worker (DSMLW) model, aimed at bridging the inequality gaps in diabetes primary care service provision. Conclusions/recommendations This research proposes that future culturally-competent interventions should be structured, including elements of culture, language, religion and health literacy skills, tailored to the individual ethnic minority population. These components should be assessed to ensure they meet the needs of specific EMGs. In the absence of linguistically and/or culturally-competent staff, a DSMLW Service framework may support primary care. Future studies and clinical audits involving EMGs, are warranted.
36
Cai, Zeng Zheng Ram Rati. "Internal and external effects of education on the growth of national product." Normal, Ill. Illinois State University, 1996. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/ilstu/fullcit?p9721394.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (D.A.)--Illinois State University, 1996.Title from title page screen, viewed May 26, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Rati Ram (chair), David Ramsey, Michael Nelson. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 54-56) and abstract. Also available in print.
37
Ashraf, Sanju. "Fission yeast growth polarity decisions depend on integration of multiple internal cues." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/28728.
Full textAbstract:
The establishment of cell polarity is a vital requirement for cellular processes such as proper cell division, growth and movement. Cell polarization relies on different internal and external cues in order to reorient the cell growth machinery along the axis of polarity. The core mechanisms involved in establishment of polarized growth are highly conserved from yeast to humans. Cells of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe grow in a highly polarized fashion, with cell growth restricted to the cell tips, making fission yeast an excellent model system to study polarized growth. Here I describe a system for long-term live-cell imaging of fission yeast polarized growth that is stress free, physiological and accessible to media change and drug addition. I use this improved imaging system along with yeast genetics and drug perturbations to address how cell polarity is established and maintained in fission yeast. I have shown that fission yeast growth polarity depends on competition and cooperation among three distinct internal polarity cues: 1) A microtubule-based cue involving Tea1/Tea4 polarity proteins positively regulates polarized growth, initially at the “old” cell end (i.e., the end that pre-existed in the mother cell) and later at the “new” cell end (i.e. the end that is generated by septation), in order to initiate the transition from monopolar to bipolar growth (also known as New End Take-Off, or “NETO”). 2) An actin cable-based cue “clears” polarity proteins from the new end immediately after cytokinesis thereby reinforcing old-end growth. As a result perturbation of actin cable-based transport by either deleting actin cable nucleator For3 or cable-based transporter Myo52 results in premature bipolar growth. 3) A novel “memory-based” growth polarity cue helps to establish polarized growth in the absence of the microtubule-based cue. This memory-based cue is dependent on the predicted transmembrane proteins Rax1/Rax2. In the absence of both Tea1/Tea4 cue and Rax1/Rax2 cue, cells depend on septation cue and grow exclusively from the cell ends generated by septation. Furthermore, both Tea1/Tea4 and Rax1/Rax2 cue are important to maintain polarized growth under various environmental stresses. In fission yeast, during interphase, nucleus is positioned at the centre of the cell and this precise positioning of nucleus, which is important for defining the position of cytokinetic ring is thought to be exclusively MT-dependent. Here I show that MT-independent nuclear movement exists in fission yeast and this nuclear movement is mediated by actin cables and type myosin myo52. Furthermore, I show that actin cable might be important for buffering the pushing forces generated by MTs on the nucleus. In this way both microtubules and actin cables are involved in nuclear movement in fission yeast.
38
Ökvist, Alice, and Anica Pavlovic. "Management Control Systems and their Connection to Exceptional Growth : an internal perspective." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Företagsekonomiska institutionen, 2018. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-354440.
Full textAbstract:
This paper is concerned with the use of management control systems (MCSs) within high growth firms (HGFs) to support rapid growth. Considering that a lack of MCSs has been identified as a major cause of failure among start-ups, as well as that MCSs have been claimed to enable firms to grow more during their early years, this is a highly interesting topic for scholars as well as entrepreneurs. However, despite the exceptional opportunity that HGFs provide in examining this topic, there is a lack of contemporary research on how HGFs use MCSs to support their growth. To fill this gap a multiple case study was conducted, investigating how Simons’ (1995) levers of control were used to support growth within 12 different HGFs. Through drawing upon data from interviews with 19 different key people it was then found that MCSs support growth in various ways. Different boundary systems were found to increase chances of firm survival and provide a platform for growth. Additionally, the use of interactive systems was identified as a potential characteristic of HGFs. Moreover, the research questions former assumptions on the importance of forecasting.
39
Zhurovich, Kirill. "Investigation of triggering mechanism of internal transport barriers on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak using Thomson scattering diagnostic." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/44790.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Nuclear Science and Engineering, 2007.Includes bibliographical references.
Internal transport barriers (ITBs) in tokamak plasmas are characterized by the reduction of transport in one or more of the particle, momentum, or energy channels in the core plasma region. On Alcator C-Mod, significant contributions to ITB studies were made possible with the core Thomson scattering (TS) diagnostic, which measures profiles of electron temperature (0.03 by Kirill Zhurovich.
Ph.D.
40
Wang, Jiang. "Growth and relative living standards : testing barriers to riches on post-war panel data." Thesis, Cardiff University, 2007. http://orca.cf.ac.uk/55687/.
Full textAbstract:
The main purpose of this thesis has been to estimate and simulate a general equilibrium model of growing small open economies by taking a new testing approach. The effect of business tax and regulation on growth, together with potential effects of government spending on education and R&D, is embodied in this model. We argue that regressions of growth on its supposed causes are not on their own persuasive evidence of these causes. Instead we propose to test theories by a two-stage Popperian procedure in which rejection can occur at each stage. The structural model is estimated on post-war panel data for 76 countries and the bootstrap is used to produce the model's sampling variation for the analysis of panel regressions of growth. In the first stage the model as tightly specified must pass an estimation test in its structural form in the second its bootstrapped implications must be consistent with the growth regressions it implies. We test two main classes of growth theory: one is the Incentivist theory in which growth is caused by incentives for people to engage in entrepreneurial activity, the other is the Activist theory where direct government intervention to stimulate particular activities---specifically education and R&D---causes growth. We are able to reject the latter for education at both the structural and the bootstrap levels and for R&D at the bootstrap level, though not the structural. We accept the Incentivist theory at both levels.
41
Doern, Rachel R. "Understanding barriers to small business growth from the perspective of owner-managers in Russia." Thesis, St Andrews, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10023/546.
Full text
42
Conley, Natasha. "BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS OF GROWTH IN BLACK ENTREPRENEURIAL VENTURES: THINKING OUTSIDE THE BLACK BOX." Case Western Reserve University School of Graduate Studies / OhioLINK, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1522882124350055.
Full text
43
Lal, Niraja Padmalata. "Placental growth factor (PlGF) regulation and expression in endothelial cells." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2016. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/6821/.
Full textAbstract:
The role of Placenta growth factor (PlGF) in physiological angiogenesis is quiescent, preclinical and human studies have established PlGF angiogenic activity to be regulated in pathologies. PlGF elicits its cellular functions via (vascular endothelial growth factor receptor) VEGFR-1 alone, and has gained more attention for its safety profile, especially when compared to the risks involved in VEGF-derived therapies. Loss and gain studies of PlGF function highlight the contribution of PlGF in disease aggravation or alleviation; however, factors regulating PlGF expression remains elusive.
44
Dayal, Ranu. "Indian industry 1950-1990 : growth, demand and productivity." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1993. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.359660.
Full text
45
Dumbrava, Tatiana, and Vlad Demian. "Growth-related Barriers and Their Impact on SMEs : A study of construction companies in Moldova." Thesis, Jönköping University, JIBS, Business Administration, 2009. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hj:diva-9288.
Full text
46
Ackerman, Eileen. "Microinsurance in the context of social protection : overcoming the barriers of economic growth and development." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/78866.
Full textAbstract:
Many South Africans, especially those with low incomes, remain excluded from the formal financial services and products market, ironically so, as these low-income households are more exposed to unforeseen economic shocks and being unable to recover from the unexpected financial impact thereof. Low-income households live in more risky environments and are vulnerable to numerous financial threats. They are also the least able to cope when a crisis present itself as they are the least likely to have any savings to deal with these crises. Vulnerability and poverty causes a downwards spiral of misfortune when reinforcing each other.
Microinsurance has been considered as the next revolution in addressing the vulnerability and risk of low-income households in developing countries such as South Africa. Huge investments have been made by development agencies in an attempt to break the circle of poverty by offering reliable protection to the poor.
A well-designed regulatory framework is important for the efficient and effective provision of microinsurance. Significant steps have been taken in an attempt to formalise the insurance sphere and to make provision for microinsurance. The question now arises, will microinsurance be a useful tool to include the low-income market in to the financial insurance industry and will microinsurance be profitable for insurers, taking in to consideration the cost and expenses of insurers due to over regulation and requirements by various legislation versus the applicable caps prescribed in the policy framework for microinsurance products?Mini Dissertation (LLM (Insurance Law))--University of Pretoria, 2020.
Ubuntu-Batho Community Development Trust, an organisation established by Mr Patrice Motsepe and his partner Dr Johan van Zyl
Mercantile Law
LLM (Insurance Law)
Unrestricted
47
Houlihan, Diarmaid Dominic. "Growth factors direct mesenchymal stem cell fate and therapeutic potential." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2015. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/5551/.
Full textAbstract:
Murine mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) isolated by plastic adherence contain contaminating cells and have poor growth and differentiation. I report a detailed protocol outlining the steps to prospectively isolate a pure and potent MSC population from murine bone marrow based on their expression of stem cell antigen-1 (Sca-1) and platelet derived growth factor- alpha (PDGFRα) (PαS cells) using flow cytometry. PαS MSCs have augmented growth potential and robust tri-lineage differentiation compared to plastic adherent cells. They exert potent immunosuppressive effects on proliferating naive CD4+ T cells, which is mediated via the production of nitric oxide (NO). Nevertheless, prolonged culture results in cellular senescence, loss of adipogenic differentiation and reduced immunosuppressive properties. Addition of growth factors to standard media (SM) produced significant genotypic and phenotypic changes. Cells cultured in SM supplemented with basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and platelet derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) were primed towards fat and cartilage, but had reduced immunosuppressive potential. In contrast, cells cultured with transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) had reduced tri-lineage potential but potent immunosuppressive properties that endured despite long term culture. I demonstrate using novel tissue engineering techniques that bFGF PαS MSCs generate substantial 3-D cartilage pellets. These data have implications for MSC therapy in humans.
48
Mapplebeck, Clare. "The experience of change and psychological growth in people with psychotic symptoms : a phenomenological approach." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2010. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/11654/.
Full textAbstract:
Objective. The present study explored people‘s subjective experiences of positive change to understand if experiences of growth are evident in people who have experienced trauma and psychosis. Design. Purposive sampling was used to recruit seven participants from local mental health support groups. All participants reported a diagnosis on the schizophrenia spectrum of disorders and were interviewed using a semi-structured interview schedule designed for the purpose of this study. Methods. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Results. Participants described the processes involved in moving towards positive change, with the overarching theme describing a journey towards recovery. Two superordinate themes were identified in the study and included: 'barriers to change' and 'the adapting self'. A number of subordinate themes were discussed within these. Conclusion. Participants described key changes in facilitating psychological growth and recovery, including: self-acceptance, adapting to their experiences and self-integration and identity re-formation. Social support, finding meaning and purpose and regaining control over their lives were also integral in facilitating the process towards psychological growth. The study discussed clinical implications in relation to the changes needed in the provision of psychological therapies to aid and promote psychological growth in this population. Methodological considerations of the research are discussed and future research ideas are suggested.
49
Chandra, Ramesh. "The impact of trade policy on growth in India." Thesis, University of Strathclyde, 2000. http://oleg.lib.strath.ac.uk:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=20361.
Full textAbstract:
The objective of this research is to study the impact of trade policy on growth in India in a time-series framework. This has been done in several steps. In the first step, a time-series index of trade policy was constructed and its relationship with growth was examined. In the second step, the impact of trade policy on exports was examined. In the next step, we investigated the issue of causality between export growth and income growth to see if the export-led-growth hypothesis is valid even for a 'large' country such as India. Finally, the alternative hypothesis of government-led-growth was also tested since the governmental intervention in India was expected to engineer an economic take-off in India. If this latter thesis is rejected by the data, then, by contrast, the earlier thesis of export-led-growth (if accepted) would be rendered even more remarkable. In carrying out the above steps we have made use of cointegration and errorcorrection modelling. This is an appropriate me thodology to use for our purpose as it helps us to handle non-stationary time series and at the same time preserves the longrun information. More specifically, the Engle-Granger two-step approach, Johansen's Maximum Likelihood procedure and Granger-causality technique have been employed. The time period of our study is 1950-96. It emerges from this research that liberal trade policy leads to faster economic growth in India. Secondly, the elasticities of exports with respect to the real effective exchange rate and world income are quite large, signifying that world demand conditions were not significant in constraining Indian exports. Further, the available evidence suggests that the export-led-growth thesis is valid even for a 'large' country like India. In this context, what we actually find is that a two-way causality between export growth and output growth. Finally, the evidence presented by us suggests that the expansion of the government sector is detriment he government led-growth thesis is rejected by the data. An examination of this thesis at a disaggregated level shows that while the expansion of government investment has a negative impact on growth, the impact of growth in government consumption is insignificant. An interesting finding emerging from our study is that the investment ratio has an insignificant impact on growth in India The impact of trade policy on growth appears to be via higher productivity rather than through higher investment. The policy conclusion emerging from this study is that export pessimism of the past was misplaced and India would do well to pursue export expansion much more vigorously than hitherto. This would require policies aimed at offsetting the earlier anti-export bias, such as an aggressive exchange rate policy, lowering the degree and dispersion of protection further, de-reservation of (removal of reservation status for) the small-scale sector and liberalisation of the agricultural and consumer goods sectors. This would also require a strategy to tackle infrastructural bottlenecks, which are posing a serious constraint on India's growth and exports.
50
Crespo, Cuaresma Jesus, Harald Oberhofer, and Gallina Andronova Vincelette. "Institutional barriers and job creation in Central and Eastern Europe." Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/2193-9012-3-3.
Full textAbstract:
Using information from the Amadeus dataset and the Business Environment and Enterprise Performance Survey, we provide an empirical investigation of the industry and firm-specific determinants of the intensive margin (i.e., within existing firms) job creation process in eleven Central and Eastern European economies during the period 2002-2009. Our results indicate that during the years prior to the global financial crisis, traditional industries were crucial for the net intensive margin creation of jobs in the region but, by contrast, services firms were less vulnerable to the economic downturn. At the firm level, small and young already existing firms and subsidiaries of multinational corporate groups tended to register the highest employment growth rates. The empirical results also indicate that more productive surviving firms tended to be less vulnerable to the economic downturns in terms of employment change. The perceived quality of the business climate by enterprises of the region is robustly correlated with intensive margin employment growth both before and during the recent global financial crisis. Interestingly, the best performing surviving firms are estimated to be most negatively affected by a poor business environment. Institutional barriers thus appear as an important factor hampering firm growth in Central and Eastern Europe. These findings hold for the group of high-growth surviving firms (gazelles) that disproportionately accounted for the creation of new jobs in these economies.