Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'MNMs'

The majority of the micro/nanomotors use the precious noble metal platinum for propulsion. However, platinum suffers from high-cost, scarcity, and possibility of deactivation in various media. In this thesis, we explored the MnO2 based materials for the fabrication of the high-performance and low-cost micro/nanomotors. These newly developed MnO2 based micromotors show great potential for replacing Pt and will greatly improves the applications of micro/nanomotors for biomedical science and environmental remediations areas.

Two literatures exist concerning cross-border merger activity's impact on domestic wages: one focusing on positive spillover-effects; the other focusing on negative bargaining-effects. Motivated by scarce theoretical scholarship spanning these literatures, we nest both mechanisms in a single conceptual framework. Considering the separate phenomena of inward and outward cross-border merger activity, our theoretical model generates three formal propositions: cross-border mergers can lead to wage increases via positive spillover-effects; and negative bargaining-effects are relatively more dominant when union market power is high, and when merging firms exhibit relatedness. Employing US firm-level panel data on wages combined with industry-level data on unionization and merger activity (covering 1989-2001), we find support for our propositions as inward and outward cross-border merger activity generate positive spillovers to wages, but are more likely to generate firm-level wage decreases when unionization rates are high and when cross-border merger activity is characterized as horizontal. Accordingly, future research on how cross-border mergers affect domestic wages should be mindful that both spillover and bargaining effects are at play, and that the degree of union market-power and the relatedness of cross-border merger activity are critical in determining which effect dominates. (authors' abstract)

Orientador: Maria Jose S. P. Brasil
Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Fisica Gleb Wataghin
Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-03T23:11:29Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 CoutoJunior_OdilonDivinoDamasceno_M.pdf: 3608136 bytes, checksum: d760a2979b3a1e64047925ad6a48b52a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2004
Resumo: Estudamos a transição de fase estrutural e magnética do MnAs em filmes epitaxiais crescidos por MBE sobre GaAs (001) e em amostras de GaAs (001) que sofreram implantação iônica de Mn e foram submetidas a um tratamento térmico. A transição estrutural nos dois tipos da amostra foi estudada com difração de raios-x em função da temperatura. Os resultados mostraram uma queda na concentração média de a MnAs de forma contínua e suave, com histerese térmica e coexistência de fases em intervalos de temperaturas de até 40o C, diferentemente da transição de primeira ordem no sistema bulk que é abrupta. Investigamos ainda a transição magnética e seu acoplamento com a transição estrutural nos filmes utilizando medidas de magnetometria SQUID e efeito Kerr magneto-óptico. Nas amostras com implantação iônica utilizamos a espectroscopia de massa de íons secundários (SIMS) e a microscopia de força atômica (AFM) para estudar a difusão do Mn para a superfície e a formação de nanoestruturas superficiais. Realizamos também medidas de difração de raios-x com incidência rasante (GID) para determinar a orientação da estrutura cristalina das nanoestruturas de MnAs com relação ao substrato. A morfologia e composição destas nanoestruturas foram estudadas por microscopia eletrônica de transmissão (TEM) e análise de dispersão de raios-x (EDX)
Abstract: We have studied the structural and magnetic phase transition of MnAs in films epitaxially grown by MBE on GaAs (001) and GaAs (001) implanted samples with Mn and subsequent annealing. In the two kinds of samples the structural transition was studied by x-ray diffraction as a function of temperature. The results presented a continuous and smooth decrease in the average concentration of a MnAs, characterizing a transition with thermal hysteresis and coexistence of the a and b phases in a temperature range up to 40o C. This behavior differs from that one of the bulk MnAs that presents an abrupt and discontinuous transition. We investigated the magnetic transition on the films and its coupling with the structural one, by experiments in a SQUID magnetometer and magneto-optical Kerr effect. In the implanted samples we performed the Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) and the Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) to study the diffusion of Mn to the surface and the formation of superficial nanostructures. We also performed Grazing Incidence x-ray Diffraction (GID) to determinate the crystal orientation MnAs nanostructures with respect to the substrate. The morphological and compositional analysis of these nanostructures were estudied by high resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Energy Dispersive x-ray Analysis (EDX)
Mestrado
Física
Mestre em Física

[EN] Post-transcriptional modification of the wobble uridine (U34) of a tRNA set is an evolutionary conserved process, produced by homologous proteins from the MnmA/MTU1, MnmE/GTPBP3 and MnmG/MTO1 families. Mutations in the human genes MTU1 and GTPBP3 or MTO1 produce acute infantile liver failure, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and lactic acidosis, respectively, which usually cause lethality in the first months of life. It is assumed that the primary cause of these diseases is the lack of the modifications introduced by the MTU1 protein in position 2 (tiol) and GTPBP3 and MTO1 proteins (taurinomethylation) in position 5 at U34 in a subgroup of mt-tRNAs. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms underlying these diseases (and other diseases associated with such modifications) are not clear. The reason why the typical defects of oxidative phosphorylation (due to impaired mitochondrial translation) produce such wide range of phenotypes is still unknown. Our hypothesis sustains that the mitochondria-nucleus retrograde signaling pathways triggered by the hypomodification at position 2 and 5 of U34 are different, and that each nuclear response is modulated by the genetic and epigenetic programs of cells and organisms. In this work, we have used the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism to study the effects of inactivating the homologue proteins to MTU1, GTPBP3 and MTO1, which we have named as MTTU-1, MTCU-1 and MTCU-2, respectively. We have proved that these nuclear encoded proteins are located in mitochondria and are involved in U34 modification of mt-tRNAs. The mtcu-1 and mtcu-2 mutants show a reduction in fertility, while the mttu-1 mutant shows a reduction in fertility and a lengthening of the reproductive cycle (both phenotypes are thermosensitive). The phenotypes exhibited by the mttu-1, mtcu-1 and mtcu-2 mutants support our hypothesis, in which the mttu-1 single mutation, on the one hand, and the mtcu-1 and mtcu-2 single mutations, on the other hand, trigger different retrograde signaling pathways which produce specific nucear expression. Thus, a nuclear dependent phenotypic trait (as transcription or mt-tRNAs stability) and the expression of nuclear genes as ucp-4, hsp-6, hsp-60 and other genes involved in mitochondrial metabolism show a differential pattern in both group of mutants. hsp-6 and hsp-60 genes (UPRmt markers) are downregulated in mttu-1 single mutant, which could be related to fertility and reproductive cycle thermosensitivity. The three single mutants exhibit reduced expression of glycolysis and ß-oxidation genes (usually more drastic in the mttu-1 mutant), an induction of a glutaminolysis marker, and an induction of the ucp-4 gene, which encodes a transporter of the succinate to the mitochondria. Due to all three single mutants display a mild OXPHOS dysfunction, we propose that the observed changes in the expression of genes involved in the mitochondrial metabolism reveal a TCA cycle reprogramming aimed to compensate the reduction of acetil-CoA (coming from glycolysis and fatty acid oxidation) though the activation of anaplerotic pathways characterized by the succinate import to mitochondria by UCP-4 and the incorporation of 2-oxoglurate from glutaminolysis. We also analyze the effects of the simultanous suppression of modifications at positions 2 and 5 of U34 in C. elegans. The double mutant mtcu-2;mttu-1 displayed a severe OXPHOS dysfunction and a 5-fold higher AMP/ATP ratio, which was associated with embryonic lethality, developmental arrest in primary larval stages, penetrant sterility in adults and extended lifespan. This lifespan extension is modulated by signaling pathways which depend on AMPK (specifically on AAK-1 catalitic subunit) and steroid hormones, through DAF-9 and DAF-12 proteins. This work shows the important gene reprogramming related to mitochondrial metabolism in response to U34 hypomodification of mt-tRNAs, and shows new connexions between signaling pathways that extend lifespan.
[ES] La modificación post-transcripcional de la uridina de tambaleo (U34) de ciertos tRNAs es un proceso conservado evolutivamente, realizado por proteínas homólogas de las familias MnmA/MTU1, MnmE/GTPBP3 y MnmG/MTO1, y biológicamente relevante. De hecho, mutaciones en los genes humanos MTU1 y GTPBP3 o MTO1 causan fallo hepático infantil agudo y cardiomiopatía hipertrófica infantil, respectivamente, que producen letalidad durante los primeros meses de vida. Se asume que la causa primaria de estas enfermedades es la ausencia de las modificaciones introducidas por la proteína MTU1 en la posición 2 (tiol) y las proteínas GTPBP3 y MTO1 (taurinometil) en la posición 5 de la U34 en un grupo de mt-tRNAs. Se desconocen los mecanismos subyacentes y las razones por las que el déficit de OXPHOS resultante en todos los casos (atribuido a alteraciones de la traducción mitocondrial de proteínas) produce fenotipos tan diversos. Nuestra hipótesis es que la señalización retrógrada mitocondria-núcleo promovida por la hipomodificación de los mt-tRNAs en 2 ó 5 de la U34 es diferente y la respuesta nuclear viene modulada por el programa genético y epigenético de células y organismos. Hemos utilizado el nematodo C. elegans como modelo para estudiar los efectos producidos por la inactivación de las proteínas homólogas de MTU1, GTPBP3 y MTO1 a las que hemos denominado MTTU-1, MTCU-1 y MTCU-2. Hemos comprobado que estas proteínas, codificadas por el núcleo, son de localización mitocondrial y están implicadas en la modificación de la U34 de los mt-tRNAs. Los mutantes mtcu-1 y mtcu-2 presentan una reducción en su fertilidad y, en el caso del mutante simple mttu-1, fenotipos asociados a termosensibilidad. Los fenotipos exhibidos por los mutantes mttu-1, mtcu-1 y mtcu-2 sustentan la hipótesis de que la mutación mttu-1, y las mutaciones mtcu-1 y mtcu-2 promueven señales retrógradas diferentes que producen patrones de expresión nuclear específicos. Así, un rasgo fenotípico dependiente de genes nucleares (como lo es la transcripción y/o estabilidad de los mt-tRNAs) y la expresión de genes nucleares como ucp-4, hsp-6, hsp-60 y otros implicados en el metabolismo mitocondrial muestran un patrón diferente en los dos grupos de mutantes. Los genes hsp-6 y hsp-60 (marcadores de la UPRmt) están regulados a la baja en el mutante mttu-1. Los tres mutantes simples exhiben una reducción en la expresión de genes de la glicólisis y de la ß-oxidación de los ácidos grasos, una inducción en un marcador de glutaminolisis y una inducción en el gen ucp-4 (mayor en mttu-1) implicado en el transporte de succinato a la mitocondria. Dado que los tres mutantes simples presentan una disfunción OXPHOS relativamente suave, proponemos que los cambios de expresión en genes que modulan el metabolismo mitocondrial revelan una reprogramación del ciclo del TCA que compensa la disminución en el aporte de acetil-CoA procedente de glicólisis y oxidación de ácidos grasos con la activación de rutas anapleróticas del ciclo del TCA (importe de succinato a la mitocondria por UCP-4 y aporte de ¿-cetoglutarato procedente de la glutaminolisis). También analizamos los efectos de la anulación simultánea de las modificaciones en las posiciones 2 y 5 de la U34. El doble mutante mttu-1;mtcu-2 presenta una disfunción OXPHOS severa, con una ratio AMP/ATP 5 veces superior al control, que resulta en letalidad embrionaria, detención del desarrollo en estadios larvarios tempranos y esterilidad completa en los adultos que presentan, por otra parte, una longevidad unas dos veces superior a la cepa control. Este incremento de la longevidad está modulado por rutas de señalización que dependen de la subunidad catalítica AAK-1 (AMPK), y de hormonas esteroideas (proteínas DAF-9 y DAF-12). El trabajo muestra la importante reprogramación de genes relacionados con el metabolismo mitocondrial en respuesta a la hipomodificación de la U34 de los mt-tRNAs y
[CAT] La modificació post-transcripcional de la uridina de balanceig (U34) de certs tRNAs és un procés conservat evolutivament realitzat per proteïnes homòlogues a les de les famílies MnmA/MTU1, MnmE/GTPBP3 i MnmG/MTO1 i biològicament relevant. De fet, mutacions en els gens humans MTU1 i GTPBP3 o MTO1 causen fallada hepàtica infantil aguda i cardiomiopatia hipertròfica infantil amb acidosis làctica, respectivament, que produïxen letalitat durant els primers mesos de vida. S'assumix que la causa primària d'aquestes malalties és l'absència de les modificacions introduïdes per la proteïna MTU1 a la posició 2 (tiol) i per les proteïnes GTPBP3 i MTO1 (taurinometil) a la posició 5 de la U34 en un grup de mt-tRNAs. Es desconeixen els mecanismes subjacents en estes malalties i les raons per les quals el dèficit de la OXPHOS resultant en tots els casos (atribuït a alteracions de la traducció mitocondrial de proteïnes) produïx fenotips tan diversos. La nostra hipòtesi és que la senyalització retrògrada mitocondria-nucli promoguda per la hipomodificació dels mt-tRNAs en 2 o 5 de la U34 és diferent i la resposta nuclear en cada cas es dependent del programa genètic i epigenètic de cèl¿lules i organismes. Hem utilitzat el nematode C. elegans com a organisme model per a estudiar els efectes produïts per la inactivació de les proteïnes homòlogues de MTU1, GTPBP3 i MTO1 a les que hem denominat MTTU-1, MTCU-1 i MTCU-2. Hem comprovat que aquestes proteïnes, codificades pel nucli, són de localització mitocondrial i estan implicades en la modificació de la U34 dels mt-tRNAs. Els mutants mtcu-1 i mtcu-2 presenten una reducció en la seua fertilitat i, en el cas del mutant mttu-1, fenotipus associats a termosensibilitat. Els fenotipus exhibits pels mutants mttu-1, mtcu-1 i mtcu-2 sustenten la hipòtesi que la mutació mttu-1, i les mutacions mtcu-1 i mtcu-2 promouen senyals retrògrads diferents que produïxen patrons d'expressió nuclears específics. Així, un tret fenotípic dependent de gens nuclears (com ho és la transcripció i/o l'estabilitat dels mt-tRNAs) i l'expressió de gens nuclears com ucp-4, hsp-6, hsp-60 i altres implicats en el metabolisme mitocondrial mostren un patró diferent en els dos grups de mutants. Els gens hsp-6 i hsp-60 (marcadors de la UPRmt) estan regulats a la baixa en el mutant mttu-1. Els tres mutants simples exhibixen una reducció en l'expressió de gens de la glicòlisi i de la ß-oxidació dels àcids grassos, una inducció en un marcador de glutaminolisi i una inducció en el gen ucp-4 (major en el mutant mttu-1) implicat en el transport de succinat a la mitocondria. Atés que els tres mutants simples presenten una disfunció OXPHOS relativament suau, proposem que els canvis d'expressió en gens que modulen el metabolisme mitocondrial revelen una reprogramació del cicle del TCA que compensa la disminució en l'aportació d'acetil-CoA procedent de la glicòlisi i de l'oxidació d'àcids grassos amb l'activació de rutes anaplerótiques del cicle del TCA (importació de succinat a la mitocondria per UCP-4 i aportació de ¿-cetoglutarat de la glutaminolisi). També s'analitzen els efectes de l'anul¿lació simultània de les modificacions en 2 i 5 de la U34. El doble mutant mttu-1;mtcu-2 presenta una disfunció OXPHOS severa, amb una ràtio AMP/ATP 5 vegades superior al control, que resulta en letalitat embrionària, detenció del desenvolupament en estadis larvaris primerencs, esterilitat completa en els adults i una longevitat unes 2 vegades superior al control. Aquest increment de la longevitat està modulat per rutes de senyalització que depenen de la subunitat catalítica AAK-1 (AMPK), i d'hormones esteroidees (a través de les proteïnes DAF-9 i DAF-12). En resum, aquest treball mostra per primera vegada a nivell d'un animal model la important reprogramació de gens relacionats amb el metabolisme mitocondrial en resposta a la hipomodificació de la U34 dels mt-tRNAs i
Navarro González, MDC. (2016). Caenorhabditis elegans as a research tool to study mitochondrial diseases associated with defects in tRNA modification [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/61978
TESIS

Over the last two decades, developing countries have experienced a high volume of foreign direct investment (FDI). It is commonly accepted that many multinational enterprises (MNEs) are entering into multiple markets, in order to increase their profitability and to reduce the risk of relying upon one market. This study aims to provide insight into the internationalisation of MNEs from both developed and developing countries into developing markets. It seeks to test what, if anything, MNEs from developing countries do more effectively than MNEs from developed countries within these emerging markets. The central thesis of the study is that MNEs from developing countries will have certain advantages over MNEs from developed countries, and will therefore be more prevalent amongst the largest foreign firms within emerging markets. This thesis is based on the assumption that MNEs from developing countries have prior experience of operating within similar emerging markets, and so are better qualified to compete within these types of markets. MNEs from developing countries obtain certain capabilities from operations within their home countries, such as the ability to function in the context of authoritarian regimes, ineffective governments, poorly developed infrastructures, and poorly protected property rights, as well as the ability to provide services within markets which include consumers living in poverty. All of these may allow them more easily to overcome difficulties and setbacks within developing country markets. The theoretical foundation for this study has been constructed by reviewing the existing business literature. A particular aim of the literature review was to understand and explore the development of knowledge about the investment habits of multinational enterprises. In particular, their behaviour when operating within developing country markets was explored, along with the question of how they may be able to use their resources or capabilities to gain competitive advantage. This produced a set of hypotheses, which were then investigated using two types of data (both quantitative and qualitative). The results of the analysis show that developing-country MNEs outperform developed-country MNEs when investing in developing countries with poorly protected property rights and pervasive corruption. This is also the case when investing in countries with poorly developed infrastructure. In addition, partial support was found for the hypothesis that developing-country MNEs are likely to have an advantage over developed-country MNEs when investing in developing countries with authoritarian regimes. The study hopes to assist policy makers in recognising that an MNE’s previous experience impacts on its ability to succeed in developing countries. It also hopes to provide useful guidance for those MNE managers who are seeking to improve their effectiveness when investing in developing countries.

This thesis examines the theoretical background of multilateral knowledge transfer and synthesizes two lines of thinking on the exploitation of multinationality and the contributory role of subsidiaries. Scholars have devoted decades unpacking the mechanisms and dynamics of the creation, transfer and integration of subsidiary knowledge. As the phenomenon is decentralized and multilateral in nature, it often poses a dilemma for MNE managers due to the promising yet conflicting positions of knowledge-creating subsidiaries in local external networks and the corporate internal network. Existing studies generally acknowledge the challenges but tend to accentuate the creative potentials and downplay the costs of maintaining the delicate cross-level interdependencies involved. This thesis reviews the histories and public records of 28 world-leading IC design MNEs and delineates the cross-level interdependencies and multilateral knowledge transfer between the headquarters, knowledge-creating subsidiaries and external knowledge sources in host countries. Incorporating company annual reports, news archives and patenting records, this comprehensive investigation of geographical, industrial and temporal dimensions of inter- and intra-firm knowledge flows reveals the diverse knowledge sources and dynamics of the modern semiconductor industry. The findings also provide insights into the relationships between the heterarchical structure, mandated and entrepreneurial subsidiary knowledge creation and intra-firm cognitive gaps. Finally, the thesis theorizes how MNEs may use intra-firm R&D collaborations to establish incidental interdependencies between members of the MNE corporate network and implement internal entrepreneurship.

Resumo: Nesta dissertação de mestrado é apresentado um estudo detalhado do comportamento magnético anisotrópico de epicamadas de MnAs crescidas por feixe de epitaxia molecular sobre substratos de GaAs(001) e GaAs(111)B, Medidas de magnetização à temperatura ambiente revelaram que as epicamadas de MnAs tem uma forte anisotropia magnética. No caso das epicamadas MnAs/GaAs(001), a direção de magnetização fácil ocorre no plano dos filmes ao longo da direção cristalográfica [110] dos filmes finos MnAs que é paralela a direção [110] do substrato de GaAs, Observa-se ciclos de histerese quase retangulares com magnetização remanente relativamente alta e campo coercivo baixo. No 111 no plano de filme e corresponde a um plano de magnetização fácil, A deformação da célula unitária do MnAs devido a efeitos de tensão residual é amplamente conhecida na literatura, A diferença nos coeficientes de expansão térmica do MnAs e do GaAs combinado a efeitos de tensão induzida pela aplicação do campo magnético tornam a transição de fase magnetoestrutural do MnAs bastante complexa. Em particular a coexistência das fases ferromagnética e paramagnética nessas epicamadas difere significativamente daquela observada no caso do MnAs massivo, É proposto um modelo baseado na rotação coerente da magnetização para simular os ciclos de histerese magnética de epicamadas de MnAs em temperaturas ao redor da transição de fase magnetoestrutural, A partir dos resultados das simulações é demonstrado que as contribuições das energias magnetoelás- ticas e magnetostrietivas para a densidade de energia livre são cruciais para corretamente descrever a magnetização de ambos os tipos de epicamadas de MnAs, A magnetização foi obtida para campos magnéticos aplicados em diferentes temperaturas e orientações relativas à rede cristalina do MnAs a partir de procedimentos padrões de minimização da densidade de energia livre magnética. Parâmetros fenomenológicos foram usados nos termos de energia de anisotropia magnética em diferentes temperaturas. Utilizamos como variáveis livres nas simulações somente as constantes de acoplamento magnetoelásticas do MnAs, Os coeficientes de acoplamento magnetoelástico obtidos são compatíveis com valores previamente medidos para o MnAs e contribuem significativamente para os termos de primeira ordem e segunda ordem da anisotropia magnética. Os resultados das nossas simulações são consistentes também com a manifestação de uma componente de magnetização fora do plano do filme de MnAs sobre substratos de GaAs(001), Essa componente de magnetização perpendicular já foi observada e relatada, O presente modelo indica que ela é induzida por efeitos de tensão durante a coexistência de fases e que persiste em temperaturas acima da temperatura de Curie da componente de magnetização no plano.

HRM practices in foreign subsidiaries have been a subject of much attention in recent years. However, research on HRM practices by subsidiaries of multinationals has so far focused largely on subsidiaries of western multinationals in western and or emerging economies. We have little knowledge concerning HRM practices of subsidiaries of multinationals from emerging economies in developed western countries. This research examines key factors influencing transferring process of HRM strategies and practices of Taiwanese MNCs in the UK.

Multinational corporations (MNCs) are increasingly competing on their ability to utilise knowledge sourced from various parts of the world. In order to draw full advantage of a multinational presence, harnessing the potential of peripheral knowledge assets is a main strategic imperative. This thesis examines an activity that is central to MNCs use of such peripheral knowledge assets, namely the transfer of knowledge from one subunit to another. The knowledge transfer problem is approached in two ways: the extent to which subunits engage in knowledge transfer to other units in the organisation and the performance of knowledge transfer projects. The evidence provided in this thesis is derived from the analyses of quantitative data collected in two separate projects. A central argument concerns the importance of studying performance of knowledge transfer projects. Knowledge transfer is seen as distinct and purposeful projects. It is suggested that the performance of these transfer projects can be evaluated along the dimensions of transfer efficiency and transfer effectiveness. Results indicate that the extent to which subunits transfer knowledge to other MNC subunits is influenced by the presence of lateral integrative mechanisms as well as the presence of incentives to engage in knowledge transfer and subunit socialisation. Moreover, the operational structure of the subunit influences the extent of outbound knowledge transfer. The present evidence also suggests that subunit capabilities to knowledge transfer can be developed by accumulation of transfer experiences. However, even if subunits engage in knowledge transfer to an increasing degree, it is not self-evident that they become better at the task. In particular, these capabilities seem to be specific to source-recipient dyads, i.e. only experience from previous interactions in this dyad increase transfer performance. Evidence also suggests that authoritative pressure and centralised formal structures can lead to superficial collaboration in knowledge transfer. Finally, it is shown that despite the past years increasing interest in inter-firm networking as means to develop and access knowledge to innovative processes, such external interaction in subunits may compromise the possibilities to subsequently transfer the newly developed knowledge to be exploited in other parts of the MNC.

It is necessary for multinational corporations (MNCs) to manage their knowledge flows effectively in order to gain or maintain competitive advantage. The knowledge management (KM) process needs to be cost effective, which can be achieved through a standardized “one-size fits all” strategy. Some scholars argue that a standardized KM strategy is not possible in international KM, since countries are different and cultural differences makes it necessary to adapt the KM strategy with regard to different cultures. It becomes a question about standardization versus adaptation of KM. This study aims on describing the factors affecting international KM and thereby whether it is appropriate to standardize or adapt international KM. The empirical findings in this study derive from qualitative interviews with internationally experienced managers at three MNCs with subsidiaries spread over the world. By studying different factors that affect KM, it is shown that the MNCs mainly benefit from standardized KM strategies.

The current state of the global economy is in constant transformation. This transformation results in new industries, technologies, and markets. In order to effectively maintain relevance throughout these transformations, organizations must be equipped with the ability to manage change and foster innovation. An organization that is unable to adapt to the rapid changes taking place in this economy will be at greater risk for failure. Context, whether it be cultural, geographic, social or a mix of several overlapping dynamics, is the silent decider of organizational paradigms. The process of transferring organizational assets, such as strategy or culture, from one context to another, is known as recontextualization. This thesis seeks to address the significance of recontextualized organizational assets within a Multinational Corporation (MNC) and the impact on its employees and management structures. The case study will examine how recontextualization shapes a French Headquarter (HQ) - US subsidiary relationship, and more specifically how this contextual dynamic impacts the reception of a HQled change management mission. The conclusion of this thesis will provide perspective for future attempts at collaborative change must integrate greater awareness of recontextualization, particularly during their planned strategic organizational transformation. The supporting research presented throughout this work encompasses interviews with organizational development leaders, cross-cultural management and recontextualization experts, as well as employee testimonials and an autoethnography illustrating the complexities of the HQ-subsidiary relationship.

The purpose of this study is to examine whether European production firms, that reshore parts of their manufacturing processes back to the originating country of the firm, perform financially differently than prior to the reshoring process. The performances of the firms are quantified by the financial indicators of return on equity, return on assets, and net profit margin. It also examines if these three performance indicators are affected differently depending on the scale of the reshoring operation relative to the total size of the firm. To effectively analyse the aforementioned, the study performs a paired-sample T-test for the three metrics, comparing the pre and post reshoring. Three OLS-regressions are also conducted to gain further insights into how a reshoring process has affected the performance indicators of a company. Based on a sample of 34 European companies that have performed a reshoring, the results of the conducted tests show no significant difference in performances for the sampled companies’ ex-ante or ex-post a reshoring of manufacturing activity. This suggests that firms that are planning to make a reshoring move cannot expect a certain outcome of that decision, either positive or negative, in terms of this paper's chosen variables.

Nel corso degli ultimi decenni, la concorrenza, la scarsità di personale esperto e gli alti livelli di turnover rate, hanno portato le multinazionali a investire maggiormente nel proprio capitale umano. L'obiettivo della mia tesi è quello di capire se l'introduzione di un programma di inserimento per i neo assunti, a prescindere dal livello o dalla posizione, può essere una soluzione per limitare gli effetti negativi delle difficoltà sopracitate. Lo scopo di questo programma è quello di instaurare subito un legame tra l’azienda e il lavoratore che va oltre al compenso salariale. E’ necessario far sentire il nuovo arrivato benvoluto e fargli percepire la sua importanza all’interno della compagnia. Il senso di appartenenza, affetto e fedeltà saranno fondamentali per diminuire il turnover rate, soprattutto all’interno delle di mercati estremamente competitivi come quello cinese.

Cette thèse porte sur les propriétés magnétiques et structurales de MnAs/GaAs(001) et sur la dynamique photo-induite du système hétéroépitaxial Fe/MnAs/GaAs(001). MnAs présente une séquence inhabituelle de transitions de phases magnéto-structurales. En volume, α-MnAs est hexagonal et ferromagnétique (FM). A 313 K, il transite (1er ordre) vers β-MnAs, perd son ordre FM et devient orthorhombique. A 400 K, il transite (2nd ordre) vers γ-MnAs, hexagonale et paramagnétique. En couche mince épitaxiée sur GaAs(001), α- et β-MnAs coexistent entre 283 et 313K sous la forme de bandes auto-organisées avec alternance des phases ce qui permet l’émergence d’un champ magnétique dipolaire de surface. Ce champ permet de manipuler via la température, et sans champ magnétique appliqué, l’aimantation de Fe, ou encore localement via une impulsion laser femtoseconde. Des mesures ont été réalisées sur ce système par effet Kerr magnéto-optique (MOKE) et par diffusion résonante des rayons X (XRMS). La XRMS donne accès à l’évolution en température des bandes et à l’aimantation de chacune des couches (aux seuils L3 de Fe et de Mn). Il est montré que les cycles de chaque couche peuvent être obtenus aussi bien par MOKE que par XRMS grâce à la linéarité de la réponse MOKE. La dynamique structurale photo-induite de MnAs/GaAs(001) a aussi été étudiée par diffraction des rayons X résolue en temps sur des temps allant de la picoseconde à la microseconde. Ces résultats mettent en évidence l’excitation de phonons cohérents, la génération d’une onde de déformation, la nucléation de la phase γ et enfin la formation transitoire de bandes auto-organisées pendant la phase de refroidissement. Ces résultats ont été corrélés aux résultats sur le renversement de l’aimantation du fer dans Fe/MnAs et un mécanisme est proposé
The subject of this thesis is the study of the magnetic and structural properties of MnAs/GaAs(001) and of the photoinduced phase transition dynamics in MnAs/GaAs(001). MnAs exhibits a peculiar sequence of magneto-structural phase transitions. In the bulk, α-MnAs is hexagonal and ferromagnetic (FM). At 313K, it transits (1st order) towards β-MnAs becoming orthorhombic and FM order is lost. At 400K, it transits (2nd order) towards γ-MnAs becoming paramagnetic and hexagonal. When MnAs is grown epitaxially on GaAs(001), α and β phases coexist in the form of self-organized stripes with alternating phases, which permits the appearance of a dipolar magnetic field close to the surface. This field allows the manipulation of the Fe magnetization via the temperature, without applying magnetic field, or locally via a femtosecond laser pulse. Measurements were made using magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) and X-ray resonant scattering (XRMS). The XRMS gives access to the evolution of the stripes with the temperature and to the magnetization of each layer (at the L3 edge of Fe and Mn). Hysteresis cycles of magnetic layers can be obtained by XRMS and also by MOKE thanks to the linearity of the response. The photo-induced structural dynamics of MnAs/GaAs(001) was also studied by time-resolved X-ray diffraction from the picosecond to the microsecond timescales. The results evidence the excitation of coherent phonons, the generation of a strain wave, the nucleation of the γ phase, and finally the transient formation of self-organized stripes during the cooling phase. These results provide insight into the Fe magnetization reversal process in Fe/MnAs/GaAs(001) and a mechanism is proposed

Background: The past decades two trends has been detected in the society. First of all, the new economy has brought along globalisation as a striking trend, and secondly we have been hit by some kind o f"projectification". The two trends seem to work against each other on several levels and global companies have a hard time coping with both at the same time.

Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to describe how an international development project is organised and show what impacts a MNC structure has on its projects concerning management and communication. Method: In order to reach an understanding, a qualitative case study was performed, and several interviews with people within a Ericsson project was made. In addition, Ericsson internal material and project documentation was used.

Findings: We found that the global structure very much has an impact on the project studied and that it did not have the characteristics that, literature of today describes, is common for projects. Since the project consist of several independent subsidiary we would not like to call it a project organised in a matrix, but rather described as an "intra-corporational consortium". Because of this structure, there are implications for management and communication as well. The management, we believe, is more done by "good will", and there is a strong resistance for communicating since there is a belief that information will handle all problems.

Country portfolio analysis, a commonly used tool among companies when evaluating potential target markets, only focus on potential sales instead of including cost and risk into the equation. However, some researchers today have become aware of the importance of taking these costs and risks into account. One of these researchers is Pankaj Ghemawat, who has developed a framework called CAGE which is supposed to be a complementary tool to the country portfolio analysis model. In this thesis we study if Swedish MNCs consider the factors suggested in the CAGE-framework when evaluating emerging markets. Furthermore, we suggest some adjustments to the evaluation process.

Data have been collected through a web-based questionnaire. The respondents were all headquarter managers in Swedish multinational corporations (MNCs). Our results show that the two most overlooked distances of the CAGE-framework are the cultural and the geographic distances. Hence, the two most considered were the economic and administrative distances. This is in partial accordance with Ghemawat’s theory, in which he states that the cultural distance is one of the two most overlooked distances. However, he presents administrative distance as the second most overlooked distance, which means that our thesis shows a somewhat different result than Ghemawat’s findings.

A company evaluating an entry into an emerging market needs to consider the CPA-model, but this is not enough. They also need to take other factors into account. These are previous as well as future growth of the market, predicted growth for the specific product or service in the market in question, and the competitive situation in the emerging market. A consideration of these factors gives the company a complete picture of a market regarding profit potential. Thereafter, this potential needs to be adjusted for the distances in the CAGE-framework.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate how and to what degree Swedish multinational companies (MNCs) adapt to local conditions when they establish subsidiaries in China, and if cultural differences play an important role in their operations. Background: The major challenge for MNCs establishing abroad is the configuration and integration of their country subsidiaries (Galbraith, 2000). Therefore, it is vital to understand how activities within an organization, such as structures, processes, reward systems, and people practices, should be designed in order for the company to be as efficient as possible (Weiss, 2007; Kesler & Kates, 2011). Swedish direct investments in China have increased significantly in the late 2000s, especially in the eastern regions, where a majority of about 650 Swedish companies in China are located (Swedish Trade Council, 2012a). Establishing across borders is a step towards future growth, but it is important to note that a cross-border expansion comes with many challenges (Galbraith, 2000). Method: This study uses a qualitative research method by investigating the experiences and practices of two Swedish multinational companies with operations in Shanghai, China. Information has been collected from eight respondents in the form of interviews and open-ended questionnaires. Conclusion: Swedish MNCs standardize their organization to a large extent when they establish subsidiaries in China, and culture has a slight influence on the practices of Swedish MNCs but does not play a major role for the business as a whole.

The socio-economic development of many developing countries depends heavily on the flow of foreign capital brought about by multinational enterprises' (MNE's) activities. However, there is evidence that the actual benefits derived by host countries from these enterprises are often less than expected. Accordingly, this clearly supports the need for an effective government control framework to increase the benefits of these foreign enterprises to the host country. This study therefore examines, both theoretically and empirically, the types of controls operated at present, with a view to establishing an appropriate framework for future control. A host government control framework consists basically of two complementary and integrated control processes: an entry control process to ensure that only those foreign enterprises which will be of benefit to the national economy are approved; and an operational control process to check that the project's operations are carried out in accordance with approved plans. In practice, the control mechanism focuses on the role of local accounting and reporting systems, and the role of the government auditor rather than other government bodies responsible for applying the control process. Egypt has been selected as the focus for the study, since many MNEs operate there under the open door economic policy, and it is believed that the many incentives given to attract foreign investment have allowed MNEs to gain greater benefits than they give to the country. Squibb Egypt, a foreign subsidiary in the pharmaceutical sector, is taken as a case study, in view of the importance of the sector to the Egyptian economy, and its increasing domination by foreign enterprises. Data have been collected through interviews from government departments and agencies dealing with MNEs in Egypt and Squibb Egypt. The result of the case study has indicated that Squibb Egypt has made only a modest contribution to the economy. This deficiency is attributable to the lack of the control system currently operated by the Egyptian government over MNEs. This provides a strong case for arguing that the adoption of a sound government control system is essential to alleviate many of the problems and deficiencies raised in this study, and to meet both national objectives and those of foreign enterprises.The research is divided into three main parts. The first, containing two chapters, examines the general relationship between a host government and the MNE, and describes a control framework model which could alleviate the problems arising from MNE entry and operations within a host country.Part two, which also contains two chapters, presents an overview of foreign investment in Egypt from 1952-1987, reviewing the open door policy and appraising its impact on the economy, and the control system currently operated by the Egyptian government.The empirical research is presented in the six chapters of part three, which examines the development of Squibb and the controls exercised over it, and evaluates the company's financial performance and its contribution to the Egyptian economy. Finally, recommendations are made to improve the evaluation and control over MNEs by host governments, with a view to maximising the benefits obtained from them.

Die vorliegende Arbeit befasst sich mit der Untersuchung der mikromagnetischen Domänenstruktur und des gekoppelten magneto-strukturellen Phasenübergangs dünner epitaktischer MnAs-Filme auf GaAs. Im Besonderen wird der Einfluss der Substratorientierung, der Filmdicke und eines externen magnetischen Feldes auf die magnetischen und strukturellen Eigenschaften untersucht. Dabei kommen die komplementären Untersuchungsmethoden AFM (atomic force microscopy) / MFM (magnetic force microscopy) und LEEM (low energy electron microscopy) / XMCDPEEM (X-ray magnetic circular dichroism photoemission electron microscopy) zum Einsatz. Im Zuge des Phasenübergangs erster Ordnung zeigen MnAs Filme auf GaAs (001) und (311)A eine regelmäßige Anordnung ferromagnetischer alpha-MnAs und paramagnetischer beta-MnAs Streifen. Die Breite der Streifen ist eine Funktion der Temperatur, während die Periodizität eine lineare Funktion der Filmdicke ist. Die Domänenstruktur hängt stark von der Breite bzw. dem Abstand der ferromagnetischen Streifen ab, da diese direkt die Formanisotropie bzw. die magnetische Kopplung beeinflussen. Die Domänenstrukturen wird, abhängig von der Zahl der Subdomänen entlang der leichten Magnetisierungsrichtung, klassifiziert, wobei bis zu drei elementare Domänentypen beobachtet werden. Bei MnAs-Filmen die auf der GaAs (111)B Oberfläche gewachsen wurden, führt die Epitaxie zu einem geänderten Spannungszustands des Films, wobei eine erhöhte Phasenübergangstemperatur beobachtet wird. Durch temperaturabhängige XMCDPEEM-, AFM- und MFM-Messungen kann gezeigt werden, daß durch den lokalen Abbau der Verspannung in der Nähe eines Risses die Phasenübergangstemperatur lokal erhöht ist. Um Ummagnetisierungsprozesse auf einer mikroskopischen Skala untersuchen zu können und um den Einfluß eines magnetischen Feldes auf die Domänenstruktur sichtbar zu machen, wurde das temperaturvariable Rastersondenmikroskop um einen variablen Magnetfeldaufbau ergänzt.
This work presents the study of the micromagnetic domain structure and the coupled magneto-structural phase transition of epitaxial MnAs thin films on GaAs. In particular, the influence of substrate orientation, film thickness and external magnetic field on the magnetic and structural properties are investigated, employing the complementary measurement techniques atomic force microscopy (AFM) / magnetic force microscopy (MFM) and low energy electron microscopy (LEEM) / X-ray magnetic circular dichroism photoemission electron microscopy (XMCDPEEM. In the course of the first-order phase transition MnAs films on GaAs (001) and (311)A substrates show a regular array of ferromagnetic alpha- and paramagnetic beta-MnAs stripes. The width of the ferromagnetic stripes are a function of the temperature, whereas the periodicity of the stripe pattern is a function of the film thickness. The domain structure strongly depends on the width and the distance of the ferromagnetic stripes, as it directly affects the shape anisotropy and magnetic coupling, respectively. The domain patterns are classified depending on the number of subdomains along the easy axis direction. Up to three basic domain types can be distinguished. For MnAs films grown on GaAs (111)B, the epitaxy leads to a different strain state of the film, resulting in polygonal ferromagnetic structures embedded in a honeycomb-like paramagnetic network, and a higher phase transition temperature. Using temperature-dependent AFM, MFM and XMCDPEEM it is shown that the local strain relaxation in the vicinity of cracks in the MnAs film results in a locally increased phase transition temperature. In order to study magnetization reversal processes on a microscopic scale, as well as the influence of the magnetic field on the domain structure, a variable-magnetic field set-up is employed.

Previous research into the impact of multinational enterprises (MNEs) on their host economies indicated that, in the main, the impact was positive. For example, Turok (1993a and 1993b) and Brand, Hill and Munday (2000) talked about the benefits derived from backward linkages; Barrow and Hall (1995), Fosfuri, Motta, Ronde (2001), Girma and Wakelin (2001), and Kugler (2002) spoke of other aspects of spillover such as the pecuniary, technological, and skills transfer; and Cooper (1981), Gibb and Ritchie (1982), and Birley (1996) delineated the importance of the employment history of the individual (new enterprise founder) in terms of the managerial and technical experience that is required to set up and manage a new enterprise. However, little research exists identifying exactly to what extent MNEs have a direct impact on the level on new high-tech, high-value-add enterprise creation within MNEs* host regions. The purpose of this current research therefore is to identify the extent to which these direct links do, or do not, exist. Starting with a database of over 9,000 enterprises registered in South East and South West Ireland between 1990 and 2001, the researcher identified 37 founders who had a direct link with an MNE prior to starting their enterprises. A triangulation process was employed in order to understand the extent to which MNEs were influential in the setting up of these new enterprises. One element of the triangulation process was to survey and interview founders of the indigenous enterprises; another was to interview senior executives of the MNEs with which the founders had direct links, and that were still operating in Ireland at the time of this research. The third element of the triangulation process involved interviewing CEOs and regional managers of the State enterprise support agencies operating in South East and South West Ireland. This process closed the circle of data gathering into the circumstances under which founders started their enterprises and the extent to which MNEs had a direct impact on the creation of these new enterprise. Another unique aspect of this current research is that, unlike previous research, it does not focus on just one single industry sector such as software or IT; it focuses on high-tech, high-value-add businesses such as chemicals, computers, electronics, engineering, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, plastics & rubber, R&D and labs, software and telecommunications. Nor does this research rely on statistical analysis alone, instead it utilises both quantitative and qualitative techniques. Even though this current research identified that 58% of the founders did have a direct link with an MNE prior to starting their enterprises, nearly half of them did so only because they were let go (made redundant, fired, or resigned by mutual agreement) from an MNE. None of these founders would have started their enterprise if they were not let go from the MNE, if they had not met with a critical incident in their careers (Cope and Watts, 2006). Thus the research also examined for the presence of latent entrepreneurs among the sample of founders. Of the 15 MNE senior executives interviewed, only one MNE encouraged and supported their employees to start their own businesses when there were no actual (or threats of) redundancies taking place. Another interesting finding from this research is that the State enterprise support agencies seem to operate more in a reactive than proactive mode. These agencies appear to wait for clients to come to them and/or wait for announcements of plant closures/downsizing before getting involved in encouraging people to start their own businesses. Also, this research highlights that even though 83% of the founders received soft and/or hard support from State agencies, over 80% of them were not happy with the support they received. In summary, the unique triangulation process utilised in this research has identified that the link between new enterprise creation and the presence of MNEs is more an outcome of unintended consequences then being an output of defined enterprise policies. This research contributes different and additional knowledge to the existing body of literature in relation to the benefits of FDI, spillovers from MNEs into host economies, and the process of new enterprise creation. The research has implications for enterprise policy in relation to the role governments and their agencies could play in supporting MNEs to create an environment whereby additionality of jobs can occur in the MNEs host economy, as opposed to State enterprise support agencies focusing on job replacement alone.

Corporate strategy is a foundation for companies operations, processes and  the ways in which its various businesses  work together to achieve particular goals.  Scholars and managers  recognize different levels of strategy for organizations. One of  the  differentiations  is  based  on  governance structure of the organization, and divides  corporate strategy on two levels: corporate strategy  and business-unit strategy. In many cases, some might think that business and corporate dimensions are the same. However,  when divided into strategies, there is a difference. This especially relates to MNEs (multinational enterprises), with their massive and sometimes complicated structure  and business units all over the world.  This study intends to find out whether and how corporate strategy as whole is employed and engineered in terms of this differentiation at MNEs, as well as to explore the additional factors   to well-known ones, affecting strategy development on both levels. Even though, a decent amount of studies have been done on a field,  the views on which questions should be answered by corporate level  strategies or business unit strategies are significantly differ. Hence, in order to develop understanding and contribute to the further research, this study has been undertaken.

As globalization influences today’s world markets, many organisations are becoming global. An important challenge facing multinational enterprises (MNEs) in the global market is to manage the performance appraisal of expatriates out on assignment. The purpose of this thesis is to explore the appraisal process of Swedish expatriates. There has been research on expatriate appraisals in the past; however, only few of them have focused on Scandinavian MNEs. Therefore, we will investigate the effect Scandinavian management style has on the appraisal process of Swedish expatriates.   The data in our thesis is collected through semi-structured interviews with listed Swedish MNEs. The empirical findings were then compared on our revised model that reflects the characteristics of Scandinavian management style.   The results of this thesis indicate that there are some relationships between characteristics of Scandinavian management style and the appraisal process of Swedish expatriates. A collaborative approach to Human Resource Management (HRM) practices is common in Scandinavian countries, as well as focus on creating a partnership culture between employer and employee and we found that such characteristics had a large impact on attributes in the appraisal process. Scandinavian MNEs can use the conclusions drawn from the study as guidelines for performing effective appraisals of their expatriates.   However, the findings are only a minor contribution to this poorly investigated field, which needs further investigation. Suggestion for future research could be to do a similar investigation on a larger scale, and with a bigger sample.

The charge retention behaviour of MNOS structures with embedded Si or Ge nanocrystals are studied by computer simulation. It is obtained that the oxide thickness and the location of nanocrystlas affect the retention behaviour very strongly. The retention time changes from a few ms to several years. When you are citing the document, use the following link http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/35385

>Magister Scientiae - MSc
Magnetosomes, produced by magnetotactic bacteria (MTB), are the most attractive alternative source of non-toxic biocompatible magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). A magnetosome contains Fe2O4 magnetite with properties superior to MNPs synthesized by the traditional chemical route. However, synthesis of magnetosomes on large scale has not been achieved yet because magnetotactic bacteria are fastidious to grow. In addition, magnetosomes are generally “soft” magnetic materials which can only be used for some applications, while other applications require “hard” magnetic materials. Here at the Institute of Microbial Biotechnology and Metagenomic (IMBM), a study is being conducted on cloning and expression of the magnetosome gene island (MIA), the genetic machinery for magnetosome formation, in an easy to culture E. coli strain. The magnetic properties of the magnetosome can be manipulated by doping with divalent metals such as Ni2+ or Co2+ for a variety of applications. The specific objective of this study was to genetically engineer E. coli strains which accumulate intracellular Ni2+ or Co2+ in order to manipulate the magnetic properties of the magnetosomes. Three E. coli mutants and a wild type strain were transformed with high affinity Ni2+ or Co2+ uptake genes and evaluated for intracellular accumulation at different medium concentrations of NiCl2 or CoCl2. Cellular iron and magnesium were also evaluated because iron is the major component of the magnetosome and magnesium is important for cell growth. The wild type strain, EPI 300 habouring Ni2+ uptake permease the hoxN gene or Co2+ uptake ABC type transporter cbiKMQO operon was found to accumulate the most intracellular Ni2+ or Co2+ in medium conditions most likely to induce magnetosome formation and magnetite manipulation. This strain can be used to co-express the MIA and Ni2+ or Co2+ uptake gene for mass production of magnetosome with altered magnetic properties.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2004.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This assignment investigates the bargaining relationship between multinational corporations (MNCs) and developing countries. The units of analysis of this study in Global Political Economy are MNCs (non-state actors) and nation-states. In the contemporary global production structure the 'balance of power' between MNCs and developing countries has shifted in favour of MNCs. Descriptive secondary sources were used to illustrate the MNC-State bargaining relationship in telecommunications privatisation in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the contemporary global economy nation-states only rarely still compete for territory, but rather for wealth-creating activities to be located within their borders. Important changes in the global production structure have resulted in the increased mobility and economic power of MNCs. These developments have affected the strategic relationship between MNCs and nation-states and the former have used their advantage to gain preferential treatment in the bargaining process. The nation-states are also competing amongst themselves for the investment and technology and knowledge transfers from these firms. Privatisation programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa have substantially increased MNC participation on the continent, which has been historically marginalised from global foreign direct investment receipts. Research has shown that MNC participation in infrastructure service provision is more efficient than government ownership. However, this does not constitute a loss of sovereignty, but rather emphasises the changing role of nation-states as facilitators of global market relations. On examination, the distinct bargaining relationship in telecommunications privatisation clearly illustrates the dependence of Sub-Saharan African countries on technologically advanced MNCs. Thus, the 'balance of power' has shifted more to MNCs in the global political economy.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsingswerkstuk ondersoek die bedingingsverhouding tussen multinasionale korporasies (MNKs) en ontwikkelende lande. Die ondersoekeenhede in die studie van die Globale Politieke Ekonomie is MNKs (nie-staatrolspelers) en regeringstate. In die huidige globale produksiestruktuur het die mag tussen MNKs en ontwikkelende lande verander sodat die MNKs nou die magsoorwig het. Beskrywende sekondêre bronne is gebruik om die MNK-regeringstaat se bedingingsverhouding in telekommunikasie privatisering in Sub-Sahara Afrika te illustreer. In die teenswoordige globale ekonomie kompeteer regeringstate selde met mekaar om territoriale mag, maar oorwegend om welvaartskeppende bedrywe binne hul grense aan te moedig. Belangrike veranderings in die globale produksiestruktuur het MNKs se mobiliteit en ekonomiese mag verhoog. Hierdie ontwikkelinge het die strategiese verhouding tussen MNKs en regeringstate verander. MNKs gebruik hierdie invloed om voordeel te trek uit regeringstate wat kompeteer vir belegging en die tegnologie- en kennisoordrag van hierdie korporasies. Privatiseringsprogramme in Sub-Sahara Afrika het MNK-deelname op die kontinent verhoog, wat histories gemarginaliseer is van buitelandse direkte belegging. Navorsing dui daarop dat MNKs se deelname in infrastruktuurdienslewering meer doeltreffend is, as wanneer dit onder staatsbeheer is. Dit lei egter nie tot 'n verlies aan soeweriniteit nie, maar beklemtoon die regeringstaat se veranderde rol as fasiliteerder van globale markverhoudinge. Die ondersoek na die uitsonderlike bedingingsverhouding in die privatisering van telekommunikasie beklemtoon Sub-Sahara Afrika se afhanklikheid van tegnologies-ontwikkelde MNKs. Die magsbalans het gevolglik na die MNKs oorskuif in die globale politieke ekonomie.

In networked MNCs where knowledge and power are distributed, corporate strategy processes benefit from input arising from many different levels of the organization. Recently, the regional (i.e., supra-national) level has been emphasized as an important additional source of knowledge and input, and as a bridge between local subsidiaries and global corporate headquarters. This paper builds theory on the antecedents to regional headquarters' influence on corporate decisions (i.e., organizational, behavioral, and motivational). Based on a survey of regional headquarters in Europe and their relations with MNC headquarters, we provide empirical evidence that a regional headquarters' autonomy and signaling behavior have significant effects on its influence on corporate strategy. Furthermore, we find support for our hypothesis that the regional headquarters' charter moderates such bottom-up influence. (authors' abstract)

This study examined the role of firm performance, internationality, innovation intensity and firm size in determining CEO executive compensation in multinational enterprises. The framework for this study was established by reviewing literature relevant in executive compensation, agency theory, internationalization, innovation, contingency, and resource based theories. The sample data of 1,950 observations from 488 companies over a period of four years (2008-2011) were collected from ExecuComp database and from Forbes Global 2000 companies list published in 2011. A quantitative methodological approach using correlational research design was employed. The results indicated a positive relation between executive compensation paid to CEOs and firm performance measured in return on assets and return on equity, and size of the firm. Results did not indicate a strong relation between executive compensation paid to CEOs and internationalization and, investment in research and development in multinational corporations. Empirical analyses derived from the data set of this study failed to provide adequate evidence to support the expected moderating effect of firm size on executive compensation paid to CEOs and firm performance. A large part of executive compensation paid to CEO remains unexplained in part due to the need for a greater understanding of the effects of the contextual variables related to internationalization, innovation intensity, and understanding the impact differences from short term and long term executive compensation structures. This dissertation contributes to the literature on compensation, MNC analysis, and innovation.

The Mnks appear to play an important role in tumour development, but are not essential for normal cell growth and development. This makes them attractive targets for designing anti-cancer treatments. The Mnks are directly downstream of the RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK pathway, a pathway that is frequently overactive in cancer cells. The Mnks bind to eIF4G, which is part of the translation initiation complex, and are the only kinases known to phosphorylate the 5’ mRNA cap-binding protein eIF4E. Despite numerous studies linking this phosphorylation event to cancer, its precise role in cancer remains unclear. The lack of progress in developing our understanding of the role the Mnks is largely down to the absence of a selective and potent Mnk inhibitor. Presented here are the results of experiments carried out using a novel Mnk inhibitor, Mnk-I1. These results are also backed up with the results of experiments using cells – Mouse Embryonic Fibroblasts (MEFs) - that have had the Mnks genetically knocked out. What the results show, is that Mnk kinase activity appears to play a key role in cancer cell migration. The mechanism appears to involve an important role for Mnk kinase activity in the translation of vimentin mRNA into protein and in preventing the degradation of the vimentin protein: an established marker of cells that have undergone Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) and become motile. The results presented in the last chapter focus on whether the Mnks might be suitable targets for overcoming acquired resistance to the MEK inhibitor AZD6244. In the context of a BRAF600E amplification, Mnk-I1 appeared to have a small antiproliferative effect in one cancer cell line tested; however, there was no effect on the proliferation of a cancer cell line with a KRAS13D amplification. Included in this set of data is an interesting effect of Mnk-I1 on increasing P-Mnk1 levels.

The mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK)-interacting serine threonine kinases (Mnks) are components of the MEK/ERK and p38MAPK signalling pathways. Research has focused on the role of the Mnks in tumorigenesis, inflammatory signalling cascades and translation of inflammatory cytokines. The physiological roles of these kinases are still not well understood and their functions have yet to be fully elucidated. This prompted the work presented in this study where the roles of the Mnks have been investigated in the phenomenon of rapamycin-induced eIF4E phosphorylation and the role of the Mnks in glucose and lipid metabolism. Increased eIF4E phosphorylation has been correlated with tumorigenesis and a potential anti-cancer therapy, rapamycin, increases eIF4E phosphorylation in cancer cells. The increase in eIF4E phosphorylation is caused by mTORC1 inhibition-dependent increases in Mnk2a activity. The Mnks are enriched in tissues important for glucose metabolism and here a role for the Mnks has been established in insulin signalling. Investigation revealed that the Mnks phosphorylate IRS1 at 5 sites resulting in its stabilization by impairing its proteasome-mediated degradation. The consequence of Mnk1/2 double knockout in mice is glucose intolerance due to reduced IRS1 protein in white adipose tissue. The incidence of type 2 diabetes as a result of obesity is rising rapidly but the mechanisms responsible are as yet not fully understood. Evidence presented in a patent suggests the Mnks may play a role in lipid metabolism and insulin sensitivity. This inspired research presented here showing Mnk2-KO mice exhibit a lack of weight gain when fed high fat diets. Interestingly the Mnk2-KO mice were resistant to severe diet-induced insulin resistance. This appears to be related to a reduction in chronic inflammation usually associated with high fat diet feeding.

Thesis: Ph. D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Political Science, May, 2020
Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 260-279).
Political science research devotes considerable attention to the impact of political risk on multinational companies' (MNCs') behavior. However, this body of research suffers from two main oversights: (1) a disproportionate focus on MNCs' investment decisions, and (2) an assumption that political risk takes a common, centralized form across countries. In this dissertation, I redirect, attention to the political determinants of MNCs' supply chain linkages. I argue that these linkages represent a risk-mitigating strategy for MNCs, and one that is particularly well suited for dealing with environments where the sources of political risk are spread throughout the state apparatus -- which I refer to as fragmented political risk. To test this theory, I draw on both cross-sectional survey data of MNCs in Sub-Saharan Africa and firm-level panel data from Indonesia -- a country that experienced a profound fragmentation in the structure of political risk. The principal finding of this research is that fragmented political risk causes MNCs to increase their use of local suppliers, with particularly strong effects among those that are (1) more vulnerable to political risk, and (2) have a greater capacity to adopt linkages, in general. These findings qualify research on the political determinants of FDI by showing that MNCs, and not merely states, are capable of resolving political risk in the host country.
by Nicholas Intscher.
Ph. D.
Ph.D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Political Science

I provide initial evidence that international taxation impacts the magnitude of R&D investments in the UK. Relying on a simple theoretical model, I show that the observed response is consistent with the mispricing of intra-group transactions. My structural estimates suggest that transfer prices for internally provided innovation increase by around three percent in response to a one percentage point increase in foreign taxation. This response is more pronounced than previous estimates of aggregate profit shifting indicate, supporting concerns on the susceptibility of intangible assets to facilitate profit relocation. (author's abstract)
Series: WU International Taxation Research Paper Series

The thesis includes diagnostics temperature field of industrial low voltage. Place of origin, flow and heat transfer are important aspects in the design of the switchgear, especially in terms of proper equipment layout. The correctness of the design of the switchgear is verified by measuring the practical temperature field during testing or in work mode. To determine the temperature profile, it is necessary to measure the temperature at various points of the switchgear, either contact or contactless method. Measurements are performed on standardized low voltage switchboards, which are located power elements. The goal is to replace costly and time-consuming field testing switchgear efficient simulation of the temperature field mathematical model developed switchboards.

Cette thèse s'intéresse aux déterminants institutionnels et culturels du transfert de la pratique de formation et du développement des compétences des multinationales françaises et américaines vers leurs filiales en Côte d'Ivoire, un pays Africain en développement. La question fondamentale de recherche est : quels sont les facteurs institutionnels et culturels qui influencent le transfert de la pratique de formation et du développement des compétences des multinationales françaises et américaines vers leurs filiales en Côte d'Ivoire ? Afin de répondre à cette question, cette thèse est subdivisée en trois (03) articles. Le premier article met en évidence les initiatives visant à développer les compétences en Afrique subSaharienne, identifie les challenges qui leurs sont liées et propose des solutions idoines à leur amélioration. Le deuxième article examine les facteurs institutionnels du pays hôte qui influencent le transfert de la pratique de formation et de développement des compétences des multinationales françaises et américaines vers leurs filiales en Côte d'Ivoire. Le troisième article, quant à lui, examine l'influence de la distance culturelle entre les pays d'origine et hôte sur ce transfert.
This thesis examines institutional and cultural determinants of training and development practice transfer to French and US MNCs' subsidiaries in Ivory Coast, a developing country of Africa. The fundamental research question is: 1) what institutional and cultural factors influence training and development practice transfer to French and US MNCs' subsidiaries in Ivory Coast? This thesis is divided into three (03) articles to answer this question. The first article highlights human capital development initiatives in Sub-Saharan Africa, identifies challenges related to them, and offers solutions for their improvement. The second article investigates the host country's institutional factors that influence training and development practice transfer to French and US MNCs' subsidiaries in Ivory Coast. The third article examines the influence of the cultural distance between home and host countries on such transfer.

This thesis examines the implementation of HR practices within Cypriot sub-units of service sector MNCs. It attempts to shed light on the decision-making process which takes place at the local unit and highlight the forces which shape this. Existing literature, albeit influential, seems to be constrained by the underlying notion that HQ seek to transfer HR practice to the local unit. Hence, researches have attempted thus far to explore the factors which facilitate or hinder the transfer. However, this thesis uses a bottom-up approach and shifts the emphasis from the top to the bottom level without assuming proactive, vertical transfer of practices. However, influence from the top level is by no means ignored. On the contrary, intra-organisational aspects and pressures have been incorporated in the integrated model used for this analysis. The integrated model, as such, incorporates influences from four different theoretical approaches in order to study HRM within sub-units. Indeed, findings from this thesis illustrate how external and internal forces interplay to shape HR policies and practices locally. The multi-dimensional approach suggested in this thesis contributes to the literature by highlighting the interplay of factors which shape HRM within MNCs. This allows for a deeper understanding of how HRM occurs at local level. Findings from this thesis can also be extended beyond to a range of other countries and sectors.

Most multinational enterprises face difficulties regarding what and how to best communicate activities related to corporate social responsibility. Therefore, this master thesis addresses the online communication of corporate social responsibility by Swedish multinational enterprises. The purpose is to contribute to the understanding of the way Swedish multinational enterprises reveal messages regarding corporate social responsibility to their international stakeholders while communicating with them online via their websites and social media. This research is of qualitative nature and follows a multiple case study design. The six Swedish MNEs the Volvo Group, H&M, Atlas Copco, Securitas AB, Svenska Kullagerfabriken, and Svenska Cellulosa AB are included in the sample. Two methods for data collection are combined: online observation of the communication regarding corporate social responsibility on the corporate websites including sustainability reports or alike and in social media as well as qualitative, semi-structured interviews with the employees in charge of corporate social responsibility. The results indicate that the examined multinational enterprises communicated corporate social responsibility in different ways depending on whether they communicate via their corporate websites, their reports or in social media. This master thesis concludes with practical recommendations for multinational enterprises involved in communication of corporate social responsibility.

Background -Today's international business environment has facilitated the internationalisation process for firms all around the world by the reduced barriers to international trade (Efrat and Shoham, 2012). An expansion across borders is desirable since it offers the possibility of future business activities and it can aid a company to reach superior performance (Cotae, 2013). There are numerous strategies to an internationalisation process and the decisions made by the top management demonstrates the relationship between leadership behaviour and internationalisation (Cotae, 2013; Schweizer, Vahlne and Johanson, 2010). Therefore, this study will investigate leaders in multiple firms during the various stages of the internationalisation process in order to discover both how and to what degree they influence the internationalisation within their organisations.   Purpose- The purpose of this study is to explore what types of leadership behaviour influence the internationalisation process in MNCs and to examine specifically influential types of leadership behaviours in order to analyse the relationship between the behavioural and strategic differences in MNCs throughout the internationalisation process.   Method- This study will use an exploratory approach by combining existing theoretical frameworks and empirical data. Empirical data was collected through a qualitative research method consisting of nine semi-structured interviews, then qualitative content analysis was applied. Conclusion– The results show that a medium influence through authentic leadership can be demonstrated and can also be revealed as successful based on the MNCs current international activities.

The phenomenon of emerging market multinational enterprises (EMNEs) is becoming a new normal. How EMNEs should integrate and manage subsidiaries to perform well towards the business strategy is rarely studied. Autonomy delegation to subsidiaries was argued to be an enabling mechanism. This research explored the relationship of subsidiary autonomy and performance of Chinese MNEs in an emerging market and factors moderating the relationship. Using questionnaires to collect data from 52 Chinese MNEs in South Africa, this research ran a set of multiple regressions to test the relationship of subsidiary autonomy and performance and its moderating factors. The findings show: 1) greater subsidiary autonomy is associated with a higher level of performance; 2) the effect of subsidiary autonomy on performance is weakened for state-owned (SOE) subsidiaries but strengthened for privately owned (POE) subsidiaries; 3) the effect of subsidiary autonomy on performance is weakened by expatriate involvement for SOE subsidiaries but strengthened by expatriate involvement for POE subsidiaries; 4) the effect of subsidiary autonomy on performance is strengthened by organisational capability for both SOE and POE subsidiaries. Stateowned MNEs should focus on improving organisational capability and building up appropriate management incentives, instead of despatching expatriates to effectively improve performance of subsidiaries in emerging markets.
Mini Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2017.
pa2017
Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)
MBA
Unrestricted

Background The rapid pace of globalization along with internationalization, challenge global MNCs to contemplate with a wide range of stakeholders. The demands of integrating CSR into the strategic outlook is becoming more essential, in order to balance home-country’s and host-country’s expectations. Previous research has defined three different CSR strategies that is utilized when having business operations in multiple countries. Although, there is a limited research regarding the design and implementation of these strategies and what influences each approach. Hence, this gap makes it interesting for further research.   Purpose The aim of this thesis is to investigate the influencing factors for MNCs to use a global, glocal or local CSR strategy, when internationalizing.   Method This thesis is based on a qualitative research approach, where the empirical findings were gathered through interviews with five Swedish MNCs, with one participant from each corporation, working extensively with CSR.   Findings Most MNCs believe they have a global CSR strategy, while the findings implied that the sampled MNCs are moving towards a glocal CSR approach. It is evident that actual strategic practices deviate from theory, however, the major factors found were in consistency with existing literature. New factors that were identified that influences MNCs choice of strategy were listed corporations, low versus high-risk countries, and different approaches of a centralized structure.

This paper investigates how expatriates experience that their knowledge gained from international assignments is transferred and exploited by the MNC. The results from 93 expatriates from eleven Large Cap companies suggest that knowledge is not exploited trough formal mechanisms. Instead informal mechanisms of knowledge transfer such as networks and own initiatives seem to be a more common way of transferring and exploiting knowledge in the investigated MNCs. The findings indicate that the knowledge that the expatriates that failed their mission abroad gained is not exploited to the same extent as the expatriates that successfully completed their assignments.

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is a significant source of capital for economic growth in developing countries. The increasing financial links across countries, especially between industrial and developing countries have been associated with the liberalization of international financial markets. Moreover, globalization in production, due to technological innovations in communications and transport coupled with better policies in developing countries, are often considered to be the primary forces that drove globalization and foreign direct investment in the 1990s and recent times. The literature on FDI can be categorised into three main groups: the first group investigates the effect of FDI on macroeconomic indicators, such as economic growth, exchange rate, rate of inflation, balance of payments, and rate of unemployment. The second group examines the impact of FDI on different factors such as technology transfer to recipient countries, management practices by national firms, and labour skill and productivities in hosting countries. The third group focuses on the characteristics of FDI and the driving forces for its inflows and outflows to different countries. This research focuses on the latter strand thereby enabling an investigation of the location characteristics of MNEs location decision in the banking sector. The main aim of this thesis is to examine and analyse FDI location characteristics in the Ghanaian banking sector. This has been achieved by making use of both qualitative and quantitative data series’ to ascertain whether the major location factors are the characteristics/determinants of MNEs location decision in relation to a specific industry (banking) and a specific country (Ghana). Using a multimethod approach, the findings of this thesis reveal that political and legal factors are very significant, followed by macroeconomic policy factors and infrastructure factors. Market factors and labour market factors which have been found in previous studies (Lall 2001; Asiedu; 2003; Dunning 2004; Helpman; 2006 and Felbermayr et al. 2011) to be important determinants of FDI inflows have been found in this thesis to be the least important factors for MNEs’ location decision in relation to FDI inflows to Ghana.