Teses / dissertações sobre o tema "Economic conditions – research"

The effect of economic condition on the relation between responding and overall rate of reinforcement has been an area of recent interest in operant research. The present research was conducted to determine whether the manipulation of the economic condition, by the systematic manipulation of the provision of substitute food, has an effect on this relation and whether open- and closed-economies represent two opposing alternatives or two parametric extremes along- a continuum. The results of two experiments conducted with pigeons using variable-interval and fixed-ratio schedules of reinforcement suggest that the manipulation of economic condition has a controlling effect on the relation between responding and overall rate of reinforcement, that open- and closed- economies are likely to represent points along- a continuum rather than all-or-none conditions, and that the differences in the response-to- reinforcement relation between open- and closed-economies are likely due to an interaction of incentive and regulatory effects. Additionally, specific methodological considerations for further research in this area are suggested.

This research was conducted within the context of smallholder livestock production and government attempts to improve this through a transfer of technology approach. Participatory action research (PAR) was used to enable action for change to emerge, while the research provided understanding and a basis for this action. Tombolo village in South Sulawesi, Indonesia was the location for this research, which first identified the problems and needs of the farmers, and then participatively developed strategies to meet these needs. Fodder security throughout the year was found to be the major constraint to cattle production. Forage technology was introduced, including fodder tree legumes and grasses, resulting in improved livestock production and many associated livelihood benefits. The introduction of these new technologies was adapted by stakeholders to local issues and needs. The extension services had previously aimed to improve livestock production through breeding and veterinary health measures, and had assumed that sufficient fodder was available for livestock. The formation of a learning group of farmers, who used group discussion to set their own agenda, was employed to identify this shortcoming, and how to sustainably overcome it. Participants were able to apply their experience and enhance their cognitive skills to find new meanings and knowledge to plan and take actions to improve their practice and situation. This thesis documents the process of change required to move from a “Transfer of Technology” approach to a “learning approach”. The research has shown that there is considerable potential for the application of PAR to rural community development in Indonesia. More specifically in Tombolo village PAR enabled farmers and extension staff to be empowered by becoming active participants in the research process and take action to improve their own practice. It helped them to analyse the situation to make the technology more appropriate, while also learning how to change the extension methods used towards one in which all stakeholders became partners in developing their situation
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Thousands of farmers were saved from bankruptcy by the Department of Agriculture, says Minister Greyling Wentzel. He said in 1986/1987 2 741 farmers who would have been bankrupt were saved through the department’s production aid scheme. The Rill,7m they received as loans enabled them to get a crop in the ground, without which they would have gone under. The debt consolidation scheme likewise helped about 2 000 farmers escape bankruptcy for the period 1983/1984 to 1986/1987.

The growth in developing markets has created a need for businesses to re-look their strategies and become players in the emerging economies. With the advancement of growth in the developing countries, new opportunities are created with innovative solutions coming from developing countries and being sold to developed countries. Besides the projected growth and opportunities in the developing countries, the majority of people living in poverty are found in these countries. They are also faced with challenges such as lack of infrastructure and lack of property rights. Firms that want to successfully serve these markets will need to develop innovative business models that will create value for the shareholders, communities and other stakeholders.The purpose of this study is to explore business models developed for the Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP) in different industries and to understand what makes them successful despite facing the institutional voids experienced in developing countries with the intention to provide a high-level generic business model template that can be used for firms that are targeting the BOP markets. The objective of this report, hence, was to explore the differences in business models developed by firms serving the BOP market; identify the challenges of doing business in developing countries and explore how those challenges are met; and identify the critical success factors in serving the BOP markets.
Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014.
pagibs2015
Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)
Unrestricted

A theoretical model of coffee consumption in the U.K. is proposed, which is estimated and used to examine the influence of habit formation and advertising in the period 1957-80. This work challenges both the assumption of symmetrical consumer response and the statistical source for measuring coffee consumption. The model allows for asymmetrical consumer reactions. Explanatory variables are: price of coffee and of tea, income, advertising and the strength of the coffee drinking habit. This work is original in terms of interpreting and quantifying product field advertising and habit formation; and for allowing a minimal threshold level of predictors. Mistakes, repeated printing errors and unpublished changes in definitions were found in the statistics of domestic coffee supplies 0 Household coffee purchases estimated by the National Food Survey (N.F.S.) are consistently over-reported. Causes investigated provide grounds for correcting estimates by pooling N.F.S. with Family Expenditure Survey; the result is consistent with adjusted supplies. Advertising effect on demand is separated into two aspects. The first action increases sales by attracting new buyers, while protecting consumers from competitors' propaganda. The second action increases sales to habitual customers, while manufacturers are competing through advertising for a larger brand share. The transmission medium is a factor in both effects. The strength of the habit shifts market demand function. A routine way of thinking prevails under stationary conditions; yet shifts in the function occur in a non-stationary situation which initiates the problem-solving way of thinking. In the model, addiction can be either absolute or relative to changes in other factors. All the evidence supports the general model proposed, which shows that a non-symmetrical functional effect prevails and demonstrates the existence of an adjustment period. Irrefutably, coffee consumption depends on former consumption levels, coffee price, price-ratio tea to coffee, income and advertising.

Economic development remains elusive for many world economies, but especially those of African countries. The current global inequalities in terms of GNP per capita and human living standards between developed and developing nations have ensured that the challenges of food insecurities are only some of the many negative experiences of underdevelopment in the African continent. Hence, delivery pressures are increasing on policy makers and researchers to provide tangible and timely economic solutions to the resilient state of underdevelopment. In the policy fights against the challenges posed by a lack of development in South Africa, the agricultural sector has in the past and continues in the present to play a central role. Such is the case because the majority of citizens rely on agricultural production activities for their livelihoods. For instance, even though the sector only contributed four percent towards the national Gross Domestic Product in 2006, in the Eastern Cape Province, more than seventy percent of the total population resided in rural areas. Moreover, in 2004 more than sixty percent of the national formal and informal employment levels were found in the sector. These economic indicators do not only reinforce the assertions that high levels of geographical and sectoral inequalities exist in the country’s economy, but they also illustrate the importance of the agricultural sector in public policy attempts, which are aimed at achieving food security alongside long-term developmental objectives. Some economists, especially the proponents of institutionalism, have argued that most of the recommendations to public policy interventions from mainstream economic research endeavours are not adequately helpful. The recommendations generally lack well considered and socially effective ideas, mainly because there remains some level of ignorance about the impacts that institutions have on economic and social systems. Some argue that this ignorance is reflected in (flawed) hedonistic and rationalist assumptions made about economic actors and in the methodological thinking of many research designs and economic analyses. The misuse of formal tools and statistical methods, for example, are some of the important factors, which have led to failures of the discipline of economics to provide effective policy solutions to problems of underdevelopment and poverty, especially in poor country environments. The thesis, having taken account of the majority of criticisms levelled against the classical and new-classical economic schools of thought, argues that the discipline as a whole lacks a paradigmatic integration of institutional and new-classical economic perspectives to offer appropriate guidelines for a methodology aimed at achieving socially responsive research outputs. The lack of this integration has resulted in a skewed selection of methods by economists, which are employed in research without a supportive and in-depth understanding of institutional and social factors. To support the thesis, a more effective and integrated framework for economic research is developed and presented with case study illustrations in a cumulative manner. The 20th century history of agricultural policies in South Africa, the agricultural and institutional case studies from the Eastern Cape Province alongside reviews of other agricultural studies are all used in presenting a case for rigorous institutional investigations in general economic research. These are also used in developing the proposed integrated framework, which aims to give guidance in developing research methods, which are more socially responsive. Having shown the usefulness of the proposed research framework, the thesis recommends that public policy interventions (at national and local levels) should aim to eliminate all types of institutions which have high associated transactional costs. The interventions should also encourage the emergence and growth of the types of institutions, which present the lowest costs to initiatives of economic development. In the primary case studies from the Eastern Cape Province, the insecurity of land tenure and the various local initiatives of business ventures are highlighted as two examples of the types of institutions, which respectively present high and low transactional costs to local initiatives of agricultural and economic development.

Linking education, science and technology with national development is a subject of increasing concern in many developing countries. In this dissertation, we have studied empirically the contribution, or lack of it, which public investment in education, science and technology has made to the attainment of development objectives in Cameroon since 1960. Using a small computable macroeconometric model of Cameroon incorporating some major relevant quantitative aspects of the knowledge sector, we have investigated the effects on that sector and on the overall economic system of increased education- and research-service resources. We have also analyzed some of the major qualitative factors that are important in this sector.
Our results suggest that, given existing patterns of education, science and technology in Cameroon, the contribution of public investment in this sector may be small compared to the potential contribution suggested in the literature. The implications of these results are examined for policy-making and planning at the national level.

This research looks at using Inclusive Design as mean to bridge the age-based digital divide, by conducting Action research in a Local Council in the UK. Research on the digital divide looks at the inequality in technology access between different demographical characteristics. While this is very useful to highlight access inequality, it fails to address the steps required to bridge the gap. Some research even suggested that the digital divide is bridged and that research in this field is irrelevant. This is due to the narrow focus of some researchers about the digital divide. The focus should be not on whether older people possess Information and Communications Technology (ICT) products; it should be on how they use their products and what we can do to improve the person-technology fit. On the other hand, inclusive design has been a main driver to ensure that buildings and products do not prohibit people with disabilities from utilising the building or product. However, there is limited research about the extension of inclusive design practices in Information Systems (IS), particularly interface design and system design. Most of the current design guidelines and best practices do not provide a holistic view of the inclusive design process, thus leaving the designers on their own in terms of producing an easy interface for users, by just merely implementing the accessibility guidelines provided by the W3C to ensure inclusivity of the website or online service. Assuming that inclusivity is reached only by including screen readers and magnified modes to prospective users. The aim of the research is to provide a clear picture to discover the main challenges to Inclusive Design as well as provide a holistic and thorough inclusive design metric that allows designers to ensure that their proposed website or online service is inclusive of users from different age groups and capabilities. This design methodology can customisable according to the website or online service requirements, highlighting the important features to ensure inclusivity. Using Action research as methodology to investigate and improve design practices in a local council. The research employed a mixture of research methods to understand and intervene in the creation of an inclusive e-service during the implementation of the Care Act 2014 in the Local Council. First, semi structured interviews were conducted to provide insights of the changes that the Care Act 2014 which brought upon social care and the way that social care services are being provided in the county. Then, observations were performed during the design sessions of the online services in the Local Council to see how the design process is being carried out to ensure that the website is inclusive of all prospective users. Finally, when the website is fully developed it was tested on various users with from different age groups using the inclusivity index developed as part of the evaluation phase of the design methodology. In addition, interviews with older adults were conducted to understand the issues that make them using ICT difficult so the needs of these users were documented to help in the design process later on. The research indents to advance knowledge about inclusive design from practical and theoretical perspective. Practically, this research will help web designers and organisations looking to cater online services to as many people as possible and design methodology that fosters inclusivity. Moreover, this will help older adults to use online service by themselves, thus ensure that they can remain independent and exercise control over their needs from the government or otherwise. Theoretically, this research will help to shed the light on the digital divide and the ways to bridge this divide. By creating an inclusive design methodology that can fundamentally address the causes of the divide rather than just simply patch existing design methodologies.

One of Africa’s neglected tropical diseases, African Trypanosomiasis, is not only fatal but also has a crippling impact on economic development. Heat shock proteins play a wide range of roles in the cell and they are required to assist the parasite as it moves from a cold blooded insect vector to a warm blooded mammalian host. The expression of heat shock proteins increases during these heat shock conditions, and this is considered to play a role in differentiation of these vector-borne parasites. Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) is an important molecular chaperone that is involved in protein homeostasis, Hsp40 acts as a co-chaperone and stimulates its intrinsically weak ATPase activity. In silico analysis of the T. brucei genome has revealed the existence of 12 Hsp70 proteins and 65 Hsp40 proteins to date. A novel Hsp70, TbHsp70.c, was recently identified in T. brucei. Different from the prototypical Hsp70, TbHsp70.c contains an acidic substrate binding domain and lacks the C-terminal EEVD motif. By implication the substrate range and mechanism by which the substrates are recognized may be novel. The ability of a Type I Hsp40, Tbj2, to function as a co-chaperone of TbHsp70.c was investigated. The main objective of this study was to biochemically characterize TbHsp70.c and its partnership with Tbj2 to further enhance our knowledge of parasite biology. TbHsp70.c and Tbj2 were heterologously expressed and purified and both proteins displayed chaperone activities in their ability to suppress aggregation of thermolabile MDH. TbHsp70.c also suppressed aggregation of rhodanese. ATPase assays revealed that the ATPase activity of TbHsp70.c was stimulated by Tbj2. The targeted inhibition of the function of heat shock proteins is emerging as a tool to combat disease. The small molecule modulators quercetin and methylene blue are known to inhibit the ATPase activity of Hsp70. However, methylene blue did not significantly inhibit the ATPase activity of TbHsp70.c; while quercetin, did inhibit the ATPase activity. In vivo heat stress experiments indicated an up-regulation of the expression levels of TbHsp70.c. RNA interference studies showed partial knockdown of TbHsp70.c with no detrimental effect on the parasite. Fluorescence microscopy studies of TbHsp70.c showed a probable cytoplasmic subcellular localization. In this study both TbHsp70.c and Tbj2 demonstrated chaperone activity and Tbj2 possibly functions as a co-chaperone of TbHsp70.c.

The general aims of this dissertation are to analyse how family situation, and especially lone parenting, influence health and life chances in Sweden and the extent to which possible relations are influenced by socioeconomic circumstances and health selection. In two population-based cohort studies we analysed overall and cause-specific mortality (1991-95), and also severe morbidity (1991-94) from different causes among lone mothers in comparison with mothers with partners. Information on the mothers was obtained from the Swedish Population and Housing censuses of 1985 and 1990. The outcomes considered were death or utilisation of (overnight) hospital care, with data taken from population-based national health registers. In the analyses we adjusted for socioeconomic and demographic circumstances, such as socioeconomic status, country of birth, receipt of social-welfare benefit, and housing situation. To take health-selection effects into account, we adjusted for previous inpatient history (1987-90). Our findings suggest that lone motherhood entails health disadvantages with regard to mortality, severe morbidity and injury. Socioeconomic circumstances were found to play a major role in accounting for increased risks, but the risks are partly independent of both socioeconomic conditions and health selection into lone motherhood. In two further studies we analysed mortality (1991-98), severe morbidity and injury (1991-99), and also educational achievement (in 1998 at ages 24-25 of offspring), of children who had lived in lone-parent families in comparison with children in two-parent families. We mainly used data from the Swedish censuses and national health-data registers. Living in a lone parent family was found to be associated with increased risks of a variety of unfavourable outcomes: psychiatric disease, suicide/suicide attempt, injury, addiction, and low educational attainment. Relatively poor educational performance and also health disadvantages are explicable to a large extent by socioeconomic conditions, especially a lack of economic resources (as measured here by receipt of social-welfare benefit and having rented accommodation). Educational achievement among children varies with cause of lone parenthood, with the best prospects found among the children of widows/widowers. In a fifth study we analysed mortality from different causes (1991-2000) among lone fathers (fathers with and without custody of their children) and childless men (with and without partners) in comparison with cohabiting fathers with children in the household. For this purpose we linked information from the Swedish censuses of 1985 and 1990 to Sweden’s Multi-Generation Register (which contains information about all known biological relations between children and parents). Lone non-custodial fathers and lone childless men suffer from the most pronounced elevated risks, especially of death from injury or addiction, but also from all-cause mortality and death from ischaemic heart disease. Being a lone custodial father also seems to entail an increased mortality risk, although generally to a much lesser degree, and not for all outcomes studied. The elevated risks for all subgroups fell when variables assumed to control health selection and socioeconomic circumstances were introduced into the initial regression model employed. However, even following adjustments, significantly increased risks, albeit greatly attenuated, remained in all the subgroups investigated. Key Words: Single parent, single mother, single father, children, risk factor, socio-economic status, mortality, morbidity, injury, psychiatric disease, education, epidemiology, longitudinal

This research was conducted within the context of smallholder livestock production and government attempts to improve this through a transfer of technology approach. Participatory action research (PAR) was used to enable action for change to emerge, while the research provided understanding and a basis for this action. Tombolo village in South Sulawesi, Indonesia was the location for this research, which first identified the problems and needs of the farmers, and then participatively developed strategies to meet these needs. Fodder security throughout the year was found to be the major constraint to cattle production. Forage technology was introduced, including fodder tree legumes and grasses, resulting in improved livestock production and many associated livelihood benefits. The introduction of these new technologies was adapted by stakeholders to local issues and needs. The extension services had previously aimed to improve livestock production through breeding and veterinary health measures, and had assumed that sufficient fodder was available for livestock. The formation of a learning group of farmers, who used group discussion to set their own agenda, was employed to identify this shortcoming, and how to sustainably overcome it. Participants were able to apply their experience and enhance their cognitive skills to find new meanings and knowledge to plan and take actions to improve their practice and situation. This thesis documents the process of change required to move from a “Transfer of Technology” approach to a “learning approach”. The research has shown that there is considerable potential for the application of PAR to rural community development in Indonesia. More specifically in Tombolo village PAR enabled farmers and extension staff to be empowered by becoming active participants in the research process and take action to improve their own practice. It helped them to analyse the situation to make the technology more appropriate, while also learning how to change the extension methods used towards one in which all stakeholders became partners in developing their situation

This study was aimed at analysing structural relations between the State and the non-governmental organizations (NGO) sector. It focused on the relations between two NGOs, namely the Labour Research Service and the Institute for Democracy in South Africa on the one hand and the National Development Agency on the other. The National Development Agency is a State intermediary structure established to facilitate funding and policy dialogue between the State and the NGO sector. The three institutions have been included in order to analyse the way in which a state-designed institution relates with NGOs and in turn the NGOs responded in general.

This study focuses on the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) modelled on a federal, collegiate university based on a number of existing and geographically dispersed Further Education (FE) colleges and research institutions. The inclusion of FE colleges and their geographical dispersal distinguishes it from most mainstream institutions. The UHI was heralded by its advocates as a distinctively radical enterprise designed to meet the fast-moving challenges of the twenty-first century by embracing new technologies and overcoming geographical barriers. After attaining Higher Education (HE) status in 2001, the policy goal of fostering a research culture emerged as a prominent concern for the UHI. This study explores the policy drive to foster such a research culture, focusing on the period from 2003 to 2008. The study was informed by a constructivist grounded theory methodological approach and the data gathering included twenty-six semi-structured interviews to ascertain how this policy drive was received within the UHI partners. The study found that a unified research culture was not perceived to have embedded throughout the partners, with the exception of one or two research institutions where it can be said to have pre-existed. Against this backdrop, the study identified emerging discourses encapsulating how the policy drive was perceived by a wide spectrum of different actors throughout the UHI. Two different types of performativity discourses proved to be central in shaping the policy aspiration, namely a ‘RAE performativity discourse’ and a ‘Further Education (FE) performativity discourse’. Both discourses can be seen to have influenced the trajectory of research expansionist policy within the UHI by setting up a normative space privileging certain identities, subjectivities and associated actions at the expense of others. In highlighting both the structural and socio-cultural barriers to the policy of promoting research, the study aims to contribute to wider debates on institutional policies for building research capacity in a dual sector/hybrid institutional setting. In terms of offering direct benefits to the UHI, by analysing the different sort of assumptions and realities that shape the meaning of a research culture within the UHI, this study may help inform future policy making on research expansion within UHI partners. The study concludes by making a number of practical recommendations which the author believes will help move research from the periphery to a more central stage within the UHI partners.

Cette recherche explore la coopération entre les organisations non-gouvernementales opérant au Liban. Dans un contexte de besoins sociétaux croissants et diminution de ressources disponibles, les ONGs sont appelées à coopérer ensemble pour améliorer leur impact et l’efficacité d’utilisation de leurs ressources. La méthodologie adoptée est celle d’une recherche intervention socio-économique pour étudier la coopération et sa relation avec l'amélioration des performances. Les résultats suggèrent que les dysfonctionnements intra-organisationnels sont des antécédents des dysfonctionnements de coopération et qu'une coopération réussie améliore les performances organisationnelles
This research investigates cooperation among non-governmental organizations operating in Lebanon. Against a background of mounting societal requirements and diminishing resources, NGOs are called upon to cooperate together to improve their resource efficiency and their impact. The methodology adopted is the socio-economic intervention research to study cooperation and it relation to improved performance. Findings suggest that intra-organizational dysfunctions are antecedents of cooperation dysfunctions, and that a successful cooperation improves organizational performance

Thesis (PhD (Curriculum Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Although Botswana is considered by some indices as an economically successful country, poverty is experienced by 30% of the population. This is considered a very high poverty rate especially when it is compared to other countries on a similar level of economic development. Several policies have been put in place by the Botswana government to relieve the consequences of poverty. One of these policies, the destitute policy, targeted those individuals who are disabled and/or unable to engage in sustainable economic activities, causing such individuals to have insufficient assets and income sources. It was found by the Botswana government that the implementation of the destitute policy aggravates dependency of the destitute on government support. As a result, development workers were expected to lead registered destitute to independence through the implementation of a destitute rehabilitation programme. However, literature suggested that approaches that are used by development workers to enable individuals to engage in sustainable economic activities are often detrimental to the very empowerment purposes that such workers set out to achieve. The objective of this research was therefore to develop a conceptual framework for capacity enhancement of development workers in Botswana. This objective was addressed through applying action research in order to gain in-depth understanding of the perspectives, practices and experiences of the key role players involved in destitute rehabilitation. This was done in one urban district, one semi-urban district and one rural district council in Botswana. This research took place in four phases, all of which were informed by the action research approach. The first phase comprised four cycles of action research. Each cycle encouraged reflection and observation on destitute rehabilitation practices and planning towards improved practices, followed by implementation. It became evident to the researcher that only singleloop learning was practiced by the development workers. Therefore, instead of gaining deeper insight into aspects that influence destitute rehabilitation, the same problems related to destitute rehabilitation practices were repeated by development workers. Reflection on this process created understanding by the researcher on why the expected results were not achieved. Based on this reflection, a literature review was carried out in iv Phase II to develop the final theoretical and methodological frameworks for this research. Phase III consisted of focus group discussions to understand the perspectives, practices and experiences of the different role players in destitute rehabilitation. The data produced in Phase III enabled understanding of how development workers’ capacity was influenced by the system within which they are operating. The results of this research showed that development workers saw themselves in the same state of powerlessness as the destitute and as not being able to influence the system within which they are operating. Phase IV comprised the application of the coding principles of grounded theory to make sense of data related to Phases I and III, followed by the application of critical systems heuristics to make further sense of the data. Based on the understanding that emerged through the application of CSH, a conceptual framework was developed for the capacity enhancement of development workers in Botswana. It became evident in this research that the challenge for the government of Botswana is to not only reduce the number of registered destitute, but to redesign the system within which destitute rehabilitation takes place, by using the conceptual framework developed in this research. The purpose of the conceptual framework is to enable policy-makers and development workers to scrutinise the whole system within which destitute rehabilitation is implemented by engaging the key role players in dialogue on adjustments that need to be made to the system to enhance development workers’ capacity in destitute rehabilitation.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Alhoewel Botswana, gemeet aan sekere maatstawe, as ’n ekonomies suksesvolle land beskou word, leef 30% van die bevolking tans in armoede. Dit kan as ’n buitensporig hoë graad van armoede beskou word, veral as dit vergelyk word met lande met ’n soortgelyke vlak van ekonomiese ontwikkeling. Verskeie beleide is deur die Botswana-regering in werking gestel om die gevolge van armoede te bekamp. Een van die beleide, die sogenaamde beleid vir behoeftige persone, is spesifiek gerig op individue met ’n tekort aan bates of inkomstebronne veroorsaak deur gestremdheid en/of ’n onvermoë om aan volhoubare ekonomiese aktiwiteite deel te neem. Die Botswana-regering het egter bevind dat die implementering van hierdie beleid behoeftiges se afhanklikheid van regeringshulp vererger. As gevolg hiervan word daar van ontwikkelingswerkers verwag om geregistreerde behoeftiges na onafhanklikheid te lei deur die implementering van ’n program vir die rehabilitasie van behoeftiges. Die bevindings uit beskikbare literatuur dui egter daarop dat die metodes wat deur ontwikkelingswerkers gebruik word om behoeftiges in staat te stel om aan volhoubare ekonomiese aktiwiteite deel te neem dikwels ’n negatiewe uitwerking ten opsigte van die beoogde bemagtigingsoogmerke het. Die doel van hierdie navorsing was dus die ontwikkeling van ’n konsepraamwerk vir kapasiteitbou vir ontwikkelingswerkers in Botswana. Die mikpunt is benader deur aksienavorsing toe te pas om ’n grondige begrip te verkry van die perspektiewe, praktyke en ondervindings van al die rolspelers betrokke by die rehabilitasie van behoeftiges. Die navorsing het volgens die aksienavorsingsbenadering in vier fases in een stedelike, een newe-stedelike en een landelike distriksraad in Botswana plaasgevind. Die eerste fase het vier siklusse van aksienavorsing behels. Elke siklus het reflektering en observasie met betrekking tot ontwikkelingswerkers se bestaande rehabilitasiepraktyke aangemoedig. Dit is gevolg deur beplanning vir verbeterde praktyke en implementering van die beplande aksie. Dit het vir die navorser duidelik geword dat slegs enkellus-leer deur ontwikkelingswerkers toegepas is. In stede daarvan om ’n dieper insig in die aspekte wat die rehabilitasie van behoeftiges beïnvloed te verkry, is dieselfde problematiese praktyke met die rehabilitasie van behoeftiges telkens deur die ontwikkelingswerkers herhaal. Nabetragting oor die proses het die navorser die redes laat verstaan hoekom die verwagte resultate nie behaal is nie. Gebaseer op hierdie nabetragting is ’n literatuurstudie tydens Fase II uitgevoer om die finale teoretiese raamwerk en metodologie raamwerk vir die navorsing te ontwikkel. Fase III het fokusgroep-besprekings ingesluit om die perspektiewe, praktyke en ondervindings van die verskillende rolspelers tydens die rehabilitasie van behoeftiges beter te verstaan. Die gegewens verkry gedurende Fase III het die navorser insig gegee in die wyse waarop ontwikkelingswerkers se kapasiteit beïnvloed word deur die stelsel waarbinne hulle werk. Die resultate van hierdie navorsing het getoon dat ontwikkelingswerkers hulself beskou as in dieselfde toestand van magteloosheid as die behoeftiges, en dat dit vir hulle onmoontlik is om die stelsel waarbinne hulle werksaam is te beïnvloed. Fase IV het begin met die toepassing van koderingsbeginsels van gegronde teorie ter opklaring van gegewens verkry tydens Fases I en III, gevolg deur die toepassing van kritieke stelsel-heuristiek, ’n stelsel-denke-benadering, om die gegewens van Fase I en III te integreer. Die insig wat verkry is deur die toepassing van kritieke stelsel heuristiek het bygedra tot die ontwikkeling van die konsepraamwerk vir die kapasiteitsbou van ontwikkelingswerkers in Botswana. Dit het uit hierdie navorsing geblyk dat die uitdaging vir die Botswana-regering nie net is om die aantal geregistreerde behoeftiges te verminder nie, maar om ook die huidige stelsel waaronder die rehabilitasie van behoeftiges plaasvind, te herontwikkel deur die konsepraamwerk wat in hierdie navorsing ontwerp is, te implementeer. Die doel van die konsepraamwerk is om beleidmakers en ontwikkelingswerkers in staat te stel om die rehabilitasiestelsel van behoeftiges te bestudeer deur al die rolspelers in dialoog te betrek sodat veranderinge aan die stelsel gemaak kan word vir kapasiteitsbou van die ontwikkelingswerkers.

CEMS
In January 2016, the Iran Deal was implemented, effectively lifting many economic sanctions against Iran. This project tackles the implications this has for the Kerry Group, a company operating in the Ingredients and Flavours market. Through secondary research and semistructured interviews, insights are provided into the Iranian market and an analysis is conducted of Kerry’s trading model with Iran. Recommendation is made for Kerry to strongly increase its business volume with Iran and change its trading model structure, replacing distributors in Dubai and Turkey for EU-based ones. An academic extension into the Economics discipline and a process reflection are included.

The purpose of this research was to enrich our understanding of why large organisations have not performed in low-income markets relative to middle- to high-income markets through an understanding of their market orientation in these markets. The research sought to establish whether an organisation can have more than one instance of market orientation in its chosen markets. The literature asserts that the bottom-of-the-pyramid approach to earning corporate profits has gained considerable attention and has awakened managers to the potential of serving an underserved market and alleviating the level of global poverty while still earning a profit (Pitta et al. 2008). South African companies have heeded the call to play a role and have targeted low-income markets, but, disappointingly, have achieved limited success. Contrary to the situation in relation to low-income markets, South African firms serving middle- to high-income markets have achieved market success through effective business models and orientation towards their markets. The qualitative study showed that an organisation indeed can have more than one instance of market orientation, as managers responsible for low-income markets experience challenges across all market orientation activities, relative to their middle- to high-income market counterparts.
Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010.
Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)
unrestricted

by Kenneth Wing-kin Law.
Publication date from spine.
Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1995.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves [325]-371).
Questionnaire in Chinese.
List of Tables --- p.viii
Acknowledgements --- p.x
Chapter 1. --- Introduction --- p.1
Global Trend of Population Aging --- p.2
Population Aging as a Sort of Social Problem --- p.5
The Development of Elderly Studies in Hong Kong --- p.13
Areas of Study --- p.19
Chapter (1) --- Social exaggeration of the elderly problem --- p.22
Chapter (2) --- Social construction of the elderly problem --- p.25
Chapter (3) --- Ethics of applied social research --- p.29
Organization of the Dissertation --- p.32
Chapter 2. --- Literature Review --- p.34
Early Sociological Study on the Elderly (1940-1980) --- p.35
Chapter (1) --- Role theory --- p.36
Chapter (2) --- Activity theory --- p.38
Chapter (3) --- Disengagement theory --- p.39
Chapter (4) --- Subculture theory --- p.40
Chapter (5) --- Modernization theory --- p.41
Contemporary Sociological Study on the Elderly (1980and onwards) --- p.46
Chapter (1) --- Modernization and the decline of social status of the elderly --- p.48
Chapter (2) --- Nature of the elderly problem --- p.52
Chapter (3) --- Myths towards later life --- p.55
Chapter 3. --- Analytical Framework --- p.59
Biaes in Elderly Studies --- p.61
Chapter (1) --- Conceptual bias --- p.62
Chapter (2) --- Methodological bias --- p.67
Social Construction of Social Problems --- p.69
Chapter (1) --- Definition of social problems --- p.70
Chapter (2) --- The subject matter of the sociology of social problems --- p.77
Chapter (3) --- Social problems as claims-making activities --- p.81
Social Exaggeration and Claims-making Activities --- p.88
Chapter 4. --- Research Design --- p.97
Social Exaggeration of the Elderly Problem in Hong Kong --- p.98
Chapter (1) --- The logic and design of the survey --- p.99
Chapter 1. --- Sample design and data collection --- p.101
Chapter 2. --- Instrumentation --- p.103
Chapter (2) --- The logic and design of the content analysis --- p.107
Chapter 1. --- Sample and data collection --- p.109
Chapter 2. --- Instrumentation --- p.110
Social Construction of Elderly Problem --- p.113
Ethics of Applied Social Research --- p.116
Chapter 5. --- Population Aging in Hong Kong --- p.120
The Growth of the Elderly Population --- p.120
Convergence with Western Aged Societies --- p.123
Divergence with Western Aged Societies --- p.129
Explanations: Conventional Wisdom --- p.133
An Alternative Explanation: Chinese Immigrants from Mainland China --- p.136
Implications --- p.142
Concluding Remarks --- p.150
Chapter 6. --- Social Exaggeration of the Elderly Problemin Hong Kong --- p.153
Social Perception of the Elderly --- p.155
Chapter (1) --- Social perception of the social status of the elderly --- p.157
Chapter (2) --- Social stereotyping of the elderly --- p.165
Chapter (3) --- Social perception of elderly problems --- p.178
Social and Economic Life of the Elderly in Hong Kong --- p.181
Chapter (1) --- Social network and social relationships --- p.181
Chapter (2) --- Economic sufficiency --- p.186
Chapter (3) --- Life satisfaction --- p.189
Chapter (4) --- Physical health condition --- p.197
Chapter (5) --- Social status --- p.202
An Alternative Explanation of the Discrepancy --- p.206
Chapter (1) --- Structural origins of the negative social steretyping of the elderly --- p.206
Chapter (2) --- Conceptual bias --- p.209
Chapter (3) --- Methodological bias --- p.215
Concluding Remarks --- p.222
Chapter 7. --- Social Construction of the Elderly Problemin Hong Kong --- p.225
The Process of the Social Construction of the Elderly Problem in Hong Kong --- p.231
Chapter (1) --- Stage 1: Agitation --- p.240
Chapter (2) --- Stage 2: Legitimating and co-optation --- p.249
Politicization of Social Problems and Professionalization of Social Work --- p.254
Concludidng Remarks --- p.262
Chapter 8. --- Ethics of Applied Social Research --- p.266
The Predomination of Applied Social Research in Hong Kong --- p.268
Value in Applied Social Research --- p.273
Ethical Issues in Elderly Research in Hong Kong --- p.283
Chapter (1) --- General quality of researchers --- p.286
Chapter (2) --- Value in applied social research --- p.291
Chapter (3) --- Social responsibility of researchers --- p.306
Concluding Remarks --- p.310
Chapter 9. --- Conclusion --- p.312
Bibliography --- p.325
Appendix 1: Survey Questionnaire --- p.372
Appendix 2: List of Reviewed Research Reports --- p.394
Appendix 3: Comparison of the Distribution of Age and Sex between Sample and Population --- p.400

Empirical research wasconducted detailing, ranking, and evaluatingoperational improvement measuresin Private Equity. Forty-two operational PE experts were surveyed, gaugingthe relative prioritization attributed to these measures in normal and recessionary conditions. Ranking these found a strong focus toward cash preserving strategies in economic down turns. Scatter plot analyses crossing evaluation metrics of Potential Money Multiple Uplift, Complexity, Delivery Risk, Senior Time Commitment found no clear conclusion on PE tendencies toward quick wins or larger plays. Additionally, an operational PE to traditional PE historical performance comparison was conducted finding quite consistent outperformance by operational PE funds from 2000 –2017.

HIV incidence rates have been on the decline globally, yet certain sub-populations have seen their incidence rates increase, bearing an extraordinary share of the HIV disease burden. In Eastern and Southern Africa, the rate of new HIV infections disproportionately affects adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) with up to three times as many young women ages 15-24 living with HIV as compared to their male peers. These statistics make AGYW a key demographic for action in order to realize an AIDS-free generation. To most effectively intervene, researchers must examine the rationale for higher infection rates among young females. Recent studies have found positive correlation between economic strengthening interventions (such as cash transfers, savings accounts, or financial literacy) and HIV sexual risk among AGYW, however, the majority of the literature to date understands these economic strengthening interventions at the household level, as a mechanism for providing insurance against economic shocks and as an incentive for keeping girls in school, a key predictor of reduced HIV. Fewer studies have sought to understand how increased resources, and power over those resources, affects the thoughts and behaviors of AGYW at the individual level. Does this enhanced agency translate into greater power in intimate relationships? Does she feel more entitled to make decisions over her own body once she has the power to meet her own basic needs? And does agency over her body inevitably translate to fewer HIV risk behaviors? This three-paper dissertation examines data collected with AGYW living in two urban areas, characterized by HIV prevalence. These areas are the sites of a multi-sectoral DREAMS program, a public-private partnership to reduce HIV incidence in ten countries within sub-Saharan Africa. Paper 1 examined the construct of financial agency through the development of a scale, finding variations in experience of financial autonomy between age cohorts with younger adolescents’ autonomy correlated to a higher likelihood of being sexually active and exposure to partner violence. Financial agency was not strongly associated with HIV risk reduction variables at any age. Paper 2 sought to understand the correlational relationships between personal financial agency, sexual relationship power (SRP), and reduced sexual HIV risk for AGYW in Zambia in order to determine if SRP may be a potential mediator between financial agency and sexual HIV risk reduction. Paper 2 found that SRP within sexual relationships did convert to HIV protective behaviors and that while financial agency did correlate with SRP for the oldest cohort, financial agency on its own was not sufficient to reduce sexual HIV risk. Paper 3 explored how AGYW in Zambia understand financial agency as a construct and how it does or does not affect their power in intimate relationships. This study demonstrated that financial independence is an aspiration of AGYW, however, that autonomy is tied up with negative community-based perceptions about what it means to be a woman earning and with control over her own income. Financial independence has promise as a mechanism for sexual HIV risk reduction, specifically the reduction of transactional sex; however, the realities of male sexual privilege may remain an obstacle to risk reduction irrespective of financial decision-making power. Women’s sexual agency was viewed as far greater in non-martial relationships as opposed to within marriage, where religious mores on headship created a power imbalance. Overall, findings from this dissertation contribute empirically to the literature on economic strengthening and HIV prevention for AGYW, providing new insights on the influence of individual financial agency. Findings suggest a nuanced relationship between financial agency and sexual HIV risk reduction, one that is not necessarily linear or positively correlated. HIV prevention programs that wish to incorporate economic strengthening into their multi-sectoral models should consider the influence of gender norms and sexual relationship power which could continue to keep AGYW in positions of vulnerability regardless of their financial autonomy.

On a global scale, the challenges of confronting poverty and inequality continue to dominate the development agenda. The ability of local economic development to empower local people has earned favour with national governments and development theorists. The imperative facing South Africa to achieve a more equitable and sustainable economy is essentially the challenge to adopt and implement a development approach that will reduce poverty and inequality to the greatest extent. It is within this context that the South African government has sought to incorporate local economic development into their economic development framework, predominantly through the decentralisation of development control and planning to the local government level. This dissertation seeks to examine the potential for South African local government to have a positive impact on economic development through fulfilling the roles and responsibilities provided in the government's mandate for developmental local government. The analysis focuses on the local economic development strategy adopted by the Ingwe Municipality, with specific attention given to the diversification of their economy through the tourism sector. The dissertation seeks to identify key lessons and contributions for local economic development that Ingwe has to offer, as well as providing recommendations for the Ingwe municipality's benefit. An extensive range of research methodologies, including interviews, questionnaires, secondary data analysis and literature reviews, were employed in this study. Analysis and evaluation of the Ingwe Municipality's local economic development strategy was achieved using the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework and the guidelines set out by Nel (1999). This dissertation revealed the potential that does exist within local government to play a developmental role. The Ingwe experience illustrates the benefits gained when local leadership and vision is extended on behalf of the local communities. Through the acquisition of funds and the formation of public and private partnerships, the Ingwe Municipality has created an economic environment conducive to further economic growth through the avenue of tourism. While success cannot be guaranteed, the Ingwe Municipality is evidence of the potential that does and can exist within local government to embark on innovative pro-poor development initiatives.
Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005.

This thesis is primarily a study of organisational approaches used by Maori to achieve their development goals and aspirations. One focus is the impact of development ideas and practice, largely driven by international and national influence, upon Maori. Another focus is the role of the state in the direction and implementation of Maori development with particular emphasis on the impact of the structural adjustment programme. As a consequence, the relationships between Maori and the state, Maori and Maori, and Maori with others are critically examined. The thesis canvasses a number of disciplines including Maori history, ecology, sociology, anthropology, environmental studies, management, and development studies. Engaging with this broad spectrum of ideas and actions and using literature based, empirical and participatory research tools, three themes are explored. They are: (i) The theme of 'development' which examines international and national perspectives of development in order to identify the merits of Shifting the praxis of Maori development; (ii) The theme of 'organisation' which explores local and wider perspectives of organisational theory and practice in order to identify the implications for Maori organisations; (iii) The theme of 'relationship' which investigates a wide range of perspectives about the dynamic relationships between Maori themselves and with others, and the opportunities to reaffinn and build new relationships. The thesis concludes with an analysis of current thought and action before presenting five major conclusions. In essence and simply stated, if Maori self-determination is the destination then the journey is best guided by a Maori centred approach to development and organisational arrangements that are cognisant of the contemporary circumstances, in particular the relationship dynamics, that challenge Maori and the life choices they make.

Despite decades of development efforts to combat desertification processes in southern Zimbabwe, a development deadlock occurs. Using the local knowledge systems as a basis, and making an effort to strategically facilitate the revival of their capacity for checks and balances as a development approach, endogenous development could become more realistic. The actor-oriented RAAKS.methodology offers relevant tools for a case study'in which an insight into the processes of innovation is obtained in order to confirm this. The Charurnbira case study shows that many local interfaces hinder development. Although the facilitation of platform processes could enhance endogenous development, the external environment provides a serious constraint. The method employed did ndt permit broad conclusions, but a deeper examination of recent experiences suggested that by giving local people a greater say in natural resource use, local knowledge could be utilized more effectively and better use could be made of traditional management structures.
Development Administration
M.A. (Development Administration)

An investigation of learners’ enrolment in Bela-Bela farm schools is a study focused on the challenges encountered by farm schools. These challenges result in the decline of learners’ enrolment. The researcher has put more emphasis on the history of farm schools, legislation and policy, and socio-economic conditions of farm societies. The research method is qualitative in nature and it includes literature study, observations and semi-structured interviews. It has been discovered from the data that families working on the farms migrate a lot, and this result in decline of learners’ enrolment in farm schools. Based on the findings, recommendations were made for improvements to assist in addressing problems faced by farm schools.
Further Teacher Education
M.Ed. (Education Management)

Nestlé is the world' largest Food and Beverage company present in 189 countries, and across several different business lines. The FMGC industry of which Food and Beverage is a part is a highly competitive and mature industry, thus with this Equity Research, we analysed how Nestlé has responded to these changes and how well. Our analysis considered concepts of strategy and economics and quantification and identification of risks the company is exposed to.A DCF methodology was adopted to determine the share price at the end of 2021, afterwards some scenarios were constructed.

After the transition from the Apartheid government to the first democratically elected government of South Africa in 1994, massive challenges of inequality had to be addressed. The career development and ability of those individuals who were discriminated against, to participate economically, are still a challenge today which indicate that past inequalities have not yet been addressed. The study aimed to gain a deeper understanding of how inequality influence the career development of emerging adults in South Africa. The findings indicated that the legacy of inequality in South Africa is still a highly influential factor in the career development of emerging adults with regards to the lack of mentorship and access to information experienced. The inability of South Africans as a collective to address the legacy of inequality also influence prospects for career development with regards to emerging adults not being financially able to gain access to career development opportunities.
Industrial and Organisational Psychology
M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)
This thesis will explore issues concerning cultural tourism investment and resident quality of life in the Midwestern city of Indianapolis, Indiana. It is important to understand from a cultural tourism perspective how further attempts to grow and invest in tourism will affect resident perception of quality of life and future cultural tourism investment. To achieve this goal, data from the 2012 Indianapolis Quality of Life survey was statistically analyzed to specifically examine how residents' perceived quality of life affects cultural tourism investment. This allows for the study of what city-service attributes (i.e. safety, attractions, transportation, et cetera) identify as potential indicators of whether residents' perception of quality of life affects cultural tourism investment and if there were any correlations between demographic factors of age, gender, ethnicity, and household income with the perception that investing in cultural events and attractions for tourists is good for residents. Results indicated that several key city-service attributes identify as potential indicators of whether residents' perception of quality of life in Indianapolis affects residents' perceptions that investing in cultural tourism for tourists is good for residents. In addition, several key city-service attributes identified as potential indicators of residents' perception of quality of life in Indianapolis excluding perceptions of cultural tourism investment. Finally, results indicated that demographic factors of gender, age, ethnicity, and income were not significant when it came to affecting the perception that investing in cultural events and attractions for tourists is good for residents.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)
A foreign concept to most twenty-first century individuals, a saddletree provides support and acts as the framework to saddles, giving saddlers a base on which to add cushioning, stretch leather, and create beautiful or functional saddles. Saddletree factories were an integral part of Madison, Indiana’s late nineteenth-century economy. As one of the Ohio River town’s leading industries, saddletree shops employed approximately 125 men during 1879, Madison’s peak saddletree production year, and made Madison a national center of saddletree production. However, the industry faded into oblivion as the beginning of the twentieth century, leaving the men drawn to these shops in the 1870s and 1880s to find new opportunities. While past historians contributed to the fields of industrial and economic history by studying large industries engaged in mass production in major urban areas, Madison’s saddletree workers represent a view of nineteenth-century specialized production. This thesis examines the saddletree industry’s place in Madison during the late nineteenth century and the lives of saddletree workers during and after the industry’s peak. My findings, based off extensive digital research and tools utilized in earlier social mobility studies, create a nuanced view of Madison’s relationship to the saddletree industry, saddletree makers, and what the industry’s collapse meant to saddletree factory employees.

Unemployment among young, less-educated coloured individuals is a major problem in the community of Worcester in the Western Cape. The purpose of the research study is to gain in-depth insight into the impact of unemployment on psychological well-being among young coloured people in Worcester. The study is based on a qualitative approach by conducting semi-structured interviews with twelve unemployed, coloured persons in Worcester. The ages of the participants ranged from 18 to 30 years, with the median age of 20.33 years. Purposive sampling and snowball techniques were used to select these unemployed young persons. Two instruments, a demographic questionnaire and a semi-structured interview guide, were used to gather data on the research participants. The transcribed data were analysed by means of content thematic analysis and aided by thematic network analyses. The findings of the study suggest that unemployed participants experience negative feelings daily as a result of their unemployment. Some participants blamed themselves for previous mistakes that they had made, they feel a sense of failure to provide for their children's needs as parents, they expressed feelings of guilt or shame, and compared themselves with employed peers, which is indicative of low self-esteem. Furthermore, unemployment has a financial impact on participants which includes financial dependency on others, unemployment serving as a barrier to being able to fulfil future plans and aspirations as well as unemployment having an effect on the social life of participants in that participants appear to withdraw from social interaction and isolate themselves. For some participants there was a loss of a sense of purpose experiencing difficulties in structuring their time and generally spent their time with passive and purposeless activities. Despite being unemployed, certain other participants seek a sense of purpose and try to spend their time engaging in menial tasks or social activities. Participants expressed an overall positive attitude towards employment which includes regarding work as being very important as well as remaining optimistic about their chances of finding a job. Coping with unemployment daily emerged as one of the struggles experienced by the participants in the study. The process of coping with unemployment daily includes utilising a variety of coping strategies to manage their unemployment as well as to manage negative feelings that emerge from being unemployed. The coping strategies indicated by the participants include listening to music, sleeping, reading the Bible, and talking to their friends or family members. Participants also revealed that they needed and received two types of social support from family and friends to help them cope with their unemployment predicament; including a need for emotional support and a need for instrumental support. Participants in the study experienced judgment by community and family members daily because of their unemployed status which includes stigmatising comments. These comments are internalised by participants which may exert a negative impact on their psychological well-being. Limitations of the study includes, participants could have answered the questions of the semi-structured guide in a socially desirable manner as well as the audio-recorded interviews were transcribed into Afrikaans and translated into English and as such, some of the meaning of what the participants had said could have been lost in the translation process. Recommendations for further research includes exploring whether perceived support have a greater beneficial effect on the psychological well-being of unemployed individuals than received support, as well as the role such types of support play in coping with unemployment.
Psychology
M.A. (Psychology)

The study focuses on management strategies of the highly impoverished secondary schools of the Mount Fletcher District in the Eastern Cape. Challenges facing the impoverished learners and managerial experiences of principals of these schools have been discussed in the study. A literature review provided a conceptual framework and covered definitions of poverty, school management strategies, leadership styles and qualities required for a successful principal heading a secondary school with impoverished learners. An empirical investigation using a qualitative approach was conducted and data gathered by means of interviews with principals, Life Orientation teachers and parents. Finally a synopsis of findings and recommendations were made to assist the policy makers, Departmental officials, principals, teachers and parents in proper management of secondary schools in the poor rural communities.
Educational Leadership and Management
M. Ed. (Education Management)

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)
This study explored the lived experiences of family case managers who routinely work with families who are culturally different from themselves. The purpose was to understand and interpret the meaning of culture and cultural difference as it relates to the engagement process with families. The research also sought to understand whether cultural insensitivity or bias may contribute to the overrepresentation of children of color in the child welfare system. The author conducted 10 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with graduates of a large, research-intensive Midwestern university’s Title-IV-E Social Work Program, who also were employed as family case managers in public child welfare. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis and the analytic process of the hermeneutic circle. Results suggest the concept of culture is a complex term that encompasses many characteristics and a number of dimensions. In addition, four themes were identified as underlying the engagement process with culturally different families. These themes routinely overlapped, and family case managers often had to attend to each of the thematic areas simultaneously. At nearly every step in the engagement process, family case managers modulated their interactions in order to find balance and stability in their relationship with the family. Finally, poverty was revealed to be the most salient cultural difference in working with families involved in the child welfare system. These results have important implications for social work education, child welfare practice, and research on the overrepresentation of children of color in the child welfare system.