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The impact of gender inequality in education on long-run economic growth
No full textEmpirical thesis.Bibliography: pages 54-56.Chapter 1. Introduction -- Chapter 2. Literature review -- Chapter 3. Mthodolo0gy -- Chapter 4. Growth data and descriptive statistics -- Chapter 5. Results -- Chapter 6. Conclusion -- References -- Appendix.Through the use of cross-country and panel regressions, this thesis will study the impact of gender inequality in educational attainment on long-run economic growth; whether gender inequality in education restricts economic growth. Regressions will be run for 56 different countries across seven different regions (including developing and developed economies), over a 40-year period between 1970 and 2010. The purpose of this study is to provide updated results on gender inequality in education and economic growth, as previous literature has provided results that only account for a time frame up to the year 2000. Both the cross-country and panel results of this study suggest that gender gaps in education impede economic growth; thus, an increase in gender equality aids economic growth and development. The regions with the highest levels of gender inequality are the Middle East and North Africa, South Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa, and thus these regions suffer the most, taking longer to close their gender gaps than other regions. Further, South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa also experience the slowest economic growth due to their higher levels of gender inequality in education.1 online resource (vii, 58 pages) graphs, table
Does the signature of the audit manager on the audit report matter?: evidence from China
No full textTheoretical thesis.Bibliography: pages 79-84.Chapter 1.Introduction -- Chapter 2. Institutional background -- Chapter 3. Literature review of auditor factors and audit quality -- Chapter 4. Theory and hypothesis development-- Chapter 5. Research method -- Chapter 6. Results and discussions -- Chapter 7. Additional analysis -- Chapter 8. Conclusion -- References -- Appendix.This study examines whether having an audit manager sign an audit report improves audit quality, using unique data from China, where an audit report can be signed by an audit manager with a CPA licence. We argue that, unlike an audit partner's signature that aims to improve audit quality through outcome accountability, the audit manager's signature could enhance audit quality through increased accountability in the audit process (process accountability). Consistent with this proposition, this study finds that the client firms with audit managers signing the audit report have higher audit quality (proxied by discretionary accruals and the propensity to issue modified audit opinions) and lower audit fees, compared to client firms without audit managers' signatures. Furthermore, this study examines if a client firm’s auditor-pair choice affects audit quality. Our findings suggest that client firms audited by a manager partner pair have higher audit quality and lower audit fees compared to client firms that use other auditor pairs, indicating that the increase in both process accountability and outcome accountability could be a better way to improve audit quality.Mode of access: World wide web1 online resource (100 pages) table
Soil carbon dynamics and aquatic metabolism of a wet-dry tropics wetland system
No full textEmpirical thesis.Bibliography: pages 51-59.1. Introduction, literature review and thesis aims -- 2. Regional setting and methods -- 3. Results -- 4. Discussion -- 5. Conclusion -- 6. References -- 7. Appendices.Freshwater wetlands are a key component of global carbon dynamics. Globally, wet-dry tropics wetlands function as wet-season carbon sinks or dry-season carbon sources with low aquatic metabolism controlled by predictably seasonal, yet magnitude-variable flow regimes and inundation patterns. However, these dynamics have not been adequately quantified in Australia’s relatively unmodified wet-dry tropics freshwater wetlands. A baseline understanding is required before analysis of land-use or climate change impacts on these systems can occur.This study characterises geomorphology and sedimentology across a seasonally connected ephemeral and permanent wet-dry tropics freshwater wetland system at Kings Plains, Queensland, and quantifies soil carbon stocks and wet- and dry-season aquatic metabolism. Sediment from 33 cores was assessed for carbon content using loss-on-ignition. Soil carbon stocks to 1 m depth are 51.5 ± 7.8 kg C m-2, with potential for long-term retention at greater depths. This is higher than other wet-dry tropics wetlands found globally. Aquatic metabolism was measured using biological oxygen demand method on sediment collected during both seasons and inundated under laboratory conditions. Results show overall low productivity, with respiration dominant in both seasons. Quantification of sediment and aquatic metabolism carbon in this nutrient-limited wetland system serves as a baseline for future research and environmental management.Mode of access: World wide web1 online resource (vi, 70 pages) colour illustrations, colour map
Climate variability of tropical cyclone impacts in the North Indian Ocean and exploration of risk reduction strategies for Bangladesh
No full textEmpirical thesis.Bibliography: pages 135-157.Chapter 1. Introduction -- Chapter 2. Data and methodology -- Chapter 3. Impacts of CP- and EP- El Niño on TC activity over the NIO -- Chapter 4. Active tropical cyclone seasons over the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal -- Chapter 5. Impacts assessment via storm surge and inundation modelling -- Chapter 6. Tropical cyclone risk analysis: a case study from Bangladesh -- Chapter 7. Synthesis, conclusions and implications -- References -- Appendices.Tropical cyclone (TC) is a well-known natural disaster that can devastate much of a society, environment, economy and result in people’s deaths. The North Indian Ocean (NIO) is one ocean basin that is very prone to TC. TCs often cause huge human casualties in densely populated communities like Bangladesh, India and Myanmar around the Bay of Bengal (BoB) region of the NIO. Unlike those in the other oceans, the TC frequency over the NIO has a unique bimodal annual distribution, and reaches it peak during the pre-monsoon (April-June) and post-monsoon (October-December) seasons, respectively. Past studies focused on climatology of TC in terms of large-scale environmental parameters as well as interannual climate variability, for example El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) for the NIO. More studies have been conducted in the BoB than the Arabian Sea (AS).This dissertation has adopted an interdisciplinary and integrated approach to examine TC impacts, which include climate variability analysis, future impact assessment and study on TC risk perception. The specific aims of the dissertation are to: (i) analyse the teleconnection patterns of different types of El Niño events on TC formation, development and landfall over NIO; (ii) identify the climate factors accounting for the asymmetric active or inactive TC seasons over AS and BoB; (iii) estimate potential impacts of TCs from storm surges and inundation for the rim countries of NIO for past and future climates; and (iv) explore cyclone risk reduction strategies for coastal Bangladesh based on a field survey on risk perception.For aim (i), a new type of ENSO the central Pacific (CP) El Niño, or known as El Niño Modoki, has been identified recently and its impact on TCs in the NIO is still not well known. Under this CP-type ENSO, the oceanic warming pattern is very different from that in the canonical (EP)-type ENSO. This study reveals that although there is no significant change in TC number and tracks during the major CP and EP years, there is a general reduction in the number of TCs during the post-monsoon season in the CP years. Genesis Potential Index (GPI) analysis shows that the mid-level humidity and vertical wind shear contribute to the suppression of TC formation during CP years. These changes in humidity and vertical wind shear are due to the large-scale circulation pattern originating from the Pacific in response to the CP event.TC activity in AS have become more active in recent years. During 1983-2015, AS was very active in a few years (but with quiet BoB season) and the opposite occurred in some other years. Aim (ii) seeks to identify the climate factors for this asymmetry. Results reveal that no single climate mode (such as ENSO and IOD) can well explain the TC development concentrating on the AS or the BoB only. Instead, it is found that variability of the northeast (post) monsoon is an important factor responsible for the difference between the two basins. Excess moisture is available over the AS due to anomalous low-level flow from the equatorial Indian Ocean in the years when there are more TCs in that basin, and the BoB is subjected to drier conditions.There may be climate change signal when TC activity increases over the AS. For aim (iii) of this study, storm surges and inundation at the coastal areas due to TC landfall for the past (1990-2010) and future (2075-2099) climate are analysed via a storm surge model and Resilience-Increasing Strategies for Coasts Toolkit (RISC-KIT). While almost all intense TCs had historically made landfall around the BoB region, climate model projection simulated more intense TCs over the AS. The storm surge model and RISC-KIT estimate an average of 3-5-meter inland flooding depending on TC intensity and topography, and more high-impact cases will be shifting to the AS. An impact assessment tool, InaSAFE, is also applied to estimate the social and economic impacts of TC for the Bangladesh region.To accomplish aim (iv), an extensive survey that consisted of face-to-face questionnaire surveys and site observation was undertaken in the southern coastal areas of Bangladesh to measure perceived and actual risk for TC impact. Results indicate the average level of perceived risk is high both at the household and expert level. Female participants perceive slightly higher risk than males in coastal Bangladesh. Moreover, income, occupation, farm size and educational attainment/qualification influence risk perception to some extent. This survey advocates some cyclone risk reduction (CRR) measures, as follows: build more cyclone shelters; build cyclone resilient private houses; build or improve embankments and polders; build or improve roads; preserve dry food; supply adequate food and pure drinking water; and improve the quality of early warning messages or alarms. This study concludes that risk perception assessment is a prerequisite for implementing any risk reduction plan or strategy, and it is critical to integrate bottom-up and top-down approaches for CRR plans and actions.Mode of access: World wide web1 online resource (xxx, 195 pages) colour illustrations, colour map
Attributes of a sustainable transition for the traditional manufacturing sector in regions of Australia
No full textEmpiriical thesis."Centre for Workforce Futures, Faculty of Business & Economics" -- title page.Bibliography: pages 196-212.Chapter 1. Introduction -- Chapter 2. Methodology -- Chapter 3. Identifying attributes of a sustainable transition for traditional regional manufacturing industry sectors – a conceptual framework -- Chapter 4. Insights into a sustainable transition of the traditional manufacturing firm and industry sector in Australia -- Chapter 5. Transitioning a manufacturing region – a spatial insight -- Chapter 6. Interfirm customer-supplier collaboration for a sustainable transition -- Chapter 7. Discussion and conclusion -- References -- Appendices.Although there is a great body of knowledge regarding the status of and threats to extant mammal populations in Australia there remains limited comparable information on reptiles. One in five reptilian species are threatened with extinction globally, with one in four species of Australian reptile considered to be in decline. Several prominent threatening processes have been identified as being the likely cause of reptile population declines and local extinctions including: 1. grazing history; 2. human induced habitat loss and fragmentation; 3. habitat homogenisation caused by changes in recent fire regimes; 4. increased predation pressure caused by the introduction of cats and foxes; 5. harvesting, and more recently; 6. climate warming.Since European settlement within Australia only a single record exists of an Australian reptile becoming extinct—Christmas Island forest skink (Emoia nativitatis) in 2014 however, ten reptile species are listed under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999 as Critically Endangered, 20 as Endangered and 33 as Vulnerable. Of these, at least six species are arid zone specialists, including the great desert skink Liopholis kintorei, which is nationally listed as Vulnerable.In the context of general accelerating change, the World Environment and Development Commission defined ‘sustainable development’ as ‘development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’ (World Environment Development Commission 1987). As a consequence, sustainable transitions research has been undertaken since the early 1990s. Studies have investigated fundamental changes (such as technology, organisations, socio-economic) in systems (products, services, structures) towards more sustainable, social and environmental alternatives. Such a rich body of work focuses on long-term, multi-dimensional and fundamental transformation processes through which established socio-technical systems shift to more sustainable modes of production and consumption.This form of enquiry has increased rapidly and constitutes a field of research that is of high societal relevance, given the sustainability challenges the world is facing today. Although broadening its scope over the last decade, much of the sustainable transition research currently has limited relevance outside Europe or energy and urban centred domains and has not, to date, considered the elements of a transition within traditional manufacturing in Australian regions. This study aims to develop an innovative integrated model to enable the identification of sustainable transition attributes across the traditional manufacturing sector in regions of Australia.The interdisciplinary theoretical framework ‘Attributes of a Sustainable Transition’ integrates four existing conceptual approaches (i.e. Advanced Manufacturing, Sustainable Transitions, Regions are Spatial and Transition Regions) in order to generate new ways of identifying the characteristics of transitions. Empirical analyses of the first two concepts of the Attributes of a Sustainable Transition identified, across 24 traditional manufacturing firms in regional Australia, that where the manufacturing regime is secure and stable, firms struggle to reshape existing systems. Where destabilisation has commenced through business model innovation, collaboration, knowledge absorption and strategic visioning, a reconfiguration towards sustainability is more likely to be underway.To address the general lack of empirical evidence as to how and where specific transitions take place in particular city regions, an Evolutionary Economic Geography approach has been used to explore the uneven spatial landscape of transition example. This approach looks at why industries concentrate in space, how networks evolve in space, why some regions grow more than others and how institutions co-evolve with industrial dynamics in regions. Comparative case study analyses of three city regions, demonstrated that a Replication Strategy (e.g. replicating existing capabilities based in related activities, duplicating existing knowledge or experience) exists in each region as a result of cognitive, functional and political influences. In addition, an Exaptation Strategy (e.g. promoting manufacturing knowledge and technology to create new sustainable niche-innovations in related sectors) existed in two city regions and a Transplantation Strategy (e.g. developing an industry, unrelated to its knowledge base and institutions) exists in one city region.Finally, to examine the interfirm customer-supplier relations that influence sustainable transitions within the manufacturing sector, a ‘systems’ oriented socio-technical assessment was completed. Four sustainable-technology customers with headquarters in Australia demonstrate a range of attributes that are essential for stimulating a manufacturing supply chain shift towards sustainable market-niche innovation and collaboration. Significant findings include the range of dynamics that trigger and challenge a transition of the firm, reinforcement that the concept of sustainability remains a singular compartmentalised feature of change, rather than a component of a systematic sustainable and innovative transition.Taken together, the results of the empirical analyses demonstrate that the ‘Attributes of a Sustainable Transition’ hypothesis makes a valuable contribution in identifying the sustainable transition attributes of the traditional manufacturing sector in regions of Australia. An overall implication of the thesis is that while each empirical investigation contributes to the attribute identification process, each inquiry also highlights the complexities inherent in system structures that cannot be solved with ‘one size fits all’ solutions. Solving this problem requires a transition towards adopting systems thinking and action. The process of transition, within each firm, has significant implications in terms of the creation of new value chains, niche innovation and global production networks.Mode of access: World wide web1 online resource (234 pages) diagrams, table
Australia-Indonesia: the quest for a better relationship : could FDI have a role?
No full textTheoretical thesis.Bibliography: pages 278-316.Chapter 1. Introduction -- Chapter 2. What theoretical traditions support this thesis? -- Chapter 3. How wide is the culture divide? -- Chapter 4. Australia’s foreign policy – does it enhance the bilateral relationship? -- Chapter 5. Australia’s security – is a strong Indonesian relationship vital? -- Chapter 6. Trade security theory: seeking conflict mitigating causal mechanisms -- Chapter 7. Trade-security theory – the basis of an FDI-security hypothesis -- Chapter 8. FDI and developing economies: does Indonesia need Australian FDI? -- Chapter 9. Australia-Indonesia – FDI’s relationship opportunity -- Chapter 10. Conclusion -- Bibliography -- Appendices.Australia’s defence planners argue that a strong and productive relationship with Indonesia is critical to Australia’s national security. The Defence Department’s quest to reorder the relational status quo is focused on establishing interdependencies that contribute to Indonesia’s economic development and help mitigate threats to Australia’s interests. Yet, in practice the relationship is marked by tensions, cultural indifference and limited economic engagement. Australia’s formal and person-to-person associations with Indonesia are often problematic and the current commercial engagement is paltry. My thesis uses a deductive secondary source analysis and small n semi-structured interview method to establish whether foreign direct investments (FDI) could change those realities. It has three parts. First, I identify why indifference is the hallmark of this bilateral relationship. The core issues are the legacies of Australia’s anti-Asian immigration policies, the Non-Aligned Movement, cultural differences, conflicts in East Timor and political ineptness. Second, because there is little IR theory on the conflict mitigating role of FDI, I examine the insights that trade security studies may provide into FDI’s likely security effects. I argue that capitalist peace thesis research that has identified causal mechanisms through which trade promotes security are likely to have equal or stronger effect in the case of FDI. Third, I review Indonesia’s published economic development plans which demonstrate a need for substantial foreign direct investments. Based on the precedent of OECD member support for FDI ventures and the likely provisions of an Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), I argue that a government economic diplomacy initiative could facilitate Australian corporate efforts to meet many of Indonesia’s FDI requirements. My conclusion is that there is potential for Australian FDI to build economic interdependence, support Indonesia’s economic development and help counter the poverty and political exclusion that fosters extremist violence. That outcome aligns with Australian Defence Department assessments that a faltering Indonesia could become a well-armed, unfriendly, authoritarian nationalist near-neighbour, whereas an economically strong, democratic Indonesia would be a security asset for Australia and the region.Mode of access: World wide web1 online resource (xx, 333 pages) diagrams, table
Religion in Hizbullah’s political strategy
No full textTheoretical thesis.Bibliography: pages 214-248.1. Introduction -- 2. Historical background -- 3. Literature review -- 4. Fatwa and politics -- 5. Hizbullah’s political pragmatism through Ijtihad -- 6. Content and context analyses of Nasrallah’s speeches 2000-2013 -- 7. Hizbullah’s intervention in the Syrian Conflict : insights and Implications -- 8. Conclusion.The aim of this thesis is to conduct a multidisciplinary investigation of the role and function of religion in Hizbullah’s political strategy. In turn, the investigation has been undertaken in the context of contemporary security studies and terrorism studies, with consideration also given to International Relations Theory and Social Mobilisation Theory. The rationale for this investigation emerged from the belief that, as a non-state actor, Hizbullah’s use of religion represents an important and interesting case regarding the relationship between religion and security studies contextualised around Lebanese domestic politics primarily and regional politics more broadly. The design of this study combines quantitative research paradigms with rich description. A thematic analysis of Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah’s speeches from 2000 to 2013 was conducted to examine how religious principles and tools were ‘contextualised’ by the speaker to serve Hizbullah’s political agenda. This included how religious rhetoric was employed by the Party to sustain its culture of resistance. This study found that Hizbullah’s use of religious rhetoric in its Party speeches and application of religious tools in its decision making supported its turn to political pragmatism and its capacity to act as a rational non-state group. Thus, the Party should not simply be deemed as a guerrilla or terrorist organisation. This finding is significant for our understanding of the concepts and issues in security and terrorism studies. This finding is also important as it highlights the use of religion by Hizbullah as a non-state actor to purse a pragmatic approach to political and resistance action-taking and to justify actions or to mobilise populations to facilitate social change.Mode of access: World wide web1 online resource (ix, 254 pages) 1 colour illustration, 1 colour ma
How does Tangut work?
No full textTheoretical thesis.Bibliography: pages 266-271.Introduction -- 1. How does the Tangut script work? -- 2. How does Tangut grammar work? -- 3. The Tangut legal texts -- Conclusions -- Appendices -- Bibliography.This thesis investigates the broad question of “How does Tangut or Xixia work?”. The initial chapter considers how the Tangut script works. It starts with an overview of the recursive radical index previously developed by the author. The structure within the characters is examined using entropy techniques. Genetic algorithms (a machine learning technique) are then used in an attempt to relate phonetics to character structure. The question as to whether the script might represent two different languages is also examined.The second chapter examines how Tangut grammar works. Starting by translating Kepping’s morphology into English, the most important points of Tangut grammar have been selected. These points have been illustrated by a detailed explanation of selected examples drawn mainly from the legal texts in the third chapter and Kepping’s original work. This chapter can also be used as a textbook for learning Tangut grammar.The third chapter provides supporting material for the second chapter by investigating in detail a section of the New and Reformed Law Codes. Novel software techniques have been developed to tag the characters in the original text with explanatory keywords and collate them. Keywords have been chosen to either reflect the meaning of the characters or the Chinese pronunciation for transcription characters. The Russian translation in Kychanov’s work is then used to build a line-by-line explanation of the text. The practical language in the legal texts enables this chapter to be used as an introductory reader.The appendices go into further details of the software tools developed to search for characters on various criteria using regular expressions, build concordances, enter sample sentences and annotate texts. A list of the explanatory keywords selected for the characters is also given.Mode of access: World wide web1 online resource (271 pages) graphs, table
Coping with crisis: invasion, defeat and apocalyptic discourse in seventh-century Byzantium
No full textTheoretical thesis.Bibliography: pages 233-243.1. Introduction to seventh-century Byzantine apocalyptic discourse -- 2. Nascent apocalypticism from emperor Anastasius to emperor Justinian -- 3. Messianic hero or antichrist? Depictions of the emperor -- 4. Apostasy, religious conflict and identity -- 5. Wolves and centaurs in Byzantium: dehumanising the enemy -- 6. Conclusions.The seventh century was a period of transformative crisis for the Byzantine Empire. Conquests by the Sassanid Persians and ascendant Islamic Arab forces reshaped the region for centuries to come. This sudden change in fortune is witnessed in the decline of triumphalist rhetoric in Byzantine literature which, in the wake of defeat, began to ring false. To comprehend their circumstances, and bolster Byzantine identity, many authors turned to apocalyptic discourse to emplot themselves and their enemies into a providential plan, to provide both meaning and hope. Most scholars have considered Byzantine apocalypticism to be part of a general interest in eschatology and speculation about the end of days. Such scholarship tends to centre around the so-called genre of apocalypse which is, in turn, relegated to the realm of Volksliteratur. This thesis argues that Byzantine apocalyptic discourse was less concerned with the eschaton than with providing an explanation for contemporary crises and predicting God's imminent deliverance. Byzantine authors employed apocalyptic discourse to address imperial decline at the hands of Persian and Arab forces and to transform Roman and Christian identity. Furthermore, considering widespread usage of apocalyptic discourse, this thesis questions whether a generic approach is the most effective way to discuss Byzantine apocalypticism. Chapter 1 introduces the historical and intellectual background to the thesis, and provides the methodology for the remaining chapters. Chapter 2 addresses sixth-century antecedents which provided the literary foundation for seventh-century apocalyptic discourse. Chapter 3 discusses positive depictions of the emperor. Chapter 4 addresses the role of apostasy in prompting apocalyptic speculation. Chapter 5 studies the dehumanization of Roman adversaries, including the Persians, Arabs, and evil emperors. Chapter 6 concludes the thesis by arguing that seventhcentury Roman authors used apocalyptic discourse to rhetorically construct their political and religious identities, and provide hope, in the wake of unprecedented defeat.Mode of access: World wide web1 online resource (xiii, 243 pages
Individual differences in foreign language attainment of children with poor literacy skills
No full textEmpirical thesis."ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders (CCD), Department of Cognitive Science, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia" -- title page."The work presented in this thesis was carried out as part of the Erasmus Mundus joint International Doctorate for Experimental Approaches to Language and Brain (IDEALAB) and was funded by the European Commission within the action nr. 2015-1603/001-001-EMJD" -- page iii.Includes bibliographical references.General introduction -- Chapter 1. Foreign language attainment of children/adolescents with poor literacy skills : a systematic review and meta-analysis -- Chapter 2. Individual differences in foreign language attainment of children with poor literacy skills -- Chapter 3. Sources of individual differences in foreign language attainment of children with poor literacy skills -- Chapter 4. Lexical quality in foreign language word knowledge of children with poor literacy skills -- General discussion -- Appendix.A common belief in many educational contexts is that students with poor literacy skills are worse at learning foreign languages than their peers with typical literacy skills. Past research confirms this concern. However, this evidence is almost entirely based on group studies, which average highly variable performance of individual children. A systematic investigation of individual differences in the foreign language attainment of children with poor literacy skills is currently missing. The present project aimed to fill this gap.The first chapter is a systematic review and meta-analysis of the available evidence on this topic. The second chapter investigated to what extent results of group comparisons between children with poor and typical literacy skills are representative of the individual foreign language performance of poor readers/spellers. The third chapter explores potential sources of this variability, with a focus on native language skills. Finally, in the fourth chapter, foreign language word knowledge is examined as a function of task complexity and word characteristics.In summary, this project deepens our understanding of individual differences in foreign language attainment of children with poor literacy skills. Our findings reveal that the common belief that children with poor literacy skills are worse at learning foreign languages than their classmates with average literacy skills, does not hold for every child with poor literacy skills. Even when foreign language learning difficulties emerge, the subskills in which poor readers/spellers struggle are quite diverse. The extent to which these foreign language deficits are associated with equivalent native language deficits seems to vary across subskills. Overall, the results of this project provide new insights to guide parents and teachers in making evidence-based decisions on the foreign language education of children with poor literacy skills.Mode of access: World wide web1 online resource (xiv, 322 pages) graphs, table