1,720,961 research outputs found
Foreign direct investment and the transfer of technologies to Angola's energy sector
Get PDF"The relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI) and the transfer of technology is undergoing a great deal of academic scrutiny and policy analysis. A growing body of literature shows that FDI can be a channel by which to transfer and/or acquire technology; however, there is a paucity of empirical studies on this as it relates to African economies. This article seeks to fill some of that gap by focusing on how FDI inflows are contributing to the transfer of technologies specifically into Angola’s energy sector. The analysis is based on qualitative research conducted in Angola in 2014 and reveals that energy production and distribution-technology infrastructure, including machinery and human skills, have been developed largely through FDI inflows. There is, however, no evidence that this FDI has enlarged Angola's endogenous scientific and technological research capabilities in the energy sector; therefore, policies that promote these capabilities, especially manufacturing capabilities, should be introduced." (author's abstract)"Dem Zusammenhang von ausländischen Direktinvestionen (Foreign Direct Investment, FDI) und Technologietransfer wird sowohl in der Forschung als auch in der politischen Analyse große
Bedeutung zugeschrieben. Zahlreiche Veröffentlichungen belegen, dass FDI den Transfer von und/oder den Zugang zu Technologien erleichtert. Allerdings gibt es zu wenige empirische Studien, die diesen Zusammenhang
in Bezug auf die Wirtschaft afrikanischer Staaten untersuchen. Der Autor will diese Lücke zu einem kleinen Teil schließen, indem er die Bedeutung
des Technologietransfers durch den Zufluss von FDI im Energiesektor Angolas ermittelt. Seine Analyse basiert auf qualitativer Forschung in Angola im Jahr 2014. Er zeigt auf, dass sich die Erzeugung von Energie(trägern) und die Verteilungsinfrastruktur - maschinelle Ausrüstung und Qualifizierung - durch den Zufluss von FDI erheblich entwickeln konnten. Allerdings gebe es keinen Beleg dafür, dass dieser Zufluss die endogenen wissenschaftlichen und technologischen Forschungspotenziale im angolanischen
Energiesektor gefördert hat. Der Autor empfiehlt politische Maßnahmen zur Förderung dieser Fähigkeiten, insbesondere im Bereich der Produktion." (Autorenreferat
Foreign direct investment and transfer of environmentally sound technologies : case studies in the energy sectors of Angola and South Africa
Get PDFThesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2016.Foreign direct investment (FDI) has been found a very important channel through which international
technology transfer takes place, especially in the context of developed and emerging countries. But very
little is known on transfer of environmentally sound technologies (ESTs) through FDI in the context of
Africa. This policy-science study that brings empirical evidence, conceptual clarity and interdisciplinary
approaches to African policymakers and practitioners deals with this crucial issue. The main aim of this
study is to explore whether FDI can be used to transfer ESTs. It examines the inflow of FDI into Angola s
energy sector and the outflow of direct investments from South Africa s energy sector. It employs a
conceptual framework that links government-imposed regulations and agencies, as well as international
regimes, to govern the flow of FDI. It specifically analyses how two African countries use national
regulations, agencies and international relations to influence FDI for the purposes of the transfer of ESTs.
In the case of Angola, it looks at FDI inflows and the transfer of ESTs into the energy sector; while in the
case of South Africa, the focus is on the transfer of ESTs out of the sector to other African countries, in
particular Uganda.
The study produces two main findings. First, Angola uses its national legal and policy framework and
institutions to regulate FDI flows for the purposes of acquiring ESTs in the energy sector. It specifically
does so through employing structural power to invoke sovereignty principles and implementing these
through particular institutions, as well as effectively interacting with international regimes. Second, South
African does not purposely promote transfer of ESTs through outward FDI to other African countries,
such as Uganda. One of the key conclusions of the study is that host countries (recipients) of FDI can
invoke sovereignty principles enshrined in various national policy and legal frameworks, and deploy
international relations to attract FDI-carrying ESTs. The two key recommendations from this study are as
follows. First, African policymakers and practitioners should shun a reductionist approach to FDI and
start viewing FDI as a multidimensional bundle of resources that can contribute in a multifaceted manner
to sustainable development. Second, further policy-science researches that generate empirical evidence
for African policymakers and practitioners engaged in international negotiations and programmes on FDI
and technology transfer as well as sustainable development should be encouraged.tm2016Political SciencesDPhilUnrestricte
Extreme weather events and human health in South Africa: implications for climate services
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, 2022Extreme weather events (EWEs), defined as ‘weather events that are rare at a particular place and time of the year’, have increasingly been affecting many countries worldwide (IPCC 2014). The increased occurrence and intensity of EWEs, among other factors, has increased public interest and demand for climate information. More detail is needed on EWEs and how they can be more effectively coupled to climate services in Africa. This study brings a compendium of empirical evidence, conceptual clarity and transdisciplinary approaches to policymakers, researchers and practitioners dealing with these crucial issues. The main aim of this study is to explore the human health effects of EWEs, particularly heat and the delivery of climate services for health in Africa. Through a systematic review, the study examines the potential impacts of heat on human health in Africa. Using a case study approach heathealth effects are evaluated including the status of climate services in the Agincourt subdistrict of South Africa. A novel systems theory-based conceptual framework and an inclusive analytical framework are employed to explore climate services delivery within the context of climate change adaptation.
The study produces two main findings. First, EWEs particularly heat, potentially affects human health in Africa by changing mortality and morbidity patterns. In the Agincourt sub-district in particular, heat may be associated with adverse health effects on vulnerable populations, including inter alia the elderly, children and outdoor workers. Despite this, Africa-specific heat-health interventions and policy suggestions are scarce. Second, climate services are generally in embryonic stages of development and climate services for health in Agincourt subdistrict are non-existent. Within the South African context, the main barriers to delivery of climate services for health are paucity of interagency coordination and gaps in meteorological data. One of the key conclusions of the study is that African countries can promote development of climate services to adapt to EWEs such as heat. Heat, and heatwaves, for example, are already affecting populations, and are projected to increase in frequency and intensity with concomitant adverse effects on health outcomes on vulnerable population groups.
The three key recommendations from this study are as follows. First, African policymakers and practitioners must avoid a reductionist approach to analysis of EWEs, especially heat impacts and start viewing these as harmful to human health. Therefore, governments must prioritise interventions, create institutions and formulate policy measures to deal with the health effects of heat within their national adaptations plans. Second, African countries must prioritise policy mixes that promote climate services in general and climate services for health in particular. And finally, further policy-science research that generates empirical evidence for African policymakers and practitioners engaged in international negotiations and programmes for climate change adaptation and climate services should be encouraged.PC(2023)MM202
AFRICAN STRUCTURES FOR GOVERNING FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT: A CRITIQUE
Get PDFAfrican countries have warmed up to foreign direct investment (FDI) in the past two decades. In an attempt to attract more FDI, most countries have reformed their FDI policies and institutions. However, the national structures governing FDI have not been studied in-depth. This policyscience research uses a unique conceptual framework and an institutionalist approach to expose and critique national policies and institutions for FDI in Africa. The current African structures governing FDI reflect a messy web, difficult to decipher and inadequate to form a foundation for a continental regime. Policy learning and structural convergence may be essential for better FDI governance
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Get PDFWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Public policies and institutions influencing South Africa’s outward foreign direct investment
Get PDFSouth Africa is among the leading outward foreign direct investor nations from emerging countries in the world. The country’s transnational corporations have investments in all the seven continents. The integration of the country into the global economic and trading system boosted its outward foreign direct investment (OFDI). Since the 1990s, South Africa has adopted a wide range of national policies, created institutions and become a party to international treaties that have remarkably influenced her OFDI. This study examines the public policies, institutions and political factors that influence South Africa’s OFDI since 1994. The country’s OFDI is influenced by diplomatic relations, implicit public policies and indirect institutions, which is similar to developed countries but different to other emerging countries. The study is stimulated by three factors – a few studies have focused on factors influencing OFDI from African countries; scanty empirical evidence on factors that influence South Africa’s OFDI; and the infancy state of African scholarship on the nexus between diplomacy and international investment. This study contributes to growing research on the role of diplomacy in influencing the direction and content of OFDI. Future studies should examine whether South Africa would benefit more through influencing OFDI following the approaches of other emerging countries.http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/cpsa202018-11-03hj2017Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM)Political Science
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Get PDFWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
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