Search

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Political Science, 2003., Includes bibliographical references (p. [321]-334)., This dissertation explores newly emergent community-based organizations that are tackling work and wage issues at the local level and includes two lengthy case studies of the Workplace Project in Long Island and Solidarity in Baltimore. The thesis is built upon five interconnected claims. First, that into the breach left by the decline of the labor movement and political parties in late twentieth century America, a new type of labor market institution had emerged that was trying to fulfill the dual role of raising wage standards and giving political voice to low wage workers. Second, that the emergence of these community unions implied a break with the "work/home divide" thesis, which argued that in the United States historically, while class functioned as a constitutive category for workplace struggle, when it came to politics, it was trumped by other categories. On the contrary, I found that in community unions, class and ethnicity, class and race and class and gender march hand in hand, both at the workplace and in the community. Third, that in community unionism forms of identity, such as race, ethnicity and gender stand in for craft or industry and that this represents a third model, distinct from craft or industrial unionism. I argue that this third form was not just a recent phenomenon, but has been present throughout labor history and provide several historical examples including the United Farmworkers and 1199. Despite significant differences in origin, the Workplace Project and Solidarity ended up with a strikingly similar set of strengths and weaknesses., (cont.) They created dynamic organizations for constituencies who had no place else to turn to pursue work-related issues, but their numbers remain small by union standards and they have not been able to regularize membership through systematic collection of dues. Both organizations have had a very concrete impact on the way the media reports and the larger public perceive low wage workers and their issues.They have drafted, campaigned for and won important and imaginative new public policies. But neither organization has succeeded so far at large scale economic intervention or worker organizing. At present, they seem to be best at bringing community organizing strategies to bear on labor market issues through politics and worst at doing so through economic strategies., by Janice R. Fine., Ph.D.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Political Science, 2013., "February 2013." Cataloged from PDF version of thesis., Includes bibliographical references (pages 271-281)., Who makes claims on the state and how? This dissertation examines the processes through which citizens seek to secure public resources from the state and, by extension, the patterns of participation and citizen-state relations that emerge. Using the case of rural India, I explore whether and how citizens navigate their local environments to demand public services such as drinking water, health services and education, or access to welfare and poverty reduction programs. My fieldwork in the state of Rajasthan, consisting of 400 in-depth interviews and a survey of 2210 households across 105 villages, reveals variation in the incidence and practice of claim-making, ranging from those who do not engage the state at all, to direct petitioning of officials, to strategies mediated through non-state actors and informal institutions. Such variation cannot be adequately explained by an individual's socioeconomic status, by the characteristics of formal institutions, or by levels of development in a locality. Rather, I find that claim-making practice is shaped by the degree to which a person is exposed to people and settings across such social and spatial lines. Through ties that extend beyond the immediate community and locality, a person encounters information and ideas about the state and its resources as well as an array of contacts that provide linkages to the state. Socio-spatial exposure across divisions of caste, class, neighborhood, or village expands both the opportunities and knowledge necessary for citizen-state engagement, increasing both the likelihood as well as the breadth of claim-making practice. These findings shed critical light on our understanding of both distributive politics (who gets what from the state) and democratic practice (who participates and how)., by Gabrielle K. Kruks-Wisner., Ph.D.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Political Science, 2013., Cataloged from PDF version of thesis., Includes bibliographical references (pages 238-250)., When and how do public institutions work effectively on behalf of marginalized citizens? The Indian government has enacted a number of policies for universal primary education, and yet the extent and quality of implementation varies significantly across regions. Why, operating under the same national policy framework, democratic institutions and administrative structures, do some public agencies in India implement policies more effectively than others? This dissertation identifies the mechanisms behind policy implementation through a series of sub-national comparisons and nested case studies carried out in three north Indian states-Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. While much scholarship emphasizes the design of formal institutions, my study highlights the importance of informal bureaucratic norms, unwritten yet widely observed rules within the state that guide how public officials behave and relate to citizens. The study find that agencies governed by deliberative norms-these are norms that encourage bureaucrats to work collectively to solve problems, bend official rules and promote civic participation-implement policies more effectively than agencies that operate in a legalistic fashion, adhering strictly to formal rules and procedures while discouraging citizen engagement. These findings are drawn from more than two years of field research, including over 500 interviews and focus group discussions, participant observation within public agencies and primary schools, and village-level ethnography. The study of policy implementation in India sheds critical light on how public institutions function in practice and relate to citizens on the ground, and offers new theoretical insights on the relationship between governance and well-being in developing democracies., by Akshay Mangla., Ph.D.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Political Science, 2013., "September 2013." Cataloged from PDF version of thesis., Includes bibliographical references (pages 262-284)., The central argument of my dissertation is that national labor relation institutions where transnational private regulatory efforts are implemented influence the extent and manner of public-private regulatory complementarities. The analytical framework I use to examine the processes of regulatory complementarities is informed by the political economy of gradual change in the comparative institutionalism literature. The labor relation institutions of particular relevance include tripartite and industrial relation institutions, as well as political affiliations between state and workers' organizations, although to a more limited extent. On one hand, these institutions influence the incentives for domestic unions to use transnational private regulatory efforts in strategic manners to promote regulatory improvements. On other hand, they shape the ability of domestic unions and transnational actors to use state regulation as a source of legitimacy for their demands for improvements. I further argue that these favorable conditions are more common in national contexts with market oriented, rather than state-directed and coordinated labor relation institutions. I use the electronics sector from Hungary, Romania and Slovenia during the 2000s as the empirical window to examine divergent pathways of regulatory interactions. The empirical analysis illustrates that while labor relation institutions facilitated the emergence of regulatory complementarities in the market-oriented institutional context of Hungary, these institutions were less favorable to similar developments in the state-directed context of Romania and coordinated institutional setting of Slovenia. Additionally, the implementation style of transnational private regulation set opportunities for two types of regulatory developments: union and compliance driven regulatory complementarities. An additional essential claim of the dissertation is that instead of approaching public-private regulatory complementarities as, by Timea Pal., Ph.D.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 2013., Cataloged from PDF version of thesis., Includes bibliographical references., Economic liberalization has brought a widespread belief that strengthening supply-side institutions is not only a necessary condition but also a sufficient one for economic and technological development. Yet uneven growth in advanced economies and a tenacious 'middle-income' trap tests this view. This dissertation, composed of three essays, examines persistent challenges to social, technological and economic development. A key aspect of my approach is to understand whether states can control the environment in which local firms make decisions. In particular, I argue scholars have exhibited a significant bias towards the supply side of markets as sources of innovation and growth. I exploit this bias by examining cases in which the characteristics of global demand markets significantly shape firm strategies. The first essay, based on a five-year dataset of Hewlett-Packard's social audits along with extensive fieldwork in their global supply chain, identifies demand volatility as a significant cause of persistent labor standards violations in the global electronics industry, in contrast to the conventional wisdom. The second essay uses a critical case study of the Penang semiconductor cluster to examine the challenges late industrializers face when confronted with stalled technological upgrading in a world of horizontal production networks. In common with efforts to improve labor standards, the real obstacle to technological upgrading is demand volatility. I argue the case of Penang shows that it is volatility, not the search for low wages, which increasingly determines the international division of labor in emerging economies. The third essay uses a unique dataset of production firms founded with MIT-licensed technology to examine whether the U.S. captures the long-term benefits of its investments in technological innovation. Through interviews with senior managers and founders, it finds that the U.S. ecosystem provides fertile ground to start firms; yet when these fi, by Hiram M. Samel., Ph.D.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Political Science, 2011., Cataloged from PDF version of thesis., Includes bibliographical references (p. 218-231)., How can states with weak and politicized bureaucracies enforce labor and environmental regulations? Through a study of subnational variation in Argentina, this dissertation develops a framework to explain why bureaucrats are able to enforce regulations in some cases and not others. The framework focuses on two factors: the strength of linkages between bureaucrats and civil society organizations, and the level of administrative capacity in the bureaucracy. Strong linkages can facilitate routinized resource sharing and the construction of pro-enforcement coalitions, and administrative capacity determines whether bureaucrats passively or strategically use societal resources. By explaining variation in patterns of enforcement that are obscured by existing approaches, this research opens up new possibilities for crafting strategies to strengthen regulatory institutions. The dissertation draws on data collected during sixteen months of field research, including over 250 semi-structured interviews and an original survey of labor inspectors., by Matthew Amengual., Ph.D.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 2010., Cataloged from PDF version of thesis., Includes bibliographical references., There are a number of complex and seemingly intractable social problems facing the United States and the world today. Following the election of President Barack Obama in 2008, there was a renewed popular interest in organizing and movement building as effective means of effecting profound social change in the United States. This thesis explores whether organizing can be used to address social problems today, in addition to elections. Specifically, I try to tackle this question by analyzing two distinct and unrelated movements: climate change and the effort to open U.S.-Cuba policy. First, the basic organizing framework is introduced. Then, each case study is presented with an eye towards how the use of narrative, selfinterest, power, moral courage and strategy are being employed. The analysis sheds light on extensive interviews that were conducted with 20 leaders that are part, or have formed part, of these two movements, and focuses on the strategic challenges and opportunities facing a key protagonist in each case. Finally, the conclusion proposes that organizing can indeed make significant contributions to these specific social problems and offers suggestions for how each movement might incorporate key organizing principles into its work going forward., by Patrick Hidalgo., M.B.A.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Political Science, 2010., Cataloged from PDF version of thesis., Includes bibliographical references (p. 219-232)., Community participation in development projects, in which billions of dollars are invested every year, has become quite controversial. While these initiatives can be beneficial, many participatory projects fall short of expectations, succumbing to problems such as corruption amongst local elites. What explains the diversity of experiences with participation in development projects? More specifically, under what conditions is participatory project governance successful? Through case studies of Projects Guided by the Community (PGCs) of the Nicaraguan Social Fund, and based on over 150 interviews, I find that the differing experiences can be explained by 1) the pre-existing associational life of the community and 2) the regulatory strategy of local government officials. A community's associational life influences participation in at least two ways. First, associations help the community to elect honest and capable individuals for influential executive positions in the project. Associations do so by producing leaders who become candidates for these positions, as well as creating and disseminating information on those leaders. Second, particular associations, such as a Pentecostal Church, serve to mobilize mass community participation. The dissertation describes at length the specific characteristics of associations that are necessary for these mechanisms to function. Government officials play a crucial role in regulating community participation, to ensure that the projects are completed successfully. The case studies highlight two main regulatory strategies. In the preventive strategy, government officials seek to build the capacity of the community to execute the project, by providing necessary information and encouraging participation. In the reactive strategy, officials monitor the communities' behavior and punish them when they violate the rules. Overall, while both strategies serve their purpose, the preventive strategy is more effective because it takes advantage, by Jonathan Rose., Ph.D.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 2008., "June 2008.", Includes bibliographical references., Through a combination of in-depth research and unique loan-level data, this dissertation explores the mechanisms of intentional institutional change. It argues that current accounts of institutions and institutional change require but do not provide a systematic understanding of the role of individuals in processes of change. It then uses two in-depth case studies to explore the mechanisms through which individuals can initiate institutional change. One case is the activation of the small business credit market in Mexico. The second is the expansion of micro credit in the country. Through these cases, the dissertation proposes that, contrary to conventional thinking, institutional change is not rare because institutional entrepreneurs are scarce. In fact, they are quite prevalent. Rather, what is scarce is the required combination of an opportunity for change, individuals who can recognize this opportunity, have the capabilities and skills to pursue it, and are situated in the right structural position to drive a change process. It further argues that successful institutional entrepreneurs are usually situated in positions of middle management, which provide the right balance between a motivation to experiment, access to sufficient resources, and discretion to diverge from norms. Additionally, institutional entrepreneurs tend to have mixed backgrounds with diverse professional trajectories, which allow them to detect opportunities, cross borders, and learn the different languages required to brokerage experimental efforts., by Rodrigo Canales., Ph.D.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, Technology and Policy Program, 2007., Includes bibliographical references., This thesis deduces a set of best practices for sustainably scaling up lighting technologies in developing countries with a focus on Bottom-of-the-Pyramid (BOP) communities, whose annual incomes are US $3000 or less (in local purchasing power parity). The best practices are derived from a comparative analysis of two heuristic case studies profiling entrepreneurs based in southern India, who have successfully scaled up lighting technologies in BOP communities. Also discussed is the impact that quality lighting has on our health, safety, socio-economic status and the environment that surrounds us. Not surprisingly the demand for quality artificial lighting is high in these communities, where access is generally limited. SELCO-India, a registered company, sells photovoltaic-based home lighting systems; while THRIVE, a nonprofit organization, sells Light Emitting Diode (LED) lanterns to remote communities in India. Both organizations use alternative models to address the same issue. While the research presented here focuses on the lighting sector in India, it is also proven that the results are applicable in the context of entrepreneurship in BOP communities around the world., by Pragnya Y. Alekal., S.M.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Political Science, 2006., Includes bibliographical references (leaves 260-270)., This dissertation analyzes the factors that lead to the transformation of labor regulations and institutions after the opening of previously closed economies, using the case of Argentina as a "crucial case". In the 1990s, almost every government in the Latin American region attempted to reform its labor code and systems of labor relations. However, despite these attempts at reform, the labor codes and their systems of labor relations appeared resilient to change. The bulk of the literature on the political economy of reforms had concluded that labor unions had managed to stall or derailed these attempts, although unions had been unsuccessful at stopping all other market-oriented reforms. I conceptualized the labor codes and the system of labor relations considering the way they work in practice, including informal arrangements, and I use the notion of "labor regimes". This conceptualization differs from the dominant approach on this issue, which focuses almost exclusively on changes in labor codes approved by Congress. Using this approach, I argue that a system of rigid labor laws and centralized bargaining institutions in a more competitive, pro-business environment tends to get relaxed and more decentralized., (cont.) However, changes do not necessarily occur through modifications in the overall national legal framework. Changes occur through: 1) layers of regulations that overlap with the old system, and 2) new practices of the main stakeholders on the ground that may create new institutional arrangements. In order to understand the direction and scope of these changes, focusing exclusively on the interests of central unions, business associations and the state at federal level will only render a partial explanation at best. Instead, a more societal and micro political approach is required. I argue that how the balance of power between business and labor at the local level plays out, the extent to which the interests of unions and business align at the local level as opposed to the legislative arena, and the characteristics of the previous institutions of industrial relations play a larger role in explaining why and how changes occur., by Marcela A. Natalicchio., Ph.D.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 2006., Includes bibliographical references (p. 134-139)., Globalization has occurred in various forms over the past century, yet only recently has it become daily news. This evolving process has created numerous underlying tensions that are not well understood. While western society has tried to address these tensions, it has sometimes mishandled them. In this thesis, we examine one such area; the belief that globalization creates opportunities for significant labor exploitation and why it is necessary, in the absence of government regulation and enforcement, to set social codes for companies sourcing products in developing countries in order to prevent this mistreatment. The thesis examines whether these codes are actually effective in accomplishing their stated objective of improving social conditions and if not, what plan could better accomplish this goal. It is divided into five chapters; the first is a review of five central globalization trends that frame the social code discussion. The second and third chapters look at the negative publicity that exposed labor problems overseas and assesses whether any of the known global actors care enough to cure the problems. Starting with the historical development of multi-stakeholder initiatives (MSIs) set up as a response to these problems, we then examine the codes they promulgated., (cont.) In the fourth and fifth chapters, we discuss why the codes are less effective than desired. The analysis is focused on the alignment and misalignment of institutional and organizational incentives in three areas: business model design, supply-chain management, and capital-market development. While acknowledging the impressive social good accomplished by the MSI's, we argue that moral purpose by itself is difficult to impose across a wide range of institutions and cultures. Using more dynamic business models, companies and MSIs can create the right incentives to eliminate exploitive practices. Finally, we look at how creating such a virtuous cycle can have a profound positive impact on global trade and encourage governments to regulate. While modifying business models will prove daunting for many companies, there is ample economic justification to do so., by Hiram M. Samel., S.M.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Political Science, 2003., Includes bibliographical references (p. 271-288)., The region has emerged in the last two decades as a new field of trade-union activity. There is increasing interaction across Europe between unions, employer associations, and state actors at the subnational territorial level. These practices take different forms and cover a wide range of issues, with training and labor market policies being the most common. Some scholars see in the regional trade union the promise of union revitalization, providing a more adaptable alternative in today's flexible economy. Yet others consider it a recipe for weakness and fragmentation. This thesis argues that the region is an important site for trade unions because it is well suited for addressing employment problems and reaching out to "outsiders:" the unemployed, temporary workers, and others in the more insecure parts of the labor market. My research, which compares the experience of different Spanish regions, links successful intervention to two conditions. One is that the union fully connects its efforts in the region to collective bargaining. The other is that it works within the framework of national agreements and institutions, rather than in opposition to them. Contrary to the academic tendency to view the regional and national union in competing terms, these findings underscore the complementarities between them. Moving into this new field requires unions to develop local capacity in labor market policy, regional development, etc. But it also calls for the national level of the organization to provide coordination and to diffuse, compare, and evaluate regional practices in order to promote learning., by Lydia M. Fraile., Ph.D.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Political Science, 2005., Vita., Includes bibliographical references (p. 296-304)., This dissertation explores the evolution of welfare systems in post-socialist countries. Utilizing a range of data on social policy legislation and outcomes across countries, the author shows the extent to which post-socialist welfare systems vary in their design and effects. Variation is demonstrated using six indicators that measure: the extent of universality of social benefits, active policies, effective redistribution, wage-based financing of social programs, benefit levels and familization. Cross-country variation has occurred in spite of the common experiences of opening their economies to international competition and in spite of political pressure from international organizations and the European Union to adopt similar, pre-packaged policy agendas. To explain this variation, the author uses case studies of unemployment and family policies in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland, to argue that domestic policy actors in each country make the critical decisions about welfare reform. Comparative case analyses show that the direction of welfare reform in the post-communist countries was largely set in place during the few years following regime change in each of them., (cont.) At this time, domestic institutions involved in policy formation were vested with particular inclinations regarding the objectives of state welfare, and certain capacities to implement social programs. Over time, the interaction between three domestic institutions - political parties, interest groups and welfare bureaucracies - has led to the perpetuation of unique policy arrays in each country. The development of welfare systems in the post-communist countries is therefore shown to be path-dependent, with the critical juncture occurring immediately after regime change, roughly between 1989 and 1993. The mechanism by which policy directions are perpetuated over time is the interaction between key domestic institutions, each of whose repertoires of potentially acceptable policies is delimited by its characteristic inclinations and capacities., by Dana L. Brown., Ph.D.

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Political Science, 1995., Includes bibliographical references (leaves 113-114)., by Mark R. Hutchinson., M.S.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 1999., Includes bibliographical references (p. 258-274)., Introduction: This dissertation deals with the recent strategic and organizational transformation of the Italian labor movement. The wave of strikes that swept all West-European countries between the late 1960s and the early 1970s lasted longer in Italy than anywhere else in the world and its effects were much more incisive. 1 The Italian unions emerged from the so-called "Hot Autumn" as much stronger organizations, well-rooted at the enterprise level, and animated by a radical, transformative ideology.Their goal was not just improving the wages and working conditions of the Italian workers but rather promoting a "social revolution" in the country. During the 1970s and 1980s, the behavior of these unions proved to be incompatible with the long-term stability of an open, capitalist economy. Wages grew faster that productivity. Consequently, Italy's inflation rates were higher than all other international competitors. The competitiveness of Italian goods on international markets fell while import penetration increased. Profit margins declined and with them, both capital accumulation and growth rates declined as well. Strike levels were higher than in all other advanced countries. Union demands for expansionary social policies spurred similar requests by other social groups and thus, caused the opening of a (growing) gap between public expenditures and tax receipts. Finally, unlike other unions in Central and Northern Europe, the Italian unions refused to come to terms with Italy's many macroeconomic imbalances by accepting wage moderation and promoting centralized collective bargaining. Beginning with the early 1990s, the Italian kbor movement radically changed its bargaining behavior and firmly embraced the cause of cooperation with management and government forces. In 1993, the Italian unions signed an incomes policies protocol aimed at bringing about centralized control of nominal wage growth. This agreement has been credited with greatly facilitating the process o, by Pasquale V. (Lucio) Baccaro., Ph.D.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Political Science, 2004., Includes bibliographical references (p. 373-397)., (cont.) models of local governance, questioning blanket statements about the virtues of political decentralization. The managerial elitist" model favors individual participation and technical/centralized decision-making that precludes public deliberation. It hardly engages the pobladores' organizations in the local polity and policymaking, fostering organizational fragmentation, selective deactivation and cientism. The "participatory-deliberative" style combines innovative adaptation of public policies to "fit" the local demand, extensive use of networks and public forums. It generates pre-political spaces that pave the way for the pobladores' organizations to scale-up decisionmaking in the local government or along policy networks at higher levels., In the 1990's, two state reforms in Chile placed the grassroots organizations of the pobladores--the once powerful urban squatters' movement--in a unique position to use their organizational experience in self-govenment and small-scale service delivery. Decentralization endowed the municipalities with enhanced resources and authority and new decentralized social policies demanded community participation. This favorable context was offset by institutional constraints on the national political system and by the mayor-centric and managerial design of the new municipality, both rooted in the authoritarian era (1973-1990). In addition, social policy was framed by a technocratic logic that discouraged participation. Two claims guided the investigation of the pobladores' incorporation into the local polity. In spite of a common managerial/efficiency driven formula for local administration, the style of governance has a decisive impact on the way in which organized interests are incorporated. Second, social policies are key arenas of incorporation In-depth case studies were conducted in El Bosque and Peñalolén. These municipalities share demographic and socioeconomic traits, but sharply differ in their model of governance El Bosque's actively incorporates organized participation, while Peñalolén embraces a managerial approach. From 1994-2000, over a hundred local and central state officials; politicians and grassroots leaders were interviewed. Data on social organizations, voting patterns, laws on decentralization, political institutions and social policies--education, health, and housing--covers the period between 1994 and 2000. Thepobdonrs' history is traced from the 1950s. The findings confirm the different patterns of incorporation fostered by these, by Anny Ximena Rivera-Ottenberger., Ph.D.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 2002., Includes bibliographical references (leaves 146-149)., Firms in all industries must respond both to the changing dynamics of markets and to the expectations of stakeholders within those markets. Within the last two decades, nongovernmental organizations and other parts of the public have been increasingly active in shaping public expectations for firms to conduct their activities in ways that minimize undesired social and environmental impacts. These expectations for firms to balance their short terms goals of profitability with the long-term needs of the society and environment can be broadly referred to as corporate "Sustainable Development." The current day debate surrounding SD as applied to global corporations is complicated for many reasons, as this document explains. Large global oil and gas firms that are in the business of exploiting non-renewable yet strategic natural resources are by no means immune to these changing stakeholder expectations. These companies deal with the commodities that fuel both development and pollution. As a result, the debate surrounding SD affects their corporate strategy. Increasing global connectivity via the Internet has provided concerned citizens with the ability to apply pressure in a collective and immediate way. In the last decade, negative media has highlighted the impact these public pressures have had on oil and gas firms' image. It has also highlighted the potential scale to which these pressures can impact a company's future as a, profitable firm. We studied two oil and gas firms, Shell and BP. Both have re-positioned and re-branded themselves by taking proactive measures to meet and even exceed the expectations of their various stakeholders. By entering into dialogue with their constituencies, they have increased innovation toward sustainable practices, and in so doing, have boosted public trust. By analyzing live cases, we reveal their approaches in bringing the ambitious ideals of sustainable development into practice. Each case was successful due to its project-specifi, by Clare Ruth Mendelsohn & Anirundha Pangarkar., M.B.A.

by Clare Ruth Mendelsohn & Anirundha Pangarkar., Thesis (M.B.A.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 2002., Includes bibliographical references (leaves 146-149).

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management; and, (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2000., Also available online at the DSpace at MIT website., Includes bibliographical references (p. 91-93)., The road to lean manufacturing has been long and hard for many companies. Intrigue Corporation is no exception. The company first introduced its version, the Intrigue Lean Manufacturing System, approximately ten years ago. Since then, the company has struggled with the system and continually refined it, attempting to make it stick. Different manufacturing plants have adopted the system with different amounts of energy. This thesis examines these implementations of the Intrigue Lean Manufacturing System and identifies the key factors that have inhibited a more thorough diffusion throughout Intrigue concluding that the ILMS did not take hold for two reasons. First, Intrigue did not understand the dynamics of change. Consequently, they did not take advantage of the high leverage points to tilt the odds of success in their favor. Second, the ILMS was incomplete and unstructured. Many additional elements are needed to guide individuals that are tasked with adopting the principles. The thesis recommends a model for Intrigue and other corporations to use to review the progress of any change initiative. The model is a powerful tool and aids one in understanding which dynamics may be potentially harmful and lead to failure of any change initiative. A redesign of the ILMS was begun to address many of these inhibiting factors. These activities and their subsequent implementation also describe in depth., by Mark Lulgjuraj., S.M., M.B.A.

Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2004., Includes bibliographical references (p. 111-117)., This thesis examines three surprise victories for workers' rights in the Guatemalan garment sector. In the past three years, three unions have formed at the Choishin, Cimatextiles, and Nobland factories and each has negotiated a collective bargaining agreement. This thesis explores why these victories were possible given the general context of globalization and the economic and institutional context of Guatemala. I have proposed a model that describes the dynamic approach that allowed the unions to form and negotiate the only collective bargaining agreements in Guatemala's apparel-for-export sector. These unions were successful because cross-border union organizing, corporate codes of conduct, independent monitoring, and government enforcement were dynamically combined. This thesis also demonstrates how the new synthesized model accounts for differences across the three cases. These cases provide a series of Lessons for protecting workers' rights. But the most salient lesson from Guatemala is that, under certain conditions, victory for Labor rights is possible; it is possible to maintain garment sector employment while increasing respect for workers' rights. And if this sort of victory is possible in Guatemala, then it seems possible anywhere., by Sarah E. Connolly., M.C.P.