During the writing of this dissertation, I have got a great deal of assistance and support. Firstly, I would like to thank my supervisor, Professor Alex Ellery, whose expertise was invaluable in formulating the research questions and methodology. You provided me with the tools to choose the right direction and completed my dissertation.My special thanks to my wife Mashaaer and my children Safie, Basima, Wala and Ansam for their love, support, patience and encouragement during my studies. Further I would like to acknowledge the jury members of this thesis. You provided very useful hints for improving this thesis manuscript, which I have gladly embraced.Finally, and most importantly, I am extremely thankful to my parents, Mehdi Elaskri and Raja Krifa, for their guidance and support. You are always there for me.