PDO Olive Oil Products: A Powerful Tool for Farmers and Rural Areas

Abstract

Nowadays, consumers’ quality awareness and health consciousness drive the agri-food market towards a consumer-response food market. As a result, many producers and firms in the Euro-Mediterranean countries have opted for several quality and origin assurance schemes. Among them, a prevalent role is played by the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) certification that constitutes a successful differentiation tool for agricultural products, and it is also widely used by Euro-Mediterranean olive oil producers due to effective contribution in promoting high-quality olive oil. After going through previous studies of PDO olive oil, this review paper investigates the general aspects and prospects of PDO olive oil products and EU relevant regulations, highlighting the socio-economic dimensions and impacts upon producers, consumers, and rural areas, and determining the gap between literature and practice with regards to PDO’s implementation and the expected benefits. Finally, the paper concludes with the main points and recommendations for further research.     

自然资源资产全民所有权的实现逻辑及机制完善

研究目的：围绕新时代人民日益增长的美好生活需要，揭示自然资源资产全民所有权的实现逻辑，提出完善全民 所有权实现机制的建议。研究方法：归纳法，演绎法。研究结果：自然资源资产生态属性决定生态产品是自然资源资 产所有权实现的重要内容；全民所有权行使主体直接行使所有权意义上的资源资产管理权利，实现自然资源资产保值 增值；通过自然资源保护和市场交易实现生态产品供给及经济收益最大化，通过公益支出实现公共服务均等化，从而满 足人民日益增长的美好生活需要，构成自然资源资产全民所有权实现的基本逻辑。研究结论：自然资源资产全民所有 权实现，需在改善自然资源资产本底基础上，通过权利赋予、市场流转、收益分配和配套制度建设，为全体公众谋利益。     

Elasticity of substitution and technical efficiency: evidence from the US electricity generation

ABSTRACT

The implications of national or regional energy policies for technical efficiency and environmental outcomes in electricity generation depend on fossil fuel input substitution. This study uses state level data to examine fossil fuel (coal and natural gas) substitution in electricity generation under increased availability of natural gas in the United States. We observe that changes in elasticities of substitution from pre-2009 to post-2009 differ across states suggesting that the effects of increased availability of inexpensive natural gas on electricity generation have been spatially heterogeneous. We rely on the observed heterogeneity to assess the effects of fossil fuel input substitution on technical efficiency and CO₂ emissions. The results reveal that state level elasticity of substitution between natural gas and coal has a positive effect on technical efficiency and a negative effect on CO₂ emissions. Therefore, future policy design and analyses should reflect the implications for regional elasticities of fossil fuel substitution and associated environmental outcomes.     

Is external research assessment associated with convergence or divergence of research quality across universities and disciplines? Evidence from the PBRF process in New Zealand

ABSTRACT

Performance-based research evaluations have been adopted in several countries both to measure research quality in higher education institutions and as a basis for the allocation of funding across institutions. Much attention has been given to evaluating whether such schemes have increased the quality and quantity of research. This paper examines whether the introduction of the New Zealand Performance-Based Research Fund process produced convergence or divergence in measured research quality across universities and disciplines between the 2003 and 2012 assessments. Two convergence measures are obtained. One, referred to as β-convergence, relates to the relationship between changes in average quality and the initial quality level. The second concept, referred to as σ-convergence, relates to the changes in the dispersion in average research quality over time. Average quality scores by discipline and university were obtained from individual researcher data, revealing substantial β- and σ-convergence in research quality over the period. The hypothesis of uniform rates of convergence across almost all universities and disciplines is supported. The results provide insights into the incentives created by performance-based funding schemes.     

How Collective Engagement Creates Competitive Advantage for Organizations: A Business-Level Model of Shared Vision,Competitive Intensity,and Service Performance

We argue that collective engagement can serve as a unique value-creation capacity at the business level by linking shared vision and service performance. We also propose that competitive intensity will be a market indicator by which management can enhance the effect of shared vision on collective engagement, and indirectly strengthen service performance (through collective engagement). Furthermore, we argue that this distinctive value-creation capability, embedded in collective engagement, generates competitive advantage; specifically, one that competing organizations will struggle to replicate. We examine our moderated-mediation model by using a three-time-point method derived from five different sources in 198 retail-service branches. Our findings indicate that collective engagement, fueled by shared organizational vision, improves service performance. Furthermore, as this conditional indirect effect of shared vision on service quality and customer satisfaction was solely generated through collective engagement rather than other mechanisms (i.e., commitment and involvement), it creates a competitive advantage for engagement-oriented organizations.     

服务质量、私人关系对顾客忠诚的影响研究

服务质量和顾客忠诚是企业获得竞争优势的法宝,而私人关系作为中国企业管理中独特的要素受到越来越多的关注,揭示三者之间的内在联系对于提升服务企业绩效及丰富相关管理理论十分重要。本文以服务行业为研究对象,研究服务质量、私人关系对顾客忠诚的影响。数据分析结果表明,企业的服务质量和顾客与服务人员私人关系都正向影响顾客对企业的忠诚,企业的服务质量有助于提升顾客与服务人员的私人关系,在企业一致性高的情况下,顾客与服务人员私人关系对顾客对企业忠诚有更大的影响。这些发现对于提升顾客忠诚有一定的借鉴意义,也有助于丰富中国情境下的本土化理论。     

Does the severity of a client’s negative environmental,social and governance reputation affect audit effort and audit quality?

In recent years, investors have begun to value companies’ reputations through their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices. ESG risk can affect business processes and controls and can heighten financial risk and threaten a firm’s survival. This study examines whether and how the severity of media coverage of a firm’s negative ESG issues (tainted ESG reputation) is associated with audit effort and audit quality. I find that auditors manage the higher expected engagement risk conveyed by tainted ESG reputation by applying higher audit effort. Next, I observe that the increased effort is associated with auditors likely detecting and requiring adjustments for material misstatements and that tainted ESG reputation is associated with fewer misstatements (i.e., reduces poor audit quality). The association between tainted ESG reputation and audit quality is driven primarily by increased audit report lag, not by increased audit fees. Further, I find that tainted ESG reputation is positively associated with audit effort and reduces poor audit quality for up to three years. The results also show that the audit effort and audit quality effect vary across the three components of ESG.     

The Japanese labour market during the global financial crisis and the role of non-standard work: A micro perspective

This paper analyses aggregate labour dynamics during the global financial crisis in Japan and the role of non-standard work using micro data. The analysis proceeds in two steps. First, using comprehensive establishment-level datasets for the period 1991–2009, it provides a detailed portrait of the adjustment behaviour of establishments at the micro level. Second, it compares aggregate labour market dynamics during the global financial crisis with that observed during the 1997 crisis and decomposes the observed differences into components that can be attributed to changes in the micro-adjustment behaviour of Japanese establishments, changes in the incidence of non-standard work and changes in the distribution of shocks across establishments. It finds that the incidence of non-standard work has increased considerably, worker turnover is much higher among non-standard than standard workers and adjustments in working-time are less important for non-standard workers. Counterfactual simulations suggest that the employment response during the global crisis would have been smaller if the incidence of non-standard work remained at the level observed during the 1997 crisis. The relatively small employment response observed during the global financial crisis is therefore driven by factors other than the increase in the incidence of non-standard work.     

双离合自动变速器电控电动换挡执行机构仿真优化与试验对比

为了提高双离合变速器在车辆上的换挡品质,提升电气化换挡执行机构的工作效率,给出执行机构性能与换挡品质评价准则;通过两种不同双离合变速器电控电动执行机构的工作原理与性能分析,基于MATLAB数值仿真方法优化出最高效率进行试验.基于车辆6个维度的换挡工况对二者所搭载的变速器分别进行试验与CAN线数据采集,对比研究两种机构优缺点,通过雷达图的方式进行优劣说明.结果表明,两种执行机构传动效率可达70％且换挡品质相当.可见Tip in tip out工况对二者要求最为严格.