Consumer Quality Perception in Traditional Food: Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese

Abstract

The paper aims to classify the quality cues and attributes of grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, an Italian traditional food cheese, exploring if they affect consumers’ quality perceptions and expectations. Analysis is based on a questionnaire administered in hypermarkets where grated Parmigiano Reggiano is sold. A factor analysis, using varimax rotation, and a cluster analysis, were performed, using the Stata 12 software package. The clusters used were: geographical origin and packaging (cluster 1); price, brand and quality certification (cluster 2); all sensory attributes (cluster 3); and a combination of sensory attributes with price, brand, and quality certification (cluster 4). This is the first study to examine the quality cues and attributes affecting quality perception and expectations of cheese for grated Parmigiano Reggiano from a consumer perspective. It is also the first to classify cheese attributes following a quality approach, encompassing previously studied sensory and other attributes.     

Consistent inference in fixed-effects stochastic frontier models

The classical stochastic frontier panel data models provide no mechanism to disentangle individual time invariant unobserved heterogeneity from inefficiency. Greene (2005a, b) proposed the so-called “true” fixed-effects specification that distinguishes these two latent components. However, due to the incidental parameters problem, his maximum likelihood estimator may lead to biased variance estimates. We propose two alternative estimators that achieve consistency for $n\to \infty$ with fixed $T$. Furthermore, we extend the Chen et al. (2014) results providing a feasible estimator when the inefficiency is heteroskedastic and follows a first-order autoregressive process. We investigate the behavior of the proposed estimators through Monte Carlo simulations showing good finite sample properties, especially in small samples. An application to hospitals’ technical efficiency illustrates the usefulness of the new approach.     

Incentives and teacher effort

Few would contest that teachers are a very important determinant of how much students learn in school, and how to improve teacher performance has been the focus of lively policy debate in both rich and poor countries. This paper examines how teacher incentives, both pecuniary and non‐pecuniary, correlate with teacher effort. Using school survey data from Lao PDR, we estimate measures of teacher effort, including the number of hours that teachers spend preparing for classes and teacher provision of private tutoring outside of class hours, which are not the typical measures used in previous research. Estimation results fit well under the standard labour supply framework and indicate that greater teacher effort is associated with non‐pecuniary incentives such as more teacher autonomy over teaching materials and monitoring as measured by the existence of an active parent – teacher association and the ability of school principals to dismiss teachers. Methodologically, this paper provides a detailed derivation of a simultaneous OLS‐probit model with school random effects that can jointly estimate teacher work hours and tutoring provision.     

基于模拟退火算法的智能天线广播波束权值生成方法

文章采用模拟退火与随机搜索相结合的优化算法,给出了智能天线广播波束赋形中特定形状广播波束所对应的权值生成方法。依据智能天线系统扇区覆盖模式的要求,并结合智能天线的阵列结构,利用模拟退火与随机搜索相结合的优化算法可得到每个阵元所需设置的幅度和相位权值。该方法适用于特殊广播波束的情况,对智能天线技术的应用具有重要意义。     

Broadening the concept of rational economic behavior: A case study of cheese making at the Abbey of Tamié

Through an analysis of the business activities of a Trappist monastery, an attempt is made to add to the understanding of how ethical considerations, custom, and culture, as well as the profit motive, affect how actual economic decisions are made. This analysis is implemented through a case study of the cheese-making business of a monastery in the French Alps where the tradition of cheese, agriculture, and monks is important to the culture and customs of the area. The analysis finds that the monks are able to successfully conduct their business in ways that honor their custom and culture within the religious confines imposed by the monastery.     

Institutional Market Power in Comté: Insights from a ‘Double Marginalisation’ Model

This article explores the economic efficiency of a horizontally and vertically coordinated industry where upstream producers are atomised, but downstream processors are few, explicitly considering participation incentives and allowing the coordinated industry to exert market power towards buyers. The model offers insight into the probable social impacts of the government‐sanctioned supply control scheme in place in the French Comté cheese market, suggesting it falls short of constituting a Pareto‐improvement compared with a laissez‐faire situation. More generally, our theoretical model provides guidance to identify instances where encouraging industry coordination may be socially desirable. We formally introduce the concept of ‘seller‐equivalent degree of overall market power’ of the separated industry, a market characteristic comprised of measurable or inferable parameters, the value of which is shown to determine the potential for Pareto improvements through industry integration.     

供应链中数学模型及其算法研究

通过对供应链研究现状的分析,进而对供应链中数学模型进行了深入的探讨。论文采用双层规划模型描述了提出的问题,其中上层规划模型是从生产商的角度出发,使得生产成本最小化;而下层规划模型则是从供应商的角度出发,使得收益最大化。文中对双层规划模型设计了相应的模拟退火算法进行求解。算例结果表明,模型和算法都是有效的,从而为供应链中角色决策提供支持。     

压缩货物运输时间的铁路车流组织双层规划模型

以压缩货物运输时间为目的构建了优化铁路车流组织的双层规划模型。上层从铁路运输部门的角度出发,以全路车流组织成本最少为目标,考虑了技术站的编发能力限制、接车能力限制及编组去向预决策等约束条件,确定编组去向的开行方案。下层规划考虑货主的需求和利益,以各股车流的改编中转时间最短为目标压缩货物的运输时间,以流量平衡、车流组织形式的唯一性和技术站改编能力限制作为约束条件,形成车流改编接续方案并反馈回上层。采用模拟退火算法对双层规划模型进行求解,设计了退火计划表并阐述了算法流程,最后通过实际路网大规模案例验证了模型和算法的有效性。     

以GMC为平台构建管理专业实践模拟教学体系

当前的教学体系注重理论，忽视实践，存在很多的弊端。开展模拟教学，有利于调动教师“教”与学生“学”的积极性，进而提高教学质量和教学效果，对于提高学生整体素质将发挥积极的作用。     

Labour adjustment costs: Estimation of a dynamic discrete choice model using panel data for Greek manufacturing firms

In this paper we estimate a dynamic structural model of employment at firm level. Our dataset consists of a balanced panel of 2790 Greek manufacturing firms. The empirical evidence of this dataset stresses three important stylized facts: (a) there are periods in which firms decide not to change their labour input, (b) there are periods of large employment changes (lumpy nature of labour adjustment) and (c) the commonality is employment spikes to be followed by smooth and low employment growth periods. Following Cooper and Haltiwanger [Cooper, R.W. and Haltiwanger, J. “On the Nature of Capital Adjustment Costs”, Review of Economic Studies, 2006; 73(3); 611–633], we consider a dynamic discrete choice model of a general specification of adjustment costs including convex, non-convex and “disruption of production” components. We use a method of simulated moments procedure to estimate the structural parameters. Our results indicate considerable fixed costs in the Greek employment adjustment.