Farm size and productivity growth in the United States Corn Belt

In recent decades, agricultural production in the U.S. has continued to shift to large-scale operations, raising concerns about the economic viability of small and midsized farms. To understand whether economies of size provided an incentive for the consolidation of production, the study estimates the total factor productivity (TFP) of five size classes of grain-producing farms in the U.S. Heartland (Corn Belt) region. Using quinquennial Agricultural Census data from 1982 to 2012 the study also compares TFP growth rates across farm sizes to gain insight into whether observed productivity differences are likely to persist. The finding of a strong positive relationship between farm size and TFP suggests that consolidation of production has contributed to recent aggregate productivity growth in the crop sector. The study estimates the extent to which sectoral productivity growth can be attributed to structural change versus other factors including technological change. The study also explores some tradeoffs associated with policies that raise the productivity of small versus large farms.     

Effects of Booking.com's new scoring system

Booking.com provides a massive database compiling millions of reviews about thousands of accommodations worldwide that hotel managers and academics have extensively consulted during the past decade. In 2019–2020, however, the famous website changed several aspects of its methods of calculating hotel scores, the most important one being a change from its peculiar 2.5–10 scale to a more conventional 1–10 scale. Such novelties may cause changes in hotel scores that do not reflect changes, if any, in customer satisfaction. This article offers an initial investigation into the nature and consequences of those changes that professionals and academics should consider to avoid errors in future studies that involve using Booking. com's database.     

Refining e-shoppers’ perceived risks: Development and validation of new measurement scale

Due to the rapid expansion of perceived e-shopping risks, and highly isolated and inconsistent presentation of literature about this concept, understanding e-shopper's behavior has become more difficult. In this regard, this study brings together different views, evidences and facts about perceived e-shopping risks from both scholars and practitioners of South-East Asian and Western countries. It then interprets the information in the form of a new scale which offers more adequacy, assemblage and uniformity than the existing models of perceived risks of e-shoppers. The new scale of construct has 11 dimensions comprising a pool of 38 items, which has been empirically validated through the data collected from 537 Malaysian e-shoppers. The dimensions are: high price risk, deception risk, transaction failure risk, dissimilar product risk, incapable service risk, illegitimate product risk, isolation risk, unease risk, displeasure risk, prior-purchase time delays risk, and post-purchase time delays risk. The theoretical and managerial implications and research limitations have also been discussed.     

Five scale challenges in Ecuadorian forest and landscape restoration governance

The forest and landscape restoration (FLR) targets set as part of the Bonn Challenge draw attention to the governance arrangements required to translate national FLR targets into local action. To achieve the targets, actors at multiple levels of the governance scale aim to influence relevant processes on the ecological scale. In this article, we focus on the scale challenges relating to the implementation of Ecuador’s restoration targets, by analysing the implementation of the 2014–2017 National Forest Restoration Plan in the montane Chocó Andino and Bosque Seco landscapes. From 54 semi-structured interviews, a document review, and geographical data analysis, we identified two temporal (i, ii) and three spatial scale challenges (iii, iv, v): i) Political cycles mismatch with FLR timelines; ii) Planning horizons mismatch with FLR timelines; iii) National restoration objectives mismatch with decentralised land use planning realities; iv) The governance level of existing FLR efforts mismatches with the level receiving restoration funds; and v) Tensions exist between the spatial dimensions of biodiversity and water-related restoration efforts. The findings highlight that more attention must be given to scale-sensitive governance to make the process in which national FLR targets are translated into local action more effective.     

农民工教育与职业的匹配及其工资效应——基于城市规模视角

农民工教育与职业的匹配状况对提高劳动力资源利用、增加劳动供给质量具有重要意义。本文使用中国流动人口动态监测调查2011~2016年微观数据,基于城市规模视角分析了农民工教育与职业的匹配状况对工资效应的差别。研究发现:人口规模越大的城市,农民工教育与职业的错配比例越高;中小城市农民工教育过度对工资的影响呈现工资嘉赏效应,大城市农民工教育过度对工资的影响以工资惩罚为主;而教育不足对农民工工资则普遍存在负向影响。农民工教育与职业不匹配对工资影响的理论机制表明,中小城市支持人力资本理论模型,而大城市和特大城市则支持分配理论模型。这意味着,农民工在中小城市表现出学历越高人力资本回报越高的特点;而在大城市,教育与职业适配则更为重要。因此,改善城市层面的教育-职业的适配性,让农民工在城市劳动力市场上自由流动和工作转换,进一步增强城市间劳动力资源的流动是相关政策调节的重点。     

农业减量化：农户经营的规模逻辑及其证据

本文将农户分为五种类型,并将农地规模分解为地块规模、经营规模与连片规模,由此构建“农户类型—规模形式—减量化行为”的分析框架,进而阐明农户减量化的规模逻辑。基于农户问卷的实证分析表明:①对于所有样本农户来说,地块规模越大,减施量越高。其中,追求产量最大化的生产型小农,减施量与经营规模呈“倒U”型变化,而追求多元化经营的功能型小农,减施量随经营规模的扩大而增加;②农户连片规模扩大,减施量就增高,并且能够增强地块规模扩大以及经营规模扩大对减施的促进作用;③农户社会服务卷入程度加深,能够增强地块规模、经营规模和连片规模扩大对减施的促进作用。据此,农业减量化,应鼓励农户开展连片种植,形成生产性服务的市场容量,然后诱导服务供应商提供专业化服务,进而实现服务规模经营对农地规模经营的替代。     

New measuring stick on sharing accommodation: Guest-perceived benefits and risks

As an emergent phenomenon fueled by advanced technology, the sharing economy enables people to capitalize on underutilized physical assets that would otherwise be wasted. Despite the rapid growth, existing empirical studies are limited to the adoption of scales from other disciplines, although collaborative consumption differs from commercial consumption. The purpose of the study is to examine guests’ perceived risks and benefits of sharing accommodation. Using three folded studies, this research attempts to yield key theoretical contributions by developing a scale for perceived benefits and risks in the context of sharing accommodation. Furthermore, this study provides initial insights into why consumers would avoid sharing accommodations while at the same time identifying potential benefits and risks in relation to attitude and behavioral intentions. The findings from this research will enable sharing accommodation hosts to understand consumers’ perceived benefits and risks and thus provide enhanced experiences to users.     

Developing and validating a Chinese cultural value scale in tourism

Chinese cultural values are important in understanding Chinese tourists’ behaviour. However, the literature is void of a relevant scale measuring Chinese cultural values in tourism. This research aims to develop and validate a Chinese cultural values scale in tourism (abbreviated as CCV-T). Following a rigorous scale development procedure and applying multi-stage studies, the research identified a 5-factor measurement scale of CCV-T, composed of 17 items with sufficient reliability and validity. The five Chinese cultural value factors are Leisure and Life Enjoyment (LLE), Filial Piety and Relationship (FPR), Self-fulfilment, Righteousness, and Humanity. The CCV-T scale provides a simplified and holistic structure measuring tourism-related Chinese cultural values. This research provides a solid base to further understand the relationships between Chinese cultural values and tourist behaviour.     

Determinants of holistic passenger experience in public transportation: Scale development and validation

Transportation literature is shifting its focus from passengers’ perception of transit quality to understanding passenger experience from a holistic perspective. Few studies have investigated passenger experience factors from a holistic perspective; however, they are explored independently. A holistic approach can help the transport service providers to understand the complete journey of the passenger. This study proposes the concept of holistic passenger experience (HPX) and identifies the determinants of HPX in the context of public transportation with specific reference to Indian Railways. The study develops a comprehensive scale that measures the influence of these determinants on HPX to address this gap. Following a systematic scale development process, this study identified and validated (content, construct, convergent, and discriminant validity) a seven factor structure scale that determines HPX. Of these seven factors, four factors (vehicle maintenance, comfort & security, off board service, and travel information) constitute the core services offered by the transport service provider. Interestingly these four factors can be effectively managed by the service provider. The other three factors (social environment, supporting services, and accessibility) cannot be entirely managed by the transport service provider effectively, as these factors fall beyond the scope of the service provider.Nomological validity results are explained by constructing a matrix (holistic passenger experience Matrix) which reveals that most of the constructs that are can be managed by the transport service provider can be mapped to the cognitive component of customer experience, whereas most of the factors which go beyond the scope of the transport service provider could be mapped to the emotional component of customer experience. The findings can assist the transport sector executives to identify the key determinants to deliver superior passenger experiences throughout the journey.     

国有企业的扩张行为:动机及效应

文章通过建立国企的效用最大化的目标函数,揭示其包含了来自市场激励和政府激励的多元化目标,其中规模最大化是效用最大化的最近似的可量化目标,其能够包括并同时满足国企追求的其它效用目标。本文表明了国企持续超常的规模扩张是建立在长期高额负债率和利润率显著低下的基础上,证实了国企不仅缺乏融资约束,也缺乏市场竞争约束。由于这两个基本约束的软化,导致企业过度膨胀,超过了正常合理水平。由于规模庞大且层级结构复杂,还会加剧了企业的难以监控的"黑箱"行为。这种机制可能诱发腐败,还导致一系列不良效应,包括产能过剩,僵尸企业,垄断势力强化,企业成本剧增等等。对于市场约束的缺位,合理的解决路径是加强市场约束,而不是加强行政约束。改革的选择方向是,实行分类改革,对于面向市场的企业,需要在利益相关者之间通过合理契约来实现市场激励和约束。