Options for cement production in Papua New Guinea: A study in choice of technology

This paper examines the technical options for local production of cement to satisfy Papua New Guinea's needs. Both rotary and vertical kiln methods and different plant sizes are compared on economic grounds and also assessed against national objectives. Because of Papua New Guinea's small and scattered demand for cement and high internal transport costs, the smaller vertical kiln units are more economic while small-scale manufacture is also more in line with national objectives.     

Money and the production function: A case study of France

Zusammenfassung Geld in der Produktionsfunktion: Eine Fallstudie für Frankreich. — Dieser Aufsatz benutzt Daten für Frankreich (1950–1973), um zu prüfen, ob (a) reale Geldbest?nde eine Grenzproduktivit?t haben, die mit der physischer Inputs vergleichbar ist, und ob (b) die Einführung von Geld in die Produktionsfunktion aufgrund einer Vielzahl von Strukturver?nderungen zu einer Instabilit?t der Produktionsbeziehungen führt. Die Autoren ermitteln eine Zeitreihe für das Grenzprodukt des Geldes. Indem sie die Technik zeitlich variierender Parameter in ihrer Regressionsanalyse verwenden, finden sie heraus, da\ die Einführung von Geld in die aggregierte Produktionsfunktion keine Instabilit?t der Produktionsbeziehungen mit sich gebracht hat.

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Résumé La monnaie dans la fonction de production: une étude de cas pour la France. — En utilisant les données pour la France, 1950–1973, cet article essaie de tester (a) si les balances de monnaie réelle ont une productivité marginale qui est similaire à celle des inputs physiques, et (b) si l’introduction de la monnaie dans la fonction de production mène à l’instabilité dans les relations de production due à toutes sortes des changements structurels. Les auteurs présentent une série chronologique du produit marginal de monnaie. En utilisant une technique des paramètres variants sur le temps ils trouvent aussi que l’introduction de la monnaie dans une fonction agrégée de production ne mène pas à une instabilité dans les relations de production.

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Resumen Dinero en la función de producción: un estudio del caso de Francia. — Usando datos de Francia para el periódo 1958–1973, en este artículo se intenta someter a prueba, (a) si los balances de dinero real tienen una productividad similar a la de insumos fisicos y, (b) si la introducci?n de dinero en la función de producción lleva a una inestabilidad en las relaciones de producción debido a una variedad de cambios estructurales. Los autores presentan una serie temporal del producto marginal del dinero. Usando una técnica de paràmetros variables en el tiempo también descubren que la introducción del dinero en la función de producción agregada no imparte inestabilidad en las relaciones de producción.

     

Exploiting information technology: A case study of Singapore

While many developed nations and newly industrializing economies have major initiatives to promote information technology (IT), Singapore has perhaps had the most comprehensive and coordinated effort of all. Singapore's experience represents a good example of a very proactive government strategy. Elements of the government strategy include: skills development; state-of-the-art telecommunications; funding for small to medium-sized IT companies; an international approach to standardization, and special demonstration projects. Singapore's success with IT could be largely attributed to its compactness; however, one can also take the view that Singapore's highly sophisticated IT infrastracture is an early indication of the infrastructure requirements in developing countries.     

Rural energy technology assessment: A Sri Lankan case study

This paper reports and assesses the results of a comparative survey on the costs and benefits of windmills and kerosene pumpsets for irrigation of subsidiary food crops in the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka. Secondary objectives are to draw out lessons from the survey (i) for other renewable energy technology programs and (ii) for evaluation methods. Survey results provide a windmill user evaluation, a cost analysis and a comparison of net crop income under the two techniques (windmill and kerosene pumpset). At both financial and economic prices the renewable energy technology is found inferior to the fossil-fuel based technology. The small data set requires caution in drawing final conclusions but does suggest that there is a critical loss in flexibility over cropping patterns by adoption of the windmill.     

The environmental efficiency of non-certified organic farming in China: A case study of paddy rice production

This case study compares the environmental efficiency of non-certified organic and conventional rice production in southern China. Using plot-season level survey data, we test the existence of a “technology gap” between the two types of production, and calculate their environmental efficiency scores based on the level of pure nitrogen use, which is considered as an environmentally detrimental input within the framework of the stochastic frontier analysis. Our analysis reveals that organic farming loses its environmental performance at high nitrogen levels and that during the initial conversion period to organic farming newly converted organic farmers increase the use of external nutrients such as nitrogen to compensate for potential yield losses. These results highlight the uncertainty with which conventional farmers initially tend to view organic farming. However, we find that the experience gained by organic farmers over time helps them increase and maintain the environmental efficiency. We warn against the rapid expansion of organic farming and recommend more technical support and strict nutrient regulation to foster the environmental efficiency of organic farming.     

Technical choice in developing countries: The case of leather manufacturing

The study examines the scope of technical choice in developing countries by viewing the evolution of technology in leather manufacturing and comparing alternative techniques for manufacturing upper leather from cattle hides. Two important conclusions have emerged. First, a developing country aiming to establish a leather manufacturing industry has a reasonably wide technical choice. Second, techniques using relatively higher labour and lower fixed capital generally appear to be better choices than more capital-intensive techniques.     

乡镇私营企业的内控问题——以某肥料科技有限公司为例

改革开放以来,伴随着我国社会主义市场经济的繁荣,我国的乡镇私营企业的发展也与日俱增。但由于政治经济文化等诸多方面的因素,乡镇私营企业的内部控制存在着很大漏洞,严重制约企业的发展。文章以某肥料科技有限公司为例,通过对其内部控制问题的一些分析,提出相应建议以供借鉴。     

The choice of technique in a batch production industry: Some lessons from a study of bolt and nut manufacture

In a batch industry the characteristics of an establishment's output (scale, batch size, product dimensions) are critical determinants of the least-cost technique. In bolt and nut manufacture the least-cost technique draws selectively on different technologies for different parts of the product mix. Sensitivity analysis suggests that factor prices alone are relatively unimportant in determining the least-cost solution. Three technologies widely used in engineering industries - machining, hot forging and cold forming - are considered at four scales of output for a specified product mix comprising bolts and nuts conforming to an international standard. (For each technology a range of different machines is included.)     

Rural schools and educational technology: A case study of rural schools in the Molopo district,Mafikeng

This article examines the position and conditions of rural schools around Mafikeng (North-West Province, South Africa) with relation to the Technology Learning Area – a core component of Curriculum 2005. Technology Education (TE) has been undergirded by the launching of the Science and Technology Campaign by the national Ministry of Education at the introductory phase of Curriculum 2005. Given the well-known limitations on the capacity of rural schools to engage meaningfully and productively with both technological and science education, this pilot study investigates the pre-planning and strategising by relevant stakeholders. The article also focuses on the career aspirations of learners, and career guidance and expectations on the part of the teaching staff and parents, with reference to the acquisition of competencies in the Technology Learning Area by learners. Financial contributions by rural communities to school funds and security provisions for these schools which, it is envisaged, will house instructional materials for TE, are confronted and analysed.     

Labour force and land distributional effects of agricultural technology: A case study of coffee

Land reform frequently refers to government policies which expropriate large farms and fragment them into smaller units; however, land reform can also refer to the opposite process, that of consolidation of farms which are too small for efficient production. In the latter sense, that of land consolidation, land reform may or may not be socially desirable and prompt government intervention. Possible gains in efficiency accruing from land consolidation may not be desirable if it entails agricultural unemployment and accelerated rural-urban migration, in which case governments may try to intervene. This paper looks at land reform in the context of one crop, coffee. New techniques of coffee cultivation will increase output-labour, output-land and labour-land ratios, offering the prospect for higher coffee employment and output. However, economic and institutional barries will preclude higher output; as a result coffee employment and small coffee farms will be threatened. This paper examines the economic implications of the new coffee technology in the context of Columbia.     

Forecasting fertilizer consumption and production: Long- and short-run models

The aims of this paper are two-fold. First, we present a survey of recent extrapolative long-run forecasts of world fertilizer production and consumption to the year 2000, including our own forecasts for this period. Second, we examine critically the various approaches that have been suggested in the study of short-run fluctuations in demand and supply for individual countries which have a great bearing on short-run economic policy. In particular, the models due to Griliches and Timmer are discussed and evaluated, and an alternative approach is suggested.     

The choice of technology,economic efficiency and employment in developing countries

This paper comprises a bald presentation of some results of an enquiry into the choice of technology in the sugar and footwear indutries in Ethiopia and Ghana, and a bold examination of some implications of these results. The baldness can be justified by the need for brevity and the fact that more complete results, more fully described, will shortly be available; the boldness by the desire to focus attention on a number of issues which can stand airing in provocative form.The paper is organized in three parts. The first provides a brief theoretical introduction (to help fix ideas); the second describes the research and presents the results; and the third considers some equations raised by the findings.     

Land rental market, off-farm employment and agricultural production in Southeast China: A plot-level case study

This paper performs a plot-level analysis of the impact of land rental market participation and off-farm employment on land investment, input use, and rice yields for 215 plots cultivated by 52 households in three villages in Northeast Jiangxi Province. Our findings show that households that rent extra land are relatively more productive, but contradict results of earlier studies which found that tenure status of plots affects the level of land investments. We further find that off-farm employment does not significantly affect rice yields. This result contradicts those of earlier studies which found that the negative lost-labor effect of off-farm employment dominates the positive income effect. Another novel finding is that people working locally off-farm tend to switch from green manure planting towards the use of organic manure on their rice plots. We conclude that policies that will further stimulate the development of land rental markets, which is still in its infancy, can contribute significantly to higher rice production in Southeast China. Another implication of our results is that worries about the negative impact that the continuously growing off-farm employment may have on China's goal to remain self-sufficient in grain production are less relevant at the moment for the region examined in our study.     

The regional consequences of the Japanese second wave: A case study

This paper examines the Japanese “second wave” sector in the local economy. Following an examination of the development of the second wave Japanese-owned supplier sector in the UK, the paper assesses the role of this sector in the local economy, and questions the policy rationale of attracting this particular type of inward investment.     

The world economic crisis and the children: A United States case study

This is a review of the United States experience with issues of child health and services, as they relate to changes in economic trends. No existing data systems are entirely adequate for reporting on the current health status of children, an important consideration for the monitoring of children's health in the United States is the focus on subgroups such as those who are disadvantaged for reasons of poverty, discrimination or geographic isolation. Ample evidence exists that children living in poverty suffer adverse health consequences and that the proportion of children living in poverty in the United States has increased steadily since 1975 and dramatically since 1981. Most measures of health status and health risks for children show steady improvements througout the 1970s. The exercise of public responsibility for financing and providing essential services and supports held constant or improved during this recession period, especially during the recession of 1974–1975. The health status and risks for children since 1981 appear to be adversely affected which must be attributed to a combination of circumstances that include serious recession, increased poverty rates for households with children and diminished health benefits and social support services. These findings suggest that when either local or widespread economic reversals are anticipated, health services and social supports for children need to be expanded rather than contracted.     

The Maputo Development Corridor: A case study of the SDI process in Mpumalanga

The Maputo Development Corridor (MDC) was officially launched in May 1996 in Maputo by the presidents of South Africa and Mozambique. Within two years it has become known as the ‘most advanced international development corridor in Africa’ (Department of Transport, 1997). As the flagship of the Spacial Development Initiative (SDI) process, the methodology utilised in the MDC is now being applied to the other eight SDIs in South Africa and increasingly is being considered by other African countries. The objective of this article is to examine the lessons learned in implementing the MDC in the Mpumalanga province, South Africa. Having provided a brief orientation and having outlined the short history of the MDC and its institutional context, the article will focus on the progress made by the project in attaining the key objectives set at its launch.     

Optimal technology for different levels of managerial ability: A case study of maize cultivar selection

The higher the genetic potential, the more reliant a cultivar will be on the creation of a favourable environment by man. The ability to create a favourable environment is partially a function of the farmer's managerial ability. Due to differences in managerial ability between developed and less developed agriculture, high yield varieties often perform more poorly than lower yield varieties in less developed agriculture and are also more risky.

Regression line graphics may be used to illustrate the effect of managerial ability on cultivar selection. Less sensitive cultivars, although often regarded as low yield cultivars, should be recommended in areas or on projects with lower yield potential or where the level of managerial ability is relatively low.

In less developed agriculture, farmers’ thresholds of resistance to setbacks are rather low. This makes risk behaviour a rational mode of behaviour. Thus, the optimal choice will be to select less risky cultivars that will produce, under less than ideal circumstances, higher yields than those cultivars regarded as high producers only under ideal conditions.

This principle also applies to many other facets of technology and should also continually be considered by advisers and planners in less developed regions.     

Some aspects of technology choice in the iron foundry industry

This article examines technological choice for developing countries in the iron founding industry. Three key sub-processes are investigated and the effect of wage rates, discount rates, scale and quality standards are examined. In general, low wage rates, low scale and high discount rates favour the selection of techniques that are high or intermediate in their labour-intensity. The effect of increasing quality standards is to favour the more capital-intensive (and less labour-intensive) techniques.