Food insecurity,customer to volunteer transition and self-concept repair: a free store example

ABSTRACT

Food insecurity poses profound threats to self-concept which impacts on physical and mental health. Two Free Stores specialising in food rescue were selected for this research. Drawing on the narratives of 34 volunteers, we examined the working practices of the Free Stores and the personal experiences of the volunteers. The Free Stores adopted the operational principles of a store format, absence of means testing and customer to volunteer transition to modify the social context from whence the threats derive. Involvement with the Free Stores provides the recipients and volunteers with multiple strategies for self-concept repair to restore positive self-views. The operational principles are effective for gaining insights into the creation and transformation of the personal and social identities of the volunteers.     

Perceived organizational diversity and employee behavior

While the impact of organizational diversity on employee work outcomes has received significant research attention, there is a dearth of literature in hospitality settings, particularly in Eastern cultures. Integrating the Social Identity Theory and diversity literature, this study, using data collected from 22 hotels in Taiwan, examined the relationship of perceived organizational diversity with Job Performance (JP), Organizational Citizenship Behaviors (OCB) and Turnover Intention. The results indicated that the level of diversity perceived by hotel employees, significantly influenced employee JP and OCB. Ethnicity status also moderated the relationship between the perception of diversity levels and employee turnover intention. Specifically, a negative relationship between perceived diversity and turnover intention was observed among indigenous employees while a positive relationship was observed among non-indigenous employees.     

隐形冠军发展天花板的多元化突破——从“安索夫矩阵”得到的启示

隐形冠军企业在成立初期依靠准确的市场定位和高度专业化在某一细分市场中占有绝对的领导地位。但随着市场透明度的提高,产品生命周期的缩短,隐形冠军面临愈发激烈的竞争,其发展空间受到压制。依据"安索夫矩阵"中企业多元化发展战略,隐形冠军只有培养自身核心能力,执行行业跨度小的相关多元化战略,开发市场前景广阔的产品,才能实现成功突围。     

论语言差异与民族学生学业质量

本文运用文化人类学的研究方法,对影响民族学生学业质量的文化因素进行了深入的研究分析,在此基础上,以文化冲突等相关理论为依据,着重从文化的角度分析影响民族学生学业质量的语言差异因素,并进行理论解释和探讨,提出相关的对策建议。     

Strategic responses to food safety legislation

This paper assesses the responses made by food companies to changes in food safety legislation. Such responses are assessed in three ways. Firstly, an assessment is made as to why strategic responses to such legislation might be different to general strategic behaviour. Secondly a conceptual framework is presented and an examination of supply chain organisational response is made. Finally, the paper addresses the question of external marketing responses to food safety legislation. The paper concludes that food safety legislation is different, and often requires very swift strategic actions to be effective. Like other forms of legislation, however, food safety issues can also provide incentives and opportunities to well-managed and market-orientated firms.     

Food safety and product liability

This paper focuses on the U.S. product liability system for food poisoning cases and makes six key points. First, current legal incentives to produce safer food are weak, though slightly stronger in outbreak situations and in markets where foodborne illness can be more easily traced to individual firms. Far less than 0.01% of cases are litigated and even fewer are paid compensation. Second, even if potential plaintiffs can overcome the high information and transaction costs necessary to file lawsuits, monetary compensation provides only weak incentives to pursue litigation. Firms paid compensation in 56% of the 294 cases examined in this study and the median compensation was only $2,000 before legal fees. Third, indirect incentives for firms may be important and deserve more research. For example, firms may be influenced by costly settlements and decisions against other firms in the same industry. Fourth, confidential settlements, health insurance, and product liability insurance distort legal incentives to produce safer food. Fifth, the ambiguity about whether microbial contamination is “natural” or an “adulterant” hinders the legal system from effectively dealing with food safety issues. Sixth, a brief comparison of the incentives from U.S. and English legal systems suggests that more research is needed to understand the strengths, weaknesses, and relative impact of each country's legal system on the incentives to produce safer food.     

Prospects for food security in the 21st Century: with special emphasis on Africa

Food security for the world in 2025 is possible and probable if the right set of things are done, starting now. But the task will not be easy. It is both a technology and a political/economic challenge. The challenge for sub-Saharan Africa is even greater. While other regions improved per capita food availability over the last 30 years, Africa's availability declined. But food security is about more than supply. It is also about access which means income generating employment is critical. Meeting future requirements in Africa and the world will require sustainable intensification of complex production systems, appropriate national and international policies and continued investments in agricultural research. Without these conditions and increased employment intensive growth, prospects for the future are less bright.     

加强高校学生的素质教育,教师是关键

教师在素质教育中起关键性作用。在实施素质教育的过程中 ,教师应从以下方面努力 :1、提高自身的综合素质 ;2、改革课堂教学 ,让课堂真正属于学生 ;3、改革教学内容 ,创新教学方法 ;4、革新观念 ,承认素质教育的差异性。     

保密通信中的分形调制技术

分形调制在保密通信中具有广阔的应用前景。介绍了分形调制的原理,讨论了其在多速率分集、抗1/f噪声、抗频率选择性衰落、适用于信道条件复杂的MIMO通信系统等方面的特点。由于作为密钥的小波基任意多,且可根据信道情况在不同的小波基之间跳变,故分形调制具有极强的保密性和抗破译能力。     

几种发射分集OFDM系统信道估计方法性能评估

给出了3种基于发射分集的OFDM系统信道估计方法,分别从训练序列对算法的影响、估计准确度、算法复杂度和算法适用性等方面对各自性能作了分析比较,并进行了仿真.分析比较和仿真结果表明,训练序列对3种算法的影响很大,通过训练序列的正交化设计,LS和EM算法可以得到很大程度的简化;EM算法与LS算法估计精度相当,信噪比较大时,多项式模型算法估计精度要远远高于LS和EM算法;总体上来说,多项式模型算法复杂度最高,EM算法复杂度最低.