Lead-farmer extension and smallholder valuation of new agricultural technologies in Tanzania

Encouraging the widespread adoption and use of new on-farm technologies is an important part of productivity-led strategies to promote agricultural transformation. While many interventions have been designed to promote adoption through extension and education, little is known about how these efforts influence farmer willingness-to-pay (WTP) for new technologies. We use a Becker-DeGroot-Marschak (BDM) mechanism to elicit farmer WTP for two improved seed varieties and a new seed treatment product, Apron Star, under two different lead-farmer extension treatments in Tanzania: (i) a demonstration plot showcasing the technologies within a village; and (ii) a demonstration plot coupled with distribution of trial packs enabling some farmers to test the technologies on their own land. In the BDM, farmers were presented with six products – the two bean varieties: without Apron Star, with Apron Star already applied, and with a sachet of Apron Star for the farmer to treat the seed him/herself. Our results suggest that neither extension treatment significantly affects WTP for these technologies. However, we find that farmers are willing to pay more for seed that is pre-treated with Apron Star than for seed bundled with a sachet of Apron Star for self-treatment.     

农业绿色生产行为的内涵与外延

农业绿色生产行为的实施是农业绿色生产的必要活动过程,科学界定农业绿色生产行为,探讨农业绿色生产行为的内涵与外延对农业绿色发展研究与实践具有重要意义。文章基于已有研究成果,前后延伸,对农业绿色生产行为进行了概念辨析。由此,提出了农业绿色生产行为的基本概念,总结出农业绿色生产行为具有要求节能、降耗、减污,强调绿色生产技术的采用、追求全产业链绿色化、注重多重效益的统一等基本特征;同时基于全产业链视角,从产前绿色生产行为、产中绿色生产行为、产后绿色生产行为三个方面论述了农业绿色生产行为的外延。     

基于AHM-可拓评价模型的老旧小区绿色改造综合效益评价研究

老旧小区绿色改造是推进城市更新、满足人民群众美好生活需求的重大民生工程和发展工程,是实现存量建筑可持续发展的重要途径,而其综合效益评价也逐渐成为改造过程中的重要环节。文章从成本、经济效益、技术效益、生态效益和社会效益5个维度出发,建立并完善老旧小区绿色改造综合效益评价指标体系,运用AHM(属性层次模型)确定指标权重,构建老旧小区绿色改造综合效益的可拓评价模型,并以某市老旧小区绿色改造为例进行实证分析。评价结果显示,老旧小区绿色改造相对于传统的改造综合效益更优。     

The impact of strengthening agricultural extension services on women farmers: Evidence from Ethiopia

This paper evaluates the effect of the Rural Capacity Building Project (RCBP), which aimed at promoting growth by strengthening the agricultural service systems in Ethiopia, and by making them more responsive to smallholders’ needs, in particular women farmers. We examine the gender‐differentiated impact of the RCBP using panel data on 1,485 geographically dispersed households in project and control kebeles. We find that women farmers’ access and satisfaction with extension services increased significantly immediately after the start of the project, but that effect did not last into the medium term. The project led to an increase in the adoption of high‐value crop farming, area of land cultivated, and economic participation of household members, benefiting male‐ and female‐headed households equally. Results point to the positive impact of incorporating women's needs and constraints in the design of the agricultural extension system. However, the project was not able to reduce the preexisting gender gap in agricultural outcomes.     

The importance of advertising skepticism for brand extension appeals

According to existing research, ad persuasiveness decreases as advertising skepticism (i.e., the tendency to disbelieve advertising claims) increases. What remains unclear, however, is whether or not this effect extends to brand extension appeals. We suggest that the effect may vary according to brand extension similarity. Three studies test this assertion while providing process evidence and boundary conditions for the proposed effect. According to the findings, consumers automatically transfer associations from parent brands to highly similar extensions or automatically block these associations in the case of highly dissimilar extensions—reducing the impact of advertising skepticism on ad persuasiveness. At moderate levels, however, extension similarity is less predictive of the transfer process, increasing the negative effect of advertising skepticism on persuasion. Consistent with this account, the results identify brand transfer (i.e., the ability of the parent brand to make the extension) as the underlying mechanism explaining the advertising skepticism effect for moderately similar brand extension appeals. Furthermore, the results show how marketers can reduce these effects, and increase extension success, by emphasizing extension attributes that are shared with the parent brand. Collectively, these results provide a unique theoretical view, improving our understanding of advertising skepticism and the drivers of brand extension success.     

国外交易成本经济学实证研究应用领域的扩展

近年来,国外交易成本经济学的实证研究领域已从传统的产业组织经济学扩展到了市场营销、财务管理、会计、关系型契约等多个领域。本文对国外交易成本经济学在这些领域的实证研究作了简要的回顾,希望能够为我们的研究提供参考。     

The internet as an opportunity to rethink the role of the intermediary

The advent of the Internet and the attending increase in the value chain inter‐linking has been understood as a harbinger of the death of the intermediary. This paper uses Williamson's (1975) forms of specificity (human‐, site and physical asset‐specificity) and the components of the traditional value proposition (content, context and infrastructure) to suggest that the function of the intermediary will be changed, but not eliminated. In this discussion, I draw on the cases of Volvo and Electrolux. Both companies have recently launched web sites in order to regain control of the interface with customers, or context, which thanks to the Internet, can now be virtualised. This allows their intermediaries to focus on their specific advantage, namely handling the activities related to the delivery and logistic infrastructure. The main implication for firms is to re‐examine the various steps along their value chains with a view to bringing in‐house, virtually, those components where the intermediaries had specific advantages‐but which moved to the producer's side as a result of the Internet. Hence intermediaries acquire a more specific and focused role. To the extent that this role lies at the heart of their core competence, involving the provision of convenient locational and infrastructural delivery systems and services they enjoy competitive advantage vis‐a‐vis the producer.     

可拓评价模型在因素计点法岗位评价中的应用研究

因素计点法是目前企业应用最为广泛的岗位评价方法,其较强的量化程度提升了岗位评价的客观性.文章以因素计点法为基础,引入可拓评价模型作为工具,在进一步增强岗位评价方法客观性的同时,也提高了岗位评价的可靠性.通过实例分析,验证了可拓评价模型应用于因素计点法岗位评价中的可行性和有效性.     

由电机定子展开图解读嵌线工艺

本文介绍电机定子绕组嵌线的基本要求,从电机展开图中解读绕组嵌线规律,使电机修理人员快速掌握各类电机嵌线工艺。     

如何实施成功的品牌延伸战略

品牌延伸是品牌管理的一个重要组成部分,也是应用广泛的营销手段和工具。实施成功的品牌延伸战略,很重要的前提就是探询出影响品牌延伸结果的因素,针对这些要素来总结成功品牌因素策略的条件和实施背景,并以此作为企业实施正确的品牌延伸策略的理论依据。