Determinants of Consumer Preferences for Honey in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Honey is one of the important non-timber forest products consumed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and, as such, an important source of income for many households. However, poor knowledge of buyers’ preferences in the marketing of honey presents a major challenge to the profitability of the honey enterprises. The research presented in this article identifies key consumer characteristics that influence the preferences of honey consumers in the DRC. The primary data source used in this analysis is drawn from a survey of 214 consumers. Results show that consumers who are married and have reached at least the level of secondary education have a strong preference for local forest and savannah honey. Those between the ages of 30 and 50 do not prefer honey from beekeeping, but would rather have it imported. We conclude that segmentation of the honey market and increasing consumer awareness must go in tandem in order to develop a good marketing strategy.     

International deflation risks under alternative macroeconomic policies

We use a version of the Global Projection Model covering the United States, Euro area and Japan to assess options for dealing with the looming risk of international deflation. The zero floor to interest rates constrains monetary policy. Confidence intervals, derived from stochastic simulations, indicate ranges of uncertainty. The results suggest a high probability of a declining price level for a couple of quarters in 2009. Suitable policy adaptations reduce the risk that this might turn into a prolonged, global deflation. These include: a price level path target for monetary policy, which would respond to previous, as well as expected, shortfalls from the desired inflation rate; a more stimulative fiscal policy; and an increase in the long-run target for inflation.     

Irrigation production functions with water-capital substitution

The dynamics of biomass growth implies that the yield of irrigated crops depends, in addition to the total amount of water applied, on irrigation scheduling during the growing period. Advanced irrigation technologies relax constraints on irrigation rates and timing, allowing us to better adjust irrigation scheduling to the varying needs of the plants along the growing period. Irrigation production functions, then, should include capital (or expenditures on irrigation equipment) in addition to aggregate water. We derive such functions and study their water-capital substitution properties. Implications for water demand and adoption of irrigation technologies are investigated. A numerical example illustrates these properties.     

AN APPLICATION OF BASS'S MODEL IN THE ANALYSIS OF DIFFUSION OF COCOA-SPRAYING CHEMICALS AMONG NIGERIAN COCOA FARMERS

Several studies on the process of diffusion of agricultural innovations have recently emerged in the literature. They serve as an important link between studies on the establishment of innovations and those in their impact on the economy. However, previous standard diffusion models used in the analysis of diffusion of agricultural innovations assume that the population of potential adopters is identical and that they are all imitators. This assumption may not be realistic in all cases. Hence, it is argued, in this study, that the population of potential adopters is not identical but consists of both innovators and imitators, and a model incorporating the two categories of potential adopters is employed. This model is also assessed against the standard diffusion model to test its superiority. Although the data on the diffusion of cocoa-spraying chemicals among Nigerian cocoa farmers fit the model well, the result of its statistical evaluation shows little or no improvement over the standard model. This may, however, be due to the nature and composition of the data employed and the need for further refinement of the model.     

Twentieth century female ad images: Cultural interconnections,social learning,and the dialectical logic of advertising

The study conducts a historical investigation of the linkages among the focused social learning of a few (such as ideas of feminists groups), the amplification of those ideas throughout the masses, and observable female images in ads. The Hegelian sublation or Aufgehoben dialectical framework is applied to deepen understanding of how ad strategies have reconciled multiple cultural conversations about the proper image and role of women through the years. The findings of the research reveal distinctive dialectical processes and strategies in the ever-evolving patterns of female images in ads. The results of the study indicate that the focused social learning of the few is amplified to the masses through more emergent ad female roles and images during prosperous and peaceful times and is thwarted during times of national distress.     

The implications of ineffective internal control and SOX 404 reporting for financial analysts

The mandatory reporting of firms’ internal control effectiveness continues to be debated by equity market participants, U.S. regulatory agencies and oversight committees. We investigate the implications of material weaknesses in internal control and SOX 404 required reporting of such for financial analysts because analysts are important intermediaries in the U.S. capital market and it is not known whether analysts’ forecasts or coverage decisions are affected by firms’ internal control problems or reporting, respectively. Results of our empirical tests indicate that analysts provide less accurate forecasts and there is greater forecast dispersion for firms with ineffective internal control. We also find that firms that disclose internal control problems have less analyst coverage and that analyst following declines after the material weakness in internal control is disclosed. The results are robust to controlling for potential self-selection bias and management earnings guidance. Our study documents the consequences of ineffective internal control for an important class of financial statement users and suggests the required reporting on the effectiveness of internal control is beneficial to understanding the properties of analysts’ forecasts.     

Economic contribution of French serradella (Ornithopus sativus Brot.) pasture to integrated weed management in Western Australian mixed‐farming systems: an application of compressed annealing*

Sowing phases of French serradella (Ornithopus sativus Brot.) pasture between extended cropping sequences in the Western Australian wheatbelt can sustain grain production through restoring soil fertility and reducing selective herbicide use. The objective of this article is to investigate the profitability of rotations involving this pasture under a variety of weed management scenarios to obtain greater insight into its value for mixed farming systems in this region. A stochastic search procedure, compressed annealing, is used to identify profitable sets of weed management strategies in a simulation model representing a large number of potential combinations of chemical and non‐chemical forms of weed control. In contrast to a continuous‐cropping sequence, the inclusion of a serradella phase in a rotation is profitable at high weed densities and with increasing levels of herbicide resistance. A single year of pasture in the rotation is optimal if resistance to Group A selective herbicides is present at the beginning of the planning horizon, but a three‐year phase is required if resistance to multiple herbicide groups is observed. Sowing a serradella pasture twice over a two‐year phase is also shown to be economically attractive given benefits of successive high weed kills.     

Competition and complementarity between U.S. imports from developed and newly industrializing countries

Zusammenfassung Zur Substitution und Komplement?rit?t von US-Einfuhren aus Industriel?ndern und aus Schwellenl?ndern. - In diesem Aufsatz werden partielle Substitutionselastizit?ten für 26 dreistellige SIC-Importgruppen gesch?tzt und benutzt, um zu prüfen, ob US-Importe aus Industrie- und Schwellenl?ndern vorwiegend US-Produkte ersetzen oder sich gegenseitig substituieren. Für einige Gruppen zeigen die Ergebnisse, da\ die Einfuhren mit der heimischen Produktion konkurrieren und da\ Importe aus verschiedenen Quellen komplement?r sind. Dieses Ergebnis demonstriert zusammen mit den Ergebnissen früherer Untersuchungen, da\ Einfuhren aus Industrie- und aus Entwicklungsl?ndern im Falle stark aggregierter Einfuhrkategorien eher komplement?r sind. Deshalb ist es wichtig, Komplementarit?t zwischen Importen aus verschiedenen Quellen vorzusehen, und zwar sowohl in Modellen des allgemeinen Gleichgewichts als auch in jenen, mit denen die Reduktion von Pr?ferenz-z?llen analysiert wird.

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Résumé oncurrence et complémentarité entre les importations américaines des pays développés et des pays nouvellement industrialisés. - L’auteur estime les élasticités de substitution partielles à la Allen et les appliquent pour tester si les importations américaines des pays développés et nouvellement industrialisés sont des substituts plus étroits vis-à-vis la production locale que vis-à-vis elles-même dans 26 groupes d’importation basés sur la CSI. Dans quelques groupes, les résultats démontrent que les importations concurrencent la production locale et que les importations des sources différentes sont des compléments. Ce résultat, ensemble avec ceux d’autres études suggère que les importations des pays développés et développants sont plus probablement complémentaires dans des catégories d’importation fortement agrégées. C’est pourquoi il est important d’introduire la complémentarité entre les importations des sources différentes dans des modèles d’équilibre général et des autres modèles appliqués pour analyser des reductions tarifaires préférentielles.

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Resumen Competitividad y complementaridad entre las importaciones de los EE UU de países desarrollados y NICs. - En este trabajo se estiman elasticidades de substitución parciales según Allen que se utilizan para verificar impíricamente si las importaciones de los EE UU de países desarrollados y NICs más bien substituyen producción nacional o se substituyen mutuamente en 26 grupos de bienes de importación al nivel de très digitos de la SIC. Los resultados demuestran que en algunos grupos las importaciones compiten con la producción nacional y que las importaciones de distintos orígenes se complementan. Este resultado, junto con resultados de estudios previos, sugiere que las importaciones de países desarrollados y en desarrollo son factibles de ser complementarias a niveles altos de agrégación de las categorías de bienes de importación. Por ello, es importante incorporar la complementaridad entre importaciones de distinto origen tanto a los modelos de equilibrio general computable cómo también a otros modelos utilizados para analizar reducciones arancelarias preferenciales.

     

Modeling a north American free trade area: Estimation of flexible functional forms

Modeling a North American Free Trade Area: Estimation of Flexible Functional Forms, - This paper provides estimates of the almost ideal demand system as applied to U.S. imports from Canada, Mexico, the rest of the world, and competing domestic output. Quarterly data over 1980-88 and for 19 mining and manufacturing sectors are used. Implications of adding up, homogeneity, symmetry, and negativity are considered. The econometric results should guide applied general equilibrium modeling of a North American Free Trade Area, especially with regard to potential terms-of-trade effects.     

Ethical dilemmas in performance appraisal revisited

In managers' dynamic, real-world environments, they often feel it is necessary to exercise some creative discretion over employee ratings. Most managers do not describe their ratings of subordinates in performance appraisals as completely honest or accurate. The inaccuracy is often in the form of inflated ratings. They justify the inaccuracy by sighting, among other things, the need to avoid confrontation with subordinates, damaging working relationships, and creating permanent written documents which may later harm a subordinate's career. Many of these motives are not only well intentioned, but are designed to enhance individual, unit, and organizational performance (some of the ultimate objectives of performance appraisal systems.) This paper examines the ethics of this sort of deliberate manipulation of performance appraisal systems. It suggests that at the organizational level, performance appraisal is usually seen as an end in itself, and a formalist ethical critique is applied. At the managerial level, performance appraisal is usually seen as a means to an end, and a utilitarian critique is applied. Since both perspectives are essential, we conclude that a Janus-Headed analysis is needed. We suggest some duties and obligations for both the organization and the manager engaged in performance appraisal.Clinton O. Longenecker is an Associate Professor of Management at the University of Toledo and has published a variety of articles in both academic and professional journals on the topic of performance appraisal. Dean C. Ludwig is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the University of Toledo whose teaching and research focuses on ethical issues in marketing and management. Both have extensive industrial and educational experience and are active management consultants.