1,721,033 research outputs found
Ten Conversations about Identity Preservation: Implications for Cooperatives
No full textMotivation: While it appears the modern economy demands ever increasing amounts of differentiation, opportunities for grain producers to create and capture significant new sources of value remains elusive. Opportunities appear to loom large to help remove risk and improve quality in the grain supply chain through preservation of product identity, producers, producer groups, and cooperatives are frustrated at the low level of value available to them from IP demand. Why do premiums remain low? And, what is the role of group action in these new differentiated markets? Objectives: This research report helps to explain this apparent paradox underlying the economics of the value proposition for IP grains. Methodology: Needs assessments were conducted on procurement executives using a semi-structured instrument. Results: The study demonstrates that understanding identity preservation business opportunities requires an understanding of the buy-side proposition. Respondents described how they balance the risk mitigation and market uplift features of a supply offering with the risks of narrowing the supply base. A model of the buyer's calculus is constructed. The results show how for producers and producer groups to drive value up the chain they need to shift away from solely a new product focus. Instead attention needs to be directed towards technologies, delivery systems, and organizational models that when bundled with new products make end-users more competitive. A second insight was the limited role of group action in meeting end-user needs. Where value markets existed, internalized groups rather than "arm's length" group transactions were the norm. Plan for Discussion: The cooperative movement was grounded in group action giving individual producers power in the market. The motivation to unite was very clear. In the post-industrial agrifood system though, why do buyers want to purchase from a group? What is the role of the group, from a buy-side perspective, in the modern economy? How should effective groups be structured? Key Words: identity preservation, supply chain management, value creation, group actionidentity preservation, supply chain management, value creation, group action, Agribusiness,
Specifying the structure of the soybean-meat value chain: a taxonomical approach
No full textAs family’s income around the world has been increasing in recent years, the demand for chicken meat and pork has been growing. Moreover, this trend is expected to continue in the next decades. In the other hand, world’s soybean production is also forecasted to increase at a steady rate in the next decades. Despite that soybean is a crucial primary input in meat production, very often the research found in literature does not consider the complete value chain from soybean to meat production. This approach hinders the possibility to study the interaction between soybean and meat production. This thesis takes an alternative approach and examine the soybean-meat value chain at a global scale. The main purpose of this work was to provide a specification of the soybean-meat value chain, and ultimately explain the soybean-meat relationship at the country level. In this purpose global value chain (GVC) analysis, cluster analysis, and regression analysis were combined into one research methodology that is proposed as a more robust alternative to traditional GVC analysis. The analysis permitted to provide a description of the soybean-meat GVC and to develop a taxonomy of the archetypal value-adding strategies used by countries to produce meat. Different strategies to produce meat were found. In this context, it was evidenced that soybean production is not a necessary nor sufficient condition to produce meat at the country level. Having access (through a GVC) to soybean meal and soybean is then the necessary condition to produce meat. Meat production at the country level was found to be mainly determined by the domestic meat demand.Submission published under a 24 month embargo labeled 'U of I only', the embargo will last until 2017-08-01The student, Andres Bautista Chaparro, accepted the attached license on 2015-07-15 at 15:50.The student, Andres Bautista Chaparro, submitted this Thesis for approval on 2015-07-15 at 15:55.This Thesis was approved for publication on 2015-07-17 at 10:20.DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #8470 on 2015-09-29 at 14:59:35Made available in DSpace on 2015-09-29T20:49:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2
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Previous issue date: 2015-07-17Embargo set by: Seth Robbins for item 89477
Lift date: 2017-09-29T20:50:34Z
Reason: Author requested U of Illinois access only (OA after 2yrs) in Vireo ETD systemU of I Only Restriction Lifted for Item 89477 on 2017-09-30T09:15:24Z
Value creation in the agri-food value chain
No full textGlobal agricultural markets reflect the increasing complexity of modern consumer demand for food safety and quality. This demand has triggered changes throughout the food industry, and led to greater opportunities for product differentiation and the potential to add value to raw commodities (Goldsmith et al., 2002; Humphrey and Memedovic, 2006).Greater differentiation and value adding have in turn dramatically changed the price spread or marketing bill between the farm value of products and the retail value during the past 18 years. Thus a significantly greater percentage of the final price paid by consumers is garnered down chain rather than up chain. This apparent shifting of value creation, as measured by the marketing margin, has invigorated empirical questions as to where and how much value is created along the agri-food value chain. Using a regression model with a ten-year panel data of financial information taken from 454 agri-food companies worldwide, this paper empirically analyzes value creation in the agri-food value chain. The agri-food value chain can be split into four main stages: input, production, processing and retailer. The main purpose of this study is to analyze the differences in stages within the agri-food value chain by identifying which firms and nodes excel or underperform in the value creation process. For the purpose of this paper, we estimate the Economic Value Added (EVA) metric for each firm. We validate our findings by creating and employing three additional value creation measures—the modified economic value added, the percentage of companies that create value and the persistent value creation—which improve the robustness of our findings and allow this study to find measures that are not biased by company size. The results indicate that agricultural producers—the most commoditized sector—contribute the least amount of value to the chain, while further processing and retailing contribute significantly higher levels of value.Item withdrawn by Mark Zulauf ([email protected]) on 2014-07-18T15:53:40Z
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license.txt: 4062 bytes, checksum: 0e5597f444e4670a198df7b625fee61d (MD5)Embargo set by: Seth Robbins for item 50585
Lift date: 2016-09-16T17:18:17Z
Reason: Author requested U of Illinois access only (OA after 2yrs) in Vireo ETD systemU of I Only Restriction Lifted for Item 50585 on 2016-09-22T20:59:12Z
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
No full textThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
No full text“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
No full textWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Asset utilization efficiency and energy asset turns: a new approach for evaluating and comparing renewable energy projects
No full textAs global demand for food, fuel, and energy resources rise and concerns about climate change and the depletion of fossil fuels become more pressing; demand for renewable energy projects has grown. Thanks to related scientific developments, a variety of innovative conversion technologies is now available. As a result, tools that facilitate business evaluation across the multiple types of production systems are increasingly important to adequate planning and decision-making for investors and regulators working with renewable energy.
This thesis contends that although business evaluation of renewable energy projects is complicated by numerous elements (some inherent to the environmental-component they present, and others to the highly integrated production chain they often constitute), the fundamental attributes that affect their financial and economical business performance aggregate on the capital level, in a tangible and measurable manner. While the business literature backs this suggestion for numerous industries, there is a lack of researches and investigative methods available in the field of renewable energy Thus; this thesis presents the foundations of an analytical framework with roots on business analysis through the exploration of financial ratios. More precisely, for comparing the alternatives, a systems-model approach is proposed for allowing uniform assessments of the utilization levels presented by the physical-assets existing within a given energy system, extending the conventional financial analysis of physical assets turnover to the particular needs of the energy industry.
Although the propositions herein formulated are designed to be functional across most (if not all) renewable energy system, the focus of this thesis is biomass-based energy for: 1) The prominent contextual relevance these systems currently hold, 2) The broad and comprehensive producing chain they present (which is adequate for mathematical modeling), and 3) The inevitable need for research-scope.
Empirical validation is then presented through the mathematical construction and microeconomic interpretation of three case studies.
First, the Brazilian biomass-based renewable industry is assessed in terms of the levels of physical-assets performance it presents across three-defined ethanol production clusters. Results show similar levels of asset performance presented by the in-operation ethanol enterprises, despite regional features influencing key-parameters of the proposed model, matching ex-ante expectations based on the regional policy-history of the industry.
The second case study examines impacts in the performance of physical-assets that may result from technological advances in a given energy-production system. This case study uses cross-sectional data from surveys and interviews of agents working directly with grid-connected biomass-energy plants in Mato Grosso, Brazil. Additionally, the case study presents regressions of the regional asset-cost plant-size relation. The results offer evidence that, ceteris paribus, reduction in the specialization of physical assets of the systems contribute to increased project viability by allowing increased capital efficiency.
Finally, a comparison of the performance of physical-assets across various types of renewable energy technologies is presented, offering evidence that measurement of physical asset utilization may be successfully used to support comparison of alternatives in renewable energy.Item withdrawn by Mark Zulauf ([email protected]) on 2010-07-08T13:00:58Z
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A pilot study on the impacts of European Union integration on Bulgarian commercial producers buying behavior for capital equipment
No full textThe fall of Communism abruptly ended collectivized farming and Agro-Industrial Complexes in Bulgaria, paving the way for modernization, privatization, consolidation and new markets through European Union (EU) integration. With integration came the rise of the Bulgarian commercial producer, resulting in new market opportunities for suppliers of capital inputs.
Understanding how Bulgarian commercial producers buy capital equipment is extremely valuable to suppliers who hope to develop new selling and retention strategies in an emerging agricultural marketplace. This information is also beneficial to researchers who are concerned about various factors that influence and drive economic decisions on Bulgarian farms.
This thesis presents an exploratory pilot study utilizing a mixed methods approach integrating survey and interview data using a convergent parallel design of agricultural commercial producers in Bulgaria. Quantitative data was collected from responses to the 2013 Large Commercial Producer (LCP) survey by Purdue University’s Center for Food and Agricultural Business followed immediately by interviews with seven commercial farmers. The results show that when buying capital inputs, Bulgarian commercial producers have a strong loyalty to their current brands of capital equipment but not an overall loyalty to the brand itself. Market power favors the commercial producer making it a buyer’s market rather than a seller’s market. Producers indicated preferences characteristic of the Performance buyer segment wanting quality, reliability, durability, and good service when buying commercial equipment but they are also price sensitive. This pilot study has been a first step in better understanding the decision-making processes and motivation regarding how Bulgarian commercial producers buy capital equipment.Item withdrawn by Laura Spradlin ([email protected]) on 2014-07-22T16:33:25Z
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An Assessment of the Discommodity Effects of Swine Production on Rural Property Values: A Spatial Analysis
No full textIt is also important to have a spatially balanced sample when the range of impact from a source is spatially limited. Stratified area sampling, taking all observations within a certain distance band, performs better than random sampling. Finally, spatial non-linearities in property value arising from the rural-urban fringe need to be accounted for as land use becomes increasingly heterogeneous and the traditional boundaries between urban and rural are blurred.Made available in DSpace on 2015-09-25T18:22:50Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2
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Previous issue date: 2004Embargo set by: Seth Robbins for item 80818
Lift date: Forever
Reason: Restricted to the U of I community idenfinitely during batch ingest of legacy ETDsRestricted to the U of I community idenfinitely during batch ingest of legacy ETDsU of I Only186 p.Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2004
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