Livelihood Disruption and Venture Creation: Entrepreneurship as Technology Adoption A Comparison between Kentucky and Shaanxi Farmers

In the US, The Tobacco Transition Payment Program, also called the "tobacco buy-out," helps tobacco quota holders and producers transition to the free market. In China, the transaction of Land Use Rights providing farmers’ ability to buy or sell Land Use Rights has been seriously considered by the Chinese government. The uncertainty in household income and changes in economic environment during the US Tobacco Transition Payment Program and the Chinese Land Use Rights Regime lead many individuals into entrepreneurial activities. Entrepreneurship often means making changes in livelihood activities that involve substantial risks to income. While the rewards may be substantial, transactions costs may make decisions irreversible. This paper draws a comparison between entrepreneurship and technology adoption. Adopting a new production technology also involves substantial risks. The economics of technology adoption is a well developed literature with many accepted and testable models. Most prominent are the theories of learning by using and learning by doing. We review the technology adoption literature, drawing out lessons for entrepreneurship research. We then apply an ‘entrepreneurship as technology adoption’ model to a unique dataset collected in Kentucky, US and in Shaanxi province, China. Using a sample of 702 Kentucky farmers at the time of the buyout and 730 Chinese farmers, we test several of the implications of this model and compare significant results between Kentucky and Shaanxi farmers. This study finds that both farmers in Kentucky and Shaanxi with a strong social network are more likely to become entrepreneurs. Kentucky farmers with low income are more likely to start new businesses. The finding supports the “push” hypothesis as farmers with low income are pushed into starting a new business. The human capital factor is strongly associated with Shaanxi farmer’s entrepreneurial decision.Farm Management, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Testing of OrgPlan Conversion Planning software (OF0331)

OrgPlan is a computer package designed to support farmers and consultants in planning a conversion to organic farming. It consists of two main elements: the basic planning module and a database with data for organic, in-conversion and conventional data. It was developed with DEFRA funding (OF 0159) by a partnership between the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, the University of Hertfordshire, Elm Farm Research Centre and SAC. The objective of this work was to obtain feedback before its general release on the suitability of OrgPlan in supporting the process of planning a conversion to organic farming. Given the risks of the organic conversion process and the sensitive nature of the financial reports that OrgPlan can generate, further testing with consultants experienced in organic conversion planning was carried out. The work was broken down in four objectives. Independent of this, OrgPlan has been used by the contractor in the context of research work, in particular the Modelling of Strategies of Organic Milk Production (OF 0146). Objective 1: Update of standard data The contractor updated the OrgPlan database with data from the 2002/03 Organic Farm Management Handbook and other sources. Objective 2: Workshops and Field testing of the software Three workshops with a total 22 consultants were held during which they were given a basic introduction to the use of OrgPlan and had a first opportunity to use the software on their own computer or appropriate workstations. OrgPlan can effectively support several aspects of a first broad brush planning of an organic conversion (rotation planning, cropping and livestock enterprises, feasibility of a proposed organic scenario in terms of financial output, nutrient and forage budgets) and can assist with more detailed financial planning of investments, leading to Profit and Loss and Cash-Flow forecasts. OrgPlan could have a wider application in whole farm planning, but this would require extending the database to cover a wider range of enterprises common on conventional farms. Key strengths identified by the consultants (not in order of importance) • Financial planning • Availability of basic enterprise data set • Rotation planning and nutrient budgets • Combination of financial and nutrient data in one package • Create different scenarios giving instant access for reassessment of options • Possibility to ‘tweak' a scenario • Library, navigation around the collection is excellent • Help topics clear and straightforward • Broad brush planning, particularly for farms planning new enterprises Key weaknesses (not in order of importance) • Limited range of enterprises in the database, particularly for horticultural crops • Problems with set-up, use of database and understanding all functions • Need for regular updates of the dataset • P and K Fertilisers routinely included in organic enterprises • Data entry in some sections is long-winded Objective 3: Essential corrections to the software and update of advisory section • A list of problems and suggestions was compiled. All essential changes will be implemented before a release of the software. Other suggestions, which entail more complicated programming work, are included in a as ideas for future development of OrgPlan. Objective 4: Final report This is the final report submitted to DEFRA. The contractor will also submit to DEFRA a concept outlining the steps to be taken for the release of the software, which is planned for autumn 2003

Towards a complete multiple-mechanism account of predictive language processing [Commentary on Pickering & Garrod]

Although we agree with Pickering & Garrod (P&G) that prediction-by-simulation and prediction-by-association are important mechanisms of anticipatory language processing, this commentary suggests that they: (1) overlook other potential mechanisms that might underlie prediction in language processing, (2) overestimate the importance of prediction-by-association in early childhood, and (3) underestimate the complexity and significance of several factors that might mediate prediction during language processing

Path Dependence in Personal Selling : A Meso-Analysis of Vertical Integration

We examine an unusual form of path dependence, in which suppliers that take different decision paths end up in the same position: excessive vertical integration of the personal selling function. We argue that this is the case even though outsourcing is more seriously considered than ever, and economic arguments for outsourcing the sales function are compelling. We develop an institutional explanation at the meso level (a combination of individual, organization, and environmental forces, explicitly considering how these levels combine). This meso-analysis focuses on four forces driving firms toward being locked into employee sales forces. We enumerate and classify these mechanisms, illustrating them with a simple simulation of how outsourcing sales becomes rare. We close with testable propositions about which firms are most likely to break their dependence on a vertically integrated path.path dependence; personal selling; outsourcing; sales function

An integrated theory of language production and comprehension

Currently, production and comprehension are regarded as quite distinct in accounts of language processing. In rejecting this dichotomy, we instead assert that producing and understanding are interwoven, and that this interweaving is what enables people to predict themselves and each other. We start by noting that production and comprehension are forms of action and action perception. We then consider the evidence for interweaving in action, action perception, and joint action, and explain such evidence in terms of prediction. Specifically, we assume that actors construct forward models of their actions before they execute those actions, and that perceivers of others' actions covertly imitate those actions, then construct forward models of those actions. We use these accounts of action, action perception, and joint action to develop accounts of production, comprehension, and interactive language. Importantly, they incorporate well-defined levels of linguistic representation (such as semantics, syntax, and phonology). We show (a) how speakers and comprehenders use covert imitation and forward modeling to make predictions at these levels of representation, (b) how they interweave production and comprehension processes, and (c) how they use these predictions to monitor the upcoming utterances. We show how these accounts explain a range of behavioral and neuroscientific data on language processing and discuss some of the implications of our proposal

Visualisation of quality information for geospatial and remote sensing data:providing the GIS community with the decision support tools for geospatial dataset quality evaluation

The evaluation of geospatial data quality and trustworthiness presents a major challenge to geospatial data users when making a dataset selection decision. The research presented here therefore focused on defining and developing a GEO label – a decision support mechanism to assist data users in efficient and effective geospatial dataset selection on the basis of quality, trustworthiness and fitness for use. This thesis thus presents six phases of research and development conducted to: (a) identify the informational aspects upon which users rely when assessing geospatial dataset quality and trustworthiness; (2) elicit initial user views on the GEO label role in supporting dataset comparison and selection; (3) evaluate prototype label visualisations; (4) develop a Web service to support GEO label generation; (5) develop a prototype GEO label-based dataset discovery and intercomparison decision support tool; and (6) evaluate the prototype tool in a controlled human-subject study. The results of the studies revealed, and subsequently confirmed, eight geospatial data informational aspects that were considered important by users when evaluating geospatial dataset quality and trustworthiness, namely: producer information, producer comments, lineage information, compliance with standards, quantitative quality information, user feedback, expert reviews, and citations information. Following an iterative user-centred design (UCD) approach, it was established that the GEO label should visually summarise availability and allow interrogation of these key informational aspects. A Web service was developed to support generation of dynamic GEO label representations and integrated into a number of real-world GIS applications. The service was also utilised in the development of the GEO LINC tool – a GEO label-based dataset discovery and intercomparison decision support tool. The results of the final evaluation study indicated that (a) the GEO label effectively communicates the availability of dataset quality and trustworthiness information and (b) GEO LINC successfully facilitates ‘at a glance’ dataset intercomparison and fitness for purpose-based dataset selection

One last bite : the potential for local seafood markets in Sweden : consumers as resource users

Over the past 30 to 40 years comprehensive fishery policies and certification schemes have attempted to halt the rapid decline and exploitation of commercial fish stocks. However, with seafood as one of the most globalized food commodities and the world’s population increasing exponentially, most commercial stocks are thought to be on the brink of collapse. Some estimates exclaiming that all commercial stocks will be overfished by 2048, presenting challenges to ecosystems and food security. In the wake of such sustainability challenges the local food movement and sustainable seafood initiatives have surfaced as a means to address them; with burgeoning programs such as community-supported fisheries and other local seafood markets. Through a mixed methods approach this study attempts to contribute to a more holistic understanding of the potential for local seafood markets in Sweden. Three models are analyzed complimented with both qualitative and quantitative data from interviews and questionnaires of stakeholders involved in the fisheries industry. Ostrom’s frameworks for common-pool resources and Social-Ecological Systems, as well as the Theory of Planned Behavior assist in this analysis; focusing on consumers as resource users, and their contribution to the sustainability of Common-Pool Resources through behavioral intention. The research study reveals that there is potential through consumer and producer interest. Community-supported fisheries present a developed model from which to draw from in the Swedish context, as do the Stockholm Fish Market and the Simrishamn South Baltic FLAG. Comprehensive analysis suggests that no one model can be used as a panacea; however, community-supported fisheries adhere to all three pillars of sustainability, encouraging a collaborative and community-based approach to mitigating the challenge of common-pool resource use. Although the study scratches the surface of an under-researched field, it represents an innovative approach to seafood valuation and the involvement of consumers in the management and use of our common fisheries resource

Social Navigation in a Location-Based Information System

Much of contextaware application research has dealt with the technical aspects of context capturing and how to interpret the context of a user. Little effort has been spent on the experience and usage of these systems. This thesis will present the general aspects of social awareness and present an example on how these concepts can be implemented into a location-based information system to help users navigate a potential information overload. This thesis also states that giving the users an experience of not being alone in the system increases the pleasure of using such a system. However this implies a decrease in privacy. To demonstrate these ideas I will describe a locationbased information system, GeoNotes, built by a group of researchers at SICS, the Swedish Institute of Computer Science. I will state a set of interaction requirements for how to extend the GeoNotes system with functionality for social awareness. Furthermore I will set up functional requirements for those interaction requirements to after implementation be able to conclude which interaction requirements I have been able to implement for. I will also give suggestions on how to position users in a WLAN. The deliverable from this project is a locationbased information system with functionality for social awareness. However, it was not within this project to test the system on true users. Therefore the statement that this functionality can help users to navigate a potential information overload is still just a hypothesis. To retrieve the position of a user in a W-LAN a packet is sent to all base stations in the network. In the first returning packet the mac address of contacting base station is extracted. Each base station is therefore a unique position. Triangulation was discarded due to its sensitivity to noise and weather circumstances, although a system that uses triangulation would have offered a much higher granularity

Audience, Usability, and Reliability. Qualities to Increase Reader Engagement for The State Press

abstract: Information can be created and shared online instantaneously. While this means that users can be informed faster than ever, it also means that inaccurate or fabricated stories can spread just as quickly. Newsgroups have become more scrutinized than ever. With this in mind, I wanted to research how an independent publication like The State Press can get the retain their reader base and I provided recommendations that are based on three key concepts of Technical Communication: write for an audience, provide an efficient user experience, and establish an ethos. I researched academic and professional articles related to communication and analyzed data that was provided by an editor from The State Press. The recommendations pertain to five categories: content output, operating systems and service providers, user demographics, user behavior, and search engines. The content is ethical and feasible for an independent publication and will bolster the readership and increase the overall level of engagement between the staff and the readers.Master's applied projec