Super farmers' market

'Super Farmers’ Market' was the second in a series of group shows that tease at the possible proximity of two forms of specialist consumption: fine food and fine art. The first 'Farmers’ Market' took place in London’s Wigmore Street in 2008, showcasing 24 producers, and was herded by farmer and de-curator Fedja Klikovac, Director of Handel Street Projects. And just as the weekly Farmers’ Market offers the discerning customer informed selections of the very best produce, so this annual version does with art: combining the idea of a selected exhibition as an exercise in connoisseurship with the recognition that art is nevertheless also a commodity. The 2010 show, curated by two experts in the field, Mary Anne Francis and Lucy Heyward, was themed around the idea of ‘upcycling’: the current trend for taking low-grade artefacts that might be destined for landfill and enhancing their value by means of handwrought interventions. To this end, 32 artists were asked to produce artworks using low-cost supermarket goods: groceries, cleaning materials and discarded packaging. Continuing the Farmers’ Market theme, artists are encouraged to resource their materials locally

Grounded: characterising the market exit of European low cost airlines

The aim of this paper is to undertake a comprehensive study of LCC market entry and exit in Europe between 1992 and 2012. In the 20 year period between 1992 and 2012, 43 low cost carriers (LCCs) have taken advantage of the progressive liberalisation of the European aviation market and commenced scheduled flight operations within the continent. Of these 43, only 10 remain operational, a failure rate of 77%. This paper contributes to extant literature on LCCs by examining the market entry, business practices, operating longevity and fate of failed operators to characterise European LCC market exit. Drawing on the findings of a detailed continental-wide study, the paper identifies that an airline’s start-up date, the nature and size of its operation and the size and composition of its aircraft fleet are key factors which influence LCC success and failure. The implications for both European and emerging LCC markets are discussed

Why don\u27t GPs go online?

A 2003 study of the adoption of online medical applications by Victorian GPs showed that not only are very few using them, but also very few have plans to do so. This paper asks why this is so. Three possible explanations are investigated: that their current IS/IT aligns with their strategy, rendering change unwarranted; that they do not have the requisite means; and that there are non-strategic, non-means reasons. After an analysis of the relevance of concepts of strategy and alignment to the medical profession, relevant concepts are applied to the data. The findings are not encouraging for government plans to improve access, equity and efficiency through online medical applications

Drivers for Suppliers’ Responsiveness in the Government Tendering Process: A Case of the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development Department of Public Works in Gatundu, Kiambu County, Kenya

The study aimed at determining the factors affecting suppliers’ responsiveness in the Government tendering process with reference to the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development Department of Public Works Gatundu Sub-County. The study focused on the management and activities of the staff as well as suppliers and customers of the department.  The researcher adopted a descriptive research design as there are variables which cannot be quantified but can only be described in descriptive statistics. Through random stratified sampling method the researcher selected 33 respondents out of 105 who constituted the total population of the staff, suppliers and customers in the department and were stratified in to senior level management, middle level management, procurement and stores staff as well as suppliers and customers in the department. Data was collected through administering questionnaires to the respondents. Quantitative and qualitative techniques of data analysis was used to analyze Data and included the use of SPSS Version 21 data analysis software as well as Microsoft Excel and the findings presented through charts, tables and graphs. The ideas conveyed in this study are in response to the research questions set forth. This study achieved its primary objectives which were: to determine the extent to which order specifications affect Supplier responsiveness in the Government tendering process; to assess the extent to which use of information technology affects Supplier responsiveness in the Government tendering process; to examine the extent to which market price increases affect Supplier responsiveness in the Government tendering process; and to establish the extent to which buyer-supplier relationships affect Supplier responsiveness in the Government tendering process. This result shows that there are relationships existing among the constructs of the study, and it confirms proposed ideas in the first three chapters. Hence, it is concluded with some contributions to the literature. From the findings the study has drawn conclusions and made recommendation on how supplier responsiveness to Government tendering processes can be enhanced. Importance of specifications cannot be over-emphasised. Specifications indicate, fitness for purpose or use; communicate the requirements of a user or purchaser to the supplier; compare what is actually supplied with the requirements in terms of purpose, quality and performance as stated and provide evidence in the event of a dispute, of what the purchaser required and what the supplier agreed to provide. Since the key objective of purchasing is to contribute to the profitability of an undertaking by obtaining the best quality products or services in terms of fitness for use at the least possible total cost. It is therefore higly recommedned that negotiating with suppliers, purchasing staff must know what they are negotiating for because the satisfaction of user requirements depends on obtaining reliable supplier. Findings of the study reveal the importance of Information technology, by way of transforming the way that business is conducted. There is need for purchasing entities to embrace the strategic implications of IT and e-procurement so as to effectively coordinate demand requests, transportation and inventory management organizations should utilize the benefit of strategic supply chain tools such as information technology to lower and make ordering more efficient. Keywords: Suppliers’ responsiveness, Tendering process, Order specifications, Information technology, Market price increases, buyer-supplier relationships

A Survey of Current Datasets for Vision and Language Research

Integrating vision and language has long been a dream in work on artificial intelligence (AI). In the past two years, we have witnessed an explosion of work that brings together vision and language from images to videos and beyond. The available corpora have played a crucial role in advancing this area of research. In this paper, we propose a set of quality metrics for evaluating and analyzing the vision & language datasets and categorize them accordingly. Our analyses show that the most recent datasets have been using more complex language and more abstract concepts, however, there are different strengths and weaknesses in each.Comment: To appear in EMNLP 2015, short proceedings. Dataset analysis and discussion expanded, including an initial examination into reporting bias for one of them. F.F. and N.M. contributed equally to this wor

Dividend Decisions, Economic Growth and Firm’s Value of Firms Listed at Nairobi Securities Exchange Kenya

The declining and highly volatile firm value observed in the NSE over the last decade has raised concern among scholars and financial practitioners. A declining and turbulent firm value implies lost and unstable shareholders wealth which in turn increases risk to the stock holders. It is therefore important to ensure that the firm value is enhanced to ensure growth and stable wealth of the shareholders. The study was carried out to determine the effect of dividend decisions, economic growth and firms’ value of selected firms listed at Nairobi securities exchange Kenya. The target population was the 46 non-financial companies listed in the NSE. A census of all non-financial firms listed in the Nairobi Securities Exchange was done. The study utilized secondary data from financial reports as published in the NSE handbook and Kenya National Bureau of Statistics for the period between 2008 and 2016. Panel regressions analysis and Pearson’s product moment correlation analysis were used for inferential analysis while means and standard deviations were used for purposes of descriptive analysis. Feasible Generalized Least Square (FGLS) regression results indicated that dividend decisions (p=0.012, <0.05) had a statistically significant positive effect on firm value. Whisman test of moderation further indicated that GDP had significant positive moderation effect on the relationship between each of the dividend decisions and the firm value. The study concludes that; dividend yield has a very strong positive relationship with firm value. That is, increases/decreases in dividend yield will be accompanied by increases/decreases in firm value. The study therefore recommends that corporate managers increase the dividend payout in times of profitability Keywords:  Dividend Decisions, Economic, Growth, Firm Value DOI: 10.7176/RJFA/11-18-06 Publication date:September 30th 202

Parental Socioeconomic Background as a Determinant of Student’s Academic Performance in Selected Public Secondary Schools in Calabar Municipal Local Government Area, Cross River State, Nigeria

The study examined the influence of parental socioeconomic background on the academic performance of students in selected public secondary schools in Calabar Municipal Local Government Area of Cross River State. The stratified sampling technique was used to select 114 students from five public schools, while the simple random sampling technique was used to administer the questionnaire. Also, data on student’s academic performance was obtained from student’s scores in four selected subjects. Data obtained was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical techniques. Multiple regression result revealed that parental socioeconomic background significantly influenced students’ academic performance (p<0.05); as students whose parents had better jobs and higher levels of educational attainment and who were exposed to more educational and cultural resources at home tended to perform better than their counterparts without such opportunities. The study identified parental occupation as the main predictive variable influencing student’s academic performance. However, increase in parental salaries in line with the current economic situation as well as the provision of adequate books and facilities in schools to breach the gap between the rich and the poor are recommended in order to improve the academic performance of students. Keywords: Academic Performance, Socioeconomic Background, Calabar Municipality, Government, Public School