Value co-creation between SME suppliers and large customers in the UK organic food sector.

As the distinction in roles of production by suppliers and consumption by customers become blurred, concomitantly there is increasing interest to understand the process of how value is co-created through interaction in business relationships. In this connection and in the context of larger customers and small and medium-sized suppliers’ (SMEs) dyad, this study identifies the areas of collaboration, how value is co-created and the respective co-created value. This is based on five in-depth case studies (business relationships) drawn from the UK organic food sector. Theoretically, the investigation is grounded on the Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) group’s interaction approach, given its assumptions. The larger customers and SME suppliers were found to collaborate in a wide range of areas including innovation, corporate social responsibility, inter-linked technical systems, planning, co-evaluation and interactive learning. Considering the value co-creation practices as representing how value is co-created, this occurred respectively in the form of, for example: exchanging ideas on product development; facilitating and sponsoring school children to visit farms; joint technical systems; consultations in the development of business plans; co-evaluating processes and staff; and internships. The collaboration led to co-creation of monetary and non-monetary values such as revenue and reputation respectively. Different collaborative areas led to the co-creation of various types of value and this underscores the potential of larger customer-SME supplier relationships and also has implications in resource allocation. The identified value cocreation phenomenon reveals the need to extend the IMP interaction approach by entrenching the concept of value co-creation such that the framework not only shows exchange but also value co-creation

Towards innovative behaviour for technology students

Scale items related to Cognitive and Metacognitive Strategies (CMSs), Course Design Characteristics (CDCs), Knowledge Sharing Behaviour (KSB) and Innovative Behaviour (IB) can be gathered from literature and located within relevant theoretical conceptual frameworks. The aim of the study reported on in this paper was answering the research question: How can such items be re-purposed and/or modified for measuring CMSs, CDCs, KSB and IB during technology education? The importance of this research is justified in terms of the study objectives. The paper explains the design and execution of the methodology as appropriate and adequate in relation to the research question. This quantitative research design considered issues of reliability and validity. The discussion of results shows insight and originality, suggests implications and makes recommendations that are applicable and useful. The research question is answered in the conclusion, with the conclusions being justifiable in terms of the methodology and the results of the pilot study, which allowed for refining of the measures in terms of a set of original items to be used in the main study. The pilot study also contributes towards scholarly debate in fields related to CMSs, CDCs, KSB and IB.Institute for Science and Technology Education (ISTE

Towards innovative behaviour for technology students

Scale items related to Cognitive and Metacognitive Strategies (CMSs), Course Design Characteristics (CDCs), Knowledge Sharing Behaviour (KSB) and Innovative Behaviour (IB) can be gathered from literature and located within relevant theoretical conceptual frameworks. The aim of the study reported on in this paper was answering the research question: How can such items be re-purposed and/or modified for measuring CMSs, CDCs, KSB and IB during technology education? The importance of this research is justified in terms of the study objectives. The paper explains the design and execution of the methodology as appropriate and adequate in relation to the research question. This quantitative research design considered issues of reliability and validity. The discussion of results shows insight and originality, suggests implications and makes recommendations that are applicable and useful. The research question is answered in the conclusion, with the conclusions being justifiable in terms of the methodology and the results of the pilot study, which allowed for refining of the measures in terms of a set of original items to be used in the main study. The pilot study also contributes towards scholarly debate in fields related to CMSs, CDCs, KSB and IB.Institute for Science and Technology Education (ISTE

Aboveground Net Primary Productivity in Grazed and Ungrazed pastures: Grazing Optimisation Hypothesis or Local Extinction of Vegetation Species

The controversy that has surrounded herbivory studies in the last few decades prompted our investigation to establish the extent to which herbivore optimisation hypothesis or compensatory growth evidence is real. We used the traditional movable cage method to collect primary productivity data on herbage, functional groups and key individual grass species in various controlled large herbivore treatments in an east African savanna. The herbivore treatments in triplicate blocks included cattle, wild herbivores with and without mega herbivores and combinations of cattle and wild herbivores also with and without mega herbivores. The findings revealed that at herbage level, most grazed treatments (four out of five) had higher productivity than the ungrazed control and three showed grazing optimisation curve at sixth polynomial degree between monthly productivity and grazing intensity (1-g/ng). At functional group level forbs productivity was higher in the ungrazed control than in any of the grazed treatments while at individual grass species level _Themeda triandra_ productivity was higher in all grazed treatments than in ungrazed control. We conclude against presence of herbivore optimisation hypothesis at herbage, functional group and species level because of lack of attributable grazing effect in grazed treatments that matches complex ecological effects in the ungrazed treatment

Relationships Between Blueberry Flower Age, Pollination, and Conidial Infection by Monilinia vaccinii-corymbosi

Monilinia vaccinii-corymbosi infects open blueberry flowers via the gynoecial pathway, leading to mummification of the developing fruit. To determine the effect of flower age on infection, stigmata were inoculated with conidia of M. vaccinii-corymbosi between 0 and 5 days after anthesis, fungal growth rates through the stylar canal were measured in detached flowers in the laboratory, and fruit disease incidence was determined in plants grown in the greenhouse. Hyphal growth rates were greatest in flowers inoculated on the day of anthesis, declined linearly with increasing flower age at inoculation (r = 0.921; P \u3c 0.0001; n = 12), and were unaffected by the presence or absence of pollen applied at the time of inoculation. In greenhouse-grown plants, the percentage of infected fruit decreased exponentially with increasing flower age at inoculation (R = 0.878; P = 0.0057; n = 10), with disease incidence ranging from 76.4% for flowers inoculated on the day of anthesis to 15.5% for those inoculated 4 days later. Fruit disease incidence in the greenhouse was linearly correlated with hyphal growth rates in detached flowers (r = 0.985; P \u3c 0.0001; n = 9), justifying the use of detached flowers when investigating gynoecial infection by M. vaccinii-corymbosi. In separate experiments, the effects of timing and sequence of pollination and inoculation on hyphal growth rates through the stylar canal and on disease incidence were investigated. Application of pollen to detached flowers 1 or 2 days before inoculation reduced hyphal growth rates by between 14.0 and 42.9% compared with flowers that received pollen and conidia simultaneously. Similarly, reductions in fruit disease incidence by between 9.5 and 18.3% were observed on greenhouse-grown plants for pollination-to-inoculation intervals ranging from 1 to 4 days. These results document that newly opened flowers are most susceptible to infection by M. vaccinii-corymbosi and that fruit disease incidence is reduced if pollination occurs at least 1 day before inoculation. Strategies that lead to early pollination of newly opened flowers may be useful for managing mummy berry disease in the field

Application of porter’s framework to assess aquaculture value chain in Kenya

Aquaculture (fish farming) is an agricultural as well as fisheries activity, competing with other agricultural enterprises and artisanal fisheries for the same basic inputs. Therefore, aquaculture is subject to the same basic resource constraints that traditional agricultural activities face. The literature suggests that competition within a value chain is between chains and not individual actors. This study examined the aquaculture value chain in Kenya, assessing the entire value chain, and determining the appropriate points to participate in economically sustainable ways. The competition analysis assessed attractiveness at each stage of the chain by reviewing the rivalry in terms of five competitive forces within the Kenyan aquaculture industry; competitive rivalry, the threat of new entrants, bargaining power of suppliers, threat of substitutes and bargaining power of buyers. The aquaculture industry in Kenya is assessed using Porter’s model with marketing mix (Ps) and factor evaluation matrix (FEM). Input supply is found to be the most difficult value chain function in which to participate because it requires relatively large initial capital outlays and additional operating funds. Although fish farming is the driving function of the entire value chain, the significant capital investments required could be a barrier to entry. Fish farming has largely benefited from the support of government, NGOs and other regional development initiatives. The study established that the easiest sector to enter (in terms of low barriers to entry and exit and low labour requirements) is the fish marketing sector. This chain function provides the most flexibility and liquidity to participants, whether as full-time or part-time occupation. Overall, participation in the Kenya aquaculture value chain will depend on the prospective entrant’s level of experience, time, capital commitment and financial goal (long term stability versus liquidity). Aquaculture requires a long term commitment and high capital outlays, as well as persistence, and should therefore be considered by those looking for long term stability and not short term benefits. Established fish farmers may consider diversifying into input supply and value addition as well.Key words: Kenya, aquaculture, tilapia, value chai

Econometric Data Analysis Affecting Performance of Supply Chain Systems in the Petroleum Industries in Kenya

The purpose of this paper was to do econometric data analysis on performance of supply chain systems in the petroleum industries in Kenya. Specifically, the objectives of the study were to establish whether there is any effect from; level of skills, information and communication technology and tendering systems and the moderating factor have an effect on supply chain systems performance. The study was conducted using a survey design. The total population of all oil companies in the 73 was covered by the study.  Several studies were carried to validate the final findings. Finally, this statistics concluded that there is need to do econometric data analysis to validate the effect of supply chain systems on performance by doing proper forecasting from the up streams to the down streams towards achieving a competitive edge in the business markets such as the petroleum industry. The econometric analysis focused on the these areas;  Information functions in order to inform management, support decision making and to identify  problem areas; Steering function in order to set targets and give directions to desired outcomes; Controlling function in order to supervise process execution. Keywords: level of skill of staffs, Information communication and technology, Tendering systems and Performanc

Relationship and Network Approach to Innovation and Capabilities Building in Small and Medium-Sized UK Organic Food and Drink Suppliers: A Literature Review

Both business and consumer markets of food and drink are increasingly changing, concomitant with changing consumer habits and lifestyles. Particularly in industrialised countries, there has been a tremendous growth in consumer interest for organic food in the last fifteen years, largely driven by the need for healthy food. These market changes have implications for the way firms in the food and drink industry conduct their business. Nevertheless, unlike large firms, small suppliers tend to be constrained in terms of innovations and capabilities, for instance to enable them keep pace with market changes. Based on the literature review, this paper develops a framework that suggests that market-driven innovations may be developed and implemented through augmentation of small and medium-sized suppliers’ (SMEs) own capabilities with those of their larger customers. This consequently would enable SMEs to keep pace with market changes and hence sustain their survival