U.S. CHAIN RESTAURANT EFFICIENCY

The growth of corporate food service firms and the resulting competition places increasing pressures on available resources and their efficient usage. This analysis measures efficiencies for U. S. chain restaurants and determines associations between managerial and operational characteristics. Using a ray-homothetic production function, frontiers were estimated for large and small restaurant chains. Technical and scale efficiencies were then derived for the firms. Finally, a Tobit analysis measured associations between technical efficiencies and firm characteristics. Results showed differences based on firm size, but factors such as experience, service format, unit size, and menu were strongly associated with efficiency, perhaps offsetting some firm size effects.Agribusiness,

Entrepreneurial Organizational Characteristics in Hawaiian Elementary Schools: Its Relationship to School Characteristics and Student Achievement

To determine the level of entrepreneurial organizational characteristics in Hawaiian public elementary schools, 3,816 teachers in 111 schools were surveyed using the Public School Entrepreneurial Inventory (PSEI). This survey was developed and used previously in Israel. This was the first application of the PSEI in the United States. Two domains of entrepreneurial organizational characteristics were measured: principal proactiveness and school innovativeness. Based on the levels of entrepreneurial characteristics, schools were grouped into four entrepreneurial profiles. A chi square goodness of fit was used to determine the variation in entrepreneurial profiles between the regions of Israel and Hawaii. Based on the chi square examination and a preponderance of conservative entrepreneurial profiles from Hawaii schools, a modified range of entrepreneurial profiles was created. The resulting Hawaii adjusted entrepreneurial profile and PSEI mean scores were then used to examine relationships among school characteristics and entrepreneurial organizational levels. The sample schools\u27 student achievement data based on the Hawaii State Assessments (H.S.A.) was compared to the Hawaii adjusted entrepreneurial profile and PSEI mean scores. Other school level characteristics were examined for potential relationships with a schools\u27 Hawaii adjusted entrepreneurial profile and PSEI mean scores. These characteristics included years of principal experience, size of school, geographic location, and socio economic level. A significant relationship was found between the Hawaii adjusted entrepreneurial profile and principal\u27s years of experience. A second significant relationship unrelated to a schools\u27 entrepreneurial level was found between a school\u27s socioeconomic level and overall H.S.A. achievement results. Other relationships were explored using the Hawaii adjusted entrepreneurial profile and PSEI mean scores but were found to be non-significant. Findings indicated a lack of variation among Hawaii schools\u27 entrepreneurial characteristics, especially representation in higher levels of entrepreneurial characteristics; that is, higher levels of principal proactiveness and school innovativeness. This lack of variation limited statistical findings about relationships among school characteristics and entrepreneurial levels. Reasons behind the lack of variation are explored and include a rigid leadership development program and a traditional bureaucratic system that limits principal proactiveness and school innovativeness

ANALYSIS OF MARKETING MARGINS IN THE U.S. LAMB INDUSTRY

Factors affecting marketing margins were identified and assessed using a relative price spread technique. Margins were disaggregated into slaughter-to-wholesale and wholesale-to-retail for a more complete understanding. Marketing costs, concentration, demand, and price were used to explain variations within these margins. Results showed that packer concentration had a significant effect on margins. Forces of supply and demand (as represented by production and market price) and changes in marketing costs also explained the variation in margins. A higher degree of price transmission from slaughter-to-wholesale level was observed in comparison to the wholesale-to-retail level.Marketing,

AN EVALUATION OF CONSUMER PESTICIDE RESIDUE CONCERNS AND RISK INFORMATION SOURCES

Marginal probability effects of demographic variables on consumer concerns about pesticide residues were assessed as well as the likelihood of consumer beliefs given different channels of information on produce safety and risks. This was done using maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) of ordered logit models. The empirical results showed that pesticide residue concern levels appeared to be lower for more highly educated and high income households. Safety information from the academic community was found to have the highest likelihood of acceptance by consumers.Risk and Uncertainty,

Impact of nutrients and herbivory by Eccritotarsus catarinensis on the biological control of water hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes

Many water hyacinth infestations in South Africa are the symptom of eutrophication, and as a result, biological control of this weed is variable. This study examined the effects of herbivory by the mirid, Eccritotarsus catarinensis, on water hyacinth grown at high, medium and low nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) nutrient concentrations. Water nutrient concentration appears to be the overriding factor affecting plant growth parameters of water hyacinth plants—at high nutrient concentrations, leaf and daughter plant production were more than double than at low nutrient concentrations, while stem length was twice as great at high nutrient concentrations compared to low concentrations. Chlorophyll content was also twice as high at high nutrient concentrations than low concentrations. Conversely, flower production at high nutrient concentrations was less than half that at low concentrations. Herbivory by E. catarinensis did not have as great an effect on water hyacinth vigour as nutrient concentration did, although it significantly reduced the production of daughter plants by 23 ± 9%, the length of the second petiole by 13 ± 5%, and chlorophyll content of water hyacinth leaves by 15 ± 6%. In terms of insect numbers, mirids performed better on plants grown under medium nutrient conditions (99 ± 28 S.E.), compared to high nutrient concentrations (52 ± 27 S.E.), and low nutrient concentrations (25 ± 30 S.E.). Thus, these results suggest that the fastest and most significant reduction in water hyacinth proliferation would be reached by lowering the water nutrient concentrations, and herbivory by E. catarinensis alone is not sufficient to reduce all aspects of water hyacinth vigour, especially at very high nutrient concentrations

Dellafossite CuAlO2 film growth and conversion to Cu–Al2O3 metal ceramic composite via control of annealing atmospheres

In this work we demonstrate simple techniques to form well crystallised CuAlO2 powders and thick films from CuO and boehmite or alumina, using a novel molten salt painting process. We examine the formation mechanism using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray 15 spectroscopy and in situ high temperature X-ray diffraction and find that the annealing atmosphere plays a critical role. From this we develop a method to create Cu-Al2O3 conductive metal-ceramic composite materials with novel morphologies via the thermal decomposition of CuAlO2 precursor films

DETERMINANTS OF WHOLESALE BEEF-CUT PRICES

Key determinants of monthly wholesale prices for 12 beef cuts include the quantity of the specific cut, stickiness in prices, marketing costs, quantities of pork and chicken, and seasonality. Seasonal patterns across the respective cuts are very different. Relative to the price in December, prices at the wholesale level in other months can be as much as 6 percent lower to as much as 21 percent higher.Wholesale prices, Beef cuts, Seasonality, Demand and Price Analysis, Livestock Production/Industries,