Agrifood Certification Schemes in an Intercultural Context: Theoretical Reasoning and Empirical Findings

The need for adequate systems to guarantee the quality of food products has become more and more obvious in recent years. As a consequence, not only in Germany but throughout the world, the number of certification schemes has been increasing for nearly a decade. Due to the implementation of these standards in various countries, a considerable number of contingency factors exist that may influence the effectiveness and efficiency of such schemes. These factors include the diverse political, economic and social conditions in the different countries. Numerous studies attribute a decisive role in the successful implementation of management instruments to cultural influences. Cultural conditions may differ considerably from region to region around the world. Against the background of this multiplicity of cultures, this study analyzes the impact of cultural context on the way certification schemes are implemented and work in different parts of the world. Based on theories concerning the influence of culture on the implementation of certification schemes, an empirical study was devised and conducted in 2008. Ninety-six respondents answered the extensive questionnaire, which helped identify how cultural differences are perceived by auditors and how these differences influence the implementation, effectiveness and efficiency of certification schemes. Based on the results, the authors formulate recommendations for standard setters and auditors, as well as the companies that implement these standards.Agribusiness, Certification Schemes, Culture, Intercultural Context., Agricultural and Food Policy,

An Experimental study on the information structure in teams

Is free-riding in teams reduced when one member receives a signal on his colleagueís performance? And how does free-riding depend on the signal's type? We address these questions in experimental teams in which two agents sequentially exert effort to contribute to the team output. We vary the type of information the second mover receives prior to his effort choice and find that agents work more when signals are available. Overall, behavior differs from predictions of standard theory. Signals that are predicted to have no effect are, in fact, influential and signals that are predicted to have an effect are redundant

An Experimental study on the information structure in teams

Is free-riding in teams reduced when one member receives a signal on his colleagueís performance? And how does free-riding depend on the signal's type? We address these questions in experimental teams in which two agents sequentially exert effort to contribute to the team output. We vary the type of information the second mover receives prior to his effort choice and find that agents work more when signals are available. Overall, behavior differs from predictions of standard theory. Signals that are predicted to have no effect are, in fact, influential and signals that are predicted to have an effect are redundant

Schematic Maps and Indoor Wayfinding

Schematic maps are often discussed as an adequate alternative of displaying wayfinding information compared to detailed map designs. However, these depictions have not yet been compared and analyzed in-depth. In this paper, we present a user study that evaluates the wayfinding behaviour of participants either using a detailed floor plan or a schematic map that only shows the route to follow and landmarks. The study was conducted in an indoor real-world scenario. The depictions were presented with the help of a mobile navigation system. We analyzed the time it took to understand the wayfinding instruction and the workload of the users. Moreover, we examined how the depictions were visually perceived with a mobile eye tracker. Results show that wayfinders who use the detailed map spend more visual attention on the instructions. Nevertheless, the depiction does not help to solve the task: they also needed more time to orient themselves. Regarding the workload and the wayfinding errors no differences were found

An Experimental study on the information structure in teams

Is free-riding in teams reduced when one member receives a signal on his colleagueís performance? And how does free-riding depend on the signal's type? We address these questions in experimental teams in which two agents sequentially exert effort to contribute to the team output. We vary the type of information the second mover receives prior to his effort choice and find that agents work more when signals are available. Overall, behavior differs from predictions of standard theory. Signals that are predicted to have no effect are, in fact, influential and signals that are predicted to have an effect are redundant.Team production; Free-riding; Experiment; Information; Signal

Heterogeneity in the Evaluation of Quality Assurance Systems: The International Food Standard (IFS) in European Agribusiness

Due to the growing demands of customers and several food crises, quality assurance schemes have become increasingly popular in agribusiness. With this trend in mind, it seems worthwhile to take a closer look at the satisfaction of participating European companies. The study focuses on the IFS, which has gained much relevance in the food industry. A questionnaire concerned with perceptions of the advantages and disadvantages of the IFS was answered by 389 companies. The results indicate that the overall evaluation of the IFS is primarily affected by the perceived usefulness of the catalogue of requirements and its evaluation. Furthermore, a cluster analysis was conducted and three clusters were identified, representing heterogeneous evaluations of the IFS.evaluation, quality assurance systems, International Food Standard, agribusiness, Agribusiness, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Q10, Q13, Q18,

Zertifizierungssysteme des Agribusiness im interkulturellen Kontext: Forschungsstand und Darstellung der kulturellen Unterschiede

In der Agrar- und Ernährungswirtschaft haben Fragen der Qualität und Sicherheit in den vergangenen Jahren erheblich an Bedeutung gewonnen. Ursächlich dafür sind u.a. verschiedene Lebensmittelkrisen. Es wurden daher erhebliche Anstrengungen unternommen, die Qualität und gesundheitliche Unbedenklichkeit von Lebensmitteln zu steigern, das verloren gegangene Verbrauchervertrauen wiederzugewinnen und den Forderungen des Lebensmitteleinzelhandels wie auch großer Abnehmer nach einer Reduzierung der Qualitätsunsicherheit zu entsprechen (vgl. im Überblick etwa Schiefer/Rickert 2004; Theuvsen et al. 2007)... --

Costs of Processing Genetically Modified Organisms: Analysis of the Rapeseed and Corn Industries

Die zunehmende Verbreitung gentechnisch veränderter Organismen (GVO) wirft die Frage nach möglichen wirtschaftlichen Konsequenzen auf. Die parallele Existenz von GVO- und GVO-freier Ware im Markt kann mit Kosten- und Nutzeneffekten verbunden sein und spielt somit aus betriebswirtschaftlicher Sicht eine wachsende Rolle für die Unternehmen der Ernährungswirtschaft. Vor diesem Hintergrund wurde im Herbst 2006 eine empirische Studie durchgeführt, um am Beispiel Raps und Mais die Strategien deutscher Lebensmittelverarbeiter im Umgang mit GVO sowie mögliche Zusatzkosten, die sich aus der zunehmenden Verbreitung von GVO ergeben können, zu ermitteln.GMO, costs of processing, rapeseed, corn, food industry, GVO, GVO-Vermeidungsstrategie, Investitions- und Betriebskosten, Parallelbetrieb,

Comparison of Simulated Fast and Green Routes for Cyclists and Pedestrians

Routes with a high share of greenery are attractive for cyclist and pedestrians. We analyze how strongly such green routes differ from the respective fast routes using the openrouteservice. Greenness of streets was estimated based on OpenStreetMap data in combination with Sentinel-II imagery, 3d laser scan data and administrative information on trees on public ground. We assess the effect both at the level of the individual route and at the urban level for two German cities: Dresden and Heidelberg. For individual routes, we study how strongly green routes differ from the respective fast routes. In addition, we identify parts of the road network which represent important green corridors as well as unattractive parts which can or cannot be avoided at the cost of reasonable detours. In both cities, our results show the importance of urban green spaces for the provision of attractive green routes and provide new insights for urban planning by identifying unvegetated bottlenecks in the street network for which no green alternatives exist at this point

BIS – BESONDERE SAMMLUNGEN IN SACHSEN: Buchschätze im Museum – Naturalienkabinett Waldenburg: Relikte eines Gelehrtenkabinetts aus der Barockzeit

Die barocke Gelehrtensammlung der Apothekerdynastie Linck aus Leipzig ist ein einmaliger Sammlungsbestand von nationaler und internationaler Bedeutung, zu dem auch eine kleine Fachbibliothek gehört. Deren Kostbarkeiten waren bisher nicht ausgestellt und können nun in Waldenburg von der Öffentlichkeit entdeckt werden