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loyalty</title> <meta name="description" content="Search results for: farmer loyalty"> <meta name="keywords" content="farmer loyalty"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, minimum-scale=1, maximum-scale=1, user-scalable=no"> <meta charset="utf-8"> <link href="https://cdn.waset.org/favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon" rel="shortcut icon"> <link href="https://cdn.waset.org/static/plugins/bootstrap-4.2.1/css/bootstrap.min.css" rel="stylesheet"> <link href="https://cdn.waset.org/static/plugins/fontawesome/css/all.min.css" rel="stylesheet"> <link href="https://cdn.waset.org/static/css/site.css?v=150220211555" rel="stylesheet"> </head> <body> <header> <div class="container"> <nav class="navbar navbar-expand-lg navbar-light"> <a class="navbar-brand" href="https://waset.org"> <img src="https://cdn.waset.org/static/images/wasetc.png" alt="Open Science Research Excellence" title="Open Science Research Excellence" /> </a> <button class="d-block d-lg-none navbar-toggler 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id="custom-search-input"> <div class="input-group"> <i class="fas fa-search"></i> <input type="text" class="search-query" name="q" placeholder="Author, Title, Abstract, Keywords" value="farmer loyalty"> <input type="submit" class="btn_search" value="Search"> </div> </div> </form> </div> </div> <div class="row mt-3"> <div class="col-sm-3"> <div class="card"> <div class="card-body"><strong>Commenced</strong> in January 2007</div> </div> </div> <div class="col-sm-3"> <div class="card"> <div class="card-body"><strong>Frequency:</strong> Monthly</div> </div> </div> <div class="col-sm-3"> <div class="card"> <div class="card-body"><strong>Edition:</strong> International</div> </div> </div> <div class="col-sm-3"> <div class="card"> <div class="card-body"><strong>Paper Count:</strong> 456</div> </div> </div> </div> <h1 class="mt-3 mb-3 text-center" style="font-size:1.6rem;">Search results for: farmer loyalty</h1> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">306</span> The Management of Company Directors Conflicts of Interest in Large Corporations and the Issue of Public Interest</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Opemiposi%20Adegbulu">Opemiposi Adegbulu</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> The research investigates the existence of a public interest consideration or rationale for the management of directors’ conflicts of interest within large public corporations. This is conducted through extensive literature review and theories on the definition of conflicts of interest, the firm and purposes of the fiduciary duty of loyalty under which the management of these conflicts of interest find their foundation. Conflicts of interest is an elusive, diverse and engaging subject, a cross-cutting problem of governance which involves all levels of governance, ranging from local to global, public to corporate or financial sectors. It is a common issue that affects corporate governance and corporate culture, having a negative impact on the reputation of corporations and their trustworthiness. It is clear that addressing this issue is imperative for good governance of corporations as they are increasingly becoming and are powerful global economies with significant power and influence in the society. Similarly, the bargaining power of these powerful corporations has been recognised by international organisations such as the UN and the OECD. This is made evident by the increasing calls and push for greater responsibility of these corporations for environmental and social disasters caused by their corporate activities and their impact in various parts of the world. Equally, in the US, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act like other legislation and regulatory efforts made to manage conflicts of interest linked to corporate governance, in many countries indicates that there is a (global) public interest in the maintenance of the orderly functioning of commerce. Consequently, the governance of these corporations is tremendously pivotal to the society as it touches upon a key aspect of the good functioning of society. This is because corporations, particularly large international corporations can be said to be the plumbing of the global economy. This study will employ theoretical, doctrinal and comparative methods. The research will make use largely of theory-guided methodology and theoretical framework – theories of the firm, public interest, regulation, conflicts of interest in general, directors’ conflicts of interest and corporate governance. Although, the research is intended to be narrowed down to the topic of conflicts of interest in corporate governance, the subject of company directors’ duty of loyalty and the management of conflicts of interest, an examination of the history, origin and typology of conflicts of interest in general will be carried out in order to identify some specific challenges to understanding and identifying these conflicts of interest; origin, diverging theories, psychological barrier to definition, similarities with public sector conflicts of interest due to the notions of corrosion of trust, the effect on decision-making and judgment, “being in a particular kind of situation”, etc. The result of this research will be useful and relevant in the identification of the rationale for the management of directors’ conflicts of interest, contributing to the understanding of conflicts of interest in the private sector and the significance of public interest in corporate governance of large corporations. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=conflicts%20of%20interest" title="conflicts of interest">conflicts of interest</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=corporate%20governance" title=" corporate governance"> corporate governance</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=corporate%20law" title=" corporate law"> corporate law</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=directors%20duty%20of%20loyalty" title=" directors duty of loyalty"> directors duty of loyalty</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=public%20interest" title=" public interest"> public interest</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/51565/the-management-of-company-directors-conflicts-of-interest-in-large-corporations-and-the-issue-of-public-interest" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/51565.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">368</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">305</span> Optimization and Coordination of Organic Product Supply Chains under Competition: An Analytical Modeling Perspective</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Mohammadreza%20Nematollahi">Mohammadreza Nematollahi</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Bahareh%20Mosadegh%20Sedghy"> Bahareh Mosadegh Sedghy</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Alireza%20%20Tajbakhsh"> Alireza Tajbakhsh</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> The last two decades have witnessed substantial attention to organic and sustainable agricultural supply chains. Motivated by real-world practices, this paper aims to address two main challenges observed in organic product supply chains: decentralized decision-making process between farmers and their retailers, and competition between organic products and their conventional counterparts. To this aim, an agricultural supply chain consisting of two farmers, a conventional farmer and an organic farmer who offers an organic version of the same product, is considered. Both farmers distribute their products through a single retailer, where there exists competition between the organic and the conventional product. The retailer, as the market leader, sets the wholesale price, and afterward, the farmers set their production quantity decisions. This paper first models the demand functions of the conventional and organic products by incorporating the effect of asymmetric brand equity, which captures the fact that consumers usually pay a premium for organic due to positive perceptions regarding their health and environmental benefits. Then, profit functions with consideration of some characteristics of organic farming, including crop yield gap and organic cost factor, are modeled. Our research also considers both economies and diseconomies of scale in farming production as well as the effects of organic subsidy paid by the government to support organic farming. This paper explores the investigated supply chain in three scenarios: decentralized, centralized, and coordinated decision-making structures. In the decentralized scenario, the conventional and organic farmers and the retailer maximize their own profits individually. In this case, the interaction between the farmers is modeled under the Bertrand competition, while analyzing the interaction between the retailer and farmers under the Stackelberg game structure. In the centralized model, the optimal production strategies are obtained from the entire supply chain perspective. Analytical models are developed to derive closed-form optimal solutions. Moreover, analytical sensitivity analyses are conducted to explore the effects of main parameters like the crop yield gap, organic cost factor, organic subsidy, and percent price premium of the organic product on the farmers’ and retailer’s optimal strategies. Afterward, a coordination scenario is proposed to convince the three supply chain members to shift from the decentralized to centralized decision-making structure. The results indicate that the proposed coordination scenario provides a win-win-win situation for all three members compared to the decentralized model. Moreover, our paper demonstrates that the coordinated model respectively increases and decreases the production and price of organic produce, which in turn motivates the consumption of organic products in the market. Moreover, the proposed coordination model helps the organic farmer better handle the challenges of organic farming, including the additional cost and crop yield gap. Last but not least, our results highlight the active role of the organic subsidy paid by the government as a means of promoting sustainable organic product supply chains. Our paper shows that although the amount of organic subsidy plays a significant role in the production and sales price of organic products, the allocation method of subsidy between the organic farmer and retailer is not of that importance. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=analytical%20game-theoretic%20model" title="analytical game-theoretic model">analytical game-theoretic model</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=product%20competition" title=" product competition"> product competition</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=supply%20chain%20coordination" title=" supply chain coordination"> supply chain coordination</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=sustainable%20organic%20supply%20chain" title=" sustainable organic supply chain"> sustainable organic supply chain</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/118568/optimization-and-coordination-of-organic-product-supply-chains-under-competition-an-analytical-modeling-perspective" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/118568.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">111</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">304</span> The Effects of Branding on Profitability of Banks in Ghana</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Evans%20Oteng">Evans Oteng</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Clement%20Yeboah"> Clement Yeboah</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Alexander%20Otechere-Fianko"> Alexander Otechere-Fianko</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> In today’s economy, despite achievements and advances in the banking and financial institutions, there are challenges that will require intensive attempts on the portion of the banks in Ghana. The perceived decline in profitability of banks seems to have emanated from ineffective branding. Hence, the purpose of this quantitative descriptive-correlational study was to examine the effects of branding on the profitability of banks in Ghana. The researchers purposively sampled some 116 banks in Ghana. Self-developed Likert scale questionnaires were administered to the finance officers of the financial institutions. The results were found to be statistically significant, F (1, 114) = 4. 50, p = .036. This indicates that those banks in Ghana with good branding practices have strong marketing tools to identify and sell their products and services and, as such, have a big market share. The correlation coefficients indicate that branding has a positive correlation with profitability and are statistically significant (r=.207, p<0.05), which signifies that as branding increases, the return on equity’s profitability indicator improves and vice versa. Future researchers can consider other factors beyond branding, such as online banking. The study has significant implications for the success and competitive advantage of those banks that effective branding allows them to differentiate themselves from their competitors. A strong and unique brand identity can help a bank stand out in a crowded market, attract customers, and build customer loyalty. This can lead to increased market share and profitability. Branding influences customer perception and trust. A well-established and reputable brand can create a positive image in the minds of customers, enhancing their confidence in the bank's products and services. This can result in increased customer acquisition, customer retention and a positive impact on profitability. Banks with strong brands can leverage their reputation and customer trust to cross-sell additional products and services. When customers have confidence in the brand, they are more likely to explore and purchase other offerings from the same institution. Cross-selling can boost revenue streams and profitability. Successful branding can open up opportunities for brand extensions and diversification into new products or markets. Banks can leverage their trusted brand to introduce new financial products or expand their presence into related areas, such as insurance or investment services. This can lead to additional revenue streams and improved profitability. This study can have implications for education. Thus, increased profitability of banks due to effective branding can result in higher financial resources available for corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. Banks may invest in educational initiatives, such as scholarships, grants, research projects, and sponsorships, to support the education sector in Ghana. Also, this study can have implications for logistics and supply chain management. Thus, strong branding can create trust and credibility among customers, leading to increased customer loyalty. This loyalty can positively impact the bank's relationships with its suppliers and logistics partners. It can result in better negotiation power, improved supplier relationships, and enhanced supply chain coordination, ultimately leading to more efficient and cost-effective logistics operations. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=branding" title="branding">branding</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=profitability" title=" profitability"> profitability</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=competitors" title=" competitors"> competitors</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=customer%20loyalty" title=" customer loyalty"> customer loyalty</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=customer%20retention" title=" customer retention"> customer retention</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=corporate%20social%20responsibility" title=" corporate social responsibility"> corporate social responsibility</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=cost-effective" title=" cost-effective"> cost-effective</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=logistics%20operations" title=" logistics operations"> logistics operations</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/167242/the-effects-of-branding-on-profitability-of-banks-in-ghana" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/167242.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">77</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">303</span> Data Envelopment Analysis of Allocative Efficiency among Small-Scale Tuber Crop Farmers in North-Central, Nigeria</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Akindele%20Ojo">Akindele Ojo</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Olanike%20Ojo"> Olanike Ojo</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Agatha%20Oseghale"> Agatha Oseghale </a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> The empirical study examined the allocative efficiency of small holder tuber crop farmers in North central, Nigeria. Data used for the study were obtained from primary source using a multi-stage sampling technique with structured questionnaires administered to 300 randomly selected tuber crop farmers from the study area. Descriptive statistics, data envelopment analysis and Tobit regression model were used to analyze the data. The DEA result on the classification of the farmers into efficient and inefficient farmers showed that 17.67% of the sampled tuber crop farmers in the study area were operating at frontier and optimum level of production with mean allocative efficiency of 1.00. This shows that 82.33% of the farmers in the study area can still improve on their level of efficiency through better utilization of available resources, given the current state of technology. The results of the Tobit model for factors influencing allocative inefficiency in the study area showed that as the year of farming experience, level of education, cooperative society membership, extension contacts, credit access and farm size increased in the study area, the allocative inefficiency of the farmers decreased. The results on effects of the significant determinants of allocative inefficiency at various distribution levels revealed that allocative efficiency increased from 22% to 34% as the farmer acquired more farming experience. The allocative efficiency index of farmers that belonged to cooperative society was 0.23 while their counterparts without cooperative society had index value of 0.21. The result also showed that allocative efficiency increased from 0.43 as farmer acquired high formal education and decreased to 0.16 with farmers with non-formal education. The efficiency level in the allocation of resources increased with more contact with extension services as the allocative efficeincy index increased from 0.16 to 0.31 with frequency of extension contact increasing from zero contact to maximum of twenty contacts per annum. These results confirm that increase in year of farming experience, level of education, cooperative society membership, extension contacts, credit access and farm size leads to increases efficiency. The results further show that the age of the farmers had 32% input to the efficiency but reduces to an average of 15%, as the farmer grows old. It is therefore recommended that enhanced research, extension delivery and farm advisory services should be put in place for farmers who did not attain optimum frontier level to learn how to attain the remaining 74.39% level of allocative efficiency through a better production practices from the robustly efficient farms. This will go a long way to increase the efficiency level of the farmers in the study area. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=allocative%20efficiency" title="allocative efficiency">allocative efficiency</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=DEA" title=" DEA"> DEA</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Tobit%20regression" title=" Tobit regression"> Tobit regression</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=tuber%20crop" title=" tuber crop"> tuber crop</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/42352/data-envelopment-analysis-of-allocative-efficiency-among-small-scale-tuber-crop-farmers-in-north-central-nigeria" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/42352.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">289</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">302</span> An Inquiry about Perception of Autonomous Academe and Accountable Leadership on University Governance: A Case of Bangladesh</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Monjur%20E-Khoda%20Tarafdar">Monjur E-Khoda Tarafdar</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Institutional autonomy and academic freedom corresponding to accountability are seen as a core concept of university governance. Universities are crucial factors in search of truth for knowledge production and dissemination. Academic leaders are the pivots to progressively influence the university governance. Therefore, in a continuum of debate about autonomy and accountability in the aspect of perception, academic leadership has been studied. Having longstanding acquaintance in the field the researcher has been instrumental to gain lived experiences of the informants in this qualitative study. Case studies are useful to gain an understanding of the complexities of a particular site to preserve a sense of wholeness of the site being investigated. Thus, multiple case study approach has been employed with a sample size of seventy-one. Such large size of informants was interviewed in order to capture a wider range of views that exist in Bangladesh. This qualitative multiple case study has engaged in-depth interviewing method of academic leaders and policy makers of three case universities. Open-ended semi-structured questionnaires are used to have a comprehensive understanding of how the perception of autonomy and accountability of academic leaders has impacted university governance in the context of Bangladesh. The paper has interpreted the voices of the informants and distinguished both the transformational and transactional style of academic leaderships in local university settings against the globally changed higher education demography. The study finds contextual dissimilarity in the perspectives of autonomy and accountability of academic leadership towards university governance. Unaccountability results in losing autonomous power and collapsing academic excellence. Since accountability grows competitiveness and competence, the paper also focuses on how academic leaders abuse the premise of academic loyalty to universities. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=academic%20loyalty" title="academic loyalty">academic loyalty</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=accountability" title=" accountability"> accountability</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=autonomy" title=" autonomy"> autonomy</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=leadership" title=" leadership"> leadership</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=perception" title=" perception"> perception</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=university%20governance" title=" university governance"> university governance</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/69290/an-inquiry-about-perception-of-autonomous-academe-and-accountable-leadership-on-university-governance-a-case-of-bangladesh" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/69290.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">315</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">301</span> Adoption of Climate-Smart Agriculture Practices Among Farmers and Its Effect on Crop Revenue in Ethiopia</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Fikiru%20Temesgen%20Gelata">Fikiru Temesgen Gelata</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Food security, adaptation, and climate change mitigation are all problems that can be resolved simultaneously with Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA). This study examines determinants of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices among smallholder farmers, aiming to understand the factors guiding adoption decisions and evaluate the impact of CSA on smallholder farmer income in the study areas. For this study, three-stage sampling techniques were applied to select 230 smallholders randomly. Mann-Kendal test and multinomial endogenous switching regression model were used to analyze trends of decrease or increase within long-term temporal data and the impact of CSA on the smallholder farmer income, respectively. Findings revealed education level, household size, land ownership, off-farm income, climate information, and contact with extension agents found to be highly adopted CSA practices. On the contrary, erosion exerted a detrimental impact on all the agricultural practices examined within the study region. Various factors such as farming methods, the size of farms, proximity to irrigated farmlands, availability of extension services, distance to market hubs, and access to weather forecasts were recognized as key determinants influencing the adoption of CSA practices. The multinomial endogenous switching regression model (MESR) revealed that joint adoption of crop rotation and soil and water conservation practices significantly increased farm income by 1,107,245 ETB. The study recommends that counties and governments should prioritize addressing climate change in their development agendas to increase the adoption of climate-smart farming techniques. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=climate-smart%20practices" title="climate-smart practices">climate-smart practices</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=food%20security" title=" food security"> food security</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Oincome" title=" Oincome"> Oincome</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=MERM" title=" MERM"> MERM</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Ethiopia" title=" Ethiopia"> Ethiopia</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/190107/adoption-of-climate-smart-agriculture-practices-among-farmers-and-its-effect-on-crop-revenue-in-ethiopia" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/190107.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">34</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">300</span> Sustainable Crop Mechanization among Small Scale Rural Farmers in Nigeria: The Hurdles</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Charles%20Iledun%20Oyewole">Charles Iledun Oyewole</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> The daunting challenge that the ‘man with the hoe’ is going to face in the coming decades will be complex and interwoven. With global population already above 7 billion people, it has been estimated that food (crop) production must more than double by 2050 to meet up with the world’s food requirements. Nigeria population is also expected to reach over 240 million people by 2050, at the current annual population growth of 2.61 per cent. The country’s farming population is estimated at over 65 per cent, but the country still depends on food importation to complement production. The small scale farmer, who depends on simple hand tools: hoes and cutlasses, remains the centre of agricultural production, accounting for 90 per cent of the total agricultural output and 80 per cent of the market flow. While the hoe may have been a tool for sustainable development at a time in human history, this role has been smothered by population growth, which has brought too many mouths to be fed (over 170 million), as well as many industries to fuel with raw materials. It may then be argued that the hoe is unfortunately not a tool for the coming challenges and that agricultural mechanization should be the focus. However, agriculture as an enterprise is a ‘complete wheel’ which does not work when broken, particularly, in respect to mechanization. Generally, mechanization will prompt increase production, where land is readily available; increase production, will require post-harvest handling mechanisms, crop processing and subsequent storage. An important aspect of this is readily available and favourable markets for such produce; fuel by good agricultural policies. A break in this wheel will lead to the process of mechanization crashing back to subsistence production, and probably reversal to the hoe. The focus of any agricultural policy should be to chart a course for sustainable mechanization that is environmentally friendly, that may ameliorate Nigeria’s food and raw material gaps. This is the focal point of this article. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Crop%20production" title="Crop production">Crop production</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Farmer" title=" Farmer"> Farmer</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Hoes" title=" Hoes"> Hoes</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Mechanization" title=" Mechanization"> Mechanization</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Policy%20framework" title=" Policy framework"> Policy framework</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Population" title=" Population"> Population</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Growth" title=" Growth"> Growth</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Rural%20areas" title=" Rural areas"> Rural areas</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/131888/sustainable-crop-mechanization-among-small-scale-rural-farmers-in-nigeria-the-hurdles" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/131888.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">222</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">299</span> The Food Security and Nutritional Diversity Impacts of Coupling Rural Infrastructure and Value Chain Development: Evidence from a Generalized Propensity Score Analysis</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Latif%20Apaassongo%20Ibrahim">Latif Apaassongo Ibrahim</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Owusu-Addo%20Ebenezer"> Owusu-Addo Ebenezer</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Isaac%20Bonuedo"> Isaac Bonuedo</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Structural barriers - including inadequate infrastructure, poor market linkages, and limited access to financial and extension services - have been the major constraints to improved welfare in the semi-arid regions of Ghana; food insecurity and malnutrition are persistent. The effects of infrastructural improvements as countermeasures are often misdirected by confounding effects of other economic, social, and environmental variables. This study applies Directed Acyclic Graphs (DAGs) to map the causal pathways between infrastructure development and household welfare, identifying key mediators and confounders for one such initiative in Ghana. Then, using Generalized Propensity Score (GPS) and Doubly Robust Estimation (IPWRA), this study evaluates the differential roles of government-supported infrastructure improvements in access and intensity of commercial relative to public infrastructure, on household food security and women’s nutritional diversity given three major value-chain improvements. The main findings suggest that these infrastructure improvements positively impact food security and nutrition, with women’s empowerment and nutritional education acting as key mediators. Market access emerged as a stronger causal mechanism relative to productivity gains in linking infrastructure to improved welfare. Membership in Farmer-Based Organizations (FBOs) and participation in agribusiness linkages further amplified these impacts. However, the effects of infrastructure improvements were less clear when combined with the adoption of climate resilience practices, suggesting potential trade-offs. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=food%20security" title="food security">food security</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=nutrition" title=" nutrition"> nutrition</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=infrastructure" title=" infrastructure"> infrastructure</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=market%20access" title=" market access"> market access</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=women%27s%20empowerment" title=" women's empowerment"> women's empowerment</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=farmer-based%20organizations" title=" farmer-based organizations"> farmer-based organizations</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=climate%20resilience" title=" climate resilience"> climate resilience</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Ghana" title=" Ghana"> Ghana</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/192677/the-food-security-and-nutritional-diversity-impacts-of-coupling-rural-infrastructure-and-value-chain-development-evidence-from-a-generalized-propensity-score-analysis" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/192677.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">8</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">298</span> Effectiveness of a Physical Activity Loyalty Scheme to Maintain Behaviour Change: A Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Aisling%20Gough">Aisling Gough</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Ruth%20F.%20Hunter"> Ruth F. Hunter</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Jianjun%20Tang"> Jianjun Tang</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Sarah%20F.%20Brennan"> Sarah F. Brennan</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Oliver%20Smith"> Oliver Smith</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Mark%20A.%20Tully"> Mark A. Tully</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Chris%20Patterson"> Chris Patterson</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Alberto%20Longo"> Alberto Longo</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=George%20Hutchinson"> George Hutchinson</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Lindsay%20Prior"> Lindsay Prior</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=David%20French"> David French</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Jean%20Adams"> Jean Adams</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Emma%20McIntosh"> Emma McIntosh</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Frank%20Kee"> Frank Kee</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Background: As a large proportion of the UK workforce is employed in sedentary occupations, worksite interventions have the potential to contribute significantly to the health of the population. The UK Government is currently encouraging the use of financial incentives to promote healthier lifestyles but there is a dearth of evidence regarding the effectiveness and sustainability of incentive schemes to promote physical activity in the workplace. Methods: A large cluster RCT is currently underway, incorporating nested behavioural economic field experiments and process evaluation, to evaluate the effectiveness of a Physical Activity Loyalty Scheme. Office-based employees were recruited from large public sector organisations in Lisburn and Belfast (Northern Ireland) and randomised to an Intervention or Control group. Participants in the Intervention Group were encouraged to take part in 150 minutes of physical activity per week through provision of financial incentives (retailer vouchers) to those who met physical activity targets throughout the course of the 6 month intervention. Minutes of physical activity were monitored when participants passed by sensors (holding a keyfob) placed along main walking routes, parks and public transport stops nearby their workplace. Participants in the Control Group will complete the same outcome assessments (waiting-list control). The primary outcome is steps per day measured via pedometers (7 days). Secondary outcomes include health and wellbeing (Short Form-8, EuroQol-5D-5L, Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well Being Scale), and work absenteeism and presenteeism. Data will be collected at baseline, 6, 12 and 18 months. Information on PAL card & website usage, voucher downloads and redemption of vouchers will also be collected as part of a comprehensive process evaluation. Results: In total, 853 participants have been recruited from 9 workplaces in Lisburn, 12 buildings within the Stormont Estate, Queen’s University Belfast and Belfast City Hospital. Participants have been randomised to intervention and control groups. Baseline and 6-month data for the Physical Activity Loyalty Scheme has been collected. Findings regarding the effectiveness of the intervention from the 6-month follow-up data will be presented. Discussion: This study will address the gap in knowledge regarding the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a workplace-based financial incentive scheme to promote a healthier lifestyle. As the UK workforce is increasingly sedentary, workplace-based physical activity interventions have significant potential in terms of encouraging employees to partake in physical activity during the working day which could lead to substantial improvements in physical activity levels overall. Implications: If a workplace based physical activity intervention such as this proves to be both effective and cost-effective, there is great potential to contribute significantly to the health and wellbeing of the workforce in the future. Workplace-based physical activity interventions have the potential to improve the physical and mental health of employees which may in turn lead to economic benefits for the employer, such as reduction in rates of absenteeism and increased productivity. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=behaviour%20change" title="behaviour change">behaviour change</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=cluster%20randomised%20controlled%20trial" title=" cluster randomised controlled trial"> cluster randomised controlled trial</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=loyalty%20scheme" title=" loyalty scheme"> loyalty scheme</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=physical%20activity" title=" physical activity"> physical activity</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/67539/effectiveness-of-a-physical-activity-loyalty-scheme-to-maintain-behaviour-change-a-cluster-randomised-controlled-trial" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/67539.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">325</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">297</span> Efficient Corporate Image as a Strategy for Enhancing Profitability in Hotels</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Lucila%20T.%20Magalong">Lucila T. Magalong</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> The hotel industry has been using their corporate image and reputation to maintain service quality, customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty and to leverage themselves against competitors and facilitate their growth strategies. With the increasing pressure to perform, hotels have even created hybrid service strategy to fight in the niche markets across pricing and level-off service parameters. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=corporate%20image" title="corporate image">corporate image</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=hotel%20industry" title=" hotel industry"> hotel industry</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=service%20quality" title=" service quality"> service quality</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=customer%20expectations" title=" customer expectations"> customer expectations</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/16183/efficient-corporate-image-as-a-strategy-for-enhancing-profitability-in-hotels" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/16183.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">465</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">296</span> Network Impact of a Social Innovation Initiative in Rural Areas of Southern Italy</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=A.%20M.%20Andriano">A. M. Andriano</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=M.%20Lombardi"> M. Lombardi</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=A.%20Lopolito"> A. Lopolito</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=M.%20Prosperi"> M. Prosperi</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=A.%20Stasi"> A. Stasi</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=E.%20Iannuzzi"> E. Iannuzzi</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> In according to the scientific debate on the definition of Social Innovation (SI), the present paper identifies SI as new ideas (products, services, and models) that simultaneously meet social needs and create new social relationships or collaborations. This concept offers important tools to unravel the difficult condition for the agricultural sector in marginalized areas, characterized by the abandonment of activities, low level of farmer education, and low generational renewal, hampering new territorial strategies addressed at and integrated and sustainable development. Models of SI in agriculture, starting from bottom up approach or from the community, are considered to represent the driving force of an ecological and digital revolution. A system based on SI may be able to grasp and satisfy individual and social needs and to promote new forms of entrepreneurship. In this context, Vazapp ('Go Hoeing') is an emerging SI model in southern Italy that promotes solutions for satisfying needs of farmers and facilitates their relationships (creation of network). The Vazapp’s initiative, considered in this study, is the Contadinners ('Farmer’s dinners'), a dinner held at farmer’s house where stakeholders living in the surrounding area know each other and are able to build a network for possible future professional collaborations. The aim of the paper is to identify the evolution of farmers’ relationships, both quantitatively and qualitatively, because of the Contadinner’s initiative organized by Vazapp. To this end, the study adopts the Social Network Analysis (SNA) methodology by using UCINET (Version 6.667) software to analyze the relational structure. Data collection was realized through a questionnaire distributed to 387 participants in the twenty 'Contadinners', held from February 2016 to June 2018. The response rate to the survey was about 50% of farmers. The elaboration data was focused on different aspects, such as: a) the measurement of relational reciprocity among the farmers using the symmetrize method of answers; b) the measurement of the answer reliability using the dichotomize method; c) the description of evolution of social capital using the cohesion method; d) the clustering of the Contadinners' participants in followers and not-followers of Vazapp to evaluate its impact on the local social capital. The results concern the effectiveness of this initiative in generating trustworthy relationships within the rural area of southern Italy, typically affected by individualism and mistrust. The number of relationships represents the quantitative indicator to define the dimension of the network development; while the typologies of relationships (from simple friendship to formal collaborations, for branding new cooperation initiatives) represents the qualitative indicator that offers a diversified perspective of the network impact. From the analysis carried out, Vazapp’s initiative represents surely a virtuous SI model to catalyze the relationships within the rural areas and to develop entrepreneurship based on the real needs of the community. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=" title=""></a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/106180/network-impact-of-a-social-innovation-initiative-in-rural-areas-of-southern-italy" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/106180.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">111</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">295</span> Examining the Drivers of Engagement in Social Media Brand Communities</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Rania%20S.%20Hussein">Rania S. Hussein</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> This research mainly focuses on examining engagement in social media brand communities. Engagement in social media has become a main focus in literature affirming that the role of social media in our daily lives is growing. (Akman and Mishra, 2017;Prado-Gascó et al., 2017). Social media has also become a key medium for brand communication and brand building relationships(Frimpong and McLean,2018;Dimitriu and Guesalaga, 2017). Engagement on social media has become a main focus of many researchers who tried to understand this concept further and draw a link between engagement and various social media activities (Cvijikj and Michahelles;2013), Andre,2015; Wang et al., 2015). According to Felix et al. (2017), the internet and social media have provided better digital resources to improve brand loyalty and customer interactions, thus leading to social media engagement within brand communities. The aim of this research is to highlight the importance of social media and why it is important to maintain engagement within social media. While the term ‘engagement’ is widely used in scholarly literature, there isn’t a common consensus about what the term exactly entails, according to Kidd, (2011). On one hand, it was seen as something that includes factors such as participation, activation, empowerment, devotion, trust, and productivity (Zhang et al, andBenyoucef, M. (2016), ). Other scholars held different viewpoints. For example, Lim et al. (2015) has chosen to break down engagement into three types: operational engagement, emotional engagement, and relational engagement. Chandler and Lusch (2015) further studied engagement as a means to measure commitment to a brand. Fernandes&Remelhe (2016) had a more technical view, measuring engagement through comments, following, subscribing, sharing, enjoying, writing, etc., in the social media context. ustomer engagement has become a research focus for understanding how consumer relationships are developed, retained, and improved within a digital context. Based on previous literature, it is evident that many customer engagement related studies are limited to the interaction between firms and consumers on social media. There is a clear gap in the literature regarding consumer-to-consumer interaction and user-generated content and its significance. While some researchers, such as Alversia et al. (2016), touched upon the importance of customer-based engagement, a gap still remains: there is no consistent and well-tested method for defining the factors that affect consumer interaction. Moreover, few scholarly research papers such as (Case, 2019; Riley, 2020;Habibi, 2014) provided to assist businesses understand their customers' interaction habits as well as the best ways to develop customer loyalty. Additionally, the majority of research on brand pages concentrated on the drivers of Consumer engagement, with just a few studies example, Lamberton, Cc(2016), Poorrezaei, (2016). (Jayasingh, 2019), looking into the implications. This study focuses on understanding the concept of engagement and its importance, specifically engagement within social media brand communities. It examines drivers as well as consequences of engagement, including brand knowledge, brand trust, entertainment, and brand page interactivity. Brand engagement is also expected to affect brand loyalty and word of the mouth. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=engagement" title="engagement">engagement</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=social%20media" title=" social media"> social media</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=brand%20communities" title=" brand communities"> brand communities</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=drivers" title=" drivers"> drivers</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/147353/examining-the-drivers-of-engagement-in-social-media-brand-communities" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/147353.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">160</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">294</span> An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of the Death Practices and Rituals of the Isneg People in Apayao</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Ivy%20Angelique%20Malit">Ivy Angelique Malit</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Marion%20Nicole%20Dela%20Vega"> Marion Nicole Dela Vega</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Marjorie%20Mae%20Mendoza"> Marjorie Mae Mendoza</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Death practices and rituals of the Philippines is rich with facts about our history mostly on our beliefs of the afterlife before the arrival of the western culture which is still being practiced by the indigenous people of the Philippines. The death practices and rituals are acts of showing the inner thoughts, and feelings towards the person who died. The meanings behind those practices and rituals become the reason why the indigenous people still treasure these death practices and rituals as a part of their culture. This study seeks to know the experiences of the death practices and rituals of one of the Indigenous groups in Apayao, the Isnegs and the meaning of those experiences. The researchers aimed to look at it on a psychological lens. In which the researchers aim (1) to know their experiences of their death practices from the perspective of their thoughts, feelings and actions, and (2) to seek the meaning behind their death rituals. The design used in the research is a qualitative design and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The participants were gathered by using purposive sampling. The researchers gathered the data from a form of a semi-structured interview with guide questions. The researchers used Thematic Analysis to analyze the verbatim transcriptions from the interview. The experiences of death practices and rituals of the Isneg people have been presented in the aspects of their thoughts, feelings and behavior. The experiences were presented with 7 superordinate themes namely, (1) Refusal of Reality (2) Feelings of mixed emotions (3) Oblivious Acts of the participants (4) Conflict with self and culture (5) Negative thinking of the participants (6) Process of Acceptance (8) Act of Love. The make meaning behind the death practices and rituals of the Isneg people have been presented with 2 superordinate themes, (1) Act of Respect and (2) Act of Loyalty. The results of the research show that the experiences and meaning behind their death practices and burials were being based more by their own beliefs. In their culture, which has been passed through by their ancestors and becomes the foundation of their beliefs and their newly found religion which was introduced by the travelling missionaries. Doing those death practices and rituals is their way to show their affections, like respect and loyalty towards the person who died. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=death%20practices" title="death practices">death practices</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=interpretative%20phenomenological%20analysis" title=" interpretative phenomenological analysis"> interpretative phenomenological analysis</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=isneg%20people" title=" isneg people"> isneg people</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=rituals" title=" rituals"> rituals</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=theory%20of%20grieving" title=" theory of grieving"> theory of grieving</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/63083/an-interpretative-phenomenological-analysis-of-the-death-practices-and-rituals-of-the-isneg-people-in-apayao" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/63083.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">254</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">293</span> Corporate Social Responsibility as a Determinant of Sustainability of SME: A Study of House of Tara, a Small Business Operating in Nigeria</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Bolanle%20Deborah%20Motilewa">Bolanle Deborah Motilewa</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=E.%20K.%20Rowland%20Worlu"> E. K. Rowland Worlu</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Gbenga%20Mayowa%20Agboola"> Gbenga Mayowa Agboola</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Ayodele%20Maxwell%20Olokundun"> Ayodele Maxwell Olokundun</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> In the pursuit of profit maximization as a major objective of business organizations, several firms forfeit their social and economic responsibility whilst focusing on activities that are deemed to solely profit the firm, without taking into cognizance the effect of their operations on the society in which they operate. Business analysts have, however, realized the determinant role of social responsibility in corporate performance, such that firms that are able to imbibe corporate social responsibility in their core business operations may be able to take advantage of the social reputation gained across their several stakeholders. Small and medium enterprises operating in highly competitive markets are also advised to leverage on this reputation gained from being socially responsible, if they seek ways to remain relevant in the same markets dominated by multinational corporations. Adapting a case study approach, this study highlights the advantages (such as employee and customer loyalty) gained by House of Tara, a small business operating in the beauty and make-up industry in Nigeria, resulting from the firm’s commitment to advancing the society in which it operates through several social responsibility activities. It is observed that although competing with major makeup brands such as MAC, Maybelline, Dior, Mary Kay and others, House of Tara has been able to not only thrive, but gain a sizeable market in the Nigerian makeup industry, because several consumers purchase their products not solely because of the quality or price of their product, but because they perceive themselves as buying into the firm’s CSR vision. This study, therefore, recommends that small and medium enterprises that may lack adequate resources (manpower, technology, capital) needed to successfully compete with multinationals, can harness the potentials in the reputation and loyalty gained from adequate investment in corporate social responsibility. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=corporate%20social%20responsibility" title="corporate social responsibility">corporate social responsibility</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=small%20and%20medium%20enterprises" title=" small and medium enterprises"> small and medium enterprises</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=House%20of%20Tara" title=" House of Tara"> House of Tara</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=sustainability" title=" sustainability"> sustainability</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/53960/corporate-social-responsibility-as-a-determinant-of-sustainability-of-sme-a-study-of-house-of-tara-a-small-business-operating-in-nigeria" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/53960.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">273</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">292</span> Identification and Classification of Medicinal Plants of Indian Himalayan Region Using Hyperspectral Remote Sensing and Machine Learning Techniques</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Kishor%20Chandra%20%20Kandpal">Kishor Chandra Kandpal</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Amit%20%20Kumar"> Amit Kumar</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> The Indian Himalaya region harbours approximately 1748 plants of medicinal importance, and as per International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the 112 plant species among these are threatened and endangered. To ease the pressure on these plants, the government of India is encouraging its in-situ cultivation. The Saussurea costus, Valeriana jatamansi, and Picrorhiza kurroa have also been prioritized for large scale cultivation owing to their market demand, conservation value and medicinal properties. These species are found from 1000 m to 4000 m elevation ranges in the Indian Himalaya. Identification of these plants in the field requires taxonomic skills, which is one of the major bottleneck in the conservation and management of these plants. In recent years, Hyperspectral remote sensing techniques have been precisely used for the discrimination of plant species with the help of their unique spectral signatures. In this background, a spectral library of the above 03 medicinal plants was prepared by collecting the spectral data using a handheld spectroradiometer (325 to 1075 nm) from farmer’s fields of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand states of Indian Himalaya. The Random forest (RF) model was implied on the spectral data for the classification of the medicinal plants. The 80:20 standard split ratio was followed for training and validation of the RF model, which resulted in training accuracy of 84.39 % (kappa coefficient = 0.72) and testing accuracy of 85.29 % (kappa coefficient = 0.77). This RF classifier has identified green (555 to 598 nm), red (605 nm), and near-infrared (725 to 840 nm) wavelength regions suitable for the discrimination of these species. The findings of this study have provided a technique for rapid and onsite identification of the above medicinal plants in the field. This will also be a key input for the classification of hyperspectral remote sensing images for mapping of these species in farmer’s field on a regional scale. This is a pioneer study in the Indian Himalaya region for medicinal plants in which the applicability of hyperspectral remote sensing has been explored. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=himalaya" title="himalaya">himalaya</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=hyperspectral%20remote%20sensing" title=" hyperspectral remote sensing"> hyperspectral remote sensing</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=machine%20learning%3B%20medicinal%20plants" title=" machine learning; medicinal plants"> machine learning; medicinal plants</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=random%20forests" title=" random forests"> random forests</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/136705/identification-and-classification-of-medicinal-plants-of-indian-himalayan-region-using-hyperspectral-remote-sensing-and-machine-learning-techniques" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/136705.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">203</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">291</span> Animal Welfare through Stockmanship Competence and Its Relationship to Productivity and Economic Profitability: The Case of Backyard Goat Production in the Philippines</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=M.%20J.%20Alcedo">M. J. Alcedo</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=K.%20Ito"> K. Ito</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=K.%20Maeda"> K. Maeda</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> A stockperson has a significant influence on the productivity and welfare of their animals. This influence may be good or bad depending on their stockmanship competence. In this study, stockmanship competence (SC) is defined as the capacity of the stockperson to ensure the welfare of their animals by providing their animal’s needs. The study was conducted to evaluate the stockmanship competence of backyard goat raisers and to examine its relationship to productivity and economic profitability. This was made possible by interviewing 101 backyard goat raisers who have undergone farmer livestock school on integrated goat management (FLS IGM) in Region I, Philippines on September 3-30, 2012 and March 4-17, 2013. Secondary data needed were gathered from the local government agencies involved. Data on stockmanship, goat productivity and farmer’s income before and after attending FLS-IGM were gathered through a semi-structured interview. Questions for stockamnship were based on the Philippine recommends on goat production, tips on goat raising and other scientific literature. Stockmanship competence index score (SCIS) was computed by summing the raw scores derived from each components of SC divided by the total number of components. Pearson correlation through SPSS was used to see the relationship between SC, productivity and income. Result showed that majority raised native and upgraded goats. The computed mean SCIS before and after undergoing FLS-IGM was 38.53% and 75.81%, respectively, an improvement of 49.17%. Both index scores resulted in significant differences in productivity and income. The median mature weight and mortality rate of goats before FLS-IGM, where SC was low, was 14 kg and 50% respectively. On the other hand, after stockmanship had improved, the median mature weight increased to 19 kgs and mortality rate decreased to 11.11%. Likewise, fewer goat diseases were observed by farmers as compared before. With regards to income, there was 127.34% difference on the median net income derived by farmers. Result implies that improved stockmanship competence can lead not only to increased productivity and income of backyard goat raisers but also welfare of the animal. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=stockmanship" title="stockmanship">stockmanship</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=backyard%20goat%20production" title=" backyard goat production"> backyard goat production</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=animal%20welfare" title=" animal welfare"> animal welfare</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Philippines" title=" Philippines"> Philippines</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/11128/animal-welfare-through-stockmanship-competence-and-its-relationship-to-productivity-and-economic-profitability-the-case-of-backyard-goat-production-in-the-philippines" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/11128.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">322</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">290</span> Climate-Smart Agriculture for Sustainable Maize-Wheat Production: Effects on Crop Productivity, Profitability and Irrigation Water Use</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=S.%20K.%20Kakraliya">S. K. Kakraliya</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=R.%20D.%20Jat"> R. D. Jat</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=H.%20S.%20Jat"> H. S. Jat</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=P.%20C.%20Sharma"> P. C. Sharma</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=M.%20L.%20Jat"> M. L. Jat</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> The traditional rice-wheat (RW) system in the IGP of South Asia is tillage, water, energy, and capital intensive. Coupled with more pumping of groundwater over the years to meet the high irrigation water requirement of the RW system has resulted in over-exploitation of groundwater. Replacement of traditional rice with less water crops such as maize under climate-smart agriculture (CSA) based management (tillage, crop establishment and residue management) practices are required to promote sustainable intensification. Furthermore, inefficient nutrient management practices are responsible for low crop yields and nutrient use efficiencies in maize-wheat (MW) system. A 7-year field experiment was conducted in farmer’s participatory strategic research mode at Taraori, Karnal, India to evaluate the effects of tillage and crop establishment (TCE) methods, residue management, mungbean integration, and nutrient management practices on crop yields, water productivity and profitability of MW system. The main plot treatments included four combinations of TCE, residue and mungbean integration [conventional tillage (CT), conventional tillage with mungbean (CT + MB), permanent bed (PB) and permanent bed with MB (PB + MB] with three nutrient management practices [farmer’s fertilizer practice (FFP), recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) and site-specific nutrient management (SSNM)] using Nutrient Expert® as subplot treatments. System productivity, water use efficiency (WUE) and net returns under PB + MB were significantly increased by 25–30%, 28–31% and 35–40% compared to CT respectively, during seven years of experimentation. The integration of MB in MW system contributed ~25and ~ 28% increases in system productivity and net returns compared with no MB, respectively. SSNM based nutrient management increased the mean (averaged across 7 yrs) system productivity by 12- 15% compared with FFP. The study revealed that CSA based sustainable intensification (PB + MB) and SSNM approach provided opportunities for enhancing crop productivity, WUE and profitability of the MW system in India. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Conservation%20Agriculture" title="Conservation Agriculture">Conservation Agriculture</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Precision%20water%20and%20nutrient%20management" title=" Precision water and nutrient management"> Precision water and nutrient management</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Permanent%20beds" title=" Permanent beds"> Permanent beds</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Crop%20yields" title=" Crop yields"> Crop yields</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/123908/climate-smart-agriculture-for-sustainable-maize-wheat-production-effects-on-crop-productivity-profitability-and-irrigation-water-use" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/123908.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">132</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">289</span> Mapping the Core Processes and Identifying Actors along with Their Roles, Functions and Linkages in Trout Value Chain in Kashmir, India</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Stanzin%20Gawa">Stanzin Gawa</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Nalini%20Ranjan%20Kumar"> Nalini Ranjan Kumar</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Gohar%20Bilal%20Wani"> Gohar Bilal Wani</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Vinay%20Maruti%20Hatte"> Vinay Maruti Hatte</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=A.%20Vinay"> A. Vinay</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Rainbow trout (<em>Oncorhynchus mykiss</em>) and Brown trout (<em>Salmo trutta fario</em>) are the two species of trout which were once introduced by British in waters of Kashmir has well adapted to favorable climatic conditions. Cold water fisheries are one of the emerging sectors in Kashmir valley and trout holds an important place Jammu and Kashmir fisheries. Realizing the immense potential of trout culture in Kashmir region, the state fisheries department started privatizing trout culture under the centrally funded scheme of RKVY in which they provide 80 percent subsidy for raceway construction and supply of feed and seed for the first year since 2009-10 and at present there are 362 private trout farms. To cater the growing demand for trout in the valley, it is important to understand the bottlenecks faced in the propagation of trout culture. Value chain analysis provides a generic framework to understand the various activities and processes, mapping and studying linkages is first step that needs to be done in any value chain analysis. In Kashmir, it is found that trout hatcheries play a crucial role in insuring the continuous supply of trout seed in valley. Feed is most limiting factor in trout culture and the farmer has to incur high cost in payment and in the transportation of feed from the feed mill to farm. Lack of aqua clinic in the Kashmir valley needs to be addressed. Brood stock maintenance, breeding and seed production, technical assistance to private farmer, extension services have to be strengthened and there is need to development healthier environment for new entrepreneurs. It was found that trout farmers do not avail credit facility as there is no well define credit scheme for fisheries in the state. The study showed weak institutional linkages. Research and development should focus more on applied science rather than basic science. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=trout" title="trout">trout</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Kashmir" title=" Kashmir"> Kashmir</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=value%20chain" title=" value chain"> value chain</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=linkages" title=" linkages"> linkages</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=culture" title=" culture"> culture</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/50828/mapping-the-core-processes-and-identifying-actors-along-with-their-roles-functions-and-linkages-in-trout-value-chain-in-kashmir-india" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/50828.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">403</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">288</span> Supporting Women's Economic Development in Rural Papua New Guinea</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Katja%20Mikhailovich">Katja Mikhailovich</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Barbara%20Pamphilon"> Barbara Pamphilon</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Farmer training in Papua New Guinea has focused mainly on technology transfer approaches. This has primarily benefited men and often excluded women whose literacy, low education and role in subsistence crops has precluded participation in formal training. The paper discusses an approach that uses both a brokerage model of agricultural extension to link smallholders with private sector agencies and an innovative family team’s approach that aims to support the economic empowerment of women in families and encourages sustainable and gender equitable farming and business practices. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=women" title="women">women</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=economic%20development" title=" economic development"> economic development</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=agriculture" title=" agriculture"> agriculture</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=training" title=" training"> training</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/37256/supporting-womens-economic-development-in-rural-papua-new-guinea" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/37256.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">391</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">287</span> Customer Relationship Management: An Essential Tool for Librarians</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Pushkar%20Lal%20Sharma">Pushkar Lal Sharma</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Sanjana%20Singh"> Sanjana Singh</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Umesh%20Kumar%20Sahu"> Umesh Kumar Sahu</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> This paper helps to understand the need of Customer Relationship Management in Libraries and why Librarians should implement the marketing concept of Customer Relationship Management in their libraries. As like any industry, libraries too face growing challenges to continuously meet customer expectations, and attract and retain users in light of overflowing competition. The ability to understand customers, build relationships and market diverse services is essential when considering ways to expand service offerings and improve Return on Investment. Since Library is service oriented Enterprise, hence the Customer/User/ Reader/Patron are the most important element of Library & Information System to whom and for whom library offers various services. How to provide better and most efficient services to its users is the main concern of every Library & Information centre in the present era. The basic difference between Business Enterprise and Library Information System is that ‘in Business System ‘the efficiency is measured in terms of ’profit’ or ‘monetary gains’; whereas in a Library & Information System, the efficiency is measured in terms of ‘services’ and therefore the goals that are set in Business Enterprise are’ profit oriented’ whereas goals set in the Library & Information Centre are ‘Service-oriented’. With the explosion of information and advancement of technology readers have so many choices to get information rather than visiting a library. Everything is available at the click of a mouse, library customers have become more knowledgeable and demanding in an era marked by abundance of information resources and services. With this explosion of information in every field of knowledge and choice in selection of service, satisfying user has become a challenge now a day for libraries. Accordingly, Libraries have to build good relationship with its users by adopting Customer relationship Management. CRM refers to the methods and tools which help an organization to manage its relationship with its customers in an organized way. The Customer Relationship Management (CRM) combines business strategy and technology to identify, acquire and retain good customer relationship. The goal of CRM is to optimize management of customer information needs & interests and increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. Implementing CRM in Libraries can improve customer data and process management, customer loyalty, retention and satisfaction. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=customer%20relationship%20management" title="customer relationship management">customer relationship management</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=CRM" title=" CRM"> CRM</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=CRM%20tools" title=" CRM tools"> CRM tools</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=customer%20satisfaction" title=" customer satisfaction"> customer satisfaction</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/174036/customer-relationship-management-an-essential-tool-for-librarians" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/174036.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">68</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">286</span> Thai Cane Farmers' Responses to Sugar Policy Reforms: An Intentions Survey</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Savita%20Tangwongkit">Savita Tangwongkit</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Chittur%20S%20Srinivasan"> Chittur S Srinivasan</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Philip%20J.%20Jones"> Philip J. Jones</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Thailand has become the world’s fourth largest sugarcane producer and second largest sugar exporter. While there have been a number of drivers of this growth, the primary driver has been wide-ranging government support measures. Recently, the Thai government has emphasized the need for policy reform as part of a broader industry restructuring to bring the sector up-to-date with the current and future developments in the international sugar market. Because of the sectors historical dependence on government support, any such reform is likely to have a very significant impact on the fortunes of Thai cane farmers. This study explores the impact of three policy scenarios, representing a spectrum of policy approaches, on Thai cane producers. These reform scenarios were designed in consultation with policy makers and academics working in the cane sector. Scenario 1 captures the current ‘government proposal’ for policy reform. This scenario removes certain domestic production subsidies but seeks to maintain as much support as is permissible under current WTO rules. The second scenario, ‘protectionism’, maintains the current internal market producer supports, but otherwise complies with international (WTO) commitments. Third, the ‘libertarian scenario’ removes all production support and market interventions, trade and domestic consumption distortions. Most important driver of producer behaviour in all of the scenarios is the producer price of cane. Cane price is obviously highest under the protectionism scenario, followed by government proposal and libertarian scenarios, respectively. Likely producer responses to these three policy scenarios was determined by means of a large-scale survey of cane farmers. The sample was stratified by size group and quotas filled by size group and region. One scenario was presented to each of three sub-samples, consisting of approx.150 farmers. Total sample size was 462 farms. Data was collected by face-to-face interview between June and August 2019. There was a marked difference in farmer response to the three scenarios. Farmers in the ‘Protectionism’ scenario, which maintains the highest cane price and those who farm larger cane areas are more likely to continue cane farming. The libertarian scenario is likely to result in the greatest losses in terms of cane production volume broadly double that of the ‘protectionism’ scenario, primarily due to farmers quitting cane production altogether. Over half of loss cane production volume comes from medium-size farm, i.e. the largest and smallest producers are the most resilient. This result is likely due to the fact that the medium size group are large enough to require hired labour but lack the economies of scale of the largest farms. Over all size groups the farms most heavily specialized in cane production, i.e. those devoting 26-50% of arable land to cane, are also the most vulnerable, with 70% of all farmers quitting cane production coming from this group. This investigation suggests that cane price is the most significant determinant of farmer behaviour. Also, that where scenarios drive significantly lower cane price, policy makers should target support towards mid-sized producers, with policies that encourage efficiency gains and diversification into alternative agricultural crops. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=farmer%20intentions" title="farmer intentions">farmer intentions</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=farm%20survey" title=" farm survey"> farm survey</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=policy%20reform" title=" policy reform"> policy reform</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Thai%20cane%20production" title=" Thai cane production "> Thai cane production </a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/123720/thai-cane-farmers-responses-to-sugar-policy-reforms-an-intentions-survey" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/123720.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">110</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">285</span> Impact of Long Term Application of Municipal Solid Waste on Physicochemical and Microbial Parameters and Heavy Metal Distribution in Soils in Accordance to Its Agricultural Uses</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Rinku%20Dhanker">Rinku Dhanker</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Suman%20Chaudhary"> Suman Chaudhary</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Tanvi%20Bhatia"> Tanvi Bhatia</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Sneh%20Goyal"> Sneh Goyal</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), being a rich source of organic materials, can be used for agricultural applications as an important source of nutrients for soil and plants. This is also an alternative beneficial management practice for MSW generated in developing countries. In the present study, MSW treated soil samples from last four to six years at farmer’s field in Rohtak and Gurgaon states (Haryana, India) were collected. The samples were analyzed for all-important agricultural parameters and compared with the control untreated soil samples. The treated soil at farmer’s field showed increase in total N by 48 to 68%, P by 45.7 to 51.3%, and K by 60 to 67% compared to untreated soil samples. Application of sewage sludge at different sites led to increase in microbial biomass C by 60 to 68% compared to untreated soil. There was significant increase in total Cu, Cr, Ni, Fe, Pb, and Zn in all sewage sludge amended soil samples; however, concentration of all the metals were still below the current permitted (EU) limits. To study the adverse effect of heavy metals accumulation on various soil microbial activities, the sewage sludge samples (from wastewater treatment plant at Gurgaon) were artificially contaminated with heavy metal concentration above the EU limits. They were then applied to soil samples with different rates (0.5 to 4.0%) and incubated for 90 days under laboratory conditions. The samples were drawn at different intervals and analyzed for various parameters like pH, EC, total N, P, K, microbial biomass C, carbon mineralization, and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) exactable heavy metals. The results were compared to the uncontaminated sewage sludge. The increasing level of sewage sludge from 0.5 to 4% led to build of organic C and total N, P and K content at the early stages of incubation. But, organic C was decreased after 90 days because of decomposition of organic matter. Biomass production was significantly increased in both contaminated and uncontaminated sewage soil samples, but also led to slight increases in metal accumulation and their bioavailability in soil. The maximum metal concentrations were found in treatment with 4% of contaminated sewage sludge amendment. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=heavy%20metal" title="heavy metal">heavy metal</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=municipal%20sewage%20sludge" title=" municipal sewage sludge"> municipal sewage sludge</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=sustainable%20agriculture" title=" sustainable agriculture"> sustainable agriculture</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=soil%20fertility%20and%20quality" title=" soil fertility and quality"> soil fertility and quality</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/61454/impact-of-long-term-application-of-municipal-solid-waste-on-physicochemical-and-microbial-parameters-and-heavy-metal-distribution-in-soils-in-accordance-to-its-agricultural-uses" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/61454.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">286</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">284</span> Modelling Distress Sale in Agriculture: Evidence from Maharashtra, India</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Disha%20Bhanot">Disha Bhanot</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Vinish%20Kathuria"> Vinish Kathuria</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> This study focusses on the issue of distress sale in horticulture sector in India, which faces unique challenges, given the perishable nature of horticulture crops, seasonal production and paucity of post-harvest produce management links. Distress sale, from a farmer’s perspective may be defined as urgent sale of normal or distressed goods, at deeply discounted prices (way below the cost of production) and it is usually characterized by unfavorable conditions for the seller (farmer). The small and marginal farmers, often involved in subsistence farming, stand to lose substantially if they receive lower prices than expected prices (typically framed in relation to cost of production). Distress sale maximizes price uncertainty of produce leading to substantial income loss; and with increase in input costs of farming, the high variability in harvest price severely affects profit margin of farmers, thereby affecting their survival. The objective of this study is to model the occurrence of distress sale by tomato cultivators in the Indian state of Maharashtra, against the background of differential access to set of factors such as - capital, irrigation facilities, warehousing, storage and processing facilities, and institutional arrangements for procurement etc. Data is being collected using primary survey of over 200 farmers in key tomato growing areas of Maharashtra, asking information on the above factors in addition to seeking information on cost of cultivation, selling price, time gap between harvesting and selling, role of middleman in selling, besides other socio-economic variables. Farmers selling their produce far below the cost of production would indicate an occurrence of distress sale. Occurrence of distress sale would then be modelled as a function of farm, household and institutional characteristics. Heckman-two-stage model would be applied to find the probability/likelihood of a famer falling into distress sale as well as to ascertain how the extent of distress sale varies in presence/absence of various factors. Findings of the study would recommend suitable interventions and promotion of strategies that would help farmers better manage price uncertainties, avoid distress sale and increase profit margins, having direct implications on poverty. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=distress%20sale" title="distress sale">distress sale</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=horticulture" title=" horticulture"> horticulture</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=income%20loss" title=" income loss"> income loss</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=India" title=" India"> India</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=price%20uncertainity" title=" price uncertainity"> price uncertainity</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/57026/modelling-distress-sale-in-agriculture-evidence-from-maharashtra-india" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/57026.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">243</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">283</span> Applying Transformative Service Design to Develop Brand Community Service in Women, Children and Infants Retailing</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Shian%20Wan">Shian Wan</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Yi-Chang%20Wang"> Yi-Chang Wang</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Yu-Chien%20Lin"> Yu-Chien Lin</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> This research discussed the various theories of service design, the importance of service design methodology, and the development of transformative service design framework. In this study, transformative service design is applied while building a new brand community service for women, children and infants retailing business. The goal is to enhance the brand recognition and customer loyalty, effectively increase the brand community engagement by embedding the brand community in social network and ultimately, strengthen the impact and the value of the company brand. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=service%20design" title="service design">service design</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=transformative%20service%20design" title=" transformative service design"> transformative service design</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=brand%20community" title=" brand community"> brand community</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=innovation" title=" innovation"> innovation</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/49088/applying-transformative-service-design-to-develop-brand-community-service-in-women-children-and-infants-retailing" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/49088.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">498</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">282</span> The Influence of Production Hygiene Training on Farming Practices Employed by Rural Small-Scale Organic Farmers - South Africa</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Mdluli%20Fezile">Mdluli Fezile</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Schmidt%20Stefan"> Schmidt Stefan</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Thamaga-Chitja%20Joyce"> Thamaga-Chitja Joyce </a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> In view of the frequently reported foodborne disease outbreaks caused by contaminated fresh produce, consumers have a preference for foods that meet requisite hygiene standards to reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses. Producing good quality fresh produce then becomes critical in improving market access and food security, especially for small-scale farmers. Questions of hygiene and subsequent microbiological quality in the rural small-scale farming sector of South Africa are even more crucial, given the policy drive to develop small-scale farming as a measure for reinforcement of household food security and reduction of poverty. Farming practices and methods, throughout the fresh produce value chain, influence the quality of the final product, which in turn determines its success in the market. This study’s aim was to therefore determine the extent to which training on organic farming methods, including modules such as Importance of Production Hygiene, influenced the hygienic farming practices employed by eTholeni small-scale organic farmers in uMbumbulu, KwaZulu-Natal- South Africa. Questionnaires were administered to 73 uncertified organic farmers and analysis showed that a total of 33 farmers were trained and supplied the local Agri-Hub while 40 had not received training. The questionnaire probed respondents’ attitudes, knowledge of hygiene and composting practices. Data analysis included descriptive statistics such as the Chi-square test and a logistic regression model. Descriptive analysis indicated that a majority of the farmers (60%) were female, most of which (73%) were above the age of 40. The logistic regression indicated that factors such as farmer training and prior experience in the farming sector had a significant influence on hygiene practices both at 5% significance levels. These results emphasize the importance of training, education and farming experience in implementing good hygiene practices in small-scale farming. It is therefore recommended that South African policies should advocate for small-scale farmer training, not only for subsistence purposes, but also with an aim of supplying produce markets with high fresh produce. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=small-scale%20farmers" title="small-scale farmers">small-scale farmers</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=leafy%20salad%20vegetables" title=" leafy salad vegetables"> leafy salad vegetables</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=organic%20produce" title=" organic produce"> organic produce</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=food%20safety" title=" food safety"> food safety</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=hygienic%20practices" title=" hygienic practices"> hygienic practices</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=food%20security" title=" food security"> food security</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/11267/the-influence-of-production-hygiene-training-on-farming-practices-employed-by-rural-small-scale-organic-farmers-south-africa" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/11267.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">425</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">281</span> Customer Satisfaction and Effective HRM Policies: Customer and Employee Satisfaction </h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=S.%20Anastasiou">S. Anastasiou</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=C.%20Nathanailides"> C. Nathanailides</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> The purpose of this study is to examine the possible link between employee and customer satisfaction. The service provided by employees, help to build a good relationship with customers and can help at increasing their loyalty. Published data for job satisfaction and indicators of customer services were gathered from relevant published works which included data from five different countries. The reviewed data indicate a significant correlation between indicators of customer and employee satisfaction in the Banking sector. There was a significant correlation between the two parameters (Pearson correlation R2=0.52 P<0.05) The reviewed data provide evidence that there is some practical evidence which links these two parameters. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=job%20satisfaction" title="job satisfaction">job satisfaction</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=job%20performance" title=" job performance"> job performance</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=customer%E2%80%99%20service" title=" customer’ service"> customer’ service</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=banks" title=" banks"> banks</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=human%20resources%20management" title=" human resources management"> human resources management</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/18128/customer-satisfaction-and-effective-hrm-policies-customer-and-employee-satisfaction" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/18128.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">321</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">280</span> The Impact of Perceived Banking Service Quality on Customer Satisfaction</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Muhammad%20Waqas">Muhammad Waqas</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> In this competitive environment, organizations in the service sector and industrial sector are trying their best to win the loyalty of their customers by providing superior quality services and innovative products to remain competitive in the market. The objective of this study is to focus on the concept that public dealing and tripping of electricity have a significant impact on customer satisfaction. This study is focused on the banking sector. It is concluded that quality in service sectors strongly depends on employees' commitment to the organization for providing superior services to the customers to enhance customers' satisfaction. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=customer%20complaints" title="customer complaints">customer complaints</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=banking%20sector" title=" banking sector"> banking sector</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=customer%20satisfaction" title=" customer satisfaction"> customer satisfaction</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Islamic%20banking" title=" Islamic banking"> Islamic banking</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/160408/the-impact-of-perceived-banking-service-quality-on-customer-satisfaction" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/160408.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">87</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">279</span> Employment Promotion and Its Role in Counteracting Unemployment during the Financial Crisis in the USA </h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Beata%20Wentura-Dudek">Beata Wentura-Dudek</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> In the United States in 2007-2010 before the crisis, the US labour market policy focused mainly on providing residents with unemployment insurance, after the recession this policy changed. The aim of the article was to present quantitative research presenting the most effective labor market instruments contributing to reducing unemployment during the crisis in the USA. The article presents research based on the analysis of available documents and statistical data. The results of the conducted research show that the most effective forms of counteracting unemployment at that time were: direct job creation, job search assistance, subsidized employment, training and employment promotion using new technologies, including social media. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=lotteries" title="lotteries">lotteries</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=loyalty%20programs" title=" loyalty programs"> loyalty programs</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=competitions" title=" competitions"> competitions</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=bonus%20sales" title=" bonus sales"> bonus sales</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=rebate%20campaigns" title=" rebate campaigns"> rebate campaigns</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/115512/employment-promotion-and-its-role-in-counteracting-unemployment-during-the-financial-crisis-in-the-usa" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/115512.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">143</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">278</span> Organic Farming Profitability: Evidence from South Korea</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Saem%20Lee">Saem Lee</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Thanh%20Nguyen"> Thanh Nguyen</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Hio-Jung%20Shin"> Hio-Jung Shin</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Thomas%20Koellner"> Thomas Koellner </a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Land-use management has an influence on the provision of ecosystem service in dynamic, agricultural landscapes. Agricultural land use is important for maintaining the productivity and sustainability of agricultural ecosystems. However, in Korea, intensive farming activities in this highland agricultural zone, the upper stream of Soyang has led to contaminated soil caused by over-use pesticides and fertilizers. This has led to decrease in water and soil quality, which has consequences for ecosystem services and human wellbeing. Conventional farming has still high percentage in this area and there is no special measure to prevent low water quality caused by farming activities. Therefore, the adoption of environmentally friendly farming has been considered one of the alternatives that lead to improved water quality and increase in biomass production. Concurrently, farm households with environmentally friendly farming have occupied still low rates. Therefore, our research involved a farm household survey spanning conventional farming, the farm in transition and organic farming in Soyang watershed. Another purpose of our research was to compare economic advantage of the farmers adopting environmentally friendly farming and non-adaptors and to investigate the different factors by logistic regression analysis with socio-economic and benefit-cost ratio variables. The results found that farmers with environmentally friendly farming tended to be younger than conventional farming and farmer in transition. They are similar in terms of gender which was predominately male. Farmers with environmentally friendly farming were more educated and had less farming experience than conventional farming and farmer in transition. Based on the benefit-cost analysis, total costs that farm in transition farmers spent for one year are about two times as much as the sum of costs in environmentally friendly farming. The benefit of organic farmers was assessed with 2,800 KRW per household per year. In logistic regression, the factors having statistical significance are subsidy and district, residence period and benefit-cost ratio. And district and residence period have the negative impact on the practice of environmentally friendly farming techniques. The results of our research make a valuable contribution to provide important information to describe Korean policy-making for agricultural and water management and to consider potential approaches to policy that would substantiate ways beneficial for sustainable resource management. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=organic%20farming" title="organic farming">organic farming</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=logistic%20regression" title=" logistic regression"> logistic regression</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=profitability" title=" profitability"> profitability</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=agricultural%20land-use" title=" agricultural land-use"> agricultural land-use</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/2004/organic-farming-profitability-evidence-from-south-korea" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/2004.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">402</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">277</span> Impact Evaluation and Technical Efficiency in Ethiopia: Correcting for Selectivity Bias in Stochastic Frontier Analysis</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Tefera%20Kebede%20Leyu">Tefera Kebede Leyu</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> The purpose of this study was to estimate the impact of LIVES project participation on the level of technical efficiency of farm households in three regions of Ethiopia. We used household-level data gathered by IRLI between February and April 2014 for the year 2013(retroactive). Data on 1,905 (754 intervention and 1, 151 control groups) sample households were analyzed using STATA software package version 14. Efforts were made to combine stochastic frontier modeling with impact evaluation methodology using the Heckman (1979) two-stage model to deal with possible selectivity bias arising from unobservable characteristics in the stochastic frontier model. Results indicate that farmers in the two groups are not efficient and operate below their potential frontiers i.e., there is a potential to increase crop productivity through efficiency improvements in both groups. In addition, the empirical results revealed selection bias in both groups of farmers confirming the justification for the use of selection bias corrected stochastic frontier model. It was also found that intervention farmers achieved higher technical efficiency scores than the control group of farmers. Furthermore, the selectivity bias-corrected model showed a different technical efficiency score for the intervention farmers while it more or less remained the same for that of control group farmers. However, the control group of farmers shows a higher dispersion as measured by the coefficient of variation compared to the intervention counterparts. Among the explanatory variables, the study found that farmer’s age (proxy to farm experience), land certification, frequency of visit to improved seed center, farmer’s education and row planting are important contributing factors for participation decisions and hence technical efficiency of farmers in the study areas. We recommend that policies targeting the design of development intervention programs in the agricultural sector focus more on providing farmers with on-farm visits by extension workers, provision of credit services, establishment of farmers’ training centers and adoption of modern farm technologies. Finally, we recommend further research to deal with this kind of methodological framework using a panel data set to test whether technical efficiency starts to increase or decrease with the length of time that farmers participate in development programs. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=impact%20evaluation" title="impact evaluation">impact evaluation</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=efficiency%20analysis%20and%20selection%20bias" title=" efficiency analysis and selection bias"> efficiency analysis and selection bias</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=stochastic%20frontier%20model" title=" stochastic frontier model"> stochastic frontier model</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Heckman-two%20step" title=" Heckman-two step"> Heckman-two step</a> </p> <a 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