Digital Commons Network^™

Generating More Profit From Your Farm Business, Tamara Stretch

All other publications

This report outlines the main drivers of profit – price, production, costs and management. Knowing a farm’s profit drivers assists managers to analyse the risk and resilience of their business and to make more informed expenditure decisions. With significant volatility in both prices and production, farm managers need to have strategies that smooth price volatility and allow adjustments to costs of production.

When analysing business profitability it is important to look beyond gross margins and capture all cost items particularly large fixed costs like finance and machinery allowance costs. By critically examining the full cost structure of their business managers …

A Force Of Change: Chris Peterson And The Us Army’S Global Assessment Tool, Paul B. Lester, Peter D. Harms, Mitchel Norman Herian, Walter J. Sowden

P. D. Harms Publications

The US Army launched the Global Assessment Tool (GAT) – a 105-item psychometric instrument taken by approximately one million soldiers annually – in October, 2009 in support of a population-wide resilience development initiative known as the Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness (CSF2) program. The lead developer of the GAT was Chris Peterson, and his work on this project – along with that of Nansook Park and Colonel Carl Castro – will likely leave an important and indelible mark on not only the Army, but also the field of military psychology. In this paper, we provide more detail on the history …

Applying Insights From Behavioral Economics To Policy Design, Brigitte C. Madrian

Faculty Publications

The premise of this article is that an understanding of psychology and other social science disciplines can inform the effectiveness of the economic tools traditionally deployed in carrying out the functions of government, which include remedying market failures, redistributing income, and collecting tax revenue. An understanding of psychology can also lead to the development of different policy tools that better motivate desired behavior change or that are more cost-effective than traditional policy tools. The article outlines a framework for thinking about the psychology of behavior change in the context of market failures. It then describes the research on the effects …

An Examination Of Job Analysis: Developing Interdisciplinary Strategies In Human Resource Management Facilitative Of Mitigating Propensities Of Teacher Attrition, Julio Devere

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite repeated attempts by school administrators, policymakers and researchers to diagnose and correct rising occurrences of teacher turnover, there has been little change in the actual efforts to retain teachers in academy organizations. In response, this study was conducted to describe process constraints within the academy organization that are responsible for managing teacher turnover. To provide a description of current teacher retention efforts by school administrators, a survey instrument was administered to school teachers in the State of Florida. The population sample was dispersed throughout the entire state and closely reflected the demographics of Florida school teachers. The survey addressed …

Antecedents And Consequences Of Customer Experience In Beverage Establishments, Milos Bujisic

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It is estimated that there are approximately 42,000 beverage establishments in the U.S. whose annual revenue surpasses $20 billion (First Research, 2014). To facilitate discussion of beverage establishments, it is essential to recognize beverage establishments as businesses whose majority of sales come from alcoholic drinks (Moss, 2010a). In this research, beverage establishments are divided into beverage-only bars, bar/entertainment combinations, and food and beverage combinations. Even though they are a well-established industry, beverage establishments have received little academic attention (Moss, 2010b). For example, previous studies have given little attention to the development of the model that examines the relationships between quality …

Agricultural Patenting: A Case Study Of Monsanto, Shannon Moran

Pepperdine Policy Review

In 2012, genetically-modified crops reached 170 million hectares around the globe. The ability to patent basic forms of life such as plant properties and the legal history of those intellectual property rights gives biotechnological companies such as Monsanto immense power in the vital agricultural sector. This article outlines the concerns over genetically-modified products and the implications for follow-on advancements within biotechnology by using Monsanto as a case study. The article finds that patent policies similar to those within the United States severely restrict competition and stifle innovation in not only the agricultural sector but also within research and humanitarian projects. …

Organic Farming In France: À La Mode Or A Mode Of Life?, Ellen L. Mallette

Honors Theses

Organic farming, as opposed to conventional or traditional farming that employs the use of chemicals, is a method that was begun in the middle of the twentieth century, shortly after the end of World War II. In many ways it is a return to farming practices that were conducted for centuries until about the late 1800's when pesticides and fertilizers were introduced. The rise of organic farming has been occurring all over the world to varying degrees over the past few decades. The French have always had a strong connection to agriculture, food, and the preservation of tradition, so organic …

The Effects Of Population Disbursement, Percentage Of Medicare Beneficiaries, And Per Capita Income On Medicare Fee Schedule Prices, Ann Marie Mercier

Honors Theses

The thesis is an overview of the existing pay disparity in the fee-for-service billing amounts for professional medical services provided by physicians to Medicare patients in the United States. Will improvements in the per capita income, percentage of Medicare participants, or change in the population disbursement result in higher Medicare fee-for-service billing amounts for healthcare providers? Mississippi has one of the fewest primary care physicians per capita rates than any other state. One reason may be the Medicare fee-for-service prices paid to physicians. This paper will show Mississippi Medicare fee-for-service fee schedule prices for a sample of HCPCS codes compared …

Individualized Consideration: Poverty Countermeasure, Lawrence Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite more than $1 trillion spent annually on poverty remediation, impoverishment in the United States persists unabated. With a U.S. poverty rate greater than 10% for more than 4 decades, economics are neither poverty's cause nor cure. As such, non-economic poverty remedies require exploration and expansion. Linking greater leadership and poverty theories, this non-experimental, cross sectional, quantitative, survey-based research effort correlated individualized consideration's (IC) practice with collegiate athlete graduation rates in order to identify and isolate possible leadership based social poverty remediation measures. Leveraging a two-stage random sample, this research effort correlated student athlete Multi-Factor Leadership Questionnaire (form 5X) responses …

Message Matters: Application Of The Theory Of Planned Behavior To Increase Household Hazardous Waste Program Participation, Amy Dyer Cabaniss

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Removing household hazardous waste (HHW) from the municipal solid waste stream is important to protect health, safety and the environment. Communities across the U.S. separate HHW from regular trash for disposal with hazardous waste, however nationally, participation rates are low with only five to ten percent of households estimated to participate in any given collection. This two-part study used the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to understand individuals’ beliefs and attitudes toward HHW collections, and to develop a print message intervention to increase participation. In Study 1, respondents (N = 983) completed a survey administered to homeowners in the Connecticut …

Foundations In Wisconsin: A Directory [33rd Ed. 2014], Mary C. Frenn, Katie M. Barnhart, Brittany Carloni, Hilary Dabney, Alyssa Gruber, Jakob K. Rinderknecht

Foundations in Wisconsin: A Directory

The 2014 release of Foundations in Wisconsin marks the 33^rd edition of the print directory and the 14^th year of the online version. The directory is designed as a research tool for grantseekers interested in locating information on private, corporate, and community foundations registered in Wisconsin. Each entry in this new edition has been updated or reviewed to provide the most current information available. Most of the data was drawn from IRS 990-PF tax returns filed by the foundations. Additional information was obtained from surveys, foundation websites, annual reports, and newsletters.

Concerns Regarding Food Biotechnology: An Ongoing Debate, Fatme Al Anouti

All Works

The development of agricultural biotechnology has led to the production of numerous types of genetically modified crops with improved traits. The prevalence of genetically modified food is increasing globally. The Rapid progress in the development of genetically modified food has significantly however increased public concern about food safety in recent years. The appearance of such foods in the global market has lately resulted in debate and scientific discussion. This debate is likely to continue, probably in the broader context of other uses of biotechnology and their consequences for human societies. To date, regulations and policies which mandate the labeling of …

Toward Health Equity For Asian American, Native Hawaiian, And Pacific Islanders: The Health Through Action Model, Traci Endo Inouye, Rachel Estrella

The Foundation Review

· Since 2009, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation has invested over $100 million to foster racial healing and eliminate policies, practices, attitudes, and cultural messages that reinforce differing outcomes by race.

· Health Through Action represented an unprecedented level of investment targeting AA and NHPIs. Embedded within the WKKF racial equity portfolio, it was the first time a private-sector foundation joined forces with a national AA and NHPI organization to acknowledge and address health disparities facing this population.

· HTA provided direct grants to seven AA and NHPI collaboratives and 11 AA and NHPI anchor organizations around the country to advance …

Front Matter

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Executive Summaries

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Implementation And Evaluation Of A Multidimensional Nutrition And Physical Activity Initiative Funded By A Community Health Foundation, James Pann, Angela Yehl, Peter Wood, Janisse Schoepp, Gabrielle Solomon, Craig Enders

The Foundation Review

· Poor diet and physical inactivity have been estimated to account for nearly 400,000 deaths a year in the U.S. and are contributing factors to obesity. Nearly one-third of children and two-thirds of adults are overweight or obese. Therefore, in early 2007 Health Foundation of South Florida (HFSF) embarked on a five-year responsive grantmaking initiative, Healthy Eating Active Communities.

· The initiative's aim was to improve healthy eating habits and physical activity levels through two major approaches: individual-level programs grounded in an educational approach and organizational, environmental, policy, and systems-change interventions. As additional research has emerged in the field, policies …

Students' Perspectives Of Ngo Service-Learning Experiences: A Case Study Of Operation Smile, Suzanne B. Unger, Shana Pribesh, Linda Bol, Daniel Dickerson

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Past research demonstrated both strong and questionable benefits to students participating in domestic service-learning. However, we know little about high school and college students' perspectives of service-learning while working with nonprofit, non-governmental (NGO) agencies that serve international populations. This qualitative, exploratory study aims to determine how students perceive their lives are impacted as a result of their service-learning experiences at Operation Smile. Data were collected from two focus groups comprised of high school and university youth. Results indicated service-learning in an international setting positively influences areas of personal growth, career choice, and future philanthropic participation. It also affects level of …

Lays: Halal/Haram Crisis, Jami Moiz, Nida Aslam Khan

Business Review

The following case revolves around Frito Lays which is a highly popular Snack-food Company in various Muslim nations. One of Frito Lays biggest brands, Lays Potato Chips, is a major competitor in the Pakistani Snack foods market. However in 2009, Lays faced a major controversy when it was targeted with a campaign saying that an ingredient found in the manufacturing is Haram (prohibited for Muslims).This claim proved to be disastrous from Lays as it meant a loss in the consumer base as well as a dent onto the Brand's image amongst its wide base of Muslim consumers. The case further …

Food Island, The Irish Times, A Special Report, The Irish Times

Pamphlets

No abstract provided.

Economic Empowerment Through Income Generating Activities And Social Mobilization: The Case Of Married Amhara Women Of Wadla Woreda, North Wollo Zone, Ethiopia, Belete Deribie Woldegies

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Wadla Woreda is located in North Wollo Zone, Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia. The woreda is predominantly agrarian and the population produces mainly subsistence food crops with small amounts of cash crops. Access to basic social and economic services such as health, education, and employment for rural communities is limited due to poor development of rural infrastructure. Wadla is one of the food insecure woredas in the region. As a result some of the people are internally displaced and a portion of the population is included in safety-net programs. The Wadla Woreda is prone to famine due to severe droughts, soil …

Post-School Adult Life For Young People With Down Syndrome, Kitty Rose Foley

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Down syndrome is a chromosomal birth disorder affecting one in 650 to 1000 live births in Western Australia. The life expectancy for people with Down syndrome has increased dramatically over the past two generations leading to these young people having changing needs in terms of social, economic and personal life. Encompassed within this, is the successful transition from school to post-school, a time of upheaval, stress and important decisions for young people with intellectual disabilities. The International classification of functioning, disability and health (ICF) is a world renowned framework which provides a scientific basis and standardised language for describing and …

Kasky V. Nike: Lurking First Amendment Time Bomb For Marketers?, Michael J. Landry

Atlantic Marketing Journal

While attention has focused on the U. S. Supreme Court protecting corporate political speech, the Court has left untouched a California Supreme Court ruling of significance to marketers in their efforts to use advertising and public relations to offset what they view as unfair criticism. The case, Kasky v. Nike, stems from 1995 accusations that athletic footwear and apparel manufacturer Nike exploited and abused employees in Asian sweatshops. Through advertising and public relations efforts, Nike denied the claims. In 1998, Californian Mark Kasky sued, claiming Nike’s denials violated laws regarding unfair competition and false advertising and, because the denials were …

Preventive Health Care Information Delivery Systems: Is Social Media Relevant?, Joseph D. Cangelosi Dr., Edward Ranelli, David Kim

Atlantic Marketing Journal

Preventive Health Care (PHC) is the awareness and efforts a person undertakes to enhance and preserve physical, mental, and emotional health for today and the future. This research examines the importance of online delivery systems as sources of PHC information. It examines how health care consumers respond to various online PHC delivery systems, with a special emphasis on social media (SM). Specifically different demographic groups are compared to determine the importance each group places on various online delivery systems. The results of a survey showed the 35-44 year old group placing the greatest importance of retrieving PHC information online. Older …

Pacific Coast Producers: Picked And Canned At The Peak Of Ripeness, Alondra Bains, Brandon Hunt, Amanda Nichols, Xavier Rodriquez

Case Studies in Agribusiness

Pacific Coast Producers is a cooperative which processes, packs and ships tomatoes, peaches, pears and grapes. It started in 1971, when the bankruptcy of U.S. Products forced ten ranchers to look for a new outlet for their produce. They have since grown into a major co-packer, supplying over 5,000 labels for retailers across the U.S. As a California based packer, they face a number of issues, including environmental concerns, labor shortages and water supply reliability. However, their long-term outlook is positive

Future Fruits Mandred Acreage Projection, Kirstin Hodges, Joey Roedl, Tom Nichols, Matt Hyre

Case Studies in Agribusiness

Future Fruits, an agribusiness that leases fruits such as Lemora, Red Star Navel, Red Nules and the Mandared, is outlined, along with the career of Peter Alvitre, a serial entrepreneur. A key issue is how to promote and license the Mandared; in particular, how to control the supply of Mandared in order to maximize returns.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company: Pioneering Craft Beer In America, Connor Deck, Josh Heinicke, Michael Hoo, Bianca Ramirez

Case Studies in Agribusiness

No abstract provided.

The Welfare Of Animals In The Chicken Industry

Agribusiness Reports

More than 8.5 billion chickens are slaughtered for meat production in the United States every year. Raised in industrial production systems, these animals experience crowded indoor confinement, unnatural lighting regimes, poor air quality, stressful handling and transportation, and inadequate stunning and slaughter procedures. Because they are selectively bred for rapid growth, broiler chickens are prone to a variety of severe skeletal and metabolic disorders that can cause suffering, pain, and even death. Broiler breeders, the parent birds of chickens raised for meat, are subjected to severe feed restriction, and males may undergo painful toe and beak amputations, performed without pain …

Business Plan For A Korean Fine-Dining Restaurant In Las Vegas, Jihoon Kim

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Korean food industry is enjoying international attention and growth as the Korean government’s globalization efforts spur the development of Korean restaurants in international markets such as the United States (Korean Food Foundation, 2013). Korean cuisine is being branded as healthy food that harmonizes nutrition and flavor (Jang & Ha, 2009). Now is the time to start new Korean restaurants in the U.S.’s ethnic cuisine market. This paper provides a business plan focusing on a fine-dining Korean restaurant operation in the Las Vegas market, which is currently devoid of such an operation.

Effects Of Messages Emphasizing Environmental Determinants Of Obesity On Intentions To Engage In Diet And Exercise Behaviors, Jeff Niederdeppe, Sungjong Roh, Michael A. Shapiro, Hye Kyung Kim

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Reducing rates of obesity will require interventions that influence both individual decisions and environmental factors through changes in public policy. Previous work indicates that messages emphasizing environmental determinants increases support for public policies, but some suspect this strategy may undermine motivation to engage in diet and exercise. Emphasizing factors outside of personal control appears to enhance rather than undermine motivations to engage in healthy diet and exercise behavior.

Consumer Adoption Of Health Information Systems, Sankara Subramanian Srinivasan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

At nearly 18 percent of the country's GDP, the U.S. healthcare industry continues to wrestle with growing cost and a quality of care that does not match the increased spending. The dominant focus to date has been on promoting Health IT (HIT) system implementation and digitizing health records at the provider's end, with scant attention to the role of the patient in the healthcare process. The source of inefficiency in the healthcare system is not only on account of shortcomings at the provider's end but also due to non-compliance (such as failing to adhere to medication advice and follow-up visits) …