Diversification and labor productivity on US permaculture farms

2017 ◽  
Vol 34 (04) ◽  
pp. 326-337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafter Sass Ferguson ◽  
Sarah Taylor Lovell
Keyword(s):  
Labor Productivity ◽  
Economies Of Scale ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Alternative Pathway ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Systematic Investigation ◽  
Multiple Production ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Industrial Farming ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractThe relationship between diversification and labor productivity is a pressing issue for diversified farming systems (DFS), which must compete with the high labor productivity of specialized and mechanized industrial farming systems. Synergies between multiple production systems represent an alternative pathway for enhancing labor productivity, contrasting with the economies of scale achieved by industrial farming. Facing a lack of technical and institutional support for managing diversified systems, DFS turn to grassroots agroecological networks for support. Permaculture is a grassroots network with an emphasis on diversified production that—despite its international scope and high public profile—has received little scholarly attention. In this exploratory study we assessed the relationship between diversification, labor productivity and involvement with permaculture, using data from 196 enterprises (i.e., distinct sources of income or aspects of a farm business) on 36 permaculture farms in the USA. We characterized diversification in two ways: by income at the level of the whole farm, and by labor for production enterprises only. By fitting a multilevel model of labor productivity (enterprises nested within farms) we assessed the evidence for synergies in production, i.e., positive relationships between diversification and returns to labor. Results indicated that both production diversity and level of involvement in the permaculture network had significant positive effects on labor productivity. This effect disappeared, however, when both diversity and participation were at their highest levels. Results also indicate that high levels of diversification shift tree crops from the lowest labor productivity of any type of production enterprise to the highest. Through this first ever (to our knowledge) systematic investigation of permaculture farms, our results provide support for the presence of production synergies in DFS, and for the role of permaculture in helping farmers achieve these synergies.

Population and Economic Change: The Emergence of the Rice Industry in Guyana, 1895–1915

1970 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 785-801 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jay R. Mandle
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Economies Of Scale ◽  
Population Change ◽  
Economic Change ◽  
Population Expansion ◽  
Social Institutions ◽  
Individual Country ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
The Relationship

Considered analytically population growth may either have positive or negative influences on economic growth. Population expansion may, by facilitating a widening of markets, allow for economies of scale to be realized and permit the introduction of new industries, or by relieving labor scarcities, facilitate economic expansion. Possible negative implications for economic growth may result however, as Malthus argued, through the mechanism of diminishing returns or by changing the age structure of the population so as to increase the proportion of dependents relative to economically active producers and thus reduce the volume of goods and services available to each individual. The point is that economic analysis prima facia is agnostic with respect to the net effect of population change on economic change. One or all of the above relationships may be operative in any individual country experience and without careful empirical observations, it is impossible to identify accurately whether the negative or positive effects are dominant. Clearly what is needed before general statements about the relationship between population and economic change can be supported is a series of country studies whose purpose will be not only to determine the frequency with which the optimistic or pessimistic influences predominate, but in addition to identify the intervening economic and social institutions which account for the predominance of one or the other effect.

Opportunities for accelerating labor productivity growth: The role of small and medium enterprises

2020 ◽  
pp. 98-114
Author(s):  
Evguenia V. Bessonova ◽  
Alexander G. Morozov ◽  
Natalia A. Turdyeva ◽  
Anna N. Tsvetkova
Keyword(s):  
Labor Productivity ◽  
Productivity Growth ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Growth Potential ◽  
Business Climate ◽  
Labor Productivity Growth ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Low Efficiency ◽  
Medium Enterprises ◽  
Medium Firms

The paper considers necessary conditions for acceleration of labor productivity growth in Russia. Based on micro data, as well as aggregate data, the paper quantifies the contribution of small and medium firms to labor productivity growth. It shows that mere increase of the number of small and medium enterprises is not as important for positive effects of these programs, as qualitative improvements: development of favorable environment for growth, which is largely determined by business climate. Accelerating productivity growth involves redistribution of labor and capital from inefficient to efficient enterprises. In particular, it is necessary to create conditions, which allow a firm to grow after it enters the market instead of stagnating as a small firm with low efficiency. At the same time, it is necessary for ineffective firms, which exhausted their growth potential, to have an opportunity to exit the market easily leaving resources including labor to fast-growing companies.

Preliminaries

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Lobina
Keyword(s):  
Data Structures ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Specific Data ◽  
Recursive Functions ◽  
Recursive Solution ◽  
Partial Recursive Functions ◽  
Recursive Structures ◽  
Recursive Data Structures ◽  
Recursive Data ◽  
The Relationship

Recursion, or the capacity of ‘self-reference’, has played a central role within mathematical approaches to understanding the nature of computation, from the general recursive functions of Alonzo Church to the partial recursive functions of Stephen C. Kleene and the production systems of Emil Post. Recursion has also played a significant role in the analysis and running of certain computational processes within computer science (viz., those with self-calls and deferred operations). Yet the relationship between the mathematical and computer versions of recursion is subtle and intricate. A recursively specified algorithm, for example, may well proceed iteratively if time and space constraints permit; but the nature of specific data structures—viz., recursive data structures—will also return a recursive solution as the most optimal process. In other words, the correspondence between recursive structures and recursive processes is not automatic; it needs to be demonstrated on a case-by-case basis.

Measuring the indirect effect of the Internet on the relationship between human capital and labor productivity

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 821-838
Author(s):  
Nicole Ballouz Baker ◽  
Mona Said Boustany ◽  
Maroun Khater ◽  
Christian Haddad
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Labor Productivity ◽  
Indirect Effect ◽  
The Internet ◽  
The Relationship

Marginal assessment of the cost and benefits of aphasia treatment: Evidence from community-based telerehabilitation treatment for aphasia

2021 ◽  
pp. 1357633X2098277
Author(s):  
Molly Jacobs ◽  
Patrick M Briley ◽  
Heather Harris Wright ◽  
Charles Ellis
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Economies Of Scale ◽  
Reference Group ◽  
Unit Cost ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Conduction Aphasia ◽  
Aphasia Treatment ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Relationship

Introduction Few studies have reported information related to the cost-effectiveness of traditional face-to-face treatments for aphasia. The emergence and demand for telepractice approaches to aphasia treatment has resulted in an urgent need to understand the costs and cost-benefits of this approach. Methods Eighteen stroke survivors with aphasia completed community-based aphasia telerehabilitation treatment, utilizing the Language-Oriented Treatment (LOT) delivered via Webex videoconferencing program. Marginal benefits to treatment were calculated as the change in Western Aphasia Battery-Revised (WAB-R) score pre- and post-treatment and marginal cost of treatment was calculated as the relationship between change in WAB-R aphasia quotient (AQ) and the average cost per treatment. Controlling for demographic variables, Bayesian estimation evaluated the primary contributors to WAB-R change and assessed cost-effectiveness of treatment by aphasia type. Results Thirteen out of 18 participants experienced significant improvement in WAB-R AQ following telerehabilitation delivered therapy. Compared to anomic aphasia (reference group), those with conduction aphasia had relatively similar levels of improvement whereas those with Broca’s aphasia had smaller improvement. Those with global aphasia had the largest improvement. Each one-point of improvement cost between US$89 and US$864 for those who improved (mean = US$200) depending on aphasia type/severity. Discussion Individuals with severe aphasia may have the greatest gains per unit cost from treatment. Both improvement magnitude and the cost per unit of improvement were driven by aphasia type, severity and race. Economies of scale to aphasia treatment–cost may be minimized by treating a variety of types of aphasia at various levels of severity.

scholarly journals The formation conditions of birch tar in oxygen-depleted environments

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tabea J. Koch ◽  
Patrick Schmidt
Keyword(s):  
Temperature Interval ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Technical Skills ◽  
Middle Palaeolithic ◽  
Dry Distillation ◽  
Narrow Temperature Interval ◽  
Glass Tubes ◽  
Formation Conditions ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Heating Duration

AbstractBirch tar is the oldest manmade adhesive dating back to the European Middle Palaeolithic. Its study is of importance for understanding the cognitive capacities and technical skills of Neanderthals and the aceramic production systems employed in the European Palaeolithic and Mesolithic. Several methods may have been used to make birch tar, the most common proposition being dry distillation in oxygen-depleted atmospheres. One of the major impediments for our understanding of the conditions employed to make Neanderthal birch tar, and ultimately the technique used, is that it remains unknown at which temperatures exactly birch tar forms. The relationship between heating duration and tar formation is also unknown. To address these questions, we conduct a laboratory heating experiment, using sealed glass tubes and an electric furnace. We found that birch tar is only produced at a narrow temperature interval (350 °C and 400 °C). Heating times longer than 15 min have no effect on the quantity of tar produced. These findings, notwithstanding previous propositions of necessarily long heating times and larger tolerances for temperature, have important implications for our understanding of the investment in time needed for Palaeolithic birch tar making.

scholarly journals The Diffusion Mechanism of Megaproject Citizenship Behavior: The Role of Institutional Isomorphism

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 8123
Author(s):  
Delei Yang ◽  
Jun Zhu ◽  
Qingbin Cui ◽  
Qinghua He ◽  
Xian Zheng
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Diffusion Mechanism ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Citizenship Behavior ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Diffusion Limited ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Mimetic Isomorphism

Megaproject citizenship behavior (MCB) has been confirmed to a play vital role on megaproject performance. Although current research has argued that institution elements have had an impact on MCB diffusion, limited studies have empirically investigated the distinct effectiveness of various institution elements on driving MCB’s widespread diffusion in construction megaprojects. Based on institution theory, this study proposes a theoretical model comprising institutional elements (i.e., normative and mimetic isomorphism), owner’s support, relationship-based trust, and their effect or impact on MCB’s diffusion. Based on 171 industrial questionnaires collected from managers of contractors and designers in megaprojects. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to validate the established model. The results indicated that both normative and mimetic isomorphism have positive effects on facilitating MCB diffusion, and owner’s support has shown partial mediation in promoting MCB diffusion through normative isomorphism, as well as full mediation in the promoting of MCB diffusion through mimetic isomorphism. Meanwhile, relationship-based trust exerts a positive moderating effect on the relationship between mimetic isomorphism and MCB. This study extends current literature on driving MCB diffusion from the perspective of institutional theory, contributing by providing four implications for megaprojects managers to “buy in” more extensive MCB.

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