scholarly journals Sustainable innovation adoption barriers: water sustainability, food production and drip irrigation in Australia

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 727-741 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Greenland ◽  
Elizabeth Levin ◽  
John F. Dalrymple ◽  
Barry O’Mahony
Keyword(s):  
Drip Irrigation ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Innovation Adoption ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Irrigation Methods ◽  
Sustainable Innovation ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Smart Agriculture

Purpose This paper aims to examine impediments to the adoption of sustainable water-efficient technological innovation in agriculture. Farming is the largest water consumer and food production expansion in response to global population growth, combined with increasing droughts from climate change, threatens water and food insecurity for many countries. Yet, climate smart agriculture (CSA) innovation adoption has been slow, and in this regard, governments and the agricultural sector are not fulfilling their social responsibility and sustainability obligations. Design/methodology/approach Barriers to water-efficient drip irrigation (DI) adoption in Australia were investigated via 46 depth interviews with agricultural stakeholders and a survey of 148 farmers. Findings While DI water efficiency is recognised, this is not the key determinant of farmers’ irrigation method selection. Complex interrelationships between internal and external barriers impede DI adoption are identified. These include costs, satisfaction with alternative irrigation methods, farmer characteristics that determine the suitability of the innovation and the extent it is incremental or radical, plus various multidimensional risks. Government support of alternative, less water-efficient irrigation methods is also a critical barrier. Originality/value A conceptual framework for understanding barriers to sustainability oriented innovation adoption is presented. Its insights should be applicable to researchers and practitioners concerned with understanding and improving the adoption of socially responsible and sustainable innovation in a wide range of contexts. Recommendations for overcoming such adoption barriers are discussed in relation to the research focus of water-efficient agriculture and encouraging uptake of DI.

Do strategy, processes, personnel and technology affect firm’s propensity to adopt cloud computing?

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 517-534 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niki Kyriakou ◽  
Euripides N. Loukis
Keyword(s):  
Cloud Computing ◽  
Technological Innovation ◽  
Theoretical Foundation ◽  
Innovation Adoption ◽  
Innovation Strategy ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Adoption Factors ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Manufacturing Sectors

Purpose Previous empirical research on cloud computing (CC) adoption factors has examined the effects of only a small number of firm’s characteristics on CC adoption. The purpose of this paper is to investigate empirically the effects of a wide set of firm’s characteristics, which concern four important aspects of it, its strategy, processes, personnel and technology, on the propensity to adopt CC. Design/methodology/approach Having as theoretical background the technology, organization and environment (TOE) theory of technological innovation adoption, in combination with Scott-Morton’s framework on firm’s main elements, ten research hypotheses have been developed based on previous CC and management literature. They were tested using data collected through the e-Business W@tch Survey of the European Commission from 676 European firms from three traditional manufacturing sectors. Findings The results reveal three characteristics of a firm that affect positively its propensity to adopt CC for all firm sizes: the adoption of ICT investment reduction strategy, the adoption of product/service innovation strategy and the sophistication of firm’s administration support ICT infrastructure. Furthermore, they reveal four additional characteristics of a firm that affect positively the propensity for CC adoption only in the small firms: the adoption of process innovation strategy, the employment of ICT personnel, as well as the sophistication of firm’s production support and e-sales ICT infrastructures. Research limitations/implications First, this study provides a theoretical foundation for the elaboration of the organizational perspective of the TOE theory of technological innovation adoption, which opens a new stream of CC adoption factors research, investigating the effects of a wide range of firm’s characteristics on CC adoption. Second, based on the above foundation, this study enriches substantially the empirical literature on CC adoption factors. The main limitation of this study is that it has been based on data from only three European manufacturing sectors. Practical implications The findings provide new interesting insights concerning specific firm’s characteristics and therefore internal conditions that increase its propensity for CC adoption, and reveal specific kinds of strategy and ICT infrastructures for which CC is more appropriate and beneficial. Originality/value The authors have developed a theoretical foundation for extending our knowledge concerning the characteristics and internal conditions of firms that favor/promote the adoption of CC, which supports and enables the substantial extension of the existing knowledge base on CC adoption factors. Based on this theoretical foundation, the authors have formulated and tested ten research hypotheses concerning effects of firm’s strategic directions, processes, ICT infrastructures and ICT personnel, which have not been investigated previously, on CC adoption propensity.

The increasing popularity of private funds

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-75
Author(s):  
Jerry Koh ◽  
Jonathan Lee
Keyword(s):  
Private Equity ◽  
Private Investment ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Capital Inflows ◽  
Regulatory Regime ◽  
Investment Funds ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Fund Managers ◽  
Wide Range

Purpose To introduce the various private fund structuring options available in Singapore, an important fund management hub that has increasingly also come to be recognized as a popular fund domicile with its pro-business environment, transparent and robust regulatory regime and government support through tailored investment structures, tax incentives and extensive double taxation treaties. Design/methodology/approach This article provides an overview of the available private fund structures as well as the key legal issues and considerations that fund managers and investors should take into account when structuring a private fund. It also provides a brief summary of the available tax incentive schemes for funds in Singapore. Findings With growth in private market assets under management fueled by private equity funds over the last decade, the use of private investment funds established in Singapore has become a popular means to tap the large capital inflows into Asia. Singapore offers a wide range of fund structures to suit different fund strategies and considerations, including the variable capital company (“VCC”) structure, a legal structure tailored for use as investment funds that was introduced in January 2020. Practical implications There are a range of Singapore private fund structures available with different features, including the VCC, which is a corporate structure that allows for umbrella-sub-fund structures with segregated assets and liabilities, and the limited partnership, which is familiar to international investors and permits a large degree of contractual flexibility. Other structures such as unit trusts and private companies may also be suitable depending on the particular circumstances and objectives of the fund. Fund managers who are exploring setting up fund vehicles to tap Asian capital or to invest in Asia should be aware of the possible options, and their pros and cons. Originality/value Practical analysis and guidance and market commentary from experienced investment funds lawyers.

scholarly journals Public support for agricultural sector of Kazakhstan

2021 ◽  
pp. 44-49
Author(s):  
R. Tazhibayeva ◽  
◽  
◽  
◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activity ◽  
Radical Innovations ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Business Entities ◽  
Effective Development ◽  
Favorable Conditions ◽  
Agricultural Entrepreneurship

The study reflects the importance of small and medium-sized businesses in creating new jobs, introducing and commercializing radical innovations. It is noted that with effective public support, this category of entrepreneurs is able to achieve significant results both in the short and long term, and will provide access to new markets. The article shows the created favorable conditions for the development of agricultural entrepreneurship, testifying high positions of Kazakhstan, the important role of six public support programs, contributing to significant improvement of situation of business entities, contribution of domestic small and medium-sized enterprises to GDP. The low employment in this area is emphasizes, differences by industry, taking into account that some features of institutional and regulatory framework create disproportionate conditions for SMEs. Trade and investment barriers prevent it from fully entering domestic and global trading platforms. In OECD countries, small and medium-sized businesses make up the majority of business sector. The authors testify that in the future new approaches to the effective development of entrepreneurial activity will be developed; benchmark for expanding the scope of small and medium-sized entrepreneurs is provided in the Strategic Plan of Kazakhstan until 2025. In modern conditions, the mechanism for ensuring their effective functioning should be based on strengthening of government support, providing lending funds, and a wide range of other financial products to ensure a favorable macroeconomic situation in the State.

Nigerian agricultural growth softens oil shock

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Food Production ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Government Policies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Agricultural Growth ◽  
Agricultural Transformation ◽  
The Past ◽  
Oil Revenue ◽  
Oil Shock ◽  
The Government

Subject The outlook for Nigeria's agricultural sector. Significance The success of government policies on agriculture was central to the Finance Ministry's reassurances on Nigeria's ability to weather the oil price shock and increase non-oil revenue. The government has presided over a marked increase in food production over the past four years under the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA), arguably making it one of the main policy achievements of the Goodluck Jonathan administration. Impacts Commercial interest in African agribusiness often falls short given the difficulty of making smallholders competitive in dislocated markets. Input subsidy policies (fertiliser, seeds) often remain inseparable from political appeals to rural electorates. Such policies are not always amenable to 'transformative' interventions -- and in some cases, will actively distort them.

scholarly journals Fracking in the UK: planning and property issues

2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 352-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Jones ◽  
David Hillier ◽  
Daphne Comfort
Keyword(s):  
Shale Gas ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Pressure Groups ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Uk Government ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Community Pressure

Purpose – Large-scale shale gas reserves have recently been identified under many parts of the UK and development pressure for detailed exploration and possibly the exploitation of these reserves by hydraulic fracturing, popularly described as fracking is growing rapidly and seems to have UK Government support. With this in mind the purpose of this paper is to offer a general review of the possible development of shale gas reserves by fracking within the UK and to explore a number of the planning and property issues associated with such development. Design/methodology/approach – The briefing note begins with an outline of the characteristics of shale oil and the fracking process and of the initial developments within the UK and discusses some of the planning and property issues associated with such developments. The note is based upon information drawn from the internet sources, principally national and local governments, business organisations and environmental and community pressure groups and on visits to a small number of sites of exploratory fracking. Findings – The note reveals that planning applications for exploratory and production fracking will be determined at local authority level rather as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects determined by the Secretary of State. In determining planning applications local authorities have received planning guidance from the UK Government and will need to consider a wide range of environmental factors but some critics suggest that the guidance is not comprehensive and that it is weighted in favour of granting permission. A number of property issues are also identified possible effects of fracking on property prices, the availability of mortgages and the insurance of properties. Originality/value – This paper provides an accessible review of the development of shale gas resources by fracking within the UK and as such it will be of value to planners, developers, land and property professionals and students.

Tougher times for New Zealand farmers are ahead

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Financial Pressure ◽  
Forestry Sector ◽  
Change Response ◽  
The Impact

Subject The impact on New Zealand's farmers of changing environmental policies. Significance The Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill has now been signed into law, having been passed with the support of 119 out of 120 lawmakers on November 7. The law will see successive governments legally obliged to reduce New Zealand’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and implement policies for adapting to or mitigating climate change. The legislation is also the latest in a raft of environmental policy changes that will significantly affect the agricultural sector, a key income earner for New Zealand. Impacts Meeting costly new Green standards could put highly indebted dairy farmers under financial pressure, despite government support funding. Changes to rules on banks' capital could see them restricting further their lending to the relatively high-risk dairy sector. Government incentives will see more foreign and local investment in New Zealand’s forestry sector.

scholarly journals Dynamics of banks' lending practices to farmers in India

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Navjot Sandhu
Keyword(s):  
Information Asymmetry ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Bank Lending ◽  
Valuable Insight ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Lending Decisions ◽  
Insight Into

PurposeThis paper aims to evaluate whether small marginal farmers in India have financial constraints and to examine how bank managers make lending decisions.Design/methodology/approachA survey approach was employed, using semi-structured questionnaires with a sample of 42 banks and 185 farmers from the state of Punjab in India. The questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were carried out on a one-to-one basis and in focus groups, and their responses were analysed from the supply (banks) and demand (farmers) side regarding access to finance.FindingsThe results indicate that the Indian farming sector is a complex and multidimensional one that has dependency on both the private and public sectors because of its national importance to varying degrees. Financial lending decisions are dependent upon several non-quantifiable factors (culture, caste, family size, education) and relational bank lending practices. Such practices have an adverse impact on bankable loan applications, and this gives rise to moral hazards. Relational banking and recommendations minimise default rates, but this does not minimise information asymmetry. Subjectivity in decision-making persists, which is compounded by underdeveloped financial markets for small farmers, giving rise to financial exclusion and negatively impacting on economic growth. To overcome information asymmetry, banks rely on the qualitative factors and an excessive level of collateral when making lending decisions. The findings provide valuable insight into how banks make lending decisions and evaluates a complex matrix of relationships between farmers and providers of debt finance in a developing economy such as India.Practical implicationsPolicy makers nationally and internationally could use the results of this research to develop relevant and targeted policies to promote the agricultural sector through adopting efficient provision of finance for farmers. A major contribution of this research is to provide a fundamental evaluation of the issues facing farmers in accessing finance in developing countries.Originality/valueThis study provides an original empirical insight into a sector of the economy that has implications for food security for a country. The study has relevance for a wide range of stakeholders and policy makers of both developed and emerging economies in the world.

scholarly journals CURRENT SITUATION OF THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF ENTERPRISES OF THE AGRARIAN SECTOR OF UKRAINE

2019 ◽  
pp. 49-55
Author(s):  
I. Shkolnyk ◽  
V. Kryvozub
Keyword(s):  
Financial Support ◽  
Agricultural Development ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Credit Rating ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Financial Resources ◽  
Financial Security ◽  
Forward Contracts ◽  
Slow Development ◽  
Wide Range

Agricultural sector is the one of the main domestic economy sectors, that providing the much of the net profit and currency income to the country, agricultural sector employs more then 10% of country population. One of the general factors of the agricultural development efficiency is financial security, that might to promote increase of efficiency, but in the other side this can to slow development of enterprises and reduce factory profitability. In turn financial security of agricultural sector is quite complex complicated and variegated and needs of the further research. Financial security is an economic category can be considered like a complex of the methods, origins and objects as a financial instrument. Sufficient financial security of agricultural sectors enterprises forming problem based on high level risk in production process. Agricultural companies have possibility to use a wide range of methods, such as self-financing, budget international and market ministry. Based on research we systematized basic form of financial security, that are used by agriculture companies in their activity. There are: self-financing, inclusive financing, traditional (classic) financing, leasing and factoring, insurance, loan guarantee, forward contracts. In Ukraine we have situation, when agriculture companies don’t receive proper financial support by country. The programs that have been started, are unstable, but the positive point is that amount of financial resources, that are granted to agricultural sector, have been increased, that showing country interest in agricultural sector forming and developing. What about banking lending, so it isn’t just expensive, in main situations companies cannot get credit because there are have a weak credit history or have a low credit rating. One of the instruments, which is becoming more popular is the agrarian receipts. There are divided to two parts: financial and commodity. The amount of financial resources, that are attracted by agrarian receipts, are increasing for several years and have significant benefits for using by agriculture companies. Keywords: financial instruments, lending, budget financing, government support, leasing.

Fracking for shale gas in the UK: property and investment issues

2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 505-517 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Jones ◽  
Daphne Comfort ◽  
David Hillier
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Shale Gas ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Property Values ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – Large-scale shale gas reserves have recently been identified under many parts of the UK. Development pressure for detailed exploration and possibly the exploitation of these reserves by hydraulic fracturing, popularly described as fracking is growing rapidly and seems to have UK Government support. With this in mind the purpose of this paper is to offer a general review of the possible development of shale gas reserves by fracking within the UK and to explore a number of the property and investment issues associated with such development. Design/methodology/approach – The briefing note begins with an outline of the characteristics of shale oil and the fracking process and of the initial developments within the UK and discusses some of the property and investment issues associated with such developments. The note is based upon information drawn from the internet sources, principally national and local governments, property, financial and environmental organisations and on visits to a small number of sites of exploratory fracking. Findings – The paper identifies a wide range of potential environmental impacts associated with the development of shale gas reserves by fracking and reveals growing awareness in the UK that such development could have a major impact on property values, on the availability of mortgages and on property insurance. At the same time the paper also suggests that financial institutions are increasingly taking steps to minimise risks to their investments and reputation from potential environmental impacts. Practical implications – The paper suggests a number of issues property managers and consultants will need to address in monitoring the impact of shale gas development by fracking on property values and it offers some guidelines to investment managers. Originality/value – This paper provides an accessible review of the development of shale gas resources by fracking within the UK and as such it will be of value to a range of property and investment management professionals and to students pursuing property and investment courses.

Russia will promote grain sales while limiting imports

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Central Asia ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Import Substitution ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Sufficiency ◽  
The Government ◽  
Alternative Food Sources ◽  
Better Than

Subject Russian food production and export prospects. Significance Russia has pursued import substitution since autumn 2014 as a means towards achieving self-sufficiency in food, and policies are significantly more protectionist. Impacts The agricultural sector will perform better than the economy as a whole. State assistance will underpin expansions in production. While curbing imports, the government will actively encourage exports. Attempts to use alternative food sources such as Iran and Central Asia will require new logistical and border arrangements.

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