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Trienekens, Jacques, Mariska van Velzen, Nic Lees, Caroline Saunders, and Stefano Pascucci. "Governance of market-oriented fresh food value chains: export chains from New Zealand." International Food and Agribusiness Management Review 21, no. 2 (March 13, 2018): 249–68. http://dx.doi.org/10.22434/ifamr2017.0063.
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The competition in international food markets is increasingly moving towards products with higher levels of added value and higher degrees of differentiation, requiring companies to become more market-oriented. Market orientation is ‘the extent to which an actor in the marketplace uses knowledge about the market, especially about customers, as a basis for decision-making on what to produce, how to produce it, and how to market it’. Market orientation comprises three constructs: market intelligence generation, dissemination and responsiveness. Value chain governance can facilitate market orientation requirements. Value chain governance includes network governance, contracting and informal relationships. Knowledge about how governance can facilitate a value chain’s market orientation is limited. Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore how the governance of a global food value chain can facilitate the value chain’s market orientation. The study applies a multiple case study design. Four in-depth case studies were conducted on global food value chains from New Zealand to Western Europe dealing with the products apples, kiwis, venison and lamb. Interviews were conducted with actors from these four value chains in the Netherlands as well as in New Zealand. In each value chain actors with similar functions were interviewed in order to make the results comparable. Analysis of the case studies shows that network governance (i.e. leadership, shared governance and facilitation), contractual agreements (i.e. type and content: price, volume, quality) and informal relationships (i.e. trust and commitment) can contribute to the market orientation of a value chain. Leaderships and shared governance, in combination with good informal relationships in the chain, as well as contractual incentives, are main contributors to market orientation in global fresh food value chains. The paper adds to the still very scarce literature on governance of value chains and market orientation of value chains.
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Twine, Edgar E., Amos Omore, and Julius Githinji. "Uncertainty in milk production by smallholders in Tanzania and its implications for investment." International Food and Agribusiness Management Review 21, no. 1 (January 9, 2018): 53–72. http://dx.doi.org/10.22434/ifamr2017.0028.
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The study evaluates the impact of risk on enterprises of male, female and young farmers operating in the formal and informal smallholder dairy value chains in Tanzania. It also examines the effect of uncertainty on the decision to invest in milk production in the two value chains. Results indicate that youths in the informal dairy value chain face the greatest level of risk followed by men in the formal value chain, and then men in the informal value chain. Women in both value chains and youths in the formal value chain face relatively low risk. Overall, milk production in the informal value chain is found to be substantially riskier than production in the formal chain. Optimal investment triggers are found to be much larger than the conventional triggers and are sensitive to volatility of returns. The results’ managerial and policy implications for inclusive dairy industry development in Tanzania are highlighted.
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Lyons, Michal, Alison Brown, and Zhigang Li. "ASR FORUM: ENGAGING WITH AFRICAN INFORMAL ECONOMIES." African Studies Review 56, no. 3 (November 20, 2013): 77–100. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/asr.2013.80.
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Abstract:This article analyzes the value chain for Chinese manufactured goods such as garments and textiles sold in sub-Saharan Africa. It explores the opportunities for Africans with small, private businesses in the export trade from China, the potential for long-term business development, and how strategies of engagement have changed over time. It finds that the value chains for low-cost goods vary. There is great diversity of entry levels and opportunities for socioeconomic mobility, and traders evolve diverse strategies to obtain and defend their position in the chain. These findings are discussed in terms of understandings of international value chains, the informal economy, and African economic development strategies.
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Ogulin, Robert, Willem Selen, and Jalal Ashayeri. "Determinants of informal coordination in networked supply chains." Journal of Enterprise Information Management 25, no. 4 (July 20, 2012): 328–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/17410391211245829.
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Godfrey, Sosheel S., Gavin C. Ramsay, Karl Behrendt, Peter C. Wynn, Thomas L. Nordblom, and Naveed Aslam. "Analysis of agribusiness value chains servicing small-holder dairy farming communities in Punjab, Pakistan: three case studies." International Food and Agribusiness Management Review 22, no. 1 (January 28, 2019): 119–36. http://dx.doi.org/10.22434/ifamr2017.0122.
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The agriculture sector in Pakistan, as in most developing countries, is dominated by smallholder producers. Pakistan has the world’s third largest dairy industry, and milk is efficiently collected and distributed chiefly by informal value chains that market the raw product with minimal cool chain infrastructure. Formal processors have a small market share of 5%. Interview data from farmers, milk collectors and consumers from three rural-urban case study value chains were analysed to study opportunities and challenges faced by the dairy industry. Compositional analysis of milk samples (n=84) collected along these chains identified the fact that in Pakistan informal milk chains provide a cheaper source of calories for the final consumer than industrialised milk chains (USD 0.12 compared USD 0.15 per 100 calories). These three chains created an estimated 4,872 jobs from farm to market and provided access to interest-free credit for the farmers. The existing government price setting mechanism at the retail end and collusion by large processors to set farm gate prices provided significant limitations to the profitability of small-holder farms providing the product. The absence of quality and quantity standards, amid the exchange of huge numbers of small volumes of milk along these chains, are major impediments to industry growth.
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Light, Ivan. "The Informal Economy Buffer, Migration Chains, and Poverty Intolerance." City & Community 6, no. 3 (September 2007): 245–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6040.2007.00217_4.x.
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Schoenherr, Tobias, Ram Narasimhan, and Piyas (P) Bandyopadhyay. "The assurance of food safety in supply chains via relational networking." International Journal of Operations & Production Management 35, no. 12 (December 7, 2015): 1662–87. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/ijopm-02-2014-0051.
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Purpose – Taking a social network perspective, the purpose of this paper is to develop a framework for the assurance of food safety via relational networking. Design/methodology/approach – The authors consider both informal and formal relational networking, and explore a firm’s learning orientation, risk aversion and consumer pressure as potential precursors to such relational networking. It is further hypothesized that relational networking generates both industry and supply chain knowledge, which is suggested to be beneficial for contamination detection. The model is tested with survey data collected among food-producing firms in India, the world’s second largest food producer. Findings – The authors find a positive influence of consumer pressure on both a firm’s learning orientation and risk aversion, which in turn affect both informal and formal relational networking. Informal networking further generated industry knowledge and was beneficial for contamination detection. Formal relational networking influenced supply chain knowledge, which in turn enabled contamination detection. Originality/value – Recent food product-related safety breaches, which have, in the worst case, led to fatalities, illustrate the importance of food safety in supply chains. This study represents the first systematic investigation of relational networking in the context of food safety from the perspective of social network theory.
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PN, Sindhuja. "Impact of information security initiatives on supply chain performance." Information Management & Computer Security 22, no. 5 (November 10, 2014): 450–73. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/imcs-05-2013-0035.
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Purpose – The purpose of this empirical research is to attempt to explore the effect of information security initiatives (ISI) on supply chain performance, considering various intra- and inter-organization information security aspects that are deemed to have an influence on supply chain operations and performance. Design/methodology/approach – Based on extant information security management and supply chain security management literature, a conceptual model was developed and validated. A questionnaire survey instrument was developed and administered among supply chain managers to collect data. Data were collected from 197 organizations belonging to various sectors. The study used exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis for data analysis. Further, to test the hypotheses and to fit the theoretical model, structural equation modeling techniques were used. Findings – Results of this study indicate that ISI, comprising technical, formal and informal security aspects in an intra- and inter-organizational environment, are positively associated with supply chain operations, which, in turn, positively affects supply chain performance. Research limitations/implications – This study provides the foundation for future research in the management of information security in supply chains. Findings are expected to provide the communities of practice with better information security decision-making in a supply chain context, by clearly formulating technical, formal and informal information security policies for improving supply chain performance. Originality/value – In today’s global supply chain environment where competition prevails among supply chains, this research is relevant in terms of capability that an organization has to acquire for managing internal and external information security. In that sense, this study contributes to the body of knowledge with an empirical analysis of organizations’ information security management initiatives as a blend of technical, formal and informal security aspects.
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de Paula, Áureo, and José A. Scheinkman. "Value-Added Taxes, Chain Effects, and Informality." American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics 2, no. 4 (October 1, 2010): 195–221. http://dx.doi.org/10.1257/mac.2.4.195.
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We present an equilibrium model of tax avoidance and test its implications using a survey of firms in Brazil. In the model, the credit method used to collect value-added tax (VAT) creates informality chains—clients or suppliers of informal firms are more likely to be informal. An increase in enforcement in a production stage increases formality downstream and upstream. Various empirical measures of formality of suppliers and buyers, and of enforcement downstream and upstream, are positively correlated with formality. When the VAT is applied in a single stage of production at a rate estimated by the authorities, these chain effects disappear. (JEL H25, H26, L14, L21, O14, O17)
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Soundararajan, Vivek, Andrew Crane, Michael Bloomfield, Laura J. Spence, and Genevieve LeBaron. "Informal Labor Intermediation in Global Supply Chains: A Value Intermediation Perspective." Academy of Management Proceedings 2021, no. 1 (August 2021): 14765. http://dx.doi.org/10.5465/ambpp.2021.254.
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Chen, Yu-Chun, and Min-Nan Chen. "Social Trust and Open Innovation in an Informal Economy: The Emergence of Shenzhen Mobile Phone Industry." Sustainability 12, no. 3 (January 21, 2020): 775. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su12030775.
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This study examines how social trust facilitates firms’ collaborative efficiency in an informal economy. We extend the open innovation theory to explain the straightforward role of social trust in the Shenzhen mobile phone industry. This single case study yields two principal findings. First, social trust fosters the efficient integration of value chains for mobile phone development. Four types of informal entrepreneurs with high social trust built on homogenous sanctioned ethnic groups (i.e., Fujian, Hunan, Chaoshan, and Wenzhou) collaboratively conform to the chip vendors, independent design houses, integrators, manufacturers and channel retailers in the Shenzhen mobile phone industry. These four groups of informal entrepreneurs achieve ethnic legitimacy by organizing the value chains with mobile feature phones built on Shenzhen mobile phone modes. Second, social trust among the four sanctioned ethnic groups is a critical determinant for shortening the time-to-market of new products and catalyzes product specialization to effectively respond to market needs in the Shenzhen mobile phone industry. Finally, we discuss the implications of our findings for research on social trust and open innovation in informal institutions.
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Jacques, Caroline, and Rodrigo Rafael Mueller. "Global productive chains and decent work management technologies." International Journal for Innovation Education and Research 8, no. 12 (December 11, 2020): 22–33. http://dx.doi.org/10.31686/ijier.vol8.iss12.2807.
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The article presents a reflection on decent work management technologies in the global productive chains. Based on economic sociology and anthropology authors, it discusses the general characteristics of the global productive chains, especially the concept of decent work as a management technology for the labor´s international regulation. The empirical focus of this research was a clothing manufacturing productive chain in the south of Santa Catarina. Interviews were carried out with social and economic actors that are part of this sector, in particular, unions and entrepreneurs. As a conclusion, it is important to highlight that decent work management technologies have the formal merit of inserting the decent work guidelines into the contracts between the suppliers and subcontractors. However, the research points out that the asymmetries in the financial negotiations which are typical of the productive chains continue to promote precarious and informal work in the sector.
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von Oppenkowski, Moritz, Markus Hassler, and Tim Roesler. "Informal markets and global value chains – the disembedding of Romanian dairy smallholders." European Planning Studies 27, no. 5 (March 2019): 995–1012. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2019.1584607.
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Li, Yongjian, Fangchao Xu, and Xiukun Zhao. "Governance mechanisms of dual-channel reverse supply chains with informal collection channel." Journal of Cleaner Production 155 (July 2017): 125–40. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.09.084.
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Zhang, Hao. "Regional value chains and spontaneous multi-employer wage coordination in China." Journal of Industrial Relations 62, no. 1 (August 20, 2019): 104–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0022185619865754.
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This article explores how wage determination is coordinated within a regional value chain in China's auto industry and the underlying mechanism that governs this coordination. While the market-economy reform over the past four decades has granted firms considerable autonomy in managing their own employees, this case demonstrates that in China's private sector, wage determination is not at individual employers' full discretion. In general, scholars agree that Western-style formal institutional structures for wage coordination – centralized collective bargaining – have not been effectively established in China. But in Tianjin's auto industry, spontaneous multi-employer wage coordination occurs through informal arrangements that leverage a lead firm's control over its suppliers and various social networks that connect employers, labor unions, and workers in the locality. As a result, wages across the local auto industry are greatly compressed. This article concludes by discussing the important role of informal institutions in China's private governance.
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Davis-Sramek, Beth, Ayman Omar, and Richard Germain. "Leveraging supply chain orientation for global supplier responsiveness." International Journal of Logistics Management 30, no. 1 (February 11, 2019): 39–56. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/ijlm-09-2017-0225.
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to utilize middle-range theorizing to examine whether a US manufacturer can leverage supply chain orientation (SCO) to garner responsiveness from a global supplier. To capture the interplay of macro-level institutional environments, the authors examine the moderating effect of institutional distance on the SCO–supplier responsiveness relationship. Design/methodology/approach Primary survey data collected from US manufacturers are utilized to measure SCO and supplier responsiveness. Two secondary data sets (EIU and GLOBE) capture formal and informal distance at the institutional level and are used to test the moderating effect of institutional distance. Findings The research finds that SCO can facilitate global supplier responsiveness. A post hoc exploratory analysis reveals a three-way interaction, where the SCO–supplier responsiveness relationship is strengthened when formal and informal institutions are either very similar or very different. Research limitations/implications The research offers a more nuanced understanding of manufacturer–supplier relationships in global supply chains by demonstrating how country-level (macro) characteristics can influence firm-level (micro) supply chain phenomena. It extends research on SCO by illustrating how institutional distance interacts with a manufacturer’s ability to leverage SCO to enable supplier responsiveness. Practical implications Manufacturers should increase their attentiveness to institutional distance. When both formal and informal distances are different (i.e. high distance), SCO can create a powerful lever to improve global supplier responsiveness. Likewise, when formal and informal institutions are similar (i.e. low distance), SCO reinforces joint efforts and collaboration to create additive benefits, whereby suppliers are incentivized to be responsive to unexpected environmental changes. Originality/value This research addresses the growing call for more empirical studies that examine how country-level institutions influence firm-level phenomena. It also utilizes secondary data to serve as a proxy for formal and informal institutional distance.
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Cardoso de Oliveira, Mara Cristina, Marcio Cardoso Machado, Charbel Jose Chiappetta Jabbour, and Ana Beatriz Lopes de Sousa Jabbour. "Paving the way for the circular economy and more sustainable supply chains." Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal 30, no. 5 (August 5, 2019): 1095–113. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/meq-01-2019-0005.
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Purpose Circular economy is an emerging concept which requires insights from a variety of disciplines, especially from sustainable operations management. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to verify how formal and informal instruments of governance influence the induction of green practices in a green network located in Brazil, with implications for the circular economy. Design/methodology/approach Based on a review of the supply chain (SC), green supply chain management, and governance literature, proposals are made regarding the influence of governance instruments in inducing green practices. To investigate these propositions, a qualitative research was conducted using a single exemplary case study of a cosmetics supply network. Findings The authors present original research findings which have both expected and unexpected implications for the circular economy, due to the fact that the data analysis showed that the formal (contracts and environmental norms) and informal (trust and cooperation) instruments of governance positively influence the induction of green practices within the supply network. Originality/value This study contributes to supply network and governance theory by providing insights for better understanding of how governance instruments can induce green practices in a supply network, and it provides practical implications for SC managers, by showing the importance of considering different governance instruments. Implications for the circular economy are made.
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Birthal, Pratap S., Ramesh Chand, P. K. Joshi, Raka Saxena, Pallavi Rajkhowa, Md Tajuddin Khan, Mohd Arshad Khan, and Khyali R. Chaudhary. "Formal versus informal: Efficiency, inclusiveness and financing of dairy value chains in Indian Punjab." Journal of Rural Studies 54 (August 2017): 288–303. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2017.06.009.
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Vityaz, Petr A., and Vyacheslav K. Shcherbin. "The institutional development of International Association of Academies of Sciences: from scientific councils to international scientific-technological consortia." Journal of the Belarusian State University. Sociology, no. 2 (October 3, 2020): 4–19. http://dx.doi.org/10.33581/2521-6821-2020-2-4-19.
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The article considers the history of creation of formal and informal institutional structures of International Association of the Academies of sciences (IAAS) the functioning of which is based on the technological chains of cognition that are characteristic of traditional disciplinary science. The differences between the technological chains of cognition and the global value chains that have developed in the global economy are shown. The prospects of combining the chains of these types within the framework of international scientific and technological consortia, which are more consistent with the requirements of modern technoscience, are determined. The conclusion is substantiated that the creation of a number of international scientific-technological consortia on the basis of scientific councils of association will allow IAAS to receive a stable source of its additional financing.
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Nagy, Viktor, and Tímea Kozma. "Business Cooperations Along the Supply Chain." Economics and Culture 15, no. 2 (December 1, 2018): 5–13. http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/jec-2018-0015.
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Abstract Cooperation between and within the companies can be an important success factor. Based on trust, companies at present have created formal and informal network structures in which cooperation between them plays a special role. In the present times, the economic importance of supply chains can be observed in almost every industry regardless size: multinational companies and even small and medium-sized enterprises are actively involved in global value-creating chains. More and more business leaders recognize that when consumers are about to decide on their purchases, not just performance of a company is evaluated but that of the entire supply chain and supply network. Forms of cooperation in the supply chain affect the companies in several ways: we can investigate its impact on growth, operation and thus, on the effectiveness of the supply chain and competitiveness. Both cooperation between and within companies are important in creating the ultimate value added. This paper aims to explore the functional fields in which companies cooperate with each other, i.e. how and in what manner they are connected to each other. Results and conclusions are based on in-depth interviews and a questionnaire filled in by companies in Hungary.
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Bryceson, Kim P., and Anne Ross. "Agrifood Chains as Complex Systems and the Role of Informality in Their Sustainability in Small Scale Societies." Sustainability 12, no. 16 (August 13, 2020): 6535. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su12166535.
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Agrifood chains are complex systems; they encompass biological, economic, social, health and political variables at different scales (e.g., on-farm, local, regional, national and global). Consequently, what enables a food system to achieve ‘sustainability’ is also complex. This is particularly the case in small-scale societies in developing nations which are socially constituted. In this paper we posit that a habitus of informality underpins food systems’ sustainability in these societies. We argue that conventional applications of approaches like the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) and Circles of Sustainability (CoS) frameworks fail to assist understanding of sustainability in informal socio-economic systems because they either place too much emphasis on economic growth (TBL) or underplay the strength of socio–cultural obligations and responsibilities (CoS). This is seen in international aid programs that encourage economic growth in the agrifood sector, which is challenging for villages in such societies. We review data from two Pacific Island countries—Tonga and Solomon Islands—to demonstrate the need for a more holistic way to think about sustainability in informal agrifood systems in small-scale developing nations. We demonstrate the value of employing a Hybrid Value Chain Framework for collecting information necessary to understanding how sustainability is constituted in the food systems of small-scale societies.
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Jagtap, Milind, and Sachin Kamble. "Evaluating the modus operandi of construction supply chains using organization control theory." International Journal of Construction Supply Chain Management 5, no. 1 (July 31, 2015): 16–33. http://dx.doi.org/10.14424/ijcscm501015-16-33.
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Supply chains are omnipresent. However, the modus operandi of the construction supply chain is not clearly established in the literature. This might be attributable to the character of construction projects and the structure of the construction industry. Formal and informal control mechanisms are well established in retail and manufacturing supply chains whichis evident in improved product performance. However, there is a paucity of research on the construction supply chain especially atidentifying the interplay of control mechanisms and their relationship with project performance. In the case of large and complex construction projects, the client-contractor relationship requires input control, behaviour control and output control for successful project delivery. In the light of organisationcontrol theory and the existing literature on construction supply chains, this study evaluates the modus operandi of the client-contractor relationship based on three control mechanisms: input control (project risk and reward power, and intra-project communication), behaviour control (opportunism) and output control (project performance) using a structural equation model. A survey data of258 construction professionals working on construction projectsin Indiawas collected. The study findingsreveal that input control, in terms of project risk and reward power,and intra-project communication, largely influence behaviour control in terms of opportunism. However, behaviour controls do not directly affect output control in terms of project performance; rather, a direct effect of the input control mechanism of output control is particularly evident.
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Gutberlet, Jutta, Jaan-Henrik Kain, Belinda Nyakinya, Michael Oloko, Patrik Zapata, and María José Zapata Campos. "Bridging Weak Links of Solid Waste Management in Informal Settlements." Journal of Environment & Development 26, no. 1 (October 5, 2016): 106–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1070496516672263.
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Many cities in the global South suffer from vast inadequacies and deficiencies in their solid waste management. In the city of Kisumu in Kenya, waste management is fragmented and insufficient with most household waste remaining uncollected. Solid waste enters and leaves public space through an intricate web of connected, mostly informal, actions. This article scrutinizes waste management of informal settlements, based on the case of Kisumu, to identify weak links in waste management chains and find neighborhood responses to bridge these gaps. Systems theory and action net theory support our analysis to understand the actions, actors, and processes associated with waste and its management. We use qualitative data from fieldwork and hands on engagement in waste management in Kisumu. Our main conclusion is that new waste initiatives should build on existing waste management practices already being performed within informal settlements by waste scavengers, waste pickers, waste entrepreneurs, and community-based organizations.
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Louw, A., and D. Jordaan. "Supply chain risks and smallholder fresh produce farmers in the Gauteng province of South Africa." Southern African Business Review 20, no. 1 (March 27, 2019): 286–312. http://dx.doi.org/10.25159/1998-8125/6051.
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A survey of 52 smallholder fresh produce farmers was conducted in the Gauteng province of South Africa to grasp how risk and its management affect the mainstreaming of smallholder farmers into formal, high-value markets. The study employed a supply chain analysis approach, which focused on the functions and risks that occur along the fresh produce chain. The results highlight the risks that impede the participation of smallholder farmers in formal, high-value chains. At the production level, risk is prominent from input procurement through to the post-harvest stage of the chains. At the retail and consumption level, risks are linked to the adherence to quality and quantity standards, including prescribed packaging, grading, labelling and traceability and transport requirements. As a result of these risks across the formal chain, smallholder farmers often resort to distributing their products in low-value informal markets. The consequence is that smallholder farmers tend to remain trapped in poverty, in part, because of their risk appetites and their ability to bear risk. 8Further research is required in the areas pertaining to smallholder farmers’ risk appetite and risk-bearing ability and mechanisms to deal with the particular risks in the value chain that impede their all-round ability to escape the “smallholder dilemma”.
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Howieson, Janet, Meredith Lawley, and Kathleen Hastings. "Value chain analysis: an iterative and relational approach for agri-food chains." Supply Chain Management: An International Journal 21, no. 3 (May 9, 2016): 352–62. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/scm-06-2015-0220.
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Purpose Value Chain Analysis (VCA) is established as a diagnostic tool. The purpose of this study is to extend existing applications and develop an iterative and relational method. to facilitate the application of VCA to agri-food chains as a strategic process rather than a diagnostic tool. Design/methodology/approach Using a multiple case study design, the new approach to VCA was applied to four Australian prawn fisheries. These fisheries varied in size, location, management structures and marketing arrangements and allowed the general applicability of the approach to be explored. Findings The application of the revised VCA revealed the importance of undertaking a strategic approach, with the outcome for all fisheries being a greater understanding of their consumers and an enhanced realisation of commercial opportunities. Two fisheries completed the revised VCA, and the findings show that a relational approach is crucial in creating value. In addition, it was shown that formalised structures and the informal behaviours of the value chain members have a strong positive impact on the relationship process. Research limitations/implications The research furthers the value chain literature and contributes an iterative approach to the application of VCA. The research also shows that obtaining improvements is not achievable for all chains, and, if the entire chain is not engaged with the process, the value of the results will be compromised. Further research is needed to confirm the validity of findings in other food industries. Originality/value The relational approach is an original contribution to the area of VCA research and provides industry with a blueprint for creating successful value chains. Specifically, the areas of implementation and evaluation make an original contribution to the theoretical and practical knowledge of value chains.
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Khan, Shahrukh Rafi, and Sajid Kazmi. "Value chains in the informal sector: income shares of home‐based subcontracted workers in Pakistan." International Review of Applied Economics 22, no. 3 (April 17, 2008): 339–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02692170802003681.
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Cragg, Tony, Tom McNamara, Irena Descubes, and Frank Guerin. "Manufacturing SMEs, network governance and global supply chains." Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development 27, no. 1 (December 9, 2019): 130–47. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/jsbed-10-2019-0334.
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how small manufacturing firms develop and manage relationships with global suppliers and distributors. In so doing the authors aim to contribute to knowledge about SMEs and supply chain management (SCM). Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted 12 in-depth case studies of SME final assemblers of machinery in the French farm equipment sector. Findings The most effective form of global supply chain governance used by successful SMEs is informal networks involving managers in similar complementary firms, which serve to concatenate links with foreign suppliers and distributors. Research limitations/implications The principal limitation of this research is that it is specific to one sector and therefore questions of transferability are raised. Practical implications The important implication for managers in manufacturing SMEs is that links with other complementary local firms in the same sector need to be developed, leveraged and valued. Originality/value The originality of this case research is that the authors draw on inter-organisational boundaries, power asymmetries and network governance to develop a conceptual framework for the study of SMEs and global supply chains. By focusing on the perceptions of boundary-spanning managers, the authors show how, in circumstances of demand uncertainty, soft network governance is an effective strategic choice.
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Bennett, Aoife, Peter Cronkleton, Mary Menton, and Yadvinder Malhi. "Rethinking Fuelwood: People, Policy and the Anatomy of a Charcoal Supply Chain in a Decentralizing Peru." Forests 9, no. 9 (August 31, 2018): 533. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/f9090533.
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In Peru, as in many developing countries, charcoal is an important source of fuel. We examine the commercial charcoal commodity chain from its production in Ucayali, in the Peruvian Amazon, to its sale in the national market. Using a mixed-methods approach, we look at the actors involved in the commodity chain and their relationships, including the distribution of benefits along the chain. We outline the obstacles and opportunities for a more equitable charcoal supply chain within a multi-level governance context. The results show that charcoal provides an important livelihood for most of the actors along the supply chain, including rural poor and women. We find that the decentralisation process in Peru has implications for the formalisation of charcoal supply chains, a traditionally informal, particularly related to multi-level institutional obstacles to equitable commerce. This results in inequity in the supply chain, which persecutes the poorest participants and supports the most powerful actors.
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Cholez, Céline, and Pascale Trompette. "A mundane infrastructure of energy poverty: The informal trading of second-hand car batteries in Madagascar." Journal of Material Culture 25, no. 3 (January 2, 2020): 259–88. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1359183519895048.
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This article examines the complex interconnected chains of large- and small-scale trade that sustain the supply of second-hand car batteries as a widespread traditional solution to energy poverty. It traces the routes of goods that support the circulation of batteries from international routes upstream and downstream to urban and rural areas in Madagascar. It addresses the notion of a mundane infrastructure based on economic circuits that support the regular supply of rebuilt batteries as their repair, maintenance and recharge in the course of their second life. The analysis focuses on central nodes along this supply chain where intermediaries organize transactions over heterogeneous regimes of value and discontinuous economic spaces. It highlights the way these entrepreneurs provide solutions for disjunctions via translation and requalification processes. While the trade of second-hand car batteries is more and more subject to control to prevent lead trafficking rings, these secondary circuits of makeshift energy products raise the interweaving moral and material tensions between the contemporary global environmental politics and the survival of the mundane infrastructure of energy poverty.
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Dicecca, Raffaele, Stefano Pascucci, and Francesco Contò. "Understanding reconfiguration pathways of agri-food value chains for smallholder farmers." British Food Journal 118, no. 8 (August 1, 2016): 1857–82. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/bfj-05-2016-0194.
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Purpose – Smallholder farmers often deal with lack of information and knowledge, weak financial capacity and limited collaboration and network orientation. This is hampering their ability to adopt or co-develop innovation, and to participate in value chain exchanges. This calls for using intermediary organizations. The purpose of this paper is to understand how innovation intermediaries engage with smallholder farmers and provoke value chain reconfigurations. Design/methodology/approach – The authors systematically review literature to draw cases on intermediaries operating in the agri-food sector in several geographical and socio-economic contexts. The authors then adopt a theory building from cases approach to identify relationships between smallholder farmers and innovation intermediaries, and their effects in the reconfiguration of value chains. Findings – Consultants, knowledge transfer organizations (KTOs) and broker organizations (BOs) are the three typologies of intermediaries identified. While consultants facilitate change by modifying the way smallholders engage in transactions with their buyers and input providers, KTOs focus on farmers engagement in the value chain by stimulating the formation of knowledge platform or partnership. BOs operate in a similar way as compared to KTOs but mainly by forming and facilitating access to informal networks. Practical implications – The authors build a framework in which relationships between typologies of intermediary organizations and types of innovation processes are connected with changes at value chain level. Originality/value – The authors highlight how diverse forms of intermediations may stimulate not only smallholder farmers’ participation in innovation networks but also value chain reconfigurations.
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DEHNERT, JULIANE, and WIL M. P. VAN DER AALST. "BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN BUSINESS MODELS AND WORKFLOW SPECIFICATIONS." International Journal of Cooperative Information Systems 13, no. 03 (September 2004): 289–332. http://dx.doi.org/10.1142/s0218843004000973.
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This paper presents a methodology to bridge the gap between business process modeling and workflow specification. While the first is concerned with intuitive descriptions that are mainly used for communication, the second is concerned with configuring a process-aware information system, thus requiring a more rigorous language less suitable for communication. Unlike existing approaches the gap is not bridged by providing formal semantics for an informal language. Instead it is assumed that the desired behavior is just a subset of the full behavior obtained using a liberal interpretation of the informal business process modeling language. Using a new correctness criterion (relaxed soundness), it is verified whether a selection of suitable behavior is possible. The methodology consists of five steps and is illustrated using event-driven process chains as a business process modeling language and Petri nets as the workflow specification language.
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Jokonowo, Bambang, Jan Claes, Riyanarto Sarno, and Siti Rochimah. "Process Mining in Supply Chains: A Systematic Literature Review." International Journal of Electrical and Computer Engineering (IJECE) 8, no. 6 (December 1, 2018): 4626. http://dx.doi.org/10.11591/ijece.v8i6.pp4626-4636.
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Performance analysis and continuous process improvement efforts are often supported by the construction of process models representing the interactions of the partners in the supply chain. This study was conducted to determine the state of the art in the process mining field, specifically in the context of cross-organizational process. The Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method is used to review a collection of twenty-one papers that are classified according to the Artifact framework of Hevner, et al. and within the Process Mining framework of Van der Aalst. In the reviewed papers, the authors conducted a variety of techniques to establish the event log, which is then used to perform the process mining analysis. Eight of the reviewed papers focus on the definition of concepts or measures. Five of the papers describe models and other abstractions that are used as a theoretical basis for process mining in the context of supply chains. The majority twenty of papers describe some kind of informal method or formal algorithm to perform process mining analysis. Nine of the papers that propose a formal algorithm also present an accompanying software implementation. Eight papers discuss the data preparation challenges and twelve papers discuss process discovery techniques.
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Paska, I., Yu Grinchuk, and I. Artіmonova. "Determinants of formation of agro-food chains in the environment of households of Ukraine." Ekonomìka ta upravlìnnâ APK, no. 1(162) (April 22, 2021): 28–40. http://dx.doi.org/10.33245/2310-9262-2021-162-1-28-40.
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The article is devoted to the study of the determinants of the formation of agri-food chains in the households of Ukraine and the substantiation of the directions of their integration into competitive supply chains. It is argued that the developments in both scientific and practical aspects of creating conditions and prerequisites for the integration of PF in the competitiveness of the supply chain and increasing value added at each level of its participants are relevant. It is highlighted that local supply chains in foreign practice are considered as tools for generating income of the rural population, the implementation of the principles of sustainable development of rural areas, as well as considered as short, local and "smart chains". It is substantiated that it is the promotion of the development of local agricultural chains with the involvement of PF in domestic practice that will contribute to the sustainable development of rural areas, ensuring food security of the country. It is argued that in order to create preconditions and conditions for the development of rural households for crop production, it is necessary to develop measures to streamline sales channels and include them in competitive supply chains. It is established that a significant part of agricultural products grown by households is used for self-sufficiency of the family, feed for farm animals and poultry, and surplus products, especially in remote rural areas, are lost due to spoilage and unclaimed. It is clear that the informal relationship between the distribution and exchange of crop products produced in PF is not a tool to maximize the profits of their members. and, therefore, it is advisable to create favorable economic conditions for their inclusion in the supply chain of agricultural production. The characteristic properties of commodity parties, PF are systematized, namely: small volumes of production, low technological standards, limited production resources, which limits the opportunities to use the potential opportunities to return capital on a scale. It was found that a certain part of the grown crop products is sold by PF through a network of retail food markets, the sale of fruits and vegetables and potatoes is carried out through retail organizations, wholesale markets for agricultural products and trade intermediaries. Measures are proposed to integrate PF into value chains on the basis of creating a network of regional wholesale and distribution centers and organizing units for purchasing surplus agricultural products, deepening the development of agricultural cooperation. Key words: agricultural sector, employment, rural households, small farmers, competitive supply chains.
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Herzer, Eduardo, Daniela Montanari Migliavacca Osório, Dusan Schreiber, and Vanusca Dalosto Jahno. "Educação Ambiental Informal: uma Revisão Sistemática da Literatura Nacional." Revista de Ensino, Educação e Ciências Humanas 20, no. 4 (December 20, 2019): 465–75. http://dx.doi.org/10.17921/2447-8733.2019v20n4p465-475.
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A educação ambiental, seja formal ou informal, busca a construção de competências e valores para a conservação ambiental, fator principal para a qualidade de vida saudável e sustentável. A educação ambiental informal ocorre por meio de atividades realizadas fora dos ambientes escolares, ou seja, que podem ser realizados em comunidades, empresas e unidades de conservação. O objetivo deste trabalho de pesquisa foi realizar uma revisão sistemática da literatura nacional sobre educação ambiental informal e verificar em qual das correntes de Sauvé esses estudos poderiam ser caracterizados. O procedimento adotado para conduzir o estudo foi a revisão sistemática da literatura, onde foram coletados artigos científicos na base de dados de Periódicos Capes, compilados, qualificados, classificados de acordo com as diferentes abordagens teóricas e os dados obtidos sintetizados. Os resultados apontam que os estudos, em sua maioria, foram práticos em relação aos teóricos e que as correntes de educação ambiental caracterizadas foram as tradicionais e contemporâneas. Nota-se que a educação ambiental informal ocorre no território nacional tanto no meio urbano e rural, mas necessita ser mais explorada e aplicada nos diversos contextos sociais para que se possa alcançar uma conscientização ambiental. Outro ponto que vale destacar é a recomendação de serem documentados os casos e experiências para servirem de subsidio para futuras pesquisas, projetos e programas sobre a temática. Palavras-chave: Correntes de Sauvé. Educação Informal. Meio Ambiente. AbstractEnvironmental education, whether formal or informal, seeks to build competencies and values for environmental conservation, a key factor for healthy and sustainable quality of life. Informal environmental education happens through activities performed outside school environments, that is, that can be carried out in communities, companies and conservation units. The objective of the study was to carry out a systematic review of the national literature about informal environmental education and to verify, based on Sauvé concepts, which may be evidenced. The procedure adopted to conduct the study was a systematic literature review, where scientific articles were collected in the Periodicos CAPES database, compiled, qualified, classified according to the currents and the synthesized data obtained. The results indicated that most studies were practical in relation to theoreticians and that the environmental education currents characterized were the traditional and contemporary ones. It is noted that informal environmental education occurs in the national territory, urban and rural, but need to be further explored and applied in various social contexts in order to achieve environmental awareness. Another point is that the cases and experiences should be documented to support future research, projects and programs on the subject. Keywords: Chains of Sauvé; Informal Education; Environment.
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Benabbou, Amel, and Safia Nait-Bahloul. "Automated Context Formalization for Context-aware Specification Approach." International Journal of Information System Modeling and Design 9, no. 3 (July 2018): 23–47. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/ijismd.2018070102.
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Requirement specification is a key element in model-checking verification. The context-aware approach is an effective technique for automating the specification of requirement considering specific environmental conditions. In most of existing approaches, there is no support of this crucial task and are mainly based on the considerable efforts and expertise of engineers. A domain-specific language, called CDL, has been proposed to facilitate the specification of requirement by formalizing contexts. However, the feedback has shown that manually writing CDL is hard, error prone and difficult to grasp on complex systems. In this article, the authors propose an approach to automatically generate CDL models using (IODs) elaborated through transformation chains from textual use cases. They offer an intermediate formalism between informal use cases scenarios and CDL models allowing to engineers to manipulate with familiar artifacts. Thanks to such high-level formalism, the gap between informal and formal requirements is reduced; consequently, the requirement specification is facilitated.
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P N, Sindhuja, and Anand S. Kunnathur. "Information security in supply chains: a management control perspective." Information & Computer Security 23, no. 5 (November 9, 2015): 476–96. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/ics-07-2014-0050.
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Purpose – This paper aims to discuss the need for management control system for information security management that encapsulates the technical, formal and informal systems. This motivated the conceptualization of supply chain information security from a management controls perspective. Extant literature on information security mostly focused on technical security and managerial nuances in implementing and enforcing technical security through formal policies and quality standards at an organizational level. However, most of the security mechanisms are difficult to differentiate between businesses, and there is no one common platform to resolve the security issues pertaining to varied organizations in the supply chain. Design/methodology/approach – The paper was conceptualized based on the review of literature pertaining to information security domain. Findings – This study analyzed the need and importance of having a higher level of control above the already existing levels so as to cover the inter-organizational context. Also, it is suggested to have a management controls perspective for an all-encompassing coverage to the information security discipline in organizations that are in the global supply chain. Originality/value – This paper have conceptualized the organizational and inter-organizational challenges that need to be addressed in the context of information security management. It would be difficult to contain the issues of information security management with the existing three levels of controls; hence, having a higher level of security control, namely, the management control that can act as an umbrella to the existing domains of security controls was suggested.
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Etwire, Eunice, Anoma Ariyawardana, and Miranda Y. Mortlock. "Seed Delivery Systems and Farm Characteristics Influencing the Improved Seed Uptake by Smallholders in Northern Ghana." Sustainable Agriculture Research 5, no. 2 (April 5, 2016): 27. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/sar.v5n2p27.
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The utilisation of improved seeds is reliant on distribution system and farmers’ preferences in using the seed. Primary data were collected from key informant interviews in seed delivery chains and a farmer survey to analyse the northern Ghanaian seed delivery systems and factors influencing the adoption of improved seed by farmers. The seed system in Ghana is made up of three main components; a formal seed system, an informal farmers’ seed system and a quasi-formal seed system. The seed chain starts with breeder seed production by Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (except for imported seed) and ends with the grain farmer as the final consumer. The communication flows between members, strength of relationships and farm characteristics reveled to be affecting the improved seed uptake by smallholders in Northern Ghana. The study highlights the value of strengthening the seed delivery system and improving the availability and accessibility of improved seed varieties.
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Coslor, Erica H., Brett Crawford, and Barbara G. Brents. "Whips, Chains, and Books on Campus: How Emergent Organizations With Core Stigma Gain Official Recognition." Journal of Management Inquiry 29, no. 3 (November 5, 2018): 299–316. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1056492618810812.
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This article explores how emergent organizations with core stigma manage stigma, and work toward official recognition. The qualitative research design used organizational constitutions, listserv communications, and interviews to examine officially-approved student organizations focused on kinky sexuality in U.S. universities. Our findings indicate (a) due process and impersonal evaluations enable official approval of emergent organizations, particularly if this focuses on operational concerns; (b) emergent organizations leverage credible social discourses, such as individual rights, to emphasize issues pertinent to approval bodies and mainstream throughout society; (c) organizations can strategically embrace stigma, entailing complex decisions about balancing revelation and concealment; and (d) organizational tactics shift depending on the maturity of the stigmatized issue, important because organizational stigma can be resilient and persistent despite organizational legitimacy. The article contributes to research on organizational management of stigma by examining how emergent organizations with core stigma manage stigma while moving from informal to official status.
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Aslam, Naveed, Muhammad Tipu, Muhammad Ishaq, Ann Cowling, David McGill, Hassan Warriach, and Peter Wynn. "Higher Levels of Aflatoxin M1 Contamination and Poorer Composition of Milk Supplied by Informal Milk Marketing Chains in Pakistan." Toxins 8, no. 12 (December 5, 2016): 347. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/toxins8120347.
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Narula, Rajneesh. "Enforcing higher labor standards within developing country value chains: Consequences for MNEs and informal actors in a dual economy." Journal of International Business Studies 50, no. 9 (August 28, 2019): 1622–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/s41267-019-00265-1.
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Davis, John-Michael, and Yaakov Garb. "Extended responsibility or continued dis/articulation? Critical perspectives on electronic waste policies from the Israeli-Palestinian case." Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space 2, no. 2 (April 5, 2019): 368–89. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/2514848619841275.
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Extended producer responsibility policies and interventions propose a template for electronic waste management with considerable and growing discursive and policy traction worldwide. Originating in the global North, they increasingly implicate countries and sites in the global South, in particular, people working in informal electronic waste hubs that process Northern electronic waste. This paper examines the implications of extended producer responsibility in one such place through the lenses of critical waste studies and the dis/articulations approach to global commodity chains, which can usefully be extended to analyze the afterlife of commodities. From Israel and the Palestinian Authority's perspectives, recently activated extended producer responsibility legislation is a common-sense way to rationalize the management of electronic waste. But from the cluster of Palestinian villages that has processed the bulk of Israel's electronic waste for more than a decade, extended producer responsibility constitutes the most recent in a series of external driving forces that have disarticulated and rearticulated their landscapes and livelihoods from external economies over the last half century. The restricted scope of reformist extended producer responsibility policies notion of “responsibility” combined with the asymmetrical terms of dis/articulation between North and South is likely to result in outcomes that not only downgrade the informal sector's position in the value chain, but also undermine their ability to upgrade the electronic waste sector in a way that could avoid further pollution. We consider the options at this junction using the heuristic of suggesting what a more temporally, geographically, and sectorally conceived “extension of responsibility” might mean for extended producer responsibility.
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Valois-Santos, Naíde Teodósio, Roberta Pereira Niquini, Sandro Sperandei, Leonardo Soares Bastos, Neilane Bertoni, Ana Maria de Brito, and Francisco Inácio Bastos. "Reassessing geographic bottlenecks in a respondent-driven sampling based multicity study in Brazil." Salud Colectiva 16 (September 27, 2020): e2524. http://dx.doi.org/10.18294/sc.2020.2524.
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This study analyzes the spatial dynamics of drug users’ recruitment chains in the context of a respondent-driven sampling (RDS) study in the city of Recife, Brazil. The purpose is to understand the geographic bottlenecks, influenced by social geography, which have been a major challenge for RDS-based studies. Temporo-spatial analysis was used. Sequential maps depicted the dynamics of the recruiting process, considering neighborhood of residence and/or places of drug use. Poisson regression was fitted to model the recruiting rate by neighborhood of residence and/or places of drug use, and the different neighborhoods’ demographics. The distance between neighborhood of residence and/or places of drug use and the assessment center was negatively associated with recruitment. There was a positive association between the proportion of the population living in informal settings and the recruiting rate per neighborhood of residence and/or places of drug use. Recruitment chains depend on the social geography and demographics of the population. Studies should incorporate seeds from as many neighborhoods as possible, and more than one assessment center should be utilized.
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Abbott, Pamela, Aimé Tsinda, Roger Sapsford, and John Rwirahira. "A critical evaluation of Rwanda's potential to achieve the millennium development goals for clean water and sanitation." Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development 5, no. 1 (September 10, 2014): 136–42. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/washdev.2014.188.
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In the world-wide Millennium Development Goals initiative, Rwanda promised to halve by 2015 the number of people who lacked access to safe water and improved sanitation in 1990. Progress has been made in access to water, but the target figure will probably not be met. Targets for improved sanitation will be met on the original definition of ‘improved’, though probably not if shared provision is excluded. However, beyond the usual rural/urban divide, the article highlights how the numerical target conceals a serious problem in the capital city, where ‘informal settlements’ have grossly inadequate provision. We argue that the problems are not soluble at the individual level; a whole and unbreakable chain of provision is needed. Centralised provision is also not very feasible in Rwanda, so Government and/or development partners will probably have to work at the level of communities to set up sanitation chains and train communities in servicing them. Solving the problem is essential if the urban poor are to be offered a decent life and to solve the public health problem of contaminated water.
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Stavrova, Elena Velkova. "CONVENTIONAL AND SHADOW BANKING SECTOR – COMPARATIVE ASPECTS OF THE POST-CRISIS PERIOD IN TAIM OF THE CURRENCY BOARD - BULGARIA’ CASE." CBU International Conference Proceedings 5 (September 23, 2017): 453–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.12955/cbup.v5.965.
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The shadow banking or financial institutions specializing in lending who take an increasingly larger share of today's markets and channels for the movement of financial resources in the markets of resources between economic agents or households.The main scientific question of this paper is to analyze the reasons of dynamic trends of development of the shadow financial system, and how that contrasts with the conventional model of financial intermediation of commercial banking: “The chains for value creation through credit intermediation that move free financial resources in economic systems for realizing more efficient operations with fewer risks; In non-banking credit intermediation chain trades that take place on weighted average price - and exchange rates in the markets for short-term securities; yield creation in the shadow banking industry are intensively secured strongly which personally are guaranteed both, from individuals and the firms; value chains in the alternative banking system have carried out extensive conventional financial transformation outside the banking system. This means that this type of intermediation converts illiquid, risky fixed assets in "safe" and liquid short-term liabilities.”The used methods are: content analysis, and econometrics analysis of empirical databases of the years 2012 – 2016 by two financial sectors from BNB.The finding based on the econometrics analyses supports the scientific hypothesis about relations between the process of the increasing role of the informal banking sector, which pushes conventional bank financing due to high credit standards of banking institutions and limited access to finance for individuals who receive their income in the area of the gray economy.
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Varga, Valeria, and Eugenia Rosca. "Driving impact through base of the pyramid distribution models." International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management 49, no. 5 (June 14, 2019): 492–513. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/ijpdlm-01-2018-0040.
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to answer the following research question: how can intermediaries contribute to social impact creation through their interventions at different levels of distribution networks in the base of the pyramid (BoP) markets? Design/methodology/approach The paper adopts an embedded case study of an intermediary organization. The analysis focuses on the intervention of the intermediary on the distribution stages of supply chains in four different projects in the food sector in Ethiopia, Benin, Nigeria and Bangladesh. Findings The embedded case study reveals essential formal and informal roles undertaken by the intermediary organization to develop decentralized distribution networks based on local micro-entrepreneurs. The study proposes that efforts undertaken by the intermediaries toward knowledge sharing and capacity building among partners can enable the adoption of pro-poor strategies across the supply chain. Moreover, hybrid intermediaries can act as “guardians” of the mutual value creation approach since one of their key roles is to advocate the needs of the BoP. Research limitations/implications Important implications for improving nutrition and food security in the BoP markets are developed based on the empirical findings. The findings open avenues for further research into the antecedents of retention rates in distribution networks based on local micro-entrepreneurs. Practical implications Findings have implications for different types of BoP initiatives by highlighting how intermediary organizations intervene to develop distribution models with a special focus on social impact. Originality/value This paper fills an important research gap by discussing social impact aspects in BoP supply chains by adopting the perspective of intermediary organizations.
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Jones, Kristal. "Social institutions mediating seed access in West African seed systems." FACETS 2, no. 2 (September 1, 2017): 998–1014. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/facets-2017-0019.
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Contemporary approaches to market-oriented agricultural development focus on increasing production and economic efficiency to improve livelihoods and well-being. For seed system development, this has meant a focus on seed value chains predicated on standardized economic transactions and improved variety seeds. Building formal seed systems requires establishing and strengthening social institutions that reflect the market-oriented values of efficiency and standardization, institutions that often do not currently exist in many local and informal seed systems. This paper describes and analyzes efforts to develop formal seed systems in Sahelian West Africa over the past 10 years, and identifies the impacts for farmers of the social institutions that constitute formal seed systems. Using qualitative and spatial data and analysis, the paper characterizes farmers’ and communities’ experiences with seed access through the newly established formal seed system. The results demonstrate that the social and spatial extents of the formal and informal seed systems are extended and integrated through social institutions that reflect values inherent in both systems. The impacts of current market-oriented agricultural development projects are, therefore, more than in the past, in part because the social institutions associated with them are less singular in their vision for productive and economic efficiency.
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Zimmerer, Karl S., and Stef de Haan. "Informal food chains and agrobiodiversity need strengthening—not weakening—to address food security amidst the COVID-19 crisis in South America." Food Security 12, no. 4 (July 15, 2020): 891–94. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12571-020-01088-x.
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Vrugt, J. A. "DREAM<sub>(D)</sub>: an adaptive markov chain monte carlo simulation algorithm to solve discrete, noncontinuous, posterior parameter estimation problems." Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions 8, no. 2 (April 26, 2011): 4025–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/hessd-8-4025-2011.
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Abstract. Formal and informal Bayesian approaches are increasingly being used to treat forcing, model structural, parameter and calibration data uncertainty, and summarize hydrologic prediction uncertainty. This requires posterior sampling methods that approximate the (evolving) posterior distribution. We recently introduced the DiffeRential Evolution Adaptive Metropolis (DREAM) algorithm, an adaptive Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method that is especially designed to solve complex, high-dimensional and multimodal posterior probability density functions. The method runs multiple chains in parallel, and maintains detailed balance and ergodicity. Here, I present the latest algorithmic developments, and introduce a discrete sampling variant of DREAM that samples the parameter space at fixed points. The development of this new code, DREAM(D), has been inspired by the existing class of integer optimization problems, and emerging class of experimental design problems. Such non-continuous parameter estimation problems are of considerable theoretical and practical interest. The theory developed herein is applicable to DREAM(ZS) (Vrugt et al., 2011) and MT-DREAM(ZS) (Laloy and Vrugt, 2011) as well. Two case studies involving a sudoku puzzle and rainfall – runoff model calibration problem are used to illustrate DREAM(D).
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Domşodi, Dana. "Labour Relations and Labour Structures in Mediterranean Capitalism. Caporalato and Romanian Migration in the Southern Italian Agriculture." Studia Universitatis Babes-Bolyai Sociologia 64, no. 1 (June 1, 2019): 127–42. http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/subbs-2019-0006.
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Abstract In this paper I will examine the structural and social features of the gang-mastered labour system (caporalato) as it appears in the agricultural production process in Italy. I will discuss the functions of this type of labour regime through an analysis of the role (Romanian) migrant labour plays in the Italian agriculture process and its need for the (informal) labour market mediation in agriculture. My aim is to critically map the function of caporalato within a production circuit that starts with the low price imposed on agricultural goods, and ends up at the top of the production process, namely with the food empires and corporate retail and distribution chains. The economic constraint for an ever cheaper labourforce, and its social context, will guide our critique of caporalato
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Luo, Siqi, and Tao Yang. "Why worker-supported collective bargaining may still fail." Employee Relations: The International Journal 42, no. 2 (December 2, 2019): 471–91. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/er-06-2019-0250.
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to illustrate that some enterprise unions in South China, as strategic labor actors, made local progress in collective bargaining, but further elaborates on why gainful bargaining would require a more systematic understanding of the prevailing industrial structure. Design/methodology/approach This paper is mainly drawn from intensive site visits and 51 in-depth interviews in 2013 and 2014, and several follow-ups up to 2018. Three cases of collective bargaining, featuring different union strategies of assertive negotiation, informal cooperation and direct confrontation, are discussed in detail. Findings The study illustrates that viable collective bargaining with worker-supported unions is possible in China. However, the effectiveness of bargaining does not count on this alone; the supply chain structure also imposes significant constraints, mainly by narrowing the bargaining scope of each supplier and differentiating the structural power of their unions. In these cases, institutionalized union coordination beyond individual suppliers is proposed. Research limitations/implications These cases began as post-strike bargaining in Japanese auto supply chains and became the frontier of industrial relations in China. The impact of the supply chain in different sectors or regions requires further study. Originality/value This paper draws attention to the effect of an “invisible” but increasingly significant factor, industrial structure, on enterprise-level collective bargaining in China, unlike many previous criticisms of unwillingness or incompetence among labor actors.