Phillip T. Manno, Jesus Bravo, Mark Manfredo and Rafael C. Leon
Water availability and usage in agriculture suggests increasing scarcity. To ensure the long-term sustainability of water resources, efficient pricing and distribution methods…
Abstract
Purpose
Water availability and usage in agriculture suggests increasing scarcity. To ensure the long-term sustainability of water resources, efficient pricing and distribution methods must be considered. The role that market-based systems of water distribution can play in enhancing the management and sustainability of water resources has garnered attention. An important element that cannot be ignored when contemplating changes to established agricultural water delivery systems must be users’ readiness for change. Thus the purpose of this paper is to examine factors that impact the readiness for organizational change to a system where users can buy and sell water in an open market.
Design/methodology/approach
Using data collected from a survey of greenhouse growers in Almería, Spain, a model of binary choice was developed to predict the probability of growers’ readiness to buy and sell water in an open market.
Findings
The level of education of the grower, and the use of a euro per hour water metering system positively impacted the probability of the willingness to participate in formal water markets. Also, the degree of satisfaction in the administration of the growers’ irrigation community, as well as their overall confidence in anticipated water supplies, had a negative impact on readiness to change.
Research limitations/implications
This research offers an interesting and unique scholarly contribution as it fuses the extant management literature on the topic of organizational change with issues related to natural resource management, thus contributing to the growing literature(s) related to resource sustainability and management.
Originality/value
This research provides insight into some important factors which may predict the readiness to change of agricultural water users toward more market-driven distribution systems.
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Transnational corporation (TNC)-led oil investments have been widely encouraged as a mechanism for the development of the Global South. Even though the sector is characterized by…
Abstract
Transnational corporation (TNC)-led oil investments have been widely encouraged as a mechanism for the development of the Global South. Even though the sector is characterized by major accidents, oil-based developmentalist narratives claim that such accidents are merely isolated incidents that can be administratively addressed, redressed behaviorally through education of certain individuals, or corrected through individually targeted post-event legislation. Adapting Harvey Molotch’s (1970) political economy methodology of “accident research”, this paper argues that such “accidents” are, in fact, routine in the entire value chain of the oil system dominated by, among others, military-backed TNCs which increasingly collaborate with national and local oil companies similarly wedded to the ideology of growth. Based on this analysis, existing policy focus on improving technology, instituting and enforcing more environmental regulations, and the pursuit of economic nationalism in the form of withdrawing from globalization are ineffective. In such a red-hot system, built on rapidly spinning wheels of accumulation, the pursuit of slow growth characterized by breaking the chains of monopoly and oligopoly, putting commonly generated rent to common uses, and freeing labor from regulations that rob it of its produce has more potency to address the enigma of petroleum accidents in the global south.
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Monica Mendini, Marta Pizzetti and Paula C. Peter
The purpose of this paper is to introduce and define social food pleasure as a new conceptual framework that can promote pleasurable and healthy food experiences.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to introduce and define social food pleasure as a new conceptual framework that can promote pleasurable and healthy food experiences.
Design/methodology/approach
By reviewing the literature related to food well-being and pleasure primarily from marketing and management fields and by looking at current trends appealing to food consumers and food enjoyers, the authors propose a new conceptual framework of social food pleasure.
Findings
The authors conceptualize social food pleasure as “the enjoyment derived from the acts of sharing food experiences offline, online, and for society at large, that positively contributes to consumers’ overall pleasure and satisfaction with consumer’s food consumption”. Moreover, the authors identify three key contexts of applications of social food pleasure. Sharing offline relates to the social activities that can help achieve pleasure with food. Sharing online concerns new media tools which allow for the connection between consumers and food to enhance food pleasure. Sharing for society considers the current pleasure of consumers derived from having a positive social experience based on food consumption.
Originality/value
By defining social food pleasure and proposing a conceptual framework of the three contexts of application, the authors advance the understanding of what constitutes pleasurable food experiences, connecting it to healthy food choices and well-being.
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The purpose of this paper is to address the gap between definition and practical aspects of production efficiency in mass customization (MC). The paper summarizes all major issues…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to address the gap between definition and practical aspects of production efficiency in mass customization (MC). The paper summarizes all major issues impacting efficiency in MC. Also, the paper reviews metrics, relationship between various parameters and provides a best practices benchmark toolkit to achieve higher machine efficiencies.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper identified and categorized multiple challenges impacting machine efficiency in MC through a literature review spanning over three decades, and also ranked the identified issue-based parameters. Top issues were found varying across different types of industries identified through the review. Metrics pertaining to efficiency and degree of MC are reviewed in the paper. A chronological review of issues is presented, and a chain diagram is built in the paper. Toolkit of best practices created with solution strategies and tools are summarized through the review.
Findings
The paper found that MC reasonably impacts machine efficiency which needs to be addressed. Major issues through literature review-based ranking are uncovered, and worldwide research trend and comparison are presented. Active research in this area is observed to be at its peak since 2010. The extensive use of strategies and benchmark toolkit for improving efficiency are summarized.
Research limitations/implications
Ranking of issues has been done through a literature review; hence, there can be skewness depending on the frequency of issues researched by various authors in various areas of industries.
Practical implications
This paper is useful for manufacturing managers and companies willing to increase the size of their product portfolio and choices within their available resources without compromising machine efficiencies and, thereby, the cost. The identified issues help in providing a comprehensive issue list to the academia.
Originality/value
This paper describes what is believed to be the first study that explicitly examines the issues faced in achieving machine efficiency while manufacturing in an MC environment.