Claudia Meier, Nadja El Benni, Srinivasaiah Sakamma, Simon Moakes, Christian Grovermann, Sylvain Quiédeville, Hanna Stolz, Matthias Stolze and K. Basegowda Umesh
Biofortification of staple crops is a promising strategy to alleviate micronutrient deficiencies in rural populations of the developing world. The possibility to sell biofortified…
Abstract
Purpose
Biofortification of staple crops is a promising strategy to alleviate micronutrient deficiencies in rural populations of the developing world. The possibility to sell biofortified crops at “a good market price” plays a vital role for the acceptance by smallholder farmers. This study is therefore focused on non-farming consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) for biofortified crops.
Design/methodology/approach
Specifically, we elicited non-farming consumers' WTP a premium for the improved iron content (+30% iron) in a 1kg finger millet bag using a 2nd price Vickrey auction with six auction rounds and one health- and one process-related information treatment. Due to multiple bids per subject, premiums were analyzed using a linear mixed-effects model, controlling for market feedback and auction round.
Findings
Despite more than half of the respondents being skeptical toward new crop varieties, the acceptance rate was very high (98% with a WTP above zero). The average premium amounted to 27% and could be significantly increased with the provision of health-related information. In contrast, information about the breeding method was ineffective. The WTP was significantly higher for higher income and lower for higher age, education and skepticism toward new crop varieties and increased with increasing rounds.
Research limitations/implications
Our results suggest that non-farming consumers are willing to pay “a good market price” for iron-biofortified finger millet. Our analysis also confirms the importance of health-related information for raising consumers' WTP. This information supports the further development and introduction of biofortified crops to alleviate micronutrient malnutrition.
Originality/value
This study adds to the still limited literature on consumers' WTP for iron-biofortified crops in India, focusing on non-farming consumers to assess the price such crops can achieve on the market.
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Claire McDonald, Fiona Seaman-Thornton, Che Ling Michelle Mok, Hanne Jakobsen and Simon Riches
Negative attitudes towards “personality disorder” are common among mental health professionals. This study aims to design a psychoeducational training targeting attitudes to…
Abstract
Purpose
Negative attitudes towards “personality disorder” are common among mental health professionals. This study aims to design a psychoeducational training targeting attitudes to “personality disorder” for staff working in a London psychiatric hospital. Its impact on staff attitudes was evaluated.
Design/methodology/approach
Mental health clinicians were recruited from five acute psychiatric wards. Feasibility of implementing the training was measured. A free-association exercise explored baseline attitudes to “personality disorder” and visual analogue scales assessed staff attitudes pre- and post-training. Content analysis of staff feedback was carried out.
Findings
Psychoeducational training was found to be feasible, well-attended and highly valued by ward staff (N = 47). Baseline results revealed negative perceptions of “personality disorder”. Post-training, significant improvements in understanding, levels of compassion and attitudes to working with service users with a diagnosis of a “personality disorder” were observed. Staff feedback highlighted desire for further training and support.
Research limitations/implications
The sample size was relatively small and there was no control group, so findings should be interpreted with caution.
Practical implications
The findings highlight the need for support for staff working with service users with diagnoses of “personality disorder” on acute psychiatric wards. Providing regular training with interactive components may promote training as a resource for staff well-being. Planning to ensure service users’ and carers’ views are incorporated into the design of future training will be important.
Originality/value
This study is innovative in that it investigates the impact of a brief psychoeducational training on “personality disorder” designed for mental health staff on acute psychiatric wards.
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Emna Gara Bach Ouerdian and Nizar Mansour
Although much research has investigated the impact of social capital on objective career success, the process through which this relation is established remains under-explored. In…
Abstract
Purpose
Although much research has investigated the impact of social capital on objective career success, the process through which this relation is established remains under-explored. In addition, studies conducted in the Middle East and North Africa region are scarce. The purpose of this paper is to examine and potentially bridge these gaps.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected via survey from 348 Tunisian bankers. Path analysis using AMOS was used to explore the relationships between mentoring received, network resources training and development and objective career success. For testing the mediating hypotheses, the authors employed bootstrapping.
Findings
Results support the conjecture that social capital is useful for career success. The authors found that when the employees receive mentoring, they seem to develop more instrumental network resources, and consequently they have wider access to training and development, which, in turn, will be related to better promotion outcomes. However, expressive network resources were not related to objective career success, and training and development did not mediate the relationship between these network resources and career success.
Originality/value
To the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first studies to explore the relationship between social capital and objective career success in the Tunisian context. This paper also reveals the mediating role of training and development in the above relationship. These findings add to the cross-cultural literature on careers.
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Jia Liu, Li Yao, Di Cai and Shengming Liu
Previous research on the factors influencing mentoring received has primarily focused on protégés' personalities and the similarity between protégés and mentors, whereas…
Abstract
Purpose
Previous research on the factors influencing mentoring received has primarily focused on protégés' personalities and the similarity between protégés and mentors, whereas understanding on the role of protégés' skills is still limited. Drawing upon the social influence theory, this study investigated how newcomers' political skill influences newcomers' mentoring received and further affects newcomers' socialization outcomes (i.e. person-organization fit perception [P-O fit], performance proficiency and well-being).
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 255 newcomers at a large Chinese information and technology (IT) company using a three-wave, time-lagged design.
Findings
The authors found that newcomers' political skill positively predicted mentoring received, which in turn positively affected newcomers' socialization outcomes.
Originality/value
These findings indicate that political skill enables newcomers to exert social influence on organizational insiders to achieve desirable socialization outcomes, enlarging both the mentoring and political skill literature.