Wanglin Ma, Puneet Vatsa, Xiaoshi Zhou and Hongyun Zheng
The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between farmers' happiness and farm productivity, taking maize production in China as an example.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between farmers' happiness and farm productivity, taking maize production in China as an example.
Design/methodology/approach
The conditional mixed process model is employed to account for the endogeneity that inevitably arises in regression models studying happiness and estimate the 2015 China Household Finance Survey data.
Findings
The empirical results show that a higher level of farmers' happiness is associated with higher maize productivity. The marginal return in maize productivity changes unevenly with increments in farmers' self-reported happiness on a five-point Likert scale. Farmers' happiness is positively determined by their age, educational level, farm size, machinery ownership, access to agricultural subsidy and car ownership. Machinery ownership and access to credit are two important factors that improve maize productivity.
Research limitations/implications
The finding suggests that promoting the subjective well-being of farmers is conducive to higher productivity and improved national food security. The results have implications for China and other developing countries aiming for sustainable agricultural development.
Originality/value
Firm-level data show that workers' happiness improves productivity. However, it is still unclear whether farmworkers' happiness affects farm productivity. Thus, this study provides the first empirical analysis of the impact of farmworkers' happiness on farm productivity.
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Hongyun Zheng, Wanglin Ma, Yanzhi Guo and Xiaoshi Zhou
The purpose of this study is to investigate the interactive relationship between non-farm employment and mechanization service expenditure.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the interactive relationship between non-farm employment and mechanization service expenditure.
Design/methodology/approach
The study employs an innovative two-stage probit least squares (2SPLS) model to analyze the survey data collected from 1,148 rural households in China. This model not only simultaneously estimates the impact of non-farm employment on mechanization service expenditure and the impact of mechanization service expenditure on non-farm employment, but also addresses endogeneity issues associated with these two activities.
Findings
The empirical results show that non-farm employment and mechanization service expenditure are jointly determined. In particular, the study finds that non-farm employment significantly increases mechanization service expenditure, and vice versa. The results are confirmed by an estimation that captures a dichotomous decision of mechanization service usage. The interactive effects of non-farm employment on mechanization service expenditure are heterogeneous between male and female household heads and among households with different member sizes. Further analyses reveal that (1) mechanization service expenditure increases with increasing non-farm working time; (2) local non-farm employment, rather than provincial non-farm employment, has a larger impact on mechanization service expenditure; and (3) the number of household members employed in non-farm works does not affect mechanization service expenditure significantly.
Originality/value
Although mechanization service markets are rapidly growing in many developing and transition countries, little is known about how service purchasing interacts with farmers' decisions to work in the non-farm sector. This study makes the first attempt by investigating the interactive effects of non-farm employment on mechanization service expenditure in rural China. The findings provide significant evidence for policymakers in China and other countries in their efforts to generate non-farm work opportunities and promote agricultural mechanization, with the aim of boosting rural development and improving farm economic performance.
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Jisun Jung and Xiaoshi Li
Many master’s students enrol in coursework-based programmes to improve their professional knowledge and skills for the job market. Most studies of employability in higher…
Abstract
Purpose
Many master’s students enrol in coursework-based programmes to improve their professional knowledge and skills for the job market. Most studies of employability in higher education focus on undergraduates rather than master’s students, although the number of master’s students worldwide has increased significantly in recent years. This study explores the factors involved in the perceived employability (PE) of master’s students in Hong Kong.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors first proposed a conceptual model of PE based on the social cognitive career theory. Using survey data from 786 master’s students in Hong Kong, the authors applied descriptive statistics and an ordinary least squares (OLS) regression to address the following research questions: How do master’s students gauge their PE? How do person, learning and environment variables influence the PE of master’s students?
Findings
The authors found that PE is influenced by students' approaches to learning and their institutional career support.
Originality/value
Few studies examined whether students' learning experiences during the master’s programmes influence their employability. This study highlights the importance of learning experiences and career support in coursework-based master’s programmes for enhancing graduate employability.
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Dan Wu, Yefeng Chen, Weiwen Zhang and Xiaoshi Xing
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of three types of peer monitoring and punishment tools on the performance of a group contract for the control of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of three types of peer monitoring and punishment tools on the performance of a group contract for the control of agricultural non-point source pollution (ANPSP) in China.
Design/methodology/approach
Experimental economics.
Findings
All the three tools result in efficiency improvement and show little difference in performance. In addition, they break the theoretical Nash equilibrium of the team entry auction and help to better reveal bidders’ private cost information.
Originality/value
To the authors’ knowledge, this study can be the first laboratory experiment study in the area of ANPSP in China and might provide some beneficial lessons for China’s policy-makers.
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Suggests that misunderstandings frequently occur when trying to understand Chinese language and culture, and so gives the implied meaning of various Chinese expressions and…
Abstract
Suggests that misunderstandings frequently occur when trying to understand Chinese language and culture, and so gives the implied meaning of various Chinese expressions and sayings such as greetings, thanks, respect, age, congratulations and taboo subjects.