Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Private Farming Development in the Context of Preservation of Soil Ecosystem Services

The issue of ecosystem services is a relatively new concept in economic theory. This is the concept considered problematic, due to the difficulty of defining the benefits provided to people by ecosystems and their measurement and valuation. Some of these services are strongly associated with soil. Soil is one of the basic environmental resources necessary to conduct agricultural production. It fulfills many of non-production functions and provides services that are essential to human existence. Based on the crucial classification developed by the United Nations, we attribute providing the following ecosystem services to soil: basic/supporting, provisioning, regulating and cultural. Variety of services which are produced by soil causes the need to pay more attention to its quality, which is to a large extent derived from agricultural practices. The assessment of agriculture in the context of the farms’ organization allows to determine whether the present profile of agricultural production is conducive to maintaining environmental services or whether it destabilizes environmental processes. What seems especially important from this perspective is highlighting the changes in agriculture over the years, in the context of their impact on the condition of the natural environment. The aim of the paper is to indicate changes taking place in agriculture in Poland relevant to soil ecosystem services. The study was based on public data of 2005, 2007, 2016 from the Statistics Poland (GUS), gathered in the Farms Structure Survey. The research covered all private farms in Poland from 1 ha of agricultural land in good agricultural and environmental conditions. The results have shown the dynamic development of agriculture in Poland after accession to the EU, although many of the observed changes can threaten soil ecosystem services. The progressive crop diversification, including the cultivation of winter species, nitrogen fixing crops and catch crops were assessed positively. Problematic issues were, on the one hand, the process of farms’ withdrawal from livestock production, on the other hand, increasing livestock production concentration.
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Adoption by Small and Medium Enterprises in Developing Countries: The Effects of Leader, Organizational and Market Environment Factors

Leader, organizational and market factors play important roles in a small and medium enterprise’s (SME’s) decision to adopt information and communications technologies (ICTs). The purpose of this research is to examine the role of leader factors (leader innovativeness, leader’s attitude, leader’s IT knowledge, leader’s risk aversion), organizational factors (business size, firm age, financial slack, information intensity) and market environment factors (competitive pressure, influence of social network, ICT business support, perceived ease of use of ICTs) to an enterprise’s decision to adopt ICTs. After an extensive review of the technology acceptance and innovation adoption literature, a behavioural model of innovation acceptance is presented, completed with a number of useful and insight propositions concerning SMEs operating in an underdeveloped, developing and developed country context.
Barriers to Value-Addition in "Omena" Fisheries Value Chain in Kenya

The purpose of this study was to document barriers to value addition in Rastreneobola argentea (â€œOmenaâ€) fisheries value chain in Kenya. The study was undertaken in Suba sub-county where most Omena is produced in the Kenyan side of Lake Victoria. Economic, cultural, governance, innovation, legal, policy and social issues among others which impact negatively on value addition in the fisheries value chain were investigated. The value chain included Omena marketing channels found in the main towns and cities in Nyanza and Western regions and also in Nairobi, Nakuru and Mombasa cities. Qualitative expert interviews with key informants in the Omena value chains and descriptive secondary data were used under a value chain analytical perspective. Barriers to value addition in the value chains included; poor processing technologies, lack of market information, lack of legal and policy framework for Omena processing, poor value chain stakeholder business skills, land inaccess and poor infrastructure development as well as lack of technical specifications for processing and marketing of Omena. Policy and legal framework for land use at the beaches and standards for processing dry Omena are needed to enhance infrastructure development at beaches and processing of high quality and safe Omena products. Appropriate technical specifications for Omena processing and handling, transportation, distribution and marketing of the product should be developed and adopted to ensure high product quality and food safety.
Preliminary insights into the concerns of online privacy and security among millennials in a developing economy

Millennials, described as tech-savvies are knowledgeable and using the internet for a couple of things ranging from social media, education, e-commerce, entertainment and so on. However, there are growing concerns lately about online privacy and security with the emergence of the Web 2.0 technologies that allow a lot of multimedia online which is attractive to the millennials. Although there is a threat to what the millennials are agreeing to and the information they provide online, yet there are limited studies that have explored the online privacy issues concerning millennials. Thus, in this study, we investigated millennials and their awareness concerning online privacy threats and security, whether they are bothered about what they put online, as well as measures they have put in place to mitigate this menace from a developing economy perspective. The study employed a quantitative approach where survey data was gathered through self-administration questionnaires with a random sample of 700 undergraduate students in a public university in Ghana. The findings revealed that most of the millennials are aware and concerned about online privacy threats. They are also bothered about privacy effects concerning the information they put online. Therefore, they wish there are laws and regulations protecting consumers about their online privacy in Ghana. The originality of the paper stems from the fact that there is paucity of research about online privacy especially among the millennials in sub-Saharan African countries and our paper is the first to be done in the Ghanaian context.
Economic Consequences of Corporate Governance Disclosure: Evidence from the 2006 SEC Regulation on Related-Party Transactions

This paper examines economic consequences of a 2006 Securities and Exchange Commission regulation that mandated public firms to disclose their governance policies on related-party transactions (RPTs). Employing hand-collected RPT data for S&P 1500 firms, we find that the initiation of RPT governance disclosure significantly reduces the occurrence of RPTs, and that the reduction in RPTs is negatively associated with the implied cost of capital (ICC) and positively related to Tobin's Q. These effects are more pronounced for low-monitored firms and for firms with RPTs that are more likely to be opportunistic. We further find that firms with a formal written policy, a designated committee to review and approve RPTs, or more extensive disclosure on RPT governance benefit in terms of lower ICC.
National public policy and bureaucratic responses to international pressures : the case of foreign direct investment and the FIRB under the Rudd and Gillard governments

Exploring patterns of conflict and adaption in governance this paper examines the reshaping of the role and function of the Australian government’s Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) in response to the latest flows of investment. Using a case study approach this research draws on insights from both business and government to show how such experience played out under both the Rudd and Gillard governments, particularly in response to engagement with investment from China. In doing so this research sheds light on how internationalising pressures along political and administrative dimensions in both in the private sector and national government contribute to shaping public policy. This work seeks to extend work on the interaction between the concept of internationalisation in disciplines such as political science, public administration and international business, and reflects on the nature of changing capacity within government to engage and harness, or be harnessed by, such pressures.
The Education Measurement Specific Effect on Sustainable Development: An Experience of Indonesia

the sustainability development is a target to be achieved by any nations, it requires to have qualified human capital. While population`s level of education, especially those who work, are still relatively low. The failure in education indicates the failure in the education quality improvement, lack of school participation rate (SPR), net enrollment rate (NER) and the Gross Enrollment Rate (GER), as well as the average length of school. The purpose of this study was to what extent the achievement of Indonesia in sustainability development. For that the discussion of sustainability development would be reviewed from the contributions of several education indicators in Indonesia comparatively and several variables represented by the poverty alleviation or reduction. This comparative analysis was carried out in order to improve research model and to enlarge the knowledge within this field of research. The research methods were qualitative and quantitative approaches, multivariate regression analysis techniques, the condition of some education quality in Indonesia and some other variables in 2010. The results of this study indicated that there was a significant simultaneous influence of variables tested from the equation toward poverty reduction variable, specifically related to educational variables, partial effects were only shown by the education variables with the indicator of secondary school enrollment rates had effect, while the other educational indicators did not.
THE EFFECT OF BOARD CHARACTERISTICS ON INTERNET FINANCIAL REPORTING: A META-ANALYSIS STUDY

Purpose of this study: This paper aims to examine the relationship between corporate governance, namely board characteristics and internet financial reporting. Methodology: The method used is a meta-analysis technique developed by Hunter and Schmidt’s (1990) covering 26 previous articles published in 2004-2017. Main Findings: Empirical evidence found that board characteristics represented by board size and board independence have a positive effect on internet financial reporting, while role duality does not correlate. Implications of this study: This paper has important implications for regulators as it reports board size and board independence as important predictor variables to internet financial reporting. The paper is also of interest to investors and companies related to accountability and transparency. Research limitations: In these studies, other characteristics of corporate governance such as audit committee board and ownership structure are not included due to the limited number of studies related to corporate governance and internet financial reporting. Originality/Value: This study extends meta-analysis literature related to corporate governance characteristics on Internet Financial Reporting.
Impact of Compliance with Principles on Board of Directors and Corporate Performance: Empirical Evidence from Sri Lankan Listed Companies

Board of directors in corporate governance is conceptualized as the perceived ability of a firm to constrain and direct corporate power so that it efficiently creates economic value and equitably distributes economic wealth. Accordingly, this study examines the relationship between the level of compliance with the principles on corporate governance related to the board of directors and corporate performance of listed firms in Sri Lanka using secondary data related to 133 listed companies from 2009 to 2016. This study constructed Board Index related to dimensions (principles): Chairmanship, Nomination Committee, Audit Committee, Remuneration Committee, and Re-election of directors, Company Secretary, Role of the Board, Board Meetings and Board Independence. This study employs panel regression model to examine the relationship between the Board Index (BI) and their relationship with corporate performance and performed with Hausman test for random and fixed effects. The findings indicated that the compliance with these principles are positively related to the financial performance and negatively related with market performance. Thus, this study provides empirical support for the agency perspective in the context of compliance requirements of board of directors leading to higher corporate performance. Insights of this research are offered to listed firms by the compliance of corporate governance principles have the potential to improve company performance. KE Y W ORDS : Agency Perspective, Audit Committee, Corporate Governance, Nomination committee, Remuneration Committee
Subnational Governance Institutions and The Development of Private Manufacturing Enterprises in Vietnam

This paper examines the impacts of the subnational governance institutions on the private manufacturing firms’ development in terms of new entry, firm size and labor productivity growth during 2006-2014. Vietnam’s context during this period provides best opportunities for examining the subnational institutions’ effects on the private firms’ entry and growth, given vast differences in the institutional quality across provinces and the increasing contribution of the private firms to the national economy. The empirical results suggest that contract enforcement raises private firms’ entry and firm size growth, while reduction of unofficial cost payments persistently increase firm size growth and labor productivity growth over the sortto medium-time intervals. Moreover, improved transparency has medium-term implications for labor productivity growth, and lower entry barriers improve labor productivity growth in the short run, but are detrimental to growth in the medium term. These empirical findings provide concrete evidences for further institutional reforms at the provincial level in Vietnam.
Exploring the effect of online banking on bank performance using data envelopment analysis

Purpose Increased competition in the banking sector coupled with long queues in the banking hall has necessitated the introduction of internet banking among banks in Ghana. As a result, internet banking has attracted a great deal of attention from both academicians and practitioners. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of internet banking on the performance of banking institutions in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach In total, 20 banks in Ghana were selected from the Bank of Ghana website for the study. The financial information about the banks’ operations was retrieved from the financial statements of the respective banks for the end of the year 2016. The data envelopment analysis-bootstrap approach with principal component analysis and cluster analysis was used to estimate 49 models. Findings The findings of the study indicated that the integration of internet banking into traditional banking methods has led to superior bank performance in Ghana. It was observed that while the independent application of internet banking as a strategy to raise performance was not yielding higher returns due to the low patronage of internet services among banking consumers, its integration with possible traditional methods is widely observed among the top performers in the banking industry. Practical implications Traditional banking methods, integrated banking service strategies and the internet banking service-oriented strategy emerged as the main banking strategies among the banks. Originality/value Extant literature is quite silent on the effect of internet banking on bank performance in Africa. However, this paper is among the first significant attempts to examine the effect of internet banking on bank performance.
Assessment of Photovoltaic Systems in Public Utility Facilities in Light of the European Parliament Directive Requirements on Energy Efficiency

A public utility facility underwent an energy and economic efficiency audit regarding the photovoltaic system generating electricity for its own needs. The audit included an analysis of the amount of energy produced by the PV generation system, the calculation of the amount of the energy conserved, as well as the economic viability of the project in accordance with the guidelines contained in the Regulation of the Minister of Economy on energy efficiency. Two options for the financing of investments were considered: own resources of the public body or the purchase of the system with the financing from the EU funds — ROP Measure 7.2 – Improving air quality and increase in the use of renewable energy sources. On the basis of the economic analysis, it was determined that the installation of a photovoltaic system is economically justified only if the public body receives funding from external sources — such an investment (taking into account the changing value of money over time) may be recovered after 13 years of use, and the cost incurred to conserve energy will be twice lower than the cost of purchasing electricity from the grid.
IMPACT OF MACROECONOMIC INDICATORS ON DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS: CASE OF TOURISM INDUSTRY IN ASEAN REGION

The purpose of this research is to examine the impact of macroeconomic indicators on tourism revenue from five states of ASEAN region. To address this objective secondary data is collected over last 18 years from 2001-2017 with annual observations. Macroeconomic indicators include inflation, oil prices, industrial growth, exchange rate stock market index, and gross domestic product over time. Method of the study is based on regression OLS estimation with robust standard errors. Empirical findings indicates that key determinants for the change in tourism revenue in selected countries are exchange rate, stock market index, inflation and industrial growth. However, impact of GDP on tourism revenue is also significant for Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei. Study findings can be very much beneficial for present decision-making regarding growth in tourism industry in ASEAN region. Limitations of the study includes less than 20 years of time duration, ignoring the microeconomic indicators of tourism revenue and cross-sectional analysis. Future studies can address these limitations which better understanding and practical implications.
Determinants of Food Insecurity among Maize Farming Households in the Southern Region of Mali

Food insecurity is one of the most serious challenges facing developing countries all over the world. In Mali, it has been revealed that many regions suffer from food insecurity including the Southern region which is known as the most valuable cereal production area. In this region, maize is one of the main crops produced and the most commonly eaten food that provides necessary calories to farmers. The present study analysed the determinants of food insecurity among maize farming households using primary data from Southern region of Mali. We employed the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) to determine the prevalence of food insecurity among maize farming households. Probit Regression Model (PM) was used to investigate the determinants of food insecurity. Using HFIAS, the majority of the farming households were found food insecure. These included households ranged from mildly (41%), moderately (12%), and severely (7%) food insecure groups. Food secure households were over 40%. Using part of saving to buy food, borrowing of money, and relying on less preferred less expensive food were the major coping strategies used by farming households’ heads. Focusing on the factors with high significant influence, evidence from the PM showed that maize yield, access to extension services, and off-farm employment exerted negative effects on farming households’ food insecurity status whilst household size exerted a positive effect. We recommend that government should try to put in place facilities and infrastructures bringing closer extension services to farmers to increase their access to information related to agriculture and by this way improve their productivity for food security. Also, farmers should be strongly encouraged to diversify their source of income for food purchases. Furthermore, it is recommended to promote small family size to reduce farming households’ food insecurity in Mali in general and the Southern region in particular.
Multiple-Membership Survival Analysis and Its Applications in Organizational Behavior and Management Research

Multilevel paradigms have permeated organizational research in recent years, greatly advancing our understanding of organizational behavior and management decisions. Despite the advancements made in multilevel modeling, taking into account complex hierarchical structures in data remains challenging. This is particularly the case for models used for predicting the occurrence and timing of events and decisions—often referred to as survival models. In this study, the authors construct a multilevel survival model that takes into account subjects being nested in multiple environments—known as a multiple-membership structure. Through this article, the authors provide a step-by-step guide to building a multiple-membership survival model, illustrating each step with an application on a real-life, large-scale, archival data set. Easy-to-use R code is provided for each model-building step. The article concludes with an illustration of potential applications of the model to answer alternative research questions in the organizational behavior and management fields.
THE INFLUENCE OF ELECTRONIC WORD-OF-MOUTH AND PERCEIVED VALUE ON PURCHASE INTENTION IN A SHARING ECONOMY BUSINESS OF (A Study of Airbnb, Inc. Consumers’ in Malang City)

Selama bertahun-tahun pengguna internet di Indonesia telah meningkat yang melahirkan era ekonomi digital. Perkembangan ini memicu maraknya ekonomi berbagi di mana Airbnb menjadi contoh sukses dalam menerapkan sistem ekonomi ini. Meskipun demikian, kesadaran akan merek baru mulai tumbuh dalam beberapa tahun terakhir di Indonesia. Karenanya, faktor-faktor pengidentifikasi yang merangsang niat pembelian pada konsumen Airbnb sangat penting. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menguji pengaruh elektronik dari mulut ke mulut (e-WOM) dan nilai yang dirasakan pada niat beli. Penelitian ini menggunakan sampel 180 orang yang telah memesan tempat sewa Airbnb melalui situs web di Kota Malang dengan teknik purposive sampling dan kuesioner berbasis survei. Analisis data dilakukan dengan menggunakan regresi linier berganda SPSS. Kesimpulannya, penelitian ini mengungkapkan bahwa kedua variabel, e-WOM dan nilai persepsi, memiliki pengaruh signifikan secara parsial dan juga secara simultan terhadap minat beli, walaupun persepsi nilai mempunyai pengaruh yang lebih dominan. Kаtа Kunci: e-WOM, Nilai Persepsi, Niat Beli, Sharing Economy, Airbnb