Factors Influencing Producers’ Marketing Decisions in the Louisiana Crawfish Industry

Factors influencing farmer selection of a crawfish marketing outlet were analyzed using 2008 survey data from the Louisiana crawfish industry. Most farmers sell directly to wholesalers. Probit results show farm size, farm income, household income, age, education, and pre-market grading and washing operations significantly affecting farmer selection of an outlet.Crawfish, Marketing Outlet, Premarket Practices, Probit., Marketing, Production Economics,

THE INFLUENCES OF LAND TENANCY AND ROTATION SELECTION ON CRAWFISH FARMERS’ ADOPTION OF BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

This study investigates factors influencing the adoption of best management practices in Louisiana crawfish production. Probit results show acreage, years farming, portion of income from farming, technology adoption tendencies, hunting leases and a stream running through the farm to influence adoption. The most frequently used BMP was irrigation water management.Best Management Practices (BMPs), technology adoption, crawfish, probit, tenancy, crop rotation, Production Economics,

Why do students study abroad? Exploring motivations beyond earning academic credits

The purpose of this study was to examine motivations of college students' participation in study abroad programs. The study is based on surveys conducted with a group of university students who participated in a study abroad program to either the South Pacific (Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji) or Europe (Austria and the Netherlands). The study results suggested four motivation domains: international travel, escape, social, and academic. Of the four motivational dimensions, the strongest was international travel, followed by academic, social, and escape. The implications of the findings to the student travel industry and study abroad programs are discussed.</jats:p

Stakeholder created value: Outcomes of CSR programme in the community, a case study of the Business Class programme in Wales

This thesis primarily informs how activities carried out at the intersection of business and society in the form of corporate community programmes — create value to multiple stakeholders, and suggests how to measure it comprehensively, accurately and appropriately. The thesis is framed by the fields of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and stakeholder theory. Both of these have a moral component and therefore foundational work informing business ethics. This thesis also evaluates how impact is currently measured, finding that the vast majority of frameworks are corporate-centric. The overall philosophical position of this research is pragmatism and the research strategy is case study. Data collected from the Business Class programme in Wales and analysis have qualitative approach; drawing on and synthesising variety of data from diverse sources. The main sources of data were in-depth interviews with diverse participants. The outcome of this research challenges the notion of value creation, a language shaped by businesses – to show that all stakeholders including businesses and community participate, co-contribute, draw and can co-valuate corporate community programme often in a multi-stakeholder setting; thereby expanding the stakeholder theory. It further challenges the notion of corporate social responsibility, often characterised as one way gift from businesses to society – by showing that businesses (like other stakeholders) give as well as gain from the society. While these issues are known to an extent from existing CSR research but this thesis goes further to uncover the complexity of the stakeholder networks, relationship and contexts that inform value creation and measurement approaches. The thesis argues that stakeholders involved in a programme have multiple perspectives and their co-valuation of programme or activity gives an integrated and realistic picture of the amount and quality of diverse value created, beyond the financial outcome of an activity. Furthermore, it develops the concept of net value and evaluation tools to measure value – where multiple factors such as attribution, counterfactual and complexity need to be taken into account – in order to establish ultimate value that is comprehensive, accurate and mutually agreed

Dissonance in heritage: the case of Lumbini, Nepal

The purpose of this paper is to discuss heritage issues and conflicts with a case study of Lumbini, the birth place of Lord Buddha. Lumbini has recently been a national icon for tourism promotion and has been able to attract about 40,000 pilgrims and tourists (not including Indians and Nepalis) every year, mostly from Asian countries. From both heritage and tourism point of views, Lumbini is different from many heritage sites. Lumbini is surrounded by non-Buddhist population, which is a major impediment for preservation and management of the heritage. This situation complicates “community involvement,” one of the principles of sustainable development. As a result government and international agencies have been trying to manage the site without much local involvement

Three Essays on U.S. Meat Goat Production: Goal Structure, Selection of Breeding Stock, and Meat Goat Marketing

This study investigates three major areas of U.S. meat goat production – goal structure, selection of breeding stock, and marketing, by using survey data received from U.S. meat goat producers. Of 1,600 producers surveyed, 584 usable responses were obtained with an adjusted response rate of 43%. The fuzzy pair-wise comparison method was used to determine producer goal structure. The results showed that profit maximization and leisure-related goals were highly considered goals and controlling weeds/vegetation and increasing farm size were the least considered goals by U.S. meat goat producers. A choice-based conjoint study was conducted to identify producer preferences for meat goat breeding stock attributes. The mixed logit results showed that producers preferred animals with high masculinity or femininity, with good structure and soundness, and the Boer breed. Furthermore, the latent class model suggested that Kiko goats were preferred by producers selling higher percentages of their animals for slaughter purposes or as meat whereas Boer goats were more likely to be preferred by breeders and/or show goat producers. Direct sale to consumer and live auction markets were two highly used marketing channels among U.S. meat goat producers. Probit results showed that several socio-economic, demographic, and farm characteristics impacted producer selection of marketing channels. Twenty-two percent of producers targeted their production for specific ethnic holiday sales. The farm size (number of animals), percentage sale of animals for slaughter purposes, and selling goat meat positively impacted the net profitability of the meat goat enterprise

The adoption of best management practices in the Louisiana crawfish industry

Agricultural production can have result in environmental deterioration in cases where proper management practices have not been implemented. Louisiana, one of the tropical states, has a significant agricultural base with more than 1,600 farmers raising crawfish. Large volumes of waste water containing environmental pollutants result significant environmental problem in the state. Voluntary adoption of a number of best management practices (BMPs) that are considered to be environmentally and economically beneficial is encouraged in Louisiana. The major objectives of this study are to investigate farmer adoption of 18 selected Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) cost share eligible BMPs and the reasons for farmers’ adoption or non-adoption decisions. The study further analyzes the complementarity or substitutability of different BMPs. A mail survey to 770 Louisiana crawfish producers was conducted in Fall, 2008, based on Dillman’s Total Design Method. The adjusted response rate was 15%. Probit, multinomial logit, and t-tests were conducted to analyze the results. The results of this study showed farmers’ land tenancy, education, age, income diversification, and risk-bearing characteristics significantly affecting their probability of adoption. The prerequisite assumption of independence of irrelevant alternatives (IIA) of the multinomial logit model was successful for only two BMPs: Irrigation Land Leveling, and Irrigation Water Conveyance via Pipe; and the results in these two BMPs showed farm size, rotation with other crops, education, farmers’ risk averse and early adoption behavior significantly affecting adoption or non-adoption decisions. Some BMPs were also found to have complementary relationships with other BMPs

STATISTICAL EVALUATION OF HYDROLOGICAL EXTREMES ON STORMWATER SYSTEM

Climate models have anticipated higher future extreme precipitations and streamflows for various regions. Urban stormwater facilities are vulnerable to these changes as the design assumes stationarity. However, recent climate change studies have argued about the existence of non-stationarity of the climate. Distribution method adopted on extreme precipitation varies spatially and may not always follow same distribution method. In this research, two different natural extremities were analyzed for two separate study areas. First, the future design storm depth based on the stationarity of climate and GEV distribution method was examined with non-stationarity and best fit distribution. Second, future design flood was analyzed and routed on a river to estimate the future flooding. Climate models from North American Regional Climate Change Assessment Program (NARCCAP) and Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) were fitted to 27 different distribution using Chi-square and Kolmogorov Smirnov goodness of fit. The best fit distribution method was used to calculate design storm depth as well as design flood. Climate change scenarios were adopted as delta change factor, a downscaling approach to transfer historical design value to the climate adopted future design value. Most of the delta change factor calculated were higher than one, representing strong climate change impact on future. HEC-HMS and HEC-RAS models were used to simulate the stormwater infrastructures and river flow. The result shows an adverse effect on stormwater infrastructure in the future. The research highlights the importance of available climate information and suggests a possible approach for climate change adaptation on stormwater design practice

Expectations, outcomes and attitude change of study abroad students

As universities prepare students for the 21st century, the value of a globalized education is increasing. Study abroad programs are increasingly important means for students to gain the global education that they will need to be successful in international settings. Many universities now offer students the ability to integrate a study abroad program into already intensive academic programs by offering shorter study abroad programs (2–8 weeks) during break periods between academic sessions in winter and summer. This study is based upon a larger dataset collected from students participating in several international study abroad programs offered by a US university’s tourism program. This study builds upon two previous studies conducted by the authors, by examining the extent to which students’ expectations were fulfilled and attitudes changed after participating in a short-term study abroad program using a large dataset collected from four study abroad programs