Deborah H. Streeter

Information Technology, Coordination, and Competitiveness in the Food and Agribusiness Sector

As business managers search for strategies to improve the competitive position of their firms, information technology is playing an increasingly crucial role. While much of the literature on competitiveness has examined how such technology supports the strategic goals of the firm by lowering costs, raising barriers to outside competitors, or facilitating the differentiation of products, relatively little attention has been devoted to the role technology plays in shaping the relationship between players in a productionmarketing spectrum. It is the goal of this paper to explore the topic of technology, coordination, and competitiveness in the context of the agribusiness sector. Specifically, we will argue that in an increasingly consumer-oriented business environment, information technology not only has enhanced but has hastened coordination strategies between various levels of the sector. Furthermore, these coordination strategies would not necessarily have evolved as a result of the existing price signals or market structure. The first section of the paper addresses definitional issues along with a literature review. The review includes both contributions from the agricultural economics field and research from the business literature on competitiveness. In the second section of the paper, we argue that as a result of information technology, the agribusiness sector has become increasingly focused on the consumer, forcing retailers to shift their marketing strategies. Illustrations of how consumer demands are passed down through the producer-consumer chain and a discussion of conditions which might enhance or inhibit information-based coordination strategies are discussed in the third section. In the fourth section, we discuss implications for the agricultural economics profession. The conclusions which result from the framework we suggest are presented in the final section.

Evaluating Marketing Channel Options for Small-Scale Fruit and Vegetable Producers

An investigation of the relative costs and benefits of marketing channels used by typical smallscale diversified vegetable crop producers is conducted. Using case study evidence from four small farms in Central New York, this study compares the performance of wholesale and direct marketing channels, including how the factors of risk, owner and paid labor, price, lifestyle preferences, and sales volume interact to impact optimal market channel selection. Given the highly perishable nature of the crops grown, along with the risks and potential sales volume of particular channels, a combination of different marketing channels is needed to maximize overall firm performance. Accordingly, a ranking system is developed to summarize the major firm-specific factors across channels and to prioritize those channels with the greatest opportunity for success based on individual firm preferences.

Welfare Comparisons of U.S. Dairy Policies with and without Mandatory Supply Control

The existence of costly dairy surpluses has led some policy makers to argue in favor of mandatory supply controls as an alternative to existing dairy policy. A dynamic econometric model is used to simulate the changes in equilibrium prices, quantities, producer and consumer welfare, and government costs that would occur if mandatory controls were adopted. The results show that while such a change in policy would eliminate the costs associated with current price supports, the benefits accruing to producers would be achieved at the expense of consumers and processors.

The impact of computer information systems on dairy farm management decisions

This study focuses on whether information systems improve farm management. Fifty New York dairy farms were selected based on their use of computerized information systems. Each computer user was matched with a non-computer-using farm. On-farm interviews and business summaries were analyzed. Information systems provided the ability to do sensitivity analysis on planning decisions. Their speed of processing and accuracy contributed to control functions. Farmers with information systems spent more time on management tasks, but were more likely to delegate routine decisions. Farmer perceptions were that the systems had produced benefits that were equal to or exceeded costs.

University-Wide Entrepreneurship Education

Abstract In 2004 and 2007, the Kauffman Foundation awarded 18 universities and colleges

Electronic information-public or private good?

3–5 million dollars each to develop radiant model entrepreneurship education programs and campus-wide entrepreneurial ecosystems. Grant recipients were required to have a senior level administrator to oversee the program who reported to the Provost, President, or Chancellor. Award recipients included Syracuse University (2007) and the University of Rochester (2004). Cornell was not a Kauffman campus. This chapter explores three case studies in the radiant model of university-wide entrepreneurship education as deployed at Cornell University, The University of Rochester, and Syracuse University. The authors examine the history, accelerators, and challenges of the radiant model of university-wide entrepreneurship education.

Farmland preservation: The role of off-farm income

Private and public sector participants in the information systems business are struggling to define their appropriate roles. Two qualities of information goods can affect whether or not public goods characteristics dominate; the life span of the information and the analytic content of the material. Moreover, technological change can alter both qualities. Those goods with a short life span and high analytic content are more likely to be allocated efficiently by the private sector. However, the longer the life span of the information and the lower the analytic content, the more likely that public participation is appropriate. The case of AGNET, an on-line information system for farmers, is used to illustrate how technological change can facilitate the transition from public to private sector.

Global loans in entrepreneurship (GLIE): ready, set, disaster

Abstract Off-farm income is of increasing importance in U.S. agriculture. As a survival strategy, it can increase the staying power of farm businesses and therefore may affect farmland preservation and urban planning. The paper presents an economic model of off-farm work by farm operators. The purpose is to identify key factors that affect labor-allocation decisions by farmers. The study adapts the traditional economic model to include non-monetary benefits as a variable influencing multiple job-holding. Using data from the U.S. Department of Agricultures 1981 Family Farm Survey, regression analysis was employed to analyze 247 farm operators who reported work off the farm. The off-farm work supply of operators was estimated as a function of the off-farm wage rate, fixed farm characteristics, a measure of non-monetary benefits and the farm and family life cycle characteristics. The empirical evidence supports the view that farmers consider both monetary and non-monetary (lifestyle) benefits important in their decision about where to allocate labor. For policy makers interested in preserving farmland near cities, the results of the study suggest that urban and rural development policies which do not erode the non-monetary benefits of farming (independent lifestyle, healthy environment) will be more successful in increasing stability of land in farming.

How Private Contract Enforcement Mechanisms Can Succeed Where Public Institutions Fail: The Case Of Juhocukor A.S.

Subject area This case is designed for an undergraduate entrepreneurship course dealing with the launch and growth of an entrepreneurial venture, including strategies for effective team building, especially with teams based in different countries. Study level/applicability This case has been used in 300 and 400 level entrepreneurship courses. Case overview The case tells the story of John Lee (CEO) and Regina Adams (President), the founders of a new business called global loans in entrepreneurship (GLIE) based in Singapore. GLIE facilitates micro-loans for small business owners in the developing world and specifically targets entrepreneurial development projects for the poor. Many social enterprises start their operations on a shoestring budget. Typically, the deficit of cash pushes the leadership to use creative strategies to move things forward, including recruiting individuals who are willing to work in the startup phase without monetary compensation. This case sheds light on what can happen when founders recruit and rely on a volunteer for essential technology development, vesting the individual with substantial power, and creating the possibility for him/her to delay or purposefully hold up the launch of the company. Expected learning outcomes The case highlights the importance for someone on the founding team to have whatever core competencies are most critical to the firm. Additional themes are the importance of raising adequate funds at startup, the pitfalls of using volunteers in the wrong capacity, and the disastrous impact the wrong employee can have in a small firm setting. Supplementary materials Teaching note.