Frank J. Dooley

Global market segmentation for value-added agricultural products

Global market segments for value-added agricultural products are identified using factor and cluster analysis. Twentysix variables, selected as potentially affecting trade and consumption of value-added agricultural products are first analyzed in factor analysis. The resulting factor scores are used in a cluster analysis of 119 countries. Results for 10 clusters are reported and discussed. Clusters with the most growth potential in the near future for value-added trade are identified along with clusters having less potential in the near future but having long-term potential.

Factors Associated with Students' Academic Motivation in Agricultural Economics Classes

A study of undergraduates at Texas A&M University, Purdue University, and the University of Florida reveals that students viewing grades as a contributor to career success tend to be more academically motivated. Several measures of academic motivation are examined by means of general linear and also nonlinear models. Electronic entertainment, socializing, and time spent working are all negatively associated with academic motivation. Greater academic motivation exists among females. To the extent that additional work is needed for the support of increased tuition costs, students have the potential to be less academically motivated.

Déjà vu for airline industrial relations

Fifteen years after deregulation, labor relations in the airline industry returned to thestatus quo ante, as union power, particularly ALPA’s, still dominates. Without a long-term shift in bargaining power between the parties, costs and productivity have not changed much. Labor accounts for 60 percent of the cost difference between strong and low-cost carriers. American, Delta, United, Northwest, and USAir would require some combination of labor cost concessions or productivity increases of

Food and grocery supply chains: a reappraisal of ECR performance

1.6 billion to match the productivity-adjusted labor costs for low-cost carriers’ flight crews. To remain competitive, strong carriers and unions must develop strategies to deal with anachronistic work rules, provisions to contract out work, and premium pay for airline employees.

SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT: A CASE STUDY OF ISSUES FOR BIOAG

Purpose – The paper aims to reappraise efficient consumer response (ECR) in the grocery and food industry to determine whether financial and operating performance improves with ECR adoption.Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses a time‐series multiple regression model. The methodology overcomes historical shortcomings in ECR and supply chain management research related to small sample size, one‐tier investigation, and short‐longitudinal focus.Findings – ECR adoption has beneficial impacts for both financial and operational performance.Research limitations/implications – Two limitations exist. First, determining the actual time of implementation for supply chain management strategies by firms in the food industry is extremely difficult. The method used to classify firms as ECR adopters in this paper is believed to be sound and unbiased, but errors may exist. Second, this analysis does not account for differences in the implementation level for ECR. For simplicity, a binary variable is used to disting...

The Impacts of Biofuels on Transportation and Logistics in Indiana

Supply chain management has become an increasingly important topic to agribusiness managers during the past five years. Drivers of this trend include buyers seeking higher levels of customer service and efforts by firms to control costs, especially inventory. This case introduces the reader to supply chain management. It would work well either as part of a capstone course, in a special topics course, or in an executive education course. The case explores some of the issues and dilemmas associated with supply chain management efforts at BioAg, a small Midwestern firm that manufacturers agricultural chemicals that are environmentally sensitive.

Investment decisions for country elevators

Like the rest of the United States, the ethanol industry in Indiana has rapidly expanded, growing from one plant in 2006 to a projected 13 by 2010. One result of this expansion is that truck and rail traffic flows in Indiana are shifting, as more corn and beans are processed in state. Most of the change in transportation requirements will likely be concentrated in regions of Indiana where the ethanol plants are constructed. The goal of this work was to determine how the entry of ethanol and biodiesel plants changes the inbound and outbound transportation flows of corn, soybeans, distillers grains (DDGS), and ethanol at the county level in Indiana between 2006 and 2010, focusing on modal and market shifts. The addition of 12 ethanol and 2 biodiesel plants from 2006 to 2010 increases total annual truckloads by 8%, but vehicle miles of travel (VMTs) by 39%. This is due to fewer short hauls of corn and beans to local grain elevators replaced by longer hauls to ethanol plants. In addition, the movement of DDGS and ethanol is largely by truck. As more grain is processed within Indiana, less is shipped to out-of-state users by rail. However, outbound rail movements of ethanol and DDGS offset this somewhat. Finally, the changes in traffic flows are heavily concentrated in those counties with ethanol plants. As more ethanol plants are constructed, transportation requirements will change. Increases in the volume of truck traffic (more trucks and more miles traveled by each truck) will increase damage on local roads. This research identifies regions with large increases in truck traffic resulting from new ethanol and biodiesel plants. In turn, transportation planners can anticipate a reallocation of maintenance budgets to maintain key highways and bridge.

RAILROAD EMPLOYEE COMMITMENT AND WORK-RELATED ATTITUDES AND PERCEPTIONS

Trainload shipments of grain by elevators substantially reduce their transportation costs. However, many elevators must make investments upgrading their plant before they can ship in trainload movements. In this article, a logit model is developed which considers the investment decision for particular elevators in terms of the physical characteristics of the facility and firm attributes. The results suggest there are considerable differences across elevators in the likelihood of being targeted for investment and shipping grain in trainload movements.