Social factors, such as farming methods, have an impact on farm vulnerability to drought, but have received little research or policy attention. Some researchers and advocates have argued that sustainable agriculture systems are less vulnerable to climate risk than conventional systems because sustainable agriculture requires producers to have skills promoting adaptability. In this paper, we investigate producers' perceptions on the use of sustainable agriculture in reducing drought risk, and what they believe would help them better adapt to drought. We surveyed and interviewed farmer members of two sustainable agriculture organizations in Nebraska, USA, during a multi-year drought period from 1999 to 2007. Producers reported implementing a range of practices, such as organic soil building techniques, reduced tillage, targeted crop selection and diversification of crop and livestock production systems, to reduce their drought vulnerability. Although some practices were implemented specifically to reduce drought risk, producers felt that the practices they implemented as part of their normal operation were largely responsible for reducing their risk. Respondents held mixed views on the effects of insurance and farm programs on their drought management decisions. Finally, producers indicated that their ability to adapt to drought is limited by a number of barriers, especially a lack of capital and the need to respond to markets and maximize production to maintain cash flows.
A model of faculty unionism that integrates a diverse set of factors representing various perspectives on voting behavior in unionization drives was developed. This model was then tested using data obtained from faculty in three institutions of higher education simultaneously undergoing collective bargaining elections. The study results suggest that work context, socio-political beliefs, general attitudes toward unions, perceptions of union instrumentality at one’s own workplace, and pay are strong determinants of faculty voting behavior. Union instrumentality perception was the single largest determinant of the vote. The model had strong predictive power.
Develops and presents Importance‐Satisfaction Analysis as a simple
and highly pragmatic organizational diagnostic tool for both managers
and consultants. Specifically, the importance‐performance framework
presented in the marketing literature has been adapted for application
in the management of human resource by changing the model′s
external/strategic (the consumer and the product) orientation to an
internal/operational (the employee and the job) focus. Uses data from a
major national laboratory to illustrate step‐by‐step application of this
methodology. Discusses practical advantages of the framework and
implications for managers and consultants. Simplicity and ease of
application, adaptability to various data collection techniques
(questionnaires, interviews, group analysis, etc.), early identification
of areas requiring action, priority‐based resource allocation
implications, and modest cost are a few of the virtues of this
managerial/consulting tool.
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