The Gamma-count distribution in the analysis of experimental underdispersed data

Event counts are response variables with non-negative integer values representing the number of times that an event occurs within a fixed domain such as a time interval, a geographical area or a cell of a contingency table. Analysis of counts by Gaussian regression models ignores the discreteness, asymmetry and heteroscedasticity and is inefficient, providing unrealistic standard errors or possibly negative predictions of the expected number of events. The Poisson regression is the standard model for count data with underlying assumptions on the generating process which may be implausible in many applications. Statisticians have long recognized the limitation of imposing equidispersion under the Poisson regression model. A typical situation is when the conditional variance exceeds the conditional mean, in which case models allowing for overdispersion are routinely used. Less reported is the case of underdispersion with fewer modeling alternatives and assessments available in the literature. One of such alternatives, the Gamma-count model, is adopted here in the analysis of an agronomic experiment designed to investigate the effect of levels of defoliation on different phenological states upon the number of cotton bolls. Data set and code for analysis are available as online supplements. Results show improvements over the Poisson model and the semi-parametric quasi-Poisson model in capturing the observed variability in the data. Estimating rather than assuming the underlying variance process leads to important insights into the process.     

Towards a job competency profile for agricultural extension instructors: A survey of views of experts

A project is carried out for instructors in the agricultural extension service in Esfahan. Part of the project is study, conducted to inform the process of competency profile development for the instructors. The study, reported in this contribution, focuses on views of experts about competencies needed by the instructors. The survey is based on the methodology for developing models of HRD, in which 257 key experts participated. A mix of methods was used for collecting data. The most important competencies found in this study are subject matter and business understanding, and presentation skill. The most essential outputs are presentation of instructional materials, feedback to learners and equipping learners with new competencies after the course. In this contribution, competencies and outputs are elaborated. Further research is needed regarding performance improvement as a result of the efforts of the instructors, and the views of other stakeholders on the development of the agri-clusters.     

建构我国私营企业劳资战略伙伴关系——“三个代表”重要思想指导下的劳资关系发展方向述论

"三个代表"重要思想的提出及贯彻实施,为建构私营企业劳资战略伙伴关系提供了科学的理论基础和良好的外部环境,扫除了人们思想认识上的种种障碍,由此也对党和政府相关组织制度与工作思路的改进与创新提出了更高的要求.我国私营经济将迎来更加光明的发展前途.     

Private Action for Public Good?: The Public Role of Voluntary Sector Organizations

Voluntary sector organizations claim to be private institutions acting for the public good. However, if the concept of public is disengaged from the state and connected instead to citizenship, VSOs can be shown to have both private and public origins, as well as private and public impacts. As citizens, VSOs are public organizations serving the public good through their purported representation of the people and civic leadership. The legitimacy of their assumption of these public roles remains a continuing challenge.     

Civil Society and the Northern Irish Peace Process

Alternative accounts of the Northern Irish peace process are analyzed. It is noted that neither Unionist nor Republican accounts accord a significant or positive role to civil society in the reaching of a political settlement. It is only in what might be called the metropolitan liberal perspective that influence is attributed to the role of civil society in achieving a settlement. Two junctures at which civil society, centered on the third sector, played a prominent role in the peace process are analyzed: the Opsahl Commission before the launch of the peace process in 1993 and the nonparty Yes campaign during the referendum on the Belfast Agreement in May 1998. The paper then goes on to discuss why the influence of civil society has declined since the referendum, and draws attention to the conflict between the top-down implications of the consociational nature of the Belfast Agreement and the bottom-up promotion of political accommodation through civil society.     

Complaining Our Way to Quality: Complaints, Contracts and the Voluntary Sector

The research on which this paper is based is part of a wider study of quality assurance and the voluntary sector. The focus of this paper is on complaints procedures, as part of quality assurance mechanisms, where voluntary agencies are the contracted service providers. The authors argue that, with the introduction of contracting and particularly with its further development, the way in which complaints mechanisms currently operate will need to be revised if they are to be an effective part of the quality assurance process.     

公共产品第三部门供给的国内外研究文献综述

针对公共产品第三部门供给行为出现的原因、作用、条件、缺陷及与政府、市场的关系等几方面,专家、学者已进行了一些有益的研究,为进一步研究这一前沿问题提供了理论基础。但是,对于公共产品第三部门供给的研究刚刚起步,已有的研究大多数是从政治学和社会学的角度进行的分析,存在缺乏从经济学的角度分析其供给机制的理论框架等局限性,在公共产品第三部门供给的原因、效果及供给主体治理等方面还有大量有待研究的空间。     

第三部门对社会矛盾冲突的调控作用探析

现代社会广泛兴起的介乎于政府和市场之间的第三部门，具有正规性、民间性、非营利性、自治性、志愿性和公益性等特性，在消除社会矛盾和冲突中，起着独特的作用。我国正处于社会矛盾的凸显期，应充分发挥第三部门组织的预防、整合、沟通、协调和济贫救困功能，化解社会矛盾和冲突，促进社会和谐。     

张謇与清末民初钢铁业

对钢铁业的关注是张謇经济思想活动一个重要环节。张謇对我国钢铁业的规划建设主要发生于其任职农商部之后,着眼于主管机构的组织建设、铁矿的国有经营、铁厂的建设规划以及对汉冶萍的处理等问题上,表现为认识与实践两个方面。     

政府直接生产公共物品的理论分析

在分析政府直接生产公共物品的理论前提的基础上,分析政府生产所面临的困难及低效率产生的主要原因,并提出引入绩效评估体制、加强对公共资金支出的管理等策略选择。