An alternative to farmer age as an indicator of life-cycle stage: The case for a farm family age index

In studies of farming, the age of the principal decision-maker (PDM) has been associated with numerous farm structural and managerial features and has been widely accepted as a good indicator of the influence of life-cycle factors on decision-making. As such, it has become an important aspect of many quantitative studies of agricultural change. However, contemporary studies of family farming demonstrate that the concept of a single PDM in family farms is becoming an anachronism as alternative enterprises, pluriactivity and the scale of family farms force more diffuse management/operating systems. This raises questions concerning whether the age of the PDM can still be taken as representative of farm structure, strategy or life-cycle stage? Using a study conducted in the Grampian Mountains region of Scotland in 2003 this note investigates the impact of using an alternative index—compiled by averaging the age of family members working on the farm. It suggests that PDM age is a relatively poor indicator of farm structural and managerial features compared to a family age index and calls for researchers to think about alternative approaches to measuring ‘age’ as an indicator.     

高质量发展评价指标体系探讨

党的十九大作出我国经济已由高速增长阶段转向高质量发展阶段的重大判断。测度高质量发展的前提是,在准确理解和把握高质量发展内涵的基础上构建一套科学合理的评价指标体系。通过对高质量发展统计内涵的深入考察,本文在充分梳理、借鉴国内外有关同类评价指标体系的基础上,从“人民美好生活需要”和“不平衡不充分发展”这个社会主要矛盾的两个方面着手,构建了一个由经济活力、创新效率、绿色发展、人民生活、社会和谐5个部分共27个指标构成的高质量发展评价指标体系。该指标体系的特点是：紧扣高质量发展的内涵和新时代社会主要矛盾的变化,指标数量不多但覆盖新发展理念的各个方面,指标不重复,数据易获得。     

Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation in Personality: Assessing Knowledge Profiling and the Work Preference Inventory in a Thai Population

Abstract

Personality trait theories are often used to identify particular personality or behavioural characteristics of potential employees by human resource management departments. However, this can be enhanced by understanding how motivation plays a role in personality, and particularly within the context of knowledge-based personality processes. The paper draws on knowledge management theory called Knowledge Profiling (KP) in which a theoretical construct has been developed representing personality through a set of three traits and their polar values. This model has previously been linked to the trait theory of personality called Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). This research adopts KP, develops its linkage with MBTI, and elaborates on its connection with motivation. The resulting model, referred to as Knowledge Profiling Motivational (KPM) model, is developed by connecting it with the Work Preference Inventory (WPI), which assesses individual differences in Intrinsic and Extrinsic motivational orientations. Analysis indicates that KPM is an improvement on the KP model in representing personality. Moreover, the research suggests that personality traits are not limited to a bipolar relationship but that there are relationships between traits as well.     

De-aliasing effects using semifoldover techniques

Semifoldover designs, obtained by semifolding a regular two-level factorial design, have been discussed recently in the literature. In this article, with the use of indicator functions, we investigate various semifoldover designs that are obtained from a general two-level factorial design. We discuss when a main factor or a two-factor interaction can be de-aliased from their aliased two-factor interactions, and extend some of the existing results from regular designs to non-regular designs. Finally, we present some examples to illustrate the results developed here.     

我国人口素质与经济增长关系实证分析

本文在对人口素质的概念进行讨论及其构成进行分析的基础上．阐述了国内关于人口素质与经济增长关系的研究现状,而且使用离散系数法测度我国的人口素质水平,并将其作为一个变量引入生产函数,对我国人口素质与经济增长间的关系进行了实证研究,从定量角度说明了人口素质对社会经济发展的意义。     

Critical indicators for assessing the contribution of infrastructure projects to coordinated urban-rural development in China

It is widely recognized that the coordinated development between urban and rural areas can not only narrow gaps in infrastructure between urban and rural areas, promote balanced development in rural areas in terms of society, economy and environment, but is also an effective way to address issues facing agriculture, rural areas and farmers. In line with this, development of infrastructure projects has been an important means for promoting coordinated urban-rural development in developing countries (such as China). However, there is a lack of indicators that can be used to assess the contribution of infrastructure projects to coordinated urban-rural development. This paper thus attempts to present a set of critical indicators for evaluating the contribution of infrastructure projects to coordinated urban-rural development in the particular context of Chongqing, Western China.First, a list of optional indicators that are with potential for assessing the contribution of infrastructure projects to coordinated urban-rural development is presented based on examination on related project feasibility reports, official reports and literature. Then 42 indicators are identified from the optional list through a questionnaire survey. By using the data collected, the relative level of significance of each indicator is derived. Finally, an indicator system consisting of 19 critical indicators is established based on results of principle component analysis. The applicability and significance of the identified indicators for assessing the contribution of infrastructure projects to coordinated urban-rural development are discussed as well.     

数字贸易测度的概念架构、指标体系和测度方法初探

数字贸易是构建“以国内大循环为主体、国内国际双循环相互促进”的新发展格局的新模式和新业态,也是各国参与国际竞争与合作的重要领域。然而,国际社会对数字贸易概念的认识还比较模糊,直接影响着数字贸易市场拓展和规则制定,数字贸易测度也成为国际贸易统计领域具有挑战性课题。本文在回顾和梳理国际社会关于数字贸易概念和测度方法既有论述的基础上,提出了数字贸易的“二元三环”概念架构,构建了测度数字贸易规模的指标体系,开发了以“实际数字交付比率”为关键的数字贸易测度法,并使用中国“两化融合”平台数据库的数据,对中国2018—2019 年数字贸易进出口总额进行了试测度。本文的研究成果对我国数字贸易测度研究以及有关部门建立数字贸易统计监测制度具有借鉴作用。     

Psychometric analysis of the UK Health and Safety Executive's Management Standards work-related stress Indicator Tool

Abstract

Numerous tools have been developed that attempt to measure work-related stress and working conditions, but few practical instruments in the literature have been found to have a reliable psychometric factor structure. In the UK, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Management Standards (MS) Indicator Tool is increasingly used by organizations to monitor working conditions that can lead to stress. In Health and Safety Executive (2004), a factor analysis was conducted demonstrating the reliability of the scales. However, the authors acknowledged that direct reassessment of the same factor structure was impossible as the questionnaire was split into two separate modules for data collection. Furthermore, the tool is designed to enable comparisons between as well as within organizations to take place, yet reliability has only previously been tested at the individual level. The current study is the first to examine the factor structure of the HSE MS Indicator Tool using organizational-level data. Data collected from 39 UK organizations (N=26,382) was used to perform a first-order Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) on the original 35-item seven-factor measurement scale. The results showed an acceptable fit to the data for the instrument. A second-order CFA was also performed to test if the Indicator Tool contains a higher order uni-dimensional measure of work-related stress. These findings also revealed an acceptable fit to the data, suggesting that it may be possible to derive a single measure of work-related stress. Normative data comprising tables of percentiles from the organizational data are provided to enable employers to compare their organizational averages against national benchmarks.     

新战略背景下城市经济发展状况测度研究——基于融合社会网络的实证分析

当前,我国经济已转向高质量发展新阶段,国家对此出台了包括高质量发展、城市群协同发展及健康中国等多项战略规划,为未来城市经济发展指明了新的发展方向。本文在分析这些战略对城市经济发展要求的基础上解读了城市经济发展新内涵,构建了涉及数量、质量和效率三个方面,包含创新发展、协调发展、绿色发展、开放发展、共享发展和城市群支撑作用等10个维度,共44个三级指标的城市经济发展状况测度指标体系,同时就城市群支撑作用方面指标给出了融合社会网络分析的指标定量测度方法。本文构建的指标体系可全面监测我国城市在经济新战略背景下的经济发展状况,所提出的指标测度方法可定量测度城市所属城市群对城市经济发展的贡献,为相关战略下城市测度体系的建设与完善提供一定参考。