Using new product announcement events made by group member firms in Taiwan, this study examines whether the firms’ multiple network ties within business groups benefit member firms or whether they provide a channel for controlling shareholders to tunnel. We find that the announcement of new products by group member firms has a positive effect on the market value of other, non-announcing group peers. This evidence is consistent with the value-added hypothesis. More importantly, this effect is stronger when member firms are connected via equity ties. Furthermore, we also offer an original analysis of how family control in business groups affects the impact of network ties on value creation. Our results suggest that the controlling family may discount the market value of member firms.

Value-added centers have been established in many states. These centers vary greatly in objectives, operational structures, staffing, and funding. This paper uses examples of several centers and programs, with a specific emphasis on three centers, to provide a better understanding of value-added centers and their operations.

Preconditioning calf programs, while not new, are becoming more prevalent. They provide benefits to cow-calf producers while adding value for feeder cattle buyers. However, questions remain regarding the economic costs and returns of such programs. A model was estimated with data from three consecutive-day sales, to determine the value that buyers place on preconditioning programs and related feeder cattle traits. Our results indicate that price premiums, although evident, appear to be insufficient by themselves to cover the marginal costs of preconditioning.

This study offers insights on consumer acceptance and willingness to pay for three value-added blueberry products. A modified payment card approach was used. The analytical framework adopted allows the researcher to attach straightforward economic interpretation to the estimated impacts of willingness to pay factors. Results show consumer socio-economic characteristics are important determinants but play different roles depending on the products. Information on health benefits may also be important. However, it is found that outside information or consumer self-stated awareness of blueberries' health benefits have different impacts. These impacts may function as substitutes rather than complements to each other.

Using Missouri Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifers Inc. sale data, this article uses hedonic modeling to assess the marginal implicit values of physical and genetic characteristics, expected performance characteristics of calves, and market factors to bred heifer price. In 2008, a higher quality standard, known as Tier II, was created combining minimum expected progeny difference (EPD) accuracies for a heifer's sire with previous heifer standards. Heifer characteristics and market factors as well as yearling and carcass weight EPDs were found to significantly influence heifer price. Results suggest that Tier II heifers receive a premium compared with traditional Show-Me-Select heifers.

This paper examines a natural experiment in which Washington State teachers were offered the opportunity to choose between enrolling in a traditional defined benefit (DB) plan and a hybrid plan with DB and defined contribution (DC) components. We find plan preference is weakly related to estimates of the relative financial benefits of being in either the DB or hybrid system and strongly related to teacher age. Importantly, we also find that the majority of teachers prefer the hybrid plan, and that teachers opting into the hybrid plan tend to be more effective based on student output measures of teacher productivity. These results suggest that policy shifts toward pension systems that include DC options do not necessarily make teaching a less desirable profession, particularly for the most productive employees.

Although discussion of the role of urban agriculture in developing nations has occurred over the past decade, dialogue relating to urban agriculture in industrialized countries, including the United States (US) has only recently begun to attract significant attention. The unique factors that influence urban agriculture, including limited and non-traditional land access, use of reclaimed soils and alternative growing mediums, local legal and political environments, social and community-based missions, and involvement of non-traditional farmers, create a production system distinct from rural agricultural enterprises. In many cases, specific local environmental and external factors drive urban farms to develop unique innovations for space-intensive production systems, often creating a dominant paradigm for urban farming for a given location. Furthermore, non-production-related organizational goals are often the primary focus of urban agricultural operations, with the food production becoming a secondary objective. In order to address this information gap regarding the status of urban agriculture in the US, our project, centered at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, gathered data through site visits to and interviews of organizations in seven cities, examining how structural and strategic food system factors shape urban agricultural efforts. A broad range of operations are considered, including diverse business and production models based on both commercial and community-based management strategies and production in parking and vacant lots, warehouses, public land and peri-urban locations. Based on these observations, the unique innovations in space-intensive agricultural production that have arisen in response to urban food system factors are discussed. We conclude with an assessment of the most significant challenges continuing to face urban agriculture.