The effects of the March 1990 deregulation policy on the marketing of agricultural products are examined in terms of price levels, price variability and market integration for maize, tef, noug and sorghum for the Bako, Tibe and Shoboka markets of the Wollega and Shoa regions of Ethiopia. Weekly price data from 1986 to 1993 are used. The price level and price variability changes are tested using a T-test and F-test respectively while market integration is tested using traditional price correlation analysis and Granger's and Johansen's methods of cointegration analysis. Deregulation has resulted in an increase in real prices which has also, in most cases, been accompanied by an increase in price variability. The price correlation and Granger methods indicate improvement in market integration under deregulation while Johansen's method indicates similar levels of market integration for both regulated and deregulated marketing systems. Increased price variability might thwart the perceived benefits of deregulation and further research is needed to identify its causes and to provide appropriate policy recommendations.

Thesis (M.Sc. (Hons)) -- University of Western Sydney, 2003. / "February 2003" Bibliography: leaves 260 - 277.

This study is intended, first, to describe and analyze the channels of distribution for food products in the State of Kuwait, second, to pinpoint the problems that exist in the food-distribution system, and, third, to make specific recommendations for the alleviation of the problems. Consistent with the objectives of the study and based on the description and analysis of the food-distribution system in the country, it is concluded in the study that Kuwait depends on imports for virtually all of its food; the government plays a major role in the food-distribution system; and the majority of food wholesaling and retailing establishments are small, inefficient, and lack modern marketing and physical distribution techniques. Product shortages and rising food prices plague the food-distribution system in the country. Also, the findings indicate that consumers in Kuwait are generally ignorant and uninformed in the areas of food nutrition and food shopping, and the lack of standardization and grading of food products makes the shopping task of the consumer more difficult.

Thesis (MTech (Busines Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2011. / Motivating employees in fast food outlets plays a major role towards improving the commitment and performance of workers. However, it has been confirmed that there is low levels of employee motivation in some fast food outlets, which has led to negative results and poor performances. Therefore, improving employee motivation in fast food outlets has become a necessity. The main aim of the study was to investigate causes of low employee motivation in fast food outlets within South Africa. The present author was able to discover the causes of low employee motivation levels such as poor supervision, little or no training, poor pay and poor working conditions. Hence, factors that could improve levels of motivation of employees in fast food outlets were identified; for instance, motivating fast food employees through genuine appreciation, recognition, compensation and inspiration. The researcher further suggests strategies, which may improve the quality of work-life for employees with fast food outlets training and developing employees, reducing their workload; and initiating incentive programs and retention strategies. This will help the management at fast food outlets to improve levels of motivation of their workers, and also assist them to retain their talented staff. The case study method was used for this research since the study involved fast food outlets in Cape Town. The triangulation method was applied to solicit information from staff members, managers and store managers/franchisees. Semi-structured interview questions were used to obtain information from franchisees/store managers, senior managers, floor managers, and supervisors, while closed-ended questionnaires were used to interview other staff members. This study has confirmed that there are no motivation policies at most of the fast food outlets which were studied that can guide employers to motivate their workers. It is clear from the study that there is low employee motivation at some fast food outlets, and hence the researcher has proposed recommendations, which will help the management of fast food outlets to enhance the levels of motivation of employees, and their work performance. It is suggested that employees should be involved in the decision making of their organization; the quality of work-life of employees should be improved; a harmonious working environment should be promoted; and workers should be empowered and allowed to participate in the profit sharing of the organization. This will improve workers' levels of motivation and better results will be achieved for the organization at large.

The South African food and clothing retail industry is highly sophisticated and dominated by a few large competitors. The market is unique and has been shaped by abnormal political influences that have created a polarised society. The market holds a high potential owing to the burgeoning young middle class that is also attracting global attention. This necessitates an increase in economies of scale through expansion and acquisition strategies. Woolworths Holdings Limited has experienced significant growth in tough trading conditions whilst many competitors have lost ground. The Woolworths’ brand is primarily aimed at the high-income groupings but also appeals to the burgeoning middle class with their private-label products. The clothing and food divisions also provide a unique appeal that concentrates on the strong brand name to cater to the polarised nature of the market. The Woolworths Holding Limited (WHL) business model aims to offer superior quality at a lower cost than competitors which competitors find difficult to imitate. The apparent paradox is solved through tightly-knit supplier relationships and a culture demanding continuous improvement. The company is uniquely positioned to service the Living Standards Measure (LSM) 8-10 niche market whilst improving efficiencies. The company drives its competitive advantage over competitors through the key competencies of a reputable brand name, a strong sustainability programme, a strong operation and supply chain network, all of which are crucially-supported by superior and innovative technology utilisation. The study analysed the strategic brand positioning with a focus on the introduction of the supermarket concept. The study indicated that the supermarket concept was a reaction from WHL to consumer’s requirements for a one-stop shop aimed at increasing existing customers’ basket spend and drawing similar new clients. An increase in spend is potentially lucrative to WHL, and the strategy is a viable option as long as the company remains focussed on the core principles of the business model.

This research was undertaken to provide a quantitative assessment of the impact of a Canada/U.S. free trade agreement on six B.C. food and beverage processing industries. The objective was achieved by building a partial equilibrium model simulating changes in trade policy. The six industries were modelled as oligopolists in which the degree of oligopolistic behaviour and the industries' characteristics were captured through specified parameters. Following the abolition of trade barriers the model allowed the industries to rationalize, where necessary, and the highest-cost firms in an industry left for the benefit of lower-cost ones. The final effect is measured for each industry through changes in output, employment, trade volume and prices. As different policy scenarios have been simulated for each industry, the results obtained are quite diverse but they generally follow the a priori expectations. In open industries such as meat, fruit and vegetable and flour mixes, results, however differents for each scenario, tend to leave the industries in a better off or no worse off situation. For heavily protected industries like dairy and poultry, very sensitive to the elimination or not of the quota system, the range of possible results between the scenarios is pronounced. It was concluded that the final effect of the abolition of trade barriers on each industry cannot be assessed specifically but in rather general terms. / Land and Food Systems, Faculty of / Graduate

This study examined the determinants of U.S. foreign direct investment (FDI) and exports of processed food. This study also examined the impact of U.S. FDI on U.S. exports on processed food. FDI and export models used for estimation in this study were based on the cost-minimizing production function. The analysis focused on ten countries for the period of 1989-2004. Four of them were Asian countries: India, Japan, South Korea, and Thailand. Six of them were European countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom. The model was estimated using the two-way error component three-stage least squares (EC3SLS) method. Results from this study show that U.S. FDI and U.S. exports of processed food are complements. Major factors affecting U.S. FDI in the processing industry are GDP, GDP per capita, exchange rate, tariff rate, labor compensation cost, interest rate, and distance. Major factors affecting U.S. exports in the processed food industry are GDP, distance, and GDP from the agri-sector.

No description available.

M. Tech. (Department of Logistics Management, Faculty of Management Sciences), Vaal University of Technology. / The importance of the food retail industry and its role in stimulating economic growth and ensuring food availability as the final actor in the food supply chain in many countries is well documented in literature. This stands true in the case of Zimbabwe, where the industry has grown tremendously to become a significant contributor to the gross domestic product through employment creation, tax contributions and infrastructural development. Despite these contributions, the industry faces challenges in the form of supply chain risks. This is primarily due to the nature of the retail supply chain in Zimbabwe where over two-thirds of the products sold are imported. This forms the basis of this study which seeks to understand how supply chain risk management in food retail firms impacts on firm operational performance. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the relationships between supply chain risk management and operational performance in the food retail industry in Harare, Zimbabwe. To achieve the study’s aim, several variables were considered; namely, supply chain risk management, supply chain risk information sharing, and supply chain risk analysis and assessment, supply chain risk-sharing mechanisms and operational performance. The study followed a quantitative research approach based on a positivist paradigm. A total of 264 food retail firm owners, managers and professional employees who possess knowledge on supply chain risk management in Harare were selected using a non-probability, purposive sampling technique. Data were then collected using a close-ended survey questionnaire which was developed using adapted measurement scales. The collected data were analysed using the Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS version 25.0) and the Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS version 25.0) statistical software. The applied data analysis techniques included descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. Inferential statistics used two approaches, namely, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The EFA tested for the factor structure of the collected data, whereas SEM tested for both psychometric properties of measurement scales and the relationships in the proposed hypotheses. The results of the study showed that supply chain risk management has a direct and significant relationship with both supply chain risk information sharing and supply chain risk analysis and assessment. Supply chain risk analysis and assessment yielded a positive and significant relationship with supply chain risk-sharing mechanisms. The relationship between supply chain risk analysis and assessment and supply chain risk-sharing mechanisms was significant but weak. Supply chain risk-sharing mechanisms had a strong and positive relationship with operational performance. There was, however, no significant direct relationship between supply chain risk management and operational performance. Insights gained from this study have merit from both theoretical and practical perspectives. Theoretically, the study provides an understanding of some driving factors to supply chain risk management, supply chain risk-sharing information sharing, supply chain risk analysis and assessment, supply chain risk-sharing mechanisms and operational performance within the food retail industry in Zimbabwe. Since there is limited evidence of similar previous studies in Zimbabwean food retail firms, the results are an essential addition to the existing body of literature within the area of supply chain management and supply chain risk management in the context of a developing country. From a management perspective, the study suggests specific recommendations that should be implemented for the optimisation of all five constructs.

Thesis (M. Tech. Environmental health) -- Central University of technology, Free State, 2011 / Millions of people in South Africa eat out every day, utilising the food service sector. Although the lack of an effective reporting system makes it difficult to know how many of these people suffer from food-borne illness, statistics from the developed countries show that this number may be significant. There is, therefore, the need to ensure that the food service sector, which encompasses fast food outlets, hotels and similar accommodation outlets offering food and beverage services, restaurants, caterers, etc., implement effective food safety management systems. Internationally, the trend has been that food safety management systems should be based on the internationally accepted Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles. In South Africa, the implementation of HACCP as a food safety management system has been driven by international trade requirements where foods are exported to countries such as the European Union or the United States of America. A national regulation requiring HACCP implementation was promulgated in 2003, but compliance is not yet required for the food service sector. Currently, neither of the above mentioned factors put adequate pressure on the food service sector to implement formal food safety management systems. However, increasing international tourism and the hosting of international sporting events has brought this sector under scrutiny. Food handlers have been implicated in many outbreaks of food-borne illness and much research has been done to investigate causal factors in this regard. Food handler training has been proposed as a strategy to improve food safety practices. However, research has shown that the traditional provision of food safety and food hygiene knowledge does not equate to improved food safety behaviours. Some authors postulate that the organisational context, created largely by the management of an organisation, is of greater significance than training. Less research is available on these management factors – defined as the situational factors when discussing organisational culture, or defined as enabling and reinforcing factors when discussing food handler behaviour. This study commenced with the hypothesis that food handlers are not able to implement the correct food safety behaviours in the absence of sufficient management support. This support would require appropriate policies regarding food safety, the provision of training and infrastructure and enforcing the correct behaviours by line management, as a minimum. The aim of this study was to investigate and assess the role of line management in relation to food safety at a prominent South African entertainment facility. In order to achieve this, the following objectives were defined for the study: to conduct a qualitative assessment of the role of management in food safety, to assess the role of management in the provision of food safety training and to assess the role of management in the provision of a basic hygiene infrastructure at the study site in order to allow food handlers to carry out the correct behaviours. The objective of conducting a qualitative study of management practices, policies and resource provision with respect to food safety revealed that there was no formal evidence of management commitment to food safety other than the recent provision of food handler training. The findings also indicated a lack of a formal management system for food safety at the study site. In the exploratory survey of food safety training and knowledge, results showed that only 60 % of staff in the survey had received training. This indicates that at the time of the survey, the study site did not fully comply with the minimum legal requirements for food handler training. The results of the employee survey further indicated that employees were aware of the importance of hand washing although it was not possible to determine whether this knowledge was as a result of the training intervention or prior knowledge. Many of the supervisors were not yet trained in food safety and the impact of the food safety training intervention on related behaviours at the site will require further in-depth assessment. Upon investigating the food hygiene infrastructure provided at the study site to allow food handlers to carry out the correct behaviours, findings indicated that although the personnel hygiene programme addressed most of best practice requirements in design, the implementation of the hand washing requirements was not aligned with accepted norms due to the lack of sufficient hand wash basins. The provision of facilities such as sufficient and conveniently located hand wash basins is a management function and findings suggest that, as a priority, management should ensure that they are not contributing to the lack of implementation of the correct food safety behaviours of food handlers as a result of failing to provide the necessary resources. The results of this study should be of value in the food service sector, specifically hotel kitchens, as a guideline to ensure that management plays an effective role in facilitating food safety management systems. A robust food safety and food hygiene training programme for all levels of the organisation is essential in ensuring adequate knowledge of food safety hazards and correct practices. Training should be supported by daily supervision of food safety controls, management commitment and a work environment that supports the implementation of the correct behaviours. Literature has shown that undesirable practices are often deeply rooted in kitchen culture. It has further been commented that culture changes require a top-down approach which usually involves working with the leadership of the organisation. Important policies and procedures generally originate from the management tiers and will always require the concurrence of management in providing resources, altering priorities or otherwise changing how things are done in the organisation. The results of this study are invaluable in highlighting areas in an organisation that could be targeted to change the kitchen culture. Such changes are primarily the responsibility of management. Ultimately, this study endeavours to contribute to the body of knowledge pointing to the role of social-behavioural aspects in ensuring food safety and thereby consumer well-being.