The Growers’ Market Company in Salt Lake City was established in its present form in 1919. It developed out of the need of growers and produce dealers and has served an important function in providing a market place where buyers and sellers of fruits and vegetables can be brought together in an orderly fashion to transact business.

Widely differing theoretical expectations exist concerning the economic performance of labor-managed firms or producer cooperatives (PCs). While a good number of theoretical studies of these firms by economists have been undertaken, there remain considerable gaps in the empirical record. This is especially true in the case of American PCs. In general, theoretical controversies have not been tempered by enough empirical analysis. While some expect good performance from PCs, others are much less sanguine. This study compares the economic performance of a group of eight worker-owned producer co-op plants with that of eight conventional mills in the Pacific Northwest softwood plywood industry. The purpose is to test the validity of several propositions that are typically maintained in the analysis of PCs suggesting that this type of organization basically lacks the incentive to utilize labor inputs efficiently, and is therefore less productive when compared to conventionally organized producing units. Using secondary data, pooled time-series cross-section equations are estimated. Results indicate that growth in annual output per employee per year is 18 percent greater in the co-ops than in their conventional counterparts. The study provides strong evidence that the two groups of plants differ significantly in their behavior. The major conclusion that emerges is that worker-owned co-ops are a viable and productive form of economic organization that utilize labor inputs efficiently and in doing so can achieve higher worker productivity than their conventional counterparts. In a public policy context, government support of employee ownership and establishment of worker-owned co-ops is viewed as a viable policy option to plant closings.

No description available.

This thesis consists of three essays that contribute to the understanding of the economic implications of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for certain durable (e.g. electronics) and consumable (e.g. pharmaceuticals) products from an operational perspective. In the first essay, we investigate the effect of EPR-based policy on a durable good producer’s secondary market strategy. Our analysis uncovers possible strategic approach of durable good producers to EPR obligations, which may result in unintended outcomes. We provide insights into how to set EPR obligations to avoid these adverse outcomes. In the second essay, we examine the operational details of market-based EPR implementation on the ground. We analyze whether the advocated premises of the marked-based approach hold by focusing on the Minnesota Electronics Recycling Act. Based on evaluation reports and stakeholder interviews, we find that the Minnesota Act achieves the premises of the market-based approach, but this occurs at the expense of several unintended outcomes, following unforeseen market dynamics and associated stakeholder interactions. In the third essay, we explore how the EPR-based policies can be effectively operationalized for managing pharmaceutical overage by analyzing the interactions between major stakeholders and moderating factors for these interactions. We demonstrate that the preferred policy depends on the healthcare and externality characteristics of the medicine together with collection-related requirements. Additionally, we investigate the perspectives of pharmaceutical stakeholders on the policy choice and identify the influential factors in this context.

No description available.

This Thesis documents an exploratory investigation into the effect of poor information management on successful job and organisation design in workers' co-operatives. It was hypothesised that lack of availability and poor distribution of information militate against successful job and organisation design. Since sound information management is imperative for decision making and successful job and organisation design ensures workers satisfaction this study is fully justified. It is important that workers' co-operatives are economically successful and that people enjoy working in them. The topic is particularly important for the workers' co-operative movement because little research has been conducted on the links between information management and job and organisation design. The Thesis summarises the main issues and concepts relevant to the research topic and describes the implications of information management for job and organisation design in workers' co-operatives. The purchasing processes in four workers' co-operatives in Scotland were chosen as the information systems to be studied. Research field work, in the form of a Job Diagnosis Survey was also carried out to establish the links between information management and job and organisation design. Research results have been examined in relation to the participative arrangements one associates with workers' co-operatives. It was found that in addition to information management, other issues have an effect on successful job and organisation design. These include: objectives of each business; Argyris's Theory in Action; Lack of management skills; and poor systems design. This led to a comparison of the four co-operatives studied with the very successful Mondragon Group. Finally the implications of the research results have been discussed in relation to the workers' co-operative movement and to future research by those interested or involved in the movement.

Worker co-operatives, meaning firms producing goods or services that are owned and managed by their workers, have been a marginal and problematic form of production in Britain since their first period of substantial growth in the 19th century. They have recurrent difficulties attracting capital, developing business expertise among their members, sustaining long-term commitment and growing to the size required to compete efficiently in many industries. Yet there has been a remarkable upsurge of interest in co-operatives during the past decade, and their many successes in diverse industries demonstrate that co-operatives can offer their members a powerful combination of strong business performance and a highly satisfying work life. This thesis asks whether the weaknesses apparent in co-operatives historically, and present in many still today, are inherent in the co-operative form. Is the co-operative sector bound to remain basically marginal, or could it, with the aid of some practical reforms, come to play a significant role in the British economy? Recognising that any answer to this question is speculative, the thesis concludes that co-operatives are not inherently flawed indeed they fail at about the same rate as traditionally organised small businesses but that they do place an unusual range of demands on members which, in a legal, financial and political climate not yet geared to co-operatives, mean that democratic firms are likely to remain a small portion of the economy. The plan of the thesis is as follows: After a brief introductory chapter, Chapter Two surveys the present state of British co-operatives and examines the external economic and legal environment in which co-operatives function. Chapter Three surveys recent research in organisational behaviour, especially about small group behaviour in traditional businesses, to assess whether the high productivity frequently asserted for co-operatives has theoretical foundation, whether co-operatives commonly violate any established principles of good organisational design and whether large co-operatives can be run efficiently and democratically. Chapter Four presents the economic status of women in the British workforce and looks at whether the attributes of co-operatives are congruent with women's needs. Two mini-case studies are presented, of a bookselling and a cleaning co-operative, each composed entirely of women. Chapters Five, Six and Seven present the results of the field research conducted for this thesis. Each is a case study of a functioning co-operative based on extensive interviews with its members, reviews of the co-operative's files, and a brief analysis of its financial performance. The goal was to understand as much as possible about the consequences of choosing the co-operative form: for the members' job satisfaction and for the firm's productivity, market sensitivity, ability to grow, ability to employ women, and internal dynamics. Chapter Eight sets out the conclusions suggested by comparing the case studies in light of the literature examined in Chapters Two through Four.

No abstract provided / Dissertation (M Inst Agrar (Pasture Science))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Plant Production and Soil Science / unrestricted

Silvopasture is a land-use management practice which intentionally integrates trees, forage, and livestock. It is increasingly prevalent in outreach and extension, yet considerations for adoption are complex. The implementation of a cost-share initiative for silvopasture created by the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) in Virginia in 2011 provides an opportunity for landowners to establish silvopasture systems on their properties, thus diversifying land management and income, as well as providing environmental benefits. However, research on who might adopt silvopasture and why is needed. For this research, a mail survey was distributed to 307 cost-share enrollees in NRCS' livestock limitation initiatives and 139 were returned (45.3%). The first objective of this survey was to gauge interest in two forms of silvopasture implementation: a) thinning a woodlot and b) planting trees in a pasture. Furthermore, the study was utilized to test which hypothetical benefits might increase a livestock producers' interest in either implementation form. Results show that respondents preferred thinning to planting but risk and uncertainty were perceived in both. Environmental outputs and assistance from technicians increased interest in both practices over economic benefits; however, livestock performance was most important. Literature on the topic aligns with findings and highlights that more research is needed to understand risk, environmental, and resource-related factors. The second objective was to measure interest in silvopasture and classify respondents based on their operational or their beliefs-based characteristics and assess which classification set mattered more. Results indicated that interest in silvopasture varied but the majority (60%) indicated they were either interested or very interested. Two-step cluster analysis was used to classify respondents based on their operational considerations and a combination of Exploratory Factor Analysis and K-means clustering was used to group livestock producers according to their beliefs on traditional and land-use values. A Kruskal-Wallis independent samples analysis for each classification revealed no statistically significant differences in the interest in silvopasture between operational groupings. Conversely, there were statistically significant differences in silvopasture interest according to beliefs-based classifications. These results suggest that operations of livestock producers do not matter as much as their attitudes and beliefs related to the practice. A cross-tabulation of the operational classification and beliefs cluster resulted in no correlation. Literature suggest both operational characteristics and producer beliefs may matter in agroforestry adoption, but that positive or negative correlation in terms of interest may vary. / Master of Science / Silvopasture is a agroforestry conservation practice that integrates trees, forage, and livestock in a managed system. The adoption of this practice is complex, though education on the practice has been increasing. A cost-share initiative for silvopasture was created by the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) in Virginia in 2011, which creates the opportunity to implement silvopasture systems on landowner properties. This system could lead to more diversification of land and income, as well as providing environmental benefits. However, more research is needed. A mail survey was sent to 307 NRCS cost-share enrollees who were managing livestock and 139 were returned. The survey had two objectives; the first was to measure interest in the two forms of silvopasture implementation: a) thinning a woodlot and b) planting trees in a pasture. Hypothetical benefits which might increase a livestock producers’ interest in thinning or planting for silvopasture was also measured. Results show that respondents had a preference for thinning over planting. Economic benefits were not as effective in increasing interest compared to environmental outputs and assistance from technicians; however, livestock performance was most important. Findings were aligned with literature on silvopasture and agroforestry but more research is needed. The second objective was to measure interest in silvopasture and classify respondents based on their operational or their beliefs-based characteristics and to see which classification set mattered more. Results indicated that interest in silvopasture varied but the majority (60%) indicated some level of interest. Statistical analyses were used to classify respondents based on their operational considerations and used to group livestock producers according to their beliefs on traditional and land-use values. Outputs showed no statistically significant differences between operational groupings and their interest in silvopasture. There was a statistically significant difference in silvopasture interest according to beliefs-based classifications. These results indicate that the operations of livestock producers do not matter as much as their attitudes and beliefs on the practice. Previous literature indicates that both operational characteristics and producer beliefs may matter in agroforestry adoption, but interest may vary regardless.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Open University. BLDSC no. DX72763/87.