Evaluation of a Hybrid Seed Contract between Smallholders and a Multinational Company in East Java,Indonesia

This article evaluates a hybrid seed contract between Indonesian smallholders and Pioneer Hybrid International. A transaction cost approach was used to analyse contract participation, total farm gross margins and labour and chemical use. The empirical results suggest: (a) the contract favours farmers with more irrigated land; (b) the contract improved returns to farm capital and was welfare improving; (c) the contract increased the demand for non-family labour, particularly female labour; and (d) the contract increased the intensity of chemical use. The success of the contract was attributed to the nature of the contracting process, which was between Pioneer and grower groups and not individual smallholders.     

Path Dependence as an Explanation of the Institutional Stability of the German Parliament

The theory of path dependence identifies sources of institutional stability and change. It emphasises the importance of early, contingent events and increasing returns over time to explain patterns of institutional persistence. Used to describe the evolution of the procedural practices of the German Bundestag, this theory points to the long-term importance of the consensus that developed early in the 1950s among the floor leaders of three dominant parties, which is in stark contrast to the absence of such inter-party consensus in the early years of the Reichstag of the Weimar Republic. Path dependence identifies factors endogenous to the institution to explain how the institution responds to external shocks, such as the entry of new parties. When the Greens and the PDS entered the Bundestag, the established parties responded by accepting their vigorous exercise of minority rights and they accepted the established practice of managing these rights by inter-party consensus.     

Development and preliminary validation of The Multidimensional Sexual Coercion Questionnaire (MSCQ)

Abstract

The goal of this study is to present the development and validation of a sexual coercion assessment instrument for college students, the Multidimensional Sexual Coercion Questionnaire (MSCQ). An exploratory factor analysis for ordinal Likert data, followed by a confirmatory factor analysis in 762 college students, revealed seven factors. These pertained to commonly noted tactics such as pressure to have sex, exploitation, relational manipulation as well as less commonly measured tactics of humiliation and two clusters of tactics pertaining to forced compliance based on past coercion. Although several other measures exist, this measure was designed specifically for college students and therefore includes a wider array of tactics than generally considered. The measure also makes an attempt to include more nuanced and difficult-to-measure coercion strategies. The MSCQ is likely to be of interest to researchers and clinicians who wish to consider a more nuanced analysis of sexual coercion dynamics among college student, young adult and general populations.     

The effects of job-related stress and job satisfaction on probation officers’ inclinations to quit

Current research indicates that job-related stress and job dissatisfaction are serious employment concerns among probation officers. In other employment domains, job stress and job satisfaction are commonly associated with employee turnover. Moreover, job turnover among probation officers is a serious but understudied problem. Survey data from a random sample of Florida correctional probation officers indicate moderately elevated levels of job-related stress and job dissatisfaction. Job satisfaction was significantly and inversely related to probation officers’ inclinations to quit, while job-related stress was indirectly related to such inclinations. The policy implications of these findings are discussed.     

Youthful animal abuse and later problem behavior outcomes: findings from two generations

The objective of this study was to document the long-term relationship between youthful animal abuse and a variety of problem behavior outcomes later in life. Data were used from a national, longitudinal, and multigenerational sample collected by the National Youth Survey Family Study, which assessed families across 27 years from 1977 to 2004. The analytic sample consisted of 2538 individuals who were analyzed using multivariate ordinary least squares and logistic regression modeling that controlled for important demographic factors. Hypotheses were tested across two generations separately showing that a history of animal abuse does, indeed, predict later problem behaviors, including serious offending, marijuana use, other drug use, alcohol use, and deviant beliefs. Depending on the outcome examined, each model accounts for 5–34% of the variation in respondents’ problem behaviors. Within each model, animal abuse was often one of the strongest predictors. Implications of these findings, the study’s limitations, and future research directions are discussed.     

Death by power car window. An unrecognized hazard.

The unusual accidental asphyxial death of a 26-month-old girl involving a car power window is reported. The circumstances and investigation results are discussed, as well as how such tragedies may be avoided.     

PROFESSIONAL PERSPECTIVES ON COURT-CONNECTED CHILD CUSTODY MEDIATION

This article presents the initial findings of a research project in five judicial settings where there is the provision of child custody mediation within the court. A sample of judges, members of the Bar, and court mediators completed the Professional Study Questionnaire, which examined opinions regarding the efficacy of child custody mediation and requested suggestions for judicial policy and procedure in cases of custody conflicts.