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The aim of this paper is to identify the factors that influence rice farmers' decisions to adopt crop insurance and premium payments (willingness to pay [WTP] amounts). The paper also demonstrates the usefulness of the complementary log-log (cloglog) truncated Poisson double-hurdle model as an alternative hurdle model.

The study first investigated the nature of the dependent variable, which had non-normal residuals and was overdispersed. The probit truncated normal regression double-hurdle model was tried but it failed the normality and homoscedasticity tests; hence, the cloglog truncated Poisson double-hurdle model was employed in the study.

An estimated 61% of respondents would purchase crop insurance, despite farmers not having prior experience with this product. Amongst others, the factors that influence insurance adoption amongst rice farmers are the share of rice in total income, reliability perception of crop insurance schemes and the probability of failure to achieve target yields. The latter helps the authors to address adverse selection, a central issue to the viability of such an insurance programme. The determinants of farmers' WTP are also identified.

Sampling was limited to farmers using irrigation and living in one region of Ghana, which may limit the study’s wider applicability.

As far as the authors are aware, this study is the first to select the appropriate hurdle model based on established properties of the dependent variable on this topic – crop insurance decisions.

This study aims to propose a new scheme for designing a high-sensitivity optical biosensor. For this, two agents have been considered: reflection-type micro-resonators, which filter the noise of the pump, and coupled-ring reflectors (CRRs), which are coupled to partial reflecting elements in the bus waveguide to create Fano-resonance. These two agents improve the sensor sensitivity and have low-power optical switching/modulation.

The proposed model is based on the coupling of the CRRs with the Fabry–Pérot cavity. The slope of the Fano-resonance line shape and consequently the sensitivity of the proposed CRRs are higher than those of conventional microring resonators.

The proposed scheme has many characteristics: CRRs have been used to create a higher slope of the Fano-resonance line shape; the sensitivity of the sensor shows improvement on the basis of reflection-type micro-resonators and by the removal of the pump noise; the designed sensor has low-power optical switching/modulation; and the modeling and designing of a novel high-sensitivity resonator is based on coupling the CRRs with the Fabry–Pérot cavity.

This study has proposed a new scheme for designing a high-sensitivity optical biosensor. This method is based on the improvement of the sensitivity by two agents: reflection-type micro-resonators, which filter the noise of the pump, and coupled-ring reflectors, which are coupled to partial reflecting elements in the bus waveguide to create Fano-resonance.

This paper aims to examine the emergence of passion-driven entrepreneurship within the context of small and medium-sized towns (SMSTs). SMSTs are seen as peripheral areas lacking the resources to support autonomous economic development and renewal. The paper explores the relationship between entrepreneurship and the context of SMSTs through the concepts of entrepreneurial passion (EP) and domain passion (DP). Industrial marketing and purchasing approach is adopted as a theoretical foundation to conduct the analysis through the actors–activities–resource framework.

This paper adopts a multiple case-study methodology. Two passion-driven entrepreneurial ventures (PDEVs) have been traced from the conception of the initial idea until the new ventures establishment.

EP and DP emerge as key resources in transforming the initial idea into a real entrepreneurial venture in resource-scarce settings as SMSTs. Shared passion fosters the involvement of local actors and the propensity to overcome relevant hurdles in the entrepreneurial process.

This paper contributes to the literature on entrepreneurship through the analysis of the role of PDEVs in SMSTs’ contexts. It highlights the role of “passion for place” as a new dimension of passion in entrepreneurial studies. From a managerial perspective, it emphasizes the role of passion as a key resource for networking and marketing. From a policy perspective, it calls for monitoring and support for training, funding and networking.

The design and implementation of a broadband quasi-monolithic microwave integrated circuit (q-MMIC) power amplifier (PA) is presented for 0.2 to 2.2 GHz applications.

To obtain an efficient, high-gain and high-power performance with in a compact and low-cost size, the prototype is based on Gallium nitride (GaN) on SiC 0.25-µm transistors, whereas the passive matching networks are realized on an AlN substrate as thin film circuit.

Measured results of the q-MMIC PA across the 0.2 to 2.2 GHz band show at least 32 ± 3 dB small-signal gains, an output power of 7 to 12 W and an average power add efficiency greater than 54%. The q-MMIC occupies an area of 12.8 × 14.5 mm².

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this work reports the first full integrated PA which covers the frequency range of 0.2 to 2.2 GHz and achieves the combination of highest gain, about 10 W output power, together with the smallest component size among all published GaN PAs to date.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the state of readiness of large UK based retailing companies for the introduction of ubiquitous computing (U‐computing) retailing applications.

A questionnaire was distributed to a sampling frame of large British retailers, leading to 255 responses. The document contained items concerning, inter alia, a firm's level of preparedness, managerial attitudes towards and support for U‐computing applications, strategic fit and pre‐existing IT capacities.

A third of the respondents reported the existence of a “good fit” between U‐computing retail applications and their companies' products, activities and core competencies. However, only 20 per cent of the sample appeared to be well‐prepared for the introduction of U‐computing. There was little evidence of the sample enterprises adopting strategic approaches to implementation.

Only a minority of the firms in the sampling frame participated in the research and the sample size was modest. Data were self‐reported and only a single country was considered. The study concerned just large businesses.

The outcomes suggest a widespread “wait and see” approach towards U‐computing among the sample businesses and a distinct lack of strategic thinking regarding implementation.

This is the first empirical study to explore the prospective introduction to British retailing of a new technology that possesses the potential to revolutionise the operations of UK retailing firms.

The principal purpose of this paper is to determine the distinguishing characteristics of the factors that affect the successful adoption of ubiquitous computing technology (UCT) in supply chain management (SCM) in different settings.

Based on the relevant literature, this paper analyses the adoption of UCT in SCM operations, and describes the series of shaping processes. These processes are influenced largely by management and technical factors such as strong support from top management and by convenient user interfaces in global ubiquitous computing settings. These two factor types (management and technical) support the formulation of a theoretical framework that can be examined in two national environments (UK and Korea).

The results highlight the key differences in terms of UCT adoption in supply chain contexts between the two national environments examined, and indicate that these differences are affected by the different national industrial foundations, organizational network infrastructures, and perspectives on system development, as well as by issues related to the costs and practical benefits of using this technology in SCM.

This study raises some major implications for researchers and practitioners alike. Specifically, the paper stresses the role of management and technical issues in terms of UCT adoption in SCM operations, and expands current theoretical understanding of the subject. It also provides a set of management implications, including the need for managers to have strong support from top management and the need for a convenient user interface.

There is a scarcity of papers in SCM that examine issues related to ubiquitous computing. This is addressed via the current paper that reports the results of a comparative study of UCT implementation in SCM operations for firms operating in two national environments (UK and Korea). The paper will be beneficial to the strategic thinking of supply chain managers and will support further empirical research work in this academic field of study.