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The aims of this paper are to measure the impacts of subsidy, work experience and training programmes on New Zealand male registered unemployed, and to examine the sensitivity of these estimates to the amount of time that participants are followed after an intervention.

The impact of an intervention on those who participate in an active labour market programme is the key question addressed in this paper. A New Zealand panel data set is used, which includes both intervention and individual characteristics of the unemployed. Both a potential outcomes and single nearest‐neighbour difference‐in‐differences matching approach are used to estimate the impact of participation.

The key findings are that work experience programmes are the most effective in the short‐term. Training programmes are the least effective. Programmes are more effective for the long‐term unemployed than for short‐term unemployed. The results are sensitive to the point of time examined in the post‐intervention period, with short‐term benefits disappearing completely three years after the intervention.

This paper examines the relative effect of active labour market programmes in New Zealand using a consistent evaluation framework. The sensitivity of the results to different time periods, and matching estimator specifications are examined.

When using a machine vision inspection system for rail surface defect detection, many complex factors such as illumination changes, reflection inequality, shadows, stains and rust might inevitably deform the scanned rail surface image. This paper aims to reduce the influence of these factors, a pipeline of image processing algorithms for robust defect detection is developed.

First, a new inverse Perona-Malik (P-M) diffusion model is presented for image enhancement, which takes the reciprocal of gradient as feature to adjust the diffusion coefficients, and a distinct nearest-neighbor difference scheme is introduced to select proper defect boundaries during discretized implementation. As a result, the defect regions are sufficiently smoothened, whereas the faultless background remains unchanged. Then, by subtracting the diffused image from the original image, the defect features will be highlighted in the difference image. Subsequently, an adaptive threshold binarization, followed by an attribute opening like filter, can easily eliminate the noisy interferences and find out the desired defects.

Using data from our developed inspection apparatus, the experiments show that the proposed method can attain a detection and measurement precisions as high as 93.6 and 85.9 per cent, respectively, while the recovery accuracy remains 93 per cent. Additionally, the proposed method is computationally efficient and can perform robustly even under complex environments.

A pipeline of algorithms for rail surface detection is proposed. Particularly, an inverse P-M diffusion model with a distinct discretization scheme is introduced to enhance the defect boundaries and suppress noises. The performance of the proposed method has been verified with real images from our own developed system.

A debate on whether new ventures should be supported with public funding is taking place. Adopting a position on this discussion requires rigorous assessments of implemented programs. However, the few existing efforts have mostly focused on regional cases in developed countries. To fill this gap, this paper aims to measure the effects of a regional acceleration program in a developing country (Medellin, Colombia).

The economic notion of capabilities is used to frame the analysis of firm characteristics and productivity, which are hypothesized to be heterogeneous within the program. To test these relationships, propensity score matching is used in a sample of 60 treatment and 16,994 control firms.

This paper finds that treated firms had higher revenue than propensity score-matched controls on average, confirming a positive impact on growth measures. However, such financial growth is mostly observed in service firms rather than other economic sectors.

Further evaluations, with a longer period and using more outcome variables, are suggested in the context of similar publicly funded programs in developing countries.

These findings tip the balance in favor of the literature suggesting supportive programs for high-growth firms as opposed to everyday entrepreneurship. This is an insight, especially under the context of an emerging economy, which has scarce funding to support entrepreneurship.

The purpose of this research is to explore from a mass appraisal perspective how the effects of location are reflected within valuation models. The paper sets out to detail the various techniques and the efficacy of their application.

The approach adopted is analytical and based upon the development of locational attributes. An extensive literature base is synthesized with methods being evaluated in their application to mass appraisal.

This research has identified that the three main groups interested in residential property valuation, namely, academia, industry and commerce have to a certain extent been unfamiliar with the research developments occurring in the other groups. The impact of this is important, given the need for integration and collaboration in terms of future model development.

The research underpinning this paper will provide a solid basis for further research into this area. The importance of measuring the effect that location has on value is of major significance in the determination of objective estimates of property value.

Those within the assessment community could be described as pragmatists working in a situation that requires feasible and suitable solutions to the problem of measuring location value. It is our contention that the third generation techniques of spatially varying parameter models and spatial autocorrelation models will require greater industry verification before their use becomes more widely accepted.

This paper provides a detailed analysis of methodologies used to reflect the value of location over the last 50 years. The debate is taken forward by describing what will be the contribution to the development of the next generation of location‐specific modeling techniques.

The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the multinational oil companies’ (MOCs) corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in Nigeria. Its special focus is to investigate the impact of the global memorandum of understanding (GMoU) on gender difference in nutrition and health in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

This paper adopts a survey research technique, aimed at gathering information from a representative sample of the population, as it is essentially cross-sectional, describing and interpreting the current situation. A total of 800 women respondents were sampled across the rural areas of the Niger Delta region.

The results from the use of a combined propensity score matching and logit model indicate that CSR of the MOCs using GMoU model has made significant success in closing the gender difference in nutrition and health in agricultural household in the Niger Delta region. The findings also show that mainstreaming gender in nutrition within the field of agriculture is a critical aspect of strengthening gender and nutrition/health linkages, in recognition of women’s substantial contribution to agriculture production and their central role in household food collection, preservation/processing and preparation.

This suggests that mainstreaming gender in nutrition offers opportunities to integrate agriculture and health approaches in GMoU projects, which will require increased collaboration and coordination between the MOCs’ and CBD clusters in the field of gender and nutrition to exploit existing complementary and comparative advantages, and to apply a holistic approach in host communities.

This implies that gender and nutrition/health have multiple dimensions and are highly context-specific; and the pathway towards improved food and nutrition security for all should be a gender-equitable process incorporated in CSR programmes and projects in sub-Saharan Africa.

This research contributes to the gender debate in agriculture from a CSR perspective in developing countries and rationale for demands for social project by host communities. It concludes that business has an obligation to help in solving problems of public concern.

The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the multinational oil companies’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in Nigeria. Its special focus is to investigate the impact of the global memorandum of understanding (GMoU) on women involved in offshore and inshore fisheries entrepreneurship in the coastal communities of the Niger Delta region.

This paper adopts a survey research technique, aimed at gathering information from a representative sample of the population, as it is essentially cross-sectional, describing and interpreting the current situation. A total 800 respondents were sampled across the coastal communities of the Niger Delta region.

The results from the use of a combined propensity score matching and logit model indicate that the GMoU model is gender insensitive, as extensive inequality restrains fisherwomen’s participation in the offshore and inshore fisheries entrepreneurship, often due to societal norms and customs that greatly frustrate women’s development in fisheries.

This implies that if fisherwomen continue in this unfavourable position, their reliance on menfolk would remain while trying to access financial support and decision-making regarding fisheries entrepreneurship development.

The inshore and offshore fisheries entrepreneurship development can only succeed if cluster development boards of GMoUs are able to draw all the resources and talents and if fisherwomen are able to participate fully in the GMoUs intervention plans and programme.

This research contributes to the gender debate in fisheries entrepreneurship development from a CSR perspective in developing countries and rationale for demands for social projects by host communities. It concludes that business has an obligation to help in solving problems of public concern, and that CSR priorities in Sub-Saharan Africa should be aimed towards addressing the peculiarity of the socio-economic development challenges of the countries and be informed by socio-cultural influences.

Smallholder farmers are increasingly subject to different types of standards that offer specific conditions for their market incorporation. The proliferation of private and voluntary (civic) standards raises questions regarding their impact on farmers' welfare and their role in the upgrading of value chains. This paper aims to address this issue.

Based on extensive fieldwork and careful matching of 315 farmers in Northern Nicaragua who produce coffee under Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance and Café Practices labels or deliver to independent traders, the effects on income, production and investments are compared. Moreover, the implications of different contract conditions for risk behaviour, organizational force, loyalty and gender attitudes are assessed.

The paper finds that Fair Trade provides better prices compared with independent producers, but private labels out‐compete Fair Trade in terms of yield and quality performance. While Fair Trade can be helpful to support initial market incorporation, private labels offer more suitable incentives for quality upgrading.

Civic standards exhibit major effects on local institutions' and farmers' behaviour, while B2B standards are more effective for improving production and management practices. Dynamic improvement standards may bridge the gap between both.

Fair Trade standards are useful to provide initial market access to small‐holders, but private standards offer better prospects for subsequent quality upgrading.

This is the first large‐scale comparative impact assessment of coffee standards that delivers unbiased empirical results.

The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the agri-business/small and medium investment schemes (AGSMEIS) in Nigeria. Its special focus is to investigate the impact of the AGSMEIS on youth entrepreneurship development in Nigeria.

This paper adopts a survey research technique, aimed at gathering information from a representative sample of the population, as it is essentially cross-sectional, describing and interpreting the current situation. A total of 1,200 respondents were sampled across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria.

The results from the use of a combined propensity score matching (PSM) and logit model indicate that AGSMEIS initiative generates significance gains in empowering youths in enterprise development, and if enhanced will help many young people become entrepreneurs.

This suggests that AGSMEIS initiative can facilitate youth's access to credit and help them become owners of small and medium enterprises.

It implies that investing in young people for small and medium enterprises could bring Nigeria into the modern economy and lift sub-Saharan Africa out of poverty.

This research adds to the literature on youth entrepreneurship development’s debate in developing countries. It concludes that targeting the young people in AGSMEIS should form the foundation of public policy for entrepreneurship, poverty alleviation, and economic development.

In this paper, the authors present an empirical framework that incorporates different factors of the impact of COVID-19 on small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in La Rioja, Spain, in relation to the value chain, gender and family business and allows the evaluation of these impacts on the SMEs' outcomes.

The authors conduct exploratory research based on phone interviews with 329 business managers from SMEs in La Rioja (Spain), from June 1 to June 30 2021, using ordinary least squares linear regression and matching procedures to test the study hypotheses.

The results show that the impact of COVID-19 related to primary activities in adding value, such as inbound logistics, operations and marketing, have a positive influence on innovation outcomes in SMEs, as do female managers. Family SMEs present poorer innovation outcomes.

At the organizational level, this paper may be of interest to management, and at the national and regional levels to policymakers, since it could help to develop policies that support SMEs' sourcing, operations and marketing in order to prepare for potential value chain disruptions. Additionally, this research may help decision-makers to foster and promote innovation in SMEs as a way of ensuring their resilience.

In this paper, the authors provide novel evidence about the effect of COVID-19 in SMEs. Moreover, it has been shown that the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered the redefinition of supply chains at the organizational level.

This study aims to test the link between enterprise digital transformation and technological innovation and the mechanisms and channels behind this link.

This study systematically examines whether and how enterprise digital transformation affects technological innovation in China.

Enterprise digital transformation effectively improves technological innovation. This result remains stable in robustness and endogeneity checks. The channel mechanisms of this promoting effect are internal (improvement of internal control quality and alleviation of agency costs) and external (increased attention of analysts and reduction of customer concentration). Moreover, this promoting effect is more significant for state-owned enterprises, small and medium-sized enterprises, enterprises in areas with low marketization and enterprises that do not enjoy digital subsidies from the government.

Enterprises need to attend to the mechanisms behind the link between digital transformation and technological innovation and to the unique effects of different enterprise attributes and capital markets, such as size, the ownership nature, the degree of regional marketization and government subsidies. Doing so will effectively promote digital transformation and technological innovation and strengthen core competitiveness.

This study provides systemic evidence of the link between enterprise digital transformation and technological innovation. The findings enrich the research literature on enterprise digitization and the factors of influencing enterprises’ technological innovation and provide a reasonable explanation for how enterprise digital transformation affects technological innovation.