This book's purpose is to shed light on the threats and opportunities arising from the incentives and restrictions of governmental actions which food industry managers discover in their search for profits. The food industry, as defined here, includes farmers, their input suppliers, processors and distributors. This text explores how the private sector reacts to the stimulus of public support measures, rules and regulations which are usually motivated by entirely different ends than those desired within the private sector. No current single model of economic behavior as yet adequately encompasses or quantifies these complex vectors and forces. Management is comprised of many factors, most of which can be identified ex post but few of which can be appraised precisely ex ante. The perceptual processes by which managers respond to governments are influenced by culture, aptitudes, individual and collective goals. details of most government/business relationships are discussed Few openly since management and government officials are, understandably, often reluctant to share the decision tree route by which trust is built and understandings are negotiated. Our text differs from others in that we combine both a theoretical and experiential approach to the subject. The insights provided by the case study material give a more macro and yet realistic view than tha t usually offered elsewhere. We indicate the risks and dynamics of the situations faced by management while also showing the importance and strategic relevance of a solid analytical foundation for managerial purposes.

Product development, from refining an established product range to developing completely new products, is the lifeblood of the food industry. It is, however, a process fraught with risk, often ending in failure. What are the keys to making the process a success? Based on a wealth of experience gathered over 40 years, Food Product Development provides the answers. After an introductory chapter, the first half of the book considers the four core elements of product development: the overall business strategy which directs product development, the various steps in the product development process itself, the knowledge required to fuel the process and, last but not least, keeping product development focused on consumer needs and aspirations. The second part of the book looks at managing the product development process in practice with four case studies of successful product launches. It also discusses how to evaluate and improve the process to make future product innovation more successful. Filled with examples and practical suggestions, and written by a distinguished team with unrivalled academic and industry expertise, Food Product Development will be an essential guide for R & D and product development staff, and all managers concerned with this key issue throughout the food industry. Mary D. Earle and Richard L. Earle are both Professors Emeritus in Massey University, New Zealand. Mary Earle is a pioneer in product development research, and both she and her husband have worked with industry on numerous product development projects. Allan M. Anderson is Chief Executive of the New Zealand Dairy Research Institute, the central R & D organisation for the New Zealand dairy industry, and has extensive experience of managing successful product development projects.

Why have food crises seemingly become more frequent in recent years, compared to the last few decades? This book examines an array of different issues and distortions that are causing food supply chain dysfunction in many countries, particularly for staple non-perishable foods such as grains, oilseeds, pulses and sugar. It outlines the underlying changes that are currently occurring, which will have an influence on the direction of future food supply chains, and provides some solutions to current food security problems. Based on an analysis of total regulation in the 1950s-60s through to deregulation during the 1980-90s, as well as post-deregulation, it focuses on liberal trade and deregulation as a more successful solution to creating efficiencies in food supply chains and distribution. The author highlights a common thread of either farmers using government for vested-interest intervention, or autocratic governments seeking market and supply-chain power. The book examines the role of government after 70 years of food supply chain intervention. It discusses the role of commercial ‘trade’ markets and cluster industries and how these can quickly disintegrate when price distortions occur. The author studies both food importing and exporting countries and concludes that comingled commoditization of food has led to increased hoarding, corruption, and dependence on food aid. He argues that a competitive food supply chain that has minimum intervention is more likely to provide future food security. In conclusion the book emphasizes that adequate rewards, competition, and striving for supply chain efficiencies are the essences of sustainable food security.

Food safety is currently one of the most important issues confronting consumers, producers and distributors. It cannot be dealt with as just a physical problem but must be considered as a multi-dimensional one, affected by politics, economics and social influences. This book focuses on the specific example of food safety in the beef industry in the USA, Canada, the UK and Australia. It outlines the experience of a number of countries with food safety problems (such as BSE) and examines:drivers for change and institutional arrangements within the four countrieswhether there is a socially optimal approach to food safetyhow much consumers can rely on the industry to police itself and governments to look after their interestsIt also examines the implications for competitiveness and world trade.

Filled with extensive reviews, The Handbook of Innovation in the Food and Drink Industry goes beyond the traditional perspectives to explore neglected aspects of technological change in this industry. Leading international specialists discuss economic and managerial aspects of innovation, technological change, new product introduction, and research and development. They examine food quality and society, dynamic innovations, the role of biotechnology, and future challenges in the industry in detail. Providing a well-rounded view the entire industry and where it is heading, the book includes study cases, analyses of large databases and other tools, economic analyses, and crucial survey results.

We are pleased to introduce our 17th and latest volume from our regular conference: Business and Non-profit Organizations Facing Increased Competitions and Growing Customers’ Demands, which contains articles highlighting the problems of contemporary for-profit and non-profit organizations. The added value is the inclusion of multifaceted aspects of an organization’s functioning, including the sectoral and industrial view. The diversity of the approach to the problems of organization, management, business and economy becomes a valuable interdisciplinary view of the economic reality that surrounds us. The monograph is divided into four sections. In the first section: Business and non-profit organizations as the objects of research, articles are exposing the area of strategic management, including a museum as a research object, surgical workflow, the performance of cultural organizations, and organizational forms of housing resource management. In addition, this section covers a process-oriented view of management, including process maturity of the organization and process approach to the analysis of creative capital; and mixed project-management methodology. In a separate thread, there are articles related to public university mergers based on an example of two academic case studies; the analysis of scientific excellence as a factor influencing academic involvement; and the nature of competition for non-profit and for-profit organizations. The second section, entitled Modern tools for business and non-profit organization management, opens with an article on design thinking and the TransistorsHead tool used to analyze teams through organizational terms. Other tools used in eye tracking, such as enova365 and Soneta, are presented in an article on the optimization of an IT system. In the context of profiling scientific research, not only in the area of academic entrepreneurship but also in the search for research gaps, bibliometrics is undoubtedly a useful tool discussed in a further article. In another article, an attractive tool for competence analysis is the business model and the construction of the competence assessment method, which could prove to be helpful in assessing the effectiveness of professional careers. Other articles in this section feature the concept of innovation and knowledge management; medical data management based on a precise legal basis; external financing and its impact on the flexibility of enterprises; and a systemic, process and resource approach to port modularity. In the next section: Business and non-profit organizations in a market economy, the primary thematic topic is corporate social responsibility, client capital creation, and social entrepreneurship. We note the greater emphasis on the social aspects of the organization’s functioning and on the social economy. The human thread and the so-called ecosystem in business are becoming more and more desirable, and the perspective of business is changing: from a profit-oriented one towards a more societal one. In the last section, entitled Business and non-profit organizations - sectoral and industrial aspects, there are articles discussing the issues of organization in macroeconomic terms. This section opens with an article presenting the structural characteristics of industrial clusters and research streams in this area. Subsequently, we have articles that present: the municipality, from the point of view of the configuration of the network of relations between stakeholders, and their involvement in the creation of smart specialization strategies; the determinants of employment change in the Polish services sector; consumer awareness of the credit market; the transparency of public finances; local food and regional products; consumer behaviour in Ukraine; as well as, trade credit, profitability and leverage in Polish companies. Every year, this monograph is built on articles that present an up-to-date view of the business and geo-economic reality that surrounds us, whose organizations form the backbone of the economy and its sectors. The dynamics of changes are so significant that such studies bring readers closer to current trends and draw the interest of researchers.

This book introduces the innovative and emerging microbial technologies for the treatment, recycling, and management of industrial, domestic, and municipal water and other wastewater in an environment-friendly and cost-effective manner. It discusses existing methods and technologies, up-gradation of existing technologies, and new technologies. It also highlights opportunities in the existing technologies along with industrial practices and real-life case studies.