Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, but also in the context of previous epidemic diseases, mobile apps for smartphones were developed with different goals and functions, such as digital contact tracing, test management, symptom monitoring, quarantine compliance, and epidemiological and public health research. Objective The aim of this study was to explore the potential for the acceptance of research-orientated apps (ROAs) in the German population. To this end, we identified distinctive attitudes toward pandemic apps and data sharing for research purposes among smartphone users in general and with a focus on differences in attitudes between app users and nonusers in particular. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional, national, telephone-based survey of 1003 adults in Germany, of which 924 were useable for statistical analysis. The 17-item survey assessed current usage of pandemic apps, motivations for using or not using pandemic apps, trust in app distributors and attitudes toward data handling (data storage and transmission), willingness to share coded data with researchers using a pandemic app, social attitudes toward app use, and demographic and personal characteristics. Results A vast majority stated that they used a smartphone (778/924, 84.2%), but less than half of the smartphone users stated that they used a pandemic app (326/778, 41.9%). The study focused on the subsample of smartphone users. Interestingly, when asked about preferred organizations for data storage and app distribution, trust in governmental (federal or state government, regional health office), public-appointed (statutory health insurance), or government-funded organizations (research institutes) was much higher than in private organizations (private research institutions, clinics, health insurances, information technology [IT] companies). Having a university degree significantly (P<.001) increased the likelihood of using a pandemic app, while having a migration background significantly (P<.001) decreased it. The overwhelming majority (653/778, 83.9%) of smartphone users were willing to provide their app data for state-funded research. Regarding attitudes toward app usage, striking differences between users and nonusers were found. Almost all app users (317/327, 96.9%) stated they would be willing to share data, whereas only 74.3% (336/452) of nonusers supported data sharing via an app. Two-thirds (216/326, 66.3%) of app users fully or rather agreed with the statement that using a pandemic app is a social duty, whereas almost the same proportion of nonusers entirely or rather disagreed with that statement (273/451, 60.5%). Conclusions These findings indicate a high potential for the adoption of ROAs among smartphone users in Germany as long as organizational providers engaged in development, operation, and distribution are state-funded or governmental institutions and transparency about data-using research institutions is provided.

The main objective of the study was to characterize the business cycle and its particular phases in Polish agriculture and compare with the features of the cycle occurring in theory. The research for the years 2001-2015 which was based on annual real changes in final output allowed to identify three full cycles in Polish agriculture: 1) 2001-2006; 2) 2007-2010; 3) 2011-2015. The analysis of fluctuations showed that all cycles lasted from 4 to 6 years. Growth phases took from 2 to 4 years, and all downward ones lasted 2 years. The amplitudes of these phases were similar. There were both turning points and turning zones in the cycles. The analysis of accumulated dynamics of production, income, prices and investments in particular phases of the business cycle in Polish agriculture shows that in each growth phase all categories have increased. In almost all cycles, the dynamics of these categories in the growth phase was greater than the changes during the downturn. According to the theory of the classical cycle, the value of production as well as agricultural prices changed the most. They had negative dynamics in almost every downward phase. On the other hand, the dynamics of agricultural incomes was positive in all downward phases. Therefore, changes in this category in most cases had the features of the modern cycle. Changes in investments in the downward phases were diversified. The analysis of dynamics indicates that agricultural income and investments in Poland was also affected by the Common Agricultural Policy.

PurposeIndex insurance is promising to mitigate drought-related income losses in agriculture. To reduce the basis risk of index insurance, the integration of satellite data is of growing interest in research. The objective of this study is to obtain preliminary evidence regarding farmers' perceived usefulness (PU) of satellite-based index insurance.Design/methodology/approachBy modifying the transtheoretical model of change to a transtheoretical model of PU, German farmers' gradual PU of satellite-based index insurance was investigated.FindingsThe results show that the average farmer perceives satellite-based index insurance as useful. It can be particularly seen that a higher level of education in an agricultural context as well as higher trust in index insurance products increases farmers' gradual PU. Moreover, higher relative weather-related income losses increase farmers' gradual PU.Research limitations/implicationsIt is recommended to apply latent variables when conducting future investigations regarding farmers' PU.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to explore farmers' PU of upcoming satellite-based index insurance by modifying and applying the transtheoretical model in a new way.

In einer Zeit, in der sich Unternehmen zunehmend zu dienstleistungs- und lösungsorientierten Unternehmen mit starker Kundenfokussierung entwickeln, ist der persönliche Verkauf noch entscheidender geworden. Dabei geht die Leistungsmessung von Vertriebsmitarbeitern heute weit über quantitative Vertriebskennzahlen hinaus und ist zunehmend auf persönliche Eigenschaften und Kompetenzen von Vertriebsmitarbeitern ausgerichtet. Während der persönliche Verkauf in vielen Wirtschaftsbereichen bereits wissenschaftlich untersucht worden ist, mangelt es der agrarökonomischen Forschung an systematischen Analysen zu den Verhaltensmustern und Kompetenzen von Vertriebsmitarbeitern. In einer Befragung von 238 landwirtschaftlichen Unternehmen wird untersucht, wie diese den Außendienst der landwirtschaftlichen Vorleistungsindustrie wahrnehmen und dessen Eigenschaften sowie Kompetenzen bewerten. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass anhand der in der vorliegenden wissenschaftlichen Literatur erkannten Erfolgsfaktoren Fach- und Sozialkompetenz sowie der Persönlichkeit von Außendienstmitarbeitern drei Verkäufertypen identifiziert werden konnten. Rund 43 % der bewerteten Außendienstmitarbeiter dieser Studie lassen sich als „Verkaufstalente“ mit guten Ausprägungen der drei Erfolgsfaktoren bezeichnen. 30 % der Außendienstmitarbeiter zeichnen sich durch ihre hohe Fachkompetenz aus, während 27 % der Außendienstmitarbeiter Schwächen in allen drei Erfolgsfaktoren aufweisen. Insgesamt zeigt sich, dass die Fachkompetenz zwischen den identifizierten Verkäufertypen stärker variiert als die Sozialkompetenz und die Persönlichkeit.

BACKGROUND During the COVID-19 pandemic, but also in the context of previous epidemic diseases, mobile apps for smartphones were developed with different goals and functions, such as digital contact tracing, test management, symptom monitoring, quarantine compliance, and epidemiological and public health research. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to explore the potential for the acceptance of research-orientated apps (ROAs) in the German population. To this end, we identified distinctive attitudes toward pandemic apps and data sharing for research purposes among smartphone users in general and with a focus on differences in attitudes between app users and nonusers in particular. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional, national, telephone-based survey of 1003 adults in Germany, of which 924 were useable for statistical analysis. The 17-item survey assessed current usage of pandemic apps, motivations for using or not using pandemic apps, trust in app distributors and attitudes toward data handling (data storage and transmission), willingness to share coded data with researchers using a pandemic app, social attitudes toward app use, and demographic and personal characteristics. RESULTS A vast majority stated that they used a smartphone (778/924, 84.2%), but less than half of the smartphone users stated that they used a pandemic app (326/778, 41.9%). The study focused on the subsample of smartphone users. Interestingly, when asked about preferred organizations for data storage and app distribution, trust in governmental (federal or state government, regional health office), public-appointed (statutory health insurance), or government-funded organizations (research institutes) was much higher than in private organizations (private research institutions, clinics, health insurances, information technology [IT] companies). Having a university degree significantly (<i>P</i>&lt;.001) increased the likelihood of using a pandemic app, while having a migration background significantly (<i>P</i>&lt;.001) decreased it. The overwhelming majority (653/778, 83.9%) of smartphone users were willing to provide their app data for state-funded research. Regarding attitudes toward app usage, striking differences between users and nonusers were found. Almost all app users (317/327, 96.9%) stated they would be willing to share data, whereas only 74.3% (336/452) of nonusers supported data sharing via an app. Two-thirds (216/326, 66.3%) of app users fully or rather <i>agreed</i> with the statement that using a pandemic app is a social duty, whereas almost the same proportion of nonusers entirely or rather <i>disagreed</i> with that statement (273/451, 60.5%). CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate a high potential for the adoption of ROAs among smartphone users in Germany as long as organizational providers engaged in development, operation, and distribution are state-funded or governmental institutions and transparency about data-using research institutions is provided.