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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to suggest that divergent financial performance triggers different rationales for the decision to downsize (excuses, justifications, apologies or denials) and that organizational financial performance post-downsizing varies based on the initial downsizing rationale. Design/methodology/approach – A mixed methods approach paired content analysis of 178 downsizing announcements from 2005 to 2011 with organizational financial data pre and post-downsizing event. Paired sample t-tests determined mean differences in organizational financial performance pre- and post-downsizing based on six commonly used organizational performance measures (accounting and human resources metrics). Longitudinal performance trends were evaluated using event history analysis. Findings – Organizational experiencing both financial growth and decline engage in downsizing, but organizational financial performance varies based on downsizing rationale. For example, organizations engaging in excuse-based downsizing experienced significant levels of volatility and decline pre-downsizing, but growth post-downsizing. However, organizations engaging in justification-based downsizing experienced financial decline pre-downsizing, but no significant additional decline post-downsizing. Research limitations/implications – Collection of information over multiple business or economic cycles, or categorizing organizations based on industry, organizations size or number of employees may provide additional information on the relationship between downsizing and organizational financial performance. Practical implications – Organizational performance pre- and post-downsizing varies based on downsizing rationale. Additionally, metrics used to evaluate downsizing success or failure should be considered carefully. Originality/value – The authors help explain divergent results in existing research on the relationship between downsizing and organizational financial performance by identifying downsizing as a multi-dimensional event. The study indicates that organizational experience both financial growth and decline engage in downsizing, but rationalize the downsizing differently (according to social accounts).

Canadian governments have moved towards a matching funding model for agricultural research. Agricultural organizations can take advantage of this if Canadian Controlled Private Corporations are established to fund research through matching grants, tax credits and investments. A low risk options strategy is presented which uses index options and is a diagonal put spread where an in-the-money put is bought which expires in 1 to 2 years and out-of-the-money puts are sold which expire monthly. In summary, "A small Canadian Controlled Private Corporation can, for a $100,000 up front initial investment, generate at least $100,000 annually in research funding, in perpetuity".

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and presents a unique scenario for the food and agriculture industry, because there is no food safety legislation. The application of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) leads to improvements of quality, safety and sustainability of agricultural products. The purpose of the study was to assess the status of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) in cocoa and coffee farms in Northern Haiti. A general survey captured information about the farmer and the farm, and an audit checklist was used to assess compliance to GAPs. A total of 11 farms (n = 11) were audited, of which 7 were cocoa farms (64%) and 4 were coffee farms (34%) in the regions of Dondon, Limonade and Milot. Average overall audit scores for coffee farms (73%) were higher than for cocoa farms (55%). Farms affiliated with a cooperative scored higher (78%) than those that were not part of a cooperative (55%). The sections of the survey on "Practices related to premises and production site", and the "use of agricultural inputs and chemicals" received the lowest scores but were confined to the cocoa farms. "Record keeping" plus "distribution, transportation, and traceability" were cause for concern with both the cocoa and coffee farms. Critical non-conformances included the access of livestock animals and domestic pets to processing and storage areas, the lack of control in the application of agricultural chemicals, a lack of safeguards on equipment and elevated surfaces, and washing of fresh cocoa beans to remove the mucilage with water that had not been treated or tested for potability. The root cause of the non-conformances, regardless of the commodity, was either related to poor physical and organizational infrastructures, or to a lack of technical training.

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