Effects of technology adoption and gender of household head

Background: According to reports of AHADT Kenya, tungiasis afflicts four million Kenyans with 10 million more at risk of severe infestation. Anecdotal reports suggest that lack of knowledge and retrogressive beliefs and practices of household heads, them being the key decision makers in rural homes, might be barriers to the control of tungiasis. Objective: To assess the knowledge, perceptions, and practices of household heads regarding tungiasis in Kenya Methodology: A crossectional study was done in Otwenya Location, Maseno Division, Kenya. Seventy-eight (78) homes were visited and all their household members checked for the presence of tungiasis. Structured pretested questionnaires were used to collect the socio demographic data of household heads and the knowledge, perceptions, and practices around tungiasis evaluated. Data analysis was done using version 21 of the Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) software. A modified technique by Memon et al. was used to compute the knowledge and attitude scores. Fisher’s exact test with Cochran Mantel Haenszel statistics was used for data analyses at 95% CI. Results: Our data was collected in Urudi Rata (39.7%), Mbeka (35.6%), and Mariwa (24.4%) villages. Most houses had iron sheer roofs (93.6%) and floors plastered with dung or cement (60.3%). Household heads were mainly female (71.8%) with primary level education (67.9%). Tungiasis was found in 39.7% of households. Earth floors (OR=11.1, P<0.01) and overcrowding (OR=3.4, p=0.04) were risk factors for tungiasis. Most respondents (75.7%) had a moderate knowledge of tungiasis with it being lowest among heads with no formal education (OR=35.56 (1.7 to 732.6), p=0.02). The knowledge of tungiasis did not influence its occurrence in homes. (p=0.49). Most respondents (82.1%) had poor perceptions of tungiasis, which did not vary by the age, education, and gender of household. However, odds of infestation was over 4.9 times higher in homes where household head had negative perception of tungiasis (OR=4.9 p=0.03). The extraction of fleas (91.1%) was the commonest treatment option. Conclusion: Tungiasis is a common ectoparasitosis in rural Kenya with a prevalence of 19.5%. Household heads are knowledge about tungiasis. However, retrogressive beliefs, negligence, and stigma are barriers for its control.

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The adoption of customer relationship management (CRM) technology in SMEs

Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development ◽

10.1108/jsbed-01-2012-0013 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 20 (4) ◽

pp. 824-848 ◽

Cited By ~ 40

Author(s):

ThuyUyen H. Nguyen ◽

Teresa S. Waring

Keyword(s):

Technology Adoption ◽

Southern California ◽

Employee Involvement ◽

Customer Relationship ◽

Market Position ◽

Content Type ◽

Industry Sector ◽

Innovation And Technology ◽

And Gender ◽

Employee Characteristics

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to use an innovation decision process to examine CRM technology adoption in small to medium-sized enterprises and its intrinsic link to the nature of the organisation and the individuals within it. Design/methodology/approach – A survey was administered to SMEs in Southern California to measure the organisational characteristics, specifically management characteristics, employee characteristics, IT resources and firm characteristics. The perception of CRM, decision to adopt CRM, and extent of CRM implementation were also measured. Previously validated instruments were used where required. The data were analysed using multivariate and logistic regression. Findings – The results indicate that management's innovativeness affects the firm's perception of CRM systems, but age, education and gender do not. The decision to implement a CRM system is influenced by management's perception of CRM, employee involvement, the firm's size, its perceived market position, but not the industry sector. However, the number and types of CRM features implemented are affected by management's perception of CRM, employee involvement, the firm's size, the industry sector, but not its perceived market position. Research limitations/implications – This study is specific to Southern California and the sample size is relatively small, although sufficient for this analysis. The study should be replicated in more diverse geographic settings with a larger sample. Practical implications – The study provides evidence of the need for management to be supportive of innovation and technology, to evaluate the available resources (IT knowledge, skills, infrastructure) within the organisation, to recognise the importance of employees' contributions, and to be aware of the features appropriate to their company's size and industry sector before undertaking CRM technology adoption. Originality/value – The findings from this study extend the understanding of CRM adoption in SMEs and help in building a greater understanding of the factors associated with such adoption. It will be of great value to owners/managers in SMEs who are considering adopting CRM.

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The Importance of Bushmeat in Household Income as a Function of Distance from Protected Areas in the Western Serengeti Ecosystem, Tanzania

Environment and Natural Resources Research ◽

10.5539/enrr.v9n3p49 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 49 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Flora Felix Manyama ◽

Martin Reinhardt Nielsen ◽

Eivin Roskaft ◽

Julius William Nyahongo

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Household Income ◽

Protected Area ◽

Sample Selection ◽

Household Head ◽

Snowball Sampling ◽

Negatively Associated ◽

Serengeti Ecosystem ◽

Target Male ◽

And Gender

Bushmeat hunting is widespread in villages adjacent to protected areas in Western Serengeti. However, little information is available about the role of bushmeat income in the household economy as a function of distance from the protected area boundary, preventing the formulation of informed policy for regulating this illegal trade. This study was conducted in three villages in Western Serengeti at distances of 3 (closest), 27 (intermediate) and 58km (furthest) from the boundary of Serengeti National Park to assess the contribution of bushmeat to household income. The sample consists of 246 households of which 96 hunted or traded bushmeat, identified using snowball sampling through the aid of local informers. The average income earned from bushmeat was significantly higher for bushmeat traders than hunters. The contribution of bushmeat to household income was significantly higher in Robanda the village closest to the protected area boundary compared to Rwamkoma and Kowak, the more distant villages. A Heckman sample-selection model reveals that household participation in hunting and trading bushmeat was negatively associated with distance to the protected area boundary and with the household head being female. Household reliance on bushmeat income was negatively associated with age and gender of the household head and distance to the protected area boundary. Hence, efforts to reduce involvement in hunting, and trading bushmeat should target male-headed households close to the protected area boundary.

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Small-scale Farming, Agricultural Productivity and Poverty Reduction in Nigeria: The Enabling Role of Agricultural Technology Adoption

Journal of Agriculture and Ecology Research International ◽

10.9734/jaeri/2019/v19i130074 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 1-15

Author(s):

Ojo Olusayo ◽

Ogunniyi Adebayo ◽

Salman K. Kayode ◽

Kehinde Olagunju ◽

Iwinlade Ayodeji ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Technology Adoption ◽

Poverty Reduction ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Agricultural Productivity ◽

Household Head ◽

Poverty Line ◽

Average Treatment Effect ◽

Agricultural Technology ◽

Small Scale ◽

International Institute

Existing literature affirms the importance of agricultural technology adoption on productivity, income and livelihood outcomes. Evidences subsist on the adoption of improved cassava varieties (ICVs) in Nigeria but little is known about its impact among the farmers. We used data from a survey conducted by International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) to explore this research gap. Propensity Score Matching and Heckman’s two-stage model were the analytical tools. Given an estimated poverty line of (₦21717.53); 52.0% of the farmers were poor. We found that 75.6% of the respondents are adopters of ICVs. Primary occupation of household head and total non-production asset of farmers were key determinants for adoption. Adoption of improved cassava variety has positive effect on farmers’ productivity and poverty reduction. The Average Treatment Effect on the Treated (ATT) for productivity increased by 70 percent among ICVs farmers. Income was also higher among the adopters than the non- adopters by ₦43463.77. In the same vein, the income of the adopters increased by 17%. Furthermore, adopters of ICVs have the probability of reducing poverty headcount by 20%. The empirical results suggest that improved agricultural innovation adoption can play a key role in strengthening and impacting agricultural productivity of smallholder farmers for increased income generation and food security.

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Benefits of an Irrigation Scheme and Its Determinants to Surrounding Peripheral Rural Communities

Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies ◽

10.22610/jebs.v10i6.2596 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 79

Author(s):

Zandile Masela ◽

Abbyssinia Mushunje ◽

Saul Ngarava ◽

Amon Taruvinga ◽

Simbarashe Tatsvarei

Keyword(s):

Rural Communities ◽

Household Head ◽

Eastern Cape ◽

Irrigation Scheme ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Multiple Sampling ◽

Job Opportunities ◽

Multinomial Logit Regression ◽

And Gender

The objective of the study was to identify the extent of benefits and their determinants to communities surrounding the Qamata Irrigation Scheme (QIS) in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. The study used a quantitative based cross-sectional survey of 197 households within a radius of 20 km from the QIS. Multiple sampling methods were utilized where the villages were randomly and the households conveniently selected. A semi-structured pre-coded questionnaire was utilized to collect the data which was analyzed using descriptive statistics and multinomial logit regression. The study identified 14 discriminant benefits ranging from job opportunities, income increment food diversification to share cropping. Sixty-two percent of the households identified less than 5 benefits, whilst 27% and 11% identified 6-10 and 11-14 benefits respectively. Determinants of a surrounding household to attain benefits were significantly influenced by the distance from the scheme, the main source of income and gender of household head (P<0.01); marital and employment status (P<0.05); and access to farm land (P<0.1). The study concludes that the level of benefit diffused to surrounding households is based on socio-economic factors. The study recommends conscientization of surrounding communities on the peripheral benefits accrued from the proximity to the QIS, achievable through awareness initiatives.

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Rural Credit and Farms Efficiency: Modelling Farmers Credit Allocation Decisions, Evidences from Benin

Economics Research International ◽

10.1155/2014/309352 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2014 ◽

pp. 1-8 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Comlan Hervé Sossou ◽

Freddy Noma ◽

Jacob A. Yabi

Keyword(s):

Technical Efficiency ◽

Stochastic Frontier ◽

Household Head ◽

Sampling Procedure ◽

Credit Allocation ◽

Truncated Normal ◽

And Gender ◽

Multistage Sampling ◽

Agricultural Materials ◽

The Impact

This paper analyses farmers’ credit allocation behaviors and their effects on technical efficiency. Data were collected from 476 farmers using the multistage sampling procedure. The stochastic frontier truncated-normal with conditional mean model is used to assess allocation schemes effects on technical efficiency. Tobit model reveals the impact of farmers’ sociodemographic characteristics on efficiency scores. Results reveal that farm revenue (about 2,262,566 Fcfa on average) is positively correlated with land acreage, quantity of labour, and costs of fertilizers and insecticides. Farmers’ behaviors respond to six schemes which are categorized in two allocations contexts: out-farm and in-farm allocations. The model shows that only scheme (e) positively impacts technical efficiency. This scheme refers to the decision to invest credit to purchase better quality of pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and so forth. The positive effect of the scheme (c) may be significant under conditions of farmers’ education level improvement. Then, scheme (e) is a better investment for all farmers, but effect of credit allocation to buy agricultural materials is positive only for educated farmers. Efficiency scores are reduced by household size and gender of the household head. Therefore a household with more than 10 members and a woman as head is likely to not be technically efficient.

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Breast-feeding, water and sanitation, and childhood malnutrition in the Philippines

Journal of Biosocial Science ◽

10.1017/s0021932000020496 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 25 (2) ◽

pp. 195-212 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Robert J. Magnani ◽

Nancy B. Mock ◽

William E. Bertrand ◽

Daniel C. Clay

Keyword(s):

Nutritional Status ◽

Breast Feeding ◽

Household Head ◽

The Philippines ◽

Child Growth ◽

First Year ◽

Important Health ◽

Food Expenditure ◽

And Gender ◽

First Year Of Life

SummaryThis study examines effects and interactions of socioeconomic status, access to water supply and sanitation, and breast-feeding practices in relation to child growth in two provincial cities in the Philippines. Multivariate analysis identified food expenditure per head, education of the household head and gender of the child as significant predictors of nutritional status. The duration of partial and full breast-feeding was negatively (though non-significantly) associated with growth. Sanitation facilities and breast-feeding are, however, important determinants during the first year of life. Among children over 1 year of age, socioeconomic variables and gender are the most important predictors. Breast-feeding is shown to provide more important health benefits for children in lower income households. The need for further studies on the causes of gender differences in nutritional status was apparent.

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Adoption of garden coffee production technology package by smallholder farmers in Ethiopia

African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development ◽

10.18697/ajfand.100.19990 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (05) ◽

pp. 17989-18004

Author(s):

Teshome Kassahun ◽

Keyword(s):

Technology Adoption ◽

Production Technology ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

New Technology ◽

Household Head ◽

Index Score ◽

Maximum Likelihood Estimates ◽

Farm Size ◽

Coffee Production ◽

Extension Services

This study investigated the level and determinants of garden coffee production technology package adoption in Ethiopia. The analysis was based on survey data collected from 293 garden coffee-growing households. The findings show that garden coffee production technology package adoption status in Dale districts was various across the smallholders’ growers. The productivity of improved coffee varieties at farm plots was less than at research plots in Dale due to low coffee production technology package adoption. The use of improved coffee varieties, weed control practices, compost application, pruning practices, shade tree management, intercropping practices, and coffee seedling planting spacingisthe main garden coffee production technology package practiced by smallholder coffee growersinDale. Thus, the garden coffee production technology package adoption index score ranged from 0.43 to 1.00. Adoption index scores were categorized into high (0.71 to 1), medium (0.5 to 0.7) and Low (0.43 to 0.49) adopters. Only 57% of farmers reached high coffee production technology adoption status but the remaining30% and 13% of garden coffee farmers attained medium and low adoption status. The mean adoption index score was found to be 0.66, which implies the overall adoption status was found under the medium technology adoption category. The maximum likelihood estimates of Tobit model result shows that gender of household head (-0.261), education level (0.09),the annual income of the household (0.003), farm size (0.031), availability of labor (0.155), credit facilities (0.087), coffee extension services (0.047) and farmer perception of improved coffee varieties (-0.024) were significant determinants of garden coffee production technology package in Dale district. Hence, for farmers to adopt new technology they must know it well. Adopting all components of the coffee production technology package simultaneously as recommended by the research center enhances coffee productivity at farm plots level. Moreover, building better coffee production extension services, institutional arrangement, and access to new technology information can possibly increase coffee production technology package adoption in Ethiopia.

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