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Gender-Based Differences in the Commercialisation of Rattan and Bamboo as Livelihood Support Option for Rural and Urban Poor in Ghana: Opportunities and Challenges
Martin Amoah,
Joseph Asomani,
Raphael Kwasi Dzakpasu,
Frank Asafuah
Issue:
Volume 2, Issue 1, February 2017
Pages:
1-11
Received:
16 December 2016
Accepted:
3 January 2017
Published:
19 January 2017
DOI:
10.11648/j.ajere.20170201.11
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Abstract: This study investigated the gender-based differences in the commercialisation of rattan and bamboo in Ghana, the opportunities available to rural and urban poor communities engaged in the value chain of rattan and bamboo resource and the challenges they face in their quest to earn a living from the industry. Using snowball sampling, 106 actors in the value chain of the industry were sampled from rural and urban communities where rattan and bamboo are harvested, processed and marketed. Questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were the main data collection tools. The results showed that even though males dominate the value chain, females play two important roles: harvesting and supplying of raw rattan and bamboo to processors. Whereas rural males and females are mostly engaged in the harvesting of the resource their urban counterparts are engaged in the processing and marketing of products from the resource. The limited role played by women in the value chain was partly due to their low self-efficacy resulting from gender stereotype and their traditional roles in the home. Those involved in all the stages of the value chain reported daily income of about USD8.00 and this diminishes to 19.8%, 23%, and 36% of it for harvesters, processors and marketers, respectively. The amount accrued to harvesters was found to be lower than the average daily wage of hired labour, suggesting that the commercialisation of rattan and bamboo has not improved the economic status of rural people. Economics of scale and product quality were the main inhibiting factors for successful commercialisation of the resource. Policy interventions aimed at increasing rural participation in the value chain should include removal of gender stigmatization, providing rural artisans with technical and marketing support, and establishing cottage industry as part of effort to integrating rural businesses communities’ into local tourism. International visibility of rattan and bamboo industry in Ghana, which thus far has remained poor, requires urgent attention from governmental and non-governmental agencies.
Abstract: This study investigated the gender-based differences in the commercialisation of rattan and bamboo in Ghana, the opportunities available to rural and urban poor communities engaged in the value chain of rattan and bamboo resource and the challenges they face in their quest to earn a living from the industry. Using snowball sampling, 106 actors in t...
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Leadership Styles and Employee Performance in Nigerian Higher Educational Institutions
Marcus Garvey Orji,
Olowu Daudu Malachy,
Solomon Abba Boman,
Akhimien Emmanuel
Issue:
Volume 2, Issue 1, February 2017
Pages:
12-21
Received:
31 October 2016
Accepted:
28 December 2016
Published:
20 January 2017
DOI:
10.11648/j.ajere.20170201.12
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Abstract: Employee performance may be taken to be the end result of a motivated worker by the leader, since the leader create a situation that the individual will find both meaningful and challenging enough and decides to work consistently hard even in the absence of that leader. The main theme of this study is that leadership effectiveness on its different forms has a significant impact on employee performance in the Nigerian higher educational Institutions. The two dimensions under study are Transactional and Transformational leadership and the study is centred on two institutions namely Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria and Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT) Zaria. The study is a comparative one and survey method was adopted. Both primary and secondary data were applied by the way of questionnaire administered and the studies by other investigators in order to provide clues regarding casual relations among variables. The effect of the two types of leaderships was tested on the employees of the organizations, using simple calculations of mean, chi-square and student T-test as the method for analysis. The results revealed that the style of leadership attitude affect the needs and goals of employees as well as the performance of employee. The study concludes that effective leaders are those who increase employee’s motivation by clarifying for subordinates the paths to effective performance and this is the connection between performance and reward and recommended that charismatic and contingent reward should be pursed in all organizations by leaders as a leadership method.
Abstract: Employee performance may be taken to be the end result of a motivated worker by the leader, since the leader create a situation that the individual will find both meaningful and challenging enough and decides to work consistently hard even in the absence of that leader. The main theme of this study is that leadership effectiveness on its different ...
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A Review of Wastewater Treatment Plant Modelling: Revolution on Modelling Technology
Ting Sie Chun,
M. A. Malek,
Amelia Ritahani Ismail
Issue:
Volume 2, Issue 1, February 2017
Pages:
22-26
Received:
2 December 2016
Accepted:
26 December 2016
Published:
20 January 2017
DOI:
10.11648/j.ajere.20170201.13
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Abstract: This review paper deals with the previous and current wastewater treatment plant modelling. The future of semantic modelling in a wastewater treatment plant through a new approach, Artificial Immune Systems (AIS), is introduced. AIS is still in the infant stage of soft computing. However, it has gained its popularity in the recent years, especially in prediction modelling. The first dynamic model of the activated sludge system was developed in the 1970s, and has been further developed since then. The process of a wastewater treatment is very complex, non-linear and characterised by many uncertainties within the influent parameters. The operation of a wastewater treatment process is limited because it is affected by variety of physical, chemical, and biological factors. A review of the wastewater modelling development was presented. The models' limitations were identified and a new technique in wastewater treatment plant is finally discussed.
Abstract: This review paper deals with the previous and current wastewater treatment plant modelling. The future of semantic modelling in a wastewater treatment plant through a new approach, Artificial Immune Systems (AIS), is introduced. AIS is still in the infant stage of soft computing. However, it has gained its popularity in the recent years, especially...
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Experimental Evaluation of Basin Type Solar Still for Saline and Fluoride Water Purification (A Case on Giby-Deep Well Water, Dupti, Afar-Ethiopia)
Chala Diriba Gurmu,
Belay Woldeyes,
Belachew Melese
Issue:
Volume 2, Issue 1, February 2017
Pages:
27-36
Received:
2 December 2016
Accepted:
20 December 2016
Published:
21 January 2017
DOI:
10.11648/j.ajere.20170201.14
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Abstract: In Ethiopia 61 percent of the rural population lacks an access to improved water sources and 62 Percent of rural households are travelling 30 minutes or more to fetch drinking water daily, mostly by child and women. This study presents the purification of water that contains saline and fluoride by using solar distillation. Three different alternatives: single slope, double slope and double slope solar still integrated with parabolic solar trough were designed and installed in the compound of Samara University and daily production and purification performance was investigated from April 6/2015 to April 8/2015. Daily yield was reduced, when water level increased from 3cm to 7cm. The 3cm water level was established for all three alternatives to compare the daily yield of the three alternatives. Single basin single slope solar still, having an area of 1mx1m basin causes the recirculation of distilled water, as a result its full production capacity couldn’t be obtained. Double slope solar still integrated with parabolic solar still produces a yield 7% higher than double slope solar still of 3.16kg. The purification efficiency stills were: TDS=99.66%, Total hardness=94.7%, Total alkalinity=93.8%, Salinity=100% and fluoride=96.5%. As a result any brackish and fluoride problems currently determinant to the society to access clean water in Afar can be purified with a solar still distillation.
Abstract: In Ethiopia 61 percent of the rural population lacks an access to improved water sources and 62 Percent of rural households are travelling 30 minutes or more to fetch drinking water daily, mostly by child and women. This study presents the purification of water that contains saline and fluoride by using solar distillation. Three different alternati...
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Impact of Socioeconomic Variables on Income, Asset and Debt of Inland Fishers in Tamil Nadu, India
Kalidoss Radhakrishnan,
J Amali Infantina,
Rengappan Marimuthu,
Marimuthu Rajakumar,
Neha W. Qureshi
Issue:
Volume 2, Issue 1, February 2017
Pages:
37-45
Received:
9 November 2016
Accepted:
22 December 2016
Published:
21 January 2017
DOI:
10.11648/j.ajere.20170201.15
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Abstract: This study was conducted to examine the effect of socioeconomic variable on the asset, debt, and income of the inland fishers during August 2014 to May 2015. A total of 140 respondents were selected and data was collected by adapting adopting two-stage random sampling. The data was analyzed by using percent and ratio analysis. A significant variation has been observed among the socio-economic variables such as the age, fishing experiences, type of house and total asset (P>0.05). The young age respondents had a higher income than that those of the middle and old age respondents and they also had higher debt and assets too. The lowest wealth ratio was ₹ 161475 in Periyakulam and the highest ₹307225 in Vaigai. A better mean debt to asset ratio was recorded in Kullapuram of 12.99% than other cooperative society fishers. Finally, this study suggests that, to report the status of folks we need to account the income after deduction of debt.
Abstract: This study was conducted to examine the effect of socioeconomic variable on the asset, debt, and income of the inland fishers during August 2014 to May 2015. A total of 140 respondents were selected and data was collected by adapting adopting two-stage random sampling. The data was analyzed by using percent and ratio analysis. A significant variati...
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The Economic Efficiency and Effectiveness of Domestic Water Allocation in Moshi Rural District, Tanzania
Peter Meta,
Felister Mombo,
Leopold Lusambo
Issue:
Volume 2, Issue 1, February 2017
Pages:
46-55
Received:
4 January 2017
Accepted:
13 January 2017
Published:
6 February 2017
DOI:
10.11648/j.ajere.20170201.16
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Abstract: Water is one of the scarce resources which is very important for the development for humankind hence efficient allocation is needed. The demand for domestic water as elsewhere is increasing as time goes according to records. This study was about the economic efficiency of domestic water allocation in Moshi Rural District, the case of Kirua-Kahe area. There were three specific objectives in this study which are to evaluate the domestic water allocation of Kirua-Kahe Water Project in Moshi Rural District, to determine the domestic water allocation efficiency in Kirua-Kahe Water Project and to examine the effectiveness of Kirua-Kahe domestic water allocation in Moshi Rural District. The findings show that Kirua-Kahe uses Gravity water supply and Pumping system. Gravity water supply system has 8 working intakes, 2 boreholes. The Pumping water Supply system consists of 15 small pumping schemes being pumped from boreholes and 1 spring. From the sampled villages, the findings also show within the family female members were mostly concerned with water usage. Until January 2015, Kirua-Kahe Gravity had a total of 5 403 customer connections and 401 customer connections for Kirua-Kahe Pumping. Customers are Public, Homes, Social Institutions and Commercial connections. Pricing is used for consumers as contribution for the sustainability of the project. The economic efficiency was carried out based on analysis of usage and collection efficiency and all constraints and optimality conditions were satisfied. Further research is needed to design service delivery models, technological innovations and education.
Abstract: Water is one of the scarce resources which is very important for the development for humankind hence efficient allocation is needed. The demand for domestic water as elsewhere is increasing as time goes according to records. This study was about the economic efficiency of domestic water allocation in Moshi Rural District, the case of Kirua-Kahe are...
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