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Article
Publication date: 7 August 2018

Julius J. Okello, C.J. Lagerkvist, Rogers Kakuhenzire, Monica Parker and Elmar Schulte-Geldermann

Potato is a major food staple in Africa, but its production is constrained by poor quality of seed. A recent private–public partnership in Tanzania resulted in introduction of new…

382

Abstract

Purpose

Potato is a major food staple in Africa, but its production is constrained by poor quality of seed. A recent private–public partnership in Tanzania resulted in introduction of new higher yielding varieties. The purpose of this paper is to examine smallholder farmers’ motivations to invest in the purchase of quality seed of new potato varieties, and if the motivational structure differs by gender.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper used means-end chain (MEC) theory combined with goal priming, and laddering interviews on randomly sampled participants (n=45) of an experimental auction conducted among smallholder farmers in Tanzania. The auction was designed to goal-prime respondents on benefits of quality seed. The mental constructs obtained were grouped into attributes, consequences and values, and MECAnalyst software used to generate hierarchical value maps.

Findings

Farmers invest in quality seed of a new variety to increase yields, hence income, and also to pursue personal life goals (values) or meet psychosocial needs. The structure of mental constructs associated with the decision to invest in quality seed of a new variety differ by gender.

Research limitations/implications

The study focused on only two new varieties, hence not robust to all new potato varieties. Results need to be tested under different socioeconomic contexts. Furthermore, the MEC approach does not allow for control of other variables that likely influence farmer adoption decision-making process. Future studies should be designed to tackle these limitations.

Practical implications

Investment in quality seed of new variety is driven by monetary goals and psychosocial factors, and some of these factors differ between male and female farmers.

Originality/value

This is the first study to explore drivers of farmers’ decision to use quality seed of a new variety using MEC analysis, and role psychosocial factors play.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 120 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

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Article
Publication date: 5 November 2018

Julius Juma Okello, Wellington Jogo, Norman Kwikiriza and Penina Muoki

The sustainability of decentralized seed producers established to enhance farmers’ access to seed of newly introduced biofortified crops is a major challenge. Understanding what…

249

Abstract

Purpose

The sustainability of decentralized seed producers established to enhance farmers’ access to seed of newly introduced biofortified crops is a major challenge. Understanding what motivates the multipliers of clonally propagated crops to engage in seed multiplication is critical for enhancing access to improved seed varieties. The purpose of this paper is to examine the structure and content of mental models associated with the decision to engage in biofortified sweetpotato vine multiplication as a business.

Design/methodology/approach

The study focused on decentralized vine multipliers from Kenya and Ethiopia. These were stratified by orientation toward nutrition or commercial value addition. A total of 45 multipliers were interviewed. Means-end chain (MEC) analysis combined with laddering technique was used to generate mental constructs multipliers relate with the decision to engage in biofortified sweetpotato vine multiplication.

Findings

The structure and content of mental models of biofortified sweetpotato vine multipliers supporting nutrition-focused interventions and those supporting commercial value-addition sweetpotato interventions are different. Nutrition-focused multipliers are driven by the benefits of good health, while commercial value-addition interventions are driven by the benefit of making “more money.” The content and structure of mental models are also country/region specific.

Research limitations/implications

This study has demonstrated that decision to engage in community seed production business is driven not only by the desire to make profits but, equally importantly, by personal and societal (social) factors. It has also discussed the limitations of current analysis and future research areas.

Originality/value

This study is the first to apply MES analysis to assess how decision to invest in seed multiplication business is affected farmers’ personal values and other psychosocial factors.

Details

Journal of Agribusiness in Developing and Emerging Economies, vol. 8 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2044-0839

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Article
Publication date: 5 January 2015

Carl Johan Lagerkvist, Julius J. Okello and Nancy Karanja

The purpose of this paper is to examine consumers’ perception of food safety for vegetables at traditional urban market outlets in a developing country context and test whether…

942

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine consumers’ perception of food safety for vegetables at traditional urban market outlets in a developing country context and test whether curiosity-motivated information acquisition and personal control over choice of stimuli influence consumer involvement, resulting in more differentiated mental models.

Design/methodology/approach

The Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique (ZMET) in standard and modified form was used to develop consumers’ mental models for food safety.

Findings

The cognitive content and structure of aggregated consumers’ mental models were identified and mapped. The maps included negative and positive meanings, indicating a need to tackle the hygiene problems prevailing in most traditional markets. ZMET generated a more differentiated map when people were empowered with a camera to collect stimuli.

Research limitations/implications

Using ZMET to understand food safety perceptions avoids consumers being led in their responses, views and feelings about food safety.

Practical implications

Policy, regulatory frameworks and marketing actions by value chain actors in the fresh vegetable subsector should give priority to tackling the hygiene problem prevalent in most traditional markets in developing countries.

Originality/value

This paper provides novel needs-driven theoretical and practical insights into the actual meaning representation of food safety, which actually drives consumer thoughts and behaviour. Making use of a camera in the collection of self-provided images for the ZMET interview led to higher levels of involvement and further differentiation of mental models.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 117 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

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Article
Publication date: 16 May 2016

Durga Prasad Venkata Modekurti

Market transactions in large vegetable markets call for transparency with utmost urgency. The reason are that buyers are located at distant places and the volume of sales is very…

376

Abstract

Purpose

Market transactions in large vegetable markets call for transparency with utmost urgency. The reason are that buyers are located at distant places and the volume of sales is very high. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the development of an automated system in market transactions in order to bring about transparency with concrete evidence available to small and medium farmers who are then able to repose trust in the system by acquiring the right price for the right product. The farmers can also confirm the effectiveness of the system by testing it themselves.

Design/methodology/approach

First, a theoretical framework of marketing procedures of larger vegetable markets has been constructed with tomato as a vegetable of study and the Madanapalle tomato market as a market studied through surveys. Second, methods of functioning in marketing procedures including pricing and auctioning have been modified according to the objective. An android-based application has been used to develop an automated model. Surveys have been conducted to understand the perceptions of farmers in marketing procedures and price determination at the village level, and to test the automated model in the study market.

Findings

Both quantitative as well as qualitative approaches indicate that, the proposed automated model in the modified marketing procedural system is of benefit to all stakeholders in the supply chain.

Research limitations/implications

In model testing, gaps in inputs from a greater number of buyers during auctioning remains a limitation of the study.

Social implications

For sustainable growth of tomatoes or any other vegetables it is essential that the farmers trust the marketing procedural system. This is possible if farmers obtain the right price for their products. Once the automated system is implemented, buyers acquire high-quality goods at desired prices, which further encourages more buyers from other regions to participate in the auctioning/tendering process stimulating an increased demand.

Originality/value

This paper is unique in its pricing function and scores of stakeholders. Pricing function involves the farmers’ input along with the buyers’ inputs whereas scores of these two stakeholders have been obtained through the inputs of commissioning agents.

Details

Journal of Agribusiness in Developing and Emerging Economies, vol. 6 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2044-0839

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Book part
Publication date: 10 August 2018

Henry O. Onukwuba

Leadership is basically about influence and ability to cultivate followership. This chapter examined the nature of indigenous socio-political leadership in Africa using Zimbabwe…

Abstract

Leadership is basically about influence and ability to cultivate followership. This chapter examined the nature of indigenous socio-political leadership in Africa using Zimbabwe, Sudan and Nigeria as caselets and compared this with the post-colonial or modern-day leadership realities. A survey was conducted among senior executives at Lagos Business School, Nigeria, with a sample size of 200 persons, to find out their perception of the African indigenous leadership system. An overwhelming 90% believe that culture plays a big role in shaping African leadership style. However, two-thirds of the respondents agreed that Africa lacks proper institutional structures to support good leadership, thus encouraging corruption (97% of the respondents) and non-accountability among the leaders. Also, only 5% thought cultural orientation was the reason why the African followers do not hold their leaders accountable. In other words, it is not in the African culture not to hold leaders accountable for their actions. So, what went wrong? We attempted a deeper look at the effect of colonial rule and the attendant militarisation of the African continent. Our conclusion is that the colonisation of the continent by Europe brought significant distortion to the traditional African indigenous leadership institutions and the psyche of the African leader and the followers alike. Post-colonial Africa has witnessed 133 recorded coups d’etat between 1952 and 2016. This chapter is recommended to all those who seek a deeper understanding of the nature of the African indigenous leadership practices and the factors that have shaped these over the years.

Details

Indigenous Management Practices in Africa
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78754-849-7

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Article
Publication date: 27 January 2023

Paul Samwel Muneja

This study aims to evaluate Web-based tools that are potentially used by universities and college libraries to market e-resources in Tanzania.

435

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to evaluate Web-based tools that are potentially used by universities and college libraries to market e-resources in Tanzania.

Design/methodology/approach

This study evaluated Web-based tools that are potentially used to market e-resources in libraries in Tanzania. A sample of 52 universities and colleges was approved by Tanzania Commission for Universities and was purposively selected for this study. The evaluation was conducted with an established checklist to evaluate the websites with a view to identifying Web-based tools, which are potentially useful in marketing e-resources.

Findings

The finding of this study indicates that most libraries have websites linked to their institutional websites. The finding has revealed that social media are mostly used by public universities to market e-resources. However, only one university is using WhatsApp to communicate with patrons. The findings show that the majority of public university libraries display a list of e-resources on their websites. Moreover, the displayed e-resources of most websites are not up to date, and some of them are irrelevant. Also, most public universities provide guidelines on how to use the subscribed e-resources as opposed to their counterpart.

Originality/value

The study on the evaluation of Web-based e-resources marketing tools is new in Tanzania. The finding of this study will trigger efforts to adjust the way libraries market their e-resources online.

Details

Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication, vol. 74 no. 1/2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9342

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