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Theses

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1996 - 19985
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Subject: Agricultural Extension × End date: 1999 × Start date: 1996 × Type: Thesis × Thesis Type: Ph.D ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Interaction of psychological economic, sociological and technological determinants of the entrepreneurial behaviour of agricultural students
    (Department Of Agricultural Extension, College Of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1997) Seema, B; KAU; Babu, B
    The study aimed to identify the factors which are conducive for the entrepreneurial behaviour of agricultural .students. The study was conducted among the students of the two Agricultural colleges of Kerala Agricultural University and the unemployed graduates who have passed out from these colleges. Two hundred and fifty respondents were selected for the main study which comprised of 100 undergraduate students, 100 postgraduate students and 50 unemployed graduates. The entrepreneurial behavior of agricultural students was measured with the help of a scale developed for the study. Based on relevancy rating twenty four independent variables were selected Data were collected through mailed, and distributed questionnaire. The maximum likelihood solution for entrepreneurial behavior extracted 12 factors About 43 per cent of the total variability in the extent of entrepreneurial behavior was accounted by twelve factors. Majority of the respondents in the undergraduate group and unemployed graduates were found to have high level of entrepreneurial behavior. Similarly majority of the male respondents were found to have high level of entrepreneurial behavior. Self esteem, sociability, innovation proneness, Self confidence, attitude towards competition, management Orientation, persuasiveness, and self reliance were found to * be significantly and positively related to entrepreneurial behaviour of undergraduate students. In the case of postgraduate students attitude towards competition, self esteem, innovation proneness, management orientation, self confidence, persuasiveness, sociability, self reliance and attitude towards self employment were found to be significantly and positively related. ■* • . As to the unemployed graduates significant positive relationship was observed between entrepreneurial behaviour and persuasiveness, management orientation, innovation proneness, self confidence and credit orientation. Sociability, self reliance, self confidence, attitude towards competition, self esteem, persuasiveness, management orientation, innovation proneness, attitude towards self employment and technical competency were found to be significantly and positively related with entrepreneurial behaviour of male students. In the case of female students, self confidence, self esteem, self reliance, attitude towards self employment, sociability, management orientation, persuasiveness, annual income, innovation proneness and attitude towards competition showed significant positive relationship with enfrepreneurial behaviour. Attitude towards self employment, innovation proneness, self confidence, credit orientation, self reliance, sociability, marks obtained in Pree-Degree, marks obtained in B Sc. and management orientation explained 36.74 per cent of the variation in entrepreneurial behaviour of undergraduate students. In the case of postgraduate students 49.19 per cent of variation in entrepreneurial behaviour was explained by attitude towards competition, self esteem, sociability, innovation proneness and O.G.P A. (work experience). Persuasiveness and innovation proneness explained 25.12 per cent of variation in entrepreneurial behaviour of unemployed graduates. » As much as 43.28 per cent of variability in entrepreneurial behaviour of male students was explained by sociability, self reliance, persuasiveness, attitude towards •self employment, O.G.P A ( work experience) management orientation, innovation proneness and attitude towards competition For variables viz., self esteem, sociability, innovation proneness and credit orientation were responsible fof 36.65 per cent of-variation in entrepreneurial behaviour of female students. Capital investment, availability of labour, availability of resource and infrastructural facilities were ranked high as factors influencing entrepreneurial behaviour of agricultural students as perceived by different category of respondents.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Comparative analysis of characteristics of women labourers engaged in rice farming in the social systems of Kollam and Kanyakumari districts
    (Department of Agricultural Extension, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1996) Rajula Shanthy, T; KAU; Babu, B
    The study aimed at analyzing the labour efficiency of women agricultural labourers. The study was conducted in Kollam district of Kerala and Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu. A total of 300 women agricultural labourers were selected, 150 from each district using random sampling. The labour efficiency was measured with the help of a scale consisting of 32 items developed for the study. The data on the labour efficiency of women agricultural labourers and on the nineteen socio-personal and psychological characteristics of the women agricultural labourers were collected using a structured interview schedule. The dimensions of labour efficiency identified empirically were ’determination in work situation’, ‘inter – personal relationship’, ‘confidence’, ‘adjustability’, ‘team spirit’, ‘commitment’, ‘work environment’, competency, ‘socio-economic’ and ‘situational’. In general, the women agricultural labourers of both the districts were low in labour efficiency. The dimension – wise analysis of labour efficiency showed that majority of them belonged to high group under the dimensions ‘adjustability’ and ‘competency’ whereas majority had low efficiency with respect to the other dimensions. The factors influencing labour efficiency was in the order of period of employment, supervision by employer, wages and incentives provided, availability of alternative work, training of labourers, nature of tools and implements used, introduction of new machinery and progressive technology, increasing standard of living, adaptability to different tasks and physical condition of labourers. The variables namely caste, intrinsic motivation, independence, cosmopolite orientation, economic motivation, values related to agriculture, satisfaction, gregariousness, attitude towards scientific agriculture, innovativeness and alienation were found to be significantly contributing to labour efficiency. Total number of days of employment of women agricultural labourers in Kollam district was 207 (82 as agricultural and 125 as non-agricultural labour) and in Kanyakumari district it was 182 (78 as agricultural and 104 as non-agricultural labour). The peak season of employment was January – March in both the districts. There was relatively slack in employment during July – August and November –December in Kollam district and during August – September and December in Kanyakumari district. The average annual income from agricultural and non-agricultural labour was Rs. 3610.00 and Rs. 5447.50 in Kollam district, whereas it was Rs. 2695.00 and Rs. 3327.50 in Kanyakumari district respectively.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Entrepreneurial behaviour of agri-business operators in Kerala
    (Department of Agricultural Extension, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1998) Senthil Vinayagam, S; KAU; Geethakutty, P S
    A study was conducted with the main objectives of developing index for measuring entrepreneurial behaviour and agri-business performance and identifying influence of behavioural and situational characteristics on entrepreneurial behaviour. The study was undertaken in Central NARP zone of Kerala, covering 240 agri-business operators. The agri-business operators were categorised into three groups viz., commercial farmers, on-farm and off-farm agri-business operators with 120, 60, 60 as sample size respectively. Entrepreneurial behaviour formed the dependent variable for the study. Agri-business performance was selected as criterion variable. Nineteen independent variables were selected in relation to the objectives based on review of literature and pilot study. Correlation analysis, principal component analysis and factor analysis were employed for data analysis and interpretation. Ten dimensions were identified and used to develop entrepreneurial behaviour index. Factor analysis revealed that innovation proneness, achievement motivation, risk orientation, economic motivation, management orientation and personal efficacy were the important dimensions to measure entrepreneurial behaviour which can be grouped into a single factor termed 'entrepreneurial behaviour efficiency' . Agri-business performance was measured usmg the indicators VIZ., capacity utilisation, hired labour, cost-benefit ratio, perceived profitability, labour relationship, extent of diversification and social contribution from enterprise. Majority of the respondents exhibited moderate to very high entrepreneurial behaviour, whereas they had high to very high agri-business performance. Comparison of the three categories of respondents revealed that there was no difference among them with respect to both entrepreneurial behaviour and agri-business performance. Age, age at entry, scientific orientation, vocational diversification, self confidence, self concept, orientation towards competition, rational orientation, self:' reliance and media utilisation emerged as most important variables in predicting the variation in entrepreneurial behaviour of agri-business operators. High rate of interest, seasonality of demand, high cost of raw material, scarcity of electric power, high labour cost, ineffective consultancy service provided by the government agencies were the major constraints perceived by agri-business operators in influencing the entrepreneurial behaviour. The study established the relationship between entrepreneurial behaviour and agri-business performance which brings out the need and importance for organising Entrepreneurship Development Programme for farmer entrepreneurs.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Work motivation- a multivariate analysis among teachers of the Kerala Agricultural University
    (Department of Agricultural Extension, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1996) alexander, George; KAU; Bhaskaran, C
    Work motivation, the inner urge that energises, directs and sustains work, was the dependent variable while the independent structure consisted of eighteen variables: Locus of control, achievement motive, power motive, affiliation motive, equity- sensitivity, growth need, relatedness need, existence need, preferred organizational culture, variety in job, identity of job, significance of job, autonomy in job, feedback through job, work climate, communication patterns, management style and morale. The sample of 150 teachers constituted 21.6 per cent of the total population of teachers in the Kerala Agricultural University. Distribution of teachers with respect to the variables mentioned above, relationships between the variables and determinants of work motivation were studied. Cadre-wise comparison of teachers was undertaken and teachers in teaching, research and extension institutions were also compared using ANOVA. All independent variables studied had strong correlations with work motivation. The relationship of affiliation motive preferred organizational culture and equity- sensitivity with work motivation was negative. Bunch-map analysis was used to confront the problem of multicollinearity and identify the determinants of work motivation: affiliation motive, existence need and identity of job. The study proposes a cohesive and unifying model to explain work motivation. Relevance of work motivation theories and practices with reference to the Indian socio-cultural context and applicability of existing models to educational and service sector organizations are discussed. Recommendations are made for the design and dynamics of human resource management practices applicable to the around 30,000 agricultural scientists in the country.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Consequences of conversion of marginal homesteads for planting rubber in Kottayam district
    (Department of Agricultural Extension, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1997) Latha, A; KAU; Ranjan S, Karippai
    A study was conducted in Kottayam district to find out the causes and consequences with respect to the nature, extent and conversion (composite index developed from nature and extent) of marginal homesteads for planting rubber. The respondents included 200 convertors and 100 non-convertors. The study revealed that outmigration of hired labour, availability of hired labour, farming experience and perception about attributes of rubber cultivation could explain the maximum discrimination between convertors and non-convertors. Among the eighteen independent variables selected, availability of family labour and number of crops emerged as the most important factors influencing conversion. Gross cropped area and number of crops could explain the maximum variability of conversion. Net area under rubber was the factor which exerted maximum influence on other variables effecting conversion. The most important consequences of conversion expressed by convertors were outmigration of hired labour, outmigration of family labour, soil loss (erosion) based on magnitude and decrease in water availability, increase in social status and decrease in water table based on directionality. Community based land use strategy which involved production and sharing of farm produce among groups of individual homesteads based on similarity of topography, soil type, water resource dependence, local needs may become inevitable to sustain and maintain the diverse requirements of local communities in place of conversion of homesteads to monocrops like rubber alone. Rubber could only become a part of such land use systems.