RAMA DEVY, M.SHAMA, SHAIK2022-08-042022-08-042022-08-04D6209https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810186063ROLE ANALYSIS OF WOMEN AGRICULTURE OFFICERS IN ANDHRA PRADESHThe study was conducted to study the profile of Women Agriculture Officers, their gravity of perceived role and to analyse the relationship between dependent and independent variables. The problems faced by Women Agriculture Officers while performing their duties and suggestions given by them to overcome their constraints were elicited. Ex Post-Facto research design was followed for the study. The study was conducted in all the thirteen districts of Andhra Pradesh during the year 2020-21. From each of the selected district ten Women Agriculture Officers were selected as respondents by following simple random sampling procedure. The sample constituted to a total of 130 respondents. The data was collected with the help of a Questionnaire through google forms, personal interview method and data obtained was analyzed. The detailed analysis of profile of Women Agriculture Officers revealed that majority of WAOs were middle age, completed B.Sc. (Ag.), medium experience, rural background , medium distance travelled from the residence, medium number of trainings undergone, medium number of subordinates working, business person as spouse and using own vehicle for office duties. More than half (55.38%) of WAOs were having higher gravity of perceived role with the scores ranging between 99-123 followed by medium with score values between 74-98 (30.00%), low gravity of perceived role with a score range between 49-73 (9.23%) and very high gravity of perceived role with score range between 124-148 (6.15%). Measurement of different indicators of gravity of perceived role in their rank orders respectively from first rank to eleventh ranks mentioned here role risk, role replacement, role restriction, role power, role adherence, role challenge, role management, role manifestation, role support, role engineering, and role conflict with a mean index score of 79.93. The indicator role risk (88.92 MS) was ranked first by the WAOs. The factors contributing towards this were confidence while taking decisions with a total score of 384, discharging duties in pandemic/epidemic situations (353), facing difficulties (342), compromising the disputes (339), difficulty xiv in managing the team (316). The indicator role replacement was assigned second ranked with mean score of 88.11. The items analysis of the components of the indicator denoted that they had assigned the first rank to discharge of official works with a total score of 373 followed by individual role (326) and subordinate role (332). The indicator role restriction was assigned third rank with mean score of 85.43. The items analysis of the components of the indicator denoted that reporting (366/I), Extension (356/II), coordination (350/III), Administration (335/IV), Rewarding (276/V) were the factors contributing towards the gravity of perceived role. The indicator role power was assigned fourth rank with mean score of 85.12. The items analysis of the components of the indicator denoted that the WAOs gravity of perceived role is dependent on exercising of informational power (351) expert power (325) and legitimate power (320) in their routine works. The indicator role adherence was assigned the fifth rank with a mean score of 83.26. The item analysis of the components of the indicator denoted that exercising administrative power with a total score of 347 followed by implementing projects (343), legal power (305) and financial power (304). The indicator role receptivity was assigned sixth rank with mean score of 82.46. The item analysis of the components of the indicator denoted that work receptivity while discharging official duties with total score of 340 followed by acceptance of rectification for identified errors if any (323), quick apprehension of duties (320) willingness of receiving new ideas/suggestions (319) and admitting responsibility mistakes (306). The indicator role manifestation was assigned the seventh rank with a mean score of 79.84. The item analysis of the components of the indicator denoted that photo documentation ranked first with a total score of 367 followed by publicizing through mass media (332), publication of success stories (291), documentation of feedback (275) and video documentation (272). The indicator role challenge was assigned the eighth rank with a mean score of 77.62. The item analysis of the components of the indicator denoted that job tasks ranked first with a total score of 362 followed by administrative tasks (319), personal tasks (274) and financial tasks (256). The indicator role management was also assigned the eighth rank with a mean score of 77.62.The item analysis of the components of the indicator denoted that the role of disseminator of information with a total score of (336), resource allocator (313), monitoring officer (308) and liaison officer (254) were given due weightage for the gravity of perceived role. The indicator role engineering was assigned the ninth rank with a mean score of 73.07. The item analysis of the components of the indicator denoted that new ways of identification for providing Information ranked first with a total score of 333 followed by publicizing the success (279). The indicator role conflict was assigned tenth rank with a mean score of 69.42. The item analysis of the components of the indicator denoted that role overload was ranked first with a total score of 310 followed by inter role conflict (279), inter sender conflict (270) and role under load (224). The indicator role support was assigned eleventh rank with mean score of 66.02. The item analysis of the components of the indicator denoted that staff strength was given first rank with a total score of (273) followed by motivational behaviour (267), monitoring (248) and equipment (242). Correlation analysis revealed that age, educational qualification, number of trainings undergone, number of subordinates working , status of spouse, educational status of children , number of dependents and mode of transport had positive and significant relationship with the gravity of perceived role by the Women Agriculture Officers at 1% level of significance. Experience had positive and significant relationship with the gravity of perceived role by the Women Agriculture Officers at 5% level of significance. The variables number of children and type of family had xv positive and non-significant correlation with the gravity of perceived role by the Women Agriculture Officers. The variables rural / urban background, marital status, Workplace distance from the residence had exhibited negative and non significant with gravity of perceived role by the WAOs. The MLR analysis revealed that the selected profile characteristics put together explained about (71.3 %) variation in gravity of perceived role by the WAOs. The independent variables namely, Age, educational qualification, Trainings undergone, number of subordinates working and number of dependents had shown positively significant at 1% level of probability. Whereas educational status of children was found to be positively significant at 5% level of probability. While experience had shown negatively significant at 5% level of probability. Remaining variables viz., workplace distance from the residence, status of spouse, mode of transport, rural / urban background, marital status, number of children, type of family, had exhibited non significant with gravity of perceived role by the WAOs. Among various personal constraints faced by Women Agriculture Officers, the major constraints expressed by majority of them was lack of Govt. transportation facilities (61.46, Rank I) followed by lack of adequate and equitable sanitation facilities at work place (53.31, Rank II), family related issues such as child care, household work (48.58, Rank III), lack of time for revitalization of mind and body (47.46, Rank IV) and lack of support from society (39.19, Rank V). Among various administrative constraints the major constraints expressed by the majority of them were heavy workload and hectic schedule of working untimely instructions with a mean score of 61.46 (Rank I) followed by cumbersome reporting and documentation 54.08 (Rank II), a mean score of 49.23 was observed for inadequate manpower (Rank III), untimely release of funds of more clerical work 47.42 (Rank IV) and high political interference 37.81 (Rank V). Among various technological constraints faced by Women Agriculture Officers, the major constraint expressed by majority of them were release of inputs in late season 60.88 (Rank I) followed by lack of location specific technologies 54.73 (Rank II), no time for refreshing knowledge 50.15 (Rank III), less number of refreshing trainings on ICTs 47.15 (Rank IV) and no time for visiting demonstration acts frequently 37.08 (Rank V). The major suggestions expressed by Women Agriculture Officers were Provision of Govt. vehicle during the crop season (90.00%, (Rank I) followed by Assignment of official work within the office hours (86.92%, rank II), Optimum working hours so as to have comfortable personal life (83.08%, rank III), Capacity building through trainings (75.38%, rank IV), Filling of the vacancies of the supporting staff (71.54%, rank V), Permission to purchase inputs well in advance of the season (68.46%, rank VI), Provision of proper infrastructure (65.38%, rank VII), Simplified reporting practice (63.08%, rank VIII), Organisation of study tours (58.46%, rank IX) and Timely release of funds (53.08%, rank X).EnglishThesis