Advanced Journal of Social Science

The Efficiency of Hard Wood Industry in Ondo State, Nigeria

Adeoye Moses Aremo — 2023-01-14

Wood furniture industry is an important manufacturing sector in Nigeria for its significant contributions to the growth of national economy and industrialization as well as livelihood of the furniture makers. Therefore, evaluating efficiency of hard wood industry is important to provide useful information about the business to the furniture makers and to assist the policy makers to design appropriate policies in supporting furniture production in Nigeria. The specific objectives of this research were to describe socio-economic characteristics of furniture makers, estimate efficiency of furniture makers, determine the profitability of furniture production, identify factors influencing efficiency of furniture making and examine the problems associated with furniture makings in the study area. The study adopted a multistage sampling procedure. Data were collected from seventy furniture makers through a well-structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, budgetary analysis, Cobb Douglas stochastic frontier production function, inefficiency model and relative importance index were used to analyze the data. The findings revealed that 75.7% of the respondents obtained some levels of formal education; 4.3% of the furniture makers were single; 71.4% had no access to credit facility; and 7.1% exported their products beyond the boundary of Nigeria. The estimated gross margin and net profit of #7,041,255.09 (US $16,959.52) and #4,261,542.89 (US $10,264.33) respectively revealed that furniture production is profitable. The efficiency results showed that 27% of furniture makers were most technically efficient; 5.7% of them were most allocative efficient; and 10% of them were most economically efficient. Stochastic frontier production function analysis showed that firm size, labour and fixed assets had a positively significant influence on furniture production. The only identified socio-economic characteristics of furniture makers that had significant influence on efficiency of furniture production were educational level, operating experience and reinforcement training in the study area. The two critical constraints facing furniture making in the ranking scale were fluctuation of wood price and inadequacy of funds.

Predictors of Households’ Adoption of Gas Cooking Stove in Some Rural Communities of Abia and Ebonyi States, Southeast Nigeria

Okechi Dominic Azuwike — 2023-05-17

This paper aims at the factors that predict household’s adoption of gas cooking stoves in selected rural communities of Southeast Nigeria. Leaning on theories of Knowledge gap, Groupthink, Technological determinism and Innovation Diffusion, it explores the theme of adoption as a selective process while interrogating the idea of an energy ladder. The paper probes the factors that accentuate poor energy choices in the face of availability of the better domestic energy source, gas. Based on data from 600 respondents, 300 from each of the southeastern Nigeria states of Abia and Ebonyi, an ordinal regression in the form of a Generalized Linear Model was used to predict the proportional odds of the dependent ordinal variables. Parameter estimates of the regression model predicting ordinal likelihood (odds) of using cooking gas indicate that none of the categories underage bracket were significant. The odds of households with male heads having very high usage of cooking gas stove were 1.563 (95% CI, .882 to 1.830) times more than that of households with female heads. The odds are against larger households; households with heads that are of lower education levels; households that regularly cook with fuelwood and those with lower income. The study recommends advocacy to bridge the knowledge gap and a subsidization regime that can overcome the income challenge.

Human Factor Drivers of Change Readiness: A Targeted Approach to Change Success

Clare Koning — 2023-11-15

The growing complexity of managing humans during change is evident in the increasing levels of uncertainty and risk. This research aimed to determine which two human factors drive change-ready individuals and to what extent. The researcher used a quantitative cross-sectional survey research design and convenience non-probability sampling method to determine change readiness. The validated change readiness survey was distributed on social media platforms between June 27 and July 9, 2022. The results included data from 112 participants whose average change readiness score was 7.8/10. Human factors that drove change readiness included resourcefulness (47.3%), confidence (34.8%), and optimism (30.4%). Those who were 10/10 change-ready were more likely to be confident (59%), females (93%), in age groups 18 – 25 and 58 – 67 years (30% respectively), and hold Master’s degrees (33%). On average 1.7 human factors drove change at any one time, which increased to 3.5 human factors in those who were most change‑ready. This research confirms a positive relationship between two core human factors and change readiness, namely resourcefulness and confidence. Change-ready individuals driven by resourcefulness and confidence have the potential to be strategic change agents and catalysts for project and change success. The result of this study can be replicated to generate a snapshot of change readiness with minimal effort and inconvenience and help to position the most change-ready individuals in roles of critical importance.

Aravani as Citizen: The Forging of a Sexual Identity

Nina Roy Choudhury — 2023-09-04

Aravani is one of the transgender communities (male to female) in the state of Tamil Nadu who considers themselves as females trapped in male bodies. They are not mere cross dressers. Some of them undergo surgeries to realize their dream of becoming a complete female. They worship Aravana or Iravan, the son of Pandava prince Arjuna and Naga princess Ulupi. The Aravanis of Tamil Nadu identify themselves as the third gender like Eunuch, Hijra, Kinnar, Kothi, Shiv Shakthi and Jogappa communities in other parts of India. The Hijra population is the most visible transgender population in India. Much before the historic Supreme Court Verdict of 2014, Hijras were accepted as the third gender in India. While Hijras have mythological, religious, and cultural moorings, it is their search for social and political acceptance that this paper aims to study. Borrowing from mythology, the Tamil transgender community, Aravani, has attempted to carve out its own space within the LGBTQ spectrum. This paper examines the role of the Aravani movement in forging a sexual identity for transgender people and its impact and influence on promoting the rights of transgender people. Autobiographical records from the community and secondary sources with cultural, religious, and mythological references along with articles highlighting social and political developments were studied to map the journey towards a sexual identity. The primary texts used in this study are Our Lives Our Words and The Truth About Me.