Managment

The purpose of this study was to explore the sources of strategic management knowledge for practitioner managers, how familiar are they to strategic management concepts, and how useful these concepts are using three dimensional knowledge transfers model (3DKTM). To meet the purpose, structured questionnaire was distributed to 91 managers and administrators in Tigray Region on May 2005, Ethiopia; Non parametric inferential statistics was employed to test the hypotheses developed. Results suggested that the primary source of management concepts for practicing managers is experience, followed by academic institutions and association. The least identified knowledge source was involvement. It was also found out that practitioner managers appear to be familiar with the ten key-management concepts. The most surprising finding is presence of no significant differences on familiarity with the ten academic concepts between top and middle-level managers.

These days, one of the global challenges is the growing demand for food. To be more specific, seafood bases play a key role in filling the nutritional requirements of human beings. In Africa (Ethiopia) the public expenses to improve productive capacity in aquatic food are increasing. Additionally, the expenses in dams and in fishers’ capacity building have increased households’ engagement in the fishery sector in Ethiopia. Cooperatives’ productive capacity has been strengthened by the government and other non-government organizations with the supply of fishing boats, refrigerators, fish nets and other office supplies. However, the effect of such public expenses in bringing changes in the households’ livelihood and welfare has never been assessed in this study area. This paper aims to investigate what motivates the households to fish and assess the effect of fisheries on the households’ livelihood and welfare. A structured survey consisting of 313 rural households was administered us...

A raising demand for food is one of the global challenges for which aquatic food bases play a role in filling the prevailing nutritional requirements of human beings. However, the level of fish consumption in Ethiopia is limited affecting the participation of households in fishing. This study aims at assessing the livelihood contribution of fishing and the constraints households facing in fully operating in fishing. The study result indicates that fishing generates income, results in employment opportunities and nutrition to the household. Improving the market situation, improving the capacity of fishing households and improving the households’ commitment for fishing are among the intervention to improve the situation and raise households’ participation for fishing.

11 VERTICAL COORDINATION IN THE LOCAL FOOD CHAINS: EVIDENCE FROM FARMERS’ IN ETHIOPIA Abebe Ejigu Alemu PhD Candidate, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven abebe.ejigualemu@student.kuleuven.be Erik Mathijs Professor, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven erik.mathijs@ees.kuleuven.be Miet Maertens Professor, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven miet.maertens@ees.kuleuven.be Jozef Deckers Professor, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven seppe.deckers@ees.kuleuven.be Kidanemariam G.egziabher, PhD candidate, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven kidanemariamgegziabher.gebrehiwot@student.kuleuven.be Hans Bauer Research Coordinator, MU-IUC Hans.Bauer@vliruos.be Kindeya G.hiwot Associate Professor, Mekelle University kindeyagl@yahoo.com -Abstract- Closer coordination has improved smallholder access to resources, technology and markets. The absence of contracts has led the coordination of the local food chains in rural Ethiopia to remain poorly functioning. Despite the huge agrifood potential in Ethiopia, the loose coordin...

A rising food demand is the global challenge and aquatic food bases fill nutritional requirements. However, fish consumption in northern Ethiopia is limited. This study investigates reasons for lower fish consumption and assesses demand determinants. A sample of 420 households was surveyed using structured questionnaire. Three competing regression models (Heckman's, Tobit and OLS) were employed to identify determinants and fish consumption intensity. The descriptive statistics reveal that only 6 percent of the surveyed households had consumed fish previously. The rest didn't consume owing to supply shortage, lack of experience of eating and cooking fish, fear of spoilage, religious belief, and lack of interest. The result also shows that presence of children, access to rivers and frequency of swimming in rivers, fasting, and literacy as significant determinants of fish consumption. Home-users however consumed little fish. Interestingly, 73 percent of the responding household...

Farmer-induced collective action (co-operatives) or buyer-driven contracts are often in place in global agrifood chains. Their economic contribution is well recognised, although the exclusion of smallholders remains. This paper pays particular attention to the impact of co-operatives and contracts on dairy production and the income of dairy farmers in the local food chains in Northern Ethiopia. A structured survey of 415 dairy farmers was undertaken in four districts of Northern Ethiopia. Propensity score matching, regression on observables and regression on propensity scores were implemented to control selection bias. Both models yielded consistent treatment effect estimates, implying that milk production, cow productivity and household income for the members of co-operatives are larger in contrast to dairy farmers employing the spot market. We suggest that strengthening co-operatives may enhance and upgrade the dairy sector/chain, improve the livelihoods of smallholders, and facil...

Market, hybrid or hierarchy has been in place and widely used by agribusiness firms to acquire farm products and these coordination mechanisms help smallholders to link to the global food chain. With the transaction cost economics framework, however, this paper analyses the determinants for agribusiness firms" choice of market or hybrids to acquire farm produce in the local food supply chain context. This paper aims at examining the key drivers for choosing contract or spot market mechanisms by agribusinesses in Northern Ethiopia. Structured questionnaires were administered to 247 traders in 10 towns of Tigray. Once conducting the Chow test, the pooled data was considered for the probit model and the results of the empirical model has indicated that product characteristics (quality adulteration and perishability), market information and firm characteristics were significantly driving agribusinesses to contract base transactions. Besides, the desire to postpone payments (credit ...