Financing Indigenous entrepreneurs:A review and research agenda

Empowering Indigenous communities through entrepreneurialism is touted as key for reducing Indigenous disadvantage, but little headway has been made. One core and persistent issue is difficulty accessing finance to support growth. To understand why and to guide future policy and research, we review the current state of research on Indigenous financing and develop a thematic framework around four themes: political-economic environment; antecedents to the financing decision; financial solutions; and financial preferences, decisions and outcomes. Indigenous entrepreneurs face unique intercultural, social and economic barriers to finance, and these need to be better understood to help accelerate Indigenous community development through entrepreneurial activity.</p

Financing indigenous entrepreneurs: a review and research agenda

Empowering Indigenous communities through entrepreneurialism is touted as key for reducing Indigenous disadvantage, but little headway has been made. One core and persistent issue is difficulty accessing finance to support growth. To understand why and to guide future policy and research, we review the current state of research on Indigenous financing and develop a thematic framework around four themes: political-economic environment; antecedents to the financing decision; financial solutions; and financial preferences, decisions, and outcomes. Indigenous entrepreneurs face unique intercultural, social, and economic barriers to finance, and these need to be better understood to help accelerate Indigenous community development through entrepreneurial activity

Determination of lethal dose (LD50) and sensitivity of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) to sodium azide for induction of mutation

The present experiment was conducted in the year 2021 at Sri Karan Narendra Agriculture University, Jobner, Rajasthan, to determine the optimum dose (LD50) and duration of the chemical mutagen treatment for the induction of desirable mutation. A set of 100 pre-soaked fenugreek seeds were treated with 12 different concentrations of sodium azide, viz. 0.3 mM, 0.6 mM, 1 mM, 2 mM, 3 mM, 4 mM, 5 mM, 6 mM, 7 mM, 8 mM, 9 mM and 10 mM for three different durations, viz. 3 h, 6 h and 9 h. Results showed that a dose-dependent decreasing tendency was observed in germination percentage, survival percentage, root length and shoot length with increasing concentration and duration of sodium azide treatment. Almost all the mutagenic treatments resulted in decrease in germination percentage, survival percentage and seedling height (root and shoot length) with increasing concentrations and duration of mutagen in laboratory conditions. Also, the LD50 value was observed as an 8 mM sodium azide concentration for 6 h in fenugreek. The mutagen treatments given at 9 h duration were detrimental for fenugreek. They cannot be used for mutation induction as they are utterly lethal after a 3 mM sodium azide concentration. So, lower treatments of mutagens have influenced less biological damage and would be suitable for inducing desirable mutations

VIDEOS IN THE CHOUPAL: KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER WITH PARTIAL TEMPLATES

Extant research suggests that the use of templates may facilitate the transfer of sticky knowledge. However, the use of templates is prohibitively costly. We examine the use of ‘partial templates,’ which we define as incomplete representations of the knowledge intended for transfer, and ask: “What determines the degree of success of knowledge transfer when a partial template is used?” We explore a theoretically extreme case of knowledge-transfer using partial templates among rural Indian farmers. We find that the success of transfer through a partial template depends to a large extent on the re-creation of knowledge through high-quality dialogue, which depends on the extent to which the social context of knowledge reception facilitates inclusion, participation, and trust. We seek to contribute to theory by developing the concept of partial templates, highlighting the role of knowledge re-creation, and better understanding how the social context of reception influences the success of knowledge transfer

How do Intermediaries Build Inclusive Markets? The Role of the Social Context

Intermediaries – organizations that connect actors who could not otherwise transact – play an important role in building inclusive markets. However, we know little about how the specific characteristics of the social context influence the effectiveness of intermediary activities. The purpose of this study is to unpack how the fit between intermediaries’ activities and the social context shapes the success of efforts to build inclusive markets. Using an in‐depth qualitative study in India, we examine how intermediaries’ activities fit with two central features of the social context – inequality and dependence. Our study contributes to the literature by suggesting a contingent view of the process by which intermediaries build inclusive markets

Study of heterosis for grain yield and its components in wheat (Triticum aestivum L. em. Thell.)

The extent of wheat heterosis was determined by synthesizing 45 hybrids in a 10×10 diallel method, eliminating reciprocals, to determine how widespread it is. The 57 entries that made up the experimental material—10 parents, 45 crosses and 2 checks (HD 3086 and UP 2628), were assessed over the course of rabi 2018–19 using a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications, and observations were made for 12 characters. For yield and its component traits, analyses of heterosis over mid parent, better parent and two standard checks were conducted. ANOVA exposed that there was a high significance existed among all the genotypes for all the characters studied. Yield and its contributing traits have been evaluated for their maximum heterotic range. One cross i.e., CAL/NH//H567.71/3/SER1/4/CAL/NH//H567.71/5/2* KAU2/6/...×PBW 692 showed positive significance for relative heterosis, heterobeltiosis and standard heterosis over both checks for grain yield per plant. In terms of the number of productive tillers per plant and the number of grains per spike, UP 2901×QLD 73 was found to be a superior heterotic F1. By displaying a negative significant standard heterosis over both checks, the cross between CAL/NH//H567.71/3/SER1/4/CAL/NH//H567.71/5/2*KAU2/6/...×UP 2901 demonstrated its earliness. The desired significant relative heterosis, heterobeltiosis and standard heterosis for spike length were present in HD 3234×UP 2762. The finest heterotic cross combinations for harvest index were determined to be CAL/NH//H567.71/3/SER1/4/CAL /NH//H567.71/5/2* KAU2/6/...×UP 2762 and VORB/SOKOLL×QLD 73. Higher heterotic crossings may be used to identify transgressive segregants that will increase bread wheat production and yield-contributing characteristics

The Transformative Power of Knowledge Sharing in Settings of Poverty and Social Inequality

Knowledge sharing is central to reducing inequality and alleviating poverty. However, communities in settings of extreme poverty are often bounded by distinct perspectives and understandings that hinder knowledge sharing. Furthermore, social fault lines may create internal boundaries that impede interaction, further complicating knowledge sharing. Despite these challenges, some knowledge sharing efforts are successful. The purpose of this study is to better understand how knowledge sharing overcomes boundaries in settings of extreme inequality and poverty. Using qualitative data from rural India, we find that boundary work performed by boundary spanners overcomes external and internal boundaries by creating space for action, observation, and reflection in the recipient community. These actions, or syncretizing mechanisms, transform newly introduced knowledge, which then facilitates further boundary work, resulting in community transformation. Under certain circumstances, we see how boundary work and syncretism can lead to significant knowledge and recipient transformation. Thus, we seek to contribute to the literature by more fully exploring the transformative power of knowledge sharing within contexts of extreme poverty, and by explaining the process by which it occurs.This research was supported by Research Grants Council of Hong Kong (GRF Grants: PolyU 548210 to the first author and PolyU 549211 to the first and the third author), travel funding from the Higgin Kim Business Program at Miami University (to the second author), and IDRC Doctoral Research Award (# 107473- 99906075-074 to the third author)

Leveraging ICT to Overcome Complementary Institutional Voids: Insights from Institutional Work by a Social Enterprise to Help Marginalized

There is, in general, a dearth of empirical inquiries on how institutional voids are filled through institutional work in marginalized communities. Extant studies have focussed on institutional work that addresses solitary institutional void, mostly in formal settings. In this paper, we inquire the case of a social entrepreneurial venture in India that identified two complementary institutional voids (productive ageing void of the urban elderly and rural education void of children) and attempted to simultaneously address the two voids. The issue of physical distance between the two groups was overcome by enacting an ICT platform. We also show how the institutional challenges associated with the ICT implementation led them to pursue different kinds of institutional works in their context. We then identify different theoretical dimensions of institutional works that could be used in marginalized contexts. Finally, we show how the ‘complementary voids’ approach has implications for both theory and practice

Assessment of Genetic Variability for Morpho-physiological and Yield Traits in Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

In order to estimate genetic variability parameters for seventeen traits of wheat, 28 F1s were obtained by crossing 8 parents in 8×8 diallel fashion, excluding reciprocals and evaluation trial was laid down in randomised complete block design at Pantnagar, Uttarakhand. Analysis of variance revealed that highly significant differences between genotypes exist for all seventeen characters. Eleven out of seventeen characters were observed to exhibit elevated values for both the PCV and GCV. The observed phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) values was determined to be greater than the genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) values, indicating that the expression of traits is comparatively less influenced by environmental factors. A significant degree of heritability, along with a notable genetic advance, was observed for various traits, including flag leaf area, followed by grain yield, biological yield, canopy temperature depression (CTD), harvest index, tillers per plant, peduncle length, grains per spike, awn length, plant height, grain filling duration, spikelet per spike, spike length, and normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) content. This study has thus identified significant genetic variability in wheat traits, highlighted traits with high heritability and genetic advance, and suggested that these traits could be targeted for improvement in wheat breeding programs