A Discourse Analysis of Research Texts on Mumpreneurs

Research investigating female entrepreneurs has developed considerably over the past two decades. However, the muprenurship concept is still a relatively under-researched area, and represents a challenging research field. Departing from a social constructionist understanding of mumpreneurs, this study examines how the entrepreneurial mothers are constructed in research articles. The paper makes use of discourse analysis to examine a selection of empirical research articles from 2000 to 2017 on mumpreneurs in entrepreneurship research in order to convey the key concept, main findings, key contribution, and the methodology. The analysis of the research texts revealed several assumptions and constructs that were taken for granted about mumpreneurs. Main findings based on the discourse analysis reveal five hegemonic statements: Mumpreneurs are not ‘proper’ entrepreneurs, many women face competing and often contradictory societal expectations when they are combining motherhood and business, entrepreneurship supporting motherhood, new entrepreneurial identity: ‘I am not just a housewife, and mumpreneurs’ motivations change over and the life course. The practices and the research results are moreover dependent on the particular context in which the articles are produced. This means that their results and assumptions cannot be generalized to other contexts uncritically.</p

Developing an economic, environmental and agronomic case for the increased use of organic amendments in South Asia

Aggressive fertilizer subsidies throughout South Asia have led to a rapid increase in the use of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers such as urea at the farm level. While this has been successful in increasing yields, significant yield gaps remain between potential and actual farm yields, while unbalanced or over application of fertilizers potentially damages soil and environmental health. This project examined organic amendment (OA) application in India and Sri Lanka on productivity, soil properties and greenhouse gas emissions. In India, poultry, farm-yard manure and vermi-compost were applied to a paddy rice crop, and the potential benefits followed through to a post-rice chickpea crop. In Sri Lanka, we tested the optimal combination of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer rates when using municipal-waste compost in a multi-year maize-soybean rotation. Results at both trial sites saw an increase in crop yields under OA application; in particular chickpea yields from farm-yard manure and after repeated application of municipal-waste compost. However, all OA treatments increased emissions of the greenhouse gases nitrous oxide and methane due to additional nitrogen or carbon availability. Furthermore, the low nutrient content and relatively high cost of the OA’s, particularly the composts, made them uneconomical as nutrient sources compared to conventional fertilizers

Impacts of woody invader Dillenia suffruticosa (Griff.) Martelli on physical, chemical and biological properties of soil

Invasive alien species (IAS) cause irreversible changes to abiotic and biotic properties of ecological communities, hence become a worrying problem at the global scale. Para, (Dillenia suffruticosa (Griffith) Martelli. – Family - Dilleniaceae), that spread fast in low-lying areas in wet zone of Sri Lanka, is currently listed as a nationally important IAS that deserves attention in ecological studies. Thus, impact of this woody invader on physical, chemical and biological properties of soil was investigated. Five sampling sites were identified along a total distance of 46 km from Avissawella to Ratnapura. At each site, two adjacent plots (1 m x10 m each for D. suffruticosa present D+ and absent D-) were outlined.Soil physical, chemical and biological properties were determined using standard procedures and compared between D+ and D- by ANOVA using SPSS software. Rate of decomposition of D. suffruticosa leaves was also determined using the litter bag technique at 35% and 50% moisture levels. Above ground plant species richness was compared using Jaccard and Sorenson diversity indices. Particle size distribution was related to soil texture and D+ soil showed a much higher percentage of large soil particles. Further, higher % porosity together with lower bulk densities for almost all D+ sites was a clear indication that the soil was affected. The results for pH were always significantly lower for D+ than D- thus developing acidic soils whereas conductivity has been significantly high making soil stressed. Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) in almost all the sites showed a significant drop with D+ further indicating that soils were highly disturbed due to the presence of this invasive plant. This was a remarkable finding to be concerned with as soil fertility/quality largely depends on CEC. Nitrate in the present study showed varied results. Significantly higher values in the phosphorous content of soil were reported in D+ soil in all the sites and this may be attributed to the high decomposition rates recorded and the chemical compounds present in D. suffruticosa leaves.The results obtained for microbial biomass were unexpected as no impact from D. suffruticosa was reported although both soil physical and chemical parameters indicated some degree of soil degradation. However, higher biomass values recorded for almost all the D+ sites together with significantly higher number of bacterial colonies could be related to the unexpectedly recorded higher Organic Carbon. When decomposition rate of D. suffruticosa leaves was considered, it was 0.014g/day and 0.011 g/day respectively at 35% and 50% moisture levels. This clearly shows that the leaves of this plant are highly susceptible for decomposition irrespective of moisture. It seems that decomposition rate is the main parameter that governs the microbial biomass despite of the negative impacts on the physical and chemical properties of soil by D. suffruticosa. Both the Jaccard and Sorenson indices indicated that D+ and D- sites were dissimilar with respect to above ground plant species richness. Thus, changes in soil properties due to the growth of invasive D. suffruticosa were identified and further studies are needed before concluding on the degree of soil deterioration

Antecedents of Facebook Updates, and the Role of Personality of Facebook Users in Sri Lanka

This study is to prove the impact of different motives in updating Facebook status and role of personality in Facebook updates. Therefore, the study is focus to identify the impact of motive namely validation, communication and self-expression on Facebook status updates while it is examining the moderation effect of individual personality on original relationship. As study is based on the Facebook users, population of the study consist of all Facebook users and based on the convenience sampling method researchers have selected 252 Facebook users in Sri Lanka as the sample of the study. Data were collected from the sample using a researcher developed questionnaire. In order to prove hypotheses and make inferences, regression analysis was employed in the study. Moreover, regression analysis proved that there is an impact from validation, communication and self-expression on Facebook status updates. Further, the relationship between validation, communication and self-expression with Facebook status update is moderated by the extraversion and openness to experience. Based on the inferences of the study, it can be concluded that validation, communication and self-expression act as motives to update Facebook status and the intensity of that motives depend on the personality of an individua

Changes in soil chemistry associated with the establishment of forest gardens on eroded, acidified grassland soils in Sri Lanka

Topsoil properties were determined in forest gardens established about 20 years ago on eroded grassland soils (abandoned tea lands) in the wet zone of the Sri Lankan highlands. They were compared with adjacent, eroded grasslands (abandoned tea lands) on strongly weathered soils vs soils at earlier stages of pedogenic development in a two-way analysis of variance. Soil pH in forest gardens was, on average, 6.1, nearly one unit higher than in the adjacent grasslands. In the garden soils, the cation exchange capacity (CEC measured at pH 4.8) was nearly double, exchangeable calcium concentrations five times and exchangeable magnesium three times as high as in the grasslands soils. Total soil N content was found to be nearly 40% higher in the gardens. Topsoil gravel contents in the gardens were less than half as high as in the grasslands. The increases in exchangeable bases and N in gardens, relative to grasslands, were attributed to increased nutrient retention and acquisition. Higher retention was partly due to the higher CECpH4.8, and probably to reduced erosion and increased, continuous fine root density in the garden topsoils. Higher field CEC in gardens was likely to result from generally higher C contents and from the reversal of acidification, presumably caused by base accumulation and decomposition processes. Our results suggest that forest garden establishment on degraded grasslands can lead to accumulation of mobile nutrients in the topsoil, probably due to increased nutrient retention, subsoil uptake and litter input exceeding nutrient uptake by the standing biomass

Carbon limits non-linear response of nitrous oxide (N2O) to increasing N inputs in a highly-weathered tropical soil in Sri Lanka

There is growing evidence for a positive non-linear response in N2O emissions where increasing N fertilizer rates critically exceed crop requirements from a range of cropping systems. However, the majority of these studies have been conducted in temperate regions, and it remains unclear if the non-linear response hypothesis can be transferred to tropical regions due to their inherently lower carbon (C) content and fertility. This study assessed the impact of different nitrogen (N) fertilizer application rates in combination with a carbon source (green-waste compost) on soil nitrous oxide (N2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and crop productivity from a maize-soybean rotation in tropical Sri Lanka. Low cation exchange capacity and extremely high rainfall promoted higher annual cumulative N2O emissions than reported from other cropping systems, ranging from 2.4–9.16 kg N2O-N ha−1 yr−1 for the different fertilizer rates (0 N, 100 N, 220 N, 300 N). The ΔN2O emitted for every additional kilogram of fertilizer N applied (i.e. the marginal N2O emission), declined from ∼24 g kg−1 for the first 0−100 kg N applied to 7 g kg−1 at 300 kg N. This resulted in declining Emission Factors with increasing N rate, as factors other than N limited denitrification. The addition of compost removed this limitation, resulting in constant ΔN2O production rates and Emission Factors with increasing N inputs, suggesting low C availability limited N2O production at high N rates. The study shows that the non-linear response hypothesis might not hold for highly weathered tropical soils, where C availability limits N2O emissions at high N inputs. While the use of compost can be a viable option to increase soil fertility in these highly weathered tropical soils, it needs to be balanced with reduced N fertilizer application rates to avoid elevated losses of N2O