In examining institutional influence on rural households’ Mirt stove adoption decision in the study area, institutional variables of denying open forest access, provision of services and supports and decentralization of Mirt stove production sites were analyzed. These institutional variables’ influence on Mirt stove adoption decision is discussed below.
When series of likert-type questions/items are used to measure a single main variable or character, mean and standard deviation are more proper in analyzing the data than using of mode and median(Boone & Boone, 2012). In this study, denying access to open forest, providing services, providing supports and decentralizing Mirt stove production sites were five scale likert response questions (from 1=strongly disagree 3= neutral to 5= strongly agree) to examine institutional influence on households’ Mirt stove adoption decision. As a result, the data were analyzed by using mean for central tendency and standard deviation for variability. So that, when the mean response is below 3 it indicates that the variable is either disagreed or strongly disagreed and when it is above 3 shows that either the variable is agreed or strongly agreed. In addition to mean, frequency and percentage were used.
Table 4.12: Mirt Stove Adoption and Institutional Factors
Items SD D N A SA Total Mean St.dev site to users can reduce its cost, such as transportation cost
NB: SD=Strongly disagree, D= Disagree, N=Neutral, A=Agree, SA=Strongly agree
As Table 4.12 presents, denying open forest access, provision of services and supports and decentralization of Mirt stove production sites were found important factors that affect Mirt stove adoption decision with average mean of 4.21.
As it is observed from the above table, decentralization of Mirt stove production sites to the potential users that can reduce the cost of Mirt stove, with mean of 4.63, was found to be the most important institutional factor that affects households Mirt stove adoption decision at the study area. Consistent to this mean value, majority (72.4 %) of respondents strongly agreed that decentralization of Mirt stove production sites reduces the cost of Mirt stove. This may be due to Mirt stove’s larger size and heavier weight to transport by users themselves: as a result, it may need other means of transportation that costs, in addition to its price. The variable that decentralization of Mirt stove production sites reduces the probability of the stove to be broken was found the other institutional factor in influencing Mirt stove adoption decision with mean of 4.50. In line with this mean value, majority (64.3 %) of respondents strongly agreed that decentralization of Mirt stove production sites reduces the probability of the stove to be broken. Two of the plausible explanations might be problematic topography or unleveled road and long distance transportation. In rugged road regions or areas the probability of adoption of Mirt stove declines due to its fragility during transportation.
Likewise, in long distance transportation the fragility of stove increases; as a result, the probability of adoption of Mirt stove decreases.
The other institutional variable that decentralization of production sites influences the availability and accessibility of Mirt stove was found to be one factor with mean of 4.43. In line with this mean value, majority (59.0 %) of respondents strongly agreed that decentralization of production sites influences the availability and accessibility of Mirt stove.
Denying open forest access, provision of services and supports were also found to be the other important institutional factors that affect Mirt stove adoption decision with mean of 3.76, 3.99 and 3.97, respectively. This may be, partly, because the role of institutions in creating an enabling working environment by providing different services and supports to Mirt stove producers can influence the production of Mirt stove. And in case of highly availability of Mirt stove and in expanded public awareness about its benefits, the probability of adoption may be high.
This descriptive analysis result was supported by the data gained from the key informants.
The key informants responded that the nearby government institutions, through energy experts, health extensions, agriculture development agents and others such as schools, affect the production and rural household’s Mirt stove adoption decision by providing different services such as awareness creation, training to both users and producers, quality control, price regulation, local forest protection and material and technical supports. The Woreda institutions mainly the Woreda agricultural office, the Woreda water office, through rural energy experts, provide stove accessories or basic hand tools such as spade and trowel as well as specialized facility such as Mirt mould and wooden boards to the producers.
According to key informants, the other way institutions can influence rural households Mirt stove purchasing decision was decentralization of Mirt stove production sites into village level. They assert that if the Mirt stove production sites are decentralized at village and other lower levels, the costs incurred for transportation and the probability of the to be broken will be reduced, and this condition, in part, increases the interest of households to purchase Mirt stove.
The other institutional factor that affects the probability of Mirt stove adoption is the access to credit. All of the key informants agreed that the access to credit for the low income producers and consumers may help to overcome liquidity constraint to produce and purchase Mirt stove.
From these findings on can understand that denying open forest access, provision of services and supports and decentralization of Mirt stove production sites and personnel were found to be important institutional factors that affect Mirt stove adoption decision. This study came up with similar findings of Puzzolo et al (2013) and Agarwal (1983) that found extension (e.g.
awareness creation) and financial access to the users and the producer positive institutional determinant factors for the adoption of improved wood-burning stoves. This study is also consistent with the empirical works of Makonese, Chikowore and Annegarn (2006) that found training, technology and information exchange, technology standard and decentralizing energy systems as institutional factors to influence the production, dissemination and adoption of improved cookstoves.