Exploring Garland Market and Adoption to Technology Innovations in Hyderabad City, Telangana, India

Abstract

Background: Garland making is the symbol of culture, tradition and artistic endavour. Every place of the rituals and festive occasions, garland plays a key role. Still, under the veil of each beauties, there is a story of pain and strenuous labour of countless artisans. Purpose: Garland making is a painstaking and arduous activity. So, an attempt was taken to establish research findings related to socioeconomic profile of respondents, their operational difficulties and openness to embrace new technologies through this study by suggesting some strategic interventions. Research Methodology and Data Collection: To address the research questions, a purposive sampling technique was taken to select 100 garland vendors, ensuring representation of diverse socio-economic backgrounds in respective five floral market yards. After that 20 flower vendors were selected in their time free zone and responses were generated with a well-structured schedule through personal interviews. After that, data were processed through frequency, percentage, and Garrett’s ranking techniques for getting desired results. A detailed cross-tabulation technique was also done after that to assess the adoption and willingness levels in relation to gender, income, and education. Findings: It was observed that middle age group respondents (45%) shared majorly by women (58%), nuclear family (74%) with 2-4 family members (62%) formed the primary group with the sample categories. Again, it was also found that human driven issues followed by perishability of products (flower) and non-uniformity were two major problems encountered by the vendors in their business operations. When knitting machine technology was considered in garland making practices, higher education and better income levels, particularly among male counterparts, were found to have a positive impact on the garland-making business. Conclusion: Technology can support stakeholders significantly in garland-making business by enhancing their efficiency and interests. However, adoption rate is found to be influenced by socio-economic factors, especially among women. Targeted training, financial support, and need based incentives are essential one to encourage wider technological acceptance by ensuring sustainable livelihoods.