Determinants of Choice of Cane Furniture as Household Commodity among the Elites

Abstract

This study evaluated the choice of people with higher level of formal education on cane furniture in Southern Ghana to provide information that could guide decisions of manufacturers and marketers of furniture. Data were collected using structured questionnaires administered on 712 selected respondents between June and August, 2013. The respondents were chosen from educated people with highest qualification ranging from HND to PhD levels. The questionnaire structured with rating scale of importance, excellent to poor ranking and strongly agreed to strongly disagreed statements on issues concerning factors that determine the choice of furniture in general and cane furniture to be specific. The results indicate that about 93% of the respondents considered the durability of the furniture material as paramount factor before they purchase it. But in terms of cane furniture, respondents ranked naturalness of the material first, secondly by attractiveness before durability as third among other factors. Kendal’s coefficient of concordance indicated significant differences in the factors that determine the choice of cane furniture. The significance of the attributes that determine the choice of cane furniture varied according to the gender, age, highest education, programme of study and net salary level. The results support recommendation of adding value to and promotion of non-timber forest products and lesser known furniture materials.