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The number of small-scale businesses within most national economies is generally high, especially in developing countries. Often these businesses have a weak economic status and limited environmental awareness. The type and amount of waste produced, and the recycling methods adopted by these businesses during their operation can have negative effects on the environment. This study investigated the types of waste generated and the recycling methods adopted in micro-sized enterprises engaged in the manufacture of furniture. An assessment was also made of whether the characteristics of the enterprise had any effect on the waste recycling methods that were practised. A survey was conducted of 31 enterprises in the furniture industry in Gumushane province, Turkey, which is considered a developing economy. Surveys were undertaken via face-to-face interviews. It was found that medium-density fibreboard (MDF), and to a lesser extent, chipboard, were used in the manufacture of furniture, and two major types of waste in the form of fine dust and small fragments of board are generated during the cutting of these boards. Of the resulting composite board waste, 96.9% was used for heating homes and workplaces, where it was burnt under conditions of incomplete combustion. Enterprises were found to have adopted other methods to utilise their wastes in addition to using them as fuel. Such enterprises include those operating from a basement or first floor of a building in the cities, those continuing production throughout the year, those in need for capital and those enterprises not operating a dust-collection system.

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Excessive inhalation of airborne wood dust has a negative impact on employees’ health and is a common issue. There are available hazard control methods to protect workers from exposure to airborne wood dust. These methods include ventilation of the workplace and the use of personal protective equipment against dust. In this study, micro-scale furniture manufacturing enterprises were investigated because the sector and the scale of the enterprise are among the factors affecting the exposure to dust. A structured questionnaire was conducted by face-to-face interview method in this study. In addition, workplaces and working conditions of 53 enterprises were observed during on-site visits to conduct the questionnaires. The relationship between categorical variables was investigated using the Chi-square test. Among the interviewed employees, 9.4% were not concerned about the harmful impact of solid wood dust on health. The least used ventilation method was local exhaust ventilation, and at any interviewed site the occupational exposure limit value to dust was unknown. Medium density fibreboard was the most preferred raw material. Because wood dust was generally underestimated as an occupational health risk factor, this study concludes that ventilation applications that reduce exposure to dust were also insufficient.

Enterprises are one of the main components of the economic system and they are indispensable for maintaining the sustainability of economic activities. The majority of these enterprises are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Sustainability of SMEs depends on their good financial management. Inadequate financial literacy causes SMEs’ owners to make inaccurate financial decisions. The forest products sector is mostly composed of micro-scale enterprises in which financial problems are common. Therefore, this study aims to reveal the financial literacy status of the owners of micro-scale and wood-processing enterprises. For this purpose, 78 enterprises were selected as study population. Data were collected by applying a structured questionnaire to 43 of these companies by the face-to-face interview method. The structured questionnaire consisted of multiple-choice and open-ended questions and statements prepared on the Five Likert scales. Data were analysed by using the Independent-Sample T-Test, Mann-Whitney U-Test and correlation test. The reliability coefficient of the data was found to be 0.791. Of the enterprises, 58 % produced in the furniture sub-sector and 42 % in the wood products sub-sector. This study provides evidence that there was no statistically significant difference between the knowledge means of economics and financial behaviour of the furniture and wood products sectors. However, the enterprise owners’ knowledge of financial analysis positively affected their financial literacy and financial behaviour.

Klasik finansal davranış teorisi, yatırımcıların her zaman rasyonel davranacağını varsayar. Bununla birlikte, yatırımcılar her zaman rasyonel davranmazlar. Bu durum davranışsal finansın ortaya çıkmasına neden olmuştur. Aldıkları eğitim sonucunda yatırımlarında ön yargılar yerine akılcı davranışlar sergiledikleri düşünülen mühendisler bu çalışmada hedef kitle olarak seçilmiştir. Ana evreni temsil edebilecek örneklem büyüklüğü belirlenmiş ve internet üzerinden belirlenen adreslere yapılandırılmış anket uygulanmıştır. Bu kapsamda çalışmaya 7 farklı disiplinden 113 mühendis katılmıştır. Verilerin değerlendirilmesinde açıklayıcı faktör analizi yapılarak mühendislerin davranışsal finans kararlarında etkili olan bileşenler belirlenmiştir. Ayrıca demografik ve diğer bazı özelliklerin davranışsal finans kararları üzerinde etkisi olup olmadığı araştırılmıştır. Buna göre; cinsiyet, medeni durum ve yatırım inceleme süresi davranışsal finans kararları üzerinde etkili bulunmamıştır. Genel olarak mühendislerin de yatırımlarında davranışsal finans teorisine uygun hareket ettikleri sonucuna ulaşılmıştır.

ÖzetMikro ölçekli işletmelerin payı, Türkiye'de kurulu toplam işletme sayısı içinde %95'dir. Orman ürünleri sanayi (OÜS) sektöründeki payı %98.6'dır. Bu ölçek grubundaki işletmeler, istihdam, üretim ve bölgeler arası ekonomik dengesizliğin giderilmesinde önemlidir. İmalat sanayi sektörü içinde üç alt kısımdan oluşan OÜS, Türk İmalat Sanayi içinde önemli bir yer tutar. Buradan hareketle, bu çalışmada Gümüşhane ili orman ürünleri sanayi işletmelerinin yapısal özellikleri incelenmiştir. Araştırma, yüz yüze anket yöntemiyle 47 işletme üzerinde gerçekleştirilmiştir. Bölgesel kavak odunlarını kullanması yönünden kereste kısmı özellikle önemli bulunmuştur. Kereste ve mobilya kısımları, toplamda, il imalat sanayi içinde işyeri sayısı açısından %28, istihdam açısından %26'lık paya sahiptirler. İşletmelerin %57'sinin sermaye, %55'inin işgücü bulma sorunları olduğu bulunmuştur. OÜS'nin işletme başına istihdama katkısı (2.55) il imalat sanayi ortalamasından (2.27) fazladır. Gümüşhane ili orman ürünleri sanayi işletmeleri, sahip oldukları yapısal özellikler yönünden Türkiye'nin diğer bölgelerindeki mikro ölçekli işletmelere benzerlik göstermektedir.Anahtar Kelimeler: Orman Ürünleri Sanayi, Yapısal Analiz, Gümüşhane Structural Analysis of Forest Product Businesses in GümüşhaneProvince AbstractIn total, 95% of all business enterprises established in Turkey are micro-scale, and this figure increases to 98.6% in the forest products industry. Micro-scale enterprises are important in terms of production, employment, and overcoming economic imbalances among regions. The forest products industry, which includes three subdivisions within the manufacturing sector, occupies an important place in the overall Turkish manufacturing sector. Thus, this study examined the structural characteristics of forest product enterprises in Gümüşhane Province. The research involved in-person interviews with personnel at 47 enterprises. The data revealed that the sawmill division was especially important with respect to the use of local poplar logs. The sawmill and furniture divisions accounted for 28% of all enterprises and 26% of all employees in the manufacturing sector in Gümüşhane. We found that 57% of enterprises had difficulty in finding working capital and 55% of enterprises experienced shortages of labour. The average contribution of each forest products business to employment (2.55) was more than that of other manufacturers in Gümüşhane (2.27). The forest product businesses in Gümüşhane resemble other micro-scale enterprises located in other regions of Turkey in terms of their structural properties.