3.4. Study population
William fox (1992:06) defines population as «a set of
cases from which a sample is drawn and to which a researcher wants to
generalize». He continues by asserting that population is data pertaining
to all or almost all cases to which a researcher wants to generalize.
For any study to succeed, information needs to be
representative of the population covered by the research questions. A
population refers to the total number of elements covered by the research
questions (Scott, Iet al 1998:307).
«Population can be defined as the totality of persons or
objects with which a study is concerned». Grinnell et al (1990:118).
Christensen (1991:101) asserts that, population refers to all
the events, things or individuals that are the objects of investigation. This
research is made to study the relationship between small and medium enterprises
and rural development in Rwanda, thus the researcher surveyed a selected unit
(enterprise) techniqually determined. The population under study was comprised
of stakeholders of enterprise.
3. 4. 1. Population
determination
As it has been indicated above, given the width of this topic
under study, the population is also wide as it is located in rural areas where
agriculture dominates. Despite the fact that the population under this study is
derived from a selected enterprise and this population is formed by cultivators
working with enterprise.
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