Agricultural Extension and Communication PDF

AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION AND COMMUNICATION CHAPTER 5: TECHNOLOGY DIFFUSION AND ADOPTION PROCESS THE ADOPTION PROCESS Innovation - An idea, or practice, or technology perceived as new by a Person Adoption - The process by which a person is exposed to, evaluates, and acc...

AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION AND COMMUNICATION CHAPTER 5: TECHNOLOGY DIFFUSION AND ADOPTION PROCESS THE ADOPTION PROCESS Innovation - An idea, or practice, or technology perceived as new by a Person Adoption - The process by which a person is exposed to, evaluates, and accept/practice or reject a particular innovation. - It is the decision to make full use of the technology as the best option possible Characteristics of an Innovation that Determine its Adoption Relative Advantage - The degree to which a farmer recognizes an innovation as better than the idea or practice he/she is currently practicing. Compatibility - The degree to which a farmer perceives the innovation/new idea to be consistent with his socio-cultural values and beliefs, and with previously introduced ideas and felt needs Complexity - The degree to which a farmer can understand and follow an Innovation. Trialability - The degree to which an innovation can be experimented or duplicated on a small scale basis. Observability - The degree to which the results of an innovation can easily be observed by the farmers Diffusion process - DeDined as the spreading of information from a source to its intended or unintended receivers or users and the stages through which adoption process. - A process of which an innovation is communicated through certain channels over time among the members of a social system. The stages in the adoption process before farmers adopt new technology are, namely: a. AWARENESS, a stage when a person knows that an idea exists but lacks details and information about it. b. INTEREST, a stage when a person seeks more factual information as to what it is, how it works and what its advantages are c. EVALUATION, when an individual shows marked interest in the idea as it applies to his farming operation and family.  d. TRIAL, a stage whereby an individual has weighed the advantages and risks involved and whether he can try it on a small scale, the individual actually applies the new idea on a small scale in order to determine its utility in his own situation. e. ADOPTION, as the Dinal stage of the diffusion process which is described as full/large scale and continuous use of the idea. Note: 1. The farmer can also reject the innovation based on his/her observation and assessment. 2. The Dive stages may not always occur in expected order, the trial stage may be skipped and evaluation stage may occur throughout the whole process. 3. Adoption may not always be the end process but more information may be needed to conDirm, reinforce or switch decision. Stages in the Adoption Process (Further Explanation) 1. Awareness At this stage, an individual becomes aware or exposed to the new idea. He knows the new idea existed but he lacks details and information concerning it. As an example, the farmer may know only the name but may not know what the idea or product is, what it will do or how it will work. 2. Interest At the interest stage, an individual wants more information about the idea or product. He wants to know what is, how it works and what its potentialities are. He may say to himself that this might help him increase his income, or help him control insects or diseases or improve farming or home life in some other way. 3. Evaluation The individual makes an assessment of the new idea. The individual makes mental application of the new idea to his present and anticipated future situation and decides whether or not to try it. The farmer applies the information obtained in the previous stages to his own situation. The farmer considers the advantages and the disadvantages of using the innovation. 4. Trial Farmer tests the innovation on a small scale basis it he decides that the lead is going to be beneDicial for him. Apparently, individuals need to test a new Idea even though they have thought about it for a long time and have gathered information concerning it. 5. Adoption This stage is characterized by large scale, continued use of the idea, and most of all, by satisfaction with the idea in preference to the old method. Innovation-Decision Process Theory 1. KNOWLEDGE ü Stage when the individual learns of the existence of the innovation and gains some understanding of its function. ü The individual is exposed to the innovation's existence and gains some understanding of how it functions. 2. PERSUASION ü Individual forms a favorable or unfavorable opinion of the innovation. 3. DECISION ü Individual engages in activities that lead to a choice between adoption and rejection of the innovation. 4. IMPLEMENTATION ü Individual puts an innovation into use. 5. CONFIRMATION ü Individual seeks further reinforcement of his decision or reverses his decision if he found conDlicting messages about the innovation. Individual Innovativeness Theory Innovativeness - It is the degree to which an individual is relatively earlier in adopting new ideas that the other members or the system - It is the best single indicator of modernization. Modernization - It is deDined as the process by which individuals change from a traditional way of life to a more complex, technologically advanced, and rapidly changing style of life. Individual Innovativeness Theory - This theory states that individuals who are risk takers or otherwise innovative will adopt an innovation earlier in the continuum of adoption diffusion. CATEGORIES OF ADOPTERS 1. Innovators 2. Early adopters 3. Early majority 4. Late majority 5. Laggards INNOVATORS [Venturesome] Characteristics: The Dirst people in a locality to adopt an innovation/new idea Have larger farms, higher net worth, more educated and informed Highly respected and have prestige  Takes calculated risks Experiments EARLY ADOPTERS [Respectable] Characteristics: Follow the innovators Usually younger than average, have higher education than those slower to adopt Participate actively in community organizations and programs More Informed, reads papers and magazines EARLY MAJORITY [Deliberate] Characteristics: Slightly above average in age, education and farming experience. Not elected leaders but are active in the community Most likely inform a leaders and have limited resources than innovators and early adopters. Adopts new ideas after they are convinced of its value as seen LATE MAJORITY [Skeptical] Characteristics Make up a large block of farmers in the community Have less education and older than the early majority Less active in associations and organizations Skeptical about new information and ideas Hesitant to discard old knowledge and techniques learned Adopt a practice only when itis majority by the community LAGGARDS [Traditional] Characteristics: Last people to adopt an innovation Suspicious of the innovations, the innovators, and the change agent Very conservative Usually the oldest, least educated and wealthy Not risk takers Usually believes in superstitious and indigenous knowledge Decision to adopt depends on their past experiences Adoption Rate Rate of adoption is the relative speed with which an innovation is adopted by members of a social system, measured as the number of receivers who adopt a new idea in a speciDied time period. The theory states that innovations diffused over time that resembles an S-shaped curve. - Rate of Adoption theorizes that diffusion takes place over time with innovations going through a slow, gradual growth period, followed by dramatic and rapid growth, and then a gradual stabilization and Dinally a decline STRATEGIES TO EFFECT ADOPTION 1. Extension Worker Intervention 2. Progressive Farmer Strategy 3. Mass Marketing 4. Follower-farmer Strategy 5. Selective Farmer-to-Farmer 1. Extension Worker Intervention - Extension workers are valuable agents for quick diffusion and adoption or innovations - As "carrier" of information, they must possess important traits such as credibility, because of good understanding of farmers and his problems, nature of technology, extension methods, research results, etc. 2. Progressive Farmer Strategy - Extension agents usually are in direct contact with progressive farmers from whom innovations diffuse - Use of progressive farmers has its attraction to extension workers especially if they are working under the pressure of targets (e.g. fertilizers to be distributed, areas to be planted with new varieties, etc.) 3. Mass Marketing - Uses advertising to reach each member of the target market directly  - Involves huge communication systems to give info regarding product availability to consumers - Feedback data to producers re consumers' wants - Can create broad public awareness of critical issues, - Can be used to introduce new product (e.g. new brand of chemical fertilizer), the modiDication of existing ones (e.g. organic composting), restricted consumption of inputs (e.g. use of herbicides), and promotion of change in existing institutions - Requires careful design and delivery of products to properly identiDied and analyzed homogeneous target markets 4. Follower-Farmer - Emerged from the T & V system introduced in many Third World countries largely through the encouragement and support of The World Bank - Contact farmers are identiDied from among groups of families or households in one village - Extension worker works with contact farmers - System revolves around an intensive visit of extension workers to contact farmers - During visits, extension worker transfers information to contact farmers who in turn pass on the info to the farm households that they are in charge of 5. Selective Farmer-to-Farmer - Knowledge or info acquired by a farmer is transferred to another farmer through informal discussion in Dield and villages - Conversation can also happen during leisure time and on social and religious occasions. - Relatives, friends, and others listen to and participate in the discussions Explanations for Rejection/ Adoption of Technology 'INDIVIDUAL-BLAME' Hypothesis - I am poor, I have low educational attainment, traditional, fatalistic 'SYSTEM-BLAME' Hypothesis - Leadership is traditional, power relationship is exploitative, etc. PRO-INNOVATION' Bias - The innovation is okay, it is the farmer's fault.