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Diffusion of Agricultural Innovation Through Opinion Leadership

Islam, K. A.
Bangladesh Bank, Khulna

Bashar, M.A.
Dept.of Agricultural Extension and Information system, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka-1207

Akhter, N.
Dept.of Agricultural Botany, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka-1207

Mia, M.A.T.
Dept.of Agricultural Science, Dhaka Residential Model College, Dhaka

Afroj, M.
Dept. of Agribusiness and Marketing, Faculty of Agribusiness Management, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka-1207

Rahman, M.M.
Dept.of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh

Baque, M. A.
Dept.of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

The aim of the study was to determine the role of opinion leadership in diffusion of agricultural innovation. The study was performed in the Alamdanga Upazila under Chuadanga district. Among the unions of Alamdanga Upazila Kalidaspur union has been selected as the study area. Fifty five farmers were randomly selected to explore the opinion leader. Thus 165 names of opinion leaders were found. After cross checking and deducted the duplicate name a list was prepared with 138 local leaders and communicate with them for interviewing and bring into being available 115. Among the respondents, the highest 54.80 percent respondent opinion leaders belongs to the group of lowest role in diffusion of agricultural innovation followed by 34.80 percent in moderate role group and the lowest percentage 10.40 percent n highest group in diffusion of agricultural innovation. Education level, extent of advice on adoption of agricultural innovation, innovativeness, organization participation, agricultural knowledge, motivational activities and diffusion network had significantly positive relationships with role of opinion leadership in diffusion of agricultural innovation. Annual income had no significant positive relationships with role of opinion leadership in diffusion of agricultural innovation. Besides, age and family size of the respondents had no significant negative relationship with role of opinion leadership in diffusion of agricultural 1^st and serve as center of inter personal communication network in positioned 10^th as per in case of role of opinion leadership in diffusion of agricultural innovation.

Keywords: Leadership, Diffusion, Innovation

Location: Kalidaspur union of Alamdanga Upazila under Chuadanga District

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Knowledge Management

Non-commodity: Diffusion

Objectives:

Present study was conducted with the objectives are (1) To determine the role of opinion leadership in diffusion of agricultural innovation, (2) To identify and describe the characteristics of identified opinion leaders. (3) To identify the relationship between selected characteristics of opinion leaders and their role in diffusion of innovation and (4) To prepare a rank order of role of opinion leadership in diffusion of agricultural innovation.

Methodology:

The study was performed in Kalidaspur union of Alamdanga Upazila under Chuadanga District. An update list of 556 farmers of Kalidashpur Union was collected from Upazila Agriculture Office of Alamdanga Upazila. Among them 55 farmers at the rate of 10% were randomly selected to explore the opinion leaders. The selected 55 farmers were brought together unofficially in a discussion sleeting. Each farmer was asked to mention 3 names from whom they seek advice and suggestions for their family affairs, agricultural matters, marketing and other social matters. Thus 165 names of opinion leaders were found. After cross checking, 27 of duplicate names were found in the list which were discarded and communicated with them for interviewing. Thus, 138 names were found as local leaders. Out of which 115 were available at the time of interview. Thus these 115 local leaders constituted the sample of the study. Data were collected through interview schedule. Role of opinion leadership in diffusion of agricultural innovation was considered as dependent variable. Age, level of education, family size, annual income, extent of advice on adoption of agricultural innovation, innovativeness, organizational participation, agricultural knowledge, motivational activities, and diffusion network were considered as independent variables. Age of a opinion leader was calculated by the period of time from his/her birth to interview and it was calculated in terms of complete years on the basis of their response. Level of education was measured in terms of class passed by respondent opinion leader. The family size of a respondent was measured in terms of total number of family members in his family including himself, spouse, children, siblings, parents and other person who jointly live and ate together. The term annual income refers to the annual gross income of a respondent opinion leader himself and the members of his family from different sources. It was expressed in taka. Extent of advice on adoption of agricultural innovation of the respondent opinion leaders was calculated on the basis of the type of activities through which they advice to their fellow farmers. Innovativeness of the opinion leader was measured on the basis of using different technologies as duration after hearing of the technology. Organizational participation of respondent opinion leader was calculated on the basis of the nature of his participation in a selected organization. Agricultural knowledge of an opinion leader was measured by asking thirty questions on different aspect of agriculture to the respondent opinion leaders. Motivational activities of opinion leaders were measured on the basis of 10 different defined activities and the extent of motivation. Diffusion network of an opinion leader was measured by computing a network source score. A total of 14 items of diffusion network source were used for the calculation of diffusion network. For measuring the role of opinion leadership in diffusion of agricultural innovation the roles of opinion leadership in diffusion of agricultural innovation were first identified. In this regard 10 roles of opinion leaders were recorded. Thus total role of opinion leader score was calculated by summing up all the obtaining scores against each role. The score then could range from 030, where 0 indicated no role performance and 30 indicated high role performance. Role playing index was constituted with 10 leadership activities using the following formula: RPI =Œ RnotX 0 + RraX 1 + RoccX 2 + RreX 3 Where, Rnot= Score of opinion leaders playing not any extent role Rra= Score of opinion leaders playing rarely extent role Rocc= Score of opinion leaders playing occasionally extent role Rre= Score of opinion leaders playing regularly extent role Null hypothesis was formulated as: “There are no relationships between each of 10 selected characteristics of the opinion leaders and their role in diffusion of agricultural innovation”. Data collection was started in 07 October, 2014 and completed in 12 November, 2014. After data collection all were compiled, tabulated and analyzed according to the goal of the study. SPSS were used for analyzing the data. Descriptive analysis such as mean, median, mode, standard deviation was used whenever necessary. Pearson's product moment correlation was used in for exploring the relationship between concerned variables.

Source of Information: (2016) / Int. J. Bus. Manag. Soc. Res. 02(02): 125-131

Article Link (Online Journal): DOI: 10.18801/ijbmsr.020216.14

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Pearson Product Moment Correlation Co-efficient between dependent and independent variable that education level, extent of advice on adoption of agricultural innovation, innovativeness, organization participation, agricultural knowledge, motivational activities and diffusion network had significant positive relationships with role of opinion leadership in diffusion of agricultural innovation. Annual income had no significant relationship with the role of opinion leadership in diffusion of agricultural innovation. On the other hand, age and family size had no significant negative relationship with role of opinion leadership in diffusion of agricultural innovation under the present study. Therefore the role of opinion leadership in diffusion of agricultural innovation can be increased through emphasis on education, extent of advice on adoption of agricultural innovation, innovativeness, organization participation, agricultural knowledge, motivational activities and diffusion network of local leaders.

Knowledge Management: Journal