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How Do Extension Agents ofDAEUse Social Media for Strengthening Agricultural Innovation in Bangladesh

Md Kamruzzaman
Department of Agricultural Extension Education, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet-3100, Bangladesh

Ataharul Chowdhury
School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada

Helen Hambly Odame
School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada

Silvia Sarapura
School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Agricultural innovation is essential for improving the livelihoods of resource-poor farmers in developing countries such as Bangladesh. Within an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) strategy for agricultural development, social media is considered a means of networking, collaboration, and co-learning, and thereby supporting innovation processes. However, it is not known how extension agents of the Department of Agricultural Extension - the largest public sector organization - have been utilizing social media to strengthen agricultural innovation. Data were collected using a survey with 140 extension agents and key informant interviews with 20 extension agents who worked in the eastern region of Bangladesh. The findings indicated that extension agents mostly used social media to learn professional tasks and to some extent technical knowledge. Extension agents considered social media as a means of supporting innovation functions, such as entrepreneurial activities, market formation, resource mobilization, and legitimization. However, the use of social media did not support second-loop learning as well as system interaction.

Keywords: Extension agents, Social media, Agricultural innovation

Location: Cumilla in the eastern region of Bangladesh

Start Date: 00-08-2016

End Date: 00-10-2016

Program Area: Knowledge Management

Non-commodity: Evaluation

Objectives:

The objective of this research is to understand how extension agents of DAE are leveraging the potential of social media for strengthening agricultural innovation.

Methodology:

The research used a mixed-method social research approach to understand how extension agents of DAE are leveraging the potentials of social media for strengthening agricultural innovation. Data were collected from extension agents of DAE serving in Cumilla in the eastern region of Bangladesh from August to November 2016. A list of 560 social media users of DAE staff was prepared and 25% (i.e. 140) of them were randomly selected as the sample of the study. Data collection methods included a quantitative survey of 140 extension agents and qualitative interviews with 20 extension agents. Both extension administrative officers (i.e. Deputy Director, Upazilla Agriculture Officer, Agriculture Extension Officer) and frontline extension officers (Sub Assistant Agriculture Officer) participated in a survey and interviews. Social learning was investigated qualitatively through in-depth interviews with the purposively selected administrative and frontline (nine) officers. The interviews were audio-recorded for accuracy and transcription purposes on the researcher’s cell phone. Respondents were asked about what and how new understanding or practices they learned using social media. After that, further discussion delved into their learning processes, change in thinking and planning of activities, and ways of adopting new strategies or practices. The survey method (questionnaire) was employed to investigate the innovation functions. Selected functions were conceptualized by assigning two items for EA, MF, RM, L, respectively. Informed by Hekkert et al. (2011), a five-point Likert scale was adopted with response options, including frequently, sometimes, occasionally, rarely and not at all for each of the items. The questionnaire was pretested with 15 respondents and data were collected from 140 respondents. The recordings of in-depth interviews were transcribed considering the major themes and patterns for social learning criteria identified, manually coded and used to describe the social learning for agricultural innovation. The reliability and validity of the survey instrument were also assessed. The Chronbach’s alpha values for innovation functions ranged from 0.741 to 0.859 which was well above the cut-off value of 0.70. IBM SPSS statistics V-23 was used to analyze the survey data. The items of the innovation functions were coded as five, four, three, two and one for frequently, sometimes, occasionally, rarely and not at all, respectively. The score for each item was entered in the software and the mean, standard deviation and t-value for each innovation function were calculated.

Source of Information: Rural Extension & Innovation Systems Journal, 2019 15(1) - Research

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Achievement/Findings:

Extension agents of DAE used social media to strengthen agricultural innovation in Bangladesh. Social media provided a significant opportunity for them to learn new practices. Although learning occurred mainly in professional and technical areas, they missed the opportunities to use the media for active participation and critical discussion. The ways and outcomes of learning using social media were indicative of the first loop of learning, and the initiation of second loop learning was mostly absent. The use of social media as a means of social interaction and collaboration was also lacking. This interactional pattern of communication can be improved following a strategy of integrating virtual interaction of social media with non-virtual interaction within and beyond the organization. Although extension agents used social media to fulfill some functions of innovation processes, it did not support innovation as a systemic interaction. The organizational culture of DAE and social media functionalities itself were among other concerns responsible for the ways extension agents used social media for strengthening agricultural innovation.

Knowledge Management: Journal