MPOB-UKM ENDOWMENT CHAIR

 

Mobilizing 30 Tons Club Member Expertise: Knowledge Sharing, Self-directed Learning, Trustworthiness and Outcome Expectations for Oil Palm Cultivation

Research Grant, 2020

Abstract

Malaysia is the world’s second-leading palm oil producer and highly committed to strengthening the competitiveness of the palm oil industry and enhancing environmental ecosystems by inculcating sustainable agricultural practices. The greater the continuity of the farmers in training is needed to transfer new knowledge. But the number of extension agents, programs and financial budget were limited. Likewise, government extension agents were considered as the secondary source of new agricultural knowledge for farmers. Consequently, knowledge sharing, and transfer is between farmers and experts. The 30 tons club members are role model with an expertise in oil palm cultivation was mobilized transferring knowledge to the farmers across learning processes. The questions are, did members of the 30 tons oil palm club significantly sharing and transferring their knowledge to the peer smallholders, does self-directed learning, trustworthiness and outcomes expectations motivate members of the 30 tons oil palm club and does the self-directed learning has direct effect on knowledge sharing and transferring activities and mediated by the trustworthiness and outcomes expectations of oil palm cultivation?The objectives of this study are to identify the knowledge sharing and transfer activities, self-directed learning motivation, trustworthiness and outcomes expectations among members of the 30 tons oil palm club. We also analyze the direct impact of self-directed learning on knowledge sharing and transfer activities, mediated by the trustworthiness and outcomes expectations of oil palm cultivation.

Two main theories are used to discuss the sharing and transferring knowledge of agri-environmental sustainability: technology dissemination theory and adult learning theory. We randomly selected members of the 30 tons oil palm club as role model for sharing and transferring their knowledge to the peers’ independent oil palm smallholders.

Project Leader