Adoption of Digital Technologies for Information Dissemination on Palm Oil among Smallholders

Cluster Research Grant, 2020

Abstract

Technologies adoption among entrepreneurs has been much discussed in management information technology and technological innovation literature. However, most of these prior studies focused mainly on awareness or factors that influence technologies adoption. This study, on the other hand, attempts to develop a holistic insight into digital technologies adoption for information dissemination on palm oil among smallholders. It investigates why some smallholders or opinion leaders adopt digital technologies, and others do not. There is very little research that assesses digital technologies adoption by smallholders and there is also very limited empirical investigation of government agency support for smallholders to adopt digital technologies. This study helps to fill this gap by exploring these issues relating to digital technologies for information dissemination on palm oil and smallholders. Digital technologies are quite relatively new and its scope is likely to grow as the understanding of the area grows, particularly among the smallholders. It is said that digital technologies offer strong potential for driving economic growth and rising incomes among the rural poor through increased efficiency of agricultural production, improved livelihoods and value chain development. Despite of this promising anecdote, the take-up of these technologies is still at par among the agriculture entrepreneurs, particularly the palm oil smallholders. Not many agropreneurs have made used of these technologies and still counting of its benefits. There is very scarce research focusing on the readiness, adoption and the effectiveness of these technologies on information dissemination, particularly among agropreneurs. Based on innovation diffusion theory (DOI), theory acceptance model (TAM), technological, organisational environment (TOE) and also network theory, this research intends to investigate the potential and role of these industry digital technologies to support the smallholders in acquiring information dissemination on palm oil.

Project Leader

Nor Azuan Hashim (Faculty of Economics and Management, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), azuan@ukm.edu.my)