Preferred presentation format: Refereed paper

Affiliation(s): (1) AgResearch Ltd, New Zealand
(2) University of New England, Armidale NSW

Title: Mr Geoff Kaine Position: Researcher Organisation: AgResearch Ltd Contact email: geoff.kaine@agresearch.co.nz Contact phone: + 64 7 838 5763

Keywords: personality, locus of control, adoption of innovations, extension

Our aim in this study was to investigate the relationship that might exist between locus of control (a personality predisposition that describes an individual’s perception of their ability to change a situation), and primary producers’ propensity to adopt innovations and participate in extension programs. We identified statistically significant relationships between producers’ locus of control, and their propensity to adopt innovations and to participate in extension activities.

We found that producers with a strongly internal locus of control were more likely than other producers to participate in extension or benchmarking programs; and more likely than other producers to exhibit a high propensity to adopt innovations. Conversely, we found that producers with a strongly external locus of control were less likely than other producers to participate in extension or benchmarking programs; and less likely than other producers to exhibit a high propensity to adopt innovations.

The findings raise two key implications for the design of extension programs. The first is that those producers most in need of upgrading their business skills may be the least likely to take advantage of extension programs offering such training. The second implication is that extension activities aimed at increasing the internality of producers’ locus of control are likely to increase the adoption of new skills and ideas among primary producers.

Key learning points:

• A suite of extension activities based on techniques such as such as skills instruction, behaviour rehearsal, social reinforcement and experiential education, and programs such as adventure education, could be developed specifically to assist primary producers with a strongly external locus of control.
• Different activities would suit different producers depending on the relative internality of their locus of control