101
Table 4.2. This raises the difficult question of precisely which behaviour one should
focus on when aiming to understand why people adopt something or not.
Temporal interdependencies Whether or not people are interested to adopt a
behaviour or technology may well depend on adoption decisions that have occurred
in the past or on decisions that are anticipated in the future. A farmer who has made
considerable investments in chemical spraying equipment may not be interested in
switching to biological pest control. Similarly, someone who is anticipating to shift
from milk to meat production in the long run may not be prepared to consider new
approaches to enhance animal welfare for dairy cattle.
Clearly, in view of these interdependencies, the adoption of a particular behaviour by an individual cannot be understood in isolation from a plurality of behaviours and decisions in the broader environment and context of that person (Leeuwis
2004; Van der Ploeg 1990). Therefore, we propose that adoption must be regarded
as a relational issue – as something that takes place within a network of relationships between people in time and space. Since considerations related to interdependencies and relationships are not well represented in the individualist and somewhat
rationalist perspective on adoption, we will now explore relevant factors and variables that need to be included in an alternative model for explaining reasons for
(non)adoption.
4.3.2 Adding Complementary Variables
Issues pertaining to social relations and interdependency may enter into an individual’s reasoning in various ways. Below we translate these into several additional
perceptual variables.
Trust The insight that people are faced with vertical and horizontal interdependencies when considering adoption can in part be captured by the notion of trust (De
Vries et al. 2015), more specifically the expectation that others can be trusted to
perform the necessary complementary behaviours and/or provide conducive conditions that enable the adoption of a technology or behaviour. Thus, this variable has
connotations of perceived collective ability or perceived environmental effectiveness (Leeuwis 2004). In the context of agriculture, this may relate to whether actors
in the agro-support environment or value chain are expected to behave in a conducive manner (‘vertical trust’) or whether colleagues, household and community
members will demonstrate the complementary behaviours on which adoption
depends (‘horizontal trust’). Another type of trust that may play a role relates to
whether the people who are seen to promote the adoption of something are seen to
be trustworthy in terms of their expertise, honesty, credibility and legitimacy (‘trust
in the source’).
4 Rethinking Adoption and Diffusion as a Collective Social Process…
Table 4.2. This raises the difficult question of precisely which behaviour one should
focus on when aiming to understand why people adopt something or not.
Temporal interdependencies Whether or not people are interested to adopt a
behaviour or technology may well depend on adoption decisions that have occurred
in the past or on decisions that are anticipated in the future. A farmer who has made
considerable investments in chemical spraying equipment may not be interested in
switching to biological pest control. Similarly, someone who is anticipating to shift
from milk to meat production in the long run may not be prepared to consider new
approaches to enhance animal welfare for dairy cattle.
Clearly, in view of these interdependencies, the adoption of a particular behaviour by an individual cannot be understood in isolation from a plurality of behaviours and decisions in the broader environment and context of that person (Leeuwis
2004; Van der Ploeg 1990). Therefore, we propose that adoption must be regarded
as a relational issue – as something that takes place within a network of relationships between people in time and space. Since considerations related to interdependencies and relationships are not well represented in the individualist and somewhat
rationalist perspective on adoption, we will now explore relevant factors and variables that need to be included in an alternative model for explaining reasons for
(non)adoption.
4.3.2 Adding Complementary Variables
Issues pertaining to social relations and interdependency may enter into an individual’s reasoning in various ways. Below we translate these into several additional
perceptual variables.
Trust The insight that people are faced with vertical and horizontal interdependencies when considering adoption can in part be captured by the notion of trust (De
Vries et al. 2015), more specifically the expectation that others can be trusted to
perform the necessary complementary behaviours and/or provide conducive conditions that enable the adoption of a technology or behaviour. Thus, this variable has
connotations of perceived collective ability or perceived environmental effectiveness (Leeuwis 2004). In the context of agriculture, this may relate to whether actors
in the agro-support environment or value chain are expected to behave in a conducive manner (‘vertical trust’) or whether colleagues, household and community
members will demonstrate the complementary behaviours on which adoption
depends (‘horizontal trust’). Another type of trust that may play a role relates to
whether the people who are seen to promote the adoption of something are seen to
be trustworthy in terms of their expertise, honesty, credibility and legitimacy (‘trust
in the source’).
4 Rethinking Adoption and Diffusion as a Collective Social Process…