Characteristics and barriers impacting the diffusion of e-extension among Texas Cooperative Extension County Extension agents

摘要

The overall purpose of this study was to understand the influence of selectedfactors on the adoption of eXtension by Texas Cooperative Extension County Extensionagents. Specifically, the study looked at how the relationships between stage in theinnovation-decision process, characteristics of agents, characteristics of the innovation,and barriers to adoption affect the diffusion of eXtension. A random sample of 237agents was selected for participation in the study. A majority of agents reported theywere in the knowledge stage (52%); 31% had no knowledge of the innovation; 8% werein the implementation stage; 3% were in the persuasion stage; 3% were in the decisionstage and 2% were in the confirmation stage.Respondents had positive perceptions of relative advantage, compatibility,complexity and trialability as those characteristics related to eXtension. They had themost positive perceptions of complexity. They did not perceive eXtension to have a highdegree of observability. Agents perceived at least five barriers existed to the adoption of eXtension.Reducing or eliminating these barriers, particularly the barrier related to concerns abouttime, would be expected to positively affect the rate of adoption.Agents? perceptions of complexity and compatibility significantly differed byprimary agent role and gender, respectively. The differences may be attributable tovarying job experiences based upon role and gender.Agents? perceptions of a lack of eXtension incentives significantly differed byeducation. Significant relationships existed between selected characteristics of eXtensionand potential barriers to the adoption of eXtension. Based on the findings, offeringmonetary incentives may increase the rate of adoption, and decrease agents? financialconcerns.Significantly more respondents reported they were in the ?no knowledge? stagein the innovation-decision than would be expected to occur by chance.Agents may have ignored repeated messages about eXtension because it was notperceived as consistent with their attitudes and beliefs. This implication should be notedby those hoping to increase the diffusion of eXtension.On a broader level, these findings support expanding the model of theinnovation-decision process to include the ?no knowledge? stage.