Open AccessSocial embeddedness and innovation behavior of innovation platform actors
Author(s) -
Willy Turyahikayo,
Frank B. Matsiko,
Richard Miiro,
John J. Okiror,
Bernard B. Obaa
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
international journal of agricultural extension
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2311-8547
pISSN - 2311-6110
DOI - 10.33687/ijae.009.01.3546
Subject(s) - embeddedness , business , industrial organization , adaptation (eye) , corporate governance , sample (material) , agriculture , safeguard , process (computing) , economic system , knowledge management , economics , sociology , psychology , international trade , ecology , chemistry , finance , chromatography , neuroscience , anthropology , computer science , biology , operating system
Agricultural innovation platforms are increasingly being used as a means of mitigating agricultural value chain challenges through enabling the co-evolution of different elements in the innovation process. Given a number of actors and their different interests, governance dynamics and institutions are likely to play a fundamental role in the attainment of this objective. This study employed network governance theory to establish the influence of structures and relations in innovation platforms influence on actors’ innovation behavior. Using a sample of 319 randomly selected farmers and key informant interviews, it was established that the direct effect of embeddedness on innovation behavior was positive but insignificant (β=0.005, p= 0.953). The effect embeddedness on adaptation, coordination and safeguard of exchanges was positive and significant at (β=0.339, p0.01), (β=0.239, p0.01) and (β=0.262, p0.01) respectively. The role of adaptation in influencing innovation behavior was positive and significant with (β=0.264, p0.05). The study also finds that the indirect role of adaptation and safeguard of exchanges enhances the relationship between embeddedness and actor innovation behavior. The study recommends that to increase agricultural innovations, members of the networks should have adaptive measures through continuous search for new processes, new markets, reliable inputs and take advantage of new opportunities in their operating environment so as to be adaptive to this new work arrangement.