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WSN 76 (2017) 35-41 EISSN 2392-2192

The importance of opinion leaders in agricultural

extension

Talal Saeed Hameed1,*, Barbara Sawicka2

1
Agriculture Extension.& Technology Transfer Department, College of Agric. & Forestry,
University of Mosul, Iraq
2
Department of Plant Production Technology and Commodities, University of Life Sciences in Lublin,
15 Akademicka Str., 20-950 Lublin, Poland
*E-mail address: [email protected]

ABSTRACT
We can observed that opinion leaders tend to have access to mass media information and
external contacts that provide them new ideas from outside. Additionally, the opinion leaders have
greater contact with change agents, social participation, higher social status, and more innovativeness.
Opinion leaders are used as role models in the adoption of innovations. This can be effective at the
social and economic levels of the diffusion process. From the economic perspective of projects’
implementation when diffusing an innovation, opinion leaders multiply the efforts of the change agent,
by carrying the message to more possible adopters. This translates into effectiveness by achieving
more diffusion in less time. At the social level, once opinion leaders have adopted an innovation, that
innovation acquires local sponsorship and credibility. Where, Opinion leaders are heterophilous
individuals who observe and evaluate innovations proven by innovators. They are considered early
adopters of culturally acceptable innovations and generally are opponents of culturally unacceptable
ones. Once opinion leaders approve and adopt and innovation, it influences others in the group who
also adopt the innovation to maintain a social and economic status among the social system. Leaders
are important determinants of rapid and sustained change, as diffusion happens faster when it is
initiated by them. They are considered the bridge between farmers and sources of innovations.

Keywords: Local Leaders, Leadership, and change agent

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1. INTRODUCTION

Transferring the relevant technologies is the main job of extension personnel. But also
opinion leaders have to play a vital role in dissemination of agricultural information among
their followers and other farmers and in a way, are responsible for bringing desirable changes
in the community for its overall development [1]. Leadership in rural areas functions amidst
of small groups. The human relations approach is also important, as most of the villagers are
ignorant, innocent, needy and sensitive. Various writers have tried to define the term
‘leadership’. However, still a comprehensive definition for the term does not exist [2].
According to Linderman, ‘a leader is an individual whose relations, judgments and feelings
are accepted (responded to) by the group, as the bases of belief and action.’ In the view of
Allport, ‘leadership according to our present usage means the direct, face-to-face contact
between leader and followers; it is personal social control. The importance of opinion leaders
in the diffusion and adoption of improved agricultural practices is described and discussed.
Opinion leaders are those individuals who have a greater-than-average share of influence
within their community because they modify the opinions of others in an informal manner.
Opinion leaders usually conform closely to the norms of their social system. They make use
of unbiased and technically accurate sources of information, and they are better equipped than
their followers, in terms of knowledge, insight and judgment, to put innovations to practical
use. Opinion leaders are usually cosmopolitan in their attitudes. They mix well with other
people, are of relatively high social status and tend to be more innovative than their followers.
The personal influence of opinion leaders is very important in the persuasion stage of the
innovation-decision process.
Opinion leaders are perceived as expert and trustworthy precisely because of their
relative objectivity regarding innovations. Indeed, most of their judgments about innovations
are negative. One implication of this tendency is that innovations perceived as radical are
especially likely to be rejected by opinion leaders and, thus, are better targeted first
to innovators who are sources of information for the opinion leaders in question [3].

2. THE ROLE OF OPINION LEADERS IN DIFFUSION OF KNOWLEDGE

Knowledge management systems are effective when the innovations are pioneered by
organizations. Apart from the innovations themselves, they have to be diffused throughout the
organization to benefit the employees. the key question here is that when there are thousands
of artifacts and documents as part of the knowledge base of an organization, how do rank and
file employees sift through them and find out what is relevant and applicable to them as well
as what is accurate and a rich source of information. In other words, employees must not
waste their time looking for the best possible sources of information and artifacts in the
knowledge management system and instead, must have a tool or a ranking system where they
can find the most relevant and pertinent articles easily and without great difficulty. This is
where the roles of the opinion leaders and the change agents are important as their
certification and ranking of the articles would lend credibility and importance to the artifacts.
Each organization has certain employees who are known throughout the organization as
opinion leaders and change agents and hence, their recommendations carry weight and lend
the much-needed respectability to knowledge.

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3. IMPORTANCE THE WORKING CHANGE AGENT WITH OPINION LEADERS

The extension agent should take great care to develop the qualities mentioned above.
His own relationship with local leaders will also be important and he should always try to be
available to support and encourage their work. There are four main aspects of working with
local leaders which the agent should keep in mind.
1. Inform opinion leaders of extension activities and proposals for new programmes, and
keep them supplied with extension literature.
2. Visit them as often as is necessary - enough to ensure that they are not isolated or left
on their own. Try to make the visits regular so that the leader can build them into his
own work routine [4].
3. Train the opinion leaders in the aspects of extension activities with which they may be
unfamiliar; formal training sessions can be set up at which the leaders will learn about
a new practice, how to run a demonstration or how to hold a farmers' meeting.
4. Encourage the opinion leaders to take the initiative and to begin to act with some
independence. The more they can become recognized and effective, the better chance
the extension agent will have of making an impact in the area.
An extension agent who has the use of the services of a group of good, efficient opinion
leaders has a tremendous additional resource at his disposal and will be in a far better position
to get extension work going in that area than if he had to work alone and unsupported.

4. IMPORTANCE OF RURAL LEADERSHIP

The utilization of rural leaders is essential because of the following reasons: Extension
has a long tradition of using leader in extension work. Extension worker as an outsider may
not have complete knowledge about different aspects of village community nor they are
supposed to have similar perceptions and feelings about village problems as local people may
have. Thus, there are good reasons to use such people who belong to the community [5].
Leaders by virtue of their influences can convey messages of development more convincingly
in the people’s language. They can use arguments and styles of presentation most appropriate
for the target population.
They can also help to get social sanction for development. Besides, they can also serve
as mouthpiece of people before extension workers, they can explain elaborately the needs and
aspirations of people. Number of extension workers is proportionately far less than required.
Thus use of leader can help to multiply effects of extension work conveniently and
convincingly. Leaders can help in enlisting participation of people in programmes of their
own development. It is possible to organize people around concrete problems. Leaders can
use their influence and skills to bring people together and empower them to take action for
their development. Villages in India are still haunted by deep rooted beliefs, customs,
superstitions and ignorance which influence development negatively. It calls for different
types of efforts 3 to overcome social barriers. Leaders, if positively inclined, can play
prominent roles in master minding development in right earnest.

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5. CHARACTERISTICS OF OPINION LEADERS

Numerous studies have been conduced attempting to identify opinion leader

characteristics. The research is not conclusive, but we have some understanding of the opinion
leaders profile. First, opinion leaders have approximately the same social-class position as
non leaders, although they may have higher social status within the class [6], Opinion leaders
have approximately the same social-class position as non leaders, although they may have
higher social status within the class.
This does not mean that personal influence does not flow across different class lines, but
is likely to be infrequent and of a visual nature rather than verbal. Opinion leaders have
greater exposure to mass media that are relevant to their area of interest. For example, opinion
leaders for women's fashions could be expected to have higher exposure to such magazines as
Vogue and Glamour. Similarly, automobile opinion leaders might be expected to read Motor
Trend or Hot Rod. Exposure to relevant mass media provides them with information useful in
enhancing their leadership potential. Opinion leaders have greater interest and knowledge of
the area of influence than do nonleaders. This finding is closely related to their greater media
exposure. Of course, knowledge is not a prerequisite for opinion leader influence.
Undoubtedly, much influence takes place by those who are ignorant of the topic of
conversation. Opinion leaders are more gregarious than nonleaders are.
This finding is logical, given that they must interact with those whom they influence.
Thus, opinion leaders are generally more sociable or companionable. Opinion leaders have
more innovativeness than do nonleaders. This does not mean, however, that they are
innovators (the first people to purchase a new item). In fact, innovators and opinion leaders
have been found in several studies to have differing characteristics and lifestyles. In the
fashion market, for instance, the innovator is seen as an adventurer who is the earliest visual
communicator of the newest styles aimed at the mass of fashion consumers." The opinion
leader, however, may be characterized more as an "editor" of fashions, who defines and
endorses appropriate standards [6]. Opinion leaders are also more familiar with and loyal to
group standards and values than are nonleaders. This refers to the fact that opinion leaders are
vested with leadership authority by group members, and in order to maintain this position, the
individual has to reflect underlying norms and values for that area of consumption leadership.
The clothing influential, for instance, cannot be too far ahead of or behind fashion, but must
reflect the current norms in clothing.

6. DIFFUSION THEORY AN APPROACH USED IN OPINION LEADERSHIP

RESEARCH

Diffusion research goes one step further than two-step flow theory. Diffusion is the
“process by which an innovation is communicated through certain channels over a period of
time among the members of a social system”. An innovation is “an idea, practice, or object
that is perceived to be new by an individual or other unit of adoption”. “Communication is a
process in which participants create and share information with one another to reach a mutual
understanding” [7]. S-shaped diffusion curve because "most innovations have an S-shaped
rate of adoption" [7]. “Diffusion research centers on the conditions which increase or decrease
the likelihood that a new idea, product, or practice will be adopted by members of a given

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culture. Diffusion of innovation theory predicts that media as well as interpersonal contacts
provide information and influence opinion and judgment”. Studying how innovation occurs,
[7] argued that it consists of four stages: 1. Invention 2. Diffusion (or communication)
through the social system 3. Time 4. Consequences The information flows through networks.
The nature of networks and the roles opinion leaders play in them determine the likelihood
that the innovation will be adopted. Innovation diffusion research has attempted to explain the
variables that influence how and why users adopt a new information medium, such as the
Internet. Opinion leaders exert influence on audience behavior via their personal contact, but
additional intermediaries called change agents and gatekeepers are also included in the
process of diffusion. Five adopter categories are: (1) Innovators very, little innovators adopt
the innovation in the beginning (2,5%) (2) Early adopters, early adopters making up for
13,5% a short time later (3) Early majority, the early majority 34% (4) Late majority, the late
majority 34% (5) Laggards, laggards make up for 16% These categories follow a standard
deviation-curve. As see in figure 1.

Figure 1. Adopter categorization on the basis of innovativeness

7. SOCIAL NETWORK AND OPINION LEADERSHIP

The foundations of both opinion leadership and social network theory have often been
used together in literature related to the diffusion of innovation. Opinion leadership is seen as
a relational model of innovation diffusion, while social networks are seen as a structural
model1 to describe the phenomenon. [8] defines social network analysis from this perspective
by saying it is a technique used to analyze the pattern of interpersonal communication in a
social system by determining who talks to whom. Network analysis can be used to understand
the flow of personal influence by enabling researchers to define who influences whom in a
social system. This definition clearly talks about influence through communication, which

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relates to the [9] definition of opinion leadership. [10] also argued for the link between
opinion leaders and social networks: ‘The role of interpersonal relations in the flow of
information and influence, as revealed by [previous] studies, caused a growing interest in
personal networks and in key positions in these networks’ [10]. Interestingly enough,
although ‘countless studies have attempted to identify the characteristics of opinion leaders in
terms of demographic and socio-economic variables, media exposure, social positions, and
personally traits’ [10], the relationship between opinion leadership and the structural
properties of networks has not been pursued.

8. CONCLUSIONS

Opinion leaders play a very important role in the agricultural extension where, Opinion
leaders, who are also local farmers, are sufficiently heterophilous to be good sources of new
information and advice. They usually enjoy considerable influence on the way other locals
think and behave. Opinion leadership is not a characteristic applicable under all conditions of
rural innovation. Some farmers might be opinion leaders in a wider context, and others might
have leadership roles restricted to specific issues. Opinion leaders for midsize farms under
certain conditions can be useless for smaller operations or under other conditions, and social
interaction among those groups can be limited. Separate communication networks might.
The importance of opinion leaders does not mean that extension activities should be
concentrated exclusively on these people, while forgetting about the remaining farmers. There
will always be a section of the farming community who will be antagonistic towards
extension officers and research workers. These farmers seldom make use of publications and
relatively few of them will attend meetings and symposia. They will instead turn to other
farmers for advice, discarding the extension officer as a man "with no practical experience",
whose knowledge is obtained exclusively from books. To help these farmers improve their
standards of productivity, the only avenue available is through their opinion leaders.

References

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(2005) 1136-1137
[2] P. Mondal. Rural Leadership: Meaning and Characteristics of Rural Leadership
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[3] W. James. Research on Social Work Practice 19(5) (2009) 503-518
[4] Food and agriculture organization of the united nation. 2017. Guide to extension
training.
[5] R. Bhagat. RURAL LEADERSHIP. Principal Scientist Department of Agricultural
Extension Indian Agricultural Research Institute New Delhi – 110012, (2008) 2-4.
[6] A. Loudon, DD. Britta. (1993). Consumer Behavior : Concepts and
Applications, McGraw Hill.

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[7] E. M. Rogers (1995). Diffusion of Innovation. 4th ed. Free Press, New York. ISBN 978-
0029266717.
[8] T. W. Valente (1995). Network models of the diffusion of innovations. Cresskill:
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[9] L. R. Flynn, R E. Goldsmith, J. K. Eastman. Journal of Business Research 31 (1994)
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[10] G. Weimann. Public Opinion Quarterly 55 (1991) 267-279

( Received 18 May 2017; accepted 06 June 2017 )

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