An Inquiry into Bhutanese Agriculture Research–Practice Gaps Using Rogers Innovation Adoption Attributes and Mode 2 Knowledge Production Features

Kinley Dorji (), Judith Miller and Shubiao Wu
Additional contact information
Kinley Dorji: School of Environmental and Rural Science, Faculty of Science, Agriculture, Business and Law, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2350, Australia
Judith Miller: School of Education, Faculty of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences and Education, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2350, Australia
Shubiao Wu: School of Environmental and Rural Science, Faculty of Science, Agriculture, Business and Law, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2350, Australia

Social Sciences, 2022, vol. 11, issue 12, 1-19

Abstract: Investigation into the relevance and utility of bridging gaps between knowledge and practice is necessary to justify such endeavors to public funding agencies. This study investigated the underlying causes of the research–practice gap in the Bhutanese context with the aim to realign the relevance of agricultural research and to enhance practice using Rogers innovation attributes on features of Mode 2 knowledge production features. Out of 233 articles published by three agricultural journal publishers, only 110 articles that met our criteria were included in this study. Principal component analysis (PCA) for 23 variables yielded five variables that contributed 90% of the total variation. The first two dimensions contained 39.34% of the total dataset inertia, which was significantly greater than the reference value (17.19%) obtained by simulating 959 data tables of equivalent size based on a normal distribution. Further, cluster analysis differentiated the observations into three distinct clusters that significantly differed in their variable descriptive values. The innovation attributes ‘complexity’ and ‘compatibility’ received the highest score, while ‘observability’ had the lowest score. Under innovation diffusion elements, ‘time’ and ‘social system’ aspects were the least considered, thus affecting the innovation adoption. The ‘context of application’ of innovation had the highest score (65%), whereas ‘diffusion’ of the knowledge under transdisciplinarity received the lowest score. Both the diversity of ‘discipline’ and ‘organization’ inclusion under heterogeneity received the lowest score. Informal communication and social dimension received the lowest score among the Mode 2 knowledge production variables. Bhutan followed conventional, linear, and unidirectional approaches to research and extension diffusion systems, by which research institutions innovate, and extension workers bring innovation to potential adopters. Bhutanese research policy and strategy must consider reframing relevant agriculture innovation systems to keep abreast of modern technology development.

Keywords: agriculture; research; practice gap; Bhutan (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/11/12/536/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/11/12/536/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:11:y:2022:i:12:p:536-:d:980347

Access Statistics for this article

Social Sciences is currently edited by Ms. Yvonne Chu

More articles in Social Sciences from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().