Role Performance of the Frontline Extension Agents in the Integrated Agricultural Extension Strategy of Sri Lanka
A novel extension strategy is in existence in Sri Lanka since 1994 integrating the extension efforts of Departments of Agriculture (DOA), Export Agriculture (DEA), Animal Production and Health (AP&H) and the Coconut Cultivation Board (CCB). Team efforts by theses agencies from national to gr...
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| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English English |
| Published: |
1998
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/8986/1/FPP_1998_2_A.pdf |
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| Summary: | A novel extension strategy is in existence in Sri Lanka since 1994
integrating the extension efforts of Departments of Agriculture (DOA), Export
Agriculture (DEA), Animal Production and Health (AP&H) and the Coconut
Cultivation Board (CCB). Team efforts by theses agencies from national to
grass root level, is a prominent feature of the Integrated Extension Strategy
(IAES). Field Extension Teams (FET) were established for geographically
demarcated areas (Govi Kendraya) consisting of frontline extension agents
from four implementing agencies to service the farmer. The major objective of
this study was thus to explore the predicting factors that influenced the role
performance of these extension agents.
Extension Agents from 4 of 15 districts, where lAES was active were
selected randomly for the study. Two self-administered questionnaires, one to
be completed by extension agents and the other by immediate supervisory
officers appraising their performance formed the main source of data collection. The sample contained 275 extension agents of a total of 1364 and
201 questionnaires were collected for data analyses. The main statistical
procedures employed were Exploratory Data Analysis, ANOVA, Pearson
Product Correlation and Step-wise Multiple Regression.
Analyses revealed that the age and experience of the respondents, of
whom two thirds were males, were 43 and 17 years respectively. The
extension agents had negative attitudes towards IAES. Although the quality of
work was good the quantity of work performed by them was poor. They
showed higher levels of motivation, role clarity and commitment and
conversely low role ambiguity and role overload.
Of the variables tested, some variables namely: attitudes towards GET
members, role overload, valacy, participation, technical supervision and also
quality, quantity and overall performances showed significant differences
among the extension agents of the participating agencies in the IAES.
Many variables namely: attitudes towards IAES, Guide and Extension
Team (GET), motivation, valency, role commitment, role ambiguity, group
cohesion, group interaction, followership, participation, technical supervision
and administrative supervision showed significant relationships with the
dependent variable role performance but the magnitudes of relationships
shown by all variables were small.
Attitudes towards GET, Role commitment, motivation, participation
and technical supervision were the principal variables that could predict and explain the role performance of the extension agents. Nevertheless; attitudes
towards IAES, valency, followership, group cohesiveness and administrative
supervision were the other variables which could explain and predict role
performance as second category predictors from the step-wise regression
analyses.
A distinct feature of these findings was that all the above variables
collectively could predict and explain slightly over one-third of the variance in
role performance. This indicated the substantial presence of various other
facilitating and inhibiting factors out side the control of role incumbents. |
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