Abstract
KARIM, M. REZAUL, Department of Agricultural Extension Education, Faculty of Agriculture,
Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh; July 1994. "Communication Patterns in Farm
Information Development and Dissemiation Systems Related to Rice Technology".
Thesis Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Abdul Halim.
Purpose
This research study attempts to analyse the communication patterns of the researchers and
extension personnel engaged in technology generation and dissemination related to rice.
Communication Patterns have been described by grouping them into three categories: (a)
Individual Communication Patterns; (b) Intra-System Communication Patterns; and (c) InerSystem Communication Patterns. Further, for the clarity of understanding the first category was
viewed from three dimensions as information input, information processing and information output. Again, there exists three inter related systems of farm information generation and
dissemination for modernizing agriculture. These are: (1) Information development (Research)
Systems; (2) Informetion dissemination (Extension) Systems; and (3) Information recipient
(Client) System. The inputs in the research system usually come from extension and client
systems; inputs in the extension system come from the research and farmers' system; and inputs
in the farmers' system come from both research and extension systems.
The major objectives of the study were : (i) to study the individual communication patterns of
the researchers and extension personnel with regard to (a) information input pattern, (b)information processing pattern, and (c) information out-put pattern; (ii) to examine and analyse
the intra-system and inter-system communication patterns of the researchers and extension
personnel; (iii) to determine the communication efficiency of the researchers and extension
personnel; and (iv) to determine the relationships between communication patterns and
communication efficiency with fourteen selected characteristics of the researchers and extension
personnel. The selected characteristics were: (a) age, (b) educational qualifications, (c) ruralurban orientation, (d) family type, (e) service experiences, (1) in-service training, (g) job
satisfaction, (h) organizational participation, (i) attitude towards T & V System, (j) job facilities,
(k) salary, (1) deskworks, (m)communication activities, and (n) research activities.
Method
The locale of the study was Dhaka division where most of the agricultural research institutes are
located. A multi-stge sampling procedures were followed in determining the sample size. The
total number of respondents in the sample was 215 (51 researchers, 80 extension officers and 84
BSs). Data were collected by the researcher himself from the randomly selected respondents with
a structured interview schedule. Statistical techniques as descriptive statistics, Cross-tabulation,
standardized Z-scores, Chi-square, t-test, correlations and regression analyses were used with the
help of computer.
Findings
As regards the information input pattern of the reserchers, the senior researchers (CSOs and
PSOs) ranked professional meetings as the highest source of information input, where as junior
researchers (SSOs and SOs) got maximum research ideas from their immediate superiors, followed by seminars, journals, ete. Incase of information processing pattern, researcher consulted
various literatures and discussed with their colleagues. Average processing period of an
information was 2.5 ycurs. Average information input, processing and out-put indices of the
researchers were 18.66, 5.21 and 9.09, respectively. Among the selected independent variables,
age and service experience were positively significant with the information out-put of the
researchers. The average communication efficiency score of the researchers was 13.25 and it was
found that 49 percent of the researchers had no communication efficiency. Age and service
experience of the researchers had positive relationship with their information out-put and
communication efficiency. In case of intra-system and inter-system communication, the
researchers spent 20.50 and 20.03 hours per month, respectively.
Incase of information input pattern of the extesion officers, the senior extension officers (ADs,
DDs, TOs and SMSs) indicated that they got maximum information input from the professional
meetings while the junior extension officers (TAOs and SMOs) ranked training as the highest
source of information input followed by seminars and conferences, extension publications, etc.
Average information input, processing and out-put indices of the extennsion officers were 36.39,
3.83 and 63.27, respectively. Educational qualification of the extension officers had significant
positive correlation with their information input. Job satisfaction of the extension officers showed
significant positive association with their information processing. Average communication
efficiency of the extension officers was 75.47. More than one-fourth (28.75 percent) of the
extension officers possessed low communication efficiency. On an average, the extension officers
spent 10.96 and 2.71 hours per month incase of intra-system and inter-system communication,
respectively.
Block Supervisors (field level extension workers) considered professional meetings, training and
extension publications as the main sources of information out-put. They discussed with the
specialists and progressive farmers for information processing, preserved the information by
memorizing and making notes in a common note book and did not use any information
transformation method. The average information input, processing and out-put indices of the
Block Supervisors were 48.76, 4.92 and 36.14 respectively. Out of 14 selected independent
variables, only job satisfaction of the Block Supervisors was found significant with the
information out-put and communication efficiency. Although average communication efficiency
of the Block Supervisors was 60.71, but 26.19 percent of them did not possess any
communication efficiency. Block Supervisors spent only 15.69 and 1.06 hours per month incase
of intra-system and inter-system communication patterns, respectively.
Based on the major findings of the study, a comparison has been made among the Researchers,
Extension officers and Block Supervisors regarding their information input pattern, processing
pattern, out-put pattern, and communication efficiency. Average input pattern indices of the
Block Supervisors was highest, followed by the Extension officers and Researchers. In case of
information processing pattern, the average indices were found almost equal. Regarding
information out-put pattern, Extension officers obtained highest indices, followed by Block
Supervisors and Researchers. Further, the findings of the study revealed that, average
communication efficiency score was found highest in case of Extension officers, followed by
Block Supervisors and Researchers. In addition to the above findings, this research also unveiled some important facts. It was found
that none of the Extension Officers possessed any Ph.D. degree. Compared to Researchers,
Extension Officers enjoyed less job facilities. Again, Extension Officers had less organizational
participation and performed less deskworks than the Researchers. Block Supervisors with urban
orientation were apt to have less organizational participation. Block Supervisors coming from
joint family had more job satisfaction than who came from nuclear family.