[go: up one dir, main page]
IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/agisys/v108y2012icp10-18.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Networks of practice for co-construction of agricultural decision support systems: Case studies of precision dairy farms in Australia

Author

Listed:
  • Eastwood, C.R.
  • Chapman, D.F.
  • Paine, M.S.
Abstract
The on-farm use of commercial decision support systems (DSSs) presents learning and adaptation challenges for farmers and their social learning networks. A study of six Australian dairy farms installing new precision dairy farming technology was undertaken to develop an in-depth picture of the issues occurring at the interface where precision farming data and decision-making meet. A qualitative exploratory case study method was used, with farmers each interviewed up to five times from pre-installation until 2years of use. A three-phase learning trajectory was observed amongst farmers involving early learning, consolidation, and advanced use. Farmers exhibited experiential learning but also learned via interaction with a network of on- and off-farm contacts forming a network of practice around the new users. This precision dairy farming network of practice formed a vital method of exchanging knowledge on how to best use technology and data in farming systems, with DSSs acting as a boundary object for learning. Externalisation of tacit knowledge into an explicit form suitable for DSSs was a major focus of this social learning. Co-construction of DSS knowledge in the emerging network was impeded by the absence of potentially important agents, in addition to the incomplete links between existing agents such as technology retailers and farmers. A technological innovation systems perspective is used to propose an improved framework to make greater use of translators and intermediaries. It is aimed at improving links amongst the community to more effectively aid farmers in creating new knowledge in agricultural DSS use.

Suggested Citation

  • Eastwood, C.R. & Chapman, D.F. & Paine, M.S., 2012. "Networks of practice for co-construction of agricultural decision support systems: Case studies of precision dairy farms in Australia," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 10-18.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agisys:v:108:y:2012:i:c:p:10-18
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agsy.2011.12.005
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308521X11001831
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.agsy.2011.12.005?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Eastwood, C. & Kenny, S., . "Art or Science? Heuristic versus Data Driven Grazing Management on Dairy Farms," Extension Farming Systems Journal - EFS Journal, Australasian Farm Business Management Network, vol. 5(1).
    2. Streeter, Deborah H, 1992. "Electronic Information Systems and Farmer Decision Making: Five Case Studies," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 19(1), pages 97-113.
    3. Carin W. Rougoor & Ger Trip & Ruud B.M. Huirnc & Jan A. Renkema, 1998. "How to define and study farmers' management capacity: theory and use in agricultural economics," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 18(3), pages 261-272, May.
    4. Solano, C. & Leon, H. & Perez, E. & Herrero, M., 2003. "The role of personal information sources on the decision-making process of Costa Rican dairy farmers," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 76(1), pages 3-18, April.
    5. Hall, Andrew & Rasheed Sulaiman, V. & Clark, Norman & Yoganand, B., 2003. "From measuring impact to learning institutional lessons: an innovation systems perspective on improving the management of international agricultural research," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 78(2), pages 213-241, November.
    6. Chapman, D.F. & Kenny, S.N. & Beca, D. & Johnson, I.R., 2008. "Pasture and forage crop systems for non-irrigated dairy farms in southern Australia. 1. Physical production and economic performance," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 97(3), pages 108-125, June.
    7. Klerkx, Laurens & Leeuwis, Cees, 2008. "Institutionalizing end-user demand steering in agricultural R&D: Farmer levy funding of R&D in The Netherlands," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(3), pages 460-472, April.
    8. Flett, Ross & Alpass, Fiona & Humphries, Steve & Massey, Claire & Morriss, Stuart & Long, Nigel, 2004. "The technology acceptance model and use of technology in New Zealand dairy farming," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 80(2), pages 199-211, May.
    9. Ikujiro Nonaka, 1994. "A Dynamic Theory of Organizational Knowledge Creation," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 5(1), pages 14-37, February.
    10. van Asseldonk, M. A. P. M. & Huirne, R. B. M. & Dijkhuizen, A. A. & Beulens, A. J. M., 1999. "Dynamic programming to determine optimum investments in information technology on dairy farms," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 62(1), pages 17-28, October.
    11. Jakku, E. & Thorburn, P.J., 2010. "A conceptual framework for guiding the participatory development of agricultural decision support systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 103(9), pages 675-682, November.
    12. McCown, R. L., 2002. "Changing systems for supporting farmers' decisions: problems, paradigms, and prospects," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 74(1), pages 179-220, October.
    13. Volker Hoffmann & Kirsten Probst & Anja Christinck, 2007. "Farmers and researchers: How can collaborative advantages be created in participatory research and technology development?," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 24(3), pages 355-368, September.
    14. Nuthall, P.L., 2006. "Determining the important management skill competencies: The case of family farm business in New Zealand," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 88(2-3), pages 429-450, June.
    15. Douthwaite, B. & Keatinge, J. D. H. & Park, J. R., 2001. "Why promising technologies fail: the neglected role of user innovation during adoption," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 30(5), pages 819-836, May.
    16. Wolf, Steven & Just, David & Zilberman, David, 2001. "Between data and decisions: the organization of agricultural economic information systems," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 121-141, January.
    17. Fountas, S. & Wulfsohn, D. & Blackmore, B.S. & Jacobsen, H.L. & Pedersen, S.M., 2006. "A model of decision-making and information flows for information-intensive agriculture," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 87(2), pages 192-210, February.
    18. Madhu Khanna & Onesime Faustin Epouhe & Robert Hornbaker, 1999. "Site-Specific Crop Management: Adoption Patterns and Incentives," Review of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 21(2), pages 455-472.
    19. Klerkx, Laurens & Aarts, Noelle & Leeuwis, Cees, 2010. "Adaptive management in agricultural innovation systems: The interactions between innovation networks and their environment," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 103(6), pages 390-400, July.
    20. Rougoor, Carin W. & Trip, Ger & Huirne, Ruud B. M. & Renkema, Jan A., 1998. "How to define and study farmers' management capacity: theory and use in agricultural economics," Agricultural Economics, Blackwell, vol. 18(3), pages 261-272, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Klerkx, Laurens & van Bommel, Severine & Bos, Bram & Holster, Henri & Zwartkruis, Joyce V. & Aarts, Noelle, 2012. "Design process outputs as boundary objects in agricultural innovation projects: Functions and limitations," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 39-49.
    2. Letty, Brigid & Shezi, Zanele & Mudhara, Maxwell, 2012. "An exploration of agricultural grassroots innovation in South Africa and implications for innovation indicator development," MERIT Working Papers 2012-023, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    3. Nuthall, Peter, 2009. "Modelling the origins of managerial ability in agricultural production," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 53(3), pages 1-24.
    4. Ingram, Julie & Dwyer, Janet & Gaskell, Peter & Mills, Jane & Wolf, Pieter de, 2018. "Reconceptualising translation in agricultural innovation: A co-translation approach to bring research knowledge and practice closer together," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 38-51.
    5. Silvia Macchia, 2022. "Unbundling the information needs of new-generation agricultural companies," MANAGEMENT CONTROL, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2022(2 Suppl.), pages 117-141.
    6. Hermans, Frans & Stuiver, Marian & Beers, P.J. & Kok, Kasper, 2013. "The distribution of roles and functions for upscaling and outscaling innovations in agricultural innovation systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 117-128.
    7. Skaalsveen, Kamilla & Ingram, Julie & Urquhart, Julie, 2020. "The role of farmers' social networks in the implementation of no-till farming practices," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    8. Lundström, Christina & Lindblom, Jessica, 2018. "Considering farmers' situated knowledge of using agricultural decision support systems (AgriDSS) to Foster farming practices: The case of CropSAT," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 9-20.
    9. María Isabel Palacios-Rangel & Juan Manuel Vargas-Canales & Jorge Aguilar-Ávila & Joaquín Huitzilihuitl Camacho-Vera & Jorge Gustavo Ocampo-Ledesma & Sergio Ernesto Medina-Cuellar, 2018. "Efficiency of small enterprises of protected agriculture in the adoption of innovations in Mexico," Estudios Gerenciales, Universidad Icesi, vol. 34(146), pages 52-62, February.
    10. Dolinska, Aleksandra & d'Aquino, Patrick, 2016. "Farmers as agents in innovation systems. Empowering farmers for innovation through communities of practice," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 122-130.
    11. Aguilar-Gallegos, Norman & Muñoz-Rodríguez, Manrrubio & Santoyo-Cortés, Horacio & Aguilar-Ávila, Jorge & Klerkx, Laurens, 2015. "Information networks that generate economic value: A study on clusters of adopters of new or improved technologies and practices among oil palm growers in Mexico," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 122-132.
    12. Daneluz, Marina & Canever, Mario Duarte & Lima, Helenice González de & Bermudes, Rogerio Folha & Menezes, Gabrielito Rauter, 2022. "Linking entrepreneurial orientation and managerial capacity to performance in dairy farms," Revista de Economia e Sociologia Rural (RESR), Sociedade Brasileira de Economia e Sociologia Rural, vol. 60(3), January.
    13. Garb, Yaakov & Friedlander, Lonia, 2014. "From transfer to translation: Using systemic understandings of technology to understand drip irrigation uptake," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 13-24.
    14. Cameira, Maria do Rosário & Rodrigo, Isabel & Garção, Andreia & Neves, Manuela & Ferreira, Antónia & Paredes, Paula, 2024. "Linking participatory approach and rapid appraisal methods to select potential innovations in collective irrigation systems," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 299(C).
    15. Pigford, Ashlee-Ann E. & Hickey, Gordon M. & Klerkx, Laurens, 2018. "Beyond agricultural innovation systems? Exploring an agricultural innovation ecosystems approach for niche design and development in sustainability transitions," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 116-121.
    16. Klerkx, Laurens & Leeuwis, Cees, 2008. "Institutionalizing end-user demand steering in agricultural R&D: Farmer levy funding of R&D in The Netherlands," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(3), pages 460-472, April.
    17. Nuthall, Peter L., 2012. "The intuitive world of farmers – The case of grazing management systems and experts," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 65-73.
    18. Nordin, Martin & Hojgard, Soren, 2015. "Advisory services for nutrient utilisation," 2015 Conference, August 9-14, 2015, Milan, Italy 212586, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    19. Aurélie Cardona & Cristiana Carusi & Michael Mayerfeld Bell, 2021. "Engaged Intermediaries to Bridge the Gap between Scientists, Educational Practitioners and Farmers to Develop Sustainable Agri-Food Innovation Systems: A US Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-13, October.
    20. Nuthall, Peter L., 1999. "Managerial Ability (The Forgotten Resource) Its Assessment And Modification," 1999 Conference (43th), January 20-22, 1999, Christchurch, New Zealand 124495, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:agisys:v:108:y:2012:i:c:p:10-18. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/agsy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.