Prioritizing IoT adoption strategies in millennial farming: An analytical network process approach

Abstract

This research aimed to formulate priority strategies for adopting Internet of Things (IoT)-based innovation by millennial farmers in Central Java Province, Indonesia. This research uses quantitative methods. The two stages involved were exploring external factors using a political, economic, social, and technological approach and internal factors using the resource-based view approach including human resources, physical resources, and organizational resources. Interviews were conducted with 120 millennial farmers in ten regions of Central Java. This led to the formulation of alternative adoption strategies. Furthermore, the second stage was formulating strategic priorities using the analytical network process approach, involving purposively selected experts from policymakers in the government. According to the research, the most considered factors for IoT adoption strategies were relative advantage, social influence, and technology anxiety. In the relative advantage, the most prioritized sub-factor was business profit. The most prioritized technology anxiety sub-factor cluster was unfamiliar with using IoT. The most prioritized social influence sub-factor cluster was a personal relationship. The resulting strategic priorities were strengthening openness to change, IoT education to millennial farmers, optimizing the role of institutions, and socializing the benefits of IoT to millennial farmers. Openness to change motivates millennial farmers to achieve continuous and better innovation. Millennial farmers need to be prepared for the new experiences to come. Government support through education, intensive mentoring, and increasing the active role of farmer mentoring institutions accelerates the adoption of IoT by millennial farmers.