Harnessing indigenous social institutions for technology adoption: ‘Afoosha’ society of Ethiopia

Abstract

The search for effective mechanisms in technology adoption is high on the agenda of researchers and policy makers. In Ethiopia, adoption of technologies followed the diffusion of innovation information through public extension agents, cooperatives and their unions. The use of statutory channels evidenced to largely limit the innovation diffusion and the timely reach of technologies to the end user farmers for adoption due to their operational inefficiencies and bureaucracies emanating from statutory rules and regulations. This raises concerns how innovative ways of intermediating such technologies can be developed in a way that users trust and make informed decisions about the adoption of technologies. Thus, this study explains the roles of Afoosha social networks for technology uptake. Afoosha social network functions on the basis of orders in the predominant social capital, trustworthiness, altruism and with no self-centeredness. The existence of Afoosha social networks in the rural villages of Ethiopia would provide complementary pathways for effective diffusion of innovation and adoption of technologies. This study, therefore, generates a shred of evidence for the innovative mode of diffusing innovation concepts and adopting technologies that help to design policies that integrate the customary and statutory approaches for better technology adoption.