How entrepreneurial orientation drives farmers' innovation differential in Ugandan coffee multi-stakeholder platforms
Journal of Agribusiness in Developing and Emerging Economies
ISSN: 2044-0839
Article publication date: 23 June 2020
Issue publication date: 29 September 2020
Abstract
Purpose
This study explores the role of the key dimensions of farmers' entrepreneurial orientation – namely proactiveness, risk-taking, innovativeness and intentions – as drivers of product, process and market innovation in the context of one coffee MSP in Uganda.
Design/methodology/approach
Empirical data from 152 coffee farmers were analyzed via confirmatory factor analysis and partial least square multi-variate statistics.
Findings
Findings highlight, first, that farmers' proactiveness significantly drives their product innovation and, to a lesser extent, process innovation. This effect holds when considering key control variables, such as access to key resources and associated actors. Second, more surprisingly, farmers' innovativeness hampers market innovation. Third, entrepreneurial intentions per se did not play a significant role in farmers' innovation. Fourth, the adapted measurement of risk-taking from the Western literature did not suit well the Ugandan coffee farming context.
Research limitations/implications
These results lead to methodological implications for the measurement of farmers' risk-taking, innovative and proactive attitudes, as well as market innovation in rural Africa. Furthermore, they expand the role farmers' entrepreneurial orientation on product, process and market innovation in a rural African context.
Originality/value
Multi-stakeholder platforms (MSPs) are often claimed to play an important role in stimulating farmers' innovation and enhancing rural development. Nevertheless, little is known yet on if why some farmers participating in MSPs may innovate more than others. This paper addresses this gap by shedding light on the role of farmers' entrepreneurial orientation.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This research has been supported with generous funding from the Dutch Scientific Organization (NWO) to the project “Entrepreneurial Learning in Inclusive Agribusiness” (ELIA), Senior Expert Program (SEP), and from the Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) to the project “Value Chain Innovation Platforms for Food Security” (VIP4FS). The authors thank Ms. Martina Mordini and Prof. Prossy Isubikalu, Makerere University, for their support during data collection.
Citation
Barzola Iza, C.L. and Dentoni, D. (2020), "How entrepreneurial orientation drives farmers' innovation differential in Ugandan coffee multi-stakeholder platforms", Journal of Agribusiness in Developing and Emerging Economies, Vol. 10 No. 5, pp. 629-650. https://doi.org/10.1108/JADEE-01-2020-0007
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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