Abstract:
This paper investigates the factors influencing the adoption of technology among farmers
in Bangladesh. Electronic services are one important measure for rural development and
mobile phones, internet; apps are the dominating cellular technology; hence
understanding the adoption of those technologies is important. The paper uses
interpretive philosophy investigating adoption factors by means of survey data,
participant observation and related studies on rural Bangladesh and technology
acceptance. Based on a number of acceptance models from the literature, a conceptual
Rural Technology Acceptance Model (RUTAM) was developed to analyze the
arguments pertinent to a rural developing country context. The most salient modification,
compared to earlier models, is that social influence plays a bigger role than technology at
early stages of adoption. A survey was conducted on commercial farmers and
agribusiness traders in Bhaluka and Trishal Upzilla of Mymensingh district using self administered
questionnaires. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and PLS
regression method. Structural equation modeling was also used to perform confirmatory
tests analyses on study variable relationships and to develop the proposed model.
Findings reveal a positive significant relationship between perceived ease and behavioral
intentions to use; facilitating conditions and behavioral Intentions to use; perceived
usefulness and behavioral intention to use; behavioral intention to use and Adoption of
mobile-based communication technologies, facilitating conditions and trust in
technology are introduced as external factors which affect the behavioral intentions of an
individual by means of perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEU).
Description:
A Thesis
Submitted to the Department of Agribusiness and marketing
Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka,
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of
MASTER OF SCIENCE (MS)
IN
AGRIBUSINESS AND MARKETING
