Analyzing technology adoption using microstudies: limitations, challenges, and opportunities for improvement

TLDR

Policy makers and interest groups have many questions about the use of improved technologies in developing‑country agriculture, including the roles of policies, institutions, and infrastructure in adoption and their impact on productivity and welfare, yet most micro‑level adoption studies cannot address these policy issues. The article proposes alternative approaches for designing technology adoption studies to better inform policy makers, based on an extensive literature review. The authors examine the generic limitations of cross‑sectional adoption studies conducted in few communities and discuss challenges in carrying them out. They recommend using sampling approaches that enable generalization to higher aggregation levels, standardized terminology, and careful scrutiny of underlying assumptions.

Abstract

Abstract Policy makers and interest groups have many questions about the use of improved technologies in developing country agriculture. These include the roles of policies, institutions, and infrastructure in the adoption of improved technologies and their impact on productivity and welfare. Most micro‐level adoption studies, however, cannot address these important policy issues. Drawing on an extensive review of the literature on the adoption of agricultural technologies, this article suggests alternative approaches for designing technology adoption studies to make them useful for policy makers. It explores the generic limitations of cross‐sectional adoption studies carried out in small numbers of communities and discusses some problems faced in conducting such studies. Recommendations include the use of sampling approaches that allow data from microstudies to be generalized to higher levels of aggregation, adherence to clearly defined terms that are standardized across studies, and careful examination of the assumptions that often underlie such studies.