This thesis reflects an attempt at a theoretical and methodological retaxonomization of development communication research in the aftermath of theory failure in the traditional communication approach to development--a failure largely attributed to the inadequacy of research methods in giving a full accounting of the dynamics of interrelationships between and among various social dimensions in which communication and development occur. Innovative and critical methodological dimensions to the traditional and hardline quantitative research, namely, ethnomethodology, focus group interviews and case studies, have been added in an attempt to give a more comprehensive account of the role of the people at grassroots level. / It is from this theoretical perspective that the thesis assesses the potential impact of the telecommunication development program of the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC) on the productive sector, notably, small-scale rural farmers who are crucial elements in the region's hopes for food security and agriculture-based development. The thesis takes the theoretical and methodological position that the question of a communication approach to development cannot be addressed as if communication were an independent variable but as an integrated package of socio-economic and cultural factors that jointly or collectively impact on communication and development in more interactive and complex ways than previously recognized. Hence the potential of development communication has to be viewed in the context of the strategic equation in which information and communication are but one aspect of interactive factors that add up to the fulfillment of life. / The thesis' methodological elements include; field research among the rural farmers in Zimbabwe, interviews with policymakers, researchers, media practitioners, communication educators, consultants, NGO project officers; content analysis of selected media of the SADCC region, with the Zimbabwean media (both print and electronic) as case studies; and an analysis of original documents and reports on telecommunication and other development plans. Interviews with peasants on one hand, and with technical experts and politicians, on the other, will highlight the fact that knowledge generation can be multi-dimensional and multi-disciplinary and what different constituencies can offer to development efforts. How we might begin to take account of this prospect is the basic research question this thesis addresses.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2005. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 152-160).

No description available.

Increased access to communications infrastructure is theorized to influence both the productiveness of the agricultural sector and the direction of technical change. The purpose of this thesis is to empirically examine the effects of the level of communications infrastructure on agricultural production and the direction of technical change. A Cobb-Douglas production function was used to estimate an inter-country production function for fifty developing countries over a fifteen year period, 1970 to 1985. The production function estimates were then used to assess the influence of the communications variables, roads and radios, on the level of agricultural production and the direction of technical change. Increased levels of radios and roads increased the level of agricultural production in developing countries. Increased levels of radios did not significantly affect technical change. However, increased levels of roads led to an increase in the labor-saving bias associated with research expenditures. / Master of Science

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität, Bonn, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 148-153).

Communication with an organisation’s customers has become one of the most important factors that play a role in doing business today. Organisations that supply their customers with correct and different kinds of information create customer loyalty. Dairy farmers are no exception to the rule, because of the ongoing planning that dairy farmers need to do on a daily basis. Dairy farming in South Africa is extremely price sensitive and therefore information that can help in decision making plays an important role in making the right decision at the right time. The Internet has become an essential environment where information is readily available to anyone who has access to the technologies, such as smartphones, computers and tablets. Thus, it will be beneficial for both the organisation and the dairy farmer to have relevant information available on the organisation’s website. The information that is made available to the dairy farmers on these websites needs to be updated on a daily basis. The information must be relevant to dairy farming and must provide additional information besides the information that the specific organisation specialises in. Information as a Service (IaaS) for Dairy Farmers in South Africa is the focus of this research. The purpose of the investigation is to provide a means of providing the information needed by dairy farmers in South Africa, to enable them to make the right decisions on an operational level. The empirical data were collected, analysed and interpreted. From these findings a proposed communications framework is created to assist organisations to better communicate with dairy farmers in South Africa. The purpose of this research study is to design a framework which will provide IaaS to dairy farmers in South Africa. The research determined the different ways in which organisations can communicate with dairy farmers and the best time period in which that communication should take place for each specific communication strategy. Therefore, the aim of the research study was to determine the best ways to communicate with dairy farmers. A clear knowledge of the technologies that dairy farmers use to manage information was determined by the research study. The required information that dairy farmers need to make the correct decisions suitable for the requirement of farming on a practical level was determined by the research study.The proposed framework on Information as a Service for Dairy Farmers could help organisations to supply dairy farmers with the right information at the right time. The proposed framework will assist organisations dealing with dairy farmers easier and will also assist farmers, because the information provided as a service will be relevant to dairy farming. The treatise is an exploratory, mixed method research study which consists of literature reviews, surveys and cross-sectional studies. Secondary resources was used to conduct literature studies to determine the information needed by dairy farmers. A questionnaire was compiled from existing questionnaires as well as from literature studies and was completed by the respective respondents in the dairy farming community. The survey also consists of questions that determine what dairy farmers think about the service they receive from the organisations that they deal with. A cross-sectional study was used to compare the information needed specifically by pasture-based dairy farmers in relation to total mixed-ration-based dairy farmers. Both Descriptive and Inferential Statistical methods will be used for the analysis of the data. The communication systems can vary from Self-Help Groups to Mobile Technology. The type of communication system will depend on the systems that the organisation have available for their customers. The timing of communication with dairy farmers needs to be convenient and depends, according to literature, on the type of social networking that the organisation might use. An organisation that deals with dairy farmers needs to decide which Social Media site is most suitable when it needs to communicate with dairy farmers. The technology used to access information consist of Laptops, Smart Phones, Tablets and Desktops. Agricultural organisations provide information which dairy farmers need, to give them the correct guidance in performing good farming practices in order to produce safe, high-quality milk. The study will conclude with the development of a proposed communications framework where agricultural organisations can provide information as a service to dairy farmers.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury,1994. Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Western Sydney, Nepean,1994. / A thesis submitted to the School of Agriculture and Rural Development, University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury, and The Faculty of Visual and Performing Arts, University of Western Sydney Nepean, in part fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Includes bibliography - leaves 310 - 328 and appendices.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- Mississippi State University. Department of Curriculum and Instruction. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

The research sought to examine the effect of literacy on access to, and utilization of agricultural information for household food security at Chirau Communal lands in Zimbabwe. The study was influenced by the diffusion of innovations approach based on interviews, observation and document study. Selected female farmers from Chirau communal lands were respondents to the self administered interviews and focus group discussions. Representatives from, Agriculture Extension and the Ministry of Agriculture were key informants. Systematic Random sampling was used to select 100 female respondents from the age of 18 to above 80 from wards 1 to 10 of Chirau Rural District in Zimbabwe. Data was analyzed into themes and coded for statistical analysis using the SPSS. The country is faced with food insecurity and the main findings of this study support the view that women play an active role in food production but their potential is limited by inadequate levels of literacy that affect the way they access and utilize resources for sustainable agriculture and household food security among other factors. This may be generalized to the situation of female farmers in Zimbabwe. Improved literacy competencies among the female farmers in Zimbabwe lends itself as one of the interventions that may assist in improving access to information and its effective utilization.. This calls decision-makers to boost literacy for women, develop available agricultural information resources and harness effort towards making them accessible. While interventions may be multi-sectored, the role of government is stressed in this report.

Thesis (M.Sc.) (Hons.) -- University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury, 2000. / "A thesis presented to the University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science (Honours)". Bibliography : leaves 123-130.