Transferring knowledge and innovations through village knowledge center in Tanzania: approaches, impact and impediments
VINE Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems
ISSN: 2059-5891
Article publication date: 2 February 2022
Issue publication date: 19 January 2024
Abstract
Purpose
Farmers in rural areas are generally not well empowered with knowledge and innovations to solve their agricultural problems in spite of the growing presence of such knowledge resulting from research and innovation activities across the globe. This study aims to document approaches, impact and impediments of using village knowledge centers (VKCs) to transfer agricultural knowledge and innovations.
Design/methodology/approach
To achieve the objective of the study, a case study research design was used to investigate the impact of a selected VKC as institutional innovation in agricultural technology outreach and extension in rural Tanzania. Primary data was collected through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and observation methods. Besides, secondary sources such as reports were used to complement primary data during fieldwork.
Findings
The study reveals that various approaches are used by the VKC to transfer knowledge and innovation to farmers. The use of the multi-actor platform (MAP) to run the VKC ensures inclusive knowledge production and sharing among different actors. The findings also suggest that knowledge and innovation co-creation is constructed with various knowledge systems actors to enhance the use of research generated. Accordingly, the findings show that the university efforts are an important catalyst for integrated knowledge, technology and innovation systems in rural settings.
Research limitations/implications
The present study reveals different limitations associated with the use of a single case study design. The single-case design provided researchers with little basis for generalisation of the study findings and conclusions. Aside from that, the use of a cross-sectional design did not help the researchers to validate the findings and conclusions. To address these limitations, the study recommends similar studies that will adopt different types of longitudinal design such as cohort and diary methods. Apart from this, a future study to investigate the tangible impact of VKC on knowledge and innovation transfer is recommended.
Originality/value
Considering the novelty of the MAP approach in Tanzania and the dearth of studies reporting on how the village knowledge center works and how effective it is, the present study provides insights on the approaches, impact and impediments.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This project has been funded by the UK Government through the East Africa Research and Innovation Hub, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The views expressed in this document do not necessarily reflect those of the UK Government’s official policies. The Knowledge Systems Innovation (KSI) project is managed by the Natural Resources Institute (NRI) of the University of Greenwich in partnership with the African Center for Technology Studies (ACTS) in Kenya, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) of Australia, the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) of the University of Sussex and the Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy of University College, London (UCL STEaPP).
Citation
Mwantimwa, K. and Ndege, N. (2024), "Transferring knowledge and innovations through village knowledge center in Tanzania: approaches, impact and impediments", VINE Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems, Vol. 54 No. 2, pp. 379-397. https://doi.org/10.1108/VJIKMS-09-2021-0195
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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