KEY COMMUNICATORS & ROLE IN LIVESTOCK DEVELOPMENT

• Key communicators

• Key communicators or opinion leaders are persons in any social system who seeks out for
information and advice on general or specific topics. They are respected persons in each
social system to whom some people look for advice and information and who through
such consultations, influence their behaviour and actions.

• Rogers and Kincoid- opinion leadership is the degree to which an individual is able to
informally influence other’s knowledge, attitudes, or overt behaviour in a desired way
with relatively high frequency.

• The concept of key communicator was first developed by Katz & Lazarfield et al (1944)

• Also known as Fashion leaders, opinion leaders, influencers, information leaders, etc

IDENTIFYING KEY COMMUNICATORS

• Sociometric method

• Election

• Discussion method

• Workshop

• Group observation

• Key informants technique

• Self-designating technique

• Informal ratings.

Sociometric method

• The members of the social system are asked to name the person to whom they go for
advise / information on a particular topics. This method is very useful to the extension
 workers in finding out the natural / local/ informal leaders in the village. This method
have relatively higher validity, however it require a large number of respondents and
complex statistical analysis. In this technique the grouping of individual is based on
popularity and acceptance in terms of specific activities.

Election

• The extension worker can guide or assist the local people in electing the right people for
the right job by explaining to the group, the functions of leaders / key communicators in
relation to particular problems, and outlining the qualifications of a good leader / key
communicator for the given purpose.

• Steps in Discovering Leaders / key communicators

– What is the job to be done?

– What characteristics and skills does this job require?

– Where is the person with these qualifications?

– What group will support or follow this person?

– Of the qualities he has –

• Which of them may be improved by training?

• Which may not be changed materially?

– Of the qualities he lacks –

• Which may be developed by experience and training?

• Which may he never hope to have?

The Discussion Method

• Through discussions the person with sound knowledge and ability is soon recognised.
Discussion gives encouragement and assurance to the key communicator to express
 himself, and over a period of time may make him more confident in accepting some
position of leadership, and emerge as a valuable leader.

The Workshop Method

• The large group breaks up into smaller groups and the responsibility of the programme
and decision-making rests upon the smaller unit, key communicator emerges in each
group. The extension worker can spot certain key communicator who comes to the fore in
taking responsibilities. The key communicator in the workshop has the position of
consultant observer, discussion group leader etc.

The Group Observer

• The extension worker should watch a community or group on action and then he will be
able to spot potential leaders. He may observe the community in any type of situation for
obtaining the best results, the group should not be aware of this.

Key Informants

• Persons well aware of their community may be asked to indicate opinion leaders / key
communicators in that area. This is cost saving and time saving when compared to the
sociometric method.

Self-designating method

• In this method, each selected person is asked a series of questions designed to determine
the degree to which he perceives himself to be a key-communicator. However, its
accuracy is limited to the extent to which the respondents can identify and report their
self-image correctly.

Informal ratings

• Some members of a social system are purposively or randomly selected and asked to
designate persons giving advice and information on a general or particular topic.
Economical and quick. Each informant is thoroughly familiar with the social system

• CHARACTERISTICS
• External communication

– have greater exposure to mass media than their followers

– are more cosmopolitan than their followers.

– have greater change agent contact than their followers

• Accessibility

– exercise relatively greater social participation than their followers in a social

system

• Social status

– Key communicators enjoy a relatively higher social status than their followers as
far as conditions in that social system exists.

• Opinion seekers

• Market expert

• Innovativeness

– Key-communicators are more innovative than their followers

• Role of key communicators

 Diffusion of the new technology to other villagers

 Linkages with sources of information such as scientists, other institutions, media and
farmers

 Coordinate the functions of the village organizations, institutions and channelizing them
towards the adoption of technologies for greater production

 Assist the villagers in securing the supplies and services required

 Guide and help people in getting assistance from government

 Help the fellow farmers in the preparation of the action plans

 Give constant guidance and act as the local consultants

 Focus on the problems of farmers and help the extension workers for solving it

 Serves as the demonstrator of newer technology