evaluating opinion leadership strategies used to communicate adaptive climate change information to...

8/10/2019 Evaluating Opinion Leadership Strategies Used to Communicate Adaptive Climate Change Information to Resident

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International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 4, Issue 12, December 2014 1ISSN 2250!15!

Evaluating Opinion Leadership Strategies Used to

Communicate Adaptive Climate Change Information

to Residents of Arid and Semi Arid Areas in Kenya

Idah Gatiri !uchun"u# $r% &ellen K% !'eria# and $r% (deti (dati

Idah "at#iri $uchun%u is a PhD Scholar &'(D) at Jomo *en+atta ni-ersit+ of '.riculture and /echnolo.+, *en+aDr ellen * $beria is the Dean School of 3ommunication and De-eloment Studies at Jomo *en+atta ni-ersit+ of '.riculture and /echnolo.+,

*en+a

Abstract) /his stud+ assessed the effecti-eness of oinionleadershi strate.ies used in communicatin. adati-e climatechan.e information to residents of arid and semi arid areas&'S's) in *en+a It sou.ht to achie-e this b+ assessin. &1) the%no#led.e le-els on adati-e climate chan.e information amon.residents of *en+an 'S's &2) attributes of oinion leaders #hocommunicate adati-e climate chan.e information to residents of*en+an 'S's and &!) strate.ies used b+ oinion leaders tocommunicate adati-e climate chan.e information to residents of*en+an 'S's /he stud+ found that adati-e climate chan.einformation disseminated b+ oinion leaders is inade6uate,shallo# and confusin. because it is not crafted in considerationof the uni6ue situations affectin. residents of *en+an 'S's Itconcluded that #ith trainin. and suort from communicationand research e7erts, local oinion leaders can enhance access toand use of adati-e climate chan.e information amon. *en+an'S' residents

Index Terms adati-e climate chan.e information, oinionleadershi strate.ies, interersonal communication, 'S's of

*en+a

I IN/R8D3/I8N

en+an arid and semiarid lands &'S's) are home to morethan !09 of the countr+:s oulation &N;$', 201!)

$a


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II /;8R;/I3' ('3*"R8ND &I/;R'/R;R;VI;A)

+%* Knoledge levels on adaptive climate change information

in Kenyan ASALs%

8n !0th'u.ust 1BB4, *en+a ratified the nited NationsErame#or% 3on-ention on 3limate 3han.e &NE333) thereb+si.nif+in. her determination to


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International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 4, Issue 12, December 2014 !ISSN 2250!15!

influential &Nisbet F *otcher, 200B) /he+ are indi-iduals #hoa+ close attention to an issue, fre6uentl+ discuss the issue, andconsider themsel-es more ersuasi-e in con-incin. others toadot an oinion Ahen comared to their eers, 8s tend to bemore e7osed to all forms of e7ternal communication &Elod.renet al, 2011)C the+ are acti-e media users #ho interret themeanin. of media content for lo#erend media users /his t#oste flo# rocess effecti-el+ bounces the messa.e off the 8

into the minds of hisGher follo#ers8s are eole #ho are seen as li%eable, trust#orth+ andinfluential &Elod.ren et al, 2011) /he Social earnin. /heor+h+othesi@es that such indi-iduals are li%el+ to be ersuasi-ea.ents of beha-ioural chan.e /he+ hold a uni6ue and influentialosition in their s+stem:s communication structureC the+ are atthe centre of interersonal communication net#or%s &Elod.ren etal, 2011) 8s are more .re.arious than nonleaders &oudon F(ritta, 1B=B) Indi-iduals #ith stron. ersonalit+ traits ofconfidence, leadershi, and ersuasi-eness are found to besociall+ connected to a .reater number of other communit+members and more li%el+ to influence the oinions of others&Aeimann, 1BB4) ntil onl+ -er+ recentl+, ublic communication initiati-esha-e i.nored such secial indi-iduals across communities andsocial .rous that can ser-e as -ital .obet#eens and informationbro%ers, assin. on messa.es about climate chan.e that sea%directl+ to their other#ise inattenti-e eers, co#or%ers andfriendsC the+ remain an o-erloo%ed +et necessar+ resource #henit comes to catal+@in. collecti-e action on climate chan.e&Nisbet F *otcher, 200B) In *en+a, 8s ha-e started bein.areciated in cascadin. of climate chan.e information amon.the -ulnerable 'S' communities

's reorted in Joto Afrika in June 201!, in "arissa &an'S' 3ount+), HAhen the area 3hief recei-ed a hone callabout the imendin. floods due to e7cessi-e rainfall in areasustream of Ri-er /ana, he informed the communit+ about it

/he communit+ members did not i.nore the earl+ #arnin. asthe+ used to do before &Nderitu, 201!) In *itui, another'S' 3ount+ in the countr+, communit+ leaders, reli.iousleaders, .o-ernment officers and N"8 officials in their line ofdut+ ha-e been en.a.in. residents on adati-e climate chan.etoics such as li-elihood di-ersification &*33A", 201!)Residents reorted that, H$ost of the information on climatechan.e #as disensed throu.h .o-ernment officers &2=49)#hile 229 said that the+ had accessed the information throu.hcommunit+ leaders 'nother 1==9 had learnt from localcommunit+ farmers and herders, #hile B=9 learnt from 87famand other N"8s 8thers had .ot information from reli.iousleaders &!29) &*33A", 201! 1=)

'lthou.h, these indi-iduals ha-e characteristics similar tothose hi.hli.hted b+ *at@ &1B5=) and other scholars &Nisbet F*otcher, 200BC Elod.ren et al, 2011CAeimann, 1BB4), the moreimortant 6uestion to onder is #hether or not these 8s ha-ebeen influential in enhancin. access to adati-e climate chan.einformation amon. residents of *en+an 'S's

Research in four 'S' counties &Aa


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national a-era.e of =B!9 &NDP, 2010) the need for simlifiedmessa.es cannot be o-eremhasi@ed /heoreticall+, 8s use a ran.e of interersonalcommunication s%ills and methods in order to achie-e desiredbeha-ioural chan.e Studies sho# that facetofacerecommendations are still o-er#helmin.l+ referred o-er di.italsources of information &(err+ F *eller, 200C 3arl, 200C Mue FPhels, 2004) amon. man+ ublics Informal one to one

teachin., communit+ outreach education -isits, small .routeachin., academic detailin. and recetorshis are e7amles ofstrate.ies used b+ 8s for disseminatin. and imlementin.chan.e &Doumit et al, 200=) 8s also use formal strate.ies, suchas deli-erin. didactic lectures R+an &2002) sa+s that #hereas itis unclear #hether information deli-ered b+ 8s in an informal#a+ is more ersuasi-e comared #ith formal strate.ies, it hasbeen su..ested that 8s ma+ be less influential #hen their roleis formali@ed throu.h mailouts, #or%shos or teachin. roundsErom 'S's of *en+a, #hen $beere farmers reorted thataccess to forecast information enabled timel+ decisions andaction for onfarm oerations, t#ent+ .rous of farmers ratedface to face access as their referred method, #ith radio andmobile hones ne7t &N


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enable them to carefull+ consider the cultural, social ands+cholo.ical conte7ts of communication amon.residents of *en+an 'S's #hen desi.nin. adati-eclimate chan.e messa.es 's such, the+ #illsuccessfull+ craft rele-ant, accetable and simlemessa.es on climate chan.e adatation that are moreli%el+ to result into effecti-e discourse

/he 8s should be suorted and trained on ho# to

strate.icall+ initiate informal con-ersations #ith friendsand ac6uaintances so that the+ can deliberatel+ framemessa.es in #a+s that are more ersuasi-e to the lo#literate and socioeconomicall+ challen.ed 'S'oulace of *en+a

8inion leaders should also en.a.e in audience research

to continuall+ .et information that #ill enable themde-elo successful messa.es about climate chan.eadatation /he+ should be therefore be trained on basicresearch s%ills

3ount+ .o-ernance can liaise #ith communication and

climate chan.e e7erts across the countr+ to offer suchtrainin. Such e7erts can ro-ide e7amles of #ell

crafted climate chan.e con-ersational messa.es, sho#models of ho# con-ersations mi.ht la+ out, and userole la+ to illustrate different t+es of con-ersationalsituations

Re.ular monitorin. and e-aluation of 8s efforts

should be art of 8s: strate.ies /his #ill enabletrac%in. of effecti-eness of their strate.ies so thatimro-ement can be done re.ularl+ 8s andcommunication e7erts can #or% to.ether to de-eloscalable methods and strate.ies for assessin. 8camai.n imacts re.ularl+

(+ ta%in. these stes, the influence of oinion leadershi on

climate chan.e adatation amon. residents of *en+an 'S's#ill be enhanced

R;E;R;N3;S

O1 'nt#i'.+ei, P, Dou.ill, 'J F Strin.er, 3 &201!) (arriers to climatechan.e adatation in subSaharan 'frica e-idence from northeast "hana Fs+stematic literature re-ie# 3entre for 3limate 3han.e ;conomics andPolic+ Aor%in. Stud+ No 154

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O! 3arl, A J &200) Ahat:s all the bu@@ aboutK ;-er+da+ communication andthe relational basis of #ordofmouth and bu@@ mar%etin. ractices$ana.ement 3ommunication Quarterl+, 1B, 01!4

O4 Doumit, ", "attellari, $, "rimsha# J, 8:(rien, $' &200=) ocaloinion leaders effects on rofessional ractice and health care outcomes3ochrane Database of S+stematic Re-ie#s, Issue 1 'rt No 3D000125D8I 101002G1451?5?3D000125ub!

O5 E'8 &201!) Sustainable land mana.ement httGG###faoor.

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O? Eraser, 3 and Villet, J &1BB4) 3ommunication a %e+ to humande-eloment httGG###faoor.GdocreGt1?15eGt1?15e00htm

OB "o* &200?) *en+a Vision 20!0

O10 "o* &201!) National 3limate 3han.e 'ction Plan &N33'P) 201!201=Nairobi "o-ernment Printers

O11 "rimsha# J, ;ccles $P, "reener J, $aclennan ", Ibbotson /, *ahan JPSulli-an E Is the in-ol-ement of oinion leaders in the imlementation ofresearch findin.s a feasible strate.+K Imlementation science 200C1&!)112

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*en+a Nairobi 3amco 'd-isor+ Ser-ices, 4?4B

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O14 Jones, F (o+d, ; 2011 ;7lorin. social barriers to adatation insi.htsfrom #estern Neal "lobal ;n-ironmental 3han.e, 21&4), 12212=4 Doior.G10101G


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International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 4, Issue 12, December 2014 ISSN 2250!15!

O!4 Mue, E, F Phels, J ; &2004) Internetfacilitated consumertoconsumercommunication /he moderatin. role of recei-er characteristicsInternational Journal of Internet $ar%etin. and 'd-ertisin., 1&2), 1211!

'/8RS

2irst Author Idah "at#iri $uchun%u is a PhD Scholar &'(D)at Jomo *en+atta ni-ersit+ of '.riculture and /echnolo.+,

*en+aidahm#endaT.mailcom

Second Author Dr ellen * $beria is the Dean School of3ommunication and De-eloment Studies at Jomo *en+attani-ersit+ of '.riculture and /echnolo.+, *en+ahellenmberiaT.mailcom3hird Author Dr Ndeti Ndati is a Senior ecturer School of3ommunication and Journalism at ni-ersit+ of Nairobi, *en+andetindatiT+ahoocom

www.ijsrp.org
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://ijsrp.org/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://ijsrp.org/

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