'Mavenism' and 'innovativeness' among small ruminant keepers in Kenys'a Isiolo and Marsabit Districts

Mailu, S.K (2010): 'Mavenism' and 'innovativeness' among small ruminant keepers in Kenys'a Isiolo and Marsabit Districts.

Abstract

Small ruminants play an important social and economic role in the lives of many pastoralists who inhabit many parts of Northern Kenya. Compared to other parts of the country, the area is poorly served by modern communication services but as mobile telephone services are rolled into these areas, this gap is slowly eroding. This possibility will likewise improve the chances of providing this population with up-to-date market intelligence which in turn should improve the returns from the sale of livestock in distant markets. To operationalise this, the use of the internet as well as SMS delivered market intelligence through the National Livestock Market Information System (NLMIS) was launched in 2007.

As a novel idea in the region, it was expected that information about its existence would pass through a series of intermediaries. Based on a study of 250 pastoral households, this paper attempts to explore the concepts of mavenism, opinion leadership and innovativeness in the marketing of small ruminants from the larger Marsabit and Isiolo Districts of Eastern Province, Kenya. The results are mixed with an indication that mavens are not necessarily those with large flocks. It further concludes that though the NLMIS is still relatively unknown among respondents, the presence of market mavens who in the study are indistinguishable from opinion leaders could catalyze the spread and eventual use of the system.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Opinion Leaders; Mavens; Market Information
• Subjects: M - Business Administration and Business Economics ; Marketing ; Accounting ; Personnel Economics > M3 - Marketing and Advertising > M31 - Marketing; Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics ; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q1 - Agriculture > Q13 - Agricultural Markets and Marketing ; Cooperatives ; Agribusiness

References

Chelminski P. and Coulter R.A. (2007) On Market Mavens and Consumer Self-Confidence: A Cross-Cultural Study Psychology & Marketing, 24(1): 69–91

Clark R.A. and Goldsmith R.E. (2005) Market Mavens: Psychological Influences, Psychology & Marketing, 22(4): 289–312

Clark R.A., Goldsmith R.E. and Goldsmith E.B. (2008) Market mavenism and consumer selfconfidence Journal of Consumer Behaviour 7: 239–248

Feick L.F. and Price L.L. (1987) The Market Maven: A Diffuser of Marketplace Information, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 51, 83-97

Goldsmith R.E., Clark R.A. and Goldsmith E.B. (2006) Extending the Psychological Profile of Market Mavenism, Journal of Consumer Behaviour 5: 411–419

Juma G.P., Drucker A.G., Baltenweck I. and M. Ngigi (2007) Market Power and Efficiency in Indigenous Small Ruminant Marketing Channels in Marsabit, Kenya, Paper presented at the 12th Annual conference on Econometric Modelling for Africa, 4-6 July 2007, Cape Town South Africa

Juma G.P., Ngigi M., Baltenweck I and A.G. Drucker (2010) Consumer demand for sheep and goat meat in Kenya Small Ruminant Research 90(1): 135-138

Kariuki G and Kaitho R. (2006) Application of Information Communication Technologies in Developing a National Livestock Marketing Information System for Kenya; Paper presented at the 10th KARI Biennial Scientific Conference and Agricultural Forum, Nairobi, Kenya, November 12-17, 2006

Kariuki G., Mwangi M., Maina J., Wario Q & Kaitho R. (2009) From LINKS to NLMIS: Issues, Challenges and Lessons Learned, Research brief, Global Livestock Collaborative Research Support Program; (Accessed on October 12, 2010 from http://glcrsp.ucdavis.edu/)

Seleka T.B. (2001) Determinants of short-run supply of small ruminants in Botswana, Small Ruminant Research, 40(3):203-214

Eglleston, K., Jensen R.and Zeckhauser R. (2002) Information and Communication Technologies, Markets and Economic Development. Tufts University 2002 Working Paper Series, no. 2002-03; (Accessed from ase.tufts.edu/econ/papers on 1/12/2010)

Pingali P., Khwaja Y. and Meijer M. (2005) Commercializing Small Farms: Reducing Transaction Costs ESA Working Paper No. 05-08, www.fao.org/es/esa

Venkatraman M.P. (1989) Opinion Leaders, adopters and communicative adopters: A role analysis, Psychology and Marketing 6(1):51-68