Group dynamics effectiveness index: a measure of gender centric approach in mussel farming in coastal Karnataka, India

Today’s extension trends represent a paradigm shift from top down approach to bottom up approach wherein the farmer is the central figure in the technology adoption and technology refinement process. Research and extension organizations have moved from working with individual farmers to collaboration with groups. Members of a group collectively take part in accessing and sharing resources, in decision making, partaking of benefits, than while acting individually. The Participatory Action model (PAM) was used for the transfer of technology to Mussel farmers, through a six step process of planning and implementation. Mussel farming connotes the scientific culture of edible bivalves which belong to the family “Mytilidae”. The economic by product of mussel farming is the mussel meat which has considerable commercial value and fetches additional source of income for fishermen during the lean fishing seasons. Mussel faming in India is carried out as individual ownership, family ownership and ownership by self-help groups. In the present study, the Participatory Action Model was used as a method to organize the self-help groups involved in mussel farming. This model aims at development of group capacities through involvement of the group members in planning, implementation, review and reflection process in mussel farming undertaken on a group basis. The study aimed at assessing the Group Dynamics Effectiveness of men and women mussel farmers in their respective groups. The findings revealed that the overall Group Effectiveness Index (G.E.I) was 63.03, which has been achieved, within a short period of three years of technology transfer. Results of Chi-square analysis revealed that there was significant association between men and women farmers in the groups with respect to group dimensions such as influence, styles of influence, decision making, task function, feelings, norms, interpersonal trust and group achievements at (P<0.05). The findings of the discriminant analysis revealed that the group dimensions which significantly discriminated the men and women farmers, were achievements of group, norms, interpersonal trust and empathy. The study implies that there is tremendous potential for harnessing the group efforts for successful adoption of the technology and future participatory efforts should be directed at strengthening these specific dimensions which govern the group behaviour and which in turn accentuate the G.E.I.