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While focus group discussions have become popular across the communication research field, some researchers have pointed out the importance of studying group interactions within focus groups. However, most researchers used a qualitative approach and mostly explored the interaction between participants or between participants and the moderator. This study claimed there might be a third and unobservable interaction that occurs between participants and structured discussion topics. An affiliation network in social network analysis was applied to investigate this phenomenon among eight groups of existing focus group conversations. By affiliation network data and network visualization, this study demonstrated diverse structures between groups. The interaction between participants and discussion topics was significantly different between at least two groups. The results showed that social network analysis could be a tool to help examine focus group interactions from qualitative data, and the interaction between participants and discussion topics could be a potential third interaction in focus group studies. This study is limited by comparing the mean difference between groups. Future research may examine short- and long-term causal effects of group interaction on participation or attitude changes after focus group discussions.

Sharing the importance of agriculture, agricultural education, and programmatic efforts through Extension is vital to ensuring policy makers and the general public understand the need for supporting the overall agricultural industry. However, communicating such importance can be challenging without accurate, evidence-based language to describe what makes agricultural initiatives unique and effective. Furthermore, having knowledge of the unique strengths of Extension builds a foundation of resources agricultural staff can use in problem-solving, communication, and education techniques. A Delphi study was conducted to research the unique strengths of University of Georgia Extension in an effort to better educate and communicate with local and state stakeholders. Findings resulted in 11 strengths that gained 100% agreement from research respondents. Six thematic categories covering all agreed-upon strengths document strengths in an explicit way that can also help with internal communication and education efforts within the Extension organization.

Motivational dispositions behind how learners approach, interpret, and respond to challenging goals can serve as beneficial foundations to conflict management training and implementation. There is a dearth of research connecting the constructs of goal orientation and conflict management and this study does so, for the first time in an agricultural leadership context. Using The Conflict Management Scale and The Work Domain Goal Orientation Instrument, 80 members of a LEAD21 agricultural leadership development cohort exhibited a 15.2% increase in conflict management capacity. Learning goal orientation was predictive of conflict management capacity prior to the start of LEAD21. Both learning goal orientation and performance goal orientation-prove were found to have predictive qualities after LEAD21 conflict management training. In addition to a discussion on future research directions, educators, as well as learners, are encouraged to incorporate goal orientation into curriculum development and planning for the enhancement of learning environments.

Purpose: The purpose was to analyze perceptions of knowledge management capacity in extension networks using an exploratory factor analysis approach. Design/methodology/approach: The knowledge management content domain was analyzed for content validity, response process validity, internal structure validity, and consequential validity. A pilot version of an instrument was administered to extension network members (n = 122) associated with the Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and measures of correlation and reliability were performed to determine the structure and internal consistency of the scale. Findings: The observed structure was similar to the hypothesized structure. EFA indicates further factor analyses should be performed on the aggregate scale and proposed subscales. Practical Implications: The resulting scale has the potential to serve as the basis for a reliable instrument for establishing perceptions of knowledge management capacity, supplementing needs assessment strategies, and informing organizational practices and policy which maximize these capacities in extension services. Theoretical Implications: The resulting scale advances the activity theory framework by conceptualizing dimensions of knowledge management that facilitate development via social interaction. Originality/Value: While various studies have been conducted to analyze the knowledge management capacities of international extension networks, the current study introduces preliminary results of an instrument to discretely quantify perceptions of knowledge management capacity in extension services.

The benefits to the environment associated with farmer adoption of Best Management Practices (BMPs) is well documented, yet the agricultural industry has resisted widespread acceptance and implementation. Network support, level of education/knowledge, and financial concerns have all been found as contributing factors impacting adoption. Extension agents can increase knowledge levels through direct education with farmers; however, network support in the form of public support and willingness to pay for engagement in BMPs may be the best way to combine the network and financial support farmers need to increase engagement. Unfortunately, little is known about public interest in supporting BMP engagement. This study was conducted to determine public willingness to pay for BMP engagement and identify the characteristics of those willing to pay more for food produced using BMPs so that agricultural communication efforts may be targeted at both consumers and producers. Findings indicated there was public support for BMP adoption and that most supported a 10% increase in food prices when purchasing food produced using BMPs. Recommendations are provided regarding marketing strategies and how agricultural communicators can identify and utilize BMP opinion leaders to assist in educating a broad base of consumers in the cost of BMP engagement.

Extension professionals help important agricultural sectors across the country resolve challenges using science-based practices that enhance environmental and social wellbeing while supporting businesses. Nursery and greenhouse growers comprise one of the largest sectors of U.S. agriculture, and this group is challenged to conserve water without compromising their economic viability. While Extension professionals educate and support nursery and greenhouse growers, there is a deficiency of research on adoption processes within this sector. To better understand this important Extension audience, this research examined the influence of critical thinking and problem-solving style on perceived characteristics of water conservation technologies and in turn the perceived characteristics relationship with their implementation. A route to adoption was established to inform effective Extension activities that promote water conservation. Problem-solving style predicts trialability while critical thinking style predicts none of the five characteristics of innovations. Of the five characteristics of water conservation innovations, relative advantage, trialability, and observability play a role in nursery and greenhouse growers' implementation, and implementation does influence adoption. When designing water conservation programs for nursery and greenhouse growers, Extension professionals should consider participants' problem-solving style and incorporate strategies to increase trialability, relative advantage, and observability.

Agricultural and natural resource leadership development programs are designed to build leadership capacity amongst emergent and established leaders within the industry. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the characteristics of leadership development program participants and to propose a conceptual framework within which to capture the different contextual variables that exist for adult learners. A descriptive study provides baseline participant data across a range of demographic characteristics within both individual and work-related contexts. Agricultural educators and leadership development program directors are encouraged to use the study results as a starting point for preparing recruitment strategies, developing curriculum and educational interventions, and maintaining contact with adult agricultural leadership development program alumni.

Research and societal trends indicate the necessity and permanency of teamwork skills in the workplace thus investigating the relationship between satisfaction and students' experiences of team and group work is essential. Taking a novel and comprehensive approach the current research study examined the effect of multiple antecedent conditions on undergraduate project team satisfaction. Specifically, a structural model was proposed and tested to examine the effects of clarity, justice, frustration, and fit on project team satisfaction. The model was able to predict 52.7% of the variance associated with project team satisfaction. Among the predictor variables clarity had the largest total (direct and indirect) effect on satisfaction. Frustration was found to have the next largest total effect. Consequently, agricultural educators are encouraged to first focus on clearly articulating the expectations associated with project teams as well as to monitor project teams for emerging frustration and to intervene as appropriate.

The importance of knowing and employing strategies to effectively motivate learners is well established. This is also true for leadership educators that have a mandate to build leadership capacity amongst learners in various environments. However, despite the importance of learner motivation in learning environments, there has been a lack of empirical studies to determine if there may be dispositional trends related to motivational tendencies based on demographic categories, specifically within adult agricultural leadership development program participants. The current study analyzed goal orientation disposition across demographic categories including gender, age, organizational level, educational attainment, and geographic region amongst alumni of adult agricultural leadership development programs. The results indicate there are trends related to demographic categories leadership educators may consider using as entry points to more effectively motivate learners based on dispositional tendencies. For example, the results imply desire to prove competence relative to peers decreases with age. Therefore, a recommendation for educators would be to target strategies fostering healthy competition towards younger learners and target strategies providing opportunities for learning and personal reflection towards older learners. Additionally, a significant non-finding is goal orientation, not influenced by cognitive ability, is independent of educational attainment. A recommendation then is for educators to not base motivational strategies on cognitive ability or educational attainment. Further research is needed to extend the results of the present study to a much larger population of adults engaged in agriculture across the globe.

The cost of conflict avoidance and mismanagement can be detrimental to organizational environments. Thus, the need for individuals capable of managing conflict effectively is a vital and necessary leadership skillset, specifically within higher education. The purpose of this study was to examine if participation in the LEAD21 leadership development program, a national leadership program for faculty emerging as leaders in the land-grant university system, changed participant levels of conflict management capacity. The longitudinal analysis included comparisons across members of four classes in the LEAD21 program, as well as the aggregated data from all four years. Results indicated the overall level of conflict management capacity rose by an average of 15.1%. Agricultural leadership educators can use the results to inform leadership education initiatives while also using the presented Conflict Management Scale to measure such initiatives. Study expansions, implications, and recommendations are discussed.

There has been a dramatic shift in how people engage with agriculture over the past 50 years in the United States, leading to little interaction between consumers and the farm. Despite extension initiatives to communicate with urban consumers about agriculture, the disconnect between consumers and agricultural producers continues to grow. Research has shown consumers rely primarily on the media for information about agriculture resulting in misconceptions about its impact on the environment. Consumers' negative views about agriculture's impact on the environment may lead to support for and implementation of environmental policies that create issues for agricultural producers rather than policies that support both production agriculture and the environment. This study, guided by audience segmentation and framing theory, sought to explore differences in public perspectives regarding agriculture's impact on the natural environment, specifically with rural, urban, and suburban residents. Data were collected from 797 Georgia residents living in rural, urban and suburban areas using an online survey instrument. The results found perspectives on agriculture's impact on the environment were moderately high and bimodal; both positive and negative. Statistically significant differences were found between urban and suburban residents' positive perspectives on agriculture's impact on the environment and between urban, suburban, and rural residents' negative perspectives on agriculture's impact on the environment. The findings imply extension educators need to tailor outreach programs based on the rurality of residents in order to effectively communicate with audiences, particularly when combatting negative framing with urban audiences.

Traditionally, 4-H agents have been communicating with stakeholders through newsletters; either in print or online. 4-H agents have used social media as an additional tool to communicate with their stakeholders since its introduction. Social media communication can help maintain or increase stakeholder involvement in the 4-H program because a large percentage of the population is active on social media. Using Uses and Gratifications Theory and Diffusion of Innovations Theory as frameworks, this study sought to determine how Florida 4-H agents engaged with their stakeholder audiences using social media, and vice versa. The uses and gratifications motivations for engaging in media were used to understand what motivations were used to engage their audience and what type of posts (according to motivation) stakeholders were engaged in most. The diffusion of innovations innovation-decision process helped to understand the audiences' decision to engage in posts dependent upon the motivation used. The results of this study concluded the selected 4-H programs differed in the content that they posted but the 4-H stakeholders did not differ in how they engaged in their respective programs posts.

The agriculture and natural resources (ANR) sectors are facing many complex and controversial issues today, including animal health, biotechnology, climate change, food safety, food security, invasive species, marketing and trade, and water. Undergraduate students, as the future ANR workforce, must use critical thinking skills to find solutions to these issues. This study sought to determine if a course that integrated case studies, as opposed to a classroom with no case study integration, influenced students' critical thinking. A pretest/posttest, quasi-experimental research design was used to determine if undergraduate students' critical thinking styles changed as a result of the case study integration. Three undergraduate communication courses focused on issues education at three universities were the sample. Based on the results, students were more willing to seek out information and engage with their peers about the issues facing ANR after the course with the case studies integrated. Case studies should be integrated into the classroom to encourage critical thinking based on these findings. Future research should include investigating the effects of using case studies in other undergraduate courses not focused on issues, in graduate courses, and extension education programs that could determine the effect in a non-formal education setting.

Educators within agricultural and natural resource disciplines are tasked with educating students to critically engage with and problem-solve complex issues. As society's relationship with science and technology changes, coupled with an information-dense environment, strategies for sustainably addressing complex issues are needed. One potential approach for strategically addressing complex problems is systems thinking, which emphasizes the interdependence of the components of systems from ecological, social, and economic perspectives, among others. A mixed-methods study was used to explore the applicability of hypothetical case scenarios (HCS) as a teaching method to introduce and engage students in using systems thinking related to the seafood industry. Findings suggested HCS engaged students to think critically about socio-scientific issues. Participants demonstrated systems thinking capacity when discussing their decision-making processes in the hypothetical cases. The current study demonstrated the pedagogical potential of using HCS to enhance systems thinking capacities for students in the ANR disciplines. Implications for education and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Transformational leadership, a type of leadership commonly promoted within higher education, has been shown to positively affect performance, collaborative behavior, and goal accomplishment. Such skills may correlate with the level of job responsibility one has been given and the technical, human, and conceptual skills needed for one to be successful. This study sought to bridge a research gap by exploring correlations between transformational leadership and skills-approach leadership with an exploration of the role of gender within perceptions. An unexpected result based on gender was found: As females achieve higher roles within the Land-Grant University System, the perception of their transformational leadership decreases while that of males increases. Transformational leadership and skills-approach leadership is discussed within the context of gender.

Genetic modification (GM) science has received considerable pushback from consumers despite the research finding GM products are safe for consumption. This may be partly due to the disconnect between consumers and farms since most consumers are disconnected from the farm by at least three generations. The largest consumer population is composed of millennials, which is the generation furthest removed from the farm which may mean they need to be educated differently about GM science than other generations. The purpose of this research was to determine if there were generational differences regarding the perceived attributes of GM science to inform the development of extension programs designed to educate consumers about GM science. A survey was used to collect consumers' perceptions of GM science. The respondents were grouped into generational classifications and perceptions between groups were compared. The findings revealed generations do perceived GM science differently and extension programs should be designed for specific generational audiences.

Individuals representing different organizations within the Land-Grant University System (LGUS) were asked to provide their insights on organizational change using a focus group approach. The study focused on three key components to organizational change in the LGUS: what initiates change, the hindrances to change, and what sustains change. Themes were analyzed relative to the existing literature and synthesized into a new conceptual model of organizational change in the LGUS. Results indicated change can be effectively initiated at lower levels of the organization where individuals have the appropriate span of control to drive change. Bureaucratic inertia was identified as the primary hindrance to change in the LGUS. Finally, relationships were identified as most important for sustaining change. Based on the results recommendations suggest that organizations within the LGUS employ a balance between proactive and reactive change and establish a clear communication plan and to ensure the plan emphasizes the respect due to those that will be involved or affected. Furthermore, to mitigate the effects of bureaucratic inertia, any organizational change effort within the LGUS should be accompanied by enough time to analyze the culture and build organizational support and buy-in. Additional recommendations were provided based on the results of the study.

Water is a scarce resource in Florida. There is an immediate need to reduce the stress on water resources and make the availability of water more sustainable by encouraging engagement in water conservation among the residents of Florida. This study examined how the future intentions of high water users in Florida to conserve water outdoors were influenced by cognitively dissonant attitudes and behaviors. The independent variables used in the study were: government trust, current water conservation practices, political beliefs, and homeowners' associations (HOA) membership. The results to study indicated that higher trust in government and current engagement in water conservation behaviors promotes water conservation, while conservative political belief and HOA membership restrict water conservation. The independent variables (government trust, current water conservation practices, political beliefs, and HOA membership) also significantly predicted 30% of the variation in water conservation behavioral intentions. Level of engagement in current water conservation behaviors had the highest effect on future intent to conserve water. Extension educators, managers at water utility companies, and other agricultural educators are encouraged to consider cognitive dissonance among their target audiences as it can be used to promote water conservation.

Undergraduate students should be able to identify relationships between agricultural and natural resources (ANR) issues to be prepared for ANR sector jobs. The purpose of this study was to determine if communication courses focused on teaching about ANR issues influenced students' understanding of the relational nature of these issues. A pre/posttest research design was given to undergraduate students enrolled in communication courses at three universities that addressed communicating about nine ANR issues. After descriptive analysis, the data was visualized and density was calculated using social network analysis software. Prior to the course, the strongest perceived relationship was between food safety and food security, followed by water and animal health. After the course, the strongest perceived relationship was between water and food security, followed closely by water and conservation. Visually, water was central to the network of issues, followed by food security, and conservation. The density of the perceived interconnectedness of the issues indicated the respondents did perceive the nine ANR issues were more closely related after taking the course than before. In this case, courses focused on communicating about ANR issues assisted students in being able to convey how these issues are interdependent, preparing them for the workforce.

Agricultural educators, leaders, communicators, and extension professionals are faced with the increasingly difficult task of sharing science-based information to a public that is exposed to an array of media options, which are not always factual. Additionally, issues related to agriculture and natural resources (ANR) have become increasingly complex, and people can elect to only read information or communication that supports their pre-existing views on a topic. The complexity of disseminating information in today's society has led to the proposal of a new theoretical model: The Decision-Making Model for ANR Science and Technology. This is a multi-faceted model utilizing the theoretical foundations from the Theory of Diffusion of Innovations, Theory of the Spiral of Silence, and the Elaboration Likelihood Model. In a world of echo chambers, this theory has the potential to break the cycle of decisions made with incomplete information and equip practitioners with the foundation needed to efficiently and effectively disseminate information through educational practice and informed communication efforts. An informed and aware public could make decisions about ANR science and technology with a more complete understanding of the issue, which would solve some of the wicked problems facing society today.

The Cooperative Extension Service has performed the role of educator and change agent for more than a century. Changes occurring during this period caused Extension to extend its influence beyond the farm and traditional roles. Today, Extension faces controversial public issues and unparalleled levels of policy and regulation impacting agriculture and natural resources. As the needs of our changing society evolve, regulation increases, and response to public opinion becomes more complex. Extension must expand its role in providing education related to public issues and acting as facilitators and change agents to ensure viable actions are taken. This study was conducted to determine the level of preparedness of Florida Extension agents in dealing with policies and regulations. An emailed survey of all Florida Extension agents utilized questions regarding frequency of addressing policies with their clientele and their knowledge of said policies. Results indicated a low frequency of agents of all types addressing most policies with their clientele and a need for increased knowledge about the policies. In particular, there is an opportunity for all agent types to improve interactions with clientele on the topic of Immigration Reform as well as knowledge of related policies.

Agricultural communicators and extension educators need to make scientific information about global warming, a critical component of climate change, more salient to the general public to increase knowledge and to encourage people to take action to mitigate its effect; however, views on global warming are diverse. Scientists have repeatedly shown human activity is directly impacting the Earth's climate. Despite this, a segment of the U.S. population (including politicians with a large amount of influence) are very vocal about their mistrust of climate science and lack of belief in global warming. States located on the coasts are affected by climate change the most where extreme weather events impact the safety of residents and agricultural production more often than those located inland. This research used the Six Americas framework to identify the diverse segments of believers/nonbelievers in Florida. Findings revealed 87% of respondents believed in climate change but are not actively engaged in its mitigation. Recommendations are offered on how agricultural communicators can reach diverse segments of the population and the role extension educators can play in their communities to turn difficult to understand climate science into something the public can understand and get behind.

The competencies addressed by undergraduate agricultural education programs should be assessed so programs are effective in supplying a well-prepared agricultural- and natural resources-oriented workforce, and so human capital is optimized. In this study, agricultural and natural resources leaders were surveyed to determine the workforce competencies they believed graduates of post-secondary agricultural education programs should have obtained. An Internet based survey was distributed to graduates of an agricultural leadership development (ALT) group and a natural resources leadership development (NRLT) Group. The highest-rated workforce competency categories for the ALT group were being dependable (n = 103), critical thinking (n = 101), strategic planning (n = 98), and clear communication (n = 98); the highest-rated categories for the NRLT group were active listening (n = 73), clear communication (n = 72), and problem solving skills (n = 72). The personal and leadership skills subscales were not significantly different, but natural resources leaders ranked communication competencies as more important than agricultural leaders. Agricultural educators should evaluate the workforce competencies offered in their undergraduate programs and have deliberate conversations about meeting industry needs to better prepare a future workforce.

Extension educators seek to provide scientific research and perspective to farmers and the public. The connection that Extension educators foster between farmers and consumers can be capitalized upon to build trust and ultimately encourage behavior change through social capital. Agricultural educators have recognized the need for consumers and farmers to develop trust and mutuality in order to combat complex issues such as water usage. Agriculture is the greatest user of water in the United States; therefore efforts to encourage agricultural water conservation have been explored. Unfortunately, they are largely unsuccessful because of the increased production cost associated with conservation passed on to consumers. This study explored how U.S. consumers' related their willingness to pay for products conserving water with their level of trust that farmers are good conservationists. The findings revealed that trust that farmers will conserve water is predicted by the degree of positive and negative relationships that consumers identify. The findings imply that by developing relationships between consumers' trust and their willingness to pay, Extension educators can encourage engagement in agricultural water conservation practices.

Extension agents across the nation will need to facilitate difficult conversations with the public if genetic modification (GM) science is used to combat citrus greening disease. This study used the innovation characteristics described by Rogers to explore if using GM science as a solution to citrus greening had diffused amongst US residents. An online survey was completed by 1,051 respondents across the US. Respondents were then classified into geographic regions. Demographic differences amongst respondents from the regions were identified; however, respondents from all regions had neutral perceptions of GM science's compatibility, trialability, complexity, and observability. All regions aside from the West agreed there was a relative advantage to using GM science; the West neither agreed nor disagreed. The Midwest was the only region with half of respondents agreeing they would consume GM citrus. All diffusion characteristics aside from observability were predictors of GM citrus consumption, and when accounting for diffusion characteristics, the Midwest was less likely to consume GM products when compared to the Northeast. Recommendations are offered for how extension agents can develop educational programming tailored to the needs of their regions to aid consumers in making educated decisions about GM citrus in the future.

Opinion leaders are persuasive in convincing others within their social networks to adopt certain opinions and behaviors. By identifying and using opinion leaders, agricultural educators may be able to leverage individuals who have influence on others' opinions, thereby speeding up the adoption of new practices. In this article, we review a statewide survey to define opinion leaders and understand their current water conservation practices. Additionally, by using the theoretical framework of the diffusion of innovations, we explored what subject matter areas opinion leaders are most interested in, and where they go for more information. These findings will identify how agricultural educators can reach opinion leaders to help disseminate important water conservation information. The findings indicated opinion leaders have a good grasp on how to conserve water, but are still misusing water in terms of protecting its quality. Based on these findings it is suggested that agricultural educators develop educational programming focused on improving opinion leaders' knowledge of water pollution; a connection needs to be made between water quality and the environment.

Extension professionals can play a role in addressing water scarcity issues by helping home landscape irrigation users to conserve water. This study used survey research to examine the relationship between several variables, including attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, personal norms, demographic factors, and past behaviors, on intention to use good irrigation practices among Florida home landscape irrigation users (N = 1,063). Following subsequent hierarchical linear regression models, the final model explained 39% of the variance in intentions to engage in good landscape irrigation practices. Subjective norms had a strong influence on intention to engage in landscape water conservation, and past behaviors and personal norms improved the prediction. Extension professionals should incorporate subjective norms into water conservation programs by emphasizing somewhat invisible conservation behaviors to improve perceptions of peers' practices. When personal norms are strong, the subjective norms are slightly less important. Residents who feel a personal obligation to conserve water may be more open to information related to water conservation, and they may be more likely to act, even in the absence of social support. Finally, Extension professionals should consider the audience's past behaviors to design programs that are compatible with actions that Extension clients are likely to take.

Targeted agricultural education programs can play a role in solving complex water issues. This article applies importance-performance analysis to examine dimensions of water resources that may inform local water conservation campaigns in the United States. The purpose of this study was to generate a deep understanding of home irrigation users' preferences and perceptions about water to inform landscape irrigation water best practices campaigns among this audience nationwide. Importance-performance analysis was conducted using quantitative survey research. Responses were drawn from 2,675 people who use home landscape irrigation in all states nationwide and from three areas experiencing serious water issues: Florida, California, and the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. There were differences among respondents as a function of geographical location, which revealed people are likely influenced by their exposure to and experience with water issues. There were significant differences between respondents' perceived importance with clean water for different purposes and plentiful water for different purposes. We identified gaps between importance of and satisfaction with clean and plentiful water for different purposes which demonstrate dissatisfaction around important water topics, such as clean water for local and large water bodies. The findings provide insight for targeted programs surrounding local needs and issues. Agricultural education professionals who work on water issues should emphasize home irrigation users' influence on water quality issues over water quantity issues, and should incorporate locally specific findings into programs.

In order to address the complex challenges facing the agricultural and natural resource industry, extension educators must collaborate with opinion leaders. Extension educators can use the assistance of opinion leaders in program design and implementation in order to best meet the needs of stakeholders and the public. Collaboration between extension educators and opinion leaders is more easily conducted when each party understands one another's cognitive style and communication channel preference. This study explored the relationship between opinion leader critical thinking style among three contextual issue groups in agriculture and natural resources and preferred communication preferences used by extension educators. The three contextual issue groups included opinion leaders from the areas of water, food safety, and genetic modification (GM). Researchers used the University of Florida Critical Thinking Inventory (UFCTI) to measure critical thinking style of 300 respondents in Florida. Each of the contextual issue groups preferred engagement with information as their preferred critical thinking style. Among the contextual issue groups, significant differences were identified between the water and food safety groups in the information seeking UFCTI score and the GM and food safety groups in the information engagement score. The preferred method of receiving information overall was visiting a website.

Using a semi-structured interview approach, ten mentors from a leadership development program focused on building leaders in Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences across the nation provided insights regarding their mentoring method, process, and experiences. Mentors interviewed agreed the mentoring process was beneficial for themselves as well as their mentee. However, clear thematic differences were evident depending on whether a previously existing relationship was in place between mentor and mentee. Specifically, mentoring relationships that were extensions of previous relationships tended to have less formal structures and more subjective outcomes than newly established mentoring relationship counterparts. Nevertheless, both categories of mentoring relationships indicated a desire for a formal set of mentoring expectations as well as access to program curriculum to help guide and inform the process.

Water availability issues have plagued many regions around the world and is viewed as the top issue facing the world. As a result, encouraging water conservation has become a priority for agricultural communicators. Previous research suggests strategically framed messages can impact attitudes about water conservation, but whether this change is a result of deep thoughts or simple cues has not been explored. This study used semi-structured qualitative interviews to explore the thought processes of individuals who irrigate their home landscape by presenting them with strategically framed messages. This audience was targeted due to the high volumes of water they use for irrigation. The interview process sought to understand how this group processed communication by asking participants to list their thoughts and verbalize their feelings toward a personal and a social message. The analysis was guided by the Elaboration Likelihood Model. The findings suggested participants processed the messages peripherally or retained their initial attitude. The findings implied this particular audience had more favorable thoughts toward the social benefits of water conservation than personal benefits. Future messages developed to promote water conservation should focus on the social benefits to promote increased change.

Extension educators have diligently educated the general public about water conservation. Incorporating audiences' personal experience into educational programming is recommended as an approach to effectively enhance audiences' adoption of water conservation practices. To ensure the impact on the audiences and environment, understanding the differences in issues audiences are concerned and audiences' behavioral pattern is needed. This study examined the regional differences in how U.S. residents' experiences with water issues related to their engagement and intention to engage in water conservation in order to facilitate the development of Extension educational programming in different regions. An online survey was administered to collect responses from U.S. residents in this descriptive and correlational study. Respondents' water issues experience, water use behaviors, water conservation practice application, and willingness to act on water conservation were measured. Regional differences in how experience were associated with water use behaviors, water conservation practices application, and willingness to act were found. Extension educators should be aware of such regional differences when developing water conservation educational programs and provide recommendations tailored to regional audiences' needs and interests. By doing so, audiences' adoption of water conservation practices is expected to increase.

Today's complex issues require technical expertise as well as the application of innovative social science techniques within Extension contexts. Researchers have suggested that a social science approach will play a critical role in water conservation, and people who use home landscape irrigation comprise a critical target audience for agriculture and natural resources professionals. This study was conducted to examine the possible role of an audience segmentation approach in addressing the complex issue of water resources. This research used descriptive discriminant analysis to assign national irrigation users to previously identified subgroups found in the literature (the water considerate majority, the water savvy conservationists, and the unconcerned water users) and compare characteristics to identify differences on a national scale. Results revealed the nation's irrigation users are fairly water conscious. The findings implied unique subgroups exist among targeted Extension audiences relevant to specific behaviors, and Extension programs should focus on different programmatic objectives for targeting different subgroups. Differences were found among the three subgroups in water conservation behaviors, personal and social normative beliefs, use of landscape professionals for irrigation maintenance, and learning preferences. Recommendations were provided on how to use the results to develop impact-driven Extension programs.

Research has found levels of engagement in environmental behaviors and participation in Extension programming around environmental issues are directly associated with political affiliation. Democrat and Independent parties encourage members to vote for stricter environmental regulations, such as water conservation efforts, while Republicans resist. These divergent political behaviors imply that individuals' political affiliation affects their water conservation habits and their attitudes towards environmental issues. Hence, this can be used as a basis for creating appropriate water conservation-focused Extension programs targeting specific populations. However, research on the level of individual engagement in water conservation efforts and participation in Extension programming by political affiliation is lacking. The purpose of this study was to identify how engagement in water conservation behaviors and interest in water focused Extension programs differ by political affiliation. The results show that Democrats are more interested in water-based education when compared to Republicans. These findings have important implications for the development of effective Extension programs designed to assist in water conservation efforts. By understanding the diverse political influences on water conservation behaviors, Extension educators can create appropriate and effective water-based education programs that resonates with all audiences.

Nursery growers are one of the largest agricultural users of water. Researchers have been developing new water treatment techniques and technologies for nursery growers to assist in preserving this precious resource, yet adoption within the industry has been limited. Extension professionals need to work closely with nursery growers to encourage adoption but the enablers and barriers are largely unidentified in the literature. Twenty-four interviews were conducted with nursery growers nationwide to identify the barriers and enablers to adoption in an effort to provide recommendations for improved extension programming with this audience. The findings revealed nursery growers have a positive attitude towards water conservation but the financial cost of replacing equipment keeps them from adopting. In addition, nursery growers perceive new technologies to be complex and difficult to understand and implement. Extension professionals can leverage this positive attitude and use social norms to assist in overcoming some of the barriers. Using case studies as examples of success stories, partnering with researchers to develop easy to use instructions and integration tools that could be offered online, and assisting growers in connecting with agricultural economists to conduct cost/benefit analysis associated with adoption are a few of the recommendations offered.

Urgent action is needed to educate the public and encourage water conservation behaviors amidst the global threat of water scarcity impacting billions by 2050. Crafting tailored educational programs about water conservation is crucial for incentivizing behavior change and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Intrinsic motivation, which is shaped by personal interests and values, plays a fundamental role in understanding individual behavior in various contexts, and therefore may aid in our understanding of water conservation behaviors. Despite the widespread application of the intrinsic motivation inventory (IMI) to measure intrinsic motivation, its adaptation and utilization in water conservation education remains largely unexplored, prompting this study to establish a relevant scale for intrinsic motivation in the context of water conservation education. Data were collected from 907 respondents in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama and subsequently analyzed using an exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis to establish and confirm factor structures related to intrinsic motivation, perceived competence, perceived choice, and relatedness in water conservation. The study findings established the Water Conservation IMI as a reliable tool for measuring intrinsic motivation in water conservation education. Further validation of measures for extrinsic motivation in environmental literature are needed to enhance comprehensive education strategies for sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study, conducted using a non-experimental and cross-sectional survey, was undertaken to explore distinguishing characteristics between intenders and non-intenders regarding donation behaviors to organizations that work to protect water resources. The case presented here was drawn from the state of Florida, U.S. where many organizations rely on public donations to complete their missions. An electronic, opt-in, nonprobability survey panel design employing a representative quota sample was used to recruit residents for data collection. Three normative lenses were used to compare the two groups. The findings of the study revealed that intenders had greater generalized (injunctive and descriptive), expectancy-based (injunctive and descriptive), and value-expectancy (injunctive and descriptive) normative beliefs compared to non-intenders. Among the three normative types, generalized normative beliefs provided the most robust distinction between the two groups with generalized descriptive norms being the most important distinguishing factor. This finding reveals potential donors' perceptions of whether the important people in their lives are engaged in donating to these organizations are more important than whether they perceive approval or expectation to do so. In terms of personal characteristics, results showed intenders were significantly younger, more likely to hold a professional degree or have a higher income, and more likely to have made a financial donation in the past relative to their counterparts who lacked intent. It is recommended that organizations focus on effectively showcasing donation behaviors of important others and targeting previous and younger donors to enhance public donations for water resources or similar environmental conservation programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extension program participants tell story after story of the impact of Cooperative Extension on their lives, their families, and their businesses. Despite huge amounts of qualitative data, very little quantitative data exist showing the aggregated public value of Extension programs--especially across program areas. The lack of data leaves Extension administrators high and dry when they are asked to show public value, a circumstance sometimes resulting in reductions in human and financial resources. A simple, yet powerful Extension public value instrument was developed and used in Georgia along with analysis methods designed to showcase the short-, medium-, and long-term impacts of Extension programs.

Citrus is one of Florida's most prominent commodities, providing 66% of the total United States' value for oranges. Florida's citrus production decreased 21% in 2014 from the previous season, partly due to the disease citrus greening. The science of genetic modification (GM) is one of the most promising solutions to the problem. However, a majority of American adults believe foods produced using GM science are unsafe for consumption. This study investigated the diffusion of GM science among Millennial students in a College of Agriculture at a land-grant university and their intent to consume citrus from a tree developed with GM science. An online survey collected data about Rogers' diffusion of innovation model characteristics and intent to consume GM citrus from 98 respondents. Relative advantage and compatibility of GM science were rated most favorably; observability was rated the lowest. The majority of respondents were likely or extremely likely to consume fruit or juice from GM trees. Compatibility was the only significant predictor of likelihood to consume GM citrus. A better demonstration of GM science's relative advantage, compatability, trialability, complexity and observability through formal education is needed to improve GM science adoption by Millennials.

In the past several years Cooperative Extension has focused on developing educational programs that address water conservation, specifically for individuals using exorbitant amounts of water, with limited success. However, few research studies have examined how the way people think, including their critical thinking styles, can be used to inform extension program development. The purpose of this study was to address this gap in the literature by examining how people who use a lot of water think critically and whether their critical thinking style influenced their engagement in water conservation (or lack thereof). Responses were obtained from 932 Florida residents identified as high water users via an online survey. The findings revealed respondents engaged in a low level of landscape water conservation behaviors. The results also showed relationships did exist between critical thinking style and level of engagement in landscape water conservation behaviors implying critical thinking styles should be considered when developing extension programs in this area. Recommendations include using critical thinking style to tailor programs that bring educational awareness of landscape water conservation to high water users.

The population of the United States is growing and increasing in cultural diversity. Of the total U.S. population in 2010, 50.48 million were of Hispanic or Latino origin. Colleges and universities must prepare students to be successful in this diverse work place. Agricultural college students must know how to navigate diversity in order to adapt to an ever-changing industry; one that employs a large number of foreign-born and possibly undocumented immigrants, and all the complexities of decisions made that involve this workforce. Bandura's social cognitive theory provides the framework for teaching students to have a multicultural mindset leading to positive attitudes and behaviors toward immigrants. This study investigated the colorblind racial attitudes of undergraduate students in a College of Agriculture. The relationship between colorblindness and their attitudes toward undocumented immigrants was found to have a correlation. A regression analysis showed level of colorblindness as a significant predictor of attitudes toward undocumented immigrants. Therefore showing that if students adopt a colorblind racial attitude, it can be predicted they will have less favorable attitudes toward undocumented immigrants. Improving students' attitudes of immigrants by teaching multiculturalism can lead to better engagement in the agricultural industry by up and coming professionals.

Human reliance on water has led to water issues globally. Although extension professionals have made efforts successfully to educate the general public about water conservation to enhance water resource sustainability, difficulty has been found in reaching high water users, defined as residents irrigating excessively to their landscape irrigation needs without awareness of the environmental impacts. This study sought to identify differences in water conservation behavior engagement between the general public and high water users to facilitate the development of extension programs targeting high water users. Florida residents (N = 516) and high water users in Florida (N = 512) were surveyed for this descriptive and comparative study. Respondents were asked to indicate their current engagement in water use behavior, water conservation strategies, and the likelihood of engaging in water conservation and related societal behaviors. Compared to the general public, high water users reported a higher frequency of engagement in water use behaviors, and were less likely to engage in water conservation and related societal behaviors. Based on the findings it is recommended that extension professionals segment the high water users from the general public as a specific clientele and develop educational programs relevant to their specific needs and behavioral patterns.

As the global population grows, concern for a food shortage may be looming. As the next generations of agricultural and natural resource leaders are prepared to address this challenge, input throughout multiple disciplines is required to solve this dilemma. Undergraduates must be prepared to engage in problem solving and entrepreneurial thinking if our society hopes to conquer this shortage. Opportunities to engage in interdisciplinary education can offer learning experiences focused on bridging research and policy, exploring real world problems, and developing solutions for socio-environmental issues. As interdisciplinary education in academia gains momentum, exploration is needed to understand the factors and influences affecting student attitude towards enrollment in interdisciplinary courses. This research examined the relationships between undergraduate goal orientation and attitude towards participation in interdisciplinary education specifically addressing, "How do we sustainably feed nine billion people by 2050?" Data was collected from a convenience sample of undergraduates who responded to Vandewalle's (1997) goal orientation and a researcher-developed instrument. Findings indicated undergraduates were most interested in nutrition followed by human disease management and water issues and least interested in economic concerns and plant disease management issues. Learning goal orientation and performance goal orientation--prove were found to influence attitude toward interdisciplinary education.

Water use has become increasingly contentious as the population grows and water resources become scarcer. Recent media coverage of agricultural water use has brought negative attention potentially influencing public and decision makers' attitudes towards agriculture. Negative perceptions could result in uninformed decisions being made that impact the agricultural industry such as increased regulation and decreased permitting. Without adequate water resources the agricultural industry will be unable to enhance or even sustain current production. This study uses knowledge gap theory to identify and compare public and local decision makers' attitudes towards and perceptions of agricultural water use to inform educational programs and communication approaches that could assist in educating and informing about agricultural water use. The findings revealed the public had a positive attitude towards agricultural water use, which significantly differs from decision makers, who were neutral. The public is also more interested in learning about water issues, while decision makers appear to be more apathetic. The findings imply there is a need for education and communication in this realm, particularly with decision makers that are working closely with water authorities in driving water policy.

Transformational leadership has served as a model for positive, individual-focused leadership, based on its emphasis on motivation and higher levels of organizational performance. Change is a constant for faculty that become leaders within the Land Grant University System. Changes to governance and accountability of institutions and threats to research through commercial or political interests reflect the need for positive and effective leaders. The purpose of this study was to examine if participation in LEAD21, a leadership development program intended for land grant universities' colleges of agricultural, environmental, and human sciences and NIFA, changes participant levels of transformational leadership. Results indicated overall level of transformational leadership rose by an average of 7%. This finding was unexpected based on previous research that found statistically significant changes in transformational leadership dimensions of 1% - 2%. These results are encouraging, considering transformational leaders tend to lead higher performing organizations. Agricultural educators and leadership development professionals can use the results of this study to inform future teaching practices. The empirical evidence that transformational leadership development within a sample of emerging leaders is encouraging. The continuation and expansion of leadership development programs focused on transformational leadership dimensions are encouraged.

The ability to evaluate and accurately articulate the outcomes associated with leadership development programs is critical to their continued financial and administrative support. With calls for outcome-based accountability, the need for rigorous evaluation is particularly relevant for those programs administered through the Cooperative Extension Service (CES). Using Bandura's (1977) Social Learning Theory, a robust evaluation of agricultural leadership development programs administered through the CES in the southern region of the United States was conducted. Several key findings are examined, specifically: program participant demographics match parity requirements for CES programming; program participants are highly satisfied with their program experience; and program participants have held a large number of leadership roles within their communities and industries.