Abstract:
Purpose – The approach to integrate concepts from different disciplines so as to solve the problems facing
smallholder farmers has gained momentum in recent years. However, very little is known about how word-ofmouth (WOM) dimensions can be used in agricultural marketing to explain market participation among
smallholder farmers. Therefore, this study investigates the perceived usefulness of WOM in explaining
smallholder farmers’ market participation.
Design/methodology/approach – The cross-sectional design was carried out to survey a sample of 467
smallholder farmers. This study used partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) in
SmartPLS 4 to test hypotheses.
Findings – The results revealed that WOM dimensions such as expertise differential, strong tie and
trustworthiness among smallholder farmers significantly influence the WOM message delivery. Likewise, the
findings suggest that WOM message delivery significantly influences market participation among smallholder
farmers. Finally, it was revealed that WOM message delivery significantly mediates the relationship between
WOM dimensions and market participation.
Practical implications – This study provides useful insights to smallholder farmers on how to use WOM
dimensions to enhance more market participation in formal markets, especially through proper WOM message
delivery.
Originality/value – The current study solves the problem of information asymmetry among smallholder
farmers through WOM. It is perhaps the first study to establish the link between WOM dimensions and market
participation among smallholder farmers in the context of developing countries.
Keywords WOM dimensions, Expertise differential, Strong tie, Trustworthiness, WOM
Paper type Research paper
