Parallel mediation model of social capital, learning and the adoption of best crop management practices

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of social capital on the adoption of best crop management practices and testified the mediatory role of learning in the relationship between social capital and the adoption of best crop management practices. Then the authors examined the role of education as the moderator of the interrelations between social capital, learning and the adoption of crop management practices. Design/methodology/approach - Based on a survey of 317 small farmers from three districts of Southern Punjab, the authors used structural equation modeling and bootstrapping to test these relationships. Findings - The study confirms that bonding social capital and bridging social capital are positively related to the adoption of best crop management practices. Moreover, the authors empirically demonstrate that exploitative and explorative learning act as the parallel mediators between social capital and the adoption of best crop management practices. Practical implications - By focusing on building social capital and maintaining meaningful interactions with the social networks, the small farmers can improve their existing methods and practices of managing the existing varieties of crops. Originality/value - The extant literature has highlighted, but usually not explored, the imperative interrelations between social capital, learning and the adoption of best crop management practices. The authors provide empirical evidence about these relationships.