Effectiveness of Agricultural extension workers (AEWs) in technology adoption: evidence from rice farmers in the Philippines

Purpose The study was carried out to analyze the causal effect of agricultural extension workers’ (AEW) job performance on technology adoption.Design/Methodology/Approach This study utilized data from a randomly selected sample of 415 farmers from Isabela and Nueva Ecija, Philippines. Data from 30 AEWs assigned to these farmers were also used in the analysis. The effect of AEW’s job performance on technology adoption was estimated using multilevel regression with a control function.Findings At the farmer level, farming experience, training attendance, credit access, regular extension visits, and distance to the extension office significantly influence technology uptake. Moreover, at the AEW level, job security, travel allowance, area assignment, and job performance score facilitate farmers’ technology adoption.Practical implications The government and development practitioners must pay close attention to the AEW performance and undertake concerted actions to improve their performance, thereby enhancing technology adoption outcomes among rice farmers.Theoretical implications This study extends Principal–Agent Theory by establishing that the incentive realization conditions, not merely their existence, drive extension agent performance. Principal–agent dynamics extend through AEW performance, shaping farmers’ technology adoption.Originality/Value This study applies a principal–agent framework within a multilevel empirical setting in agricultural extension systems. It shows that variation in job security, distance to workplace, and the timely receipt of incentives shapes AEW performance, while heterogeneity among AEWs leads to differential responses, underscoring that agents should not be treated as homogeneous actors.