Technical Yearbook 2023

FIGURE 1.

their immediate concerns. They, therefore, tend to interact with sources of practical knowledge, such as other winemakers and suppliers of products and services, more regularly compared to sources of theoretical information, say written materials. The study also found that winemakers differ regarding the amount of theoretical knowledge they desire. It can be seen as a spectrum, with the one extreme being winemakers requiring in-depth explanations of the science behind a product or process, and the other extreme being winemakers only requiring the price and basic usage guidelines. Most winemakers lie somewhere in between, dispersed over the spectrum. Perceived usefulness An innovation has to offer some kind of benefit for practitioners and organisations for them to adopt it. Benefits can include cost-effectiveness, convenience, process improvement, sustained competitive advantage, social prestige and improved workplace safety. Reading or hearing about research projects may not be immediately useful to practitioners. For many practitioners, it is more a nice to know and something to be aware of for future consideration. Many practitioners only become interested in research results when the information becomes useful in their specific environments. There are, of course, exceptions to this rule. Ease of use The complexity of the knowledge can affect its uptake. If the information is overly technical, difficult to understand, or requires significant effort to implement, practitioners may be less likely to adopt it. On the other

hand, knowledge that is straightforward, easy to grasp and apply will have a higher chance of being embraced. In the South African study, some of the interviewed suppliers of oenological products mentioned that some winemakers, when implementing a new process, “cut corners” by not following the communicated protocol to the point. This can be due to a lack of time, not having the financial resources to implement the protocol as prescribed, deliberately taking chances, or it can be a complex process, and winemakers find it challenging to implement in their specific environments. Observability The ability to observe the results or benefits of applying the knowledge can influence uptake. If practitioners can see tangible evidence of the positive impact of the innovation, they are more likely to believe in its efficacy and adopt it. Field days where vineyard trials can be observed and interactive knowledge exchange can take place are conducive to knowledge uptake by grape producers and viticulturists. Winemakers are likelier to adopt an innovation if they can smell and taste the wine produced with it. This is one of the main reasons tasting and study group meetings are popular knowledge exchange events for winemakers (probably also because of the informal wine consumption afterwards). Timing The timing of knowledge dissemination can significantly impact uptake. Presenting information when practitioners actively seek solutions or face relevant challenges can

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TECHNICAL YEARBOOK 2023