This study analyzed the influence of opinion leaders based on their personal characteristics at the village level which is still not fully exposed to latest information technology. Opinion leader should be individual who is important and influential for the success of village development programs and attract youth to engage in the oil palm industry. In this study, data collected are both primary and secondary. Primary data were collected using a qualitative approach through face to face interviews with four informants comprising of entrepreneur, the village chief, a member of Village Development and Security Committee (VDSC) and an acting head of the village in northern part of Johor, Malaysia. The study found that personal traits such as personality and demographic are important in attracting youth to engage in the oil palm industry. Individuals with social status, high income, innovative, knowledgeable in agriculture and have high social mobility are more likely to have followers among the youth. This means that formal education is no longer a main criterion for someone to gain followers because what matters is the personality, experiences and expertise in the field. Other important features are media habits, product-related characteristics, social attributes, and also having characteristics of an opinion seeker. In addition, the study found that opinion leaders who are directly involved in the oil palm industry are more trusted by the youth as compared to the leaders who hold key positions at the village level but partially involved in the sector.
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In-Text Citation: (Saad, Salman, Abdullah, Lyndon, Azima & Zaimah 2018)
To Cite this Article: Saad, S., Salman, A., Abdullah, M. Y., Lyndon, N., Azima, A. M., Zaimah, R. & Sarmila, M.S. (2018). Personal Characteristics of Opinion Leader in Influencing Youth Involvement in Oil Palm Industry. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 8(13 Special Issue: Community Development & Social Mobility), 130–141.
Copyright: © 2018 The Author(s)
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