Trends Affecting Ohio State University Extension in the 21st Century and the Implications for Human Capital

Abstract

Research with a diverse array of organizations in the public and private sectors has documented a common set of trends affecting organizations and their human capital in the 21st century. Similar trends have been identified as important for Extension organizations and the Cooperative Extension System. It is important to determine if such trends identified over the past 20 years remain current, or if new trends have emerged. Moreover, trends and their implications need to be described in sufficient detail to serve as a basis for action. The purpose of this study was to identify and describe current trends affecting Ohio State University Extension and the implications of those trends for the work of Extension professionals. The study was designed as action research with a series of highly participatory approaches to engage employees in defining, refining, and validating a list of trends and their implications. Mixed methods were used with an emphasis on qualitative approaches. The findings from this study consist of five trends and seven implications for Extension work, which are identified and described.