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Modelling the origins of managerial ability in agricultural production

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  • Nuthall, Peter

Abstract

The efficiency of production from a farm’s land, labour and capital is critically dependent on the ability of the farm manager. Yet, while there are studies correlating a wide range of manager-related variables with returns, and, therefore, probably ability, little understanding of the basic determinants of managerial ability exists. Questions such as ‘what is the importance of a farmer’s family experiences and training in determining the farmer’s managerial ability?’ need answering. The solution to this, and other, questions will enable determining ways of improving farmers’ inherent ability developed both in early, and later, life. In that most decisions on a farm are made intuitively, in contrast to the use of a formal analysis, improving farmers’ inherent ability will have a significant payoff. The research reported here uses data from a large stratified random survey of 740 developed farmers (29 per centhadtertiary education,30per centhad4ormoreyears secondary education) to create a structural equation model of the determinants of managerial ability. The results suggest that a farmer’s exposure to experiences is a significant factor in ability, as is the farmer’s management style and the family influence on early life experience.

Suggested Citation

  • Nuthall, Peter, 2009. "Modelling the origins of managerial ability in agricultural production," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 53(3), pages 1-24.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:aareaj:161975
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.161975
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Nuthall, Peter L., 2012. "The intuitive world of farmers – The case of grazing management systems and experts," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 65-73.
    2. Tu, Vo Hong & Kopp, Steven W. & Trang, Nguyen Thuy & Hong, Nguyen Bich & Yabe, Mitsuyasu, 2021. "Land accumulation: An option for improving technical and environmental efficiencies of rice production in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    3. Otieno, David Jakinda & Hubbard, Lionel J. & Ruto, Eric, 2012. "Determinants of technical efficiency in beef cattle production in Kenya," 2012 Conference, August 18-24, 2012, Foz do Iguacu, Brazil 125853, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    4. Nguyen, Thi Bao Ngoc & Lin, Li-Feng & Su, Xuan-Qi & Yu, Jui-Hung, 2021. "Does Managerial Education Matter for Credit Risk? Evidence from Taiwan," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).
    5. Westbrooke, Victoria & Nuthall, Peter, 2017. "Why small farms persist? The influence of farmers’ characteristics on farm growth and development. The case of smaller dairy farmers in NZ," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 61(4), October.
    6. Kenneth Yung & Chen Chen, 2018. "Managerial ability and firm risk-taking behavior," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 51(4), pages 1005-1032, November.
    7. Eric T. Micheels & Hamish R. Gow, 2015. "The Effect of Market Orientation on Learning, Innovativeness, and Performance in Primary Agriculture," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 63(2), pages 209-233, June.
    8. Puspita Ghaniy Anggraini & Mahfud Sholihin, 2023. "What do we know about managerial ability? A systematic literature review," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 73(1), pages 1-30, February.
    9. Shukla, Sumedha & Arora, Gaurav, 2022. "A rank similarity test for quantile treatment effects in conjunction with propensity score matching: An application to crop yield impacts of agricultural credit," 2022 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Anaheim, California 322569, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    10. Thomas P. Triebs & Subal C. Kumbhakar, 2018. "Management in production: from unobserved to observed," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 49(2), pages 111-121, June.
    11. Vo Hong Tu & Nguyen Duy Can & Yoshifumi Takahashi & Steven W. Kopp & Mitsuyasu Yabe, 2019. "Technical and environmental efficiency of eco-friendly rice production in the upstream region of the Vietnamese Mekong delta," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 21(5), pages 2401-2424, October.
    12. Bezaiet Dessalegn & Woinishet Asnake & Abiro Tigabie & Quang Bao Le, 2022. "Challenges to Adoption of Improved Legume Varieties: A Gendered Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-17, February.
    13. Mamiit, Rusyan Jill & Yanagida, John & Villanueva, Donald, 2020. "Farm locations and dwelling clusters: Do they make production and technical efficiency spatially contagious?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    14. Rafay Waseem & Gershom Endelani Mwalupaso & Faria Waseem & Humayoon Khan & Ghulam Mustafa Panhwar & Yangyan Shi, 2020. "Adoption of Sustainable Agriculture Practices in Banana Farm Production: A Study from the Sindh Region of Pakistan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-14, May.
    15. Thomas Triebs & Subal C. Kumbhakar, 2012. "Management Practice in Production," ifo Working Paper Series 129, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.

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