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Middle Management in Agriculture: Roles, Functions, and Practices

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  • Bitsch, Vera
  • Yakura, Elaine K.

Abstract

The role of middle managers in agriculture and agribusiness has been neglected by applied - as well as disciplinary - research, while gaining increasing importance in practice. This study provides an overview of middle management research and analyzes middle managers' authority in human resource decision-making and human resource management practices based on in-depth interviews analyzed through a grounded theory approach. Results show that these middle managers use both traditional and participative management practices to accomplish organizational goals, but would benefit from training tailored to their industry and specific needs.

Suggested Citation

  • Bitsch, Vera & Yakura, Elaine K., 2007. "Middle Management in Agriculture: Roles, Functions, and Practices," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 10(2), pages 1-28.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:ifaamr:8187
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.8187
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mugera, Amin W. & Bitsch, Vera, 2005. "Managing Labor on Dairy Farms: A Resource-Based Perspective with Evidence from Case Studies," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 8(3), pages 1-20.
    2. Bitsch, Vera & Hogberg, Michael, 2005. "Exploring Horticultural Employees' Attitudes Toward Their Jobs: A Qualitative Analysis Based on Herzberg's Theory of Job Satisfaction," Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 37(3), pages 659-671, December.
    3. Sterns, James A. & Schweikhardt, David B. & Peterson, H. Christopher, 1998. "Using Case Studies As An Approach For Conducting Agribusiness Research," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 1(3), pages 1-17.
    4. Bitsch, Vera, 2006. "Job Attitudes of Agricultural Middle Managers," 2006 Annual meeting, July 23-26, Long Beach, CA 21415, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    5. Tom Redman & Adrian Wilkinson & Ed Snape, 1997. "Stuck in the Middle? Managers in Building Societies," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 11(1), pages 101-114, March.
    6. Bitsch, Vera & Harsh, Stephen B., 2004. "Labor Risk Attributes in the Green Industry: Business Owners' and Managers' Perspectives," Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Southern Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 36(3), pages 1-15, December.
    7. Emmanuel Ogbonna & Barry Wilkinson, 2003. "The False Promise of Organizational Culture Change: A Case Study of Middle Managers in Grocery Retailing," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(5), pages 1151-1178, July.
    8. Bitsch, Vera & Kassa, Getachew Abate & Harsh, Stephen B. & Mugera, Amin W., 2006. "Human Resource Management Risks: Sources and Control Strategies Based on Dairy Farmer Focus Groups," Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Southern Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 38(1), pages 1-14, April.
    9. Colin Hales, 2005. "Rooted in Supervision, Branching into Management: Continuity and Change in the Role of First‐Line Manager," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(3), pages 471-506, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Bitsch, Vera & Olynk, Nicole J., 2008. "Risk-Increasing and Risk-Reducing Practices in Human Resource Management: Focus Group Discussions with Livestock Managers," Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 40(1), pages 185-201, April.
    2. Carlson, Laura A. & Bitsch, Vera, 2018. "Social sustainability in the ready-made-garment sector in Bangladesh: an institutional approach to supply chains," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 21(2), March.
    3. Charis Linda Braun & Meike Rombach & Anna Maria Häring & Vera Bitsch, 2018. "A Local Gap in Sustainable Food Procurement: Organic Vegetables in Berlin’s School Meals," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-19, November.
    4. Bitsch, Vera & Koković, Nevena & Rombach, Meike, 2014. "Risk Communication and Market Effects during Foodborne Illnesses: A Comparative Case Study of Bacterial Outbreaks in the U.S. and in Germany," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 17(3), pages 1-18, September.
    5. Meyerding, Stephan G.H. & Spiwoks, Elisabeth & Rombach, Meike & Lehberger, Mira, 2019. "Not only speed matters – Crisis response in the hypothetical case of a transport accident involving genetically modified crops," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 55-63.
    6. Meike Rombach & Eunkyung Kang & Vera Bitsch, 2018. "Good deeds revisited: motivation and boundary spanning in formal volunteering," International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, Springer;International Association of Public and Non-Profit Marketing, vol. 15(1), pages 105-126, March.
    7. Rombach, Meike & Bitsch, Vera, 2018. "Sector blending: evidence from the German Food Bank," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 21(2), March.
    8. Rombach, Meike & Bitsch, Vera, 2015. "Food Movements in Germany: Slow Food, Food Sharing, and Dumpster Diving," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 18(3), pages 1-24, September.
    9. Braun, Charis Linda & Rombach, Meike & Bitsch, Vera & Häring, Anna Maria, 2018. "Structures and Actors of the Organic Vegetable Value Chain for School Catering: a Case Study of the Berlin-Brandenburg Metropolitan Region," 2018 International European Forum (163rd EAAE Seminar), February 5-9, 2018, Innsbruck-Igls, Austria 276863, International European Forum on System Dynamics and Innovation in Food Networks.

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    Agribusiness; Labor and Human Capital;

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