IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i16p6839-d1453210.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Entrepreneurial Aspirations of South Dakota Commodity Crop Producers

Author

Listed:
  • Abdelrahim Abulbasher

    (Department of Social Sciences, Qatar University, Doha P.O. Box 2713, Qatar)

  • Jessica D. Ulrich-Schad

    (Department of Sociology & Anthropology, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA)

  • Deepthi Kolady

    (Department of Agricultural Economics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA)

  • Tong Wang

    (Department of Agricultural Economics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA)

  • David Clay

    (Department of Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USA)

Abstract

A growing body of research has examined farmers’ increasing economic challenges in the United States and the new models adopted to help them increase profit, remain in business, and achieve agricultural sustainability. However, the entrepreneurial strategies that Western Corn ( Zea mays ) Belt farmers use to overcome economic challenges and achieve agricultural sustainability remain understudied. The model system used in this study was eastern South Dakota, and it examined the entrepreneurial aspirations of commodity crop producers using mail and online survey data collected in 2018. Using the diffusion of innovations framework, we investigated how innovation and entrepreneurialism spread among farmers; whether frequent training, building, and using social networks were essential to farmers’ business success; and how age, education level, and farm size relate to their entrepreneurial aspirations. We analyzed these three socio-demographic characteristics of farmers against their adoption of entrepreneurship and engagement in networking and training. Our results show that (1) farmers are looking for ways to adopt entrepreneurship; (2) education and farm size are positively related to the adoption of entrepreneurship; (3) age is negatively related to farmers’ adoption of entrepreneurship, and (4) a larger farm size is associated with farmers’ use of social networks and their participation in training. This study highlights the importance of providing farmers with entrepreneurial training, equipping them with necessary skills, maximizing their use of social networks and opportunities, and encouraging strategic planning and best management practices.

Suggested Citation

  • Abdelrahim Abulbasher & Jessica D. Ulrich-Schad & Deepthi Kolady & Tong Wang & David Clay, 2024. "Entrepreneurial Aspirations of South Dakota Commodity Crop Producers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-17, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:16:p:6839-:d:1453210
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/16/6839/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/16/6839/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Andrew Henley, 2007. "Entrepreneurial aspiration and transition into self-employment: evidence from British longitudinal data," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(3), pages 253-280, May.
    2. Larry W. Van Tassell & Luther H. Keller, 1991. "Farmers' decision-making: Perceptions of the importance, uncertainty, and controllability of selected factors," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 7(6), pages 523-535.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Giuseppe Criaco & Philipp Sieger & Karl Wennberg & Francesco Chirico & Tommaso Minola, 2017. "Parents’ performance in entrepreneurship as a “double-edged sword” for the intergenerational transmission of entrepreneurship," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 49(4), pages 841-864, December.
    2. Henley, Andrew, 2009. "Switching Costs and Occupational Transition into Self-Employment," IZA Discussion Papers 3969, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Christopher Dawson & David de Meza & Andrew Henley & G. Reza Arabsheibani, 2014. "Entrepreneurship: Cause and Consequence of Financial Optimism," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(4), pages 717-742, December.
    4. Anneli Kaasa & Rico Baldegger, 2022. "Entrepreneurship and Culture: What Determines the Differences Within Switzerland?," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, vol. 31(3), pages 546-574, November.
    5. Agnieszka Piasna & Marcello Pedaci & Jan Czarzasty, 2021. "Multiple jobholding in Europe: features and effects of primary job quality," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 27(2), pages 181-199, May.
    6. Greene, Francis J. & Han, Liang & Martin, Sean & Zhang, Song & Wittert, Gary, 2014. "Testosterone is associated with self-employment among Australian men," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 13(C), pages 76-84.
    7. Li-Min Chuang & Cheng-Chung Yeh & Chung-Wei Lin, 2019. "Applying the self-organizing maps to analyze and interpret the clustering and characteristics of nascent entrepreneurs: A cross-country study," Business & Entrepreneurship Journal, SCIENPRESS Ltd, vol. 8(1), pages 1-3.
    8. Lee, Lena & Wong, Poh Kam & Foo, Maw Der & Leung, Aegean, 2011. "Entrepreneurial intentions: The influence of organizational and individual factors," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 26(1), pages 124-136, January.
    9. Mateo M. Córcoles-Muñoz & Gloria Parra-Requena & María José Ruiz-Ortega & Pedro M. García-Villaverde & Francisco J. Ramírez-Fernández, 2019. "Psychological and Biographical Determinants of Entrepreneurial Intention: Does the Learning Environment Act as a Mediator?," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-22, April.
    10. Bullock, W. I. & Ortmann, G. F. & Levin, J. B., 1994. "Farmer Characteristics, Risk Sources And Managerial Responses To Risk In Vegetable Farming: Evidence From Large- And Small-Scale Commercial Vegetable Farmers In Kwazulu-Natal," Agrekon, Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa (AEASA), vol. 33(3), September.
    11. Adnane MAALAOUI & Imen SAFRAOU & Judith PARTOUCHE & Celine Viala, 2019. "How Subjective Age Affects Entrepreneurship: The Effects of Rejuvenating Trend on Entrepreneurial Intention among Seniors," Working Papers 2019-002, Department of Research, Ipag Business School.
    12. Kostas Mavromaras & Darcy Fitzpatrick, 2017. "Self-employment Dynamics in Australia and the Importance of State Dependence," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 93, pages 144-170, June.
    13. Teemu Kautonen & Simon Down & Maria Minniti, 2014. "Ageing and entrepreneurial preferences," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 42(3), pages 579-594, March.
    14. Yu, Wei & Stephan, Ute & Bao, Jia, 2023. "Childhood adversities: Mixed blessings for entrepreneurial entry," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 38(2).
    15. Krohn, Malte & Petersen, Finn & Hochmuth, Dustin & Herstatt, Cornelius, 2020. "The Deliberative Frugal Mindset: A model of managerial opportunity recognition for frugal innovation," Working Papers 109, Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), Institute for Technology and Innovation Management.
    16. Clifford Kendrick Hlatywayo & Chioneso Show Marange & Willie Tafadzwa Chinyamurindi, 2017. "A Hierarchical Multiple Regression Approach on Determining the Effect of Psychological Capital on Entrepreneurial Intention amongst Prospective University Graduates in South Africa," Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies, AMH International, vol. 9(1), pages 166-178.
    17. Kim, Jong-Sun & Cameron, Donald, 2013. "Typology of farm management decision-making research," International Journal of Agricultural Management, Institute of Agricultural Management, vol. 2(2), pages 1-10, January.
    18. Syed Awais Ahmad Tipu, 2012. "What have we learned? Themes from the literature on necessity driven entrepreneurship," World Review of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 8(1), pages 70-91.
    19. Dimitris Christelis & Raquel Fonseca, 2015. "Labor Market Policies and Self-Employment Transitions of Older Workers," Cahiers de recherche 1516, Chaire de recherche Industrielle Alliance sur les enjeux économiques des changements démographiques.
    20. Dongxu Wu & Zhongmin Wu, 2015. "Intergenerational links, gender differences, and determinants of self-employment," Journal of Economic Studies, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 42(3), pages 400-414, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:16:p:6839-:d:1453210. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.