This book takes a novel approach to teaching farm management and decision making processses. It has been written for all farmers but is also a valuable resource for students of farm management and agribusiness. References to formal theories and explanations are provided in addenda to each chapter covering the main points. Exercises and case studies can also be accessed.
Management research has shown successful farmers have quite distinct personal characteristics which most farmers have seldom actively thought about. The less successful farmers tend to have processes and systems which are most likely biased. The aim of this book is to help all farmers discover more about these personal aspects that impinge on the success of their management, and to show how their attitudes and personal resources can be improved.
The book is not a straight text book. Rather, it tells the story of a group of farmers who take part in an expert guided experiment designed to test approaches to improving management skill. The group meet at each other's farms to learn about their issues and develop solutions to improving what is called their 'management style' and the removal of any identified decision system biases. Each chapter is devoted to one of the common issues defining management approaches. One chapter, for example, has the farmers sorting out issues around succession planning, another covers the vexed problem of farmer anxiety, and still another has the farmers learning skills on self critiqueing. Overall, there are fifteen chapters covering both general and specific issues.
