Attract & Retain Agricultural Workforce: Annotated Bibliography

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Introduction

The selected subject for the study is ‘Attract & Retain Agricultural Workforce’.

For this Annotated Bibliography, two peer reviewed journal articles on retaining workforce in the sector of agriculture, in reference to New Zealand, have been selected. One more article is read in context of Thailand. The purpose is to comprehend all those aspects that can hold workforce for longer duration.

This objective gets followed by the reading of the article by OECD that deals with the features of attracting, refining and training agricultural workforce. However, it has been marked that the importance still must be on rural labour markets.

Via: CSMonitor

Article 1: Attract and Retain Agricultural Workforce        

Froy, F., S. Giguère and A. Hofer (eds.) (2009). Designing Local Skills Strategies, Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED), OECD Publishing, Paris. doi: 10.1787/9789264066649-en

The research based article for OECD by Froy (et al, edts. 2009), lays emphasis over the wide ranged mode of understanding increasing demands of developing skills for social and economic development of the particular region.

Based on critical case studies of understanding the approach to train HR job designing approach, this report made investigatory analyses of labour markets, especially in Shanghai, Australia, and New York city.

It has been derived from various case studies that for sustainability in any sector, it is very important to construct a knowledge-based economic sector. The report agrees that the concerns related to attracting and further retaining the human resource is a matter of great challenge. Role of the local policy makers for developing local strategies in enhancing workforce, has been marked as very mandatory. The challenges of retention of labour in a particular market has been evaluated in reference to the increasing trends of international migration.

Froy (et al, edts. 2009) made a wide ranged research analysis of various job markets with the purpose to check the global challenges that re related to hurdles of retaining talented human resources in a particular company. The analyses are made on generalised grounds and appeared to remain applicable in every sector for attracting and retaining good skilful employees.

Article Relevance

In accordance to the points collected about the challenges of attracting and retaining high-skilled labour in almost every sector of global economy, this research work is like an eye opener of the wider and generalised issues related to the selected topic of this research.

Since this research based article offers critical analyses of different demographic locations, such as Shanghai, Australia, and New York city; it becomes obvious for the researcher to understand the wide ranged perspectives related to the attraction and retention of labour in a particular sector. The data analysed and illustrated for OECD, is very effective in attaining an elaborative knowledge about the local approach of developing specialised job-oriented designing and skill development facilities, so that optimum benefits from the resources can be acquired (Froy et al, edts. 2009). This investigatory approach is supportive in offering critical dimensions for gaining long term organisational strategic approaches for retention of the employees, especially in the selected sector of agriculture.

As a whole, this article is the base for initiating the understanding about the possible general challenges in attracting and retaining efficient skilled labours in the sector of agriculture.

Article 2 Attract and Retain Agricultural Workforce         

Kelly, M., Seubsman, S., Banwell, C., Dixon, J., & Sleigh, A. (2015). Traditional, modern or mixed? Perspectives on social, economic, and health impacts of evolving food retail in Thailand. Agriculture and Human Values, 32(3), 445-460.

The article by Kelly, et al (2015) deals with transnational ways of understanding food retailing business. With focus on the market of Thailand, this research based article offers the aspects related to attain Foreign investments for the development of the Agricultural sector in Thailand.

Based on Quantitative questionnaires & Qualitative interviews, this research attains hold over the challenges and hurdles related to the process of urbanization, participation of women in the mainstream agricultural sector, control of new markets, etc. the purpose of this research work is to know how and what kind of resources are the necessary for developing the labour market of the agricultural sector.

The interesting derivations of this research lay focus in the process of building developmental options in the socio-economic domain, geographic specifications and product categorisations in the sector of agricultural food retailing. The transnational barriers of accomplishing agriculture based food business, bifurcated possibilities of food system in Thailand, and the amalgamated business modules of traditional and modern practices; are some of the ways to understand the in-depth complexities of agricultural sector, and the challenges that actually intimidates the labour market from participation. The attracting and retaining of the employees in this sector thus, get an incore insight through this article.

Article Relevance

An elaborate reading of this article offers a foreground of knowledge in understanding the complexities and the critical challenges that the agricultural sector faces in the retail business. The case study of the Thailand market is a representation of all those markets that are still emerging and are from developing nations. Considering the case of Thailand, the research can have good understanding of the job profile of the employees who are involved in the retaining business of the agricultural sector. The challenges and the barriers for career growth can be well realised through this article.

It is in this context that this article is going to support the thematic way of knowing those aspects of the job that can attract more and more participants to the agricultural sector. Followed by this purpose is the fruitful understanding of the kind of job design that can make retention a great option for any agricultural organisation. It is important that the employer understands the difficulties and the challenges of the employees so that better job design can be constructed by the HR planning department. The ultimate goal will be to achieve an appropriate way of noting down feasible strategies for attracting skilful human resources and retaining them on long term basis for organisational growth in agriculture sector.    

Article 3 Attract and Retain Agricultural Workforce         

Horsburgh, S., & Langley, J. D. (2011). Recruitment and retention of farm owners and workers for a six-month prospective injury study in New Zealand: a feasibility study. Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology (London, England), 6, 16.

The peer reviewed journal article by Horsburgh & Langley (2011) deals with the concern of safety of workers involved in the agricultural sector. These scholars laid focus on the high rates as has been happening occupational injury workers experience. The researcher noted that there is hardly any research work done in this context. Hence, they followed a cohort study that was stimulated for six months, to identify the diversified ways that remain vulnerable in creating safety issues for the workers at the agricultural sector. The critical analysis was investigated over various firms and the workers in terms of their participations and retention in a particular job profile. The focus was led over the proceedings of feasibility to gain wide ranged deployment of workers in the agricultural sector.

The results derived by these scholars marked that levels of recruitment as against other fields with remain with 24% as in the farms and 36% as in case of participation of the non-owner workers. As the worker gets recruited, the process of retention attains as high as 85% & 86%, respectively.

The conclusive results shows that in case of retaining the workers in the agricultural firms, the main tasks is in the process of recruitment. This is the critical state whereby the prospects of retention relies severely as per safety norms.

Article Relevance

The selection of this article is considered as vital to this research initiative as it deals with safety and health related norms of the workers who are part of the agricultural sector. This research work deals with the workers in the agricultural sector, and the same offers great deal of knowledge in understanding the psychology of people who are part of the agricultural sector. In reference to employee attraction and retention, as considered by the current research work, the notable points related to recruitment process appears very vital. It is significant to note that even the employees, like the workers, would like to continue with their services, if they too get safety and health related benefits from the particular company or organisation.   

In reference to agricultural sector, definitely the workers cannot be considered as mirror image to the employees, yet they can be well related to the working environment in an agricultural sector. As the derivations of this research work are closely knitted to attract and retain labours, it offer wide ranges scope to understand the circumstances that are related to the employees retention process in the organisations dealing with agricultural sector.  

Article 4 Attract and Retain Agricultural Workforce         

Hoyos, M. de., and Green, A. (2011)   Recruitment and retention issues in rural labour markets. Journal of Rural Studies. Volume 27, Issue 2, April 2011, Pages 171-180

This core objective of this paper is to check out all those perspectives that are meant to offer scopes of recruitment and further retention of employees, who are working in rural areas. The issues related to the recruitment and the retention of employees for the rural areas, have been analysed and investigated to understand the hurdles and derive solutions for the purpose of retaining employees in any sector that belongs to the rural areas.

The process of research analysis adopted by Hoyos and Green (2011) are based on interview sessions with intermediaries of labour market and the employers from organisations that are functioning for various sectors, in rural areas of Lincolnshire, UK. The core objective is to analyse and discuss the increasing demands of the labour market.

The issues related to hard-to-fill vacancies as against the abundant availability of labour supply, gets critically evaluated. The process of investigation derives that though the labour market is abundant, yet hurdles to dwell in rural areas affects the retention process. The concerns related to economic and demographic backups are also some of the concerns identified by this research work. Quality-oriented labour market is another issues that seems to affect the rural demographic placement and retention, a lot. 

Article Relevance

The importance of this research work is vital to the current study as it deals with the recruitment and retention proceedings in reference to rural areas. Since, the current research work is dealing with agricultural sector, the challenges faced by the employees in the rural areas remain one of the major analytical aspect, to be explored.

Agriculture in any nation, is basically initiated in rural areas, it is here that the employees working for any firm or organisation must have the capability to sustain in rural areas. Limitations to their lifestyles and facilities are some of the major concerns that can be related to the challenges of attracting and retaining employees in the agricultural sector. The derivations led by Hoyos and Green (2011) establishes the fact that though the labour market is in abundance, yet there concerns of recruitment and retention of labours or employees, is still hard to manage by the HR. Need for appropriate strategies for attracting and retaining employees in the agricultural sector, is the demand of the time. With least involvement of employees in the agricultural sector, there is the possibility of crisis in future. Hence, it is this concern that the current research will derive ways to understand the strategic HR formulations to attract and retain more and more employees in the agricultural sector that basically exists in rural areas.

Article 5 Attract and Retain Agricultural Workforce         

Haar, J. M. and White, B. J. (2011). Corporate entrepreneurship and information technology towards employee retention: a study of New Zealand firms. Human Resource Management Journal. January 2013. Volume 23, Issue 1, pp. 109-125

The peer-reviewed journal article by Haar and White (2011) deals with a more independent way of looking into the functionalities of agricultural sector. The major emphasis of this research work is on the advantages of holding entrepreneurship for an elevated performance of a firm. The integrated involvement of Information Technology, in developing entrepreneurship, has been marked as the base of this research work.

Haar and White (2011) initiated their research work in 158 firms of New Zealand, and attained results related to the means of gaining performance measures. These are all inclusive of results from non‐financial categories. The basic approach is to understand how to gain the hold over retention of employees under entrepreneurship.

The derivative results are direct and in substantial mode of connectivity with trends of employee retention and corporate entrepreneurship. Moreover, the effects as collected from the derivations led from IT dimensions as well as high IT objects a appears very effective in adding interactive transparency between the employer and the employees. The focus on high knowledge over interactive facilities through IT and maintenance of entrepreneurial culture are two major derivations of this research. The result of having 10% more retention of employees with IT supported means add meaning to the concerns of attracting and retaining employees in agricultural sector.

Article Relevance

The effective application of high knowledge on IT based interactive facilities among employers and employees, appears to be very helpful to the current trend of research work. Corporate communication through IT and maintenance of entrepreneurial culture are some of the major fields of analysis that can contribute towards the ways of meeting the challenges of attracting and retaining employees, especially in the agricultural sector.

Based on the results derived by Haar and White (2011), it will be very reasonable to analysis the IT sector for adding transparency of communication to the current research approach. Since the target is to retain employees in an organisation, this inclusion can add a definite positive edge to the current research.

However, specifications related to the demographic and cultural differences will be made part of the elaborative study. The IT based speculations will be noted in context of checking over the possible HR planning and firm performance as targeted by any particular firm. Critical analysis of entrepreneurial culture for attracting and retaining employees can be integral part of the current research work.in its approach the basic emphasis will be in understanding the behavioural and psychological preferences of the employees to join or continue with their job related to agricultural sector.

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