GOALS AND MANAGEMENT STYLES OF NEW-ZEALAND FARMERS

Many commentators on contemporary agriculture emphasize the importance of sound business decision making on the farm. We argue that while th is may be appropriate, it is important not to overlook the personal go als of the farmers in any assessment offal m management. Since farmers combine both business and way of life goals in complex and personal w ays, we find that the concept of management style is best suited to de veloping an integrated account of different approaches to farm managem ent. Ranking of goal statements along with interview transcripts provi ded data that allow for a detailed account of three distinctive manage ment styles in a non-random sample of farmers in Canterbury, New, Zeal and. The three management styles identified in this investigation al e the dedicated producer, the flexible strategist and the environmental ist. The results show the variable response of farmers to their partic ular social, economic and ecological context and extend out knowledge of management style by showing how goals are integrated in subtle and complex ways.