ISHS Acta Horticulturae 536: XIVth International Symposium on Horticultural Economics
EMPLOYEES AS A STRATEGIC ASSET FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUTION |
| Author: | K. Verhaar |
| Keywords: | human resources management, lifelong learning, employability, participative management |
| Abstract:
There is a general agreement amongst policy makers, employer's organisations and labour unions that people should invest in their human capital. Training and education are seen as the best, if not the only way, to do so - especially for OECD-countries with their knowledge intensive economies. By doing so, people would enhance their employability, viz. their ability to get and hold employment. In this paper data referring to Dutch agriculture are used to question this line of reasoning. Training on the job seems to suffice to acquire the necessary skills. In fact, it is suggested that it is not the employee who holds the main responsibility to invest in the human factor, but the employer who should acknowledge the strategic value of labour (even if the job appears to be a simple one). One way to act accordingly, especially on so-called mega-farms, would be to make use of a participative management strategy. | |
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