Agribusiness: Principles of Management

Authors

David Van Fleet

David D. Van Fleet is a professor Management in the Morrison School of Agribusiness and Resource Management at Arizona State University. He received his Ph.D. in economics and management from the University of Tennessee - Knoxville. He has served as editor of the Journal of Management and the Journal of Behavioral and Applied Management as well as an officer in the Southwest Regional Division of the Academy of Management, the Southern Management Association, and the Management History Division of the Academy of Management. Dr. Van Fleet taught at the University of Tennessee, the University of Akron, and Texas A&M University before moving to Arizona State in 1989. His research interests include workplace violence, management history, and leadership. A well respected author, Dr. Van Fleet has written many successful books, including THE VIOLENCE VOLCANO, WORKPLACE SURVIVAL, CONTEMPORARY MANAGEMENT, BEHAVIOR IN ORGANIZATIONS, and ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR: A MANAGERIAL VIEWPOINT.

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Ella Van Fleet

Dr. Ella W. Van Fleet, Founder and President of Professional Business Associates, is an experienced author and has an impressive background that includes more than 35 years of experience in teaching, training, managing, and consulting, plus three interdisciplinary degrees in Business and Higher Education. She has firsthand knowledge of agribusiness, having grown up on a dairy farm. Along with her husband, she has authored "The Violence Volcano: Reducing the Threat of Workplace Violence" and "Workplace Survival: Dealing with Bad Bosses, Bad Workers, Bad Jobs."

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George J. Seperich

Dr. George J. Seperich is a Professor in the Morrison School of Management and Agribusiness. His academic interests include identifying necessary conditions for agribusiness economic development at the state level, corporate strategy and the development of management, and marketing agribusiness case studies as teaching tools and developing agribusiness as an academic discipline in Mexico. He has authored or co-authored six books and several editions, including, "Introduction to Agribusiness Marketing," "Cases in Agribusiness Management," "Food Science and Technology," and "Managing Power and People."

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Table of Contents

PART ONE: MANAGEMENT IN AGRIBUSINESS: AN INTRODUCTION.
1. AGRIBUSINESS.
The Changing Face of Agribusiness in the United States. Agribusiness as an Opportunity. What is Agribusiness? The Development of Agribusiness. Differences between Agribusiness and Business. Agribusiness Today. The Basic Management Model.
2. MANAGEMENT TODAY.
The Manager's Job. The Evolution of Management. Contemporary Management Theory.
3. MANAGERIAL ROLES AND SKILLS.
The Challenges of Today's and Tomorrow's Managers. An Integrative Framework. Managerial Roles: Essential Activities. Managerial Skills and Knowledge: Essential Competencies. Developing Managerial Skills and Acquiring Managerial Knowledge.
PART TWO: THE ENVIRONMENT OF AGRIBUSINESS MANAGEMENT.
4. ORGANIZATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS.
The Nature of Organizational Environments. The General Environment of Organizations. The Task Environment of Organizations. The Internal Environment: Corporate Culture. Organization--Environment Relationships.
5. THE COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT.
The Changing Environment of Managers. Economic Challenges of Managers. Competitive Challenges of Managers. The Work Force Diversity Challenge of Managers. Other Workplace Challenges of Managers. Legal and Social Challenges of Managers.
6. THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT.
The Influence of the Global Environment. The International Economy. Challenges of International Management. Managing in the International Economy.
7. THE ETHICAL AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT.
The Nature of Ethics. Managerial Ethics. Managing Ethics. The Nature of Social Responsibility. Approaches to Social Responsibility. The Government and Social Responsibility. Managing Social Responsibility.
PART THREE: PLANNING AND DECISION MAKING IN AGRIBUSINESS.
Basic Managerial Planning. Planning in Organizations. The Nature of Organizational Goals. Kinds of Planning. Time Frames for Planning. Contingency Planning. Managing the Planning Process.
9. STRATEGY AND STRATEGIC PLANNING.
The Nature of Strategic Planning. Environmental Analysis. Corporate Strategy. Business Strategy. Functional Strategies. Strategy Implementation and Control.
10. PLANNING TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES.
Organizational Planning Techniques. Project Planning Techniques. Personal Planning Techniques.
11. MANAGERIAL PROBLEM SOLVING AND DECISION MAKING.
The Nature of Problem Solving and Decision Making. The Problem Solving and Decision-Making Process. Managerial Problems: Types and Conditions. Approaches to Decision Making. Tools for Improving Problem Solving and Decision Making.
PART FOUR: ORGANIZING IN AGRIBUSINESS.
Organizing Concepts. The Nature of Organizing. Designing Jobs. Grouping Jobs. Authority and Responsibility. Group Effectiveness. Line and Staff Positions.
13. ORGANIZATION DESIGN.
The Role of Organization Charts. Early Approaches to Organization Design. Contingency Factors Affecting Organization Design. Contemporary Organization Design Alternatives. Corporate Culture.
14. ORGANIZATION CHANGE AND INNOVATION.
The Nature of Organization Change. Managing Organization Change. Areas of Organization Change. Organization Development. Organization Revitalization. Innovation in Organizations.
15. STAFFING AND HUMAN RESOURCES.
The Nature of Staffing. Human Resource Planning. Selecting Human Resources. Training and Development. Performance Appraisal. Compensation and Benefits. Labor Relations.
PART FIVE: LEADING IN AGRIBUSINESS.
16. INDIVIDUAL AND INTERPERSONAL PROCESSES.
Individuals and Organizations. The Nature of Individual Differences. Performance-Based Differences and Work. Stress at Work. Interpersonal Processes at Work.
17. LEADERSHIP.
The Nature of Leadership. Power and Leadership. Leadership Traits. Leadership Behaviors. Situational Approaches. Other Contemporary Perspectives.
18. EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION.
The Nature of Human Motivation. Important Human Needs. Complex Models of Employee Motivation. Reinforcement Processes. Reward Systems and Motivation. An Integrated View.
19. GROUPS AND TEAMS.
The Interpersonal Character of Organizations. The Nature of Groups. The Psychological Character of Groups. Important Group Dimensions. Managing Groups and Teams in Organizations. Group Decision Making.
20. MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION.
The Nature of Communication. The Communication Process. Barriers to and Skills for Effective Communication. Forms of Interpersonal Communication. Managerial Communication. Informal Communication: The Grapevine.
PART SIX: CONTROLLING IN AGRIBUSINESS.
21. ORGANIZATIONAL CONTROL.
The Nature of Control. Approaches to Control. Establishing a Control System. Effective Control. Managing Control. Responsibility for Control. Food Safety.
22. MANAGING QUALITY.
The Nature of Quality and Productivity. The Importance of Quality. Improving Quality: Strategic Initiatives. Improving Quality: Operational Techniques.
23. OPERATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT.
The Nature of Operations Management. Planning for Operations. Managing Operations. Operations Control. Operations Control Techniques. Technology Management.
24. INFORMATION SYSTEMS.
The Nature of Information. Information and Information Systems. Types of Information Systems. Managing Information Systems. Organizations and Information Systems. Internet and Social Media.
APPENDIX A: A CURSORY LIST OF AGRIBUSINESS FIRMS/BUSINESSES.
APPENDIX B: CONTROL TECHNIQUES AND METHODS.
The Nature of Control Techniques. Budgets. Financial Analysis. Other Control Techniques.
GLOSSARY: MANAGER'S VOCABULARY.

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David Van Fleet

Ella Van Fleet

George J. Seperich