A comparison of holistic management decision making and traditional decision making in farming among family farmers.

摘要

The purpose of this study was to compare holistic management decision making (HMDM) and traditional decision making in farming among family farmers. The HMDM approach enables people to make decisions that consider environmental, social, and economic issues simultaneously for a better world today, tomorrow, and well into the future. Two hundred and forty family farmers from Masvingo Province in Zimbabwe participated in this study. Participants were assigned into two groups of 120 each. The experimental group was taught holistic management decision making while the control group was exposed to traditional decision making. In this study the effects of the HMDM approach on family farmers were assessed. A survey was administered three times to rate participants on knowledge, attitude, and intentions to perform behavioral changes prior to and after training. There were also some demographic questions included in the questionnaire.;Three hypotheses were tested namely: Hypothesis 1: The holistic management decision making approach is predicted to increase knowledge of sustainable agriculture; Hypothesis 2: The holistic management decision making approach is predicted to result in attitudes becoming more favorable to sustainable agriculture; and Hypothesis 3: The holistic management decision making approach is predicted to show intentions to perform behavioral changes in farming. The overall results show support for all the three hypotheses. HMDM approach increases knowledge of sustainable agriculture, results in attitudes becoming more favorable to sustainable agriculture, and shows intentions to perform behavioral changes in farming.