| dc.description.abstract | In a survey that took place prior to this research Dutch dairy farmers were asked for their opinion about business coaching. 169 of the respondents received business coaching, 86 of them didn’t.
The farmers who have participated in this survey were generally very positive about business coaching. Statements related to the advantages were supported much more than those related to the disadvantages. Support of the management was thought to be the biggest advantage of business coaching by both the farmers with and without business coaching. After that, structural problem approach and prevents business blindness were thought of as the biggest advantages, followed first by quickly informed about veterinary developments and then regular monitoring of production data. I achieve an increase in production was for the dairy farmers the least important advantage to participate in business coaching. Looking at the order of the advantages mentioned one can conclude that farmers participate in business coaching primarily because they want someone to look over their shoulder and to give feedback on their management. This is more important to them than the advantage of a much higher efficiency / production and thus profit. The biggest disadvantage for the farmers is the high cost. Participation takes a lot of time is the second biggest disadvantage. The implementation of the advices is difficult is thought of much less as a disadvantage. The timing is bad and the veterinarian interferes too much with the management are hardly important disadvantages. Collecting the necessary data is difficult is rarely mentioned in the disadvantages for farmers. Looking at the order of the disadvantages mentioned one can conclude that farmers have more problems with the costs / effort business coaching takes, than with the way business coaching is given.
The statements about the existing way of business coaching were highly rated. The farmers actually are quite satisfied about the way business coaching is given. Evaluation of earlier advices, price / quality ratio and the communication with other advisors might need improvement. Farmers would expand their business coaching particularly if more attention to preventive animal health would be paid.
A part of the questions asked to both groups provided a significant difference between the opinions of guided and non-guided farmers. In management is supported, structural problem approach and regular monitoring of production data significant differences were found in the distribution of the answers; for prevents business blindness, quickly informed about veterinary developments and I achieve an increase in production this is not the case. When comparing the answers about the disadvantages, the difference between the guided and non-guided farmers was more evident. Looking at the distribution of the answers only the implementation of the advices is difficult doesn’t give a significant difference. The costs, participation takes a lot of time, the timing is bad, the veterinarian interferes (too much) with the management and collecting the necessary data is difficult do difference significantly. | |
