Measuring Tendencies Toward Self-Directedness of Live Production Managers and Service Technicians in the Alabama Poultry Industry

Abstract

The driving force behind any company’s long term success is its ability for its employees to adapt to change. The driving force behind the success of any business is the people (Campbell, 2010). Improving company profit margins through the decrease of input costs is a limited resource. Long term company success and growth are reliant on the quality of the employees and their ability to adapt to change and learn new technologies. Traditionally workforce training is conducted formally in classrooms. Modern workforce training trends are focusing more on self-directed programs that allow individual employees to be in control of their training impact. Creating and implementing effective self-directed adult education training programs are key components of workforce training. Research on this topic is relatively limited in the field of agriculture and more specifically in the live production sector of the poultry industry. Training programs are offered to these employees on farms and in classrooms; however, the effectiveness of these training seminars is not measured, nor is the self-directed tendencies of the employees. This study focuses on assessing the tendency of live production managers and service technicians in the Alabama poultry industry toward self-directed learning readiness. The conclusions of this research will be used to give company executives, educators, and trainers the necessary information required to tailor educational programs that will be more suitable and effective for these adult learners. Key components of measuring self-directed tendencies and readiness lie in their motivation and self-regulation, cognitive strategies and social environmental elements at work.