Influences on Agricultural Agents’ Decisions to Remain in an Extension Career

Abstract

This qualitative study sought to explore and describe why Florida agricultural agents remained in an extension career. A purposive sample was used to select twelve agents who were classified into one of the three stages of the career stages model (Kutilek, Gunderson, & Conklin, 2002). In-depth interviews were used to investigate positive and negative influences that affected agents' decisions. Grounded theory was used as the primary data analysis method (Strauss & Corbin, 1998). Seven selective codes emerged as the most influential factors on agents' employment decisions. These codes were internal satisfaction, community leadership, external motivators, career benefits, change agents, network of support, and extension work environment. A grounded theory was created to delineate the relationships between the codes and explain the findings.

Examining Burnout and the Relationships Between Job Characteristics, Engagement, and Turnover Intention Among U.S. Educators

“…Next, the negative association between burnout and work engagement was larger and stronger than the relationship between burnout and turnover intention. This is a remarkable finding that aligns with the work of Arnold and Place (2010). They assert that educators strongly identify with their work and find it meaningful.…”

A Delphi Study of Challenges Perceived by West Virginia University Extension Agents

“…Cooperative Extension according to Extension Committee on Organization andPolicy (2002, 2005). Arnold, Place, Osborne, Israel, & Tenbroeck (2008), found that the six categories that influenced agents' decisions to enter Extension were: agent background, career contacts, service to the agricultural community, nature of Extension work, position fit, and university supported education. In order for Cooperative Extension to continue being agile and flexible, Extension must focus on long term employment (Extension Committee on Organization and Policy, 2002).…”

“…Extension administrators must thoroughly examine how to employ competent, long term staff, to ensure the longevity of the program (Arnold & Place, 2010).…”

“…Agents still need to be adequately compensated for their work, along with other maintenance factors to ensure their long term employment with the organization (Herzberg, 1968). Factors that proved to be influential for Extension Agents to remain in the occupation are: internal satisfaction, community leadership, external motivators, career benefits, change agents, network of support, and extension work environment (Arnold & Place, 2010). In a study of job satisfaction in Colorado, Harder, Gouldthorpe, and Goodwin (2014) found that a majority of Extension professionals were at least somewhat satisfied with their jobs, while only 15% were dissatisfied.…”

The Influence of extension professional’s job satisfaction and the quality of relationship with department heads on field faculty career commitment to CES extension

“…The sustained success and longevity of Extension professionals who are based in local communities through local government partnerships has been documented over the past 50 years (Arnold & Place, 2010;Baker & Hadley, 2014;Clegg, 1967;Forstadt & Fortune, 2016;Fourman & Jones, 1997;Harder et al, 2014;Hyatt, 1966;Lindner, 1998;Martin & Kaufman, 2013;Morrill & Morrill, 1967). Herzberg et al's (1959) Motivation-Hygiene theory identified that things unrelated to job responsibilities (hygiene factors) caused dissatisfaction that may result in a desire to separate.…”