Title: Classifying the strategic capability of farmers: a segmentation framework

Authors: Gerard McElwee; Rob Smith

Addresses: Nottingham Trent University, Burton Street, Nottingham NG1 4BU, UK. ' Aberdeen Business School, The Robert Gordon University, Garthdee Road, Aberdeen AB10 7QE, UK

Abstract: This paper examines the capability of farmers to diversify and outlines the barriers and challenges that confront farmers. It suggests that not all farmers have a high level of 'strategic awareness capability'. The paper describes how a segmentation framework can be used to provide coherent understanding of the entrepreneurial farming business. A segmentation framework will be presented. The segmentation framework classifies farmers by their personal characteristics, the characteristics of the farm enterprise, activities and processes undertaken by the farmer and specific needs of the farm enterprise. Criteria from this framework are chosen to identify different types of entrepreneurial farmers. The resulting framework shows different types of entrepreneurial farmers reflecting the strategic orientation of the farm. Different strategic orientations in farming may require different skills. The framework provides the opportunity for individual rural ventures to determine what these skills are.

Keywords: rural business; entrepreneurial farmers; diversification strategy; entrepreneurship; strategic capabilities; entrepreneurial segmentation; entrepreneurial farming; strategic orientation; rural ventures; rural entrepreneurs.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEV.2012.046517

International Journal of Entrepreneurial Venturing, 2012 Vol.4 No.2, pp.111 - 131

Received: 06 Feb 2010
Accepted: 31 Oct 2010
Published online: 31 Jul 2014 *

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