WHAT DOES INDUSTRY REALLY WANT? Understanding the Desirable Follower Characteristics for Entry Level Positions in Agriculture Open Access

The agricultural industry is demanding a skilled workforce. Leadership is often identified as a desired employability skill but understanding the relationship between leader and follower during the leadership process in agricultural contexts is limited. The purpose of this qualitative study is to understand how employers contextualize the follower characteristics and skills desired when hiring individuals with an undergraduate agricultural degree for entry-level positions using a case study approach. Data collected from individual interviews, a focus group, observation, and artifacts were combined to triangulate emergent findings. When viewed through the lens of followership theory, the agricultural industry seeks graduates who are independently-directed followers. The themes of job skills, organizational skills, and values component describe the desired characteristics and behaviors of independently-directed followers.