Leadership

Basic Aspects of the Issue

As Ripley and Rounds point out (see below), leadership is essential for "bottom up" community development of al types. Leaders of a wide variety of sorts are needed in rural development, and are needed at all stages of activities

With the heavy out-migration of population and the changing demographics of towns and municipalities, the question arises "who's left?". Are the leaders the very ones who take initiative to move elsewhere, or are they the ones who are able to make it in a tough new rural economy? Are there enough people to fill all the positions in communities now that there are fewer people to go around? Is the leadership need going "regional" rather than local? Should it?

Rural Development Institute Research Studies

• "Profiles of Individuals in Leadership Positions with Rural Manitoba Organizations" -Diane Ripley and Richard Rounds.
  This study uses a stratified sample of 30 towns and 29 RM's, with questions to all leaders in :
  • 3 elected groups: (Reeves and Councils, Mayors and Councils and Trustees)
  • 6 Volunteer Groups
  • 4-H groups (Information from the literature)

  Some of the characteristics from the list were:

  • Gender and age
  • Education
  • Length of residence
  • History of family involvement in leadership
  • Number of terms or length of involvement
  • Occupation

  The study was to create a baseline of information so that further information could be assembled as to whether leadership problems were arising from out-migration or lack of training. Questions were designed to check if early training had any influence or family patterns of involvement. Such information is excellent for those involved in community empowerment activities and as a base for providing leadership training.

• "Rural Youth Leadership" - Richard Rounds.
  This is one of a series of rural leadership studies started in 1991. These are:
  • Farm Women
  • Off Farm Employment (organizational involvement effect on lifestyle choices)
  • Characteristics of elected officials
  • Characteristics of Volunteer Community Leaders

  This is an annotated bibliography of 54 items on youth in rural leadership, and a survey of high school leaders to give an indication of where we are now, and the sorts of effective programs which would improve youth leadership. It is interesting that he notes that there is very little information on this subject, and that everyone assumes it is done but it is not. It is concerned with mobility of youth, training and later leadership involvement.

• "Women and Decision Making in Agriculture" - Dr. Malagros Ranoa
  This study went after why so few women are in upper level decision making positions in policy making organizations. It has good findings with implications for Churches and other organizations as well. It surveyed 100 families across Manitoba, both spouses (in separate interviews). Field interviews done by two farm women and collated at the university.

• "Off-Farm Employment in Agro- Manitoba" - Ken Bessant, Richard Rounds, and Erasmus Monu
  Rural (agricultural) restructuring has been going on since the depression of the 1930's and family adjustments have been moving in pace. Changes have occurred in the type of operations, number of farms, and increased acreage per farm. A move to increasing off-farm employment was noted in the 1941 census.

  Ten Manitoba Communities and 50 farms surrounding each were studied b local research assistants. The responses were fairly even over the province with the exception of Portage la Prairie. The results certainly did not match up with the stereotype of off-farm employment, making it a very interesting study.

  The study noted:

  • That the amount of time and number of people involved is increasing
  • Towns and farms are being brought closer together owing to the farm spouses taking jobs in town as town populations rise in age.
  • Rural development must see the parts and the whole of this phenomenon.

  The reasons for off farm employment were found to be quite varied:

  • to sustain farm viability and ward off failure (the usual view)
  • diversification
  • wise use of seasonally free time
  • money for preservation or increase of opportunities
  • female careers
  • enhansed lifestyle

Other Resources