Immigrant Labour in Swedish Agriculture : A Sustainable Business Model Innovation

• This paper investigates cultural diversity as means to business sustainability and competitive advantage for entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector. The paper focuses on challenges and barriers in immigrant workforce integration as revealed by a year-long project conducted among farmers in the region of Halland (on Sweden’s southwest coast). The paper reports on a matchmaking project between farmers seeking employees and job seekers (immigrants) seeking employment. The project began with interviews with 80 farmers and continued with an exploratory meeting with 42 farmers, four discussion meetings with 16 farmers, and face-to-face meetings between farmers and candidates for employment. The project concluded with follow-up interviews with the 42 farmers. While 42 of the 80 farmers were interested in exploring the benefits of immigrant workforce integration, the others (53%) declined further participation in the project. Ultimately, one farmer hired three immigrants. While supportive of the idea of cultural diversity as a beneficial element of business sustainability, most farmers stated they lacked both the time and the resources to manage the issues associated with immigrant workers such as their lack of technical and mechanical skills, and the language differences.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Ekonomi och näringsliv (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Economics and Business (hsv//eng)

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