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courses on Career Paths WBT - Case Studies - Opportunity in scarce resources
Nikhil Mathur is an agriculture agent with the North
Cooperative Extension Service in Green Lane. He has been with the organization
for three years and his areas of responsibility include livestock, row crops,
pesticides, and community resource development (CRD). He is a hard worker and
really loves the agricultural side of his job, but he is not as enthusiastic
about the community resource development aspect of the job.
Nikhil is excellent in designing and working with
agriculture programs, but he has to be prodded by his supervisor to do the
community resource development work. This work involves meetings, seminars, and
working with volunteers to help solve local community problems, and requires a
great deal of diplomacy and networking. Nikhil feels that this part of his job
involves too much baby-sitting of the volunteers, and that the groups he works
with seldom accomplish more than talking about problems and planting a few
shrubs to beautify the community. Nikhil does not see how this work has any
benefit for the community, and he only does the absolutely essential work in
this part of his job. One of Nikhil's favorite line is “this would be a great
job if only I could get rid of the CRD responsibility”.
Rose is the Green Lane extension director, which makes her
Nikhil's immediate supervisor. She came to her current position from the
community development area of extension. Rose is very pleased with Nikhil's work
in general, but she is beginning to be concerned with his lack of enthusiasm for
community development work. Some of the volunteers she worked with in the past
have mentioned to her that they have a hard time tracking Nikhil down when they
need help, and his indifference to the program is beginning to cause discontent
among that clientele. Rose has spoken with Nikhil on several occasions about the
importance of community development work, but her comments seem to fall on deaf
ears. Rose does not want to lose Nikhil as an employee, since the agriculture
clients really like his work, but she cannot allow the current situation to
continue. She has thought of taking back the CRD work herself, since it helps
build rapport with community leaders, which she needs as a director, but the
county commissioners are not willing to fund Nikhil's position as a solely
agricultural job.
Akhilesh kapoor is extension director in East Extension
Service, which borders Green Lane. He is currently having difficulty in
accomplishing the agriculture work in his place. Owing to the small size and
population of East Extension, the commissioners are reluctant to fund a
full-time agriculture position there. Akhilesh is the only person on his staff
with agriculture training, and he is constantly pressed for time, since he must
do the agriculture programming in addition to the administrative tasks for his
place. The amount of work to be accomplished is too great for one position, but
the commissioners do not feel that there is enough agriculture industry in the
place to fund another full-time position, and Akhilesh cannot get approval to
hire a part-time agent. This situation is causing public relations problems for
Akhilesh, since the local farmers do not feel that they are getting enough
response to their needs, while Akhilesh is also constantly behind in completing
the administrative work accomplished because he is attempting to keep his farm
clientele happy. He wonders if the state's new program of hiring agents could
help him. He is planning to bring up his problem at the next western district
county directors' meeting.
Discussion questions
(1)
Which CD intervention will successfully resolve this case and why?
(2) Is there another CD intervention, or any type
intervention, that can solve the issues in this case?
