Research Article

Risk Management Education for Executives in the Food and Agriculture Industry

Emily Garwood(a) and Brian K. Coffey(a)
(a)Kansas State University

JEL Codes: JEL Codes: A29, D81
Keywords: Executive education, industry outreach, risk management

Publish Date: February 23, 2024
Volume 6

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Abstract

Numerous universities have expanded their outreach efforts to include executive education. Offerings include a range of programs that vary in length, certification, topics, and price. Even though there are many offerings, there is a specific gap in the market for risk management executive education for the food and agriculture industry. There is also, to our knowledge, no existing research into preferences and willingness to pay for risk management executive education offerings. Understanding executivesâ€™ preferences for risk management executive education programs would be helpful to academic units who wish to enter the space. We conducted an online survey of professionals in the food and agriculture industry, followed by phone or video conference interviews with professionals whose responsibilities included sending employees to executive education programming. Results indicate professionals in the food and agriculture industry highly value the content of a program and the ability to apply it to their business. They seek opportunities with highly regarded speakers with relevant real-life experience. Networking to build lasting relationships in their fields is also an important component. The price a participant is willing to pay for a two- to three-day executive education experience lands somewhere between $1,500 and $2,000.

About the Authors: Emily Garwood is Managing Director of the Center for Risk Management Education and Research at Kansas State University. Brian K. Coffey is an Associate Professor at Kansas State University (Corresponding Author Email: bcoffey@ksu.edu)

Acknowledgments: The authors wish to thank Ted Schroeder for support in developing and administering the survey and Vincent Amanor-Boadu for input on earlier versions of the research. We appreciate the essential support provided for this project by the Kansas State University Center for Risk Management Education and Research. We also thank the executives who generously took the time to complete the survey and interview. Any remaining errors are ours. This is contribution no. 24-036-J of the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station. The Institutional Review Board of Kansas State University determined this project (Proposal Number: IRB-10611) to be exempt from further review under 45 CFR Â§104, paragraph d, category: 2, subsection: ii.

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