Stress
Stress is best typified by feelings of loss of control over life’s circumstances. Succession is the fulcrum on which inter-generational farming is balanced and it must be managed so that the participants feel they have both a level of control over the destiny of the business and a sense of cohesion within the family.
Neither generation escapes the stress
that accompanies the succession process.
Who is stressed?
The retiring generation maintained that they were not stressed but that the successor and his spouse were, while the successor generation denied being stressed but maintained that the retiring generation, particularly ‘dad’, were. As the survey proceeded it became obvious that neither generation escapes the stress that accompanies the succession process.
Stressors
Successor males identified their stressors as
- uncertainty about succession,
- financial and farming uncertainties,
- pressure of sole charge,
- lack of communication between generations.
Successor women identified similar issues but added
- family relationship,
- childcare pressures (in the context of farm or off-farm work and the financial situation),
- adjustment from town to country life (in the context of understanding the succession process).
Time of stress
While there was no agreement between members of the retiring generation as to which stage of the process is the most stressful, analysis suggests that it is at the times of decision making. Decisions must be made at specific stages to ensure that the process proceeds to completion. Decisions that particularly attracted stress were
- putting money aside for retirement even during tough times,
- the decision that the successor was ‘ready’,
- or the decision to move from the farm.
The very act of doing something,
actioning a decision,
appears to alleviate the stress.
Each of the decisions these issues raised was an acknowledgement that the time had come to take the next step. The very act of doing something, actioning a decision, appears to alleviate the stress, even if the action is what is most dreaded, like actually leaving the farm.
Successor men were able to identify a stage within the process that was the most stressful. For them it was the initial stage
- the initial approach to their parents,
- or initiating the process,
- being ‘in limbo’ while a decision is made,
- uncertainty about the succession outcome,
- and deciding on the method of succession.
For successor women there was no ‘most difficult stage’ but for some the ‘slowness’ and the ‘length of time’ the process was taking was a concern.
Single men
Single men had their own set of stresses, in addition to the stress associated with the succession process and these were
- the loneliness of working their farm on their own,
- the demands of housework - cooking,
- and decision making on their own.
The demands of farming, especially for single people, were noted as frequently precluding social or sporting activities and so entrenching an already lonely occupation.
| Resolution of stress | |
| The generations had no hesitation in identifying exactly what would relieve their succession and retirement stress. | |
| Retiring Males |
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| Successor Males |
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| Retiring Females |
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| Successor Females |
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Uncertainty of succession
While there was agreement between the males of each generation on two factors that would relieve succession stress, an injection of finances and open communication, there was a third factor that was identified by the successors alone, the resolution of succession uncertainty. Uncertainty about their succession was a major stress for these men who described their feelings of being ‘in limbo’ waiting for the situation to be settled. Being ‘in limbo’ meant that they could do little to forward manage their lives. They noted that the farm operation was suffering and that they themselves were ageing and soon would be ‘too old’ to bring enthusiasm to the strategies they had devised for the continued growth of the farm business.
It is unlikely that the retiring generation appreciate the importance to the successors of resolving succession uncertainties. The irony being that each generation so strongly advocated open communication between the generations throughout the succession process.
Family harmony
The importance given family harmony by the successor women reflects her status as a daughter-in-law and her role within the farm family which at the time of her entry into the family is vulnerable. The retiring woman’s identification of the resolution of succession issues, similarly identified by the successor males, is also indicative of her position in the family. The farm woman frequently plays a mediatory role within the family as succession proceeds. In terms of the farm business she is more concerned about family happiness than the retention of the farm, if one is to be traded off against the other.
Contact for Enquiries
Rural Affairs Coordinator
Sector Performance Policy
MAF Policy
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
PO Box 2526
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 4 894 0675
Fax: +64 4 4 894 0745
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