The Influence of Work Culture, Empowerment, and Work Motivation on Work Ability and Farming Productivity (A Study of Pepper Farmers at South Konawe, Southeast Sulawesi)

Abstract

Research was aimed at analyzing and explaining the productivity change that was influenced by work culture, empowerment, and work motivation, and understanding the influence of work culture, empowerment, and work motivation on work ability and farming productivity at South Konawe of Southeast Sulawesi. The analysis unit of research was pepper farmers at South Konawe of Southeast Sulawesi. Data type was primary data. Research population was 345 units of pepper farmer which were 30 percents purposively taken as sample through purposive sampling technique. Respondent characteristic was homogenous. The returned questionnaire was 115 units that were previously distributed to Mowila Village and Mataiwoi Village, Landono Subdistrict, South Konawe Subdistrict, Southeast Sulawesi. Statistic analysis tool to test the hypothesis was path analysis at significance rate of 95 % (p < 0.05). Result of research indicated that strong work culture increased productivity and work ability of the farming. Less empowered farmers could not increase their work ability, while more empowered farmers successfully increased their farming productivity. Higher work motivation seemed increasing work ability and farming productivity. Stronger work ability was surely increasing farming productivity. Agriculture development was an integral part of national development. It was indeed that a strategic role played by agriculture development was creating extensive employment for the people. In national level, agriculture sector contributes to 52 millions farmer households. Of this number, 24 millions or 46 % were farmer household with narrow land, that was 0.3 ha cultivated land average per household (BPS, 2006). The narrow agriculture land was often a barrier hindering farmers from increasing their income, and was a cause of their low productivity. It meant that farming was not effective and efficient (Soekartawi, 1995). The quality of farming yield was always important because the production yield must compete with counterpart from other countries. Indonesia, as a consequence, had been forced to engage within free trade agreement (twenty-first century). Free trade and global market were ratified at international level through WTO and GATT, or at regional level through AFTA and APEC. It was confirmed that Indonesia's production would enter free trade competition where the superiority would be determined by product efficiency, including the role of workers. Free trade agreement was a consequence of a global economic system. High competitive nature was inevitable by every commodity. Such competition resulted in a superior product with better quality for the wide interest of people. Each production required various inputs, including workers. Efficiency concerned with various inputs, times, and workers to produce a commodity. Wrigth quoted in Danta (2004) admitted that global competition must be dealt by company by increasing the contribution of human resource, especially from farming sector. If the productivity increased to better quality, the production cost became more efficient and supported the competition in global market. Pfefer (2003) asserted that competing ability was achievable through the improvement of the role of human resource at agriculture sector in addition to good and more efficient productivity and quality. One way for increasing farming productivity was by empowering the workers by improving skill of farming workers who were previously limited and less dynamic (Soekartawi 1986:2). Empowering farmers was reflecting the increase of the role of government in the farming to improve skill, sense of empowered, and sense of self-support among farmers in the farming. High work productivity gave huge contribution to the company, including individual enterprise, such that company wellbeing was ensured. Farming productivity in Indonesia, however, was low. Zadjuli (2001:6)