STRENGTHENING CHAIRMAN’S LEADERSHIP TO IMPROVE FARMERS GROUP EFFECTIVENESS

Abstract

The research aims to analyze descriptively the role of leadership, the effectiveness of farmer groups, group internal factors, and group external factors, and analyze the relationship between leadership roles, group internal factors, and group external factors with the effectiveness of farmer groups. The study was conducted in Garut Regency, West Java from June to November 2019. The study population was farmers who were members of farmer groups in the study area. The sample of 80 people was selected using a proportional random sampling technique. The research instrument has fulfilled the validity and reliability test. The research variables consist of farmer’s characteristics, external factors, the leadership of chairman, and group effectiveness. Farmer’s characteristics consist of education, land area, business experience, membership period, cosmopolitan behavior and motivation. Data analysis techniques used descriptive statistical analysis and Rank Spearman’s correlation test. The results of the study of the relationship between the leadership of the chairman with the effectiveness of farmer groups can be concluded that the majority of farmers (45.50%) are of medium age and between 35 years and 54 years. The formal education of farmers is mostly (48.75%) of junior high school graduates. The majority of land managed by farmers (40%) is narrow and less than 0.30 hectares. Most group members (53.75%) have business experience between 10 years and 25 years. Most group members (48.75%) have been members for more than 8 years. Cosmopolitan attitudes and motivations of the majority of farmers in the medium category. External factors of group members, leadership roles, and group effectiveness are in the medium category. The development of group effectiveness can be done through strengthening the chairman’s leadership, business experience, cosmopolitan behavior, motivation, and external factors of the group.