8.6.1
Individual Role within an Organisation
Sections 6.3 and 7.3 also presented extensive evidence of another novel finding, that role within an organisation is predictive of pruning preference. How, and perhaps whether or not, this finding will be relevant to those working towards artificially intelligent pruning remains to be seen. In a much more immediate sense, though, it may have implications for anyone currently managing a pruning operation. Multiple Correspondence Analysis (Figure 6-4), displayed a clear tendency, among those identifying exclusively as labourers, to favour options relating to the preservation of the current vine shape. The purpose of this discussion section is certainly not to argue whether such tendencies are good or bad, but rather explore how such a disconnect between management and labour may be pertinent to the running of a pruning operation.
One potential interpretation of a tendency to maintain the current shape of a vine, when others would favour more aggressive action, is a conservatism relating to perceived lack of authority. Those identifying as labourers, exclusively, may feel they have less authority to make structurally important changes to the vine architecture. It would be difficult to prove whether or not this interpretation reflects how workers actually feel. Regardless of empirical proof, perhaps there would be little to lose for managers who seek to ensure that their workers feel empowered to make such decisions, when appropriate. Such a delegation of power in the vineyard would likely require a high level of training and trust, however.
Less optimistic interpretations exist to explain the observed disconnect between workers and
management. Given the prevalence of piece-rate compensation systems, where workers are paid per vine, some might interpret a reluctance to make structural decisions as a means of working more quickly, and thus earning more money. Working against this notion is the fact that participants were explicitly instructed to assume their choices were not constrained by time. The other side of an expedience-based interpretation would hold that the exuberance of management to make structural decisions may be overzealous and unreflective of the reality that workers face. As in the previous example, it would be difficult to empirically prove whether or any of these interpretations reflect the
With all acknowledgement to a potential bias, the gap between the preferences of management and labourers may also serve as some justification for those wishing to further pursue advances in robotic pruning. The advantage of working with artificial intelligence, hypothetically, is that its decisions may be programmed to closely align with the inclinations of managers. Corbett-Davies et Al. (2012) has demonstrated the potential of an algorithm to produce pruning decisions at a level that may exceed that of a novice human pruner. Given the high level of turnover in the New Zealand pruning
workforce (unpublished data, 2014), as assessed by numerous vineyard operators, the impetus to develop and adopt such technology may gain traction over the coming years. In the interim, this section has outlined some strategies that may be helpful for developing the capacity of the present workforce.
8.6.2
Commercial and Organisational Attributes
Although the potential impact of yield on pruning decisions has already been addressed, a number of other considerations are economic in nature. Anecdotally, there is a popular view that the cultural practices of small and large vineyards are drastically different. This study found that vineyard size was insignificant as a predictor, both for ratings of the pruned vine and for decision preferences, themselves. Likewise, the sample pools utilised in this study contained 34 employees of a large company, with operations in Marlborough, Hawke’s Bay, and Waipara. This group displayed no significant deviations from the sample at large, indicating a lack of a dominant corporate influence (p>0.05).
If these results were at all surprising, they were so only in light of the commercial realities of managing a large pruning operation. Preliminary investigation (unpublished data, 2014 and 2015) revealed that a fundamental challenge, particularly for growers in Marlborough where demand for labour is high, is completing pruning within the necessary time frame. To alleviate labour shortages for horticultural industries, the New Zealand government operates a system of pre-approval for Recognised Seasonal Employers (RSE) to facilitate temporary migration of workers (Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment 2010). Undoubtedly, employing temporary workers, whether through RSE or other means, introduces a unique set of challenges. Likewise, it is understandable that speed would be a priority in such a situation. While this study did not track whether workers were part of a temporary labour agreement, nor whether they were compensated in piece-rate agreements, no evidence surfaced to suggest that the views of participants from large vineyards differed from the views of other participants.
Equally interesting was the finding that tertiary viticulture education did not significantly influence pruning preference or perception. This particular result may be unsurprising to many, but perhaps has implications from a labour market perspective. Stated in another way, this finding indicated that
there was no measurable difference in performance between those with viticulture qualifications and those without. Hypothetically, if this finding were to hold up in other trials and in other areas of viticulture practice, it would seem fair to question the merits of such training. That said, it would be difficult to find a measure of overall performance with sufficient depth and range to allow for meaningful conclusions. Anecdotally, a number of participants also seemed unsure whether
qualifications they completed met the minimum criteria of a one-year viticulture qualification from a tertiary institution. In the event that future quantitative pruning research becomes feasible, a more stringent definition and interpretation of what constitutes a tertiary qualification in viticulture may be necessary.