Sheryl Doering Meshke

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• Sheryl Doering Meshke
• Final Project
• MBC
• University of St. Thomas
• Fall 2004

2
Research question

• Does dairy herd size
• relate to shareholder
• communication preferences?

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Objectives

1. Understand and quantify shareholder communication
   preferences
2. Incorporate preferences to improve effectiveness
   of AMPI shareholder communication

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Methodology

• Paper-based survey mailed June 2004
• 63 questions
• Sent to 863 primary shareholders

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Results

• 40 response rate
• Results are statistically representative
• of AMPI member farms

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Shareholder ProfileCommunication Preferences
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Shareholder ProfileGender

• 85 of respondents are male
• 15 percent are female

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Shareholder ProfileHerd size

• Herds range from 4 to 2,000 cows
• 86 milk less than 100 cows
• The average herd size among
• that group is 49

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Shareholder ProfileAge

lt30 30-39 40-49 50-59
60lt
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Shareholder ProfileYears of membership

lt1 1-5 6-10 11-20
21-30 lt30
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Shareholder ProfileElected representative

• 88 are not elected representatives
• 12 are elected representatives

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Communication PreferencesOverall satisfaction
with shareholder communication

• 91 are very or somewhat satisfied
• 9 are not very or not at all satisfied

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Communication PreferencesDairymens Digest
magazine

Very Somewhat Not very Important
Important Important
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Communication PreferencesManagers Message
newsletter

Very Somewhat Not very Important
Important Important
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Communication PreferencesAMPI Web site

Very Somewhat Not very Not
Not Important Important
Important Important Familiar
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Communication PreferencesWeb site satisfaction

• 71 are not familiar with site
• 29 have visited the site
• 24 are satisfied

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Communication PreferencesInternet connection

• 57 dont access the site
• 37 connect via modem
• 6 connect via DSL, satellite or wireless

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Communication preference

• 72 prefer printed
• 6 prefer electronic
• 22 prefer other forms such as
• face-to-face

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Research question

• Does dairy herd size
• relate to shareholder
• communication preferences?

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Summary

• Members prefer printed shareholder communication
• Printed communication received a 90 satisfaction
  rating

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Summary

• Gender, herd size and whether a
• shareholder is an elected representative are not
  indicators of communication preferences
• The exception is age, where members age 30 to 49
  are most likely to use the Web site.

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• Sheryl Doering Meshke
• Final Project
• MBC
• University of St. Thomas
• Fall 2004