Working with other disciplines: The role of agricultural economists in interdisciplinary agribusiness research

Abstract

The evolving field of agribusiness research is viewed in light of the potential for interdisciplinary arrangements. Special emphasis is placed on the role of agricultural economists. An historical perspective of multidisciplinary efforts and a review of joint research traditions of agricultural economics are given. Special opportunities for new work with managerial science scholars are illustrated with a research agenda. Some organizational considerations are discussed. Encouragement is given for more professional attention to agribusiness research.Increasing attention is being paid to agribusiness management as an area of research for agricultural economists. This also raises the issue of cross-disciplinary effort. The call for interdisciplinary research among the various research areas of agricultural economics is ubiquitous. Earl Swanson' recounts the history of this call by AAEA presidents. Subsidence is not in sight.This article uses Swanson's terminology for cross-disciplinary research. His continuum begins with unidisciplinary research and becomes a more integrated process as it passes through the stages of multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary. Multidisciplinary research uses the science, models, and tools of several disciplines in agglomeration. No common models need be specified