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Incentive Structures, Labour Performance, and Fruit Quality: Panel Evidence from a South African Deciduous Fruit Operation (2017–2019)
Thesis (MScAgric)--Stellenbosch University, 2026.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2026
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| _version_ | 1867613857190510592 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Segole, Kagiso |
| author2 | Traub, Lulama |
| author_browse | Segole, Kagiso Traub, Lulama |
| author_facet | Traub, Lulama Segole, Kagiso |
| author_sort | Segole, Kagiso |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MScAgric)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/135873 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:42:48.374Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/135873 Incentive Structures, Labour Performance, and Fruit Quality: Panel Evidence from a South African Deciduous Fruit Operation (2017–2019) Segole, Kagiso Traub, Lulama Stellenbosch University. Faculty of AgriSciences. Dept. of Agricultural Economics. Thesis (MScAgric)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. Segole, K. 2026. Incentive Structures, Labour Performance, and Fruit Quality: Panel Evidence from a South African Deciduous Fruit Operation (2017–2019). Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/46d083a3-a298-4e7b-9e23-9e277613e6ce This study investigates whether including B1–C2 employees in a performance-based incentive scheme improves fruit quality in a South African deciduous fruit operation. Using a three-year panel (2017–2019) from five commercial farms managed by Crookes Brothers (Pty) Limited, the analysis isolates the association between incentive type and fruit quality using farm-fixed effects regression with cluster-robust and wild-bootstrap inference. Results indicate that seasonal group-based incentives are consistently associated with lower (better-quality) fruit-damage scores than daily individual incentives, even after controlling for climatic and operational variation. These effects translate into economically meaningful reductions in fruit downgraded at the packhouse level. The findings suggest that an incentive structure which emphasises collective responsibility may reduce free-riding, improve care during harvesting, and strengthen alignment of worker behaviour around quality. Policy implications include the need for structured piloting of group schemes, integration of incentive design with monitoring systems, and revisiting equity frameworks in labour-intensive agriculture. The study contributes novel panel-based evidence to the limited literature on incentive pay in agricultural labour markets and highlights the role of institutional design and motivation theory in shaping fruit quality outcomes. Masters 2026-04-14T07:23:06Z 2026-04-14T07:23:06Z 2026-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/135873 en Stellenbosch University 65 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Segole, Kagiso Incentive Structures, Labour Performance, and Fruit Quality: Panel Evidence from a South African Deciduous Fruit Operation (2017–2019) |
| title | Incentive Structures, Labour Performance, and Fruit Quality: Panel Evidence from a South African Deciduous Fruit Operation (2017–2019) |
| title_full | Incentive Structures, Labour Performance, and Fruit Quality: Panel Evidence from a South African Deciduous Fruit Operation (2017–2019) |
| title_fullStr | Incentive Structures, Labour Performance, and Fruit Quality: Panel Evidence from a South African Deciduous Fruit Operation (2017–2019) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Incentive Structures, Labour Performance, and Fruit Quality: Panel Evidence from a South African Deciduous Fruit Operation (2017–2019) |
| title_short | Incentive Structures, Labour Performance, and Fruit Quality: Panel Evidence from a South African Deciduous Fruit Operation (2017–2019) |
| title_sort | incentive structures labour performance and fruit quality panel evidence from a south african deciduous fruit operation 2017 2019 |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/135873 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT segolekagiso incentivestructureslabourperformanceandfruitqualitypanelevidencefromasouthafricandeciduousfruitoperation20172019 |