Invasive plant pests detection difficulties at port of entry: A phenomenological study of the lived experiences of agriculture specialists

Exotic agricultural plant pests have posed serious threats to agriculture and forestry in the United States for many decades. The menace is mounting steadily with increasing human global movement and trade. Although ongoing efforts to control plant pests have proven to be highly challenging, weaknesses in port of entry prevention of exotic invasive species and limited scientific studies on invasive species prevention in imports were identified as a significant gap in the knowledge base, which became the rationale for this study. Thus, the purpose of this study was to employ a phenomenological strategy to interview a purposive sample of 15 port of entry agriculture inspectors using five semistructured open-ended question to understand their lived experiences, working at international ports of entry to detect and intercept exotic species. Multiple themes emerged from the data analysis and interpretation regarding volume of commodities arriving at the ports of entry, low inspection rates, targeted centralized training, monotony and routine nature of inspections, smuggled articles, and pressure from the port environment. Five semistructured open-ended questions were employed to interview the agriculture inspectors. The methodology employed by the researcher for generating valid and reliable results was the seven extensive steps of the modified van Kaam method, which allowed the researcher to capture the essence of the lived experiences described by the study participants related to the phenomenon examined. A theoretical framework generated from four interdependent theories: contingency theory, situational theory, avoidance theory, and path-goal theory underpinned the study. Findings from the study provided answers to the principal research question of why port inspectors fail to detect some invasive species.