Of the Coming of John by W.E.B. Du Bois :: Fighting for Civil Rights

Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois were very important African American leaders in the United States during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. They both felt strongly that African Americans should not be treated unequally in terms of education and civil rights. They had strong beliefs that education was important for the African American community and stressed that educating African Americans would lead them into obtaining government positions, possibly resulting in social change. Although Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois had similar goals to achieve racial equality in the United States, they had strongly opposing approaches in improving the lives of the black population. Washington was a conservative activist who felt that the subordination to white leaders was crucial for African Americans in becoming successful and gaining political power. On the other hand, Du Bois took a radical approach and voiced his opinion through public literature and protest, m aking it clear that racial discrimination and segregation were intolerable. The opposing ideas of these African American leaders are illustrated in Du Bois’ short story, â€Å"Of the Coming of John†, where Du Bois implies his opposition to Washington’s ideas. He shows that the subordination of educated black individuals does not result in gaining respect or equality from the white community. In fact, he suggests that subordination would lead the black community to be further oppressed by whites. However contrasting their views might have been, Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois were significant influential black leaders of their time, who changed the role of the black community in America.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Booker T. Washington’s ideologies for economic advancement and self-help played a major role in his approach to fight for equal rights. By founding the Tuskegee Institute in Mound Bayou, he created a university that was segregated for black students and encouraged higher educational standards (Meier 396). These students were also encouraged to follow the social system of segregation in order to achieve political status in the United States. In an interview with reporter Ralph McGill, Du Bois recalls that in the process of obtaining funds for the Tuskegee Institute â€Å"Washington would promise [white philanthropists] happy contented labor for their new enterprises. He reminded them there would be no strikers† (Du Bois, qtd. in McGill 5). This shows the nature of Washington’s contradicting approach in obtaining political power by embracing the system of segregation and working with white leaders rather than against the m to achieve his goals.

Analysis Of Star Wars Essay -- Papers

Analysis Of Star Wars This essay will be analysing the opening sequence of Star Wars. It will be focusing on camera angles, binary opposition and codes and conventions. This film is a typical example of sci-fi, we can tell this by the use of visual codes and convention. The film is set in space and Spaceships are in conflict with each other, there are lazers being fired, robots are running around and there is a clear divide between good and evil. At the beginning of the sequence there are words scrolling back into the distance telling a story. This sets the scene and lets the audience know what is happening. When the last of the words have faded the camera tilts down to reveal the surface of a planet. A small ship flys by, then a much larger ship follows. This second ship almost fills the whole screen, which gives a sense of fear and feels slightly intimidating to the audience. Whilst the two ships are battling, the Rebels ship has its main reactor shut down; the Rebels ship is the smaller of the two, and is now unable to move anywhere; we know this because of the first two characters we meet, C3PO and R2D2, these are the two main robots in the film. C3PO is a narrator figure, he tells the audience what is going on and what could happen; He is also the one in panic whereas R2D2 is very calm and laid back. There are many close ups of each robot so the audience feels connected to them, especially C3PO because he seems human. But even though R2D2 is not human people can still connect with him because he is slightly comic in the way he makes noises and the way he talks to himself. Also each robot has its own colour t... ...if that is spiralling too. The camera cuts to outside the Pod; from here it is very clear that the Pod is spiralling down almost out of control. It fades into the distance until it can't be seen. Cutting between characters is sometimes quite rapid in a time of panic of confusion. It's used to show different emotions in the same situation. The camera angles in the film are varied to show different feelings and emotions. For example, when Darth Vader is introduced the camera is tilted up to show he is tall and powerful. Colouring is also very clear, right from the time the audience board a ship it is clear which ship they are on, this is because of the robots colouring and the humans' clothes. The robots are decorated with friendly colours, white, blue and gold, and the humans' clothes are plain with no armour.

Silas Marner :: essays research papers

In the book Silas Marner, written by George Elliot, many important themes are presented. It deals with things such as greed, prejudice, superstition, love, isolation and others. All the characters have different traits and all fit in to these themes. Prejudice is the most prevalent theme, in this book. All of the people in Ravelo were extremely prejudice against outsiders. Here are three characters that were victims of prejudice. First, there’s Slilas Marner, an old miser. His only joy in life is to sit at home and count his money. He moved to a town called Ravelo from his hometown of Lantern Yard. He was forced to do so because the people of Lantern Yard falsely accused him of a crime. When Silas arrived in Ravelo, the people looked at him as if he was inhuman. Silas suffered from epileptic fits. Also he liked to stay indoors and count his money. The towns’ people thought that these were signs that he consorted with the devil. When Silas’ money was stolen one night, he went to the Rainbow, a neighborhood hang out, to report the crime. After that episode, the towns’ people started to come around a little and began to talk with Silas on occasion. Dolly Winthrop was one of these people, and actually became good friends with Silas. When Eppie came along to Silas, people didn’t think he would be a suitable parent. Dolly stood up for Silas and said that he would make a fine paren t. Just because Silas was a little eccentric, people looked down upon him as though he was not good enough for them to be around. Then there was Molly. She was Godfrey Cass’ wife. She was to be kept secret from everyone, especially Squire Cass. If he ever found out that Godfrey had been married to her all along he would disown him. Molly was addicted to opium; therefore she was not worthy enough to be married to Godfrey Cass â€Å"the good son†. Molly had a daughter by Godfrey, who was also to be kept a secret. When molly overdosed on New Years Eve, the baby fell out of he arms and wandered in to Silas’ house. The light drew her in. When he later found her sitting by the hearth of the fire, he decided that he would keep her and name her Eppie after his sister. Finally there’s the peddler who was accused of stealing Silas’ money.

Factors Which Affect Decision Implementation Essay

Correct decisions, the two previous papers elaborately developed, can be arrived at only if the requisite process of ponderously putting many influencing factors in perspective is observed. Since errors in decision-making can end up being costly both for the company and its stakeholders alike, it has been seen that the use of critical thinking has proven to be essential in guiding decision makers in choosing the best options that will generate best results. But if one were to think that arriving at a logical and well-thought out decision ends the entire process of decision-making, one definitely takes the dangerous path of frustrating the process all together. A correct decision, one may argue, only proves to be beneficial to a company or organization when its implementation would translate the rigors of critical analyses into tangible results. Langdon, if only to mention, argues along the same line of thought. He maintains, â€Å"Decision makers will never leave the point of the decision without thinking about the steps necessary to implement the decision successfully† (Langdon, 2001, p. 15). Ethical Implications and Other Factors Affecting Implementation of Decision The previous discussion was able to zero in on the viable options that may gleaned from the map drawn to help BAE Systems establish greater presence in the island of Kava. It may be wise to be reminded of the decisions that were suggested hitherto: first, the company needs not only to â€Å"sustain its existing accounts, but also to set up new client-accounts done through aggressive advertisement and in-shore sales campaign† so as to ensure that the â€Å"sale of its products is commensurate with its desired expansion rate†; second, it needs to see through the â€Å"creation of an efficient and result-generating human workforce†; and third, it also is imperative that it should â€Å"create a larger warehouse, if not an adjacent processing plant in the island, so as to meet the demands of the market† It is noteworthy to mention that there are certain risks attached to the cited options. The purpose why the last paper identified them is to further inform the decision maker of the resulting benefits and costs that must be anticipated in the event of making the decision. However, to outline the varying factors that may affect th e implementation of any decision – which, if only to mention, concerns greatly the company and its stakeholders – is another area that must also be carefully looked at. Surely, the three above-cited options will generate ebbs of impact for the company in general. Two major factors can determine the success of the implementation of the suggested paths: the internal coherence of the decision itself, and the external receptivity of the stakeholders involved. The first factor pertains to the logic from which any decision is drawn; and this has already constituted a large portion of the previous studies. Every decision, if only to repeat, is arrived at after a ponderous circumscription of the problems at hand, and the generous gathering of facilitative facts to throw light into one’s judgment. If the problems were well stated, chances are, the solutions are going to be suited. The next factor is however different. This time, one has to consider other areas that affect the success rate of the decision. Roozen, De Pelsmacker and Bostyn have identified some of them: â€Å"the influence of stakeholders, organizational commitment, personal values, goals of the organization and socio demographic characteristics of individuals†, among others (2001, p. 87). In the light of the three suggested decision paths for BAE Systems, what Roozen (and company) points are certainly of paramount importance. For instance, since the company’s goal to establish a greater presence in Kava is heavily dependent on the expansion of its new sales accounts, the decision to equally expand the workforce and to create newer intra-island processing plants must be leveled against the impact such will have on the stakeholders – e. g. , will the company owners allow for an increased budget allocation to defray the expansion cost? , will the company managers be willing to oversee difficult but potential market areas within the island? , will the commitment of the newly hired sales representative be aggressive enough to meet expectations? , or will the vision of the company itself be willing to risk so much for a return of investment which will come later on? It is very important to note that BAE Systems’ vision is intricately knitted with the amount of available resources the company has, or is willing to risk for investment purposes. One way or another, the welfare of both the company and its stakeholders is the friction force that shall determine how fast or slow the implementation of the decisions pertinent to BAE Systems’ expansion in Kava island would be. Key to the company’s success in Kava is also anchored on the ethical implications the decisions have on its stakeholders. In order to clarify the moral basis for sticking into a decision, Rodgers and Gago has sought to identify many differing ethical motives in a study they conducted. They suggest that there are at least six â€Å"pathways† that justify, and thus serve a basis for a particular decision to be pursued: â€Å"psychological egoism, deontology, relativist, utilitarian, virtue ethics, and ethics of care philosophy† (Rodgers & Gago, 2001, pp. 358-359). Without having to go through their respective details, it may be good to note that the suggested options for BAE Systems are largely motivated by the â€Å"utilitarian† pathway. What does this mean? This means that the company which seeks to expand a venture must be seen primarily in terms of its ability to survive the risk. Thus, in a utilitarian approach, the company is more defined by a ‘consequentialist’ attitude in decision-making policies, in that it tries to see to it that any decision would generate the â€Å"greatest good (for) the greatest number of people† (Rodgers & Gago, 2001, p. 359). Conclusion One may properly recall that, in the Business Scenario, Alex once quipped that economics is what drives the company to further expand its presence in an island of Kava. In many ways, what he said was correct, if not telling. The overarching reason why one needs to surmount the seemingly impossible difficulties, by identifying all the contributing factors relative to the company’s vision, is indeed driven by economics. But having economics alone as the moving force behind the desired expansion of a certain company may not capture the entire picture. Any decision driven by economics therefore, one must remember, must also be tempered by the opportunities it creates for the involved stakeholders, and the ethical implications it generates seen from their perspective. Critical thinking, as always, can always help ensure that these seemingly non-economic aspects of doing business are given their due importance.

What motivates people at work? Essay

There have been a large number of theories looking into motivation at work and the factors which affect it. In this essay I will be exploring three key theories in the area, each provides a very different angle on what motivates employees at work. To begin I will look at a need theory of motivation, Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory (1959), as the name suggests need theories concentrate on the need’s of the employee as the main source of motivation. Herzberg built upon Maslow’s hugely influential Hierarchy of Needs (1954). Conducting research on 203 American accountants and engineers he looked at what makes employees satisfied and dissatisfied at work. Contrary to Maslow’s theory Herzberg suggests that motivation is not measured on one linear scale from satisfied to dissatisfied, but rather the two are independent of each other and form separate scales. The first group which determines dissatisfaction (or de-motivation) are named Hygiene factors which include our basic needs such as our pay and safety. The addition or improvement of hygiene factors can only lead to contentment in employees and not motivation. The second group which determines satisfaction are named Motivators, these include our internal needs such as our need to achieve, to be recognised and given responsibility. A decline or lack of motivators will not de-motivate employees, but adding them can lead to increased motivation. Research on the theory has provided both support and criticism. To begin with the theory is supported by the number of successful replications as reported by Hodgetts and Luthans (1991), these replications have taken place across the world and in a wide variety of different job sectors and still achieved the same results. The main area of criticism for the Two-Factor theory targets the methodology of the research it was derived from. Soliman (1970) pointed out that the tendency of subjects to give socially desirable answers would have impacted the answers participants gave to Herzbergs open ended questions. In addition there is a tendency for people to attribute negative situations to others and posit ive to themselves e.g. â€Å"I felt satisfaction  when ‘I’ achieved and was recognised for it† or â€Å"I was dissatisfied when ‘the company’ paid me late†. This biased attribution of satisfying and dissatisfying situations is another example of a problem with the methodology. More problems with the methodology are shown by House and Wigdor (1967). After re-analysing Herzberg’s original results they concluded that factors described as being either a hygiene or motivator were not mutually exclusive. In many cases the addition of Hygiene factors can act to motivate people, likewise a lack of Motivator factors can causes dissatisfaction. However as well as looking at the empirical research on the theory we must also think about its value when practically applied to the workplace. In support of the theory it does, to a certain extent makes sense. If one month you miss out on pay or are required to do something dangerous you would be dissatisfied. At the same time employees do not feel satisfied or motivated by safe working conditions or being paid on time because it is what they expect. The same goes for Motivator factors, an employee would feel more satisfied if they received a personal compliment from the boss but it is unlikely that they would feel dissatisfied if it didn’t happen. They certainly wouldn’t expect it every day. Yet one key problem with the theory is that it fails to take into account the difference between satisfaction and motivation. An employee may be satisfied at work, they may obtain all the ‘motivator’ factors outlined in the theory but this does not mean they will automatically be motivated to be as productive as they can be. Another criticism is that the theory does not account for individual differences, employees are not all the same, some may be more materialistic and be motivated more by monetary reward. Some strive for achievement and are willing to do anything to gain the respect of their peers and high status within the business while others may be content with their job and just wish to keep their heads down and get on with it. Put simply, while being given responsibility may satisfy some people others may find it an unpleasant addition to their job. In summary the Two-Factor model and its supporting research have been found to have good re-test and cross cultural reliability but has been heavily criticised for its validity and methodology. Although this weakens the value of the theory it has still been extremely influential and can be practically applied in most organizations as a method by which staff motivation can be monitored and improved. Next I am going to look at the Goal Setting Theory Locke (1969). The basic premise of the theory is that by setting a goal you can increase a person’s motivation and performance. This increase in performance is due to the motivational influence of goals in 4 key areas (as cited in Woods 2010). The first is that goals help to focus a person’s attention and behaviour in the correct direction. Secondly goals have the effect of increasing the effort a person is willing expend. Thirdly the addition of a goal increase the amount of a time a person will spend on a specific task. Finally they motivate an individual to seek out and apply relevant knowledge and skills in order to complete the goal. This is how the goal setting theory explains why we are motivated by goals. In addition to this Locke and Latham (1990) put forward 5 key features of a goal which determine how motivating it is, to be effective goals must be; 1) Specific, a goal which gives a specific target is more motivating then goals which simply require a person to ‘do your best’. 2) Measurable, a measurable target enables a person to track their progress towards the goal and alter their effort and method accordingly. 3) Time-Bound, applying a deadline to achieving the goal enables a person to better manage their time and effort. 4) Challenging, it is unlikely that an easy goal will motivate a person to put in maximum effort. By making the goal challenging people are push and required to work harder in order to achieve. 5) Attainable, having a goal which is impossible to achieve is likely to de-motivate a person, why would a person put effort in if they have no chance of success. It must be realistically possible to achieve goals. The theory provides a good detailed description of both how and why people are motivated. It has been one of the most widely researched areas within motivational psychology and is still very much an evolving area. Research by Latham and Baldes (1975) put the core assumption of the goal setting theory to the test in a real world setting. They introduced the goal of reaching 94% efficiency in the loading of trucks (previously at just 60%) to a group of employees in a logging company. The employees were motivated by the goal and successfully achieved (and often surpassed) it and continued to work consistently at the target rate. To have achieved the same increase in efficiency without Goal theory (by purchasing more trucks) would have cost the company $250,000. Another example of research supporting the Goal  setting theory comes from Blumenfeld and Leidy (1969). They found that 55 engineers in charge of soft drinks machines checked considerably more machines when set a goal then when no goal was set. Furthermore it was found that engineers checked more machines when set a challenging goal then if set an easy goal. A key problem with the methodology of both pieces of supporting research above is that there was little control over extraneous variables. For example Latham and Baldes (1975) did show a huge increase in productivity, but this may not have been due to the addition of a goal. Perhaps the competitive nature of the loggers lead to an increase in efficiency, it may also have simply been down to the increased supervision the workers received at the time. Again it is important to look at the theory in terms of its practical application in the workplace. Its key strength is that it does appear to work as a method of increasing motivation, however again the theory fails to account for individual differences. Employees who are already highl y motivated at work would benefit from goals being set; it would push them and enable them to prove themselves. However other less confident employees may not enjoy the competitive nature of workplace goals and targets, it could even cause stress and discomfort and leads to a reduction in motivation. In addition, when you direct a person’s attention and effort towards one specific goal you may get a decrease in performance in other tasks. A goal may not increase motivation but just direct it. For example if you give hospital staff the target of seeing all patients within 10 minuets they may achieve the target but at the cost of service and quality of treatment. This would obviously be detrimental to the quality of work on the whole. A final point to consider is that all employees have different levels of ability so in order for goals to push an employee but still remain achievable they must be individually tailored. As well as being impractical in a large business Equality theories (discussed next) would suggest that giving some people easier targets than others may actually lead to a reduction in motivation. On the whole Goal Theories are very useful and practical when applied in the right circumstances. Perhaps one weakness of both the theory and supporting research is in its inability to account for causes of demotivation in an organization. However the research shows that goals do motivate people at work, yet when applied to an organizational environment we see possible  drawbacks and potential difficulties which are difficult to overcome. The final theory I am going to examine is the Organizational Justice Theory which builds upon the equity theory put forward by Adams (1963). The Organizational Justice theory has been constructed from theory and research contributed by a significant number of psychologists, certainly too many to list in their entirety. However two key contributors worth noting are Greenberg (1987a) who coined the term Organizational Justice and conducted much of the early research and Mowday (1987) (cited in Greenberg 1990) who has had a significant impact on the theory. The core belief of the theory is that employees can be motivated (or de-motivated) by their perception of how fairly they are being treated at work in comparison to their colleagues. The theory suggests three different types of justice which can be perceived. The first is Distributive Justice, which looks at the extent to which an employee thinks they are being fairly rewarded for the work they put in compared to others, the theory s uggest that a person will either increase or decrease their level of input in order to balance out and restore equality. The second is Procedural Justice, this looks at how fair a person feels the procedures and systems are within a business, for example is holiday date allocation fair. The third is Interactional Justice, this is the least researched area and compromises of two parts; Informational Justice describes how well informed a person is about the decisions taken within a business, using holiday as an example again it may be explained to an employee why they can not have the holiday they asked for. Interpersonal Justice describes the extent to which someone feels they are treated with respect. As with the Goal setting theory there has been a considerable amount of research put into Organizational Justice theory. In a recent study Zapata-Phelan, Colquitt, Scott and Livingston (2009) (cited in Woods 2010) looked at how procedural and interaction justice effected motivation and in turn performance. They found that when a person perceived high procedural justice in an organization there was an incr ease in motivation, leading to an increase in performance.

International Assignments Essay

1. Determine four to six (4-6) components that the pre-departure training will need to cover. Provide a rationale for the use of using the training components in question. The four components that pre-departure training will need to cover are cultural awareness training, preliminary visits, language instruction, and assistance with practical, day to day matters. A well-designed cultural awareness training program seeks to foster an appreciation of the host country’s culture so that expatriates can behave accordingly, or at least develop appropriate coping patterns. A preliminary trip to the host country provides a preview to assess their suitability for and interest in the assignment and country. It helps to encourage more informed external stakeholders as well as host-country nationals. Language skills are a critical component in assignment performance and a gauge on ability to adapt and perform on assignment. Hiring of language competent staff to increase the â€Å"language pool† and up-to-date information on language skills is important and critical. Practical assistance helps provide guidance and assistance with relocation to the host country. Having one fend for themselves in a new country can result in a negative response towards the host country so any assistance from relocation specialists is of value to the candidate/employee (Dowling & Festing, 2009). 2. Propose three (3) criteria that management will use to assess the performance of expatriates working abroad. Support your proposal with examples of the fundamental ways in which these performance requirements have improved performance. An assessment of an expatriate employee’s performance is critical to the success of an international assignment. Issues such as the criteria and timing of performance reviews, raises, and bonuses should be discussed and agreed on before the employees are selected and placed on international assignments. Each international office should use a different appraisal system. Employers should not use a performance appraisal system that was  used for domestic employees and try to modify it for use with expatriate employees because many variables need to be understood and taken into consideration. Performance criteria and goals are best established by combining the values and norms of each local environment with the home-office’s performance standards. An individual country profile should be developed and should take into account the foreign subsidiary’s environment. This profile should be used to review any factors that may have an effect on the expatriate employee’s performance. Such factors include language, culture, politics, labor relations, economy, government, control, and communication. 3. Recommend the recruiting and selection strategy that you believe your firm should use when offering international assignments. Provide a rationale for your recommendation. International assignments, or the act of sending employees to different countries on project assignments, are a growing trend. Because international assignments are typically very expensive, failure can have big impacts on the business. It is imperative to hire more reliable and effective international assignees. The following are criteria that should be used to select the appropriate candidate: 1-Use of a selection panel which consists of a manager from the function being recruited for, staff who have detailed knowledge of living working and conducting business in the intended assignment destination, HR staff from home and host country and international HR. 2- Choose candidates that have successfully completed similar international assignments. Candidates should have previously succeeded in the target country or in a similar culture setting. Consideration should also be taken for those who have studied abroad or performed some other role in the country. 3-Prioritize candidates who are fluent in the language of the assignment destination. 4- Use of intercultural adaptability assessment tools potential of candidates to innovate, lead, manage, collaborate and socialize in different cultures. 5- Candidates should be provided with a realistic job assignment preview so that they know both the good and bad aspects of the assignment. 6- Allow candidates a reconnaissance trip after an offer has been made so that they  see if they are a good match for the work and life in the host country, pending budget plans. If these criteria are taken into consideration, then the assignment has a greater chance of succeeding (Ladimeji, 2012). 4. Compare and contrast two (2) staffing alternatives for foreign operations at your multinational firm. Select the staffing alternative that you believe to be the best fit for your scenario and provide a rationale for your selection. Two staffing alternatives are ethnocentric and polycentric staffing approach. The ethnocentric staffing approach involves the Parent-country nationals, or people from the home country of the corporation who are employed to fill key managerial positions because they are familiar with the goals, policies and procedures, technology and products of the parent company. They are in a much better position to report to the company, especially where there is an inadequacy of managerial skills at the local level. It is the preferred method with a centralized approach to globalization. The second approach is the polycentric and uses HCNs to fill key positions. This is more effective when a company wants to act â€Å"local.† It is also usually less expensive to hire locals, however, there could be difficulty in the areas of coordinating goals between the main and regional offices. 5. Analyze the importance of providing a high-quality mentoring system for international assignees. Provide o ne (1) example of a high-quality mentoring system for international assignees to support your analysis. A successful mentoring system can only succeed if the following are taken: Commitment from senior management, creation of a program that has some flexibility and not too much formality, training for mentors that helps them to support rather than teach assignees, understanding that mentoring needs to fit in with senior employees’ heavy workloads. Just like any job, there needs to be guidance and instruction and a good mentorship will aid the candidate in their international assignment (Cowell, 2004). 6. Suggest the manner in which you plan to measure return on investment (ROI) for international assignments. Provide a rationale for your decision. The best evaluation for ROI investment assignments is to set expectations  for several baseline competencies that will be gained from the international experience. The creation of new networks in the host countries as well as new hires or development of intercultural skills. References Cowell, P (2004, November 8). Mentoring: a step towards successful repatriationRetrieved August 15, 2014. http://www.expatica.com/hr/story/mentoring-a-step-towards-successful-repatriation–10573.html Dowling, P. & Festing, M. (2009). International human resource management: Managing people in a multinational context (5th ed.). Mason, OH: Thomson/South-Western. Ladimeji, K. (2012, August 31). How To Pick the Right People for International Assignments. Retrieved August 15, 2014. http://www.recruiter.com/i/how-to-pick-the-right-people-for-international-assignments/ Major Alternative Staffing Approaches for international operations. (2004, July 19). In WriteWork.com. Retrieved 15 August, 2014, from http://www.writework.com/essay/major-alternative-staffing-approaches-international-operat

East Orchids

THE CASE STUDY OF EAST ORCHIDS AREAS OF CONSIDERATION: The East Orchids is an orchid farm in the campus grounds of the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City. It was formally opened on May 31, 1989, by Mr. and Mrs. Max Prieto. East Orchids sold both cut flowers and plants. As a typical with orhidariums, the farm has a 3,000 sq. m. Canopy enclosure of green netting that covering a huge inventory of orchids. HISTORY The Prieto’s family was one of the prominent families in Davao, where Mr. Prieto was a former mayor. It was during the term of Mr. Prieto that his wife Princess became interested in orchids. The decision to breed orchids was very arbitrary and definitely not for the purpose of putting up a business. The East Orchids was started as a hobby of Mrs. Prieto before it was organized as a business. She got curious when her friends were into orchids. She bought a couple and decided to try to take care of them just for fun until she became obsessed with them. She treated the orchids like her babies that she felt that she just had to take care of them. Mrs. Prieto’s orchid collection grew. Soon, the orchids filled the entire garden and were running over into their driveway and some of them had to place outside the house. Soon, neigbors and nearby flower shops were offering to buy cut flowers from her. At first, she simply gave the flowers but as the offer increased she began selling these. It was when the orchids alarmed to take over every living space in the home of family Prietos that Mrs. Prieto decided to sell the whole plants. Because of enormous money was coming into their way, they started to think about orchids as a business. In 1989, when the Prieto’s family moved to Manila due to Mr. Prieto’s commitment, they also made up their minds to lease 5,000 sq. m. of land from University of the Philippines at the lease price of P12,000. 00 a year. They invested to clear up the land which was originally the garbage dump and for the net enclosure and putting other facilities to start their business. OBJECTIVE The Prieto’s family is planning for the expansion of their orchid farm in either Davao or Los Banos and Antipolo. The goal of this case is to determine if the East Orchids has the capabilities to exploit such opportunities. S. W. O. T. ANALYSIS The strengths the EAST ORCHIDS †¢The price is a bit lower than other competitors which will attract more customers to buy on them. †¢The overhead expenses are much lower †¢The location is very accessible The weaknesses of the EAST ORCHIDS †¢No internal control in the business and the owner has no management background †¢The owner is lenient in financial aspects of the business †¢No business plan was made before starting the Orchids farm, just started out as the hobby. †¢The workers are not well-trained The opportunities of the EAST ORCHIDS The East Orchids has the greater chance to expand if just to have proper management and new technologies and skills to improve the cultivation of orchids at minimal cost †¢It can compete to others because of low prices †¢The orchids are saleable even the onset of the rainy season doesn’t seem to threaten a reductions in sales The threats of the EAST ORCHIDS †¢The workers might hike because they are not-well compensated †¢There are no new technologies in improving the orchids growing †¢ The approaching termination of the lease contract to University of the Philippines. COURSE OF ALTERNATIVE TO DETERMINE THE OBJECTIVES ALTERNATIVESADVANTAGESDISADVANTAGES 1. )Training program and study for the expansion of orchid farmsThe owner should broaden her knowledge in cultivating the orchids though she already had personal experience in raising the orchids. The owner should attend proper training in order to cut costs and know some new technologies to improve her orchid’s farm. And also she should study on how to run a business and have basic accounting knowledge. She should know the operations of her business and focus on the financial aspects. If she will attend the training and seminars regarding orchids business it will be expensive and time consuming on her part. 2. )Hire an expert or managerIn expanding the East Orchids, it should have a manager, who is knowledgeable about orchids business and have a management background, to help the owner in managing the business because it is already a big business to handle by an owner who has no formal training on orchid growing and business management. Additional employee which may ask for a high salary and the owner has no control to run the business all by herself because has to consider the opinion of the manager first. . )Evaluating the operations of the business and make a business plan for expansionTo determine business plan will make a business success. The owner should evaluate first the business operation if it is doing well and know what should have to do to meet the goal. In determining the financial aspects of the business the owner will see the capabilities of the co mpany to expand or not. It will hold back the expansion due to procedure in evaluating and making a business plan and also it will be expensive RECOMMENDATIONS Alternative no. , there should be proper evaluation of the financial statements of the East Orchids to determine the cash position and the results of the operations. And SWOT analysis should be taken into consideration so that Mrs. Prieto should understand her business she would know what these are and how to improve such weaknesses and how to combat the threats on her business. CONCLUSIONS Some additional questions that must be taken into consideration that might help in expanding their business are: 1. Is East Orchids really a profitable enterprise? If it is so, do the margins justify the company’s existence? If not, what justifies the company’s existence? Based on Figure 1 below shows that the company has very minimal margins and that margins do not justify the company’s existence if it will continue to be like that. The East Orchids should so something about their business operation and what strategies to be apply for them to boost their revenues. EAST ORCHIDS UP Compound, Diliman, Quezon City Sales:(average sales for 3 months 200,000 x 4 quarters)P 800,000. 00 less: Cost ( 30% of sales) 240,000. 00 Gross Sales 560,000. 00 less: Operating expenses Salaries (10 boys @ P1,200. 00x 12 months)P 144,000. 0 Ferilizer ( P 5,000 x 12 months) 60,000. 00 Water bill ( P 6,000 x 12 months) 72,000. 00 Electric bill (P15,000 x 12 months) 180,000. 00 456,000. 00 Estimated Net incomeP 104,000. 00 2. How is Mrs. Prieto, who is not a trained orchid or businesswoman, able to compete with established orchid growers? Mrs. Prieto has interest, skills and talents in growing business and she is a ble compete in the sense that she has this marketing strategy of lower prices which attracts the customers to buy orchids to East Orchids. 3. Should the Prietos push through with their plans to expand their business? Would such expansion compatible with the Mrs. Prieto’s current method of managing the business? I think the Prietos should hold back first their plans to expand their business until they see the problem with their business. Mrs Prieto’s current method of managing the business is not compatible if they will expand because it will require proper accounting system and competent manager who knows the orchid farms operation. 4. Is she a true entrepreneur? Mrs. Prieto is not a true entrepreneur although she has interest and skills in growing orchids but her attitude does not illustrate being a true entrepreneur. East Orchids THE CASE STUDY OF EAST ORCHIDS AREAS OF CONSIDERATION: The East Orchids is an orchid farm in the campus grounds of the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City. It was formally opened on May 31, 1989, by Mr. and Mrs. Max Prieto. East Orchids sold both cut flowers and plants. As a typical with orhidariums, the farm has a 3,000 sq. m. Canopy enclosure of green netting that covering a huge inventory of orchids. HISTORY The Prieto’s family was one of the prominent families in Davao, where Mr. Prieto was a former mayor. It was during the term of Mr. Prieto that his wife Princess became interested in orchids. The decision to breed orchids was very arbitrary and definitely not for the purpose of putting up a business. The East Orchids was started as a hobby of Mrs. Prieto before it was organized as a business. She got curious when her friends were into orchids. She bought a couple and decided to try to take care of them just for fun until she became obsessed with them. She treated the orchids like her babies that she felt that she just had to take care of them. Mrs. Prieto’s orchid collection grew. Soon, the orchids filled the entire garden and were running over into their driveway and some of them had to place outside the house. Soon, neigbors and nearby flower shops were offering to buy cut flowers from her. At first, she simply gave the flowers but as the offer increased she began selling these. It was when the orchids alarmed to take over every living space in the home of family Prietos that Mrs. Prieto decided to sell the whole plants. Because of enormous money was coming into their way, they started to think about orchids as a business. In 1989, when the Prieto’s family moved to Manila due to Mr. Prieto’s commitment, they also made up their minds to lease 5,000 sq. m. of land from University of the Philippines at the lease price of P12,000. 00 a year. They invested to clear up the land which was originally the garbage dump and for the net enclosure and putting other facilities to start their business. OBJECTIVE The Prieto’s family is planning for the expansion of their orchid farm in either Davao or Los Banos and Antipolo. The goal of this case is to determine if the East Orchids has the capabilities to exploit such opportunities. S. W. O. T. ANALYSIS The strengths the EAST ORCHIDS †¢The price is a bit lower than other competitors which will attract more customers to buy on them. †¢The overhead expenses are much lower †¢The location is very accessible The weaknesses of the EAST ORCHIDS †¢No internal control in the business and the owner has no management background †¢The owner is lenient in financial aspects of the business †¢No business plan was made before starting the Orchids farm, just started out as the hobby. †¢The workers are not well-trained The opportunities of the EAST ORCHIDS The East Orchids has the greater chance to expand if just to have proper management and new technologies and skills to improve the cultivation of orchids at minimal cost †¢It can compete to others because of low prices †¢The orchids are saleable even the onset of the rainy season doesn’t seem to threaten a reductions in sales The threats of the EAST ORCHIDS †¢The workers might hike because they are not-well compensated †¢There are no new technologies in improving the orchids growing †¢ The approaching termination of the lease contract to University of the Philippines. COURSE OF ALTERNATIVE TO DETERMINE THE OBJECTIVES ALTERNATIVESADVANTAGESDISADVANTAGES 1. )Training program and study for the expansion of orchid farmsThe owner should broaden her knowledge in cultivating the orchids though she already had personal experience in raising the orchids. The owner should attend proper training in order to cut costs and know some new technologies to improve her orchid’s farm. And also she should study on how to run a business and have basic accounting knowledge. She should know the operations of her business and focus on the financial aspects. If she will attend the training and seminars regarding orchids business it will be expensive and time consuming on her part. 2. )Hire an expert or managerIn expanding the East Orchids, it should have a manager, who is knowledgeable about orchids business and have a management background, to help the owner in managing the business because it is already a big business to handle by an owner who has no formal training on orchid growing and business management. Additional employee which may ask for a high salary and the owner has no control to run the business all by herself because has to consider the opinion of the manager first. . )Evaluating the operations of the business and make a business plan for expansionTo determine business plan will make a business success. The owner should evaluate first the business operation if it is doing well and know what should have to do to meet the goal. In determining the financial aspects of the business the owner will see the capabilities of the co mpany to expand or not. It will hold back the expansion due to procedure in evaluating and making a business plan and also it will be expensive RECOMMENDATIONS Alternative no. , there should be proper evaluation of the financial statements of the East Orchids to determine the cash position and the results of the operations. And SWOT analysis should be taken into consideration so that Mrs. Prieto should understand her business she would know what these are and how to improve such weaknesses and how to combat the threats on her business. CONCLUSIONS Some additional questions that must be taken into consideration that might help in expanding their business are: 1. Is East Orchids really a profitable enterprise? If it is so, do the margins justify the company’s existence? If not, what justifies the company’s existence? Based on Figure 1 below shows that the company has very minimal margins and that margins do not justify the company’s existence if it will continue to be like that. The East Orchids should so something about their business operation and what strategies to be apply for them to boost their revenues. EAST ORCHIDS UP Compound, Diliman, Quezon City Sales:(average sales for 3 months 200,000 x 4 quarters)P 800,000. 00 less: Cost ( 30% of sales) 240,000. 00 Gross Sales 560,000. 00 less: Operating expenses Salaries (10 boys @ P1,200. 00x 12 months)P 144,000. 0 Ferilizer ( P 5,000 x 12 months) 60,000. 00 Water bill ( P 6,000 x 12 months) 72,000. 00 Electric bill (P15,000 x 12 months) 180,000. 00 456,000. 00 Estimated Net incomeP 104,000. 00 2. How is Mrs. Prieto, who is not a trained orchid or businesswoman, able to compete with established orchid growers? Mrs. Prieto has interest, skills and talents in growing business and she is a ble compete in the sense that she has this marketing strategy of lower prices which attracts the customers to buy orchids to East Orchids. 3. Should the Prietos push through with their plans to expand their business? Would such expansion compatible with the Mrs. Prieto’s current method of managing the business? I think the Prietos should hold back first their plans to expand their business until they see the problem with their business. Mrs Prieto’s current method of managing the business is not compatible if they will expand because it will require proper accounting system and competent manager who knows the orchid farms operation. 4. Is she a true entrepreneur? Mrs. Prieto is not a true entrepreneur although she has interest and skills in growing orchids but her attitude does not illustrate being a true entrepreneur.