Long-term Business Planning Research Articles

Caracterización de la actividad económica empresarial de la ciudad de Ocaña

Esta investigación tuvo como objetivo la caracterización de la actividad empresarial de la ciudad de Ocaña (Colombia), a partir de la descripción de los sectores económicos en los cuales ésta se desarrolla; la duración de las empresas, su organización jurídica, tamaño; edad, género, estado civil y nivel educativo de sus empresarios; sus indicadores gerenciales,
 estrategias de mercadeo, entre otros. Se siguió un tipo de estudio no experimental – descriptivo - transversal. Participó una población de 4.270 empresas de las cuales se muestreó estratificadamente a 353. Se les aplicó una encuesta estructurada a los empresarios participantes. Los
 resultados muestran que la microempresa es la forma de negocio más extendida; existe escaso interés por capacitarse y sólo una tercera parte de los empresarios ha culminado sus estudios. Las empresas orientan su producción principalmente a atender las demandas de la zona de influencia local o regional. Se halló falta de planeación a largo plazo en la proyección y funcionamiento del negocio.

Livestock Production in the UK in the 21st Century: A Perfect Storm Averted?

Simple SummaryThe global rise in demand for animal products for human consumption may well have an increasingly significant impact upon the natural environment, human health and the lives of farmed animals. This paper reviews some of the evidence for that impact and the future trajectories for livestock farming that it may well entail. There is a school of thought that future demand for meat and other farm animal products is unsustainable for several reasons, including greenhouse gas emissions, especially from ruminants; standards of farm animal health and welfare, especially when farm animals are kept intensively; efficiency of conversion by livestock of solar energy into (human) food, particularly by pigs and poultry; water availability and usage for all types of agricultural production, including livestock; and human health and consumption of meat, eggs and milk. Demand for meat is forecast to rise as a result of global population growth and increasing affluence. These issues buttress an impending perfect storm of food shortages, scarce water and insufficient energy, which is likely to coincide with global population reaching about 9 billion people in 2030 (pace Beddington). This paper examines global demand for animal products, the narrative of ‘sustainable intensification’ and the implications of each for the future of farm animal welfare. In the UK, we suggest that, though non-ruminant farming may become unsustainable, ruminant agriculture will continue to prosper because cows, sheep and goats utilize grass and other herbage that cannot be consumed directly by humans, especially on land that is unsuitable for other purposes. However, the demand for meat and other livestock-based food is often for pork, eggs and chicken from grain-fed pigs and poultry. The consequences of such a perfect storm are beginning to be incorporated in long-term business planning by retailers and others. Nevertheless, marketing sustainable animal produce will require considerable innovation and flair in public and private policies if marketing messages are to be optimized and consumer behaviour modified.

Budgeting for person-centred care

AVida Hall is part of Vida Healthcare, an independent, privately-owned organisation, whose owners have an entrepreneurial approach and extensive experience in running a variety of successful businesses, including the financing and development of such organisations. As our goal for Vida Hall was to set new standards in delivering care to people living with dementia, every single aspect of our operation has been thoroughly researched and developed for best value, while also bringing together the best in innovative thinking in the field of dementia care. We have developed shortand longterm business plans to adhere to and the business model has had to cover research, design, building work and initial staff training and development costs. It was important to set budgets at the earliest possible stage and to invest in such systems as Coolcare Management Software, which is vital to enable the quick and easy flow of important management information, such as staffing levels and specific spend. We have also employed both a finance manager and administrator to ensure this area has the resource it needs on a dayto-day basis.

Defining success in subsistence businesses

Subsistence entrepreneurs play an important role in developing economies by forming small businesses that represent a way of life, providing employment at the base of the pyramid and contributing to the alleviation of poverty. The definition of success for subsistence businesses has not yet been well established in SMEs literature, in which success is related to financial measures. However, not all businesses can be measured with the same indicators of success. Financially-oriented measures of success may not always be appropriate for assessing socially embedded businesses. This paper begins to address this gap by assessing how subsistence entrepreneurs themselves define and achieve business success. For this exploratory research, in-depth interviews were conducted with eighty-five subsistence entrepreneurs. Discriminant function analysis typified five subsistence business groups: family-limited businesses, motivationally limited businesses, past boom businesses, followers, and leaders. Several factors separate the business groups, including the education and complacency of the entrepreneur, sales revenue, long-term business plans, acceptance of technology, growth intentions and commercialization into international markets. In contrast, socio-cultural attributions such as family value, goals, and motivation to get into and stay in business represented commonalities between subsistence businesses in terms of their definitions of success.

Auditing HRD Culture

is the soul of the organization that holds it together and gives it life force (Henry Mintzberg) Culture is the personality of an organization. Therefore, culture governs much of how people think, act, interact with each other, and do their work. In organizations, the prevailing culture acts as a catalyst in revolutionizing the emotional competence and motivational levels among employees. It is extremely powerful in determining the present and future success and the direction of any organization. An Audit is like an annual health check-up, it plays a vital role in instilling a sense of confidence in the management of HR functions of an organization. In terms of T.V.Rao HRD audit is a comprehensive evaluation of the existing human resource development strategies, structure, systems, styles and skills in accordance with both short-term and long-term business plans of the organization. This evaluation helps the organization to have a clear understanding of the lacunae and than align the HR processes with Business goals The article highlights the basic elements of culture. It focuses on the importance of audit of culture, and and then attempts to throw some light on methods of improvements expected when organizations take initiative in Auditing Culture.

Business and climate change: Initial explorations in South Africa

Climate change is one of a complex array of risks facing the planet and society. It is argued that adaptation to and mitigation of climate change will be required to avert or reduce adverse impacts. Governments are developing climate change adaptation (CCA) strategies. The business community is also stirring to the need to adapt to as well as mitigate climate change, but progress has been slow, particularly in the case of adaptation. This paper explores emerging perceptions of the need for adaptation and some initial adaptation actions within a ‘business as usual’ economic mode of operation. It also identifies constraints to further action among a cross-section of actors in the business community in South Africa. Data from semi-structured interviews and scrutiny of reports reveals that there are a number of constraints preventing business from engaging more fully in CCA. These findings correspond with findings in other business-sector and CCA studies. They include: issues of terminology (adaptation versus risk management); uncertainty over climate-change projections and scenarios; and concerns about how such information can be used effectively in decision making, particularly long-term business planning. Despite these challenges, some potential synergies between policy, planning and the business community for promoting adaptation are suggested.

Investment analysis of plum brandy production – methodology approach

The major prerequisite of successful entrepreneurship venture is quality of decision-making process. Decision in investment is the most important financial decision. It is a part of both long-term business planning process and strategic business definition. Using available investment appraisal methods, entrepreneur should make positive or negative investment decision. Within the development of the economic theory and the practice many of methods made decision-making process rational and gave the scientific and practical base for successful project evaluation.

Weathering the Venezuelan Oil Drought

Fitch Ratings believes that the unprecedented strike that paralyzed Venezuela between December 2, 2002, and February 3, 2003, marks an important watershed in the modern development of Venezuela9s hydrocarbon industry, akin to nationalization, adoption of the internationalization strategy in the 1980s, or the oil opening in the 1990s. While the political crisis has undermined Venezuela9s image as a reliable crude oil supplier, Fitch believes that PDVSA will continue to be an important player in the global energy market. However, the widespread cut among the company9s seasoned professionals will adversely affect PDVSA9s stand-alone ability to formulate and execute long-term strategic objectives and business plans. While all PDVSA-related transactions, including PDVSA Finance, Petrozuata, Cerro Negro, Sincor, Hamaca, Merey Sweeny, and HOVENSA, are affected by the political crisis, the magnitude of the rating impact has varied depending on their level of direct exposure to PDVSA.

Waste Management in the Small Island Developing States of the South Pacific: An Overview

Many countries in the South Pacific face critical problems with regard to waste management. Common problems include: insufficient government priority and political support for action; lack of finance; no long-term planning or business planning; poor landfill siting, design, planning and management; lack of skilled personnel; lack of awareness of the problems caused by poor waste management; physical limitations to the establishment of landfill sites; poor handling of clinical waste; insufficient recycling and reuse, including limited reuse of organic wastes, septic sludge, sewage sludge and effluent. Failure to adequately address these problems is leading to escalating environmental and health problems for Pacific Islanders, and serious consequences for economic development based on tourism, export agriculture and small ‘clean’ industries. This article reviews the causes and consequences of many of these problems and provides recommendations for action to improve the situation. Improvements will result from a combination of technical, economic and social changes. The main change required is waste management being given a higher priority in government planning so that sustainable funding mechanisms can be developed for these activities. Governments also need to develop integrated waste management policies, strategies and plans, and provide support through appropriate legislative and institutional frameworks.

Corporate modelling in the UK: a survey

During the 1960s and 70s integrated corporate models promised to eradicate many of the problems associated with long-term business planning and so eliminate uncertainty in management decision making. However, lumbering inflexibility, inherent complexity and inadequate performance rendered corporate models all but redundant. By contrast the last decade has seen impressive advances in computer technology and the successful application of spreadsheets as a modelling medium. Companies are taking advantage of this improved technology and are applying it to build corporate models more quickly and easily than ever before. This article presents the results of a survey of corporate modelling in the 1990s.

Removing the obstacles to effective strategic planning

The purpose of this article is to explore the reasons for the decline in the importance and practice of strategic planning across American industry. The article identifies numerous bureaucratic obstacles to effective planning, and suggests how these obstacles can most effectively be eliminated by attacking their root causes. The article points out the risks to the planning process that are created by attempts to eliminate these obstacles. But, it concludes that unless these obstacles are removed and the promised financial returns from strategic business planning realized, the decline of long-term strategic business planning will continue.

Small Business Management Assistance: Needs and Sources

This paper reports the results of a nationwide survey of 793 small business owners and managers regarding their management assistance needs and sources. Of 15 business decision areas investigated, the greatest perceived need for management assistance was found to be in the area of long-term business planning. Employee relations and inventory management were perceived to be those decision areas in which the least assistance was needed. Of 14 management assistance sources investigated, the most used source was the accountant or CPA; the least-used sources were government-sponsored programs and university-sponsored consulting programs. 1 1 This research was supported in part by grants from Safeguard Business Systems, Inc. and the Institute for Constructive Capitalism, University of Texas. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the granting organizations.