1. Introduction to Agribusiness Management
Saba Bashir
(Final Course Contents)

2. Understanding Management’s Context: Constraints and challenges

3. Defining the External Environment
Those factors and forces outside the organization that affect the organization’s performance.
Components of the External Environment
Specific environment: external forces that have a direct and immediate impact on the organization.
General environment: broad economic, socio-cultural, political/legal, demographic, technological, and global conditions that may affect the organization

4. The External Environment

5. How the Environment Affects Managers
Environmental Uncertainty
The extent to which managers have knowledge of and are able to predict change their organization’s external environment is affected by:
Complexity of the environment: the number of components in an organization’s external environment.
Degree of change in environmental components: how dynamic or stable the external environment is.

6. Environmental Uncertainty Matrix

7. Managing in a Global Environment

8. The Changing Global Environment
Globalization: The set of specific and general forces that work together to integrate and connect economic, political, and social systems across countries, cultures, or geographic regions
Economic advances associated with globalization result from 4 capital flows - Human, Financial, Resource, Political

9. Managing in A Global Environment
The Legal Environment
Stability or instability of legal and political systems
Legal procedures are established and followed
Fair and honest elections held on a regular basis
Differences in the laws of various nations
Effects on business activities
Effects on delivery of products and services

10. The Economic Environment
Economic Systems
Free market economy
An economy in which resources are primarily owned and controlled by the private sector.
Planned economy
An economy in which all economic decisions are planned by a central government.
Monetary and Financial Factors
Currency exchange rates
Inflation rates
Diverse tax policies

11. The Cultural Environment
National Culture
Is the values and attitudes shared by individuals from a specific country that shape their behavior and their beliefs about what is important.
May have more influence on an organization than the organization culture.

12. Exhibit 4–4 What Are Americans Like
Americans are very informal.
Americans are direct.
Americans are competitive.
Americans are achievers.
Americans are independent and individualistic.
Americans are questioners.
Americans dislike silence.
Americans value punctuality.
Americans value cleanliness.

13. Hofstede’s Model of National Culture
Figure 4.4

14. Hofstede’s Model of National Culture
Individualism
A worldview that values individual freedom and self-expression and holds a strong belief in personal rights and the need for persons to be judged by their achievements rather their social background.
Collectivism
A worldview that values subordination of the individual to the goals of the group.
Widespread under communism and prevalent in Japan as well.

15. Hofstede’s Model of National Culture (cont’d)
Power Distance
A society’s acceptance of differences in the well being of citizens due to differences in heritage, and physical and intellectual capabilities (individualism).
In high power distance societies, the gap between rich and poor becomes very wide (e.g., Panama and Malaysia).
In the low power distance societies of western cultures (e.g., United States and Germany), the gap between rich and poor is reduced by taxation and welfare programs.

16. Hofstede’s Model of National Culture (cont’d)
Achievement versus Nurturing Orientation
Achievement-oriented societies value assertiveness, performance, and success and are results-oriented.
Nurturing-oriented cultures value quality of life, personal relationships, and service.
The United States and Japan are achievement-oriented; Sweden and Denmark are more nurturing-oriented.

17. Hofstede’s Model of National Culture (cont’d)
Uncertainty Avoidance
Societies and people differ in their tolerance for uncertainty and risk.
Low uncertainty avoidance cultures (e.g., U.S. and Hong Kong) value diversity and tolerate a wide range of opinions and beliefs.
High uncertainty avoidance societies (e.g., Japan and France) are more rigid and expect high conformity in their citizens’ beliefs and norms of behavior.

18. Global Management in Today’s World
Challenges
Openness associated with globalization
Significant cultural differences (e.g., Americanization)
Adjusting leadership styles and management approaches
Risks
Loss of investments in unstable countries
Increased terrorism
Economic interdependence

19. FOUNDATIONS & BASIC ELEMENTS OF PLANNING

20. What is Planning? Planning
A primary managerial activity that involves:
Defining the organization’s goals
Establishing an overall strategy for achieving those goals
Developing plans for organizational work activities.
Types of planning
Informal: not written down, short-term focus; specific to an organizational unit.
Formal: written, specific, and long-term focus, involves shared goals for the organization.

21. Why Do Managers Plan? Purposes of Planning Provides direction
Reduces uncertainty
Minimizes waste and redundancy
Sets the standards for controlling

22. Planning and Performance
The Relationship Between Planning And Performance
Formal planning is associated with:
Higher profits and returns on assets.
Positive financial results.
The quality of planning and implementation affects performance more than the extent of planning.
The external environment can reduce the impact of planning on performance,
Formal planning must be used for several years before planning begins to affect performance.

23. How Do Managers Plan? Goals (also Objectives)
Desired outcomes for individuals, groups, or entire organizations
Provide direction and evaluation performance criteria
Plans
Documents that outline how goals are to be accomplished
Describe how resources are to be allocated and establish activity schedules

24. Types of Goals Financial Goals
Are related to the expected internal financial performance of the organization.
Strategic Goals
Are related to the performance of the firm relative to factors in its external environment (e.g., competitors).
Stated Goals versus Real Goals
Broadly-worded official statements of the organization (intended for public consumption) that may be irrelevant to its real goals (what actually goes on in the organization).

25. Types of Plans

26. Types of Plans Strategic Plans Apply to the entire organization.
Establish the organization’s overall goals.
Seek to position the organization in terms of its environment.
Cover extended periods of time.
Operational Plans
Specify the details of how the overall goals are to be achieved.
Cover short time period.

27. Types of Plans (cont’d)
Long-Term Plans
Plans with time frames extending beyond three years
Short-Term Plans
Plans with time frames on one year or less
Specific Plans
Plans that are clearly defined and leave no room for interpretation
Directional Plans
Flexible plans that set out general guidelines, provide focus, yet allow discretion in implementation

28. Types of Plans (cont’d)
Single-Use Plan
A one-time plan specifically designed to meet the need of a unique situation.
Standing Plans
Ongoing plans that provide guidance for activities performed repeatedly.