Search results

This paper aims to present findings from a research project that investigated the suitability of Lean in a seasonal horticultural setting, specifically the New Zealand (NZ) apple and pear (pipfruit) industry. The paper focusses on improvements made while deploying Lean elements in several apple pack-houses.

The literature review discusses how common theoretical Lean themes are not industry or contextually bound and may be transferable to other industries. An industry-wide survey assesses the current state of knowledge and Lean deployment within the industry using a unique “single-question-per-day” approach. Two case studies and one action research study are used to obtain rich data from organisations that have implemented Lean in recent times. Reliability and validity is achieved by selecting representative samples, using a case study protocol, a single researcher for consistency, participant verification, multiple sources of evidence within cases and replication logic.

The industry survey shows a low level of knowledge and applied Lean within the industry. Data demonstrate that significant progress is made, using different implementation approaches that lead to a measurable increase of Lean, supported by some positive financial indicators.

This research is restricted to NZ apple pack-houses, but indicates that Lean can contribute significantly to general horticultural pack house performance.

Literature research shows that little research has been done to study Lean in the horticultural field generally and in the NZ pipfruit industry specifically. This paper contributes to filling that knowledge gap.

The Secretary of State after approving proposals submitted by the Hotel and Catering Industry Training Board for the imposition of a further levy on employers in the hotel and catering industry and in exercise of her powers under section 4 of the Industrial Training Act 1964 and of all other powers enabling her in that behalf hereby makes the following Order:—

The Minister of Labour after consultation with the Construction Industry Training Board and with organisations and associations of organisations appearing to be representative respectively of substantial numbers of employers engaging in the activities hereinafter mentioned and of substantial numbers of persons employed in those activities and with the bodies established for the purpose of carrying on under national ownership industries in which the said activities are carried on to a substantial extent and by virtue of the powers conferred on him by section 9 of the Industrial Training Act 1964 and of all other powers enabling him in that behalf hereby makes the following Order:—

The Minister of Labour (hereinafter referred to as “the Minister”) after consultation with organisations and associations of organisations appearing to be representative respectively of substantial numbers of employers engaging in the activities hereinafter mentioned and of substantial numbers of persons employed in those activities and with the bodies established for the purpose of carrying on under national ownership industries in which the said activities are carried on to a substantial extent and by virtue of the powers conferred on him by section 1 of, and paragraphs 1 and 7 of the Schedule to, the Industrial Training Act 1964 (hereinafter referred to as “the Act”) and of all other powers enabling him in that behalf hereby makes the following Order:—

The Minister of Labour (hereinafter referred to as “the Minister”) after consultation with organisations and associations of organisations appearing to be representative respectively of substantial numbers of employers engaging in the activities hereinafter mentioned and of substantial numbers of persons employed in those activities and with the bodies established for the purpose of carrying on under national ownership industries in which the said activities are carried on to a substantial extent and by virtue of the powers conferred on him by section 1 of, and paragraphs 1 and 7 of the Schedule to, the Industrial Training Act 1964 (hereinafter referred to as “the Act”) and of all other powers enabling him in that behalf hereby makes the following Order:—

The Secretary of State, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by section 4 of the Prices and Incomes Act 1966(a), hereby makes the following Order:

The Minister of Labour (hereinafter referred to as “the Minister”) after consultation with organisations and associations of organisations appearing to be representative respectively of substantial numbers of employers engaging in the activities hereinafter mentioned and of substantial numbers of persons employed in those activities and by virtue of the powers conferred on him by section 1 of, and paragraphs 1 and 7 of the Schedule to, the Industrial Training Act 1964(a) (hereinafter referred to as “the Act”) and of all other powers enabling him in that behalf makes the following Order:—

The Secretary of State, having given notice under section 29(1) of the Prices and Incomes Act 1966(a) that he was considering the making of this Order, and having considered representations duly made, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by the said section 29, and by section 25(7) and (8) of the said Act, hereby makes the following Order:‐

Corporate social responsibility (CSR).

The Homegrown case is designed for teaching corporate social responsibility and business ethics at undergraduate and graduate levels. The case may be used on a variety of courses including: corporate social responsibility, business ethics and corporate social responsibility, and business ethics.

In May 2003, the headline of the East African newspaper screamed “The Kenyan Horticultural Industry under fire.” The industry was accused of exploitative labor policies with respect to working conditions, workers' welfare, sexual harassment, and exposure to harmful pesticides by the key stakeholders led by the Kenya Human Rights Commission. The stakeholders had announced plans to conduct national and international campaigns against the flower growing and exporting companies in Kenya. Mr Richard Fox, the Managing Director of Homegrown was worried that the publicity had adversely tarnished the image and reputation of the horticultural industry in Kenya as a whole, including Homegrown. He wondered how best to respond to these allegations. Should Homegrown wait to see what the competitors and other stakeholders would do, as these were industry-wide problems or should Homegrown take the lead? And if so, what should be the scope of the programs, given the diverse nature of the issues? He had to make decision quickly.

The case provides opportunity for students to analyze, discuss, and debate topical issues in CSR. At the end of the case, students should be able to: identify emerging CSR and ethical issues facing the horticultural industry in Kenya; analyze the cost of implementing CSR programs in business organizations; evaluate the impact of CSR programs on business performance; justify and defend choices on CSR, and ethical decisions.

Not included.

The nature of international markets and the challenges with respect to the competitiveness of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) makes it imperative to examine government support. This study aims to assess the role and effectiveness of government and the export promotion agencies in supporting exports by non-traditional horticultural SMEs in Ghana.

The study used a qualitative research design, which involved semi-structured interviews with senior managers of six export facilitating institutions to gain an understanding of the services offered to SMEs with respect to exports of non-traditional horticultural products.

The findings reveal inadequate cost-efficient sources of non-traditional horticultural export financing for SMEs. This is a hindrance to the international competitiveness of exporting SMEs in developing countries such as Ghana. In addition, effective and coordinated support from export promotion agencies was found to be critical.

The study highlights the importance of government’s role in policymaking and implementation of export-led programmes for horticultural exporting firms in Ghana. Despite their strategic importance, this area of research has not attracted the attention of researchers, with little or no information on the horticultural international competitiveness of non-traditional horticultural products.