Question BUS104 – Case Study On Glasshouse Avocados AT2(1).
Glasshouse Avocados has been operating on the Sunshine Coast for almost seventy years. Jack Cooper’s father Errol (who passed away in 1975) had moved to the Glasshouse Mountains from Brisbane at the end of 1946 looking to establish his own farming operation. Errol had been given land options as part of the Federal Government’s Soldier Settlement Program following his military service. He selected 80 hectares and settled at the foot of the Glasshouse Mountains. Errol quickly made progress with successful avocado crops within five years and before long he was expanding into custard apple and passion fruit crops. He was determined to continuously improve productivity on his farm.
Errol had a belief in the 1950s that the Sunshine Coast should be self-sufficient in their food production. He believed in providing enough food for the growing population so that interstate produce was not required and there would be no need for imported produce from overseas. According to Errol, high-quality produce was critical for success in achieving this vision. Errol worked hard developing local networks to distribute his produce on the Sunshine Coast and within a few years had grown to the point where he harnessed local connections to transport excess stock to the Rocklea markets in Brisbane.
Jack knew his Father was ahead of his time. Jack admired the way Errol developed relationships with other growers in order to share transport costs and overheads, achieving economies of scale to reach bigger markets. At the same time, Errol was fine-tuning his techniques for planting, irrigation, pruning, yield management and pest control. Errol knew that these factors had to be continually improved in order to leave behind a sustainable business for his children.
Question BUS104 – Case Study On Glasshouse Avocados AT2(1)
Question One: Identify 3-5 important issues that Jack needs to consider and provide evidence from the case study and the accompanying reading to support your answer.
Question Two: Apply the rational decision-making process in order to address one of the issues identified in Question One.
Question Three: Undertake a VRIN analysis (see Section 6.1 in your textbook) by describing the different resources that are available for Jack to create and sustain a competitive advantage. Provide evidence from the case study and the accompanying reading to support your answer.
Question Four: Identity, explain and apply one of the organisational strategy frameworks (from Chapter 6 in your textbook and not including VRIN) that Jack might find helpful as he considers the future of Glasshouse Avocadoes.