Study Legal, Contractual and Staff Management for Horticultural Enterprises
The ability to manage staff is pivotal in any enterprise (commercial or public); and in a society where law is becoming increasingly complex; the modern horticultural manager also needs to have a firm understanding of basic legal practice. This course focuses on building your capacity to manage staff and legal aspects within the horticultural enterprise.
Lesson Structure
There are 7 lessons in this course:
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The Law and Horticulture
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Contract Law
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Employment Law
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PBL Financial Management
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Staff Performance Management
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Motivating Employees in Horticulture
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PBL Management Case Study
Aims
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Discuss, examine and evaluate legal systems and laws that are relevant to the management of horticultural enterprises.
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Examine, evaluate and debate the elements that comprise the making of valid contracts in the horticulture industry.
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Demonstrate an understanding of the principal areas of employment legislation
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Compare financial management requirements for a series of optional horticultural enterprises in two or more different countries.
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Demonstrate an understanding of the principal areas of performance management & staffing within a business environment.
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Determine and apply an understanding of motivation theory to better manage staff performance within a horticultural business environment
Businesses Operate Under a Legal Framework
Laws vary from one jurisdiction to another. Some laws apply internationally; but many do not; and it is important to understand at least the basics of law, as they relate to the situation; for operations of any horticultural enterprise to be properly managed. Laws govern the production, trade and use of horticultural products, particularly foods, an the management of property (eg. through property ownership and environmental laws).
English law was developed over centuries and consists of 'Common Law', 'Statutory Law' and most recently 'European Union Law’. Many countries throughout the world, including the USA, South Africa, Australia, Canada and New Zealand have adopted and adapted the English system of law.
National law - is the whole of the legal system of a country/nation ie:
- A Constitution - In the USA, the constitution has a constitution and a ‘Bill of Rights’. The UK (a constitutional monarchy) does not have a written constitution but bases its legal system on statute, case law and convention.
- A Court System – England for example, has several layers of courts and two kinds of legal proceedings - criminal and civil. Criminal proceedings involve acts punishable by the state ie. murder. Civil proceedings involve disputes between private parties; individuals, organizations, or companies. The House of Lords is the final court of appeal for both civil and criminal cases.
- Statutory Law – also called legislation is the most common source of new laws and is introduced (after parliamentary debate) through Acts of Parliament in two forms:
How this Course may help you?
This course builds on and adds to the financial aspects or running businesses introduced in Operational Business Management I (Horticulture). It also examines the legal aspects of operational procedures usually associated with higher tier management in larger businesses, but which may be part and parcel of daily roles of management in smaller businesses. The inclusion of two large problem based learning projects allows students some flexibility in exploring legal and financial operations pertinent to the sector of the industry they are involved in.
People who may be interested in this course include those who are work in, or who hope to work in:
- Horticulture retail
- Horticulture wholesale
- Plant nurseries
- Landscape businesses
- General horticulture
