Distance Learning Course -Learn to be a Horticultural Manager
- Good Managers are always in demand
- Some graduates may manage their own horticultural business; others may find employment in either the public or private sector; either in production or ameniuty horticulture. This course is applicable to all situations.
Management is all about control, and by exercising control, achieving better results. Good management only occurs when the manager is well-informed, hence the first task for any manager is to get to know the organization they are responsible for.
Managers must appreciate their own role as being the person who controls what happens, NOT the person who actually does the work, unless the situation is a small operation. A manager who, for instance, spends a lot of time potting up, weeding plants or talking with customers may find that too little time is being spent managing the nursery, and that can result in a loss of control.
In a small operation the manager is often also half of the work force, so manual tasks must be part of his routine. A good manager however maintains a delicate balance between the various tasks he performs each day, and is able to delegate jobs to others in order to help maintain that balance.
Duration: 100 hours
CONTENT
There are ten lessons in this course as follows:
- Horticultural Business Structures
- Management Theories and Procedures
- Horticulture and The Law
- Supervision
- Financial Management
- Staff Management
- Improving Plant Varieties
- Productivity and Risk
- Managing Physical Resources
- Developing an Horticultural Business Plan
AIMS
- Compare the organisational structure of three different horticultural enterprises.
- Determine the value of a business plan to a specific horticultural business.
- Determine the significance of consumer law to a specified horticultural business.
- Determine the duties of two different supervisors, in a specific horticultural enterprise.
- Describe how a budget is applied to managing a specific horticultural enterprise.
- Determine the criteria for selecting staff to work in an horticultural enterprise.
- Explain the system for controlling the collection of royalties on a plant which is covered by plant variety rights.
- Monitor and recommend improvements to a specified work task in a horticultural enterprise.
What is the Scope of Management?
Management is all about control, and by exercising control, achieving better results.
Good management only occurs when the manager is well informed hence the first task for any manager is to get to know the organization they are responsible for.
Managers must appreciate their own role as being the person who controls what happens, NOT the person who actually does the work, unless the situation is a small operation.
A manager who, for instance, spends a lot of time potting up, weeding plants or talking with customers may find that too little time is being spent managing the nursery, and that can result in a loss of control.
In a small operation the manager is often also half of the work force, so manual tasks must be part of his routine. A good manager however maintains a delicate balance between the various tasks he performs each day, and is able to delegate jobs to others in order to help maintain that balance.
Key functions of management are planning, organising leading and controlling the work/activities of the members of an organisation. A manager’s effectiveness, or lack of it, can be judged from the way in which they carry out these key functions.
Planning
Management begins with careful planning to establish and meet organisational goals. Good managers use planning to determine the best course of action in a particular situation, or over a period of time, such as a year. Clear goals enable more logical and methodical decisions on how to achieve those goals, considering such factors as cost, resources, anticipated growth or decline, and market trends.
Organising
Organising is the process of coordinating people and resources to achieve goals. Managers who can use resources (time, money, skills, people) more efficiently and effectively will improve organisational productivity, whereas managers who under-utilise existing resources or use them inefficiently will decrease organisational productivity. Truly effective organisation depends on successful integration and coordination of many factors, including processes and people to achieve set goals, and to balance between competing goals and priorities.
Leading
Leadership is the means by which a manager influences subordinates to get things done in the desired way. Managers can best lead by creating an atmosphere that helps and encourages people to do their best. Leadership is less about power than it is about harnessing the capabilities and motivation of others to achieve goals. Effective leadership also ensures that priorities take precedence, and are clearly communicated to all involved.
Controlling
Management is partly about exercising control, and this can be done in many ways. Control helps keep the people in an organisation on track, and helps maintain and monitor processes to ensure that their outcomes are what is expected or desired.
To carry out these processes effectively, managers must have the following qualities:
• ability to make decisions, including difficult decisions
• willingness to take responsibility for outcomes and for their subordinates
• ability to work with and through other people
• ability to balance conflicting or competing goals and priorities
• ability to analyse and explain concepts
• ability to deal with different people, and the conflicts that can arise between them
• ability to focus on goals to get things done
• good communications skills
How the Course has Developed:
REASONS TO STUDY WITH ACS DISTANCE EDUCATION
- Reputation:
-teaching Horticulture since 1979
-exceptional faculty staff (see below) - Hands on: develop practical as well as theoretical skills
- Uniqueness:
-successful people are always those who can offer a skill or service that others can't
-this course is different; our graduates have different skills to set them apart. - Relevance -curriculum developed in response to industry needs
- Lots of help: personal, prompt attention from tutors
- Holistic Courses: We teach more than just "facts"
-success is only 20% about intelligence (and what you know)
-you also need to build networking, problem solving & communication skills, and more!
-this course helps you develop all of these things and more - Value: courses compare very favorably on a cost per study hour basis
- Up to date: courses under constant review
- Student amenities: This school is backed by over one of the most unique and comprehensive private collections of intellectual property in the horticultural industry. The principal and staff have written and published over 50 books and 150 gardening magazines, as well as 20,000 hours horticultural study programs. A team of 5 horticultural writers continue to develop and update new material continually. These resources together with web sites, an online student room, social media etc. provide a unique and comprehensive facility to support students studying with the school.
OUR FACULTY
These are just some of the people involved with developing and updating courses; and tutoring our horticulture students
John Mason Dip.Hort.Sc.
40 years + in horticulture Graduated from Burnley Horticultural College in 1971,Nurseryman, Landscape Designer and Parks Director through the 1970's. One of Australia's most published garden writers, author of books published by Simon and Schuster, Harper Collins, CSIRO and other major publishers; Editor for 4 different national gardening magazines; honored as a fellow of both the Institute of Horticulture in Australia and the Institute of Horticulture in the UK.
Gavin Cole B.Sc., M.Psych.
30 years + in horticulture. Renowned horticulturist and psychologist. Former operations manager for the highly regarded "Chelsea Gardener" landscape firm in London, garden writer and landscaper in both Brisbane and Adelaide in Australia.
Maggi Brown
40 years + in horticulture. Former education manager for "Garden Organic"; England's peak organic gardening and farming body.
Dr Lyn Morgan Phd
25 years + in horticulture. New Zealand based hydroponic consultant and author, with experience working everywhere from Asia to America.
Rosemary Davies Dip.Hort.Sc.
30 years + in horticulture; including Victorian Department of Agriculture Gradening Advisor, Gardening Editor/writer/author for major publishers and newspapers.
Diana Cole B,A., RHS Dip Hort, NTEC Higher Dip in Garden Design
15 years + in horticulture and landscaping
Adriana Fraser Adv.Dip.Hort.
30 years + in horticulture. Consultant, teacher, garden write, manager of plant collections
Bob James B.App.Sc(Hort), M. Env.Sc., Grad.Dip.Mgt., PDC, Dip.An.Husb.
Yvonne Sharpe Dip.Hort., M.Hort.
Martin Powdrill B.Sc(Hons), M.Sc. PDC
Marie Beerman B.Sc., M.Hort.
REFERENCE BOOKS
ACS operates a student bookshop that supplies a range of horticulture texts to supplement our courses.
Many are written by the principal (well known gardening author John Mason), or other staff. All have been reviewed and approved by our academic experts (to be accurate and relevant to students studying our horticulture courses).
- Student discounts are available to anyone studying with ACS Distance Education.
- Both printed books and ebooks (as downloads) available
GARDEN DESIGN Part I by John Mason (publisher ACS) EBook
GARDEN DESIGN Part 2 by John Mason (publisher ACS) EBook
GROWING TREES and SHRUBS for SMALL GARDENS by John Mason
TROPICAL and WARM CLIMATE GARDENING by John Mason (publisher Bay Books) Printed Book
ORCHIDS: A BEGINNERS GUIDE by John Mason (publisher: Highland House) Printed Book
GROWING CONIFERS by John Mason (publisher: Kangaroo Press) Printed book
GROWING FERNS by John Mason (publisher: Kangaroo Press) Printed book
GROWING AND USING VEGETABLES and HERBS by John Mason (publisher: Kangaroo Press) Printed Book
COMMERCIAL HYDROPONICS 3rd Edition by John Mason (publisher: ACS) Ebook
- Click on above link for info
- Sample pages available to download for all ebook
- E Books can be purchased online for immediate download (Can be read on a computer, ipad, iphone, lap top, most book readers or similar devices).
- GO TO www.acsbookshop.com for more titles
