Case Study

The lack of proper organizational skills can negatively influence the running of a business, this is exponentially true in case of social enterprises, where (in ideal case) the focus is on the social mission/cause and not on the profit. Because although profit is easy to measure, moral, ethical issues are much less quantifiable . Achieving these moral, ethical, hardly measurable goals can decieve leaders, who are trying to focus on the social mission of the enterprise so much, that they miss other important aspects of their business. The Romanian case study, Farm toursim business from Homoródalmás is a perfect example, where the interviewee appoints the importance of organizational and managerial skills.

The Sándor family runs a small family business, which guarantees the daily income for three families now. Three generations working together on a daily basis, sometimes it can be difficult if we think about how many obstacles can be found between the generations, even in daily life, not to speak about working together regularly. But at Homoródalmás their love for their homeland, their neighbours and their vocation „bridges together” these people. What many of us can’t see is that the key to their succes is careful planning and good organizational skills.

Many of farmers in Romania who produce milk are vulnerable because the low price of their product, which is determined by processing enterprises, they are also dependent from the EU subsidies and the government. This is the main reason why the Sándor family decided that they will process their own milk which is a big leap of faith, if one doesn’t plan its actions sufficiently. In this context, the role of organizational skills is appreciated. To establish such an enterprise you need to have a deep knowledge in the field of producing dairy products, you have to understand the local conditions and possibilities and also the ability to plan and design a system, where you can produce enough profit and still sustain the social goal you appointed for yourself. But most importantly you have to implement the theoretical design in the real life. The Sándor family after they realized the milk production is not a very profitable activity, they decided to set up a business which not only produces, but also processes milk and produces dairy products which can be sold directly to consumers within short supply chains. While they don’t hire outsiders, they collaborate with local producers and service providers, supporting the local community and its economy can be shortlisted as the social aspects of the enterprise. Moreover, owners are open to improve and constantly develop products and tourism services which can make positive contributions to their local community’s growth. Running such a business requires outstanding organizational skills to maintain the balance between the two components.

Organizing your enterprise can be like juggling with dozens of eggs and keeping your balance while standing on a rope, stretched in the air, at the same time. At first this may sound difficult, but not impossible.

What’s important, you need to know all the factors and see through the processes to become a good organizer and successful.

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