Reflections

Part A: I feel I need to know more about formulating and implementing long-term strategic plans (Stacey, 2007). If I am to offer suggestions to Haiti's government on how to make inroads in rehabilitating Haiti, I need to know how to facilitate sustainability as leaders' purpose and mission (Senge, Smith, Kruschwitz, Laur, & Schley, 2010). I am looking forward to the research design course because I want to learn to incorporate sustainability in the measures I want to look at to employ Haitians.

Part B: Portfolio of Visions (Senge et al., 2010). I always noticed when I grew up in a small rural community in Ohio, that there were farmers feeding the community. Around the farmers grew up small businesses serving the farmers: the granary, the butcher, the cannery, farm machinery sales, farm machinery service, veterinarians. There was the school educating the children of the town and the surrounding farms. In 25 years I see Haiti graduating children from schools and colleges starting businesses that serve the other businesses, businesses that recycle waste for other businesses, businesses that design zero waste systems for other businesses or communities, it is a system that grows on itself. With my Doctoral Study, I will submit my ideas to the Haitian government or perhaps an NGO or a missionary. Then, I see myself either employing a few individuals or facilitating their self-employment making hand-crafted dresses to be sold to Americans who would like to buy stylish clothes that would help Haitians; I see the social responsibility as being a positive marketing tool. The idea would be that the Haitians would earn enough money to send their children to school, which costs $400 a year in Haiti. Before the earthquake, Haitians typically made a $1 a day. Then I see forming alliances with individuals who could help promote organically, sustainably grown cotton or hemp farms which would supply the material for the hand-crafted dresses.

References

Senge, P. M., Smith, B., Kruschwitz, N., Laur, J., & Schley, S. (2010). The necessary revolution: How individuals and organisations are working together to create a sustainable world. New York, NY: Doubleday.

Stacey, R. D. (2007). Strategic management and organisational dynamics: The challenge of complexity (5th ed.). Harlow, England: Prentice Hall.

Problem Statement

Traditional commercial entrepreneurship entails the identification, evaluation, and exploitation of opportunities to incur profits. Social entrepreneurship entails fulfilling social needs through creative organization by individual entrepreneurs, existing entrepreneurs (both for-profit and nonprofit), or governments (Christie & Honig, 2006). When enterprises come into an underdeveloped country with a large center of employment, many times workers come into employment with the object in mind of saving in order to set up a small business of their own (Hoyt, 1962). The specific problem to be addressed is what strategy should the government of Haiti use to relieve the unemployment and displacement caused by the earthquake of January 2010.

This study will use a quantitative methodology consisting of a survey distributed to a representative collection of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), businesses, and government agencies engaged in providing employment in underdeveloped countries. The focus of the surveys would be to determine what forms of employment were used, how permanent was the employment, how remunerative was the employment, the job satisfaction of the individuals employed, how much of the population was employed compared to the unemployment rate. This study will help the government of Haiti determine the most cost-effective way to aid the most people for the long-term.

References

Christie, M. J., & Honig, B. (2006). Social entrepreneurship: New research findings. Journal of World Business, 41(1), 1-5. doi:10.1016/j.jwb.2005.10.003

Hoyt, E. E. (1962). A new diplomacy for underdeveloped areas. International Executive, 4(1), 21-23. Retrieved from Business Source Complete database.

Problem Statement

This is my first draft, my very first attempt, at writing my Problem Statement, written last week at my Minnesota residency.

"The 2010 earthquake caused xxx million Haitians to become unemployed, and Haiti already had a x% unemployment rate prior to the earthquake. In developing countries worldwide xx% found employment through microenterprise development and xx% found employment with established companies.

"The specific problem to be addressed is which strategy most successfully reduced the unemployment figures in those countries?

"The focus of this qualitative phenomenological study is to interview a purposeful sample of xxx to seek their perceptions in how Haitians might become employed. The business and social impact of this study is xxx."

The last paragraph was supplied by Dr. Turner.

The discussion with Dr. Millstone resulted in the following revision:

"Pre-earthquake Haiti had x% unemployment. Post-earthquake, Haiti had x% unemployment. Other less developed countries (define less developed countries) reduced their unemployment rate using xxx strategies."

Dr. Millstone suggested I am still in need of a problem. Dr. Millstone suggested I may be able to research the different strategies all online by the time I reach my 9000 courses. In my final doctoral study, in the Analysis and Recommendations section, I could suggest to the Haitian government what strategy(ies) would be good for Haiti.