Essay 2 task description

What follows is a scenario from which you are required to make a choice for Jane Cortez.

October 2020

After spending three hours with other orange growers in Wagga Wagga, Jane Cortez was

driving home to ‘Naranjas’. Opening the car window, she could smell the fruit trees getting

ready to deliver the harvest. Jane was thinking that harvest was the best time, such joy and

excitement. COVID-19 had put a stop to that. The government had banned all travellers into

Australia. The only people allowed to land were Australians wanting to come home. This had a

major impact in the agricultural sector. The fruit growers were facing a harvest where the fruit

would rot on the ground, as there would be no one to pick the fruit.

Jane reflected on the meeting she had just attended. The discussion had been about getting

people to pick the fruit and had ranged from someone saying they could take on the

unemployed. This was dismissed as quickly as it was brought up, no one would be comfortable

asking people to work for nothing, or very little. However, the one area that might be given

government approval was to bring in Pacific Islanders to help pick the fruit. A few of the

farmers had been selected to go the Canberra to put their case to the Government.

November 2020

The Government had approved the scheme, and providing that the farmers paid to have the

Pacific Islanders quarantined, they could advertise to get pickers from the Pacific Islands. The

farmers were very excited, they could see that the harvest, a very good harvest, would go

ahead. Jane gave a huge sigh of relief, now her oranges would be picked and not rot on the

ground. She quickly phoned her friends Bill and Bob to discuss how the scheme would work.

She said that they could come to Naranjas tomorrow, and she promised them tea and scones.

The following morning Bill and Bob arrived, and Jane produced the tea and scones as promised.

Bob: Good news about the pickers, can’t wait to get them started.

Bill: I have heard that the wages could be good for business.

Jane: What do you mean?

Bill: Well, I heard that we won’t have to pay as much for the pickers, we just pay them the

minimum wage. Much better than using Australians, because you have to pay them more! And,

they are lazy.BUSS5020 Essay 2 Semester2, 2020

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Bob: Gee, Bill that’s not acceptable. Remember in the past, we had those pickers from Sydney,

and they did a good job. They cost more, but they worked hard.

Bill: We won’t have problems with the Pacific Islanders. Some of them are young and so you

don’t need to pay them an adult wage. I mean not all of them, but quite a few, and this means

that you only have to pay junior wage, approximately 60 -70 % of the adult wage. Most of them

are coming in families so they can all sleep in the same place, so a bit of a saving there as well.

Bob: Bill, don’t you think they deserve more than the minimum wage, I mean they are picking

fruit and that is hard work, especially in this climate where it is very hot. I have had a few arrive,

and I must say I am a bit concerned about the younger ones.

Jane: Don’t you think they can pick the fruit?

Bob: No, it’s just they look very young. I don’t think some of them should be working as fruit

pickers.

Bill: My children have been picking fruit since the time they could stand! I wouldn’t be worried

about that.

Bob: But Bill those are your children, and that’s fine, but this is employing them. I have asked

the families they say the children are 15, but some seem younger than that. One little boy looks

about 12. I mean I know there is no minimum age for them to start work, but usually it is 13

that’s acceptable. Even 13 you need a special permit to get them to work. But the families say

the children are 15 and you want to believe them.

Bill: Well, the families should know the age of the children. They would bring them if they had a

problem. And since 15 is the minimum age to work without a permit, I would say just accept it.

Jane: What if they are not? What if they are only 13 or 14, or worse 12 as Bob has indicated?

Could we get in trouble for child exploitation?

Bill: Jane, come on! If the families say the children are 15 then we accept them as 15. And as I

said before, they will be cheaper than the adults, so a saving there. Besides, these children

probably work at home, and let’s face it, they need the money. I understand that the Pacific

Islanders send most of the money home to support other members of their family. If you don’t

employ them that will be an impact on the whole community in the Pacific Islands.

Bob: Well, why don’t we pay them a proper wage, that’s something that can help them, rather

than the minimum wage. I am sure they would appreciate the higher wages.

Bill was ignoring Bob’s comment, and directed his comments to Jane.BUSS5020 Essay 2 Semester2, 2020

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Bill: Jane, this could save you money and you need it. However, if you wanted to do something,

then what about the local children’s hospital in Wagga Wagga. They are doing a fundraising

event for Christmas you could help by volunteering or, better still, give them a donation from

Naranjas. It would take all the money that you get from paying a minimum wage, if that is what

it takes to make you feel better. It would be good for you in the community. Shows a

community spirit, it would be good for Naranjas brand!

Bob: Jane, if you are going to do something, then do it for the Pacific Islanders. For example,

every tonne of oranges sold you could put some money, you need to work how much, aside to

renovate or build schools for the Pacific Islanders in their home country.

Jane: I am not sure. I will have to think on that.

Jane could feel the tension between Bill and Bob, so she changed the conversation to lighter

topics, with Jane teasing Bob about his romance with one of the other farmers.

After they had left, Jane reflected on the conversation, and she felt a little uneasy. She

remembered the work you had done on choosing the options for selling and decided that you

could help her again. Jane want you to help her decide what to do.

Task

As a consultant to Jane Cortez, she has asked your advice on what she should do now, as the

picking is about to start.

However, Jane wanted to create a more socially responsible business. She wants the farm to

make money so she can pay dividends to the investors, this is mostly her family, but she was

equally interested in doing the right thing for her stakeholders and the environment. It was

obvious to her that this wasn’t going to be easy and it was going to take time.

As you are her trusted consultants, Jane asked for your help. As well as running a successful

business she wants to run a socially responsible business. In your recommendations, you will

have to evaluate possible CSR and/or CSV approaches to help her achieve her goal.

Jane wants the answers to these questions in an essay format. The essay should evaluate the

issues and the conclude with a clear and well justified recommendation for Jane. You need to

make sure that you use relevant course content in your essay.

In the essay you must:

1. write a succinct introduction;

2. critically evaluate the options; and

3. conclude with a well-justified recommendation. BUSS5020 Essay 2 Semester2, 2020

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Critical thinking is a key component of the exercise and we are looking for originality of

thought. In so doing, you must draw on reliable English language sources, especially peer

reviewed academic journal articles and, if applicable, relevant industry, government and non

government publications.

By way of guidance, it is recommended that your essay should spend:

1. Roughly 100 words on introduction;

2. 1000 – 1150 words on critically evaluating the argument(s); and

3. 150 words on a conclusion.

4. Your essay must include a reference list.