The Foreign Business Environment

In the global environment, it is important to be able to research and apply understanding of various cultures and diversity considerations to be able to make viable business decisions. In this Assignment you will address the following General Education Literacies and Professional Competency: GEL-1.02: Demonstrate college-level communication through the composition of original materials in Standard English. GEL-6.06: Apply research to create original insights and/or solve real-world problems. PC-4.3: Apply concepts of multiculturalism and diversity to become an agent for change. Assignment: The Foreign Business Environment You are the owner of a small business that imports clothing from Brazil to the U.S. Ashley, one of your partners in your business, has approached you with an interesting possibility. A fellow venture capitalist friend revealed to her that he and his partners were acquiring a large family-owned group of businesses in the South American country of Colombia. Most of these family-owned businesses are diversified manufacturing businesses in the capital of Bogota, but there is one clothing manufacturer in the acquisition that does not fit within their venture business plan and thus they would like to divest (sell) this particular operation. Ashley’s friend knows that you have a presence in neighboring Brazil and thought that this business in Colombia might offer you an additional expansion opportunity in the region. However, you have no knowledge of doing business in this nation. Your job in this Assignment is to conduct some basic research into the country of Colombia (a neighboring country to Brazil) and examine the most important historical events (political, economic, and technological) that might impact the country of Colombia’s business climate for the future of this investment by your company. After researching the historical events in Colombia, write your analysis in an informative essay addressing all the checklist items and decide on a recommended course of action and your justification for such an approach. Be sure to reference any sources used in your work using APA formatting (see “Academic Writer” located in the Academic Tools area of the course). Research: 1. Begin by doing some research in the Library located in the Academic Tools area of the course using the EBSCO database. www.ebsco.com 2. Next, search the C.I.A.’s World Factbook resource and search for information on Colombia South America :: Colombia — The World Factbook – Central … – Cia https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/co.html 3. Then go to the Michigan State University: globalEDGE© website: http://globaledge.msu.edu/Countries/Colombia 4. Review the Corruptions Perception Index for Colombia on the site above. You may also use information from other sources that are from governmental or educational sites as well. Do not use Wikipedia! Checklist: A. What events (political, economic, and technological) are the most important in recent years that might have impacted the business culture in Colombia? B. Do you feel that the Colombian economy today is sufficiently robust to support the growth of the clothing manufacturing industry and your company’s entry into the country? Why? C. Demonstrate that you have used at least one Library source to inform your responses by including 1–2 short direct quotes in APA format. Industry: Mainly small-time operations, Colombia’s manufacturers generally produce goods for domestic consumption. Cotton spinning mills are the largest-scale manufacturers. Other manufactured items include food and beverages, apparel, chemicals, and cement. Petroleum and coal are the main mineral products of Colombia. The country produces enough petroleum to provide for all of its own energy needs, while still having significant amounts to export. Other minerals mined for export include gold, emeralds, nickel, and natural gas. However, due to the country’s heavy dependence on energy and mining exports, the Colombian economy is vulnerable to fluctuations in commodity prices. https://eds-b-ebscohost-com.libauth.purdueglobal.edu/eds/detail/detail?vid=2&sid=92664943-18ef-4494-96b8-1a30239681cd%40pdc-v-sessmgr03&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#AN=88391057&db=ers D. Write your original informative essay in Standard English. Please be sure to include an introduction, body (addressing all the checklist items), and conclusion. • Pay special attention to correct grammar, style, and mechanics. • Respond to the checklist items in a complete manner. • Ensure that your viewpoint and purpose are clearly stated. • Demonstrate logical and appropriate transitions from one idea to another. Your paper should be highly organized, logical, and focused. Include a title and reference page in APA format (see “Academic Writer” in Academic Tools) citing any sources you either directly quoted or paraphrased. Draft your response addressing these checklist items in a minimum of 500 words or more in APA format and citation style in an informative essay. Reference Michigan State University (1994-2017). GlobalEDGE: Your source for global business knowledge. Retrieved from http://globaledge.msu.edu/