Bachelor of Commerce Best Business Research Papers, Vol. 10 (June 2017)
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This issue was originally published June 5th, 2017.
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Item The new Dutch East India Company: Smartwares Group(Bachelor of Commerce Best Business Research Papers, 2017) Goldbeck, WillSmartwares Group is a new entity that came from the 2016 merging of two Dutch companies, Smartwares, a home lighting and security device company, and Tri‐Star, a conglomerate of several household consumer goods brands. Smartwares Group, headquartered in the Netherlands, is an internationally diverse company that incorporates offices across Europe, the Middle East and Asia to create a competitive advantage in an industry increasingly susceptible to new low cost entrants. To create this competitive advantage in the consumer goods industry, Smartwares Group positions their products across multiple price segments, develops them for specific regional tastes, and delivers them with an emphasis on superior service. This case study examines the overarching business processes that Smartwares Group uses to achieve these objectives consistently across different brands and products.Item Conscription in Europe: The effect on educational and career advancement among youth(Bachelor of Commerce Best Business Research Papers, 2017) Smith, CharleneConscription, or drafting, is the compulsory enlistment of people in a national service, most often a military service. Currently, only 5 of the European Union’s 28 member countries require national service, while the rest either do not require any or offer it as a voluntary option for citizens. The purpose of this paper is to develop a real and unique perspective on how conscription effects European young adults and their transition to higher education and career development. There is little consensus in the academic literature about the impact of conscription on education, career development, and even crime. Proponents of conscription argue that conscription educates young citizens with basic skills, provides them with valuable work experience, teaches them national and civic values, and fosters nation building and unity. On the other hand, critics insist conscription not only demotivates youth and creates an ineffective military and public service workforce, but can also be viewed as a violation of individual rights. After thorough investigation of present research and conducting independent interviews with a variety of today's youth, this paper will attempt to arrive at new conclusions about the effects of conscription on the career and educational attainment of young men.Item Closure wars: The impact of wine closure alternatives on Portuguese cork exporters(Bachelor of Commerce Best Business Research Papers, 2017) McIver, NataliePortugal is one of the few countries whose environment can support the cork oak. Cork is a versatile, durable and 100% renewable material. Cork is used in many applications; however, internationally, it is most commonly used to produce wine stoppers. Portuguese cork companies are starting to see increased competition in the wine stopper market as new alternatives such as synthetic corks and screw tops are gradually being accepted by wine producers and end consumers. The technical capabilities of all of the closure methods are relatively equal but in general, natural corks are still perceived to be the highest quality closure. Unfortunately for cork producers, this perception is not always reflected in consumer buying decisions. Amorim is an example of a Portuguese cork company that has had to adapt to the growing competition in the wine stopper market. The company has invested heavily in R&D and product development and is pushing the sustainable aspect of the material in order to stay competitive. Amorim is also diversifying its international portfolio in order to mitigate business risks. This paper uses Amorim to illustrate that adaptation and innovation are critical for business success in the face of political and competitive uncertainty.Item How siestas are changing global business(Bachelor of Commerce Best Business Research Papers, 2017) Sargent, JennaThis paper aggregates information on adapting to the culture of siestas when a Multinational Corporation expands into Spain. There is a brief history on siestas, research on how companies should implement change in foreign environments and an assessment on the benefits of siestas. Orange Mobile and Vodafone are compared on their adaptation techniques within Spain. These techniques can be used as a template for other industries attempting to adapt. The main determining factor on if an adaptation goes smoothly stems from how well the MNC plans their expansion, how well they research their consumers, and how well they explain changes to their local employees. It was concluded that though the future of this cultural behavior is unclear, Multinationals have the ability to determine its fate, as they have a large influence on the business practice of their host countries.Item Role of corporate social responsibility strategies affecting the corporate image: Mass Transit Railway (MTR) Corporation and TransCanada PipeLines Limited (TC) and their ability to gain social license to operate(Bachelor of Commerce Best Business Research Papers, 2017) Fairbanks, Hayley MaeThis paper provides a descriptive analysis of Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTR) in Hong Kong, and TransCanada PipeLines Limited (TC) in Canada for their continued recognition as organizations that go above and beyond to meet stakeholder concerns with regards to material CSR initiatives. The discussion is centered upon MTR and TC’s respective business‐government‐society models in order to set the foundation for further analysis of the specific CSR strategies common to both organizations. Given that MTR is a metro operator, and TC is an energy infrastructure company, the comparison of the two, while more difficult to apply, is conducted through an analysis of key initiatives central to both organizations’ CSR strategies through the lens of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) reporting standards. This paper then examines the social environment in which they operate, given their differing economic and political jurisdictions, to examine whether organizations can use successful CSR strategies to gain widespread social license to operate, or whether their environment may hinder this.Item Mittelstand and international business: How mittelstand companies are using China do maintain stability of respective business(Bachelor of Commerce Best Business Research Papers, 2017) Webb, PatrickThe purpose of this paper is to gain a better understanding of the success factors of the German Mittelstand and how they differ from certain North American practices. In doing so, we understand how critical the Mittelstand is to Germany’s economic success as an export economy. The German companies to be discussed are often defined differently depending on sources. IfM Bonn’s definition has been used to derive the quantitative definition. The qualitative characteristics have been procured from various expert sources. The technological revolution that is taking place currently, Industrie 4.0, as well as global hypercompetition, has forced these firms to be dynamic within their niches. German companies have recognized Asia as a major business opportunity to expand their niche markets and have taken an incremental approach to expansion due to cultural differences and concerns over the safety of their supply chain. Two cases studies will look at how this expansion differs between two gebohener Mittelstand firms, followed by a brief discussion as to how North American managers can utilize the information protection practices in their expansion decision‐making. With this in mind, North American managers should consider the trade‐offs between protecting proprietary knowledge and protectionism as this decision can have a great impact on ROI. The first Case also looks at how DELO has focused on customer satisfaction to increase firm performance. Methods of analysis for this paper include gathering research on the influence of the Mittelstand on the German economy, profiling the cultural characteristics that influence business decisionmaking, and utilizing the work of Mittelstand experts, particularly Dr. Bernd Venohr.Item Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Czech and the Czech Republic: An excellent example of foreign direct investment(Bachelor of Commerce Best Business Research Papers, 2017) McEachran‐Law, ChrisIn many ways, the Czech Republic automotive industry has been and is one of the most productive and successful in the world. Hyundai Motor Corporation (HMC) is one of the largest and most successful auto manufacturers in the world. This paper seeks to explore these two phenomena in greater detail with particular focus on their newfound relationship and its environmental implications based on Hyundai’s entry into the Czech auto manufacturing market in 2006. More specifically, this paper first provides an overview of the history and current state of the Czech Republic and Czech Economy, focusing on environmental concerns and challenges. Next, it discusses the Czech automotive industry with an emphasis on the domestic superpower Škoda Auto. What follows is a brief history of HMC and a detailed overview of Hyundai’s organizational structure on the global level as well as the structure of Czech subsidiary Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Czech (HMMC). Subsequent sections provide an in‐depth examination of HMMC’s plant, and a comparison of Hyundai and Škoda. Both of these sections focus on the impact Hyundai has had on the Czech automotive industry and on the Czech Republic more generally (again, with particular attention to environmental issues). Finally, this paper summarizes the information presented and explains with concision why Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Czech is an excellent example of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Czech Republic – especially as the country battles to become more environmentally friendly and sustainable in one of its most important industries.Item Innovation in a shifting landscape: Atomic’s innovative approach to skiing and its application to global business challenges(Bachelor of Commerce Best Business Research Papers, 2017) Cain, TaylorThe objective of this case study is to analyze the responses organizations can employ to manage changes in the external environment that directly impact the growth and survival of their value proposition. This analysis focuses on the ski industry as a tangible example of environmental, economic, and cultural attributes that provide challenges and opportunities to stakeholders of the industry. Though challenges can be attributed to different external factors and locations, this analysis examines the interconnectedness of challenges threatening the continued growth of the ski industry moving forward. Further analysis of these challenges is investigated through Atomic, a ski manufacturer based in Austria with a history of an innovative approach to change management. The ski manufacturer’s innovative approach to problem solving is evaluated through frameworks to provide further analysis of internal factors and how it influences its unique task environment to respond to challenges. The study of Atomic’s internal factors and unique task environment aim to provide a backdrop for outlining the importance of intent in using innovation to manage business processes when facing external challenges, which can be applied on a larger scale. The findings from the analysis of Atomic are further applied to the challenges facing the organization going forward and to the approach needed by other organizations facing similar challenges in a wide array of industries. Methods for the analysis include conducting research through industry journals, environmental studies, industry studies, and company resources such as financial and sustainability reports.Item Analysis of the global mindset on Chinese brands: Implications and analysis of the global and Western mindsets on the positioning of Chinese premium brands in the international marketplace(Bachelor of Commerce Best Business Research Papers, 2017) Larsson, LukasChina has long been a global manufacturing powerhouse. Having endured a rapid industrialization process that included the boom in manufacturing consisting largely of low‐end products, China has undergone substantial changes and is now home to a large number of high‐end, premium brands and products. These products struggle to obtain the level of premium positioning in foreign markets that they possess within mainland China where they compete with global luxury brands. Unlike corporations such as Apple in China, the Chinese counterparts including Lenovo and Huawei often struggle globally. This paper examines the reasons and fallacies behind these issues through a variety of lenses, including consumer mindset, legal framework, national security, and governmental policy. In addition to the aforementioned corporations, the paper touches on the actions and positioning of state‐owned and privately held Chinese corporations, including foreign joint ventures such as those with BMW and the Chinese National Offshore Oil Corporation. The aging demographic and changing policies in China and the influence this exerts on the future developments and positioning of these Chinese corporations on the international stage is also touched on. Summarily, this paper closely analyzes these factors in assessing the barriers that face luxury or high‐end Chinese brands and products in an ever more globalized world.Item Terrorism takes a toll on tourism: The effects of terrorism on France's tourism and the country's national airline Air France(Bachelor of Commerce Best Business Research Papers, 2017) Baldwin, ReillyThe objective of this research paper is to analyze how the rise of numerous terrorist attacks in France have affected France’s tourism industry, specifically how it has affected France’s national airline company Air France. This paper will describe France’s tourism industry as a background to provide context for its current state. The change in the industry’s success will be highlight by a timeline of the recent terrorist attacks and how the country has been affected. Furthermore, Air France’s current success after the attacks will be examined in comparison to how they were succeeding before the terrorist attacks. Finally, Air France’s ability to respond to the effects of the attacks and a future projection is compared to the American airline company US Airways after 9/11.Item International Business Research Experience(Bachelor of Commerce Best Business Research Papers, 2017) Baldwin, Reilly; Cain, Taylor; Fairbanks, Hayley M.; Goldbeck, Will; Larsson, Lukas; McEachran-Law, Chris; McIver, Natalie; Sargent, Jenna; Smith, Charlene; Webb, PatrickItem Note from the editor(Bachelor of Commerce Best Business Research Papers, 2017) Szymanski, MichalItem Bachelor of Commerce Best Business Research Papers: Vol. 10 (2017)(Bachelor of Commerce Best Business Research Papers, 2017)