BCOM BEST BUSINESS RESEARCH PAPERS

Reunification: How East Germany’s Economic Discrepancies have paved the way for a Rising Start-up Industry

Tyler Arseneault — Wed, 03 Jun 2020 00:00:00 -0700

This text uses an analysis of historical circumstances to understand the discrepancies between the East and West German economies, and how Startup organizations can implement certain measures into their corporate governance and business structures to capitalize on cheap labour and infrastructure in East Germany. Historical events including the Zollverein Coalition, the Treaty of Versailles, and the differences between the Marshall Plan and the Soviet planned economy will be analyzed to determine the contributing factors behind East Germany’s high unemployment rate and lower per capita GDP (Statista, 2019). The analysis will include the influence of key sectors and industries that effect the East German Startup economy, and how they have responded since the reunification of the country. Benchmarking for the analysis will include levels of unemployment, wages, and overall productivity in East German cities in comparison to their West German counterparts. The analysis of these factors will be used to determine the gaps in the East German economy that impede the area’s growth, and how different organizations have tailored their structures and production methods to mitigate these concerns. Analyzing these areas will help determine how Startup organizations can implement certain features to continue to flourish with their future economic endeavours in the East German region.

7-Eleven: The King of Convenience in the Kingdom of Thailand

Teegan Johnson — Wed, 03 Jun 2020 00:00:00 -0700

In the late 1980’s Thailand was going through a period of rapid economic development and with it came a demand for new types of goods and services. One of the new industries that come out of this time was the convenience store, replacing the more traditional mom and pop shops that have been in Thailand prior. The evolution of the convenience store industry in Thailand is one that revolves around one major driving force, CP ALL, the parent company of 7-Eleven in Thailand. Throughout the time since its introduction in 1990, 7-Eleven has revolutionized its industry through innovation, on its way to becoming “Thailand’s one and only company amongst 100 World’s Most Innovative Companies” (CP ALL, 2019, p.8).

In this paper, I will take a look at the position that 7-Eleven has carved out for themselves in the convenience store market. I will analyze how 7-eleven gained its market dominance and wild popularity in the country, as well as how they used their market leader position to push this new industry to unimaginable heights as they continue to expand and innovate the industry.

China’s Rise to the World Stage: How China’s Manufacturing Industry is Adapting in the Face of Failure and the Implications of change for multinational enterprises

Wyatt Matthews — Wed, 03 Jun 2020 00:00:00 -0700

For decades, China has been the world’s exporter of cheap goods, with a market that is dependent on the business of developed economies. The central idea of this paper argues that China’s manufacturing industry has outgrown its comparative advantage in cheap manufacturing, as variable cost drivers increase with time. This has occurred through a rise in education, wage expectation, and environmental regulation, which are all correlated results of a growing industry and economy. The imposing pressure of these factors have created stress for multinational enterprises and the domestic Chinese economy alike. It is argued that the manufacturing industry must transition to an independent innovator of highly sophisticated and technologically advanced goods. ‘Made in China 2025’, a government lead initiative to develop the manufacturing industry, is likely the solution to such a needed transition. This initiative has proven, however, to stoke U.S.-China tensions and was a significant contributor to the trade war. Regardless of how capable China may be of achieving such a transition, the fate of its standard manufacturing practices, and the implications its failure could pose on multinational enterprises, are top of mind. Through analysing an assortment of primary and secondary works, with news articles to supplement, this paper seeks to provide a conversation regarding how the manufacturing industry has grown, and where it currently stands in the midst of an ambitious transition within the context of global competition and cost feasibility.

Climate Change Mitigation and the Implications for the French Energy Sector

Jeremy Mueller — Fri, 12 Jun 2020 00:00:00 -0700

This paper discusses the impacts that mitigation guidelines presented by the UN and its bodies have on the energy sector within France in a variety of aspects including the impacts on business procedures, changes in revenues and changes in emissions by firms. Background on the UN-organized climate conferences (Conferences of the Parties) and agreements (Kyoto Protocol, Paris Agreement) as well as the implications and history of climate change are also included. The paper examines the historical situation of the French energy sector; two individual firms with different business strategies in the sector within France are later analyzed with respect to the timing of the different climate agreements set out by the UN and participating governments. Potential decisions of managers facing challenges in the two firms are discussed from multiple angles with following implications. France is compared to other nations and the global average in CO2 emissions in which timing with global conferences and agreements is analyzed. What the future of the planet is dependent on and who has the power to influence it is also explored.

Swiss Agricultural Trade Policy: Overview, Analysis & Implications

Ari Tsetsekas — Wed, 03 Jun 2020 00:00:00 -0700

Swiss agricultural trade policy stands-out against typically free-trade oriented Swiss policies. Switzerland, one of the wealthiest nations on earth in per-capita terms, heavily protects its domestic agricultural industry beyond levels seen in most industrialized western nations. This paper explores Swiss agricultural trade policy, its origins and implications by examining macro-economic factors, customs measures and domestic support schemes. It then analyses these factors to produce a set of implications and recommendations for firms and policy makers operating in the sector, as well as other actors who might be exposed in a second-hand manner to the implications of Swiss agricultural trade policy.

Analysis of the Role of Family Business in the Czech Republic

Annie Washington — Wed, 03 Jun 2020 00:00:00 -0700

The purpose of this research paper is to analyze the phenomenon of family businesses in the Czech Republic, including the past and current situation, and the important effects that family businesses have on the local Czech economy, as well as the EU as a whole. The history of the Czech Republic is a complex one, and the nature of communist rule in the nation hindered the growth of many sectors, family entrepreneurship included. Since 1989, there has been significant growth in this sector, which has resulted in the business landscape of the present day, with all of its current complexities and limitations, some of which include challenges this inquiry seeks to provide solutions to. Therefore, this paper will move into discussing how other countries have implemented family business policies, and how these policies compare to those of the Czech Republic. Following, will be a policy analysis portion to assess if any of these policies would ameliorate the domain of family enterprise in the Czech Republic.

Increasing Life Expectancy in Spain and the Disregarded Socioeconomic Costs

Christine Wensink — Wed, 03 Jun 2020 00:00:00 -0700

As a human population, life expectancy has continued to increase for the past century. This phenomenon is encouraging, because more time on earth allows for people to witness advancements in technology, experience changes in culture, and most importantly spend time with loved ones. However, life expectancy impacts pensions, benefits, healthcare, and retirement, which are areas that need to be addressed from a business perspective. Spain acts as a real-life example to discuss this topic, as life expectancy is predicted to reach an average of 85.8 years in 2030, surpassing Japan as the country with highest life expectancy in 2018 (Papadopoulos, 2019).

To understand what differentiates Spain and puts the nation in a position to have the highest life expectancy in the world, aspects of their unique culture and way of life will be examined. These factors help paint a picture of life in Spain. Furthermore, the challenges and socio-economic costs involved with increasing life expectancy are often overlooked, but are an important factor in forecasting, not only for individuals, but governments and businesses as well.

As a final consideration, aspects of life in Canada will be drawn for the purpose of comparison. Major factors that differentiate these countries such as diet and climate offer an explanation as to the variances in life expectancy. Some factors influencing life expectancy are out of the control of an individual, but there are elements all Canadians could learn from Spain.

How Technology and a Changing Consumer Behaviour Instigated Change in the Deutsche Post DHL Group: An Analysis on Organizational Change

Audrey Wright — Wed, 03 Jun 2020 00:00:00 -0700

This paper will depict a detailed analysis of Germany’s leading logistics company, Deutsche Post DHL Group, and their recent organizational change. Technological advances and eCommerce will be explored as an external factor influencing the company’s success and internal decision-making. This analysis will include an examination of the group’s innovative efforts to develop useful and sustainable operations in their changing industry. The paper will also include the group’s previous response to a corporate challenge. Key performance indicators, such as a Carbon Efficiency Index and EBIT, will portray the company’s progress shortly after their response and assume future performance.