Kava: Decisions in Paradise, Essay Example

The assignment provided by Alex was a great opportunity to learn about my new company. As I continued to discover the unique characteristics of Kava and my corporation, I discovered that Wesco International Inc. is well positioned to take advantage of the business opportunities that are present. The following are my determinations and recommendations for expansion of our business model within this international location.

Kava is struggling with the recent disasters that have befallen their country, most  notably the impact of Tropical Cyclone Yasi. This cyclone triggered extensive flooding in key towns and districts as a result of storm surge. There has also been an outbreak of disease and additional concern of the potential for an avian flu epidemic that could coincide with this event. All of these disasters have caused severe damage and strain to the island’s infrastructure, which in its present state would also prohibit an aggressive expansion plan for our company.

Infrastructure improvement is the first priority in our expansion plan. As a diversified manufacturing firm that services a variety of international markets, Westco International is well positioned to provide expertise in construction and industrial development, particularly as it relates to utilities (Broadbent & Weill, 1997) This is doubtlessly a major reason why the government of Kava is so eager to see us expand as they are likely well aware of our reputation and extensive experience working with governmental agencies all over the world. Kava is currently overwhelmed with their current status dealing with disasters, but their ample resources have supplied them with the funding necessary to provide necessary governmental contracts to rebuild their infrastructure. Through partnership, we will be expanding our business in Kava exponentially while also laying the groundwork that is necessary for further business expansion in the future.

A concurrent endeavor which we will need to implement involves the need to establish community ties that will incorporate our company culture into island society, as this is necessary to address the government’s request, but also important to our own corporate tradition of giving back to the communities where we reside. To this end, we will be reaching out to local businesses, faith based groups and other not-for-profit organizations to incorporate them into our strategic infrastructure improvement plans once we secure government contracts. Through collaboration and partnership, we will also be educating these leaders of Kava society about our company vision and culture.

A third recommendation focuses on the need to lay proper groundwork for future business expansion. As we endear ourselves to the Government of Kava through our profitable efforts to help them rebuild, we will also be creating close ties with community leaders in business, religion and services. Given Kava’s vast natural resources such as petroleum, natural gas, premium food exports and fishing industry, our company will have a multitude of options to explore should we decide to diversify and start a new business segment for Westco International.

As Kava is prone to natural disasters, we also know that we will be called upon again in the future to provide rebuilding of infrastructure, which will provide ongoing need for funding in the way of government contracts. As damaging as Cyclone Yasi was, it pales in comparison to other infamous storms such as Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar, which affected 2.4 million  people and included a storm surge of twelve feet (Welch, 2010.) Our company will need to prepare and plan for storms such as this in order to effectively service the needs of Kava when such a storm occurs.

This concludes my recommendations for business expansion in Kava, and I look forward to receiving your input.

References

Broadbent, M. & Weill, P. (1997, April 15). Management by Maxim. M.I.T. Sloan Management Review. Retrieved from http://sloanreview.mit.edu/the-magazine/1997-spring/3836/management-by-maxim-how-business-and-it-managers-can-create-it-infrastructures/

Welch, J. (2010). Myanmar Cyclone Nargis Disaster 2008. MCEER Information Service. Retrieved from http://mceer.buffalo.edu/infoservice/disasters/burma_cyclone.asp