Decisions In Paradise

An international freight forwarder such as Nippon Express achieves success by engaging in opportunities to expand the business and acquire market share. These opportunities come in various methods, and in various settings. Nippon Express has set out to establish a new and important branch on the island of Kava, in the South Pacific. Our founder Chris Morales has stated our mission involves not only offering international shipping services, but to also act as a beacon for the opportunity that business can offer to society if run for the right reasons. Ultimately, Nippon Express' presence in Kava could support the growth of Kava's industries and provide a foundation for Kava's national infrastructure, which could stabilize a potentially booming economy. I will outline in this analysis the problems facing Nippon Express in accomplishing this goal.

Kava's Economy

Kava is an island rich in natural resources. The island has the potential to become a key exporter of coffee, cocoa, spices, bananas, and sugar. By utilizing the year-round ability to grow and harvest these crops, Kava's economy stands to gain significantly. In addition, Kava also has a large amount of petroleum and natural gas, which is a key export. Fishing is also a large part of the local and international economy. An abundant supply of inexpensive, quality labor on the island keeps the cost of using these resources down. Nippon Express could play a significant role in a more comprehensive use of these resources to strengthen Kava's international trade and its local economy.

Kava's People

The ethnicity of the island is a melting pot of indigenous, African, French, Spanish, and American people. The variety of ethnic backgrounds creates an issue with the accepted spoken language of the country, making communication problematic. These elements create problems for this business initiative because they create obstacles in running an efficient and effective operation. The various cultural and religious backgrounds of the island's inhabitants open up the possibility division in the workplace--which includes acts of terrorism--that make creating positive work and social environments difficult. 50% of Kava's population is also under the age of 15, so a strong need for quality educational services exists as well. The language barriers also make unifying a large organization, and a country as a whole, very difficult to accomplish.

Kava's Disasters

Kava sees its share of natural disasters. I witnessed these disasters upon my arrival. The island consistently experiences tsunamis, typhoons, tornadoes, flooding, volcanoes, earthquakes, and disease. The island also experiences other disasters such as fires and other man-made disasters like petroleum spills.

These elements create huge obstacles to overcome as most of them are out of human control, and they are devastating when trying to build