Instructions: The student will complete 8 Discussions in this course. The student will post one thread of a
minimum of 250 words by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Thursday of the assigned Module: Week. The
student must then post 2 replies of at least 150 words by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Monday of the
assigned Module: Week. For each thread (excluding the Biblical Integration Discussions),
students must support their assertions with at least 3 annotated scholarly citations in APA format.
Any sources cited must have been published within the last five years. Acceptable sources
include the International section of any reputable website that focuses on international business,
such as Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, or the Economist. Another good source of
information is EBSCOhost, accessible through Liberty’s online library.
DB#1
E-commerce is the electronically buying or selling products. As Satterlee (2018) states “Advances in technology, particularly in regards to the World Wide Web, allow all sizes of organizations to compete in the global economy” (p. 197). Whether a business is small, large, just starting out, etc. there are ways that people can earn e-commerce. This helps give access to a way or buying and selling around the world without having to move a business around the world. During the pandemic e-commerce had become necessary. Inci (2021) states “Many businesses had to close their physical storefronts and put employees on furlough for their safety” (p.1). Having the ability to sell online saved many businesses during the pandemic especially businesses just starting out. It also helped people to buy things without having to leave their homes. Young (2022) states that the total jump in ecommerce for 2021 due to the pandemic was 14.2%. Which was even less that 2020 when the pandemic had first started to keep people home where they saw a 31.8% jump in ecommerce. This seems like it would be great for all businesses however, it does come with its challenges for small businesses. Haimerl (2021) states “For small businesses, he said, the benefit was wildly uneven. There were winner sectors, such as grocery, health and fitness, and direct-to-consumer brands, but apparel boutiques and other specialty retailers — especially those without existing e-commerce platforms — struggled” (p. 9). The pandemic helped many places that were essential but even ecommerce couldn’t save some businesses that many people felt were unnecessary while in quarantine.
References:
Haimerl, A. (2021). When You’re a Small Business, E-Commerce Is Tougher Than It Looks. The New York Times. Retrieved April 25, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/07/business/small-business-e-commerce.html.
Inci, D. (2021). The State Of The E-Commerce Industry In 2021. Forbes. Retrieved April 25, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2021/03/22/the-state-of-the-e-commerce-industry-in-2021/?sh=5a89c8ea4b2a.
Satterlee, B. C. (2018). International Business with Biblical Worldview.
Young, J. (2022). US ecommerce grows 14.2% in 2021. Digital Commerce 360. Retrieved April 25, 2022, from https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/article/us-ecommerce-sales/.
DB#2
Definition
Turnkey projects are described as a mode for foreign market entry. International Business with Biblical Worldview says, “In a Turnkey project “one client company contracts another company to build and deliver a ready to operate industrial plant or infrastructure facility, such as a power plant, a highway or a port. In such cases, the client can be a government agency.”” (Satterlee, 2018, p. 205).
Summary
In the chosen article, the authors review the first U.S. turnkey export project which is a nuclear power plant in Spain. They describe that this turnkey project, the Zorita, paved the way for further growth in the nuclear sector for both U.S. and Spanish firms (De la Torre & del Mar Rubio-Varas, 2018). Additionally, in a second article, De la Torre et al. says, “Focusing on the so-called ‘first-generation’ plants (the Zorita, Garoña and Vandellós I plants), one common feature is that all three were developed under ‘turnkey’ project contracts.” (2020). The use of turnkey projects has been vital for the nuclear sector and seems to be a prominent feature across different plants in Spain. According to these authors, turnkey contracts were beneficial to this sector and they saw more of the advantages that Satterlee discusses like creation of infrastructure in developing countries and all responsibility being assumed by the contractor (2018, p. 205).
Biblical Integration
From a biblical worldview, I believe that the benefits of turnkey projects such as helping in the development of developing countries is something that aligns well with the Bible. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” (ESV). Helping other countries to become successful and develop beyond poverty is encouraging and building each other up. Acts 20:35 says, “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (ESV).
References
De la Torre, J., & del Mar Rubio-Varas, M. (2018). Learning by doing: The first spanish nuclear plant. Business History Review, 92(1), 29-55. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007680518000053
De la Torre, J., Rubio-Varas, M., Sánchez-Sánchez, E. M., & Sanz Lafuente, G. (2020). Nuclear engineering and technology transfer: The spanish strategies to deal with US, french and german nuclear manufacturers, 1955–1985. Business History, , 1-25. https://doi.org/10.1080/00076791.2020.1810239
Liberty University Custom: Satterlee, B. (2018). International Business with Biblical Worldview (Custom ed.). McGraw-Hill Custom.