(1) Every business requires finances in order to continue operating, make new investments, and expand its operations, or carry out any other activities in which it may have an interest. Many are the times when resources are not readily available and, businesses resort to borrowing in order to finance these activities.
Different banks and financial institutions provide varying loan services to their clients/borrowers. The American Bank (n.d) has various financing options, and they are tailored to suit the different needs of the borrowers.
The bank offers what it calls ‘term loans’ to businesses that intend to borrow for purposes of acquiring business equipment, real estate, or meet any other needs of the business (The American Bank, n.d). This type of financing targets big businesses and, repayment is on long term basis. It also has construction loans that are offered to businesses wishing to expand their operations.
This product is available to small, medium sized and big businesses for purposes of construction. The Small Business Administration loan service targets small businesses, both new and ones that are established. It requires a significantly smaller amount of money as down payment, has attractive interest rates and the repayment period is longer as compared to other loans (The American Bank, n.d).
(2) When the Walt Disney Company decided to enter the Chinese entertainment market, it encountered numerous challenges. Overcoming the cultural barrier was one of them (Nickels, McHugh, & McHugh, 2010). The company was concerned that the Chinese would not readily embrace something that was so ‘American’. The company also faced a language problem. Concerns were raised about the possibility of rejection by locals, since they had not been exposed to Walt Disney before, and they also spoke a different language.
The company made several decisions in order to overcome these challenges. It hired locals to work on the project, since they knew the local culture, language and they also knew what the Chinese liked and disliked. They were well versed with the tastes of local people and their advice on certain decisions was invaluable. This decision was also made for financial reasons. The company realized that Chinese labor was cheaper than American labor, and, therefore, the project would cost much less if the Chinese were hired (Nickels et al., 2010).
(3) Scientific advancements in the Information Technology field have had significant effects on the work environment. These effects range from the way people communicate, interact, and even carry out their duties. Most of the functions have become digitalized, and computer knowledge has become essential for one to work efficiently in this age (Lau, Wong, Chan, and Law, 2011). Communication in the business world has probably been the biggest casualty, and it has changed tremendously.
Businesses have moved away from written communication when necessity does not demand it, and phone calls, emails and text messages are now the preferred modes of communication. The reason for this is the high speed with which the information is relayed and responses received. Information technology has made it possible for people to attend meetings without being physically present, through the use of video conferencing technology (Lau, Wong, Chan, and Law, 2011).
Many individuals are able to work from home, and be able to perform their duties as if they were present at the work place. Video calls and emails are often used to link employees to their offices, and they can work even when travelling. These are just some of the changes that developments in Information Technology have brought to the work place and the way people work.
References
Lau, T., Wong Y.H., Chan K.F., & Law, M. (2011). Information Technology and the Work
Environment-Does IT Change the Way People Interact at Work? Human Systems Management Journal, 20(3), 65-93. Retrieved from https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/ios-press/information-technology-and-the-work-environment-does-it-change-the-way-dEdGbyeOpI
Nickels, W., McHugh, J., & McHugh, S. (2010). Understanding Business. London: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
The American Bank. (n.d). Leap Forward With an American Bank Term Loan. Retrieved from https://www.americanbank.com/business-loans