Introduction
Religious ethics, as applied to economics and business, dates back to the thirteenth century. Subsequent developments in this area have resulted in the intertwining of Christian faith and reason. This situation has given rise to a plethora of principles, guidelines, and criteria for action and a set of virtues that underpin different business aspects. With over 2000 thousand years of history, believers in the Christian doctrine have integrated various religious ethics and spirituality into organizational leadership. Globalization, on the other hand, has resulted in the expansive production of products that have increased the pollution levels in leading manufacturing countries. This research paper focuses on providing a philosophical understanding of globalization and its role in creating opportunities for faith expression in China. Manufacturing and export opportunities that are available in this country have been thrown down the gauntlet by a challenging economic environment characterized by increased levels of pollution.
Product: Clean Air Solutions, Inc. Room Filter
Clean Air Solutions Inc. is a technology company based in Northern Carolina that manufactures innovative products such as air filters to help in controlling air pollution. The super-efficient in-room multi-sensor air purifier would be beneficial for China. The Clean Air Solutions (CAS) product is suitable for countries with high production companies, such as China and India, where pollution has surpassed unacceptable levels (Rohde & Muller, 2015). In the last three decades, China has experienced enormous growth and integration of international businesses in its market structure. The domestic environment relies on the prevailing laws and policies laid by the Chinese government, while the business climate of foreign investments depends on interrelated forces, including cultural and religious diversity.
Several compelling reasons underpin the marketing of a CAS in China. At the outset, a first-rate, cost-effective air purifier is needed to ensure a cleaner environment with a view of improving health and prolonging the lives of people around the world (Peng, 2016). The demographics of the target audience would be the middle and low-class population living in highly polluted areas in China. Another reason for expanding this business is to increase sales and profits (Suzuki & Okamuro, 2017). Newmarket entry and fast-growing markets in this region favor the production, sale, and use of affordable in-house air purifiers.
The plan is to establish a production plant in China, where the cost of labor and carrying out other business activities is deemed cheap. Research and Development (R&D) has received international authorization to license, produce, and distribute this HEPA-approved air purifier. Marketing of the product will include in-home demonstrations aimed at remote and marginalized rural areas. However, there is a need to work with the government to ensure subsidized prices for the pollution control devices to ensure affordability.
Challenges, Issues, and Opportunities
Expanding businesses to an international level is met with various challenges and issues. The availability of limited opportunities for business development is one of the primary reasons for compelling individuals to venture into foreign markets (Golebiewski, 2014). On the other hand, industrialized nations, such as China, Japan, Australia, South Korea, New Zealand, and Western Europe, possess a convenient climate for private entrepreneurship and consumer orientation. The business environments of such countries feature high literacy rates, state-of-the-art business-oriented technology models, and high per capita incomes.
Another challenge of globalism is the variation of business practices that are regarded as ethical in such areas as labor, corruption, regulatory compliance, product safety, and environmental stewardship. These factors have continued to dramatically influence the success or failure of international players (Golebiewski, 2014). For instance, Nike has been variously criticized for abusing low-wage laborers in its sweatshops around the globe, which damaged its reputation.
Hurdles related to organizational structure limit the efficient incorporation of business strategies into new regions within the value chain and corporate framework. The global expansion calls for substantial initial capital investment in most cases (Golebiewski, 2014). The need to develop specific strategic business units for managing operations is also inevitable. Therefore, organizations entering foreign markets face challenges in capturing value, which is an important initiative for global businesses.
Current Challenges Faced by International Expansion in China
One of the current challenges in choosing China as a potential expansion market is cultural and religious differences. People in this country blend modernity and traditional practices, which exposes foreign investors to an unfavorable environment for investment. The nation does not provide a suitable business climate for outside organizations (Golebiewski, 2014). Furthermore, leaders with exotic Christian views on organizational ethics often clash with the Chinese community because this part of the world is believed to focus on scientific approaches to reality rather than religious faith (Brody, 2015). Indeed, Christian business leaders have, in the past, tried to sojourn hate speech and spread the gospel of inclusivity. However, working in a country where the population of non-believers surpasses that of believers almost nine times can result in loneliness amongst Christian leaders due to the unlikeliness of supporting their religious business views.
Biblical Perspective
The Bible provides a reasonable explanation for globalization with Jesus’s instruction to everyone. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20, NKJV). The implication of this verse is to witness people, nations, and corporations across transnational borders with the ultimate plan for reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ, who is deemed as the Lord and Savior in the Christian community.
The mission of the Christian doctrine is to increase the number of souls saved, just as businesses survive on constant growth, but “God is the provider of all increase” (1 Corinthians 3:5-6). People, nations, or corporations should not glorify themselves but rather exalt Him, for “he who glories, let him glory in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:31, NKJV). Jesus was proud of His Father’s business as a young boy, “And He said to them, why did you seek me? Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49, NKJV). Jesus, as revealed in the Christian faith, is the redeemer and reconciler of people. His aim for humankind is that of redemption and reconciliation. The spread of Christianity and its integration into international expansion will eventually bring buyers and sellers together without any geographical borders and limitless boundaries. For instance, disregarding religious differences and working together as God’s people, the Clean Air Solutions (CAS) systems can be marketed and sold effectively in China.
Personal Position on International Expansion
My philosophy on international expansion is based on a bipartisan approach towards creating a permanent solution to global business challenges. Although there is no quick fix for issues faced by the countries, providing a favorable climate in which people and organizations can thrive and prosper will lead to an improved global economy. Many people hold the view that globalization is a mere influence of Western ideologies on other nations (McFarlane, n.d.). It is undeniable that developed countries control many international business activities by using their powerful economic tools to manipulate foreign markets, especially in developing and emerging economies. Some unrelenting nations, such as China, have defied such tactics for a long time, limiting foreign investments and the influence of Western culture in its communist state (McFarlane, n.d.). Along these lines, I stand with the proposition that American effects are widespread in the world today.
International expansion is a healthy practice for both state and international players. However, this tendency dates back to the period when the Roman Empire dominated the world. Many of the renowned Western ideologies and Christian beliefs emerged from the Roman Realm (Werner & Sun, 2015). During this time, globalization was a way in which the Romans pushed their influence on others in various regions outside of Rome. At this time, Constantine was in power, and some historians hold him mainly responsible for making Christianity a powerful globalization tool. Today, the Christian community has made efforts to convince the world that prayers can drive businesses.
Conclusion
International expansion has turned the world into a smaller place where people can conduct businesses across international boundaries. Nonetheless, there are still many challenges that modern companies encounter while transacting on a global scale. Religion and culture have been significant players in this area, as Christian leaders face solitude and complexity in rapidly changing and information-saturated countries, such as China. Religious views on leadership have continued to create chaos in organizations driven by scientific approaches. However, it is crucial to realize the importance of integration and diversity inclusion in organizational leadership to develop global businesses whose powers to surpass religious and cultural boundaries are limitless.
References
Brody, D. (2015). Christian business owners under attack in Indiana. CBN. Web.
Golebiewski, D. (2014). Religion and globalization: new possibilities, furthering challenges. E-International Relations, Forthcoming. 1-11. Web.
McFarlane, S. (n.d). Six ways to get involved in the ‘business as missions’ movement. CBN. Web.
Peng, M. W. (2016). Global business (4th ed.). Cengage learning.
Rohde, R. A., & Muller, R. A. (2015). Air pollution in China: mapping of concentrations and sources. PloS one, 10(8), e0135749.
Suzuki, S., & Okamuro, H. (2017). Determinants of academic startups’ orientation toward international business expansion. Administrative Sciences, 7(1), 1.
Werner, D., & Sun, X. P. (2015). Christianity in China. The Ecumenical Review, 67(1), 1-6.