PART C – ISSUES FACING BUSINESSES THAT TRADE GLOBALLY AS (3.3) Apply business knowledge to address a complex problem in a given global business context

WASTE Businesses use resources in production, the factors of production of land, labour, capital and enterprise. Manufacturers rely on the use of land and the many different materials used in business products. In the of production goods and services some materials are wasted. Waste is any material which is no longer useful and has to be disposed of.

Waste can be classified as: O Inert O Biodegradeable O Hazardous

Waste management describes how businesses deal with waste material. For a large service business it may just involve making sure waste material is collected regularly by the local council. In a plastics factory where chemical waste is produced the material must be treated then disposed of safely. This process might use up a great deal of resources and need continuous monitoring.

Methods of dealing with Waste O Waste minimisation O Re-use O Recycling O Landfill O Composting O Design

Factors affecting waste management O Conflicting needs of stakeholders ~ Shareholders will be keen to maximise returns, which may mean spending less on waste management. However the local community may want a business to devote more resources in order to improve the environment. Employees could also be concerned about the health and safety hazards of waste. O Higher waste management costs may lead to an increase in the prices of products to consumers. This may be a problem if the business is trying to sell goods in overseas markets where foreign laws regarding waste disposal are less restrictive.

O Ethics ~ as the importance of image and social responsibility grows, businesses are likely to pay more consideration to waste management. O Local initiatives ~ many communities establish schemes which encourage businesses to adopt waste minimisation programmes. These might appeal to businesses for their good public relations value.

EXPLOITATION OF ETHNO-BOTANIC RESOURCES

Ethno-botanic resources are resources or products that are derived from plants and natural sources. How can these be exploited?

O Overuse/plundering O Genetic modification O Use of non-sustainable practices O Poisoning and the use of toxic materials O Excess use of materials within production O Damage to existing natural habitats affecting other wildlife, resources and eco-systems O Lack of respect for laws, boundaries, licences etc O Non-adherence to the tikanga of the tangata whenua

The following large businesses are commited to the protection of ethno- botanical resources. SEALORD FISHERIES

O Anti-plundering O Adhere to Quota Management System set up by NZ government O Use sustainable farming methods O Has the philosophy: “carefully monitor health of fisheries and act sustainably’ O Work to fullest extent of the law O Less C02 used than land-based farming methods O Active approach to sustainability O Work with scientists to monitor fish stocks O Fishing industry invests $20m into research on sustainable practices

THE BODY SHOP

O Committed to reducing their impact on the environment O Try to find innovative solutions to environmental problems O Use green energy and have policies on reducing energy use O Publish their performance against their own targets regularly (ethical audits) and engage with stakeholders O Clear communication (transparency) with stakeholders O 500 stores fun on green energy O Have schemes to create/maintain resources that support eco-systems, e.g. beehives O Try to source all wood products from sustainably grown forests

BREACH OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AGREEMENTS

In today’s highly-globalised society, operating in offshore markets is almost a necessity in order to grow a business. Protecting intellectual property (IP) is one of the key issues faced by a New Zealand business seeking to expand overseas. There are perceived dangers in releasing IP into other markets, but these dangers can be offset by the use of appropriate IP safeguards. Some of these safeguards are as follows.

O Original Works Original creations are automatically protected by copyright, which grants exclusive protection to the owner of the copyright. All original works should be marked with the copyright symbol ©, the name of the copyright owner and the year that the work was created. In New Zealand, there is no copyright registration system. However, some overseas jurisdictions allow registration of copyright ownership.

O Branding Trade marks protect branding ~ symbols, marks, brands or logos used to distinguish goods or services. A registered trade mark gives the holder the exclusive right to use that trade mark in relation to specified goods and/or services. Registration of a company generally does not grant the registrant any IP rights in the company name, and does not constitute registration of a trade mark. Businesses should plan to register their trade mark in each market that they plan to enter. A failure to do so could result in a business being unable to use its own brand name in key offshore markets!

O Confidentiality agreements In order to engage with other parties in overseas markets, businesses will inevitably be required to disclose confidential and/or commercially sensitive information. This information must be protected from unauthorised use or disclosure. In the absence of any agreement between the parties, common law obligations of confidentiality will apply in commonwealth countries and most developed countries. The best approach for ensuring that confidential information is legally protected is to have the recipient sign a confidentiality agreement and ensure that the confidentiality agreement is not superseded by any subsequent contracts with the recipient.

CYBER CRIME

New Zealand enterprises now face a real threat to their reputations, profits and futures – cyber crime. This country - previously considered a relatively safe haven - has seen an unprecedented rise in the number of crimes committed using computers and the internet.

Well-planned and co-ordinated attacks have embarrassed governments and a range of companies from financial institutions to defence contractors and large corporations. High-profile security breaches have alerted New Zealand business leaders to the issues, and with growing computer awareness and dependency they're finally connecting risk to their reliance on technology.

While the rapid change in technology is making it difficult for organisations to keep pace, in reality the technology is the least of the challenge. The primary issue for under-attack organisations is figuring out how technology can affect business risk profiles, such as damage to reputation or revenue. Measuring and quantifying loss after an attack, or simply tracking what has been compromised, is a long and costly exercise - assuming an organisation even notices a security breach.