International Management

Your grade would be 84/100 but you left out so many references. Instead of making you redo it, I am counting off 15 points.. 69/100 United Kingdom (UK)

History

The United Kingdom is a nation located in Europe and made of Scotland, Wales, England, and Northern Ireland. The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy (CIA, 2021). Britain was the world’s foremost power during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Still, WWI and WWII’s economic costs resulted in the decline of its empire and diminished the lead role in global matters. The United Kingdom has links with its former colonies through Commonwealth. The country joined the European Union (EU) in 1973; however, many Britons were reluctant to be accepting the membership. The United Kingdom has numerous islands. In June 2016, in a referendum on whether the United Kingdom should remain in the European Union, 52% of voters chose to leave. After negotiations, deadline extensions and agreements of Brexit were reached. (Reference) are you sure they have been reached? The WSJ had an article on this last week and it indicated that a full agreement hasn’t been reached.

The industrial revolution changed Britain and brough about an increase in economic development. The second World War resulted in the death of more than two million soldiers and national debt, followed by an era of the Great Depression caused by social unrest and hardship. During WWII, the United Kingdom bailed out by Canadian loans and Marshall Act. The post-war United Kingdom saw it changed as the great empire dissolved. Mass immigration overturned the social norms and brought about new ideas. (Reference)

Geographical Setting

The United Kingdom is made up of Northern Ireland and Great Britain. The United Kingdom landscape is varied, ranging from the Lowland fens of England to the Grampian Mountains of Scotland (European Commission, 2020). Wales and Scotland are the mountainous part of the United Kingdom. Many coastal areas are low-lying, more so in the south and east of England. The south of the United Kingdom is warmer than the north, while the east is drier than the west. The highest temperature recorded was 38.7oC in 2019, while the lowest was -27.2oC in 1995. (Reference)

Location

The mainland is between “latitudes 49oN and 59oN and longitudes 8oW to 2oE” (CIA, 2021). The country lies between the North Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean. The total area of the United Kingdom is about 245,000 km2 (CIA, 2021). The more significant part of the United Kingdom is islands, and the only land border connecting the United Kingdom to another country is between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Four seas border the United Kingdom: “to the east by the North Sea, south by the English Channel, and the west by the Irish Sea (reference).”

Climate

The climate of the United Kingdom, influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, is humid and temperature temperate, with temperature variations between summer and winter. The proximity of the ocean and high latitude means that the United Kingdom experiences strong winds. The west part of the United Kingdom experiences more rains. The wettest parts are Wales and Scotland. The temperature varies from 8.5oC to 11oC. (Reference) what about cloudiness? It is almost always cloudy there. People studying flying come to the USA to see what the ground looks like and to fly without use of a lot of instrumentation!! -1

Social Institutions

The United Kingdom social security schemes include the “National Insurance Scheme” (NHS). People enjoy these benefits by paying national insurance contributions. The NHS offers optical, medical, and dental treatment and is accessible to people who live in Northern Ireland and Great Britain. The NHS provides health care throughout the United Kingdom. The local governments develop houses throughout the United Kingdom, and under the Housing Act of 1977, the local governments are mandated to finding homes for the homeless. (Reference)

Education

Many nations recognize the United Kingdom education system around the world. The education system is divided into four parts: “primary education, secondary education, further education, and higher education (Reference).” In the United Kingdom, primary education is compulsory and free from age five to eleven. State schools funded by the government are free for citizens. Local authorities manage community schools. What happens after age 11? What about universities? -3

Political System

The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy. The queen heads the country while the prime minister heads the government. The government shares executive powers with “devolved governments of Northern Ireland Assembly, Scottish Parliament, and Welsh Assembly” (European Commission, 2020). Each of the United Kingdom assemblies or parliaments has elected political parties. The United Kingdom in London controls the political system in Britain. The parliament has two bodies: the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The members of the House of Lords are not elected; the queen appoints them. The House of Joint is made up of elected members of parliament. In the United Kingdom, elections are held after five years. The prime minister is the most influential person in the United Kingdom government and is the head of government and leader of his political party. The prime minister’s seats in the House of Commons. He chooses cabinet ministers and makes a recommendation of appointments to the monarch. The famous prime ministers of the United Kingdom are Tony Blair, Winston Churchill, and Margaret Thatcher. (References)

Race, ethnicity, and subculture

According to the 2011 census, in Wales and England, 80% of the population were white British. Asians make about 6.8% of the people, while blacks are about 3.4%. Other races found in the United Kingdom includes Arabs and Chinese. (Reference)

Religion/worship setting

The majority of the people in the United Kingdom are Christian. The churches of different denominations are Methodist, Catholic, and Protestant. Other religions are Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism (CIA, 2021). Give percentages of each! Churches have an influence on education and politics in England. -1

Migration of people

In 2019, the number of migrants in the United Kingdom was about 9.5 million. The migrants aged between 26 and 60 years. London has the largest number of immigrants among all the cities (ONS, 2021). Indians are the prominent immigrants in the United Kingdom, and nearly half of the migrants cite they go to the United Kingdom for work and family reasons.

Economy

The United Kingdom is the third biggest economy in Europe after France and Germany. The country has massive coal, oil resource, and natural gas. Agriculture is intensive and mechanized. Services such as banking, insurance, and business are the primary of economic growth. Manufacturing sectors have declined but still account for about ten percent of the economic output. In 2008, the country faced a financial crisis. The United Kingdom experienced a debt burden of 90% GDP in 2017. (Reference). The Brexit referendum further hit the economy. Depreciation of the pound increases production price without a meaning increase in production and exports. A bit short.. not ½ page -2

Total population

It is estimated that by 2020 the population of the United Kingdom was more than 66,000,000. There is slow population growth and net immigration of people in the United Kingdom. (Reference)

GDP and Per capita

GDP in the United Kingdom decreased to 2829.11 USD billion in 2019 from 2860.67 USD billion in 2018, which attributed to the financial crisis and high unemployment rate. (Reference)

Minerals and natural resources

Some of the minerals found in the United Kingdom are natural gas, coal, petroleum, gold, lead, iron ore, and gypsum. (Reference)

Primary Industries

The United Kingdom has several industries: clothing, machine tools, aircraft, food processing, motor vehicles, shipbuilding, railway equipment, and communication equipment. (Reference)

Major Exports

The principal exports from the United Kingdom in 2019 were cars, gold, packaged medicines, gas turbines, and crude petroleum. The export partners of this country are Ireland, United States, China, France, and Germany. (Reference)

Major Imports

The United Kingdom trade with Ireland, United States, China, France, and Germany import cars, refined petroleum, and cars. (Reference)

Exchange rate

The exchange rate change periodically. For example, in 2017, the exchange rate of British pounds per US dollar was 0.7836, while in 2014, it was 0.607. (Reference)

Trade restrictions/treaties

The United Kingdom has no significant trade restriction on the transfer of capital or even repatriation of profits. The few rules are attributed to the government implementation of European Union regulations. The UK is in many treaties! What are some of them? -5

Living Conditions

The United Kingdom ranks above average in health status, personal security, environmental quality, and income and wealth. However, it is below average in work-life residue. The life expectancy at birth in the United Kingdom is 81 years. The country does well in water quality as more than 90% have access to quality water (Joyce & Keiller, 2020). More than 80% of adults aged between 25 and 60 years have completed upper secondary education in the United Kingdom, thus increasing their chance of employment. The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the living conditions of many people in the United Kingdom. The ordinary income has not grown substantially in the last decade, which means the poverty level has not changed significantly. In general, people in the United Kingdom have good living conditions compared to other countries in Europe. (Reference)

Diet and Nutrition

In the United Kingdom, 40% of the population has access to a healthy and balanced diet (Mortin & Lovegrove, 2017). Nationally, there is a high intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and processed meat. Moreover, there is below-average consumption of fruits and vegetables. What other things are staples in their diets? -2

Housing

The country has high regard for quality housing. However, the cost of housing and low income creates a housing crisis for minorities. In 2018, about 300,000 people were homeless, both children and adults (Reference). Shortage of housing creates overcrowding. There are both public and private housing programs. Some homes are built for the public by local authorities. A substantial part (17%) of the population lives in the council house. Moreover, about 55% of the country’s colonial dwellings are owned by local authorities. (References… always cite numbers/stats!!)

Language: Official language

The official language is English. There are other regional recognized languages, are these are Welsh, Irish, Scots, and Cornish. (reference) what percentage of people speak these languages?

Technological Advancement – General

The country has one of the largest technology ecosystems in the world. Technology supports transport, financial services, communication, healthcare, cybersecurity, and the entertainment industry. United Kingdom tech VC investment is the 3rd in the macrocosm. (References)

Computers

Most households in the United Kingdom have computers. About 88% of the home have laptops, and this number is expected to increase by 2025. (Reference)

Robotics

In 2020, about 21,700 robots were operating in factors in the United Kingdom. However, this country lag behind other countries such as Germany and France in industrial robotics. The depressed level of automation is attributed to immigrants and high unemployment (Hardaker, 2020).

Fax and phone services

There are four companies providing phone services and mobile coverage. Each of them offers about 99% of the population in the United Kingdom using 2G, 3G, and 4G technologies. 5G coverage is also available in major cities. (Reference) what about fax ability?

Insourcing/Outsourcing Abilities

There is a high level of IT outsourcing across most job sectors in the United Kingdom. The ability to outsource in IT sectors covers application development, network service, and infrastructure. There is no supreme legislation to outsourcing in the United Kingdom. (Reference)

Environmental Pollution laws

There is a are broad numbers of environmental and pollution laws in the United Kingdom that protect air quality and control pollution. For example, the Environment Protection Act of 1974 controls waste management and emissions (LOC, 2016). Some of this is covered by treaties… -2

Transportation: General Population

The popular method of transport is the road. The road carries over 90% of the passenger. About 83% of the population use cars, taxis, and vans. Other commonly used means include railways and walking. (Reference)

Transportation: Commercial

The United Kingdom has an advanced transport network which has a national air transport system with about 460 airports. There is a pipeline for transporting liquid petroleum gas and other refined products. Railways cover 16,837km, and this eases the movement of people and reduces road congestion in major cities. The country has waterways and ports. The major seaports are Liverpool, Southampton, and Dover. (Reference)

References

CIA. (2021, May 10). United Kingdom. Retrieved from Central Intelligence Agency: https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/united-kingdom/#environment

European Commission. (2020). United Kingdom – England: Population: Demographic Situation, Languages and Religions. Retrieved from European Commission: https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-policies/eurydice/content/population-demographic-situation-languages-and-religions-93_en

Hardaker, A. (2020, Sep). Use of robots in UK factories falls behind rest of Europe. Retrieved May 26, 2021, from Business Cloud: https://businesscloud.co.uk/use-of-robots-in-uk-factories-falls-behind-rest-of-europe/

Joyce, R., & Keiller, A. N. (2020). Living standards, poverty and inequality in the UK: 2020. The Institute for Fiscal Studies. doi: 10.1920/re.ifs.2020.0170

LOC. (2016). Regulation of Air Pollution: United Kingdom. Retrieved from Library of Congress Law: https://www.loc.gov/law/help/air-pollution/uk.php

Mortin, C., & Lovegrove, J. A. (2017). Dietary intake, nutritional status and mental well-belling of homeless adults in Reading, UK. British Journal of Nutrition, 118 (9), 707 – 714.

ONS. (2021). Migration within the UK. Retrieved from Office of National Statistics: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/migrationwithintheuk