Decisions in Paradise, Part 1

DECISIONS IN PARADISE, PART 1

Decisions in Paradise, Part 1

Denice Adams

MGT350 Critical Thinking: Strategies in Decision Making

Raquishela Stewart

University of Phoenix

January 17, 2011

The south pacific island of Kava has the potential to be a true paradise, what island in the south pacific does not have this potential? Recently a span of natural disasters has left the island devoid of its pride and resilience. The diverse population of Kava is young; approximately half the population is age 15 years or younger. The culture of Kava is composed of indigenous South Pacific tribes, Asian, African, French Spanish and Americans; each with their own religions and languages. The inexpensive, quality labor on Kava produces petroleum, coffee, cocoa, spices, bananas, sugar, fishing, natural gas as well as tourism. However, the production and exportation of these resources is fraught with difficulties arising from the numerous threats of both natural and manmade disasters. As with many south pacific islands, Kava has threats of tsunamis, typhoons and hurricanes, tornados, floods during the stormy season, and earthquakes, volcanic eruptions anytime, and fires during the hot months of summer. Disasters from human activities include petroleum spills, terrorism, and illnesses such as avian flu and HIV and AIDS. Alex, the director of strategic planning, and myself, Nik, have the challenge of overcoming these issues to expand WinCo Foods, retail Grocery Company, in Kava.

Problem formation at this stage is fundamental to the success of any analysis for a few reasons; the problems are ill-defined and complex involving many dimensions making assessment difficult (NATO, 2000). Problem formation in Kava is an iterative process that will evolve over time. To identify the context of these issues, Nik and Alex will need to include the geopolitical forces affecting the island; political, social, historical, economic, and geographic environments (NATO, 2000). To ensure the...