Please read the case study given and answer the questions accordingly below.

Natural Weigh Ltd., owned by Chloe and Robin Masefield, is the first zero waste shop in Wales, providing shoppers with an alternative to plastic packaging when doing their regular shopping.

Natural Weigh offers a flexible and environmentally friendly concept whereby customers simply fill their own containers with as much of what they want and pay for it by the weight. All of Natural Weighs stock is organic and additive-free to help people lead a healthier lifestyle while supporting a healthier planet.

What they did

With backgrounds in marine science and environmental policy respectively, Robin and Chloe set up Natural Weigh as a response to the ever-growing problem with plastic packaging in everyday life: Plastic waste is one of the biggest threats to wildlife and our natural environment, not to mention the health concerns. Plastic packaging costs money and resources to manufacture in addition to the costs incurred by local authorities to collect and send it to landfill. But it is our natural environment that pays the ultimate cost, with plastic smothering our wildlife and choking our seas.

The grocery retail sector is the largest source of plastic packaging. There are very few shops where customers can choose to refill containers or use compostable alternatives to plastic.

This is all beginning to change, and Natural Weigh aims to offer an alternative our purpose is to provide customers a chance to choose a plastic-free option when doing their regular shop. We sell organic, additive-free food from hoppers straight to your own containers, enabling people to live a more sustainable life. After all, theres no Planet B.

We are not business people or retail experts but have a passion for our natural world and want to make a difference. Having both worked in the environment sector for many years, we have seen first-hand the pervasive nature of plastic pollution. We believe it should be easy for consumers to shop sustainably and that everyday choices make a difference.

Natural Weigh were recently visited by HRH The Prince of Wales which received wide media coverage. In addition, the shop is set within the Corn Exchange complex in Crickhowell, saved by the local community who raised funds for the conversion of the former pub into local, independent shops and accommodation, rather than the planned national supermarket chain: This remarkable story of the local community coming together to make a difference is one of the reasons we chose to open Natural Weigh here, and we are fortunate to have secured one of the shops in the Corn Exchange. We are delighted to be part of this town, contributing to keeping the high street alive.

What would they do differently?

Ask for help earlier. We did a lot of research on our own before opening and didnt really commit to getting any outside advice (apart from family members) until the business was already pretty much underway. It would have been great to have been able to do some of the Business Wales training courses when we had a bit more time. Chloe Masefield, Owner

Their proudest moment in business

To be honest, we are motivated by our customers. Every day we have people who come in and are impressed by the concept and the set up in the shop. I think though that it is our regular customers who really make it worthwhile people we see week after week, who enjoy the products we sell and who are committed to reducing single-use plastics. These people make everything we do worthwhile and are a huge boost to us whenever we need a bit of motivation, and we are proud of the changes we have enabled them to make.

Following the help provided by the Welsh Governments flagship business support service, Natural Weigh are now in the process of recruiting 2 new employees.

There are some of their information below;

Clean Energy

All the energy in the shop is provided by Ecotricity which generates all its power from the wind and the sun, and invests profits back into clean energy developments.

Local, Welsh & UK friends

We support UK based, ethical businesses and try to source as much of our stock locally as possible. All of our suppliers are UK based and we support 7 separate independent businesses within Wales, as well as several across the UK. We aim to keep the miles travelled by our stock to a minimum, reducing food miles & carbon emissions. Of course, for many of our products this is difficult to do, as we are a little short of rice paddies here in the UK. However, if we can get British, we will!

Establishing a factory or business abroad is a huge investment that can't be reversed. These businesses are required to have a long-term view towards such establishments. Research shows that the availability of skilled labor, cultural amenities, good transportation links and a skilled workforce are all significant factors.

Standards are becoming different. The UK is part of an international and European system and will continue to be so after Brexit, enabling UK experts to influence the content of those standards.

Foreign Investment is important to the UK, and the UK continues to lead Europe in terms of attracting foreign investment. There are many reasons why Multinationals and International businesses prefer the UK as an investment destination.

The tax system of the UK is simple. Corporations are taxed 28 percent on profits over 1.5 million GBP while small companies pay tax at a rate of 21 percent on profits up to 300,000 GBP. Small companies are given marginal tax benefits on profits ranging from 300,001-1,500,000 GB

Foreign Trade Zones/Free Ports: The freight shipment points and cargo ports at Liverpool, Prestwick, Sheerness, Southampton, and Tilbury are considered as Trade free zones. These trade free zones provide additional advantages to EU companies in comparison to US or non-EU firms.

Questions:

1. The United Kingdom is a culture in which communication is explicit and there is very little reliance of non-verbal communication. According to given British culture statement above, which type of cultural foundation is explained? (5 pts)

a) What are the country-specific disadvantages in United Kingdom to be utilized by Natural Weigh? (5 pts)

2. b) Please, also explain in terms of Porters Diamond of National Advantage (labor skills, demand for product, suppliers, and competitors in a county). (5 pts)
3. There are main forces/drivers that motivated Hwang to expand the company into UK. Explain the Natural Weighs government drivers (globalization drivers) according to given case. (5 pts)