Colombina in puerto rico

Study of a Colombian International Business

1. Introduction

COLOMBINA S.A. was one of the forerunners of exporting products with aggregate value in Colombia. We have been exporting for 45 years and today we are one of the 15 top exporters in the country.
 Currently exports its products to over 45 countries including the United States, Central America, the Caribbean, Australia, Spain andEngland among others. Over the past few years, the Company has entered the markets of South Africa, Denmark, Portugal, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Fiji Islands and China, countries where it has great expectations for growth. This wide portfolio of sensations and emotions reaches over 421.000 clients throughout the world, which means that millions of people of all ages, races and cultures enjoythe flavor of life, with the infinite flavor of Colombina.
(Colombina.com, 2011)

2. Target national business environment (Puerto Rico)

3.1. Social issues

Culture:

* Education: Compared to other counties, Puerto Rico is ranked sixth in the world for the most students attending some form of tertiary education. The literacy level of school-going students is about 90%.However, there are still not enough schools and educational facilities to provide all school-going children with the same form of education. Puerto Rico has over 1500 public schools and over 500 private schools. They also have a number of Colleges and Universities. This includes the American University of Puerto Rico, Catholic University, Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico, Universidad DelTuraboand the Ponce School of Medicine. There are a number of schools that teach mainly in the English language, such as St. John's, Baldwin, Wesleyan, Robinson, Cupeyville and Parkville.
(Puertorico.com, 2011)

* Religion: Puerto Rico is an island that's constitution allows all adherents to practice their faith freely with no fear of interference. This has helped to make Puerto Rico aninter-confessional country. There are many religions on the island, but the two main religions in Puerto Rico which are practiced are the Catholic faith, which holds the majority with 85% of the population, and the Protestant faith, which is followed by only about 8% of the people.
(Puertorico.com, 2011)

* Language: Spanish and English are the official languages, but Spanish is without a doubt thedominant language. English is spoken by about 1/4 of the population-with limited capabilities. English is required in all federal matters. English is spoken in all major tourist areas (%80 Spanish, %20 other).
(topuertorico.org, 2011)

* Customs and manners: Though many Puerto Ricans have spent time in the US, most retain a more Latin American sense of customs and etiquette. Puerto Ricansare generally very polite and friendly to travelers who treat them with similar respect. Most go out of their way to welcome foreigners.The common greetings in Puerto Rico are buenos días (good morning; used anytime before lunch), buenas tardes (good afternoon; before dinner), and buenas noches (good night; after dinner). It is polite to begin every conversation, in a personal or professionalsetting, with these phrases.
(letsgo.com, 2011)

Demographics:

* Population: After four hundred years of Spanish rule and more than one hundred years as an American territory, Puerto Ricans ethnically and culturally blend Spanish, Taíno, African, and American influences. About 3.9 million people live in Puerto Rico. Natural-born residents are U.S. citizens. The map below highlights severalof the island’s major cities, which have the following populations:

San Juan: 424,951, Ponce: 180,376, Caguas: 142,984, Mayagüez: 93,730, Trujillo Alto: 85,682, Humacao: 60,681.
(indexmundi.com, 2011)

* Age structure:

0-14 years: 19.8% (male 402,473/female 384,655)
15-64 years: 66.1% (male 1,260,191/female 1,361,359)
65 years and over: 14.1% (male 239,957/female 317,578) (2010...