Discussion: Business Formation and Employment

Assignment Instructions

Before responding to the questions below, review the general Discussion Assignment Instructions, Thread Grading Rubric, and Replies Grading Rubric. Note requirements of including length, at least 3 scholarly sources (other than the textbook and course materials), current APA citations, and Biblical worldview integration.

Facts:

Shania Jackson is a mature Christian thinking of opening a Christian coffeehouse near Denver, Colorado. Her husband, Marvin, is open to making a contribution of capital to the business, but he has no interest in participating in its day-to-day operations or management.

Shania’s sister, Kelsey, is a new Christian who has told Shania that she’s been looking for an excuse to get out of the house and would love to be a part of the business. Kelsey’s husband, a non-Christian, opposes his wife’s involvement and has told her that he wants her to remain a stay-at-home mom to their 2 children.

Shania’s neighbor, Carlos, is a non-Christian who has also expressed an interest in participating in the business as a way to earn extra income. Carlos thinks the “Christian thing” has potential with all the big churches in the area, including a Mormon temple and a large Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Shania has considered organizing her business as a sole proprietorship, a partnership of some sort, a small corporation, an LLC, or even a joint venture. She is thinking of calling the business “The Gathering Place.”

Thread Prompt:

Advise Shania on the following decisions:

1. Which of the business entities under consideration best accomplishes her business goals? Thoroughly explain the reasons for your recommendation.
2. Perform a corporate name search at this website to determine if the name Shania is considering is available for use in the State of Colorado. Also assess whether the name is available as a trademark. Even if the name is available, advise Shania on whether it is a good choice. Thoroughly explain the reasons for your recommendations.
3. Advise Shania on which of the interested persons she should include in her business, in what role(s), and why. Your analysis must include Biblical perspectives, such as Biblical considerations of marriage, and business relationships with non-believers. Thoroughly explain the reasons for your recommendations.

Reply Prompt:

In preparing your replies, consider only the personnel issues in question 3 of the initial thread. Reply to the threads of 2 classmates who reached a different conclusion than you did regarding the involvement of Marvin, Kelsey, and Carlos. Identify the points of difference in your analyses and explain how your application of the relevant law (man’s or God’s) to the facts of this situation led you to a different conclusion.

Then, assume that Shania opened her coffeehouse and became so successful that she now has 20 employees and needs to promote 1 of them to be the night shift supervisor. The employee base is quite diverse and Shania believes she should promote a racial or ethnic minority employee to demonstrate how inclusive her business has become. Explore the legal, Biblical, and ethical issues if Shania makes her promotion decision entirely on that basis. What are her options?

Both of your replies should address the promotion question.