ItIM

Itim

Itim


R. B.
Diese Lernkarten bieten einen grundlegenden Überblick über internationale Managementstrategien und deren Umsetzung in der Unternehmenspraxis. Sie behandeln zentrale Konzepte wie internationale Strategien, Koordinationsmechanismen und innovative Organisationsformen, wobei der Fokus auf der Anwendung in multinationalen Unternehmen liegt. Besonders nützlich sind sie für Studierende und Berufseinsteiger in der Betriebswirtschaftslehre, die sich mit internationalen Geschäftsstrategien und deren praktischer Umsetzung vertraut machen möchten.
Flashcards
179
Students
1
Language
German
Category
Micro-Economics
Created / Updated
26.07.2013 / 26.07.2013

Flashcards

What are management challenges of international business?

Cross-border activities go along with

- knowledge and skill problems (techniques, language, law)

-behavioural problems (culture)

-coordination problems (limited rationality)

Define international management!

-formulation of strategies

-design of management systems

-implementation of management tools

in order to:

-deal with different national contexts and challenges in an integrative way

-take advantage of international opportunities

-respond to international threats

Define international company/corporation!

-any company that engages in business functions (mainly downstream activities)

-beyond its domestic borders

-on a regularly and not neglectable basis (strategic importance)

-> qualitative concept

-large and small companies

-differs from MNCs that are based on FDI

Patterns of International Business

 

Why is IM important for companies?

-to seek global opportunities

-to keep an eye on global competition

-to react on competitors

What are practical motives for "Internationalization"?

-additional sales

-cost advantages

-demand for specific resources (natural resources, knowledge)

-strategy (interdependencies to other factors; offensive or defensive motives, e.g. attacking competitors in their home market)

Internationalization Motives I: Internal - Proactive (Pull Factors)

Internationalization Motives are devided into internal or external and proactive or reactive factors

-Managerial urge

-growth and profit goals

marketing advantages

-economies of scale

Internationalization Motives II: Internal - Reactive (Push)

  • risk diversification
  • extnd sales of a seasonal product
  • excess capability of resources

Internationalization Motives III: External - Proactive (Pull)

  • foreign market opportunities
  • change agents (e.g. state owned export promoters)

Internationalization Motives IV: External - Reactive (Push)

  • unsolicited orders
  • small home market
  • stagnant or declining home market

What are forces towards "Localization"?

- "Natural" Heterogenity of National Markets

  • stage / phase of economic development
  • industrial structure
  • distribution channels
  • demand specifities of customers

- Claims of National Governments

  • barriers of trade
  • demand behaviour of the government (defense products, telecommunication sector)

Describe the relationship between "forces towards localization" and "forces towards globalization"

Forces towards localization and globalization influence each other.

Localization -->

  • "old" forms of a firm's internationalization - exports; if FDI, then as "localized firm"

Globalization -->

  • "new" forms of a firm's internationalization - more and more FDI and intrafirm trade with standardized programs

What where the steps towards globalization?

  • Until 1880: mainly local or regional industries
  • 1880 -1914/1939: first wave of globalization by strong increase of int. trade and larger FDIs (Ford, Gilette, Singer)
  • 1939 - 1945: War- effected crash of internationalization
  • 1950 - 1980: renewal of internationalization; strong exports and FDI; still strong local adaption; growth of international trade and FDI (tariff barriers) substantially larger than growth of domestic economies
  • 1980 - : globalization

What is globalization and what are its consequences?

Globalization is the strong trend for businesses to see the world as only one market.

consequences for:

  • products and services (homogenization)
  • customers (global availability of products and services)
  • competitors (loss of protected niches)
  • nation states (erosion of power to govern supranational firms

What are the seven key forces globalizing the world?

  1. falling borders
  2. growing cross-border trade and investment
  3. the rise of global products and customers
  4. privatizations
  5. new competitors in the world market
  6. the rise of global standards of quality and production
  7. growing sophistication of information technology

Describe Levitt's Globalization Thesis from 1983!

There is a circle of:

  • Convergence-Assumption
  • Standardization-Assumption
  • Centralization -Assumption
  • Assumption of Cost- and Price-Advantages

Characteristics of falling borders:

  • Free trade areas and the world trade organization
  • The surge in RTAs has continued undebated since the early 1990s
    • In 2005, the number of regional trade agreements reached about 300, more than doubling the number since 1995
  • Trade agreements:
    • reduce tariffs and restrictions
    • EU, NAFTA, APEC
    • GATT
    • WTO

Characteristics of growing trade and investment:

  • averade rate of 6% world trade growth from 2002-2005, 13,8% in 2010, 3,7% in 2012
  • more than half of the world trade between EU, US and Asia-Pacific-Region - the triad
  • FDI in developed countries counts for approximately $380 billion

Characteristics of global products and customers:

  • needs of customers growing more similiar (television, tourism, internet)
  • global customers search the world for their supplies withour regard to national boundaries

Characteristics of privatization:

  • sale of government owned businesses to private investors
  • developing countries and transition economies use privatization to become capitalistic economies

--> benefits for MNC

  • opportunities for bargain basement investments
  • gaining of market access (often government incentives e.g. several years tax free)

Characteristics of new competitors:

Emerging markets especially in South America and Asia

Characteristics of global standards:

  • companies can make only a few versions of a product for the world market
  • cheaper than versions for different countries

Characteristics of new information technology:

  • allows easy worldwide communication and access to information
  • small companies have more computer power
  • poorer nations can exploit technology

What definces the next generation of global managers?

  • owning a global mindset
  • showing the ability to work with cultural diverse people
  • having a long range of perspective
  • owning the ability to manage change and transition
  • showing acclompished negotiation skills
  • having a willingness to seek and succeed in overseas assignments
  • owning an internalized understanding of national cultures

Foreign Market Entry Modes

Foreign Market Entry Modes

Give a definition of strategy!

v. Clausewitz (1780-1831):

"Vom Kriege": Bevor man einen Feldzug oder einen Krieg beginnt, gilt es einen Gesamtplan zu erarbeiten, mit dem Zweck herauszufinden, wie man von Anfang an handeln muss, um am Ende Erfolg zu haben.

What are typical problems of strategy-making/-formulation?

  1. choice of business fields
  2. choice of competitive actions in the respective fields
  3. definition of the long-term success basis

--> market entry mode is typically an element of the international strategy-formulation

Why should one deal with market entry modes in a seperate way?

  • basic character; knowledge on market entry mode is a necessary prerequisite in order to understand subsequent topics and their challenges
  • easier understanding of the contents and relations within the section "strategy-formulation"

What are foreign market entry strategies?

  • the choice of how to enter each international market
  • types:
    • exporting
    • contractual foreign involvements
    • FDI
  • theoretical basis:
    • transaction cost theory
    • learning approach
    • OLI-Paradigm

Relationship between entry modes and ownership strategies?

 

Having an influence on entry strategy decision:

  • entry strategy alternatives
  • exporting
    • indirect
    • direct
    • subsidiary
  • entry analysis (objectives - means)
    • profitabilty
    • assets
    • costs
    • sales
    • risk factors
  • foreign production
    • licensing
    • franchising
    • contract manufacturing
    • assembly
    • local production
  • ownership strategies
    • market
    • cooperation
    • stand-alone solution

entry strategy decision has influence on:

  • exit strategy

Classical Instruments of Market Entry

What is exporting?

  • easiest form of market entry, especially indirect exporting
  • still very important
  • direct and indirect exporting

What is indirect exporting?

  • usually via export management company (EMC)/export trading company
  • specialize in products, countries or regions
  • provide ready-made access to markets
  • have networks of foreign distributors
  • localized either in home or foreign country

What is direct exporting?

  • more aggressive
  • requires more contact with and knowledge of foreign markets
  • may require branch offices in foreign countries (FDI)
  • channels in direct exporting
    • sales representatives: usage of company's promotional literature and samples
    • foreign distributors: resell the product
    • sell directly to foreign retailers or end users

How to decide on an export strategy?

  1. asses control needs for sales, customer credit and the eventual sale of the product
  2. asses financial and human resource capabilities:
  • to manage export operations
  • to design and execute international promotional activities
  • to support extensive international travel or possibly an expatriate sales force
  • to develop overseas contacts and networks

What forms of Contractual Foreign Involvement exist?

  • Licensing
  • Franchising
  • Management Contracts
  • Turnkey Operations
  • Turnkey Plus Contracts
  • Contractual Joint Ventures

What is licensing and when do companies license?

  • contractual agreement between a domestic licensor and a foreign licensee which allows for the use of intellectual property (blue print etc.
  • examples: Hon Hai manufacturing apple iphone

When do companies license?

  • dependent on:
    • characteristics of the product
    • characteristic of the target country (risk)
    • nature of the licensing company: resources (lack of capital), capabilities (market knowledge)

What is franchising and when do companies franchise?

  • a franchisor sells to the franchisee to use a specialized sales of service formula and provides products, management support and service assistance for a fee
  • franchisee operates at its own risk and for its own account
  • examples: benetton, mcdonalds

When do companies franchise?

depends on:

  • characteristics of product
  • characteristics of the target country (risk)
  • nature of the franchising company: resources (lack of capital), capabilities (market knowledge)

--> additional advantage: higher degree of control

What are management contracts and when do companies agree upon them?

  • involve the sales of technical assistance, management expertise, or both for a predetermined fee
  • usually based on long-term agreements
  • Example: Hilton

When?

  • where there is no other possibility to enter a market (requirements of the host country)
  • when it is more efficient than other entry methods

What are turnkey operations and when do companies agree upon them?

  • firm makes a commitment to construct an entire facility, to provide supplies, equipment and technical or engineering skills in working order
  • often, local managers are trained to operate the plant
  • example: fiat in the USSR

When?

  • no other possibility (requirement of the host country)
  • when it is more efficient than other market entry modes

What are turnkey plus contracts?

  • combines essentially a turnkey project and a management contract

What is a contractual joint venture and when do companies engage in it?

  • contractually fixed cooperation for a predetermined time, i.e. a project without investing into a "real" company
  • example: eurofighter, channel tunnel

When?

  • when it is neccessary to combine resources (lack of knowledge and/or capital)
  • if there exist certain government requirements

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