Business in a Global Environch04 (1).ppt

Editor's Notes

• #5: 1. The United States is both the largest importer and exporter, although less than 5 percent of the world's population lives within its borders. 2. With the increasing globalization of the world's economies, the international marketplace offers tremendous opportunities for U.S. and foreign businesses to expand into new markets. 3. Doing business globally also provides new sources of materials and labor. 4. Trading with other countries reduces a company's dependence on economic conditions in its home markets. 5. Countries that encourage international trade enjoy higher levels of economic activity, employment, and wages than those that restrict it.
• #6: 1. Decisions to operate abroad depend on the availability, price, and quality of labor, natural resources, capital and entrepreneurship 2. Trading allows companies to spread risk because different nations are at different stages of the business cycle or in different phases of development
• #7: 1. 1 in every 5 of the world’s 6-billion-plus people live in relatively well-developed countries 2. As developing nations expand, the potential for reaching new groups of customers increases 3. Only two of the ten most populous countries, have high per capita GDP 4. Many developing countries have high rates of annual GDP growth, making them prime candidates for customer expansion
• #9: Major World Markets 1. North America a. Combined population of over 400 million b. Canada – Two-thirds of Canada’s GDP is generated in the service sectors c. Mexico – moving quickly from developing-nation to industrial-nation status mostly due to NAFTA 2. Western Europe a. Comprise a sophisticated and powerful industrial region b. Combined GDP 75% as large as the U.S. c. Germany, the UK, France and Italy are especially important 3. The Pacific Rim a. Includes Australia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan b. Strongest competition to U.S. in electronics, automobiles, and banking c. China has traditionally been considered a strong manufacturer of toys and clothing, but is increasing its capabilities in low-cost production of high-tech products 4. Latin America a. Privatization of ports, railways, telecommunications, mining and energy created new industries b. Much of this investment came from U.S. and Europe
• #11: 1. When a country can maintain a monopoly or produce at a lower cost than any competitor 2. Rare, but some countries approximate an absolute advantage in some products
• #12: 1. When a county supplies a product more efficiently and at a lower price than it can supply other goods, compared with the output of other countries. 2. Reduced labor costs can assist with maintaining a comparative advantage
• #13: 1. Trade surplus – when a country exports more than it imports and achieves a positive balance of trade 2. Trade deficit – when a country imports more than it exports and achieves a negative balance of trade 3. U.S. has run a trade deficit since 1976
• #15: 1. Can be affected by overseas loans and borrowing, international investments, profits from such investments, and foreign aid payments 2. Balance of payments surplus – more money has moved into a country than out 3. Balance of payments deficit – more money has gone out of the country than in
• #19: 1. Currency values fluctuate or “float” depending on supply and demand in the international market 2. Currency traders create a market for the world’s currencies based on each country’s relative trade and investment prospects 3. National governments often intervene to adjust the exchange rates of their own currencies. 4. Other forms of influence also exist, including: a. Creation of currency blocks by linking exchange rates to each other b. Protectionist policies to guard their economies against trade imbalances c. Devaluation – a fall in a currency’s value relative to other currencies or to a fixed standard. 5. Exchange rates can change quickly and eliminate a competitive advantage, so they are important factors in determining whether or not to invest abroad 6. Hard versus soft currencies relate to their ability to convert quickly into other currencies
• #20: Businesses face several obstacles in the global marketplace. 1. Companies must be sensitive to social and cultural differences, such as languages, values, and religions, when operating in other countries. 2. Economic differences include standards of living variations and levels of infrastructure development. 3. Legal and political barriers are among the most difficult to judge. Each country sets its own laws regulating business practices. 4. Trade restrictions like tariffs and administrative barriers also present obstacles to international business.
• #21: Language 1. More people speak Mandarin Chinese than English 2. Potential communications barriers include more than mistranslation 3. Messages can be misconveyed through inappropriate media, overlooked customs and regulations, ignored differences in taste and gift giving Values and Religious Attitudes 1. Americans place high value on efficiency and low unemployment; Europeans value employee benefits more 2. The US is a nation that values unity with tolerance of regional differences; Europeans value regional differences more 3. Religion plays an important role in every society
• #22: Infrastructure 1. Basic systems of communication, transportation, and energy 2. Financial systems, such as the forms of money (credit cards, checks, cash, debit cards, electronic transfer systems) are also a type of infrastructure for businesses Currency Conversion and Shifts 1. Rapid and unexpected shifts can make pricing difficult 2. Shifts in exchange rates can influence attractiveness of various business decisions
• #24: Political Climate 1. Stability of local and national governments 2. Host countries often pass laws designed to protect their own interests, often at the expense of foreign businesses 3. Changes in political structures almost always bring changes in the legal, and thus the business, environments Legal Environment 1. When conducting business internationally, U.S. managers must contend with three legal dimensions: U.S. law, International regulations, the laws of the country in which business is to be done 2. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act forbids U.S. companies from bribing foreign officials, political candidates, or government representatives 3. The Corruption Perceptions Index, created by a Berlin-based organization, rates the degree of corruption in 90 countries based upon observations of business people and the general public International Regulations 1. Treaties and signed agreements that dictate the conduct of international business and protect each countries activities 2. Friendship, commerce, and navigational treaties exist between the US and other countries 3. Local regulations also affect business interactions 4. While these international and local regulations can create barriers to trade, the lack of regulations can create other problems
• #26: 1. Can limit consumer choices and increase costs of foreign-made products 2. Trade restrictions often are prompted by the political environment. a. Some restrictions are intended to punish or protest countries’ political actions b. The Helms-Burton Act of 1996 imposes trade sanctions against Cuba, and permits U.S. companies and citizens to sue foreign companies if they use assets expropriated from U.S. owners to do business in Cuba c. Other restrictions are imposed to promote trade with certain countries 3. Most trade restrictions take the form of tariffs a. Taxes, surcharges, or duties on foreign products b. Revenue tariffs generate income for the government c. Protective tariffs raise the retail price of imported products to match or exceed domestic products 4. However, non-tariff or administrative barriers also exit a. quotas--limit the amounts of particular products that countries can import during specified time periods b. prevent dumping – a practice of selling products abroad at prices below its cost of production or its selling price in the nation of production c. embargoes – impose a total ban on importing a specified product or even a total halt on all products from a particular country d. exchange controls – imposed through a central bank or government agency, affecting both importers and exporters, by requiring all exchanges to take place through a designated agency
• #28: GATT – General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade – a series of negotiations, called rounds, that substantially reduced worldwide tariffs and other barriers World Trade Organization 1. Beginning in 1995 has monitored GATT agreements among member nations 2. Unlike GATT, the WTO’s decisions are binding on parties involved 3. Concerns have been raised about WTO a. the lowering of trade barriers has encouraged nations to keep costs low, in order to compete, by using practices that harm the environment and abuse human rights b. trade unions are concerned about the export of job to countries with lower labor costs
• #29: World Bank 1. Founded shortly after WWII by industrialized countries to lend money to less-developed and developing countries 2. Primarily funds projects that build or expand the nation’s infrastructures 3. Provide the largest source of advice and assistance to developing nations 4. Critics believe the loans are often made with conditions that hurt the borrower nation and to make payments these nations have often had to cut vital social programs International Monetary Fund 1. Established one year after World Bank 2. Created to promote trade through financial cooperation and to eliminate barriers 3. Makes short-term loans to member nations that are unable to meet their budgetary expenses 4. Significant commitments are often made in order to secure the loan, which are supposed to address the underlying conditions that created the need for the loan in the first place 5. Critics believe that the IMF’s policies of placing restrictions on government spending, as a way to address underlying difficulties, often misses the real issues of insolvency 6. Also, many believe IMF has placed many poor nations in impossible positions repaid 7. Arguments in favor of debt reductions are debated
• #30: Countries may establish free-trade areas in which they trade freely among themselves without tariffs or trade restrictions Customs unions and common markets are examples NAFTA – North American Free Trade Agreement – created one such free-trade area 1. eliminates all trade barriers and investment restrictions over a 14-year period 2. consumer choices are expanded 3. domestic producers have larger markets 4. critics are concerned about domestic job loss, lowering of environmental and human rights standards European Union - EU 1. goals include promoting economic and social programs, introducing European citizenship as a complement to national citizenship, and giving the EU a more significant role in international affairs 2. involves standardizing business regulations, requirements, import duties and taxes, and eliminating customs checks to stimulate economic growth 3. introduction of Euro as common currency also eliminates currency exchange rate fluctuations
• #34: 1. determine which foreign market(s) to enter – by conducting extensive research on local demand, availability of needed resources, and ability of local workforce, 2. analyze the expenditures required to enter a new market - including tariff rates, currency stability, investment barriers 3. decide on the best way to organize the overseas operations
• #37: Exporting and importing, the first level of involvement in international business, involves the lowest degree of both risk and control. 1. Companies may rely on export trading or management companies to assist in distribution of their products. Countertrade – exchanging goods or services for local products, rather than currency 1. particularly useful in countries with soft currency 2. in developing countries without enough credit
• #38: Contractual agreements such as franchising, foreign licensing, and subcontracting offer additional, flexible options. 1. Franchising – a contractual agreement in which a wholesaler or retailer gains the rights to sell the franchiser’s products under that company’s brand name 2. Foreign Licensing – one firms allows another to produce or sell its products, or use its trademark, patent or manufacturing processes in a specific geographic area in return for royalties or other compensation 3. Subcontracting – involves hiring local companies to produce, distribute, or sell goods or services, allowing a foreign firm to take advantage of the subcontractor’s expertise in local customs, contacts and regulations; although the originating firm loses some control 4. Franchising and licensing are especially appropriate for services. 5. Companies may also choose local subcontractors to produce goods for local sales. International direct investment in production and marketing facilities provides the highest degree of control but also the greatest risk. 1. Firms make direct investments by acquiring foreign companies or facilities, forming joint ventures with local firms, and setting up their own overseas divisions.
• #39: 1. concerns have been raised about the amount of influence MNCs have on international business 2. changes have taken place, the US no longer being the only MCN player
• #43: A company that adopts a global (or standardization) strategy develops a single, standardized product and marketing strategy for implementation throughout the world. The firm sells the same product in essentially the same manner in all countries in which it operates. Under a multidomestic (or adaptation) strategy, the firm develops a different treatment for each national market. It develops products and marketing strategies that appeal to the customs, tastes, and buying habits of particular national markets.