...The Strategy of International Business Learning objectives • Explain the concept of strategy. • Understand how firms can profit from expanding globally. • Understand how pressures for cost reductions and pressures for local responsiveness influence strategic choice. • Be familiar with different strategies for competing globally and their pros and cons. In this chapter the focus shifts from the environment to the firm itself and, in particular, to the actions managers can take to compete more effectively as an international business. This chapter looks at how firms can increase their profitability by expanding their operations in foreign markets, the different strategies that firms pursue when competing internationally, and the various factors that affect a firm’s choice of strategy. Subsequent chapters build on the framework established here to discuss a variety of topics including the design of organization structures and control systems for international businesses, strategies for entering foreign markets, the use and misuse of strategic alliances, strategies for exporting, and the various manufacturing, marketing, R&D, human resource, accounting, and financial strategies that international businesses pursue. OUTLINE OF CHAPTER 12: THE STRATEGY OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS Opening Case: MTV Networks Introduction Strategy and the Firm Value Creation Strategic Positioning Operations: The Firm as a Value Chain Global...
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...| Procter & Gamble | GEB 4890 | | Hessum Zangenehpour | Fall 2013 | | Table of Contents Executive Summary ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Page 2 The Company………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Page 2 History and Evolution……………………………………………………………………………………………….. Page 2 Mission and Major Goals…………………………………………………………………………………………. Page 2 Current Strategies……………………………………………………………………………………………………. Page 7 Competitive Environment…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Page 14 Industry…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Page 15 Forces and Trends…………………………………………………………………………………………………… Page 18 Consolidating Retail Sector…………………………………………………………………………. Page 19 Private Labels…………………………………………………………………………………………….. Page 20 Competition……………………………………………………………………………………………… Page 20 Porter’s Five Forces………………………………………………………………………………………………. Page 21 Ethical Responsibilities and Challenges ……………………………………………………………….. Page 25 Environmental pollution…………………………………………………………………………… Page 26 Energy Consumption………………………………………………………………………………… Page 26 Possible challenges facing Procter and Gamble…………………………………………………….. Page 27 Internal Strengths and Weaknesses…………………………………………………………………………………. Page 28 Recommendations ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Page 37,45 Implementation……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Page 40,45 Evaluation…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
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...Developing a Marketing Strategy: Delivering and Capturing Value Marketing Plan: The Brita Products Company Product: • Brita Pitcher-filter water system Price: $15.16 pitcher system and $4.10 filter • Brita faucet system Price: $34.99/$39.99 Faucet System Place: Pitcher system: main health food chains introducing department stores, mass merchandise, grocery stores, club stores, drug stores. (Minimum advertised price). Faucet to be launched. Promotion: They are very focused in taste for pitcher. It has been a good decision since I think probably to try to find another proposal for purity and health for the faucet system. Diagnosis: The first question is can we launch faucet system? Or would it cannibalize the pitcher system in which we are the leader? I think we definitely should launch the faucet system it is cheaper so we can access to another segment of customers. Also the faucet could even convince people that regularly drink water directly from the tap, because it last longer, and the cost is lower compared to the pitcher. It even helps the customer get to know Brita and improve taste on water, and even evolution as a Brita customer, first the faucet system then the pitcher. Then how would we promote the faucet in order to differentiate it from the pitcher? Would the taste be also the main focus on our campaign? Or should we focus on health and bacteria? Even though public is not very aware of the bacteria issues on water. Another question is to launch...
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..................................................................................................... 5 3.1 Marketing ................................................................................................................................ 5 3.2 Pedagogy ................................................................................................................................. 7 3.2.1 Case Study on Classroom 2.0 ............................................................................................. 8 3. Web 2.0 Business Models .............................................................................................................. 9 3.1 Case Study - Facebook ........................................................................................................... 10 4. Web 2.0 in Businesses as support ................................................................................................ 11 4.1 Dell ........................................................................................................................................ 11 4.2 Procter & Gamble...
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... | | | | | | | | | | | The evolution of the largest retailer in the world, Walmart, has involved both success and controversy. It is a source of cost-savings for millions around the world, but it also seen as responsible for the destruction of its neighboring communities. In its forty year history, the company has dealt with allegations of discrimination, harassment and poor labor relations. The former general store has expanded into several arenas and has made its owners, the Waltons, some of the richest individuals in the world. Despite this, the chain continues to faces large obstacles on its quest to increase profits, improve efficiencies and maximize its customers’ savings. In 2006, Walmart Stores Inc had sales of over $312,000 billion and 1.7 million employees, making...
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...Asian Leaders Finding 1: Many Western companies believe they will gain competitive advantage by developing senior Asian leaders due to decreased staffing costs and better navigation of local culture compared to that of expatriates. That said, significant challenges exist for developing local talent, such as a lack of formal extensive education, Western management skills, and language skills. Advantages of Developing Asian Leaders Asian Trend: Sourcing Locally A Hudson Recruitment survey of 500 multinational companies indicates that 87% of companies do not plan to bring in new expatriate employees in the near future. This strategy is expected to avoid the increasing salary costs and lack of local market knowledge common 2 among expatriate new hires. Trend: Developing talent locally—According to a Deloitte Touche Tomatsu study (n=680), local employees will significantly outweigh expatriate talent in senior management positions in China in the coming years. Leaders at multinational firms expect expatriates to only hold 26% of senior positions that they currently hold. Therefore, to compete with other companies in the future, companies should invest now 1 in developing their local leaders. 2 Expatriates are expensive—The primary driver behind localization of the senior leadership in China is cost savings. Costs of expatriates include housing assistance, relocation costs, hardship payments, compensation, traditional benefits (e.g., healthcare, retirement...
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...Branding Case Study ------------------------------------------------- Branding Definition: The marketing practice of creating a name, symbol or design that identifies and differentiates a product from other products (Entrepreneur Encyclopedia) A Brand is:• Names or symbols that identify the unique source of a product or service• The personification of an organization, product or service • The source of a promise to the customer • A trust mark • A single concept or idea imbedded in the mind of the customer • A set of associations that enhance or detract from the related product or service • The source of customer loyalty • That which allows one to charge a price premium for an otherwise generic product or service• A unique value proposition • The source of emotional connections with customers • The primary source of customer ‘goodwill’ • That which should drive the design of the ‘total customer experience’(Daye & VanAuken, 2011) | Both of these definitions indicate that the process of branding relies on one process; impression. For any brand or company it is vital to make an impression in the mind of its consumers. The brand has to be imprinted into their consciousness and differentiated from its competitors "Brand is everything, and everything is brand." (Pallotta, 2011) By this, the author means the face of the company (the logo, visage etc.) and its business strategy collaborates to define what a brand actually represents. A brand is basically the mission statement...
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...| Samsung Case Study | | Proctor and Gamble Group | LG | Laine Norton Molly Gottschalk John Havlat Patrick Johnson Lucas Wright Xihui Yan | | Managerial Marketing GRBA 813 Dr. Saini September 24th, 2012 Corporate Turnaround Samsung Electronics Company has achieved a remarkable turnaround over the last two decades. Before the 1990s, Samsung was not highly regarded, and struggled with their brand identity and value. Samsung was known as a low cost Korean electronics brand that manufactured consumer VCRs and televisions. The entire company, as well as their products, did not compete well with industry leaders such as Sony for top-of-mind brand awareness. Several key actions instigated corporate and product improvements since this time. Beginning first with personnel, the Chairman of the company (Kun Hee Lee) started the first movement within that would ultimately lead to their current lucrative position. Lee determined, in 1993, that Samsung could reposition itself as a first-class electronics brand that could distribute products world-wide. Lee wanted to commit Samsung to long term goals and results and transform the company away from commodity based products, and instead produce luxury electronic items that would be highly innovative. At the time, electronic companies could venture into two different routes: software or hardware. The outlook for software development was very good in the 1990s, but Lee chose the route for developing...
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...Instructor’s Manual Enterprise Resource Planning, 1/E CHAPTER 1: A FOUNDATION FOR UNDERSTANDING ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING SYSTEMS CHAPTER OBJECTIVES 1. Develop an understanding of how ERP systems can improve the effectiveness of information systems in organizations. 2. Understand the business benefits of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. 3. Understand the history and evolution of ERP. CHAPTER OUTLINE 1. A Foundation for Understanding Enterprise Resource Planning Systems a. The Emergence of Enterprise Resource Planning Systems 1. What is ERP? 2. The Evolution of ERP 3. The Integrated Systems Approach b. Business Benefits of ERP c. ERP Modules d. ERP Design Alternatives e. The Business Case for ERP 1. Cost-Benefit Analysis for ERP 2. Can ERP Provide a Competitive Advantage? f. The Challenge of Implementing an ERP System g. Summary ANSWERS TO END-OF-CHAPTER QUESTIONS Questions for Discussion: 1. Use on-line library databases to identify articles in trade publications which provide case studies of ERP implementations. These articles may provide some insight into each of these questions. a. How widespread is the use of ERP across certain industries? b. What are the benefits reported from implementing ERP? c. What are its limitations? 2. Research and learn about the implementation of ERP. Use trade publications and on-line library databases (e.g. ABI Inform, ProQuest, First Search, Wilson Select Plus, available through...
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...vantage//~‘L~ FIRST-MOVER ADVANTAGES Marvin B. Lieberman David B. Montgomery’ October 1987 Research Paper No. 969 1The authors are, respectively, Assistant Professor of Business Policy, and Robert A. Magowan Professor of Marketing, at the Stanford Business School. We thank Piet Vanden Abeele, Rajiv Lal, Mark Satterthwaite and Birger Wernerfelt for helpfiul discussions on earlier drafts. The Strategic Management Program at Stanford Business School provided financial support. / ~‘N ~ Abstract This article surveys the theoretical and empirical literature on mechanisms that confer advantages and disadvantages on first-mover firms. Major conceptual issues are addressed, and recommendations are given for future research. Managerial implications are also considered. INTRODUCTION What, exactly, are first-mover advantages? Under what conditions do they arise, and by what specific mechanisms? Do first-movers make aboveaverage profits? And when is it in a firm’s interest to pursue first-mover opportunities, as opposed to allowing rivals to make the pioneering investments? In this paper we examine these and other related questions. We categorize the mechanisms that confer advantages and disadvantages on first-mover firms, and critically assess the relevant theoretical and empirical literature. The recent burgeoning of theoretical work in industrial economics provides a rich set of models that help make our understanding of first-mover advantages more precise. There...
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...FIRST-MOVER ADVANTAGES Marvin B. Lieberman David B. Montgomery’ October 1987 Research Paper No. 969 //~‘L~ 1The authors are, respectively, Assistant Professor of Business Policy, and Robert A. Magowan Professor of Marketing, at the Stanford Business School. We thank Piet Vanden Abeele, Rajiv Lal, Mark Satterthwaite and Birger Wernerfelt for helpfiul discussions on earlier drafts. The Strategic Management Program at Stanford Business School provided financial support. / ~‘N ~ Abstract This article surveys the theoretical and empirical literature on mechanisms that confer advantages and disadvantages on first-mover firms. Major conceptual issues are addressed, and recommendations are given for future research. Managerial implications are also considered. INTRODUCTION What, exactly, are first-mover advantages? Under what conditions do they arise, and by what specific mechanisms? Do first-movers make aboveaverage profits? And when is it in a firm’s interest to pursue first-mover opportunities, as opposed to allowing rivals to make the pioneering investments? In this paper we examine these and other related questions. We categorize the mechanisms that confer advantages and disadvantages on first-mover firms, and critically assess the relevant theoretical and empirical literature. The recent burgeoning of theoretical work in industrial economics provides a rich set of models that help make our understanding of first-mover advantages more precise. There is...
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...Nature of the Study Since 2013, considerable attention has been given to the emergence of Cloud Computing Technology in Luzon, especially its prevalent power in industries like schools, hospitals, retailing and service companies to name a few. New IT services have begun to surface from the synergy between business and technology perspectives that could bring about higher returns on investment as well as competitiveness, organizational agility, and cost minimization on businesses. Hence, Cloud Computing Technology could be cited as a good and practical opportunity even for small-medium enterprises (SMEs) such as local distributors of consumer goods because they do not have the technical expertise to establish the IT infrastructure to catch up with, and to remain profitable and competitive amidst the changes in the industry, growing competition and other external factors. Thus, this study allows distributors as end users to be given the idea about Cloud Computing Technology that is centered on the assessment of their own business environment prior to and when already using this technology. This study is designed for these local distributors of consumer goods in Zamboanga City. This study will allow them to acknowledge the benefits and advantages that they may be able to reap when moving into or adopting this innovation in their core operations – inventory monitoring, sales updating and reporting. Although there is a great potential for success, this study also looks into...
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...of Business, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA Abstract Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the unique supply chain strategies employed by retailers. Design/methodology/approach – A mixed methods approach was employed involving analysis of depth interviews with 27 retail supply chain executives combined with a follow-up survey capturing over 200 responses. Findings – In light of uncertain economic conditions, retailers appear to be developing more agile/responsive supply chain management (SCM) strategies. Additionally, retailers are putting greater emphasis on maintaining a balance of cost versus service than the cost-centered focus found in a prior study. Research limitations/implications – This study focused on US retailers and therefore results should be cautiously extended to the retailing environment in other countries. Practical implications – Retailing is not a “one size fits all” business, and study results suggest the SCM strategies used by retailers depend greatly on the nature of each retailer’s model. However, the need to create agile SCM processes while controlling costs was an overarching theme described by retailers. Originality/value – Retailers operate some of the largest and most complex supply chains, yet SCM research has generally overlooked the retail sector. This study...
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...Introduction Dark pools are a complex topic subject to misunderstanding amongst the broad public, media, and government regulators. To help provide a better perspective, we discuss the evolution of equity markets that led to the development of electronic trading, dark pools, and current market structure. We move on to analyze dark pools and their overall impact on trading. We then discuss further aspects of dark pools in particular, and consider regulation and global trends in market structure. Historical Perspective on Equity Markets The first modern equity market was established in the Netherlands in 1610 with the publically traded shares of the Dutch East India Company. Financial transactions had taken place since the dawn of civilization, but 1610 was a milestone towards the development of the equity markets we know today. Because equity securities represent transferable ownership interests in corporations, dividing business organizations into small, affordable pieces made it easier for entrepreneurs to raise capital from multiple sources. At the same time, limited liability allowed investors to diversify their investments without fear of incurring risk of personal accountability. Enhanced liquidity also eased transfer of ownership. Secondary markets for the securities of public firms quickly developed as the number of companies increased. Merchants and traders bought and sold securities just like other commodities, and specialization soon flourished. Stock exchanges...
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...Physician Groups: A Changing Landscape Final Report Team Four: Fearless Leaders Leading Healthcare Organizations May 10, 2015 Rachel Gutman Josh Freeman Brad Mountcastle Alicia Spitznagel I. Executive Summary Physician care is the cornerstone of patient health and could possibly be the gateway to comprehensive wellness on a national scale. Research demonstrates that a monumental shift is underway in America’s physician industry as more and more doctors are “voting with their feet” and curtailing their practices by joining larger institutions, retiring early or joining concierge medicine (Rabin, 2014). Studies show that physicians are frustrated with our current ‘value by number’ system; they argue that they are overworked due to discounted insurance payments and increasing oversight. Our research foretells two alarming trends within the US physician landscape. The first concern is that there will be a shortage in primary-care physicians as early as the year 2020 and secondly, most medical practices will be owned by a hospital or affiliated with a large network within the next ten years (Kirchoff, 2013). The former concern places population health at risk and could reduce access to care while the latter has the potential to increase overall costs and reduce competition and innovation in the health care industry. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) marks a milestone in our nation’s history; it requires every U.S. citizen to obtain medical insurance or pay...
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