INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT

Questions

1.What is competitive advantage and why is it necessary for a company to have a product/service and/or a business competitive advantage before that company becomes active on a foreign market? You are free to offer, discuss and explain product and/or businessexamples from practice (maximum score 10 points, 250 words minimum).

2.Imagine that you want to make a market entry into a politically unstable foreign country. You are free to select a country, but think of countries like Somalia, Venezuela or Libya. Please describe what the country risk could be and discuss how according toyou the political and legal systems contribute to this country risk. Explain and discuss the differences between political systems and legal systems (maximum score 20 points, 500 words minimum).

3.In international business there are the following types of strategic alliances: licensing, contract manufacturing and joint venture. Please describe, discuss and explain each of these 3 alliance forms. Next present and discuss for eachone of these 3 alliances at least one advantage and one disadvantage when a firm considers the selection of an alliance in international business (maximum score 10 points, 250 words minimum)

4.Discuss and explain wat the effect of globalization is on the national culture of countries. To what extent and how does globalization influence each country’s citizen’s thinking, behaviour and consumption patterns? (maximum score 10 points, 250 words minimum).

5.How would it be possible for a local, physical (on-site) retail fashion store at the city of Apeldoorn in The Netherlands, in terms of customer loyalty, customer targeting, fashion product portfolio choice, service as well as any other possible business characteristic to compete against internet-based global fashion competitors which ship their goods with parcel post all over the world? Please present 3 possible solutions and explain why these solutions would be suitable (maximum score 20 points, 500 words minimum).

6.Discuss the economic and business implications of the dominant and/or leading religion in a foreign country. Describe how a firm should prepare itself before entering a foreign country with its products and services, taking that particular country’s religion into account during its preparation before the actual market entry. Think of a possible market entry into Indonesia, Indiaor Poland as country examples (maximum score 10 points, 250 words minimum).

7.Imagine that, after you have obtained your Master of Business Administration degree, you are hired by the international business management department of a multinational company that is active in the production and sales of consumer food and non-food products all over the world. The head of the company’s department asks you to select a possible new country where the company could make a market entry. He is thinking about 3 possible countries: Australia, New-Zealand or Japan. He explicitly adds that the resources of the firm will be sufficient to make a market entry in only one of these 3 countries and therefore asks you to select one of these 3 countries. Select a possible well-known global multinational company first. Then taking that company’s internal resources and the market’s external possibilities into account and discuss and explain how you would proceed with the market selection process? Next, use your comparison to present and explain a preliminary first selection of one of the three countries for the market entry, which, according to you, may offer the best market potential for your company (maximum score 20 points, 500 words minimum).