August 25
Chapter text (pp. 1-13):
1) What are the characteristics of a multi-national enterprise?
2) Describe the components of Vernon's life-cycle theory
3) What are some prerequisites for internationalization?
Reading 1-2: Ghemewat (Distance still matters):
1) Does 'distance' still matter in international business, and if so, how?
2) What are the 4 dimensions of distance?
Case: Acer
1) What factors explain why Acer has out-performed other Taiwanese PC companies?
2) Why did Acer's profitability fall in the 1980s? What lessons from this experience could be relevant
now?
3) As "Stan", what action would you take on the Aspire product? Should it be approved for continued
development? Who should lead the project? Should Aspire be a global product?
September 1
Chapter 2 text questions (pp. 87-100)
1) What are the forces for global integration and coordination?
2) Forces for local differentiation and responsiveness?
3) What are the 4 types of global industries?
Reading 1-1: Perlmutter (Tortuous evolution ...):
1) What are ethnocentric, polycentric, and geocentric states of mind?
2) What is a firm's EPG mix, and what factors influence it?
3) What are the costs and risks of each mind-set?
Case: Global wine wars
1) Historically, how did the French come to dominate the global export market?
2) What changes in the global market have caused France to lose market share to USA and Australia?
3) What advice would you give to the French Agricultural minister to turn things around?
September 8
Reading 2-1: Culture and organization
1) What are Hofstede's 5 dimensions of social culture?
2) What are the characteristics of the 'well-oiled machine' and 'village market' models of organization,
and which countries do they fit best?
Reading 2-2: Clusters and the new economics of competition
1) What is a "cluster"? How do they affect competition?
2) What are some threats to cluster surivival?
3) Strategic implications of clusters?
Case: Globalization of Cemex
1) How has CEMEX performed compared to other leading global competitors in the cement industry?
Focus on comparing CEMEX with Holderbank.
2) What accounts for the sequence in which CEMEX has entered foreign markets? How do recently
entered markets compare with ones they entered early on?
3) What recommendations do you make to CEMEX regarding globalization strategy moving forward?
What kinds of countries should it expand in?
September 22
Chapter 3 text questions
1) What 3 strategic goals do all multinational firms have?
2) What are the 3 basic means of achieving them?
3) What kinds of strategic options do firms have?
Reading 3-2: Keeping multinationals at bay
1) What is a “homegrown champion”?
2) What strategies do they use to be successful?
3) How can foreign multinationals compete effectively against them?
Case: Stella Artois
1) Should Stella be marketed as a global brand?
2) If so, is it wise to focus on cities?
3) How can the internet be leveraged?
September 29
Chapter 4 text questions:
1) What is the Stopford and Wells international structural stages model?
2) What is a firm’s “administrative heritage”?
3) What are the components of a transnational structure?
Reading 4-1: Managing multicultural teams
1) What four challenges can create problems for multicultural teams?
2) Strategies for dealing with these problems?
Case: Philips vs. Matsushita
1) How did Philips become a successful MNE? What were the distinctive competencies?
2) What strengths allowed Matsushita to overtake Philips? What challenges does it face?
3) Why has change been so hard for each?
October 6
Chapter 5 text questions:
1) Describe the traditional and transnational approaches to knowledge management.
2) Describe issues/problems for the “center for global” and “local for local” approaches.
3) What are market and technological knowledge, and how are they related?
Reading 5-1: Building effective R&D capabilities abroad
1) Traditionally, R&D programs have been centralized at corporate HQ. Why is that changing?
2) What are the different types of R&D facilities?
3) What skills should the leaders of these facilities possess?
Case: P&G Japan
1) Does SK-II have the potential to become a global brand within P&G's worldwide operations? Why or
why not?
2) Which of the 3 market options should Paolo DeCesare recommend to the GLT? What are the
expected benefits and risks?
3) How should he implement your recommended option?
October 27
Chapter 6 text questions
1) Why might global companies form strategic alliances?
2) Risks/costs of doing so?
Reading 6-1: Design and management of JVs
1) What are the possible reasons for using a joint-venture strategy?
2) What are the requirements for a successful JV?
Case: Eli Lilly
1) What was Eli Lilly’s motivation to form an Indian joint venture?
2) What was Ranbaxy’s motivation?
3) Why are each of them considering ending the JV?
November 3
Chapter 7 text questions
1) What are the 3 key management groups in a global firm?
2) What are the responsibilities of Top Management?
Reading 7-1: Local memoirs …
1) How did the author manage to grow the Vicks Vaporub business in India?
2) What does he mean by "global thinking"?
Case: ING Insurance
1) How successful is ING’s business in the Asia/Pacific region?
2) How are local (country) business operations structured?
3) What key organizational issues does CEO Kemp face as of 2003?
November 10
Chapter 8 text questions
1) What are the 4 possible ethical postures for an MNE?
2) Which is best?
Reading 8-2: Serving the world’s poor
1) How does global prosperity and security depend on meeting the needs of poor people?
2) How can meeting the needs of the poor be profitable? What obstacles stand in the way?
Case: Nike labor practices
1) What arguments did the critics of Nike make about their business practices in Asia?
2) Were they correct?
3) Did Nike do a good job of handling these criticisms?