C.7 Implementing the Strategy (The Future of Transnational)

Question 1

Key management positions for implementing transnational strategies

Answer 1

• Global Business Manager
• Worldwide Functional Manager
• Country Subsidiary Manager

Question 2

Global Business Manager: Responsibility and Roles

Answer 2

Responsibility:
Develop global efficiency and competitiveness

Roles:

• Global business strategist
• Architect of asset & resource configuration
• Cross-border coordination

Question 3

Worldwide Functional Manager: Responsibility and Roles

Answer 3

Responsibility:
Provide support to line managers, particularly by diffusing innovations and transferring knowledge on a worldwide basis

Roles:

• Worldwide intelligence scaner
• Cross-pollinator of “best practices”
• Champion of transnational innovation

Question 4

Country Manager: Traditional vs new role

Answer 4

Traditional role:

• Source of sales and profits
• Access to local factors of production
• Leverage parent company assets and resources

New role:

• Bicultural interpreter
• National defender & advocate
• Frontline implementer of corporate strategy

Question 5

Country manager:

Skills and Qualifications

Answer 5

• Entrepreneurial skills: innovator and opportunist
• Strategic skills: Creative analyst
• Administrative skills: controller & manager
• Executive skills: organizational leader

Question 6

Pressures and Constraints on the Country (Geographic subsidiary) Manager

Answer 6

• MNC Internal Motivations (corp strategy, internal norms and values, org struc)
• Host Country Interests (local norms n values, national constituent interest like employees, consumers; host gvts objectives n policies)
• Global Competitive Environment (national competitor’s actions, global comp activity,, local market and industry structure)

Question 7

Role of top level corp management

Answer 7

• Provide long-term direction and purpose (clarity, continuity, consistency)
• Leverage corporate performance (control systems based on supporting actions of managers, not directing them)
• Ensure continuous renewal (ensure an external orientation, legitimize new initiatives, help org embrace and not deny complexity)