November 1 Flashcards
The 3 objects in international business the competitive advantage depends on?
- efficiency
- flexibility
- learning
Standartization vs. Differenziation
Standartization:
Pressure for integration and cost reduction
Differentiation:
Pressure for local responsiveness (Ansprechbarkeit)
When are
pressure for global integration and cost reduction are the greatest?
- industries which produce commoditiy type products (price is the main competitive weapon)
- whe major competitiors based in low cost locations
- where there is persistent excess capacity and price pressure
- where consumers are powerful and face low switching costs
Pressure for local responsiveness arise from?
- differences in consumer tastes and preferances
- differences in traditional practices and infrastrucuture
- differences in distribution channels
- host-government demands
Global Industries
vs.
Multidomestic
Industries
Global Industries:
- handful of major players that compete head-on in multiple markets
- competition takes place on a regional or worldwide basis
Multidomestic Industries:
- Unique set of competitiors in every industry
- competition takes place on a country-by-country basis
The four archetypes of international strategy:
- international strategy
- localization strategy
- global strategy
- transnational strategy
International Strategy
in Detail
(low cost pressure / low local responsiveness)
» Treatment of foreign markets
- Take products produced for the domestic market and sell them internationally with only minimal local customization.
- Markets with low competition, more homogenous and similar customer needs, niche markets
- Foreign markets are often similar to the domestic one (low psychic distance).
» Traditional MNC Cultural Orientation
- Ethnocentric: focus on values, processes and resources of the domestic company and replicate.
» Value Chain
- Critical elements of value chain stay centralized at home (R&D, procurement, production), local marketing and sales but under tight control from headoffice
- Generally no adaptation to foreign markets, products are marketed through intermediaries.
» Rationale
- Transferring core competencies of the company (products/services) to locations where local competitors lack them.
Localization Strategy
in Detail
(high responsiveness / low cost pressure)
» Treatment of foreign markets
- Increase profitability by customizing goods or services so that they match tastes and conditions in local markets (world as a grid of national markets).
- In local industries.
- Autonomous subsidiaries pursue local responsiveness and localized strategy.
» Traditional MNC Cultural Orientation
- Polycentric: focus on values and interests of the local culture in the served markets
» Value Chain
- Value Chain is flexibly organized according to needs of different national markets
- Critical elements are positioned in the local market (R&D, production, procurement,
marketing), decentralized and with authority to adapt to local market conditions.
» Rationale
- Minimizing political and exchange rate risks
- Greater prestige through local/customized elements
Global Standartization
Strategy in Detail
(High cost pressure / low local responsiveness)
» Treatment of foreign markets
- *- World is seen as single integrated market
- No or min differences in consumer preferences from country to country**
(“Why not make the same thing, the same way, everywhere?”)
- Traditional MNC Cultural Orientation
- Geocentric: focus on global values and universal needs
» Value Chain
- Concentration of critical value chain activities (R&D, production and marketing) in headquarters or in the few most favorable key locations, central control over operations.
- No or minimum customization applied.
» Rationale
- Increase profitability through minimum repetition, maximum efficiency and integration worldwide, improved quality through standardization.
Transnational Strategy
in Detail
(High Responsiveness / High cost pressure)
» Treatment of foreign markets
- Coordination approach: World is seen as a portfolio of regionally integrated markets, standardization-localization mix differs from region to region.
- Aggregation on regional level: consumer preferences from region to region
» Traditional MNC Cultural Orientation
- Regiocentric: Focus on integration in geographic markets and building an global network of operations.
- Facilitate global learning and knowledge transfer.
» Value Chain (Example)
- Scale economies through sourcing from reduced number of global suppliers, concentrate manufacturing in few key locations.
- Dispersed, subject to minimum efficiency standards, to meet local preferences.» Rationale
- Benefiting from both global integration and local responsiveness and leveraging global competencies: “standardize where feasible; adapt where appropriate”.
- Coordinate global competitive moves.
What are the problems with the
International Strategy and Localization Strategy
» An international (home replication) strategy may not be viable in the long term
- To survive, firms may need to shift to a global standardization strategy or a transnational strategy in advance of competitors
» Localization may give a firm a competitive edge, but if the firm is simultaneously facing aggressive competitors, the company will also have to reduce its cost structure
Internatinal Division
(Organigram aufzeichnen)
Geographic Area Structure
other Name: Global Area Division
(Organigram aufzeichnen)
Worldwide Functional Structure
other Name: Global Functional Divison
(Organigram aufzeichnen)
Global Product Strukture
other Name: Global Product Divison
(Organigram aufzeichen)
International Division
Suitable if?
- foreign markets are to be exploited opportunistically
- Foreign Sales / Total Sales is low -> start of the
internationalization
Global Area Divison
Suitable if?
- foreign markets are to be exploited systematically
- regional markets differ strongly from each other
- economies of scale are regional and even local
- foreign sales / total sales are high
Global Functional Divisions
Suitable if?
− Integration and cost pressures are high
− pressures for local responsiveness are comparatively low
− Organization by functional activities (production,
marketing)
Global Product Divisions
Suitable if?
other Name: worldwide product structure
− Integration and cost pressures are high
− pressures for local responsiveness are
comparatively low
− Organization by major product line
Bullwhip effect causes (6)
Free Return Policies: they order much and then cancel
Lack of communication (beetween supply chain partners)
False Demand Information (w/o involvment of customer requirement)
Special discounts (order in great quantities)
Not place order to supplier in real time
Disorganisation (each supply chain link (glied))
SCM:
Snowball Effect
•
Common issue in businesses
•
Starts from the upstream side of the supply chain (suppliers)
•
Variability of supply quantities delays increase moving downstream
=> delay in delivery to retailers/ customers
Global Sourcing:
Captive Sourcing v. contract manufacturing
captive sourcing: (firmeneigen)
sourcing from company owned production facilities
contract manufacturing:(fremd)
contract with an independent supplier (defined specifications)
Global sourcing
Procurement of products and services , from suppliers or
company owned subsidiaries , located abroad , for consumption
in the home country or a third country
–> captive sourcing or contract manufacturing
Value Chain
v
Supply Chain
Value Chain: Activites that add value to the product
–> value addition
Supply Chain: All activities involved in the procurement, logistics etc.
–> conveyance
Offshoring
vs.
Outsourcing
Offshoring
Relocation of a business process or entire manufacturing facility to a
foreign country
Outsourcing
Procurement of selected value adding activities , including
production of intermediate goods or finished products, from
independent suppliers
Business process outsourcing
Business process outsourcing (BPO)
Outsourcing of business service functions , such as accounting ,
human resource, travel services, IT services, customer service or
technical support to independent suppliers