U8: Forms of International Business Page: 58half-59 Flashcards
Forms of International Business
Forms of International Business (Globalization)
International business can either be trading or investing overseas.
- International Trade
2. International Investment {Consortium}
1 International Trade
International trade refers to the import and export of goods and services between two countries.
>
{Import trade} involves the purchase of goods and services [from] overseas. {Export trade} involves the [sale] of goods and services to another country.
2 International Investment (Pg 59)
A firm can also own (control) a business in another country through the following ways:
- Licensing A&B
- Joint Ventures
- Setting up Foreign Subsidiaries and/or Branches
- Licensing A
Licensing involves the international firm (licensor) granting access to a foreign company (the licensee) the use of its intellectual property. In return, the licensee has to:
- Pay the licensor a free or royalty payment (e.g., a specified percentage of sales)
- Abide by certain terms and conditions of operation laid down by the licensor (e.g., cannot carry rival brands, must use the same corporate colours.)
- Licensing B
There are different names for such licensing arrangement:
>
Patent is a government grant giving the exclusive right of making, using or selling an invention. Franchising is a form of business in which the owner (franchiser) gives license to distribute products, services or methods of business to affiliated dealers (franchisees). Copyright is a protection that covers literary and artistic works.
- Joint Ventures
A firm may partner with a foreign firm to jointly produce and market manufactured goods/services. (Note: When a joint venture involved more than two partners, it is called a consortium.)
- Setting up Foreign Subsidiaries and/or Branches
A firm may set up business in another country, an operation that is a mini-replica of its head office back home. It could be in the form of a subsidiary or a branch, with the main difference being
> A subsidiary is legally independent of its parent company (> 50%)
> A branch is wholly owned by the parent company (similar to parent company. Parent-look-a-like (100% owned))