Chapter 10: Entering Foreign Markets
The countries that are the richest are among those that are easiest to do business but
b. If you were thinking of expanding your firm’s operations, you would probably wish
to go where it is easier to do business and where income is higher. Furthermore, at
least some of the poorest countries might like to have your firm expand into them to
help lift income. If such is the case, why don’t they simply make it easier to do
business? What do you think?
Explanations may vary but the values prevailing within countries and cultures may be a
c. Although at present the United States is regarded as one of the easier countries for
doing business, do you think that the long-term trend is for it to become even easier
or to become more difficult? Why?
CRITICAL DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1. Pick an industry in which firms from your country are internationally active. What are the
top five most favorite foreign markets for firms in that industry? Why?
The specific choices will depend on the student’s home country. Even students from the
2. From institution-based and resource-based views, identify the liability of foreignness
confronting MNEs from emerging economies interested in expanding overseas. How can
such firms overcome them?
This is a question in which the answer is not as important as the thought process and the
ability to clearly articulate. The institution-based view suggests that firms need to take
ON ETHICS: Entering foreign markets, by definition, means not investing in a firm’s home
country. For example, Nissan closed factories in Japan and added a new factory in the United
States. GM shut down factories at home but kept them open in Europe. What are the ethical
dilemmas here?
You should start out by asking students whether there is truly an ethical dilemma. Within
the United States firms will sometimes shut down an operation in one part of the country
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