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The Strategy of International Business
Learning objectives
• Explain the concept of strategy.
• Recognize how firms can profit
from expanding globally.
• Understand how pressures for
cost reductions and pressures for
local responsiveness influence
strategic choice.
• Identify the different strategies
for competing globally and their
pros and cons.
In this chapter the focus shifts from the environment to the
firm itself and, in particular, to the actions managers can
take to compete more effectively as an international
business.
This chapter looks at how firms can increase their
profitability by expanding their operations in foreign
markets, the different strategies that firms pursue when
competing internationally, and the various factors that
affect a firm’s choice of strategy.
Subsequent chapters build on the framework established
here to discuss a variety of topics including the design of
organization structures and control systems for
international businesses, strategies for entering foreign
markets, the use and misuse of strategic alliances,
strategies for exporting, and the various manufacturing,
marketing, R&D, human resource, accounting, and
financial strategies that international businesses pursue.
The opening case explores the evolution of Avon’s
international strategy. Avon’s international sales dropped
significantly in 2005, but after making several changes to
its strategy, recent results have been much more
promising. The closing case describes how IBM changed
its strategy in foreign markets from a highly localized one
to a more globally integrated approach.
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Chapter 13 – The Strategy of International Business
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OUTLINE OF CHAPTER 13: THE STRATEGY OF INTERNATIONAL
BUSINESS
Opening Case: Avon Products
Introduction
Strategy and the Firm
Value Creation
Strategic Positioning
Operations: The Firm as a Value Chain
Global Expansion, Profitability and Growth
Expanding the Market: Leveraging Products and Competencies
Location Economies
Experience Effects
Leveraging Subsidiary Skills
Summary
Cost Pressures and Pressures for Local Responsiveness.
Pressures for Cost Reductions
Pressures for Local Responsiveness
Management Focus: Local Responsiveness at MTV Networks
Choosing a Strategy
Global Standardization Strategy
Localization Strategy
Transnational Strategy
International Strategy
The Evolution of Strategy
Management Focus: Vodafone in Japan
Management Focus: Evolution of Strategy at Proctor & Gamble
Chapter Summary
Critical Thinking and Discussion Questions
Closing Case: The Evolving Strategy at IBM
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CLASSROOM DISCUSSION POINT
Pick a few well-known international companies like McDonalds, Nokia, and MTV.
Then, ask students to think about the strategies each of the firms use.
Next, ask students to identify the type of industry each firm is operating in, and jot their
response on the board. Try to organize the responses using the framework presented in
the text.
Then, ask students to outline the basic strategies each firm uses, and organize their
responses using the framework on the board.
Finally, try to get students to recognize how each industry influences the type of strategy
each firm followed.
OPENING CASE: Avon Products
The opening case describes the evolution of Avon’s international strategy. The company,
which relies on foreign sales for some 70 percent of its total revenues, saw its sales drop
significantly beginning in 2005. The company, hurt by changes in regulations in China
and economic weakness in Eastern Europe, Russia, and Mexico, was forced to
completely revamp its international strategy. Thanks to the changes, Avon is now
beginning to see an uptick in sales and revenues. Discussion of the case can revolve
around the following questions:
1. How important are international sales to Avon? Why did the economic woes in
Eastern Europe, Russia, and Mexico in the mid-2000s create so many problems for
Avon? What does this tell you about the global economy and international strategy?
2. What type of strategy did Avon use prior to 2005? What type of strategy is Avon
following today?
3. What are the advantages of Avon’s new strategy? Why was it essential to change the
company’s strategy approach? Discuss the benefits of the new strategy, and also any
shortcomings it may have.
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LECTURE OUTLINE FOR CHAPTER
This lecture outline follows the Power Point Presentation (PPT) provided along with this
instructor’s manual. The PPT slides include additional notes that can be viewed by
clicking on “view”, then on “notes”. The following provides a brief overview of each
Power Point slide along with teaching tips, and additional perspectives.
Slides 13-3-13-5 Strategy and the Firm
How can firms compete more effectively internationally?
A firm’s strategy can be defined as the actions that managers take to attain the goals of
the firm.
Slides 13-6-13-8 Value Creation
If consumers perceive the value of a good to be much higher than the actual cost of
producing that good, profit margins will be higher. Porter emphasizes two basic strategies
to create value and attain competitive advantage: low cost strategy and differentiation
strategy.
Slides 13-9-13-11 Strategic Positioning
Not all positions on the efficiency frontier are viable. Firms must choose a strategic
position that is viable.
Slides 13-12-13-15 Global Expansion, Profitability, and Profit Growth
Expanding globally allows firms to increase their profitability and rate of profit growth in
ways not available to purely domestic enterprises.
Slides 13-16-13-17 Expanding the Market: Leveraging Products and Competencies
The success of firms that expand internationally depends on the goods or services they
sell, and on their core competencies (skills within the firm that competitors cannot easily
match or imitate).
Slides 13-18-13-19 Location Economies
Location economies are the economies that arise from performing a value creation
activity in the optimal location for that activity.
Slides 13-20-13-23 Experience Effects
Experience effects are systematic reductions in production costs over the life of the
product. The speed with which a firm moves down the experience curve will determine
how much advantage it has over its competitors
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Slide 13-24 Leveraging Subsidiary Skills
A global corporation can find vital skills developed in one foreign subsidiary and
leverage them in another part of the world. In order to take advantage of subsidiary skills
the company must have sophisticated processes that identify new skills that could be of
interest. Once these skills are identified, managers must have the capability to transfer
them elsewhere.
Managers need to keep in mind the complex relationship between profitability and profit
growth when making strategic decisions about pricing.
Slides 13-25-13-27 Cost Pressures and Pressures for Local Responsiveness
Firms that compete in the global marketplace typically face two types of competitive
pressures:
Slide 13-28 Pressures for Cost Reduction
International businesses often face pressures for cost reductions because of the
competitive global market.
Slides 13-29-13-30 Pressures for Local Responsiveness
Pressure for local responsiveness comes from differences in consumer tastes,
infrastructure, distribution channels, or host government demands.
Slides 13-31-13-36 Choosing a Strategy
There are four basic strategies to compete in the international environment:
• global standardization
• localization
• transnational
• international
The global standardization strategy focuses on increasing profitability and profit
growth by reaping the cost reductions that come from economies of scale, learning
effects, and location economies.
The localization strategy focuses on increasing profitability by customizing the firm’s
goods or services so that they provide a good match to tastes and preferences in different
national markets.
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The transnational strategy tries to simultaneously:
• achieve low costs through location economies, economies of scale, and
learning effects
The international strategy involves taking products first produced for the domestic
market and then selling them internationally with only minimal local customization.
Slides 13-37-13-38 The Evolution of Strategy
Strategy is an evolutionary process. Firms need to change their strategic approach as the
environment changes.
CRITICAL THINKING AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
QUESTION 1: In a world of zero transportation costs, no trade barriers, and nontrivial
differences between nations with regard to factor conditions, firms must expand
internationally if they are to survive. Discuss.
ANSWER 1: The theory of comparative advantage suggests that activities should take
place in the countries that can perform them most efficiently, given that different
countries are endowed with different factors of production. If there are no barriers or
For firms already located in the countries with the most favorable factor endowments for
their industry, however, there may not be a need to expand internationally at a certain
point in time. As factor endowments evolve, the firm may want to disperse its value–
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QUESTION 2: Plot the position of the following firms on Figure 13.6: Procter &
Gamble, IBM, Nokia, Coca Cola, Dow Chemicals, US Steel, and McDonald’s. In each
case justify your answer.
ANSWER 2: Most students will probably agree that Proctor & Gamble, Nokia, Coca
Cola, and McDonalds are facing pressures for localization as well as cost pressures. This
QUESTION 3: In what kind of industries does a localization strategy make sense? When
does a global standardization strategy make most sense?
ANSWER 3: A localization strategy makes sense when pressures for local
responsiveness are high. This situation is common when there are significant differences
in consumer tastes and preferences between markets, when differences in infrastructure
and traditional practices require customization, and when host government demands
QUESTION 4: Reread the Management Focus on Procter & Gamble, then answer the
following questions:
a) What strategy was Procter & Gamble pursuing when it first entered foreign markets in
the period up until the early 1980s?
b) Why do you think this strategy became less viable in the 1990s?
c) What strategy does Proctor & Gamble appear to be moving toward? What are the
benefits of this strategy? What are the potential risks associated with it?
ANSWER 4:
a) Many students will probably suggest that Procter & Gamble took a reactive approach
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b) Numerous factors prompted Procter & Gamble to change its strategy. Because of its
country-by-country approach to the market, the company had extensive duplication of
manufacturing, marketing, and administrative facilities that was driving up costs. In
addition, the retailers that the company relied on were operating globally and demanding
c) Today, Procter & Gamble is trying to take a transnational approach to markets. The
company has reorganized into business units, each responsible for its own profits. Each
QUESTION 5: What do you see as the main organizational problems that are likely to be
associated with implementation of a transnational strategy?
ANSWER 5: This is a student judgment question. Implementation difficulties include
communication issues, trust issues, multiple roles, flexibility and culture issues, among
CLOSING CASE: The Evolving Strategy at IBM
The closing case describes the changing international strategy at IBM. When IBM
initially began its foreign expansion, it took a highly localized approach to foreign
markets. Over time though, IBM shifted its approach to a more globally integrated
strategy that better fit with changing competitive conditions. A discussion of the case
can revolve around the following questions:
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QUESTION 1: In the 1970s and 1980s Palmisano states that IBM was organized as a
classic multinational enterprise. What does this mean? Why do you think IBM was
organized that way? What were the advantages of this kind of strategic orientation?
ANSWER 1: In 1972, IBM moved away from its international strategy where most
activities were undertaken in the United States and products were then sold through
QUESTION 2: By the 1990s the classic multinational strategic orientation was no longer
working well for IBM. Why not?
ANSWER 2: Over time, IBM’s multinational approach to strategy began to lose its
effectiveness forcing the company to develop a new strategy. Three major trends
QUESTION 3: What are the strategic advantages to IBM of its globally integrated
enterprise strategy? What kind of organizational changes do you think had to made at
IBM to make this strategy a reality?
ANSWER 3: IBM refers to its new strategy as a global integration approach. Under this
strategy, IBM has integrated operations both vertically and horizontally, located
operations in the optimal place where ever in the world that may be, and thinks of its
QUESTION 4: In terms of the strategic choice framework introduced in this chapter,
what strategy do you think IBM is pursuing today?
ANSWER 4: Most students will probably agree that IBM’s current strategy most closely
resembles the transnational approach to markets.
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INTEGRATING iGLOBES
There are several iGLOBE video clips that can be integrated with the material presented
in this chapter. In particular, you might consider the following:
Title: Detroit Carmakers Look To Expand Across The Globe
Run Time: 5:08
Abstract: This video examines the changes in the global auto industry over the last year,
and discusses where the industry is likely to be headed.
Key Concepts: globalization, competitive strategy, global competition, global
production, global economy, joint ventures, exports and imports, human resources
Notes: At the recent auto show in Detroit the atmosphere was calmer and more
restrained than in previous years, signaling the struggles that have challenged not only
automakers from the United States, but also those from other parts of the globe over the
last twelve months. Auto sales in the United States are down significantly from five
years ago when some 17 million vehicles were sold. Analysts anticipate sales in 2010 to
be just 11 or 11.5 million – a drop of some 40 percent. According to auto industry expert
Micheline Maynard of the New York Times, the global auto industry has changed forever.
It is no longer dominated by the Big Three. Today, U.S. manufacturers are playing a less
dominant role, and other companies are emerging as big players. China in particular
figures to play a key role in the future, both as a market and as a manufacturer.
Just ten or twenty years ago, China was largely ignored by most auto makers. Demand
for cars in China was low, and manufacturing took place elsewhere. Germany’s
Volkswagen was only auto maker to really make an effort in the market. Over time
however, other companies began to source parts and form production joint ventures with
Chapter 13 – The Strategy of International Business
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new CEOs who are likely to influence future directions for the firms. Chrysler is being
led by the head of Italian auto maker Fiat, while the new CEO at General Motors is an
industry outsider. However, given that the United States is still feeling the effects of the
recent recession, it seems probable that all three U.S. companies will be setting their
sights on foreign markets for growth, and that opportunities in China will be at the center
of their plans.
Discussion Questions:
1. Reflect on the changes in the global auto industry over the last year. How has the
power structure in the industry changed? What does this imply for the future?
2. Discuss the emergence of China as a player in the auto industry. What challenges do
you see for Chinese auto makers are they attempt to become more global players? How
do you think U.S. consumers will react to the presence of a Chinese auto maker?
3. Chrysler, which went through bankruptcy last year, is now being led by the former
head of Italian auto maker Fiat, Sergio Marchionne. Discuss how this change could
influence the nature of Chrysler. How might the management style of Marchionne differ
from the management style of previous Chrysler CEOs? How do you think Marchionne
will be received by other Chrysler executives?
4. Consider how the changes in the auto industry over the last few years are changing
patterns of global trade and investment. What new patterns are likely to emerge over the
next decade? Why is the Chinese market likely to be important for U.S. auto makers?
INTEGRATING VIDEOS
There are also several longer video clips that can be integrated with the material
presented in this chapter. In particular, you might consider the following from
International Business DVD Volume 6:
Title: Chinese Flavors for American Snacks
Learning Objectives
The purpose of this video is to help you:
❖ Explore cultural differences across markets.
❖ Identify how national culture influences firm strategy.
❖ Understand international marketing strategy.
❖ Recognize the impact of foreign companies on the host country.
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Key Words
❖ Culture
❖ Cultural change
❖ International marketing strategy
❖ Foreign direct investment
❖ First mover advantages
❖ Impact of the multinational company on the host country
❖ Globalization
Synopsis
The brands in the busy supermarket in Beijing may be recognizable to most Americans,
but the flavors certainly are not. Lays potato chips sold in Beijing are blueberry flavored
rather than sour cream and onion. Cheetos come in strawberry and milk, and Minute
Maid sells aloe juice instead of orange juice. American companies hoping to capitalize
on China’s $186 billion fast food and processed food market have entered the country en
masse. However, while they are selling the same brands they sell in the United States,
they have developed much different flavors in the hopes of better attracting Chinese
buyers.
Frito Lay recognized early on that Chinese taste buds were quite different from American
taste buds. Popular flavors in the United States did not appeal to Chinese consumers
prompting Frito Lay and other U.S. companies to research Chinese preferences and
develop products specifically for the local market. Accordingly, Tropicana sells
cantaloupe juice, Chips Ahoy cookies are orange flavored, and Wrigley’s sells Chinese
herbal medicine gum. Even toothpaste companies are selling products designed to tempt
Chinese consumers. Crest sells a lotus flower flavored product, while Colgate offers salt
flavored toothpaste. U.S. companies focused on the Chinese culture as a starting point
for developing new product flavors. Product researchers inspired by traditional Chinese
cooking came up new flavors like Szechuan spicy, sweet and sour tomato, and mango.
Pepsi Co’s Harry Hill points out that because the market is so competitive, new products
are being launched on a regular basis.
The same trend is changing the strategies of fast food companies in China. McDonald’s
has introduced purple taro pie, Starbucks sells drinks with jelly cubes on the bottom, and
spicy squid on a stick is available at Kentucky Fried Chicken. Analysts note that while
the flavor game may seem a bit outrageous to some, in China it is serious business. The
country will soon be if not the largest, the second largest consumer market in the world.
Companies need to ensure they are doing everything they can to capture a share of the
market.
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Discussion Questions
1. Discuss the implications of globalization on the food industry in China.
2. What makes China so attractive to U.S. food companies? Discuss why it is important
to gain market share in the country. How has Frito Lay approached the market?
3. Reflect on the standardization versus adaptation debate as it relates to marketing fast
food and processed food in China. Using the ‘4Ps’ of marketing, discuss how companies
should approach the market. Which elements in the marketing mix can be standardized?
Which elements must be adapted to suit local preferences?
4. How is Western culture influencing China’s culture? Discuss how companies like
Frito Lay and McDonald’s are contributing to this change. What are the implications of
this trend?
INCORPORATING globalEDGE™ EXERCISES
Use the globalEDGE™ site {http://globalEDGE.msu.edu/} to complete the following
exercises:
Exercise 1
The globalization of multinational corporations impacts the product and service choices
available to customers. As such, several classifications and rankings of multinational
corporations are prepared by a variety of sources. Find the Global 2000 rankings publish
by Forbes and identify the criteria used in evaluating top global companies. Extract the
ranking of the top 20 companies paying particular attention to the home countries,
industries, and asset level represented. Based on the data gathered, what generalizations
can you make?
Exercise 2
The top management of your company, a manufacturer and marketer of wireless devices,
has decided to pursue international expansion opportunities in Africa. In order to achieve
some economies of scale, your strategy is to minimize local adaptation. Focusing on the
African country of your choice, prepare an executive summary that features aspects of the
product where standardization will simply not be possible, and adaptation to local
conditions will be essential.
Chapter 13 – The Strategy of International Business
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Answers to the Exercises
Exercise 1
The Forbes 2000 listing is readily available and listed below. Use the “Global 2000”
search term to locate the resource at http://globaledge.msu.edu/ResourceDesk/. Also, this
Exercise 2
The country specific information can be found in the Country Insights section of
globalEDGE. Both summary and detailed information regarding each country can be
accessed by using the drop-down menu on the right, or by clicking the “Africa” link. For