Questions and Answers of International Management

Form small groups, and find evidence of how and why the food and beverage industry forms global strategic alliances.
In addition to the airline industry, find examples of successful global strategic alliances. What industries can you find? Which industries are not involved in global strategic alliances?
In your groups, choose two cultures with which you are familiar.What are some variables that would make it potentially difficult for successful strategic implementation?
A serious challenge in successfully implementing strategy across borders is corruption. Corruption is complex and takes on many forms.In your groups, discuss:What is corruption?What are its
When the German global sportswear brand PUMA redesigned its standalone store in Bengaluru, India, expectations were high. The brand is hugely popular in India and is surging forward with a powerful
What variables are important to take into account when designing an international organizational structure?
Provide examples of why a firm would need to make structural changes over time.
Under what conditions would a company decide to form an international division? What are the advantages of organizing under a global product (divisional) structure with strategic business units
What are the strategic incentives for setting up a dual headquarters structure?
Why do firms employ global teams in their organization?
What role does technology play in a networked structure?
What considerations should managers take into account when designing control systems for global operations?
What is the role of information systems and what are the challenges companies face when comparing data from foreign affiliates?
How a company is organized is important in order to deliver on strategy. Companies adjust their organization to reflect their industry, size, technology, and competitive environment, and
Consider how managers choose what metrics they need to include on their dashboard. While we know that what gets measured gets managed, a lot of data can be overwhelming.In your groups, discuss the
An important part of a management information system is knowledge management. Discuss what types of knowledge companies share. What is explicit knowledge? What is tacit knowledge?
In groups of five, choose two global companies that are in different industries. From their website and/or annual report, gather information that reflects non-financial performance standards. How
Evaluating the performance of subsidiary managers involves a number of variables, and comparing the data that reflects ROI is very complex. One such variable involves transfer pricing.In your
The race to stay on top of technological trends and ward off new competitors is prompting some unlikely alliances and collaborations in the automotive market. One of the largest alliances is Ionity,
While the term “war for talent” is not new, it has become particularly pertinent in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Why is this so?
Not until fairly recently was IHRM considered to be a strategic function. What has brought about a change?
What are some global mobility trends when staffing for global operations?
In staffing emerging market subsidiaries, many companies choose to fill key managerial positions with home country staff.What are the advantages and disadvantages to this approach?
What are the three major global mindset attributes to be aware of for successful expatriate selection? What personality characteristics are the most important?
In addition to managing expatriate employees, what other functions are important responsibilities for IHR to address?
Companies that invest in cross-cultural training can avoid costly mistakes in a failed expatriate assignment. What are some common reasons for insufficient predeparture training?
What does IHRM take into account when working on compensating expatriates?
What kind of training should companies be offering to recruit and develop local management talent, particularly in emerging markets?
Look up the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Read Goal 5 on gender equality. To become more gender inclusive, in recent years, many companies have changed how they hire. Find examples of companies
One reason for expatriate assignment failure—an employee’s premature return from an international assignment—is culture shock. What is culture shock? Provide some examples of culture shock
Imagine that you are to prepare a repatriation plan for a manager returning home to your country following the completion of a foreign assignment. What points should you consider in order to avoid
In addition to financial compensation, what other variables can play a role in compensation that an IHRM can leverage in emerging markets? Provide examples from different cultures.
In groups of five, discuss how the HR organization contributes to business results. What skills should HR leaders demonstrate?
What are the three primary challenges mobile managers experience (refer to the Cartus survey, 2018), and how can human resources support managers who are crossing national borders?
Why have companies experienced an increasing importance in supporting spouses? What initiatives should they take in offering support?
What is knowledge transfer? Give some examples of knowledge areas where expatriates can contribute their knowledge back to headquarters.
Why is a globally experienced management cadre considered an essential ingredient for global competitiveness?
As a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies were compelled to work remotely. Provide examples of how virtual meetings have affected communication amongst workers.
How does a global management team help a company to coordinate host country and cross-border business?
What are some leadership behaviors that are most important to enhance performance, and are most frequently embraced by women (refer to the McKinsey survey)?
Host-country labor relations are an important part of the IHRM job. What are some examples of labor relations that affect the manager’s job and effectiveness?
Many MNCs choose divergent labor practices, rather than convergent, and adapt their HR policies to local conditions.Find examples of companies that have been accused of running sweatshops and
For decades, labor union membership has been on the decline in most developed nations. What are the reasons for this and how could labor unions increase their memberships?
Divide your group in two camps. One side should debate the merits of closing the gender gap by enforcing laws, such as quotas. The other side should argue that the change should happen organically
With three school-age children, the youngest of whom was just seven, the Dupont family was nervous about their proposed relocation from Paris, France to Singapore. The move represented an opportunity
Cross-cultural research on motivation is very nuanced and addresses many variables. What does it mean when a culture is described as tight? What is a loose culture?
What are some generalized cross-cultural assumptions about motivation? Consider Hofstede’s dimensions.
Explain the concepts Meaning of Work (MOW) and work centrality. How are they manifested in culture?
Rather than traditional, culturally conditioned modes of leadership, today’s successful global leaders need to have a“global mindset.” How does a global mindset compare to a traditional
The effective global leader should be able to inspire and influence the thinking, attitudes, and behavior of people.Why is this such an important part of the leadership role?
The effective global leader has several important, yet sometimes conflicting roles. In addition to the role as a representative of the parent firm, what are some other roles?
How can Hofstede’s power dimension help managers to better understand leader-subordinate expectations and relationships?
Provide examples of leadership styles that are respected and admired in leaders in various cultures.
Leadership in the digital world is different in many ways.What are some of the demands that a digital platform places on leaders in leading their employees?
No leadership style work well in all situations; so how should the international leader prepare to be effective in other cultures?
Look at the MOW research on what people value about work and what needs their jobs satisfied. Do you think that working from home will be added as an insight, post COVID-19?
According to Hofstede, what kind of leadership style do employees in countries that rank high on power distance prefer?What about low power distance rankings? Where does your country fit in?
Themed dress-up days, pajama days, and dress-down Fridays are not uncommon in the United States. Find examples of where this concept exists in other cultures, or not.
In addition to the examples in the text, find three examples of leadership styles in other countries. Where are their similarities and why?
Some cultures are not comfortable saying “no” to their leader.Find examples and explain why this is so. Conversely, which cultures find it easier to say “no”?
Form groups of four. Each member should identify a leader and interview them about their leadership style. Are their answers based on their own assessment? Employee surveys? A professional coach?
Look up the most recent work on the GLOBE project. What does it say about your country? Are there geographic clusters in your region? Why or why not?
Alicia Clegg March 30, 2017 As the appetite for cross-border deals increases, business schools are mining insights from corporate couplings that prospered against the odds, in the hope that they hold
On November 20, 2016, Rainer Gärtner, chief executive officer(CEO) of Daimler Trucks and Buses China Ltd. (DTBC), the Chinese heavy-duty segment of multinational automobile manufacturer Daimler AG
The artists who come to us often have no idea what it is like to be part of an organization like ours, because there is no other organization like Cirque!. Even though we have a lot of really smart
“[. . .] not all companies succumb to corruption. The Swedish furniture retailer IKEA has steadfastly refused to bribe Russian officials.” 2—ALEXANDER HILL, PRESIDENT EMERITUS OF INTERVARSITY
Describe the recent effects of financial globalization on the world economy. What actions have governments taken to offset negative effects? Are they working?
Explain what is meant by the economic risk of a nation. Use a specific country as an example. Can economic risk in this country be anticipated? How? How does economic instability affect other nations?
In groups of three, represent a consulting firm. You have been hired by a diversified multinational corporation to advise on the political and economic environment in different countries. The company
There are risks and rewards for all in a global economy. The globalization of human capital results in a range of winners and losers around the world: companies and their stockholders, consumers,
Do some research to determine the codes of conduct of two familiar companies. Compare the issues that they cover and share your findings with the class. After several students have presented their
Consider the ethical dilemmas in the following situation and decide what you would do. Then meet in small groups of students and come to a group consensus. Discuss your decisions with the class. You
In 2005 Nike returned to reporting on its social and environmental practices after a couple of years of silence due to legal concerns. The sports and clothing company is very important to countries
Describe the four dimensions of culture proposed by Hofstede. What are the managerial implications of these dimensions? Compare the findings with those of Trompenaars and the GLOBE project team.
Develop a cultural profile for one of the countries in the following list. Form small groups of students and compare your findings in class with those of another group preparing a profile for another
A large Baltimore manufacturer of cabinet hardware had been working for months to locate a suitable distributor for its products in Europe. Finally invited to present a demonstration to a reputable
Bill Nugent, an international real estate developer from Dallas, had made a 2:30 p.m. appointment with Mr. Abdullah, a high-ranking government official in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. From the beginning
Tom Forrest, an up-and-coming executive for a U.S. electronics company, was sent to Japan to work out the details of a joint venture with a Japanese electronics firm. During the first several weeks,
There are thousands of Australians, both individually and as members of organizations, who share trade and education with Indonesia as do New Zealanders. Yet, though geographically part of Asia,
Explain the differences between monochronic and polychronic time systems. Use some examples to illustrate their differences and the role of time in intercultural communication.
Discuss the role of social media in global business communication.
Interview a faculty member or a businessperson who has worked abroad. Ask him or her to identify factors that facilitated or inhibited adaptation to the host environment. Ask whether more preparation
Form two or three pairs to enact skits—separately—in front of the class and then ask your class for feedback and to guess where you are from.Each person in each pair decides on a different
The Brazilian sun beat down steadily on the tarmac outside as Alessandro Silva and Agosto Ventura stood inside the São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport. They were awaiting the arrival of two
Explain how objective versus subjective perspectives influence the decision-making process. What role do you think this variable has played in all the negotiations conducted and decisions made by
As Facebook filed for its IPO (initial public offering—symbol FB) on the stock market in February 2012 (from which the above quote was taken), investors questioned the company’s ability to
In small groups, discuss among yourselves and then debate with the other groups the relative merits of the alternative entry strategies for the company and countries you chose in Exercise 1. You
For this exercise, research (individually or in small groups) a company with international operations and find out the kinds of entry strategies the firm has used. Present the information you find,
A search engine is designed in such a way to actually find useful information on the World Wide Web (WWW) and file transfer protocol (FTP) servers. In technical terms, the search queries and their
Research some recent joint ventures with foreign companies situated in Russia or China. How are they doing? Bring your information to class for discussion. What is the climate for foreign investors
The Nokia-Microsoft strategic alliance was announced in early 2011 to cooperate in the development of smartphones. The Wall Street Journal wrote: “Nokia calls Microsoft for help.” The Financial
What variables have to be considered in designing the organizational structure for international operations? How do these variables interact, and which do you think are most important?
If you have personal access to a company with international operations, try to conduct some interviews and find out about the personal interactions involved in working with the organization’s
Find out about a foreign company with an IJV in the United States. Google some articles, email the company for information, and if possible visit the company and ask questions. Present your findings
The above statements truly reflect HSBC Holdings’ (hereafter HSBC) massive and distinct operations in 2012 that maintained 89 million customers worldwide. Originally known as Hong Kong Shanghai
Make a list of the reasons you would want to accept a foreign assignment and a list of reasons you would want to reject it. Do they depend on the location? Compare your list with a classmate and
Research a company with operations in several countries and ascertain the staffing policy used for those countries. Find out what kinds of training and preparation are provided for expatriates and
This can be done in groups or individually. After the exercise, discuss your proposals with the rest of the class. You are the expatriate general manager of a British company’s subsidiary in
Well, it’s my job that brought us here in the first place … I am going to have to make a decision to stick with this assignment and hope I can work things out, or to return to the United States
Form groups of six students, divided into two teams, one representing union members from a German company and the other representing union members from a Mexican company. These companies have

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