Question

For the final project, you will have to write a paper covering a company that you have not

yet researched in this course. The “non-U.S. company” requirement still applies (see p.
6).
Pick a specific aspect of a company’s international business (value chain, or political
strategy, or dealing with culture/institutions, or any other aspect of IB) and research this
question in depth and breadth.
For example, if you pick the company’s political strategies in different markets, you
should compare the company’s political approaches in different markets, explain why
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they make (or don’t make) sense, and suggest ways to improve the company’s political
strategies in future for short-term and long-term success in international business.
If you study the value chain, you should describe it in detail, build a diagram showing the
creation of value along the various parts of the value chain (see Apple’s value chain in
class 1), explain why it makes sense, and predict future changes in the value chain based
upon the global developments and trends.
If you consider the cultural/institutional dimension, you should dive into
cultural/institutional differences among markets (using Hofstede and GLOBE studies),
look at other cultural differences that cannot be reduced to Hofstede and GLOBE, study
institutional differences among markets, and explain how all of these cultural/institutional
differences affect (or should affect) the company’s approaches to marketing, HR,
strategy, and other core aspects of business.

Answer 1

To examine a company's international business for a project, focus on specific aspects like political strategies, value chain, or cultural influences, using appropriate analytical models. Recognize the effect of multinationals on global issues and examine the intricacies of international political economy as it relates to the company's operations.

When analyzing a non-U.S. multinational corporation for a school project, it is important to consider specific aspects of the company's international business.

If exploring the company's political strategies in different markets, one should compare these approaches, assess their effectiveness, and suggest improvements.

Alternatively, investigating the value chain would involve a detailed description and a diagram of the process, explanation of its efficiency, and predictions about future changes. ]

For those interested in cultural and institutional dimensions, it is essential to consider the impact of these differences on various business operations, using frameworks like Hofstede and GLOBE for analysis.

Understanding the influence of multinational corporations on politics, workers, and the environment in developing countries, as well as the broader impact of globalization on labor worldwide, is crucial.

Moreover, it's significant to examine the types of groups and institutions in politics and the central themes in international relations and globalization.

Observations and analyses of local cultures can also provide insightful context for a company's international business operations, as can an awareness of the international political economy, which examines the influence of political decisions on economics.

Lastly, when researching the company's value chain, it's of interest how specialization and fragmentation of production processes contribute to international trade dynamics and economic gains.