Although the lowering of trade barriers made the globalization of markets and production a theoretical possibility, technological change made it a tangible reality. How have changes in technology contributed to the globalization of markets and of production? Would the globalization of production and markets have been possible without these technological changes? How does technology create global opportunity?
A democratic political system is an essential condition for sustained economic progress. What are your thoughts? Do you agree? Why or why not?
Under what conditions is it ethically defensible to outsource production to a developing world where labor costs are lower when such actions also involve laying off long-term employees in the firm's home country?
What are the potential costs of adopting a free trade regime? Do you think government should do anything to reduce these costs? Why?
How might the political ideology of a host government influence the process of negotiating access between the host government and a foreign MNE? In what ways or for what reasons might a country encourage or discourage FDI because of its ideology?
What are the economic and political arguments for regional economic integration? Given these arguments, why don't we see more integration in the world economy?
Go to the Toys "R" Us sites for both the United States (www.toysrus.com) and the United Kingdom (www.toysrus.co.uk) and try to identify price differences between markets. As a consumer, do you have the right to demand equal prices? Why? As a company, how should you respond to complaints regarding pricing structures?
The standard IMF policy prescribes tight monetary policy and reduced government spending for developing nations experiencing a currency crisis. Is this always the right course of action? If there was an alternate approach, how would it affect international businesses?
Do the Internet and international e-commerce change the choice of using a transnational strategy that has historically been successful for firms expanding globally? Would it make a difference if a firm relied heavily on traditional business channels versus just e-commerce?
From the perspective of a domestic firm, what are the advantages and disadvantages of licensing the rights to the company's production process and trademark to a firm in a foreign country? What are some of the ways that a firm can reduce the risk of losing its proprietary know-how to foreign companies through licensing agreements?
How might a company make strategic use of countertrade schemes as marketing weapons to generate export sales revenues? What are the risks associated with pursuing such a strategy?
What are make-or-buy decisions? What are the advantages of make versus buy and visa versa? Are
Within 20 years we will have seen the emergence of enormous global markets for standardized consumer products. Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?
What is the link between an international business's strategy and its human resource management policies, particularly with regard to the use of expatriate employees and their pay scales?