Assignment - Strategy Decisions

For this individual assignment you are to make several strategy decisions for your company and write a report to your management team compiling the information you gather in each of the three parts.

In this situation you work for a mid-size US company that manufactures domestically and markets [you choose the product]. The company has no international manufacturing or vendors and does not outsource. You are to investigate the following scenarios:
Using the GlobalEDGE website (found on the Multimedia page) and other web resources, prepare a 4-5 page report evaluating the best alternatives.

Part 1:

Your management team is considering investing in a foreign country and has requested a report regarding the attractiveness of alternative countries based on the potential return of FDI. Accordingly, the ranking of the top 25 countries in terms of FDI attractiveness is a crucial ingredient for your report. A colleague mentioned a potentially useful tool called the "FDI Confidence Index" which is updated periodically.

Using this index (and other information you have gathered), make a recommendation to your management team of 5 possible countries for your company to make an investment in and why. You need to think about your product to make sure it will culturally adapt to these countries as well.

Part 2:

Management is using your recommendations and wants you to evaluate the specific countries for this direct investment.

They have decided to pursue international expansion opportunities in one of your five recommended countries.

To achieve economies of scale, management is aiming toward a strategy of minimum local adaptation.

Focusing on your five recommendations and using the Countries section of globalEDGE (select Countries on the main menu), prepare a summary that features those aspects of the product [you chose] where standardization will simply not work and adaptation to local conditions will be essential and why.

Using this information make a recommendation to your management team of which would be the best two countries to pursue and why (i.e. Standardized or localized adaption).

Part 3:

Due to the current global economic crisis, your management team would also like you to investigate exporting options to your five recommended countries. Since this would be a new venture for your company, you will need to research resources that provide guidance for companies that wish to expand their markets through exporting. globalEDGE provides information on companies that can export for you. Identify three such sources recommended by globalEDGE and provide a brief description of the services available for new exporters through each of these sources. Recommend one to your management team.