International Business Commons^™

Andreas Nobis : The Global Manager In Indiainterview With Andreas Nobis, Janat Shah, Raghavan Srinivasan

IIMB Management Review

Andreas Nobis is Managing Director, MICO, a member of the Bosch Group. His long association with Bosch began in1980, when he  joined the Internal Audit Department in Germany. He has been Managing Director, Robert Bosch, Turkey; and has held the posts of Executive Vice President in the Human Resources and Controlling and Finance departments in the Communication Technology sector of Bosch, before becoming its President in 1998. Since then, he has been on special assignments for the Board of Management, Bosch, before joining Mico in end 1999. In these times that are tough on the manufacturing industry, Nobis spoke to …

Determinants Of Electronic Data Interchange Adoption In International Buyer -Supplier Communications, Jose V. Gavidia

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

In spite of the increased interest in supply chain management in recent years, few studies have examined the adoption of the technologies that facilitate information flows along the supply chain. Information flows have been shown to have a positive effect on economic efficiency and supply chain partner satisfaction. The adoption and use of information technologies to communicate with suppliers can also stimulate small business growth and foster regional economic development.

This dissertation develops and empirically tests a model of the determinants of the adoption of interorganizational information systems, specifically electronic data interchange (EDI), between buyers and suppliers in international supply …

Feeling The Heat Of Human Rights Branding: Bringing Transnational Corporations Within The International Human Rights Fence, Robert Mccorquodale

Human Rights & Human Welfare

A review of:

Human Rights Standards and the Responsibility of Transnational Corporations edited by Michael K. Addo. The Hague: Kluwer Law International, 1999. 384pp.

Labyrinths: Peculiarities Of Industrial Marketing In India, V Kishore Kumar

IIMB Management Review

A few years ago, the Marketing Director of Lube-Alloy1, an American company specializing in lubricants, visited India. His objective — was to get an order for a special lubricant developed by his company for heavy earth moving machinery. For one month, he shuttled between offices of machinery manufacturers, headquarters of mining companies, their subsidiaries, mining projects, offices of oil companies and government offices. A month after he set foot in India, he hadn’t obtained even a trial order for his lubricant.

Non-Oil Exports Promotion. Concepts, Issues And Prospects., Kola D.

Bullion

The most recent data available on the structure of the Nigerian ^ economy are those for year 2000, which reflect the current structure and the main features of the economy. (see Annex 1) They indicate that the agricultural sector accounted for 41 .5o/o of the nation's GDP, while manufacturing contributed 5.95%, finance and insurance, 9.59%, crude petroleum, 10.42%, wholesale and retail trade, 11.58%, and government services 9.35%. It is a well-known fact that primary non-oil products dominated Nigeria's export trade and formed the bedrock of her economy in pre and immediate post-independence era. The issues discussed include the definition of …

Risk, Return And Integration In Latin American Equity Markets, Eduardo Enrique Sandoval

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

There has been an increasing interest in studying the cross sectional relationship between systematic risk (as measured by beta) and return due to the inability of unconditional models to explain this relationship and the empirical contradictions found for the Sharpe-Lintner-Black CAPM model. Extant research on developed stock markets shows a significant relationship between beta and return when it is conditional to up and down markets. However, whether these results apply to Latin American equity markets is an issue that has not been previously studied.

With this in mind, this dissertation pursues two main objectives: (1) to analyze whether unconditional or …

Emerging Trends In External Reserve Management, Nnadi C. Ben

Bullion

This paper tries to identify some of the main trends in central Banks reserve management in recent years. lt describes some significant changes, which have taken place, with regard to the objectives and investment policies of central banks, while pointing out some elements that could noticeably slow or even reverse the trends identified. The study reveals reserve management has continued to evolve broadly in the areas of securitisation, return maximization, use of derivates and performance measurement. Secondly, in response to the increasing volatility of financial variables, central banks have at the same time continued to place emphasis on liquidity constraints.

Foreign Country Priorities In The Internationalization Process: A Measure And An Exploratory Test On British Firms, Timothy Adrian Robert Clark, Derek S. Pugh

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

After a critical analysis of the psychic distance aspect of the Uppsala model of internationalization and empirical studies to test it, this paper proposes a measure to enable comparison between target foreign countries in the priority given them in the internationalization process. An International Priority Index is developed for each target country, and used as the dependent variable in a model to analyze the effects of the independent variables of size of market, affluence of market, geographical distance and cultural distance on foreign country priority choice of home country firms. The measure and the model are given a first test …

Fundamental Approach To Exchange Rate Modeling: Toward An Augmented Theory Of Purchasing Power Parity, Jianzhou Zhu

Doctoral Dissertations

In this dissertation, I test the homogeneity and symmetry conditions of PPP by applying the Johansen multivariate cointegration methodology to quarterly data for six countries. I perform the tests in the framework of both a traditional version and an augmented version of PPP. The results of tests on the traditional version of PPP reveal that in all cases the theoretical PPP-vector [1, 1, −1] is not contained in the cointegrating space. This finding is consistent with that of existing literature and indicates the empirical failure of the homogeneity and symmetry conditions of PPP. However, when the traditional PPP is augmented …

Business Strategies In Transition Economies By M W Peng, Internationa L Business Series, Sage, 2000, Pp 322, Price: $29.95., D Sampath

IIMB Management Review

Most theories on strategy have originated from the western world, which presupposes the existence of a certain type of institutional support existing in the economy. The "core competence" of Prahl ad and Hammel, Porter's vision of competitive dynamics, and Krishna Palepu's theory on non-applicability of focussed strategies for emerging economies have unfortunately been regarded as globally applicable by academics and practitioners alike. Culture specificity of a nation, which may be under transition, and the need to reorient the strategies with culture as one of the key variables has either been ignored or scoffed at. However, it is becoming increasingly clear …

Economic Impacts Of Nafta And Transfer Pricing Legislation Along The United States-Mexico Border, Alton Henry Cook Jr.

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Economic theory predicts that small economies benefit most from regional economic integration. There is ample anecdotal evidence of the NAFTA economic benefit for Mexico in the post-Treaty expansion, both in size and number, of the many maquiladora manufacturing plants established from Matamoros to Tijuana. The U.S. is the large economy in the NAFTA regional integration arrangement. Have the Treaty economic benefits also extended to the large economy in this tripartite agreement? Employing trade data before and after NAFTA, the dissertation investigates the economic impact resulting from the Treaty for the U.S. as a whole and its sub-regions. The other purpose …

An Instance Of The Trade Between The United States And Latin America Applied To The Playground Industry, Nathalie Sandra Labre

Theses Digitization Project

This project presents the marketing strategy that should be developed in order to be successful in the Latin American market. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the market's opportunities and threats linked to the customers/consumers expectations by using the SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis.

Selecting International Modes Of Entry And Expansion, Gregory E. Osland, Charles R. Taylor, Shaoming Zou

Scholarship and Professional Work - Business

Selecting a mode for entering or expanding in a foreign market is a crucial strategic decision for an international firm. This article identifies and compares the most influential factors that affect the international modes of entry and expansion decisions of US and Japanese firms. Using mail surveys, this is one of the first studies on this subject to collect data from top executives in both Japan and the USA. Findings reveal that the Japanese are particularly sensitive to external risk and other target market factors. For Americans, company factors, such as international experience, appear to be most important when selecting …

Export Performance Of Malaysian Frozen Shrimp Industry Against Selected Asean Countries, Chai Fong Lim

Student Works (2000-2009)

The recent liberalisation of trade in A SEAN has promoted more regional trade in shrimp among the ASEAN countries as well as trade with countries outside the region. An important issue arising from the liberalisation of trade concerns the increased pressure of competition and direct rivalry among Malaysia and the other ASEAN countries for the export of shrimps in the international markets. This paper analyses the export performance and competitiveness of Malaysian frozen shrimp against three other ASEAN countries, that is Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand, in the Japanese market. Four different methods, namely constant­ market-share analysis, shift-share analysis, revealed …

Market Interdependence; Gold Bullion, S&P500, Mining Company Adr’S And Underlying Security Markets, Roberto Curci, Robert A. Clark, Cynthia J. Brown

Scholarship and Professional Work - Business

The internationalization of equity markets appears to be associated with a level of interdependence and transmission of stock price movements across national markets. This study examines the responses of international and ADR securities common stimulus. The study analyzes the equity price behavior of companies engaged in the production of such companies which are cross-listed in U.S. equity markets through ADRs and in underlying economic markets.

European Banking After The Euro: Progress And Problems, William K. Templeton, Robert Clark

Scholarship and Professional Work - Business

The introduction of the euro has presented the European banking industry with an opportunity to examine its structure and address its fragmentation. The leaders in European banking will evolve as the efficiencies in a single currency are realized. This article discusses the changes in European banking since the introduction of the euro, providing statistics on mergers and acquisitions and their effects on assets both inside and outside the eurozone. It considers the factors which make cross-border mergers less attractive, the effect of consolidation on costs, and the impact of the euro on foreign exchange earnings, debt markets and cash management …

An International Comparison Of Taxation Of Married Individuals: Is The "Marriage Tax" Unique To The United States?, Ralph Fritzsch, Neal Matthys, Arthur Andersen, Neal Vazante

Mountain Plains Journal of Business and Technology

The "marriage penalty" or "marriage tax" is a topic of considerable current interest. The purposes of this paper are to provide an explanation and brief example of the "marriage tax," a brief history of how it become part of the US tax code, and a comparison of how marital status affects tax liability in three other English speaking countries (Canada, England, and Australia) with progressive income taxes similar to the US.

International Corporate Governance, Diane K. Denis, John J. Mcconnell

Purdue CIBER Working Papers

We survey two generations of research on corporate governance systems around the world, concentrating on countries other than the United States. The first generation of international corporate governance research is patterned after the US research that precedes it. These studies examine individual governance mechanisms – particularly board composition and equity ownership – in individual countries. The second generation of international corporate governance research considers the possible impact of differing legal systems on the structure and effectiveness of corporate governance and compares systems across countries.

Transnational Strategy At Nestle : A Focus On Nestle Malaysia, Pin Tat Keh

Student Works (2000-2009)

Nestle is one of the few multinational companies that adopts the transnational strategy to pursue its global competitiveness. In Nestle Malaysia, it is no different with great focus on product innovation and cost leadership a real challenge to the management. With the advent of trade liberalisation upon the implementation of AFTA and WTO, it is inevitable that Nestle Malaysia should focus on its core competencies and build on its strengths as designated by the Asian Zone Management, that is to be a regional player of Milo and infant cereals In order to consolidate and build on its dominant market share …

Developing An Effective Marketing Strategy For Petlin (Ldpe), Ramu Shankar

Student Works (2000-2009)

Malaysian International Trading Corporation (MITCO), a fully owned subsidiary of Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS) has been appointed to market the Low Density Polyethylene (LOPE) of PETRONAS's share to be produced by PETRONAS's joint-venture petrochemical plant called PETLIN. The plant would be on-stream (in production) at the end of the year 2001. A continued rapid growth in the low-density polyethylene (LOPE) market has been expected globally for the next 4 to 5 years although competition is being encountered from other resins such as polypropylene in the important consumer and industrial packaging market. The growing concern is that the impact of this …

The Impact Of Selective Capital Controls On The Malaysian Economy, Tengku Rethwan Tengku Mansor

Student Works (2000-2009)

The capital control policy adopted by Malaysia is a radical approach towards restoring its battered economy during the financial crisis of 1997. Such stance was taken by the Malaysian government to combat currency speculators from causing further damage to its economy as the earlier IMF-like prescription had failed. It may be an unpopular approach especially, to the advocates of the free market, nevertheless it provides an alternative solution for other countries to emulate in the event of facing such onslaught on their currency. It is also hoped that this study will serve as a reference on the subject of selective …

Money Attitude And Compulsive Buying Behaviour Among Urban Malaysians, Boon Chui Teo

Student Works (2000-2009)

This paper seeks to explore the attitude of urban Malaysians towards money, Ethnic and gender differences on their money attitude were examined. In addition to exploring money attitude, compulsive buying, a specific aspect of abnormal consumer buying was investigated. Specifically, the intent of this study is to examine the extent to which money attitude influence compulsive buying. This study involved 270 respondents from the urban areas in the Klang Valley and Kuala Lumpur and was conducted using survey approach to a convenient sample of consumers. Gresham and Fontenot's Money Attitude Scale ( 1989) and later modified to reflect money behaviour …

The Competitiveness Of Malaysia Palm Oil Export By The Year 2005, Wee Chen Liew

Student Works (2000-2009)

The palm oil production in Malaysia has been on the increased trend since it was first commercially produced. In the last 10 years its contribution towards Malaysia GDP also is shadowing the trend of the production and export. Malaysia palm oil industry is getting more competitive in recent years. Indonesia, the second largest producing country is posing a huge threat to Malaysia with their vast land and cheaper labor. Hence, it is crucial to understand the competitiveness of Malaysia palm oil industry in relation to Indonesia as well as other major oils and fats producing country. Porter Five factor analysis …

The Impact Of Foreign Direct Investment On Manufacturing Growth In Malaysia, Ah Hoon Lee

Student Works (2000-2009)

It is generally perceived that FDI (foreign direct investment) plays an important role in economic development especially in the industrialisation process in Malaysia. The extent of FDI's contribution to manufacturing growth remains uncertain. By using econometric models, this study attempts to analyse the impact of FDI on manufacturing output, manufacturing exports, manufacturing imports and manufacturing employment generation. The empirical results showed that the impact of FDI on manufacturing output growth is not as critical as expected. However, a positive link emerges where an increase in FDI flows will increase the output growth in the next period. The study revealed that …

Opportunities For Competitive Strategy In The Malaysia's Food Industry, Kieng Yii Ng

Student Works (2000-2009)

Competition among the food industries in the local and international environment is intensifying with the opening up of the market and the growing trends towards a wider acceptance of different foods as people and products are crossing the border more freely today. In general, market trends tend to cascade down from the more developed countries to the developing countries. With this in mind, this study started with the scanning of the environment in the global market with emphasis on the food trends in developed countries namely European Union, United States and Japan. This exploratory research used mainly secondary data. With …

Issues Raised In Cross-Border Mergers, Karen Cascini, Abdel M. Agami

WCBT Faculty Publications

There has been a significant increase in the number and value of cross-border mergers among multinational businesses in recent years. Some of the reasons for this increase are due to an increase in competition, the growth in global markets, and the rapid changes in technology. In order to justify a merger, management usually claims that the merger will produce synergy. It claims that the merger will increase revenues, earnings, cash flows, the value of stockholders' equity, and will benefit society. The purpose of this article is to discuss some of the issues involved in cross-border mergers among multinational businesses, suggest …

Enslaved To Fashion: Corporations, Consumers, And The Campaign For Worker Rights In The Global Economy, George Demartino

Human Rights & Human Welfare

A review of Levi’s Children: Coming to Terms with Human Rights in the Global Marketplace by Karl Schoenberger. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2000. 288pp.

Levi’s Children presents a sobering account of the tribulations of a transnational corporation with a heart trying its best to navigate honorably the polluted moral waters of the global economy. San Francisco-based Levi Strauss and Company, maker of the iconic Levi’s jeans and other apparel, sought to maintain a commitment to social responsibility in the face of intensifying financial pressures to do otherwise. Author Karl Schoenberger puts this account to good effect, illuminating the extraordinary …

Chapter 10: Upper-Middle-Class Politics And Policy Outcomes: Does Class Identity Matter?, Herman L. Boschken

Faculty Publications, School of Management

This chapter in Clark and lipset's book on class in American politics resulted from a multi-day workshop at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars in the summer of 1999. The piece reverses the normal causality of class politics. It does not analyze citizens in elections, but government officials creating policies. It asks why policies differ across localities (specifically public transit decisions in 42 U.S. metropolitan areas). It probes how some government officials work with an "upper-middle-class" citizenry in mind, while others do so less. The chapter then tests for differences across localities and finds quite distinct patterns. The chapter …

Investigating The Effect Of The International Stock Indexes On The United States Stock Index Futures, Zehlha Illhan Ertuna

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

The futures market is used extensively for price discovery, arbitrage, and hedging. Since their introduction in the 1980's, the stock index futures have also become an active market and a very important research area. Any additional knowledge to understand the underlying effects on the index will help both investors and researchers. In this study, I examine the role of informational flow from the world's major stock markets (British, French, German, Japanese) to the U.S. futures market in terms of forming expectations, and offer new insights regarding the informational efficiency of the futures markets in an intenational perspective. State space modeling …

From Ambivalence To Activism: Australia And The Negotiation Of The 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Christopher Hubbard

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This Dissertation presents a study of Australia's involvement in the negotiation and early interpretation of the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), an instrument which remains the most important global nuclear arms control measure in international law. Using data from recently released Australian government documents, the study analyses the process by which Australia was transformed from an ambivalent nuclear sceptic within the Western alliance, into a steadfast global campaigner against the spread of nuclear weapons. It concludes that Australia's urgent search during 1967 and 1968 for coherence in its policy on nuclear weapons acquisition, largely played out within sections of the …