GM Global Paper

Objective: Based on a real-world, existing global business, this project will highlight your ability to apply your course knowledge in a practical setting. This project will depend heavily on your ability to connect your course knowledge with practical examples. The focus is to gather, explain, and evaluate an international product/business/brand/service. Considerable deviations may occur due to the nature of the complexity of the topics learned and its practical applications. Students are expected to collect primary or secondary data as relevant in each phase. Such effort would also involve integrating what they have learned from the text, suggested readings, and what they gather as application data. My goal would be to receive a research report such that it could be published (hypothetically) as a useful case study report. As part of a case study process, students are also required to recommend improvements based on their research findings beyond what they find the business is currently undertaking. You are expected to (a) Choose a topic; form and work in a team or work individually (b) Narrow down to a set of manageable strategies /steps (c) Suggest how you are working over each stage and the information gathered in each stage (d) Collect relevant information as well as conduct your own research to gather appropriate business data (e) provide a detailed set of managerial recommendations that you think can enhance your chosen business’ international performance.

Please review this document for working in this project. You need to choose an existing global business (a product, a service, or a knowledge company). Then review each phase and sections mentioned below. You’d be asked to update your working document for each phase as a brief written summary in canvas. For your proposal, you can mention a brief background of your chosen business, and then copy the format provided below (or modify as needed for your case) as a proposal. For the proposal, you don’t need to fill out each stage or phases, but mention the names of each stage.

Overview

Every organization conducts research to plan and implement a business idea. This project is designed to provide the foundation for an international business plan. These activities offer flexibility for many settings related to global business enterprises. The framework may be used for planning global expansion of an existing product or service, or may be used to research a new foreign business opportunity. Each module of this project is designed to gather information for one component of an international business plan. The final result of your global plan is expected to be in the following format:

· a written report with supplementary tables and visuals.

· a summary in a visual display format (a PowerPoint file, or an image file as you could present as a poster the overall idea from this project).

Note: While the research components in each module are designed to provide a comprehensive analysis of this aspect of a business plan, selected items may be used to gather information for a specific element.

The following structure is suggested as your final report.

Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Phase 1 – Planning the Global Business Enterprise

Section 1

Identifying Global Business Opportunities

· Determine potential international markets for existing or proposed goods and services

· Analyzing International Competitors

· Identify domestic and international companies involved in similar business global business activities

Section 2

· Assessing the Economic-Geographic Environment- Examine geographic and economic factors that affect the business environment of a nation

· Assessing the Social-Cultural Environment- Research social institutions, customs, traditions, and beliefs influencing business

· Assessing the Political-Legal Environment

Research the influence of government and regulations on business activities

PHASE 2 – Organizing for Global Business Activities

Very briefly explain how you would identify and look into the following aspects of a global business:

· objectives and an organizational framework for global business operations

· Financing Sources for Global Business Operations

· Data, information and Research -- Creating a Global Management Information System

· Identify examples of databases or information systems to facilitate international business activities

· Identifying Human Resources for Global Business Activities

· Identify methods for reducing global business risks

PHASE 3 – Implementing the Global Market Plan

· Product and Target Market Planning for Foreign Markets

Identify specific attributes and customer benefits for a proposed international product or service

· Designing a Global Distribution Strategy- Analyze distribution channels and intermediaries for global business operations

· Planning a Global Promotion Strategy- Suggest advertising messages, media and other promotional activities for an international enterprise

· Selecting an International Pricing Strategy- Recommend a global pricing strategy based on costs, market demand, competition, and economic environment

PHASE 4 – Review and assess the Global Market Plan

Determining Financial success and stability or market success

· Estimate revenue and costs based for international business activities

– Measuring International Business Success

· Suggest potential criteria for global business accomplishments based on financial results and social contributions

Company: General Motors

Product: Electric vehicles

Competitors: Stellantis (Chrysler)

Executive summary

GM has made a recent comeback in terms of making sure there vehicles are relevant, as well as needed within the economy. As inflation rates are continued to rise within our economy, it is no secret that people are looking for constant ways to save money. This is where GM got a hold on things because they have a constant lineup of all the electric vehicles that they are making in the next coming years. This was a very good look for considering that of the big three automobile companies, they ranked number three. In the list of the top 10 car companies, they ranked number six. (Johnston, 2024) Now, as GM having a good lead on electric vehicles, it now leaves their competition to catch up to what they have already figured out, which is always a very bad look for the three big automobile companies that stay in competition for consumers. GM has made commercials, with celebrity individuals, they have been a part of major headlines in terms of commercials, and they are constantly pushing for a great marketing experience for their loyal consumers, as well as their possible consumers.

GM is the leading company for EV

GM has announced that by 2035, their entire line of cars would be all electric vehicles. As that seems to be a going thing for the United States of America, let’s look into how that affects other countries around the world. On the upside, electric vehicles have great benefits considering that they give off less emissions because they will not be using fossil fuels or coal, in terms of pollution, their timeline is in competition of gas vehicles because they are at least lasting enough to 200,000 miles or even a lifespan of 12 years, because it is not ran off of gas, they are able to accelerate at a faster pace, as well as their batteries, being very lightweight, and different governments are getting a lot of incentives for consumers to switch over to electric vehicles. This especially targets, the older consumers, especially retirees because they are not looking for cars to run down, but are focused on durability. (Advantages of Electric vehicles 2024)

Highlights of GM ev batteries

They also have a great lead in terms of having the most efficient battery. “Ultium batteries, with their high energy density, can store more energy in a compact and lightweight package than conventional batteries. The result is an enhanced range and performance for EVs equipped with the Ultium Platform.” (Nolan, 2024) These vehicles are very cost-efficient, as well as bringing science into the equation and making sure that it has advanced chemistry levels, in terms of operation and manufacturing of the product. (Nolan, 2024) Another highlight is that GM is not only focusing on their vehicles, but even their manufacturing facilities as well. “By 2040, GM said, it will be carbon-neutral both in its vehicles and manufacturing operations.”(12 US states are planning to ban the sale of gas-powered cars 2024) As GM’s competitors, such as Stellantis, are all on board for having the similar batteries, “Stellantis also have joint-venture battery operations,” General Motors is the only company that is pushing out a substantial lineup of vehicles that will host these batteries.(Facundo, 2023) Not only do we need to make sure that we have charging stations globally to support these cars in any country, but we need to also make sure that we are not polluting more of our earth for the convenience of prosperity and security of prominence.

Cons for hosting Electric vehicles

However, on the downside, even though they are pushing for electrical vehicles, they are using charging stations from EV connect. EV Connect only has charging stations in the United States of America, Australia, Asia and Europe, which means that they cannot service consumers outside of those countries. (EV Connect, 2022)

They are also taking financial losses for making electric vehicles, which is not a highlight that is conversed on. “It, along with other automakers, has struggled to solve the puzzle of making EVs affordable for average consumers and profitable at scale.” (Sloan, 2024) in terms of the economy, there are also downsides to these electric vehicle batteries. “If the battery ends up in a landfill, its cells can release problematic toxins, including heavy metals” that can leach into landfills or groundwater.” (Rowland et al., 2024) This means that we will have more of an overflow of products into our landfills and eventually going into our waters, which will eventually end up into our bodies. Also, “environmental risk, and fire hazard currently keep most of the world’s lithium batteries from being recycled.” (Rowland et al., 2024) As it is so very noble for car companies to find a better way to in the high pollution emissions that they cause within the environment, adding to our landfill wasn’t a good alternative. This shows that they have more work to do, especially if they want to appease internationally, and to our environment in a healthy manner.

Reference:

12 US states are planning to ban the sale of gas-powered cars. CNET. (2024, September 13). https://www.cnet.com/home/electric-vehicles/states-banning-new-gas-powered-cars/

Advantages of Electric vehicles. City of Moreno Valley. (2024, September 14). https://www.moval.org/mvu/ev-advantages.html

Committing to an all-electric future: General Motors. Committing to an All-Electric Future | General Motors. (2024, September 14). https://www.gm.com/innovation/electrification#:~:text=starting%20Fall%202023.-,Full%20lineup%20available%20starting%20Spring%202024.,to%20a%20specific%20GM%20vehicle.

EV Connect. (2022, February 15). Ev connect expands EV charging-as-a-service program. https://www.evconnect.com/news/ev-connect-expands-ev-charging-as-a-service-program

Facundo  , J. (2023, August 28). UAW brokers a tentative agreement with GM Battery Maker Ultium Cells. The American Prospect. https://prospect.org/labor/2023-08-28-uaw-tentative-agreement-gm-ultium-cells/#:~:text=Working%20in%20America-,UAW%20Brokers%20a%20Tentative%20Agreement%20With%20GM%20Battery%20Maker%20Ultium,Three%20automakers%20after%20September%2014.&text=United%20Auto%20Workers%20members%20march,voted%2095%20percent%20in%20favor.

Nolan, S. (2024, May 17). The Ultium Battery Platform: GM’s stride in EV Innovation. EV Magazine. https://evmagazine.com/articles/the-ultium-battery-platform-gms-stride-in-ev-innovation#

Rowland, L., Lloyd Rowland        |          December 18, 2023, & Jason Hayes        |          August 30, 2023. (2024, September 13). Electric vehicles scar the environment. Mackinac Center. https://www.mackinac.org/blog/2023/electric-vehicles-scar-the-environment#:~:text=According%20to%20Science%20magazine%2C%20if,leach%20into%20landfills%20or%20groundwater.

Sloan, D. (2024, April 24). GM is on the rise-but for now, evs are holding it back, not leading the charge. Fortune. https://fortune.com/2024/04/24/gm-earnings-beat-gas-ev-electric-trucks-profitable/#