Unit VIII Discussion Board

DBA 8710, International Business and Global Strategy 1

Course Learning Outcomes for Unit VIII Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

1. Interpret the dimensions of international management. 2. Explain different approaches to analyzing global strategies. 3. Examine the advantages and disadvantages of multicultural and global strategies. 4. Distinguish between the formal planning approach to change and the power-behavior approach to

change. 5. Contrast the bargaining power of suppliers and the bargaining power of buyers. 6. Discriminate between strategies applicable to international business operations. 7. Critique the process of change in organizations.

Course/Unit Learning Outcomes

Learning Activity

1 Unit Lesson Chapter 15, pp. 441–468 Unit VIII Research Paper

2 Unit Lesson Chapter 15, pp. 441–468 Unit VIII Research Paper

3 Unit Lesson Chapter 15, pp. 441–468 Unit VIII Research Paper

4 Unit Lesson Chapter 15, pp. 441–468 Unit VIII Research Paper

5 Unit Lesson Chapter 15, pp. 441–468 Unit VIII Research Paper

6 Unit Lesson Chapter 15, pp. 441–468 Unit VIII Research Paper

7 Unit Lesson Chapter 15, pp. 441–468 Unit VIII Research Paper

Required Unit Resources Chapter 15: Entering Developed and Emerging Markets, pp. 441–468

Unit Lesson As we conclude this course, keep in mind that the strategy for an international business begins and ends with the creation of strategic global alliances. The concept of alliances is not new. For centuries, the use of alliances has helped shaped the world we live in today as they are simply agreements between two or more parties (Hill, 2021). Enemies, friends, and even “frenemies” can make alliances. Over the past 30 years, the amount of strategic alliances has increased significantly on a global scale (Hill, 2021). Making a strategic alliance work is incredibly difficult, but it starts with leadership.

UNIT VIII STUDY GUIDE

Entry Strategy and Strategic Alliances

DBA 8710, International Business and Global Strategy 2

UNIT x STUDY GUIDE

Title

Can global leadership skills be developed for the strategic use of alliances? The answer to this question is more complicated than it looks. Global leaders must be well-developed to understand the factors that shape international interactions in their organizations, corporations, and businesses (e.g., training, travel, education). Global leadership development requires that managers and leaders benefit from a given intercultural training or developmental experience for them to effectively perform global leadership activities and tasks (Hill, 2021). Leaders must make sure they are finding the right partner in the first place. Have you ever done a group project, and you ended up doing more work than others in the group? Of course you have, and so has everyone else. Group work, like alliances, is fragile and takes serious effort to make it work correctly (Hill, 2021). Like a good partner, you need to help alliances reach their specific goals at hand. For example, is the goal of everyone involved in a group project to get an A? Surely that is the end goal, but many in group work want more than just the grade. Some want to learn something along the way, and if you do not share the risk of developing ideas or sharing some of the key decisions together, it is bound to fail. You need to find a team that wants to achieve their strategic goals and verify that each member in the group has the abilities that you potentially lack but still value! As you are determining what kind of alliance you want with another company, make sure that you gather as much information as possible to make a sound decision. You can hire or acquire information from third-parties to help with the decision-making process. International business is not just about having one strategic relationship. In fact, the goal is to find organizations and create a type of structure that allows alliances to work together as a team. It would be great if you could have several of your alliances work together, so while you are helping yourself, you are also helping others. This is all a part of trying to manage alliances. The core competencies of how you operate as a company are on the line. Each company can have different structures, leadership styles, and management styles, but are their commonalities in the companies’ culture, which can lay a solid foundation for working together successfully? You want to make sure that both businesses are benefiting. Finally, in this unit, you will have an opportunity to demonstrate what you have learned so far. You will create a research paper based on the topic that you submitted to your professor at the beginning of the course. Ideally, you have been working on this assignment over the entire course.

Reference Hill, C. W. L. (2021) International business: Competing in the global marketplace (13th ed.). New York NY:

McGraw-Hill Education.