What skill-development strategies should developing countries adopt to compete successfully in the international markets of the 21st century? This innovative new book provides a blend of theory and case studies which shed new light on this important question. It approaches the question from two angles. It considers, first, how skill development affects a country's international competitiveness and, secondly, what a government should do to develop a country's skills. It concludes that development of skills is necessary for a country to make the transition from primary exports to manufactures and from labour-intensive to skill-intensive manufacturing. For this purpose, it is argued an education system that recognizes the return to improvements in quality, and a training system that internalizes externalities and prevents market failure are needed. Issues explored include: the arguments for an activist skill-development policy (with particular emphasis on education of girls and women); the transition from cheap labour to skill-based competitiveness; human resources and structural adjustment; and different approaches to training for countries and enterprises at different levels of technological development. Skill Development for International Competitiveness will be of interest to academics, students and researchers in the fields of development studies, development economics, the economics of education and training and labour economics. Policymakers and planners responsible for policies on human resource development and employment and overall development strategy will also find this a vital source of information.

If we ask simply whether Japanese business has changed, our answer must be an unequivocal yes and this is answered with a primary focus on technology, the traditional source of Japan's strong competitiveness. But if we ask whether Japanese firms have also changed in any substantive ways we must accept a less sanguine conclusion.

Rich and informative case studies throughout bring this book to life for professionals and students alike. Written by one of the leading competitive experts in the world. Tackles a complex issues in a lively and engaging way.

We live in a globally interconnected but economically divided world where internationally linked businesses can play a significant role in helping and/or obstructing the development of impoverished countries. Through a series of case studies, this volume examines what can be learned, both positively and critically, from the experiences of selected internationally connected firms in Nigeria, Uganda, Ghana, Vietnam, Guyana, and the Nunavik region of northern Canada. This book begins with a set of reflections on the strategies firms might adopt so that they develop both their own assets as well as those of the areas in which they operate. A team of more than two dozen researchers from the developed and developing countries conducted the research on which the essays on this and subsequent volumes are based. Dr Frederick Bird from Concordia University in Montreal directed the overall research project. Reformed World Relief Committee ROBERT NIXON is a Partner in Universalia Management Group BILL BUENAR PUPLAMPU is Senior Lecturer at the School of Administration, University of Ghana SAMUEL SEJJAAKA is a Senior Lecturer at the Makerere University Business School, Uganda GAIL WHITEMAN is Assistant Professor of Business-Society Management, Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, the Netherlands

Contents:
1. Introduction: Culture and Management in Asia Malcolm Warner 2. Culture and Management in China John Child and Malcolm Warner 3. Culture and Management in Hong Kong SAR Jan Selmer and Corinna de Leon 4. Culture and Management in India Pawan S. Budwar 5. Culture and Management in Indonesia Ashar Munandar 6. Culture and Management in Japan Philippe Debroux 7. Culture and Management in Malaysia Wendy A. Smith 8. Culture and Management in Pakistan Shaista E. Khilji 9. Culture and Management in Philippines Jan Selmer and Corinna de Leon 10. Culture and Management in Singapore Charles M. Hampden-Turner 11. Culture and Management in South Korea Chris Rowley and Jongkseok Bae 12. Culture and Management in Taiwan Wen-chi Grace Chou 13. Culture and Management in Thailand Vinita Atmiyanandana and John J. Lawler 14. Culture and Management in Vietnem Ying Zhu

A nation's commonly held ideas about economics determine success or failure of that society to meet its basic needs and promote a steadily increasing standard of living and quality of life in a safe and secure environment for its members. We examine and explain basic differences and similarities between the USSR-led Soviet/Communist/Socialist and the USA-led Democratic/Free Market/Capitalistic economic ideologies. Initiated by the ill-fated 1956 Hungarian Revolution against the USSR, certain new ideological concepts resulted. From the ruins of one dominating system (USSR) and another surviving successful one (USA), it was possible to create a new Universal Ideology of Economics (UIE). This UIE could be understood by anyone on this earth and educated to believe in any previously-defined political or economic ideologies and should replace all political ideologies. The Third Resource for new wealth creation, i.e., human-generated resources, which consist of technology and strategic capital, renders unnecessary all local and regional conflicts. Human-generated resources continually expand, transfer easily, and are unlimited. Resource although, at the time, we did not use that name. The continued, peaceful, unlimited development of the world depends on recognizing and using The Third Resource.

Western Enterprise in Far Eastern Economic Development charts the activities of Western firms in China and Japan from the middle of the nineteenth century, when those countries were opened to foreign trade, until recently. The organization of the Western business undertakings, the types of firms concerned and relations between the Westerners and the Japanese and Chinese economies are all discussed. Among the economic activities covered are: merchant banking, finance, manufacturing, mining, shipping and domestic transport. A dominant theme is the contrast presented by China and Japan in their response to Western enterprise.

This book demonstrates exact scholarship (and an) understanding of the way in which business works...(it has) a capacity to reduce a mass of apparently unrelated facts into the neat shape of theory."The Economist Describing and analyzing the part played by Western firms and governments in the economic development of Indonesia and Malaysia, the period covered by this survey extends from the early decades of the nineteenth century to the 1950s. Special attention is given to the changes that have taken place since the Second World War. The intricate economic relations between Westerners and Asians, and the results of changes in those relations are fully discussed. Comparisons and contrasts with the economic activities of Westerners in the development of China and Japan are also examined.

There are no miracles in Latin America, says international consultant Louis Nevaer--only opportunities--and with economic integration well underway, these opportunities are more promising than ever for U.S. businesses. Trade barriers fell at the Summit of the Americas, and even the Mexican meltdown failed to dim the Latin American promise. How U.S. businesses can participate in these processes of democratization and liberalization in Latin America is the subject of Dr. Nevaer's wide-ranging discussion. With attention not only to economic and trade considerations, but also to social, political, and cultural events and characteristics of the Latin American business scene, Dr. Nevaer provides readers with unusually rich up-to-date insights into how business is done there and how U.S. businesspeople can do it. This is important reading for corporate management at all levels, economists, international bankers and investors, and for their colleagues in the academic community who share their interests.

Dr. Nevaer starts with a general discussion of American business and business people in Latin America, and then puts the Latin American business scene in historical perspective. He looks the same way at the Mexican meltdown, focusing not only on Mexico's recovery, but on the residual social and economic problems as well. He then discusses strategies for turbulent markets throughout Latin America, Central America, and the Caribbean Basin Nations, with fascinating insights into the things that U.S. businesspeople can--and cannot--expect in their day-to-day interactions with their Latin American counterparts. Of special interest are the fourteen appendices. Together they provide a detailed list of sources for business information--an easily accessed guide that executives with special needs and concerns will find essential, and which will also be of help to scholars and academic researchers.

As part of the new Routledge series on Global HRM, this new title considers the growing importance of cross-border alliances, in particular international joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, which is currently a major business issue. Providing a detailed analysis of various aspects of alliances, including learning acquisition, the HR implications of mergers and the role of cooperation and trust in such alliances, this book fills a vital gap in current literature. Featuring case studies and other added value features, this is an essential text for students of HRM, international and strategic management, as well as for HR professionals.

As sales managers are encouraged to manage increasingly global territories, the art of selling is more complicated than ever and the rules of negotiation more diverse. This book considers the many facets of cross-cultural sales management, to provide salespeople and managers with a guide to making the most of the global sales force. Topics covered include:

· Cross-cultural negotiations
· Hiring, training, motivating and evaluating the international sales force
· Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
· Sales territory design and management

Included in the book are 10 case studies, featuring companies from the US, Europe, New Zealand and Asia, all designed to give both sales students, salespeople and their managers an explanation of what diverse cultures entails, and the dilemmas, situations and opportunities that arise when selling across borders. Key examples of case studies: Asia Hotel Group, New Zealand Wines, Pacifico Software (US), Smith and Nephew (Spain), European Training Wreck (US-Europe), Mount Juliet Estate (Ireland), BP Fujian: Marketing LPG in Fuzhou (China).

The authors have international experience of both the theory and practice of selling, and have brought together the most up-to-date information to guide salespeople through the global marketplace. Sales Management: A Global Perspective differentiates itself from existing sales books, in that it clearly addresses the global marketplace, a subject neglected by most other texts. While still tackling sales from a managerial perspective, the cross-cultural approach of this volume makes this essential reading for sales management students and sales managers seeking to succeed in global sales.

Related link: www.routledge.com/textbooks/0415300444

This book challenges conventional wisdom by revealing an extensive and heterogeneous community of foreign businesses in Australia before 1914. Multinational enterprise arrived predominantly from Britain, but other sender nations included the USA, France, Germany, New Zealand, and Japan. Their firms spread out across Australia from mining and pastoral communities, to portside industries and CBD precincts, and they operated broadly across mining, trading, shipping, insurance, finance, and manufacturing. They were a remarkably diverse population of firms by size, organisational form, and longevity. This is a rare study of the impact of multinationals on a host nation, particularly before World War One, and that focuses on a successful resource-based economy. Deploying a database of more than 600 firms, supported by contemporary archives and publications, the work reveals how multinational influence was contested by domestic enterprise, other foreign firms, and the strategic investments of governments in network industries. Nonetheless, foreign agency - particularly investment, knowledge and entrepreneurship - mattered in the economic development of Australia in the nineteenth as well as the twentieth centuries. This book will be of interest to students and researchers in Australian and international economic and business history, the history of economic growth and scholars of international business.

International capital mobility is a fundamental aspect of the political economy of globalization, and this study develops a new framework for understanding this crucial phenomenon. Matthew Watson draws a distinction between the spatial and the functional mobility of capital, allowing fresh insights into existing work on the subject whilst repoliticizing the very idea of capital being 'in motion'. The dynamics of capital mobility and the patterns of risk exposure are illustrated through four cases: the Asian financial crisis; the Tobin tax; the Enron affair; and the proposed consolidation of the European stock market.

The Routledge Companion to the Makers of Global Business draws together a wide array of state-of-the-art research on multinational enterprises. The volume aims to deepen our historical understanding of how firms and entrepreneurs contributed to transformative processes of globalization. This book explores how global business facilitated the mechanisms of cross-border interactions that affected individuals, organizations, industries, national economies and international relations. The 37 chapters span the Middle Ages to the present day, analyzing the emergence of institutions and actors alongside key contextual factors for global business development. Contributors examine business as a central actor in globalization, covering myriad entrepreneurs, organizational forms and key industrial sectors. Taking a historical view, the chapters highlight the intertwined and evolving nature of economic, political, social, technological and environmental patterns and relationships. They explore dynamic change as well as lasting continuities, both of which often only become visible - and can only be fully understood - when analyzed in the long run. With dedicated chapters on challenges such as political risk, sustainability and economic growth, this prestigious collection provides a one-stop shop for a key business discipline.

In today's global economy, NAFTA continues to present unprecedented opportunities for companies in cross-border commerce. 'Uniting North American Business: NAFTA Best Practices' focuses on best business practices and lessons learned in the years since the NAFTA agreement was first signed, and their impact on both the economy and society. 'Uniting North American Business' provides you with the skills and competencies necessary to become more effective business managers and citizens in NAFTA countries by considering: * What is the scope of the NAFTA agreement itself?* What are some of the positive benefits of NAFTA?* What is really causing job loss attributed to NAFTA?* What should we know about Canada, the United States, and Mexico to better understand the culture and management philosophies of our partners?* What will society look like if current trends continue?

This seventh volume in the Academy of Internation Business series focuses on the European dimensions of international business and presents the work of leading scholars. Increasingly dominant views held about globalization and universal modes of management are explored and challenged through three core themes: the European dimensions of human resource management; multinational subsidiary operations; and emerging issues for the future of international business in Europe.

How has cultural diversity affected the business climate of the growing European Union? What are European institutions and enterprises doing to manage it? In 'EuroDiversity, ' Dr. Simons gathers issue-centered perspectives on how Europe's entwined past, present, and future have made it the most strikingly diverse part of the world and what this means for doing business there. 'EuroDiversity' provides:
* Insights into Europe's cultural challenges of globalization, diversity dilemmas, and opportunities
* Case studies, best practices, and resources for finding the common ground and developing the competence needed to succeed

'EuroDiversity' addresses how cultural diversity affects the business climate of the growing European Union and describes what European institutions and successful organizations are doing to manage it. The book's multinational team of authors gives us issue-centered perspectives on how Europe's entwined past, present and future have made it the most strikingly diverse part of the world and what this means for doing business there. They address Europe's cultural challenges of globalization and provide abundant insights into diversity dilemmas and opportunities. They point to the best practices and resources that will assist both European enterprises and those actively present in or trading with Europe to find the cultural common ground and competence they need to succeed.
Contributors: Arjen Bos, Marie-Therese Claes, Ph.D., Elena A. A. Garcea, Ph.D., Nigel Holden, Ph.D., Michael Stuber
Diversity in Europe is not the same as diversity in North America. Here is a book that not only makes clear why imported diversity models often fail in Europe, but alsoidentifies true European diversity issues and what to do about them.This is a book about the world's most culturally diverse area that explores how businesses must manage differences here to be successful in the global marketplace.The book's multinational team of authors show us concrete cases of big corporations handling diversity successfully.

This book discusses the feasible breakthrough of emerging economy enterprises in participating the international division of labor led by developed countries and gradually standing at the top end(s) of the value chain based on a deep understanding of the practice and upgrading opportunities of Chinese enterprises. On the basis of re-understanding the theory of global value chains, this book puts forward and expounds the concept of restructuring the global value chain. This book analyzes the background,motivations, paths and effects of enterprises in emerging economies to reconstruct the global value chain and develops a theoretical system to explore the deep-seated logic behind enterprise upgrading. This book concludes that the transformation and upgrading of Chinese enterprises are the most critical initiatives in seeking a new balance in the world economy. This book involves dozens of manufacturing enterprise cases in Chinese mainland and Taiwan. It is of great value to the research and policy study of enterprise upgrading and the participation in global competition.

The country of origin of goods and services can have positive or negative effect on customers' intentions to purchase. This book analyzes the impact of this effect on the international development of Italian companies in emerging markets. The chapters refer to a wide range of issues, including made-in effects in relation to ethnocentrism and to corporate social responsibility in small and medium-sized enterprises; the interactions and synergistic effects between product-related made-in images and the images of places as tourism destinations; distribution channel issues; 'made-in topics' in relation to emerging markets; and a review of the relevant literature on country of origin effects. The contributors propose strategies and tools that companies might leverage to develop their international marketing and suggest policies that might strengthen these efforts. This original work will prove to be a valuable resource for students and researchers of international marketing and strategy as well as policy makers. Contributors: B. Balboni, L. Battaglia, G. Bertoli, G. Bortoluzzi, T. Bursi, E. Cedrola, A. De Chiara, P. de Luca, A. De Nisco, B. Francioni, S. Grappi, G. Mainolfi, V. Marino, E. Martinelli, M. Matarazzo, F. Musso, M.R. Napolitano, A. Pagano, T. Pucci, R. Resciniti, C. Simoni, D. Vianelli, M. Vignola, L. Zanni

Pontus Braunerhjelm and Karolina Ekholm Over recent decades, foreign direct investment (FDI) has become a major force in the global economy. The geographical pattern of capital formation, trade and technological spillovers across countries and regions, are to an in creasing extent determined by the strategies chosen by multinational firms (MNFs). Between 1982 and 1994, the rate of growth of the global FDI stock was more than twice that of gross fixed capital formation, the growth of sales by foreign affiliates of multinational firms well exceeded that of world exports, and, by 1994, the MNFs accounted for approximately 6 percent of world output (United Nations, 1997, pp. xv-xvi). The overall mechanisms behind this rapid internationalization in terms of multinational produc tion have been attributed to the dismantling of trade barriers and the deregulation of capital markets, together with the advances in information technology that have facilitated the coordination and monitoring of inter nationally dispersed production. This development carries two important implications: First, firms operate in markets characterized by much tougher competition than only a decade ago, and, second, countries and regions are involved in competition for production to a much larger extent than before. This book addresses questions related to the location and geographical dispersion of the activities by multinational firms, a topic which has be come of increasing concern to policy-makers."

Countries adopt policies that attract foreign multinationals, stimulate industrial clustering and foster innovation. This book links these topical issues, examining activities of multinational enterprises alongside the efficiency, appropriateness and sufficiency of such policies. With new empirical evidence, it makes practical proposals throughout.

Japanese retailing has long been regarded as traditional or even backwards when in reality it has constantly demonstrated its innovation and dynamism. This book highlights these developments by looking at: innovations and underlying driving forces; responses of Japanese retailers to deregulation; increasing competition; changes in consumer behavior; and internationalization during the 1990s. All of these factors are analyzed through a thorough investigation of innovative activity from the 1950s onwards.

Designed as a primer for policymakers and students, this volume focuses on two critical problems the United States faces as we move into the 1990s: the unprecedented size of U.S. trade deficits and the nation's declining international competitiveness. The author uses contemporary data to identify and explain the linkages among trade deficits, budget deficits, international competitiveness, the future of manufacturing in the United States, the U.S. debtor position, foreign direct investment, and other related economic and political problems. Particular attention is given to the critical role of the manufacturing sector in determining the nation's international competitiveness and to the effects on the manufacturing sector of tax and fiscal policies that alter international capital flows. The author's central unifying theme is that U.S. trade deficits and the nation's international competitiveness are related but different problems requiring separate policy consideration and sometimes different policy prescriptions. In fact, the author demonstrates, some policies that could improve U.S. trade balances would actually reduce our international competitiveness.

Divided into four parts, the book begins by defining international competitiveness, separating it from the trade deficit problems, and identifying its major determinants. Part II deals with the decline of U.S. trade performance in the 1980s and traces the growth of the deficit, its causes, the effect of remedial policy actions, and the implications for U.S. manufacturing. The resulting escalation in U.S. international debt is also discussed and analyzed. In the third section, the author examines the difficult adjustments that both the United States and its major trading partners must make to narrow unsustainable U.S. deficits and the complementary surpluses of some trading partners. The final section explores the key policy alternatives for dealing with the trade and competitiveness issues in the 1990s and provides a broad agenda of actions to deal with both problems. A separate chapter describes flaws in the organization of the U.S. government which hinder the conduct of U.S. policy and U.S. international economic leadership. Written in nontechnical language, "Beyond Blue Economic HorizonS" is both an invaluable assessment of U.S. trade and competitive prospects for students of international finance and a call to action for policymakers charged with developing sound economic and trade policies for the 1990s.

This book deep dives into emerging consumer trends in the food and beverage industry in Italy, particularly in light of the COVID-19 crisis, and explores how firms have evolved to meet consumer needs and succeed in this challenging context. Through a series of case studies, the authors explore the food and beverage industry's defining characteristics and how each particular sector has become so important to the Italian economy. Drawing on cases that feature small, medium and large enterprises, the authors reveal how firms have adapted their business strategies to meet new customer demands and market trends, highlighting the winning characteristics of the ever-evolving 'Made in Italy' brand, concluding with a recommended strategy of best practices for future implementation. Providing examples that can be studied, applied and analyzed by researchers, students, and practitioners, this unique book offers a detailed understanding of the different innovations and adaptations that companies in the food and beverage sector have put in place in response to ever evolving markets and trends, and how innovation becomes the key to success.

Learn what you need to know to conduct successful business in Mexico This book is a primer on all aspects of doing business in Mexico, with practical examples that illustrate the risks and benefits of Mexican business operations. It provides the basic knowledge that all prospective investors and entrepreneurs in Mexico need, especially in the light of NAFTA. One of the authors is the former CEO and chairman of a multinational, multi-billion dollar company headquartered in Mexico City; the other is a CPA and consultant with small-to-medium-sized firms. Doing Business in Mexico: A Practical Guide provides you with comprehensive, basic knowledge of the pros and cons of establishing a business in Mexico, NAFTA and its implications for businesses, and much more.This single volume gives you what you need to know about: the maquila industry--what it is and how NAFTA affects it information about taxes, labor law, and accounting differences between Mexico and the United States basic considerations in beginning a Mexican operation import/export requirements foreign currency exposure United States tax laws applicable to citizens living abroad. . . and includes five appendixes that supply you with: contact information--addresses, telephone numbers, Web sites--of useful government agencies and journals/periodicals in Mexico and Mexican consulates in the United States Spanish-English and English-Spanish business glossaries examples of Mexican financial statements minimum daily wage rates for various occupationsDoing Business in Mexico: A Practical Guide is a must for anyone with an interest in business operations in that country. If you are such a person, this is the one essential volume you cannot afford to miss Visit the author's Web page at http: //www.gusgordon.com