The immediate goal for any small to medium‐sized enterprise (SME) is to survive and maintain its independence. But, sooner or later, a small company will probably want to expand. With the trends towards global convergence and the adoption of outsourcing by firms of all sizes, growth usually...

Imagine you are one of the growing number of organizations that elected to enter the global forum. Only imagine that you did this years ago and are now recognized as an international tour de force in your field. You have offices in more than 80 countries and employ over 85,000 people worldwide....

Wal‐Mart is the world’s largest retailer. In fact, it is the biggest corporation on the planet. In January 2002, annual year to date sales exceeded a staggering $200 billion, and analysts predict that this figure will have rocketed to $700 billion by 2010. However, to meet such forecasts the...

The automobile industry is probably the most globalized industry in the world. It employs upwards of 20 million people and has been a long‐standing driver of economic prosperity. Three “triad” groups of the USA, Japan and western Europe are responsible for almost 90 percent of total...

Picture this. You are the CEO of the most valuable organization on the planet. You have 12 core businesses, all of which created net earnings of $12.7 billion in 2000, and from 1998 to 2000 you were voted Fortune ’s most admired global organization. Cause for celebration? Time to slow down and...

Spun off from Racal Radio Group in 1985, Vodafone Group has transformed itself in the last six years from a virtually unknown small UK‐based company into the world’s largest wireless and mobile‐phone operator. With 93 million subscribers in 29 countries, it ranks among the top ten global...

The Ford Motor Corporation has always been regarded as a world leader from pioneering mass production to being one of the first car manufacturers to build overseas assembly plants. Ford Europe, founded in 1967, proved the value of the overseas strategy and in the 1980s its profits offset US...

Before the privatization of British Airways in early 1987, people in the UK said that BA stood for “bloody awful”. Even allowing for the fact that British people go in for that kind of thing – one of the companies out of which BA was created in 1973, BOAC, used to be referred to as...

Purpose – To emphasize the importance of branding and the dangers in misunderstanding the consumers’ attitude towards brands. Design/methodology/approach – This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings...

Purpose – To provide an insight into some of the current thinking and strategies of Chinese companies seeking to play a significant role in global markets, particularly in the West. Design/methodology/approach – This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds impartial comments,...