Global strategy

The United States and United Kingdom may be, as Churchill said, two countries separated by the same language. Equally, however, the United Kingdom may be the best window Americans have onto the deliberately opaque landscape of the European Community. Sitting here in London, spiritually closer to Boston than to Brussels, it is easy for me […]

Five tips for positioning yourself in international markets.

The main goal of any international strategy should be to manage the large differences that arise at the borders of markets. Yet executives often fail...

Populism, migration, and conflict in the South China Sea.

Adaptiveness and cross-cultural awareness are in-demand traits.

Why your company needs a "side of the pyramid" strategy.

The founder and CEO of Viking Range recalls the eventful words of an early adviser: "You should run this from day one like it's a public company. Treat...

Because of growing commitments of their companies in developing countries, large numbers of American and European managers have entered negotiations with government officials in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Also, with emerging nationalism, these negotiations have become increasingly frustrating. Sometimes misunderstandings have been so great that they have led to a breakdown in negotiations that […]

The UN’s new agenda focuses on the private sector.

Yes—if its companies globalize their cultures and strategies.

Companies should hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

Mom-and-pop store owners are partners, not competitors.

The first wave of foreign direct investment in China, in the 1980s, mostly took the form of joint ventures. A second wave followed in the 1990s in the form of greenfield wholly foreign-owned enterprises (WFOEs). Now a third wave of foreign direct investment—cross-border mergers and acquisitions—is gaining strength. Consider the forces driving this third wave. […]

Can a Japanese rice cracker company move from the Asian section to the snack food aisle?

“We” are seated at a negotiating table. “They” are seated across from us. The outcome of these talks will shape America’s future competitiveness and economic well-being. But “us” is not necessarily companies based in the United States. “Them” is not foreign nations. Rather, us is the people—most prominently, the work force—of the United States. And […]

For almost ten years, Geoff Parker, vice president for international development at Thurmond Textiles, kept a diary on the “China Project.” The following are excerpts. September 18, 1979 New York The meeting finally took place—it was Don and all the other top brass, plus me. The decision: go. Based on my work up to now […]

What CEOs can do to reverse the trend.

We need a more sophisticated method than lobbying.

In the midst of hardship, the climate for foreign investment in Russia has never been better. But Westerners should learn from the mistakes of the first wave of joint ventures.

Seven factors make the difference.