Global strategy

Position your company for global success.

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

Countries like Estonia and South Korea are leading the way.

The country’s economic climate has changed.

Executives should consider four key ideas.

The majority of its revenue now comes from outside the U.S.

Companies routinely overestimate the attractiveness of foreign markets. Dazzled by the sheer size of untapped markets, they lose sight of the difficulties...

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 […]

Where momentum is picking up, and where it's stalling out.

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. […]

Brexit serves as a useful case study.

“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 […]

This package begins with "What the West Gets Wrong About China," by Rana Mitter and Elsbeth Johnson, which discusses three fundamental misconceptions:...

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.

Where to play and how to win

With China now in the World Trade Organization, opportunities for multinational corporations are multiplying and evolving fast—and so are the accompanying underlying perils.

Your personal credibility is your greatest asset.

It’ll help ensure your international expansion is a success.

Three strategies that have worked around the world.